of his miffon, been misreprefented to the Pope, and his brother cardinals, inafmuch as it had been stated to them that he had not, during his refidence in France, properly fupported the dignity of his office. He found, however, no difficulty in repelling this charge, and, it appears, fo much to the fatisfaction of the Pontiff, that he in the fame year elevated him to the dignity of Cardinal Bishop of Prænefte. Wittelfey, Archbishop of Canterbury, dying in July 1374, the Brotherhood of Christ Church, who retained a grateful remembrance of the Cardinal's generofity to them, made a poftulation + for him, which gave great offence to the King, he having, as has been stated, fuperfeded him, and it was not without confiderable difficulty and expence to them that Edward was induced to remit the fentence of banishment which he had pronounced against them for their infolence. For once the Pope coincided with the Monarch, and allowed his interference in the affairs of the Church to be neceffary. Gregory would not confirm the poftula tion. His reafon for this refufal is faid to have been, because Langham was fo able and indefatigable a man in bufinefs, that in the delicate fituation of the affairs of the Holy See his prefence was abfolutely neceflary at Avignon 1. The year 1375 was rendered remarkable by the mortality occafioned by the plague in England: in confequence of which the Cardinal obtained from the Pope two bulls, granting to all thofe that died penitently within fix months fubfequent to their date, full pardon for * Anglia Sacra, vol. i. p. 794. all fins whatfoever; a claufe which, it will be understood, did not generally enter into those inftruments, because there were many fins exempted from the abfolution of ordinary priefts, and referved to Bishops, or even to the Pope himfelf, to pardon. It appears by fome letters which pafled upon the occafion, and which are still extant, that the attention of Langham was next engaged in founding fome chantries at Kilburn, the monaftery of which was a cell to that of Saint Peter, and alfo in rebuilding the church at the former place. Towards endowing this edifice he gave 1000 marks, to purchase an eftate of forty marks per annum; and for rebuilding the weft part of the Abbey at Westminster, 600 marks. So much was the heart of the Cardinal fet upon the completion of these and fome other architectural defigns, that when the Pope began to make preparation to leave Avignon, and to transfer the Holy See again to Rome, he took every opportunity to fhew his averfion to going thither, and had actually made overtures, through the medium of his friends at Court, to foothe and reprefs the indignation of his Monarch, and to procure for himself an invitation to England. This invitation did arrive at Avignon; but, alas at a time when it could be of no use to the Cardinal; for while the negotiation was pending, he received a paralytic ftroke as he fat at dinner, under the confequences of which he languifhed two days, and then expired. This event happened July 22, 1376. His body was, according to the direction of his will, first depofited in a new-built church of A poftulation, in the Roman Church, was the nomination of a perfon to fome facerdotal dignity, who was, in a certain degree, difqualified, either by being under age, of a mean family, or, as was the cafe of Langham, already in the poff ffion of fame ecclefiaftical benefice and dignity which the Monarch thought incompatible with Archiepifcopal elevation. When this happened, the brotherhood poftulated, that is, befought the perfon to whom the confirmation belonged to approve of the election, although not strictly canonical. It will be recollected, that as early as the year 1180 there arose a fchifm in the Church of Rome which harraffed and difturted Italy for more than three centuries. During this contention the eppofite parties, who affumed the names of Guelphs and Gibelines each. in their turns, encouraged pretenders to the Popecom. The Pontifical See, in confequence of the distraction which reigned at Rome, was removed to Avignon, where the Pope refided more than feventy years. It was tranflated to the former place by Gregory the Eleventh, about the year 1378.-Blonde.-Sigonius, &c. Ad Marimuth Continuatio, p. 132. Archives. In his will, the probate or copy of which, it has been obferved, is still preserved in the Archives, we find the following bequest to the monaftery of Kilburn: "Item, Monafterio Monalium de Kelbourne, Londonienfis Diocefis, lego unum veftemintum viride cum tunica et dalmatica quod erat coc. in capella." Ii2 the the Carthufians, near the place of his "SIMON DE LANGHAM fub petris his Iftius ecclefiæ Monachus fuerat, Prior, Abbas, atque Nuncius ex parte Papæ tranfmittitur ifthuc. Magdalenæ fefto, millenó feptuageno By his will he bequeathed a large donation to the fupport of the fabric of the Abbey at Westminster. The whole of his benefactions to this place, including the fums he paid to difcharge the debts of his predeceffors, and what he gave in his life-time for the celebration of his anniverfary, to found chantries, and to the fabric, amounted to the enormous fum of 10,800l. as we