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Short-liv'd renown!-that every moment must
Sink with its emblem, and corfume to duft.
But Thomfon needs no artist to engrave,
From dumb oblivion no device to fave;
Such vulgar aids let names inferior afk,
Nature for him affumes herfelf the task;
The Seafons are his monuments of fame,
With them to flourish, as from them it came.

RFTROSPECTIVE STATUTES.

Retrospective ftatutes are in all cafes unconftitutional: nothing indeed can excufe them except an extraordinary emergency; and no emergency whatever should allow them a place in the penal code. There are two inftances of retrospective ftatutes in cur law. The one was in the 22d year of Henry the eighth; from the preamble of which it appears, that one John Roofe, accok, had thrown poifon into a pot of gruel, which was prepared for the bishop of Rochester's family, whereby he poifoned feventeen perfons, two of whom died in confequence. John Roofe, therefore, is declared guilty of high treafon, and ordered to be thrown into boiling water. The other cafe occurred in the 2d and 3d of Philip and Mary. The preamble of the act recites a malicious and groundless appeal of robbery by one Bennet again Giles Rufford, on which Rufford having been acquitted, and having afterwards procured a conviction of Bennet for a malicious profecution, Bennet not only paid 40l. to two men for the actual murder of Rufford, but likewife fupplied them with javelins and a dagger for that purpofe. Horrible as this offence, was, yet Bennet, not having been prefent at the commiffion of the murder, could only be Confidered as an acceffary; and therefore, as the law ftood, would have been intitled to the benefit of clergy, of which therefore he was by this ftatute deprived. Now, in the cafe of Roofe, this ftatute was in every refpe&t improper and unneceffary; it was not only retrofpective, but was making a confufion of crimes, which the legiflature fhould always avoid; and without it, John Roofe was punishable by the exifting laws, although he might not by them be boiled in his own kettle. And in the cafe of Bennet, however juft the indignation of the legiflature against him was, it should never have induced them fo far to violate the principles of legislation,

order to add to the purifhment of an individual.

VOLTAIRE.

Doing Voltaire's laft vifit to Paris, he -was fatigued with the congratulations of

almost every rank and defcription. A young author, who had a much larger ftock of vanity than of merit, thought it his duty to do homage to the Neftor of litereture. On being introduced, he thus began his complimentary addrefs :-" Great man, to day I am come to falute you as Homer-to-morrow I will falute you as Sophocles-next day as Plato:"-he would have proceeded, but was interrupted by Voltaire faying, "Little man, I am very old; could you not pay all your vifits in one day?

POETICAL IMITATION.

Whether the following well-known and beautiful lines be the production of Shakefpeare, or fome other child of harmony, it may probably be a gratification to fome readers to fee the fame, or very fimilar, ideas cloathed in the lyric language of Gallus-For the fake of facilitating the comparison, I fhall transcribe the verits of both authors.

TAKE, oh! take thofe lips away,

That fo fweetly were forefworn;
And thofe eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my killes bring again,

Seals of love, but fealed in vain.
Hide, oh! hide, thofe hills of fnow,
Which thy frozen bofom wears;
On whofe tops the pinks that grow

Are of thofe that April wears:
But first fet my poor heart free,
Bound in thofe icy chains by thee.

PASSIONATE PILGRIM, XVI

Lydia, bella puella, candida,
Que bene fuperas lac, & lilium,
Albamque fimul rofam, rubidam,
Aut expolitum ebur Indicum.
Pande puella, pande capillulos
Flavos, lucentes ut aurum nitidum ;
Pande puella collum candidum,
Productum bene candidis humeris.
Pande puella ftellatos oculos,
Flexaque fuper nigra cilia.
Pande puella genas rofeas,
Perfufas,rubro purpuræ Tyriæ.
Porrige labra, labra corallina,
Da columbatim mitia bafia:
Sugis amentis partem animi:
Cor mihi penetrant hæc tua bafia!
Quid mihi fugis vivum fanguinem?

