into mountains, abrupt, wild, and cultivated; in others, breaking into rocks, craggy, pointed, and irregular; here, rifing into hills covered with the nobleft woods, prefenting a gloomy brownnefs of fhade, almoft from the clouds to the reBection of the trees in the limpid water they fo beautifully skirt; there, waving in glorious flopes of cultivated inclosures, adorned in the fweeteft manner with every object that can give variety to art, or elegance to nature; trees, woods, villages, houfes, farms, fcattered with picturefque confufion, and waving to the eye in the most romantic landfcapes that nature can exhibit. This valley, fo beautifully iuclofed, is floated by the lake, which f reads forth to the right and left in one vaft but irregular expanse of transparent water. A more noble object can hardly be imagined. Its immediate fhore is traced in every variety of line that fancy can imagine, fometimes contracting the lake into the appearance of a noble winding river; at others retiring from it, and opening large fwelling bays, as if for navies to anchor in; promontories fpread with woods, or scattered with trees and inclofures, projecting into the water in the most picturefque ftile imaginable; rocky points breaking the shore, and rearing their bold heads above the water. a variety that amazes the beholder. In a word, But what finishes the fcene with an elegance too delicious to be imagined, is, this beautiful sheet of water being dotted with no less than ten islands, diftinétly commanded by the eye; all of the most bewitching beauty. The large one prefents a waving various line, which rifes from the water in the most picturefque inequalities of furface; high land in one place, low in another; clumps of trees in this spot, fcattered ones in that; adorned by a farm-house on the water's edge, and backed with a little wood, vying in fimple elegance with Boromean palaces; fome of the fmaller ifles rifing from the lake like little hills of wood, fome only fcattered with trees, and others of grafs of the finest verdure; a more beautiful variety no where to be seen. Strain your imagination to command the idea of fo noble an expanfe of water thus gloriously environed; spotted with iflands more beautiful than would have iffued from the pencil of the happieft painter. Picture the mountains rearing their majeftic heads heads with native fublimity; the vast rocks boldly projecting their terrible craggy points; and in the path of beauty, the variegated inclofures of the most charming verdure, hanging to the eye in every picturesque form that can grace a landscape, with the most exquifite touches of la belle nature: if you raife your fancy to fomething infinitely beyond this affemblage of rural elegancies, you may have a faint notion of the unexampled beauties of this ravishing landscape.' Manufactures, indeed all works of art, as well as the wonders of nature, and improvements in agriculture and hufbandry, are objects of which this Writer never lofes fight: the following is a very juft account of the Staffordshire pottery: From Newcastle-under-line I had the pleasure of viewing the Staffordshire potteries at Burflem, and the neighbouring villages, which have of late been carried on with fuch amazing fuccefs. There are 300 houfes, which are calculated to employ, upon an average, twenty hands each, or 6000 in the whole; but if all the variety of people that work in what may be called the preparation for the employment of the immediate manufactures, the total number cannot be much short of 10,000, and it is increafing every day. It dates its great demand from Mr. Wedgwood (the principal manufacturer) introducing, about four years ago, the cream-coloured ware, and fince that the increase has been very rapid. Large quantities are exported to Germany, Ireland, Holland, Ruffia, Spain, the Eaft Indies, and much to America: fome of the finest forts to France. A confiderable shopkeeper from the Pont-neuf at Paris, was lately at Burflem, and bought a large quantity; it is poffible, indeed, he came for more purpofes than to buy; the French of that rank feldom travel for bufinefs which might be as well tranfacted by a fingle letter. The common clay of the country is ufed for the ordinary forts; the finer kinds are made of clay from Devonshire and Dorfetfhire, chiefly from Biddeford; but the flints from the Thames are all brought rough by fea, either to Liverpool or Hull, and fo by Burton. There is no conjecture formed of the original reafon of fixing the manufacture in this fpot, except for the convenience of plenty of coals, which abound under all the country. The fints are firft ground in mills, and the clay prepared by breaking, washing, and fifting, and then they are mixed in the requifite proportions. The flints are bought firft by the people about the country; and by them burnt and ground, and fold to the manufacturers by the peck. It is then laid in large quantities, on kilns, to evaporate the moisture; but this is a nice work, as it muft not be too dry; next it is beat with large wooden hammers, and then is in order for throwing, and is moulded into the forms in which it is to remain: this is the most difficult work in the whole manufacture. A boy turns a perpendicular wheel, which, by means of thongs, turns a small horizontal one, just before the thrower, with fuch velocity, that it twirls round the lump lump of clay he lays on it, into any form he directs it with his fingers. The earnings of the people are various.. Grinders, 7 s. per week. Wafhers and breakers, 8 s. Throwers, 9s. to 12 s. Engine lath men, 10 s. to 12s. Handlers, who fix hands, and other kinds of finishers, for adding (prigs, horns, &c. 9 s. to 12 s. Gilders, Men, 12 s. Women, 7 s. 6d. Preffers, 8 s. to 9 s. Painters, 10s. to 12 s. Moulders in plaifter of Paris, 8s. Women 5 s. te In general the men earn from 7 s. to 12s. 8s. Boys, chiefly apprentices, but 2 s. a week the first year, and a rife of 3d. per annum afterwards. Before they are apprentices 2 s. 9 d. per week, as they then learn nothing. But few girls.' In general we owe the poffeffion of this moft flourishing manufacture to the inventive genius of Mr. Wedgwood; who not only originally introduced the prefent cream coloured ware, but has fince been the inventor of every improvement, the other manufactures being little better than mere imitators; which is not a fortunate circumftance, as it is unlucky to have the fate of fo important a manufacture depend upon the thread of one man's life; however, he has lately entered into partnership with a man of sense and fpirit, who will have tafte enough to continue in the inventing plan, and not fuffer, in cafe of accidents, the manufacture to decline.' The fourth and last of these volumes confifts chiefly of general remarks, and a recapitulation of the previous obfervations on husbandry; the great fault of which, as well as of the whole work, is prolixity. The ftyle of this Writer is diforderly and diffuse, rather tumid than nervous; and, by ftraining perpetually at panegyric, he falls into a naufeous identity of expreffion. He has moreover fwelled his volumes with a thousand uninteresting and uneffential circumftances; fuch as catalogues of obfcure paintings, &c. &c.