"Were I to name, out of the times gone by,
The poets dearest to me, I should say,
Pulci for spirits, and a fine, free way,
Chaucer for manners, and a close, silent eye;
Spenser for luxury and sweet sylvan play,
Horace for chatting with from day to day;
Milton for classic taste and harp strung high,
Shakspeare for all--but most, society.
But which take with me could I take but one?
Shakspeare, as long as I was unoppress'd
With the world's weight, making sad thoughts intenser;
But did I wish out of the common sun
To lay a wounded heart in leafy rest,
And dream of things far off and healing--Spenser."
* * * * *
MR. POORE'S LITERARY COLLECTIONS--INIGO JONES--MEDAL OF STUKELEY--SIR
JAMES THORNHILL.
Sir,--With thanks for the insertion of my former letter, I proceed to
submit a few literary queries for solution through the medium of your
pages.
In connection with the country of Wilts, I will first mention the
literary collections of the late Edward Poore, Esq., of North Tidworth,
which I examined, with much satisfaction, on my visits to him there, in
the year 1798 and 1799. Mr. Poore was a man of considerable attainments,
and corresponded with many distinguished characters, both at home and
abroad. He travelled over many parts of the continent, and his letters
and notes relating to public and private occurrences and persons were
remarkably curious and interesting. I have long lost all trace of them,
and should be glad to ascertain where they are likely to be found.
An immense boon would be conferred on the cause of Architecture and
Archæology by the recovery of Inigo Jones's Sketches and Drawings of
Ancient Castles. These, together with his Plans, Views, and Restorations
of _Stonehenge_, probably descended to his nephew, Webb. The latter were
engraved, and published in Webb's volume on Stonehenge; but the Sketches
of Castles have never yet been published. On the ground of Inigo Jones's
intimacy with Lord Pembroke, I was referred to the library at Wilton as
a probable despositor of his drawings, but without success; as I am
informed, they do not form a part of that valuable collection. Perhaps I
may be allowed to correct the error which so commonly ascribes the
erection of Wilton House to Jones. In the _Natural History of
Wiltshire_, by John Aubrey, which I edited in 1847 (4to.), it is clearly
shown that the mansion was built in 1633 by, or from the designs of,
Solomon de Caus, architect, who was probably aided by his brother Isaac,
and that it was rebuilt in 1648, after an extensive fire, by Webb, who,
as is well known, married a niece of Inigo Jones. The latter celebrated
architect recommended the employment of these parties, and probably
approved of their designs, but had no further share in their production.
His advice, however, to the Earl of Pembroke, was the means of
preserving the famous _Porch at Wilton_, ascribed to Hans Holbein, which
gives him a peculiar claim to the gratitude of all architectural
antiquaries.
I possess a large collection of the manuscript journals, papers,
drawings, and correspondence of Dr. Stukeley. To the kindness of my old
friend Dr. Ingram, President of Trinity College, Oxford, I also owe a
large Bronze Medal, with a medallion portrait of Stukeley on the
obverse, and a view of Stonehenge on the reverse. This is evidently a
cast from moulds, and rather crudely executed, and I am induced to
regard it as unique. I shall be much gratified if any of your
correspondents can furnish me with a clue to its history, or to the name
of its maker. I would here venture to suggest some inquiry into the
biography of _Charles Bertram_, of Copenhagen, who furnished Dr.
Stukeley with the manuscript of the _Itinerary of Richard of
Cirencester_, which has led to so much curious discussion. It would be
interesting to learn whether Bertram's papers were bequeathed to any
public library at Copenhagen.
Sir James Thornhill was in the habit of making sketches and descriptive
memoranda in his various travels and excursions. Some years ago one of
his pocket-books was lent to me, in which he had not only written
notices of the places visited, but made very clever pen sketches of
several objects. Whilst in my possession, I copied many pages, and also
traced some of the drawings. Among the latter is a Market Cross at
Ipswich, long since destroyed, also the Sessions House and the Custom
House of Harwich, with various antiquities, &c., at Ryswich, Delph,
Tournay, Brussels, and the Hague. I have often regretted that I did not
copy the whole volume, as it contained many curious facts and anecdotes.
I have tried in vain to ascertain the name and address of the possessor.
He was a country gentleman, and lodged in Southampton Row, Russell
Square. The volume is dated 1711, and contains full accounts of
buildings and works of art. He says, "Killigrew told King Charles that
Ipswich had a large river without water, streets without names, and a
town without people."
In July, 1817, I published a small volume entitled _Antiquarian and
Architectural Memoranda relating to Norwich Cathedral_, in which were
two copper-plates, a ground-plan of the church, and a view of the west
front; with woodcuts of the font, and of the Erpingham gateway, both
engraved by John Thompson. The plates and cuts were sold by auction (by
Mr. Southgate of Fleet Street), with the stock of the work, and have
been resold by the purchaser. I have sought in vain to re-obtain the
woodcuts, and shall be gratified to find that it is still practicable.
After many years' search for the documents, &c., referred to in this and
my preceding letter, I am still reluctant to abandon their pursuit. That
valuable collections are sometimes protected from destruction, in
obscurity, for years, is shown by the loss and recovery of the
well-known collection of Architectural Designs and Drawings by John
Thorpe, now in the Soane Museum. That singular and interesting series
was in the possession of the Earl of Warwick, in the latter part of the
last century. In 1807 I applied to his lordship for permission to
examine it; but he informed me that Richard Cumberland, the author, had
borrowed it many years before, in order to submit it to Lord George
Germaine, and that it had not since been heard of. Thus, from before
1785, when Lord George Germaine died, the drawings were lost until about
thirty years afterwards, when I purchased them for Sir John Soane, at
the sale of the library of ---- Brooke, Esq., of Paddington (probably a
relative of the Earl of Warwick), into whose possession they had
unaccountably passed.