The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-01 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Wetliresday evening an inquisition was held at
Middlesex Respite', before Ttto3l4lB STIRLIN G), Esq., on the
hotly of Mr. Gilbert Gordon, aged ,23,. late foreman to Mrs.
Hood, baker, James-street, Covent garden.
John Watkina, lodged at No. 3, James-street ; deceased and
a man named White slept in the same room. About twelve
o'clock on Saturday night the deceased was brought home by
White ; he was well in health, but tipsy, and went up stairs
without assistance,' and the other man in a few
minutes, afterwards took a light and went to the room; on
entering, deceased was at the, window, very sick ; 'White
undressed him, and put 'hint to bed ; they then fell asleep,
and were shortly after alarmed by, their landlady, Mrs.
/lood,, coming up ; on awaking, they found the window
open, and deceased missing. Witness and White instantly
repaired to the yard, and there saw the deceased lying ,
on his hack ; he was alive, groaned very much, but never spoke.
A surgeon was sent for, who lanced dereased'a left arm, but no
blood issued ; there. was no external injury except' n the right
elbow; he was conveyed to Middlesex Hospital, where he ex-
pired in about two hours. The deceased had fallen a height of
40 feet, .

Mr. Stephen Clark, house surgeon of Middlesex Hospital,
examined deceased, and discovered the right arm fractured ex.
ternally ; bad since opened the head and cheat, and found the
liver ruptured, also an effusion of blood in the abdomen occa.
sioned by the rupture. Verdict—" Accidental Death."

At the AssiZeS lately holden for tlie.county of
Essex, a parish clerk was called to prove a rate,
who could not read ! Th►is fact was mentioned
by Mr. Sergeant ONSLOW on the bench at Lewes,
last T uesday.--(Brigliton Gazette.)
it is not generally known that the pulpit, read-
ing desk, and the seats at the Communion Table
of St. Pancras new Church, are made of part of
the once venerable and well known Pairlop Oak,
oft Epping Forest.

LITERARY ANECDOTES.

Tlis,Sixox CHRONICLE.—Bishop Gibson,

a letter to Dr. Charlet, of Oxford, dated 1719-20,
thus mentions his wishes in respect to this vene-
rable historical record, a new and 'splendid trans-
lation and edition of which has just been published
by Mr. Ingram :----" I have a great desire, before
I die, to make the Saxon Chronicle a complete
work, by additions which may be bad from other
manuscripts, and by reducing every piece of his-
tory whatever, that has been originally written
in Saxon, and may be determined to a certain
year, or near it, into one body of Saxon Annals,
with proper distinctions to show frOm whence
every thing is taken. There are, I take it, many
Saxon pieces which, though, never parts of any
formal books of annals, are of undoubted autho-
rity, and as truly historical as the Annals them-
selves ; •and I think there can be no harm in cast-
ing all these into one uniform body with the An-
nals, so long as the reader is told what is, and
What is not, a part of the Annals properly so
culled ; but there will beAhis great benefit by it,
that the reader will see at one view whatever
history remains, which has been ever written in
the Saxon tongue: from which circumstance,
there is no doubt but all our ancient histories
derive their chief authority."
lILEIAN AND COTTONIAN LIBRARIES.--Lord
Oxford, the collector of the first of these libra-
ries, in a letter to Hearne, the antiquary, dated
1731, says, " I have been very busy in furnishing
a new room i built last year for books, and it is
quite full ; it is, in lenght, 47 feet ; in breadth,
21 feet."
Of this wonderful private collection of books
Government purchased the MSS. for 10,0004,
and • placed them in the British Museum. The
printed books (on the binding part of which
alone Lord Oxford expended more than 18,0001.)
were sold to Osborne, the bookseller, for only
13,0001. For an excellent Analysis of the liar-
leian Catalogue, published in 1743.4, the curious
reader is referred to Dibdin's
The Cottonian Library, now also part of the
invaluable collection at the British Museum,-
narrowly escaped destruction about two months
before the date of. Lord Oxford's letter alluded
to, the following account of which is given in
the first volume of the Gentleman's Magnvine,
Oct. p. 451.
46 Oct. 23.—A fire broke out in the house of
Mr. Bentley, adjoining to the King's School, near
Westminster Abbey, which burnt down that part
of the house that contained the King's and Cot-
(olden Libraries. Almost all the printed books
were consumed, and part of the manuscripts.
Among the latter, those which Dr. Bently had
been collecting for his Greek Testament, for the
last two years, valued at 20000
'lbis account, however, is exaggerated ; it
afterwards appeared that 111 books were lost,
/re, 'sin Tle 7stize
burnt, or entirely defaced, and 09 rendered im-
perfect.
tcakr e
8, tells iritn
ec kh,a writing
to e'
in his
study a very good and correct MS-copy of Wick-
liffe's Translation of the New Testament upon
vellum, in which he says, cc I do not remember
to have met with the word knave,
except in the
12th chapter of the Revelation in
which it oc-
curs twice joined with child, instead of male or
man-child ; thus, verse the sth, c And she bare
a knave-child ;'—and again, v. 13---4 he pursuede
the womman that bare the knave-child.' (1)
.Explicit."--T he word
explicit, generally
used at the end of MSS. and early printed books,
is said to be a contraction of explains. The
ancient books were nothing but rolls of parch-
ment, (hence the Latin word volumen, and our
volumed which were unfolded by the reader in
his progress through them. When they were
quite unfolded they were of course finished, and
the word explains, which properly conveys the
former sense, was afterwards used in the latter,
when the books assumed a different form, to sig-
nify that they were finished or ended.
BOBAIIT (naturalist.)—Dr. Grey, in one of his
notes on Iludibras, tells the following story of
this eminent naturalist, who was keeper of the
Physic-garden at. Oxford, in the reign of Charles
II.:-46 lie made a dead rat resemble the com-
mon picture of dragons, by altering its head and
tail, and thrusting in taper sharp sticks, which
distended the skin on each side till it resetobled
wings, (1) He let it dry as hard as possible. The
learned immediately pronouncd it a dragon;, and
one of them sent an accurate description of it to Dr.
Magliabechi,librarian to the Grand Duke of Tus-
cany. Several fine copies of verses were wrote on
so rare a subject ; but at last Mr. Bobart owned
the cheat : however, it was looked upon as a
master-piece of art, and as such deposited in the
Museum."

