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place, till he has learned to fubdue the tenderness of his nature, tuck his hair under his hat, leave his natural voice behind him, aflume the tones of tafte, can fit bent like a bow upon a horse, laugh at a tragedy, and never prefume to contract a mufcle at a comedy; in a word, till he can forget all nature, and fubftitute all art. Thank Heaven! I have footed it back to my cure, fometimes, indeed, affifted by the cafual carriages, and fometimes relieved by the hofpitality of a waggoner, who is a rational creature, though he goes weekly with a vehicle to a watering-place.

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re-enter; nor would I ever advife any and offered a band fome gratuity. "What, in the courfe of a morning's ride, to ask
perfon to hazard happiness at a watering-friend," fays the fellow, "do you know his opinion upon a point of fome confe-
quence; he gave it very fully, upon the
bufinefs: but fome time afterwards, the
'Squire coming to the other's chambers
in town in a great hurry, fays, "Zounds,
Mr. Fazakerley! I have loft four or five
thoufand pounds by your advice." "By
my advice, neighbour! how fo?" replied
Fazakerley.
Fazakerley. Why, you were in the
wrong in the opinion you gave me rela-
tive to the manor of S-
opinion!" fays the Counsellor, turning
to one of his books; "I don't remember
giving you any opinion upon the fubject;
I don't remember having had any fuch
thing before me; I fee nothing of it in.
my book."- "Book! No, (fays the
other) it was as we were riding out to-
gether at Prefton laft fummer." "O.!".
fays the Counsellor, "I remember it now;
but that was only my travelling opinion;
and to tell you truly, neighbour, my

ANECDOTE.

HE Berkshire proverb, That the Vicar THE Bray will be Vicar of Bray fill, being frequently revived in the political conduct of our great men, the following little anecdote of that confcientious Vicar, comprizing the original words of the proverb, may not be unacceptable to our readers.-Bray is a village near Maidenhead, in Berkshire, and the ancient Vicar thereof, living under King Henry VIII. King Edward VI. Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, was hirft a Papist, then a Proteftant, then a Papist, then a Proteftant again;-he had feen fome martyrs. burnt two miles off, near Windfor, and found this fire too hot for his tender temper. This Vicar being taxed for being a turncoat and an unconftant changling: No, (faid he) that's your mistake, for I always kept my principle, which is To live and die the Vicar of Bray. And no doubt there are fome ftill of the fame faving principles, who, though they cannot turn the wind, will turn their mills, and fet them fo, that whenever it blows, their grift will certainly be grinding.

no better than to afk any of our craft to
work on St. Crifpin? Was it Charles
the Vth himself, I'd not do a ftitch for
him now: but if you'll come in, and
drink St. Crifpin, do and welcome; we
are as merry as the Emperor can be." The
Sovereign accepted his offer; but while
he was contemplating on their rude plea-
he was contentplating on their rude plea-
fure, inftead of joining in it, the jovial
hoft thus accofts him: "What, I fup-
pofe you are fome Courtier Politician, or
other, by that contemplative phiz: nay,
by your long nofe, you may be a baftard
of the Emperor's; but be who, or what
you will, you're heartily welcome: drink
about; here's Charles the Fifth's health."
"Then you love Charles the Fifth," re-
plied the Emperor. "Love him!" fays
the fon of Crifpin; "ay, ay, I love his
long nofefhip well enough; but I fhou'd
love him much more, wou'd he but tax

us a little less: but, what the devil have
we to do with politics? Round with the
glafs, and merry be our hearts." After
a fhort stay, the Emperor took his leave,
and thanked the cobler for his hofpitable
reception. "That," cried he, "you're
welcome to; but I wou'd not to-day
have difhonour'd St. Crifpin, to have
work'd for the Emperor."

