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ferent at Richmond Hill. From this enchanting eminence, where fplendid variety conftitutes the diftinguishing characterwhere wood and water, and thickly fcat, tered villas, lie ftretched beneath to an immeafurable diftance, and the rich and decorated expanfe is bounded only by the failing powers of vifion, the eye demands its fullest liberty, and the ftrong blaze and tranfparency of noon, or the warm glow of a cloudlefs evening, are accidents of colouring (if I may fo exprefs myfelf) that harmonile with the features of the picture. This finishing, however, Nature was not, in a mood to furnish. The fun, tantalifed us indeed with a fort of promife; and two or three times a partial and tranfient beam gave us a glimpse of the beauties we were forbidden to enjoy. But even with thefe difadvantages, the scene had fufficient attractions to detain us between three and four hours, including the time occupied by our flight and temperate repast at the Plough and Harrow in Pe..

terfham.

By the way-the walk down the hill. to Peterfham, between the Park and the Hanging Wood, fhould never be neglected by the picturefque traveller. The folemn grandeur and fhady fequeftration of this defcending path form a ftriking contraft to the gaiety and fplendour of the scene above. It is, indeed, a charming appen-: dage to this celebrated profpect-wild, fombrous, and majeftic-a fcene for folemn meditation and poetic rhapfody, where, in fact, I could loiter away more days and, weeks, than on the commanding fummit of the hill itself. That pomp of fcenery, that expanfe and publicity of profpect, which fo eminently diftinguish Richmond Hill, fafcinate,.indeed, the occafional obferver but in the picturefque of nature, as in the intercourfes of life, it is principally in the lowly vales and fhades of fober fequeftration we must seek the pleafures that cloy not on repetition.

The poet Gray, whofe pocket-book was our travelling guide and companion, in his lift of fcenes and fituations, has fet down Twickenham with a ftar of admiration but certainly we faw nothing there to admire. In fact, the beauty of this place confifts in the profpects commanded from the houfes and pleasure-grounds on the banks of the river. One of thefe, the garden of Pope, we ought to have had the curiofity to vifit: for though, to a lover of the fimplicity of Nature, that factitious fcenery which furrounds the manfions of opulence has few attractions; yet as what little tafte for gardening we have

MONTHLY MAG, No, XLVIII,

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among us, feems to have been introduced by the bard of Twickenham, it is certainly worth while to examine the original model.

The fpacious Palace of Hampton Court, the favourite refidence of William III. with all its modern patches and incongruities, is ftill a very fine place. The garden, indeed, is execrable: but the river, and the gay luxuriance of the furrounding country, atone for every defect: and the walk from hence to Sunbury (where we flept) may be ranked among the fineft fcenery of the Thames: nor is the effect a little heightened by the number of fwans, who, failing round the little fcattered iflands, in which they have built their nefts, give character and intereft to the fcene., (To be continued.)

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THE very nature of thofe purposes, the

accomplishment of which can alone prefent a fure teft of literary excellence, is fuch as to make literary men particularly liable to emotions of vanity. What unequivocal proofs can there be obtained of the merits of any work of literature, other than the affent of the reader's understanding to the truths which it explains, other than the fympathy of every heart in the fentiments which it pours forth? Of all. mankind, an author can the leaft lafely fet the common judgement of the world at defiance. If men fhall, in general, agree not to read my book; if thofe who do read it be not impreffed by its fentiments and imagery, nor convinced by its reasonings; it must be bad, however differently I myfelf may be difpofed to think of its merits. Thus compelled, by the effential nature of the primary object of all their pursuits, to have ftill an efpecial refpect to the approbation and the difapprobation of others, literary men learn to watch with undefcribable anxiety the judgement of the public-to become intoxicated with its applaufe, and to confole themselves for its neglect, only by imputing this to fome accidental untowardness of circumftances. How often do they, in imagination, anticipate the effects of a few favourite verfes or paragraphs upon the readers! With what raptures are they apt to repeat the praifes which they have obtained! How eagerly will they proffer to every. vifitant the gratification of liftening to their favourite effufions! To what a fancied elcvation, greater than that of a Roman triumph, are they exalted by any tranfient

