they will find themselves difappointed. But furely if new coins, by which I mean coins undoubtedly genuine, which are either unknown to the old writers upon the fubject, or exift in acceffible cabinets, can throw new light upon, or bring fresh additions to the materials of his hiftory, they ought to have been fought after, both for its ornament and improvement. Canidius Craffus, the lieutenant of Anthony, might have been commemorated by a coin ftruck during the short time of his stay with Cleopatra in Egypt, one fide of which represents the prow of a fhip, with this legend, CRAS, and the reverse alcrocodile. A curious coin might have been given from the cabinet of Dr. Hunter, ftruck upon the arrival of Cneius Pompey, the fon, into Spain; on the obverse of which is his head, with this infcription CN. MAGN. IMP. Filius! and on the other, two figures, with the name of Minutius Sabinus, his proqueftor. The reign of Galba was very fhort; yet affords us feveral hiftorical reverses, most of which are in the work before us omitted. The fame may be faid of Vitellius, Nerva, and many others. The coins of Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, Commodus, &c. (if they had no other monuments remaining) give us a very full illuftration of the events of their reigns:yet few are reprefented in this hiftory, but what are taken from Patin and Lord Pembroke. A paffage in the hiftorian Zonaras is [remarkably confirmed by a denarius of the Emperor Philip, with this legend, PAX FVNDATA CVM PERSIS; yet this interefting coin is omitted. The very curious legionary coins of Gallien, are all paffed over, though the author might have feen them defcribed in Vaillant, and other authors. Nor can I conceive how he will stand excufed with the literary English connoiffeurs, for having given them fo fparing a taste of the coins of Caraufius and Allectus. Yet * The confecration coin of Nigrinian, is entirely omitted. He is generally fuppofed by the latest antiquaries to have been the infant fon of Yet amongst this general penury of materials, fome are admitted, which will by no means ferve the author's purpose of historical information. The very firft vignette wants antiquity to recommend it. The fame may be faid of the coin of M. Craffus in the firft plate. The coin with the head of Rome on one fide, and a quadriga of victory on the other, with M. TVLLI. belongs to a perfon much older than the orator, to whom the hiftorian applies it. The 20th coin of the 6th plate is given to Sextus Pompey, whereas the perfon by whom, as well as the occafion on which it was ftruck, are unknown. Vol. II. p. 153. "The author mentions gold coins of Antinous: The truth is, if any were ftruck for him in that metal, as we are told there were, both in gold and filver, there are none now remaining; that in Lord Pembroke's collection,which the author quotes,iscertainlya caft fromagem. An ingenious youth, the fon of the late author, has made an apology in his preface to the work, for mifapplications of this kind; I fhall therefore pursue them no further yet cannot help mentioning a ftrange miftake of our hiftorian in calling Magnia Urbica the wife of Maxentius (a falfe medallion of whom he has given in his 6oth plate) as fhe is well known by antiquaries to be the wife either of Carus, or his fon Carinus; probably the latter. Upon the whole then it appears, that our author was not acquainted with the latest and beft authors upon the of Carinus, and confecrated by his father. But that this is a mistake might have been proved by an unique in copper, in the poffeffion of Dr. Hunter. It reprefents on one fide the head of a middle aged man, with this infcription, DIVO NIGRIANO, and on the reverfe his confecration, in the exergue the fame letters as in that of Nigrinian. From the fimilitude of work, type, &c. but total difparity of age, it amounts almost to a certainty, that Nigrian was the father of Nigrinian, that he affumed the purple during the troubles in fome province of the empire, that he was cut off after a very short time, and that he, together with his fon, were confecrated by fome perfon who fucceeded him. It may be faid, that these unknown perfons add very little or nothing to the flock of historical knowledge. This is very true: however to correct former errors, is at least advancing one fiep towards the investigatiion of truth and it is certainly the bufinefs of a medallic writer to keep always in view the particular purpofe of his hiftory. imperial 1 imperial coins of Rome; and that he confulted no wellfurnished cabinets-both of which would have been neceffary for the completion of a work like this. Not to mention that neither the true fizes of the different coins, nor the likeneffes of the different perfonages for whom they were ftruck, in which the Roman mints in the higher empire were remarkably accurate, are duly obferved in the engravings. It is almost needlefs to draw from hence these obvious conclufions, that general learning alone will not enable a man to acquit himself well in a particular fcience. In order to this, he muft ftudy its