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Buffon, De Luc, Hutton, Kervin, &c. &c.; leaving out William Whifton, profeffor of mathematics at the university of Cambridge, who dedicated his elaborate and curious work to the great Sir Ifaac Newton, and friend of the learned Halley; whofe name fuiting the jeft of poetic licence, by a most indecent fatiric writer of the day, was made fubfervient to ribaldry, and his excellent book rendered lefs popular than it deserved.

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vidual indaftry and fagacity, to controul the licence of modern ignorance and overweening prefumption.

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Now on all thefe difcuffions and controverfies, from fecond caufes tq the Great Cause of all, I have obferved fuch a variety of conclufions, fuch extraordinary contradictions, and, above all, fuch a perplexity of reasoning on the authority of the great Lawgiver, that more Deifts, I will venture to affert, have ifen up among the literary and higher orders of fociety, than from any other topick which engages the, converfation of the prefent day. My view is, therefore, to hint at the neceffity of fome pandect of ftate, to fettle the meed of the learned, and to bring into one focus the various opinions of antient and modern Philofophers in juftification of the affertions of Holy-writ; and. this, Mr. Urban, I boldly affert, fhould be immediately taken into contemplation by the Legiflature, as the fundamental means of arrefting that torrent of infidelity and free difcourfe, which feems to threaten with its flow and underminding influence, Ifpeak as to the prefent day, the foundation of the Chriftian religion, I confefs, as individuals, Mr. Kirvan and M. De Luc have done much service

The learning, the fpirit of the times (I fcorn the Jacobin word enlightened) demands a juftification of the facred truths of Religion. The task can be performed; and I am confident it is in my power to point out the eminently-qualified men, who, under legiflative fanction, could arrange a work, which would utterly filence the modern cavils at facred teftimony, and for ever conftitute a lafting agreement between the natural history of the globe in its prefent ftate, and the records of the infpired Law'giver.

Need I mention the name of Dr. Horley, learned in the original language of the Scriptures, and profound in mathematical science? Dr.Herfchel, in aftronomical obfer. vations and calculations? Mr. Kirvan and M.De Luc, in geological tefearches? the Rev. Mr. Henley, in recondite dates, numifmatic author rities, and verfed in a wide range of fcriptural and profane hiftory? the venerable Mr. Bryant, in mythological ftudies? and many other great scholars, in facred learning, in mathematical and other auxiliary fciences, for this immortal purpofe, can be mentioned, who might be prevailed on to compofe a committee, or council, to deliberate on and digeft a national work of this great importance.

TRESMEGISTUS.

Vis, unita fortior.

To THE SURGEONS OF THE
ROYAL NAVY.

GENTLEMEN,

Jan. 16. TAKE the liberty of addreff

you as a body, in a caufe

common to us all.

to the caufe of religion, in their phyfical, chemical, and geological refearches ; Porteus,. Horfley, Watfon, Paley, Pretyman, &c. The number now upon the of&c. by their learning and zeal in fice lift is fo large, that but a short the defence of Christianity; but experience is required to predict more, very much more, is wanting, very many muft find great diffito fatisfy the inquifitive fceptick; culty in difcovering fit places for a greater field of biblical and natural practice athore; and the liberality hiftoric arrangement to be ranged of Government, however expandover, beyond the compafs of indied, can never enable us to bear

the

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the increafed prices of all the neceffaries of life, where there is a family to be maintained, in any way comfortable to the feelings of men liberally taught and liberally

minded.

The first care of a parent is to provide fufficient food; the next is an anxiety of almoft equal weight, to educate his children properly. In this country there prevails a laudable with to enable the fon to outdo the father; and amongst the gentlemen I am now addrelling, whofe education was expensive, of a fuperior fort, being of general benefit throughout the Univerfe, this with of producing pre-eminence in children cannot but be strongly impreffed. Finding myfelf how incompatible with a fhort income fuch exertions are in an individual, I am in hopes of pointing out to my brethren, fimiJarly circumftanced, eafier means by a mode acceffible to us all.

My propofal is, to establish a fchool, or college, capable of maintaining 500 boys. A large houfe, with 80 or 100 acres of good land, might be hired to begin with: lefs will not fupply the table, which fhould be covered, wholly if poffible, with home produce. The annual expences to each fcholar will be under 16 guineas, including a jacket and long trowfers (both of cloth), cap, fhoes, and linen.

