Mr. Finch, and Sir Robert Sawyer. The two last refused their fees of twenty guineas each. The whole of the lawyers' fees was 2401. 16s. 6d. Speaking of Dr. Stanhope, our author say's, This learned man was the pleasantest of companions; and his manner of relating anecdotes was unrivalled. When a young man, and chaplain to a regiment, he heard the usual words, " God," " Devil," and "Damn," incessantly used. Instead of these expletives, he rang the changes upon "bottle" and "glass," in the same way, in so ludicrous a manner, that it had more effect upon the Red-Coats than a hundred formal harangues from a black one.* Mr. N. favours us also with communications on public personages of a species different from man: and those readers who have given a place in their collections to the portrait of Hector, Nero, or Pompey, lions who held their court in the Tower, as many of our antient sovereigns had done before them, will not be displeased at finding some mention of these royal animals. The writer of this article had opulent relations in London, named Martin, who were descended from a family resident at LittleSutton, in the parish of Sutton-Coldfield. One of them (a most pious man, and very benevolent to all who were in want of his protection or charity) was contemporary with Sir Joseph Martin. Mr. Martin, a relation of his, was appointed to the "Lion Office" in the Tower, in September, 1716; where he is said to have had more skill in rearing lions' whelps than any of the former keepers. The old lioness, the first that visited England, died September 4, 1733: she annually produced a litter of young ones in the Tower, for several years; and one of her whelps lived to an old age. In 1740 there were three lions whelped in the Tower at one birth, which gave occasion to the following lines: Mr. Granger says, he knew a magistrate who swore twenty oaths in the hearing of a farmer, who was brought before him on some complaint. Hodge marked the number, and told his Worship he would claim the penalty. The distributor of justice alarmel, outwitted him, by going first, and claiming half the penalty as the informer. No crime degrades a man so much as swearing. The practice can never be pleaded as constitutional; it is a vice that may be avoided with case. Who swears before his sovereign, a judge upon the bench, his patron, or in the presence of ladies? Then why before, and to insult, the Creator? Whilst at such distance from their native lands, Mr. Martin was succeeded by John Ellis, Esq. in an office, which according to tradition, an Earl of Oxford once did not disdain to fill. We have a grand falconer, an office herediinasmuch as a lion is a nobler animal than a tary in a family of the highest rank; and, dog, it should seem that the keeper of the lions ought to have precedence of the master of the buck hounds; and yet a nobleman now, would hardly think himself honoured by such an appointment. This John Ellis, Esq. was the John Ellys, Esq. of political memory, who was attached to Sir Robert Walpole as one of his protectors. He was by profession Thornhill. While Sir James was painting a painter; and a disciple of Sir James the saloon of Greenwich Hospital, young Ellys was in attendance upon his master: it growing dark one evening, when the artist wished to finish the subject he was treating, he sent his pupil to purchase candles: the youth not much liking the commission, wrapped Sir James's cloak about him, and imitating the gait of the owner, went with great parade, to the chandler's for the candles, to the no small mortification of the artist, who was ac costed, the next day, by a number of gentiemen, offering him such, or any other accommodation, rather than that he should be at the trouble of seeking it, himself. John Ellys succeeded Vanderbank in his house in Great Queen Street; he was Member of Parliament for Orford, where he had property. He was famous for his answer before the H. of Commons, in reply to the question, "How his party came to lose such an election, when they "Because the opbribed so highly ?" posite party bribed so much higher than we could afford," said he. He was appointed a commissary to the army: but than be searched: he was willing, however, to retire to the next room, and defend his honour or perish in the attempt. The mar confirmed in them, and, as the sword was to afterwards obtained the patent place of the Lion Office. While he held this office, an event in natural history occurred, not less deserving of notice and in-shal, who before had his suspicions, was now teresting to naturalists, than the whelping of the lioness: an egg was laid by one of the ostriches, confined in that menagerie. It was presented by the son of Johr Ellys, Charles Ellys, Esq. (a captain in the Royal Navy) to Mr. Parkinson, who placed it in the cage with his female ostrich, where it was sold, at the dispersion of his Museum. On the subject of the Fleet Marriages Mr. N. informs us, that "the priests of Hymen had their setters to ask people [who were] passing, whether they wanted a clergyman to marry them?" He might have added that they also asked young women, whether they wanted husbands? and that there were always men in waiting, who under various assumed names, were married to customers, never seen a second time, whom, if they could not make" honest women," they could render femmes couvertes: which very often was the only purpose intended by females whose creditors were somewhat too clamorous. An instance of such malpractice may be seen in Con. Phillips. Surely, whatever evils may have attended the marriage act, the legislature was loudly called on to suppress such dangerous means of enthrallment for youth. The following narrative is too much to the honour of Marshal Wade to be omitted. By the bye, it is observable that the figure of Tinie on this