Charles, pleafed with the honeft good nature and humour of the fellow, fent for him next morning to Court. You muft imagine his furprize, to fee and hear that his late gueft was his fovereign! He feared his joke on his long nofe muft be punished with death.The Emperor thanked him for his hofpitality, and, as a reward for it, bid him afk for what he moft defired, and take the whole night to fettle his furprife, and his ambition. Next day he appeared, and requested, that for the future the coblers of Flanders might bear for their arms a boot with the Emperor's crown upon it.-That requeft was granted; and, as fo moderate was his ambition, the Emperor bid him make another. "If," fays he, "I am to have Of the public Spirit of a COBLER, in my utmoft wifhes, command that for the regard to his Profellion.

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future, the company of coblers fhall take place of the company of shoe-makers." HARLES V. in his intervals of reIt was accordingly fo ordained, and to laxation, used to retire to Bruffels : this day there is to be feen a chapel in he was a prince curious to know the fen-Flanders, adorned round with a boot and timents of his meaneft fubjects concerning Imperial crown on it; and, in all procefhimfelf, and his administration; there- fions, the company of coblers take place fore often went out incog. and mixed of the company of shoe-makers. himself in fuch companies and converfation as he thought proper. One night his boot requiring immediate mending, he was directed to a cobler: unluckily it happened to be St. Crifpin's holiday; and inftead of finding the cobler inclined for work, he was in the height of his jollity among his acquaintance: the Emperor acquainted him with what he wanted,

A

LAW ANECDO T E. RICH old country neighbour of the late Counfellor, Fazakerley, who had often endeavoured to fteal his advice, taking an opportunity one day,

My

opinion is never to be relied upon, un-
lefs the cafe appears in my fee-book!!!"

Remarkable Cafualties that happened
during the Siege of Gibraltar, as re-
lated by CAPTAIN DRINKWATER.

of the 12th regiment, a fuperin-
MAY 2, 1781. Lieutenant Lowe,
tendant of the working parties, loft his
leg by a fhot on, the flope of a hill under
the castle. He faw the fhot before the
fatal effect, but was fafcinated to the fpot..
This fudden arreft of the faculties was
nothing uncommon, feveral inftances oc-
curred, where men, totally free, have had
their fenfes fo engaged by a fhell in its
defcent, that though fenfible of their dan-
ger, even fo far as to cry for affiftance,
they have been immediately fixed to the
place.

But what is more remarkable,. these men have so instantaneously recovered themfelves on its fall to the ground,. as to remove to a place of fafety before the fhell burst.

May 23d. A fhell fell into a houfe near South Shed, in which were fifteen or fixteen perfons: the fhell burft; but all efcaped except a child, whofe mother had experienced a fimilar fate fone time be

fore..

Early in the morning on the fixth of Auguft, a fhell fell into a tent behind: General La Mott's quarters, at the southward, in which were two men of the 58th afleep. They were not awakened by its fall; but a ferjeant in an adjacent tent heard it, and ran near forty yards to a place of fafety, when he recollected the fituation of his comrades. Thinking the fhell had fallen blind, he returned, and awakened them; both immediately rofe,

1

but continued by the place debating on the narrow elcape they had, when the fhell exploded, and forced them with great violence against the garden wall, but miraculously did no farther mischief than deftroying every thing in the tent. On the 28th, the gun and mortar boats returned, when a wounded matrols was killed by a fhell in the hofpital. The circumftances attending this man's cafe, are too melancholy and affecting to be omitted. Some time previous to this event, he had been fo unlucky as to break his thigh: being a man of great fpirit, he ill brooked the confinement which his cafe demanded, and exerting himfelf to get abroad, unfortunately fell, and was obliged to take to his bed again. He was in this fituation, when the fhell fell into the ward, and rebounding lodged upon him. The convalefcents and fick in the fame room instantly fummoned up ftrength to crawl out on hands and knees, whilst the fufe was burning; but this wretched victim was kept down by the weight of the fhell, which after fome feconds burft, took off both his legs, and fcorched him in a dreadful manner: but what was ftill more horrid, he furvived the explofion, and was fenfible to the very moment that death relieved him from his mifery. His laft words were expreffive of regret, that he had not been killed on the batteries.

