extended to every quarter, and Mr. URBAN, Oxford, Oct. 19. vantages of varieties and incongruities of fize, embellishments, fcales, and thole ftill more important confufions which refult from diftance between the periods of publication, and the confequent differences in the degrees of geographical knowledge under which the different maps were constructed. The prefent æra feems particularly aufpicious to fuch an undertaking. Within the last 20 years vaft acceflions of various valuable matter have been added to the flores of geographical science from the moft unconnected fources. The curious investigations of philofophical research, the lucrative greedinefs of mercantile adventure, and the cruel rapacity of warlike ambition, have united with heterogeneous co-operation to augment the accumulation By the courfe, indeed, of war, revolution, seizure, and partition, the geogra phical relations of the members of Europe and Afia have been very materially changed; fo that of be expected bring maps have become abfo with it, perhaps in increated vigour, a revival of the fpirit of iplendid enterprize and liberal patronage, which fo honourably pervaded this country at the period in which the late war commenced. In the hope of this, a warm friend to the extenfion of science and the honour of his country takes this mode of fuggefting to Mr. Boydell, who, in a greater degree perhaps than any other perfon in the kingdom, may be fuppofed to unite the inclination and the ability to promote with fuccefs to himfelf and credit to the nation' fach a work, the publication of a correct and magnificent Atlas. It is fufficiently notorious, not only that the Englith fchool has never yet produced an uniform 'collection of maps of all the regions of the earth, to which can, with any propriety, be applied the character of correctness or of magnificence; but that a collection of fuch maps by artifts of this country is not to be made, even under the difad lutely neceffary; and the furveys which the execution of thefe changes required, afford ample materials and other valuable facilities for a correct difplay of their present extent, limits, and other topological circumftances, internal and external. In this ftate of things I hope, Mr. Urban, that I am not ill-employing my half-hour in fuggefting to Mr Boydell, with whom doubtlefs would readily co-operate Meffrs. Faden, Cary, Arrowmith, and others, the execution of a work for which I have long withed, which would be highly gratifying to all lovers of fcience, fplendidly honourable to our national character, materially ferviceable to feveral important claffes of mankind, and, as I conceive, by no means difadvantageous to the individuals wha might undertake it. X. X. Mr. URBAN, A Oct. 23. BOUT the end of the 16th century an Epic poem appeared in Spain, which has been admired admired for the beauty of fome of its paffages, and the fingularity of the fubject. The character of its author was ftill more remarkable. Don Alonzo de Ercilla y Zuniga was educated in the court of the emprefs Ifabella, confort of Charles V. and was much noticed by the Infant Don Philip, afterwards Philip II. He followed that prince in his progrefs through Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, and accompanied him to England. Whilft he remained in London, he heard that the remote province of Chili had revolted from the Spaniards. His paffion for glory, and defire of undertaking fomething that fhould redound to his fame, induced him to vifit the New World. On the borders of Chili, to the South, is a fmall mountainous country called Arauco, inhabited by a race of men of firenger make and more ferocious than the other cafts of South America. They fought in defence of their liberty with a courage and perfeverance which aftonifhed the Spaniards. Alonzo, on his arrival in Chili, joined the Spanish army, and greatly diftinguished himfelf in the obftinate conteft which enfued. In the courfe of the war, he conceived the defign of immortalizing his enemies and himself, by becoming their poet as well as their conqueror. He employed the fhort intervals of leifure which he could procure in defcribing the events of that fingular warfare. Not being provided with paper, it is faid, he wrote great part of his poem on fmall pieces of leather. This poem he intituled "Araucana," from the name of the country which he has celebrated. It appears that his travels and dangerous exploits had confiderably diminished his private patrimony. Such, however, was his extreme modefty and timidity, that, though often admitted into the prefence of Philip II. he never could be prevailed on to difclofe his wants. The king, who knew his circumftances, and how much he stood in need of alliitance, at length gra ciously faid to him, "Don Alonzo, hablad me por eferito," fend me your requeft in writing. Don Alonzo was born in the year 1533. It is certain that he was not prefent at the battle of St. Quintin, as erroneously ftated by your corre fpondent E, p. 807. He married Maria Bazan, a lady whom he celebrates in one part of his military poem. He was alive in