THIS accomplished Nobleven birth to many who have fignalized themselves in the walks of Literature and Politics much to their own honour, and greatly to the credit and advantage of their country. He was the eldest fon of Philip Earl of Hardwicke, Lord High Chancellor, and Margaret his wife, and was born 20th December 1720. At the fchool of Dr. Newcome, at Hackney, he received the first rudiments of his education, and from that feminary, on 26th May 1737, was removed to Beniret College, Cambridge, under the tuition of the Rev. Dr. Salter. In the year following he was appointed one of the Tellers of the Exchequer, in the room of Sir Charles Turner, Bart. deceased. In 1740 he left College, and foon after married Lady Jemima Campbel, only daughter of John Lord Viscount Glenorchy, by the Lady Amabel Grey, eldest daughter of Henry Duke of Kent, at whofe decease the fucceeded to the title of Marchionefs Grey and Baronefs Lucas of Crudwell. By this marriage he became poffeffed of a large part of the Duke's eftate, together with his feat of Wreft Houfe, near Silfoe, in Bedfordshire. He early engaged as a Legiflator. In 1741 he was chofen Member for Ryegate, in Surrey, and in 1747 one of the Reprefentatives for the County of Cambridge, as he was alfo in 1754 and 1761. At the inftallation of the Duke of Newcastle, as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, in 1749, he had the degree of LL.D. conferred upon him. In 1764

the office of Lord High Steward of the Univerfity, he obtained that honour against Lord Sandwich. The infirm fate of his Lordship's health, combined with his attachment to literary purfuits, prevented him from attending to, or joining in, the politics of the day. He had the honour, however, of a feat in the Cabinet during the exiftence of that short-lived Administration, in 1765, of which Lord Rockingham was the head, but without any falary or official fituation; which, though repeatedly offered to him, he never would accept.

He died the 16th May 1790.

His Lordship through life was attentive to literature, and produced feveral ufeful works, befides the affiftance which he rendered on various occafions to authors who have acknowledged their obligations to him.

On the death of Queen Caroline, in 1738, he inferted a Poem amongst the Cambridge Verfes printed on that occation.

Whilft a member of the University of Cambridge, he engaged with feveral friends in a work fimilar to the celobrated Travels of Anacharfis into Greece, by Monfieur Barthelemi. It was entitled "Athenian Letters; or the Epiftolary Correfpondence of an Agent of the King of Perfia refiding at Athens during the Peloponefian War," and confifted of letters fuppofed to have been written by contemporaries of Socrates, Pericles, and Plate, A few

copies were printed in 1741 by Bettenham, and in 1782 an hundred copies were reprinted; but still the work was unknown to the public at large. At length, an elegant, correct, and authenticated edition, under the aufpices of the prefent Earl of Hardwicke, was published in 1798, in two volumes, 4to. and an advertisement prefixed to the first volume, attributes its having been to long kept from the Public to an ingenuous diffidence which forbad the authors of it, moft of them extremely young, to obtrude on the notice of the world what they had confidered merely as a preparatory trial of their strength, and as the best method of imprinting on their own minds fome of the immediate fubjects of their academical ftudies. The friends who affifted in this publication were, the Hon. Charles Yorke, afterwards Lord High Chancellor, Dr. Rooke, Mafter of Chrift's College, Cambridge, Dr. Green, afterwards Bishop of Lincoln, Daniel Wray, Efq. the Rev. Mr. Heaton, of Bennet College, Dr. Heberden, Henry Coventry, Efq. the Rev. Mr. Laury, Mrs. Catherine Talbot, Dr. Birch, and Dr. Salter.

Though a good claffical scholar, yet the object to which Lord Hardwicke, from his early youth, particularly directed his attention, was modern hiftory. Accordingly he printed, in 4to. a fmall impreffion (not for fale) of the Correfpondence of Sir Dudley Carlton, Embaffador to the States General during the reign of James the First, and prefixed to it an hiftorical Preface, containing an account of the many im. portant negociations that were carried on during that interefting period. A fecond impreffion of fifty copies only was printed in 1775.

