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it was not for fometime executed. This place was once famous for ropes and cables; and by a ftatute, made in the reign of Henry VIII. it was enacted, that the cord. age of the English navy should, for a limited time, be made in this town, or within five miles of it. The foil ftill produces as good crops of hemp as any in England.

We now fet off for Lyme, which brings us near the end of our journey. Had the atmosphere been clear, we should have enjoyed a prospect of the fea; but a fog, common to this part of the country, fo completely enveloped the horizon, that scarcely any object was vifible around us. By this circumftance we were confiderably disappointed. A view of the English channel would have pleafingly relieved the eye after our long jaunt over the Dorfetfhire downs, which, however ornamented by flocks of sheep, tire by their tedious uniformity.

A few miles before we entered Lyme, we paffed through Charmouth, a village on an eminence near the fea. It was a fair, and of course distinguished by that ludicrous buftle which is ufual on fuch occafions. The honeft ruftics were affembled for the purposes of recreation, and merriment, in every form, feemed to be the ardent object of purfuit. A country fair has been aptly defcribed both by Hurdis and Warton; the lines of the latter, of which I was now powerfully reminded, you probably recollect:

"Behold the transports of yon festive scene,
Where the wide country, on the tented green,
Its inmates pour, impatient all to share
The expected pleasures of the annual fair.
See! to the amorous youth and village-maid
The pedlar's filken treafury difplay'd;
The liquorifh boy the yellow fimnel eyes,
The champion's cudgel wins the envy'd prize;
The martial trumpet calls the gazers in,
Where lions roar or fierce hyenas grin;
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Refponfive

Refponfive to the tabor's sprightly found,
Behold the jingling Morrice beat the ground;
The neighbouring courfer, fleek'd and trick'd for fale,
Grains in his paunch and ginger in his tail;
The dwarf and giant, painted to the life;
The fpirit-stirring drum, the fhrill-ton'd fife,
Prelufive to the warlike fpeech that charms
The kindling heroes of the plains to arms.
Here blifs unfeign'd in every eye we trace,
Here heartfelt mirth illumines every face;
For pleasure here has never learnt to cloy,
But days of toil enliven hours of joy.”

My friend informed me that Charmouth contains in its cliffs an inexhauftible magazine of petrifactions. Perhaps the cornua ammonis, nantilus, and belemnite, are found here in as great perfection as in any part of the kingdom. In fact, there are few cabinets which are not indebted for their most beautiful fpecimens of the above-mentioned foffils, to this village. Nor must we forget that dog-tooth fpars, of the highest beauty, elegant fpecimens of petrified wood, the vertebræ and other bones of marine animals, are alfo here found.. Gentlemen's carriages, when they ftop here, are frequently befet by the poor, who collect these things on the beach and offer them to fale. Among thefe, the perfon commonly known by the epithet of Captain Curious, is the moft diftinguished. Indeed he makes it his fole profeffion, and on enquiring for him, virtuofi are fhewn to his cottage, where a large affortment of thefe articles is conftantly kept on hand."

Lyme lies clofe by the fea-fide; and the road to it down the hill, from the village of Charmouth, forms a tremendous declivity. This place is fometimes denominated Lyme Regis, or King's Lyme, probably from its having been annexed to the crown in the reign of Edward the Firft. Here are fome fine houfes built of free ftone, and covered with blue flate. It is a good harbour,

harbour, and the merchants lade and unlade their goods at a place called the Cobb, a maffy building, confifting of a firm ftone wall running out into the fea, and in a curvilinear direction. That part of the town nearest the ocean, lies fo low, that at fpring tides the cellars are overflowed to the height of 10 or 12 feet. The cuftom house stands upon pillars, and has the corn market underneath it.

