TO THE CROSS. TOKEN of times gone by! Of human joys and sorrows, hopes and fears! Flies backward to time's goal, Through shadowy vistas of forgotten years! This ether-circled isle Sang in her gladness like a blooming maiden, Dallied in Eden's bowers, Ere Eve had pluck'd the fruit with sorrow laden! Crossing a lattice o'er the bright blue sky, And spread their leaves to share The kisses of the winds that rustled by. Or murmuringly crept Beneath the shadow of some mossy bank; Shone in the waveless calm, And clad the grassy hillock, rank on rank. Nor shame nor agony didst thou betoken; Was peace and love to men, Ere the high compact with the Lord was broken. But leave those happier times, And come to nearer climes, Where yellow Tiber rolls his turbid waters; Flows limpidly to lave The graceful limbs of Athens' dark-eyed daughters. VOL. II. When his step answered first And threaded merrily the mazy dance- The patriot's sword and shield, Or at the dun deer hurl the surest lance! And women's tears descend like summer rain; They lift their streaming eyes, And sigh for coming hours of agonizing pain! And fly to Salem and to Calvary! To finish God's high plan, A form of heavenly mould hath braved the tree! And pain is on his brow, And foes are triumphing, and friends are few; He lifts the godlike prayer, "Father, forgive-they know not what they do!" And hangs around him like a brooding dove; Of Shame and Agony, And sanctifies the Cross to Hope and Love! And now thou speakest joy, And bliss without alloy, To them that bear thee in their Saviour's name; And Agony, have fled, And holy Hope is here in place of Shame! And still, in Death's dark hour, Even when Life's sun hath set in dim eclipse, With visions bright and fair, And spread a smile from heaven on dying lips! Faith pours her fervent prayer, And hears faint echoes of the heavenly quire; And glitters from the "star-y-pointing" spire! But who shall dare to sing, Thy march of triumph to Earth's farthest shore? Thy glorious praise to speak I bow the reverent knee, and tremblingly adore! 2 P C. OLIVER CROMWELL-ADAM MARTINDALE-JOHN SMITH. SIR, I SHALL be happy if the following notices are deemed worthy of insertion in your pages. They relate to three remarkable men, who lived about the same period of our history, and whose biography has been recently elucidated by some of your learned and able correspondents. Norton Hall, Derbyshire, April 11th, 1846. OLIVER CROMWELL. JAMES YATES. In all the recent dissertations upon the merits of Oliver Cromwell as a legislator, I am not aware that any commendation has been bestowed upon one of the provisions of his government, which I am almost inclined to regard as its greatest glory. I allude to the establishment of a University at Durham for the more especial benefit of the Northern counties of England. It might have been expected that, when the most numerous and powerful political party in the State was following in the same track, so far as their exclusive principles allowed, they would have brought to light the plan, which they themselves have to a small extent revived. Cromwell's University was for the benefit of the North of England. The University of Durham, which was commenced a few years ago by Act of Parliament, is only for the benefit of members of the Established Church residing in the North of England. His institution would probably have been equal or superior to the new one in a literary and scientific point of view, whilst it would have brought together young men of all sects and parties, uniting them in the most delightful and laudable pursuits, and continually counteracting those prejudices and antipathies, which were in the period of the Civil Wars, and have been ever since, the bane of English society. In a work published twenty years ago, I referred to several authors who make mention of Cromwell's University.* But I lately had the opportunity of examining some of the original documents on its history, and I now send the following notices as a contribution, which may perhaps be deemed worthy of attention, in addition to the labours of Carlyle, and of other lecturers and authors. In 1652, a petition was sent to the Protector, a copy of which is in the library of the British Museum, and which bears the following title: "The humble Desires of the Gentlemen, Freeholders, &c., of the County and City of Durham, and other of the Northern Counties, for founding a College at Durham." The result of this application appeared in Cromwell's Writ of Privy Seal, dated May 1657, which is to the following effect. He issues it in consequence of an application made to him from the Justices, Grand Juries, Gentlemen and Inhabitants of the city and county of Durham, of the county of Northumberland, and the town of Newcastle-on-Tyne, petitioning for the establishment of a College in the city of Durham. The petition was referred to the Privy Council, and the Privy Council appointed a Committee, consisting of John Lambert, General Moun Thoughts on the Advancement of Academical Education in England, (London, Baldwin,) pp. 20, 23. tague, and Francis Rous, who represented that such a College would be of great advantage to the North of England in promoting the Gospel and in the religious and prudent education of young men there. The College, planned in consequence, is to consist of a provost; two preachers or senior fellows; twelve other fellows, who were to fill the offices of professors, tutors and schoolmasters; twenty-four scholars; twelve exhibitioners; and eighteen scholars in the free-school. He then names proper persons to fill all the above-named offices of provost and fellows. He gives to them for the use of the College the cathedral, the free-school, the houses, lands, and all other properties and privileges belonging thereto, in as ample a manner as they had been possessed by the Bishop, Dean and Chapter. He provides for the Library. He appoints a numerous body of Visitors.