80 Anecdotes of the Gim-crack Taste of our Fathers. ing. The most probable conjecture is, that they muft at first have been compofed of feparate materials, put together by piece-meal, and then plaistered over with a cement, which, when dry, confolidated into a hard fubftance, which every way affumed the colour and confiftence of stone; but then as these people have neither ladders nor fcaffolds, nor any materials upon the island, by which fuch contrivances can be conftructed, the question recurs, how the artift could be fufpended, or more properly fup IN Feb. ported, while he applied the plaiftering and afterwards impreffed the figure. This is a queftion that remains to be explained. The short time that our voyagers continued upon the island, neceffarily obliged them to leave many things unobserved which deferved notice among a people, who by their fituation, on a speck of land, not more than 12 or 15 leagues in circumference, and at least a thousand miles from any known land, may well be fuppofed to be original." Anecdotes of the Gim-crack Taste of our Fathers. N former times, and even down to the prefent century, no fmall refpect was paid to acroftics, and a number of fuch like difficult trifles, which are now justly difregarded as puerile. This petty taste likewife gave rife to different pieces of penmanship, and other efforts of manual induftry, furprising from their extreme finallnefs. In the fixteenth century, an Italian monk, named Peter Alumnus, comprifed the Acts of the Apostles, and the Gofpel of St. John, within the circumference of a farthing. An artist, endowed with equal patience, prefented Queen Elizabeth with a bit of paper, of the fize of a finger-nail, on which were written the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, together with her majesty's name and the date of the year; all the letters of it were eafily diftinguished by means of a pair of fpectacles, which this artist had himfelf conftructed. The Iliad of Homer too, is to be feen written upon vellum, and in fo fmall a compafs, that a nut-shell contains it. Jerome Faba, an Italian prieft, and a native of Calabria, exercifed himfelf in another fpecies of industry, equally wonderful from its difficulty. He finished a work of box wood, which reprefented all the myfteries of the paffion, and might be put into the fhell of a walnut. To him is likewife attributed a coach of the fize of a grain of wheat, within which were to be feen a man and woman, a coachman who drove it, and horfes which drew it. These performances were prefented to Francis I. and to Charles V. Another artist conftructed an ivory chariot, which a fly covered with its wings, and a hip alfo of ivory, with its rigging complete. Paul Colomies tells us fomewhere, that he faw a goldfmith at Moulins, who had chained a living flea to a gold chain, which contained fifty links, and did not weigh three grains. Madame de Sevigné likewife mentions, in one of her letters, that there was a man in Paris, who, as a masterpiece, had conftructed a chariot, which was drawn by fleas. The Dauphin, on this occafion, asked the prince of Conti, his coufin, who it was that had made the harness, and was told by him, with a fmile, that it certainly must have been some spider in the neighbourhood. ANTI-GIMCRACK. To the EDITOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE. SIR, To rescue the characters of excellent men, whofe labours and virtues in former times juftly recom. mend them to the gratitude and refpect of fucceeding ages, from the falfe and fcandalous imputations, In William Lilly's Hiftory of his Life and Times, lately published, by a Charles Burman, Efq. we have, at P. 34, thefe words. "Mr. A. Bedwell, minifter of Totenham-High-Crofs, near London, who had been many years chaplain to Sir Henry Wotton, whilft he was ambaffador at Venice, and affifted Pietro Soave Polano, in compofing and writing the council of Trent, was lately dead; and his library being fold into Little Britain, I bought among them my choiceft books of Aftrology." Now, 1. It is well known, that the chap. lain to Sir Henry Wotton, and the intimate friend of father Paul, was William Bedell, the learned and excellent bishop of Kilmore, in Ireland. He was never minifter of Tottenham High-Crofs, nor of any other place in England, but of a church at St. Ed. mundbury, and another at Horingsheath, in Suffolk, to which laft he was prefented in the year 1615. In the year 1627, he was elected to the provottship of Trinity College in Dublin; and in 1629 was promoted to the See of Kilmore and Ardagh, and was never afterwards in England. 