91. The Huntingdon Peerage; comprising a detailed Account of the Evidence and Proceedings connected with the recent Restoration of the Earldom; together with the Report of the Attorney General on that Occasion. To which is prefixed a Genealogical and Biographical History of the illustrious House of Hastings, including a Memoir of the present Earl and his Family. The whole interspersed with a Variety of curious Historical and Legal matter; and several original Letters and incidental Anecdotes of distinguished Individuals concerned. By Henry Nugent Bell, Esq. Student of the Inner Temple. 4to. pp. 413. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy.

HIS is one of the most extra

Tordinary publications within our

recollection. The earlier portions of it contain a clear and entertaining history of a Noble Family from Robert de Hardings, who flourished in the reign of William the Conqueror, to Hans Francis, the eleventh and present Earl of Huntingdon. But the wonderful part of the work is, the curious detail of the proceedings of Mr. Bell in this investigation; the unconquerable ardour of his pursuit ; and the facility with which the Noble Earl was admitted to the dormant dignity. Some of these remarkable particulars shall be selected at a future opportunity; and, for the present, Mr. Bell's motives for the publication shall now be given.

"Amoug the fugitive subjects which come occasionally under the public eye, there are none, perhaps, more generally interesting, and which it is more necessary and useful to embody into a durable record, than those which involve claims of right, and decisions of legal authority thereupon. Such decisions become in fact incorporated with our system of jurisprudence, and stand as landmarks and auxiliaries to guide and aid the sound administration of justice. It is therefore of material importance that all causes, remarkable for their novelty, magnitude, and special interest, should be deposited among the archives of legal experience in a distinct and permanent form, and authentic in substance, so as to facilitate every purpose of future reference either for curiosity or use. If considerations of this general nature had not operated as sufficient incentives with me to undertake GENT. MAG. December, 1820.

the compilation and arrangement of the materials which constitute the following pages, I had the superadded inducement supplied by the advice and sanction of several gentlemen eminent at the Bar, who were of opinion that such a publication was highly desirable, and could not fail to prove peculiarly useful and satisfactory to every Senator and Lawyer, as well as acceptable to the superior ranks of the publick at large. Besides, having myself conducted the proceedings from the commencement, and, in fact, staked my professional judgment and fortunes on the result, I confess I experience a kind of paternal gratification, and feel that I satisfy a final sentiment of duty, in thus, as it were, putting the last hand to a work, which, if I had not prosecuted con amore, rather than by the ordinary gradations of practice, could never have been brought to so speedy and triumphant a termination.

In adjusting the plan of the present publication, it has appeared advisable to numerous friends of the parties, to whose judgment I willingly bow, that I should deviate somewhat from the usual form of mere Law Reports, so as to produce a kind of Huntingdoniana — a book of general reference for every thing that concerns the history and restored succession of the antient and illustrious House of Hastings. With this view the narrative of my proceedings, and the Report of his Majesty's Attorney-General on the occasion, are preceded by a genealogical account of the noble family in question, re-composed from the most authentic sources, and more correct and copious, it is presumed, than has yet appeared; together with a memoir of the present Earl, and the branch from which he is descended. In this division of my task, I have endeavoured, as often as the subject permitted, to ingraft the dignity and moral uses of biographical composition on the naked stock of pedigree, which (to appropriate, by an easy transition, the dramatic rule of Horace to my purpose) may sometimes raise her voice,' and assume a character much more important and instructive than the mere calendar of names and issue. I have moreover interwoven such papers, deemed interesting, either by their connexion direct or collateral with the subject, or by their antiquity as illustrative of early manners, as I had collected during my search among the antient records of the kingdom; together with some documents of modern date, which are calculated to throw light on my noble Client's claim, the steps by

which

which it has been fortunately substantiated, and the unfair and mysterious means which prevented his Lordship's regular accession to the honours and estates of his Ancestors. All these matters will, I trust, be found sufficiently relevant and interesting to justify their introduction in a compilation of this nature; but the part which I feel will require most apology, is that which relates to myself personally, and my exertions on the occasion. And here again I must shelter myself under the authority and opinion of the respected friends before alluded to, who have advised, that every particular should be preserved appertaining to the prosecution of a claim, the establishment of which in so comparatively short a period, without reference to the House of Lords, and after the title had lain nearly thirty years in abeyance, has been regarded as a remarkable instance of successful practice, and, if I mistake not, without precedent in the annals of restored Peerages. On this score, with whatever sentiment of complacency the conscientious discharge of my duty, its victorious result, and the indulgent approbation of my friends, may have inspired me, (and far from dissembling, I would blush to be found insensible to, such sentiment,) yet I must beg to deprecate all imputation, as I honestly disavow all feeling of vanity or egotism. But these subordinate details, if they possess no other value, may at least teach my youthful contemporaries, who, like myself, have only entered upon their career in an arduous and honourable profession, the not unprofitable lesson, that zeal and perseverance will seldom fail to surmount obstacles which, at first, appear insuperable; and that there is a Providence, which will prosper their endeavours on the side of justice, even when the chances and calculations of success, merely human, wear the most hopeless, and deterring aspect. Finally, and with respect to the subject matter at large, I have omitted no means, and spared no research, to render it at once copious in substance, and historically correct; and if these general objects, the chief, perhaps the only, merit, to which a work of this character can aspire, be attained, I confidently trust to the candour of my friends for indulgence on all minor imperfections of form and manner."