* He orders a printing-press to be established, with the privilege of printing Bibles; and finally he confers upon the College the usual privileges and immunities of other Colleges and Universities. Oliver having died in the following year, before this noble and patriotic design could be carried fully into effect, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge presented a petition to Richard, his son and successor, and sent to him a deputation with a view to its suppression. The Provost and Fellows, on the other hand, who, it appears, had already entered on their offices, petitioned Richard still to favour and protect the scheme, which his father had so warmly cherished. But on the restoration of Charles II., the whole plan was abrogated, and the cathedral, with all its honours, emoluments and appurtenances, was restored to its former uses. Among the tutors of the College was Mr. Frankland, who afterwards, notwithstanding all the persecutions and discouragements to which he was subjected, educated in his own private academy at different places several hundreds of young men, among whom were many eminent Ministers of the Gospel. ADAM MARTINDALE. I have found in the British Museum the two following productions of this author: 1. "Divinity-knots unloosed, or a clear Discovery of Truth by resolving many Doubts according to Scripture, Orthodox Divines, and sound Reason-so as weak Capacities may receive Satisfaction therein. *** A Treatise intended specially for the Instruction of Young Christians in Rothstorne Parish in Cheshire, but published for a further Extent of the Benefit thereof to the Israel of God. By Adam Martindale, one of the meanest Labourers in the Lord's Harvest. London, 1649." The title is followed by "the Epistle Dedicatory," "to my deare and precious father, Captaine James Jollie, and to my present and quondam hearers at Rothstorne in Cheshire and Gorton in Lancashire." The date at the end is "Strethill, April the 9, 1649." 2. "The Description of a Plain Instrument, that with much Ease and Exactness will discover the Situation of any Vertical Plane, how Among the Visitors I observe the name of Edward Bowles, of the city of York, Minister of the Gospel. He was the author of the Unitarian Catechism mentioned by Lady Hewley in her will. + See his life in Calamy. ever inclining, reclining, or declining. *** And how to draw a Dyal upon any such Plane, or upon the Face of any Vertical Body, how irregular soever; together with several Things requisite to the Art of Dyalling. By A. M. London, 1668." The titles of these two works exhibit to us the interesting contrast of a learned Presbyterian minister sedulously devoted to the edification of his parishioners, and of the same minister ejected by persecuting statutes from the sphere of his usefulness, and employing his leisure in scientific recreations. The circumstance reminds me of Mr. Ray's modest and beautiful remark in the Preface to his "Wisdom of God in the Creation:"-" Being not permitted to serve the Church with my tongue in preaching, I know not but it may be my duty to serve it with my hand by writing." It may be remarked, that the art of constructing sun-dials appears to have been a very favourite pursuit among accomplished and ingenious men in the latter half of the 17th century. Many of the dials which we find in churchyards and about the country-seats of the older English gentry were probably erected during this period. JOHN SMITH. I have found copies of the original edition of the "Designed End to the Socinian Controversy," London, 1695, in the British Museum and in the Library of the Royal Society. It is without any license, and without any printer's or publisher's name. The publication being illegal by the well-known Blasphemy Act of William and Mary, no " Imprimatur" could be obtained, and it must have been equally difficult to find a bookseller who would sell it or allow his name to appear on the title. Probably the author printed it at his own expense and for private circulation among his friends and acquaintances. He must have been well known in the city of London, and it appears probable that at an early age he attracted the notice of many eminent men by his knowledge and skill as a mechanician and a manufacturer of barometers and other philosophical instruments. For among the MSS. belonging to the Royal Society is the extract of a letter, dated "Binfield in Berkshire, Sept. 5th, 1676," in which he expresses a wish that the Society would notice a book called "The Shepherd's Legacy;" he then gives an account of the "baroscope," or barometer, which he used, and adds, "It were to be wished that by the directions of the R. S. we might have an exact standard for the dimensions of those fore-mentioned instruments, that so all persons agreeing in the size of their instruments and manner of noting their observations may, by communicating the agreement of their several registers, be at last able to reduce them to a rule for the good of posterity." Here is perhaps the first suggestion of a plan, which men of science have only recently begun to carry systematically into effect. Besides his "Designed End," John Smith published works, all brief in their extent, upon different subjects connected with his trade, as well as one which proves him to have anticipated to no small extent the doctrines of the modern hydropathists. In drawing up an account of these works, I have been careful to distinguish our author from several other John Smiths, who were also authors and his contemporaries, viz. 1. John Smith, Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge, whose "Select Discourses," first published in 1660, have been often reprinted. |