Of an Ancient Shrine, formerly belonging to the Abbey of Croyland. By Wm. Stukely, M. D. N° 490, p. 579. This shrine is a great curiosity, few of this kind of antiquities having escaped the general ravage of the dissolution of abbeys. The shrine is made of oak, plated over with copper, on which the figures are chaced in gold: the ground is enamelled with blue; in the ridge along the top are 3 oval crystals set transparently; its dimensions are 12 inches long, 104 high, 4 broad. It was found in the house of a gentleman ncar St. Neot's, who never showed it during his life-time; and who possibly might have given us some account, as to the history of it; but at present we have no means left of finding it out, but by conjecture. Dr. S. conceives it came from Croyland-abbey. There was an intercourse between this abbey and St. Neot's priory; insomuch that St. Neot's body was carried hence to Croyland-abbey, and inshrined there. These shrines were made for receiving relics of saints, in old abbeys, churches, and cathedrals. These were carried about in processions on their anniversary days; sometimes embellished with jewels of inestimable value. Besides these portable ones, there were others, built of stone, marble, and other materials; like that of St. Edward the Confessor in Westminster-abbey; one now in Chester cathedral of St. Werburga, on which the episcopal throne is set, adorned with sculptures of Saxon kings and saints: one of St. Thomas de Cantelupe bishop of Hereford, in that cathedral. These now remain. There was one in the church of Burton-Coggles, Lincolnshire; and of Heckington in the same county; and innumerable others, destroyed at the dissolution of monasteries. The shrine before us, from the manner of drawing and workmanship, he concludes to be of Saxon antiquity, and that very high, now near 900 years old. He thinks it gives us the story of the murder of the abbot there, and his monks, perpetrated by the barbarous Danes, in the year 870. Sept. 25, that year, they rushed into the church of Croyland, while the religious were at divine service. Ingulphus, abbot of the place, in his History gives us this account. Lord Theodore was then abbot of Croyland; who at that time pontifically officiated at the high altar, expecting the barbarians. King Osketyl cut off his head on the altar. "Verus martyr et Christi hostia immolatur," says our author, “Ministri circumstantes omnes capitibus detruncati:" "Thus fell the true martyr and lamb of Christ, as a sacrifice on the altar. All the assistant ministers were beheaded likewise," says he. The 2 on our shrine, are friar Elfget the deacon, and friar Savin the subdeacon. Some days after, when the monks that fled returned, they found the body of the venerable abbot Theodore beheaded at the altar.. Above is represented his successor abbot Godric, with the ministers about him, putting the deceased abbot into his shroud; while angels are carrying his soul up to heaven. Perhaps some part of this martyr might be obtained, and kept in this shrine. The famous old sepulchral stone in Peterborough Minster-yard is exactly of the same shape as this shrine. It was set up over the grave of the abbot and monks murdered by the same Danes, the day after those of Croyland abbey suffered, Sept. 26. It is carved on the sides with the images of our Saviour and the Apostles. It is now removed into the library. An Eclipse of the Sun, July 14, 1748. Observed by the Earl of Morton, Mr. le Monnier,* Royal Astronomer and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, and Mr. Ja. Short, Fellows of the Royal Society. By Mr. Short. N° 490, p. 582. These observations were made at Aberdour castle, belonging to the said earl, in latitude 56° 4′ N. Mr. le Monnier having come over from France to go to Scotland, to observe the annular eclipse of the sun, July 14, 1748; Mr. S. and he accompanied earl Morton down to that country. On arriving at Edinburgh, they found that the meridian mark, which had been settled from observations, by the late Mr. Mac. Laurin, was lost, by the taking down of a chimney, on which it was fixed; and Mr. Matthew Stewart, the present professor, having no proper instruments, had not as yet re-established it: this they hoped to do by an instrument, which they expected from London, and Mr. Stewart having promised to make the best observation he could, they set out for Aberdour, a seat of the Earl of Morton's, * Peter Charles le Monnier, (son of Peter le Monnier, Profes. of Philos. at Paris) was born at Paris, Nov. 20, 1715, and died at Lizieux in Normandy, April 2, 1799, in the 84th year of his age, and then the oldest astronomer in Europe. His observations and memoirs, to a vast number, are chiefly contained