Very fine Portraits are given of the present Earl and of the late Countess, whose untimely death is recorded in part i. p. 378.

92. An Historical and Critical Account

of a Grand Series of National Medals, published under the Direction of James

Mudie, Esq. and dedicated by Permission to his Most Excellent Majesty George the Fourth; embellished with Outlines of the entire Series. 4to. pp. 151. Colburn and Co.

ANTIQUARIES hold Medals (as we peculiarly denominate Medallions) in far higher estimation than common coins, because the reverses of the former commonly represent triumphs, games, edifices, and historical monuments, which are objects of well-founded curiosity, and are beheld with the greatest satisfaction. Thus we are deeply in

debted to those who have made known the contents of their cabinets. Erizzo began by communicating his; Tristan engraved many; Patin issued several fine ones in his Thesaurus; Carcavi displayed those of the French King's Cabinet; and the Abbé des Camps published his own some time afterwards, with the fine explanations of Vaillant.

The collection of the medallions of the Abbé desCamps appeared under this title: "Selectioru numismata in ære maximi moduli, è musæo Ill. D. Franscisci de Camps, Abbatis Sancti Marcelli, &c. concisis interpretationibus par D, Vaillant, D. M. &c. illustrata Paris 1695," in 4to. The medallions of Carpegna were published at first with the explanations of Bellori. In the end, the number of Cardinal Carpegna's medallions having been much augmented, they were published anew with the observations of the Senator Philip Buonarotti, "Observazioni istoriche sopra alcuni medalioni antichi all' altezza serenissima de Cosmo III. grand duca di Toscana. Rom, 1698. 4to." It is an excellent work.

A distinction is made by foreign numismatists between Medals and Medallions. The former term they apply to pieces, which have not the bust of the Sovereign, but of his sister, daughter, or wife, or some other subject. These Erizzo contends were never intended for current coins, and his objections were renewed by Hardouin, and combated with some success by Chamillard. That however the bust of the Sovereign just as exclusively denotes antient coin as it does the modern, is justly disproved. The Medallions, or larger pieces, were also intended for coins, with very rare exceptions, whatever

has

has been published to the contrary; and being made on purpose for largess, resembled the double coins of the Moderns in the view of circulation. The Emperors struck them upon public occasions, on purpose for distribution, the bulk rendering the latter more magnificent. The possessors of these pieces were afterwards at liberty to use them for the purposes of life or business. This conclusion is drawn from a passage in Cassiodorus. That writer, enumerating the offices in the establishment of Theodorick, which was formed upon the model of the Imperial palace, reports the formula of a writ of the Intendants of his largesses. The Emperor says there of these Largesses, "Verùm hanc

liberalitatem nostram alio decoras obsequio, ut figura vullús nostri metallis usualibus imprimatur, monetamque facis de nostris temporibus futura sæcula commonere." From this passage it has been deduced, that these largess pieces were destined to be current with the coin "metallis usualibus."

The Contorniates and some other singular medallions, such as the golden ones of Justinian and Tetricus, were evidently not intended for currency; the latter seemingly for ornament; and perhaps they formed part of the Dona Militaria.

The epoch when the Greeks and Romans began to put upon their coins the effigies of celebrated men, as we place them upon modern medals, cannot be fixed with precision. In fact, we see the head of Homer, and those of other illustrious men, upon Greek coins of the most remote antiquity. Among the Romans, on the contrary, the mintage of the coins of families, consecrated to celebrated men, shows, that the usage of placing their busts there does not ascend beyond the fifth century of the Republican æra.

Plutarch relates that Alexander laughed at his father Philip for having the victories which he had won in the public games of Greece represented upon his coins; and the passage from Cassiodorus, before quoted, shows that Theodorick adopted this method of commemorating the chief events of his reign.

