the rock, immediately under the precipice on which the ruin stands, where a close glen opens to the eye, exhibiting one of the most beautiful and solemn combinations of rock and wood that can be conceived. The grand face of the rock before-mentioned makes the chief feature of this picture, towards the summit of which a singular phenomenon is seen; a broad patch, highly tinged with green, and evidently appearing to be cop per-mineral, whose lofty situation throws some light upon, and adds much strength to the hypothesis of the modern production of metals by descending materials. Quitting our seat, near which we contemplated with horror the profoundly deep well of the ancient castle, we were led into a hollow, a cut in the solid rock, from whence all prospect being excluded, the eye is confined to a gloomy cavern, at the termination of which is a door faced with an iron grating, a stately stern figure of a lion appearing through the bars. Ascending by a path from this abyss, we are led through an undulating meadow towards the grotto hill, that vast natural wall of rock we had been contemplating from below. The walk up this declivity is extremely well managed, shutting out, by its depth of shade, the scenery intended to burst upon the vision at once from its elevated summit. Arrived here, we passed on to the grotto, one of the most novel, grand, beautiful, and extensive works of the kind in Europe. The very happy approach to it is by a natural rent in the rock, discovered and cleared for the purpose last winter, which conducts to a sub-rupal passage, about one hundred yards long, six feet high, and two feet wide, cut out of the living rock about twelve years ago. From hence all light is excluded; so that, directing our progress by feeling the wall, we continued our way in outer darkness for some time, till a solemn golden radiance appeared before us, as if shed from a different sun than from that which warms our globe, discovering a vaulted cavern supported by rude stone pillars. The effect is magical, and the mind (turned out of sober reality) indulges in fancies as pleas ing as they are imaginary, till reaching the excavated chamber, we find that this beautiful illumination is occasioned by the solar light passing through small windows of stained glass, so disposed as not to be seen at a distance. Another gallery of large dimensions and more numerous pillars is connected with this, where, by a similar contrivance, a variety of different coloured lights are introduced, producing a prodigiously beautiful effect. To this the grotto, properly so called, is united, supported by pillars, and furnished in the accustomed style of these excavations, but with great splendour and expence. A door opens upon a natural stone terrace, immediately under the beetling ledge that crowns the sum nit of the august rock seen from below, where we stood looking down a frightful precipice of seven hundred feet beneath us, with the grand hill and its ruined castle before us, and a stretch of country to the right. We now left the apartment, to return to the surface of the rock, but the wonders of this excavation were not yet exhausted. Passing through another dark subterraneous cavern, we suddenly found ourselves at the entrance of a small chapel, where the light of purple hue, or rather darkness vi sible,' will just allow the eye to distinguish an altar, and other appropriate appendages. Whilst contemplating these, a venerable figure, clothed in the stile of a Druid, slowly. pacing from a dark recess in the apartment, crossed before us to the altar, made her obeisance, and departed, leaving us much surprised at, and almost ashamed of the very singular impression which our minds could be made to experience, even from childish toys, if presented to them under particular circumstances. Quitting the grotto, we threaded the other mazes of this singular place, taking in the Hermitage, where a venerable figure is seen in a sitting posture, who (by means of a servant previously placed behind him) rises up as the stranger approaches, asks questions, returns answers, and repeats poetry. Passing over the Pont de Suisse, a rude bridge (thrown across the gulph, which separates the rocky mountains on which we had been hitherto engaged, from its sublime neighbour, where the view is extremely awful) we mounted the obelisk, erected on the highest point of the terrace, from whence is a view one hundred miles in diameter, with this beautiful singularity, that the eye is in no one direction lost in space, but every where meets with a restingpoint in the beautiful belt of distant mountains that bound the horizon. Leaving this modern decoration, we crossed the park to a remain of antiquity, a noble example of Roman castrametation, called Bury-Walls, one of the most perfect of the kind in Europe, containing about thirty acres within its mounds. Nature on three sides had sufficiently defended the spot, so that the Romans had only to cast up vallations on the remaining one; but this was done in their best style, by three high