vours fall far fhort of perfection; and we are compelled, notwithflanding our partiality, to acknowledge that they are beings fubject to frailty, and without the Divine protection would foon dwindle into nothing. The truth of this remark is exemplified in the character of Louisa. She by nature was formed to pleafe; the has received an excellent education; her perfon is engaging, her mind is enlarged, her manners are refined, and her converfation is highly rational and plealing: "Perfuafion dwells upon her lips, and love fits playing in her eye." She judges the merits of others with candour, and is ever ready to make excufes for their faults; she never liftens to the fuggeftions of calumny, and is never found in the parties of feandal. She poffeffes the fi neft feelings of humanity, and is fufceptible of the tendereft emotions; the is charitable and humane to the poor, the comforts the authed under the afflictions of Providence, and her hand is ever open to relieve their diítrelles. Thus far her character is truly amiable: the poffcffes many great and exalted virtues, yet ftill fhe is imperfect. Though her merits are obvious to every one that knows her, yet her failings are equally as obvious; though her manners and her education are fure to be refpected, yet her faults confiderably leffen that refpect. The lovelinefs of her perfon, the graces of her mind, and the charms of her converfation naturally draw the attention of mankind; the, conicious of her fuperior accomplifhments, expects the greateft praife, and vainly imagines that thofe that admire her, are always her adorers. The wiler part efteem the virtues tirat she poffeffes; yet though they admire, they will not fpeak of her as of an angel: but fops beftow this flattery without bounds, they praife her for imaginary perfections, and fhe is pleased with their adulation. They with her are in the greatest favor, and the in general prefers the company of the moft infignificant of meng because he flatters her favourite foibles, to that of the man of true fenfe and merit. The encouragement of coxcombs is a failing, alas too prevalent with the fair; and when a woman of Loufa's fuperior qualifications does not difcourage them, how can it be expected of thofe of inferior underftandings! It certainly carmot. Louifa ought to fet the example, which the whole fex fhould follow; but her prefent behaviour, in diftinguishing thofe who are not worthy of notice, and neglecting those who when diftinguished reflect honour on them by whom they are chofen, is really aftonishing. There are many who think very harthly of thit conduct, and make no feruple in saying, that it proceeds from the levity of her mind but this is furely erroneous; her judgment certainly is good, though in many respects the acts contrary to it. It may perhaps proceed from the defire of rendering herfelf confpicuous; for to have a number of beaus continually waiting on her, may make her the envy and the admiration of the giddy and the thoughtlets, but will never gain her the eleem of wife and reafonable beinrs. This behaviour being imputed to levity may fully her fair fame, and caft obfcurity over virtues that ought to render her an ufeful and ornamental member et Society; and it is earncitly hoped, that the will reform this part of her conduct, which I think is the only part that is liable to exception. fingular Experiment to discover the Formation of Language. are funtion of languages in geneare fufficiently acquainted with ral. The natural wants of then whofe ergans were the fame, naturally produced fome common figns to make thofe wants known. But, whence proceed the different manners of expreffion? Do they proceed from the alterations which every father of a family had introduced in a language once common to all? Or were thefe feveral modes of expreffion originally different? Two or three children educated together from their infancy, cut off from all communication with the rest of the world, would certainly form a language among themfelves, though, of a very imperfect and nited nature. By this means we might gain a confiderable infight into the point in queftion, by obferving whether this new language refembled any of thofe that are now fpoken, and with which of them it seemed to bear the greatest conformity. To make the experiment more complete, feveral focieties of the fame nafure might be formed amongst children of different nations, and whofe parents talked languages the moft different from each other (for birth is a kind of education), we might then obferve whether the languages of thefe different focieties, had any thing in commen, and how far they refembled each other. Above all, care must be taken that this little community fhould kien no other language, and that thofe who made this experiment fhould be well acquainted with theirs. An experiment of this kind would not only acquaint us with the origin of languages, but likewife with feveral other things that' might lead us to the origin of our ideas themselves, and the foundations of all human knowledge. The The political History of Europe, for the Year T 1782. (Continued from page 208.) HE admiral greatly regretted the lofs of Mr. Long, a young gentleman of the greatest worth, and his own fecond lieutenant in the Superbe, who fell as the head of his company which he was gallantly leading to the affault. He fays that too much praise could not be beflowed on the conduct of the naval and marine officers; but he particularly acknowledges the eminent fervices performed, and the great abilities displayed, both here and at Negapatam, by Major Geils, an engineer in the company's fervice. CHA P. V. Retrospective View of affairs in Europe to the clife of the year 