lite, friendly, and generous. Bookfellers declared himself ready to give Mr. Knowles may therefore be faid to have been his any fatisfaction he chose. The Admiral only patrons; and from them he had con- immediately commenced a fresh action aftant employment in translating, compiling, gainst the Doctor, who was found guilty, and reviewing. He tranflated Gil Blas and fined 100l. and condemned to three months Don Quixote; and both fo fuccefsfully, that imprisonment in the King's Bench. It is all the former tranflations of thefe excellent there he is faid to have written The Adven– productions of genius have been almost fu- tures of Sir Launcelot Greaves, in which he perfeded by his. His name likewife appears has defcribed fome remarkable characters, to a tranflation of Voltaire's profe works, then his fellow prisoners. but little of it was done by his own hand; he only revised it, and added a few notes. He was concerned in a great variety of compilations His Hiftory of England, firft printed in 4to, in 1757, was the principal work of that kind. It had a most extenfive fale, and the Doctor is faid to have received 20col. for writing it and the Continuation. He was employed, during the laft years of his life, in preparing a new edition of the Ancient and Modern Univerfal History, great part of which he had originally written himself, particularly the Hiftories of France, Italy, and Germany. He lived nearly to complete this work, which has fince been published.` In 1755 he fet on foot the Critical Review, and continued the principal manager of it, till he went abroad for the first time in the year 1763. He was, perhaps, too acrimonious fometimes in the conduct of that work, and at the fame time difplayed too much fenfibility when any of the unfortunate authors whofe works he had, it may be, justly cenfured, attempted to retaliate. Among other controverfies in which his engagements in this publication involved him, the molt material in its confequences ashatchioned by his remarks on a pamphlet published by Admiral Knowles. That gentleman, in defence of his conduct, on the expedition to Rochfort, published a vindication of himself, which falling under the Doctor's examination, produced fome very fevere ftri&tures both on the performance, and on the character of the writer, The Admiral immediately commenced a profecution against the printer; declaring, at the fame time, that he defired only to be informed who the writer was, that, if he proved to be a gentleman, he might obtain the fatisfaction of one from him. In this affair the Doctor behaved both with prudence and with spirit. Defirous of compromiting the difpute with the Admiral in an amicable manner, he applied to his friend Mr. Wilkes, to interpofe his good offices with his opponent. The Admiral, however, was inflexible; and just as fentence was going to be pronounced against the printer, the Doctor came into Court, avowed himself the Author of the Strictures, and From the commencement of the Review, Dr. Smollett was always confidered as the Author of it; by this means he became frequently cenfured on account of articles in which he had no concern. On the publication of the Rofciad, the Author, Mr. Churchill, confidering himself and fome of his friends as very injuriously treated in the Review of that work, and imagining Doctor Smollett the Author of the offenfive article, retorted with great spirit in his excellent poem, intitled An Apology to the Critical Reviewers. It appears, however, that he was mistaken in his fufpicion; for Doc- tor Smollett hearing that Mr. Colman had alfo accufed him of having made an attack on his moral character in the Review, exculpated himself from the charge, in a letter to Mr. Garrick. Befides thefe, many other difputes arofe with different writers who confidered themfelves injured by the severity of the Doctor's criticifms; indeed it may be affirmed that feldom a month paffed without a complaint on that head, and those not often couched in the most decent terms. But whatever reafon he had to complain on that account, he foon after found that the revenge of an Author was nothing compared to the rancour of the Politician. In 1762, Lord Bute affumed the reins of government.-———— His promotion was attended with many unpopular measures; great diffatisfaction arose amongst many orders of men; and his Lordship found it neceffary to employ fome able writers to defend the fteps which had led to his advancement. Amongst others Dr. Smollett was pitched upon, and be entered on his task with great fpirit. He immediately began a weekly paper called The Briton. The first number made its appearance on the 29th of May, 1762, and was immediately oppofed by The North Briton, which in the end routed its antagonist, and diffolved the friendship which had long fubfifted between him and Mr. Wilkes. The Briton continued to be published till the 12th of February, 1763, when it was laid down; and very soon after the person, in whofe defence it was fet on foot, finding the stream of popular difcontent too strong to be refifted, relinquished the poft which had excited fo much clamour; and, on his refignation, 785. Memoirs of the late Dr. Smollett. refignation, it is faid, entirely neglected all the perfons whom he had employed to write for him. Befides the Briton, Dr. Smollett is fuppofed to have written other pieces in fupport of the cause he espoused. The Adventures of an Atom, in two volumes, are known to be his production. His conftitution being at last greatly im paired by a fedentary life, and affiduous application to study, he went abroad for his health in June 1763, and continued in France and Italy two years. He wrote an account of his travels in a series of letters to fome friends, which were afterwards publithed in two volumes, octavo, 1766.