Theology and Literature, and highly esteemed and respected in the neighbourhood in which he was resident, in the circle of his numerous and respectable friends, and by all who were competent to judge of the strict honour, purity, consistency, and integrity, which governed all his actions; who knew how to appreciate the ingenuousness, the dignity, and elevation of his mind, the characteristic candour, sincerity, and benevolence of his heart." The united Libraries, antient Coins, and collection of Medals, Bronzes, and Terra-cottas, of the celebrated Thomas Hollis and T. Brand Hollis, including the Theological and Political Library of the late Dr. Disney, were sold by auction in the spring of 1817, by Mr. Sotheby. A bust of Dr. Disney by J. Cockaine, was in the same season exhibited in the model-room of the Royal Academy. Dr. Disney married, at Richmond in Yorkshire, Nov. 17, 1774, Jane, eldest daughter of the Rev. Francis Blackburne, Rector of Richmond, and Archdeacon of Cleveland. By this lady, who was a few months older than himself, and died Oct. 2, 1809, he had issue two sons and five daughters: 1. John Disney, Esq. of the Inner Temple, Barrister-atlaw, and Recorder of Bridport, and High Sheriff of Dorsetshire in 1818; he married in 1802 his first cousin Sophia, second daughter of Lewis Disney Ffytche, of Swinderby, Esq. (who assumed the latter name in 1775), and has a family; 2. FrancesMary, married May 29, 1818, to the Rev. Thomas Jervis; 3. Elizabeth-Jane, and 4. Catherine-Dorothy, who both died infants; 5. Algernon, of Peter-house, Cambridge, B.A. 1801, M. A. 1804, and afterwards a Major in the army; 6. Elizabeth-Collyer, and 7. Jane, who both died young. "SIR, 1. Dr. DISNEY to Mr. NICHOLS. Swinderby, near Newark, Feb. 11, 1782. "I inclose to you a true return of the baptisms and burials within a certain district and during certain periods, for admis sion into the Gentleman's Magazine. The letter accompanying the table will explain the rest *. "The Visitation Sermon, which makes up the packet, is at your service, as a present from the author; it was very sufficiently noticed in your Magazine at the time of its publication. "I have occasionally contributed to the Gentleman's Magazine. Of late you may know me by the two final letters of my name, and I give you this information in confidence t. "Of Dr. Twells (of whom you tell an affecting truth in a note in No. 2, pt. ii. of your Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, p. 182), you are, I believe, under a mistake in his Christian name, which was Leonard and not Matthew. You will excuse this correction. "I have wished to be able to send you some memoirs of Dr. Arthur Ashley Sykes, but I cannot meet with materials or information beyond a list of his publications, which I believe I could make out with tolerable exactness; but I could not go much beyond it. He was an able writer in his day, and deserves to be held in remembrance. "If you think good to let me hear from you, be pleased to direct to me as above; and if you will accept of my correspondence (subject to the plan of your Magazine), I shall very willingly contribute some little matter occasionally. If you accept of the papers sent herewith, I wish them to be authenticated with my name as I have written them. I am, Sir, 2. "SIR, "Your humble servant, JOHN DISNEY." Swinderby, Aug. 7, 1782. "I return you many thanks for the information you have been so kind as to send to me of some papers in the British Museum relating to Dr. Sykes. I wish it were in my power to examine them myself, but many circumstances conspire to prevent me. I have a pretty accurate list of Dr. Sykes's works, first formed with the assistance I found in Masters's History of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where also is a short account of his life. Dr. Birch's opportunity of information and assiduity in biographical collections may probably afford much more matter than the short article in Mr. Masters's book. Dr. Sykes's letters may require selection; and yet it is not improbable but something may be gleaned from each which may be of use in the proposed Account of his Writings as well as of his Life. "In short, your obliging notification of the materials in the Museum may lead you into some inconvenience, as it tempts me to desire you to employ a careful person to copy the whole of * See the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LII. p. 74. The district is the Hundred of Boothby Graffoe in Lincolnshire. With this signature appears some corrections to Warton's English Poetry in June 1781, and a short memoir of Sir Michael Foster in November. Dr. Disney's materials subsequently swelled into an octavo volume. what is there relating to Dr. Sykes, with all proper and accurate references to the place of their deposit. "Mr. Johnson, of St. Paul's Church-yard, is now looking out for several of Dr. Sykes's works for me, that I may be better able to be thoroughly acquainted with my author. "Your biographical anecdotes of your late worthy and learned predecessor and valued friend are now before me; and I must confess myself at a loss which to admire most, your gratitude and diligence, or Mr. Bowyer's many excellent and amiable qualifications. "If you can give me the address of Mr. Robertson*, the editor of Sidney's Works, and who, as I take it, is the same gentleman who is mentioned in p. 477, note † of the Biographical Anecdotes, I shall be obliged to you for it. I think he was once Curate to Dr. Sykes, and consequently may be able to give me some information in regard to him. I am, Sir, "Your obliged and obedient humble servant, JOHN DISNEY." 3. Dr. DISNEY to RICHARD GOUGH, Esq. "Sloane-street, Knightsbridge, Oct. 19, 1784. "Dr. Disney presents his compliments to Mr. Gough. He has left the engraved plate of the Brass Monument at NortonDisney in Lincolnshire with Mr. Cook; and desires Mr. Gough will, at his own time, take any number of impressions he may choose for his work, or, if Mr. Gough should particularly desire it, the plate itself shall be at his service. Dr. Disney will send Mr. Gough a printed explanation of the plate, as far as concerns the personal history of the parties, as soon as he has leisure to get his paper through the press." 