PART II.] Ring's Virgil.-Ruins at the Royal Mews. often disgusted with slovenly pas sages in other works of a similar kind; and the idea of adopting the more felicitous lines of Dryden and Pitt, was certainly most judicious." To conclude, Mr. Urban, as I should be unwilling to trespass on your columas with too long a paper, I may on some other occasion beg leave to present you with some further testimonials in favour of Mr. Ring's successful exertions. However his talents may now be encouraged or rewarded, there is not a doubt that posterity will do him justice; that we shall no longer incur the national disgrace of being without a compleat and faithful translation of that immortal Bard; and that Ring's Virgil will, by the unprejudiced and candid reader, be universally adopted. It has fewer exceptions and defects than any preceding translation, and his annotations are copious and interesting. He has indeed erected a monument of Fame, commensurate with his extensive genius and learning. It will be recollected that this is not the first time Mr. Ring has given a specimen of his poetical talents. Several minor poems, among which was his "Commemoration of Handel," published in 1786, have been favourably received, and the different Reviews were unanimous in their encomiums on his "elegant and harmonious verse." BATHONIENSIS. N excavating the foundation of spur-street, near the West entrance to the Mews, the remains of some antient building have been brought to light. They consist of fragments of three walls, lying at no very great distance from each other, but in different directions. The largest runs East and West, and is about six feet of ragstone, with a small proportion of chalk and flint, and a few bricks. The other two, which are situated West of the first, run North and South, and are exactly parallel to each other, the extremity of one joining the beginning of the other; one of them is very perfect and substantial, and reaches nearly to the surface B 593 of the ground. There is no indication of the fragments being connected, but their situations, I think, show that they were. Previous to the great alterations in this neighbourhood, Whitcomb-street went over part of the site of these foundations. This street was formerly called Hedge-lane, and two centuries ago literally was what its name bespoke. The building, therefore, to which these ruins appertained, must be of very remote antiquity, as indeed the mixture of brick with the stone in the construction of the walls shows it to be. The most probable idea which suggests itself at present is, that these remains were part of the ruins of the Royal Mews, burnt in 1534*, and abandoned on building the succeeding structure. This is warranted in some degree by the circumstance of their concealment under ground for so many years; but even if this was ascertained to be correct, they evidently have belonged to some still older building, whose original destination is involved in the darkest obscurity. The discovery of some human bones among the ruins would lead us to believe they marked the site of a religious edifice. A hermitage, dedicated to St. Catherine, once existed at Charing Cross+; and higher up, near Pall Mall, was a small church‡; but the situation of neither corresponds exactly with the foundations now discovered, though it is not utterly im may This, alas! is now too late. See our * Pennant's London, edit. 1813, p. 151. Obituary, p. 643. + Ibid. GENT. MAC. Suppl. XCI. PART II. + Ibid. p. 161. lance, C 594 Management of Poor.-Symbols of Evangelists.-Dew. [XCL lance, has excited general attention, and several plans have, in consequence, been adopted in different parishes, with the view to reduce the Parochial Rates, and to compel the labouring class to rely more on their own exertions and prudence, than they have of late been in the habit of doing. One plan which, it is hoped, will become general, from the scarcity of money, and consequently cheapness of provisions, is the taking into the farm-houses the carter-boys and young men, who, by being under the master's eye, will become more orderly, and not desirous of leaving a good home and plentiful table, to marry and provide for themselves. But the mode adopted by a neighbouring parish deserves considera tion. has been reduced to one-sixth of the sum usually expended in a period of similar duration. H. WALTER. Mr. URBAN, the symbols of a Lion, a Calf, a Man, and a flying Eagle, were first applied to the Evangelists? If those symbols were taken from the 4th chap. and 7th verse of the book of Revelations, why were they not applied in the same order to the Evangelists, as found in that book; viz. the Lion to St. Matthew, as that Gospel bears the earliest date, &c. I have lately read with much pleasure Turner's Tour through Normandy. In vol. II. p. 27, he proposes to his friend a difficulty, which, he says, had long puzzled him; viz. the connexion which Catholic divines find between St. Luke's Bull and the word Zecharias; for it appears by the following distich from the Rhenish Bible, that some such cause leads them to regard this symbol as peculiarly appropriate to the third Evangelist: Under the advice of the principal proprietor, a highly respectable and intelligent man, the parishioners in vestry agreed, that the weekly pen sioners who were for the most part old and infirm, should be taken off the parish books, and supported by private benevolence. Some cases occurred, where it was found that the relatives had the means of assisting "Effigies vituli, Luca, tibi convenit, extat the infirm members of their family, Zacariæ in scriptis mentio prima tuis." and would do so, if the parish would I have in vain attempted to find out not. The experiment was tried, by this appropriate symbol, and it puzrefusing relief, and succeeded. In zles me no less than the learned auother cases the gentlemen and farm- thor. For