therefore, fimply notice the principal of the antique and other objects that are to be found here, adding fuch obfervations only as occurred to me upon fome of them: the time, indeed, of my ftay at Sans Souci did not allow of my making a very minute examination; and I fhall leave it to thofe of my countrymen, who after me fhall visit the spot, to appreciate thofe relics by their own standard of taste.

Lord Shaftesbury and his votaries advance a number of plaufible things in fupport of the virtuofo paffion; as, that there is a very close affinity between beauty and virtue, and that the mind which is taken with the charms of what is true and becoming in the reprefentation of fenfible things, cannot be inattentive to thofe qualities in moral forms. This fort of jargon always appeared to me repugnant to a juft way of thinking. So far are moral perception and tafte, as to the representation of fenfible things, from being reducible to the fame principle, that it remains a very doubtful question whether the tendency of even the higher refinements, thofe of literature, lead to improve the morals, or direct the judgement. A very ingenious modern author obferves on this fubject, "Perhaps "there is fomething in that natu"ral mechanism of the human "frame, neceffary to conftitute a "fine genius, which is not altoge"ther favourable to the excel"lencies of the heart. It is cer"tain at least (and let it abate our envy of uncommon parts) that great fuperiority of intellectual qualifications has not often been found in conjunction with the "much nobler advantages of a "moral kind." This obfervation, alas! it is to be feared, is but too juft and well founded. Whether genius is a more valuable guide to the judgement, feems an equally doubtful point. Lord Chatham, in his memorable reply to the Earl of

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Mansfield, expreffes him felf in a very happy manner refpecting this question. "I confefs, my Lords," fays he," that I am apt to mif"truft the refinements of learning, "because I have feen the ableft " and most learned men equally "liable to deceive themselves, and "to mislead others. The condi"tion of human nature would be "lamentable indeed, if nothing lefs "than the greatest learning and "talents, which fail to the share of "fo fmall a number of men, were "fufficient to direct our judgment "and our conduct. But Provi"dence has taken better care of

Happy would it be for mankind, were the fober empire of reafon and common fenfe never disturbed by the ufurper fancy; that ignis fatuus, which, like a falfe optic, confounds diftance and proportion, diftorts objects, and dresses error in a thousand shapes. Even the refined fenfations, termed the pleafures of imagination, are only the effect of the affociation of ideas, and the prejudice of fancy. The imitative arts owe their empire over the educated part of mankind to no other fource. He who would pafs over a natural object with a very curfory and flight degree of attention, however beautiful or attracting it might be in itself, from its being in the common courfe of natural reprefentation, as foon as he beholds that object presented to him, either in painting or fculpture, his imagination is directly roufed, and he beftows the moft minute attention on every part of the performance, which fancy now leads him to contemplate through the heightened and glowing optic of admiration and delight. Thus almoft nothing ftrikes our attention from its intrinfic power, but is worked upon by our imagination;

torical facts, and to fix the chronology of particular events; in the fame manner ftatues and paintings illuftrate and mark the allegory and characteristic infpirations, of poets, and record hiftorical tradition. The ufe which Greece and Rome made of the art of fculpture was particularly favourable to that enthufiaftic fpirit which carried them to fuch glorious actions. We have often lamented, that ftatues and columns, in commemoration of eminent characters and national events, were not more generally erected in this country.

Obelisks and columns are very common in Germany, and are frequently erected to the memory of particular perfons. This mode of effufing the feelings of individuals is objectionable, inafmuch as the poffeffion of eftates being but of precarious tenure, thofe monuments, fo interefting to thofe who erected them, are expofed to the risk of falling into hands perfectly indifferent to preferving them: a church appears, therefore, the propereft place for thofe facred memorials.

[To be continued.]

To the Editor of the Universal Mag. SIR,

AS it is, no doubt, your defire to communicate nothing to your readers but what is correct, and as "there are no errors fo fmall, but they ought to be amended," I take the liberty to put you right with refpect to the following ftatement in the fhort account of Thomas Paine in your Magazine for February.

"Mr. Paine was conveyed to America by a frigate commiffioned by the Prefident to receive him."

Now the fact was, that it was not a frigate, but a merchantman, that Mr. Jefferson wished him to come to America in, as the following letter evinces, which is copied from the original, and which it is expect ed will gratify your readers.

Extract of the Letter from Mr. Jefferson, Prefident of the United States, to Thomas Paine.

