The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-11 00:00:00

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BRITIMI

_. of a .
...e cognisance, ..
to ...eit manner. He, however, tor ...-
bling ti.. duke to form an estimate of the WSW* ..._, --:
rented that the City Seal, widths has engray APetne
prism motto, " Domine die* n 05," 14109141.1.
t letter written by Mrs. We to the Doke, asa T. , t
ordct to assist Ia the hums eupedtent to place before the eyes
his Grace the dismisses and clefts of the unhappy pauper, en:
erscribed the letter, and wrote the word " yrnvate" upon it.
That letter, it is to be supposed, met the fate of all the coin..
n uo'ettions na le to his Grace since the lettet Of the htite
Duke. in acknowledgment and
.praise of theAllelligt- Of
Mr. lama., was no longer rp. ble of being by doe
gentleman's only living descendant. Not one word has been writ.
ten or spoken by apy of this noble and affluent family about the:
matter. It was mentioned in our former statement, with respect
to Mrs. Webster, that the Duke of Northumberland said the money
which had boo presented by Mr. Looms to the family, was all in
the hands of the Earl of Beverley, his relative, who, he heel no
doubt, would not be unmindful of the obligation in his consider.'
anion of Mrs. Webster's case. The Earl, it was also stated, was in
France, but he certainly must have seen the account in the news.
papers, and might have forwarded, long before this, to England
some testimony that he had not forgotten the benefaction which had
so.greatly added to his estates. It is now supposed in the city, that
if the Duke of Northumberland should persevere in neglecting to
notice the complaint of this poor woman, a subscription will be
mired to keep her from the pariah. She has more than once de-
clared that she will submit without murmuring to the castigation
which awaits an impostor, if one sentence she has uttered be found
to be incorrect or exaggerated, and she refers to the names of indi-
rid/mils whom she spoke of as authorities, and who never aunt for.
ward to deny one word of her story in evidence of the accuracy of
her details.
The LORD Matron shows increased reluctance to be applied to
any farther on the subject, to it hes become matter of very general
conversation throughout the country, and he has expressed his most
decided reluctance to give any advice in a case of so delicate a na-
ture. His Lordship had, In the first instance, advised Mrs. Web-
ster to write a respectful letter to the Duke. This was done, and
might as well not have been done, but his Lordship, in an honour-
able anxiety to prevent a hasty and erronous impression from be.
ing formed of his Grace's conduct, perseveres in stating that there
must be some mistake in the bnainess, and that the Duke could not
be conscious of any claim, such as had been described, or he would
liquidate it without delay or hesitation.
Alrs. Webster states, that on the Sunday before last, she saw
Doctor APLeod at the Communion table in St. Anne's Church,
and was kindly received by him—a proof that that worthy poem
knew she was no impostor. She declares that the publiaatioo of
that gentleman's name, and of the part he had taken in the trans-
actions was quite a surprise upon her ; that she regretted the eir-
cum.tance, as it probably gave pain to the Doctor, but as publicity
had been given, she thought it was the duty of the Rev. Gentleman
to come forward, if she uttered any thing which was not true in
every respect, and as publicly refute the calumny.
Mr. Lomas was, she says, born in the county of Derby in the
yeas 1714, on the day Ktng George I. made his public entry into
London. At a very early period of his life he manifested high in.
tellectual-power. At Northampton, where he received a great
part of his education, he first became acquainted with Hervey, the
author of The Meditations, and their friendship lasted as long as
their lives, which were directed in every act by the very spirit of
religion. Mr. Lomas was patronised by Mr. William Pitt, of
Sherboorne, in Dorsetshire, • near relation of the Earl of Chat-
ham. lie was obliged to this gentleman for the liberal education
he received, his father having been ruined by the failure of the
South Sea Bank Company, at the period of desperate and hopeless
speculation. In the year 1737 he was introduced by Mr. Pitt to
the Earl of Hertford, and appointed by that nobleman to the sole
management of his estate. One of the principal delights of the
Earl, who had found it necessary to retire to Percy Lodge, in
Buckinghamshire, on account of violent attacks of the gout, con.
' shied in the correspondence of Mr. Lcmas and Air. Hervey, who,
were equally eloquent and impressive upon the sublime thane on
which their thoughts were constantly occupied. The Coon
who was acknowledged to be a judicious patroness of literature,
the lost intimate friend and companion of the celebrated Mrs.
' Rowe, whose life may be said to have been one constant prayer,
end some estimate of the worth of the Countess may be fanned
from that fact as well as from the declaration made by Queen Caro-,
line, consort of George 11., that she was a pattern of every moral
eicellence. The Earl of Hertford, In the Duchy of Somerset, in
the year 1747, succeeded his father, who was styled the proud
Duke of Somerset, and with whom he had been at variance for
some time. He bad but one lon, Lord Beauchamp, who died
abroad in his minority. In 1749 the new Duke, who had never
ceased to express the utmost respect for and admiration of Mr.
Lomas, died, and in 1781 the Dowager Duchess, who had soon.
after her husband's decease shown unequivocal proofs of attachment
to Dlr. Lomas, consented to be that gentleman's wife. They. ex.
rived in town on the 18th of July from Iver, hi Buckinghamshire.
The carriage was dismissed in Tavistock-street, Covent-garden,
and the Duchess was conveyed in a sedan.chair to the Fleet Prison,
I where marriages were solemnized pretty much as they are solem-
nized at Greta.green. Mr. Lomas walked on before. They lived
as happily as it was possible to live, and soon after her death he
gave that extraordinary evidence of hie affection for her memory,
which he was determined never should be reproached on his as
b 7 placing in the hands of the Northumberland family the
Duchess a bond fur 60,0001. Amongst Mr. LOMAS'S intimate
friends were many of the nobility, amongst whom were the Earl of
Tankerrille, Lord Orealston, and Lord Mowery.

•
• EXTR4ORDINAfir CLAIM ON'THE DUKE
OF NORTHUMBERLAND.
•
The unfortunate Mrs. Websierr. to whore grandfather the North.
timberland family has been inted for upwards of MAUL sad
who has been since the paper aokaowledging the obligation was ao
unfairly given up to his Grace. totally nisi lected and abandoned to
Parish relief, almost daily haunts the Mansion.Heuse, in the rain
expectation that her misfortunes win yet excite 'tome compassion..
It was stated in the detail of the circumstance, which formfd the
basis of her application to the Lord Mayor, that it was undonitood
his Loedehip had written to the Duke of Northumberland upon the
subject. Thin, it appears, is not accurate. His LaidelliP consi-
dered that as the case was one of a family nature, and of which a
Magistrate could not take cognizance, it would be improper for him
to interfere in that manner. He. however, for the purpose 'of ern-
bting the Duke to form an estimate of the merits of she 'WM, di.