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1830.]

Charles-Edward Stuart.-Family of Curteret.

recollection and historic interest in many a Scottish heart; his graceful and gallant bearing-in short, all the charm that romance could throw around him, could not fail to make the ardent and youthful of his followers enthusiastic in their devotedness to his cause, and the more cautious and timid fondly cherish a hope for his success. And when, but a short time after, he returned from Preston Pans with the lustre of victory fresh upon his arms, many a young female heart at least must have secretly or openly exulted in the brave Adventurer's triumph.

Opposed to him, however, were the abstract yet powerful principles of love of civil freedom, and liberty of conscience. His grandfather's conduct was not forgotten, and his own attach ment to the Romish church but too well known. While, therefore, the romantic feelings and fervid imaginations of the young and thoughtless, and the desperate fortunes of the interested, drew them around his standard; the calm calculation and better reason of the considerate, determined them to opposition. Speaking metaphysically, the contest was between imagination on the one hand, and judgment on the other.

Well, I turned my thoughts to Culloden-and what must have been his feelings on that fatal day! driven al most to the extremity of the kingdom -his brave army, whose military lustre was still untarnished by defeat, now reduced to a fearful want of common necessaries-the numbers, discipline, and completeness of equipment of the enemy, anxious to recover their lost laurels and blemished honour-his anticipations must have been gloomy and anxious! And when he beheld the steady advance of the Royal army, and the roll of the drums fell upon his ear, and the artillery began to tell with dreadful effect among the clansmen! -and when the combat closed, and he saw his brave mountaineers, though fighting with the frenzy of despair, slain, scattered, and chased away, anxiety must have sunk into dread, and dread into despair. He had come to gain a crown or a coffin! the latter appeared only to remain for him. And then his wanderings among the wilds

* By the way, however, I have heard he

became a Protestant.

397

and wildernesses, the solitary lakes and lonely islands, his hairbreadth escapes, and calm courage in the hour of danger; to think that the hero of so many interesting adventures slept below the cold slab before me, could not fail to excite lively emotions, and cold indeed must be the heart of that Scotsman, who, however politically opposed to the party of the unfortunate Prince, can visit his simple tomb, and feel no train of melancholy thought raised within him, nor drop a tear upon the stone that covers the remains of poor Prince Charlie. "Prince Charlie!" said I, forgetting where I was; the words were fraught with pleasing recollection; they reminded me of days long gone by, of places far distant, of school scenes and school associations, when the words Prince Charlie were the rallying cry of one of the parties into which our little republic was divided. Well do I remember my devotedness to the Prince's party, which, contrasted with my after political sentiments, make me wonder at myself. The solemn chaunt of the evening service now called my attention, and well accorded with my melancholy retrospective thoughts. The rays of the setting sun, shining through a painted window, shed a soft and chastened light upon the monument. I continued to listen to the music, till the last sunbeam trembled on the English arms; and when the hymn had ceased, and all had assumed the grey garb of twilight, I left the grave of the Royal Stewart, with a softened and humbled heart. Yours, &c. I. S. M.

I

Mr. URBAN,

London, Sept. 2. SHOULD consider myself much indebted to any of your readers or correspondents who would communicate any information relative to the ancient family of "De Carteret, Seigneurs of the Lordship of Saint Ouen in the Island of Jersey," who resided there several centuries preceding the Conquest, and which lordship is at this day in the possession of the eldest heir of the female line; in addition to what follows.

It is recorded in the History of Jersey, that during the reign of King John, when that island was severed from France, "Philip de Carteret, Seigneur of Saint Ouen, postponing all views of

398

Family of Carteret.-Ancient Seats of Justice.

interest to those of duty and of honour, and remaining immoveably fixed in his allegiance to the crown of England, had all his extensive possessions of Carteret, Angeville, &c. &c. in Normandy, his ancient patrimony, confiscated by the King of France; whereby none lost and suffered so much as that family for their loyalty."

During the troubles in the reign of Charles I. they gave an asylum to his son, then Prince of Wales; and subsequently on his again leaving England, when Charles II.

The junior branch settled in this country about the year 1640; George de Carteret was created a Baronet on the 9th May, 1645, 21 Car. I.; his grandson was made Baron Carteret of Hawnes in the county of Bedford, the 19th Oct. 1681, 33 Car. II., and afterwards Earl Granville the 1st January 1714-15; which title became extinct in April 1776, on the death of Robert Carteret, Earl Granville.

The elder brother was made a Baronet on the 4th of June 1670, 22 Car. II., as "Sir Philip de Carteret, Seigneur of the Lordship of Saint Ouen in the Island of Jersey," which title also be came extinct on the death of his grandson, Sir Charles de Carteret, Baronet, Bailly of Jersey, and Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber to Queen Anne, who died in May 1715, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. At his decease, Frances de Carteret, wife of Elias Dumaresq, esq. of Saint Ouen; Anne de Carteret, wife of James Corbet, esq. of Saint Helier; Riviere de Carteret, wife of Daniel Messervy, esq. of Mont-auprêtre House; and Elizabeth de Carteret, wife of George Bandinel, esq. of Saint Martin; all of the island of Jersey; became co-heiresses of the above named Baronet, and representatives of the eldest branch.

