upon the clafs of men I have juft mentioned, fince to them are coinmitted the heads of almoft the whole nation, and fince under their hands most of thofe heads receive the only improvement that is either deemed necellary, or of which they are thought capable. he will confent to improve this imperfect account, and tell what portraits were preferved; must be left to his own beft judgment. If there is any confolatory reflection left, it is to learn that the houfe had fairly food its time, as fairly, perhaps, as a building left a prey to damp, neglect, and non-refidence, could be faid to incur a fair de- Yet, while I pay this compliment cay. Damp of a refervoir in their to thefe gentlemen, as becomes one centre had nearly effaced the paintings Projector to pay to another, I am of the history of Chrift, in 40 compart- not their blind panegyrift. I am meuts, on the inner walls of the cloif- bound in juftice to fay, that with all ter, which were probably not older their abilities they are but men, and than the Reformation (which Mr. Car- have the common failings of men, and ter, though he made a formal request especially that very crying weaknefs of for that purpofe, was not permitted to Projectors, namely vanity. I could copy), and which must be completely give fpecimens, were it neceflary, to done away by the removal of the prove that on fome occafions this beftones, to be re-erected in a neighbour-trays them into a mode of fpeaking and ing park, by whofe proprietor they were purchafid. The late duke offered a large fum to re-erect them, but nobody would undertake it. The houfe was incapable of repair, and the owner had provided a lodge for his refidence in the park. The materials are lying on the banks of the navigable canal, to be applied to warehoufes and other appropriate buildings. The principal furniture that came to auction, including a few old pictures, was bought by London brokers: much of the gilded carving, for the fake of the gold, by a tuofo innkeeper at Alion Clinton, near Aylefbury, who alfo purchafed the pulpit. As you may hope for further particulars from fome correfpondent in the neighbourhood, I forbear a trouble you any longer. B. B. Fall the PROJECTORS who daily edify the public with their endeavours to improve the fate of nature and of man, there are, perhaps, none who attract more attention, or excite more furprize, than that numerous body of genlufes, kaowa in former days by the name of barbers and wigmakers, but in our politer and more refpectful times by that of frifears and peraquiers. Why the French language Thould be fuppofed to ennoble every thing it covers may probably be the object of a future fpeculation. It is, however, impoffible for the proudeft of Projectors to look with diftefpect writing on the fubject of their inventions, which is confiderably remote from modefty. This may, however, be only that confcioufhefs of excellence which has been tolerated in great ge niufes, and without which, it is faid, a great genins will rarely be tempted to make thofe daring efforts which elevate and furprize," or, indeed, to exhibit any extraordinary difplay of talent. I am willing, therefore, to make allowances for their frequent ufe of fuperlatives in the defeription of a wig, and for culling the choiceft flowers of encomialtic rhetoric to difplay the beauty of a carl, or the convenience of a braid. But I have been more particularly induced, in this day's fpeculation, to touch on the merit of our head artifis, from a circumftance that firuck my eye lately in the newspapers, the columns of which are the Philofophical Tranfactions" of wig-making and hair-drelling. In an advertisement, addrefled to " gentlemen of rank and fafhion," who are undoubtedly the ableft and moti generous patrons of what belongs to the ornamental part of the head, after an enumeration of the peculiar excellencies that attach to wigs made by the ingenious author, which are too numerous for me to repeat, a dif covery is announced which appears to be of the first importance to mankind in general, and which, indeed, I thould rather have expected from a philofopher than from a fofeur. It is briefly exprcfied in the following words: "He," meaning the artift, "has a copper-plate engraved, which enables any lady or gentleman TO TAKE AN effectually, must be very long, and as ACCURATE MEASURE OF THEIR OWN HEAD." The value of this difcovery will at once appear to thofe who are converfant in the hiftory of mankind at large, but more particularly with the hiftory of literature and literary undertakings, of all which it may be faid, that their fuccefs or failure has depended entirely on the measure of the head having been taken or neglected. Whatever errors have been committed by flatefinen or authors, the two great inftructors of mankind, and fupreme conductors of human affairs, are univerfally acknowledged to have proceeded from this one want, the want of an accurate measure of the heads that project or execute. It