tient painting on glass, representing the pedigree of the Stewart family. Ibid. VIII. 321. A portrait of Mr. Masters, from a drawing by the Rev. Mr. Kerrich, then Fellow of Magdalen College, now Principal Librarian of the University of Cambridge, was engraved by Facius, 1796. IX. THE REV. JAMES BENTHAM, Prebendary of Ely, Rector of Bow-brick-hill in the County of Bucks, and Domestic Chaplain to the Right Hon. Lord Cadogan, was the son of the Rev. Samuel Bentham *, a very worthy clergyman of but, not knowing how to direct to him, I must hope that you will kindly be once more the channel of our correspondence; and that you will be so good as to convey to him an answer to what you communicated from him to me, and in particular my thanks for the most obliging offer he has made me of a picture of Henry VII; of which I will by no means rob him. My view in publishing the Anecdotes was, to assist gentlemen in discovering the hands of pictures they possess; and I am sufficiently rewarded when that purpose is answered. If there is another edition, the mistake in the calculation of the Tapestry shall be rectified, and any others, which any gentleman will be so good as to point out. With regard to the monument of Sir Nathaniel Bacon, Vertue certainly describes it as at Culford; and in looking into the place to which I am referred, in Mr. Masters's History of Corpus Christi College, I think he himself allows in the note that there is such a monument at Culford. Of Sir Balthazar Gerbier there are several different prints. Nich. Lanicre purchasing pictures at the King's sale, is undoubtedly a mistake for one of his brothers.-I cannot tell now whether Vertue's mistake or my own. At Longleate is a whole length of Frances Duchess of Richmond, exactly such as Mr. Masters describes, but in oil †. I have another whole length of the same Duchess, I believe by Mytens, but younger than that at Longleate. But the best picture of her is in Wilson's Life of King James, and very diverting indeed. I will not trouble you, Sir, or Mr. Masters, with any more at present; but, repeating my thanks to both, will assure you that I am, &c. HORACE WALPOLE." Against the South wall of the North aile of the choir at Ely. " M. S. Samuelis Bentham, A. M. ex antiquâ stirpe de Bentham in com. Ebor. oriundi; + Petitot never painted but in enamel.The miniature might notwithstanding be copied from him. W. c. the diocese of Ely, who was descended from an antient family in Yorkshire, which has produced an uninterrupted succession of Clergymen from the time of Queen Elizabeth. Having received the rudiments of classical learning in the grainmar school of Ely, he was admitted of Trinity College, Cambridge, March 26, 1727, where he proceeded B. A. 1730, M. A. 1738, and was elected F. A. S. 1767. In the year 1733, he was presented to the vicarage of Stapleford in Cambridgeshire; which he resigned in 1736, on being made Minor Canon in the church of Ely. In 1767, he was presented by Bishop Mawson to the vicarage of Wymondham in Norfolk; which he resigned in the year following for the rectory of Feltwell St. Nicholas, in the same county. This he resigned in 1774, for the rectory of Northwold; which in 1779 he was induced to change for a prebendal stall in the church of Ely, though he was far from improving his income by the change. But his attachment to his native place, with which church the family had been connected without any intermission for more than 100 years, surmounted every other consideration. In 1783 he was presented to the rectory of Bowbrick-hill, by the Rev. Edward Guellaume. . He published "Queries offered to the Consideration of the principal Inhabitants of the City of Ely and Towns adjacent, and of all the Gentlemen et eodem tempore, per specialem indulgentiam, et decoram in sacris officiis peragendis gravitatem, et Divi Pauli Londinensis minoris canonici. Illa diem supremam obiit A. D. 1729, æt. 77. elsewhere, elsewhere, who have any Estates, or Interest in, or Regard for, the South part of the Isle of Ely. Camb. 1757," 8vo. ; and for him was engraved, by Thomas Kitchen, a plan of the intended road from Ely to Cambridge, on a half sheet, 1763. From his first appointment to an office in the church of Ely, he seems to have directed his attention to the study of church architecture. It is probable that he was determined to the pursuit of ecclesiastical antiquities by the eminent example of Bishop Tanner (a Prebendary of the same stall which Mr. Bentham afterwards held), who had honoured the family with many marks of his kindness and friendship. For researches of this kind Mr. Bentham seems to have been excellently qualified. To a sound judgment, and a considerable degree of penetration, accompanied by a minuteness and accuracy of enquiry altogether uncommon, he added the most patient assiduity and unwearied industry. The history of the church with which he was connected, afforded him full scope for the exercise of his talents. It abounds with almost all the various specimens of church architecture used in England to the time of the Reformation. Having previously examined with great attention* every historical monument and authority which could throw any light upon his subject, after * That Mr. Bentham spared no pains in his researches, will appear by the contents of some of his Letters to Dr. Ducarel. "SIR, Ely, Feb. 22, 1757. "I am greatly obliged to you for your offer of subscribing for one of the copper plates, viz. "The Elevation of the Arches. Pillars, and Windows of the Old Conventual Church of Ely, built A. D. 970;" the drawing for which is in great forwardness, but not finished, and done by a friend of mine, who is very curious in these matters. I expect him here again some time in April next to finish it; after which I will either wait on you with the drawing, or find some means of conveying it to you. He advised me to have the plan and elevation of the arches, pillars, &c. on the same plate, and adapted to the same scale, which is accordingly done on a half sheet, though they are put down in my catalogue as two separate articles. There are added likewise to the same, two original door-cases still remaining, and one of the windows drawn he had circulated, in 1756, "A Catalogue of the principal members of this church [Ely], viz. Abbesses, Abbots, Bishops, Priors, Deans, Prebendaries, and Archdeacons," in order to collect further information drawn in a larger scale. All the arches of this building are circular, and ornamented in a peculiar manner.