"You expreffed a wifh in your letter to return to America by a national fhip. Mr. Dawfon, who brings over the treaty, and who will present you this letter, is charged with orders to the Captain of the Maryland to receive and accommodate you back, if you can be ready to depart at fuch a fhort warning. You will in general find us returned to fentiments worthy of former times; in thefe it will be your glory to have steadily laboured, and with as much effect as any man living. That you may live long to continue your useful labours, and reap the reward in the thankfulness of nations, is my fincere prayer. Accept the affurance of my high efteem and affectionate attachment.

"July, 1802."

THOMAS JEFFERSON.

By this veffel (the Maryland) Mr. Paine declined going, and waited for the frigate that brought the Minister Livingston to France; but this frigate was ordered round to the Mediterranean.

He then agreed to embark in the veffel Commodore Barney had engaged (which funk at fea), but was prevented.

It was, Sir, in the LONDON PACKET, a trading ship, he at last embarked for America, in August 1802, at Havre de Grace, where the writer of this article was then fpending fome time with him. I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,
CLIO RICKMAN.

March 20.

To the Editor of the Universal Mag. SIR,

I BEG leave to enquire, through the medium of your excellent Mifcellany, whether any of your correfpondents, who attend to the changes which occur in the atmosphere, have ever noticed the state of the thermometer during an eclipfe of the fun. A gentleman in town remarked, at the time of the late folar eclipfe, when about nine digits of the fun's difk were obfcured, that, in the space of forty minutes from the commencement of the eclipfe,

the thermometer fell fix degrees, and did not regain its former height till after the termination of it. The interpofition of the moon commenced about twenty minutes before eleven o'clock at noon.

It must be remarked, that, from a fingle obfervation of this fort, no inference can be fatisfactorily deduced; because in this climate the variations of temperature are proverbially frequent and fudden, independent of any uncommon occurrence, fuch as a great folar eclipse; and one of thefe variations might have taken place, from fome common caufe, at the very time that the eclipfe happened to commence. The day, if I remember accurately, was cloudy and bright alternately, and I believe a heavy shower fell during the eclipfe. Now, it is well known that heavy showers are generally preceded or fucceeded, or both, by a confiderable increase of cold in the atmosphere, and are often, no doubt, occafioned by it.

The darkness, too, it may be added, was not greater than is often produced by thick clouds, which have never been obferved, I believe, to effect any great change on the thermometer in the fhade; but as, in the latter cafe, the upper regions of the atmofphere receive all the rays of the fun, and the inferior parts only are deprived of them by the interpofition of the clouds, whilft, in an eclipfe, they never reach the atmosphere at all, the inftances may be conceived to be not quite analogous. But it must be obferved, that the temperature of the air does not by any means depend folely on the quantity of the fun's rays which it receives, otherwife we fhould never have a warm day fucceeded by an extremely cold one, nor ever experience warm breezes in February, and cold blafts in May; both of which circumstances very often happen.

By obferving the state of the ther mometer in several inftances of folar eclipfe, or in several places on one or two occafions, attending at the fame time to other concomitant occurrences in the atmosphere, we might be enabled to determine, whether the temporary interruption to the tranfmiffion of a part of the folar rays to the earth ́ does produce any obvious change in the temperature of the air; and whether, confequently, an eclipfe of fome magnitude may be the caufe of showers, of a change of wind, of ftorms, or calms, or other meteorological phenomena.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

London, March 8, 1804.

Z.

To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag. SIR,

CAN any of your correspondents communicate any information relative to the author of the following work?"Chriftianity Unmafqued, or unavoidable Ignorance preferable to corrupt Christianity. A Poem in Twenty-two Cantos: by Michael Smith, A.B., Vicar of South Mimms, in Hertfordshire. London, printed for H. Turpin, bookfeller in St. John's Street, Smithfield. 1771. Price 4s fewed."

The poem is written in Hudibraftic verfe, and is by far the best imitation of the ftyle, fentiment, and wit of Butler that I ever perufed. Some parts of it, however, must be confeffed to border on lafcivioufnefs, notwithstanding the fanctity of the title. Fronti Nulla Fides.

I would thank any of your correfpondents if they could inform me who the author is, whether he be yet living, whether he published other works, and in fhort any thing refpecting him.

Perhaps at fome future period I may forward to you a few excerpts from this very curious and I be lieve rare publication. They