Sir Philip de Carteret, Seigneur of Saint Ouen in the reign of Elizabeth, married Rachel, daughter and heiress of the Hon. George Paulet, of Hinton St. George in the county of Somerset, eldest son of Lord Thomas Paulet, second son of the Duke of Bolton.

What relationship exists between that highly respectable nobleman Viscount Granville (brother to the Marquess of Stafford) and the Carteret family? He was advanced to that title on the 15th July 1815. Yours, &c.

G. C.

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[Nov.

"Celsa sedet Eolus arce,

Sceptra tenens, mollitque animos, et tem-
perat iras."
ÆEN. i. 56.

Mr. URBAN,

THE ancients appear to have almost

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some parti

cular spot to the administration of justice. And, from the fact of the Hebrew Judges sitting at the gates of cities, they obtained the name of "Elders of the Gate." In Zechariah,t the Jewish people are commanded, upon their restoration, to "execute the judgment of truth and peace, in their gates."

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The Athenians selected a small eminence, near Athens, for the seat of the "Areopagitæ." It was termed "Apelos Tάyos," "the hill of Mars;" because Mars was supposed to have been tried there for the murder of Hallirothius. At Granada in Spain, the street "Calle de los Gomelles," leads to a massive gate at the entrance of the magnificent palace of Alhamrā, or Alhambra § Over the gate is a large tower, called "the Gate of Judgment,' "the Gate of Justice," "the Gate of the Law;" and upon which there is the following inscription, written in the Arabic language:

"Turn pale, O wickedness! wheresoever you go, I will follow! Punishment always speedily follows crime! Draw near, come without fear, ye deserted orphans, here ye shall find the father ye have lost!

In China, there is an old willow, celebrated from the fact of the Emperor Kang Vang having sat under this tree, when he gave judgment upon the differences of the labourers in agriculture. Out of respect to the Emperor, its branches were never cut. St. Louis often used to sit under the shade of an oak, in the wood of Vincennes; when all who had any complaint freely approached. At other times he seated himself upon a carpet spread in a garden, and heard the causes which were brought before him.

In the vicinity of Scone, there is a tumulus, where the stone chair removed by Kenneth II. from Argyle

* Deut. xxii. 15, xxv. 7; Prov. xxxi. 23; Lament. v. 14. + viii. 16. So called, after an ancient Moorish fa§ The red city. Joinville, Hist. de St. Louis, p. 13, edit. 1761.

mily.

1830.]

Historical Sites.-Cross-legged Effigies.

was placed; and in which the Kings of Scotland were crowned in the more more ancient times. Upon this hill the King held his court of justice, and promulgated laws. From the "Pleas of the Barons" being determined here, it was called "Mons Placiti de Scona, omnis Terra," or the "Mote Hill of Scone." But among the common people, it bore the name of "Boothill," from a tradition that "at the coronation of a king, every man who assisted, brought so much earth in his boots, that every man might see the king crowned, standing upon his own land." The Hill of Strife," at Ulinish,+ and the hills called "Laws," as Kelly Law," "North Berwick Law," were places probably devoted to the seat of justice.

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66

What a source of gratification must the scientific always discover, in the contemplation of sites which have been thus dedicated, or have formed the scene of some great and important historical event. Take for instance: the White Houset on the river Tav, in Dyved.§ Here Howel the Good, son of Cadell, and King of all Cambria, in the tenth century, upon his return from Rome, which he had visited with a view of improving the laws of Cambria, and obtaining a knowledge of the laws of other countries, and of those which the Emperors of Rome put in force in the Isle of Britain during their sovereignty, summoned all the chiefs of the tribes, the family representatives, and all the wise and learned men, both of the clergy and laity, to a collective convention. The laws of Dyvnwall Moehund being found superior to the whole, were systematized by Blegwryd, and after the approval of the convention, constitutionally esta blished over all Cambria.

The Ruins of lona.-Her monastery and cathedral recall to mind the learning and superstition of even classic ages; while her cemeteries of Kings of Scotland, Ireland, and Norway, painfully remind the traveller of the short but momentous passage between life and death.

*The English signification of the Erse

word.

In the island of Sky or Skye. "Ty Gwyn," so called, because it was made by a wattling of white rods, for the convenience of hunting.

§ This spot is still recognized in the ruins of Whitland Abbey, above Tenby, on the small river Tav, in Carmarthenshire.

399

The island of Runeymeed or Runnymead, where the brave English barons forced from the reluctant Plantagenet the Great Charter of English liberties, and the Charta de Foresta.

The stately hall of Eltham, built by Edward I. and the chief residence of Edward II., and where probably the famous statutes "De officio CoroHatoris," "Of Mortmain," and "Prerogativa Regis," were enacted. The hall is approached through a long vista of wide spreading trees; and the picturesque scenery of the spot, the gorgeous roof of the building, and the castellated remains, all remind the beholder of historic times, and hours of regal grandeur.

