1825.] England not conquered by King William I. and under the alleged will of Edward the Confessor, with the accompanied assertion, that Harold had by oath to him personally renounced his claims, Whether the Confessor really did make a will in favour of his illegitimate relative William, is doubted by historians; the presumption is, that he did not, as it was never produced, which would probably have been eagerly done, if it had existence: he may, however, have been orally named by him as his successor, The death of Edward took place during the extreme youth of Edgar Atheling, his great nephew and rightful heir; but the people set him aside, and, under the influence of the power and abilities of Harold, elected him as their King, although possessing no hereditary right to the throne. In this situation of affairs the Duke of Normandy appealed to the Pope, who, flattered by the reference made to him, decided in favour of his claim, and sanctioned his subsequent invasion. The accidental death of Harold impressed the minds of the English, superstitious as they were in those early ages, that the designs of his rival was favoured by Divine Providence, and they were the more reluctant to uphold a vigorous opposition, William, pursuing a wily policy, approached London, and by his conduct intimated his intention of besieging it, justly concluding that the possession of the capital, whether by siege or voluntary surrender, would be followed by the submission of the whole kingdom, The cautious fear by which he was actuated, was balanced by a similar cautions and prudent timidity in the opposite party. The result was, that the Citizens of London, unsanctioned by the State, proffered him the Crown, which he accepted as a gift, and the example of the Metropolis was follow ed by a general and silent submission. The Coronation of William took place shortly afterwards; and, so far from taking on himself, as a victor, to dispense with the accustomed oaths, or, on the other hand, binding himself to govern his newly-organized possessions by the laws of his own country, he confirmed the laws then in existence, the code of Edward the Confessor. It is very true we call him, by way of contra-distinction, William the Conqueror, and for ages he has borne that appellation; but he never so denomi 223 nated himself, nor was he so called until after his death. In his charters. and records he styled himself "Willielmus, Rex Anglorum," &c. and sometimes "Willielmus, Cognomento Bastardus, Rex Anglorum," &c. In fact, it may be most strongly doubted whether this title was given him in the modern acceptation of it; the word Conqueror is in reality derived from the Latin verb conquiro, and pri marily signified one who came into possession by contract or gift. Thus Sir Henry Spelman, in his Glossary, expressly says, "Willielmus Primus, Conquestor, quid Angliam conquisivit, non quod subegit." And Harold, the predecessor of William, who came to the throne by the choice of the people, was yet denominated "Conqueror" by an ancient author, "Heraldus, strenuus Dux, Conquestor Anglie." For the further satisfaction of your Correspondent, J. D. I beg leave to refer him to a scarce work on this very subject, which is attributed, and I think duly so, to the illustrious Sir Bulstrode Whitlocke. It is a small 8vo of 164 pages, marked with Roman numerals, and is dated "London, printed by John Darby, 1682." It is adorned with a curious frontispiece; in the distance is depicted the battle between the English and Normans, and the death of Harold; in the foreground is represented the Coronation of William. He is seated on a chair surmounted on two steps; the Archbishop of York is in the act of placing the Crown on his head, while the Bishop of Constance tenders to him the Coronation Oath, and he at the same instant is receiving the code of King Edward's laws from the hands of Bri tannia, surmounted on a still higher seat. You will permit me, Mr. Urban, to quote the title-page, and then the conclusion, to which, after a laboured research and discussion, the author arrives. The title-p -page runs thus: " Argumentum Anti-Norman nicum; or an Argument proving from ancient Histories and Records, that William, Duke of Normandy, made no absolute Conquest of Eugland by the Sword in the sense of our modern Writers, being an Answer to these four Questions, viz, 1.Whether William the First made an absolute conquest of this nation at his first entrance; 2. Whether he cancelled and abolished all the Confessor's Laws; 3. Whether he 224 England not conquered by King William I. he divided all our estates and fortunes between himself and nobles; 4. Whether it be not a grand error to affirm that there were no Englishmen in the Common Council of the whole kingdom."-The conclusion to which he arrives respectively as to these questions are these, that «1. William the First, vulgarly called William the Conqueror, did not get the Imperial Crown of England by the sword, nor made an absolute Conquest of the nation at his first entrance. 