Mr. URBAN,

Sept. 2, 1805.

THE venerable remains of the casLetellated mansion of Halnaker are situated about four miles Northeast of the city of Chichester. Grose informs us the honour of Halnac, Halnaked, or Halnaker, was given by Henry L. to Robert de Hay or Haya, who dying without issue male, it, with other estates, devolved to his heiress Ciceley; she marrying Roger de St. John, the son of Adam de Port, and Mabel the heir of Robert de St. John, carried it into that family, where it continued till the 3d of Edward III. but how long after is uncertain. In the 31st of Henry VIII. it was the property of Thomas Lord de la Warr, whom that king partly obliged to exchange it with divers other estates, for the site, circuit, and lands, of the dissolved abbey of Wherwell. It remained in the Crown till the 19th of Elizabeth, when that queen granted it to Henry Lord Arundel for his life, and afterwards to the Lord and Lady Lumley, and their heirs. In the 29th of this reign, it was alienated by Lady Lumley to the Morleys, and afterwards belonged to the Earl of Derby, who obtained it with his wife, the daughter and heir of Sir William Morley. In 1752 it was bequeathed by Lady Derby to Sir Thomas Acklam, who sold it to his Grace the Duke of Richmond, in whose possession it now remains. The great hall of this mansion is enriched with curious carving, done about the reign of Henry VIII. where, besides various ornaments, are escutcheons of the arms of the De la Warrs, Camois, &c. and in a pannel near the centre of the room, the arms of England. Over the doors leading from the ball to the pantry and cellar, are half-length figures of men holding cups, and seemingly inviting strangers to partake of the hospitality of the house. Over the head of one is a label containing these words, LES BIEN VENUE, and over the other, COME IN

AND DRINGE.

The mansion was built round a court-yard, the entrance under an embattled gateway on the South side, with a square tower at the South West angle, (the castle form and entrance was not yet disused, and the warlike baron cast a lingering look at his former greatness.) The chapel, now in ruins, and other apartments on the GENT. MAG. May, 1812.

East; the hall and principal apartments on the North. A part of the buildings have been taken down by order of the present owner; and in the summer of 1804 the brick buildings on the East (or right side in the view) fell down. It stands on a gentle decline on the South Downs, commanding a fine view of the sea in front, Highdown Hill on the East, and the Isle of Wight on the West, the spire of Chichester Cathedral contributing to enrich the scene. The surrounding park is well wooded with venerable oaks, chesnut, beech, and maple, and is at this time well stocked with deer. Since the death of Lady Derby (whose deeds of charity and hospitality are yet held in grateful remembrance,) the mansion has been slighted, and inhabited by poor people, and is now going fast to decay. The annexed (Plate 1.) shews the hall and principal apartments on the North side of the court yard.

Mr. URBAN,

T. S.

Feb 13.

READ in your last Supplement, p. 658, with the deepest regret, an account of the death of Dr. Leyden, at Cornelis, in Batavia, whither he had accompanied Lord Minto in the expedition to Java. I only know him by his poetry; but that poetry was of the very purest and brightest water. His Scenes of Infancy, de scriptive of Teviot Dale, Edinb. 1803, 12mo, constitute a poem, which, in genuine feeling and fancy, as well as in harmony and elegance of composition, can encounter very few rivals in the English language. Perhaps it is yet less generally known than its merit demands. The author's death will consecrate it, and place it among the most finished productions of the British Muse. It touches so many of the genuine strings of the lyre with the hand of Inspiration, it draws forth so many tender notes, and carries our eyes and our hearts so utterly among those scenes with which the real Bard is conversant, that we, for a moment, enjoy some portion of the creative powers of the poet himself. Nowhere laboured, studied, or affected, he writes in a stream of natu 1 eloquence, which shews the entire predominance of his emotion over his

art.

His premature fate gives an additional

crowned therewith the picture of Christ on the Cross at Winchester; from which example arose, perhaps, the custom to hang up the armour of Worthies in churches as offerings consecrated to him who is the Lord of battle."

So far Baker's conjecture. But, in my humble opinion, it originated from Grecian and Roman trophies,

of which we have innumerable instances in Homer, and Virgil, and other writers both in prose and verse. The grave of the soldier was distinguished by his weapons; that of the mariner by his oar; and, in short, the implements of every art and profession accompanied their masters, and remained as monuments to preserve their memory. Hence Alpenor is introduced by Homer begging Ulysses to fix the oar he used to row with, upon his tomb. Odyss. λ. 77.

ταῦτά τε μοι τελέσαι, πῆξαί τ ̓ ἐπὶ τύμβῳ ἐρετμὸν,

τῷ καὶ ζωὸς ἔρεσσον, ἐὼν μετ ̓ ἐμοῖς ἑτάροισιν.

So also Euripides, Heraclid. 736.

I wish, with much diffidence, to offer a few remarks, which I presume may throw some light on the subject.

The system which presents itself in the animal creation, of the strong preying on the weak in uniform gradation, is, at first view, one of apparent cruelty; and although the species of each is preserved for a time for the purposes of propagation and increase, yet the certain consequence, finally, must be to all a premature and violent death, and old age or gradual decay is, perhaps, very seldom permitted. Whilst the powers bestowed for the preservation of each individual species, can act with energy, life is extended and enjoyed. On the first approaches of infirmity, if not before, each becomes the victim of its superior and more active enemy, and each, in their turn, suffer the pains of death, destroying and destroyed. In this view where are we to find old age or gradual decay; or where the dead bodies of birds or animals ? I mean generally of the animal creation.

Yet in this system, apparently so cruel, mercy is kindly mixed, and the goodness of the Creator is manifest; for can we fancy or draw a picture of a more destitute and miserable creature than an aged Hare or Fox, a decrepid Crow, or bird of prey? In the human species, the infirmities of age and decay of nature are supported and assisted to the last period of protracted life by the affections and attachments of relatives and friends; and a lengthened existence is permitted and endured, not so in the inferior orders of animal life, where attachment is merely temporary between the parent and its offspring; and if old age or gradual decay were allowed, it would be an existence of hun

ger, misery, and pain: but in mercy dissolution of animals is sudden and the arrangement is otherwise, and the certain; cutting shorter the period of life, it is true; but at the same time lessening the pains of death. It must be admitted that some animals die of disease, and a few possibly of old age; but their bodies are soon disposed of by hungry scavengers, who, in their moonlight marches, scent the carcases, and remove them from the eye of day.

With respect to Flies, many species retire at the approach of winter into