'iM;&»M^ YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATES Gift of JAMES T. BABB, Y 'ij BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOG-RAPHT. part second. a ¦ Jhwra^ed.'hy CJlWaastaff, iTCjrva,'Dramna \vTaitlicn7i£ m-rhc^ilsJnTicl'arbl&tsatrn . ¦JI©]BIN ATLJIBRIEY. Befell A.D. .lS2i_;Dicd 1697) Ivr /inlli.ni's il.'nwii .rf ,^airrey^iVilcs/liir 'H'^w.'-.if/u.-.il Sedetv DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUKT OF THE LITERARY WORKS OF JOHN BRITTON, F.S.A., &c., &c., &c. (prom 1800 TO 1849.) BEING A SECOND PART OF HIS AUTO-BIOGRAPHY. T. E. JONES. LONDON: FEINTED FOE THE SUBSCEIBEES TO THE TESTIMONIAL. MDCCCXLIS. C. WHITING, BEAUFORT HOUSE, STRAND. TO DAWSON TURNER, ESQ., F.S.A. FEOM THE AUTHOE OF THE PEECEDING AUTO-BIOGEAPHY. My Deae Friend, I OWE you much, and now draw upon Posterity and Co., for an ad libitum sum from the Bank of Fame payable to you ; and if the biU be creditably accepted, I have no doubt it will be duly honoured ; — for the credit and character of Englishmen are trustworthy to the remotest corner of the civilised world. Besides, Posterity is already more deeply indebted to You than I am, and ought there fore to join me in all the liabilities and responsibilities of the contract. You have entailed upon it many obligations and many permanent favours ; and you are prepared, I know, to confer one more, which, if properly received and appreciated, will render you a creditor on Posterity to an amount, — I will not say unprecedented in the annals of mankind, — but at least upon a par with its greatest benefactors. If the plan I have to suggest be carried into effect, your name and labours, in connection with Literature and Art, and with the County of Norfolk, will be honoured and revered " to the last syllable of recorded time." But vi JOHN BEITTON first I must tell you why I have addressed the present letter, and wherein I am so deeply indebted to you. Your incitement, — your repeated urgency, — has been the primary reason for my undertaking the volume which is now submitted to your acute and discriminating criticism, — and, through you, to that Public which gene rally pronounces a final sentence upon Authors, either to mar, or make their fame. Our connection, my dear Sir, was formed many years ago, and our intimacy has grown by time ; having been nourished by mutuality of pursuit, and congeniahty of feehng and sentiment. You have wrought to accumulate, not only worldly riches, but the wealth which surpasses that of gold ; treasures of intellect, stores of the fruits of genius and talent, which never satiate the appetite, which never cloy, but are perennially young, ripe, and nutritious. In works of fine art, choice literature, and inedited manu scripts, your home and library are unrivalled. Thousands have amassed money, — have gloated over hoards of gold, — and have thus bound themselves to the demon of Avarice, who for ever preys upon their vitals; but you have sought for, and secured, a mass of mental treasures, which, always obedient to your call, are also subservient to the most urgent demands of curiosity, — to the most craving desire for knowledge. The twin-sisters. Art and Literature, have favoured you in a pre-eminent degree, by pouring continuously into your Treasury a succession of TO DAWSON TURNER. Til choice, unique, and valuable productions, which are of too much importance, — too much national interest, — to belong, justly or equitably, to an individual. They ought to be public property, and thus be available and convertible to the benefit of the whole civilised world. I do not say that you should give the whole of these intellectual riches to the Public, or that you should neglect your immediate family and friends, for the sake of making that undefined and often capricious Public your sole heir and legatee. No ; let the Public, which ought to possess and profit by this property, pay for it. Let the Nobility, the Gentry, the Clergy, the whole population of Norfolk, unite to raise a sufficient fund, to purchase the entire Tuenee Collection; to give it a safe and appropriate home in the City of Norwich, and to provide security for its becoming permanently useful and lastingly honourable. The foregoing suggestion is the effusion of the moment, arising firom a knowledge of the extent and value pf your collection; from a persuasion that it is likely to be dis persed on the demise of its possessor, and that, if purchased and preserved for National purposes, in a provincial City, it will reflect the greatest honour on that City, and on its founders; that it wiU be resorted to, not only by English students and authors, but by foreigners,. for their personal amusement and information, as well as for the purposes of history, archseology, poetry, and science. Many and cogent reasons might be urged, to explain and enforce the hint here submitted to the consideration and ambition of the viil JOHN BEITTON Norfolk public; and should it be duly felt and responded to, I do not apprehend any difficulty in arranging the conditions by which it may be easily, and permanently effected. If a few influential gentlemen of the county will meet to consider the subject, it will give me pleasure to aid and assist, both in proposing and in promoting a plan by which it may be organised and established. To justify myself for the liberty thus taken with your name and property, I must now advert to the circum stances which have occasioned it; and I hope for forgive ness when I state that your remarks to me, on recently looking over and speculating upon the contents, the value, and the originality of your library, and your acknowledg ment that it is intended to be sold when you cease to use it, have irresistibly impelled me to make the present pro position. If dispersed, many of its choicest articles may be transported to foreign nations, and others purchased by selfish persons, who, like the wretched miser, covet and secure wealth, merely and solely for the morbid pleasure of its possession. Your immense and matchless collections for the History of your native county ought not to be separated from that locality, but should be kept entire, and be readily accessible to all who may have occasion to seek information from them. Never before was such a County Collection made ; and probably there never will be, or can be, its equal ; for you have had advantages and opportunities which are not likely to occur to others. To a devoted love of literature, art, and archeology, in your- TO DAWSON TURNER. IX self, — to an enthusiastic and untiring energy rarely pos sessed by man, — you have had the co-operation of a zealous Wife, ever disposed to urge you onwards, with almost equal energy, and with a knowledge of drawing, and of etching, by which your collection has been con tinually, and progressively enriched. Added to these advantages, you have initiated your estimable daughters also in the arts of drawing and etching, in languages, and in all the elements of knowledge; and, what is still better and more effective, in that industry, zeal, and perseverance, which has enabled them to perpetuate and preserve, in your unrivalled copy of " Blomejield's History of Norfolk" accounts and delineations of almost every object of an tiquity and interest belonging to the county. This work, extending to sixty-one volumes, is unequalled in local history ; and, as such, should be deposited where it can be easily referred to and examined by any respectable topo grapher and antiquary. Your other manuscript, printed, and graphic riches are still more generally interesting and valuable than those relating to the county. Who can estimate the real worth and varied importance of 130 volumes, containing about 25,000 autograph Letters from illustrious and eminent persons of all countries and of different classes of society: or of 800 volumes of other original manuscripts ? Yet these constitute only a portion of your noble collection. Were I to indulge my feelings in commenting on the contents and the incalculable interest of such a hbrary, I might be accused of undue partiality, and of a temperament too sanguine; whence 1 must re strain the pen from further comment. X JOHN BRITTON TO DAWSON TURNER. Of myself, however, you will have ample evidence in the preceding and in subsequent pages ; and I most anxiously hope that nothing therein stated, — nothing that I have said or done during my long and active career in the fields of literature, — will deteriorate that favourable im pression which you have led me to think my previous publications and conduct have made upon your mind. Fully aware of the delicacy, the difficulty, the responsi bility involved in the task of writing and publishing an AuTO-BiOGRAPHY, I have long hesitated in beginning the task, and have moved onward with slow and cautious steps. Hence the length of time which has elapsed since it was first contemplated, and promised ; and hence, I fear, many imperfections and omissions will be descried by the lynx eye of criticism. Conscious of integrity of purpose, of honest motives, and sincerity of principle, I now com mit this record of my personal and literary character to your keen and searching scrutiny, and to such of the public as may be induced to scan or read its pages; and, in doing so, I feel no small degree of hope mingled with diffidence ; of solicitude united with confidence. John Britton. 31st March, 1849. PREFACE, EXPLANATOST OP THE OrIGIN OP THE PRESENT " DbSCEIPTIVE ACCOUNT " — Mr. Dawson Turner's Suggestion — The Writer's eaklt Career, asd Connection with Me. Britton — Characteristics of that Gentlemak's LiTEKAET Works — Arrangement and Classification of the following Essay. The Biography of a professional Author must neces sarily be incomplete, unless accompanied by an abstract or epitome of his publications, or at least by some account of their chief contents ; for the mere enumeration of their titles can convey nothing more than a vague idea of their respective peculiarities. To this remark the works of Mr. Britton are especially open. The diversified nature of his publications, with the beauty and accuracy of the numerous engravings which illustrate them, constitute essential features of the Author's personal history ; and therefore they demand especial notice, in connection with his Auto-Biography. When the Public Testimonial to that gentleman's hterary merits and private worth was first proposed, as is explained in the preceding Memoir, one of his oldest and kindest friends, — Mr. Dawson Turner, — strongly urged the importance of a fuU abstract of his literary works, to form part of the proposed Memoir ; and expressed his views on the subject in the following terms ; in the justness and discrimination of which every reader who is Xll preface. acquainted with Mr. Britton 's publications will unhesi tatingly agree: — " As to the Literary Essay in your honour my opinion is unchanged. It ought to be a History op your Literary Lipe, as exemplified hy your works, with copious extracts, and a detailed account of each. In such an Essay you would speak of the events of your life ; of your friends and patrons, now most of them dead ; of the artists you employed ; of the eminent persons you were brought in the way of, and of the difficulties, pleasures, and annoyances that attended, soothed, and embittered your career ; and you would intersperse the narrative with a thousand anec dotes. You would thus make a charming book, of materials that would otherwise perish with you ; and you would do invaluable good in your generation by the example you would hold out." In accordance with these remarks, it was for some time Mr. Britten's intention himself to prepare " a detailed ac count of his public life and also of his writings Y and it is now necessary to assign the reason for a departure from that arrangement ; and to shew why, on the contrary, he has confined his own department to personal details, and why the present "Descriptive Account of his Literary Works" has been made a distinct Essay, written by another hand. I am authorised by my friend to state that no charge of partiality to which, under such circumstances, he might have been liable, would have made him shrink from re viewing his own literary labours. He is conscious, as he has often declared to me, that they have many defects; and that he has never satisfied himself in any one of them. Yet, ou the other hand, he feels that they have certain peculiar merits, with much novelty of information and treatment; so that he would have been fully justified in speaking of them generally in terms of self-approval, if not of high commendation. PREFACE. Xni At the same time, however, it appeared to him that a cor rect and critical analysis of those publications might be made by any person familiar with their contents. Anxious, then, to discharge the debt of gratitude which has been conferred on him by the kindness of his friends, he felt that he might more speedily accomplish that desirable object, by transferring to another individual the prepara tion of these pages, devoting, in the meantime, his own attention tb his personal Auto-Biography. At his suggestion, and with these motives, I have accepted the present undertaking ; though not without some hesita tion, nor with fiiU confidence in my own abihty for its performance, or stedfast faith in my impartiality. A long and intimate acquaintance with the works referred to is almost my only quahfication for the task ; and that familiarity with their contents, and also a knowledge of the difficulties which stood in the way of their produc tion, have led me to entertain a high estimate of their merits, as well as of the Author's zeal and devotion to his duty. If, therefore, in the course of the present Essay, my feelings are occasionally expressed with what may appear unreasonable warmth, I must trust for my justification to the indulgence of the reader. My intention is to be as candid and truthfiil as possible ; and it encourages me to know that the ensuing pages are addressed to readers who have already testified their approbation of the works which are the subject of my commentary. The better to account for my presuming to engage in this task, I will venture to relate a few particulars of my connection with my friend and patron. XlV PREFACE. My introduction to that gentleman took place under somewhat singular circumstances. In the year 1835 I was engaged in a solicitor's office, and attended, for amusement and instruction, the " London Mechanics' Insti tution," which then, as now, was more frequented by clerks, and others similarly occupied, than by the class for whose benefit it was originally founded. With but small previous education, I soon imbibed from the Lectures* there deli vered, and from the books in the Hbrary of the Institution, a partiality for literature and the fine arts ; and I was, consequently, much interested in a course on Architectural Antiquities by Mr. Britton, of whose publications I had often heard. Having begun, in company with some young associates, to practise the art of short-hand writing, I took copious notes of those lectures, for the subject of which I had, even at that time, a strong partiality. The lecturer, always anxious to encourage the youthful student, offered a pre mium for the best copy of his first lecture, and awarded the same to me. From that circumstance there arose, between that gentleman and myself, an intimate acquaint ance, which has subsisted, to the present time, and has been characterised, on his part, by acts of benevolence that have given him the highest place in my esteem and gratitude. Mr. Britton at once removed me from my previous em- • Amongst the Lectures, to which I listened with peculiar pleasure and advantage, were those on scientific subjects, by Dr. Birkbeck, Dr. Lardner, and others ; by the late John Thelwall, on Oratory ; by the enthusiastic and ill-fated Haydon, on the Fine Arts ; and by Sheridan Knowles, Charles Pem berton, and others, on Poetry and the Drama PREFACE. XV ployment, and engaged me in the more congenial occupa tion of managing the business details of his publications, and in keeping the accounts of a public commission, to which he acted as clerk. Transferred from the lawyer's desk to the author's library, I found the change most extraordinary. Sur rounded by choice books on art and architecture, and by portfolios stored with drawings and engravings of varied ex cellence; and encouraged by uniform kindness and judicious advice from my patron, I had opportunities for mental cultivation which I regret have not been tumed to better account. His most important works were completed prior to my acqiiaintance with him; but in all his subsequent productions I have more or less assisted. It will be per ceived, by reference to the Chronological List in the Appendix to this Essay, that, though of less magnitude than his previous undertakings, the latter have been not only varied in subject, but that all of them possess much general interest. My share in their preparation, I must frankly add, has been chiefly confined to the collection and arrangement of materials ; and in the earlier period of my engagement even that aid was necessarily limited ; my time having been then materially occupied in Mr. Britten's official duties. But for some time past I have been exclusively engaged with him in literary matters; and, honoured during fourteen years with his confidence and friendship, I have necessarily become identified with his pursuits and studies. I may therefore, from my position and circumstances, claira a qualification for the XVI PREFACE. present undertaking which I hope will enable me to do credit to myself and to my patron. From the minute examination of the volumes here after to be described, I have derived a large amount of gratification. With some of them I have now, for the first time, become acquainted ; and I can refer with pleasure to one feature strongly characteristic of each and all: namely, the total absence of restraint or mental reser vation on the part of the author towards his reader. In every page of every work, from the " Beauties of Wilt shire," in 1801, to " Junius Elucidated," in 1848, candour and explicitness prevail. An eamest desire to ascertain and record " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," an enthusiastic ardour in investigation, a liberality of sentiment, an honesty in acknowledging obli gations to others, and the strictest accuracy of reference; — these are qualities of which any author might be proud, and in these, it may be confidently asserted, that John Britton is not surpassed by any writer. It is necessary here to observe, that that gentleman has often witnessed, with sorrow and mortification, the unfair ness and iUiberality with which he has been treated by some of his contemporaries and rivals. Not only have they pirated engravings, executed for him at great expense from original drawings, by artists who were paid high prices for them, but his literary matter has been treated in the same way by plagiarists, who have copied many pages, and ab stracted the substance of others, without the slightest acknowledgment. The copyright and copper-plates of one PREFACE. XVU of his most valuable and laborious publications were pur- tjhased by a provincial tradesman, for the sole purpose of destroying the work, precluding its re-appearing, injuring the credit of the author, and incorporating the engravings in another and a rival publication. The history, decline, and final extinction of many books that have been at one time popular, is a remarkable feature in the annals of literature. Few, indeed, are those which are generally known after the lapse of a century from their first publication ; even although they may have been fre quently reprinted. Nay, several useful and important works of very recent date are only to be found in the great public and the rich private libraries. Hence it becomes a duty which an author owes to himself and the reading world, to preserve a careful bibliographical account of the historical or archseological works he may have produced. With this feehng, I have devoted more than common labour and care to the following account of the publications which Mr. Britton has successively, and, I am happy to add, success fully produced. Some of these are already very scarce ; aud the origiual and genuine editions of his Architectural and Cathedral Antiquities will speedily be sought after with avidity, by the collector and admirer of fine books. The reprints. Which are disfigured rather than embellished by bad impressions of worn-out plates, are repudiated by the author; who neither revised, corrected, nor had any control over their execution. The Chronological List of Mr. Britton's works given in the Appendix has been already mentioned. To the facts and figures which that table furnishes, I purpose to add, b XVIII preface. in the ensuing pages, a brief account of each publication ; not in the order of date there preserved, but, as more con venient to the reader, in groups or classes, according to their respective subjects : first noticing those devoted to Topography; secondly, those illustrative of Architectural Antiquities ; thirdly, Biographical Essays ; fourthly, separate Essays having reference to the Fine Arts; and lastly, such Miscellaneous pubhcations as do not come within any of the above classes, or definitions. A summary like this must be necessarily imperfect, and to a certain degree unsatisfactory; but it is hoped that it will not be without its value, as an authentic register of the literary works of one whose labours have been use fully prolonged through more than half a century. It is proper to state that the ensuing pages have been read, and materially improved, not only by Mr. Britton,* but by his old and confidential colleague in Hterature, Mr. Brayley ; and I cannot help congratulating the reader on the devotion, zeal, and harmony which, after so many years' hard labour, these veterans in literature continue to mani fest in the cause of topography and archseology. T. E. J. Mabch 1, 1849. * The notes enclosed within brackets, and signed J. B., arc exclusively by that gentleman. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Letter from J. Britton to Dawson Turner, Esq., F. S. A., on the Reasons for the Auto-Biography, and respecting Mr. Turner's unrivalled Library v. Peepace — Origin of the present "Descriptive Account" — Mr. Turner's sug gestion — The Writer's early connection with Mr. Britton — Characteristics of that Gentleman's Literary Works xi. SECTION I.— ^opograpto. WILTSHIRE:— DATE. PAGE. Beauties of Wiltshire. 3 Vols. Svo 1801 — 1825. 1 Wiltshire ; in Vol. XV. of the Beauties of England. Svo 1814. 14 Towns of Wiltshire, in Rebs's CYCLOp.a;DiA. 4to 1802 — 1819. 16 HISTORICAL Account of Corsham House. Svo 1806. 16 Wiltshire Subjects in the Architectural Antiquities. 4to. 1805 — 1826. 18 History and Antiquities of Salisbury Cathedrai. 4to 1814. 19 Illustrations and Accounts of Corsham, Longleat, Stourhead, and i^oMiM-^Sftei/, in Havell's Seats. Folio 1816—1824. 20 Historical and Descriptive Account of Fonthill- Abbey. 4to 1823. 20 Views in Salisbury, and letter-press, in Robson's English Cities, and iu the Picturesque Antiquities. 4to 1828 — 1830. 32 Articles Avebury, Stonehenge, and Tumulus, in Penny Cyclo- p.aiDiA. (Copies printed to give away, 18mo.) Svo 1835 — 1843. 32 Remarks on Wiltshire subjects in Memoir of Hatcher. Svo 1847. 34 The Wiltshire Topographical Society, its history and publications 36 Notes to Jackson's History of Grittleton. „ „ , , 4to 1843. 41 Essay on Iopographical Literature., Memoir of John Aubrey. 4to 1845. 44 Notes toAubrey's Natural History of Wiltshire. 4to 1847. 45 ENGLISH TOPOGRAPHY, GENERALLY:— Part of the Beauties of England and Wales. 25 Vols. Svo. 1801—1816. 47 The British Atlas : 79 Maps and Plans of Counties and Cities. Svo 1804—1809. 63 Topographical Articles, in Kees's Cyclopaedia. 4to 1 802 — 1 819. 65 Topographical Articles, in Annual Review. Svo 1 803 — 1 810. 66 Havell's Views of Seats. Folio 1816—1824. 68 Robson's Views of English Cities. 4to 1826—1827. 69 Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities. 4to 1828 — 1830. 72 LONDON TOPOGRAPHY:— Articles London, Westminster, and Southwark, in Rees's Ct- cloPjEdia. 4to - 1811. 74 VariousHlustrations in the Architectural Antiquities. 4to. 1805 — 1826. 75 XX TABLE OF CONTENTS. DATE. PAGE. 1822 76 Article ioretZon, in Edinburgh Gazetteer. 8vo ^°'"'- Illustrations in Pugin's Specimens. 4to 1820—1823. 76 The Original Picture of London. 18mo 1825—1833. 76 The Public Buildings of London. Svo 1823—1828. 79 Description ofthe House, &c., of Sib John Soane. 4to 1827. 83 Brief Account ofthe Colosseum, London. 4to 1829. 85 Illustrations in the Picturesque Antiquities. 4to 1828 — 1830. 86 Memoirs of the Tower of London. 12mo 1830. 87 History, &o., of the Houses of Parliament. Svo 1834 — 1836. 91 Map of the Borough of Marylebone. Folio 1835. 94 Account of the London and Birmingham R-AiL WAY. Folio... 1838 — 1839. 95 MISCELLANEOUS TOPOGRAPHY:— • Accounts of Bath and Bristol, for Jones's Illustrations of Somersetshire. 4to 1829. 96 Account of Edinburgh, for Jones's Illustrations of that City. 4to 1829. 98 Account of CornwaU, for Fisher's Illustrations of the County. 4to 1832. 98 Notes, &c., to Anstey's New Bath Guidb. 12mo 1 830. 99 Descriptive Sketches of Tunbridge Wells. Svo 1832. 101 History, &c., of Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire. Folio 1837. 103 Account of Toddington, Gloucestershire. 4to 1841. 105 Historical and Descriptive Notices of Windsor Castle. Folio 1842. 106 Contributions to Brayley's History of Surrey. Svo 1840 — 1848. 107 SECTION n.— arcj^t'tectural ^nttpittES. ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES op GREAT BRITAIN. 4 Vols. 4to 1805—1818. 109 Ditto, Vol. v., being a Chronological History of Ancient Christian Architecture. 4to 1818 1826. 116 CATHEDRALS:— Cathedral Antiquities of England. 14 Vols. 4to 1814 1835. 121 Norwich Cathedral Vade-Meoum. 12mo 1817 142 WestFronts,Plans,andInteriors of 14 Cathedrals. (2Priuts.) 1829. 143 Historical, and Architectural Essay on Redcliffe Church Bristol. Svo jgj3 j^^ Remarks on the Restoration of Redcliffe Church, in an " Ap peal to the Public by the Churchwardens,'' &c. 4to 1842 145 History and Antiquities of Bath Abbey Church. 4to I805 148 Pugin's Specimens of Gothic Architecture. Edited and partly written by John Britton. 4to 1820 1823 1 '50 TABLE OF CONTENTS. XXI DATE. PAGE. Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (Pugin & Le Keux's) 1825—1828. 155 A Course of Eight Lectures on the Architectural Antiqui ties of all Nations, with nearly 300 Drawings 1831 — 1842. 158 A Dictionary of the Architecture and Archsiology of the Middle Ages. Svo 1832—1838. 152 Notes to New Edition of Carter's Ancient Architecture. Folio 1837. 161 Two Prints of Stonehenge ; engraved by Heath 1802. 162 Two Prints of Beverley Minster; engraved by Havell 1819. 162 Essays on Christian Architecture, in the British Magazine. Svo. 1833 — 1834. 162 New Edition of Wild's Lincoln Cathedral. 4to 1837. 163 Analytical Index, &c., to Hope's History of Architecture. Svo 1840. 210 Notes to New Edition of Brayley's Christ-Church. 4to 1841. 163 MS. Essay on the Origin and Use of Church Bells 1829. 163 MS. Essay on Celtic Antiquities : Cromlechs, Kist-Vaens, Stone Circles, &c 1829. 163 MS. Remarks on the Architecture of RosLYN Chapel 1846. 164 Account of the New Inn, Gloucester ; and of other Hostels, or Pilgrims' Inns 1846. 164 Essay on the Ancient Gate-Houses of Norwich 1847. 164 Essay on Chichester Cross and other Buildings of the same class 1 847. 1 64 MS. History and Approprlation of Market-Crosses 1849. 164 SECTION ni.— 23iograp5B. SHAKSPERE:— The Article Shakspere, in Rees's Cyclop.edia. 4to 1816. -^PP^''" dix. Memoir of Shakspere, for Whittingham's Edition of his Works. 12mo 1814. do. New Edition of the same Memoir, greatly enlarged. 12mo 1818. do. Portrait, from the Stratford Bust, by W. Ward, from a Painting by T. Phillips, R.A. With Remarks on the original Bust. Svo 1816. do. Plaster Cast of the same Bust, with others of Camden and Ben Jonson 1817. do. View of the Chancel OF Stratford Church, restored 1837. do. Memoir of Richard Wilson, in the Fnra: Arts of the English School. 4to 1812. 165 Essay on the Life and Writings of Chatterton, in the History of Redcliffe Church. Svo 1813. 165 Notices of Archbishops and Bishops, in the Cathedral Anti quities. 14 Vols. 4to 1814 — 1835. 167 Memoirs of Sib John Soane, and of Sir Jeffry Wyatville, in Fisher's " Portrait Gallery." Svo 1834. 168 MS. Memoir of John Carter. Read at the Architects' Institute 1 837. 168 Memoir of John Aubrey, F.R.S. (1625— 1697). 4to 1845. 169 xxii TABLE OF CONTENTS. DATE. PAGE. Memoir of H. Hatcher, author ofthe Historyof Salisbury. Svo 1847. 170 Memoir of Lieut.-Colonel Isaac Barre, M.P., in the Authorship of the Letters of Junius Elucidated. Svo. [Also Notices ofthe Earl of Shelburne, Dunning, &c., in the same volume.] 1848. 170 Portrait of John Nichols, F.S.A., from a Drawing by John Jackson, R.A. Engraved by Charles Heath. 4to 1811. 173 Memoirs of Noel Desenfans, and Sib Francis Bourgeois, in Manning and Bray's History of Surrey. Folio 1814. 173 AuTO-BiOGKAPHY, in vol. iii. Beauties of Wiltshire ; and con tinued in the History of Worcester Cathedral 1825. 1835. 174 Obituary Notices of Wm. Hamper, Thos. Hope, Chas. Stothard, John Crome, John Le Keux, J. Sydenham, Wm. Ruddle Browne, SiC, in Gentleman's Magazine, Magazine of the Fine Arts, the Builder, &c 173 SECTION iv.—jfim girts. Copious Notices of the Pictures at Bowood, Fonthill, Wilton, Corsham, &c., &c., in the first two vols, of the Beauties of Wiltshire 1801. 175 Criticisms ou the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1803, in the British Press, Newspaper 1803. 175 History of Corsham House, Wiltshire ; with a Catalogue of the Pictures. 8vo 1806. 175 Catalogue Raisonn^e of the Cleveland Gallery. Svo 1808. 177 Fine Arts of the English School. 4to 1809—1812. 178 Magazine of the Fine Arts. Edited. Svo 1821. 181 Remarks on a Portrait of J. H. Mortimer, A.R.A., by Richard Wilson, R.A ,. 1842. 182 SECTION v.— itttscellantous. Juvenile Publications in the Attic Miscellany, Sporting Magazine, Monthly Mirror, &c 184 The Enterprising Adventures of Pizarro. Svo 1799. 184 Pleasures of Human Life, or the " Miseries" turned Topsy turvy. 12mo 1807. 188 The Rights of Literature. Pamphlet. Svo 1814. 190 Preface, &c., to Underwood's Narrative of Events in Paris. Svo 1828. 198 A Lecture on Railways, with reference to that from London to Bristol. 8vo 1833. 200 General Characteristics of Mr. Britton's Works, mode of publication, profit and loss, payments to Artists, Unique Copies, &c 201 His Unfinished Essays, Topographical and General Collections, Literary and miscellaneous avocations 209 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE SECOND PART OF THE AUTO-BIOGRAPHY. Portrait of John Aubrey, engraved by C. E. Wagstaff, from a Drawing by Faithorne, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford To face Title. Fonthill Abbey. Distant View from the South- West. En graved by J. C. Varrall, from a Drawing by John Martin Toface page 26. < Ditto ..View from the Western Avenue. En graved on Wood by J. Thompson, from a Sketch by T. Higham Page 21. Redcliffe Church, Bristol. Interior View, looking East ; as proposed to be restored. Engraved on Wood by Samuel Williams, from a Drawing by J. R. Thompson Page 146. Ditto Exterior View, from the South-East; as proposed to be restored. Drawn and engraved by the same Artists as the preceding Page 147. ACCOUNT OF THE LITERARY WORKS OF JOHN BRITTON. SECTION L " If the study of antiquities and topography be judiciously pursued and tastefully directed, it tends to develops the fluctuations of sciench, ART, AND literature ; IT CARRIES THE MIND BACK TO REMOTE AGES, AND DIS PLAYS THE CONDITION, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS OF MEN IN FORMER TIMES. HeNCE THIS PECULIAR BRANCH OF LITERATURE BECOMES THE MOST POSITIVE AND INCON TROVERTIBLE DATA FOR HISTORICAL DEDUCTION, AS IT SHOWS WHAT MAN HAS BEEN BY HIS WORKS, AND TEACHES US THE IMPORTANT LESSON OF KNOWING OUR SELVES, EY CONTRAST AND COMPARISON WITH OUR ANCESTORS." Me. Britton's opinion and estimate of the attributes of ToPO- GE.A.PHT are thus stated, in a volume which he devoted expressly to explain and illustrate its characteristics; and which volume will be described in a subsequent page. In attempting to classify this Author's literary works, it is obvious that those devoted to Topography are the most numerous. On that account it will be proper to describe them in the first place ; and such an arrangement is the more natural, as Local History was the first branch of authorship to which the author seriously devoted his attention. His literary labours having moreover been chiefly, or to a great extent, devoted to the illustration of his native county> B- 2 britton's auto-biographt, part ii. Wiltshire, it is desirable to notice, in the first instance, such of his works as are connected with that portion of England. WILTSHIRE topography. Mr. Britton's earliest work in this department, in the order of publication, is the " Beauties of Wiltshire," of which two octavo volumes were published, in 1801, although the third did not appear until after an interval of twenty-four years. In the preface to the latter volume (1825) the following particulars are given in respect to the origin of the work : — " In consequence of writing an occasional essay for the Sporting Magazine, I became acquainted with Mr. Wheble,* the proprietor of that miscellany, who was also joint proprietor and editor of the County Chronicle, a weekly newspaper. That gentleman, in the year 1784, whilst residing at Salis bury, was induced to undertake a literary work, to be entitled the Beauties of Wiltshire, which he proposed to publish in two volumes, and for which he had solicited and obtained subscriptions. From his original proposals, it is evident that the humble and worthy compiler, as he therein terms him self, could not have made a very accurate calculation of expenses, receipts, or materials to constitute his work. The price of the two volumes was to have been ten shillings ; half to be paid at the time of subscribing, and the remainder on the delivery of the books. The size of the engravings to be a small oval, six inches wide, and three and a half inches high. Soon afterwards Mr. Wheble settled in London, and there became so fully occu pied in business, that Wiltshire and its Beauties were altogether forsaken. In my occasional intercourse with him he learnt that I was a native of the county ; and therefore urged me to undertake the task which he had pre viously engaged in, but for which he had never obtained any material * [This gentleman was connected with the periodical and political literature of London, when the noted aud mysterious "Letters of Junius" were publish ing by Mr. S. Woodfall, in the " Public Advertiser" (1769 — 1772) ; and he was prosecuted by the Attorney-General, and imprisoned, for publishing an edition of those Letters. See " Junius Elucidated, by J. Britton, 1848." J. B.] BEAUTIES OF WILTSHIRE, V'OLS. I., II. 3 information, nor possessed any other qualification than good intention. He had received a few pounds from different subscribers, and therefore felt himself bound to produce a work conformably to his prospectus, and cal culated to redeem his credit. Though, like himself, I was but little qualified for the duties of a topographer (for I had neither studied the subject, nor was acquainted with any person to whom I could apply for advice or assistance) ; yet, without either rudder, compass, or chart, I was hardy enough to put to sea, and was more indebted to the flowing tide of chance, and to the fair wind of indulgence, that I ever reached a safe port, than to any skill or talents of my own. The account of Wiltshire in the JSLagna Britannia was all the printed materials furnished me by Mr. Wheble ; but that work is not calculated to initiate a novice into the science of Topography, nor to afford him an attractive example for popular writing. To me it was not only wholly uninteresting, but almost unintelligible ; so peculiar, technical, and distinctive is Topography, when compared with the miscellaneous literature to which I had been previously devoted. Moritz's " Travels in England on Foot," had engaged my attention ; and about this time Warner's "Walks in Wales,'' was a popular book; whilst Pratt's " Gleanings" obtained much notoriety. Indeed these works so much captivated my inexperienced mind that I regarded them as models of excellence, and fancied that a Walk through Wales would be one of the greatest treats in existence, and would also qualify me for writing tours, or topographical essays. Accordingly (after having engaged with Mr. Hood, of the firm of Vernor and Hood, a respectable publisher, in the Poultry, to write or compile — for he was indifferent which — ^the " Beauties of Eng land and Wales "), Mr. Brayley and myself made a pedestrian tour from London, through several of the western and midland counties, into North Wales, in the summer and autumn of 1800 ; and, having perambulated every county in that division of the principality, we returned through Cheshire, &c., to the metropolis. The experience and information acquired during this fatiguing, but highly interesting and amusing journey, in the course of which we visited all the chief objects of curiosiy within the line of our progress, was of great use, when we seriously commenced the fulfil ment of our literary engagements, on retuming to London. I then proceeded to finish the two volumes of the " Wiltshire," and also began, in conjunction with Mi\ Brayley, the account of Bedfordshire, for the " Beauties of England and Wales." It was now that we first entertained a due conception of the lalpour and importance of the task we had under- b2 4 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. takefi, and we experienced much difficulty in satisfying our own minds as to the accuracy and originality of the information we were expected and required to communicate to the public. Having wholly attached ourselves to literature, it occurred that we had a character both to obtain and to support, and that the exercise of judgment and much attention was neces sary, in order to enable us to complete our labours with success and credit to ourselves. We discovered also, with regard to our joint undertaking, that we had inconsiderately commenced our researches at the wrong end of the kingdom, and that our topographical notes and other memoranda of the counties, which, according to the plan of the work, were the first to be described, were by far too meagre for the gratification of topographical and antiquarian curiosity." The first two volumes of the Wiltshire, which must be noticed separately from the third, bear the following title : — " THE BEAUTIES OF WILTSHIRE, displayed in Statistical, Historical, and Descriptive Sketches ; interspersed with Anec dotes OP THE Arts. London. Printed for Vernor and Hood, Poultry; J. Wheble, Warwick Square; and J. Britton, Wilder ness Row. 8vo. 1801." " Hallow'd memento of the Druid age ! Whose mystic plains a Briton's awe engage. Whose bleating flocks the ample downs o'erspread. Where structures rude entomb the mighty dead ! Where bounteous Ceres haUs the summer's morn. And pours exhaustless treasures from her hom ; Where princely Domes, uprear'd by mimic art. Enchant the eye, and gratify the heart ! — Faintly, O Wilts ! my hand essays to trace The magic splendors of thy varied face ; To snatch from Lethe's stream thy honor'd name. And sketch thy Beauties on the scroll of fame." * * [This motto was written expressly for the work, by the author's friend, Charles Dibdin, then manager of " Sadler's Wells," and son of the eminent song-writer, Charles Dibdin, of " Sans Souci" fame. J. B.] BEADTIES of WILTSHIRE, VOLS. I., II. 5 As may be inferred from the above names, Messrs. Vernor and Hood had become the publishers and chief proprietors of the work. Mr. Britton's name was not printed as the "Author" of the " Beauties of Wiltshire," and, in his preface, he merely refers to himself as "the editor;" but the dedication of the first volume to the Earl of Radnor, and of the second, to Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart, both bear his signature. In the Preface to those volumes the writer, like most tyros in authorship, enlarges upon the importance of his subject, and on the qualifications necessary to constitute excellence in that department of literature. Although it appears that the term " Beauties" had been first adopted by Wheble, and that the new Author concurred in its employment at that time, he subsequently became conscious of the restrictions which it imposed. " The title of Beauties," he observes, " prefixed to a work of this description, may with some persons be thought objectionable. Querulous animadversions 1 should disdain to answer; but, as the opinions of those whose judg ment I respect may not coincide with my own on this head, I adduce the reason that influenced my determination. To me there appeared no term more applicable to a book whose prominent object was an account of the principal ornaments and decorations that appertain to the elegant mansions and chief places within the county." This sentence shows, what is proved more fully by the work itself, namely, that in the early stage of his devotion to topo graphy, the author attached an undue importance to the productions of art which embellish many of the provincial residences of our nobility and gentry. He had early acquired a partiality for the fine arts, as is evinced in many parts of his publications. In the year 1801, he was almQst entirely ignorant of architecture, and 6 BRITTON'8 AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. consequently whole pages of the "Beauties of Wiltshire" are devoted to the merits of a single painting ; and, in the account of Salis bury Cathedral, the architectural features of that beautiful struc ture are the subject only of vague expressions of admiration, whilst the painted windows and the tombs are fully enumerated and de scribed. This was the natural consequence of the writer's previous studies and associations, but it has been amply atoned for in his subsequent publications. In acknowledging his obligations to the noblemen and gentlemen who afforded him information, Mr. Britton mentions first the Mar quis of Lansdowne. " But for his affability of manners and kind encouragement this work had never appeared ; for I am not ashamed to confess that my attainments at the time of its commencement were unequal to its completion." Among the parties who gave the author active and useful assistance, the following are particularly men tioned: — Wm. Beckford, Esq.; Lord Arundel, of Wardour; Mr. William Cunnington ; Edward King, Esq., the author of "Muni menta Antiqua;" Dr. Maton ; Richard Payne Kjiight, Esq.; Mr. John Nichols, and the Rev. Mr. Price, of the Bodleian Library; Sir Henry (then Mr.) Ellis, and Humphrey Repton, Esq. The work is divided into sections, or chapters, one of which, com prising nearly seventy pages, is devoted to Wilton House and its fine collection of pictures and sculpture. Fonthill, Wardour, Stourhead, Longleat, and Bowood, are also fully noticed; and accounts are given of Sahsbury,* Marlborough, Devizes, Calne, and Chippen ham. There is a chapter on Stonehenge, two on the agriculture - It appears by the Preface to Vol. HI., that Dr. Matmi, the author s "ear- lies f. friend and correspondent in this work," wrote llie account of Salisbury. BEAUTIES OF WILTSHIRE, VOLS. I., II. 7 of the county, and one on Savernake Forest. The rest are of a mis cellaneous character. But little can be said in favour of the fourteen engravings which illustrate this work. With two exceptions they were all executed from sketches by the author, who was assisted in preparing them for the engravers by the late John Varley. I have now before me an interleaved copy of the " Wiltshire," in ¦which, shortly after its publication, the writer, with all the sensitive ness of a young and ambitious author, new to the mysteries of publi cation and criticism, recorded the various reviews of the work which had appeared in the periodicals of the time ; together with his own opinion of each critic's comments. The notices were numerous, and generally favourable. Only one of the publications in which they appeared (the " Gentleman's Magazine," July, 1801) is now in existence; and the critique in that long-established periodical calls for particular remark on this ¦ occasion. It was written by Mr. Richard Grough, the venerable and respected antiquary, who was well qualified to form a sound judgment on topographical writings. That gentleman supplied the readers of Mr. Urban with a full abstract of the " Beauties of Wiltshire," which he admitted to contain much useful information. In matters of fact and names, however, he pointed out a few errors and mis-statements; and, he objected also to some vagueness of expression and ambiguity, arising from what he termed " fine writing." Mr. Gough's objections, though somewhat severe in style and mode of expression, applied rather to defects in composition than to the matter of the book itself. The passages most keenly felt by the object of his criticism were those in which he applied the terms pert a.nd jftippatit to some of his remarks ; and Mr. Britton was, therefore, led to reply to those comments. The 8 britton's auto-biogbaphy, part II. " Gentleman's Magazine," for the month of October following, con tains a letter, wherein he retorts upon his reviewer the charges of obscurity and inaccuracy of language and orthography, and shows that, in one instance, the critic had perverted his reasoning on an important point. « I thank him," says Mr. Britton, "for his typo graphical corrections; thank him for the honor he has done me by appropriating so much space to my humble, juvenile specimen of topography ; and am pleased to find that my opinions on one or two subjects should merit the commendation and coincide with those of a veteran reviewer. It is to me very unpleasant and distressing to enter upon a war of words, nor should I have taken up the pen in the present instance, but from the persuasion of friends in the county of Wilts, who informed me that the review had affected my reputation with some persons in that county. I am sorry to observe that the Reviewer is offended with mj fine writing. If I have inad vertently sinned in that particular, I knew it not ; nor do I believe I shall ever be guilty again of the Hke offence; at least I fear that no discriminating critic will discover a superabundance of that article in my productions." The second volume of the " Wiltshire," terminates with the fol lowing remarks: — " Should the foregoing Sketches merit the appro bation of the nobility and gentry ofthe county, and the majority of my readers, I purpose to publish a third volume in the course of the ensuing year; for the completion of which I have already collected much information, and possess many original papers. But, in order to render this portion of my labours as perfect as possible, I take the liberty of soliciting the free and candid communications of those persons who may possess documents, or whose knowledge may furnish them with opportunities for describing the following, or any BEAUTIES OF WILTSHIRE, VOL. III. 9 other places undescribed in these volumes : — Trowbridge, Laycock, Melksham, Avebury, Spye-Park, Castle-Combe, Kington-Saint- Michael, Draycot, &c." The intended third volume was, however, from time to time delayed by the author's other pressing literary avocations, and, as already intimated, was not published till the year 1825. The final volume bore the following title : — " THE BEAUTIES OF WILTSHIRE, displayed in Statistical, Historical, and Descriptivb Sketches, interspersed with Anec dotes OF the Arts. Vol. HI. London. Printed for Longman and Co., and j. Britton. Svo. 1825." This volume is essentially different, and much superior in matter and composition, to those which preceded it. In the interval from 1801 to 1825 the author had gained much knowledge of topography and general literature, and had written and pubhshed many volumes and essays on Antiquities and the Fine Arts. Local History is always curious and interesting, and the towns and villages in the northern part of Wiltshire (to which the third volume is chiefly devoted) fumished an admirable theme for the topographer. Mr. Britton's narrative is clear and methodical, and the volume is a useful contri bution towards the history of the county. The large and comprehen sive work of the late Six Richard Colt Hoare and his coadjutors, has extended to few of the places described in this volume of the " Beauties of Wiltshire," which may still be said to furnish the most copious and accurate account extant of those localities. In order to enable persons to possess this volume separately from its predecessors, which had long been out of print, a separate 10 britton's auto-biography, part II. title-page was printed, describing it as " Topographical Sketches of North Wiltshire, comprising historical and descriptive Ac counts of the Antiquities, Towns, Seats, &c., of the Northern and Central parts of the County. With an Auto- Biography of the Author." The copies to which this title was prefixed were em bellished with impressions from the engravings issued in the first and second volumes, in addition to those properly belonging to it. When the third volume was nearly all printed, a disastrous fire occured at the printer's (Mr. Moyes), and almost the whole edil^on was consumed, together with the Author's " History of Bath Abbey Church.." This occasioned a further delay, as the matter had to be composed anew from a set of proof sheets which escaped the flames. In common with other works in which Mr. Britton was interested jointly with Messrs. Longman and Co., the unsold stock of this pub lication, with the copper-plates and copy-right, was sold by auction in the year 1836. Messrs. Nichols, of Parliament Street, became the pur chasers, and have since issued to the public the copies so purchased, illustrating them with many other engravings of Wiltshire subjects, selected from the "Gentleman's Magazine," the "Topographical and Antiquarian Cabinet," the " Beauties of England and Wales," &c., to the number of twenty-eight plates, in addition to those originally comprised in the work. The bibliographer is there fore liable to meet with the third volume of the "Beauties of Wiltshire " in three different forms : — first, in its legitimate shape, as the last portion of the series, with sixteen plates; secondly, as " Topographical Sketches of North Wiltshire," with the same sixteen plates, and the fourteen others from the preceding volumes ; beauties of WILTSHIRE, VOL. III. 11 and lastly, as issued by Messrs. Nichols, since 1836, with addi tional illustrations, making a total of fiftynine engravings. In either form, however, the Hterary contents are the same, and (after the respective title-pages printed for each edition) will be found to be as follows: — ¦ The volume is inscribed to George Watson Taylor, Esq., M.P., of Earl-Stoke Park, who aided and encouraged its preparation, and who is addressed as entitled to that compliment by his new con nection with Wiltshire, and his appreciation of the author's motives, sentiments, and statements.* The Preface includes " A brief memoir of the Author," which extends to forty pages, and was written to explain and justify the long delay which had occurred in the completion of the work. Speaking of his own occupations during the time which had elapsed, the author observes, — " Had I been either idle, or employed merely in private or personal concerns, I could neither hope for forgiveness, nor for a remission of the smallest portion of that censure which would justly attach to me ; but when I review the period of time to which I have alluded, and find that nearly the whole of it has been actively and zealonsly devoted to the public service, — that I have laboured hard, both bodily and mentally, to * [It is a singular fact in the curious history of dedications, that Mr. Watson Taylor (whose liberal patronage of Literature and Art, and subsequent misfor tunes, entitle him to honorable notice and sympathy) acknowledged Mr. Brit ton's dedication by a very kind and friendly letter, enclosing a draft for fifty pounds, as a contribution towards the expenses of the work : but a large part of this sum was intended to pay for the drawings and engravings of the two views of Mr. Taylor's house at Earl-Stoke. J. B.] 12 britton's auto-biography, part II. supply literary and historical gratification for the lovers of Topography and Antiquity ; and have executed, perhaps, more literary works within twenty- five years than any other English author; I confess that my mind is consi derably relieved, and that, in the reveries of the moment, I behold the benignant tear of the ' recording angel ' falling on the accusing page, and ' blotting out for ever ' the record of my fault. Reflecting on these cir cumstances, I am involuntarily impelled to review myself, and endeavour to call to mind, and place upon record, some of those incidents, or incite ments, which led me to embark in literature as a profession, and to fi.x on Topography and Antiquities as the particular branches of my study and pursidt." It is unnecessary, in this place, to quote any portion of the Auto-Biographical Sketch thus introduced. Although interesting, from the time and circumstances under which it was- written, it is necessarily superseded by the more ample narrative which Mr. Brit ton has recorded in the preceding pages of the present volume. It contains much relating personally to himself, and also notices of the various literary works which he had then produced.* Besides this Memoir, the Preface contains among other cus tomary matter, the author's acknowledgments to thirty or forty gentlemen who had furnished him with information, or faciU- tated his inquiries. Amongst these are the names of George Watson Taylor, M. P. ; Lieut.-Col. Houlton ; Rev. W. L. Bowles ; WilHam Wyndham ; WilHam Beckford ; J. R. Grosett, M.P. ; * [Of this memoir a few copies were printed separately, with a title-page, and a dedication to John Broadley, Esq., written for the occasion. These were intended only for presentation to the author's friends, and are now so scarce as to be literary curiosities. Copies have been sold at the sales of Wm. Alexander, George Hibbert, John Dent, John Broadley, Thos. Hill, J. W. R. Eyton, and Josiah Taylor, at prices varying from 15s. to £1 1 Is. 6d. J. B.] BEAUTIES OF WILTSHIRE, VOL. III. 13 Benry Wansey^ Ralph Gaby; Robert Sadler; W.W.Salmon; WiUiam Scrope ; the Rev. Joseph Hunter ; Dr. Maton ; J. Provis ; Archdeacon Cox ; and Henry Hatcher. The body of the volume is divided into fourteen Sections of his torical, topographical, and antiquarian matter, describing the various subjects of interest connected with the northern and central parts of Wiltshire. These localities are not described in separate hundreds, or in any methodical manner, but merely in the order in which they may be supposed to have been visited by a tourist : thus. Section I. relates to " Highworth, Sevenhampton, StaJiton-Fitz warren, Bury- Blunsdon, South-Marston, Stratton-St.-Margaret, Hannington, Swindon, Wanborough, Liddington, Cricklade, Down-Ampney, Poulton, Purton, and Bradon ;" and Section II. to " Liddiard- Tregoze, Wotton-Basset, and Tockenham." The 12th section forty-six pages) is devoted entirely to " An account of Avebury, with the vast ancient temple and earthworks there ; also the opi nions of different authors on the subject, and on Cromlechs, Bar rows, Silbury Hill, and Wansdyke ;" which were interesting, and at that time novel subjects to the public. The volume con tains a view of the temple at Avebury, restored to its original condition, from a sketch by the author, drawn for the engraver by John Martin. The Appendix, which was evidently a work of great care and labour, contains the following useful and varied matter ; — " Provincial Words — Lists of Monasteries in Wiltshire — Seats of Eminent Persons — Ancient Families — Local Acts of ParHament — Old Castles and Encampments — Books, Maps, and Prints relating to the County." The total number of pages in the volume is 518. As the literary matter, so the engravings in the third 14 britton's auto-biography, part II. volume far surpass in merit those of the two preceding. They comprise a good map of the county, and fifteen views of mansions, churches, antiquities, &c.; engraved by John Le Keux, Jas. Storer, J. C. Smith, R. Sands, S. Rawle, H. WinHes, &c., from drawings by F. Mackenzie, S. Prout, John Martin, Copley Fielding, G. F. Robson, and other able artists. Of the first and second volumes 250 copies were printed in royal 8vo. ; and 500 of the smaller paper (demy 8vo.); of the third volume only 150 large and 250 smaU paper were worked. This may be adduced as a warning to authors not to publish the con tinuation of a work at a too far distant time from its preceding part; as even the comparatively small numbers of the third volume were not all sold for many years. WILTSHIRE : being part of Vol. XV. of the " BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES." Svo. 1814. In the year 1814, Mr. Britton wrote a comprehensive account of Wiltshire, for the fifteenth volume of the " Beauties of England and Wales," a work which will be particularly noticed in subse quent pages. Although partially based upon the first two volumes of the " Beauties of Wiltshire," above described, this general description of the county was entirely re-written, and very greatly enlarged: and is still, in fact, the most complete work on the general topo graphy of the County hitherto published. The author's greater experience since his first work (1801), quaHfied him better to adapt historical and descriptive language to the nature of the subject ; as, by that experience, he had acquired habits of strict investigation,. " WILTSHIRE," FOR THE BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND. 15 and accuracy of detail, which are most valuable in the local historian and antiquary. The " Wiltshire" volume of " the Beauties of England" em braces 718 closely-printed pages, with an appendix, or list of pub lications iUustrative of the county. The author observes in the out set, alluding to his former work, that it was injudiciously called the Beauties of Wiltshire : "this volume," he continues, " bears the same title; but whereas the former was devoted chiefly to seats, scenery, and the fine arts, this will be more attentive to antiquities, history and science." A sketch of the principal historical events connected with Wilt shire (twenty- one pages) is prefixed to the work; and this is followed by remarks on its Ecclesiastical History and Antiquities, the General Aspect of the County, its Mineral Productions, Rivers, Soil, Cli mate, Agriculture, Waste Lands, Roads and Canals, Manufactures, Ecclesiastical and Civil Division, and Government, Lists of the ancient and present NobiHty, and Baronets of the Shire, and a Summary of its Population. The descriptive portion commences with a notice of Old Sarum, and biographical anecdotes of the Bishops of that see. The ac count of Salisbury, of its cathedral, and other pubHc buildings, with notices of the Bishops, and eminent natives of the city extends from page 97 to page 200. The remainder of the volume contains concise accounts of the various towns, villages, and seats in the county ; succeeding each other in a somewhat irregular manner, without classification, or arrangement in hundreds or other local divisions. 16 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. ARTICLES relating to WILTSHIRE in REES'S " CYCLO- PiEDIA." In connection with Wiltshire, it must be mentioned that Mr. Britton contributed descriptions of the county, and its principal towns, to Dr. Rees's " Cyclopeedia," during the years extending from 1802 to 1819. Indeed, as wiU be hereafter stated, he wrote all the Topographical articles relating to England and Scotland in that publication. The Wiltshire articles were necessarily similar, in the nature and extent of the information they contained, to the matter comprised in the volumes already noticed. AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF CORSHAM HOUSE, IN WILTSHIRE ; the Seat of Paul Cobb Methuen, Esq., with a Catalogue of his celebrated Collection or Pictures. Dedicated TO THE Patrons op the British Institution ; and embracing a concise Historical Essay on the Fine Arts. With a Bribp Account of the different Schools, and a Review of the progressive state of the Arts in England. Also, Biographical Sketches of the Artists whose Works constitute this Collection. 1806. Svo. The above is the title of Mr. Britton's next contribution to Wilt shire Topography, after the two volumes of the " Beauties" pub lished in 1801. In the latter work (vol. ii. p. 270 — 301) a copious notice had appeared of Corsham House, then amongst the cele brated seats in England, and remarkable for the fine coUection of paintings formed by Sir Paul Methuen, K.B., an eminent diplo matist, who died in 1757. The estate is now the property of Lord Methuen, a lineal descendant of Sir Paul. His lordship's father, Paul Cobb Methuen, Esq., displayed much courtesy and kindness towards Mr. Britton in his early literary efforts. Familiar with the GaUery, and observing the success which had attended the Cata- CORSHAM HOUSE. 17 logues, or Guides, to the stiU more famous collections at Blenheim, and at Wilton, it occurred to Mr. Britton that some account of Corsham House, with a Descriptive Catalogue of the pictures, would be interesting to the public, and remunerative to the author. With such feehngs he wrote the volume now under consideration, the pecuniary expense of which was shared between himself and Mr. Barratt, a respectable bookseller at Bath. As a topographical work it may be very briefly dismissed ; but in adverting to the author's labours In the department of the Fine Arts, it wiU require further notice. Of the 108 pages which it contains, 100 are devoted to a critical and descriptive Catalogue of the Pictures, and biographical notices of the Painters. With respect to the house, the reader is informed that part of it was erected in the sixteenth century ; that alterations were made, about the year 1750, under the direction of Lancelot Brown, architect and landscape gardener ; and that further additions, by John Nash and Humphry Repton, were made towards the close of the last century, when the former designed the north front of the house, with a projecting centre, which he alleged to be in imita tion of the east end of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, Westminster, though no more Hke it " than I to Hercules." The second volume of the " Beauties of Wiltshire" contains twelve pages of interesting extracts from " Mr. Repton's Red Book on Corsham House," as it is caUed, assigning his reasons for imitating the ancient Ecclesiastical style of architecture, which was then rarely apphed to Domestic buildings. The Corsham-House Guide reaHsed, in some degree, the author's expectations. Seven hundred copies, in three different sizes, were printed; and the whole were sold within about three years after pubhcation ; but his other Hterary pursuits deterred C 18 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. him from preparing a new edition. A View of Corsham House, from the lake, by Havell, after a drawing by C. Fielding, with a description of the Seat by Mr. Britton, was published in " HaveU's Views of Seats." * ACCOUNTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS of Ancient Buildings in WILTSHIRE, in the "ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN." In this extensive and elaborate work (for a fuU account of which see Section II. " Architectural Antiquities") there are several illus trations of Wiltshire subjects. Of these, the most important is Malmesbury Abbey Church; to which ten engravings, and fourteen pages of letter-press are devoted, in the first volume ; and two plates, with a short description, in the fifth. That interesting and elaborate edifice was, in fact, but little known to the architect or the antiquary until these engravings appeared. Those in the first volume, comprise a ground plan of the remains of the Abbey Church ; three general views ; two of the west front and its door way ; one of the north side, and other details ; one interior view ; and two others of the south porch. The drawings were executed by J. C. Smith, Thomas Hearne, and F. Nash. The letter-press is to a great extent historical ; the Author having been desirous to show that the Church was not of Saxon origin, as had been asserted by King, in his " Munimenta Antiqua," and by Carter, in the " Gentleman's Magazine," and in " Ancient Architecture," but, on the contrary, of a date subsequent to the Norman Conquest. In * [In the ''first part" of this work will be found some remarks on the con tention between Mr. Nash and Mr. Repton, about the design for the alterations in Corsham House,— on Mr. Repton's " ijerf £oofc "—and on the present im proved and enlarged seat of the Methuens.— J. B.] WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHY. 19 the fifth volume of the " Architectural Antiquities," an elevation of the south porch, and of a compartment of the nave, are intro duced as part of a chronological series of architectural illustrations. Altogether the plates above enumerated constitute a valuable series of iUustrations of one of the most interesting Norman churches in Great Britain. Besides Malmesbury Abbey Church, the following edifices in Wiltshire are iUustrated and described in the volumes referred to : — St. Mary's Church, Marlborough, Doorway, 1 engraving; Stone Crosses, at Cricklade, Malmesbury, and Stourhead, 5 ; St. John's Church, Devizes, 4 ; Longford Castle, 2 ; Charlton House, 1 ; Laycock Abbey, Cloisters, 1 ; Longleat House, 3 ; Bishops- Cannings Church, 1 ; Avebury Church, Doorway, 1 ; and Salis bury Cathedral, 4 ; making, with the 12 engravings of Malmesbury already mentioned, a total of 35 plates. A page or two of letter press accompanies each subject. SALISBURY. — CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES. "The History AND ANTIftUITIES OF THE CaTHBDRAL ChORCH OF SALISBURY, ILLUS TRATED BY A Series of Engbavtngs of Views, Elevations, Plans, and Details of that Edifice; also of the Ancient Monuments and Sculpture : including Biographical Anecdotes of the Bishops, and op other Eminent Persons connected with the Church.'' 4to. 1814. This was the first of the series known as the " Cathedral Anti quities of England," which extended to fourteen volumes (1814 — 1835), illustrative of as many difierent Cathedral Churches. The work on that of Salisbury, which had been contemplated by the Author long previous to its pubhcation, was ultimately hastened by the announcement of a similar publication, by William Dodsworth, the Verger of the Cathedral. 02 20 britton's AUTO-BIOGEAPHY, PART II. As Mr. Britton's volume wiU be particularly noticed in Sec tion IL, with the remainder of the series of EngHsh Cathedrals, it win be sufiicient to state here that it comprises 1 14 pages of letter press, 31 engravings, and three wood-cuts ; and that it constitutes an important contribution to Wiltshire Topography. ILLUSTRATIONS OF WILTSHIRE, in Havell's "Picturesque Views of Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Seats." Folio. 1816 — 1824. In this work, which Mr. Britton edited, and to which he contri buted nearly the whole of the descriptive letter-press, there are four engravings of Seats in the County of Wilts, viz., Longleat, Corsham- House, Stourhead, and FonthiU- Abbey; all engraved, in aquatint, by Havell, from drawings by Copley Fielding, and each accom panied by two closely-printed pages by the Editor. GRAPHICAL AND LITERARY ILLUSTRATIONS OF FONTHILL ABBEY, WILTSHIRE ; with Heraldic and^Genealo- GicAL Notices of the Beckford Family. 4to. 1823.* [The once famous, picturesque,and extraordinary mansion, mis called an Abbey, at Fonthill, was, at the time the above volume appeared, " the observed of all observers," — and also a theme for * [As the volume devoted to illustrate and describe this Seat is now very rare, and can never be reprinted, most of the plates being destroyed: as both the old house and the new one were once noted, and their respective builders are properly historical characters, and as I feel intimately associated with the whole, having resided at both houses, I have thought it advisable to have a copious analysis of the volume inserted in this place. In the first part of this work will lie found my own remarks on the character of Mr. Beckford and of certain other persons, and events, connected with Fonthill. — J. B.] FONTHILL ABBEY. 21 VTEW FROM THE WESTERN AVENUE-ENGRAVED EY J. THOMPSON, FROM a SKETCH BY T. HIGHAM. comment, puffery, and criucism, in aU the periodicals of the age, — foreign, as weU as domestic. Its real history would seem to be the romance of a poetical brain ; but it can now be dispassionately and faithfully narrated ; for most of the dramatis persona are removed from the world of marvellous reahties in which they once moved, and were marked objects. The enthusiastic proprietor, Mr. Beck ford, — his architect, James Wyatt, — his confidential companion, the Chevalier Franchi,— the auctioneers, Christie and PhiUips,— the wealthy, but mean and penurious purchaser, Farquhar, — with many subordinate -agents, are now dead ; and the building itself, on which nearly a milHon of money was expended, is a ruin. What a lesson ! what a fitful and fertile subject for history, for criticism, and for biography ! ! what an illustration of the faUacy of human vanity and ambition ! ! ! — J. B.] 22 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. The modem history of the domain and mansion of FonthiU is replete with singular and romantic matter. An old house, in which the celebrated Alderman Beckford resided, was burnt down in the year 1755, and the loss was estimated at 30,000/. When this calamity happened the Alderman was in London, and we are told by Walpole, that on being informed of the event, he took out his pocket-book, and with philosophic composure began to write. The messenger asked him what he was doing. " Only calculating," he replied, " the expense of rebuilding it. I have an odd fifty thousand in a drawer, and I will build it up again. It would not be above a thousand pounds a-piece difference to my charity children." FonthiU House was accordingly rebuilt, with a fine stone, obtained from quarries within half-a-mile of its site; and as so erected it remained, with (ew alterytions, till the beginning of the present century. The late Mr. Beckford, the classical and accomplished author of " Vathek," succeeded to the property of his father, the Alderman, in 1770. For some years he occupied the house erected by the latter, but about the year 1795 he indulged his taste for ancient Ecclesiastical Architecture by commencing the building long celebrated as Fonthill Abbey. Before adverting to the latter famous structure, it may be desirable to abridge from the " Beauties of Wiltshire" the account of the House, erected by Alderman Beckford, to every part of which the author had access when preparing his " Beauties," 1799 — 1800. That building consisted of a centre, of four stories, and two wings of two stories; the latter being connected with the former by Hght semi-eUiptical colonnades, supported in front by Doric pillars. The basement story of the main building, which was rusticated, contained FONTHILL ABBEY. 23 an arched Egyptian Hall, 86 feet by 38 feet 6 inches, supported by immense stone piers. To the right was an arched ante-room, opening into the Library; adjoining which was what was caUed the " Turkish Room," an apartment only 26 feet by 23, but " so managed, by the aid of mirrors, as to appear boundless, and to seize most powerfuUy upon the imagination." In the decorations of this room, the Oriental fancy, and luxurious taste of Mr. Beckford had even then displayed itself; as may be gathered from the following description: — " The ground of the vaulted ceiling is entirely gold, upon which the most beautiful arabesques, and wreaths of flowers, are dcHneated in the vivid colours of nature, by the pencil of those distinguished French artists, Boileau and Feuglet. The whole room is hung round with ample curtains of the richest orange satin, with deep fringes of silk and gold. Between the folds of this drapery, mirrors of large size appear to resemble openings leading to other apartments. The carpet, of a reddish Etruscan brown, contrasts admirably with the tints of the hangings. The windows are screened by blinds of orange silk, admitting a warm glow of summer Hght. Opposite to these apertures, an altar of the finest verd-antique con tains the fire- place, secured by a grate-work of gilt bronze. On each side are two cabinets of elegant and novel form, sculptured and gilt in a magnificent style, the upper panels painted by Smirke, and the drawers by Hamilton. Candelabra, vases of japan, cassolets, and piles of cushions, are distributed about the apartment."* On the left of the Egyptian Hall were two apartments, 25 feet by 19, and 31 by 27, in which the Avhite and gold ceiHngs, some * In the first sale at Fonthill (August, 1801) the furniture, &c., of this apartment, which had cost 4000Z., realised only 740 guineas. 24 britton's auto-biography, part II. tablets painted in chiaro-scuro, and the chimney-pieces by Banks and Flaxman, possessed great merit. From these apartments a staircase led to the Organ Room, a cube of 36 feet. To this succeeded an ante-room, fiUed with pictures, and next to it was the Great Gallery, 73 feet by 24, and 20 high. Another ante-room led to the Saloon, which was 38 feet by 26, " hung with crimson damask, and spread with Persian carpets;" and to the Dining-room, 43 feet by 24, " which was light and weU-proportioned, but disfigured by a ceiling and chimney-piece, in the heavy taste which prevailed at the period when the house was built." The chambers in the upper floor appear to have been embelHshed with the greatest luxury and taste. Two views of old Fonthill mansion (the north and south fronts) were given in the " Beauties of Wiltshire." The House, notwithstanding its internal attractions, was placed in a low, damp, and unhealthy situation, on the margin of a broad lake ; and at the base of a hill covered with woods. Dissatisfied with this situation, its proprietor doomed it to faU, and be dispersed with nearly all its contents. There were two sales by auction in 1801, and a third in the month of Septem ber, 1807 ; in which year the dilapidation of the mansion was completed. The materials of the house alone were sold for 10,000/. One wing was left standing, and, with the surrounding grounds, sold to James Morrison, Esq., M.P., who has made large additions to it, and adapted it to a country-seat. About five years before the above description was written, Mr. Beckford had begun to erect the famous Abbey; which for many years afterwards became his favourite residence. From the first, however, he shrouded his architectural proceed ings in the profoundest mystery. Determined to produce an FONTHILL abbey. 25 edifice uncommon in design, and to adorn it with splendour, — knowing and properly appreciating the insatiable curiosity of the English, and that no common means could restrain them from break ing in upon domestic privacy, and encroaching on the regular occupation of artificers and workmen, — Mr. Beckford commenced his works by raising a high wall, about six miles in circuit, around a tract of land. This was guarded by projecting railing on the top, in the manner of chevaux-de-frise, and thus constituted a sort of fortified barrier. Large and strong gates, or rather double gates, were provided in this wall, at the different roads of entrance to the enclosure. At these gates were stationed persons who had strict and rigid orders not to admit a stranger. Thus provided and protected, and after many other preparations had been made, the foundation of the building was laid. A vast number of mechanics and labourers were employed to advance the works with rapidity. The neighbouring villages were thronged with inhabitants, and a new hamlet, was built to accommodate the workmen engaged. All around was activity and energy, whilst the growing works of the edifice, as the scaffolding and walls were raised above the surrounding trees, excited the curiosity and speculations of the passing traveUer, as well as the inhabi tants of the neighbourhood. It was generally inferred that some thing wonderful was in progress, for as the inclosed grounds were carefully guarded against the admission of strangers, these naturally became the more inquisitive, and were the more vague, extrava gant, and marveUous, in their inferences and reports. To enhance this surprise, and afford new scope for this spirit of speculation, a novel scene was presented in the winter of 1800. During the dark and inclement season of November and December, in that 26 britton's auto-biography, part II. year, it is related that nearly five hundred men were successively employed, night and day, to expedite the works ; and in the black and dreary nights of those months, they prosecuted their labours by torch and lamp-Hght. The prospect of an iUuminated edifice, seen from a distance, with flitting Hghts and busy workmen, must have produced a singular and mysterious effect. The cause of this most extraordinary exertion and activity, was an expected visit from Lord Nelson, with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and other distinguished individuals. The naval hero was then in the height of his fame and popularity, and he was received and entertained by Mr. Beckford with extraordinary magnificence, on the 20th of December, 1800. An account of this unique entertainment will be found in the work now under notice. Fonthill Abbey was comparatively in an early stage of its pro gressive erection at the time of Lord Nelson's visit; for, during several succeeding years, extensive additions and improvements were made, all adding greatly to its splendour and importance. For a fiiU description of the building the reader is referred to Mr. Britton's volume ; but in order to give some idea of an edifice so remarkable, the following abridged account is cited from another of his works.* — " FonthiU Abbey stands on a lofty terrace, with an abrupt descent to the south, and a continuous but irregular surface to the east and west, terminating in each direction with a high knoll and a steep ridge. Northward, the ground slopes more gently, but the height of its situation, and the altitude of the structure itself, render it visible at a considerable distance in every direction. The general The Beauties of Wiltshire, vol. iii. (1825). m^m ...k.>'&Awr:^-'. fonthill abbey. 2? arrangement of the building is cruciform, and at the central inter section is a lofty tower. The entrance- hall, or grand vestibule, which forms the Western member of the cross, is a spacious and lofty apartment, entered through a noble door-way, thirty feet high, with a pointed arch. This hall is Hghted by three tall windows on the south side, filled with stained glass, and there is a small window, similarly ornamented, near the top of the gable. On the cornice and timber roof are sixty-eight shields, with the armorial bearings of famihes connected with that of Beckford. From this apartment, which is sixty-eight feet long, by twenty-eight feet wide, and seventy- eight feet in height, a flight of twenty steps leads through a small but lofty vestibule to a spacious Octagon, or Saloon, beneath the central Tower. In the sides of this Saloon are eight arches, four of which communicate, respectively, with the Hall, the Dining Room, King Edward's Gallery, and St. Michael's Gallery. The four intermediate aTches have recesses, occupied by tall windows of stained glass. Above the arches is an open gallery, with a per forated stone balustrade. This gallery is approached by a winding staircase at the north-west angle, and communicates with four small sitting rooms, having bed-rooms over them, which have been called the Nunneries. North of the Saloon is a long room divided into three compartments, collectively termed the Gallery of Edward the Third, being decorated with the arms of various families through which Mr. Beckford and his wife. Lady Margaret Gordon, traced their descent from that monarch. The terminating portion of this gaUery, to the north, is the Oratory, formed of five sides of an octagon, with gilt columns at the angles, from which spring a suc cession of fan-shaped ribs, with a circular compartment in the centre. In the floor above King Edward's Gallery are the State 28 britton's AUT0-BI0GR.4PHY, PART II. Bed-room, the Lancaster Gallery, and a small room called the Tribune. The East wing, or division of the building, is terminated by two octagonal turrets. It has on the south side three large and lofty windows, the lower parts of which give light to three cabinet and picture rooms on the principal floor. The story above was designed for a grand Baronial Hall, and the basement story for a Kitchen on a large scale, in the monastic style; but this part of the structure is unfinished. South of the Octagon is a long apart ment called St. Michael's GaUery, over which is the suite of rooms occupied by Mr. Beckford. The Gallery has five pointed arched windows on the west side, three oriels on the east, and one of larger dimensions at the south end. The roof is vaulted, with fan tracery ; the windows have painted glass, and the whole apartment is splendidly decorated." The above description will convey some notion of the magnitude and splendour of this once remarkable edifice ; but to render it more definite, it may be necessary to add that the northern and southem members of the building, measuring from the centre of the octagon, extended upwards of one hundred and fifty feet in length ; the east wing was of equal length, by about fifty feet in width: and the central tower upwards of 200 feet in height. The pictures and other costly and valuable works of art coUected by Mr. Beckford, were even more attractive than the edifice itself. Of the architectural merits of Fonthill Abbey it is impossible to speak in terms of commendation. " In general," says Mr. Britton, "we find the architect restrained by his employer; who is either limited in means or in ideas. The architect of FonthiU was entirely released from both these restraints; for I am persuaded that he had free and fuU scope for the exercise of nil his professional talents; and FONTHILL ABBEY. 29 had these been as considerable as frequently ascribed to him, and had he been impelled by laudable ambition, — had he bestowed but com mon industry on the subject, — had he felt that enthusiasm which the occasion demanded, and acted with that inflexible perseverance which his munificent employer had a right to expect, we should then indeed have seen an edifice of surpassing magnitude, beauty, and grandeur. Every incentive and every opportunity appear to have been afforded to the architect of FonthiU Abbey ; but he was either insensible to their call, or incapable of employing them to great and eminent results. The present western hall has been rebuilt, of nearly double its first dimensions ; and the central tower is the third that has been raised." From the year 1800 to 1822 the architectural works were in progress ; but the building was never completed. From the extraordinary depreciation of West-Indian Produce, whence Mr. Beckford had derived the greater part of his riches, and from having expended immense sums of money in building the Abbey, and in other luxuries, he was induced to offer a considerable part of its valuable contents for sale by Public Auction. Up to that time he had maintained the same rigorous system in the exclusion of all visitors from the house, frequently refusing to allow the most distinguished and illustrious personages to view it and its treasures. But in the autumn of 1822, the greatest ex citement was occasioned by the appearance of Mr. Christie's sale catalogue of the valuable effects intended to be sold,, and by the issue of tickets to view the premises, at the price of one guinea each, including a catalogue. " The business of Parliament," says Mr. Britton, " was over, — aU Europe was at peace, — and the over-stocked 30 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART IL hive of human population, London, began to send forth its crowds of fashionables, and idlers, to the shores of the sea and to popular watering-places. Fonthill Abbey soon attracted the swarm, and was filled to overflow by the buzzing tribe. The press, that generally leads the public, deems it prudent sometimes to follow, and it did so on the present occasion." In the month of October, 7200 tickets had been issued : — but, only a few days previous to the appointed commencement of the auction, it was publicly announced that Font hiU Abbey, with all its contents and appurtenances, were collectively sold to John Farquhar, Esq., — the purchase-money being stated at £350,000. Il was the public interest excited by these events which led to the publication of the volume now under notice, as it did also to a similar work by John Rutter, in avowed competition with that by Mr. Britton. The latter had, however, the advantage of con siderable assistance from Mr. Beckford, the Chevaher Franchi, the Abbe Macquin, Mr. Beltz, and Mr. Christie. The "Graphical and Literary Illustrations of FonthiU Abbey " appeared in August, 1823. It contains seventy-four pages of letter-press, with eleven copper-plate engravings, and one wood cut. The last, with a view of the Abbey from the Lake, after a drawing by John Martin, wiU be found in the present volume. The letter- press of Mr. Britton's work contains a fuU history and description of FonthiU Abbey, and a brief memoir of the famUy of Beckford, the latter illustrated by nine elaborate Genealogical Tables, prepared by Mr. Beltz, of the Heralds' CoUege. The volume is dedicated to John Broadley, Esq., of South Ella, Yorkshire, as FONTHILL ABBEY. 31 a patron of Hterature, and a personal friend of the author.* By the list of subscribers, it appears that nearly the whole im pression was appropriated before its publication, and the book has therefore long been out of print. In justice to the original subscribers, some of the plates were destroyed immediately after the volume appeared. Within less than twelve months from the purchase of Fonthill by Mr. Farquhar, the sale of the library, furniture, bijouterie, china, and articles of vertil was resumed, by Mr. Henry Phillips. Tickets of admission were again issued at half-a-guinea each, and catalogues at twelve shilhngs. The sale on this occasion lasted thirty -seven days. In December, 1825, the tower, which had been often seen to vibrate, feU with a tremendous crash, destroying the hall, the octagon, and other parts of the building. Mr. Farquhar, with his nephew's family, had taken the precaution of removing to the northern wing. About the same time, that gentleman sold the Fonthill estate. The grounds comprise in the whole 5575 acres. Parts of these have since passed, by other sales, into the possession of John Bennett, Esq., M.P.; James Morrison, Esq., and other parties. Mr. Farquhar died in July, 1826. * [Some account of this gentleman will be found in the previous Auto- Biography. — J. B.] 32 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. SALISBURY.— " PicTURESftUE Views of the Cities of England, BY G. F. Robson." 4to. 1828. (See Section IV. — Fine Arts.) " PicTDRESdUE Antiquities of the English Cities, Illdstbated by a Series op Engravings of Ancient Buildings, Street- Scenery, etc. ; WITH Historical and Descriptive Accounts of each Sub ject.'' 4to. 1830. (See Section H. — ^Architectural ANTiftoiriES.) In the first of the above-mentioned volumes, there is a view of Salisbury, from the south-west, engraved by T. Higham, from a beautiful drawing by Robson. In the second, the " Picturesque An tiquities" of Sahsbury are illustrated by three engravings, and noticed in four pages of letter -press. The plates represent some of the streets of that ancient and interesting city, in which the streams of water flowing through them, the venerable timber buildings, with over hanging gables, and the lofty spire of the Cathedral terminating the view, fuUy justify their claim to be included in a series of " pic turesque" delineations. Two of these subjects. Silver Street and High Street, were engraved by John Le Keux ; the other. Castle Street, by J. C. VarraU: from drawings by W. H. Bartlett. In the descriptive letter-press are some clear and satisfactory remarks on the origin of New Sarum, or Sahsbury, and the peculiar arrange ment of the main thoroughfares of the city; together with notices of its principal ancient buildings. AVEBURY AND STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE.— Articles in " Dr. Rees's" and " The Penny" CYCLOP.a!a)iAS, etc. The great Druidical Temples of Avebury and Stonehenge, which may be termed the wonders of Wiltshire, and of England, were duly noticed and illustrated in the volumes on the Topography of that County in 1801, 1814, and 1825. That of Avebury (first AVEBURY — STONEHENGE. 33 brought to notice by John Aubrey) had been seldom adverted to by topographers or antiquaries, from the time of Dr. Stukeley, until Mr. Britton commenced his literary labours. The article " Aoebury," in Rees's Cyclopsedia, was his first contribution to that work; and in the year 1835 he was gratified by an application firom Mr. Charles Knight, to prepare a new essay on the same ex traordinary monument of antiquity, for the "Penny Cyclopsedia ;" a work, it is presumed, famihar to nearly aU classes of readers, and which by the exceUence of its Hterary contents, in every depart ment, has secured the approbation of the most distinguished critics and Hterati in the reading world. The paper which Mr. Britton wrote in consequence of this appli cation occupies five columns of that publication. It contains an account of the writings of Aubrey and Dr. Stukeley on '¦'¦Avebury •' and descriptions of the temple, as it is supposed to have appeared originally, as it was at the time the Doctor wrote, and as it remains in the present day. The opinions of various antiquaries are cited as to its origin and purpose ; and the article also contains some notices of the adjacent great barrow, or tumulus, called Silbury HiU, with other Druidical antiquities in the neighbourhood. A bird's-eye view of the temple (restored); a ground-plan and section of the main portion; and a general plan of the whole, including the avenues of approach, aU engraved on wood, accompany the article. In 1842, Mr. Britton also fumished a paper, extending to six columns of the Penny Cyclopaedia, on " Stonehenge." This well- known reHc of antiquity is described and illustrated in a similar manner to that at Avebury; the opinions of difierent writers being set forth with more minuteness. The wood engravings are a general plan, showing the external earthworks ; a plan of the temple itself, D 34 BRITTON 'S AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. in which the stones remaining in their original positions are distin. guished from those which have fallen, or are entirely removed ; a perspective elevation; and a section; the two latter representing Stonehenge as it is supposed to have appeared originally . The article " Tumulus" (four columns) was also contributed by our Author to the same work. It proves from Sacred Writ, and from ancient historians, the remote antiquity of the custom of raising mounds of earth over the dead, and shows the prevalence of that custom in every quarter of the globe. The various forms of the barrows, or tumuli, which have been found in England, with their usual contents, are particularly described ; and lastly, some ana logous memorials, or barrows, in combination with kist-vaens, are noticed. Amongst these, are the tumulus known as Way land Smith's, in Berkshire; the Bartlow HiUs, Essex; and a tumulus at New Grange, near Drogheda, in Ireland. Engravings are given of the two latter, as well as of the different varieties of ordinary barrows. The iUustrations of these papers on Avebury, Stonehenge, and Tumulus, are reprinted in the Appendix to the present work. WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHY, adverted to in " Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Character of Henry Hatcher, Author of ' the History of Salisbury,' etc." Svo. 1847. This biographical sketch, — a pamphlet of forty-four pages, — is intimately associated with the topography of Wiltshire. It records the quiet, unpretending career of one of Mr. Britton's oldest and most valued hterary friends, who had devoted himself for a long series of years to study, and to write the " History of Sahsbury." HATCHER'S " HISTORY OF SALISBURY." 35 The early education, the learning, the taste, the antiquarian know ledge, and the persevering industry of the late Mr. Hatcher, pecu liarly qualified him for the dehghtful yet laborious task which he imposed upon himself. Unable, and unwilHng to involve his pro perty in the responsibilities of an elaborate and expensive publica tion, he was, in an unfortunate hour, led to associate himself with the late Sir Richard Colt Hoare, and those amateur historians and topographers who assisted in the work known as " Modern Wiltshire," and pubhshed under the nominal authorship of the baronet referred to. For many years he devoted the few hours of leisure which he could seize from his arduous scholastic duties to the preparation of a voluminous " History of Sahsbury;" a work, which, I may venture to say, is not surpassed in interest, by any topographical pubhcation of this, or any other country. His toU was, alas ! but ill-rewarded. Before he undertook to make his own performance a portion of the " Modern Wiltshire," Mr. Ben son, the Recorder of Sahsbury, had collected some materials for the subject; but he was ill-qualified for the toilsome task, and transferred his papers to Mr. Hatcher; who, in the course of his literary labours, frequently corresponded with Mr. Benson. On the completion of the work (a foHo of 856 pages), the result of more than seven years' continued zeal and perseverance, the latter very coolly claimed the right, not only of joint-authorship with Henry Hatcher, but of pre cedence in the position of his name upon the title-page of the volume. Stung by this gratuitous insult, the retiring, unassuming author claimed his Hterary rights, and a bitter controversy followed. Un fortunately the rank and social position of Mr. Benson were aU- powerful with the executors of Sir Richard Colt Hoare ; who, as pro prietors : of the work, authorised him to cancel the title-page and D2 36 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. preface which Hatcher had written for his own History, and to substitute others in their stead, wherein the legitimate author was represented by inference,— as in the previous controversy he had been in direct terms,— as a hired literary drudge. The only remedy left to the injured historian was the publication of his original title-page and preface, with a detailed explanation of the circum stances of the case. Death has now removed both of the principals in this painful controversy. Mr. Benson died in 1844, and on the decease of Hatcher, in December, 1846, Mr. Britton, who had entered warmly into the question, at the time of its occurrence, and who had pecuHar means of information respecting its every detail, was irresistibly led to vindicate the memory of his friend, by submitting to the pubhc a simple statement of his personal and literary career, and of the facts and circumstances involved in his dispute with Benson. It is not necessary here to enter upon those details, but it is essential to observe that every person interested in Wiltshire Topography, and in the cause of literature, truth, and justice, should read attentively the impartial narrative contained in the brief " Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Character of Henry Hatcher." THE WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY; its History .AND Publications. About ten years ago, a great number of Societies were formed in the metropohs and in the provinces, with a view to the pubhcation of Hterary works, chiefly of an antiquarian nature, to be distributed amongst the members in return for their subscriptions. Of these. WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 37 the Camden, and the Shakspeare Societies still exist, and have each produced many curious and interesting volumes. A society for illustrating the antiquities and topography of Berkshire, caUed " the Berkshire Ashmolean Society," was instituted at Reading about the same time, but did not long subsist. Mr. Britton was among the first to perceive the advantages, which might arise from this reciprocal system ; and, with his usual zeal for archaeology and topography, he issued a prospectus for the formation of a society in the metropohs, with provincial branches, to coUect and pubhsh a series of works on the Antiquities of Great Britain. Had the plan suggested been pressed and fully organised, it would probably have superseded the more recent Archseological Associa tion and the Archseological Institute. Though many distinguished antiquaries cordiaUy approved, and offered co-operation, the pro jector was obliged to relinquish his scheme, in consequence of the urgent claims on his time and energies by the works he had then engaged in. He was afterwards induced to confine his pro ject to a Topographical Society for his native county ; and ac cordingly a fresh prospectus, with that object, was issued about the end of the year 1839. The influence of Mr. Britton with the leading nobihty and gentry of Wiltshire soon obtained the promise of their names as members of the proposed Society. A Provi sional Committee was appointed, who summoned a pubhc meeting of gentlemen interested in the project. This meeting, at which George Poulett Scrope, Esq., M.P., presided, was held at the Free masons' Tavern, on the 13th of June, 1840. Upwards of eighty names had then been enrolled; the Society was officially constituted; and the first Council was appointed. The Marquis of Lansdowne was named as Patron and first President : the Bishop of Salisbury ;. 38 britton's auto-biography, part II. Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Bart. ; Robert Gordon, Esq., M.P. ; and Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P., Vice-Presidents. The Council in cluded many influential gentlemen of the county. The appoint ments of Patron and President were afterwards separated ; the Marquis of Lansdowne has retained the former, and the latter has been held, in succession, by the Earl De Grey, and the Marquis of Northampton. The Society being thus organised, Mr. Britton used the most strenuous exertions to ensure its successful progress. He engaged to prepare a History of Kington- St.-Michael, his native parish, with the remaining portion of the hundred of North Damerham; and several members of the Council promised to write parochial histories, &c. But the first indications of success were not foUowed by any sufficient increase in the number of subscribing members, and con siderable expense was incurred in keeping ahve an interest in the Society's proceedings. In company with Mr. Britton, Mr. C. J. Richardson made a journey into Wiltshire, (and sketched several interesting objects of antiquity with a view to their pubhcation) ; but the repeated iUness of the former impeded his progress with the promised History of Kington, although he continued to add largely to his coUections for that parish. It was not until the year 1843, that the first volume was ready for distribution to the mem bers. This was a " History of the Parish of Grittleton," written by the Rev. J. E. Jackson, of Farleigh, and illustrated with notes by Mr. Britton, who, about the same time, had prepared " An Essay on Topographical Literature," intended to exempHfy the importance and utihty of that branch of knowledge, and by indicating the sources of authentic information, to serve as a guide to those members of the Wiltshire Society who raight undertake Topogra- WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 39 phical publications with little previous knowledge of the subject. This Essay was approved of by the Council, and ordered to be printed and published with the Rev. Mr. Jackson's work. Mr. Britton continued to be in ill health : he had taken upon himself, from the commencement, the whole burden of the manage ment of the Society, as Honorary Secretary; but found himself unable to combine, with the performance of that duty, and his other necessary pursuits, the labour of preparing his intended literary contribution. The> zeal of other members, who had engaged to prepare works for the Society, subsided; and two years more elapsed before the second of the Society's publications appeared. On this occasion Mr. Britton made a species of compromise with the Society. He had always intended that a Memoir of John Aubrey, the antiquary, who, like himself, was born in the parish of Kington-St.-Michael, should form a part of the History of that place; but on arranging his papers, he found the materials for the Biography of Aubrey sufficient to form a separate volume. To render this more complete, I undertook, at his request, to visit the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, where Aubrey's original manu scripts are preserved ; and from those papers, and others in the Bodleian Library, I assisted him in writing a copious Memoir of the earhest Wiltshire Antiquary and Topographer. Although not quite within the scope of the Society's operations, as first announced, it is difficult to conceive a more appropriate pubhcation for such an association than the volume which was thus written. All preceding notices of Aubrey's personal history were miserably scanty and inaccurate; the contents of three or four only of his works were at all known to the public ; whilst the most copious list of his manuscripts embraced only their titles, and altogether omitted many curious and interesting papers. In Mr. Britton's 40 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. volume, which was pubhshed in July, 1845, 144 quarto pages are devoted to a Memoir of John Aubrey's Hfe and career, and a copious Account of aU his pubhshed and unpubhshed materials and writings. The third and last-pubhshed volume of the Society's works appeared in 1847. This had its origin entirely in the preceding Memoir, and again the labour of its production fell upon the Honorary Secretary. It consisted of copious extracts from one of Aubrey's manuscripts, — the " Natural History of Wiltshire," 1685;' — an exceedingly curious and interesting book; previously almost unknown to the hterary world. Such is, in substance, the history of the " Wiltshire Topographical Society." Had Mr. Britton's zeal in the cause been emulated by other members of the Society, it cannot be doubted that, instead of three volumes, at least thrice that number might have been pro duced since its formation ; but the apathy of those who possessed the ability, and the means, to contribute Hterary essays, and the consequent delays which occurred, have naturally led to dis satisfaction on the part of the general body of subscribers; and an opportunity of encouraging and difiiising a taste for topography and archaeology has been thus entirely lost. At one time, about one hundred and fifty members were enrolled; and if the Council had been enabled to keep faith with them, by the speedy publi cation of some of the works announced as in preparation, that number might unquestionably have been multiphed to a great extent. To the general want of zeal for the interests of the Society, there have been two or three gratifying exceptions. The future prospects of the Society are certainly discouraging. It is true that Mr. Poulett Scrope has a valuable collection of materials for the History of Castle-Combe ; and Mr. Britton has not ESSAY ON TOPOGRAPHY. 41 only made considerable progress with his " Kington-St.-Michael ;" but has also large collections for the hundreds of Chippenham and North Damerham, as well as for the topography of the whole shire. But, unaided by his official coadjutors, the latter will be impeUed to decHne further labour and responsibility; and the So ciety must therefore die a natural death, unless some plan can be adopted to secure the more effectual co-operation of the inhabitants of the county. A " Descriptive Account " of the three volumes above-mentioned is subjoined: — THE HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF GRITTLETON, in the County of Wilts. By the Rev. J. E. Jackson, M.A., Curate of Fableigh Hungerford. With an ESSAY on TOPOGRAPHICAL LITERATURE, its Province, Attributes, and varied Utility; WITH Accounts op the Sources, Objects, and Uses of National and Local Records, and Glossaries of Words used in Ancient Writings. By John Britton, F.S.A. Published by the Wiltshire Topogra phical Society. 4to. 1843. The History and Description of Grittleton Parish, the Church and its Monuments, the Manor House, &c., extend only to twenty- eight pages of this volume. Of these, a few pages are occupied by annotations from the pen of the Honorary Secretary. The " Grittleton" is iUustrated by twelve engravings ; three of which are on steel, engraved by Mr. J. H. Le Keux, by a new patent process, representing the Parish Church, and the Manor House (the seat of Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P.*). Five engravings on * This gentleman presented the Society with the above engravings of. his residence. 42 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. wood comprise a plan, an interior view, and the western porch of the Church, with two views of the House. Three others represent shields of arms, attached to family pedigrees ; and there is also a lithographed Map of the Parish. The " Essay on Topographical Literature" constitutes the larger portion of the volume ; extending to sixty-six pages in small type. In explaining its origin and purpose, the writer says : — " For the language, opinions, and entire matter of the ensuing Essay, I am solely amenable. From a knowledge that many gentle men, who are collecting materials for the histories of certain parishes are not familiar with the best sources of information, and that however learned and well-informed most of those gentlemen are, they may not have had opportunities of studying the science and technical language of Topography, I have been led, graduaUy and imperceptibly, to write an essay and explanations, more copious than I had anticipated. That it is the result of extensive and laborious reading and investigation will be apparent io every impartial reader, and that it is calculated to be generally useful to the topographical student, no one will deny. Although not carried out to the full extent of its capabiHties, and my OAvn wishes, it may be regarded as the first attempt to form a sort of Grammar and Dictionary of Topography." After a reference to the topography of Wiltshire in parti cular, and the works previously pubhshed on the subject, this " Essay" adverts to and comments on the writings of Leland, Lam- bard, Camden, Dugdale, and other early English topographers; and cites the opinions of Thomas Warton, Richard Gough, the Rev. Joseph Hunter, and Sir Richard Colt Hoare, as to the varied im portance of this branch of literature. It then describes the method ESSAY ON TOPOGRAPHY. 43 and arrangement adopted by several eminent topographical writers in their respective works. Amongst the publications so analysed are Milner's Winchester, White's Selborne, Owen and Blakeway's Shrewsbury, Warton's Kiddington, Baker's Northamptonshire, Whitaker's Whalley and Craven, &c., &c. Eighteen quarto pages are thus occupied. In the six following pages a short history is given of the Record Commission, from the time of its formation in the year 1800 ; with extracts of letters from " Eminent Historical Writers" expressing favourable opinions of the works published by the Commission.* Mr. Britton's " Essay" then describes the contents of those volumes, beginning with Domesday Book, the Statutes of the Realm, Rymer's Fcedera, &c.; in each case mentioning their contents and arrangement, stating where the original Records are preserved, and particularly indicating such portions of them as relate to Wiltshire. The manuscripts in the British Museum, especially the Cottonian, the Harleian, and the Lansdowne coUections, are briefly described, with reference to their usefulness for topographical purposes ; andthe "Essay" concludes vrith noticing some published works on Wiltshire, and also extracts from the Catalogue of the hbrary of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, at Stourhead. Two useful Glossaries are appended to the work. These occupy twenty-three pages ; the first being a " Glossary of terms in Domesday Book, chiefly derived from the Introduction to that * George Baker, Esq. ; the Rev. Dr. Bandinel ; Sir W. Betham ; the Rev. Dr. Bliss; J. D'Israeli, Esq.; the Rev. T. D. Posbrooke; Henry Hatcher, Esq. ; and Sir R. C. Hoare, Bart. ; are among those whose testimony proves the importance of the works referred to. 44 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. work by Sir Henry EUis;" and the second, of "Terms used in Ancient Records relative to General, County, Parochial, and Manorial History." A few copies of the " Essay on Topography" were printed separately from the " History of Grittleton," for presentation to the Author's friends. MEMOIR OF JOHN AUBREY, F.R.S., embracing his Auto- Biographical Sketches, a Brief Review of his Personal and Literary Merits, and an Account op his Works; with Extracts FROM His Correspondence, Anecdotes of some of his Contemporaries, AND of the Times in which he Lived. By John Britton, F.S.A. Published by the Wiltshire Topographical Society. 