the lady is acknowledged to be a virgin; whereas she is obliged, if the contrary happens, to drink out of a broken glass, in the midst of the company, which is confidered as a mark of ignominy.

After confummation, the jury of women is called in, who strip the bride quite naked, in order to decide whether the was a virgin. Among other proofs required upon this occasion, the inspection of the linen is what they most depend upon, and when this answers to their wishes, the shift is placed in a box; they give the bride a clean one, dress her, and then call in the magician, the godfather, and the bridesman. The matron, triumphant, gives the waiter again to the bride, who offers another glass of brandy to all the people of the proceffion. The married couple are then led back to the company: the box containing the proof of the lady's virginity is carried first, and upon the appearance of that, the mufic announces the triumph of the new-married couple. While the music is playing, the figns of the bride's virginity are shewn to each of the guests, and for several days after the box is carried round among all the neighbours. When all the company is perfectly fatisfied, the lady dances for a few minutes with her husband, and every body fits quickly down to the table, where most of the men commonly get drunk.

There were feveral marriages while I stayed at Tobolkky; but I could never get any admiffion to any of the feafts; one lady in particular, otherwife a very amiable woman, was always against it, saying, she was afraid I should think their ceremony ridiculous, and give an account of it to the public. In my way from Toboisky back again to St. Petersbourg, I was invited to a wedding, and appointed bridefman, so that I had then an opportunity of feeing the whole tranfaction.

II. The Life of Edw. Lord Herbert of Cherbury. Written by himselfs 4to. 8s. Dodsley. The very celebrated Lord Herbert, an ancestor to the noble house of Powis, flourished in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and was at once a foldier, a philofopher, a statefman, and a bigot-brave to extravagance-inquifitive to boldness-politic to a proverb-and fuper stitious to ridicule-With all these contradictory qualities, however, there is for the time, in which he wrote, such an air of romance, wisdom, fubtlety, and benevolence, through his life, that the publication is an acceptable present to the world, and we cannot help wishing, for the more early elucidation of the period which it treats of, that the editor, Mr. Hörace Walpole, had favoured us with it fooner, fince it has been printed several years at Strawberry hill.

III. Thoughts on Capital Punishments. 8vo. 1s. Baldwin.

Little is neccflary to be faid in relation to the article now before us; the benevolent author of this pamphlet originally published his App. 1770.

thoughts in the London Magazine, and once read the fatisfaction they give cannot be speedily forgotten by the reader.

IV. Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies, or Man of Pleasure's Kalendar for the Year 1771, containing an exact Description of the most celebrated Ladies of Pleasure who frequent Covent Garden and other Parts of this Metropolis. 2s. 6d. H. Ranger.

Ranger, if we mistake not, is a fictitious name frequently put to publications of infamy. The article before us is one of these, and we only take notice of it to lament, that our news-papers can possibly defcend to advertise such performances.

V. A poetical Effay on the Existence of God, Part I. By the Rev. W. H. Roberts of Eton, late Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. 4to. Is. Hughes.

This effay is not without merit; yet we have repeatedly observed, that an attempt to prove what is univerfally believed, at the same time that mathematical demonstration is impossible, is rather likely to mislead the weak than confirm the intelligent.

VI. The exalted State of the faithful Minifters of Christ after Death, described and confidered, &c. By John Langford, Minister of the Gospel. 6d. Gurney.

This is a discourse on Mr. Whitefield's death, delivered on the second of December at the meeting in Black's Fields, Horseflydown. It contains another testimony of his merit among the religious societies, and exhorts surviving minifters to a contant imitation of his example.

VII. Antiquitates Sarisburienfes. 8vo. 35. Horsfield.

A short account of the antiquities of Old Sarum from the invasion of the Romans, with a history of modern Salisbury, and its principal inhabitants.

VIII. The Recruiting Serjeant, as it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane.

Griffin.

The author of this authentic memoir, is a literary pick-pocket, and deferves as much to be profecuted as the pilferer of Field Lane for attempting to steal a watch or a handkerchief; unhappily, however, a court of criticifm is the only tribunal at which his offence is cognizable; and here, befides stupidity in the extreme, we can only say, that there is not a fyllable in this book relative to Madam de Barré but what has been a thoufand times hackneyed in the news-papers. The publisher therefore we must confider as a vender of stolen goods, and candidly confess, that if the scribe deserves a severe whipping for his theft, the receiver merits the customary punishment of superior delin

man, &c. vol. I 8vo. By R. Weston, Esqi 5s. Bell.

