1524.] Curious Ring found at ban, contains in it more than may meet the eye. The worthy Phrenologists who may assist me, inay be able to produce the greatest national good, if they are able (like the skilful Mr. Buckland in his department) to class the different skulls in this nation, what a happy, united, well-directed, and powerful people should we become! We should not then have such confusion as we now have among the species and genera of Britons. We should no longer see in the House of Commons skulls misplaced, and those of a lower class arranging themselves with the Cannings and the Broughams of the day, interposing and confusing their brilliant endeavours. We should no longer see so many gardeners, farmers, whippers-in, and huntsmen, assuming the black coat for life. We should not then behold millers and shoe-makers leaving their proper occupations to teach what they do not understand: they would then see that, whatever be their "zeal, it is not according to knowledge." Should the science of Phrenology succeed, and be thus applied, we should no longer view good cobblers spoilt by each one taking on himself a variety of occupation, as druggist, apothecary, man-midwife, surgeon, and physician. Among the species Legislator too, genus lawyer, attorney, solicitor (they have themselves caused this confusion in the generic term), Phrenology might effectually do away that intermixture of character resembling their writing, being "black" and "white." In short, Mr. Urban, there is no knowing what good, public and private, may ensue from the science of Phrenology. I am sure, then, so liberal and zealous a promoter of the public good as you have shewn yourself to be, that you will give the science every encouragement, that you will refrain from any more turnip-anecdotes, till the Phrenologists have arranged and disposed of the skulls of the nation, and those of my family among the rest. Yours, &c. SOMERTON. Mr. URBAN, Leicester, April 2. SHORT time since, as a labourer A was at work in a field in the lordship of Enderby, in this county (about three miles from hence), he found an antique ring, which, upon minute inspection, proves to be of no ordinary interest. It weighs about an Enderby, co. Leicester. 303 ounce and an half, and is composed of the purest gold. In the centre (on the outside) is a small diamond, having the initials "O. C." in old English characters on each side of it; two rubies of large dimensions are affixed on the right and left of the diamond, and the tout ensemble produces a brilliant effect. In the inside of the ring, the words "for a Cause" appear engraved in the same characters as the initials; the circumference of the ring is about four inches, and its depth half an inch or thereabouts. The probability is, that this ring once belonged either to Cromwell him self, or to one of his leading officers. The following reasons incline me to think that it was the property of a Parliamentarian general, or officer. The place where it was discovered is in the immediate neighbourhood of the quarters occupied by the Parliamenta rian army at the re-taking of Leicester, in June 1645. During the whole of the months of May and June, in that year, the country in and about Leicester was completely scoured by the forces engaged in the civil wars of that eventful period; and we learn that after the fatal conflict at Naseby, the Parliamentarian forces pursued King Charles's army to within a short distance of Leicester, which place was in a few days afterwards delivered up by Lord Hastings (the Royalist Governor) to Sir Thomas Fairfax. It does not exactly appear whether Cromwell ever entered Leicester, but that he was in the immediate neighbourhood there is no doubt; and (it has been said) he visited for a few hours the seat of his old and tried friend, Sir Arthur Hazlerigg, at Noseley in this county. The most probable conjecture is, that the ring to which I have called the attention of your readers, was dropped in the hurry of pursuit or removal by some distinguished Parliamentarian officer. This conjecture is rather strengthened by the circumstance, that the leading and influential characters resident in and about Enderby at the period of the civil wars, were staunch Royalists, whose properties and neighbourhood would therefore be more exposed to the ravages of the enemy's forces upon the dreadful change which so suddenly took place in the fortunes of the misled but muchinjured Charles. I am quite aware that the heads of county 304 Curious Ring.-The late Lord Erskine. county families, attached to the Republican cause, provided themselves with rings emblematick of their sentiments on the triumph of the Commonwealth, and that others, holding different opinions, followed the example at the Restoration; but for the reasons I have stated, I think the Enderby Ring is not one of these, and indeed its dimensions and general character stamp it en militaire. There may be others extant of a similar description, but I have never seen nor heard of any, and I shall be obliged by the assistance of any of your Antiquarian Correspondents in the investigation *. The ring worn in remembrance of King Charles I. (mentioned in vol. XCIII. p. 36) would form a singularly interesting companion to the one lately discovered. It is impossible for the mind to contemplate the different impulses under which these reminiscences were framed, without being insensibly led to a recollection of those eventful times when all that was great and good, sacred and venerable, fell a prey to a spirit of enterprise, fostered indeed in some measure by ideas of mistaken prerogative, but engendered in the restless vigour of ardent and active minds, propelled by the applause of a multitude fond of change, and jealous of monarchy. While the ring of Charles teaches us on the one hand, that there are situations in which a most amiable Man and conscientious Prince may err, and that there are privileges and assertions of rights, which however valid in the abstract, it would be unwise under peculiar circumstances to insist upon, the ring of Cromwell guards us on the other, against the shoals and quicksands of that popularity which no sooner elevates those who have attained it, than it renders them objects of envy and supicion to the very men who have been the instruments of their advancement. The tree of liberty can alone flourish under the genial influence of a limited monarchy; in other soils it may appear luxuriant for a time, but its luxuriance is ephemeral, I should account myself guilty of great ingratitude, were I not to take this opportunity of returning