fayers, and to fave others and themselves. Bless this congregation here met together in thy name; grant them to hear and receive thy holy word, to the falvation of their own fouls. Laftly, we defire to return thee praife and thanksgiving for all thy mercies bestowed upon us; but chiefly for the Fountain of them all, Jefus Chrift our Lord, in whofe name and words we further call upon thee, faying, Our Father, &c."

Fortunately, for the reputation of Swift's mother, it is now clearly evinced, that the story of her having any connexion or intrigue with Sir William Temple, was entirely groundless. For it appears from Sir William's correfpondence with the minifters of ftate in England, that he was conftantly refident at Bruffels, from September 1661, until the January after Dr. Swift was born.

'In another of these additions, the fuppofed marriage of dean Swift with Mrs. Johnson, is also difproved upon authority fufficiently convincing.

Notwithstanding Dr. Delany's fentiments of Swift's marriage, and notwithstanding all that lord Orrery and others have faid about it, there is no authority for it, but a hear-say story, and that very ill-founded. It is certain, that the dean told one of his friends whom he advised to marry, "that he never wifhed to marry at the time that he ought to have entered into that state; for he counted upon it as the happieft condition, efpecially towards the decline of life, when a faithful and tender friend is moft wanted." While he was talking to this effect, his friend expreffed his wifhes to have feen him married. The dean afked, "Why?"" Becaufe," replied the other, "I fhould have had the pleafure of feeing your offspring. All the world would have been pleased to have feen the iffue of fuch a genius." The dean fmiled, and denied his being married, in the fame manner as before; and faid, "he never faw the woman he wished to be married to." And, indeed, it is certain, that all his friends, as well as the public in general, would have rejoiced at that event, because it is highly probable they would have feen the children of this wonderful man, as he had a found conftitution, ftrengthened by temperance and exercise. The fame gentleman, who was intimate with Mrs. Dingley for ten years before he died, in 1743, took occafion to tell her, that fuch a ftory was whispered of her friend Mrs. Johnfon's marriage with the dean, but the only laughed at it, as an idle tale, founded on fufpicion. Again: Mrs. Brent, with whom the dean's mother ufed to lodge in Dublin in the queen's time, and who was his own houfe keeper after he fettled in Dublin in 1714, and who, for her many good qualities in that ftation, was much confided in, never did believe there was a marriage between thofe perfons, notwithstanding all that love and fondness which fubfifted between them. She thought it was all Platonic love.

And

And the often told her daughter Ridgeway fo, who fucceeded her in the fame office of housekeeper. She faid, that Mrs. Johnson never came alone to the deanry; that Mrs. Dingley and the came together always; and that he never flept in that houfe if the dean was there, only in the time of his fickness, to attend him, and fee him well taken care of, as he writes in 1720:

"When on my fickly couch I lay,
Impatient both of night and day:
Lamenting in unmanly ftrains,
Call'd every power to ease my pains;
Then Stella ran to my relief,

With chearful face and inward grief,
And though by heaven's fevere decree,
She fuffers hourly more than me,
No cruel mafter could require,
From flaves employ'd for daily hire,
What Stella, by her friendship warm'd,
With vigour and delight perform'd."

During this courfe of her generous attendance, Mrs. Dingley and the flept together; and as foon as he recovered, they returned to their lodgings on Ormond Quay. Thefe ladies flept two other times at the Deanry, at an elegant pleasure-houfe, and near his garden called Naboth's Vineyard; and that was for those months in 1726 and 1727 which he fpent in England. -It chanced that he was taken ill at the Deanry, while he was in London: and it added much to his affliction that it happened at the Deanry, for fear of defamation in cafe of her dying at his houfe, whether he was at hon. or abroad. See his reflexions to this purpose, in a letter to Mr. Worral, in 1726. Had he been married to her, he could not have lived in a state of feparation from her, he loved her fo paffionately; for he admired her upon every account that can make a woman amiable or valuable as a companion for life. Is it poffible to think, that an affectionate husband could first have written, and then have ufed, thofe feveral prayers (lately published from his own hand) for a dying wife, with whom he never cohabited, and whofe mouth muft have been filled with reproaches for denying her all conjugal rites for a number of years, nay, from the very period of 1716, that is pretended to be the time of their marriage? Would he have fuffered his wife to make a will, figned Ether Johnfon, and to devife 1500l. away from him; of which toool. is enjoyed by the chaplain of Steevens's Hospital for the Sick, and accept of a gold watch only as a teftimony of her regard for him? Or would he have thought herself at liberty to make a will at all, when it could not but be known that her marriage had divefted her of all right to the property the thereby difpofed of, and even the very power to make an executor? A will therefore under fuch circumftances would

have been void of itself; as, from the time of her marriage, whatever she then poffeffed, the dean would have had absolute authority over; and it feems more likely that he would have directed the application of it towards the future fupport of lunaticks, which was the fpecies of charity he thought most worthy the attention of the publick. It is probable that two gentlemen fill living (of honour and fortune, who knew them both most intimately), and who are her executors, would not have known of a marriage, if there was one? And yet they always did, and do pofitively declare, they never had caufe to fufpect they were married, although they were in the company of both a thoufand times. They faw proofs enough of the warmest friendship; and any love, but connubial love. If the made him a prefent of a book, you may read in the title-page thefe words, Efther Johnfon's gift to Jonathan Swift, 1719:" and fo he diftinguished every book the gave him.-In his account of her, written on the night fhe died, and two or three days after, he speaks of her as "the trueft, moft virtuous, and valuable friend that he was ever bleffed with." He was ill the day after her death, and could not write; but the next night he fays, "This is the night of the funeral, which my fick nefs will not fuffer me to attend." If he had attended, he must, in point of duty as dean, have read the funeral fervice, as the was buried in his own cathedral.-Would he deny his marriage to a woman of a good fortune at that time, when he fays, " She had a gracefulness fomewhat more thàn human, in every motion, word, and action!"

