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CONVENIENT APARTMENTS.

The bedchamber 24 by 22, purple damask, French chairs of Chiffel-street velvet tapestry; the chimney-piece a baff. rel. of white marble finely polished. The dreffing room 28 by 24 hung with blue damafk. So much for the fuite of rooms to the left of the hall and faloon.

Jan.

closet with books, and a smaller one. dreffing-room. 5. The bed-chamber 6. A clofet with books. The rooms are about 22 by 20. The ftrangers wings. of anti-chamber-dreffingroom -bed-chamber-clofet with books-bed-chamber-dreffing-room bed-chamber-dreffing-room-The fitting up of the whole houfe, in all particulars not mentioned, is in the most beautiful tafte, the Venetian windows beyond any you ever beheld; ornamented with magnificent pillars, and a profufion of gilding.

On the other fide you enter from the latter, another drawing-room 33 by 22, hung with a crimfon flowered velvet. The glaffes tables and chimney-pieces are well worthy of your attention. From this room you enter the statue gallery; which, I think, is, without exception, the most beautiful room I ever beheld: The dimenfions are to the eye proportion itself-nothing offends the most criticifing. It confifts of a middle part 70 feet by 22, at each end an octagan of 22, open to the center by an arch; in one are compartments with books, and in the other ftatues: Thofe in the principal part of the gallery ftand in niches in the wall, along one fide of the room, on each fide the chimney piece. Obferve in particular the Diana, the figure is extremely fine, and the arms inimitably turned. The Venus in wet drapery is likewife exquifite; nothing can exceed the manner in which the form of the limbs is feen through the cloathing. The flabs are very fine; the only plain one in the house, (they are all gilt fret work and mosaic) not accidentally; it appears to me a ftroke of propriety and true tafte.

The entrance I have already mentioned from the drawing-room is into one octagon, and out of the other opens the door into the dining-room, a cube of twenty-eight feet, with a large recefs for the fideboard, and two chimney pieces exceedingly elegant; one a fow and pigs and wolf, the other a bear and bee-hives, finely done in white marble; the nose of the fow was broke off by a too common mifapplication of fenfe, feeling instead of feeing; John, to an object of fight, prefents his fift or his horfewhip. Returning into the ftatue gallery, one octagon leads into the ftrangers wing, and the other to the late eail's apartment: Confifting of, 1. The antiroom. 2. His lordship's dreffingroom. 3. The library, 50 by 21, and exceedingly elegant. 4. Her lady fhip's

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But now, fir, let me come to what of all other circumftances is in Holkam infinitely the most striking, and what renders it fo particularly fuperior to all the great houfes in the kingdom-convenience. In the first place, with the state apartments-From the hall to the faloon, on each fide a drawing-room, through one of them to the ftate dreffing room and bed-chamber: This is perfectly complete. Through the other drawing room to the ftatuegallery, which may be called the rendezvous room, and connects a number of apartments together, in an admirable manner; for one octagon opens into the private wing, and the other into the ftrangers, on one fide, and into the dining-room on the other. This dining room is on one fide of the hall, on the other is lady Leicefter's dreffing-room; and through that her bed-chamber and clofets. the recefs in the dining-room opens a little door on to a fair cafe, which leads immediately to the offices; and I fhould likewife tell you, that in the center of the wings, by the center of the houfe, by the faloon door, and behind lady Leicester's clofet, are ftair cafes quite unfeen, which communicate with all the rooms, and lead down into the offices I fay down; for the hall is the only room seen on the ground floor; you step directly from a coach into it, without any quarry of winding steps to wet a lady to the fkin before he gets under cover. From the hall yon rife to the faloon, or first floor, and there is no attick. Thus you perceive there are four general apartments, which are all diftinct from each, with no reciprocal thoroughfares; the ftate her lady fhip's the late earl's--and the ftrangers wing. These severally open into what may be called common

rooms,

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1768.

Paintings at Holkam.

rooms, the hall, ftatue-gallery, and fa- mountain. The drawing appears to doon, and all immediately communi- be bad.-Birds. cate with the dining room. There may be houfes larger, and more magnificent, but human genius can never contrive any thing more convenient.

I fear I have already expofed myself in my criticisms on architecture, what fhall I therefore fay to the paintings! Rely upon your candour, and exprefs to you nothing but my feelings; I had rather praise what the critics would call an execrable piece, than be guided merely by the dictates of common fame; Many a Vernet may please me as well as a Claud. I fhall minute the painters names, with the fubjects, and here and there an occafional remark. Cignani. Jofeph and Potiphar's wife; a good piece.

