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The works of Dr. Jortin have, neither by his cotemporaries nor the prefent age, met with that univerfal reception to which their unaffected piety, their intrinsic merit, and general erudition, entitle them! but, as it was faid of a comic poet, that "he might be tracked in the fnow of Moliere," fo I have obferved, that many Authors have, by mounting upon the volumes of Jortin, exalted themfelves in the opinion of the publick, although they have perhaps fpurned the ladder by which they had afcended. Of fuch a man, therefore, the fmalleft domeftic trait muft, I think, be deemed worthy of prefervation, because it recalls his name, and by that means attracts the attention of the reader to fubjects connected with it which can never be attended to without pleafure and improvement.

The Doctor, it is well known, had, like many learned men, fome habits of fingularity in his difpofition, but they were inoffenfive incentives to morality and virtue. When his judgment fug

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It happened one day that Lady Delamer called at the Doctor's house at Kensington, for the purpose, as the ftated to the young Lady in his prefence, of taking Mifs fortin to the Opera. The Doctor made no obfervation upon this, but fat fome time, while the other parties were engaged in converfation, playing with a favour ite Cat. At last, when he found that the bufines of the evening was perfectly arranged, he faid, addreffing the Cat," Puls, can you fing? I think, by what I have heard of your exertions, that you must be a tolerable judge of mufic: and though you do not speak English, you may, for aught I know, underland Italian. If you choose to improve your taste, and edify your mind, this evening at that rational entertainment the Opera, you may go. But I do affure you, that you are the only one of this family that fhall."

This fingular humour of the Doctor's received once a little check : for as he was going, one facrament Sunday, into the church at Kensington, he over

This artift, whofe pictures abounded with true, though what may be deemed broad, humour, died at Cheifea about twenty years fince; he was a man of learning, of confiderable fortune, and of the molt amiable manners and benevolent turn of mind: he was, like his friend Dawes, who was alfo independent, languid in the pur fuit of his art; and, though he painted many pictures, viz. Courtship, the Elopement, Honeymoon, Matrimony, Picquet, or Virtue in Danger, &c. from which there are prints by Geldar, he is perhaps better known by the Taylor riding to Brentford than any other of his works.

There are alfo prints from feveral pictures of Dawes, particularly the Cavern Scene in Macheth, engraved by Bannerman, and Captain Bobadil Cudgeiled. But I think the piece which may be efteemed his CHEF D'ŒUVRE is, the Drunkard reproving his diforderly Family. He died about twenty-four years fince in Green treet, Leicester-fields.

took

took a Nobleman who was not in the habit of being very regular in his attendance; to whom he faid, I muft confefs with more zeal than politeness, "My Lord, I am glad to see you here; I fuppofe you are come now to qualify."

"Indeed, Doctor, I am !" his Lordfhip mildly replied; an anfwer of which, no doubt, the querift felt the force.

MR. MALLET.

A Gentleman once called at the houfe of this Author, in May Fair, upon business, and was informed that, in confequence of indifpofition, he kept his chamber. When he had sent up his name, he afcended the ftairs, upon a green carpet, the floor was fpread with green, the bed and window curtains were green, and the invalid, who was feated upon a green elbow chair, writing at a green covered table, had on a green night-gown and a green velvet cap!

When the Gentleman mentioned the collection of greens which he had ob. ferved at this vifit, at the Club †, fome of the wags, glancing unquef tionably at Shakspeare's

"Green ey'd monster, that doth make "The meat it feeds on,"

obferved, that probably the fuccefs of fome cotemporary Author had caufed their friend to be afflicted with the Green Sickness.

THE MENDICANT AND SAILOR.

A fellow well known in the district, lame, having alfo but one arm, and dreffed in the habit of a Sailor, was the other day, with much vociferation, begging near Tower-hill. A Tar, who had just come out of a publichoufe, where he had probably paid his reckoning, and received change for a note, was, as he walked, counting his money with more attention than is ufual to perfons of his defcription. While he was thus ufefully engaged, the Beggar fet him, and, thrufting his hat before him, exclaimed, "Blefs your noble heart, my worthy meffmate,

fpare a few coppers for poor Jack ! ftumped in the ftarboard-arm; his knee-braces fhot away; and turned out of the fervice without a smart ticket."

