became at last a general officer, and Colonel of the regiment Du Roi. This regiment was created in 1662; yet then the King did not name any Colonel, but appointed M. Martinet to be LieutenantColonel; who had the fole direction of it; and with whofe management the King was fo well fatisfied, that he made it, in all refpects, a model to the rest of the infantry; which drew a good deal of envy upon Martinet, and all who affected to court-preferment in that way, were in fpite called Martinets. M. Dangeau was after fome time made Colonel, and in 1670 M. Martinet became Colonel. He was killed June 21. 1672, by a cannon-ball, at the tiege of Doefburgh; and M. Petion, to whom we owe this circumitance, tells us, that they did him more juftice after his death than while he was living, by owning him an able man and a gallant officer: yet his name is now come to fignify a perfon too ftrongly enamoured of difcipline; or, as my correfpondent very well expreffes it, a military pedant. I UNIVERSAL SPECTATOR, Oct. 8. Tis not, nor can it poffibly be too late to correct errors. Suffer not folly to avow itself by pleading prefcription for its fupport. I have long lamented to see the purity of the English language fullied, its copioufnefs degraded, and the manliness of its diction violated, as well from the ignorance as the perverfeness of her own fons. An error fo diffused, fo general, as the corruption of our language is, commands your moft ferious attention; and if we cannot root out this calamity from the whole community, we may at least forbear ourfelves to commit (as it were) a rape upon the reputation of a word or a phrafe, by applying it to things it will not, nor can poibly comprehend. I propofe now to offer to your confideration the violation that the word PAIR, or the phrafe, A pair of any thing, has undergone from thele cutters up of the reputation of a language. A pair, from the Latin word par, denotes an equality, or fome two things that are alike in all their parts, and which are to be adjun&t. And (I lament to fay it)" there is hardly a trade or profeffion among us but has taken advantage of that foftes, that harmony which is infeparably connected with the idea of parity, to diftinguish fome favourite machine with the gentle epithet of a pair, tho' without any fort of right to that denomination. The thrifty barrifter, in whispered accents, applauds a pair of fculls; whereas it is undeniably true, that there is not in them that exact fimilitude which is necelfary to conftitute a pair: for the right-hand full cannot be worked with the left-band, And therefore I hold that the aforesaid barrister, together with the waterman and his two engines, make four individualjculls, and not two pair. The Jmith, by a moft unpardonable partiality, has paired his bellows; tho' it is plain that the bellows is but one inftrument. The infolence of our taylors too, ia the abufe of this pathetick expreffion, has fo infatuated them as to pair our breeches, tho' there is scarce a male in the kingdom, of five years old, but could confute them, and fhew that the breeches is but one. And to urge that it may be called a pair, in allufion to the parts it contains, is abfurd; fince there is the fame reason to call my coat a pair, because it inclofes my two shoulders. Some too have madly imagined, that there is a parity in marriage, and that a man and his wife conftitute a pair. But the abfurdity of this must instantly appear, by attending to the definition. That, to make a pair, there must be an exact likeness in all their conftituent parts. And therefore, tho' they may fit as close, or clofer than exchequer tallies [Hiatus trium linearum, non valde dificudus] ****** I hold that for the future they be called a couple altogether, and no longer a pair. I contend not against the afe, but against the abuse of this moft happy app! lation. Let not the old man pair his fpectacles, or the poulterer pair his giblets. The cleanly lafs may pair her pattens, but by no means her fays: the lawyer may pair his indentures; but I can hardly to lerate a pair of fnuffers: and when a té. is deftined to the pillory, I obje&t not to the he having his ears paired, and pared too. On the other hand, we ought by no means o permit the halving a pair of gloves; beaufe thofe divided, are deftructive to foiety, and ominous as the harbingers of wels. But the most happy and enchanting pair fall, will ever conftitute a part of the 1oft happy and enchanting fair of all *[Alter hiatus, criticorum cruciatus, ? non facile fupplendus] ***** *** I fhall trouble you with but one more, hich I can hardly tolerate, tho' it has een many times a means, Oh Mira! of onveying to thy foft lips, and more foft mbrace; and that is a pair of flairs: in hich the builder has exhibited the utmost centious plagiarism, by applying to a pile firregular individuals this connecting and gnificant epithet, when he ought to have alled them a progreffion of steps.