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THE

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE,

NEW SERIES.

CONTAINING

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS

IN

HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, THE BELLES LETTRES,
POLITICS, AMUSEMENTS,

&c. &c.

VOL. VIII.

JULY to DECEMBER, INCLUSIVE.

1807.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR H. D. SYMONDS, NO. 20, PATERNOSTER-ROW;
By whom Communications (post paid) are received.

[Price 10s. 6d. Half Bound.]

Printed by C. Squire, Furnival's-Inn Court.

ODL

THE

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE.

N° XLIV. VOL. VIII.] For JULY, 1807.

[NEW SERIES.

"We shall never envy the honours which wit and learning obtain in any other cause, if we can be numbered among the writers who have given ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth-DR. JOHNSON.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

SIR FRANCIS BURDETT, Bart.

mentioned:-He is such a character, that a secretary of state has issued an

WHEN the attention of the puce into a table pris not be admitted lic is by any circumstance into any public prison; and the house brought to an individual, the enquiries of commons has voted that he shall are natural-Who and what he is? not be a member of a committee of What are his motives-his former enquiry into the abuses of the public pursuits-the manners of his life expenditure. Two such compliments his education and disposition? The imply something extraordinary; for natural malignity of mankind gene- one would have thought by the abuse rally gives an unfavourable answer in thrown out against him by the fac the first instance to these enquiries; tions, that he ought to be sent into a and, if the individual attack any pre- prison, rather than be prevented from judice, whether in church or state, going into one; but the fact is, Sir the factions that support them will Francis Burdett has inveighed, with not fail to cast out their envenomed equal justice and severity, against the darts, and the best actions are pervert- enormities committed in our prisons, ed by them into the most distorted and in the expenditure of the public appearances. At times, however, money; and the factions act theretruth will prevail; and in spite of fore wisely in endeavouring to keep every effort of malignity and faction, out of his sight as much as possible the public will do that justice to a these enormities. character which his conduct deserves. It is curious to observe the various Such an instance was seen on the last artifices, used by faction, to deceive 29th of June, when Sir Francis Bur- the public, and to draw of its at dett was displayed to the people of tention from the main point to some Westminster, as the object of their free inferior object. Does a man of edu choice, and every heart and voice was cation and study point out what he lifted up at his appearance. Faction conceives to be an error in faith and had proclaimed him to be an unworthy doctrine; instead of examining his subject, who had lost all public con- assertions, we are told that he is a fidence: the 29th of June contradict- disappointed man, and not to be lis ed the impudence and wickedness of tened to. If a man, without educa-such assertions:-Never was a more cation and of coarse manners, utters general avowal of public feeling; and, truths out of the pale of the establishwhatever may be the merits or de- ed church, then we are told, how can merits of Sir Francis Burdett, it can- such a low fellow pretend to give innot be denied, that a greater number struction? In other words, we are of persons cheered him on his pro- resolved to cling in general to our first gress, and applauded his sentiments at a public dinner, than has ever accompanied any public character in

our memory.

Who then is Sir Francis Burdett, whose name is so much in every one's mouth? What is he distinguished for? Among other things, two may be UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. VIII.

conceived notions, and it is the object of the factions to prevent us from being enlightened. Every thing is to be raked together extraneous from the subject, and every thing is to be done, to prevent us from using the powers of our reason and understanding in discussing the point in question. It is

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