Conde papillas, conde gemipomas,
Compréfio lacte quæ modò pullulant,
Sinus expanfa proffert cinnama :

Undique furgunt ex te deliciæ.
Conde papillas, quæ me fauciant
Candore, & luxu nivei pectoris.
Sæva! non cernis quod ego langueo?
Sic me deftituis, jam femimortuum?
ORIGINAL

ORIGINAL POETRY.

ON THE DEATH OF TIPPOO SAIB.

THE warriour, bard, whofe lifted arm of old Thunder'd at Marathon, o'er Afia's hills, A towering fpectre, hail'd in hymns of death And fongs of battle, Hyder's powerful Son; Who great amid the wreck of nations stood, And in the wreck of nations, frowning, fell. When angry planets lour'd and hoftile kings, And high the trumpet clang'd the funeral knell

Of warring hofts, and armies fank around, The Sultan, grafping in his iron hand, Wielded the doom of empires, wielded high, Refiftless as a God, the fubject East

In all its powers, and all its hundred realms. Though fate and heaven withstood, and earth and hell,

Th' unconquerable tyrant fcorn'd to live From empire fever'd, and he died a king: Dark as the parting ftorm he rufh'd abroad, And fwept the world before him!-Warriour! like thee, the ponderous ball fhall know

The clanging trumpet found its final doom, "Till Darknefs o'er the ftorm of ages rears His iron fceptre, and the nations die ; Like thee, the ball, by ftrength refiftlefs hurl'd

To bordering chaos, drag the fates of men, And dimly to the wafte of hoftile ftars And botile fyftems roll the stately fcene Of thrones and powers and empires and their kings. J. P. Writtem in the DUCHESS of CHANDOS' WOODS at Southgate, on the Evening of the 29th Day of May, 1799. WHAT penfive mourner strikes upon my

ear,

And to the wild woods tells his forrowing tale?

Whofe plaintive note calls up this starting

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ing ftrain?

Thy foft complainings forrow all the grove. Has fate burst thro' thy little nuptial chain, Or brutal man bereft thee of thy love? Thou haft no need to bow at fortune's fhrine, Or wafte the bloom of life t' increase thy store;

O were my destiny fo bleff'd as thine,

I would not afk the gods to grant me more! But I, denied e'en nature's gifts to flare, Doom'd in propitious love a curfe to find; My morning days in forrow fpent and care, Muft leave earth's greatest happiness behind!

Alas! how oft thefe woods I've carele

fray'd,

And mufing listen'd to each rural found! How oft reclin'd beneath the fummer's fhade, And rapt'rous view'd the verdant fields

around!

How oft, with him* on earth I held mot dear,

Thefe devious paths I've jocund pac along;

1

Or penfive, at the hour of eve to hear,
Sweet Philomel, thy foft melodious fong!
Thofe halcyon days for ever now are fled,

And the fad memory flings around a gloom! Sudden he fell-he dropp'd his lovely head, Cropt like a May-day flower in all its bloom!

But what avails all grief and idle tears?

They'll ne'er revive his cold forfaken clay; Nor will the boafted heaven of future years

Chafe the past gloom, to hope a brighter day.

The far-off village bells with jocund found Fill the dark air as with fome magic

charm;

And fwing their gentle cadence all around,
To glad the penfive, ruffled fpirits calm.
O could they foothe a foul eftranged from reft,
Or ftay the throbbings of a woe-worn heart!
Could they affuage the anguish of my breaft,

Then in thefe ruftic joys I'd bear a part! But Cynthia now withholds her phosphor ray, Nor fheds around her foft religious light: Farewell, fweet woods! I haften far away, And clofe all hope of future joy, in night! Temple. IGNOTUS.

TO AN EARLY SNOW-DROP.

