Mr. URBAN,

IN

April 12. N the Church-yard of Calne, Wilts, is a Tomb (generally designated by the title of The Gypsy's Tomb), erected to the memory of "luverto

Boswell," who is said to have been a Prince, or (at least) the Son of "the King of the Gypsies." It is a handsome square Tomb, erected in a cor

ner close to one of the entrances to the Church, enclosed with a dwarf wall and iron railing, with a covering or sort of canopy over it. It was, for many years after its erection, paid great attention to, by persons being sent as often as occasion required to keep the enclosed ground clear from weeds, and the ironwork, &c. regularly painted; but it has for some years past been quite neglected; aud having seen it within these few days, I regretted much its altered appearance; on one side it has the following inscription:

"Under this Tomb lieth the body of Inverto Boswell, Son of Henry and Elizabeth Boswell, who departed this life the 8th day of February 1774, aged 36.

"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away : blessed be the Name of the

Lord."

There is an abbreviated inscription of the same import at the head of the Tomb, with four lines of poetry underneath, which I was not able to transcribe. Perhaps some of your numerous readers will be able to give intelligence of this Family, and whether they did belong to that singular race of people, which has been on the wane for many years, and of whom so few authors have been able to give any accurate account.

I do not recollect ever having seen an Engraving or View of Calne Church and Tower; which I am the more surprized at, as they are really objects worthy the notice of an artist, from their beauty and magnitude; and Mr. Britton, though a native of the County, and born, I believe, within six miles of the place, has not given them a place, either in the "Beauties of Wiltshire," or that portion of "England and Wales" of which he was the Editor, although views of minor interest have been given in both. I mach regret that I am not able to send you a drawing; but I hope this remark will not be unatteuded to, by any one who may

Mr. URBAN, Alton, June 21.

Nast Summer, I accidentally met the course of my peregrinations with a large folio volume, of which, as the opportunity afforded me gave only a transient view, I shall be glad to obtain some account from any of your intelligent Bibliographical corre spondents. The title, to the best of my recollection, was

“ ΤΡΟΠΟΛΟΤΙΑ, or a Key to open Scripture Metaphors, by B. K." (in another part of the Volume the name appears at length, B. Keach), "London, printed by J. D. for Enoch Prossor at the Rose and Crown in Sweeting's Alley, 1681." This title page I copied or noted at the time, and find in my memorandum book, the following remark annexed:-" Amongst much good sense and piety, the author sometimes provokes a smile by his quaint phraseology;-in one place, says, that the Deity is not displeased with those who look asquint at him; and in another that our blessed Saviour, although a Physician, was so disinter ested, that he never took a penny of all those be cured," &c. Perhaps some of your Readers will indulge my curiosity by a farther account of M Keach, and his performances: and inform me if the Book abovementioned be held in any estimation, either on account of its intrinsic merit or scarcity.

I would farther trouble those who may be able to solve my doubts to inform me, which were the first plays of Shakespeare that appeared published together in a small quarto. Many years ago I remember to have seen such a volume, and that it contained the Merchant of Venice, but what other plays I have entirely forgotten though I am inclined to believe that the book would be esteem ed very curious and valuable if I could again discover it. From circumstances of no consequence in this relation, I think that it had been in the hands of a Staffordshire family, connected with that of the great Bard; and it would scarcely exceed probability if I ventured to conjecture, that it might have been a present from Shakespeare himself to the ancestor of the gentleman whose collection at his decease fell into my

bands,

hands, but of the value of which, being then very young, I was incapable of making a due estimate. It was, I can recollect, bound in black leather, figured or embossed on the lids, and with very strong bands at the back; the edges appeared to have been red, and the type was coarse and clumsy. Q. Q.

Mr. URBAN,

Aug. 2. THE extracts in HE entertaining extracts in your

of Cranbourne Chace," induce me to believe that another remarkable passage from the same work, if accompanied by an illustrative Plate, (see Plate II.) will be acceptable to your Readers. M. GREEN.

"Those who have been Readers of the late Edition of Mr. Hutchins's History of the County of Dorset, must have observed the Portrait of a Deer-hunter there exhibited, which must have raised some little curiosity to be informed of the particulars respecting it.

"It is very justly observed in Mr. Hutchins's Work that clandestine Deerhunting in those days was not deemed a disgrace; that many respectable persons followed the nocturnal amusement (for such it was); and, if discovered, had thirty pounds in their pockets to pay the penalty, and were then at liberty to repeat their sports the following night if they chose to venture.

"I had an uncle much addicted to this sport, but being in general a little too free with his potations after dinner, he was too venturous at night, and so often detected, and so many penalties paid, that his elder brother put a stop to his career in good time. But the amusement was persisted in until an Act of Parliament passed that made a second offence felony, which not only caused the abandoning of the nocturnaldiversion, but converted the names of the sportsmen, from Deer-hunters to thatof Deer-stealers.

"The person represented in the Portrait was a gentleman of rare endowments both of mind and body, and his society was courted by many persons of distinction. He was an adept in the mystery and science of every kind of fleld sporting, except hunting, in which he seldom joined, not having a taste for horsemanship. In his younger days he was the chief leader of the band of Deerhunters before mentioned; and the Portrait exhibits him in the dress they all wore when pursuing their nightly sports, which was denominated Cap and Jack.

GENT. MAG. August, 1818.

"The Cap was formed with wreaths of straw tightly bound together with split bramble stalks, the workmanship

much the same as that of the common bee-hives.

"The Jacks were made of the strongest canvas, well quilted with wool, to

guard against the heavy blows of the

quarter-staffs, weapons which were much used in those days; and the management of them requiring great dexterity, there were teachers of the art, the same as that for the use of the broad-sword at

"The Portrait has a strong likeness in features to the person it represents, whom I well knew in the early parts of my life, and to whom I have had the great pleasure of listening for many hours, for his converse was exactly congenial to my own feelings and propensities. Very many stories and anecdotes of his own exploits and performances in the sporting way were truly acceptable; he found me to be an apt disciple of such a teacher, and it made such an impression on my tender mind as the length of time hath not worn out.

"But, before I bring forward these little tales, I shall give a further account of the Gentleman who was the author of them. I have before said that he was a person of rare endowments, and I shall now add of accomplishments of various kinds also. I believe he had no classical learning; but was thoroughly versed in history, not only of his own country, but that of others also. Having been blessed with a retentive memory, nothing which he ever read was forgotten by him. He had also a natural taste for poetry, and Milton was his favourite author, whose works, if I may use the vulgar exprersion, he had at his fingers' end. When in a good humour, and indeed I never saw him in any other, he quoted passages in Hudibras, an admired author in another style. He was also a great proficient in music, well skilled in the science, and a good performer himself on various instruments. With such

accomplishments as these, it is no wonder that his company should be coveted by persons of every degree. He spent most of his time with Lord Windsor at Moyles Court in Hampshire, where he was always a welcome guest; not so much for his acquirements which I have just mentioned, as for his great skill in all the sports of the field, especially that of Setting, of which diversion his Lordship was passionately fond; and his guest understood the breaking-in of dogs, and the management of the nets, better perhaps at that time than any other person in

the