2. It is fo far from being true, or even probable that his library was fold in Little Britain, that fome time before his death, he loft his library, which, with his houfe, and all that belonged to him fell into the rapa,cious hands of the Irish rebels, nor was any thing faved from the havock made of his books and manufcripts, but his great Hebrew MS. which is ftill preferved in the library of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and a few other books which an Irishman, who had been converted by the bishop, going among his countrymen, brought to the bithop, then confined by the rebels, with other Proteftants of his diocefe. 3. Lilly, as appears by his own account at the bottom of the fame page, made this purchafe in Little Britain, in the year 1632, or at the Feb. 1776. against Lilly and Granger. 81 latest in 1633, after Bedwell's death ; which was nearly if not fully ten years before the death of Bishop Bedell, who died Feb. 7, 1642. Upon the whole, Squire Burman must bear to be told that he has performed the office of an editor very, ill, to fuffer this fcandalous anecdote to pafs upon the readers of Lilly's Life, without a note of correction. The very character of Bishop Bedell, fufficiently known to every tolerable fcholar, might have fatisfied him that Bishop Bedell was no more of an aftrologer, than Lilly was of a bishop. If he was ignorant of Bedell's character, he was not fit to revite an historical compofition, giving accounts of many fingular events of that period in which this eminent bishop lived. Perhaps Mr. Burman's indolence only may be to blame, for it is remarkable, that almost every error of the prefs, in the edition of 1715 of Lilly's Life in izmo. is faithfully copied in the octavo of 1774; as p. 24, line 16, 1625 for 1665; and p. 58 line 17, Charles the Second, for Charles the First, &c. "The But what fhall we fay for the Rev. James Granger, the laborious compiler of four volumes octavo which he has thought fit to call, "A Biographical History of England?" Will pofterity believe that his critical and orthodox genius could permit him to write the following note. most valuable of Lilly's aftrological books belonged to the excellent Bishop Bedell, whofe life was written by Bifhop Burnet." Vol. iii. 132. For this information, he quotes Mr, William Lilly's own felf, who appears not to have known that ever there was a Bishop Bedell. And then, the "excellent Bishop Bedell," excellent, for what? only for the depth of his attainments in the noble science of aftrology! Of his other excellencies, Mr. Granger feems to have had no diftinct idea; for had he read Bihop Burnet's book, which he cites on this occafion, or Bedell's article in the Biographia Britannica, which he quotes and pillages on other occafions, he would have found, not only the falfehood of Lilly's blundering account, but likewife that nature dẹfigned not Bifhop Bedell for an astrologer, if the intended Mr. G. for a M Bid 66 Feb. ter with which in my hearing an ingenious lady recommended it to the perufal of an humble friend, viz. " a pure goliping book." A Letter from GENERAL LEE to GENERAL BURGOYNE. "DEAR SIR, A S I am juft informed you are ready to embark for England, I cannot refrain from once more trefpaffing on your patience. An opportunity is now prefented of immortalizing yourself as the faviour of your country. The whole British empire itands tottering on the brink of ruin, and you have it in your power to prevent the fatal catastrophe, but it will admit of no delay. For Heaven's fake avail yourself of the precious moment; put an end to the delufion; exert the voice of a brave, virtuous citizen, and tell the people at home that they muft immediately refcind all their impolitic, iniquitous, tyrannical, murderous acts; that they must overturn the whole frantic fyftem, or that they are undone. You ask me, in your letter, if it is independence at which the Americans aim? I answer, no! the idea never entered a fingle American's head until a moft intolerable oppreffion forced it upon them. All they required was to remain mafters of their own property, and be governed by the fame equitable laws which they had enjoyed from the first formation of the colonies. The ties of connexion which bound them to their parent country, were fo dear to them that he who would have ventured to have touched them, would have been confidered as the moft impious of mortals; but these facred ties, (the fame men who have violated or baffled the most precious laws and rights of the people at home, diffipated or refufed to account for their treasures, tarnished the glory, and annihilated the importance of the nation; thefe facred ties, I fay) fo dear to every American, Bute and his tory adminiftration are now rending asunder. "You ask whether it is the weight of taxes of which they complain? I anfwer, no, it is the principle they combat, and they would be guilty in Camp on Profpect Hill, Dec. 1, 1775 the eyes of God and men, of the prefent world and all pofterity, did they not reject it, for if it were admitted, they would have nothing that they could call their own. They would be in a worfe condition than the wretched