that any caution or jealousy for the protection of Protestantism is needless and inexpedient. We are no friends to persecution. Claiming for ourselves the blessings of religious liberty, and the right of conscience, we would extend the same in their fullest measure to the Roman Catholics; but we cannot concede (as we do not perceive the fact) that there is any abatement in the hatred of Popery to a religion which she believes to be heretical. In some of the English Roman Catholics there may be a more moderate, candid, and enlightened spirit than formerly; but we have not the slightest doubt that this feeling would be deemed incipient heresy at Rome. The real and essential nature of Popery is still visible in every country where it retains its influence; and until the Roman Church shall abandon her oppressive domination, we may still be permitted to point to the graves of the martyrs whom she has sacrificed in her fury, and to gather wisdom from the experience of the past. Some of our readers may possibly conceive that we have entered too warmly on the subject of Evangelical Preaching; but, as sincere advocates for genuine Christian morality as taught by the divine Founder of our holy religion, it is impossible not to contemplate with feelings of pain the danger and mischief likely to result from those Calvinistic antimoral doctrines promulgated by a certain class of would-be popular divines. In inserting some of the exposures we have acted conscientiously, and with the best intentions. We are now advancing closely on the centenary of our literary existence, having already completed our NINETY-EIGHTH YEAR; and we refer with honest pride to the various and important information comprised in so extensive a series of Volumes. On reverting to their ample contents, we may venture confidently to affirm, that no periodical work of the present day can bear the least comparison, whether we consider their variety in general, or their importance in particular. From the first establishment of the Gentleman's Magazine in 1730, to the present period, multitudes of rivals have sprung into existence; and after flourishing for a short season, by merely catering to the ephemeral tastes of the day, they have suddenly disappeared from the arena of Literature, their very names being scarcely known to posterity; while the Gentleman's Magazine, having higher pretensions than a mere transient state of being, has uniformly been devoted to subjects of a more permanent and sterling character; so that our pages may be referred to with profit and pleasure, even for centuries to come. LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS. Those marked thus are vignettes worked with the letter-press. MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. "It was usual," . says, "for the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex to have depicted on their state carriages (as they are called) the armorial insignia of that city and county, and in another part or pannel their own; also those of the worshipful companies of which they are mem bers; and, give me leave to remark, without mottoes, or garters, and circles, which are considered as usurpations, or, at least, imitations of the orders of the Garter, Bath, &c. The arms attributed to the county of Middlesex have of late been erroneously omitted, and a blunder fell into of accompanying the city arms with the ensigns of office appropriate to the Lord Mayor, who cannot with propriety use the county arms, which are thus blazoned: Gules, three Scaxes, i. e. Saxon swords, barways Argent, hilted and pomelled Or. It is thought to be proper for the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs to display the arms*, &c. of London; but the cap, sword, and mace, betoken the chief magistrate." 66 As we quoted in our November Magazine, p. 437, the opinion of Sir Walter Raleigh's religious sentiments, expressed in the Bibliotheca Parriana, we are recommended to support that quotation by another. In a letter to Mr. Charles Butler, containing remarks on that gentleman's "Reminiscences," the learned Doctor says, Why do you follow Hume in representing Raleigh as an infidel? For heaven's sake, dear Sir, look to the preface to his History of the World; look to his letters in a little 18mo.; and here, but here only, you will find a tract which led Hume to talk of Raleigh as an unbeliever. It is an epitome of the principles of the old sceptics; and to me, who, like Dr. Clarke and Mr. Hume, am a reader of Sextus Empiricus, it is very intelligible. Indeed, Mr. Butler, it is a most ingenious performance; but, mark me well, it is a mere lusus ingenii."