4to. 1845. An account of the origin of this, the second pubhcation of the Wiltshire Topographical Society, has been already given ; and the volume will call for further notice in connexion with the Author's other Biographical Essays. It is therefore only necessary to refer to it in this place, as a quarto volume of 144 pages, full of curious matter respecting the literati of the seventeenth century ; and iUus trated by three engravings ; — a Portrait of Aubrey, engraved on steel by C. E. Wagstaff, from a drawing by Faithorne, in the Ashmolean Museum ;* a view of the House, in the parish of King ton-St.-Michael, in which Aubrey was born ; and a copy of the Horoscope of that antiquary's nativity, drawn by himself. The two latter are engraved on wood. * Impressions of this engraving accompany the present work. JOHN AUBREY AND HIS WRITINGS. 45 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF WILTSHIRE, by John Aubrey, F.R.S. (written between 1656 and 1691). Edited, and elucidated BY Notes, by John Britton, F.S.A. Published by the Wiltshire Topographical Society. 4to. 1847. Amongst the unpublished manuscripts by Aubrey which I ex amined in the Ashmolean Museum, at Oxford, in the year 1844, and of which I wrote the description appended to the " Memoir of Aubrey," one of the most curious and interesting is his " Natural History of Wiltshire.'' This was the author's first literary essay : he began, and wrote the greater part of it, in the year 1656, and subsequently made frequent additions to its contents; but his con tinual anxiety to render it more perfect deterred him from its publi cation. < Strongly urged by his literary friends to print the work, he, in 1685, revised and re-arranged the manuscript, and further added to it at various times down to 1691. But Aubrey appears to have been always dissatisfied with his own productions, and ever anxious to improve them by aU possible means. With this object the " Natural History of Wiltshire" was lent by him to Ray, Evelyn, and Tanner, between 1691 and 1694 ; and each of them much approved of, and commended it ; adding, on its perusal, such mar ginal notes as their pecuHar studies suggested. Tanner was at that time young and enthusiastic, and had Aubrey's Hfe been spared somewhat longer, there can be little doubt that, by his persuasion and with his assistance, not only the " Natural History of Wiltshire," but other works by the then aged antiquary, would have been pubhshed. But Aubrey died very suddenly in 1697, leaving the manuscript of the work referred to, with his other papers, to the Ashmolean Museum. In 1690, he had made a fair copy of his 46 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. " Natural History," and presented it to the Royal Society,-of which body he was one of the earhest members. Thus, there are two autograph manuscripts; namely, the rough draft at Oxford, and the fair copy in the Hbrary of the Royal Society, London. These, however, are not literal transcripts of each other, but possess some curious contra-distinguishing features. The Wiltshire Topographical Society having decided on print ing Aubrey's work, permission was obtained from the Royal Society to copy it. That task I undertook, and performed, with much personal amusement and gratification to myself. I afterwards visited Oxford, and collated the transcript with the author's rough draft there ; inserting the notes of Ray, Evelyn, and Tanner. In preparing the work for pubhcation it was found to contain much matter irrelevant to Wiltshire, and a great deal wUch the progress of science, since the time of Aubrey, has rendered obso lete, and apparently absurd or trivial. It was therefore thought expedient to print extracts only; selecting such passages as should comprise everything reaUy useful and interesting in the original. The Society's volume contains 126 printed pages of extracts, in terspersed with numerous explanatory notes by the Editor. Aubrey's "Natural History of Wiltshire" partakes of the cha racter of Dr. Plot's « Oxfordshire" and " Staffordshire," and of other contemporary pubhcations. The following are the titles prefixed to the principal Chapters : — " Air — Springs Medicinal — Rivers — Soils — Minerals and Fossils — Plants — Beasts — Fishes — Birds — Insects and Reptiles — Worthies — The Grandeur of the Herberts, Earls of Pembroke — Wilton House and Gardens — Archi tecture— -Agriculture — History of Cloathing (one of the staple manufactures of Wiltshire) — Fairs and Markets," &c. ENGLISH TOPOGRAPHY GENERALLY. 47 Under these, and other heads, a great amount of curious informa tion is preserved respecting Wiltshire in the seventeenth century : the chapters on the Worthies of the County, on Wilton House, and on Architecture generally, are especially interesting. The notes elucidate points which Aubrey had left doubtful, and continue his information on historical matters down to the present time. The volume is dedicated to George Poulett Scrope, Esq., M.P., at whose suggestion the pubhcation was first resolved upon ; and who has become the possessor of the collated copy of Aubrey's manu scripts. Besides the notes, Mr. Britton wrote a Preface, explaining the history of the work, and describing the original manuscripts. He has therein added to the satisfaction which I feel in contributing to the publicity of such an interesting work, by a public acknow ledgment of his obligations to me for the assistance afforded him ; which has been also recognized by the Council of the Wiltshire Topographical Society. ENGLISH TOPOGRAPHY, GENERALLY. The majority of Mr. Britton's Topographical works have been confined, Hke those on the County of Wilts, to some particular district or locahty. Some, however, have embraced a wider field, and amongst them one of the earhest, and in its results one of the most important, namely — " The Beauties of England and Wales." This well-known and highly-successful pubhcation at the commencement of the present century, was, in its earlier stages, the joint production of Mr. Britton and his old and intimate friend and coadjutor, Mr. Brayley ; and their labours were therein 48 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. devoted to the description and illustration of twenty-five EngHsh Counties ; besides a part of London and Middlesex, which Mr. Brayley commenced, but subsequently rehnquished. The "British Atlas," a series of County Maps accompanying the "Beauties," was prepared under their joint superintendence. In the seven volumes of the " Annual Review," edited by Arthur Aikin, Mr. Britton wrote critiques on numerous topographical works; and he con tributed to Dr. Rees's " CyclopEedia" aU the articles on EngHsh and Scotch topography. As editor of " HaveU's Picturesque Views of Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Seats," " Robson's Views of EngHsh Cities," and the " Picturesque Antiquities of Enghsh Cities," he has further devoted his attention to the topography of England in general. It is now my province to refer to, and describe these works ; reserving for separate notice some writings on the Metro polis, and on other specific and well-defined places, or districts. THE BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES; or Delinea tions, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptivi:, of each County. Embellished with Engravings. By John Britton and Edward Wedlake Brayley. 25 Vols. Svo. 1801 to 1816. Of this publication Mr. Britton wrote only a comparatively small portion ; for there appears to have been a lamentable want of cordiaHty and co-operation between the original authors and the publishers, from 1801, till they finally withdrew from it, after the printing of the volume on Wiltshire in 1814. The " Beauties of England and Wales " originated in some sug gestions made by Messrs. Vernor and Hood, booksellers, in the BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES. 49 Poultry, at the time Mr. Britton was preparing the materials for his " Beauties of Wiltshire," which they published. " The Antiquities of England," by Grose, had recently been issued in periodical numbers, and several booksellers in Pater-noster Row had produced topographical works of slight pretensions to merit. Amongst them was a folio, published in sixpenny numbers, by Alexander Hogg, under the title of "Boswell's Antiquities of England." This was a very iUiterate and careless compilation; both plates and letter-press being mostly copied, without the shghtest acknowledgment, from any available source. Between the years 1776 and 1791 there had also appeared several smaller pubhcations, entitled the " Beauties of England," and those being comparatively successful, induced the publishers already named to bestow the same title on the new work which they contemplated, and which was in tended to be a complete topographical account of England and Wales, founded on personal surveys and inquiries, and printed and embel Hshed in a style far surpassing its predecessors. Mr. Britton, in con junction with his friend Mr. Brayley, undertook the authorship of this work; and the original conditions under which it was announced for pubhcation were, that it should appear in monthly numbers, at 2s. 6d. in demy 8vo., and 4s. royal Svo. ; each number to contain .five sheets of letter-press and three prints; six numbers to form a volume ; and the whole to be completed in about six volumes, but to be somewhat further extended if thought necessary. The full title was as foUows : " The Beauties of England and Wales, or Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive, of all the Counties, collected from authentic sources and actual survey, by E. W. Brayley and J. Britton ; accompanied with engraved plates of celebrated remains of antiquity, or of architectural ele- E 50 britton's auto-biogbaphy, part il gance, noblemen and gentlemen's seats, or the grand productions of nature." * The first number was published on the 1st of April, 1801. The letter-press commenced with "Bedfordshire," and the description of the counties was carried on in alphabetical order, but the plates were given in promiscuous succession. Communications were directed to be addressed to " the Editors," and their names alternately took precedence on the title-pages of the different volumes. In an early prospectus, it was stated that " a tour through various parts of the country, to an extent of more than 2000 miles, had already been made by the editors of this work," and that much important matter had been thereby obtained. Mr. Britton particularly mentions this journey in the Auto-Biographical sketch prefixed to the third volume ofthe "Beauties of Wiltshire" (1825). He there states that, having arranged with Mr. Hood " to write, or compUe" (for the bookseUer was indifferent which) " the Beauties of England and Wales," he, in company with Mr. Brayley, made a pedestrian tour through North Wales, several of the western and midland counties, Cheshire, &c., in the summer and autumn of 1800, whereby they acquired much useful experience. In commencing to write the account of Bedfordshire, on their return, he says, " It was now that we first obtained a due conception of the importance of our task, and we experienced much difficulty in satisfying our own minds * The title oi '•'¦Beauties of England," &c., was retained in deference to the wishes of the publishers ; but the authors were so fully sensible of the inade quacy of that phrase to explain the nature of the work, that immediately on its publication they subjoined the words, "Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive," as a secondary title, and more especially illus trative of its contents. BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES. 51 as to the accuracy and originahty of the information we were upon the eve of communicating to the pubHc. Having wholly attached ourselves to Hterature, it occurred that we had a character both to obtain and to support, and that the exercise of a sound judg ment and much attention was necessary, in order to enable us to complete our labours with success and credit to ourselves. We discovered, also, that as respected our tour, we had inconsiderately commenced our researches at the wrong end of the kingdom; and that our topographical notes, and other memoranda of the counties which, according to the plan of the work, were the first to be described, were by far too meagre for the gratification of antiqua rian curiosity. Our pubhsher, however, was of a different opinion, and urged us forward, by stating that such works did not require much original matter, that there were plenty of pubhcations to copy from and abridge, and that he only required the ' Beauties.' " In proportion as we read, thought, and conversed on the subject, we became more and more persuaded of the necessity of visiting places in order to describe them ; and also of studying and analysing every account we could obtain, before we ventured to write a new one. These ideas led to a new arrangement ; and late in the season, and during the printing of the topographical accounts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire, I was induced to visit many places in those counties, and transmit church notes and other memoranda to my coadjutor in town. In these journeys I fortunately obtained introductions to, and acquaintance with, gentlemen who proved themselves both competent and wiUing to assist the work, and who opened to us many new sources of information. " During the progress of the first volume of the Beauties of England, which is certainly very sHght and imperfect, when com- e 2 52 britton's auto-biography, part II. pared with our subsequent labours, we gradually and almost imper ceptibly acquired not only a knowledge of the essential branches of topography, but also a partiality for its details. The reproofs of some critics, among whom was the late amiable Mr. Gough, and the partial (yet, perhaps, not altogether undeserved) approbation of others, gave a new impulse to our exertions, and made us increase in diligence and be more scrupulous in execution. These feelings, indeed, gave origin to the '¦Architectural Antiquities,' which work was commenced in consequence of the disapproval on the part of our publisher of antiquarian subjects and prints. He contended that the ' Beauties' of a country consisted in its fine seats, pic turesque scenery, &c., and that antiquities and natural curiosities ought not to be introduced ; but our experience and opinions led to a contrary result, and hence differences, and even warm conten tions, arose between us." At the end of the first volume the popularity of the work had increased to a remarkable extent; and all parties concerned were not only confident of securing ample remuneration, but of reahsing great profits. Besides visiting parts of the three counties first described, Mr. Britton selected the drawings and superintended the execution of the engravings. The next volume was commenced under the most favourable auspices, for Mr. Brayley had traveUed over nearly the whole of Cambridgeshire, and produced a history of that county, which, as it far surpassed those of the three preceding counties, was regarded as eminently successful. During the progress of the work, information from Correspondents was constantly solicited, and letters were occasionally requested to be addressed to the Authors at the different towns where they beauties of ENGLAND AND WALES. 53 were respectively pursuing their researches. It appears that in the months of February and March, 1802, Mr. Britton was in Devonshire and Cornwall; in August, 1803, in Gloucestershire; in September, 1804, in Hampshire ; and in 1806, in Lancashire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire. Mr. Brayley was in Cam bridgeshire and Derbyshire, in July, 1802 ; at Durham, in September and October, 1803 ; and in Hertfordshire and Hunting donshire in the summer of 1805. When the first five volumes were finished (1803-4) an address to the subscribers stated that " the Authors" had travelled " over an extent of upwards of 3500 miles."* The sale of the work at this time was very great ; 500 copies were sold of the royal octavo size, and 3000 of the small octavo, whereas of the first number only 1000 smaU paper, and 250 large, had been printed. Although successful in a pecuniary sense, the work did not pro ceed to the satisfaction of the authors, who, as before intimated, were much impeded and annoyed by the opinions and prejudices of the pubhshers. In December, 1805, Mr. Britton wrote to Mr. Hood, accusing him of a departure from his written agreement, and with general mismanagement of the work ; the proper printing of the engravings having been neglected, and an undue interference exercised in the choice of subjects for illustration.f He Hkewise * The wrapper of the 18th Niunber (December,. 1802), acknowledges and quotes a letter from the " National Institute of France," speaking of the work (a copy of which had been presented to that learned society by Mr. Brayley) in highly favourable terms. t In respect to the embellishments, it is proper to remark, that it was the wish both of Mr. Britton and Mr. Brayley to give subjects of Antiquities far more frequently than they were adopted, being convinced that such prints 54 britton's auto-biogbaphy, part II. f intimated that, if no alterations were made, he should be compelled to withdraw from the « Beauties," and commence another topogra phical and antiquarian work, which had been more than once pro posed to him by other publishers. As early as the appearance of the fifth number it had been found impracticable to prepare the letter-press, to, the extent pro mised, with sufficient rapidity for monthly pubhcation ; at least, without departing from that due attention to accuracy and origi nahty which the authors considered to be necessary. Hence there was an occasional omission in the monthly issue ; and this evil was ultimately much increased both in consequence of the iUness of Mr. Brayley, and of the time necessarily occupied in travelhng, and in acquiring information by an increasing correspondence.* were more particularly required by the majority of purchasers ; — ^but this was objected to by the Publisher, who preferred Seats and Wood-scenery, con sidering them as the chief Beauties of the country. From that circumstance arose the '¦'• Architectural Antiquities," which was begun by Mr. Britton in 1805, and extended to five voliunes 4to. ; and also the " Antiquarian Cabinet" commenced by Mr. Brayley about the same time, but eventually consigned to Messrs. Storer and Greig, engravers, by whom it was completed in ten volumes 18mo., containing upwards of 400 plates. * In explanation of some of these delays, Mr. Brayley wrote the following address for the Wrapper of No. X. (March, 1802) : — "The present number has been delayed in consequence of my own indisposition, and the absence of Mr. Britton, who, for the sole purpose of obtaining original and accurate information, undertook, in the most inclement season of the year, to make a journey through the counties of Cornwall and Devon, in the former of which he is yet pursuing his researches. It is our most ardent wish to render the ' Beauties of England and Wales' as original, correct, and interesting, as possible. If, therefore, from the delay of promised communications (and this is not one of the least inconveniencies we have to combat), from indisposition, or, from the time which necessarily elapses in procuring genuine materials, by journeys beauties of ENGLAND AND WALES. 55 Much blame having been attached to the authors jointly, both for the delays in publication, " and the inadequate execution" of many of the engravings, it was thought " that a complete separa tion in regard to the ' Beauties' would render each respectively responsible to the pubhc, and therefore more zealous in forwarding that part of the work to which his name was attached." A new agreement was in consequence made between the parties, and is thus referred to by Mr. Britton, in a Letter inserted in the Preface of the Introductory volume. " The first six volumes have been jointly executed by Mr. Brayley and myself; and it is but justice to state that the greatest part of their literary composition was from the pen of that gentleman, who, with much care and exertion, endeavoured to render them accurate and original. The principal travelling, correspondence, labour of collecting books and documents, direction of draughtsmen, engravers, and some other neces sary avocations, chiefly devolved on me ; and I felt it a pleasure and duty to prosecute my task with zeal and assidxdty. At the close of the sixth volume it was deemed expedient that each of us should undertake to write and conduct a volume alternately ; and by arrangement, the counties of Hertford, Huntingdon, and Kent, devolved on Mr. Brayley ; whilst Lancashire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire, came under my direction." On the completion of the county of Kent, the description of London, Westminster, and Middlesex, was commenced by Mr. Brayley, and intended to be comprised in one volume ; but, from considerations of the importance of the Metropohs, it was ulti mately expanded into five volumes; and 2000 additional copies to different parts of the kingdom, the publication should at any future time, as in this case, be unavoidably protracted, we trust that our Subscribers will pardon the delay ; and the more especially, because it will never be resorted to, but when it tends to increase the accuracy of the work." 56 britton's auto-biography, part II. were printed to meet the expected demand of an increased sale. Only two of those volumes, however, were completed by Mr. Brayley, who, from the annoyances to which he was subjected by Mr. Harris, the then pubhsher of the work, and Mr. Cundy, the printer, was compelled to forego any further connexion with it; and the concluding volumes were compiled by the Rev. Mr. Nightingale and Mr. Brewer. Norfolk and Northamptonshire were written by Mr. Britton, after which, for a time, his connexion with the " Beau ties" also terminated. Mr. Hood, the original publisher and chief proprietor, died in 1811; at which time the accounts of Kent and Northamptonshire had been finished, whilst the London and Middlesex were in pro gress. His successor in the bookselling business not being inchned to continue the work, Mr. John Harris, of St. Paul's Churchyard, was " induced to undertake the management, in attention to the general wish of the remaining proprietors."* Thus far, ten years had been occupied in producing somewhat more than ten volumes. On the secession of the original Authors, other gentlemen were engaged to write the letter-press; Mr. Harris retaining all control over the iUustrations, and employing Mr. J. P. Neale to make nearly all the drawings. The successive numbers were published with such great rapidity, that on one of the wrap pers the publisher stated, exultingly, that " this work is executing with unparalleled despatch, three numbers having been pubhshed every month since December last." In June, 1812, the pubhsher informed Mr. Britton that the proprietors would very soon require accounts of Warwickshire and * Harris's Adcbess on the completion of the " Beauties.' beauties op ENGLAND AND WALES. 57 Wiltshire, for the "Beauties:" "the latter county," he added, "you have already done, and it may be easily converted to our purpose." " I thought it better to mention it to you," he continued, " before I employed a gentleman who is very desirous of doing it." He also offered Mr. Britton five guineas per sheet, if he would execute it with despatch, " he being determined to bring the work to a close." That gentleman accordingly wrote the history of his native county, forming part of the fifteenth volume ; but he afterwards found it requisite to state that he had no control over the paper, printing, and embelHshments," and was therefore " not responsible for the maimer in which the work had been got up." The "Beauties" were completed in 1816; in which year Mr. Harris pubhshed an address stating the circumstances under which he undertook its management, and incidentally mentions that " up wards of 50,000Z." had been expended upon it. Amongst the gentlemen who wrote portions of the " Beauties," after the retirement of Messrs. Britton and Brayley, was Mr. James Norris Brewer, who was afterwards engaged by the pubhsher to write an Introductory Volume, similar to one which had been con templated in the first prospectus, being an Historical Sketch of the Manners and Customs, Arts, Architecture, &c., of the successive inhabitants of Britain. It was arranged that a General Preface should form part of this volume, and that the several authors who had been engaged should be applied to, for such additions and cor rections as they might wish to make to their respective counties; and more especiaUy to put on record the names of persons who had rendered them local information. Mr. Brewer accordingly wrote a courteous letter to Mr. Britton, who, in August, 1817, furnished him in reply with an ample Hst of the noblemen and gentlemen 58 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. who had supplied information for the volumes written by himself and Mr. Brayley;* and also with an Explanatory Letter describing * It has been thought desirable to repeat in this place the names of some of the chief contributors to the work, amongst whom wiU be found many esti mable authors, antiquaries, and topographers. General Contributors. — The Earl of Harcourt; Sir Richd. Colt Hoare, Bart.; Sir Henry Englefield, Bart. ; John Dent ; Edward King ; Rev. Thos. Leman ; Rev. John Whitaker; Rev. Jas. Ingram; Rev. P. Lathbury; Rev. Henry White ; Rev. T. D. Fosbrooke ; Rev. Stebbing Shaw ; Rev. P. Parsons ; H. Faulkner ; Robert Southey ; William Hamper ; William Alexander ; Thomas Sharp ; Henry Kirke White ; and William Cunnington. Bedfordshire. — The Dvike of Bedford ; the Earl of Upper Ossory ; Rev. John Markham; Rev. T. O. Marsh; Robert Salmon. Berkshire. — The Earl of Malmsbury ; the Earl of Radnor ; Rev. Clement CruttweU ; Rev. Dr. Brown ; Benj. West, P.R.A. ; George Cumberland ; Henry Ellis ; John Man ; Matthew Robinson. Buckinghamshire. — The Duke of Portland; the Marquis of Buckingham; Edmund Burke, M.P. ; Dr. Kennedy ; Dr. Herschel ; John Penn ; Thos. D. T. Drake; J. O. Oldham. Cambridgeshire. — Rev. Dr. Elliston ; Rev. Dr. Craven ; Rev. Dr. Cory ; Rev. Dr. Morgan; Rev. H. Turner, B.D. ; Rev. J. Shaw; Henry Andrews; Rev. Edwd. Stanley ; Rev. Francis Sheepshanks ; Rev. Cooper Williams. Cheshire. — Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart. ; Rev. Hugh Chohnondely ; George Ormerod ; Holland Watson ; John Thos. Stanley. Cornwall. — Lord Eliot ; Lord de Dunstanville ; Dr. Cardew ; Rev. John Whitaker; Rev. R. Polwhele; Governor Melville; T. R. Underwood; Philip Rashleigh ; William Bashleigh, M.P. ; Samuel Drew. Cumberland. — Rev. Jonathan Boucher ; Robert Warwick ; Jas. Lonsdale. Derbyshire. — Hayman Rooke; Richard Arkwright; Thomas Blore; White Watson ; W. Bray, F.S.A.; W. Strutt; Rev. Stebbing Shaw. Devonshire. — Lord Clifford ; Lord Courtney ; Lord Borringdon ; Sir Lau rence Palk, Bart. ; General Simcoe ; Rev. John Bidlake ; Rev. J. Swete ; Rev. R. Polwhele ; James Northcote ; B. Haydon ; John Feltham. Dorsetshire.— 'Rev. Mr. Moore ; WUliam Bryant ; Thos. Wild ; Wm. Upham. Durham.— Uev. John Brewster ; Rev. J. Allason ; Thos. Wilson ; W. Hutch inson ; David Stephenson ; Thos. White ; Wm. Blackburn. BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES. 59 the origin, &c., of the work. Both of these communications were printed in the foUowing year in Mr. Brewer's Preface ; and an extract from the Letter will show the opinion which Mr. Britton Essex. — The Marquis of Buckingham ; Lord Braybrooke ; Sir Geo. Beau mont, Bart. ; Thos. Walford ; John Conyers ; Lewis Magendie. Gloucestershire. — Rev. J. DaUaway ; Rev. J. Evans ; Rev. Thos. Rudge. Hampshire. — The Earl of Carnarvon ; Lord Bolton ; Lord Rivers ; Sir H. St. John Mildmay, Bart. ; the Bight Hon. George Rose ; Rev. Jos. Jefferson ; Paul C. Methuen ; Richard Bull ; Alexander Hammond. Herefordshire. — Rev. John Webb; Richd. Payne Knight; Uvedale Price. Hertfordshire. — The Earl of Clarendon ; the Earl of Essex ; Lord Viscount Grimston ; the Countess Dowager Spencer ; J. B. Pioard ; Geo. Anderson. Kent. — The Earl of Darnley ; Admiral Lord Keith, K.B. ; Lord Rokeby General Harris ; Major-General Ford ; Sir Egerton Brydges, Bart. ; Dr. Lord Dr. S. F. Simmons, F.S.A.; Rev. Mark Noble, F.S.A.; Edwd. Hasted, F.R.S. Thos. Fisher ; William Hammond ; Cholmley Dering. Lancashire. — The Earl of Radnor ; the Earl of Wilton ; Lord Bolton ; Sir Richd. Clayton, Bart.; Lady Ann Hamilton; Rev. Thos. Starkie; J. H. Markland; George Ormerod; E. Wilbraham Bootle, M.P.; John Blackburne, M.P. ; William Roscoe ; Matthew Gregson ; James Lonsdale ; John Rennie ; Thos. Lister Parker ; Edwd. Holme, M.D. ; John Townley. Lincolnshire. — Lord Brownlow ; Lord Yarborough ; Sir W. Earl Welby, Bart. ; Octavius Gilchrist ; E. J. Willson ; Thos. Espin ; Chas. Tatham. Norfolk. — Sir Jacob Astley, Bart., M.P.; Dr. Sayets; Rev. J. Astley; Rev. Edwd. Edwards; Rev. Robert Forby; Rev. J. Homfray, F.S.A.; Rev. J. Richards ; Lee Warner ; John A. Repton, F.S.A. ; Edwd. Jerningham ; DawsoH Turner, F.S.A. ; William Stevenson; John Corry, jun. Northamptonshire. — The Earl of Northampton ; George Baker ; John Nichols. Wiltshire. — The Marquis of Lansdowne ; the Earl of Radnor ; the Bishop of SaKsbury; Sir Richd. Colt Hoare, Bart.; R. G. Long, M.P.; Colonel Houlton ; Rev. Archdeacon Coxe ; Dr. Fowler ; Dr. Maton ; Rev. Dr. Popham ; Rev. W. L. Bowles ; Rev. Jas. Ingram ; Rev. Thos. Methuen ; Rev. Edwd. Duke ; Rev. Thos. Leman ; Rev. Joseph Hunter ; Rev. Samuel Greathead ; Rev. Eras. B. Astley; Rev. W. Crowe; William Beckford; William Scrope; Robert Holford ; Paul C. Methuen ; Robert Sadler ; John Provis. 60 britton's auto-biography, PART II. then entertained of the character and influence of the " Beauties of England and Wales." " On reviewing the commencement and early progress of the work, I cannot but feel greatly astonished at its rapid success and popularity ; at the number and variety of correspondents and friends it called forth from several counties ; and at the effect it pro duced on topographical literature. This astonishment, however, chiefly arises from a knowledge that both myself and my coadjutor were unknown in the republic of letters, were in very humble stations of Hfe, and consequently without the influence or con nexion calculated to produce those effects. Yet, thus circumstanced, we gradually and imperceptibly extended our sphere of commu nications, and increased the reputation and sale of the work by improving its contents, and demonstrating a disposition to be sincere, and to impart aU the information that was to be obtained." Although the " Beauties of England and Wales " may be com paratively Httle known to modern readers, it was at one time the most popular of its class, and not only attained much celebrity in topographical literature, but gave origin to several other pubhca tions devoted to that subject. Its leading features were the extent to which it was carried, notwithstanding its intended Hmitation to six or seven volumes, the brevity of the first volume, the proHxity of some others, the numerous and tantahsing delays in its periodical issue, and the consequent quarrels of authors and pubhshers. The latter, indeed, if detaUed at length, might make a curious, though not an amusing, additional chapter to D'lsraeh's painfully eloquent " Quarrels of Authors." But this subject need not be further dwelt on, for many of the most active parties are now no more; and I know that the Authors are not desirous to vindicate themselves by BEAUTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES. 61 Teflections on the memory of men who enjoyed the respect of their associates, and whose errors of judgment and temper were possibly provoked by a morbid sensitiveness, arising from ambition, on the part of the Authors themselves.* Before concluding this description, it is necessary to mention briefly the engravings illustrating the " Beauties of England and Wales," inasmuch as they formed an important feature in the work, and were really superior to any of the kind which had be fore been published. Their number, in the whole, exceeded 700 ; and an average of not less than 3000 impressions was printed. Only six plates were devoted to Bedfordshire, fifteen to Berkshire, and nine to Buckinghamshire; but in the subsequent counties the numbers were increased in proportion to the letter-press. After a lapse of nearly fifty years, it is interesting to examine a series of these engravings, and to observe the immense progress which the Fine A"rts have made since the time of their execution. The changes which have occurred in the aspect of many of the buildings repre sented, also render them curious as historical records ; and although often deficient in artistic feeling, when judged by the standard of modem excellence, they were of considerable merit when first * [There were no less than ten joint proprietors of the " Beauties of England and Wales" on the publication of the first number; and it is, therefore, not surprising that different views and opinions in regard to its management and progress prevailed at different times. The parties originally contracting with the authors were Messrs. Vernor and Hood only, who they fancied were the sole proprietors ; other booksellers, however, joined them and took shares in the work. This has long been, and still is, a custom of the trade, in large and expensive publications ; and is often advantageous in preventing opposition, in dividing the outlay, and securing the interest and co-operation of influential parties. J. B.] 62 britton's auto-biography, part II. engraved, and are generally remarkable for accuracy of resem blance. Until Mr. Britton relinquished his interest in the work, he invariably superintended the practical details of the drawings, engravings, and printing ; subject, however, to frequent inter ference, as already stated, on the part of the pubhshers. The following artists supplied drawings for the earlier volumes of the work : — Benjamin West, P.R.A., George Amold, Frederick Nash, Edward Dayes, P. S. Munn, J. Varley, T. Hearne, J. M. W. Turner, J. Buckler, &c. The plates from their drawings fumished occupation for several young engravers, who then first emerged from their tutelage under Basire ; and amongst those who produced creditable engravings may be particularly mentioned W. Angus, J. Storer, J. Greig, J. Powell, J. Roffe, J. Smith, W. Hawkins, S. Noble, George and WilHam Cooke, John Pye, J. C. Smith, B. Comte, and S. Rawle. The progressive improvement in the " Beauties of England and Wales," as shown in the volumes last written by Messrs. Britton and Brayley, compared with the first two, is very striking, and serves to show the advantages of experience in topographical Hterature. At the commencement of their enterprise it is evident that their knowledge of the subject was very limited, and their power of imparting in a judicious form such information as they possessed, was equaUy imperfect ; but the accounts of Derbyshire, Devon shire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamp tonshire, and Wiltshire, may stiU be referred to as highly creditable to their respective authors. The parties who wrote the continuation of the " Beauties" after the secession of the original authors, displayed much less zeal and beauties of ENGLAND AND WALES. 63 ability. It is to be regretted also that they were less scrupulous in acknowledging their obligations to other sources, some of them having frequently copied largely from printed books without due re ferences. The rapidity with which the publishers pressed forward the conclusion of the work wiU, however, account for many errors and defects in the later volumes; and a special exception from the above comments must be made in favour of the volumes (on Ox fordshire and Warwickshire) by Mr. Brewer, who displayed ability and aptitude for topography in his descriptions of those counties, and still more in his very able and valuable " Introduction" to the work. The account of South Wales, by the Rev. Dr. Rees ; and that of Yorkshire, by Mr. J. Bigland ; though both somewhat im perfect, are superior to the rest of the last seven volumes. The most satisfactory parts of the work are Mr. Britton's account of Wilt shire, and that of Kent, by Mr. Brayley. THE BRITISH ATLAS ; comprising a Series of MAPS of all the English and Welsh Counties ; also PLANS of Cities and Principal Towns ; intended to illustrate and accompany the Beauties of England and Wales. 4to. 1804 — 1809. On the wrapper of the thirty-second number of the " Beauties of England"(May, 1804) an announcement was made by the Authors of an intended " IUustrative Appendix" to that work; comprising Maps of aU the Counties, Plans of the Cities and County Towns, together with Prints of those Towns, Interior Views of the Cathedrals, &c. On the next number, the omission of the intended Views was adver tised ; but it was announced that a series of engravings of Architec tural subjects would be submitted to the pubhc as an independent 64 britton's auto-biography, part II. work, in the ensuing autumn. The " New and Improved British Atlas" containing maps and plans only, appeared in twenty-six Numbers, at intervals of two or three months; the first being pub lished in 1804, and the last in 1809. It comprised fifty-eight maps, including each of the English and Welsh Counties, a general Map of England and Wales, and Index Maps of Roads, Canals, Rivers, &c.; together with Plans of twenty- one Cities and Towns. These were all engraved by J. Roper, from Drawings beautifuUy executed by G. Cole. The maps were mostly reduced from the " original sur veys " published by Mr. Faden, whose permission for that purpose was exclusively granted to the proprietors. In indicating the course of the Roman Roads, the situation of the principal Roman Stations and Encampments, with the boundaries of hundreds and other local divisions, these County Maps made some advances to originahty, as well as to accuracy and distinctness. They were engraved in a quarto size, and admitted of being folded, and mounted on guards, to bind up with the " Beauties." The price of each number, con taining three plates, was 4s. large, and 2s. 6d. small paper ; the total cost being respectively, £5 4*., and £3 5s. : — but before " the Beauties of England and Wales " had been completed, the unsold large paper copies were offered to the pubhc at three guineas and a half each. The total outlay upon the Atlas exceeded £4000. It may be confidently asserted that a series of County Maps, so accurately and beautifully engraved, had never before been pub lished. It is to be regretted that only twenty-one plans of Cities were engraved, instead of every city and county town, as originaUy intended. In those plans Vignette views were introduced; together with the Armorial bearings of each place, from drawings furnished by Sir George Naylor. rees's CYCLOPiEDIA. 65 THE NEW CYCLOP.aEDIA, or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. 39 vols., 4to., 1802 — 1819. By Abraham Rees, D.D., F.R.S. Ephraim Chambers published several editions of his " Cyclo paedia," which first appeared in two foho volumes, in 1728. In 1753 a supplement was printed, also in two folios, compiled by George Lewis Scott, F.R.S., the mathematician, and Sir John Hill, the botanist; and between the years 1781 and 1786, the Rev. Dr. Abra ham Rees, F.R.S., pubhshed " A New and Enlarged Edition of Chambers's Cyclopaedia," in 418 six-penny numbers, forming four foHo volumes. Watt (Bibliotheca Britannica) says that " the rapid sale which this work procured, encouraged the editor and publishers to un dertake a more extensive pubhcation on an enlarged scale ;" and this work was likewise edited by Dr. Abraham Rees, and completed in thirty-nine volumes, between the years 1802 and 1819. It bore the foUowing title: "The New CYCLOP.a;DiA ; or, Universal Dic tionary OF Arts and Sciences." In colloquial discourse, how ever, it was always known as " Rees's Cyclopsedia," and by that name is yet distinguished. In the comprehensive plan of arrangement adopted in this edition, the various articles of the previous editions of Chambers were all incorporated, but with additions and improvements. "New subjects of biography, geography, and history" were intro duced, " and adapted to the present state of literature and science." Mr. Britton made an engagement with the learned editor, in an early stage of his labours, to contribute the articles on the Topography of Great Britain; the first of which he wrote for this Cyclopaedia in 1803 ; being that on "Avebury," in WUtshire; where, and inits neigh bourhood, some ofthe gigantic works ofthe early Britons still remain. Under the letter B, he wrote about 160 articles, and his contributions F 66 britton's auto-biography, part II. were nearly as numerous, in proportion, in the subsequent stages of the work. From account books and memoranda now before me, it appears that Mr. Britton received £5 for every quarto sheet of eight pages. The gross amount paid for the topographical articles was about £500, being equivalent to 100 sheets, a considerable quantity of matter in itself; although, being extended over fifteen years, it did not mate riaUy interfere with the writer's other Hterary pursuits. Mr. Britton was induced to devote considerable space to the de scriptions of "Cambridge," "Oxford," "London," "Westminster," &c. ; which may be referred to as elaborate and favourable specimens of topographical Essays. Of the article " Oxford," which occupies twenty-one pages, and is foUowed by five other pages devoted to " Oxfordshire," the author possesses an interleaved copy, containing some valuable manuscript remarks by the Rev. W. Coneybeare. The article on " Shakspeare's Biography," was also by Mr. Britton. THE ANNUAL REVIEW, and History of Literature. Arthur Aikin, Editor. 7 Vols. Svo. 1803 — 1810. The " Annual Review," — commenced in January, 1803,— was pubhshed under the editorship of Mr. Arthur Aikin, and for seven years enjoyed a fair, yet Hngering share of popularity. It consisted of a yearly octavo volume of considerable buUr,— from 800 to nearly 1000 pages,— contaming criticisms on nearly aU the pubhcations of the preceding twelvemonths. It was originally intended that each volume should appear in January, or early in the year; but it was found impracticable to perform this part of the editor's engagement, ANNUAL REVIEW. 67 and the publication was on some occasions delayed until the autumn, whereby the sale of the work, particularly on the Continent and in the British Colonies, was very injuriously affected. The works reviewed were classed according to their subjects, and each department was en- trasted to a critic familiar with that subject, and therefore quaHfied to form a correct estimate of the works submitted to his criticism. Mr. Britton having undertaken the department of "British Topo graphy and Antiquities," wrote eighteen articles for the first volume, including notices of the foUowing books : — Fosbrooke's British Mo- nachism; Lysons's Rehquise Romanae; Warner's History of Bath (12mo. edition); Hutton's Roman WaU; Malcolm's Londinium Re- divivum ; the Picture of London ; Coates's History of Reading ; Charles Dibdin's Tour " through almost the whole of England and a considerable part of Scotland;" Lipscombe's Journey into South Wales ; the same author's Description of Matlock ; Hyett's Watering Places in Devon ; Manby's Fugitive Sketches of Chfton, and Guide through South Wales; Sir Henry Englefield's Walk through South ampton ; Warner's Northern Tour ; and Campbell's Tour in Scotland. It will be evident from this Hst that the topographical and antiquarian pubhcations of the year 1802 were numerous, and in some instances important. Without pursuing this analysis through the remaining six volumes, it may be sufficient to state that besides the above-mentioned, other works by Gough, Hutchins, Polwhele, Dr. Aikin, Manning and Bray, Rudge, Pennant, Malkin, Nichols, Blomefield, Whitaker, Hoare, Yates, Moffatt, Chalmers, King, and many others (to the number of nearly 150 in aU), were submited to and reviewed by Mr. Britton, with the occasional assistance of his friend Mr. Brayley. The Author's own works were also noticed in the " Annual Review," but the F 2 68 britton's auto-biogbaphy, part II. critiques were written by Mr. Aikin, who did not hesitate to point out defects. In reviewing and critically analysing upwards of a hundred pub lications by the principal topographers and antiquaries of the time, it may be inferred that Mr. Britton derived much benefit. The value of strict accuracy of statement, and precision of language, in which many of those writers were deficient, was in this way strongly im pressed upon his mind, and his own subsequent works were conse quently much improved. Upon a recent glance at these criticisms, he is not disposed to alter the opinions expressed so many years ago on the works of his fellow-labourers. [See the first part of this work.] Havell's PICTURESQUE VIEWS op Noblemen's and Gentle men's Seats. Folio, 1816 — 1824. Amongst the minor works in which the Author engaged at an early period, was the pubhcation bearing the above title. The chief feature, and almost exclusive attraction, of this work, consisted in the Views themselves, which were large engravings (super-royal foho), executed by Richard HaveU and his son, in aquatint, from elaborately- finished drawings by Turner, Copley Fielding, WilHam HaveU, and other landscape painters of eminence. The engravings were carefully coloured by hand, in imitation ofthe originals. This was a periodical publication, each number containing two views, with descriptive ac counts, at the price of twelve shiUings. The letter-press was Hmited to two closely-printed foho pages in reference to each seat; and in that short space some historical par ticulars were narrated, and the leading features of the bmlding and scenery described; reference being made to the pictures and other havell's views of seats. 69 works of art which each mansion contained. The foUowing is a list of the engravings : — Windsor Castle, from Eton CoUege Playground ; Park Place, near Henley; View from Richmond HiU; Sion House, Middlesex; Bil- Hngbear, Berkshire; Wanstead House, Essex; Longleat, WUtshire; King's Weston, Gloucestershire ; Cassiobury, Hertfordshire ; Cors ham House, WUtshire; Buckingham House; Holland House, Mid dlesex ; Stourhead, Wiltshire ; Blenheim, Oxfordshire, two views; Burleigh, Northamptonshire; Frogmore, Berkshire; Fonthill, Wilt shire; Chiswick House, Middlesex; Holkham HaU, Norfolk; and an Heraldic and Ornamental title-page : in all, twenty plates. The descriptive accounts of the first four subjects above-named were by Mr. Brayley ; that of Holkham Hall was by Mr. Dawson Turner ; but the remainder were all by Mr. Britton, who also assisted Messrs. Ha veU generaUy as Editor. Although expensively and tastefuUy " got up," this work was not remunerative, and was therefore discontinued when the above-men tioned plates had appeared. It had been intended to make a volume of forty prints, but owing to the want of pubhc patronage it was H- mited to what had been originally meant only for half a volume. This constituted a handsome work, though it must be acknowledged that its price (six guineas) was fomewhat extravagant. Only a few complete sets were pubhshed; and they are now very rare. PICTURESQUE VIEWS op ENGLISH CITIES; from Draw ings BY GEORGE FENNELL ROBSON; containing Thirty-Two Engravings of Canterbury, York, Bath, Bristol, Cablisle, Chi chester, &c. &c., with an Architectural and Heraldic Title-page. Edited and Published by J. Britton. 4to. 1826 — 7. Although consisting only of engravings, without any accompa- 70 britton's auto-biography, PAET II. nying letter-press, this work requires some notice as a topographical pubhcation. Mr. Robson, from whose drawings the plates were en graved, was eminent for many years amongst British artists as a painter of landscape in water-colours, and his works are stiU highly prized by the connoisseurs and admirers of that delightful art. In the year 1825, that artist submitted to Mr. Britton a series of highly- finished drawings of EngHsh Cities, or Cathedral towns, dehneated with admirable taste and accuracy, under the most diversified effects of light and shade ; the Cathedral forming the principal object in each drawing. Forcibly impressed with their extreme beauty as works of art, the author was at once desirous to undertake their pubhcation. But, at the time referred to, all the commercial affairs of the kingdom were in a state of embarrassment and confusion. The inordinate mania for speculation, which had seized upon aU classes of society, produced its inevitable consequences, dismay and panic; and every branch of trade and manufacture was suffering from gloom, doubt, and anxiety. Booksellers and pubhshers had nearly suspended business, and printers, stationers, artists, and authors were ahke reluc tant to embark in any fresh enterprise. In this state of affairs Mr. Britton had sufficient courage to purchase Mr. Robson's drawings, and to engage in their pubhcation, although aware that it must involve a very considerable outlay. He, at first, thought of placing them in the hands of Mr. J. D. Harding, to be lithographed; but further re flection, and a desire to give occupation to many hne engravers, whom the circumstances of the times had left without employment, induced him to depart from that plan. The specific agreement for the work between the editor and the artist was executed in October, 1825. By that document the latter agreed to supply at least thirty views of English cities, executed robson's VIEWS OF CITIES. 7 1 in his most careful style, some of which he had then finished, whilst others were in progress; and further, to "give such directions and advice to the different engravers as he might deem best calculated to ensure good and effective plates." Mr. Britton engaged to pur chase the drawings at seven guineas each, and to allow Mr. Robson as many copies of the intended work as would amount in value to thirty-eight guineas more; making in aU an equivalent to 260Z. 83. Having undertaken this habihty, the author, at the beginning of the year 1826, applied to Messrs. Longman and Co., to Mr. Acker- mann, and other booksellers, to join him in the proposed publication. But each dechned the risk, and he was left to carry out the project by himself. Many engravers were anxious to obtain commissions, and testified their cordial acknowledgments to Mr. Britton for his enterprising spirit. In order to stimulate them to greater exertion, the latter offered a choice copy of the volume, with India proofs and etchings, to the engraver of the best plate ; and this was awarded to Mr. John Le Keux for his view of Durham. The engravings were published periodicaUy, in four parts, or num bers, each containing six views; the first in November 1826, the last in December 1827; the small paper copies were one guinea each part. " Robson's Cities" was published without letter-press in order to avoid the tax of eleven presentation copies of every " book" to certain pubhc Hbraries; but the editor promised the subscribers a supplemental volume of descriptive matter as a distinct work.* Immediately after the completion of the volume eight of the plates were destroyed, and the editor pledged himself that only 250 large * The " Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities,'' which is noticed in the next page, had its origin in this arrangement. 72 britton's auto-biography, part II. paper, and 750 smaU,had been or ever would be printed. Two plates were cancelled after having been paid for: viz.,- Bath and Peter borough; the editor being dissatisfied with their execution. PICTURESQUE ANTIQUITIES of ENGLISH CITIES, illus trated by a series of Engravings of Ancient Buildings, Street Scenery, &c., with Historical and Descriptive Accounts of each subject. 4to. 1828—1830. Instead of preparing a supplementary volume of letter-press to "Robson's Views of English Cities," Mr. Britton extended his project to the production of a richly -illustrated work , bearing the above title. The "Picturesque Antiquities" appeared in six numbers (1828 — 1830), and was carefully and elaborately printed and illustrated. It contains 60 copper-plate engravings and 23 wood-cuts; with 96 pages of letter-press. The principal objects engraved are castles and other ancient buildings, or parts of buildings, bar-gateways, old timber houses, street views, bridges, bastion towers, and similar rehcs of antiquity. A larger number of subjects are selected from York than from any other city ; the volume containing fourteen iUustrations of the fortifications. General views are given of six cities, which pre sented remarkable combinations of picturesque scenery. Of the 83 subjects, 68 were drawn by W. H. Bartlett; the views in Norwich and Coventry were furnished by local artists; and four plates were introduced, from drawings by Thomas Hearne and John Carter, of buildings destroyed before the pubhcation of the work. Some of the plates were engraved by Varrall, Redaway, Woohioth, and Tom- bleson ; but more than half of the sixty were executed by Mr. John Le Keux. Twelve wood-cuts are by Branston and Wright, and the remaining eleven by Samuel Williams. The letter-press briefly describes the leading features of each city, ANTIQUITIES OF ENGLISH CITIES. 73 and particularly the subjects of the engravings. The notices of York and of Lincoln were furnished by Mr. E. J. WiUson ; and the account of Winchester by Mr. W. Garbett; but aU the rest were written by the author. Nearly three thousand pounds were expended in the production of this work. The price fixed upon it was propor- tionably high : each number being sold for 24s. smaU, and £2 2s. large paper. This, however, for ten fine engravings, and four wood-cuts, with letter-press, was not an exorbitant charge ; but the age of cheap Hterature had commenced, and the circulation of the volume was very much less than the proprietors had expected. In deed, the proceeds of the remaining stock, with the plates and copy right, which were sold by auction seven years after the first pubh cation of the work, failed to cover its original cost. The author thus aUudes to this circumstance in the Preface to his History of Worcester Cathedral, 1835: — "Though the best- written and illus trated of all his works, and altogether an interesting volume, the ' Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities,' has proved the most losing speculation the author ever embarked in. Had it been pub hshed in 1810, instead of 1830, it would have been eminently popu lar and profitable : — but, amongst the changes of the times, that of cheap, and even beautifully embeUished pubhcations, is not the least remarkable, nor the least popular. In consequence of the number and rivalry of artists and pubhshers; — the skiU of the former, with the substitution of steel for copper, and the activity and business-know ledge of the latter, such pubhcations are now rendered to the public so exceedingly cheap, and really good, that those ofthe old school, and even of the first reformers in the walk, are superseded and neglected." 74 britton's auto-biography, part II. LONDON TOPOGRAPHY. " In splendour with those famous cities old, Whose power it hath surpassed, it now might vie ; Through many a bridge the wealthy river roU'd, Aspiring columns rear'd their heads on high : Triumphal fanes grac'd every road, and gave Due guerdon to the memory of the brave." Southey. Next to the County of WUts, Mr. Britton has devoted more time and Hterary labour to the Metropolis, than to any other part of Eng land. A resident in London from boyhood, and a topographer from inchnation, he has made himself familiar with the various locahties of the " Modem Babylon," and the numerous pubhcations relating to it. Mr. Brayley, his Hterary coadjutor, has written some interesting works on London and Westminster. " His History of Westminster Abbey" and its Church, with illustrations by J. P. Neale, is the most copious and authentic account of that famed Monastery that has ever appeared ; it is replete with sound and discriminating infor mation. Its author was associated with Mr. Britton in writing the "Memoirs of the Tower of London" (post 8vo.); a History nf the late Houses of Parliament, and the Ancient Palace of Westminster," (demy 8vo.); and, to a less extent, in " Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London," (2 vols. 8vo.) The last work is mainly from the pen of Mr. Britton, who has also written, and edited, other inde pendent publications and essays relating to the Metropohs; which will be successively noticed. LONDON, WESTMINSTER, AND SOUTHWARK. Articles IN THE Rev. Dr. REES'S " CYCLOP.aEDIA." The Essays on the three great divisions of the Metropohs in this LONDON TOPOGRAPHY. 75 Cyclopaedia, (part of the topographical series contributed by Mr. Britton, as already mentioned), are copious and interesting. The first occupies thirty-two, the second eleven, and the last, four pages. Illustrations op LONDON TOPOGRAPHY, in the "ARCHI TECTURAL ANTIQUITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN." 5 Vols. 4to. 1805—1826. In the first volume of this once popular publication there are three prints of the Temple Church, with accompanying letter-press ; and an engraving of the Screen in the Chapel of Edward the Con fessor, in Westminster Abbey Church. The second volume contains views of an Old House at IsHngton, and HoUand House, Mid dlesex; together with a series of nineteen engravings illustrative of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, Westminster, and forty-three pages of letter-press relating to the same celebrated and splendid edifice. Nine of these subjects were drawn by F. Mackenzie, and six by J. R. Thompson : and the plates were engraved by J. Le Keux, J. Roffe, &c. The letter-press contains a history and description of the Chapel and its sepulchral Monuments, with extracts from the Will of its Royal founder, and a copy of the agreement between the King's executors and Pietro Torregiano, for the execution of his tomb. In the fourth volume ofthe " Architectural Antiquities," is an account of Crosby HaU, with five plates, engraved by Roffe and Le Keux, from plans, sections, elevations, &c., by Palmer and Repton. One of the richly decorated compartments of the interior of St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, is engraved in ihe fifth volume of the same work. 76 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. THE EDINBURGH GAZETTEER ; or Geographicax Dictionary. 6 vols. Svo. 1822. Mr. Britton wrote the account of "London" for this pubhcation; and revised the article on " Lincolnshire." Illustrations of LONDON AND WESTMINSTER, in Pugin's "SPECIMENS OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE." 1820—1823. In the above-mentioned work Mr. Pugin had the active assistance of Mr. Britton; who edited the whole, and wrote portions of both volumes. (See Section II., Architectural Antiquities.) Upwards of thirty plates are illustrative of Metropohtan subjects; — chiefly door-ways, windows, screens, niches, tombs, &c., from Westminster Abbey Church, and Henry the Seventh's Chapel. Four engravings are expressly devoted to Westminster HaU, and the same number to Crosby HaU. The Original PICTURE OF LONDON, enlarged and improved ; BEING A correct GuIDE FOR THE StRANGER, AS WELL AS FOR THB INHABI TANT, TO THB Metropolis of the British Empire. 18mo. 1825 — 1833. Under the above title this thick and compressed volume long pos sessed much popularity and patronage. It was first produced by Sir Richard Philhps,* in the year 1802; and was then described * This enterprising and renowned publisher and author issued a quarto volume, called " Modern London," which was a failure, though mostly written by Holcroft, aud Mr. H. Ellis. It contained a series of coloured prints, from drawings by W. Craig, and was remarkable for the arrogance and presumption of its prefatory language. In the Annual Review, vol. iii., Mr. Britton wrote a, severe condemnatory account of the work. In the first part of the Auto biography will be found a short sketch of Sir Richard Phillips's life and character. PICTURE OF LONDON. 77 as "the Picture of London ^or 1803; being a correct Guide to all the Curiosities, Amusements, Exhibitions, Public Establishments, and Remarkable Objects in and near London; with a collection of appropriate Tables, &c." (18mo. 420 pages.) Mr. Britton criticized this pubhcation in the "Annual Review" (vol. i.) at the time of its first appearance. It was apparently the work of two or three writers, and in some parts very objectionable for its inflated and declamatory style, as well as for theoretical errors on antiquarian subjects. The reviewer, however, admitted the great utihty of the volume, and in that respect contrasted it favourably with Mercier's " Tableau de Paris." When first pubhshed, the " Picture of London" contained two maps and seven small engravings. In the year 1825, Messrs. Longman and Co., who had become proprietors of the work, applied to Mr. Britton to revise it thoroughly for republication ; correcting errors which had arisen from the lapse of time, and adding much necessary information on new subjects. "At this time," Mr. Britton says, " the ' Picture' was made up of such heterogeneous parts and colours, that he found it more difficult and laborious to erase, to alter, to abridge, and to amend, than it would have been to produce an entirely new work." The task, however, was accomphshed, and the Editor received one hundred guineas for " writing new matter for about half the volume, altering and correcting the remainder, and examining the proof sheets, &c." His name was then first prefixed as Editor, and the work was stereotyped, in order to save the expense of re-composition for each new edition. There remained, however, some errors in the volume, and a further lapse of time created a necessity for other additions and alterations. The Editor accordingly revised it again in the years 1827, 1830, and 1833; and on these occasions some degree 78 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. of tact was necessary, to provide that the matter struck out of each page should be replaced by exactly the same quantity of corrected letter-press; in order that the stereotyped plates of the pages which required no alteration, might remain in the same numerical order as before. In the Preface to the twenty-sixth edition (1830) the Editor wrote as follows: — " A Picture of London, however faithful and interesting for a time, cannot remain so long ; for this Metropolis, like the seasons of the English climate, seems doomed to perpetual change, to constant fluctuation, to endless vicissitudes. The continued alterations, and the rapid augmen tation of London, render it necessary for the Editor to be ever watchful and inquisitive. His task is no siaecure ; for to make his Picture faithfiil, and to touch in all the novelties and prominent incidents which perpetually occur, he must keep all his faculties awake and in constant exercise. Different revisals have now enabled him to amalgamate the whole with some degree of consistency and congruity of parts, and he hopes with as much fidelity and minuteness as can be reasonably expected in a volume of such compass and of such a class. Accurate information is the primary object of the work ; matters of criticism and taste are secondary, but stUl are kept in view ; for every literary work should honestly en deavour to refine as well as to inform the reader. Where so many names are recorded, so many facts stated, and such numerous references made to persons, and particularly to professional characters, — where the stranger is directed to a multiplicity of objects and places, and where such a variety and dissimilarity of matter is introduced as in the present Miniature Picture of the British Metropolis, the Editor, though desirous of pleasing and anticipating the wants of all, cannot flatter himself with having ftdly accomplished this desired end. Yet, if anxious solicitude and care on his own part, — if the co-operation and assistance of several other persons, and of friends experienced in literature, — and if extensive correspondence, per sonal examination and inquiry, — are jointly sufficient to secure exemption from error and to attain accuracy and utility, this volume should possess those qualities in a superior degree.'' Of the work thus introduced it is unnecessary to say much. It comprises, in about 500 closely-printed pages, a large mass of useful PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF LONDON. 79 information, both historical and descriptive, — ^interesting ahke to the inhabitant of London, and to the visitor, or stranger. Accuracy and brevity being the chief quaHties studied, the publication has no claim to high Hterary merit. It contains a number of smaU engravings of the principal buildings of London. Since 1833 the " Original Picture" has remained unaltered ; and has consequently been super seded by similar pubhcations, wherein the novelties of the metropohs have been recorded. Amongst these may be mentioned, as the most meritorious, the " Pictures" of London, pubhshed respectively by Mr. Leigh and Mr. Cruchley. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF LON DON ; with Historical and Descriptive Accounts or each Edifice. By j. Britton, and A. Pugin, Architbct. 2 Vols. Svo. 1823 — 1828. The above work was characterized by a discriminating critic, at the time of its pubhcation, as the first attempt to make architectural engravings cheap and popular. Legrand's "Paris et ses Edifices " was in some respects its prototype ; but in the latter work the engravings are in aquatint; whereas those in the "Public Buildings of London" are in outHne. The publication had its origin in the friendship of the Author and Mr. Pugin, and the drawings were made by the latter and his pupils. The undertaking was carried on in equal shares between the Author, the Artist, and Mr. Josiah Taylor, the publisher. The first number was issued in AprU, 1823,* and the series occu pied about five years in publication. The plan of the work compre- * The price, small paper, was five ahQlings for each number, containing seven engravings, with a proportionate quantity of letter-press. 80 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART IL bended engraved illustrations of the principal Churches, Bridges, Theatres, Government Offices, Club Houses, and other strictly public buildings of London ; together with some of the Mansions of the NobiHty (as, Uxbridge House, Ashburnham House, and Bur hngton House), the principal Terraces and ViUas, then newly erected in the Regent's Park, and some other edifices of a private, or resi dential nature. These engravings, though of small size, were all ex ecuted to scale, with the greatest accuracy of proportion and detaU In each case a ground-plan is given, with an exterior elevation of the principal front: in the more important edifices, other elevations are added, with sections, and interior views. Brief historical, descrip tive, and critical accounts of the buildings accompany the prints. In the two volumes there are 143 iUustrations, and 708 pages of Hterary matter. The buildings delineated and described are between seventy and eighty in number. Eight engravings are devoted to St. Paul's Cathedral, six to Westminster Abbey Church, six to Somerset House, and five each to Carlton Palace, and Drury-lane Theatre. In several instances, the plan and elevation of a building are given on the same plate; and few subjects have more than three engrav ings devoted to them. Besides those already mentioned, there are engravings of the Temple Church; the Churches of St. Mary Wool- noth; St. Stephen, Walbrook; St. Bride; St. Paul, Covent Garden; St. Martin-in-the-Fields; St. James, Westminster; St. Marylebone; St. Pancras; and St. George in the East; Westminster HaU; the House of Lords; the Law Courts at Westminster; the Banquetting House, Whitehall; the Horse Gniards; Temple Bar; Newgate; the CoUege of Physicians; Christ's Hospital; the Bank; the Royal Ex change; the Mansion House; the Custom House; the East India House; the British Museum; the Colosseum; the Diorama; the PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF LONDON. 81 London Institution; the Russell Institution; &c., &c. Among the draftsmen engaged in the work, besides Mr. Pugin, wefe Charles Mathews — (now one of the most accomplished members of the thea trical profession), Geo. Cattermole, H. Shaw, &c. Some drawings were also furnished by Decimus Burton, Jos. Gwilt, S. Ware, P. Hardwick, Geo. Wightwick, and J. Pennethorne, Architects. The plates were engraved by John Le Keux, G. Gladwin, J. Cleghorn, and numerous other artists. Of seventy-four papers descriptive of the subjects of the engrav ings, thirty-four are by Mr. Britton. Mr. Brayley wrote thirteen (including the accounts of Westminster Abbey Church, Somerset House, &c.); Mr. Gwilt contributed the articles on the Churches of St. Stephen, Walbrook; St. Mary Woolnoth ; and St. Martin-in-the- Fields ; Mr. Charles Dibdin wrote accounts of the various Theatres ; and among the other writers for the work, were Messrs. Papworth, CockereU, Decimus Burton, Tymms, Moffatt, &c. The publication, as wiU be seen by the above summary, possesses much general interest and utihty. The ground-plans are, in many instances, the only ones ever published of the respective buildings; and many of the Ulustrations are now rendered doubly interesting, in consequence of the structures they represent having been since materiaUy altered, puUed down, or destroyed by fire. In this cate gory may be mentioned Carlton Palace,, the late Royal Exchange, Covent Garden Theatre, and other edifices. Every effort was made by the proprietors of the " Pubhc Build ings of London" to ensure a successful result to their enterprise. The architects of the various buildings furnished ample details of their construction and arrangement; the special patronage of the G 82 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. Sovereign (George the Fourth) and other members of the Royal Family was bestowed upon the work ;* prospectuses were printed and pubhshed in Paris, where Mr. Pugin's connections enabled him to circulate them; and a list of influential subscribers was by these means obtained. But the necessarily great outlay for drawings, en gravings, authorship, &c., largely exceeded the amount reahzed by the sale of the work. In 1841 Mr. Nattali, the bookseUer, purchased the unsold stock, with the plates and the copyright, but, after the proceeds of that sale had been carried into account, there remained a loss upon the publication. Mr. Nattah afterwards transferred his purchase to Mr. Weale, of High Holborn, who subsequently pub lished an entirely new edition, with considerable alterations and addi tions. These were made by Mr. W. H. Leeds, whom Mr. Britton has had occasion to notice in the preceding Auto-Biography. It is difficult to characterise in temperate language the manner and the spirit in which Mr. Leeds conducted the editorship of the " Pubhc Buildings of London." Next to the ostentatious display of his own acuteness and sagacity, his object was evidently to gratify a personal feehng of animosity to Mr. Britton, by casting ridicule upon every portion of the work in which that gentleman had been concerned. But the insolence and sarcasm of his " Notes " carried their antidote along with them, and the wound which he was desirous of inflicting recoiled with double force upon himself. * The first volume was dedicated to His Majesty, .and the second to His Royal Highness Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg. SOANE MUSEUM. 83 THE UNION OP ARCHITECTURE, SCULPTURE, AND PAINTING exemplified, by a Series of Illustrations, with De scriptivb Accounts, of the House and Gat.t-eries of John Soane, Professor op Architecture in the Royal Academy, &c. 4to. 1827. The extraordinary history of this volume forms a prominent fea ture in the personal career of the author, who has, therefore, fully recorded it in his Auto-Biography. It is only necessary here to de scribe briefly the contents of the work. The letter-press consists of four chapters, as foUows : — Chap. I. — ^Remarks on design, arrangement, and decoration ; principally as relating to interior architecture and its embellishments — painted glass, mirrors, and ornaments. (Pages 1 to 23.) Chap. H. — ^Description of the general arrangement of Mr. Soane's house, on the north side of Lincoln's Inn Fields, with brief remarks onthe fitting up, and decoration of the difierent apartments. (Pages 24 to 30.) Chap, i i I- — Detailed descriptions of the Vestibule and Staircase, Eating Room and Library, Breakfast Room, Architectural Museum, Picture Cabinet and Ante-room, Monk's Parlour, Cemetery, Corridor, Sarcophagus Room, and Drawing Rooms ; with references to the plans, sections, and perspective views. (Pages 30 to 48.) Chap. TV. — ^Brief Essay on the contents of the house, classed under the respective heads of, — 1. Egyptian Antiquities; 2. Grecian; 3. Roman; 4. Pictures and Drawings ; 5. Books : Remarks on Mr. Soane's style of design, as illustrated in the National Debt Redemption Office, and the Royal Gallery, House of Lords. (Pages 49 to 60.) There is also a dedication to His Majesty King George the Fourth, and a Preface, containing some general remarks and reflections on museums and architectural coUections, on art, architecture and pa tronage, and an explanation of the purpose of the work. The letter press occupies, altogether, seventy-six pages. The engravings are twenty-three in number, besides five wood cuts. They are chiefly plans, sections, and views of the principal g2 84 britton's auto-biogbaphy, PART II. apartments of the house and museum, engraved in outline by J. Le Keux, J. Gladwin, and others, from drawings by George Moore, G. Wightwick, D. Mocatta, T. Wyatt, C. J. Richardson (Architects), F. Arundale, and others. This volume having been partially suppressed, and some of the plates destroyed, as explained by Mr. Britton in his Auto-Biography, Mr. Soane afterwards printed a " Description" of his house and museum (4to., 1830, pp. 56), illustrated by three of the prints from the work above described, with other embeUishments. In 1835 the Professor of Architecture, who had received the honour of knighthood, printed a most elaborate volume, caUed a " Description of the Residence of Sir John Soane, Architect; written by himself; with Graphic Illustrations and Incidental Details;" on the title-page of which are the words, " Not Pubhshed. Only 150 copies printed." This " Description" occupies 109 large quarto pages. It Is interspersed with comments and reflections, both in prose and poetry, from the pen of Mrs. Hofland, whose initials are appended to each contribution, although her name is carefully suppressed. The iUus trations of this volume consist of forty plates and Hthographs, and five wood-cuts. The latter are those which accompanied Mr. Brit ton's work; and amongst the plates there are also thirteen from the same publication ; being the whole of those which were not destroyed. French translations of the whole " Description," as weU as of Mrs. Hofland's additional observations, were made by that lady, and are so bound up in the volume as to constitute the most prominent parts of its contents, the English version being placed at the end. This expensive work was printed for presents from Sir John Soane. LONDON ILLUSTRATIONS. 85 VIEWS OF LONDON AND WESTMINSTER in "ROBSON'S ENGLISH CITIES." 4to. 1826-7. (See page 70.) Three ofthe most effective plates in Robson's " Views, of English Cities" are devoted to London and Westminster. The first of these is a view from London Bridge, looking towards the north-west, in which the Thames, with Southwark Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral, are the principal objects, the whole being represented under an effect of brilhant sunshine. This subject was engraved by James Redaway. Another view of London is treated in an original manner. The point of view is a spot on the Middlesex shore, immediately to the westward of Waterloo Bridge, through the first arch of which Somerset House, St. Bride's Church, the Cathedral, and part of Blackfriars Bridge are seen. The engraver of this plate was W. Tombleson. The view of Westminster, engraved by Matthews, is taken from one of the recesses on the bridge, looking westward along the bridge itself and across the Thames, towards the Abbey, the Great Hall, St. Stephen's Chapel, and the other Parhamentary buildings, the whole of which are strongly relieved against a sky tinged with the last rays of the setting sun ; the general effect being that of twilight. A BRIEF ACCOUNT of the COLOSSEUM, London. 1829. The original formation of the Regent's Park, with its carriage- drives and walks, for the pleasurable recreation and exercise of the public, was a noble and praiseworthy boon from the Government to the Metropohtan population. The appropriation of that extensive area to such a purpose has been duly appreciated; and the myriads of persons who daily frequent the Park, at once attest its attraction and usefulness. Besides Terraces and ViUas of imposing architectural 86 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. features, the Regent's Park is adorned with a large and well-culti vated Botanical garden, a Zoological Garden and Museum, a scenic Theatre, known as the Diorama, and another massive and unique edifice named the Colosseum. The last was erected expressly to display a magnificent Panoramic View of London, as seen from the top of St. Paul's Cathedral; and, when that View was first exhibited, the proprietors apphed to Mr. Britton to write an account of the buUding and its contents, to accompany a series of shght outHne engravings ; shewing the manner in which the vast mass of congre gated buildings, the river, the bridges, and other pubhc edifices, Avith the surrounding country, were displayed in the great circular, concave, picture. This pleasing task was promptly performed by the Author, con amore ; and the Artists and Proprietors testified their approbation by a handsome pecuniary comphment. Like the Pano rama itself, the descriptive account may be said to be a sort of bird's- eye view of the Metropohs, giving shght but smart sketches of the general rather than particular effects of the prominent objects deh neated in the picture. Illustrations of LONDON and SOUTHWARK in " PICTUR ESQUE ANTIQUITIES of ENGLISH CITIES." 4to. (See page 72.) In the above-mentioned work, five pages of letter-press, four engravings on copper, and two on wood, illustrate some picturesque rehcs of ancient London. The author rapidly reviews the early history of the Metropohs, adverting to its most prominent antiquities; especially the city walls, London stone, the Tower, the older portions of Westminster HaU, St. Bartholomew's Church, Smithfield, Old London Bridge, the Temple Church, Crosby HaU, with other Halls of the city companies, the palace of the Savoy, &c. The subjects LONDON : THE TOWER, ETC. 87 represented in the plates are -.— Old London Bridge, with the coffer dams for the erection of the new bridge ; shewing also the Monu ment, the tower of St. Magnus' Church, and other adjoining buUdings; drawn by W. H. Bartlett, and engraved by J.LeKeux.— Ruins of the Palace of the Bishops of Winchester, Soutlmark. This building had been converted into warehouses before the year 1814, when a fire exposed to view some parts of the old structure ; the plate was engraved by J. Le Keux, from a drawing made by W. Capon, at the time mentioned.— Ruins ofthe Palace and Chapel ofthe Bishops of Ely, Holborn. These buUdings, demoHshed about 1775, when the houses forming Ely Place were buUt, were sketched by John Carter, and engraved by John Le Keux.— Fishmongers' Hall; the old building, erected by Sir Christopher Wren, pulled down in 1829; drawn by W. H. Bartlett, engraved by Robert Roberts.— The wood-cuts, engraved by Branston and Wright, are views of St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell, and of the ruins of the old Church of St James, Clerkenwell. The first is from a drawing by Bartlett; the second from a sketch made by Carter, in 1788; shewing the circular arches and other Norman details of the original parish church. MEMOIRS OF THE TOWER OP LONDON : comprising His torical AND Descriptive Accounts of that National Fortress and Palace, Anecdotes of State Prisoners, of the Armouries, Jewels, Regalia, Records, Menagerie, etc. By John Britton and E. W. Brayley. Embellished with Engravings on Wood, by Branston and Wright. 12mo. 1830. The origin of this Httle volume is thus explained in the " Intro ductory Remarks" : — " The Authors of the present work deem it necessary to explain their reasons for undertaking it, as well as to state a few circumstances on the 88 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. mode of its execution. Occupied as they have been for many years in topographical and antiquarian publications, and having written much on the Public Buildings of London, they were solicited by the respectable proprietors of the work on the " Tower Menagerie" [Messrs. Branston and Wright] to revise and prepare for the press a mass of manuscripts, which had been designed for publication by a gentleman (Joseph Jackson, Esq.) who has long been resident in the Tower, and from which they required a volume to be composed, of moderate size and price, on the general history of that fortress, in order to connect with, and accompany the work they had before appropriated to the Menagerie. For some time, from a desire to avoid everything like an appearance of rivalry with Mr. Bayley's large and handsome publication on the same subject, the Authors declined the undertaking ; yet, on its being urged that the contemplated volume was intended for a distinct class of purchasers, that the embeUish ments would be in a difierent style of art, and that the new arrangements in the Armouries rendered an accurate description necessary in respect to the contents of these repositories, they at length agreed to undertake the revision of the manuscripts above mentioned. But on attentive exami nation of the subject it was discovered that numerous facts of varied de grees of importance, relating to the Tower, were scattered through the published Chronicles and Histories, and in public archives, which had never been applied to this specific place and purpose. The Authors therefore resolved to make the collection entrusted to them the basis of a new work, and to concentrate from every available source whatever authentic in formation respecting this fortress could be found in the numerous voliunes and manuscripts here alluded to. In the execution of their task they have to tender their acknowledgments for various assistance to Joseph Jackson, Esq., Joseph Wright, Esq., and Robert Porrett, Esq., of the Tower. To Dr. Meyrick also, the historian of ancient Armom", they are indebted for some judicious and authentic information respecting those departments in the Tower which are appropriated to the display and preservation of the Arms and Armour of former ages." Written under the circumstances above described, the " Memoirs of the Tower of London" extended to 374 smaU, but closely-printed pages; within which compass a great quantity of historical and other interesting matter is comprised. The work is divided into six chap ters, of which the following are the heads : — MEMOIRS OF THE TOWER OF LONDON. 89 Chap. I. — Historical Events connected with the Tower of London, from its foundation to the present time. Chap. II. — The Jurisdiction, Liberties, and Government of the Tower. Chap. HI. — Its situation and extent, and notices of the additions, alterations, and repairs, made at different times. Chap. IV. — Appropriation of the principal buildings in the reign of James I. Description, &c., ofthe 'WTiite Tower, Chapels, Armouries, &c. Chap. V. — Towers of the Inner Ward, with Notices of State Prisoners. Chap. VI. — Towers of the Outer Ward, Batteries, Mint, Menagerie, Garrison, &c. This pubhcation is Hable to the objection raised by a learned and judicious antiquary to one of his own pubhcations;* as it is " too long for a Guide, and too short for a History." It contained, however, the substance of all the accessible historical information relating to the Tower; whilst its moderate price rendered it more extensively and popularly useful than the elaborate work on the same subject by Mr. Bayley (2 vols. 4to., 1821—1825). The latter is weU known to the antiquary as possessing considerable merit. Its copious historical details necessarily supphed the materials for part of Messrs. Britton and Brayley's volume; and its author displayed some uneasiness on finding that his labours were thus made use of; but the compUers of the "Memoirs of the Tower'' consulted for them selves the authorities referred to by Mr. Bayley; and their Httle volume contains much interesting matter, in addition to what had pre viously been pubhshed. It is necessary to state, that in preparing it for the press they employed the assistance of Mr. John Baker. The work is dedicated, by express permission, to His Grace the Duke of Welhngton, in his official capacity as Constable of the Tower.f * The Rev. Hugh Owen's Preface to his "Account of Shrewsbury." 12mo. t [\\Tien the volume was completed, a choice copy was sent to his Grace, who acknowledged the same by " returning thanks." Some years afterwards I 90 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. There are twenty Wood Engravings in the volume ; viz. : — a general View of the Tower (1830); a Bird's-eye View, from a survey made between 1681 and 1689, shewing the condition of the fortress at that time; and fourteen Views of the principal Towers, Gateways, &c. The four remaining subjects are imaginary represen tations of the following events, more or less connected. historicaUy with the Tower of London: — the resignation of the Crown by King Richard II. , — the Execution of Lady Jane Grey, — Queen Ehzabeth signing the Death- Warrant of the Earl of Essex, — and the Trial of the Seven Bishops, in 1688. The whole series are engraved by Branston and Wright, from drawings by W. Harvey. The descrip tive portion of the work has been quite superseded by modern alter ations in the Tower ; and especiaUy those consequent upon the great conflagration in the year 1841. wished to examine, and make sketches and memoranda of the old ruined Church, and the Pharos Tower, in Dover Castle, and wrote to the Duke, as " Constable'' of the Castle, to obtain access to the fortress for that purpose, stating that I had been refused permission by an officer on duty there ; and that I did not ask from " mere personal curiosity, but as a veteran author, seeking information on subjects of archjEology, to communicate to the public." His Grace wrote a prompt reply, " declining to give any orders'" on the subject. In answer to this I further explained my object, and referred to the dedication in which I had paid the Duke a marked compliment. He returned a laconic note, declining further correspondence. What author wUl expect patronage from " the Great," and who wUl join in " Hero-worship" after this ? J. B.] HISTORY OF THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER. 91 THE HISTORY OP THE ANCIENT PALACE AND LATE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AT WESTMINSTER: embracing Accounts and Illustrations of St. Stephen's Chapel and its Clois ters, Westminster Hall, the Court of Requests, the Painted Cham ber, ETC. By E. Wbdlaxb Brayley and John Britton. Svo. 1836. The above pubhcation was projected at the latter end of the year 1834, when the recent destruction by fire of the Parhamentary buildings at Westminster had attracted public attention, generally, to the early history and progressive alterations of those edifices. The plan contemplated was a cheap volume, to be completed in ten monthly numbers; each to contain four engravings and about 40 pages of letter-press; and the price, small paper, to be two shil hngs. The popularity of the subject at the time justified the anti cipation of a very large sale; and had the work been completed within the specified Hmits, as to time and bulk, it would probably have been very remunerative. Mr. Weale, publisher, of Holborn, the successor in business of Mr. Josiah Taylor, undertook to advance aU the expenses of the work : the receipts were to be appropriated first to defray his disbursements, and in the next place to pay the Authors for their Hterary exertions ; the surplus, if any, to be di vided in equal shares between the three parties. Unfortunately, however, the proceeds of the work, even after the disposal of the plates and copyright, were insufficient to repay even the outlay upon its production. A summary of the historical events connected with the Palatial Edifices of Westminster was necessarily the first portion of the work, and it was agreed that Mr. Brayley should prepare the same, leaving Mr. Britton to write the descriptions of the different build ings, and to direct the draftsmen and engravers. The exertions necessary to procure authentic and original information from Re- 92 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. cords and Manuscripts greatly interfered with the necessary punc tuality of publication : and the abundance of such materials ultimately led to a more serious departure from the terms of the prospectus, inasmuch as the historical part alone extended to greater space than had been contemplated for the whole volume. In order to keep faith with the subscribers, a large portion of the extra cost thus incurred for paper and printing was sustained by the publisher, who made no addition to the subscription price of the work. Hence arose a serious loss upon the publication.* The volume comprises 492 pages, and 48 engravings. The his torical narrative, more than four-fifths of the whole, relates every event of importance connected with the Palace and the Houses of Parliament, from the seventh century down to the conflagration in 1834. The regal ceremonies and festivities of the ancient monarchs, and the early meetings of the great councils of the nation, form conspicuous incidents in this narrative ; and the Authors have * The Authors thus advert to the subject iu their Preface : — " In the original prospectus of this work, the Authors and Publisher engaged to furnish about 400 pages of letter-press and forty engravings for the sum specified: they have given, however, nearly one hundred pages and eight prints more than was stipulated : thus exceeding their promises, and incurring considerable cost be yond their first estimate. Calculating on an extensive sale, they fixed a low price on the volume, and they presume to hope there are readers enough in this class of Uteratm-e to secure them against loss. Although they have fuUy re deemed their pledge in regard to the promised quantity of letter-press and iUustrations, the Authors are aware they have failed in one particular, namely, the intended completion of their work by a given day. But they are under few apprehensions of being subjected to blame on that account. Much research was necessary, and considerable time has been employed (far beyond what was contemplated) in obtaining original information from ancient and authentic records : as well as in selecting from and analysing such prior authorities as it was deemed expedient to consult for the due execution of their undertaking." HISTORY OF THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER. 93 particularly shewn by extracts from ancient documents, at what times the different parts of the palatial buildings were erected and decorated. Some of these extracts, referring to the arts and artists of bygone days, are exceedingly Interesting. The history of St. Stephen's Chapel is clearly elucidated in this volume. It is shewn that Edward the First commenced, in 1292, the rebuilding of that beautifiU structure; which was originally founded by King Stephen. The Crypt, which still remains, is undoubtedly of the time of Edward I. The restoration of the Upper Chapel was carried on to some extent, in 1319 and afterwards, by Edward II.; whose son and successor actively prosecuted the works from 1330 till their final completion about 1364. Upwards of forty pages are filled with pas sages from the Account Rolls of the last mentioned era, shewing the nature of the works and the money expended ; and these abound in curious information as to the value of labour, the prices of building materials, and other circumstances connected with former times. Chapter V. is a " General Description of the Ancient Palace and its appendant buildings ; including St. Edward's or the Painted Chamber, St. Stephen's Chapel and its Cloisters, the late Houses of ParHament, the Great HaU, the Star Chamber, &c." (30 pages.) This is by Mr. Britton, who also wrote an " Arranged List of the Engravings, with Descriptive Notices of the buildings they repre^ sent" (18 pages) ; together with the Preface and Dedication. The latter is addressed to Earl De Grey, President, and the Vice-Presi dents, Honorary Secretaries, and other Members of the Royal Insti tute of British Architects. The engravings in the publication now under notice represent the different buildings as they appeared immediately after the fire, when some of the most ancient portions of them were exposed to view. 94 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE BOROUGH OF MARY LEBONE, AS INCORPORATED AND DEFINED BY AcT OF PARLIAMENT, 1832; EMBRACING THE PARISHES OF St. MarYLEBONB, St. PaNCRAS, AND PAD dington ; also thb principal landed estates within the borough : With Plans, etc., of Public Buildings. Engraved by B. R. Davies, from Surveys by F. A. Bartlett, under the Direction of J. Britton. 1835. Few modern events in the history of the Metropohs have excited so much interest in the district which it embraced as the political union of the three great and influential parishes of St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, and Paddington; which was effected by the passing of the "Reform Act" in the year 1832. Neither of the parishes con stituting the new Parhamentary Borough had been before accurately surveyed ; and their increased importance after the measure referred to, induced Mr. Britton to devote a large amount of time and money to the preparation of the Survey, or Map, above-mentioned. After much correspondence with the landowners, and a careful Survey by Mr. F. A. Bartlett, a very accurate map was made by the latter gentleman, to a scale of nine inches to a mile. This was engraved by Mr. B. R. Davies, on two large copper-plates. The sheets on which the map is printed, measure, when united, 48 inches by 40. The engraver having taken part of the risk of pubhcation, exerted his utmost skiU upon the work ; which reflects the liighest credit upon all who were concerned in it. Ground-plans and eleva tions, on a small scale, of twenty-three churches and other pubhc buildings in the Borough are inserted in the margin of the map. The great cost of the Engraving (£230) with other heavy expenses, led the proprietors to fix a somewhat high price upon the map (24s. in cloth case; on roUer 30,s.); but the sale was very limited, and far from profitable. LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY. 95 Historical and Descriptive Accodnts of the Origin, Progress, Geser-al Execution, and Characteristics of the LONDON and BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY. Folio. 1838-9. Some beautiful drawings of this Railway were made, con amore, In the year 1838, by Mr. John C. Bourne, as studies from nature. They were submitted to Mr. Britton, who suggested the expediency of their being pubhshed. The great cuttings, embankments, and tunnels, on the London and Birmingham Railway, were, at the time referred to, matters of great novelty and absorbing interest to the inhabitants of the metropohs; and it appeared therefore certain that the beauty of Mr. Bourne's drawings, and the popularity of the sub ject, would ensure success in their pubhcation. On considering the best mode of multiplying the drawings, that of tinted Hthography was adopted, as best calculated to preserve the spirit and character of the originals, without reducing them in size. Although Mr. Bourne had not previously made any drawings on stone, he was eminently successful even in his first efforts; and the whole of the series (thirty-seven in number) were thus executed by himself. The prints were pubhshed in four periodical parts, at one guinea each (super-royal foho). On the completion of the work, a general Historical and Descriptive Account of the Railway, occupy ing twenty-six closely-printed pages, was written by Mr. Britton. It comprises remarks on, — " Past and present modes of traveUing, PubHc roads. Stage Coaches, Turnpikes, Mails, Canals, Steam Boats, Locomotive Engines, History of the Railway System, and of the origin and formation of the London and Birmingham Railway. Brief Descriptive account of that line, with its Stations, Viaducts, 96 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. Tunnels, and Embankments, and notices of the Towns, ViUages, Seats, &c., upon the line and its immediate vicinity." In the draw ings, the great Embankments, Cuttings, Tunnels, and other Railway works are represented ; some in their completed state, but most of them as they appeared in various stages of their formation; and the artist has delineated some extraordinary scenes and objects, in which innumerable workmen, and gigantic machinery, appear to be in active operation. Mr. Bourne has since produced a series of drawings of the Great Western Railway (pubhshed by C. F. Cheffins), in which aU the ob jects are represented in their finished state. Mr. Britton wrote a Pro spectus, &c., for that work, but was not otherwise connected with it. MISCELLANEOUS TOPOGRAPHICAL PUBLICATIONS. In the department of Topography there remain to be noticed the foUowing pubhcations by our author, iUustrative of particular places and districts, not comprehended in the preceding pages. JONES'S VIEWS OF THE CITIES OF BATH AND BRISTOL; FROM Drawings by Thos. H. Shepherd. With Historical and De scriptive Illustrations by John Bkitton, F.S.A. 4to. 1829. On the wrapper of the third number of the " Picturesque Anti quities," (May 20, 1829), the author referred, as foUows, to his con nexion with this publication, and that which wiU be next noticed:— " In alluding to the present state of Topographical and Archseological Literature, I cannot be unconscious of, or indifierent to, a class of works in this department, which belongs entirely to the present age, and which may CHEAP EMBELLISHED LITERATURE. ' 97 be said to announce a new era. The Beauties of England was the first work to give popular attraction to embellished Topography. Its commence ment was eminently successful ; and had the authors been more aUve to their own interest than to fame, and been more soUcitous of rapid than fastidious execution, they might have secured a liberal remuneration. At present there are seven difierent publications in progress, simUar in their respective styles of embellishment to the Beauties. The plates, being exe cuted on steel, wiU produce an immense number of impressions, and thus enable the proprietors to seU them cheap. Four neatly-engraved prints, with a smaU portion of letter-press, are rendered for one shUling ; and from sixteen to twenty thousand copies of one of these works are said to be sold. This must create a new class of readers, andwUl give an increased stimulus to Topographical inquiries. Finding an inadequate remuneration for laljour, and for large expenditure of money in fine and expensive pubU- cations, I am induced to write for two of these cheap works, from the motives that impel the artist to paint the face of any sitter, or a counsel at the bar to advocate any cause, — ^because it is his vocation." The above was one of the most popular of the " cheap periodical works," here referred to, and consisted of a quarto volume, with several engravings, and a moderate portion of letter-press, in which the author has briefly narrated the History of both cities, from the earliest times, adding short descriptions of the particular buildings and scenes repre sented by the prints. The volume is dedicated to the Bishop of Bath and Wells (the Rev. Dr. Law), who is thus addressed: — " My Lord, — By inscribing a Topographical work on Somersetshire to your Lordship, I appeal to one who is famUiar with the whole district, and who can fully appreciate a literary and graphic publication which professes to contain faithful representations and accounts of the Scenery, Antiquities, and Modem Beauties of that interesting County. It is proper to apprise your Lordship that, whUst our Engravings wUl aim at the popular province of giving pleasing and correct views of the fine buildings, the venerable ruins, and the picturesque scenery of the County, the literary matter wUl be dictated by a sorupidous regard to truth, and a solicitude to amuse as weU as to inform the general reader. That topographical writing is suscepti ble of being rendered at once entertaining and interesting, wUl be readUy admitted hy those who have studied the works of Pennant, bf WhitakCT, of Warton, of Hunter, or of Scott." H 98 ¦ britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. MODERN ATHENS : or VIEWS in EDINBURGH ; From Dk\w- iNGS BY Thos. H. Shepherd. With Historical and TopoGRApmcAL Accounts BY J. Britton. 2 Vols. 4to. 1829 — 1833. This work belonged to the same pubhsher, and was conducted on the same plan, as the "Bath and Bristol." Mr. Britton, in this in stance, had to contend with the serious disadvantage of never having visited the objects to be described, and he therefore found it neces sary to write a brief account of Edinburgh from the best maps, views, and printed books which he could obtain. The volume is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, Bart., in the following language : — "To no other person than 'the Author of Waverley' — ^however iUus trious by birth or exalted in station — can the present pubUcation be addressed so appropriately and so consistently. It wiU zealously endeavour to deserve his favourable notice, by emidating that principle which pervades aU his own works, — namely, to impart information through the medimn of amusement. In venturing across the borders to seek new topographic and antiquarian game, I am fully aware of trespassing on a manor which is yours by mental right, by courtesy, and by every Uterary claim; but having sported many years in the southern parts of the island, and bagged no smaU portion of graphic game, it is but natural that an old sportsman, who stUl enjoys the field, should wish to seek novelty and pleasure on the mountains and moors of Scotland. Determined to sport fairly, to be in the field only by day-light, and in the proper season, to use neither poaching instruments nor clandestine arts, I thus give you friendly notice, persuaded that I shall meet with a kind reception from one who has so liberaUy befriended the reading world." FISHER'S PICTURESQUE ILLUSTRATIONS of GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.— Views in DEVONSHIRE and CORN WALL ; FROM Drawings by Thos. Allom and W. II. Bartlett. With Descriptions by J. Britton and Edw. Wedlake BrjVyley. 4to. 1832. Messrs. Fisher and Jackson, pubhshers of the above work, were among the earhest competitors of Mr. Jones in the production of topo graphical views and descriptions, at moderate prices; and their " Pic turesque Illustrations," which commenced with those of Devonshire anstey's "new BATH GUIDE." 99 and Cornwall, above-mentioned, "were continued for several years with much popularity and profit; embracing in their progress nearly aU the midland and northern counties of England. Mr. Brayley wrote the. volume on " Devonshire," and Mr. Britton that on CornwaU. THE NEW BATH GUIDE, a Series of Poetical Epistles, by Chris topher Anstey. With a Biogr-vphical and Topographical Preface, AND AnECDOTICU. ANNOTATIONS, BY J. BbITTON. 12mO. 1830. The witty Poem written by Anstey about the middle of the last century, on the characteristics of Bath, continued popular for many years. " Novel in style and manner; playful and fluent in versification and diction; sarcastic and humourous in language and phrases; with some bold touches of characteristic painting in the portraits of certain quacks in medicine and rehgion, it excited more than common atten tion, and rapidly rose in pubhc fame. It is almost impossible to specify the number of editions and copies of the volume that have been sold since its first appearance ; but in stating that more than twenty editions have been printed, we are within the Hmits of truth."* The Poem thus adverted to, is now but Httle read, notwithstanding its pecuHar and original merits. It is only as a local work, as an accu rate picture ofthe manners and customs of a particular place, and from the aimotations of the editor, that it caUs for notice on this occasion. Without attempting, therefore, by any extract or description, to con vey an idea of its style or matter, to those who are unacquainted with the Poem, it must suffice to observe, that the author assumes alter nately the characters of different members of the " Blunderhead" fanuly; whose letters to their relatives contain a series of sketches of * Britton's Essay on the Writings of Anstey, forming part of the volume now under notice. h2 100 britton's auto-biogrAphy, part II. society in Bath, highly amusing and characteristic, from the various qualities of accuracy, vivacity, wit, and satire, abeady noticed; though occasionally marked by a degree of coarseness which was the common fault of the author's age. There is a considerable resemblance between some of the leading characters in the " New Bath Guide," and those of Smollett's famous novel of " Humphrey Chnker ;" and, from a want of attention to dates, CampbeU, in his British Poets, and the Rev. Richard Warner, in his Literary Recollections, have asserted that Anstey borrowed the prin cipal features of his letters from Smollett; but Sir Walter Scott has shewn, on the contrary,* that the poem was published before the novel; and is, therefore, entitled to the credit of originahty. Mr. Britton's intimate acquaintance with Bath, and many of its literary inhabitants, induced him to undertake this edition of Anstey's " Guide;" and the same reason led him, in the fulfilment of his edi torial duties, to place on record many reminiscences of his early asso ciations with that interesting city. These, which are all more or less connected with the language and sentiment ofthe Poem, are intro duced in various ways. First, there is a Dedication of the volume " to the respectable Booksellers of Bath," containing some pointed observations on the infiuence of fashion, and the importance of the publishing trade, as affording the best and most effectual patronage of Hterature. An "Essay on the Life and Writings of Anstey" (24 pages), Is followed by some remarks on " Bath, as it was — as it is — and as it may be." (30 pages.) The author's observations on the past and present state of the city are interesting, as containing many notices of its scenery, buUdings, and celebrated inhabitants. His speculations * In his Preface to the Works of Smollett. bath GUIDE : TUNBRIDGE WELLS. 101 on the future are brief, and purposely visionary ; yet they hardly r^ahse the extraordinary changes which have since been effected, by the extension of railway communication, and the progress of educa tion.