The Sailor, ftill intent upon his calculation, which indeed feemed to require the utmost stretch of his arithmetical abilities, threw a fhilling into his hat, and was walking away. The Jame fellow, fluthed with fuccefs, limped after him, bawling out, "Blefs you, my noble mafter! Have you no more small change for poor Jack? My bread-room's quite empty, indeed, mas

ter."

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THE CHELSEA PENSIONER.

Though perhaps a trite, it is neverthelefs a true, obfervation, that accident has frequently excited thofe fenfations in the human mind, however low the for a moment, elevates the man, and fituation of its poffeffor, that, at least at other times infinitely his fuperiors. places him upon a level with characters

How frequently has a spark been elicited from the bofom of an object apparently callous to fuch impreflions ! How often has a word caufed the countenance of even fickness and indigence to glow with animation, which has, like a fhock of electricity, vibrated through the whole fyftem. Of this I had lately an inftance related to me, by an accurate obferver of life and manners, that seems to elucidate the propofition.

As a Sergeant (who was a Penfioner in Chelsea College), worn out with hard fervice and feeble from age, was one day, with cautious though unsteady fteps, defcending the ftair-cafe, he was met by two or three other Penfioners, one of whom, probably with a fneer, cried, as the Sergeant was fupporting himself by the hand-rail, Make room, and let the Gentleman pass !”

Thomas Mallet has been justly esteemed an ingenious Author. I think the work in which he difplayed the deepest infight into the human character was the finding a niche for Garrick in the life of the Duke of Marlborough.

Holden firft at the Turk's Head in Greek-ftreet, which tavern was almost half a century fince removed to Gerrard-ftreet, where it continued nearly as long as the houfe was kept open, and was compofed of artifts and a number of literary and theatrical characters.

"Gentle

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This Poet, who was cotemporary with Ben Jonfon, who furvived him three years, is one of thofe few that Ben has celebrated, and whom it appears, according to his familiar cuftom, he had adopted as his fon. There is in the works of Randolph a gratulatory poem add effed to Jonfon upon this occafion; but it does not appear, whatever might have been his opmion, that his effufions, which are published in a small volume, and confit of Poems; Amyntas, a Paftoral ; the Mufes Looking-Glafs, a Play; Aristippus, a Shew; and the Jealous Lovers, a Comedy; though they run through many editions in the feventeenth, were much esteemed in the eighteenth century. I once had a copy, on the blank leaves of which was written a poem by this Author, and which was (as stated in a note to it) never printed. Though the book has

been loft more than thirty years, the fubject, I remember, was to commemorate and deplore the effects of a dreadful fire which happened upon London Bridge the 13th of February 1632, two years before the death of the Poet. It began in the houfe of one Briggs, a needle maker, and confumed more than forty houfes, among which was the Mitre Tavern; the fall of which, and allufions to the triple crown, are some of its principal features, and mark with confiderable accuracy the fpirit of the times: I can only recollect one verfe of it, which is lefs valuable for its poetry than to fhew that the violence of Peter was about to be adopted by Jack, while Martin feemed an unconcerned fpecta

tor.

"Tho' fome affirm the Devil did it,
That he might drink up all;
I rather think the Pope was drunk,
And let his Mitre fall."

ERRATUM in the firft Note in the preceding page. For Thomas read Though, and put a Comma after the word Author, inftead of a Period.

In this play there is, I think, fomething truly original and ingenious; and if it had not in it too much humour, I should think it well adapted to the taste of modern times; for it confits, with lefs fyitem than exifts in many of our comic productions, entirely of scenes-independent of each other, in each of which a virtue and a vice are exhibited fuch as the extremes of courtely, the extremes of fortitude, temperance, liberality, magnificence, truth, justice, &c. &c. &c. many of which are well written, and worked up with a confiderable difplay of learning and art. The characters of Bird and Flowerdew, two of the trait laced Puritans of thofe times, are excellent, as is that of Rofcius, who acts as Prolocutor. The piece is wound up by the "Mother of the Virtues," Mediocritie, and ends in the conversion of Flowerdew and Bird, the latter of whom lays in conclusion,

"Hereafter I will vifit Comedies, and fee them, often they are good exercises "To teach devotion now a milder temper; not that it thall lole any of its heat Or purity, but henceforth fhall be fuch

"As fhall burn bright, altho' not blaze so much.”

