I get it printed at Richmond, or in that neighbourhood, as at any other place, if a reasonable person could be met with; but, for encouragement of the same, should send 20 guineas to buy paper with as soon as the book was ready. But 20 guineas, I think, will not be sufficient to buy paper enough. By what inquiry I hear of this book, I think it might not be amiss to print 3000 at the first; so, if the book get finished, I think it would be best to buy paper, and agree with the printer for his trouble. From your humble Petitioner, JOHN METCALF. P. S. Our name came by a noble, vigorous action in former times. It is supposed England was almost covered with wood, and a great many wild creatures in the wood; and what men there were, were without name; but two being together, they saw a red four-footed creature; they could not imagine what it was one said, 'Have you not heard of lions being in these woods?' He answered he had; but never had seen any such thing. So they conjectured that that was one which they saw. The creature advanced a few paces towards them. The one ran away; the other determined to meet it. This happened to be a red calf. So he that met it got the name Metcalf; and he that ran away got the name of Lightfoot. An Epitaph upon the Grave-stone of lies John Metcalfe; one whose in- [night Felt the dark pressure of an endless Yet such the fervour of his dauntless [fin'd, mind, gan, : His limbs full strung, his spirit uncon- And when Rebellion rear'd her giant size, For parting wife and babes one pang to Reader like him adore the bounteous I Mr. URBAN, Hackney, Dec. 5. CANNOT enter fully into the views promulgated in page 438, in an extract " from a London Newspaper." I do feel, in common with all your Readers, the lamentable state of those unfortunate persons who are in slavery on the coast of Barbary; but permit me to ask, is Great Britain to be the Knight Errant of the World and for all Europe? and are there not the ports of Carthagena, Toulon, Genoa, Leghorn, Naples, &c. of sufficient magnitude to furnish vessels to protect their own subjects from these Barbarians? I beg to ask, are there any Englishmen in slavery? If there are, the British Navy can furnish Blakes to execute that brave Commander's threats. I would also beg leave to lead your Readers' attention to the transactions of late in Spain, where the blood of British heroes spilt in her cause, has not disappeared from the surface of their ground, and yet the "beloved Ferdinand" and his ministers have forgotten the circumstance; those shornscull gentry who wear cowls have said the English are all hereticks, and ought to be d-d. It has been also said (and nothing more frequent) "that England fought her own battles on Spanish ground.” In addition to this liberal observation, permit me to add, that, unless the whole Continent had had a most woeful squeeze, they never would have come to the right about face." It is not the love for England, but the dreadful necessities that they were reduced to by that miscreant Nicholas Buonaparte (for that is his real name), that have produced such pleasing events. Britain is envied, but not loved and happy is it for John Bull that he is not to be pitied. Britannia, seated on the rock of a glorious constitution, surrounded with her iron-bound shores, viewed with calmness the convulsions of Europe, but was not a listless spectator; she became the rallying point for every There is to thing great and noble. be a period to her efforts she cannot for ever be a nursing mother": to every State, to take them on her lap and feed them with a spoon-to some she affords money-to others creditto others the blood of her citizensand the right hand of fellowship to all: Eminence of Britain. On the Price of Corn. [LXXXIV. 638 all: "but what thank have ye for these things?" Do not therefore let us contrive to propose duties on ourselves; but let those Powers who feel the smart apply the remedy. Neither let us impose. heavier duties on our Plenipotentiary at the Congress, than he has to ac complish already. I only wish that under the same table where he places his knees, there may be found those whose views and instructions are as liberal as his own; if so, a happy conclusion may be hoped for. One word more, Mr. Urban: the daily papers frequently hint that Nicholas wishes much to settle in this country-settle in England! what a disgrace to it! Never let such an event paralyze our feelings: but rather let us dwell on the sentence expressed by the amiable Alexander when he landed at Dover, "Now (says he) I set my foot on the land that has saved us all." Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, ONE T. W. Dec. 21. NE of your Correspondents has justly observed, that a Magazine should be considered as a farrago of quicquid agunt homines; and as your valuable and long-established publication has an extensive circulation, not only amongst antiquaries, philosophers, and divines, but also amongst laud-holders, land-occupiers, and merchants, I trust you will not consider the following observations upon the present temper of a very important and numerous class of our fellow-subjects, as foreign to the neral purposes of your excellent Miscellany. ge The blessings of a general peace seem to have created much greater alarm in all the rural districts of the country, than was ever occasioned by the evils of war: to so great a height indeed is this feeling carried, that, upon my lately conveying to a neigh bouring farmer the intelligence of the pacification with America, he exclaimed, with evident terror of mind, Then we are completely ruined!" The explanation of this seeming paradox is easily found in the present depressed price of the grower's produce, whilst his expences remain stationary; but should it not be recollected, that there was a time, when the contrary was the state of the case, when the prices of corn were exorbitant, whilst all the other objects of commerce were comparatively low. it may be said, the merchant and tradesman were ready enough to folfow the example set them by the agriculturist; but ought not this very reasoning to convince the latter, that the same effect will again be produced by the same cause? The simple truth is, that the relative value of things must obtain their usual proportions; it may not be effected all at once, but it must happen. I have been led into this train of reasoning, not only by the