in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences; besides which he published the Histoire Celeste, 1741, in 4to. In this work is twice found, but only as a fixed star, Dr. Herschel's new planet. From his earliest years he devoted himself to astronomy: when a youth of 16, he made his first observations, viz. of the opposition of Saturn. At 20, he was nominated a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences. In 1735 he accompanied Maupertius in the expedition to Lapland to measure a degree of the meridian. And he was the first astronomer who had the pleasure to measure the diameter of the moon on the sun's disk. In 1750 he drew a meridian at the royal chateau at Bellevue, where the king often made observations. Le Monnier was naturally of a very irritable temper; as ardently as he loved his friends, as easily could he be offended; and his hatred was then implacable. Lalande, who had been his pupil, had the misfortune to incur his displeasure; and he never after could regain his favour. At the time of Le Monnier's death, he had amassed a vast quantity of observations, which he could never be prevailed on to publish, but concealed them in a place, which it was feared he had forgotten; so that it has been supposed they were lost to the world, unless the place should happen to be known to the celebrated mathematician La Grange, who married one of his daughters in 1792. about 8 miles nearly N.w. of Edinburgh; which place was chosen as being, by the computations of this eclipse, at or very near the southern limit of the annulus. In the castle of Aberdour, lat. 56° 4′ N. and 25s of time west of the college of Edinburgh, they set up a clock, July 9; but the weather being cloudy, and the equal-altitude instrument and transit not being yet arrived, they on the 11th made use of an equatorial telescope of Lord Morton's, to find corresponding altitudes of the sun, and at the same time set up a gnomon of 15 feet high. The 13th being a clear day, they took equal altitudes with the equatorial telescope, and found the clock gained 1m 46s in 2 days, and that the sun passed the meridian at 12h 7m 63 by the clock. July 14th was an exceedingly bad morning, both for wind and rain; but about 8 in the morning, the clouds dispersed, and they had a very clear sun. To observe the eclipse, Lord Morton made use of a reflecting telescope, 12 inches focal length, magnifying about 40 times. Mr. Short made use of a reflecting telescope 4 feet focus, magnifying about 120 times; both belonging to Lord Morton. Mr. le Monnier made use of a refracting telescope, about 9 feet focus, which he brought with him from France, armed with a micrometer, made after the method of Mr. George Graham, by the late Mr. Sisson at London. Mr. le Monnier took his station in the garden, under the window of the room where the clock was placed; Lord Morton was in the room next that where the clock stood; and Mr. S. was at the window next the clock. True Time. 8h 47m 5s The eclipse not yet begun. Clouds come on. 8 51 18 Beginning of the eclipse, found by the following chord. 8 52 47 First view of the eclipse, then considerably advanced. 8 54 9 58 10 37 35 Measured the chord of the part eclipsed; which was found equal to the field of the great reflector. 12 The illuminate part of the sun, measured by the micrometer, and found 7' 37" 7' o Again measured, and found = 7′ 37′′. Lord Morton judged the middle of the eclipse, or nearest approach to an annulus, at 10h 17m 54s apparent time. 11 44 40 The same phase or chord observed as at the beginning, and measured both in the telescope, as at first, and by the micrometer, and found 8' 25" of a great circle, as verified by a base after the eclipse was over, which gives the end as exact as the beginning. 11 48 18 End of the eclipse by the preceding chord. Mr. le Monnier measured with the micrometer the apparent equatorial dia meter of the moon, when she was on the sun; which he found 29' 47". He measured also the apparent vertical diameter of the sun at noon; which he found 31' 40". The eclipse was so nearly annular, that, at the nearest approach, the cusps seemed to want about of the moon's circumference to be joined; yet a brown light was plainly observed to proceed or stretch along the circumference of the moon, from each of the cusps, about of the whole distance of the cusps from each cusp; and there remained about of the whole distance of the cusps not enlightened by this brown light; so that they were for some time in suspense whether they were to have the eclipse annular. Mr. S. observed, at the extremity of this brown light, which came from the western cusp, a larger quantity of light than at any other place, which at first surprised him; but afterwards he imagined it must have proceeded from some cavity