He hail'd me, and faid, with a voice out of breath, True Briton, July 23. HISTORY OF THE DEVIL. [From the Morning Chronicle.] MR. EDITOR, STEPPING into my bookfeller's fhop a few days ago, I was furprised at feeng a publication on the counter, entitled, "The HISTORY of the DEVIL!" On inquiry, I found it was written in the beginning of the last century, and, as, it is fuppofed, by Daniel de Foe; but this is uncertain, for Daniel was too wife a man to put his name to a book that was likely to offend Government. I learned, however, that no work of the kind has ever fince appeared, which to me, who am much concerned in the honour and interefts of literature, appeared very wonderful. That there fhould have been no continuation of the HisTORY of the DEVIL, in the lapfe of a whole century, a century too diftinguished for his extenfive agency, and of which he might fay Magna pars fui, is wholly imaccountable. If, indeed, one confiders only the events of the laft thirty years, a continuation of this history muft appear a difideratum in the library of every gentleman who wishes to understand the politics of the times, and the fecret fprings and movements by which the great machine of Government is worked; and I will venture to fay, that without fuch a publication all our knowledge must be lame and imperfect, and our attention be ufelefsly directed to fecond caufes, to to Pitts and Cobourgs, when the great and prime mover is kept out of fight. Why is it that the world has agreed to fet fo high a value on private memoirs, but that they contain many particulars of the agency of the perfonage above mentioned in the revolutions of empires and changes of cabinets? Revolving this fubject in my mind, I determined that this fhould no longer be a want in our libraries, and drew up a profpectus, which, as I do not pretend' to be able to run the risk of print and paper, I prefented to a meeting of the principal bookfellers, called by me for the exprefs purpofe. I began with expatlating to the trade on the honour and advantage they' would derive from this fpirited and liberal undertaking;' that it would contribute not lefs to fame than to fortune; and that, although too great an undertaking" for one man, it would be nothing for fuch a capital as the London bookfellers could command. I dilated at great length and with infinite precifion on what this work ought to contain that its chief object would be, to trace effects to their real causes; to ftrip ministers and statesmen of the perfonal and intrinfic merit to' which they pretended, fhew by whom they were fecretly guided and directed, who prompted the plan, and who gave the execution; and, in a word, as a great act of national juftice, to give the Devil his due, to establish his property in the wifdom of councils and fenates, to point out by what nieans he convinced majorities, and filenced opponents, and in what manner he rendered wars neceffary, and peace impracticable. And after a fpeech of two hours and a half, which was liftened to with profound attention, I fubmitted the profpectus, and defired any gentleman that thought proper, might give his opinion, and start objections, if he had any; adding, however, that I hoped, if they chofe to adopt the plan, no unneceffary delays would take place, as it was a work the public VOL. V. very much wanted, and, for want of it, were going on blindfold, and, what was worse, believing every thing they heard. Having fat down with fome confciousness of fuperior and animated eloquence, I prepared to repel objections, fhould any arife, which, however, like all fanguine projectors, I thought impoffible. For fome time a deep filence prevailed; at length, one of the trade afked if I did not think my plan would interefere with the Univerfal Hiftory? "Undoubtedly, Sir, my plan will in part be an univerfal hiftory; but you will please to obferve, Sir, that the Univerfal Hiftory to which you allude is, in the first place, little better than a detail of annals" "A very good book, Sir; we have fold two editions." "I do not doubt that; but I fay, a dry detail of annals without fecret hiftory: the prompter never once appears. But what is of more importance, let me obferve, in the fecond place, that more than twenty years are elapfed fince the laft edition of that work was published, and it has not a word either of the American war, or the French revolution.” "Then, Sir, your work may, after all, be only a continuation of the Univerfal Hiftory." "Nay, gentlemen, we fhall not quarrel about names. I have no objection to your calling it The HISTORY of the DEVIL, being a continuation of the UNIVERSAL HISTORY,' yet, as mine is a diftin&t plan, I think they ought not to interfere." Chairman." We have no objection to embark in this plan, but we have fometimes been taken in by gentlemen propofing the like fchemes, who had no materials to work upon. Shall you want many books?" "Undoubtedly, Sir, fome books will be neceffary. A man, for inftance, would never think of writing a • History Hiftory of the Devil' without a complete fet of the Parliamentary Regifters (DEBRETT nodded), the Votes of the Houfes, &c. &c. But we must truft principally to private memoirs and manufcripts." "Nothing, we hope, in Governor Aris's line?" "No, gentlemen, I fhall for my own fake avoid all connexion with matters within his comprehenfion, or that of the Attorney General. The utmost risk (which is not yet illegal) will be hurting the vanity of certain politicians, who will in my work be robbed of the merit of thofe plans, fchemes, budgets, expeditions, and other things of which they are apt to be proud, even when they are moft puzzled to defend them, and when themselves, inftead of answering their opponents, wifh to fend them to the DEVIL. believe if we looked a little more that way, we should not be fo perplexed to explain matters as we are. I fee an honourable gentleman who holds a high rank in the city. I flatter myfelf he will agree with me, that even city politics may be illuftrated by the fame kind of reference." (Alderman CADELL Smiled.) "I hope, Sir, you don't mean to fay any thing about cabinets and privy councils, and them libel fort of things." "Nay, Sir, you would not expect I fhould raise a ftructure without a foundation. I fhall certainly be very cautious, as I have already engaged but the character of my hero must be my principal object, and I must not let that be injured by the pretenfions of his inferiors." "Whereabouts do you mean to begin?" "Why, Sir, as the work is intended for the benefit of the prefent generation, and the statefmen thereof, and as we have fcarcely a man in the prefent or former administration, who could put on his own breeches during the American war, I mean to fix on a period fince that; and I am the more defirous of doing fo, as the prominent parts of my hero's character have been particularly confpicuous fince. I am not at a loss where to begin. I am puzzled indeed where to end— however, at the conclufion of our laft volume we can fay, To be continued.” "But pray, Sir, do you intend to confine the work to our own country?" By no means-I fhould be forry to evince fo much partiality. In truth, gentlemen, I could not be fo narrow-minded, if I would. Befides an epifodical detail of what the Devil has been doing in France, could I with any face call mine a complete history of that perfonage, and forget that we ever had allies”. All." Oh, certainly not-No-No." "No, gentlemen, I can eafily prove that my hero has made the tour of Europe to fome purpofe; and as we have on more occafions than one borne his expenfes, it is but right we should have fome history of his travels. Thefe cannot be uninterefting; and I have farther to propofe, if we find fuitable encouragement, to publish fome account of him as a family-man. I flatter myfelf that many a gay and gallant Lothario' will be glad to own his obligations to him, when matters come to be properly explained. But of that' more hereafter." "Pray, Sir, do you mean to impute every thing to the Devil?" "By no means-That is what I was about to add. The chief purpose of my hiftory is to clear up and vindicate his character, cfpecially from the paltry pretenfions of certain perfons, who have all his wickednefs without his genius, and who have done incredible mifchief lately to the nations on which they have been inflicted as punishments. It must not be denied that he has often employed improper agents (by the by, Ifhall want a complete fet of Court Calendars), who have bungled his work ftrangely, and, when he has once |