knowledge; it is not unreasonable to add one, among your thousand conjectures, and fay, that their future rivals may trace new connections, and collect new facts, which may tend to annihilate the fyftems of their predeceffors. Is not opinion often local, and ever disguised by cuftom? Is not what we call truth often error? And are not the paffions and ideas of men of fo very temporary a nature, that they fcarce endure with their century? This enlightened public may difcover that their notions become obfolete, and that with new fyftems of knowledge, and new modes of existence, their books may be clofed for their fucceffors, and only confulted by the curious of a future generation as we now examine Ariftotle and Descartes, Ariftophanes and Chaucer. Our learning may no more be their learning than our fashions will be their fashions. Every thing in this world is fashion.

It may alfo be conjectured, that, amidst the multitude of future difcoveries, the original authors of our own age, the Newtons and the Lorkes, may have their conceptions become fo long familiarized, as to be incorporated with the novel difcoveries as truths fo inconteftible, that very few fhall even be acquainted with their firft difcoverers. It would therefore appear, that the juftness, as well as the extravagance of our authors, are alike inimical to their future celebrity.

Dedication of the Tragedy of Junius Bru

tus to General Washington. From Count Alfieri's Tragedies. THE HE name of hir alone who gave liberty to America can fanction the traged of the de

liverer of Rome. To you, therefore, a citizen of fingular fortune and defert, I dedicate Junius Bru tus, without reciting the praises due to you; for they are all incid-ed in your name. So brief a men tion of you ought not to be deemed indirect adulation.-I am perfonal, ly unacquainted with you; and divided, as we are, by the immenfe ocean, we have but one motive immediately in common,-the love of our country. Truly happy are you who have eftablished a fame fuch as yours, on a bafis firm and eternal,

the love of your country proved by your actions! -For myself, I have abandoned my native foil, purely for the fake of writing with ardour on the fubject of liberty, By fuch a facrifice, I flatter myself, I have demonftrated what my patriotifm would have proved, had I been deftined to a country worthy of my fentiments. On this confideration alone I aspire to the honour of uniting to the name of Wafhington that of Vittorio Alfieri. Paris, December 31ft, 1789.

nal. To you, by endeavouring to break all bounds of your authority, and to advance your private emolument, nothing remains but the ufelefs pity which accompanied you to the grave.

Both Agis and yourself have offered, and will continue to offer, a memorable example, and a terrible one, to pofterity; with this grand difference, That many kings like Charles there have been, and will be; but fuch as Agis,-not one.

Modern Platonifm.

NODEFROI Izarn Marquis de

after having perufed them, difpatched the following fcroll, which is highly characteristic of his eccentricity and temper of mind :-

To Thomas Tavlor, better named Lyfis, G. Izarn Valadi, of late a French Marquis, and Tariffaire,

Sendeth Joy and Honour.

12 Xbre. 1788, vulg. æra. "O Thomas Taylor! mayest thou welcome a brother Pythagorean, led by a Saviour God to thy divine school! I have loved wisdom ever fince a child, and have found the greateft impediments, and been

of an enthufiaftic turn of mind, having adopted a Pythagorean mode of life, refolved in the year 1788 to vifit England, to be more at liberty to profecute his Platonic reverics, one of his first cares, on arriving in the capital, was to vifit a gentleman of eminence in the literary world, and to propose to him the ftation of Chief of the Pythagorean fect. Followers, he affured him, he could not fail to find in every quarter of the globe. Upon his refufal, Valadi intimated fome intention of affuming the honourable poft himfelf. "But, in that cafe," faid the Englishman, "would it not be proper that you fhould underftand Greek ?"— True,' anfwered Valadi; I had forgot that: I will go and ftudy it at Glafgow.' He fet off for that place on foot; ftaid there fix months; and then returned to London, where he chanced to hear that Mr. Thomas Taylor, of Walworth, was generally confidered as the principal Pythagorean in England. Valadi immediately purchafed his works; and,

I could clear my way to the fource of it; for I was born in a more barbarous country than ever was Illyria of old. My family never favoured my inclination to ftudy; and I have been involved in fo many cares and troubles, that it cannot be without the intervention of fome friendly Deity that I have efcaped the vile ruft of barbarifm, and its attendant meannefs of foul. My good fortune was, that I met, eighteen months ago, an English gentleman of the name of Pigott, who is a Pythagorean philofopher, and who eafily converted me to the diet and manners agreeable to that moft rich and beneficent deity, Mother Earth; to that heaven-infpired change I owe perfect health and tranquility of mind, both of which I had long been deprived of. Alfo my own oath has acceded to the eternal oath (which mentions the golden commentator on G. V.) and I would more cheerfully depart from my prefent habitation on this Themis-forfaken earth, than defile myfelf evermore with animal food,

ftolen

ftolen either on earth, in air, or

water.