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In a late perufal of the Letters of BALZAC to Conrart, and others, I have met with fome very amusing inftances of this literary vanity. Balzac's works, in general, are written not without elegance, yet without much of either acuteness or comprehenfion of mind, and not always with fpirit or correctnefs. But he had been praifed and flattered, until he was perfuaded that the most diftant pofterity muft read with raptures the verieft trifles which flowed from his pen. "He finds himself," as he tells his friend, "diftreffed by the impertinent importunity of perfons who wrote to him, and fent him prefents, folely with a view to draw from him fome of his precious epiftles." Of SALMASIUS he fays, That great book-maker pours out his stuff fafter than any fecretary can tranferibe it, or any printer conduct it through the prefs. He will compofe a thick folio fooner than I can finish a page or two of a letter. Bleffed are the writers who can fo eafily fatisfy themfelves! who, in compofing, exercife only their memory and their fingers! who, without choice or difcrimination, tell juft all that they know!" Of his own work, intitled, ARISTIPPUS, he fays, "So dearly do I love this Benjamin of my brain, that I would not exchange it for all the Mifcellanies, Diatribe, various Readings, Animadverfions, Emen dations, &c. &c. that have ifued, during thefe last fifty years, from the preffes of Leiden and Frankfort." Many things, ftill more extravagant than thefe, appear as effufions of this author's vanity, in the fame little volume of his Letters: yet is there in the fame volume nothing finer than a fhort complimentary epiftle from M. Drelincourt, fent with a copy of his excellent treatise on Death, to court the acceptance of BALZAC. It feems that BALZAC had established on his eftate a manufacture of paper; and was accuftomed to fend frequent prefents of this article to his favourite friends at Paris. He appears, likewife, to have been most anxiously punctilious in regard to the correction of the prefs, in the printing of his works.

It should feem, from the epiftolary correfpondence of BALZAC and his friends, that they accounted him who could pay the most extravagant compliments to write the beft letter.

THOMAS HOBBES of Malmesbury exhibits likewife, in his works, fome curious fpecimens of the vanity of an author. But it must be owned, that there is in HOBBES' felf-commendation much more of dogmatifm, infolence, and enthufiaftic conviction, than in that of Balzac. It has, perhaps, in it more of pride, than of vanity. In the very title of his Short Treatife on Liberty and Neceffity, he fays of it," "Wherein all controverly concerning Predeftination, Election, Free Will, Grace, Merits, Reprobation, &c. is FULLY DECIDED AND CLEARED."He never fails to treat his adverfaries with fupreme contempt, as the most stupid and ignorant of mankind. In the dedication of his Treatife on Human Nature to the Earl of Newcastle, he fcruples not to fay: "I prefent this to your Lordship, for the only and folid foundation of fuch feience." "It would be an incomparable benefit to the common wealth," adds he afterwards, "that every one held the opinion concerning law and policy, here delivered." In the dedication of his LEVIATHAN to Mr. Francis Godolphin, he very frankly expreffes himself thus: If you find my

labour generally decried, you may fay, I am a man that love my own opinions, and think all true I fay." Comparing himfelf, in another work, with Boyle, and the natural philofophers in general, he treats them with ineffable contempt, as men who owed their reputation merely to their glaffes and furnaces: "but, Before Mr. HOBBES's book De Homine came forth," adds he immediately, "I never faw any thing written of that fubject intelligibly.

HOBBES, I cannot help here mentioning, has left us, in Latin hexameters, a diverting account of a vifit made by a party of pleafure to the Peak in Derbyshire, in which he very laughably tranflates the vulgar appellation-The Devil's Arfe a Prak-PLUTONIS ANUM.

