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rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining unto a Knight Bachelor of these realms;" but the title" Sir" is not confined to Knights Bachelors of England, nor does it solely arise from the accolade, since it is used by baronets; and a man who is a knight of one country must, according to the principles of chivalry, and which were expressly recognized by the Court of King's Bench, be equally a knight in every other country, "the honour being universal." In England a knight is called "Sir. -, Knight;" in France, "le Chevalier;" in Spain and Italy, "il Cavaleiro;" in Germany, "Ritter;" all names for the same rank; and as the licences do not expressly forbid the parties to use the title "Sir," we question whether each of them is not fully entitled to it, though they have no right "to the style, title, precedence, or privileges, of Knights Bachelors of England." Their precedence is probably immediately after Knights Bachelors of England, for they are manifestly not "Esquires;" and if either of them was so styled he might, we are convinced, plead a misnomer.

Mr. Townsend has executed his task with intelligence, industry, and success. His work will be found extremely useful to many persons besides those who are mentioned in it; whilst, to those who are recorded in its pages, and their immediate friends, it forms a gratifying record of rewards of arduous civil and military services, or of the personal favour of our own and foreign sovereigns.

The History and Antiquities of the Chapel at Luton Park.-We have pleasure in noticing three numbers of Mr. H. Shaw's work. This chapel is an interesting specimen of the last stage of Tudor architecture, and is valuable to the architect and antiquary.

How much more profitably for its Fellows and the public would such part of the funds of the Society of Antiquaries, as could be devoted to architectural engravings, be employed in publishing subjects like the one to which Mr. Shaw has so successfully directed his attention, than in lavishing its money on the inconceivably silly trash that appeared in the last volume but one of the "Archæologia," wherein fifteen plates and two sheets of letter-press are expended in an attempt to show the mysterious use of the form of a fish's bladder in the architecture of the middle ages!!!

Should the historical equal the graphic part of this elegant work, we shall resume our observations on it.

Mr. Townsend thus alludes to the decision in question; and the only doubt is, whether the clause subsequently introduced into licences alters the case:

"It was a prosecution against William Dearsley, for an assault on the Rev. Sir Robert Peat. The Counsel for the defendant took an objection to the description of the plaintiff, urging, that as he had not been knighted by the king he had no right to the appellation Sir.' Lord Ellenborough overruled the objection, on the ground that knighthood was a universal honour, which there could be no doubt every sovereign could confer according to the laws or customs of his own state; and that there could be as little doubt that the King of England could ratify and confirm such creation by a foreign sovereign, and that having so done, the party was, to all intents and purposes, a Knight, and entitled to the appellation by which Knights are commonly distinguished in these Realms."-Preface.

Isographie des Hommes Célébres, ou Collection de Fac-Simile de Lettres Autographes et de Signatures. Paris, 11 livraisons, 4to. Rolandi, Berners Street, 5 francs chaque numero.

Autographs of Royal, Noble, Learned, and Remarkable Personages, conspicuous in English History, from the Reign of Richard II. to Charles II, including some Illustrious Foreigners. Folio, Part I. Nichols and Son, 5s.; tinted paper, 7s. 6d.

As we partake of the general taste for fac-similes of the autographs of celebrated men, it is with satisfaction that we notice two works so well calculated to gratify it. The one published at Paris has already reached its eleventh number, whilst the English series has but just commenced. Every livraison of the " Isographie" contains twenty-four lithographed pages, each of which is occupied with the autograph of one person; and in most cases they present a facsimile of an entire letter, or at least of a long paragraph. They thus afford a perfect and most interesting specimen of the chirography of two hundred and sixty-four distinguished persons of all ages and countries, kings, statesmen, philosophers, divines, historians, and poets'; and it is seldom that we have derived so much pleasure as this highly valuable collection has given us.