— During all that time he appears to have laboured under a constant fit of chagrin.-A very flight perufal of these letters will fufficiently evince that this obfervation is founded in fact, and is indeed a melancholy inftance of the influence of bodily distemper over the beft difpofition, But the ftate of his mind will be bet learned from himfelf. Thus he writes in his first letter: In gratifying your curiofity I fhall find fome amufement to beguile the tedious hours; which, without fome fach employment, would be rendered infup. Who, fprung' 139 From an ancient and refpectable family, Of the virtues of ancient times. The exercife of thefe talents With great exuberance of fancy He laughed at and described (Shameful to relate!) This honour to his country, portable by diftemper and difquiet. You In thefe abandoned, worthlefs, infipid times But what was unfavourable to him, Except indeed Their abundance of fupply to his pen In which Hardly any literary merit taite Received enconsagement, From the palny mock Mecanates of Britain! Of this most worly and amiable Sincerely regretted by many friends, knew and pitied my fituation, traduced by malice, perfecuted by faction, abandoned by falfe patrons, and overwhelmed by the fenfe of a domeltic calamity, which it was not in the power of fortune to repair. By this domestic calamity he means the loss of his only child, a daughter, whom he loved with the tendereft affection. He certainly But fuch as was in the moit falfe or futile met with many mortifications and difappointments, which, in a letter to Mr. Garrick, he thus feelingly expreffes: I am old enough to have feen and obferved that we are all play-things of fortune; and that it depends upon fomething as infignificant and precarious as the tofling up of a halfpenny, whether a man rife to affluence and honours, or continues to his dying day ftruggling with the difficulties and difgraces of life.'After his return to his native country, finding his bealth continuing to decline, and meeting with fresh mortifications and difap. pointments, he went back to Italy, where he died, October 21st, 1771; and, fince his death, a monument has been erected to his memory near Leghorn, on which is infcribed an Epitaph, written in Latin by his friend Dr. Armstrong, Author of The Art of preferving Health, and many other excellent Pieces. Of this Epitaph the follow ing is a tranflation: Here Reft the remains TOBIAS SMOLLETT, Was by his much beloved and affectionate wife Dutifully and defervedly Confecrated, An Infeription, written in Latin, was likewife infcribed on a pillar, erected to his Memory, on the banks of the Leven, by one of his relations, of which the following is a tranflation: Stay, traveller! If elegance of taste and wit, One more than commonly endued with thofe Virtues Which in a man and a citizen You would praife, or imitate. Having fecured the applaufe By a variety of literary abilities, Snatched from this world in the 51ft year of his age. Far, alas! from his country, On the Banks of the Leven, Who should rather have expected this laft This honour was not given alone to the me- But for the encouragement of others: Defe ve like him, and be alike rewarded. To thefe Memoirs we are extremely forry to add, that fo late as the last year, the widow of Dr. Smollett was refiding in indigent circumstances at Leghorn, On this account the tragedy of Venice Preferved, was acted for her benefit at Edinburgh, on the 5th of March; with an excellent ProJegue un that occafion. The Pieces inferted in the pofthumous Collection of D. Q S Days and Poems, are The Regicide, a Tragedy; The Reprital, a Comedy; Advice and Reproof, two Satires; The Tears of Scotland; Vertes on a Young Lady; a Love Elegy, in Imitation of Tibullus; two Songs; a Burlesque Ode; Odes to Mirth, to Sleep, to Leven Water, to Blue-ey'd Ann, and to Independence, Abfira of the Pofifcript to Gov. Haflings's late Letter, May 14, 1784. (See our laft, p. 80.) N the 11th of April [1784], the Prince jewan Bukht, cleft of King Shah Allum, aged about 36, who has long held the little that remained of the administration of his father's affairs, filed from the capital [Delhi], attended only by his mother's brother and one other perfon; and rapidly paffing the bounds of his father's dominions, efcaped far beyond the reach of purfuit before his abfence was difcovered. The King fent circular orders to every quar ter, that he might be apprehended and fent back. The Nabob and Governor received letters to that effect, who, as foon as they had learned that the course of the Prince's route lay towards Lucknow, fent, feparately, to inform him of the commands they had received, and the mortification it would be to them to withhold from him, in confequence of those commands, the duties of respect due to his rank, fhould he perfitt in coming that way; and therefore inueating him not to come. Answers were at the fame time written, to acquaint the