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1825.]

On reading the Burial Service in Churches.

Laughter is too loud for sympathy, which is an internal feeling or passion. Job 8. 21; Ps. 126. 2. 6. Sympathy is a cause of joy, Gen. 21. 6; Isa. 66. 10. Now the majority of these passages obviously condemns Laughter; and the wise King condemns it by declaring sorrow to be preferable, Eccl. 7. 3; and that Laughter is the symbol of a fool, ib. 7. 6; and the Apostle James 4. 9, recommends to the double minded, and to others who are accustomed to drown their transgressions in boisterous mirth, to let their Laughter be turned to mourning, and their joy to heaviness!

There is no work extant of so high authority for moral and practical philosophy as the Sacred Scriptures, in which the human heart is so truly developed, and its frailties considered and exposed, and if every man while he reads it would apply to himself the language of Nathan, he would never close the book without profiting by the research not only in his life, but in eternity!

You have known me long enough, dear Octogenarius, to be sensible that I am not here putting in any claim to the rank of a crying philosopher, nor even of those ancient cynics of either Greece or Rome, who denied the blessing of a comfortable smile, or a cheerful hour in conversation with a friend. But I think you will recollect that all our hours of rational recreation have been enlivened by the satisfactions we have cultivated in more sedate and philosophical pursuits; and that although neither of us have laughed much either at or in society, yet none have more exquisitely enjoyed the associations of our intimate friends. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

THE

A. H.

Sept. 9. HE Laity are in general so occupied with their worldly concerns, as very seldom to trouble themselves about Ecclesiastical affairs; and it may excite surprise in many of your readers to hear that some Clergymen of the Church of England refuse to permit the corpse of a person under 14 or 15 years of age to be carried into the church. We live in too enlightened an age to pay implicit obedience to the maxim of the ancient canon law, "Sarcedotes honorandi sunt non judicandi." To the first part of this rule we most willingly subscribe; from the

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latter we beg to dissent; for if Clergymen of the present day do wrong by neglecting their duty, they must expect it to be noticed and to be told of it.

I know not what substantial reason is or can be given for such refusal : if indeed a person, no matter of what age, dies of an infectious disease, a Clergyman may be warranted, from a regard to the living, in exerting such an authority; but to talk of age as an objection, is ridiculous. It does not appear from the Rubrick that the officiating Minister has any discretionary power or option, if the relatives of the deceased require it; and I would ask such a Clergyman if he imagines the immortal soul of a young person to be less dear to the all-merciful God of our nature, than the soul of other human beings, however aged they may be; indeed the usual inference is, that children are more spotless, as being less contaminated by the world.

That part of the Burial Service, namely, the beautiful and sublime Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, which is read in the church, is so impressive, that the heart and mind of every one that hears it, must be callous indeed if they do not feel a religious awe; it is calculated to turn the thoughts so upon a future state of existence, as to amend our lives and make us better Christians; it may induce such religious reflections and such a conduct in life here, as to produce content and happiness, and blessings which all the riches of this world can neither give or take away. Whenever I have heard it read, it has thrown a serenity over my mind, and abstracted me from all worldly concerns. I have relieved the distressed with more kindness; I have spoken to and treated my family and domestics with more than usual affection; in short, I am convinced I have been better for it as a man and a Christian; and may it not have the same beneficial effect upon others?

When all the Burial Service is read over the mortal remains of a beloved child or other relative, and all the comforts of our religion administered, we return to our homes soothed that we have performed our last solemn duties, and we more confidently rely upon the mercies of our Creator. When the Service is curtailed and imperfectly performed, it leaves an impression

upon

300

M. Belanger's Journey to Persia.

upon the mind, that "we have left undone those things which we ought to have done;" and we are dissatisfied at having that mournful consolation withheld, which the benevolence of the Divine Author of our religion would not have denied. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

ORTHODOX.