The laft publication of Lord Hardwicke was entitled "Mifcellaneous State Papers from 1501 to 1726," in two volumes, 4to. containing a number of felect papers, fuch "as mark moft ftrongly the characters of celebrated Princes and their Minifters, and illuftrate fome memorable æra or remarkable feries of events." Collections of this kind have been frequently given to the Public, but generally overladen with papers both tedious and trifling. The prefent avoids the errors of its predeceffors, all the papers it contains being curious and important.

THIS is not one of thofe vain Differtations, which make a difplay of erudition, without any real utility, and often even at the expence of the judgment.

It has been acknowledged by all fenfible men of this age, and even demonftrated, that the progrefs of erudition, too long mifled by the imagination, must be firft fubjected to the rigorous laws of analysis, and afterwards rife to philofophical refults, and to impofing generalities, and thus collect obfervations too often fterile and minute round an interefting centre.

This was, no doubt; what Citizen Cointreau propofed, and what he appears to us to have executed. He has not only thrown light upon an object, which had eluded the fagacity of feveral antiquaries, and thus added a new conqueft to the art in the fecrets of which he had been initiated by the illuftrious Barthelemy, whofe toils he

fhared for twenty-feven years; but has given to his demonftration the form of clofe reafoning, in which all the parts are connected together as in a logical propofition: and finally attaching thefe different data to a refult which they uphold, he has deduced a new confirmation from them of the mythological fyftem fo well developed by the profound.Dupuis.

This giffertation is divided into three parts, historical, mythological, and allegorical.

In the first, after having fhewn the epoch of the difcovery of the Vafe, its configuration, dimentions, and ornaments, Citizen Cointreau examines at what prior period it appears to have been made; who might have been the first poffeffor of it; what object was propofed by ordering it; and whether the choice of the fixteen medals by which it is embellished, fufficiently indicate its intention.

In the fecond, the antiquary is oceupied with the principal perfonages of the two bas reliefs, following the data of the Greek and Roman mythology, reckoning for the first from the time of the Trojan war, almost 1200 years before the vulgar æra.

In the third, the Author goes back to the Egyptian allegories, which relate to the origin of aftronomy, to the divifion of the heavens into conftellations, to the progrefs of the planets, to the precision of the equinoxes, &c. the pretended existence of the fabulous Gods and Heroes, as well as the great actions attributed to them.

In order to establish in a plaufible manner, the degree of antiquity of this Vafe, as it had no date, recourfe was had to the fixteen medals attached to it, of which a description follows in the work. Some of the reverfes are of a certain rarity; fuch is that of Faustina the younger, having for legend, Læti. tie Publicæ, which is neither to be found in Vaillant, nor in the doctrine of Eckhel, but is mentioned by Rafche. Such is that of Geta, in which Septimius Severus is fitting on an ettrade facing you, between his two children, Caracalla and Geta, then Confuls, the elder for the third time, and the younger for the fecond, in the year of Rome 960, with this legend, Pontif. Cos. II.

Afterwards come remarks on writing with points, and on placing the double i instead of the e.

Paffing afterwards to the difcuffion, the author examines if this Vafe be of the time of Septimius Severus; and if it could have been deftined for him, or have belonged to him. The affirmative is deduced from three probabilities: First. (And this remark belongs to the learned Barthelemy) Thefe medals unite the feries of the Antoninufes, whom Severus affected to rank among his ancestors. It is conjectured that in this monument, flattery reprefented them to please Severus. This prefumption is fupported by many hiftorical teftimonies and infcriptions.

Secondly. The make and style of the monument gives us additional light this vafe began to feel the decay of the arts. It is confidered as pofterior to the year of Rome 960, epoch of the fecond confulate of Geta; indicated by the reverfe of the medal No. 6.

Thirdly. We are determined in fine by the approximation and com

parifon established between the bas relief of this Vafe and the private medals of the family of Septimius Severus. We find on the bas-relief, as on the medals, Hercules and Bacchus ftanding, with their attributes and their legends. According to Eckhel, this type has been adopted by no other Emperor but Severus. It appears, then, evident that this Vafe is of the time of Septimius Severus, and that it may have been offered to him either on his paffage among the Helvetians, among the Gauls, or even into England; and in whatever place it may have been made, it could only have come from the hand of a Roman workman.