* Some notes, or " Anecdotical Annotations," on particular pas sages in the Poem (32 pages), which are annexed to the volume, de serve particular notice from their personal, local, and historical interest. The volume comprises 252 pages; with two engravings on wood, de signed and executed by Samuel Williams, and five etchings by the inimitable George Cruikshank, iUustrating, with his accustomed humour, as many passages of Anstey's congenial work. DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES of TUNBRIDGE WELLS, and the Calverley Estate ; with Notices of the Scenery, Seats, and Antiqui ties IN THE Vicinity. Svo. 1832. In the preface to the above pubhcation, the author states, that " being for a few days at Tunbridge Wells, in the summer of 1830, he was induced to study its characteristics, and commit to the press a few facts and reflections on the subjects named in the title-page." This, however, does not sufficiently explain the origin of the volume to which it refers, as it was written at the instance of the author's old friend, Mr. Deciums Burton, architect. That gentleman was profes- * Mr. Britton refers to a pubUcation which he had announced in 1825, to be caUed " Anecdotes of Bath, Biographical, Topographical, Literary, Architec tural, and MisceUaneous.'' " At the time of making that announcement," he observes, " I had coUected a variety of MisceUaneous Anecdotes of Bath, which have increased during my inquiries for the present work. Although aware that a pubUcation of considerable local interest might be produced from these coUec tions, I am not prepared to say that it can be accompUshed by myself, for my literary engagements are already arduous. It is much easier to plan than to execute; and far less difiicult to collect materials, than it is to digest and amalgamate them into a consistent and harmonious form." 102 britton's AUTO-BIOGEAPHY, PART II. sionaUy engaged in designing a number of villas and other buildings, on the estate of John Ward, Esq., of Calverley, near Tunbridge WeUs; and the latter thought that a judicious and weU- written " Hand-Book " might tend to attract visitors to one of the most pleasant and interest ing of EngHsh watering-places. The work is divided into four sections, or "Descriptive Sketches." Of these, the first is a "Panoramic View ofthe WeUs," fuU of anec dotes, illustrating its history and progress as a place of fashionable resort. The second describes the characteristic features and objects of the older parts of the WeUs; and also of Calverley Park and other modern improvements. The third (written by G. D. Yeats, M.D.) consists of Remarks on the Diseases observed at Tunbridge WeUs; on the nature and quaHties of the Water ; and the temperature of the Atmosphere : whilst the fourth comprises Observations on the Geo logy of the surrounding country (by Dr. ManteU); and on the Seats, Scenery, and Antiquities of the vicinity. In the last-mentioned class, are copious and interesting accounts of Bayham Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Battle Abbey, the castles of Winchelsea, Pevensey, and Hurstmon- ceaux; the town and castle of Tunbridge; Penshurst Place; Buck- hurst; Brambletye House, Knole, &c. There are, in aU, 148 pages of letter-press, and 14 iUustrations; the latter comprising lithographic views ofthe WeUs and its vicinity, maps ofthe Calverley Estate, and plans and views ofthe newly-erected VUlas in the Park. The work is dedicated to her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, who resided for a long period at Tunbridge WeUs, during the childhood of the present Queen. A large number of copies were supplied to Mr. Ward, of Calverley, for presentation to his friends; in consideration of which that gentleman made a contribution towards the expenses of pubhcation. cassiobury PARK. 103 In a review of the volume in the Times newspaper, two historical errors were pointed out, whilst the writer objected to the application of the epithet " frivolous " to Waller's verses to Sacharissa. Mr. Britton, in reply, {Times, July 10, 1832) defended his opinion on the latter point, and quoted several of the poet's lines, in order to support and justify it. Mrs. Jameson, one ofthe most accomphshed of modern wri ters, has adopted a similar view of Waller's poetical effusions, in the second volume of her interesting work on the "Loves ofthe Poets." THE HISTORY and DESCRIPTION, with GRAPHIC ILLUS TRATIONS, OF CASSIOBURY PARK, Hertfordshire, the Seat of the Earl of Essex. Folio. 1837. The late Earl of Essex wiU be long remembered by his patronage of artists, and men of genius of various kinds; especiaUy of those in the theatrical profession. In Mr. Britton's pedestrian tour, in the year 1800,* he visited the Noble Earl at Hampton Court, in Herefordshire, and was kindly received and aided in his topographical pursuits by his Lordship. In the very first number of the " Beauties of England and Wales " the authors expressed their thanks to the Earl for the loan of a drawing by Turner, to be engraved for that work. From that time Mr. Britton frequently corresponded with his Lordship, and occa sionaUy visited him at Cassiobury, a seat which has long been cele brated for the extent and beauty of its Park and Gardens. Part of the house is old, but it was much enlarged and modernised by James Wyatt. The Earl commissioned Turner, Alexander, Edridge, Pugm, Hunt, and others, to make views of different parts of the House; and subsequently, had a series of plates engraved in aquatint from some of those drawings. Mr. Britton having offered to write and publish a * See page 50, in a previous part of this volume. 104 britton's auto-biogeaphy, part II. History and Description ofthe Seat, to be illustrated by impressions from the engravings so executed; the plates were kindly placed at his disposal for the purpose. ¦ Undertaken " as a matter of amusement and relaxation, rather than as a task of labour," the History of Cassiobury presents Httle matter for comment. It contams thirty-two foho pages, which comprise much his torical and descriptive information. The connexion of Cassiobury with the British chieftain, Cassibelanus, who is commemorated in " Cassar's Commentaries," is discussed in the historical portion of the work; and the subsequent descent of the manor is also singularly interesting. Short biographical notices, with pedigrees, ofthe Earls of Essex, and their predecessors in the property, are given. The twenty plates include a ground-plan, and views ofthe house; besides which there are wood-engravings by S. Wilhams, being views and ground-plans of eight picturesque cottages in the park. The mode of publication adopted by the Author on this occasion differed somewhat from his usual practice. One hundred and fifty copies only were printed, in super-royal foho, and twenty on larger paper, atlas folio. The volume is a beautiful specimen of typography, one of the latest productions of the Chiswick Press, and the copies were prepared for publication with much care, and at a great expense. The small paper, price three guineas each, were half-bound in morocco. In the twenty large copies, price ten guineas, the engravings were co loured after the original drawings. Each of these copies had two addi tional illustrations ; namely, a portrait of the Earl of Essex, after Hopp ner; and portraits of his Lordship and his Sister, when children, after Reynolds. These were both private plates, belonging to Lord Essex. history op toddington. 105 GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS, with HISTORICAL and DE SCRIPTIVE ACCOUNTS op TODDINGTON, GLOUCESTER SHIRE ; the Seat of Lord Sudeley. 4to. 1841. This volume had its origin in similar circumstances to those which gave rise to the " History of Cassiobury." Charles Hanbury Tracy, Esq., M.P., of Toddington, created Baron Sudeley in the year 1838, had long been distinguished by his extensive knowledge and critical judgment, in aU that related to ancient Ecclesiastical Architecture ; qualifications which led to his appointmen t as one of the Commissioners to examine and report upon the Designs for re-building the Houses of ParHament, after the great conflagration in 1834. Mr. Tracy had been engaged from the year 1819 in erecting, from his own designs, a mag nificent mansion on his estate at Toddington; and had therein suc ceeded in the apphcation of his favourite species of architecture to modem domestic purposes. In order to render this unique building better known to architects and amateurs, Mr. Britton suggested the pubhcation of this volume, and recommended an artist for the purpose of making the necessary drawings. The cost of these illustrations was defrayed by Mr. Tracy. Considerable delay occurred in the production of the intended work, which is thus explained by the Author in his " Concluding Remarks": — " The present volume has been long in progress, and frequently announced for speedy pubhcation. Repeated attacks of illness have occasioned me to put it aside in different stages of composition. At times of convalescence and health, other and more pressing demands engrossed nearly all my time and soHcitude, and compelled me to postpone the completion of this work. Incidentally becoming connected, for the last five years, with an unfortunate Rail way Company, I have been gradually involved in the loss of much time, and also nearly the whole savings arising from fifty years of literary labour. These are my painful pleas for delay, and also for those 106 britton's auto-biography, part II. imperfections of authorship which the acute critic may too easily de tect, but which, it is hoped, he wiU generously be disposed to pardon." The literary portion of this volume extends to 72 pages. The first chapter notices the principal mansions erected after ancient ecclesiastic models during the present century, including designs by Walpole, James Wyatt, Wilkins, Soane, WyatviUe, Repton, Nash, Robinson, and Barry. Chapter II. consists of remarks on landscape gardening and local scenery, as calculated to influence architectural designs. The third chapter describes the New House at Toddington ; whilst a fourth notices the Antiquities of the neighbourhood. Pedigrees of the Tracy family, prepared by Sir Charles Young, the present Garter King-at- Arms, are subjoined. The iUustrations include a ground-plan and views of the House; also ten Hthographic drawings, and three wood-engravings. ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS or WINDSOR CASTLE ; BY Michael Gandy and Benjamin Baud, Architects. With a Concise Account of that Edifice, by J. Britton. Folio. 1842. Messrs. Gandy and Baud, in their preface to the above volume, insert a letter addressed to thera by the Author, in which is the fol lowing passage, explanatory of his connexion with it : — " In the year 1834 I urged the late Sir Jefiry WyatviUe to pubUsh Ulustrations of Windsor Castle, calculated to show to the world the character of his own designs, the extent of the works he had executed, and the paltry and puerile features which it had been his duty to sweep away. After much hesitation he at length agreed to undertake a large and expensive publication on the subject, for which you, who were famiUar with aU the detaUs of the buUding, were to prepare the necessary drawings ; — and it was also arranged that I was to write the Uterary portion of the work. These plans and anticipations were, however, fiiistrated by the inevitable calamity — death. What I had intended for my esteemed friend I now most cheerfully transfer to you ; because I am pleased with the fideUty and beauty of your drawings, and the zeal you manifest for the professional fame of your revered employer, and for your own reputation as artists." ILLUSTRATIONS OF WINDSOR CASTLE. 107 Mr. Gandy, it is necessary to state, had been engaged thirty-three years, and Mr. Baud fourteen years, in the office of Sir Jeffry Wyat viUe, with whose highly-successful operations in the restoration of Windsor Castle they were necessarily famihar. The publication, which the Architect had first undertaken, at the instance of Mr. Britton, was sanctioned and promoted by King William the Fourth ; and many drawings and engravings, besides those by Messrs. Gandy and Baud, were prepared under the superintendence of Sir Jeffry Wyatville. His executors, however, thought proper to exclude from the authorized pubhcation the iUustrations by the above-named gentlemen ; who ac cordingly determined to publish them as a separate work. There are forty illustrations in the volume ; namely, sixteen perspec tive views, in Hthography, by Hawkins, Bourne, and Moore; and twenty-four geometrical elevations, engraved by Benjamin Winkles; the whole executed from the drawings of the architects already named. The letter-press, twelve foHo pages, is chiefly historical; being a brief account of Windsor Castle, from the Norman Conquest to the reign of Queen Victoria; with interesting notices of James Wyatt and Sir Jeffiy WyatviUe; to which are added short descriptive par ticulars, and references to the illustrations. THE HISTORY OF SURREY ; by Edw. W. Brayley, F.S.A., as sisted by J. Britton, and E. W. Brayley, Jun. 5 Vols. Svo. 1840-1848. Although the name of Mr. Britton appears upon the title-pages of this " History of Surrey," he has had very Httle participation in the authorship. In the course of his frequent visits to the Deepdene, near Dorking, the fine seat of his early patron and friend, Thomas Hope, Esq. , he became acquainted with the late amiable and enterprising printer and pubhsher of the work, Mr. Robert Best Ede; whom he in fact in duced, about the year 1838, to undertake the pubhcation. The length 108 britton's auto-biography, PAET II. of time that had elapsed since the date of the County history by Man ning and Bray, (three volumes foho, 1804 — 1814), had rendered ob vious the necessity of a new work, adapted to the numerous changes which had taken place ; and Mr. Ede entered upon the project with great activity and enthusiasm. The first prospectus was drawn up by Mr. Britton; at whose suggestion Mr. John Timbs, an able and expe rienced writer for the periodical press, agreed to undertake the author ship on condition of being largely aided by the former. A specimen sheet was prepared by them jointly, and during the years 1838 and 1839 Mr. Britton was actively engaged, in co-operation with the pub hsher, in procuring information, and superintending the preparation of drawings and engravings. Mr. Timbs afterwards withdrew from the undertaking; when Mr. Brayley accepted it, and, after nine years of industrious research and literary labour, has successfully completed the task, and produced a County History unprecedented in the beauties of Typography, Paper, and EmbelHshment; and certainly not surpassed in those essential attributes of Authorship : laborious investigation, careful and critical records of dates and facts, with perspicuity and dis crimination in narrative. The quarto edition of this work is a beautiful and interesting book, and calculated to do credit to the best Hbraries of the County. The worthy pubhsher died, in the prime of Hfe, before the last volume was completed, and his widow survived him Httle more than two years, leaving an only son, a youth, to lament his irreparable loss. The Geological portion ofthe work was contributed by the able pen of Gideon Algernon ManteU, LL.D., and the superintendence of the EmbelHshments was confided to the artistic skiU and taste of Mr. Thomas Allom. SECTION II. " I DO LOVE these ANCIENT RUINS : We NEVIIR TREAD UPON THEM BUT WE SET Our foOT UPON SOME REVEREND HISTORY ; And, QUESTIONLESS, HERE, IN THIS OPEN COURT, (Which now lies naked to the injuries Of stormy weather) some men lie interred, • Who loved the church so well, and gave so largely to it, They thought it should have canopied their bones Tux doomsday. But all Things have their end : Churches and Cities, which have diseases like to men. Must have like death which we have." Webster : Duchess op Malfy. , So large a space has been a5)propriated to Topography that it will be necessary to be as brief as possible in adverting to Mr. Britton's works in other departments of Hterature. Those devoted to Archi tectural Antiquities, and the minor branches of Archeology connected therewith, require especial mention, because their author has attained by them marked distinction and eminence ; and because, moreover, their intrinsic merit, and the profusion of useful as well as pleasing embeUishments ¦which they contain, render them the most dis tinguished and valuable of his numerous literary works. The first of these, in point of date as well as of importance, bears the following title : — 110 britton's auto-biography, part ii. THE ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES of GREAT BRITADT, represented and illustrated in a series op Views, Elevations, Plans, Sections, and Details of various Ancient English Edifices: with Historical and Descriptive Accounts of each. 4 Vols. 4to. 1805 — 1814. With a Fifth, or Suppemental Volume, entitled; — CHRO NOLOGICAL HISTORY, and GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS op CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE in ENGLAND ; embracing a Criti cal Inquiry into the Rise, Progress, and Perfection op this Species OF Architecture ; also Eighty-six Plates of Plans, Sections, Eleva tions, AND Views, with Historical and Descriptive Accounts of each Edifice and Subject. 4to. 1818 — 1826. It has been mentioned in a previous page that the publishers of the " Beauties of England and Wales " repeatedly objected to introduce into that work engravings of Architectural Antiquities ; and that the authors, on the contrary, frequently urged their attention to that class of subjects, without effect. Feehng persuaded that a pubhcation exclusively devoted to them, would be highly interesting and popular, Mr. Britton made arrange ments with his coadjutor Mr. Brayley, in 1803, for the preparation of a work to be called "Britannia Antiqua;" for which a few plates were engraved at their mutual expense : but the latter having with drawn from the undertaking, the former entered into an agreement with Mr. Josiah Taylor, Architectural BookseUer, for the accomphsh ment of the same object. In AprU, 1805, the project was matured, and a fresh agreement was signed; by which Messrs. Longman and Co., Mr. Taylor, and the Author, joined in three equal shares in the in tended work. A prospectus was issued with the foUowing passage : — " To preserve correct delineations and accurate accounts of those ancient edifices which remain to dignify and ornament the country, is the decided object of this work; the leading feature of which will be, near views of such buildings as are distinguished for their anti- architectural antiquities of great BRITAIN. Ill quity, curiosity, or architectural pecuHarities. Each of these will be drawn and engraved with scrupulous accuracy; and the most interest ing buildings will be further illustrated by enlarged representations of particular parts and ornaments, with ground-plans, &c. The whole wiU be elucidated by descriptive accounts, calculated to define the styles and dates of ancient buildings, and ultimately tending to deve- lope the history of Saxon, Norman, and EngHsh Architecture." The first number of the pubhcation appeared at Midsummer, 1805 ; and Avith the exception of a splenetic and personal attack upon the author from the pen of John Landseer, engraver, it ehcited the gene ral approbation of the Hterary world and pubhc critics.* One volume was finished in 1807 ; and another in 1809. In the years * The critical notices of this, and other works by Mr. Britton, have been ahnost innumerable ; and, with but two or three remarkable exceptions, in which personal animosity has influenced the critic's pen, his labours have received their due meed of approbation. A selection from these notices, — interesting ia asso ciation with writers and pubUcations long since passed away, — ^would form a pleasing addition to the present work; but it is necessarUy excluded by the pres sure of more important materials. The early numbers of the Architectural Anti quities were ftdly reviewed in the European Magazine, the British Critic, the New Annual Register, the Critical Review, the Annual Review, the Anti- Jaco bin, and other magazines of much popularity in their day. They were noticed in the Edinbiugh Review, where, however, in accordance with the practice first introduced by its conductors, the title of the work served merely as the text for a long essay onthe subject generaUy; whilst the book itself was dismissed in a few words. Mr. Ailrin thus described the publication in the fourth volume of the Annual Review: — "Mr. Britton sets out with no favorite system to support, nor does he yet pretend to present the reader with anything like a progressive view of our Architectural Antiquities. Detached specimens are taken from dif ferent periods, and the exact times, both of their original erection and subsequent alterations, are correctly ascertained. The buUdings already selected are as cre ditable to the talents ofthe Author, as to the graver of the Artist ; and we can not speak in terms too strong to do justice to their merits." 112 britton's auto-biography, PAET II. 1810 and 1811 the numbers constituting the third volume were pro duced; and in September, 1814, being ten months within the time originally contemplated, the fortieth number was published; com pleting the four volumes, as specified by the prospectus. The great success and popularity which attended this work was, doubtless, chiefly owing to the superiority of its graphic illustrations, which far surpassed any architectural engravings previously pubhshed. Notwithstanding the progress since made in the pictorial arts, many of these engravings are unsurpassed in accuracy and artistic exceUence. Consisting almost exclusively of general views, with but few plans, geometrical elevations, or architectural details, these engravings were eminently calculated to excite the interest of the amateur and the ge neral student ; whilst the characteristic features of the edifices selected for illustration commanded the attention of the architectural profession. In the nine years which elapsed during the publication of the "Archi tectural Antiquities," a taste for ancient church-architecture was widely diffused, with a desire to imitate it in modern edifices : Architects were led to measure and examine the buildings illustrated in the work re ferred to, as well as others in all parts of Europe; and it is not too much to assert, that the successful apphcation of the so-caUed " Gothic " Architecture of our ancestors to modern Ecclesiastical, and Domestic purposes, may, to a large extent, be attributed to this and other works simultaneously produced by Mr. Britton. In glancing at the 279 Engravings which embellish the four volumes, they are found to comprise some very interesting as well as exceUent productions by Artists of eminence. Amongst the draftsmen may be mentioned Samuel Prou t, Frederick Nash , William Alexander, F.S.A., Thomas Hearne, Sir Jeffry WyatviUe, John SeU Cotman, J. C. Buck ler, F.S.A., Joseph Gandy, A.R.A. :— Charles Wild, WilHam Westall, architectural antiquities OP great beitain. 113 A.R.A., E. Dayes, Copley Fielding, J. M. W. Turner, R.A., J. A. Repton, F.S.A., Edward Blore, and Frederick Mackenzie. The last- mentioned Artist was first introduced to the public in connection with this work. In the year 1 806 he was a pupil of the Author's old friend Mr. Repton, and under that gentleman's directions made two Draw ings of the beautiful Doorway of South-Ockendon Church, Essex, which were engraved for the first volume of the Architectural Anti quities. The spirit and accuracy of Mr. Mackenzie's drawings being much admired, he supphed no less than 23 subjects for the second volume, (including nine admirable views of Henry the Seventh's Cha pel); and 42 for the third and fourth volumes. Amongst the principal Engravers who contributed to the success of the publication were J. C. Smith, J. and R. Roffe, S. Rawle, W. Woolnoth, John Burnet, S. Barenger, R. Sands, John Pye, S. Noble, J. Byrne, J. Skelton, and Henry and John Le Keux. The name of the last, the most distinguished Architectural Engraver of this or any other coxmtry, was first brought into notice by Mr. Britton in this work, and in the Beauties of England. He continued until his death on terms of the most friendly intercourse with the Author, and the latter always felt much pleasure in acknowledging how large a share of the approbation bestowed upon his works, was due to the skill and taste of that admirable and honest artist.* Next to the superintendence of the graphic iUustrations, the Au' thor ofthe "Architectural Antiquities" is entitled to commendation for the interesting and important objects chosen for delineation. Amongst other buildings, never previously engraved with accuracy or pictorial effect, the foUowing may be particularly mentioned : — King's College Chapel, Cambridge; the Temple Church, London; a * See a brief Memoir of Mr. Le Keux, in Appendix to this Auto-Biography. I 114 BEITTON 'S AUTO-BIOGEAPHY, PAET IL series of Ancient Stone Crosses, including those of Hereford, Coventry, Gloucester, Cheddar, Malmesbury, Chichester, Winchester, &c., and the Crosses in memory of Queen Eleanor, at Geddington, Northamp ton, and Waltham; Malmesbury Abbey Church; &c.; the above- mentioned subjects being aU comprised in the first volume. King Henry the Seventh's Chapel, at Westminster, is copiously iUustrated in the second volume ; in which also 44 plates are devoted to Ancient Domestic Edifices ; including Winwall House, Audley End, Hen- grave HaU, WooUaton Hall, Longleat, HoUand House, Tabley Hall, Oxburgh Hall, and other buildings, now familiar to the Antiquary. In the third volume the subjects are of a miscellaneous character; the principal being 13 engravings of St. George's Chapel, Windsor; 14 of Roslyn Chapel, Scotland ; with others of Waltham Abbey Church,. Redmount Chapel, Lynn; the Cloister of Norwich Cathedral; Hed- ingham Castle, .&c. The fourth volume includes several interesting, ecclesiastical edifices; and a series of 25 prints of Ancient Castles, in cluding those of Conisborough, Caernarvon, Warwick, Kenilworth, Rochester, Thornbury, Norwich, Ludlow, Bolton, Castle Rising, &c. The literary portion of the "Architectural Antiquities " is compa ratively Hmited in extent, being confined to short historical and de scriptive notices of the buildings delineated. The letter-press in the four volumes amounts to 450 pages; being in the proportion of Httle more than a page and a half to each Engraving.* General remarks are offered on some ofthe more prominent subjects ; such as the Essays on Crosses, and Round Churches, in the first volume. In the account of Henry the Seventh's Chapel extracts from the wiU of the King are * [It should be borne in mind that the contemporary iUustrated works had rarely more than half a page, or a page of letter-press, to each print : as Sandby's "Virtuoso's Museum"— Hearne and Byrne's " Antiquities"— Watts's " Views of Seats"— Carter's "Ancient Architecture," &c.— J. B.] architectural antiquities of GREAT BRITAIN. 1 15 inserted, together with the agreements with masons and others for the erection ofthe Chapel. Speaking incidentally, in the essay on Malmes bury Abbey Church, ofthe want of « precise terms, calculated to cha racterize the various styles of Ancient Architecture," the Author ob serves, — " The usual common-place terms of Saxon and of Gothic are not only extremely vague, but, from indiscriminate apphcation, are completely nugatory. It is time this was remedied; and it is a reproach to Antiquarian Hterature that such improper and imperfect words should so long have continued in general use. I would recommend that each decisive variety of style in ancient buildings be designated by one of the foUowing phrases, agreeably to the era of its prevalence ; — Anglo-Saxon; Anglo-Norman; EngHsh; Decorated English; and Highly Decorated, or Florid English."* The Author was assisted by several of his literary friends in various portions of the work; and amongst the contributors who so aided In promotiagits success, and giving value to its pages, may be mentioned Charles Clarke, the Rev. J. B. Blakeway, the Rev. H. Owen, the Rev. E. Edwards, J. A. Repton, the Rev. R. Forby, J. H. Markland, W. Burdon, W. Bray, the Rev. Richard Yates, E. J. WiUson, the Rev. W. Coneybeare (afterwards Dean of LlandaS), W. M. Moseley, J. N. Johnson, and J. Crosse. Sir Walter Scott furnished some curious information respecting Roslyn Chapel, which is particularly alluded to in the paper on that interesting edifice ; and the author was also assisted by the noblemen and gentlemen who were the proprietors of the subjects iUustrated. These obligations are appropriately acknow ledged by the Author in every instance. The different volumes of the work are respectively dedicated to the Marquess of Stafford, Thomas * Two years before this was written ; namely, in the year 1805, Mr. Britton had stated, on the wrapper of the first number of the work, that he would never apply the term " Gothic" to any species of ancient English buildings. I 2 116 britton's auto-biogeaphy, PAET II. Hope, Esq., John Soane, Esq., and the Marquess of Lansdowne.* The engravings are inscribed to different persons, as testimonials either of public worth or private friendship; a species of compliment of frequent occurrence forty years ago, though now almost abandoned. On the 6th of July, 1814, the Author and his partners invited the Artists who had been employed in the pubhcation, together with some literary friends, to a dinner at Highbury-Bam Tavern, to cele brate the completion of the four volumes. CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE. It has been seen that the "Architectural Antiquities " consisted of misceUaneous and isolated buildings without reference to dates or other order. It was stated in the fijst prospectus, that the engravings would "collectively exhibit specimens ofthe various styles which pre vailed at different eras, in the ecclesiastical, castellated, and domestic architecture of Great Britain;" and, by some persons, that announce ment was construed as binding the Author to render it an Ulustrated History of Medieval Architecture. The importance and necessity of some such History, to which the prints in the "Antiquities" might serve as illustrations, had been strongly urged by the early reviewers of the pubhcation; and the sub scribers, who had misinterpreted the intentions of the author, com plained that their anticipations, although unfounded, were not reahsed. In reply to some " insinuations of petty envy and falsehood, which had been industriously employed in decrying the work," the author thus wrote, in the Introduction to the third volume (1812): — "This publication is intended to embrace a miscellaneous collection of views. * The Author had an interesting correspondence with the last-mentioned nobleman in reference to this Dedication. histoey of christian ARCHITECTURE. 117 plans, and detaUs of ancient buUdings, from various parts of England, Wales, and Scotland. In no part of the original prospectus, nor on any subse quent occasion, is it stated that these specimens wUl be arranged in Chro nological order, or represented merely in geometrical elevation, section, and plan. Such, it is admitted, would be most useful and interesting to the pro fessional architect, andthe scientific antiquary; but the artist, the amateur, and the greater nujnber of readers, require variety, picturesque efiect, and general views. The pubUcation is addressed to each of these classes, and is uitended to lead the mind to scientific principles and historical facts, through the medium of amusement and rational investigation. The Author is col lecting and classing materials for a Supplementary Essay on the Rise, Pro gress, and Characteristics of Ancient Architecture ; Ulustrated by En gravings, shewing, in Chronological Order, the successive variations in the forms of arches, doors, windows, buttresses, parapets, and ornamental de taUs of buUdings ; but, as this part of the work cannot properly, or satisfac- torUy, be executed without careful investigation, itwUl be slow in progress, and long in completion." A simUar announcement was made by the Author in his Preface to the next volume (1814); where he intimated that the supplementary series would be addressed to architects and men of science, rather than to general readers. Such was the origin oi the fifth volume ofthe "Architectural An tiquities;" and the Author's anticipation, that it would necessarily "be slow in progress," was fully reaHsed ; its subsequent history being, in fact, a continued series of postponements, and delays. Immediately on the completion of the four volumes, Mr. Britton had embarked in his "Cathedral Antiquities" — and his attention was so fully engrossed by it, that in June, 1817, he found it necessary to inform persons who had expressed some anxiety for the promised " Chronological History," that it was neither forgotten nor neglected; and that drawings had recently been made, and were then making, for it. " To obtain gen uine Anglo-Saxon specimens," he added, "was a source of doubt and difficulty, and had occasioned the delay referred to." A new prospectus soon afterwards stated that the intended volume 1 18 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. would be published in ten numbers, each containing eight engravings; and that the whole would comprise twenty sheets of letter-press. " The literary part wUl be historical, descriptive, and critical; it wiU em brace a complete review of the origin and progress of Christian Architecture in England; and each building wiU be represented by general views, and architectural detaUs, whereby the scientific character of architecture wUl be displayed, from its rude and solid character at the beginning, its advance ment to magnitude and grandeur, and lastly, its superlative decoration and splendour in the zenith of its glory." The first number was pubhshed in August, 1818, and was followed by three more in the ensuing year; but those numbers consisted en tirely of Engravings. In January, 1823, nine numbers had appeared, but with only seven sheets of letter-press. The Author then found it necessary to print an explanation of the delay, and also of a departure from the original plan, by omitting the promised engravings, as weU as accounts, of Castellated and Domestic Architecture. In this address he candidly acknowledged his error in attempting to embrace so many varieties of Architecture, in eighty engravings. The tentii number, which was to have concluded the work, was pubhshed in 1825; but another was required, to complete the pro mised historical, critical, and descriptive essays. This was produced in 1 826 ; with six extra engravings, together with twenty-six sheets of letter-press ; by which large addition the literary matter was increased from twenty sheets, as originally contemplated, to forty-three.* * In the Preface, the Author thus alludes to the difficulties involved in the execution of his task : — " This volume has not had less of my soUcitude and de votion than others; but its subjects are very numerous, and much diversified; the task of selection and condensation has been more difficult, the anxiety to pro duce new and decisive evidence, to obtain fresh and unexplored documents, or proofs, to reconcile contradictions, and substitute facts in the place of theories, all combined to render the mind dubious and the execution slow. At the commence ment, I promised more than has been, or ever could be, weU performed. I have however, deceived myself much more than others, for in order to propitiate the HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE. 119 The phrase "Ancient Architecture," which had been employed in the announcements, was superseded during the progress of the volume by that of "Christian;" which the Author adopted in order to define and characterise more accurately the beautiful species which had been generaUy, but absurdly, denominated " Gothic." The foUowing are the principal Literary contents of the volume, the production of which must evidently have required great labour, perseverance, and circumspection: — Introductory Chapter. — On the introduction of Christianity into Britain ; its influence on society and manners among the Romans, the Britons, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Normans ; with the origin, progress, decline, and suppression of monachism. (30 pages.) Chapter I. — Terms used by different writers to denote the various styles of ecclesiastical architecture ; with a review of the theories and opinions which have been pubUshed relative to their origin ; including a brief analysis ofthe principal works on the subject. (72 pages.) Chapter II. — ^An inquiry into the history, progress, and character of Ancient Christian Architecture in Britain. (79 pages.) Chapter III. — ^Descriptive accounts of the various buUdings and portions of buUdings delineated in the accompanying prints ; serving to define and iUustrate the progressive styles, features, and peculiarities of Christian Architecture in England. (79 pages.) Appendix. — 1. An Alphabetical List of Architects and Founders of BuUdings, in the Middle Ages. 2. A Chronological List of the principal Ancient Ecclesiastical Edifices in Great Britain. 3. Chronological List of Ancient Sepulchral Monuments. 4. List of Stone Pulpits. 5. List of Ancient Fonts. 6. List of Stone Crosses. 7. An Architectural Dictionary, good opinion of those whose esteem is worthy of acquisition, to do permanent credit to myself, and to secure for this volume a character that wUl be enhanced by nunute scrutiny and careful analysis, I have encountered great expense and labour, much beyond aU former anticipation and former experience. Had I been less scrupulous, and more influenced by the pressing emergencies of the moment, and the entreaties and complamts of friends and correspondents, than by the de sire of satisfying my own nund, and thereby securing permanent credit, I should certainly have finished the work two, or even three years ago.'' 120 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. or Glossary of terms relating to the Ecclesiastical BuUdings ofthe Middle Ages. Indexes. (64 pages.) The Engravings differ materially from those in the first four vo lumes, being chiefly executed in outHne, or with very little shadow, whence they are deficient in that richness of pictorial effect which characterised the previous prints ; but though less pleasing to the ama teur, they are more valuable to the architect and professional student. The subjects represented are numerous and diversified in style and character; including, amongst many others, the venerable churches at Brixworth, partly Anglo-Roman ; Earl's- Barton, admitted to be Anglo-Saxon; those of Iffley; St. Peter's, Northampton; St. Cross; the Abbey Churches of Malmesbury and Romsey; the Minster at Beverley; the Cathedrals of Sahsbury, Lincoln, and Winchester; the Church of Dorchester, Oxfordshire ; Boston Tower ; the Abbot's Tower, Evesham; and the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, at Taun ton. Fifty-five of the plates, being two-thirds of the whole number, were engraved by John Le Keux. Although calculated to be far more practically useful than the pre vious volumes, the sale of this was comparatively Hmited; although a great outlay had been involved in its preparation. On the death of Mr. Josiah Taylor, one of the partners, a sale by auction of his interest in these publications took place, under an order of the Court of Chancery, on the 10th of April, 1835 ; when the whole of the un sold copies of the five volumes, together with the Copper-plates and Copyright of the whole, were disposed of. Mr. NattaH, bookseller, purchased the latter. It is to be regretted that the author was not engaged by the new proprietor to revise, correct, and improve the letter-press, which he was prepared and wilHng to do ; and both the author and the public must deplore the injured state of the plates in many copies that have been sold, at very reduced prices. CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES OP ENGLAND. 121 THE CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES OF ENGLAND ; or, an His- TORICAX, Architectural, and Graphic Illustration op the English Cathedral Churches. 14 Vols. 4to. 1814 to 1835. A History, with good iUustrations, of the EngHsh Cathedrals, was a desideratum in hterature, when Mr. Britton commenced the above arduous, attractive, and difficult task. No complete, or regular pubh cation on the subject had appeared since the year 1742, when Browne Willis produced his " Survey ofthe Cathedrals." The Society of An tiquaries of London had commenced a large and expensive work, illus trative of the architecture of those edifices, and of other ancient eccle siastical buUdings. John Carter was to have made the drawings, and James Basire was employed to execute aU the engravings ; whilst the former was to write descriptions of each building, to accompany his torical particulars fumished by other members of the Society. The first edifices chosen were, Exeter Cathedral, Bath Abbey Church, and St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster; the engravings of which were accompanied by some very imperfect letter-press by John Topham, Dean Lyttleton, Sir Henry Englefield, and Mr. Carter. The iUustra tions were not characterised by any remarkable degree of merit; and, considering the unsatisfactory nature, and the unwieldy and almost unusable size of the paper, it is not surprising that the pubhcation was a failure, and entaUed on the Society a serious sacrifice of funds. Mr. J. Storer, a draftsman and engraver of some skiU, had com menced, in the year 1812, a series of smaU volumes on "the Cathe drals of Great Britain," with accounts by an author of the name of Brown, who had been a compositor to Mr. Maiden, the printer em ployed on the early volumes of the " Beauties of England." The letter-press of Mr. Storer's "Cathedrals" was marked by intemperate hostihty to Anglo-Norman Architecture, and to the Roman Catholic Church. The work comprised smaU engravings, with brief historical 122 britton's auto-biography, PART II. and descriptive accounts ; and the pubhcation was continued for several years. The accounts of the Cathedrals were chiefly derived from pre ceding writers, and the engravings were too small to do justice to the subjects chosen for iUustration ; but the price was moderate, and it attained a fair share of pubhc patronage. Bentham had pubhshed an elaborate and learned History of Ely Cathedral ; Milner had produced a popular and well- written History of Winchester, and its unique Cathedral; whilst Grose, Warton,War- burton, Essex, Walpole, King, Hawkins, and a few others, had given to the public their respective opinions and theories on the disputed subjects of " Saxon, Norman, and Gothic Architecture." Many were the difficulties and obstacles which the author had to contend with at the very threshold of his undertaking; and his early movements were, consequently, slow and cautious; for he was not only doubtful of his own powers, but very imperfectly prepared to enter upon the controverted subjects of ecclesiastical and architectural his tory and criticism. It is necessary, however, to premise that Mr.Britton did not in the outset contemplate a series of volumes on aU the Eng lish Cathedrals; on the contrary, he Hmited his hopes, fears, and calcu lations to a volume illustrating that of Sahsbury only. His personal examination and study of that exquisite Church, towards the close of the last century, and his intimacy with the prelate and other members of the foundation, led him at an early period to entertain the project of publishing engravings of its architecture, with some account of the building; both historical and descriptive. To avoid the largeness of the Society of Antiquaries' work, and the smaUness of Mr. Storer's, the Author chose to publish his in quarto, to class with the "Archi tectural Antiquities.'' Francis Price, who had been engaged as Surveyor ofthe Cathedral, had published a quarto volume in 1758, explaining its history and CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES — SALISBURY. 123 architecture ; and William Dodsworth, the Verger of the Church, had printed a small Guide, or Hand-book, the fifth edition of which appeared in 1798. For a new edition of the latter, Mr. Britton pre sented the Verger with a very elaborate drawing by Mackenzie, in return for personal civilities, as well as for facilitating the labours of Mackenzie, Baxter, Nash, and other artists, whom Mr. Britton en gaged to prepare accurate drawings of the Cathedral. Cordiality and friendliness prevailed amongst all these parties, until some of the plates were engraved; when the author learnt that Mr. Nash had per suaded the Verger to undertake the publication of a quarto volume, in opposition to that announced by his old friend. The latter was a very respectable and respected man, in business a tailor. The income which he derived from showing the splendid and interesting Cathedral, enabled him to Hve in a genteel style, and to associate with the Minor Canons, and some of the influential tradesmen of the city. Incited by some ofthe artists Mr. Britton had employed, he issued a prospectus in 1814 for an " Historical Description of the Cathedral Church of Salisbury," to be of the size of that already announced, and imitating aU its essential features. Fortunately, he secured the aid of Mr. Henry Hatcher, who was allowed to examine the archives of the church, and who wrote, in a very able manner, the entire volume. Mr. Britton's publication was issued in five successive numbers, between May, 1814, and March, 1815; and the foUowing remarks appeared on the wrapper of the concluding number : — "The quantity and quality ofthe present number, it is hoped, wUl compen sate for its delay ; and it is also hoped the reader wUl soon perceive that the Uterary part has not been executed in a hasty or careless manner. If he wUl give himself the trouble to compare this account with aU that have been pre viously published, he wUl find, not only much original information, but every statement re-investigated and re- written. Nothing has been taken on a single authority. The critical and antiquarian reader will, also, now have an oppor tunity of examining the whole history and description, with its illustrations, 124 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. in a complete form and arrangement; and wUl be enabled to say if the author has fulfilled his engagements, and what degree of justice he has done to the subject. The writer must remark, however, in self-defence, that he has been thwarted in some things, and disappointed in others; but stUl, whatever defects may be seen in the present volume, he hopes to avoid them in his accounts of future cathedrals." Mr. Dodsworth 's volume, which had a long Hst of subscribers, was finished before Mr. Britton's. It appears from letters written between the rival authors that, however hostUe they might have been at the commencement of their opposition, they became reconciled at the end; as Mr. Dodsworth writes — " I am very glad to have it in my power at last to send you an imperial copy of my ' History of Salisbury Ca thedral,' which I beg you will do me the favour to accept. If I can get over the enormous expense of the work, I shall do weU." When Mr. Britton came to the determination that his volume on Salisbury Cathedral should be the precursor of a series of similar iUus trations of the other EngHsh Cathedrals, a general prospectus of the intended work was issued, containing the foUowing observations: — " Sir WiUiam Chambers, in his ' Treatise on CivU Architecture,' properly and judiciously remarks — ' One cannot refrain from wishing that the Gothic Structures were more considered, better understood, and bx higher estima tion, than they hitherto seem to have been. If our DUettanti, instead of im- portiag the gleanings of Greece; or our Antiquaries, instead of pubUshing loose, incoherent prints, were to encourage persons duly qualified, to under take a correct publication of our own Cathedrals, and of other buUdings caUed Gothic, before they totaUy faU into ruin, it would be of real service to the Arts of Design, preserve the remembrance of an extraordinary style of buUding now fast sinking into oblivion, and, at the same time, pubUsh to the world the riches of Britain in the splendour of her ancient Structures.' The plan recommended by this justly eminent Architect is now undertaken; and it is confidently hoped that pubUc encoui-agement wiU keep pace with the zeal and exertions manifested to merit it It is the author's intention to comprise in the Literary Disquisitions,— 1st, A connected Historical Essay on the age, style, and characteristics of each building;— 2ndly, A Descrip tion of the whole edifice, and of its various parts ;—3rdIy, A Dissertation CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES— SALISBURY. 125 on the Manners, Customs, and Rites observed in Cathedrals at difierent pe riods; — 4thly, Observations on the Peculiarities and Merits of Monumental, AUegorical, and Decorative Sculpture; and Sthly, Biographical Anecdotes of the Bishops, and of other iUustrious and eminent persons interred within each Church, or directly connected with it. The Graphic EmbelUshments wUl consist of Plans, Views, Elevations, and enlarged DetaUs of each buUd ing; calculated to Ulustrate aU the varieties of Architecture, and the general eflfects of the whole, and of particular parts."* This arrangement of the Hterary matter was adhered to, more or less closely, throughout the progress ofthe " Cathedral Antiquities." The foUowing analysis of the Salisbury volume will serve to exempHfy the arrangement and contents of that and of the succeeding Histories. The Title-page is as foUows — " The History and Antiquities OP the Cathedral Church op Salisbury; illustrated by a Series of Engravings of Views, Elevations, Plans, and Details of that Edifice : also Etchings of the Ancient Monuments and Sculpture : in cluding Biographical Anecdotes of the Bishops and of other eminent persons connected with the Church." The Dedication is addressed to the Right Rev. John Fisher, D.D., Bishop of Salisbury, and Precep tor to Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales.f The Preface adverts to the nature and characteristics of the volume in the following terms : — " In planning and executing the present work, the Author has sought to inform and gratify the architect and antiquary by geometrical elevations and detaUs ; and the connoisseur and artist, by such views of the buUding as display its most distinguishing and interesting features. It has also been * Like the "Architectural," the "Cathedral Antiquities" was the joint pro perty ofthe Author, Messrs. Longman and Co., and Mr. Josiah Taylor. t "The Author must ever feel a deep and grateful remembrance ofthe memory of Bishop Fisher. Attached to art, and capable of appreciating its better pro ductions, his Lordship promptly and cordially encouraged the Author, and ex tended his patronage to him for the remainder of his life. He also recommended the work to the Princess Charlotte, who took much interest in the Cathedral Antiquities." — Preface to Worcester Cathedral. 1835. 126 britton's auto-biography, part II. his wish to please another class of persons, by accurate delineations of an cient sculpture. In historical and biographical narrative he deems truth of paramount importance ; and has sought it with dUigence and caution. Every accessible source has been resorted to ; contending authorities com pared and analysed, and coUateral evidence brought in. FoUowing a general custom, he has given short accounts of every bishop of the See ; and has endeavoured to mark the prominent characteristics of each, in a concise, in dependent, and impartial sketch. In arranging and disposing the Uterary matter, particular care has been taken to occupy and display every page to the best advantage.* The printer has also laudably endeavoured to merit the approbation ofthe typographical connoisseur." f The origin and establishment of the see at Old Sarum, and history ofthe Bishopric until the erection of the Cathedral at Sahsbury, consti tutes the first chapter ; whilst the second to the fifth inclusive contain the history of the church, under its respective bishops, whose personal career is, in each instance, shortly narrated. This historical and bio graphical portion of the work extends to 64 pages. The sixth chapter (21 pages) describes the form, arrangement, and construction of the church, with its style of design and ornament ; referring to the en gravings in illustration thereof. About 20 pages more are devoted to the principal monuments ; and some supplementary matter includes a chronological Hst of the Bishops, and Deans, and another list of pubhshed books, essays, and prints, relating to the Cathedral. The volume contains thirty-one copper-plate engravings, and three wood-cuts. The former are chiefly by J. Le Keux, from drawings by Mackenzie, representing, with remarkable breadth and accuracy, nearly every portion ofthe Cathedral, both externally and internally. * This aUusion was intended to refer to the printing of Mr. Dodsworth's vo lume, which is remarkable, by the meagre and careless composition of every page. It does not contain more than half the quantity of letter-press of Mf . Britton's. t It may be added, that the work was printed upon paper of unusuaUy good quality ; and that the labours of Mr. Wliittingham, of the Chiswick Press, fuUy deserved the approbation which he sought. CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES — NORWICH. 127 The efiect of the Author's competition with Mr. Dodsworth was be neficial to both publications. Mr. Britton's History is, perhaps, not so original in the information it contains as that which Mr. Hatcher wrote for the rival work; but in graphic Ulusti-ations, in typography, and aU the mechanical details, tlie first volume of the "Cathedi-al Antiquities" greatiy surpasses its competitor. About £2,200 were expended in its production, — more than tiie sale of the first impression could repay; but a reprint was found necessary, and the proprietoi-s ultimately derived a considerable profit. NOR\\TCH CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1816. The selection of the Cathedral of Norwich, as the second for Ulus tration, was induced by a present to tiie Author, from John Adey Repton, Architect, of a series of large and elaborate drawings of that edifice. Others were executed by F. Mackenzie,* and R. Cattermole ; and, as a mark of the Author's friendship for Mr. Repton, the volume was dedicated to him. John and Henry Le Keux distinguished them- • This artist, as mentioned in a preceding page, was a pupU of Mr. Repton, when he made these drawings. An anecdote may here be mentioned, showing how trivial circumstances often guide the mental impiUses into new and im portant channels. A youth of Norwich, named Peter Thompson, was deeply interested in watching the proceedings of Mackenzie, whUst the latter was employed in making sketches of this Cathedral. Although intended by his fenuly for a difierent pursuit, Thompson was irresistibly led, by his admu-ation of the artist's skill, to appreciate and study architectural works, and to acquire a knowledge of practical construction. Many years afterwards he commenced business in London as an architectural book and printseUer, and subsequently devoted all the energies of an active and industrious mind to the construction of timber houses and other buUdings, capable of being easUy taken to pieces, and exported : in this manufacture he has now established an extensive and profitable trade. For fiirther remarks on Mr. Thompson, the reader is referred to the first part of this Auto-Biography. 128 britton's auto-biography, PART II. selves by their plates. The Erpingham Gate, and the Interior of the Nave, are highly successful productions by the latter, the last being unsurpassed by any engraving in the " Cathedral Antiquities." The letter-press, simUar in plan and arrangement to that on Sahs bury, occupies ninety pages. The Engravings are twenty-five p number. In "The Architectural Antiquities" is a series of prints of the Cloister, from Drawings by Mr. Repton. " The Picturesque An tiquities" contains another exquisite engraving, by John Le Keux, of the Erpingham Gate-House; also views ofthe Bishop's Gate-House, and of a ruin in the Palace Garden. WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1816—1818. Tills volume contains 30 engravings and 142 pages of letter-press. The drawings were chiefly made by E. Blore, and the Engravings by J. and H.Le Keux. The following forms part ofthe Author's Preface : — " Intimately connected as the diocese of Winchester has been with the his tory and progress of Christianity in England, with the contentions for epis copal and monarchical supremacy, I have been led into a more extended re view of those subjects than maybe agreeable to some readers; but I coiUd not with propriety neglect to notice them, nor contract my comments within a smaller compass. On these points I have most scrupulously endea voured to be candid and strictly impartial, detaUing the opinions of those writers who appear to be most deserving of credit, and occasionaUy, but rarely, submitting my own. Aware that the civU and ecclesiastical history of Winchester has been amply and learnedly developed by its local historian, Dr. MUner, and that, from the rehgious opinions entertained by that writer, much warm and rather acrimonious controversy has been produced, my en deavour has been to avoid the intemperate zeal of both parties. Matters of fact in history, antiquity, and art, are the objects of the present work, not theory, opinion, or romance. These are fleeting and transitory— may be es teemed to-day, but despised tomorrow — ^whUst those afi'ord at once a gratify ing reward for investigation, and permanent satisfaction to the mind. I have eagerly endeavoured to define the styles and dates of the difierent parts of Winchester Cathedral. If I have erred in opinion, statement, or inference, I shall feel thankful for better information, or for friendly correction. To CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES— YORK. 129 elucidate all the nice varieties and gradations of architecture, we must be furnished with accurate elevations, sections, and detaUs, of ancient buUd ings; and at length we have artists capable of rendering us that invaluable service." In the preparation of the "Winchester" volume Mr. Britton had frequent correspondence with Mr. W. Garbett, whom he mentions as having been " appointed by the Dean and Chapter to superintend the Architectural repairs of the Church." In pages 55 to 59 of the vo lume, wiU be found a long letter addressed to the author, from Mr. Garbett, advocating the Saxon origin and execution of parts of the transept and tower of the Cathedral, and advancing some cogent argu ments in support of that theory; but Mr. Britton was not convinced, and appended a reply to the architect's communication.* YORK CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1818—1819. The graphic iUustrations of this sumptuous edifice are more nu merous than those devoted to any other of the series of Cathedrals ; amounting to thirty-four subjects; the cost for drawing and engraving of which exceeded £1 000. Eleven of the engravings are by John, and eight by Henry, Le Keux; whilst the drawings were prepared with great abihty by Blore and Mackenzie. It may be here observed, that a gradual change in the style of drawing and engraving was evinced in the progress ofthe "Cathedral Antiquities," the later illustrations being of a diff'erent character to those in the earlier volumes; and it must be added, that this change cannot be regarded as an improve- * [Since the volume here noticed was printed, the members of the Archso- logical Association, and those of the Archaeological Institute, have visited Win chester ; some of whom have pubUshed opinions on the dates of different parts of the Cathedral: particularly Mr. Edward Cresey, in the volume produced by the Association, and Professor WUUs, in that of the Institute. Both those gentle men are able and learned in the history of medieval architecture, and entitled to the respectfiil attention of aU antiquaries and architects. J. B.] K 130 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. ment, inasmuch as the pictorial efiect of the prints in the volume on Sahsbury, combined with their extreme accuracy, were not surpassed by any of the subsequent engravings. Some few subjects might be mentioned as exceptions to this remark ; even in the concluding portion ofthe series. The only reason for this, was the want of encouragement which the work experienced, as wiU be hereafter seen, and the reason able desire of its proprietors to reduce their outlay. The history and description of York Cathedral embrace ninety- eight pages. In the preface the author adverts to the difficulties at tending his undertaking. " At an expense hitherto unparaUeled, — without that encouragement from the dignitaries of the respective Cathedrals which might be reasonably expected, — ^without the patronage of any one society, or public body, or any noble Mecsenas of literature, — the Author has now produced four voliunes ; and from an increased and growing zeal towards the subject, he hopes that life and health will enable, and the public encourage, him to prosecute the work tUl he has illustrated the remaining Cathedrals. To the pubUc gene rally he is gratefully indebted; for they have purchased, at least, eight hun dred copies of his work ; but many persons must be surprised, that even this sale has not covered the expenses of its execution, by above il200. He is induced to make this declaration, to show that he is not likely to derive a fortune from the publication ; and as he cannot afford to sacrifice aU his property and labour in prosecuting it, he hopes that the pubUc Ubraries, which are so unjustly and impoUticly aUowed to take from the proprietors eleven copies of this expensive work, wiU be generous enough to forego their claims ; and that those gentlemen who reaUy approve of the ' Cathe dral Antiquities,' wUl recommend it to a more extensive sale." LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1819—1820. Sixteen illustrations were deemed sufficient to elucidate the promi nent architectural features of the Cathedral of Lichfield. The draw ings were nearly aU by Mackenzie; the engravings, as before, chiefly by John Le Keux. Up to the commencement of this volume, the Author's progress had been marked by cordiality with the various ar- CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES—LICHFIELD. 131 tists he employed ; but on this occasion, he was unfortunately involved in much unpleasantness in reference to some of them. In mentioning, as the cause of some delay in the pubhcation, by "disappointments from draftsmen and engravers," he was led to adopt language which, although it was justified by pecuharly annoying proceedings on the part of certain artists, those individuals nevertheless warmly resented. A cabal, or combination of them was, in fact, formed against the Au thor, which might have proved- very injurious to the work. So much hostihty was displayed by them, that he deemed it expedient to state, on the wrapper of the next number, that "although the former notice had given extraordinary ofi'ence to certain artists, he had never meant, either individually or generally, to injure them, or to wound their feelings."* The prints of Lichfield Cathedral, though few in number, embrace * [My forbearance on the occasion here referred to was severely tried. The foUowing is a portion of the notice which displeased the parties referred to : — " Owing to disappointments from draftsmen and engravers, the present number has been delayed three months beyond the time of its intended pubUcation. This delay is not only extremely tantalizing to the author and to the publishers, but very injurious to their property. They have frequently sufiered from such circumstances. From the number of young artists pow coming forward, it is hoped that there wUl be less UabiUty to simUar disappointments hereafter. It may also be reasonably expected, as there will be more competitors for fame and employment, that pubhshers wUl be served with greater promptitude, and on more moderate terms. It was the author's wish and intention that the plates of Vestibule to the Chapter House, and Arches in the Chapter House, shoiUd have been more finished and efi"ective, but the engravers neglected to execute his wishes, or imitate the drawings." — Before these remarks were penned, much ill- feeling had been manifested by certain artists against the author. In one of the plates of this very number, — a view of Chantrey's famous monument, the " Sleep ing ChUdren," — a confiised inscription had been surreptitiously inserted in one of the painted glass windows, embracing the words, " A fine drawing spoilt by John Britton." This artifice, intended as it was to annoy and injure me in pubhc estimation, e^aped my observation until some weeks after publication. J. B.] k2 132 britton's auto-biography, part II. some of the best in the whole series: among which the general view ofthe Church, a view ofthe elaborate Western Door-way, and another ofthe beautiful Entrance to theChapter-House, deserve especial notice. OXFORD CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1821. The unpleasant feelings excited by the above-mentioned personal controversy led to a complete separation between Mr. Mackenzie and the Author. This circumstance, combined with a diminution of pub lic patronage, caused a delay of several months in the production of the " History of Oxford Cathedral." In the place of the draftsman who had acted so unhandsomely, the Author secured the services of Mr. George Cattermole, then a very young man, who had been an assistant in his father's school, in Norfolk, and who was now, and for some time afterwards, engaged in Mr. Britton's office, to make drawings for his Archseological works. By this artist, seven of the eleven drawings of Oxford Cathedral were prepared : two fine interior views had been made by Mackenzie, and placed in the engraver's hands at an earHer period. The plates after Cattermole's drawings, though equaUy accurate, were less efiective than preceding iUustra tions ; and the Author, with his customary candour, acknowledges in the Preface their "inferiority in picturesque effect and style of finish ing." The letter-press on Oxford Cathedral is limited to fifty pages. The volume is briefly dedicated to the Right Rev. Dr. Burgess, Bishop of St. David's, who, at the time of its publication, was an active pro moter of the Royal Society of Literature, and had written his ad mirable Essay on the "Epochs ofthe Christian Church," with other works on Classical Literature and Antiquities. To his intimate friend, the Principal of Trinity College, and author of " Memorials of Ox ford," Mr. Britton was indebted for useful assistance. CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES— CANTERBURY. — WELLS. 133 CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1821—1823. In comparison with the hmited attractions of Lichfield and Oxford Cathedrals, Mr. Britton entered upon an extended and interesting field of architectural magnificence, in illustrating the large and im posing Metropohtical Church of Canterbury; and he was ably se- •conded, no less by the improved efforts of Mr. Cattermole, than by the skiU and taste of Mr. G. L. Taylor, and Mr. Edward Cresey, archi tects ; who furnished some accurate and interesting sections and ele vations.* Of the twenty- six prints of Canterbury Cathedral, nineteen were from drawings by Cattermole, and the remaining seven by the architects referred to. John Le Keux engraved fifteen of the plates, in a style fully equal to any of his previous productions. The letter press embraces 1 14 pages, of which 68 narrate the many important events in the history of the see; 22 comprise biographical sketches of its Archbishops, and the remainder are descriptive of the architec tural features of the Church. In the Preface, the Author adverts to the importance and utility of geometrical elevations and sections, as compared with perspective views; and pays a deserved compliment to Messrs. Taylor and Cresey for their elaborate sketches of the Cathedral. WELLS CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1823—1824. The volume on this noble Church,. Hke its immediate predecessor, wiU bear comparison with any portion of the work; both the literary matter and the embelHshments being copious and satisfactory. Six teen sheets of letter-press, and twenty-four engravings, are devoted * [These gentlemen had recently returned from a tour through France, Italy, &c., and had visited, measured, and made drawings of many of the celebrated buUdings which they had explored on the Continent. They subsequently pub Ushed two large volumes on " The Architectural Antiquities of Italy." J. B.] 134 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. to this fine ecclesiastical edifice and its appendages. The elaborate West Front; the beautiful and unique Chapter House, with the sin gular Staircase leading to it, and the Crypt below; the Vicar's -Close; as weU as the main divisions of the Church, itself, extemaUy and in ternally; and, finally, the enriched capitals, and other scidptured de-. corations, are fully and accurately delineated; and the great abihty, displayed by Mr. Le Keux,- added to the attraction of the volume, and called forth commendatory notice from the Author. A print, re presenting the Interior of the Cathedral, looking from the south tran sept to the north aile of the nave, and showing the bold and unusual arrangement of inverted arches, which were designed to support the central tower, was engraved with first-rate skiU and success by Henry Le Keux, from a drawing by H. Shaw, and may be regarded as one ofthe best plates in the "Cathedral Antiquities."* EXETER CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1825—1827. In the pictorial iUustration of this Church, the Author availed himself of the talents of various artists, not previously employed upon his work: among the draftsmen were T. Wyatt, J. S. Cotman, S. Rayner, H. Shaw, J. Gandy, A.R.A., and others of less reputation. The Author complains of a want of attention on the part of the Dean and Chapter, especially in neglecting to reply to his applica tion for access to the fabric rolls. " He waited three weeks in the city without receiving an answer to this letter; but as none was returned, and he found himself not only slighted, but the cause of Hterature * In the year 1847, Mr. Britton revised and corrected his account of this Cathedral for Mr. BaU, of WeUs, who reprinted it in a duodecimo form with the foUowing title : — " The History and Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of Wells, including Biographical Notices and Anecdotes of the Bishops of the See of Bath and Wells. By J. Britton, F.S.A." 12mo., pp. 154. CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES — EXETER. 135 insulted, he returned to London." * When he afterwards obtained th'e required permission, he was unable to revisit Exeter, and en gaged his old associate, Mr. Brayley, to go there and prepare the historical and biographical portion of the volume. The Preface states that the distance of Exeter from London, the expense of traveUing, and remunerating the author and artists employed, had led to an outlay which could hardly ever be returned by a fair sale of the vo lume. The engravings of this Cathedral are twenty-two in number : the letter-press extends to 152 pages. At this stage of the "Cathedral Antiquities," an effort was made to increase its sale, and thereby enable the proprietors to complete their proposed iUustrations of other churches -without the pecuniary loss which had attended some of the latter volumes. In the preface to " Wells Cathedral," a calculation had been made of the probable extent of the remaining portions, including the churches of Exeter, Peterborough, Gloucester, Bristol, Hereford, Worcester, Lincoln, Ro- * The foUowing are some ofthe Author's comments on this treatment. "The officers of a Cathedral, like those of any other pubUc institution, should bear in mind that they are only guardians in trust, holding their seats for a short and uncertain tenure; and that as the edifices confided to their care were founded and endowed for the pubUc good, and not for private aggrandisement, or private vanity, they wUl best secure their own dignity, as well as future honor, by acting fairly, UberaUy, and courteously, towards the supporters as weU as the admirers of their Church. An author who undertakes to publish the history of a cathedral, or the history of a county, commences his labours with a confident expectation of experiencing the cordial and frank co-operation of those who possess materials, of those who have local influence and power, as well as of such pubUc officers as have custody of pubUc archives. In the present age, aU these avenues are usuaUy open and unobstructed; for authors of this class; are always more influ enced by partiality for their subject than by mercenary views, and as their re searches and discoveries are destined to disseminate usefid knowledge, rather than promote private emolument, they ara consequently more commonly courted than shunned by the liberal-minded and enlightened classes of society." 136 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. Chester, Durham, Chichester, Chester, Carlisle, and Ely.* The Welsh Cathedrals, and the modern church of St. Paul, London, were never included in the author's project. It was assumed that twenty-six numbers, besides the thirty-four then published, would suffice to iUus trate the thirteen edifices above-mentioned; but it is ob-vdous that such an estimate contemplated a great reduction in the number of embel lishments to be given of each building, and a corresponding dimi nution in the quantity of Hterary matter. On the corapletion of the History, &c., of Exeter Cathedral, a new prospectus, -with an expla nation of the general plan of the work, was printed, and very exten sively circulated ;t but although the proprietors persevered in the publication of five more volumes, there was no permanent increase in the sale. PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1827—1828. This had been contemplated as one of the earliest volumes of the series; for, in 1815, the author announced it, to follow that on York. * By the premature termination of the work, in consequence of further losses, the Cathedrals marked in italics were never described or Ulustrated by the Au thor. He, however, had sketches and drawings made of most of them ; and on one of the wrappers announced the Ulustrations of Lincoln, Ely, and Durham, as being iu preparation. t This prospectus contained extracts from several critical notices of the "Ca thedral Antiquities." A passage from the Gentleman's Magazine, in reference to the Exeter volume, is as foUows :— "The richness and accuracy of the embel lishments, combined with the research and talent displayed in the letter-press, and the elegance of printing, have produced a volume that must give satisfac tion to its patrons, and wUl not a little contribute to sustain topographical works on the high eminence to which Mi'. Britton has, in a very considerable degree, raised them. We could not help feeUng considerably hurt at the neces sity for observations in the preface on the apathy ofthe clergy ofthe Cathedral; but we, as well as every inteUectual person, must tender our thanks to Mr.Brit ton for having stood forward so spiritedly in defence of hterature." CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES— PETERBOROUGH. 13? It was about the same time stated that E. Blore and R. Cattermole had made a number of drawings of Peterborough Cathedral. Local connec tions and other reasons led to a priority being given to other churches, and hence that of Peterborough was delayed more than twelve years. A new set of drawings was then prepared by W. H. Bartlett, who has since acquired deserved celebrity as a landscape iUustrator of oriental and other foreign scenery. That gentleman was assisted by Henry Ansted, and Penry Wilhams; and two or three of the drawings originally made by the former artists were also used for the work. Mr.Bartlett, although then comparatively inexperienced, displayed so much taste and feeHng in his sketches and finished drawings, that the plates executed from them are among the most successful of the series. There are 16 engravings, and 88 pages, in the volume. As a contrast to the strictures on the Church dignitaries at Exeter, the following remarks on those of Peterborough may be advantage ously quoted: — " A very pleasing part of the Author's prefatorial duty remains to be dis charged — to tender acknowledgments and thanks to the officers connected with this Cathedral : and he cannot reflect on the associations and treatment he experienced at Peterborough, without feelings of pleasure aud grateful emotion. Here every individual, from the learned prelate to the verger, was kind and courteous, eager to render assistance, to lend every aid in pro moting inquiry, and to lay open every avenue to information ; thus mani festing dispositions and conduct which not only demand the grateful ac knowledgments of the Author, but entitle them to the approbation of the reader and the pubUc. To the Dean in particular [the Rev. Dr. Monk, to whom the volume is dedicated], he is under pecuhar obUgations ; for, zealous as that learned gentleman is in preserving and improving the noble Church entrusted to his care, and in adorning it with new screens and fittings-up suitable to its dignity and character, he is also equaUy anxious to see the history and iUustrations of the fabric faithful, judicious, and tastefiil. To wards effecting this, he very kindly laid before the author the manuscript coUections made by Bishop Kennett, [who was Dean and Bishop of this see upwards of twenty-one years,] and also furnished many useful hints and corrections for the ensuing letter-press." 138 britton's auto-biography, PART II. GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1828—1829. This volume is similar in extent and arrangement to those on WeUs and Exeter, including 108 pages of letter-press, and 24 engravings: the latter executed chiefly by J. Le Keux, from drawings by W. H. Bartlett and H. Ansted. In the dedication to the Earl of Aberdeen, who at that time was Foreign Secretary of State, the Author adverted to the then recent destruction by fire of the Choir of York Minster, and concludes his address as follows : — " In order to preserve the finest buildings of the country Inviolate against tasteless alterations, and the ruin arising from neglect or accident, I earnestly recommend to your Lordship's most serious attention, the expediency of appoint ing a national establishment for the purpose." His Lordship being President of the Society of Antiquaries, this recommendation was pe culiarly appropriate : though never noticed or acknowledged. It em braces the germ of a project which Mr. Britton has long had at heart; similar to that which has had excellent results in France, in the ap pointment of an Historical Commission of Arts and Monuments ; un der whose protecting care the national antiquities of that country are preserved from wanton spohation and decay. This project the Author fully matured some years afterwards, in concert with Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P., and entertained sanguine hopes that it would have been adopted and carried out by the British Government; but financial difficulties, or apathy to the subject, have hitherto impeded this, as well as many other great social improvements. A distressing personal calamity which befel the Author whilst at Gloucester is thus mentioned in the Preface : — " In the iUustration of no other Cathedral have the Author's losses and personal privations been so great as in that of Gloucester. He commenced it in 1826, with pleasing hopes, and under cheering auspices : two of his pupUs had been diligently employed in measuring and making sketches ofthe edifice during the summers of 1826 and 1827 ; one of whom has since fallen CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES— BRISTOL. 139 a victim to that insidious disease, consumption. In the autumn of the latter year he visited the city, to make his final survey and examination of the Cathedral, when he experienced a compound fracture of the right leg, and was confined to bed for some weeks, at a place remote from home, but where he fortunately met with, many kind Samaritans." The Author expresses his warm acknowledgments for Hterary aid to the Rev. John Webb, M.A., and the Rev. John Bishop, M.A.,both of whom were officiaUy connected -with the Cathedral. An Essay by the former, — " On the Abbey of Gloucester; iUustrating the customs, privileges, and manners of the Monks of that House," is appended to the History now referred to. BRISTOL CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1829—1830. This edifice is briefiy elucidated by fourteen engravings, and seventy-eight pages of literary matter. In this, as in the preceding volume, the names of Bartlett and Le Keux are pre-eminent among the artists whose productions adorn its pages. The historical, and architectural relations of Bristol Cathedral, are rather scanty, and thus resemble the reduced proportions of the church; which is only half its original size. The learned Dean, Dr. Beeke, favoured the author -with much information for his volume; which is inscribed to George Weare Braikenridge, Esq., in terms of warm eulogy on that gentleman's well-known partiahty for topography and antiquities, and his hberahty in its indulgence. In the Preface, the Author adverts to his early associations in connection with Bristol. The volume con tains a printed Hst of subscribers, resident in, and connected with the city; in reference to whom the foUowing remarks are made: — " The Author avows with pleasure his gratitude to the gentlemen whose names are here recorded : but for whose local patronage he must have concluded his 'Cathedral Antiquities' with the history of Gloucester Cathedral. Thus aided and supported by gentlemen who are partial to such pubUcations and such subjects, he is wUUng to devote his exertions and abilities in prosecuting the series to a close ; and towards effecting this, has 140 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. collected materials and drawings to dev el ope the history and illustrate the architecture of the Cathedrals of Hereford and Worcester, which, with Gloucester, wUl include the History of tlie Three Choirs." HEREFORD CATHEDRAL. 4to. 1830—1831. The approaching termination of the "Cathedral Antiquities" was indicated by the Author's prefatory comments on this, the last volume but one of the published series. " It cannot be denied," he observes, " that during the last twenty years literature has undergone a palpable change. The reading time, and read ing thoughts of men are now almost wholly occupied in diurnal poUtics, cheap and attractive publications, and popular novels and pamphlets. These emerge almost daUy and hourly from the rapidly-multiplying steam- presses of the time, and combined with engravings on steel, which produce almost an indefinite number of impressions of prints, and with the im proved execution of lithography, have co-operated to produce, not merely a reform, but a revolution in hterature. Although in this great change the 'Cathedr'al Antiquities' has not been surpassed by any cheaper rival work, nor by anything competing with it in aU the different departments of its execution ; yet, as its sale does not repay the expenses appropriated to its execution, it is not reasonable to expect that either author or publishers will prosecute such a pubUcation at a loss, nor can they reconcUe them selves to the mortifying alternative of continuing the work at inferior prices, and of deteriorated quality. In prosecuting it, the Author has zealously devoted nearly twenty years of an active, anxious Ufe ; and had public encouragement sustained rather than damped his energies, he would by this time have completed the accounts of all the English Cathedrals. "On commencing the History of Hereford Cathedral, the Author appUed to the late Dean [the Rev. Edward Mellish, A.M.] for permission to make drawings, and personaUy to examine the Church under his care and cus tody ; soliciting at the same time Uberty to inspect any archives that would be likely to elucidate its history, and thus gratify pubUc curiosity. He further intimated, that he hoped to be indulged with some encouragement from the members of the Cathedral, having hitherto struggled with in conveniences and losses in prosecuting his arduous and expensive pubUca tion. Alarmed at this intimation, and probably never having heard of the ' Cathedral Antiquities ' or its Author, the timid Dean advised the anti quary ' not to trouble himself about Hereford Cathedral, as a pubUcation ill illustration oi' it might be likely to involve him in further losses.' Thus CATHEDRAL ANTIQUITIES — WORCESTER. 141 repressed, and certainly not a Uttle mortified, the Author determined to leave that city, an'd seek a more courteous and kindly reception from the temporary guardians of another Cathedral. Some gentlemen of the city and county, attached to antiquarian pursuits, and proud of their provincial minster, not only urged the Author to prosecute his proposed work, but persuaded their respective friends to patronize it. He has complied with their wishes, and he also hopes that he has been fortunate enough to gratify their expectations, and justify their favourable opinions." The iUustrations of that church consist of sixteen plates, chiefly by Le Keux, from drawings by W. Bartlett and T. H. Clarke. WORCESTER CATHEDRAL. 1832—1835. Ever sanguine and hopeful, the Author of the " Cathedral Antiqui ties" commenced his volume on the Church of Worcester, in expect tation that a larger measure of success niight attend it than had been awarded to its immediate predecessors ; nor was it until two of the three numbers which it comprised had been pubhshed, that he seri ously entertained the idea of terminating his work. Even then he was induced to pause, and adopt active measures to excite an interest in the publication. An address was printed and sent to forty-four Bishops, and to as many Deans and Chapters, soliciting more liberal encouragement ; but to this appeal he received only six replies. The address referred to pledged the author to publish the remaining seven Cathedrals within three years, if a sufficient number of subscribers were obtained to secure him against loss; intimating, as the alterna-' tive, the necessary discontinuance of the work.* Pending these efforts to revive the prosperity of the publication, the completion of the Worcester volume was delayed. The con- * So little sympathy was shewn for the proprietors in thefr embarrassing po sition, that many of the subscribers remonstrated against the premature termi nation of the Cathedrals. One even threatened the author with an action for breach' of contract, in not completing the series. 142 britton's AUTOBIOGRAPHY, PART II. eluding number— the fifty-third of the "Cathedral Antiquities" — was ultimately pubhshed in August, 1835. It contained a Prefatory Essay, giving a summary of the progress of the work from its com mencement ; and an Auto-Biographical narrative of the Author's literary career from 1825 to 1835. This Essay occupies thirty-two pages : whilst the history and description of the Cathedral extends to fifty more. The engravings are sixteen in number; all, except the plan, engraved by J. Le Keux, from drawings by R. Kitton and others, In June, 1836, the remainder ofthe unsold copies ofthe "Cathe drals," with the 299 plates, 12 wood-cuts, and the copyright, were sold by auction, to Mr. NattaH, for £1500. The result of the sale reahsed some profit to the proprietors on the entire work ; though its amount was insignificant, considering the immense capital, the la bour, and the time, which had been involved in the pubhcation. NORWICH CATHEDRAL VADE-MECUM.— Antiquakian and Architectural Mbmoranda relating to NORWICH CATHEDRAL CHURCH. 12mo. 1817. In an early stage of the "Cathedral Antiquities" the author pro posed to publish a series of guides, or hand-books, describing the Cathedrals ; to supersede the defective and erroneous publications commonly sold in the respective cities. These were to have been carefully condensed from the quarto pubhcation, and iUustrated by one or two engravings on a reduced scale. It was conceived that a series of Guide-books of this description would be remunerative to the proprietors, and prevent acts of Hterary piracy by inexperienced and injudicious compilers. The "Norwich Cathedral Vade-Mecum" was the only portion ever published of the contemplated series. The sale of it being insufficient to cover the outlay, the scheme was abandoned. CATHEDRALS. 143 This Httle publication contains a brief account of the Church, with a ground-plan, a view of the West Front, a wood- engraving of the Font, and another of the Erpingham Gate-House. TWO ENGRAVINGS of the WEST FRONTS, and of INTE RIORS of FOURTEEN ENGLISH CATHEDRALS. 1829. These Prints display in a most interesting and striking manner the distinguishing features of the Churches represented; one exhibit ing perspective elevations of their Westem Fronts ; and the other, Interior -views of each edifice ; the whole arranged with considerable efiect, within architectural and heraldic borders. A small space is devoted in each plate to ground-plans of the same Cathedrals. Thus, the comparative forms, proportions, and arrangements of the build ings are clearly exempHfied, as well as their leading architectural features. The design and arrangement of the subjects were by the Author; under whose direction Mr. Charles Hacker made the draw ings, and Mr. G. F. Storm the engra-vings. The latter, being finished in aquatint by Havell, are as remarkable for pictorial efiect as for minuteness and accuracy of detail. 144 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. AN HISTORICAL and ARCHITECTURAL ESSAY on RED CLIFFE CHURCH, BRISTOL : illustrated by Engraved Plans, Views, and Architectuk^o. Details ; also, an Ess.i.t on the Life and Chaeactbr of THOMAS CHATTERTON. Svo. 1813. The singular, and somewhat romantic, circumstances attending Mr. Britton's association with the above-named Church, have been re ferred to by himself in the first part of the present work : the fol lowing observations are therefore limited to a short account of the origin of the above volume, and a description of its contents. Whilst the " Architectural Antiquities " was in successful progress, the late Mr. Charles Wild, well known as a skilful draftsman, ofi'ered to the author a series of drawings of the exterior and interior of this very beautiful and unique edifice ; and the latter, having purchased, intended to have them engraved, as a portion of the work referred to. The copious iUustrations, in the "Architectural Antiquities," of St. George's Chapel, Windsor ; Henry the Seventh's Chapel, Westminster; and Roslyn Chapel; had been much admired, and were reprinted, to supply the demands of purchasers. This success. lUtimately induced the author to make a separate volume of the History, &c., of Red cliffe Church, which extended to eighty- pages of letter-press, with twelve engravings. The first chapter is devoted to general remarks on antiquarian investigations, and on the history of this particular edifice, with conjectures respecting the dates of its different parts; the second consists of a description of the building, with references to the engravings. Various sepulchral monuments are next described, •with anecdotes of the persons commemorated; including WiUiam Canynge, a Bristol merchant, who, in the reign of Edward the Third, erected the tower and part of the north porch. The name of this person became revived, and celebrated through the medium of Chat terton, who, in his poetical effusions, assumed the cognomen or mask of Rowley, a priest of the fifteenth century, whom he represented to REDCLIFFE CHURCH, BRISTOL. 145 have been the friend of the wealthy city merchant. Besides the mo nument to Canynge, others to Admiral William Penn, &c., are de scribed. A fourth chapter notices some old painted glass, and curious church furniture, also three of Hogarth's paintings, and other accesso ries to the edifice. Finally, the fifth chapter forms "An Essay on the Life, Character, and Wtitings of Thomas Chatterton," whose extra ordinary writings were intimately associated with Redclifie Church. This Essay wiU be again noticed (Section IIL, Biography). Five of the twelve engra-vings which illustrate the volume are from Mr. Wild's dra-wings; but, although they possess his usual ac curacy, they are characterised by so much hardness of outline and monotony of colour as to produce an unsatisfactory eflTect in the en gravings. The other drawings were made by F. Mackenzie, G. Shep herd, and S. Rawle. The engravers were John Le Keux, J. Roffe, and S. Rawle ; and the subjects comprised a general plan, a plan of the north porch, and ten exterior and interior views, with architectural detaUs. The volume is inscribed to J. J. Harford, Esq., f.s.a., one of the Bristol bankers, and a kind patron and friend of the author. RESTORATION of the CHURCH of ST. MARY, REDCLIFFE, BRISTOL. AN APPEAL et the Vicar, Church-wardens, and Ves try ; WITH AN Abstract op Reports, by Messrs. Britton and Hosking; AHT> AN Engraved Plak and Views of the Church. 4to. 1832. The authorities of the parish to which this Church belongs had for many years felt much anxiety respecting its preservation from the slow but certain progress of decay and ruin. Its dilapidated condi tion, indeed, repeatedly forced the subject on their attention; but their Hmited finances impeded any comprehensive remedial measures. After much dehberation, they resolved, in the year 1842, to sohcit pecuniary assistance from the pubhc, in order, if possible, to restore the venerable fabric entrusted to their care : and one of their earliest L 146 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. proceedings was to summon to their aid the historian of the Church, in the manner described in his Auto-Biography. Professor Hosking having been associated with hira in the proposed work, they jointly surveyed the edifice with much care, and submitted to the Vestry elaborate Reports on the necessary repairs and restorations. To pro- iNTi:RTon or the church or st, mary, uEDCLirrE. REDCLIFFE CHURCH, RESTORED. 147 mote the subscription, it was thought desirable to print and publish the above iUustrated pamphlet, which consists of extracts from the Ar chitect's Reports; some arguments on the part of the Vestry in further ance ofthe object contemplated; and remarks by Mr. Britton on the history and architectural features of the Church. The ruinous condition of the exterior is displayed in a lithographic EXTF.HIOR OP THE CHCRCH OF ST. MART, REDCLITFE. L 2 148 britton's auto-biography, part II. view from the south-east, and another view from the same point shows the proposed restorations. The latter, with an interior view, looking eastward, is beautifully engraved on wood by S. Wilhams, as the im pressions in the two preceding pages testify. The other prints in this "Appeal" are a ground-plan, and an elevation ofthe west front, both shewing the proposed restorations, and engraved by Mr. J. H. Le Keux. The letter-press occupies thirty-two pages. Mr. Hosking having been appointed Official Referee tmder the Metropolitan Building Act, was obhged to rehnquish his engage ments with the Vestry of Redcliffe, when Mr. Britton recommended Mr. George Godwin, F.R.S., to succeed him, and to co-operate in the contemplated restoration. That gentleman, being unanimously ap pointed by the Vestry, entered upon his task with zeal, and manifested such a perfect knowledge of the architecture of the buUding and its required restoration, that Mr. Britton has since transferred the whole charge to him. Though funds come in slowly, much substantial work has been done, and a most skilful restoration of parts of the presbytery, or altar-end, has been effected. The commencement of reinstating the north porch has been made, from funds supphed by an unknown friend to the Church, under the signature of " Nil Despebandum."* THE HISTORY aud ANTIQUITIES of BATH ABBEY CHURCH; including Biographical Anecdotes of the most Distinguished Persons interred in that Edifice ; with an Essay on Epitaphs. 4to. 1825. The Author thus explains the origin of the above publication : — " Coimected with, and attached to Bath, for more than thirty years, I was attracted by its Abbey Church, before I had seen any Cathedral except * It cannot be irrelevant to state that the same generous person has liberally subscribed to the Testimonial to Mr. Britton, and has thus contributed towards the production of this volume, as well as to the substantial restoration of a Church, which, when regenerated, will be more inspected and admired than ever it was in the days of its pristine beauty. bath ABBEY CHURCH. 149 that ofthe metropolis, and after having been accidentally induced to study, and consequently admire the Architectural Antiquities of England, I em ployed Mr. Mackenzie to make drawings of the former building. Having published an historical and illustrated work on the famed Church of Red cliffe, at Bristol, I was tempted to undertake a corresponding volume on the Abbey Church of Bath. This has been preparing for more than ten years, and is at length respectfully submitted to the public. Though thus long in progress, it is proper to observe that the whole of the literary part has been written during the year 1824 ; and its appearance at this time is chiefly owing to the valuable assistance I have experienced from my old friend and early topographical associate, Mr. Brayley. Nearly the whole of this volume was printed and ready for publication in August last, when a fire at the office of the printer (J. Moyes, Bouverie Street) consumed the entire impression, and I have been obliged to have the work reprinted, which has consequently delayed its appearance. This interval has not, however, been neglected, nor has the volume suffered, either in style or mat ter, by the delay ; for I have revisited Bath, and endeavoured to render it more correct, not only by my own re-examination and investigation, but by the suggestions of friends to whom I have submitted a copy that was saved from the flames.'' The volume is dedicated "To the esteemed memory of the late Rev. John Josias Conybeare, M.A., who combined in his o-wn person the profound but modest scholar, the Hberal and enhghtened critic, the erudite mineralogist, the acute antiquary, the amiable and charitable parish vicar, the sincere friend and affectionate relative : with sentiments of real personal regard, and sorrow for his loss." In the preface the Author expresses his obhgations to Sir Benjamin Hobhouse, Bart., Dr. Parry, Dr. Sherwen, the Rev. Joseph Hunter, the Rev. Richard Warner, and Messrs. Braham, Goodridge, Davies, Barratt, CrutweU, Meyler, Upham, Godwin, ColHngs, &c. The foUowing is an abstract of the literary contents of the volume : Chap. I.— (Introductory) Origin of Bath— Discovery of the Hot Springs — ^Etymology — ^Roman History of the City, &c. Chap. U. — History of the Abbey, or Priory, to the tune of Henry VIIL Chap. HI. — Erection ofthe present Church, and subsequent History. Chap. IV. — Architectural description of the edifice. 1 50 britton's auto-biography, part II. Chap. V. — Essay on the Origin and Characteristics of Epitaphs, by the Rev. J. J. Conybeare. Chap. VI. — Biographical Anecdotes of the most Distinguished Persons interred in Bath Abbey Church. Appendix of Documents illustrating the History ofthe Church. This summary shows that the contents of the work are various and interesting. The letter-press extends to 168 pages. The engra-fings are a ground-plan, with three exterior and six interior -views, en graved by Messrs. J. and H. Le Keux, Winkles, Deeble, Roffe, &c., from drawings by Mackenzie, R. Cattermole, and others. SPECIMENS OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE, selected from va rious Ancient Edifices in England ; consisting or Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Parts at large, exemplifying the Design and Practical Construction of this admired Class of Architecture ; accompanied BY Historical and Descriptive Accounts. By A. Pugin, Architect. 2 Vols. 4to. 1820 — 1823. " Pugin's Specimens," by which narae this work is famiharly known, was very popular and successful at the time of its pubhca tion, and from the accuracy of its illustrations is stiU a valuable au thority to the architectural student and professor. The great success of Mr. Britton's architectural works led Mr. Pugin to contemplate this publication, which was the joint property of himself, Mr. Josiah Taylor, and Mr. Britton. The province of the last was to write parts of the work, advise as to drawings and engra-vings, to conduct the business detaUs of printing and pubhshing, and to examine the proof sheets of the Hterary matter, contributed by Mr. WiUson, architect, of Lincoln.* The two volumes of "Specimens" comprise about 100 engravings, * Mr. Britton's name, however, does not appear in any portion ofthe work; for, being under other literary engagements at the time, it was not thought expedient to announce publicly his connection with this undertaking. pugin's specimens. 151 and 140 pages of letter-press. The prints are entirely diff'erent in style and character to those in Mr. Britton's contemporary publica tions, being exclusively geometrical elevations and sections, with a scale to each subject. The drawings were chiefly made by the pupils of Mr. Pugin, although his own name is invariably attached to them, as the draftsman. The engra-vings in the first volume were nearly all executed by E. Turrell, who, in the second volume, was associated with Gladwin, Cleghorn, RoflTe, and other engravers. The subjects illustrated are selected from various ancient edifices; including por tions of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, the Great HaU, the Abbey Church, and St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster; Windsor Castie and St. George's Chapel; the Palace at Hampton Court, Middlesex; vari ous interesting edifices in the city of Lincoln ; CoUegiate buildings at Oxford; York Minster; King's CoUege Chapel, Cambridge; &c. Mr. WUlson's letter-press is characterised by much learning and discrimi nation; including, in the second volume, "Remarks on Gothic Ar chitecture and Modem Imitations," and a brief but valuable "Glos sary of Technical Terms, descriptive of Gothic Architecture." * The success of this publication induced the same parties to under take the " Illustrations of the PubHc Buildings of London," noticed in a preceding page; in the prosecution of which they were actively employed fi:om the year 1823 to 1828. On the completion of the latter, Mr. Pugin produced a volume of "Examples of Gothic Archi tecture" (1828 — 1831), as a companion to the two volumes of "Spe cimens." In this he was again efficiently aided by Mr. WiUson, but neither of his former partners took any share in it. A second volume * In November, 1822, the premises of Mr. Taylor were unfortunately de stroyed by fire, when a large stock of the "Cathedrals" and the "Architectural Antiqidties" was consumed, as well as copies of "Pugin's Specimens," vol. i., which, at the trade price, were valued at £300. 152 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. of "Examples" was afterwards begun by Mr. Pugin, and completed, since his decease, by his son, Mr. Augustus Welby Pugin, in the year 1836. Since that time, Mr. T. L. Walker, Architect (formerly a pupU and assistant to the elder Pugin), has issued a third volume of "Examples" (1836—1838). A DICTIONARY of the ARCHITECTURE aud ARCHEOLOGY OF THE MIDDLE AGES ; including Words used by Ancient and Mo dern Authors, in treating op Architectural and other Antiquities, WITH Etymology, Definition, Description, and Historical Elucida tion; also, Biographical Notices OF Ancient Architects. Svo. 1831-8. In general utility and value this pubhcation is not inferior to any yet noticed. In 1822, when the " Chronological History of Ancient Architecture" had reached the eighth number, Mr. Britton announced an intended "Dictionary of Architectural Antiquities." " This," he states, " will be comprised in a large volume, royal octavo, with about forty or fifty engravings, by J. Le Keux, who has already com pleted sixteen of them. It is my intention to make this Dictionary as comprehensive and complete as possible ; by introducing all the technical, historical, and antiquarian words, which apply to Pagan, or classical, as well as to Christian Architecture. These wUl be accompanied by corresponding words in Greek, Latin, Italian, French, German, &c. ; and wUl be eluci dated by etymology, derivation, definition, history, and description. Nearly all the technical words wiU be illustrated by priats and diagrams." Such was the author's first idea of the intended volume ; and, in accordance with it, the engravings referred to had been executed; including specimens of arches, arcades, bases, capitals, columns, and other architectural members of ancient Christian edifices. When the "Chronological" volume was completed (1826), the au thor appended thereto an "Architectural Dictionary, or Glossary of Terms, relating to the Ecclesiastical Buildings of the Middle Ages," accompanied by an intimation that he would, " on a future occasion, and at no distant period," so add to and extend it, as to form " a ARCHITECTURAL DICTIONARY. 153 copious architectural and antiquarian Dictionary of Words and Phrases respecting the buildings of the middle ages; towards the execution of which considerable preparations had been made." In 1830, an agreement was entered into, whereby the Author was to pos sess one-haF, Longman and Co. three-eighths, and Mr. J. Le Keux the remaining one-eighth. The Prospectus then issued states, that "The work now proposed has long been regarded as a desideratum in literature, and has often been anxiously inquired for, both by professional and amateur readers. It has been progressively forming for the last twenty- five years, during which period the Author has assiduously devoted his mind towards elucidating the history, and illustrating the 'Architectural and Cathedral Antiquities' of England. From the time of Warton, Bentham, and Grose, to the present, both readers and writers have progressively multiplied in this department of literature ; yet much ambiguity and many discrepancies stUl prevail respecting the precise meaning of words and terms, even in common use. A cursory perusal of any one treatise on the Architecture of the Middle Ages wUL verify this assertion. Reference to the various Encyclopaedias and other Dictionaries will further shew the want of a work expressly devoted to this subject. The Author, therefore, ven tures to offer one, which he has sedulously endeavoured to render superior to every preceding publication of the kind, and in which many words, with definitions, etymologies, and descriptions, wUl be found, which do not occur in any other Dictionary." In its completed form, the "Architectural Dictionary" embraces nearly 1800 separate articles, arranged in alphabetical order, and occupying 500 octavo pages; and it contains avast mass of useful in formation, which had never been previously published. The volume was dedicated, by special permission, to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the happy commencement of whose reign encouraged hopes of great advancement in the arts and sciences. In this dedication the author points out the national importance of architecture, and the inferiority of England in its public architectural works; expressing at the same time an anxious desire for the free exercise of the talents of English architects. " In addressing these observations to your Majesty," the 154 britton's auto-biography, PART II. author says, " I need not apologise for their length; nor wUl I com promise my literary integrity by any afiected humihty of language, or sentiment. A conviction derived from long experience convinces me that sincerity of purpose need not employ the phraseology of polite hypocrisy, to be heard and duly appreciated by an EngHsh Sovereign." The Preface contains the foUowing remarks: — " When the work was originally announced, the author was not fully aware of the difficulty and labour involved in its execution. Could he have anticipated these, he would have shrunk from the task; for though he has generally found his courage and zeal increase with augmented responsibili ties, he has repeatedly felt oppressed, and almost disheartened, by the tedi ous progress of writing and printing, and the incessant assiduity required to complete this Dictionary. Ardent, however, in temperament, — intensely anxious to fulfil every pledge made to the public, — fully aware that the critical eye is ever open to the 'negligences and ignorances' of writers, — and also, that with the increased knowledge in, and growing partiality for, this species of hterature, there is a constant readiness to cater for it, either by meritorious or meretricious speculators, — the Author has laboured on ward in his toilsome journey, buoyed up by the hope of living to see the word ^ finis,' and of making his last to equal, if not to surpass, any of his former works." The Glossaries and Dictionaries of Architecture and Archaaology previously pubhshed are briefly noticed in the Preface, which con tains a justification of the term " Christian Architecture," and finaUy acknowledges the author's obligations to Mr. Brayley, Mr. Hosking, the Rev. Joseph Hunter, J. A. Repton, E. J. Willson, Joseph G-wilt, the late W. Hamper, the Rev. H. Owen, and the Rev. J. Parker. The volume is illustrated by forty engravings on copper by J. Le Keux, and two wood-cuts by S. Williams. These illustrate the articles Arcades, Arches, Bases, Brackets, Buttresses, Bosses, Capitals, Cathe drals, Chapter-houses, Chimney-shafts, Columns, Corbels, Crockets, Crosses, Crypts, Door-ways, Finials, Fonts, Porches, Spires, Towers, Tracery, Windows, &c. The work contains a List ofthe Books and PUGIN AND LE KEUX'S NORMANDY. 