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To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR,

I

T is natural to us to be more defirous for the removal of a small blemish from a form otherwife faultlefs, than if the form were a common one, in which many grofs deformities would ftill remain, though fome few should be taken away. You will, therefore, I hope, pardon my with for the correction of one or two miftakes in fact, which the learned and excellent author of that fine work, the Life of Lorenzo de Medici, has, by fome fuch overfight as is more or less incident to all human care, fuffered to appear even in the fecond edition of his book.

In the second volume, p. 92, Note (a), the author affirms, on the authority of Giovan Francesco, nephew and bigra. pher of the famous Giovanni Pico, Prince of Mirandula and Concordia, that "Voltaire is mistaken in relating that he refigned the fovereignty of Mirandula to refide at Florence;" and that "Pico neither enjoyed, nor had any pretenfions to, the fovereignty." Yet, in the very life which is quoted by Mr. Roscoe, GiovanFrancefco thus expresses himself: "Triennio, igitur, priufquam diem obiret; ut, pofthabitis dominandi curis, in altâ pace degere poffet; fecurus quo fceptra caderent, cuncta patrimonia quæ Mirandule Concordiæque poffidebat, hoc eft tertiam partem earum, mihi, nefcio an dono, an venditione, tradidit; quod factum, poftea Maximilianus Auguftus, Cæfarea liberalitate firmavit. "Three years, therefore, before his death, withing to live in perfect quiet, without any concern in the cares of government, and being indifferent who thould fucceed to the princely authority, he refigned to me, I know not whether I fhould fay by fale or gift, all his patrimonial property at Mirandula and Concordia, namely, a third part of thefe principalities; which deed the Emperor Maximilian, with imperial liberality, confirmed." I need not add another word to fatisfy Mr. Rofcoe that he has blamed Voltaire without reason, and that he should correct his own error in a future edition of his work.

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names. Although exceptions were made to thirteen of his questions, as heretical, yet no ecclefiaftical fentence was pronounced against Pico, upon thofe exceptions, till after he had published his Apology. Pope Innocent VIII. then, indeed, chiefly at the defire of Pico himself, forbade the questions to be read, but ftill without threatening the perfonal safety or liberty of him who propofed them. Such, at least, feems to be the account of Pico's nephew and biographer. It was only in the last years of his life that he fixed his refidence in the neighbourhood of Florence.

I own I cannot but regret that Mr. Rofcoe fhould have mentioned only the Questions, the Apology, and the Poetry, of Pico. One of his greatest merits was, to have exploded the practice of judicial aftrology, and every other species of popular and fuperftitious divination, at a time when scarcely any other perfon had attained to fimilar boldness, and enlargement of philofophical thought. He ap plied arithmetical, or, perhaps, algebraic numbers, by a new invention, to the demonstration of mathematical truths. He had made extraordinary proficiency in the study of the phyfical phenomena of nature. He was the author of fome exquifite compofitions in mufic. His plan for the refutation of all the enemies of the true religion, was the most orderly and luminous in arrangement that can be imagined. In correctnefs of taste and judgment, as in liberal philofophical intelligence, he was rather like to the first of the philofophers and divines of the present day, than like thofe of his own age. His library coft him feven thousand crowns of gold.

When Mr. Roscoe shall have leisure to peruse those fixteen pages which compre hend the Account of Pico's Life, by his nephew, and which Mr. Rofcoe calls volu minous, he will find that Pico was a much greater character than Lorenzo de Medici, efpecially if he difdain not to study also Pico's Works. R. H.

For the Monthly Magazine.

NERS, &c. at TAUNTON. (Continued from No. 113, p. 228.)

If I do not exceedingly mistake, Pico The PRESENT STATE of SOCIETY, MANdid not retire, as Mr. Rofcoe feems to fuppofe, to Florence, to be protected by Lorenzo de Medici, from perfecution excited against him, on account of his nine hundred questions. Those questions were published by Pico, with the approbation of many eminent doctors in theology, teftified by the fubfcription of their MONTHLY MAG. No. 115.

