THE PREFACE. F Wit and Learning be two of the greatest Ornaments that the People of any Country can boaft, then every Thing that tends to their Production, Improvement, and Prefervation, must be approved and encouraged by all true Lovers of their Country. That Our UNDERTAKING was originally calculated for this Purpofe, is manifeft; and from the increafing Sale of our MAGAZINE, and the compleat Sets daily called for, we flatter ourfelves that we have fucceeded better in the Execution of our Defign, than any others who have gone upon a like Plan. As we look upon ourfelves in the Light of a Cook employed to drefs a Dinner for a numerous Company of all Ranks in Life, and confequently of very different Taftes, we have fometimes been obliged to defcend to what may have been, perhaps, thought too vulgar or low by fome of our Readers; but every one muft fee, that we have dealt lefs in this Sort of Cookery than any of our Rivals'; and accordingly we find, that our MAGAZINE is fought after chiefly by thofe of refined Tafte and Judgment. To fuch we fhall always be proud of doing any Thing that may The PREFACE. be agreeable, and therefore fhall continue to give all fuch original Pieces of folid Learning, or true Wit, as may be communicated to us by our Correfpondents, and, as often as we have Room, fome Extracts, by Way of Specimen, from fuch new Productions, both Foreign and Domestick, as may deferve either of thefe Characters. By fo doing we fhall anfwer one of the chief Ends of our UNDERTAKING; for, from modern as well as ancient. Experience, it is known, that a Book of infinite Merit may lie many Years neglected, if no proper Method be taken to recommend it to the Notice of Mankind; and as every Gentleman has by our Means a ready Way of giving a Proof of his Genius to the Publick, it is to be hoped, that the Number of our ingenious Correfpondents will daily increase. To these we have been already, and fhall always think ourselves highly obliged, for the Communication of whatever they fhall think worthy of publick Notice. EXPLANATION of the FRONTISPIECE. TR RUTH recommending to FAME the LONDON MAGAZINE, on which VIRTUE beftows her Sanction and Applaufe. The Figure reprefenting FAME is enthroned under a ftately Canopy, and crowned with a Laurel Wreath. In the Distance is fhewn a Group of Figures, reprefenting the ARTS and SCIENCES, who, in their Approach to the Goddess, trample under Feet the Implements of IGNORANCE and FOLLY, expreffed by hieroglyphick Emblems. To be Continued. (Price Six Pence each Month.) Containing, (Greater Variety, and more in Quantity, than any Monthly Book of the jame Price.) I. An Abstract of the Bill for numbering the People. II. Extracts from the Narrative of Ford Lord Grey, with Remarks. III. A Defcription of the ifle of MAN. V. Of Sallad Seeds, their Kinds, Seafon of Sowing, and Culture. V. The vapourish Lady and the Doctor. VI. A Description of PORTSMOUTH. VII. The JOURNAL of a Learned and Political CLUB, &c. continued: Containing the SPEECHES of T. Romilius and T. Potitius, in the DEBATE on the Bill for numbering the People, &c. VIII. Of antient and modern Architecture, IX. An ingenious Letter from a Lady. XI. Account of the old Poet GoWER. XV. State of Ireland, and the People compared to bottled Wine. XVI. Method of making Sea-water fresh. XVII. Several Yearly Bills of Mortality. XX. Opinion of Cromwell's Divines about admitting the Jews. XXI. POETRY: Song to Cloe; Origin of Beaus; New Year's Ode; on reading Poetry; on reading Hervey's Meditations in the Weft-Indies; on reading the Anfwers to Lord Bolingbroke; Idyl of Mof. chus imitated; a Poem of Dean Swift's; a new Song fet to Musick, &c. &c. XXII. The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER : General Court of the S S. Company; Seffions at the Old Bailey; a hot Press, &c. &c. &c. XXIII. Promotions; Marriages and Births; XXIV. Prices of Stocks for each Day. XXVII. Catalogue of Books. With a new and corre& MAP of the ISLE of MAN, a beautiful HEAD of the Poet GOWER, and a neat VIEW of PORTSMOUTH, all curiously engraved. MULTUM IN PARVO. LONDON: Printed for R. BALDWIN, at the Rofe in Pater-Noller-low; Of whom may be had, compleat Sets from the Peginning to this Time, neatly Bound, Stitch'd, or any fingle Month to compleat Sets. Candidus's Letter bas been received, and fhall be confidered against our next; when several pieces from our poetical and other correfpondents fhall be inferted. A In January was Published, N APPENDIX to the LONDON MAGAZINE for 1753, with Beautiful FRONTISPIECE, a General TITLE curiously engraved, Com pleat INDEXES, and severaLother Things, neceffary to be bound up with the Volume, |