the bleffings of profperity may not be enjoyed with humility, and now and then with a reflection on the very uncertain tenure by which they are held. It certainly is not faying much in favour of Pride, that they who practise it moft are leaft willing to allow it, or to point out its ufes; yet it must be of fome fervice in this world, fince we are very certain it will be of none in the next. Mr. URBAN, THE July 5. HE return of the Fairlop Oak Feftivity reminds me of the draw ing herewith fent you of that celebrated Tree (Plate II.), which was taken foon after the catastrophe, recorded in your last volume, p. 574, which laid protirate fome of its main branches. This veuerable and ftupendous Tree (magnificent even in its ruins) ftands on Hainault Foreft, about 10 miles from London, 4 from Wanftead Hall, S. from Ilford, and 2 from Chigwell. Its trunk, or main flem, measures in girth 66 feet, or 22 feet in diameter, from which, before the late accident, 17 large branches iflued, moft of them not less than 12 feet in girth. For many years paft it has been gradually decaying; yet it ftill retains periodical powers of vegetation, though the loftieft parts of the boughs are withered. Within the laft 20 years, in the me ridian of the day, the whole fhadow extended over an acre of ground. Fairlop Oak Fair is not held under any regular charter; but took its rife from the flated vifits of Mr. Daniel Day, a worthy but eccentric character, who was born in the parish of St. Mary Overy, in 1682. He was the fon of an opulent brewer; and was himfelf a confiderable engine, pump, and block maker in St. John's, Wapping, to which parish he was a great benefactor. He died October 19, 1767, at the age of 84; and was buried in Barking church-yard. The reader who would know more either of Mr. Day, or of his favourite Oak, may confult a little pamphlet, which was published by Mr. R. Ing of Mile End, and circulated on the Spot, under the title of The Origin of Fairlop Fair, annually held round the great Oak, on Hainault Foreft, in Ellex, on the first Friday in July; with an account of the Founder, Mr. Daniel Day, interfperfed with many GENT. MAG. July, 1805, manners genuine anecdotes of that worthy cha Mr. URBAN, July 6. FOR the benefit of modern repairers of our antient churches, take the following account of St. Peter's Church at St. Alban's, which, though rebuilt about the time of Henry III appears to have undergone confiderable repairs and alterations; the most recent of which have been at the expence of about 4000l. fiuce the year 1803, when an Act of Parliament was obtained, to empower certain trafices appointed under the faid Ac; to borrow money to the above amount. The tower having become extremely ruinous, and in great danger of falling. had been previously taken down; and a general reparation of the whole ftructure was deemed neceffary. "All the expenfive repairs and modern alterations of this fabric, have probably originated from an order of Veftry, made the 20th of April, 1756, in the following words: "That the fucceeding Churchwardens have the old belfry taken down, and the middle floor funk as low as it can conveniently be, to make another belfry." To explain this, it is neceffary to obferve, that the original belfry was fo low, as to obftruct that perfpective view of the chancel which the then rulers of the parifh were defirous of obtaining; and therefore, under the order above ftated, they had a new belfry erected, the floor of which is faid to have been about 22 feet higher than the old floor. This answered the purpofe of opening the view, but was foon difcovered to have done effential injury to the building, from violating the principles on which it had been originally conftructed. The old belfry floor had refted against the four great piers which fupported the tower, and were below of folid mafonry; yet it now appeared, that the original builders had not carried them up folid fo high as the place which the new floor was to reft upon, but had con tented themselves with an outfide cafing, filled only with rubble. Under thefe cir cumftances, on the 11th of May, 1785, the Veftry refolved, "That, whereas the two piers (or part thereof) of the church tower next the South aifle, is in a dange rous and ruinous condition," the fame be forthwith "repaired." For that purpote, a carpenter in the parifh was employed, who introduced one of his own friends in the character of a furveyor: thefe fit affo ciates ciates having undermined the piers of the tower, a heavy building, 33 feet fquare, prepared to fet them upon wooden legs, and accordingly dragged from