almost general despair of my agricultural neighbours, but by the remedies that have been proposed to alleviate the pressure of the present evil. One set of politicians propose, that a stop should be put to all importation till the price of corn is advanced so as to afford the grower what he is pleased to consider an adequate compensation for his labour, risk, and capital. Another set of men deprecate the total extinction of the lucome-tax; but conceive that the land should be exempt from its operation, and the deficit supplied by increased taxation upon the mercantile and monied men: whilst a third set, in the ardour of their patriotism, modestly suggest, that the farmer may be saved from the ruin that threatens him, by the suppression of tithes! Now, Mr. Urban, I trust I shall not intrude too much upon the columns of your Magazine, if I offer a few remarks upon each of these proposed remedies; and first upon the proposal for preventing or limiting importation. Let us inquire, Sir, in what the preventing the free importation of corn differs from affixing a minimum to its price? and granting for a moment, that a minimum in the price is essential to the interests of the grower, is not a maximum equally essential to the interests of the consummer? But would any of the great land-holders, or the still greater land-occupiers, consent to such an arrangement? That they would not, is certain: then why should they raise this immediate clamour for corn-bills, and other restric tions upon the importation of foreign corn? Are all classes to be sacrificed to one, and is the landed the only interest worthy consideration? Have not the farmers had ample means of en riching riching themselves? and if they have find, that as the great increase of the Others to be abridged, that their tradesmen's bills, of tithes and rents, I will now, Mr. Urban, proceed to the consideration of the third scheme of amelioration, and one which is much more extensively cherished than either of the two preceding-the proposed suppression of Tithes. By confounding all distinctions of right and wrong, it is now the custom to class tithes with rates, taxes, and in short, with what the writers on this side of the question are pleased to term national impositions!! But is this proceeding just or honest? Is there any analogy between a temporary import enacted by the Legislature, and a property which, without the support of a divine origin, which yet ought not to be forgotten, is secured by as sacred a title as any landholder in the kingdom can produce. There would be as much justice and propriety in a proposition for selling any portion of the landed property, and applying it to the reduction of the national debt, as there is for stripping the ecclesiastical and lay possessors of their vested property in tithes. Surely the good sense of the land-holder and the land- occupier ought to convince them, that it is not by any violent seizure of the property of others, they can permanently se cure the best interests of their own; let them wait with becoming fortitude theissue of events, and they will rates and taxes, so will the decrease in the value of this article of prime necessity be followed by a general reduction in all these particulars. No one is more strongly convinced than your Correspondent, that the grower cannot afford his produce at the present prices, unless his expences are reduced; but, Sir, it must be a general reduction in the whole scafe of his expenditure, and not a partial alleviation in any particulars of his account (e. g. rent or tithe) that can enable him to go on. This general reduction will, nay, must take places and when it has, the farmer must be less ambitions, less expensive in his habits, less ostentatious in his pursuits; or he will still find himself involved in difficulties which he will not very easily be able to surmount. The farmer ought always to be able to enjoy his comforts; but he must in many instances retrench his absolute luxuries; in short, Sir, the Squire must once more become the Yeoman, and the Squire's lady the farmer's wife! These, Mr. Urban, are harshsounding truths; but they are plain ones; and by giving them a place in your pages, you will confer a favour upon, I Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, CANDIDUS.% Nov. 1. BEG the favour of you to insert an answer to some strictures against one of the Psalms of David, as being opposed to the Christian temper. That it is the 109th which is here meant, need hardly be expressly pointed out. I apprehend that the translation of it in common use is not correct; and that it is only to the unfaithful version that the censure of uncharitableness can justly apply. Some well- meaning people have taken great offence against it: and one gentleman of my acquaintance, who was in the habit of only attending the afternoon service in the Church of England, declined going there on the 22d day of the month, if it happened to be a Sunday: for it is on that afternoon that it is read. David is represented in the common translations, both the old one of the Liturgy, and that of the Bible, as imprecating direful judgments upon his enemies; whereas In whereas it is they who imprecate, according to my way of rendering it. And this my translation is not a forced one; it follows naturally from the context. The points of the masora, however, must be discarded, aud we shall see the idiom no way offended, and no violence done to the passage. David, in the beginning of the Psalm, complains that his enemies are praying against him, as well as making their comments upon his measures with great freedom. Keep not silence, O God of my praise; for the mouth of the injurious, and the mouth of the deceitful, are opened against me." Then he reports what they say. return for my kind treatment, they vent their malice against me myself in their prayer." The Bible translation has it," For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." But here italics must be resorted to; for there is no give myself in the Hebrew. The Liturgy, less scrupulous than the Bible, renders at a venture without italics. Though the (ani) as a nominative may to some be thought to imply an elliptical verb, that is not the case. We have similar instances of the use of that nominative without a verb in Hebrew. Those to whom the fanguage is familiar, will see that my translation is correct. Then there is no preposition