It is a curious circumstance, that there is, diffimilar as in fact they are, to be traced in this play the ground plan upon which the Rehearsal might, for aught I know, have been erected. This is certainly the original model, in this country, of that mode of writing; though probably both Randolph and the Duke of Buckingham might have copied from the Athenian Ichool, and have confidered Ricius and Bays as a kind of Chorus. Be it fo: Flowerdew and Bird, Johnfon and Smith, are till perfectly English; and certainly, though their characters are different, their bulinels on the ftage is the fame; and I do conceive, it was as ealy for a man of genius to build the latter upon the former as to construct the Critic, and many other pieces of interior merit, upon the Rehearsal.

VOL. XLIII. JAN. 1803.

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LETTER I.

J

their diabolic countrymen, who are Strawberryhill, Sept. 24, 1792. labouring mifchief here, both openly You do me too much honour, dear and covertly. Of their covert tranfSir, in propofing to me to furnish actions, you, Sir, have given me a you with obfervations which you are fo glaring proof in the drawer, who hav much more capable of executing admiring fubfcribed a guinea to the defence ably yourself. I flatter myself you do not think me vain enough to attempt it. Your own learning, and your familiarity with an author you are tranflating, and your being matter of all claffic knowledge, Greek and Latin, render you more proper for the task than any man. I, on the contrary, am molt unqualified. It is long fince I have been converfant with claffic literature; Greek I have quite forgotten-but above all, I hold feventy-five fo debilitating an age to whatever may have been taken for parts, and have fo long pitied authors of Senilia, that I am fure I will not degrade your work by mixing my dregs with it; nor lay your good nature and good breeding under the difficulty of admitting or rejecting what you probably would find unworthy of being adopted. I have great fatisfaction in reading what you write but beg to be excufed froin writing for you to read.

Most entirely do I agree with you, Sir, on all French politics, and their confequences here it is hard indeed to be forced to call affaffinations and maffacres, politics! it is my opinion, like yours, that homicides fhould be received no where, much less monsters who proclaim rewards for murderers. What can put a stop to fuch horrors fooner, than fhutting every country upon earth againft unparalleled criminals. There may be inconveniencies, no doubt, from a vaft influx of the prefent poor refugees; but I confefs I fee more advantages. They will fpread their own and the calamities of their country -a neceffary fervice, when fome new papers, paid by Jacobin, and perhaps Prefbyterian, money, labour to defend, or conceal, or palliate fuch infernal fcenes ; which can only be done by men who would like to kindle trage dies here. The fufferers that arrive, many being confcientious ecclefiaftics, muft, I fhould hope, be a warning to the Catholics in Ireland not to be the fools of the Diffenters there, and of another ufe they may certainly be; they will be fittest and fureft detectors of

of Poland, and re-demanding it, received a guinea's worth of Paine's pamphlet in return. This fact evinces that the opening of that fubfcription was not, as it feemed to be, the most ridiculously impotent attempt that ever was made, but a deep-laid plan of political fwindling. Had it produced a thoufand, or five hundred pounds, it would have removed Mount Athos as foon as have stopped one Ruffian fol dier--no ; under colour of pity towards the honeft and to-be-lamented Poles, it is evident that it was a scheme for railing a new fum for diffeminating fedition, and therefore I wish the vile trick might be made public. It may warn well meaning perfons against being drawn into fham fubfcriptions; and fuch a bafe trick of political fwindling should be laid open, and exposed in severe colours.

I am just going to General Conway's for a few days, and am, dear Sir, Your moit fincere,

and obliged humble servant, ORFORD.

LETTER II.

Strawberryhill, Nov. 2d, 1792.

