Swift. Thofe people feem to be put to hard shifts to make their books and fpeeches long and enigmatical. But furely fuch affectation cannot be univerfal. Mercury. It is not. In the British Senate, and in fome British pulpits, you might hear trains of eloquence that would do honour to Demofthenes, and tranfcend the abilities of Tillotfon and Bithop Taylor. You formerly admired Bolingbroke as fpeaker; but were you to hear Mr. P Swift. Bolingbroke was a fhallow fellow, though I own he imposed on Pope and me; but on a better, wiser, and more learned, man than either of us, I mean Arbuthnot, he did not impofe: the Doctor understood him well. Bolingbroke's oftentation kept his ignorance out of fight; and because he was pofitive, we thought him penetrating. He could turn a fentence fo as to make it found well; but it was all words, words, as Hamlet fays. For my part, you know I never valued thofe modulated periods, as I think your critics call them; brevity, fimplicity, and proper words in proper places, form, in my opinion, the perfection of eloquence. But I interrupt you. Mercury. I mentioned the neceffity which an English writer, who aims at popularity, is now under, of using long words: I ought to have added, that it is also thought genteel fome times to shorten ordinary expreffions. For reformation every body now fays reform; this being French, and the other vile old English: instead of for the future, it is fashionable to fay in future; and beautiful (or ugly) to a degree, instead of-to a great degree. The last example has alfo the advantage of being elegant on account of its ambiguity as the following very fashionable phrafes have, of being not merely ambiguous, but unintelligible: he fported fable, fcouted the idea, netted a cool thousand, has not made up his mind,&c. Swift. Thefe, indeed, are fuch jargon, that I can make nothing of them. But I fuppofe they hardly deferve interpretation. Mercury. In Elyfium they do not deferve it; but in Great Britain you would be ftared at as a prodigy of ignorance and rufticity if you should feem ignorant of their meaning. I know not whether I told you of a rule, which in the fabrication of this new dialect is much attended to: "Affect uncommon terminations as much as poffible." Inftead of-reference, preference, commitment, approbation, &c. fay-referral, preferral, committal, ap proval, &c. and the transferral of property instead of the transferring of property. But above all, to fhew your great learning, affect terminations of a Greek form, as -ism and -ist; as truifm for truth, agriculturalift for huibandman. Since boxing became a fine art Swift. Boxing is a blackguard art: Who made it fine, pray? There were faid to be only four fine arts; and one of them fiddling. I could never prevail on myself to honour that with approbation. I acknowledge only three, poetry, painting, and architecture. Mercury. There are many fine arts now dancing, tumbling, wagering, gaming, legerdemain, horfe-racing, face-painting in both fexes, cock. fighting, are all fine arts; and hairdrefling is a very fine art. But, as I was faying, fince boxing became a fine art, it is quite vulgar to call a profeffor of it a boxer. Some learned innovator, having heard of the Latin Pugil, thought of introducing it; but pugil was too diminutive a name for a thing of fuch magnitude; and therefore, clapping to it a part of a Greek being inftantly adopted by the dilettanti termination, he made it pugilift; which (or admirers) of boxing and new words. gave rife to the adjectives pugilific and pugilistical, as in this example: "We hear it is in contemplation to run up a novel and fuperb pavilion at Newmarket for pugiliftical exhibitions." Pugiațicfm and pugilificity have not appeared, but are every hour expected; and I will venture to infure them a favour able reception. Savift. Nay, good Mercury, I am afraid you are now going too far, and at your old trade of putting tricks you for your information, though you upon travellers. However, I thank have made me fick of the fubject. I fee my friend Addifon coming this way; it will require an hour even of his converfation to wear out the dif agreeable impreffions left in my mind by this abominable detail of vulgarity, pedantry, and barbarism. ACCOUNT ACCOUNT OF HAMBOURG, OR HAMBURGH. THERE are few countries that do not afford fomething to commend: one cannot help obferving in this, with the most rapturous fenfations, the great respect that is paid not only to the poor man's rights, but to his convenience, and even his amusements; which of late years has certainly not been the cafe in England. The hopes of amusement one day in the week cheers the labour of those that remain. The poor man's rights are, naturally, the fame as thofe of the rich -fet the Prince and the basket-maker together upon a defolate island, and it is certain the birth of the former will not be fo good a plea for fuperiority as the skill of the latter; but in a State the rights of a poor man must be estimated by the facrifices he has made, or acquiefced in, for the benefit of that fociety: he has refigned to his landlord all his fhare of the ground which his hands cultivate, not reserving to him self as much as will bury him; he has lent