The National Register. — London, England, 1811-07-28 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. ROYAL MAUSOLEUM AT WINDSOR. Previohs to the death of the Princess Amelia it had been the *fish of his Wrjesty to have a burial-place for' the Royal Family ; and after consulting with Mr. Wyatt, the King's Sur veyor-General, and several other architects, on the subject, Car dinal Wolsey's Tomb-house was fixed upon for a vault. Since November, 1810, workmen have been busily employed in this building, and it is now in such a state of forwardness, that the Public may be enabled to form a just estimate of the grandeur and extent of this Royal Sepulchre. It is built after the manner of the Egyptian vaults, being 100 feet in length, 30 feet in width, and 14 feet in depth. In the recess at the end of the vault is intended to be deposited the remains of their present Majesties ; and along the passage are arranged depositories for the future Kings of England. On each side arc erected four tiers, divided into eight compartments, making in the whole seventy-two depositories for the Royal Family and the children of the Royal Blood. It is to communicate with the choir of St. George's Chapel, and to be built of Bath free stone, after the Gothic or der of architecture. Over this spacious tomb will be erected a Chapter House for the Knights of the Garter, arched over with a ceiling of fine wood work. As soon as it is completed, the body of the Princess Amelia will be removed into it. This fine stone edifice is situate at the east end of St. George's Chapel, and was built by Henry VII. as a burial place for himself and successors, but this Prince afterwards al tering his purpose, began the more noble structure at Westmin ster, and this fabric remained neglected until Cardinal Wolsey obtained a grant of it from King Henry VIII. Wolsey, with a profusion of expense unknown in former ages, desiened and began here a most sumptuous monument for himself, from whence the building obtained the name of Wolsey's .Tomb house. At the time of the Cardinal's disgrace, the tomb was so far executed, that Benedotto, a statuary of Florence, received 4'150 ducats for what he had then already done, and 3801. 18s. sterling was paid for gilding only half of this sumptuous monu ment. The Cardinal dying soon after his retirement from Court, was privately buried at Leicester, and the monument remained unfinished. In 1616, it became the plunder of the Parliament party, and the statues and figures, of exquisite workmanship, made fur the ornament of the tomb, were sold to carry on the war. King James the Secon , i converted this building into a Popish Chapel, and Mass was publicly performed here. The ceiling was executed by Verrie, who is considered to have here excelled his other performances. The walls were finely ornamented and painted; but it soon became neglected, and after the abdication of James the Second, it remained in ruins until the year 1800, when his Majesty ordered the win dows and external parts to be repaired. DREADFUL FIR:. NEW-YORK, JUN E 6.—On the evening of the 31st ult. a fire broke out in the town of Newburyport, which constened up wards of 200 houses, stores, &c. The lois is mentioned at two millions of dollars, and hundreds are thrown into the wide world pennyless. It is hoped that the donations from every town in tae Union will immediately alleviate the distress of the real sufferers. Amongst the public buildings destroyed in the lire, arc, the Post Office, Custom-House, Phmnix Insurance Company, Norris and Co's. and J. Gilman's Printing Offices, Union Insurance Office, and Baptist Meeting-House. The appaling alarm was given about a quarter before ten last evening; when, almost instantly, a range of wooden buildings, more than 100 feet in length, near the market, which been improved as stables by David Lawrence ? Samuel Shaw, and others, were in full blaze, which soon extended down to the market. Every effort to subdue or controul the fire prov.:d in effectual, till all the north side of State-street, from ,lie market to Pleasant-street, and all the south side from Essex-street to the Ferry-!gays, including all the brick stores on the Perry Wharf, and (excpt Major Perkin's store on S. E. side) the market Midd!e street, half-way through, and all below, from the Ferry Wharf to Marquand's Wharf, both inclusive, were inclosed in one common ruin. The flames spread with such rapidity, that but a small proportion of the vast property in this centre of business was saved. A list of 50 vessels, condemned at Carlscrona, was exhibited on Wednesday at Lloyds, with a re quest that the persons interested in the vessels and cargoes should send an account of their demand to Mr. H. Bennet, the Secretary, preparatory to a re presentation to be laid before Government on the subject. FORTITUDE Is the fourth cardinal virtue, for the practice of which ever, situation in life supplies numerous occasions, surrounded as we are by such multifarious evils, arising not only from the acciden tal combinations of circumstances, and the wilful devices of busy w malignant, or revengeful spirits, but also from the perpetual hostility or seductions of our own evil dispositions, the violence of our passions, or the improper nature of our desires. Placed theu in a state obnoxious to so many sources of calamity, it is imperatively incumbent upon us to study the nature of this vir tue with the utmost diligence, and to exercise it with the most dignified resolution. It may not be in our power to prevent many of the misfortunes that happen to us, but it certainly comes within our ability to render them in all cases more tolerable, in most to destroy the greatest part of their power, and in many to counteract their evil efforts completely. It is not required of us to be insensible of calamity, our natures are not so calculated ; but it is our duty so to support our sufier ings that we may not, by sinking beneath the state of reasonable beings, subject ourselves to the reproach of wanting confidence in the Great Dispen:,er of all good, who permits, us to be troubled for the most salutary purposes both to ourselves and others. I cannot figure to myself any source of Fortitude but religion ; philosophy may boast of it, but it is a vain boast ; and, indeed, philosophy itself, when it is not an emanation of religion, is idle in its construction, and fallacious in its promised support. Those beings who affect Fortitude from what they call the independency of their minds, act only, I am apt to conclude. from a stoical vanity, a false shame, or a puerile pride; whereas, true Fortitude results only from humility, the conscientiousness of integrity, and a dignified modesty. The man who acts from the principle first mentioned seeks only the applause of the world, and deriving his sources of support only from the strength of his own mind (which being imperfect, must frequently betray its own succours) while outwardly he appears serene, he is internally struggling with a conflict of passions which, like the fox conceal ed by the. Spartan boy, destroys his existence. On the ether hand, the man whose Fortitude arises from the second principle exhibits, instead of a stern resistance to calamity, a chearful re signation: for placing no dependence on his own powers, be looks with confidence to the Supreme of all, and makes his approba tion the sole impulse of his actions; and as he is certain that con fidence is placed on an infallible foundation, his anxieties are allayed, and his hopes effectively excited. How beautifully David, dnring one of his troubles, evinces his possession of this humility, and his religious sense of this source of dependence! " Hide me, 0 Lord! under the shadow of thy wings, until this tyranny be past." • The great ce.:: of our want of Fortitude is, making a wrong estimate of the blessings of life; and consequently when we are deprived of any blessing, we haVe overrated our grief for the loss of it in proportion to the exaggerated value we set upon the pos session. The only bliss we ought to be inconsolable for the lots of, is the favour of the Deity, and though we ought to prize, and most gratefully to enjoy every other happiness granted us, still, if we would " use the things of this life as not abusing them," we should never set our hearts so upon them as to make their depri vation a source of despair. But calamity is not. the sole requisite for the exercise of Forti tude; prosperity presents us as great, if not a wider field for the practice of it. Seductions (the cusupanions of prosperity) are always greater enemies to virtue, than avowed hostilities (the attendants on beauty), because in the latter case the mind is ap prized of, and consequently prepared fur opposition, but in the former, apparent security renders it an easy prey to the under mining Tower; but in prosperity, the humility I have before no ticed, will find perpetual occasion for employ; indeed humility may be stiled the radix of all virtues. _ If our state of prosperity be power, let our Fortitude preserve S 4/6