restored from the ancient glass. The lower compartments, filled with new stained glass, contain the names of the Mayor and Aldermen, each in a shield, surmounted by a helmet, and placed beneath the Ward to which he belongs, with a Latin inscription.

In the upper compartment of the west window, adjoining the Oriel, is a full-length figure of Will'm Beauchamp, D'n's Bergavenny, fourth son of Thomas Beauchamp, third Earl of Warwick, who died in 1411. He is represented in a purple habit, with a hood of crimson. In the opposite compartment is his wife Johanna, daughter and co-heiress of Richard Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel. She is dressed in a purple gown, with a crimson mantle lined with ermine, and her arms inscribed, et Johanna uxor eius. In the lower compartments are, Bishop Street Ward, James Weare, Esq. Mayor-Honeste egi. 1824 ; and Cross Cheaping Ward, Samuel Whitwell, Esq.-Suaviter et fortiter. 1800.

In the first upper compartment of the west centre window is the figure of John Burghill, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield in 1399, with a nitre and crosier, and an embroidered mantle lined with green. The following inscription is round a shield containing his arms : D'n's Johannes Burghill epi Cove't' & Lich'. In the opposite compartment is Richard Crosby, Prior of Coventry from 1399 to 1436, mitred, holding in his right hand a clasped book, and in his left a crosier, and dressed in a long blue gown. Round a shield is Ricardus Crosbie prior ecclesie Cath' Cove'tr'. Beneath Bishop Burghill is the motto of the Black Prince, Ich Dien, in a scroll, and a shield containing his crest or plume. The word Cressy, and date 1346, show that he fought the battle at that place in that place. In the opposite lower compartment, are the words Camera Principis, and the City Arms; and be neath, the word Incorporated 1343,

In the opposite window on the west side, first compartment, is a Mayor of Coventry, with a venerable beard, red cap and robe over a blue dress, with the inscription Robertus Schypley, round a shield, with R. S. in the centre, and a merchant's mark between. He was Mayor in 1402, and again in 1415. In the opposite compartment is a similar figure of a Mayor, without an inscription. Beneath are, Spon

Street Ward, Samuel Vale, Esq.Probitas verus honos. 1811; and Smithford Street Ward,, a Knight's helmet, Sir Skears Rew, Knt.-Fama semper vivit. 1815.

In the compartments of the lower east window are figures of Will'm' Whychurch, Mayor in 1400, and Richard Scharpe, Mayor in 1432. The four Mayors, whose effigies are in the windows, were probably contributors and assistants in the erecting of St. Mary's Hall, and were certainly members of the Gild. Beneath are, Earl Street Ward, John Clarke, Esq.-Aliter quam sperabam. 1817 ; and Broad Gate Ward, William Perkins, Esq.-Honor et honestas. 1819.

In the first upper compartment of the centre east window, is a figure, repaired and restored, with this inscription, Thomas Arundell, Archiep' Cantuar'. In the corresponding compartment is the figure of a Bishop, and beneath, round a shield, Rogerus Walden, Ep's London' (1404). In the lower compartments, Much Park Street Ward, William Carter, Esq.-Res non verba. 1824; and, Bayley Lane Ward, William Whittem, Esq.-Vive et vivat. 1824.

In the first east window, near to the Mayoress's Parlour, in the first upper compartment, is a restored wholelength figure of Ricardus Comes de Warwici, who died in 1439, with hi arms below. In the second uppet compartment is his second wife, Isabella Comitissa de Warwici. Beneath the Earl is, Gosford Street Ward, James Weare, Esq. and in a scroll, the motto, Honeste egi. 1824. In the other lower compartment is Jordan Well Ward, Nathaniel Merridew, Esq. | -Equabiliter et diligenter. 1824.

These figures are supposed to have been originally executed by John Thornton, painter and glass-stainer, of Coventry, a man of great merit, being the same person who executed the great eastern window of York Minster, between 1405 and 1407.

Below the north window is a piece of tapestry, the dimensions of which are 30 feet in length, and 10 feet in height, and divided into six compartments, three in the first tier, and three in the upper tier. This tapestry, which has lately been thoroughly cleansed, and re-hung with the greatest care, contains, in the whole, upwards of eighty figures, or heads. The colours, though