to the merchant and manufacturer the ufe of his limbs, as an engine to procure them wealth, at a rate much below their real value; he has relinquifhed to those who are called his betters, all claim to rank, power, title, and respect, and is content to fwell the pomp of state by the contrast he exhibits of meannefs opposed to grandeur; without which comparative relation neither of them would exilt: what then, in fuch an unequal distribution, is left him? Surely the fecurity, at least, that his condition fhall not become ftill worse, and that like the bee, which refigns her treasures to man, he may remain unmolested in his hive, and be fed with a portion of that honey he collects for his mafters. If this be denied him, will he not be apt to call for a fresh divifion of the common property? "Give me the portion of good things which falleth unto me."-Heavy as is the burden of poor-rates, the opulent furely do not with for fuch a liquidation of the account; the poor man ought, therefore, to be at least secured in the conti. nuance of the humble enjoyments belonging to his ftation; a willingness to labour is all that can be required of him. It is not enough to provide for VOL. XLIII. MAY 1803. the poor by keeping their fouls and bodies together, in the cheapest manner poffible; they ought to be maintained in the poffeffion of their comforts, and which, as they lie in a very small compass, ought to be more facred. The poor man places fome of his comforts (often, it must be confessed, too much of them) in social and convivial enjoyments: the bare mention of thefe in a poor man, at prefent, strikes many with the idea of great criminality. To fquander at an alehoufe what ought to fupport his family is undoubtedly wrong; but that, after a hard week's labour, he should not love to relax a little in that place which affords "An hour's importance to the poor man's beart," is furely so natural, that it cannot deferve much cenfure. The evening chat at a neighbour's door, the Sunday's church-yard politics, the holiday feltivities, the ruftic games and athletic exercises, are as welcome to the labourer as the Opera-house and Almack's to the Lord; and who will fay, that the pleasures of the former are not as honeftly earned as that of the latter'? Without these sweeteners, what is the bitter cup of a poor man's life? What is the life of him who is compelled to fuftain a tastelefs and melancholy being within the barren precincts of a workhoufe, where the names of freedom, property, and cheerfulness, are unknown? Perfons of the first rank here are merchants; many of them are at the fame time Senators, men well informed, scholars, and gentlemen. No where is the Civil Magistrate more respected: whenever their carriages approach the gates, the guards turn out to falute them. The Senators, and other Civil Magiftrates, are diftinguished in public by black velvet cloaks and ruffs, a good deal like thofe of the Reitendieners before mentioned. The first clafs of them are faid to be extremely opulent: it is fuppofed there are about ten or a dozen worth from two to three millions of marks banco; one hundred and fifty worth from four το to fix hundred thoufand; and a great number rich enough to live perfectly at their eafe, with fufficient for the enjoyment of all the luxuries of life: they are fond of fhew, and live very fplendidly. All ranks of people, from the highest to the lowest, are very ceremonious; and many may be faid rather to carry their hats in their hands, than on their heads, as they are every minute taking it off to fome one or other. A German will make as many bows in a day, as, with tolerable economy, will last an Englishman a twelvemonth. From the highest to the lowest, trade and commerce occupies their principal attention; they are tharp in dealing, and by no means difpofed to give any advantage: as in all great trading places, money is the god of their idolatry. They are great church-goers, particularly the women. When not put out of their way, they are a good-tempered people, and by no means wanting in friendship and humanity; but they are impatient of contradiction, and when at all heated by oppofition, they become violent and enfuriated beyond comparifon-certainly, when the lower clafs quarrel, they make more noife than thofe of any other people. Of the learned, there are very few, and influence they have none; at the head of them ftand the names of KlopStock, Reimarus, Bufch, and Ebeling. The arts are little cultivated or patronized: to this, however, there are a few exceptions; and their names ought not, in gratitude, to be forgotten. Among them are thofe of Sieveking, Matthieffen, and Voght. Senator Kirchhof has the most complete fet of philofophical and aftronomical inftruments in Germany. The memory of Voght will live as long as this city has one stone upon another, not only on account of his unwearied endeavours to introduce into his country different improvements from Europe, but for his unwearied exertions for the poor: his pamphlet on the fubject of the management of them fhould be studied by the Legiflature of every country, but more especially by that of England. Of the learned profeffions there are not many pre-eminently distinguished: of