ftruggle to pay her homage; on the other, in which we affemble to worship the glo- | nefs!" But fo it is; either through a penurious fpirit in mankind, or a prophane one, many of our places of worship are fo ill furnished, fo dark and damp and cold, as to be much fitter to infpire men with the horrors of an ague, than the ardours of devotion. That the eyes of that nation are now « open to their intereft," their conduct Near thefe dark and naked temples, we renders indifputable; they feem to feel the fhall fometimes fee a proud manfion, with full force of M. Deflandes's ideas of their a fair fpacious front. We enter it by a happy fituation. Their great policy ap-noble flight of fteps; and, coming withpears to be, to effect that by artifice their in, are charmed with elegant paintings, arms could never accomplish, and make carvings, fculpture, tapestry of the finest their own commercial, and confequently thread and livelieft hue, chimney pieces their naval greatnefs, rife upon the decline and pavements of marble, and, in fhort, of that of their most formidable rival. It every thing fit to entertain a Prince, or is not in the mind of man to frame a accommodate fome inferior divinity. Go fcheme which can more readily accomplish we now to the facred building hard by, this great end, than the Commercial Treaty whofe rueful looks move our compaffion. lately concluded. A lumbering door lets us in with fome difficulty; and what fee we there? The walls fcrawled over with fcripture paffages; this among the reft, worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness. Excellent advice no doubt! But how is it followed? advice no doubt! But how is it followed? What of beauty do we fee here? The wretched wall-painting already mentioned. If you turn to the left hand you will fee one bell-rope, much chafed, tied to J. M. K. REMARKS on the mean and neglected Condition of many of our PARISH-CHURCHES. [From a Differtation, lately publifhed, en; titled," Man naturally inclined to religion." By the Rev. John Steffe.] Ν much cracked; if you turn to the right, you will fee a pulpit, a pulpit cufhion, and a reading defk, equally fuperannuated. - Advance further, and you behold in fome obfcure corner of the holy building, the degrees of marriage printed perhaps 200 years ago, which nobody but the clergyman can read or understand. Next is the Royal Coat of Arms, but fo dark and dufty that you cannot tell which is the Lion and which is the Unicorn. As IN all matters where our prefent intereft which is Mofes and which is Aaron; or And fhall we ftudy ornament in every thing but religion? What has be done to be thus unkindly overlooked, and poorly accommodated, when every thing elfe In funeral difcourfes preached by the round about her, is fo gay and fplendid! clergy, we feldom fail to hear the deceafStrange, indeed, that when men meet to-ed perfon, if he is deferving of it, comgether only to talk over parifh bufinefs, or parifh news, fo much care fhould be taken to accommodate them handfomely, and please their eye, as well as gratify their appetite; and yet fo little care be taken to render thofe places commodious mended for the care he has taken, or coft ferve them; by fparing a little of that excefs and fuperfluity of ornament which appears in their own houfes, and beftowing it upon the poor churches, to which they belong. Many, indeed, are generous and liberal this way, and our places of worship, it must be confefled, are greatly improved in neatnefs and beauty. But why fhould any be neglected? Why fhould any be left deftitute of becoming ornament? Why fhould we think our own houses cannot poffibly be too fine and commodious, and yet that any houfe is good enough for the worship of God? How prophane a temper is this, and how hurtful! what plea do the infirm and weakly part of mankind commonly make ufe of to excufe themselves attending from divine fervice? Is it the distance fo much, or the cold air, through which they muft pafs to church? No-but the cold Church. It is this frights them; as well it may. For who, indeed, that is weakly, can bear fitting long in a damp cold place? Many are thus kept from the worship of God, who make no difficulty at all of going to an affembly or card-room, where they are fure to fit warm and comfortable. But how great a reproach is it, that the bulinefs of cards and dancing fhould be rendered more convenient to mankind, than that of piety and devotion! PEG NICHOLSON's CORRESPONDENCE. Copy of a Letter from Margaret Nicholfen, to a Right Hon. Gentleman, dated Mourfields, the 4th of June, 1787. "Moft renowned Sir, a Say, NO POPERY.-Lord Sydney ject-I have requested the intereft of government that you may be appointed my principal Secretary of State. There are fecrets-and there must be fecrets. I have fuit of apartments-Do you mean to fight allotted for your refidence an excellent the lady's brother?