Cup presented to James I. at Coventry.

CUP PRESENTed to King JAMES I.

"The Cup, 45 oz. Making and graving the arms at 10s. per oz. The Case

114

Cups, &c. presented by the Citizens of Coventry.

Mayor presented to her a double-gilt silver Cup, three quarters of a yard high, which cost the City 29/. 16s. 8d. Lord Harington helped the Princess to receive it, the Cup being too heavy for her to hold. The Princess then returned to Combe Abbey. Two fat oxen were also given to the Princess, which cost 18. It was at this mansion that the Gunpowder Plot conspirators proposed to seize her in the following year. Her brother Henry, with a train of nobility, came to Coventry in 1611, and were entertained at St. Mary's Hall; 50l. were given to him.

1617, Sept. 2, a gold cup was given to James I. (as described before). The charter by which the Mayor and Cor. poration of Coventry now act, was granted by James I. in 1621; but he refused to do so, until he was certified by the Bishop of the diocese of the conformity of the inhabitants of Coventry to the rules of the Church, viz. kneeling at the Sacrament; about which, at that time, there was a dispute. This King also gave directions for the establishment of a military garden in Coventry. There is a halflength painting of this Monarch in St. Mary's Hall.

1640. It was intended to have given Charles I. a purse with 200 pieces, and the Prince a purse with 100 pieces, if they came to Coventry. The money was collected, but afterwards returned, by order of the Committee of Seques

trators.

1660. The Corporation sent to Charles II. a silver bason and ewer, with 50 pieces of gold.

Cup presented to James II.

On Sept. 1, 1687, James II. came to Coventry, and was met by the Mayor, &c. He was presented with a

[Aug.

Cup and cover of massy gold, weighing about 3 lb. which cost 1717. 17s. Öd. On one side were engraved the King's Arms; and on the other, the Elephant and Castle, (the arms of the City of Coventry). On the top of the cover was a Royal crown. The King received it, and then gave it to Lord Dartmouth, the Master of the Horse, saying, "I would have your Lordship receive this Cup and Cover, as a mark of the City of Coventry's concern for your father." During the time of the civil wars, it appears that Col. W. Legge (his Lordship's father) was confined in Coventry Gaol, after being taken prisoner at the battle of Worcester, but from whence he finally escaped. The King went to St. Michael's Church, where he touched nearly 300 people for the evil, and then retired to St. Mary's Hall to dinner, where he was entertained with sea and river fish, and sweetmeats, it being Friday. The King, it seems, was highly diverted at the accidental fall of one of the tables, which mingied the fish and sweetmeats together among the company! The King then left the City, and pursued his journey towards Banbury.

From this time the Corporation discontinued the practice of giving away Cups. Other Cups of less value, sums of money, &c. were given to noblemen, &c. at various periods, but which are unnecessary here to particularize.

Mr. URBAN,

W. READER.

Aug. 8. BEING lately on an excursion into

Devonshire, to view some of the numerous natural beauties with which that county (almost above all others) abounds, I was attracted to the parish of Holne, on the verge of Dartmoor, as that parish is resorted to by all tourists, from its romantic and highly picturesque scenery, the river Dart, which rises only a few miles above it in the mountainous moor, beautifully meandering in its serpentine course among the woods and rocks with which it abounds.

As is my general custom, I visited the parish church, which I found extremely neat, and in good order, paved with large blocks of granite, here termed, from their natural bed, moor-stone. I was more particularly struck with the rare enrichments of its antient pulpit, of which I send you a sketch." It

1828.]

Account of Holne, Devonshire.-Consumption.

is beautifully carved, gilt, and highly ornamented, and around it are various coats of arms. *

This is one of the few antient and enriched wooden pulpits in the county of Devon, which are particularized by Mr. Lysons in his Magna Britannia.

Holne, or (as it is sometimes written) Holme, takes its name (according to Mr. Polwhele) from the abundance of large holly or holm trees, which grow in the chace, and not elsewhere.

The manor, and almost the whole of the parish, is the property of Sir Bourchier Wrey, bart.; and the late baronet a few years since erected a moderately sized villa, situated in a most delightful spot in the park, on the banks of the Dart. The principal seat of the family is at Tawstock near Barnstaple, where is a mansion-house, on the banks of the river Taw, sur passed by few (if any) in the county, surrounded by richly varied ground, and ornamented with stately and mag

nificent trees.

The manor of Holne and Holne Chace were formerly part of the ba rony of Barnstaple, and passed (with Tawstock) successively to the Audleys and the Bourchiers (Lords Fitzwarren and Earls of Bath), from whom they descended to the present possessor,

"Here (says Risdon) Edulph antiently, then Otheline, inherited half a hide of land. After him, William Bozun, since Nicholas de la Yeo."

It appears from an inquisition that the manor was possessed by Henry Earl of Bath in the year 1644.

The Wreys are not only among the most ancient and respectable families in the county of Devon, but can boast even of Royal blood, being descended from King Edward the Third.

The Church of Holne was appropriated to the neighbouring rich Abbey of Buckfast; and the impropriation, as well as the patronage of the vicarage, are now vested in the Rev. Samuel Lane, M.A. the present Vicar. It came to him by descent from the Nosworthys, whose ancestor obtained it by marriage with the heiress of Hunt. I cannot finish this letter to you without mentioning an important fact, which it may be interesting and be

We are sorry that in the sketch sent by our Correspondent, the coats are not suffieiently made out. We shall be glad to receive a more particular account before the engraving is published. EDIT.

