THE

LONDON MAGAZINE.

AUGUST, 1749.

To the AUTHOR, &c. SIR,

T was the faying of Seneca, that a good man ftruggling with misfortunes is a fight (as he popularly expreffes it) worthy the gods to behold: A For indeed true greatness and magnanimity of soul confifts in the weathering the misfortunes of life like a man ; and not meanly withdrawing from them, like a coward. How foolish and unmanly, in the language of Shakespear, by a pistol or B bodkin, to fly from prefent ills, to those they know not of! Such a conduct will appear ftill more monftrous, by the stating only the following queries:

Are not many of the misfortunes you complain of, the effects of indifcretion?

Are not many of thefe evils at a diftance?

Is it not probable they appear greater, becaufe at a diftance, and therefore, as ohjects of fear, heighten'd by imagination ?

Is it not poffible they may never reach you, or that time and custom may render them bearable?

pearance, he bore like a man of sense, yet it was thought by his acquaintance to have prey'd a good deal on his fpirits: It was not, however, long before a lady, who took a liking to him, gave him an opportunity, by marrying her, of living in a more gay and affluent manner than ever. If he was chagrin'd before at his reduced circumstances, his gratitude on being delivered from them heighten'd his passion to his wife; in fhort, he regarded her as that dear friend that had snatch'd him from diftrefs and want, and accordingly paid her not the affection only of the husband, but the compliances of the most obliged friend. The undefigning, artlefs Camillus was no fooner in these agreeable circumstances again, but his friends also reviv'd, for they only died in his adverfity, and they reviv'd indeed only to reduce once more the unhappy Camillus. How fhall I tell you, the defigning, artful villain, Maskwell, imposed Cfo much on the honeft-hearted Camillus, that he became his furety in a bond for a much larger fum than he was worth? The villain having thus raifed a large fum, immediately made off; the confused report of his being gone abroad was too son confirmed to the unhappy Camillus, for he was informed by a letter, that as Maskwell wa gone abroad, the fecurity of the bond revolving entirely on him, they must be excufed if they very shortly call'd it in. Wha a blow was this to the generous Cam Ilus how unpleafing his profpect! how fevere his reflection! what can he fay to his wife? how fhall he comfort her? how shall he te her he has reduced her to as low circumftances as he had relieved him from? how fhall he reconcile her to the change? how attempt it, when, aggravating thought it is a change effected by his own imprudence? I had forgot to tell you, he had 4 children, who now occafioned as many uneasy fenfations as ever they had agreeable Saluted

And lastly, Is it not poffible, that thefe evils you complain of now as intolerable, may end much happier than you now ima. D gine, and oblige you to own in the end, that whatever is, is right?

To prevent my countrymen, therefore, from continuing fo ridiculous a practice, and to encourage a becoming refolution, and manly prefence of mind, under every circumstance, I fhall fubjoin the relation of a fact, as it was delivered to me by one of the family.

C

The Story of CAMILLUS.

Amillus, in that year which will ever ftain the English annals, was, with many others, reduced to the most preffing circumftances; which tho', to outward apAugust, 1749.

E

ones.

Xx 2

Saluted in the morning of life as heirs to a fplendid fortune; they were the joy of their pare is; but the reflection of their being expofed to the ftorms of life, without a guide, companions of infamy and want, now diaracted him: For what could he do for them, who, perhaps, rotting in a jail, fubfifts himself on the common basket? fub- A fifts on that charity, just fufficient to make misfortune live. Fancy heightened all his profpects into horror: The baseness of his friend. the reproach of his acquaintance, the fuddennels of the change aggravated his other circumftances into terrible ones indeed: He thought it was death tc live, and therefore refolved to struggle no mo e: His thoughts were now taken B

