Form of the old Dagger.-Anecdote of Mr. Bowyer. coach, and carried into the nearest house thereto, which was a very paltry cottage, and laid on a bed, probably fuch a one as Pope defcribes, where he immediately died. My grandfather, very early on a morning, going to York, faw the hearfe, in which was the Duke's corpfe, on Bowbridge caufeway, about a half mile Eaft of Tadcaster, there remaining all night, without any attendance, occafioned from one of the hearfe wheels being broke, they carrying him to Westminster Abbey for interiment. And my grandfather then could fcarce forbear thedding a tear, when he thought and reflected on human greatnefs, as knowing what the Duke had been a great wit, poffeffed of a vaft eftate, had filled most of the great offices of state, as handfome a man, thought, as was in England, and had married Lord Fair fax's daughter; and thus to be left, in the above manner, by the carelessness and difrefpect of the attendants, when they might easily have got his remains to Tadcaster, notwithstanding the accident of the hearfe wheel being broke. Yours, &c. EBOR. MR. URBAN, SHOULD be obliged to any of your ingenious correfpondents, who will give a fatisfactory account of the form of the dagger which was generally worn about the time of queen Elizabeth and James I. In the old plays, it is mentioned as anfwering the purpofe of a cudgel for breaking beads, for which, if it refembled what is commonly called a poignard, it must have been very improper. I will produce two inftances from Beau mont and Fletcher. In the Chances, Scene the laft, Don John appears to Antonio in the form of a devil; An, tonio fays to the fuppofed Conjuror, "Dare you venture your devil?" The Conjurer fays, “Yes.” Antonio anfwers; "Then I'll venture my Dagger And in the Captain, A&t the fifth, Scene the fift, one of the characters, on hearing fomé unexpected good news; "I prithee break my head To make me under and I'm fenfible." He is answered: Lend me your Dagger, and I will, Sir." PHOSPHORUS. The two DRAWINGS mentioned by this Gentleman will be very acceptable MR. URBAN, THE 205 March 2. HE character of the late Mr. Bowyer is fo generally respectable, and refpected, that even a trifling anecdote of him cannot but be acceptable. Take it then, in the words in which I have just received it from a refpectable Divine, who had it from an old friend, not many years fince (now, alas! no more), who was prefent in the company where it was produced. "Whilft Mr. Bowyer's Edition of the Greek Teftament was preparing, and when it was just ready, for the prefs, that incomparable fcholar and divine, Dr. Jortin, mentioned the work, in a mixed company; and in terms of warm approbation. A gentleman prefent, who was a ftranger to Mr. Bowyer's literary abilities, expreffed fome furprize, that a Printer fhould engage in fo arduous a task; and, with great fimplicity, afked, "who helped him?" Jortin, with his ufual fpirit, immediately answered,"Who helps him?-why-He helps bimfelf:-and where can he meet with a better affifiant " Ample Memoirs of the Lord Liddifdale, inquired after by S. C. vol. LV. P. 5, will be found in David Hume's Hiftory of the House of Douglas and Angus, 2 vols. 12mo. printed at Edinburgh at the beginning of this century. This work alfo contains many anecdotes of the border history, and chivalry of the two nations. The quotation in your laft Magazine (note, p. 129), is taken from the Prologue to " The Fairies," by Garrick : "And first the English foreigner began, And thus addrefs'd the foreign Englishman.' In what part of your voluminous and curious collections are to be found, Mr. Gray's ftrictures on Gothic and Saxon Architecture *. In one of the late Reviews of the Potical parts of Bishop Atterbury's Works, I recollect a cavil, which furely is fuperfluous! The line in' question is, "Urgent ademptum flebilibus modis;" "Tu femper urges flebilibus modis 206 Bad Confequences of annexing Death ta petty Thefts. MR. URBAN, IT is very remarkable, that no fage As punishments become more cruel, men become more ferocious; and in time they dread not the wheel, where they once fhuddered at the lattice of a prifon. The punishment fhould not exceed in its evil the proportion of good expected by the crime, otherwife it is fallacious and tyrannical. Is it not wonderful, that in England, in the 18th century, in the era of British freedom and refinement, it should have been made a capital crime to break down a hedge, or cut down a cherrytree in an orchard (9 Geo. I. cap. 22, and 31 Geo II. cap. 4:)? and that a law thould have been framed in fo glorious a reign as that of our Elizabeth, and be fill in force, which infli&s death, without benent of clergy, as the Funifament for being feen for a month together in company with gypfics? is Elz, cap. 20.) if at laft doomed to untimely fate, have boldly scoffed at momentary death 1 Death is a punishment that fhould only be inflicted on those who have inordinately haftened the end of another's life. Offended Heaven has authorized the world to retaliate this heinous Our penal laws, benevolent as