THE LONDON MAGAZINE. For SEPTEMBER, In the GENERAL ADVERTISER, of Sept. SIR, B Y your letters, and otherwife, I perceive many jealoufies and difcourfes are raised, upon the preparations of his majesty's fleet, which is now in fuch forwardness, that we doubt not but within this month it will appear at fea. It is therefore expedient both for your fatisfaction and direction, to inform you particularly what was the occafion, and what is his majesty's intention in this work. B First: We hold it a principle not to be denied, that the king of Great-Britain is a monarch at land and fea, to the full extent of his dominions; and that it concerneth him as much, to maintain his D fovereignty in all the British feas, as within his three kingdoms: Because, without that, these cannot be kept fafe; nor he preferve his honour and due refpect with other nations. But commanding the feas, he may cause his neighbours, and all countries, to ftand upon their guard whenfoever he thinks fit. And this cannot be doubted, that whosoever will incroach upon him by fea, will do it by land alfo, when they fee their time. To fuch prefumption Mare Liberum gave the first warning-piece, which must be answered with a defence of September, 1751. E 1751. Mare Claufum ; not so much by difcourfes, The degrees by which his majesty's dominions at fea, have, of latter years, been first impeached, and then queftioned, are as confiderable as notorious. First: To cherish, and as it were to nourish up our unthankful neighbours, we gave them leave, to gather wealth and ftrength upon our coafts, in our ports, by our trade, and by our people. Then they were glad to invite our merchants refidence, with what privileges they would defire. Then they offered to fus, even the fovereignty of their eftates; and then they fued for licence to fish upon the coafts, and obtained it under the great feal of Scotland, And when which now they fupprefs. thus, by leave or by connivance, they had A book written by the great Grotius under this title. A treatife written by our famous Selden, in answer to the former. 388 A remarkable Letter of Secretary COKE. crimes. All this notwithstanding, you are not to conceive, that the whole work of this fleet, is either revenge or execution of justice, for thefe great offences paft; but chiefly, for the future, to stop the violent Current of that prefumption, whereby the men of war, and freebooters of all nations, (abufing the favour of his majesty's peace- A able and gracious government, whereby' he hath permitted all his friends and allies to make use of his feas and ports in a reafonable and free manner, and according to his treaties) have taken upon them the boldness, not only to come confidently, at all times, into all his ports and rivers ; but to convey their merchant fhips as high as his chief city; and then to caft anchor B clofe upon his magazines; and to contemn the commands of his officers, when they required a farther diftance. But, which is more intolerable, have affaulted and taken one another, within his majesty's chamber, and within his rivers, to the fcorn and contempt of his dominion and power. And this being, of late years, an ordinary practice, when we have endeavoured in vain, to reform, by the ways of juftice and treaties; the world, I think, will now be fatisfied, that we have reafon to look about us. And no wife man will doubt, that it is high time to put ourselves in this equipage upon the feas, and not to fuffer that ftage of action to be taken from us for want of our appearance. D So you fee the general ground upon which our counfel ftands. In particular, you may take notice, and publifh as caufe requires, that his majefty, by this fleet, intended not a rupture with any prince or ftate, nor to infringe any point of his treaties; but, refolveth to continue and maintain that happy peace, wherewith E God hath bleffed his kingdom; and to which all his actions and negotiations have hitherto tended, as by your own inftructions you may fully understand. But withal confidering, that peace must be maintained by the arm of power, which only keeps down war, by keeping up dominion: His majefly thus provoked, finds it necessary, even for his own defence and safety, to reaffume and keep his ancient and undoubted right in the dominion of these feas; and to fuffer no other prince or ftate to incroach upon him; thereby affuming to themselves, or their admirals, any fovereign command; but to force them to perform homage to his admiral and fhips; and to pay them acknowledgments, as in former times they G did. He will alfo fet open and protect the free trade both of his fubjects and allies; and give them fuch fafe conduct and cor.. voy, as they fhall reasonably require. He will feffer no other fleets, or men of war, to keep any guard upon thefe feas; or F Sept. there to offer violence, or take prizes or