1781. Second attempt of France upon the island of Jersey. Baron de Rullecourt lands his troops in the night, and furprizes St. Helier the capital. Compels the leutenant-governor to fign a capitulation. Summonfes Elizabeth Caftle. Is gallantly attacked in the torun by Major Pierfon. French commander falls, and his remaining troops furTender prisoners of War. Major Pierfon unfortunately flain in the inftant of victory. Ne ceffities of the inhabitants and garrison of GibTaltar. Extraordinary prices of provifion and neceffaries. Admiral Darby jails with the grand feet and a large convey to its relief Spanish fleet retires into Cadiz at his approach. Gun-boats. Dreadful cannonade and bombard ment of the torun and garrifon from the Spanish camp. Town destroyed, and many of the inha bitants perish, Convoy from St. Eustatius taken by M. de la Motie Piquet. Secret expeditson, under Commodore Jolaftone, and Gen. Meadores. Fleet attacked in Port Praya Bay by M. de Suffrein. French repulled. M. de Suffrein's timely arrival at the Cape of Good Hope frustrates the defign upon that ploce. Dutch hips taken by Mr. Johnstone in Saldanha Bay. General Elliott's grand falby from Gibraltar, by which be destroys the enemy's batteries and aworks. Invasion of the fland of Minorca. Combined fleets return from that fervice, to cruise at the mouth of the Channel. Propofal for attacking Admiral Darby at Torbay, overruled in a council of quar. Enemy, frustrated in all their views, retire to their respective ports. State of the suar with Helland, in Europe. Almiral Hyde Parker fails with a small squadron for the protection of the Baltic trade. Upon his return, falls in with Admiral Zoutman, with a great "Dutch convey, ard a fuperior force. Desperate engagement on the Dogger Bank. Dutch Fleet convey return in great disorder to their own crafts. Hellandia of 68 guns funk. Confequences of the action. Royal vifit to Admiral Parker at the Nore. Admiral Kempenfelt fails to intercept a great convey futed out at Breft, with troops, flores and jupplies, for, the French fleets and armies in the Eaft and Weft Indies. Falls in with and takes feveral of the convoy; but difcovers the enemy to be fa Gent. Mag May, 1785. and greatly fuperior in force, that he could not preJecute the defian farther. A FTER the wide range which we have tak en, through the transactions, wars and intricate politics of the Eaftern world; it is now time to return to our own quarter of the globe. We fhall in the first place take a retrospective view of fuch matters of moment, a, from the nature of our arrangement, or the limit of our work, were neceffarily poftponed in the lat volume. Our nearest and most active, as well as mott formidable enemy, began the year 1781, by a fecond attempt upon the island of Jerfey. The Baron de Rullecourt, who had been next in command to Count Naffau in the former attack upon that island, was the undertaker, and probably the framer of this enterprize. The perfonal objects he had in view were fufficiently encouraging; while his military ardour, and natural ambition, were in themselves capable of urging him to the moft hazardous attempts. The rank of general, the order of St. Louis, and the government of Jerfey, were to be the fplendid rewards of his fuccefs. Such powerful ftimulants, operating upon a temper naturally fiery and bold, were liable to generate precipita tion. The Chevalier de Luxemburgh, who was his partner in the defign, and intended to be his fecond in the execution, was, through licknef, or fome other caufe, detained from taking any part in the enterprize. Rullecourt's force for this expeditiob, amounted to about 2000 men, and was com pofed of the volunteers of Luxemburgh, and of detachments from other neighbouring corps. Having collected a fufficient number of veffels for their conveyance, and fome privateers for their protection, at Granville, on the coaft of Normandy, his impatience was fo great, that without regard to the bad weather which then prevailed, he embarked the troops and put to lea. and The immediate confequence of this precipitation, was the difperfion of his fleet of imall velfels in a ftorm, by which ten of them, with about half the troops, were driven back to France, and never after joined him; whilft he, totally ignorant of their fate, with the remainder, put in tor fhelter to a clutter of small iflands and rocks called Chaufey, or Choze, which lie between the French coaft and Jerfey. He was ftill too eager in the purfuit of the high rewards in view, to be deterred by this misfortune; forgetting the rough enemy he had to encounter, entertained no other apprehenfion than that of being driven back to his own coaft. cordingly feized the first opening of fair weather for paning over to Jerley; and having made his way with difficulty, but with good information, through the rock of La Roque-Platte, arrived in the night in Grouville Bay, where he landed his troops in the dark, at a place called the Violet Bank, about three miles from St. Helier, the capital of the island. The coaft was, however, To dangerous, that a privateer, with four other fmall vellels were loit among the rocks, and about 200 of his men perifhed. A fmall party of militia, who guarded a redoubt at this place, Kk He ac thoug thought themfelves fo fecure, and were fo fhamefully remifs in their duty, as to be feized afleep by the enemy, who were thus for feveral hours upon the island without the smallest alarm being given. M. de Rullecourt, leaving about 120 men in the redoubt at Grouville, marched with the rest of his troops to St. Helier, where, havJan. 