155 other Authorities (about 150 in number), which had been consulted and referred to, in its preparation. FuUy aware that the work contained many defects, arising from the elaborate and comprehensive nature of its contents, Mr. Britton always intended to re"vise it, and pubhsh a new and corrected edition. Circumstances rendered necessary a sale of the remaining stock, cop per-plates, and copy-right, which were purchased by Mr. H. G. Bohn. The author then applied to him, offering to superintend a new edition, but learned that he had re-sold the work to Mr. Nattali, who had pre viously purchased the "Architectural Antiquities " and other works by Mr. Britton. That pubhsher, in his turn, sold the "Architectural Dictionary" to Mr. Parker, bookseUer, of Oxford, who had tben re cendy issued an 8vo. volume, entitled a " Glossary of Ancient Archi tecture," iUustrated by numerous wood-cuts, but not remarkablefor ac curacy or discrimination. Its cheapness, however, tended to promote its popularity ; and hence the publisher was induced to purchase the " remainder" of Mr. Britton's "Dictionary," and thereby prevent the re-issue of a competing work. Mr. Parker embodied the prints and portions of the letter-press of the "Architectural Dictionary " in sub sequent editions of his " Glossary"; which has consequently been im proved without any credit to Mr. Britton ; who, on the contrary, has been deprived of the means of rendering available the many correc tions and additions which he had made to his pubhshed work. PUGIN AND LE KEUX'S SPECIMENS of the ARCHITEC TURAL ANTIQUITIES or NORMANDY ; with Historical and DESCBiPTrvB Essays. Edited by J. Britton. 4to. 1825 — 1828. This pubhcation had its origin with the artists whose names are attached to it— John and Henry Le Keux, and Augustus Pugin. The interestintr character of the ancient church-architecture of Normandy, and the absence of adequate iUustrations of it, encouraged the parties 156 britton's auto-biography, part II. mentioned to calculate on a large amount of pubhc patronage. Mr. Britton joined them in the undertaking, each of the four parties tak ing an equal share of the risk. " Being induced to co-operate with his friends, and to enter warmly and zealously into the plan, he wrote a prospectus, assisted in arranging and digesting the work, and advised with Mr. Pugin previous to his visits into Normandy. It was also his intention, when he first engaged in the work, to see all the buildings delineated, and to write the accounts of them after careful examination. This intention was finstrated by illness, at the very time when he had prepared for a journey into Normandy. Thus disap pointed, he wrote particular instructions, and sent them with letters of inquiry to distinguished antiquaries in the province. Waiting for and expecting answers, — anxious to render the history and description of each building, and of every variety of architecture, original, accurate, and dis criminating, he has delayed the publication, and even now has been impelled to hasten it through the press, without obtaining the answers and informa tion he sought, and consequently without satisfying himself in many parts of its execution.'' The above remarks apply to the literary department only. The en gravings comprise perspective views, plans, elevations, sections, and details, all executed in outline by the Messrs. Le Keux, with their accustomed talent ; and as the drawings were accurate and beautiful, so the prints constitute a valuable and interesting series of iUustrations. The buildings dehneated include the Cathedrals of Bayeux, and Rouen; the Churches of St. Ouen and St. Vincent, in the latter city; those ofthe Trinity, of St. Stephen, and of St. Nicholas, Caen; the Palais de Justice, and the Hotel de Bourgther oulde, Caen; with other interesting edifices in diff'erent parts of Normandy. The expensive nature of the work induced the promoters, in an early stage of its progress, to seek some means by which to escape the heavy tax then imposed by law of giving to certain pubhc libraries eleven copies of every pubhshed book. As engravings issued without letter-press had been held to be exempt from this claim, they resolved to PUGIN AND LE KEUX'S NORMANDY. 157 pubhsh the prints, alone ; and to constitute the letter-press a totally dis tinct pubhcation, for presentation to the subscribers. Whilst admitting this to be " a technical evasion," they stated that they resorted to it -with pain and reluctance ; as they would willingly deposit and regis ter copies of their Hterary and graphic productions, in one, two, or even three public institutions; but could not reconcile themselves either to the justice or the equity of making an off'ering to private and close corporations, of the best efforts of their mental powers, and of their pecuniary resources, without the slightest remuneration, without any semblance of reward or advantage. "Against such a statute," adds the Editor, " every author and pubhsher should loudly and unceasingly protest; and in evading its Hteral clauses, every man, without im peaching his honesty or loyalty, is fairly justified." The arrangement referred to allowed greater latitude of time for the preparation of the letter-press, which was not pubhshed till twelve months after the en gravings. The following is the description on the title-page: — "His torical and Descriptive Essays, accompanying a series of En graved Specimens of the Architectural Antiquities of Nor mandy. Edited by J. Britton. The subjects measured and drawn by Augustus Pugin, and engraved by John and Henry Le Keux." Fol lowing the Editor's Preface is an " Introduction," embracing a brief review of the characteristics of Christian Architecture in Normandy; in which the opinions of Ducarel, Dawson Turner, Gunn, Caumont, and others, are referred to, whilst the pecuHarities of Norman Archi tecture are clearly elucidated. This extends to twenty pages; and forty more are occupied with historical and descriptive accounts of the various buildings engraved. 158 britton's auto-biogbaphy, part ii. A COURSE OF EIGHT LECTURES on ARCHITECTURE; EXPLAINING ITS RiSE, PROGRESS, AND ADAPTATION TO THE CuSTOMS, CON DITIONS, AND Luxuries of Mankdji), in different Nations of the An cient AND Modern World. 1831 — 1842. Possessing all the natural qualifications of a good public lecturer, Mr. Britton was easily induced, at a time when that mode of instruc tion was both popular and remunerative, to undertake the prepara tion of a series of discourses on his favourite pursuit. Extending to eight in number, and comprehending the various classes of Indian, Egyptian, Mexican, Grecian, and Roman Architecture; as weU as the Ecclesiastical structures of the Middle Ages; Old English CasteUated and Domestic Architecture; with comments on Modem edifices; the preparation of this Course of Lectures necessarily involved much hte rary research. The author's plan Hke-wise embraced a series of large illustrative water-colour Drawings, executed in a bold, striking, and eff'ective manner, and including upwards of 250 subjects. In the exe cution of these Drawings, his pupils, Messrs. R. W. BiUings, J. J. Dodd, T. H. Clarke, Chas. Hacker, R. Kitton, and others, were actively em ployed, during several months in the -winter of 1830 — 1831.* On the 21st of March, 1831, Mr. Britton first appeared before the public, in this new capacity, at the London Institution; where, in the course of the next two months, he dehvered the whole course of lec- * These drawings constituted a most interesting and valuable collection. They were prepared chiefly from the engravings in Mr. Britton's published works ; and from other English and Foreign sources ; and undoubtedly far surpassed in beauty, and in general and scientific interest, any former series of lec ture drawings. On every repetition of his lectures the Author prepared fresh drawmgs, adapted to excite the curiosity and interest of local auditors; and from the cost thereby incurred, together with the original outlay on the drawings, and heavy travelling expenses, he never derived any profit from these lectures. Within the last few years, age and frequent illness have deterred hun from reading and speaking in public. lectures on architecture. 159 tures, and exhibited the series of drawings, with very great success and approbation. He repeated them at Birmingham in November, 1832; and at Bath in 1833. In the autumn of the latter year, the full course was given at the Bristol Institution; and on this occasion, Mr. Britton repeated each afternoon's lecture to a diff'erent auditory in the evening of the same day. At the London Mechanics' Institution, in 1835, he gave a con densed series of four lectures; and in 1836, he again dehvered eight at the Royal Institution, Manchester; as well as at the Athensum, in the same city. In 1839, he gave two lectures on Ecclesiastical Architecture at the Richmond Literary Institution; four, in 1841, at the Islington Literary and Scientific Institution, and two, in 1842, at a similar Institution at Kensington. At one of the soirees given by the late Duke of Sussex to the members of the Royal Society, &c., the author was invited to exhibit and off'er some remarks on the draw ings, which were arranged in chronological order in the spacious and valuable Library of Kensington Palace. It is difficult to convey an idea ofthe matter and the manner of Mr. Britton's Lectures, for his treatment and general remarks were on each occasion modified, and adapted to local and temporary subjects and circumstances. More than half of each lecture was dehvered extempore, consisting of remarks on the pictorial illustrations, with such refiec- tlons and observations as arose at the moment. I can fully corroborate a writer in the " Bristol Mirror," who reviewed the whole course given Id that city, and who says: — "Although these lectures might, on their first announcement, have been considered as a dry matter of detail, they were enlivened, by the ingenuity and information of the lecturer, with many a pleasing anecdote. Mr. Britton evidently knows how to address and to dehght a mixed audience; and as the subject is by no means exhausted, we should hope on some future day again to see 160 britton's auto-biography, part II. him before the public, inculcating that sound architectural taste which he has so deeply imbibed, by intense study and ardent research." The following syllabus forms an analysis of the lectures, as first given, at the London Institution, in 1831. Lecture I. Introduction. Qualifications of a Public Lecturer. — His du ties defined.— Interest of the subject. — ^Address to the Antiquary, Histo rian, and general Student. — TechnicaKties avoided. — ^Architecture defined, as an Art and Science. — Architects, BuUders, Carpenters, Bricklayers, Amateurs, and Critics. — The importance of Architecture as an Historical Record; its dignity and attributes as a Profession; its beauties as the eldest of the Sister Arts ; its utility as a Science ; its national characteristics ; the honours paid to it by Monarchs and Patrons of Art in all civilized ages ; its neglect and decline in England. — Appeal to the Ambition ofthe Country. — Improvements of London ; modern Institutions and Societies devoted to Art, Science, and Literature. — Definitions and Explanations. Lecture H. Architecture of the earliest Ages. Indian — South American — ^Egyptian : the origin, antiquity, and national peculiarities of each : — Nineveh, Tyre, Babylon, the Architecture of Solomon's Temple, and other Buildings named in Sacred History. — ^Dimensions, Applications, Materials, and Remains of Edifices of those Ages and Countries. — ^Features of Eastern Architecture and their constituent Elements. Illustrations from the Exca vations of India ; the Temples, and Pyramids, of Mexico, Egypt, &c. Ar chitectural Members of Ancient Buildings. Lecture IH. Grecian Architecture. The origin, history, and character istics of Grecian Architecture, as exemplified in the Ruias of Temples and other Buildings, with the Testimonies of Antiquaries, Architects, and Tra vellers. — Cyclopsean Architecture, or Walling. — Elements and Principles of Grecian Edifices. Illustrations — ^Athens restored • its Temples, and other Grecian Monuments, with their orders and styles. Lecture IV. Roman Architecture. Its introduction to Rome by the Etruscans. — Its progress and fluctuations under the Romans. — Character istics and Splendour of the Edi&ces in the Latin Capital. — The invention and extensive use ofthe Architectural .4rc/(, that "Magic Rmg" of Art.— Temples, Amphitheatres, Triumphal-Arches, Circuses, Palaces, Forums, Basilicse, Aqueducts, Bridges, Baths, Villas. — Materials of Buildings.— Prin ciples of Roman Architecture. Illustrations — St. Peter's ; the Colosseum ; Rome restored ; Pantheon ; Triumphal Arches, Villas, &c. Lecture V. Architecture ofthe Middle Ages. Historical and Chronological lectures on architecture. 161 Essay on Chi-istian, or Ecclesiastical, Architecture ; with references to, and descriptions of, various interesting and authentic Specimens of the Ages, Styles, and Features of Chui-ches, Towers, Chapels, Shrines, Chantries, Crosses, &c. /W«sfmft0H5ofItaliaii,Lombardic,Venetian,Norman, German, and English Churches, from the Christian Advent to the commencement of the 16th Century. [This subject on some occasions formed two lectures; and even then the author's remarks were necessarily concise and general.] Lecture VT. CasteUated Architecture. Its Origin and Progress — Man's Propensity for War — hence the formation of Castrametations, Fortresses, Castles, and various defensive posts, in different Countries and Ages — Va rieties of this Class, from the Palaces of Monarchs to the Castles of Bai-ons. — ^Fortified Cities, Towns, Borders — The Construction and Arrangement of Towers, Walls, Gate-houses, and other parts of Castles, with the subdi visions of one of the larger Fortresses. Dlustrations from India, Greece, Italy, Normandy, England, Wales, Scotland, L-eland, &c. Lbctitbe xn. DomeMic Architecture. Grecian, and Roman Villas and Houses — Decline of the Castellated, and Adoption of the Domestic Style in Houses — Moats stiU retained in Country Seats, and WaUs with fortified Gate-houses around To-wns — Progressive Improvements in the Architec tural Design and Arrangement of the Mansions of the Nobility and Grentry, fitrai Henry Viil. to the Reign of Greorge I. IUustrations — Bird's-eye Views — Perspective Vie-ws — Plans and Elevations of various Mansions. Lecttjse VIII- Modem Architecture. On Architects and Architectural Designs — Patronage of Monarchs, Nobles, Public Bodies, Committees, and Private Gentlemen — A want of Judgment and Taste in these, the cause of Architectural Inferiority in England, contrasted with that of Italy, France, Russia, Gtermany, &c. — Characteristics of the Chief Cities of Europe — Churches, Theatres, Bridges, Palaces, Public Builduigs, Streets, Squares, Club Houses, GaUeries, Academies, Institutions, Private Mansions, &c. of London. lUustratioiis — Exemplifying the Comments, and Descriptions of the various Subjects noticed in this Lecture. TBCE ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE op ENGLAND; illustrated BT 109 Engra-vings, by John Carter, F.S.A. A New and L\epro-ved Edi tion, with Notes and Copious Indexes. Bt J. Britton. Folio. 1837. The eccentric and enthusiastic Jolm Carter etched the whole of the plates of which this work consists, and published them periodicaUy between the years 1795 and 1816. As coaise but correct representa- 162 britton's auto-biography, part II. tions of an immense number of ancient edifices, they are exceedingly interesting; but the artist's literary effort, in the letter-press which ac companied them, was far from successful. At the sale of Carter's pro perty, after his decease, Mr. Britton purchased the copper-plates of this work, and carried on the publication, if selling a copy occasionally may be so considered, for many years. He ultimately transferred it to Mr. H. G. Bohn, who, in 1837, reprinted the letter-press, -with notes, &c., by Mr. Britton, as above mentioned. MINOR ESSAYS, Published and Unpublished. Mr. Britton has produced subordinate Essays on Architectural Antiquities, and other matters of Archaeology;* which, though not assuming the importance of independent volumes, are nevertheless entitled to a passing notice. At the very commencement of his career in authorship, he pre pared two dra-wings of Stonehenge, sho-wing its appearance, both before and after the fall of the great trilithon in 1797. These were engraved in aquatint, by Heath, and pubhshed, under Mr. Britton's direction, by Mr. Richardson, printseUer, of the Strand. In 1 8 1 9, he promoted and conducted the engraving and publication of two other large Prints, representing north-east and south-west views of the Church of St. John (commonly called the Minster), at Bever ley, in Yorkshire. The drawings were skilfully made by Wm. Tay- leure, of Beverley, and the engravings (in aquatint) by Robert Havell. The prints were on foho paper, and adapted to bind with Dugdale's " Monasticon," and the "Histories of Yorkshire." For the "British Magazine" (1833-4; our Author wrote "Histo rical Notices and Descriptions of Christian Architecture * Many ofthe publications described in the preceding Section (Topography) are equally illustrative of Architectural Antiquities. ARCH.aEOLOGICAL ESSAYS. 163 in England." The papers are five in number, embracing accounts of several structures of the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon era; iUus trated by etchings by R. W. BiUings, one of Mr. Britton's pupils. " The History and Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of Lincoln. By Charles WUd. Second Edition, -with Additions andCorrections, by J. Britton. 4to. 1837." This volume was origin ally pubhshed in folio, to class with other works pubhshed by Mr. Wild, Ha-\ring been some years out of print, Mr. H. G. Bohn, pubhsher, who possessed the copper-plates, appHed to Mr. Britton to examine and correct the letter-press for a new edition. In doing so, the latter en deavoured to assimilate the work to the " Cathedral Antiquities." His signature is appended to the original notes and other additions. A new edition was published, in 1841, of the "History and De scription of the Church of Christ-Church, Hampshire," (4to), originaUy -written by Edw. W. Brayley, to accompany a series of iUus trations from drawings by Benjamin Ferrey, Architect. This reprint was edited by Mr. Britton, who made some additions in the literary portion, and appended several useful notes. Becoming a member ofthe Society of Antiquaries of London in the year 1807, he was during a long period a regular attendant at its meet ings, and was on the council for two years. He occasionally exhibited to the members objects of antiquarian interest and curiosity. In 1829, he prepared "An Essay on the Origin and Use of Church Bells ; " and another, in the same year, "On Celtic Antiquities ; including Stone Circles, Cromlechs, Kist-Vaens, &c."; both of which were read to the members, and iUustrated by numerous drawings. As the first-appointed Honorary Member ofthe Royal Institute of British Architects, our author has always manifested pecuHar interest in the welfare of that important Association; but except by a " Me moir of the late John Carter" (read to the Society in 1837); by M 2 164 britton's auto-biography, part II. some "Remarks on the Architecture of Roslyn Chapel," (read, 1846); by other occasional papers; and by donations of books^ &c., he has not been able to contribute to its prosperity. In September, 1844, Mr. Britton attended the meeting of the British Archceological Association, at Canterbury, and prepared a paper for the Architectural Section; but from defective arrangement in the proceedings was prevented reading it. For the Gloucester meet ing, in 1846, he wrote an account of the "New Inn" in that city, with " Notices of other Hostels, or Pilgrims' Inns," and the paper referred to has since been printed in the Journal of the Asso ciation. To the Archceological Institute he contributed, in 1847, an " Essay on the Ancient Fortified Gate-Houses of the City of Norwich." This was read at the Nor-wich meeting in the same year, and iUustrated by an interesting series of sketches by the late John Carter. It has been printed by the Institute, and embelHshed with wood-engravings, from four of Mr. Carter's sketches. The Sussex Archaeological Association, as well as that estabhshed in the county of Norfolk, have conferred honorary distinctions on Mr. Britton : the former by making him a vice-president, and the latter an honorary member. At an assembly ofthe former, in 1847, he read "An Essay on the Market-Cross at Chichester, with descrip tive notices of other buildings of the same class ;" an abstract of which paper has been printed by the Society. Finally, at the Sahsbury meeting of the Archseological Institute, in July, 1849, our author contributed a more extended paper on " The History and Appro priation of Market-Crosses;" with particular reference to those at Salisbury, Winchester, Malmesbury, Shepton-MaUet, Glastonbury, &c., accompanied by elaborate and accurate illustrative drawings, prepared by his friend, Mr. O. B. Carter, architect, of Winchester. SECTION IIL " i long to hear the story of tour life, Which must take the ear stransblt." — Shakspere. " I ESTEEM Biography as what combs near to ourselves : what we can TURN TO USE." — Dr. JoHNSON. In his earhest Topographical labours, the attention of Mr. Britton was necessarily directed to the coUateral subject of Biography, in order to honour the distinguished natives of the places he endeavoured to describe. Thus, the "Beauties of Wiltshire," and the "Beau ties OF England and Wales," will be found to contain many biographical notices; and, though generally brief, these possess the quaHties of accuracy and discrimination, which are among the most valuable characteristics of such writings. In the ensuing Section (Fine Arts) will be found a description of a volume bearing the title of " The Fine Arts of the EngHsh School." Of that work, projected and edited by Mr. Britton, it is only ne cessary to say, in connexion with the subject of Biography, that it contains "A Brief Memoir op Richard Wilson, R.A.," by the Editor, and a portrait of that distinguished landscape painter, en graved by W. Bond, from a picture by Antonio Raphael Mengs. The Memoir occupies eight quarto pages, in which the tranquil career of the artist is clearly narrated, from original information; some judicious observations being added on the importance of landscape paintings* The "Historical and Architectural Essay on Redcliffe Church, Bristol," (Svo, 1813) contains an "Essay on the Life, Character, * A portrait, by Wilson, of his friend and brother artist, /. H. Mortimer, has long been in Mr. Britton's possession. In 1840, he had a lithographic drawing of it made ; and distributed the same, together with comments on both artists, to some of his fiiends. 166 britton's auto-biography, part ii. and Writings of Thomas Chatterton" (17 pages); in which the author details the short and melancholy history of Chatterton; and expresses his decided conviction that the poems attributed to Rowley were, as is now generaUy admitted, the productions of the young Bristolian. In explaining the grounds of his behef, he ad verts to other juvenile poets, particularly Blacket, and Dermody; and quotes a highly poetical "Monody on the Death of Chatterton," writ ten by Dermody in the twelfth year of his age. In his remarks on Horace Walpole's treatment of the youthful Bristol poet, the con duct of the former is palliated and excused ; and the Essay concludes with an impartial summary of the personal character of Chatterton. " His vices and his errors were the natural result of ardent passions, im- controUed by any restraint but convenience, undirected by any motive hut the immediate gratification of the passing hour. Had he died a death less premature, it is impossible that a mind like his should not have discovered the folly of that pride which finds its chief gratification in singularity, and which sacrifices to a vain display of intellectual independence, the most mo mentous interests that can excite the speculation, or affect the happiness of man. His pride would have been subdued into virtuous dignity ; the stub bornness of unbending vanity would have been converted into the undis mayed and persevering fortitude of the Christian ; and instead of termi nating, with the melancholy resolution of despair, a short and unhappy ca reer, he might have improved by his example that community which he had adorned and enlightened by his talents ; honoured during the splendid pro gress of his mortal existence by the learned and the good, and the theme in after ages of virtuous reverence and hterary praise." Appended to the Memoir are two of Chatterton's letters to Dods- ley, the bookseller, previously unpubhshed, relating to his manuscript play of "iEUa." Mr. Britton observes that " the cunning, deception, and finesse of the young poet are strongly illustrated in these letters." Alluding in his Preface to the correspondents who had rendered him assistance, the Author says: — "To Hewson Clarke, Esq., I am obliged for some judicious observations biography : — chatterton — shakspere. 167 on Chatterton. The criticisms of this gentleman are generally acute and profound : it is hoped that he will speedily execute his long-projected work, — a continuation of Johnson's Lives of the Poets. To Joseph Hasle- wood, Esq., who has collected almost every book, pamphlet, and paper that has been printed respecting the Chatterton controversy, I am indebted for the two letters printed at the end of this volume, and for the free use of his Archaeological collection. The late Thomas Eagles, Esq., who had criti cally watched the controversy about Rowley, obhged me with some interest ing letters on the subject. He eagerly contended for the authenticity of Rowley's poems, and often expressed an intention of publishing his opinions and arguments on the subject. To Robert Southey, Esq., I am also obhged for an interesting letter respecting Redcliffe and Chatterton." The " Cathedral Antiquities," as previously mentioned, con tain biographical notices of the Archbishops and Bishops of the re spective Sees; but these form a subordinate department of that com prehensive work : and although they contain some original anecdotes and other information, are in most instances abridged from memoirs previously published. In such compilations much discrimination is ne cessary, and Mr. Britton must be acknowledged to have performed his task -with judgment, and an entire absence of partiality or prejudice. In the year 1814, Mr. Britton wrote some " Remarks on the Life and Writings of Shakspere," which were published by Mr. Whittingham, ofthe Chiswick Press, in an edition ofthe Poet's works. These "Remarks" were revised in 1818, and greatly enlarged by the author; who has on many occasions, and in various ways, displayed his Shaksperian zeal and enthusiasm. So numerous, indeed, and so im portant have been his eff'orts to do honour to the Bard of Avon, and so little are they known to the pubhc, that he has felt it necessary, in justice to himself, to record them in the Appendix to this Auto- Biography; to which, therefore, the reader is referred. In " Fisher's Portrait Gallery," consisting of engraved heads 168 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. and brief memoirs of eminent characters, conducted by the pubhsher whose name it bears, are short notices, by our author, of Sir John Soane, and Sir Jeffry Wyatville, both since deceased; who, by their architectural designs, and the large share of royal patronage which they both enjoyed, excited considerable notice. The portrait of Sir John Soane was engraved by J. Thomson, from a picture by Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A.; and that of Sir Jeff'ry Wyat viUe, by H. Robinson, from an original by the same accomphshed painter. In the accompanying memoirs, the writer depended en tirely on information supphed by the two architects; but, whilst Sir Jeffry WyatviUe freely and faithfully imparted the necessary particu lars, and thereby ensured the production of a correct and satisfactory essay; Sir John Soane, on the contrary, suppressed many material facts, and kept the writer in doubt and suspense on others. One of the vainest and most self-sufficient of men, he courted praise and adulation from every person and source, but dreaded, and was even maddened by anything like impartial and discriminating criticism. I have reason to believe that this memoir, though sufficiently com plimentary for any reasonable man, so displeased him, that he was never afterwards cordial, and scarcely courteous towards its writer. In 1837, Mr.Britton wrote an"EssAY on the Life, Writings, and Graphic Works of John Carter, F.S.A.," author of "The Ancient Architecture of England," folio, and well known as an old correspondent in the " Gentleman's Magazine," on subjects of Archi tecture and Archasology; in which he took an enthusiastic interest. For the preparation of this Essay I find many letters and various memoranda amongst the author's collections, for Httle had before been printed respecting the redoubted knight-errant of " architectural in novation." Although Mr.Britton obtained some original information BIOGRAPHY: — carter— JOHN AUBREY, ETC 169 from the antiquary's surviving executor, and from other individuals, there remained several points which he was unable clearly to eluci date. The Memoir was read to the members of "the Royal Institute of British Architects," in 1837, but has never been printed. The " History of Cassiobury," foho, 1837, contains biogra phical accounts of the principal members of the families of Morrison, and of Capel, the o-wners of that property ; chiefiy condensed from the works of Lodge, Collins, and other writers. The most complete and important of our author's contributions to Biography is — A MEMOIR OF JOHN AUBREY, F.R.S., embracing his Auto- BioGRAPHicAi. Sketches, A Brief Review of his Personal and Literary Merits, and an Account of his Works ; with Extracts from his Cor respondence, Anecdotes of some of his Contemporaries, and of the Times in which he lived. Published by the Wiltshire Topographi cal Society. 4to. 1845. The origin of the above work has been already described, in con nection with the history of the Society from which it emanated. The value of the writings of John Aubrey, as a topographer and bio grapher, had not been properly estimated until Mr. Britton under took this Memoir. Embued with the superstitions of the 17th cen tury, in which he fiourished, Aubrey had yet a keen appreciation of the utihties of Hterature and archseology ; with a zealous perseverance and acuteness of observation, which together enabled him to amass a great amount of curious information on antiquarian, topographical, and other analogous subjects. In the volume now referred to, his per sonal history is clearly traced, by his Auto-Biographical memorandaj and incidental anecdotes and allusions in his various writings. The Memoir occupies 94 pages of the volume ; and the remaining 50 pages are devoted to an analysis of his pubhshed and unpubhshed works. 170 britton's auto-biography, part II. The whole of Aubrey's papers, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, were minutely and carefully examined for this purpose : and by the full account of them here given, the author was enabled to rectify numerous errors in former notices ; not only with reference to Aubrey's career in Hfe, but to the true nature and value of his Hterary produc tions. Copious extracts are given from his correspondence with Anthony Wood, Sir Isaac Newton, HaUey, Tanner, Ray, Gibson, and other literati. " Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Character of Henry Hatcher, Author ofthe 'History of Sahsbury.' " Svo. 1847. This pamphlet gives a lucid narrative of Mr. Hatcher's history, and espe cially of the dispute in which he was involved with reference to the authorship of his elaborate ' ' History of Sahsbury." It has been already adverted to under the head of Wiltshire Topography ; with which subject it is intimately associated. Although not limited to a mere Biography, the following work may be properly noticed in this place: viz., "The AUTHORSHIP of the LETTERS of JUNIUS Elucidated; including a Biographical Memoir op Lieut.-Col. Isaac Barre, M.P." Svo. 1848. The Author was led into a long and searching inquiry on the above most intricate literary question, by some very early reminis cences in connection with it : to the effect that the " Letters of Ju nius " had their origin in a political triumvirate, frequently assem bling at Bowood, at the era of their production : the parties being William, first Marquess of Lansdowne (better known in pohtical history by his previous title of Earl of Shelburne); John Dunning, afterwards Lord Ashburton ; and Lieutenant-Colonel Barre. An anec dote, related to Mr. Britton fifty years ago, had left a strong impres sion on his mind that those parties were the joint authors of the cele- BIOGRAPHY: — COL. BARR^, ETC. 171 brated " Letters of Junius ;" and that a William Greatrakes, of You- ghal, in Ireland, was the actual amanuensis. i, In arranging his papers for the preceding Auto-Biography, the au thor was induced, as a preHminary measure, to decide on printing an elucidation ofthe Junius mystery; beheving, as he then did, that it might be easily fixed upon the parties indicated. But, in pursuing his investigation further, he found the question beset with difficulties ; the magnitude of which is known only to those persons (compara tively few) who have attentively and critically studied the subject. StiU, although several obstacles to his original theory presented them selves, he was induced to persevere, by ascertaining some extraordi nary facts, in the personal history of Barre, strongly tending to the conclusion that the eloquent and satirical poHtician was, individually, the author of the Letters. My Hmits on this occasion preclude even a summary of the facts and arguments supporting this opinion. It must suffice to state that they not only possess absorbing interest, in connection -with the Hterary enigma which the Author hoped to solve, but fiiUy justify the opinions he expresses; namely, that it is highly probable the mysterious Epistles were reaUy the productions of Colonel Barre ; that the pohtical and legal information they contain were fumished by his friends. Lord Shelburne, and Dunning; and further, that Greatrakes was the penman employed. Associated with Mr. Brit ton throughout this arduous investigation, I can bear cordial testimony to his untiring zeal, even under frequent discouragements; and espe ciaUy to his anxiety to state accurately the facts, laboriously acquired, on which he had arrived at the above conclusion. . The "Elucidation" extends to 144 pages. It is illustrated by two engravings; the first a mezzotint, by Storm, after Sir Joshua Rey nolds, being Portraits, in one group, of Barre, Lord Shelburne, and Dunning; the other a vignette, exhibiting beneath the "mask" of 172 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. Junius, the face of Colonel Barr^. The volume here noticed has been very copiously and favourably reviewed in many leading period icals. Sir David Brewster, in the "North British Review," although dissenting from the Author's inferences, has done justice to his perse verance and impartiality. In the "Gentleman's Magazine" there has been a learned analysis and commentary on the work; whilst the " Athenceum," the "Literary Gazette" the "Morning Post," and other leading periodicals, in London, in the provinces, and in Ireland, have devoted much space to their respective notices. The Author having presented copies of his volume to many distm guished authors, critics, and poHticians, has been peculiarly gratified by the terms in which several of them have since addressed him on the subject; each acknowledging that he has indicated a new and pro bable clue to the secret, even though they are not entirely disposed to regard his conclusions as satisfactory. Although the political interest in these once-popular Letters has almost ceased, there remains, as a Hterary question, great anxiety to penetrate the veil of authorship : and it is, therefore, sincerely hoped that further inquiry and research will lead to its speedy and satisfac tory development. The recent sale of the Stowe manuscripts was looked forward to as likely to throw some Hght upon it; for it was known that amongst the family archives were several unpubhshed letters by Junius, the contents of which, it had been said, would re move all doubt as to the authorship. For some reason, which it is difficult to comprehend, these documents have not been included in the coUection recently purchased by Lord Ashburnham ; but I have the authority of a gentieman who has inspected them for stating that, however interesting their contents, they do not remove the mask of the great English satirist; though, at the same time, they do not at aU mihtate against the theory advanced by Mr. Britton. BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAYS. 173 Amongst the minor Biographical productions of our author, it is only necessary to advert to some obituary notices in the " Gentleman! s Magazine" the "Literary Gazette," and other periodicals. His early patron, Thomas Hope, Esq. ; his sincere friends, Wm. Hamper, Esq., of Birmingham ; Mr. John Le Keux, the talented engraver; Mr. John Sydenham, of Poole, Dorsetshire, and others, have been thus comme morated. The publication of a Portrait of John Nichols, F.S.A., the veteran author of the "History of Leicestershire," and editor of the "Gentleman's Magazine," was imdertaken by Mr. Britton, and cannot be more appropriately noticed than in this place. It was en graved by 0. Heath, in 1811, from a dra-wing by J. Jackson, R.A. In the third volume of Manning and Bray's "History of Surrey" (1814) is a letter from Mr. Britton respecting the Dulwich Picture GaUery. It extends to four folio pages, and describes the cir cumstances under which the Collection referred to was formed by the wealthy picture-dealer, Noel Desenfans, Esq., with the assistance of his protege. Sir Francis Bourgeois. It also quotes largely from the WiU of the latter; and likewise from the WiU of Mrs. Desenfans, who made several provisions for the preservation and public exhibition of the paintings. These notices constitute short biographical memoirs of Mr. Desenfans and Sir Francis Bourgeois ; and possess a degree of romantic interest, from the circumstances adverted to. There are some judicious observations on the importance of establishing a National. GaUery of Pictures; written long before Mr. Angerstein bequeathed his pictures to the country. The Author concludes, by urging the authorities of Dulwich College to allow students free ac cess, to study and copy the pictures. I must omit to notice our author's Auto-Biographical Essays. In order to explain a delay of more than twenty years in the com- 174 britton's auto-biography, part II. pletion of one of his earliest works, he was induced, in the year 1825, to write some account of his career in life up to that time. The Me moir was prefixed to the third volume of the Beauties of Wilt shire. It strongly exemplifies the industry, energy, and perseverance,' which in the author's case had supplied the want of early education, and enabled him to rise from a very humble sphere of Hfe to a position of Hterary distinction and association. In the History of Worcester Cathedral, 1835, he commemorated the termination of his most arduous literary undertaking by a continuation of the former Me moir: and he has now, in the preceding Auto-Biography, endea voured to reciprocate the comphment which has been paid him, in a Public Testimonial, by writing a copious analysis of his personal his tory, with the present Descriptive Account of his Literary Works. It has been said, that Mr. Britton's productions have called forth kind and indulgent notices from public critics. Some weU-disposed individuals, connected with periodical pubhcations, have been so im pressed with his success in contending with the difficulties of his posi tion, that they have written notices of his exertions, as an example and a stimulus to youthful enterprise. Messrs. William and Robert Chambers, whose labours in the cause of education deserve the highest eulogy, pubhshed, some years ago, in their "Edinburgh Journal," a summary of Mr. Britton's Hfe and character, accompanied -with many flattering observations. In the "Imperial Magazine," is a similar sketch, from the pen of Mr. Samuel Drewe; and in the "European Magazine" is another neat Biographical Sketch, by Thos. Munden, son of the late eminent actor of that name. SECTION IV. So completely is the name of Mr. Britton identified with Topo graphy and Architectural Antiquities, that it does not often occur, even to those most famihar -with his publications, that he has contri buted very largely to the promotion of the Fine Arts of Great Britain. The number and excellence of the engravings which he has brought before the public, sufficiently prove his taste and judgment in mat ters of Art ; but it requires a careful comparison of the book-plates, and especiaUy the architectural illustrations of the last century, with those which are now daily issued from the press, to appreciate fully the changes and improvements which his writings and graphic works have eff'ected in National Art. In the preceding Auto- Biography Mr. Britton has described the accidental associations with artists, which led him to acquire some knowledge of painting, and especiaUy a familiarity with the works of the ancient and modem schools. A large portion of his ' ' Beauties of Wiltshire," pubhshed in 1801, is devoted to critical remarks on the pictures and statues at WUton-House, Bowood, Fonthill, Longford- Castle, and other splendid seats in that county. In tiie month of May, 1803, he contributed to a daily newspaper, called the "British Press," several articles on the exhibition of the Royal Academy. These notices fully and freely criticised the paint ings by West, Northcote, Opie, Beechey, Farringdon, Ward, Stot hard, Turner, Shee, Westall, Bird, Smirke, and several others. Two separate Essays were devoted to the works of Turner, and Bone. The "Historical Account of Corsham House," 8vo., 1806 (see ante page 16), might have been more accurately described as a Critical and Descriptive Catalogue of the Paintings in that once-cele- 176 britton's auto-biography, part ii. brated mansion; for only eight pages of the volume, which extends to more than 100 pages, are, devoted to the house. The main por tion forms a Hst of the pictures; stating their sizes, the artists' names, and some particulars to characterise the execution of each work; the persons and events represented in portraits and historical subjects; and the localities dehneated as landscapes. Besides these details, "Bio graphical Sketches" are given ofthe various painters, to the number of nearly one hundred. The freedom of the author's comments may be inferred from the foUowing passage on landscape painting, a branch of Art of which he has always been a sincere admirer : — "We cannot hesitate to declare that such landscapes as Claude's are en titled to our warmest admiration, in spite of the fastidious phUippics of Mr. Fuseli on the subject. That gentleman, in his lectures at the Royal Acad emy, has represented Claude, Gaspar Poussin, Wilson, &c., as the mere 'topographers of art;' and therefore, according to the intended inference, of the very lowest order of artists. But I cannot help referring Mr. Fuseli to his own pictures, and reminding him that, whilst the former are justly classed amongst the most fascinating productions ofthe pencil, and bought at immense prices, the latter are often pronounced to be caricatures of history, and when brought to the hammer, knocked down at very low prices : -vrit- ness those sold at the Shakspere Gallery. When'professors inculcate such sentiments, and exhibit such works, they provoke animadversion." The "Account of Corsham House" was dedicated to Lord Dart mouth, the president, and to the Vice-Presidents, &c., of the British Institution, in some apposite remarks on the primary importance, and ci-vilislng influence of the Fine Arts; together with the advan tages likely to accrue to those of Great Britain in particular, by the recent formation of the establishment which they presided over. It is incidentally stated that the first exhibition of the British Institution would close on the day of committing the dedication to press (10th July, 1806); and that the pictures sold from the gallery during that exhibition amounted to £5,450. The author acknowledges his obli- the Cleveland gallery. 177 < gations, "for judicious and useful suggestions," to Benjamin West; Martin Archer Shee; J. Northcote; Henry Bone, and Thos. PhiUips, of the Royal Ac9,demy ; and to other friends. CATALOGUE RAISONNE or the PICTURES belonging to the MARQUESS of STAFFORD, in the Gallery of CLEVELAND HOUSE. Svo. 1808. This publication is sufficiently described by its title. " I have en deavoured," says the author, " to render it as clear and perspicuous as the nature of such a work will admit, and have in the first instance given the labeUed number attached to each painting, with the name of its artist. The next Hne contains the title, or subject of the pic ture; and subjoined to that, and printed in smaUer type, is some ac count of it, either descriptive or critical." The comments on the pictures are copious and judicious; but the author states that, had he not been prevented by severe illness, he should have rendered the work more complete in its literary disquisitions, and should also have manifested more extensive investigation and critical analysis. Ap pended to the Catalogue are a few observations on some pictures in the Cleveland Gallery, by Ostade, from the pen of the well-known landscape gardener, Humphrey Repton. The letter-press extends to 160 pages ; and the work is illustrated by a plan of the Picture GaUeries, and a view of the principal apartment. In preparing his Catalogue of this celebrated Collection, Mr.Britton enjoyed every facihty from the late Marquess of Stafford; as he did also from Mr. Methuen, for his "Account of Corsham House." Both volumes were intended chiefly for the use of visitors to the respective GaUeries.* * [It gives me sincere pleasure to reflect on the great advancement which has been made in civilisation and refinement, since the following remarks were penned in the Preface to the " Catalogue Raisonne of the Cleveland Gallery :" N 178 britton's auto-biography, part ii. THE FINE ARTS of the ENGLISH SCHOOL, illustrated by A Series op Engravings, from PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE, and AR CHITECTURE, BY eminent English Artists ; with Biographical, Critical, and Descriptive Essays, by various Authors. Edited and PARTLY Written bt John Britton. 4to. 1809 — 1812. This was a publication of very considerable pretensions. Its pro- — " In England, where ignorance and -vulgarity, or something worse, are the characteristics of the lower orders, and where frivohty, afiectation, and insolence are the leading traits of a class of loungers who haunt most public places, it would be the excess of folly for gentlemen who possess valuable museums, to give unlimited admission to the public. Certain restrictions are necessary; and these, if properly constituted aud regulated, are as useful and pleasant to the visitor, as to him who grants the favour. I have the honour of knowing some gentlemen who possess valuable collections of pictures, &c., which they would cheerfully display to the public, if they could do so confidently, and without much inconvenience. But the public of England are not yet sufiici- ently advanced in refinement and taste to appreciate and enjoy such indul gences ; nor are the domestic arrangements of London houses adapted for these accommodations. If the enhghtened few, and the real lovers of art, could he easily selected from the idle, the frivolous, and the affected, who constitute too large a portion of society, I am persuaded that every patron of art would readily admit the former class, to view and profit by his collection.'' So complete has been the change in the manners and tastes of the English public, during the last forty years, that it is difficult now to believe the foregoing observations could have been justifiable ; but, in fact, they do not at all exaggerate the man ners and characters of society at the beginning of the present century. The Earl of Ellesmere, a most liberal patron and admirer of the arts, is so fully impressed with the improvement which has been effected in the pubhc mind, that, in the erection of his new mansion, in Cleveland Square, his lordship has prepared to give free and extended permission to all lovers of art, to view his valuable and truly interesting collection. To throw open a private mansion in the same man ner as a British Museum, or National Gallery, cannot be expected, nor wonld it be prudent or safe. All who can duly appreciate and enjoy works of science, art, and hterature, are at once obedient to the canons of etiquette and good taste, and are entitled to every indulgence which wealth can bestow; but the "vul gar rick," as Sir Robert Peel has designated a certain class, are as unfitted for, and unworthy of, public favor and indulgence as the ignorant and brutalized "mob,'' of which a few specimens are yet occasionally found. — J. B.] PINE ARTS OP the ENGLISH SCHOOL. 179 meters intended the execution of every department to be commen surate with the importance of its objects, and such as to ensure, by first-rate Hterary and artistic merit, a large amount of patronage and popularity. In an "Introductory Address," the editor states that — "He has been tempted to undertake the arduous task of superintendence, in the first instance, from a long-cherished partiahty for the Fine Arts in general, and for those of his own country in particular ; to which he was further induced by an intimate acquaintance with many English artists, and by having been promised the loan of pictures, and other useful assistance. by some noblemen and gentlemen, who are not only able but willing to for ward the present undertaking ; circumstances which confirmed him in the earnest desire of seeing an elegant literary and embellished pubhcation de voted to the Fine Arts of Great Britain.'' This work was intended to embrace an extensive series of highly- finished engravings from the works of British painters, sculptors, and architects. The paintings were to include portraits, historical sub jects, and landscapes; to each of which the accompanying letter-press was to be adapted : thus, each portrait was to have a memoir of the indi-ndual, and remarks on the painter ofthe picture; historical pieces and landscapes were to be described, and the merits of their respec tive artists freely commented upon. The engra-vings of sculpture were to include single figures, groups, alto and basso rehevi, with corre sponding letter-press; whilst Architecture was to be displayed and iUustrated by elaborate engravings of important edifices, with biogra phical notices of their architects, and descriptions of each building. The work originated with Mr. Britton; and Mr. WiUiam Bond, an eminent engraver, Messrs. Longman and Co., and Mr. Josiah Taylor, afterwards took shares of the risk. The province of the editor was to obtain from the owners of works of art, permission to copy them for engra-ving, to superintend the preparation of the copies, as well as the engraving and printing; and to write or direct the neces sary Essays. He stated in the prospectus that, having attached his n2 180 britton's auto-biography, part II. name to the work, he " pledged himself to the pubhc for its execu tion." Mr. Bond was to engrave most of the plates. All the promises held out by the proprietors were fulfiUed, so far as the work proceeded; but, in 1812, after producing six numbers, at intervals of about six months, and at a cost of more than £3,000, the parties were upwards of £1,000 in advance; and were, therefore, compelled to bring it to a close in one volume. The contents of which are as follow : — Portraits, with biographical memoirs, of the Marquess of Granby; of Dunning, Lord Ashburton; and of Reynolds, Romney, and Wil son, the distinguished painters. Historical or Poetical Compositions, by Reynolds, West, R. Westall, Romney, Howard, and Northcote. Landscapes, by Gainsborough, and Turner. Sculpture is iUustrated by six engravings, from the works of Flaxman, Banks, and NoUe kens ; and Architecture by four prints of St. Paul's Cathedral. Hilton, Joseph, and other able artists, made the drawings; and the plates were executed by the foUowing engravers, in addition to Mr. Bond, whose name is attached to twelve ofthe twenty -four subjects: John Le Keux, John Pye, John Scott, Edward Scriven, and Anthony Cardon. The last-mentioned engraver received 100 guineas for his plate of " Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy," after Reynolds. Eight of the Hterary essays are by the Editor; others being contri buted by John Adolphus ; Dr. Mason Good ; Thos. PhUhps, B,A.'; J. Northcote, r.a.; R. Hunt; Prince Hoare; and Edmund Aikin. These essays occupy 124 pages. In the year 1823, Mr. Britton had occasion to advert to this pub lication in the following terms: — " Some years back his name appeared to a volume entitled " The Fme Arts of the English School," in the property of which he had a small share. After expending a large sum of money on the work, and not finding an adequate return, the proprietors sold the whole stock, with the copper- MAGAZINE OF THE FINE ARTS. 181 plates : the latter have been worked so hard that they can work no longer ; and many worn-out impressions have been sold all over the country at depreciated prices. The author has sufiered by this, and has received some harsh and unmerited reproofs for a transaction over which he had no con trolling power." * THE MAGAZINE os the FINE ARTS, and Monthly Review of Painting, Sculpture, Architbcture, and Engraving. Svo. 1821. This periodical was projected by Mr. Britton in the year above- named, and was edited by himself and Mr. J. Corner, who at that time was assisting the author in preparing for the press the History of York Cathedral. Only six monthly numbers were issued, making a goodly-sized volume. Much abihty was displayed in many of the Essays, and the magazine was evidently in ad-vance of the age. Thirty years ago cheap pubhcations on the Fine Arts were comparatively unknown : their readers were few, and a more extensive sale than they could reahse was necessary to their success. The volume contains much general information on matters of art, and especially on the Exhibitions of the year 1821, including the .paintings of Benjamin West, which were then shown at his new gal lery, in Newman Street. Mr. Britton wrote a copious account of these, and also of Belzoni's models of Egyptian Tombs, descriptions of the galleries of Sir John Fleming Leicester, Bart., and of Thomas Hope, Esq., with biographical accounts of Chas. Stothard, and John Crome, of Norwich, together with several critical reviews. He also directed the execution of five prints for the volume: namely, interior views of the Galleries of Mr. West, Mr. Hope, and Sir John Leicester, an antique statue of Venus Victrix, and a copy of Cristall's picture of Jupiter nursed by the Nymphs of Crete. Although the above-mentioned are the only works pubhshed by * Address in the "History of Fonthill Abbey," 4to ; several of the plates in which volume were destroyed, in order to prevent the possibility of over-working. 182 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. Mr. Britton relating exclusively to the Fine Arts, the whole of his numerous pubhcations and lectures may be regarded as connected with the subject ; inasmuch as a profusion of pictorial embelHsh ments, of a superior kind, is their chief and marked characteristic. Those embeUishments have had considerable influence on the progress and present state of embelHshed Hterature. They have been frequently adverted to in the preceding pages; and by reference to some ofthe prints in the present volume, the reader has an opportimity of esti mating their general character and effect. Our author has formed a large collection of water-colour drawmgs, choice proofs, and other works of art, many of which are presenta tions by his old and valued friends. In the year 1836 he prmted, for private circulation, a pamphlet entitled, " An address to Artists; being Remarks on a series of Drawings, Sketches, and Engravings, pre sented by their respective Artists to J. Britton"; a copy of which wUl be found in the Appendix. Besides the works of Hving artists, he has acquired, by purchase and otherwise, a few artistic treasures of greater age. To enumerate particular specimens would be invidious : but for the purpose of the present " Descriptive Account," I may be aUowed to mention a series of paintings by Vandergucht, illustrative of Butler's "Hudibras"; which in drawing, colouring, and expression, surpass the well-known illustrations by Hogarth. Of one of these, as a specimen of the rest, the possessor caused a small lithograph to be executed in 1842. An other interesting work of art in his possession is a whole-length por trait of John Hamilton Mortimer, r.a., by Richard Wilson, R.A., a picture of great merit and interest, as a rare specimen of portrait painting by the English Claude, and a faithful and spirited hkeness of an artist of true genius. In 1842 Mr. Britton had this picture also lithographed, and distributed the print amongst his friends, with THE author's PATRONAGE OF ARTISTS. 183 four quarto pages of interesting commentary on the personal history and artistic merits of WUson and of Mortimer; as weU as on their contemporaries, and the state of the Fine Arts in the eighteenth cen tury. This pamphlet is re-printed in the Appendix, with a smaU sketch of the picture. I could refer to numerous artists of distinguished abihties, whom Mr. Britton has substantially befriended under those adverse circum stances to which, of aU men, the artist is most exposed. It is difficult to over-estimate the advantages derived in the year 1825 by many engravers, through his enterprise in undertaking the publication of a series of prints from Robson's " Views of English Cities" as already mentioned in page 70. Individual cases of benefits conferred cannot properly be specified; but Mr. Britton's exertions on behalf of some distressed artists are already on pubhc record. Thus, when misfortune clouded the latter days of Pyne, the well-known author and artist of " The Royal Residences," and other publications, he was foremost in promoting a subscription for his benefit, and giving him commissions.* When Ltike Clennell, an able artist and estimable man, was deranged in inteUect, and consequently helpless, Mr. Britton advanced at once the cause of art and of benevolence, by acting as honorary secretary to a committee for promoting the publication of a fine print from one of the artist's pictures (" The Decisive Charge of the Life Guards at Waterloo"); by the sale of which the artist was supported, in seclu sion, and his family greatly benefited. * The Author possesses two elaborate and highly-finished drawmgs by Mr. Pyne, viz. — ^A View of Langford's Auction Room, in Covent Garden, crowded with eminent Collectors of Works of Art, at the sale of Dr. Mead's Gallery; and a View ofthe Pamtiag-Room in Covent Garden Theatre, with the original members ofthe famous Beef-Steak Club, assembled at Dinner. These drawings contain full-length portraits of several royal, noble, and other distinguished personages of George the Third's reign. SECTION V. In his Auto-Biography the author has adverted to his early essays in the "Attic Miscellany," the " Sporting Magazine," the " Monthly Mirror," and in other publications; and has also mentioned his first acknowledged and independent literary production, the "Adventures of Pizarro." The last presents so many points for comparison and analogy with the long series of works which it preceded, as to call for especial notice amongst the author's miscellaneous pubhcations. Its copious title-page is in itself a literary curiosity, and carries back the mind to the past generation. It is as follows: — SHERIDAN AND KOTZEBUE.— The ENTERPRISING ADVEN TURES OF PIZARRO ; preceded by a Brief Sketch op the Voyages and Discoveries of Columbus and Cortez : to which are subjoine-d THE Histories of Alonzo and Cora, on which Kotzebue founded his TWO celebrated Plays of " The Virgin op the Sun," and " The Death OP RoLLA." Also, Varieties and Oppositions of Criticisms on the Play OP " Pizarro ;" with Biographical Sketches of Sheridan and Kot zebue. The whole forming a Comprehensive Account op those Plays and of the Grand Ballads of "Cora,'' and "Rolla aot) Cora," at the Royal Circus, and the Royal Amphitheatre. "Nothing extenuate, nor aught set down in malice.'' Dedicated to R. B. Sheridan, Esq. M.P. London: Published by John FaIEBURN, MlNOHIES. 1799. Svo. In 1799, "Sheridan and Kotzebue" were names of exciting influ ence. The very popular play of "Pizarro," written by the former, was a free translation, or adaptation of two German dramas by the latter, respectively entitled "The Virgin of the Sun," and "The Spa niards in Peru, or The Death of Rolla." It was produced at Drury Lane Theatre on the 24th of May, 1799, under extraordinary cir cumstances, and caused at once a fever of excitement, to which mo dern theatrical events are tame and insignificant. "Pizarro" was the universal topic, and for the next two years the press teemed with pizarro. — SHERIDAN. — KOTZEBUE. 185 translations of these and the prolific German's other dramas. Maga zines and Re-views were overwhelmed with correspondence and cri ticism on the merits of the author, and the history of his subjects; the bombastic, though effective, work pf Sheridan was alternately eulogised and ridiculed; burlesques, pamphlets, and children's books, were devoted to the popular topic ; even politics, in a most eventful era, were for the time forgotten. The fortunes of Drury Lane The atre, over which Sheridan then presided, had long been sinking; but though great anticipations had been formed from this new drama, its successful result, aided as it was by the effective acting of Kemble, Mrs. Siddons, and Mrs. Jordan, far surpassed them all.* A taste for German literature had already been imbibed in Eng land, as e-vinced by several translations from that language, and by the success attending the kindred works of M. G. Lewis, whose ro mantic drama of " The Castle Spectre" had been, though in a less de gree, the great attraction ofthe preceding season. Benjamin Thompson appears to have first directed attention to the works of Kotzebue, by his translation, in 1798, of another well-known play, " The Stranger." Within twelve months after the production of " Pizarro," no less * [Mr. Peake, the biographer of the Colman family, thus alludes to the subject. — "Pizarro still kept Drury Lane open with enormous houses, during the dog- days, and this very considerably embarrassed the Haymarket manager (George Colman)." Though fully aware how much the interests of the theatre depended on the production of "Pizarro," its author, with his accustomed indolence, had delayed the completion of that play until the last hour. On the morning of the appointed day a part of it had not been written. I well remember being present in the evening at a famous resort of theatrical critics adjoining the theatre, when news was brought of the enthusiasm which prevailed within its walls ; and more especially of the fact, unprecedented in the annals of the stage, that the famous patriotic speech of RoUa to the Peru-vian soldiers, had been twice encored Much of this success was, doubtless, owing to the declamation of John Kemble ; hut as much, perhaps, to the language and the sentiments, and their pecuhar application to the time, when a French invasion was much spoken of. — J. B.] 186 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. than three EngHsh versions had appeared of each of the two dramas on which it was founded; besides translations of ten other plays by the same author. Miss Plumptree, Thomas Dutton, Prince Hoare, and Richard Cumberland, were amongst the adaptors and transla tors. A writer in the "Penny Cyclopsedia" ably estimates the merits of this author of nearly a hundred dramas : — " Unfortunately for a permanent reputation, Kotzebue created too great a sensation at the time of his writing. The pubhc were at first dehghted, and afterwards surfeited by his exaggerated expressions, his forced situa tions, and maudlin sentimentality. Are-action accordingly has taken place, and he is now as much despised as he was formerly over-rated, and far more BO than he merits. It is not fair to criticise him in a merely hterary point of view. He was an actual working writer for the stage, and his knowledge of dramatic construction and of stage efiect must call forth the approbation of every qualified judge. In his characters he is very unequal. Some of them are absolute impossibUities, uttering nothing but the most forced and un meaning sentiments, while occasionally an exquisite sketch may be found ; and it would not be difiicult to select from his works scenes of the deepest pathos. Kotzebue's dramas had rather an unfortunate efifect on the estimation of German hterature in England. The wits of the Anti- Jacobin attacked him with great and often weU-merited severity, but they mixed up with his works the productions of Goethe and Schiller, and thus writers of the most unequal rank were classed together under the name of the German school." The early tendency of Mr. Britton's mind to historical and useful literature is strongly manifested by the smaU volume which has occa sioned these remarks. Participating in the enthusiasm which pervaded aU classes of society, he industriously employed himself in tracing the sources, real and fictitious, of the characters and incidents of this most popular drama; and within six months from its first performance his elaborate Httle work was pubhshed. Before describing its contents, I may observe that, although the Spanish Conquest of Peru was a subject almost unknown to EngHsh literatui-e, it had been made the ground-work of a pathetic romance by Marmontel, — " The Incas, or the Destruction of the Empire of Peru," published in 1764. In that HISTORY OF PIZARRO. 187 work Kotzebue found, in addition to Pizarro and other historical per sonages, the characters of Alonzo and Cora; but it is to the German dramatist that we owe those of RoUa and Elvira; introduced by him, first in " The Virgin of the Sun," and subsequently, in " The Spa niards in Peru." The great success attending the latter piece on its pro duction at Vienna was the immediate origin of Sheridan's " Pizarro." Mr. Britton's volume comprises, firstly, a narrative of the Peru vian conquest, and the eventful career of the heroic Spanish leader; condensed from Robertson's " History of America," from the works of Las Casas, and other authentic sources : secondly, a full analysis, with extracts from Marmontel's "Incas," showing the origin of the fictitious portion of " Pizarro" : thirdly, paraUel passages from Kotze bue's dramas and Sheridan's play : fourthly, short biographical notices of the EngHsh and German dramatists : and finally, in the words ofthe title-page, some "varieties and oppositions of criticism," from contemporary periodicals, on the play. The volume extends to 144 printed pages, of equal capacity with the present. Of these, 54 are devoted to the historical account of Pizarro's "enterprising adven tures"; 38 to the analysis of Marmontel's "Incas"; 19 to extracts from Kotzebue (Miss Plumptree's translation) and Sheridan; 14 to the bio graphical meflioirs ; and the remainder to the other matters already mentioned. In the Preface, the author says, — " In investigating the adventures of Pizarro I have consulted most authors who have written upon the American conquest and history. If in any in stance I have mis-stated a fact, or inserted an erroneous circumstance, I should feel a sorrowfid compunction ; but from the conviction of not having erred wilfully, and as most of my authorities are derived from the learned and indefatigable Dr. Robertson, I transcribe them with a pleasing con fidence. This hero's dramatic notoriety induced me to undertake the pre sent work, which I flatter myself may prove doubly useful ; tending to direct every reflecting mind to historic inquiry, and to furnish an extensive ac quaintance with the present popular subject," 188 britton's auto-biography, part II. Sheridan dedicated " Pizarro" " To Her whose approbation of it, and whose peculiar dehght in the ap preciation it had received from the public, was to him the highest gratifica tion derived from its success." This tribute to Mrs. Sheridan was evidently in the recoUection of Mr. Britton, when he inscribed his own volume " To Him whose genius and talents appear nobly pre-eminent by a com parison with the celebrated German dramatist." A frontispiece, representing a popular scene in the play, was en graved by Storer, from a drawing by Thurston : speaking of which, the author observes : — " In this, as in aH other works which I may hereafter pubhsh, impartiahty and candour shall invariably characterise my writings, and an anxious and enthusiastic ambition to display elegant and truly appropriate embellish ments wUl make me scrupulous with my designer and engraver ; by which means I wUl deserve, and I hope shaU acquire, the approbation ofthe critic." These remarks may be regarded as almost prophetic. They show that, fifty years ago, their author appreciated the importance of good pictorial illustrations; and that he had a just notion of typography, appears by the circumstance that "a superior edition" of his volume was printed " on fine wove paper, hot-pressed, with proof impressions of the plate." THE PLEASURES of HUMAN LIFE, investigated Cheerfully, elucidated Satirically, promulgated Explicitly, and discussed Phi losophically, IN A Dozen Dissertations; by Hilaris Benevolus & Co., Fellows op the London Literary Society of Lusorists. 12mo. 1807. Although long since consigned to obhvion, few pubhcations within the last half century have had a greater ephemeral popularity than a small volume, written and published anonymously in the year 1806, under the title of " The Miseries of Human Life, or the Groans of Samuel Sensitive and Timothy Testy." This was the production of the Rev. James Beresford, A.M., a graduate of Merton CoUege, Ox- PLEASURES OP HUMAN LIFE. 189 ford. It is correctly described by a contemporary critic as " a picture of minor misfortunes, rendered ludicrous by the importance attached to them;'' and so -weU was it adapted to the spirit of the times, that it not only reached a third edition in a very few weeks, but led to several humorous imitations ; some enlarging on the imaginary ' ' Mise ries of Life," whilst others retorted on the original pubhcation, by the adoption of satirical views respecting the " Pleasures " of human ex istence. Mr. Beresford's work consisted of twelve Dialogues. One of its earhest anonymous imitators published, at the beginning of 1807, seven other dialogues on "The Comforts of Human Life; or the ¦Smiles and Laughter of Charles Cheerful and Martin Merryfellow." .In re-viewing the latter, a periodical writer observed, — "We under stand that half-a-dozen pens are employed in drawing up Miseries vice Comforts, and the DUemmas vice the Delights of Life. By the labours of both parties, it is to be hoped that, before we quit it, we shall be able to attain a tolerably just estimate of this transitory state." Mr. Britton was induced to enter upon this amusing subject by its extreme popularity, and pubhshed his "Pleasures of Human Life," in conjunction -with Messrs. Longnian and Co., early in 1807. It consists, as the foregoing title-page states, of " a dozen dissertations," ^occupying 223 pages of letter-press; and it had at least one advan tage over its competitors, in a series of five spirited etchings by •Rowlandson; an artist then in the zenith of his popularity, and one whose talent and humour, notwithstanding his coarseness, have been surpassed only by the inimitable Cruickshank. In a "Deprecatory .Advertisement," the author explains that his satirical sketches are not intended to have any personal application. He asserts the exis tence of a pretended Society, comprising among its members, Hilaris Benevolus, Simon Specific, David Demurrer, and other fabulous per sonages attached to Hterature, science, and the arts, who are supposed 190 britton's auto-biography, part II. to hold meetings to "examine, canvass, and discuss the raost noted and popular acts, deeds, and things done, performed, and committed in the British metropohs." These imaginary individuals are put for ward as the authors ofthe respective dissertations on the "Pleasures of Human Life." One of their number facetiously inscribes the volume " to the Respectable Booksellers and pubhshers of Great Britain."* The first and the twelfth ofthe " Dissertations," are respectively a Preface, and an Index, both humorously -written, in harmony with the general character of the work. The remaining portions are: — Dissertations II. , IIL, and IV. On the Pleasures of Literature. — V. The Plea sures of Law. — VI. toX. The Pleasures of Fashion; and XI. The Pleasures of Politics. This whimsical idea was wittily carried out, and the publication was very successful. Two editions of 1000 copies each were rapidly sold. The book is now rarely met -with. THE RIGHTS op LITERATURE; or, an Inquiry djto the Policy AND Justice op the Claims op certain Public Libraries on all the Publishers and Authors op the United Kingdom for Eleven Copies op every New Publication. Svo. 1814. The reader of these pages will have observed that Mr. Britton has given frequent expression to his feehngs on one of the most oppresave details of the law of copyright ; namely, the claim on authors and publishers of new works for eleven copies of them, for the use of cer tain institutions, the majority of which, though denominated "Pubhc * [In a recent number ofthe Literary Gazette is a review of a volume dedicated to the Booksellers ; a circumstance which the critic regards and commends as a novelty. It is not a little surprising that the acute editor ofthe periodical referred to, whose mind seems to be familiar with almost every book that has appeared within the present century, should have forgotten that the "Pleasures of Human Life," as well as my edition of Anstey's "New Bath Guide," were particularly dedicated to that honourable and useful class, who have ever been the best and most effectual patrons of literature. — J. B.] rights op literature. 191 Libraries," were in reality close and private corporations. Alleged to be for "the advancement of leaming," this harsh legal claim was for many years enforced; and from the expensive nature of Mr. Britton's works, it was felt by him as pecuharly unjust and oppressive. Hence he was induced to denounce it on every possible occasion, and espe cially in the above-mentioned pamphlet. Since the subject was agitated by him, the law has been so far modified that only five, instead of eleven, copies of new works are now demanded ; and there have been such further alterations on the subject of copyright, that a brief reference to the subject generally may be permitted on this occasion. From an early period in the history of English literature, authors and their representatives had, by the common law, perpetual copy right in their pubhcations. But in the reign of Queen Anne (1710) Parhament Hmited the duration of that right to fourteen years from the time of pubhcation, with an additional period of the same length, if the Author should sur-vive the first term. The same Act directed that, to secure protection from piracy (as the act of infringing an other's copyright is termed), all new books should be entered at Stationers' HaU, and nine copies presented by their proprietors to the following Hbraries: — viz., the Royal Library (now the British Mu seum); Sion College, London; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the Pubhc Library of the University of Cambridge ; the Library of the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh; and the Libraries of the Four Scotch Universities. After the union of Ireland with Great Britain, a fiirther Act, in 1801, increased the number of presentation copies to eleven, by adding to the Hst of Hbraries those of Trinity CoUege and the King's Inns, Dublin. In practice, however, the " Hbrary tax " and the entry at Sta tioners' Hall were very generally evaded ; for it was held that com- 192 britton's auto-biography, part II. pliance with those provisions was necessary only to enable authors to recover certain penalties imposed by the Act on persons who infringed their copyright : and inasmuch as they could obtain more effectual protection by injunction in the Court of Chancery, without either the entry or presentation, it was customary for the proprietors of ex pensive pubhcations to save the eleven copies, by omitting to enter such works at Stationers' HaU. This evasion of the Act was tacitly permitted by the institutions referred to, until the year 1810, al though some zealous members of those bodies occasionaUy urged the enforcement of their legal rights. In the year mentioned, Henry Bryer, the printer of "Haywood's Vindication of Fox's Life of James IL," was called upon by the University of Cambridge for a copy of that work. Not seeking the protection of the penalties im posed by the Act, and wishing to escape the offensive tax, he had not "entered" that publication; and on that ground he defended an action which the University brought against him. By the judge's direction, the jury decided in favour of the claim, notwithstanding the absence of registration; and the verdict was confirmed (20th November, 1812) on argument before Lord EUenborough, and Jus tices Le Blanc and Bayley, after an able defence of the printer by Mr. (now Lord) Brougham. This decision excited great consternation amongst authors and pub lishers. Mr. Sharon Turner speedily produced a pamphlet, entitled " Reasons for a Modification of the Act of Queen Anne;" and in December, 1812, Mr. Britton wrote as foUows, on one of the wrap pers of his "Architectural Antiquities:" — " From contemplating the matter now in dispute between certain pubhc libraries and pubhshers, as a general subject of literary conversation, I have been insensibly and gradually led into a fuU and extensive perusal and investigation of every essay that has been published on the subject. Feeling that my own property and rights are subject to severe taxation hy eights of literature. 1 93 a recent decision in a court of law, and that many of my friends are likely to be fellow-sufferers, I am induced to submit the result of my inquiries to the public ; and to sohcit the attention of the legislature and the parties in terested, to a candid, and I hope an explicit, view of the whole question at issue.'' Such was the first announcement of the pamphlet, the title-page of which has introduced the present observations. " The Rights of Literature" was pubhshed at the beginning of 1814, at a nominal price of three shilhngs, although the author distributed nearly the whole impression to distinguished members ofthe legislature, accom panying each copy with a personal appeal for their active support in behalf of authors and pubhshers. In his Preface he observes : — " I have neither been solicited by the bookseUers to undertake this task, nor do I expect to derive from them any remuneration. Indeed, I cannot even hope to be repaid the expenses incurred in producing the present pam phlet. It would have afforded me much pleasure had the investigation been undertaken by one more competent to the vindication of the rights and pri- -rileges of hterature; but authors in general, I fear, have not been aware of the extent of the evU which threatens them. Immediately connected with, and engaged in hterature for the last fifteen years, I have had many oppor tunities of contemplating it in the aggregate and in detaU. Having made myself acquainted with its numerous ramifications and effects, I know that thousands of persons in this metropolis are dependent on it for a hveU- hood; and that tens of thousands are iiifluenced in opinion and action by its precepts. The profound politician knows that it is a potent machine, and has produced amazing effects in the civihsed world. If he be as hberal as he is profound, he wiU guard its independence and promote its prosperity." Besides a fuU statement of the points at issue, and a history of the entire question, Mr. Britton's pamphlet contains a series of cogent arguments, proving the impolicy and Injustice of the vexatious tax. It had been asserted that the delivery of the eleven copies would " hardly be felt" by publishers and authors; but he controverts that assertion by stating, that " on his own works," from 1801 to 1814, the amount of the tax would have been as foUows : — 194 britton's auto-biography, part II. £440 34 100122 1710 £723 On the Architectural Antiquities Beauties of WUtshire Sahsbury Cathedral Fine Arts ofthe Enghsh School Redcliffe Church . Cleveland Gallery and Corsham House Total .... The pamphlet comprises 78 pages of letter-press. The author had much correspondence on the subject with the Marquess of Lansdowne, the late Lord Holland, Sir Samuel Romilly, Sir Harris Nicolas, Mr. Isaac D'Israeli, Dr. Valpy, Mr. Douce, and others, who felt interested in the question, and approved of his exertions and writings. He con templated a public meeting of authors, and other measures, to caU attention to the question. A Committee of the House of Commons was appointed, and much e-vidence was taken by them, but -without any favourable result. A new Act of Parhament, in 1814, extended the period of copyright to twenty-eight years absolutely, or during the hfe of the author, if he sur-vived that period ; but the same Act removed all doubt about the "hbrary tax," by rendering the dehvery ofthe copies imperative in all cases, except when maps or other engravings were pubhshed without letter-press.* Further proofs of the injury infiicted was given before * The foUowing paper was printed and circulated by Mr. Britton in January, 1815, when the subject was much discussed : — " To Legislators, Authors, Artists, and the Reading Community. — I am induced to address a few lines to the above classes in the aggregate ; because the subject of my address is materially connected with each and all. To the members of the legislature, however, I more particularly ap peal ; because it is of the fii-st importance that they should be made ac quainted with those pursuits of literary persons, which may be deemed national. They should also fully understand the merits and eff'ects of all such proceedings of the House of Commons as materially tend to anunate or repress the literary energies of the country. It is, therefore, of serious bights of literature. 195 another Parhamentary Committee in 1818 ; and that Committee strongly recommended that one copy only (for the British Museum), importance that they should calmly and dispassionately investigate every measure which is proposed as the basis of a law. I must therefore call on them, most solemnly, to ascertain the principles and tendency of a motion now before Parhament for a modification of the Act respecting copyright. " A statute is now in force on the subject, which, without exaggeration, may be pronounced to be as oppressive and unjust to the literary character as the property-tax is to any class of the community. It is generaUy con sidered that authors are poor, — ^that poverty, poetry, and literature, are always associated; and thence it may be inferred that hterary men are ex empt from the oppressive ten per cent, income-tax ; but by the BUI now aUuded to they are visited by a parhamentary midot, or punishment, of the most arbitrary and severe nature. This exacts from every author of a book, whether it be a profitable or losing concern, eleven copies of that book, which he is compeUed to give to great and rich public establishments. Before he is aUowed to receive sixpence for his own mental labour, or to wards defraying the expenses of paper, priating, advertisements, &c., all of which are likewise burthened with taxes, he is required to present (which is a sad misnomer, as it imphes a voluntary act), one of the finest paper copies to the British Museum ; and one perfect copy to each of the foUow ing establishments: — the Libraries of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge ; the four Universities of Scotland ; Sion College, London ; the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh; and to Trinity College, and the Society of the King's Inns, Dubhn. " Every other Enghsh tax appears to originate in the pohtical exigencies of Government ; and I beheve they are aU, either really or apparently, founded on general and equitable principles ; but that now complained of is leveUed at one class ofthe community, and in its operation must directly and positively be distressing to hterary persons. It wiU materiaUy op press and impoverish the Author, who is already less remunerated than the professor of any other liberal art or science. Although the estabhshed BookseUer and Publisher is apparently a great sufferer, yet he has various ways of reheving himself, or of obviating part of the hardship. The Author, however, has none : he must pay this heavy toll before he can enter the pubhc market ; he must pay exorbitant tithe, although he neither obtains moral, physical, or pohtical advantage from those who collect it. As the in come-tax has at last roused the mass ofthe Enghsh nation to come forward o2 196 BRITTON'S auto-biography, PART II. or at the most five copies, should in future be exacted. In the same year, Mr. Britton urged the subject strongly on Sir Benjamin Hob house : — "I have petitioned the Legislature," he said, "on the sub ject, and have shewn that I am most seriously aggrieved and oppressed by the imperative clause of the Act; and from which Act I am not likely to derive one iota of benefit." In April, 1819, he renewed his remonstrances in a letter printed in the Monthly Magazine; and between the years 1825 and 1828, published two of his own works -without letter-press, avowedly and expressly to evade the dehvery of the copies. These were Robson's Views of English Cities, and Pugin and Le Keux's Architectural Antiquities of Normandy ; both noticed in preceding pages. He again pubhcly aUuded to the harshness of the law, in his Prefaces to the LHctui'esque Antiquities of English Cities (1830), and the History of Worcester Cathedral (1835). . The ultimate modification of the oppressive tax was accomphshed by an Act passed in 1837, by which the dehvery of sja? of the eleven copies of new publications was repealed ; but it stiU remains com pulsory to present ^ue copies, to the British Museum, and to the pubhc Hbraries in Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Dubhn. I cannot close this subject without aUuding to an admirable Trea tise on the Laws of Literary Property, by Mr. Robert Maugham (8vo., 1828, 260 pp.); which contains a learned r^sum^ ofthe whole question; with powerful facts and arguments against the Hbrary tax, and in favour of perpetual copyright. On the latter branch of the subject Mr. Britton had no particular dissatisfaction, and abstained Id a firm, strong phalanx, let us hope that every man who has derived either pleasure or profit from literature will be equally strenuous and steady in opposing the present Act; and by petition, remonstrance, argument, and every honest EngUsh effort, seek to obtain its repeal, or procure some equit able modification." rights op literature. 197 from aU complaint. He regards the extent of copyright as fixed in 1842, by the 5; and 6 Victoria, c. 45, as more than sufificient for all useful purposes. By that Act an author's copyright continues during his hfe, and remains -with his representatives for seven years after Jjis death; or if the latter period should terminate within forty -two years from pubhcation, then a further extension of the copyright until .tiie completion of such forty-two years. The following extract from the "Rights of Literature" wiU exempHfy Mr. Britton's language and sentiments I — " Literary works are not produced without long and painful assiduity, laborious and toUsome research. The object of the literary labourer is not merely glory and unsubstantial fame : if his scientific researches, or the co ruscations of his wit, possess merit, they wUl eventually procure him that reward. But this meed is slow in attainment : we must not hope to snatch the laurel, but must wait for the period of its bestowal. There are other incentives to Uterary exertion besides love of celebrity; surely the desire of competence is not less powerful in impeUing to great endeavours. Lord Camden has been cited to prove that authors who are actuated by any other motive than the desire of glory are 'wretched scribblers for bread.' It re quires, however, something more than the dictum of his lordship to prove this uncharitable assertion. Look at the catalogue of those who have raised the hterary character of England to a level with that of Greece and Rome, and ascertain who wrote for glory, and who scribbled for bread. Where there is an iadividual instance of the one, there wiU be a hundred cases of the other ; and for the sohtary amateur whose brows are decked with wreaths there are whole files of ' professional authors' who have obtained more fame than fortune. I am not to be told that an author is not equally sensible to reputation, or cannot -write equally weU, in ease and competence, as when impeUed by poverty. Little wUl be his spirit, and weak his enthusiasm, who, when engaged on a work of magnitude and value, reflects that the only meed it wUl procure him is unproductive honour, that the only benefit it wUl give to his fanuly, wUl be the legacy of a precarious, and at best a distant fame ; nor wiU the impulse to exertion be greatly strengthened by the knowledge, that out of his labours a material part must be given to in stitutions which are privUeged and powerful. With such prospects, who wiU emulate the hterary heroes of antiquity? What author wUl give him self up to the aspirations and energies of his soul?" 198 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. A NARRATIVE of MEMORABLE EVENTS in PARIS, pre ceding THE Capitulation, and during the Occupancy of that City BY the A1.LIED Armies in the Year 1814: being EXTRACTS from THE JOURNAL OF a detenu, who contwubd a Prisoner, on Parole, IN THE French Capital, prom the Yeab 1803 to 1814. Also, Anec dotes OF Buonaparte's Journey to Elba. Svo. 1828. The above-mentioned volume is a "plain unvarnished tale" ofthe " Memorable Events" which occurred in the city of Paris in the year 1814. Its author was Mr. Thomas R. Underwood, an English artist of considerable abihty, who had been extensively employed by the Society of Antiquaries, and was arrested, with nearly a thousand of his fellow-countrymen, whilst on a -visit to France in 1803. Mr. Britton's Prefatory "Address," as editor of the volume, gives the following impartial account of the Author and his Journal: — " The Editor of the present volume had the manuscript presented to him by its Author, an old and confidential friend, who has been a resident at Paris ever since the year 1803, and whose principal injunction was, that it should be faithfully and correctly conveyed to the world through the me dium ofthe EngUsh press. The laudable and insatiable avidity with which that friend sought information on every subject of art, Uterature, and the pohtical state of nations, led him to visit France during the short peace of 1802-3. He was returning to England, and had reached Calais, when the peevish arrete' of Buonaparte (22nd May, 1803) was forwarded to that port, commanding the arrest of aU Enghshmen. Instead, therefore, of revisiting his native home, and imparting to his friends the result of his iaquiries, observations, and researches, he was detained a prisoner ; but, as a parti cular favour, from intimacy with some of the savans of Paris, he was aUowed to return to that city, in place of being sent to Valenciennes, where many other Enghsh detenus were consigned. The capitulation of Paris to the allied armies (31st March, 1814) at length released him from mihtary restraint. During the whole of his captivity, he was fortunate enough to enjoy a friendly and famihar intercourse with many eminent persons m the French capital. He was also honoured in having frequent interviews with the Empress Josephine, in her domestic and private station. This was a favour which few others possessed, and, of course, afforded a famUiar in- EVENTS IN PARIS, IN 1814. 199 , sight into many circumstaijces which were never proclaimed to the world. To one who had been in the habit of keeping a regular daUy journal, such an opportunity, and such eventful occurrences, were calculated to awaken more than common curiosity and interest ; and he avaUed himself of it by preserving a faithful record of all the memorable transactions which oc curred in the French metropolis for upwards of twelve years. The scenes dehneated in the foUowing portion of the Journal so kept, — the character istic anecdotes which it imparts of national manners, — of personal inci dents, — of the savage and murderous scenes of warfare, — of the distracted state of alarm in some persons, and of indifference ia others, — ofthe suc cessive events of infuriated conflict and slaughter, contrasted by pompous triumphant processions, and rapid transitions to gaiety and pastimes,- — of the expulsion of a warrior, emperor, and despot from his throne, and the exaltation of an exUed, artful king, to the sovereignty of a nation, — cannot faU to create the alternate emotions of curiosity, sympathy, and interest. " The ensuing Journal is printed verbatim from the author's copy, and it wUl not escape the keen eye of the experienced critic that the -(vriter has neither aimed at elegance nor eloquence of diction ; but, on the contrary, betrays occasional carelessness of style. Accustomed for many years to French society and Uterature, and to express his ideas in that language, it is not surprising that he should forget a Uttle of his own. " The Author considers himself responsible for the veracity of every statement in his Journal, and wUl be ready to substantiate the same through the medium ofthe Editor, or in any respectable Uterary pubUcation.'' The interest of JMr. Underwood's Journal consists in the unparal leled characteristics of the Events it chronicles, and the minute and rigid accuracy ofthe narrator: his "occasional carelessness of style," as mentioned by the Editor, detracts much from the merit of the work. The extracts from his personal Journal of Events in the city of Paris, extend only from the 1st of January to the end of June, 1814; commencing -with the alarm and consternation of the citizens at the approach of the alhed armies; and describing the preparations for de fence, the battle, and the capitulation; the triumphal entry of the troops; the subsequent festi-vities ; the negotiations which led to the restoration of the Bourbons; with, finally, the Procession of Louis XVIII. into Paris; the proclamation of Peace, and the departure of 200 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. the alhes. A mongst other incidental circumstances may be mentioned an interesting account of the death and funeral of the Empress Jose phine. In a second part of the volume will be found a narrative of the contemporary Journey of Napoleon from Fontalnebleau to Elba, and of his residence in that island. This is founded on information fur nished to Mr. Underwood by Marshal Marmont, and other weU- informed indi-viduals. There is, also, a brief account ofthe proceedings of the council of regency, which was formed at Blois by the Empress, Marie Louise, on behalf of Napoleon, after the capitulation of Paris. The work occupies 298 pages, and is concluded by the Editor's re marks on the eventful career of the Emperor Napoleon. A LECTURE ON RAILWAYS, with Particular Reference to the Intended Line from London to Bristol. Svo. 1833. This pamphlet has been many years out of print. It was an eulogy of the railway system, which was then in its infancy; and the merits of which the author pointed out to the citizens of Bristol, with a -view of promoting the formation of the Hne from that port to London. It was read to a large audience in the Literary Institution, and afterwards presented to the Directors ofthe Railway, who caused many thousands to be printed, and distributed gratuitously. The author never derived any compliment or reward from the company. Although they were free, and occasionally profuse in bribes and expenditure, to advance their then new and doubtful scheme, yet they failed to remunerate the zealous Lecturer and advocate. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. 201 The foregoing account of Mr. Britton's pubhcations will have given the reader much information on their leading characteristics; but the object of these pages cannot be adequately accomphshed ¦without a few general and CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. The volumes referred to present some characteristics diff'ering from tiiose of ordinary Hterary works. Of these the most remarkable is their size and style, with the limited number of copies printed. In his earhest literary efforts the author aimed at acquiring popularity by means of cheap pubhcations and by extensive sale; "The Beauties of England and Wales" being considered a very low-priced work. But he fuUy appreciated the value of fine printing and good embelHshments, and accordingly there was a large paper edition of the "Beauties," at a higher price. With greater experience he attached increased impor tance to large and elaborate engra-vings. These, it must be remem bered, were executed on copper, only, which necessarily imposed Hmits to the number of impressions. Thus, in his great work on " The Ar chitectural Antiquities of Great Britain," commenced in 1805, he adopted a demy quarto size for the small paper copies, and printed a larger edition in imperial quarto, -with proof impressions of the plates: and as these conditions led to higher prices, the number of impressions was limited in proportion. Hence, instead of a sale of some thousands, as in the "Beauties," the "Architectural Antiqui ties" never extended beyond 1300 copies. The large size and limited number thus adopted have been adhered to by Mr. Britton in most of his leading pubhcations; which have, consequently, been placed, in some degree, amongst the category of rare and choice works. The appearance of the new edition of Dug- 202 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. dale's Monasticon, in folio, and of some County Histories, with other books, in the same size, induced the author to print aj^Zw edition of his " Cathedral Antiquities" (commenced in 1814); of which work, indeed, there were no less than five varieties, — namely, the demy quarto; imperial quarto, with proofs; imperial quarto, with proofs on India paper, and first etchings of the plates; crown foho, proofs (to match the Monasticon); and super-royal foho, -with proofs, or proofs and etchings. The prices of these large paper copies were high, and their sale very smaU. The crown foHo edition was soon discontinued; and as the taste for foho volumes gradually declined, the super-royal edition diminished in number, until only six copies of the later ca thedrals were printed in that size, for the admirers of fine pubhcations. The "Chronological List of the Author's Works" (see Appendix), will show these peculiarities of size, numbers, and prices, in fuU detaU. For some years past copies of our Author's publications have been sold at reduced prices. This has been a matter of complaint by some of the original subscribers; but it was caused in the first instance by circumstances which the author could not control. On the death of Mr. Josiah Taylor, who was a partner in many of those works, his afi"airs were made the subject of Chancery proceedings; and it became absolutely necessary, under an Order of the Court, to submit the books in question to public auction, in order that his share therein might at once be reaHsed. In these forced sales, the entire remainder, or unsold stock, of the various pubhcations was brought into the mar ket; and the copies were accordingly bought at low prices by various bookseUers, who have since retailed them to the pubhc. Besides the unsold copies, aU the copper-plates, vrith the copy-right in the different works, were in like manner disposed of; and the new proprietors have reprinted them, and worked new impressions of the plates; which, besides being cheaper, are necessarily very inferior to the original HIS PARTNERS IN PUBLICATION. 203 copies. Although somewhat injurious to the author's reputation, it cannot be denied that these sales have been pecuniarily advantageous to him and to his partners. On many of his expensive works the ori ginal circulation failed to repay the outlay, and its lingering conti nuance at the original prices would probably have prolonged the losses for an indefinite period; whereas the amount realised by auction enabled the parties to wind up profitably some of their accounts. Commencing the "Beauties of Wiltshire" for Messrs. Vernor and- Hood, Mr. Britton had no share in the ownership of that work ; and in undertaking the " Beauties of England and Wales," both himself and Mr. Brayley were remunerated at a fixed price for each sheet of letter-press, and a small per centage on the profits. He had, however, one-third share, as proprietor of the "Architectural Antiquities," jointly with Messrs. Longman and Co., and Mr. Josiah Taylor. The same parties were connected -with him in other important works ; but tiie author was frequently his own pubhsher; and in that capacity de voted much time and attention to the practical details of pubhcation ; to deahngs with paper-makers, letter-press and copper-plate printers, book-binders, hot-pressers, and various other tradesmen who were employed; as well as in keeping the compHcated accounts which such transactions involved. In some of the works so published the late Mr. Pugin, the Messrs. Le Keux, and others, had a pecuniary interest; and to those gentlemen his judgment and experience were as useful, as the accuracy of his accounts was satisfactory. It is always interesting to know how the labours of popular au thors have been remunerated; and few Hterary anecdotes are more attractive than those which record the contemporary value of the works of Milton, Goldsmith, Johnson, Swift, De Foe, Scott, Moore, and Southey. It may gratify a laudable curiosity to mention m this place the amounts which Mr. Britton has received for the author- 204 britton's AUTO-BIOGBAPHY, PART II. ship of some of the volumes already described; the profit or loss attending their pubhcation; the extent to which he was interested therein, and some other particulars of a similar nature. In the five volumes of the "Architectural Antiquities," the au thor had £30 per number for the first four volumes, with £10 addi tional for such numbers as were reprinted, to meet an increased de mand. The fifth volume requiring much greater research, his remu neration was increased to £50 per number; and the total so charged by him amounted to somewhat more than £1800, during a period of twenty- one years occupied in the pubhcation of the work. . The sale of the four volumes was profitable in its result from the commence ment; whilst that of the fifth, and most elaborate, -was uniformly unsuccessful. At the time of Mr. Taylor's death, upwards of £7000 had been di-vided between the partners as profit on the four volumes; whilst the fifth had barely paid its o-wn expenses. The stock, coppers, &c., of the whole were sold together; and the final balance-sheet showed a general net profit of about £9800 (fcom 1805 to 1826), the author's share of which was £3266. Large as this sum appears, when added to the payment for authorship, it is obvious that, had the same aiiiount of talent, labour, and expenditure, been employed in trade or commerce, a greater retum might have been realised. The "Cathedral Antiquities" belonged to the same parties, and in the same proportions; but Mr. John Le Keux was admitted during the progress of the work to one-seventh share of the profits, to be charged equally upon the other partners. The author was aUowed £50 per number, as a fair remuneration for travelhng expenses, col lection of materials, directions to draftsmen, engravers, printers, au thorship, &c.; but in tiie year 1824, when the work had proved un profitable, he voluntarily allowed £20 per number to remain upon the credit of the pubhcation, in the hope that it would ultimately be PROFIT AND LOSS ON HIS PUBLICATIONS. 205 more prosperous.* When the remainder was sold by auction, a loss of more than £400 had been sustained, which, however, the proceeds of the sale converted into a profit of £2900 — an amount barely equi valent to interest on the proprietors' advances during the twenty-one years (1814 — 1835) over which they had extended. The profit on "Pugin's Specimens" was about £1400. This was the joint property of Mr. Britton, Mr. Pugin, and Mr. Josiah Taylor. The first kept the accounts, and charged £150 for authorship, of which, however, more than £100 was paid to his friend, Mr. E.J. Willson. " Robson's Views of EngHsh Cities," the sole property of Mr. Britton, reahsed a profit of Httle more than £100, with £200 for editing, aller a very large outlay, and a lapse of some years from the tune of pubhcation. (The "Chronological Table," it may be here observed, wiU furnish the reader with the amounts expended in the production of the works referred to.) The foUowing pubhcations may be mentioned as invol-ving the autiior and his partners in losses : — " The Fine Arts of the EngHsh School;" of which Longman and Co. had two-fifths, and Mr. Bond, the artist, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Britton, each one-fifth, — reaHsed £1000 less than the sum expended upon it. The author had £40 for each of the six numbers; in editing which his labours and responsibihties were unusuaUy heavy. " The PubHc BuUdings of London," the joint property of Messrs. Britton, Pugin, and Taylor, involved a loss, after the sale by auction, of £460. The author's remuneration was six guineas per sheet. "The Architectural Dictionary" was also unsuccessful; the pro ceeds of the final sale producing a profit balance of some £60 or £70 only. The author had one half-share in this work; Messrs. Longman three-eighths, and Mr. Le Keux the remaining one-eighth. The author's remuneration for this most elaborate volume was only £200. The £20 per number was, however, finally abandoned. 206 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. " The Union of Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting," or a De scription of the Soane Museum, was entirely the author's property, and the loss upon it amounted to £300 ; a great portion of which was, however, repaid by Sir John Soane, to whom the copper-plates, &c., were transferred, for a volume which he afterwards printed. The third volume ofthe " Beauties of Wiltshire" was unsuccessful. At first equally divided between the author and Messrs. Longman and Co. ; the former ultimately bought the latter's share. He had only fifty guineas for writing the volume. The "Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities" was a complete failure, in a financial point of view. Longman's sustained three- eighths, Le Keux one-eighth, and the author the remaining half of the loss, which, six years after publication, had amounted to £800. The sale by auction merely reaHsed sufiicient to reimburse the outlay. The Histories of " Bath Abbey Church" and " Redcliffe Church" were joint speculations by the Author, Mr. Taylor, and Messrs. Long man. The Author had £40 for writing the former work, on which there was a final loss of £100; and £50 for the latter, which on the contrary realised a profit of about £300. Mr. Britton was the sole proprietor and pubhsher of his accounts of " FonthiU Abbey," "Cassiobury," "Toddington," "Tunbridge Wells," and other minor works. To indicate the depreciation of Hterary property, it may be stated that the 365 copper-plates of the " Architectural Antiquities," which cost more than £4000, together with the remainder, and the copy right ofthe work, realised, by auction, only £1420. The 311 plates and wood-cuts of the "Cathedral Antiquities" produced £l500; and the 144 plates in the "Public BuUdings of London," £378. The prices paid for drawings and engravings in these works have not materially varied with the progress of time. Mr. Britton retained PAYMENTS POR DRAWINGS AND ENGRAVINGS. 207 possession of tihe drawings made for the "Architectural Antiquities," charging his partners a portion of their cost, which varied from one and a half, to four, and in a few instances five guineas each, according to their merit. The drawings supphed for the " Cathedral Antiqui ties" cost on an average about seven guineas each: those for the "Pic turesque Antiquities" from three to six guineas; andthe smaller sub jects in the "PubHc BuUdings of London," two guineas and a half each. The foUo-wing are prices paid for engra-vings in the " Archi tectural Antiquities : ' — 1805 Rawle ... Roffe 1807 J. Le Keux, Interior of Henry Vil. Chapel 1809 Noble, Roslyn Chapel Burnett, Ditto, and St. Greorge's Chapel, each . 1812 J. Le Keux, Font in Walsingham Priory Church H. Le Keux, Interior of King's CoUege Chapel 1814 J. Pye, Warwick Castle .... In the " Cathedral Antiquities" the following are some of Mr. Le Keux's charges: — £ s. d. £ s. d. 1815 Salisbury .... from 12 12 0 to 36 15 0 1823 Canterbury, Archbishop Warham's Monument . 39 18 0 1826 Exeter, Bishop Bronscombe's Monument . . 