1825.) 
company to enter into such a specula- 
tion, is'a question: which I ‘will not pre- 
tend to decide.—Your’s, &c. 
; James JENNINGS. 
. London, July 4, 1825. 
P.§.—Since writing the above, I have 
read it to a lady, who has very often 
kept silk-worms for her amusement; 
and She thinks that it will be very diffi- 
eult, if not impossible, to prevent the 
hatching of the worms at the usual 
period of their active animation. 
Propacation of Arrte-Trees by Suirs. 
In p. 511, allusion is made to the 
propagation of apple-trees by slips. It 
is certainly not, in Somersetshire, a 
usual methed of propagation, the codling 
excepted, which is, I believe, invariably 
propagated by slips. I am disposed to 
attribute the ready propagation of the 
codling by slips to the singular quality 
of its branches, they having very often 
about them knotty protuberances, which, 
when surrounded with earth, readily 
give out roots: if other apple-trees 
should possess the same indications, I 
should be disposed to think that they 
also might be propagated by slips. 
J. 
Ta 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Tue Late Dr. Parr. 
HE following anecdotes of the late 
learned and estimable Dr. Parr, 
while he was master of the grammar 
school at Colchester, and of a contem- 
porary of his, the Rev. Mr. Brockwell 
of facetious memory, and a man ofa 
highly respectable share of classical eru- 
dition, have, since the decease of the for- 
mer, occurred to my recollection. Many 
years since, Dr. Parr succeeded the Rev. 
and ancient Mr. Smythies, in the above 
mastership at Colchester, where several 
of the clergy and other learned gentle- 
men had an occasional meeting, or club 
for the discussion of literary subjects. 
The leading members were Dr. Parr, the 
Rey. Mr, Twining, Mr. Brockwell, and, 
I believe, Mr. Jones of Nayland. A 
dispute arose on the construction of an 
obscure. passage in Thucydides. The 
members, in turn, gave their opinions, 
Dr. Parr, last but one, but none of them 
oved. satisfactory. Mr. Brockwell 
t Soap WA the rear, and afforded an 
instant, solution of the difficulty, to the 
_ entire-satisfaction of all:present,on which 
Anecdotes of the.late Dr. Parr. 
27 
Mr. Twining exclaimed, Brockwell , is 
above par / aa 
This Brockwell, resident at Colchester, 
had the living of Abberton, near the fore 
mer. I knew him personally, and met 
him sometimes at the house of a rela- 
tive, about the year 1763. In character, 
he was somewhat Swiftian and eccentric, 
and a certain Sunday freak intitled him 
to the agnomen of pelt ’em—he was 
dubbed Parson Pelt ’em to the end of 
his days. The occasion was this. During 
a deep snow, he rode to Abberton, to 
perform the usual forenoon service. The 
bell. had tolled in nearly an hour, and 
the congregation were waiting in anxious 
expectation of their priest, and in no 
very good humour from the severity of 
the weather, when a man arrived with 
the news that he had just passed the 
object of their solicitude, sitting upon 
his horse, and looking with great appa- 
rent gratification, at two boys who were 
peiting each other with snow-balls, the 
reverend occasionally clapping his hands 
and exclaiming, “ Pelt him, boy, pelt 
him!”? This probably occurred about 
the year 1756, and as I know on the 
best authority, is really authentic. 
For the following, I cannot vouch 
with so much confidence. However, 
the jeu esprit was generally attributed 
to Brockwell. Colchester has two foun- 
dation schools, near each other; one as 
above, and one for writing and arithme- 
tic. Of this last, old Barnaby Redding, 
a severe flogger, had been master, and 
being deceased, was succeeded by his 
son, young Barnaby, who was a game 
chicken, noted for his proficiency in the 
athletic sports. On the occasion of his 
succeeding as master of the school, the 
following coupletsappeared, were handed 
about the town, and continued many 
years in remembrance of the inhabitants : 
Barnaby Redding, 
Was born of good breeding, 
For he could both fight and wrestle ;_. 
He stood by John Blyth’s, 
And he cock’d both his eyes, 
And threw a stone over the castle. 
This John Blyth, a barber, I remem- 
ber having a shop at the corner of the 
lane, leading from the high street to the 
castle; and if Barnaby really did, or 
could throw a stone to the distance 
specified, he might have passed muster 
among the slingers of Israel. He was.@ 
little man, however, as well as David, 
and having something of a strabismus, 
really did “ cock both his eyess? » 5 4.. 
CoLonTENnsis ‘SENEX,. 
E 2 