The Parliament chambers in the old palaces of Scotland, and particularly Linlithgow and Stirling, the latter of which presents a fine view of the windings of the river Forth, to Alloa, the once famed residence of the chieftains of Mar,-the age of Wallace and Bruce are remembered, and the eye of sympathy sorrows for their fate, and finds a

melancholy reflection that these patriots, born in the land of chivalry, became worthy sons of Caledonia.

The site of Fotheringay, which holds a prominent space in our annals, as the birth-place of Richard III. and the place where the beautiful and accomplished Mary Queen of Scots suffered! Filial piety removed every vestige of its castle, but the name and scite still exist. Westminster Hall, where the fatal judgment was given against John Hampden. And lastly, the rocks in Switzerland, where William Tell, clinging to the crags, braved the abyss, and escaped from his tyrants.

I shall conclude my, present observations, with the words of our great moralist, "That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona."

MR. URBAN,

WITH

TEMPLARIUS.

Nov. 2. WITH great deference to E. I. C. may it not have happened that the old figure of a Crusader has been made part of a more modern monument in Brading Church? Such mis

Our correspondent gives too early a date to the present Hall, which was probably built in the reign of Edw. IV.-EDIT. +Barr, Obs. stat. 41.

400

Sir Sidney Smith.-Ossian.

appropriations have not been uncommon. I venture to believe that there are no cross-legged monumental effigies which can be identified with any other persons than those who had either undertaken or performed the crusade. If reverence for that symbol of Christianity had been the motive for adopting such representations, surely they would not have been confined to military persons, but such only are represented with their legs crossed; and I believe never ecclesiastics. The notice given of the Brading Monument reminds me of a trivial anecdote respecting another in the Isle of Wight, which I remember to have heard related by the late Sir Richard Worsley. That Baronet happened to visit the church of Gatcombe (where many of his ancestors were buried) in company with a gentleman whose mental faculties were unfortunately so much obscured that he was commonly deemed insane (and whose name on that account only is suppressed) and upon Sir Richard's observing that he thought of displacing an oid carved wooden figure, and causing a monument to be erected there for himself, the gentleman alluded to, seeming to recover himself from a fit of abstraction, instantly said, "Then I will make an epitaph for you:

When a saint is removed,

To make room for a sinner, We'll burn one, to roast t'other

For Beelzebub's dinner.'' Which, from such a person, and on such an occasion, was an impromptu not readily forgotten.

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MR. URBAN, London, Oct. 22.

AT page 40 of the second edition of

Lady Fanshawe's Memoirs, recently published, there is a note relating to the descendants of Thomas Smythe, Esq. of Ostenhanger in Kent, Farmer of the Customs to Philip and Mary, and to Queen Elizabeth; and ancestor of the Viscount Strangford.

I wish to be informed by the learned and ingenious Editor of Lady Fanshawe's Autobiography, from what branch of the family of Smythe the gallant Sir Sidney Smith derives his descent. Notwithstanding the difference of spelling in the names, it is to be presumed that this highly distinguished officer must be of the family of Östenhanger, as he gives precisely the same arms as that family, with the ad

[Nov.

dition of an honourable augmentation, granted to him in memory of his heroic exploits at Acre. I believe too, that in the instrument recording this augmentation, it was expressly acknowledged by the competent authorities, that the paternal arms of Sir Sidney Smith were-Az. a chevron engrailed between three lions passant gardant Or: in other words, the very coat borne by the Smythes of Ostenhanger, and by the Viscounts Strangford. The same arms are also used by Sir Sidney's brother, Mr. Spencer S. (formerly his Majesty's Minister at Stutgardt), who, moreover, appears to have adopted the motto of the Lords Strangford, viz.: Virtus incendit vires.

As the note in Lady F.'s Memoirs professes to correct the erroneous statements of Peerages respecting the family in question, I think it desirable that its connection with the heroic defender of Acre should be fully ascertained.

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

FABER.

Bride Lane, Fleetstreet, Oct. 28.

YOUR correspondent on Ossian,

(p. 223) says, that "the chivalrous events have been retained in oral tradition, and all that Macpherson had to do was simply to collect them." I am old enough to remember this controversy, and so far from their authenticity having been established by Dr. Blair, his dissertation or essay went only to the era of Ossian. Mr. Macpherson always spoke of manuscripts, and Dr. Johnson challenged him again and again to show them, which he never could do. In the second volume of Dodsley's Fugitive Pieces (p. 119), were inserted "Fragments of Ancient Poetry, collected in the Highlands of Scotland, and translated from the Gaelic or Erse language." These "Fragments" first came out in 1760. Mr. Macpherson says, in the preface to them," that the diction in the original is very obsolete, and differs widely from the style of such poems as have been written in the same language two or three centuries ago;"" in a fragment of the same poem, which the translator has seen;" and further on he says, "by the succession of these bards, such poems were handed down from race to race, some in manuscript, but more by oral tradition."

Dr. Johnson, in a letter to Mr. Bos

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