T May 20, and written by M. BeHE following letter, dated Tauris, langer, Botanist to the French King at Pondicherry, contains an interesting narrative of part of his journey over land to India, performed this summer with the Viscount Desbassayns de Richemont:

We left Teflis (the capital of Persian Georgia) on the 15th of April, and thanks to the kindness and care of General Yermoloff, Chief of the Army of the Caucasus, we had every thing prepared for us to facilitate our journey. The appearance of the country of Teflis and Karaklisse is mountainous, and presents nothing interesting. The Prince of the latter, a Georgian by birth, gave us an excellent reception, and got up for our amusement some theatricals, acted by his soldiers, whose singing in chorus had a very agreeable effect. He commands the Russian army in this frontier. The Prince himself accompanied us as far as Gormi, the last city of his Government, and sent us from that under the protection of Beygler Bey of Tauris, who was returning from a mission to General Yermoloff, and was then proceeding with his suite into Persia.

At the entrance to Erivan we were met by a Kan with a numerous escort, who conducted us to our lodging, which was the house of the Governor of that city. From our apartment we had a view of Mount Ararat and Etzaniatzin, or the Three Churches, built on the very place where the Ark rested. The Zenguy rolled its murmuring billows beneath us; Erivan, which the Persians consider the Boulevard of their empire, is only defended by mud walls. At Davilly and Nourachim we had the very agreeable pleasure of seeing the Persian cavaliers come to meet us; on their way they had a sham battle, exhibited their fleetness on horseback, and threw the lance, which they parried off with admirable dexterity and address.

Before arriving at Natchievan, which is said to have been founded by Noah,

[Oct.

we passed through a desert, the soil of which is quite saltish, and is only inhabited by the Iliates, a wandering tribe, whose tents were scattered over the plains. It was at Natchievan, that we were met by Emir, Kan-Beyg, whom the hereditary Prince of Persia had sent before M. de Richemont, to serve as his Mimhandar (a kind of gentleman of honour). Having passed the banks of the Araxes, which we the Axai by a ford, we soon arrived at

ourselves crossed on rafts of timber, while our horses swam over it. Not far from this river, and on the way to Marent, we passed through a very dangerous defile between rocks, which was unsafe to travellers: last year a caravan, escorted by five hundred men, had been set upon and robbed here.

After clambering over the Mountains of Michove, which, though not very high, were still covered with snow, we got down into the valley in which Tauris stands. At some distance from this city, the Governor's son, accompanied by Prince Abbas Mirza, Secretary of State, came, attended by a numerous escort of cavalry, to pay their respects and compliments to M. Richemont. The Secretaries of the Russian Legation, and a crowd of Mirzas and Kans, either from courtesy or curiosity, I know not which, joined our cavalcade, which was now increased by a corps of infantry which awaited our entry at the fauxbourgs. The variety of costume, and of their colours, the strangeness of the figures, and the melange of French and Russian uniforms, in the midst of the Asiatic dresses-on one side a crowd of foot soldiers armed with bayonnetted musquets-on the other, Persian horsemen exercising in the course, and the other usual amusements-the order and disorder which at once prevailed in our march-altogether exhibited to our view a very curious and not unentertaining appearance. After being complimented at the gates of the city by a respectable deputation, M. Richemont was conducted to the Governor's abode, where lodgings were prepared for him.

A few days after our arrival Prince Abbas Mirza informed Viscount de Richemont that he would receive him on the following day, and according to custom sent him some sweetmeats (sucreries). We were received by this Prince with all the Asiatic pomp and ceremony: horses richly caparisoned

bore

1825.]

M. Belanger's Journey to Persia.

On com

bore us to the gates of the palace,
while we were preceded by the baton-
blow dealers, who had occasion to ex-
ercise their calling by dispersing the
crowd that pressed upon us.
ing into his Highness's presence, M. de
Richemont presented with his own
hands (which is a signal honour), the
letter of which he was the bearer.
The pesches, or presents, placed on a
silver plate, was carried by a Ferach.
The Hereditary Prince was particularly
kind in the reception he gave M. de
Richemont, and among other gracious
things said to him:

"I like France. You are a Frenchman, consequently my friend; all the provinces of my Government are at your diposal."

Abbas-Mirza is an amiable Prince. His conversation is lively, and his manners insinuating; his features are handsome and regular, but much altered from the sufferings caused him by a very inveterate liver complaint. In my quality of physician he condescended to consult me, and was very much surprised to find my advice conformable to that of an English physician, named Cormac, who is attached to his person.