-Parr's Works, vol. viii. p. 517. An OLD SUBSCRIBER observes, "In the Supplement to the 16th edition of Debrett, Lord Norbury's promotions were stated to be, Earl of Norbury, County Tipperary, and Viscount Glandine, of Glandine, King's County. So also were the titles gazetted. But in the last and 17th edition the Viscounty of Glandine is omitted, and his lordship is stated to have been created Earl Norbury, instead of Earl of Norbury. Are these variations accidental; or was the patent framed differently from the Gazette ?" *See Gent. Mag. vol. xciv. i. p. 320. AMICUS says, " Blakeney, esq. of Mount Blakeney, County Limerick, Ireland, had three sons: 1st, William, General Lord Blakeney; 2d, ; 3d, Major Robert Blakeney, who married Deborah Smith, January, 1729, and had issue; of whom the eldest son was Grice Blakeney, Amicus would feel particularly obliged if any of the Correspondents of the Gentleman's Magazine could point out the name of the second son; and if he married to whom, and whether he had any issue. William, Lord Blakeney, was born about 1670. There was also a brauch of the Blakeney family settled at Castle Blakeney, in the County of Galway. Robert Blakeney, esq. was resident there towards the end of the 17th, and beginning of the 18th century. Amicus would be glad to learn what relationship subsisted between him and -Blakeney, esq. of Mount Blakeney. The eldest son of the above Robert Blakeney was John, and the eldest son of John was Robert. Our Correspondent also wishes to learn what other sons each of those parties had. Mr. M'KEON would be obliged by information respecting the Rev. Wm. Gurnall, who was instituted to the Rectory of Lavenham, in Suffolk, by the House of Commons, on the 16th Dec. 1644, and died Oct. 1679, having been 35 years Rector of that parish. ANTIQUARIUS asks, "What were the Armorial Bearings of Robert Shackells (or Shakles, as sometimes spelt), Mayor of Hull, in 1407? He is mentioned in the Appendix, page 11, to Mr. Frost's History of Hull.*" Early D. will thank W. AUG. MILES (part 1. p. 301,) for information where Toland's letter to Serena is to be found, as it is not in the two vols. of his works, published in 1726, 8vo. Also for specific references concerning "the Oinga of the Lacedemonians," to Caylus, and any authority for Oinga in Ireland. Onga, or Onca, is well known as the Phoenician Minerva; and if this name be really found in Ireland, it will go far to establish the connection between that country and the Phoenicians. INQUIRER says, "A curious tract, entitled, the Life of Mrs. Joane Drake,' was printed in 1648. Any gentleman having the volume, who will be pleased to communicate some of the most remarkable particulars in it, either through the medium of the Magazine, or privately to Mr. Nichols, will confer a favour.-Any Biographical Particulars of the ancestry of Benjamin West, late Pres. R. A., will be thankfully received. I THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. JULY, 1828. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. ORIGINAL LETTERS OF PHILIP SECOND VISCOUNT STRANGFORD. Mr. URBAN, July 1. INCLOSE copies of two curious letters from Philip Smythe, second Viscount Strangford, to his uncle Robert, second earl of Leicester; the one soliciting the hand of his cousingerman, Lady Isabella Sydney, seventh daughter to that earl; the other requesting the earl to become his guardian. These letters are written with much taste, and propriety of expression, considering the youth of Lord S. who at their date was scarcely sixteen of years age, being born at St. Martin's in the Fields, March 23, 1633. (Harl. MSS. 6833, p. 187.) The Lady Isabella was about a year and a half younger, having been baptized at Penshurst, September 30, 1634. (Syd. Pap. I. p. 147.) In the Earl of Leicester's Journal, edited by Mr. Blencowe, there is this entry, with reference to the marriage of Lord Strangford with his cousin : "1650. Thursday, August 22.-My daughter Isabella Sydney was married to my nephew Strangford, by Mr. Antrobus, in ye Chappell at Penshurst: to wch marriage I was pressed by my sayd nephew's desyre, and persuasion of my wife and some other friends, and not by any inclination of mine owne, for I like not marriages of soe neare persons." Yours, &c. P. C. S. S. from your Ldp's knowledge that of my which is the absolute possessor thoughts; and this will, I hope, excuse mee to your lordship, if my haste appear greater to desire it than doth suite with my age. My Lord, the person and merrit of your daughter, my Lady Isabella, hath brought me to have but one ambition, which is, the being received by her (as I very really am), her most passionate and devoted seruant; who, for this perfect happines, cast my selfe vpon your Ldp's fauor, most earnestly and humbly beseeching yow to graunt mee your consent, and to give your assistance, both by your owne perswasions to my Lady Isabella, and alsoe in obtaining my Lady's approbation to this, the greatest of all concernments to mee. Haueing this incouragement, I shall adventure to make her all the expressions of my affection and respect that I am capable of