perusing what I have written upon this chapter, I do not think that he will find himself justified in applying to it the word nonsense: if it is nonsense, I must confess that I prefer it to his own: etiam is even, but how does your Correspondent get at his nuy ? I once more thank your Correspondent for the honourable mention which he has been pleased to make of my little work in many of his notes, and assure him that I have written these remarks upon his strictures with the most perfect good-humour, and in the same manly spirit of freedom, with which he wrote himself. EDMUND HENRY BARKER. Mr. URBAN, June 1. BSERVING in p. 227, an inquiry Birds, I beg leave to state the following observations: In one of my walks a few years ago, I was led by curiosity to look into a hole in the trunk of a decayed holly tree, where I observed a red-breast, which, to all appearance, had only been dead a few days. I could find no external marks of violence upon it, and its plumage was perfectly composed, consequently I shall not scruple to infer that it had died a natural death. This, in one instance, confirms the opinion of Johannes, that birds, sensible of their approaching dissolution, retire into holes or cavities, which are not immediately within our observation; an opinion which, I have no doubt, might be still more confirmed, were we more strictly to examine such retired places. Though the increase of the smaller tribe of birds would, in some measure, cause instances of the above kind to be more frequently met with, yet we must remember to what a multitude of enemies a small bird is obnoxious. Eagles, hawks, owls, cats, weasels, mice, &c. &c. are continually preying upon them; so that the reason why they are so seldom found dead may be easily accounted for, from the devastation committed among them. The query concerning the disappearance of Flies is, in my opinion, not difficult to answer. Whoever has, in the middle of the first fine day in Spring, directed his walk near walls or trees covered with ivy, will see numbers of those insects emerging from their winter's abode. Large numbers of them are also found in ricks of hay and corn, when moved in the middle of winter, an assertion which any husbandman can confirm. The question concerning the Migration of Swallows has frequently been discussed in your columus, and the opinions of your Correspondents have been various concerning it; yet the mystery has never, in my opinion, been sufficiently removed. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, Ο D-L M-s. March 14. N the subject of the Hebrew Points much has been written by learned men both for and against their antiquity. At present, I believe, it is generally allowed, that they are not original parts of the language, but were invented by the Jews of Tiberias in the beginning of the 6th century. No scholar, therefore, is obliged to read the text according to this punctuation; but he is at liberty to depart from it, if he can make better sense of a passage by so doing. And this is a liberty, which the best Translators have availed themselves of, sometimes with the happiest effect. But does it then follow, that the Masoretic system of pointing is of no value at all, and unworthy the attention of the critick in Hebrew literature? By no means, though there are perhaps those, who would justify their total neglect, nay ignorance, of it, upon such a groundless reason. Thus the young Hebræan is startled at the difficulty of obtaining a knowledge of the language through the medium of a grammar with Points, and therefore adopts the easier method of learning it without them. Hence he contracts a prejudice against them, which disposes him to disregard them as useless, and not worthy the waste of time and labour necessary to understand them. But is this the truth? Do they not afford a most excellent interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures; and have they not contributed greatly to the purity of the text? Let me then recommend the study of the Masoretic punctuation, especially to the young Hebræan; not that I think it a matter of the least consequence whether he read the Bible with or without Points, but I would have him able to do both; for otherwise he cannot pretend to a perfect knowledge of the language. Yours, &c. W. W. Mr. Mr. URBAN, T May 1. HE first article which I shall select from the Etymological Dictionary for the consideration of your Readers in the present communication, affords a good opportunity of vindicating the Antiquity of Rowley's Poems. It occurs under the noun Substantive DEIS, DESS, DEAS, S. T. "The place at the head of a Hall, where the floor was [is] raised higher than the rest, and which was the honourable part. A canopy was frequently spread over it; but it is not the canopy, but the