is this lamentable defect, or overfight, for I wish to ufe the gentleft terins in fpeaking of the faults of my fellow-creatures, that has bewildered fo many thoufands in exertions beyond their powers, and in endeaYours to execute that for which Nature never defigned them. It is this which occations the melancholy reflection that many thoufands confume almoft the whole of their lives in experiments to find out what they are fit for, and when they have made the difcovery, it - is not until their power and faculties are waited by age, and incapable of lending them any affifiance. To this it is owing that inany a man dies with the name of a lawyer, who ought to have lived in the profeffion of a wit; and that many others have been buried with ecclefiaftical honours, who might have grown rich in the occupation of a farmer. It is this which intercepts one man in his way to the bench, and another to the diocefe; which prevents the phyfician from attaining his chariot, and fends the politician to a jail when he was preparing for the privy council. fome gentlemen have found, very expenfive. Few articles have of late years rifen fo highly in price as this, and it is not very eafy to account for it. That there is an immenfe quantity of experience in the market cannot be reafonably doubted; but the mischief. feems to be, that every one prefers an article of his own manufacture, however dear, to one made by another, which he may purchase a thousand per cent. under the prime coft. How different would the cafe have been, had they in early life obtained one of our ariifi's machines for meafuring the head! It is truly deplorable to think of fuch a number of our fellow-beings who live till advanced age, before they know the fize and capacity of their heads, what they can comprehend, and whether they have depth to contain the articles neceffary to crown their favourite withes and purfaits. For though this knowledge may, in fome cafes. be acquired by experience, yet experience, to andwer the purpoie The difcovery, however, of a machine to meafure the head, being now eflected, it is hoped it will meet with the encouragement it deferves; and, while I difclaim all connexion with the ingenious inventor, I am moft difintereltedly anxious to recommend to all ranks of people a contrivance which all ranks fecin to want. con At the prefent crifis, for example, when hundreds of well-meaning gentlemen are travelling over all parts of the United Kingdom, canvafling for a feat in the great aflembly of the nation, and fancying, merely on jecture, that they are qualified for it, would it not be a confiderable faving to fome of them, I mean in the article of difappointment, if they were firft to measure their heads, upon accurate principles, and afcertain whether they came up to the exact dimentions of the caput of a wife and loyal legiflator? Surely this would prevent fome trouble and mortification to themfelves, and a great deal of both to their friends; and, it may be fairly fuppofed, might contribute alfo to the welfare of the na tion, by providing it with a fet of lenators whom nature hd qualifed to an inch for the important office, and whofe heads were of fomewhat more ufe than merely to nod, or bear a wig, Why is it that we hear of fome who have gone beyond their depth, but bes caufe they did not know their depth? and why do we hear the terms " thallow and fuperficial" fo often applied, and jufily applied, when the imputation might have been averted by this little machine for taking the heights and diftances of heads, " engraved on a copper-plate," and given away gratis in Bord-fireet? The mention of fenators, which the circumflances of the prefent month naturally fuggefied, connects with it the cafe of the members of other de liberauve affemblies, where certain e fons are apt to ftep forward in fitua ations for which they are miferably ill provided, both as to length and depth of head-work, and of which, however, they rarely become fentible, without trying that very aukward experiment, which we call expofing them felves. This is, in fact, expofing their heads, which are upon fuch occafions meafured by their neighbours, and the fuperficial contents in general found to be far fhort of the proper ftandard; and this will always be the cafe if we bring our heads into bufinefs by computation, iultead of actual measurement. In fuch focieties, however, were they under proper regulations, which I hope they foon will be, a fet of officers might be appointed, and called MEASURERS, or, as fine words are moft acceptable, DIMENSIONISTS, whofe bufinels it fhould be to apply the rules of geometry, according to the machine above fpecified, to the head of every man about to make a motion, or fpeech, or to reply to the motion or fpeech of any other perfon. A fuitable fandard might be appointed by a committee of geometricians, by which every head fhould be appreciated; for, although we cannot make all heads equal, yet in a debate it