Mr. URBAN, Feb. 25. A incorporate by James the river of its own pame, pine. miles rorth-west of Elphin, was a celebrated Ciftertian albey, removed from Gralachdinach 1148. Its remains at the back of the town. fhew its antient magnificence. The chancel and a fmal! chapel on either fide are roofed; the great arches of the towel were 45 feet high, but the ground is now lo raifed as to cover the balus: haf of them reft on plain round pillars, the reft on cekered columns; all the spaces between the pillars are now wailed up, fuppofed in the reign of El zabeth, when the abbey was converted into a place of defence; fome of the capitals de plain, others carved, and the east window was grand and lofty. The clifter has been long converted into a barrack. The ftump of a round tower near the abbey is fill to be feen. Over the liver are two tone bridges, ard on one of them a ftatue of William II. This river rifes in a romantic sheet of water called Longh Gara, meanders through Kington like or Lough Kay, a beautiful piece of wa ter interfperfed with many islands, fome adorned with ruins of cafties and other buildings well wooded. The river emerging from the caft fide of the lake lalls into the Shannon. I take this account, Mr. Urban, (and you need net have a butter) from the jaft edition of Camden, III. 595, to illuftrate the view (plate 1.) herewith fent by Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, OF H. S. March 3 F Sir Matthew Lifter, and of Dr. (not Sir) Martin, enquired after p. 102, fome particulars will be found in Word's Falli; and others in Granger, who defcribes a portrait of Sir Matthew, another of a Sir Martin, father to the Doctor, M. P. for Reading 15 and 16 Charles I.; and a third of Sufanna Temple lady Thornhaugh, to whom Sir Martin was a fecond husband. On a flat flope in Lincoln cathedral is this epitaph: "Here lyeth the body of the right honourable Mary count fs of Deloraine, wife of the right honourable Francis earl of Deloraine, daughter of Matthew Lifter, in this county, efq. who departed this life....20, 1737, aged 32 years. GENT. MAG. March, 1795. In Trinity church, Hull, are thefe: I. "Dire Iveth the body of the right worthupful Sir John Lifit, kut. flice mayor of this totou, folio Die", bang burg is of parliament, Dec. 23, 1640." "Here lyeth the bony of the lady Lifter, kat, beccalep, by tohom the hau Elizabeth Litter, Late hulle to Sir John 16 children. She died Dec. 2, 1666, in the 88th year of her age." 1. ༣. "car this pillar tyeth interred the body of Buch Lifter, elq. judice of peace in the East Living, fourth fox to the right wordpful chn Lifter, ans. Hi han in wife Jane, the naughter and hir te 19e wor gigfol Bernard Stuth, tau ceaper of this tolay, by bum he get jie 4 fons and 2 bángh 18." Thomas Lifer, efq, bartiage with the daughter of Samuel, Teh, siq, obs taired the inn pa Whitwell, co. Nor thampton. He new-paved the church, and was otherwife a confiderable benefactor *. M. GREEN. Mr. URBAN, March 19. IN, anfwer to questions which the kind Limportunity of friends is continually urging, permit me to report progress in the Hitiory of Lejcetofhire. My acknowledgements to individuals, too numerous to be here fpec fied, will appear in their efpertive places: yes many of them, even in this cursory no tice, it would be unpardonable to furprefs; particularly in,, were I not to didinguish the Rev. Sir Charles Caveg Baronet, from whom I barned the gren-work of my under ing. the copious Coll; &tions forped by his father in the courf: of many years; aumicated by tranfeng sirop the Chetwynd Dorary, by the MSS. or Mr. Roper, Mr. Palper, Mr. Wacland, Mr. Sindelfon of Bittelwe, and feveral other antiquarius; particularly thofe of the Rev. Francis Peck, which include the registers of Croxton abbey and Belvoir priory. I have fince alfo bought Mr Peck's copy of Burton, with many MS ro es. The Collections of Thomas Staveley, eq. and the Rev. Samuel Carte, with feveral engraved plates, were the gite of a learned Dignitary of the Church, from whom the publick long expected * See Bridges I. 172, 222. He had alfo the manor of Helmeden, which paffed by bis daughter and heirefs in marringe to Charles Holt, fon of Sir Charles Hult, of Afton, bart, 186 Report of Progress in the Hiftory of Leicestershire. `a Hiftory of his native town of Leicester. The handsome manner in which this has been mentioned is an inducement for wishing to deferve the compliment which Dr. Farmer has bestowed *. Another friend has expreffed an unwillingness that his name fhould be mentioned. He had employed a large portion