leaft a curious kind of eccentricity. Belides, it could not otherwife happen, but that in an epocha like that of the reign of Auguftus, there must have been here and there fuch an oddity, who, in the leifure afforded by a uniddle flate between fuperfluity and indigence, with more love of liberty than covetonfnefs or ambition, made it his bufinefs, merely for his own advantage, to acquire a founder knowledge of mankind and his own concerns, and to live upon more fettled principles than the great multitude. Horace, while he confeffes himself in this epiftle to his illuftrious friend to be one of thefe oddities, who purfue Philofophy without any pretention to the beard and mantle, merely as an economical affair, if I may fo exprefs myfelf, and that he might be the better for it; at the fame time declares, that on this very account he has never infcribed himself in any one of the philofophical schools, nor fworn in the words of any mafter; but like a traveller, now here now there, arrives or difmounts, and takes from each of them juft so much as is neceflary for his ufe. There runs, unless my feelings deceive me, a fine fhade of humour throughout this paffage, by which he prevents the expected fieer of Mecenas, and averts the ridicule that the fashionable world are apt to fling upon Philofophers by profeflion. Yet I can fearcely think that the perfifflage is carried fo far as Batteax extends it in his explanation of this paffage. For, that Horace is in earnest about the philofophy he delivers in this epiftle, is fufficiently apparent from hence, that it is the very fame that breathes through all his works. He does juftice to the Stoa, by giving us plainly enough to underfand, whenever he plunged himself (that is, in thought) in the billows of civil life, the reliance on a fevere immoveable virtue was the belt choice to be made. But he gives us directly again in a delicate way to understand. that for a man like him, who yet, in truth, if he had wanted to make even a Cato or a Brutus, the republic would not have been helped by it; the fittelt way was to leave matters as they were; and only place himself in fuch an inward frame, that, in a State where the political freedom was loft, and the civil very much contracted, he might not lofe, at leaft by his own fault, the perfonal and moral freedom, the free dom from foolish defires and tormenting paffions. The jurare in verba magistri is an allofion to the Aues (he has faid it), of the Pythagoreans, or if we rather chufe, to the foldiery, who, according to the tenor of the oath they fwore to their general, and which was preferibed by him, devoted themfelvo entirely to him. Mr. URBAN, Sept. 6. ; WILLIAM fourth Viscount Tracy married to his fecond wife Jane, third and youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Leigh, who died before his father Thomas fecond Lord Leigh, by his fecond wife Jane, daughter of Patrick 19th Lord of Kerry; and by her had Thomas- Charles his fucceffor, and Anne, married to Sir William Keyt, bart. of Stratford-on-Avon, This Thomas-Charles, fifth Viscount Tracy, married, 1. Elizabeth, eldest daughter of William Kevt, efq. who died before his father Sir William Keyt, of Ebrington co. Gloucefter and by her, who died 1720, he had, 1. William, who was educated at Oxford, and died without iffue 1740; Thomas-Charles who fucceeded the fixth to the title; and Jane, married to Capel Haubury, of Pontypool, co. Monmouth, efq. By his fecond wife, daughter of John Packington, he had, 1. John, of All Souls College, Oxford, A. M. 1749, D. D. 1761, Warden of the faid college, fucceeded to the title, and died 1793; 2 Robert; 3. Packington, died young; 4. Henry, in the army, 8th Vilcount, died 1797. Only one of his three daughters furvived her brothers. (Archdall's Irish Peerage, V. p. 13, &c.) Gent. Mag. LXIII. 187. 279: LXVII. 441, where for 1795 read 1796.-This will, it is hoped, folve the doubts of your valuable correfpondent J. B. in p. 703. R. G. I HAVE frequently had occafion, when turning over old periodical publications, to cbferve, that inventions of great feeming importance have had their day, been forgotten, and in my time re-invented. I have feen cold water recommended as a cure for the gout in a newspaper printed at least 80 years ago; and, as a proof of its efficacy, the advertifer quotes the authority of fome old fon of Galen, who. I think, wrote a treatife on the fubject. The polygraphic art of copying paintings in oil-colours without limi tation, invented very lately, and now almost forgotten, was practifed by a Frenchman in the beginning