1769. An extraordinary Petition. of the air on the hand will be ex air. 8. The air exhaufted from a thin bottle under a receiver, and then faddenly let in, will by its weight inftantly reduce it to very fmall pieces. 9. By putting a piece of wood under quick-filver in the receiver, and then exhaufting the air, and letting it in again, it will, by its weight, force the quick-filver into the pores of the wood, and very fenfibly increase its weight. 10. The exhausted brafs hemifpheres prove not only the prodigious weight of the air, but also the quantity thereof exactly. 11. By exhaufting glass-bubbles, and making them fink, 12. The fyringe, with its weight defcending in vacuo, and afcending again by the admiffion of air, does very prettily prove the preffure of the air, and the rationale of fyringes in general. [Further confiderations on the gravity, together with the elafticity of the air, and all its curious appearances and effects, will be inferted next month.] The following extraordinary Petition, we are told, was delivered on Monday. To the Right Hon. the Lords Commifioners of bis Majefty's Treafury. The humble petition of Ralph Grif fith, deputy to Thomas Griffith, Eq; high fheriff of the county of Flint for the present year, 1769, concerning the execution of Edward Edwards for burglary, Sheweth, 321 Treat difficulty and expence, by HAT your petitioner was at himself, clerks, and other meffengers and agents he employed, in journies to Liverpoole and Shrewsbury, to hire an executioner; the convict being a fible to procure any of that country native of Wales, it was almoft impofto undertake the execution. Travelling, and other ex- 1. pences on that occafion 15 A man at Salop engaged to do this bufinels. Gave him in part of the agreement, 51. 58. Two men for conducting him, and for their fearch of him on his deferting from them on the road, and charges in enquiring for another executioner, 41. 10S. After much trouble and expence, John Babbington, a convict in the fame prifon with Edwards, was, by means of his wife, prevailed on to execute his fellow prifoner: Gave to the wife 61. 6 s. and to Babbington, 61. 6. s. Paid for erecting a gallows, S. 10 9 15 12 12 materials, and labour, a bufinefs very difficult to be done in that county, 41. 12 s. For the hire of a cart to convey the body, a coffin, and for the burial, 21. rol. and for other af fiftance, trouble, and petty expences on the occafion, at leaft 1. Which humbly hope your lordhips will pleafe to allow your petitioner, Who, &c, 12 A IMPARTIAL REVIEW of NEW PUBLICATIONS, ARTICLE I. THE Works in Profe and Verfe of William Sheaftone, Efq; vol. 3. 8vo. Dodley. This volume confifts entirely of letters from Mr. Shenfione to his friends, and is replete with all that politeness and benevolence which were fo remarkable in the chanader of their author. The letters of men who have diftinguished themselves by their June, 1769. talents, even if they contain nothing more than chit-chat, are always pleafing to a cultivated mind. Such a mind wishes to fee the unreftrained fentiments of a writer who has given him great pleasure, and wants to be acquainted with him when wholly off. his guard, in the communicative hour of fociality. We cannot, however, perufe the prefent article, and fee the number of illufS & tricus 322 Extracts of Letters from Shenstone and Pope. June trious perfonages, with whom Mr. Shenflone was intimate, without being furprized that not one individual in the catalogue took the leaft care to advance his intereft, notwithstanding the known embarraffment of his circumstances, and notwithstanding many of them who spent weeks together at his elegant little feat, had not only frequent opportunities of obferving his difficulties, but frequent opportunities alfo from their opulent fortunes, as well as their important offices in the government, to place him in a flate of very comfortable independence. Among his friends he reckoned Lord Chatham, Lord Temple, Lord Lyttelton, Mr Grenville, and feveral others who have filled the first employments, and under whom perfons every way inferior to Mr. Shenstone were provided for; yet this good man, and this accomplished poet, was fuffered to remain unobfervedly upon his paternal farm, which did not bring in much more than 200l. a year, and never received any marks of favour from the great, till an unpopular nobleman, who arrived at the chief direction of affairs in the prefent reign, hearing of his merit, and his neceffities, ordered him a penfion of 300 l. a year, of which unhappily he did not live to receive a fhilling; death