THERM

HE civil conftitution of this town was limited, for feveral centuries, to officers chofen annually in the Courts of the Bishop of Winchester, who was, from an early period of time, invested with

3 I

a civil

a civil authority over the town, as well as endowed with the lands of the manors. Thele were, two bailiffs, two portreves, wo conftables, and fix tything-men, or petty-contables. To the head-conftabies was entrusted the prefervation of the public peace, and the diftribution of particular charities left to the poor. The town was not incorporated by royalcharter till the reign of Charles II. 1627. This deed changed the political ftate of the borough, and by it the civil authority was lodged in the hands of a mayor, juf tice, aldermen, and burgeffes But the ftand made by its inhabitants, in the civil-war, against the unconstitutional meafures of Charles I. and the vigorous fupport given to the caufe of the Parlia ment, awakened the jealoufy, and raifed the resentment, of Charles II. who demolifhed its walls, and took away its char. ter by a quo warranto, in 1660. It continued without a charter for feventeen years, when the fame King, at the fuit of Dr. Peter Maw, then Bishop of Bath and Wells, granted it a new charter. This charter was marked and diftinguithed from other funilar deeds, by a peculiar claufe, expreffive of the King's fufpicions. This claute enacted, that there fhould be appointed and nominated, from time to time, by the Chancellor, or keeper of the great-feal, fix juftices of the county, to act as juftices within the borough and its precincts, and to fit, and to have full power and authority, with the mayor and other juftices acting under the royal charter. The last commiffion, appointing fuch adjunct, or infpecting justices, was iffued on the application of fome of the inhabitants, and bore date 4th of March, 1767. Through a neglect to fill up the, vacancies, till they were reduced below half the original number appointed by the char. ter, the corporation forfeited it, and be came extinct about ten or twelve years

fince.

The town of Taunton fends two members to Parliament, and has enjoyed this privilege ever fince the mafs of the people has had reprefentatives. The elective franchife is limited to that part of the town which lies in the parish of St. Mary Magdalen, and does not reach to the whole extent of it. The right of voting is invested in parishioners, who are not stated paupers, nor having received, with. in a twelvemonth, any flare in the charities of the town, and who dress their own victuals in their own room, or house, or

keep a table to themselves. Hence they are generally called potwallopers.

Taunton has been noted for its woollen-manufactory, a trade firit brought into this kingdom four hundred and fixty years ago, by the wife counfels of Edward III. About the middle of the feventeenth century, its terges were in great reputation and demand, as fashionable wearing, being lighter than cloth, yet thicker than many other tuffs. In 1704, its trade rofe to fo flourishing a height, that it is faid 8500 perfors were employed weekly in fabricating its cloths; and the population of the town at that period was fo rapid and great, that it was called the nursery for Queen Anne's wars. The circumftance which greatly aided the progrefs of its manufactories, invited clothiers to fettle in it, and drew on it the envy of other towns, was the peculiar tenure of its lands; for every mortgage being entered in the caftle-books, which was a fecurity against fraud, money could be borrowed there above an hundred years ago at 51. per cent. From 1727 to 1734, the cash delivered, on contract, to the tradefmen for bills of exchange, amounted to 1500l. per week; and the trade feldom produced, at the fame time, less than 500 moidores from Falmouth. For ten years, from 1734 to 1744, there was not more than about 300l. cash delivered weekly.—For the next feven years, from 1744 to 1751, it did not amount to more than zool. per week. Its woollen manufactory is now, through the gradual operation of various caufes, reduced to a very low ebh. Not more than three perfons, as principals, are engaged in making the goods for which it was celebrated, fuch as ferges, duroys, fagathoys, and dimities, and their bufinels is not carried to any great extent. Some new fources of trade, however, have opened. About twenty-three years back, was erected a filk-mill, for making thrown filk out of fine raw-filk. Since that, various looms have been erected for weaving Barcelona-handkerchiefs, tiffanies, Canterbury-moflins, florentines, and ladies' fhawls. In its vicinity, a ma"nufactory of kerfeymeres and broad-cloth, by machinery, has been established; and in the town itfelf, the ftraw-hat manufactory has been fet up.

