The History and Antiquities of Cleveland, comprising the Wapentake of East and West Langbargh, North Riding, County York. By John Walker Ord, F.G.S.L. &c. &c. 4to. WE have dwelt, on former occasions, with some regret, on the present apparently passive state of Topography as respects County Histories, and at the same time admitted our sense of the great difficulty (judging from recent examples) in any single author accomplishing the description of a whole county,* unless in were one of the smallest. In the consequent absence of the magnificent and somewhat ponderous folios which characterised the topography of the first quarter of the present century, we are very glad to welcome so goodly a quarto as the present, and to observe how well the topography of England may in fact be executed by authors undertaking such smaller divisions of the county as are capable of being completed within a limited period of time, before their subscribers drop off by death and other causes, or their own energies and capabilities fail them. In this way we have already had portions of the history of Yorkshire, in Dr. Whitaker's History of Richmondshire, in the Rev. Joseph Hunter's excellent History of the Deanery of Doncaster, and in Poulson's History of Holderness. Cleveland has itself had a previous historian, in the Rev. John Graves, who published its "History and Antiquities" in 4to. 1808. There have also been Histories of Whitby, an important town at the southern extremity of this district, by Charlton in 1779, and by Dr. Young in 1824; added to which the well-known William Hutton published in 1810" A Trip to Coatham and Redcar," two small wateringplaces on the coast near Middlesborough.

The present author is confident in his claims, that "in monuments of antiquity, abbeys, priories, hermitages, and cells; in castles, fortifications, and encampments; in remains of former grandeur, and relics of great

* We are happy, however, to observe the posthumous publication of the eighth and concluding Part of Dr. Lipscombe's History of Buckinghamshire, which is thus complete in four volumes quarto.

and illustrious families,-the vale of Cleveland abounds more than any similar locality in England;" adding that "in the magnificence, variety, and extent of its natural scenery; in the healthfulness and salubrity of its climate; in the energy and skill of its agriculturists; in the enterprise and perseverance of its general population, Cleveland may compare with any portion of the kingdom."

Cleveland contains in all about thirty parishes; and to their history in succession our author addresses himself; having first discussed, in several preliminary chapters, the general history of the district; its very interesting geological features, so remarkable for its early alum-works, as well as other mineral products; its agriculture, amidst which the Cleveland cattle and Cleveland horses make a conspicuous figure; its antiquities, which are discussed with considerable research and discrimination; and its religious his tory, including monachism and architecture. Chapter V. is devoted to the history of Gisborough Priory, which was one of the larger monastic houses, its prior having a seat in Parliament. Of this house was the historian Walter Hemingford, whose work was published by Hearne.

Of the Brus monument at Gisborough, which is figured in Dugdale's Monasticon, and of which a lithogra phic plate is given by Mr. Ord, at p. 199, we may say a few words. It can not be justly termed a "beautiful tomb," nor its statuettes and sculptures "curious and elegant," unless the draughtsmen have done it grievous injustice. It is evidently one of those founder's tombs, built in ages posterior to the parties commemorated, of which a few examples still exist, like that of king Osric in Gloucester cathedral, but the value of which, as monuments of persons or costume, or as examples of art, is very small indeed.

In the same page is a statement with regard to the heart of king Robert Bruce, which is an instance of the haste into which the author has been sometimes betrayed. He says, “A drawing of the silver case we remember to have seen in one of the volumes of Hone's Every Day Book, accompanied with descriptive letter press:" but that silver case was the case that