them, that of medicine greatly takes the lead. There are a great many eminent German physicians; and though profeffional fees are small, they fome how fo contrive it, that most of them keep their carriage. There are three English phyficians here-Doctors Macdonald, Maclean, and Matcalf. The first of thefe Gentlemen has diftinguished himself by introducing inoculation for the cow-pox, as an antidote to, or preventative of, the fmall-pox; and notwithstanding the objection fo ftrongly prevalent among the Germans against every thing like innovation, the phyficians here have generally adopted the prac tice, and feem convinced of its efficacy: they are apparently men of great candour, learning, and good fenie. Doctor Macdonald has published a pamphlet here upon the subject, and has inoculated above fixty fince the commencement of the present year, in all of which his practice has ferved to confirm its theory: it is reported, he is again about publishing upon the fame fubject. The Surgeons, as was formerly the cafe in England, are barbers: how they drefs wounds the Editor does not profefs to know, but that they have admirably he will readily fwear. The Clergy feem to be on fomething like a fimilar eftablishment with thofe of Scotland: they are perfectly respect. able; and if none of them have very large falaries or ftipends, all have enough to enable them to live eafy as Gentiemen. Would that our English Curates could fay as much! Of Lawyers, there are always to many every-where. Thefe men are feldom much known out of their own circles. There are in Hamburg a great number of Bookfellers; but the principal places where English books are to be obtained, are, at Mr. Campe's, in the Bohnen-street; Remnant's, in the Damdoor-treet; and Fauche, facing the Jungfernstieg. Circulating Libraries of German and French books are not wanting; but there is not an English.one, which would nevertheless anfwer extremely well. The Schools are faid to be very well appointed. The great public fchool, called the Johannes School, has a library belonging to it, confiiting of one hundred thoufand volumes, among which are many old and curious manufcripts. Of teachers there are a great number; fome fome teaching German to the English, and others English to the Germans the latter are running about the whole day, almost every one learning English here: fome are paid two marks a leflon; others two hillings; fome one; and most of them what they can get it is wery hard-earned money at any price. The most numerous clafs of people are yet to be defcribed; viz. the Brokers, who are as numerous as the rats, and, like them, are everywhere to be seen, about the Exchange, near the wharfs, and by the water-fide: they generally confift of men, bred to trade, who had formerly been merchants, and failed, clerks,-the greatest number of them are to be found among the young and idle, non-defcripts, men regularly belonging to none of the orders of fociety, and men who have nothing else to do but to watch the paffing moment and bufinefs of the hour, altogether dependent upon the greatest chapter in the book - the chapter of accidents. There are brokers for every thing; and every man is a broker who chufes to call himself fo. Some of the fworn-brokers are very refpectable, do much bufinefs, get much money, and live in a very good ftile. A newspaper is almoft neceffaryfuch is the force of habit-to the existence of an Englishman; and they are still more eager after them here than any where elie: the moment the arrival of a mail is announced, every one is running to get a fight of them. They are taken in at Atkinson's, Lilburne's, Stuart's, Tornquist's, and the London Coffee-boufe, near the Exchange. There are feveral German and French newspapers printed here. Of the German, entitled the Correspondent, they are faid to print one hundred thousand copies every week. Some time ago an English newfpaper was printed here; but it was faid to have been very ill conducted; on which account it did not answer, and was dropped altogether. In no place is an English newspaper fo much wanted. In other great commercial places, bus finefs is much facilitated by means of advertisements; but here, no one knows what another has to fell, and, in order to find the article wanted, he muft apply through the medium of a broker: here, too, advertisements are more neceffary, as goods are not difplayed in fhops, as in England and France; the Germans actually bide theirs; and it requires no inconfiderable degree of ingenuity and industry to find them. A fmall English weekly, paper, employed merely as an advertifer, would be of great ufe, and would undoubtedly be encouraged. The two English poft-days are Tuefdays and Fridays: letters must be put into the poft-office before ten at night, and fivepence paid for each letter. Hamburg is the principal of those commercial towns which formerly affociated, for the purpose of mutual defence, under the title of the Hans Towns. It is a city of immenfe trade, and highly important to all the States of Europe, but certainly the most so to Great Britain, particularly in time of war: its harbour has never before been fo crowded with Britifh fhips, or its houfes fo filled with British fubjects. Without