A-kin to this author's vanity of Bal zac and Hobbes feems to be that strange delufion of fancy, which made the famous Lord HERBERT of CHERBURY believe himself commanded by à special revelation from heaven, to publifh a book against all revelation. The story is al ready fufficiently known. Somewhat of the fame caft, too, appears to have been that fond prefumption of the most amusing BENVENUTO CELLINI, which led him

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T has often been a matter of furprise to many of the inhabitants of this place, and still more so to strangers, that, in a town of such commercial and national im portance as Liverpool, the conveniencies and accommodations for the acquifition of knowledge, both local and general, both ancient and modern, fhould be fo imperfect as they confeffedly are. The want of a public library of well selected books in all the useful as well as ornamental branches of knowledge, in the learned languages and in fome of the modern languages of Europe as well as in our own, has long been felt and acknowledged; and every perfon inclined to literary pur. fuits has experienced the difficulty of making any confiderable progrefs in any particular department of knowledge, from the want of an establishment which might furnif him with the perufal of the beft authors on the fubject of his inquiries, and which would exempt him from the neceffity of incurring the expenfe of purchafing all the books his purfuits may require; an expense which is not generally convenient to individuals.

Impelled by thefe confiderations, feveral gentlemen have ventured to propofe to the inhabitants of Liverpool the establiment of an inftitution which they have long had in contemplation, and which they hope will be found to answer all the purposes for which it is defigned. In addition to the advantage of having within reach a valuable repofitory of books in every department of useful knowledge, they propofe to comprehend in their plan all the advantages and conveniencies of a News Room. They intend, if the plan meets encouragement and fupport, to ap. propriate a certain part of the annual income, to procure a regulár fupply of News. Papers, both town and country, all the periodical publications of any value, and all pamphlets that have a reference to fubjects of local or general polity, or of commerce. They intend alfo to furnish

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the room with all the best maps that can be procured. In a word, their object is to combine a Library and a News-Room in one establishment, under one roof, and even in one room. They propofe to erect a building for thefe purposes, according to an excellent plan which has been prepared by a profeffional gentleman for that purpofe. Befides one very large and commodious room, fifty feet by thirty, which will ferve at once for a News-Room and a Library, there will be a Reading-Room, and a Committee-Room. The large room will be galleried all round; the space above the gallery will be appropriated to the ufe of the Library; and the space below will be fitted up after the manner of a CoffeeRoom, where the News-Papers, Reviews, Magazines, and Pamphlets, may always be met with. Thus the two establishments will be kept perfectly distinct from each other. These rooms are defigned to be upon a firft floor; and it is proposed that the rooms on the ground floor be converted into fhops, and that the accruing rents of thefe fhops, as well as of the cellars underneath them, be applied to the general purposes of the inftitution.

Such is the outline of the plan; upon which it may be remarked, that it comprehends fuch advantages as will adapt it to the convenience of men of business, as well as men of leifure. It will be open every day from feven o'clock in the morn ing till nine in the evening, and the books, will be delivered out at all times within thefe hours; all Pamphlets, of general or local interest, periodical Publications, as Reviews, Magazines, &c. will be regularly procured, and will remain in the room for the perufal of the fubfcribers; the expenfe of two feparate inftitutions will be avoided, and permanence will be given to the eftablishment of a News Room; which, both in a commercial and political point of view, is of great importance in a town like this.