of an active life in a fiudy very little understood, the early conftitution of this kingdom; but, being accidentally drawn from the metropolis, about ten years ago, to the tranquillity of a rectory in the county of Leicester, his intention on this fubject had remained fufpended till 1 announced my intention of publishing the Hifiory of the County; when, with the utmost franknefs and alacrity he extracted for me the quinteffence of his labours; which I fhall have the pleafure of laying before the publick as Me moirs of the Earls of Leicester. The Rev. Sambrook Nicholas Ruffell will be readily difcovered by every antiquary; and I cannot deny myself the fatisfaction I feel in expreffing my obligations to him. The Rev. William Peters has favoured me with drawings of Wolfthorp ruined church, and of his delightful parfonage at Knipton, and with a lift of the pictures at Belvoir. From the minority of the noble Duke who owns this princely domain, I have hitherto been deprived of an opportunity of foliciting for plates of the elegant tombs of eight fucceffive caris of Rutland which grace the church of Bottesford, or of their portraits which adorn the gallery at Belvoir; but I have prepared the way for it, by engraving the tombs, wherefoever difperfed, of the lords Ros, predeceffors of the earlictt. earl, and have taken fome pains to elucidate the hiftory of the family from the Conqueft to the prefent day. The Earl of Harborough has communicated a fplendid pedigree of the family of Sherard; and enriched the work with feveral fine plates of the memoria s of his ancestors at Stapleford, and of their monuments in the church rebuilt by his lordship's munificence. Earl Ferrers has perfonally condefcended to alleviate my labours, by extracts from the original regifter of Bre "This Work was just begun at the prefs, when the Writer was called to the Superintendance of a large College, and was obliged to decline the undertaking. The plates, however, and fome of the materials, have been long ago put into the hands of a gentleman who is every way qu.bfied to make a proper ufe of them." Effay on the Learning of Shakespeare, 1789, p. 95. [Mar} don priory, by copies of deeds and feals in his own archives, and from the most copious pedigree I have ever yet feen. His Lordfhip has alfo directed two beau tiful views of his noble house at Staunton Harold, and another of his old manfion at Ragdale, to be engraved The Earl of Stamford has honoured me with feveral communications; amongst which are the MS notes from a copy of Burton which was Mr. W. Staveley's ; and, under his Lordship's patronage, are preparing three views of Bradgate, the favourite refidence of Lady Jane Grey, both in its original and present state. The beauties of Donington, and the fine remains at Afhby, will be capital embellishments under the auspices of their noble owner, Earl Moira'; whose muniments will furnish many interefting particulars of the antient family of Haftings, which this gallant Peer fo worthily reprefents.. The Earl of Denbigh has had the condefcenfion to fupply a good account of the Feilding family, from an original MS. of great authenticity; and under the parish of Lutterworth will be feen fome engraved proofs of his Lordship's generofity. Under Nether Broughton, Old Dalby, and Tilton, I have received fome material affiftance from the Earl of Radnor. The Earl of Leicester, Lord Viscount Melbourne, and Lord Sondes, have, in a moft obliging manner, antwered several applications to them. To fuppofe that the patronage of Lord Viscount Wentworth with respect to Kirkby Malory can be withheld, would be an infult to his Lordship's benevolence, By the Marquis of Lanfdowne, whofe library contains ineftimable treafures, I have been favoured with a Register of the Abbey of Gerendon; and by Craven Ord, Efq. with an original Chartulary of the fame Abbey, a tranfcript of the Tefta de Nevill, and other records. From the Rev. T. Bofville I have an excellent account of Ulvefcroft priory; and from the Rev. James Nafmith a good epitome of the regifier of Ouflon abbey. Dr. Bennet, Bishop of Cloyne, with that liberality which marks his character, has contributed a plate of the very anfient church of St. Nicholas at Leicefter; and, what is ftill more acceptable, his Lordship and the Rev. Thomas Leman, have favoured me with a good account of the Roman roads in Leicefter fhire, which they had attentively explored. On this fubject must neceffarily be noticed the friendship of the Rev. Thomas Reynolds; and a valuabl: ellay on the famous Roman milliary at Lei. cefter, by the