this city, England mult have renounced all her trade with the Continent, which at prefent forms two-thirds of the bufinefs carried on here. In a word, Great Britain and Hamburg are reciprocally neceffary to each other. How much the trade of Great Britain refts upon its independence, and the free navigation of the Elbe, is obvious from pretent exifting circumstances. In confequence of only its temporary fufpenfion, and the interruption of its commerce for a few weeks, complaint has been daily poured into this city from every part of England, and naturally enough, for from hence English goods are conveyed to every part of the Continent; viz. to France, Holland, Pruffia, Rulia, Spain, Italy, &c. From the prefent fituation of Europe, its extent of commerce must neceffarily exceed the capital of the merchants here, and muit, of courfe, in a great meafure, be carried on by means of British capitals. British commercial agents here are very numerous.. How much England is concerned in: preferving the prefent conftitution of 'Hamburg, and its independence, is obvious from Lord Hawkefoury's late letter to the Senate, in which he affures them of British protection in the ftrongest terms. be inferred from the pardon of Napper Zzz Tanity, The fame may_ Tandy, as tending to prevent Hamburg being involved in a dispute with France on that account. The duty imposed on British goods landed at Hamburg does not exceed one and a half per cent. ad valorem. Great quantities of all kinds of Britifh goods go from hence to the different fairs, which are held three times in every year, at Frankfort on the Main, Frankfort on the Oder, Leipfic, and Brunfwick: they are fubject to a fmall duty on entering the town: the Polith Jews bring immenfe fums in gold to thefe fairs, particularly to Leipfic.After thefe fairs, vaft numbers, of all countries, come from different parts to Hamburg, for the purpofe of buying goods against the approaching fairs. In the last hundred years, there have been fifty of them spent in war between France and England; during which period, it has been the conftant endeavour of France to distress, and, as far as in her power, prevent, the British trade with this city: nevertheless France muft neceffarily be much interested in the independence of Hamburg, inafmuch as her trade is confiderably ferved by it, particularly in time of war, by exporting French goods to the North, which he cannot Cover with a fleet, as is the cafe with England. France alfo carries on, during peace, a very confiderable trade in her colonial products; fuch as fugar, coffee, &c. from St. Domingo, Ifle de France, &c.; her wines and manufactured goods fent to the North, for the most part, alfo, pafs through Hamburg. This great traffic, in which the annual imports were estimated, before the war, at fixty millions of livres, is ftill carried on, via Holland, or entirely overland to Hamburg. Hamburg is a famous place of change, in which France does much bufinefs, and draws much money. These advantages would be all loft to France, if Hamburg fhould fall into the hands of any fingle Power. It is a known declaration of Bonaparte, that he never had a thought of interfering with the independence of Hamburg. The policy of Hamburg is prin. cipally directed to its commerce, which is exercifed with great dexterity by its Senate; and many a political storm is averted by their skill in negotia tion. It has been whispered, that Hamburg had much to apprehend, in point of fecurity, from Pruha; but apparently without any well-founded reason. Pruffia has protected it during the whole of the prefent war, and is likewise interested in its independence, as carrying on a confiderable trade in corn, timber, and other articles, through Hamburg. This protection was fuppofed to have ceased from the moment the Danes occupied its gates; but this event has probably been occa. fioned by political caufes, now doing at least, if not done, away. The Court of Berlin has demanded of the Cabinet of Copenhagen the evacuation of the city, and the free navigation of the Elbe; the latter has been already effected, the former may be hourly expected. The linen of Silefia could find no fale till the opening of the Elbe was effected. This was stated * In answer to an apology addreffed by the Senate of Hamburg to the Confuls of France, relative to Napper Tandy and his affociates, in which they remark, “that their ruin and utter annihilation would have been the inevitable confequence of a refusal,” the following Note was tranfmitted them; BONAPARTE, First Conful of the Republic, to the Burgomafters and Senate of the Free and Imperial City of Hamburg. Paris, 9th Nivofe-8th Year. We have received your letter, Gentlemen: it is no juftification of your conduct : it is by courage and virtue alone that States are preserved; cowardice and vice prove their ruin. You have violated the laws of hospitality: such a violation would not have taken place among the barbarian hordes of the defart your fellow-citizens will impute it to you as an eternal reproach. The two unfortunate men will die illustrious; greater evils to their perfecutors than could be amy. but their blood will be a source of brought upon them by a whole BONAPARTE, First Conful. |