The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-20 00:00:00

of purgatory, and were not consistent with the
canons of the Church of England. We infer, how-
ever, from his speech, that the gist of MARY WooL-
FREY'S offence was quoting the verse of MACCABEUS,
which was placed on the tomb-stone, from the Douay
or Catholic version of the Bible. We have not the
smallest guide to the probable decision of the Judge,
but should suppose that it is for the' interest of the
Church of England that MARY WOOLFREY should
gain her cause. Whether prayers for the dead coun-
tenance the doctrine of Purgatory or not, they seem so
congenial to the prejudices or feelings of the
mass of mankind, that declaring them to be con-
trary to the canons of the Church would banish from
her communion many pious and tender souls who are
now to her a source of power and opulence. Why the
Rev. Mr. BREEKS should be anxious to widen the
breach between her and the Catholic Church, which
the Oxford Doctors are labouring so zealously to fill
up, we profess not to comprehend ; but if he succeed
in establishing the fact that she repudiates prayers for
the dea.3, 'he will &Wile the task of the Oxford Doc-
tors, and add amazingly to the converts from the
Church of England to Popery. It is not for
us to offer an opinion on the profound theo-
logical question at is,uo, namely, whether prayers
for the dead countenawe the belief in Purga
tory or not. We arc chroniclers of facts not of
mysteries ; and as we know nothing of Purgatory, and
have no means of measuring the influence of prayers for
the dead over their happiness, we cannot possibly form
An opinion on a question which, nevertheless, promiss
to cause no little division amongst the religious pdr-
tion of the community. We might perhaps ascertain
whether a belief in Purgatory be useful, we cannot pos-
sibly find out whether Purgatory exist ; we might iay
an examination of facts form an opinion whether prayers
for the dead be of advantage to the living, but the im-
portant question whether prayers for the dead counte-
nance the belief in Purgatory is one so much beyond
our comprehension that, with all humility, we leave it
o the decision of the Arches' Court.

In the Court of Coln•rmn Pleas at Westminster,

,efore Sir NictioLAs TINDAL, on the 28th of the

present month is to be triecl the very important WRIT

OF RIGHT, THE GREAT SELBY ESTATES IN BUCK-
INGHAMSHIRE. On tii issue depends the immense
sum of many hundred thousand pounds, with several
thousand acres of loncl in that county. Independently

of the immense amount of propeity involved in the
verdict to be recorded, this trial possesses great public

interest, as being the last which can be tried either in
the manner in which this is directed, or upon 'a claim
against a party in possession nearly sixty years. The
recent statute, 3d and 4th of WM. IV., cap. 27, an.
Act for the. Limitation of Actions and Suits relating
to Real Property, and for simplifying the remedies for
trying the rights thereto, having abolished the bar-
barous absurdities of the one, and shortened the period
of time which bars a claim.

As this will be the last exhibition of Knights gird.
ing on their swords and recoguitors joining together it
a Jury-box in this country, and as it is a matter o
public curiosity, we eirrcncl the names of the Gen.

Aemen who have been chosen to form this Grand
Assize, as the Jury is termed :

Sit ALEXANDER. CROKE, Kit;ght, of Studley Priory.
GEORGE SIMON HARCOURT. Esq., of Wyradsbury.

ROBERT SUTTON, Esq., of Rossway.
GEORGE PARROTT, Esq., of Buckingham, Banker.
THOMAS RAYMOND BARKER, Esq., of Hambledon.
WILLIAM BONSEY, Esq., of Upton-cum-Chalvey.
GEORGE CARRINGTON, Esq., of Great Missenden.
Sir WILLIAM ROBERT CLAYTON, Bart., of Harleyford.
CHARLES CLoWES, Esq., of Delaford Park.
GEORGE HENRY DABHWOOD, Esq., of West Wycombe.
PHILIP DUNCOMBE PAUNCETORT DUNCOMBE, Esq., of
Great Brickhill.
JAMES DUPRE, Esq., of Beaconsfield.
ROBERT Fox, Esq., of Wen:lover Lodge.