booties; or to give interruption to any lawful intercourfe. In a word, his majefty is refolved, as to do no wrong, fo to do juftice both to his fubjects and friends, within the limits of his feas. And this is whereof you may give part as you find the real and royal defign of this fleet, occafion, to our good neighbours in those parts; that no umbrage may be taken of any hoftile act or purpose, to their prejudice, in any kind. So wifhing you all health and happiness, I reft Your affured friend and fervant, Whitehall, 16 April, Јонн Сокк. 1635, our Stile. The editor of this letter in the GENERAL ADVERTISER, concludes thus: Sir William Monfon, in his admirable Naval Tracts, obferves, that whilft the fleet of 1635 was preparing, many idle, factious, and fcandalous reports were fpread, to perfuade the people, that those to extort money from the fubject. But it preparations were only an artifice of ftate, is not my defign, to apologize for the numberlefs grievous errors committed under Charles I. nor to ftir up our nation against the Dutch, who ought not to be branded for the injuftice of their forefathers; and with whom, I hope, we shall ever live in amity. My only view is, to turn the eyes of my countrymen to their most essential Interest; and if it has that falutary effect, my end will be fully answered. An Account of a Dwarf, in a Letter from Mr. William Arderon, F. R. S. to Mr. Henry Baker, F. R. S. Taken from No. 495 of the Philofophical Transactions, juft pub. lifhed. J Norwich, May 12, 1750. OHN Coan, a dwarf, was born at Twitthall, in Norfolk, in the year 1728, and has been fhewn in this city for fome weeks paft. I weighed him myself, April 3, 1750, and his weight, with all his cloaths, was no more than 34 pounds. 1 likewife carefully measured him, and found his height, with his hat, fhoes, and wig on, to be 38 inches. His limbs are no bigger than a child of or 4 four years old His body is perfectly ftrait: The lineaments of his face anfwerable to his age; and his brow has fome wrinkles in it, when he looks attentively at any thing. He has a good complexion, is of a sprightly confidering his education, and reads and temper, difcourfes readily and pertinently, writes English well. His fpeech is a little hollow, tho' not difagreeable; he can fing tolerably, and amuses the company that come to fee him, with mimicking a cock's crowing, which he imitates very exactly. 2 1751. Extracts from the Philofophical Tranfactions. In 1744, he was 36 inches high, and weighed 27 pounds and an half. His father fays, when about a year old, he was as large as children of that age usually are, but grew very little and flowly afterwards. A child of 3 years and not quite 9 months old, fon of the late very worthy William Jones, Efq; F. R. S. was mea- A fured and weighed, in order to make a comparifon between this little man and him. This boy, tho' very lively and handfome, is no way remarkable for his fize; and therefore his dimenfions and weight, compared with the dwarf's, may give a tolerable idea of the real fmallnefs of the dwarf. The weight of the dwarf, with all his cloaths on, was no more than 34 pounds. The child's weight, with its cloaths likewife on, was 36 pounds. The height of the dwarf, with his shoes, hat, and wig on, was 38 5-10 inches. The height of the child, without any thing on his head, 37 7-10 inches. Child. 20 5-10 9 7-10 Dwarf. Round the waist 21 Round the neck 9 Round the calf of the calf of the 8 9 leg Round the ancle 6 6 Round the wrist 4 4 3-10 10 10 4-10 10 7-10 6 6 4-10 6 2-10 6 5 I 2-10 I 2-10 1 8-10 2 5-10 25-10 They place a cup at the bottom of the wound, which they empty every five days. This liquor becomes manna. They formerly let it dry upon the trees, but the prefent way keeps it cleaner. The manna begins to run (they fay, in the fcripture ftile, to rain) the beginning of August; and if the feafon proves dry, they gather it 5 or 6 weeks. The king of Naples has fo large a revenue from it, that he is extremely jealous of it; during the feafon guards the woods by Shirri, who even fire upon people that come into them; and he makes the ftealing of the liquor death. The feat fon in which I was at Arienzo prevented my feeing the fpecies of afh. I believe it to be what our gardeners call the flowerCing afh; the complexion of the bark and bud agrees with one of them I have in my garden at Lindley. The man who fhewed me the wood, told me, it bore a pretty flower in the fpring.