By the pure streams of Peace shall ever live, And flourish in the Paradise of God." At the West end of St. Paul's Cha pel, Birmingham, is a neat Tablet, inscribed to the memory of Mr. Jos. Barber, artist; see your vol. LXXXI. Part ii. p. 285. "To the Memory of A few surviving Friends, in remembrance of him who possessed these qualities, have erected this Tablet as the last and sincere tribute 325, he will find the doubts respecting Gersen, not Gerson*, [Joannis Gerseni (alias Gessel vel de Gessate) Abbati J. T. Verceliensi Ord. S. Benedicti ab A. C. 1230 ad 1240. Vide Aet. Erud. A. 1725. p. 416. seq.] were not suggested by the Writer of that Letter, but by other persons who have been long suce dead. He is requested to consult a Work in quarto by Fabriciust, where they are detailed by P. Anselm, who says the name of Gersen was never mentioned as the Author of the Imitation before the year 1613. I apprehend by Abbé Valard, he means Joseph Valart, a priest of the Romish Church, and senior Professor in the Military Academy. He was born at Hesden on the Borders of Picardy, and died in 1779. Besides Editions of several Classic Authors, he published some Treatises on Grammar, and a Translation of the New Testament from the Copy of the Vatican, 1767. His Latin Version of the Imitation was first printed in 1758, * J. Gerson, Chancellor of Paris, died Dee. 1463. + Fabricii Bibliotheca Latina media et infimæ ætatis, and afterwards in 1764, from a collation of Eight different Manuscripts, and three French Translations, probably the earliest in that language. The Imitation in his native tongue appeared in 1766. I am not certain whether a second edition was ever published. The celebrated Barbou, the Elzevir of Paris, was his Printer. On examining the Work of Dean Stanhope, the Reader cannot fail to discover that he bas allowed himself great liberties with his Author. His publication may rather be called a paraphrase; as its additions, omissions, and interpolations, are every-where obvious. To the long catalogue of Editions of the Imitation may be added the Kempis Commun of Peier Poiret,the mystical Author, who died 1719, after publishing numerous volumes. It is printed at Amsterdam by Wetstein, and dated 1683. The excellent Preface (not written by Poiret, but prefixed to some former translation), is a short but comprehensive summary of wisdom and piety. Five engravings are annexed to this copy, alluding to subjects of the Imitation; viz. 1. The Agony in the Garden; 2. Resurrection of Lazarus; 3. Interview with the Woman of Samaria; 4. Denial of Peter; 5. Last Supper. The vignette represents our Lord arraigned before Pilate. If these additional notices afford any satisfaction to persons engaged in this inquiry, the pains of the obscure individual who communicates them to your Magazine will be fully compensated. Yours, &c. I Mr. URBAN, J. C. Aug. 8. SUBJOIN a List of several editions of that famous little Work, "The Imitation of Jesus Christ," for the information of your Correspondents interested in the critical question respecting its Author. The decision of this question is, I think, hardly to be looked for, unless some antient manuscript should unexpectedly turn up every species of presumptive evi dence has long since beeu scrutinized, and the result has only limited the probable claim to two persons; viz. John Gersen, abbot of Vercelli, and Thomas à Kempis. I heartily join with your Correspondent L. S. (vol. LXXXIII. Part it. p. 650.) in the warm admiration he expresses of this excellent 1. It is acknowledged that John Gersen, Chancellor of the University of Paris*, was not the author; the similarity of his name having led Du Pin and some others to mistake him for the Abbot of Vercelli: of course what L. S. objects on this head falls to the ground. 2. Allowing that the Author would think in that language that was most familiar to him, and that, unless therefore, the work was produced in the earliest ages of the Church, before the Latin ceased to be spoken, every Latin copy must be a translation only; I cannot see any force at all in this reasoning. Whatever language the author night think in, he undoubtedly would express himself in that which was most generally intelligible; and the Latin, we know, has always been in familiar use with the Clergy of the Catholic Church, not only in the Liturgy, as well as in all public acts and disputations, but in the common conversation of monasteries and colleges: as to critical proofs drawn from the Latin text of the author, nothing could ever be made out with certainty. 