2. Nor that he abolished all the English Laws, or changed the whole frame and constitution of the Saxon Government; but, 3. That the English had still estates and fortunes continued to them; and that it was a great mistake in any to affirm, that the King and his Normans divided and shared them all among them; as likewise, 4. In the fourth place, it has been a grand error to ascertain that there were no Englishmen in the Common Council of the whole kingdom in the reign of William the Conqueror." To the foregoing conclusions I cannot but cordially assent; and I think there is no doubt but that William gained the throne, not from absolute conquest, but by mutual compact, arising from mutual fear. On the part of the English, they had set Edgar Atheling, the rightful heir, aside, on account of his youth and slender mental abilities. Harold himself, although elected by them, had no hereditary right. This circumstance, united with their flight into Ireland, precluded them from turning their attention to his sons. The invader, although illegitimate, was yet connected by relationship to the Confessor; and a want of unanimity pervaded their domestic councils, as the Clergy, who bore a great sway, were in favour of the Duke of Normandy, he having received the sanction of the Pope to his invasion. On the other hand, William, by the proffer of the Crown, must have felt pleased at the probably unexpected and easy success after only one battle, and prudently resolved to accept the conditions of the English, rather than to continue a contest uncertain in its issue, and calamitous in its failure. The authenticity of the anecdote referred to by your Correspondent, relative to the meeting between William and the Men of Kent, the latter having each a bough in his hand, has been strongly doubted by the best [Sept. historians. Indeed in his recorded history it is difficult to separate truth from error and purposed misrepresentation; the more early writers penned their memorials under the influence of prejudice, they were usually descendants of the Anglo-Saxons, and were not disinclined to lower the character of William in the eyes of posterity, to attribute to him arbitrary actions, of which he was never guilty, and to give even to his good deeds the semblance of evil. In illustration of this remark, you will permit me, Sir, to revert to the origin of the New Forest, and the institution of the Curfew. It has been generally represented by historians, and as generally believed, that William, passionately fond of hunting, depopulated a whole district for the formation of the New Forest, having destroyed numerous churches, and dispossessed the inhabitants of their lands and houses. So far from this being the case, we have every reason to believe that the site of the New Forest was primevally a woody region, known under the appellation of Ytene, ever very thinly inhabited; and that being first afforested by William, it then, by way of contradistinction alone, received the name of New Forest.-With regard to the Curfew, the assertion that at the sound of a certain bell in every district at eight o'clock in the evening, all the inhabitants were under the obligation of putting out their lights and of covering their fires. Intermixed as the inhabitants of both countries must have becume, both as to residence and intercourse, the execution of this mandate must have been of general inconvenience. It is no where asserted that the order was restricted to the English. It was assuredly the interest and policy of William to produce an amalgamation of national manners and customs; and it is hardly to be supposed that he would have hazarded a general insurrection against him by the institution of an arbitrary and useless measure levelled at the English, and at the same time oppressive to the Normans. The Curfew was in use on the Continent prior to the æra of William, and may have had its origin in religious influence. Many barbarous nations even now hail the rising of the Sun, and in like manner, by some expression of their feelings, deplore the departure of the light of Heaven; and it seems to me that Gray thus ele gantly 1825.] Effigy of Bp. Shepey discovered at Rochester. gantly alludes to this religious memo- “The Curfew tolls the knell of rting day." EDWARD DUKE. Mr. URBAN, 225 imitation of nature, supposing the effigy to be a likeness. The Prelate may be imagined to have been a man about forty, with a dark complexion, and handsome features. He held the see about eight years. In the aile, North of the choir, there is a monument affixed in the wall, which separates it from the choir; it has a lofty single-arched canopy, in which may be seen the remains of foliage closely resembling the mouldings discovered; and though this monument has suffered very much from wilful dilapidations, still the remaining carvings are of the most elegant description. An angel on the wall at the back, in high relief, is nearly perfect, and from the uneven surface of the wall appears 10 have formed part of a group. The altar tomb has been broken; the present covering is quite rough and uneven. There is little doubt an effigy was once laid upon it. This tomb was pointed out to me by the verger, and I think there is great probability