210 Treatment of the Elector of Saxony. his head for her obftinacy. To convince her I It was not with the fame indifference, or compofure, that the account of the Elector's danger was received in Wittemberg. Sybilla, who had fupported with fuch undaunted fortitude her husband's mi fortunes, while the imagined that they could reach no farther than to diminish his power or territories, felt all her refolution fail the moment his life was threatened. Sollicitous to fave that, fhe defpifed every other confideration; and was willing to make any facrifice, in order to appeafe an incenfed conqueror. At the fame time the duke of Cleves, the elector of Brandenburg, and Maurice, te none of whom April Charles had communicated the true motives of his violent proceedings against the elector, interceded warmly with him to spare his life. The firft was prompted to do it merely by compaffion for his fifter, and regard for his brother-in-law. The two other dreaded the univerfal reproach that they would incur, if, after having boasted so often of the ample fecurity which the emperor had promifed them with respect to their religion, the firft effect of their union with him should be the public execution of a prince, who was juftly held in reverence as the most zealous protector of the proteftant caufe.-Maurice, in particular, forefaw that he must become the object of deteftation to the Saxons, and could never hope to govern them with tranquillity, if he were confidered by them as acceffary to the death of his nearest kinfman, in order that he might obtain poffeffion of his dominions. While they from fuch various motives follicited Chailes, with the most earnest im. portunity, not to execute the fentence; Sybilla and the rest of the elector's family, conjured him by letters as well as meffengers to fcruple at no conceffions that would exrricate him out of the prefent danger, and deliver them from their fears and anguish on his account. The emperor, perceiving that the expedient which he had tried began to produce the effect he intended, fell by degrees from his former rigour, and allowed himself to foften into promifes of clemency and forgiveness, if the elector would fhew himself worthy of his favour by fubmitting to reafonable terms. The elector, on whom the confideration of what he might fuffer himself had made no impreffion, was melted by the tears of a wife whom he loved, and could not refit the intreaties of his family. In compliance with their repeated follicitations, he agreed to articles of accommodation, which he would otherwife have rejected with dildain. The chief of them were, that he thould refign the electoral dignity, as well for himfelt, as for his pofterity, into the emperor's hands, to be difpofed of entirely at his pleafure; that he should inftantly put the imperial troops in poffeffion of the citi s of Wittemberg and Gotha; that he fhould fet Albert of Brandenburg at liberty without ranfom, that he should fubmit to the decrees of the imperial chamber, and acquiefce in whatever reformation the emperor fhould m-ke in the conftitution of that court; that he should renounce all leagues against the emperor or king of the Romans, and enter into no alliance for the future, in which they were not comprehenced. In return for thefe important conceffions, the emperor not only promised to spare his life, but to fettle on him and his pofterity the city of Gotha and its territories, together with an annual pension of fifty thousand florins, payable out of the revenues of the electorate; and like! 1769. Behaviour of Charles the Great in his Retreat. wife to grant him a fum in ready money to be applied towards the difcharge of his debts. Even thefe articles of grace were clogged with the morifying condition of his remaining the emperor's prifoner during the reft of his life. To the whole, Charles had fubjoined, that he fhould fubmit to the decrees of the pope and council with regard to the controverted points in religion; but the elector, though he had been perfuaded to facrifice all the objects which men commonly hold to be the dearest and most valuable, was inflexible with regard to this point; and neither threats nor intreaties could prevail to make him renounce what he deemed to be truth, or perfuade him to at in oppofition to the dictates of his confcience." The emperor having in the decline of life experienced feveral difagreeable reverfes of fortune, and finding that a defign which he had conceived of rendering Europe dependant en his family was utterly impracticable, he determined to withdraw himself from the world, and accordingly refigning his dominions to his fon Philip, and the imperial dignity to his brother Ferdinand, who had been long elected king of the Romans, he retired to the monaftery of Saint Juftus in Spain, which he had chosen for the beauty of the fituation, and as it must be pleafing to know how a man, who had been for many years the first prince in Europe, condufted himself in fuch an alteration of cha racter, the following account cannot fail to give general fatisfaction. "When Charles