of the laft century; and 1, even 1, once fuppofed I had written fomething very new on the progrefs of monumental fashion; when, to my infinite mortification, I found all my ideas had been previoufly printed by Mr. Pennant. Judging from my own cafe, I am led to doubt much of what has been faid respecting plagiarifm. I can folemnly declare, I had not read or ever even heard of Mr. Pennant's tracing the progress of talie in monuments for the dead, at the time I wrote the article alluded to, printed in the Gentleman's Magazine fome years past; and yet your correfpondent D. H. probably had, when he very jufily told me, “'I had faid nothing NEW on the subject.” As the faculties of the body are well known to be fimilar throughout the human race, why thould not thofe of the mind refemble each other fo nearly as to produce the fame thoughts; and the fame words, by people who never thofe thoughts be expreffed nearly in faw or heard of each other or their writings? Impreffed with the firmest belief that every refemblance in the opinions and fentences of authors is not the effect of plagiarifin, I think I may venture, without offence to the parties concerned, to point out a fingu lar refemblance in a late invention, noticed in your prefent volume, p. 308, accompanied by a wooden print, to one thas defcribed in the London Chronicle, vol. XVI. p. 267. "On Saturday about 11 o'clock (Sept. 1761) the different Proprietors of the new invented (query, if really fo) Prefervatives against Drowning, met at Blackfriars, to convince the publick of the utility of their inventions; and, after fettling fome difputes, it was agreed to try them at AIR London Bridge, at which time there was a confiderable fall; accordingly, two men with cork jackets went through without ufing their arms or legs, one of them having a drawn cutlafs in his hand: then two men and a woman with a mob cap. on and red ribands, DRESSED IN JACKETS, went likew f: through, and were followed by two men with the Marine collar and Belt. They continued dancing in the eddy a confiderable time, to the no fmall diverfion of thoufands of fpectators, who furrounded them in boats. One of the men in an air jacket prefented the ladies with apples, regaled himself See vol. XXVIII. p. 646; XXX.014; XXXI. 426; XXXIV.148; XLIII.374. EDIT. with bread and cheese, after which he fired a piftol. Thefe things were contained in his cap, made on purpose. Upon the whole, it was a droll and not indecen fight, they all being dreffed in flannel fhifts and linen breeches." The Corr fpondent who notices Granger's Letters in p. 600, will please to acquit me of acculing Mr. Granger of fervility; that charge belongs wholly to your Reviewer, p. 145. Scrutator feems offended that I fhould fay Mr, Granger was anxious to obtain a living within a tenable diftance from Shiplake; however that may be, I repeat the affert on, which is fupported by feveral notes and memoranda, omitted as unneceffary proofs of what is very natural and perfectly juftifiable. Individuals of every defeription in the community are anxious to procure that which may render them more comfortable in their circumftances: why then fhould Mr Granger ftand alone a mere Quixote in difintereltedness? I did not mention his anxiety as a fault; and I now applaud it, as a natural effect arifing from his fituation in life. We all know his aged brother is now in very poor circumfiances; and I am told he is very deferving of affittance. Indeed one benevolent perfon applied to me in his behalf, for a participation in the profits of my moiety of the printed Letters. within "a little month" after their publication; though they had been bought many years paft, among a mals of papers from the family, by the perfon who now poffeffes them, with whom I have no other connexion than to ritk half the expences of paper and printing, for the fill future contingency, perhaps, of fome 10 or 207. I have, indeed, been informed, that the gentleman alluded to has actually written to fome of his correfpondents, that it is paffing firange" he has received no answer to fo reasonable a requeft: indeed I have no other excufe for this affair, than pleading that I have no right to any returns from the publication till the expences of it are reimburied, which is not the cafe at this moment. Scrutator denounces me for one other offence (which can hardly be pronounced one, when it is remembered I declined giving any biographical account of Mr. Granger), the omiffion of fome notices relating to the author of the Biographical Hiftory, from the Gentleman's Magazine. Per haps