is very neceffary to make a felection of fuch as bear fome reasonable proportion to each other, or at leaft to exclude thofe which are greatly deficient in length and depth. The prolixity of debates would be confiderably obviated by this method, and, in a world of bufinels like ours, I cannot but think this an object of serious moment; and I confequently cannot but flatter myself that the hints I am throwing out will not be neglected, and that the ingenious contriver of the KEPHALOMETER, or headincafurer, will find a great demand for the article on the eve of all elections, councils, and vetries, and more efpecially on the great feftivals of St. Michael and St. Thomas. If we look to the prefent fate of the learned profeflions, we fhall fee at a fingle glance the necellity of this machine for meaturing heads. It will not, I grant, do much good to the prefent generation, whofe heads, although we were to measure them with the greatest accuracy, have long ago taken a wrong direction, and cannot now be turned into any more ufeful pumpotes. But it may, among the riing generation, prevent that confufion which is fo frequently obferved to proceed from young men rushing into one profeflion, when their heads were manifeftly conftructed for another. It is owing to this neglect of the dimenfions of the head, that, to ufe the language of a learned writer, many men expofe themfelves in a pulpit, who would have done honour to their country by following the plough; and it is no doubt owing to the fame caufe, that, when we look into the inns of court for chancellors and judges, for Hardwickes and Mansfields, we meet with the writers of farces and prologues, and players on flutes and violins; and that when, in other departments, we look for men of family and fortune, we fo frequently encounter fiable-boys and jockies. Anomalies like thefe never could have taken place had the KEPHALOMETER been early applied, and the party had calmly fat down to be measured for a fuitable employment in life. It is true, indeed, that fome have contrived, by a fortunate concourfe of circumftances, to turn their heads to a proper object, while apparently they have retained their first and il-judged choice. I am acquainted with a barrifter, who, although his name be little known in Weftminster-hall, is very well known every where else as a man more capable of training a horfe or a fpaniel than any fportfman in the kingdom; and I have more than one gentleman by trade in my eye, who can kick up a riot, feduce a wife, fight a duel, or defraud a creditor, more genteelly and expeditioufly than any profelled rioter, feducer, bully, or fharper, in Newgate. But fuch fortunate coincidences are not often to be expected ; and the inftances are too few to be de pended on, of thofe who contrive to have and to hold both what they are, and what they are not fit for. There is one tribe, of late become very numerous, who particularly fiand in need of the machine to meature. heads, I mean, and with all due refpect, the POETS in general. No race of men have fuffered fo much from grofs numbers or loofe computation, or, what I may call taking their heads for granted, and imagining that the manufacture of vertes is the whole duty of man. They have by this fatal miftake mounted from a Vauxhall fong to an epic poem, and thus deprived the world of feveral eminent handicrafifmen, of fome very induftrious fhop keepers, keepers, and of fundry perfons admirably qualified to carry on the leffer operations of the loom, the laft, the hod, and the knot. As to Politicians, it has been a ftanding complaint in this country for above a century, that this trade has been fo egregioutly mifunderfiood as to be fuppofed to require no head at all; confequently, wherever fuch a miftake prevailed, it was thought abfurd to meafure a head which did not exift, or was not deemed neceflary. But time and experience have in fome degree removed this prejudice; and the charms of ignorance have loft much of their fafcination I trust that all politicians behind counters, and in public or pri vate houfes, whether habited in woollen or in muflin, will hereafter take the gauge and depth of their heads by the KEPHALOMETER. They will then probably difcover, that cafes and circamftances, which have puzzled the ableft and wifeft in all ages, cannot be adjusted by those who are diftinguished for the want of wifdom and ability; that a fubject will not be better difcuffed for not being at all understood; and that they who have no means of information are not quite fo well qualified to judge as thofe who have; that the affairs of a fhop or a family may be more eafily managed than thofe of a nation or a cabinet; and that the wifdom which is the refult of long experience, of combined knowledge, and of deep refearch, feldom comes by infunct. They will difcover, likewife, that a man always talks moft to the purpose on a fubject with which he has fome acquaintance; and that the common fources of