In the Manner of Burns, the Ayrshire Bard. LUR'D by the fimile of foft'ring heav'n, Steals timid thro' the kindred fnows around, The modest fnow-drop of the vale,

And bows her bofom to the paffing gale. Ah, feek again, fweet flow'r, the earth's fond breast;

For here thy tender form fhall never reft.
Chill blows the ftorm around the flow'r,
The fun his partial beam wi'draws;
Trembling the fees the tempeft low'r,

And, fick'ning at the hoarfe winds' bra, Drops her white head, and fhuts her weary'd

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*Mr. George Cadogan Morgan, of Southgate, an ornament to the world; who, but for fome tender lines (imitated from the Quis defiderio fit pudor," &c. of Horace) which appeared in the Morning Chronicle, had died unfung, but, O! not unlamented! Ebeu!" meminiffe dolor, etlivilci nefas!”

Child o' the flattering Spring, o'er thee I'll Tho' his locks are as white as the foam of

wend,

And foftly tell a sympathetic tale;
Then o'er thy faded beauties weeping bend,

And will thee filter of my fortune "hail;"
Ah! that like thee too, I could clofe mine ce,
And never mair life's brattling* tempelts fee.
Soft blaws the gale upon mine opening years,
And fancy's dazz'ling meteor rays▾
Glint gaily on the diftant world,

And promifes me genial day. ;
That youthful pleasure in my bofom glowers,‡
Soft'ning the fairy fcene w' rapture's tender
fhowers.

Mong yon rude rocks above the clouds,
Warm paffion high an altar rear'd
To noble Friendship's holy name;

And foon the cherub Hope appear'd Twining wi rofy wreathes the hallow'd fane, And fang of fweets that should for aye remain.

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III.

Bacchus is the god of wine;

Apollo's god of fqueakers;

He, quiv'ring, fhakes his lyre and lute,
While Bacchus rings his bekers!
IV.

Thus Bacchus has his mufic too,
And mafter Pol furpaffes;

Pol ferapes all day; Bac plays all night,
Tuning his mufic-glaffes:

SONNET, ON SEEING MR. FREE BAIRN'S ITALIAN LANDSCAPES,

BY THE REV. DR. LETTICE.

FULL twice nine funs their annual courfe

have roll'd,

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Since o'er bright Italy my footsteps ftray'd, Since with enchanted gaze thefe eyes furvey'd

Her pearly fkies, her feas of liquid gold,
Her lakes' pure azure, fabled fountains old,
Her forefts wild, in which the Fauns have
play'd,

Her Apennines, in verdure here array'd,
There pinnacled with rocks, or ruins bold,

Or villas lifted high to court the clime--Yes, fuch the term; and each fair image held

Its lov'd impreffion long; but tyrant Time Had marr'd the vivid forms; vainly repell'd. His power, till Freebairn's tints recall'd their prime;

And rapture, erft fo warm, my bofom fwell'd

VARIETIES, LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL.

Including Notices of Works in Hand, Domeftic and Foreign.

* Authentic Communications for this Article will always be thankfully received. WAKEFIELD is at prefent em- valuable and unexceptionable matter, and

Mployed upon a tranflation from the by giving place to prize-queftions of vari

Greek of the excellent moral and political Effays of Dio Chryfoftom; and the work will fpeedily make its appearance in one volume, octavo.

Dr. AIKIN has juft completed a fecond volume of Letters to his Son, which will be published early in January.

Dr. REES, the able editor of the laft edition of Chambers' Cyclopædia, is preparing for the prefs a quarto edition of that work, corrected to the prefent time, and confiderably improved and extended in its plan.

A periodical mifcellany for the ufe of young perfons of both fexes in fchools, is about to be undertaken by some perfons of the first respectability in the literary world. Its objects are at once to gratify the love of novelty in books, which is fo confpicu ous in youth, by a periodical fupply of

ous kinds and degrees, to excite an enlarged fpirit of exertion and emulation in the minds of tutors and their pupils. The title is to be The Monthly Preceptor.

Mr! SHIELD is preparing for publication a fcientific and important mufical work, the object of which is, to facilitate the acquifition of the harmonic art, by fimplifying the laws of harmony, and divelting the fcience of its prefent forbidding complexity.

Dr. SHAW of the British Museum, is engaged upon a large and complete work of natural hiftory.