"I met with thy works but two days paft. O divine man! a prodigy in this iron age! who would ever thought thou couldft exift among us in our fhape! I would have gone to China for a man endowed with the tenth part of thy light! Oh, grant me to fee thee, to be luftrated and initiated by thee! What joy, if, like to Proclus Leonas, to thee I could be a domeftic! who feel living in myfelf the foul of Leonidas.

"My determination was to go and live in North America, from love of liberty, and there to keep a school of temperance and love, in order to preferve fo many men from the prevailing difgraceful vices of brutal intemperance and felfifh cupidity. There, in progrefs of time, if thofe vices natural to a commercial country are found to thwart moft of the bleffings of liberty, the happy felect ones, taught better difcipline, may form a fociety by themselves, fuch a one as the gods would favour and vifit lovingly; which would preferve true knowledge, and be a feminary and an afylum for the lovers of it.

"There I would devoutly erect altars to my favourite gods,-Diofcari, Hector, Ariftomenes, Meffen, Pan, Orpheus, Epaminondas, Pythagoras, Plato, Timoleon, Marcus Brutus, and his Portia; and, above all, Phobus, the god of my hero Julian, and the father of that holy, gentle commonwealth of the Peruvians, to which nullus ultor has, as yet, been fuscited!

"Mufic and gymnastic are sciences neceffary for a teacher to poffefs (what deep and various fense these two words contain !) and

I am a ftranger to both! O Gods! who gave me the thought and the 1pirit, give me the means! for all things are from you.

"Thomas Taylor, be thou their inftrument to convoy into my mind knowledge, truth, and prudence! Do thou love and help me. I will go to thee to-morrow morning.

"P. S. May I look to thee, endowed with an ancient and no modern enthufiasin !

66

GRACCHUS CROTONEIOS." According to the promife contained in his letter, Valadi waited upon Mr. Taylor the following day; threw himself in due form at his feet; tendered to him a small fum in bank-notes, which at that moment conftituted all his fortune; and begged, with great humility, to be admitted as a difciple into his houfe. His prayer was granted; and for fome time he enjoyed the advantage of imbibing philofophy from the fountain-head: but, finding himself more formed for an active than a contemplative life, he determined to quit philofophy, in order to take fome fhare in the political commotions which began to agitate France with redoubled force. When he took leave of his refpectable mafter of philofophy, he had exchanged his quaker-like apparel for a complete fuit of military clothes. "I came over Diogenes," faid he: "I am going back Alexander."

It was now the fpring of 1789; and every thing, indeed, announced a revolution, in which he was far more inftrumental than is generally fuppofed.

After paffing through the various viciffitudes of the revolution, he was guillotined under the agency of Robefpierre, in December 1793.

Ee 4

Proceedings

Court. From Mr. Coxe's Letter to the Countess of Pembroke.

HE meeting, in order to be

T minuft

the Free Count and at least fourteen Affeffors; the door being clofed, the Judge can neither rife until the whole process is concluded, nor furrender his place to another perfon, excepting the Emperor, thould he happen to be prefent. The affeffor who accufes, takes an oath that the delinquent is guilty of the crime; and immediately the name of the accufed is written down in a book, called the Book of Blood. If another than an affeffor accufes, he is brought into the court holding the writ of accufation folded up in his hands, with a green crofs, and a pair of white gloves. The affeffor was accuftomed to touch thofe whom they called to judgment flightly with a rod, or to whifper thefe myfterious words:- As good bread is eaten elfewhere as this.' Should four affeflors furprife a perfon in the commiffion of flagrant crimes, they are empowered to try and hang him up on the fpot.