elevated floor, which is meant by deis." Pinkerton. Mr. Jamieson acted wisely by соруing this very accurate description of the Deis from Mr. Pinkerton; who being a Reader of Rowley, or, rather, like Mr. Jamieson, a believer in the wonderful abilities of Chatterton, I would ask these credulous gentlemen (they will pardon me for calling them so) how they could possibly bly have overlooked the very curious Verb belonging to this noun substantive the Deis, in the Tragycal Interlude of Ella; to whom Birtha thus addresses herself: "Ofte have I seene thee atte the nonedaie feaste, [of pheeres, Whænne deysde bie thieselfe, for want Awhylsť thie merryemen dydde laughe and jeaste, [eares. Onn mee thou semest all eyne, to mee all Thou wardest mee as gyff ynn hondred feeres compheeres, Alest a daygnous looke to thee be sente, And offrendes made mee, moe thann yie [mente." Offe scarpes of scarlette, and fyne paraIs it probable, that Thos. Chatterton was so well acquainted with this antient elevation and its name, as to be able to form a verb, together with a correct allusion to its use, in the very moment of composition? Have we not a proof to the contrary? he explained the word Pheeres " fellows, equals," because he understood it.He left deysde-" scated on the deys" unexplained for the contrary reason; because he, like Mr. Tyrwhitt and Dr. Milles, did not understand it. It is, therefore, I presume, a fair logical inference that he was not the writer of the poem in which it occurs. There are other words in this quotation worthy of notice. The Lady says to Ælla, "thou wardest" for GENT. MAG. June, 1812. Tentyfflie loke arounde the chaper delle; An answere to thie bargainette here see, Thys welked flourette wylle a lesson telle. Arist it blew, itte florished, and dyd welle, Lokeynge ascaunce upon the naighboure [nome felle." greene; Yet with the deigned greene yttes renThe only work in which I have met with this, is the Rewarde of Wickednesse, a poem by Richard Robinson, servaunt in housholde to the right honorable Earle of Shrovvsbury; imprinted at London in Pawles church yarde, by William Williamson, bl. l. anno 1573. Hellen in Torments is made to express herself thus in the infernal regions: O worthye dames, lende inee your listening eares, [lutes also: Refraine your citherons, and plesaunt With virginalles, delighting many eares, From out your heartes, let thought of musicke goe. Perhaps you daine, that I shall will you [scorne: But mervaile not, ne at my wordes take It is your partes though you were ten times moe, [was borne." To helpe my plainte, with teares that I TO DEREYNE, DERENE, DERENY, DERENYHE, v. a. to contest, to determine a controversy by battle. JAMIESON. Mr. Jamieson's quotations from Dougl. Virgil, and Barbour, justify his explanation. It was a phrase so much out of the way of Chatterton, who renders it simply "attempt or endeavour" in the following lines of the tragedy of Godwyn, that it certainly merited the attention of Mr. Jamieson. When Harolde, after enumerating the grievances under which the people were labouring from the overbearing influence of the Normannes, expresses astonishment that "alle complayne, yette none wylle ryghted be;" Godwyn, to try his temper and spirit, says, "awayte the tyme whanne Godde wylle wylle sende us ayde." Harolde indig nantly replies, "No, we muste streve to ayde oureselves Το DING, v. a. to drive, to beat, &c. strang [dang." The valiant Greiks forth frae thair ruins BELLEND. the coaste, Mr. J. might have added from the Tragedie of Ælla an instance of this word unexplained by Chatterton, and erroneously attempted by Dr. Milles. "As whanne a tempeste vexethe soare [doë tare." The dyngeynge ounde the sandeie stronde Dr. Milles has rendered this the "noisy, sounding" wave, but it is the beating wave; and a reference to the Harl.. Miseel. p. 5. Life of William, will show that the word was so used by English writers. "The king brandishing his sword like a thunderbolt dùng down his enemies on every side." Langing through is the vulgar Scottish for beating into a wall. TO DISPARPLE, v. n. to divide, to be scattered. JAMIESON. "Her wav'ring hair disparpling flew apart In seemly shed: the rest with reckless art With many a curling ring decor'd her face, And gave her glashie browes a greater grace." Hudson's Judith, p. 55. v. Sparpel." This word occurs in the Tragical Interlude of Ælla, 1. 