mounds, which rendered the place impregnable. Connected with military matters, though of a much later age, was the place we next visited—a cavern in the tower glen, where an ancestor of the Hill family, who was unsuccessful in the service of Charles I. concealed himself for a time from the pursuit of the parliamentarian forces. "An urn is placed near the cave, whose inscription recounts the circumstances of his concealment and of its ill success. Anno 1784, this was placed here by Sir RICHARD HILL, Bart. (eldest son of Sir ROWLAND HILL, Bart.) one of the Knights of the Shire, as a token of af'fection to the memory of his much-respected ancestor, ROWLAND HILL, of "Hawkestone, Esq. a gentleman remark able for his great wisdom, piety, and charity'; who, being a zealous royalist, hid himself in this glen in the civil wars in the time of King Charles the First; but being discovered, was imprisoned in the adjacent castle, commonly called Red •Castle, whilst his house was pillaged and ⚫ ransacked by the rebels. The castle itself was soon afterwards demolished. His son, Rowland Hill, Esq. coming to his assistance, also suffered much in the 'same loyal cause.' "The above account, taken from Kimber's Baronetage, as also from the traditions of the family, holds forth to posterity the attachment of this ancient house to an unfortunate and much injured sovereign." p. 175 -180. Letter IX. describes the road taken by the author from Watling Street to Warwick, in which is to be found in succession the chief articles of British manufacture. The towns and their manufactures are particularly noticed. Arriving at Warwick, the castle and its furniture are described, and among the pictures is that of Edward Wortley Montague, with the following biographical sketch. Edward Woriley Montague, half length, by Romney, in a Turkish dress. The garb alone bespeaks some peculiarity of disposition; but indeed the whole of his life displays, even in the most trivial occurrences, a spirit for adventure. When a boy be eloped three times from Westminster School, and followed the occupation of a chimney-sweeper, cried fish in Rotherhithe, and sailed as a cabin-boy to Spain, where he deserted from the vessel, and drove mules; in that capacity he was discovered by the British Consul, who returned him to his friends. In hopes of recovering lost time, he was then provided with a tutor, and qualified for his future situation in life. He sat in two successive parliaments, but being the child of eccentricity, he married a washerwoman, with whom he refused to cohabit, because the match was made in a frolic. Involving himself in debt, he quitted his native country, resolving to accommodate himself to the manners of every kingdom through which he passed. In Italy, Spain, Egypt, and Constantinople, he formed connections, which he considered no longer lasting than his stay in each place: drank coffee plentifully, wore a long beard, smokand sat cross legged in the Turkish ed much, dressed in the Eastern style, fashion. On hearing of the death of his English wife, he was desirous of returning home to marry again, and prevent his estate devolving to the children of his sister, Lady Bute, and for that purpose advertised for a decent young woman, in a state of pregnancy; the challenge was accepted, and the expectant bride only disappointed by the hand of death, which arrested this matchless oddity at Padua, 1776. Æt. 64." p. 243, 244. Letter X. contains a description of the road from Warwick to Bath. Passing through Stratford-on-Avon, particular attention is paid to the memory of Shakspeare, and after making a tour of 1157 miles, the author finds himself in the arms of his family at Bath. "The council of Constance had given an awful admonition to hereties. It had also, by an extraordinary exertion of authority, effected an union of the true believers under a legitimate head in the person of Martin V. But a most important and difficult matter remained unac-, complished, namely, the reformation of the church. The newly elected pontiff listened with apparent complacence to the petitions which were from time to time preferred to him by the various subdivisions of the council, beseeching him to prosecute this good work by all the means in his power; but he contrived by studied delays so to protract the consideration of the particular heads of reform, that the members of the assembly, weary of their long residence in Constance, were eager to embrace the first opportunity of returning to their respective homes. This opportunity was afforded them on the twenty-second of April, 1418, on which day the Pope formally dismissed the council *. "It appears probable that Poggio held no office under the new pontiff, as he visited England in consequence From a MS. which is preserved at Vienna, L'Enfant has given the following list of the persons who attended this wonderfully numerous assembly-Knights, 2,300-Prelates, priests, and presbyters, 18,000-Laymen, 80,000. In a more detailed catalogue, the laymen are thus enumerated-Goldsmiths, 45-Shopkeepers, 330-Bankers, 242-Shoemakers, 70-Farriers, 48-Apothecaries, 44-Smiths, 92-Confectioners, 75-Bakers belonging to the pope, &c. 250 -Vintners of Italian wines, 83-Victuallers for the poorer sort, 43-Florentine moneychangers, 48-Taylors, 228-Heralds at of an invitation which he had re- During his residence in England he received an invitation to take the office of secretary to the Pope, Martin V. which was accepted by him, being disappointed in the expectations he had formed from the Bishop of Winchester. Contents of Chapter IV.