"fettlement was in force that every adviser of the crown fhould be "obliged to fign his name to the ad"vice given."-Touching America That we had a right to bind her by our laws refpecting external commerce, in all its branches, but that we had no right to put our hands into their purfes; to alter their mode of tryals, or tyrannically to erase the barrier of their liberty-invaluable and he hoped, immortal juries! vowed he had as tender a regard for the liberties of America as of Great Britain; that he could not love liberty in the mother, and not wish to see America, and every child of Britain free. That if fuch laws as the ftamp-act were to be the doctrine of British policy, it depended upon the breath of a British parliament, whether or not there is a penny of property in America, and upon the creature of a minifter, and his informers, whether an American fhould breath the air of Britifh liberty, or the naufeous ftench of a dungeon! then in a noble pathetic, mixed with an animated fublime indeed, he interrogated the framers of the law, the friends of the law, the fervants of power, the champions of fovereignty and preroga. tive, and the most prostituted and cruel of corruption and faction, if this was a doctrine fit for a British ear to hear, a British heart to feel, or the guardians of British liberty to preach in a British fenate! called the Americans a nation of three millions of people, fons of generous fathers who went from tyranny, and their native land, to favage neighbours and inhospitable climes in queft of liberty, when it was the operative principle of the heart, and focial protection, not a proftituted factions name to ride upon to employment. To fay that America was actually or virtually reprefented was minifterial jargon, the fophiftry of impofture, and a fhameful paltry banter upon three millions of people. Propofed a repeal of the ftamp-act, and when we had rectified our own errors that had provoked the refentment of liberty, and of haity, intemperate human nature, that then he would, co-operate with every friend of liberty and equity to affert the fovereignty of the mother over the child, correct its forwardness, and direct it again into the ways of obedience, peace, mutual profperity and confidence! but that, as matters now were, he would fooner cut off his right arm from

his body than contribute to enforce fuch an unconftitutional law. Then again painted the state of ministers, parties, factions, and venality!-Said we were in a fhattered dangerous condition.-Talked of divifions and fubdivifions; of factions within factions, &c. &c. &c. earnestly defired we might not put a civil war on a litigious equivocal question,-alerted we had no right to lay an intern tax on them, not being their reprefentatives. That fuch policy and ignorant measures upon men born and nuried in freedom would bring on general confufion and certain ruin; and prophefied that if America fell, the would fall like a strong man pulling the pillars of Britain down with her.-Mr. Secretary C-nw-y rose, denied all fecret influence, with great fpirit, propriety, and an afpect and manner that wore the marks of truth. Mr. P―tt in anfwer afferted that there were what hindered his confidence. George G-nv-le up:-I need not tell you how differently he argued from Mr. P—tt; to do him juftice indeed he spoke like a lawyer, with much argument, a fort of special pleading, ad much law,- -as to his fenfe he ftill owes it to us. His whole drift feemed to be only to drive your hero, your Prufian general, as you used to call him, from the fublime hills of good fenfe and eloquence into the little hedge-vallies, small-talk, and prittle-pratt.. f the equivocal bar. All which Mr. -tt glorioufly answered with an indignant contempt, and a truly English fpirit, by telling him that " He did not look into dogs"eared law-books, or musty parchments "for his notions of liberty, but that he "always carried them about him, and "wore them where every Briton ought "to wear them-in his heart."-He then entertained the house, pleasantly indeed, with witty and fevere ftories of weak, obftinate, and wicked minifters; of the houfe of Bourbon, tyrants; then digreff d into the German war, and a fhort defence of his own judgment upon that mealure. Concluded by warmly recommending the repeal of the itamp-act, merely on the footing of erroneous policy, and made the young miniftry bow, and bow,-and bow again; and tremble, and fawn, and admire, and pay him every fort of relpect and acknowledgment that docile pupils, and let me add, conviction would pay to genius, integrity and wildom. Then with

great

he ever thought of commencing author. Not, indeed, that he had never written tilb that time, but what he had written was only confidered as a private amusement, rather than a work calculated for public infpection. In fact, fo early as the age of eighteen, he wrote a little Comedy, entitled, Narciffus, or the Self-Lover; which, however, was not acted until the year 1752, when it received but a very cool approbation.