The "Autographs" published by Mr. Nichols are very faithfully engraved on copper, under the direction of Mr. Charles John Smith, and are accompanied by slight but well-written biographical memoirs by Mr. Gough Nichols. The first number contains autographs of thirty-eight persons, including Henry VIII., Margaret and Mary, his sisters, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, James the First, Francis II. of France, of two Dukes of Norfolk, the Earls of Surrey, Wiltshire, Essex, Northumberland, &c. and of other eminent noblemen of the sixteenth century; but as there are only five plates, little besides the mere signature is, in most cases, given. It was scarcely possible to avoid drawing a comparison between the plan of the two publications, and the result is in favour of the French, because it contains so much fuller specimens of the writing of the parties. For the purpose of identifying a writer, an example of two or three lines, much less of his mere signature, is not sufficient; hence we should prefer having the five plates in each part of Messrs. Smith and Nichols's work appropriated to ten or fifteen, rather than to thirty-eight persons.

The biographical notices belonging to the "Isographie" are not yet published, but they ought not to be any longer postponed; for the want of them not only lessens the interest of the plates, but prevents their being bound up. From the very successful manner in which

Among them are the following names, which we select as being best known in England: Fontenelle, Molière, Turenne, Agnes Sorel, Marmontel, Robespierre, Lavater, Canova, Catherine de Medicis, Van Tromp, Talma, Berthier, Prince of Wagram, David Garrick, Bayle, Louis XIII., XIV., and XV., Queen Elizabeth, James II. of Scotland, and various other monarchs, Madame de Staël, Voltaire, Rollin, Montesquieu, Charlemagne, the Abbé Sicard, Benjamin West, Camden, Fenelon, Sir Joseph Banks, Diana of Poictiers, Rapin, Volney, Washington, Buffon, Corneille, Hume, Leibnitz, Madame de Maintenon, Elzevir, Racine, &c.

lithography is used for the fac-similes in the French collection, we recommend Mr. Smith to adopt it, and to give long extracts and more plates. By avoiding as much as possible the autographs inserted in the " Isographie," the two works will not interfere with each other, and be equally acceptable to collectors in both countries.

These works are highly deserving of encouragement, and we shall be exceedingly happy to learn, that sufficient interest is felt in this country in the illustrious dead, to render these memorials of them more generally known and patronized. Next to a portrait, the autograph of a great man is the most valuable notice of him, and, since either are rarely to be met with, the multiplication of both is desirable. There cannot be a more appropriate illustration of history and biography than these collections; and it is impossible to doubt that they will rank among the most popular, since they are among the most interesting, works of the day.

CREATIONS OF HONOURS, CHANGES OF NAME, &c.

From the London Gazettes, from 25th March to May 23rd, 1828. April 1.-St. James's Palace, 27th March. The King was this day pleased to confer the honour of Knighthood upon Lieutenant-Colonel John Macra, K. C. H., Military Secretary to the late Marquess of Hastings.

April 4.-Whitehall, 2d April.-The King has been pleased to give and grant unto Isaac Hart, Esquire, Captain in the Army, on half-pay of the 65th Regiment of Foot, His royal licence and authority, that he may, in compliance with the earnest desire expressed by his Majesty the Shah of Persia, accept and wear the insignia of the Persian Order of the Lion and Sun, of the First Class, with which his Persian Majesty has been pleased to honour him, in testimony of His royal approbation of his distinguished conduct while in the actual service of that Sovereign; provided, nevertheless, that his Majesty's said licence and permission doth not authorise the assumption of any style, appellation, rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining unto a Knight Bachelor of these realms.

April 18.-Whitehall, 17th April.-The King has been pleased to give and grant unto Lieutenant George Read of the Royal Navy, late Lieutenant of H. M. Ship Lively, His royal licence and permission, that he may, in compliance with the earnest desire expressed by his late Most Faithful Majesty, John the Sixth, King of Portugal, accept and wear the insignia of a Knight of the Royal Portuguese Military Order of the Tower and Sword, which that Sovereign was pleased to confer upon him on occasion of His Most Faithful Majesty's visit on board that ship in the Tagus in May, 1824; provided, nevertheless, that His Majesty's said licence and permission doth not authorise the assumption of any style, appellation, rank, precedence, or privilege appertaining unto a Knight Bachelor of these realms.

May 16.-Whitehall, May 14.-The King has been pleased to give and grant unto John Fonblanque, of the Middle Temple, London, Esquire, one of His Majesty's Counsel learned in the Law, His royal licence and authority, that he and his issue may take and use the surname of De Grenier, in addition to and before that of Fonblanque.