-State of Italy during Poggio's residence in England.--Martin V. retires to Florence.-Retrospect of the history of that city.-Martin is dissatisfied with arms, 65-Jugglers, or merry-andrews, 346 Barbers, 306--Courtezans, whose habitations were known to the author of the list, 700. It should seem, however, that this industrious chronicler had not visited all these professional ladies, as the Vienna list estimates their number at 1,500! From a memorandum subjoined to this list, it appears, that during the sitting of the council, one of these frail fair ones earned the sum of 800 florins. L'Enfant's History of the Council of the conduct of the Florentines.-Baldassare Cossa (the deposed Pope, John 11.) is liberated from confinement, and submits to the authority of Martin V. His death.-Martin V. transfers his court to Rome.-Poggio effects a reconciliation between two of his friends who had been at variance, and writes a letter to one of them on the event-Council of Payia, which is transferred to Siena, and there dissolved.-Hostility of Alfonzo of Arragon against Martin V. Unsuccessful attempts to crush the reformers in Germany. Termination of the schism.-Poggio's Dialogue on Avarice. The Fratres Observantiæ satirized by Poggio.-Poggio excites displeasure by curbing the zeal of the Fratres Observantiæ.-His let ters on this subject, and his opinion of the monastic life, and itinerant preachers.-Reflections. In the Dialogue on Avarice, Poggio satirizes with great severity the friars, who were a branch of the order of Franciscans, who, on account of their extraordinary strictness, with which they professed to exercise their conventual discipline, were distinguished with the title of Fratres Observantia. Several of these friars, without either good principles or good abilities, presuming to preach, Poggio has drawn the following striking picture of them: "Inflated by the pretended inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they expound the sacred Scriptures to the populace, with such gross ignorance, that nothing can exceed their folly. I have often gone to hear them for the sake of amusement, for they were in the habit of saying things which would move to laughter the gravest and most phlegmatic man on the face of the earth. You might see them throwing themselves about, as if they were ready to leap out of the pulpit; now raising their voices to the highest pitch of fury-now sinking into a conciliating whisper sometimes they beat the desk with their hands-sometimes they laughed, and in the course of their babbling, they assumed as many forms as Proteus. Indeed they are more like monkeys than preachers, and have no qualification for their profession, except an unwearied pair of lungs *.' P. 176. Appendix ad Fasciculum Rer. Expet. et From a remonstrance of Poggio's against the folly and wickedness of the monastic life, the following quotation is taken, "Let me ask of what utility are they to the faith, and what advantage do they confer on the public? I cannot find that they do any thing but sing like grasshoppers; and I cannot help thinking they are too liberally paid for the mere exercise of their lungs. But they extol their labours as a kind of Herculean task, because they rise in the night to chant the praises of God. This is no doubt an extraordinary proof of merit, that they sit up to exercise themselves in psalmody. What would they say if they rose to go to the plough like farmers, exposed to the wind and rain with bare feet, and with their bodies thinly clad. In such a case, no doubt, the Deity could not possibly requite them, for their toil and sufferings. But it may be said there are many worthy men amongst them. I acknowledge it. It would be a lamentable thing indeed. should there be no good men in so vast a multitude. But the majority of them are idle, hypocritical, and destitute of virtue. How many do you think enter upon a religious life through a desire to amend their morals? You can recount very few who do not assume the habit on account of some extraneous cause. They dedicate not their minds, but their bodies, to devotional exercises. Many adopt the monastic garb on account of the imbecility of their spirits, which prevents them from exerting themselves to gain an honest livelihood. Some, when they have spent their property in extravagance, enter in his Facetie, a mortifying explanation which one of these noisy orators provoked by his overweening vanity. "A monk," says he, "preaching to the populace, made a most enormous and uncouth