108 
in fhewing that there has been a gradual 
increafe of the population during the laf 
century. It appears from the above ac- 
counts, that the enumeration of 1801 a- 
mounts to $,872,980 perfons for England 
and Wales, to which number @n appro- 
priate hare of the foldiers and mariners is 
to be added. Thefe appear to be about 
a thirtieth part ; the exifting population of 
England and Wales is therefore in’ the 
following table taken at 9,168,000, and - 
the population therein attributed to the 
other years is given in proportion to the 
average medium of baptifms at the refpec- 
tive periods. - 
Population of England and Wales 
throughout the laft century. - ube 
“ woebhevyeat + Population. 
1700-5 4.75000 
¥7 LO 5 924.0,000 
1720~———-— 5556 5,000 
1730—————— 55796000 
1740s2————— 6,064,000 
17 50———--——— 6,467,000 
1760—-—-- 5,7 36,900 
17 70m 7 94.28 000 
27 80-———————739 533900 
1790—————-8 67 5,000 
t80r1— 3163,000 
The! following table for Scotland, is 
formed in the iamé mannez, but is of 
mauch lefs authority, as founded ona col- 
Je&tion of no more than 99 regitters from 
different parts of the country. 
Population of Scotland throughout the 
faft century. : 
Inthe year Population 
17 00——— =F 048,000 
17 10————=1 ,2 70000 
1720-1 390,600 
3730 15309,;000 
t 1740—————1 222,000 
3750 15403,006 
‘ 1760—————1 , 363,000 
1770-1 5434000 
1730 1,458,000 
1790-—-—— 15567,;000 
1041 m————1 6525370 
; —_—_— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
R.WARTON, in his * Hiftory of 
YJL Englifh Poetry,” vol. iil. p- 1425 
mentioning a collection of Chriftmas Ca- 
rols, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, in 
3521, fays “thefe were feftal chanfons 
for enlivening the -merriments of the 
Chriftmas celebrity; and not fuch reli- 
gious fongs as are current at this day with 
the common people, under the fame title, 
and which were fubftituted by thofe ene- 
mies of innocent and ufeful mirth, the 
Ghrifimas Carols—Grierjon’s Tacitus. 
[March 2; 
Puritans,” It-is not my intention at pré- 
fent to enquire how far the Puritans have 
peculiarly deferved the charaéter here given 
of them, and often repeated in the works 
of this author. They were undoubtedly 
a fet of gloomy mortals enough, but I 
think it might be fhewn that many others, 
both of the Catholic and Proteftant com- 
munions, when equally earnef? in their reli- 
gions, have made it equally adverfe to hila- 
rity. But I conceive that he is miftaken, in 
point of faét, in fuppofing that the Puri- 
tans had any fhare in the compofttion of 
our Chrifimas Carols. Indifference, or 
rather antipathy, to the ceremonial days 
of the church was a ftriking feature in 
their charaéter; and the particular ob- 
fervances belonging to the ,celebration of 
Chriftmas feem always to have been re- 
garded by them with diflike. Further, 
the Carols which I have happened to hear 
at this feafon, for the moft part, have 
firong marks of a Popith origin, and refer 
to legendary tales, which certainly would 
never be adopted by the Puritans, One 
of thefe, common in the north of Eng- 
land, relates a curious ftory of the prege 
nant virgin’s longing for cherries, as fhe 
was walking with her betrothed hufband ; 
when, being rudely refufed by Jofeph in 
her requeft of pulling down a fd of ~ 
the tree, a command, ifluing from the un- 
born babe, caufed it to bow down of it- 
felf to her hand. I recolleé others, almot 
equally puerile and fuperftitious, and 
which point toan origin evidently anterior 
to the age of Puritanifm. I fufpeét, there- 
fore, that Mr. Warton has, in this cafe, 
hazarded an affertion without proof; and 
I fhould be glad to know from any of 
your readers, converfant with fuch en- 
guiries, whether any authority exifts for 
imputing Carols to Puritan compofers. 
‘ - Your's, &c. 
N, N. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ie your laft Number a Gentleman has 
made enquiry refpecting an edition of 
Tacitus. Such an edition was publifhed 
by Mr. Grierfon, at his office ‘in Dublin. 
It is what, I think, is called fmall eigh- 
teens. The copy I have.was formerly in - 
the poffeffion of Mr. Harwood; and, in 
his own hand writing, I have, on a blank 
leaf at the beginning this teftimony— 
«¢ This edition of Terence was fuperin- 
tended by the celebrated Mrs. Grierfon, a 
lady of fine tafte, who publithed Ta- 
citus.—E. Haravood.” eee 
Homerton, Feb. 555 1203. , aes? 
a 