52 10 0 The last mentioned is an exquisitely finished plate; and the price was the highest paid for any engra-ving in the series. Ever attentive to typographic exceUence, Mr. Britton has employed ho printers but those who displayed skUl and taste in their noble art. The late Charles Wliittingham, who secured for the productions ofthe Chiswick Press an universal reputation, printed the whole of the " Ca thedral Antiquities," the " Picturesque Antiquities," the fifth volume ofthe "Architectural Antiquities," the Description of the Soane Mu seum, the " History of Cassiobury," and several other pubhcations. The printing of the first four volumes of the " Architectural Antiqui- £15 15 0 23 0 0 20 0 0 18 18 0 27 6 0 27 0 0 36 15 0 31 10 0 208 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. ties" was commenced by a person named Wright, and completed by him and Harding ; but their workmanship was much inferior to that of the author's subsequent productions. His late esteemed and amiable friend, James Moyes, who for many years conducted one of the largest printing offices in London, gave the proprietors every satisfaction in the " Architectural Dictionary," the " PubHc Buildings of London," "Bath Abbey Church," the "Architectural Antiquities of Nor mandy," &c. The " History of Redcliffe Church" was from the press of Bensley; and the honoured names of his friends, Messrs. Nichols and Son, of Parhament-street, have been associated with that of Mr. Britton as the printers ofthe " History ofthe Ancient Palace of West minster," and of the works written by him for the " Wiltshire Topo graphical Society." The printing of his Auto-Biography by his friends Mr. Charles Whiting, and Mr. C. Muskett, of Norwich, -will be seen and duly appreciated by the readers of the present volume. It would be an easy task to extend this retrospect to various other matters of detail; bat it wiU be sufficient to mention some Unique Copies of our author's publications, which have been purchased at con siderable prices by munificent admirers of art and archseology. A fine large paper copy of the " Architectural Antiquities," with selected proof impressions of the plates, and the whole of the original drawings, 279 in number, uniformly mounted, was prepared and splendidly bound in Russia (four volumes in eight), for John Broad ley, Esq., who paid the author £500 for the set. This is now in the Hbrary of Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P. Mr. W. Alexander, P.S.A., of the British Museum, had also an unique large paper copy, with impresr sions of the etchings of neariy 200 of the plates.* * Mr. Britton coUected these etchings for Mr. Alexander with considerable difficulty ; as he had omitted to have them regularly printed during the progress of the work. This copy is now in the possession of the Author. unique copies. — UNFINISHED WORKS. 209 The hbrary of the British Museum contains a set of the " Cathe dral Antiquities," in super-royal foho; demanded from the author by Act of ParHament. It may be doubted whether any individual, or pubhc body possesses another folio set, or even a complete imperial quarto copy, with proofs and etchings. The Author has long been honoured with a commission to supply a perfect folio series of his Cathedrals for Her Majesty's Hbrary; but, from the lapse of time since their pubhcation, and the dispersion of the few copies printed, he finds it impossible to execute so fiattering a command. The Original Drawings of each Cathedral were bound with folio copies of the letter-press and proofs and etchings of the plates. Those of Sahsbury, Norwich, Winchester, and York Cathedrals, were pur chased by Mr. John Broadley, for £360, and were again sold by auction -with the whole of his valuable Hbrary. The volume on Lich field is in the possession of Jesse Watts RusseU, Esq., of Ham Hall; that on Oxford has recently been presented by the author to the Pre- adent of Trinity CoUege, Oxford; whUst those on Exeter and Wor cester remain in Mr. Britton's Library. With this summary of our author's completed works, pubhshed and unpubhshed, I might properly conclude my task. Though nu merous and elaborate, they have not, however, been the only occu pations of his life ; and I cannot resist the temptation to indicate, by the briefest possible allusions, a few of the many other Hterary avocations in which he has been engaged. He has frequently contemplated other pubhcations than those aheady described, and has coUected extensive materials for'the pur pose. Three of his favourite and long-cherished plans have been, Histories, with iUustrations, of "Ancient Domestic Architecture," of "Celtic Antiquities, classed and systematised, with iUustrations," and of "Ancient Stone Crosses." At the sale of the late Mr. Alexander's 210 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. library, he purchased a mass of sketches, with manuscript and printed memoranda, relating to Crosses, which he has since greatly added to. A volume of "Lives of English Antiquaries and Topographers," yjaa one of his earliest schemes; for which he collected drawings, letters, and various materials. When a small premium was offered, some years ago, for a biographical memoir of the Countess of Richmond, mother of King Henry the Seventh, Mr. Britton devoted much time to the subject; and collected a large mass of information respecting that re markable personage ; but his memoir was not finished by the stipulated time ; and the manuscript remains imperfect. A History and Descrip tion ofthe Deepdene, Surrey, the seat of Thomas Hope, Esq., with notices of eminent persons connected with the place, was also begun by him. This was not intended for publication; but as a manuscript volume, to accompany a series of highly-finished drawings of that seat, which had been made for Mr. Hope, under Mr. Britton's direction, by Bartlett, Penry Williams, &c. A great portion ofthe work, including some interesting biographical matter, was written, but the volume has never been completed.* A work on Windsor Forest, to be iUustrated by tinted lithographs by Mr. J. D. Harding, was projected by Mr. Britton, who wrote a prospectus, which he submitted to some of the London pubhshers. He intended to have written, for ^'Brayley's His tory of Surrey," the account of Richmond; a place for many years one of his favourite resorts, and with the history and topography of which he is familiar. His collections for that subject were, however, trans ferred to his old friend. He possesses a copy of Maurice's " Richmond Hill," which he has iUustrated with numerous prints, autographs, &c. Many Ulustrated volumes enrich Mr. Britton's library; particu larly copies of his own pubhcations on the Cathedrals, on Fonthill- * He superintended the preparation of the engravings which Ulustrate Mr., Hope's "History of Architecture;" and compUed the copious Index and List of Plates which accompany the third edition of that valuable production. ILLUSTRATED VOLUMES. — MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS. 211 Abbey, Tunbridge WeUs, the Soane Museum, John Aubrey's Life, &c. ; each of which contains additional manuscript and printed mat ter of considerable interest and curiosity. In separate volumes he has collected and arranged many choice dra-wings, prints, letters, and papers, iUustrative of the Terraces and Gardens of the Regent's Park; of Romsey Abbey Church; of the ruined Castles and Abbeys of Yorkshire; of ancient and modern Bridges in various parts of the world; of the old buildings of the Palace of Westminster and the Houses of ParHament; and of numerous other buildings, places and objects faUing within the scope of his ordinary pursuits. His To pographical coUections are numerous; and those for the county of WUts, especiaUy the hundreds of Chippenham and North Damer ham, valuable and important. His unfinished History of the parish of Kington-St.-Michael has been mentioned in a preceding page. He has interleaved and iUustrated many volumes ofthe "Beauties of England and Wales ;" and possesses an extensive collection of prints, maps, &c., iUustrative of ancient and modern London. Re specting the parish of St. Pancras, in which he has long resided, he has also a mass of curious and useful information; and has arranged in two quarto volumes the materials for a History and Description of the Parish of Chiswick, with Biographies of eminent persons connected with that village. These are accompanied by sketches and drawings by G. Cattermole and W. H. Pyne; I must refer to the Appendix for notices of other literary and artistic treasures in the possession of our indefatigable author; but I cannot omit to notice three distinct collections, of much importance : namely, a series of Illustrations of Celtic Antiquities, arranged in a cabinet constructed expressly for their reception; the Manuscripts of Dr. Stukeley, the distinguished antiquary; and the Original Sketches of John Carter, f.s.a. The first of these may be described as follows : — 212 britton's auto-biography, part II. A handsome and novel Celtic Cabinet, containing three large drawers, two cases of books, Sec, and a glazed shade on the top, of four various tints of glass, to display a Model of Stonehenge, under so many different eff'ects. The Cabinet comprises two of such models, One representing that extraordinary temple in its original and perfect state, and another as it now appears ; likewise, a model of the great Druidical Temple at Avebury, in its original state. One drawer is filled with a series of original drawings of Cromlechs, Kist-vaens, Circles, &c., from various parts of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, &c.; also, numerous prints, with manuscript and printed particulars, historical and descriptive. The cases contain a series of Sketches and Drawings of Celtic Antiquities, by Prout, Underwood, Nash, and J. Britton; manuscript treatises on Stonehenge, by the Rev. Edward Ledwich, and James Waltire ; a manuscript account of a remarkable temple near Rennes, in Brittany; and upwards of twenty printed volumes (in folio, quarto, and octavo), on Stonehenge, Avebury, and similar monuments, including the works of Stukeley, Sir R. C. Hoare, Miles, Twining, Barry, Davies, Roberts, Cotton, Cambray, Maurice, Owen, Deane, Higgins, Toland, Wood, Smith, Cooke, and Whitaker; some of them iUustrated -with additional prints and manuscript notes. This cabinet with its contents forms a copious illustration of the Celtic Antiquities of Europe, and is pecuharly adapted to ornament a choice and fine library. It was made for the late George Watson Taylor, Esq., of Earl Stoke, Wiltshire. The Manuscripts of Dr. Stukeley were purchased by Mr. Britton fifteen years ago, from a descendant of the Doctor, with a -view to the pubhcation of a Biographical Memoir ofthe learned Antiquary, for which they furnish abundant materials. The coUection includes, indeed, an Auto-Biography of considerable length ; a complete series of Diaries and Journals, with accounts of the proceedings of the hte rary and scientific associations with which he was connected ; original stukeley's manuscripts. — carter's drawings. 213 essays; drawings; genealogical papers respecting his family; a large mass of correspondence, comprising letters to and from eminent anti quaries and historians ; particularly numerous unpubhshed letters from Bishop Warburton to Dr. Stukeley, and more especiaUy the whole of the latter's correspondence with Charles Bertram, of Copenhagen, respecting the "Itinerary of Richard of Cirencester." The history of that work has long been involved in obscurity, and the question of its authenticity, or fabrication, has been much disputed. Stukeley's correspondence is of great interest in connection with these points ; and in every way worthy of publication. The whole coUection throws considerable Hght on the state of archseology, science, and Hterature, between the years 1687 and 1765. It is fully catalogued and ar ranged; and accompanied by letters of comment from many Hterary individuals, to whom parts have been submitted. The Original Sketches of John Carter comprise aU that he made between the years 1764 and his death in 1817, bound in thirty-seven foho volumes, with a copious manuscript Alphabetical Index. The subjects represented are architectural and antiquarian remains of every description, and from nearly every county of England: the whole are remarkable for accuracy and spirited execution. Besides his immediate Hterary employments, Mr. Britton has been a frequent correspondent ofthe " Gentleman's Magazine" and other periodicals, on matters of archseological interest; and a ready support er, to the extent of his abihty, of projected restorations of ancient edifices. His active share in the renovation of the Church of Strat ford-upon-Avon -will be described in the Appendix: he zealously promoted the restoration of Waltham Cross ; has sought in various ways to effect the renovation of Upton Church, Buckinghamshire, an interesting Norman edifice ; and has been connected with similar works and projects in various parts of the kingdom. Many distinguished literary and antiquarian societies — metropoli- 214 britton's auto biography, part 11. tan, provincial, and foreign — have conferred Honorary Diplomas upon our author; and, as a subscribing member of several London associ ations, he has zealously endeavoured to promote their success. I may especially advert to the Royal Literary Fund ; of which admirable in stitution he has been one of the Registrars for many years. He has re gularly attended the meetings of its Committee, and often advocated the claims of those unfortunate and deserving authors whose distresses it is intended to relieve. He was an active promoter, and for many years on the Committee ofthe Russell Institution; and has officiated as Honorary Secretary to the Wiltshire Society, of which charitable body he was the prime organ at its commencement. He Hkewise acted as Honorary Secretary to the Graphic Society, as weU as to the Archi tects' and Antiquaries' Club. The " Graphic" was established by his respected friend, W. Brockedon, as a social union for artists, and is still in efficient operation; For the "Architects' Club" he wrote two Addresses, which were printed for the members, and which contain reflections on the state of architecture and archseology, and the peculiar objects of the Club. Mr. Britton was one of the founders, if not the immediate originator, of the Geographical Society, and had for some years a seat in the Committee. He advocated the formation of a Society to be called The Guardian of Antiquities ; the object of which may be inferred from its intended name ; and earnestly endeavoured to form an Authors' Institute, to promote harmony and good-will amongst those who, like himself, were devoted to literature as a profession. Several meetings were held with this object, and he was for a time encouraged to hope for its accomplishment; but the perverse and captious temper of one of the body frustrated his praiseworthy efforts. His connection with the Wiltshire Topographical Societyhas been already mentioned. For more than thirty years Mr. Britton combined with aU these numerous occupations the joint duties of Clerk, Surveyor, and Col lector to a local Board of Commissioners. These official labours were HIS NUMEROUS AVOCATIONS. 215 often arduous, and, as acknowledged by the trustees on his retire ment, were invariably discharged by him with fidelity and zeal. For several years he was assiduous as a Director of an unfortunate Rail way Company, by which he lost some hundreds of pounds. In acting as Executor under the will of his esteemed friend, Mr. Moyes, he de voted much time and anxious care. He undertook the instruction of several young men in the rudiments of art and architecture: amongst whom may be mentioned G. Cattermole, W. H. Bartlett, and R. W. BUhngs, whose successful progress in their respective departments of jirt ma,y be ascribed to their early association with one whose perse vering industry, enterprise, and mental energy, I have endeavoured to record in the preceding pages. Edward Blore, Frederick Macken zie, and Henry Shaw, though not his immediate pupils, were long and successfully employed by him in making scientific and picturesque sketches and drawings for the Architectural and Cathedral Antiqui ties. Mr. Prout was initiated in architectural drawing by Mr. Britton; who employed him to make the first sketches of churches he ever at tempted. In the year 1802, the author engaged the young artist to accompany him into CornwaU, to make drawings for the " Beauties of England;" four of which were engraved for the second volume of that work. The first part of this Biography contains some account of Mr. Prout, and the other artists here referred to. The preceding pages offer, I fear, but few attractions to the general reader. Their sole object has been to preserve a complete and accu rate " Descriptive Account" of Mr. Britton's Hterary labours. I am fully aware that the narrative contains many defects in style and com position ; and for these, as an inexperienced writer, I must trust to the indulgence of the critic. The nature of the subject (little more than a catalogue) is uninviting, and I have frequently felt the diffi culty of describing works which, by their artistic embelHshments, ap- 216 BRITTON'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, PART II. peal principally to the eye. Imperfect, however, as my description Isj it must be apparent to any reader who has been tempted to peruse the preceding pages, that Mr. Britton's long Hterary Hfe has been actively, zealously, and usefully occupied ; that the number and utihty of his publications are surprisingly great; and that, whilst they show what. can be effected during half a century, by industry and energy, they have moreover had a powerful and beneficial influence on the present generation of topographers, archaeologists, architects, and artists. The phraseology I have employed may appear too erdogistic in the estimation of a stranger; and will probably be condemned by the captious critic. For the opinion of the latter I cannot feel much re spect; and I trust that the former will readily pardon the warm ex pression of genuine feelings in reference to a public writer who has firmly and fervently devoted himself to literature ; who has been ever attentive to the interests and reputation of authors and artists with whom he has been associated; and who has entitled himself to my zealous advocacy, by many acts of kindness and beneficence. If, in deed, I were to withhold from him the expression of sincere admira tion and respect, I should be not only ungrateful, but insensible of my own station, and of the advantages and happiness I have derived from literary studies. END OP THE SECOND PART. APPENDIX Britton*s 9lutO'3Siograpf)^ CONTAININO BIOGEAPHICAL, AECHiEOLOGICAL, AND CEITICAL ESSAYS, SHAKSPERE AND STRATPORD-UPON-AVON : BARROWS, AVEBURY, STONEHENGE : ON A NAVAL MUSEUM AND LIBBART : A CENOT.VPH TO CH.VTTERTON ; AND A BRITISH CENOTAPH GALLERY : ON THE PRESERVATION OP OUR ANCIENT NATIONAL BUILDINGS : DESCRIPTION OP BURTON STREET, AND THE AUTHOR'S HOUSE, WITH LISTS, .\.ND BIOGRAPHICAL ANECDOTES : AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS. aSit^ numerous CSngTattngs. LONDON: PKIXTED FOK THE SUBS OKI BEES TO THE BRITTON testimonial. M.DCCC.L. ADDRESS. The ensuing pages contain several Essays, which have been occasionally written, and printed for circulation amongst a limited class of readers, with others now printed for the first time. As they constitute part of the Author's literary "Say ings and Doings," and at the same time record events and furnish information on matters belonging to his life and times, it is hoped they may not be deemed irrelevant or unworthy of being thus preserved. In this Appendix, as in the First and Second Parts of the Auto-Biography, it has been the writer's wish and earnest endeavour to show to the young Author, and to other emulous Readers, what may be effected by zeal and industry, with very humble talents, and with out academic learning. November 20, 1849. €aile ot Contents LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. E^ATS on the Chaeacteeistics of Shakspeee: also, Remarks on his Birth-place, his Monument, Portraits, &c. Dedicated to Chaeles Knight, Esq. With Lines on the Stratford Bust, by Henry Neele ; and an Ode on Shakspere's Birth-day, by J. F. M. Dovaston, m.a. Wood-cuts. — Houses in Henley Street, Stratford ... 1 Stratford Church and MUl, from an old drawing 5 Monument of Shakspere in Stratford Church . 11 Bust from the same Monument .... 20 Stratford Chureh, from the N.E. ... 24 View in the Choir ... 25 View in the Chancel, 1834 . . 27 House in the High Street, Stratford ... 41 Market-house and Jubilee Procession, Stratford . 43 [The Author is indebted to Mr. C. Knight, for the above illustrations, en graved for his admirable work " William Shakspere : a Biography,"] Bbief Accounts, with Illttsxeations of Ancient Baeeows ; and of the Deuidical Temples of Atebuet and Stonehenge Wood-cuts. — ^Various forms of Tumuli ..... Tumulus at New Grange, Ireland. Plan and Section Bartlow HiUs, Essex. Plan and Section Temple at Avebury. Ground Plan and Section Flan, with the Avenues Bird's-eye View, restored Stonehenge. Ground Plan .... Plan, with Bank and Ditch, &c. Perspective Elevation, restored Section, restored 52 52 5254 5464 58696959 Beiee Account of a Design for the Nelson Cenotaph and Beitish Naval Museum. 1839 Engravings on Steel. — Plan of the proposed Cenotaph, to face page 64 Perspective View . ¦ to face page 64 On a Design for a Cenotaph to Chatteeton. 1838 Lithograph.— 'Eleration of the Proposed Cenotaph, to face page 65 Wood-cuts. — Three Plans of the Design 67 Sketch by Flaxman, with the Artist's Autograph . 68 Suggestions for a Beitish Cenotaph Galleet. 1840 Wood-cuts.— 'Eley ation and Ground Plan of the Design . 71—72 Oif the Peeseevation of Ancient Public Edifices. 1840 1—48 49—59 60—64 65—68 69—72 73—81 iv contents. On a Dinnee given by the Loed Mayoe op London, to Liteeaey and Scientific Men. 1846 82 — 85 Memoie of the late John Le Keux, En GEAVEE. 1844 . . 86—90 On the Topogeaphical Collections of Geoege Bakee, Esq. 1842. 91—92 On a Poeteait, by Richaed Wilson, e.a., of John Hamilton Moetimee, A.E.A. 93 — 96 Wood-cut of the Portrait referred to 93 j Desceiptive Notice of Old Saeum, Wiltshiee ... 97 Wood-cut. — View of Old Sarum, looking South ... 97 On an Ancient Stone Capital, formerly at Westminster . . 98 — 100 Wood-cuts.— Three Views of the Capital .... 99—100 Capitals in Wells Cathedeal 101 Wood-ciits. — Views of two Capitals 101 Font in Heeefoed Cathedeal 102 Wood-cut.— Yie-w ot the-Font 102 Peoposal for a National Histoeical, AechjEological, and To pogeaphical Institution 103 — 104 Some Account of Noebuey Paek, Sueeey .... 105 — 113 Remaeks on Planting a Teee at Noebuey Paek, July 1849 . 113 — 118 Accounts of Eminent Peesons residing near Noebuey . . 118 — 131 Account of the Bkitton Club 132 — 137 Addeess to Aetists, respecting a Collection of Specimens of English Geaphic Aet. 1836 138—140 Peoposed Society for the Peeseevation of Antiquities. 1837 140 — 141 On Illusteations of London, and Modern Improvements . 142-^152 London Topogeaphy. On Bueton Steeet, and the Authoe's House therein. Choice Books, &c., in his possession. Cele- BEATED Residents in the Neighbourhood .... 153 — 182 Wood-auts. — View of the Author's House .... 155 Interior of Library 157 Cabinet Room ... . 153 Lines on Re-visiting Cantekbuey Cathedeal. 1848 Glee. Sung at the Literary Fund. 1827 Sonnet to the Authoe. 1841. By Joseph Ellis Cheonological List of the Authoe's Liteeaey Woeks List of Subsceibees to the Beitton Testimonial Index 183183184 185—192193—200 201 ESSAYS MERITS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ALSO REMAEKS ON HIS BIRTH AND BURIAL-PLACE, HIS MONUMENT, PORTRAITS, AND ASSOCIATIONS. aSSfti) nttmjtous SiHnstrations. JOHN BEITTON, r.s.A., &c. W. Alexander, del. 1620. HOUSES IN HENLEY STEEET, STRATFORD: The presumed Birth-place of the Bard. LONDON : APPENDIX TO britton's AUTO-BIOORAPHY. M.DOCC.XL.IX. CHARLES MDSKETT, PRINTER, NORWICH. CHARLES KNIGHT, ESQ. AUTHOR OF "WILLIAM SH.AKSPERE ; A BIOGRAPHY:" AND EDITOR OP "the PICTORIAL SHAKSPERE," &C. My much esteemed Old Fkiend : Many years have passed over our heads since we first met at Windsor, your native place ; and much literary toil, pleasure, and anxiety, have we both experienced since that time, of your boyhood, and of my novitiate in the profession of Authorship. To particularize your numerous literary works, with those which you have caused to be written and published ; to show that you have resolutely and perse- veringly diffused the enjoyments and benefits of literature over the whole reading world ; is beyond my power, or intention. I trust, however, that you will not fail to preserve and arrange the materials you possess for such a work as this, before the insidious encroaches of old age, and con sequent infirmity, may disqualify you for the performance of the task. I cannot forbear to join Miss Martineau, in expressing my conviction that you have done more than any other man towards promoting the dif fusion of knowledge throughout civilized society, and therefore must be regarded as one of the greatest benefactors to your species. Not only in the pubhcation of cheap, interesting, and useful works have you produced this good, but by distributing millions of copies for many successive years. I believe I may safely assert, that " The Penny Magazine " was at one time sold to the amount of 200,000 copies in one week. Simultaneous with which, you periodically produced " The Penny Cyclopaedia," " The British Almanack," and several other literary works of corresponding qualities. Such publications were addressed to the classes that most needed mental aid : they have diffused light and life and joy amongst 4 DEDICATION. myriads of our fellow mortals, who were previously struggling and suf fering for want of proper aliment for the mind. Hence we may date not only a great, but the greatest " era in the history of popular enhght enment." — (See " The History of England during the Thirty Years' Peace." 1815—1845, Vol. I., p. 580, and Vol. IL, Preface.) Accidental circumstances have lately occurred, to induce me to " at tempt my own Life," by means of that all-powerful, but comparatively simple instrument, the pen ; and though I may not commit actual suicide with it, I shall not escape the verdict of that severe, but usually just Coroner, the Public, — who may pronounce a sentence of " Eelo-de-se." As part of my Auto-Biography, I deem it barely justice to my own feelings and fame, to put on record some of my personal acts and hte rary tributes to the Memory of Shakspeee, which have been wholly neglected by the generality of Commentators on the works of the Bard of Avon. The foUowing pages will show that they are numerous, and some of them have more originality and utility than either the local his torian or the Shaksperian critic seems generally aware of. To no other person than yourself can such a summary be more ap propriately inscribed : as a discriminating and honest critic ; as an ex emplary parent and husband ; and as the long-tried fi-iend of one, who, like yourself, has devoted the greater part of a long and active life to the profession and advancement of Literature. John Britton. April 23rd, 1849. STRATFORD CHURCH AND MILL. From a drawijig made at the beginning of the last century TO THE MEMORY OF SHAKSPEEE. There are few readers, or play-goers, who do not admire, or affect to^ admire, the writings of Shakspere. Voltaire endeavoured, and a recent author (who fancies he has discovered infidelity, or something worse, in the Bard's inimitable productions) has likewise made efforts to traduce him in public estimation : but such envious and illiberal calumniators can no more detract from his never-dying reputation than they can change the tides of the sea, or the alternations of the seasons. To idolize his memory, to worship at his mental shrine, are sins — if indeed they be sins — which I am not ashamed to avow ; and my firm persuasion is, that I shall continue the same sinful course whilst the senses and faculties of human nature are granted me for terrestrial purposes. My penates are the Writings and the Bust of Shakspere, — both of which I often contem plate and admire with honest devotion; for the latter has my confidence, whilst the former have a Divinity within them which is devoid of all sectarianism, and is independent alike of climate, country, or creed. 6 farewell tribute to shakspere. Founded upon, and embued with, the holiness of Nature, they lead us, through the countless number and beauty of her works, to Omnipotence and Omniscience. " Time cannot wither them, nor custom stale Their infinite variety." Many times have I pilgrimaged my way to Stratford-upon-Avon, to view the Church which entombs the bones of Shakspere; which pre serves his Bust and Monumental Slab ; and which contains other me morials connected with his family and name. To adorn and renovate that ancient fabric, I appealed, some years ago, to many personal friends and strangers for pecuniary aid ; by which, and by other funds raised at Stratford, not only a new roof and other improvements have been made to the Chancel, but it is now rendered a worthy Mausoleum for the mortal remains which it enshrines. In the year 1814, I incited Mr. George Bullock to make a cast of the Monumental Bust of the Poet, and afterwards obtained reduced copies of the head for the gratification of many Shaksperians. From the same Bust, I also caused a very beautiful and truthful picture to be painted by my late valued friend, Thomas Phillips, Esq., r.a., and had an equally faithful copy in mezzotint, engraved from that picture; the plate of which has long since been destroyed. To promote respect for, and confidence in the original Bust and its graphic representations, I wrote an Essay to present to each purchaser of the print, and therein endeavoured to justify my firm conviction that the Stratford Efiigy was the most au thentic and genuine Portrait of the Bard. Some curious and interesting circumstances are connected with these proceedings. Mr. Bullock's visit to Stratford was made under the most favourable auspices. Through the influence of my old friend, Mr. Eobt. Bell Wheler, the historian of Stratford, (a most devoted Shaksperian,) Mr. Bullock readily obtained permission from the Vicar, (the Eev. Dr. Davenport,) and the parochial authorities, to take a mould of the Bust ; and many and interesting were the comments of the Artist on that pre cious memento of the Immortal Bard. He was much alarmed on taking down the "Effigy" to find it to be in a decayed and dangerous state, and declared that it would be risking its destruction to remove it again.* * The following is an extract from Mr. Bullock's letter to me on the subject : — " You will be no less surprised to find me at this time employed in moulding the Shakspere, than pleased to hear that in excellence, as a model, it even surpasses the description you gave me of it. I am so delighted with it, that I have actually caught the spirit of inspi ration ; and, notwithstanding the difficulty of the undertaking, (which is very great) and SCOTT, WEST, SPURZHEIM, BULLOCK. 7 Intimate with Walter Scott, Benjamin West, p.r.a., and Dr. Spurz- heim, Mr. BuHock invited those gentlemen and myself to breakfast with him in Tenterden Street, shortly after his return from Stratford; on which occasion the host took a cast from the head of Scott. During the repast, much was said about Shakspere and the Bust ; for the latter had never before been subjected to the examination of such a conclave of critics. In the different relations of personal portraiture, physiognomy, and craniology, it was deeply scrutinized and commented on both by the painter and the physician ; and respecting the mental powers of the Bard, whose singular head and features the cast represented, the Scotch Poet was not merely eloquent but enthusiastic. He seemed to have known him. ; to have lived and breathed in the same atmosphere with him ; to have drank of the same sack with him at " The Mermaid, " in company with Jonson, Beaumont, Selden, and the rest of the glo rious fraternity who conferred immortality on that famous hostel. Oh, that I had possessed the capacious and retentive memory of the Scotch Novelist 1 that I might now detail all that was said by him on that memorable mornuig; as well as the artistic remarks of the mild and amiable President of the Royal Academy ; and the then novel theories and language of the German Phrenologist : but, alas ! I can only venture to relate the simple circumstance of the meeting, the scene, and the ten dency of the conversation. The peculiar formation of the Poet's skull, with all its superficial inequalities and curvatures, was pointed out by Dr. Spurzheim, and descanted on with much ingenuity; with inferences from its peculiar developments, as indicating the possession of those talents which are evinced in his Writings ; also some personal traits of character, which the iagenious and accomplished man of physiological science only could descry, or venture to comment on. Mr. West said the unfavourable time of the year, I am going on vigorously, and I hope to accomplish my task to our mutual satisfaction. I arrived in Stratford on Monday evening, and imme diately sent your letter to Mr. Wheler, who kindly gave me instructions how to proceed in obtaining permission to mould it, and I had every preparation made, and assisted iu erecting a sort of scafiblding, before I was fully aware of the difiicult task I was going to perform. In short, instead of one day's work, I have found four or five ; as I mean to mould the whole figure. It is a fine work of art, and / perceive on tke face evident signs of its being taken from a cast, which at once stamps the validity of its being a real likeness. For my own part, though staying here so much longer than I expected will be inconvenient to my London affairs, yet, so much gratified am I with the bust, and 80 thoroughly convinced of its being a good likeness, that I would cheerfully make any sacrifices to obtain a faithful cast, which I have no fear of doing." {December, 1814.) 8 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. but little ; for he was never eloquent, nor even fluent.* His remarks on the Bust were confined to individual features — the eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, cheeks, hair, and moustache : all of which, he felt satisfied, were imitations of nature, modelled from the person whilst living, or from a cast after death. There was no appearance of fancy, or of its having been modelled merely from recollection. f The language of Mr. Scott, on the poetry of Shakspere, was fluent and copious; but he scarcely noticed the plaster-cast. He could repeat almost every striking passage in the plays and poems of the Bard, and applied many of them to characterize their author. On being asked to look at and give his opinion of the Bust, he chiefly alluded to the lofty, towering forehead, -and conical crown ; the simple, boyish hps, and their pleasing expres sion; but he could not reconcile himself to the extraordinary, and, as he remarked, the unnatural space between the nose and the upper hp. This, all agreed, manifested some error in the sculptor, until Bullock, looking at Mr. Scott, said that his features had the same peculiarity, even more remarkably than those of Shakspere. Scott doubted this, and even wagered that it was not so ; when a pair of compasses was employed to * In his art, however, he was well versed, both historically and practically, and his opinions and criticisms were sound and judicious. Many happy hours have I spent in his company, whilst he continued to prosecute the pictures he had in hand. During the short days he painted by lamplight till late at night, and then he was delighted to have a fiiend to talk with. t At that time the name of the artist was not known. It was discovered in 1820 by my late esteemed friend Mr. "Wm. Hamper, of Birmingham, in one of Sir William Dugdale's Pocket Memorandum Books, where the following entry appears: — " Shakspeare's and John Combe's Monuments at Stratford-sup'- Avon made by one Gerard Johnson." This sculptor is called " a tombe-maker," in a " Certificate, retumed in April and May, 1593, of all the Strangers Porreiners abiding in London, where they were borne, and last lived before theyre coming over, what children every of them had, as also what servants and appren tices, strangers and English ; of what church every of them was, and what English people every of them did sett on work." The part relating to the sculptor of Shakspere's Bust is as follows : " St. Thomas Apostells. Garratt Johnson, and Mary his Wyffe, householders; a Hollander, borne at Amsterdam; a Tombe-maker: 5 sons aged 22, II, 10, 6, 4, and 1 daughter, aged 14 ; all borne in England; 26 years resident; a denizen; English Church; 4 jurnimen ; 2 prentices ; and one Englishman at work ; no servant." Henee we may infer that the Poet's and the Combe Monuments were executed in London, by an expe rienced and long-established artist ; and that the one for the latter, who was " noted for his wealth and usury," and who died in 1614, at the age of 80, was doubtless ordered im mediately after his decease ; as his Will directed that it should be placed over his remains within twelve months. It is equally probable that the tomb of Shakspere, who died in 1616, was entrusted, immediately after his death, to the same artist. It can scarcely be questioned that the effigies of both were moulded and sculptured from the best obtainable authorities. MEMOIR FOR WHITTINGHAM's SHAKSPERE. 9 settle the question, and the modern Bard lost his wager by a quarter of an inch. The cast of Scott's head, taken on this occasion, was the first he sat for : Chantrey's fine and speaking Bust was not executed till some years afterwards.* Previously to Mr. Bullock's visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, I had become associated with the name and works of Shakspere, by the persuasion of my old friend Mr. Charles Whittingham, who in the year 1814 printed a beautiful miniature edition of the dramatic works of the Poet,t and solicited me to prefix thereto some " Remarks on the Life and Writings of William Shakspere, with a List of Essays and Dissertations on his Dramatic Writings, &c." (18mo.) J To the preparation of this Essay I devoted much time and attention, and not only visited Stratford, but wrote numerous letters to gentlemen connected with literature in various parts of the country. § I must confess that I felt considerably embarrassed in dealing with a subject so important and interesting, and especially in selecting from the scanty and imperfect notices of Shakspere which had previously been published, such facts and circumstances as appeared to be fomided upon, or consistent with, truth and probability. So numerous have been the additions to our stock of Shaksperian knowledge (through the zealous and persevering labours of my esteemed fi-iends Dr. Drake, the Rev. Dr. Symmons, S. W. Singer, the Rev. Joseph Hunter, J. P. CoUier, Charles Knight, J. 0. Halliwell, and other writers) that my * Mr. Bullock was subsequently employed by Sir Walter Scott to arrange and decorate the once-famed Abbotsford Library ; in a niche of which, a cast of the Shakspere Bust was honourably and proudly placed. The reader is referred to the first part of this work for some account of Mr. Bullock. At a later time I became intimate with Chantrey, and heard him declare his belief that the head of the Stratford Bust, which he regarded as a good work of art, had been executed from an original cast. t This was expressly "modelled upon the Elzevir editions of the Greek and Roman Classics." A few copies, which were printed on India paper, are exquisite specimens of tie typographic art. J Twenty-five copies of these "Remarks" were separately printed, for private distri bution, but "not for sale." The copy given by the Author to James Boswell, jun. pro duced £1. 2«. Qd. at the sale of his library by auction ; and Mr. Alexander's copy reahzed £2. 12s. ed. § I still possess more than fifty epistles on this subject, which I received fi:om W. Alex- tader, James Boaden, J. Boswell, Dr. Burney, Dr. Drake, E. Dubois, the Earl of Essex, ¦Octavius GQchiist, W. Hamper, William Harris, Joseph Haselwood, W. 0. Hunt, Stephen Jones, J. P. Kemble, W. Linley, G. Lubbock, A. Luders, Thomas Munden, James Perry, Sir George Phillips, Bart., Thos. Phillips, r.a., Samuel Rogers, John Scott, Thomas Sharp, Dr. Sherwen, S. W. Singer, R. Southey, J. Taylor, R. B. Wheler (more than forty folio pages), W. Wordsworth, and others. 10 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. Biographical Essay has been superseded. But I may yet refer to it as a discriminating summary of former Essays on the subject, containing in fact everything which the Shaksperian student could rely upon as au thentic, in the life and character of England's greatest Poet. The " List of Essays and Dissertations on Shakspere's Writings," was, I must ac knowledge, very imperfect; but both were much enlarged and variously improved in the subsequent edition. With a full persuasion that the lovers of Shakspere would be highly gratified by possessing accurate representations of Gerard Johnson's really beautiftd Bust of the Bard, I announced, in the month of Feh ruary 1815, the intended publication of "three different prints from it; viz., a full face; a three-quarter face; and a profile. These varied views," the prospectus stated, " will represent the whole contour and character of the head and face ; and such are the strongly-marked peculiarities of these, and of the Poet, that it is almost the bounden duty of the artist and the author to preserve and disseminate accurate representations of the one, and every authentic memorial of the other. The prints will be engraved in the best style, by artists of eminent talents, from pictures hy Thomas Phillips, r.a., and Henry Richter." Further consideration led me to restrict myself to one engraving ; a three-quarter view of the Bust. My Shaksperian ardour, however, had in no degree abated, for, pending the preparation of the print, I made exertions to ensure a large meeting and Festival to celebrate the 23rd of April, 1816, — the two hundredth anniversary ofthe Poet's death. With this object I issued a short notice of a contemplated "Shaksperian Insti tute, or Club," and opened an active correspondence with many eminent literati, including Scott, Byron, Southey, Moore, Bowles, Crabbe, Mont gomery, Kemble, Wordsworth, Drake, Campbell, &c. ; with a fair pros pect of a successfal result. An inaugural meeting, at the Freemasons' Tavern, March 16th, 1816, was attended by several of my literary and theatrical friends, including Thomas Dibdin, Charles Matthews, J. Rae, W. Linley, J. Poole, Benj. Oakley, Hewson Clarke, John Taylor, and Stephen Jones. The latter gentleman, on this occasion, presented to the Club a valuable copy of the second folio edition of Shakspere's Plays ; which, having been laid on the table, Mr. Matthews was requested to open at random, and to place his finger on the fii-st passage that occurred; when the following lines were found to have presented themselves, which the company hailed as an auspicious omen : — " A contract of eternal bond of love, Confirmed by mutual joinder of your hands." — Twelfth Night, Act V., Sc. 1. THE STRATFORD MONUMENT. 11 Unfortunately, a severe illness precluded me from prosecuting the ar rangements thus commenced, and the project was consequently abandoned. On the eventful day, however, (23rd April, 1816,) I not only pub hshed the engraved representation of the Bust, which had been exe cuted, but wrote and printed the following paper, a copy of which, em bellished with two wood-cuts, was given to every purchaser of the print. MONUMENT OF SHAKSPERE IN THE CHANCEL OP STRATFORD CHURCH. REMAEKS ON THE IHonumental ^iist of 3^afespcre. If a genuine Portrait of Alexander, of Homer, or of Alfred the Great, be regarded as a desideratum in the history of art, so is that of Shaks pere ; for though The English Poet is comparatively a modern, yet it is as difficult and doubtful to substantiate the authenticity of a portrait of him, as of either the ancient Grecian hero, or poet, or of the more estimable English monarch. There is neither proof nor intimation that Shakspere ever sat for a picture ; and it must be admitted that the whole host oi presumed portraits " come in such questionable shapes," and with such equivocal pedigrees, that suspicion or discredit attaches to each and to all.* Not so the Monumental Bust at Stratford: this appeals to our eyes and understandings with all the force of truth. We view it as a family record ; as a memorial raised by' the affection and esteem of his relatives, to keep alive contemporary admiration, and to excite the glow of enthu siasm in their posterity. This invaluable "Efiigy" is attested by tradition, consecrated by time, and preserved in the inviolability of its own sim plicity and sacred station. It was evidently executed immediately after the Poet's decease ; and probably under the superintendence of his son- in-law. Dr. Hall, and of his daughter ; the latter of whom, according to her epitaph, was "Witty above her sexe," and therein resembled her father. Leonard Digges, in a poem praising the works and worth of Shakspere, and published within seven years after his death, speaks of the Stratford monument as a well-known object.f Dugdale, in his "An tiquities of Warwickshire," 1656, gives a print of the monument, but * Forgery of coin, or of a bank note, is a political criminal offence, and as such ame nable to ignominious punishment : were our moral code as stringent as the legal, quackery, and other rogueries in medicine, art, and science, would only be pursued by the reckless and incorrigible scoundrel. t " Shakspere, at length thy pious fellows give The world thy works : thy works, by which outlive Thy tomb thy name must : when that stone is rent, And time dissolves thy Stratford Monument, Here we alive shall view thee still. " remarks ON THE STRATFORD BUST. 13 drawn and engraved in a most tasteless and inaccurate style ; and he observes in the text, that the Poet was famous, and thus entitled to such distinction. Langbaine, in his " Account of English Dramatic Poets," 1691, pronounces the Stratford Bust Shakspere's " true effigies." These strongly tend to prove its antiquity ; and we may safely conclude that it was intended to be a faithful portraiture of the Poet. In the" age this was executed, it was customary to portray the heads and figures of il lustrious and eminent persons by monumental statues and busts. (See Gough's "Sepulchral Monuments," Vol. II.) Many were cut in alabaster and in white marble, whilst others were formed of freestone. In the reigns of Henries VL, VIL, and VIII. some of the English monumental sculp ture is remarkable for combining the essentials of breadth, simplicity, and nature. During Elizabeth's reign it gradually degenerated; and under that of James we find a still greater debasement. But we have reason to believe that some of the artists studiously endeavoured to per petuate true portraits, or effigies, of the persons commemorated. Indeed it is quite clear that they aimed rather to produce likeness, than tasteful composition. This is evinced in the statue of Queen Elizabeth, in West minster Abbey Church ; in the bust of Camden, in the same edifice ; the statue of Lord Bacon, at St. Alban's; the bust of Stow, in London; and in several others that might be adduced. All these show that the artists sought for prototypes in nature; either by modelling the respective persons while living, or by taking casts after death. It has been deemed advisable to offer these remarks relating to the Stratford Bust, because this has been hitherto wholly neglected by bio graphers and critics, or treated slightly or superciliously. In Dugdale's Warwickshire, Bell's edition of our Poet, in the splendid one of BoydeU, in Ireland's Tour of the Avon, and in Wheler's pleasing History, Sfc. of Stratford, engravings of it have been published ; but none of them are perfectly satisfactory : some, indeed, are vulgar and contemptible. The Bust at Stratford is the size of life : it is formed out of a block of soft stone ;* and was originally painted in imitation of the countenance and dress of the Poet. The eyes were of a light hazel, and the hair and beard, auburn; the doublet, or coat, was scarlet, an,d covered with a loose black gown, or tabard, without sleeves; the upper part of the cushion was * " The Bust, &c. is of a solid block of stone, which Mr. Bullock thinks is either Port land, or Bath. I was misled by Mr. Grubb, when I told you it was of Wilmcote stone in this neighbourhood. It certainly is of no quarry near us, as I could at once see when the Bust was taken down, upon the back of which there was neither date nor inscription." — Letter from R. B. Wheler to J. Britton, Dec. 1814, 14 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. green, the under half crimson, and the tassels gilt.* Such appear to have been the original features of this important, but neglected or insulted Bust. After remaining in this state above one hundred and twenty years, Mr. John Ward, grandfather to Mrs. Siddons and Mr. Kemble, caused it to be " repaired, in 1748, and the original colours preserved," from the profits of a representation of Othello, f This was a generous, and appa rently judicious act ; and therefore very unlike the next alteration it was subjected to in 1793. In that year Mr. Malone caused it to be covered over with one or more coats of white paint ; and thus at once destroyed its original character, and greatly injured the expression of the face. J Having absurdly characterized this expression for "pertness," and there fore " differing from that placid composure and thoughtful gravity so perceptible in his original portrait and his best prints," that gentleman could have few scruples about injuring, or destroying it. In this very act, and in this silly line of comment, our zealous annotator has passed an irrevocable sentence on his own judgment. If the opinions of some of the best sculptors and painters of the metropolis are entitled to respect and confidence on such a subject, those of Mr. Malone are at once false and absurd. The former justly remark, that the face indicates cheerful ness, good humour, suavity, benignity, and intelligence. These charac teristics are developed by the mouth and its muscles — by the cheeks — eye-brows — forehead — and skull; and hence they rationally infer, that the face must have been worked from nature. Again, Mr. Malone talks strangely of "his original portrait, and of his best prints ;" as if there was one authenticated and acknowledged picture, and that, out of the multitude of prints, miscalled portraits of Shakspere, any one of them * Although the practice of painting statues and busts to imitate nature is repugnant to good taste, and must be stigmatized as vulgar and hostile to every principle of art, yet when an effigy is thus coloured and transmitted to our times, as illustrative of a particular age or people, and as -. record of fashion and costume, it becomes an interesting rehc, and should be preserved with as much care as an Etruscan vase, or an early specimen of Raffaelle's painting ; and the man who deliberately defaces or destroys either, will ever be regarded as a criminal in the high court of criticism and taste. t Wheler's " Guide to Stratford-upon-Avon." I2mo. 1814. J Mr. Wheler, in his interesting topographical volume, has given publicity to the fol lowing stanzas, which were written in the Album, at Stratford Church, by one of the visitors to Shakspere's tomb : " Stranger, to whom this Monument is shown, Invoke the Poet's curses on Malone ; Whose meddling zeal his barbarous taste displays, And daubs his tomb-stone, as he marr'd his plays ! " REMARKS ON THE STRATFORD BUST. 15 was good and genuine. It would not be difficult to show, to the satis faction of every impartial reader, that there is nothing like proof, nor scarcely probability, in the genuineness of any of the paintings or prints that have come before the public, as portraits of our unrivalled Bard. That by Droeshout cannot be like any human face, for it is evidently ill drawn in all the features : and a bad artist can never make a good like ness. On such a print Ben Jonson's lines are futile, and wholly unworthy of credit. From the time of the publication of that print up to the pre sent, we have been insulted and trifled with by numerous things called portraits of Shakspere; most, if not aU, of which are as palpable forge ries as the notorious Ireland manuscripts. Very recently an extraordinary trick of this kind has been played upon the lovers of Shakspere. A print-seller announced a newly-dis covered picture of the Poet, closely resembling the " Statue at Stratford, and the print in the folio edition;" and further asserted that upwards of three thousand persons, of competent judgment, concurred in pronouncing it " a geniune portrait of Shakspere, painted from the life." — A short history of this forgery, it is hoped, will serve to warn collectors of prints and illustrators of books, against future imposition. A maker and mender of old pictures having purchased an old head, for a few shillings, flrst christened it Shakspere, and then tried to sell it to Mr. Kettle, a worthy shopkeeper near Holborn, at a small profit. Not succeeding here, the manufacturer deemed it expedient to borrow Houbracken's engraved head, for the purpose of altering and improving the "true" original. Thus, by putting in ear-rings, painting on the forehead, touching the mouth, rubbing on a little new paint in some places, and taking off the old from others, the portrait was completed, — a purchaser was found for it at a price under five pounds, and this purchaser proclaimed it to the world as an original of the Bard of Avon. It is ardently hoped that every subsequent attempt at imposition may be as easily detected, and that it may always be branded by the contempt and avowed indignation of every true Englishman, and lover of Shaks pere. — "In the end truth will out." J. B. April 23, 1816. The publication of the preceding "Remarks," together with the Engra ving, excited much curiosity and comment among the artists, critics, and literati of the time, and many were the paragraphs which appeared in the public journals, enforcing or disputing the authority of the Stratford 16 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. Monument, as a portrait of the Bard. That the sculptors of Shakspere's age did frequently, if not invariably, execute their figures from authentic casts, might be shown by reference to numerous instances of monumental effigies, corresponding in the minutest features with paintings and other artistic representations of the same individuals;* and the pecuHar and remarkable characteristics of the Bust of Shakspere preclude the suppo sition that it constituted an exception to a rule so general. It is true that, beyond the fact of its early erection, we have no absolute testimony in its favour, but many judicious and valuable opinions might be cited to that effect. Washington Irving remarks, — " The aspect is pleasant and serene, with a finely-arched forehead ; and I thought I could read in it a clear indication of that cheerful social disposition, by which he was as much characterized among his contemporaries as by the vastness of his genius." Mr. HalHwell, in a recent Life of Shakspere, says, " The Bust is beyond the reach of the doubt which attaches to the Portraits, and is in no way assailable to hesitating criticism. It is at once the most interesting memorial of the Dramatist that remains, and the only one that brings him before us in form and substance. There is a living and a mental likeness in this Monument ; one that grows upon us by contemplation, and makes us unwilling to accept any other re semblance." f Moreover, Mr. John Bell, one of the most distinguished modern sculptors, whose whole-length statue of Shakspere excited gene ral attention and eulogy at one of the exhibitions of works of art in * The infinite variety displaj'ed by the old Sculptors in the features and expression of the countenances of sepulchral effigies, as well as in all the minuti£e of costume and other details, is abundantly illustrated in Gough's " Sepulchral Monuments," Stothard's "Mon umental Effigies," and Blore's "Monumental Remains." A mere inspection of those works will convince any person, that, if not always successful, each artist at least attempted to preserve a correct portraiture of the person commemorated. t When he vfrote this volume, Mr. Halliwell was not aware of the existence of Mr. Ward's engraving; for, referring to a wood-cut of the Bust, accompanying his own work, he observes that he believes "it is the first in which all the characteristic features of the original have been scrupulously expressed." This assertion puzzles me, as I can hardly imagine that the zealous and industrious author of so many works as Mr. Halli well has written and edited, could have overlooked the following engraved views of the Bust, which I cannot hesitate to regard as being equal, and some of them even superior, to that in the volume referred to : — Two beautiful wood-cuts of the Bust, which I pub lished in the Life of Shakspere, already alluded to ; also the truly accurate and finely- executed engraving by Ward, after Phillips ; another, engraved by Fry, published in Drake's Shakspeare and his Times; a view of the Bust and Monument in Boydell's splendid edition of the Poet's works ; and another, drawn by A. Wivell, engraved by L. S. Agar, and published by Geo. Lawford in 1825. CHANTREY, WORDSWORTH, ETC., ON THE BUST. 17 Westminster HaU, favoured me, some time ago, with the following ob servations: "Since I last saw you, I have made a pilgrimage to Stratford, and on close inspection of the Bust itself, am still more convinced of the truth of the view we both take. Sir Francis Chantrey, I also heard there, had expressed his belief that it was worked from a cast from life, or rather, perhaps, death. As you are well aware, there are, in the original, marks of individuality which are not to be observed in the usual cast from it ; for instance, the markings about the eyes, the wrinkles on the forehead, and the undercutting of the moustaches." In acknowledgment of the present of Mr. Ward's Engraving, I re ceived firom Mr. Wordsworth the following remarks : " The print is ex tremely interesting, and, agreeing with your judicious observations upon the authenticity of the Bust, I cannot but esteem this resemblance of the illustrious original, as more to be relied upon than any other. As far as depends upon the intrinsic evidence of the features, the mighty genius of Shakspere would have placed any record of his physiognomy under con siderable disadvantages ; for who could shape out to himself features and a countenance that would appear worthy of such a mind? What least pleases me in the present portrait is the cheek and jowl : the former wants sentiment, and there is too much of the latter." (Oct., 1816.) Dr. Drake expresses his decided conviction that " this invaluable relic may be considered as a correct resemblance of our beloved Bard. The impress of that mighty mind which ranged at will through all the realms of nature and fancy, and which, though incessantly employed in the per sonification of passion and of feeling, was ever great without effort, and at peace within itself, is visible in the exquisite harmony and symmetry of the whole head and countenance, which, not only in each separate feature, in the swell and expansion of the forehead, in the commanding sweep of the eyebrow, in the undulating outline of the nose, and in the open sweetness of the lips, but in their combined and integral expression, breathe of him, of whom it may be said, in his own emphatic language, that " ' We ne'er shall look upon his like again.' " Mr. Halliwell strangely states that the portrait of Shakspere, engraved by Droeshout, and prefixed to the first foHo edition of his Plays, " ranks next to the Bust in point of authority ; and that a general resemblance is to he traced between them." The same opinion has been expressed by Dr. Drake, by Andrew WiveU, by R. B. Wheler, and by a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine; but so far from perceiving the shghtest similarity in these two works to each other, I may confidently appeal to any expe- 18 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. rienced artist, or physiognomist, in proof of the very great difference be tween them, not only in general form and expression, but in every sepa rate feature. That Droeshout's print " ranks next to the Bust in point of authority," I must also venture to doubt ; the only argument in its favour being based upon the meagre and generalizing lines by Ben Jonson. " This figure, that thou here seest put, It was for gentle Shakspere cut ; Wherein the Graver had a strife With Nature, to out-do the life. Oh, could he but have drawn his wit, As well in brass as he hath hit His face ; the print would then surpass All that was ever writ in brass. But, since he cannot, Reader, look Not on his picture, but his book." As to the degree of reliance to be placed on this poetical testimony, various opinions have been offered ; and I must confess that I have always agreed with the writers who attach no value to the lines alluding to the " Picture." The wretched execution of the engraving, proves that Droe shout was not only destitute of artistic talent, but, in the words of George Steevens, was "a most abominable imitator of humanity." I cannot, in deed, better express my own opinion on the subject, than by quoting the language of that critic : " The verses in praise of Droeshout's perform ance were probably written as soon as they were bespoke, and before their author had opportunity or inclination to compare the plate with its ori ginal. It is lucky, indeed, for those to whom metrical recommendations are necessary, that custom does not require they should be dehvered on oath. It is also probable that Ben Jonson had no acquaintance with the graphic art, and might not have been over-soHcitous about the style in which Shakspere's lineaments were transmitted to posterity." Utterly repudiating the engraving referred to, I am even disposed to go further, and to regard the Monumental Bust as the only authentic repre sentation of the Poet ; for I cannot admit that any of the paintings which have passed for original portraits, and some of which have attained much celebrity, and realized high prices, possess claims to authenticity which are in any degree satisfactory to the impartial and discriminating critic. Resuming the narrative of my " acts and deeds " in association with Shakspere, I must state that, towards the close of the year 1817, 1 com missioned Mr. Scoular to make a reduced bust from that by Bullock, era- bracing only the head and shoulders. At the same time I directed him BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 19 to model two corresponding busts of Ben Jonson and Camden, from the originals in Westminster Abbey Church. These were all executed with great care and skill, and uitended as Hbrary ornaments, to supersede the tasteless and trivial productions previously sold in the streets of the metropolis by the itinerant vendors of similar objects.* In the winter of 1815-16, I wrote, for Dr. Rees's "Cyclopaedia," a Biographical Memoir of Shakspere, which occupies fourteen columns of that pubhcation. This was an improvement on the " Life " which I had written in 1814, and is further noticeable for some novel remarks on the Poet's love of music, as evinced by many passages in his works. For these observations I was indebted to the kindness of my friend, the Rev. Dr. Burney, as I was also to Mr. R. B. Wheler, of Stratford, for many useful hints for the Memoir. I had, indeed, hoped that the latter gentle man would have written the Essay for the Cyclopaedia ; but his profes sional vocations prevented his undertaking a task, for which he was so peculiarly weH qualified. Soon afterwards, I had the pleasure of corresponding with Dr. Drake, who was then preparing his weU-known work on " Shakspeare and his Times," pubhshed in two quarto volumes, in 1817. The worthy Doctor received with favour some suggestions which I ventured to offer ; par ticularly in prefixing to his first volume an engraving from the Stratford Bust, after a drawing made by W. T. Fry, from Mr. Bullock's cast. In 1818, Mr. Whittingham produced a new edition of Shakspere's Plays, for which I revised and extended my " Remarks on his Life and Writings." In the interval of four years from the first appearance of that Essay, I had been continually adding fresh matter to it, by corres pondence with Hterary friends, and by personal research and inquiry ; and was, consequently, enabled to correct some errors in the first edition, and to add very largely to the " List of Essays and Dissertations on the Dramatic Writings." The Memoir and Appendix were thus extended from thirty-four to fifty-two pages, f In the Preface I expressed an in tention " to continue my investigations relating to the Life of Shakspere, with a view of producing, in the course of the following winter, a sepa rate volume devoted to the subject." This was to have contained a short review of the Shaksperian commentators, and of the various Portraits of * In a pecuniary sense, the publication of the plaster- cast was as unsuccessful as the en graving; but I have had the gratification of presenting many copies of it to my Shaksperian fiiends. t Some copies of this enlarged Essay were separately printed for presentations. My friend Mr. Hamper's copy, on India paper, was sold after his decease for £1. 2s. c2 20 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. the Bard, together with other literary, and also graphic iUustrations : but the project was never realized. I have now to direct the reader's attention to the foUowing poetical tribute to the genius of our great Poet, from the pen of my highly-gifted friend, Henry Neele. That enthusiastic and ill-fated individual was a zealous lover and attentive student of the writings of Shakspere, and iu the foUowing lines he expressed, almost involuntarily, the feelings of reverence and delight which an inspection of the Bust, at my residence, had but a few days previously inspired him with. -E. More, del. J. Tliompson, sc. nines BT HENET NEELE, ADDRESSED TO JOHN BEITTON, E.S.A., ON Ef)t IBonumental Bust of 3i)aifespere IN STEATFOED CHITECH. His was the master-spirit; — at his spells The heart gave up its secrets : like the mount Of Horeb, smitten by the Prophet's rod. Its hidden springs gushed forth. Time, that grey rock On whose bleak sides the fame of meaner bards Is dashed to ruin, was the pedestal On which his Genius rose ; and, rooted there. Stands, like a mighty statue, reared so high Above the clouds and changes of the world. That Heaven's unshorn and unimpeded beams Have round its awful brows a glory shed Immortal as their own. Like those fair birds Of glittering plumage, whose heaven-pointing pinions NEELE's lines and LECTURES 21 Beam Hght on that dim world they leave behind. And whUe they spurn, adorn it ;* so his spirit. His " dainty spirit," while it soared above This dull, gross compound, scattered as it fiew Treasures of light and loveliness. And these Were " gentle Shakspere's " features ; this the eye Whence Earth's least earthly mind looked out, and flashed Amazement on the nations ; this the brow Where lofty thought majestically brooded. Seated as on a throne ; and these the lips That warbled music stolen from heaven's own choir When Seraph-harps rang sweetest. — But I tempt A theme too high, and mount, Hke Icarus, On wings that melt before the blaze they worship. Alas 1 my hand is weak, my lyre is wild ! Else should the eye, whose wondering gaze is flxed Upon this breathing Bust, awaken strains Lofty as those the glance of Phoebus struck From Memnon's ruined statue ; the rapt soul Should breathe in numbers, and in dulcet notes " Discourse most eloquent music." H. NEELE. Jan. 12, 1819. The above exquisite efiusion was kindly placed at my disposal by its author, and I immediately had copies printed to give away. Mr. Neele foUowed up this most successful effort, by writing an equaUy eloquent "Lecture on the PecuHar and Characteristic Merits of Shakspere," con stituting " an eulogium on the talents of the Bard of Avon, particularly as evinced in the sympathy, sublimity, pathos, imagination, wit, and hu mour of his writings ; in his transcendant excellences as a tragic and comic author ; and in his knowledge of nature, animate, inanimate, and human." In order to stimulate the Shaksperian ardour of the inhab itants of Stratford-upon-Avon, I was induced to read Mr. Neele's Lec ture pubhcly, in the Town-haU of that place, on the Gth of September, * In some parts of America, it is said, there are birds which, when on the wing, and at night, emit so surprising a brightness, that it is no mean substitute for the Hght of day. Among the whimsical speculations of Pontenelle, is one, that in the planet Mars, the want of a Moon may be compensated by a multiplicity of these luminous aeronauts.— H. N. 23 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. 1819, being the flftieth anniversary of Garrick's jubilee. The preHmi nary arrangements for this purpose were kindly undertaken by my friend Mr. Wheler, and by Mr. Ward, the local bookseller. About three hun dred persons were present, and the receipts from tickets were applied to the benefit of the charity-schools of the town.* Mr. Neele afterwards wrote three other lectures on the various plays, poems, and characters of Shakspere ; together with one devoted to his con temporaries, and a sixth exemplifying the influence of the Poet's writings on the national taste and Hterature : all abounding with poetical and dis criminating criticism. The author transferred them to me, in consideration of a small pecuniary advance ; and the manuscripts are stiU in my possession. A project was originated in the year 1820 for the erection of a mag nificent Edifice to the memory of Shakspere, in the nature of a Museum, Cenotaph, or Temple ; and its promoters agreed to select Stratford-upon- Avon as the most desirable site for such a monument. Committees were formed both in that town and in the metropoHs, and there appeared for a time a prospect of success. Notwithstanding the opinions of Mr. Wheler and of Captain Saunders, two of my oldest Shaksperian friends, and the zeal with which they urged those opinions, I could not help dissenting from their selection of Stratford instead of London, as the locahty of a building so national in its object and purposes. I accordingly addressed a letter to the editor of the Literary Gazette, dated 1st January, 1821, strongly expressing my hope that the proposed bmlding would be alike honourable to the Poet and the nation. Referring to the Bust at Stratford, and the " cai icature statues " of the Poet in Westminster Abbey Church, in Pall Mall, and at Drury Lane Theatre, I observed that " the insuffi ciency and insipidity of the three last-mentioned, are among the proofs that something better, and even something really good, ought to be ex ecuted. At present we have a sculptor [Chantrey] adapted to the task, fitted to mould a figure with true English feeling, and impart to it that * The Free Grammar-School, where Shakspere himself was educated, being sufiiciently endowed, the above appropriation of the amount was thought most eligible. I introduced the Lecture by the following remarks : — " In venturing to read a lecture on the merits and peculiar talents of Shakspere, I feel no small degree of difiiculty and diffidence. The task, to me, is arduous and almost terrific ; as my literary studies and occupation for the last twenty years have been devoted to subjects somewhat unpropitious to poetry and oratory: I mean, Antiquities. Shakspere has, however, occasionally seduced me &om those paths- has delighted and fascinated me ; and on making a pilgrimage to the native place of the illustrious Bard, I am impelled to present a literary oflfering at his shrine ; persuaded that the honoured inhabitants of this town will make every aUowance, and grant every indul gence, which an uninitiated public candidate usually experiences." PROPOSED CENOTAPH TO SHAKSPERE, 1820. 23 simphcity, pathos, and unaffected dignity which might have pertained to Shakspere, and which ought at least to be given to a lasting model of him. This should convey a rational and expressive image to the illiterate, as well as to the enlightened eye. The architect is not so easily to be fixed on, nor is his task so easy ; for he will have to contend with the prejudices of his own, and of the public education. It would be quite hea thenish to erect an edifice to the memory of Shakspere, after Egyptian, Grecian, or Roman models. The style, form, and ornaments, should be analagous to the man, to his times, to his country, and to his inestimable writings. I am impelled to commit these remarks hastily to paper, from learning that a few gentlemen of Stratford-upon-Avon have lately assem bled to raise a building, &c. in that town, to the memory of their illus trious townsman. However we may venerate the natal spot of the Bard, we must admit that London was, and is, the theatre of his fame ; that this vast city is the only place to raise an ample edifice and appropriate statue to the name and fame of Shakspere." My friend, Mr. Wheler, promptly replied to the above remarks, in a.-. letter printed in the same journal. He inquires, " Was London the ex clusive theatre of Shakspere's fame ? and is that great city the only place where works of art can be properly viewed and estimated ? Certainly not. His fame is 'broad and general as the casing air:' the whole universe par takes of it; and the place of his nativity is too poeticaUy associated, too frequently visited, too deeply venerated, to be ever disregarded." The writer then adverts to the Poet's evident attachment to his native place,. and adds, "Although the fatal hand of a Gastrell felled his haUowed tree, and has left no stone of New Place, his favoured mansion, unturned, yet this spot, sacred to Genius and the Muses, stUl receives its merited adoration; and as, by a happy coincidence, it is now to be purchased, the promoters of the undertaking for the erection of a National Monument to his memory, have very laudably fixed on this as the most appropriate spot in England for such a purpose ; where it will be as adequately seen as in London, and, I trust, more highly appreciated." Notwithstanding the ardour thus displayed by its promoters, the scheme referred to soon languished for want of adequate support, and was ultimately abandoned altogether. My own idea of the Memorial to be erected, may be gath ered from some memoranda which I made at the time. I contemplated the erection of a spacious BuUding to include a GaUery for Pictures, Busts, and Bassi-relievi of Shaksperian subjects, with a fine Statue of the Poet in the centre : adjoining this apartment I intended another for a Library to contain every edition of the works of the Great Dramatist, 24 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. and of his numerous commentators ; a Theatre for the dehvery of illus trative Lectures on Poetry and the Drama, with a Saloon for holding frequent Public Meetings : the establishment to be supported by annual subscriptions of members, who would thereby become entitled to admis sion to the edifice, and to every advantage to be afforded by such a plan.. The next attempt to honour Shakspere with which I became associated was made, with far better success, in the year 1835. This was directed to the laudable purpose of renovating and restoring to its primitive beauty the decayed and neglected Chancel of the Parish Church, — the burial-place of the Poet. mjMr 11,1 -J«i, iff'.- ' m, *5^=^^^ -£-=- CHUnCII OF STR.ITFORD UPON-.ITON, FEOM THE N. E. '^ * As the remarks in the text are confined to the eastern division, or Cliancel, of this interesting and beautiful Church, it is thought desirable to append a short notice of the building generally. A Church at Stratford is mentioned in Domesday-Book ; and Dugdale, in his Antiquities of Warwickshire, says, that it " is a. very ancient structure ; little less than the Conqueror's time, as I guess by the fabrick of the steeple." He records the erec tion of the south aisle of the nave, with a Chantry-chapel at its eastern end, by John of Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury, about the lOth of Edward IIL, and of the " north and south cross," or transept, by the executors of Hugh Clopton, in the reign of Henry VII. In 1358, this edifice was devoted to the rites and ceremonies of a College of Priests and Singing-boys, who were then settled in an adjoining building, by Ralph of Stratford, church OF STRATFORD-UPON-AVON. 25 Cattermole, del. Jaekaon, sc. CHOIR OF STRATFORD CHURCH, LOOKING NORTH. Bishop of London. This College enjoyed many privileges by Royal Charters, and its prin cipal was styled " Dean of the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity." The Church stands ou the banks of the Avon, in an extensive burial-ground, and there is a paved walk, beneath an avenue of lime-trees, from the adjoining street to the north porch. The build ing IS cruciform, consisting of a nave and aisles, (the former now used as the choir,) a transept, and chancel, with a tower and spire in the centre. The architectural character 01 the interior of the church is displayed in the accompanying view of two compartments, or severies, of the north side of the present choir. This shows two arches, with paneling above, and three of the twelve windows, on each side, which are continued through the whole clerestory of the building; also one arch, with an octagonal column, on the opposite side, and two screens opening into the north aisle. One of these is part of the canopy to an altar- tomb for Sir Hugh Clopton, (as supposed, for aU inscriptions are gone,) who was Lord Mayor of London, 1492. There are monuments in the same chapel, to other branches of the Clopton family, one of which commemorates an Earl of Totness and his Countess. At 26 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. This Chancel was entirely rebuilt in the reign of Edward IV., by Thomas Balshall, D. D., * and, in its original state, unincumbered and undisfigured by tasteless monuments and pews, and possessing a carved timber roof, with large windows of stained glass, must have been remark able for its architectural effect. It had five windows of uniform design on each side, and one of much larger dimensions at the east end. These were all originally glazed with coloured glass, which time and accident had so much damaged that, in 1790, the remains were taken out and destroyed, with the exception of some fragments which have been put together in the centre of the east window. In the south wall, near the altar, are three sedUia, conjoined, being the ancient concessus, or seats for the officiating priests, and a piscina; and there is an ornamented niche on each side of the east window. The Chancel was separated from the transept by an oak screen, originally a part of the rood-loft. The first innovation on, and obtrusion into, this once beautiful Chancel was the altar-tomb of the founder. Dr. Balshall ; and in little more than a century afterwards the body of Shakspere was deposited beneath the altar-stones — a proof that the Poet possessed considerable rank iu the parish. His Monument and Bust were soon afterwards most tastelessly inserted in the wall and window, on the north side of his grave, above and somewhat to the westward of Dr. Balshall's tomb. Other monuments were successively placed in different situations, without the least regard to symmetry, to form, to colour, or to the genuine character of the building. Further innovations and barbarous alterations were progres sively made by the substitution of a cheap and common plaster ceiliug for the original timber roof; by the introduction of common pews ; and by repeated coats of lime-wash on the walls. To finish the work of " beau tifying," or rather vulgarising, some tasteless churchwarden obscured the beautiful screen of entrance from the transept, by a temporary floor for the belfry. Folly and vulgarity could scarcely go farther, but neglect served to ac celerate the operations of decay ; and had the building been left a few years longer, it would have ranked among the ecclesiastical ruins of an- the corresponding end of the south aisle are traces of a chapel erected by Archbishop Strat ford, and dedicated to St. Thomas k Becket. The tower is the oldest portion of the building, and may be referred to the beguming of the twelfth century ; some portions ofthe nave are of almost equal antiquity : the north aisle appears to have been built about the end of the thirteenth, and repaired in the fifteenth century. The present spire was erected in 1763. * The following inscription formerly appeared in one of the windows : " Thomas Balshall, Doctor of Divinity, rc-cdified this quicr, and died Anno 1491." RESTORATION OF STRATFORD CHANCEL. 27 tiquity. Fortunately, in the year 1835, some lovers of Shakspere, and of ancient architecture, came forward to its rescue. The members of the CHANCEL OF STRATFORD CHURCH, 1834, LOOKING N.E. Royal Shakspere Club, at Stratford, having resolved to uphold and adorn this buUding, appealed to the public for support ; and on the 23rd of April, in the year already mentioned, a local committee was appointed to collect subscriptions. Dr. Conolly was chairman of this committee, to which W. 0. Hunt, Esq., the Town-Clerk of Stratford, acted as honorary secretary. It comprised also the names of the Rev. Dr. Davenport, the * This engraving shows two of the windows on the north side and half of the great east window, together with the altar-tomb of Dean Balshall, the builder of the Chancel : above the latter is the monument of Shakspere, and another to the memory of Richard Combe, and his intended wife, Judith Combe, who died in 1649. The large m-onument against the east wall is that of Shakspere's John Combe. 28 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. Vicar, and the principal inhabitants of the town. Somewhat injudici ously the subscription was limited to one pound by each individual. There were, however, some exceptions to this rule : His Majesty, Kmg WilHam the Fourth, and the Corporation of Stratford, each contributed fifty pounds to the fund ; Sir Francis Freeling sent five pounds ; and a society of gentlemen, under the title of " the Mulberry Club," presented ten pounds. On the 5th of September foUowing, the Shakspere Club published an address to the public, stating that the subscription amoimted to only £400. Anxious to promote the accomplishment of the objects contemplated, I was induced, in the winter of 1835-6, to form a London Committee, to co-operate with that at Stratford ; and was soon enabled to print and circulate an embellished prospectus, with the names of fifty noblemen and gentlemen connected with Hterature and the drama, under Sir George Philips, Bart., as chairman. I undertook the duties of hono rary secretary to this committee, and made great exertions to carry out the projected restoration. These efforts were attended with much success; and a further stimulus was given to the proceedings by a festival, on the 23rd of AprU, 1836, at Stratford. On that day I submitted to the Club, and the numerous visitors who had assembled, a design for a complete re storation of the chancel of the church, in which a carved timber roof was the most conspicuous feature. I had requested my friend, Mr. Harvey Eginton, architect, of Worcester,* to prepare this design in accordance with sketches and descriptions I had prepared, and was so much grati fied by the ability which it displayed, that I urged its adoption by the Restoration Committee. Two hundred gentlemen dined in Shakspere's Hall on the occasion referred to, under the able presidency of Dr. ConoUy; and as the promoter of the London Committee, I received the warm com pliments of the assembly. That some opposition and rivalry should occur on such a subject is not surprising, though it was annoying, and calculated to interrupt and disturb the harmony of the proceedings. Two persons made strenuous efforts to obtain the "job," and supplant both myself and the architect. They faUed, however, in their efforts, and one of them sought for, and contracted to execute, the works under Mr. Eginton. By letters now before me from the latter, it appears that the contractor was very irregular in time, works, and arrangements ; and that he occasioned the architect much trouble and extra expense in visiting Stratford from a distance, and in directing works which belonged to the builder. In * I became acquainted with this gentleman on visiting Worcester, for the preparation of my History, &c., of its Cathedral. His professional skill and amiable character strongly prepossessed me in his favour. FESTIVAL AT STRATFORD, 1837. 29 one of Mr. Eginton's letters, he complains of the incompetency of this individual, and the necessity he himself felt of " acting as architect, con tractor, and clerk of the works." Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that the Chancel was not finished by the 23rd of AprU, 1837, as agreed, when a JubUee Birthday was to have been kept. The Com mittee, however, resolved that a festival should be held, and the building exhibited. It was my wish to have attended on the occasion, but I was prevented, and Mr. Eginton supplied my place to explain the restora tions and improvements which had been made. I wrote a letter to Dr. ConoUy, president of the Club, and of the Meeting, stating what had been done, the cause of the delay, and the promises of the buUder. I endeavoured to describe the beauty of the whole interior of the " quier," as it was caUed, when new and fresh from the original architect's de signs, with stained glass, timbered roof, gorgeous altar, coloured waUs, carved stalls, &c. ; and contrasted the same with the degraded and taste less state it was reduced to, when the modern architect and builder begun to repair it, and adorn its whole aspect. Describing the effect of the work which had been completed, I observed that, " Instead of a broken, noxious, and mildewed floor, with foundation- waUs graduaUy mouldering away, timbers decaying, lime-washed walls, a flat plastered ceUing, and a scene generaUy of tasteless patchwork and miserable economy, all those evUs had been reformed, revolutionized, and converted into beauties and utilities. The floor and foundations had been rendered perfectly sound and good, the ragged patchy whitewash was removed, and a new coat substituted of good texture and pleasing colour. The windows, waUs, and architectural ornaments were repaired and renovated to their original form and character, and, to crown the whole, a new inner roof had been constructed. In that design the archi tect had paid strict attention to the general spirit of the original roof: it was framed with timber beams, and adorned with ribs, carved bosses, spandrils, and demi-angels ; and, moreover, was intended to be addition- aUy decorated with colours and armorial bearings,* to correspond with * My proposition for introducing in the roof of the Chancel the armorial bearings of the principal subscribers to the restoration excited some captious criticisms on the part of an anonymous writer in "The Warwickshire Standard, and Leamington Spa Courier ; " to whose comments I was induced to write the following reply : — To the Editor of " The Warwickshire Standard, and Leamington Spa Courier.'' " Mark how a plain tale shaU put him down." 1st Part Henry ir. Sir, — Having ventured to recommend to the Stratford Monumental Committee a Timber Hoof for the Chancel of Stratford Church, and having further advised the 30 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. other ecclesiastical timber roofs belonging to buildings cotemporary with this interesting Chancel." embellishment of the same with "Armorial Shields" and Heraldic Insignia, I will endeavour to justify both those gentlemen and myself by a short reply to your queru lous correspondent (" A Subscriber ") of Saturday the 4th instant. It is much easier to find fault than to praise with fairness and discrimination : it is also easier to im peach the judgment and taste of others than to demonstrate our ovm. Anonymous writers are not often fair or honest antagonists. As I have nothing to conceal, and nothing to fear, even from the ambushed writer, I will affix my name to the present letter, and risk the little reputation which the public have awarded me, in justifying all that has been recommended or sanctioned, by myself, in the aflair of the Stratford Chancel. In 1835 the Shakspere Club, at Stratford, announced their intention of raising a subscription " to preserve the Tomb of Shakspere, and to restore and preserve the Chancel," &c. Invited by some old friends to join that club, I gave it my co-opera tion in London, — eagerly embarked in the cause, — formed a large and influential com mittee, and promoted the subscription among my friends. In corresponding with the learned and zealous Chairman of the Stratford Committee, Dr. Conolly, I urged a general repair and restoration of the Chancel — a new inner roof of timber — and, among other objects, a cautious preservation of every memorial of the Shakspere family. For I have long regarded the name of " the Bard of Avon " as haloed vrith a glory that shkies over and irradiates all the reading world. Hence his birth-place, and last resting-place, must be sacred, revered and loved by all persons who can appreciate his countless merits. Though for many years devoted to antiqmty, I have ever viewed the ruins and beauties of ancient architecture as indices to the history of man, and to the annals of genius. Every church is to me therefore an object, not merely of ocular beauty and admiration, but a dial indicative of a certain age, of a particular state and stage of science, of art, and of civilization. The Church of Stratford, and particularly its beautiful, its once elegant, but sadly-debased chancel, have long been endeared to the best sympathies, to the most potent feelings of my heart. I therefore hailed the auspicious epoch when I hoped to see something done, and done well, for the mausoleum which enshrines the ashes of Shakspere. At the time of that match less author's death, 1616, we may reasonably conclude that both the interior and exterior of the Chancel presented a very different appearance to that of 1816, even to what they were when the present repairs, &c., were commenced : it probably varied but very little then firom its original state of architectural perfection and beauty. It had not been finished much more than 100 years ; and it may be inferred that all the walls, buttresses, parapets, and pinnacles, of the exterior, with the floor, stalls, windows, doors, carved screen, and timber roof, of the interior, were nearly as sound and good as when left by their makers. That it had a timber roof is not only traditi onally reported, but Mr. Wheler, the able historian of Stratford, has a corbel-angel, which belonged to and supported one end of the principal beam. The mural bracket capitals, still remaining, are other evidences that the architect designed such a roof, and we know that the choir of Stratford Church, and the ceUings of many churches of nearly coeval date, were thus finished. Hence, after much study and consultation, it was thought advisable to design the new inner roof in a style corresponding, as nearly as possible, with such examples. It was afterwards deemed judicious and proper to recommend that roof to be adorned with armorial insignia, for such was a common ARMORIAL BEARINGS. 31 Without further detail of these proceedings, it must suffice to state that about £1200 were realized by the subscription, £100 of which I had the pleasure of forwarding from the London subscribers ; and that with this amount the restoration was effectuaUy accomplished. In conjunc- praotice with our ancestors in the church architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries. I could refer to many sacred edifices which are ornamented with armorial bearings, with inscriptions, devices, &c., of persons, who either built or finished the particular parts in which such insignia occur. "A Subscriber," at Oxford, may refer to the north doorway of St. Mary's Church in that city, to Witney and Burford Churches, and to those of Long Melford and Lavenham in Suffolk, to Thaxted in Essex, to the Collegiate Church of Manchester, and to many others, for precedents, to justify, if necessary, this mode of decoration. •• A Subscriber " may reprobate this plan, and may sneer at those who contribute towards the completion and adornment of the Chancel; he may even withdraw his own sovereign ; but the Stratford Committee wUl find a prompt and liberal aid firom the admirers of Shakspere, and of the Christian architecture of the middle ages, to support them in finishing what they have disin terestedly and laudably commenced. In June, 1650, the Churchwardens levied £24. to expend iu repairing the Chancel : again, in December, 1790, they raised £426. 13s. 8d, for the same purpose. On the last occasion it is presumed that the vulgar flat plaster ceiling, the white- washing, and other tasteless works, miscalled " beautifying," were executed. Fortunately for the Committee, and for the cause of architecture and Shakspere, we have the skilful'superintendence and tasteful advice of a professional artist who is well studied in the elements and details of " Gothic Architecture," — who, in youthful days, filled his mind and sketch-books with measured delineations of columns, door ways, windows, ribs, and other members of cathedrals and churches. It gives me much greater pleasure to record this passing tribute to professional merit, than to expose and reprove the hyper-criticism of "A Subscriber." If the builder carries into effect, and properly executes, the designs of the architect, he wUl deserve and certainly receive his due share of praise ; and I feel no misgivings or doubts as to the general and particular character of the whole, when completed, nor of the universal if not unqualified approval of all persons of knowledge, sound judgment, and good taste. Besides the new and highly adorned roof, which is to be erected, the builder is required to repair and restore all the stone- work of the exterior, clean off all the disfiguring lime-washing and plastering of the interior, renovate the injured parts, make a new floor, carefully preserve and reinstate all the Shakspere monumental Grave Stones, clear away all extraneous and incongruous pews and modem additions, and, if the Churchwardens are attentive to the wishes and advice of the Committee, every disfigurement — every thing that tends to injure the Chancel, or depreciate its archi tectural beauties and permanency — will be removed. The fine open screen, at the west end of the Chancel, must be restored and opened, and the very interesting Norman transept cleaned, repaired, and made a proper vestibule to this sacred Temple of Poetry and of Genius. I could extend this letter, but must check my pen ; for you want room for other matters, and I have other demands on my time and thoughts. J. BEITTON, London. Feb. 13, 1837. 32 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. tion with the architect, I published a large and accurate engraving of the interior of the Chancel, in its restored state. This plate was executed in outline by T. TurnbuU, from a drawing by Mr. Buttingfield, under Eginton's superintendence : the plate was afterwards aquatinted by Robt. HaveU. The Chancel, having been satisfactorily completed, produced such a marked contrast to the other and older parts of the church, that the parochial officers, as well as the parishioners generaUy, thought it ad visable to subject the whole to the improving and beautifying process of repair and restoration, and Mr. Eginton was employed to direct the ope rations. In these works more than £5000 have been expended. The old pewing has been removed, and stall-seats and galleries erected ; new roofs have been put up to the choir and transept, and a stone ceUing to the tower. New windows have been inserted in the transept, and some old lancet-headed windows opened; a stone Communion-table has been placed in the Chancel, and the floor paved with encaustic tiles ; finaUy, the old organ has been replaced by another and superior instrument, by HUl. For a very considerable portion of the amount thus judiciously expended, the inhabitants of Stratford, and aU lovers of Shakspere, are deeply indebted to the munificence of the late WilHam Woods Weston, Esq., a much- respected resident of the town. By the operations aBove-mentioned, the preservation of the Shakspere Mausoleum was not only secured, but it has been rendered beautiful to the eye, and gratifying to the require ments of good taste and religious prepossessions. The same may be said of the whole church : and I sincerely believe that such manifestations tend to make people better Christians and better citizens, and to awaken them to new scenes and sources of enjoyment. The committee for restoring the Chancel of the Church had originally stated that, " in case of a sufficient amount being subscribed, they would gladly extend their care to the preservation of the House m which Shaks pere's father resided, in Henley Street, the presumed birth-place of the Poet ; and to the house still remaining at Shottery, near Stratford, which was the residence of Anne Hathaway, afterwards the wife of Shakspere ; and even to the purchase of the site of New Place, the house in which Shakspere passed the last three years of his life, and in which he died — a spot, which, being yet unencroached upon, they are most desirous of guarding from new erections, and consecrating to the memory of him whose name has rendered it in their estimation hallowed ground." The lunited amount of subscription obliged the Committee, however, to con fine their labours to the primary object of preserving the Monument of HOUSES IN HENLEY STREET, STRATFORD. 33 Shakspere, and the edifice which enshrines his remains, from further decay and desecration ; but one of the plans so contemplated has been since carried out in a similar manner, namely, the purchase and preser vation of the house in Henley Street. This humble dweUing (see the engraving in the title-page of the present Essay) originaUy formed part of more extensive premises, which were purchased by John Shakspere, the Poet's father, in 1574 ; and which may have been occupied both by the father and the son : but there is no proof that the Bard was born in this particular building ; for, of different houses which his father pos sessed in the town, it is not known which he occupied at the time of the Poet's birth. Moreover, the report that this house was the veritable Birth place is of comparatively modern origin, and unworthy the name and au thority of a tradition.* StUl the mere fact, than which nothing can be more clear, that the property belonged to the Great Dramatist, and has been visited by many distinguished individuals with fuU confidence in its supposed claims, has always invested it with peculiar interest. The Royal Shakspere Club of Stratford, ever watchful in such matters, were weU aware, at the end of the year 1846, that the premises must be sold, in consequence of the death of their late proprietor. They, at once, opened a private negociation for the purchase, but found that legal difficulties ren dered a sale by auction necessary. The limited extent of their finances, compared with the sum which the property might ultimately produce, subsequently impeUed the Club to appeal to the public, towards the end of July, 1847, for a subscription to enable them to become possessors of the house. In the meantime, they expended £820 in purchasing some adjoining premises, formerly part of the same property ; and appealed to the Government to secure the remainder. To this apphcation, the Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests replied that the purchase of the house must be left to public feeling ; but that, if once obtained, the Go vemment would wUlingly take charge of its preservation, as a just object * Its truth has been often questioned ; and particularly by the Eev. George Wilkins, and Mr. Robert Walsh, who -wrote several letters on the subject in the Brighton Herald, about the year 1844. Those gentlemen had been educated at the Stratford Grammar School, and remembered the time when the premises in Henley Street were purchased by Thos. Court, who afterwards rebuilt one of the two tenements, and used it as a public-house. The butcher's shop was in a ruinous state, but finding it much visited, as the natal home of the Poet, Court repaired it, and put some curiosities into two of the rooms, at the same time asserting that they had belonged to the Bard. With a placard at the door, inviting strangers " to the show," Mr. Court appears to have made a successful speculation. An Album was provided, and soon filled, whilst the walls and ceiling were progressively "scrawled over " with visitors' names, who thus sought local celebrity in connection with the name and fame of the Poet. 34 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. of national care. Committees were speedUy organized, and meetings held in the metropolis and in other large towns ; whUst great exertions were made to realize an adequate subscription by the 16th of September, the day named for the sale. Much enthusiasm and excitement were produced by a rumour that an American speculator was prepared to purchase the house, for removal across the Atlantic, as a profitable exhibition. I was nominated a member of the London Committee on this occasion, in association with several of the most distinguished Shaksperians of the age. Attaching, however, no very high value for the alleged Birth place, or for any of the relics it contained, I did not take an active part in the proceedings ; and, considering the laudable perseverance of other members of the Committee, and the abundant display of zeal on the part of the public generaUy, the very tardy flow of subscriptions was somewhat remarkable. When the day of sale arrived, the auction-room was crowded to excess, and, after some preliminaries, a bidding of £2,000 was made ; whereupon a paper, offering the very large sum of £3,000, in behalf of the United Stratford and London Committees, was handed to the auc tioneer ; and no higher sum being offered, they were declared to be the purchasers. The subscriptions at this time were very much below the amount of the purchase-money, and though active measures have been employed to increase them, there is stUl a deficiency of about £450. Not only donations from royal and noble personages, from the gentry, clergy, and laity, but various large sums of money were collected by means of baUs, and theatrical performances, and also from authors, play ers, musicians, &c., towards making up the sum required. It was also calculated that enough would be realized to make provision for the sup port of an aged author who might take charge of the house, and make it at once a home, and a museum, or library. Alas ! how sanguine are the poet's visionary hopes, how disheartening many of their fruitions! The great exertions of the Committee, with the talents and rank of the par ties, ought to have secured more complete success; though I cannot persuade myself that the stories of American competition, or other oppo sition, were more than " tricks of trade," to excite curiosity, and to de ceive the over-ardent and too-zealous purchasers ! Washington Irving, William Howitt, and other authors have published eloquent accounts of their visits to the birth-place of Shakspere, as hte rary offerings at the shrine of Genius ; and I cannot forbear to foUow their example by recording certain visits which I have made to the same hallowed locahty. ^ilsttmascs, or VisitB to Stratfori(=uj)on=^bon. Pilgrimages to sanctified relics and shrines were common in ages popularly and properly named " The Dark." Credulous, unwitted de votees were taught by crafty priests that their sins would be forgiven, and that they might obtain a sure passport to heaven, by performing long and dangerous journeys, and by offering the incense of valuables at the shrines of canonized saints. These shrines and these saints rapidly in creased, and abounded, to an almost countless extent, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Christendom swarmed with monasteries, rehgious enthusiasts, and fanatic devotees. To the feelings of the truly good man and philosopher, few things are more shocking than the his tory of the human race in that state of mental debasement and vassalage.* Let us briefiy contrast it with the condition of civilized society in Eng land, under its present constitution, and with its comparative exemption from political and religious tyranny. Now, the man who can command the common comforts of Hfe may travel when and where he pleases, and wUl be sure to meet with civiHty and courtesy from all those " who live to please," and hence " must please to live." Instead of walking, or rather creeping at a snail-Hke pace, with " peas in shoes," or clothed in sack-cloth, or horse-hair, and required to kneel in mud and water, at every piece of stone or wood called a cross, by the road side, our free and independent modern traveller is wafted over the country, on a cush ioned seat, with the speed of a hawk ; and is at liberty, when fancy prompts, to halt at the comfortable hotel, to traverse hill and dale, moun tain and forest, the parks and pleasure-grounds of country palaces, exempt fi:om the anathema of priestcraft, the tyranny of kingcraft, or the sud den and murderous attack of lawless banditti, or of the highway robber. Well may the British patriot exclaim, " England, with all thy faults, I love thee still." As I have already noticed, many have been my pilgrimages to Stratford, * The journals or diaries of some of the old Pilgrims are both curious and interesting, as illustrative of bygone manners and customs. I have a copy of a journal of this description, the original of which belongs to Mr. Wheler, of Stratford, who sent some account of it to the Gentleman's Magazine for Sept., 1812. The volume has the following title : ®?IS» BS i^e itQ^mms of tf)« ^ElBiBtnage of Sfit UBti^arU SCorfeBngton, ^«raon of JWtittCTton in iBorfoIfet. ^ntf ^oio iit taent totnatUBS E^^ttusalem all a lone to ii)e t^mt iie came to lEfenesse. The Camden Society, soon after its foundation, promised to print this volume, but it has not appeared. Por some explanation of religious Pilgrimages, see MUls' "History of the Crusades," Vol. i. ; Sandys' " Travels in the Holy Land ; " Lithgow's Travels; Maundrell's Travels; Froissart's Chronicles, vol. viii., p. 385 ; and King's Munimenta Antiqua. d2 36 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. since the latter part of the last century. Emancipated from apprenticeship and servitude, though poor and humble, I was enabled (about 1790) to make a pedestrian tour into Shropshire, to visit some dear relatives. Then I had the first sight of a mountain; the country between Church-Stretton and Welshpool being of the true mountainous character, though not so bold and wUd as that in the vicinity of Cader-Idris or Snowdon. The British castrametation, on the summit of Caer-Caradock, excited my cu riosity, and was the first fortress of its class I ever saw. At Shrewsbury, I was gratified and instructed by forming an acquaintance with the Rev. Dr. Butler, then master of the celebrated school of that town, also the Rev. J. B. Blakeway, the Rev. Hugh Owen, and Mr. D. Parkes, with aU of whom I continued on friendly and corresponding terms tiU their respective deaths. In returning to London, I visited Birmingham and Stratford-upon- Avon; and though but ill qualified to understand or appreciate the attrac tive characteristics of either of those places, I was amused and interested with both. At the former, I became acquainted with J. Bisset,* who had a museum, and who wrote both humourous and pathetic verses with great facility. William Hutton, the historian of Birmingham, author of a very interesting specimen of auto-biography, and other literary works, at tracted my notice and friendship, as did likewise his sister. Of Stratford at that time, I am unable to say much, either as relates to the town, the church, or its monuments ; for though I had read Shaks pere's Plays, and seen some of his characters enacted by Kemble, Cooke, Palmer, Macklin, Mrs. Siddons, Suet, &c., I was not qualified to appre ciate and luxuriate in the inteUectual associations of this place. It is true that I saw the outside and inside of the house in Henley Street (then a real butcher's shop) — the Church, — the Bust, — and other popular objects; but I was young, and alone — was uninformed, and had not a friendly and enlightened prompter to give me "the cue" to inquiry and remark. Suffice it to say, that I left the town for London, via Oxford, with a wish and resolve to revisit it again on the first opportunity. Some years elapsed * This gentleman published a volume entitled " A Poetic Survey round Birmingham, with a brief Description of all the Curiosities of the Place," 1800 ; also other volximes, on the Young Eosoius, and on the party politics of the time. He afterwards removed to Lea mington, where his museum and occasional writings obtained for him some distinction. His name reached the metropolis and other parts of England, in consequence of his adopting, or patronising, a young girl named Iliff, whose mother, Jane Hart, was, according to his testimony, a lineal descendant of the Stratford Poet. He made urgent appeals to the public in behalf of his prot^g^. Sir Eichard Phillips, in the Monthly Magazine, February, I8I8, endeavoured to show that other persons, of the names of Smith, of Stratford, and Hart, of Tewkesbury, had similar, or greater claims to direct consanguinity. VISITS TO STRATFORD IN 1812 AND 1819. 