Dublin ought to be filled some time before the meeting of that parliament, with which I acquainted her majesty, and she directed me to write to your lordship about it. Sir Robert Walpole had a letter from the primate to the same purpose, which you either have received or will receive speedily, in order to settle that affair with his majesty."* In another letter, dated August 8th, 1729, Bishop Gibson again endeavours to dissuade Lord Townshend from resigning. "By the account I had from Sir Robert Walpole this morning, I hope I may congratulate your lordship upon a peace with Spain, which I know will be a great ease to your mind in many respects. But there is one resolution, consequent to this, which I hope you will not finally come to, till you have thoroughly satisfied yourself that a retired life, when it comes to the trial, will do; as far as I am able to judge, from the general frame and disposition of human nature, it will not, and therefore the thing desirable seems to be, an honourable station attended with less labour and trouble."t HEREFORD CATHEDRAL. FEW topics at the present juncture deserve more immediate attention from every one interested in preserving the remains of Christian antiquity than the dilapidations of Hereford cathedral. A statement of the condition and circumstances of the church has been published by Dr. Merewether, the indefatigable and munificent dean, which contains almost everything calculated to shew the extent of the danger, the worth of all which it is attempted to save, the zeal of its natural guardians in leading the way, and their freedom from any blame (the present holders of preferment at least) for the long concealed and constantly accumulating injuries sustained by the sacred fabric. They have already subscribed 47717. to the repairs: 20,000l. are required. A considerable portion of this statement, though eminently necessary where it was first delivered, would here be thoroughly superfluous. No readers of the British Magazine, it is to be hoped, will suppose that the dangerous state of the building is caused by the dean's officious removal of filth from the crypt windows, or that the church has been knocked to pieces under pretence of searching after dangers; at this time of day, few will imagine that the ordinary repairing fund could suffice, even aided by the dean and chapter, to effect such large repairs as are imperatively required, and no doubt will be entertained of Mr. Cottingham's competency to do all that can be done by good taste, learning, and skill in restoration. The extent of the mischief may be explained in a few words: the walls and piers, as in most cathedrals, are built with ashlar facings, in this, and many other instances, imperfectly banded. The bands have given way, the rubble and mortar which filled up the space between them has lost its adhesiveness, and the foundation has sunk. This had all been going forward to some extent when the tower was * Coxe's Walpole, vol. i. pp. 646, 7. Vid. sup. cit. vol. xix. p. 266. † Ibid. pp. 653-4. built upon the crumbling piers, and (if the writer understands the author) the roof and a clerestory added. From that time to this, generation after generation has been engaged, sometimes in building props and strengthening piers, at other times in hiding fissures with plaster and whitewash, or encasing them with the unmeaning cinque cento work that never appears in an old building but to disgrace it. The reader may judge from one of the curiosities discovered in this last examination, a beautiful window in the Lady Chapel, an early English work not less interesting nor less dilapidated than the body of the cathedral, how much may remain to reward the labour of restoration. There is only space at present, however, for the following curious document; it belongs to the year 1320, and miserably failed to accomplish its object. Let us hope that in an age when the science of architecture is understood at least as well as at any former time, however remote we may be from the originality and taste which designed what we are glad to imitate, there will be no difficulty arising from want of funds, in surpassing the efforts then made to preserve one eminently "holy and beautiful house where our fathers praised." The instrument from which the following extracts are made is an acknowledgment and confirmation of the grant of the great tithes of Shenyngfeld and Swalefeld to the sustentation of the fabric of the church of Hereford by the bull of Pope John XXII. 1319:— "Universis sanctæ matris ecclesiæ filiis, ad quorum notitiam pervenerit hæc scriptura. Rogerus permissione divinâ Saresburery Episcopus Salutem in eo quem peperit uterus virginalis. Litteras Apostolicas cum filo serico et vera bulla plumbeâ bullatas in nulla sui parte corruptas inspeximus, tenorem qui sequitur continentes. Johannes Episcopus servus servorum Dei, dilectis filiis Decano et Capitulo ecclesiæ Herefordensis salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Personas vestras devotionis vestræ meritis exigentibus paterna