tafe, at length fays, he is willing to allow every praile to the excellence of his heart, and to the strength of his undertanding." Who ever doubted either? And he might also have added to bis praife, that the fubject of his cenfure was noble and elevated in his fentiments; that he was a stranger to the little workings of malice or envy to ei ther living or departed merit; and that bis talents of every kind, powerful from nature, and highly cultivated, could only be exceeded by the extenfive and refined benevolence of his heart. After what has been faid, by those capable of judging of the talents and merit of the relpectable author in queftion, I shall only add to the length of this letter a fentence of Dr. Johnson's, applied to Mr. Gray on another occa fion, and may be the worthy subject of this letter alfo, that to " cenfure him is vain, and to praise him, useless." And that, on the whole, it is obvious, Eboracenfis knew not the man, nor bad read any of his works, except the Birth-day and New-years Odes. Yours, &c. CANDIDUS. An author of the fift abilties (whose opinion in the literary world is declive) Curious Maufuleum of MRS. VAN has done juttice to his char.Ete., in the following words: "He had, from nature, the advantages of a clear and found understanding, with abilities very rarely furpaffed or aquailed. In history and antiquity his knowledge was profound, extenfive, and accurate. His poetry has peculiar elegance. I might apply to himfelf his own beautiful lines to his friend Mr. Gray: For many a care beguild, By the fweet magic of thy foothing lay, For many a raptur'd thought, and vision wild, To thee this ftrain of gratitude I pay." "He was an incomparable critic, as well as fcholar. Of all his intellectual powers, he had the most perfect command, and no one ever used them with lefs arrogance. The fodity of his judgement, his wit, difcernment, and, above all, the excellence of his difpoftion, give to his numerous friends unfpeakable regret for his lamented death. And he may have been deservedly confidered as one of the chief ornaments of the university, and of the learned world at large. Indeed, fuch was the vigour of his mind, the claffical purity of his takte, and the extent and variety of his learning, that his memory will be for ever revered, as a profound fcho.ar, and a man of true genius; whit the iweet. nefs of his temper, and mild virtues, muit be remembered, with affectionate fenfibility, by all who knew him.” It is, however, fone confolation, whatever may be the opinion of Ebo racenfis, that the gratitude of that place which he fo much loved, which was enriched by his talents, and adorned by his virtues, and where he spent the chief part of his blameless life, has paid to his memory that tribute of respect, whichr his great and modeft worth demanded. *The University of Oxford. BUTCHELL. Mr. URBAN, Nov. 14. MANY obfervations of the learned, by being comprifed in volumes of expenfive purchate, feldom find their way to the generality of readers. Some of this fort are fo ingenious and friking, that it were pity they should be loft to the publick at large. In reading, lately, the Dialogues of Lucien, by the elaborate and reverend Dr. T., Franck lin, the following note, vol. I. p. 261, caught my attention; and I am perfuaded it may afford that amulement to many of your readers, which I amply found in the perutal "We are told (ys the ingenious author), by Auks Gellius, book X. lib. 18, that Artemifia, the wife of Maufolus, was fo rond of him, that, after his death, his body being reduced to afhes, the made them into a infuted them in water, and drank them up—” powder, mixed with fpices and perfumes, as fingular an intance of conjugal affection is is perhaps be met with in the records of antiquity. Modern times can fcarcely boat a paralle. : a like, has happened in our own, and circumftance, however, not much une not long fince, which I fhall take this opportunity of delivering to pofterity. Mr. Van-Butchell, a most ingenious artift, had the misfortune, fome few years ago, to lose the wife of his botom Unwilling, however, to part with her fo foon, or to confign ner, like common clay, to a dirty grave, immediately afer her deceafe, he contrived, with the af fiftance of Mr. [William] HUNTER, one of the first anatomilts in the kingdom, by means of a kind of pickle, fa to preferve the body, as to give it nearly the appearance of life and health; put it into a glafs cale, and thewed it for a long time to his friends and acquaintance; and where it may, for aught I know, know, remain to this day. An eminent That which men call a rofe, phyfician, now living, who is as well By any other name would fmell as fweet. known for his claffical tafte, and exten five learning, as for his extraordinary fkill in his profeffion, has recorded this fingular tranfaction in fome excellent Latin lives; which, as I believe they were never yet printed, I fhall here fubjoin (forgive me this liberty, my good friend, Dr. Baker) for the entertain ment of my readers. In reliquias MARIA VANBUTCHELL, exfors tumuli, jacet quam, gravi morbo vitiatam, confumptamique tandem longâ morte, in hanc, quam certis nitorent, in hanc fpeciem et colorem