en ered this retreat, he formed fuch a plan of life for himself, as would have fuited the condition of a private gentleman of a moderate fortune. His table was neat, but plain; his domefticks few, bis intercourfe with them familiar; all the cumbersome and ceremonious forms of attendance on his perfon were entirely abolifhed, as deftructive of that focial eafe and tranquillity which be courted, in order to footh the remainder of his days. As the mildness of the climate, together with his deliverance from the burdens and cares of government, procured him at first a confiderable remiffion from the acute pains with which he had been long tormented, he enjoyed, perhaps, more complete fatisfaction in this humble folitude, than all his grandeur had ever yielded him. The ambitious thoughts and projects which had fo long engrolled and difquieted him, w-re quite effaced from his mind: far from taking any part in the political tranfactions of the princes of Europe, he reftrained his curiofity even from any enquiry concerning them; and he feemed to view the bufy fcene which he had abandoned, with all the contempt and indire rence arifing from his thorough experience of its vanity, as well as from the pleafing reflections of having difentangled himself from its cares, 211 Other amusements and other objects now occupied him. Sometimes he cultivated the plants in his garden with kis own hands; fometimes he rode out to the neighbouring wood on a little horfe, the only one that he kept, attended by a fingle fervant on foot. When his infirmities confined him to his apartment, which often happened, and deprived him of thefe more active recreations, he either admitted a few gentlemen who refided near the monaftery to vifit him, and entertained them familiarly at his table; or he employed himself in ftudying the principles and in forming curious works of mechanism, of which he had always been remarkably fond, and to which his genius was peculiarly turned. With this view he had engaged Turriano, one of the most ingenious artists of that age, to accompany him in his retreat. He laboured together with him in framing models of the most useful machines, as well as in making experim nts with regard to their respective powers, and it was not feldom that the ideas of the monarch afflifted or perfectes the inventions of the artist. He relieved his mind, at intervals, with flighter and more fantaflick works of mechanifm, in fashioning puppets, which, by the ftructure of internal fprings, mimicked the geftures and actions of men, to the no fmail aftonishment of the ignorant monks, who beholding movements, which they could not comprehend, fometimes difirufted their own fenfes, and fometimes fufpected Charles and Turriano of being in compact with invifible powers. He was particularly curious with regard to the conftruction of clocks and watches, and having found, after repeated trials, that he could not bring any two of them to go exactly alike, he reflected, it is faid, with a mixture of furprize and regret on his own folly, in having bestowed fo much time and labour on the more vain attempt of bringing mankind to a precife uniformity of fent ment concerning the intricate and myfterious doctrines of religion. But in what manner foever Charles difpofed of the reft of his time, he conftantly referved a confiderable portion of it for reli pious exercifes. He regularly attended divine fervice in the chapel of the monaftry, every morning and evening; he took great pleasure in reading books of devotion, parti cularly the works of S. Auguftine and St. Bernard; and converfed much with his confeffor, and the prior of the monaftry on pious fobjects. Thus did Charles pafs the first year of his retreat, in a manger not unbecoming a man perfectly disengaged from the affairs of the prefent life, and ftanding on the confines of a future world; either in innocent amufements, which foothed his pain, and relieved a mind worn out with exceffive application to bufinels; or in deVout occupations, which he deemed neceffary in preparing for another state. Dd 2 But 212 Death and Character of Charles. But about fix months before his death, the gout, after a longer intermiflion than ufual, returned with a proportional increase of violence. His thattered conftitution had fcarce vigour enough remaining to withstand fuch a fhuck. It enfeebled his mind as much as his body, and from that period we scarce difcern any traces of that found and mafculine understanding, which diffinguished Charles among his contemporaries. An illiberal and timid fuperftition depreffed his fpirit. He had no relish for amufements of any kind. He endeavoured to conform, in his manner of living, to all the rigour of monaftick aufterity. He defired no other fociety than that of menks, and was almoft continually employed with them in charting the hymns in the mifial. As an expiation for his fins, he gave himself the difcipline in fecret with fuch feverity, that the whip of cords which he employed as the inftrument of his punishment, was found after his deceafe tinged with his blood. Nor