lent eloquence and fpeaking grief. His intention now appeared to him as the highest act of cruelty and ingratitude; as a cowardly intent of withdrawing himself from the sharing of thofe misfortunes which he had involv'd his family in; and as a base refufal of that aid to make them more tolerable, which perhaps he might one day be able to give. But 'tis fufficient to add, that he now refolved, by industry and application, as a merchant, to discharge his bond, and maintain his family. The event anfwer'd his most fanguine expectations; bis father-in-law fupported him with all his credit and fortune; and having no fortune of his own to indulge the gayeties of life with, as ufual the bended his mind entirely to trade; and in a few years, with unexampled industry, and untainted honour, he found himself in a capacity of discharging his obligation to his father, and of giving a handsome fortune to his children; for he ufed often to fay, his misfortunes had taught him to be contented with that which would place his children above the temptation of doing wrong from want, and prevent their being ruin'd by too much. I need only add, that he often ufed latterly to fay, he had felt fo much true pleasure fince his misfortunes, that he should certainly have been fuin'a if he had not been betrayed. His life, indeed, ever after was the life of the Drighteous, and his latter end was like theirs. When he died, he left this laconick advice to all his children ;-HOP E.

up about the inftrument that he should ufe, whether the rope or piftol; and as one undetermined, he prepared both, and went up to his room, where after he had fixed the rope to his mind, he wrote a Jetter to his wife, which he left on the table with the piftol: He then went to take one laft view of his children, who were C playing in the court, when accidentally one of them fell and cut himself; the unhappy Camillus immediately felt the bowels of the father; and forgetting every thing but that it was his child, ran down immediately to his relief; the confus'd noise he made in running down, together with the child's crying, frighten'd the good woman, who ran directly up to her own room, where the expected to find her husband, as he had told her he should go up and lay down upon the bed, where, who can defcribe the anguish of her mind, when the found not her husband, but the rope, the piftol, and the letter! Who can defcribe the

F

PHILOPATRIE.

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON
MAGAZINE.

SIR,

S by means of your valuable monthly

to the publick, which would elfe be bury'd
in filence, tho' very deferving their attenti-
on, I have endeavour'd to furnish you with
fome thoughts on oak planting, which, if
agreeable, crave a place in your next.
Your conftant Reader,

A

RUSTICUS.

panz the feit, when the read the was to EA collection many thing are prefented become a widow; a helpless widow to E four fatherless children! The power ul workings of amazement and horror had perhaps fixed her there a monument of grief had the not been awakened by the coming in of her husband, who came up to execute what he had intended! 1 fhalt not fay inuch of the spectacle each was to the orber; if the one bluth'd at the difcovery of th: purpofe, the other wep at the knowledge of it: Her anguifh of mind, under the apprehenfion of lofing him, stagger'd his refolution. Alternately he blush'd and gw'd. But when the declar'd, that tho' weyh loft all, the fould still be happy if he lived, and that the would not furvive him; he could not be a father and a mother ton; oh! fhe could not bear the G thrug' ts of the childrens lofing their only guide and guardian, their father! The tears ran from his eyes; the tenderreis of the kufbond, the affection of the friend, the bowels of the father, flood confefs'd in fi

S oak timber is our beft fecurity against our enemies (under God) fur‹ly it demands the regard of a Britif parliament, to have a ft ck always ready for ufe; which I am very forry to fay, we cannot have in a few years, as where an hundred trees are pluck'd up, not one is planted. Perhaps the defir'd pofterity might do something for gentlemen are like one I read of lately, whe him, by way of encouragement to him to do for them. In the county of Suffolk are ma-' ny housand acres of land, which do not lett for more than 4. an acre, which, if planted, would produce the finest oaks in the king

their lands lie. They are obliged to fupprefs all pirates, and are engaged in a perpetual war with the Turks, Algerines, and other Mabometans. The city of Malta confifts of three towns, feparated by channels, which form fo many peninfula's of folid rock, rifing a great height above the sea, and have fecure harbours within them, capable of receiving whole fleets; and as the fituation is strong, so no art is wanting in the fortifications to render it impregnable. The ftreets are fpacious, and the houses built of white ftope hewn out of their rocks. Befides the city, their are in the ifland 26 parishes, and between 30 and 40 villages. Malta is the fee of a bishop, B fuffragan of Palermo in Sicily.