Of the correctness of the taste used by the Antients, on this subject, there cannot, we think, be any doubt; or

that it is not at least far superior to a wreath of laurel, a coat of arms, or similar reverse; in principle merely a sign, or plate-mark. Might it not, therefore, be an eligible improvement, at least in the crowns, or larger part of our coins, to strike off a certain number immediately after great victory, or other important national incident, in which issue the reverse should be especially adapted to the commemoration of the event, and be accompanied with a short inscription.

a

Per

Pinkerton says, we think with much relevancy, "A great fault of modern reverses, as of modern portraits, is that the manners of the time and country are very often totally perverted in them. sonifications are of all ages, and countries, and languages; but what title have heathen gods and goddesses to exist on our medals, and attract the adoration of our connoisseurs ? They are not only absurd in the eye of reason, but insipid in that of fancy." In this we sincerely agree with him; but when he says that "the antient artists, even of the lowest class, seem in their portraits to catch the life and spirit of the person, while the moderns only produce a kind of model, with very faint features of the character," we attribute this failure principally to the flatness of the relief. When, too, we find, that medals of the Hamerani contain exact and highly finished views of edifices in Rome, the streets before them, the landscape behind, crowded with statues, and persons and objects of all kinds, we admit, that we have in the compass of a crown-piece as much as a painting six feet square could do on a larger scale, and that it is certainly an amazing exertion of art. But still we think, that it is execution displayed at the expence of taste; and that nothing curious has the effect of the sublime, which in Historical Medals ought to be the chief object consulted. Our opinions therefore are, that mythological personages should be wholly omitted, and the event, sought to be commemorated, be symbolized by some simple fine poetical figure. Let us suppose, for instance, the Battle of Waterloo ; let the legend be "Napoleone afflicto," in the proper sense of "affligo," ""knocked to pieces," and the object be a Doric column, breaking

off

off from the base and falling. This would bear an historical allusion to the copy of the Trajan pillars, erected at Paris. If this was not deemed sufficient to fill up the field, in the back ground might be a rock projecting with an exile seated upon it. We mean this only by way of hint, (for much better allusions might no doubt be suggested,) and a confirmed opinion that any impressive effect, either from the design or execution, cannot possibly result from indistinct and minute objects, which plan is merely making a picture all background. Our grand meaning is, that we would not have simple historical medals, but poetico-historical medals, or records of the fact, by grand conceptions.

No accession to knowledge, skill, or taste, can be gained by representing the Iliad in a nutshell. It is in the best only a model of a considerable building; and, where a grand effect attaches to any part of such a building, or the tout ensemble be fine, the reverse of a medal may be a fit spot for preserving its form; but we pertinaciously contend, that no object, not coveying in se a sublime idea, is fit for an historical medal. A commemorative medal is another thing. It is of a far humbler description, but one, which we are astonished is not pushed to a further extent. Many a portrait and seal might be conveyed, as a pleasant souvenir, to a friend or acquaintance, in the form of a medal; and it might be executed at Birmingham, for as little expence as a good engraving. It is plain, however, that it must be of the superior description of a medal; for otherwise it becomes a mere half-penny token; and, the Barbadoes penny excepted, these are utterly void of effect, completely tame-church-yard figures heads, cheeks, and noses.

mere

It is evident, also, that nothing can preserve a medal but the merit of its execution; and, as there can be no effect derived, on account of the minute surface of the scene, from the physiognomical character and group ing of the figures, it is plain that exquisite delicacy of execution is the thing expected: nor can any one with justice refuse such a high commendation to the Papal Medals.

On the principle with which we

set out, Government ought to make crown-pieces medals, varying the reverses, according to the succession of grand events. This powerful aid to Patriotism has not been practised of late years; though Edward III. and other princes made the coins, historical records. This deficiency has been made up by Mr. Mudie, in a very splendid series. The medals will not only preserve portraits of our modern Heroes; but be a record of the state of the arts, in the beginning of the nineteenth century. The events are in the classical style denoted by allegorical figures, executed of course in a high character of style and the work before us is a letter-press account of the forty great events recorded, which, of itself, is a pleasing compendium of all the grand battles, drawn up in a manner which excludes the dry technicalities of Gazette accounts, and yet preserves their accuracy. Mr. Mudie, in addition to six years' devotion of his time and trouble, bas expended upwards of 10,000l. on the execution of these splendid memorials. It is no honour to the [sensual] habits of the nation," that even among those, who it might have been reasonably expected would have been the readiest to promote it, the individuals who have been recorded in the series, only a very small number have honoured it with their support," Pref. p. xvii. The truth is, that there is so much luxury attached to the unavoidable respectable appear ance of high station, that even the whole of large incomes is often sacrificed to appearance and style. The increase of capital and population is perpetually addressing the pride and luxury of property with new indulgences, which become incorporated into habits; and cause abstract pursuits to be limited to Taste in the Show or Enjoyments of life. Arts offer no return to a mind influenced by ostentation and vanity, when they contribute nothing to the splendour of the person or drawing-room. But whether this result is not favourable to the growth of contemptible and injurious foppery, and whether philosophical character is not a blessing, most nationally momentous, is a question which we have no room to discuss.

The

93. Memoirs