The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-04 00:00:00

1,0 refry.

THE HEROES OF DERRY.
Sung at the Anniversary Dinner at Londonderry, on the 19th
ult. in celebration of the memorable day when the Gates of
Londonderry were closed against the troops of a superstitious
tyrant, who tad sold himself and the interests of the realm to
a foreign potentate, then homily engaged in a stupendous
effort to crush the Reformation in Europe.
When the struggle for freedom took place in our nation,
Which long had been trampled by bigotted sway,
The brave men of Derry, for self-preservation,
Made fast their strong gates on this threatening day.
Tho cowards might tremble, and traitors dissemble,
These heroes stood forward all gallant and true,
Foul thraldom for ever from Erin to sever,
And up went their standard of Orange and Blue.
CHORUS.
Oh I fair Londonderry, it makes my heart merrry
To look at your walls rising over the Foyle,
May no Whig or Tory, despising your glory,
lour eons or your daughters of honour despoil. •
Then loudly their war-cry round Ulster resounded,
And call 'd forth the Protestant Chiefs of our land,
Who, with zeal patriotic, and courage unbounded,
On the Foyle for their freedom determin'd to stand.
Then Mountalexande ,r that noble Commander,
With Skeffington, Rawdon, and Blaney so brave,
Despising alarms, come down here in arms,
Our Liberty, Laws, and. Religion to save.
Chorus—Oh I fair Londonderry, &c.
George Walker and Murray rode here in a hurry,
With Saunderson, Cairns, and Noble renown'd—
Stout Canning and Rawsonovith Dewing and Dawson,
Unmov'd on their posts here in Derry were found;
With Knoxes and Rows, Hills, Grahams and Crosses,
And Beresford brave from the town of Coleraine;
Dunbars, Halls, and Rices, with Blairs Brookes, and Prices,
All fac'd the proud foe with a noble 'disdain.
Chorus—Oh t fair Londonderry, &c.
Bold Mitchelburn, Baker, and Macky unbending,
Held out through all danger our rights to maintain,
Resolving to die, for their freedom contending,
Before the vile tyrant should over them reign ;
To gain us our charters, they bled like true martyrs,
Regardless of fear, though by numbers assailed,
Because they confided in Him that divided
The waters which over proud Pharaoh prevailed.
Chorus—Oh fair Londonderry, &c,
From ancient Dungannon, with horsemen and cannon,
Came Chichester brave as Sir Arthur of old ;
The Moores from old Augher, the hlervyns from Clogher,
To Derry flock'd in with their soldiers and gold;
'From rich Limavady, to puzzle poor Paddy,
Came Phillips, who fought in the year forty-one ;
Thro' fair and foul weather, they all stood together,
Till James was knock'd up, and their foemen were gone.
Chorus--Oh f fair Londonderry, &c.
Thus Heaven protected those heroes undaunted,
Who fought and who bled for the patriot's cause
And gain'd for the nation what long had been wanted
i‘ free Constitution and Protestant laws.
From bondage for ever our Isle they did sever,
Oh may we, like them, be Decided and True;
Ally liberty flourish, and loyalty nourish
The principles sound of an Honest True Blue.
Chet us—Oh I fair Londonderry, &c.

A shocking CASZ of CHILD MURDER, WAS
discovered in the neighbourhood of Camlachie on
Monday afternoon. The body of a fine full-
grown female child was found lying exposed in
a field, without any covering. On examin-
ation both of its arms and the breast bone
were broken, and the features much distorted
by the repeated grasp of a hand, evidently
for the purpose of extinguishing life. The lower
jaw was broken in a most barbarous manner, and
it was altogether a most horrifying spectacle.
The people flocked round the spot, but no one
seemed willing to remove the remains. At length
an apron was procured, and the body rolled in
it, and conveyed to a house in Camlachie, from
whence it was interred in Tollcrocs church yard
on Tuesday afternoon: There is no trace of the
unnatural mother.--(Caledonian Mercury.)

LITERARY NOTICE.

TESTAMENTA VETUSTA ; being Illustrations from
Wills, of Manners, Customs, &c. as well as of the Descents
and Yossesslons of many Distinguished Families, from the
Reign of Henry H. to the Ascension of Queen Elizabeth.
By NICHOLAS HARRIS NICOLAS, Esq. F.S.A.

With great pleasure we' read the announce-
ment of this Work, being confident, that the well-
known talents of the Editor would be exerted to
render it of the utmost utility to the Antiquary,
Topographer, and Genealogist. Upon a perusal
of this Work our previously-formed opinion of its
utility has been confirmed ; for to the Antiquary,
it contains innumerable points of the deepest in-
terest, in the description of armour, dresses,
beds, domestic utensils, customgAtc. ; and to the
Genealogist this collection of testamentary docu-
ments must form the most authentic sources of
information. " But it is to the Antiquary, to
him who seeks for information on the manners
and habits of his ancestors, from sources uupol-
luted by the erroneous constructions or misrepre-
sentations of others, and who setting aside the
theories of a favourite writer on past times, judges
from evidence alone, that early Wills are of the
greatest importance." In many cases this inte-
resting collection will afford information- to the
Philologist, on the use of words which are not to
be found in any glossary ; and also exhibit traits
of character which are more valuable, because
more certain, than can possibly be deduced from
the actions of their lives.