The numerous biographical anecdotes are fucceeded by additions and corrections to vol. xxiv, and xxv. after which is a lift of such productions as have been erroneously ascribed to the dean.

Though this volume contains many things not written by Dr. Swift, and a few pieces likewise of doubtful authority; yet, as the whole relates to the genius and character of that extraordinary perfon, concerning whom even the most trifling anecdotes become, in fome degree, interefting, we doubt not that the prefent Supplement will be well received by the public, especially as it is pofitively announced to be the concluding volume of the work.

8vo.

The Hiftory of the royal Abbey of Bec, near Rouen in Normandy, By Dom. John Bourget. Tranflated from the French. 35. boards. H. Payne.

THE

'HE monaftery of Le Bec Hellouin, or Helluin, is fituated nine leagues from the capital of Normandy; ftanding in a very narrow valley, enclosed between two mountains, which rife to the height of near two hundred feet. It was founded

7

in the eleventh century, and is one of the most confiderable in France, not only in respect of its territorial poffeffions, but of the eminent ecclefiaftics that have at different times been members of it; among whom were Lanfranc, and Anselm, archbishops of Canterbury.

The dukes of Normandy, and other perfons of diftinction, bestowed on this Abbey many confiderable estates. The popes alfo, and the kings of France and England, granted it many priviléges.

William I. furnamed de bonne Ame, archbishop of Rouen, with the confent of his chapter, granted exemption from all epifcopal rights; and ordered, that the parish should be fubject to the monaftery, on condition, that, when the abbat should be invited by the archbishop to affift at the fervice of the cathedral on the day of its dedication, he should be obliged to affift there; to prefide in the choir if the archbishop celebrates mafs, or to celebrate it in his room if he be absent. This privilege was afterwards confirmed by many archbishops of Rouen; among the reft, by Huguez in 1141, Rotrou in 1182, Odo in 1245, and Francis gave his confent in 1634.

The popes confirmed this exemption, as well as the other privileges and donations granted to Bec by the several kings, princes, and other perfons of confequence. This appears by the bulls of Calixtus II. 1123; Lucius I. 1182; Celeftine III. 1196; Innocent III. 1210; Honorius III. 1223; Urban IV. 1262; Clement IV. 1267; Gregory X. 1271; Nicolas III. 1278; Martin IV, 1281; Honorius IV. 1285; Boniface VIII. 1296, &c.

The archbishop of Rouen, the bishops of Evreux, Lifieux, Bayeux, and Chartres, ordered alfo, that all the churches and lands belonging to Bec, in their respective diocefes, fhould be exempt from all ecclefiaftical right: and, that the monks might not hereafter be disturbed in the enjoyment of these privileges, they were confirmed by the kings of France; Philip II. 1191, 1200, 1204; Louis IX. 1239, 1262; Philip III. 1276; Philip IV. 1328; Charles VII. 1420; Louis XI. 1471; Francis I. 1517; Henry IV. 1596; by the kings of England, Henry I. 1125; Henry II.....John, 1204; Henry III. 1229; and by William, Stephen, Richard, and Edward.

In 1389, the pope granted to the abbats the ring and other pontifical ornaments, with the right of giving the folemn benediction, not only in the church of Bec, but also in others not fully fubject to it, with power to confer the tonfure.

VOL. XLVII. May, 1779.

Bb

• Be

Befides these spiritual privileges granted by popes and bi fhops, and confirmed by royal authority, Bec received further marks of favour from the kings of France and England, the dukes of Normandy, and many other lords, who either gave lands to this houfe, or confirmed fuch donations. Befides many noble poffeffions, of which the principal are the baronies of Bec, Bonneville, Marbœuf, Pleffis, Bec has also fubject to it 160 parishes, with right of patronage, tithes, and lordships, in most of them. The principal are thofe of St. John and St. Gervafe at Paris, St. Severe at Rouen, St. Andrew at Bec, St. Peter at Montfort, St. Nicolas at Meulan, St. Peter at Pontoife, Notre Dame at Orbec, St. James in the inland of St. Nicaife, &c. It has alfo dependant on it eighteen very confiderable parishes, and fixteen chapels, the principal of which is in the cathedral at Paris.

Two free fairs are held in the town of Bec yearly, one on St. Andrew's day, Nov. 30, the other on Good Friday; and a market every Friday in the year. In the barony of Bec is a bailliage with haute and baffe juftice.

In 1337, Philip IV. king of France, gave to Bec, and to all perfons dependant on it, the privilege of holding immediately and directly of the crown, and of tranfporting, felling, and buying goods all over his kingdom, duty-free.

Such are the privileges which Bec enjoyed almost from its foundation, but many, of them are now loft.'

Befides Lanfranc and Anfelm abovementioned, Theobald, another monk of this abbey, was archbishop of Canterbury. Roger declined that dignity, and Hubert was advanced to it in his ftead. Ernoftus and Gundulph were both bifhops of Rochefter; and Gilbert Crispin, another monk, was abbat of Westminster.

The history contains a diftin&t account of the fucceffion of the abbats of Bec, from its first foundation; and is ornamented with a plate of this ancient building, which is a master piece, of Gothic architecture; and two plates of feals affixed to fome ancient writings of the abbey.

The Dialogues of Eumenes. Small 8vo. 35. ferved. Dilly. THE HE author's profeffed defign in this publication is to promote humanity, benevolence, and generofity; to draw off, as he expreffes himself, the minds of young people, efpecially thofe of a religious education, from too great a dependence on mere forms of devotion, and to cherish what he apprehends to be the vital spirit of Christianity.'

• His