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436 Ives's Remarks on the Battle of Plaffey
The names of the twelve, who in the course of the examination appear next in desert, are also printed, and read over in the presence of the Vice Chancellor and the assembled university, upon a day subsequent to the former.
Four additional names are generally inserted in the former list (which is called the list of the Wranglers and Senior Optime's) at the discretion of the Vice Chancellor, two Proctors, and the senior Regent; and the numbers are sometimes varied, from a regard to accidental circumstances. In the latter list, or that of Junior Optime's, the number of twelve is almost constantly adhered to.
It is to be observed, that no student can be a candidate for the medals annually given by the Chancellor for the encouragement of classical learning, unless his name appears in the former of these lists.
The students, who appear to have merited nor praise nor censure, pass unnoticed: while those, who have taken no pains to prepare themselves for the examination, and have appeared with discredit in the schools, are distinguished by particular tokens of disgrace.
The advantages attendant upon this mode of examination are so obvious, that this account of it needs no comment. It is only to be lamented, that merit in mathematics and philosophy should be rewarded, so much to the exclusion of every other kind of literary improvement.
It may not be improper to add, that, if a Fellow commoner is candidate for a degree, he is excused, for what reason I cannot say, from the necessity of performing exercise in the public schools.
Many attempts have from time to time been made by the Moderators to remove the present imperfections in our course; but the event hath shown, that the evil in question can be remedied only by the exertion of a superior authority.

Mr. URBAN,
As you have mentioned admitted into your last year's Magazine, p. 418, an account of the battle of Plassey pretended to be given in the House of Commons by Sir Eyre Coote; and as you have also added, p. 483, the narrative given by Lord Clive, though without mentioning that the former account was absolutely spurious; impartiality calls upon you, in justice to both those generals, to lay before your readers the following paragraph, copied from Mr. Ives's Journal of a Voyage to India, p. 153:
" I have been more minute in the description of this battle of Plassey than was Mr. Scrafton, because some persons have taken great pains to mispresent it, with a view to tarnish the glory of Colonel Clive on that important victory, pretending that their accounts were taken verbatim from Sir Eyre Coote's journal, as read by him to the Select Committee of the House of Commons, which sat the preceding session on East India affairs. Having, therefore, been lately favored with the perusal of Sir Eyre Coote's journal, I can aver, that the several publications alluded to are utterly devoid of truth; and the public may be assured, that the deception here given of the battle corresponds, in very material particular, with that journal. Sir Eyre Coote himself, also, in a late conversation with me, declared " that the publications before mentioned were also utterly false; that any person might be convinced thereof by appealing to the House of Commons, when what was delivered by him on this examination was committed to this paper." He also authorized me publicly to declare, that " he has, on all occasions, been ever ready to do justice to Lord Clive's merit."
With the fame impartiality you will also insert the following remark on the Fictitious Treaty: " It may be necessary also to observe, that this Fictitious Treaty was signed by Colonel Clive and all the Select Committee: Admiral Watson did not choose to sign it, because he had signed the real treaty. A strict principle of delicacy, which in him was superior to any point of policy, operated too strongly on his mind to permit him to join even in a necessary deception of this nature: however, while he manifested no displeasure against the actors, all classes of people, from their knowledge of Omichunds' avarice and treachery, applauded the artifice by which he was so deservedly outwitted."

Mr. URBAN,
The following account of a most extraordinary personage being very little known, I imagined it may as agreeably

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Particulars of the Life of Thomas Britton. 437
agreeably entertain many of your readers, as it did, your humble servant, J.B.

MR. Thomas Britton, the famous musical small-coal-man, was born at or near Higham Ferrers, in Northamptonshire. From thence he went to London, where he bound himself apprentice to a small-coal-man, in St. John Baptist's Street. After he had served his full time of seven years, his master gave him a sum of money not to set up. Upon this he went again into Northamptonshire, and, after he had spent his money, he returned to London ; set up the small-coal trade (notwithstanding his master was still living), and, withal, he took a stable, and turned it into a house, which stood the next door to the little gate of St. John of Jerusalem, next Clerkenwell green. Some time after he had settled here, he became acquainted with Dr. Garenciers, his near neighbor, by which means he became an excellent chemist: and, perhaps, he performed such things in that profession as had never been done before, with little cost and charge, by the help of a moving elaboratory, which was contrived and built by himself, and much admired by all of that faculty who happened to see it; insomuch that a certain gentleman of Wales took so strong a liking to it, that he was at the expence of carrying him down into that country on purpose to build him such another, which Britton performed to the gentleman's very great satisfaction, and for which he received of him a very handsome and generous gratuity.
 Besides his great skill in chemistry, he was as famous for his knowledge in the theory of music; in the practical part of which faculty he was likewise very considerable. He was so much addicted to it, that he pricked with his own hand (very neatly and accurately), and left behind him, a valuable collection of music, moltly pricked by himself, which was sold upon his death for near an hundred pounds; not to mention the excellent collection of printed books* that he also left behind him, both of che-

[[footnote 1]]*He had also a curious collection of pamphlets, which it is said, he sold to Ld. Somers for above five hundred pounds. Morgan's Phoenix Britannicus, 1731, p. 558. [[/footnote 1]]

mistry and music. Besides these books that he left behind him, he had, some years before his death, sold by auction a noble collection of books, most of them in the Rosacrusian faculty (of which he was a great admirer), where-of there is a printed catalogue extant (as there is of those, that were sold after his death), which excited the admiration of all who saw them, particularly for the great number of MSS. in the before-mentioned faculties that are specified in it. He had, moreover, a considerable collection of musical instruments, which were sold for fourscore pounds after his death, which happened in Sept. 1714, being upwards of threescore years of age. He lies buried in the church-yard of Clerkenwell, without monument or inscription, and was attended to his grave, in a very solemn and decent manner, by a great concourse of people, especially of such as frequented the musical club, that was kept up for many years at his own charges (he being of a very generous liberal spirit) at his own little cell. He appears by the print of him (done since his death) to have been a man of an ingenuous countenance, and of a sprightly temper. It also represents him as a comely person, as indeed he was; and withal there is a modesty expressed in it every way agreeable to him. Under it are these verses, which may serve instead of an epitaph :
"Tho' mean thy rank, yet in thy humble cell
"Did gentle peace and arts unpurchas'd dwell;
"Well-pleas'd Apollo thither led his train, 
"And music warbled in her sweetest strain.
"Syllenius so, as fables tell and Jove
"Came willing guests to poor Philemon's grove.
"Let useless pomp behold, and blush to find
"So low a station, such a liberal mind." 

In short, he was an extraordinary and very valuable man, much admired by the gentry, even those of the best quality, and by all others of the more inferior rank, that had any regard for probity, sagacity, diligence, and humility. So remarkable was he for this last virtue, that, though he was so much famed for his knowledge, and might, therefore, have lived very reputably without his trade, yet, not thinking it to be at all beneath him, he continued it 'till the time of his death.
Mr.
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