The author afterwards victoriously refutes all the objections in detail, which cannot deftroy his general proofs.

Such are the foundations of the hiftorical part. The mythological part contains the explication of the figures. It is here the author has literally distributed the ftores of an uncommon erudition. Many things are here to be found, which are wanting in mytholo gical dictionaries. But it is in the differtation itself they must be studied. It is the fame with refpect to the allegorical part: there you find a very beautiful explication of the folar triad. The author demonitrates that the three names of the ftar fucceffively called Hercules, Apollo and Bacchus, correfpond with the three faculties of Power, Intelligence, and Benevolence ; that the God Pan is the emblem of the foul of the world; that the three women, standing befide that god, are, Earth, Nature, and Matter, according to the opinion of Macrobius.

After rapidly running over feveral other allegorical points of view, the learned Cointreau draws this conclufion :

It was a custom among the Emperors to give and to receive presents on certain days of the year, and on certain occafions: whether upon the new promotion of the fon of Septimius Severus to the Confulfhip, or upon his departure for England, this Vafe might have been offered him.

Such is the dry analysis which the narrow limits of a journal oblige us to give of a fubftantial differtation, in which the author's urbanity and justice toward his literary cotemporaries, are no lefs remarkable than his erudition. ACCOUNT

THE Gentlemen of the late Corps of Loyal Illington Volunteers, anxious to testify the high fenfe they entertain of the loyalty, ability, and spirited conduct of their Commandant, ALEXANDER AUBERT, Esq. have prefented that Gentleman with a SUPERB SILVER VASE, which may be ranked among the first productions of the Arts in this country. We have been favoured with the following defcription of this truly elegant and unique piece of plate:

The cover of this magnificent veffel contains a grand display of military infignia, among which are introduced the particular accoutrements of the corps, the standard of the cavalry, &c. In the centre of thefe is a figure of Fame, feated on a mortar, in the act of founding a trumpet, and fupporting the colours of the Loyal flington Volunteers, on the ftaff of which is the British Cap of Liberty; alluding to the known attachment of the Volunteer Corps of this kingdom to that rational freedom infured to them by our glorious Conftitution.

Vine leaves, grapes, rofes, &c. arranged in festoons of fingular richuels, and beautifully diverfified, nearly furround the upper part of the boty of the Vafe, and are collected together in knot on the principal front, by a Bacchanalian head, from which is tupended a thield, with this inferip

tion:

"This Cup Was prefented by the late Corps of Loyal Ilington Volunteers, To Alexander Aubert, Efq. Their Lieut. Col. Com.nandant, In teftimony of their refpect and efteem for him, in approbation of his firm and fpirited behaviour in fupport of the

Honour and Independence af the Corps previous to its general Refignation,

And in grateful acknowledgment of his judicious and liberal conduct upon all occafions,

as their Commander.

Embodied the 4th of March, 1797. Unanimously religned 20th of January, 1891,

at that period confisting of 314 Mem

bers,
Civalry and Infantry."

On the oppofite front is fufpended a fhield bearing the Colonel's arms, fupported by a band of laurel, over which is placed a head in the Egyptian coftume, with a ftar on the forehead, alluding to the Colonel's favourite purfuit, the study of Aftronomy, in which icience he has attained great eminence. The body of the Vale is gilt, and partly enveloped in a Lion's fkin, exhibiting the unity and strength of the Corps. This, and all the ornaments,are richly chased in silver matt,

The Handles are each formed of two ferpents. The tails proceed from the upper part in front, and following the courfe of the feitoons a little way. emerge from them, and proceed in a bold and ample curve towards each other: the continuation of this curve brings each head to the lowest part of the oppofite fide, where it is received in a hollow, formed by Acanthus leaves, and compofing the bafe of the Vafe.→ The effect of the whole is much heightened by festoons of double chains hanging loofe from the body, which pafs through the mouths of the ferpents, and are difpofed with great talte and judgment.

