I, Margery Caron, do willingly promise to my forefaid husband, Jofeph Caron, that upon condition that he perform faithfully what he hath promifed, I will from this day forward forbear to inquire into any thing that hath in time paffed occafioned jealoufy in me towards my husband; and in particular do acquit Mrs. Colmer by thefe prefents from any guilt of difhonefty with my husband, being now perfuaded of his innocency therein, whatfover I have formerly faid to the contrary; and do promife for the time to come, the premises being duly performed on my husband's part, to carry my felf towards him in all things as becometh a loving and faithful wife: In witnefs whereof. I do fubfcribe year my name the day and written. above MARGERY CARON. Account of Canons, the celcbrated Seat of the Duke of Chandos, in the Parish of Stanmore Parva; from the fame. HE magnificient manfion, built * year 1712, by Mr. Brydges, afterwards duke of Chandos, has been frequently celebrated in verfe and prole. It stood at the end of a fpacious avenue, being placed diagonally fo as to fhew two fides of the building, which at a distance gave the appearance of a front of The columns which fupported the building were all of marble, as was the great ftaircafe, each step of which was made of an intire block, above twenty feet in length. The whole expence of the building and furniture is faid to have amounted to 200,000l. § James of Greenwich was the architect. Dr. Alexander Blackwell, author of a treatife on agriculture, was employed to fuperintend the works without doors; and it is probable that he laid out the gardens and pleafure-grounds, which abounded with viftas, lakes, canals, and ftatues, in the tafte then prevalent. The duke's manner of living cor his manfion, and fell little fhort of the ftate of a fovereign prince. When Pope's well known fatire against falle tafte came out, it was immediately fuppofed to have been directed againfi Canons and its noble owner, there characterized under Samuel Humphreys wrote a poem upon Canons, addreffed to the duke of Chandos, folio 1728. It speaks of the place in terms of general panegyric, but contains little of defcription. There is another poem on Canons by Gildon + MS in the earl of Orford's collection at Strawberry-Hill, Defoe's Tour through England. Hawkins's hiftory of music, vol. v. p. 1798, { * H 4 ] · the the name of Timon. Dr. Johnfon in his life of that poet fays," from the reproach which the attack on a character fo amiable brought upon him, he tried all means of efcaping. He was at laft reduced to fheiter his temerity behind diffimulation, and endeavoured to make that difbelieved. which he had never the confidence openly to deny. † He wrote an exculpatory letter to the duke, which was anfwered with great magnanimity, as by a man who accepted his excufe without believing his profeffions." I There is a print of Hogarth's in which he reprefents Pope white-washing the earl of Burlington's houfe, and be fpattering the duke of Chandos's Another age hall fee the golden ear When the Duke of Chandos died, this magnificient manfion being thought to require an establishment too expenfive for the income of his fucceffor, after fruitless attempts to difpofe of it entire, was pulled down, and the materials fold by auction in the year 1747. The grand staircase The most striking paffages in the fatire applicable to Cañons are the following. Greatnefs with Timon dwells in fuch a draught As brings all Brobdignag before your thought; But hark the chiming clocks to dinner call, A hundred footsteps grace the marble ball. There is certainly fomething equivocating in what he fays in the prologue to his fatires: Who to the Dean and filver bell can fwear, And fees at Canons what was never there. There is no doubt if he intended at all to disguise his fatire he would introduce fome extraneous circumftances. After all, I think the chapel is the most characteristic feature in the portrait. I Lives of the Poets, vol. 1v. p. 89. It is a remarkable circumftance, that Warburton in his first edition of Pope's works admits the application of the fatire to Canon's, by obferving upon this paffage, that "had the poet lived three years longer, he had seen his prophecy fulfilled." In a future edition, as if anxious to explain away what upon confideration he thought might confirm a charge not creditable to his friend, he alters his obfervation thus: that he would' have feen his general prophecy against all ill-judged magnificence displayed in a very particular inftance." is now at lord Chefterfield's houfe in May Fair. An equestrian statue of George the first, which stood in the park, is now in the centre of Leicester Square. The fite of Canons, with a confiderable lot of the materials, the park, and demeľne lands, were purchafed by William Hallett, efquire, who built the prefent villa. His grandfon fold it to Dennis O'Kelly, efquire, the well known poffeffor of the famous horfe Eclipfe, whofe bones le buried in the park. Canons is now the property of Patrick O'Kelly, nephew of Dennis.