fnatching him from the world before the warrant for that purpose was made out. When we confider the neglect which Mr. Shenstone experienced in this refpect from his great friends, we are almoft glad to find that in the volume before us, he has written only to his little ones, and we give the following letter as a fpecimen of his epiftolary eafe to our readers. LETTER I. To Mr. Jago, with a Song, and the Author's Dear Sir, 1739. S my head is confiderably more confuled A than ufual, by reafon of a bad cold, I hall aim no higher in this letter than at bare recitative, referving all my airs for a feafon when my mind is more in tune. Such, I hope, will be the time which you fet apart to attend the chief mufician, at Birmingham. 1 thoroughly design to lend an ear to bis performance, on condition he will not refufe one to a propofal I intend to make, of having, one day or other, a merry ftrain at the Leafows. But If you have any penchant to fee the face of your humble fervant at Birmingham, your moft effectual way will be to inform him when thefe folemn nuptials between Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee are to be confummated. I will, certes, not be abfent at the throwing of the ftocking, any more than Parfon Evans in Shakespeare would he abfence at the grace." I have fent a fong, not that I am fure I have not fent it before; but that, if you can fec aby joke that it containeth, the fore-mentioned gentleman may be asked to and faithful fervant, SONG. When bright Ophelia treads the green But when, difdaining art, the fair II. Letters of the late Alexander Pope, Efq; to a Lady, never before published. 25. Dodfley. The fame reafon which we had for recommending the preceding article, will be the motive for recommending this; even the trifles of fo elevated a genius as Pope, deferves a kind of veneration, and though these letters are not upon any subjects of importance, their elegance, and their fenfibility, as will be feen in the following fpeci men, muft render them not a little accep table to our readers. LETTER VI. MADAM, Twitenham, Aug. 29. not write in lefs than a month, you will fancy the length of yours frighted me. A confcioufnefs that I had upon me of omit ting too long to answer it, made me look 1 1769. VARIOUS ARTICLES. (not without fome fear and trembling) for the date of it but there happened to be one; and I hope, either that you have forgot how long it is, or at leaft that you cannot think it fo long as I do fince I writ to you. Indeed a multitude of things (which fingly feem trifles, and yet altogether make a vaft deal of businefs, and wholly take up that time which we ought to value above all fuch things) have from day to day made me wanting, as well to my own greatest pleasure in this, as to my own greatest concerns in other points. If I feem to neglect any friend i have, I do more than seem to neg left myself, as I find daily by the increafing ill conftitution of my body and mind. I ftill refolve this courfe fhall not, nay I fee it cannot, be long: and I determine to retreat within myself to the only bufinefs I was born for, and which I am only good for (if I am entitled to ufe that phrafe for any thing). It is great folly to facrifice one's felf, one's time, one's quiet (the very life of life itself), to forms, complaifances, and amufements, which do not inwardly pleafe me, and only please a fort of people who regar me no farther than a mere inftrument of their prefent idleness, or vanity, To fay truth, the lives of thofe we call great and happy are divided between thofe two states; and in each of them, we poetical fiddlers make but part of their pleafure, or of their equipage. And the mifery is, we, in our turns, are fo vain (at least I have been fo) as to chufe to pipe without being paid, and fo filly to be pleased with piping to thofe who understand mufick less than outfelves. They have put me of late upon a task before I was aware, which I am fick and fore of: and yet engaged in honour to fome perfons whom I muft neither disobey nor difappoint (I mean two or three in the world only) to go on with it. They make me do as mean a thing as the greatest man of them could do; feem to depend, and to folicit, when I do not want; and make a kind of court to those above my rank, juft as they do to those above theirs, when we might much more wifely and agreeably live of ourfelves, and to ourfelves. You will eafily find I am talking of my tranflating the Odyffey by fubfcription: which looks, it must needs look, to all the world as a defign of mine both upon fame and money, when in truth I believe I fhall get