confirm me in this opinion; it is in Italian what the Plurality of Worlds is in French. It has the appearance of being copied from that work; and there is, moreover, a great deal of unneceffary wit. The work is not more profound than the Plurality of Worlds. I be lieve there are more truths to be met with in ten pages of my work, than are to be found throughout his whole volume; and that is just what will fink and carry me to the bottom, whilst his work will fwim down with the ftream of time and make a fortune. He has gathered the flowers, and left me only thorns. Maupertuis, the man who of all France understood these things best, was very well pleased with my Newton's Elements, and you will allow that his opinion ought to have great weight. I know well enough, that, in fpite of all the demonftrations I have collected together to oppofe the chimera of vortices, the philofophical romance of Defcartes will maintain its ground for fome time with many grey-beards, who are unwilling to forget the leffons of their younger days.

for the Ufe of Ladies, in Six Dialogues of Light and Colours. from the Italian of Sig. Algarotti." See Monthly Magazine, for July 1806, p. 534.-Tranflater.

After all, I am the first in France, and I may fay in Europe, who have made thefe matters plain to the underftanding. St. Gravefende addreffed himfelf to mathematicians only; and Pemberton has but made Newton more difficult to be understood. I am not fürprifed, that at Paris they would give a better reception to lampoons and fourlity, than to such an useful work. It cannot be otherwife, for fcurrility and lampoons are the foap-bubbles which delight the froward children of that great capital, And again, you ought to know the furi ous jealoufy of the Zoili, and the infamous arts of fome men of letters. But I promised you to make mention of authors of reputation only, and here am I talking of myself, and have already faid a great deal too much on that fubject.

Friend.-And why not talk of your felf? We beg you to be pleafed to take notice that we are not Freronians.

Volt. I will not fay a word of my Maid of Orleans: it is a work fit only for the jakes. From the perufal of my Candide, little more is to be collected than that the world is a fink of impurity and abomination. I was troubled with fits of fpleen at the time I wrote many of the chapters of the Optimist.-(To be continued.)

THE BUTTERFLY AND MAGGOT.
A TALE,

BY PETER PINDAR, Esq.

INSCRIBED TO A LADY.

Harriet, for you I pen the tale,
Who, dove-like, feek the filent vale!
Rich in the virtues, rich in pow'rs of mind,
Content, where WISDOм points the way,
In modeft folitude to ftray,

And leave a bustling frenzied world behind.

A BUTTERFLY, of plumage gay,
Defcended on a hazel fpray,
Where dwelt a maggot in his nut,
Contented in his humble hut.

The coxcomb pertly now prefs'd in,
Exclaiming, with fatiric grin,
"Who's here that bids the world farewell?

Hoh! mafter Maggot, are ye dead?" The maggot heard-popp'd out his head Juft like a hermit from his cell.

"What, Friar Maggot! alive and moping; Amid the dark for ever groping?

Why, what a horrid life is thine!
I range at will the hill and vale,
I face the fun, enjoy the gale,
And on the honied bloffoms dine.

"Amid the fields of air I ftray,
And, tell me, who dares top my way
Not of proud man the crawling nation.
Why, thou art e'en beneath the Mole'
Heavens, how I pity thee, poor foul!
Thy birth difgraces the creation."

"What infolence (the grub replies ;)
Alas! how vain are Butterflies.
Know, then, that Heaven my wishes grants,
Contented with my humble food,
I know that Providence is good,
And feel his bounty in my wants.
"Blafpheming creature learn, O learn
What thy dull optics can't difcern;
The hand which gave the Sun its form,
Fram'd ocean, bids the winds arife,
Difplays its pow'r on earth and (kies,
Difplays a world within a worm."

The

The Maggot ended-now behold!
The beau, with plumes of glitt'ring gold,
Was, with a grin, prepar'd to treat him;
When forth a fparrow hopp'd, unfeen,
Spoil'd monfieur's meditated mien,
In triumph bore him off, and ate him.

How few fimplicity endears!

Ah! who would lofe, for fighs and tears, The charms of friendship, love, and calm security,

To grandeur's giddy heights to climb ? The bappy ftate, and true fublime, Live in two words-Contentment and Obfcurity.

January 27, 1807.

VERSES WRITTEN BY WILLIAM CON.
GREVE, THE DRAMATIC POET.
[NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.]
FALSE tho' you've been to me and love,
I ne'er can take revenge,

So much your wond'rous beauties move,
Tho' I lament your change.
In hours of blifs we oft have met
They could not always last;
And tho' the prefent I regret,
I ftill am grateful for the past.
But think not✶✶tho' my breaft
A gen'rous flame has warm'd,
You ere again can make me bleft,
Or charm, as once you charm'd.
Who may your future favours own

May future change forgive,
In love the first deceit alone

Is what you never can retrieve.

