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comforts I enjoy, fo frequently from thefe vehicles, that to become, at my time of life, a fceptic in their veracity, would be to doom myfelf to ignorance, and cut off all the fources of curious gratification. I fhall therefore endeavour, with the rest of your readers, to fwallow the account you gave in your paper of Monday, refpecting one of Queen Anne's farthings. I feel myfelf bound, in gratitude for former favours, to believe, that, in the year 1802, "a farthing fold for feven hundred and fifty guineas

Indeed there are many reasons for wishing this account to be true. It will fhew a laudable defire in people of property to watch over little things, and to refine upon the fage maxim, "Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves." It will alfo fhew that the prefent age is defirous of cultivating the true virtuofo tafte, of which perhaps a more fplendid inftance never was or will be given; and let me add, that it fays fomething for the advancement of oratory among the gentlemen of the lay-pulpit, when one of the number could expatiate fo eloquently on the fmallest denomination of coin, as to raise it to a fum which with proper management might establish a trade or maintain a family.

Among the leffer confequences, indeed, of this affair, will be a neceffary alteration in certain familiar modes of fpeech. We must take care how we undervalue any thing, by faying we would not give a farthing for it, and recollect that a man, who is not worth a farthing, may nevertheless have a good deal of money in his pocket.

Some ingenious politicians of my acquaintance, however, pretend to find out a ferious meaning in the affair, and look upon the whole ftory as a plot to reprefent to our enemies abroad the miferable state of

* A typographical error :-it fold only for 110 guineas. VOL. VI.

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Our

our finances, the fcarcity of our current coin, and the immenfe quantity of our paper. I know not what foundation there may be for this fuppofition; but undoubtedly we must all remember that the fubfidy our Minifters fo generously offered to Portugal, was reprefented to be no more than three farthings.

I have a friend, however, on whofe opinion I fet a mucl: higher value, because he is not more of a politician than a conjuror, and he affures me that the appearance of a Queen Anne's farthing, at this crifis, clearly prognofticates a happy conclufion of the Definitive Treaty. He fays that this farthing was a trialpiece, of moft exquifite workmanship, and chiefly valued upon that account. On the reverfe is the figure of Peace on a car, and the infcription Pax miffa per orbem. Its appearance, therefore, at the prefent time, he thinks as clearly argues for the conclufion of the peace, as the price paid for it is a proof how eagerly peace is defired.

I fubmit all this to the judgment of your readers, until our Minifters fhall communicate fome more direct information. The coincidence is certainly wonderful, and the Pax mia per orbem will be highly acceptable, although, as far as we are concerned, I have fome doubts as to the exquifite workmanship— however, the die is caft, and a very fhort time will determine whether our Minifters' trial-piece is worth a farthing. I am, Sir, your humble fervant, QUADRANTARIUS.

EPIGRAM

ON A FARTHING SELLING BY AUCTION FOR IIO GUINEAS,

THE chymifts of old muft fure have been fools,

In tranfmuring of metals, or had not the tools;
For now by a ftroke of the hammer, we're told,
A farthing with eafe may be turn'd into gold.
E. S. P***** ̧.

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MUSICAL

$IR,

MUSICAL DISORDERS.
[From the Morning Chronicle]

AS a friend to my country, I am forely vexed that the French are fo inflexible in the article of fingers and dancers. I would not willingly plunge the nation. into war, because I have no great encouragement from the fuccefs of the laft-but when, after all our ceffions. and conceffions, we are not able to obtain an addition, either to the corps de ballet, or the orcheftra, I am under the neceffity of joining that party who doubt of the fincerity of the Chief Conful, and the permanence of the peace; and I feel no fmall diffatisfaction at the conduct of our negotiators who fettled the affairs of the West Indies without ever cafting a thought at the theatre, and fixed the day when islands were to be furrendered, without any inquiry how operas

were to be acted.