BODLEIAN LIBRARY.-44 When Oxford was
surrendered to the Parliament, June 24, 1646,
the first thing General Fairfax did, was to set a
good guard of soldiers to preserve the 13odleian
library.. 'Tis said there was more hurt done by
the Cavaliers (during their garrison) by Ivey of
embezzilling and cutting off chaines of hookes,
than there was since. He was a lover of-learn
ing, and had he not taken this special care, that
noble library had been entirely destroyed, for
there were ignorant senators enough who would
have been contented to hese had it so. This I
doe assure you from an ocular witness°, E. W.
Esq.—AubreN's Lives.

Walton's Lives.—Mr. Russel, in a letter to
George Ballard, author of the Learned Ladies,
in returning him. Isaac Walton's Lives rf Dome,
Hooker, Milan, and litrbert, passes on them
the following encomium: 44 An integrity of heart
shines, in my opinion, through every page ; the
author seems delighted with the goodness he
treats of, and to look fit the venues of these

great men as peculiar advantages to himself. It
is a great pity that lives of so eminent and ex.

emplary n conduct are pot in like manner trans-
mitted to posterity ; but it is an observation too
justly made by foreigners, that the English are
the most desirous of poTpetuating the memory of
their villains and the roost negligent of recording

(1) It Is used in this sense 14. Chauser—
" On hire he gat a knave•ebilde anon."
41an of Lawn Tale, i. 6130.

the memory of- their virtuous persons, of any na.
Lion upon earth; perhaps it may be the same
perverse turn which makes us build palaces for
, our beggars, and alms-houses for our Kings.
There might be an inconceivable benefit derived
- from faithful accounts of private virtues. I am
1 as much pleased with them as with histories of
a more public nature, nor can I see any reason
why it should not afford a Christian reader as
much useful entertainment, to observe the steps
and gradual advances by which a religious man
I conquered his passions, as to follow Alexander or
Marlborough in the reduction of the Eastern or
, Gallic monarchies. Matters of so specious a
kind as these last are seldom (says the judicious
and elegant Dr. Sprat) related with fidelity, and
even when they are, serve but for the imitation
. of very few. They make more for the ostenta-
tion than real benefit of human life ; as it is from
the practice of -our equals we are taught to corn-
. tnand our passions, regulate our knowledge, and
govern our actions." A valuable edition of all
Walton's. Lives, with notes, and an account of
the author, by Thomas Zotich, appeared at York
in 1796, 4to, and 1807, Bvo. And a reprint of
the Lives only has issued from the Clarendon
press, in two small volumes, Oxford, 1806,
Walton's Angler, a book universally known and
admired.
The whole Duly of Man.--Ballard, just men•
tioned, gives the honour of the authorship of this
celebrated religious production of Dame Dorothy
Pachington, one of his learned Ladies ; the ori.
ginal (or at least a copy) of which, written by
the aforesaid lady, he was assured by Sir Her-
bert Packington, was still to be seen in the ar-
chives of that family. Mr. Owen, a literary con-
temporary, gives a different account, and would
ascribe it to Archbishop Frewen, of whom he tells
the following story :
" A certain gentleman of figure and fortune,
(name unknown) embarked 30 deeply during the
civil wars in the King's cause, that he was either
ruined in his circumstances and so affected with
his misfortunes that he died ; or, else was
sip
closely pursued by the opposite party, that lie
was obliged to fly his country. His family was
reduced in consequence very low, and his lady
was forced (for the support of herself and chil-
dren) to keep a sort of boarding-house, and for
this purpose she rented a large old house (since de-
molished) called Barrows hedges, situate upon
the side of Banstead Downs, about two miles from
Epsom, in Surrey. To this place many of the'
ladies friends (females chiefly) who were attached
to the King's cause, retired ; insomuch, that the
family ordinarily consisted of 24 persons in num-
ber, occasionally perhaps of twice as many.—
Here there was a certain clergyman in this fa-
, may, who officiated as chaplain, and to whom
several persons (who were for the Church and
Constitution) brought the children to be chris-
tened, and also came themselves at proper times,
to partake regularly of the Lord's Supper. But
all this was performed in a clandestine manner,
and among friends, for the Clergyman's real name
was not known to any of the sisterhood itself, the
lady of the house and some few of her most inti-
mate friends excepted." This unknown clergy..
man it afterwards turned out was named Frewen,
who was made, at the Restoration, Bishop of
Lichfield and Coventry, and at last Archbistnol
of York ; and on the publication of the Vhok
Duly of Man, and comparing it with certain
notes of a course of lectures delivered by him at
the ladies house alluded to, it was discovered
(though
hf reo mn
etvles er sarityt
it),f
that he language
waasn
tdheidaeuasthor.