flaves in the Weft-India islands, whofe little peculium has ever been esteemed inviolate. But wherefore fhould I dwell on this? Is not the cafe of Ireland the fame with theirs? They are fubordinate to the British empire, they are fubordinate to the parliament of Great Britain, but they tax themfelves. Why, as the cafe is fimilar, do not you begin with them? But you know, Mr. Burgoyne, audacious as the miniftry are, they dare not attempt it. There is one part of your letter which I confefs I do not thoroughly underftand. If I recollect right, for I unfortunately have not the letter by me, you fay that if the privilege of taxing themfeives is what the Americans claim, the conteft is at an end. You furely cannot allude to the propofitions of North. It is impoffible that you fhould not think with me and all mankind that these propofitions are no more or less than adding to a most abominable oppreffion, a more abominable insult. But to recur to the queftion of America's aiming at independence: do any inftructions of any one of their provinces to their reprefentatives, or delegates, furnish the leaft ground for the fufpicion? On the contrary, do they not all breathe the ftrongest attachment and filial piety for their pa rent country? But if the difcards all the natural tenderness of a mother, and acts the part of a cruel ftep-dame, it muft naturally he expected that their affections will ceafe; the minikry leave them no alternative; aut fervire, aut alienari jubent; it is in human nature, it is a moral obligation to adopt the latter; but the fatal feparation has not yet taken place, and yourself, your 1776. to General Burgoyne on his leaving America. fingle felf, my friend, may perhaps prevent it. Upon the miniitry, I am afraid, you can make no impreffion; for, to repeat a hackneyed quotation, in more, To return wou'd be as tedious as go o'er. But if you will at once break off al! connexions with thefe pernicious men, if you will wave all confiderations but the falvation of your country, Great Britain may stand as much indebted · to General Burgoyne as Rome was to her Camillus. Do not, I intreat you my dear fir, think this the mad rhapfody of an enthufiaft, nor the cant of a factious, defigning man, for in thefe colours, I am told, I am frequently painted. Ifwear, by all that's facred, as I hope for comfort and honour in this world, and to avoid mifery in the next, that I moft earnestly and devoutly love my native country; that I with the fame happy relation to fubfift for ages, betwixt her and her children, which has raised the wide arch of her empire to fo ftupendous and enviable a height; but at the fame time I avow, that if the Parliament and people should be depraved enough to fupport any longer the prefent Miniftry in their internal fcheme, my zeal and reverence for the rights of humanity are so much greater than my fondness for any particular fpot, even the place of my nativity, that had I any influence in the councils of America, I would advise not to hefitate a fingle inftant, but decifively to cut the Gordian knot, now befmeared with civil blood. "This I know is ftrong, emphatic language, and might pafs with men, who are ftrangers to the flame which the love of liberty is capable of lighting up in the human breaft, for a proof of my infanity; but you, Sir, you, unless I have miftaken you from the beginning, will conceive that a man in his fober fenfes may poffefs fuch feelings. In my fober fenfes, therefore, permit me, once more, moft. earneftly to intreat and conjure you to exert your whole force, energy, and talents, to ftop the Ministry in this 83 their headlong career. If you labour in vain (as I must repeat I think will be the cafe) addrefs yourself to the people at large; by adopting this method, I am lo fanguine as to affure. myself of your fuccefs; and your pub lic character will be as illuftrious as your perfonal qualities are amiable to all who intimately know you. By your means, the Colonifts will long continue the farmers, planters, and thipwrights of Great Britain; but if the prefent courfe is perfifted in, an eternal divorce must inevitably take place. As to the idea of fubduing them into fervitude, and indemnifying yourfelves for the expence, you must be convinced, long before this, of its abfurdity. "I fhould not, perhaps, be extravagant, if I advanced that all the ships of the world would be too few to tranfport force fufficient to conquer three millions of people, unanimously determined to facrifice every thing to liberty; but if it were poffible, the victory would not be less ruinous than the defeat. You would only destroy your own ftrength. No revenue can poffibly be extracted out of this country. The army of placemen might be encreafed, but her circuitous commerce, founded on perfect freedom, which alone can furnish riches to the metropolis, would fall to the ground. But the