noise, by which a good woman, one of his auditors, was so much affected, that she burst into a flood of tears. The preacher, attributing her grief to remorse of conscience excited within her by his eloquence, sent for her, and asked her why she was so piteously affected by his discourse. Holy father, answered the mourner, I am a poor widow, and was accustomed to maintain myself by the labour of an ass, which was left me by my late husband. But alas! my poor, beast is dead, and your preaching brought his braying so strongly to my recol lection, that I could not restrain my grief." Poggii Opera, p. 479. into religious houses, because they think that they shall there find a rich pasture; others are induced to hide in these abodes the infamy which they have contracted by their ignorance, and by their dissolute and abandoned course of life." p. 183. Chap. V. Eugenius IV. raised to the pontificate, whose authority commenced with unhappy omens, being engaged in quarrels both in Italy and Germany; in the latter place the pontifical army has very bad success. Poggio, foreseeing the disaster, writes freely upon the subject to the Cardinal Julian, the Pope's legate. In this letter were some smart 'strokes of satiric wit, which the disappointed and irritated mind of Julian could not well bear. Poggio's morals were not free from blame; and the Cardinal in his answer reminds him of having children, which, he observes" is inconsistent with the obligations of an ecclesiastic; and by a mistress, which is discreditable to the character of a layman." To these reproaches Poggio replied in a letter replete with the keenest sarcasm. He pleaded guilty to the charge which had been exhibited against him, and candidly confessed that he had deviated from the paths of virtue. "I might answer to your accusation," said he, "that I have children, which is expedient for the laity, and by a mistress, in conformity to the custom of the clergy from the foundation of the world. But I will not defend my errors-you know that I have violated the laws of morality, and I acknowledge that I have done amiss." Endeavouring, however, to palliate his offence-"Do we not," says he, "every day, and in all countries, meet with priests, monks, abbots, bishops, and dignitaries of a still higher order, who have families of children by married women, widows, and even by virgins consecrated to the service of God? Those despisers of worldly things, as they style themselves, who travel from place to place, clothed in coarse and vile raiment, with downcast looks calling upon the name of Jesus, folJow the precept of the apostle, and seek after that which is not their own, to use it as their own, and scorn to hide their talent in a napkin. I have often laughed at the bold, or rather impudent profession of a certain Italian abbot, who waited on Martin V. accompanied by his son, who was grown up to man's estate. This at dacious ecclesiastic, being interro gated on the subject, freely and openly declared, to the great amaze ment of the Pope and the whole pon tifical court, that he had four other sons able to bear arms, who were all at his Holiness's service." After noticing other scandalous enormities, which brought disgrace upon the cha racter of some ecclesiastics of those times, Poggio thus concluded-"As to your advice on the subject of my future plans of life, I am determined not to assume the sacerdotal office for I have seen many men, whom I have regarded as persons of good chara racter and liberal dispositions, degenerate into avarice, sloth, and dissipation, in consequence of their introduction into the priesthood.-Fearing lest this should be the case with myself, I have resolved to spend the remaining term of my pilgrimage as a layman; for I have too frequently observed that your brethren, at the time of their tonsure, not only part with their hair, but also with their conscience and their virtue." p. 199, 200. The meeting and proceedings of the council of Basil, with its violent dealings towards the Pope, come next in order; an insurrection in Rome causes the Pope to flee, Poggio is taken captive, and obliged to ransom himself by a sum of money. He repairs to Florence. Chap. VI. gives an account of the state of parties at Florence upon Foggio's return, with the character of Cosmo de Medicis, the friend of Poggio, who becomes the head of the faction of the people, and is ba nished: to whom Poggio writes a consolatory letter, which for its excellence, did our limits permit, we should be happy to transcribe. This chapter closes with an account of a quarrel between Francesco Filelfo (an avowed enemy to Cosmo de Medicis) and Poggio, considered as the most learned men of the age. A part of their severe satires is inserted. Chap. VII. The Romans submit to the arms of the pontiff, who concludes a peace with his enemies, and seizes a part of the Neapolitan terri tories. The council of Basil denounce immoral ecclesiastics, lay down rules for the decent solemnization of divine worship, and prohibit the pontif from bestowing the government of |
