the account in Philip de Commines; and " never pay a farthing they owe: but they The fecond rogue now accofted him, then blame me, if you can, for thinking (C are men of honour, and therefore to be and faid, "I have just seen, in yonder fields, fo highly of this accomplishment.-True" received as gentlemen in all companies."" a man in great hafte, dragging along it is, that Lewis was afraid of death even Ita noftri mores coegerunt. "with him a goat." The peafant dif to horror, and fo as not to bear the found mounted with precipitation, and requested of the word; and I grant, that on this the obliging stranger to hold his ass, that fame fear the empire of phyfic, as well as he might lofe no time in overtaking the the empire of divinity, is chiefly founded: A DECISION by the KING of PRUSSIA. thief. He inftantly began the purfuit; but I infift, that neither the one nor the and having traverfed, in vain, the courie other will ever be raised effectually, withthat was pointed out to him, he came out the aid and co-operation of this great back fatigued and breathlefs to the place and fovereign quality. from whence he fet out; where he neither found his afs, nor the deceitful informer, to whofe care he had entrusted him. As he walked penfively onwards, overwhelmed with fhame, vexation, and difappointment, his attention was roufed by the loud complaints and lamentations of a poor man, who fat by the fide of a well. He turned out of the way, to fympathize with a brother in affliction; recounted his own misfortunes; and inquired the cause of that violent forrow, which feemed to opprefs him. Alas! faid the poor man, in the moft piteous tone of voice, as I was refting here to drink, I dropped into the water a cafket full of diamonds, which I was employed to carry to the Caliph at Bagdat, and I fhall be put to death, on the fufpicion of having fecreted fo valuable a treafure. Why do not you jump into the well in fearch of the cafket, cried the peafant, aftonished at the ftupidity of his new acquaintance? Because it is deep, replied the man, and I can neither dive nor fwim. But will you undertake this kind office for me, and I will reward you with thirty pieces of filver? The peafant accepted the offer with exultation: and, whilft he was putting off his caflock, veft, and flippers, poured out his foul in thankf givings to the holy prophet, for this providential fuccour. But the moment he plunged into the water, in fearch of the pretended cafket, the man (who was one of the three rogues that had concerted the plan of robbing him) feized upon his garments, and bore them off in fecurity to his comrades. HE Amfterdam Gazette, of 13 Feb. 1794, records the following decifion by the King of Pruffia. A foldier of Silefia, being convicted of ftealing Pope Gregory VII. who governed the certain offerings to the Virgin Mary, was church from 1973 to 1085, is celebrated doomed to death as a facrilegious robber. for having carried ecclefiaftical dominion But he denied the commiffion of any theft; to the height: for he was the first who faying, that the Virgin, from pity to his maintained and established, that popes, by poverty, had prefented him with the offerexcommunication, may depofe kings from ings. The affair was brought before the their ftates, and loofe fubjects from their King, who asked the Popish divines, wheallegiance. And how did he effect this? ther, according to their religion, the miraNot by genius or eloquence; not by a cle was impoffible? who replied, that the knowledge of canon law, and the confti- cafe was extraordinary, but not impoffible. tutions of the holy fee; no, nor by the Then faid the King, the "culprit cannot arts of policy and grimaces of his religion" be put to death, because he denies the (with all which he was amply endowed)" theft, and because the divines of his rebut by a moft infolent, daring, ufurping" ligion allow the prefent not to be impoffpirit. He feized the papal chair by force, "fible; but we ftrictly forbid him, under as it were; threw the church into confu- "pain of death, not to receive any prefent fion to gratify his ambition; made kings" henceforward from the Virgin Mary, or his flaves, and bifhops his creatures; and any Saint whatever."