P. Pietris. Virgin and child. Pouffin. Two large landscapes. A A fmaller one. Three others in the Jandscape-room; fine. Two others. Vandyke. Duke of Aremberg; a very fine piece.

P. Cortona. Coriolanus: The figure of the old man kneeling before Coriolanus, and hiding his face with his hands, is extremely fine; but the figure of Coriolanus himself, without dignity, haughtiness, or any great expreffion. The wife leading her two children, and fmiling on them, forms a figure of no expreffion: The colouring, however, and the back ground are good; the difpofition indifferent.-Jacob and Efau, dark and difagreea

ble.

Gieufeppi Chierera. Continence of Scipio. The profile of the Spanish lady, wonderfully graceful and fine. Scipio's, a very bad figure, his countenance without expreffion; but the difpofition of the group very well imagined.-Perfius and Andromeda ; Andromeda's figure, a very good one, and the whole piece well coloured.

Procochiano. Death of Lucretia; the lights and fhades very bad.-Quintus Cincinnatus.

. Gaido. Jofeph and Potiphar's wife; none of this famous painter's bright and glowing manner. The colouring hard and difagreeable.-- A faint's head. -Cupid.-Affumption; vile.

Rubens. Flight into Egypt; a good picture, but the figures difagreeble, efpecially Mary's, who is a female Jan. 1768.

Titian. Venus; the colouring gone off, hard and difagreeable.-Venetian lady; colours gone.-Woman's head;

ditto.

Dominichino. Lot and his daughters; dark and difagreeable.-Abraham and Ifaac, (in the landscape-room) rather in a dark stile.

Carlo Maratt. A landfcape not in his bright manner.--Judith and Holophernes; dark.--Madona, reading.--Apollo and Daphne.-Magdalen and angel.

Vernet. Two views of a storm; hoth exceeding fine.

Salvator Rofa. A rock; very fine. F. Bolonefe. A rock.-St. John Baptift.

Onionte. Two landscapes.

L. Giordano. St. John preaching. Claud. Loraine. Landfcapes; river and bridge.--Pegafus.- Argus.--Apollo keeping heep.--Three others.--Repofe in Egypt. In thefe landfcapes, Claud's elegant genius fhines with uncommon luftre.

Lucatelli. Two landscapes.

Hamilton. Jupiter and Juno; colouring bad; her neck and face the beft.

An. Carrach. Polypheme and Galatea; the drawing ftrong and fine. Conca. Two altar pieces; indifferent colouring.

Albano. Holy family.

P. Laura. Two pieces of boys and flowers.

Raphael. Madona and child; drawing and colouring very fine.-Holy family: But quere of both to the connoiffeurs in originality.

Parmegiano. Woman in a cave; pleafes me better than any piece in this collection. The face very expreffive, extremely delicate, finely turned, and the drapery exquifite, difplaying the roundness of the limbs through it in the happiest taste.

P. Veronefe. M. Magdalen, wahing our Saviour's feet.

Baffan. Chrift carrying the cross.

Lanfranco. Youth and Old Age, two pieces; the Old Man very fine. Angel appearing to Jofeph in a dream;

dark stile.

And. Sacchi. Abraham, Lamel,

&c. Cypriani. St. Anne, and St. Ceci

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A BARBAROUS STRATAGEM.

lia. The colouring very fine; the attitudes admirable, and the drapery graceful.

The object moft ftriking on the north fide of the park, is the lake, which is of great extent, and the moft beautiful I ever faw; the fhore is a very bold one, all covered with wood to a great height, and on the top ftands the church. The plantations in general are sketched with more tafte than any to be feen: In the number of acres many exceed them; but they appear to various points of view, infinitely more confiderable than they 'really are. At the north entrance into the park, they fhow prodigiously grand: you look full upon the houfe with a very noble back ground of wood, the obelisk just above the cen ter; with an extent of plantation on each fide that renders the view really magnificent. Nothing can be more beautiful than that from the church, the house appears in the midft of an amphitheatre of wood, the plantations rifing one above another. Another point of view which I would recommend to you, is the vale on the eaft fide of the park. The north plantation ftretches away to the right, with vast magnificence, and the fouth woods to the left, and joining in the front, which is an extent of plantation that has a noble effect."

An Account of a bafe and barbarous Stratagem practifed by a Moorish Prince. HISTORY records a very fingular

and cruel scheme of politics projected and executed by Mehemet Almehdi, king of Fez, a prince not lefs remarkable for his ambition than bis refined craft and hypocrify. He had a long war to maintain against fome neighbouring nations, who refufed to fubmit to his tyranny. He gained over them feveral victories, But having afterwards loft a battle, wherein he had expoid his troops with a blind fury, they were fo difpirited that they refused to go against To infpice them with courage, he imagined the following ftratagem:

the enemy.