they are in numberless cafes, and fill more fo in the mitigating power annexed to the crown, and the unparalleled humanity with which every trial is conducted, are yet to fanguinary, as to have marked, amongst the actions of men, no less than 160 tiefpaffes as worthy of death (4 B. comp. 18): and, thus multiplied, they have loft their terror. Men have dared to break down the balance between good and evil, have difdained the tumelts of internal conviction, and fworn fidelity to each other in the dark machinations of accumulated guilt; and, wrong upon the head of the wrongdoer; but, for other crimes which call for punishment, fomething fhould be devifed that feems more analogous to human power and human juftice-the fcale of the offence should of itself point out the punishment. The late illuftrious Elizabeth, emprefs of Ruffia, never found one object in more than 20 years whom he could deem worthy of death. Her fucceffor, Catherine II. purtues the fame example; and Voltaire remarks, that even thofe whom the banished be came honeft people. But banishment anfwers not the true end of punishment, that is, to reform the state; on the spot where the crime is committed fhould the offender fuffer. But death has never leffened the number of offences; few men are made better for the numbers they have gazed at on the fatal tree! A long and certain punishment has all the effect of refor mation on the mind. Labour, and imprifonment for life, would clear the land of its prefent ftream of villainy, that bears down all fenfe of honeft No man will put principle before it. thefe in competition with the uncertain advantages to be gained by the commiffion of any crime, efpecially in a Jand like this, glorious for freedom! Time, and hopelets pardon, would break down the boafted bravery of the moft determined criminal; and tears and folitude would flitter away the faint ray of boafted courage with which his vanity had once flattered him. It is allowed, on all hands, that the time spent in the dark and difmal confinement after condemnation, is more poignant than the moment of the execution. therefore, this mode of punishment was adopted, every criminal fhould have his feparate labour and his feparate cell. If I am told, that by this mode of punishment I fap the foundations of liberty, I anfwer, Criminals convicted by their country, and fuch a country, lenient and indulgent as ours, cancel all title to the blethings of liberty. And if I am told of the inconveniencies of accommodation and fupport of numbers for life, I anfwer again, that this go If, vernment Tranflations of Greek and Roman Clafics (Lifts of) wanted. vernment is not so weak as to give up the reformation of a crying evil for the fake of inconveniencies, when it can hazard, and actually lofe, half its dominions for the fake of ambition and power. CENSOR. MR. URBAN, WE have feveral catalogues of the various editions of Greek and Latin authors, which are very useful in their way, particularly, Harwood's "View of the various Editions of the Greek and Roman Claffics." I have often thought that afimilar catalogue of the various Englith tranflations of the Greek and Roman writers would be a work of confiderable utility; and, if there is nothing of the kind, I would recommend it to fome of the curious in fuch works to undertake it. A mere catalogue would be ufeful; but, if it was attended with a fhort criticifim upon, or character of, each tranflation, it would greatly add to the value of the performance. As no one perfon can be fuppofed to be poffeffed of all the various English tranfla ions, and fill lefs of the different editions of them, a work of the kind here recommended cannot well be executed by any perfon that does not live in or near the town; for it would be quite neceffary to confult a great variety of libraries and bookfellers fhops. Even with thofe advantages it would be a work of confiderable labour and difficulty, and perhaps more than any one man would like to undertake. But fuch a work, divided amongst feveral, would be very eafy; and, if fuch of your correfpondents as are poffeffed of any thing curious upon the fubject, would communicate it to the public, through the channel of your ufeful collection, the execution of fuch a work would be greatly facilitated, or more properly fuperfeded. In order to fet your correfpondents at work, I could wish to know what tranflations there are of Suetonius; and what is the merit of cach. have feen Clarke's, which is published with the Latin, and is in general a pretty good one; it was firft printed in 1732, in Svo, and it has gone through two or three editions fince. He fays in his preface, there were two or three feveral tranflations of Suetonius before his. One I find mentioned in White's Catlogue for 1784, No 6928, under the title of "Suetonius's Lives of the 12 Cæfars," by Hughes, 2 vols. 8vo. 1725, 207 pr. 75. 