what connexion or approers voluntarily agreed each to sup- priation can there be between Vitulus port a poor pensioner; and the and Zacaria C. smaller occupiers joined two, three, or more together, to support one, according Mr. URBAN, Oct. 23. OR many years, during the sum could have paid of the Poor Rates. Fmer months, 1 durve observed, But, as the application to several occupiers for the amount of one pension was found to occasion inconve nience to the persons so supported, it was determined that in such cases the contributors should pay their quotas to the overseer, who would pay it over to the pensioner. The next measure was to relieve all the other paupers in the poorhouse only, and the diet to be milkporridge, potatoes, and bread, the quantity not being limited; the paupers are thus kept in good health. I will not trespass further by arguing on the necessity of stimulating the poor to exertion, but will conclude by giving you the result of the measures I have detailed. The parochial expenditure, from the end of July to the beginning of December, whilst travelling at an early hour, that the road shadowed by the trees was frequently wet by torrents of rain, whilst the exposed parts of the road were dry and dusty. The hotter the preceding evening had been, the greater quantity of moisture was condensed. Trees young and flourishing generated the most dew. I think it is a subject well worthy the consideration of those interested in navigable canals. In those districts where water is scarce, a plantation or an ave nue of trees might with great advantage be planted on each side of the canal. In the heat of summer these trees would not prevent evaporation but, when hanging over the canal, would contribute a plentiful supply of water. What species of trees condense the largest portion of dew? W. Mr. PART 11.] Lydiate Abbey.—Mischiefs of abolishing small Farms. 597 Mr. URBAN, Dec. 20. Mr. URBAN, Dec. 4. LYDIATE ABBEY (as it is called) MR.TORRENS'S observations (p. in the parish of Halsall, co. Lancaster, is about ten miles from Liverpool, on the road leading from that town to Halsall, and the fashionable bathing place of Southport. This interesting ruin (see Plate II.) was no doubt formerly a Chapel, attached to the neighbouring Hall, which was then the seat of the Lords of the Manor. The Lords of Lydiate have been, successively, the families of Lydiate, Black burne, Ireland, Anderton, and Blundell, as appears in the pedigree of these families in Greg. son's "Fragments for Lancashire," (p. 222) traced down to the present possessor, Charles - Robert Blundell, of Ince-Blundell, Esq. The Chapel was probably built by the Ireland family, temp. Henry VIII. The initials of the rebuilder of the Hall, Lawrence Ireland, are carved on a doorcase in the house. The walls of the Chapel are still tolerably entire, but the ornamental parts are much mutilated by the hand of time. It has been asserted that the building was never completed, but I am of a different opinion, having found small fragments of glass in the mortar in several parts of the East window. The following are the only inscriptions on the tomb-stones now legible: "Here lyeth the body of Francis Waldsgrave, who departed this life on the 28th day of November, 1701, in the 75th year of his age." "Sa. Ro. Ca. Ecc. Sacer, ob. die 20 Ap. An'o Domini 1728, æt. suæ 74. Requiescat in pace." "Here lyeth the body of Joseph Draper, who departed this life on the 26th day of April, 1703, in the 33d year of his age." "Here lye the Body of Joha Mosson, who d eparted the.... "R. D. Johannes Blackburne." Over the arch of the porch is a coat of arms, a chevron between 6 fleurs-de-lis, and on each side the initials I. I. (probably John Ireland), who lived in the 6th year of Henry VIII. S. R. 429) on threshing-machines for abridging labour, and the advantages of them, and of abolishing small farms to make one large one, have the direct contrary effect to that which he supposes. The rich farmer who can afford to buy a threshingmachine is the man who apparently gains by it, as he employs fewer labourers; but what becomes of these poor men thus deprived of work? The fact is unhappily proved, that they must apply to the parish for relief; the rich farmer pays a share of this, and thus diminishes his supposed profit, but a share of this additional burden is borne by those inhabitants who are not farmers, many of whom are themselves little removed from the necessity of applying for parochial relief. His next proposition of abolishing nine small farms to make one large one, is, that it will enable the one great man, by employing machinery, and otherwise abridging and economising labour, to perform the same quantity of work, with a less number of hands, bring a greater proportional surplus produce to market, and afford to pay a higher rent than while he continued on his small farm; the consequence, says Mr. Torrens, is that the landlord, tempted by a higher rent, lets the ten farms to this one man, and consequently, he admits that the other nine farmers with their families sink to the condition of agricultural labourers on the estate. So far, says he, the effect is injurious. But, on the other hand, the employment of more efficacious machinery, and the more economical application of labour, which are found admissible in large concerns, would enable the great farmer, with a given expendi ture, to raise a greater produce than before, to break up old lands, and consequently furnish the means of employing a larger number of (the reader will surely be a little surprised to find of whom this additional number is to consist) manufacturing labourers! He then admits that this throwing all the farms into one will destroy the comfort of nine families reduced from the state of small farmers to that of day labourers, but additional comfort will result to the one who enjoys the large farm, and the |