learn from the fubfequent verfes : "Res Æs de Langham tua Simon funt data " quondam, "Octingentena librarum millia dena." The character of this Prelate, as given by Flete †, is, "that he was a man of great capacity, very wife, and very eloquent:" a character which, even allowing for the prejudice of Monachifm toward 'fo eminent a benefactor to the Church, will not be difputed, if we confider also that he filled fome of the highest departments of the State, under a Monarch who is, by all hiftorians, allowed to have Hunc Deus abfolvat de cunctis quæ male been as eminent for his wifdom and dif geffit, Et meritis matris fibi calica guadia donet." Part of the profe infcription on the verge of his tomb is ftill legible, and the following recital of his preferments and dignities is to be traced: "Hic jacet Dominus SIMON DE LANGHAM quondam Abbas hujus loci. Thefaurarius Angliæ, electus London. Ep. Elien. Cancellar. Angliæ, Archiep. Cantuar, Presbyter Cardinalis et poftea cernment as he was for his courage and military glory. The laws that were made, the countries that were conquered, the heroic actions that were performed, both by armies and individuals, and the magnificence that was, in confequence of thole actions, difplayed by the citizens Edward the Third was a period when London, ferve to fhew that the reign of this nation had arrived at a height of eftimation in the European fcale which it hath never fince attained therefore the of *The charge of his funeral, exclufive of the expence of his tomb, was near 1ool. + As this writer has been often quoted, it may be neceffary to obferve, that John Flete, the fecond hiftorian of the Abbey (Sulcardus was the first), became a Monk about the year 1421, and died Prior of the Monaftery in 1464. He wrote his hiftory at the request of the Erotherhood, and intended to have continued it down to the year 1443 many other authors, he had intended more than he was able to perform, or that part of the But whether, like work is loft, is uncertain. What is now extant defcends no lower than 1386. Of the opulence of the citizens of London at this early period of commerce an instance occurs that is not to be paralleled in any history in the circumftance of Sir Henry Picard, a vintner, having the fingular honour of entertaining, in the year 1363, in one day, four Kings, viz. Edward the Third, John King of France, David King of Scots, and the King of Cyprus. This perfon had been Lord Mayor in the year 1357, and the feaft was given at his house in the Vintry, at which Edward Prince of Wales, and many of the Nobility, also attended. Sir Henry Picard, upon this occafion, kept his hall for all comers that were willing to play at dice and hazard, and Lady Margaret kept her chamber to the fame effect. This folemnity is mentioned as the most glorious that had ever been seen. went in grand proceffion; the Mayor and Aldermen met them in their formalities ; The Kings, &c. the city pageants were displayed; and in the streets through which they paffed the Citizens hung out plate, tapestry, ar.nour, &c.—Barnes, p. 526. Stow, p. 165. Lon. 1618. advancement advancement of fuch a man as Langham to the most principal pofts in adminiftration, while it reflects honour upon the character of the monarch, is equally creditable to that of the Minifter. But if a further confirmation was wanted of the abilities and integrity of the Cardinal, it is to be difcovered by obferving the good difpofition of two Popes, whofe genius and talents eminently qualified them for the ftation they filled, and thole turbulent times in which they lived, toward him. Urban and Gregory, who feem to have been born to foothe the paffions and foften the afperity of two factions, the molt ungovernable both in their principles and actions, found, in their endeavours to curb and reprefs the licentiouinefs of nu merous hordes of fierce, enthufiaftical, and armed polemics, an able affiftant in Langham; nay, perhaps, his mildnefs, fuperior learning, and unbounded liberality, might have been greatly inftrumental in forwarding that reconciliation which was nearly effected at the time of his deceale. liaving, therefore, faid thus much in his commendation, let me, to fum up the whole, obferve, that the pen of malignity has not, in tracing the courfe of his active life, been able to affix the flighteft ftigma upon his character, except in the affair of Wickliff. And who, at this distance of time, can fay, that he might not, in the tenets of the latter, difcern principles inimical to his crder, or indeed to his church? Self prefervation is the great law of nature. To that tendency may be attributed many of the actions of mankind that are morally, nay religiously, repre henfible: therefore, blessed is the memory of that man, but fupremely bleffed the memory of that Minifter, of whom his pofterity may fay, that he has, in a long and bufy period of existence, committed but one fault, been only accused of one error 1 LYCOPHRON'S CASSANDRA. L. 1181. Ψευδήριον δὲ νησιωτικός ετόνυξ THE fubject of this prophecy is Hecuba, the wife of Priam. She was ftoned to death by Ulyffes, whofe captive the became after the taking of Troy. He, to