viventis, ab indecorâ putredine vindicavit, invità, et repugnante, naturâ, vir egregius, GULIELMUS HUNTERUS; artificii priùs intentati inventor idem, et perfector. O! fortunatum maritum ; cui datur wxorem, multùm amatam, Tetiere una, in unis ædibus; affari, tangere, complecti, propter dormire, fi lubet, non fatis modò fuperftitem fed (quod mirabilius) etiam fuaviorem, venuftiorem, habitiorem ; folidam magis, et magis fucci plenam, quam cum ipfa in vivis fuerit! O! fortunatum virum, et invidendum; cui peculiare hoc, et proprium conting, apud fe habere fœminam, conftantem fibi, et, horis omnibus, eandem * 1" I have always underflood, Mr. Urban, that the hufband of the lady thus happily preferved is the celebrated Mr. Van-Butchell, whofe advertisements, as recorded in the Argus, muft ever embalm his memory; but this gentleman's name is inferted Martin, whereas, in the excellent memorial above given, the name John occurs. This, however, is, upon the beft authority, but a trivial minutia; firce we all know *We fhall be obliged to any of our correfpondents for a fpirited translation of this curious and elegant infcription. EDIT. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, ROMEO. Jan. 3. HAVE the pleasure to inform your correfpondent Sagittarius, that his wifhes, for an extenfive and minute hiftory of archery are likely to be amply gratified. Mr. William Latham, of Eltham, in Kent, F. S. A. and antiquary to the Society of Royal Kentish Bowmen, commenced (pursuant to the request of that Society) in the year 1788, a General Hiftory of Archery, from the earliest period to the prefent time. His intention was, and I hope ftill is, to adorn the work with coloured plates of the bows, arrows. &c. belonging to every nation. 1 ought to apologize to him for the liberty I have taken in giving you this information without his permiflion: but my motive is this; having received much pleasure and knowledge myself, from a view of part of his MS and elegant drawings, I hope to stimu late him to permit the publick to share with me. Yours, &c. R. K. B. Mr. URBAN, Jan. 8. IN your Magazine for December laft, "An addrefs, &c." figned A Reformer, caught my attention; the infertion of a few remarks on which, your wonted urbanity will no doubt induce you to admit. The gentleman alluded to hath, I think, criticised rather too feverely on the Cantabrigian attachment, as he fays, to that great luminary Sir Ifaac New ton. I agree with him, that if it was a real fact, that the ftudies of the learned feminary in question, were really and wholly bent on mathematical refearches, the measure ought to be juftly reprobated. So far from the truth is the circumftance, that I can on my own perfonal knowledge affirm, that both the clallics, and the various subjects of morality, have a place in the purfuits of the young gentlemen of Cambridge. As a proof, I fhall mention the college of St. John the Evangelift, where there are regular and intelligent ie&tures read, not only on the Grecian and Roman au thors; but where, alfo, there is a proper refpe&t paid to the fagacious Locke, and the profound Butler; as that not fuperficial acquaintance, which fome of the Johnfonian Academics have fully proved, they had both with the Essay on Human Understanding, as likewife with the Analogy of Religion, hath evinced. Without all to their own ftandard. If traces of a leveling fyftem can any where be difcovered, it is in this prevailing paffion. On the other hand, men of patient and refolute application to fcience are driven to the neceffity of immuring themselves within their libraries; and, wanting courage and countenance to ftruggle against the torrent, drown themselves from the world in defpair. With refpet to Hiftory and Antiquities particularly, it is impoffible that any confiderable progress can be made, unless such as are devoted to the fludy of either affociate themfelves for mutual informa Without doubt, there is a proper esteem held of these branches of fcience in the other colleges; probably, therefore, your correfpondent, if I may launch out into the fame rhapfodical ftrain ufed by him, might with equal propriety fet to mufick the Baconick Aphorifms, as he hath fuppofed the fons of Granta would the Problems of Newton. Should he want a tube, it is not unlikely, but that folemn one, called, "Grim King of the Ghofts," would not unfitly be adapted to the purpose. Let me not be fuppofed to caft the leaft reflections upon the learned Bacon; but, furely, a candid mind may commend the partition and inveftigation. It is true that cular merits of an individual, without depreciating those of another. A fingle obfervation now occurs, with which I will conclude; namely, on that uncan did remark which your correfpondent hath thrown on what must be allowed, not pure Latinity, used in the Cambridge fchools. But, Mr. Urban, if this reformer is acquainted with that univerfity, he ought to have owned, that when the mind of a young perfon is immerfed in the abyss of one study, a few errors in another fhould be generously overlooked. A CANTAB. Mr. URBAN, July 16. BEL REING refident in the metropolis, you are, perhaps, a stranger to the inconveniencies of literary men in the