King with the part they had taken, and the utmost they could take, in obedience to his orders, The Prince, in reply, pleaded the intereft of the King his father as the fole motive of his flight, and declared his refolution to proceed at all events, trufting his fortune to the fincerity of his intentions, which, he was fure, would bear the ftri&teft teft. At the fame time the Governor received letters from Major Browne, the Company's refident at Delhi, expreffing his Majesty's pleasure that his fon had chofen Lucknow for the place of his retreat, as there he would be fafe from the confequences which might have been apprehended had he thrown himfeif into other hands. This, the Major faid, he had written by the King's exprefs command. In confequence of this information, it was refolved to receive the Prince, according to the custom of Hindoltan, with the fame honours as are paid to the King. zier and Governor repaired, on the 7th inIn conformity to this plan, the Nabob-Vi fant, to the Prince's encampment, about eight miles from Lucknow, and paid him the customary forms of obeisance. On the 9th he entered Lucknow, preceded by the Nabob-Vizier, and followed by the Governor, who, for reafons of policy, did not chufe to appear as a principal on the occa fion, though, at the inftance of the Prince, he could not refufe to accompany him as an attendant. For the fame obvious reafons, the Prince having defired to be accommodated with a houfe, the Governor had made feffion of one that had originally been prean offer of his, and had himself taken pofpared for his reception within the palace, and adjoining to that in which the NabobVizier lived. He was thus minutely particular, he faid, because the meanest circumftance would be circulated to every Durbar in Hindoftan, and conftrued the prognostic of future events, and in that inspection may give birth to them.--He thought it his duty, therefore, to avoid every appearance which might be reprefented as a symptom of encouragement; ncouragement; and by fo doing he had the atisfaction to find he had done right. The Nabob accompanied him to his houfe, and he Governor paid his refpects to him on he zoth, and had the honour of a long onverfation, in which he explained all the hotives of his vifit, and painted the wretchd condition of his father in fuch glowing plours as exceeded, he faid, his [the Goernor's] powers of language to do them uftice in the recital. The fum was, that his father was a nere paffive inftrument in the hands of theis, and that he, the Prince, had underaken a journey at the peril of his head, as he only chance of affording relief to the King, and a restoration of the dominions of is house; that if he could effect this, he vifhed for nothing for himself but the credit f having ferved his father with duty, zeal, nd fidelity. He obferved that, diftreffed as he royal family was, he lived in fplendor, ad his jagheer, his horfes, his elephants, nd, comparatively, every comfort of doheftic eale and pleafure; all which he had illingly facrificed, and expofed his life to langer, and his perfon to fatigue, for the ake of procuring for his father that eafe and ranquility of mind which he himself had elinquished, in which if he failed, he would ither return on his Majesty's command, which he trembled to think of, or would go o Calcutta, and there folicit a paffage for England, which, he understood, was not nore than five months; and he could acommodate himself to any fituation, and ear whatever others could bear, in the well. Founded hope of obtaining the wifhed or relief. He faid, the Governor was not expect letters from his father of any other omplexion than fuch as were confonant to he wishes of those who were about him; ut he knew his real fentiments were what had imparted to Major Browne. The Governor might be fure that his conduct ould not be unpleafing to his Majefty, then he affured him that the whole reenue of his empire, for the fupport of is domestic eftablishment, did not exceed a ck and 50,000 rupees-It was natural, he id, for those, by whofe power the Sullaat was fupported, to endeavour to raife emfelves to the independent poffeffion of it, id to that he would fubmit; but it was e condition of vaffalage and humiliation which the fervants of the King had deaded him, that he regretted, and which 3. fenfe of duty could not fuffer him to fee th forbearance. Such was the tenor of grievances. In reply, the Governor told n, that the Company's government had emerged from a state of univerfal war, and required a term of repofe; that his nation was weary of war, and dreaded the renewal of it; that it would be equally alarmed at any movement which might eventually tend to create new hoftilities; that he came with a limited authority, and could not engage in a bufinefs fo full of danger without the concurrence of his colleagues, who, he was fure, would be averfe to it; that the country of Oude was in a difordered ftate, and the Nabob " incapable of joining immediately in fuch a plan;" and that to aflift the Nabob with the power and influence of the English government to retrieve his affairs, and enable him to perform the duties of loyalty to his fovereign, was the fole bufinefs of the Governor at Lucknow. In the mean time, the Prince's refidence there, though ftill and inactive, might be of ule as a check upon the people at Delhi, who would