1769: A Defcription of Smyrna. Even the great Mr. Hume writes that his religion fupported him under his affliction, or to that purpofe. 'To which Dr. Smollet readily agrees. And is not fome deference to be paid to thefe, and fuch like authors and are fuch refpectable authors as the bishop of St. David, Dr. Burton, Dr. Noel, to be Ipoked upon as nothing? Thefe gentlemen, I believe, are as converfant in the history of Charles's days, and have as much Philanthropy in them as the author who figns-Philanthropos. As to King Charles's political charafter, if not defenfible in these our days, when the prerogative of the crown, and the liberty of the people are happily fettled, certainly many things may be faid in its defence; in that era, when hereditary right, abfolute monarchy, and paffive obedience were approved of by the fenate, preached from the pulpit, and defended at the bar. Go, Phil. to France, and fcribble and fcold against thefe doctrines, and fee what his most chriftian majesty will do for thee. He will foon exalt thee (by thy neck, I mean) above thy fellows. Charles in his days, notwithstanding the dark character Phil. gives him, was as highly esteemed and honoured by the English, as the grand-monarch at this time is by the French. The battle of Lansdown confirms this affertion; where fell more of the nobility and gentry than of the common foldiers. This cannot be faid of the Oliverians, who fought more for plunder than liberty. And the following interregnum was one of the greatest curles which ever befel this nation. How different was the behaviour of our forefathers at the Revolution! Great and glorious. But it is time to conclude. Let us, fir, before we determine any point, read both fides of the question. I have read Bound-head authors and Cavalier authors. Now, gentle reader, pardon my trefpaffing fo long on your patience. Utrum horum mavis accipe. If the former with Philanthropos, Charles will be a: if the latter, a martyr. I am, with compliments to Philanthropos, wishing him a chearful Christmas, but a penitential thirtieth of January, Sir, Your obliged fervant, Dec. 20, 1769. M. M. 673 To the AUTHOR of the LONDON S.I R, F you think the following defcrip tion of Smyrna worth a place in the London Magazine, you will oblige a correfpondent by your infertion of it. THAT the city of Smyrna was originally built, as Pliny affirms, by an Amazon of that name, is generally confidered as a fiction, though the inhabitants are very tenacious of this opi-. nion, and alfo boldly contend for its having had the honour to give birth to Homer. I fhall not however take upon me to difpute thofe circumstances, nor invalidate the pompous defcriptions of Strabo, but muft obferve that the modern Smyrna is a very fmall city, the houfes mean, and built upon the declivity of a mountain. Its caftle is an old ruinous ftructure, erected by the primitive Chriftians, as all the buildings in this part of Turkey were. There are bagars, bafefteins, hanes, or caravanfaries, and other edifices, for the public convenience, as in other Turkish places; as alfo feveral foap, shops, erected by the grand vizir, Stata Pafcha, once fo greatly dreaded by the Chriftians. The harbour is large and convenient, but the entrance fomewhat difficult. The quarter of the city in which the Franks and Europeans refide, is by much the best part of it, no lefs from the numbes of handfome houses, than their fituation, running all along the quays with elegant piazzas in front of them. Thefe houfes are not only ornamental in themselves, but afford these inhabitants a most extenfive profpect of the fea, and the failing of fhips at an infinite diftance: they likewife enable them to enjoy, in an abundant degree, the refreshing gales of wind in the fummer called Talbat, without which the heat would be infupportable; for whenever the fresh breezes of the wind abate for any time, the inhabitants are fure to be attacked by a malignant fever, little inferior to the plague. Most of the principal merchants have country feats, whether they retire in times of peftilence, not far from the river Meles, which formerly washed the walls of Smyrna, and is the spot fo much reverenced by the natives for the birth-place of Homer, as they will tell you he was born of the nymph 4 2 2 Critheis 6.72 A-Defcription of Smyrna. Critheis on its banks, and thence his appellation Melefigenes, is born on the banks of the Meles. At fome diflance from this river i. e. a finall lake called, the Bath of Diana, from a temple which formerly tood near it, and was dedicated to that goddefs. In the old city they fhew you the tree faid to have fprung from the staff of St. Polycarp, and another from the very crutch of that faint. Amongst the other ruins that of a Circus, where the Equeftrian exercifes were performed, is till difcoverable; but with regard to the grand theatre for which it was fo antiently diftinguished, not the leaft vettiges of it are to be feen, confequently it is impoffible to determine the fpot