-I return you my thanks for your Tour through Normandy, which I will send for to Mr. Woodyer, as you direct; and will give orders for some of my Catalogues of the Principal Members, &c. to be delivered to you. I am, Sir, with great respect, &c. JAMES BENTHAM." "SIR, Ely, March 12, 1757. "I have received from Mr. Woodyer your "Tour through Normandy," and have read it over with a good deal of pleasure. . Your observations there confirm the opinion I had entertained of the antiquity of circular arches, which prevailed in this kingdom under the Saxon, and, I think, under the first four Norman Kings; but in the following reign of Henry II. they began to deviate a little from the circular, and were a little pointed; and from that time the circular came into disuse, and pointed arches generally prevailed.-The "Catalogue of the principal Members," &c. I beg the favour of you to communicate to those you think proper; and you will please to consider it only as an intimation of my intention, and preparatory to my "Proposals of Printing the History of the Church of Ely," which I may probably make next winter, but not before, because I would willingly have the plates in some degree of forwardness. JAMES BENTHAM." "SIR, Ely, Aug. 25, 1757. 39 "I fully intended to have waited on you when I passed through London in my way from Oxford; but was unexpectedly obliged to set out the next morning after my return to London, without taking leave of any of my friends. I am doubly obliged to you, for your readiness in giving me your assistance yourself, and likewise for your soliciting your friends on my account. I thank Mr. Morant for his information and advice. Dr. Lyttelton, Dean of Exeter, was lately at Ely, and called upon me: he stayed two days here, and seemed very well pleased with our Cathedral · Church, and the remains of the old Saxon Church, which he looks on as the most considerable Saxon building in England; the drawing of which is now finished, and the plan, by Mr. Essex, of Cambridge, a very ingenious man, and particularly skilful in Gothic architecture. He intends going to London next week, or the week after, and will wait on you himself with the drawing, and give some necessary directions to the engraver, in order to avoid mistakes. I think you once mentioned to me some of the family of the Hothams, who, you thought, would willingly become subscribers for Bishop Hotham's monument; a first proof of which coming to hand last night, I now send that you may see it. It is only etched at present, but will be finished by the graver next week; and the whole expence for the . concerning them, he published "The History and Antiquities of the Conventual and Cathedral Church at Ely, from the Foundation of the Monastery, A.D. 675, to the Year 1771, illustrated with copper the plate, i. e. for drawing, engraving, and printing, will be four guineas and a half. If you know of any of the family that will be at that expence on my inscribing it to them, I beg the favour of your information; and also the same in respect of Bp. Gray's monument, the expence of which will be the same. J. B." "SIR, Ely, Dec. 20, 1759. "I am much obliged to you, for your recommendation to Mr. Gray of Colchester; to whom I beg you to return my best respects and thanks for the plate of Bp. Gray's Monument. You will be pleased to order the plate, when finished, to be directed to Mr. Alderman Bentham at Cambridge. I have but one en graver employed on my plates; so that I find it very tedious in getting them forward; which necessarily delays my publication; for I would not even publish proposals, till the plates are near finishing. I have about fifty plates in the whole; and I think about 31 are now finished, besides that of Bp. Gray's monument; and the rest are going on as fast as my engraver can work. He lives at Cambridge at present, on purpose to engrave my plates; and tells me he has tried to get another hand from London to assist him in the work, but has been unsuccessful in it, they are all so full of work at London. I send you the inclosed sheet, by which you will see the design that is now carrying on here, for raising the sum of 12001. by subscription, for removing the choir of our Cathedral Church (which is now placed near the middle of the church) to the East end. My Lord the Bishop of Ely* (by whom the design was chiefly set on foot) has offered 500l. towards it. The reasons for removing the choir, and also for proposing to do it by subscription, you will find in the printed account herewith sent, and also the plan and elevation of the North side of the intended choir; and I cannot but express my sincere wishes, that so noble a design may meet with that encouragement it really deserves. Whatever encouragement is given to it, will, I know, be very acceptable to my Lord the Bishop, and the Dean and Chapter of Ely; and I flatter myself will give me an opportunity of making honourable mention of the names of many worthy and public-spirited persons, who are on all occa sions ready to forward such good works; it being intended that the names of such generous benefactors, and the several sums by them contributed, should be preserved, and inserted in the History of the Church of Ely. I beg leave to order half a dozen of the prints to be sent to you, that they may be at hand, in case you shall think proper to distribute any of them. JAMES BENTHAM. "P. S. I should be glad to know what forwardness the plates of the old Saxon Church at Ely are in." Dr. Matthias Mawson. |