Having affembled fecretly a certain number of officers who were belt affected to him, he propofed to them confiderable rewards, if they would confent to be hut up for fome hours,

I

Jan.

in graves, as if they had been killed in battle; that he would leave them a fufficient vent for breathing, and that when, in confequence of a fuperftitious device he defigned cunningly to fpread through tire army, they should happen to be interrogated, they were to anfwer, that they had found what their king had promifed them; that they enjoyed the rewards of martyrdom, and that those who should imitate them by fighting valiantly, and thould die in that war, would enjoy the fame felicity. The thing was executed as he had propofed. He laid his moft faithful fervants among the dead, covered them with earth, and left them a fmall vent for drawing breath. He afterwards entered the camp, and aflembling the principal chiefs about midnight: "You are (faid he) the foldiers of God, the defenders of the faith, and the protectors of truth. Prepare to extirminate your enemies, who are likewife the enemies of the Moft High, and depend upon it you will never find fo fure an opportunity of being pleafing in his fight. But, as there may be daftards and stupid wretches among you, who do not believe my words, I am willing to convince them by the fight of a great prodigy.

Go to the field of battle, afk thofe of your brethren who have been killed this day; they will aflure you that they enjoy the most perfect happiness, for having loft their lives in this war.”

He then led them to the field of bat

tle, where he cried out with all his might: "O affembly of faithful martyrs, make known how many wonders you have feen of the most high God!" They answered, "We have received from the Almighty infinite rewards, which the living can have no idea of." The chiefs, furprifed at this anfwer, ran to publish it in the army; and revived courage in the heart of the foldiery. Whilft this was tranfacted in the camp, the king, feigning an extaly, caufed by this miracle, remained near the graves where his buried fervants waited their deliverance; but he flopped up the holes through which they breathed, and fent them to receive, in the other world, by this barbarous fratagem, the reward they had made a declaration of to others.

AMONG

1768. A

A SPIRITED ADDRESS.

MONG the many pieces pub

general election, the following spirited one feems to claim peculiar notice.

To the Electors of the County of Norfolk, and of the City and County of Norwich. Gentlemen,

AS it is the undoubted right, fo I with it may for ever remain, the unreftrained privilege of all British fubjects, freely to declare their fentiments, confiftent with truth and correfpondent facts; concerning the public conduct of those who are entrusted with our liberties, and of thofe who afpire after the honour of reprefenting us in the houfe of commons. The prefent time of an approaching election, is certainly the moft proper for a strict impartial enquiry into the views, the conduct, and abilities of all who offer themselves as candidates. The endeavouring, therefore, to remove prejudices and prepoffeffions, to inform or undeceive our fellow electors, by ftating facts in a just and fair light; fo as may fix their determination on the choice of representatives, who are from principle fincerely and heartily in the intereft of liberty, on which the fecurity of our perfons and property fo effentially depend; is highly commendable. -And as many pens have been employed in this laudable contest, I hereby caft my mite into the public treafury: because a fatal mistake in our choice of men to reprefent us in parliament for seven years; may deprive us, and our pofterity, of all that is dear and valuable; and may perhaps, make it even dangerous to speak the truth, of those whom we choofe for the guardians of our liberties.

A large eftate only, qualifies no man for a legiflator; becaule many fuch, not only want veracity, but are weak and ignorant; and may eafily be made the dupes and tools of artful and defigning courtiers.—Covetous men, and profufe extravagant men, are neither of them fit to be entrulted with our liberties; because liable to be influenced by bribes; as the one must have money, and the other will have it. Ambitious men, and fuch as are addicted to gaming, are alfo equally dangerous. We ought therefore to be very careful into what hands we commit our liberties and

to

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properties-Such as have been proved in them, may fafely be chosen again. But if any appear to have been venal, weak, inattentive, or any other way unfit for the difcharge of fo important a truft; they ought now with a becoming British spirit and resolution to be rejected.

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We have had two most important questions, warmly debated in the prefent parliament. Namely, the American ftamp act; and that about the illegality of general warrants. Such members as were willing to put a yoke upon the necks of their fellowfubjects abroad, and to force their money out of their pockets against their confent, without an act of their own legislative affemblies, may be fuppofed likely enough to give into meafures, injurious to their conftituents; when it may ferve fome particular views or intereft of their own.And whoever voted in favour of general warrants, by poftponing that most important queftion; has openly deferted the facred and glorious cause of liberty, given up the fairest opportunity that ever prefented, for afcertaining the law which fecures the perfons and properties of the people of Great Britain, from the arbitrary will and pleafure of men in power, to feize and riffle them by virtue of fuch warrants.