During the attack of the 16th of September, a fhell fell into an embrafure oppofite the King's lines bomb proof, killed one of the 73d, and wounded another of the fame corps. The cafe of the latter was very fingular, and will ferve to enforce the maxim, that even in the most dangerous cafes, we fhould never defpair of a recovery whilft life remains. This unfortunate man was knocked down by the wind of the fhell, which, inftantly bursting, killed his companion, and mangled him in a moft dreadful manner. His head was terribly fractured, his left arm broke in two pieces, one of his legs fhattered, the skin and mufcles torn off part of his right hand, the middle finger broken to pieces, and his whole body moft verely bruifed and marked with gunovder. He represented fo horrid an object the furgeons, that they had not the fmaheit hopes of faving his life, and were at a lofs whe part to attend to first He was that evening trepanned; a few days after his leg was amputed, and the ether wounds and fractures drefled. Being poffeffed of an excellent conftitution, nature performed wonders in his favour, and in eleven weeks the cure was completely effected.

On the 18th, about ten o'clock at night, I in the garrifon poffeffing this qualificationa afhell fell into a houfe oppofite the King's a fhell fell into a houfe oppofite the King's another of nearly the fame age was as celebaftion, where Captain Burke, the brated, if not his fuperior their names Town Major, with Major Mercier and were Richardfen and Brand, both belongVignoles, of the 39th, were fitting. The ing to the artificer company. fhell took off Major Burke's thigh, fell It is fingular that the first perfon through the floor into the cellar, where wounded in this memorable fiege was a it burft, and forced the flooring with the woman; but it is almost inconceivable unfortunate Major to the cieling. When that during a period of three years feven affiftance came, he was found almoft bu- months and twelve days, in which time ried among the ruins of the room. He 175,741 fhot, and 68,363 fhells were was inftantly conveyed to the hofpital, fired by the enemy on fhore, and 14,283 but died foon after the wounded part was by the gun boats, the number of killed amputated. Major Mercier and Vignoles and wounded fhould be fo very inconfidehad time to efcape before the fhell burit,rable as to amount to no more than but were nevertheless flightly wounded Killed and dead of wounds by the fplinters. Difabled by wounds and dif charged Wounded but recovered

The New Year's Day of 1782, was remarkable for a circumftance that is worthy of being refcued from oblivion. An officer of artillery at Willis's obferving a fhell falling towards the place where he ftood, got behind a traverfe for protection; which he had fcarcely done, ere it fell into the traverfe, and inftantly entangled him in the rubbish one of the guard, named Martin, obferving his diftrefs, generoufly rifqued his own is in defence of his officer, and ran to extricate him; but finding his own efforts ineffectual, called for afiftance; when another of the guard joining him, they releafed the officer from his lituation: and almoft at the fame inftant the fhell burft, and levelled the traverse to the ground. Martin was afterwards promoted and rewarded by the governor, who at the time told him, "he fhould have equally noticed him for relieving his comrade."

On the 25th a fhot came through one of the capped embrafures on Prince's Amelia's battery, which took off the legs of two men belonging to the 72d and 73d, one leg of a foldier of the 73d, and wounded another man in both legs; thus four men had feven legs taken off and wounded by one shot. The boy who was ufually itationed on the works where a large party were employed to inform them when the enemy's fire was directed to that place, had been reproving them for their carelelinefs in not attending to him, and had just turned his head towards the enemy, when he obferved this fhot, and inftantly called to them to take care his caution was however too late, the fhot covered the embrafure, and had the above fatal effect.

It is fomewhat fingular, that this toy fhould be poffeffed of fuch uncommon quicknefs of fight, as to fee the enemy's thot, almoft immediately after they quitted the guns. He was not however the only one

SALISBURY:

THE

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138

773

PREACHER.