Its navigation merits particular notice. This originated, about the 13th of Charles I. under the patronage of a royal patent, with John Mallet, Efq. of Enmore, whofe daughter and heirefs married John

Wilmot,

Wilmot, the celebrated Earl of Rochefter.

For the Monthly Magazine.

To his three daughters, the Countess of AR ACCOUNT of the JOURNEY of LOUIS

Sandwich, the Lady Viscountess Lifburne, and the Lady Anne Greville, defended all their ancestor's right in the navigation of the river; and further and new rights were invested in them, by letters-patent, dated in the 36th year of Charles II.'s reign, as far as to Ham milis, about five or fix miles from the town. As the defign and undertaking had failed, in 1698 fome gentlemen of the town of Taunton, to the number of thirty, with a public-fpirited view of reviving and completing this ufeful defign, and of carrying the navigation from Taunton to Bridgewater, purchafed all the rights of the aforefaid ladies in the navigation, and obtained an act of parliament, in the roth and 11th years of the reign of William III. empowering them, under the name of confervators, to open, make, and keep navigable, the river Tone. A new act, to extend and confirm the powers granted under the former, was obtained in the 6th year of the reign of Queen Anne: fo that at present, barges of about fifteen tons each are brought quite home to the town. The navigation of the Tone has been much improving, and productive of increafing benefits to the town and neighbourhood, ever fince the year 1779. The town of Bridgewater has alfo derived effential advantages from it. Its fhipping amounted, in 1790, to 34 veffels, 1707 tons, and 128 men. The coal-trade, in particular, has of late years greatly in creafed there and in Taunton. Thus, though its woollen-manufactories have declined, the town has not wholly loft its weight and importance. The populousnefs and fertility of the country around it, must continue to keep up its markets, and to preferve its internal commerce.

Taunton was the fift town in the weft of England that applied to Parliament for a turnpike-act. The bill was oppofed by Humphrey Sydenham, Efq. member for Exeter, who afferted that the roads were in very good repair; but was fupp rted by Thomas Brown, Efq. who put the House into a roar of laughter, by undertaking to prove, that the roads were in fo bad a fate, that it would be no more expence to make them navigable, than to make them fit for carriages. This contraft was easily reconciled; and the act paffed in the 25th of George II. in the year 1752.

(To be continued.)

XVI.

KING of FRANCE, with the ROYAL FAMILY, from PARIS to VẠRENNES, and of their RETURN to the CAPITAL, in JUNE 1791; drawn up from the INFORMATIONS of one of the KING'S BODY-GUARDS, by JOHN,

DOUGALL.

(Concluded from p. 330, No. 114.)

W

HEN fupper was over, the three

their mafter's apartment, there to pass the night, after helping his Majefty to undrefs.

They there confidered how they should beft return the money given to them at Varennes: and in the morning, when, at the appointed hour, they entered the apartment where their Majesties and Princefs Elizabeth were met, they begged leave to restore the prefent.

They were, however, directed to keep the money: but as the fum was too confiderable to be suffered to fall into the hands of the rabble, they wished much to retain in their hands only thirty-fix Louisd'or.

Here their Majefties, expreffing their ferious apprehenfions for the fafety of thefe gentlemen, M. de Moustier requested, that not a thought fhould be wasted on their fate; but that their Majesties would be affured that they were prepared for every event.

The King, the Queen, and Princefs Elizabeth, answered, that they were too well convinced of the loyalty and faithful attachment of the whole body of gardesdu-corps, to have any doubts on that fubject; and, at the fame time, each of them, in tears, embraced, in their turn, the three gentlemen; who, overwhelmed with fuch goodness and condefcenfion, felt themselves animated to brave a thoufand deaths to evince their zeal and devotion.

Their Majefties then defired the gentlemen to give them the names," Not (fid they,) of your nearest relations, for they may be easily discovered; but of those perfons in whom you are particularly interefted, or to whom you may lie under obligations."