information are not always to be relied on, fince even the lie of the day is feldom the lie of the morrow. But, in truth, to what defeription of perfons will not this machine be ufeful? Let us look at the protracted and almost endlefs writings of the controverfialifts. Had a machine for meafuring heads been difcovered about a century ago, would the BANGORIAN CONTROVERSY have latted fo long? And, I hope I may afk without of fence, would not a vaft faving of paper, print, temper, malice, envy, and all uncharitablenefs, and other ufeful articles, have been made, had fome of the writers in the BLAGDON BICKERING applied my ingenious artifi's machine to their heads? Perhaps, too, the ladies are not wholly uninterested in this difcovery, although the original artili had no eye but to their wigs. Might they not apply the machine to their lovers' heads at the fame time that they carry on the attack a little lower, on their hearts? Many circumftances of public notoricty feem to prove, that deficiencies in the head are of very important mischief to the happinels of the matrimonial fiate; and that, although fome hufbands have proved themtelves to be rogues, yet that roguery has been fo mixed with a correfponding quality, that the best JUDGES have declared it extremely doubtful whether they were moft rogue or fool. And I believe it has been generally found that, in treating a helplets woman with barbarity, in abufing the tendernefs of the fex, and tyrannizing over wife and family, from whatever occational caufes fuch wickednets might proceed, there is generally a great defect of intellect, a depravity and vulgarity of mind, which could not have efcaped the unhappy fufferer had the at first meafured the head. I cannot clofe this fpeculation without hinting in few words, because fuch characters will not bear many, that even men of pleafure would find their advantage in meafuring their heads before they join in thofe convivialities which conflitute the only employment they feem to have on this earth. A number of very difagreeable circumftances might be prevented if they knew exactly, by liquid measure, what their heads could contain; and many duels would, no doubt, be avoi ded, without leflening the importance of hortes, firumpets, or other articles, for which they think it neceflary to rifk life, and which, if there were not an hereafter, would really be an equiva lent to the life that is rifked. Mr. URBAN, July 2. THE matrix of the feal engraven in your vol. LXVII. p. 201, Pl. III. fig. 1, fell into my hands at the fale of the late Mr. Tyflen's Antiqui ties; in the catalogue of which it is called the feal of the priory of the Holy Angels in the marthlands near Brentford." This foundation is called by Bishop Tanner, Notitia Monaftica, p. 326, after Weever and Newcourt, a friery, hofpital, or fraternity, of the 9 orders of angels, confifting of a mafter and and feveral brethren, in a chapel at the Welt end of Brentford, or, as Stow, by the bridge." Mr. Lyfons (Environs of London, vol. III. p. 91; fee alfo British Topography. p 1559) places it in "Ifleworth, at Brentford end, at the end of Brentford new wooden bridge;" and fays, it was founded by John Somertet, chancellor of the Exchequer temp. Hen. VI. The charter of incorporation of the guild, in the Augmentation office, has in the initial letter a beautiful drawing of St. Bridget, who certainly does not appear in the feal. I with, therefore, to know by what authority a feal having on it a prelate in a cardinal's hat, and a lion leaping up to his knee, fomewhat like the companion of St. Jerom, is afcribed to it. The infcription has been read by fome, "Sigillum prioratus confratrum terrefilius ordinis heremitarum fancti Auguliini." Did the maker of the cataLogue miftake dug for Ang, and heremitam for any thing elfe? G. Na copy of Willis's Hiftory of the Cathedrals of Lincoln, Elv, &c. fold among Dr. Stukeley's books, 1766, was this note: "In the beginning of 1753 the wicked chanter, Dr Trimnell, of his own authority, pulled down the eleven fine images of kings over the Weft door of Lincoln cathedral, to put up a foolish infeription of the names of the fubfcribers to the new iron rails." The fame was faid of a late dean of Lichfield, that, being whimfical or deranged, he fancied the kings, who in two rows graced the Weft front of that cathedral, would fome time or other tumble on his head as he went in and out, and employed a chimney-fweeper's boy at great hazard to pull them down. Q. Q. Mr. URBAN, Portsmouth, July 2. I LEAVE it to your confideration, whether any of the accompanying inferiptions are worth perpetuating. The grammatical errors (for fome there are undoubtedly) must be attributed to the graver: I can allure you they are correctly tranfcribed by your wellwifher and occafional correfpondent, SICA. On an angle of the principal battery, under the cattle of St. Elmo in La VaJetta, Malta, and facing the entrance of this harbour to the Northward, are |