-This, I take it, eftablished in his own perfon a tyranny was anfwering fools according to their folly, over things both fpiritual and temporal. and is an inftance of wisdom as well as wit. But my admiration of impudence tranfports me too far: I will fay no more upon it. .A MAN OF HONOUR. MONS ONS. VOLTAIRE, obferving upon certain dramatis perfona in Congreve's Plays, fays, that "their language is every where that of men of honour, but "their actions are those of knaves: a proof, "that he was perfectly well acquainted "with human nature, and frequented what we call polite company." So that the arranteft fcoundrel, the blackest and most deteftable villain, by frequenting polite company, and pretending to an higher and more refined integrity, may be denominated a man of honour. What a perverfe and ridiculous ufe of words, which convey an idea juft the contrary to what they exprefs!" We know very well," fays Bruyere, that an honeft man is a man "of honour; but it is pleasant to conceive, that every man of honour is not an honest man.' Pleafant indeed; but this is not the worft: fociety fuffers from this abufe of terms. "By feparating the man of honour from the man of virtue," fays Hume," the greatest profligates have got fomething to value themselves upon; "and have been able to keep themfelves "in countenance, though guilty of the "moft fhameful and dangerous vices. "They are debauchees, fpendthrifts, and འ GOOD-NATURED CREDULITY. I Thus through inattention, fimplicity, and credulity, was the unfortunate Chaldean duped of all his little poffeffions; and he haftened back to his cottage, with no other covering for his nakednefs, than a tattered garment which he borrowed on the road. By the late Sir JOHN MOORE, Bart. Compaffion ever lov'd to dwell, that breaft, fo good, fo pure, Pity the forrows I endure, The caufe-I must not-dare not tell. The grief that on my quiet preys That rends my heart, that checks my tongue, fear will laft me all my days, But feel it will not laft me long. ly to terminate, except in the ruin or degradation of one of these kingdoms. From the iffue of the laft difgraceful war, and from a variety of circumftances, which fhall be laid before the public in this fpeculation, the scale of the latter feems to preponderate in a degree truly alarming to every Briton Poffeffed of this advantage, and fully fenfible of the poffeffion, our rival kingdom is ardent and indefatigable in improving it to the utmost. Every nerve is exerted; public alliances are contracted, and fecret negociations every where in agitation; while at the fame time, like the midnight incendiary, fhe filently feeds the flame of difcord fhe has contributed to raife. To the thinking mind it muft appear aftonishing, that the increafing power of France, and her improvement in political fagacity, are either unknown, or unattended to by a people hitherto famous for good sense, and to many of whom the following circumftances can be no fecret. When Lewis the XIV. affumed the reins of government, he found himself at the head of a great kingdom, which Cardinal Richelieu may be faid to have fubdued and new modelled. The feudal influence, and confequence of the great lords, were at an end; and the former rivals of Majefty had become the humble fatellites of the throne. The Huguenots were no longer formidable. He felt himself abfolute, the uncontrolled difpofer of the rights and privileges, the lives and fortunes of his fubjects. In fuch a fituation, and confidering the character of the monarch, it is not furprifing that views of conquest should occupy his mind. During the course of a long reign, immenfe fums and the blood of millions were facrificed to the darling object of his ambition. But, ardent, impetuous, and overbearing, while he believed himself able to cope with the united arms of Europe, he paid little attention to the concealment of his defigns. Jealoufy and alarm were therefore generally diffused, which produced confederacies that put a ftop to the career of his victories. Though, in the end, he in part fucceeded, yet what he acquired was hardly an equivalent for the blood and treasure expended in the acquifition, and he died a prey to gloom and difcontent in the arms of Maintenon and bigotry. It was in this reign that Colbert gave exiftence to commerce and a French marine, and though they have both fuffered exceedingly in fubfequent wars, yet their general progrefs, and aftonifhing increafe, are fo feverely felt by this kingdom, that they cannot now be called in queftion. No. III.