principles, relifh its peculiar attractions, and have a tafte for its improvements. And with respect to ancient coins, to avoid the many errors, into which many former, as well as living authors, have fallen, he must not only know them in theory from books, but from his own obfervation and experience.. I cannot but add, that by the munificence and public spirit of Dr. Hunter, who, as has been well obferved, has done that for literature which would alone immortalize common kings. Any fcholar may do this. I am of opinion, that if an author would avail himfelf of every information that coins afford the history of Rome, he should confine his researches to a particular reign, as Genebrier has done with refpect to Caraufius, and Boze with refpect to Tetricus. He might then allow a full scope to any hiftorical difputations that might arife, and contribute to give a much fuller account of that wonderful empire than has hitherto appeared. What these authors have done in ancient history, Van Mieris and Van Loon have done for the hiftory of their own country, which they have been enabled to execute from the many jettons and and medals, ftruck to com-memorate the exploits of the Netherlands. In this at leaft they are worthy of imitation: and I cannot but exprefs a wish that if a scene of more profperous does open before us, and the promised improvements in every department of the flate, are really made, that our coins may no longer bear the royal arms on the reverse of our shil E e lings, lings, like the fails of a windmill, but fome hiftorical atchievement or fignificant emblem, which may convey the memory of our national exertions, and public tafte, to the lateft pofterity. ART. VII. Short Sketch of the Chattertonian Controversy, from the Works of Mr. Tyrwhitt, Milles, Bryant, &c. &c. G ENTLEMEN of the jury, the prifoner at the bar, Thomas Chatterton, is indicted for the uttering certain poems compofed by himself, purporting them to be the poems of one Thomas Rowley, a prieft of the XVth century, against the so frequently disturbed peace of Parnaffus, to the great difturbance and confufion of the antiquary fociety, and likewife notoriously to the prejudice of the literary fame of him the said Thomas Chatterton. The fact is ftated to have been committed by the prisoner between the ages of fifteen and seventeen; and the poems are allowed to be excellent. Gentlemen, before I enter upon the particular evidence, it will be proper to lay before you what is fully proved by Mr. Bryant*, and feems to be allowed on all fides, that Mr. William Canning did make a valuable collection of writings, that these were depofited in a large cheft in a room over the north porch in St. Mary's, Redcliffe, at Bristol; that in the year 1727, the cheft was broke open, and part of the parchments carried away; that the remainder lay expofed, and fome of them were feen in 1749; that Chatterton's father had a large fhare of them; and finally, that feveral prose manufcripts (probably original), feventeen in number, are at this time in the hand of Mr. Barret: This laft circumstance, gentlemen, is very material for your confideration; for if there are profe manufcripts of very high antiquity relating to the hiftory of Bristol, and thus difcovered, in the hands of Mr. Barret, it will not be necessary * Obfervations on the Poems of Thomas Rowley, 2 vol. 8vo. to i to have recourse to the anfwer which Mr. Warton has given to the very ingenious and well-fupported chain of argument in favour of the prifoner, taken from the allufions to ancient history and ancient customs -allufions which it is fuppofed C. had not the ability to invent. But if it be granted that there are old profe writings, Chatterton may have derived his information from that fource, without being obliged to have recourse to other books, the number of which, upon the other fuppofition, muft indeed be immenfe, and does not feem fully accounted for, even by Mr. WartonThis circumftance likewife explains another difficulty ftated by Dean Milles, and that is the Latin in Ifcamme poems on Lamyngton. There is no reason to believe, either from external evidences, or his other works, that Chatterton understood Latin fo as to be able to write this. Another material obfervation, which I think it proper to make to you before I go into the particular evidence, is the answer which has been given by Mr. Warton to the affertions of all the evidence on the other fide, that the poems could not be forgeries, because the prifoner's own compofitions were evidently much inferior. Mr. Warton has produced to you a fpecimen of thofe compofitions, which he has tnrned into old English, which equals any thing in Rowley. It will be therefore for your confideration, whether the man who wrote this must not of neceffity have written the others, or whether you will believe that he tranfported this, and this only, into his own compofitions. Whanne goulden Automne, wreeth'd in rypende corne, Pale ruggyd Winterr, bendynge ocr hys tredde, *An Enquiry into the Authenticity of the Poems attributed to Thomas Rowley, pr. 28 6d. Ee 2 Hys |