. , .
JOHN GRUBB, Esq„ of Horsenden.
ROBERT HARVEY, EST, of Langley Marish,
WILLIAM JONES, Esq., of Chalfont St. Giles.
GEORGE LUCAS, Esq., cf Newport Pagnel.
GEORGE GRENVILLE PIGo.rT, Esq., of Doddershall Park,
JOHN STONE, Esq., of Lf)ng Crendon.
RICHARD WILLIAM HOWARD HOWARD VVSE, Esq., of
Stoke Poges.
BENJAMIN WAY, Esq., of Langley Marish.

PHILIP WROUGHTON, Esq., of Ibstone House.
Sir WILLIAM LAWRENCE YOUNG, Bart., of Hughenden ;
and _ _ _

OWEN WETHERED, Esq., of Great Marlow.
When the Jury is impannelled, they will be sworn to
speak the truth as to which has the more right, the
demandant or the tenant.

•
A short summary of this extraordinary case at the

present moment may be thus detailed :
It appears by the last trial, held in April, 1835, and
from subsequent proceedings, that the late Thomas James
Selby, Esq., of Wavendon, in the county of Buckingham,
was a bachelor.; that his estates had been partly purchased by
himself, partly by his father, and partly by his grandfather ;
but of the origin of his grandfather he was totally ignorant.
He knew himself to be the last lineal descendant of such
grandfather, and, supposing it possible that there might be
some branch of his grandfather's family in existence on
whom the law would cast his estates in case of his intestacy,
at the same time knowing th It some of the estates would be
escheats in case there should be no such heir, he made
his will, and gave all his estates, purchased as before
mentioned, To His Piglet awl Lawful Heir at Law, for
the better finding out of whom, he directed advertisements
to be published immediately after his decease. And
after giving a number of legacies, he adds—" And if it
should so happen that no such heir is found, then I give
the said estates to Willikun Lowndes, of Winslow, Esq., as
constituted heir." At the fwmer trial, as now, the de-
mandant claimed as the right and lawful heir at law
to all the Estttns inclodod in the devise. She
deduced her title from tire brother of the testa-
tor's grandmother. Altho,'4.ll it is a well known rule
of law, that an 1-Hr sh:111 not be disinherited but
by express word, and that on other construction shall be
put on the words of a devise !Iran their primary meaning,
yet the Chief Justice, Sir N. Tindal, took a different view,
and told the Grand Assize i'h,t it was the opinion of him-
self and brother Jrid,4e,; that the testator by the words
" right and lawful meant an heir of his own
name and blood, which :he :I,,inandant did not claim to be,
they (the Grand Assize) were bound on that ground (even
if they were of opinion the demandant's pedigree was
proved) to find a verdict for the tenant. And, accord-
ingly, the Grand Assize came to no finding on the pedigree,
but gave their verdict gnner,ily fir the tenant.
The demandant's Course' !.aving tendered a bill of ex-
ceptions to these distinction's of the Judges, by writ of
error, the matter was hrou;4-ht before the Barons of the Ex-
chequer and the Judges of the Queen's Bench, who, as a
Court of Error, unanimously decided that the construction
put on the words of the devise by the Court of Common
Pleas, was not warranted by the true principles of legal
interpretation, and that if the demandant's pedigree was
truly stated, she has every qualification expressed or neces-
sarily implied in the:devise, and that her heirship would
apply to each class of the property indifferently, whether
purchased by the testator, iris father, or grandfather, and,
as there was no finding on the pedigree, they awarded Venire
de Novo.

Magna est Veritas, et prevalebit.
Our readers may rely upon our exertions to give the
fullest possible report of the trial which, we think, is
not more extraordinary as being the last of this species
of trial than it is for the immense fortune depending on
the result. Out numerous readers in the County of
Buckingham may be assured that the verdict shall be
conveyed to them by the ca►tiest opportunity after it is
recorded.

We direct the attention of the public to the article,
which we borrow from the Times, on the Mendicity of
the Metropolis. Nothing is made more plain by our
Contemporary than the fact that beggars have an in-
superable aversion to work. A love of idleness and of
enjoyment is the source of begging. On that account
we hardly feel much disposed to blame them, they so
much resemble their hettm,.. It is the characteristic of
a gcntietnan in our !lye in ease without doing
any thing, and the beggars seem ail to belong to the
family of the Well-borns. They are only not -so fortunate