-VOL. I. The flight sketch of this part of the hiftory of France, as connected with Britain, is drawn merely to elucidate what follows: to impress on the public a truth which appears not at all attended to, and upon hangs property, perhaps exiftence of Britain, as an independent nation. by this important revolution, made the invaluable acquifition of millions of patriots who confider her intereft as their own, and who will facrifice every thing in the defence of that parent ftate, in whofe bofom they be termed a creation of strength, of a kind the most stable and permanent. Something that appears like greatness in II. Aided by an extended commerce, the character of Lewis XIV. the lucky France has formed a marine, which muft affemblage of wife ftatesmen and able gene- ftrike this nation at once with astonishment rals, who united their efforts in giving re- and regret. Nor will our regret be leffonfpectability and eclat, if not conftant fuc- ed, when we fee her pursuing this object cefs to his ambitious schemes; the buftle with the wifeft and most indefatigable exand activity of his reign; the useful efta-ertion. Our rulers know, or ought to blifhments that were formed; the magnifi- know, that to rival us on the ocean is now cent works that were executed; the num- the great aim of the French government; ber of men of fcience and of genius, which that, in respect of this, every other pursuit appeared at that period; all contribute to is only fecondary; and that a kingdom, dazzle the mind, and perfuade us that rich, populous, united, and jealous of our France had then reached the fummit of naval glory, muft fucceed in the fatal depower and glory. But the fact is, that she fign, if not counteracted by a spirit and has now more real ftrength and power wisdom to which the prefent cabinet feem than when under the dominion of that mo- utter ftrangers. narch. On this important and alarming truth we wish to fix the attention of every Briton. The enumeration of every circumftance which has contributed to give additional force to the kingdom of France, fince the period alluded to, would far exceed the bounds allotted for this fpeculation. A few of the causes fhall be produced. Thefe, with their obvious effects, will be fufficient to convince the moft incredulous, and roufe the most lethargic reader. III. The manufactures of France keep pace with her commerce. The time was, when the endeavour to rival us in the woollen manufacture was treated with ridicule and contempt. The total lofs of the Levant trade, is a melancholy and convincing proof of our mistake; or, if a farther proof is wanting, it is beyond a doubt, that broad cloth of the finest quality, equal in every refpect to ours, and fold at as low a price, is now produced in France, with this peculiar advantage, that it is not fo flight as English cloth, and therefore preferred in the northern markets. We at present treat the attempts at competition in the fabrication of hardware with equal ridicule; and it must be acknowledged, that in this the French have not hitherto fucceeded: the fpecimens they have produced are, in every respect, inferior to our Birmingham and Sheffield ware. But their perfeverence in the attempt, the eagerness with which they purfue it, the progrefs they have already made, the encouragement of every kind which is beftowed by government on the undertaking, fhould all teach us to mix trembling with our mirth. Their fuccefs in the woollen trade was, at the commencement, infinitely more unpromifing. The paft fhould inftruct us as to the probabilities of the future. In every thing France is anxious to rival us, and in every thing will the probably fucceed, unlefs a ray from above illuminate our minifters as it did the apoftles of old: but, as this is not likely to happen, we must truft to the spirit and indignation of an injured people, which, we hope, will foon banith ignorance and imbecilityfrom the councils of the throne. I. The commerce of our rival nation has been gradually extending fince the epoch referred to, and has brought along with it an influx of wealth. From this a double advantage is derived: riches, which, in this age, are more than ever the finews of war, are not wanting to the views of ambition, and the number of expert failors is every day increased. From this fource fprings another advantage, which France did not formerly poffefs. The lower and middle ranks of life have emerged into confequence, and are no longer confidered by the nobility and the monarch as objects of contempt, as beings of an inferior species. Their rights and privileges are attended to; they do not now look upon themselves as flaves in a land which they inhabit,through neceffity and with regret; but as members of a community, of which they form a refpectable part, and to which they are attached from intereft, from patriotifm, from ever thing that can influence the reafon or paffions of men. In their former abject condition, they may be confidered as an inert mass, incapable of exertion; or, if at any time fcourged by the rod of power, We must not endeavour to reft fatisfied they were compelled to affume