kingdom. Suppofe then every owner was
oblig'd, for every hundred acres he has,
to plant five, aud fo in proportion for every
farm down to 30 acres; this would be a
fure method never to want materials for
fhipping, which if neglected, must in all
probability prove, if not our ruin, at leaft
of very bad confequence. True it is, fome A
can ill fpare the land, as it will lett for the
lefs annually; but let fuch endeavour, for
the general benefit, to cut off their private
luxury, and I doubt not but all will be able
to affift in this fo useful a fcheme. The me-
thod of planting I would recommend,
would be to fallow the land one fummer,
and about January to fow it as even as can
be with four bushels of acorns to every acre.
The third or fourth year they should be
drawn off till they ftand about three foot
distance; then about ten years from fow-
ing, they fhould be a fecond time thinn'd,
and about ten years after fet out as they
fhould remain, I mean cut off, till there
is about 8 or 9 yards between the trees
every way, and never to fhred them after
the last time of taking off any, as every
wound given then will hurt their growth.
I don't expect to fucceed in this 'attempt,
but could not content myself without doing
fomewhat for my country; and tho' I be
laugh'd at. I will be eafy, as nothing of
felf-intereft was the motive, nor the ap-
plaufe of any desired.

M

To the AUTHOR, &c.
SIR.

Μ'

Ufing lately in Weftminster-Abbey, and viewing with reverence the monuments which pious friends have raised to the memory of thole brave men, who fell Cnobly during the late war in the fervice of their country at fea; I was led by curiofity to examine if any stone was confecrated to the pi manes of any of those heroes, who, during the fame period, had bled in the battles at land. As my fearch was in vain, I could not help reflecting with pity, that a bias to the favourite element fhould extend to the very tomb; as if, tho' the fcene be different, the spirit and cause were not equally Br. That fuccefs was not purchased by the blood of our foldiers, fhould be a cor fideration in their favour; fince their dying moments have been imbittered by the misfortunes of their country, which they bled in vain to avert: But tho they could not command fuccefs, the world acknowledges they deserved it; and however bleamable may be the conduct that directed, yet the valour which executed stands unreproachable.

D

E

Defcription of the Ifland of Malta, which
was lately in great Danger from a Con-
Spiracy, (fee p 339.) and is now said to
be threatened with an Invafion by the Turks.
ALTA is an inland in the Mediter-
ranean, about 60 miles fouth of
Cape Paffaro in Sicily, and 200 eak of Tunis
in Africa: It is of an oval figure, to miles
long, and 12 broad. It is a white soft
rock, covered a foot deep with earth. This
island was fucceffively subject to the Pho-
nicians, Carthaginians, and the Romans,
and the emperor Charles V. gave it to the
knights of St. John of Jerufalem after they
had loft the island of Rhodes, which they
had defended 200 years against all the power F
of Turkey.

They were attacked in the island of Malta by Solyman the Turkish emperor, Anno 1566; but he was forced to abandon the land, after he had loft above 20,000 men in the attempt. The knights formerly confifted of 8 feveral nations, but now only 7, the English having withdrawn themselves on account of their fuperftitious rites. All the knights are to be of antient and noble families, and legitimate: The grand crosses, or heads of each nation, are stiked Grand Priors. The priors chufe a Grand Mafter, and are all fobject to the pope in fpirituals, and depend allo pretty much on thofe princes where

G

Let the following attempt at an inscription inftance, that among them there was merit, which might add luftre to that noble repofitory of British heroes. J. S.

Sacred to the Memory of Sir James Campbell, Knight of the Bath, Groom of the Bedchamber to bis Majefty, Lieutenant-General of the Forces, Governor of Edinburgh Caftle, and Colonel of the Royal Grey Dragoons:

In whom nobility of blood, and eminence of station,

Where ornaments far less conspicuous Than the focial virtues which endeared him. as a man ; Polish'd manners which adorned him as a gentleman;

Honour and valour that exalted him as a foldier.