VERSES ON THE BILL FOR THE ABO

LITION OF THE SLAVE-TRADE.

HAIL, woe-worn Africa! let grief no more, In forrowing strains, her numbers plain

tive pour ;

But joy throughout thy num'rous nations reign,

And gladness gay pervade thy alter'd plain!
Let all thy fable fons and daughters hear,
Britannia can for Afric drop a tear;
Yes, let the waters of the western wave
Bear them the charter, Britain's fenate gave;
Waft the glad tidings ev'ry wind that blows,
From equinoctial heat, to polar fnows;
From Barbary's ftrand to diftant India's fea,
Let ev'ry breeze declare that Afric's free!
On blood-ftain'd pinions, Rapine flies the fhore,
And the fell traffic fhews his guilt no more;
Slav'ry, with favage fternnefs, leaves the
plains,

Oppreffion ceases, and fair Freedom reigns!
Long flumb'ring Juftice reaffumes her feat,
And Afric's injur'd fons protection meet,-
Mercy and Peace benignant hail the day,
Which gives to Liberty her pristine fway.-
Come, mild Benevolence, the verfe infpire,
And let the poet catch thy heav'n-boru fire,

Teach him aloft to foar on tow'ring wing, And of thy fons, their deeds fublime,-to fing

Without thy aid, vain were his feeble lays, And weak the voice that tries to found their praife,

Who, led by thee-(the friend of human kind

That feeks in peace the warring world to bind)

Struck the foul fetter from the fuff'ring
Qave,

And by one act, did fable millions fave.
O Wilberforce, 'twas thine that path to tread,
To point the place where Slav'ry rear'd his
head,

To follow still where'er the demon trod,
And from his iron hand to wrench the rod
Afric's pure incenfe at thy name fhall rife,
And fraught with fragrance fill the ap
proving skies.

And fhall the bleffings of the fable train,
The mem'ry of the virtuous Smith retain,
For Grey and Grenville fhall the pray'r af-
cend,

And refcu'd thousands fhall their voices lend.
Accept, O Clarkson,* 'mid the honor'dthrong,
The fimple tribute of the Mufe's fong-
For tho' no fplendid rhetoric marks thy name
On hiftory's page, and hands it down to fame;
Yet fhall a life, fpent in a heav'nly cause,
Receive a nation's thanks, and loud applaufe;
Long shalt thou live rever'd among the wife,
Afric fhall laud thee, and Britannia prize!
And far renown'd thro' time, to latest age,
By Fame infcrib'd on Mem'ry's clearest page,
By meek-ey'd Pity fchool'd, on Wifdom's

plan,

Thomas Clarkfon, AM. a gentleman who, although out of the boufe, has perhaps done more than any other individual, towards the abolition of this abominable traffic. His philanthropy in devoting the last 20 years of his life, in vindicating the rights of the African, will fecure him a place in the hearts of the wife and good of the prefent and future times.

+ Refolution of the Houfe of Commons moved by Mr. Fox, 10th of June 1806, de

claring the Slave Trade inconfiftent with juftice, humanity, and found policy, &c.

Zz2

Hail

Hail ye his friends for freedom truly dear,
Ye who to mercy lend the willing ear,
Go on, the righteous path humane to trace,
And be where'er Oppreffion fhews his face,
Rememb'ring still that o'er th' Atlantic deep
Still Afric's fons expatriated weep;
That man beneath the planter's goad,

Is doom'd to bleed and bear dire flav'ry's load,

Stay not your hand till, midst Jamaica's fields,
Emancipation juft her bleflings yields,
Till equal rights the White and Negro guide,
And equal laws alike o'er all prefide.

No more let England, on whose hallow'd ground

No flave can breathe, where never flave is found,

The rights of men fo facred e'er degrade,
Or in their species dare the impious trade.
Detefted traffic! which, to Britain's fhame,
So long has tarnish'd her commercial name;
Long has her av'rice Virtue proftrate laid,
And fordid intereft war with juftice made;
Her mercy now proclaims a lasting peace,
Virtue's reftor'd, and Afric's infults ceafe !-
Now, fhall Atonement lift her grateful
head,

And o'er the peaceful land her influence fhed;
Example pure, with Chriftian precept join'd,
Undaunted
fhall teach the heathen

mind.

now,

Adown the hill, as Pleafure leads,

He bounds with nimble heel,
But fwifter run yon frighted steeds➡
Ah! fafter rolls the wheel!
All mangled is that lovely form,
Which fhone with grace before;
And, like the ruins of a storm,
That face is fair no more!
And fault'ring is that tuneful tongue,
And dim that closing eye;
And ev'ry nerve is now unftrung,
And death is in that figh.