In order to carry this plan into effect, it is propofed to raife a fum of money by fubfcription; part of which is to be expended in purchafing ground and erecting a fuitable building, and the remainder in the purchase of a teck of books; the inftitution to be afterwards fupported by annual fubfcriptions. The fun firft advanced is to give the fubfcriber a transferable intereft in the inftitution. It is propofed to limit the number of fubfcribers to two hundred and fifty, each of whom' is to fubfcribe ten guineas on admittance, and two guineas per annum afterwards. It is computed that the whole expenfe of the building, when completed, will amount

to two thousand pounds, which will leave
a furplus of upwards of five hundred
pounds and as it is intended that the first
year's annual fubfcription fhould be paid
in advance on opening the room, a fum of
one thousand pounds may thus be applied
in the immediate purchase of books. The
annual income, amounting to five hundred
guineas, together with the addition of the
contingent rents of the fhops and cellars,
which cannot fail to be let to advantage,
is propofed to be expended in the follow
ing manner. After the neceffary expenfes
of the inftitution are paid, a fum, not ex-
ceeding one third of the net income, hall
be annually laid out in the purchase of
News Papers, Magazines, Reviews, and
Pamphlets; of the remainder of the an-
nual income, a part, not exceeding one
third, fhall be applied to the purchase of
books in the French, Italian, German,
Latin, and Greek languages; and the
balance to be expended in purchafing books
in our own language.

Liverpool, November 27, 1797.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

N anfwer to the inquiry of your cor

to

For the Monthly Magazine.

Copy of a Letter from Mr. TATHAM
Mr. TRESHAM, respecting the
CLAUDES lately purchased by Mr.
BECKFORD.

W which appeared in a morning

WITH regard to the paragraph

paper of Tuesday laft, intimating that the two Claudes lately purchafed by you for Mr. Beckford, were offered to me when at Rome, by the prince Altieri,-I take the liberty of ftating to you (and, if you think proper, have no objection to ftate cumftances which induced me at that time more particularly to the public) the cirto decline an offer fo very flattering to myself, and the acceptance of which would fooner have put my own country in pof feffion of those incomparable pieces.

From the time I was fift introduced to

the prince Altieri (about five months after my arrival at Rome) he honoured me with the most obliging and continued

marks of attention. Toward the middle of the year 1796, the capture of Mantua by the French was confidered at Rome as an event impoffible to be avoided--and the effects it would neceffarily have on that repofitory of art and genius were already

I refpondent T. 1. in your Magazine Pelt in anticipation by the proprietors of

for this month of the best method of taking grease spots out of leather breeches, I beg to acquaint him, that the white of an egg, applied to the injured part, and dried in the fun, will effectually aufwer his wishes.

Oxford-ftreet, July 4, 1799.

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To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

H

SIR,

AVING obferved, in the Monthly

from one who wishes to be informed of
the method of taking greafe fpots out of
leather breeches; for the good of the com-
munity in general, I make known the fol-
lowing receipt (which I have often tried
with fuccefs) through the medium of
your ufeful Magazine, viz. to two table
fpoonfuls of fpirits of turpentine, put half
an ounce of mealy potatoes, to which add
fome of the best Durham mustard, rub
thele on the part greafed; and when it is
dry and taken off again, the pot will be
entirely removed. Should this not prove
quite efficacious, (though I have feldom
known it fail), add a little vinegar, which
will effectually do the bufinefs.

I am, Sir, your moft obedient Servant,
JOHN MEDLEY,

Old Sanctuary, Westminster,
July 12, 1799.

every museum there. One morning, while I was walking with the junior prince round his galleries, and talking

over the calamitous events which were likely to take place-he conducted me to the Claudes, and faid, both his father and himself were now fully perfuaded they could not preserve thofe pieces long, as the French would certainly come and strip Rome of every valuable production of art they could poffibly remove; and therefore,

the preference to any other perfon. I revolved in my mind the state of things at that time, and the circumstances under which I ftood; and although I felt, and as long as I live fhall continue to feel, the deepeft obligation to the prince for fo diftinguifhed a mark of his regard, and was extremely defirous my own country fhould be enriched with fuch a treasure; I found I could not then accept the offer, without making the most imprudent risk of lofing them, and perhaps expofing them to ablolute deftruction. I had already, at the defire and through the affiftance of Mr. Holland, made a collection of antique fragments, and cafts of ornamental architecture, to a very confiderable amount, which the fituation of public affairs rendered it very difficult for me to convey home.

