general been abufed by men who have found an intereft in perverting its purposes, all hiftory will give us the most gloomy information. The great intereft of thofe governors confifts in their power, and that intereft is totally diftinct from the other claffes; and as we can only judge of the future by comparing it with that which is paft, this is no favourable omen. This inftitution, like most others denominated benefit focieties, had its origin from a fmall number, who of course elected themselves governors: they feized with avidity the fafcination of power, and engroffed the whole in their own body. Not content with depriving the other claffes of all reasonable interference in the concerns of the fociety, they have paffed a law, withholding from the governors elected after the first year of the inftitution, the right of voting on any occafion, until they fhall have delivered their fubfcription plates. Had the governors elected within the first year of this inftitution delivered their fubfcription plates, this regulation would have had the appearance of justice; but as not one of them has begun working upon thofe fubfcription plates, the rule betrays what the whole body of the laws evinces,---the infatiable defire of authority in the governors; and a private junto hath thus the power of prefiding over thofe regulations, in the formation of which the whole of the members ought to have participated. As the terms of admiflion, each governor fhall engrave a plate of the value of feventy-five guineas, and receive fifty guineas for the fame, which plates fhall be publifhed for the benefit of the whole of the fociety, and those plates alone become its property; thofe are termed fubfcription plates. Each governor, therefore hereby gives to the fociety twenty-five guineas. An af fociate paying a compofition of -thirty guineas, and an ordinary member that of twenty guineas, a well as the governor, become members for life, and are free from all future contributions: the governor then pays five guineas more than the ordinary member, and the fame fum lefs than the affociate; but the governor's twenty-five guineas is paid out of feventy-five guineas worth of work. I have afked many engravers, whether they would prefer paying the admiffion of the governor, or the compofition of the ordinary member; and the answer has been univerfal, and without hesitation, "That of the governor." It muft farther be remembered, that the valuation of the fubfcription plates depends upon the governors themselves; and from the diftributions of penfions, which will be examined hereafter, there can be no fear of their being under rated. [To be continued.] To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag. SIR, IF you are of opinion that the following anecdote of Lavater will be acceptable to the generality of your readers, it is at your fervice: it is tranflated from Gefner's life of that celebrated author, and ferves to fhew how far perfeverance in a juft caufe may humble the pride and arrogance of thofe in power who act with injuftice and oppreffion. B. In the year 1762, Lavater, actuated by that general benevolence and patriotic zeal which he fo difintereftedly difplayed to the laft moment of his life, engaged in an undertaking which excited great at tention, and procured him the love and efteem of his fellow-citizens. Felix Grebel, bailiff of Gruningen, one of the bailiwicks of Zurich, grofsly abufed his authority as a magiftrate, and was notoriously guilty of acts of oppreffion and extortion; yet the fufferers, being poor, dare not complain to the magifirates of Zurich, fince the burgermafter of that time (one of the first in the ftate) was the fatherin-law of the delinquent. The honeft indignation of Lavater was frongly excited by the numerous complaints he heard, and the undeniable proofs he obtained of the repeated acts of injuftice committed by the bailiff; yet the connections of the offender, whom impunity rendered every day bolder, were fo powerful, that he was convinced it was most advifable to proceed at firft with fecrecy and caution. In conjunction with his friend Fufeli, equally an ardent enemy to injuftice and oppreffion, he fent an anonymous letter to the bailiff, figned with the letters J. C. L., in which, after reproaching him in the ftrongest terms with the enormities of which he had been guilty, he concluded thus :-"I give you two months---within that time, either reftore what you have unjustly extorted, or expect juftice. I conjure you to communicate this letter to thofe who, if you are innocent, can do you right. Call on me, I conjure you, within fourteen days, in the public gazettes; you fhall find me ready to give you every fatisfaction; but if you neither vindicate yourself from my charge, nor reftore your extortions, you fhall, as God lives, expofed to utmoft shame, be made the facrifice of offended juftice---Rely not on the influence and protection of your worthy father-in-law, whom you have fo often difgraced---He has a mind too noble to afford you aid. He will not facrifice the honour he has acquired by a life of integrity of feventy years, to a character base as yours.---I repeat, I give you two months. You fhall be weighed in the balance---See that you are not found wanting." This letter was dated Auguft 27, 1762. Lavater and Fufeli waited the two months they had appointed; but the corrupt bailiff had not the courage to require fatisfaction, either in the manner propofed to him, or in any other way; nor did he appear difpofed to make reparation for any acts of injuftice or extortion that he had committed. Lavater therefore wrote a paper entitled, "The Unjuft Bailiff, or the Complaints of a Patriot," of which he had a fmall number of copies printed, and fent one to each of the members of the government. fcaled, and fuperfcribed with his particular addrefs, with a motto peculiarly adapted to the character of each. Thefe mottos were fo extremely appropri ate, that they made a greater impreffion on many of thofe to whom they were addreffed than even the contents of the paper itself. The general motto to each of the papers was--"Brutus, thou fleepest !