The inititution requires a governor; one perfon to manage the farm, another to direct the catering within doors; mafters in the different branches of learning, and out-door officers to overlook the boys at play. Thefe, as well as a difpenfer of medicines, might be found amongst ourselves for little more expence than their refpective charges of board; and that little might come by dividing the pay of extra fcholars, I mean thofe admitted to attend the fchools, and not the foundation. appertaining to The menial fervants to be ployed alfo might be paid from this fund.

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Such a well-meant endeavour to rear up our fons into profitable members of the empire will excite attention. It may hereafter be marked by Royal munificence; but to deferve this, or any public indulgence, there must be first an effort in ourselves.

This hint is enough to induce all those who think with me to declare By a line to their concurrence.

their agents in London fuch names may be tranfmitted, without expence, to the Gentleman's Magazine. No time will be loft by the writer in forming an outline to proceed upon, with or without correction, as may be decided by the ma-NAUTICUS. jority of the first 50 subscribers. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

TH

Jan. 25.

HE following letter is copied from an original (now in my poffeffion), from the immortal Bard (fee LXI. 1020.) to his Sifter. Yours, &c. E. M. B. Hagley, in Worcestershire, Oct. 4, 1774.

My dear Sifter,

I thought you had known me better than to interpret my filence into a decay of affection; especially as your behaviour has always been fuch as rather to increafe than to diminish it. Do not imagine, because I am a bad correfpondent, that I can ever prove an unkind friend and brother. I must do my felf the juftice to tell you, that my affections are naturally very fixed and conftant; and, if I ever have reafon of complaint against you (of which, by the bye, I have not the leaft fhadow), I am confcious of fo many defects in myself, as difpofe me to be not a little charitable and forgiving..

It gives me the trueft heart-felt fatisfaction to hear you have a good kind hutband, and are in eafy, contented circumftances; but, were they otherwife, that would only awaken and heighten my tendernet's As our good and towards you. tender-hearted parents did not live

to

to receive any material teftimonies of that higheft human gratitude I owed them (than which nothing could have given meequal pleasure); the only return I can make them now is by kindness to thofe they left behind them. Would to God poor Lizy had lived longer, to have been a further witnefs of the truth of what I fay; and that I might have had the pleasure of feeing, once more, a fifter, who fo truly deferved my esteem and love! But the is happy, while we muft toil a little longer here below: let us, however, do it chearfully and gratefully, fupported by the pleafing hope of meeting yet again on a fafer fhore; where to recollect the ftorms and difficulties of life will not, perhaps, be inconfiftent with that blissful ftate. You did right to call your daughter by her name; for you must needs have had a particular tender friendship for one another, endeared as you were by nature, by having paffed the affectionate years of your youth together, and by that great foftener and engager of hearts mutual hardship. That it was in my power to ease it a little, I account one of the most exquifite pleasures of my life. But enough of this melancholy, though not unpleafing ftrain.

I efteem you for your fenfible and difinterested advice to Mr. Bell, as you will fee by my letter to him. As I approve entirely of his marrying again, you may readily atk me why I don't marry at all. My circumstances have hitherto been fo variable and uncertain, in this fluctuating world, as induce to keep me from engaging in such a state; and now, though they are more fettled, and of late (which you will be glad to hear) confiderably. improved, I begin to think myself too far advanced in life for fuch youthful undertakings, not to mention fome other petty reafons that are apt to startle the delicacy of difficult old bachelors. I am, how-. ever, not a little fufpicious, that, was I to pay a visit to Scotland (of

which I have fome thoughts of doing foon), I might poflibly be tempted to think of a thing not eafily repaired, if done amifs. I have always been of opinion, that none make better wives than the ladies of Scotland; and yet, who more forsaken than they, while the gentlemen are continually running abroad all the world over? Some of them, it is true, are wife enough to return for a wife. You fee I am. beginning to make interest already with the Scotch ladies. But no more of this infectious fubject.

Pray let me hear from you now and then; and though I am not a regular correfpondent, yet perhaps I may mend in that refpect. Remember me kindly to your husband, and believe me to be your moft affectionate brother, JAS. THOMSON.