413. where it is very properly explained by Chatterton. "Thou there dysperpellest thie levynne-bronde;" "scatterest," Chatterton.. Dr. Milles found no authority for the word; but Chapman has it, both in the Iliad and Odyssey. "The chariot tree was drown'd in blood, and th' arches by the seate, Disperpled from the horses hoves, and from the wheelebandes beate." В. 11. p. 152. And odorous necke." water was Disperpled lightly, on my head, and Od. b. 10. p. 156. On referring to SPARPEL, Mr.Jamieson gives quotations from Dougl. Dr. Millès, very properly, but without producing authority, rendered the "perpled" a scatter'd light. Mr. Tyrwhitt called it a purple light; but he saved his credit a little by adding qu. for a query. The Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, bart. left out the qu. and boldly wrote it a "purple light" in his Love and Madness, p. 137. ed. 1st. It has been the fate of the divine old Bard to suffer alike from friends and foes, from his admirers and his ridiculers; but the time must come when his reputation will triumph over the errors and mistakes of us critics and commentators. The WASTLE CAKE of the last quotation was not merely "the whitest bread," as rendered by Dr. Milles, but that peculiar kind of white bread or cake usually eaten with the wasseling bowl.-In the last quotation of Mr. Jamieson's, from Hudson's Judith, there is " a curling ring decor'd her face;" this is not a very common expression. I have several instances of its use, from different writers, which justify the participle decorn "decorated" in the 2d Eclogue of Rowley, L. 14. "The gule-depeyncted oares from the black tyde ryse." Decorn with fonnes rare, do shemmrynge Chatterton having rendered this "carved," does not appear to have known that decorn is regularly derived from the obsolete verb decore, to decorate, ornament or adorn; as the last, viz. adorn, is formed from the equally obsolete verb adore, to adorn or decorate. TO DRE, DREY, v. n. to endure, to be able to act, to continue in life. JAMIESON. "He all till hewyt that he our tuk; And dang ơn thaim quhill he mychtdrey.' There is an obscurity in the meaning of drey; -" to endure," seems as near near as any thing. In the 2d quotation there is still some obscurity; it has been rendered " while that I die, i. e. as long as I continue in life.""To dree, perdurare," Gl. North. Ray." JAMIESON. It is remarkable that this word oc curs in Rowley in the same obscurity. the frighted owlett; but the author schip to fest." Gowan and Gol. ii. 9. There is an expression nearly allied to this in the Bristowe Tragedie, which has always appeared to me strongly characteristic of antiquity. When the good Cannynge is applying in vain to Edward for the pardon of Sir Charles Bawdin, he says, "Lett mercie rule thyne infante reigne, Twylle faste thye crowne fulle sure; From race to race thy familié Alle sov'reigns shall endure." "This coincidence (to borrow a jüst observation of Mr. Jamieson's, on a different occasion) is very remarkable in a circumstance so trivial; and exhibits one of those minute lines of affinity, that frequently carry more conviction to the mind than what may be reckoned more direct evidence;" see his expl. of Loun's Piece. TO FLEM, FLEME, V. a. to drive away, to banish, to expel. JAMIESON. Wallace, Dougl. Virgil, R. Brunne, Chaucer, &c.a .all afford proofs tha that this word means to banish or drive away. If Mr. J. had paid that attention to the Tournament of Rowley which it merits, he would have found it there used in that sense, and erroneously rendered frighted" by Chatterton. In a war songe, alluding to William the Conqueror, it is said trees hee rydes; "Throwe the merke shade of twistynde [wynge; The Remed owleti Rapps, herr everspeakte "Till at the last great Stanley stout, Came marching up the mountain steep; His folks could hardly fast their feet, But forç'd on hands and feet to creep." Flodden Field, Fit 9. St. 1. EDIT. of the poem, in this instance, meant the chaced, hooted, banished owl or owlet. I am sure Mr. J. would so have understood it. I am not quite so certain that he would have understood the eve-speckte wyng, notwithstanding his Dictionary affords the v. a. to EVEN, to equal, to compare, s. I shall therefore request the attention of him and such of your readers, Mr. Urban, as still place confidence in the opinion of Mr. Warton, to a note in p. 20. of my Introduction to "An Examination of the Internal Evidence respecting ng the Antiquity, &c. of Rowley's Poems." R "Mr. W. has heen equally unhappy in his objection to the eve-speckte wynge of the Owlet, Tournament, 1.56. "The flemed owlett flaps herr eve-speckte wynge?" "To enumerate his compound epithets," says he (Mr. W.) p. 25 of his Reply to Milles, Bryant, &c. " such as the owlett's eve-speckte wynge and a thousand others, would be tedious and trifling;"-why? Chatterton, by the eve-speckte wing, understood the "wing marked with evening dew." He knew nothing of its meaning, but endeavoured to explain it by guess, aud guessed wrong. Dr. Milles has approached very near to the truth; but has not given us the whole truth. He says, "the eve-speckte wynge of the Owl seems to allude to the dark