232 Account of Dr. Deacon.-Edmund Ludlow. [Sept. brought to Manchester, and fixed on the Exchange. It is said, that whenever bis father passed the place, be regularly took off his hat and bowed; what his meaning was, no one is ever said to have discovered. The conjecture was, that he occupied that moment in praying for the departed spirit of his son. This opinion seems very probable, from a reference to the 136th page of his book on Christianity, wherein he holds forth the long exploded popish doctrine of "praying for the dead." The book just mentioned went through two editions, the second of which is now before me, and is dated 1748. Deacon's name is not mentioned, but it is universally allowed to be his production. The title is exactly such as your Correspondent has stated; viz. "A View of Christianity, without regard to any party." It comprises two Catechisms, a shorter and a longer, each divided into two parts, one com prehending the sacred History, the "The other the Christian Doctrine, shorter for the use of Children, the longer for the more knowing Chris tian." Now, though the author disavows, in his title-page, any pretensions to party, yet the whole of his book, generally speaking, consists of a revival and vindication of popish doctrines. The following are some of the subjects which, amongst a variety of others, he laboriously tries to elucidate and recommend. "Public Confession and Penance.' "Trine Unction, the kiss of peace, together with the use of milk and honey, &c. in the Baptismal service." "Unction of the sick." "Praying for the faithful departed." "Invocation over the Eucharistic Elements, to make them the body and blood of Christ," &c. &c. Hence it appears, he was friendly disposed towards the Roman Catholic Religion, and that he wished, if possible, to bring it into repute, and even to make additions to its ceremonies. In this, however, he failed, and no wonder-for the world was already too much enlightened ever to be again involved in the mazes of popery. He died in the year 1753, and lies buried in St. Anne's Church-yard. The inscription on his tomb is as follows, beaded with a cross: Ει μη δεν σταυρῳ. "Here lie interred the remains (which through mortality is at present corrupt, but which shall one day most surely be raised again to immortality, and put on incorruption) of Thomas Deacon, the greatest of sinners, and the most unworthy of Primitive Bishops, who died 16th Feb. 1753, in the 56th year of his age; and of Sarah his wife, who died July 4, 1745, in the 45th year of her age. The Lord grant the Faithful, here underlying, the mercy of the Lord in that day. 2 Tim. 18. X 'EY TOUTW νικα.” The first Greek quotation is evidently a part of the 14th verse of the 6th chap. St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. The last will easily be recognised as remarkably connected with the conversion of Constantine J. M. the Great. Mr. URBAN, Sept. 3. CURIOUS Inscription having A lately been made known to me, and a part of it being totally unintel ligible to me,-I hope some of your learned Correspondents may be able to cast some light upon it. The followings words are inscribed on a board, which was formerly placed over the house of the celebrated Republican General: "EDMUND LUDLOW, who died and was buried at Vevay in Switzerland. OMNE SOLVM FORTI PATRIA QUIA PATRIS," The four first words are truly applicable to the martial character of this personage, but I can make nothing out of the two last words qvia PATRIS. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 27. Thompson's Account of Boston, in Lincolnshire; continued from p. 138. IN our last notice of this neat voJume, we slightly glanced at some of the principal annals of the Borough of Boston. We shall now proceed to give a further account of what may be found in the work. After detailing the antient state of Boston, its Religious Houses, &c. the Author gives a description of its noble Church, which is chiefly extracted from Mr. Britton's" Architectural Antiquities." "The Parish Library is kept in the chamber over the great South door of the Church. For what use this room was originally designed is unknown; but for some years previous to the establishment of the Library, it was occupied as a school-room "for the teaching of petty-scholars.' In the year 1635, upon the request of the Rev. Anthony Tuckney, vicar of Boston, it was ordained by the Archbishop of Canterbury, then on his Metropolitical Visitation at Boston, that the roome over the porch of the saide Church shall be repaired and decently fitted up to make a Librarye, to the end that, in case any well and charitably disposed person shall hereafter bestow any books to the use of the parish, they may be there safely preserved and kept.' This Library at present consists of several hundred volumes, amongst which are many valuable and scarce works on divinity. Amongst the principal contributors to this Institution are the following, viz. : Sir William Massingbird....£50 Richard Ellis, esq... 50 10 10 William Thornton, esq...... Anthony Tuckney, the founder, contributed largely in books." "The Commerce of Boston" forms the subject of the next chapter; which is followed by a History of the River Witham, with an account of the Fishery; and the progress of drainage and enclosure of the Fens. "An antient canoe was found in April (1816) at a depth of eight feet under the surface, in cutting a drain parallel with the river Witham, about two miles East of Lincoln, between that city and Horsley deeps. It seems hollowed out of an oak tree, and is thirty feet eight inches long, Letter from Sir Joseph Banks, in "Journal of Science and Arts," No. II. p. 244. GENT. MAG. September, 1821. and measures three feet in the widest part. The thickness of the bottom is between seven and eight inches." Under the head of Richmond Fee or Honour, is given a history of Richmond, Rochford, or Kyme Tower. "That the Earls of Richmond had a baronial residence near this place, is extremely probable, from the circumstance of Ranulph Earl of Richmond being said to have built a castle at Boston, in 1220. A town called Richmonton is found in antient maps of this district, and it was probably situated in the enclosures adjacent to the present Richmond tower, in many of which considerable foundations may be traced." "The family of