where that magnificent ftructure flood. From the mountains on which the caftle, or citadel ftands, is a profpect that can scarcely be exceeded. The city, the harbour, the villages, the feats, the rivers, the eminences, and the plains, fill the eye with an enchant ing variety. At the entrance of the caltle gate is the fuppofed Amazon's head, and though much defaced, is highly valued. Over the gate, within an oval, is an infcription in Greek letters, which was evidently done in the time of the last Greck emperors. The walls of ancient Smyrna are above twelve Italian miles in circuit, but were not all built at the fame time, fome parts confifting of marble, intermixed with bricks, and nearly refembling thofe at Conftantinople. In the cattle are large vaults, fuppofed to have been cifterns for preferving the rain water. Within this fortification is an iron gate, leading to that part of it, which, not being totally in ruins, is inhabited. On the ramparts are two large pieces of cannon, never fired but at the time of the Cairam. In this country are a great number of torks, which afford the inhabitants an odd, as well as barbarous, kind of diverfion. They place hens eggs in the ftorks net, and when the young are hatched, the male, on feeing them of a different form to its own fpecies, makes a hideous noife, which never fails to call together a crowd of other ftorks, hovering about the nett; and who, to revenge the difgrace which the female nas in appearance brought upon her net, deitroy her by pecking her to death, the male, during the App. whole time, making the heaviest la mentations, as if bewailing his misfortune, which obliged him to have recourfe to fuch difagreeable severities, I leave humanity to make its own com ment upon this, and many other fathionable amufements of mankind, the recollection of which will be a na tural confequence of peruling this ftrange fact. A cameleon was once found in the ruins of the caftle of an unusual £ze, and being placed on a piece of red cloth, multitudes bebeld it under three feveral changes-black, green, and white-but notwithstanding what the naturalifts affirm, it never assumed a red tinge, and during the whole time it lived, it was not obferved to eat any thing except a few small flies, which it caught in the air with its tongue. The principal perfon in the conduct of the commerce at Smyrna, as well as in other parts of the Levant, is the conful, an officer appointed by the ftates in the civil caufes of his nation he fits as judge, and is affifted by three affeffors, who are always eminent merchants. These gentlemen have always the care of the company's cheft, and have under them a treafu, rer, who is intirely dependent on the directors of the company, with a falary of two thousand guilders per annum. The conful has alfo a secretary, whọ counterfigns all the paffports, and alio acts as attorney for the ftates. But this juridical power of the conful extends only to perfons of his own nation; for fhould one of the litigants be either a Tuik, Armenian, or Greek, and the other a Dutchman for inftance, the csdi would take cognizance of the difpute, and this at once makes it dangerous for merchants residing in the Levant to marry Grecian women, for fuch merchants commonly lose their correfpondents. The inconveniencies and vifitations of the city of Smyrna and the neighbouring country, are earthquakes, plagues, and the invafions of the Corfairs; the two first are however fo frequent, that they must be very confi derable indeed to merit obfervation. I will not trefpals longer upon your readers with any farther particulars. I am, your humble fervant, A. B. 69: Abumorous Account if an extraordinary Phenomenon. 673 To the PRINTER, &c. HE following is a true account of the very extraordinary phamenon which lately appeared at the ifquerade at Lincoln. In the middle of the entertainment, a fudden a moft characteristic figure a modern patriot, introduced itself, th a mask of a madman before, and fool behind; he had a fool's cap, ade fomething like the caps of the ght horfe, with a drawing of Wilkes ith a pen in his hand, and under it is infcription, The greatest patriot fince at Tyler of riotous memory; on the ight fide, in very large letters, were he words no parliament; on the left To church; over the fool's mask, No. 5. North Briton in large gold capi. als; from the two fronts were some arge knots of tinfel; and the point of the cap, dividing, had a fox-brush fixed to each extremity, one hanging on each fide the head, together with his own hair tied with narrow straw ribbands; he had on a liveryman of London's gown, with a bottle of ink and a pen tuck in his coat button-hole; the back part of the gown appeared like a fool's coat, with a large body compofed of yellow and red colours humorously mixed, with a large tar on the left fide, with W's face in the center, furrounded with Liberty in gold letters, and on the eight radii were written Beckford, Townfend, Vaughan, 'Squire Cotes, Mawbey, Sir