or valley made by two adjoining mountains on the edge or limb of the moon. He had often formerly observed mountains on the circumference of the moon, more or less every where round it, but never saw them so plain as during the time of this eclipse; for the air was exceedingly clear, and free of all agitation, though it blew a perfect hur ricane of wind, which began about the middle of the eclipse; and he remembered that in the annular eclipse of the sun in the year 1737, it did the same. The mountainous inequalities on the southern limb of the moon were particularly. remarkable; in some parts mountains and valleys alternately; others extended a considerable way along the circumference, and ended almost perpendicularly like a precipice. Lord Morton was able to see them very easily through his small reflector. A little after the middle of the eclipse, some clouds, that seemed stationary below the sun, appeared tinged on their upper extremities with all the colours of the rainbow. During the greatest darkness, some people, who were in the garden adjoining to the castle, saw a star to the east of the sun; which, when they afterwards pointed to the place where they had seen it, showed that it must have been the planet Venus. This star, they were afterwards told, was seen also at Edinburgh, and other places, by a great number of people; but he did not hear of any other stars being seen. The darkness was not great, but the sky appeared of a faint languid colour. What is pretty remarkable, Mr. le Monnier found, that when he looked at the sun with his naked eyes during the middle of the eclipse, he could observe nothing on the sun, but saw the sun full, though faint in his light. This, Mr. S. imagines may be owing to his being short-sighted. Mr. S. observed also, about the middle of the eclipse, a remarkable large spot of light, of an irregular figure, and of a considerable brightness, about 7′ or 8' within the limb of the moon next the western cusp. He thought he lost this 4 G VOL. IX.. light several times; but whether this was owing to shutting his eyes, in order to relieve them, or not, he cannot tell. He was told, that the Rev. Mr. Irwin at Elgin observed the same. When Mr. S. first perceived it, he called to Lord Morton, who was in the next room, but he could not see it. Before the eclipse began, and during the whole time of the eclipse, the air being exceedingly clear, Mr. S. saw through the 4-foot reflector, the surface of the sun covered with something which he had never observed before; it seemed to be all irregularly overspread with light, and a faint shade, especially towards his equatorial diameter. This appearance was so odd, that it is difficult to describe it, so as to give an adequate idea of what he saw; but if he may be allowed the expression, it seemed as if it were curdled with a bright and more dusky light or colour. This appearance was permanent, and regularly the same; and if in any degree seen before, may have given rise to faculæ having been seen in the sun; but to him the whole sun's body seemed to be more or less covered with it. Mr. S. looked with all the attention possible, to see if he could observe the body or limb of the moon before she touched the sun, and also after she left it, and was entirely off the sun; but could see nothing at all of any such appearHe mentioned it to satisfy Mr. Delisle, who publicly desired this might be attended to. The weather being very bad at Edinburgh, Mr. Matthew Stewart, the professor of mathematics, could make no observations of the eclipse; he only saw the end at 11h 50m 34s true time; and even then the sun was somewhat cloudy; he took however the sun's transit over the meridian, as then supposed, at 12h 7m 425 by his clock. They afterwards, in a few days, examined his meridian mark, with a very exact equal altitude instrument, by 3 several correspondent observations; and found his mark 3m 22s of time to the west of the true meridian. The college is about 2500 feet distant from the castle eastward. The Rev. Mr. Bryce, at Aldiston, about 6 miles to the west of Edinburgh, lat. 55° 55′ N. observed with a reflecting telescope, 9 inches focus. Beginning of the eclipse at.... .... 8h 52m 30s 11 48 40 Middle of the eclipse, as near as he could judge 10 17 40 End of the eclipse, the sun being quite clear.. Mr. Short has set down the following observations of this eclipse just as they came to hand when in Scotland, without making any other remark than that, from the disagreement among themselves, they do not all of them seem to have been made with due accuracy and attention; for want probably of sufficient practice in this kind of observations, William Crow, Esq. at his house of Netherbyres near Haymouth, lat. 55° 51' N. says, |