·F

MR, URBAN, Chefter, Mar. 29. ROM "Memoirs of the Life of Froiffart," which have juft fallen into my hands, I learn with very great pleature, that Mr. Johanes, who feems highly qualified for the undertaking, is employed on a tranflation of the Chronicles of this "Herodotus of a barbarous age," as Mr. Gray very happily ftiles him. I long, I muft confefs, to explore this gallery of ancient portraits under the conduct of fo intelligent a guide. En attendant, I fhall beg leave to point out fources whence Mr. Johnes may draw fome materials for the illuftration of his work, on the prefumption that the fources to which I allude may have escaped the notice of that gentleman. In the following publications, which are, I believe, little known in England, extracts are given from Froiffart's account of Richard the Second's expedition to Ireland, with remarks on each pailage.--"Hiftorical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, (published by Meffrs. Robinsons); and "An Hiftorical Effay on the Dress, Armour, and Weapons of the Ancient Irish," (published by Elimfly). In the latter, the drefs of the four Irish kings who did homage to

Richard

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Richard is, if my memory does not
The regal
deceive me, described.
drefs, as defcribed in this work,
has been bestowed on fome figures
in an hiftorical painting in St. Pa-
trick's hall, in the caftle of Dublin.
I fuppofe, I need not inform Mr. J.
that Mr. Penuant gives an account
of a curious MS Froiffart in his
"Hiftory of Whiteford and Holy-
well." But I fhall take the liberty
to hint to him, that the margins of
Mr. Gray's copy of Froiffart might
probably afford fome useful illuf-

trations.

Mr. Tyrwhitt laments that the author of "Memoires pour la Vie de Petrarque" never indulged the publick with his promifed account of the (fuppofed) interview between Petrarch and Chaucer. May we not hope that the deficiency which Mr. T. regrets will be fupplied by the refearches of Mr. Johnes?

Weary of the endless translations which pour from the prefs, of the works ftyled Claffics, I fhall now proceed to enumerate a few productions of confiderable merit, whofe beauties have been too long concealed from the mere Englifh reader, but which will, I truft, ere long be ftripped of their foreign garb.

66

"Africa," an "epic poem, by Petrarch. There are many paffages in this neglected poem (Tays Mr. Hayley) conceived with great force and imagination, and expreffed with equal elegance of language."

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Sylva of Statius." See Swinburne's "Travels in the Two Sicilies," vol I. p. 137. Mr. Hayley fays, "I confefs, the mifcellaneous poems of Statius appear to me his moft valuable work; in most of these there is much imagination and fentiment, in harmonious and fpirited verfe.

"Italia Liberata." Though this poem is infinitely inferior to fome of the later effufions of the Epic Mufe in Italy, it is by no means unworthy an English drefs. How ever, as it is unequal, I would only recommend a iketch in the manner

of Mr. Hayley's masterly Sketch
Some of the
of the Araucana.'
fpeeches in this poem are highly-,
finished pieces of oratory; feveral
of the fcenes exhibit great richness
of fancy and many paffages
evince fine pathetic powers. Surely
fuch a production should not be al
lowed to fink into oblivion !

"The Latin and Italian Letters and Poems in Mafon's Memoirs of Gray." As this work is, moft defervedly, a great favourite with the fair, none of its beauties fhould be concealed from their view. Tranflations of thofe letters and poems, with the letters given by Matthifon, would form a little volume, which might be printed to match, in fize, the feveral editions of the "Memoirs ;" and be either bound up with, or bound to match them.

I fhall conclude this defultory epiftle with obferving,, that, as Pitt's Virgil was certainly intended, for the ufe of the mere English reader, I think that, in a future edition of that valuable work, all the Greek and Latin quotations in the notes and feveral differtations fhould be tranflated. Would not. the value of this work be confiderably enhanced, by the addition of Dryden's prefaces, and Gibbon's "Critical Obfervations on the Sixth Book of the neid ?"

Ifhould efteem it a favour, if any of your correfpondents would, through your Magazine, indulge me, and your readers in general, with an account and the argument of the "Philodoxios," a Latin comedy, by L. B. Alberti, flightly mentioned by Mr. Rofcoe and Mr. Walker.

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Algarotti, in a letter to Mr. Hoire, charges our poetry with want of "Mafon's Memoirs of imagery. Gray," Notes. Should not this charge be examined and difcuffed by fome of our poets, as the honour of their art is concerned?

I with fome of your correfpondents would favour us with a drawing of Down Hall.

2.

Mr.

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