-For God's fake-for the fake of the Proteftant religion, take care of your felf, and don't be guilty of any kind of gentleman-like murder. If you are to rifque your life-let the cause be a great one-the church, the state, or Count Caglioftro.-Why don't you wait on Priddle, Holloway, or Aylette?-they know a little-purchase their advicethey can't part with it without money.See how dear they themselves pay for their knowledge. I have read much law, divinity, and phyfic, fince my affair with the beef-eater, and I find that politics, not religion, make a bishop-that politics, not witdom, make a judge,—and that a shake of the head makes a doctor. But my dear friend, let you and I remain the eccentric beings we are. Something congenial in our bofoms.-Suppofe we were to-I fay, suppose we were to-fuppofe I was to raise you to an empire-make you partner of my crown, my bed, and my palace! Would you love me, and hate popery There is one crown at my feet-a crown of my own making, the straws of which it ? To the Editor of the COUNTY MAGAZINE. MONGST fomany old cuftoms now Should thofe, in whofe power it lies to prevent hereafter an evil of fuch magnitude, with for any further information on the fubject, you have my liberty, Sir, to furnish them with my addrefs, which accompanies this. MILES. On SLAVERY. Philofophy.] labour, for the benefit of the mafter, without the contract or confent of the fer vant. This obligation may arife, confiftently with the law of nature, from three caufes. 2. From captivity. 1. From crimes. is compofed grew in Farmer George's Allen into difure, which have of [From Paley's Principles of Moral and Political grounds at Windfor.-But perhaps you late employed the pens of Antiquaries, I Jove another; I know you are capable of have never read any account of that of Define flavery to be an obligation to creating a general flame. The brilliancy collecting money from house to houfe for of your paffion fhone with uncommon brightness seven years ago. No matter for the purpofe of entertaining the Judges on that-you must come here-bring Johnny the Circuits. I believe it was in ufe in the Wilkes with you-I have a bishopric prefent century, for the attendants of the at his fervice-or the Deanery of Moor- Judge to claim a privilege of this fort, which is faid to have been firft difputed fields.-Poor man, I read his laft fpeech by a Quaker in a neighbouring county. at the trial of Haftings-he is far gonethe late easterly winds feemed to have turnAny correfpondent of yours, who poffeffes ed his brain.-I admire Lord Mulgrave further information on this fubject, will when he fits close to little Wilberforce- oblige the public by communicating it. I they look like fee faw fum and little Pou-am, Sir, your humble fervant, cette; or like a pair of cogged dice nicking feven with a fix, and an ace up, when Mr. Pitt holds the box. Don't fight Smithunless he reads his recantation. Remember bloody Queen Mary and all the mar tyrs the roafted in Smithfield - and drink the glorious and immortal memory of the great King William, who freed us from popery and flavery, from arbitrary power, from friars and monks, from wood n fhoes, short shirts, long ruffles, ivory crucifixes, and brafs money. Twenty-fix new beds are juft arrived from Eaft Smithfield, they are well made, and contain each a full trufs.-Come, my G, come this night,or to-morrow-and here you may bid defiance, as I do, to all judges and juries, and all ecclefiaftical perfecutions. There are twenty Kings in this place, with whom you may hold conferences on popery without the danger of an infult to your religious feelings.-The Emperor of China, and the Bey of Tunis, are in the next room to me-they will be happy to fee you, and fo will the Great Mogul, who is now in my anti-chamber, caricaturing the King of Spain with a burnt ftick. "May God bless all your endeavours against the Pope and the Papifts, and may you foon be here, is the fincere with of your affectionate MARGARET NICHOLSON." P. S. Remember me to Lord Sydney when you fee him-and to Billy Pitt-pray is he married yet?-and to the Grenvilles -let me know if the young one still uses his glafs, and if the elder has been to Tell fair as I recommended. I want fome good books-the book of martyrs, Tillotfon's Sermons, and the Fall of the Church of Rome. -Adieu-adieu- adieu. Is the beef-eater made a Captain, and has the footman been promoted?-I with you could prevail on Sir Lloyd Kenyon to No. XVIII.