"O! were I in my father's bed!"
The fainting fuft'rer cry'd ;
His weeping mother hung her head-
He kifs'd her cheek, and dy'd!
They bore him to his father's bed,
The bed to him so dear;

They bore him to his father's bed--
That bed is now his bier.

O long, long will his playmates look
For MOWBRAY as they roam;
And never will his parents brook

Their childless cheerlefs home.
With him, when age should comfort crave,
They hop'd to end their care!
Now, nought but hope beyond the grave
Can smooth their paffage there!

IMPROMPTU,

J. MAYNE.

BEING PRESENTED BY A FRIEND WITH AN EOLIAN HARP MADE BY ROBERT BLOOMFIELD.

SPIRIT of harmony, whofe power extends Through Nature's vaft domain-whiafe voice is heard

In every breeze, in every murmuring till,
In every found, when evening's placid smile,
Lulls the rude difcord of the world to rest;
Oh breathe thy influence o'er my foul, and

teach

A language to its feelings.-Hallowed harp! How shall I dare profane thee with my touch? Genius and friendship o'er thee fpread a charm

Sweeter than even thy own mellifluent tones. Come,lingering Spring, ye gentle breezes come And wake these magic strings, and whilft my foul

Feels their foft cadence foothing every sense, The ardent with, the filent prayer shall rise That Heaven's encircling prefence may pre

ferve

And whispering angels foothe her every grief
Who with an angel's kindness foftens mine.
Broughton, April 2, 1807.
M. D.

MR. FOX's REPARTEE.

MRS. Montague told me, and in her own

house,

She car'd not about me, "Three skips of a loufe;"

But I'm not offended at what he has faid,
For women will talk of zobat `runs 'in their
bead.
J. F.

ON A PERSON WHO USED TO ALTER THE CLOCK.

THOU art the vileft liar yet unhung; When tired your own, you lie with other's tongue.

THE DERIVATION OF AN EPIGRAM.

WE call it, Sir, an epigram,

Becaufe 'tis like a pig and ram; 'Tis like a ram-it fometimes butts, And upon vice derifion puts ;

'Tis like a pig, whofe tail, my friend, In general in a point does end.

ON A LADY'S SENDING A TONGUE AND A HARE TO A FRIEND.

THAT Ma'am fhould fend a tongue, no myft'ry's there,

But, prithee, wherefore did the fend a hare? Why blockhead, with the tongue a bare fhe fent,

To let you know how faft the other went.

GRAMMATICAL ELUCIDATION.

A Correspondents the incide)

has enquired why the words fuicide, regicide, &c. are employed to exprefs both the act and the perpetrator; and whether we might not use suicifm, regicifm, &c. for the deed of felf-flaughter, or king-flaughter. He attacks a real difeafe of language; but fuggefts a bad remerly.

The Latins have paricidium for the act, and paracida for the perpetrator of parricide. In old French books the abftract fubftantive is gallicized by parricidie, and the agent by parricide. But as words in ie are feminine in French, and as neuter Latin fubftantives become mafculine in French, the word parricidie was felt as anomalous, and abandoned for parricide. From the French we have our English word.

Had English writers been borrowing directly from the Latin, they would have faid parricidy and parricider; fuicidy and fuicider; regicidy and regicider: they would thus have preferved the defirable distinction.

Words in ism defcribe the theory or doctrine of the word fo terminating. Thus theif means the doctrine of deity; mortalifm, the doctrine that there is no future ftate; regicidifm the doctrine of king-killing; and fuicidifm, the doctrine of felf-flaughter. The thorter forms regicism and fuicifm are inadmillible, even in this fenfe; because they do not include a fyllable effential to the etymology, and confequently to the significance of the terms.

There is little hope of familiarizing in this inftance the expedient innovation. Some of the words to be inflected would become too long. Who could be induce to write tyrannicider, and tyrannicidy? Tyrant-flayer is bearable; but But tyrant-flaughter, because it would

excite the idea of more than one death,

Lot afraid, therefore, that Zetites will

not accomplish the reformation he propofes; though, for one, I would concur in writing fucidy and fuicider. The concert of authors is the true road to the emendation of language.

ERIANDER.

