gard the Indian astronomy as one fact, and one that must be allowed considerable weight, when the last result is to be obtained. At the same time it must be allowed, that the early date of that Astronomy, and the usual date of the Deluge, may be perfectly reconciled, on the supposition that the former is a fragment of antediluvian science, which had escaped the general destruction.

We conclude with observing, that the natural history of the globe has never made a greater step than by the observations and results contained in the great work to which this Preliminary Dissertation belongs. The industry, the skill, and the enlarged views of the author, are entitled to the highest praise; and in differing from him, as to a few of his subordinate conclusions, we hope that we have not failed in the respect due to a man who has laid science under so many and so great obligations.

We observe, in the passages where Astronomy is treated of, that some mistakes have been committed by the translator. Speaking of the Zodiac in the temple at Dendera, he makes CUVIER say, Nothing can be drawn from its division into bands of six signs each, as indicative of the colures proceeding from the procession of the Equinoxes,' &c. The term, procession for precession, we suppose to be merely a typographical error; but to speak of the colures proceeding from the precession of the equinoxes, is inaccurate, and indeed absurd. The French is, "La position des colures resultant de la precession des equinoxes"-the position of the colures produced by the precession; for it is the position of the colures, not the colures themselves, that is affected by the precession. In the course of the same sentence, there is another error. Instead of the words, shows how inaccurate were their observations; it ought to be,' shows that they had not observed it,' viz. the time in which the beginning of the year travels over the whole of the zodiac. (p. 165.) There occur other inaccuracies of this kind; though, on the whole, the translation is well executed.

ART. XIV. Memoirs of a celebrated Literary and Political Character, from the Resignation of Sir Robert Walpole in 1742, to the Establishment of Lord Chatham's second Administration in 1757; containing Strictures on some of the most distinguished Men of that time. Murray, London. 1813.

THE appearance of any authentic memoirs relating to so interesting a period of our history as that mentioned in the title-page of this work, naturally attracts a great share of curioI i

VOL. XXII. NO. 44.

sity: And although this publication does not throw any very new lights on the great events of that time, it abounds in characteristic anecdotes of the most distinguished persons who adorned it, and contains the unreserved and emphatic judgments of a contemporary, whose great opportunities of observation were seconded by no common abilities, and a Roman severity of principle that effectually secured him against any bias on the side of flattery or admiration. These curious tracts are understood to be extracted from a manuscript journal of MR GLOVER, the once celebrated author of Leonidas, who, though never placed in any official situation, was unquestionably in habits of intimacy and confidential communication with most of the leading men of that day. In his political friendships, he seems to have been uniformly guided by public principle; and the rectitude of his conduct seems to have commanded the esteem even of those to whom he was habitually, and not very moderately opposed. The character which the author incidentally draws of himself, indeed, and the singular combination which it displays of a detailed knowledge of affairs, with a fierce and misanthropic intolerance of political profligacy, form no slight part of the interest which unquestionably belongs to this little work.

The narrative commences with the negotiations between the court and the popular party on the retreat of Sir Robert Walpole; and gives an entertaining picture of the spirit and patriotism which actuated the leading men of the opposition. Our author characterizes the Duke of Argyle very fully and very happily.

The Duke of Argyle was a man of confiderable parts and wit, though by no means fo great as appeared from an happy and moft impofing manner of fpeaking in public, where a certain dignity and vivacity, joined to a moft captivating air of opennefs and fincerity, generally gave his arguments a weight, which, in themfelves, they frequently wanted; and many would go away charmed with his fpeeches, and yet be extremely at a lofs afterwards to difcover that ftrength of reafoning which they imagined at the hearing to have influenced them fo highly in his favour. To ftyle him inconfiftent, is by much too gentle an appellation; for, though from the time he firft had a regiment, being under twenty years of age, through the whole courfe of his great employments, he was never known to fell a place, or even to make thofe advantages which were univerfally efteemed allowable and blameless; yet he was in his own perfon a moft fhamelefs proftitate to power, and extremely avaricious: he indeed would fell nothing but himself, which he continually did with every circumftance of levity, weaknefs, and even treachery. p. 8, 9.