-At Pifa in the phyfick-garden, they fhewed me that tree in bloom as the manna-afh. The tree is indeed common enough in that neighbourhood: I wonder Mr. Ray does not men Dtion it among the plants found there by him. The Italians call it orno. A botanift at Rome told me, it was the orgus officinarum. A physician at Benevento to the fame purpose, that it was the ornus ufed in medicine. A perfon is gone from Rome to Naples, who has promised to be very particular in getting you information E of their manner of curing it. He was bred a chemift, and told me many ways of counterfeiting the feveral appearances of it. The most common is with Glauber's falts and fugar, with a small mixture of manna. The price of manna at Naples, they told me, was 4 carlins (41d. fterling each) the rotolo (32 ounces.) As the measures of the dwarf were taken FA Defcription of WILTSHIRE. To with his cloaths on, thofe of the child were Part of a Letter from Robert More, Efq; to T Arienzo, a town between Naples A and Benevento, I found an afh cop 390 A DESCRIPTION of WILTSHIRE. Sept. parishes. It fends 34 members to parliament, viz. two for the county, two for the city, and two for each of the 15 boroughs refpectively. The prefent knights of the fhire, or reprefentatives for the county, are Sir Robert Long, Bart. and Edward Popham, Efq; Some derive the name of this county from Wilton, once its A capital, or from the river Willy, on which that town ftands. Its chief rivers are the Iis, Kennet, Willy, Mader, and the two Avons. It enjoys a most sweet and healthful air, and affords a very agreeable profpect by its pleasant variety. The northern part, called North-Wiltshire, once overfpread with woods, is full of delightful afcents, and watered with pleafant clear B ftreams. Its fouthern parts are more even, and excceding fertile in corn and grafs, feeding great flocks of fheep. But the middle part is the most plain and level of all, bearing the name of Salisbury-Plain, reckoned the finest in Europe: Of this county it is commonly faid, that if an ox were left to his choice, he would chufe the north part, and if a fheep were left to his, he would chufe the fouth, and that men would chufe to live betwixt both, that they might share in the pleafures of the Plain, and the wealth of the good foil. It lies in the diocefe of Salisbury, and drives a very great trade in fine broad cloth, in which no county exceeds it. The river Ifis is K. Henry III. being prefent. It is faid to have as many gates or doors as months in the year, as many windows as weeks, and as many pillars and pilafters as days in the year. It has a lofty feeple, 410 feet high, which proudly fhews itself at a great distance. On the fouth fide of the church is the cloifter, as large, and of as fine workmanship, as any in England; and the bishop has a stately palace adjoining to the cloifter. Here is a library built and furnished by the famous bishop Jewel, a chapter-houfe of a large octogonal figure, fupported only by a fmall marble pillar in the middle, and a college built and endowed by bifhop Seth Ward for 10 minifters widows. The city is very spa cious, has one of the best market-places in England, in which is the town-house, and every street is fupplied with a stream of water. It is governed by a mayor, high-fteward, recorder, deputy-recorder, 24 aldermen, and 30 common-council men; and its prefent representatives in parCliament are the Hon. William Bouverie and Edward Poore, Efqrs. Its chief manufactures are fine flannels and long cloths, called Salisbury Whites; it has markets on Tuefdays and Saturdays, and gives title of earl to the family of Cecil. (See a Viz w of this city in our Mag for November, 1749.) The boroughs are, 1. Old Sarum, about 2 miles N. of New Sarum, or Salisbury, alifo called the Thames; and indeed Dr. D the remains of the old city, caftle, walls, Gibfon, in his notes on Camden, takes F by its fituation on a great eminence. Sa- &c. now reduced to a mean village, and it is faid there is but one farm-house left; and yet it continues to fend members to parliament, chofen by 10 electors, who have lands adjoining to it, and are stiled burgeffes and freeholders. The only member at prefent is the earl of Middlesex, Paul Joddrel, Efq; the other member, dying ince the prorogation of the parlia ment. 2. Wilton, about 3 miles W. of Old Sarum, formerly the chief town of the county, but now of little note, tho' it has a (mall market on Wednesdays, and is the place where the fheriff keeps his court, and the knights of the fhire are elected. It is a borough by prefcription, and fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are Robert Herbert and William Herbert, Efqrs. The decay of this town was chiefly occafioned by the bishop of SaJifbury's turning from it the road into the western counties. The earl of Pembroke has a stately houfe built from the ruins of the abbey. 3. Hindon, about 17 miles N. W. of Wilton, a fmall but pleafant borough town, encompaffed with fine downs. Its market is on Thurfdays, and it fends 2 members to parliament, who at prefent are 1751. A DESCRIPTION of WILTSHIRE. are Biffe Richards and Francis Blake Delaval, Efqrs. 