general's monument in Westminster Abbey, has no fore. lock, which circumstance is explained, by a fault of this officer, who did not take Time by the forelock," when employed in Scotland, to suppress the rising rebellion of 1745. Marshal Wade was greatly attached to gaming, and not very nice in the company he gamed with. Once, when at play, he missed a very valuable gold snuff box, richly set with diamonds. Euraged, he swore no man should leave the room until it was found; and insisted upon an immediate search. A gentleman, who sat on his right, dressed as an officer, with clothes much worn, and who, with great humility, had asked and obtained permission, four or five times, to go his shilling with the marshal, with great vehemence declared, upon the honour of a soldier, that he had not the box, nor knew any thing of it, but that he would die rather be referred to, instantly prepared for the attack; but to his confusion, in drawing, he felt the box in a secret pocket. Stung with remorse at having wounded the honour of a soldier, he said, as he hastily left the room: Sir, I here, with great reason, ask your "pardon; and hope to find it granted, by "your breakfasting with me, and hereafter 66 66 66 ranking me amongst your friends." At breakfast, the Marshal said, "Why, Sir, "could you refuse being searched ?" Bes "cause, marshal, being upon half-pay and friendless, I am obliged to husband every penny. I had, that day, little appetite; and as I could not eat what I had paid for, nor "afford to lose it, the leg and wing of a "fowl, with a manchet, were then wrapped "up in a piece of paper in my pocket: the "idea of these being found there, appeared "ten times more terrible than fighting the room round." "Enough, my dear boy, 66 66 you have said enough! your name. Let "us dine at Sweet's to-morrow; we must prevent your being subjected again to such 66 a dilemma." At Sweet's the marshal presented him with a captain's commission, and a purse of guineas to enable him to join the regiment. This exactly explains Wade's character. It does him honour. The poor officer, though evidently fond of fowl, was, ed." By such extraordinary accidents does it is still more evident, not "chicken-heartobtained. merit gain what it otherwise ought to have The same story has been told of William Duke of Cumberland: but we be lieve Mr N. is more correct in fixing it to the marshal. This is not the only story which has been attached to different characters; and sometimes we meet with the same anecdote related of persons who lived at distant periods of time from each other. This is not seldom truly perplexing; because the desire of truth induces us to seek information on such subjects, notwithstanding a conviction that the matter is too frivolous to repay the toil exerted in the enquiry. Our readers are now able to judge on Mr. N.'s labours. Those who are extremely accurate will find in some instances errors of the pen and of the press: among so many dates, christian names and surnames, some must be mistaken : J. Taylor sculpsit, to Mathew Henry, should be I. (Isaac). S. Wesley is spoken of as the "spiritual spouse" of Lady Hunting- | churches. The subsequent addition of a don; the author intends John Wesley; but the character he describes, rather belongs to George Whitfield. Additions, especially as to character, will be made by many, to their copies of this work; and a second edition so enriched, would be greatly increased in value. Mr. N. has added to the amusement and consequence of his work, by annexing at the end of each reign, a descriptive statement of the dress, which fashion ordained should prevail, during the course of it. There can be no doubt, but the present fashion is the handsomest that ever was adopted! Yet we do not advise the beaux and belles of the day to laugh too heartily at the uncouth attire of their - grandmothers, and great grandmothers; we have lived long enough to see what was exploded as odious, by one generation, received into favour by its successor; and the closest approximations to antiquated elegance adopted, after the original had long been forgotten, absolutely forgotten! We close our account of Mr. N.'s volume, by expressing our thanks for the service he has rendered to art and the facilities he has afforded to the enquiries of the antiquary. We will venture to say, that however his volumes may not be in all parts perfect, yet they are not trivial; and though they cannot be granted unqualified applause (as, what can?) yet they will be accepted by the considerate with respect and attention. In fact, this is one of those works of which it may be truly said, that to carp at them, is much more easy than to imitate them! The Danger of reading improper Books. A Sermon, preached in the Rev. John Goode's Mecting, at a Monthly Association of congregational Ministers and Churches in London, October 8, 1807. By the Rev. John Clayton, Jun. London: Black, Parry and Kingsbury. THE monthly lectures, at one of which this discourse was preached, originated as follows:-A society formed for the purpose of educating pious young men for the work of the ministry, anxious to give greater publicity to the institution, and to invite the divine Elessing upon its interests, established a prayer meeting, which was attended by ministers and members of protestant dissenting sermon was intended to be subservient to the same design, and a rule was formed, that all the students should attend. This object seems now to be lost sight of, and I shall consider no mean end as answered by this hint, if it shall be a means of recalling the attention of ministers and people to subjects connected with a gospel ministry, and to the prosperity of the old and useful academy at Homerton. We infer, that Mr. Clayton in delivering the discourse before us spoke er cathedrâ: and when his remonstrances have answered their purpose, it may not be amiss if he will say as much in favour of some other objects which the dissenters would do well not to lose sight of. We have already expressed our opinion on the subject of improper books, on occasion of a sermon on a like subject by M. Cellerier of Geneva (Comp. Panorama Vol. I. p. 266]. The happy consequence of that address was, that the city of Geneva, by its leading men, took up the cause of virtue and christianity and many books of this description were committed to the flames. We heartily wish, if such were extant among Mr. Clayton's auditory, that the same result might follow from his exhortation. But, as might be expected, the preacher's attention is directed to enforce a warning against such prejudicial publications, as have most influence in the British world of literature, and he reasons, very justly, on the evils which have attended them among ourselves. He proposes to enquire I. What are those books which may be deemed improper? 11. Wherein consists the danger of their perusal? 11. What consideration can be adduced to guard you against the injurious practice? A reply to these enquiries, with a few applicatory reflections, will comprize all that I have to advance this morning. I. In answering the first question, "What are those books which may be deemed improper? I shall not occupy the valuable moments of your attention, by a vain enumeration of title pages or tables of contents. It becomes me also to remember, that I am addressing a congregation of professing Christians, who acknowledge and embrace one great standard of faith and practice, the wond of God. I set out therefore, with this fundamental maxim: that all those books are in a greater or less degree improper, which tend to undermine the truth, or to oppose the holiness of Divine Revelation. To qualify this position, and to render it perfectly intelligible, I wish you to take these preliminary thoughts. First. A volume may contain a description of many improper things, and yet not be an improper book. No one here will venture to say the bible is such, though it furnishes us with a detail of horrid crimes, and with exhibitions of flagitious character. Secondly. That may be an improper book for one person, which is not so for another. It would be wrong for an individual who can rescue but little time for reading, to spend it in perusing the objections which have been brought against divine truth, or the works in which plans of vice alone are unfolded; and yet it may be right for a minister or magistrate to read them, the one being publicly set for the defence of the gospel," and the other being officially employed for the maintenance of justice and order in civil society. Thirdly. Much depends upon the view or design with which a book is perused; and, in fine, those which may be classed among the indifferent, may become improper to us, if they absorb too great a proportion of our time. With these hints Mr. C. dismisses the primary division of his discourse: we cannot help wishing that he had pursued them further, and had he even thundered with all his rhetoric, against the occasion of such miseries as usually follow on a fondness for bad books, we for our parts, should have applauded him. Speaking of one of the evils attendant on novel readers, he exclaims, Look at the false estimates which the novel reader forms, of the plain realities of life. Does he witness the sufferings of his fellow-creatures? They are viewed through the medium of romantic idea, or of a sickly sensibility. His feelings are so strangely refined, that he can weep at the eloquent recital of some tragic tale, while the sight of a poor family, pining in sickness and want, is repulsive to his delicate tenderness, and he turns away disgusted, unwilling to offer relief. Is he himself the subject of affliction? Being the creature of impressions, he suffers the deepest wretched ness. The pain he endures is conceived to be "insufferable torture;" a partial loss to be "complete ruin," the man who has injured him is a "monster in creation," and must be the object of furious resentment. Thus he is the sport of his fallacious ideas and feelings, and unrelieved by the hopes of the gospel, he sinks into the sullenness of misanthropy, or is distracted by the wildness of despair. I will suppose, however, that this stamp think of entering into connexions in life. The estimates which they have formed of them, from the descriptions of the persons of novelist, expose them to the severest disappointments, and actually unfit them for the ordinary duties of the home economy. Such high expectations of happiness are indulged, as will never be realized in a fallen world. They enter into new relations, but do not find angels," instead of men and women : if they have children, they are not quite as "innocent as cherubs :" toils and cares, as well as pleasures, frequent the nursery, and the process of education: the brightest domestic joys are often obscured by the glooms of domestic bereavement: social life is found to be a scene of labour, and not merely of rest. O how mortifying must be the feelings. when experience ascertains the sober duties and chequered comforts of the present state, and proves it to be, what to the mass of mankind it really is, not a paradise of delight, but a valley of conflict and of tears. Surely the following passage is rather the flourish of the orator, than the sober voice of reason. Is it possible that among Mr. C.'s acquaintance any volume such as he describes should be admitted? Upon entering some houses, I have been struck with the following inconsistency. The the family to read the nonsense and wickedness, heads of them, would not suffer any member of which the vagabond pamphlet-sellers bring to their doors; yet I have