PRICES of STOCKS, from DECEMBER 27, 1794, to JANUARY 27, 1795, both inclufive. BY ANTHONY CLARKE, Stock-Broker, No. 13, Sweeting's-Alley, Cornhill. In the 3 per Cent. confols. the highest and lowest Price of each Day is given; in every other Article the highest Price only, the Long and Short Annuities excepted,. which are given within a fixteenth of the highest Price. In the different Funds that are shut, the Prices are given with the Dividend till the Days of Opening. The UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE for FEBRUARY, 1795. 8t A Defcription of KIRKHAM ABBEY, in Yorkshire: With a Perspective View of the North Part of the Gate of that once magnificent Structure. KIRKHAM ABDEY, founded for canons of the order of St. Auguftine, was built by Walter Efpec, a great baron, and his lady Adelina, in the reign of king Henry the firft, on account of the death of Walter, their only fon and heir, who was killed by a fall from his horfe. This abbey, it is fuppofed, was furrendered to the crown, by John Kildwick, the laft prior, in the year 1539, for which he was allowed fifty pounds a year for his life. This priory is fituated in the parish of Kirkham, close by the river Derwent, one mile fouth of Whitwell, fix miles diftant from Malton, and twelve from York. It ftands in the centre of a delightful valley, which once afforded the most interefting and picturefque fcenery, but its ancient beauty is now almoft destroyed, and the venerable pile itself, has not efcaped the ravages of time. as The north part of the gate (of which the annexed plate is a view, taken on the fpot, in the year 1792) is the principal remains of that once magnificent ftructure. According to Mr. Gent's account, it has been molt curiously ornamented with carved work, especially near the windows, Peter with the keys in his left hand, and the church in his right; Pilate fitting in judgment; Chrift crucified; David killing Go liah; St. George killing the dragon; and feveral coats of arms, many of which are very perfect, but others greatly defaced. The fame hiftorian fays, that, contiguous to the gate, in the year 1733, flood part of the great houfe, originally the habitation of pilgrims, who were entertained du ring ten days, when their neceffities were examined into and fupplied. On the eatt fide was the Porter's Lodge; near to which, fome part of the building, under curious arched work, had been converted into an alehoufe, but is now demolished. Near the Abbey, ftood a large church, with two steeples, at the weft end. Within the gate, was a small chapel of eafe, near the great church, lately repaired, for the ufe of the parishioners, by madam Frances Crowther, then lady of the manor, who also repaired the crofs near the Abbey Gate. On the front of a house against this gate, was the effigy of a prince, with a horn, which was fuppofed to be Ulphus, and another not easily to be diftinguished. Southward of this priory, may be perceived the cellars; now rude and broken. Over thefe cellars was a fpacious hall, or dining-room. From a door, north-west, was the entrance, into the bowling green; near which, on the wett-fide, in the wall, are ftalls, or feats, divided by pillars; and over one of them may yet be perceived, in painting, an abbot, or prior conferring his benediction. The fouth-west parts of this priory appear to be the ruins of the dormitory. A fmall part of the caft wall of the chancel yet remains; and, until the year 1784, ftood a ftupendous Gothic tower, curiously and beauti fully interwoven with ivy, which was then blown down by a high wind. It is faid, that underneath the ruins, there is a curious marble pave • This nobleman is immortalized by Alridus, abbot of Rivaulx Abbey, (which Abbey he Efpec alfo built, became a monk in it, and is there interred) as a prudent counsellor, valiant and discreet in war, a faithful friend, and a true fubject. He was of a gigantic ftature, but well-proportioned, and, in other refpects, agreeable, GENT. ment, under which, it is fuppofed, lie the remains of many famous perfons. It has been often faid, and with fome degree of probability, that there is a fpacious fubterranean paflage from the Abbey toward Malton, which ex tends more than a mile. About a quarter of a mile, northeaft from the Abbey, are two fine wells: one of them was encompaffed in a circular manner, with a tone wall, from which, by leaden pipes, under ground, the water was conveyed to the Abbey. Many of the ftones of this Abbey, were applied to the building of Howfham Hall, the feat of the late Nathaniel Cholmley, efq. What compafs of ground the priory of Kirkham has once covered, it is difficult to afcertain. The founda tions that are visible are greatly extended: and, though moftly overgrown with plants and herbage, the farmers have frequently dug up the foundation ftones, which they burnt into lime. The annual revenue of this Abbey, with the land belonging to it, was upward of three hundred pounds. The Shell now flanding, together with the other fcattered remains of this venerable priory, are very fufficient to give a high opinion of its ancient maguificence, and cannot but fuggeft at the fame time, to the contemplative traveller, a variety of awful reflections on the vanity and vicititudes of all earthly things, contrafted to the glorious profpects of futurity, to which alone we can look for real and permanent felicity. J. H. The HISTORY of KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING, and TASTE, in Great Britain, during the Reign of King JAMES the Firfi. Part the First: Continued from Page 14. ON the acceffion of king Edward the fixth, great encouragement was given to the reading of the fcriptures. A royal injunction was published, that the whole English Bible fhould be placed in churches; and it was farther enjoined, that the paraphrafe of Erafmus in English, to the end of the four Evangelifts, fhould occupy the fame fituation. We cannot but remark, to the honour of Erafmus, that this great man, whofe fervices to general literature were fo eminent and extraordinary, was thus a peculiar benefactor to our own country, in a matter of the utmost importance. During the courfe of Edward's reign, which was lefs than eight years, eleven impreffions of the whole Bible were publihed, and fix of the New Teftament. It is worthy of obfervation, that the Bibles were reprinted agreeably to the preceding editions; whether Tindall's, Coverdale's, Matthewe's, Cranmer's, or Taverner's. Hence it is evident that they appeared with a dif. ferent text, and with different notes; the reformers feeming more defirous of gratifying the taftes of all readers, than fearful of perplexing them by flight variations. It is doubtful whether during this reign any fresh attempts were made at tranflation. No public encouragement to works of this kind could be given under the popish government of queen Mary: but the Proteftant exiles at Geneva formed the design of a new version of the Bible, which was completed in 1560, and printed in that city. Notwithstanding queen Mary's decease, and the acceffion of Elifabeth to the throne of England, fome of the Englith refugees continued at Geneva for the fole purpofe of finishing the undertaking. The three moft learned of the tranflators were bishop Coverdale, Anthony Gilby, and William Whittingham; and they were all of them zealous Calvinifts, both with regard to doctrine and difcipline. This tranflation was fo popular, and was fo |