morning; forced their lines by an unexpected attack; and entered the place with a string of horfes laden with provifion. The enemy foon found how contemptible a number had alarmed them; and returning to their pofts, began to clofe up the avenues. Gage, with that readinefs of invention which is able to command the crisis of a great action, sent orders into the country, to provide quantities of provision for a large reinforcement, which he hourly expected. This intelligence gave a momentary pause to the motions of the enemy. A moment was all that Gage wanted. He iffued instantly from the garrison with his small troop of horse; and through bye roads got fafe to Oxford without interruption. Thus relieved, Bafing-house continued to baffle all the attempts of the Parliament, till the fatal battle of Nafeby. After that event misfortunes came in with a full tide upon the king. Every day brought him fome new account of the loss of his garrisons; and among other places he had the mortification to hear of the lofs of Bafinghouse. Cromwell himself appeared before it, and fummoning it in haughty language, was answered with fcorn. The incenfed chief fell upon it with a body of his veteran troops; carried

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ried it by affault; and put the garrison to the fword. Among the few fugitives that escaped, was the celebrated engraver Hollar, who had been shut up in the caftle. This event, in a picturesque work, is a circumstance worth mentioning.

From Basingstoke we continued our route to Bagshot. Lord Albermarle's house and improvements appeared to great advantage, contrafted by the heath, which furrounded them, They seemed like an island in the main. As we approached Stains, the Duke of Cumberland's plantations in Windfor-park made a noble appearance.

From Stains we croffed the Thames at Kingston, where we entered Surrey.

APPENDIX.

any

SINCE this volume went to prefs, Sir Joshua Reynolds's Lectures fell into the author's hands, which he had never seen before. As they point out two or three mistakes which he had made, he thinks it proper to mention them in an Appendix. In page 46, speaking of monuments in churches, he expreffes his doubts, whether the "introduction of them will be "advantage to St. Paul's; which the judicious "architect, he supposes, had already adorned 66 as much as he thought confiftent with the "fublimity of his idea." In fpeaking on the fame fubject, Sir Jofhua, on the contrary, informs us, that " Sir Chriftopher Wren left niches "in St. Paul's on purpose for monuments, busts, "fingle figures, bas-reliefs, and groups of "figures." Vol. ii. p. 242. The author can only say, that he does not remember any niches or receffes in St. Paul's, which gave him ideas of this kind; but as what Sir Joshua fays is given as information; and his remark depends only on fuppofition, and recollection, it must of course give way.

In page 112, he speak highly of Vandyck's superiority as a portrait painter; but slightly of

2

his

his abilities in hiftory. A large piece, in which Vandyck has many figures to manage, he fuppofes to be a work which required more skill in compofition than Vandyck poffeffed. His opinion is formed chiefly on the great family-picture at Wilton, which gave occafion to these remarks; and on two large pictures which he had formerly feen, and examined at Houghton-hall; in none of which the compofition pleafed him. But Sir Joshua Reynolds, in his Travels through Flanders, tells us, that he faw at Mecklin, a picture of the Crucifixion by Vandyck, which he thought one of the first pictures in the world and fcruples not to fay, he thinks Vandyck had a genius for hiftory-painting. The author cannot withstand such authority; but must withdraw his own opinion-or, at least, keep it modeftly to himself.

;

But though he had the mortification to find he differed from Sir Joshua Reynolds in these, and a few more particulars, he had the pleasure to find they agreed in a number of others. Two or three of them belong to the volume before us. In page 117, the author obferves that he had oftener than once judged falfely on the first fight of Salvator's pictures, which pleased him more on a second view. This, however, he confiders as a fault; for we expect from a good picture,

picture, as from a good man, a favourable impreffion at fight. Sir Joshua's opinion of a

good picture is the fame.

He fays, " it should

appear to incite the

spectator's attention." Vol. i. p. 208. In the 21ft page, the beautiful effect of easy action in a statue, in oppofition to none at all, is confidered; and the Venus, the Apollo, the liftening Slave, and the Farnesian Hercules resting from one of his labours, are inftanced. All these gentle modes of action, or expreffion, are confidered, in the paffage alluded to, as much more beautiful than the uninteresting vacancy of a conful standing erect in his robes.—He had the pleasure to see remarks exactly similar to these in one of Sir Joshua's Lectures (vol. i. p. 259.). "Those works of the ancients," fays he, "which are in the highest esteem, have some

thing befide mere fimplicity to recommend "them. The Apollo, the Venus, the Lao

coon, the Gladiator, have a certain compo"fition of action, with contrafts fufficient to

give grace and energy in a high degree. But "it must be confeffed of the many thoufand "ftatues which we have, their general charac"teristic is bordering at least on inanimate infipidity."

THE END.