While all around thee pleasures pour; REJOICE, O Man, in youth's fresh prime, Beguile with mirth the fleeting time, And fill with joy each varied hour: Court willing beauty to thine arms, Regale thy tafte with rofy wine; Let mufic open all her charms,

And foothe thy foul with airs divine: Let fortune fcatter riches round,

More than thy withes could defire; Thy plans with bright fuccefs be crown'd, While wond'ring crowds thy ftate admire:

Behold with pride thy lofty feat,

O'erlook thy wide-extended farms; Thy fields with plenteous crops replete, Thy gardens bright in Flora's charms: Yet cares will round thy dwelling wait, Grief will invade thy rooms of ftate,

And Sickness aim its dart unfeen.

Then fince nor wealth nor pleasure's charm
Can foothe the foul with grief oppress'd,
Nor Rop itern Death's uplifted arm,

When aim'd to strike the fickly breaft:
Let other thoughts thy mind employ,
Let true Religion be thy guide;
Let virtuous acts be all thy joy,

And Temp'rance at thy board prefide:

Then fhall thy life with pleasure flow;
pleas'd fhalt thou leave a world of woe
And when the grave demands its prey,
For regions of eternal day.

Printed by B. C. COLLINS; And fold by all BOOKSELLERS, NEWSMEN, &C,

H. S.

For

No. II. Vol. I.

EXTRACT FROM

FEBRUARY,

The TASK, a a POEM,
By WILLIAM COWPER, Efq.
Of the INNER TEMPLE.

E

NGLAND, with all thy
faults I love thee still,
My country! and while yet

a nook is left Where English minds and manners may be found, Shall be constrained to love thee. Though thy clime Be fickle, and thy year moft part deform'd With dripping rains, or wither'd by a froft, I would not yet exchange thy fullen fkies, And fields without a flower, for warmer France

With all her vines; nor for Aufonia's
groves
Of golden fruitage and her myrtle bow'rs.
To fhake thy fenate, and from heights fublime
Of patriot eloquence to flash down fire
Upon thy foes, was never meant my tafk;
But I can feel thy fortunes, and partake
Thy joys and forrows with as true a heart
As any thund'rer there. And I can feel
Thy follies too, and with a just difdain
Frown at effeminates, whofe very looks
Reflect difhonour on the land I love.
How, in the name of foldierfhip and fenfe,
Should England profper, when fuch things as
fmooth

And tender as a girl, all effenced o'er
With odours, and as profligate as fweet,
Who fell their laurel for a myrtle wreath,
And love when they should fight; when fuch

as thefe

Prefume to lay their hand upon the ark
Of her magnificent and awful caufe?
Time was when it was praise and boast enough
In ev'ry clime, and travel where we might,
That we were born her children. Praife
enough

To fill th ambition of a private man,
That Chatham's language was his mother
tongue,

And Wolfe's great name compatriot with his

own.

Farewell thofe honours, and farewell with them

To be continued Monthly.

The hopes of fuch hereafter. They have fall'n

Each in his field of glory: One in arms,
And one in council. Wolfe upon the lap
Of fmiling victory, that moment won,
And Chatham, heart-fick of his country's
fhame.

They made us many foldiers. Chatham ftill
Confulting England's happiness at home,
Secur'd it by an unforgiving frown
If any wrong'd her. Wolfe, whene'er he
fought,

Put fo much of his heart into his act,
That his example had a magnet's force,
And all were fwift to follow whom all lov'd.
Those funs are fet. Oh rife fome other
fuch!

