As when young May-day, mild and warm, The lovely bosom-cradled child- Should another's arm embrace thee, From my heart shall it efface thee! With life when hope and memory vanish. Beyond the misty hill of time, Above the world we both must rise Eternal youth, perennial prime, Shall crown us, meeting in the skies. JUSJURANDUM AMATORIUM. JULIA sum pollicitus futurum Me quoque scripto. Hisce nec vinclis tenet obligatum (Dum placent nymphæ, retinent amantes) Imitated in French. SERMENT D'AIMER. J'avois promis à ma maitresse Imitated in English. THE LOVER'S VOW. To the girl of my bosom, my fair one, I cried, But soon o'er the forest the soft breezes blew Adieu to the leaf!-to my promise adieu ! Sheffield, March, 1818. J. C. W. FRIENDSHIP. HAPPY the man whose heart can feel Another's woe, another's care; Whose wounds another hand would heal, His joy no language can express— "Tis ecstacy-'tis happiness! Yes, 'tis a sweeter name than love, A firmer, a more lasting bliss, A pleasure known in worlds above, No bolts can sever kindred hearts No chains can bind the wish, the sigh- And will the dark, the dreary tomb The hands and hearts of friendship sever,- The pure, the heavenly flame for ever?- J. C. W. Analytical Review. A History of Whitby and Streonshalh Abbey; with a Statistical Survey of the Vicinity to the distance of twenty-five miles. [Continued from our last.] THE first volume of this interesting work, as our notice of it will show, takes a general review of the district, from the earliest period down to the Anglo-Saxon times; and thence proceeds to an account of the Abbey; in this account a very judicious and comprehensive summary of all that relates to its history is detailed. The second volume introduces us to the town itself. After relating its rise and progress in earlier times, the 2nd chapter commences with a view of its present aspect, and its geographical position, and we select this part as affording no unfair specimen of the reverend author's powers of description: "The town of Whitby, or more strictly speaking, the abbey, is situated in 54o 29' 24" north latitude, and in 35' 59" west longitude. The variation of the compass was ascertained in 1811 to be 24° 49' west. The river Esk divides the town into two parts, of which that on the west side is largest. The town is at the very mouth of the river; the north-east end of Henrietta-street being only 100 yards from the edge of the precipice overhanging the sea; and the north end of the Crag being less than 160 yards from highwater mark at the Battery, while the guardhouse and other buildings beside the Battery may be said to abut on the German ocean. The direction of the river, which runs nearly due north at its influx into the sea, determines the direction of the town, which stretches along the banks on each side. These banks rise suddenly on both sides, especially on the east, leaving but a very narrow strip of level gronnd below, of which a considerable portion has been gained, at various times, from the bed of the river. This narrow space is literally crammed with houses; yet the town is not confined here, but boldly ascends the steep cliffs on either side, assuming a romantic appearance, especially when viewed from the sea. It seems like a multitude of irregular terraces rising one above another, in various forms; while the effect is increased by the old weather-beaten church looking down from the verge of the eastern cliff, and the venerable ruins of the abbey appearing behind it. On the east, the progress of the town seems arrested by the abruptness of the cliff, and very few houses have gained the summit; but on the west, where the ascent, except in the north part, is more gradual, the town has not only reached the top of the bank, but has spread itself westward into the adjacent fields; while a considerable portion recedes from the Esk, in a south-west direction, ranning up the sheltered vale of Bagdale." The View of Whitby, that is given in the frontispiece of this work, the writer goes on to observe," is taken from the west pier, or rather from the quay near the Battery. There are several other points from whence interesting views of the town may be obFrom that tained. The Larpool road commands a prospect of nearly the whole town. point the new buildings are seen to most advantage, while the venerable structures that crown the eastern cliff are also in full view. The prospect is nearly as complete from Airy-hill, Meadow-field, and the vicinity. "Perhaps the most romantic view of the town is that which is obtained from the woody banks of the Esk beyond Boghall, or from the middle of the river, in sailing down from Ruswarp. In the spot alluded to, the town, which a little higher up is hid by a bend in the river, opeus full on the sight, in all its extent and grandeur. The approach by Bagdale, though more confined, is also highly interesting. When the traveller is just entering this street, and has reached the trees at the Friends' buryingground, it is worth his while to halt, and enjoy the picturesque scenery before him. On his left, he sees, half concealed by the trees, a portion of the new buildings looking down with an appearance of majesty; and on the same side, his attention is arrested by a regular line of charming mansions, elevated above the street, with sloping gardens before them; while the multiform buildings on the opposite side, with Bagdale beck in front, furnish a contrast not unpleasant. Before him is the entrance to Baxtergate, where the spacious house of Robert Campion, esq. holds a conspicuous place ; while groups of buildings on each hand present themselves to his view. Beyond and above them all, he sees the ancient mansion of the Cholmleys, and the more ancient ruins of the abbey towering aloft on the eastern cliff, in all the grandeur of antiquity. One thing, however, is wanting to give additional interest to the scene-a