In a letter to Dr. Milles, dated from Venice, Mr. John Strange gives a farther account of fome ancient Roman infcriptions obferved in the provinces of Iftria and Dalmatia: these are communicated to him, as were the former *, by the learned Abbe Fortis, who also hoped to have made a collection of the kind, in a late Appennine tour, but was rather disappointed in his researches, fince Italy has been fo thoroughly vifited with this view, that it is no eafy matter to make new discoveries; fome few, however, he imparts, which are here inferted. To compenfate for the Abbe's ill fuccefs, Mr. Strange avails himfelf of fome information he received from his friend Sir Roger Newdigate, who having vifited the city of Aofte, in Savoy, fends fome account of its remaining antiquities, and adds a few Roman infcriptions, which he copied from the collection at the convent of St. Bernard; but the ftones are no longer remaining. It is to be wifhed, that this learned Society would favour the public with some short remarks on, and explications of, thefe infcriptions, without which, to the greater part of readers, they are often of little use or amusement.

Dr. Morell, in a Latin letter to the Hon. Daines Barrington, offers confiderations to confirm his opinion concerning the Corbridge altars. Vid. Archaeol. vol. iii. p. 333.

This letter is followed by an illuftration of a Saxon inscription on the church of Kirkdale, in the North Riding of Yorkfhire. John Charles Brooke, Efq; fent an exact reprefentation. of it, to Mr. Gough, with a view of the church, which are here engraved. Memorials of the erection and confecration of our churches by infcriptions, are faid not to be numerous; but, antecedently to the Norman conqueft, to be indeed exceeding rare. This, therefore, is regarded as a fingular curiofity. The infcription tranfiated is this; " Orm, Gamal's fon, bought St. Gregory's church, then it was all gone to ruin and fallen down. Chehitle, and others, renewed it from the ground, to Chrift and St. Gregory, in Edward's days the king, and in Tofli's days the Earl." Under the dial, " And Hawarth me made, and Brand the prieft." This infcription is engraved on one entire freeftone of large dimenfions, being feven feet five inches long, one foot ten inches high, and in perfect prefervation, except a small part in the centre, where the infcription is disfigured, but not obliterated by the weather. It may be inferred with a great probability, that the church was rebuilt, and this infcription engraved, between the years 1056 and 1065.

Hayman Rooke, Efq; furnishes a defcription of two Roman camps in Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, the feat of Thomas

Vid. Archaeol. vol. iii. p. 337-349; alfo, Review for Dec. 1775, P. 499.

Bathurst,

Bathurst, Efq; about eight miles eaft of Chepftow; a fpot abounding with pleafing profpects and romantic fcenes. On two hills, of confiderable eminence, ftand two camps, or forts, overlooking the Severn, which, with fome works on the oppofite fide, on a fpot now called Oldbury, entirely command the paffage of that river. As the command of fuch a river made these parts of confiderable confequence, they were undoubtedly entrusted to officers of fome rank, and accordingly they appear to have had all neceflary accommodations for the Roman ftyle of living. A very elegant bath is ftill pretty entire ; and from remaining foundations of buildings, it appears that some of the pavements were teffelated. Various coins are found here; a filver one of Galba, with many of Adrian and Antoninus. A good engraving of thefe camps attends the article, and alfo four different views of them; which are indeed elegant and pleafing.