was he fatisfied with thefe acts of mortification, which, however fevere, were not unexampled. The timorous and diftruftful folicitude which always accomp nies fuperftition fill continued to dilqu et him, and depreciating all that he had cone, prompted him to aim at fomething extraordinary, at lome new and fingular act of piety that would display his zeal, and merit the favour of heaven. The act on which he fixed was as wild and un common, as any that fuperftition ever fuggefted to a weak and difordered fancy. He refolved to celebrate his own obfequies before his death. He ordered his tomb to be built in the chapel of the monaftry. His domeflicks marched thither in funeral proceffion, with black tapers in their hands. He himfelf followed in his throud. He was laid in his coffin, with much folemnity. The fervice for the dead was chanted, and Charles joined in the prayers which were offered up for the reft of his foul, mingling his tears with thofe which his attendants fhed, as if they had been celebrating a real funeral. The ceremony clofed with fprinkling holy water on the coffin in the ufual form, and all the affiftants retiring, the doors of the chapel were fhut. Then Charles role out of the coffin and withdrew to his apart ment, full of thefe awful fentiments, which fuch a fingular folemnity was calculated to infpire. But either the fatiguing length of the ceremony, or the impreffion which this image of death left on his mind, affected him fo much, that next day he was feized with a fever. His feeble frame could not long refift its violence, and be expired on the twenty first of September, after a life of fifty-eight years, fix months, and twentyfive days. As Charles was the first prince of the age in rank and dignity, the part which he acted, whether we confider the greatnefs, the April variety, or the fuccefs of his undertakings, was the most confpicuous. It is from an attentive obfervation of his conduct, not from the exaggerated praises of the Spanish hiftorians, or the undistinguishing cenfure of the French, that a juft idea of Charles's genius and abilities is to be collected. He poffelled qualities fo peculiar, as ftrongly mark his chara&ter, and not only diftinguish him from the princes who were his contempora ries, but account for that fuperiority over them which he fo long maintained. In forming his fchemes, he was, by nature as well as by habit, cautious and confiderate. Born with talents which unfolded themselves flowly, and were late in attaining maturity, he was accustomed to ponder every subject that demanded his confideration with care and deliberate attention. He bent the whole force of his mind towards it, and dwelling upon it with a ferious application, undiverted by pleasure, and har ly relaxed by any amufement, he revolved it, in filence, in his own breaft. He then communicated the matter to his minifters, and after hearing their opinions, took his refolution with decifive firmness, which feldom follows such flow confultations. In confequence of this, Charles's meafures, inftead of resembling the defultory and irregular fallies of Henry VIII, or Francis I. had the appearance of a confiftent fyftem, in woch all the parts were arranged, the effects were foreseen, and the accidents were provided for. His promptitude in execution was no less remarkable than his patience in deliberation. He confuited with phlegm, but he acted with vigour; and did not discover greater fagacity in his choice of the meatures which it was proper to pur fue, then fertility of genius in finding out the means for rendering his purfuit of them fuccefsful. Though be had naturally fo little of the martial turn, that during the most ardent and bustling period of life, he remained in the cabinet inactive, yet when he chofe at length to appear at the head of his armies, his mind was fo formed for vigorous exertions in every direction, that he acquired fuch knowledge in the art of war, and fuch talents for command, as rendered him equal in reputation and fuccefs to the mot able generals of the age. But Charles poffeffed, in the moft eminext degree, the fcience which is of greatest importance to a monarch, that of knowing men, and of adapting their talents to the various departments which he allotted to them. From the death of Chievres to the end of his reign, he employed no general in the field, no minister in the cabinet, no ambaffador to a foreign court, no governor of a province, whofe abilities were inadequate to the truft which he repofed in them. Though deftitute of that bewitching affability of manners, which gained Francis the hearts of all who approached his perfon, be 1769. VARIOUS ARTICLES. was no ftranger to the virtues which fecure fidelity and attachment. He placed unbounded confidence in his generals; he rewarded their fervices with munificence; he neither envied their fame, nor discovered any jealousy of their power. Almost all the generals who conducted his armies may be placed on a level with those illustrious perfonages who have attained the highest eminence of military glory; and his advantages over his rivals are to be afcribed fo manifeftly to the fuperior abilities of the commanders whom he fet in oppofition to them, that this might feem to detract, in fome degree, from his own merit, if the talent of difcovering and employing fuch infiruments were not the most undoubted proof of a capacity for government." II. The Hiftory of Mifs Somerville, 2 vols. 12mo. 6s. Newbery. This work is the production of a lady; and we could wish that all female writers were equally remarkable for their good fenfe and their delicacy-any parent may fafely put it into the hands of a daughter, and reft affared that it he is not the better, fhe will be no way the worfe for perufing it. III. Margaret Countess of Rainsford. 