-VOL. I. LITERATOR. To the Editor of the COUNTY MAGAZINE. WHEN an evil exifts, which not only In the first cafe, the continuance of the flavery, as of any other punishment, ought to be proportioned to the crime. In the fecond and third cafes, it ought to cease as foon as the demand of the injured nation or private creditor is fatisfied. The flave trade upon the coaft of Africa is not excufed by thefe principles. When flaves are in that country brought to market, no queftions, I believe, are afked about the origin or juftice of the vender's title. But defect of right in the first purchase is the leaft crime with which this traffic is chargeable. The natives are excited to war and mutual depredation for the fake of fupplying their contracts, or furnishing the market with flaves. With this the wickedness begins: the flaves, torn away from parents, wives, children, from their friends and companions, their fields and flocks, their home and country, are tranfported to the European fettlements in America, with no other accommodation on fhip-board than what is provided for brutes. This is the fecond stage of cruelty; from which the miferable exiles Returning to England as a paffenger in are delivered only to be placed, and that one of the Eaft India Company's fhips, for life, in fubjection to a dominion and early in this month, we met, juft on the fyftem of laws, the moft merciless and tyedge of foundings, an American brig; fhe rannical that ever were tolerated upon the feemed very irrefolute about fpeaking to face of the earth; and from all that can be us, but as we went better than her, and learned, by the accounts of people upon were anxious to afcertain our exact fitu- the fpot, the inordinate authority which ation, not having had an obfervation ei- the plantation laws confer upon the flavether of latitude or longitude for fome holder is exercifed by the English flavedays, we brought her to, and were inform-holder efpecially with rigour and brutality. ed the had left Dublin three days before, and was bound to Baltimore in Virginia; her fize could not exceed 100 tons; the people who appeared on deck amounted, as was fuppofed, to a hundred, and as from their number the could have no other freight on board but them and their provifions, the inhuman purpofe of her voyage was but too evident. The majority, indeed, of thefe unhappy creatures were boys, none of whom to appearance were older than fixteen, many much lefs, and upwards of thirty of them naked and in irons. Оо But neceflity is pretended; the name under which all enormities are attempted to be excufed. And after all, what is the neceffity? It has never been proved that the land could not be cultivated there, as it is here, by hired fervants. It is faid, that it could not be cultivated with quite the fame conveniency and cheapnefs, as by the labour of flaves; by which means a pound of fugar, which the planter now fells for fixpence, could not be afforded under fixpence halfpenny-and this is the neceffity! JOHNSONIAN A. The following are collected from Mrs. Piozzi, Mr. BosWELL, and from oral teftimony. F Foote's wit and readiness of repartee Johnson thought very highly-He was, Johnfon thought very highly-He was, fays he, the readielt dog at an eícape I ever knew if you thought you had him on the ground fairly down, he was upon his legs and over your fhoulders again in an inftant. When fome one afked him, whether they fhould introduce Hugh Kelly, the author, to him-No, Sir, fays he; I never defire to converfe with a man who has written more than he has read:-yet when his play was acted for the benefit of his widow, Johnfon furnished a prologue. He repeated poetry with wonderful energy and feeling. He was feen to weep whilit he repeated Goldfinith's character of the English in his Traveller, beginning thus Stern o'er each bofom, &c. He was fuppofed to have aflifted Goldfmith very much in that poem, but has been heard to fay, he might have contributed three or four lines, taking together all he had done. He held all authors very cheap, that were not fatisfied with the opinion of the public about them. He ufed to fay, that every man who writes, thinks he can amufe or inform mankind, and they must be the beft judges of his pretenfions. Two days before he died, he faid, with fome pleafantry, Poor Johnfon is dying: **** will fay, he dies of taking a few grains more of fquills than were ordered him; ***** will fay, he dies of the fearifications made by the furgeon in his leg.-His laft act of understanding is faid to have been exerted in giving his bleffing to a young lady that requested it of him. He was always ready to affift any authors in correcting their works, and felling them to bookfellers. I have done writing, faid he, myself, and should affift those that do write. Johnfon always advifed his friends, when they were about to marry, to unite themfelves to a woman of a pious and religious frame of mind. Fear of the world, and a fenfe of honour, faid he, may have an effect upon a man's conduct and behaviour; a woman without religion is without the only motive that in general can incite her to do well. When one asked him for what he fhould marry, he replied, firft, for virtue; fecondly, for wit; thirdly, for beauty; and fourthly, for money. He thought worfe of the