doeing, though I apprehend they cannot doe me right in shewing how much I honour her. But in this I haue hitherto beene more reserued than was for my ease, not knowing what boundes I must keepe untill I have your Ldp's permission. If I shall bee blest with soe fortunate successe as to bee raysed from the title of nephew to that of sonne, I will indeauour, by all the waies that are or euer can be in my power, to bring myself as neere deserving that excellent person as my little merrit will permitt, which is my best recommendation to your Ldp's and my Lady's fauour, to which I will add a perpetuall gratitude. If my confidence had beene greate, this sute had beene presented to your lordship some other way from, My Lord, Your most obedient nephew, [July, of this land a guardian in nurture or in Visc. Strangford.-Freethinking Christians. From the same, to the same. MY LORD,-The importunate desires of my mother in her lifetime, and at her death, prevailed with your Ld'p to take care of my education, and to receive me into your family. Thus much I vnderstand by a letter written by your Ld'p to my Lady Fotherley, which shee shewed mee, and afterwards desired my Tutor to reade it to mee, which he did accordingly, two monthes before I came to Penhurst. Besides, I understand by my Tutor (as Sir Thomas Fotherley informed him) that the late King, who had a power to dispose of mee as his warde, by his letters required that I should be resigned vp to your Ldp's disposeall. I am now ffifteen yeares of age, and am tould that it is in my owne power to chuse my ownę gardian. I have noe friend to counsell or direct mee herein, but am wholly led by my owne inclination, humbly to desire your lordship to take that trouble vpon your selfe. All dred and friends may approue of my choyce, as a due expression of my obedience to the desires of my deceased mother. But, if they should not, I can give them many reasons why I ovghie to honour your Ld'p, and to make choyce of yow for my gardian before other any person. FREETHINKING CHRISTIANS. * From a very long article sent to us in defence of the Freethinking Christians, and in refutation of the statement of Mr. Hetherington*, we have only room to extract that portion of it which has reference to the Founder of that Sect.-EDIT.' my WHA THAT, after all, is II.A.N. enabled to allege against a leading and most respected member of the Freethinking Christians? Reduced to simple propositions, the allegations are these: kin This I intend onely as a preparatory expression of my owne, to justifie your Ld'p, that by noe perswasion of yours I am hereunto mooved, untill a more formall act can be drawne, unto which I shall most willingly and rea dily set my hand and seale.-Your Ldp's most obedient nephew, P. STRANGFORD." (No date, but endorsed, in the Earl of Leicester's hand-writing, "My nephew Strangford's desyre, 31st of May, 1649."). The "more formall act," alluded to in the above letter, was as follows: "To all to whome these p'sents shall come. Knowe yee that I, Phillipp Viscount Strangford, now of the age of ffifteene yeares and vpwards, and by the lawes of this land inabled to make choyce of my guardian, upon mature and due advisement and consideration with my selfe, have nominated, chosen, and elected, and doe by these p'sents nominate, choose, and electe, the Right Honourable Robert Erle of Leycester, my dear and lovinge unkle, to bee my guardian of my person and estate, and to doe and acte for mee, and for my use and benefitt, all such matters and thinges as by the lawes 1. That Mr. Samuel Thompson has achieved his own independence by his own exertions; "for," says the writer, "he has, by persevering industry and continued success in trade, realized an ample fortune." 2. That he has not made a trade of religion; "for," says the writer, "he is a spirit-merchant on Holborn-hill." 3. That he has had the virtue to correct, and the cundour to confess, his early errors, both of conduct and opinion; "for," says the writer, "when a young man (as he himself frequently states) he was most dissolute in his habits, and sceptical in his opinions; in fact he was a mere Deist. On mature investigation, however, into the evidences of religion, he became convinced of the general truth of Christianity." 4. That he saw the corruptions of Divine truth, and conceived the idea of restoring it to its primitive simplicity; 66 for," says the writer, "he considered it as deformed by priestcraft, and perverted from its original purity and sim * Mr. Hetherington was the printer of the Freethinking Christian's Quarterly Register, and all works which of late years have issued from that body; and it appears that six years ago he himself actually moved certain resolutions, highly complimentary to Mr. Thompson, and stating, that "no individual, possessing a tried character had ever charged him with a dishonourable action." |