F. B. Delaval, Sawbridge and Horne. He had a ftaff in his left hand, with the cap of Liberty, and ftreamers of tinfel, with a petition on a large fheet of vellum, rolled up, hanging under the cap, on which was endorsed, in large letters, a modern petition expressed in plain and fincere terms; alfo another piece of vellum, lapt up and hanging at the back of the petition endorsed with very large gold letters, No. 45. Thus accoutered, he entered the room with ordering aloud the landlord to be fure to have four good horfes ready harneffed to carry him to Sleaford as foon as he had got the petition figned, for he mult fup with He to-morrow night at the London Tavern! He then bufily walked about the room, enquiring whether they had chofe a chairman; faid, that he had a commithion from the Supporters of the Bill of Rights, begged they would chufe a chairman quickly: He then produced a letter, and a large bundle of papers. In this manner he engaged the attention of the whole room for fome time, put the ladies out of humour because it stopt their dancing, and they could not be fure which was his front as he turned about. Many gentlemen were highly diverted, and a few not a little difconcerted. After unmasking he left all his papers on the window in the great room, which gave me an opportunity of getting the copies which I have enclosed: The letter was infcribed "To Mr. Firebrand Dupe, liveryman of the joiners company, of the ward of Farringdon Without, at his lodgings up three pair of stairs, in Flower de luce Court, Fleetftreet. "London Tavern, Dec. 19, 1769. SIR, By order of our club, I am to defire you with all speed to fet out for Lincoln, with the petition) that was in readiness for the opening of the county hofpital, had we been fo lucky, as to've had one member a fubfcriber to it) already figned by many very refpectable freeholders of the county of Lincoln refiding in London. Your patriotic zeal, that has fhone forth, so wonderfully to the diftrefs of the family, and the hazard of your conftitution for the liberty of Old England, was the fole motive that induced the gentlemen to fix upon you for the execution of this grand bufinefs; and they make no doubt, but your amazing abilities will answer the gentlemen's molt ardent patriotic wishes, From, fir, Your very humble fervant, R. M, Sec. N. B. The papers herewith are fent by the gentlemen, in order to furnish you with arguments, &c. in the execution of this important affair." Junius's most humane letter to the D. of B. infulting him upon the death of his fon. The gallant behaviour of Parfo Green, with the Scotch officer. The Rev. Mr. H-ne's fermon Sir F-B-D's famous fpee, which he made without a head, with an account of its wonderful effets on the 674 An Examination of Dr. Musgrave: the moft rafpactable heroes at Newcaftle. Alderman B-d's fpeche to the livery of London, when he accepted the office of lord mayor, to fave Old England. Junius's letter to the D- of G-, on his keeping a mistress. An account of the White Boys of Ireland, with a panegyric upon Levellers. Serjeant G-n's (pache to the freeholders at Exeter. Interesting letters between Humphrey Coates, Efq; and Mr. W-s. North Briton, No. 45." To the AUTHOR of the LONDON SIR, DR Salluft. R. MUSGRAVE in his late address submits to the publick impartiality, prudence, candour, and patriotifm. To the fame impartiality, prudence, candour, and patriotism, I appeal. The charge brought against fome noble lords is of great weight. It af. fects their reputation, their property, their lives. The crime is high treafon. The demand is for blood. In proceedings of fo nice a nature, it has been usual to act with the utmoft caution, and to be prepared to prove the truth of every charge exhibited against the accufed, who in this country muft be fuppofed innocent till they are legally found guilty. So tender are our Jaws, that they forbid all writings which defame a man, whereby that peace is broken, which, in all governments, fhould carefully be preferved. A punishment is annexed to every of fence, and the courts of juftice itand ever open to bring before them the of fender. To thofe courts, to those laws, while laws exift, we must apply. Papers offered to the publick, containing only a partial view of things, and wherein the writer is bound by no oath, are therefore fuppofed to flow 'rom malice. Under the protection of the laws the Laneft fubject is fafe; and muft not great reit within the fhadow of its Why? Lator M. waited on Lord Halifax, App with copies of four letters. Copies of Did the chevalier offer to wait on Lord Halifax? No-Dr. Mufgrave urged Lord Halifax to fend for him, examine him, perufe his papers. Had Lord H. fufficient authority to fend for a person intrusted with the affairs of a foreign court, examine him, pe rufe his papers, and the dispatches of the duke de Nivernois? Could any magiftrate in France dare to fend for a perfon who had been intrufted with the papers and dispatches of our am. baffador, upon the imperfect