THE LUCK OF THE LEVELS. Author of 'Shadowed by Silence,' ‘Scarlet Court,' 'The Thirteenth Brydain,' LONDON: 12, ST. BRIDE-STREET, LUDGATE-CIRCUS, E.C. Printed by JOHN C. FRANCIS, Athenæum Press, Bream's-buildings, Chancery-lane, E.C.; and Published by the said MARRIED or SINGLE? By B. M. Croker, ROBINSON CRUSOE. With 37 Illustrations The IMPRESSIONS of AUREOLE: a Diary MEMOIRS of the DUCHESSE de GON- TAUT (Gouvernante to the Children of France during the Restora- FLAMMARION'S POPULAR ASTRONOMY: a General Description of the Heavens. Translated from the French WALFORD'S COUNTY FAMILIES of the UNITED KINGDOM (1896). Containing Notices of the Descent, Birth, Marriage, Education, &c, of more than 12,000 distinguished Heads of Families, their Heirs Apparent or Presumptive, the Offices they hold or have held, their Town and Country Addresses, Clubs, &c. Royal 8vo. cloth gilt, 50s. BARONETAGE, KNIGHTAGE, HOUSE of COMMONS (1896). Royal 32mo, cloth, gilt edges, 5s. KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., LTD. Large imperial 8vo. 10s. net; Annual Subscription (Four Numbers), 30s. net. Part VIII., now ready, contains:-The DECORATION of BOOK-EDGES. By Cyril Davenport.- PUCKLE'S "CLUB." By Austin Dobson.-The BOOKPLATES of J. SKINNER, of BATH. By W. J. Hardy.-JOHN RASTELL and his CONTEMPORARIES. By Henry R. Plomer.-CHINESE ILLUS- TRATED BOOKS. By Robert K. Douglas. - The BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. By Falconer Madan.-Also Titles, Contents, and List of Plates for Volume II. Price 2s. 6d. net. New Series, No. 3. JANUARY, 1896. CONTENTS:-The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. Part I. Origin of the Institution. By Prof. Henry Carrington Bolton, Ph.D. Illustrated.-PRINCIPLES of TAXATION. I. Part II. By D. A. Wells, LL.D. D.C.L.—A STUDENT'S RECOLLECTIONS of HUXLEY. By Prof. Angelo Heilprin.— The BOTANICAL GARDEN of BUITENZORG, JAVA. By M. Albert Tissandier. Illustrated.— HELIUM, its IDENTIFICATION and PROPERTIES. By Prof. C. A. Young.-SCIENTIFIC TEM- PERANCE. 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LL.D., Principal_Librarian of the British Museum. BY SIR WALTER BESANT AND OTHERS. With Twenty-one The POOR in GREAT CITIES: their Problems and what is being done to Solve Them. By Sir WALTER BESANT, and other well-known Writers. Illustrated by Hugh VENICE. By Daniel Pidgeon, F.G.S. With a Frontispiece after Turner. Pott 8vo, 3s. 6d. net. SCOTSMAN.-"A readable book...... Describes happily the aspects of the place, the ways of its indwellers and visitors, BY CHARLES AUGUSTUS STODDARD. LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1896. CONTENT S.-N° 211. with the Dissenters, who, in the first part of Queen Anne's reign, had a very powerful influence in both houses of parliament, and at court; and were now preparNOTES:-Rev. Samuel Wesley, the Elder, 21-Mount Grace ing to present a petition to the House of Lords, praying for Priory, 22-Rev. James Sterling, 23-G. A. Sala-Kitchen-justice against the authors of several pamphlets written middens, 24—Turks on Lundy Island-Alderman Tegg on cular; but were dissuaded from taking this step by two in opposition to them, and against Mr. Wesley in partiSwimming-" Printery "-A Long Record-Tennyson and Joseph Warton, 25-Public Executions-"Risum teneatis, members of that House. They had, however, interest amici ?"—Sir Sidney Smith—A “Pitch" of Newspapers- bend; they soon also worked him out of the chaplainship enough to hinder Mr. Wesley from obtaining the preof the regiment, and brought several other very severe QUERIES:-" Adwine "-Will of Cromwell-Oil Painting-sufferings upon him and his family." "Chinese Sensitive Leaf "-The Shrine of St. AudreyGrammatical: "More than one"- Capt. Austin, 27'Swift's Creed'-Maynard Family-Crekederus-Rev. J. Cranstoun- Domiduca Oxoniensis'-Isabella of Angouleme-The Cross on the Mistletoe, 28-Sir W. Musgrave-able by the labours of the Royal Historical ManuSowgelder's Lane, 29. "Pessimism," 26. REPLIES:-Arms of the See of Canterbury, 29-Bookseller But the most interesting account of all is that written by Samuel Wesley himself, which is to be found among the Kenyon MSS., now made avail scripts Commission, and which throws a striking or Publisher, 30-Movable Types, 31-Claxton of Notts Charities-Quadrille, 36-Elizabeth B. Browning-Shelley "Whereas Mr. [Samuel] Wesley, rector of Epworth, dition he is brought into, by the inveterate malice and in Lincolnshire, has made known the deplorable conpersecution of the Dissenters, for his vindicating the Church of England from their scandal, and detecting their villanous practices in their schismaticall schooles NOTES ON BOOKS-Waters's 'Novellino of Masuccio' and seminaries, set up in opposition to the Church, and Magazines. Notices to Correspondents. Fotes. THE REV. SAMUEL