view of the sea and harbour, from which Bagdale is completely hidden. This is the most commodious entrance into Whitby from the east and south; the entrance by the new buildings would have been better, had Flowergate been a proper thoroughfare towards the bridge; but that spacious street terminates abruptly at the foot, where there is only a steep and narrow passage into the Old Market-Place, with a very narrow lane towards Staithside; so that the carriages, entering by this street, must go round by Scate-lane, in order to reach the bridge with safety. To these observations we may add, that a very commanding view of the town and harbour may be had from the church-yard. Other particulars concerning the relative situation of the different parts of the town may be learned from the plan given in a corner of the map, laid down with great care from actual survey." The population of Whitby in 1816, is stated at about 10,000, an estimate which appears to be made with great care, many contradictory reports having been previously published. "Several curious particulars, connected with the population of Whitby, deserve to be noticed. It contains no less than 224 families, or houses, in which there is no male, and 34 in which there is no female: in almost all the latter, and in a great number of the former, there is but one individual in each. In the house of Mr. George Gibson, at the ropery beside Spital-bridge, there are four successive generations living under one roof; and, a few months previous to the taking of this account, there were in that house three complete couples in succession, with the offspring of the last couple. In another family, named Robinson, in Sandgate, there are twelve brothers all seamen; a circumstance perhaps without a parallel. There are also at present (in December, 1816) in the family of Mr. Ralph Greenbury, the parish-clerk of Whitby, three children produced at one birth, two boys and a girl, all bealthy and likely to live: they were born, however, after the population list was taken." After a review of the town, the history of its harbour, piers, shipping, whale-fishery, and custom-house succeed. Although Whitby was a fishing-town of great note at the time of the dissolution of its abbey, yet its piers and harbours appear to have been in a very imperfect state till the year 1702, since which period, by various duties imposed by acts of parliament, its funds have enabled the town wonderfully to improve both.-" The shipping of Whitby, like the town itself, has made astonishing progress during the two last centuries." To this effect, the improvement of the harbour and the erection of the alum-works have greatly contributed. The number of vessels belonging to this town in 1776 amounted to no less than 251, their aggregate burden being reckoned 55,000 tons; since that period, they have been stationary. The ship-building forms another important feature in the history of this place. The strength and durability of the ships built here have long been famed ; and the extent of business in this line may be inferred from a statement for the last 17 years, in which the number built amount to 331, yielding a general average of 20 ships, of 4582 tons for each year, and 285 tons for each ship. Sail-making, and sail-cloth manufactories, also, appear carried on to considerable extent. The foreign trade to the Baltic and Norway, and the Greenland Fishery, are next touched upon: on the latter head, it is stated," the Whitby ships engaged in the fishery have obtained during the last 14 years no less than 1443 whales, producing 12971 tons of oil. This success has been of immense benefit, not only to the owners, but to the town at large; for a full ship is estimated to spend in the town, in one way or another, about £3000. The outfit is very expensive, the Whitby ships being remarkably well furnished; and hence an unsuccessful voyage is attended with great loss. To compensate for this risk, a bounty of 20s. per ton (formerly 40s.) on the tonnage of each vessel is, allowed by government." We pass over several heads to extract a few of the author's observations on Poor-rates, which, though more immediately applicable to Whitby, may too truly, we fear, have a general relation throughout the kingdom : “Perhaps there are few places where the poor are better provided for than at Whitby; yet our poor-houses, and poor-houses in general, appear to admit of great improvements. I do not allude to any mismanagement on the part of the masters, or of the overseers, but to general regulations which are not wholly under their control. A poorhouse, as now conducted, is often a receptacle for vice, rather than an asylum for honest poverty. The door is open, indeed, for the industrious poor; but it admits with equal facility characters the most abandoned and worthless, with whom the virtuous abhor to associate. The most numerous tenants of the poor-house too often consist of such as have reduced themselves to poverty by idleness and drunkenness; lewd girls, with their illegitimate offspring; and others who are the very dregs of society. What is the consequence? The many hundreds that are annually levied on industrious tradesmen and worthy citizeus, are chiefly expended in supporting the lazy and profligate, while the real objects of charity pine away in private, and bear up almost to the last extremity, under the pressure of old age, affliction, and distress, rather than herd with wretches so depraved. It is cruel to force the deserving poor, either to starve, or to be thrust into the company of thieves, drunkards, and prostitutes. Far be it from me to insinuate that the guilty poor should be abandoned; yet they ought not to be suffered to contaminate the sober, or wound the feelings of the pious. Surely some remedy might be found, Might not a workhouse be made at once a house of correction for the bad, and a comH h VOL. II. |