Scrutator will forgive the defect alluded to, when he is informed, that a purchaler of my "Hillory of London," overlooking the mafs of new and valuable matter which it contains from original MSS. actually fold it to a retailer of rejected books, because the three volumes containing near 1700 pages had been fwelled, on the principle of book-making, with extracts from the Gentleman's Magazine, relating to the King's vifit to St. Paul's, and the funeral of Sir Joshua Reynolds, amounting to lefs than a dozen pages, afferting, that it was intolerable thofe facts fhould be repeated, which were already in every monthly publi cation. Thus it is, Mr. Urban, that young authors are difcouraged, fplenetic at tacks. fting them on every fide, the powers of the mind are blunted, and they recur to the pen with fear and trembling, rather than with pleature and fpirit, roufed by manly criticifins, and fupported by moderate praise, when deferved. Fortunately, your humble fervant is in poffeffion of that elafticity of mind, that, though he feels irritated at first, he can return to his labours cheerfully, convinced as he is, that many worthy characters have fupported him through the difficulties attending an original work, the information for which was to be gathered from almoft as many firangers as there are articles in it. J. P. MALCOLM. Mr. URBAN, IT Wolverhampton, was not till I faw your Magazine for laft April, and another periodical work of nearly the fame date, that I conceived my writings to be of fufficient confequence to form the fole fubject of a Sermon, preached by an Archdeacon and Bampton Lecturer before the University of Oxford, on the 5th of laft November, and which has fince been printed, with due licence from the Vice-chancellor. In this fermon I am charged with frand as an Author, with immorality as a Divine, and with impiety, in depriving God of his due praife, as a Chriftian. You will agree with me, Sir, that thefe are heavy ac enfations; yet, I can affure you, they affect me very little, as coming from the Rev. Mr. Churton, and his authority the Rev. Mr. Le Mefurier: for, when I read a 5th of November fermon, I fay to myself with the French writer, C'est l'habit qui parle, voila tout. But what truly mortities me is, the counte Dance nance which your refpectable Reviewer feems to give to thefe calumnies; whilst he quotes them at length, with out any comment upon them. Him I know to be a profound and almoft univerfal fcholar; and I do not know that he is under any influence to mifreprefent or diflike me. Moreover, he has had abundant opportunities of knowing me, particularly in the character of a Writer. Should then he, under any of his well-known fignatures, confirm the above-mentioned atrocious accufàtions in your Mifcellany, I fhall be humbled indeed. I now proceed to make a few obfervations on the faid charges; the first of which is contained in the following paffage of M Churton's notes on his own Sermon, p. 29. "I do aver, that, notwithstanding the fpecious fhew of notes and quotations (viz. in the Hijiory of Winchester, and The Letters to a Prebendary) advanced by Dr. Milner, there is fcarcely a fingle fact that is not unfairly ftated, unfupported, or untrue." What! Sir, will you believe that none of the facts which I advance, not even thofe in which I agree with all other Writers, fuch as, that Britain was invaded by Julius Cæfar, and conquered by William the Norman ; that Alfred was a good king, and Warton a great genius, are deferving of credit? May not I have blundered upon the truth fometimes without defigning it? For certainly it would require uncommon powers of invention to write three quarto volumes, chiefly upon English hiftory, which fhould all confift of falsehood and mifreprefentation. The intelligent reader will judge, from the very terms of the charge brought against me, of its veracity, and of the fpirit by which it is diétated. In the mean time, fhould the Rev. Mr. C. continue to entertain fo unfavourable an opinion of my Hiftory and Letters, I fhall confole myfelf with the high commendations beftowed upon the former by the Mouthly and other Reviewers, and by the compliments paid to the latter by fome of our molt diftinguished Leg.llators in both Houles of Parliament*. I muft add, that my learned and refpectable antagonist Dr. Sturges, wanted neither the power nor the will to detect any literary frauds in my aforefaid writings, had they exified. This, however, neither he, nor the other Reverend Prebendary who wrote again me, and who appears to have examined my quotations with particular