On this, M. de Valory wrote, in the pocket-book of their august master, the names of their fathers and brothers alone.

Amongst the officers of the nationalguards at Châlons, there was one who carried his infolence fo far, as to prefcribe 3 I 2

rules

rules to his Majefty, and even to reproach him for mal administration in public affairs. When no one attempted to reftrain this behaviour, the King faid, with the greatest mildness, “ Pray, let this gentleman and his friends withdraw, that they may not thus torture perfons of a right way of thinking, (les ames honnêtes.) Exceffive heat and fatigue have brought them into their prefent fate; but to morrow, if they fball recollect what they have now faid, they will be forry for it."

As none, however, took any notice of his requeft, he turned away from them, with thefe words: "I once flattered myself that I bad to lament the errors of only the leaf-informed portion of my people, misled by a few factious men: but now I perceive that many of those who ought to know better things are equally deprav ed:" and when the King had fo faid, as it was the festival of Corpus Chrifti, (La Fête Dieu,) he immediately prepared to attend divine-fervice.

The Royal Family, whom no circumftance could ever draw afide from the regular difcharge of their duty to the Supreme Being, then repaired to the chapel of the Intendant's hotel: but fcarcely had they been there only a few minutes, when the people rushed tumultuoufly in, and behaved with fuch fcandalous indecency, that the Royal Family were forced to withdraw.

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Nothing (faid his Majesty, on rifing from his knees,) ought to furprize us on the part of men who have laid afide all respect even for their Maker but it is the duty of all those who know the happinefs of living in fubmiffion to his laws, to avoid giving any pretence for the commiffion of greater enormities.

After their return from the chapel, the Royal Family retired for a few moments to their apartment, and then fet out on their melancholy journey, loaded with every in, fult from the furrounding crowd.

This crowd, however, might be confidered as civil, when compared with that which affembled afterwards at Epernay, where the Royal Family were met by the Deputies from the Affembly at Paris, Pethion, Barnave, Dumas, Latour- Maubourg, and another, whofe name M. de Moufrier had omitted to mark down in his journal, but who had an appearance of greater civility than the others, to whom, indeed, he seemed to be fubordinate..

Two of thefe Deputies, Pethion and Barnave, placed themselves in the car

riage with the Royal Family; so that it now contained no fewer than feven perfons. From this moment the cry of Vive le Roi, which had now and then been faintly heard, ceafed entirely to welcome the Royal Family all the way to Paris. It was fucceeded by thofe of Vivent les Députés ! Vive Barnave! for Barnave appeared to be the idol of the people.

With thefe cries were mingled others, fuch as, Let us eat the hearts of the King and Queen, &c. &c. too atrocious and horrible to be conveyed to British ears!

A poor priest was paffing quietly along the road, near Epernay, on his return from performing divine-service at a neighbouring village, with his book under his arm.

It was enough that he was observed to be a clergyman, to draw on him the attacks of the multitude. To fave himself from their fury, he rushed amit a party of national guards, mounted on horfes, formerly belonging to the Duke de Grammont's company of the gardes-du-corps, when quartered at Châlons. One of these men invited the priest to mount behind him, as if he meant to protect the unhappy man from the populace: but it was only to have a better opportunity of infulting him. Soon after, a grenadier, walking near the horfe, laying hold of the priest's leg, threw him over, just before the fore-wheels of the carriage. The wretched man, thinking to elcape from death, preffed in between the wheels, but was there twice wounded with a bayon.t, to force him to come out.

He was afterwards difpatched by the muskets of the national-guards; one of whom, in the hearing of the company about the carriage, boafted, that, although the clergy were an abominable race, yet he could not refift his compaffion for the wretch, and therefore had, out of kindness, blown out his brains.

Whether it proceeded from a refinement in cruelty, or from fome feciet political motive, cannot now be ascertained; but fo it was, that the Deputies never failed to ftop the carriage in thofe places where the populace gave way to the most horrible fpeeches and threats again't the Royal Family, especially against the King himself, who had never, for an inftant, cealed to love his people with the most ardent affection.