-• " It seems notwithstanding, however," oh.
serves a modern writer, " pretty clear from Bal.
lard's Learned Ladies, that Dorothy Lady Pack.
ington, wife of Sir John Packington,• Knight and
Baronet, and daughter of Thomas Lord Coventry,
was the author of the Whole Duly of Man. For
Mr. Ballard's arguments in support of this opinion,
we must refer to his work, in which he notices
the preceding account as written by " an inge..
nious Clergyman," but he considers his reasons
in support of the Archbishop's claim to the pro_
duction in question," not important enough to
need a particular refutation."—Ment. of Learned
Ladies, p. 320, edit. 4to 1752.

We are happy to hear, that good hopes are
entertained of the herring fishing this season.—
An immense nunrlrt•r of boats are embarked in
this trade at the different stations in the Moray
Frith.—(Edinburgh Courant,- July 28.)'
A few evenings since, some silver spoons and
forks were stolen from one of the pantries in the
Royal Lodge, Windsor ; it is thought that the
robbery must have been effected by some persons
connected with the establishment, as there are
sentries placed all round the house at night, so
as to prevent the approach of strangers; but such
active. measures are pursued for the detection of
the thieves, that k is hoped they will not long
remain undiscovered.

BIRTHS.
On the 30th ult., at Thornton-heath, near Croydon, the wife, of Joseph Reid, Es q., of a son.
On Monday the 28th ult., at Viola 1.1111, County of Dublin,
the Lady of William Item; Esq., of a daughter.

MA RR' E D.
Yesterday, at St. George's, Bloomsbury, Frederick Wood
Est, of Cardiff, to Mary, daughter of Wm. Crawshay,
of Stoke Newington.
On Wednesday, the 30th ult., at. Little .Wilbrahatn, John.
Caldecot, Esq., of Westley-valley, to Hannah, second daughter
of the late Charles Triguet, Esq., of Walworth, and niece to
Thomas Triquet, Esq., of Camberwell-grove.
Yesterday, at St. Margaret's, Westminster, Henry Young,
Esq., •of Etisex,-street, to ,Maria, eldest daughter of -the late
Francis Fladgate, Esq.
• Ott the 31st nit Ilenry Birkbeck, 'Esq., banker, of Lynn,
Norfolk, to Elizabeth Lucy, youngest daughter of the late
Robert Barclay, Esq., of Clapham.common, Surrey.

DIED.
At Cork, Dr. Drew, at the premature age of twenty.obe
years. Nix death was occasioned by a violent fever, which he
had taken in the first visit he had made in his eaPticitY:
Physician to the Dispensary, to which he was appointed but a
fortnight. .
On the 2lst ult. at his house, North Frederick..street,tilas.
gow, Mr. James Myth, sen. in the nth_ rear of his ago.
At Paisley, on the 2341 ult. the Rev. Dr. llog, first Miniser
of the Abbey Parish, in the 711thsear of hiso age, and 60tht of
his ministry.
At Durham, aged 92, James Brom), commonly called the
Durham Poet. In religion'he was a follower of Joanna South-
Cott, and thought he never should die.

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OrricE, 11-3—,Str- and: 7y J. B. Chtsr4w-