---Ah ! wert thou alive!" In confequence of the diftribution of thefe papers among all the menbers of the magiftracy, a meeting of the council of Zurich was held, in which it was determined to publifh a notice requiring that the author of the accufation fhould, within the space of a month, perfonally appear before the council, to fubflantiate and prove the charges he had made, affuring him that he fhould meet with juftice and im partiality; and at the fame time fignifying that, if he did not appear, every means would be employed to detect and punish him for his anonymous flander. The fame notice required all thofe who thought themselves aggrieved to ap pear, and make their complaints to the burgermafter, promifing them an impartial hearing and effectual redrefs. This notice was published on the 4th of December, 1762. On the fame day, M. Grebel, the bailiff, who was the object of these charges, and who had hitherto maintained fo cautious a filence, appeared before the council to lodge his complaint, and claim its juftice and protection against a libel which had been printed and circulated to defame his character. It was, in fact, in vain for him to be longer filent, as the affair had now become public, and it was evident would be investigated by the proper authorities. The publication of the notice from the council encouraged many perfons who had been oppreffed by the bailiff to appear, and state their complaints to the burgermafter, who on the 16th of December informed the council that he had already received charges against the party accufed from twenty different perfons. A committee of fix members was therefore appointed by the council to examine and report on the matter of the accufations. Lavater and Fufeli appeared before the council on the 24th of the fame month, and avowed themfelves the authors of the anonymous letter referred to in the notice. They behaved with all that firmnefs which confcious integrity and a zeal for justice infpire in ardent minds. When afked why they had chofen to proceed in the manner they did, and not by an immediate complaint to the magifrates, Lavater produced a paper, ftating the reafons of their conduct in this particular, in language fo energetic and convincing, that no farther objection was made to the mode they had purfued. Before Lavater difcovered himfelf to be the author of this anonymous accufation, he fuffered extreme anxiety on account of the alarm which he knew his parents would feel when they should learn that he had adventured to bring charges against a magiftrate intimately connected with perfons of the firft authority and influence in the government. Under the impreffion of this uneafinefs, he first made known his fecret to the minifter Wirz, who introduced the difclosure of it to his parents, by faying---" I come to with you joy of a fon, who by his zeal for justice not merely gives the promife of being a great man, but already is a great man." The father of Lavater, however, expreffed great fears of the confequences of fo bold an undertaking; but M. Wirz, clapping him on the shoulder, replied---"Rejoice, doctor, in fuch a fon, who fpeaks when no other perfon dares to speak. That juftice for which he difplays fo ardent a zeal fhall cover him with its wings." It would be tedious and uninterefting to enter into a minute account of the progrefs and inveftigation of this affair. Suffice it to fay, that Grebel, the bailiff against whom the charges were preferred, Idid not think it advifeable to wait the refult and confequences of the enquiries of the committee appointed to examine into his conduct, but confeffed his guilt, by abfconding from juftice. For the Univerfal Magazine. LETTER FROM DR. L. VALEN TIN, OF NANCY, TO PROFES- TRANSPORTED FROM EGYPT I HAVE the honour to forward herewith a curfory account of the principal antient 'monuments which the English have conveyed from Egypt to London. 1ft. The moft important and curious of all the monuments depofited in the British Mufeum is the farcophagus of Alexander. It is a fine green granite, called by the English Brefcia ftone, of one entire piece, excavated in the form of a bath. Having measured it, I found the dimenfions to be nearly nine feet eight inches in length, French meafure; five feet two inches in breadth at one extremity; four feet one inch at the other; three feet fix inches in height; and ten inches thick in its circumference. On the fides of this large vafe may be feen various ftones, which are extremely hard; they are of a different nature from granite, and feem to have been placed on mofaically, though they conftitute in reality a part of the whole ftone. All the exterior furface of its circumference is covered with a great number of figures and hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphic characters are traced with a great deal of art and juftnefs between longitudinal lines; and it may be observed, that the lines, ftrokes, and kind of grooves croffing or proceeding on the moft hard and impenetrable portions of ftone which appear to be affixed, preferve the fame depth and regularity, without any deviation whatfoever. There are twelve holes or cavities correfponding laterally with the perpendicular level, four of which are on each fide, three at the largest extremity, and one at the other. Thefe holes were perforated, it is faid, by the Muffulmans, for the purpofe (according to their ideas) of letting the holy water flow out, which they prepare and preferve for their ceremonies. Thefe people knew by tradition (a tradition to which implicit credence is given by English antiquaries) that this ftone once contained the body of the renowned Alexander! The