DEAR SIR,.

I THANK you for your information on, confectum and fiðlum, and am perfuaded you are perfectly right. Xenophon might be fo too in his folution of the Spartan permiffion of robbery. As he was very fenfible, it is no wonder he tried to explain fo feemingly grofs a contradiction as an allowance of theft where there was a community of property-but, to fay the truth, I little regard the affertions of most ancient authors, efpecially in their accounts of other countries than their own; and even about their own I do not give them implicit credit. They dealt little in the fpirit of criticism; information was difficult to be obtained, nor did they pique then felves on accuracy, but fet down whatever they heard without examination. With many of the contrary advantages, how little historic truth is to be gleaned even

now!

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I am exceedingly obliged to your exceffive partiality, Sir; but indeed I fhall not encourage it, nor by any means confent to your throwing away your talents and time on fuch a tranfient bauble as my house and collection. A mere antiquarian drudge, fuppofing they could last even a century, would be fitter for the task. The houfe is too flightly built for duration, and the trifles in it too errant minutiæ for the exercife of your poetic abilities. How vain fhould I be, if I accepted fuch a facrifice indeed I blush at the propofal, and hope that at feventy-five I have unlearnt vanity, and know the emptinefs of it. Even that age must tell me that I may be gone before your poem could be finished; and vain-glory thall not be one of my last acts. Vifions I have certainly had-but they have been amply difpelled. I have feen a noble feat built by a very wife man, who thought he had reafon to expect it would remain to his pofterity as long as human foundations do in the ordi

nary courfe of things-alas! Sir, I have lived to be the laft of that poftea rity, and to fee the glorious collection of pictures, that were the principal ornaments of the houfe, gone to the North Pole; and to have the house remaining half a ruin on my hands.

Think, Sir, what my reflections muft be, if I have common fenfe left, when you are fo kind as to offer me to preferve the memory of my pafteboard dwelling! drop the idea, I beg you I feel your friendship, but it hurts me more than it foothes me-and though I truft I am free from vanity, I have wounded pride; and reverencing, fo profoundly as I do, my father's me mory, I could not bear to have my cottage receive an honour which hist palace wanted!

Forgive me, dear Sir, for dwelling fo long on this article-not too long for my gratitude, which is perfect; but perhaps too full on my own fentiments. Yet how can I decline your too kind propofal, but by opening the real ftate of my mind? and to fo obliging a friend, from whom I cannot conceal weakneffes to which both my nature and my age have made me liable; but they have not benumbed my fenfibility, and while I do exist, I shall be, dear Sir,

Your most obliged,

and obedient humble fervant, ORFORD.

1797.

JOURNEY FROM SMYRNA TO SARDIS.
[Extracted from the JOURNAL of M. DE HEIDENSTAM.]

Sept. 3, WENT with M. de Tanne,
my eldest fon, and my gar-
dener, to Kokloudgea, to meet the
French Conful, M. Coufineri, who was
to accompany me to Sardis.

Monday, 4. We let out together at midnight, and after traverting the plains of Bournabat and Nymphi, we defcended into that of Caffaba, being a journey of ten hours. The plain of Nymphi is beautiful, but it might be better cultivated. At Caffaba there is a fair on Mondays: the country is well watered, but the air appears thick. An Aga of the family of Cara Ofman Oglu commands there. This place is celebrated for its melons, which are perhaps the belt in the world. The merchants of Smyrna have factors at

Caffaba to purchase the cotton of the
country; from thence to Sardis seven
hours journey; we arrived there at
feven o'clock in the evening. About
three leagues before we reached Sardis,
near the high road, are three antique
tombs, two fmaller and one larger in
the middle. The plain of Sardis, which
is only a prolongation of that of Mag-
nefia, is traversed by the Hermus.
This extenfive plain begins at Mene-
men, and reaches to the Meander
it is upwards of 100 leagues in length;
its breadth is from four to feven leagues,
and perhaps more in fome parts.

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The town of Sardis is fituated at the foot of one of the bafes of Mount Tmolus, which projects into the plain : it exhibits the fpectacle of a magniD 2

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