3. I am really sorry to find such observations as this head of L. S.'s disquisition contains. He must suppose that religious retirement necessarily produces inseasibility, and that those who have forsaken the pleasures and dissipation of the world, cease to interest themselves for its reformation. Without deteriorating the merit of the work, I may ask, what does it contain which a person secluded from the world might not be acquainted with? It treats of the communication of a devout soul with her Creator; expressed either in aspirations, and humble reflections on the imperfection of human nature, or in * He was not, however, merely what L. S. calls him, a man of the world, as his writings testify. precepts of divine instruction addresed to her. Had your Correspondent been acquainted with a few of the best Writers on a spiritual life, be could not have formed such opinions: I would advise him to a perusal of St. Bernard De Consideratione, and then say, whether the middle ages may not have produced the Imitatio. Our Saviour (he tells us) to whom every thing was possible, never wrote anything; no, it did not form part of the plan he was pleased to adopt for the propagation of his spiritual kingdom. Even the inspired Evangelists, who wrote the Gospel, were not themselves the subject of it: No, they barely related the "things which Jesus began to do, and to teach," &c. as St. Paul expresses it. Nor to be a Homer was it requisite to be an Achilles : But to what purpose are all these observations? The Imitatio is not the adventures of a hero related by himself. 4. What authority they had who first attributed the Imitatio to Gersen, or Thomas à Kempis, I am not prepared to say; but I am sure it will require better arguments than L. S. has produced, to prove that either of them was not the author. 5. Here we are agreed. If the learning and information of the Benedic tines and Jesuits of the last age could not solve this problem; how shall we, among whom the writings of that age which, undoubtedly, produced the Imitatio, are scarcely ever mentioned without a contemptuous sneer? 6. The charge here made, I am not acquainted with, and shall beg leave to doubt of its accuracy. Lastly, As to its having been written by some Oriental in the earliest ages of Christianity, all that L. S. can advance is mere conjecture. The style of the Imitatio is evidently modelled on that of the Sacred Scriptures, but that is no proof of the writer having been an Oriental: the Soliloquium Animæ, De Tribus Tabernaculis, and Vallis Liliarum, all works of Thomas à Kempis, resemble the Imitatio in this respect: but the allusion made in book III. chap. 50, to St. Francis of Assisium *, positively brings down the date to the thirteenth century at the earliest. Then as to the objection against Thomas à Kempis, if he produced the other works * Born in 1182, and died in 1226. which have been published as his*, he was far from confining his labours to copying; his excellence in that art, in his time of the highest import ance, is on record: but we must remember that he attained to a great age (upwards of 91 years), the whole of which from early childhood was spent in study and retirement. Upon the whole, I doubt whether we shall ever be able to come to any further conclusion on this very curious question, than that adopted by the very learned Author of the" Lives of Saints +," the insertion of whose valuable note on this subject ‡ might, I think, be gratifying to inany of your Readers. Besides another edition in Latin, without either date, or place where printed. All these are pocket editions, and No. 5 is the only Protes tant version. No. 9. is the second edition of the best Catholic translation, being made by the late Bishop Challouer the first edition was printed, I believe, in 1728; and No. 11 is the thirteenth of that version. There is also a modern Catholic edition in Latin. No. 2 has a curious engraved portrait, inscribed "Vera Thomæ de Kempis Effigies." I shall offer some further critical remarks, &c. on the Imitatio, in a future communication. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, W. Aug. 20. W ble judgment this common HO was Junius? In my hum question is not by any one definitively The Rev. Philip Rosenhagen has been reputed the author of those lite rary treasures which bear the signature in question; and although I am of opinion with those who think that the weight of argument favours, Edmund Burke, yet do the following circumstances lead to an admission, that Mr. Rosenhagen's claim calls for attention, and may deserve a prefer ence. My Father was intimate with the late Marquis of Lansdown, and in the habit of constantly meeting Mr. Rosenhagen at Shelburne House, where the latter was received with peculiar marks of confidence, in so much as even to excite some little jealousies in one for whom, as for my father, his Lordship professed the most unbounded friendship. Mr. Rosenhagen was also the companion or › friend of every man high in office, or in the great world; a member of all the political and gambling clubs of celebrity West of Temple Bar; and a kind of party interlocutor, every where well received; added to all this, he was a man of intrigue, of a nervous mind and strong talents, a shrewd wit and extensive knowledge; he wrote well, and, to crown all, had all the self-possession, prevoyance, and cunning of the most consummate politician. I have heard my Father, who died in 1797, repeatedly say, he had good reasons for believing Rosenhagen the author of Junius; unfortunately what those reasons were are buried with him: at the time these