4. Dr. DISNEY to GEORGE ALLAN, Esq. "Sloane-street, Knightsbridge, Dec. 27, 1792. "Dr. Disney returns his compliments to Mr. Allan, and is much obliged to him for the portraits and the note, forwarded to him so long ago as the 12th of last month, but which he did not receive till the 22d instant. Those of Mr. Allan's family he shall preserve with particular pleasure; and should Dr. Disney hereafter become possessed of any more private plates, he will not fail to send some good impressions to the Grange." 5. Dr. DISNEY to Mr. NICHOLS. "DEAR SIR, The Hyde, near Ingatestone, Aug. 23, 1810. "The life of Mr. Justice Foster, written by my late friend Mr. Dodson †, was, as you well know, printed for the intended *The Rev. Joseph Robertson, of whom see memoirs by himself in "Literary Anecdotes," vol. III. pp. 500-506. See also VII. 354, 664, + See p. 483. sixth volume of the Biog. Brit. Some copies were presented by you to Mr. Dodson. "It is proposed by some immediate friends of the Judge's family, to re-print his nephew's account of him from one of those copies, and to prefix a well engraved portrait, from an original painting, when he was advanced in years. "But we jointly thought it most correct to mention the scheme to you, though we are not aware of any objection to our proceeding. It is proposed to print the work in octavo, and in the same sized page as his Crown Law,' and to have it done with great care and correctness, with a good letter, and on good paper. Trifling as the work is in quantity, it is the desire of the parties concerned, to offer the re-printing this Memoir to your office; and, as soon as I receive your answer, I will again write to you upon the subject. I am, dear Sir, 7." SIR, "Your sincere friend, JOHN DISNEY." The Hyde, near Ingatestone, Sept. 26, 1810. "I inclose the Life of Mr. Justice Foster, and wish you to proceed in the re-printing of it as early as may be, agreeably to the instructions inclosed. "I am now on the eve of a journey into the north. This circumstance will prevent my seeing any thing of the work as it passes through the press; but it is with entire confidence that I commit it to your attention and superintendance, wishing, at the same time, to be understood that I do not desire any proper expense to be spared that shall tend to produce the work with any advantage in its execution. I will furnish you on a future day with the title and a short preface. I also intend to engage Mr. Basire to engrave a portrait of the Judge from an original painting in his advanced age. I am, Sir, "Your sincere friend, 8. "DEAR SIR, JOHN DISNEY." The Hyde, May 24, 1813. "I thank you for the early transmission of your Leicestershire Index, and congratulate you having satisfactorily gotten through so laborious and useful an undertaking. The insignificant inclosure in my last letter was in no other way entitled to your acknowledgment, but as it was intended as a token of good-will in return for your very liberal conduct to the public, of which I could not think of availing myself. "The Index to the Memoirs of Mr. Thomas Hollis is much at your service; and I am gratified that I have it in my power to desire your acceptance of a copy, and also a print of the writer of that work. "I have also inclosed a few insignificant errata, which occurred to me in the course of my reading the "Literary Anecdotes" last summer. I am, dear Sir, very sincerely yours, JOHN DISNEY." 8. " DEAR SIR, The Hyde, Jan. 6, 1815. "I inclose the pedigree*, in which you will recognise the handwriting of the late J. C. Brooke, Somerset. The fairer copy is transcribed into a large volume. I fear you will find it unwieldly, I should be obliged to you for half a dozen extra impressions of the revised copy on paper that will take ink, by the Chelmsford coach from Gracechurch-street. "I will have a packing-case made forthwith for the view by Peter Andreas Rysbrach, taken 1741, (elder brother of the statuary,) and desire, once for all, that you will place all incidental expenses to my account, and I will readily discharge them whenever you will transmit them to me. "Some supplementary notes, or illustrations of the pedigree, shall be forwarded in as few days as may be, in the box with the painting; and also a continuation of my own descent. "I have added a couple of any book plates, if you should have occasion for them. "I thank you for a sight of two pages of the additions and corrections of volume one. "I am, dear Sir, very sincerely yours, veys JOHN DISNEY." 9. "DEAR SIR, The Hyde, Jan. 9, 1815. "The illustrative notes I have inclosed in the box, which conA View of part of Urless Farm in Corscombe,' which will be taken to-morrow by the Blackmore van to the Talbot inn, Whitechapel; and the best way of conveying it to your house, or Mr. Basire's, will be to send on Wednesday morning some person to move it in a coach; it is more cumbersome than heavy. "The copy of a monument in Norton Disney Church, and some account of it, is sent without meaning it to be used, as it has no appropriation in Dorset; but is at your service. I gave the plate to Mr. Gough. I am, dear Sir, "Very sincerely yours, 10. "GENTLEMEN, JOHN DISNEY." The Hyde, March 23, 1815. "A plate of my arms, with the quarterings on the dexter side of the shield to affix to the pedigree, shall be much at your service; and I will with pleasure, at any moment, reimburse you the expense of engraving it, in the same kind of shield, crest, and motto as my present book-plate, omitting the arms of my late wife, as they should not be in the situation you intend for them; the present plate is also almost worn out. "I know not what to reply as to an engraving of Thomas Hollis; I have no good painting. I have, indeed, a fine bust by Wilton, which the Society of Arts engraved and prefixed to one For the History of Dorsetshire. |