How he spent that part of his life from 18 to 35 is unknown; it is fufficient to obferve that we find him about this time at Paris, endeavouring to earn his bread by copying mufic. The first work he published was called the Garden of Sylvia; a little thing, in which imagination holds the place of fenfe. One thing re

T

HIS extraordinary man was born at Geneva, in the year 1708, of a family that boasted few other advantages than their virtues and their patriotism; his father was a Seller of Mufic, and he himself was bred to the binefs. He was early taught to regard his country with affection, and to feel that enthusiasm for liberty which he hath fince contended for. One day, he tells us, the citizens of Geneva being at their annual exercife, when in the evening it was over, they joined hand in hand in a dance in the market-place, and thus continued for fome time, in that innocent mirth which is felt by a conscious communication of pleafure in this general exultation of the citizens (continues Rouffeau) my father caught me in his arms, crying out, "My fon, love your country.' Thofe embraces, and this exclamation, made the strongest impreffion, fo mixing with his tender mind, that what might be rea fon in others, was almost conftitution in

him.

The earlier part of his life was paft in obfcurity, yet not in indolence. Though not profeffedly bred a fcholar, yet he addicted himself to books, and foon at tempted to improve their inftructions by travel. With filent toil, and attentive contemplation, Rouffeau went from city to city, obferved the manners as they rofe, and caught the out-lines of every future production.

Rousseau was almost thirty-five, before

feems to foresee in it, that he should one day ftand forth as the champion of liberty, and act a more important character on the ftage of life.

Every man, whatever may be his fame, owes a part of it to chance, and part to abilities. A queftion happening to be propofed by the academy at Dijon, namely, Whether the revival of arts and fciences has contributed to the emendation of morals? Rouffeau thought this a fit opportunity to give fcope to his paradoxical turn of thinking, and he undertook, with great fpirit, and more eloquence, to prove that arts and sciences only contributed to render men more vicious and more unhappy. His discourse had the defired effect; it procured the prize he contended for; it procured him more, namely, the applaufe of the public. The King of Pruffia being among the number of thofe who thought proper to anfwer this difcourfe, was not the leaft honour that was done it: the defending, answer ing, and vindicating of this work, involved our philofopherin a literary warfare, and dubbed him a man of letters, at a time that others begin to think of retiring from the prefs.

It was about this time, that a lady of the first diftinction in Paris, was willing to give Rouffeau fome marks of her fatisfaction in his performances; but hearing that he refufed all pecuniary offers with fome indignation, the fenf him some mufic to copy, which fuppofing to be in the way of his profeflion, the expected that he would not refufe whatever he thought

proper

proper to pay him for his labour; the therefore fent him a purfe of gold when the work was done; but he only deducted a few fhillings from her favour, which was the real price of his troubie, and fent her back the reft.

His name being now established, several fucceffive pieces made their appearance, fuch as the Devin du Village, a musical entertainment performed with great applaufe, by which, however, he had a difpute with the muficians of France, and his letter upon French mufic contributed ftill further to excite their refentment. Their mufical inania vent fo far as to hang him in effigy. His difcourfe upon the origin of the inequality among mankind, which may be justly reckoned his greatest and beft performance, followed next. In this he endeavours to fhew, that all men being originally equal, were neceffarily free, and that all focial engage ments were but fetters impofed upon the indolence, ignorance, or weakness of humanity.

A letter to d'Alembert, upon theatrical exhibitions, was his next performance; in this he only traced the path of our countrymen, Prynn and Collier; for the French writers often embrace our literary paradoxes, when we begin to throw them afide. He there condemns playhouses with fome warmth. To the reafons of this work, d'Alembert and Marmontel returned copious and fufficient anfwers, but people would refort to the playhouse whether they had anfwered it

or not.

The new Eloifa next appeared, which did more honour to his genius than his philofophy. The Social Compact, and Emilius, fucceeded and the liberty he takes in them of disturbing received opipions, and undermining established doctines in religion, procured him more formidable enemies than his former merely philofophical paradoxes could have done. His native city thought proper upon this occafion to difclaim and banish him, and, after wandering from state 19 ftate, exclaiming at the prejudice and malice of mankind, half a philofopher, and half an humourist, dreft in an Armenian habit, and muistaking novelty of opinion for juftness of thinking, he has at length thought proper to retire to end. his days (as it is fuppofed) in this land of hoafted liberty.

.

Epifle to a Friend, by the late William Hogarth, occafioned by a Picture's being returned on his Hands by Sir R. G.

T

O your charge, the other day,
About my picture and my pay,
In metre I've a mind to try,
One word by way of a reply
To rifque, you'll own, 'twasmo abfurd,
Such labour on a rich man's word;
To lofe at least an hundred days
Of certain gain, for doubtful praise;
Since living artifts ne'er were paid :
But then you know it was agreed,
I fhould be deem'd an artist dead.
This promife drew me fairly in:
Like Raphael, Rubens, Guido, Rene,
And having laid my pencil by,
What painter was more dead than I?
But dead as Guido let me be,
Then judge, my friend, 'twixt him and me.
If merit crowns alike the piece
What treafon to be like in price?
Because no copied line you trace,
No copied colouring, copied grace,
The picture can't be right you're fure;
Moves it the heart, as much or more,
But fay, my critic connoiffeur,
Than picture ever did before?