Or all that we have left is empty talk
Of old atchievements, and despair of new.
In colleges and halls, in ancient days,
When learning, virtue, piety, and truth
Were precious, and inculcated with care,
There dwelt a fage call'd Difcipline. His

head

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grew

Beneath his care, a thriving vig'rous plant;
The mind was well inform'd, the paffions held
Subordinate, and diligence was choice.
If e'er it chanc'd, as fometimes chance it
muft,

That one among fo many overleap'd
The limits of controul, his gentle eye
Grew ftern, and darted a fevere rebuke;
His frown was full of terror, and his voice
Shook the delinquent with fuch fits of awe
As left him not, till penitence had won
Loft favour back again, and clofed the breach.
But Difcipline, a faithful fervant long,
Declined at length into the vale of years;
A palfy ftruck his arm, his sparkling eye

D

1786.

Price Three-Pence.

Was quench'd in rheums of age, his voice unftrung

Grew tremulous, and moved derifion more
Than rev'rence, in perverfe rebellious youth.
So colleges and halls neglected much
Their good old friend, and Difcipline at length
O'erlook'd and unemployed, fell fick and died.
Then ftudy languifh'd, emulation flept,
And virtue fled. The fchools became a fcene
Of folemn farce, where ignorance in stilts,
His cap well lined with logic not his own,
With parrot tongue perform'd the scholar's
part,

Proceeding foon a graduated dunce.

Then compromife had place, and scrutiny
Became ftone-blind, precedence went in truck,
And he was competent whofe purfe was fo.
A diffolution of all bonds enfued,
The curbs invented for the muleifh mouth
Of head-ftrong youth were broken; bars and
bolts

Grew rufty by difufe, and maffy gates
Forgot their office, op'ning with a touch;
'Till gowns at length are found mere mafque-
rade;

The taffel'd cap and the fpruce band a jeft,
A mockery of the world. "What need of these
For gamefters, jockies, brothellers impure,
Spendthrifts and booted sportsmen, oft❜ner
feen

With belted waift, and pointers at their heels,

Than in the bounds of duty? what was learn'd,
If aught was learn'd in childhood, is forgot,
And fuch expence as pinches parents blue,
And mortifies the lib'ral hand of love,
Is fquander'd in purfuit of idle sports
And vicious pleasures. Buys the boy a name
That fits a ftigma on his father's house,
And cleaves through life infeparably close
To him that wears it. What can after games
Of riper joys, and commerce with the world,
The lewd vain world that must receive him
foon,

Add to fuch erudition thus acquir'd
Where science and where virtue are pro-
fefs'd?

They may confirm his habits, rivet fast
His folly, but to fpoil him is a tafk
That bids defiance to th' united pow'rs
Of fashion, diffipation, taverns, ftews.
Now blame we moft the nurflings or the
nurse?

The children crook'd and twisted and deform'd

Through want of care, or her whose winking

eye

A flumb'ring ofcitancy marrs the brood?
The nurse no doubt. Regardless of her
charge

She needs herself correction. Needs to learn
That it is dangerous fporting with the world,

With things fo facred as a nation's truft,
The nurture of her youth, her dearest pledge.
All are not fuch. I had a brother once.-
Peace to the mem'ry of a man of worth,
A man of letters, and of manners too.
Of manners sweet as Virtue always wears,
When gay good-nature dreffes her in fmiles.
He graced a college, in which order yet
Was facred and was honour'd, lov'd and wept
By more than one, themfelves confpicuous
Some minds are temper'd happily, and mixt
With fuch ingredients of good fenfe and taste

there.

Of what is excellent in man, they thirst
With fuch a zeal to be what they approve,
That no reftraints can circumfcribe them
more,

fake.

Than they themselves by choice, for wisdom's
Nor can example hurt them. What they fee
Of vice in others, but enhancing more
The charms of virtue in their juft esteem.
If fuch escape contagion, and emerge
Pure, from fo foul a pool, to fhine abroad,
And give the world their talents and them-
felves,

Small thanks to thofe whofe negligence or
floth

Exposed their inexperience to the fnare,
And left them to an undirected choice.