After mentioning his Grace's appointment to the Ordnance, and his sudden resignation, from some offence taken at the King and the ministry, Mr Glover adds,

• The true reafon (in my judgment) was the treatment he received at

court not answering his ambitious views, and perhaps not agreeable to his rank and dignity. His views were, to have the fole command of the army; which reminds me of one of Lord Orford's bold and unguarded expreffions, "That there were two men who wanted the fole manage. ment of the army, the King and Argyle; but, by God, neither of them fhould have it. " P. II.

We are then made acquainted with the plans of opposition in 1743 and 1744, and the treaty which terminated in the admission to power of the Bedford junto; and these, though including all his personal friends and political favourites, are stigmatized in a way which may enable the reader to judge how his enemies are treated. He speaks, indeed, in the beginning, of the weight of Waller's talents and experience, the virulent eloquence of Pitt, the party ftrength of Gower and Cotton among the Tories, the keen and lively parts of Cobham, and the industry and focial arts of Dodington; all which, united upon honeft and difinterested views for their country, muft have fpeedily rendered the oppofition not only formidable, but dangerous to Pelham: fuch, however, was the proftitution of Bedford, Chesterfield, Gower, Pitt and Lyttleton, a partý founded on the base defire of pecuniary emoluments, partly on the more extenfive views of procuring the whole minifterial power to themselves, that they peremptorily infifted on coming into employment without any ftipulations whatever. Lord Cobham was at one time fo provoked at this infamous conduct, that he had thoughts of withdrawing himself from their councils; and to Sir Francis Dashwood, from whom I had my information, made ufe of the following expreffions: "Damn these fellows! they mean nothing but themselves! Will they stand by us? By God, we will have no further concern with them. " But his refolution did not hold. ' P. 24, 25.

After a rapid account of the insurrection under the ill fated Charles Edward, he mentions the bitter tears shed by the late King, when forced, for the first time, to receive Mr Pitt as his councillor. Mrs Waller,' he adds, told me that she stood near the King on the occasion, and saw him shed tears.' These gracious drops do not seem, however, to have softened the heart of this stern and vindictive censor; for it is almost immediately after, that he presents us with the following short and pithy character of that illustrious monarch.

A weak, narrow, fordid, and unfeeling mafter, who, feated by fortune on a throne, was calculated by nature for a pawnbroker's fhop, and was easily reconciled to a fet of men willing and able to gratify his low avarice, in his ideas a fufficient compenfation for the facrifice he made them of his refentments and his prerogative. Hating Mr Pitt, he preferred him. The minifters, who had hurled back his favours in his face, he restored not only to employment, but to his confidence, and the fole power of three kingdoms. Among fo great a number, Lord Harrington was the only one he did not forgive, and whom he was permitted to difgrace.' P. 32, 33.

In another passage, he calls him a mean, spiritless, covetous, prejudiced, undiscerning prince; and adds, that his avarice sometimes tempted him to actions repugnant to common honesty.' In illustration of which he tells the following story.

On the death of his father, the Archbishop of Canterbury delivered him the late king's will, in the Council-chamber: He thrust it into his bofom, walked out, and fecreted it ever after. It happened that the Dutchess of Kendall, mistress to King George the Firft, had a duplicate copy of the will, in which was a legacy of fifty thousand pounds to her daughter, afterwards married to the Earl of Chefterfield. That nobleman confulted Mr Jofeph Taylor, an eminent attorney, and Member of the Houfe of Commons, on the means of recovering this legacy. Mr Taylor acted with fo much fpirit, that, rather than have the will brought into the Ecclefiaftical Court, the king thought proper to pay the legacy, which he otherwise intended to keep for ever in his own pocket, as he had done till that time. This is an incontestable fact. What other legacies might have been in the will, I pretend not to afcertain. It was laid there was fome devife of money or jewels to the king of Pruffia. p. 40, 41.

