ROMNEY. 



dexterity ; though it muft be confeftcd, that in form, it was 

 not unfrequently better adapted to fculpturc than to paint- 

 ing. His ftyle of colouring was liniple and broad. In 

 that of his flefh he was very fuccefsful ; exhibiting a great 

 variety of complexion, with much warmth and richnefs. 

 It was not always, however, that his pictures were complete 

 in the general tone ; but crude difcordant colours were fome- 

 times introduced in the back-grounds, which not being blended 

 or broken into unifon with the hue of the principal figures, 

 interrupted the harmony of the whole. The executive part 

 of his works was free, learned, and precife, without being 

 trifling or minute, pofl'efling great funplicity, and exhibit- 

 ing a purity of feeling confonant with the ftyle of his com- 

 pofitions. He aimed at the belt of all principles in the 

 imitation of nature, viz* to generalize its effects ; he even 

 carried it fo far as to fubjedt himfelf to the charge of neg- 

 ligence in the completion of his forms : but the truth of his 

 imitation is fufficiently perfeft to fatisfy the minds of thofe 

 who regard nature fyftematically, and not individually, or 

 too minutely. In a word, every lover of art who knows how 

 to appreciate truly what is moll valuable in painting, will 

 hold the name of Romney in increaling eltimation, the more 

 frequently and impartially he examiner, his productions. 



Romney, Neiu, in Geography, one of the Cinque-ports, 

 locally fituated, partly within the liberty of Romney 

 Marfli, partly within the level of Walland Marfh, and partly 

 in the lower halt hundred of St. Martin's Pountney, lathe 

 of Shepway, county of Kent, England. It is dillant 

 37 miles S.E. from Maidftone, and 71 miles S.E. by E. 

 from London. This town is defcribed as having rifen from 

 the ruins of Old Romney, at leaft a century previous to 

 the Norman conqueft. Subfequent to that event, it was 

 bellowed by king William I. on Odo, bifhop of Baieux, 

 and carl of Kent, and was declared to be privileged as one 

 of the Cinque-ports, having Old Romney, Lydd, Denge- 

 marfh, and Ofwardeftone, and part of Promhill parilh, an- 

 nexed to it as members, which were to fend out jointly five 

 veflels of war, with twenty-one men and one boy to each 

 of them. At this period, and for many years afterwards, 

 New Romney was a very flourifhing place. It was divided 

 into twelve wards, and contained within its liberty five 

 parifh churches, a priory, and an hofpital for the fick. In 

 the reign of Edward I., however, a great part of it was 

 deftroyed by a dreadful tempeit and convulfion of nature, 

 which likewife choaked up its haven, and thereby prevented 

 its revival as a commercial and fhipping town. When 

 Henry VIII. afcended the throne, the fea had retired from 

 it nearly two miles, and all its churches were demolifhed, 

 except that of St. Nicholas, which is it i 11 Handing. Henry 

 therefore united the whole liberty into one parifh, as it con- 

 tinues at the prefent day. 



In very early times the Cinque-ports were enfranchifed 

 with various privileges and cuftome, though of what anti- 

 quity they are, or v. lien fo enfranchifed, has not been de- 

 termined with any certainty ; they arc held therefore to 

 enjoy their privileges by prefcription, though thefe were 

 confirmed by Magna Charta, and Gnce by a charter of 

 king Edward I. New Romney, as one of thefe ports, is 

 confequently a corporation by prefcription ; but in Ed- 

 ward III.'s time it was incorporated by charter, firlt by 

 the ftyle of " barons of the town and port of New Rom- 

 ney," and afterwards by that of " jurats ami commonaltie 

 of the town and port of New Romney." Queen Elizabeth 

 again incorporated this town, and under her charter the 

 corporation now confills of a mayor, twelve jurats, a cham- 

 berlain, recorder, town-clerk, and twenty-fix common 

 council-men. The mayor, who is coroner by virtue of his 



office, is chofen on Lady-day, yearly ; and together with 

 the jurats who are the cxclufive julliccs within the liberty, 

 hold a court of general feffions of the peace and gaol de- 

 livery, and alfo a court of record. Romney returns two 

 members to parliament, who are ufually ftyled barons, and 

 are elefted by the mayor, jurats, and freemen. The firft 

 return mentioned on record, is in the fortv-fecond year of 

 Edward III. foon after its feparate incorporation. 



