exclufively; a meafure which it muit be regretted has been fo long delayed, although earnestly defired by many owners; but which may yet, if embraced immediately, be the means of fecuring the privileges and the property of a moft numerous and refpectable body of British fubjects, of preventing the undue advantages fought to be acquired by perfons to whom the legiflature has not intended to grant a benefit-and of keeping intire a body of laws peculiarly fitted to fupport and increafe the commerce of the empire, the neglect of which will, it is to be feared, put it in the power of others not merely to wreft from the owners of British-built fhips the best produce of their industry, but to deprive them of the future means of exercifing it, by excluding them from being the only carriers of British commerce. London, Nov. 6, 1801. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 8. DR R.Vincent, in his animated defence of public education obferves, that, befides the royal foundations of Eaton, Winchefter, and Westminster, and the three great fchools in London, all pub lic fchools are involved in the charge made by the bishop of Meath. He particularly names Rugby, Manchel ter, and Wakefield. With regard to the laft, I beg leave to recommend the plan purfued by the Rev. John Clarke, who for many years was mafier of that fchool. Among other refpectable perfons educated under him was Bennet Langton, efq. the friend of Dr. Johnfon, whofe recent death is fincerely regretted by every good man. "It was one of the rules established by Mr. Clarke in his fchool, to begin the mornings of the three fift days in each week with explaining to his scholars oce felect portion in the verfion of the LXXII. and another in the Greek Teitament. Hence they familiarized themselves in their more tender years to, the language of the facred pen-men. Many of them, intended for the church, in conformity to his advice, continued to dedicate a fhort time every day to the careful perufal of the Scriptures, with the regular ufe of an interleaved Bible for the infertion of incidental remarks and illuftrations. From this plan of fudy they derived very signal adWanges. If this made were univerfally adopted in our public fchools, might it not enable the candidates for orders to acquit WHEN a man comes forward the fide in a literary controverty, it is abfovoluntary champion of either lutely neceffary that he thould be acquainted, if not with the perfous, at leaft with the arguments he is to encounter: without this previous knowledge he frequently injures the cause which he intended to fupport. In this fituation ftands the advocate of the Bi fhop of Meath and Dr. Rennell; on whofe letter to Mr. Urban, p. 33, I mean to make fome obfervations. dering the fubject difcuffed, namely I join in opinion with O. Y. in conthat of public education, "as of the adds that the authors concerned are greatest importance," but not when he all men of known literary eminence." Dr. Vincent has proved his claim by the "Voyage of Nearchus," but I am the claims of the Bishop of Meath and yet to learn upon what foundatious reft the Mafier of the Temple. I acknowledge my reading to be contracted, and my fituation in life very obfcure. It is no wonder, therefore, that few of. the productions of the Bishop of Meath have come in my way. I muft, therefore, humbly folicit O. Y. to inform me by which of his writings he has attained to fuch literary eminence. Of Dr. Rennell's knowledge of Latin plified in the Character of the Rev. John "Non "Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis, Tempus eget ;" eb ovo ufque ad mala. I alfo, Sit, admire the eloquence of Dr. Rennell; yet thefe are not the only requifites in an author. I may venture to affert, that the best judges of compofition will not allow his Sermons, by which as an author he is wholly known, to be correct examples: they want altogether that fyftematic arrangement, that judicious diftribution of argument, that clear reafoning, which are feldom to be found except in the writings of thofe who have improved their faculties by a diligent attention to mathematical fudies; a fpecies of learning which, however neglected and defpifed by Dr. Rennell, is effentially neceflary to confitute a found Reafoner, and give an author an indifputable title to literary eminence. If, as O. Y. acknowledges, Dr. Vincent has fuccefsfully refified the charge of neglect in the religious inftruction of youth in the fchool over which he prefides, to what public feminaries does Dr. Rennell allude? Surely he ought to mention them, that the reft may not fuffer in the opinion of the world from unmerited fufpicions. The fact is, Mr. Urban, it has been the fashion of late to declaim against public education; and the Bishop of Meath feems incautiously to have taken it from Dr. Rennell, as he had before adopted it from others. Your correfpondent in triumph proceeds: "Now I ask upon what autho rity Dr. Vincent afferis, that the Bifhop charges the mafters of public fchools with neglect of Chriftian inftruction, without any knowledge of his wum, without examination or enquiry." The queftion is a very unfortunate one for the fide he has taken. Those who are intimately acquainted with the particulars know, that Dr. Vincent has not made thefe remarks merely to difplay his eloquence: they are not carelefs remarks thrown out at random. As Dr. Vincent was above detailing, and your Correfpondent is very preffing, I will explain in fome degree, what reafon there is to think that the Bishop has founded his accufation upon the teftimony of Dr. Rennell's authority without any knowledge of his own. Before his Lordship's arrival in England, I can fay nothing of his life or circumftances; but, from a brief review of his fituation whilft he remained in this kingdom, it appears that all his knowledge with regard to public edu cation could not have been gained from his own obfervation: it muft, there fore, reft either on the authority of Dr. Rennell, or on fome other hafty affertions. I prefume not myfelf