Circa hoc tempus, Bibliothecæ Decani et Canonicorum in Collegio Dunelmensi fit Prefectus-nec lævo, ut videtur, omine; quippe qui multa potuit in lucem proferre, quæ diu inculta jacuerant, forsan et in posterum latuissent, nisi forte oculis ejus fidelibus fuissent subjecta. Quo studio ad hoc munus obeundum se contulerit, testis est Catologus ipse MSS. duplici serie, classica nempe, et alphabetica, dispositus; insigne, procul dubio, industriæ simul ac sagacitatis exemplum. Satis erit fortasse si de hoc Catalogo, jam tandem typis mandato, dixerimus, autorem ejus non solum trecentos codices Patrum, Commentatorum, Philosophorum, Jurisconsultorum, &c. ab ævo Ælfridi Regis usque ad suum seculum, in ordines reduxisse, titulos et argumenta notasse, prima plerumque et postrema verba excerpsisse; verum etiam, ubi plures in eodem codice tractatus compingerenter, singulos quosque indefesso labore descripsisse: Doctissimæ insuper de ætate MSS. adjiciuntur conjecturæ ; quin et aliquando Scriptorum, vel Scribarum ipsorum, notitiæ asperguntur, quæ, qualicunque dudum fonte derivatæ, his saltem temporibus haud parvi faciendæ sunt.

Neque leviter sane ille de MSS. prædicare consuetus est, sed literarum formationem, (sive rotundæ sive magis acuminatæ) atramenti colorem, membrana, picturas, orthographiam, cunctæ hæc animo perpendens, judicia protulit-eo scilicet prosequens amore, ea brevi sed exquisita partium enumeratione codicillum depingens, quo florem Linnæus demonstrare solet. Ne vero silentio prætereamus quod jure debitum videatur huic Ultimo Scribarum (si modo hoc nomine Nostrum indicare liceat) totum hunc Catalogum pulcherrime perscriptum esse, suapte manu, et pene sine litura.

Finem huic operi dedit Allertonæ, quo, iisdem usus patronis, anno 1725 se receperat.

Anno 1728 inter Prebendarios Riponienses numeratus est.

1732. Washingtoniæ demum in Rectoriam evectus, ibi mortem obiit sexaginta et quinque annos natus.

Eodem anno quo mortuus est, prodiit Simeonis Monachi Dunelmensis Libellus de exordio et procursu istius Ecclesiæ, quem e codice MS. perantiquo in Bibliotheca publica Episcoporum Dunelmensium descripsit ediditque Thomas Bedford. Huic operi præmittebatur nostri Thomæ Rud Disquisitio, in qua probatur, contra objectiones cl. Johannis Seldeni, non Turgotum, sed Symeonem, fuisse verum hujus Libelli autorem. Hanc fuse laudibus effert T. Bradford, “cui” ut ipsis

Editoris verbis utar, "hoc opusculum ornamentum suum præcipuum "refert acceptum."

Ingeniosa sane nobis videtur hæc disquisitio, et quæ litem de re tali dirimere *valeat, non autem concinna oratione profluens. Condonabit tamen, lector, Philobiblio, veteris ævi monumenta de die in diem pervolventi, si quidem Stylus ejus monachos potius et glossatores sapiat quam Ciceronem. Hoc certe negari potest, dicendi genus, materiæ quam illustrare statuerat, parum idoneum esse, tum in dissertatione de aqua loquimur, tum in nostro Catalogo.

Pauca hæc te commonere, lector, volumus, de homine, famæ prorsus Musisque ignoto, antiquitatis tamen studiosissimo, accurato, patienti, atque, in explicandis reconditioris cujusdam doctrinæ difficultatibus, præ aliis felici.

DUNELMIE, IN COLLEGIO,

A. D. 1825.

MR. CHRISTOPHER ALLISON,

Master Mariner.

The intrepidity of man in every department of life, when founded on true principles of honour, virtue, and integrity, is met with warm feelings, and is constantly attended with reciprocal applause. The British seaman is one of this description; and no wonder that, in this “seagirt isle," this character should be popular; for as our security in war and our prosperity in peace, under the direction of that happy providence which placed us here, depend in a great measure on those who navigate and defend our coasts, the national expectation from honest and open-hearted sailors never is disappointed. I am happy to introduce one to my readers, who, through a long life, supported the character of his profession in the merchant

* Abstulit omnem de veritate hypothesis Rudianæ controversiam, Reginaldi testimonium de hac re nuperrime indagatum.

service; and by an act of great personal courage and presence of mind, stands recorded in "the History of the late War," which occurred about the middle of the last century. The words of that author may be adopted.*