The

The Mediterranean was fo infefted with corfairs and French privateers, that scarce a barchetta could pass in safety from one port to another-and the infurance on property was then at the rate of 30 per cent. and upwards. I therefore found myfelf obliged to forego the pleasure and advantage of a purchase, to have completed which, must have been a matter of the highest gratification to any lover of the

arts.

About fix months fince, the prince honoured me with a letter, written by his fecretary in his name, in which he mentions with the deepeft regret, that the pictures are gone, and that he had fold them to Mr. Fagan for 9,000 fcudi. The extraordinary escapes they have had in their conveyance hither, you are well acquainted with, and I am fure, are as happy as I am, that, fince, to the regret of every amateur, they have been removed from the place of their actual nativity, the great and natural univerfity of art, they have at laft arrived fafely in a country which knows how to appreciate their value.

The princes Altieri, both father and on, had the misfortune to be blind: the elder, I was informed, loft his fight when he was about forty years of age, the younger when he was near twenty. The pictures alluded to were, I believe, painted by Claude for the grandfather of the prefent prince, and were first placed in the fame magnificent room in which they ever af. terwards remained till they were fold to Mr. Fagan. There were alfo many other valuable pictures in the palace, and a large collection of antique ftatues and bufts, the latter of which were collected chiefly by the prefent prince, prior to his lofs of fight. Since that heavy affliction, he ufed to take ftrangers round his gallery, and pointed out the various pieces, as they tood when he was able to fee them. It was an affecting fight to fee two fuch illuftrious characters, whofe palace was the refort of taste and virtue, led about their own gallery by attendants, and capable of enjoying the remembrance only of the beauties which adorned it. For my own part, when I reflect on that circumstance, and add to it the diftreffed condition into which they have fince been reduced, I want words to exprefs my feelings of commiferation and regret. I am, Sir,

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To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine,

SIR,

CON

ONSIDERING the number of dif mal accidents occafioned by fire in large cities, where the houfes are high, crowded together, and constructed of combuftible materials, it is aftonishing that fo little precaution, is ufed to preferve the lives of the inhabitants. Having lately looked over the chronicle of events in a periodical work, I was struck on obferving the number of lives loft, limbs broken, others impaled and bruised in attempting to escape the flames; and all this in a very fhort period of time.-A very fimple contrivance might be ufed to prevent fuch fhocking difafters; but I fear this very fimplicity will operate against reducing it to practice. It will appear fo trifling, fo deftitute of mechanical ingenuity, that the people will fcarcely be perfuaded to make a knotted rope, or rope ladder, part of the furniture in their apartments. But what would be the value of fuch a fimple inftrument to a perfon furrounded with fire and finoke? The poorest housekeeper needs not want fuch a convenience; nor would the most delicate lady hefitate a moment, whether to defcend the ropeladder or be burned or buried alive. But fo the matter ftands, that, unless the legiflature do interfere, we shall still have occafion from time to time to deplore, not only the burning of houfes, but their inhabitants alfo, because it was too much trouble to provide a bit of rope to fave their lives. Much ingenuity has been exerted to find a method of extinguishing fires, to preferve property; and furely the lives of perfons who lodge up two or three pair of stairs are deferving of fome at-tention.-Government has with much propriety laid the ftage-coaches under proper regulations, becaufe, by overlading thefe vehicles, fome lives were loft and limbs broken; perhaps the fubject now mentioned, is equally deferving of public regulation.

In the cafe of fhipwreck, where numbers are loft every day, the inattention of mankind to their own prefervation is truly. aftonifhing.-To prevent this difafter is impoffible; but fure I am, if the fimple contrivance of the cork jacket were üniverfally adopted, multitudes would be faved from drowning. I believe it will be granted, that by far the greatest number of thips are loft on a lee fhore. In this cafe fuppofe two veffels ftranded, of 300 men each, at equal diftances from the land. One of thefe fhips is provided with

cork

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