to give an opinion refpecting the ufes or abufes of public fchools; I merely beg leave to obferve that, in my judgment, neither the Bishop of Meath nor Dr. Rennell have done themfelves much credit by what they have written on the fubjećt. At the fame time, I highly applaud Dr. Rennell for his zeal in endeavouring to correct an evil which he confidered to be of an uncommon magnitude. His motive may have been good, though his judgment was erroneous. As far as relates to a fyftematic neglect of religious inftruction in public fchools, it is generally admitted that the Doctor's charge is groundless. It is to he hoped, however, that this accidental mifapplication of his talents will not deter him from employing all his eloquence in the correction of other evils which may challenge his attention. As a Clergy man who profeffes to be fingularly zealous in the promotion of the Chriftian caufe, and as a ftaunch friend to our prefent ecclefiaftical efiablishment, he muft view with horror any practices among his brethren which are calculated to leffen them in the opinion of the Laity, as that must ultimately prove detrimen tal not only to our Establishment, but to Religion itself. The molt eloquent preaching will avail but little, whilst there is reafon to condemn the practice of the Preachers. Now, it has been fuggefted, that the Doctor might laudably employ his ftrong and emphatic language in cenfuring the conduct of fuch Clergymen as are forward to difplay their eloquence and violence at elections, in order to fupport a minifterial candidate, or in pointing out the fhameful indecency and impropriety of fuch as are anxious to exchange their preferment as foon as they have obtained it; and thereby teach others to imagine that they confider a ftall or a living as marketable as any other commodity. Surely from fuch conduct in her defenders the Church muft ultimately fuffer more than feems at prefent to be apprehended. Thefe inftances have been felected as proper fubjects for the Doctor's eloquence, more particularly becaufe they are known to have conie under his immediate obfervation. ASPER. Mr. Mr. URBAN, Oxford, Jan. 14. I HAVE fent you the delineation (Pl. II.) of a piece of antiquity found at Dorchelier in Oxfordshire, a place of great note in antient days, and now remarkable for the remains of former fplendour. The inftrument is of brafs, and appears to be half of the crofs piece of a fword-hilt. It is broken off at the large end, where there was a cylindri cal hollow (which, perhaps, received the lower part of the hilt), as you may fee in the fmall figure. Not being able to fend you the original, I have taken two impreffions in wax of the infcription on each fide of the piece of brafs, which will enable your engraver to reprefent them with the greater accuracy; and I fhould be obliged to any of your correfpondents for an explanation. The polemical tracts of A. and P. Walembourg (vol. LXXI. p. 1000) were published in two large folio volumes under the following titles; Vol. I. "Tractatos Generales de Controverfiis Fidei per Adrianum et Petrum de Walenburch Batavos; illum Adrianopolis tanum, hunc Meffienfem Epifcopos, illum Colonienfium, hunc Moguntinum Suffraganeos, &c." Coloniæ Agrippinæ, 1670. Vol. II. "Tractatus Speciales, &c." A few of the tracts are in French and Low Dutch; and whole-length portraits of the authors are prefixed. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, OXONIENSIS, Feb. 11. F Auguftine Vincent, p. 7, fee British Topography, II. 37. OF P. 9. Bodiham caftle appears in the fame point of view in Grofe's Collections; and a North-caft view in Newbery's defcription of England. The Webster family are patrons of the vi carage. P. 37. Thomas Salmon, LL.D. was of Trinity college, Cambridge, native of Tiverton, and, by the Duke of Bedford's intereft, made bifhop of Ferns 1758, and continuing at Tiverton, the fame year was taken ill and died there. Thomas S. rector of Mepfal, father of Nathanael, the Antiquary, author of the Hiftory of Effex, Herts, and Surrey, and of Thomas, the geographer, died and was buried in his church 1706. (Salm. Herts, 174.) I wish it were in my power to gratify the curiofity of S. p. 40; but think it very probable, that the many portraits Feb. 10. NOTHING, perhaps, tends more forcibly to remind a moralist of the vanity of worldly acquirements, and of the very great uncertainty of human exiftence; nothing, perhaps, more irrefiflibly urges home to men' bofoms the immediate neceflity of active and unremitted preparation for a future flate; than a public auction of a large, multifarious, and handfome library. When I attend to the doctrines in culcated by the clergyman of my dif trict, in our parith church; when I hear him earnestly defcanting upon the frail tenure of our lives, and the duties of religion; when I look around me, in that venerable manfion, and behold fo many evidences to the truth of his affertions, fo many fad monuments erected to the memories of the rich, the gay, the great, the wife, the good; I cannot but feel deeply impreffed with a fenfe of the inftability and inefficacy of wealth, the precarioufnefs of mirth, the vanity of earthly grandeur, the short date allotted to the exercife of human wifdom, and the fuperior blifs which fhall hereafter be the portion of piety and virtue. But, Sir, God is equally prefent every where. Churches and chapels and cathedrals are, indeed, more peculiarly established for his honour; butthe whole earth is the vaft temple of Jehovah, and the canopy of Heaven conliitutes its roof. Every humble Chriftian, therefore, will joyfully feize every favourable opportunity of improving his thoughts, and correcting his heart; and, although he will commune with that heart, in his chamber, and be fill;" although he will never neglect to pay his fervent devotions to the Lord his God, in the company and prefence of his fellow creatures; he will full acknowledge and avail himself of innumerable calls to meditation, reflection, and improvement, as they occur at the theatres, the |