* Curious Letter, wrote by Sir John Lefly to Sir Thomas Riddle, of Gatefhead, during the Siege of Newcastle by the Scots, in the Reign of Charles I; an authentic Copy from the original, in the Poffeffion of the Riddle family. Sir Thamas, BETWEEN me and Gad it my heart bleed bleud to fee fic wark gae thro lae trim a gairden as yours. I ha been twa times we my cufin the general, and fae fall I fax times mare afore the wark gae the gate. But (a) gin awe this be dune, fir Thamas, ye maun mak the twenty pur ds thretty, and I maun hae the tagg'd tail trooper that ftans in the ftaw (6), and the wee trim gaeing thing (c) that ftands in the newk (d) of the hawe (e), chirping and chirming at the newn tide o' the day, and forty bows (f) of bier to faw (g) the mons with awe. And as I am a chevalier of fortin, and a lim of the house of Rothes, as the muckle (h) main kift in Edinburgh auld kirk can weel witnefs, for thefe aught hundred years and mare bygainge, nought shall skaith (¿) your houfe within or without, to the validome of a twapenny, cheekin. I am your humble servant, JOHN LESSLY. Major-general and captain over faxfcore and two men, and fome mare, crowner of Cumberland, Northumberland, Marryland and Niddifdale, the Merce, Tiviotdale and Fife, baile of Kirkaldie, governor of Brunt Eland and the Bafs, laird of Libberton Tilly and Whooley, filler-tacker of Sterling, conftable of Leith, and and fir John Leffly, knight, to the bute (*) of awe that. Dennis O'Kelly, efq. was buried at Whitehurch, in the parish vault, Jan. 7, 1788. (a) Before. (b) Stable. (c) A chime clock. (d) Corner. (e) Hall. (f) Boils of barley. (g) To ftrike the bargain. (b) The great cheft of records in Edinburgh old church. (i) Hurt or damage. (A) Into the bargain. who who eight years fince viewed the face of the parliament's actions, and judged of their integrity, their proteftations and declarations, entertained a very charitable and honourable opinion both of them and their caufe, and therein thought not too much to hazard both their lives and eftates with them, who are long fince fat down in the chair of repentance, having by fad experience found their large pretences to prove but the fhadows of weak performances, and their greatest labours to produce no other effects than to burden, this distracted nation with unheard-of tyranny and miferable oppreffion. But they that beheld their actions, even in their primitive and beft times, with a confiderate and judicious eye did eafily perceive them to purfue their own ambitious ends more than the welfare of this miferable land; that they were men whofe thoughts were filled with blood, and judged them through pretence of zeal to be wolves in fheep's clothing: and what better could be expected from the illegal proceedings of thofe men who prefumed from fervants to become masters, but that they fhould endeavour to bring in democracy, and abolish monarchy; their actions being altogether fuch as muft needs produce ftrange effects, and fet open the flood-gates of ruin to overflow this kingdom, For my own part, I have with my utmoft power and fkill taken moft perfect and exact notice of all their proceedings, from their firft beginning of entrance into action unto this day; and therein can find nothing but a large comment upon that text of Samuel," rebellion is as the fin of witchcraft." I fat in their houfe of peers more than a full year, till finding their courfes to be fo ftrangely unparliamentary, I was conftrained, with divers others of the loyal nobility, to forfake the houfe, and repair into my country, being truly afhamed to bear any part in their rebellious enterprizes, wherein they have proceeded with fuch impudent violence, that they have plundered and ruined all the ancient nobility and gentry of this kingdom; fought many defperate and bloody battles against their