2 vols. 12mo. Johaion. Such readers as can put up with an unnateral flory, will find entertainment in these volumes the file is pretty-the defign is moral-but the fable is in our opinion wholly improbable. IV.The Exemplary Mother, or Letters between Mrs. Villars and ber Family. Published by a Lady. 2 vol, 12mo. Becket. The exemplary mother is a very amiable pattern for her fex, though we think the author, in order to make her character confpicuous, has leffened her children rather injudiciously in the opinion of the readerthey are rendered generally weak, that the may have an opportunity of correcting their errors-but though this may be a critical objection to the book, it by no means leffens the utility of it. V. The delicate Embarrassments. 2 vol. 12mo. Robinson and Roberts. This novel is written by a benevolent though not by a very accurate pen-the characters are no way new-nor is there any thing extraordinary in the incidents-yet there is good fenfe in general through the performance, and the author is to the utmoft of his abilities an advocate for the caufe of virtue. VI. The mistakes of the Heart: or Memoirs of Lady Carolina Pelham, and Lady Victoria Nevil, in a feries of Letters. published by Mr. Treylic de Vergy, Counsellor in the Parlia ments of Paris and Bourdeaux. 2 vol. 12mo. Murdock. This publication before us is very happy in a title, as it is actually a mistake of the heart to give it to the world either as a maj 213 terly or even a decent production; notwithftanding it is ushered in by the name of a counselor in two of the French parliaments. VII. The Hiftory of Emily Montague. in 4 vols. 12mo Dodley. The principal scene of this novel is Canada, and it is in confequence of this circumstance dedicated to Mr. Carleton the governor of Quebec.The author is the ingenious Mrs. Brooke, already known in the literary world by the pretty little Novel of Julia Mandeville, and thofe who have read that performance will not meet with lefs entertainment in the prefent publication. VIII. Outlines of the natural Hiftory of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. By John Berkenhout, M. D 3 Vol. Vol. 1. containing the animal Kingdom. 8vo. 4s. Elmsley. Dr. Berkenhout purpofes to give a fyftematic arrangement and concife defcription of all the animals, vegetables, and foffils, which have hitherto been discovered in these kingdoms. He has adopted Linnæus's mode of arrangement, and from the prefent fpecimen we have fome reafon to expect an ufeful publication. IX. Matrimonial Ceremonies displayed, &c. Is. Sergeant. This is a defpicable compofition of dulnefs and obscenity, and, being utterly below the public notice, cannot be entitled to any farther obfervation. X. An univerfal Dictionary of the Marine, By William Falconer. 4to. 11. 15. Ca. dell It is impoffible to fay enough on the utility of this work, in which the young feaman will not only find every thing neceflary for inftruction in his profeffion, but every thing requifite to make him respected as an officer. Thofe, however, who have no connexion with the fea, will find great entertainment in the Marine Dictionary, and we cannot but exprefs great obligations to the author for the pleasure we received in his excellent performance. XI. An Appeal to the Public, touching the Death of Mr. George Clarke, who received a blow at Brentford, on Thursday the 8th of December last, of which be languished and died on Wednesday the 14th of the fame Month. By John Foot Surgeon. 8vo. 15. Davis. This pamphlet has been very much the fubject of public converfation, and our readers will naturally expect a confiderable extract; as it relates rather to facts than to reafonings, the literary merit is not an object of much confideration, and we shall therefore proceed at once to the author's narrative. "On Thursday the 15th of December, 1768, fays Mr. Foot, I was called in by the coroner's jury, to examine the dead body of Mr. George Clarke, at the White-Hart, Welbeck-ftreet, Cavendish-Square. Mr. Walker, furgeon, had likewife been fent for, but, fortunately for bim, was not at home. 214 Foote's Appeal about Clarke. I attended, and enquired who had taken care of the deceased in his illness? I was anfwered that he had been visited by Mr. Starling, apothecary, and by Mr. Bromfield, furgeon. Mr. Starling had already given his esidence. I