WESLEY, THE ELDER. In an article in the Contemporary Review for August, 1895, Mr. Andrew Lang, referring to the supposed ghostly disturbances in the elder Wesley's new parsonage at Epworth in 1716 (this having taken the place of the old house, burned down on 9 Feb., 1709-24 Aug., the date given by Mr. Lang, being that upon which John Wesley's mother wrote a letter describing the fire) says:"The Wesleys had often been most unpopular in the parish. Their house and their flax had been burned again and again, perhaps by incendiaries. Mr. Wesley was extremely, if unwillingly, tardy in paying his debts. He had been hated for political reasons." A more extended statement, conveying the same ideas but with further interesting detail, has long officially passed current among the Wesleyans, for the author of the account "of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, senior" (published in the first volume of The Works of the Rev. John Wesley,' issued from the Wesleyan Conference Office in 1809), wrote: "In the beginning of the year 1705, he printed a poem on the battle of Blenheim, which happened the year before, with which the Duke of Marlborough was so well pleased, that he made him chaplain to Col. Lapelle's regiment, which was to stay in London some time. In consequence of the same poem, a noble lord sent for him to London, promising to procure him a prebend. But unhappily he was at this time engaged in a controversy prejudice of the Universities, we thought fitt to recomend this, his pressing case, to all the members of our University, as a great object of their charity and compassion, and such as requires speedy releif to deliver him out of prison, and the calamitous sufferings he at present labours under." Appended to this is the following: "A copy of Mr. Wesley's letter:-On my printing a poem on the battle of Blenheim, I was sent for to London by a person of quality, in January last, the Duke of one of the new regiments, and another honourable person Marlbrough haveing promised me a chaplain's place in greater favours. I had writt two books against the Dissenters, at which they were very angry. The person who sent for me told me I must drop that controversy, and, at last, that I must publickly, and in print, recant added, that those people expected so many friends in the or palliate what I had writt against the Dissenters; he next House of Commons, more than they had in the last, that when they came to sitt they had resolved to call those to account who had affronted them; this bad a contrary effect to what was expected. I left my fortunes in God's hands, and resolved to act according to my conscience. And as soon [as I could] I came into the country, to use what little interest I had in our to the Dissenters; but before I would act, I was so nice election, to serve those who were not likely to be partial as to write to Collonel Whitchcott, because there had been some intimacy between us, giveing the reasons why letter he exposed, and his friends reported there was I thought myself obliged to vote against him. This treason in it. After which I gave copies of it. They likewise threatned to write up against me, and throw me out of my chaplaine's place which the Duke had given me, and throw me into gaol; all which, I thank them, they have fully effected. I writt to London to know why I was turned out without knowing my accusation. My Collonel Lepel answered that a person of the greatest quality told him it was for something I had published which was not approved of at Court, and for haveing concerned myself too much in some other matters. The spiracy in 1400 to dethrone Henry IV., which first must be my books against the Dissenters, the latter failed, he and the Earls of Salisbury and Huntmy acting in the election for my own country, which I thought I had as much right to do as any other free-ingdon were seized at Cirencester and beheaded hollder. God be praised, these two crimes were linked by the citizens. Froissart mentions (bk. iv. together. After this the friends of the new candidates, c. 119) that the men of Cirencester cut off their the Dissenters, and their adherents, charged me with heads and sent them "in two panniers, as fish preaching treason, and reported I was distracted; where is carried, to rejoice the king (Henry IV.) at then was their mercy? But at last were content to throw me into prison, according to their promise, for no London."