Mr. Weston proposes to give a description of all the varieties of shrubs, herbs, flowers and fruits, natives and exotics, at present cultivated in the European nurseries, greenhouses and stoves, or defcribed by modern botanists, arranged according to the Linnæan system, with their names in English. He intends, that the work shall confift of four volumes, and enhances its value by the addition of a botanical gloffary, fome necessary indexes and elegant engravings. Such is the promise in his title page, and from the specimen here submitted to the public opinion, there is reason to imagine the author will deferve general approbation.

FR

ROM Grecian Æfop to our Gay,
Each fabulist is pleas'd to say,
That Jove gives ear to all petitions,
From animals of all conditions;
Like earthly kings he bears their wants,
And like them too not always grants.

Some years ago-the Fools affembled,
Who long at Stanhope's wit had trembled,
And with repeated strokes grown fore,
Most zealoufly did Jove implore,
That he would shield them from that wit,
Which, pointed well, was sure to hit :
'Twas hard, they said, to be thus baited,
That were not by themselves created;
And if they were to folly prone,
The fault, they hop'd, was not their own.

Jove smil'd, and faid-Not quite so faft, You were, indeed, made up in haste; With little care I form'd your brain, But never made you pert and vain: Stanhope himself would be your friend, Did you not strive my work to mend, And wildly straying from my rules, Make yourselves fops, whom I made fools: But tell me how, for I am willing To grant your wish, on this fide killing And shield you for the time to come. "Strike Chesterfield, deaf, blind, and dumb. First, in his tongue such terrors lie, If that is stop'd he can't reply; To ftop his tongue and not his ears, Will only multiply our fears; He'll anfwer both in prose and verse, And they will prove a lasting curse: Then stop, O fire of gods and men, That still more dreadful tongue, his pen: Spare not, good Jove, his lordship's figbt, We ne'er shall reft, if he can write."

Hold, hold-cries Jove, a moment stay, You know not, fools, for what you pray: Your malice, shooting in the dark, Has driv'n the arrow o'er the mark. Deaf, dumb, and blind, ye filly folk! Is all this rancour for a joke? Shall I be pandar to your hate, And mortals teach to rail at fate? To mend a little your condition I'll grant one third of your petition; He shall be deaf, and you be free From his keen brilliant repartee, Which, like high temper'd polish'd steel, Will quicker wound, than you can feel : With fear, with weakness we comply, But ftill what malice asks, deny : How would Apollo, Hermes, swear, Should I give ear to all your pray'r, And blaft the man, who from his birth, Has been their favourite care on earth? What tie his tongue, and cloud his fight, That he no more may talk, and write! I can't indulge your foolish pride, And punish all the world befide.

An Answer in the Name of Lord Chesterfield.

GARRICK, I've read your Fools' Petition,
And thank you for the compofition;

Though few will credit all you say,
Yet 'tis a friendly part you play;
A part which you perform with eafe,
Whate'er your act is sure to please.

But give me leave, on this occafion,
To make one little obfervation:
Though no good reason is assign'd,
At least not any I can find,
Why I should be deaf, dumb, or blind;
Yet fince it was resolv'd above
By this fame fool-obeying Jove,
I must not speak, or hear, or fee,
Surely to soften the decree,

He might have left the choice to me.

Were

Were that the case, I would dispense

With fight, and wit, and eloquence,
Still to retain my fav'rite sense;
For grant, my friend, we should admit
What some may doubt, that I have wit;
What are the mighty pow'rs of speech,
What useful purpose do they reach ?
When vain and impotent you see,
Ev'n down from Socrates to me,
All the bons mots that e'er were faid
To mend the heart, or clear the head.
Fools will be fools, fay what we will,
And rafcals will be rascals still.

But rather I your cafe would be in,
Say you, than lose the pow'r of feeing;
The face of nature you will fay
Is ever chearful, ever gay,
And beauty, parent of delight,
Must always charin the ravish'd fight.

This choice perhaps I might commend, But here, you have forgot, my friend, That Nature's face, and Beauty's heav'n, Lose all their charms at seventy leven; The brightest scenes repeated o'er, As well you know, will please no more'; The prospect's darken'd o'er with age, The Drama can no more engage,

We with, with you, to quit the stage.

In short, it is a point I'm clear in, The best of senses is, our hearing; Happy who keeps it still, and he

Who wants must mourn the lofs like me;

For though I little should regret

The table's roar where fools are met, The flatt'ring tribe who fing or fay The lies or tattle of the day;

Still have I cause for discontent, Still lose what most I must lament, The converfe of a chosen few, The luxury of-bearing you.