And this Sir Rd's felf confeft.
This is the painter's trueft teft,
Nay, 'tis fo moving, that the knight
Can't even bear it in his fight;
Then who would tears so dearly buy,
As give four hundred pounds to cry?
I own he chofe the prudent part,
Rather to break his word than heart.
And yet methinks 'tis ticklish dealing
With one fo delicate-in feeling.

Perhaps time's price enhancing duft,
However, let the picture ruit,
As ftatues moulder into earth,
When I'm no more, may mark its worth;
And future connoiffeurs may rife,
Honeft as ours, and full as wife,
To puff the piece and painter too,
And make me then what Guido's now.

On the Death of the late Mr. Quis.
SAYS death to Britannia,

Your great ones you fee, [me.The first in the land, have fubmitted to But further prepare now, Britannia,to feel A troke more fevere from my conquer

ing steel,

Then with a malicious and horrible grin He drew out an arrow, and fhot it at Quiz.

The picture on the fame fubject fold at a fale for four hundred pounds.

The

Let your Majefty place in the balance of your juftice the one and the other of thefe teftimonies, and you will foon difcover which is worthy of your confidence.

It is in vain, Sire, that an enemy prepares against us all the fhafts of his vengeance what can they avail against innocence, under the reign of a prince who is its protector?

In vain, Sire, are attempts made to perfuade us, that it is impoffible, without wounding the royal dignity, to reform the abuses authorifed under your name. Your Majefty, guided by your wisdom, will do what has been done by the Kings your predeceffors; and treading in the fteps of that beloved prince, to whom France decreed the name of WISE, will say, like him, That the glory of kings is to reform themselves, whatever they may have been prompted or perfuaded to contrary to juftice: You will re-establish the rights of the nation which are attacked: You will reftore to the laws their vigour, and to their minifters the confidence which their zeal and their fidelity

merit.

But if it is poffible for truth to be yet concealed from the throne; if under the empire of the moft jutt of kings, fraud fhould be able to bear down innocence under the strokes of an unjust adminiftration; your parliament, Sire, which has already furnished you with victims, is ready to make ftill other facrifices. Unfhaken in our principles, we shall ever raife our voice against every thing that may prejudice your glory, and the profperity of the nation.

Actuated only by those sentiments which characterise the magistrate, we find ourfelves honoured with the hatred of thofe whom the firmness of the juft man galls, and who regard our attachment to justice as the cenfure of their own conduct.

What glory, indeed for us, Sire, to fee our virtue confecrated by the fpite of envy, and fealed with the oppofition of the enemies of the state!

Precious reproaches, honourable injuries! may (for the good of France) the magiftrates who fucceed us efteem themfelves never more happy, than when they thall have, like us, the fortitude and the courage to deferve them !"

The French king's council of ftate
February, 1766,

has iffued an arret, dated the 29th past concerning the liquidation of the Ca nada bills, which contains as follows:

Art. I. The coupons, &c. given hitherto, and which may be delivered hereafter, in favour of the Canada bills, tho' fixed at four per cent. fhall be neverthelefs paid at the rate of four and in the month of January of each year, to commence in 1766, and the capitals preferved entire.

II. The bearers of the Canada bills fhall be obliged to get them liquidated before firft of March next; if they delay till after that time, they fhall not under any pretence be admitted to liquidation, but will remain null and of no value.

III. His majefty excepts nevertheless fuch of them as belong to the subjects of Great Britain; and extends his favours to them till the first of October next, after the expiration of which they will likewife forfeit all pretenfions on their papers unliquidated.

The act of parliament for regulating buildings, in order to prevent the spreading of fires, exprefsly enjoins, that partywalls fhall be two bricks and a half thick in the cellar, and two bricks upward; and no timbers, except thofe of the roof, girders, and templets are to be laid into the fame; and the girders not to be more than one foot therein, and not to meet, or to be oppofite to thofe in the adjoining houfes, and the fides to be nine inches diftant from each other, on the penalty of forfeiting 50 1. for every offence in any of the premiles; which money is to be divided between the informer and the poor of the parith; and if the offending party has not fufficient goods or chattels to pay the penalty, he is liable to be imprisoned for the space of fix months, or until the fine is paid.

Canada, Nova Scotia, and the two Florida's, military government, have fubmitted to the ftamp act without oppofition; all the reft have abfolutely rejected the ftamps.

Mount Vefuvius threatens an eruption, having, with great noife of late thrown up cinders in the day, and in the night the flame on the top is very visible, which has not happened before, fince 1760, the date of the laft eruption.

The French council of commerce have taken off the duty on tea exported to England from the port of Cherbourg, by