my sincere thanks to the present representative of the Cromwell family, for his very kind and polite attention to some recent enquiries of mine. [April, and the certain precursor of its decay. Those who ought to watch its growth and trim its branches, are too busily engaged in schemes of personal aggrandizement and influence to regard it, and it eventually falls a prey to the ruling but transitory dominion of some prevalent Faction, the members of which are not unlikely to employ it as materials for the scaffold or the guillotine. No man ever died more thoroughly convinced of the absolute necessity of monarchy than Cromwell; no one had more cause to complain of his early associates; and an attentive examination of the various biographical memoirs of that extraordinary character, and of the times in which he lived, forms, in my humble judgment, one of the most interesting as well as instructive studies, to which an Englishman, anxious to entertain a just estimate of the blessings he now enjoys, can devote himself. J. STOCKDALE HARDY. Mr. URBAN, April 3. IN your last volume, p. 553, you gave a good memoir of the public life of that shining meteor at the English bar, the late Lord Erskine. My present communication will have reference to his private affections. You state correctly that he married March 29, 1770, Frances daughter of Daniel Moore, Esq. M. P. for Great Marlow, by whom he had a numerous family; and go on to say, Erskine, before the cloud that overhung "The part sustained by the late Mrs. their first entrance into life dissipated, is highly honourable to her feelings; she accompanied her husband to Minorca, followed his fortunes with the most cheerful constancy, and while he was engaged in the pursuits of a most laborious profession, never suffered any pleasure or amusement to interrupt her in the assiduous discharge of her domestic duties.” The affection between Lord Erskine and this Lady, is strongly marked in his will, which is dated Nov. 15, 1782, and begins in nearly these words: Being, from a sense of honour, and not from any motive of personal resentment or revenge, about to expose my life to great peril, it is a comfort to me that I have so few duties to fulfil previous to an event which may deprive me of every other opportunity of 1824.] The late Lord and Lady Erskine. of so doing."It then proceeds to enumerate certain sums, constituting the amount of the testator's property, which is stated to have been all acquired since his practice at the bar, and to be 9,0001. consols, and about 1,000l. more in bills. It is all left, with the highest expressions of confidence and affection to his wife, for herself and children, they to inherit it after her decease, in equal shares, as they attain twenty-one years of But he proage. vided, as on account of her youth she might próbably marry again, and as such an event, though by no means deprecated by him, might be incompatible with the interests of his children, that upon such second marriage the property should be transferred to his sister, Lady Anne Erskine, in trust for them as above-mentioned. A request is left to the testator's brother, the Earl of Buchan, that as his property was not sufficient to enable Mr. Erskine to educate his son David in a manner suitable to his birth, that he would make it such as they both derived from their father, improved by his own talents and experience. He only excepted from the property left as above, the ring and sleeve-buttons set with his wife's hair, in which he desired to be buried, as he usually wore them. The codicil is dated" Carleton Hotell, Pall-mall, 2d Oct. 1786," and was inade only for the purpose of confirming the contents of the will, his property since its execution having much accumulated, and for giving his children since born, and those he might in future have, an equal participation with the others in its provisions. From their remote date it is not to be wondered at that the papers are somewhat defaced and mutilated; and it will be considered remarkable that such a lapse of time and change of circumstances, should not have induced a man of legal attainments to have left a more recent declaration of his testamentary intentions. The will was registered in the Prerogative Office on the 2d of January, 1824; letters of administration with the same, and the codicil annexed, having been committed to David now Lord Erskine. The personals were sworn under 10007. 305 publicity to the following Letter, written by the learned Advocate on his recovery from a dangerous illness, as it is so generally interesting, and represents his Lady in so amiable a point of view, as his constant nurse during his tedious disorder, thus proving herself, as his Lordship afterwards expressed it in her epitaph," the most faithful and affectionate of women:" "MY DEAR SIR, Tunbridge Wells, Sept. 6*. "YOUR letter has been with me three weeks unanswered, and as you are a good-natured fellow, you will lament to hear my apology. "I received it in bed in the extremity of disease, and this is the first day I have risen from it long enough to be able to give any account of myself. a "I was seized with what appeared common toothache, which swelled my face; an attempt was made next day to draw the affected tooth, but it was not only unsuccessful, but increased the inflammation to a very high degree. Next day three immense abscesses formed near the part, one in the throat, from which I several times, by season-. able operations, narrowly escaped suffocation. The last was, indeed, a near run, for the passage closed in the night suddenly, and after lying on the floor in the agony and sweat of death for many minutes, while the surgeon was coming, I thrust Mrs. Erskine's scissars down my throat and stabbed it, which, with other favourable conjunctures, saved my life. “Ever since, the surgeon has slept in the next room to me; that is now sixteen days ago; and I sent for the famous anatomist and surgeon John Hunter, by express that night, who has been with me here ever since. When the first abscess began to digest away, a new one formed beneath my ear, and after an inflammation such as Í believe was never seen in such a part, opened into the corner of my throat by a small pipe, and has ever since, together with the other, been running into my mouth. Then came a third under my jaw, which after threatening to burst outwardly, broke likewise into my mouth. In this manner I have remained lying on one side for twenty * No year mentioned; probably about 1790, or before 1793, in which year John I hope to stand excused for giving Hunter died. .five |