care, ever pretended to dot. The former barely complained, that, in my account of the Catholic victims of religious perfecutions, I cited authorities which he had "not accefs tot." In return, I offered to lend him the books in which they were contained§; as I had before declared myfelf willing to accommodate him or any of his friends with the works of Luther (now very fcarce), from which I had taken many moft copious and curious paffages. Whether I or Mr. C. endeavours to mireprefent the plain meaning of the writers whom we mutually quote, with refpect to the Powder Plot, Ofborn, Baker, and Higgons (to whom I ought to have added Sanderfon), I leave to the candour of the intelligent reader; to which alfo I fubmit, whether my referring to The Political Grammar, in the first edition of my Letters, under the abbreviation of Pol. Gram, was done with any intention of impoting upon him, efpecially when he fees that in my Second Edition, p. 322, and in my Third Edition, p. 277, long before the prefent cavil was ftarted, I had cited that work under its full title. As to this Gentleman's complaint, that he has "not met with any authority" for the affertion, that James I. ufed to call November 5th Cecil's Holiday, the fault is with him, not with me. Certain it is, that Lord Cafilemain, in his Catholique Apology, edit. 3, p. 433, afferts this fact, for which he adduces other authorities. In like manner Dr. Hawarden, in the Appendix to his Modern Controversy, p. 32, allerts the fame on the authority of "Lord Cobham and others." Thus much, Sir, in vindicasion of my fidelity as an Hiflorian. Had I a fufficient inducement to transfer the feat of war into my enemy's country, I fhould find abundant matter for retorfion in the Polemics which he has published against his neighbour the late F. Eyre, efq. of Walkworth. *Sce Mr. Sheridan's Speech in the Houfe of Commons, June 23, 1800; and that of the Bishop of St. David's, July 10, in the fame year. + See the Hampshire Repofitory; Strictures on the Hiftory of Winchester. Reflections on Popery, 2d edit. p. 169. § Letters to a Prebendary, 2d edit. p. 152. But But a much more weighty charge, Mr. Urban, than the foregoing, has been folemnly denounced against me; a charge that affects my moral character, and, more or lefs, the moral of my Countrymen. I am accufed, in the aforefaid Sermon, of palliating the guil of perjury, whilft at the fame fine it is notorious, that nothing but my reverence for the obligation of an oath fubjects me to all the calumnies and infults I am forced to bear, and prevents me from flanding, perhaps, pon equal ground with my calumnia tur. The preacher profeffes to draw his charge from the Rev. Mr. Le Mefurier's Serious Examination, the Poftfeript of which profefles to be written against Dr. Milner and others. However, fince the latter feems to have borrowed the charge from the famous Irish Dr. Duigenan's fpeech in Parliament on the Catholic Queftion, as it has fince been publifhed by him; or at all events, as Dr. D. has actually advanced this charge against me, whoever first drew it up; I fhall answer it word for word, in the correfponding paflage of the learned Dr. Lawrence's fpeech on the fame occafion, as publifhed by Meffis. Cuthell and Martin: "I cannot help taking notice of what fell, in the course of last night's difcuffion, from the learned Doctor (Duigenan) who opened the oppofition to the motion of my honourable Friend, in commenting on a paffage from a late publication. It is thei more neceffary to animadvert upon this part of the learned Gentleman's fpeech, becaufe his obfervations were calculated to caft a reflection on the charater and moral principles of a very refpectable member of the Catholic body now living (Rev. Dr. Milner); and the charge of the learned Gentleman is wholly unwarranted either by the letter, or the fpirit of the paffage of the publication upon which he commented, The Cafe of Confcience folved; or, Catholic Emancipation proved to be compatible with the Coronation Oath,") published about four years fince, when the difficulty which is underftood to agitate the Royal Mind was first impreffed upon it. The definition of an oath, on which the learned Doctor (Duigenan) has been fo fevere, if it had been fully and fairly quoted, is ftrictly true, and accurately ,conformable to the most rigid principles of ethics and morality. Without the context it is impoflible to judge of any paffage correctly; and in this paffage the learned Author of that pamphlet has expeffly fated the four cafes in which Ca nonifts deny the validity of Promiffory the |