4. Heytsbury, 6 miles N. E. of Hindon, an ancient borough by prefcription, in an open country, on the river Willy, fometime the feat of the empress Maud. It has a collegiate church, with 4 prebendaries, a free-fchool, and an hofpital well A endowed. It has 2 fairs, but no market. Its prefent reprefentatives in parliament are Pierce Acourt, Efq; and col. William Acourt. 5. Westbury, about 8 miles N. W. of Heythbury, a fmall borough town, that has a market on Fridays, and fends 2 members to parliament, the prefent ones being Matthew Mitchell and Chauncey B Townshend, Efqrs. It lies in an open country, adjoining to Salisbury Plain. 6. Devizes, 11 miles N. E. of Westbury, a large, well-built, populous town, full of wealthy clothiers. It is very ancient, and on Rundway-Hill, that overlooks the town, are the remains of a Roman camp. Its caftle was reckoned the strongest in C England, but is now demolished. It has 3 churches, and is governed by a mayor, recorder, and common-council. Their reprefentatives in the prefent parliament are John Garth and William Willy, Efqrs. Its market, which is very confiderable, is on Thursdays. 7. Ludgerhall, about 20 miles S. E. of the Devizes, a very ancient borough by prefcription, but now a fmall place in a delightful country and healthy air. It has a market on Wednesdays, and several of our kings formerly resided here. Its prefent representatives are Thomas Farrington and George Auguftus Selwyn, Efqrs. 391 libacy of the clergy, in 977. It is a small town, but well built and populous, has a handsome church, and a confiderable trade in cloth. It has a market on Tuesdays, and fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are William Northey and William Elliot, Efqrs. In 1725 fo violent a form of rain fell in this town, and the waters rofe fo fuddenly, that a great quantity of goods were fpoiled and loft, and particularly a cafk of oil, of 110 gallons, was borne down by the torrent, and two men were drowned in the streets, in fight of their neighbours, who durit not ftir to their relief. 11. Chippenham, 7 miles W. of Calne, faid to have been one of the feats of the Weft-Saxon kings, is pretty large and populous, has a confiderable clothing trade, is an ancient borough by prefcription, and fends two members to parliament, thole in the prefent parliament being Sir Edmund Thomas, Bart. and Edward Baynton Rolt, Efq; Its market is on Saturdays. 12. Malmsbury, 8 miles N. E. of Chippenham, fituate upon an hill, by the fide of the river Avon, which almost encompaffes it, and over which it has fix bridges. It is a neat town, carries on a confiderable trade in the woollen manufacture, and has a good market on Saturdays. It is governed by a juftice, called an alderman, chosen Dannually, and its prefent representatives in parliament are John Lee and the Hon. Edward Digby, Efqrs. 8. Great Bedwin, 5 miles N. of Ludgershall, is very ancient, and a borough by E prefeription, governed by a portreeve. It has a market on Tuesdays, and its prefent reprefentatives are Lafcelles Metcalfe and William Sloper, Efqrs. F 9. Marlborough, about 9 miles N. W. of Great Bedwin, an ancient borough, governed by a mayor, 12 aldermen, &c. and fends two members to parliament, the prefent ones being Sir John Hynd Cotton, Bart. and John Talbot, jun. Efq; It is pretty large and populous, is pleasantly fituated near the Downs, on the descent of a hill, and watered by the river Kennet, famous for trouts and craw-fish. Its market is on Saturdays, and it gives title of duke to the family of Spencers, defcendants of John lord Churchill, the great duke of Marlbo- G rough, by his fecond daughter, married to the earl of Sunderland. 10. Calne, about 14 miles W. of Marlborough, is ancient, and noted for a fynod held here during the contention betwixt she monks and secular priests about the ce 13. Wotton. Baffet, about 10 miles S. E. of Malmsbury, is a handsome town, has a good trade in cloth, is a borough by prefcription and charter, and fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are Martyn Madan and Robert Neal, Efqrs. Its market is on Tuesdays. The adjacent country was formerly covered with wood, where now lies Breden-Foreft. 14. Cricklade, about 11 miles, N. E. from Wotton-Baffet, an ancient town, fituate on a rifing ground, furrounded with pleafant meadows and hills at a distance, which form a delightful profpect. The Thames or Ifis begins to be navigable here. The town has two parish churches, and a market on Saturdays. It is represented in the prefent parliament by William RawInfon Earle and John Gore, Efqrs. 15. Downton, or Dunkton, 4 miles S. E. of Salisbury, lies in a delightful plain, is watered by the Avon, and has been a borough by prescription almost ever fince the conqueft. It has a small market on Fridays, and fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are Thomas Duncombe, Efq; and col. Henry Vane. The other market towns are, 1. Highworth, 4 miles S. E. of Cricklade, fo called |