-Iam, &c. SIMPLICIUS. OLD ENGLAND, Oct. 8. be motives affigned for my Lord Stair's refignation, and a comparison of the merits of the Britons and Hanoverians. Otwithstanding the utter impoffibility that the motives affigned for у Lord Stair's refignation (viz. the flaant partialities fhewn to HANOVER, and very thing relating to it) fhould be true, bave the mortification to find, that oer stories of the like nature are still proigated, and, what is worse, believed. For inftance, it is most confidently afmed, that when the whole allied army as drawn out for the entertainment of 1. Charles of Lorrain, when the Auftrian, anoverian, and other foreign corps had dergone the ceremonial of a review, and ly the poor Britons remained in expeation of that honour, his Highness reived a hint, that he need not give himIf any farther trouble, for that the Bris were at present too fhabbily clothed id accoutred to make it worth his while. o which he was pleased to reply, that it as not the cloaths or trim of a foldier that vve him pleasure, but the able body and the trepid heart; and fo humanely beftowan hour's countenance on those who had * received the like fince the beginning the campaign. Again-But before I proceed to a fecond particular, it may be neceffary to premife, that the beltowing of Nobility in the empire is the peculiar of Cæfar, not even the Electors themfelves having any fhare in that envied privilege. To remedy which defect, thote petty parks of Majefty have annexed rank and precedency to military honours; and, to fhew their creative power, fometimes dub a valet de chambre a Colonel, and make a confectioner a General; not intrusting them with any command, but betrapping them with the title only: and thefe nominal heroes, in all cafes of parade, claim to be treated upon a level with the real ones. Upon this principle we are told, that a certain Groom of the Bedchamber to the E-of H- was permitted to fit down at table with his ******* because he wore the feather in his cap of a Brigadeer-General: but then we are told, at the fame time, that when a British officer of the fame rank, "tho' poffeffed of the power as well as the title, afpired to the fame honour, he was REFUSED, because he was a Groom of the Bedchamber to the K. of G-B-. We are told, likewife, that one of the favourite Hanoverian commanders, having taken a fancy to the quarters held by a British officer of the highest quality, thought himfelf authorised to ferve an ejection, in the fummary way of Such is our pleasure: but that the laft, not being as yet accuftomed to the form, infifted on the right of poffeffion, ordered his men to ftand upon their defence, and thereby made a shift to ftop proceedings. And, not to fhock our readers with too many of these ungrateful matters at once, we are told, that a certain British General having discovered a very confiderable magazine, which he propofed to fecure for the ufe of his countrymen, he found himfelf over-ruled; and that he had the honour of having acted only as PURVEYOR for the Hanoverians. I might farther add, in this place, the famous contention of the two rival Equerries for the high office of holding his *******'s ftirrup, and the preference that was given to the Hanoverian; because, forfooth, :he **** was in the field in qua lity lity of E of H- not K― of G B But this piece of fcandal confutes itself; for how could the E- -r of H have the command of the British forces? and we do not find that they received any material orders from any body but the K-of G-—— B——————. Nor is it to be conceived, that either of the other facts, before mentioned, has any better foundation for, granting it poffible, that we could fink fo low as to become the contempt of our own MERCENARIES, I do not think it would be fafe, I am fure it is not politick, for them to let us know it. Granting likewife, that his ******* may, inwardly, feel himself a little more prejudiced in favour of his natural-born fubjects, than thofe he hath had the goodness and conde(cenfion to adopt, I cannot be perfuaded to imagine that he would fuffer the leaft fymptom of any fuch partiality to escape him: for jealoufy ever wafts on love; and, idolaters as we are of his heroick and fublime qualities, we could not bear to fee any rival whatever step between us and his affections. But princes are governed by juftice and equity, not prejudice and paffion: if therefore the Hanoverian troops have been honoured with any peculiar favours, we are to fuppofe them due to their peculiar merits and fervices. Indeed, what thofe fervices and merits are, I do not find it fo eafy as I could wish to explain. Our great DELIVERER, K. William, it is true, once expreffed himfelf very largely in their commendation; but then it was for their marvellous alacrity in running away; part of his panegyrick being, Inever faw troops RUN like them in my life. My Lord Orkney, on the contrary, took the thing in rather too grave and ferious a light, and therefore ordered his troops to fire upon them; that fear itfelf might, if poffible, make them valiant. Of a Hanover General we have heard, who headed a flight instead of a charge, and, as Falstaff, hacked his fword to bear witnefs of his bravery, killed his horfe when it had carried him out of danger, and then gave out that it had been shot under him in the engagement. But the fecret taking air, he was upbraided with it to his dying day. In 1703, the