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I am enamoured with philosophy and verse. When I speak of philosophy, I mean neither geometry nor metaphysics; the former, though sublime, is not made for a man who is to mix with society. I leave this to some dreaming Englishman; let him govern the heavens as he will, I am contented with the planet which I inhabit. As for metaphysics they are as you have justly termed them a bladder filled with wind. Every journey through these regions exposes the traveller either to the precipice or the abyss; and I am persuaded that nature has not formed us to guess at her secrets, but rather to follow implicitly the plan she proposes. Let us draw all the advantages from life that it is capable of affording, and not trouble our heads, whether we are acted upon by superior agents, or directed by our own free will. If however I may venture to hazard my sentiments upon this subject, it appears to me, that our passions and circumstances ever determine us. If you go still higher, I confefs my ignorance. I well know that by my will I am drawn to write verses, whether good or bad; but I am ignorant whether there may not be some external compulsion in the case. If it be so, I am displeased that this compulsion does not make them more agreeable.

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Don't be surprised at my ede upon war: these are, I afsure you, my sentiments: You must distinguish the statesman from the philosopher; and you ought to know that we make war from reason; may be politicians from duty, and philosophers from inclination. Men are never placed in this world according to their choice. From hence it appears, that there are so many bad coblers, bad priests, bad statesmen, and bad monarchs in the world. Yours &c. &c.

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FREDERICK.

INDEX INDICATORIOUS.

Continued from p. 192.

W. M. favoured the Editor long ago with some imitations of the stile and manner of writing adopted by the translators of the English Bible, which he did not think would prove acceptable to many of his readers. Along with this came some detached remarks, of which the following is a specimen.

"In order to understand the beauties of an author, it is necessary to be in a situation somewhat like to that in which he was, and imprefsed with ideas somewhat similar to those which he had when he wrote. If this be admitted, there is not a proof more demonstrative of the depravity of those men's minds who slight the bible.

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"Happiness and misery are pretty equally blended together in buman life there is as much of the former as may reconcile us to life, and as much of the latter as may preserve us from too much attachment to it.

"Those men who are somewhat callous in their feelings, enjoy life with an equanimity of mind which renders it perhaps as agreeable to them as it is to others of more acute sensibility; for though they may not be susceptible of so much pleasure from many small incidents that daily occur, they are equally invulnerable by those of an unpleasant kind.

"Perhaps the pleasures of manhood and youth are in like manner nearly equally balanced. In youth, while the passions are all alive, the imagination lively, and the sensations acute, the happiness that is sometimes experienced is exquisite; but the miseries that are suffered before it has learnt to combat, far lefs to conquer the ills of life, are equally acute. In manhood the happiness is of a more temperate and rational kind, arising from the succefs of plans digested with care, the fidelityof persons whose characters have been investigated with a cautious circumspection, and the consciousness of obtaining the good will of those who merit esteem; but the very caution that guards against the exquisite miseries of youth, allays in like manner the rap. trous sensations of pleasure of which it was so extremely susceptible." Aristides complains of the partiality that some masters fhow to one apprentice in comparison of another, with regard to the instructing them in their "calling. "It is well known, he says, that it is in e

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Very master's power to give what kinds of work he pleases, to his ser vants in trade; of consequence his opportunity to opprefs some and raise up others, who may have cringed in order to curry favour, is great and I am sorry to add, this power, by the vain or the wicked master, is often abused." He then uses many moral arguments to difsuade them from following such a practise. But where a man is so wicked as deliberately to adopt such an iniquitous practice, arguments drawn from the beauty of moral rectitude will probably be little regarded. I would therefore add that few things can more directly tend to hurt the master's own intérest. An unjust conduct is soon observed, and never fails to procure the ill will of the injured person, and the contempt alike of him and the person who profits by the partiality; none of them, therefore can ever have his interest at heart, and the difference that is between the forced services of one who secretly despises his master, and the cordial alacrity of one who esteems him, is infinite.