ERRATUM.

Page 173. In speaking of the Baronetcy of CODRINGTON, it is said, that the gentleman to whom Mr. Burke has attributed the title is not a Baronet, the title being in fact vested" in the eldest son of his elder brother." The dignity really belongs to Sir William Raimond Codrington, son of Sir William Codrington, who died in Brittany in 1816. The individual who has assumed it is the son of Edward, brother of Sir William, 2nd Baronet, who was grandfather of the party entitled to the honour.

THE

Retrospective Review.

NEW SERIES.

VOL. II. PART III.

Le Combat de Trente Bretons contre Trente Anglois. Publié d'après le Manuscrit de la Bibliothèque du Roi. Par G. A. Crapelet, Imprimeur. à Paris, 1827. 8vo. pp. 110.

IT is highly creditable to the literary taste of France that so much zeal should exist for the publication of manuscripts illustrative of the early history of that country. The excellent edition of its Chronicles, which have been long in course of publication under the able superintendence of Monsieur Buchon, and the splendid and satisfactory manner in which the "Roman de la Rose" has just been published, are ample proofs that a spirit of historical inquiry exists which in England we are incapable of appreciating, for there are scarcely fifty persons who are sufficiently interested in English history to read those writers who, from being contemporary with the events which they describe, are the most genuine sources of all historical information. In alluding to a difference in national taste so disgraceful to ourselves, it is necessary to state one or two circumstances, which prove that the French have always excelled us in the character and extent of publications of materials for history. With the exception of Rymer's "Fœdera," the English Chronicles, and the volumes printed by the Record Commission, nearly all the text-books on history and antiquities are French. Whilst we do not possess a bibliographical work on English history, excepting the imperfect compilation of Bishop Nicolson, or even a complete glossary of our language, our neighbours are extraordinarily rich, not only in each of these departments, but in standard works on Antiquities. It is notorious that we have no books which approach in value to the labours of Du Cange and

VOL. II.-PART III.

A A

Charpentier; to "L'Art de verifier les Dates;" to Le Long's Bibliothéque Historique de France," of which it is impossible to speak too highly, since it is almost as useful to the student in English as in French history; to "Morice's Histoire Ecclésiastique et Civile de Bretagne, avec les preuves;" to Roquefort's "Glossaire de la Langue Romaine;" to "Pere Anselm's Histoire Généalogique et Chronologique de la maison royale de France;" to Willemin's "Monumens Français inedits;" or to numerous others of scarcely less research and importance, many of which were the productions of monks or priests. Unanswerable as these proofs are of the superiority of the French, nothing is more common than to hear even tolerably well-informed persons speak of the "frivolity" of that nation, and of the "laziness and ignorance of monks and priests." It would be invidious to contrast the merits of contemporaries; but though we boast of our Lingard, who, it must be remembered, is himself a catholic priest, of Mr. Sharon Turner, and of one or two others whose reputations stand high in England, no one can be ignorant of the sagacity and learning of Sismondi, Thierry, De Barente, and Guizot.

Of the value of Rymer's labours there cannot be two opinions; and his work does something to redeem the reproach against England, that so little has been done for her history. Instead of considering the publications of the Record Commission as indicative of an improved taste on the subject, we contend that great part of the volumes thus published at the expense of the nation are in the highest degree reproachful to it, and that even the new edition of the "Foedera" is in many places far more incorrect than the old; that some of the errors have been reprinted; and that the new matter is not one tenth part so extensive as it ought to have been.

The opinion here expressed is the result of much consideration on the comparative taste for historical literature, and on the publications which have appeared on history and antiquities in England and France; and perhaps no better opportunity could have occurred for stating them, than in a notice of a volume so indicative of the interest which now prevails in that country for every thing of an authentic nature connected with its history, and which is printed under the auspices of the " ministre au département de l'interieur." How far we owe its appearance to the circumstance of the event which it describes, flattering the national pride, we are not disposed to inquire. It is sufficient for our argument that any cause renders such a manuscript popular; for we do not believe that if contemporary poems, celebrating the prowess of our forefathers at Cressy, Poictiers, or Agincourt, were to be discovered, one hundred copies would be sold in England.