expiate his crime, and appease the manes of the murdered queen, was warned by Hecate in a dream to erect a cenotaph on cape Pachynus, and to pour libations on the tomb near the banks of Helorus. A cenotaph was raised at both places, viz. at the cape and near the river, not many miles diftant from each other, on the fouthern coat of Sicily. Canter, who follows the fcholiaft, has rendered πρόσθεν by ante, as if it were a preponition that governs dpwv. But wood is here taken, as in other places, adverbially, and connects with ixTpious in this abfolute form; Tλpovo: foode izTeppins. For the last ceremony that was performed at the tomb was the fprinkling, or pouring libations over it. This ceremony was delayed fome days after the other rites of fepulture were performel. Therefore Callandra adds, Odroid's φανεῖ χράς, τλήμονος Εκάβης ΠΡΟΣΘΕΝ Tipsμávne. PetSavis governed of axtars its preceding fubltantive ; παρ ἀκταῖς ξείθρων Ελώρου. The line Oς δήfhould be placed, as it is here, i mediately after the line Tai-. This tranfpofition fhews the connexion of these lines with each other. For the relative, refpects the antecedent fubftantive του δεσπότου, The grammatical hid in TOTÉÍUIS. order fems to be this : Πάχυνος δὲ, νησιών τικὸς στόνυξ, ἔξει σεμνὸν ψευδήριον, ώγκω μένον, ἐξ ὀνειράτων, ταῖς ὠλέναις τοῦ δεσπότου [Οδυσσέως], ὃς δὴ φανεῖ χοάς πας ακταῖς δείθρων Ελώρου, πλήμιος ['Exains] móc der ixrepoμeme. i. e. Pachynus verò, infularis icopilus, habebit venerandum cenotaphium, aggeftum, e fomniis, manibus heri [Ulyffis], qui quidem fundet libamina juxta iipas fluen torum Helori, miterà [Hecuba] prius exequiis donatâ. Thus the tente of the pallage, and the conftruction of the words, are reicued from that cbicruity, in which interpreters, as well they who commented as they who tranflated, have involved it. E. THE LONDON REVIEW AND LITERARY JOURNAL, FOR OCTOBER 1797. QUID SIT PULCHRUM, QUID TURPE, QUID UTILE, QUID NON. An authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China; including curfory Obfervations made, and Information obtained, in travelling through that ancient Empire, and a small part of Chinese Tartary.Together with a Relation of the Voyage undertaken on the Occafion, by his Majesty's Ship the Lion, and the Ship Hindoftan, in the East India Company's Service, to the Yellow Sea, and Gulph of Pekin; as well as of their return to Europe; with Notices of the feveral Places where they stopped in their Way out and home; being the Ilands of Madeira, Teneriffe, and St. Jago; the Port of Rio de Janeiro, in South America; the Iflands of St. Helena, Triftan d' Acunha, and Amiterdam; the Coaft of Java, and Sumatra, the Nanka, Pulo-Condore, and CochinChina. Taken chiefly from the Papers of his Excellency the Earl of Macartney, Knight of the Bath, his Majefty's Embaffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of China; Sir Erafinus Gower, Commander of the Expedition, and of other Gentlemen in the feveral Departments of the Embafly. By Sir George Staunton, Bart. Honorary Doctor of Laws of the University of Oxford, Fellow of the Royal Society of London, his Majesty's Secretary of Embafly to the Emperor of China, and Minifter Plenipotentiary in the abfence of the Embaffador. In Three Vels. London. G. Nicell, Bock feller to his Majefty, Pall Mall. 1797. THE public has been long in expecta tion of this work, but not without difcovering its impatience. Though the directors of the mechanical part of it declared repeatedly in the public papers, that it was advancing with all convenient expedition, a publication, almoft without a name, pafed rapidly into three editions, which, as it was afferted merely, without any evidence in the firft inftance, had most of its materials fupplied by fome humble affociate of the expedition. The immenfe extent of that empire concerning which thefe Volumes treat, the regard due to its antiquity, its ftate of voluntary disjunction and feparation from the reft of the habitable globe, the rare and ufeful articles of commerce and manufacture with which it abounds, the overflowing and unexampled population which it teems with in every part, and above all the wifdom of thofe laws, and of that admini. firation, which has produced thofe won derful effects, by methods wholly untried by, and indeed unknown to the inhabitants of Europe, have all united to ftimulate, at the fame time that they justified general curiosity, That we may delay our readers as lit tle as poffible from that information cor.cerning this publication which they have a right to expect from us, we shall say merely, that it is divided into Chapters; to each of which is prefixed, a full table of contents; that the nautical part is fup. plied by Sir Erafmus Gower, the natural hiftory by Dr. Gillan and Mr. Barrow; the former chiefly confining himself to the foffil kingdom, the latter to the vegetable and animal. To Mr. Barrow alio the book is indebted for fome important geographical details. The military architecture and history which is found in this work is furnished by Captain Parish, who has given the moft exact account that is now to be found in Europe of that ftupendous and original monument of