vices of retirement than of those of society. He attended Mr. Thrale in his last moments, and ftayed in the room praying, as is imagined, till he had drawn his laft breath. He was a great enemy to the prefent fashionable way of fuppofing worthlefs and infamous perfons mad." He was not apt to judge ill of perfons without good reafons. An old friend of his used to fay, that in general he thought too well of mankind. One day, on feeing an old terrier lie afleep by the fire fide at Streatham, he faid, Prefto, you are, if poffible, a more lazy dog than I am. under the character of Pompofo, in his Being told that Churchill had abufed him Ghoft-I always thought, faid he, he was a fhallow fellow, and I think fo ftill. The Duke of **** once faid to Johnfon, that every religion had a certain degree of morality in it-Aye, my Lord, anfwered he, but the Chriftian religion alone puts it on its proper bafis. When fome one asked him how he felt at the indifferent reception of his tragedy at Drury-Lane-Like the monument, faid he, and as unfhaken as that fabrick. Being afked by Dr. Lawrence what he thought the beft fyftem of education, he replied, School in fchool hours, and home inftruction in the intervals. I would never, faid he, defire a young man to neglect his bufinefs for the purpofe of his ftudies, because it is unreafonable; I would only defire him to read at thofe hours when he would otherwife be unemployed. I will not promife that he will be a Bentley; but if he be a lad of any parts, he will certainly make a fenfible man. He was much pleafed with an Italian improvifatore, whom he faw at Streathamn, and with whom he talked much in Latin. He told him, if he had not been a witnefs to his faculty himfelf, he fhould not have thought it poffible. He faid Ifaac Hawkins Browne had endeavoured at it in Englih, but could not get beyond thirty verses. He faid, that when he first converfed with Mr. Bruce, the Abyffinian traveller, he was very much inclined to believe he had been there; but that he had afterwards altered his opinion. He was much pleafed with Dr. Jortin's Sermons, the language of which he thought very elegant; but thought his Life of Eraf mus a dull book. Johnfon faid, he always miftrufted romantic virtue, as thinking it founded on no fixed principle. He used to fay, that where secrecy or mystery began, vice or roguery was not far who ftands in fear of no man's obfervaoff; and that he leads in general an ill life, tion. When a friend of his, who had not been very lucky in his firft wife, married a second, he faid, Alas! another inftance of the triumph of hope over experience. Of mufic he faid, It is the only fenfual pleasure without vice. He ufed to fay, that no man read long together with a folio on his table. Books, faid he, that you carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all. He would fay, fuch books form the man of general and eafy reading. He was a great friend to books like the French Efprits d'un tel; for example, Beauties of Watts, &c. &c. at which, faid he, a man will often look and be tempted to go on, when he would have been frightened at books of a larger fize, and of a more erudite appearance. Being once afked, if he ever embellished aftory-No, faid he, a ftory is to lead either to the knowledge of a fact or character, and good for nothing if it be not strictly and literally true. The picture of him by Sir Joshua Rey-is nolds, which was painted for Mr. Beauclerk, and is now Mr. Langton's, and fcraped in Round numbers, faid he, are always falle. mezzotinto by Doughty, is extremely like Watts's Improvement of the Mind was a him: there is in it that appearance of a very favourite book with him; he used to labouring working mind, of an indolent re-recommend it, as he alfo did Le Diction pofing body, which he had to a very great naire portatif of the Abbe L'Avocat. degree. Beauclerk wrote under his pic ture, -ingenium ingens He has been accufed of treating Lord Lyttleton roughly in his life of him; he aflured a friend, however, that he kept back a very ridiculous anecdote of him, relative to a question he put to a great divine of his time. Inculto habet hoc fub corpore.Indeed, the common operations of dreffing, fhaving, &c. were a toil to him; he held Johnfon's account of Lord Lyttleton's the care of the body very cheap. He ufed envy to Shenstone for his improvements in to fay, that a man who rode out for an ap-his grounds, &c. was confirmed by an inpetite, confulted but little the dignity of genious Writer. Spence was in the house human nature. for a fortnight with the Lyttletons, before they offered to fhew him Shenftone's place. The life of Charles XII. by Voltaire, he faid, was one of the fineft pieces of history ever written. When accused of mentioning ridiculous anecdotes in the Lives of the Poets, he FOR faid, he fhould not have been an exact biographer if he had omitted