Mr. John-Charles Brooke, of the Heralds college, prefents us with the following Number, which gives an account of an ancient feal that belonged to Robert the Vth, Baron FitzWalter, who was, he fays, the fon of Walter, and grandfon of Robert, Lord Fitz-Walter, Marfhal of the army of God, and holy church, as appears by the fhield of arms under the horse's head (in the feal), which bears the coat of his fecond wife, who was a Ferrers. This, and much more, is in the Heralds ftyle. The feal was found at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, in the reign of Charles IId, and was given to Robert Saunderson, then bishop of Lincoln, whofe great grandfon, John King, Efq; fold it to the Rev. Richard Neate, LL. B. of Whetstone, in Middlefex, the prefent poffeffor. It is of filver, and weighs seven ounces and feven penny weights. The extreme elegance of the workmanship, we are told, might induce a common obferver to doubt its antiquity; but Mr. Brooke offers arguments to remove the objection. He particularly proves, from ancient manufcripts, that this Robert, Lord Fitz Walter, poffeffed Baynard's Caftle, in the city of London, which was then called the Caftle of London, and as conftable of the fame, enjoyed divers liberties and priveleges. In time of war, it was ordered, that he should ride on a light-horfe, with twenty men at arms, to the door of St. Paul's church, with the banner of his arms carried before him; and that there he fhould be met by the Mayor, and others, when the Mayor fhould appoint him Banner-bearer to the city, and prefent him with a horfe worth twenty pounds; which horfe, it is added, fhall be faddled with a faddle of his arms, and covered with filk, depicted likewife with the fame arms. In memory of this privilege and honour, Mr. Brooke fuppofes the feal in queftion to have been made. This feal is here engraved, together with the drawing of another of

I 2

the

the fame Baron, which he is faid to have ufed 28 Edw. I. anno 1300.

[To be concluded in our next.]

ART. III. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Rochester, in the Year 1779. By John Law, D. D. Archdeacon of Rochefter. 4t. Is. Payne, &c.

I

Tis an unequivocal proof of the progrefs of a liberal spirit,

in the present times, that fo many of our clergy adopt, and have the courage openly to avow, the principles of univerfal toleration. There are, we are perfuaded, not a few respectable names among this Reverend body, who, with the judicious and candid Author of this Charge, have not oppofed the late meafures for the extenfion of religious liberty, merely from a deference to legislative authority, but from a conviction that these indulgences were juftly granted:' and who affure themselves, that this liberal, tolerating difpofition, will fecure to them the public esteem, instead of subjecting them to the groundless charge of inattention to the caufe of genuine christianity."

It is the intention of this Charge, to vindicate the equity and propriety of the late acts of the legislature, in favour of Proteftant Diffenters and Roman Catholics.

Dr. Law, at the fame time that he acknowledges the neceffity of rigorous measures with refpect to the Roman Catholics at the beginning of the Reformation, when the revival of perfecution, and the deftruction of civil liberty, would have been the probable confequences of indulgence, judges it perfectly reasonable, that the feverity of the laws against them should be relaxed, when the political dangers arifing from Popery are removed. Let a diftinction (fays he) be always obferved between the political and religious tenets of a party, and where they are not fo ncceffarily joined, as to prove hoftile or dangerous to a state, the toleration of the latter is furely warranted by every rule of diftributive juftice and general benevolence. Nor, if experience is to be our guide, need we fear any great political inconveniences from the allowance of the Romish worship, fince we find that this has been long admitted, without any ap parent ill confequences, among the zealous Proteftants in Holland and America.'

With refpect to Proteftant Diffenters, Dr. Law pleads for them, both on the ground of equity and gratitude. As the happy restoration of civil liberty at the Revolution had been effected by the joint efforts of the members of the Church of England, and of those who diffented from it, was it not fit, independently of other arguments, that as each party had been equally zealous in the recovery of legal rights, each fhould be equally intitled to every privilege compatible with the fecurity

of the ftate? And, as it is well known, that no privileges are more highly esteemed, than those which relate to the exercife of religion, had not the Diffenters a claim, from gratitude, to be indulged in a liberal toleration of their modes of religious worship.'

