1825.] BRADNINCH, AND ITS ANTIQUITIES. (Extract from the Diary of an Antiquarian Tour in Devon, during the Autumn of 1823.)

Sept. AGREEABLY to the promise 20. made my friend W******, to pay him a visit on my tour, I left Exeter for Bradninch, and was hospitably and agreeably entertained by this talented and accomplished gentleman. His residence is at the extremity of the town; the grounds are not extensive, but laid out with great taste, and command some pleasing views.

1. Bradninch is in the hundred of Hayridge, and in the deanery of Plymtree; lies nine miles from Exeter, and two and a half from Cullumpton, which is the post town, that from Bradninch being only a cross post.

At the time of taking the Domesday survey, Wm. Chievre or Capra held the manor of Bradenesse or Braines in demesne. It was afterwards held as

an honour, or barony, with the earldom of Cornwall, by Reginald natural son of King Henry I. by King John, and his son Richard. It was eventually made, and still continues to be, part of the Dutchy.

King John, A. D. 1208, granted to the Burgesses of Bradninch or Braneis, all the liberties of free Customs which the city of Exeter enjoyed. King James incorporated the Borough; and King James II. granted a new Charter in 1685.

This Borough sent Members to one Parliament of Edward II.

In the Harleian MSS. No. 2410, is this notice: "Bradninch, once Braines. Brithwold before the Conquest, and Wm. Chiem in the Conqueror's time, was seized of lands here. This is a Barony, and was always a p'cel of the Dukedom of Cornwall, the Dukes whereof were once named Barons of Braines. This town consisteth of 3

$499

parts; the Fee, the Manor, and the Borough."

We visited Mr. Bowden, a gentleman who has devoted much time and attention to the history and antiqui

ties of Bradninch. It is much to be wished he would employ his pen on the subject. He has the custody of the Deeds and Records of the Borough, many of which he had the politeness to submit to us. Among others, an award on the subject of tithes, between Peter Sainthill, esq. the impropriator, and the inhabitants, A. D. 1556; a Court Roll of Bradninch about the same time, signed by the above Mr.S.; and a MS collection of various subjects connected with the Borough, and its Court Rolls, by John Hooker, Steward of the Manor, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

At the Vicar's (the Rev. Thos. Tanner), we saw the Church Registers, which commence A. D. 1558, and come down uninterruptedly; but from the similarity of the early entries, I am of opinion they have been copied from more ancient originals. These are of vellum: possibly the first were only paper, and may have suffered.

Among the baptisms I noticed twins bearing both the same name, John and John, the sons of John and Mary his wife. What is equally singular, they died on the same day, at 18 months old.

The Church of Bradninch is dedicated to St. Denys. It was formerly a Rectory, and valued at 537. It is now impropriate to the Dean and Chapter of Windsor; and the tithes have been held under them by the Sainthill family (now represented by George Pearse, esq.) since 1547. The impropriator is also patron of the living.

The Church has a fine tower. The interior appears to have been built at different times. There is a magnificent screen across it, erected A. D.

502

Or, on a chevron engrailed Azure, between 3 leopards' heads Gules, as many besants, each charged with a fleur-de-lis of the second; in chief, on a pile Azure, 3 fleur-de-lis of the first. Crest, out of a ducal coronet Or, two wiverns' heads indorsed Vert.Edmonson.

The grant of 1546 merely changes the chevron of the above coat to the old bearing of a fesse, and places the "amphibanys" en contrant, from indorsed. The indefinite expression in the grant, of the "cheffe gusset (pile),

semed fleur-de-lis," explained at once to me the variation so frequently met in MSS. of this part of the Sainthill arms. As borne, they are "3 demi fleurde-lis attached to the sides;" but the Harleian MS. 1080, has 3 fleur-de-lis; in Harleian 1399, they are 4 demi and 2 whole fleur-de-lis. This uncertainty naturally followed from the licence of "semée."

(To be continued.)

and whatever else may encourage the unpardonable sin of Laughter. No more must the aid of sport be called in for the banishment of care, but we must have recourse to those amusements and relaxations which simply awake the "wreathed smile," which loves to hang on maidens' dimpled cheek, heretofore erroneously supposed insufficient to dispel the wrinkles from the toil-worn brow. Henceforth the digestive powers must look to their own resources; no more must they depend on Laughter to assist them in the performance of their arduous duties! No Smiles, and Smiles only, must we indulge in for the future!