See then the quiver broken and decay'd

In which are kept our arrows. Rufting there
In wild diforder, and unfit for use,
What wonder if discharged into the world
They shame their hooters with a random
flight,

Their points obtufe, and feathers drunk with

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ear,

And fuffocates the breath at ev'ry turn.
Profufion breeds them. And the caufe itfelf
Of that calamitous mifchief has been found.
Found too where moft offenfive, in the skirts

Of the robed pædagogue. Elfe, let the ar-
raign'd

Stand up unconfcious, and refute the charge.
So when the Jewish Leader stretched his arm
And wav'd his rod dívine, a race obfcene
Spawn'd in the muddy beds of Nile, came forth
Polluting Egypt. Gardens, fields, and plains
Were cover'd with the peft. The streets were
filled;

The croaking nuifance lurk'd in ev'ry nook,
The croaking nuifance lurk'd in ev'ry nook,
Nor palaces nor even chambers 'scaped,

And the land ftank, fo num'rous was the fry.

THOUGHTS

ON THE

ENGLISH THEATRE.

gument; Mr. Fox gives you more than you have leisure to examine.

Great Britain has as yet had only a fhort trial of Mr. Fox as a minifter; but, in that fhort time, he fully demonftrated that his genius was not confined within INDEED pantomime is now the beft St. Stephen's chapel. Indefatigable inIt is quite aftonishing to remark how much and addrefs in negociation, that high and entertainment we find in our theatres. duftry in his application to bufinefs, vigour our ftage hath declined within this half lofty fpirit which the minifter of a great dozen years, fince the retreat of Garrick. nation ought to poffefs, marked his public It is overwhelmed with floods of Irish nonhistory. He corrected the blunders of the fenfe, and stuff more ftupid than ftupidity, preliminaries, turned feveral doubtful cirwhere not one glimmer of fenfe or wit ap- cumftances in our favour; and there is the pears. Had thofe Irifhmen, female fcrib-greateft reafon to believe, had he been mimew-fair audience a few years ago, they friends had not ftained the British name blers, &c. offered their trash to a Bartholo-nifter, that a treacherous defertion of our would have been hiffed to fcorn. Our with infamy. He never was even accused poor audiences fit with Dutch phlegm, of corruption when minifter; he never and take what God fends. English good- engaged in the fhameful traffic of places. nature, or bon homie, if you please, puts us He purpofely chofe an office which has no upon a level with the most stupid and bar- annexed patronage, that he might be more barous of nations. What the judgment at liberty to ftudy and direct the great naof our audiences condemns, their good- tional concerns. A great outcry was made nature with a vengeance! comes in and by the faction which oppofed him on acreprieves at the very gallows. However, count of his Eaft India Bill: that measure, it is fome confolation to know that our and his coalition with Lord North, are ftage cannot poffibly be worse than it is, held out as the chief objections to his pubfo it must mend of course. lic conduct, As to the India bill, I fhall only obferve, that those who know the perfons he fixed on for commiffioners, will not fufpect his difinterestedness, his main object being the fettlement of that diflracted empire. He chofe for that purpose men of the first characters, and it is faid, except

CHARACTER

OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

CHARLES JAMES FOX.ing one gentleman, not in the numerous
and refpectable lift of his own perfonal
friends. The other accufation against
R. FOX is one of the most extra-him is fufficiently refuted by the fact itself,
MR
ordinary perfonages that ever ap- and the corrupt abfurdity of his accusers,
peared in the British annals.. His match-in going much greater lengths than he. If
lefs eloquence has long diftinguished him he was debarred for ever from acting with
above all his contemporaries, and he unites Lord North, I will afk with whom he was
with it a profound penetration, and a
to act? With Lcr Shelburne, who had
manly vigour in determination, feldom fo recently betrayed him?
found conjoined with more fhowy talents.
In him they feem to be derived from the
fame fource, the univerfal fertility of his
invention, and the commanding fuperiority
of his judgment.