London (where probably they had been lying upon the mud in the River Thames) 36 great Blocks of Memel timber, which they fet upright, nine in each pier, and then furrounded them with brick-work feparately; and afterwards walled round, and covered with plafter, the four piers, fo as to make them look like ftrong maffy columns. With fimilar inconfideration, the Veftry, on the 6th of September, 1786, granted permiffion to certain perfons, who defired it, to add, at their own expence, two new triples to the eight bells already belonging to the church; all tending to increase the fuperincumbent weight. "The amount of the expence wafted on this repair, was 2790l.; and almoft as' foon as it was finished, the parish feemed to be alarmed with apprehenfion of the confequence; for fo early as the 22d of March, 1790, a Veftry met to infpect the ftate of the four principal pillars; and the Vicar having moved, that Mr. Richard Norris, of Chrift's Hospital, fhould furvey them immediately: he did fo on the 24th of April following, and gave it as his "opinion, that fo long as the timbers ufed in them remained found, the tower might be fafe; but," he adds, "fhould they decay, I doubt the tower's ftanding; and am forry to fay, that, from the appearance of fome of them, I fhould fear they are proceeding to that ftate." In the mean time, the Vicar and the Archdea con did all in their power to prevent mifchief, and promote peace, but in vain: per Veftries were held continually one forbade the ringing of the bells; the next refcinded the prohibition, and ordered it. More furveyors were called in, of whom fame faid, that the timbers. were fectly found, and would be capable of fupporting the tower for at leaft feven years to come;" others declared they were decaying: till at length Mr. James Lewis, of Chrift's Hofpital, having made a fair and unbiaffed report of the ftate of things, the parish were perfuaded to take down the tower; after they had gone on for years, fometimes ufing the church, and at other times having it shut up. To elofe the fcene, on the morning of Saturday, the 21ft of November, 1801, (fervice being at that time performed every Sunday) the whole floor of the belfry fell at once into the body of the Church, and rufhed feveral of the pews to pieces; a beam that fupported the floor, and refted on the piers, having broke off, being quite rotten. This event obliged the pasifh to apply to Parliament for an Act to enable them to rebuild the tower and chancel upon a reduced fcale, and more effectually to repair the church: this A& paffed on the 24th of March, 1803. The Bishop of Ely, to whom the chancel be, longed, agreed to its being made smaller, and with his leffees of the great tithes of the rectory, handfomely contributed towards the expence, on condition that the parish should fecure to the appropriator, the fite of the old chancel, and maintain the new one for the time to come. The Architect appointed to effect the recent alterations, was Mr. Robert Chapman, of Wormwood-ftreet, London*." D. H. Mr. URBAN, July 7. MR. Lyfons, in his account of the Monuments in Mitcham Church, mentions one for "Sir Ambrofe Crow ley, Alderman of Loudon (celebrated in the Tatler, No. 73, under the name of Sir Humphrey Greenhat), who died in 1718." Surrey, p. 356. The story to which the Tatler alludes, is a' competition between two citizens for the Aldermanfhip of Queenhithe Ward: he quotes the advertisements of the two candidates as from the newspapers of the day, under feigned names. But, as it is probable only their furnames are difguifed, it has been concluded, that Humphrey Parfons, who married one of Sir Ambrofe Crowley's daughters, and was only Sir by vulgar courtely, was the perfon intended by the nick-name of Greenhut; perhaps from wearing a hat of that colour when in his brewhoufe at St. Katharine's. The new edition of the Tatler, however, cùm notis variorum, by preferving the origi nal advertisement, (III. 452) has demonfirated, that "the real names of the two candidates (difguifed by Steele under the appellation of Sir Arthur de Bradley, and Sir Benjamin Green) were Sir Ambrofe Crowley and Sir Benjamin Green." May it not be probable that Sir Arthur O'Bradley and Green the Pindar of Wakefield, Heroes of our antient Ballads, may have been alluded to by Steele ? Mr. URBAN, July 5. ADMIT the good intention of your correfpondent G. (p. 492); but, furely, in his happy conclufion, that he is at least preventing evil by diffuading Arthriticks from immerging a gouty limb into cold water, he is doing more *Beauties of England and Wales, vol. VII. p. 97. than |