Though Nestor swear the joke be laugh

able."

[Dec.

But, Sir, to speak gravely on this laughing matter,-I am of opinion that A. H.'s information respecting the Quakers is not correct. I have long known many of that sect, and have always found them fond of mirth and good humour, and not backward by any means in indulging in Laughter; nay, I have even known some of them, by the aid of a fund of wit which they possessed, very instrumental in exciting it in others, not deeming it prejudicial to that system of morality which they provise dispute the authority

which A. H. advances. I deny that the Scriptures condemn Laughter, in the common acceptation of the word, as he imagines. After examining all the passages referred to, I find only three which have the appearance of censure upon Laughter considered as a token of mirth; and this is the only sense in which we are considering the subject at present. The remainder refer, with a few exceptions, to Laughter arising from very different sources, as "laughing to scorn," &c. These, then, are quite foreign from our purpose, and need no further observation.

The three quotations from Eccles. ii. 2; vii. 3; vii. 6; plainly refer to incessant mirth which knows no limit, and which allows not " to every thing its season," i. e. Laughter abused; for it is evident that, used in moderation (the only proper way of using every thing), the wise King found no fault with it. He says, "there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh." Eccles. iii. 4.-This might easily have been discovered, if .A. H. had taken the trouble to read the context.

As a farther proof of what I have advanced, in Nehemiah viii. 12, we are told, that after the people had heard the reading of the law, "they went their way to eat and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, and this was done by the advice of the Priests and Levites! Now whether in this instance "the gaiety of heart was

* I may here be allowed to remark, that A. H. has made many wrong references,— no less than six, the correctness of which

might perhaps throw some light on the subject. Certainly Gen. xvii. 17, ought not to be placed among the texts which denote scorn or contempt. Abraham laughed for joy, as is evident from the context; otherwise, why was he not reproved, as was Sarah? Gen. chap. xviii.

stretched

1825.]

stretched beyond mere smiling cheerfulness," I leave A. H. to decide.

These two instances are sufficient to shew, without adducing more, that the Scriptures do not lay any restraint upon becoming mirth.

But observe, Sir, I would not advocate that silly propensity to constant Laughter, even at trifles, which some persons exhibit, who are inimitably described by the immortal Shakspeare,

as

"Some that will evermore peep thro' their

eyes,

And laugh like parrots at a bagpiper." It is not such conduct as this that I would defend; far from it. I consider it a sure token of a weak mind.

But (to give one instance from many). When, as at this season of the year, the friendly circle, composed of persons occupied, with little intermission, in serious and fatiguing situations, to whom a lively conversation is almost a means of existence, "Quæ risum, movendo, et illos tristes solvit affectus, et animum ab intentione rerum frequenter avertit, et aliquando etiam reficit, et a satietate vel a fatigatione renovat*;" when, I say, such a circle meets to while away the long hours of darkness, and the social glass and merry tale go round, then who would deny his friend the pleasure of a hearty laugh? and who would think of taxing him with " great want of self-possession," because he indulges in the same? If there be such a person, I own I should not envy his feelings.

Finally, I profess myself to be what you must have discovered long ere this, -farther removed from the discipline

of Heraclitus than even A. H. friend to Laughter, provided the object be innocent, for this is indispensable,-yea, and occasionally having no objection to "Laughter holding both

his sides."

I. L.

Nov. 26.1

SI well know how sensibly alive you have ever been to female merit, I cannot forbear sending you a fragment from among the numerous papers of a Lady whoin we have both been long accustomed to venerate and admire, and who in some of her re

tired hours was determined to cast her

mite into your literary storehouse, in vindication of herself and others of

Quintilian, Inst. Orat. lib. 6, cap. 3.

503

her sex, against an odium attempted by ours to tarnish or destroy the just fame of those who have been denominated "Literary Ladies." A very little reflection will furnish us with ample proof how great has been the obligation of Literature to the illuminations of Female writers,-how powerfully they have vindicated her cause, when she was at any period either stiffened in the buckram of fastidious pedantry, or when she became relaxed into fatuity by the rapid trifles of a too airy Muse. Can we forget in such dangerous moments the mighty power of Seward; the swelling numbers of Smith; the taste and narrative of Barbauld; the sanctified labours of More and Trimmer; and the wonder-working genius and sentiment of hundreds more who ornament the Feminead of Parnassus?