As an orator, Mr. Fox never defcends to that fort of declamation which is vulgarly called eloquence. He never deigns to vent a witticifm, unless it conveys fome ftriking picture of his argument. It is by the irrefiftible force of his reafoning, the plain incontrovertible good fenfe fo confpiunequivocal conduct, that he gains your cuous in all his fpeeches, and his fair, open,

that could be pointed out, of a man in this Mr. Fox is perhaps the only inftance age holding poverty and riches in almoft equal contempt. When fo poor, that it is faid he could hardly command money to left him; he was even then fuppofed to be pay a tavern-bill, his good fpirits never entirely out of the reach of a bribe, which is more extraordinary when it is confidered how fond he was of pleasure, and how profufe in his expences. These foibles his enemies dwelt on with malignant delight, in almoft every young man of birth, fashion, as if they were more criminal in him than and fortune, in thefe degenerate times, The courfe of his thoughts, and of his whereas, in fact, they are more excufeable; utterance, is fo rapid, that those unaccustom-for he who can come from a gaming-table ed to hear him fpeak have great difficulty in following his crowding ideas; a defect that arifes from the aftonifhing quicknefs of his inventive faculty, and is directly oppofite to the fault commonly obferved in orators. They tire you for want of ar

confidence.

with undiminished vigour of mind, whofe unprepared effufions have all the ripeness and force of deliberate confideration, unhappily for himself indeed, finds, that fobriety, tedious meditation, and a careful perufal of authorities before each harangue,

tation.

are not neceflary to his political repu- and thirty-one fhips of two decks; with three frigates and a number of xebeques, bomb-ketches, and hofpital-fhips; the whole under the command of ten admirals and a broad pendant. In the afternoon they were all at anchor between the Orange-grove and Algeziras.

In this age, fo barren of true patriotifm, inviolate fidelity to party is fubftituted as the teft of a fair public character. The laft praise all allow Mr. Fox; and, taking in view the whole tenor of his conduct, I cannot think im undeferving of the first. It is fuppofed that he loft the royal favour by his ftrenuous exertions in lopping off fome of the dangerous excrefcences of its power. He was difplaced as a minifter on a pretence which could hardly be avowed by any pettyfogging attorney; and his room is now filled up by men who are as oppofite to him in their principles, as they are inferior to him in knowledge, vigour, and ability.

ON

LITERARY HYPOCRISY.

This great accumulation of force could not fail to furprife, if not alarm the garrifon. It appeared as if they meant, previous to their final efforts, to ftrike, if poffible, a terror through their opponents, by difplaying before us a more powerful armament than had probably ever been brought against any fortrefs. Forty-feven fail of the line, including three inferior two-deckers; ten battering-fhips, deemed perfect in defign, and esteemed invincible, carrying two hundred and twelve guns; innumerable frigates, xebeques, bomb-ketches, cutters, gun and mortar boats, and finaller craft for difembarking men; thefe were affembled in the bay. On the land fide were most stupendous and strong batteries

A Glaring literary hypocrify is that and works, nonce, and protected pieces by which an ignorant man affumes of heavy ordnance, protected by an the garb of fcience; as the worst hypocrify army of near forty thousand men, comin the moral world is that by which a manded by a victorious and active general, vicious man affumes the mafk of religion. of the highest reputation, and animated In the latter, a hypocrite may often be dif- with the immediate prefence of two princes covered by pushing his fimulation too far; of the royal blood of France, with other and in the like manner a literary impofter dignified perfonages, and many of their is apt, not to display too much learning, own nobility. Such a naval and military for he hath got none; but, to ufe the cha- fpectacle moft certainly is not to be equal racter of a learned man in the extreme. led in the annals of war. From fuch a He shakes his head at the most trivial combination of power, and favourable conquestion, and, with many hems and ha's, current circumftances, it was natural fays it is a difficult point, a very difficult enough that the nation fhould anticipate point indeed, and would require very ma- their confidence in the effect to be prothe most glorious confequences. Indeed ture examination. When any perfon prefent fays the point is very easy, takes it induced by the battering-fhips paffed all hand, and folves it to the fatisfaction of bounds; and in the enthufiafim excited every body, the hypocrite of learning by the magnitude of their preparations, it fhakes his head, fays that folution is trivial; was thought highly criminal even to whifand perhaps is polite enough to hint that per a doubt of the fuccefs. it equals the understanding of the audience; but that he, upon proper occafion, and to a learned company, could have given a much more profound account of the matter.