not dare to proceed to farther extremities while there was a poflibility of his caufe being efpoufed from that quarter; that he, the Governor, would reprefent his fituation to the joint members of his own government, and wait their determination; and in the mean time he might make what advances he thought proper to Madajee Scindia, as he was at the head of the Mahratta ftate, and was a fworn friend to the English government. This was all that materially paffed at this interview. No perfon was prefent; nor any communication has yet been made of it, except in fecret, to the other members of the board. In the mean time, Major Browne has fince airived here, on the exprefs errand of reconducting the Prince to court, and to give him affurance of pardon for his patt tranf greffion What may be me nnat me, or even the progreflive events, of this vilit, the Governor does not pretend to much as to conjecture. He only can promile to have a watchful eye that it may not tend to any confequences which may interfere with his prefent economical plan, or disturb the tranquility of the Company's poffeffions. One trait of the young Prince's character the Governor reports of his own knowledge: that when he arrived at the place where the first honours were paid him, he was without money, and deftitute of every neceffary of life, having scarce a change of raiment; yet to his own diftreffes he feemed infentible, but privately hinted to the gentleman who was appointed to attend him, that the King, his father, was in such a state of wretchednefs, that any fupply of money, however fmall, would be an acceptable gift; and this was further confirmed by the Governor's interpreter, who being fent by the Vizier with a fupply of 15,000 rupees for his pri vate ufe, received the fame with many expreffions of thanks; but declared that, while while his father wanted neceffaries, he could by no means indulge himself in fuperfluities, and therefore requeited the Governor NabobVizier to remit the money for the ufe of his father; and that as, by the attention of the English and others, he had at prefent more than fufficient for himself, he should take the first opportunity of remitting the overplus to his father. From the foregoing account of the myfterious journey of the young Prince Bukht, it evidently appears that his errand was, to folicit fuccours to commence a war; that if he did not fucceed at the Court of Lucknow, he was to be recalled, which be actually was, in order to apply elfewhere; and that, this being no mytery to Governor Hattings, he advised him to make advances to Madajee Sundias. An Original Letter from Mr. Charles Catgut to Mifs Kitty Crotchet, I AM quite weary of my folo condition, and very much wifh, my dear Kit, to ac company you in a matrimonial duet, getting over the bars which have fo long de Jayed our promised felicity. he must be taken a peg lower before I play in concert with him. The ANSWER. AS you have made fo many overtures with fo many flops to the enjoyment of to me in the matrimonial tyle, and met your declared withes, you will, I dare fay, be glad to hear, that the Jacks in of fice, whom you rightly fufpect of having hitherto hindered us from striking up a nuptial duet, have, by getting into a wrong key, convinced my relations (too long feduced by their footbing firains) that they deferved no praife for then bold ftrokes to dettroy the harmony which once fabutted between you and them. As this is the cafe you may, I dare fay, come to a da capo (half a note to the mufical wife man is enough) and find those who were moll warped against you, now wound up in your favour. Come then in your ufual Spirituojo manner; Shake no more with anger, fwell no more with refentment, but jet all patt fugues, if they cannot be for. gotten, be, at least, forgiven. If you are not as hard as a rock, I have fomething to Some bafe fing in your ear, against which you will not, inftruments, I am afraid, have been employed to make difcord between us, but I will not be played upon. If certain per fons pretend to give themselves airs, they I believe, mount your mutes. When the readers of thefe curious letters have fufficiently gratified their curiolity, they may, perhaps, derive fome amufement from the following little compofition in another line of writing, which will, I am certain, have novelty, if it has nothing elfe to recommend it to their attention, The Married Player's Soliloquy. to the harsh tones of your rigid relations. L piece, obey the dictates of Hymen in me, I fhall pay regard ET me, looking on life as a dramatic When you are, happily, in my poffeffion, I will ftrike up a fong of joy, and you will, I dare fay, encore me: by fo doing, you will ftimulate me to throw in new paffages strongly expreffive of my feelings, upon the animating occafion. Come then, my fweet girl, to my fond arms, ever open to receive you, and let us, firmly united, bid defiance to those who, by a train of cross, chromatic proceedings, endeavour to disturb the barmony at prefent fubfiit. ing between us, and totally prevent us from performing our parts together at the altar of Hymen---There's a fight-but I am, without the leaft ourife, your's fincerely, (while he has the ule of his fingers.) CHARLES CATgut. P. S. I cannot think of scraping an acquaintance with the perfon you mention; Το the part which he has caft for me. Let me |