Turks of Alexandria preferved it in their principal mofque with the greateft veneration. When and in what manner was it tranfported to Egypt? Of thefe am ignorant. I have been informed, that, when the French wished to carry away this curious and valuable relic, there was a great confternation and even a revolt among the fanatics of Alexandria. There is a crack in the narroweft end; but, in order to convey it to England without expofing it to the danger of being injured, they placed tranfverfely three ftrong ftrips of iron, the ends of which, bent into a fquare, refied on plates of lead. 2d. Another farcophagus compofed of one entire beautiful piece of granite; the dimenfions of which are as follow: eight feet four inches long; four feet fix inches broad at one extremity, and three feet eight inches at the other; and three feet nine inches in height. The thickness of the fides is nearly fimilar to the preceding. This enclofed the body of one of the Ptolemys; it was removed from the catacombs of thofe kings, near Alexandria in that city: like the other, it is covered with a great many hieroglyphics; it has only one fingle horizontal hole at the bottom of the narroweft extremity; it is entirely perfect, not having any crack or other detriment about it. They fhould prepare papers, and apply them to the furfaces of these two monuments, in order to obtain impreffions of the hieroglyphics, which thould be engraven. There are already about forty plates prepared in this manner. 3d. There is a third farcophagus, fmaller than the fecond, of a fine blood-coloured porphyry, and perfectly whole. The cavity is much larger towards the upper part, where it is in a manner convex, as well as the fides; whence this part is three feet four inches and a half in breadth. The whole length is feven feet fix inches. 4th. Some portions of large columns of porphyry, the circumference of which is entire for many feet in extent. They are of the fame nature as thofe called the pillars of Pompey. 5th. There are alfo fome portions of obelifks, which are very beautiful, and on which various figures are engraven; but having been much damaged, they have collected the fragments, and placed them in cafes. 6th. Various marble ftatues, more or lefs interefting; but the greater part mutilated. Lastly, à foot, and particularly an amazing large wrift, without any appearance of fingers, which appears to have belonged to fome coloffal ftatues; and a very great head of a ram in fculpture. ON CHINESE LITERATURE. Letter II. To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag. SIR, I AM happy to find that my propofed Criticifm and Letters on Chinese Literature are likely to obtain a place in your valuable Mifcellany; and I now gladly proceed to perform my promife. But I apprebend you will be, in fome degree, difappointed as to the fubject of the prefent Letter; fince, to be understood by the greater part of your Readers in my intended review of Dr. Hager's Chinefe works, I have thought it indifpenfable to premise fome historical account of the Chinese characters, and the analytical rules with which they have been conftructed by the firft inventors of them. It will also be requifite to fay a few words on the method adopted by me in expreffing the founds of the Chinese characters by our alphabetical ele ments. This Letter will reach you, together with fome curious engravings (a), which your printer will place as directed by my references: and, as it is impoffible to treat of the elements of the Chinese language and literature without having frequent opportunities of referring to one or the other of Dr. Hager's volumes, fome of the annotations annexed will answer this purpose; fo that in the end you will, I flatter myself, be at least agreeably disappointed. (4) You will find many Chinese words without characters: in this I have confult. ed economy, for very obvious reafons. I have thought it useless to republish, as Dr. Hager has done in his Analyfis, titles of works to be seen in Fourmont's Gram. Sinic., from p. 349 to 511; or names of dynafties and emperors to be found in Fourmont's Reflex. fur l'Origine des Anciens Peuples," vol. II, from p. 441 to 451.The few modern characters which Dr. Hager published legibly, befides the above, do not amount to fourfcore; but, however few, I have republished none, unless unavoidably connected with others that I thought fit to introduce into my Letters. VOL. I. The moft difficult of your juft requests to comply with will be BREVITY; but, fhould this Letter prove too long, you are, of course, at liberty to infert juft as much of it as you may require, and referve the remainder for the ensuing month. To pretend to trace with any good foundation the Chinese characters to their first origin, would be an attempt as endless, and fruitlefs as that of afcertaining the genuine defcent of the first inhabitants of China. The following is, however, an aphorifm current among the literati of this country (b). (b) See the Chim-çu-tum, at the article Xu, or book; element 73. This is a Dictionary in 26 vols., the fame that is in the Vatican, and was confulted by Mr. Needham in 1761, with a view of afcer-, taining the pretended fimilarity of the Chinefe characters with the Egyptian hieroglyphics. See Lettre de Pékin à Bruxelles, 1778, 4to. The French call it Tchingtfee-tong, according to their orthography. Dr. Hager, in his Analyfis, p. xxxv, calls it with the smalleft number of the Portuguese Ching-cu-tung. There is no dictionary fuperior in merit to this, except the one published by the Emperor Kam-hi, in the beginning of the laft century, in 40 volumes. This, however, does not contain the antient characters, as the former. See Fourm. Gram. Sinic., p. 355. I have confulted the copy at Berlin in the Royal Library, and fhall often have an opportunity of referring to it. See Bayer Museum Siinc., tom. I, p. 114, of his Gram. Sinic. Ii |