somewhat faded, are still beautiful, and the general effect impressive. In the first left hand compartment is Henry VI., with several of his principal nobility. Henry is devotionally on his knees, and before him is a covered table, whereon lie his crown and a missal. He wears on his head a cap of crimson velvet, adorned with a but ton or jewel. His gown is of a skyblue colour, richly embroidered with gold; and round his neck hangs a very large gold chain. Behind the king is Cardinal Beaufort, kneeling; and the figure behind, in a green dress, holding a gold coin in his hand, is supposed to be the King's Almoner. Another figure is conjectured to represent John Viscount Beaumont, K. G. Farl of Boulogne, Constable and Lord High Chamberlain of England, who bore the arms of Coventry on his crest, and who was killed at the battle of Northampton, in 1460. He is dressed in a coat of cloth of gold, fringed with silver, and gown of light-blue colour, bordered with pink. The cap on his head is similar to the King's, but without a button; he has also an highly embroidered sachel hanging to his girdle. The rest of the personages are standing, among whom we may readily point out the good Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, standing behind the King's back, with a book in his hand; he has a long beard, and a button or jewel in his cap, with a brown dress, and his neck decorated with a gold chain. The dresses principally shew a vestment next the body depending on the knees, and a robe, with large sleeves worn over it. The shoes are long-quartered. The caps are small and flat, with their brims notched. The cut of the hair of the several portraits is much varied; and the beards of Duke Humphrey and another principal character are left to flow to an unusual length. Each figure has his neck bare; and just above the collar of the under-garment something like linen appears. From Henry's crown are diverging those bows, with globe and cross, which were first introduced in his reign.

In the second compartment, in the first tier, is St. Mary in glory, surrounded by angels, with the moon

In 1450, Henry VI, conferred a variety of privileges on Coventry, and made it a City and County totally distinct from the County of Warwick; and in 1456, paid it a visit in great pomp.

under her feet, which is supported by an angel also. In the compartment above, the scene is continued, where we see the heavens opened, and filled with angels arranged 'round the celestial throne.

In the third compartment, on the first tier, we see Margaret, Henry's consort, who is richly habited. There is a great spirit in the countenance, though injured by having been mended at the corner of the mouth. Her crowned head-dress, and veil studded with pearls, is both rich and elegant. Her gown is cloth of gold. Her atattitude somewhat low, as if kneeling on a bench, with both hands joined in prayer, before a covered table, on which is seen a missal. Slender waists, it appears, were then in fashion. The lady near the Queen is called the Duchess of Buckingham. The rest of this assemblage are wholly unknown. The dresses of these ladies are a robe, tight on the body, with wide flowing sleeves, their necks bare, and on those of the Queen, the Duchess, and three others, are gold chains. The covering to their heads is peculiarly graceful. The tier above shews many female Saints, who, we may conclude, with the corresponding male Saints on the other side of the tapestry, were the heavenly patrons of the principal persons in the compartments below them.

A brass plate, erected in 1571, with, an ornamental border in the AngloItalian stile of Elizabeth, and containing a grant of the Duke of Northumberland of pasturage to the inhabitants of Coventry, was in 1826 fastened to the wall of the recess, leading from the Hall into the Mayoress's Parlour.

At the south-east angle of the Hall is an inscription from Ecclesiasticus, c. xliv. which has now a richly ornamented border. On the left side is represented a mitred Bishop in full dress, under a canopy, holding a crosier; and on the opposite side an armed knight, with heater shield, and battleaxe, of the time of Edward III. rious ornamental devices, viz. the City arms, crest, sword and mace, three feathers, mitre, crosier, &c. are painted over the inscription.

Va

At the south end of the Hall is the minstrels' gallery, in the front of which are suspended several suits of armour, recently repaired and bronzed, of the make of the 17th century, which were anciently worn by the attendants of the Mayor, when he went to proclaim

the great fair. The armour of St. George is placed in the centre; and over the whole are a variety of ancient pikes and bills. The appearance of this gallery has also been much improved; its inconvenient depth has been remedied, and a new ornamental front enables it to harmonize with the interior of the Hall. There were formerly two ascents into the Gallery from the Hall, one on the left by means of a circular stone stair-case in the building, and the other on the right, by circular wooden stairs, both of which are removed. The Wardens' Buttery, which projected over the gateway fronting the street, is also taken away.

At the southern end of the Hall is the Old Council-chamber, where are the Mayor's seat, and those for the members of the Council. The tables and cushions are covered with crimson cloth. Above the ancient oak wainscot were painted cloth hangings, on which were the arms of Elizabeth; but these have been long removed, and damask crimson hangings have been now substituted, with ornamental red and green borders of flowers. At the entrance into the Chamber on the left hand, over the Mayor's elevated seat, are the City arms, beautifully painted on the crimson hangings, and underneath the words Camera Principis (the Prince's Chamber). On the east side are the following devices: the Prince's Plume, with the letters E. P. W. surrounding it; the King's Arms, 1426, H. VI. R. and his cognizance, the Planta Genista. In a wreath of myrtle, adjoining the window, is the following inscription (formerly placed over the door), repainted in ancient characters: " Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity."

The window is of newly painted glass, the centre of which contains the City arms, with Camera Principis in a scroll underneath. On one side is the Prince's plume, and on the other the Broom Plant. On the other side of the window, in a wreath of oak leaves and acorns, is the following inscription: "Anno 1826, this Council-chamber was repaired and restored, in the Mayoralty of James Weare, Esq."