the enemy, however, feemed entirely to In drawing these flattering conclufions, have overlooked the nature of that force which was oppofed to them; for, though the garrifon fcarcely confifted of more than feven thousand effective men, including the marine brigade, they forgot that they were now veterans in this fervice, had been a long time habituated to the effects of artillery, and were prepared by degrees for the arduous conflict that awaited them. GIBRALTAR, We were, at the fame time, commanded by OFFICERS of approved courage, prudence and activity; eminent for all accomplifhments of their profeffion, and in

An Account of the grand ATTACK

AT THE LATE SIEGE OF

From Captain Drinkwater's History thereof.

The enemy's cannonade was continued almoft on the fame fcale as the preceding days, during the night of the 12th. The next morning, we obferved the combined fleet had made fome new arrangements in their pofition, or moorings, and that the remaining two battering-fhips had joined the others at the Orange-grove, where their WHOLE force feemed to be aflembled. About a quarter before feven o'clock, fome motions were obferved amongst their fhipping; and foon after, the BATTERINGSHIPS got under way, with a gentle breeze from the north-weft, ftanding to the fouthward, to clear the men of war; and were attended by a number of boats. As our navy were conftantly of opinion that the fhips would be brought before the garrifon in the night, few fufpected that the present manœuvres were preparatory to their finally entering on the interefting enterprife: but obferving a crowd of spectators on the beach, near point Mala, and upon the neighbouring eminences, and the ships

edging down towards the garrison, the governor thought it would be imprudent any longer to doubt it. The town-batteries were accordingly manned, and the grates and furnaces for heating fhot ordered to be lighted.

Thus prepared for their reception, we had leifure to notice the enemy's evolutions. The ten battering-fhips, after leaving the men of war, wore to the north, and a little paft nine o'clock bore down in admirable order for their several stations; the admiral, in a two-decker, mooring about nine hundred yards off the king's baftion; the the right and left of the flag-fhip in a others fucceffively taking their places to mafterly manner; the most diftant being about eleven or twelve hundred yards from the garrifon. Our artillery allowed the enemy every reasonable advantage, in permitting them, without moleftation, to first ship dropped her anchors, which was choose their diftance; but as foon as the about a quarter before ten o'clock, that inftant our firing commenced. The enemy were completely moored in little more than ten minutes. The cannonade then became in a high degree tremendous. The fhowers of fhot and thells which were directed from their land batteries, the battering fhips; and, on the other hand, from the various works of the garrifon, exhibited a fcene, of

which perhaps neither the pen nor the pencil can furnith a competent idea. It is fufficient to fay, that FOUR HUNDRED PIECES of the heaviest artillery were play

ABOUT eight o'clock, reports were whom we had unbounded confidence, ing at the fame moment: an inftance which

received from Europa guard, that a large fleet had appeared from the weftward. The wind was brifk, and we had fcarcely time to form any conjectures concerning them, ere they approached the bay; and proved to be the combined fleets of France and Spain, confifting of feven three-deckers,

has fcarcely occurred in any fiege fince the invention of thofe wonderful engines of deftruction.

Our fpirits too were not a little elevated
by the fuccefs attending the recent practice
of firing red-hót fhot, which in this attack,
we hoped, would enable us to bring our After fome hours cannonade, the batter-
labours to a period, and relieve us from ing-fhips were found to be no lefs formi-
the tedious cruelty of a vexatious block-dable than they had been reprefented. Our
ade.--
heaviest fhells often rebounded from their

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