ford; who in 1792 presented to it the Rev. John Clapp, the present incumbent. It is a vicarage, and is valued in the King's Books at 31. 1s. 3d.

The inhabitants of this parish, Newcastle, Morpeth, and its environs, have a peculiar guttural pronunciation, like that called in Leicestershire hurling, none of them being able to pronounce the letter R. This guttural pronunciation gave rise to the following proverb, mentioned by Grose. "He has the Newcastle bur in his throat." Few, if any of the natives of these places, are ever able to get rid of this peculiarity.

The Rev. Mr. Brand, in his ingenious annotations on "Bourne's Popular Antiquities," mentions a well at Benton, similar to the well near the foot of Rosberrye Toppinge, between the towns of Aten and Newton, co. York, and dedicated to St. Oswald. In the opinion of the neighbours St. Oswald's well has a particular charm, which is this: that if a shirt or shift taken off a sick person is thrown into this well, it will shew whether the person so sick will recover or die. If it floats, it denotes their recovery; if it sinks, there remains no hope of their life. To reward the Saint for his intelligence, they tear off a rag of the shirt, and leave it hanging on the briars thereabouts, "where," says the writer of the MS. in the Cottonian Library, marked Julius F. 6. "I have seen such numbers, as might have made a fayre rheme in a paper myll." These rag-wells, as they are called, were formerly not uncommon. Mr. Pennant tells us of two in Scotland, which were visited for many distempers, and where the offerings were small pieces of money and bits of rags.

Yours, &c.

་་

STEMMALYSMU.

Something like this is mentioned by Mr. Hanway, in his "Travels in Persia," vol. i. p. 177, where he says, "After ten days journey, we arrived at a desolate carravensera, where we found nothing but water. I observed a tree with a number of rags tied to the branches: these were so many charms, which passengers coming from Ghilan, a province remarkable for agues, had left there, in a fond expectation of leaving this disease also on the same spot."

Empire," mentions the memorable fable of the Seven Sleepers, in the following narrative:

"When the Emperor Decius persecuted the Christians, seven noble youths of Ephesus concealed themselves in a spacious cavern in the side of an adjacent mountain, where they were doomed to perish by the tyrant, who gave orders that the entrance should be firmly secured by a pile of large stones. They immediately fell into a deep slumber, which was miraculously prolonged, without injuring the powers of life, during a period of 187 years. At the end of that time, the slaves of Adolius, to whom the inhe

ritance of the mountain had descended, removed the stones to supply materials for some rustic edifice. The light of the Sun darted into the Cavern, and the Seven Sleepers were permitted to awake. After a slumber, as they thought, of a few hours, they were pressed by the calls of hunger; and resolved that Jamblichus, one of their number, should secretly return to the city, to purchase bread for the use of his companions. The youth (if we may still employ the appellation) could no longer recognise the once familiar aspect of his native country, and his surprise was increased by the appearance of a large cross, triumphantly erected over the principal gate of Ephesus. His singular dress and obsolete language confounded the baker, to whom he offered an ancient medal of Decius, as the current coin of the empire; and Jamblichus, on the suspicion of a secret treasure, was dragged before the Judge. Their mutual enquiries produced the amazing discovery, that two centuries were almost elapsed since Jamblichus and his friends had escaped from the rage of a Pagan tyrant. The Bishop of Ephesus, the Clergy, the Magistrates, the people, and it is said the Emperor Theodosius himself, hastened to visit the Cavern of the Seven Sleepers; who bestowed their benediction, related their story, and at the the same instant peaceably expired."

The historian gives the following reflections on this celebrated legend:

"We imperceptibly advance from youth to age, without observing the gradual, but incessant change of human affairs; and even in our larger experience of history, the imagination is accustomed by a perpetual series of causes and effects, to unite the most distant revolutions. But if the interval between two memorable æras be instantly annihilated; if it were possible, after a momentary slumber of 200 years, to display the new world to the eyes of a spectator, who still retained a lively and recent impression of the old, his surprise and his reflections would furnish the pleasing subject of a philosophical romance.'

