صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[graphic][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[graphic][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors]

Mr. URBAN,

Tedstone Delamere, that I was going on right, by the pen's April 1. occasionally touching the upper part N the Gentleman's Magazine for of the gage, in making the long

Correr (as letters

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

1 directed a carpenter to make for me, of fine wood, a gauge (or gage, as it is pronounced), nine inches long, two inches broad, and half a quarter of an inch thick, having rather more than an inch of the middle part cut away, except about an inch at one end. This gage I laid at the top of my paper or book, which I found should be of some thickness, to render it sufficiently tangible, in order to square it exactly with my gage: that is, it should consist of several folded sheets or pages, that, by the feelth (for the sake of perspicuity, to coin a word) the gage, at commencing, might be placed even. This done, within the open space of the gage, I wrote two lines, being assured, in the first line, * I presume in being pardoned for introducing a few verbal alterations in this Que passage of Milton, to make it amalgamate with my subject.

&c.) and, in the second line, being assured that I was right, by the pen's touching the lower part of the gage, in making the long strokes downwards (as in the letters g, j, y, &c.). When the two lines were finished, I placed a very thin slip of smoothly-planed wood, of the same breadth as the gage (but rather longer), upon the part next to be written on, close below the gage, taking care not to move it till I put the gage upon it; and then, (by means of a perforated notch) I gently drew it away, at the end where it was rather longer than the gage. This being done, I wrote two lines more, in the manner just described, and so on till I had filled my page.

Although I used a common pen, made to yield the ink freely, it seldom failed to leave its trace, as I was mindful to dip it into an inkstand properly supplied (without colton) at the end of every line. But an ingenious contrivance called a Fountain Pen will do better, and never deceive the sightless writer.

That others may derive that comfort or recreation from the simple expedient, which, while in a state of darkness, it afforded me, is the sincere wish of L. BOOKER.

P.S. My misfortune was occasioned by inflammation: which yielded only to judicious regimen, and about eight weeks' confinement in a room from which every ray of light was excluded. At a future time, if they will be deemed acceptable, I shall be happy to communicate some reflections upon blindness, which may tend to reconcile those who are visited with it to their lot.

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

P. S. Pray, Mr. Urban, do inquire of John Carter, and inform us next month, what is meant by an offspring of the brain without a father, nursed

I must not, however, pass over the charge of forgetfulness brought against me, in regard to John's explain the gloom of bigotry, and antination respecting the arch.-Forget antiquarian predilection? To me it is it, John? Never. Neither I, nor your as unintelligible as Liskram-Bethun friends, nor your enemies, will ever forget it, as long as you shall sign yourself AN ARCHITECT. No, nor your knitting together Henry's Chapel by the fingers of angels; for knit

ted, knatted, knotted, or netted, it would be equally nonsense.

But, Mr. Urban, my principal reason for troubling you with this is, to answer the requisition for signing my own name-a challenge that comes with a very ill grace from a man, who under the fictitious signature of An Architect has been traducing the whole profession for these twenty years. But he now proclaims that the Architect is John Carter. I only request that I may retain my fictitious signature as long as John has retain ed his and at the termination of the same period, if John and I are alive, I may, perhaps, gratify his curiosity. But he says his support depends upon his architectural knowledge, which I have traduced. The term is equivocal; for, if he means the practical and mechanical part of this knowledge, it is true that 1 never have allowed him to possess it: but if he means architectural drawing, or a knowledge of antiquities, I have ever admitted it with the most perfect candour; for, however this may be disputed by others, I do assure him, that I did not write the letter in your jourpal for March, signed "J. R. Thomp son, Short's Buildings, Clerkenwell."

One word more: he calls me a retainer of the Master Workman: I answer that I have never received a re

taining fee-the character, credit, and ability of that Artist, I have maintained against all John Carter's attacks for these seven years; they want my assistance no longer; let his works speak for themselves; they are now open to every eye, and I have never walked through Palace Yard since, when John Carter was not there, that I ever heard a single spectator speak of them without admiration in the extreme; if John will still traduce them,

-utos.

Mr. URBAN,

Inverness-shire, May 1.

AFTER perusing Mr. Carter's iet

ter page 631 of your last Volume, I found my memory awakened to a letter which I had read some years ago in the Edinburgh Magazine for March 1785. The letter is from Mr. Evan Baillie of Oberiaehan, Inverness-shire, a most worthy and very sensible gentleman, and a lawyer of great accuracy and strict punctilio in all his transactions and assertions. The letter is dated March 22, 1768. In it he says that the felie beg, or little kilt, is rather of a late than antient usage. Mr. Baillie asserts it to be the invention of one Thomas Rawlinson, an Englishman engaged in carrying on iron works in Glengany and Lochaber, 50 years before he wrote, with whom he was acquainted, and who introduced it among his workmen, from whose example it soon became common. Mr. Baillie never saw the kilt in use till the year 1725, when he came to reside in Inverness-shire, his native county, after having passed a few years in Edinburgh; nor did he ever before bear such a piece of dress mentioned even by his father (who was a very sensible highland gentle man) though he was born as far back as 1655. I therefore judge that the present dress of our Highland soldiers is quite different from the antient costume of any part of Scotland, which I apprehend consisted of jackets and trowsers; indeed I believe that the journal of an English officer who came with the Protector Somerset to the battle of Pinky, mentions the dress of the Scotch soldiers to be sheep-skin jackets and trowsers, without the least mention of kilts, plaids, or tartan. The Scotch bonnet I believe to be probably much the same as that in use some centuries ago in England and ou the continent, before the introduction of hats. As to tartan, I cannot say

when

when it was first made a part of the Scottish garb, though it is obvious to any person acquainted with antient costume, that party-coloured dresses were much in use among most European nations, without any regularity in making one side of the figure from top to bottom correspond with the other half: but, on the contrary, care was taken to make the difference as great as possible. Plaids, or. loose cloaks like plaids, were, I dare say, the outward costume of most nations in antient times, as they indeed are in our own days. To these remarks I may add, that there is, perhaps, no strict propriety in using tartan in the costume of Macbeth, and certainly none in dressing him or his Thanes in kilts or felie begs, which are not yet an invention 100, far less 1000, years old. I believe that tartan is part of the dress of the peasants in the South of France in some districts. But the tartan, kilt, and the other parts of the present Highland garb, have received so much splendour from the achievements of our countrymen in modern times, that no reference to antiquity could possibly add much honour to where so much has been more lately acquired; and no lover of his country will desire to see what has been called the garb of old Gaul (properly or not) changed for any other antient or modern, Yours, &c.

H. R. D.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

As dead (devoyde of interest) 't all might Desease t' his well composed mind, forestal'd {call'd With heavenly riches, which had wholy His thoughts from earth, to live above in

[blocks in formation]

still made;

If he can find a chaire, or stoole, he's layd; When day peepes in, he quitts his restlesse rest, [drest, And still, poore soule, before he's up he's Thus dying did he live, yet liv'd to dye In th' Virgine's lappe, to whom he did applye [thence was styl'd His virgin thoughtes and words, and By foes, the chaplain of the Virgin myld While yet he lived without: his mod estie Imparted this to some, and they to me. Live happie then, deare soul; injoy the rest Eternally

« السابقةمتابعة »