to an but there we have no difficulty at all, as any Phil-hebraist may perceive. Indeed in my own way of reading without points, I always supply a particular short vowel where that preposition is wanted. However, that makes no difference. This elliptical preposition is of very frequent occurrence. My "their" is only used for the occasion, to make the sentence more clear. I apprehend the history to be, that David wanted to enforce the Mosaic law; and that he found great difficulty to do it, as the people had not been accustomed to such rigour while the Philistines were lords of the country. And that he did not find it easy to maintain his authority at first, appears from Psalm 94. "Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers?" &c. verse 16. For I suppose him to be King in Hebron at this time; and to have been punishing somebody for a breach of the law of God, and to have thereby given displeasure to many more: for that the Philistine Magistracy had never been willing to take cognizance of such sort of transgressions: and that made David appear very severe. Then we may conclude the "Set a tyrant to be ruler over him," verse 6, Psalm 109, to be their prayer, and not the King's: for he could resort to other methods than imprecation. The enemy at the Judge's right hand, was to correspond with Nathan, or whoever had prompted the new regulations. "When he is judged," &c. verse 7. would be better rendered, "When he is plaintiff, let him be non-suited; and more than that, let him be convicted." The 16th verse: "He persecuted the poor man who was entitled to compassion," is an expression to excite sympathy in favour of him who had been punished. The cursing" in verse 17. is neither an execrating nor an imprecating curse : David, it is a railing curse. primanded some others; and the con- Perhaps, Mr. Urban, you may not Mr. URBAN, TH HE Lion carved in wood, which was the head of the Centurion, Commodore Anson's ship, was afterwards set up against an Inn, on a stone pedestal, at Goodwood, iu Sussex, with the following inscription: . Stay, Traveller, awhile, and view Anson and I have plow'd the sea; S VOLCANIC ERUPTION. "Manilla, Feb. 24, 1814. "HIRTY years had elapsed, since the Volcano of Albay, called by the natives Mayon, had remained in undisturbed silence; so that it was contemplated without those feelings which volcanoes generally raise in the minds of the neighbours. The last eruption took place in the year 1800, when great quantities of sand, stone, and ashes were thrown up, and caused great damage to the neighbouring villages. From that period nothing occurred to mark a volcano; so that the terror which it had occasioned, began by degrees to evaporate. The lofty brow of the mountain was converted into a pleasant and beautiful garden; and was cultivated with hemp, cocoa-nuts, and many kinds of fructiferous trees, with a great quantity of roots and leguminous plants, which, at the same time that they afforded a delightful prospect for the eye, gave support to many industrious families... In this state the volcano was on the 1st of this month. The dangers which it had occasioned were almost obliterated from the memory; and the mind became satisfied that the volcanic fire had become extinguished, and that the subterraneous conduits by which it attracted the combustible matter in the bowels of the earth were closed. The mountain gave no sign to indicate the eruption; on the former occasion, they were preceded by subterraneous noises and thick volumes of smoke, but, in the present instance, nothing of the kind occurred. It is true, on the last day of January, some slight shocks of earthquakes were felt; but were hardly noticed, similar shocks having become very frequent since the dreadful eruption in October 1800. During the night the earthquake became more severe, and at two o'clock in the morning was more violent than had at any time been known. It was repeated at four o'clock; and from that time continued without intermission till the eruption commenced. A morning more fair, or an horizon more serene, than attended the approach of the day, had never been known. The hills contiguous to the volcano were observed, however, to be covered with mist, which was supGENT. MAG. Suppl. LXXXIV. PART D posed to be the smoke of some house that had been burnt during the night. No sooner, however, had the clock ɔn that fatal morning struck eight, than the volcano began to emit tremendous quantities of stone, sand, and ashes, which were instantaneously thrown up into the air, higher than the eye could reach, and caused terror and consternation among the inhabitants, who saw the summit of the mountain assume a most terrific appearance. The eruption was more tremendous than had ever before been known, and every one expected instaut death. The first effort was to offer up prayers to the divine mercy, and then fly to seek shelter in the caves and remote parts of the mountains; but the efforts of many were fruitless, being overtaken in their flight by showers of stones and burning matter, which spread death among them. The misery of our situation increased as the day became darkened, and the subterraneous poise of the volcano more severe. The eruption continued for ten days, and during the first four was accompanied by almost total darkness. About noon on the tenth day the noise of the volcano began to lessen; and at two o'clock the horizon was entirely clear, and enabled us to see distinctly the horrid and lamentable destruction which the darkness had concealed. from us. Five populous towns in the province of Cumarines, and the prin cipal part of Albay, were destroyed; more than twelve hundred persons were reckoned among the dead, and many that survived were dreadfully wounded or burnt. "The mountain now presents a melancholy picture. Its brow, which was before so cultivated, and offered a beautiful prospect, is now a dry and barren desert. The matter thrown out by the volcano covers. the ground in some places from ten to twelve yards in depth, and in others it reaches the top of the lof tiest cocoa-nut trees. Its ravages extend over the whole of the beautiful province of Cumarines, where scarcely a tree has been left standing or uninjured. The opening of the mountain, which forms the crater of the volcano, has extended itself twenty. fathoms below the level; whilst on the Southern aspect of the mountain II. three |