This Prince granted the Viscount a second audience, which was private, and appeared excessively long to the latter, who was invited to sit beside the Prince, and being obliged to do so, a la Persane, he was compelled to remain for two hours in a very distressing attitude to a European-that is, on his ankles and bended knees (tailorwise).

Eight days after, the Prince gave us an entertainment in his villa. We met there several persons of distinction, and among the rest, l'executeur des petites œuvres. The place in which we were received was ornamented with a great number of paintings and portraits, among which we observed those of Alexander and Selim, and a third, which we were astonished to see figure there. During the entertainment, a number of dancers and singers exerted their utmost to amuse the guests. Their instruments consist of drums made of cloth, of tambourines, the cases of which were of dried clay, and a sort of guitar, and a cherwan, which produced sounds like those of a bagpipe.

Yesterday (the 27th) the Prince signified that he would again admit M. Richemont to his gardens, to grant him the audience de Conge. This took place in the same way and with the

301

same ceremony already described. Just
as M. Richemont was retiring, Abbas-
Mirza told him that, being now his
friend, he expected he would send
him accounts of himself, wherever he
should happen to be.

I owe to my profession the honour of having been consulted, in turn, by the lowest and the highest personages of the State. From the Prince Kans and Mirzas down to the valets, &c. all came to me. Did I cure them? Or have I only comforted them? Of this I know nothing. But one thing I know, that I have the consolation of not having killed any of them, which, for a medical man, is saying a great deal. To the same qualification of being a disciple of Hippocrates I owe the exquisite favour of having had ac

cess to several harems.

Two pretty eyes, an aquiline nose, a handsome mouth, with a somewhat elongated figure, is the general description of the Persian ladies; but there are among them some ugly dames too, as in other places.

We are preparing to set out in a few days for Teheran. Hitherto our collections in natural history are not very considerable, but we shall shortly enter a country where I expect we shall be enabled to gather a rich harvest, particularly in botany. The season is beginning to be very favourable.

ANCIENT PAINTINGS

IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY. N our Review of Mr. Harding's N Antiquities in Westminster Abbey" (p. 152), we proposed to recur to the discussion on the ancient Wooden Enclosure near the Altar, written by the Editor Mr. Moule. We now proceed to do so, having, for our readers' better satisfaction, been allowed to copy a very neat woodcut.

This oaken enclosure has been hitherto considered to be the shrine, or the canopy of the tomb, of Sebert, King of the East Saxons, the reputed founder of the Church; but, that even the freestone altar-tomb on which it stands, was erected to the memory of that monarch, appears improbable. That such a monument was erected, soon after the building of the present Church, in the reign of Henry III. has been handed down by history or tradition; but the appropriation of this tomb to King Sebert's name seems to have originated from Camden (who is the first known writer on the Monu

ments,

302

On "Sebert's Tomb" in Westminster Abbey.

ments, and published his account of
them in 1600) having stated merely
that King Sebert was buried in the
East part of the Abbey. Hence, and
hence only, succeeding authors have
called this Sebert's Tomb.

But that it was erected in the reign
of Henry III. cannot be maintained,
since it bears characteristic marks of
the æra of Edward IV. Of these the
most authoritative is this:-there is
carved in the back of the recess an
heraldic symbol peculiar to the latter
monarch's reign-the Rose en Soleil,
a badge or cognizance which Edward
IV. is reported to have assumed in
commemoration of his signal victory
over the Lancastrian party in the de-
cisive battle of Mortimer's Cross, Feb.
2, 1461. It is thus proved, that the
tomb cannot claim the early date as-
signed, whilst, on the other hand, the
cation of the æra of Henry III.; the
wooden superstructure has every indi-
former, therefore, has no further con-
nection with the latter, than as afford-
ing it support. We also agree with
Mr. Moule, that if the tomb had been
that of King Sebert, the monument of
so highly reverenced a personage would
have fronted the Choir, not the Am-
bulatory. It is a plain, but decisive
proof, that the tomb and the super-
structure are unconnected, that their

principal fronts are on contrary sides; and the former, as Mr. Moule says, "can hardly be considered as a restoration of an ancient tomb, the woodwork of which, if a part of it, still remains comparatively perfect, at least more mutilated bydesign than by decay." So much for the Tomb-and its age being determined, we leave the question as to whose memory it was really erected, to be the theme of future conjecture. We shall proceed to describe the subject of the woodcut.