The pretences made ufe of to excufe fuch voters, cannot be admitted: For the question about general warrants, was not moved in parliament to precipitate, or fupercede the power of the courts of law, to alter their rule of praseeding, or to bring them into a flate of dependance on the house of commons; not to prejudge or evoke the cause, and have it condemned by an arbitrary refolution there. Thefe, with other suggestions of the True Briton; in the Norwich Mercury of Nov. 28, could not poffibly be the reafons upon which the opinion of the afperfed gentlemen was founded, when they voted on the 17th of Feb. 1764, to poftpone the question about general warrants: becaufe, the illega lity of them had been decided in the Court of Common Pleas above two months before; and upon which, Lord Chief Juftice Pratt declared from the Bench, that upon the matureft confideration, general warrants are il·

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legal

36

SHREWD QUESTIONS.

Jan

It

men fhould have informed the public,
who are fo greatly diffatisfied with
them, what point it was which fo
warmly engaged the attention of par-
liament for two days in that feffion.
And as to the following words.
was thought that this would be more re-
gularly determined in the courts of law
where it was then depending, and where
only in our opinion it would be properly
decided. Does not this reafon for their
voting prove, the point in queftion was
debated, and contradict their firft af-
fertion? And therefore, what is this
but meer evafion? Is it not very
ftrange, that gentlemen could fo foon
forget, or that the question itself, and
what must neceffarily have been
fpoken upon it, fhould not make them
remember, that the cause itself had
been clearly decided in the Court of
Common Pleas, before an upright
judge, and most able lawyer; little
more than two months before? How
therefore can they expect that we
fhall entrust the perfons and proper-
ties, rights and privileges of the peo-
ple of Great Britain again, in the
fame hands, who voted fo injuriously
to the facred caufe of liberty; and
publish such declarations to cover mif-
conduct? But facts are ftubborn things,
and will not bend to serve a bad cause,
whilft the facts above admit of no
difpute.

legal. General warrants are unconflitutional. General warrants are rods of iron for the chastisement of the people of Great Britain.The oppofition therefore which was made to the refolution propofed in parliament on the 14th of February, 1764, could only be defigned to prevent the houfe of commons from giving a fanction to Lord Camden's opinion, and confirming the determination of the Court of Common Pleas. And was it not for this, that fome placemen were threatened to be difmiffed by thofe in power? If they did not quit the minority, with whom they at firft joined; and vote on the other fide when the debate came on again: in order to ftop, fuch a refolution as might then have paffed, for the benefit and fafety of the fubjects of Great Britain? Bat by poftponing the question, a neceflary amendment to ftrengthen and explain the law, whereby our perfons and properties would have been beyond difpute fecured to us, by a re cord in the registers of parliament, as well as in the Court of Common Pleas, was prevented by thofe tools of power. - How therefore can it be expected that the true friends of liberty fhould approve, and re-elect thofe to reprefent them again in parliament, who have done the public fo great an injury, that they may justly be efteemed, not the friends, but the enemies of liberty?

A new candidate prefents himself to the city and county of Norwich, And is it not very aftonishing that with the ufual profeffion of zeal to gentlemen can dare to declare in print, promote the welfare, the trade, and maand fign their names; that no queftion_nufactures of this great city: and that he upon the legality or illegality of general warrants was ever moved in the house? Norwich Mercury, Oct. 31. And to add Nov. 14. That whatever queftion might be propofed on the 14th of February 1764, The legality or illegality of general warrants was not the point in debate on that day? and yet (as their advocate the True Briton confeffeth) this was the refolution propofed "that a general warrant for apprehending and feizing the authors, printers, and publishers of a feditious libel, together with their papers, is not warranted by law." Namely, is not legal. Does not this question directly lead to that point and to that point only? Lut if this point was not at all confidered or debated (which I do not fee how it could be avoided) the gentle

will moft ftrenuously oppofe all attempts upon the liberty of the fubject and every other unconftitutional measure. But as actions (peak louder than words, we are left to infer his true principles from his public conduct. He has openly approved and joined in the nomination of those whofe votes in parliament have rendered them obnoctious to the friends of liberty.-By his efpoufing the intereft, and endeavouring to promote the re-election of those gentlemen, may it not be justly fuppofed (notwithstanding his public declaration) he approves the very voting which has given fuch difguft to the public? And may we not from thence fear his joining in the like meafores when opportunity presents, if confiftent with his own particular

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