fovereign, his children, and fubjects; imprifoned his facred perfon; and not only fo, but, that they might out go all their predeceffors in rebellion, and become unprecedented therein, they clouded the very rays of facred majefty, in bringing the royal owner of the throne to their bar of injuftice; and beyond all that, upon a fcaffold, at high noon-day, in the face of the world, as a malefactor, before his own court-gate, in his ufual place of recreation, after a moft hameful manner, by the hands of the com mon hangman, inhumanly murdered their fovereign, unheaded the Lord's anointed; and not contented with his blood, in profecution of their moft deadly and implacable malice, have fince, to the utmost of their power, endeavoured to stain the candour of his royal name, in fixing thereon the ignominions brands of tyrant, traitor, and murderer; ftyling him, in all their prints, the grand and capital enemy of the kingdom, and laying their guilt of all the blood that hath been fhed upon his innocent fhoulders: and beyond all this, have quite dif carded, banished, and cahiered, all the royal iffue, and folemnly proclaimed our prefent dread fovereign lord, king Charles the fecond, and 1 and his princely brother the duke of York, traitors in the ufual places, to the amazement and deteftation of the whole world. And whereas there hath been of late fome overtures made to me by one Henry Ireton, who ftyles himfelf commiflary-general of their army, whom his manners ftyles the parliament of England, in whole name and for whofe fervice he demands that I deliver up this Ifle of Man; and for a grateful acknowledgement of that fervice, he engages on their part that I fhall have an act of indemnity for all that I have done, and my lands to be reftored to me without compofition, and upon my engagement not to oppole the proceedings of the parliament in their prefent government, I fhall peaceably and quietly enjoy the fame in anfwer to which I declare, that according to the dictate of my own confcience and reafon, and according unto the obligation I ftood engaged unto his majefty my late dread fovereign, as well by my common allegiance as by my more particular duty of perfonal fervice, in the beginning of thefe unhappy differences and divifions of the kingdom, I engaged myfelf on his majefty's party wherein I have conftantly prefevered, either in acting or fuffering, until this day; concurring with thofe of the contrary party only in hating deteftable neutrality. According to my beft ability I did diligently execute all fuch commiffions as I did receive from his majefty; and did always ufe my utmoft endeavour to retain the people in their due obedience unto him, as I fhall ever faithfully practife towards my prefent fovereign, his fon. holding myfelf bound unto him in the fame bonds of allegiance and loyalty as I was to the late king, of ever-bleffed memory, his father; and do hereby declare, that I do from my very foul abhor all base compliance with any of his majesty's enemies, whether foreign or domeftic: and particularly if I could endure to be treacherous, I would never do it with the prevailing party in England, whom I know to have renounced all priciples of civility, honour, honefty, and confcience; and whofe engagements, vows, proteftations, and oaths, I would not take as fecurity for the leaft atom of duft on which I tread. And I do proteft, in the prefence of God and the whole world, that in balance to my allegiance, honour, and confcience, I fcorn their pardon in reference to any thing I have acted or fhall act hereafter: and I value my eftate no more than the moft contemptible mote that flies in the fun. And I do hereby declare, that, to the utmost of my power, I fhall faithfully endeavour to hold out this ifland to the advantage of his majefty and the annoyance of all rebels and their abettors, and do chearfully invite all my allies, friends, and acquaintance, all my tenants in the counties of Lancaster and Chefter, or elsewhere, all other his majefty's faithful and loyal fubjects, to repair to this ifland as their general rendezvous and fafe harbour, where they fhall receive entertainment, and fuch encouragement as their feveral qualities and conditions fhall require, where we will unanimoufly employ our forces to the utter ruin of these unmatchable and rebellious regicides, and-the final deftruction of their interest both by land and fea. Neither shall any apprehenfion of danger, either |