the year 1597; but the year of his death I have not been able to afcertain. In the opinion of Cervantes, the Araucana is one of the best poems which Spain has produced; and by others the author has been called the Spanish Homer. But these are the partial exaggerations of his own country. The poem has certainly fome fplendid paffages, fuch as the fpeech of Corocolo, which has been preferred to that of Neftor in the Iliad. But this is by no means the cafe with the reft of the poem. There is, ind d, much fire and energy in the author's defcriptions of battles and characters; but there is littleor no uniformity in his plan, and no variety in his epifodes. On the other hand, he certainly does not deferve the undiftinguishing cenfure which Voltaire has paffed on him. Mr. Hayley, in the Notes to his third Epiftle on Epic Poetry, has bestowed confiderable attention on our poet; and to him I beg leave to refer your readers. Such, Mr. Urban,' is the short but correct account of this pleafing poet and extraordinary man, which I have partly taken from the "Prologo del Imprefor fobre la Vida de Don Alonzo de Ercilla y Zuniga," prefixed to an excellent edition of the Araucana, printed at Madrid, por D. Antonio de Sancha, 1776, in two volumes, 8vo. - JUVENIS. Orig. Letter from Dr. Edw.YOUNG to the Rev. THOMAS NEW COMB. My dear old Friend, ter of a cold, caught by officiating on the Faft-day: he has left one daughter, I believe in pretty good circumstances; for a friend of his, fome time ago, fettled upon her twenty pounds a year; and he, no doubt, has left her fomething confi. derable himself. I am pleated with the fanzas you fent me; there is nothing in them of eighty-feven; and if you have been as young in your attempt on the Death of Abel, it will do you credit; that work I have read, and think it deferves that reception it has met withal. The libel you mention, I have not feen; but I have feen numberlefs papers which fhew that our body politic is far from being in perfect health: as for my own health, I do not love to complain; but one particular I must tell you, that my fight is fo far gone, as to lay me under the neceffity of borrowing a hand to write this. God grant me grace, under this darknefs, to see more clearly things invifible and eternal; thofe great things which you and I muft foon be acquainted with! And why not rejoice at it? There is not a day of my long life that I defire to repeat; and at fourfcore it is all labour and forrow. What then have we to do? But one thing remains, and that one, bleffed be God! by his affiftance we are fure of fuccefs. Let nothing, therefore, lay heavy on your heart; let us rely on Him who has done fo great things for us; that lover of fouls; that hearer of prayers, whenever they come from the heart; and fure rewarder of all thofe who love Him, and put their truft in his mercy. Let us not be discontented with this world that is bad; but it is ftill worfe to be fatisfied with it, fo fatisfied, as not to be very anxious for fomething more. My love and best wifhes attend you both; and I am, my good old friend, fincerely yours, E. YOUNG. Wellwyn, Nov. 25, 1762. P. S. I am perfuaded that you are mistaken as to your age; you write yourself 87, which cannot be the cafe; for I always thought my felf older than you, and I want confiderably of that age. If it is worth your while, fatisfy me as to this particular. Infcription on DEAN TUCKER'S Monument, in the South Tranfept of Gloucester Cathedral. A and Argent, on a chevron embattled, counter-embattled Or, between three fea-horses naiflant of the last, three guttés de poix. RMS. Barry, wavy of eight Az. "Sacred to the memory of the Rev. JOSIAH TUCKER, D. D. dean of this cathedral; who, in the long period of forty-two years, during which he filled that ftation, was never once obliged by fickness, or induced by inclination, to omit or abridge fabrick, at the time of his death, bore a fingle refidence; and the fate of the ample teftimony to the confcientious and liberal intereft, which he always took in the prefervation and improvement of it. Distinguished by a vigorous, comprehenfive, and independent mind, him a high rank amongst the ablest Diwhilft his theological writings acquired vines, he was eminently confpicuous portant fubject of national commerce, for political difcernment on the imfor the free fpirit of which, unrestrained by monopoly and colonial preference, he firmly contended against prepoffetfions long and generally entertained: blifhed on the fure basis of experience. and he lived to fee his opinions efta and of a nature not to be foon forgot'His publications were numerous, fpeaketh," and will not fpeak in vain, ten: by them, "being dead, he vet as long as an earnest but well-tempered zeal for the Established Church, an enlarged policy, the true principles of commerce, and their alliance with the benign fpirit of Religion, fhall be underflood, refpected, and maintained. "He died Nov. 4, 1799, in the 86tà year of his age." At the bottom, on a black marble and gold letters: "J.T. S. T.D. H. Eccl. Inft. Decanus dean of this cathedral, |