the appear- with the confolation that an abfolute moance of activity, and fecond the views of narchy, where trade is looked upon with the defpot, still their aid was feeble and re-contempt, can never rival a free state in luctant. But now, our rival kingdom has, commerce and manufactures. This argu G ment, when applied to France, is exceedingly fallacious. There has been (as we have already obferved) a filent and gradual progrefs in the ftate of that kingdom, of which this nation is not aware. The diffufion of science and philofophy has helped to eradicate the falfe and narrow ideas which formerly prevailed there on that and many other fubjects; and our writers upon government, and the rights of mankind, are perhaps no where more admired than in France. The confequence of this is, that, though the outward form of government remains, its temper and character are changed. A defpotic monarch, an infolent nobility, and a brutal foldiery, no longer rule without controul, over an oppreffed and unhappy nation: of the laws, which always exifted, there is in general an equal and impartial execution: the people at large have arrived at political confequence, and feel their weight in the fcale. The body of the nation have become fenfible that they have rights which ought to be maintained; while the king and his minifters are convinced, that on the maintaining them depend the happiness and profperity of the whole. Inftead, therefore, of deceiving ourselves with a falfe state of things, we fhould reflect, that a nation poffeffed of the advantages juft mentioned, will probably fucceed in every fcheme, whether of a political or commercial na ture. After having confidered the prefent ftate of the commerce, marine, and manufactures of France; if we caft our eyes on the fituation and extent of that country, whofe numerous ports are washed both by the ocean and Mediterranean; if we reflect that it contains more than twenty-four millions of inhabitants; we ought not furely to be blind to the danger, nor partake of the Without farther preface, what we have | The ftory alfo of the Deer, In Windfor Park (the BARD too there) The Windfor Barber like a beast, Already hath grown ftale in verfe and profe, A theme that crowns the K-with endless Not only NATURALIST, MUSICIAN, A MARVELLOUS OPTICIAN let me fay; Confin'd (I do prefume for debt) The poor imprifon'd famifh'd wretch to And brought the artift foon before the K-. To this critical fituation we wish to turn O D E. Then nobly fent him back again to jail! fure muft charm-for I'll be curft If ever M DID THE LIKE before! The Fleet Prifon knows the truth of this story as well as the Poet. A POEM on the ART of WRITING. MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO aftonifhment and ftupor of our political To the Rev. THOMAS WARTON, Her GRACE the DUTCHESS of DEVONSHIRE. watchmen, who, inftead of defcrying danger from the height to which they have been raifed, are ftunned and giddy from the ele vation. IV. The political confequence of France POET LAUREAT. By PETER PINDA R. By Mr. WILLIAM NOLAN. ING, O my mufe! the man who first SIN Gefign'd The glorious art to paint the human mind has only been held up in one point of view.TOM GREAT MAN, New year's Which (like the fun) gives univerfal light, Of our on New-year's Thele in thy LYRICS thou might'it well There is another light in which the muft But p-x on't! ev'ry gracious act, His M- has order'd to be PRINTED. * It is a known truth that whenever a certain GREAT MAN gives but a folitary fixpence to a beggar, a hint is communicated to fome of the attendants, that it would not make a bad appearance in the public papers. Difpels the fhades of intellectual night, To thy peculiar pow'r, great art, we owe Without thy friendly aid! her Heroes all- Through thy bright glafs-old Neftor we admire And Hector's heroic, martial manly fireflow--half divine-the fapient fage has taught How-more than man-the god-like hero fought, How--the Prince of Bards-- (immortal Homer) foar'd, On this foundation built, unrival'd Rome His fyren fweetnefs draws the mind along, And foul and fenfe are ravifh'd with his fong! Thus by thy aid the antient's worth we find Or as they taught, or as they fav'd mankind; race To thy bleft pow'r, O! Sacred Art, we owe, on the road, the fervant watched his op- "atrocious, that I could not confent to SO N G. HI I'll reform; I will, I fwear! And I'll beget a fon and heir, And In this office he maintained a fair character; and continued to fill it with no small applaufe, both as a governor and a judge; until one day, as he fat on the bench with fome of his brethren, a criminal