6th, ing feized the avenues of the town, 1781. furprised the guard in the dark, and poffeffed the market-place, without noife, the inhabitants were aftonished at break of day, on finding themfelves in the hands of an enemy. Major Corbet, the deputy governor, with the magistracy and principal inhabitants, being brought prifoners to the court-house, the French commander wrote terms of capitulation, which he propofed to the former to fign, by which the ifland was to be furrendered to the arms of France, and the troops to lay down their arms, and be tranfmitted to England. To urge an acquiefcence in this measure, on which all his hopes depended, he greatly magnified his force, pretending that about 5,000 of his troops were landed and difperfed in different parts of the ifland, fo that all refiftance was at an end; and at the fame time held out the barbarous threat, of inftant deftruction to the town and inhabitants in cafe of refufal. It was in vain remon ftrated, that no act of the lieutenant-governor's could have the fmallest validity in his prefent fituation, and that the officers and troops were too well informed of their duty, to pay any regard to his acts while a prifoner. Rullecourt was peremptory in his demand; and the lieutenant governor, under the impreffions of the mo ment, too inadvertently figned the capitula tion. The French commander then summoned Elizabeth Castle, under the terms of the capitulation, which was preferved by the inftant recolJection, and the unshaken fortitude, of the Captains Aylward and Mulcafter, who had fortu nately escaped thither on the first alarm; and being now in fome degree prepared against a fudden attack, rejected the fummons with great Spirit, and peremptorily refufed to pay the fmal left regard to the capitulation, or to any orders whatever, extorted from or iffued by the lieutenant-governor,, in his prefent circumstances. The French placing Major Corbet in their front, ftill continued to advance towards the gate, notwithstanding exprefs warning to the contrary; but they were fired at with fuch vigour from the cale, that they foon found it neceffary to make the best of their way back for fhelter to the town. In the mean time as the alarm extended, the nearest troops, and the militia of the island advanced with the utmost expedition towards the point of danger, and began immediately to form on the heights near the town, under the conduct of Major Pierfon, of the 95th regiment, who inftantly fecured a hill of great advantage, the poffeffion of which had been overlooked by the enemy. The French commander then fent a meffage to Major Pierfon, to require his compliance with the terms of capitulation; but was peremptorily antwered by that fpirited officer, that if he and his troops did not, within twenty minutes, lay down their arms, and furrender themfelves prifoners of war, they were at the expiration of that time to be certain of his imme diate attack. Pierson was punctual to his word, and made a very masterly difpofition of his forces. As he was informed that the enemy had applied the town artillery to their defence, the two columns deftined to the principal attacks, were each preceded by a Howitzer. The affaults were made in all acceffible parts with fuch impetuofity, that notwithstanding the advantage which the enemy derived from the poffeffion of the streets and houfes, they were every where driven rapidly in upon the center of their force in the market place. There the action was foon decided; for the French general being mortally wounded, the next in command feeing the hopeleffnet's of then fituation, requested the lieutenant-governor to refume his authority, and to accept of their furrender as prifoners of war. The fatisfaction arifing from fo fudden a deliverance, and fo brave an exertion, was uniortunately damped by the fall of the gallant Major Pierfon, who was shot through the heart in the inftant of victory. The extraordinary military abilities difplayed by fo young an officer (he being under five and twenty years of age) in what was probably his firft effay in arms, as they would have held out the highett expectations to his country if he had furvived, could not but render his death an object of much general regret. By the island of Jersey he was lamented as a hero, who had generously lacrificed his life to their prefervation. The death of his uncle, Sir Richard Pierfon, (an ancient general officer of repute) which happened immediately after, and was attributed only to that caule, ferved to render the misfortune the more ftriking and melancholy. The unfortunate Baron de Rullecourt, perfevered in the fame extravagance of conduct to the latt, which had fo ftrongly marked his character. When the attack was commenced in the market-place, he feized the lieutenant-governor by the arm, and declaring that he fhould fhare his own fate, led him out of the court-houfe under a fhower of fire, where he was obliged to ftand clofe by him, until he had himself dropped under the preffure of three or four mortal wounds, which deprived him of the power of fpeech, though not of life; fo that he had the misfortune to live until he had feen the ruin and furrender of his party. During the engagement at the town, the redoubt at Grouville, was gallantly retaken with fixed bayonets, and without firing a fhet, by the grenadiers of the 83d regiment, who were on their way to join the main body. Thus the whole of the French party that landed, amounting to fomething about 800 men, were either killed or taken prifoners. The British troops were new raised, and nothing could exceed the valour and good conduct difplayed both by them and the militia through the whole affair. The ifland decreed monuments with fuitable infcriptions, to the fallen enemy, as well as to their gallant deliverer; but the former no less intend ed 1 |