It was at Lyme that the unfortunate James duke of Monmouth landed, in June 1685, with about 80 men; his numbers, however, foon increafed; he marched to Axminster and Taunton, but giving battle to the King's troops at Sedgemoor, near Bridgewater, he was defeated, and foon after beheaded. His adherents were pursued with unrelenting cruelty, and several were executed at this place, with circumftances of aggravated feverity. In particular, 12 perfons were hung at one time, among whom were Colonel Holmes, Dr. Temple, and Samuel Robins, whofe cafes were fomewhat peculiar. Holmes was an old and gallant officer, who had ferved under Cromwell with diftinguished reputation. He accompanied the Duke to Holland, by whom he was made major general. In the action of Philips Norton, one of his arms was thot to pieces, fo that it hung only by the flesh; in confequence of this, being foon taken, he was ftripped by the foldiers and carried before a jultice of peace, who humanely cloathed him. His thattered arm being an incumbrance to him, he waiting in the kitchen for his worship, laid it on a dreffer and cut it off himself with the cook maid's knife. He was hanged on the fpot where he landed with the Duke.

Dr. Temple was a native of Nottingham, who going to Holland for experience in his profeffion, met with the Duke, who engaged him as his phyfician and furgeon. He knew nothing of the Duke's intention of invading England, till they had been fome time at sea ; yet notwithstanding this exculpatory fact, no interest

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could

could fave him. He therefore refigned himself to his fate with becoming fortitude. Samuel Robins was a fisherman of Charmouth, who went on board the Duke's fhip to difpofe of his fish, and was of courfe compelled to pilot him into Lyme. He would, however, have been pardoned, had it not been proved in court, that a bock, entitled The Solemn League and Covenant, was found in his house.

It is obferved by a Mr. Pitts, who was a fpectator of theexecution of these 12 unfortunate perfons, that they were to have been drawn to the place of execution on a fledge; but no cart horfes, or even coach horfes, could be made to draw it, fo that they were obliged to go on foot. This circumftance was remarked at the time, and confidered by many as a kind of miracle. It undoubtedly had fomething extraordinary in it; but every little circumftance is eafily convertible into an omen by minds inclineable to fuperftition.

We left Lyme, encircled by the fhades of the evening, and paffing through Colyton, a fnug little place, reached Sidmouth at a late hour, when its inhabitants were peacefully reclined on their bed:

"Tempus erat quò prima quies mortalibus ægris
Incipit, et dono divum gratiffima ferpit.

'Twas in the dead of night, when fleep repairs

Our bodies worn with toil, our minds with cares."

We foon, however, got accefs into the houfe of our friend, a gentleman of respectability, who entertained us with his accustomed kindness and hofpitality.

In my next epiftle I shall send you an account of Sidmouth and its vicinity. I remain,

My worthy Friend,

Yours respectfully.

GENERAL

IN

GENERAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE,

N our Numbers for January and February, of the current year, the reader will find a furvey of literature up to that period. But having promifed fuch an account half-yearly, we now refume the fubject; and we hope to treat it in a manner calculated to forward mental improvement. This is the great object of our Mifcellany, and we shall rejoice in its accomplish

ment.

We will preferve the order we have hitherto fol❤ Jowed, and accordingly begin with

HISTORY.

This department has not proved particularly fertile; it requires such eminent talents, and embraces fo wide circle of inveftigation, that few authors are competent to the undertaking. Some few productions, however, call for notice, and fhall receive from us due attention.

MR. BELSHAM has produced Two Hiftorical Differtations. The one, on the Caufes of the Minifterial Seceffion, 1717.—The other, on the Treaty of Hanover, 1725. Both of them relate to certain particulars of the English hiftory, which he has already touched upon in his former volumes. Thefe pieces fhew confiderable thought, and an extenfive acquaintance with his fubject. The fecond of thefe differtations refers to certain affertions of Mr. Coxe; which are undoubtedly worthy of that gentleman's confideration. We interfere not with the difpute, but would with that all historical truth fhould be thoroughly fifted, and nothing brought forward without juft foundation.

SIR FRANCIS IVEKNOIS' Political and Hiftorical Delineation of the Adminiflration of the French Republic, is defigned to expofe that government, He states certain facts, which demonftrate the greatest inatten

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