The

The confidence of the troops, which his
graceful pleafing appearance bespoke
in his favour,

He fecured

By affability and humanity in private, Spirit and dignity in publick; Supporting difcipline without rigor, Difpenfing indulgence without remifnefs. Hence he inspired that alacrity with which, on repeated

Occafions, they followed him to glory and victory:

He bravely cut his way back, to the aftonishment and admiration of both ap

A

city of York, 5 boroughs that send members to parliament, and feveral confiderable towns. To begin with the city.

12

York, for its dignity, is generally esteem'd the fecond city in England. It is fituate on the river Oufe, which divides it into two parts, joined by a stately ftone bridge. It is 150 computed, and 192 measured miles diftant from London. It is governed by a mayor, who has a title of lord mayor, like that of London, aldermen, 2 fheriffs, 24 prime commonParticularly at the battle of Ramillies, where council men, 8 chamberlains, 72 commonat the the head of the grey dragoons council men, a recorder, town-clerk, alone, he pierced thro' both lines of the B fword-bearer, common ferjeant, &c. and enemies cavalry; and tho' thefe lines fends 2 members to parliament. It enjoys again clofed to bar his retreat, yet large privileges, and is a county of itself, Not knowing how to yield while he including 30 villages and hamlets under its could fight, jurifdiction. It is an antient city, was famous in the time of the Romans, and the emperors Severus and Conftantius Chlorus, father of Conftantine the Great, both kept their courts and died here. It is at present fair, large and beautiful, adorn'd with many fplendid buildings, both publick and private, very populous, much forted to, and well inhabited by the gentry, who are its chief fupport, its trade being confiderably declined. The city is walled, and has 4 gates and 5 pofterns. It has 30 parish churches and chapels, befides the cathedral, or minster, a moft magnificent ftructure. The archbishop of this city formerly contended for the primacy with him of Carterbury, till the controverfy was determin'd by pope Alexander in favour of the latter. Here are 4 plentiful markets weekly, viz. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. York has often given title of duke to princes of the blood royal, but to none else.

plauding armies.

After the battle of Dettingen, where he
commanded as lieutenant-general of C
cavalry, he received the order of the
Bath,

As a mark of royal acknowledgment
Of diftinguish'd merit.

He continued abroad in that ftation till the
Morning before the battle of Fontenoy,

when

A cannon bullet carried off his leg, and D

removed him from the field

To the army; a fatal prefage of its enfuing
misfortune,

In the lofs of one fo capable to avert it ;
But to himself an event in this fortunate,
As it prevented him from ever having
feen

A British army routed:
An object, which tho' removed from
his fight,

Yet preyed upon his mind, And haften'd that death which overtook. him three days after:

For amidst the torture of pain,
He felt for the publick more than for himself.
As a fair example to posterity this attempt
is made to perpetuate the remembrance
of virtues, which dignified the human
fpecies.

A DESCRIPTION of the Weft Riding of
YORKSHIRE.

N our Magazine for June laft, we gave

In general description of the county of

E

York, and a particular one of the Eaft Riding,
with a MAP of the faid Riding: We are now
to give an account of that divifion called G
the Weft Riding, of which we have here
likewife annexed a MAP.

The Weft Riding of Yorkshire is bounded by the Oufe, by Lancashire, and by the fouthern limits of the county, and lies towards the fouth and weft. It contains the

re

The boroughs are, 1. Knaresborough, 14 miles N. W. of York, govern'd by a bailiff, who with the burgeffes elect the 2 parliament-men. Its market is on Wednesday. 'Tis noted for medicinal fprings, and the neighbouring fields abound with liquorice. Here's a dropping well, the most famous in England for petrifying wood, which is no fooner put into it, but 'tis crufted over with a ftony fubftance, and is by degrees turn'd all into ftone. The ground upon which it drops from a fpungy rock, above 12 yards long, is all turn'd into stone, and the water that runs from it into the Nyd, has form'd a rock of fome yards in length.

2. Aldborough, 6 miles N. E. of Knares borough, a fmall town with a market, and fends 2 members to parlament, chofen by the bailiff and all that pay foot and lot. Roman coins and other antiquaries are found here.

3. Boroughbridge, 5 miles N. E. of Knaresborough, has its name from a stately ftone bridge over the Ure. 'Tis well built,

and

D

E

F