37 before that arrived, and then I had not only seen much of theatres, public and private, but had associated with actors and authors, and had written on Topography, Antiquities, Criticism, and the Fine Arts. The second visit to the home of Shakspere was unlike the former : the eyes had the film removed from them — the mind was susceptible of receiving other and new impressions — the heart had acquired new powers of suscepti- bihty and sympathy, and the objects which only a few years before had been seen with comparative apathy, were now invested with meaning, beauty, and interest. The historian of the town, Mr. Wheler ; the ama teur and antiquary of the place. Captain Saunders ; the keeper of the town archives, Mr. W. 0. Hunt ; and the amiable vicar of the parish, the Rev. Dr. Davenport ; were aUke kind and courteous in answering inqui ries, and even anticipating my wishes. With such engaging companions, with such objects to court and gratify attention, it is not surprising that I was more than pleased : I was delighted. From that time I continued in correspondence with the gentlemen above-named for many years, and possess several of their letters, replete with literary and antiquarian in terest. Those by Mr. Wheler and by Captain Saunders formed the chief materials for the Memoir of Shakspere, which I wrote for Whittingham's Elzevir edition of the Plays. Hence originated the Cast from the Mo numental Bust already described, the engraved Portrait, and other mat ters connected with the Church and the Bard. In September, 1819, 1 paid another visit to Stratford, in company with my once dear, inteUectual, and amiable friend, Henry Neele, for the ex press purpose of reading to the Stratfordians in the Town-haU, the Lecture which he had written on the poetical genius of their illustrious townsman. This was a labour of love ; for the subject, the place, the audience, and the language of the writer, all conspired to animate my feelings, and to gratify my most sanguine ambition. Such excitement and association natturaUy make the heart charitable, and superinduce a love for our fellow- creatures. Soon afterwards, Neele wrote his exquisite lines on the Bust, and on this occasion he indulged himself in the fuUest latitude of Shaks perian enjoyment, by visiting the Welcome Hills — Charlecote House and Park — Shottery — the banks of the Avon — every place and object which at aU assimilated with the presumed haunts and habits of the Poet, whose inspired writings must have derived much of their origin and hues from the natural and peculiar attributes of these localities. In renewing intercourse with the Church, and its primary attraction, the Chancel, and the Bust of the Bard, in the year 1834, 1 felt more pecu harly interested than on any previous occasion, as I was then prepared 38 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. to make a searching and critical examination of the state of the bmlding, in all its parts, not only as regarded its stability, but its state of debase ment, and its proposed improvements.* This was new matter for specu lation, for inquiry, and for hope to feed on. Though not professionally an architect, or a buUder, I had seen much of the practices of both, in association with some of the most eminent men in London, and had made myself familiar with plans, elevations, sections, and details of buUdings, both old and new ; and had also attentively watched the processes of workmanship. Hence I was enabled to suggest plans for the proposed restoration ; and, as explained in a preceding page, to afford useful aid in its successful accomphshment. On a subsequent tour to Stratford, to join the anniversary fesitval ofthe Shakspere Club, on the 23rd of April, 1835, a new scene and new objects attracted my attention. Great efforts had been made by the Club to ob tain a popular and effective gathering. Designs for the restoration, by my young and estimable friend, Harvey Eginton, prepared from my me moranda, were exhibited in the theatre, to a very numerous auditory. A pubHc dinner, at the Town-haU, was attended by about 200 persons, over whom Dr. Conolly presided, not only with credit to himself, but with pleasure to the whole party. From three tUl eleven o'clock he kept aU in good humour, by a succession of toasts and sentiments, with appo site and cheerful remarks. Such was the hilarity of the company, that the spirit of Shakspere and his witty party at the Mermaid appeared to have animated and excited aU to rivalry, in giving and receiving pleasme. Though I have attended many public dinners, I never was present at one where a chairman manifested more tact and taste than did the learned and eloquent Doctor who presided on that occasion. Another of my visits to the town of Stratford was singularly impres sive, and accompanied by a scene at once romantic, beautiful, and sub- * On this occasion, I was accosted by no less a personage than Dr. Lardner, noted in the annals of literature, steam navigation, and crim. eon., who had charge of a gay, fiaunting, brunette: "Mr. Britton," said he, "I am delighted to meet you on this hallowed spot : allow me to introduce you to the Countess Guicoioli. — Countess, we are fortunate in meet ing my friend Mr. Britton— a distinguished author— acquainted with all the cathedrals and antiquities of England — corresponded with Lord Byron — knows everything about this church — Stratford — Shakspere— Nature,'' &c. &c. During these compliments the coquette and courtezan had withdrawn, as if some sudden caprice had seized her. The "gallant, gay Lothario" was surprised, and evidently mortified ; for in the midst of a sentence he tumed round — missed his help-mate, — and abruptly left the church, to guard his love fcom fol lowing the example of Ophelia, by plunging into the placid Avon. There had evidently been one of those fracas, which often occur amongst male and female libertines, to interrupt the flow, and ruifle the surface of the stream of love. GRAND AERIAL EFFECTS OF STORM AND SUN. 39 Hme. The powers of language are incompetent to describe it : even the painter's art, with all the fascination of a Turner's pencU, would be taxed in vain to depict the forms and colours of cloud, mist, gleams of sun shine, rainbows, water, trees, and buUdings which constituted elements of the natural picture. AU these objects were tangible to the eye, and produced, in combination, a scene of surpassing, but fleeting, fascination, which the mind's eye — the imagination — invested with the presence of personages who were contemporary with Shakspere, either occupied in rural labours, or in festive amusements. The time was near sun-set, when that blessed and blessing luminary was approaching the western horizon, Hke an immense baU of fuzed and burning fron, partly hidden behind a Hne of dark, purple cloud, and partly exposed to, though de fying, the examination of the human eye. To watch and meditate on the effects of the rising and the setting sun are amongst the foremost pleasures of imagination. Ever varying with the seasons, the local scenery, and atmospheric phenomena, both are replete with beauties and sublimities which no other time of day presents. Though I cannot hope to caU up in the mind of the reader the same images which, on the occasion now referred to, were so powerfuUy impressed on my own, I may perhaps recal to the memory of the lover of Nature and Art some similar scene which he may have witnessed. A sHght shower, from a dense black cloud, had just passed over; everything was calm; Nature seemed to be reposing, after some electric conflict in the mid-regions of space ; and rain-drops were hanging from every bough, branch, and leaf, catching and reflecting myriads of fairy -Hke prismatic rays. In front, the tall and dehcate spire of Stratford Church was relieved against a dark mass of ti-ees, which united with a heavy black cloud to the east; whilst the chimney shafts, gables, and grey, curling smoke from the houses in the town were also brightened by the setting sun. Arching over the Church were two rainbows, vividly relieved by the dark cloud and sunshine, and losmg their lower limbs amidst the saturated woods. These resplendent vapoury forms were the upper frame of the picture, whilst some graceful trees constituted the two sides; and the winding road, with pools of water, fiUed its lower portion. Turning from this part of the scene, to wards the north-west, the sight was dazzled, ahnost Winded, by the full- orbed sun, of unusual apparent magnitude and fiery colour, emerging ftom behind another dense cloud, journeying towards another hemisphere, and leaving ours to darkness and to night. I was StiU more impressed with this striking scene, from its contrast to objects recently left behind. In the morning I had quitted the smoky. 40 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. worldly, hammering town of Birmingham, intending to pass a day or two in peaceful and delightful ease at Stratford : and reasonably antici pated a high inteUectual treat from the change of scene and associations. I had patiently endured a succession of noisy, bustling scenes in the toy shop, or rather the Smithery, of Europe, with the soothing consolation that the anticipated mental pleasure would amply compensate for the corporeal inconvenience and privation which I had previously endured. Thus man often supports temporary misery and bodUy pain, with the con viction that pleasure and comfort may ensue. The " Pleasures of Hope" are consoHng and seductive, whUst those of the Imagination are replete with joy and excitement. Through their powerful influence the present is within our power, and is immediately cognizable to aU our faculties ; whilst the future, Hke the clouds that begirt the setting sun, is tinged with bright but flickering beams of golden Hght. With the feehngs thus imperfectly described, and under such circum stances of natural scenery, it cannot be surprising that my imagination was greatly influenced in approaching the town which gave birth to the Bard of Avon, and inurned his gentle heart. The birth-place and sepul chre of Shakspere cannot be viewed with indifierence, by any man who has read his wondrous writings ; and to the sincere admirer of them, the town of Statford-upon-Avon must present charms of overpowering tendencies. Crowds of reflections and associations press on the mental faculties, and give exercise and pleasure at once to Memory and Imagi nation. Common-place objects and incidents are disregarded. Houses, shops, and every-day personages are unheeded: the corporeal faculties and wants are suspended and entranced, and made subservient to those of mind. The whole intellect is unloosed, and expands aU its percep tive and susceptive powers. It "caUs up spfrits from the vasty deep" of former times ; it holds converse with beings of " another and a better world;" it brings before the eye the town and its inhabitants as they may have appeared when Shakspere returned to them, after years of sojourn and mental exertion in the metropoHs. What would we not give to be enabled to realize this vision — to grasp the hand, to hear the voice, to Hsten to the inspired language of the Bard — to learn from his own hps his "great and good deeds" in London, his intercourse with wits and wags, his social hours at Oxford — and to stroll vdth him to Charlecote, to the Welcome HiUs, or on the banks of the placid Avon! Impressed with such feelings and sentiments, I drove to my favourite inn, " The Shakspere," where I was assured of meeting with a cordial reception by its very obliging and kind occupants. OLD BUILDINGS AT STRATFORD. 41 Garrick, at the time of his famed JubUee, described Stratford as " the filthiest town he had ever seen." Were he to visit it now, he would have a different impression, and make a more favourable report. Exempt from manufactories, from the activity and perpetual urgency of towns where forges, steam-engines, and machinery, combine to keep the inhabitants in constant excitement and rivahy, Stratford has the air and character of a respectable and large rural viUage. It consists of twelve principal streets, most of which are clean, weU paved, and lighted. There is a large Town- haU, and a Market-house caUed The Cross, together with some spacious and respectable houses, both in the streets and in the environs. Amongst the older buUdings are the timber houses, already mentioned, in Henley Street, which belonged to John Shakspere, and which have the reputation of being the birth-place of the Poet. In another part of the town is an 1 HOUSE IN THE HIGH STKEET, STEATFOED. old timber-fronted house, (shown in the accompanying print), which, in Shakspere's time, must have ranked amongst the most distinguished of the place. It consists of three stories in height, and each story or floor 42 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. has a large window, extending nearly the whole width of the front. The intermediate spaces are occupied by horizontal and perpendicular timbers partly carved and coloured, whUst the whole front is crowned with a pedi- mental roof, faced and ornamented with verge-boarding. On the lintel of the doorway are the foUowing date and initials : T. R. — W. R. — A. R. 1596. In this specimen, as in many of the old street timber houses, at Gloucester, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Bristol, Marlborough, &c., we per ceive very large windows, some of which are supported by bold, carved corbels. These served to light inner rooms and staircases, which were often placed in the middle of such houses. Of the house and appendages, caUed New Place, formerly the home of Shakspere and his family, all traces are obliterated ; and the Poet's famed mulberry-tree has foUowed the fate of the writings and other rehcs of its honoured owner, in affording scope and profltable employ to forgers and impostors. Like the once-sanctifled Cross of Jerusalem, which was said to have been cut to pieces and distributed over Christendom, to be pre served in the reliquaries of certain favoured churches, so the real mul berry-tree of New Place was subdivided into numerous fragments, and sold for the purpose of forming cups, boxes, and other objects, to amuse the fancies of insatiable collectors. Such persons never were, nor will be, very scrupulous or discriminating ; whence they give birth to those reHc-mongers and curiosity-mongers, who prey upon easy creduhty. Having seen and known instances of such chicanery, of the impositions of the wicked upon the weak, I must own that I am too sceptical to acquiesce in the doctrine of Washington Irving, who says, " I am a ready behever in rehcs, legends, and local anecdotes of goblins and great men, and would advise all traveUers, who travel for their gratification, to be the same." At the junction of four streets, near the north side of the town of Strat ford, was, at a very early period, a Market-cross, beneath the shelter of which, persons who frequented the weekly market with butter, eggs, cheese, &c., exposed their respective articles. A charter for the estab lishment of a market was granted in the time of Richard I. (1197), when it is presumed that a cross was raised to sanctify the site. The present building is modern, and has nothing monastic or religious in its character; but at the time of the memorable Garrick Jubilee (1769), it was a conspicuous object, as indicated by the annexed print, in which the artist has represented one of the jubilee processions. In closing a farewell tribute to Shakspere, I should not do justice to my own feelings and sentiments if I did not advert to the merits and deserts of those authors, artists, printers, and publishers, who have, col- MARKET-HOUSE, STRATFORD. 43 W. Alexander del. ^^^ — '^^jL'.i^^^^.i^ — uj^,'»=i.so^ '^"--^=^^^ ^^=^^=r^'...5 -^ MARKET-HOUSE AND JUBILEE PEOCESSION, STEATFOED, lectively and severaUy, rendered homage and honour to the Bard, whom " Neither man nor muse can praise too much." As Akenside teUs us, " He walk'd in every path of human life, Felt every passion ; and to all mankind Doth now, will ever, that experience yield "Which his own genius only could acquire." Since the commencement of this century, it may be asserted that more has been written and published on the Hfe and literary works of Shaks pere, than during the whole of the preceding period between the acting of his first drama and the year 1800. Amongst his modern Literary Commentators and Biographers, of whom aU have been, and some stUl are, personaUy known to and respected by me, I may especially mention Isaac Reed, Edmund Malone, James Bos- weU, S. T. Coleridge, Wm. HazHtt, Chas. Lamb, Francis Douce, Dr. Drake, the Rev. Dr. Symons, S. W. Singer, Henry Neele, J. F. M. Dovaston, Charles Knight, J. P. CoUier, Thomas CampbeU, the Rev. Jos. Hunter, J. 0. Halliwell, WiUiam Howitt, and R. B. Wheler. Of Artists, the following have produced numerous designs, in oil and 44 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. water-colours, of varied degrees of merit, but all calculated to Ulustrate and give additional interest to the writings of the author: R. Smirke, r.a., James Northcote, r.a., John Opie, r.a., B. West, p.r.a., H. Howard R.A., J. Thompson, r.a., Thos. Stothard, r.a., H. Singleton, H. Richter, John Thurston, J. W. Wright, William Harvey, and Kenny Meadows. The numerous Players, male and female, who have skilfully personi fied the principal characters in the often-acted dramas of Shakspere, exceed my recollection ; but I have witnessed, with varied emotions of pleasure, the performances of John, Stephen, and Charles Kemble, Mrs. Siddons, Miss O'NeU, Miss Wallace, John Palmer, Mrs. Davenport, Miss Farren, Geo. Cooke, Chas. Macklin, Jos. Munden, John Bannister, sen. and jun., Chas. Young, Edm. Kean, W. Farren, and W. C. Macready. It would be a difiicult task to enumerate aU the Printers and Publishers of Shakspere's ever-popular works ; but the foUowing are entitled to es pecial notice, on account of the skiU and zeal they have manifested in behalf of their Author : John BeU, Alderman BoydeU, WiUiam Nicol, Charles Whittingham, Gilbert and Rivingtons, and particularly VizeteUy and Co. The edition of Shakspere's Plays, by the last-named printers, may be referred to as a specimen of typography, and of graphic iUus tration, on wood, of surpassing beauty and exceUence. The splendidly- Ulustrated edition by Charles Knight, is from the prolific press of Messrs. Clowes and Sons, who have acquired a vast amount of reputation, as weU as profit, from the extent and skilful arrangement of thefr estabhshment, and from a graphic description of the same by Sir Francis Head, in the Quarterly Review. For copious, learned, and discriminating comment, and elucidation, this edition is calculated to supersede and surpass all previous publications. On the Editorial labours, the learning and zeal of the modern Com mentators on Shakspere, it would give me pleasure to offer comments and opinions, had I not extended this Essay much beyond all my anticipation. Every reader may now satisfy himself, that the text and true meaning of the Poet's writings have been amply and fully elucidated, — that the vial of verbal criticism is exhausted, — and that every lover of poetry, of pa thos, of humour, and of nature, and aU who wish to study the complex and conflicting passions of man, may " read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them," in the marvellous works of WILLIAM SHAKSPERE. ODE ON shakspere's BIRTH-DAY. 45 The following Ode was written in 1810, by my esteemed friend, Dovaston, who was a Barrister on the Welsh cfrcuit, and who, for many successive years, assembled a few lovers of Shakspere at his house, on the anniversary of the Poet's birth-day. ODE ON SHAKSPERE'S BIRTH-DAY. By J. F. M. Dovaston, Esq., m.a., "West Felton, I Nature, now thy beauties bring. Bid Genius now its tribute pay. Haste the many-blossom'd spring, 'Tis thy Darling's natal day : Borne on Zephyr's breezy wings. Her varied vesture Fancy flings ; Methinks I see her rainbow-colour'd car, GHding on curled clouds thro' blue fields of afr. To Avon's meadows, cowslip clad. She wheels her mazy way; Well pleased to see aU Nature glad. And Spring her flaunting flowerets add. To haU the greatly-gifted lad. Upon his natal day. In showery April's sunshine bright, (Who caU'd that day. Her Sister May To hasten with her hawthorns white,) In Avon's mead The boy was laid When first he saw the Hght : Primroses, peeping from thefr buds of gold. Seemed eagerly their eyelids to unfold. As though they smiled To see the child; Who in his turn their charms enraptured should behold. The lingering flowers pushed forth their heads And burst thefr downy cradled beds ; The opening daisy, crimson lipped. The lady-smock, with sUver tipped. 46 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. Each with April's dew impearled. Their finely-tinted folds unfurled. As tho' they wished by him to have their praises told. Hushed is the breeze, — 'tis silence drear, — The sun enclouds his watery beams ; The skies a thickening aspect wear. And Nature's self in sadness seems : A chilly, fearful murmur stirs The hoUow-hissing grove of firs. And far the dark horizon o'er The dim-distinguished thunders roar. 'Tis Fancy hangs o'er Nature's brow This gloom so sad and wild. Lest scenes to be unfolded now Should fright her favorite child ; For now athwart the troubled sky The Hellish Passions hurry by. And each with hasty louring fHght, Glaring by fits before his sight. Like phantoms of a horrid night. Their grisly features roll ; But Nature fired her infant's eye. That, glancing as they glided by, Proved aU their various powers to lie Beneath his vast control. He bowed his head The phantoms fled. The gloom forsook the plain ; The fearless child Looked round and smiled. And Nature, brightening, seemed to smile again. Freshed is the flowery scene : The blackbird sweUs his meUow throat. And, thro' the blue serene. Light fleecy clouds beyond the mountains float. On Avon's softly-flowing stream Now brightly-burnish'd sunbeams gleam Among tide-kissing trees ; ODE ON shakspere's BIRTH-DAY. 47 Thefr lustres on the wet leaves glance. As they lightly trembling dance To the balmy breeze. The Heavenly Passions now descend To hail this gentle chUd thefr friend ; Vfrgin-vested Maidens fair. Whose slender waists some riband rare Engirdled, by whose varied hue The Httle bard each Passion knew : Thefr covered bosoms' lovely glow Tinged their gauzy robes of snow. As if carnations blushed below. Fairies left thefr lurking ceUs " Where the bee sucks " in blossom beUs ; Whom the blue fly and humble bee Carolled with thefr minstrelsy. The Passions aU with fearless awe, The heart-enraptured poet saw. And looked with steady view ; UntU the flighty foot of Fame On tiptoe step among them came. And to the poet flew : The Httle urchin ran around. And flung his flowerets o'er the ground, WhUe Fame still followed hard ; Each scattered flower she culled with care To wreathe a chaplet for his hafr. But could not catch the bard. Thus cheated, as away she flew She cried, — " In fifty years and two Upon this very morn He shall be mine, for ever sure, WhUe Time, and Taste, and I endure. My Temple to adom. Let Nature now the Prince of Passions call To crown him ruler of them aU." The waggish archer then attended. The maids and fairies formed a ring, 48 FAREWELL TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. While each the infant bard befriended. And of the Passions crowned him king. Now the taper-ankled maids Lightly dance the bard around ; Modest cowslips bowed their heads. And seemed to kiss the hallow'd ground : And as they danced He on them glanced, , And at them scattered flowerets fafr ; Each Passion took The flowers he shook. And stuck them in her braided hafr ; Conscious how much beauty hung On every Httle flower he flung. Even yet on Stratford's elmy lawn In cowslip days at early dawn. Where he was crowned, I ween, Unnibbled, and of deeper dye. By soul-delighted poet's eye The ring may stiU be seen. " If all human things were to perish except the "Works of Shakspere, it might still be known from them what sort of a creature Man was." Lord Lyttleton. " And as I wondering pause o'er Shakspere's page, I view in visions of delight the sage High tow'ring o'er the wreck of man, sublime ; A column in the melancholy waste, (Its cities ruined, and its glories past) Majestic 'mid the solitude of Time." Peter Pindar. END OP TRIBUTE TO SHAKSPERE. BRIEF ACCOITNTS 'WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OP ancient iSavrotos; AND OF THE DEDIDIOAL TEMPLES OP abcturg, anil ^tomf)tnQt. OPT HAVE I VIEWED WITH AWE THE STONY HEAP, WHERE SOLEMN DRUIDS HYMNED UNWHITTEN RHYME ; THE HILLS OP GREEN TURP, WHERE OLD HEROES SLEEP, AND TOWERS THE NORMAN LIEGE HAD REARED SUBLIME, WHOSE BUILDERS FONDLY SMILED CONTEMPT AT TIME." Fosbrooke, Econ&my of Monastic Life. Without presuming to arrogate any comparison or similitude to Sir Isaac Newton, who, it is said, derived his first hint of the principle of at traction, or gravitation, from the fall of an apple, I may safely aver that my early partiality for Archseology, and particularly for that of the primeval class, Celtic Antiquities, originated in my native county, Wilts, and the circumstance of having been incited to study the monuments of Stone henge, and Avebury. These vast, mysterious, and marveUous reHcs of distant ages, with the barrows and castrametations which abound in the same district — the repeated conversation "with Celtic Antiquaries,* and perusal of their writings, not only excited my curiosity, but superinduced a love of the subject, and an ardent desire to acquire a full and clear insight into the history and principles of that class of archaeology which belonged to the earhest colonization of the island. The mystic halo which enveloped it, tended rather to awaken than repress research. Hence I have been tempted to coUect a mass of information, in books, manuscripts, drawings, and prints, as well as by ocular examination of most of such monuments remaining in England and Wales. The ancient Castrametations or earth-forti&cations which abound in WUtshire, and which appear to appertain to its aboriginal inhabitants, claimed my early attention, and were dUigently explored and studied. * These were "William Owen, author of the WeUh Dictionary, &c., Edward, commonly called Bard, WiUiams, author of two volumes of Poems, &c., William Cunnington, Sharon Turner, H. Penruddock "Wyndham, the Kev. "Wm. Greathead, Godfrey Higgins, the Rev. S. Sayer, John Pinkerton, Archdeacon Coxe, Sir E. C. Hoare, the Rev. John "Whitaker, T. R, Underwood, and some others. 50 britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. In subsequently traveUing through Wales, Cornwall, Devonshire, and other parts of England, I never neglected an opportunity of examining every object of a similar class. At first, and for many years, I was harassed, and indeed distressed, by the theoretical opinions and visionary speculations of authors, who had written about the Druids and their monuments ; and I was often tempted to relinquish the pursuit, in despair of ever arriving at any thing like proof, or rational evidence. Being, however, required to write some accounts of Avebury and Stonehenge, for my volumes on Wiltshire, and for Dr. Eees' Cyclopsedia, I deemed it advisable to limit myself to mat ters of fact, to plain descriptions of the monuments as they now appear, with such intimations of their pristine state and purposes, as common sense and reasonable deduction would warrant. The futile theories of Borlase, King, Waltire, Browne, and many others, respecting rock- basins, sacrificial altars, ante-diluvian monuments, and temples for ser pent-worship, not only excited doubt and discredit, but also regret that the patience and philosophy of readers should be so taxed and tantalized with the apparent learning and credulity of writers. That the basin-like lioUows on the summits of granite rocks should be regarded as the works of man for barbarous and heathen rites, excited my suspicion, when I examined them in Cornwall ; and I dared to think and to assert that they were produced by the natural operations of water and of wind, on certain particles of the stone, which thereby became sepa rated from the mass of rock.* Mr. Brayley, jun., in the year 1830, not only adopted the same opinion, after examining the granite rocks of the same district, but wrote a very able essay on the subject for Moore's History of Devonshire ; and reprinted the same, with additions, in the Philosophical Magazine, for November, 1830. That Cromlechs and Kist-vaens were sepulchral, and not sacrificial monuments, I have always entertained a sincere conviction, and the ob servations and researches of Mr. Lukis,t of Guernsey, and many other modern antiquaries, have satisfactorily confirmed my opinion. That the varied Circles of stones which are to be found in many parts of the world, were raised for rehgious and judicial rites and ceremonies, I am as sin- * See the account of " Cornwall" in the Beauties of England, vol. ii., p. 509 ; and an Essay, by E. W. Brayley, jun., in the Transactions of the Geological Society. t See his observations on the " Primeval Antiquities of the Channel Islands," in the first volume of the Journal, published by the British Archaeological Association ; also his "Essay on the Sepulchral Character of Cromlechs in the Channel Islands," in the fourth volume of the same publication. barrows, or. TUMULI. 51 cerely convinced as that the ancient temples of Egypt, India, and Greece, were intended for similar purposes. Barrows, which abound in aU parts of the habitable globe, were super-terranean graves and tombs for the mighty dead; especially for persons kiUed in battle. That the Celtic priests employed Rocking-stones, as well as other extraordinary natural objects, to promote their views, by keeping in awe and subjection the demi-savage multitude, is neither surprising nor unreasonable ; for the priesthood of aU nations and all reHgions have ever resorted to craft and mystery to maintain authority over their vassals and disciples. In the second part of my Auto-Biography (page 32), my writings on Barrows, and on the Temples of Avebury and Stonehenge, have been briefly adverted to. By the kindness of my friend, Mr. Charles Knight, I am enabled to transfer to these pages the illustrations which accompa nied those Essays in the "Penny Cyclopeedia;" to which I purpose to subjoin a few remarks, chiefly condensed from the articles in question. iSarrotDS, or STumuli. Tumuli, or artificial mounds of earth, {tumulus, Lat., a little hUl,) are found in many parts of the globe, and are reasonably supposed to be se pulchral memorials of persons of distinction, or of warriors slain in battle. The remote antiquity of the custom of raising such tombs is shown by many passages in the Bible, as weU as in the writings of Homer, Herod otus, Strabo, Tacitus, and other ancient poets and historians. Cairns, are mounds or heaps of stones pUed upon, and around, human interments ; of a similar kind to barrows. The first investigations into the tumuH of this country were made by Dr. Stukeley, in the neighbourhood of Stonehenge, more than a century ago (see his volume on Abury, a Temple ofthe British Druids, fol. 1743); and the pubHc attention was further directed to the subject by Douglas, in his « Nffinia Britannica " (1793). In the agricultural and cultivated dis tricts, barrows have mostly disappeared ; but in the counties of WUts and Dorset, and the adjoining parts of Hampshire, they are scattered over the open downs, and crown the more elevated ranges of hUls which are yet untouched, by the plough. A large number of those in WUtshfre have been explored, by the late Sir Richard Colt Hoare and Mr. Cun nington, a tradesman and self-taught antiquary, of Heytesbury m that county. In two foHo volumes produced by them on "Ancient WUtshire" e2 52 BRITTON S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. Various forms of Tumuli. Tumulus at New Griinge, Ireland. (1810-1821) the result of their investigations is fuUy detailed; and the different varieties of barrows are classed and named according to their forms, as fol lows: the long-barrow (No. 1, in the annexed delineations); the bowl- barrow. No. 2; the bell- barrow. No. 3 ; the Druid-barrow, Nos. 4, 5, 10, and 11 ; the pond-barrow. No. 6 ; the twin-barrow, No. 7; the cone-barrow. No. 8; and the broad-bar row. No. 9. No. 12 represents a tumulus called Milbarrow, near Avebury, which had been set round with stones. No. 13 is Silbury Hill, also in the same vicinity, considered the largest barrow in the world. A remarkable tumulus or cairn, at New- Grange, near Drogheda, in Ireland, is represented at No. 14. It consists mostly of large stones ; the height being 70 feet, and the diameter about 400. Surrounding its base was a circle of rude stones ; and a gallery (Nos. 15 and 16 — plan and section) formed of upright stones, with others placed on their tops, ex tended from the outer edge to near the centre of the cairn ; where there was an area, surrounded by other stones, and covered by a dome, or cupola. Branching from this area were three square recesses, as indicated in the plan. (See Archceologia, vol. ii.) Bartlow Hills, in Essex, is a name given to four tumuli, arranged in a row, and varying in size, as shown in the diagram, No. 17. The largest of these, a, is 142 feet in diameter, by 44 feet in height. No. 18 is an enlarged plan of an excavation (made in 1835) into its centre, on a level with the surrounding earth : c, is a square enclosure, or chest, which con tained various antique relics apparently of Roman, or Brito-Roman manu facture. (See Archceologia, vol. xxvii.) Plan, &c., of the BarUow Hills, Esses. DRUIDICAL TEMPLE AT AVEBURY. 53 Sir R. C. Hoare considers that the deposition of entire human bodies in barrows, was practised contemporaneously with that of cremation. The Urns and other remains found in these mounds present many cu rious varieties. Three distinct eras may be traced : the first, before the use of metals, when spear and arrow-heads were made of flint, or of bone ; the second, when those articles were of brass, or bronze ; and the latest when arms, instruments, and utensUs of iron accompanied the deposit. The absence of Roman remains in the numerous barrows opened in South WUtshfre, induced some writers to infer that this mode of interment had been discontinued before the establishment of the Romans in Britain ; but in Essex, Derbyshire, Kent, and some other counties, many coins, &c., of Roman origin have been discovered ; and Mr. Bateman (in his Vestiges ofthe Antiquities of Derbyshire, and in the Journal of the British Archce ological Association, vol. iv.) has described some relics, evidently of the Saxon era, which were found by him on opening barrows in that county. abcfiurg. The vUlage of Avebury, or Abury, Wiltshire, is remai'kable as the site- of what was once the largest and most interesting Celtic or Druidical Temple in Europe. This, however, was not noticed by Leland, Lambard, Camden, or any of the early writers on English antiquities. It appears, indeed, to have been discovered, if the term may be aUowed, by John Aubrey, the WUtshire Antiquary, in the year 1649, when he was hunting in the vicinity. He was immediately struck with its extent and import ance, and remarked to some of his learned friends, that " it did as much excel Stonehenge as a cathedral doth a parish church." This observation being repeated to King Charles II. , he was induced to visit Avebury in 1663, when, being attended by Aubrey and Dr. Charlton, he commanded the former to write some account of this remarkable Druidical monument ; which the antiquary did, in a manuscript called "Monumenta Britannica."* The next description of the temple was by Dr. Stukeley, pubhshed * This MS. has unaccountably disappeared within the last thirty years. Eortunately, however, it was abridged in the last century by the Rev. Mr. Hutchins, the historian of Dorsetshire, a copy from whose transcript (made by Richard Gough) is now in the Bod leian Library at Oxford. About the year 1818, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, to whom I commu nicated a notice of the manuscript, obtained the loan of the original, from its then owner, and has printed many extracts from it in his "Ancient Wiltshire," including the whole of Aubrey's account of Avebury. 54 BRITTON S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. in one volume, folio, 1743 ; and it is evident that both the Doctor and his predecessor had carefully studied its form and arrangement. [No. 1.— Ground Plan of the Temple, with a sectional view of the same from 1 to '3—7. e. from east to west. The plan, though on a small scale, shows the relative proportions anil arrangements of the lofty bank, or vallum, e; the tUtch, or moat,/,- the commencement of the western, or Beckhampton Avenue, a; the southern, or Kennet Avenue, b ; the southern inner temple, c; and the northern inner temple, d.] AVEBURY. 55 [No. 2.— Plan, or Map of the whole Temple, with its two avenues ; Silbury HiU ; a line of road, or British track-way, from north to south; the course of the river Kennet, e e; a small squai'e entrenchment, /; line of Koman road from Bath to London, k; several barrows on the Hakpen Hill, ee; and the termination of the southern, or Kennet avenue, d.] [No. 3.— A Urd's-eye View of the Temple, looking south, intended to display the oircumvallated bank, 1 ; the two inner, or small temples, 2 and 3 ; the course of the Kennet river, 4 ; the western avenue, 5 ; the southern avenue, 6; the situation of Silbury Hill, 7; a large barrow, called by Stukeley the Druid's barrow, 8; a cromlech, surrounded by a circle of small stones, 9.] The whole design of the temple of Avebury is displayed in the prints on the opposite page. The various rows and circles comprised no less than 650 stones, measuring from five to twenty feet in height, and from three to twelve feet in width and thickness. One hundred were arranged in a cfrcle around an area about 1400 feet in diameter, and these stones were inclosed within a ditch and bank, excepting at two places, where openings were left for entrances. There were two other small temples within the periphery of the great cfrcle. One was a double circle, of forty-two up right stones, with a single stone in the centre. (See the Plan, No. 1, c.) Another temple, d, consisting of two concentric circles, inclosing a group of three stones, (forty-five in all) was placed a little north of the former. Some stones in this group, as weU as others of the outer circle, are still standing, and are of considerable size. Such was the general design of this triple temple ; but it had the further peculiarity of two avenues of approach, each consisting of a double line of upright stones, branching ofi" to the extent of about a mile and a half towards the west, and to the south. The latter avenue, including about 200 stones, terminated in an oval of two rows of stones 146 feet in diameter, on an eminence called the Hakpen Hill. (No. 2, d.) The other avenue consisted of about the same number of stones, ending in a point, or with a single stone. The general plan. No. 2, indicates the arrangement of the temple and its avenues, with the course of the river Kennet, and a line of Roman road between Londinum and Aquae-Solis. The main portion is shown in the diagram. No. 1, both in plan and section ; the latter showing the relative magnitudes ofthe bank and ditch, and the stones of the great outer circle. No. 3 is a bird's-eye view of the temple, as presumed to have been in its original state, with a cromlech and a circle of stones to the north of Avebury. The space enclosed by the great earthen bank of Avebury now con tains a viUage, with various fields, hedge-rows, and buildings, so that it is difiicult at present to make out the original design. There were sixty- three stones remaining within the entrenched enclosure in Aubrey's time but these were reduced to twenty-nine when Stukeley made his plan, and only seventeen remained when Sir Richard Hoare's account was writter. In the western avenue there are two upright stones remaining, and about 56 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. sixteen of the southern avenue ; but not one of the stones forming the double oval on the Hakpen HUl is left to mark the site. Respecting the origin and purpose of this extraordinary monument, opinions difier considerably. Stukeley, Borlase, King, Higgms, Davies, and Deane, have indulged in speculations on the religion, the manners, the arts, and the polity of the aboriginal Britons, and of their Druid priest hood. The last-mentioned gentleman has pubhshed a volume on " The Worship of the Serpent," in which he endeavours to show, that the tem ple at Avebury, and some others, were laid out in a plan to imitate the form of a serpent, whence they might be called dracontia, or serpent- temples. Amongst the oldest monuments of human labour, in the British Islands, this of Stonehenge, ranks next to that at Avebury, in magnitude and antiquity ; but it is still more remarkable and interesting than any other, in its masonic and scientific character, and in the diff'erent and mysterious geological habitats of its component stones. Anterior to all written evi dence, its history is entirely unknown, and it has consequently been the subject of much unprofitable and vague speculation. This famous temple is situated on the uninclosed downs or plains, about two miles west of Amesbury, and seven north of Sahsbury. The accom panying diagrams will give an exact notion of the form, arrangement, and general design of the whole structure, in its original as weU as in its present state. It is now a mere assemblage of upright, horizontal, and prostrate stones, although no doubt originaUy symmetrical in form, as in dicated by the annexed plans. A space, about 300 feet in diameter, is enclosed by a ditch and bank, immediately within which are three stones ; two upright, and the other prostrate : these, it is conjectured, originally formed part of a circle. The temple itself, which occupies the centre of this space, comprised an outer circle of thirty upright stones, sustaining as many others in a horizontal position, forming a continuous impost. Each of the upright stones had two tenons, or projections on the top, which fitted into mortices, or hollows in the superincumbent slabs. Within this cfrcle was another, of about the same number of perpendicular stones, but of much smaller size, and without imposts. This again enclosed two elliptical arrangements of large and small stones ; the former, being di vided into groups of three stones each (two upright and an impost), are called trilithons by Dr. Stukeley and other writers. Before each trihthon STONEHENGE. 57 stood three smaU upright stones; and in the central space, in front ofthe principal trihthon, was a large flat stone, called the Altar. The diameter of the outer circle was about 100, and that of the second cfrcle 83 feet : the height of the stones in the outer circle was about 14 feet, and their thickness 7 feet by 3 ; the trilithons varied from 16 to about 21 feet in height. Some of th« stones are described as " a pure, flne-grained, com pact sand-stone, some being white and others inclining to yellow;" re sembling precisely the Grey Wethers and other detached masses which lie on the surface of the Downs near Avebury and Marlborough. Others axe of griinstein, or, as the Rev. W. Conybeare calls it, " Greenstone rock a geological formation which occurs nowhere nearer than the environs of Dartmoor, on the west, or Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, on the north, either being a distance of a full hundred miles in a direct hne." A simUar stone is found in the county of Kildare, Ireland, where Druidical, or Celtic circles, were standing when Giraldus Cambrensis wrote his account of Ireland. It is, therefore, as likely that the small stones of this temple were brought from Ireland, as from Devonshire, or Leicestershfre. [See Gentleman's Magazine, Nov. 1833.] " Pour of the stones possess other distinguishing features ; and the slab, or altar-stone, is a kind of grey cos, a very flne-grained calcareous sand-stone, contain ing some minute spangles of sUver mica." This temple differs from all other examples, in the circumstance of many of the stones having been squared, or hewn by art; whereas all other Druidical circles are com posed of rough unhewn stones. The monkish chroniclers have recorded some marvellous legends re specting the origin and history of Stonehenge. Aubrey assigned its erec tion to the Britons, prior to the Roman invasion. Inigo Jones endeavoured to show that it was a temple of the Romans, of the Tuscan order, dedi cated to Ccclus ; Dr. Charlton ascribed it to the Danes ; and others have attributed it to the Phcenicians, and to the Anglo-Saxons. Dr. Stukeley pubhshed a folio volume on Stonehenge, in 1740, in which he regards the work as a temple of the British Druids. His engravings are good, and his restorations valuable; but a large portion of his essay is occupied with fanciful and irrelevant speculation. J. Wood, Dr. Smith, Edward King, Mr. Davies, the Rev. Dr. Ingram, Mr. Godfrey Higgins, Mr. John Rickman, Mr. Cunnington, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, and others, have each published remarks and opinions respecting this monument. In 1823, Mr. H. Browne wrote a small volume, in which he argues that it is an ante-dUuvian temple ; and Mr. Waltfre, who gave lectures on the subject nearly sixty years ago, contended that it formed part of a planisphere. 58 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. in connection with the surrounding barrows. The Rev. E. Duke has adopted this theory, with a wider latitude to conjecture. He makes Stone henge one of the members, or planets, of a vast planetarium, representing the solar system, and extending over a wide extent of country. The plains surrounding this celebrated relic of antiquity, are covered with a profusion of barrows and earth-works, perhaps unparaUeled in any spot of simUar extent in the world. Within a space of flve miles from east to west, by three miles from north to south, there are two large encampments; other embankments, supposed to mark British viUages, and at least three hundred barrows, or tumuli, of various sizes and shapes. About half a mile to the north-east of the temple, is a Cursus, or tract of land, bounded by two paraUel banks and ditches : this is more than a mUe and a half in length from east to west, and 330 feet in breadth. At its eastern extremity is a mound of earth resembling a long barrow, which stretches entirely across it. As the name which has been given to it implies, this Cursus is supposed to have been a course for chariot races. From its near resemblance to the genuine Cursus of the Romans, it is reasonable to suppose that, if not formed by that people, it wai made in imitation of their chariot-course, and by a people familiar with their manners and customs. There is a second and smaller cursus at the dis tance of nearly a mile from the larger one. (See an interesting Map of Stonehenge and its vicinity, in Hoare's " Ancient Wiltshire.") The accompanying plan, No. 1, shows the original design of the main part of the temple. The plan. No. 2, indicates more minutely its present dilapidated state, with the vallum and fosse, and other exterior works. No. 1. O 1st or Outer Circle. CD \^ and Circle. \J> ^ ^ ul C=3 Q -B- Altar. ^ B 0 1^ lu % •Si > ^ a" a ^/ 0 0 -^ ClD fej3 No. 1. Ground plan of the main portion of the tem ple. The stones which have fallen or are entirely remo ved are marked in outline; whilst those stones remain ing in their original positions are shaded. No. 2. Ground plan of the whole work, in its present state, (the upright stones, shaded, those which have fallen, in outline) ; showing the approach, or avenue, from the north-east, with one stone still standing, a, at the distance of about 100 feet from the ditch ; b, fallen stone in the ditch | c, supposed en- STONEHENGE. 59 No. 2. ,,„,^«i«««i"«"« '""««rii]|ii||,,.„ ipS feet. trance through the exterior circle, in a line with the ave nue, and near the middle of the temple ; d, d, two cavities, or hollows in the ground ; e, e, two stones, adjoining the surrounding bank ; /, a flat stone, usually called the altar ; g, a small impost stone with two mor tices. The smallness of this stone, as compared with the imposts of the outer circle, and those of the trilithons, has caused much conjecture, as it could not have formed any corresponding part pf those portions of the struc ture. Some writers contend that it was part of a small trilithon in that situation, and that there was another of similar proportion on the opposite side (see Plan No. 1, a, a,) : h, the tallest stone in the place, and forming part of the chief trilithon ; its corresponding stone, as well as the impost, have fallen ; i, i, two standing and nearly perfect trilithons ; k, a fallen trilithon, its three stones perfect, showing the full forms, proportions, and junction of the uprights with the impost ; these fell in the year 1797 ; I, section through bank and ditch, marked m, n; p, section of banks on each side of the avenue ; o, 0, sites of two stones near the surrounding bank. No. 3. Perspective eleva- . tion of the maia portion, restored ; looking south. No. 4. Section from 1 to 2 on the ground plan, No. 1. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF A DESIGN FOE , BT JOHN BEITTOK, F.S.A., 8sc. AS SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE POE. THE NELSON TESTIMONIAX ; January, 1839. ' In Perpetuam Memoriam.' "In COMPLIMENTING ANY GnEAT CHARACTER, EXPENSE IS A SECONDAET CON SIDERATION. ALL WORKS or ART PLEASE OR DISPLEASE I.V PROPORTION AS TASTE OR JUDGMENT PREVAILS." Murqucss of Lunsdowne, on Howard's Monument, 1794. To commemorate the " great and good deeds " of the Hero «f Tra falgar, by a building which shall make an instant impression on the passenger, — which will irresistibly excite inquiry, awaken curiosity, and keep up a continued stimulus of gratiflcation, — which is calculated to arouse at once an intense reverence for, and admiration of, the dauntless British Admiral, and call forth that emulation in the incipient hero which may lead to a perpetual succession of Nelsons, it is presumed and hoped may be eff'ected by such an ediflce as the accompanying design suggests. After long deliberation, and a critical investigation of the monumental memorials raised by diff'erent nations, and in various parts of the civflized world, I am impressed with the conviction that no one species of design is so completely adapted to honour and immortaHze an eminent person as a BUILDING, combining the elements of Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Literature. These, judiciously collected and united, wiU administer to each other's preservation, — to each other's influence, — to each other's attractions and beauties. A building, a piece of sculpture, a picture, or even a book, is not alone sufiicient to teU the whole history, — to emblazon all the exploits, — to illustrate the many memorable deeds and characteristics of a Nelson : but the whole concentrated into a focus, and displaying their respective powers and fascinations, would amply and forcibly pourtray and record the leading incidents of professional skUl and heroism which belonged to the man, and to the era he adorned. Never was patriotism more pure — never was courage more ardent — never was example more animating, than were, inherited by Nelson. These prompted the spirit-stirring admonition which he addressed to his comrades on commencing his last memorable battle : — " England expects that every man will do his duty.'' DeaigMiljT J.Erittori^lJravmTy J.R.TiomjsaU-EngravEdliTTToiiilroll. DESIGH rou THE UEL SON CEWOTAPH. London, Piiblisked in Britton's AutoWograpliy.ia-lS. THE NELSON CENOTAPH. 61 Nothing that was ever written or uttered by sages of the ancient or modern world surpasses this sentence and sentiment in appositeness and impressiveness. It is truly English in every particle, and should be a motto and public monition written in all the naval and mUitary schools of the kingdom. His emphatic ^prediction was fulfilled, — every man was ambitious to surpass ratherthan be deficient in his duty. Never was hero more honoured in life and lamented in death than Nelson : but the lamentations have subsided ; the fleeting honours of his day have nearly faded away ; nor is the monumental trophy in St. Paul's Cathedral, the Column at Yarmouth (in his native county), or the other memorials in Liverpool, Dublin, and Edinburgh, enough to mark the national feeling and gratitude for such a man and such an Admiral. To raise a trophy more commensurate with his intrinsic worth and unflinching intrepidity, is at once a duty and an honour which every true-born Englishman, who duly appreciates his character, must feel to be a desideratum. In calling into competition and exertion the abilities of EngHsh artists for such a subject, the Committee have acted laudably and wisely : and it cannot be doubted but that several designs, of varied merit and beauty, will be produced. The most appropriate, the most effective, the best, it is hoped and presumed, will be selected ; and happy and fortunate will that man be whose name may thereby be associated ¦vnth that of Nelson in a grand national monument.* For the complete understanding of the accompanying Design, I ven ture to claim, the attention of the Committee to the following considera tions, which gave rise to its composition, arrangement, and application. Impressed with the conviction that the sHght and quickly moulder ing monuments hitherto placed over the graves of eminent men have been too trivial and unsubstantial, — that they have generally decayed or entirely perished after a few years, or, at the most, after one or two * Alas ! how vain and futile are the most reasonable hopes and anticipations of our nature in the lottery of life. The wisdom and justice of requiring competition in works of art, and other productions of mind, have long been questioned : and it is now very generally admitted that it should never be required unless the tribunal can be composed of men of strict impartiality, of sound judgment, and good taste. That these qualities were lamentably deficient in the Committees who decided on the York Column, the Na tional Gallery, the London University College, the Nelson Columns, and many other pubhc works, is now universally admitted. These designs are more disreputable to the parties who selected than to the artists who designed them ; for they impeach the national mind and character. Committees should never be self-elected, or, rather, self-appointed : they ehouldTje chosen firom the whole body of persons who may associate for a specific pub hc object ; if, among such bodies, the necessary qualifications can be found. [April, 1849.] 62 britton's auto-biography, appendix. centuries, — and that the only efl[icient way to guard against such oc currence will be the creation or investment of a fund adequate to keep in perpetual repair any monument, however expensive, or however stable ; it is proposed that the Nelson Cenotaph shaU also be a British Naval Mu seum. In this vast and still increasing metropoHs, there are thousands of persons who continually frequent places of pubUc exhibition, which are usually to be seen on the payment of one shiUing for each admission. By a much smaller fee for entrance, and by the display of a building unique in character and interesting in eff'ect ; by bringing within its walls many and various objects of popular curiosity, and the whole dissimilar to any other museum, it may be assumed that a revenue wUl be raised suffici ently ample to uphold the integrity and entirety of the edifice, graduaUy augment its attractions, and pay annual stipends to such officers and servants as may be required for all necessary purposes. These should be naval men who have served their country, but who, from wounds or other causes, may be unfitted for active service, and to whom an honour able asylum and home, with a moderate income, would be an object of solicitude to the receiver and of honour to the giver. Convinced of the eligibihty and permanent utUity of this plan, I would willingly enter upon a fuU explanation of these suggestions, but from the persuasion that the Committee will have so many beautiful designs to en gross their attention, and fascinate their imaginations, that they wUl not be able to give it that full consideration which the novelty of the scheme requires. description of the design. The accompanying Plati and View, are intended to iUustrate the general form, as well as the arrangement and disposition of the proposed Cenotaph ; but from the smallness of the scale they cannot fuUy shew the numerous naval and Nelsonic details, nor the varied features which are suggested to form parts of the finished edifice. Every aspect, and almost every sub-division, may have forms and insignia, bearing direct reference to those memorable scenes, and to that pecuHar service, in which the hero won his glory. If this design be adopted, his figure and personal features wiU be preserved and perpetuated in stone, bronze, mar ble, and enamel : his eventful life and its vicissitudes, his courageous and dauntless confiicts, will be fully detailed in the writings of the historian and the biographer, deposited in this building : the gratitude and adora tion of sovereigns, statesmen, and contemporary officers, will be registered in the diplomas and other official documents addressed to him on diff'erent THE NELSON CENOTAPH. 63 occasions ; whilst Literature, Sculpture, Painting, and Engraving, will all find appropriate places in such an edifice to display their respective off"er- ings at the shrine of British Heroism. This quadruple alHance of the arts and literature to honour and emblazon the fame of the most distinguished naval officer of the world, will, it is beheved, be more apposite than a mere column, a statue, or a trophy, and therefore secure the preference which the design aspires to obtain. The Entrance Porch, approached from the south by a flight of twenty- four steps, is to be adorned with architectural decorations and sculptural enrichments. A statue of Ki7ig William the Fourth, the personal friend and companion of Nelson, crowns the gable, whilst another of the Hero wiU occupy a central niche ; and the armorial bearings of the Monarch, and of the Admu-al, are architecturaUy attached to each, respectively. The memorable injunction of the commander to his intrepid comrades is to be placed and displayed conspicuously and architecturally around the building, with other apposite inscriptions. For the purpose of giving an unequivocal demonstration of the purport of the building, this porch will be adorned with numerous sculptured ob jects of a naval character; and wiU be under the care of a seaman-porter, provided with a berth in the same part of the buUding. Beyond the inner doorway of this porch is a lofty, light, and highly- enriched octagonal apartment, having eight clustered columns and lofty arches, separating the central area from an ambulatory. Whilst the lat ter is destined to receive a great variety of basso-relievos, busts, statues, windows of painted glass, &c., and is adorned with a series of arcades and other architectural dressings, forming frames and panels for pictures and basso-relievos : the former will enshrine a large and skilfully execu ted Statue of the Hero. This will stand on a pedestal rising within the basement story, and surrounded by an architectural screen, on which will be eight smaller pedestals, with busts of as many of his associate admirals and officers. By this arrangement the central point, the very focus of the edifice, is occupied by a representation of the person of that commander, "Whose sacred splendour, and whose deathless name, Shall grace and guard his country's Naval Fame.'' Branching from three sides of the octagon are three apartments, or divisions of the buUding, intended respectively for libraries, and for the residence of a Curator. In the Hbraries are to be collected and preserved aU the books and other documents published in Great Britain, and in other countries, relating to naval tactics, history, and biography; also 64 britton's auto-biography, appendix. prints, drawings, &c., Ulustrative of the same subjects. One of these wings may be called the Nelson, and the other the Naval Library. A curator, porter, and other assistants, if reqiured, can be accommodated in apartments of the north wing, and in the entrance porch. THE MUSEUM is the main building, and objects of all kinds connected with naval affairs can there be distributed and classed at the discretion of a Committee. In the porch, the central area, the ambulatory, the crypt, or ground apart ment, and in the triforium, will be found great space, and a variety of places adapted to display a large collection of objects. It is well known that the "^ United Service Museum," at WhitehaU, as well as the Admiralty, possesses numerous naval relics and curiosities; which, it may be fairly presumed, would be transferred to, and form part of, the proposed great National Museum. For the government or management of the British Naval Museum, it is suggested that it be vested in Trustees, who shall become such by virtue of their pubHc appointments ; viz. the First Lord and the Secre tary of the Admiralty ; the Admirals of the Fleet, and the Senior Ad miral of the Red ; the General Commander-in-Chief, and Senior Naval Commander ; the Lord ChanceUor ; the Speaker of the House of Com mons ; the Presidents of the Royal Academy, and of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, &c. It is proposed that on the Anniversaries of the Battle of the NUe, and of the Birth-day of Nelson, and on other days of great rejoicing, the flag, which Nelson won at Trafalgar, be hoisted to the top of the spire ; and that the lantern be illuminated by a jet of gas, which, by means of coloured lenses in the windows, might be rendered visible from distant points in and around London. A building conformably to this design may be raised, with good mate rials, and a liberal amount of decoration, for Thirty Thousand Pounds. But such are the capabilities of this species of architecture, that its de corations may be reduced or augmented to any extent. Should the Committee entertain a favourable opinion of the design, they may be assured that many variations and improvements can be made ; and the author would gladly enter more fully into particulars. *,* In the above essay and design, I availed myself of the professional advice and skill of my esteemed friend, Mr. W. Hosking ; and, had the plan been accepted, it was agreed that the execution of the edifice was to have been under his direction. ^^ :=ty I^e^T^TUd'byJ-Sriitffm ^riaraviS-tv The-' T'urrJ^iM. DESIGN TOE. THE RELSO"Nr CEN"OTAPH iDiLdcm.,I-^iblLsh.e.l in Brrttons Axito'biograj)liT,1849, DESIGN FOR A CENOTAPH TO C H .'.TT E RT 0 N , I',, I i,;i,, ,1 , \i I i! i , ].¦ , ,. '.i; : I r'l : , I : ' > m ' ON A DESIGN FOR A OTenotapi^ to ^T^omas > - r''^^^^ ' fe W^ T^ .' <; Painted 6y R. Wilson, Z.A. Engraved by J. Walmsley • The epoch of WUson, Mortimer, Gainsborough, Hogarth and Reynolds, was memorable and interesting in the annals of EngHsh Art. Those distinguished Painters, — now Classics in art, — had Hved and moved in a chilhng, almost benumbing atmosphere. It is instructive to review the manners and habits of their times, and compare them with the present. The contrast is palpable, and cannot faU to delight those who now live, and can appreciate their own amazing advantages. But for the amiable characteristics, and fashionable connection, of Sir Joshua, the other ar tists would scarcely have been noticed, or supported by the purchasers of pictures, — I will not say, patrons of merit. In spite of public apathy, they persevered in their respective studies, painted and sold a few of their works at moderate prices, and have bequeathed to posterity pictures of va ried exceUence, and of great value. Their respective works are now duly 94 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. appreciated by discriminating connoisseurs, and a single specimen by either wiU sell for ten times the sum it produced to the painter, when he courted patronage, and indeed almost wanted the common comforts of life. The picture indicated by the annexed print is a genuine, perfect, and extraordinary specimen by the master. It is a fine and faithful portrait of his friend and feUow-student in art, — Mortimer ; whom he has pour- trayed in a pecuHar attitude, — supposed to be sketching a statue, on a pedestal amongst woods. Whilst the hard, forbidding costume of the figure, (then fashionable, for Mortimer was a beau,) seems repulsive to the painter's art, and to defy the usual blandishments and the common graces of portraiture ; WUson has shewn consummate skiU and taste in placing the flgure, disposing the light and shade, and composing the whole, in a way to surmount the difficulties of dress, &c., and has pro duced a picture to compete with a Reynolds, — a Vandyke, — or a Titian. It was pronounced by Sir Thomas Lawrence, Prince Hoare, James Christie, and other distinguiahed critics, when it came into my posses sion, twenty years ago, to be a beautiful and truly interesting work of art, and it has been neither injured nor deteriorated since that time. It is as fresh and perfect as when left by the skUful but Ul-rewarded artist ; it has some of the best touches and tones of Wilson's colouring, after he returned from Italy, and whilst its drawing and expression, as a work of portraiture, evidence his high attainments in that depart ment of his profession, the landscape shews that he had studied nature, as well as the colouring of Titian, Tintoretto, and the Venetian school. The life of Wilson is barren of incident ; for he was not distinguished by the eccentricities of Gainsborough, the courteous suavity and popular manners and associations of Reynolds, the sottish vulgarity and low habits of Morland, or the keen satiric powers and speculating disposition of Hogarth : his time and thoughts were devoted to professional study, from which he hoped ultimately to obtain fame and fortune. The latter^ however, never came to his share; nor was the former fairly or fuUy awarded to him during life. He was certainly never in sufficient afflu ence to attract pubhc gaze and sycophancy, nor reduced, like the proud and penniless Barry, to accept disguised charity. Euseli (in his Lectures) speaking of WUson, says, " Death relieved him from the apathy of Cognoscenti, the envy of rivals, and the neg lect of a tasteless public. He lived and died nearer to indigence than to ease ; and as an asylum from the severest events incident to age and decay of powers, was reduced to solicit the librarian's place in the Academy of which he was one of the highest ornaments." PORTRAIT OF MORTIMER, BY VS^ILSON. 95 The story of Wilson's career in art is powerfully interesting. It is the struggle of genius and talent, to buffet with the waves of prejudice and false taste. He was placed in an age, a clime, a country uncongenial to his fruition. He was not understood, and consequently, unappreciated by rich and affected patrons of art. It is the faculty and felicity of ge nius to eHcit new lights, to produce new views and new results from old materials. The estimable Allan Cunningham, thus endowed, has shewn at once his keen perceptions, and profound knowledge of art and nature, by inferences and deductions relating to WUson, which neither Reynolds, Fuseli, Wolcot, or other critics, or chroniclers of his works, ever pro duced. His estimate and account surpass all that preceded them, and may be referred to by the young student with pleasure and advantage. — (See Lives of Eminent Painters, 8fc.) " In the early part of his career," Cunningham writes, " Wilson Hved by Portraits, and was distinguished amongst his wretched contemporaries, so far as to be employed to paint a picture of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, for the Bishop of Norwich, in 1748; when Wilson was thirty-five years old. In relinquish ing portrait painting, he had forsaken the way to wealth and fashionable distinction, and taken the road to certain want and unprofitable fame." Edwards, in " Anecdotes of Painters in England," who doubtlessly knew WUson weU, asserts " that he drew a head equal to any other portrait- painter of his time." If any critic doubted the truth of these remarks, that doubt would be removed on looking at the portrait of Mortimer here referred to. Edwards' testimony and praise are not unimportant when we recoUect that WUson had for rivals, a Romney, a Gainsborough, and a Reynolds. To equal such artists, in portraiture, in which all ex celled, is no smaU degree of fame. It is, therefore, gratifying to have a good specimen of his pencil in this department of art. Of WUson's talents as an artist and character as a man, I have re corded my opinions in " A Brief Biographical Memoir," pubhshed in " The Erne Arts of the EngHsh School," 4to. 1812. In that essay it is asserted that " his best works are replete with extraordinary merit ; they command our warmest admiration ; but it is difficult to define and de scribe their peculiar and positive characteristics. They must be seen and studied to be fuUy understood. They are generally sublime in composi tion ; broad and skilful in effects of Hght and shade ; rich and harmonious in colour ; appropriate and judicious in the arrangement of parts, and in the effect given to that arrangement ; hence it may be confidently said, that his best landscapes rank with the most eminent in the world." In the present age his pictures are duly appreciated, and are properly 96 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. treasured in the galleries and apartments of connoisseurs ; for since the death of the artist, a vast and delightful improvement has taken place in the public mind. Eine Art seems to be a necessary, as well as a luxury, in refined society ; and artists are numerous, and of high talent, to ad minister to the demand. What a contrast has half a century produced ! I remember the Exhibition of 1800, when Peter Pindar and Antony Pasquin were the popular critics and satirists', and when there was but one annual display in London. Shee, in his eloquent and fervent " Rhymes on Art," thus apostrophises and compliments Wilson : " Relenting Fortune weeps o'er Wilson's fate, Remorseful owns her blindness, and to fame Consigns with sorrow his illustrious name." Mortimer, whose portrait is the subject of the picture here referred to, was an artist of unquestionable genius, and had his life been pro longed (he died at the age of forty) and been regulated by a Httle pru dence and industry, he would have produced works of no common merit. With vivid perceptions and rapidity of execution, he produced a multi plicity of smart and clever designs ; but his fancy was too volatUe to give him time to reflect deeply, or to mature and revise the graphic produc tions of his pencil. Aspiring to rank among the historical painters of the world, he spurned all the other grades of art. Studying under Hudson and Pine for a short time, we may suppose that he learnt some techni calities of his glorious profession ; but his style of sketching and sub jects of study had been fixed among the coast-scenes of Sussex, where he passed the juvenUe period of life. In the gaUery of the Duke of Rich mond, who had coUected casts from ancient statues, &c., and had gene rously allowed the young artists of England to study, he made himself familiar with the antique flgure. From the Society of Arts and the Royal Academy, he obtained premiums for his drawings and pictures, and car ried off a prize of fifty guineas against Romney from the latter school of art. Soon afterwards, he was rewarded with one hundred guineas, for a large picture of " St. Paul preaching to the Britons," exhibited in Spring Gardens. Hence his fame was up, and he might have attained the " high est round of ambition's ladder," had prudence and perseverance regu lated his career. But he was a fop, a rake, a bon-vivant, a reveUer, an indiscreet and dissipated young man. Some of these traits harmonized with those of his friend Wilson ; and with congeniality of sentiments and aspirations in their profession, we may reasonably conclude they were often associated in their studies and in their pastimes. Vieia of ©Iti Savum, loofetng Soutlj. X J)raun by F. W. Fairholt,from a Model by Tf. K. Satclicr. Engraved by J". Wdltiisley, The above print of a place, which is not only extraordinary, but unique, accompanied a " Memofr of Henry Hatcher," which I published in the year 1847. UnparaUeled by any other locaHty in the world, it cannot fail to excite the interest of the antiquary and the historian. Mr. Hatcher, in his elaborate '^History of Salisbury," says : — " The centre of the fortress consists of a lofty circular mound, composed of the earth excavated from a ditch below. This was crowned with the Keep, and is 310 yards in circumference. Around it spreads an oval area, of 1400 j'ards in circumference, in closed by a ditch and bank. To the east was the entrance, guarded by a small square outwork. On the opposite side was a postern protected by a turret. Nearly one-fourth of the area, to the north-west, is separated from the remainder by a bank. This was the ancient Close, in the middle of which stood the Cathedral. Traces of its founda tions were observed in the year 1834, at the spot indicated in the engraving by the figure of a cross. On the north side of the works, fragments of a wall may be traced." [See Gentleman's Magazine, August, 1835.] The diameter exceeds 1900 feet from east to west. Mr. Hatcher elo quently remarks : — " This is all that remains of Old Sarum, a city of which the origin is lost in the obscurity of time. It is still majestic, though desolate, and its imposing mass arrests the eye in whatever direc tion it is approached. As we enter its soHtai-y precinct, its faded glories crowd on our remembrance. IMarked successively by the footsteps of the Briton, the Roman, the Saxon, the Dane, and the Norman; associated iu recoUection with some of the most memorable events in our annals ; Ulustrated by the residence of the virtuous, the brave, and the learned of past ages, its bleak ramparts awaken serious reflections, and prompt even the thoughtless to moralize on the vanity of worldly grandeur, and the fleetmg character of human labours and human institutions." H AN ACCOUNT, WITH ILLUSTUATIONS, OF AN ancient ^tom Capital, FORMERLY AT WESTMINSTER. The accompanying delineations of a singular Capital which formerly belonged to the Old Palace of Westminster must excite the curiosity of all admirers of ancient art, as well as their regret that such a relic is lost. The drawings were made by WUliam Capon, who was distinguished as a scene painter for many years at Covent Garden Theatre, and employed much of his time in delineating the ancient specimens of architecture, sculpture, and painting, which, some fifty years ago, were abundant on the site of the Palace of Westminster. I am in possession of his original drawings of this fragment. They are doubly interesting by the loss of the original, which was sold to Sir Gregory Page Turner, Bart., of Blackheath, for one hundred pounds ; but cannot be traced since his decease. There can be no doubt, from the inscription, that it was executed to commemorate some valuable grant, or confirmation by King William Ru fus to Gilbert, or Gislebertus, Abbot of Westminster. It appears from a Chartulary of the Abbey, now in the British Museum, that the monarch referred to confirmed to the monks several lands and privileges ; and the value of those grants from such a rapacious grasper of church property as Rufus, must have been fully appreciated by the monastic community, who probably caused this capital to be executed as part of some buUding within, or near the Abbey. From the situation in which it was found, it is plain that it must have been subsequently used (in the time of King Richard III.,) as a mere buUding stone, in the erection of a gate-house to the Palace. " On the west side of the Palace Court," says Stow, " is a very fair gate, begun by Richard IIL, in 1484, and by him buUt a great height." In the reign of Elizabeth it was known as " the Queen's Ma jesty's Gate." It remained tUl the year 1706, when it was taken down to improve the access to the Houses of Parliament. A century after wards (June, 1807), several houses which had abutted upon the gate-house were demoHshed, in order to widen the thoroughfare, and it was then found that a remnant of the gate-house had been left, and wrought into a partition wall between the Mitre and the Horn taverns in Union Street. On the labourers proceeding to take it down, Mr. Capon observed that some remarkable sculpture was apparent on one of the stones. He care fully cleansed it from dfrt and rubbish, and was astonished to find the sculptured figures and the inscription shown in the accompanying wood- ANCIENT CAPITAL AT WESTMINSTER. 99 cuts; which represent three of its four sides. On the fourth, which had been partly cut away to make the stone lie flush, sculptured human feet, and the lower parts of two columns, were alone visible. No. 1. In the cut No. 1, the King is represented apparently sitting under a trefoU-headed arch, and holding a long scroll, or charter : on one side is an Abbot, distinguished by his crosier, and on the other, an attendant monk. No. 2. No. 2, shows the Abbot, bearing the charter in his left hand: on each H 2 100 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. side is a monk, one of whom appears to be' reading the extended scroll. No. 3. The third cut represents the Abbot returning thanks : before him is a reading-desk, on which are the open Scriptures, with the words ego sum on one page. The capital had been originally 13 1 inches in height, and 12 inches square at the top, decreasing to about 9 inches in diameter at the bottom. The inscription was doubtless continued on the fourth side. The above illustrations were engraved by Mr. Whittock for the "Gra phic Illustrator," a periodical conducted by my old colleague, Mr. Brayley. In conjunction with the latter, I produced in the year 1836, a " History of the Ancient Palace, and late Houses of ParHament, at Westminster," in which volume the erection and subsequent alterations of the various palatial edifices are fully described ; with engravings of parts of the Great Hall, the Painted Chamber, &c., as executed by their original Anglo-Norman architects. CtapWals in SMrtls €at$et(ral. J. Sntton, del. The infinite variety, and eccentricity of detaU, evinced in the sculp tural enrichments of our ancient Ecclesiastical edifices, are well exempli fied by two singular capitals in Wells Cathedral, represented in the accompanying engravings. The beautiful ediflce from which they have been selected contains many specimens of ancient sculpture of the most elaborate description. In my History of the Church (4to. 1824) nine teen capitals, from as many different parts of the buUding, are engraved : some remarkable for the grace and freedom of their foliated decorations ; and others, like the specimens before us, for representations of human figures, in various occupations and positions ; some serious, and others partaking of the ludicrous. The first of the two here delineated belongs decidedly to the latter class ; and represents, with grotesque effect, an old woman extracting a thorn from her foot. The other represents, in alto- relievo, a woodman proceeding to his labour. On one shoulder he car ries his axe, or bUl, and on the other his wallet. He wears thick gloves and loose half-boots, and has a rosary hanging from his girdle. The foliage in each of these capitals is remarkable for elegance and spirited. execution. The figures are about fourteen inches in height. J^ont tn Wvefovti Qtat^ttiul J. Britton, del. N. Whittock, tc. Numerous as are Baptismal Fonts in England, and throughout Chris tendom, I am not aware of one resembling that in the Cathedral of Hereford. Its bowl shape and animal supporters give it a foreign charac ter ; whilst the arcade, fiUed with human figures, in basso-relievo, though not an unique species of decoration, is one of very rare occurrence.* In this instance they are twelve in number, and are said to represent the Apostles. Some of the columns, which support the semicircular arches, are decorated with spiral and zigzag mouldings. In Lombardy, and other parts of Italy and Germany, there are numerous sepulchral monuments, supported by sculptured representations of various animals. The artist of the Hereford Font appears to have intended these for Hons. The Font is evidently of great antiquity, and may be assigned to the age of Bishop Lozinga, who presided over the See about the year 1080. The nave of the cathedral is ascribed to this prelate, who is said to have therein imitated the Cathedral of Aix-la-ChapeUe in Germany. The above engraving was published in 1834 in the " Graphic IUus trator," by my old friend, Mr. E. W. Brayley. * The Font in the Church at Stanton Fitzwarren, Wiltshire, is ornamented by a simUar series of figures, supposed to represent the cardinal virtues. PROPOSAL FOR THE FORMATION OF A NATIONAL Ifetorical, airt&a^ological, anti Cojpogtapj&ical INSTITUTION: FOR THE PRESERVATION OF VESTIGES OF ANTIQUITY, MANUSCRIPTS, BOOKS, te. Years have elapsed since I wrote the foUowing Appeal, which, how ever, like many other plans and novelties, was never promulgated to the reading world. Numerous Clubs, Societies, and Institutions have suc cessively been formed in the metropolis, and in different provincial towns; aU tending to shew the laudable spirit of inquiry, and the desire for the difiusion of knowledge, which distinguish the present generation. I have anxiously watched and participated in the establishment of several of these, and indulge the hope that the Institution contemplated in the following observations may yet come into operation, and become as permanent and useful as any of its precursors. FuUy aware of the existence of Societies which ostensibly embrace some of the objects comprehended in the pre sent plan, I feel nevertheless assured that neither of them is Hkely to effect the important aim and end of the institution here suggested. The Society of Antiquaries has been long established, and is honoured by Royal patronage ; but though it has recently aroused from a long and morbid fit of apathy and uselessness, it seems constitutionally unfitted to administer to the reasonable demands of the majority of its feUows. The Archceo logical Institute, and the British Archceological Association, alike zealous, active, fuU of abihty, and producing many useful results, are unfortunately distracted and weakened by personal divisions ; whilst the provincial Ar chaeological Societies, which are now numerous, and render great benefits to their respective localities, are not so fuUy known and appreciated as they ought to be. Hence it must be evident to the acute critic, to the national historian, to the learned antiquary, and even to the student-ar chaeologist, that something is stiU wanting in the metropolis to give effi cacy and centraHzation to aU their acquirements. Impressed with the conviction that incalculable benefits may be accomphshed by the co-opera tion ofthe different Societies adverted to, the majority of whose members are, I believe, desirous of a coalition, I am induced to renew this appeal to their good sense, their patriotism, and their national sympathies. The advantages and the importance of Historical, Archseological, and Topographical Literature are at length generally admitted ; and if not 104 britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. adequately appreciated by the many, are properly understood and valued by the best-informed members of society. It is a lamentable fact, that the finest and most interesting objects of antiquity in every county of England, and in every part of the world, are palpably or imperceptibly decaying and mouldering away ; and that several very important Celtic Temples, Ancient Castles, Ruined Abbeys, Churches, &c., have been en tirely destroyed within the last century. Many valuable archives, many curious and interesting relics of by-gone times, have been lost for want of a safe receptacle, and competent curators to guard them from destruction. The present is an age of concentration and combination. It exemph- fies, and gives practical demonstration to, the maxim that " Union is Strength." The work which occupies an individual months, or even years, in executing and bringing to perfection, may be often better and far more speedily effected by the union of heads and hands. " Life is short;" and it is the duty of wise men to make the best use of every moment, and thereby promote their own welfare, and the happiness of society. Every branch of manufacture, commerce, and trade, is now con ducted on the co-operative system. Education in modern pubhc Schools and CoUeges is regulated by similar principles. The political and moral state of Society has undergone a vast change within the last half century, and is now advancing in all the arts of civi lization, intellectual amehoration, and improvement. Literary and Scien tific Institutions have contributed essentiaUy to work this effect ; for they have originated and attained their present magnitude and importance during the nineteenth century. Societies, Companies, Joint-Stock Asso ciations, belong to our age, and have given to it novelties, powers, and effects, which at once astonish and rouse the mind of man to new specu lations and new enterprize. Alone, he feels the insufficiency and imper fection of his physical and mental powers; but in association with kindred spirits, he acquires strength and confidence, and then brings into requisition aU the novelties and capacities of art and science, to work his way to fortune and fame. Reflecting on the changes that have occurred during my own expe rience in the literary and scientiflc world, and contrasting its present state with its condition at the commencement of the century, I feel per suaded that the literary man, the artist, and the professor of any science, must endeavour to adapt his talents to the present state of things, or he wiU inevitably be surpassed and superseded by the more worldly and skilful competitor in the race of life. ***** SOME ACCOUNT WRITTEN FOR A FESTIVE MEETING AT THAT SEAT, July 10, 1849. The grand, the picturesque, the beautiful in landscape ; the learned, the scientiflc, the ennobled, the amiable, amongst our feUow creatures ; the truly meritorious and exceUent in Art, command the admiration and deserve the praise of every sound and discriminating critic. Nearly the whole of these persons and characteristics are presented to our consider ation in connection with the place in which we are now assembled, and with its immediate vicinity. The homes and haunts of the sons and daughters of genius will ever claim the respect of aU who can appreciate merit. The residence of Gibbon, at Lausanne, gave lasting fame to that locality ; the birth-place of Shakspere is honoured by every true lover of genius ; and so likewise are many other places in this happy and prosperous nation. Norbury Park is haUowed by associations with many individuals whose names and memories are indehbly emblazoned and preserved in the Hterary records of our country. Among those who have resided at this seat, or in its immediate vicinity, we may enumerate the foUowing : WiUiam Lock, the learned and accomphshed owner of the domain ; and his son, WiUiam Lock, who was equally distinguished by his attain ments : the Honourable Charles Howard, Charles Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, Sir Charles and Sir Wm. BurreU, Baronets, and Thomas Hope, aU of the Deepdene ; Charles Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, at Hen- fold, a large mansion built by that nobleman ; Lord Byron, at Headley; Miss Burney, afterwards Madame D'Arblay, at CamUla Lacey ; Richard Sharp, at Fredley Farm ; Richard Brinsley Sheridan, at Polesden ; Jona than Tyers, the founder of VauxhaU Gardens, and W. Joseph Denison, M.P., at the Denbies; the late Marquis WeUesley, at the Grove; Jere miah Dyson, Deputy Clerk of the House of Commons, at West Humble Cottage ; Sir Lucas Pepys, the Royal Physician, at Juniper Hall; John Evelyn, at Wotton; Thomas Dibdin, at Brookham Green; S. W. Singer, and Wm. Guthrie, the historian and geographer, of Mickleham ; Wil Ham Bray, the topographer and antiquary, at Shere ; Dr. Aikin, and his 106 . britton's auto-biography, appendix. respected family, at Dorking ; Jeremiah Markland, at MUton Court ; Capt. Chas. Morris, at Brookham Court Lodge ; the Earl of Rothes, at Shrub HiU ; Robert Barclay, Esq., at Bury Hill ; Sir James Scarlett, at Abinger; Sir Saml. RomiUy, at Tanhurst, LeithHUl; Abraham Tucker, author of " The Light of Nature Pursued," at Betchworth Castle ; and Andrew Strahan, the eminent and wealthy printer, at Ashurst Lodge. Reserving for a future stage, notices of some of these personages, I offer a few general remarks on the natural features of this interesting locaHty. Nature abhors a vacuum. She delights in variety and apparent eccen tricity. Occasionally her works and phenomena appear to resemble freaks of fancy, and are certainly not easily reconcUeable with the general laws which govern ordinary and famUiar appearances. Earthquakes, storms, and other terrestrial convulsions, are amongst these exceptions ; but the astronomer, the geologist, and the chemist, have explained some of their pecuHarities, and have rendered us familiar with many of the marvels and mysteries of nature, which not only puzzled but terrified our forefathers. Though neither wild nor marvellous, the natural features of Norbury Park, and its immediate neighbourhood, are calculated to delight the eye of every spectator, and excite a desire to traverse and explore their varied and diversified groves and glades, their hUls and valleys; as weU as every spot which presents different combinations of the ever-changing landscape. From the abundance of forest and other trees which charac terizes the scene, we may be justifled in applying to it the language of MUton. " Over head up grew Insuperable height of loftiest shade : Cedar, and Pine, and Fir, and branching Palm ; A sylvan scene, and as the ranks ascend. Shade above shade, a woody theatre Of stateliest view." Paradise Lost, Book iv. Here, too, we feel, to use the words of Akenside, " With what enchantment Nature's goodly scene Attracts the sense of mortals." Pleasures of Imagination. And here we can fully appreciate the feelings with which the same de lightful Poet thus indicates the charms of Nature : " O! attend, Whoe'er thou art whom these delights can touch ; Whom Nature's aspect, — Nature's simple garb, — Can thus command : O ! listen to my song ; And I win guide thee to her blissful walks And teach thy solitude her voice to hear. And point her gracious features to thy view." account of norbury park, surrey. 107 More especially are we disposed to exclaim with Thomson : " Welcome ye shades ! ye bowery thickets, hail ! Ye lofty Pines, ye venerable Oaks ! Ye Ashes wUd, resounding o'er the steep ! Delicious is your shelter to the soul — The heart beats glad ; the fresh-expanded eye And ear resume their watch ; the sinews knit. And life shoots swift through all the lighteu'd limbs." Gilpin, who united the feehngs of the poet and the artist, has verbally painted (in his " Observations on the Western Parts of England," 1798), some of the scenes and objects which distinguish this tract of country, in language which cannot be easily surpassed. " On entering the Park gate from the road, and passing the River Mole, we wind round the hiU on the right towards the house, which stands on the summit, removed from the sight as we approach it ; though firom various parts of the country it is a conspicuous object. "Among other woods which adorn this ascent, is a profusion of Box. This plant grows here in full luxuriance, in its native uncultivated state ; marking the road on the right with great beauty. A regular cHpt box wood hedge, is an object of deformity: but growing wildly, as it does here, and winding irregularly at different distances along the road, it is very ornamental. The box itseK also, is a pleasing object : in winter it harmonizes with the ground ; and in summer, with the woods which sur round it. Box has a meUower, a more varied, and a more accommodating tint than any evergreen : one circumstance of advantage attends it : al most every species of shrub, in a few years, outgrows its beauty : if the knife be not freely and frequently used, it becomes bare at the bottom ; its branches depart, and it rambles into a form too diffuse for its station. But box wood long preserves its shape ; and in the wUd state in which we find it here, is far from regular ; though its branches, which are never large, are close and compact. "After winding about a mile up the hUl, we arrive at the house, which is encircled with groves of lofty, full-grown beech. The back front (if I may be allowed an awkward expression, for want of a better) over hangs the steep part of the hUl ; and commands, as you survey it from the windows of the house, a very grand vale ; not Hke the winding rocky vales of a mountainous country, but such as we sometimes flnd (though rarely on so ample a scale) among the downy hUls of a chalky soil ; though here the chalk rarely offends. This vale is a flat area of cul tivated ground, about six or seven mUes in length, and one in breadth. .Sometimes indeed, though but rarely, it takes the form of a lake or bay ^^ \ 108 britton's auto-biography, appendix. of the sea ; which it exactly resembles when it happens to be overspread by a thick white fog, such a fog as from its gravity, and the want of air to disturb it, sinks to a level, like water; and like water also describes the prominences of the vale around the bases of the hUls. "The side-screen of this vale, on the right, as you stUl survey it from the south windows, consists of a downy hiU, marked with various large irre gular channels, and planted with ancient oak and beech. Through these woods a walk is conducted along its sloping side; from whence you have descending views into the vale below ; some of which, seen through the spreading arms of an oak or a beech, as through the frame of a pic ture, have a pleasing effect. " The other side-screen of the vale consists of that boast of Surrey, the celebrated Box-hill; so called from the profusion of box which flourishes spontaneously upon it. This hiU, from its downy back and precipitous sides, exhibits great variety of pleasing views into the lower parts of Surrey, and the higher parts of the neighbouring counties. But we have here only to do with it, as itself an object in a retiring scene, in which it fllls its station with great beauty ; discovering its shiveriag precipices and hUlocks, everywhere interspersed with the meUow verdure of the box, which is often tinged, as box commonly is, with red and orange. " This hUl, and the neighbouring hUls, on which this beautiftd plant flourishes in such profusion, should be considered as makiog part of the natural history of Britain. Asser, in his Life of Alfred the Great, teUs us, that Berkshire had its name from a wood, ubi buxus dbundantissime nascitur. No trace of any such wood now remains there ; nor is there, perhaps, a single bush of indigenous box to be found in the whole county. AU has been rooted up by the plough. If it were not, there fore, for the growth of box on the Surrey hiUs, whose precipitous sides re fuse cultivation, it might perhaps be doubted whether box were a native of England. As to the common tradition of the country, that it was planted by an Earl of Arundel, it is certainly fabulous ; for there are court-rolls stiU existing, which mention the box-wood on the hiU, before any such artiflcial plantation could have taken place. * * " Insignificant as this shrub appears, it has been to its owner. Sir Henry Mildmay, a source of considerable profit. It is used chiefly in turning ; but the ships from the Levant brought such quantities of it in ballast, that the wood on the hill could not find a pur chaser ; and not having been cut in sixty-five years, was growing, in many parts, cankered. But the war having diminished the influx of it from the Mediterranean, several purchasers began to ofibr ; and in the year 1795, Sir Henry put it up to auction, and sold it for the immense sum of £12,000. Box attains its full growth in about fifty years ; in which time, if the soil be good, it will rise fifteen feet, and form a stem of the thickness of a man'g Gilpin's account of norbury, 109 "The end-screen, which shuts in the beautiful vale just described, con sists of a range of hUls beyond Dorking, and the rising grounds of Deepdene; where, in a clear day, a new house, built by the Duke of- Norfolk, makes a conspicuous object. A Httle to the left of Dorking hiUs, the high grounds gradually falling, admit a distant glimpse of the South Downs, which overhang the sea. " Such is the situation of this elegant viUa; though, Hke all other situa tions, it has its favourable and unfavourable lights. It is seen to most advantage in an evening : as the vale points almost directly south from the house, the west is on the right. In the evening, therefore, the woods of that screen are all in shadow, which is flung ia one vast mass over the bosom of the vale ; whUe the setting sun having just touched the tops of the trees, as its rays pass over, throws a beautiful Hght on the guttered sides of Box-hill. "Norbury Park House pretends only to comfort and convenience; ex cept in the drawing-room, which is an object of great curiosity. It is an oblong of 30 feet by 24 : the walls are covered with a hard and durable stucco, and are painted by Barret. The whole room represents a bower, or arbour, admitting a fictitious sky through a large oval at the top, and covered at the angles with treUis-work, interwoven with honey-suckles, viaes, clustering grapes, and flowering creepers of various kinds. The sides of the room are divided by slight painted pUasters, appearing to support the trelHs roof, and open to four views. That towards the south is real; consisting of the vale inclosed by Box-hiU, and the hills of Nor bury and Dorking, which have been described. The other three are artificial: two of them, which are the two end views, cover the whole sides of the room from the ceUing to the base. " The scene presented on the west wall is taken from the lakes of Cum berland. It is an exact portrait of none of them, but a landscape formed fi"om a collection of some of the happiest circumstances which belong to all. No real view could present so beautiful and complete a picture. A large portion of the lake, under a splendid calm, is spread before the eye, surrounded by mountains perfectly well-shaped and stationed. Nature is not very nice in the moulds in which she commonly casts these enormous bodies, and as they have various forms of beauty, so have they of de formity ; but here we have some of the most pleasing shapes culled out. thigh. The depredations made on Box-hiU, in consequence of this sale, wUl not much injure its picturesque beauty ; as it wUl be twelve years in cutting, which wUl give each portion a reasonable time to renew its beauty." — Gilpin. 110 britton's AUTO-BIOGR.APHY, APPENDIX. and beautifully grouped. Woods are scattered about every part, which give to these scenes a greater richness than nature hath given to any lakes in Cumberland. The smaller ornaments also, of buildings, figures, and boats, are judiciously introduced, and have a good effect. AU this scenery is contained in various removes of distance, for no part of the lake comes close to the eye. The near ground is composed of bold rocks, and other rough surfaces, with which the banks of lakes commonly abound. Among these a wild torrent, variously broken, pours its waters under the surbase of the room, which intercepts it. This torrent the painter has managed so well, that its spirit and brilliancy produce no lights which interfere with the calm resplendency of the lake, but rather contrast it. "In describing this noble landscape, I have thus far considered it chiefly as a whole ; but aU its parts are equaUy exceUent. On the foreground particularly are two birch trees, which are painted with great beauty. The roots, the bark, and the foliage, are aU admirable. " The other grand landscape occupies the eastern waU of the room. It is, I think, inferior to that on the west; yet it is a noble work. The scene is sylvan, and the objects, of course, less grand. The foreground, where we admire particularly some beautiful trees, is tumbled about in various forms ; but in the distance it sinks into a rich flat country, through which a sluggish stream, winding its course, discharges itself into the sea. The same observations might be made on this picture, which were made on the other, as to composition and judicious management of the parts. " The north side of the room, opposite to the windows,, offers two more landscapes, divided by the breast of the chimney, which is adorned with a pier-glass let into the wall, and covered thick with a frame of honey suckles, vines, wild roses, and various creepers in flower, all painted with great beauty. These two pictures are a continuation of the scene exhib ited on the western wall, which they unite with the landscape on the east. Clustering vines and wild flowers form a frame-work to aU these beautiful pictures, both at the base and along the trelHs-work of the sides, so as to give them the resemblance of being seen through the openings of an arbour. . " With this unity in the subjects of these landscapes, the light also and other particulars coincide. The season represented is autumn : every where round the room the year is in its wane : each tree and bush is touched with its autumnal hue. The time of day is about an hour before the sun sets, which luminary, after a rainy afternoon, is breaking out from watery clouds that are scattered before a gentle breeze, in too high a region of the air to affect the surface of the lake. The rainy clouds, which are NORBURY AND ITS VICINITY. Ill broken in the west, hang heavy in the north, and give a dark lurid tint to the lake below. In the north-east angle, a ray of sunshine, breaking through the gloom, gilds a castled cliff; but the clouds, condensing again, fall in a heavy though partial shower on the landscape in the east. " We dwell the longer on this interesting room, as it is the only one of the kind perhaps in England. There is a room painted by the celebrated Gasper Poussin at the viUa of Monte Dragon e, near Rome, on a plan something Hke this ; but Gasper has paid no attention to the union of the several Hghts, nor to the characteristic agreement of the several views." This vivid and graphic description, by Gilpin, of the grounds, and of the painted apartment at Norbury, is as applicable to the whole in the year 1849, as it was in 1798, when originaUy written. The house, however, has undergone many changes, and is now subjected to stiU greater, under the direction of professional architects (Messrs. Barry and Banks), and the practical superiatendance of one of the first buUders in the world. Though we do not know anything of the architect and builder of Mr. Lock's house, it may be presumed that he employed the most eminent of the time ; and if so, nothing can be adduced to shew the lamentable state of art and sci ence, more palpable and debased than this mansion at the time of its late sale. Compared and contrasted with what it now is, the change and im provement are almost marveUous. As it was, we sought in vain for an architectural form or feature : both externally and intemaUy all was bald, common-place, insipid. It has now a new porch, with vestibule and spacious staircase, corridors, and numerous apartments decorated with architectural dressings and rich furniture ; also numerous works of art, and all the ap purtenances of domestic comfort and luxury. Externally, pilasters, cor nices, string courses, and parapets, present variety and richness, instead of bare brick walls, with square openings in their warehouse-looking surfaces. Around the mansion we see groves and trees, which, though young and smaU at the beginning of the present century, have exalted and spread their branches, not only in the park, but in the immediate vicinity of the house ; whilst the woods of the Deepdene, Betchworth Castle, and other seats have expanded to forests. There is a mid-distance in the valley, on the banks of the Mole, which GUpin faUed to notice, but which forms a fine feature in the scene, and a spot of much interest in its associations. This is Fredley -Farm, formerly the seat of Richard Sharp, Esq., com monly caUed "Conversation Sharp," in reference to his fascinating powers in social converse. At this humble abode he frequendy entertained some of the most eminent wits, poets, and politicians of his time, not merely 112 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. with delectable refreshment for the body, but with rich repasts for the mind. He published a small volume of " Letters and Essays," which give ample proof of his talents and refined taste. His personal features and dress were, however, plain, simple, and humble. It is irrelevant to the intention of the present Essay to say anythiug about the early History of the Manor of Norbury ; for such a subject is of immediate interest only to its possessor, and to lawyers who may be connected with the property, or with legal conveyances appertaining to it. It must suffice for my present purpose, to state that it was purchased in 1774 by Wilham Lock, Esq., who built the house, and who gave to the demesne aU the personal celebrity which has haloed it for many years.* Some time after the decease of that amiable gentleman, in 1810, his family quitted Norbury, which, with aU its appurtenances, was sold by auction, in June, 1819, to F. Robinson, Esq. In 1821 it was again submit ted for sale, and became the property of Edward Fuller Maitland, Esq. ; by whom, in 1824, the estate was exchanged with Henry Piper Sperling, Esq., for that of Park Place, in Berkshire. The last gentleman resided at Norbury tUl his death. The property was again subjected to pubhc auc tion in the year 1848, when its present owner, Thomas GrisseU, Esq., became the purchaser. This gentleman has since secured Fredley Farm, about eighty acres, which makes a valuable appendage to the domain. Mr. Brayley, the historian of Surrey, is scarcely less enthusiastic than Gilpin in his admiration and description of this delightful seat. " The situation of the house," he says, " is one which, from the beautiful sce nery it commands, has possibly no equal in the south of England. The Saloon or Drawing-room has long been celebrated for the scenery painted upon its walls ; in the production of which, the pencils of Barret, Cipri ani, Gilpin, and Pastorini were aU united. f Scarcely any language can do justice to the magnificent prospects commanded by the hUls of Norbury, to the beauty of which the rich scenery of the home-views essentiaUy contributes. At every step new combinations are formed, and every passing cloud, by varying the disposition of the lights and shadows, gives fresh interest to the views, and augments the admiration of the spectator. * Mr. Brayley, in his recent elaborate and valuable " History of Suirey," has given a copious account of the descent of the manor, and the names of its different proprietors, from Oswald, a supposed Saxon thane, who possessed it at the time of the compUation of the Domesday Survey, and who is therein said to have held it immediately imder the crown, in the time of Edward the Confessor. t " All the figures were painted by Cipriani, the cattle by GUpin, and the ceiling, with its open sky and circular treUis, by Pastorini." NORBURY PARK: MEETING OP THE BRITTON CLUB. 113 " The grounds are greatly diversified ; in some places descending to the winding banks of the Mole in steep declivities, and in others rising with bold sweeps into round knolls and commanding eminences. In the disposition of the trees (which are of almost every species), and in the plantations, much judgment has been exercised ; and the rides and walks are so arranged as to lead to points from which the landscapes and the picturesque beauty of the scenery can be best seen and appreciated. Many of the beech, oak, elm, chestnut, and other trees are of handsome growth and of great size. The more verdant foliage of this demesne is in one part strongly contrasted by the dark masses of a grove of Yews, under whose sombre shade the Druids themselves might have wan dered in their most abstract hours of gloomy meditation.