'Meffis. A. and C. R. AIKIN will begin their morning courie of lectures on chemiftry and chemical arts, to ladies and gentlemen, on Tuesday, the 4th of February, at eleven o'clock.

Dr. WATKINS's Biographical Dictionary,

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of Ferifhta's

Cart. Scorp,A,, Hiftory. In 2, de · Danash, &c. will forte abifh a v e of mifcella. nous tales and romares, collected from Various Arabian and Perfian authors.

Major OUSELEY'S "Oriental Geography" (which we mentioned in our laft number), will be fpeedily followed by the first volume of a very extenfive and laborious work on the general Hiftory of Perfian Literature, which will contain notices and anecdotes of above fifteen hundred Perfian authors and manufcripts.

The inoculation for the VACCINE POX has been carried on extenfively in the courfe of the present year, and it appears to have afforded fufficient proof that it deftroys the capability of the human conftitution, with regard to the variolous infection; and is generally a much flighter difeale than the inoculated fmall-pox. On thefe points there feems to be but one opinion among experienced profeffional men. On fome other points there exifts a difference of opinion; but in whatever way thefe hall be decided, great advantages muft till remain from the fubftitution of the vaccine for the fimall pox. To fatisfy, however, more generally the public mind, to accelerate the introduction of the fubftitute inoculation, and to clear up fome obfcure points, but efpecially to extend the benefit of the new practice, we are happy to be able to announce the commencement of an INSTITUTION felely for THE INOCU. LATION OF THE Cow-Pox. We learn, that at the weft end of the town a little fociety has been formed of gentlemen of the medical profeffion, who have held a few meetings at Dr.PEARSON's houfe, to which fome other friends of the members were invited, in order to organize the intended institution; and in confequence a contiderable progrefs has been already made in this laudable defign. It is propofed to inoculate the poor, who attend with letters of recommendation at the in

ftitution; and,when it shall be neceffary, to

attend them at their own habitations. Medicines, and perhaps fome articles of diet, may be afforded. A temporary house is fixed upon in Clifford Street. The eftablifhment is honoured with the protection of His Royal Highnefs the DUKE OF YORK, as Patron.-The Medical Eftablishment are, George Pearfon, M.D. Lawrence Nicholl, M. D. phyficians.-Thomas Kcate, Efq. John Raft, Efq. confuliing furgeons.--Robert Reete, Efq. John Gunning, Efq. furgeons.-Auguftus Brande, Efq. Francis Rivers, Efq. and Mr. Everard Brande, vifiting apothecaries. The other departments are not yet completely arranged;. but the whole will be officially announced to the public in a very short time, and the practice will commence with the first day of the new year. though Dr. WOODVILLE's name does not appear among the phyficians (the propriety of which may be eafily imagined, from his connection with another hofpital), we are affured, that he moft liberally aids the Inftitution with his fervices in other refpects.

AL

When we announce to the fubfcrib. ers to Lavater's Phyfiognomy and the public at large the completion of that work, confifting of forty-one numbers, printed on imperial quarto, we mention not a common work. It bears the following title: Efays on Phyfiognomy, defigned to promote the Knowledge and the Love of Mankind; by J. C. Lavater of Zurich. Tranflated from the Author's laft Edition in French, by H. Hunter, D. D." Illustrated by near fix hundred Plates, accurately copied, comprising more than fifteen hundred Subjects; with the Addition of many interefting Duplicates after well known Originals, engraved by, or under the Direction of, Thomas Holloway. The execution of this work, the refult of more than ten years' unremitted application, especially on the part of the engraver, has given the greatest fatisfaction to the fubfcribers; and we believe it is not going too far, when we pronounce it to be the finest print book that ever appeared in this or any other country. It confifts of five volumes, imperial quarto, and is told for thirty pounds, elegantly half-bound. A profpectus of this work may be had, price fix- pence,, of the publifhers Meffrs. Murray and Highly, Fleettreet.

The Society for promoting medical and chirurgical Knowledge, who publifhed the firft volume of their Tranfactions in 1793, which was well received, have a fecond vo lume very nearly ready for the prefs. Among other refpectable contributers to

this

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