Heets, that England made to co-operate, might justly be terined" many ships." Notwithstanding, to the astonishment of all, Buonaparte entered into Germany, overflowed, and passed over; indeed, most of the country is already, and likely to be, subject to his arms! His subsequent campaigns with the Prussians and Russians has completely verified my conjecture.

It is said, Rev. xvi. 12, "That the waters of the great river Euphrates will be dried up;" which is understood as meaning that the Ottoman or Turkish Empire will fall-an event, in all probability, not far distant.

It is thought, from Isaiah xviii. that some great maritime power will be prevailed upon to take an active part in restoring Judah; none is so likely, both from her virtue, religion, and her vast naval power, to be that nation as Great Britain.

Several marks of the wicked King have been pointed out by your Correspondents as applicable to the present ruler of France; yet there is one which I have not seen noticed, and which to me appears not a little remarkable. Daniel says (ch. xi. 38.) But in his estate shall he honour the God of Forces ;"-compare this with Buonaparte's Letter to his Archbishops, &c. in p. 572 of your last volume, wherein he cominands them to offer solemn thanksgiving to the God of Armies."

Mr. Urban, the predicted Signs of the latter days are, in a striking manner, applicable to the present times; but the Signs of the Sun and Moon have not yet appeared. I cannot, however, but think we shall soon see or hear of those of the Sun; for, unless I am in error about the person of the Infidel King, the Sun must now be in some of the nations, and his time of action not far distant!!

To conclude, if there should be no solidity in what I have advanced, and my thoughts should be deemed the product of a fanciful imagination, void of sound learning, and differing from most, if not all commentators, still the reflection that they contain nothing injurious to the cause of Religion and Virtue, will afford me satisfaction. SCRIPTOR,

tory, the following account of Begbrook, a village about five miles from Oxford, may be added:

"Begbrooke and Bladen," says the writer of Magna Britannia," two adjoining parishes, are memorable only for an old fortification, which is situated near Begbrooke church on the West, but is in the parish of Bladen."

Begbrooke itself is situated in the Hundred of Wooton, ahd in the Population Abstract of 1800, was returned as consisting of only 14 houses, occupied by 80 inhabitants.

At the time of forming the Domesday Survey, Bechebroc, of the fee of Earl William, was held under Roger de Lair*; and was valued at four pounds. In the first of Richard the First, Richard, son of Mein, fined in three marks, to have his plaint in the King's court, or in the King's court at the Exchequer, against William de Salsey for the land heret. In the 49th of Henry UI. 1265, the King granted a carucate of land here, late the property of James, the son of Moses the Jew, to John Clifforde in fee ‡. And in the 9th of Edward the Third, 1336, the manors of Begbrook and Swerford appear to have been held by John de Lyons §.

A small portion of property here, at the time of making Pope Nicholas' Taxation, belonged to the Abbey of Godestow .

The Church, which is of Norman structure, had in Hearne's time a figure of St. Michael over the door, to whom it was originally dedicated: and near the entrance, in the churchyard, were the remains of a stone coffin, said to have been that of the founder T. But both of these are now gone, and the principal indication of the Church's antiquity is an arch of zigzag workmanship, which separates the Chancel from the Nave.

The following Incumbents are from the Lincoln and Oxford Registers.

scribed

Sigillu indulgencie: hospitalis: castri: sancti : petri.”

After a lapse of 9 years, another engraving of a similar Seal appears in vol. LXXVI. p. 793, plate II. fig. 3; and in p. 1105 of the same volume, plate II. fig. 2, a third specimen occurs. The earliest of these Seals is in the possession of my good friend Mr. Sharp of Coventry, who (in vol. LXXVI. p. 893) confesses himself at a loss in appropriating it. The second is in the possession of S. P.W. another friend, and judicious Antiquary, who also acknowledges his ignorance of its original designation. The last is communicated by P. Q. who offers nothing satisfactory on the subject.

After these inauspicious circumstances, I was much pleased accidentally to find in Leycester's Cheshire (p. 376) an elucidation of the matter in point; and, as the passage is not very long, I will transcribe it for your insertion.

"Sir John Seyville, knight, brother of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and Procurer of the Pardon or Indulgence of the Castle of St. Peter (by virtue of this Indulgence

* Kennett's Paroch. Antiq. p. 517.

H. E.

Mr. URBAN,

May 5. Tand the publick's service. HE following are much at your

Instead of cutting off the whole head of a cauliflower, leave a part on, of the size of a gooseberry, and all the leaves:-second, and even third, heads will be formed, and thus they may be eaten for two or three months; when, at present, by cutting the head completely off, the bed of cauliflowers are gone in two or three weeks. They should be planted in good moist ground, and treated in the same manner as celery.

Laying straw under strawberryplants keeps the roots moist and the berries clean; and they grow larger with less watering, Sir Joseph Banks.

To give malt spirit the flavour of good brandy:-into two quarts of malt spirit put three ounces and a half of powdered charcoal, and four

ounges

ounces of rice; shake it every day for fifteen days, then filter it through paper.