The town of Romney (lands on elevated ground in the 

 centre of a marfhy country. It confifts principally of one 

 broad well-paved Street, interfered by a fecond, in which 

 the hall or brotherhood houfe is fituated, where the mayors, 

 jurat;, and commons of the Cinque-ports, and of the two an- 

 cient towns of Rye and Winchelfea, ufually keep their court, 

 called the brotherhood ; but as it is too fmall for the pur- 

 pofe, the court called the Gueflling, or Gefling, is held in 

 the church. The market-houfe Hands in the main ilreet, 

 and is a modern ftrutture. The day on which the market 

 is held is Saturday, weekly ; befides which there is an an- 

 nual fair on the 22d of Auguft. The church of St. 

 Nicholas is an ancient ftrutture, and confifts of three aifles 

 and three chancels, with a fquare tower at its weftern ex- 

 tremity. The columns feparating the aides are mafiive, and 

 fupport circular arches with zigzag and billeted mouldings. 

 The welt door-way under the tower is likewife formed by 

 a circular arch, Gmilarly ornamented. Within this edifice 

 is a gre^t variety of monumental erections, chiefly in 

 memory of perfons who have been mayors and jurats of 

 the town. Anciently the church of New Romney be- 

 longed to the abbot and convent of Pontiniac, in France, 

 who had a cell or priory here, which was fupprefled by 

 king Henry V. Here was alfo an hofpital for lepers, 

 founded and endowed by Adam de Cherryng in the time 

 of king Henry II. There was likewife a houfe called St. 

 John's houfe in this town previous to the reign of Ed- 

 ward IV. The only charitable inltitution now in the parifh 

 is an hofpital and fchool-houfe for the relidence of a fchool- 

 mafter and four poor perfons. According to the popula- 

 tion cenfus of 1 8 1 1 , New Romney parifh contained 159 

 houfes, and 841 inhabitants. 



Old Romney is fituated two miles to the weftward of 

 New Romney, of which it is a member. This place is 

 faid to have been anciently of much importance, and to 

 have conllituted one of the original Cinque-ports. Here, 

 in the times of the Romans and of the Saxons, was a commo- 

 dious haven for fhipping, but the fea deferring it occafioned 

 the decay of the town. Somner conjectures, that the Portus 

 Lemanis of Antoninus was fituated either at Old or at 

 New Romney ; but this opinion is contradicted by Liter 

 antiquaries, who fix that Ration near Stutfal callle, at the 

 bafe of Limne hill. Old Romney now confifts only of 

 about twenty houfes, with a church, which is an ani 

 building in the mallive circular ftyle. In the north chancel 

 is a very old tomb, with a vault underneath, but there is 

 no infeription to identify its pofTeffor. The ton is rudely 

 Iculptured, and is fupported on lour Hone pillars. 



Romney Marfh is an extenfive level of the richclt pif- 

 ture land in England, Gtuated between the upland lulls 

 and the fea-fhore. This diltrict 1 ibout ten miles 



in length and live in breadth. I; compreh ads four, divi- 

 Rons, all under different iurifdicrions 1 id conftiturions, 

 Romney Marfh, ftriaiy fo called ; Walland Marfh : I >ei 

 marlh, with Southbrooka ; and Guildford Marfh, part of 



Which iti within SufTeX. V.ul flock I of Ihcep and herds of 



black cattle are paftured here. The bullocks of this Marfh 

 are reckoned the large!! in i and the ilnei.rijii.il 



to thole of Leicefterfhire and Lincolnfhire. So careful 



were 