If one of our forefathers, who descended

scended into the tomb in 1650, should now miraculously awake from his slumbers, and should behold the altered aspect of his native town, his surprise would not be less intense than was that of the noble youth of Ephesus, in viewing, after a lapse of nearly two centuries, the changed aspect of his native city. He would look in vain for the almost rural dwellings which at that period met his eye in every direction; for the neat crofts and gardens which were then uniformly attached to the houses; for the gloomy castle, which at one end of Castlestreet, frowned upon the lowly dwellings beneath; at the other, for the rustic town-house, towering above the humble dwellings which surrounded it. In vain would he search for the spacious fields which stretched from the ancient Castle-hill and old Hallstreet, down to the river side, or those leading in an opposite direction, to Frog-lane and Common Shore (the modern Whitechapel and. Paradisestreet). In vain would he inquire for the water which used to flow along Paradise-street and Whitechapel, and for the ferry-boat at the bottom of Lord-street, and Sir Thomas'-buildings. In vain would he look for the bridge at the bottom of School Lane, which, when passed, landed him in the country, and pointed the road to Wavertree. He might find the ancient port, but so changed from what it was, when he knew it, that recognition would be difficult. Instead of discovering it on the margin of the river, he would find it in the very heart of a populous neighbourhood, surrounded on all sides by spacious shops and lofty warehouses, and its communication with the river apparently cut off. The strand of the Mersey would also appear to him entirely changed. He would no longer behold the water washing the walls of the adjacent houses, as it now washes those along the North shore. He would find it driven back many hundred yards, and a magnificent sea-wall, a mile and a half in length (with spacious docks within, crowded with vessels) curbing its impotent fury, and saying to it," hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." The scenery of the river itself would astonish him. Instead of a few small craft occasionally breaking the dull monotony of its surface, he would behold it crowded with

19

ships of a magnitude unknown to men of his day, and steam vessels, accomplishing in a few hours and without danger, voyages which it would have required days, nay perhaps weeks, to perform. The opposite shore would not less astonish him. His eye would search in vain for the few mean huts which were at that period inhabited by fishermen. He would now behold the spires of Churches, splendid hotels, commodious ferries, and charming cottages. Bidston-hill, which, in his time, was nothing but a lonely elevation, looking down upon the sea beneath, would appear strangely changed. He would now see it crowned with an excellent light-house, and displaying, in the numerous signals along its ample ridge, the most incontestible proof of the commercial wealth of his native town. In short all would appear altered from what it was when he lived and moved in 1650; and although he should be able to recognise some faint points of resemblance between ancient and modern Liverpool, yet the metamorphosis would appear so complete, as almost to induce him to imagine that the change was the work of magic, and that he beheld some fairy scene.

I have not, for the sake of heightening the preceding contrast, overcharged the picture, or attempted to diminish the real magnitude of Liverpool about the middle of the 17th century. To shew the truth and fidelity of the delineation, I shall briefly appeal to a few facts respecting the real state of the town at that period. My intention, however, is not here to contrast but to describe the town at two distant periods. This will be attempted by way of introduction to another article, in order to convey to such of your readers as are not acquainted with the history of the rise and progress of Liverpool, some notion of the rapid strides which she has made, since the middle of the 17th century (the earliest period of authentic record respecting her history), in extent, population, and all the elements of commercial wealth and greatness.

The town about the year 1650, is thus described, in a passage in the Stranger in Liverpool."

South-east, by marshy ground, covered with water from the river. The fortificatious, extending from the East end of Dalestreet to the river, and the marshy ground before described, occupied the place where Paradise-street, Whitechapel, and part of Byrom-street now stand; the whole area thus inclosed must have been small, not exceeding 405,000 square yards. It is not however to be supposed that this extent of land was wholly covered with buildings; for it appears from an old painting* which represents the town in 1650, six years after the siege, that within this area were several plots of land unbuilt, and planted with trees. This painting is further interesting, as it presents us with a view of the appearance of the town along the water's edge, and of all the public buildings it then possessed. On the northern extremity is a small fort of eight guns, immediately joining the old Chapel-yard; the western parapet of which, and that in front of the tower, are close to the water, which shows that all the lands Westward, viz. the lower part of the present Church-yard to the pier-head, has been gained, at different times, from the Mersey. St. Nicholas appears with a plain square tower-steeple, without a spire. The tower had then embattled turrets, though lately only a common coping. The old Customhouse which then stood on the South side of Water-street, opposite the Tower, has its front towards the river, and appears to have been erected at some distance from it, perhaps for allowing room for a small quay, for landing goods. The form of the old Castle is also distinctly seen. It was massy square building, with embattled round towers at the angles. There is no appearance of buildings to the South of this Castle, and the ground was probably quite open, down to the Pool, which covered the space now occupied by the old, or Customhouse Dock. The attic only of the old Town-hall is to be seen. It stood to the Southward of the present Town-hall, its North front being represented in a line with the South side of Water-street. The attics have seven windows in the West frout, and the same number probably on the other sides. These apartments were for the use of the Corporation; below it might have been supported by pillars, leaving an area for the accommodation of the market people or the traders of that time. The roof was sur

a

[Jan

hall (situate a short distance from Bootle), were, according to Blome," the chief Lords and owners of the greatest share" of the property in the town.

work just quoted, are many interesting And in an appendix to the useful extracts from an ancient manuscript, in the hand-writing of Sir E. More, bearing the date of 1667. This MS. contains a description of his property in Liverpool, accompanied with advice and instruction to his son, and is interspersed with curious notices of the state of the town at the period when it was written.