You cry in Rochester in his conjecture, that the effigy be p. Cathedral, of the Effigy of Bishop John de Shepey, who died in 1360. Splendid indeed must have been the monument to which the effigy and the disjointed fragments discovered with it belonged (though I entertain great doubts whether the last-mentioned are at all connected with the effigy). There is a finely preserved statue of Moses holding the tables of the law, on which are singularly enough inscribed the name of the law-giver himself MOYSES. The remains of the group next this statue appear to have been formed for a holy family, containing reliefs of the Virgin, Joseph, St. Anne, and an angel crowning the former; the whole of this group is dreadfully mutilated. Some beautiful mouldings in frieze, &c. remain in high preservation, and the care taken of them reflects the highest credit on the Dean and Chapter. The tomb on which this effigy now lies, is of inferior workmanship, and differs in length from the effigy. The robes, mitre, and other habiliments of the prelate are superbly coloured, and afford a splendid specimen of the state of the fine arts in that magnificent æra, the 14th century. The discoveries at St. Stephen's Chapel are alone worthy to compete with it. The face is finely coloured; the close shaved beard a most correct GENT. MAG. September, 1825. longed to it. The triple stalls in the South side of the altar have been assigned as a monument to this prelate. They are posterior, in point of date, by many years; and our increased knowledge will at this time inform us that they were never intended for a sepulchral monu ment. The fragments of sculpture now discovered probably formed the decoration of a splendid altar in some part of the Cathedral. The old and ugly oaken altar-screen is removed for ever, and with it a picture of two angels bearing their message to the shepherds on pieces of paper in their hands, the work, I believe, of Benjamin West. One of the angels appears to be of the masculine, the other of the feminine gender; an absurdity too common in angelic representations. It was worthy of the screen it decorated, and it will, I trust, in future occupy an humbler place. The wall which was concealed by the old altar, shows three pointed arches resting on clustered columns in relief attached to the wall, and sustaining a gallery even with the sill of the upper East window fronted with a parapet of pierced quatrefoils. In the intercolumniations are windows, and below each is a cross in a circle painted on the wall. The windows are re-glazed in plain glass, the design of 226 Effigy of Bp. Shepey discovered at Rochester, of which is taken from the Mosaic pavement of an altar in St. William's Chapel. The removal of the old pannelling in the choir allows the columns which support the groined roof and their carved corbels to be seen to perfection; on the walls of the choir, brought to light by removing the wainscot, are a series of painted niches, with columns and entablature, in the taste of the seventeenth century. The spire, built in 1749, is taken down, and it is in contemplation to case the tower on which it stood with Bath stone, and raise it twelve feet higher, with attached pinnacles at the angles. I think the loss of the spire, poor as it was, will not be compensated by any additions of that description. The tower is not grand enough to stand alone as a decoration of a cathedral. As a pinnacled tower, it will be scarcely grander than a parish church; it could have been rendered an object of eminence only by the spire being rebuilt on a loftier and inproved plan. From the appearance of height such an object always possesses, there can be little doubt but that the city would then possess an object far superior to the present tower, in the most improved state in which as a tower it can be placed. I have mentioned the chief alterations in this Cathedral; the other repairs are merely substantial: when the whole is finished I may have again to address you. E. 1. C. A more minute description of Bp. Shepey's figure has been furnished by "An Admirer of Ancient Effigies,' who was present at the discovery. The Bishop lies in a recumbent posture under an elliptical arch in the North wall of the choir, which wall divides the choir from St. William's Chapel. A large piece of the maitre had been broken off, and the nose, upper lip, and chin, greatly mutilated, evidently by a sword or other sharp instrument. An extremely beautiful band attached to, and part of the mitre, adorned with an imitation of precious stones, encircles the forehead. The head reposes on two superb cushions with tassels, the face painted of a flesh colour, the hair of the eye-brows distinctly marked, and the pupils of the eyes coloured. The hands of the Bishop, which had lost the fingers, are closed in the act of prayer, and the [Sept. feet (great part of which had been broken off) rested on two dogs, both damaged, the head of one being wanting. The external robe, called the Dalmatica vestis, or dalmatic, was decidedly of a pink colour, and represented as lined with some other colour which was scarcely visible; on the robe were