Where Memory sleeps." COWPER. When, at the close of one of those Where, when the nipping frost has chased The birds of every spray, Around the sides a paper flock'd, Retrospect of Life. This room, though it had no decorations of taste or elegance, had a respectability in its appearance, which was answerable to that of its revered master. I am still partial to the costume of the Clergy of the middle of habitations, which were both distinthe last century, and the style of their guished by an appropriate agreement with the situation they held in society-before the coat of a Clergyman made him look like a smart tailor exhibiting his newest fashion, or the venerable peruke had given place to the moukish tonsure of a modern divine; and their studies and parlours were converted into elegant bookrooms and splendid drawing-rooms; which is now the case with every Incumbent of a moderate benefice, vying with the fashionable world in all his domestic arrangements. But to return to the old parsonage, about the year 1760, on Christmas Eve. The good Rector seated by his own fire-side, where every English subject is a sovereign, aud cannot be invaded with impunity, smoking his evening pipe (a prerogative now nearly obso lete, except amongst the lower class), or playing at piquet with his eldest daughter; the younger children running every minute to the door to listen to the little half-frozen songsters, and take in a supply of berried holly for the windows; the mistress of the family with exemplary notability su perintending the preparations in the kitchen for the next day's festivity, and bringing in a foretaste in a little silver saucepan that was always used for niceties. By those who have no pleasing or tender remembrance of their childish days (if any such there are) I shall be thought too minute in relating these particulars, and may be asked what interest I can possibly suppose the publick to take in the domestic amusements of an obscure Country Parson and his family, forty or fifty years ago, on Christmas Eve? It is true I cannot expect to interest the superior orders of society, whose habits of life are very different; but the superior orders form but a small part of the community; the The old flock papers were of very large patterns, 120 Winter Reminiscences.-Battle of St. Alban's.-Dr. Medcalf?[Feb. of the common cares and anxieties which are felt in every period but childhood and early youth; those who have been thus far blessed, and whose consciences acquit them of any gross or habitual crimes unforsaken, must consider themselves to possess a very favourable lot, and may cherish the sweet remembrance of their days of innocence, and the joys of their father's house, without any deep or lasting regret that they are gone; for, though they never can be literally, they may be more than figuratively, more than ideally restored, when they have attained, through Divine grace, as far as human frailties will permit, another state of innocence, similar in purity, but superior in principle, which is required to prepare them for the eternal mansions of their heavenly Father; from whence they never shall depart to feel any more the anguish of separation from those they fondly love, or the grievous and trying changes of this variable world. W. B. Northiam, Dec. 17. Jan. 16. Mr. URBAN, middle and lower classes are those whom my descriptions generally ap ply to; to whom the minister of a parish is individually of more importance than a minister of state; and the little biographical anecdotes of such a family, having a nearer resemblance to their own, will consequently be read with an interest proportionate to the recollections it will call forth respecting the early occurrences of their father's house. This is my apology for these "short and simple annals of private life, to those who may conceive they require any. The paternal dwelling, however humble, and all its dear connexions, will retain in every mind, that has not been utterly corrupted or depraved by yanity or vice, a very deep impression of reverential gratitude and tender regard: Those who have risen to the most distinguished stations, unless they are absolutely unworthy of their advancement, look back to the companions of their youthful days, and the occurrences of their native home, not only without disdain, but with an innate partiality that no advantages of fortune have power to dispossess them of: while those who are reduced from the situation in which they were born, although they may have met adversity with fortitude, and submitted to it with perfect resignation to the decrees of Providence, will experience a pensive and soothing gratification in tracing in the picture I have drawn (though an evening piece) some perceptible likeness of the fair morning of their days; which they may correct with the pencil of Memory till it becomes a more faithful portrait of some very dear friend, and the joyous scenes of longdeparted years. To conclude the appeal, I wish to make to the feelings of Nature and the sentiments of every serious mind: Those who have been conducted through all the intervening stages to the middle or decline of lite, and been enabled to maintain an "1812. June 25. Thomas