dignity of Great Britain it feems is at stake. Would you, Sir, if in the heat of paffion you had truck a fimple drummer of your regiment, and afterwards difcovered it to be unjustly, think it any forfeiture of your dignity to acknowledge the wrong? No (I am well acquainted with your difpofition) you would ask his pardon at the head of your regiment. "I fhall now conclude (if you will excufe the pedantry) with a fentence of Latin: "Juflum eft bellum quibus neceffarium, et pia arma quibus nulla, nifi in armis, relinquitur fpes." I moft fincerely with you a quick and profperous voyage; and that your happinefs and glory may be equal to the idea I have of your merits, as I am, with the greatest truth and affection, your's, M 2 C. LEE." The 84 Feb. The Origin of Politeness. An Allegorical Tale. In the Tenth, endowed with a foul their cables in the plain and healthful N the filver age lived Sincerity the of a Bellona. Instead of covering manner in which they formerly were, with the fruits of Ceres, the libations of Bacchus, the gifts of Flora and Pomona, they now fpread them with the poifons of a foreign name, the infipids of another clime, and the unpalatable fruits of an enemy's vineyard. To this way of life Sincerity was much averfe. When he beheld their pageantry he fhock his head, when he was invited to their manfions he freely refufed, and rebuked them for their boisterous revelling with a look that spoke the ferenity of his temper. Their minds too grovelling difrelished reproof; their actions being fo contrary to his, obliged him by his freedom of fpeech to expofe their folly, which caufed them to fhun and defpife him. Thus the good man being grieved at their blindness, and ima capable of conceiving, refining, enlarging, and exalting the ideas which offered fpontaneous to his mind. He was content with a decent manfion; neatnefs and elegance vied with each other in the difpofition of his furniture and the regularity and decorum in which they were preferved-Tho' no Corinthian pillars, no triumphal arches, golden doors, or marble fountains, caught the eye, and feasted it with inftantaneous delight; yet the well proportioned rooms, the cooling grots, the refreshing breezes, and the Toft murmurs of a diftant cafcade, feated all the powers of imagination, touched every string of noble fenfation, detained the eye with continued admiration, and lulled all care to reft. Such was the habitation of Sincerity. -Mindful of his father's dictates, captivated with the deeds of his progining that his advice and practice genitors, amufed with viewing things in their natural state as they appear to the diligent and impartial inquirer, intent to be of ufe to mankind-the fentiments and advice he gave to others refulted from the dictates of his heart, and that was truth itfelf. His fame was unbounded, it reached far and wide, infomuch that the venerable grey-headed fages frequented his grot, and recounted to him the feats of the Gods. The fathers liflened with youthful attention to the inftructions which he gave their children for keep ing their young minds fixed on good things, and guiding their fteps in the right way; and the young lifped his fentiments, and echoed his tales at every brook-Though all the actions of Sincerity were good, yet still was there fomething wanting. The age in which he lived had greatly degenerated from that of his father, which wa: the golden one, The nobles in the time of Sincerity preferred magnificence of apparel, the fplendour of villas, and a multitude of domestics, to magnanimity of foul, the parent of every virtue. Instead of a ferene placid look, the attendant an a goo! mind, they put on the mirth of a bacchanalian, and the phrenzy might be too rigid ever to reclaim them from their libertinifin, resolved, if poffible, to fix on fome expedient, whereby his feverity might be tempered, and their voracity appealed. After spending fome fhort time in deliberating what plan to fix on, he at length determined to feek fome lovely fair, whofe native foftness might melt his heart, and whofe velvet tongue might teach him to convey his inftructions in fuch manner that they should be ufeful; he fought not long. When the piercing fun had nearly finished his diurnal round, and the cool breezes began to fan his fcorching fire, Sincerity as was ufual went to take his evening walk; and the fweet retirement of a mazy wood enticed him to make it a partaker of his meditating tour by the fame enticement a dam fel whofe graceful mien befpoke her fomething heavenly, and whofe golden locks in eafy ringlets fhaded the charms of her more lovely neck, was attracted to enjoy the fweet tranquillity of this folitary fpot; chance directed each their courfe to take in the fame path. When they met, Sincerity was not a little struck with the beauty of her perfon, and the fweetnefs of her countenance, which was ruddy as Aurora, |