* Many of these trees are of great age and venerable aspect ; and of a girth but seldom equaUed. In some instances, the circumference of the stems is full seven yards, at three or four feet from the ground. Here is one yew upwards of twenty-two feet in circumference, that has had seven huge limbs, two of which have been cut off; the other five are in girth as follows ; 1st, sis feet five inches ; 2nd, eight feet ten inches ; 3rd, eight feet six inches ; 4th, three feet six inches ; and 5th, seven feet six inches. It has been remarked, that where the oak decays, in this park, the beech succeeds, and where the beech decays, the ash springs up spontaneously. "This estate comprises 527 acres, of which about 300 are occupied by the park and pleasure-grounds; 110 by woods and plantations; 95 by meadow and pasture land ; and 12 by the river Mole. "For domestic purposes, the water is raised by an engine near the house, from a depth of 360 feet. The kitchen gardens and farm adjoin the site of the old manor-house. They include about four acres, and form a part of what is called the Priory Land, in consequence of having been part of an estate formerly held by the Priors of Reigate." On the 10th day of July, 1849, the Britton Club, a social conclave of which some account wUl be found iu a subsequent page, assembled at Norbury Park, and on that occasion I was soHcited by my friends, the occupants of the domain, to plant a CEDAR-TREE, on the lawn in front of the house, to commemorate the seventy- eighth amiiversary of my birth-day, and the purchase of the property by its * ((H 'That rare Moth, the Dotted Chesnut (Glea Rubiginea), of which the locality is said to be unknown, frequents these yews when the berries are ripe ; and becoming intoxicated •with the juice, is easUy caught about the midnight hour, in October." I 114 britton's auto-biography, appendix. new possessors. For this memorable occasion I prepared the following Address, part of which was read to the assembled group. It has been customary, from time immemorial, for monarchs, princes, and nobles, to confer and receive honour by laying the foundation stones of public buUdings, — ^by a sort of pretence that they can handle a trowel and spread mortar, — and thereby condescend to be workmen : but it is neither a common, nor a fashionable thing for an Author to identify his name with the planting of a Tree, which may live and flourish to adorn its own home for centuries, and afterwards contribute to the domestic comforts and luxuries of monarchs; or by floating over the boundless ocean, spread the wealth of nations, and the blessings of knowledge and of peace, amongst the ignorant and savage races of mankind. At Os borne Palace, the happy domestic home of a truly patriotic Queen, it has become fashionable and frequent, for Royal and other illustrious visitors, to plant and baptize trees to commemorate the dates of their respective visitations. Hence its gardens and grounds, in a few years, will become a forest of vegetable honours, and instead of a temple of marble worthies, we may behold a crowded amphitheatre of rural monarchs, heroes, states men, philosophers, &c. Let me breathe a hope that science, art, and Hte rature may not be slighted or forgotten in such an Arboretum. The longevity of trees is marveUous, and seems to surpass aU credibi lity, as do many other things in the world of nature, which poor, purblind man cannot readily comprehend, and is therefore unwilHng to beheve. In parts of Africa there are, according to Adanson, trees which have "the enormous number of at least 5150 concentric rings, or marks of yearly growth;" whUst Humboldt and other learned authors admit that they may have lived 4000 years. In Mexico, according to the younger De CandoUe, is a deciduous Cypress, which he considers to be of even greater age. But, without traveUing to such remote regions for trees re markable for longevity or magnitude, we are able to identify many, in our own island, remarkable for their age and size, and therefore worthy of especial notice and admiration. Most of these are not only venerable and picturesque, but connected with historical or poetical associations, as wUl be found in the accounts of them by Evelyn, Strutt, Rooke, &c. At Ellerslie, in Scotland, the birth-place of WaUace, is an Oak, in the branches of which it is traditionally reported that the chieftain with nearly three hundred of his followers concealed themselves ; as King Charles the First secreted himself from his enemies, in the famous Oak of Bos- cohel. The Scotch tree is said to be at least seven hundred years old, and address on planting a tree at norbury. 115 its branches are estimated to cover an acre of ground. Goff's Oak near Enfield, Hertfordshire, is related to have been planted by Sir Theodore Gofily, in the year 1066 : its hoUow trunk is capable of containing a round table and chairs for six persons. The interior of a great oak at AllouvUle, in Normandy, has been converted into a place of worship. An oak at Kidlington has served as the viUage prison. The great oak at Salcey is used as a cattle-fold: others have served as tanks, tombs, prisons, dwelhng- houses, &c. Of ancient Yews many authentic specimens are recorded. At Ankerwyke House, near Staines, is one said to be contemporary with the famous meeting of King John and his Barons, at Runnymead. About nine feet from the ground its bole, or trunk, measures 28 feet in circumference, and its branches extend over an area of 207 feet in cuxuit. At Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire, there are Yews at least 1200 years old; whilst others are referred to by naturalists as from two to three thousand years old. The grove of Yews, within the Park of Norbury, is not only venerable for age, but remarkable for picturesque beauty and romantic features. Of Historical, or rather Poetical Trees, the once revered, but lamentably desecrated. Mulberry-tree of Shakspere must be remembered and re gretted by all lovers of the Poet's writings. The venerable oak, and the parasitical mistletoe, were held sacred, if not worshipped, by the bards and Druids of old. The oak and other trees are praised in the writings of Shakspere, Milton, Thomson, Cowper, Byron, and other Poets of less note and authority in the annals of song. Let us ap ply a few of their Hues in Ulustration of our present theme, and at the same time learn to feel and appreciate their tuneful and touching language. The following Hues were written by Wordsworth, on planting a Cedar- tree at Cole Orton, the seat of Sir George Beaumont, Bart. "The embowering Rose, the Acacia, and the Pine • WiU not un wUlingly their place resign ; If but the Cedar thrive that near them stands, Planted by Beaumont's and by Wordsworth's hands. One wooed the sUent Art vrith studious pains, — These Groves have heard the Other's pensive strains ; Devoted thus, their spirits did unite By interchange of knowledge and delight. May Nature's kindliest powers sustain the Tree, And Love protect it from all injury ! And when its potent branches, wide out-thrown, Darken the brow of this memorial Stone, There may some Painter sit in future days, Some future Poet meditate his lays ; Not mindless of that distant age renowned When Inspiration hovered o'er this ground, l2 116 britton's auto-biography, appendix. The haunt of Him, who sang how spear and shield In civil conflict met on Bosworth Field ; And of that famous Youth, fuU soon removed From earth, perhaps by Shakspeare's self approved, Fletcher's associate, Jonson's friend beloved." Lord Byron addressed some of his powerful and touching lines "To an Oak at Newstead," on revisiting (in 1798) that ancient, but modernized, seat, where monks at one time dwelt in comparative solitude and seclu sion; and where the Poet, in his early years, with a retinue of reckless, gay associates, converted the solitude into a bear-garden. Such are the changes and contrasts to which the works of man are subjected! Byron exclaims: " Young Oak ! when I planted thee deep in the ground, I hoped that thy days would be longer than mine ; And thy dark waving branches would flourish around. And ivy thy trunk with its mantle entwine." So may I exclaim on the present occasion ; but I wiU not anticipate for the tree now committed to Mother Earth, the same fate which at tended that apostrophised by the poet. Byron's oak was neglected, and accordingly decayed and died, as must every object of the human, moral, and physical world, if deserted by mankind. Cowper, in his Minor Poems, has one on the " Yardley Oak," written in 1791 ; in which, descanting on its birth, growth, maturity, and decay, he says : — " It was once a bauble ; a cup aud baU Which babes might play with ; and the thievish jay. Seeking her food, with ease might have purloined The auburn nut that held thee ; swaUowing down Thy yet close folded latitude of boughs. And all thy embryo vastness at a gulp." In reflecting on vegetable longevity, and comparing it with that of man, we may derive consolation from knowing that the human species are sus ceptible of receiving and imparting to each other corporeal and mental pleasure ; and that, although sleep abridges much of our time, and conse quent enjoyment, it is nevertheless a necessary process for the sustenance of animal life. Trees may be said to sleep more than half the period of their existence ; nor do they either work, think, or enjoy life during the other moiety of it. " The lilies of the fleld toil not, neither do they spin ;" but man is destined to " eat bread from the sweat of his brow ; " and hence, as he must toil and spin, it is necessary for his health and happiness, that he should sleep, and, by that "balmy" process, refresh and renovate that exhausted vitality, which the wear and tear of bodily and mental exertion occasion. The marvellous and inscrutable instinct of the graceful and beautiful address on planting a tree at norbury. 117 squirrel teaches him to plant the nuts of the proliflc beech, and the acorn ofthe noble oak; and thus contribute to the formation of a forest. The ever-industrious bee traverses the country to coUect and preserve food for a long and dreary winter, — and man, "the paragon of animals," plants trees, shrubs, and flowers, not only to adorn and beautify the vegetable world, but also to furnish fruit, corn, wine, and oil for his own sustenance and luxury. I cannot sufficiently, nor adequately, express the gratiflcation I feel in being honoured by my dear friends, the owners of this noble domain, to Plant a Tree on this spot. In the name, and to the glory of the Omniscient Architect of countless worlds, of aU that is blessed and beauteous in this terrestrial globe, I plant the Cedar-tree, which is now committed to the fostering care of Mother Earth ; * and should she be kind and generous to her new found ling, it may Hve to attain a ripe old age in its native spot, and hereafter "point a moral and adorn a tale," by the mouths and the pens of many generations of the GrisseUs. And whilst it Hfts and spreads its branches, aloft towards the heavens, and around to shelter the ground that nur tured it, we may reasonably hope that it may flourish for many centuries, and record the memory of its planter to a remote posterity. In the hope that we may all meet again and again, blessed with health to enjoy the good things of this world, and with hearts attuned to friend ship, charity, and benevolence, I thank you all, and more particularly my much-loved friends, Mr. and Mrs. Grissell, for many unaffected • The tree planted, by the writer of these remarks, on the occasion referred to, was a Cednis, Abies Deodara, or Indian Cedar. That species is a native of the Himalaya moun tains of India, where the Hindoos call it "the God-tree," and regard it as ahnost sacred. Its wood is very hard and durable, and possesses so much resinous matter, that when cut into thin laths, it is burnt as candles. Being very close in texture, it receives a high polish, and hence, is used for fancy works and ornaments. It grows to great height as weU as width. It is not only long-Uved, but so durable, when used as timber, that it wUl last for. several hundreds of years. Spars of it have been taken from some of the Indian temples, said to have been erected from 200 to 400 years : and Mr. Moorcroft had specimens from the starlings of a bridge, at Ladakh, where it had been exposed to the water for nearly 400 years. (See Penny Cyclopcedia, Vol. i. p. 34.) Mr. Jordan stated, when the tree at Norbury was planted, that many Temples and Idols of the Chinese were formed of the same wood, aud further observed that, sacred as it was amongst them, it would in the pre sent instance, be no less sacred on the British soU, where it was so laudably dedicated to hospitality and friendship. A brilliant sun, combining with the splendid umbrageous sce nery of the grounds, and the joyous feelings of the party assembled, with the spontaneous outbreak of applause, which burst forth from the group of gardeners who performed the manual planting operation, constituted a finale to the whole proceedings, which cannot faU to be remembered by the juvenUe branches of the famUy, for the remainder of their Uves. 118 britton's auto-biography, appendix. acts of kindness and affection; especiaUy for the lasting honour they have now conferred ; and I further thank them, in my own name, and that of our mutual friends, for the hospitable reception they have given to us at Norbury Park, on the 10th and 11th days of July, 1849. \ I must here take leave of Norbury, and proceed to notice briefly some of the interesting localities in the neighbourhood of that dehghtful seat, and also offer a few sketches of the learned and iUustrious individuals whose names are associated with them. I cannot however refraiu from quoting, in the first instance, an admirable description of the general fea tures of the neighbourhood, written by Dr. Aikin in the year 1798, and published in the Monthly Magazine of the same year. " The vicinity of Dorking," says the learned Doctor, "affords scenes not only of uncommon beauty, but of so romantic a cast, as few would expect to meet with so near the metropolis. The tract referred to may be reckoned to commence at the pleasant viUage of Leatherhead, whence a narrow vaUey extends southwards, forming the bed of the smaU river Mole, in its course from the foot of Box-hUl.* The western side of this vaUey is composed of a • The Paver Mole has been noticed by Spenser, Drayton, MUton, Pope, and Thomson, with epithets which they regarded as appropriate to its character: and more recently (anno 1839), a Poem has been dedicated to it by Miss M. D. Bethune, of Thomcroft, whose work was " privately printed in aid of a Fund for buUding National Schools at Leatherhead." The remarkable feature in this river, which has attracted the notice of the earliest writers, is thus mentioned by Camden. "The Mole, coming to White-hUl (now caUed Box-hiU), hides itself, or is rather swallowed up, at the foot of the hUl, and for that reason the place is called the Swallow; but almost two mUes below, it bubbles up and rises again." There are, in fact, numerous apertures, or Swallows, in the bed of the river, between Castle Mill and Mickleham, and these constitute attractive phenomena to visitors at Norbury Park. When the water is high, the swaUows in the upper parts of the stream become surcharged, and are then lost to the sight by the water flowing over them, although the quantity which they engulph is very great. But when the river is low, the water is drained off by the receiving apertures untU it whoUy disappears. The various gradations between these appearances, according as the stream is more or less copious, have led to many con flicting statements respecting the length of the subterraneous passage of the Mole. One of the most remarkable groups of swaUows is on the Fredley Farm. Of this spot a map, or bird's-eye view, is given in Brayley's History of Surrey, vrith the following description. " Here, in the eastern bank of the river, which bank in this part is from 26 to 30 feet high, are two large and deep pits, or rather pools, in each of which are many swaUows ; and these may be seen in operation by descending to the brink of the stream. The pools are of an irregularly eUiptical shape ; the outer, about 46 feet long by 20 broad ; and the inner, about 36 by 18 : they communicate with each other by a smaU irregular channel about 25 feet long. Another channel, about 20 feet iu length, connects the outer pool with the river, and supplies it with a greater or less quantity of water, according to the height of the current. Within and around the area of both pools, are numerous crevices of variable size, down which the water rushes, as through the holes of a sink or cullender; and in some places it may CAMILLA LACEY. 119 chain of heights, the principal part of which is comprehended in the precincts of Norbury Park. To them succeed the hUls of Ranmer and Denbies, which last bends round to join the long ridge running towards GuUdford. The eastern side of this vaUey is formed by the rising grounds of Leatherhead, and Mickleham Downs, and finally by Box-hill, which like its opposite, Denbies, sweeps round to form the ridge running on to Reigate, and thence quite into Kent. Thus the vale of Leatherhead, after a course of about four miles, terminates perpendicularly in another vale, opening on each hand from the town of Dorking, and extending many mUes in an eastern and western direction. The river Mole, enter ing Leatherhead vale from the foot of Box-hUl, and meandering through it from side to side, bestows on it a beautiful verdure and rich vegetation, though, from its narrowness and scanty supply of water, it contributes httle to the landscape. The purity of the air, the fragrance from an ex uberance of aromatic plants and shrubs, the music of numberless birds, the choice of sheltered or open country, the Hberty of wandering, without obstacle or question, through the most cultured scenes, and the perfect repose which reigns aU around, unite to render this tract of country one of the most delightful to the contemplative man, and the most salutary to the invalid, that I have ever visited." Mr. Brayley, in his History of Surrey, thus writes : — " Adjacent to Norbury is Camilla Lacey, a pleasant retreat, which derived its name of Camilla fr-om the admirable novel so intituled, which was written here by Madame D'Arblay. Before her marriage. Miss Burney had been upon the most friendly terms with Mr. Lock and his family ; and after her union with General D'Arblay,* in 1793, Mr. Lock buUt a cottage on this spot be distinctly heard in its transit to the gulUes beneath. When the supply is greater than the fissures in the ouier pool can at once convey underground, the water flows along the intervening channel into the second pool, and is there carried off by other apertures. It has been ascertained that, when both these pools are in action, the swaUows in the outer engulph 259,200 imperial gaUons in an hour; and those of the inner pool, 82,800. Lower down the river, several large swaUows may be discovered below the banks, on the Norbury Park side, although they are partly obscured from view by the overhanging trees. Indeed the aper tures, both in the bed and at the sides of the stream, in this part of its course, may be said to be thickly clustered ; and in some places the banks have been washed away, and the trees partly uprooted by their action." — Brayley's History of Surrey, Vol. i. pp. 171 — 180. * " M. D'Arblay had been adjutant-general to Lafayette, but was compelled to quit France at the stormy era of the French llevolution, and was then in straitened circumstances. He was the officer on guard at the TuUleries on the night when the King of France, with his Queen, Antoinette, &c., escaped to Varennes, but is said to have had no knowledge of their intention." — Brayley's History of Surrey, Vol, iv., pp. 449—457. 120 britton's auto-biography, appendix. for the use of the newly-married couple. They resided here for several years; but after their departure for France, the place was occupied by different famihes." The name of Madame D'Arblay, once Fanny Burney, is too intimately connected with the Novel literature of England, and with the domestic and scenic annals of this locality, to be passed over in a shght way. Those who have read her fictions, and her Diary, and haye thence become acquainted with her fascinating talents and her amiability of heart, cannot but feel deeply interested in all that belongs to her career in life, particularly during her abode in her happy home attached to Norbury Park. In her Diary (Vol. U. p. 322) she thus eulogizes Mr. Lock's family, and the place in which they Hved and dispensed pleasure to aU their neighbours : — " I bury all disquietudes in present enjoyment ; an enjoyment more fitted to my secret mind than any I had ever hoped to attain. We are so perfectly tranquU, that not a particle of our whole frames seems ruffled or discomposed. Mr. Lock is gayer, and more sportive than I ever have met him ; his Fredy seems made up of happiness, and the two Httle girls are in spirits extatic ; and all from that internal contentment which Nor bury Park seems to have gathered from all corners of the world into its own sphere Mr. Lock is all instruction, information, and intel ligence ; and the invariable sweetness as weU as judgment of aU he says, leaves, indeed, nothing to wish. The serenity of a life like this smoothes the whole internal surface of the mind. My own, I assure you, begins to be quite glossy." Painters frequently portray winter scenes, with the leafless trees, the snow-clad ground and cottage, the lurid grey sky, the chUly ice, with the pinched and hungry cottager ; and contrive to make pleasing pictures, though the same scenes in reality are far from being gratifying. Miss Burney thus represents Norbury Park on November 9th, 1784 : " This sweet place is beautiful even yet, though no longer of a beauty young and blooming, such as you left it ; but the character of the prospect is so grand that winter cannot annihilate its charms, though it greatly diminishes them. The variety of the grounds, and the striking form of the hUls, always afford something new to observe, and retain something lasting to admire. Were it, however, in a desert, people such as these would make it gay and cheery." These light pen-and-ink sketches serve to mark the place and the per sons who adorned it. They evidently come from the heart of the writer, and, touching a corresponding chord in the heart of the reader, make him long to participate in the luxury of such scenes and such society. The mickleham. 121 history of Miss Burney is full of pathos, of poetry, and of romance, and is amply told in her " Diary and Letters," and in the Novels which she pubhshed. Her vivid and graphic descriptions and anecdotes of her fond and high-minded father ; of the severe and dogmatic critic and lexico grapher^ Johnson ; of the amiable and exemplary Reynolds ; of the man ners, language, and mental characteristics of different members of the Eoyal FamUy, and their courtiers, and indeed of the whole " age and body of the times " in which she lived, constitute such veritable pictures of persons, places, and things, as to appear realities. In reading them we seem to have the originals before our eyes; we hear their voices, and respond to and sympathize with all their emotions. Miss Burney's first novel, "Evelina," was published anonymously in 1778, when the au thoress was in her 26th year. It was followed in 1782 by " Cecilia," and in 1796 by "CamiUa;" the latter was published by subscription, and reaHsed more than three thousand pounds. In 1793 Miss Burney mar ried General D'Arblay, and from 1802 to 1812 resided with him in Paris. She then returned to England, and in 1814 published another tale, "The Wanderer," for which the bookseller gave her fifteen hundred pounds. Her husband died at Bath in 1818, but Madame D'Arblay survived him tiU the year 1840, when she died in the same city. The principal charac ters in " CamiUa " are supposed to represent the family of Mr. Lock ; and in another of her productions, Mr. Barclay, of Bury Hill, is deluie- ated with equal truth. " Fidehty and accuracy of detaU," says Mr. Timbs, "render her sketches striking examples of knowledge of men and manners, and superior descriptive skUl. They are equal in effect to the most exquisite touches in a highly-finished portrait." — Promenade round Dorking, p. 138. Mickleham. The Httle sequestered church of this parish was alteredV about 1824, by Mr. P. F. Robinson, Architect, who pubhshed a small foho tract, to explain and illustrate, by twenty prints, the alterations he made. In attempting to imitate the Norman style and character, he has rendered the interior gloomy and chUly. In this vUlage resided Wm. Guthrie, an industrious and useful author, who is said, in the " Penny Cyclopaedia," to have been " one of the most industrious writers ever known, if he were author of all the volumiaous works to which his name is prefixed." These were, "A History of England," 3 vols, foho, "His tory of Scotland," 10 vols. 8vo. ; " General History of the World," 13 vols. 8vo.; "History ofthe Peerage," 1 vol. 4to., &c. &c. His "Geo graphical Grammar" passed through several editions, and is stiU printed 122 britton's auto-biography, appendix. as the best popular treatise on the subject. He died in 1770. In this village has resided for many years, my esteemed friend, S. W. Singer, Esq., editor of a very valuable edition of Shakspere's Works, printed in 1826, by Mr. Whittingham, of Chiswick, and of " Spence's Anecdotes, with Notes and a Life of the Author," 8vo. 1820; and author of "Re searches into the History of Playing Cards," 4to. 1816. The beautiful, retired, and truly picturesque scenery belonging to Burford Bridge, has made it a place of frequent resort by the lovers of such places, and a small comfortable inn, caUed the Hare and Hounds, furnishes the occasional resident with pleasant accommodations. It is at the base of Box-hiU, to the summit of which, a winding, steep path is worn by the frequent footsteps of strangers. The amiable and estimable Mrs. Barbauld has given expression to her feelings and admiration of this place, in stanzas which she wrote after spending a few days here ; as did also the Rev. T. S. Raffles, of Liverpool, whose lines are preserved in Timbs's interesting little volume, " A Picturesque Promenade round Dorking." (2nd edit., 12mo., 1823.) At the Grove, near Burford Bridge, the elegant and accomplished Marquess of Wellesley resided for some time. This sequestered place, bounded by the Mole and Box-hiU to the east, acquired celebrity from its romantic features, and the numerous inscribed tablets, which its pos sessor, Mr. Reeves, caused to be placed in diSerent parts of the grounds. ^ Mrs. Knowles, a fair quakeress, who fascinated even the severe and stern Dr. Johnson, wrote some stanzas descriptive of the stillness, sohtude, and pathos of this spot. Denbies. The late WUHam Joseph Denison, Esq., m.p., of this place, died in August, 1849. According to a statement in " The Times," of the 7th of September following, " He was possessed of a fortune of two mU lions and a half of money; affording a lesson which the mercantUe world cannot study too curiously." Little more than a century ago, his father, who was the son of a woollen cloth merchant at Leeds, had a great desire to try his fortune in London, and travelled by the waggon, being attended on his departure by his friends, who took a solemn leave of him, as the distance was then thought so great, that they might never see him again. He at flrst accepted a subordinate situation. Industrious, prudent, or rather parsimonious, and fortunate, he speedily advanced himself in the confidence and esteem of his employers, and married successively two denbies. — THE deepdene. 123 wives, with property. By his second, he was father of the late Mr. Denison, of the present Dowager Marchioness of Conyngham, and of the Dowager Lady Wenlock. Penurious to excess, he continued to amass wealth, and by joining the Hey woods, eminent bankers of Liverpool, his riches rapidly increased. His son continued the same career of money-getting, in the lucrative business of banking, and advanced the famUy fortune to the enormous and paralysing amount above stated. The larger portion of his riches he bequeathed to Lord Albert Conyngham, who now assumes the name of Denison, and who inherits the Denbies. South of, and apparently connected with Norbury, is The Deepdene, tiie seat of Henry Thomas Hope, Esq., who inherits it from his amiable and estimable parent, the late Thomas Hope, whose name is rendered eminent in the annals of art and Hterature, by his publications and Hberal patronage. At this seat he spent many years of an active and useful life, in altering and adding to the house, and the adjoining plantations. He traveUed over various parts of Europe and Asia, and coUected many fine works of art. His valuable works on " Household Furniture," " The History of Architecture," " Anastatius," and " The Origin and Prospects of Man," were partly written at the Deepdene. Here also he was often surrounded by some of the most distinguished personages of his age, and was in the habit of continually adding something new and interesting to his choice and valuable Hbrary, and to his coUection of works of art. Hence the visitor at the Deepdene was assured of continued and endless variety. Many happy days have I spent at this delightful place, and de rived not only varied and important advantages from the intellectual company assembled, but healthful benefit and enjoyment from the ex ercise and ever-varying scenery of the country around. The present Mr. Hope has made greater additions to the mansion, and has concentrated within it a large coUection of ancient sculpture, a great variety of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Vases, and also many fine pictures and choice books, from his town-house, in Duchess Street. [In the first part of this Auto- Biography wiU be found some account of my late lamented friend and patron, Mr. Thomas Hope; who is noticed also in Brayley's Surrey, Vol. T., p. 83.] Before this estate was purchased by the late Mr. Hope, it had been the property and residence of some of the Earls of Warren and Surrey, who were succeeded by the Earls of Arundel, afterwards Dukes of Nor- foUc. Charles, Duke of NorfoUs from 1777 to 1786, buUt the " new house " at the Deepdene, mentioned by Gilpin, in the account of Norbury already 124 britton's auto-biography, appendix. quoted. Sir WiUiam Burrell, Bart., afterwards purchased the property; which his son. Sir Charles Burrell, Bart., sold in 1821 to the late Thomas Hope, Esq. He, likewise, altered and enlarged the house, and made nu merous improvements in the pleasure grounds and gardens. It was his favourite country residence for many years, and descended, on his death, in 1831, to its present possessor. Henry Philip, the brother of Thomas Hope, purchased a property caUed Chert Park, adjoining the Deepdene, which he presented to his brother. Betchworth Park has also since been added to the estate by the present proprietor ; thus forming a domain of great extent, of vast variety of surface and scenery, and unparalleled in its many peculiar characteristics. Besides its last possessor, some of his predecessors were men of note in their times, and may justly rank with the worthies of our country. Thomas Hovpard, Earl of Arundel, was a conspicuous nobleman in the Courts of James I. and Charles I., but stUl more conspicuous in the records of fame, from the coUection of ancient Marbles, including the Parian Chronicle, &c., which he brought into this country, and which are now deposited in the University of Oxford. He also coUected a fine GaUery of Pictures, and sat to Vandyke for the exquisite portrait which is now in the Cleveland GaUery. [See my Catalogue Raisonni of that Gallery.] He not only traveUed through Italy, &c., to coUect works of art, but employed Sir John Evelyn and Sir WilHam Petty to purchase for him. Sir Edward Walker and Lord Clarendon have bequeathed to us interesting memoirs of this Earl of Arundel, as also has my late es timable friend, Edmund Lodge. A grandson of the former nobleman, the Honourable Charles How ard, next became possessed of the Deepdene, and devoted nearly the whole of his time and fortune to plant and improve its grounds and gar dens, to make caves in the sand-hUls, and to the pursuit of chemical ex periments. Devoted to Literature and Science, he was ever studiously employed. He erected a new mansion at this place, made a laboratory in one of the caves, and, according to Aubrey, was a truly " Christian phi losopher, who in this iron age lives up to that of the primitive times." Lady Burrell wrote some eulogistic verses to his memory and vfrtues, in 1792, which are inscribed on a votive tablet in his laboratory cave. Charles Howard became Duke of Norfolk, and possessor of the Deepdene, in 1777, and was author of "Historical Anecdotes of the Howard FamUy," 8vo. 1769 ; "Considerations on the Penal Laws against Roman Catholics in England," 1764 ; also " Thoughts, Essays, and Maxims," 8vo. 1768. He built the house, as already stated. CHARLES, DUKE OF NORFOLK, 1786 TO 1815. 125 His successor, Charles Howard, Duke of Norfolk, was a remark able and eccentric personage of the last generation. A staunch Whig, he took a lead in the ranks of that party : as Earl Marshal of England he was noted in the Herald's College ; and was famous also as an agricul- turahst and promoter of science, but more pre-eminently for his convivi- ahty. In the last particular he vied with his illustrious and debauched associate, the Prince of Wales, and the reckless set of bon-vivants who held their frequent orgies at Carlton House and the Brighton PavUion. Many anecdotes are related of this eminently intemperate and roistering party. A popular physician of Brighton told me, that he had been sum moned in the night to hasten to the PaviHon, where he found the Prince, the Duke, and two others in a state of paralyzed and helpless intoxication. This freak was occasioned by a wager, which could drink the largest quan tity of wine, and surpass the others in piggish guzzling. The Duke only was seated in his chair when my friend arrived, and was then employed on his sixth bottie. " The habits of the late Duke," says Mr. Timbs, "were truly eccentric. In his person and dress he was singularly neghgent, and when passing through the town of Dorking, with his splendid equipage, he has fre quendy been known to caU and settle the most unimportant business with his tradesmen. A rich volume of anecdote, weU stored with humour and sparkhng wit, might indeed be easUy drawn from the life of this noble man, who in originality of character was not exceUed, and scarcely rival led by any of his contemporaries." The Duke occasionally occupied the Deepdene from 1786 till 1791, when he sold the property to Sir WUliam BurreU, Bart. In 1807 he commenced a new house at Henfold, near Dorking, but never flnished it. According to Timbs, who wrote in 1823, " it was then occupied only by owls and foxes, which abounded in this neighburhood." He died on the 16th of September, 1815, and was bu ried in Dorking Church. The funeral of this nobleman was conducted with extravagant parade and aristocratic display. All the useless pa geantry of heraldry was exercised in the arrangement of the procession from London to Dorking, and the church was crowded with eager spec tators. The ceremony was closed by the Deputy Garter, who proclaimed over the grave the " style and rank " of this " Most High, Mighty, and Most Potent Prince;" embracing (besides the Dukedom) Earldoms, Baronies, and other titles of honour, to the number of nearly thirty. Such was the pomp, pageantry, and pantomimic show, of the funeral obsequies, the last scene, of an Earl Marshal of England. 126 britton's auto-biography, appendix. In Chert Park is a famUy mausoleum, buUt by the late Thomas Hope, Esq., in which are deposited his own remains, and those of two of his sons. In this park was a Vineyard, planted by the Honourable Charles Howard, from which wine was made. The house was demolished, as has also been that called Betchworth Castle. The latter was pur chased, in 1727, by Abraham Tucker, Esq., who was author of a meta physical work, called " The Light of Nature Pursued." His youngest daughter bequeathed the estate to Sir Henry Paulet St. John MUdmay, Bart., who sold it to Henry Peters, Esq., a London banker. A mansion, called a castle, was seated on a flne terrace at the eastern extremity of a large park abounding with old and flne timber trees, amongst which the Spanish chestnut abounds in vast numbers. The late Sir John Soane was employed by Mr. Peters to make additions and improvements to the man sion ; but when I viewed it in the year 1810, it was not calculated for the residence of a country gentleman of property and taste. The once-celebrated bon-vivant, Captain Charles Morris, resided some years at Brookham Court Lodge, where he occasionaUy assembled some of his convivial associates. His fame was stamped by the popular Anacreontic songs, which he frequently produced for the meetings of the " Whig Club," and the " Beef-steak Club." Here were first produced his very popular songs of " BUly's too young to drive us," and " BiUy Pitt and the Farmer," &c. His " Ad Populum " procured for him the prize of the gold cup, from the Harmonic Society. His "Address by the Whig Poet, to his Old Buff Waistcoat," is highly characteristic of the fluency of his versification and wit. " FareweU, thou poor rag of the Muse ! In the bag of the clothesman go lie : A sixpence thou'lt fetch from the Jews, Which the hard-hearted Christians deny. Twenty years in adversity's spite, I bore thee most proudly along : Stood jovially buff to the fight. And won the world's ear with my song. But prosperity's humbled thy case : Thy friends in full banquet I see. And the door kindly shut in my face, Thou'st become a fool's garment to me. Poor rag ! thou art welcome no more. The days of thy service ai-e past. Thy toils and thy glories are o'er. And thou and thy master are cast." There are fifteen more stanzas of the same character. The Captain's CAPT. MORRIS : ROBT. BARCLAY : JOHN EVELYN. 127 writings are published in two octavo volumes, under the title of " Lyra Urbanica, or Social Effusions." He died July 18th, 1838, aged 93, and was buried in Betchworth churchyard. " Many of his convivial songs," says Brayley, " are without a parallel for their glowing cheerfulness, rich and racy humour, good sense, and tme social feeling." The Beef-steak Club presented him with an elegant sUver bowl, on which, at the age of 90, he thus comments in his usual strain : " When my spirits are low, for relief and delight I StiU place your splendid memorial in sight ; And caU to my Muse, when Care strives to pursue. Bring the Steaks to my memory, and the Bowl to my view." The highest point of a wooded ridge, west of the Deepdene, and south of the town of Dorking, is planted with firs, and is called Dorking's Glory. Further west, and a still more lofty point, is the apex of Leith Hill, which commands most extensive, diversified, and picturesque pros pects in every direction. The hiU itself is as wUd as in the time of the an cient Britons, and, from its abrupt declivities and soU, seems insusceptible of cultivation. On the summit of the hill is a ruinous tower, which was erected in 1766 as a landmark and prospect-place, by Richard HuU, Esq., a native of Bristol, and Bencher of the Temple, who had a country house at Leith HUl Place, in the immediate vicinity, where he died in 1772, in the 83rd year of his age. His remains were interred in the tower. The Barclays, of Bury Hill, are noted for their good deeds in the disfrict of their home. Robert Barclay, Esq., purchased this estate in 1805, and has since made great improvements to the house and grounds. The amiable characteristics of the family are vividly painted by Miss Burney, as noticed in a preceding page. Wotton Place, the seat and home of the Evelyn Family, cannot fail to awaken many pleasing reminiscences in the minds of antiquaries, topographers, and biographers. The name and fame of John Evelyn have, within the last few years, attained high repute, in consequence of his "Diary," "Miscellaneous Writings," and numerous criticisms, essays, &c., which have been published on those works. Mr. Evelyn was a man of rank and influence in the turbulent and dissipated age of the first and second Charleses, and the fanatical one of Cromwell. His amusing "Diary" furnishes much curious and interesting matter iUustrative of his times and the personages with whom he associated, in London, the country. 128 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. and in foreign cities. He lived to the ripe old age of 86, and was buried in the family vault of Wotton Church. The Monumental Chapel is shown in Brayley's Surrey, in which work is a fac-simile of a letter from Evelyn to Archbishop Tenison, imploring his Lordship's " extraordinary power with God " in his behalf, for having spent a " large period of life " use lessly, he being then aged 60, in the year 1680. This is a singular epistle, as indicative of the heart and head of the writer, as well as of the state of the higher ranks of society at the time when it was written. William Bray, Esq., f.s.a., was Lord of the Manor of Shere, from the death of his brother, George Bray, Esq., in 1803, till his own decease in the year 1832, in the 97th year of his age. This very respectable gen tleman, from an early age, was attached to antiquarian and literary pur suits, and was an active member of the Society of Antiquaries from 1771, till old age, and consequent infirmity, disqualified him for personal exertion. He was one of the treasurers from 1803 to 1829. In 1778 he wrote " A Sketch of a Tour into Derbyshire and Yorkshire," 8vo., which was published anonymously ; but to the second edition, 1783, he affixed his name. He is, however, more distinguished and respected for the part he took in " The History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey," begun by the Rev. Owen Manning, of Godalming. The three volumes of this topographical work were respectively published in 1804, 1809, and 1814 ; and it is but bare justice to Mr. Bray to state, that he visited aU the churches, but two, in the county, and took notes of every monument. At the close of this arduous labour he had reached his 78th year, and then edited " The Memoirs of John Evelyn," 2 vols. 4to. He was born at Shere in 1736, and was buried there in December, 1832. [See Bray ley's Surrey, Vol. v., p. 193.] Near Shere is Abinger Hall, formerly the seat and property of the late eminent Sir James Scarlett. At the bar he became very popular, from his commanding figure, voice, and elocution, and consequently ob tained much practice and wealth. He was a Member of ParHament, and enjoining the Whig administration, was knighted and appointed SoHcitor- General. He soon, however, united with the Conservatives, and was Attorney-General under the Duke of Wellington's administration. Sir Robert Peel made him Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and created him Baron Abinger in 1835. He died at Bury St. Edmund's, when on cU- cuit, in his 75th year, and his corpse was removed to and interred in the churchyard of Abinger. albury. — MILTON COURT. 129 Albury Park " is a place of considerable note," says Mr. Brayley {Surrey, Vol. v., p. 167), " arising, possibly, from its early history being associated with the name of ' Sylva' Evelyn, by whom the artificial im provements of the grounds were originally planned." In his "Diary" he says, " I designed for Mr. Howard, at Albury, in 1667, the canal and garden, with a crypt through the hUl." This place is equaUy noted, as the property and residence of the Earls of Aylesford, Admiral Finch, Samuel Thornton, m.p.. Governor of the Bank of England, and Henry Drummond, Esq., a wealthy banker in London. A large house, within the Park, was built by the Earl of Aylesford in 1714, which was much en larged by the admii-al above-named, and stUl further by Mr. Drummond. The last gentleman is distinguished by his patronage, and adhesion to the docteines, of the late Rev. Edward Irving, the celebrated Scotch preacher, "whose glowing oratory and bold figurative language, in the first instance, and afterwards his strangely eccentric opinions in respect to 'the Un known Tongues,' excited extraordinary attention during the years from 1822 to 1834." [Brayley.] To promote the tenets and favour the disci ples of this infatuated man, Mr. Drummond erected a Church, or cathedral, for the Irvingites, wherein their service is conducted under a peculiar system of ordination, of which Mr. Drummond officiated as the high-priest, or " angel," but has been succeeded by Lord Sidmouth. The church is remarkable for its architecture, interior arrangement, and adornment. A new parish Church has also been erected here, by Mr. Drummond, in the Norman character of architecture, whilst that for the Irvingites is in the Pointed style. Both are from the designs of W. M'Intosh Brookes. At Farley Heath, in Albury parish, is the "Old Camp," an ancient en trenchment, which was doubtless occupied, if not formed by the Romans. Coins, fragments of Roman lile, urns, and other ancient pottery have been found, strewn on the heath. Martin Farquhar Tupper, Esq., the learned author of "Proverbial PhUosophy," and other literary works, who resides at Albury, has published some account of the antiquities of this locality, in the " Numismatic Chronicle," for October, 1840. He has lately taken an active part in estabhshing " The Alfred Jubilee," of Oct. 25, 1849, at Wantage, the birth-place of that estimable man and monarch. There are several places on the north side of Leith HiU, which have been the homes and haunts of persons whose good deeds and eminent talents have given to their names, not merely local renown, but distinction and glory in the annals of their country. Jeremiah Markland lived at Milton Court, and was buried in the church of Dorking, where James K 130 britton's auto-biography, appendix. Heywood Markland, ll.d., has placed a tablet to his memory. Mr. Mark- land was a distinguished scholar and critic, born in London, 1693, and died in 1776, in the 83rd year of his age. His Hterary works, ui Greek and Latin, are numerous. Lodging with a widow at Milton, he engaged in a law-suit to protect her from the oppressive injustice and cruelty of her son, who prevailed on her to assign the whole of her property to him. In this litigation, and in assisting the family, he spent nearly the whole of his income, and was reduced to live on a smaU annuity in the latter part of his life. Dorking is a large and respectable town, in the centre of very fine and picturesque scenery, and justly noted for the salubrity of its soU, and genial effects of its cHmate. This town will hereafter be memorable in the topographic annals of the county from having been the home of an honest and worthy tradesman, who, on his own resources and energy, produced "A History of Surrey," in flve quarto volumes, which is highly creditable to the printer, the author, and the artists concerned in its ex ecution. Mr. Robert Best Ede, a Printer, Bookseller, and Chemist, of this town, undertook the responsibUity of this arduous work, but did not live to witness its completion. He expended several thousand pounds upon it ; and at its close, in 1845, his widow, who died soon afterwards, was a loser to a large amount. The work was originally planned, and its flrst prospectus written, by myself. At Polesden, the once-noted wit and orator, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, lived for some years, where he occasionally entertained his pohtical, dramatic, and literary associates. The estate was purchased by the trustees of Mr. Sheridan's second wife, and was consequently se cured to her, for he was unfitted to be trusted with property. Never, perhaps, were splendid talents and recklessness more intimately blended than in this heedless man. With the sure prospect of securing wealth and honours, by his commanding eloquence, and the station which he early obtained in the highest ranks of Hfe, he neglected and forfeited aU by his dissipation and extravagance ; and after a life of foUy — of alternate splendour and poverty — he died at the age of 65, in the year 1816; pitied by the admirers of genius, and despised by honest men. The town of Leatherhead, with its old, stunted Church-tower, is seen from the Norbury grounds, spreading over a slope of the opposite hUls. The gardens of the Manor House, of the Vicarage, the Priory, leatherhead. 131 and of other buUdings, are disposed in terraces, rising abruptly from the east bank of the Mole. Near the bridge over this river, was the ale house, or cabaret, kept by Eleanor Rummyng, whose name and fame are recorded in the poetry of Skelton. In this viUage resided for many years the Rev. James Dallaway, who was vicar of the parish, and died there in 1834. He was editor and author of several literary works; but, though he received what is commonly called a leaimed education, was a most in accurate and careless writer : his " Discourses on Architecture" is one of the most erroneous volumes I was ever doomed to examine. The ar chitectural student cannot trust to one date in the whole work. [See Mr. Brayley's " History of Surrey," Vol. iv., p. 438.] In the churchyard of Leatherhead are deposited the remains of Richard Ddppa, Esq., author of the "Life of Michael Angelo," and of other literary works on the Arts, and foreign travel. This gentieman's writings abound in sound criticism, and discriminating information. At tached to the Arts, he voluntarily apprenticed himself early in life to WUham Byrne, the engraver of " Hearne and Byrne's Antiquities," and executed a few plates. He afterwards entered one of the Inns of Court to study for the Bar, but never pursued the legal profession. He died in 1831, aged 64. In the church is a marble tablet, commemorating the lamentable death of Miss H. M. Cholmondely, who was kUled by the overthrow of a ba rouche, on turning the corner of a street in the town, Oct. 6th, 1806. The Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Carohne, and two other ladies with her, were on theii' way to visit the Lock family, when this distressing accident happened. In a ceUar of the Manor Hoiise, nearly opposite to the church, the notorious Judge Jefferies was concealed from legal officers soon after the memorable revolution of 1688. Forsaking this retreat, he disguised him self as a coal porter, and ventured to London, where he was arrested at a public-house in Wapping, on the 12th of December, 1688, and com mitted to the Tower, where he died shortly afterwards. Such was the catastrophe of a heartless, cruel villain, who was "the ever-ready and wUling agent of a cruel and despotic king." [Brayley's Surrey, iv., 434.] At the southern end of the town is The Priory, which was " Gothicized " and enlarged by WilHam Cotton, Esq., f.s.a., who resided in it for some years, and ornamented its chief apartments with choice books and works of art. [A view and account of this house, with a catalogue of its Hbrary and works of art, was printed by Mr. Cotton, to present to his friends.] account of " Kf)e ^vitton OIIuli," read at norbury P.\RK, surrey, the seat of THOMAS GRISSELL, ESQ., r.s.A. July 10, 1819. " Kind friends, dear friends : peace be unto this meeting; joy and good sense, health and best wishes ever." " Lend me your ears," and " I wiU a tale unfold," which if not calculated to " harrow up the soul," or to arouse intense interest and sympathy, will yet, I trust, make some impression on your feelings : for each and all of you have been concerned in the move ments and history of our club. I wUl relate to you, as briefly and simply as possible, some of the characteristics of this social and friendly conclave. Its assembly at this picturesque and classic place, has been occasioned by the recent purchase, and present occupation of it, by Mr. Grissell. Our Club, though neither aged nor decrepid, has lived long; and, based as it is on the sympathies of the human heart, with a superstruc ture of friendship and good feeHng, it may stUl live for many years, to cultivate congeniality of sentiment and mutual kindness amongst its mem bers, as weU as charity and forbearance towards the whole family of man. On the 7th of July, 1845, nearly one hundred gentlemen assembled at the Castle Hotel, Richmond, at a PubHc Dinner given to comphment me on attaining my 74th year, and on account of what they termed the extent and usefulness of my Hterary publications. It was then unani mously resolved that some permanent Testimonial should be offered to me, as a token of their approbation. Respecting the nature of such Tes timonial, different plans were suggested; but being unable to reconcUe myself to either, I proposed to write an Auto-Biography, and present a copy to each subscriber. That work is now printing, and in a few more months I hope to see its completion. That it has entailed on me a large amount of labour, will, I think, be apparent to every reader who may scan its pages, and reflect on the memorable times which it reviews ; the various eminent persons and places, and the remarkable events, which it briefly notices : nor can it fail to be observed, that no smaU share of solicitude has prompted the pen in recording facts and opiidons, whUst an earnest and honest endeavour to be strictiy impartial and discrimina ting, has been the aim and end of the writer. On the 13th of the foUowing December, a select party of these gentlemen dined together at the Free masons' Tavern, London, when it was agreed to form a Club, and meet, during the winter, at each others' houses. The "sayings and doings" of the "Britton Club," had they been duly and graphically chronicled, would by this time have formed an interesting THE BRITTON CLUB. 133 chapter in the Auto-Biography of the individual in whose name the Club was founded; and had they been wi'itten by Douglas Jerrold, Charles Dickens, Laman Blanchard, or George Godwin, they would be read with avidity, and remembered with pleasure. For apathetic must that heart be which cannot sympathize with, and cordially enjoy, the overflow of hearts attuned to friendship and to the amenities of life. Man is a gregarious, social animal ; and, fi-om the earhest ages to the present time, we find that he has ever been eager to cultivate intercourse with those of congenial thoughts and habits. Hence Societies on large, and Clubs on smaU, scales have been formed; friendships have been cemented, and the otherwise rough and rugged paths of Hfe have been smoothed and Macadamized. From the Free-Masons' and the Novioma- gians', to the Odd FeUows' and the Beef-steak Clubs, there are many shades and grades of fi-aternal, friendly, and useful associations. Let us rank this amongst their number, and whUst we cultivate and cherish social intercourse, and the "gaieties and gravities" of conversation, let us en deavour to blend wisdom with wit, and thus verify the old maxim by being at once " merry and wise." Had I the talent of either of the gentiemen mentioned above, I might hope to do justice to the annals of the Britton Club, by a graphic de scription of the conversations and anecdotes which have enlivened its meetings. Wit and mirth, with abundance of good humour, have pre vaUed; whilst repartee, conundrum, and epigram, have given Hght and shade, vivacity and vitaHty, to each successive scene. If, in the exube rance of the moment, a word or a remark has accidentally broken out, of a pohtical or polemical nature, or calculated to create difference of opinion on party or rehgious questions, it has been instantly checked by the play- fid banter, or badinage, of a brother Brittonian. In the days of yore — at least two hundred years ago — when Shakspere, Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, with other wits and worthies of the EHz- abethan age, assembled at the Mermaid, we are told they " Heard words that had been So nimble, and so fuU of subtUe flame. As if that every one &om whom they came Had meant to put his whole wit in a jest. And had resolved to Uve a fool the rest Of his dull life." So in the sportive race of rivalry at our board, each has evinced an eager ness to surpass, and keep " a-head " of the others, by " Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles. Nods, and becks, and wreathed smUes ; Sport, that wrinkled Care derides. And Laughter, holding both his sides.' 134 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. With such ingredients and dispositions, it may be fairly presumed and hoped that this Club may emulate, if it faUs to surpass, the famed poetical one of Shakspere's days, or nights; or the joyous and intellectual " Literary Club " of Johnson, Burke, Reynolds, Garrick, Goldsmith, and their contemporaries. By emulating the "sayings and doings" of such men and such times, the mind is rendered more susceptible of appreci ating and enjoying the round game of Conversation, where hearts are trumps, and where the best wit is sure of having aU the honours. Although, at the meetings of our Social Club, it is not a regular prac tice to drink personal healths, they are sometimes introduced, to diversify routine, and give expression to the promptings of the head and heart. At the house of Mr. HUl, ci-devant Sheriff" of London, on the 10th of June 1849, Mr. Jordan (the veteran editor of the "Literary Gazette") was complimented in connection with the Periodical Press; to which toast he made a reply, replete with erudition, acute criticism, and witty com ment. Part of this was so gratifying to the feelings of some of my friends, that I begged the speaker would endeavour to recoUect and commit it to paper ; and I am surprised to flnd it so accurately recalled and recorded, after an interval of seven weeks. Breaking off from a happy strain of jocularity and comic raillery, he said : — " But to be more serious, and turn our attention rather to what has originated, and forms the peculiar pleasure and enjoyment of the Britton Club, let me, as having some ex perience in Uterary matters, offer a few words on the career of our Founder. I can the better perform the ofiice, from having myself been plunged headlong into the life, or rather, let me say, the Sea of literature ; tossed at once among its stormy waves ; and knovring what it is, even when most successful, to struggle with them. In such cases the aid of kind friends wiU often enable you to get over a breaker or avoid a lee-shore, but it is rarely enough to keep your head entirely above water and bring you safely into port. The career of our worthy and esteemed Founder has been of different and happier aspects. No douht he had his first great difiiculties to encounter, and many annoyances and troubles since to endure. But, on the whole, his literary life has been an unusually happy one. As if looking down from Shakspere's tall cliff, I can perceive his Uttle boat first launched on the waters, the surge breaking on the coast, and the anxiety and peril of getting through into the com parative calm beyond. The effort, so honourable to him and his condition, was crovmed vrith the success it deserved ; and I see him safely moored on the outside of the white foaming biUows. And what is this ? Another adventure, and the Uttle boat has grown into a vessel of some size and burden, upon which the craft around look with increasing respect. Again, this vessel has become a bark ; and by and bye, thanks to talents, perseverance, in dustry, and enterprise, that bark is metamorphosed into a splendid Ship, ridiug nobly on the waves, amid the congratulations and esteem of such a society as this, and simUar sen timents in the universal public. Such has been the prosperous course of our friend; may his shadow never be less ! May we long and often enjoy the treat of meeting him in health of body and mind as he is now present amongst us ; and when old age shall bring him to an end, ' goodness and he fill up one monument' ! Of his private and personal claims upon our affections, I shaU say nothing. I am pleased that you should receive my simUe so LINES ON THE BRUTON CLUB. 135 good-naturedly ; but where there is so much concord nothing comes amiss, from the lively pun or anecdote even to the oft-told tale, or such an attempt as mine to be serious for three minutes." At one of our recent meetings, the following verses, by the same "ready writer," were produced, not only specifying the names of aU its members, but intimating some of their characteristics : — LAUS CLAV^ BRITTONIS. In early age I sported with the Muse, A laughing, romping, froHc-loving dame ; But now, grown old and staid, she wiU not choose To have a bit of lark at any game. Not like John Britton She, advanced in years To pin experience on her snowy cap. To Hst the youthful beUes, whose notes she fears. And dreads being caught in Folly's tempting trap. She knows not how 'twould moderate the sound. And stUl aUow the music to remain ; The jocund jingle fling on all around, WhUst general mirth re-echoed back the strain. Not she, — demure and methodistic puss ! She looks at joyous humours aU askance; Against jest, fun, and revel makes a fuss. And soon as join them would the Polka dance. ShaU I not teach her, yet, how good it is. And how becoming well in folks of sense. To welcome joUity in days like this. And with duU, cold, formalities dispense ? Yes ! here's the lesson : fiU a bumper, flU ; You who love stories, howsoever old, WUl swill a bumper toast to Sheriff Hill, Whose tales can never be too often told. Another health : it is to Mr. Gould* To whom we look the Canadas to save. Though here he jests, in rough good humour roll'd, As if no Empire's cares e'er made him grave. • Nathaniel Gould, an eminent London Merchant, with extensive connections in British North America, and Chairman of the Commercial Dock Company. 136 britton's auto-biography, appendix. And here's to Tooke, who cannot be mistaken. Who makes, himself, and prompts to others' riot , Enough for him to keep from scathe his bacon ; Though if 'twere hurt, he stUl could not be quiet. To humble William Cubitt* pass the toast. Looking so sly, and poking out his fun ; Whose sense and information rule the roast. And yet will not have either oyer-done. And Thomas,'^ best of builders and of men, FuU of good works, nor less of pregnant mind ; Who made a home for Hudson, whom a den Is now bawled out for by base human kind. And Dr. Conolly, he of the insane. The feeling friend, making the sad the glad. Who seems to like us aU the better when We, like his Hanwell patients, go " the mad." Not so the Gibbons,* luck'ly Sill, not Bill,\\ On shewing up, and mischief ever bent. Yet under whose warm roof on Winchmore HiU, No man could think the longest time mis-spent. * Joint-Sheriff of London and Middlesex with Charles HUl, Esq., above-mentioned. The Shrievalty of these gentlemen was noted for the unity, harmony, and hospitality which characterized it, and for the zeal and activity which they manifested in all their ofScial duties. t Thomas Cubitt, the architect and builder of the Albert Gate Mansion, Hyde Park, inhabited by Mr. Hudson, once called " the Railway King." Mr. Cubitt also originated Belgrave Square and the New Town in its vicinity, and has buUt nearly the whole of the fine houses which adorn that noble district. He designed, and has nearly completed the erection of Osborne Palace, in the Isle of Wight, the favourite residence of Her Majesty. X Mr. suis Gibbons, of Winchmore HUl, at whose house these Unes were recited to the assembled members. II The worthy BiU Gibbons (no connection of our comrade) was a drunken pick-pocket : BO celebrated that his portrait was hung in one of the Eoyal Academy Exliibitions. Upon it was written the following epigram addressed to the artist — " Though you are one of Fuseli's scholars This question I beg to propose ; How the h-U could you use water colours In painting Bill Gibbons's nose?" lines on the britton CLUB. 137 And Peter Cunningham, of antique lore, A hand-book and a head-book, both so pat. Whose converse shews you it is not a bore To mix the ancient speech with modern chat. And next beside, the gracious Godwin sits. The BuUder oracle, and Builder's pet. Sententious, sportive, serious, gaj', by flts. Not the worst boon companion of the set. Then comes Grissell, of whom all men speak well. The hospitable owner of that Park * Of which Miss Burney had so much to tell. When far below its present social mark. Then L. C. Humfrey, who is eke Q. C. Learn'd or facetious as befits the hour. Of sense acute, and eloquently free. Model at once of lightness and of power. What think ye of such Club ? — There yet remain The Scribe, so oft reproved for wretched jest. To whom ye owe this load of doggrel strain. Proof that more ways than one he is a pest. And lastly, firstly, John of various fame. None higher than this social plan to have hit on. Thus crowning with immortal bays the name Of the true, gifted, honoured, lively Britton. Eat, then, and drink, be merry while ye may ; Toss the champagne, replenish oft the bowl ; Quaff, daff, laugh, quaff again ; our's the bright way, — The feast of frolic, and the flow of soul. » Norbury Park, already noticed in the preceding pages. The name of Mr. Grissell is familiarly known as conducting an extensive buUding estabUshment, in conjunction with his late partner, Mr. Peto. The Houses of Parliament, the Colosseum, and many other great public edifices and railway works, have been contracted for, and carried on with great abUity, by those gentlemen. Cestimom'eig of Stitn'ti&f)ip. ADDRESS TO ARTISTS, PKEFIXED TO A COLLECTION OF SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH GRAPHIC ART: Being Drawings, Sketches, and Engravings, presented to John Bkitton, by the Artists, with Biographical Memoranda. 1836. " The Star of Genius must tlie Ught impart, That leads us to the promised land of Art. — Some powerful Genius leaves his age behind. And sets his mark on each succeeding mind ; Derides the source whence all perfection's sought, The track of study, and the train of thought." Shee, "Elements of Art." An early love for the Fine Arts induced me to cultivate the friendship of its professors at the commencement of my literary career. That par tiality has strengthened vri.th age ; and I reflect with pleasure on the number, and varied qualifications, of the Painters, Sculptors, Architects, and Engravers with whom I have successively been acquainted, from the year 1795 to 1835, and with many of whom I have enjoyed friendly in tercourse. Of those whose works and conversation have afforded me both pleasure and instruction, but " who have shuffled off their mortal coU," I name the foUowing, with mingled feelings of pleasure and pain : the former arising from having known such men, and the latter from the con viction that I can never see them again. I have preserved specimens of their professional works, with autograph letters, which wiU occasionaUy call up pleasing reminiscences, and bring before the eye and mind something tangible of their " sayings and doings." With the venerable and estimable Mr. West, I became acquainted in 1800, when he far- nished me with interesting historical memoranda of Windsor Castle, and its choice collection of pictures. At that time Mr. Holloway had com menced his flrst drawing from RaffaeUe's Cartoon of "Paul Preaching at Athens." With both these eminent artists I continued in friendly inter course tUl their respective deaths. Hearne, Alexander, and Edridge, formed a trio of congenial spirits ; whose amiable manners in private life created the esteem of all who knew them, whilst thefr varied drawings were coveted and admired. Those, with Thomas Girtin, Paul Sandby, ENGLISH ARTISTS. 139 and Edward Dayes, were the principal, ahnost the only landscape-drafts men of that time ; and from each I obtained specimens of their respective works. At the commencement of " The Beauties of England and Wales" and " The Architectural Antiquities," I experienced much difficulty in obtaining good and correct Topographical and Antiquarian Drawings; and it was equally difficult to procure a sufficient number of Engravings to satisfy at once the Author, the Publisher, and the Public. Messrs. Walker, Bonner, Angus, Basire, John Landseer, Middiman, and W. Byrne were the chief masters in the art ; but they had pupils and assistants, who soon came into the fleld, to show that the Arts were mul tiplying and improving. Among these, John and Henry Le Keux, George and William Cooke, and J. Roffe, have produced a great number of Engravings, which have honoured themselves and their coun try. John Smith and J. C. Smith also engraved several plates for the works aUuded to. Among other contemporary artists, since deceased, I must not omit the names of my respected friends Sir Thomas Lawrence, John Flaxman, William Lowry, James Wyatt, Julius Ibbetson, James Northcote, T. R. Underwood, Prince Hoare, James Barry, Henry Bone, Edward Bird, Charles Muss, Valentine Green, G. F. Robson, John Varley, F. Nash, Joseph Nollekens, John Bacon, P. Munn, Sir Wm. Beechey, J. Young, J. Constable, T. and R. Barker, Henry Howard, Richard Smirke, Thomas Stothard, A. Raimbach, R. Warren, Sir David Wilkie, &c. ; specimens of whose professional works I am proud to possess. To class and arrange productions which serve to indicate the professional talents of the respective parties, and accompany them with Autograph Letters, Portraits, and Biography, wUl afford me rational amusement and interesting occupation for the remainder of life. From the year 1798 to the present time, I have written and pubhshed numerous Volumes on the Topography, Antiquities, and Fine Arts of our country. These have given employment to many Artists, and also brought some of them into pubhc notice and fame. Several of the most emment Draftsmen and Engravers of the present time, and others who have closed their worldly career, have their names recorded in "The Beauties of Eng land and Wales," in "The Architectural" and "Cathedral Antiquities," in the "Picturesque Views," and "Antiquities of English Cities," in "Il lustrations of the Public Buildings of London," in " The Fine Arts of the English School," in "The Magazine of Fine Arts," in "The Union of Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting," &c. 140 britton's auto-biography, appendix. On the embellishments of these and other works more than Twenty Thousand Pounds have been expended: and it is a circumstance not much known, that at the time I speculated on publishing "Robson's Views of Cities " (at an expense of more than Two Thousand Pounds), not one Bookseller would join in, or undertake the work, in consequence of the badness of business — the panic that prevailed — and the few books of luxury that were then sold. The Engravers had but Httle to do, whence some expressed themselves more than commonly obliged for the example thus set. Soon afterwards, some of the "Annuals" commenced, and the cheapness of their Prints from Steel Plates has created a new era in Art. The skill and beauty manifested in many of the modern works, combined with good printing, and tasteful wood-cuts, conspfre to render modern EmbelHshed Literature both an advantage to our country, and an honour to its Sciences and its Arts. Proposeti ^mti& for i\^t ^Preserbatton of antipities. In the year 1837, 1 addressed the following Letter to the Gentleman's Magazine, but was unable to prosecute the subject. Since that time the Archseological Societies of London, and in di2"erent country towns, have been formed, and have espoused the guardianship here recommended. Mr. Urban, In a new edition, lately published, of my " Picture of London," I have noticed a striking circumstance in the present condition of the Metropolis. Almost all the old buUdings, and other vestiges of antiquity, have successively disappeared, to give place to modern improvements. Westminster Abbey Church and the Hall, with part of Saint Stephen's Chapel, the Temple Church, part of the Priory Church of Saint Bar tholomew the Great, the Tower, Saint Saviour's Church, and Crosby HaU, are the chief, and almost the only specimens of architectural antiquities, left to adorn and give interest to old London ; and but for the zealous and praise-worthy exertions of a few active and energetic individuals, some of these buUdings would long since have been destroyed, or greatly P,R0P0SED " GUARDIAN OF ANTIQUITIES." 141 reduced in dimensions and character. Subscriptions to a considerable amount have been collected to renovate and preserve the architectural fea tures of the Lady Chapel of Saint Saviour's, Southwark, and Crosby Hall. Iconoclasts have prevailed in different ages and distant countries, but their reckless and heartless misdeeds are now justly reprobated. StUl the preservers and guardians of works of art and antiquity have not yet been enroUed as a body. It is time they were ; and in an age like the present, when the enhghtened part of mankind either really feel, or affect, a regard for aU works of antiquity, and more especially such as have either beauty or historic interest attached to them, it is thought that a Society may be FORMED IN the BrITISH METROPOLIS, WITH AGENTS OR MEMBERS IN OTHER PARTS OE THE KINGDOM, TO WATCH OVER AND PRESERVE THE REMAINING ANCIENT WORKS FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION OR MUTILATION. It may be said that Churches, Mansions, Tombs, &c. ought to be pro tected by their legal guardians ; but it is lamentably known that these very persons are sometimes their wanton and mercenary spoliators. The zealous and high-minded antiquary has his feelings continually annoyed, in traveUing through the country, by the entire extinction of many flne buUdings and monuments of remote ages, and the mercUess and taste less disfiguration of others : he has, however, the consolation and pleasure of seeing and examining some which still remain, as memorials of the science and talents of times far remote from our own. He has witnessed some of these carefully preserved from dilapidation, — others renovated after the decay of age or accident, but others left to moulder from wea ther, or suffer mutUation from mischievous and reckless boys and men. To guard such as remain from further deterioration and destruction, — to advise and assist legal authorities, — to be the means of preserving and conveying down to future ages those works of real beauty and interest, which are now neglected or doomed to annihilation — it is proposed to establish a Society, to be caUed " The Guardian of Antiquities." It wUl not be necessary, at present, to enter into further detaUs. In the ensuing winter it is hoped that the Society wUl be organized, and placed under the management of a President, Vice-Presidents, a Council, &c. Yours, &c. J. Britton. 3llu£itratiutt6 of iConUon* In the Second Part of this Auto-Biography, an analysis has been given of my various publications on London Topography. I have since found a small Essay, which I wrote, con amore, on the same subject, in the year 1819 ; and which I am induced to insert below. It was written for Mr. Triphook, of Old Bond Street, a respectable bookseller, and intended to describe an illustrated copy of "Pennant's London," which I believe surpassed that formed by John Charles Crowle, Esq., and presented by him to the British Museum in the year 1811.* At the sale of the library of the notorious banker, Henry Fauntleroy, I purchased, for six hundred and fifty guineas, his " IUustrated Pennant," which contained more than two thousand drawings, priats, autographs, &c. It forms six large folio volumes, bound in russia; and is in the Soane Museum, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Many other copies of the same work, extensively and vai-iously Ulus trated, might be referred to ; as the rage for thus " illuminating" London has been carried to a great extent by persons who are partial to topog raphy. To fan this spark into a flame, the late Mr. Faulder, Bookseller, printed an edition of Pennant's volume, on folio atlas paper, in 1801, for the express purpose of illustration; and a copious Index to the same work was afterwards printed by Thomas Downes. The Rev. Dr. Wel lesley, Master of New Inn Hall, Oxford, has made a large and choice coUection illustrative of the antiquities and topography of London ; and F. Crace, Esq., of Gloucester Place, London, who has devoted many years to the same object, has amassed a vast number of drawings and prints to shew " London as it was, and London as it is." The following remarks will convey some idea of the vastness of the Bri tish Metropolis, and of the extent of the materials calculated to Ulustrate it. A SPLENDID ILLUSTRATION OF PENNANT'S LONDON. * Opulent, enlarged, and still increasing London." — Cowper. The vast, the unportant, the unparalleled Metropolis of England, is alike interesting to the Prince, the Nobleman, and the Merchant ; — to the Topographer, the Antiquary, the Historian, and the Politician ; — to the * This consists of fourteen large folio volumes, and contains a large mass of drawings and prints of maps, plans, views of places and buildings, portraits, &c. Mr. Carpenter, the respectable Keeper of the Prints and Drawings in the Museum, has made a valuable manu script index to this work. illustrations of pennant's LONDON. 143 Artist, the Connoisseur, and the Gentleman. Its extent, treasures, and national fame, astonish the mind when minutely investigated; and whilst it excites the wonder of foreigners, it is a theme of admiration and com ment even to Enghshmen. This " human hive " of populousness and of wealth, has, however, graduaUy grown up from a small village — has suc cessively fluctuated in prosperity and in adversity — has been visited by sieges — ^plagues — pestUence — and fire ; and has likewise been the theatre of splendid fetes, and the arena of brutal conflicts. It wUl not be exaggeration to say, that at the present time it surpasses in extent and national importance any other city of the world. Whilst its commerce and trade almost defy calculation and comprehension, its numerous and various establishments for the promotion of art and science, the amelioration of mankind, and the improvement of intellect, render it an object of curiosity to the phUosopher, politician, and historian. It must be interesting to trace the progress of such a city, — to ascertain its features and pecuHarities, at different and remote periods ; and this can only be done by means of Maps, Plans, and Prints. These afford ocular proofs, for they show what it has been, and what it is ; and they impart amusement and information at the same time. They speak the only uni versal language, and are consequently understood by people of aU nations, by aU classes of society, and in aU stages of life. A vast collection of these is contained in the Series of Illustrations now announced, which may be regarded as a library of topographical and antiquarian information. It has been produced with great labour, great expense, and ceaseless care, and forms the most comprehensive, choice, and valuable Illustration of London ever yet collected and arranged. Though it will be impossible to convey an adequate idea of the extent of this splendid work, its con tents, and style of execution, yet it wiU be necessary to notice some of its peculiarities ; and thus prove its pretensions to the above eulogium. The work, when bound, wiU constitute twenty-four volumes in atlas folio; but as the whole is in loose sheets, and classed in appropriate portfolios, the possessor may please himself in making any arrangement he may choose. Although the Ulustrations are so very numerous, amounting to more than three thousand prints and drawings, the work is susceptible of great additions. Hence it may either be bound in its present very copious state, or its embellishments augmented to almost any extent. In general terms, it may be said to consist of maps, plans, portraits, views, armorial bearings, fragments of antiquity, &c. ; aU of which are calculated to dis play London at difi'erent seras — its past and present condition — its public and private edifices, both externally and internaUy — its celebrated and 144 britton's auto-biography, appendix. notorious inhabitants — remarkable persons and events connected with its history — memorable processions — festivities and fire- works — frost-fairs, &c. An illustration of this popular book is as amusing as it is instructive. It preserves the remembrance of the ancient state of London, and draws to a focus specimens of the abilities of many celebrated and ingenious artists of this and of other countries ; while it pays a just tribute to the memory of that esteemed topographer and antiquary,, the late Mr. Pen nant, who was himself an encourager of the arts, and- whose philanthropy and love of country are conspicuous in all his pubhcations. The collection exhibits, in the first place, a series of above one hundred maps, plans, and other engravings, showing a general view of London, both ancient and modern, its gradual increase and present improvements. This arrangement has at least the merit of novelty to recommend it : and immediately after it the iUustration of Pennant's work proceeds in detail. Another mode of embeUishment has been partiaUy adopted, which may be considered a great ornament to the work — the introduction of armorial bearings, properly emblazoned, in the margin of the letter-press : the brilliancy of effect produced by this rare and costly mode of Ulustra tion should be seen to be duly appreciated. Besides the pictured iUustrations, this work is enriched and elucidated by a very extensive collection of manuscript matter, above two hundred pages of which are neatly written, and uniformly inlaid. These embrace anecdotes of eminent persons, — accounts of costly feasts, — processions, — civic events, and Metropolitan memoranda. Among the Portraits will be found specimens of the works of many celebrated engravers, whose names are properly honoured in the annals of the arts: viz. Elstracke, Droeshout, Hollar, Mirevelt, Delaram, Cecil, the de Passes, Faithorne, MarshaU, Blooteling, Faber, Smith, White, M°Ardell, Van der Gucht, Houbraken, Vertue, Chamberlayne, WooUett, Rooker, Harding, Bartolozzi, &c. All the prints, among which will be found many of great rarity, have been selected with the utmost care and attention to the brilliancy of the impressions. Many of the rare specimens have cost the present proprietor from five to twenty guineas each : and are now of increased value. Among these may be named that very scarce and fine print of Queen Elizabeth, in the splendid dress she wore in procession to St. Paul's, after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, by C. de Pass, after Oliver ; also, that of Whittington, with the SkuU ; of which only four are known to be in existence. The topographical prints comprehend Inigo Jones's Series Ulustrative of Whitehall: — Hollar's Views of old St. Paul's: — Dart's Monuments illustrations of pennant's LONDON. 145 of Westminster Abbey Church;— Pyne's Tapestry of the House of Lords; —Smith's Etchings of London and Westminster; — Britton's Henry the Seventh's Chapel, Temple Church, and Crosby Hall ; — Malton's Views ; — Daniel's Panoramic Views of London, the Docks, and Bridges ; — and almost every other series and print of importance, or curiosity. Annexed to the whole is a Supplement, containing copies of all the Charters of London, lists of Lord Mayors, Sheriffs, Aldermen, &c.; also ofthe Bills of Mortality fi-om 1593 to 1758 (a work of great rarity), and much other Ulustrative and elucidatory matter. A copious Alphabetical Index to the whole work, and another index to the prints, are subjoined. These are so arranged that every print and subject may be referred to with the greatest facility. Without making any invidious comparison between this and other U- lustrated works, or intending to depreciate any celebrated collection, the Proprietor wishes to have the series here referred to, critically examined, and compared with the very choicest Ulustrated copy. He has seen some of the best, and can confidently say, that for rarity of prints, brilliancy of impressions, perfect state of paper, neatness and uniformity of inlaying, flatness and squareness of every leaf, and for extent and beauty, the pre sent very far surpasses all its predecessors and rivals. It may therefore be regarded as a precious treasure in any Hbrary; and an exhaustless source of entertainment and instruction. Whilst some thousands of pounds are frequently given for a single picture, here are concentrated, in one Hbrary, or gaUery, above three thousand pictures ; many of them rare, and all curious. This Topographical and Antiquarian Gallery, is also accompanied by its appropriate Catalogue Raisonn6 : each calculated to elucidate the other, impart knowledge, and afford amusement, to the possessor. The justly celebrated copy of Pennant's London, Illustrated by Mr. Crowle, has rendered his name noted in the annals of Ulustrated topography; but the coUection now announced for sale, is admitted by many persons of acknowledged taste and judgment to be superior to that admired work. [After this Essay was printed, the whole collection was dispersed by pubhc auction, as the proprietor faUed in selling it entfre. It may not be irrelevant to offer a few remarks on Modern London, as calculated to excite inquiry and reflection in the inquisitive reader.] October, 1849. In addition to its primary object, as an announce ment of Mr. Triphook's coUection, the preceding Essay was intended to indicate the magnitude and importance of the British MetropoHs. Thirty 146 britton's auto-biography, appendix. years have elapsed since it was written; and, striking as the charac teristics of London were in 1819, the vast changes and improvements which have since taken place have rendered it still more an object of wonder and admiration. Railways have been formed and opened ; new Bridges and Docks have been made ; innumerable Steam Vessels, Omni buses and other Public Vehicles have been brought into operation ; the Population has increased to the extent of more than a miUion individuals ; Parks have been formed and planted for the healthful recreation of the people; a new system of Police has been provided to protect the property and persons of its peaceful denizens ; new Churches and other Public Buildings have been raised, and numerous other advantages and luxuries have been granted to this cosmopolitan capital. These great improvements have been recorded and iUustrated in many interesting pubhcations ; amongst which I may refer to the annual vo lumes of the " Companion to the Almanac," a useful and valuable work, commenced in 1828 by Charles Knight; to the important statistical pub lications of M^Culloch; and to the " Progress of the Nation," by Porter. Besides these, the reader who may desire to study the history, and com prehend the multifarious detaUs, of the English Metropolis, may advan tageously peruse the following publications : Britton's " Original Picture of London," the last edition of which was published in 1836, and which contains much varied information on improvements and novelties up to that date. Brayley's " Londiniana," (4 vols. 12mo.) contains a quantity of interesting matter on the metropoHs in the olden time. Knight's " London, Pictorially Illustrated," in 6 vols., imperial 8vo., is a work of great labour, and abounds with valuable information, as well as numerous illustrations. " The Town," by Leigh Hunt, in two volumes, has been justly characterized as "among the pleasantest and most interesting ofthe author's writings." The " Hand-Book of London," by Peter Cunningham, is of the same class as Hunt's, and replete with anecdotes of persons and events connected with different localities. " The Public BuUdings of London," by J. Britton, &c., 2 vols. 8vo., and " The Churches of London," by G. Godwin, 2 vols. 8vo., are amongst the modern works which exem plify the extent and importance of the metropolis : and by the aid of their weU-fiUed pages, and simUar sources, I pujpose to take a few hasty glances at the material improvements which have been made.* * Some years since I projected and commenced a seiies of " Lectures on London," to illustrate its origin, and progress in commerce, manufactures, civil and political history, literature, science, art, and other various characteristics. The subject was not pursued ; but I am convinced it is capable of being rendered highly popular and attractive. LONDON : ITS VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS. 147 The greatest feature in the progress of the metropolis, — the vast in crease in its population and their dwelling-places, — is most strikingly mani fested in a parliamentary paper lately printed, which shews that, within the Metropolitan Police District (extending in a circle of fifteen miles from Charing Cross), the population has increased within the last ten years (1839 to 1849) from 2,011,056 to 2,336,960. The number of new houses, buUt within the same period, is stated at 64,058 ; the number of streets formed, 1642; and thefr united length, upwards of 200 miles. In the month of July 1849, 3,485 new houses were in progress of erection in the metropolis. The ably-conducted and justly-popular newspaper, the " Spectator," of the 27th October, 1849, has the following observations on a remarkable peculiarity of this immense town : " London is a constel lation, or cluster of cities, each having its separate district, and conditions of existence, physical, moral, and political. Thus, the east end, the west, the north (with Hampstead and Highgate), and the south (with Southwark, Greenwich, Camberwell, and Lambeth), though now one vast connecting mass of buildings, are so many varieties and subdivisions of people — are dissimilar to, and contradistinguished from, each other in customs, man ners, and pursuits, as well as in individuality of character and condition. Whilst the west end is all riches, splendour, and luxury, the east end is ceaseless activity and devotion to business and labour. The central por tion, caUed the city, is overstocked with ever-urgent traffic, with wealthy merchants and their countless clerks and servants ; the Thames, and its crowded banks, teem with merchandize and with steam-vessels in cease less motion ; whUst around the outskirts, on every side, are the homes to which the active labourers of the busy scene retire, at the close of every day, and again emerge upon the morrow to pursue the same ani mated routine." " The City," as the Hmited space within the ancient waUs of London is emphatically caUed, was at no very distant date the most compact and densely-populated part of London. The reverse is now the case. Though its buUdings are large and commodious, and though many of them are ffiled with valuable goods, they are almost devoid of inhabitants. The owners, with their clerks, warehousemen, porters, and other servants, are mostly located in the suburbs, and only frequent these great depots, du ring a few hours in each succeeding day. The same is the case with the Bank of England, and the private banking-houses. Hence we learn, by the Population Tables, that the settled inhabitants within the city, have continued to decrease ever since the year 1700. In that year they amounted to 139,000; in 1750 there appears to have been only 87,000; l2 148 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. in 1801 the number had diminished to 58,400, and the population was further reduced in 1841 to 54,626. The number of houses in the city will probably continue to be reduced rather than increased; and that cause, in conjunction with improved facUities of locomotion, wUl doubt less create a further emigration from the centre to the suburbs ; whUst the city churches are by the same process almost entirely deserted. The Thames, that noble river to which London owes its magnitude, has been the subject of many vast improvements. Crowded with merchant ships of all sizes, from every nation of the world, its navigation must long since have been impeded, but for the formation of the gigantic Docks which have been made on either bank. These are works whose import ance it is impossible to over-estimate ; but they do not surpass in scientific interest the wondrous Tunnel, beneath the bed of the stream, which the genius and perseverance of a Brunei has accomplished; nor do they pre sent such pleasing or attractive features as the numerous Bridges which have been erected over it, within the present generation. This river, too, has again become what it was in former ages — one of the great high ways of the metropolis. The scarlet-coated waterman is seen no more ; the ferries are deserted; but, without impediment to the commercial traffic of the river, the inhabitants of London are hourly conveyed from its one extremity to the other, in gaUy-decorated Steam-boats, plying at prices which appear almost incredible — "One Halfpenny" from the Adelphi to London Bridge ! Facihty of locomotion is, moreover, not con fined to the river. In the streets, thousands of Omnibuses convey pas sengers various distances, and in almost every direction, at the rate of about three miles for threepence; affording incalculable benefit to the pedestrian. The suburban vUlages, and indeed the most remote corners of the island, are alike accessible by Railways, which diverge fi-om va rious points; and the blessingof Cheap Postage, together with the Electric Telegraph, has placed the resident of London in direct communication and brotherhood with all his fellow-subjects throughout the kingdom. The Commerce of the metropolis, its Manufactures, and its Trade, have increased in proportion to its population. The extent and regularity of the supply of food by its numerous Markets, is one of the most extraor dinary circumstances in social history. Great, too, has been the improve ment in matters of Police within the present century. Life and property are more efficiently guarded in the metropolis of England than in any other city of the world. This result is in some measure due to the general adoption of Gas-lighting ; to which also many other comforts may be ascribed. In its Architectural features, London has undergone a mighty LONDON : ITS LITERARY PRE-EMINENCE. 149 change ; not less in the Public Buildings which have been erected, than in the tasteful and ornamental character of its wide and cheerful New Streets, which afford a striking contrast to the rows of gloomy brick dungeons erected in the last century. Much of the improvement in this respect is due to the noble example of Mr. Thomas Cubitt, the buUder of the greater parts of Belgrave Square and the streets in its vicinity. The New Houses of ParHament, improperly called the Palace of Westminster, will, when completed, confer upon the nation an architectural character to compete with other cities of the world. Placed, unhappUy, in a most unfavourable site, and not free from errors of architectural detail, it will nevertheless present to distant ages a lasting record of the glories of the nineteenth century. The Churches, the Palaces, the Club-houses, the Theatres, and other PubHc Ediflces, which daily multiply around us, evince an im proved appreciation of architecture, as a science, and as an art, which is one of the most gratifying signs of these remarkable times. London, too, says Mr. M°Culloch, " ranks almost as high as a literary, as a commercial city. Notwithstanding the factitious encouragement given to leaming and science in Oxford and Cambridge, London is the favourite resort of literary and scientific men. Its immense population, the wealth and intelligence of its inhabitants, and the circumstance of its being the seat of government, attract aspiring individuals from all parts of the empfre, especiaUy those ambitious to distinguish themselves in H- terature and politics. The practical, common-sense character of the phi losophy and Hterature of England, is probably, indeed, in no smaU degree owing to its being principaUy cultivated in London, where the writers, mixing with the world, learn to avoid those over-refined theories, and fanciful distinctions, in which recluse speculators are so apt to indulge. With the exception of the provincial newspapers, the whole periodical literature of England centres in London. The number of persons en gaged in this department, as authors, pubhshers, printers, &c., is quite immense. London has no fewer than thirteen daily newspapers, and sixty-seven that appear at other intervals. Many of these journals dis play great, and some consummate, talent ; and considering the extreme rapidity with which articles for the daily journals must be written, and the want of time for revision, they are certainly extraordinary perform ances. So far as respects its newspaper press, London is infinitely su perior to every other city; and however one-sided, prejudiced, and little to be depended on in party matters, it is not easy to imagine that it is likely to gain much in ability, variety, and interest." The immense circu lation, abihty, and influence of "The Times" Newspaper, is an impressive 150 britton's auto-biography, appendix. iUustration of the extent and requirements of the community which sup ports it. " AUowing for the shrewd ability and untiring vigilance with which it has been conducted for half a century, still its prosperousness may be ascribed in even a greater degree to the multiplication of metro politan buildings and the increased intelligence of the people." {Spectator, 27th October, 1849.) By the admirable machinery now in operation, 5000 copies of "The Times" can be printed in an hour, and 55,000 have been printed of a single number. " Of the stamps furnished to the different newspapers published in the United Kingdom in the year 1839, no fewer than one-half was issued to those of London. The greater number of the works written in Scotland are now published in Edinburgh, but nearly all the books written in England and Ireland are published in London. The latter, in fact, is to the literature of Britain, what Leipsic is to that of Germany, or Paris to the whole of France. The London publishers have agents all over the country, to whom they send all new pubhcations ; and in the few instances in which books are printed at Oxford, Cambridge, or other provincial towns, it is usual to send them to London to be published." {M'Culloch.) As in Literature, so in Science and in Art, London stands pre-eminent. The numerous Learned Societies which have long distinguished the Me tropoHs, are yearly increasing in number and in influence. In the Fine Arts especiaUy, the extension and diffusion of a correct taste is strikingly manifested. The " Art-Union of London," with its free exhibition, and other similar institutions throughout England, have done much to pro mote this end, and are capable of still more beneficial results. Lately, the application of art to the manufacturing processes, has received much attention ; and wUl doubtless be further promoted by the Grand Exposi tion of the Manufactures of the World, which is to be held under the most distinguished auspices in the year 1851. In this important and usefiU path of improvement, it is impossible to overlook the unceasing exertions of Mr. S. C. HaU, who, as editor of the "Art-Journal," deserves the highest eulogy, for the perseverance with which he has aided its advancement. To bring the present summary to a close, it must suffice to observe the enlightened zeal and energy which has recently been displayed, in the endeavour to promote the health, cleanliness, and comfort, of this prodi gious city, and to ameliorate the condition of its poorer inhabitants. The ancient " lungs of the Metropolis " have been increased in efficiency by the formation of the Regent's Park, one of the finest enclosures of its kind in Europe; the Victoria Park, at Bethnal Green; and the Primrose Hill Park, and Gymnasium, surrounding the well-known and pleasant LONDON: SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS. 151 eminence of that name : and their beneficial influence wiU be stiU further aided by other Parks and Public Walks, in progress or in contemplation. The erection of Public Baths and Wash-houses is an important step in the sanitary improvement of the MetropoHs ; and the alacrity with which the poorer classes have accepted their advantages, together with those afforded by Model Lodging-Houses, and similar benevolent estabhsh ments, furnishes the strongest possible inducement to the phUanthropist to multiply such useful institutions. The Subterranean Topography of London is a singular subject for study and contemplation. Hundreds of mUes of pipes, for the conveyance of water, gas, and even the electric fluid, now traverse it with far more intricacy than the spider's web ; whilst its Sewers and Drains constitute a system unequalled by the Cloacce of ancient Rome, or by any city of modern Europe. The last, however, have been found utterly inadequate to the requirements of a community so vast. The evUs of insufficient drainage form a fearful chapter in the annals of the awful visitation with which London was afflicted in the year 1849 ; and, conjoined with the pollution of the river, by the sewerage of a population far exceeding two mUlions, has justly excited a storm of indignation, which, it is hoped, wUl not subside, until some comprehensive and effectual plan be carried out, to render this great city as healthy and as pure as it is wealthy and magnificent. The Supply of Water is another point of vital import, and susceptible of immense improvement. Public opinion is at length aroused upon the subject; and, in despite of vested interests and selfish opposi tion, we may reasonably anticipate, within a few brief years, an adequate provision in this, as in other respects, for the increased and increasing wants of the community. Much more might be said upon this fertile topic. It has been well remarked, by my estimable and enterprising friend, Mr. Charles Knight, that " to every person of observation and reflection, every thing in London is suggestive. In her external features we read the history of her past, and the description of her present social state. ' The things of fame that do renown this city;' — churches, palaces, theatres, exhibitions, courts of justice, prisons, hospitals, — parks, squares, streets, bridges, wharfs, docks, warehouses, markets, shops, factories, inns, — pavements, sewers, gas-pipes, water-pipes, — post-offices, raifroads, steam-boats, public car riages, — have each thefr tale of that mighty stirring of humanity, which, in its aggregate, is a spectacle of real sublimity unequalled in the world. It is the more sublime and the more wonderful that all this mass, — with its manifold associations of government, municipal arrangements, police. 152 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. supply of food, population, disease, mortality, industry, wealth, poverty, crime, religion, charity, education, literature, science, arts, amusements, dress, manners, domestic life, — is ever-growing and ever-changing. But the great aspects of London humanity are written in permanent charac ters, whether of the past or the present; and the interest of the subject is universal." * The foregoing comments must suffice to Ulustrate the progressive in crease of the Metropolis of the British Empire within the present cen tury. That London is destined for still further advancement, in the whole of its varied ramiflcations, cannot be doubted for a moment. The monarch, the government, the nobUity, the parhament, the wealthy gen try, public bodies, and private individuals, are actuated by a spirit of rivalry and ambition, to embellish and give permanent value to all new ediflces and works ; and it is not difficult to conceive, that in the course of another half century London may as far surpass its present extent and magnificence, as it now does every city of the ancient and modern world. Nothing can prevent this result but apathy and neglect in the govern ment of the country, and local authorities, whose duty it is to promote the public welfare : which imperatively demands a complete reform of the sewerage of London ; a strict attention to efficient sanitary measures ; to the education and employment of the poor; and, flnaUy, to the removal of all offensive markets, slaughter-houses, and cemeteries from the streets, to proper distances from the homes of the living. • Knight's "London." — Preface. This work abounds in facts, anecdotes, and descrip tions, written in language intelligible to all readers, and calculated at once to amuse and instruct every inquiring mind. BURTON STREET, IN THE PARISH OF ST. PANCRAS ; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THB AUTHOR'S HOUSE. Were I to indulge my fancy, as too many antiquaries and topogra phers are in the habit of doing, for the amusement or annoyance of their readers, I might expatiate on the origin, etymology, and history of the retfred and obscure street in which I have been domiciled for the last thfrty years ; but I never took pleasure in such theoretical and fanciful matters, nor in the genealogies, pedigrees, and armorial insignia of the persons and families who were lords or ladies of Manors, or other landed properties. I have always considered such practices " more honoured in the breach than the observance."* That Burton Street, as weU as the ad joining Crescent (a foolish plan of arranging houses), were named after the speculating buUder, James Burton, is well known to many living per sons, and that the land is the property of the rich Skinners' Company, is equaUy weU known ; and it may easily be ascertained by whom and when it was given to that Company. We may feel assured that the an nual rent of this piece of land at that time was not twenty pounds," whereas its present rental to the Company, is nearly three thousand; and at the end of the present leases, will amount to ten times that sum. Thomas Pennant, Leigh Hunt, John Thomas Smith, and Peter Cun ningham have written and published interesting works on the Streets of London, with notices of eminent, or eccentric persons who have given notoriety to their respective residences in them. There is scarcely a thoroughfare in our monster city which has not memorable events, or personages, associated with its name; and many are indeed so rich in those associations, that they would afford subjects for volumes of exciting commentary and anecdote. Even the street, which is now for the first time publicly described, is a text for a long and instructive sermon ; or for an Essay which Washington Irving, or the late Laman Blanchard, could have made attractive and gratifying. Genius has the power to en lighten any obscure corner — to adorn any humble spot : whence the homes * My esteemed and learned friend, Mr. M. A. Lower, of Lewes, has produced an amus ing and curious volume on "English Surnames, Historical, Etymological, and Humorous : " and another on " The Curiosities of Heraldry," in which we are told some whimsical tales about the origin of names, the absurdities of heraldry, with romances of geneaology, and of family history. Mr. Nares, in "Heraldic Anomalies," has also produced an amusing volume on the same subject. 154 britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. of persons who possess that quality are endeared to aU thefr admfrers and followers. A quiet street in London is a rarity — a " rara terra in civitate" — and as such is courted by the literary student and the artist. That in which I reside, is a small, narrow, short, humble, secluded one, which, in the neighbourhood of ample squares, crescents, wide streets, and other ostentatious and pretending coxcombs and upstarts of the same genus, is scarcely recognisable, or known. If not very specificaUy de scribed on letters, the postman's imprimatur of " not known," is written upon them. The " Court Guide," as well as the " Hand Book for Lon don,'' appear to regard it as unworthy of record in their respective pages. It is not a thoroughfare, though it bears the name of a street, and as such is duly registered in certain parochial books of assessed taxes. It has no beginning, though No. 1 is inscribed on a door, near its centre ; and it has two ends, which abruptly obstruct every passenger who fancies himself a free agent and entitled to travel without let, or hindrance, on and over the Queen's highway. Like a wasp, it has a middle, apparently separating, rather than uniting, the two ends of the body. It puzzles many persons, even residents, to say which is the top, and which the bot tom, as there is neither ascent nor descent. Though my habitation is num bered, rated, and taxed, as No. 17 in the said street, it is whoUy detached from, and unconnected with, the two rows of houses which border the highway. Being moreover enclosed within a garden railing, neither coach, cab, waggon, hearse, nor other wheel carriage, except a wheelbarrow, can approach its entrance, erroneously called street, door. Strange to say, in this economic age, and on land which the builder studied to cover with as many houses as he could pack together in close and social conclave, that in which I reside occupies the area of what the said builder intended for six places of human habitation, and crowded stowage. He had con tracted to pay ground-rent to the Skinners' Company, for houses to cover a certain extent of land by a certain date ; but was unable to finish his task in any other way than by occupying the end of the street, by one house in the place of six, as originally intended. Of this house, as weU as those of the whole street, I cannot say one word in praise, as thefr builders discreetly avoided all architectural style and adornment. Plain brick walls, with holes for windows and door-ways are thefr simple unas suming features ; the builders probably fancying that, like Thomson's Lavinia, they were, "when unadorned, adorned the most." Conscious that " good wine needs no bush," they presumed that the intrinsic quality of their brick and mortar goods, requfred no pilaster, pediment, cornice, string course, or other sculptured ornament to tempt the house-seeker. the author's RESIDENCE. 