neither; for one I go about without any #tomach, and the other I fhall not go about at all. This freedom of opening my mind upon my own fituation will be a proof of trust, and of an opinion your goodness of nature has made me entertain, that you never profels any degree of good-will without being pretty warm in it. So I tell you my grie vance; I hope in God you have none, wherewith to make me any return of this kind. hope that was the only one which you com I 323 municated in your laft, about Mrs. H's filence; for which she wanted not reproaches from me; and has fince, the fays, amply atoned for. I faw a few lines of yours to her, which are more obliging to me than I could have imagined: if you put my welfare into the small number of things which you heartily with (for a fenfible perfor, of either fex, will never wifh for many), I ought to be a happier man than I ever yet deferved to be. Upon a review of your papers, I have repented of fome of the trivial alterations I had thought of, which were very few. I would rather keep them till I have the fatisfaction to meet you in the winter, which I muft beg earnestly to do; for hitherto me thinks you are to me like a fpirit of another world, a being I admire, but have no commerce with: I cannot tell but I am writing to a Fairy, who has left me fome favours, which I fecretly enjoy, and fhall think it unlucky, if not fatal, to part with. So pray do not expect your verfes till further acquaintance." III. The Hiftory of Eliza Mufgrove. By a Lady. 2 vol. 12mo. 4s. Johnftone. This novel contains many useful leffons, and many affecting fituations. The language is elegant, the intention moral, and the execution upon the whole reflects much honour upon the head and the heart of the amiable author. This little work is not deftitute of fenfe, humour, or benevolence; but we think the author has imitated Mr. Sterne rather more fuccefs fully in the indelicacy of his ftile, than either in his wit, or his obfervatione. This, to a cautious reader, will be no great encomium on his performance; however, the following particulars of Mr. Sterne's life, fome of which were never before communicated to the public, may be offered to the niceft eye as a very entertaining morfel of biography. "Mr. Sterne was the fon of an Irish officer, and born in the barracks at Dublin: but he was not without relations in the church, as his great-grandfather was an archbishop, and his uncle the prebendary of a cathedral. He was brought up at the univerfity of Cambridge, where the vivacity of his difpofition very early in life diftinguifhed him. For fome time he lived in a retired manner upon a small curacy in Yorkshire, and probably would have remained in the fame obfcurity, if his lively genius had not difplayed itfelf upon an occafion which fecured him a friend, and paved the way for his promotion. A perfon who filled a lucrative benefice, was not fatisfied with enjoying it du ring his own life-time, but exerted all his $ $2 intereft 324 Anecdotes relative to Mr. Sterne. intereft to have it entailed upon his wife and fon after his deceate. The gentleman that expected the reverfion of this poft was Mr. Sterne's friend, who had not, however, fufficient influence to prevent the fuccefs of his adversary. At this critical time Sterne s fatyrical pen operated fo firong y, that the intended monopolizer informed him, if he would fupprefs the publication of his fascafm, he would refign his pretenfions to the next candidate. The title of this piece, it appears, was to have been,'" The hiftory of a good warm watch-coat, with which the prefent poffeffor is not content to cover his own fhoulders, unless he can cut out of it a petticoat for his wife, and a pair of breeches for his fon." The pamphlet was fuppreffed, and the reverfion took place. Mr. Sterne was about this period in the coffee-houfe at York, when a ftranger came in, who gave much offence to the company, confifting chiefly of gentlemen of the gown, by defcanting too freely upon religion and the hypocrify of the clergy. The young fellow at length addreffed himself to Mr. Sterne, afking him what were his fentiments upon the fubject; when, instead of answering him directly, he told the witling that bis dog twas reckoned one of the most beautiful pointers in the whole county, was very good natured, but that be bad an infernal trick which deftroyed all bis good qualities. He never fees a clergyman (continued Sterne) but be immediately flies at bim. "How long may he have had that trick?"