1803.] 
The efforts we have yet feen made 
‘among the moderns, have been too fre- 
quently conje&tural: and their labours 
have fometimes brot’ght to mind the men 
of Gotham, who, in the plenitude of their 
wifdom, thought dragging the pond was 
the only fure method they could poffibly 
purfue to gain pofleffion of the moon. But, 
let it be remembered, that many difficul- 
ties are now removed ; that he who ftu- 
dies the Egyptian fymbols need no longer 
place reliance on hafty and unfaithful co- 
pies; and that the metropolis of Britain 
boafts fome of the fineft moveable monu- 
yients of Egypt. : 
TT pytemene 
Jo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
APPENING to turn over Bell’s 
| edition of Prior, I came to his 
extempore epitaph on himielf, beginning 
*< Nobles and heralds, by your leave,”’ 
and, to my furprife, read the laf line 
thus : 
Can Stuart or Naffau claim higher ? 
Though pretty fure, from memory, that 
this was net the right reading, I turned, 
for fatisfaétion, to the London edition of 
Englifh poets, and to Dr. Anderfons’, in 
both which I found, as I expected, 
Can Bourbon or Naflau claim higher ? 
This variation ftruck me as extremely 
curious. Bell’s Poets were printed in 
Edinburgh, at the Afollo-prefs: I know 
not who was the editor; but, as I cannot 
fuppofe that any creditable man of letters 
would fo alter an original, I mult ima- 
gine that fome Scotch compofitor, zealous 
for the honour of his ancient kings, foilt- 
edin Stuart for Bourbon, and that it pafled 
the correftor unobferved. National re- 
fiexions, Mr. Editor, are ufually termed 
illiberal; yet the ftudy of national cha- 
racter is confeffedly one of the moft im- 
portant points of moral inveftigation. 
The attachment to their country, which 
diftinguifhes the natives of Scotland, is 
difplayed, in many inftances, greatly to 
their honour. At the fame time, it is apt 
to fhew itfelf ina manner, which a fenfible 
Scotchman himfelf muft condemn: as in 
the fact above noticed, which I am in- 
duced to make public, as well from a re- 
gard to the reputation of that country, 
’ as to the caufe of letters. - 
Your's, &c, 
N, N 
Prior’s Epitaph.—William Cartwright. 
401 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SiR; 
OUR Correfpondent, T. W. page 
215, has fallen into a grofs miftake, 
by afcribing the verfes of William Cart- 
wright, the Poet, to Thomas Cartwright, 
the Puritan. The latter died in 1603-~ 
before the other was born. 
This William Cartwright, who was, 
according to Wood (A. O.iI. p. 34,) 
<< the moft nated poet, orator, and philo- 
fopher of his time,’ was born at North- 
way, near Tewk{bury, in Gloucefterfhire, 
in 16rx. His father was once a gentle. 
man of a fair eftate, but, running out of it, 
was forced to keep a common inn, at Ci- 
rencefter, in the fame county, where this 
fon was at Grit educated, under Mr. Wil- 
liam Topp, mafter of the free-fchool. 
But, fo great a progrefs did he make in a 
fhert time, that, by the advice of friends, 
his father got him appointed a king’s (cho. 
lar at Weitminfter, when ‘* completing 
his former learning (fays Wood) to a mi- 
racle, under Mr. Lambert Ofbaldifton, he 
was elected Rudent of Chrift Church, Ox- 
ford, in 1628, put under the tuition of 
jJerumael Terrent, went through’ the 
clafles of logic and philofophy with an un- 
wearied indufiry, took the deprees in arts 
(that of mafter being completed in 1635), 
holy orders, and became the moft florid 
and Seraphical preacher in theuniverfity. 
He was another Tully and Virgil, as being 
moft excellent for oratory sak poetry, in 
which faculties, as-alfo in the Greek 
tongue, he was fo full and abfolute, that 
thofe who belt knew him, knew not in 
which be moft excelled. 
His preaching was fo graceful and pro- 
found withal, chat none of his time or age 
went beyond him. Wood farther adds, in 
commendation of his charaéter, “§ that 
thefe high parts and abilities were accom- 
panied with fo much candour and fweet- 
ne{s, that they made him equally beloved 
and admired of all perfons, efpecially thofe 
of the gown and court, who efteemed alfo 
his life—a fair copy of praétic-piety, a 
rare example of heroic-worth, and in 
whom arts, learning, and language, made 
up the true compliment of verfettion.” 
He died of a contagious difeafe, at Ox- 
ford, November 29, 1643, and was bue 
ried in the cathedral of Chrift Church. 
His works are, 1. the Lady Irrant, a 
Tragi-comedy ; 2. the Royai Slave, Tra- 
gi-comedy, aéted before the king and 
queen, by the ftudents of Chrift Church, 
Auguft 30, 16365 3. the Ordinary, a 
Comedy ; 