them. The bufinefs of fuch a one, faid he, is to give a complete account of the perfon whofe life he is writing, and to difcriminate him from all other perfons by any peculiarities of character or fentiment he may happen to have. He fpoke Latin with great fluency and elegance. He faid, indeed, he had taken great pains about it. A very famous fchoolmafter faid, he had rather take Johnfon's opinion about any Latin compofition, than that of any other perfon in England. Dr. Sumner, of Harrow, ufed to tell this ftory of Johnfon: they were dining one day, with many other perfons, at Mrs. Macaulay's; fhe had talked a long time at dinner about the natural equality of mankind: Johnson, when she had finished her harangue, rofe up from the table, and with great folemnity of countenance, and a bow to the ground, faid to the fervant, who was waiting behind his chair, Mr. John, pray be feated in my place, and permit me to wait upon you in my turn; your mistress fays, you hear, that we are all equal. JUN E, When he first felt the ftroke of the palfy, he prayed to God that he would spare his mind, whatever he thought fit to do with his body. Johnfon faid he was better pleafed with the commendations beftowed on his account of the Hebrides than on any book he had ever written. Burke, fays he, thought well of the philofophy of it, Sir William Jones of the obfervations on language, and Mr. Jackfon of thofe on trade. 1787. 283 I are fubject, it is fcarcely poffible to find one more fingular, or more inftructive The Earl of Macclesfield, who formerly to imprudent beauty than the following: To fome Lady, who was praifing Shen- was prefident of the Royal Society, kept, ftone's Poems very much, and who had an during a length of time, a favourite mifItalian greyhound lying by the fire, he faid, trefs, whofe extenfive charities were fufShentone holds amongst poets the fame ficient to cover a greater multitude of rank your dog holds amongst dogs; he has fins than fhe ever had committed during not the fagacity of the hound, the docility the full tide of her profperity; the mu of the fpaniel, nor the courage of the bull-nificence of her heart flowed in upon a certain hofpital, of which, having predog; yet he is ftill a pretty fellow. fented it with a benefaction of 500l. fhe became a perpetual governefs. Shortly afterwards, fo violent an altercation took place between her and her noble keeper, that a feparation was the confequence. reverfed; difeafe and want surrounded The brilliant fcenes of plenty were foon her. Sinking under both, fhe was conveyed out of the ftreets to the very Hofpital which had enjoyed no inconfiderable portion of her former affluence. name in which fhe was entered excited curiofity and furprife. The fubfcription books were examined, and from thefe, and concurrent circumftances, it appeared that he had been a moft bountiful benefactress. For obvious reafons the Governors oppofed her admiffion; but with a generous policy, they immediately entered into fuch a fubfcription as en-, of England, this truly repenting object abled them to maintain, in a cheap part of intermingled profperity and misfortune for the refidue of her life, at the house of a deferving Clergyman. Johnson had a great confidence in his corporeal ftrength; and, from fome particulars in his life, I am inclined to think he was vain of it. Such foibles are not uncommon in the greatest characters. Sir Ifaac Newton, at the age of fourfcore, would ftrip up his fhirt fleeve to fhow his mufcular, brawny arm, and relate how dextrous he was in his youth at boxing. And an inWhen fome one was lamenting Foote's timate friend of mine, a Serjeant at Law, unlucky fate in being kicked in Dublin, of the firft eminence in his profeffion, who Johnfon faid he was glad of it; he is rifing had nearly loft the ufe of his feet, was ufed in the world, faid he; when he was in Eng-to relate to me his dancing whole nights, land, no one thought it worth while to kick when a young man, without feeling the leaft wearinefs. him. He was much pleafed with the following repartee: fiat experimentum in corpore vili, faid a French phyfician to his colleague, in fpeaking of the diforder of a poor man who understood Latin, and who was brought into an hofpital; corpus non tam vile eft, lays the ANECDOTES. The patient, pro quo Chriftus ipfe non dedignatus MR. Yates, as manager of Birming- high, on being enabled to add to the lift eft mori. After having difufed fwimming for many years, he went into the river at Oxford, and iwam away to a part of it that he had been told of as a dangerous place, and where fome one had been drowned. ham theatre, had once three comedians of his company, whofe names were Gall, Rotten, and Death.