-Who can help laughing at fuch records as the following? Dead partridge, very natural. Alderman Hewet, very fine, But But Mr. Young will be fatisfied with the praise he is entitled to, that he has deferved well of his country. *At the end of the fourth volume the Author declares his intention of fetting out early in the next fuminer [1770] on his tour through other parts of the kingdom; in which we with him all poffible fuccefs and fatisfaction: cordially advising him, at the fame time, Not to travel too fast. ART. II. Sermons on the Duties of the Great. Tranflated from the French of M. Maffillon, Bishop of Clermont; preached before Louis XV. during his Minority, and infcribed to his Royal Highnefs George Prince of Wales, by William Dodd, L L. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty. 8vo. 4 s. fewed. Law, &c. 1769. ΤΗ HE character of MASSILLON is well known to all who are converfant with French literature. Such of our Readers as are unacquainted with it may form a pretty juft idea of his talents, as a pulpit-orator, from what Lewis XIV. faid to him, after preaching his firft advent at Verfailles: I have heard many great orators in my chapel, and have been very well fatisfied with them; but as to you, every time that I have heard you, I have been very much difatisfied with myfelf." This EULOGIUM, at the fame time that it does honour to the Monarch, fhews the great abilities of the preacher, and the power he had over the hearts and confciences of his hearers; who, we are told, were often fo deeply affected with his difcourfes, that they retired from the place of public worship in awful folemn filence, with penfive air, with downcaft eyes, with recollection ftamped on their countenances; bearing away the fting which the Chriftian orator left in their hearts.' -Happy the preacher who has fuch talents! Happy the people who have fuch a preacher ! The Sermons, of which we have here a tranflation, were all preached before the prefent King of France, in the chapel of the caftle of the Thuilleries, excepting that On the Virtues and Vices of the Great; and they have been univerfally, and, indeed, defervedly admired.As to the tranflation, Doctor Dodd tells us, that he has adhered with great fidelity to his original, and has not prefumed to make any alteration in the matter or manner of MASSILLON'S ditcourfes, as he imagines the fpirit of them would thereby have been loft. He has left out a few paffages, which favour ftrongly of the Popish religion; and he now and then takes occafion to remind his Readers, that it is a French preacher Speaking to a French King and Court. We fhall infert a fpecimen of the tranflation, taken from the Sermon on The Humanity of the Great towards the Pope, that that fuch of our Readers as have inclination and opportunity, may compare it with the original. Humanity, towards the people, fays the preacher, is the firft duty of the great, and includes affability, protection, and liberality. Affability is, as it were, the infeparable characteristic, and the fureft mark of greatnefs. The defcendants of thofe illuftrious and ancient families with whom none can difpute fuperiority of name and antiquity of origin, do not wear upon their foreheads the pride of their birth; they would leave you ignorant of it, could it be unknown; the public monuments speak fufficiently for them, without their speaking of themselves. You perceive their elevation only by a noble fimplicity; they render themselves ftill more refpectable, by only fuffering with pain, as it were, the respect due to them; and among the many titles which diftinguifh them, politeness and affability are the only diftinction they affect. They, on the contrary, who boaft themselves of a doubtful antiquity, and the fplendor and pre-eminence of whofe ancestors are ever the fubject of private popular difpute, are always afraid you fhould be ignorant of the greatnefs of their extraction; they have it continually in their mouths; fancy they can confirm the truth of it by an affectation of pride and haughtiness; put stateliness in the place of titles; and by requiring more than they can juftly claim, make people conteft with them even what might otherwife be allowed them. In fact, a man born to be great is always leaft affected by his elevation. Whoever is dazzled with the eminence in which birth and fortune have placed him, only declares by it, that he was not formed to mount fo high; the higheft places are always below great fouls. Nothing puffs up or dazzles them, because there is nothing higher than themselves. Haughtiness, therefore, derives its fource from mediocrity, or else it is only a piece of cunning to conceal it; it is a certain proof, that a lofs must be the confequence of being shewn too near. Men cover with haughtiness thofe defects and weakneffes, which haughtiness itself betrays and expofes; they make pride the fupplement, if I may fo fpeak, of merit; not confidering that there is nothing fo little like merit, as pride. And hence it is, that the greateft men, and the greatest Kings, have ever been the most affable. A fimple woman of Tekoah, came to lay fimply before David her domeftic anxieties; and if the fplendor of the throne was tempered by the affability of the fovereign, the affability of the fovereign exalted the fplendor and majefty of the throne. Kings, Sir, can lofe nothing by making themfelves acceffible; the love of the people makes up to them for the refpect which is their due. The throne is established only to be the afylum |