There is another evil however that too often is experienced by ap prentices respecting masters, that this correspondent has totally overlooked. It is the carelessness with which the masters too often instruct their apprentices in their respective vocations, and even the care with which some of them conceal the most important secrets of their business from their apprentices, from a jealousy that they may come to rival themselves in businefs. This is such a direct breach of one of the most sacred confidential compacts, as to daserve the severest punishment of the law wherever it can be proved; for it is a species of robbery committed upon a helpless individual under trust; and is of a nature infinitely more atrocious than that of robbing on the highway. This is an evil which is now become very common, especially in businesses where high apprentice fees are paid, that it well deserves to be adverted to.

The following effusion, called a reveree of a ci-devant, (that is gentle English reader, a late) country domaine, (I follow the text,) is given verbatim.

"Latin is, on all hands, considered as the handmaid of science in the three liberal professions. It has the sanction of antiquity on its side; and it still continues to be the favourite language of the jearned in Europe. It pofsefses a beauty and an energy peculiar to itself. With irresistible force it strikes the mind, and leaves impref sions which the hand of time cannot efface. At the court of Augus tus, the patron of learned merit, Latin was both spoken and written

Oct. 162 with an ease and elegance which no language either antient or modern (Qu. is the writer acquainted with all these) ever attained. The few authors of the Augustan age, (an æra sacred to fine writing,) who have survived the wreck of ages, and who are thoroughly refined in the furnace of time, bear ample testimony to this afsertion. The writings of Virgil, Horace, Cicero, and Livy, are models which we can neither excel nor equal. They are monuments of antient literature, with which fortune has honoured the labours of industry, of taste, and of genius; and which, in her goodness, she has deigned to transmit to us as objects worthy of our praise and admiration.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The second favour of Criticus is received: As are also the two communications by Mica, and the communications by Aristides—all of which fhall be duly attended to.

The critique by Truth Lover is too severe, but with a little softening fhall have a place.

A Reader, if at all inserted, must find a place in the Index Indicatorius.

The remarks by Mica fhall appear when a corner can be spared which will suit them.

If the performance signed Pematef, be intended for irony, it is not sufficiently pointed to answer the purpose.-If it be serious, it is too absurd for publication.

The printed communication, signed Eustache de St Pierre de la Val, does not pofsels so much originality as would be required to intitle it to a place as a republication.

The additional remarks by A Rider are received, and fhall appear with the first conveniency.

The favour by Extractor fhould have been sooner acknowledged,— but it was overlooked, having slipped unobserved between the folds of another paper!

A Correction.

The Editor is much obliged to R. I. for correcting an error respecting the little fish which was figured, Bee, vol. 15. p. 153. which is there said to be a non-defcrip,-though this obliging correspondent says it has been described by Gmelin, in his excellent edition of the works of Linnæus, under the name of Perca Polymna, and has been figured by Blosch, Tab. 325, and Klein, Tab. 2. F. 8.-As the Editor is no profefsed naturalist, and has no opportunity of consulting the best books on that subject, he does not pretend to guard against mistakes of this kind, as he must, in uncommon cases, rely upon the information of others. But where he is misled at any time, he will always be ready to correct his mistakes. Indeed it is no part of his plan to teach natural history scientifically,-though it be entirely compa tible with it to throw in slight notices on this subject occasionally, that may have a tendency to excite the attention in a certain degree to this important branch of science.

152

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

FOR

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23. 1793.

ORATION

TO THE MEMORY OF PETER THE GREAT, Delivered
BEFORE THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AT ST PETERS-
BURGH, ON THE 26 OF APRIL 1755, THE ANNIVERSA-
RY OF THE CORONATION OF THE EMPRESS ELIZA-
BETH, BY MICHAEL LOMONOSSOFF.

Translated from the Russian language,
Dr Brown

For the Bee.

Though no species of composition is so disgusting as orations consist ing of fulsome panegyric on living princes, in swoln and hyperbolical language; yet when truth forms the basis of such orations, under the influence of genius guided by firm rectitude of mind, it may perhaps be accounted the most interesting and agreeable mode of conveying historical information in regard to important transac tions. In this light the following oration may be deemed a valuable morsel of Russian history.

To read with satisfaction an animated oration, it is necefsary we should put ourselves in the place of the speaker, that we may be able to enter into the views which animated him at the time. To do this on VOL. XVii,

L L

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