" Of individual character exhibited by wills, an interesting
instance is presented in that of Henry VII. ; for in thatlnstru-
ment he shews more clearly than is to .be found elsewhere, 4he
real sentiments he entertained relative to the manner in which
he obtained the crown, and of which he ordered a posthumous
memorial to be erected (p 32.) In the dark character of Ed-
ward Duke of York, grandson of King Edward 111. a character
hitherto considered to.be without one redeeming trait, we find
from his testament, proof that at least he was not destitute of
the best of human virtues, gratitude, (p. 188.) Indeed,
scarcely a will of any length is extant which does not afford
some knowledge of the heart of the person by whom it was
made.
" The moral state of this Country is shown in many in-
stances by the numerous bequests to natural children, who are
described in the most unequivocal manner ; and if it be argued
that in that sense society has not improved, still there is now a
feeling of morality, which prevents so bold and unblushing an
avowal of the existence of them."
Prefixed to the Collection, besides the Editor's
interesting Preface are some Preliminary Obser-
vutions and valuable Notes, explanatory of many
parts of the &owes, by a " Distinguished Lite-
rary IF From these we learn that it was
not customary to write wills in English before the
reign of Henry I V. whose Will is the first extant
in that language ; Bishops and Ecclesiastics used
Latin, and the Nobility, Norman French. We
shall make a few extracts from these Annota-
tions

"P. 325. My pots with castles.' The spicers and pepper-
boxes were then usually very large, and set exactly in the
middle of the high table. Their shape was that of a tower,
castellated and triple-turreted, into which different kinds of
spices were placed, of which our ancestors were inordinately
fond. They were of the finest wrought silver, parcel gilt, and
were sometimes called standing pieces.'"
"P. 636. "Ihirteen silver spoons, with the figures of
John and his twelve Apostles.' These
were called Apostle's
spoons,' and were usually of silver, gilt, having each the
figure of an Apostle affixed to the end of the handle. They
were given either singly or in complete sets, by the sponsors,
at baptisms, with reference frequently to the Christian name
of the child; and specimens of them are still preserved by the
admirers of old plate."
Stow says the fashion succeeded 'the donation
of christening shirts, about temp, Elizabeth.
Some gave only the four Evangelists, and others
gave but one, of the Saint after whom the child
Was named.
g" P. 680. It appears from this bequest that a notion of a
thousand greater efficacy 'was given to a single prayer, uttered by a
priests? than to its being uttered a thousand times
by the same individual; yet in the same will there is a pro-
viso, that three parish priests shall sing a requiem daily, for
twenty-two years after the decease of the testator."
" P. 548. In the reign of Henry VIII. the fashion of
gold chains was carried to a most sumptuous excess, and their
weight in solid gold was so great s to be positively inconve-
nient. The chain here mentioned, as worth WI. must have
weighed, allowing for the workmanship, more than two
pounds Troy. %Viten the King c.inclescended to give one to
any individual courtier, as a mark of his favour, weight consti-
toted the value more than workmanship."
4, P. 719. It has been observed, that collars or chains of
gold were of very considerable ponderosity ; we have here an
instance of one of sufficient weight to be recast into a cup,
worthy the acceptance of a King, whose favour to Charles
/3randon never variej, through a life of tyranny, cruelty, and
caprice."
These extracts, though not the most interest-
ing, are sullicient to show the pains that have
Ceen taken to illustrate the various curious and
highly interesting bequests found in this exten-
sive collection.

It would be a laborious task for us to attempt
to point out all the many bequests interesting to
the Antiquary and the lii,torian, and the Ge-
nealogist and Biographer; but we have no hesi-
tation in asserting that, no gentleman connected
with either of these pursuits ought to be without
Mr. Nicholas's 46 Testamenta Vetusta," as it is
a work replete, with anecdote, and displaying
great erudition and extensive research.

• SPORTING.

Pox Htx NT ING.-..Captain Jones's capital fox hounds, which
had been affording such excellelit sport to the Herefordians, ors
their return home stopped at Payto, and joined Mr. Smith's
well-known pack..On Tuesday they met at Alocktrey, and un.
kennelled a fox on Saddle.bill, which, after a run of one hour,
they killed. On Thursday they met again .at Knighton, and
found in a wood near that town, reynard bent hiseourse toStowe's
hill, thence to Hopton Castle, Clungunford, through BurroW
Oaker, and from thence to Shortwood, near Walcot, where
the dogs killed him in fine style. On. Saturday they met at
the Shed, near Aymestry, where they found two foxes ; the
hounds divided, the greater part of them following one fox to
AYmestry, Croft, dole to Leominster, back.again to Croft. eat-
ley, thence to the Hay Park, and from thence to the seat of J. Sal.
weY, Esq. where reynard being hard pressed by such staunch
opponents, was obliged to ive up the ghost, to the great joy of a
large field ofsportsmen. Out of a large field of staunch sports.
men only three were in at the death. Seven of the hounds took
the other fox away round-the neighbouring woods, where after a
pliant run of five hours, reynard was obliged to yield to his
merciless pursuers. The last, but not the least day's sport of
this formidable alliance of fox hounds, was on the 2-oth instant,
when they met at Clunbury.lllll, and found in a plantation he.
longing to the Rev. John Rock. Reynard did not seem to re.
lish taking to the open field, but being so firmly stuck to, was
obliged at last to be off; going at a brisk pace over Clunbury_
hill, through Purslow -Woods, Clunton Coppice, through
Soutiley, over the Black Hill, doubtless thinking to gain that
strong fortress for foxes, the Rock of Hilbury, but the hounds
kept so clime to his brush that he was obliged to relinquish that
attempt, and bending his course towards Radnor Wood, the
dogs tan into him while crossing the bottom, near Mr. Morris's
of the Hurst, after a run of two hours.

Many reports are afloat as to the Author of
Granby. t has generally been attributed to
Lord NORMANBY, the supposed author of Matilda
--erroneo►►sly, we believe, as we have.reason to
suppose Mr. LYCESTER to be the real." S'imen
Pure."