informa tion of a ftranger? A right to examine one of his papers must extend to all; to his private as well as publick concerns. What confidence could be then placed between two nations? What a long train of evils would follow such a conduct! By what means could he bring the chevalier before him? By gentle means, as he was fo disposed to give light into the affair? By the addrefs and proceedings of Dr. M. we might think that he was well acquainted with him, and that the chevalier was ready to wait on Lord H. on the leaft notice. Alas, the doctor did not know him, had never feen him; confequently his difpofition must be very imperfectly known. On this gentleman fe disposed to give light into the af 69. "An Examination of Dr. Mufgrave. -, he himself never waited that the ints in his own imperfect information, he calls it, might be fully afcertained. it ftrict juftice in a violent manner accufe Lord H. for not examining nan, to whom Dr. M. never thought worth his own trouble to apply, conrning those papers, fuppofed to be in is custody, and of fo great importance > the ftate? Did not Dr. M. himself, y acting thus, expofe thofe precious ocuments to complicated hazards? hould lord H. by force have brought he chevalier before him? Would Dr. M. advise so arbitrary a step to be taken by the very man who has been profecuted for fending for, and examining Mr. Wilkes? Every one ftarts on having an Englishman's papers examined. Every court in Europe would be alarmed on hearing that the papers and difpatches of a foreign minister had been examined by a magiftrate in England. Suppofe a stranger fhould apply to a magiftrate, and inform him that he had heard fome perfons fay that others in the name of another man had priIvately hinted to them that Dr. M. had fome papers in his cuftody proper for the magiftrates inspection. The doctor alarmed would cry, his papers were all facred. But fuppofe Dr. M. fhould immediately acquaint the publick that he had no fuch papers; and the informer should afterwards write a pamphlet to affure us that Dr. M. was a gentleman he had never feen, that he knew nothing of the matter but by report, and though he heard the doctor had been difpofed to give light into the affair, yet he had never confulted him on it: I believe the magiftrate, the doctor, and the public, would think fuch an informer had fome marks of lunacy on him. The way of fuch a man is excellently defcribed by Virgil: Quale per incertam lunam fub luce ma Iter eft in fylvis. As this is the motto to Dr. M's pamphlet, we may fuppofe he applies it to himself; indeed he appears a benighted traveller through a wood; but evidence which tends to deprive a man of life fhould be clear as the noon-day fun. A traveller by moon-light fees a variety of fantastick images ftarting up on every fide of him; dreadful forms which cannot bear the eye of 675 day. For this motto, we may obferve, the doctor searched in the infernal regions. When Dr. M. tells us that he has been told by fome perfons that an overture had been made by other persons to fome members of parliament, in the name of another perfon (the chevalier) importing that he, the chevalier, was ready to impeach three perfons of felling the peace to the French, it puts us in mind of the trial of poor Calas, in France. A man fwore that his wife had told him that a woman, named Mandrill, had told her that a certain woman, unknown, had declared the heard the cries of Mark Anthony the fon, at the farther end of the city. Upon evidence of this kind poor Calas, the father, was executed for the fuppofed murder of his fon. But Britons will expect other evidence. The Chevalier D'Eon next appears, difowns all connections with the doctor, tells him that he can be of no use, that he does not know Sir George Yonge, or Mr. Fitzherbert, that he never made, or caused to be made, any fuch overtures as are mentioned in the addrefs, and calls on him to name the audacious perfons who had used his name. Here is a strange mifunderftanding. The chevalier does not know Sir George Yonge, Mr. Fitzherbert, or the doctor, and the doctor does not know the chevalier. It appears a bad caufe, when the plaintiff, and his witnesses, are at variance, even while they ftand at the bar of the impartial publick. He has brought a cloud of witneffes against himself. Lord H. the speaker of the House of Commons, all who had feen his papers rejected them: indeed the doctor ftood fingle and unprotected. He has alone fat in judgement, determined the whole matter, accufes Lord H. of wilful obftruction of publick juftice, and wishes to fee him undergo a fuitable punishment. Is this the language of candor to condemn a man in this land of liberty before he is tried? Is the doctor no flave to party? Cannot the flame of party zeal be feen breaking through the whole ? The papers were intended to be publifhed and dedicated to the parliament. Is it not evident that the che valier's advertisement, difclaiming any concern in them, together with the pofitive |