On the west side are the arms of the Marquis of Hertford, the present Recorder; and also the arms of the Earl of Craven, the late Recorder.

Among other internal repairs and improvements, the passage at the bottom of the Hall, leading to the two

Council - chambers, has been raised and new paved, and the ascent into the room rendered commodious, by a single step. The large screen, which, with the Duke of Northumberland's monument, occupied the whole extent of the room, have been removed, and two carved partitions of smaller dimensions erected in their place. At either end of this passage there is a flue for introducing warm air into the Hall.

The Hall is lighted by six brass chandeliers, suspended by chains from the roof. The seats have also been recently covered with crimson cloth.

In the year 1824, the western exterior was repaired, and abutments erected in the room of those which were much dilapidated. In the following year, the stone work of the three eastern windows being found decayed, was totally removed, and new mullions, &c. introduced. The opposite lights, viz. on the western side, were also made to correspond. The great northern window, whose historical treasure was noticed in your Magazine for 1798, has, as yet, received no alteration. Yours, &c.

a

Mr. URBAN,

WM. READER.

April 10.

YOUR correspondent N. (p. 194 ), desires an explanation of what a Stump Pie consists. Probably he has longing for a taste of what formed a prominent dish at a certain period, at the feasts of the Knights of the Garter. I have therefore sent him a recipe to compose one secundum artem, and have only to observe that, if he had consulted books on the culinary art, of somewhat later date than those he refers to, he would not have been disappointed in the search. Yours, S. C. P. Stump Pye to season.

Take veal or mutton, mince it raw, put half an ounce of pepper, half an ounce of nutmegs, and half an ounce of cloves and mace; marjorara, thyme, and savoury, cut small; add a pound of currants; mix them well together, and put to them two pounds of the meat; work them up into balls as big as walnuts, with six eggs, and at the closing up put a pound of butter, dispersed among them in little balls as big as marbles. Then make a sauce with a quarter of a pint of white wine, half a quartern of verjuice, the yolks of three eggs, and a little whole mace; putting in a quarter of a pound of butter. When they are well beaten up and thickened over a gentle fire, put it into the pye, and so closing the lid, bake it in an indifferently well heated oven.

48. Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature of the United Kingdom. Vol. I. Part I. 4to. pp. 227.

THE Royal Society of Literature is incorporated" for the advancement of Literature, by the publication of inedited remains of ancient Literature, and of such works as may be of great intrinsic value, but not of that popular character which usually claims the attention of publishers; by the promotion of discoveries in Literature; by endeavouring to fix the standard, as far as is practicable, and to preserve the purity of the English language; by the critical improvement of English lexicography; by the reading at public meetings of interesting papers on history, philosophy, poetry, philology, and the arts, and the publication of such of those papers as shall be approved of; by the assigning of honorary rewards to works of great literary merit, and to important discoveries in Literature; and by establishing a correspondence with learned men in foreign countries for the purpose of literary inquiry and information."

Such is the preamble of the Charter, and the friends of Literature cannot of course do otherwise than wish success to the Institution. We now proceed to the contents of the Part; premising that the Papers of which it is composed, together with numerous others, have already been noticed in our Reports of the Proceedings of the Society, in vol. xciv. pt. i. p. 546; vol. xcv. pt. ii. p. 62; and xcvi. pt. i. 625.

P. Art. 1. Account of an unknown Manuscript of 1422, illustrating the last Declaration of King Henry V. and vindicating its veracity against the scepticism of David Hume. By Granville Penn, esq.

Every body has read that crusades to the Holy Land ceased on or about the time of Henry V. and, if our recollection be correct, the Popes largely contributed to the relinquishment of such a romantic project, by making use of it as a mode of raising money, through a commutation payment to themselves. Mr. Granville Penn has described a MS. written by Gilbert de Lannoi, containing a topographical -GENT. MAG. April, 1827.

account of the Holy Land, compiled for the use of Henry V. who, upon his death-bed, avowed a resolution of making the expedition. We do not doubt the fact. Gilbert de Lannoi wrote his Itinerary in 1422, and the following account of his work, unnoticed by Mr. Penn, is in Fabricius. (Biblioth. Med. Æv. iv. 718.)

"Gilbertus LANNOY cujus Iter sive descriptio peregrinationis A. 1422, susceptæ per Egyptum, Syriam, aliasque regiones exstabat MS. Bruxellæ in Bibliotheca Aula, n. 501. teste Valerio Andrea, pag. 288. Bibl. Belgica, nam in Sweertii Athenis nulla hujus Lannoii mentio."