country. Amidst the multifarious collection of people within the walls of London, one muft naturally expect to And many who are philofophically inclined; thefe, under the encouragement of royal patronage, and under the advantage of fuperior number, have always the power of compofing an exclusive tociety. But in the country few inftances exia, of focieties formed for co-operation in fcientific or literary purfuits. I am convinced that there are not want ing, in any part of the kingdom, men well enough difpoled for the purfuit of literature. The general temper of the nation in focial life is corrupt, I muft acknowledge. The grand misfortune 15, that men of genius, and of an active difpofition of mind (who will necef farily devote themielves to fome fociety and employment), too much influenced by the unfafhionable air of more enlarged refources, are at prefent excelfively, and univerfally, addicted to gaming, Cards, for instance, are per muted to melt every defcription into one mould; and thus the thoughtless, and the diffipated, effectually reduce many memorable advancements have I Mr. URBAN, Jan. 3. AM afraid the difcovery made by your correfpondent B. P. (vol. LXIÍ, p. 895) of our Saviour's prediction being partly accomplished in the French Revolution, will not be received among thofe numerous verifications of the holy prophecies, which have been obferved and recorded by the pious ingenuity of theological writers. There has not a fingle century elapfed, fince the Chriftian æra, to which the words in St. Matthew might not be applied with equal propriety. Revolutions in empires, and wars among nations, are eafily accounted for by the invariable conflict of human interefts and human paífions; and even if the fcene now acting in France (which is by no means new or uncommon on the grand theatre of the world) fhould be followed by any of the great phænomena of nature, by fiery fhape in the heavens, and burning creffets, I should be tempted to fay with Hoifpur: "Why "Why fo it would have been At the fame feafon, if your mother's cat But, to fhew that I am not perfe&ly in- years ago by a Roman poet, and the other at the diftance of only a few years by an English politician. After explaining the natural confequences of ambition, and telling us that the various changes in political affairs will be only different medifications of the tame effects, "Nec magis id nunc eft, nec erit mox quam fuit ante," Lucretius goes on in this fublime ftrain: fo inconfiftent with the French charac- Obfervations on a late State of the Nation. After going through the numerous fpecies of oppreffive extortion practifed by the late government in France, he concludes the fubject, by faying, "No man, I believe, who has confidered their affairs with any attention or information, but muft there look for fome extraordinary convulfion in the fyftem; the effect of which, in France, and even in all Europe, it is difficult to conjecture." It is to be lamented, that the former good fenfe and political fagacity of this writer fhould fill remain on record, only to exhibit fo ftrong a contraft to his prefent enthufiafm for the times of feudal defpotifm and barbarity. We cannot help thinking of the man who rode a confiderable time in the Mr. UREAN, Jan. 19. PERHAPS fome of your learned correfpondents in altronomy can account for the following extraordinasy appearance on the Sun, on this day, Saturday 19, Jan. 1793. It having been very clear and troity, till about 12 o'clock; a fog arofe, by which the fun, as is ufual, appeared like a red g'obe. The attention of many people, myteif among the number, was excited, by oblerving an oblong opake body, nearly on his center. It was so visible, as to be feen without any affifiance of a telescope, and even when the fog difperfed, and the Sun became very luminous, the spot was fti very vifible, although the power of light was very great upon the eye, which will dazzle and weaken the fight. As fo extraor dinary a phænomenon mult create great wonder and furprize to those who are not involved in the profound relearches of philofophy, an explanation of the above cause would give great fatisfac tion. WHATEVER relates to futurity, or any prediction that is, or feemis to be accompathing, is generally grateful to the ear,and is the favourite study of many. The Revelations of John have thus gained the attention of men eminent in their day for learning.Among the many who made them their ftudy, was a Mr. Robert Fleming (fon of Mr. Robert Fleming, who wrote on the fuiniling of the Scriptures) and publifed a dicourie, in the year 1701, ** on the rife and fall of Papacy;" in which is the following remarkable fentence: "I cannot but hope, that fome new mortification of the chief Supporters of Antichrift will then happen, and perhaps the French Monarchy may begin to be confiderably humbled about that time: that whereas the prefent French King takes the Sun for his Emblem, and this for his motto-Nec pluribus inpar, he may at length, or rather his fuccolors, at leaft before the year 1794) be forced to acknowledge, that (in respect of neighbouring Potentates) he is even figularis SWERDNA. * See the letter of J. B. vol. LXII. p. 879. impar♪ 4 A Sketch |