ate our earnest archæologist from any tangible loss. We have heard that the price of the four volumes including the coprolitic one, will be only a guinea, an exceedingly moderate demand for four thick octavoes, whose prefaces and introductions are certain to combine such a fund of archæologic and critical study. We say nothing of the obvious advantages of an admirable typography, or of the immense interest of such a collection of rare, and, in many cases, unique "reliques" the picturesque and vigorous ballads and epics of a by-gone English world. It would really be a disgrace to our public literary bodies and our men of letters, if a national work undertaken with such unselfish and patriotic motives should bring the reverse of a reward to its projector.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF BISHOP PERCY.

A slight sketch of the life and literary labours of the editor of the "Reliques" can scarcely fail to interest our readers. He was born on the 13th of April in Bridgnorth, a town of Shropshire, pleasantly seated on the Severn. The house in which he first saw the light, is shown in the street called the Cartway, his grandfather and probably his father having there followed the business of grocers. It is a large, picturesque old building, partly constructed of wood, and presenting some pointed gables* to

the street.

"His early education was received at the Grammar School of his native town," and in his eighteenth year he entered Christchurch College, Oxford. "In 1753 he was presented by his college to the country living of Easton Maudit in Northampton." This continued to be his usual home for the long period of twenty-five years, and in the little vicarage six children were born to him.

"A more retired place even at the present day can scarcely be imagined than Easton Maudit. It is a little picturesque country village with scattered farm-houses and cottages grouped together at irregular intervals, and with a population of only 207 people. The church dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, where Percy for so many years ministered, guiding the rustic and the lowly born, is a handsome structure consisting of nave with side aisles and chancel, and has at the west end one of those beautiful spires for which Northamptonshire is

so famous, earning for it the title of the "County of spires and squires."

Mrs. Percy might have sat or stood to poor Goldsmith for his portrait of Mrs. Primrose. She was a perfect model of all the domestic virtues. Her maiden name was Gutteridge, and her union with the future Bishop took place in 1759, six years after his assumption of spiritual duties at Easton Maudit. Mr. Percy first experienced the pleasure afforded by the sight of a proof-sheet in 1761, when he published a Chinese novel "Hau Kiou Chooan," translated from the Portuguese. He was born to good luck, for he received £50 for his four volumes. Next year he published "Miscellaneous pieces relating to the Chinese," and in the next, "Five pieces of Runic Poetry translated from the Icelandic language." In 1764 also appeared his new translation of the Song of Solomon, and a "Key to works now the New Testament,' fallen into oblivion. Dr. Johnson spent a considerable portion of this year at Easton, holding endless discussions with Dr. Primrose, and drawing long draughts of inspiration from Mrs. Primrose's tea-cups.

We have already mentioned the acquisition of the folio MS., but many of the "Reliques" as printed by Dr. Percy were not taken from it at all, but supplied by his friends, Garrick, Goldsmith, Shenstone, Gray, Dr. Farmar, Dr. Birch, Dr. Grainger, &c. In February, 1765, when the editor was only thirty-six years of age, they made their first appearance in three volumes. They were dedicated to the goodnatured Countess of Northumberland, who was much gratified by her selection for this distinction. Sir Hugh Smithson of Stanwick St. John, a neighbour of the Countess, and one of the handsomest men of his time, was yet destined to be jilted. This being mentioned in the Countess's presence she expressed her surprise that any woman could have the bad taste to reject Sir Hugh. He heard of the observation by some side-wind, and turned it to profit, for after a siege of short duration the fair Countess yielded with a good grace, and Sir Hugh Smithson became first Duke of Northumberland.

Dr. Percy received 100 guineas for the first edition of the "Reliques," and at each succeeding edition he received still more liberal encouragement. He became Chaplain to Duke Hugh of whom we have just spoken, and Chaplain to King George III. in 1769. În 1770, appeared his translation of Mallet's Northern Antiquities, with a very able introduction, in which he contended for the difference between the races and the literatures of the Celts and Teutons.

In 1768 at the desire of Duke Hugh, he edited the "Household Book of the Earl of Northumberland in 1512 at his Castles of Wressle and Leconsfield in Yorkshire." "This has given rise to the long series of Household Regulations and accounts, which have made every detail of the Sovereign's and rich man's home almost as familiar to us as our own humble one. And thus a third time has Percy been the means of lighting the torch of knowledge whose flame instructs and cheers us still."