- Sir, ever fince be was a puppy. The young man felt the keenness of the fatire, turned upon his heel, and left Sterne to triumph. His wit and humour were already greatly admired within the circle of his acquaintance; but his genius had never yet reached the capital, when his two first volumes of Triftram Shandy made their appearance. They were printed at York, and propofed to the bookfeliers there at a very moderate price; thofe gentlemen, however, were fuch judges of their value, that they fcarce offered the price of paper and print; and the work made its way into the world without any of the artifices which are often practifed to put off an edition. A large impreffion being almost inftantaneously fold, the bookfelers were rouzed from their lethargy, and every one was eager to purchafe the fecond edition of the copy. Mr. Sterne fold it for fix hundred pounds, after being refufed fifty pounds for the first impreffion and proprietorship.. The two first volumes of Triftram Shandy were now in every body's hands. All read, moft approved, but few understood them. Those who had not entered into the ludicrous manner of Rabelais, or the poignant fatire of Swift, did not comprehend them; but they jined with the multitude, and pronounced Tifiam Shandy dd clever. A few who pretended to judge for themfelves, were flag June gered at the afterisks, and difappointed with the digreffions; and even the Reviewers themselves were furprized into an elogium upon our author, though they afterwards recanted. They recommended Mr. Shandy as a writer infinitely more ingenious and entertaining than any other of the prefent race of novelifts; adding, his characters were ftriking and fingular, his obfervations fhrewd and pertinent, and, making a few excep. tions, that his humour was ealy and genuine. The publication of these two volumes brought Mr. Sterne into great repute. He was confidered as the genius of the age: his company was equally courted by the great, the literati, the witty, and the gay; and it was confidered as a kind of honour to have paft an evening with the author of Triftram Shandy. The acquaintance he now made, added to his former connections, procured him a prebendary ship in York cathedral. As Mr. Sterne advanced in literary fame, he left his livings to the care of his curates; and though he acquired fome thousands by his productions, being a character very diftant from an economift, his favings were no greater at the end of the year, than when he had no other fupport but the fingle vicarage of Sutton. Indeed his travelling expences abroad, and the luxurious manner in which he lived with the gay and polite at home, greatly promoted the diffipation of a very confiderable fum which his writings produced, and which might have been a future affiftance to his family. This being the cafe at his death, his widow and daughter, an agreeable young lady about fixteen, who had both refided for fome years in a convent in France, finding that their penfions muft difcontinue, came over here in order to publish his pofthumous works. Being at York during the last races, fome humane gentlemen took into confideration their difagreeable fituation, and made them a prefent of a puríe contain ing a thousand pounds. The difference which fubfifted between Mr. Sterne and his wife for fome years, has been differently accounted for. The lady complained of infidelity to her bed; the pre bend apologized for this feparation on account of her temper, which he averred was infup. portable. Perhaps there two caufes united might produce the effect. The ladies, however, fo far from testifying any diflike to their refidence in France, are now preparing to return to that country, having partly made a provifion for their tuture fuppert in their former reclufe manner of life." V. Four Days Tour through Part of the Land of Dumplings. By Peregrine Pott. $8 Pages. 8vo. Bladon. This is a whimsical compofition, and intended as another imitation of Mr. Sterne's peculiar mode of writing; like all imitations, it only ferves to fet off the excellence of the original from which it copies, at the evi dent 1769 VARIOUS ARTICLES. dent expence of its own immediate author. VI. The Sibyl. By a Lady. 2 vol. 12mo. Johnfon. We have read this performance not without fome fatisfaction, and think it at least intitled to the negative recommendation, of being less indifferent than many fimilar performances which have lately been offered to the public. Vu. A Letter to the Right Hon. Horatio Walpole, Efq; By the Right Rev. Thomas Secker, LL. D. Lord Bishop of Oxford, conarning Bifbops in America. 