troops of that electora refused to join the Prince of Heffe, whe marching to raise the fiege of Landas; confequence of which, his Highness was defeated, and the town taken. At the battle of Malplaquet they again refused to march; upon which occafion Gen. Bulau (who was then their PRESERVER) was told, that if any misfor tune happened, he should be answerable for it. And of this cautious behaviou of theirs, the Hanover minifters at the general congrefs were fo thoroughly afha med, that they fcarce ever appeared in publick, as very justly dreading the re proaches which muft have been made them upon that account. Nay, fo low was their credit funk in the field, that the very Lunenburg hers, their fellow-fubjects, took it as the highest af front to be called Hanoverians; and, op on all occafions, publickly difowned the appellation, as thinking they had abun dant reafon to be ashamed of it. And what mighty feats have they find performed, or what pretences can the fet on foot to retrieve their characters, an intitle them to the diftinctions they a faid to have met with on one fide of the water, and the compliments that hav been paid them on the other? Not the conquest of Bremen and Verden; for, thd Hanover hath elbowed herself into th poffeffion of those defirable provinces, is well known the acquifition was not made by force of arms: not the wonder of their administration in the duchy Mecklenburg; for it is one thing to bet dextrous collector, and another to be s good foldier: not their taking poffeffic of the bailiwick of Steinhorft that wa furrendered to them, and proper care hat. been taken fince that it should not be wrefted out of their hands: and how for midable foever they are become to Exp land, it cannot as yet be said, that they at become fo by conqueft. On the other hand, the Britons, are faid (falfely and maliciously no do to weigh fo little in the comparison thefe doughty heroes, as not to bey longer efteemed worth a review, badel The ver a name in arms, were ever numbered we are told, that his Majefty was perfuaamong the bravest of mankind, carried ded, that if the enemy attempted any thing, error abroad, and brought conquest home. it would be on our REAR-GUARD. Of this, not only our own hiftorians, but rear-guard must therefore be understood to hofe of all other nations record the most be the post of honour; and that, more elluftrious teftimonies. Nor was their fpecially, as his Majefty chofe to comalour occafional, or owing to the for- mand there in perfon; in confequence uitous growth of active and distinguished whereof, it was natural to expect, that eigns; but the equal, steady, perfevering the Britons would there have had the gloefult of their own national magnanimity, ry of fighting under the eye of their fovhich, more or less, broke forth in every vereign. The fact however was far oge, and gave to each in fucceffion its therwife; for the fame account informs us, that, except the British foot-guards, the hare of glory. faid rear was compofed of Lunenburg hers and Hanoverians: whence it may poffibly be infinuated, that the electorate was here complimented at the expence of the kingdom.-But, whoever recollects the whole of this day's adventure, will have caufe to fufpect, there is fome mistake in the premiffes: for the rear-guard never engaged at all; confequently, inftead of being the poft of bonour, it was, in fact, the place of fafety. To bring proofs of this, would be to ranfcribe our annals. Nor have our eemies much reason to fuppofe that our ailitary virtue is inferior to that of our orefathers: witness the ever to be lamentd facrifice at Carthagena; when, under ll the difcouragements that could influnce the bravest minds, boys rufhed upon ertain death, with an intrepidity almoft eyond example: witnefs even the late encountre at Dettingen, when every diftinct orps directed, fought, and conquered for felf, except in a very few inftances, unlifted by the conduct, uninspired by the xample of their leaders. If therefore we are to decide of the difrent merits of the British and Hanovean, I beg pardon, I should have said, peraps, the Hanoverian and British troops, y the evidence before us, the verdict, as humbly conceive, must be given entirein favour of the last. Something moreover seems to be due to le rank of the Britons as a nation, which hey have never yielded to the proudest id greatest of their neighbours; fomeing to the friendly, generous, charitable, finterested part they have been induced act in the prefent GERMAN WAR; and mething to their being paymafters to efe very Hanoverians, who, as it is faid, e thus playing the part of Jacob, and eating them of their birthright: for waes imply both fubordinacy and fubjectia; and nothing can be more abfurd, than at he who covenants to be my fervant, ould take my money, and not only refe to obey my commands, but infist on bing all the honours of my house. There is a paragraph in the account of e affair of Dettingen, [p. 333.] in which VOL. V. I fhall clofe all I have to fay at prefent with obferving, that, during the former distractions of Italy, it was ufual for the contending parties, not only to have foreign troops, but a foreign General, who both referved to himself the command of his own mercenaries, and was moreover intrufted with the fole management of the war. Whence it followed, that the war was often prolonged for the fake of the profits it produced; and that thofe who were at the expence of it, were fet in the front of the battle, while the hirelings were prudently preferved. But then, however frugal thefe foreign Generals were of the blood of their foldiers, who were their ftock in trade, they were prodigal of their own: for, tho' plaufible pretences might poffibly be found to qualify the firft, none were so much as thought of to difpenfe with the laft. UNIVERSAL SPECTATOR, O&. 