A

QUESTION.

}

[head;

Fish once was caught, and for fact it was faid, Nine inches was reckon'd the length of the Tho' enormous the size, yet truth shall prevail,

[tail.

Half the body and head was the length of the Ye ingenious youths, who in these things [write,

delight, Your opinion in figures I beg you will And the inches in length you will please to recite?

QUESTION, by Mr. J. Hellings.

Two merchants, A. and B. entered into partnership, and each put in 5001. at the end of fix months A. again put in 5001. they have traded together twelve months, but now purpose to part their stock, which is 20001. and allow each other compound intereft: Query each man's part.

679

The Question in November answered by the

Propofer.

to have

£

210 수신이

140 420

105

420

84

=420

420

Then say as $39: 10000 1. :: 210 39961. 25. 42 and fo for the reft.

339

This Question was also answered by Meffrs. Ind, Tarratt, King, Walford, and many other ingenious correspondents.

John Hazey, now or late of Tufton Street, in the parish of St. John the Evangelift, in the liberty of Westminster, Middlesex, plane-maker.

Samuel Noon, late of Butcher Row, in the parish of St. Clements Danes, Middlesex, vintner, but now of Gough-Square, Fleet-Street, London. Charles Bell, of Stratford in Effex, broker. Ann Weston, of Old Broad Street London, packer. John Dobens, of Swallow Street, in the liberty of Westminster, Middlesex, upholder. Samuel Beadly, of the city of Worcester, chinaman and toyman.

Thomas Graham, late of Duke's Stret, Spital-Fields, in Middlesex, and Charles Grindall, now or late of Ruffell Court, Drury Lane, Middlesex, dealers and copartners.

Joel Hayman, of Woodbury, in Devonshire, tallow
chandler.
William Coppen, of the parish of Horndon on the
Hill, in Ernex, shopkeeper.

James White, of the parish of Finchley in Middlelex, dealer.

Balton, Peter, the celebrated painter, anec-
413

dote of

Bank, lift of governors and directors of 219
Baptifm, practifed in the north of Europe,
before introduced by chriftianity 525.
Queftion concerning the apostolick form of
446. Answered

510, 609
Beck, David, the portrait painter, remark-
able anecdote of

414
Beckford, the Right Hon. William, lord-
mayor of London, his grand entertain-
ment at the Manfion house 164. His
speech to the livery in common-hall 183.
Presents the city remonßrance 271. His
reply to the king 272. Is forbid to make
a reply on presenting the address on the
birth of a princess 323. Dies 324
Bega, Cornelius, the landscape painter, fin-
gular instance of his affection and forti-

C

ABAL in the reign of King Charles
II. compared with a supposed cabal at
the present period
251

Caligula's horse, a humourous political pa-

rallel

254

Children, medical directions concerning their
food
Claude Lorrain, the celebrated landscape
painter, his method of defigning
45
Coins, description and explanation of fome
found at Biggleswade 372, 429, 474, 475.
499

Corneille and Shakespeare, reflexions on the
historical drama of

9

Crosby, Brass, chofen lord mayor 534, 592
Crown, the nature of the business of the
great officers of, explained
671
Cd, duke of, letters between him
and Lady G 347. Is prosecuted
by Lord G

382
Curates, country, a conversation on the dif-
treffes of

D

D.

141

AYS of the week, etymology of the
several names of

186

Denmark, the antient state of that kingdom
Dialogue relative to taking orders, concluded

Jehovah, essay on the name of
Inoculation of the small-pox, account of the
manner of, on the coast of Barbary, and
in the East-Indies 7. Of the measles, a
Inundation, terrible, at Aumal in Normandy
question relating to
387. At Nancy 435. At Vienna
Junius, his letter to the d- of G9
On degrading the regal dignity

Κ.

446

491

198

of the Rev.

to the late

304

593

L.

408

556

F Painter

of

314, 39

False Alarm, ext:acts from that pamphlet 26,

81

Fevers, putid, an essay on by Dr. Tiflot 93
Fidelity rewarded, a tale

144

Fires, 52, 53, 107, 108, 163, 218, 273,
274, 280, 324, 388, 429, 430, 593

Floods, melancholy accounts of
Fortune-hunting, the charge of, retorted on
the women

France, the origin of despotism in
French ladies, a character of 264.

553

424

500, 573

381

Taylor of Berwick

384

a review of the loffes of, in the late war

183

M.

Essay on

554

G.

334

G

ALLANTRY, reflexions on
Gaming, reflexions on

504

Geneva, an infurrection there, fuppreffed 224

91

Lord