-Upon their meeting at Birmingham to commence their Summer campaign, Gentlemen, fays the manager, addreffing them, I am perfectly fatisfied with your merits, but-damn your names-for I am afraid your names will danın us. They took the hint, and Gall became Picafant; Rotten, Perfect; and Death, Life. The Unitarians hold their heads very. of thofe illuftrious names which already grace their calendar, that of the late celebrated P. Courayer, who committed his laft fentiments in writing to the care of the Princefs Amelia, and which are juft made public by her chaplain.-In the introduction to the above work is the following anecdote:-At a time not very remote, when the Duke of Gordon, and Catholics, a Proteftant, not unknown to all the Lords of that family were Roman his Grace, rented a fmall farm under It is reported of Foote's mother, that him, near Huntley Caftle, and, from he was of a temper whimfical and ca- whatever caufe, had fallen behind in his pricious as her fon's, and frequently in-payments. A vigilant fteward, in the for arrears of rent, and advertised it by volved in fimilar embarraffments. She Duke's abfence, feized the farmer's ftock was once arrested for a trifling debt, when Of the fate of learning amongst the fhe wrote the following laconic letter to the parifh crier to be rouped, that is, fold Scots, he faid, It is with their learning as Foote :-Dear Sam, I am in prifon." by auction, on a fixed day. The Duke with provifions in a befieged town, every Poor Sam was in the very fame predica-happily returned in the interval; his teof his way onward to the Duke's apart one has a mouthful, and no one a belly-ment; his anfwer was equally pertinent nant, who knew his road, made the best and concife-" Dear Mother, fo am I.” ment, and he was not interrupted, but full. forwarded in it by the fervants, who concluded he came by appointment. "What is the matter, Donald?" faid the Duke, as he faw him enter melancholy. Donald told his forrowful tale in a concife na He waited on Lord Marchmont, to make fome enquiries after particulars of Mr. Pope's life; his firft queftion was, what kind of a man was Mr. Pope in his converfation? His Lordship anfwered, that if the converfation did not take fomething of a lively or epigrammatical turn, he fell afleep, or perhaps pretended to do fo. Of Sir Joshua Reynolds he requested three things; that he would not work on a Sunday that he would read a portion of Scripture on that day-and that he would forgive him a debt which he had incurred for fome benevolent purpofe. A correfpondent obferving the remark, that a few of the unfortunate female votaries to pleasure have rifen decidedly, and for life, above want," obferves, that amidst all the viciffitudes to which they 002 tural manner; it touched the Duke's heart, and produced an acquittance in form. Staring, as he cheerly withdrew, at the pictures and images, he expreffed a curiofity to know what they were, in his homely way. "Thefe," faid the Duke, with great condefcenfion, "these are the faints who intercede with God for me." "My Lord Duke," faid Donald, "would it not be better to apply yourfelf directly to God? I went to muckle Sawney Gordon, and to little Sawney Gordon; but if I had not come to your guid Grace's felf, I could not have got my difcharge, and baith I and my bairns had been harried." Hatemtai, fays an Arabian hiftory, was the moft bountiful of all mankind, and was flattered by a train of followers with continual flights of praife and congratulations of his good fortune. They were one day afking him whether he had ever feen or beard of any man who had fo noble a foul as Hatemtai? He fmiled, and returned this anfwer: "I walked out into the fields on a certain time, when, at the facrifice of an hundred camels, my houfe facrifice of an hundred camels, my houfe was by my orders filled with all the poor and the miferable who could be found in the fpace of many miles round my dwelling. Some of the Lords in my company difcerned at a little distance a man who was very bufy in gathering up a bundle of dry thorns to fell at the next village. We went to him, and afked why he was not among the number of his fellows, who were feafting at the palace of Hatemtai ?" "Becaufe (anfwered he) a man who can provide himfelf with bread by his own labour, needs not be obliged to Hatemtai.' This man, faid he, had a nobler foul than Hatemtai. A correfpondent who attends divine fervice at a chapel within one hundred miles of B-, was charmed with the elegant diction of the Clergyman, who on a Sunday requested the prayers of the congregation for a lady in a bad state of health. But he would wish the above reverend gentleman not to plume himfelf upon the novelty of the thought, as there is a story in print to the fame purpofe, in which the Clerk appears to poffefs, at leaft, an equal degree of politenefs with the Clergyman. No, (anfwered one of the Special Jury) only eight of us."