6d. Another in Lackington's Catalogue, No 2 2417, "Suetonius's Hiftory of the 12 Cæfars." No date, pr. 1s. 3d. and 18-I have feen one tranflation of Paterculus, by Newcomb, 1721, 12mo, which is a very bad one: Are there any other? Tranflations are extremely useful in feveral refpeéts, as has been often thewn, particularly by Mr. Clarke, in his prefaces to thofe he has published. H. I. Feb. 1. MR. URBAN, ERMIT me to afk of your No Di PE fenter Correfpondent of Henley, p. 45. fuppofing I had been a little mistaken in the fituation of Mr. Gainsborough's burial-place (which however I do not allow), why he fhould fet out with an affectation of being witty, and fneering at my grief? I did not lament Mr. Gainfborough as a lef friend, for I fcarce knew his perfon; I lamented him as a national lofs, and the lofs of a virtuous man where virtuous men are wanted. It is true there were a pair of gates to go into the yard where his remains lay, and there may be allo a pair of leads on the meeting-houfe top But I do aver, that when I visited the courtyard, it had the wall of an alchoufe on. one fide, the walls of the meeting on the other, and a great heap of horse-dung between them; and I thought the remains of a man fo diftinguished for his piety, and fo admired for his ingenuity, merited more decent interment. No Difenter has indeed dragged into his letter the curious workmanthip of a lady; but he cannot, he fays, believe that Mr. Gainsborough's work-womanship was meant to be a perfect perpetual-motion. Idid not mean a longitudinal perpetualmotion, but a felf moving machine. I know too, that Mr. Gainsborough did not die of a cancer, and that he died fuddenly on the road; but might not his long continement and afinction, added to the death of his wife, have been the original caufe of his fudden death? His ingenious brother, from whom I had my information, thought fo; and he was more interefted in the fatal event than either R. W. or No Diffenter. So far I think it neceffary to reply to them; and now, Mr. Urban, one word " to your note. You fay, "Another correfpondent informs us, that Mr. G. was on the point of a fecond marriage when he was fnatched away by death." And what then does that imply his having forgot, or his being infenfible to, 208 Cumberland's Account of Ld. Sackville's Trial confirmed. the lofs he had fuftained? Surely not. Thofe who know human nature beft, know, that a man, under the inexpreffible grief for the lofs of a friend, may be frail enough to try in fome measure to alleviate his forrow by forming another connection, as a drowning man 'may catch at a firaw. Yours, &c. POLYXENA. W HEN 1 affure you that I have "Do feveral letters of Lord George Germaine's in my poffeffion, wherein he expreffed much regard for me, and a defire to ferve me were it in his power, and yet did not when it was you may conceive I am not particularly prejudiced in his favour: but I have too much regard to truth, and love of juftice, not to agree with Mr. Cumber land, that Lord George Germaine was an injured man. He was tried at a court-martial by order of the king, after the king's own opinion was well known at the Horfe-Guards, and the A. office. During his trial, which I clofely attended, though I was not then perfonally known to his Lordship, I asked the late Sir Richard Lyttelton, what he thought would be the event? you ask me what I think," faid he, "or what I hear?"-" Both."-" Then I hear, if he has a will to make, he should do it forthwith: but I THINK he is a brave man. I faw him carried out of the field of battle at Fontenoy, wounded in the breaft." Now I am on this fubject, permit ine to make a remark, which to me appeared worthy of particular notice, and fo aftonished me to find it pafled UNNOTICED at his trial, that wrote Lord George an anonymous letter the fame day to point it out. When Winckenrode (Prince Ferdinand's aid-de-camp) was afked, "If Lord George had advanced with the British cavalry, what the confcquence would have been?" He modeftly replied, "I am a young man I have no opinion-I obeyed the Duke's orders." This was all very well. But this fame modeft young man, knowing the faux pas his honourable matter had made, and the neceffity of the Britifh horie, wibout-returning for Prince Ferdinand's orders, rode to Lord Gran by, and, in the Prince's name, ordered his Lordship to advance. The order was a good one; but here Mr. Win chenrode had an opinion, and ventured to do what very few officers, older than himself, would have done; for he did it at the risk of his life, and merited a court-martial, and punishment too, much more than Lord. George, who, in my opinion, aud I know a little of military affairs, and a great deal of courts-martial, did juft what a fhrewd fenfible general would do, who received contradictory orders in the fame minute from a fuperior officer, who, he knew, hated him for having a good head, and admired another British general near him, because his heart was better than his head. Yours, &c. MR. URBAN, PH. THICKNESSE. Acton, Feb. 22. OUR correfpondent L. (Jan. that the custom of bowing at the name of JESUS is founded on Phil. ii. 10: "At the name of JESUS every knee fhould bow, &c. to the glory of Gon the FATHER," who hath purposed, "that all men fhould honour the SON, even as they honour the FATHER," John v. 23. So that J. L. need not fear, left, while we court the SON, the anger of the FATHER be kindled against us," &c. A contrary caution is given Palm ii.ifs the Son, left HE be angry." Three places in the New Teftament are recollected, in which this Pfalm is applied to EMMANUEL. Yet worthy and refpe&able perfons believe that he is not the proper object of our prayer and worship. 