observations were made, I had controversies of a different nature to handle, and was employed more in marking the harmony of the Fathers of the Church * See Cave's Historia Literaria, vol. I. Appendix, p. 133, &c. + Rev. Alban Butler, S. T. P. late President of the English College at St. Omer's. N. B. I apprehend L. S. mistakes this Author for the celebrated Catholic Barrister of that name, his nephew; for I cannot find that the latter Gentleman has written any thing on the subject, except in his "Life of Rev. Alban Butler," p. 101, where he tells us, that our Author (viz. of The Lives of Saints.") thought that Valart had abundantly proved that Thomas of Kempis was not the Author of the Imitation of Jesus Christ; but that he had not proved it to be written by Gersen, Abbot of Vercelli. See his Life of St. Andrew of Avellino, Nov. 10. than than in settling differences between the Children of this World. About twenty years have elapsed since I purchased an Army Chaplaincy of Mr. Rosenhagen, and he soon after went to India. There he died; and I have heard that on his deathbed he declared himself to be the true Junius; and that documents, in proof of his declaration, would be found amongst his papers. As his death happened within the last 18 years, and at the Presidency; these are facts, which, it is to be presumed, may be easily ascertained, if any person shall think the result likely to recompense the inquiry. B Yours, &c. A. W.. Mr. URBAN, Aug. 12. OY inserting in the Gentleman's Magazine some circumstances relating to the late Mr. Beauvais, you will, no doubt, most essentially benefit his worthy, though destitute widow and seven helpless children; who, through their irreparable loss, are left dependent on the exertions of a few of his most intimate friends for their maintenance; of which the unfortunate event about to be related has utterly deprived them. sea, from Ramsgate Pier, on the 8th of March last; on the 17th his body was found at Upper Deal, and was interred at St. Lawrence on the 21st of the same month, attended to the grave by many of his friends in that part of the country,and by his disconsolate family, who are most anxious to express how highly sensible they feel the respect shewn on that melancholy occa sion, and will feel some alleviation of their misfortune in thus publicly testifying their gratitude for the favours they have already received. It will also be a source of much satisfaction to us, the Trustees, could that degree of publicity be given to this peculiar case, which your widely-circulating Publication ensures; by the means of which, they hope the Subscriptions already entered into will be considerably augmented, for the joint benefit of the widow and children of that excellent though unfortunate man. By the kindness of a few, his deserving relict has derived present sustenance, and three of her children are placed in a way of obtaining an education. A trifling donation, when administered by many,may accomplish the desirable end of rescuing this family from absolute distress. Subscriptions continue to be received at the Banking-house of Messrs. Down, Thornton, and Free, London; Mr. Burgess's Library, Ramsgate; Messrs. Payler and Co. bankers, Canterbury; and at Mr. Jardine's bank, Sevenoaks. Yours, &c. J. Down. Mr. Beauvais was upwards of sixty years of age, of the strictest integrity, and most amiable manners; and was, for many years, well known in the service of the publick as a preceptor of youth at Highgate. His patrons, many of them persons of the first distinction, and the friends of the pupils entrusted to his care, ever kindly evinced their gratitude for the classical ability, and paternal solicia Agestions to the Author of the tude, which he constantly exhibited in their behalf; but, his numerous family calling upon him for an extension of his connexions, he formed a partnership, and removed to Ramsgate, which, unhappily, instead of producing that independence to which his own conduct through a long and exemplary life had entitled him, his partner being deeply in debt, suddenly involved him in pecuniary difficulties, which at length produced the fear of an arrest this event (so poignant to him who had ever preserved the most irreproachable character and scrupulous exactness in every transaction of life) preyed upon his mind, and led to the fatal catastrophe. He is supposed to have precipitated himself into the J. P. NEALE. Mr. URBAN, Durham, Aug. 4. you have admitted some sug Literary Anecdotes ;" permit me to correct an accidental mis-statement in the Memoirs of my friend Mr. Robert Harrison, communicated by Mr. Allan, and which I have read with some degree of pleasure. I could wish, however, that the Literary Publick may be apprized, that Mr. Harrison's books were valued at 4201.that they were offered to several gentlemen, in bulk, for 3002.-that, after many ineffectual attempts to dispose of them, which occupied several years, the Executor was advised to sell them piecemeal-and that they eventually produced 2401. after all expences of sale. Yours, &c. A BIBLIOMANIAC. Mr. |