During the first day's journey in comFany with the Deputies, couriers were continually coming up with dispatches,

which

which they preffed thefe gentlemen to read, giving out, at the fame time, that the Auftrians had entered France, and were laying the whole country wafte with fire and fword. The Deputies, having put on the appearance (for it was evident to the perfons in the carriage, where two of them were, that it was only an appearance,) of reading thefe dispatches, ordered the carriage to halt, and then announced to the populace, that forty thoufand Auftrians had invaded the country, which was reduced to the utmost distress : that all the towns, even Varennes itself, was already reduced to afhes: that the inhabitants, without diftinction of age or fex, were put to the fword: and that the fame calamities would unquestionably take place wherever the Auftrians fhould penetrate.

Thefe difcourfes of the Deputies heightened tenfold the rage of the multitude, goaded already almost to madness by the conduct of their leaders.

Yet the monstrous abfurdity of fuch reports, which carried with them their own disproval, might have been expected rather to open the eyes of thefe deluded wretches.

The effects they produced, furnish a ftriking proof of the melancholy blindnefs and infatuation of men, when abandoned by Providence to the fury of their own paffions.

Dumas, one of the Deputies, had been a major-general in the fervice of the unhappy Prince, of whom he was now a principal tormentor. By his infinuating fmiles, and ftudied familiarity of difcourie and behaviour, to the crowd around the carriage, whom he treated with the most marked attention and respect, leaning on the fhoulders of the private national. guards, talking in their ear, not as their chief, but as their companion; calling them, at every word, friends, comrades, &c. &c. By thefe and other arts, this Dumas fhewed fufficiently, that the ignorant multitude acted only in conformity to the inftigations of their directors.

At the inn where the Royal Family were to fleep, after leaving Châlons, the Deputies took care to fecure for themfelves all the best apartments. To the King was allotted a chamber, where the fervants of thofe gentlemen would have confidered themselves to be badly accommodated but the virtues of this excellent Prince made him fupport every indignity with a compofure and refignation which extorted the admiration of even his bittereft enemies.

Far from complaining of his treatment in this inn, where the bed was too fhort and too narrow for, him to ftretch his wearied limbs on it, his Majefty, with his own hands, tied his handkerchief about his head, and fat down on a wooden-bottomed chair, which ftood by the head of the bed, and defired one of the gardes-du-corps to fetch another of the iame kind to fupport his feet.

Perceiving their anguish at the fight of their beloved mafter reduced to fuch misery, he, with his ufual condefcenfion, faid, "Oh! never think of me: I am well enough hire. How many persons would think themfelves happy to be fo well provided for!

Such, indeed, was the conftant behaviour of the Royal Family on these trying occafions, that the Deputies of the Aflembly themfelves, men felected, certainly with no friendly view, but for the purpose of carrying back their Sovereign to his prifon in the capital, were so affected by the genuine dignity of their conduct, that, with all their art, they could not conceal their admiration and respect.

The gravity of difcourfe, the corre&nefs of behaviour, which appeared in the family, had fuch an effect on these Deputies, that, after the first day's journey, they were utterly unable to maintain the airs of infolence and effrontery with which they first prefented themselves at the carriage.

When out of the coach, the Deputies could not refrain, in fpite of themselves, from giving proofs, by their language and geftures, of the most profound respect for the whole Family. They feldom ventured to look their Master in the face; and evidently wifhed earreftly to withdraw from his eye and observation. They feemed to feel most pungently the vast diftance between themselves and him.

The inftances of fenfibility which fell in the way of the Royal Family, on this journey, were fo rare, that it would be unpardonable to fuffer the following to pal's unnoticed.

While the Royal Family were at dinner at Chateau-Thierry, in the chateau which ftands over the river Marne, the Queen defired to fee the lady of the house. On the porter's wife appearing, and the Queen's afking whether he was the mil trefs of the place, "Wherever your Majefty appears, (laid the poor woman, touched with the misfortunes of the Royal Family,) there can be no other mistress."

This genuine mark of delicate fenfibility, in a woman of her humble station in

life,

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