seen lying on their table, or sideboard, a volume which they themselves had been reading, calculated to instruct their household in the darkest mysteries of vice. "I know many, who would not go to hear a Socinian preach, much less give a guinea to his support, but who habitually read the produce of his pen, and liberalsentiments. And I will undertake to prove, ly subscribe to the printed propagation of his beyond the possibility of successful contradiction, that some religious professors have, for twice as much to the spread of Christ-degradyears, contributed, (by taking in these works) ing and soul-ruining opinions, as to the support of their evangelical minister, who labors for their peace." A strange paradox this, in to instruct them in the " things which make their system of morals, which I leave them to reconcile with their own consciences, and in their closets, with God. We perfectly agree with this writer in wishing for a complete castigated edition of the classics: those works which virtuous heathens would have thought too free, if introduced among christians, ought to be made to correspond with the greater purity of the christian dispensation. There are good hints in this sermon: yet an observer who had seen more of the world than Mr. C. has; and who had had some insight into the " depths of Satan," would have treated this subject with great er feeling and to greater advantage. It is to Mr. C.'s honour, and to his unspeakable benefit, that the course of his life and education, has kept him aloof from beholding one ten thousandth part of the calamities which have arisen from that overflowing source of evil, the perversion, and pollution of the press. Mr. C. adds in a note, the works, that he would recommend for a library: we inust make allowances for the office he fills, the effect of which appears in his selection. On what principles does he admit the antient dramatic writers with applause, yet wholly exclude the modern? Struggles through Life; exemplified in the various Travels and Adventures in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, of Lieut. John Harriott, formerly of Rochford in Essex; now resident Magistrate of the Thames Police. In two volumes 12mo. pp. 722. Price 12s. Longman and Co., 1807. |mote parts of India performing certain functions of a clergyman. At last we view him as one of the magistrates of the Thames-Police of which he was the original projector; and we heartily wish he may spend the evening of his days in honourable tranquillity, with just that quantity of business which may employ, without fatiguing him; for we are perfectly convinced that inaction would soon be fatal to him. We well know that he discharges the duties of his situation with great respectability; that his judgment is clear, and his heart incorruptible; that he is prompt to punish guilt, but happy to reform and to reclaim; and is always delighted in an opportunity of shewing mercy, when it is compatible with distributive justice. We shall give a few specimens of the work, and are confident that in so doing we shall gratify our readers. The book is dedicated to his "affec"tionate children and grand-children." It commences with a school anecdote or two; which are skreened from censure by the honesty with which they are acknowledged. He took his first bias for travelling or going to sea, from reading Robinson Crusoe;" and, when little more than thirteen, sailed as a midshipman on board a ship of war. The chapter intituled "earthquake off Lisbon" is very interesting. This was in the year 1755. By the way, we are much at a loss for dates throughout the book. Earthquake off Lisbon. Off Lisbon we had a foul wind, blowing hard all night and the next forenoon, when it suddenly dropped to a calm, leaving a heavy cross popling swell. THIS book is the composition of a man of strong natural good sense; of a brave heart, and active disposition, and undaunted perseverance. He seems to be endued with that rare faculty which distinguishes heroes,-a perfect self-possession, in the midst of peril. He manfully grapples with labour, and subdues it; he boldly faces danger and overcomes it. His education, confessedly was not the most refined; but his work is well put together; the style, if not highly polished, is commendable for its uniformity; and though the sentences be not curiously constructed, they convey the author's ideas in intelligible language. We give him credit neral alarm spread quickly throughout the The people were all at dinner, when a gefor a strict regard to truth; and we doubt ship, above and below, occasioned by a vio not but he describes men and things cor- lent tremulous motion of the ship, as if likerectly. He thinks for himself and com-ly to shake to pieces. The guns and carri monly decides well. He may perhaps be ages actually rattled on the decks; and, in deemed, to a certain degree an egotist; our more deliberate thoughts afterwards, we but, how can a man be otherwise, when could compare the agitation of the ship to nowriting his own life. He is now and then thing but that of a vessel driven violently by a little jocular; and a pleasant story, agree-gravelly bottom, which she raked all the way. a very strong current, or tide, over a hard ably relieves the narrative, and diversifies the scene.-His life has been chequered with abundant variety; he has visited each quarter of the globe, and appears as a sailor, a mercantile man, a soldier, an agriculturist; and even as executing the office of a judge advocate, and in the re-It The consternation in every countenance was stronger than language can describe, for no one could divine the cause, though all expected immediate destruction. A rumbling noise accompanied the agitation, arising gradually but speedily from the bottom upwards. lasted between two and three minutes, |