The tragical murder of Edward by Elfrida, at Corfe Castle, and its memorable defence by Lady Bankes, form two very interesting narratives in Hutchins's Dorset. Their details would occupy too much of our present sheet, although they are worth reprinting for the gratification of the general reader. Corfe Castle, as we have already intimated, is proposed to be disfranchised by the Great Reform Bill now before Parliament. A year or two hence, probably, the political consequence of the place will be humbled as the Castle itself! * * * * * ANCIENT PARLIAMENTS. (_To the Editor._) In the _Literary Magazine_ for 1792 I find the following list of places, which _formerly_ sent members to parliament:-- Dunstable Odiham Langport Newberry Overton Montacute Ely Bromyard Stoke Curcy Wisbeach Ledbury Watchet Polurun Ross Were Egremont Berkhemstead Farnham Bradnesham Stoteford Kingston upon Thames Crediton Greenwich Bradford Exmouth Tunbridge Mere Tremington Manchester Highworth Liddeford Melton Mowbray Bromsgrove Modbury Spalding Dudley Southmolton Waynfleet Kidderminster Teignmouth Bamberg Pershore Torrington Corbrigg Doncaster Blandford Burford Jervale Winborn Chipping Norton Pickering Sherborn Doddington Ravenser Milton Whitney Tykhull Chelmsford Oxbridge Hallifax Bere Regis Chard Whitby Alresford Dunster and Alton Glastonbury Leeds Basingstoke Fareham The three last named places were summoned during the Commonwealth--also Manchester;--when discontinued, not known. Greenwich was summoned 4th and 5th of Philip and Mary; discontinued 6th of Philip and Mary. The other places were principally summoned and discontinued during the reigns of Edward the First, Second, and Third. Calais, in France, was summoned the 27th of Henry the Eighth; discontinued 3rd of Philip and Mary. In the reign of Edward the Third, an act of Parliament, made in the reign of William the Conqueror, was pleaded in the case of the Abbey of St. Edmundsbury, and judicially allowed by the court. Hence it appears (says a writer on this subject) that parliaments, or general councils, are coeval with the kingdom itself. The first triennial parliament was in the year 1561; the first septennial one, in the year 1716. Henry the Eighth increased the representatives in parliament 38; Edward the Sixth, 44; Mary, 25; Elizabeth, 62; and James the First, 27. P.T.W. * * * * * ANCIENT BOROUGH OF LYDFORD. (_For the Mirror._)