Duke Of Northumberland Research Articles

Ireland in 1830. The Second Year's Administration of the Duke of Northumberland

Ireland in 1830. The Second Year's Administration of the Duke of Northumberland

XLII. Extract of a Letter from the Reverend Mr. Bentham, of Ely, to the Dean of Exeter, concerning certain Discoveries in Ely Minster

Give me leave to add the following particulars (by way of additional note to what is said in the History and Antiquities of the Church of Ely, page 85,) concerning the removal of some Bones, in the pious conservation of which our ancestors were pleased to interest themselves, from a grateful remembrance of that beneficence which the persons there mentioned had exercised towards the Religious of this place. These bones had for a long time been immured within the north wall of the late choir. When it became necessary, on account of removing the choir to the east end of the church, to take down that wall, I thought proper to attend, and also gave notice of it to several gentlemen, who were desirous of being present when the wall was demolished. There were the traces of their several effigies on the wall, and over each of them an inscription of their names. Whether their relicks were still to be found was uncertain; but I apprised those who attended on that occasion, May 18, 1769, that, if my surmises were well founded, no head would be found in the cell which contained the bones of Brithnoth, duke of Northumberland. The ground of my expectation in that particular circumstance was the account given by the author of the Liber Eliensis of the unfortunate battle of Maldon in Essex, A. D. 991, that the Danes took away with them the head of that brave warrior. The event corresponded to my expectation.

XXVII. An Intaglio of Antinous, under the Figure of Mercury, upon a Cornelian; explained by Mr. Bowman.

In the Strozzi collection at Rome, there is an Intaglio upon a Cornelian, of a Mercury, with his Caduceus in his left hand, while his right is raised towards his mouth in a very pensive attitude. Lord Essex bought the stone from the present D. Strozzi, the Pope's nephew, and Captain of his Guards, who is so extravagant and expensive in his pleasures, that he is thought to have sold some of the real antiques, and substituted copies by Costanzain their room, for which reason the Duchess his mother shows them in person. This stone was given to Sir Hugh Smithson (now his Grace the Duke of Northumberland) by Lord Essex; and from various circumstances appears to be the original itself, for which it was bought, upon the opinion of the best connoisseurs in Rome at that time. It must be owned, that Costanza copies antiques with great accuracy, as may be judged from one of his Medusas; but here the workmanship, considering the sweetness of the original, has a very different air from our Mercury, which is upon a stone round in the back, without much transparency, such as he never chuses for shewing his work; nor does the Greek word behind the figure seem to be modern: This is Antinooc, which shews the Mercury to be intended for Adrian's favourite.

XLII. Extract of a Letter from the Reverend Mr. Bentham, of Ely, to the Dean of Exeter, concerning certain Discoveries in Ely Minster

Give me leave to add the following particulars (by way of additional note to what is said in the History and Antiquities of the Church of Ely, page 85,) concerning the removal of some Bones, in the pious conservation of which our ancestors were pleased to interest themselves, from a grateful remembrance of that beneficence which the persons there mentioned had exercised towards the Religious of this place. These bones had for a long time been immured within the north wall of the late choir. When it became necessary, on account of removing the choir to the east end of the church, to take down that wall, I thought proper to attend; and also gave notice of it to several gentlemen, who were desirous of beng present when the wall was demolished. There were the traces of their several effigies on the wall, and over each of them an inscription of their names. Whether their relicks were still to be found was uncertain; but I apprised those who attended on that occasion, May 18, 1769, that, if my surmises were well founded, no head would be found in the cell which contained the bones of Brithnoth, duke of Northumberland.

XXVII. An Intaglio of Antinous, under the Figure of Mercury, upon a Cornelian, explained by Mr. Bowman

In the Strozzi collection at Rome, there is an Intaglio upon a Cornelian, of a Mercury, with his Caduceus in his left hand, while his right is raised towards his mouth in a very pensive attitude. Lord Essex bought the stone from the present D. Strozzi, the Pope's nephew, and Captain of his Guards, who is so extravagant and and expensive in his pleasures, that he is thought to have sold some of the real antiques, and substituted copies by Costranza in their room, for which reason the Duchess his mother shews them in person. This stone was given to Sir Hugh Smithson (now his Grace the Duke of Northumberland) by Lord Essex; and from various circumstances appears to be the original itself, for which it was bought, upon the opinion of the best connoisseurs in Rome at that time. It must be owned, that Costranza copies antiques with great accuracy, as may be judged from one of his Medusa's; but here the workmanship, considering the sweetness of the original, has a very different air from our Mercury, which is upon a stone round in the back, without much transparency, such as he never chuses for shewing his work; nor does the Greek word behind the figure look to be modern: It is antinooc, which shews the Mercury to be intended for Adrian's favourite.