The Pedestal was copied from the celebrated Bacchanalian Vate in the Villa Borghete at Rome; and on its plinth are grouped altronomical inftruments.

The whole was executed with great care and precifion by Mr. Preedy, from the chaite and elegant designs of Mr. Thurston, and modelled in the purelt ftyle of the antique, by Mr. Edmond Coffin.

At the fame time the Gentlemen of the Corps prefented the Colonel with

a

copy of the following address, (richly emblazoned on vellum) which was UNANIMOUSLY agreed to by the Corps on the day of their refignation. To ALEXANDER AUBERT, Efq. Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of the Loyal Ilington Volunteers.

SIR,

WE beg leave to addrefs you for the laft time we fhall have it in our power as a Volunteer Corps. We should not depart hence with fatisfaction to ourfelves, were we to neglect this opportunity of expreffing to you our fentiments. The very great activity

you

you have taken in forming fo repectable a Corps-the generofity and unbounded liberality you have always fhewn in fupporting it-and the very marked ability with which you have commanded it, merit our warmest ap probation, and our moft fincere thanks. In taking our leave of you as our Commandant, permit us to affure you,

Sir, we shall ever entertain a lively remembrance of that polite attention to us, for which you have been fo eminently diftinguished; and that you may enjoy long life and happinefs is the hearty with of every LOYAL ISLINGTON VOLUNTEER.

JOHN BIGGERSTAFF, Jun.
Secretary to the Corps.

He was born, we learn, in 1750 ór 1751, and defcended from a very ancient and refpe&table family in the Queen's County, in Ireland. He is the youngest of fix brothers, all of whom, except.the eldett, have ferved either in the army or navy. In 1766, he entered the army as an Enfign in the 50th regiment; in the fame regiment he ferved as a Lieutenant, and in the 79th he ferved fuccellively as Lieutenant, Quarter Mafter, CaptainLieutenant, and Captain. From his fuperior Officers he received many marks of approbation, particularly from General Calcraft, of the 50th, General Meadows, and the Duke of Northumberland. He has been for the lat twenty years detached from any particular corps, and intrufted with important offices. In 1779, he was appointed Chief Engineer to the St. Juan Expe-, dition, and conducted himself fo as to obtain diftinguifhedattention and praife from Captain Polfon, who commanded on that occafion. He alfo received the thanks of the Council and Affembly of the island of Jamaica, for the con ftruction of public works there, and was in confequence of thefe fervices, appointed by the Governor of Jamaica, to be Commander in Chief of the Iland of Rattan, and its dependencies, and of the troops there, and to rank as Lieutenant-Colonel and Field-Engi. neer, and commanded as fuch on the Spanish Main, in Rattan, and on the Mufquito fhore, and Bay of Honduras.' After this, at Cape Gracias a Dios he put himself at the head of the inhabi.

tants, who voluntarily folicited him to take the command, and retook from the Spaniards, Black River, the principal fettlement of the coalt. For this fervice he received the thanks of the Governor, Council, and Affembly of Jamaica, and of the King himself. In 1783, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. In 1784, he was appointed First Commiffioner for fettling and receiving the territory ceded to Britain by the fixth article of the Definitive Treaty of Peace with Spain in 1783. He as a Colonel fo well difcharged his duty, that he was appointed Superintendant of his Majesty's affairs on the coaft of Honduras, which office he held much to the advantage of the Crown of England, for he obtained from that of Spain fome very important privileges. The clafhing interests, however, of the inhabitants of this coat, produced much difcontent, and the Colonel was by a party of them, accused of various mifdemeanors to his Majesty's Minifters. He now came home, and demanded that his conduct should be investigated, but was, after two years constant attendance on all the departments of Government, at laft told by Minilters, that there was no charge against him worthy of investigation; that his Majefty had thought proper to abolith the office of Superintendant at Honduras, otherwife he should have been reinstated in it. But he was then, and on every occation, assured that his fervices thould not be forgotten, but in due time meet their reward.

IMPORTANT