To the objection, that withdrawing fubfcription to articles of faith, is removing the ftrongest barrier againft falfe doctrines, herely, and fchifm, our Author makes this manly and judicious reply:

However a fubfcription to our articles of religion might feem, in theory, an adequate mean to prevent the rife and incurfions of error, and to guard the boundaries of religious truth, yet, in fact, neither of thefe ends was anfwered by it. The non-fubfcribing teacher was indeed fubject to heavy penalties for his wilful contempt and difobedience; but fo unreafonable did it appear to inflict thefe penalties upon him, that fcarcely an inftance can be heard, of late, of their be ng put in force; and if the diffenting minifters and fchool-mafters had not publicly complained of cruelty, in being fubject to fuch heavy punishments, it is more than probable that the very fubfcription required from them would have been unknown to the generality of their own perfuafion, as well as to thofe within our pale. Whenever, then, a law ceafes to operate to its intended defign, whether from the general difapprobation of it, or from its fuppofed inexpedience, there cannot, I think, be any great hazard in repealing it; efpecially, if a part of the community folicit its reverfal, and the part wifhing its continuance admit that they have regularly declined to carry it into execution. If laws are not obferved, and we think it prudent not to enforce them, to what purpose are they retained ? For, in general, it may be obferved, and particularly on this occafion, that nothing tends more effectually to abate the reverence due to our laws, than the formal maintenance of such of them, as, from a change of circumftances, are not only allowed, but even wifhed, to be tranfgreffed with impunity.Admitting then, that the Diffenters differ from us in fome points which we deem cffential, yet have they not heretofore as freely propagated their heterodox opinions, whilft expofed to the terrors of the law, as they poffibly can in future, when exempted from them? And if no mifchief has enfued from an utter relaxation of legal coercion, can more be apprehended from the removal of it? Truth wants not for its defence the fanction of pains and penalties, but may be confidently trufted to its own efficacy.'

From this frank acknowledgment of the rights of toleration, we cannot help entertaining an expectation, that the fame liberal principles will lead our Author to question, what he seems at

1 3

prefent

prefent inclined to maintain, the neceffity of fubfcription to particular articles of faith in the established church, and of Telt Acts, to exclude Diffenters from places of civil truft. For there seems no reafon to expect, that fubfcriptions will be more efficacious to prevent the rife and incurfions of error, and guard the boundaries of truth, or to preferve the common people from being distracted by a variety of opinions,' within the pale of the church, than without it; and there appears to be a manifeft injuftice, in excluding peaceable and ufeful members of fociety from places of truft in the government which they contribute to fupport, on account of opinions or practices which are not inimical to the state.

ART. IV. Military Memoirs of Great Britain: or, A Hiftory of the War 17551763, with elegant Copper plates. By David . Ramfay. 8vo. Edinburgh, printed for the Author. 1779. HIS volume contains an account of the principal events that occurred during the courfe of the laft war, collected, as the Author informs us, from the Gazettes, published by both nations-most of the periodical publications— -Smollet's Hiftory of England-Entick's Hiftory of the late War

Molyneux's Conjunct Expeditions-Lloyd's Hiftory of the German War 1756 and 1757- Orme's Military Tranfactions of the British Nations in Indoftan-Annual Regifter, &c. &c.' The work will ferve to give a general idea of the tranfactions of that bufy period, in a manner that may prove fatisfactory to thofe who do not defire to inveftigate matters with a fcrupulous degree of attention; but it will not, we imagine, be equally acceptable to thofe who wish to penetrate the fecrets of the cabinet, or to fee the characters of the principal actors in these events, pourtrayed in lively and difcriminating colours. In the first department, we meet with little more than a fuccinct recital of the oftenfible motives for action, that have been made public by the feveral actors themselves, or their partizans; and in the laft, a few touches of general praife or difapprobation, which are not fo appropriated as ta conftitute a particular likenefs. The narrative is in general concife, and the ftyle unembarraffed, though not entirely free from provincial idiomatic phrafes. But in fome cafes, the Author affumes a fort of enigmatic myfterioufnefs, which must be confidered as a very material blemish in a work chiefly calculated for the use of thofe only who want to be informed, not puzzled.

As a fpecimen of the work, we felect the following account of the ftate of parties in the British court, in the year 1757

⚫ As