The cause of the dry-rot in wood is moisture; and to prevent well-dried timber decaying above or under ground, is by charring it well. See Dr. Parry's ingenious essay in the Bath Society's Papers.

To cause new bark to grow on old trees.-Mr. Forsyth, instead of paring away the bark as heretofore, &c. now merely scrapes off the loose bark, and applies a mixture of cow-dung and urine, the consistence of thick paint, with a painter's brush, covering the stem carefully over. This softens the old scabrous bark, which peels off the following winter and spring, and is succeeded by a fine, smooth, new bark. Repertory, vol. IV. p. 76.

Lord Romney proved parsnips caused cows to produce abundance of milk, and they eat them as free as they do oil-cake. Land, £7 an acre, in Guernsey is sown with parsnips to feed cattle, and the milk is like cream. Sheep, when lambing, produce much milk.

Game covered with charcoal kept six weeks, in a hot season, without undergoing the smallest change. Repertory, vol. IV. p. 66.

To clean wood, &c. painted with oil:-A brush dipped in fresh urine is used with success; after the operation wash with clean water, to take off the smell.

Common salt and sifted wood-ashes, equal parts, made into a paste with water, make a good cement for iron flues, &c. better than most other compositions, and may be applied when the flue is hot or cold. Ironfilings and vinegar will do as well.

The most effectual way of keeping butter, and preventing it be coming rancid, is to beat half an ounce of the following powder into each pound, after it is brought from the market; then put it into a stone pot, cover it with strong brine, and keep it in a cool place. The powder: -Take common salt, two ounces; nitre and loaf sugar, of each one ounce; rubbed into a fine powder. This not only keeps butter sweet, but gives it a fine flavour.

Slices of sweet oranges are far preferable to slices of apple or any other fruit, put into fritters,

To destroy worms in gravel walks, &c. pour into the holes, a ley made of wood-ashes and line: this will also destroy insects, if trees are sprinkled with it. Salt and water as well.

A cheap refrigerator or condenser: A short, somewhat flat, vessel, two yards in length, nine square feet surface, with the same quantity of cold water, has a greater cooling power than a worm of five spiral turns and six yards length.

Wounds in trees are best cured by covering them with a coat of common lead paint without turpentine, for turpentine is poisou to vegetation, in the sun, on a fine dry day.

Mr. Bentley has a patent for seasouing new casks, and purifying old musty casks, with steam!

Dr. Baine says, three ounces of pulverized quick lime being added to one pound of gun-powder, its force is augmented one-third; shake the whole together till the white colour of the lime disappears. Repertory, new series, vol. III. p. 319. It has been tried by the French engineers, and found not to answer;-why not tried by English engineers?

Sowing radishes with turnip seed will prevent the fly; because the fly likes radishes better than turnips.

Soda put into, sea-water renders it turbid; the lime and magnesia fall to the bottom. To make sea-water fit for washing linen at sea, as much soda must be put in it, as not only to effect a complete precipitation of these earths, but to render the seawater sufficiently lixivial or alkaline. Soda should always be taken to sea for this purpose.

To destroy moss on trees, remove it with a hard scrubbing-brush in February and March, and wash the trees with cow-dung, urine, and soap-suds. Forsyth.

Take 24 pounds of parsnips, bruise them in a stone mortar and wooden pestle with a little water, express the juice, wash the remains in more water, and press out the juice; let it stand for a few days in a cold place, till it comes clear-evaporate the clear liquor over a slow fire, till reduced to about five pounds of agreeable syrup. Repertory, p. 443.

To cure the canker in trees, cut them off to the quick, and apply a piece of sound bark from any other

tree,

tree, and bind it on with a flannel roller. Cut off the canker, and a new shoot will grow strong, but in a year or two you will find it cankered.

Ants are destroyed by opening the nest and putting in quick lime, and throwing water on it. Domestic Encyclopædia, p. 393.

It is reported, a person is going to take out a patent for making a small hand-mill, for every family to make their own sweet oil. This may easily be done, by grinding or beating the seeds of white poppies into a paste, then boil it in water, and skim off the oil as it rises; one bushel of seed weighs 50 pounds, and produces two gallons of oil. Of the sweet olive oil sold, half of it is oil of poppies. The poppies will grow in any garden: it is the large-head white poppy, sold by apothecaries. Large fields are sown with poppies in France and Flanders, for the purpose of expressing oil from their seed for food. Vide 10th and 11th vols. of Bath Society Papers, where a premium of twelve guineas is offered for the greatest number of acres sown in 1808 and in 1809. When the seed is taken out, the poppy head when dried is boiled to an extract (see New Dispensatory) which is sold at 2s. per ounce, and is to be preferred to opium, which now sells at six guineas per pound. Large fortunes may be acquired by the cultivation of poppies. Some acres of it are now sown near Cambridge.

The great price of mustard seed, it is hoped, will induce many to cultivate it inore in England, now we cannot be supplied from Holland.

Could I see your Correspondents follow my example, of sending you receipts of real use, you should often be supplied by yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

D.

May 1.