Medcalf, equal station in the world to that M. D. Woodsetton. The above Gentlewhich their parents held; who have man came to reside in this Parish a few renewed with their families for many months ago in an obscure situation. It successive years the moderate festivihas been reported of him that he was ties and chearful enjoyments of the educated in one of our Universities, that season, although it is impossible they Consul General at Leghorn,and held corhe had lived in affluence, had served as should have been exempt from those respondence with many respectable per calamities which inevitably interrupt, sons of Rank. Most certainly he appearand for a time destroy, the pleasured to be in his deportment and conversa able scenes of human life, exclusive tion a gentleman and a scholar." Alban's, February 17, 1461, there 66 nobleman is remembered, save Sir "An Occasional Correspondent" has favoured us with the following extract from the Register of Sedgley, co. Stafford, as entered by the late Rev. J. Best, vicar: Mr. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 1. SEND you for insertion two small The first is a romantic view between two and three miles Westward from Bristol, on the North bank of the Avon, with Cook's Folly on the summit of the precipice. That gentleman, who built this imitation of part of a Castle in 1693, evidently intended to have a pleasing object,suited to its situation, for contemplation on approaching, and a considerable elevation whence to observe with greater effect a most interesting distant prospect of England and the Principality of Wales. The Vulgar, who perceived no advantages to be derived to them from the structure, stigmatized it with the term of the Folly, and invented the following ridiculous story, detailed in the Bristol Guide: "This building, which greatly embellishes these parts and prospects, is called Cook's Folly, from a story current thereabout, that one Cook dreamed that he should die by the bite of a viper, and therefore built and confined himself in this place. But all his caution could not avert his destiny: for, as he was sitting by the fire, a viper sprung from some faggots, and bit him so effectually as to occasion what he had been at so much expence to avoid." Many of your Readers must be familiarised to the other view, which shews the West end of the Church, the ascent of the bridge, and the hills beautifully covered with woods, Eastward of Henley upon Thames. It was taken from the bow-window of the adjacent Inn at Henley. Yours, &c. A TRAVELLER. LETTERS TO A FRIEND. LETTER II. DEAR SIR, Stonor Park, Oct. 20. IT T is with some apprehension of my former Letter's having exhausted your patience, that I venture on another. During my stay with you, I have perused with great attention, Mr. Blair's late publication of "THE CORRESPONDENCE ON THE FORMATION, OBJECTS, AND PLAN OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE SOCIETY," and I take the liberty of troubling you with some Observations on the following parts of it:-I. His charges against GENT. MAG. February, 1814. us of not noticing his First Circular, and of my with-holding information from on of fur Committee: II. His Assertion, that the Editions of the Bibles, authoritatively issued from the Catholic presses abroad, and named in Le Long's Catalogue, are either in the learned or foreign Languages, or burthened with notes: III. His Animadversions on the Harsh Expressions in the notes to the Original Rheimish version of the Bible, and in Dr. Challoner's notes to his edition of it: IV. The Charge of Duplicity, brought in his work, against the Roman Catholic Bible Committee: V. And his Misconcep tion of what is asserted by Roman Catholics, of the Unchangeable Nature of their Doctrine. I. Mr. Blair seems displeased, that No notice was taken by the Catholics of his first Circular, In answer to this charge, permit me to observe, 1st, that, in these days, when circular applications in print are so very common, a neglect in answering any one of them, cannot be justly construed by its Writer, as a want of civility in his regard.---2dly, That Mr. Blair's first circular contained some expressions,---(as, where he mentions, our drinking turbid streams, and sitting in darkness and the shadow of death)”, which would naturally make a Catholic suppose that it came from no friendly hand. This was my impression on reading it; I have not met with a single Catholick on whom it did not make a similar impression: this was particularly noticed to Mr. Lefroy, both by Mr. Gandolphi and Mr. Blake. : -- As to his charge of my withholding information from him, or Mr. Lefroy, I can assure you, that there is not the slightest ground for it, as I poss sessed no information to give them. This, when Mr. Lefroy did me the honour to call on me, I mentioned to him. I told him most explicitly, that, "owing to the great weight of business, which then, and for some time past, had pressed upon me, I bad not been able to give any attention to what the Roman Catholic Bible Committee was doing, in respect to their intended publication of the New Testament; and that some time must elapse before I could attend to it; I therefore referred him, for the |