not have been penned; nor was a richer offering ever made on the altar of domestic felicity. Leaving Worcester, we passed on through Tewkesbury to Gloucester. Tewkesbury is a large populous town, with a fine Gothic structure for its church; on the west end are two turrets, and the tower in the middle has a ring of musical bells. The place was considerable even in the Heptarchy, as appears from its abbey, founded about the beginning of the eighth century, by two brothers, Saxon noblemen, as an atonement for some horrid crimes which they had committed. A terrible battle was fought here, May 10th, 1471; thousands fell victims at the shrine of ambition on this bloody day! In the burying ground of the old Dissenting place of worship in this town under a neat tomb lie the remains of the widow of Dr. Philip Doddridge, together with one son and three daughters, the whole of his family. As we were quitting Tewkesbury, near midnight, the moon burst upon us from beneath the linings of a silvery cloud, and its gentle beams flung a beauty over the surrounding scenery! We soon reached Gloucester, entitled by the Ancient Britons a fair city; for it is situated on the Severn, which is navigable for small vessels even to the quay. In the course of our history it underwent revolutions. At present it has four gates, and in the centre of the city four streets meet at right angles. A reservoir in the vicinity sends forth its streams into four canals, for the supply of BISHOP WARBURTON. 265 the inhabitants. A prison has been recently built on the plan of Howard, and is, alas! too fully inhabited. Here is a grammar-school, conducted with ability. The Greek Grammar drawn up for the use of this seminary, possesses merit in point of precision and accuracy. The Cathedral is a beautiful structure, with a fine tower, in which is an excellent ring of eight bells. Over the east end of the choir is a whispering gallery, but it is now known that certain architectural adjustments occasion this reverberation. Here I saw the monument of that literary phænomenon Dr. WARBURTON, who was for many years bishop of this see; the following is the inscription drawn up by his friend Dr. Hurd, the late bishop of Wor cester: "To the memory of WILLIAM WARBURTON, D.D. for more than nineteen years bishop of this see; a prelate of the most sublime genius and exquisite learning, both which talents he employed through a long life, in support of what he firmly believed the CHRISTIAN RELIGION; and of what he esteemed the best establishment of it, the CHURCH OF ENGLAND. He was born at Newark-upon-Trent, Dec. 24, 1698; was consecrated bishop of Gloucester, Jan. 20, 1760; died at his palace in this city, June 7, 1779, and was buried near this place." Curious Letters between Warburton and Hurd have appeared-they were left for publication by the latter prelate; and the profits arising from them, are to be given to the Worcester Infirmary. The abilities of bishop Warburton, as well as N his acquirements, were of a superior kind.-But the superciliousness with which he treated his adversaries created him enemies, and left an unfavourable impression on the mind of the public. In his correspondence with Dr. Doddridge, he appears in an amiable point of view. Speaking, in one of his letters to that excellent man, of the variations to which human life is subjected, the Bishop says:-"I do the best I can, and should, I think, do the same if I were a mere Pagan, to make life passable. To be always lamenting the miseries of it, or always seeking after the pleasures of it, equally takes us off from the work of our salvation. And though I be extremely cautious what sect I follow in religion, yet any in philosophy will serve my turn, and honest Sancho Panca's is as good as any; who, on his return from an important commission, when asked by his master whether he should mark the day with a black or a white stone, replied, Faith, Sir, if you will be ruled by me, with neither, but with good brown ochre! What this philosopher thought of his commission, I think of human life in general, good brown ochre is the complexion of it." A few miles to the north-east of Gloucester lies the little town of Cheltenham, famous for its mineral waters. Cheltenham is a small place, chiefly built of brick, having one long street, with a variety of outlets into the country. In the year 1780 the lodgings for visitants were few, now they are much increased. Its waters, the ingredients of which ITS MEDICINAL WATERS. 267 are Epsom and Glauber salts, a small portion of chalybeate, and some fixed air, are in repute for the cure of hypochondriac and scorbutic cases: they are indeed also beneficial in obstructions of every description. Its rooms, likewise, are commodious for the company; its theatre well fitted up; and indeed Cheltenham may boast of the usual amusements to be found at such places : Society here twines its wreaths, Good nature o'er their meetings breathes; Whether at pump, or ball, or play! CHELT. GUIDE. It is well known that the Royal Family have visited this spot; and ever since that period it has been frequented by persons of the highest respectability. It may not be improper to add, that the walk, above the well, shaded by a plantation of lime-trees for the space of near 300 feet, yields a delightful retirement. Here the valetudinarian may indulge his emotions of gratitude to the Supreme Being, for having endowed with medicinal virtues so many parts of nature, with the view of banishing disease and of restoring health, the want of which poisons and destroys our felicity. At Cheltenham it is that my worthy friend the celebrated Dr. EDWARD JENNER (a native of this county) passes his summer months; to whose benevolent labours mankind are indebted. The blessings flowing from the VACCINE INOCULATION are incalculable! Fervent hopes are entertained that this discovery, now making its way through the four quarters of the world, will annihilate the small-pox, which on account of its virulence and fatal effects, may be termed the hitherto standing plague of society. The clouds of prejudice indeed are now seen passing away; the sun of science and humanity has arisen with its beams to bless the children of men:-see them extend their vivifying influence to the latest posterity :— When FUTURE AGES shall high trophies raise FLOWERDEW. * It is in the county of Gloucester that the noble river THAMES takes its rise, from a small spring not far from Cirencester : Thames, the most lov'd of all the ocean's sons, Hastening to pay his tribute to the sea, Like mortal life to meet eternity! * See a pleasing volume of Poems, by A. Flowerdew, who now presides over a respectable seminary for young ladies, St. Edmund's Bury, Suffolk. |