:

given refpecting St. John's college is totally false; for, neither the college is to be faced with fione, nor the chapel re-built and the bridge has only undergone a few repairs, rendered neceffary by fome damages that the falling of a few large trees occafioned. Nothing has been decidedly fettled in regard to the improvements which are to take place at the public library, new mufeam, &c.; and the building at King's college is to be Gothic, after the plan of Mr. Wyatt: the colonade and porter's lodge will be, after the Grecian ftyle, to face the fellows building. The new college, which is to be named Downing college, is neither to be incorporated with Bene't, nor built upon the fpot that now ftands upon. There is to be an enlargement in the building of Trinity-hall for the accommodation of the fellows on the new foundation; but I never knew that the name of the street this hall ftands in was called Wrangham-fireet, or that Profeffor Jowett was inftrumental in endeavouring to prevent the addition to that fociety.

Wherever S. T. D. procured his in formation, he has been egregiously deceived, or has moft miferably mifreprefented it; and I would recommend him for the future to be more cautious in impofing upon the publick with fictitious and exaggerated reprefentations of fans, fo fly to be detected and expofed.

Before I finish, I have a word to fay with another correfpondent (whom, from the fimilarity of the fignatures and fubjects, I should fufpect to be the fame), D. T. S. p. 368, who mentions fome improvements in Linton church which never could have taken place; and I am furprized, Mr. Urban, that any perfon should be fo wilfully malignant as to endeavour to impofe an account of improbable, impoffible, and falfe events on the public attention through fo refpectable a Mif. cellany as the Gentleman's Magazine.

A FRIEND TO TRUTH.

We are obliged to A BACHELOR OF THIS UNIVERSITY for a fimilar detecAon of a correfpondent whom we have more than once fufpected of intentional impofition; and againft whofe unmanly arsifices we fhall in future be more guarded.

is again brought before the publick. Whether the respectful address to the Governors, p. 367, will have better fuccefs than one which I made fo long ago as vol. LVII. p. 304, will be feen. I there ftated, from the Rules and Orders of the Society as printed by Mr. Bacon, that, if a private perfon makes a donation of 2col. the Governors give a receipt for it, and promife to add 200l. and to lay out the whole with convenient speed in purchafe of land; and, until such purchase can be made, will apply the profis to be made thereof for the benefit of the rector, vicar, or curate, of such church.

Mr. Bacon farther flates, that a donor may keep his money in his own hands till a purchafe can be made; and, on the incumbent's certifying that he has received the interest of it, the Governors must pay him intereft of their 200l. I obferved, that a bene. factor declaring his intent to give 200!. to a particular place may retain the money as above, paying interest. In this cafe the incumbent would receive from the donor 8'. a year at least, and 41. from the governors; whereas, if the donor pays in his money, the incumbent would receive but 81. in the whole. I fuggefted that I might mif understand; that the Governors might not be aware of the miflake, if it was one; that the former was most probable; and I concluded, that I should be thankful to any gentleman who would fet me right. No answer was given to this.

In a former paper I had fuggefted, that the Governors were directed to publish in the Gazette an annual 'account of the fum they had to diftri bute. I was told they were not obliged to publish in the Gazette. This was literally true; becaufe, it is to be in the Gazette, or fuch other way as fball be judged proper. Of this latter part my antwerer took no notice.

I never faw fuch an account in that or any other way; and I muft say, that the publick have a claim to an ac count of fo large'a fum of public money, independent of the confequence it might be of to the individuals inte. refted in it. When we confider the very refpectable chara&ers of the Governors, we cannot doubt that, if the defire of this information fhould come to their knowledge, they will readily order fuch an account to be given. Of the difficulties which attend the getting

bufineis

Mr. URBAN,

June 26. THE HE juft and well-drawn cha.ac. ter with which your current volume commences renders any apology needlefs for requesting you to add to it the following Sonnet, written by an intimate friend and fellow-collegian of the deceased, the ingenious author of "Sonnets, and other Poems," the third edition of which was elegantly printed by Cruttwell, at Bath, in 1794; and he has fince published "Elegiac Stanzas, written during Sickness at Bath, December 1795;" and "Hope, an allegorical Sketch, on recovering flowly from Sickness, 1796." In Cruttwell's Bath Chronicle were, not long ago, inferted thefe

Lines on the Death of the Reverend WILLIAM BENWELL. Thou cameft with kind looks, when on the brink [mild voice Almoft of death, I ftrove; and, with Soothing, didst bid my drooping heart rejoice,

Though imitten fore; oh! I did little think That thou, poor friend, wouldft the first victim fall

[didft fty,

To the ftern King of Terrors! Thou

547

"If fome true and tender heart there be, On which, through every change, thy foul might truft, [to the duft." Death comes with his fell dart, and imites it They have, at least, been fo applied by ACADEMICUS.

Mr. URBAN,

IN

June 27.

N confirmation of the politions of Dr. W. Heberden, jun. relative to the influence of cold on health, in p. 311, the following extra& from the learned Ray's "Collection of English Proverbs" may not be unacceptable to thofe of your numerous readers who may be unacquainted with this work of that profound obferver of Nature in

1670:

"A green winter makes a fat churchyard. This proverb was fuficiently confuted anno 1667, in which the winter was very mild, and yet no mortality or epide mical difeafe enfued the fummer or autumn following. We have entertained an opinion that frosty weather is the most healthful, and the hardest winters the beft. But I can fee no reafon for it; for, in the hotteft countries of the world, as Brazil, &c. men are longeft-lived, where they know not what froft or fnow means; the ordinary age of man being 110 years. And here in England we found by experience, that the laft great plague fucceeded one of the sharpest frosty winters that hath lately happened." SCRUTATOR.