15. Inftances of the miscellaneous kind of writing. BOurfault frequently prefents us with a mifcellany in a letter, both of profe and verfe; which, tho' not perhaps in the true character of letter-writing, as it was done at the command, and for the a3 P mufe musement of a patron in the country, may not be an improper example to be fometimes imitated in a weekly paper. I fhall give a fpecimen of it in this, without confining myfelf religiously to the province of a tranflator, which would be here extremely difficult. Bourfault to the Bishop and Duke of Langres. My Lord, YOU OU cannot lay upon me any command that I am not ready to execute, because your obliging manner always makes me a debtor for the honour of ferving you. If all great men were like your Grace, they might have humble fervants as many as they could defire. A word fpoken favourably and opportunely, a nod of the head in paffing, a pleasant look, all these are fo many agreeable fnares, in which hearts are willingly taken; and I know no perfon who would not, in return for fuch condefcenfion, almoft fpill his blood. Yet, how little foever this freedom costs, most of the great chufe rather to want creatures than to buy them fo dear. ly. Such an one was, my Lord-fhall I name him?-And why fhould I not name him?-If Bishops would have their memory refpected, they ought, during life, to confecrate it by good actions. -Such an one was your predeceffor, in a dignity that he debafed, but which you bonour. As he had deceived all men who had any concerns with him, he was so afraid of being deceived, that he did not care to have concerns with any body: and as the occafion occurs fo à propos, I fhall make a story that regards him the first article of my remarks. This prelate, who before his confecration was fo well known by the name of the Abbé de la Riviere, going once upon a vifitation of his diocefe, met with a young parish priest that could hardly read, but whom he had ordained three or four months before, at fome body's recommendation. The poor creature, intimidated by the prefence of his Bishop, and by the imperious manner in which he examined him, could give him no other answer than that which makes the point of the following epigram. To an ignorant prieft quoth his prelate fevere, Away with fuch blockheads! fool, what dft thou here? 66 What afs of a Bishop in orders put thee ?". Your Lordfhip, jaid Hodge, with m bumble congée. you The King (Lewis XIV.) among many other great qualities, has that of never dropping any disobliging raillery, nor fuffering them to escape uncenfured in his prefence. The name of a courtier, who was not, as we fay, overburthened, being brought one day upon the carpet, a witty book might be made of what he did not know. Gentleman prefent obferved, That a great -And a very small one, quoth the King, of what know. This fo effectually flopped the mouth of our wit, that he never opened it afterwards in raillery. the higheft excefs. Every thing is in such Luxury, in my opinion, is advanced to great confufion at the publick places, that, if you do not fee her footman at the heels wife of an attorney from a Duchefs. Lewis of the latter, you hardly can know the the Great, whom Europe cannot refift, has not power to enforce his own prohibitions, fo often repeated, of the wearing gold and filver upon cloaths; and I doubt his Malefs he revives an edict made in the reign jefty will never accomplish his point, unheard the late Marshal Villeroi fay, that of Henry IV. his grandfather. I have against lace ineffectual, and feemingly this great prince, feeing his former edicts after they were publifhed, made at the forgot, at the end of five or fix months laft the following decree, which was executed with all poffible rigour. be, We forbid expressly all cur jubjc&s, of in all places under our dominions, to wear gold what quality or condition foever they may or filver upon their cloaths, in any manner, or under any pretence whatsoever: except neverwhom we do not intereft ourself so much, as theless women of pleasure and thieves; in to give our leaft attention to their condu&i. Tho' there was a month allowed, from the publication of the edict, to give time for the very next day not a man or woman people to provide themfelves new cloaths, would venture to wear lace, for fear they fhould be taken for privileged perfons: order was inviolably obferved. But I am and fo long as that monarch lived, the not certain that there are not in our age perfons who had rather have their citat than |