1758. "The year was introduced by the capture of the Machault privateer, of 14 nine pounders and 182 men, in Dungeness-road, on the first day of January, by the Adventure armed ship, commanded by Captain Bray for the king, and by Christopher Allison (a native of Stockton) for the owners in contract with government. Captain Bray, in his correspondence with the admiralty, (dated the 2nd of Jan.) informs them, that while he laid at anchor on the first of January, he saw a snow reach in for the Ness, which, at first, he took for a man for war, but that he cleared ship and veered away to the splice on the windlass: that about two, cut the splice, and made sail large: that in a few minutes after, they began to fire at each other, when judging that the enemy intended to rake the Adventure, HE ordered the helm to be put hard a port; which had the desired effect of laying her athwart hawse, her bowsprit coming in between his main-sail and mizenmasts. That we (he says) passed the end of the mizentop-sail sheet through his bobstay, and made it fast; but fearing to lose such a good opportunity, and that they would get clear, got a hawser, and passed it three times round her bowsprit and the capston on the quarter-deck; so that the action greatly depended on the small arms, which was very smart about an hour. That she then struck her colours; that she began to fire again, when boarded; but was soon silenced; having 40 men killed and wounded;

* Entick's Hist. of the late War, vol. 3, p. 404.

whereas the Adventure had but one man killed and two wounded.

"This was such a gallant action, that the lords of the admiralty rewarded the captain (who assumes all the merit to himself in this representation) with the command of the Princess Amelia, an 80 gun ship. Captain Bray's merit, to be sure, was worthy of the reward. But his generosity, his humanity, his justice would have appeared with greater lustre had he, according to the example of other great men, both in our fleets and armies, given due praise to him or them, who prompted so happy and successful a measure; who worked the ship to bring it to bear; and who put the first and chief hand in the execution; which appears to be rather an act originally suggested, and most likely to be managed by a dextrous wellexperienced navigator, than by the officer engaged in the fighting of a ship. Accordingly we have an account before us, which confirms this supposition, and claims the greatest share in the glory of this action for Mr. Christopher Allison, master of the Adventure for the owners, who is still alive and prosperous; though he has been totally neglected, both in the representation of the fact, and in the distribution of public rewards."

These remarks are illustrated by Mr. Allison's letter to Mr. Joseph Reed, rope-maker, near Sun-tavern Fields, London.

"Mr. Reed,

Spithead, January 29, 1758.

Your favour of the 13th I received on the 20th, wherein I find you want to know the particulars of our action. The following is the truth, to the best of my knowledge; which is, I believe, better than any in the ship can give. On the first of January, Dungeness-light east by north from us four miles: about twelve at noon, saw a snow stand in for Dungeness; which some took for one of

our cruisers. Dinner being ready, Captain Bray gave orders for all the hammocks up, and clearing the ship, which was done in the time we were at dinner. Monsieurs, smelling our beef, roast-pork, and plum-pudding, came down in order to deprive us of it; we dined on our beef and pork before they came: the pudding we fought for.

Being informed by the officer upon deck, that she was bearing down with an English jack flying, we went up, and soon saw what she was. Our captain's order was to heave in the cable: I told him we had not time; it would be better to bear away to the splice and cut; in the mean time, loosed our top-sails and fore-sail cut and bore away large; had not time to get our top-sails hoisted, being then within gun-shot, we fired. He immediately down English and up French colours, but did not fire at us. I told Captain Bray his intent was to rake us, and desired to port our helm ; which he gave orders for. Finding our ship to lay in the same position, I ran to the wheel, and found the helm a starboard, put it a port, as fast as I could, ship wearing very fast, and he sheering towards us, with full sail, could not prevent boarding us : seeing in what position she was coming, I told Captain Bray, she was our own; only make her fast, she would not be able to make a gun to bear on us. From that I ran to cut the pikes down, expecting they had their men ready to board us, which they had; but receiving such a continual fire they could not stand it. I called out to the pilot several times, with anger, who had hold of the bob-stay with his hand, to make her fast; I laid down my musquet, ran forward for a tow line, sent some of the main deck idlers to hand the end up, ran aft with the end, reeved it through his bob-stay, brought it to the capston, and took a round turn with the other part. In the mean time Captain Bray, and the pilot, had got the mizen-top-sail sheet passed, and made it fast to a cleet on the mizen-mast, which came off. That being done, I returned to the musquet, on which the action chiefly depended: about this time they made an attempt to rally their men, and to man their forecastle; and dropt their foresail that we might not see them. One of the four pounders, in the round-house, cleared a way for us, by firing part of their fore-sail; renewing our musketry, with more vigour, from the quarter-deck and round-house, they fled, to a man, for shelter and I perceived their colours to be struck, which I called out accordingly, and fired my musquet in the air: four of us jumped upon their forecastle, barricading for boarding them, amongst whom was