figures of a diamond within a square, the collar being most beautifully ornamented Underneath the dalmatic is the stola, but the elegantly figured and painted border at the bottom is only seen. Under the left arm is the staff of the crozier, the head of which was gone. Round it a napkin beautifully bordered was wrapped, and to this staff the curved part of the crozier was fastened by an iron or brass pin, as the hole appeared in which the pin was riveted; the maniple, adorned with jewels, hangs from the left wrist. The following inscrip'tion is round the effigy : "Hic jacet d'ns Joh'nes Cheppeie epi's istius eccl'ie." Two drawings were made by a person of the name of Harris, employed by Mr. Cottingham the architect, one of which represents the effigy as it was found, and the other as Mr. Cottingham supposed it to have been, with the features perfect, and the figure highly coloured. After this, Mr. Cottingham resolved on restoring the colours on the figure, in conformity with the latter drawing, which was accordingly done. fingers, the feet, and one of the dogs' The top of the mitre, nearly all the heads, have been subsequently found, and joined to the effigy; the mitre is beard is also an addition, as it was not therefore now complete. The painted there when first discovered. The dalmatic, instead of being a pink, is now of a dull scarlet, with a green lining, and the shoes are painted yellow. Mr. URBAN, Sept. 19. WITHIN the last few weeks a most important alteration has taken place in Westminster Abbey by the uncovering of a new altar-piece, which has been for some time past in a state of preparation. The front of the new screen (executed by Bernasconi) presents a pretty faithful copy of its back, which forms the West side of the Confessor's Chapel, with the exception of the celebrated 1825.] Altar Piece in Westminster Abbey.-County History. brated biographical sculptures, the omission of which leaves an unpleasant blank. It consists of a series of shrines, or rather ornamented niches, canopied with a profusion of delicate tabernacle work, and divided by two side-doors within squares, the pannelings of which being of glass, admit a view of the choir from the enclosure behind. In front is placed a stone altar of elegant workmanship. 227 The original altar-piece was exactly similar, as may be seen in the representation of Abbot Islip's funeral, in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries, and published by them in the Vetusta Monumenta. The altar, however, was then surmounted by a lofty rood and images, as well as either a pinnacle or niche, which broke a certain dull and unpleasant effect arising from a plain surface. F. L. B. COMPENDIUM OF COUNTY HISTORY—WILTSHIRE. EMINENT NATIVES. ADDISON, JOSEPH, the great, the wise, and good, Milston 1672. Adelhelm, St. learned Bishop and ingenious poet, (Malmesbury) ob. 709. Allein, Joseph, Nonconformist divine, Devizes, 1623. ANSTEY, CHRIST. ingenious author of the "New Bath Guide," Harden Huish, 1724. Ashley, Robert, learned barrister, Nash-hill, 1565. AUBREY, JOHN, eminent antiquary, Easton Piers, 1625 or 1626. Beckham, Humphrey, untutored sculptor, Salisbury, 1588. Beckinsau, John, author of eminence and friend of Leland, Broad-chalk, about 1496. Bennett, Dr. Thomas, learned divine and controversialist, Salisbury, 1673. Blackmore, Sir Richard, eminent physician and voluminous poet, Corsham (ob. 1729.) Brewer, Samuel, botanist, Trowbridge (flourished 1726). Buckeridge, John, Bishop of Ely, Draycot, about 1562. Canutus. Robert, eminent writer in the twelfth century, Cricklade. Chandler, Mary, ingenious poet, Malmesbury, 1687. Chilmarke, John de, celebrated mathematician and philosophical writer, the Archimedes of the age, Chilmarke (flourished thirteenth century). Chubb, Thomas, noted deistical writer, Salisbury, 1679. Clarendon, Roger de, illegitimate son of Edward the Black Prince, Clarendon. Collinson, Rev John, historian of co. Somerset, Bromham (ob. 1796). Corderoy, Jeremy, celebrated divine in the seventeenth century, Chute. Coryate, George, Latin poet, Salisbury (ob. 1606). Cottington, Francis Lord, celebrated statesman, Mere (ob. 1651). Danvers, Henry, Earl of Danby, brave warrior, Dantsey, 1573. Davies, Sir John, eminent lawyer, poet and politician, Chisgrove in Tisbury, about 1570. Davis, Lady Mary, mistress to Charles II. and rival of Nell Gwyn, Charlton. Dobson, Michael, learned and ingenious barrister, Marlborough, 1732. Dryden, Charles, son to the poet, Charlton (ob. 1704). DUCK, STEPHEN, celebrated ingenious poet, Charlton (ob. 1756). Edington, William de, Bp. of Winchester, Lord High Treasurer, Eddington (ob. 1366). Edwards, Bryan, eminent merchant and author, Westbury, 1743. Eedes, John, divine and author, Salisbury, 1659. Eyre, Rev. William, advocate of the doctrine of prejustification, against Baxter, &c. Brickworth, seventeenth century. James, Lord Chief Justice of Court of Common Pleas, 1734. Feltham, Jolin, amiable man and miscellaneous author, Salisbury, 1770. William, D. D. eminent historian and biographer, Salisbury, 1720. Harte, Walter, poet and historian, Marlborough (ob. 1773). Hawles, |