These stalls Mr. Moule considers to be two centuries older than the Tomb, and to have been actually constructed at the first erection of the present Choir, " previous to the opening of the New Church for divine service, on the 13th of October, 1269."

"It answers in every respect to the exact situation of the Sedilia Parata of the Officiating Priests, during the celebration of High Mass, such as are still remaining in many of our ancient Churches, although frequently obscured by sepulchral monuments or other objects, erected before them, These seats were originally derived from the Consessus Clericorum of the Latin Church;

the altar standing between the priests and [Oct. the people in the Roman Basilica, and in all ancient Churches in Italy.

still entirely appropriated to the Clergy; "The Chancel of the English Church is and formerly the Laity were most strictly excluded by the Cauon, as is more familiarly expressed in an old verse, De sibi presumant Christi secreta vi“Cancello Laicos prohibet Scriptura sedere, [dere."

Both sides of this erection formerly exhibited four painted figures; but that represented in the engraving, being the front, was by far the most splendid of

the two. made for the last Coronation, when And here it should be remarked, that until the preparations the incongruous Grecian altar-piece presented by Queen Anne was removed, this front was concealed from view by screens, which never changed their deed, in the year 1775, they disappeared positions but when the Coronation ceremony was preparing. Once infor a short time, but it was only that pannel might take the place of tapestry.

however, let the opportunity escape The antiquaries of the day did not, them. Sir Joseph Ayloffe compiled a long memoir on the subject, which was read before the Society of Antinine beautiful engravings, one of which quaries, and published in folio with the two figures, said to represent Sebert and Henry III., a third, various represents the North front, another

ornaments; the monument of Aveline Countess of Lancaster, and one that of Anne of Cleves, which were both dis

closed at the same time*.

culties of access, another view of this front, assisted doubtless by Sir J. AyIn 1812, notwithstanding the diffiloffe's plates, was produced for Ackerall the engravings in that work, it is in mann's History of the Abbey. Like loured, in our opinion, as to convey an excellent idea of the sombre obscurity aquatint and coloured, and so well coand darkness visible conferred by the hand of Time on the original.

The great merit of Mr. Harding's
drawings is their minute accuracy; but
from their representing more than the
an additional value attaches to them
abovementioned. A wooden chest or
temporary boarding (which Sir J. Ay-
loffe absurdly designated the sarcopha-
gus of King Sebert and the altar table
where mass was said on the day of his

in vol. ii. of the "Vetusta Monumenta."
* These plates were afterwards inserted

anniversary,

1925.] anniversary, though, as we are told by Dart, it was merely a box made to contain "books and keys, for the use of the Church,") concealed the lower part of the figures; nor was this removed till it was done at the request of Mr. Harding, whilst he was making his drawings. How much of the paintings were thus recovered, will ap pear by drawing a line across the vignette, parallel with the top of the remains of the second figure, which was wholly gained. And this concealment seems to have never been imagined by former draughtsmen, from the figures, as before seen, being quite tall enough for their due proportion. We proceed with our description in Mr. Moule's words:

Stalls near the Altar,

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"The open and most ornamented side of this enclosure, which is in four compartments of large-size, is faithfully represented on the vignette; and the paintings which remain on the back of these stalls form the

subjects of Plates 1, 2, and 3. The Catheir design to the sculptured sides of the nopies, four in number, are very similar in

monuments of Eleanor, Queen of Edward I.

(who died about 1290); they are adorned with crockets of an ancient form, with open circles containing trefoils within the angles of the gablest. Between each canopy rose a light pinnacle, all of which have been broken. The three centre pinnacles spring from carved heads, two crowned and one mitred, beautifully executed, which have a very easy reference to the support of the Church, derived from the piety of the Monarchs or the good government of the Bishops.

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