8vo. Rivington. At a period when the expediency of eftablishing epifcopacy in America is fo much the object of altercation, the perusal of this pamphlet is highly neceffary. Here the reader will find the argument handled with force and perfpicuity, and poffibly be convinced that the eftablishment contended for by the orthodox defenders of church-government, is likely to be more advantageous than prejudi cial to the Americans. VIII. A Difcourfe on Public Oeconomy and Commerce. 12mo, is, 6d. DodЛley. The world is indebted for this masterly little piece to the celebrated marquis of Beccaria, an Italian nobleman, who fome time ago published an excellent effay on crimes and punishments, He pronounced it at Milan, on being appointed to a profefforbip lately inftituted in that city; and this tranflation is, in our opinion, no disgrace even to the great reputation of fo univerfally admired an author. IX. Memoirs of Ofney Abbey, near Oxford, By John Swaine, Efq; 8vo. 18. Harris. This is a dull account of a very foolish aftion done, or rather committed, by a lady called Edith Foine, in the year 1129, who feeing a great number of pies gathered upon a tree at Ofney, was perfuaded by her confeffor, that they were the fouls of so mamy perfons in purgatory; and, on the ftrength of this belief, the founded a church, in which prayers were to be pioully offered for their redemption. X. The Question ftated, Whether the Freebolders of Middlefex loft their Right by voting far Mr. Wilkes at the laft Election? In a "Letter from a Member of Parliament to one of bis Conflituents. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Woodfall. The tendency of this letter is to condemn the proceedings of the Commons, on their late determination in regard to the Middle{ex election, which the author thinks wholly repugnant to every principle of legality. XI. The Cafe of the late Election for the County of Middlesex confidered on the Principles of the Conflitution, and the Authority of Law. 4to. Is. Cadell. This is a writer, and a very fenfible one too, on the contrary fide of this important question; he cites a variety of cafes, in which the ufage of parliament is fupported by the law of the land, particularly in mat 325 ters of election; he infifts that the resolution of either houfe is a legal difqualification of a member, and fhews that the conduct of the commons in declaring Colonel Luttrell duly elected, notwithstanding Mr. Wilkes's great majority, was neither new nor unprecederted. "On the 20th of May 1715, fays he, in the cafe of the election for the borough of Malden, the poll ftood thus: For Serjeant Comyns Mr. Bramfton Mr. Tuffaell Sir William Jollyffe 215 215 168 128 Serjeant Comyns having refufed to take the oath of qualification, they resolved that his election was void. But what did they farther in this cafe? Why, they did not iffue a new writ! But they confidered the votes given for the Serjeant as thrown away: and refolved, that Mr. Tuffnell, who had a lefler number of votes than the Serjeant, was duly elected. Again, on the 14th of February 1727, and 16th of April 1728, in the cafe of the election for the town of Bedford, the poll food thus: For Mr. Ongley Mr. Metcalfe Mr. Brace 465 462 240 236 It appearing that Mr. Ongley held an office in the customs, and the 12 and 1; William II. c. 10. against officers in the cuftoms fitting in parliament being read, and no furtender appearing to have been made of the faid office, before the election, the house refolved, that Mr. Ongley was incapable of claiming to fit in parliament. Therefore, though he had the majority of votes, they confidered thofe votes as thrown away: and refolved farther, that Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Orlebar were duly elected, though Mr. Orlebar had a lefer number of votes than Mr. Ongley. As it is always to be wifhed, that there fhould be a harmony and correspondence of judgment in the feveral courts of judicature throughout the kingdom, fo happily in the prefent inftance, the adjudications of the courts of Westminster perfectly agree and correfpond with the determinations of the Houfe of Commons. In the cafe of the king against the mayor and aldermen of Bath, the 15 Geo. II. Mr. Taylor brought a mandamus to be admitted and fworn into the office of one of the aldermen of the city of Bath. To which it was returned, that he was not duly chofen; and upon that iffue being joined, it was tried before Lord Chief Juffice Lee. It appeared at the trial, that by the charter of the corporation, the aldermen are to be elected by the mayor, recorder and aldermen, or the major part of them but it was agreed that the prefence of the recorder was not |