An ill-made novel with this title was printed foon after the Restoration; it is full of flattery to Charles the Second, and was written by one John Burton. Will fome of your biographic correfpondents fay whether this is the fame Burton who wrote the Anatomy of Melancholy? The following paffage from Eriander, is fuch as we might expect from him :

Certain days were appointed for fports and recreations, a piece of prudent and cautelous policy. It is eafy for any man to obferve, that fedentary and melancholic perfons, who are either by nature or custom averfe from merriments, are inclined to malice, peevithness, difcontent and envy, fit to devife villainy and mischief. But fportive recreations with convenient motion clear the fpirits of man, diffipate his dumpish and fullen humours, make him brifk and fociable, and adaptate him to love and kindheartednefs. Therefore, Alcidruinus prudently appointed fuch meetings, as meaus' to promote peace, procure hofpitality and good neighbourhood, beget friendship and alliance among the people, and prevent many mutinous difcontents, which retired and fullen thoughts might hatch in their working brains."

The ftory of Eriander is wholly uninterefting; but there are many good common-places interfperfed through the nar rative, which might merit tranfeription. Leffing, as your correfpondent has told us, propofed a periodic publication, which was to felect the best from bad

books:

books in fuch a review, the Hiftory of Eriander might deferve paring to the pulp.

There was a Burton, who wrote a Hiftory of Scotland, a Hiftory of Ireland, and a Hiftory of British Empire in America, which were published between the years 1685 and 1695 fome Hiftory of English Acquifitions in Africa exifts by the fame pen. Was this the Eriander Burton?

PERSECUTION.

Can fome one tell me who wrote the following hymn? I met with it in the laid-afide hymn-book of a congregation of Unitarian Diffenters. It is the only attempt I recollect to make the doctrine of toleration a part of the liturgic precepts of chriftianity. In this point of view it is indeed precious.

Abfurd and vain attempt! to bind
With iron-chains the free-born mind;
To force conviction, and reclaim
The wandering by destructive flame.

Bold arrogance! to fnatch from heaven
Dominion not to mortals given;
O'er confcience, to ufurp the throne,
Accountable to God alone.

Jefus, thy gentle law of love
Does no fuch cruelties approve;
Mild as thyself thy doctrine wields
No arms but what perfuafion yields.
By proofs divine, and reason ftrong,
It draws the willing foul along ;
And conquests to thy church acquires
By eloquence, which heaven inspires.

VEGETABLE TALLOW.

At Gratz in Silefia, a differtation has lately been published to recommend the inftitution of a new candle-manufactory. The author ftates, that the bloffoms of the populus nigra, or black poplar, yield by preffure an oil, or refin, which confolidates in the ufual temperature of the atinofphere, and which, when made into candle, is found to give a light cheaper than that of tallow, and more brilliant than that of wax. The only inconvenience, and this the author hopes by chemical bleaching to overcome, is that thefe new tapers have a tawny colour, duller than that of bees-wax, or of relinfoap.

REMARK OF LESSING.

care, and fatigues his amanuenfis by his caprices. Hence it happens, that a poor author is almoft always fuperior to his book; and a rich author alm。it always inferior to his book,

JARGON OF GRAMMARIANS,

The

There is much jargon in our beft grainmars: things are pretendedly explained and claffed in unmeaning words. combination demonftrative pronoun is one inftance. To point at, to indicate, to fhew; to demonftrate, cannot be an attribute of that which stands for a noun: thus the thing indicated would be its own index, it would be at once active and paffive, fhowing and fhown. Articles are the very fame parts of fpeech as thefe demonftrative, or indicative, pronouns they might he clailed together under the intelligible denomination indicaters.

Mr.

Some, which is commonly called a pronoun, is the plural of a, which is commonly called an article: the is a middle term between this and that, wholly of the fame fort. Lindley Murray changes the epithet demonftrative, which is defenûble; but retains the term pronoun, which is wholly improper: he claffes one, all, fuch, other, either, neither, each, any, every as adjective pronouns. In rude languages thefe fhades of idea are expreffed by gefture-dixTxas-by various motions of the fingers; their names are verbal fubftitutes for different forms of pointing at objects. Articles-quafi fore-fingerjoints is not an abfurd denomination for this peculiar class of words.

ANECDOTE OF HOBBES.

Lord Clarendon confidered the Leviathan of Hobbes as a defence of the Britifh republicans, and for that reafon compofed a refutation. He fays that Hobbes thewed him at Paris a proof-fheet, which he had juft received from England; and added, that his lordship would not relifh his conclufions. Clarendon enquired. why he would publish fuch doctrine. Hobbes, between jeft, and earnest, anfwered: The truth is, I have a mind to go home.

ON GOOD AND EVIL DAYS. Notwithstanding the ridicule which of later ages has been deservedly thrown on the idea of good and evil days, it is certain that, from time immemorial, the mott celebrated nations of antiquity, the Chaldeans, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans, adopted and placed impli cit faith in this fuperftitious notion, which is ftill prevalent in all parts of the East.

Egypt