defired Mr. Bromfield might be prefent. I was informed he had been fent for twice, and had refused to come, becaufe he appreberded it might be an Old Bailey bufinefs, and for the fame reafon would not permit any of his affiftants to come. At the coroner's requeft I went up ftairs into the room where the body lay, expreffed my defie that Mr. Underwood, a furgeon, (who had been fent for by Mrs. Talbot, the aunt of the deceased) would be prefent, waited fome time for him, and was informed that he was gone away. I then proceeded to examine the body, in the prefence of the jury, affifted by Mr. Bearcroft, a furgeon in his majefty's fervice, who had formerly lived with me for his improvement, and was at this time accidentally in town. 1 examined the body very carefully all over, it was not difco oured in any part, nor had appearance of hurt or diforder of any kind, except a contufed wound on the top of the head, by the fide of the fagittal future upon the right parietal bone; the fcalp was elevated for a confiderable space round the wound, the pericranium, which natural y adheres firmly to the bone, was much inflamed, and feparated from the fcull. A ter clearing this part I fearched for a fiffore or fracture, but found neither; I then railed the whole of the fcalp and pericranium. and as fractures are not always to be found under the part where there are marks of external violence, I continued my examination, and fought for what has been called a contra fifiore or fracture: I met with neither. I then proceeded to faw the bone circularly, beginning at the forehead; after carefully raising the upper part of the fcull, I found the dura mater (which is the external membrane of the brain) greatly inflamed, particolarly under the part where the blow was given, and here detached from the bone, to which in a found flate it is clofely connected. Upon removing this membrane, I faw a quantity of extravafated coagulated blood between it and the pia mater. The pia mater, or interior covering of the brain, was weit inflamed, and fome of its veffels ruoined on the right hemi'phere of the brain. From thefe appearances I was led to enquire into the fymptoms that attended the deceafed during his illness. I was informed by the feveral deponents, before the coroner and jury, That at firft the deceafed complained of pain in the wounded part of his head, this increased, and was fucceeded by faintnefs, ftupidity, chilliness, fickness, vonitings, fever, celirium, and convulfions, Apri to his death. He was not free from form one of thefe complaints from the time of bi receiving the blow till he expired. At the fame time I was told, that Mr. Brovfel: was called in only on the day that Clarke died, when he ordered his head to be shaved, but did not even examine the wound. Mr. Bromfield faw him no more, for he died the fame night. The coroner then proceeded to take the depofitions, of which the following is a copy : MIDDLESEX. Marybose, Dec. 15, 1768. White-Hart, Welbeck-fireet, touching the Death of George Clark, then and there lying dead. Solomon Starling, of Princes-ftreet, nea Hanover iquare, apothecary, faith, Laft M.day he was called in to attend the deceased, that he went and found the deceased in a violent fever in bed; that he applied proper remedies; that he attended him the next day, and found him not better, and defired further advice; upon which Mr. Bromfield the furgeon was fent for, but the witnefs was not prefent when he came, but adminiftered the remedies Mr. Bromfield advised, and attended the deceased the evening of the fame day, but found him no better; fays the deceafed's bain was affected, for he found a abfence of mind and frequent flutterings, which a violent fever will caufe; that he called the next morning, and was informed the deceased was dead of the fever, but what was the caufe of the fever he cannot fay. SOLOMON STARLING. William Beale, of Marybone, fays, That on the 8th of December, 1768, he was at the election at Brentford, and the deceafed ftood next to him close to the rail at the huftings; that about half after two a mob arofe and a riot enfued, and the witness received a blow on the left wrift, and another on the head, by a short stick or bludgeon ; that the deceased flood next to him, but the witnefs being afraid of being killed, made the best of his way out of the croud, and did not fee the deceafed ftruck; but in a very fhort time after, about a minute, the deceafed came to the witness in the yard of the Three Pigeons, all of a gore blood from the head and neck; that then they went together to the Rev. Mr. Horne's, at Brentford, and with Richard Beale went thro' the yard of his house into the church-yard, and got over the wall to fave themselves, being afraid of their lives, and from thence went to leworth, the deceased being still bleeding; that when they got to fleworth the deceased pulled off his hat and flock, and the witness lent him his handkerchief to hide the blond which came from a wound near the top of the head, the witness then bathed the deceafed's head and wound, and likewife hu |