-This threw the Court into a burft of laughter for a few seconds. Mr. Pope exhibited a striking inftance | tranfaction he was engaged in. A fimilar that a man may have the moft delicate fituation was very forcibly described by ear for the harmony of numbers, and yet Salluft: "Gentlemen, (faid the learned have no tafte for the harmony of founds. pleader) you have all read Salluft ?" Swift is another example; to thefe may Swift is another example; to thefe may be added Doctor Johnson, who, notwithstanding the meafured harmony of his fentences, had not the leaft perception of, or pleasure in mufic. He knew a drum from a trumpet, and a bagpipe from a guittar, which he owned was the extent of his knowledge. Of an untutored failor, who damned his Sovereign-When the grandfather of the prefent King was once upon his voyage in the royal yacht to Hanover, he felt a pleasure in difcourfing with a lively active tar, whose replies (if a forgetfulnefs, or rather an inability to addrefs his them rude) were fhockingly ill- bred. Royal Mafter by any title could make The Captain, whom he greatly feared, declared, that if he again neglected to fay, "And please your Majefty," he fhould be feverely punished. The King foon afks another queftion. The flurried failor, meaning to anfwer in the affirmative, «Yes, and please your Majefty!" ftops when he fhould pronounce the last word; lection, exclaims aloud, "Damn your and felf-irritated at his want of recolhard name, I can't think of it for the blood of me." An inftance of Irish nonchalance was lately given in the newspapers, which created confiderable mirth, but it was much inferior to a badinage that occurred much inferior to a badinage that occurred lately at Hackney. Some gentlemen amufing themselves with a target, gave offence to a wealthy Ifraelite who lives in the neighbourhood, and who, with great authority, forbade them from continuing their amusement. An Irish gentleman, who was of the party, very civilly offered him a piftol, telling him, that if he thought the target at too great a difhim as he chofe. This fpeech, though tance, he might take his ground as near delivered with much complaifance, was fo little to the taste of the unbeliever, that he walked off without even returning thanks for the compliment. Upon the trial of Mr. Bowes, and others, for a confpiracy against Lady Strathmore, eight of the Jury were fpecial, and four of them talifmen; and when Mr. Mingay was, in the courfe of his fpeech, touching upon the particular cafe of Mr. Thomas Bowes, the attorney, he obferved that his conduct at the Caftle was very different from what it had ufually been. He walked backwards and forwards by fits and starts, frequently muttering fomething to himself. This indicated a mind perturbed with the horror of the A correfpondent who had the honour of fitting at the Opera only a few removes from the melodious D. of Q. and of hearing him in no gentle tone of voice, accompany Rubinelli throughout the fineft air in the immortal Handel's "Cafare in Egitto," defires his permiffion humbly to convey a reprimand in the relation of an anecdote to which poffibly his Grace is not a ftranger. When the celebrated Bernacchi fung at the Italian Opera at Paris, the Comte D'Agenois, who then chimed in, or rather fqualled in with the fat next to the late Earl of Chesterfield, performer through every note. vexed but well-bred English Peer grew loud in his abuse of Bernacchi. "Why this unreasonable anger? (obferved the Count) Bernacchi is the moft delightful warbler in Europe." "Granted (anfwered the other) yet all his wonderful execution must give offence, so often as it deLordship." prives me of the pleasure of hearing your The Sir John Hawkins, in one part of Johnfon's life, writes well.-To his book then, may be applied, what Sylvanus Urban once faid to an author, “You have published a book, Sir, and 1 hear there is a very good paragraph in it-did you write that yourself?" the Great, cuts and fafhes at the life and Sir John, the biographer of Johnfon character of his defunct friend, in fo unhad been appointed not his executor, but merciful a manner, one would think he his executioner. Has not revenge, however, fome fhare in this? Did not Johnfon once fay, "Of Hawky's musical of tune at the club; and his ftories have powers I am no judge, but he is often out to promote hilarity. a greater tendency to excite contempt than The rage for play is not confined to the metropolis; but has extended its baneful influence to a feat of the mufes, not an hundred miles from the placid ftreams of the Ifis, where Pharoah and his Hoft had nearly overthrown the eftablifhed difcipline of Lock and Newton. Seduced by fashion, and the habits of the times, the fons of fcience were facrificing thoufands to the caprice of fortune, and the turn of a card; but the manly fpirit of a certain Deane, regardlefs of future profpects, difcarded a few thoughtless members, and thus, at once, preferved his own dignity, and that of his college. |