Mr. Penn procured his MS. in the immediate vicinity of Lannoi, the family seat of the author, and found another copy among the Hatton MSS. in the Bodleian. Mr. Penn does not seem to be aware that this subject was adinirably illustrated in a paper presented some years since to the Society of Antiquaries, by the Rev. John Webb, accompanied by a transcript of the MS. deposited in the Bodleian. These, we understand, are printed in the forthcoming volume of the Archæologia. Whether Mr. Penn's MS. is a third transcript, or the same as the Brussels one, we know not. It is certain that Lannoi made the pilgrimage by command of Henry the Fifth. The cause of this resolution was no doubt that given by Mr. Fosbroke (British Monachism, p. 456), because it was the reason assigned by Henry's own father. This King says, in Shakspeare, that to avoid being dethroned, he had a purpose

"To lead out many to the Holy Land, Lest rest and lying still might make them Too near into my state;" [look a policy which, Mr. Fosbroke observes, was suggested by Elian and Justin, who relates the same of Dionysius the tyrant. Henry's idea of thus exhausting the power of the Nobility upon foreign expeditions, because he had only an usurper's title, was wisely conceived; for his early decease, and long minority of his son, brought on the dreadful civil war which ended in the accession of Edward the Fourth.

11. On the affinities and diversities in the Languages of the World, and on

322

III. On the Elementary and Compound Terms, and their Classifications and Affinities for the Numeral Two." IV. Letter on the terms used by different Nations to express "Mother."

V. On the classification and affinities of the words in various languages for "Father."

VI. Further Illustration of the primeval cause of the affinities and diversities of Languages.

VII. Further Illustrations of the preceding principles.

Mr. Turner is a learned if not a philosophical historian, but, however excellent are his works as narratives, there will always be in such, histories important desiderata. The papers before us have the usual erudite character of Mr. Turner's works; but mere philology cannot discover what was the primeval language; because such knowledge cannot be acquired through the medium of Phonetic alphabets, which were subsequent inventions.

As to

number, unity having no parts is rather the generative principle of numeration than a number itself; and we make no doubt but the vocable (whatever it was), implying one, twice repeated or represented by two objects, was the first mode of expressing two; and that the denotation of two by a word peculiar to itself, was of more modern origin. Besides, vowels, as being sounds per se, are prior in origin to consonants, which cannot be pronounced but as modifications of vowels, and, if we may judge from the language of the South Sea Islands, had no existence at all in any primeval tongue. Arithmetic is, too, quite a modern science; and the selection of words expressing number, in order to discover a first language, we conceive to be peculiarly unfortunate. In short, a dissection of the tongues used by Australasians and American savages is more to the purpose than collation of dictionaries; but we much doubt whether any method whatever could effect the object, an object which, in our judgment, belongs to physiologists and philosophers, such as were Professor Millar, Lord Kaimes, and others of that class, not mere historians of incident, who, unlike Gibbon and Hume, do not trace phenomena in the history of man to their actual causes. The primeval language seems in fact to have consisted of ejaculations or cries,

like the cluckings of a hen, the difference of meaning being determined by variation of tones; and this opinion we form from the rude sounds uttered by Peter the Wild Boy, and confirm it by the great abundance of vowels in the Otaheitean language; and the same word in the Chinese having various senses, according to the enunciation.

VIII. Observations on the River Euphrates. By Sir William Ouseley, knt. This is an elaborate and interesting paper. Sir William says,

"During my journey along the Euphrates, especially for the last twenty miles, I remarked that it mostly flowed between steep rocky banks, of which the greater part seemed finely clothed with trees, several being very large, and of different kinds; among them were some willows, such we may imagine as those on which the captive and disconsolate Hebrews suspended their harps, when they sat down and wept by this river, or the streams branching from it, near Babylon, where, as the learned Bochart informs us, a whole territory was denominated the Vale of Willows,' from the abundance of those trees." P. 114.

Sir William has added a note, which shows plainly that the weeping willow has been very improperly denominated the "Salix Babylonica." The real tree is a spreading willow of yellow bark and leaves, the Arabian garb and Hebrew aarb; and that this was the identical willow of the Psalmist, is proved by its being denominated in Scripture Arabim. See Dr. Harris's Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 390.

Sir William has added an account of the numerous authors who have written upon the presumed site of Paradise; and who do not seem to have recollected that the Deluge has altered the surface of the globe.

IX. An historical Account of the Discoveries made in Palimpsest Manuscripts. By Archdeacon Nares, V.P.

It was customary, during the middle ages, partially to erase ancient manuscripts, in order to re-use the parchment for other more modern works. These manuscripts, called Palimpsest. [from Taλ and aw, to wipe or cleanse], or Rescript, from having been twice cleaned or twice written, have been found to conceal within themselves others some centuries older, and often of much superior interest and value. The largest part of Cicero de Republicâ has been thus recovered; and the activity of Signor Maï, librarian of the Vatican, promises further