XXXIV. THE FIRST WINTER MEETING. 



published by Percival Stockdale in quarto in 179i, after the premature death of 

 the author. By the kindness of Mr. H. C. Forrester, of Shaftesbury, I am able 

 to exhibit a copy of this collection. There is an extravagant and laudatory 

 introduction of 12 pages to the 13 pieces by Mr. Stockdale, with allusions to 

 Parnassus, Demosthenes, &c., prefaced by four lines of epitaph : 



" The sylvan nymphs with flowers adorned his hearse, 

 Ere time and culture had matured his verse ; 

 Yet had his breast inhaled Sol's purest ray, 

 His morn of life announced a beauteous day." 



The odes are addressed to the nightingale, the redbreast, the wood lark, 

 morning, evening, night, &c. Two are of local interest to the Eiver Stour, 

 with allusion to Fielding ; and another upon Eastbury, the huge mansion of Bubb 

 Dodington. 



About 500 copies were subscribed for, and the book was considered worthy of a 

 pretty vignette by Stothard. I cannot be audacious enough to question the 

 opinion of such a literary celebrity as Percival Stockdale on the merits of the 

 poetry. On page 5 of the introduction it is stated that the beautiful and 

 romantic scenes in the environs of his native town were his poetical academy his 

 tutor the genius of the groves, &c., and it mentions in this connection that he had 

 made great progress in the art of drawing, and that his " View of Shaftesbury " 

 was engraved and much admired. I have gathered these few notes of "In 

 Memoriam," thinking that some of our Members would appreciate this bringing 

 together of the finest samples of the brush and pen of a little known Dorset artist 

 and poet. 



MISCELLANEOUS EXHIBITS. Three bones presented to the 

 Museum by Mrs. Gillingham, Mr. HUDLESTON thought to be 

 portions of antlers of the red deer. Captain ACLAND, as 

 honorary secretary and curator of the County Museum, expressed 

 the thanks of the Council to the Field Club, which often helped 

 them to acquire objects of interest for the Museum. The HON. 

 SEC. exhibited an old engraving of the Landslip at Lyme, sent 

 by the Rev. J. Cross. It was published in a little diary for the 

 year 1847. Canon RAVENHILL placed on the table specimens 

 of peat and decayed wood which he saw on November 6th, 

 brought up from a depth of 20 feet below the ground at 

 Winchester Cathedral, where a diver was engaged in laying 

 concrete in water at that depth. Lieut.-Colonel MAINWARING 

 produced a specimen of a honeysuckle, Lonicera Quinquelocularis^ 