115

neficial to the public to know. It relates to the exemption of the inhabitants of Dartmoor and its vicinage from pulmonary complaints. It is said that in the parishes bordering upon Dartmoor, particularly in the south-east quarter, viz. the parishes of Holne, Buckland, Widdicombe, &c. &c. that dreadful malady, the consumption, which, like a canker-worm, silently and gradually undermines youth and beauty, is there wholly unknown and there has not been an instance, in the memory of the oldest persons living, of its originating in the pure air of that district.

It is well known that great numbers of consumptive patients are sent every year from all parts of the kingdom to certain towns on the sea coast, both in Devon and Cornwall, but it is not perhaps duly considered how small the proportion is of those who return to their homes benefited, and how many are left corpses in the church or church-yard of the place where they have sojourned.

It is not intended to suggest that, after the terrible disorder has been well rooted, a removal to the air of Dartmoor would effect a cure; but that, in its incipient state, that tone and vigour might be imparted to the constitution, which would stop the progress of the malady. It might be preventive, but not remedial. Venienti occurrite morbo.

This communication is made to you, Sir, in the hope that it may attract the notice and attention of some medical gentleman, who may be induced to make further inquiry, and ascertain the facts stated. Dr. Jenner's acute mind was first led to Vaccination by an accidental observation. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

T

VIATOR.

Cork, July 30. HE very imperfect and unsatisfactory manner in which the ancient Coinage of Scotland has been illustrated, must often have been matter of surprise to those who take an inte rest in this study, particularly when it is considered that Scotland abounds with literary talent, and has at least its proportion of eminent antiquaries. The limited extent of this series of coins, which only commences in the 12th century, may render it perhaps not so interesting as those of many other countries; and the imperfect and confused Acts of Parliament on this sub

116

Mr. Lindsay on the Coinage of Scotland..

ject must deter many from a closer investigation. The series, however, considering its extent, is undoubtedly a most interesting one, embracing a great variety of coins and places of mintage; and that it has met with so little attention, has been matter of regret to many of our intelligent writers. The works of Anderson, Snelling, and Cardonnel, are all of them very imperfect; and even taken together, would not present us with any thing near the information which might be afforded; for, even in Ireland, I have met with a number of specimens, not noticed by any of these writers; and we may well suppose that a still greater number must exist in Scotland. I cannot hope that the few observations I have been able to make, will remove many of the difficulties with which this branch of our national antiquities seems embarrassed; but they may be of some use to those who shall undertake what is so much wanting, a detailed and circumstantial account of the Scottish Coin

age.

and

Whether any coins have been discovered of earlier date than those of William the Lion, seems very questionable; those published by Anderson and Snelling, bearing mullets on the reverse, all probably belong to Alexander II. both from the mullets which do not occur on the first coins of William; and the form of the cross, the type of the heads, which strongly resemble the later coins of William, and the early ones of Alexander II.; nor have I seen any coin, or engraving of one, which had any appearance of being earlier than William, except those published by Snelling, p. 41, Nos. 3, 4, 5, as coins of the Isle of Man, the last of which is also published by Pinkerton, vol. 11. pl. 1, No. 10; these have been supposed, and I think with much probability, to be Scottish, from their resemblance to the first coinage of William. The let ters DOM appear legible on the obverse of No. 5, and I should be inclined to appropriate it to Donald or Domnald, who reigned in 1093-94, did not the types appear rather of the time of Stephen or Henry II. There was also a King of the Isle of Man named Donald, who reigned about the same time as the Scottish Donald; but the same objection would prevent our assigning it to him; it is indeed possible that the above letters may have

it

[Aug.

been intended for Dominus, and that may have been struck by John, when Dominus Hyberniæ, as the reverse of this coin is very like that of the halfpence inscribed Johannes Dom. ;" but I am certainly more inclined to attribute it to Scotland.No. 2, published by Snelling, in the same plate, is probably an ill-struck coin of William.

WILLIAM THe Lion.

The coins of this prince are very numerous, and present us with many varieties of type, some of which are given by Snelling, and some by Cardonnel; the first fifteen numbers published by the latter had not been discovered when Snelling wrote his account of the Scottish coinage; but it seems rather extraordinary, that many of those published by Snelling are not noticed by Cardonnel, particularly those having heads regarding the left; the latter writer even says, that this King's profile invariably regards the right: and although he may have intended to apply this observation only to his first coinage, he has, in speaking of the second coinage, noticed those only on which the head regards the right; there can be no doubt, however, that some of this King's coins bear the head to the left. I have, indeed, in my own collection one different from those published by any of the writers on this subject; it bears on the obverse, the King's head to the left, without any sceptre, and has on the head a crown of five pearls, surmounted by a cross of four, and the legend

LE REII: WILAM; and on the reverse, a short double cross, and four hexagonal mullets, similar to Nos. 16, 17, Cardonnel, and the legend

RAVL: ON: ROCIEIBV; it is in fine preservation, and weighs 224 grs. On the first 15 numbers of Cardonnel, nearly the same type appears, and on That this was his first coinage, or at most the legend LE REII WILAM. least that it was earlier than that of any of his other coins which have been discovered, is almost certain, not only from the reasons assigned by Cardonnel, viz. that this money was probably struck by foreign artificers sent over during the King's imprisonment in Normandy, which event occurred at the large sum of 40,000 marks for the an early period of his reign, to coin King's ransom, and that four of the