Six weeks and three days are allowed for the appearance of the culprit; and the writ of accufation is given to two affeffors, who declare, with an oath, that they will make the citation at the fated time, and inform the court when they fhall have effected it. Should the perfon who is fummened conceal himfelf, letters are written to thofe among whom he is hid, fignifying that he ought to furrender himfelf at a given time and place; and if he has taken an afylum in a fortified cafle, the citator goes either by night or by day, on foot or on

a wooden rail, and places in the incifion a coin and the writ of citation. He keeps the three flips as a memorial that he has executed

porter, to inform the man who has taken refuge within, that he is fummoned, and will find the writ inclosed in the rail. If the accufed can nowhere be found, the affeffors proclaim him guilty towards the four corners of the world. If, after three fummonfes, the accufed does not appear, the judge declares that he will proceed against him as contumacious, and pronounce fentence on a ftated day: having first proclaimed his name four times, he commands him to attend, and anfwer to the charge. If after these fummonfes the accufed does not make his appearance, then the judge proclaims, In confequence of the fupreme law, which Charlemagne fanctioned, and Pope Leo confirm. ed, and which Princes, Counts, Nobles, Freemen, in the Saxon land, have fworn to obferve, I caft this man from the highest to the loweft degree; I deprive him of all privileges, liberties, immunities, and rights; I fubject him to the Royal Ban, to hatred, to execrations, to hoftility, and to the greateft poffible punishment which can be conceived by man. I render him incapable of all law and pardon: Achloes, Rechloes, Segeloes, Wedeloes. Laftly, according to the laws of this tribunal, I condemn him to death ; I adjudge his neck to the halter, his body to birds of prey, to be confumed in the air; his foul I commend to God; his fiefs and estates, if he has any, I pronounce to have lapfed to the Sovereign: I declare his wife a widow, and his children

orphans.

orphans.' After thefe words, he throws a halter, or a branch of willow twisted, beyond the place of judgment: the affeffors fpit, and confirm the fentence. This fentence is then forwarded to all the other courts, with orders to hang up the delinquent wherefoever he is found, on the next tree.

If the accufed appears at the tribunal, his accufation is read, and the accufer confirms the truth by a folemn oath. The opinions of the affeffors are then taken, by means of a string touched by thofe who pafs fentence of death. Should the accused think the fentence unjust, he is permitted to declare it, and to remain till he is convicted by witneffes. There is no appeal but to the Emperor. The judge who paffes fentence, as well as the affeffors, must be fafting, and bare-headed; without a robe, gloves, or any fpecies of arms. The condemned perfon is then configned to one of the younger affeffors, who, if he finds himfelf unequal to the talk, can require the aid of another, and with his affiftance, hangs up the unfortunate delinquent.

TH

Soup for the Poor. By Sir F. Eden, Bart. HE principal advantage which the labourers in the north of England poffefs over their countrymen in the fouth, confifts in the great variety of cheap and favoury foups, which the ufe of barley and barleybread affords them an opportunity of making. The cheapnefs of fuel is, perhaps, another reafon why the culinary preparations of the northern peafant are fo much diversified, and his table fo often fupplied with hot dishes. The following is one of the ufual foups made by labourers fa

milies, in the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland. It confifts of meat, oat-meal, barley (with the hufks taken off) and pot-herbs; fuch as onions, chives, parsley, thyme, &c. in the following proportions:

A pound of good beef, or mutton, fix quarts of water, and three ounces of barley, are boiled till the liquor is reduced to about three quarts: one ounce of oat-meal, which has been previoufly mixed up with a little cold water, and a handful, or more, of herbs, are added, after the broth has boiled fome time. Some put in a greater, and others a less, quantity of water: the above, however, is the most usual proportion: a pint, or a pint and a half of the broth, with eight ounces of barleybread, makes a very good fupper. The day the broth is made, the dinner ufually is broth, with part of the meat, bread, and potatoes, chopped and boiled; and the fupper is broth and bread: the next day, the dinner is cold meat from the broth, warm potatoes, broth, and bread; and the fupper, bread and broth warmed up, but not boiled again. The broth will continue good three heated when wanted. Veal, pork, days, if kept cool; and may be bacon, lean beef, or mutton, will not make fuch good broth with this proportion of water: it will, however, ftill be very palatable; and not a drop of the liquor is loft or wafted, whatever meat is boiled in it. To roaft meat, is confidered, by the country people in the north, as the most prodigal method of cooking it; becaufe that culinary procefs does not afford them the opportunity of converting a confiderable quantity of water into a nutritious and wholefome foup.

POETRY.