In the year 1771, Poor Mrs. Percy was obliged to quit her family, and act as nurse to young Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. She was not released for a twelvemonth, and her lonely and wearied husband showed his joy at her return by composing the charming little song,

"O Nanny, wilt thou gang with me?" Having had the grief of losing two of their children just before the summons to the palace, one can easily conceive the desolate feelings of the husband and father during that solitary year.

Our amiable clergyman went on from one pleasant station in the world of letters to another pleasanter still, as unerringly as ever did one of Marryatt's young heroes rise from one stage of promotion to another. In 1778 he was appointed to the Deanery of Carlisle, and in 1782 to the Bishopric of Dromore in Ireland. However, the loss of his dear and only son Henry who died at Marseilles in 1783 threw a great damp over his household happiness.

He continued to receive for a considerable time much annoyance from the pains-taking and able, but most

ill-tempered Joseph Ritson, of whose birth Stockton-on-Tees ought to be (but probably is not) very proud. He would insist that the folio MS. was a myth, and that most of the "Reliques" were mere modern antiques, having no nearer relation to any genuine old ballads than the separate poems in MacPherson's collection had to original Gaelic lays. The Bishop had his MS. exhibited in Pall Mall, got himself painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds with the celebrated folio in hand, and honestly declared that his emendations of old and mutilated ballads were open and avowed.

The application and ability of Ritson as an archæologist were remarkable. Sir Walter Scott said of him, that "he brought forward such a work on national antiquities as in other countries has been thought worthy of universities, and the countenance of princes."

At Dromore he employed all the time that could be spared from his spiritual duties in literary matters. In 1793 he published an "Essay on the Origin of the English Stage, particularly the Historical Plays of Shakespeare." In 1806 he lost his dear companion, with whom for fortyseven years he had enjoyed such domestic content as falls to the lot of specially favoured people. Her remains lie beside his own in Dromore Cathedral. Soon after, the good Bishop was gradually deprived of his sight, a natural result of the long and severe exercise of his eyes upon old and crabbed manuscripts. He bore this and his other great loss with true Christian submission, and retained his gentle manners and amiability with children to the last, a daily exercise of his being a walk to the pond in the palace garden to feed his swans. On the 30th of September, 1811, his release came, his departure being marked by happy manifestations of the Christian's faith and hope.

Two daughters of Bishop Percy survived him,-one the wife of Archdeacon the Hon. Pierce Meade, the other married to Ambrose Isted, esq., of Eton House, Northamptonshire. A son of each is still living, 1867.*

Ir is a remarkable fact in the history of Christianity that the divine spark of its vitality has been fanned into a flame at certain crises of its existence by three men, so marvellously alike, as to form what may almost be called the reiteration of the same type: alike in their indomitable courage; alike in the vicissitudes of their careers; and alike in an enthusiasm which has been the marvel not only of their own age but will be a marvel to all generations.

When we mention the names of Paul, Augustine, and Luther, we mention three men who stand as it were at the very head of humanity: the three leaders of the march of the human race through this life to the next.

The careers of these men run in parallel. The prototype Paul had been marvellously changed from a bitter, relentless, restless persecutor of the Christians to one of the most active, devoted, enthusiastic Christians of whom we have any record.

Augustine, up to the age of thirty, had passed through all the depths of Carthaginian licentiousness, of infidelity, mocking, doubting, blasphemy, and yet died the greatest and most influential Christian of post-apostolic times.

Luther, the monk, enthusiastically devoted to his asceticism, and the VOL. LXXI.—NO. CCCCXXIII.

errors of the Church of his day, was changed in the gloom of his cloister amid solitary struggles, the severity of which no human heart can understand, into the active, enthusiastic reformer of a Church in whose corruptions the vitality of the faith lay buried.

Naturally, the very earliest form of Christianity was that of converted Judaism, and it was difficult to break the early converts of Jewish customs. Indeed had not Peter been enlightened by Paul, he would have limited Christianity to the Jews. But it was reserved to Paul to open the gates of salvation to all mankind, and to show to the world, Jew and Gentile, that the works of the law were of no avail, but faith in the crucified One, which would not only confer upon the believer justification in the sight of God, but produce in him as its own fruit the works of the law.

His boldness towards Peter at that crisis was the turning point where Christianity was saved from sinking into a mere Judaistic sect, and made the religion of the world.

Since that time, at various periods of the development of Christianity, the influence of that vital truth has become clouded and lost to the sight, its light has been shut out and men have wandered in the darkness of their own inventions and sought sal

17*