was brought before them, who was accused of having murdered his mafter. The evidence came out full, the jury brought in their verdict that the prifoner was guilty, and the whole affembly waited the fentence of the prefident of the court (which he hap-And pened to be that day) with great fufpenfe. Mean while he appeared to be in an unufual diforder and agitation of mind, his colour changed often; at length he rofe from his feat, and coming down from the bench, placed himself juft by the unfortuAnd ftill, the nobler task of all to tell nate man at the bar, to the no small aftoThe Graces which in fair Barbara dwellnishment of all prefent. "You fee before No luftre from high titles need fhe claimyou," faid he, addreffing himself to those Whofe well known virtues ftamp her well-who had fat on the bench with him, "a To latest times her honour'd name tranfmit«Heaven, which this day, after thirty years ftriking inftance of the juft awards of The glafs of beauty, chastity, and wit! Whate'er of virtue, or of truth we know, known fame, 66 concealment, prefents to you a greater "criminal than the man juft now found "guilty." Then he made an ample confeffion of his guilt, and of all its aggravaPOWER OF CONSCIENCE. tions, particularly the ingratitude of it to A REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF THE A REAL FACT. • BY DR. FORDYCE. A JEWELLER, a man of good cha-juftice, and how he had escaped the obfer- I'll grow fond of fimple nature, Free from vain arts, and dull grimaces, And wield the fork, and trail the rake: 'Till dull obfervers fhall mistake, That all the wand'ring 'fquires fhall fay, And in the jovial chorus join; Of all my former fins repent- 7. Scaly Fish. Turbot In each fection of this table the moft digeftible article is placed at the top, and least so at the bottom: Thus in fection 1, Venifon is the eafieft, and Goofe the moft difficult of digeftion, of that section only; and fo of the others. To the Editor of the COUNTY MAGAZINE. SIR, FRO Hants, Feb. 28. ROM what I have already feen of your infant Mifcellany, I conceive that perfons of the first rank in literature will not think it beneath them to become correspondents to it. Its plan feems to promife a fund of rational entertainment, and much useful information. In it, doubts of any kind may, I prefume, be modeftly proposed, and expect a rational folution; different appearance of things in nature may be accounted for; difficulties fatisfactorily cleared up; and queftions answered with polite attention. Under this idea I hope I fhall be excufed, if I beg a place in your next Magazine, provided you think the matter deferving the attention of any of your correfpondents. For the COUNTY MAGAZINE. MR. EDITOR, ERHAPS fome of your correfpon PERHAPould reply to the following queries refpecting the aged Poor. 1. Ought a man of 70, after, perhaps, obliged to leave his old and happy fire60 years faithful fervice, in one parish, be fide with his aged wife? 2. Could not the poor laws be revised, to refcue fuch from the horrible tyrants of overfeers, by compelling them to allow fuch fome comfortable weekly ftipend? A CHRISTIAN. It was an excellent scheme that was propofed fome years ago, for every fervant, after the age of 15, to pay a monthly fum, by way of establishing a fund, in every parifh, for the fupport of the aged poor. It was propofed, that every labouring man, after 60, fhould have a certain allowance weekly, to enable him to live without working all the rest of his days. No removal from parish to parish; but every poor man to get work where he could; and when fettled in bufinefs, to be empowered to bring his family with him. Lines on a PUBLICAN of the Name of DEATH. ! Call not here, ye fottish wights, Where having eat and drank your fill, have heard people in this county talk of what they call ground ice, or ice that begins to freeze at the bottom of the river Avon, in this county. I imagined this to be a miftake; but have had an opportunity, this feafon, of afcertaining the reality of the fact, and should take it as a favour if one of your ingenious correfpondents would account for it upon rational and philofophical principles. I obferve, that it generally begins to freeze at the bottom, where the water is fhallow, and the cur-This one advice, my friends, purfue, rent pretty ftrong. However, I have found the ground ice, in other parts of the river, upwards of fix or seven feet Who've drawn themselves this fcrape-in; Since from his dreadful gripe, heav'n knows, Alas! there's no escaping! Whilft yet ye've life or breath; Ne'er pledge your hoft; for if you do, You'll furely-drink to Death. |