spots on one species of them, and not to the evening dew." The whole truth is this: the author of these poems has given a thousand proofs that he was an admirer and an elegant describer of nature. Had even Linnæus been describing the wing of the Owlett, he could not have fixed upon Da more striking, a more characteristic, or happier epithet than the eve speckt, ie. the even or eventy spotted or speckled wing; for, of the multitude of beautiful speeks with which the wings of this bird are adorned, each has its fellow, in the most regutar and equal arrangement. We now know, and we are partly indebted to these poems for the information, that the 1 the old English evalle is the same as the modern equal, and "eve, is, in the Teutonic, as much as to say consimilis, even, the same: for our even cometh from the Teutonic word eve, and likewise from their eve so cometh our even so;" vide Verstegan, p. 191. -To this might be added, that the evening is the exact portion of time betwixt day-light and darkness, or twilight. The eaves of a house take their name from the exactness and evenness of the line; and the eve-drop, which forms an even parallel line with the wall of the house, is a name originating in the same idea. Would it not be trifling with the reader, to adopt for a single moment the notion, that Chatterton was not as ignorant of the true meaning of the eve-speckte wynge as Mr. Warton; or that he did understand it, but artfully inserted a false and nonsensical interpretation, to deprive himself of the credit and reputation due to the writer of such poems. This interpretation of the evespeckle wing throws light upon a passage in Hamlet, and they mutually support each other, Act V. Scene II. " and the more pity, that great folks should have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves, more than their even Christian:" i. e. more than their equal Christian; from eve or eval, equal. Shakespeare uses the same word as a verb, which has been noticed by Mr. Malone in the following passages: "Be comforted, good madam; thegreat rage, [danger You see, is cured in him; (and yet it is To make him even o'er the time he has lost) K. Lear, Act IV. Sc. 7. "There's more to be considered; but we'll even All that good time will give us." "Madam, the care I have had to even [equal] your content, I wish might be found in the callender of my past endeaAll's well that ends well. vours." Mr. Steevens doubted its being a verb; not considering, that however strange it may appear at present, standing by itself; we still retain it ⚫ in common language in the compound word evening: i, e. the equalising, or rendering day and night, as to light, eve or equal. We still frequently express it in common conversation by the old word evc, alone; as Christmas eve, or this eve, &c. &c. It would be robbing my future publication too much, Mr. Urban, were I to enter into a disquisition on the Lordynge-Toade, which affords a very curious investigation, and will be found to convey a meaning of which Dr. Milles and Mr. Bryant had as little true idea as Mr. Warton or Chatterton had of the eve-speckte wyuge of the Owlett. Mr. URBAN, B JOHN SHERWEN, M. D. EING at Dover last Summer, in company with a friend, in the course of exploring the various objects of attraction in that town, not unaptly termed by my companion the English Gibraltar, I strolled into St. Mary's Church, in which I noticed the chancel was inland with brasses containing inscriptions in Greek and Hebrew. Time not allowing me to attempt decyphering them, I referred, on my return home, to Hasted's Kent, but could not find any account of them. If any of your Correspondents would point out where my curiosity might be gratified, it would oblige Yours, &c. G. H. Mr. URBAN, College, Worcester, THE following brief statement will probably be acceptable to such of your Readers as take a particular interest in the beauties of our Ecclesiastical Architecture. The Eastern or Chancel part of the Choir of the Cathedral at Worcester, is inclosed on the sides by stone screens, of very elegant designs, crowned with a beautiful embattled line of open work quatrefoils. These screens were removed from some other part of the Church, and set up in their present site, on the restoration of the Choir in 1556, by Dean Hawford, alias Ballard (see Green's Worcester). They were, however, either left imperfect, or subsequently injured in the Civil War, being much broken in the inner side, and having some of the openings closed up. They were terminated at each extremity by a plain wall, and were loaded at the top throughout their whole extent by three courses of ashler. On the inside next the choir they were entirely concealed from view by an ordinary brown wainscot, with common Grecian mouldings, and a few carvings { |