155 These slight pen-and-ink sketches of certain features of London Topo graphy, serve to convey some idea of a street, which may hereafter be thought worthy of a line or two in the pubhcations already referred to. A more detaUed notice is attempted in the following verbal and graphic dehneations of N". XVII. BURTON STREET. [In June, 1843, I printed a few copies of the following jocular account of the mansion, cottage, or vUla, alias smaU and humble house, in Burton Street, in which I have been earnestly employed many years, and wherein I have not only written and pubhshed many literary works, but initiated several young men in the art of architectural drawing and engraving.] It is both a duty and merit in a Topographer to give accurate and discriminating descriptions of places : so is it a general practice with Auctioneers, who have to sell estates and houses, to exaggerate their beauties, natural and artiflcial, and disguise or conceal their defects. Amusing and ridiculous specimens of these accounts might be adduced ; but the annals of puffery and bombast attained their climax in the high- flown verbosity of a recent celebrated disposer of property. He would de scribe that "gew-gaw," — that flimsy "paste-board house," — that "Gothic toy-castle," Strawberry-Hill, as "the most celebrated, and most-to- be-admfred example of modern domestic monastic architecture in Europe, 156 britton's auto-biography, appendix. — the pride and wonder of the age in which it was erected — the pink, the pattern, the ne-plus-ultra of Gothic luxuriance — the very acme of scientiflc capabUities ; a building, indeed, ' of eloquent proportions, and mighty gradations,' seated in the picturesque and classic regions of ro mance and poetry." — Were the same poetical gentleman commissioned to sell the House represented in the accompanying engravings, his fertUe imagination would easily give to it charms and attributes which the more humble-minded topographer could not so readUy conceive, nor describe in such grandiloquent terms. He would unhesitatingly pronounce it — " a rus 171 urbe ; a rural mansion transported by the wand of taste into the midst of civic population and fashion ; — an Italian cottage surrounded by, and indeed the very nucleus of ' groved squares,' and capacious streets, within the heart of Leviathan London; but with aU the afriness and healthfulness of the umbrageous country; — a sweet retreat for Poetry, for Philosophy, for Science to meditate, and mature works in, which must delight, improve, and astonish the world." Let us see whether plain prose, by the pen of a veteran Topographer, will more appropriately characterize the same object. In the Parish of St. Pancras, bounding the south end of Burton Street, is a small house, of which the north-western aspect is represented in the accompanying wood-cut. Instead of being one of a series, forming a flat, tame, monotonous side of a street, with squared holes cut through a brick waU for windows and a doorway, this is a detached edifice of rather more architectural pretensions than those aUuded to. It faces the street, of which it commands a view, and it occupies its fair proportion of a plot of ground which was originally planned for the site of six houses. The history of this peculiarity of position and extent of space, involves facts and reflections connected with the speculations of a celebrated London Builder — who certainly contributed to enlarge and adorn London, not only in this locality, but in Regent Street, and the Regent's Park. Un like the generality of metropolitan houses, whose ground-rents are very dear, and whose height is often six or seven stories, that now aUuded to is low in altitude, and of humble character. It was once, but absurdly, called a cottage, although it scarcely possessed a single feature of a rustic dweUing. It consists of three stories, or floors, one beneath the ground level, one upon it, and one above. These floors are divided into thirteen rooms of various sizes; one of which. The Library, measuring twenty- two feet by fourteen, and ten in height, may be regarded as a good-sized, respectable apartment. This Library has one large window, to the north, which from size and NO. XVII. BURTON STREET. 15"; position, affords at all times of the day a broad and steady light to the whole room. This is a valuable object, and affords a striking contrast to many rooms in small houses, in which the tasteless builder has made two windows, with a large brick pier between them ; thus dividing the light; and to render such rooms more gloomy and dismal, the occupier often obscures the Httle Hght that is aUowed to enter, by deep valances and curtains of preposterous proportions. I have seen apartments of this sort, looking more like cells for criminals, than residences for people to read, or work in, or see any object to amuse the eye and mind. The apartment represented in the wood-cut below, is filled fi-om floor to ceUing -with books, manuscripts, drawings, sketches, &c. ; all of which, however, are more adapted for use than ornament. j\Iany of the books are in boards, others in plain binding; whUst some of the drawings have simple frames. Hundreds of the prints and sketches are in drawers, closets, and cases, expressly made to protect them fi-om London dust and soot. But, alas ! these two domestic nuisances invade every portfoHo, every closet, and every framed and glazed drawing. On the same floor, are two light and cheerful offices, which I had buUt for the accommo dation and comfort of my artistic pupils; a smaU breakfast-room; and also a large drawing-room, containing pictures and drawings, a few an tique objects, three cheffoniers, and a handsome mahogany case, fiUed with portfoHos of choice proofs, prints, and drawings. The first floor, or upper story, consists of a sitting-room and bed-room. tJ^J'.'JtoS-T. A-J-rasSON. LIBRART, Xo. XVII. BVP.TON STREET. 158 BRITTON S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. with dressing-room between; a smaller bed-room, china and other closets, and a small Octagonal Cabinet Room. fW.FtlKKa.M- J..WALM5LE V. S^ CABINET ROOM, No. XVII. BURTON STREET. The last is represented in the annexed cut. It is lighted by a stained glass -window, and contains a Cabinet of Celtic Antiquities, a series of Portraits of Antiquaries, with a smaU Collection of choice Books, some of which 'mere privately printed, and are presents from their respective au thors, whUst many of the others are presentation copies, with autographs and portraits of the donors. Amongst these a few are enumerated in the ensuing pages, not merely to specify their titles, and show that they were presentations by their respective writers, but to put on record some incidental remarks connected with them. The miser repeatedly counts his money, and gloats over its amount and value ; but is incapable of ob taining any other pleasure or advantage from it than the selfish exultation of possession. Not so the man who possesses choice works of art and of Hterature : these are calculated to impart other and more dignified feel ings than ever can be known by the worshipper of Mammon ; for they not only appeal through the eye to the heart, but to all the better attri butes of humanity — virtue, patriotism, glory, wisdom. The more they are studied, the more beneficial are their effects; for they tend to correct. vice and encourage virtue; — they noft only exercise, but in-vigorate the hu man faculties ; and hence they insensibly make men better and happier. the author's residence. 159 Three essential comforts, bordering on luxuries, belong to this resi dence ; — quiet or retirement, in the midst of London ; a short flight of stafrs from the living to the sleeping-rooms ; and sitting and bed-rooms, en suite, connected, on the same floor. Attached to the ground-story, are the offices afready mentioned, and near the same is a stable, -with a car riage-house. Within the garden, which, for a London inclosure, may be described as of large extent, are many trees, such as the Plane, Lime, Chestnut, Acacia, Mulberry, Black Poplar, Sycamore, Weeping Ash, Laburnum, Vine, &c.; together -with various flowering and other shrubs. My once much-respected friend, James Jennings, author of " Ornithology, or the Bfrds : a Poem, with copious Notes," 12mo. 1828 ; and " The Dia lects of the West of England," &c., gave a list of Bfrds which frequented this garden and locality: including the Sparrow, of which I have a preserve ; the Robin ; the Whitethroat, which has bred here for some years ; the Tomtit, two species ; the Wren, the Crow, and the Starling. One of the last appeared here in a hard frosty morning of 1846, ate freely of the red berries of one of the trees ; returned the next morning at the same hour, with a mate, or companion, and partook of a hearty break fast: on the next day, six or eight assembled, and cleared the tree. About the middle of October, 1849, several SwaUows and Martins were seen for three successive days. Surrounding, and beneath the spreading branches of a picturesque Pear-tree, are numerous stones, placed in a circle, with a group (an imitation Cromlech) near the middle ; the whole intended to indicate, on a small scale, a Celtic, or Druidical Temple. These are the prominent features of a dwelling in which the author has composed many volumes on Topography, the Fine Arts, and Ancient Architecture ; wherein several hundreds of Drawings have been made to illustrate those works, and also to accompany a course of Lectures on the Architectural Antiquities of Europe ; and within which is preserved a large and valuable collection of Books, Manuscripts, Drawings, Sketches, Prints, and misceUaneous articles of vertu and curiosity. Many of the Books are iUustrated by Drawings, Prints, Sketches, and Manuscripts. Both the natal homes, and the after residences, of persons who have amused and instructed the public by their literary or graphic works, have always been regarded -with degrees of excitement proportionate to the celebrity of the respective parties. The topographer seeks and dweUs on such places -with avidity, as they awaken associations and reflections of commanding interest. Not merely the residences of Shakspere, MUton, Thomson, Pope, Cam den, Dugdale, &c., in former times; but of Southey, Bowles, Scott, 160 britton's auto-biography, appendix. Crabbe, Moore, and others of our own age, are visited and viewed with pleasure and interest by persons who have been delighted and improved by the respective writings of those "English worthies." Even the homes of less distinguished persons cannot faU to awaken pleasing reminiscences in minds of congenial casts and partialities. The time will come when the Author of the Architectural and the Cathedral Antiquities must be numbered amongst the Ancients, and when his zealous and persevering literary labours will be duly appreciated. " Nor dull nor barren are the winding ways Of hoar Antiquity, but strewn with flowers." — T. Warton. JvNE 1, 1843. J. B. A CATALOGUE RAISONNIi Of some " Curiosities of Literature," (as they would have been named by my once respected friend, Mr. Isaac D'Israeli), in the Library of the House above described. Stufeeleg JSlanuscvipts. A Large and Interesting Collection of the Manuscripts of William Stukeley, m.d., f.r.s., f.s.a., &c., who occupied a Prominent Rank amongst the Literary Characters of his time (1687 to 1765) ; including an Auto-biography, of considerable length; a Complete Series of his Diaries and Journals, with Accounts of the Proceedings of the Literary and Scientific Associations with which he was connected : a large Mass of Correspondence, comprising Letters to and from eminent Antiquaries and Historians ; particularly Unpublished Letters from Warburton to Dr. Stukeley, andthe whole ofthe latter's Correspondence with Bertram, of Copenhagen, respecting the "Itinerary of Richard of Cirencester;" on the History and Authenticity of which it throws considerable light. The CoUection also embraces a great number of MSS., Drawings, &c. by Dr. Stukeley, with Genealogical Papers respecting his family ; and would afford ample materials for an interesting Memoir of that distin guished Antiquary, and of the state of Science and Literature in his time. With Lists and a Catalogue. Price 60 Guineas. An Unique Medal of Dr. Stukeley, apparently cast from a mould immediately after his decease in 1765 ; presented to me by my esteemed fi-iend, the Rev. James Ingram, D.D., at the Meeting of the Archseological Institute, at Salisbury, July 1849. The obverse represents, in bold relief, a Medallion Portrait of the Doctor, and the reverse shows a View of Stonehenge, from the South-east. The engraver has committed a strange LIBRARY", etc. AT N°. 17, BURTON STREET. 161 mistake in making the age of the Doctor eighty-four, instead of seventy- eight, at the time of his death. ©vuiiiical autipittes. A Handsome and Novel Celtic Cabinet; containing three large drawers, two cases for books, &c., and a glazed shade on the top, of four various tints of glass, to display, under so many different effects, two Models of Stonehenge : one in its original, or perfect state : and another as it appears at present: likewise a Model of the vast Druidical Temple at Avebury, in its original state. One drawer is flUed with a series of original Dra"\\t;ngs of Cromlechs, Kist-vaens, and Circles, including the principal ancient Monuments of this class in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Brittany ; also, numerous Prints, Manuscript and printed historical and descriptive Particulars, and several volumes relating to the subject, amongst which are Hoare's " Ancient WUtshfre," 2 vols. foho. 1818. A Description of Avebury, in North WUtshire, by Sir Rd. Colt Hoare, Bart., foho, 1819. From " Ancient WUtshfre," by the same author : only 12 copies printed. 40 pp. 7 engravings. ilUes's "Account of the Deverall Barrow," 8vo. 1825. Twimng's " Avebui-y," 4to. 1723. Barry's " Csesar and the Britons," 8vo. 1832. Roberts's " Sketch of the Early History of the Cymry," Svo. 1803. Davies's " Celtic Researches, or the Origin, &c. of the Ancient Britons," Svo. 1804; and " Mythology and Rites of the British Druids," Svo. 1809. Cotton's " Stone Cfrcles, Cromlechs, &c., in CornwaU," 4to. 1827. Cambray's " Monumens Celtiques," Svo. 1805. Maurice's " Indian Antiquities." Vol. VL, Svo. 1801. "A Vindication of the Celts," Svo. 1803. Owen's " Heroic Elegies of Llywarc Hen," Svo. 1792. Deane " On the Worship of the Serpent," 2nd edition, Svo. 1833. Higgms's " Celtic Druids," 4to. 1S27. Toland's " History of the Druids," by Huddlestone, Svo. 1814. Cooke's " Enqufry into the Patriarchal and Druidical Religious Tem ples," 4to. 1755. — With Lucas's " Old Serpentine Temple at Avebury," a poem, 4to. 1795. Whitaker's " Genuine History of the Britons Asserted, in a FuU and Candid Refutation of Mr. Macpherson's Introduction to the History of Great Britain and Ireland," Svo. 1772. Dr. Stukeley's Works on " Stonehenge, Abury, and the Itinerarium Curiosum," 3 vols, folio. 1724, 1743, 1776, calf gUt. M 162 britton's auto-biography, appendix. The following Pamphlets on Stonehenge, bound in one volume, folio, interleaved and copiously Ulustrated : Choir Gaur; the Grand Orrery ofthe Ancient Druids, commonly called Stonehenge, astronomicaUy explained, and proved to be a Temple for observing the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies. By Dr. John Smith. SmaU 4to. 1771. Choir Gaure, vulgarly caUed Stonehenge, described, restored, and explained. By John Wood, Architect. Svo. 1747. Stone Henge, inscribed to Edward Jerningham, Esq. 4to. 1792. Among the iUustrations of this volume are curious engravings by Van der Gutch, those belonging to the works of Smith and Wood, and other rare prints. Copies of Drawings, Ulustrative of a Course of Lectures on the Ar chitectural and other Remains of Britain. By Thos. Stackhouse. Viz.: Native Rocks, Stone PUlars, Cromlechs, Logan Stones, Stone Cfrcles, Tumuli, Camps, &c. 4to. pp. 76, -with lithographed views. IUustrations of Avebury and SUbury. By the Rev. W. L. Bowles. Ex tracted from the Parochial History of BremhiU. Svo. 1S27. (pamphlet.) Stonehenge. A pamphlet printed (and written) by A. Stark, Book seller, Gainsborough. Svo. A Description of Stonehenge, Abury, &c., with an Account of the Learning and Discipline of the Druids. (By the Rev. Mr. Cooke, of Enford.) 12mo. 1776. The article Stonehenge, from the " Penny Cyclopedia." By J. Britton. Reprinted in 12mo. Only 50 copies printed in this size. The article Avebury, for the "Penny Cyclopedia." By J. Britton. The Author's Original Manuscript. 12mo. cloth. A Manuscript Treatise on Stonehenge, by the Rev. Edward Ledwich. Manuscript Account of a Temple near Rennes, Brittany, by J. B. Picard. Manuscript Account of Stonehenge, by Waltfre. A Volume of Sketches and Drawings of Cromlechs and Circles, by Prout, Underwood, Nash, and Britton. This Cabinet may be regarded not merely as an Unique object pecu liarly adapted to ornament a choice Library, but as a copious Ulustration of the Celtic Antiquities of Europe. It was made for the late George Watson Taylor, Esq., of Earl Stoke, in Wiltshire. With a DetaUed List and Catalogue of Drawings, Papers, Books, &c. Price 100 Guineas. IBralDttigs itg darter. The Original Sketches by John Carter, f.s.a., comprising all that he made between the years 1764 and his death, in 1817 ; bound in 37 N°. 17, BURTON street: choice books, etc. 163 folio volumes. The subjects represented are Architectural and Antiqua rian Remains of every description, and the whole are remarkable for accuracy and spfrited execution.— Sold at Mr. Carter's Sale for 165 Guineas. A copious MS. Catalogue. Price 100 Guineas. dFtne arts. The Fine Arts of the English School ; a Series of Engravings from Paintings, Sculpture, and Architecture, with Biographical, Critical, and Descriptive Essays, by J. M. Good; Prmce Hoare; J. Northcote, r.a.; T. PhiUips, R.A. ; J. Adolphus ; R. Hunt ; E. Aikin ; and the Editor, J. Britton. Large 4to., half-russia. Proofs on India paper : only 6 copies printed. This contains also 6 Etchings, a proof of a CanceUed Plate, and Letters by PhUlips, Northcote, R. Hunt, T. Hope, P. Hoare. 10 Guineas. dStstDtcfe liouse. Origmal Drawings and Sketches, by G. Cattermole and W. H. Pyne, of Chiswick House and Gardens ; Views of the VUlage, and En gravings of the same : quarto : bound in russia. Also, a volume of ma nuscript and printed Memoranda for a History of the Parish, with Bio graphies of Eminent Persons. By J. Britton, Price £15. SSEoJurn ^iieio. Illustrations of the House and Park-Scenery of Woburn Abbey, in cluding Robinson's " Vitruvius Britannicus ;" also, a Series of Drawings « and Sketches, by Bartlett and Rayner, Illustrative of the Church in Co vent Garden; of Bedford House ; Ta-vistock; Endsleigh; Thorney; and Portraits. FoHo. 6 Guineas. Illustrattong of 58rtirgeg. Cresy's "Practical Treatise on Bridges," with 35 IUustrations of 18 Bridges; — 3 Sections of Bath Abbey Church, Wells Cathedral and its Chapter House : also, a Collection of 22 Bridges, at Bow; the S**' Trini- tata, at Florence ; the Clifton and Menai Suspension Bridges ; those on the Thames, in America, &c. Pamphlets, by A. Burges, ce., Ithiel Town, &c. 4 Guineas. 3S^tcf)monir l^ill. Maurice's Richmond Hill, a poem, with notes, 4to., half-bound, Ulus trated by numerous engravings, -mth MS. Notes, Autograph Letters, Map of Richmond Park, a MS. Index, &c. 5 Guineas. Cem^le (S-^MVti), ILonXitin. An Account of the Temple Church, London, with Plan, Sections, and Views. By J. Britton and Edw. W. Brayley. 4to. Only 25 copies printed, with several IUustrations. Also Manuscript Letters by Jekyl, and his 164 britton's auto-biography, appendix. Pamphlet of " Facts," 4to., very rare. Original Drawings and Sketches, by Bartlett, Shepherd, Nash, and Mackenzie. Half-bound, russia. 5 Guineas. Cour to Uerusalem. Torkington's Journey, " How he went towards Jerusalem all alone, to the tyme he came to Venesse," MS., 100 pages, 4to., half-bound, with numerous manuscript Notes, and Essays on the subject by E. J. WiUson, J. Britton, &c. 5 Guineas. Stone Crosses. A large CoUection of Drawings, Sketches, Prints, Manuscript Memo randa, Printed Papers, &c., iUustrative of Stone Crosses, by the late Wm. Alexander, f.s.a., with numerous additions by J. Britton. Also, a MS. Index; forming a large mass of materials for a History, and account of ancient Stone Crosses. 20 Guineas. laratoings of Momseg (Itfiuvtif, Hampshire, by J. Buckler, and George Cattermole, iUustrative of the whole exterior and interior Architecture of that edifice, arranged in a large folio volume, bound in russia : consisting of a ground-plan, elevations, sections, and views of aU parts of the buUding ; also, details of capitals, windows, doors, sculpture, &c. The series consists of 30 Dra-wings, made for the late Sir Henry Englefield, Bart., and for J. Britton : cost 100 Guineas. Price 20 Guineas. Sorfe Olatiielrral. A Series of Tracings from John Carter's Drawings, of Plans, Sections and Elevations, of various parts of the Architecture and Sculpture of that Edifice. Also, Mr. Carter's Description of the same ; -with Auto graph Letters by Sir R. Smfrke, Savage, &c. ; and Designs for the Alter ation of the Organ Screen. Folio. Likewise a Volume of Pamphlets relating to the Building, and Re-erection of the Screen. 5 Guineas. SorltBi)ire antt^utttes. A Series of 36 coloured Drawings, made from the respective Build ings, by W. H. Bartlett, in 1826, of the foUowing Architectural An tiquities of the County : viz. Fountains Abbey, 9 different Views. Ri- vaulx ditto, 8. Bolton ditto, 11. KirkstaU ditto, 2. Coningsborough Castle, 1. Knaresborough Castle, 1. Hackfall, 3. Beverley Minster, 2. St. Mary's Church, at Beverley, 1. Price £20. 58ritton'B SBttBltst (S:itm. "Picturesque Antiquities of the EngHsh Cities : Ulustrated by a Series of Engravings of Ancient Buildings, Street Scenery, &c.; -with Historical WILTSHIRE TOPOGRAPHY. 165 and Descriptive Accounts of each subject. By John Britton, r.s.A., &c." foho, half-russia. Of this size only 10 copies were printed, with 60 proofs of the plates ; and 23 proofs of wood-cuts, on India paper. Published at, £25. Price 12 Guineas. (For beauty and accuracy of drawing and en graving, for typography, &c., this is the most beautiful of Mr. Britton's works.) asatlts^tre antiquities anif CopograpSa. In addition to the models, iUustrations, manuscripts, &c. of and relating to Stonehenge and Avebury, the Library contains a large mass of Books, Drawings, Sketches, and MSS. Amongst these are two large folio vo lumes, with the printed sheets of the Account of Wiltshire from the " Beauties of England," which contaius the latest and fuUest history of the county hitherto pubhshed ; also, copies of nearly every print that has hitherto appeared to iUustrate buUdings, scenery, portraits, &c. These, with all my WUtshfre CoUections, should be preserved in some PubHc Library in London, Salisbury, or Devizes, or in the Private Library of a Nobleman, or Gentleman of the County. Portraits, Hetters, artistic Specimens, OF PUBLIC CHARACTERS, FRIKNDS, AND CORRESPONDENTS OF J. BRITTON. Two very large foho volumes, half-bound, russia, are occupied by this coUection, which consists of nearly 200 Autograph Letters, Portraits, and Prints of Persons who are weU kno-wn in the world of Art and Literature. These have afforded the coUector not merely much gratification in thefr preserving, but by repeated inspection, and in the pleasing reminiscences produced on every renewed examination. Besides the IUustrated Works and Literary CoUections named in the preceding Catalogue, the Author possesses many cui-ious and interesting PKIVATELY PRINTED BOOKS, among which the foUowing may be particularly specified. The History of the College op Bonhommes, at Ashbtdbe, in the Cotjntt op Bcok- DJOHAM, POUNDED IN THE TEAR 1276 BT EdMUKD, EaHL OP CORNWALL. COMPILED PROM Obiginal Records and other AnTHENTic SotmcES. To -which is added, a Descrip tion OP THE PRESENT MANSION. liONDON, POLIO, PP. 93, 1823. This very splendid and rare volume, written by the Eev. Archdeacon Todd, and printed at the expense of John "WiUiam, Earl of Bridgewater, may be referred to and regarded as a truly valuable, interesting, and curious specimen of illustrated Topography. It is not merely remarkable for the quantity and quaUty of authentic matter it contains, but for its unrivalled embellishments, and the style and tone of language employed by the learned author, who has conferred lasting obligations on the literary and reading community by his 166 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. edition of Johnson's Dictionary, his recent edition of Milton's Works, and the volume here referred to. Of this work, its noble patron printed only seventy copies, which cost him about £5,000. The present volume was presented to me by Lord Famborongh, one of the executors of the Earl of Bridgewater, the owner of Ashridge Mansion-house. — See my "His tory of Toddington," for remarks on this, and similar works. Outline Engravings and Descriptions op the Wobuen Aeeet Marbles, folio, half MOROCCO, pp. 102, 1822. With forty-eight skilful Engravings by Gorbould and H. Moses, from Drawings by Henry Corbould, and a series of learned Essays by the late Rev. Dr. Drury, this exquisite Volume is an honourable memento of the liberality and good taste of John, Duke of Bedford, at whose expense and under whose direction it was produced. Only a limited number of copies were printed, for presents, one of which was generously given to me, with a kind letter by its munificent patron, thus enhancing the value and the obligation. In retum I penned the following acknowledgment — "Mt Lord Duke — For the splendid and interesting volume on the '-Woburn Marbles,' I beg to tender to your Grace my most grateful thanks. The fine taste and liberality evinced in thus patronising Art and Literature, demands my own gratitude, as well as that of all lovers of the amenities and elegancies of Ufe. Such examples are rare in our time ; but I have often thought that the fortunate possessors of fine houses, adorned with sculpture and paintings, would do much good, and reap golden honours, by appropriating merely a small part of their wealth in producing such works as the volume on ' the Woburn Marbles,' and the 'History of Ashridge.' " I am Your Grace's obliged and obedient Servant, "May 15, 1837." "John Britton." Views in Orkney, and on the North-eastern Coast of Scotland. Taken in mdcccv. Etched mdooovii. small folio. 1807. These Etchings are the productions of the late accomplished Marchioness of Stafford, who lived in an atmosphere of art, surrounded by hundreds of the finest productions of the old and modem painters. Such works diffuse lustre on their respective schools and coun tries, confer honour on the artists, and reflect it on the possessors of their best pictures. Eorty-four Etchings, in the manner of Rembrandt, with twenty-seven pages of letter-press, constitute the volume, which was printed for her Ladyship, to present to friends. An au tograph letter, expressing a wish that " the Etchings had any other merit but their rarity to recommend them to Mr. Britton's attention," with an engraved Portrait of the noble Author and Artist, are added. An Account of the Rev. John Elamsteed, the pirst Astronomer-Rotal, compiled FROM HIS own MaNUSOEIPIS AND OTHER AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS, NEVER BEFORE PUB LISHED, &c. By Francis Bailt, Esq., 4to. 1835, pp. 672. — "Presented by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to John Britton, Esq." This volume, not printed for sale, may be regarded as an exemplary novelty, it being published at the Nation's cost, under the auspices and patronage of a government-office, to promote a knowledge of science ; whereby it compliments and honours the talents of the dead and the living. To Elamsteed, the scientific world has been much indebted ; but to the learned and truly patriotic author of his " Memoirs," much more. The name of Francis Baily is brightened by a halo, or nimbus, which will increase in power and intensity by age, and diffuse its vivid rays throughout the terrestrial, as his -writings have tended to illustrate the wondrous phenomena of the celestial world. A " Supplement " to this volume PRIVATELY PRINTED BOOKS. 167 was printed by the Author in 1837, in reply to some criticisms on the work. Both the "Account" and the "Supplement" evince the Author's zeal, learning, and firm inde pendence of character. An account of my esteemed friend -will be found in the First Part of this Memoir. The Vision, a poem ; by the late Sir Frederick Morton Eden, Bart. ; addressed TO THE LATE ReV. JONATHAN BoUCHER, 4tO. PP. 44. PUBLISHED BT Wm. H. AiNB- WORTH, Old Bond Street, 1828.* — Epsom, a Vision — (a second title.) This little, unpretending volume, like Glendower, " calls spirits from the vasty deep," and Reminiscence answers the call. The names, associations, personal and literary charac teristics, of the estimable author of this jocular poem. Sir F. M. Eden — of his learned and amiable friend, the Rev. Jonathan Boucher — and of Earl Spencer, the liberal patron of art and learning, the Mecaenas of his age — are well kno-wn to, and cherished in the hearts of all lovers of literature. They belong to an age that has lately passed away ; but their " great and good deeds " have embalmed their memories in the records of history, to last longer than the sarcophagi, or even the pyramids, of ancient Egypt. Descriptive Catalogue of some Pictures, Books, and Prints, Medals, Bronzes, and OTHER Curiosities, collected bt Charles Rogers, Esq., p.r.s., p.a.s., and now in the POSSESSION OF William Cotton, m.a., f.a.s., of the Priort, Leatherhead, Surrey, 8vo., pp. 156. 1836. This volume, embellished with eight Engravings — viz. a Portrait of Mr. Rogers, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Views of the House, &c., — cannot fail to interest the lovers of art and vertu, as it awakens remembrances of the once famed Alderman BoydeU, of the Rev. James DaUaway, of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace Walpole, Sir Robert Strange, and many other eminent and estimable men of a former age. Mr. Cotton's residence, whimsicaUy called " The Priory," at Leatherhead, is a most deUghtful, beautiful, and romantic home, wherein he has coUected many choice Books, Pictures, Prints, Drawings, &c. to adom its interior ; and where the river Mole winds its languid stream at the base of steep garden-terraces. The picturesque country around Leatherhead and Dorking, with the interesting seats of the Deepdene, and of Norbury Park, abound -with scenes and objects of the most fascinating character, descriptions of which vidU be found in preceding pages of this Appendix. An Appeal to the Public, occasioned by the suspension of the Architectural Lec tures IN THE ROTAL ACADEMT, &C. Bt JoHN SoANE, F.A.S., &C. 4tO. PP. 116. 1812. The history of this suppressed volume would elucidate much curious and exciting matter relating to the English Royal Academy, and to the singularly captious temperament of its late Architectural Professor. Intimate with many of its members ever since the year 1800, 1 have had opportunities of knowing much of the interior government, as weU as the personal and professional characteristics, of many of its talented members. I wish it were in my power, conscientiously, to compliment the Author, or the Man, in this en-passant remark. Outlines in Lithography, prom a small Collection of Pictures. For Private Cir culation. Yarmouth, polio, 1840. Such is the imperfect title to a large quarto volume, which the learned, the persevering, the zealous Mr. Dawson Turner has printed, to oblige and gratify a few friends, by present ing them with copies ; but my good and esteemed Correspondent and Donor has neither • Mr. Ainsworth has since relinquished publishing, for writing-, books ; and is one of the few to whom authorship has yielded solid gain as well as popularity. 168 britton's AUTO-BIOGRAPHY, APPENDIX. done justice to his book, nor to himself, by such a title. It does not indicate, or even in timate, that the volume contains Fifty-one OutUnes of so many Pictures in the Author's Collection, with nearly twice that number of pages, closely printed, of Historical, Biogra phical, and Critical Essays, on the respective subjects of each. Comparing this Catalogue Raisonni with those by the celebrated Horace Walpole, of " the Houghton-HaU," and of " the Strawberry-HUl " CoUections, I cannot hesitate to award the palm of superiority to that of the Yarmouth Banker. To Mr. D. Turner the reading world is indebted for several valuable publications on Topography, Antiquities, Botany, &c. ; and to his accomplished Wife and Daughters, for numerous Etchings, which vrill hereafter be sought for with avidity, and treasured, by the Connoisseur. — See Dedication of the Second Part of this Auto-Biography.Family Etchings by Mrs. and the Misses Turner, of Yarmouth. Presented by Mr. Dawson Turner to J. Britton. I have classed these interesting etchings, by ladies whose laudable industry and artistic skill they honourably evince, in a quarto volume, as foUows : Portraits, BuUdings, Views, Monuments, Carvings, Statues, &c. They are from pictures and drawings by T. Phillips, R.A.; B.R. Haydon; J. S. Cotman; H. Fuseli, r.a. ; G. H.Harlowe; O. Humphrey, b.a. ; T. Alasson ; Lady Palgrave, Lady Hooker, &c. A set of these etchings is marked iu one of Mr. Lilly's Catalogues at 30 Guineas. A New Elucidation of the Subjects on the celebrated Portland Vase, and the Sar cophagus in which it was Discovered. By Thos. Windus, p.s.a., 4to. 1845. A very limited number of copies of this splendidly illustrated volume was printed. It was written in consequence of the wanton breaking of the interesting relic which it describes, and the history and import of which it ably Ulustrates. "A Garland for the New Royal Exchange : Composed of the Pieces of divers excellent Poets, made in Memory of the First Opening thereof, on January 23rd, Anno Dom. 1571 : with the choice Verses and Devices of sundriefine Wits of later Time, depicting the same in the several Humours and Manners therein to be seen : or Written in Honour of the Second Opening on September the 28tt, 1669. Now f/rst Collected and Printed complete. Im printed AT London, January the llird, Anno 1845." SmaU square 4to., pp. 99. A volume, of which the above is the title-page, at fuU, justly ranks amongst the " Curiosities of Literature," and as " only fifty copies" have been printed, we may fairly conclude that its market price, at no distant date, wUl be very great. Had it appeared some twenty years ago, when " BibUomania " raged in the Metropolis, a copy of it, iu Evans's sale-room, would have excited eager competition. Like the once-popular and witty "Rejected Addresses," by James and Horace Smith, this volume contains several pieces in prose and verse, imitative of the writings of Thomas Tusser, Thomas Churchyard, George Puttenham, Sir Philip Sidney, Edm. Spenser, the Countess of Pembroke, Sir Walter Raleigh, Wm. Shakspere, Ben Jonson, Samuel Butler, John MUton, John Bunyan, &c. When I say that the imitation of such poets is admirable, it is no smaU compliment to the unknown author ; who has shown himself well qualified to write " Tales of an An tiquary." To the Architect of the New Royal Exchange, I am indebted for one of the "fifty copies " of this volume, with the autograph of my " sincere friend, WiUiam Tite." i3iosraptical ftotices OF AUTHORS, ARTISTS, AND OTHER PUBLIC PERSONS, WHO HAVE RESIDED IN AND NEAR BURTON STREET. It has been a practice with some of the fashionable West-end Novel- ¦writers to make invidious and sneering aUusions, not only to the citizens of London, but to the inhabitants of RusseU Square and its neighbour hood. Both are represented, by certain blue-stocking ladies and gentle men, as low, vulgar, slip-sloppery ; as unfitted to be classed with, or to be even recognized by, the ilite of Almack's and simUar coteries. The "wUds of Bloomsbury" have been especially stigmatized as a "terra incognita," by these representatives of the " vulgar rich." It is true that St. GUes's in the Fields, St. Pancras, Bethnal Green, and a few other districts of London, have at different times obtained a degraded notoriety; but great changes have occurred in all of these places, and rendered them entirely dissimUar to what they were half a century ago. After Soho Square was deserted by its aristocratic inhabitants, — Mon tague House converted into a National Museum, — and its neighbour, Bedford House, razed to the ground, — the adjoining district to the north ward was destined to undergo a complete revolution. New streets and squares were built, and a new class of inhabitants poured into them. Merchants, Bankers, Members of the Stock-Exchange, Ofiicers of the Bank of England, Architects, Artists, Literati, and Professors, both of the Law and of the Heahng Art, made up the denizens of this new dis trict, and constituted a class and grade of society between, and contra distinguished from, the select exclusives of the West, and the mixed merchants, tradesmen, and shopkeepers of the East. Thus three distinct classes form the great social metropolitan chain, — each differing from the others, but aU blended and united in one integral whole, of vast power, immense wealth, great energy, and varied talent, — unequaUed by any other congregation of persons in the civilized world. Since I first located myself in this suburban part of London, it has gro-wn up to immense magnitude and consequence ; and, as -wUl be seen by the latest and best maps of the metropohs, it is now united with Somers Town, Camden Town, Portland Town, Kentish Town, and thence with Hampstead, Highgate, Islington, &c. That Burton Street, and its imme diate vicmity,have been honoured by the residence of many persons of note m the literary, graphic, and dramatic world, wUl be shown by enumerating a few of the most remarkable. 170 britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. John A. Heraud, a poet, essayist, and critic of great abUity, long resided within a few doors of me. His whole life has been devoted to literature ; and besides countless essays, criticisms, minor poems, and biographical notices, he has published " A Descent into HeU, and other Poems," 12mo. ; " The Judgment of the Flood, a Poem," Svo. ; and "A Legend of St. Loy, and other Poems," Svo. Charles Mackay, ll.d., lived many years in this street, whUst engaged as sub-editor of the Morning Chronicle, and in writing many poems and volumes for the public press. Among his works the foUowing at once attest his industry and his talents: "A History of London," 12mo.j "The Hope of the World, and other Poems," Svo. ; " Legends of the Isles," Svo. ; " Memoirs of Popular Delusions," 3 vols. Svo. ; " The Thames and its Tributaries," 2 vols. Svo. ; " Salamandrine," Svo., and other works. Mrs. Lee, formerly Mrs. Bow^ditch, who resided in Tavistock Place and in Burton Street for some years, is distinguished by her industrious habits and devotion to literature and art. Her "Memoir of Baron Cuvier " is a well-written and interesting specimen of biography. It is now very scarce. In drawing and colouring specimens of fish, and other objects of natural history, she has manifested great skiU as well as scientific know ledge. Her splendid and rare volume on " Fresh- Water Fish," of which only fifty-two copies have been pubhshed, contains more than 3000 drawings wholly executed by herself. One of my next-door neighbours, for a series of years, was Samuel Frederick Gray, author of the " Supplement to the Pharmacopeia," * and of several other works on Chemistry and the Arts, which have had an extensive circulation. His children, from infancy upwards, were actively employed in studying, drawing, and colouring sheUs, eggs, birds, and many other specimens of natural history. Unlike many other youths in the same locahty, whose boisterous and heedless play has proved very annoying to the studious and peaceable inhabitants, these were initiated in habits of industry, and in the acquisition of useful knowledge. Hence I have witnessed, with much pleasure, the advancement in life, and re- * This work has passed through several editions ; and from the quantity and quality of valuable information it contains, has become a standard authority. Its author received only thirty pounds for the copyright, — not more than the pay of a bricklayer's labourer for the time occupied in its production ; and his son afterwards lost sixty pounds by a disreputable publisher and a roguish lawyer, in the endeavour to substantiate his mother's claims to further remuneration. burton street : rev. E. IBVING, mrs. DAVIDSON. 171 spectabUity, of difierent branches of this estimable family. My esteemed friend, John Ed-ward Gray, Keeper of the Zoological Department of the British Museum, was one of these, and is well kno-wn for his firm independence of character and conduct, as weU as profound scientific knowledge. He has been rnany times elected and re-elected President of the London Botanical Society. A younger brother is also an officer of the British Museum. The house on the opposite, or sinister, side of the street, and abutting on my garden, was occupied for a long time by a respectable London merchant, the son of an eminent physician. This house was often visited by the Rev. Edw. Irving, the popular and noted patron and expounder of "the unkno-wn tongues." That burlesque farce was often acted to crowded audiences in the Scotch Presbyterian Chapel, in Regent Square, and he became the principal performer — "the observed of aU obser vers," — not only on his own stage, but in Burton Street and elsewhere. No wonder that he was viewed with curiosity and interest ; for his figure, air, costume, and uncapped head attracted the gaze, if not the admiration, of the young and old. He was a taU gaunt figure, with dress of unusual cut, -with his hat generaUy in his hand, — a head of black hair, starting in aU directions like the projecting quUls of the " fretful porcupine," — lank cheeks, and eyes apparently directed to the two sides of the street, rather than to his pathway, which was usually the middle of the road. Such a person, -with great genius and unusual oratorical powers — with a daring eccentricity of matter and manner — attracted immense crowds to his cha pel, first in Hatton Garden, and afterwards in the new edifice which was expressly buUt for him in Regent Square. In the latter, he continued to exercise his duties and powers for some years ; but overstrained enthu siasm, and overwrought excitement, combined with the opposition he incurred by his extravagant proceedings, naturally injured both body and mind, and produced death in the prime of life. Mrs. Davidson, who, as Miss Duncan, attained high repute on the stage, by her performances in "The Honey Moon," and other dramas, lived at No. 15, Burton Street, and from her humble residence and domestic habits seemed to be reduced in the world. Many times have I witnessed with delight, her impressive and expressive acting in her palmy days of spiusterhood, and saw a lamentable reverse in her married life, when she often walked to and from the theatre twice a day, to rehearsal and per formance, in wet and cold weather, whUst her husband, it was stated. 172 britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. was either in bed, or at a gaming table. The fact scarcely needs com ment : we cannot but pity the woman who thus becomes the slave and feeder of man ; whUst such a man must be despised by aU the industrious and weU-disposed of his species. Robert Owen, once an eminent clothier of Lanark, laboured for some years to combine the art of making raiment to adorn the backs of the rich, with the endeavour to amend, and even remodel, the hearts of his poor work-people. Finding it impracticable to accomplish both, he left the former, and devoted his time and thoughts to the vain endeavour of making human beings perfect — to banish sin and ignorance from amongst them, and to supply their places by virtue and learning. Such revolu tions cannot be easily or rapidly effected, even if they ever can by the slowest processes. Mr. Owen came to London, and fixed his home at No. 4, Crescent Place, (which intersects Burton Street), for some years. A smaU building adjoining was used as his lecture-room, and has since been occupied as a Jewish Synagogue. I believe he stUl pursues his fa vourite labours, by trying to make converts to his plans and theories. He published two works to explain and enforce them, -viz. : " Book of the New Moral World," Svo ; and " New View of Society," royal Svo. Henry Corbould, and Ed-ward, his son, both eminent artists, had their home and prosecuted their studies in a house near the middle of this street (No. 5, Crescent Place), and I believe the latter was born there. Both had a regular academic education, and both have attained eminence in their respective departments of the profession. The former was extensively em ployed by pubhshers to make drawings for engraving j and the number of his designs, which adorn many books, amounts to several hundreds. He was one of the sufferers from an accident on the Eastern Counties RaUway, when the train, falling off a lofty embankment, involved the passengers in a smash of broken carriages, tender, and engine. Amongst red-hot cinders and scalding water he was extricated in an almost hfeless state ; but after confinement at a public-house for many weeks, he at length returned home, and graduaUy recovered. By another fatal accident, in faUing from his horse, he was kUled on the spot, in the prime of life, on the turnpike road near St. Leonard's, where he was on a visit to Lady Chantrey. The house which had been occupied for many years by the Messrs. Corbould, was originally built and inhabited by James Burton, who has been already mentioned, and who may be regarded as the creator of the burton street: james burton. 173 part of London, which extends from the north side of Bloomsbury Squai-e to the New Road, and from the east side of Gower Street to Judd Street. RusseU, Tavistock, Gordon, Torrington, and Woburn Squares, -with several of the adjoining streets, are on the Duke of Bedford's land, and the names attached to them are those of titles and places belonging to that Ulustrious famUy. The career of Mr. Burton was like that of many other ardent and speculating persons. In his first undertaking of buUd ing RusseU Square, Bedford Place, Upper Bedford Place, &c., he was eminently successful, and might have retu-ed firom the working world with a handsome fortune ; but he was tempted to embark in further speculations by engaging to cover a large track of ground belonging to the Skinners' Company : this proved a faUure, and he sustained serious losses. During this time he became connected -with John Nash, the sycophant architect and companion of the Prince Regent, and after King. That architect, hke Mr. Burton, was an active speculating man, and amongst other plans for the improvement of London, his designs for Regent Street, the Regent's Park, St. James's Park, and Buckingham Palace, were accepted and acted upon. Mr. Burton was intimately con nected -with INIr. Nash in carrying into effect much of the New Street, and also the Regent's Park ; in the latter of which he buUt a handsome -viUa for himself, where he resided some years. At a pre-vious time he embarked in gunpowder works, in Kent, and buUt a counti-y seat near Tunbridge. Soon afterwards he ventured on the perUous task of buUd ing and forming the new to-wn of St. Leonard's ; to convey occupants to which he established coaches to run between that place and the metro pohs.- These were hazardous and losing schemes, and the very worthy but daring buUder was, consequently, involved in ruin. Amongst a large femUy, his son Decimus has been eminently and deservedly successful as an architect, and has designed many handsome buUdings in London and different parts of the country. Amongst these axe the Colosseum, and ComwaU Terrace, in the Regent's Park, the Lodges and Gate-ways in Hyde Park and the Green Park. Bounding the west side of Burton Street, are two large insulated houses, which might be caUed mansions, and were raised in the fields, before any other buUdings were erected near them. These houses have spacious gardens, which occupy an area extending the whole length of the east sides of Tavistock Square and Upper Woburn Place. Both these houses were built and first occupied by J^mes Burton ; and successively became the property of Benjamin Oakley, Francis BaUy, James Perry, 174 britton's auto-biography, appendix. Thomas HUl, and other persons, some of whom were truly pubhc charac ters, and therefore entitled to public notice. Of these gentlemen, their homes, personal and popular characteristics, many striking anecdotes and traits are preserved in contemporary newspapers and other periodical literature. The most northern ofthe mansions referred to, called Tavistock House,* was occupied for many years by James Perry, proprietor and editor of "the Morning Chronicle." This paper was eminently popular and pro fitable, by its intrepid and able opposition to the Pitt and Castlereagh governments, and in defending and advocating the principles and cause of the Whigs. In the house referred to, and in Mr. Perry's company, I have passed many hours, not merely dehghted by the inteUectual conversation of the proprietor, but by that of the companions whom he often assembled around him. There were few houses in London more remarkable and covetable during the London season than that of Mr. Perry. Nearly every week, for more than half a year, Tavistock House was an arena for conversational display by some of the most distinguished pohticians, literati, and artists, ofthe metropolis; including the Duke of Sussex, the Dukes of Bedford and Norfolk, with many of the most eminent members of the two Houses of Parliament. Not limiting his parties to the merely political, he assembled many of the most celebrated persons, in literature, art, science, the drama, and music; so that Tavistock House was remark able and renowned as the focus of learning, wit, science, and inteUectual talent. A very interesting anecdote of Mr. Perry's first -visit to London, and juvenile connection with the newspaper press, is given in the second volume of Holcroft's " Memoirs." The story of his amiable and accom plished wife, is among the heart-rendiog tragedies which belong to the romance of human hfe. She was a native of De-pizes, in WUtshire, and became the attached and prudent wife of Mr. Perry, by whom she had three chUdren. But in the prime of life, and in the midst of her husband's popular and successful career, she was assailed by that insidious enemy to beauty and to life — consumption. Under its baleful influence, she gradu ally sunk ; and, as the only hope of relief, was advised to visit MadeUa. In her voyage to that island, the vessel was captured by an Algerine pirate, and the lovely, sinking woman was made a slave and martyr to those naval savages. Of a man who wrote and did so much for the literature, and the political * It has since been subdivided, and occupied by Miss Cushman, the actress ; Erank Stone, the artist, and other popular persons. residents in and near burton street. ' 175 character of his age, as James Perry did, it is remarkable that there has not been an extended biography. His life abounded with interesting matter of fact, and with subjects for acute and discriminating commentary; for he worked zealously and honestly to vindicate and support the Liberty of the Press — to accelerate the progress of useful and organic reforms, not merely in Church and State, but in the moral and intellectual condition of his feUow men. He was born in Aberdeenshire in 1756 : died at Brighton in the 65th year of his age, and was buried at Wimbledon, Surrey. The more southern of the two mansions already mentioned is known as No. 37, Tavistock Place. Benjamin Oakley rendered this house noted, by having a private theatre attached to it, and by the large parties which he occasionally assembled therein to witness portions of the plays of "OtheUo," and " Measure for Measure." The host was of course the hero of both dramas, which were " curtailed of their fair proportions," by the omission of many passages and scenes which did not bring the Moor, or the Duke, upon the stage. Four or five friends were invited to enact the other characters introduced. After the performances, the company partook of another entertainment, which afforded real grati fication to both performers and auditors, as each played well his part, and was weU-studied in action, expression, and bye-play. That many hobbies are expensively kept is verified by that which my friend petted and patted. To perfect the performers for the final exhibition, they were required to attend several rehearsals, each accompanied by a dinner, which was always the most relished of the two. Among the auditors who frequented these private theatricals, were. Bannister, Munden, Kemble, Cooke, KeUy, Mr. and Mrs. Mathews, Perry, HiU, Jerdan, Neele, &c., and on one occasion, the then Marquess of Worcester, and Colonel Berkeley. The last two were distinguished amateur players, and equally notorious for their dissipated habits and riotous conduct. Never have I witnessed a more mortifying scene than was exhibited on the occasion of their -visit to Mr. Oakley's house. WhUst the simple-minded and kindly-disposed host and hostess, with their daughters, were full of courtesy and respect, these distinguished guests could not restrain their accustomed levity, slang, badinage, sneers, and even indelicate jokes. They drove to the house in their usual "turn out" of "four in hand," to excite the gaze of the mob, and departed on foot after midnight, to spend the coming morn in company more congenial to the debased habits of confirmed roues. Mr. Oakley was a member of that noted arena of gambling and money- making, the Stock-Exchange, and secured a handsome fortune, by which 176 britton's auto-biography, appendix. he supported a large family in a genteel and truly respectable style. Fond of building, he erected nine houses on the south side of Tavistock Square, one of which he settled on each of his eight daughters, and left his only surviving son a handsome property and his business. He was one of the committee to investigate and expose the notorious and discreditable hoax by Charles Random de Berenger, Lord Cochrane, and their ac complices on the Stock-Exchange, who, in the memorable year 1814, travelled post, with four horses, fi-om Dover to London, announcing the death of the Emperor Napoleon, and the restoration of Louis XVIII. The stocks immediately rose ten per cent., by which the impostors ex pected to reahze large fortunes ; but the committee of the Stock-Ex change indicted them for conspiracy. In May 1814, a true bUl was found by the grand jury for Middlesex against Charles R. de Berenger, Lord Cochrane, k.b., Andrew Cochrane Johnstone, Richard Garthorne Butt, Ralph Sandom, Alex. M° Rae, John Peter HoUoway, and Henry Lyte, who were tried and convicted of circulating false news, and thereby de frauding the Stock-Exchange. Lord Cochrane was fined £500, impri soned for twelve months, sentenced to stand in the pUlory, and deprived of an honorary order of knighthood which had been granted to him. He was expelled the House of Commons on this occasion, but was re-elected for Westminster. The fine was presented to five different pubhc chari ties, one hundred pounds being given to the Literary Fund, by the in terference of Mr. Oakley, who was at the time a member of the committee of that valuable society. The house, which had been occupied by Mr. Oakley, was afterwards purchased by Francis Baily, a gentleman of varied and extensive sci entific attainments, who not only constructed an Observatory on its sum mit, but appropriated other parts to libraries and studios for adapting and applying mathematical instruments to scientific experiment. An elaborate and interesting memoir of this learned and estimable gentleman, was written by Sir John Herschel, soon after his decease, and published in the Transactions of the Astronomical Society : and in the First Part of this work I have put on record some reminiscences of his personal and scientific characteristics. Burton Crescent is only noticed in the " Hand-Book for London," as containing " a statue of Major Cartwright, by Clarke, of BUmingham, which is a disgrace to art : " but surely the prototype of that statue is worthy of more praise than the work is of censure. The Major, I be- residents in and near burton street. 177 lieve, was an honest, conscientious, sincere reprover of notorious evils in Church and State, and a determined advocate of their rational and radical reformation. Many of these things have since been efiected by politicians who are now praised and honoured for their good deeds. The Major, who often distinguished himself at the Covent Garden hustings, hved to a ripe old age, and was much esteemed by all who knew him. After his decease, his niece edited two volumes devoted to his " Life and Corres pondence." Though he was prosecuted " ex ofiicio," both Mr. Fox and Lord Byron eulogized his zeal, probity, and public character. The latter, on'presenting a petition in his cause to the House of Lords, described him " as a man whose long life has been spent in one unceasing struggle for the Uberty of the subject." He was born at Marnham, Nottinghamshire, in 1740, and died in 1S24, aged 84. "If ever man was framed by the hand of Nature for, and born, a Pohtician, that man was John Cartwright. The ruling passion was strong even in death." {Lit. Gaz., 1826, p. 404.) The name and fame of John Braham are famUiar to all lovers of vocal music and the drama ; as he has been upon the pubhc stage of England and Europe more than half a century. When a boy he first attracted admiration in the Synagogue, Duke's Place, and at the Royalty Theatre, WeU-Close Square ; and, as an aged man, he has displayed his amazing powers of voice and musical science in pubhc during the year 1S49. For many years he was my neighbour and friend, having resided at No. 3, Tavistock Square, during my sojourn at No. 10, Tavistock Place. At his house I have spent many hours of high excitement and delight, in the company of some of the most eminent performers and literati of the age. It is weU kno-wn to the world that Signora Storace* lived there with him. * Signora Storace was a noted character in the annals of the drama, and of gaUantry, for many years. She was an accompUshed singer and musician, as weU as a very popular comic actress. Though she retained her maiden name, of Storace, till death, she was married, when in her teens, to Dr. Eischer, a famous German violinist, from whom she soon parted, and attached herself to Mr. Attwood, a composer ; afterwards to Mr. Brian Barrett, a wax-chandler, who committed suicide ; and, subsequently, she formed a more famUiar and lengthened connection with Mr. Braham, with whom she Uved for many years. Early in their career they traveUed to Italy, and to various other cities of the Continent, performing at some of the most eminent theatres with unparaUeled success. Older than her Mend, she latterly became slovenly in habits, ordinary in person, and vulgar in man ners, whence "the gaUant, gay Lothario" was tempted to neglect her, and visit a Mrs. Wright, who lived in the vicinity of Tavistock Square, and whose personal attractions ecUpsed those of the actress. These visits were so frequent that they became the topic of common remark and commentary. Mrs. Wright had a husband, who deemed it an ad visable speculation to institute an action for crim. con. against Braham. There was but N 178 britton's auto-biography, appendix. and that one son, who was their issue, is now a Prebendary of Canterbury Cathedral. After the decease of that lady, Braham wedded Miss Bolton, of Liverpool, a very pretty and amiable young woman, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. At the birth of the eldest of those sons I spent the evening with him, and wrote him a congratulatory letter on the following morning. Many amusing anecdotes might be related of my friend, for he lived in the great, the gay, the public world; and his society was coveted by princes, titled lords, and ladies, as weU as by many of the sharpers and harpies of society. He was long noted for prudence and caution in pecuniary affairs, and boasted, before a Committee of the House of Commons, of never embarking in theatrical property. Yet he was afterwards seduced into speculations of not only hazardous but ruinous extent, in the Argyle Rooms, Regent Street, the Colosseum, in the Re gent's Park, and the St. James's Theatre. AU of these faUed, his property suffered, and he was thence compelled to make a professional voyage to America. On his return to England he again appeared upon the stage and in the concert-room ; and with his two sons, John and Charles, traveUed over the greater part of the island, gi-ving vocal entertainments in most of the principal towns. His eldest daughter married John James Henry Waldegrave, Esq., son, before marriage, of the sixth Earl of Waldegrave. This gentleman died in 1840, in less than twelve months after their union; and in the same year his widow married the seventh Earl of Waldegrave, who was the younger, legitimate, brother of her first hus band. This nobleman had succeeded to the peerage in his nineteenth year; and, both at Cambridge and in the metropolis, had acquired a most unen-idable notoriety by riotous conduct in the pubhc streets, beating po licemen and other peaceable indi-\dduals, by feats of dangerous driving, and simUar freaks of recklessness. The wUd excesses of his lordship and his associates often appeared in the records of the London Police Courts, and made his name as notorious as that of his disreputable companion and prototype, the Marquess of Waterford. The pecuniary difficulties in which he became involved, led to the disposal of his celebrated VUla of Strawberry HiU, with the whole of its valuable and interesting contents, Uttle difficulty to substantiate the case, and the jury pronounced a verdict for the plaintiff, with a large sum for damages. On this occasion, one of my witty friends (the late Edward Du Bois) penned the following Epigram, which was circulated extensively through the pages of contemporary periodicals : " A Jew d' Esprit, — in crim. con. see, Lo ! Braham's fate is such. This Child of Song is only -wrong In loving Wright too much." residents in and near burton street. 179 which were sold by auction m 1S42. That property had descended to him from Maria, Countess Dowager of Waldegrave and Duchess of Glouces ter, daughter of Sir Edward Walpole, k.c.b. After exactly six years of married life, the Earl of Waldegrave died on the 2Sth of September, 1846, in the thirtieth year of his age. Left with a handsome fortune, youth, and engagmg manners. Lady Waldegrave married again, in Sep tember 1847, her third and present husband, George GranviUe Harcourt, Esq., M.P., eldest son of the late Archbishop of York. Doctor Wolcot, who -wrote and pubhshed numerous poems, under the cognomen of Peter Pindar, resided for some years, at the latter end of his life, in a smaU house in Montgomery's Nursery Gardens, which occupied the site of the north side of Euston Square. Here he dwelt in a secluded, cheerless manner, being bhnd, with only a female servant to attend hun; occasionaUy visited by some of his old friends, and visiting them in return. I often spent an hour -with him on a Saturday afternoon, m company with John (commonly caUed Jack) Taylor, editor of The Sun. This gentleman, author of " Monsieur Tonson," &c., was the most inveterate and reckless punster I ever knew, and often teazed Peter by some pointless ones, which provoked the caustic remarks of the old poet. At one of these -visits, on taking leave, Taylor exclaimed, pointing to Peter's head and rusty -wig, " Adieu ! I leave thee -wdthout hope, for I see Old Scratch has thee in his claws." I have noticed these old and early acquaintances in the first part of this work. (See Index.) Sir Harris Nicolas, k.c.m.g., Uved for some years at No. 19, Tavis tock Place, and afterwards at No. 55, Torrington Square, whence he removed to Boulogne, in consequence of pecuniary embarrassments, and died there in 1844, in the prime of life, leaving a widow and famUy to lament his loss. This author's literary and legal works abound -with val uable information, especiaUy on Genealogy and Chronology, and also on Heraldry, Biography, and Criticism. His " Chronology of History " (18mo., 1838) is a work of great utUity to the topographer, the historian, and the antiquary. Quick, active, and persevering, he attained high re pute and distinction, and received a handsome remuneration for his la bours ; but being a careless accountant, and bad manager of domestic affairs, he gradually contracted debts which he could not discharge, and was at last obliged to leave his country to secure personal liberty. Mary Anne Clarke, one of the pkramours of Frederick, Duke of York, occupied No. 31, Tavistock Place, whilst under the protection of n2 ISO britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. that illustrious personage. She was a pretty little woman, of fascinating manners and ready wit. When under examination in the Court of King's Bench, she was asked under whose protection she then was ; and naively replied, with a bow to Lord Ellenborough, who presided in the court, " His Lordship's;" a retort which of course created something beyond a smile on every face in the court. Mrs. Clarke was the daughter of a jour neyman printer named Farquhar, residing in a court leading firom Fetter Lane to Cursitor Street, where she was born about the year 1777. Ere she was thirteen she engaged the love of James Day, a young Compositor, one of the earliest of my literary acquaintances, who addressed many weU- written sonnets to her charms. Soon afterwards she eloped -ndth Joseph Clarke, the son of a buUder on Snow Hill, and after hving with him three years, they were married and had children. At a subsequent period she lived openly with the Duke of York,* whose horses and groom I have often seen in Tavistock Place, and who was guilty of the basest corruption in granting promotions in the army, at her request, to many persons who had purchased her influence. These transactions were made the subject of parliamentary inquiry in 1809, at the instigation of Colonel Wardle, whose motives have however been subject to some suspicion. Mrs. Clarke, whom the Duke had then abandoned, was caUed as a witness; and, in the words of Sir Walter Scott, " the examination of this woman, and her va rious profligate intimates, occupied nearly three months, and that -with an intenseness of anxiety seldom equalled. The Duke of York was acquitted from the motion brought against him by a majority of eighty ; but so strong was the outcry against him -without doors, so much was the nation convinced that all Mrs. Clarke said was true, and so little could they be brought to doubt that the Duke of York was a conscious and participant actor in aU that person's schemes, that his Royal Highness, seeing his utility obstructed by popular prejudice, tendered to His Majesty the resignation of his office of Commander-in-Chief, which was accepted." f In 1814 Mrs. Clarke was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, for a libel on the Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer. She concocted a Me moir of her own Life and Adventures, by means of which she contrived to excite prurient curiosity. John Gait, in his "Auto-Biography," gives an amusing account of an interview with her, when she consulted him about * This connection began in 1802, and lasted for several years. After living in Tavistock Place, Mrs. Clarke resided in Gloucester Place, Portman Square, where her establishment consisted of two carriages, eight horses, nine men servants, &o., to support which the Duke aUowed her £2000 a year. This, in her evidence before the House of Commons, she de scribed as barely sufficient to pay her servants' wages and for their liveries. t " Literary Gazette," 1827, January 13th. RESIDENTS IN AND NEAR BURTON STREET. 181 the pubhcation of her work. " I told her," he says, " point blank, she was in want of money, and that this was an expedient to raise the wind. She confessed the truth, and also that her debts had been paid to the amount of £7000, and an annuity of £400 a year granted to her, on con dition that she should not molest the Duke of York. I read over the papers ; and it -wiU be readily credited that they were fit for anything but the pubhc eye. I told her that the publication she intended was dis reputable, and must not go on. I advised her strongly to suppress the book, and get what money she wanted in any other expedient way. The result was the suppression of her Memoirs. Mrs. Clarke had certainly no pretensions whatever to beauty, though there was a life and inteUectuality in her eyes sparklingly agreeable. She dressed -with what I would caU much taste — remarkably neat, plain, and clean. Her hair was almost black. She possessed great powers of conversation, was often -witty, and suddenly surprised you with fiashes of shrewdness seldom seen in women. Her mind was decidedly masculine, and she read books of what may be caUed the male kind. But it was not by knowledge that she made herself agreeable. On the contrary, her general conversation had very few lite rary aUusions; her great forte lay in the discernment of character, and in stripping pretensions. The fact is, that she did not possess that extraordi nary fascination which posterity may suppose from the incidents in which she was engaged ; but she was undoubtedly clever, with a degree of tact that, either in man or woman, would have been singularly acute." An incident connected with the name of Clarke, and her notoriety in Tavistock Place, is too closely impressed on my own feehngs ever to be forgotten. On returning home one day, I saw a handsome chariot, with gay hvery servants, at my door. Going in, I was told that "Mrs. Clarke" was waiting for me, in the hbrary. On entering, I saw a taU, elegant lady, who soon explained that she -svished to see a large-paper copy of the Ar chitectural Antiquities, which, on examination, she said it was her wish to subscribe for. Of course, I cheerfully complied, and afterwards supplied her -with the continuation of that work, and the Cathedral Antiquities. This pleasant and profitable interview was, however, productive of dis tressing effects. The name of Mrs. Clarke was hateful, nay, even terrific to the ears and fancy of many "jealous wives," — to the "Mrs. Caudles" of civUized society : and had created strange -vdsions in the fancy of my imaginative partner. To her, " trifles light as air," were proofs strong as Holy Writ ; and it was useless for me to assert that Mrs. Clarke, of Swakeley House, a curious old mansion near Uxbridge, was not Mary Anne Clarke of Tavistock Place ; and that there were many very virtuous 182 britton's auto-biography, APPENDIX. and amiable Mrs. and Miss Clarkes. Jealousy never hears or compre hends the language of reason : the fit wiU have its course, and is often followed by as much mortification and sorro-w to the " mind diseased," as to the injured person, whether husband, or wife. My list of other strictly public characters, whose names are connected ¦with this immediate locality, comprises several " who have done the state some service," either by pen, pencil, or other implement of art, litera ture, or science. Of these, I shall enumerate the foUowing, with nearly all of whom I was personally acquainted, and have had occasion to relate Biographical Anecdotes in the First Part of this work. Francis Douce, 32, Ta-vistock Place, author of a " Dissertation on the Dance of Death," (Svo.), and " IUustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners." (2 vols. Svo. 1807.) John Galt resided for some time in the same house. He wrote an Auto-Biography, and many other literary works. As Editor of " The Courier," he was involved in repeated controversies. He died at the age of 59, at Greenock, after a fifteenth attack of palsy. An interesting me moir of him will be found in the Supplement to the Penny Cyclopcedia. The following terminated their lives by suicide : Edward Dayes, Art ist ; Sir Samuel RomUly, m.p. ; Henry Neele, Poet ; and Thomas Massa Alsager, Official Assignee in the Bankruptcy Court, and writer of the " City Article " in the Times newspaper. William Godwin and Mary Woolstonecraft God-win, J. P. Malcohn, Dr. Bostock, the Rev. Dr. Yates, Sir James Scarlett, afterwards Lord Abinger, Lord Eldon, Sir Sidney Smith, John Nash, Sir Thomas Law rence, Edmund Lodge, Sir Vicary Gibbs, Sir Thomas Bernard, Joseph Munden, John Bannister, the Rev. J. Hewlett, Dr. Mason Good, Basil Montagu, John ThelwaU, Dr. Buchan, Mary Hays, Peter Coxe, Alaric A. Watts, Charles Heath, General Miranda, William Frend, the Rev. Dr. Rees, Isaac D'Israeli, T. R. Underwood, and many others. LINES ON EEVISITINQ By JOHN britton, Oct. 3, 1848. Majestic Pile ! huge, ponderous, and sublime ; What awful feelings, marvellous and strange. Start into life, as I now gaze on thee ! Thou, hke myself, art far advanced in years. Both hastening onwards to our final doom ! But ages hence thy venerable form, Renew'd, restored, upheld, shall still remain For unseen generations to admire ; Whilst I must faU, and faU beyond repair ! — Time was, I reveUed in thy gorgeous charms. And sought thy mystic story to unroll. To comprehend the beauties of thy form. And give the world due record of thy fame. Alas ! how feeble were my utmost powers To chase the shadows that around thee he. Misty, and dark, and vast, and ominous. The stern defenders of thy solemn reign. GLEE. By JOHN BRITTON, Set to music by John Parky, and Sung at the Anniversary Dinner of the Literary Fund, June 20, 1827. Incited by hope, inspired by fame. Young Genius unfurls every sail. Braves the tempest of life, to acquire a name. And trusts to a favouring gale. He scarce clears the land, when a pitiless storm Wrecks his all, — leaves him helpless, distressed : The Angel of Mercy outstretches her arm. And, dispensing her blessing, is blessed. 184 bonnet @n attaining l&is StBentift^" gear— 7 Sulg, 1841. It iuell Beseems t^ee, ISritton, to Jabe gaineir J^ulness of sears ; ti^t Past 'nott) i&onour tjee as ti^ou t^e past fiast tonouretr: t^ou s$alt Be dFor a long age in memorg retaineir 212EitS tjose stone tieetrs toj&ose glories i&abe remained, anil f)allob)et( noto Bg ** ^ore antiijuitie ; " as is tje storm=ent(uring Bruii tree, <©r eejoing aisle, iaitft storieir b3ini(ob)S=staineir. ancient of iiags, But age a Bog in Jeart, Still Sopittfl on biiti) sgmpatiiies unspent, JSxample to ti)e apatjist iijon art! SiSIotilii tiiat tSg frame migj^t fitlg represent C^g spirit's freshness ! tjen sjoulii ills iepart, aniJ tl)e greg tgrant, ^Cime, for onee, relent. aaic'^montt, •August, I84i. A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OP THB OF JOHN BEXTTON, f.s.a. A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST Hitetarg aSEorfes of Jofjn ISximn, i.bm. With the Dates, Sizes, Numbers Printed, Number of Pages and Engraving 3, and the Money expended upon each Puhlieation. No. Date. TITLE. J. Britton. No. of Vols. Size. No. printed Price. No. of Pages. No. of Engravings. Outlay. 1 1799 The Enterprising Adventures of Pizarro, with a Sketch ] of the Voyages of Columbus and Cortez, and a Life of} E. B. Sheridan, Esq., M.P ) Author 1 demy Svo. £. s. d. i 0 2 6) <0 5 0 S 144 1 £. 60 2 1801 The Beauties of "Wiltshire (see No. 33 in this list for 1 vol. iii.) / Author 2 { demy Svo. 1 royal Svo. 500 150 1 4 0\ 1 16 0 668 15 400 3 1801-16 The Beauties of England and Wales, vols. i. to vi., ) vol. ix., and parts of vols. xi. and xiv. . . .j Joint Author with E. W. Brayley 9 ( demy Svo. | (royal 8vo,j various 50,000 4 1802-19 The Topographical Articles relating to England, Wales, ] and Scotland, and a Biography of Shakspere, in Dr. > Bees' " Cyclopsedia" ) Author demy 4to. 800 •• 5 1803 Two Views of Stonehenge. Engraved by Charles Heath ) from drawings by J. Britton ) Artist & part proprietor 9 in, by 5 in. 2 30 6 Criticisms on the Eoyal Academy Exhibition, in " The ' British Press " Newspaper Author .¦ 7 1803-10 Criticisms on Topographical Works, in "Annual Review" Author royal Svo, 8 1804-9 The British Atlas, being County Maps, with Plans of Ci- 1 ties ; to accompany " Beauties of England and Wales " j Joint Editor withE.W.Brayley / sm. paper 1 large paper •• 3 6 0\ 5 4 0. ¦• 79 4,000 9 1805-14 The Akchitecttjral ANTianiTiES of Great Britain (see No. 26 in this list, for vol. v.) Author j demy 4to. I imp. 4to. 850 450 22 0 0\ 32 0 0 450 279 13,088 10 1806 Historical Account of Corsham House, Wiltshire . Author 3 ^S 500100 100 0 4 0) 0 5 0} 0 6 O) 108 1 70 No. 11 Date. TITLE. J. Britton. No. of Vols. Size. No. printed. Price. No. of Pages. No. of Engravings. Outlay. 1807 The Pleasures of Human Life; or, "The Miseries" | turned Topsy-Turvy j Author 12mo. 2,000 £. s. d. 0 10 0 239 8 £. 120 12 13 18081811 Catalogue Raisonni of the Cleveland Gallery . Portrait of John Nichols, F.S.A., painted by John Jack- \ son, R.A., engraved by Charles Heath . . . j Author Publisher ' demy Svo. \ royal Svo. 500 250 0 6 0\ 0 10 0/ 158 2 I 200 14 1812 The Fine Arts of the English School .... Editor and part Author (imp, 4to. 1 atlas 4to. 6 5 0\ 9 0 0, 126 24 3,344 1516 1813 1814 Historical and Descriptive Account of Redcliffe Church, Bristol Account of Wiltshire, part of vol. xiv. "Beauties ofl England and Wales " (see ant^ No. 3) . . ./ Author Author f royal Svo. 1 demy 4to. ( imp. 4to. 500250 250 0 16 0) 1 4 0 I U 6) 40 12 417 17 The Rights of Literature ; an Inquiry into the Claims of Pub- ' lie Libraries for Eleven Copies of all New Publications ; Author demy Svo. / demy 4to. 600 0 3 0 35 0 0\ 77 30 18 1814-35 The Cathedral Antiquities of England Author 14 imp. 4to. J crown folio various 53 0 0 1 ) 1388 311 19,008 19 1814 Remarks on the Life and Writings of Shakspere, with a \ List of Essays and Dissertations on his Works ; to ac- | company Whittingham's edition of his Works, 7 vols. ) Author \ royal folio 16mo. 34 3 20 1816 Remarks on the Bust of Shakspere, at Stratford, with) two wood-cuts and a Portrait from the same Bust, en- } graved by W. Ward, A.R.A ) Author demy Svo. 8 3 60 21 1816-24 Havell's Views of Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Seats . Editor and part Author royal folio 500 6 6 0 38 20 22 1817 Norwich Cathedral Vade-mecum Author f roy. ISmo. [ royal 8vo. 600 100 0 3 0\ 0 6 0/ 32 4 40 23 1818 Memoir of Shakspere, greatly enlarged (see No. 19) . . Author 16mo. .... 62 24 Plaster Cast of the Bust of Shakspere, reduced by Soou- ' lar, from a model of the original by Bullock Publisher 2 2 0 • • .. 25 Companion Busts of Camden and Ben Jonson Publisher 4 4 0 26 27 34 Date. 1818-26 1819 28 1821 29 1821-22 30 1822 31 1823 32 1823-25 33 1825 35 36 1826-27 37 1825-28 38 1826-27 39 1827 TITLE. Chronological History, with Illustrations of Christian \ Architecture in England ; being vol. v. of the " Ar- > chitectural Antiquities " ; Two Views of Beverley Minster, Yorkshire, engraved by ) Havell, from drawings by Tayleure . . . . J Magazine of the Fine Arts ¦ Two Addresses to the "Society of Architects and Anti- ) quaries" i The Article "London" in Edinburgh Gazeteer (6vols. 8vo). Graphic and Literary Illustrations of Fonthill Abbey Specimens of Gothic Architecture, engraved from Draw- ) ings by Augustus Pugin j The Beauties of Wiltshire, vol. iii. comprising an Auto- ] Biography of the Author / Historical and Descriptive Account of Bath Abbey Church The Original Picture of London .... Abohiteotubal Antiquities of Normandy, drawn by A Pugin, engraved by J. and H. Le Keux The Public Buildings of London, from drawings by A, Pugin ........ Views of English Cities, from drawings by G. F. Robson The Union of Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting, ex- ) emplified in the House and Museum of Sir John Soane ) J. Britton. Author Publisher Editor and Con- tributor Author Contributor Author Editor and part Author Author Author Editor Author and Editor Editor & prin cipal Author Editor No. of Vols. Size. !demy 4to. imp. 4to. each 13 in. by 8 in. demy Svo. demy Svo. idemy 4to. imp. 4to. roy. folio !demy 4to. imp. 4to. [ demy Svo. ( royal Svo. i royal Svo. demy 4to. imp. 4to. j demy 4to. \ imp. 4to. idemy Svo. royal Svo. demy 4to. idemy 4to. imp. 4to. roy. folio C demy 4to. \ imp. 4to. No. printed. 760260 600300 6 800250350 150 500 250160 400 75 750250 100 250250 Price. £. 3. d. 6 12 0) H 0 oJ 0 16 0 0 18 0 5 0) 2 0} 6 6 0) 10 10 0 J 5 6 0 8 8 0 14 14 0 4 4 0 8 8 0 16 16 0 1 2 6 0) 2 0 No. of 344 480 26 85 144 440220 500 40 718 60 No. of Engrayings. 86 2 11 114 16 10 80 144 3229 Outlay. £. 4,004 60 200 600 2,872 600 612 1,700 3,360 2,010 638 4041 424344 45 46 47484950 51 52 6354 Date. 1828 1829 1830 1831-43 1832 1832-38 1833 TITLE. Narrative of Memorable Events in Paris, in 1814: by T. ) R. Underwood, with Preface and Remarks by J. Britton j A brief Account of the Colosseum, London . West Fronts, Plans, and Interiors of Fourteen English 1 Cathedrals. Engraved in aquatint on two plates . . \ Accounts of Bath and Bristol, to accompany Jones' lUus trations of Somersetshire MS. Essay on the Origin and Use of Church Bells, read \ at the Society of Antiquaries . . , . .J MS. Essay on Druidical Antiquities ; viz. — Cromlechs, ) Circles, &c. : read at the Society of Antiquaries Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities Memoirs of the Tower of London .... Anstey's New Bath Guide, with Preface and Notes Modern Athens ; or, Accounts of the Buildings, &c., of Edinburgh : for Jones' Illustrations of that City . Eight MS. Lectures on the Architectural Antiquities n of All Nations ; iUustrated by nearly 300 drawings. ( Read at the London Institution, the Royal Institution, ( and other Metropolitan and Provincial Societies . , / Descriptive Sketches of Tunbridge Wells Account of Cornwall, for Fisher's Illustrations of the County A Dictionary ofthe Architecture and Archaeology ofl the Middle Ages ] A Lecture on Railways, particularly the Line from Lon- ) don to Bristol : read at the Bristol Institution . . ) AuthorEditor and Publisher Author AuthorAuthorAuthorJoint Author EditorPart Author AuthorAuthor AuthorAuthor Author No. of ¦Vols. demy Svo. oblong fol. j Each 18 1 I in. by 13 J demy 4to. demy 4to. imp. 4to. roy. folio post Svo. 12mo. demy 4to. ( 12mo. [ Svo. demy 4to. royal Svo. demy 4to. imp. 4to. imp. proofs Svo. No. printed. 750 600 250 12 750100 600 160 90 10 6000 Price. £. s. d. 0 10 0 0 2 0 14 0 7 12 4 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 9 0 5 01 7 OJ 2 16 0 5 0 0 7 7 0 12 0 0 No. of Pages. 298 103 374 252 148 612 16 No. of Engiavings. 8320 8 13 40 Outlay. £. 191 60 2,800 160 200 1,620 10 No. Date. TITLE. J. Britton. No. of Vols. Size. No. printed. No. of Pages. No. of Engravings. Outlay. 55 1834 66 67 68 59 6061 62 63 64 66 66 67 68697071 1834-36 1835 1836 1837 1838-391841-49 1841 1842 Notices of Christian Architecture, in "British Magazine" Memoirs of Sir John Soane, and of Sir Jeffry Wyatville ; 1 to accompany Portraits in Fisher's Portrait Gallery . j History and Descriftion of the Ancient Palace and ) Houses of Parliament, at Westminster . . . / Map of the Borough of Marylebone, engraved by B. R. Davies, on two copper-plates .... The article "Avebury," in the Penny Cyclopsedia . An Address to Artists : Remarks on Drawings, Sketches, &c., presented by their respective Artists to J. Britton History, &c. of Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire . MS. Memoir of John Carter, author of " The Ancient Ar^ chitecture of England " Wild's Lincoln Cathedral, new edition, with Notes, &c. Carter's Ancient Architecture of England, new edition, with Notes, Indexes, &o. ... View of the Chancel of Stratford Church, shewing the ) New Timber Roof, designed by H. Eginton, architect . | Account of the London and Birmingham Railway, with \ Lithographic Drawings by J. C. Bourne . . . | Brayley's History of Surrey Historical Account of Toddington, Gloucestershire, the Seat of Lord Sudeley Brayley and Ferrey's History of the Church at Christ church, Hampshire, new edition, with Notes, Index, &c, Historical and Descriptive Notices of Windsor Castle, with Illustrations by Messrs. Gandy and Baud . Remarks and Suggestions on Redcliffe Church, Bristol, in ) an Appeal to the Public by the Churchwardens . . / Author Author Joint Author with E. W. Brayley Editor Author AuthorAuthorAuthorEditorEditor Promoter and Contributor AuthorEditorAuthorAuthor demy Svo. royal Svo. idemy Svo. royal Svo. demy 4to. (•Each 24) I in. by 40 J imp. Svo. demy Svo. [ royal folio j atlas folio demy 4to. royal folio royal folio Svo. & 4to. l demy 4to. j imp. 4to. demy 4to. C royal folio ^ do. colored demy 4to. 150 20 250 100 £. s. d. 1 1 01 2 2 0 4 4 Oj 3 3 0) 10 10 0 1 0 10 0 4 14 6 2 2 0 4 4 0 4 4 0 : 7 17 6 0 6 0 14 10 476 1 8 32 26 70 12 26 6 2 48 236 34 1 3731 42 5 £. 420 25 400 60 400 No. Date. TITLE. J. Britton. No, of Vols. Size. No. printed. Price. No. of Pages. No. of Engravings. Outlay. 72 1842 The article " Stonehenge," in the Penny Cyclopsedia Author imp. Svo. £. s. d. I 4 £. 73 Remarks on the Paintings of Richard Wilson, R.A., and 1 particularly on his Portrait of J. H. Mortimer, A.R.A. J Author demy 4to. Private 4 2 74 1843 An Essay on Topographical Literature, National Re- ' cords, &c. Also Notes to Jackson's History of Grittleton Author demy 4to. 300 66 76 The article "Tumulus," in the Penny Cyclopsedia Author imp. Svo. 1 4 76 Friendship's Offering : A Sonnet addressed to J. Britton 1 on the 70th anniversary of his Birth. Also a Descrip- J tion of the house in which he has resided 28 years . ) Author and Editor •¦ demy 4to. Private 6 2 77 1845 Memoir of John Aubrey, F.R.S Author demy 4to. 360 130 3 78 The Britton Testimonial : Speeches at a Public Dinner on his 74th Birth-day, with a List of Subscribers, &c. Editor / royal Svo. I demy 4to. ( imp. 4to. 750250 25 Printed for \ the sub- \ scribers ) 44 1 20 79 1846 Remarks on a Dinner given, by the Lord Mayor of Lon don, to Members of Scientific and Literary Institutions . Author ISmo. 100 Private 8 80 Memoir of John Le Keux, in " The Builder " Author ,, 81 Essay on Ancient Hostelries, and on the New Inn, Glou- ) cester : in the Journal of the British Archa3ological Association . J Author royal Svo. a , . 82 1847 Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Character of Henry | Hatcher, author of the " History of Salisbury " . .J Author royal Svo. 750 l Printed for ^ the J (Testimonial J 44 2 , , 83 The Natural History of Wiltshire, by John Aubrey, ) F.R.S. (1666-91) edited and elucidated by Notes . / Editor demy 4to. 260 144 1 , , 84 Essay on the Ancient Gate-houses of Norwich, in the 1 Journal of the Archseological Institute . . . ] Author royal Svo. 16 4 , , 85 The History and Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of) Wells ; revised from the " Cathedral Antiquities " . j Av" 12mo. 164 .. 86 87 18481849 The Authorship of the Letters of Junius Elucidated, ) including a Biographical Memoir of Col. Barrfi, M.P. . ) The AuTO-BioQRAPHY of John Britton. — Part I. Per- j sonal Narrative. Part II. Account of his Literary > Works. With an Illustrated Appendix . . . ) AuthorAuthor « 1 f royal Svo, ^ demy 4to. / royal Svo. I demy 4to. { imp. 4to. 760260600126 25 Printed for ^ Uie I Testimonial j Printed for \ the Tes- > timonial ) 144 about 660 2 about 60 LIST SUBSCRIBERS TO THE BRITTON TESTIMONIAL; To each of whom a Copy of the Author's Auto-Biography is presented, as explained in the Introductory Chapter to Part I. HER MAJESTY'S LIBRARY, AT WINDSOR 10 10 0 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT 10 10 0 HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF PRUSSIA 10 10 0 His Grace the Duke op Sutherland 10 10 0 His Grace the Duke op Hamilton and Brandon o 6 0 The Most Noble the Marquess of Lansdowne 10 10 0 The Most Noble the Marquess op Northampton 5 5 0 The Right Honourable Earl de Grey 6 6 0 The Right Honourable the Earl Amherst 5 0 0 The Right Honourable Lord Viscount Beresford 5 5 0 The Lady Viscountess Berespord . . .¦ 6 5 0 The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop op Ely 5 5 0 The Right Honourable Lord Londesborough 10 10 0 Baron de Goldsmid, F.R.S., &c 10 10 0 BERLAff BOTPIELD, EsQ., M.P., F.R.S., &c 10 10 0 Hudson Gurney, Esq., F.S.A., &c 10 10 0 J. Jackson, Yeoman, and A. W. Jackson, F.G.S., C.E 10 10 0 Dawson Turner, Esq., F.S.A 10 10 0 J. Ashton Yates, Esq 10 10 0 David Salomons Esq., Alderman 10 10 0 " Mil JBespetanUum" (Bristol?) 5 6 0 Robt. Abraham, Esq., Arcliitect. . . John Adamson, Esq., f.l.s Wm, Harrison Ainsworth, Esq. . . . J. Y. Akerman, Esq., f.s.a R. Alchin, Esq G. Alexander, Esq., Archt., f.s.a. . Jabez Allies, Esq. p.s.a Thomas Allom, Esq., Architect . . . Jas. Anderton, Esq Society of Antiquaries, London . . . Society of Antiquaries, Newcastle . Society of Antiquaries of Scotland . Sir Edmund Antrobus, Bart The ArchsEological Institute The Archseological Association . . . The Society of Arts Arthur Ashpitel, Esq., Archt., p.s.a, The Rev. Francis B. Astley John Atkins, Esq Francis Attwood, Esq., Salisbury . Edward St. Aubyn, Esq C. R. Ayres, Esq., Architect £. s. 2 2 22 1 2 1 1 2 I 2 1 25222I Miss Baily George Baker, Esq Edward Ballard, Esq Henry A.shton Barker, Esq Dr. Baron, Cheltenham The Rev. J. T. Barrett, d.d Charles Barry, Esq., Architect, r.a. W. H. Bartlett, Esq The Bath Chronicle £. s. d. I I 0 110110 2 2 0 The Bath Herald The Bath Journal The Bath and Cheltenham Gazette . . The Bath Literary, &c. Institution . . George Beadnell, Esq 2 2 0 George Bell, Esq 2 2 0 Thomas Bell, Esq., f.r.s 2 20 Jas. Bennett, Esq. — Salisbury Journal 1 1 0 Mr. James Bennett, Tewkesbury. ... I I Richard Bentley, Esq 2 2 Peregrine Bingham, Esq I I W. H. Blaauw, Esq., M.A II Octavian Blewitt, Esq I I Birmingham Literary, &e. Institution 2 2 George Bishop, Esq., p.r.s 2 2 Henry George Bohn, Esq 5 6 Sir John P. Boileau, Bart. 3 3 W. J. Booth, Esq., Architect 3 3 Mrs. Bostock 1 I The Rev. Dr. Bosworth, ll.d 2 2 John Bowring, Esq., ll.d., m.p 11 Dr. Bradley I 1 0 G. Weare Braikenridge, Esq., f.s.a. 5 6 0 The Rev. Edw. A. Bray, b.d., p.s.a. 110 Mrs. A. E. Bray 1 1 0 E. W. Brayley, Esq., p.s.a 2 0 0 E. W. Brayley, jun., Esq., f.g.s. ..110 The Bristol Literary, &c. Institution 2 2 0 The Bristol Mercury 1 10 The Bristol Mirror 110 Mr. Richard Britton 2 2 0 Mr. Sandys Britton, jun 2 2 0 194 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. H. Broadley, Esq., f.s.a., m.p W. Brockedon, Esq., f.r.s Thomas Brown, Esq J. Browne, Esq W. H. Ludlow Bruges, Esq., m.p. . . J. K. Brunei, Esq., ce J. S. Buckingham, Esq Professor Jas. Buckman, p.g.s., p.l.s. The Proprietors of the " Builder" . , John Buller, Esq Thos. Bullock, Esq., Birmingham . , His Excellency Chevalier Bunsen . . Jas. Burchell, Esq A. Burges, Esq., p.s.a., ce John Burnet, Esq Archdeacon Burney, d.d., f.r.s Wm. Norton Burrows, Esq W, Burrows, Esq. — Wilts. Indepen. D. Burton, Esq., Architect, p.s.a. . . J. B. Byron, Esq £. s. 0 0 I 0 2 0 1 00 1I 2222 3 3 0 5 6 0 1 2 1 I 5 5 B. B. Cabbell, Esq., m.p., f.r.s 2 2 0 The Cambridge Ecclesiological Society 2 2 0 Wm. H. Carpenter, Esq I 1 0 •Owen B. Carter, Esq., Architect ..220 W. Chadwick, Esq 550 Thos. Chalk, Esq., Chelmsford .... 110 W. Chapman, Esq 3 30 Charles F. Cheffins, Esq 330 J. G. Children, Esq., p.r.s., p.s.a. ..220 George H. Christie, Esq 5 5 The Institution of Civil Engineers ..22 Thomas Clarke, Esq 2 2 Charles Clarke, Esq I I Hyde Clarke, Esq I 1 Mons. Claudet 2 2 C. F. Cliffe, Esq I I John Cochrane, Esq 1 1 C. R. CockereU, Esq., Professor of Architecture, Royal Academy .... 50 The Right Hon. Lord Colborne 2 2 Jacob Cole, Esq I 1 W. Wilkie Collins, Esq 1 1 Messrs. Colnaghi and Co 3 3 J. Conolly, Esq., m.d 2 2 W. Conolly, Esq., m.d 1 G. R. Comer, Esq., p.s.a 2 Bolton Corney, Esq., m.r.s.l I Joseph Cottle, Esq 1 William Cotton, Esq,, m.a., f.s.a. . . 2 R. S. Cox, Esq 2 F. Crace, Esq 2 J. Crace, Esq I John Cranage, Esq 2 Edw. Cresy, Esq., Architect, p.s.a. . . 2 Thos. Crofton Croker, Esq., f.s.a. . . 2 The Rev. Dr. CromweU, f.s.a 2 Thomas Cubitt, Esq 6 Mrs. Cubitt 2 Miss Cubitt I Miss M. Cubitt I WUUam Cubitt, Esq., m.p 6 0 0 Mrs. W. Cubitt 200 Miss E. Cubitt 100 Lewis Cubitt, Esq., Architect 6 0 0 Mrs. L. Cubitt 600 P. Cunningham, Esq. {Hon. Sec.) ..220 William Cunnington, Esq 1 I 0 I2 I 0 £. s. d. Mrs. Cunnington I 10 The Hon. Sir Edward Cust 110 The Hon. & Rev. H. C. Cust, p.s.a. 2 0 0 Andrew CutheU, Esq 220 The Rev. Thomas Dale, m.a James DarniU, Esq R. A. Davenport, Esq George Davey, Esq B. R. Davies, Esq Sir Thomas Deane, Architect J. C. Denham, Esq Thos. Dicker, Esq Charles Dickens, Esq. J. Dickinson, Esq., f.r.s Robt. Dickson, Esq., m.d., p.l.s. . . WiUiam Dixon, Esq R. B. Dockray, Esq., ce T. L. Donaldson, Esq., Professor of Architecture, IJniversity CoUege. . W. L. Donaldson, Esq W. J. Donthorne, Esq., Architect . . John F. M. Dovaston, Esq., m.a. . . John Doyle, Esq J. G. Home Drummond, Esq The Rev. E. Duke, m.a., f.s.a P. B. Duncan, Esq W. Dunnage, Esq 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 J. Elger, Esq., Architect 220 The Rev. H. T. EUacombe 110 Charles EUis, Esq 220 Joseph EUis, Esq 220 Joseph EUis, jun., Esq 220 The Dean of Ely, d.d., f.r.s., Sec . . 2 2 0 B. F. English, Esq 220 T. G. B. Estcourt, Esq., m.p 5 6 0 John Evans, Esq., f.s.a 1 10 The Exeter Architectural Society ..220 J. Walter K. Eyton, Esq., f.s.a. ..220 F. W. Fairholt, Esq. p.s.a 110 Thomas Faulkner, Esq 220 B. Ferrey, Esq., Architect IIO WUliam Figg, Esq., Surveyor IIO W. S. Fitch, Esq., p.s.a 110 Robert Fitch, Esq., p.g.s I 1 0 Mrs. Robert Fitch 110 W. Fleet, Bsq.— Brighton Herald ..110 John Fletcher, Esq IIO Henry Foss, Esq I 1 0 Edward Foss, Esq., p.s.a 1 I 0 Richard Fowler, Esq., m.d 110 Charles Fowler, Esq., Architect 110 The Rev. R. Lane Freer 110 Joseph French, Esq IIO Charles Frost, Esq. f.s.a 2 2 0 J. B. Gardiner, Esq., Architect . . . 110 Thomas Garrard, Esq., f.s.a. Bristol. 110 John S. Gaskoin, Esq 1 I 0 The Geographical Society 2 2 0 Charles Gibbes, Esq 110 Sills Gibbons, Esq ; . . 2 2 0 Mrs. S. Gibbons 2 2 0 W. Sidney Gibson, Esq., p.s.a 110 The Rev. Dr. GUes 220 The Rt. Rev. the Bishop of Gloucester 2 2 0 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. 195 £. s. d. J. H. Glover, Esq., f.s.a 220 Charles Godwin, Esq 100 George Godwin, Esq 1 1 0 George Godwin, jun., Esq., Architect F.R.S, F.S.A. (Hon. Sec.J 2 2 0. Henry Godwin, Esq., Newbury .... 110 W. H. Gomonde, Esq 1 1 0 N. Gould, Esq., p.s.a. {Treasurer) ..330 Charles Graham, Esq., f.s.a 1 1 0 W. Grane, Esq 600 J. E. Gray, Esq., f.r.s 2 2 0 J. Gray, Esq 1 1 0 Thomas A. Green, Esq., f.s.a 2 2 0 Thomas John Green, Esq., p.s.a. ..110 Mr. Green, BookseUer, WeUs 1 Benjamin W. Greenfield, Esq 2 G. B. Greenough, Esq., f.r.s 2 John Griffin, Esq I W. P. Griffith, Esq., Architect, p.s.a. 1 Thomas Grissell, Esq., p.s.a 5 Master Leonard GrisseU 2 J. M. G. Gutch, Esq I George GwUt, Esq., Architect, f.s.a. 2 C. Hacker, Esq 2 Sir Benjamin Hall, Bart., m.p. . . 2 S. C. HaU, Esq., p.s.a 2 Henry Hallam, Esq., v.p.s.a., &c. . . 2 J. D. Harding, Esq I G. P. Harding, Esq I Philip Hardwick, Esq., r.a., f.r.s. . 5 James Harmer, Esq 5 The Rev. Richard Hart I James Hartley, Esq 1 Wm. Harvey, Esq 1 WUUam H. Hatcher, Esq., ce I The Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, m.p. 6 W. Herbert, Esq., Architect 5 T. K. Hervey, Esq 1 J. W. Higgins, Esq I Charles Hill, Esq 5 Miss Hill, Eltham 1 Sir Hugh Richard Hoare, Bart. . . 6 Henry Merrik Hoare, Esq 5 Henry Charles Hoare, Esq 3 Thomas Hodgson, Esq 2 Robert S. Holford, Esq 5 A. J. Beresford Hope, Esq., m.p. . . 6 Henry Thomas Hope, Esq 5 James Hopgood, Esq 2 W. Hosking, Esq., Professor of Archi tecture, King's College 3 John HoweU, Esq 5 Thomas Howse, Esq 2 R. Hudson, Esq., p.r.s., f.l.s., f.g.s. 2 John Hughes, Esq 2 The Rev. J. H. Hughes, M.A 2 John Hulbert, Esq : 2 The Rev. Dr. Hume I Joseph Hume, Esq., m.p 3 L. C. Humfrey, Esq., Q.c 6 W.O.Hunt, Esq., Stratford-on-Avon I The Rev, Jos. Hunter, p.s.a 2 Robert Hunter, Esq., f.r.s., f.s.a. . . I 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 2 0 W. H. Ince, Esq 3 3 0 The Rev. J. Ingram, d.d 600 Wm. S. Inman, Esq., Architect 3 3 0 p2 £. s. d. David Irving, Esq., ll.d 1 1 0 The Islington Literary, &c. Institution 2 2 0 The Rev. J. E. Jackson I I 0 The Rev. Dr. James, p.s.a., Liverpool 110 Mr. Jaques I I 0 WUliam Jerdan, Esq 220 Douglas Jerrold, Esq 1 I 0 Edmund Johnson, Esq 200 Thomas JoUey, Esq I I 0 Mr. T. E. Jones 1 1 0 W. S. Jones, Esq 200 E. B. Kemble, Esq 650 H.E.Kendall,jun., Esq., Arch., F.S.A. IIO Miss Kerr 300 The Rev. Dr. Knapp 2 2 0 Charles Knight, Esq 3 30 Messrs. Charles Knight & Co 3 3 0 Kysle, Rev. J. S. Money 1 1 0 F. Lake, Esq., Taunton 1 The Incorporated Law Society .... 2 Wm. Laxton, Esq 2 John Lee, Esq., ll.d., f.s.a I Henry Lee, Esq 2 Mr. Leighton I Geo. O. Leicester, Esq., Architect . . I J. H. Le Keux, Esq 1 Mr. J. Lilly, BookseUer 1 The Liverpool Architectural and Ar chseological Society 5 The Liverpool Mechanics Institution 2 The Dean of Llandaff 2 The London Institution 6 The London Mechanics Institution. . 2 Charles E. Long, Esq I Thomas Longman, Esq 2 Joseph Longmore, Esq I Mr. Lordan I Mrs. Loudon 2 G. W. LoveU, Esq I M. A. Lower, Esq., m.a I Thomas Lupton, Esq 2 Sir E. L. Bulwer Lytton, Bart 3 The Ven. Archdeacon Macdonald . . 2 Charles Mackay, Esq., ll.d 2 R. Shelton Mackenzie, Esq., ll.d. . . 3 Sir F. Madden, k.h., f.r.s 1 G. Mair, Esq., Architect I W. Maltby, Esq I The AtheniEum, Manchester 2 The Literary &c. Society, Manchester 2 The Rev. E. Mangin I J. H. Markland, Esq., LL.D., P.R.S., &c. 2 J. Marriott, Esq. — -Taunton Courier . 1 J. Martin,Esq. — Felix Farley's Journ. I John Martin, Esq 2 John Masquerier, Esq I R. Maugham, Esq 3 Alfred Meredith, Esq 2 Miss Martha Meredith 2 Samuel Merriman, Esq., m.d 1 The Rev. Thomas Meyler 2 The Rev. George MiUers 5 The Rev. John Mitford 2 F. G. Moon, Esq., Alderman 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 5 2 1 2 I 1 2 1 1 23 22 3 1 1 1 2 2I 2 I 1 2 03 22 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 196 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. £. s. d. George Moore, Esq., Architect, p.s.a. 110 E. R. Moran, Esq 10 0 Richard Morris, Esq 1 I 0 E. MoSon, Esq 2 2 0 Samuel Mullen, Esq 550 Richard MulUngs, Esq 1 1 0 Mr. Murdock 1 1 0 T. R. Musgrave, Esq., Bath 3 3 0 Charles Muskett, Esq 220 Miss Muskett 220 Edwin Nash, Esq., Architect IIO Joseph Neeld, Esq., m.p 660 Chas. C. Nelson, Esq., Architect .,110 J. Newman, Esq., Architect, f.s.a. .110 Mr. J. Newman, BookseUer 110 J. B. Nichols, P.S.A 220 J. G. Nichols, F.S.A I I 0 James Nisbett, Esq 1 I 0 Norfolk&NorwichArchasologicalSoc 2 2 0 Society of Antiquaries, Normandy ..220 Northampton Archseological Society. 2 2 0 James Noyes, Esq 1 I 0 Mrs. Opie IIO George Ormerod, Esq., f.r.s., p.s.a. 2 2 0 Wm. S. Orr, Esq 500 W. Osmond, Esq 110 Aneurin Owen, Esq 100 The Oxford Architectural Society ..220 T. Page, Esq., ce The Rev. John Parker E. T. Pairis, Esq J. Parrott, Esq John Parry, Esq Messrs. J. L. & C. Parsons Mr. John Peace i The Rev. J. Pearse John CoUingwood Perry, Esq •G. Petrie, JSsq., r.h.a., v.p.r.i.a. . . T. J. Pettigrew, Esq., p.r.s., f.s.a. . John L. PhiUips, Esq Sir Thomas Phillips, Bart., f.s.a. . . Wm. Pickering, Esq H. W. PickersgUl, Esq., r.a Joseph Plowman, Esq., Oxford . . . . The Rev. Dr. Plumptree (Viee-Chan- cellor of Oxford) Lewis Pocock, Esq., f.s.a WiUiam Pocock, Esq., Architect . . James Ponsford, Esq Miss Porter The Rev. Beale Post Wm. Powell, Esq., Bristol George PownaU, Esq E. Poynder, Esq Edward Pretty, Esq., f.s.a J. Critchley Prince, Esq James Prior, Esq Thomas Proctor, Esq Samuel Prout, Esq., p.s.a A. Provis, Esq John Provis, Esq John Pye, Esq I 3 I 2 I 1I I 0 1 0 3 3 0 2 2 0 02 1 32 I1 I I I 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 00 000 A. Rainy, Esq 3 3 0 A. Ramsey, Esq 2 2 0 £. s. d. John Ramsey, Esq 1 1 0 Cyrus Redding, Esq 220 The Rev. Dr. Rees, f.s.a 2 2 0 The Rev. W. T. Rees, m.a., f.b.s. ..110 Mr. W. Reid 10 0 J. Adey Repton, Esq., Arch., p.s.a. 110 Thomas Reseigh, Esq 1 1 0 C. J. Richardson, Esq., Arch., f.s.a. 110 Edward Richardson, Esq., Sculptor 110 David Roberts, Esq., r.a 3 W. J. Roberts, Esq 1 1 Henry Crabb Robinson, Esq., f.s.a 2 2 John RodweU, Esq 2 2 W. H. Rolfe, Esq, I 1 C. P. Roney, Esq 3 0 W. Roots, Esq., M.D. Kingston, Surrey 2 2 0 Sir W. C. Ross, b.a 220 Francis Ross, Esq I 1 0 M. Rowe, Esq 220 The Rev. E. Rowlandson 1 1 0 The Royal Academy 22 0 The Royal Society 220 The Royal Society of Literature 2 2 0 The Rt. Rev. the Bishop of Salisbury W. W. Salmon, Esq Joseph Sams, Esq W. D. Saull, Esq., f.s.a Thomas Bush Saunders, Esq G. Poulett Scrope, Esq., m.p WUliam Selwyn, Esq., q.c Henry Shaw, Esq., f.s.a F. Shoberl, Esq Geo. Simpson, Esq. — Devizes Gazette Thomas Skelding, Esq I I B. H. Smart, Esq 1 I Lt.-Col. C. H. Smith, k.h., p.r.s. ..22 Charles Roach Smith, Esq., p.s.a. ..II The Rev. J. J. Smith 2 2 John Smith, Esq 2 2 H. S. Smith, Esq 2 0 Mr. J. R. Smith I I Messrs. Smith and Elder 2 2 Captain Smyth, p.r.s., f.s.a 11 E. Snell, Esq., Architect 1 1 The Somerset Archseological and Na tural History Society 2 2 S. Leigh Sotheby, Esq 6 5 T. H. S. Sotheron, Esq., m.p I I Messrs. Spalding and Hodge 2 2 Charles Spence, Esq 1 1 R. J. Spiers, Esq., Oxford 3 3 The Rev. W. T. Spurdens II G. J. Squibb, Esq 2 2 W. Standidge, Esq I 1 Robert Stephenson, Esq 5 6 George John Stevenson, Esq I 1 Henry Thos. Stevenson, Esq., p.s.a. 1 I Seth W. Stevenson, Esq., f.s.a 1 1 Lieutenant Stratford, p.r.s 2 2 Miss Agnes Strickland 1 1 The Sussex Archseological Society ,.22 Sir J. E. Swinburne, Bart, p.r.s. ..22 3 0 0 3 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 6 II The Rev. E. Tagart, f.s.a 2 2 0 The Honourable Mr. Justice Talfourd 2 2 0 Arthur Taylor, Esq., f.s.a I 1 0 Geo. L. Taylor, Esq., Arch., p.s.a.. . 2 2 0 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. 197 £. s. d. James Taylor, Esq 1 1 0 John Taylor, Esq. 220 Richard Taylor, Esq., F.R.S., P.S.A. . . 3 3 0 John Thompson, Esq., Artist I 1 0 John Thompson, Esq 3 3 0 Peter Thompson, Esq 22 0 James Thomson, Esq., Architect ..110 Sir Robt. G. Throckmorton, Bart. ,,600 John Timbs, Esq 1 1 0 W. Tite, Esq., Architect, f.b.s 6 6 0 W. Tooke, Esq., f.r.s 600 Thomas Tooke, Esq., f.b.s 110 W. C. Towers, Esq 220 The Rev. J. M. Traheme 3 3 0 Martin Farquhar Tupper, Esq 2 2 0 Rev. T. S. TurnbuU, m.a., p.r.s 5 0 0 The Rev. W. H. Turner 1 1 0 H. Twining, Esq I 1 0 H. B. Tymbs, Esq I I 0 H. W. 'Tymms, Esq 1 1 0 W. Tyson, Esq 1 1 0 The United Service Institution 2 2 0 T. Uwins, Esq., r.a I 1 0 W. Vines, Esq., p.s.a 1 1 0 George Virtue, Esq 1 1 0 George Vivian, Esq 600 John Wade, Esq 1 I 0 C. E. Wagstaff, Esq 1 1 0 James Walker, Esq.. ce. . . : 2 2 0' Miss EUen L. WaUier 1 1 0 W. Wansey, Esq., p.s.a 220 The Rev. J. Ward I 1 0 George Raphael Ward, Esq 110 S. Ware, Esq., Architect, p.s.a 3 3 0 The Rev. Richard Warner 2 2 0 £. s. d. Samuel Wairen, Esq 220 T. S. Watson, Esq I I 0 Albert Way, Esq., f.s.a 2 2 0 The Rev. J. Webb, f.s.a 110 F. Webb, Esq , 220 The Rev. Charles WeUbeloved .... 110 The Rev. Dr. Wellesley, Oxford ..220 Wm. West, Esq 110 Robert BeU Wheler, Esq I I 0 Francis Whishaw, Esq., ce 1 1 0 G. F. White, Esq 330 Mrs. White 1 0 0 Richard Samuel White, Esq 2 2 0 Charles F. Whiting, Esq 3 3 0 Joseph Wickenden, Esq I I 6 Charles Wickes, Esq., Architect ,,110 Geo. Wightwick, Esq., Architect ..110 E. P. WiUiams, Esq 1 I 0 G. A. WUUams, Esq 220 Joseph L. WiUiams, Esq 3 3 0 Samuel Williams, Esq 1 1 0 E. J. WiUson, Esq., Archt., f.s.a. ..100 Effingham Wilson, Esq 22 0 The Rev. J. WUson IIO Thomas Windus, Esq., p.s.a 2 2 0 B. G. Windus, Esq 220 John Wodderspoon, Esq I I 0 John Wood, Esq., Surveyor 1 1 0 John Wood, Esq., Artist 1 I 0 Henry Wright, Esq 1 1 0 James Wyatt, Esq., Oxford 1 1 0 Edward Wyndham, Esq 220 The Right Hon, Thomas Wyse 3 3 0 The Rev. James Yates 2 2 0 Mrs. Yates 22 0 John A. Yatman, Esq I I 0 Subscriptions received by the Treasurer, N. GOULD, ESQ., 4, Tavistock Square ; and Messrs. DIXON & CO., Bankers, 25, Chancery Lane. The following flattering and kindly-expressed testimony to my literary exertions, and humblfe endeavours to deserve " a good name," was the friendly efi"usion of the Rev. John Mitfokd, and appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1846. Dictated by a warm and generous spirit, it has afforded me con solation in sickness, and has incited me, when in health, to exert the best energies of my nature to merit such eulogy from one, whose writings attest genuine philanthropy and profound erudition. J. B. " To be born to honours is a happy accident ; to achieve them is a noble distinction. Mr. Britton's honourable career is all his own ; he has gained his station in life by diligent exertion, by the possession of useful and elegant acquirements, by eminence in his own particular line of study, by general intelligence in other branches of science and art, by a love of literature, and by a general and liberal assistance to those em ployed in pursuits congenial to his own. To his labours the architecture — and particularly the ecclesiastical and domestic architecture — of the country is deeply indebted for the restoration of what was decayed, and the improvement of what was defective ; and in the beautiful drawings and masterly engravings, extending through many volumes, he has given us a treasure-house of antiquarian art, and made the pencil and the graver not only preserve and perpetuate much that has long been moul dering into shapeless ruin, but has also supplied many a new model of improved beauty, suggested by his own genius, and carried into execu tion by his own zeal and perseverance. There are, however, still higher qualities belonging to our nature than those of mere intellectual ex cellence, and greater endowments than those of scientific acquirement. Mr. Britton is justly endeared to his friends by the virtues of his heart, as well as valued by them for the cultivation of his mind. Whoever is acquainted with him must be pleasingly impressed with the simplicity of his manners, the kindness of his address, and the open, candid, and generous expression of his feelings. The humble writer of these lines has every reason to be proud of the honour conferred by his friendship, as he wfllingly confesses the advantages he has derived from his know ledge and attainments. Mr. Britton has enjoyed the enviable privilege of friendly and familiar intercourse with some of the most eminent persons of his age ; and we can say, that many who, like ourselves, originally came to him for advice and instruction, soon felt anxious to cultivate a more familiar acquaintance, and to make private friendship be the happy result of professional reputation. The names which appear in the List of Subscribers before us aiFord an ample testimonial of all that we have said. They extend through all classes, from the Prince to the professional artist ; and by their extension they stamp a more authentic value on their approbation. Such a band of friends any man may be justly proud of: and we trust that in Mr. Britton's mind and feelings the present public evidence of attachment wiU shed a bright and genial lustre over the shadows of advancing age, as they are slowly and gently closing on a long, an honourable, and a happy life." "Benhali., June, 1816." INDEX TO THE SECOND PART, AND THE APPENDIX. •«* The pages of the Appendix are distinguished frora those of the Seeond Part by the addition of the letter a. The accounts of the Author's principal Publications ai-e referred to in Small Capitals. Abinger, Lord, and his seat, a 128. Aikin, Dr., his account of Dorking, a 118. Aildn, Arthur, Ed. of Annual Review, 66. Albury Park : Irvingite chapel, parish church, and Roman camp, a 129. " Annual Review : " Topographical Arti cles by the Author, 66, 76, 77. " Anstey's Bath Guide, with Notes by the Author," 99. Antiquities, proposed Society for the pre servation of, a 140. Archeeological Societies in London and the Country, papers read by the author at their Meetings, 164. Archaeological Societies, their progress and utility, a 103. Archoeology, the author's works on, 109. Architectural Antiquities {see National Buildings). " Aechitecturai. Antiquities of Great Britain : " origin of the work, 52, 54, 110; its popularity, 112, 144; accounts of Wiltshire subjects, 18 ; London edi fices, 75 ; descriptive accounts of vols. i. to iv., 110— 116; of vol. v. 116—120 ; • critical notices. III ; artists employed, 112; literary contriijutors, 115; tlohn Le Keux's engravings, a 87. " Architectural Antiquities of Nor mandy," 155. " Architecture, Eight Lectures on," {see Lectures) "Architectural Dictionary" {see Dic tionary). Armorial Bearings in old Churches, a 31 ; in roof of Stratford Church, a 29 — 31. Artists, Shaksperian, a 43. Artists with whom the author has asso ciated, a 138. " Artists, Address to," 182 ; a 138, TUrundel, the Earl of, his ancient Marbles, a 124. "Atlas, The British," 63. Aubrey, John : " Memoir of," 39, 44, 169 ; his discovery of Avebury ; his MS. lost, a 53 ; assigned Stonehenge to the Bri tons, o 57 ; his "Natural History of Wiltshire," 40, 45. Auto-Biography of the author, in "Beau ties of WUts," vol. iii. II, 174 ; Preface to "Worcester Cathedral," 142, 174. Autographs, Mr. Dawson Turner's collec tion, ix ; Elaxman, signature of, a 68. Avebury and Silbury HUl, noticed, 13, 32, 65 ; " Account of," with Illustrations (4 wood-cuts), a 53 — 56 ; first noticed by Aubrey, a 63 ; Stukeley's description, a 54 ; design, arrangement, and present state, a 55 ; theories respecting,