antiquity, be wall of China. The por tions of this undertaking that have been fupplied by the chief conductor of the expedition are not diftin&tly pointed out, unless the directions for the behaviour of his people on their arrival on thefe almost untrodden fhores, may be confidered as coming from his hand. They are probably, probably, like the rest of the book, the joint production of himself and the Secretary of Emhaffy; in which the great man may not always defire to be obferved, even where he is actually prefent ; eminent perfons of the prefent day differing, in this refpect, from thofe of antiquity, that they feem more fearful of the cenjure that may fall than defirous of the praife that is conferred on authors. As we proceed in our account of this work, we shall refer occafionally to “Bell's Travels," fo far as they are concerned with the fame tracts. This is a book of merit and reputation, and may often ferve to confirm and to explain, if not to overturn, doubtful facts. I know not that it would be reasonable altogether to overlook Æneas Anderton's "Narrative of the British Embassy to China.” Multum ille, like his predeceffor of Troy, et terris jactatus et alto; and though not yet honoured with the notice of his digwified partners in the expedition, he can now join to the general patronage of the public the Right Honourable Colonel in whofe regiment be ferves, and to whom his book is now dedicated. re The fubject of the First Chapter of Sir George Staunton's work is, the Occafion of the Embally. He confiders in this chapter the privileges granted by the Chinele Government to the Portuguefe, who were the first Europeans that visited China by fea. Favour alfo was fhewn to the Dutch, in confequence of affiltance fupplied by them for the duction of a formidable enemy, named Cofhing-Ga, whofe, fleets infetted the caltern coafts of China towards the middle of the last century. Many unfavourable impreffions in the mean time were excited against the English in the minds of the Chinefe. On occafion of fome compliment or rejoicing, the guns which were fired by one of thofe British veffels which navigate between India and Canton kilJed, for want of fufficient precaution, 700 Chinese in a boat near the vellel in the river of Canton. The Viceroy of the province inftantly demanded the perfon of the gunner who committed the fact; and being prepoffelfed by an i opinion of the English, who were reprefented by their European rivals in trade as prone to every kind of wickedness, seized on one of the principal fupercargoes, to fecure his main object. Each party appeared in arms, and in confiderable force; and nothing but the delivery of the unhappy gunner could avert the mischief. So ftrong, from various caufes, have been the prejudices of the Chinese against this country, that nothing but a fuccef. fion of British fubjects, refiding in a dignified ftation at Pekin, whofe cautious conduct and courteous manners would be calculated to gain the esteem of the upper, and refpect of the lower claffes of the Chinese, feemed likely to produce the confidence necefiary to a defirable alliance with them. The admittance of fuch, however, in the first instance, muft be a matter of fome difficulty and hazard. A British fubject in the fervice of the East India Company, who had attained the language of the country, was punished by prets order from Pekin, for having attempted to penetrate to that capital, his fuperiors, a memorial of grievances with a view of prefenting, in obedience to from the British factory. It was prefumed that better fuccefs might attend an Envoy of rank, invested with a Royal commiffion; and it behoved the Adminiftration of this country to felect a perfon of tried prudence, as well as of long experience in diftant Courts and countries, to enter upon a business of fuch difficulty and delicacy; and who would be contented with his fecuring future fuccefs, without enjoying the fplendour of inftant advantages. the Preparations for the Embassy; and The subject of Chapter the Second is of thefe the most interesting parts relate to the measures taken to procure fuitable Chinese Interpreters. By the means of Cadinal Antonelli, prefect of the congregapowerful recommendation were obtained tion for propagating the faith, letters of to the Italian Miflionaries in China, as well as to the Curators of the Chinese College at Naples. The College at this capital was found to contain feveral young men from China. Some had already refided in that College many years; and the Latin and Italian languages were fufficiently familiar to them. Due care had been at the fame time taken, that they fhould not, by difufe, forget their own; they being all intended for the priesthood. By the afliftance of Sir William Hamilton, his Majefty's Minister at Naples, two Chinese, of amiable manners, and perfectly qualified to interpret between their native language and the Latin or Italian, which the Ambaffador underfood, accompanied the Secretary of Embaffy on his return to England, in May 1792, in order to embark for China. They began early to be of use in fuggefting, from what they recollected of their own country, fome of the fitte!! |