But it is now too late to repine, and wisdom dictates that our next duty is to alleviate this misfortune as well as we can. If no more of an article is to be imported, we must endeavour to make much of what we have got, and, fince no more fupplies can be procured, put the ftarving garrifon on thort allowance.

It has been fuggefted, indeed; that we ought, under the exifting circumftances, to endeavour to promote the breed of dancers and fingers, fo as to fupply our own confumption, without being obliged hereafter to the continent; but this, I doubt not, will be oppofed, as the cultivation of the flaves in the Weft Indies is opposed; and thofe arguments, we know, are allowed to have great weight. The interefts of fugar and fashion demand fresh importations; and if I were to

* The dreadful news had just arrived, that Veftris and a famous finger were prevented by the French Government from coming over to England to fulfil their engagements at our Opera-house.

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fay

fay much of the breed of Italian fingers, 1 fhould lapfe into the pleasant mistake of fome gentlemen who have lately been inftructing the public in the breed of

oxen.

My plan is more confined, and I truft more practicable; it confifts merely in taking special care of the health of our fingers, which, all the papers informs, is liable to the viciffitudes of our moft variable and precarious climate. It is a fubject which I have often recommended to my brother phyficians, and which I have myfelf ftudied with care, and have likewise had the advantage of much experience in diforders of the gamut. Nevertheless a great deal remains to be done, and I fhall not have written this letter in vain, if it has the effect to call the attention of the faculty to a fubject of fo much importance. And in the mean time, as I deteft quackery and affected fecrecy, I shall impart my own opinion very frankly.

It has been remarked, with the furprise which ignorance occafions, that our climate is principally injurious to firft rate fingers, while the fourth, or third, or perhaps even the fecond rates, are exempted from its influence. The reafon of this, however, will be obvious, if we confider that it is in finging, as in our mode of life, and in our diet, the more we depart from fimplic ty the more we become liable to diforder, put ourselves as it were out of the protection of Nature, and become the prey of every trifling change of weather. In our finging, as well as at our tables, we have introduced fo many foreign kickfhaws and fantastical ornaments to make our guefis ftare, and afk one another, what is it? that a good plain ftomach cannot find any of its favourite indulgences.-What made dishes are to the ftomach, I confider bravuras are to the lungs. Who ever heard that the weather had any effect on a Scotch melody? but if a finger will take the cadence note, and hath it up into a thoufand little fritters, fo as to

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earry the fubject quite out of fight, I have always found the confequences to be a certain degree of cold. The warmth of feeling evaporates, the pores are open to wonderment and applaufe, and the leaft touch of an eafterly wind never fails to compel the manager to change the play." I have likewife obferved that the due accompaniment of the orcheftra is an excellent antidote against diforders; but when once a finger gets beyond them, and endeavours to excel the fiddle, all the confequences of extravagance may be expected. Indeed when I fee the fatal words fenza ftromenti in an Opera fcore, I can always predict what will follow, and I immediately advife an alteration in the next. night's bills, and tell the deputy managers to fcrew their faces into an apologetic form. On the other hand, when I fee the airs frequently noted with tempo guifto, piano, pianiffimo, graciofo, or affettuofo, I know that there is no occafion to confult the phyliciana or the weather-glafs, and that Kemble and Lewis need. not ftudy the melancholy language of fudden difappointment.

The Spectator fays, that when he faw a luxurious table, he fancied that gouts, and dropfies, and fevers, were lurking under the dishes. In like manner, Mr. Editor, when I hear cantabiles and bravuras, i know that hoarfenefs and cough are not far off; I have fometimes even trembled at a shake; but when I catch a performer climbing up to F in alt, I am certain I thall have a patient next day.

I ftate all this, Sir, to prove that there is nothing in our climate pernicious to fingers who will be content to live within the diatonic fcale, and ftudy fimplicity and nature. On the contrary, it has always been deemed very favourable to fuch, and it is but lately that we have heard any complaints, which, therefore, may be fairly fufpected to have no real foundation. For my part, when called in to fuch cafes, instead of

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feeling

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