* History is said to repeat itself, and this great debt, to a relation and zealous friend of one of the reminds us of the Jezreelites beheading the sons of new members. They knew it was sufficient to do my Ahab, and laying their heads in two heaps at the business, I haveing been thrown behind hand by a series entrance of Jezreel, as an acceptable present to of misfortunes; my parsonage barne was blown down Jehu. But the latter event must have occurred about e're I had recovered the takeing of my liveing; my house, great part of it, burned down about two years agoe; my B. C. 884. Sir John Holand, Earl of Huntingdon, flax, great part of my income (now in my own hands), a gallant soldier, often mentioned by Froissart, I doubt, wilfully fired and burned in the night, whilst I was the brother-in-law of Henry IV., and the Earl was last at London; my income sunk, about one half, of Kent was nephew of the same king. Shakby the low price of grain; and my credit lost, by the takeing away my regiment. I was brought to Lincolne speare has an allusion to this plot, concocted by the Castle, June 23 last past. About three weekes since, Abbot of Westminster and the Bishop of Carlisle, my very unkind people, thinking they had not yet done in 'Richard II.,' IV. :— enough, have, in the night, stabed my 3 cower, which was a great part of my numerous family's subsistence, for which God forgive them." The contested election for Lincolnshire referred to in the above letter placed Whichcote, whom Samuel Wesley opposed, at the top of the poll (see 'N. & Q.,' 8th S. vi. 63). But the letter here given is of the more interest as seeming to indicate that John Wesley had two escapes in childhood from the perils of a burning home, instead of the one which is familiarized by an engraving in many a Methodist household. The popular picture on the subject shows him being rescued from the flames when nearly six years of age; but the other fire at Epworth parsonage, of which the father speaks, would seem to have occurred when the more famous son was in his earliest infancy. ALFRED F. ROBBINS. MOUNT GRACE PRIORY. As a movement has recently been originated for the excavation of these interesting ruins, and subscriptions for that purpose are solicited, it may prove useful to draw the attention of your readers to the site of the priory, an excellent ground plan of which has been published, enabling any one to identify the different conventual buildings. It may be observed that Mount Grace was one of the nine Carthusian houses which existed in England, and that their rule was strictly eremitical, and not conventual. Mount Grace Priory is situated about five miles from the town of Northallerton, in Yorkshire, and two from the village of Osmotherley, and was founded in 1396 by Thomas Holand, Duke of Surrey, who was degraded to the inferior title of Earl of Kent. He was a nephew of Richard II. and of his uterine brother Sir John Holand, Earl of Huntingdon, who had been degraded from the title of Duke of Exeter; and entering into a con Aumerle. You holy clergymen, is there no plot To rid the realm of this pernicious blot ? The earl, the founder of the priory, is known to have been buried at Mount Grace, but his death delayed for a long time the buildings of the priory, which were not finally completed until 1449. The house continued to exist until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, when John Wilson, the last prior, surrendered it, the gross revenue being 3821. 58. 4d. and the net 3231. 2s. 10d. The rules of the order were of the severest kind, and it is remarkable that no charge of abuses was ever made against those bound by the vows. Fosbroke has, in his 'British Monachism,' chap. vi., enumerated some of the austerest of the rules prevailing in Carthusian houses : "Their faces [i. e., of the monks] were totally hidden at the canon of the mass, but might be shown at other times; fingers not clenched; legs not extended, spread, or crossed. Private prayer at the altar once a day. Silence in the cell; cell door not open unless another person was with the inhabitant. No conversation with persons without the prior's licence. No letters to be sent or received. No pottage or pittance, only raw herbs and fruits to be kept in the cell. In chapter no speech bat at confession or when the chapter was held. In the bowing to those who brought or removed anything; no refectory, dining bareheaded: drinking with two hands; wiping of hands or mouth at the cloth; no speech in the fratry, cloister, or church. The prior was not allowed to go beyond the bounds of the eremus." At the time of the Dissolution the site of the priory was granted by Henry VIII. to James Strangwaies, and after passing through different hands came into the possession of the ancient family of Mauleverer of Arncliffe Hall, a mansion near at hand, whose descendants in the female line now possess it. There is a good engraving of Froissart's account of this insurrection has been followed, though it is usually said that the Earl of Froissart adds that the heads of the Earl of Salisbury Huntingdon was beheaded at Pleshey, in Essex, in 1400. and Lord De Spencer were also sent to the king. |