Would the vain and

selfish Wranglers of the Schools deny to these the bays which they have so justly won? Would they refuse to the Vales of Literature the prospect of their successors? Could such rigid rules for once be granted, Tempe would be shrouded in Cimmerian darkness, Illissus would for ever be arrested by a killing frost, and Pegasus would drop his wings upon Ida's summit, covered with perpetual snow!

This article, written by a Lady moving in polished society above 50 years ago, suggests a remark, that there is a singular change in the public mind since that period. Then it appears it was considered almost disgraceful in a Female to be an Author; now, it is thought, and justly so, that a successful Female Author confers honour not only on herself, but on all with whom she is related, and is looked up to with general respect.

But let us see what our venerable

Relative has said in their cause. A.H.

"A Literary Lady may be talked of, admired indeed by a few, but envied by many more, especially of her own sex, who will say all the spiteful things that ignorance and malice can suggest. They too often conclude, that if a woman has a taste and talent for Poetry, &c. that she must be proud of that talent, and fancy herself superior to the rest of her sex; be vain, conceited, and regardless of the common accomplishments that become the ladies.-Some men will like to converse with her, but declare they would not chuse such a wife,

504

a wife, who would, say they, be above minding the economy of her family, and would spend that time with her books and her pen that ought to be employed in the management of household affairs-and jealous of an understanding better than their own, exclaim against learned ladies. But I am very much afraid the ladies in general, tho' not much addicted to the vices of reading and writing, bestow few of their hours in the domestic duties of life; cards and a continual round of company and diversion, seem to take up all their attention: Surely a less eligible way of spending time, than would be the study of books, and the use of the pen?

When a woman is vain of her uncommon talents, when she is affected, desirous of shewing in all companies her learning and taste, or when she despises the generality of her sex, and the becoming duties of a woman; then let her meet with the ridicule she deserves. Some there are who deserve it, and certainly meet with it; many there are who meet with it, and deserve it not. Why must all indiscriminately suffer the same censures, because a few fools have thought themselves something more extraordinary than they were? for those who have really the best understandings, are never so conceited as the pretenders to taste and literature

"A little learning is a dangerous thing, Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."

However, as those who deserve the censures I have mentioned, are persons of but middling capacities, so I hope those who give such general censures, are persons of that class also; and that those who are blessed with the greatest share of sense and wit, will be generous enough to acknowledge, and be pleased with, uncommon merit, wherever they can find it. But how inconsiderable is the number of the truly wise, compared with the multitude that make up our companions and necessary connexions in this world!

The discouragements I have mentioned, I believe never fail to attend female writers, even though they never publish, which were they to do as freely as the men, what bad consequences could arise from it? Those whose fortunes set them above taking the profit of their works, should give it away, and publish for the instruc

[Dec.

tion or amusement of the world; and let fame also be an inducement, for there is nobody to whom that is not, and ought not to be, an incentive. Those who are not in so high a station, should take the profit their genius and study can procure them; nor ought it to be reckoned a disgrace so to do, or an indelicacy as the men call it; nor could it be so regarded if once custom could be brought to authorize what reason cannot disapprove. But it is thought shameful for a woman to get money, and yet more shameful to want it.

I think I do not misrepresent the case, and is it not then glaringly unreasonable and absurd? "Tis very hard upon a woman who is capable of entertaining and improving herself and friends, and perhaps the public, that she must conceal her talents from the world, be afraid it should be known that she can write, that she must restrain her genius, if she can, or suffer for the exercise of it. But a person who has the genius can no more forbear writing, than the envious who have none can forbear railing.

If it is said that the unjustifiable customs of the world should be broke through, and that a very ingenious woman should be above regarding the vulgar opinion, since she will always meet with due respect from persons of sense of both sexes; it may be answered, that when customs are established, though a few, and a few perhaps of the wisest, are convinced the customs are wrong, yet it would very ill become the modesty, mildness, and diffidence expected and admired in women, to set themselves in opposition to any general received notion; nor ought they to disregard what the world, and even the vulgar part of it, will say of them; they ought to be desirous of gaining the good opinion of every one, and had much better lose the reputation they might acquire of an ingenious writer, than lose in the world's eye those amiable qualities which should be the characteristics of the female sex.”