EVERY enquiry which tends to the benefit of the publick, or the better regulating the Government or affairs of the Country, is highly commendable; for it has been very justly observed, that "every form of Government has its impressions of human nature, and must be imperfect, uncertain, and changeable, do not so much value such enquiries on account of the punishments of delinquents, as that of better regulating GENT. MAG. May, 1808.

I

the finances, or the furtherance of Justice; but if enquiries are made, and evils pointed out, without any measures being adopted for removing or redressing them, it is better such enquiries had never been instituted: it is (if I may be allowed the comparison) like a skilful surgeon looking at the wound of a patient, telling him it is very bad, and how he could cure it, without adopting any measures for the purpose. I am led into these reflections by an enquiry instituted by the House of Commons several years ago, under the recommendation of one of the first men in this country, and whose name will be handed down to posterity for his noble and impartial conduct*; namely, “An Enquiry into the Establishment of the Courts of Justice." The Committee upon such enquiry have pointed out several wise and salutary measures for improvement and better regulation of them, particularly that of an Assistant to the Lord Chancellor, and the abolition of sinecure places in the Law. It is much to be lamented the same are not adopted. It is inconceivable the advantage it would be to the publick and the furtherance of justice; for the great and weighty concerns attached to the Court in which the Lord Chancellor so honourably presides, calls for his constant attention and dispatch; the fortunes, and I may say lives, of many individuals, who are obliged to have recourse to that honourable Court, de'pend upon the same. And by reason of that noble Lord's attendance to his political situation (which it has been frequently suggested might be removed by an honourable Speaker being appointed to the House of Lords) the great delay in the proceedings have driven very many to the greatest distress and misery, and occasioned much severe reflections upon one of the first Courts of Judicature in this country. As to the impropriety of persons holding sinecure places in the Law, and without doing any duty whatever for them, nothing is more shameful and pernicious; and until they are removed, we never can boast of our Courts of Justice. The most elevated characters in the Law are

*The Speaker of the House of Commost

mans,

most highly deserving of the profits of their situations, where they do the duty of them. No man who sees the indefatigable exertions of our Judges and eminent Counsellors, but must acknowledge they richly deserve their profits of industry; but to see upon our "Law List" persons whose beings are only ideal, or at least never make their appearance in their situations in the Law, except only for the purpose of receiving the profits of them, it is shameful in the extreme; and I need only refer to the Report of the Committee of the Enquiry for the truth of them: and most, if not all, are still in existence, whilst the Deputies, who actually do the whole business, have scarcely an allowance sufficient to support themselves; for, although every mechanic has raised the price of his labour, the Deputies are obliged to submit to their old stipulated income. And many of such atfendants on the Court I have before alluded to, by the slow progress of the proceedings, are in the greatest distress; and whilst they, by their diligence and attention, endeavour to promote the due execution of those Laws, are unable to procure a decent maintenance for theinselves and familles. Yours, &c. MENTOR.

to be the same with him to whom the second Epistle is addressed; namely, a son or nephew of the M. Lollius who was consul in the year 733, and not that cousul himself, as Torrentius has done. Baxter, who pro fesses himself inclined to believe that the Lollius of this Epistle, and the Scæva of the Seventeenth, were one and the same person; and Gessner, who agrees with him, found their opinion partly on the slight authority of an anonymous scholiast of antiquity, who designates the said Scæva, Scava Lollius eques Romanus, partly on the analogy of the subject of the two Epistles, which, probably, was likewise the motive that led the scholiast, with the rashness so common to those people, to throw both appellatives together, and make them signify one man. Such weak reasons fall to the ground of themselycs.

As I hold it but decent to leave to the Reader himself the satisfaction of this comparison, I shall do no more than premise the following general remarks. Since Augustus had left nothing remaining to the Romans of their old constitution except the name, and, in fact, the whole authority being divided between him and his son-in-law Agrippa, (although the latter had discretion enough to be satisfied with the second rank in the government, and with an apparently borrowed splendour) from that time forward, when the Julian family was all in all at Rome, young people of good birth saw no regular method of arriving to authority and influence otherwise than by attaching themselves to one of those, who, either by the favour of Augustus, or by their near affinity with him, represented the most important personages of the Empire. What, in the language of a Roman who had seen the Republic in its better days, would have been called downright slavery, now passed for a real privilege. Accordingly the young Lollius was brought up to live among the great men of the nation, in order that, by his personal merits with

those honours to which, formerly, men could only arrive by their merits in behalf of their country; and in that view, he had, according to the custom of the Romaus, made choice of a patron, or powerful friend, to whom he was particularly devoted and attached. That Lollius at that time was thus situated, although his patron is not named, is apparent from the whole tenour of the Epistle; and from the words, tu, dum tua navis in alto est, hoc age, &c. we may inter, that he- especially as the son or near kinsman of a Consul, in whom Augustus himself reposed confidence — had already very fair prospects. Horace, therefore, seems to look upon it as clear and self-evident, that his young friend is ordained, whether he will or no, to pursue his voyage on that sea; and that the whole of his present concern should be to avoid

the