1. L. may be one of them. It hath been afferted, that St. Stephen's prayer to CHRIST is a fingular inftance in the New Teftament. On the contrary, it appears, that the apostle who was caught up into Paradife repeatedly prayed to him, whofe gracious anfwer is recorded, 2 Cor. xii. Calling on the name of the Lord"is aScripture phrafe for, and equivalent to, prayer. That Chrifs, tians, in the apoftolical age, did call on the name of, or pray to, our Bieffed Saviour, is evident. Before his converfion, Saul is faid to "have authority from the chief priests to bind all that called upon his name" at Damafcus, Acts ix. 14, 20, 21. After his converfion, he inferibed an epistle to the church of Corinth, "together with all that called on the name of our Lord: JESUS Bowing at the Name of Jefus, its Origin. Philo-Dram. fupported. 209 JESUS CHRIST in every place," 1 Cor. 1. 2. In the Gospel, eight inftances occur of men and women's worshiping Him. Moreover, the FATHER faid, "Let all the angels worship Him," Heb. i. 6. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, EUTHELIUS. די Feb. 5. YOUR correfpondent, poor Philo Dram. (fee Gent. Mag. vol. LV. P. 591) feems to have been roughly handled by the merciless claws of A Lover of difcipline p. 765, 766): his facts difputed, his opinions controverted, his arguments confuted: Unless fome one ftands forth to fupport his fainting courage, one does not know what may be the confequence: perhaps he will be forced to have recourse (Dii meliora piis will your old difciplinarian fay) to the immorality and debauchery of his favourite stage, in order, if poffible, to alleviate the excruciating fmart of that wound which has been inflicted by the venomous arrow of the malicious dici plinarian, who (fome fuperannuated Mafter of Arts, or Head of a College, I fuppofe, or, perhaps, Baugh himfelf); would, I dare fay, fooner be feparated for ever from his dearly-beloved common room, than be fo much as fufpected ever to have approached a theatre, except, perhaps, the Sheldonian, where he may fit arrayed in all the pomp of a fcarlet gown; and not even that, when profane mufic dares to intrude herself there. Now, Mr.Urban, let me afk you, how, in the name of goodnef's, fuch a character as this, dull, taftelefs, infipid, can, in the nature of things, have any relish for the more refined pleasures of life? what farther relexation is he ca pable of receiving, than that of walking folitary and flow upon Heddington hill, to calm the perturbations of his mind, ruffled at feeing the immorality of youth, which has colt him many an hour to find out fome adequate punishment for? Then to his accustomed feat in the com mon-room, where he may fnugly fmoke his pipe, under the portrait of his pious founder. But, Mr. Urban, I rather pity than defpife fuch a character. I am forry to' fee, that he fays, "Gownfmen" go to * Mr. T. Warton's "Progrefs of Difcontent," a Poem. GENT. MAG. March, 1786. the neighbouring towns when any players are there. How can he know what is going on out of Oxford, who has never been out of the leading. ftrings of Alma Mater; and who, if carried by force (for he never would come willingly), as far as the two-mile ftone, would, like a man on the top of a precipice, abfolutely turn giddy, not being able to conceive where he was, and what objects furrounded him? He would take the trank of a large oak for one of the pillars of the Clarendon Printing-houfe; and, while he contemplated thofe monstrous, fanta&ical figures, which imagination forms in the clouds, he would think, all the while, that he was furveying the roof of the Sheldonian theatre. "Miratufque novas frondes, et non fug poma*." What he fays with regard to the im-morality of players, of the mind being diffipated by attention to theatrical ex hibitions, and fo forth, is equally abfurd, and holds good with regard to many other things. If it proved any thing, it would prove a great deal too much. Immorality is neither confined to the ftage, or to players alone. There may be, nay, there have been, men, whofe profeffion has been that of the theatre alone, as eminently good and pious as any of the three learned profeilions. But, Mr. Urban, I will ncither take up your time or that of your readers, in confuting what confutes itfelf. I will only obferve, that your correfpondent is not worthy of reading the following paffages of our divine poet John Milton. One from L'Alle gro, v. 131. "Then to the well-trod ftage anon †, Or what (though rare) of later age, Virg. Georg. Lib. ii. 82. Edit. Heyne. † See Mr T. Warton's notes on thefe veries, in his excellent edition of Milton's fmaller Poems, octavo, page 59, 60, And alfo, p. 79, 80, 81. Saya |