It is abundantly evident, from this ancient document corroborating the painting of the town, before described, that Liverpool in 1667, though comparatively flourishing, was a town, in which our modern habits of thinking and speaking would induce us to bestow the epithet, "insignificant." It can be regarded as presenting nothing more than a Nucleus for the present town; the worthy Baronet speaking of cutting, should trade be good, a street from the "Ould Hall" (hence the modern name, Old Hall-street) to the river, which, I might be noe steper than ye Chapel-street." He also speaks of allowing to each house, on both sides, large backe-sides, keeping a good part for a garden and out-building, to geather with other nessesarys to ye Ould Hall." All the houses belonging to his estate appear to have had large crofts and gardens attached to them. One, on the very banks of the river, where the Prince's dock now stands, he describes as having "fiss yards, and a free fissing, and a fine large croft on the backe-side."

66

66

The present Moor-street still perpetuates the Baronet's name. It appears from the MS. to have been a capital street; and there are two or three ancient houses still standing in it, one Sir Edward is bearing the date 1663. very precise and circumstantial in his directions to his son, respecting_this street and the ground adjacent. From his description, it appears that at his time, a spacious field, inclosed with posts and iron chains, ran down from the Castle-hill (part of modern Castlestreet), to the river side, spreading on towards Water-street, scarcely any of by buildings. Part of this ground was the intervening ground being occupied used for a ropewalk (hence the present "Old Ropery"), and in Fenwick

street,

The TRADE of the port, at the same period, was inconsiderable. In 1650, fifteen vessels belonged to the town. But these must not be measured according to our modern notions of a vessel. They were merely small craft, most of them probably employed in the Irish coasting trade. But even in this low situation, the port gave promise of future commercial eminence; for Blome, in 1673, says, that among its inhabitants were "divers eminent merchants and tradesmen, whose trade and trafick, especially into the West Indies, makes it famous." Still its trade at that period would scarcely weigh a feather in the scale, against its present magnitude.

The only PUBLIC STRUCTURES of which it had to boast, were the Townhouse, St. Nicholas Church, and the old Tower.

The DWELLING HOUSES of the period were built in the rude style of the 17th century, and with but few exceptions, consisted of two stories. A few specimens still remain in Moor-street, Lancelot's-key, and Moorfields. Besides the house at the top of Moor-street, already mentioned, bearing the date 1663, there are two, lower down, on the same side, which are most likely the oldest houses in the town. They are much dilapidated, and fast going to decay. They consist of only two stories, with a cone-like elevation in front of the roof, characteristic of the taste of the period when they were built. Blome, who visited the place in 1673, says, "that there were in it many goodly buildings, all of hewen stone. The houses above described, are built of a soft sand stone, and were, no doubt, considered "goodly buildings," by our ancestors. But the fashion of this world passeth away," and structures which they regarded as the acme of perfection, their posterity adduce as proofs of their miserable taste in architecture. The Old Hall (in Old Hall-street) and Cross Hall (hence the present name of Cross Hallstreet), were the two principal mansions of the time. Much land laid between the former and the river, and much between the latter and the inlet which flowed up the present Whitechapel to the end of Byrom-street.

Such was Liverpool about the middle of the 17th century. She was, it is evident, but an inconsiderable town, inhabited by a mixed population em

[Jan.

ployed in commerce, trade, and agriculture; and strongly resembling, in many of her features, several of the present small seaports on the Cumberland coast. She was, however, evidently commencing, though rather languidly, the brilliant career she has since run.

I shall now proceed to delineate the topography of the town in 1725, seventy years subsequent to the period at which it has been above described, and this, with advantages which it was impossible to enjoy in attempting it at the former period.

In a corner of the admirable Map of Liverpool, recently published by Mr. Gore, there is a plan of the town in 1725 †, from which it appears that its extreme limit to the Northward was no farther than the present Unionstreet, and that it was bounded to the Southward by the old dock. On the plan, Church-street, School-lane, College-lane, and Hanover-street, appear to the East and South-east. Churchstreet has only a few houses below, and two or three above St. Peter's Church; all the land to the Northeast, as well as beyond the scite of the present Dispensary, being vacant. Hanover-street has a few straggling houses, and there is much vacant land between it and School-lane. All beyond Hanover-street to the South-east, down to the river-side, is fields. Common-shore (now Paradise-street) has a few buildings on the East side; but the West side, and above one third of the streets between it and Pool-lane,

are vacant.

The old dock has a few buildings on the North side only, with wide interstices between them. Between Poollane and Strand-street, with the exception of houses to the front of each, all the land is vacant. The spacious field between Fenwick-street and the river, and between Moor-street and Waterstreet, mentioned in Sir E. More's MS. remains as it was 70 years before. The "Old Hall" is delineated on the plan, and occupies all the land between Chapel-street and Rosemary-lane (now Fazakerly-street), and between Old Hall-street and Lancelot's-key. To the Eastward, between Castle-street and John-street, there is a plot of vacant land. From John-street to Sir Thomas- buildings, down to Frog-lane

† An original copy of this old Map is in my possession. (Whitechapel)