Rochford, which takes its name from a town in Essex, appears to have lived in this neighbourhood, and to have held a considerable quantity of land in Fishtoft, Skirbeck, and Boston, of the Richmond family, at a very early period. This tower has its name, of Rochford tower, from this family, as it has that of Richmond tower, from its being situated in the land belonging to that Honour." "This estate appears to have passed out of the Rochford family into that of the Kymes, in the 15th century, but whether by intermarriage, or by purchase, is not known. The first notice of this latter family, as proprietors of the estate, occurs in the following extract: 'John Lord Viscount Wells, of Well near Alford, married Cicely, second daughter of King Henry the VI. who survived him, and afterwards married a gentleman of the noble family of Kyme, of Kyme tower near Boston in this county, and died without issue." "At what time this estate passed from the Kyme family has not been ascertained. It fell into the hands of the Crown by sequestration, in consequence of some political transgression of its owner, and is now the property of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. The descendants of the antient owners, however, continued to occupy the estate as tenants until 1816. The tower is situated about two miles Eastward of Boston; all that remains of this antient Baronial residence is represented in the annexed engraving." sion of the author, is here inserted, This engraving, with the permis(see Plate II.); and with the accompanying view of the Grammar School, form pleasing specimens of the numerous Wood-engravings which embellish this elegant Volume. "The tower does not appear, from its style 234 REVIEW.-Thompson's Account of Boston. style of building, to be older than the reign of Elizabeth. It is of brick, and quadrangular, having an octagonal turret on its South-east angle, which contains a flight of about seventy steps, communicating with the upper apartments, of which there are three; the top is covered with lead, and inclosed with an embattled parapet; the other three angles are terminated with neat embattled turrets. The ground floor is secured by strong groined vaultings, and is not connected with the flight of steps. It was probably used as a dungeon. An old house adjoining the tower, was taken down a few years since : in this house were several old portraits, said to be of the Kyme family; there were also three coats of arms, with different bearings, but with the same motto, In cruce nostra salus.' A fine avenue of trees, which stood in the front of the tower, in a line between it and Boston Church, was cut down about twenty years ago. The tower was formerly moated round, and the remains of the moat may be traced at this day. "At the distance of about a quarter of a mile from each angle of the tower, was formerly a considerable mound or eminence; three of these are now remaining, that from the South-east angle having been levelled. For what purpose these were thrown up is not known." In "a Walk through Boston," the Author gives an account of its public buildings, and a survey of its present state. The Places of Worship belonging to the different Religious Sects, the various Crosses, the Theatre, the Public Libraries, the Gaol, the Custom House, the Guildhall, the Bridge, Heron's Hall, Hussey Tower, &c. are all described; as well as the different Public Schools. was "The present Grammar School endowed by Queen Mary, in the year 1554; but there appears, to have been a Grammar School existing in Boston at the time she made her grant to the Corporation; for one article therein is, 'one house in which the Grammar School is held.' It is most likely that this was the one established by the brethren of the Guild of the Blessed Mary, and which is mentioned in Pope Julius pardon,' as obtained by Thomas Cromwell in 1510, for the lands and possessions of that frateruity formed part of the Queen's grant. "The present School was erected by the Mayor and Burgesses of the town in 1567, being the ninth year of Queen Elizabeth, and is a spacious, lofty, and airy room, having five windows on each side, and one at each end. The windows were formerly ornamented with stained glass. The School [Sept. is accurately represented in the annexed engraving." (See Plate II.) Among the "remarkable events" is recorded: "In 1732, a man descended from the steeple of the Church on a rope, to the gate on the Eastern side of the market place, near to the house now occupied by Mr. Huntsman. Another man descended on a rope in 1734, from the steeple to the Pack-house quay, with a wheelbarrow, in which was a boy; he afterwards descended in a similar manner to the sign post of the White Hart inn, now the East end of Bridge-street; he made a third descent from the steeple to a post fixed for the purpose a little South-east to the Church gate." This was probably the celebrated Thomas Cadman, who is represented by Hogarth in his Southwark Fair, as flying by a rope from a churchShrewsbury, in an experiment of the tower; and who broke his neck at like kind*. In our Magazine for 1740, p. 89, is a copy of verses on the death of the famous Flyer on the Rope at Shrewsbury. The "Biography" of Boston Worthies seems industriously collected; including an account of the noble families of Irby and Hofland, and the highly-respectable ones of Tilney and Hussey. Lists of Members of Parliament, Mayors, Recorders, &c. of Boston, follow. The Geological History of the District is very ably drawn up; in which department the author was assisted (as we before noticed) by Mr. Edward Bogg of Donington, near Horncastle; who conceives that the whole of this flat country was, at some remote period of time, covered by the sea; and that it was drained by the persevering industry of the Romans. The following appear to Mr. Bogg the progressive changes which this district has undergone. "First State. The whole level covered at high water with the Ocean. "Second State. When the surface, having been raised by alluvial deposits from the highlands, and the silt and soil washed in by the daily overflowings of the Ocean, had become in part dry land. The surface was now immediately below the peat stratum. "Third State. Embanked by the Ro * See Nichols's edition of Hogarth's Works, 4to. vol. II. p. 90. mans, |