HE Hon. Horatio Walpole, in his Letter to the Rev. Mr. Cole, dated" Strawbery Hill, Oct. 11, 1771," expresses himself as follows:

"Lord Ossory is charmed with Mr. Essex's Cross, and wishes much to con

sult him on the proportions. Lord Ossory has taken a small house near mine, is now, and will be here again after Newmarket. He is determined to erect it at AMPTHILL, and I have written the following lines to record the reason."

"In days of old here AMPTHILL's towers

Mr. URBAN,

ALWYN.

Hunmanby, Feb. 8.

PERMIT me to offer a few remarks on the subject of Collins's "Idiot Evangelists," as noticed in your last Magazine. I have two editions in my possession, dated M.DCC.XIII. both expressing the insinuation alluded to in Latin. Of these, one from the coincidence of paging appears to have been the edition refuted by Bentley. And in it the whole passage in the text stands thus: "In the Consulship of Messalla, at the command of the Emperor Anastasius, the Holy Gospels, as written Idiotis Evangelistis, are corrected and amended," p. 90. As he gives the original Latin from Victor's Chronicon in the margin, and from the general character of his work can hardly be suspected of ignorance, why does he leave the particular phrase Idiotis Evangelistis untranslated? Obviously, as Bentley's acuteness could not fail to perceive, with the disingenuous purpose of betraying less enlightened readers, from the approximation of sound,

into the interpretation which is (I think, without sufficient ground) ascribed to himself. But this only shifts the charge from his head to his heart, and proves him to have been, if not a bad scholar, a bad man. For to dig such a pit for unwary feet, what other character does it deserve? And such, unless an edition of 1713 shall be produced with a different reading, will be the character of the Discourser on Freethinking with

Yours, &c. FRS. WRANGHAM.

MR. URBAN,

Feb. 18.

YOU were, if I mistake not, among the unfitness of Mr. Bellamy for unthe first to apprize the public of dertaking a new translation of the Bible. He has verified your judgment, by the portion of his translation which he has published, and by his Reply to the Quarterly Review. Of the defects of his translation, and of his reply, the Quarterly Review has given ample specimens."

The following extraordinary relicks shew his ignorance of the New Testament, as well as of the Old. He says, that God did not direct Abraham to offer up his son Isaac; that the passage has been misunderstood, and wrong translated; and that Abraham, like our Translators, mistook the meaning of God's directions; though St. Paul informs us, that "by faith Abraham offered up Isaac."

;

He says, that Abraham supposed his son Isaac to be the Messiah though our Saviour said that Abraham "saw his day (that is, foresaw the future coming of the Messiah), and was glad."

He asserts, that the Jews were ignorant of the Greek language, though the Holy Spirit dictated the Gospel in Greek to them, as well as to the rest of the world. S. T. P.

We have authority to state that the Bp. of Durham has withdrawn his name from the list of Mr. Bellamy's Subscribers.

EDIT.

J.B. says, "In your veryinstructiveCom

pendium of County Hist. it is mentioned in your Mag. for Dec. last, p. 498, that Q. Eleanor died at Herdeby, in Lincolnshire. As some Authors mention it to have happened at a place of that name in Nottinghamshire, permit me to solicit some of your numerous Correspondents to state which is the correct account, and the exact situation of the place."

Mr.

Mr. URBAN,

AF

Bury St. Edmund's, Dec. 21, 1818. FTER the many explicit and able illustrations of the Saxon Tower, now used as a Steeple to St. James's Church in this town, which have appeared in different Publications, particularly in Britton's " Architectural Antiquities," it may appear presumptuous in me to advert again to that perfect specimen of the talents of our ancestors.

I am, however, induced to send you a sketch of this building, (see Plate I.) in consequence of the apprehensions which have long existed, being considerably increased, that this structure is in so dilapidated a state, that its existence depends on the precautions necessary for its preservation.

On the 5th of last month, as it is customary, the bells were rung in commemoration of the day soon after a peal had ceased, a considerable portion of the grand arch, on the East side of the gateway, suddenly fell down; the fallen stones fortunately separated from their long abode, without injury to any person, but it caused much alarm. The part which fell, is the arch springing from the capital of the third column, of which there are four on each side; not more than a third, however, is seen in the etching, being concealed by an arch or moulding, which springs from the second capital, and corresponding in shape and size to the one alluded to. About 30 of these large stones, which are at once the ornament and support of this noble arch, were in a moment displaced. Another visible injury on this front of the Tower, is two immense cracks, from the very top to the lower or grand arch. Is it not to be regretted that so valuable a relick of antiquity should not have every precau

tion taken to preserve it for future admiration?

When these stones fell, it so happened that one of the most eminent and experienced architects of the present day was amongst those who lamented the event, and condemned the cause, which he considered to arise from the vibration and weight of the bells, which were very improperly placed therein about 30 years since; and that unless the ringing is discontinued, his opinion is, that the whole fabrick is in danger. The annexed Etching is done by Mr. H. Davy, whose residence in Bury is for the purpose of taking subjects for the interesting Work he has announced for publication, of "Illustrations of the Architectural Antiquities of Suffolk;" and it is hoped this is a prelude to the much-wanted topographical account of this county, so long and so eagerly looked for from those gentlemen, who for some time have been forming collections.

I cannot help intimating to you, and your numerous admirers of antiquity, that a gentleman (Mr. Benjafield) who occupies the very site upon which the interesting Abbey Church stood, where the body of the Martyr St. Edmund was deposited, has been excavating the soil many yards in extent, and feet in depth; by so doing the foundations of buildings were discovered, of which no record is to be found. What an interesting detail could be made known! I trust it will be given; as every document connected with the Monastery of St. Edmund, which, as Dr. Yates observes,

ANTIQUARIUS.

1244.

1

GENT. MAG. February, 1819.

1255.