Rev. George Afhby, who has alfo given me a tranfcript of Mr. Thomas Martin's notes on Burton, with feveral pertinent obfervations by himself. The late lamented Mr. Southgate, whofe numifmatic knowledge is acknowledged, drew up a lift of the coins minted at Leicester, from the reign of Ethelitan to that of Henry II, illuftrated by a plate from undoubted originals; which may be confidered as a fmail fpecimen of a work of which the progrefs was retarded only by his diffidence, an elaborate treatife on the Saxon coinage, long anxiously expected from him. Dr. Pulteney, who in the Philofophical Tranfactions, XLIX. 8c3, gave fcientific account of the plants growing in the neighbourhood of Leicefter, has compiled that lift anew, with all the advantages which the improved flate of botany can afford. In the fame fashionable fcience, the Rev. George Crabbe's "Natural Hiftory of the Vale of Belvoir" is a happy omen of his exertions towards a fimilar illuftration of the county. My friend Mr. Gough allows me only to fay, that from his incomparable topographical library he has communicated the MS notes in the late Mr. Weft's copy of Burton; that he has indulged me with several of his own obfervations on monuments connected with this county, and the unreferved ufe of the plates of them, from the "Sepulchral Monuments of Great Britain;" and, by accompanying feveral of my vifitations into Leicefterfhire has fuggefted hints for im. proving the defcription of many of the churches and monuments. The venerable Dr. Pegge, whofe writ tings have fo long ornamented the pages of Mr. Urban, has not withheld his MSS. from my full and free infpection; and, at the advanced age of ninety, has himfe.f given fome excellent additions. The Rev. Richard Gilford, of Duffield, Derbyshire, befides contributing good Engraved portraits of our common relations Mr. and Mrs. Staveley, has taken on himfeif the task of tranflating the Domefday, book for this county; whence Mr. Rafpe has deduced fome valuable tables. Of the Rev. John Pridden, whofe difpofition to ferve his friends is well known, more ought to be faid, were he I eannot, not fo nearly related to me. however, but obferve that, by his affectionate attention, the fatigue of many a long journey has been agreeably relieved; and the fidelity of his numerous drawings will appear throughout the work. Dr. Hurd, the good Bishop of Worcefter (whofe uniform patronage through life I have happily experienced), has contributed a view of Thurcafton, the church which for 20 years was honoured by his paftoral labours; and a portrait of Bishop Latimer, a native of that village. Dr. Watson, Bishop of Landaff, has permitted me to infcribe to him views of the dilapidated church and manfionhoufe of Knaptoft; and its neat chapels of Mofeley and Sheafby, appendages to his Lordship's rectory. I am happy to have this opportunity to acknowledge the kindness of the Bi fhop of Dromore, who, though not ecclefiaftically connected with Leicester fhire, has, from a natural interest in the county as a landholder, contributed a plate of Belgrave and its dependent chas pels. Bishop Percy derives his defcent from Mr. Cleiveland, vicar of Hinckley, father to the well-known Poet. An intermarriage with this family was my firft inducement to vifit the county of Leicefter, and by degrees led to the arduous task of publishing its history; a task which, notwithstanding all its unforefeen difficulties, animated by the cordial and refpectable affiftance that has been given, I have chearfully encountered. Mr. Price and Mr. Gutch have been particularly kind in facilitating my refearches at Oxford, and in fuperintending fome difficult tranfcripts from the Regifter of Leicester abbey. Similar ac knowledgments I owe to the late Dr. Coleman, and to Dr. Wood, at Cambridge; and to the Mafter and Fellows of Caius College, for the loan of a valuable copy of the Vifitation of 1619. Sir Thomas Cave had before tranfcribed the MS notes from a famous copy of Burton in the library of Jefus College, in the hand-writing of Mr. Gal oigne, who had drawn the greater part of his Own copy. remarks from Burton's "which he had in his cuftody at the beginning of the war, 1640." To Thomas Aftle, Efq keeper of the Records in the Tower, I am indebted for much valuable matter, from the abundant information which his public fituation and private treafures enable him, and inclination prompts him, to bestow. John Bacon, Efq. of the First-Fruits office, and John Caley, Esq. keeper of the Augmentation office, have antici pated my intention of fearching their re corda |