Yours, &c,

Mr. URBAN, Dartford, June 15. N

pall,

Livid infection's prey. The deep diftrefs Of her, who beft thy inmoft bofom knew, To whom thy faith was vow'd, thy foul [exprefs? What powers of fault'ring language thall As Friendship bids, I feebly pant my own, And forrowing fay, Poor fellow! thou

was true,

art gone.' W. L. BOWLES." In Mr. Bowles's abovementioned performance, intituled, " Hope," he feems to allude to his departed friend in the three concluding lines of his 14th ftanza addreffed to Love:

"A malignant fever raged in the parish where Mr. Benwell refided; he flew to the relief of the fufferers, caught the infection,

and died in the 311t year of his age. He was diftinguished at Oxford for talents and learning; having gained the prizes of the Univerfity for Latin verfe, and an English effay. He was gentle, unaffected, liberal, and pious,"

moft excellent figure and defcription of the Poa diflans. This I fhould ima gine had elcaped the obfervation of Dr. Withering, by his not taking any porice of it; but who, in the third and laft edition of his Botanical Arrangement of British Plants, vol. II. p. 141, has alfo given a reprefentation of the above plant; which, I must observe, does not at all give a good idea of the fpecimens I have met with about Northfleet and Greenhithe, excepting indeed the parts of frustification.

Mr. Curtis, being rather doubtful whether his plant was really the Poa difians of Linneus, has given the plant he has figured the name of Poa retryRexa, from the branches of the panicle (when the plant is going out of bloom) being reflected, or itretched out back

wards.

face only of the branches, which increase in fize as the plant advances in its flowering, and forces them back.

wards.

Av, efq. author of "the Art of Riding," 1584, and master of the jewels to Queen Elizabeth; and of Margaret (Grey), his fecond wife.

Tanner, in his Bibliotheca, records John Aftley, efq. mafter of the jeweloffice to Queen Elizabeth, as author of a book, intituled, "The Art of Riding, London, 1584," 4to; and of an Epiftle to Roger Afcham, prefixed to his book of "The Affairs of Germany during the Reign of the Emperor Charles, dated from the houfe of the Princess Elizabeth, at Hatfield, 19 Oct. 1552; in which he records many things of their mutual friendship at Chefter, Cheifea, and Hatfield. T. Warton, in his Life of Sir Thomas Pope, mentions fome curious anecdotes of the princefs and this Mr. Aftley and Mrs. Katharine Aftley, his wife, at Hatfield, Athridge, &c. Mrs. Katharine Aftley was probably his firft wife, the daughter of Sir PhiJip Champernon, of Devonshire. His fecond wife was Margaret Grey, allied to the noble houfe of Dorfet; but I much doubt whether he was daughter of Lord Thomas Grey, the Marquis of Dorfet's brother, as mentioned in the Baronetages, &c. However, let others judge from the words of her epitaph, and from her arms on the monument, which have an ermine bor

dure to the arms of Grey (of Groby). Tanner fays Mr. Aftley died before 20 Feb. 38 Eliz. (1596). Mrs. Margaret Afley, his widow, died in June, 1601.

The fubject of this article refided at the palace of Maidstone, in Kent, and was buried in the church there, in which there is a fplendid monument, erected as well for himfelf as his fon

Sir John Auley, mailer of the revels to Charles I, but the epitaph to the former, and to his wife, has been trangely omitted in Newton's Hiftory of Maidstone. I here, therefore, tran

fcribe them for you from fome notes taken fome years ago.

On a marble on a lofty part of the

monument.

"The Right Honourable John Astley, efq. defcended from the truly auncient and honourable family of the Lord Astley, the capital feat of whofe barony was at Aftiey caftle in Warwickshire. With commen dable regard to the fplendor of his bith and defcent, he made a noble parallel with

and nous leaded

"He was justly acknowledged to be allied to the most illuftrious princefs Queen Elizabeth by her mother's kindred, who advanced him to places of principal repute and truft in court-fervice, being gentleman of her privy chamber, and matter of her royal jewels and plate 37 years; and in from his age of twelve years. other relations, before he had thofe places,

mortis

Annisais 59*."

On a corresponding marble. "Margaret, wife of the faid John Aftbranched out of the right honourable house ley, was daughter of Thomas Grey, of the Greys, dukes of Suffolk, marquifes of Dorfet, barons Grey, of Groby, Harrington, Bonville, and Aftlay. For the heir-general of the laft Baron Aftley was married to Reginald Lord Grey, of Ruthen; and fo the title and arms of the barons Aftley was conveyed to the Greys.

"She had iffue one fon, Sir John Aftley; and 3 daughters, Margaret, married to Anthony Neville, of Nottinghamshire; Bridget, to Sir Norton Knatchbull, of Merham, Kent; and Eleanor, to Themas Knatchbull, of Maidstone, brother to the faid Sir Norton."

in chief 3 roundles, a crefcent for dif Her arms are, Barry of fix pieces, ference, within a bordure Ermine. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

F S.

July 4. AGREE with B. S. p. 306, in

heartily withing that your botanical correfpondents would indulge us unlearned readers by giving the English names of the plants they mention. Without leifure to fudy the fcience, I am pleased with reading their communications; but fhould be more fo if they would favour us with English names.

P. 322. Dr. Parr was a native of Harrow, and educated at the school there, which was founded for the be

nefit of the inhabitants of the town. This feemed to give a fair claim to a

fucceffion.