benevolentia persequentes, petitionibus vestris libenter annuimus, easque quantum cum Deo possumus favorabiliter exaudimus, exhibita siquidem nobis vestra petitio continebat, quod vos olim fabricam ecclesiæ Herefordensis instaurare volentes, super fundamentum antiquum quod judicio comentariorum, seu Architectorum, qui in arte suâ reputabantur periti, firmum et solidum putabatur, multa ad decorem domus Dei superedificari fecistis opere sumptuoso, in quorum constructione viginti millia marcarum sterlingorum et amplius consumpsistis, et quia propter debilitatem fundamenti prædicti, quod superedificatum est tantam nunc minatur ruinam quod judicio simili aliud remedium adhiberi non potest, nisi predictæ ecclesia fabrica a fundamento totaliter innovetur; propter quæ et expensas etiam factas per vos in prosecutione Canonizationis bone memorie Thoma de Cantilupo, Episcopi Herefordensis, variis premimini oneribus debitorum. Nos paterno vobis super hiis compatientes affectu, ac volentes propterea vobis de alicujus subventionis subsidio providere parochialem ecclesiam de Shenyngfeld in qua jus Patronatus preponitis vos habere, cujusque redditus viginti librarum sterlingarum secundùm taxationem, decimæ valorem annuum non excedunt cum capella de Swalefeld dependente ab eâ Sarum Diocesis aliisque juribus et pertinentiis suis, vobis et ecclesiæ vestræ in usus fabricæ ejusdem ecclesiæ Herefordensis, fabricâ ipsa durante, postmodum vero pro aliis ejusdem ecclesiæ Herefordensis necessitatibus faciliüs supportandis, dummodo, ut asseritis, jus patronatus habeatis in eâ, in usus proprios Apostolicâ auctoritate concedimus, ac etiam deputamus." Nulli ergo omnium hominum liceat hanc paginam nostræ concessionis et deputationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis antem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationem omnipotentis Dei, et beatorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. * * DATUM et ACTUM apud Sonnynggt iij nonarum Novembris anno Domini millimo trecentisimo vicesimo, presentibus dominis et magistris Nicholao Abbate Radyngg, Henrico Goher juris civilis professore, Willielmo de Selton Officiali Sarum, Thoma Talbot Rectore Ecclesiæ de Laxefeld, Norwicensis Diocesis, Roberto de Worthe Subdecano Sarum, Adam de Ayllyneton Rectore Ecclesiæ de Mordiford Herefordensis Diocesis, Johanne de Tarenta Archidiacono Sarum, Officiali Hugone de Knossyngton, Rectore Ecclesiæ de Gildene Morton, Vincentio de Tarenta, Ricardo de Estenore Notariis testibus ad præmissa vocatis specialiter et rogatis. "To this instrument two beautiful seals of Bishops, Roger le Poer, of Sarum, and Adam de Orleton, of Hereford, are appended."-Statement, pp. 71-75. While on this subject the following obiits from the calendar of an ancient Missal secundem usum Herefordensem may be interesting as a record of the liberality of forgotten men, who lived between the times of Henry I. and Edward II. This is due to them, although their pious care has failed, in many instances, to perpetuate to the church what they gave in perpetual eleemosynam. Restore but half their endowments, and there would be no lack of money for repairs. "Januarii XVIII. Kalend. Febr: Obitus Wulvive et Gadive quæ dederunt Hopam, Prestoniam, Pioniam, et Nortonem, et ceteras terras presenti Ecclesiæ, &c. "Martii VI, Id: Obitus Nicholai Penitentiarii Hereford: Canonici qui legavit Fabrice Ecclesiæ decem libras et octo marcas ad unum campanam faciendam, &c. &c. " XVII Kalend. April. Obitus Ade le Bonde de Hinetune, et Sibillæ uxoris sui qui dederunt operi hujus Ecclesiæ quatuor solidos annui redditus, provenientis de terra Brun Godrick in Blakemneston, qui jacit inter terram Hulleroed, et terram Wilhelmi de Stradeway, &c. "Maii non: Obitus Roberti le Grent Capellani et vicarii Ecclesiæ Heref: qui legavit Fabrice Matris Ecclesiæ Heref: sex marcas, et majori altari : Collectar misse et unum antiphorum magnum et novum, ct unum gradale unum troparium et unum processionale, &c. &c. "IIII Idus. Obitus Rogeri Capellani quondam subdecani Herefordensis, qui dedit XII marcas et dimidium Fabricæ Ecclesiæ. * * “XV Kalend. Augusti. Obitus Wlfrici Canonici, et Fratrum, Sororum et Bene. factorum Herefordensis Ecclesiæ et Simonis Archidiaconi Salop. Hic dedit XX marcas Fabrice Ecclesie et XX marcas ad ornamenta emenda, &c. "XIII Kal. Septembris. Obitus Walleri de Bannebyri Canon: Heref: qui dedit operi Ecclesie XX Solidos, &c.. "X Kal. Obitus Domini Edmundi Audeley, quondam Sarum Episcopi, qui dedit redditum XX Solidorum distribuendorum Canonicis et Clericis in anniversario suo presentibus, quique capellam novam juxta Feretrum Sancti Thomæ Confessoris e fundo construxit, et in cadem Cantariam perpetuam amortizavit, &c. Constituit necnon Feretrum argenteum in modum Ecclesiæ fabricatum atque alia quam plurima huic Sacre Edi contulit beneficia. "Non. Obitus Domini Johannis de Breconia Sacerdotis et Vicarii in majorl ecclesia Heref: dedit predicte Ecclesie unam casulam preciosam de rubeo sameto bene bendatam cum aurifragio; item unam albam pre |