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papers; and the late Bishop of Bristol, the learned Dr. Newton, procured for me Mr. Furney's.

Mr. Hook was the next undertaker, who promised much, but, though very capable, as he possessed few materials for such a work, his undertaking dropt of course. Mr. Alexander Morgan about the year 1750 became a very laborious collector, from the records and old books in the several Vestries as well as the Chamber of Bristol, transcribing many Latin Deeds (which alone make two large volumes in folio close wrote) and this with the greatest exactness and fidelity. Upon his death all these papers fell into my hands by purchase, merely to prevent what had been collected with so much toil and industry from being lost. Having myself then neither time nor inclination to engage in a work so laborious, I wished to leave it to some person of greater leisure and abilities-Much also was still wanting to compleat the collections necessary. Not finding a proper person inclined to undertake the task, I continued occasionally to improve the work as time would permit, and by meeting in my researches afterwards with other manuscripts through my intercourse with families in the line of my profession, and by having the record-offices and public libraries searched for this purpose, much was now added to the large store already amassed.*

* In the preface to his book, Barrett says, 'The original deeds and copies collected for this History have been procured with so much labour, it would be a great loss to have them dispersed, after the extracts for this work have been made from them; it is intended therefore to lodge them in some public repository, probably the Bristol Library. Whoever considers well the time and trouble employed in making such a collection, will readily agree to the propriety of such a measure.'-Can any of our Readers inform us where these papers now are, and why they were not deposited in the Bristol Library?—ED.

[The following is a Copy of an Hand-bill among the papers of the late Mr. John Allen, organist of St. Mary Redcliff.]

To all Organists, Masters in Musick, and Gentlemen who are Judges or Lovers of the Organ.

Gentlemen,

MR. STRAHAN, who drew the Design for the Organ-Case, which was lately erected in St. Mary Redclift Church in Bristol, having thought fit to be at the expence of it's being engraved (for Sale) and having given a very imperfect Account of the internal Contents, for want of desiring Information from us, the Makers of it, we think it reasonable to give the following Account of it; and are, Gentlemen,

Your humble Servants

Red-Lion-Street, near Holborn,

London, Feb. 1728-9.

J. Harris & J. Byfield.

THIS Instrument is Consort Pitch; the Compass of Extent of the great Organ, is from Double double C-fa-ut, to D-la-sol in Alt, compleat long Octaves, containing 63 Keys; and has the following Stops, viz. two open Diapasons of Metal, one stop'd Diapason, one principal, a grand Sexquialtera of five Ranks, a Trumpet, a Clarion, a Cornet of five Ranks, and a Twelfth, a Fifteenth and Tierce. The three last Stops are only from double Gamut to D-la-sol in Alt.

The Chair, or Choir Organ, is from double Gamut to D-la-sol in Alt, being long Octaves, containing fifty-six Keys, and has the following Stops, viz. a stop'd Diapason, a Principal, a Flute Almain, a Flute, a Bassoon, and a grand Sexquialtra of three Ranks.

The Ecchos (which are made to swell or express Passion) are from Gamut to D-la-sol in Alt, being forty-four

Keys, and has the following Stops, viz. the open Diapason, the stop'd Diapason, the Principal, the Flute, a Cornet throughout the Keys, a Trumpet, a Hautboy, a Vox humane, and a Cromhorn.

This Organ contains 26 Stops, and 1928 valuable speaking Pipes, which are considerably more than either the Organ in St. Paul's Cathedral, or that in St. Martin's Church in London contain, and are as well perform'd in every respect, notwithstanding this Organ cost no more than 1000l. which is vastly less than the Price of either of the others, altho the Compass of St. Martin's is only from double Gamut to D-la-sol in Alt; and St. Paul's has (we think) only the two Diapasons and Trumpet, so low as Redclift Organ; and neither of those Stops contain either the Double-double C-fa-ut sharp or Double-double D-sol-re sharp, which are expensive Pipes. Besides the C sharp, and D in Alt, are not in any of the Stops of St. Paul's Organ, altho' it cost three times the price of this.

N.B. There are Pedals to the lower Octave of this great Organ, notwithstanding the Touch is as good as need be desired; and there is an Invention, which by drawing only a Stop, makes it almost as loud again as it was before (or play in a double Manner) tho' there are no new Pipes added to the Organ, or any Keys put down by it. This great Piece of Work was compleated within the Time agreed upon, and was finish'd in little more than a Year and a Quarter; and was approved of as an excellent ton'd Instrument, by those Gentlemen whom the Parishioners made choice of to be Judges of it, as it has ever been, by all Persons that have Play'd upon it.

THE

BRISTOL MEMORIALIST.

JUNE 1816.

General Communications.

To the Readers of the Bristol Memorialist.

We

Ir has been suggested that the second number of the Memorialist should not appear without something from the editors, in the form of an address to their readers, expressive of the success which has attended the publication, and the consequent probability of its becoming, if not permanent, at least of long continuance. will confess that our expectations were never of that sanguine character which authors in particular delight to cherish, but we sincerely congratulate our fellow-citizens and the public, that these moderate expectations have not been disappointed. We will not say that our success has been equal to our wishes, but we do say that the approbation expressed of our attempt by some whose praise is a real distinction, and the handsome notice it obtained from the best of contemporary periodical publications,* have as much exceeded our hopes as we fear they are beyond our merits. These however shall excite us to endeavours for deserving the commendation which we conceive has been bestowed upon the novelty of our plan, * See the Monthly Magazine for June 1816. NO. II.

M

rather than upon the manner in which that plan has been carried into effect.

Such has been our success. In reference to our future prospects we shall observe, that indemnification from expense, not pecuniary remuneration, will, at least for the present, satisfy our wishes. Our best reward will arise from the continuance of a publication which we hope may reflect credit upon our city, and which we conceive to be of useful example to other large cities in the kingdom. The Bristol Memorialist presents an example of an attempt to record the labours of those who, by adorning the little circle in which they move, have been the benefactors of their country. It may therefore be considered the first circle of an expanding series, which, becoming wide and more wide,' will at length take in every effort made for the amelioration of our fellowcountrymen by the dissemination of knowledge.

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We must observe, however, that we look to our fellow-citizens rather than to the public, for the patronage of our work; and we delight to add, for we love our native city, that the support we have received forbids us to anticipate, either the incurring of any pecuniary loss or the discontinuance of our publication.

But we shall terminate this species of egotism, by simply adding that we will continue our work upon the broad basis upon which we have commenced it. The party-politics of the day shall find no place in our pages; and of course every kind of theological disquisition would be inconsistent with the plan of a work designed to be purely literary. We have believed that Knowledge is the handmaid of Virtue; and consequently, while we are serving the cause of literature, we think that we are doing something to promote the progress of moral as well as of intellectual improvement.

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