The events of the German wars, and the treaty of Aix-laChapelle, conduct us to 1748, from which there is a chasm to the death of Mr Pelham in August 1754. Some interesting financial anecdotes are then told, illustrative of his character. These are followed by the disputes concerning the Ohio terri tory, and the Hessian and Russian subsidies. The loss of the Militia bill in the House of Lords, the disastrous campaign of 1756 in America, and the capture of Minorca, bring us, in a rapid and indignant narrative, to the origin and concoction of Mr Pitt's second ministry; the whole history of which is interspersed with anecdotes extremely characteristic of the proud and aspiring temper of that extraordinary person.

During the whole feffions, Mr Pitt found occafion in every debate to confound the minifterial orators. His vehement invectives were awful to Murray, terrible to Hume Campbell; and no malefactor under the ftripes of an executioner was ever more forlorn and helplefs than Fox appeared under the lafh of Pitt's eloquence, fhrewd and able in Parlia ment as he confefsedly is. Dodington fheltered himfelf in filence.' p. 51.

At this Murray, the Solicitor-general, insisted on being made Chief-justice; and left the House of Commons to take the title of Lord Mansfield.

Fox, one of the Secretaries of State, refigned his employment fome time before, convinced that Murray would not alter his determination, and unwilling as well as unable to bear a part any longer in an adminif tration finking under the weight of national calamity and univerfal indignation. The Duke of Newcastle, the moft trifling and incapable, yet of all men the moft ambitious, ftruggling to the laft for the continuance of power, offers the feals firft to Lord Halifax, then to the Earl of Egmont. Them he finds as averfe to enter a falling edifice as Fox

was to remain there. At length he applies to Pitt through the channel of Lord Hardwicke, who prefents a carte blanche for the admiffion of him and his friends into the higheft employments of state under the Duke. Pitt, with a haughtinefs confounding the meannefs of Hard. wicke, rejects the propofition, and difdains all union of actions or counfels with Newcastle. Thus driven to despair, that minifter refigns his employments likewise, leaving his master naked and helpless like himfelf." p. 60, 61.

The king then sent the Duke of Dorcetshire to request Mr Pitt to propose his own terms; and immediately all his friends are convened to consult upon the measures to be adopted. At a meeting, which Mr Pitt himself was prevented from attending by a violent fit of the gout, Mr Glover informs us, that he drew up certain propositions or resolutions, embracing the chief principles or measures on which he thought the new government should insist; which having been approved of by the gentlemen present,

Mr Townshend entreated that he might communicate thefe propofitions to Mr Pitt, without concealing the author. Their firft interview was on the Monday following. Townshend frankly declared, that his fentiments upon the prefent conjuncture were contained in a fhort paper composed by an old acquaintance of Mr Pitt's; and on his inquiring who it was, mentioned my name. He was in bed, and fo helpless with pain, that Townshend read the paper to him: hè gave his affent, excepting to no part, affuring him that that paper contained his fentiments likewife. One circumftance, minute indeed, but ferving to illuftrate his character, muft not be omitted. Mr Townshend told me, that when he came to the fifth article, which ascribes Pitt's exaltation merely to calamitous events, without any compliment to his abilities or merit, he fhrunk back;-Townshend perceiving his pride was hurt, interpofed a manly comment, that whatever esteem the author might have of him perfonally, this was not an occafion to make compliments, but to ftate facts and argument. Pitt foon recollecting himfelf, anfwered, "I underftand my friend perfectly,-I agree with him entirely. p. 67, 68.

A still more characteristic anecdote, though relating to an earlier stage of the negociation, is given in a subsequent part of the work.

After the Duke of Newcastle's unfuccefsful application to Pitt, Fox undertook to be an emiffary; and meeting Pitt on one of the landing-places of the ftaircafe in Leicefter-house, accofted him with faying, that he came from the King, who was very defirous of taking Mr Pitt into his fervice. You, Sir?' replies Mr Pitt with a look which implied the utmost averfion and contempt; "are you come from the king?" Fox perfifting to have fome more explicit anfwer, was told by Mr Pitt, with a haughtinefs peculiar to himself, that "he had none to give him." Muft I understand, rejoins Fox, that you refufe to fend an answer, because it is through me? "Sir," fays Pitt, when his Majefty fhall condefcend to fignify his pleasure to me, by