The Sun.
London, England, 1821-07-26 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOLig.

" OLD MonTALuryN"CoUNTERPART.--A short
time ago we happened to stroll into St: Michael's
church-yard, in company .with a . friend, Who
,being about to emigrate to a far country., was
anxious to take another look at that proud Mau-
soleum, which proi•es such a powerful attraction
to the passing stranger.. On inquiring for the
sexton, we were informed by him, that a curious
looking stranger, whose situation seemed to.hover
betwixt those of a mendicant and a pedlar, had
passed the whole day in the church-yard, copying
inscriptions, and
:still seemed. in no hurry to be
gone, although sufficie'rttly warned by, the shades
of evening. This piece of information naturally
excited our curiosity, and we immediately begat'
to tread our way through the almost countless
tombs of St. Michael's, in quest of the pious
stranger. This, of course, was no difficult mat-
ter, in a place far more remarkable for the den-
sity of its departed population than the extent of
its acres, and we quickly recognised the object
of our search in a slender middle-age&man, who,
with pen in hand, and book on knee, was labour-
ing hard to decypher a worn out epitaph. A -
though engaged for eight or ten hours-in a simi-
lar employment, it had never entered the mind
of the stranger to rid himself of his
.usual bur-
dens ; and when he stood up to return our salu-
tation, he actually resembled an ass with pan-
niers. On each side hung a basket filled with
manuscript books. tracts, and other small articles
of stationery : before him hung one wallet, and,
if we are not mistaken, another behind; while
over the whole was drawn a stout well mended
plaid, such as is worn by the, shepherds of she
south of Scotland. In his person the stranger
appeared to be thin and consumptive ; the ha-
bitual hue of his faee, though flushed for a mo-
ment with a hectic glow, was evidently. pale and
wan ; but his eye was vivid and sparkling,- add
seemed kindled with that species of, enthusiasm
which is nearly allied•to insanity. On accosting
this individual,, we, found him • extremely com-
municative, and easily elicited the following
facts :—that he was born in the north of Eng-
land, and bred a labourer, but that, falling into
bad health, he bad taken to a wandering life,
and in the course of his peregrinations, visited al-
most every church-yard in Scotland and Ireland ;
that he has nearly twenty_ manuscript books,
filled with the- epitaphs of persons whose lives or
deaths were attended with, any remarkable cir-
cumstance ; that he constantly carries .these b 045
about with him to amuse the farmers or other
friends, with whom he sojourns during the long
winter nights : that besides epitaphs, he keeps a
record of the texts and the. heads of all the.s,er"
mons he has heard preached for a long .time past ;
that he attends the church 'twice, or where it is
possible, three times every Sunday ; that at
towns he attends only the godly ministers., and
that he is familiar with the names of many hurt-
dreds of such persons ; that he never heard of
" Old Mortality," and never thought of
.cleanif'g
.tomb-stones, but that he has more than once "slept
by the side of a martyr's- grave ; that he is at
present on his way to John o'Groats, being
determined to see the most northern. land in
Scotland ; that he lids frequently been dissuaded
from travelling among wild Irishmen and
landers, but that he never came by any harrit
yet, and is firmly persuaded that nobody -would
be so wicked as to meddle with him. To
relation we have only to add, that the appearanT
of Wir,LtAn K NAPTON. (for that iS.the stranger
name,) corresponded exactly with the account ire
gave of himself; that his collection of epitaph
appeared to be well.selecled, and is written in a
plain neat hand ; that the contents of his MSS•
are so deeply engraver) upon his memory, that on
hearing the profession or character of any one,
he can instantly turn to an epitaph that, bears
some relation to his case;. that mortality appear'
to be his favourite theme, and that he eagerly
seizes every opportunity of making • a religion?
impression ; that he lingered a• whole week in
this town for the purpose of hearing a favourite,
preacher; that on leaving Dumfries, he is report',
ed to have spent the night in Dunscore church'',
yard ; and, that in passing up the country,
visited different gentlemen, all of whom
.treated
him kindly, and were much taken with the 'sin".
plicitY and singularity of his character."—(Thia.
fries Courier.)

The RiL;ht Hon. .To,IIN RMSBY VANDELW:.
has retired from the Revenue as Commissioner °`
Customs, on the allowance prescribed by- Act of
Parliament.

• CORN EXCHANGE, ,JULY 2..
The weather. having been unsettled since Monday produ
a more general demand for fine Wheat this morning '0
prime samples obtained rather better prices, hut the infeOpr
qualities still mect'a heavy sale.. Barley, Peas, and Ileara2e";
sold on as good:terms as on: Monday. The ordiilarY.,lo7:
scriptions of Oats are Is. per quarts dearer. In other altl'
there is no alteration.

CC, 'IL MARKET, JULY 25.
ShipsikiN eawt Market. Ships sold Prig-
-24 Sunderlandl3 "'
- 233 6d to 4""
4 34A Od to 43;

(
At Tacarigna, in the Island of Trinidad, on,the 11th of 3.).4
last, the wife of tk illians Hardin Bromley; ESq4-of a son., 4,
At Irvine, on t?.!e 6th in,it.,•thz Lady. of A:Y. 'Gray, J.,'5
Comptroilet of his Majesty's Customs, of a daughter:

MA :AR TE D. nOrt.
Yesterday, at St.'Margaret's, WA eminster c4oof
, Thomas - .
jun,, Esq., of Stonor.; in Oxfordshire, to Fiances,. daughter.
P. E. Townelsy, Esq., of To.,vneley, in Lancashire. ' and,
Miss P. Affleck, sister to Sir James Ai leek, gave her ',froic".
last week, to Sir'Digby Mackworth. Bart., at Dalham, inSu the •
On this occasion the Church-appeared an immense arbour'
chancel was inlaid with flowers, terming the names of the
pair, and other-devices.in various blended colours_— —
, . . DIED. - ' . Ed`gsra
On Tuesday laSt, at his. seat !.',tcr.kgrove., Bucks; oierree
gann-kn•,• 1;.•,,q. whose activity as a 7) azzistrate; and benenectabl°
as a neighbour, had long rendered his character as resr
as it was amiable. . 'Eli-
• irs- - • - -
0n Tuesday last, in Queen.squarc, Bloomsbury, '.` -.
zabeth Payne, aged 85. g
atibtcr ' 'of
• _ •
On the. 224 inst., at Norwich, Emma, youngest d .
the Rev. Thomaslolines, of Bungay, in Suffolk. Ann Sher- • '
On the.2Bclinst., at her house, in Tabernacle-row, -
wol:(1, in the 58th year of her ag:-. ••1.,
johnor • s'- ' •‘,
On Saturday nfglit; the' 2lst inst., Andrew- .the 12,Ju1.
in . if
Esq., at his, house, Upper Homfiton, Hackney,
year of his age.

•
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Ormond-street, Qu 'een-square are ; and published by jk.
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ORDERS, LETTERS, &C. (post-paid) must be :addressed.