WH The NOSEGAY. To Mr URBAN.. But all the Care, the Judgment, you bestow, Sounds Material and extended Ode on Mira's Birth-Day, by H. M. 39 rium Paraphrafe on Pfalm LXXIII, 25, by Phi- Addrefs to Sleep, by Nic. Rowle, Efq; fet 43 Of an odd Humour in People of Fashion to Sampion Mainmast to Common Senfe ib. Gazetteer to the Gentlemen at Salters Hall 30 Diflenters under no worfe Condition than 49 . THE Gentleman's Magazine. JANUARY, 1739. Note, The MAP of the Crimea intended for the Supplement goes with this Mag. Mr URBAN, N the Perufal of your monthly Collections, I obferve that the A Extracts from the weekly Journalists, which made fo large a Part in your first Pamphlets, have, by a gradual Dimi nution, fhrunk at length into a very B few Columns, and made way for original Letters and Differtations. This Variation of your Conduct naturally leads your Readers to confider the prefent State of our periodical Writings, and the Circumftance of thofe Profeffors who retail their Po- C liticks in weekly Lectures. The Character of an Author muft be allowed to imply in itself fomething amiable and great; it conveys at once the Idea of Ability and Goodnature, of Knowledge, and a Difpofition to communicate it. To inftruct Ignorance, reclaim Error, and reform Vice, are Defigns highly worthy of Applaufe and Imitation. When Pythagoras was asked How a Mortal might arrive at neareft Refemblance to the celeftial Beings, he anfwer'd, By Beneficence and Truth; and furely no Man has a jufter Title to thefe fub. lime Qualities than a great Genius, exhaufting his Time and Health for the Service of the Publick, in difcovering Truth, and recommending it, by the Ornaments of Eloquence, to the Favour of Mankind. But in the fame Proportion as Writers of this exalted Clafs deferve our Veneration and Gratitude, thofe who prefume to thrust into the World Pieces drawn up with, either an entireNegle& of Truth, or an Indifference for it, ought to raise a general Deteftation and Abhorrence. A Hero that employs his Sword indifferently, in juft Wars, or hired Affaffinations; a Phyfician that prefcribes Remedies or Poifons, without regard to any thing but his Fee; are but Emblems of the abandon'd Proftitutes of the Pen, who poyfon the Principles of Nations, and publish Falfehood and Truth with equal A furance. Political Truth is undoubtedly of very great Importance, and they who honeftly endeavour after it, are doubtlefs engaged in a laudable Purfuit, Nor do the Writers on this Subject D ever more deferve the Thanks of their Country, than when they enter upon Examinations of the Conduct of their Governors, whether Kings, Senates or Minifters; when they impartially confider the Tendency of their Meafures, and juftify them in oppofition to popular Calumnies, or cenfure them in defiance of the Frowns of Greatnefs, or the Perfecutions of Power. E To clear the Character of a good King from the Afperfions of Faction, or Mifreprefentations of Jealoufy, is the Duty of every Man who has an Opportunity of unde eiving the Deluded; but ic it is much more his Duty to warn a People against any intended Encroachments upon their Rights or Liberties, as the Happiness of twenty thousand is of twenty thousand times more Value than the Happiness of one. A We have two Sets of Political Writers, fuppofed by fome to be of oppofite Principles, but acknowledged by all to differ in their Conduct; from one we are to expect every Week a Satire, from the other every Day a Panegy- G rick, on the Miniftry. Between the Style and Addrefs of these Writers there is generally acknowledged to be fome Difference, and indeed the Miniftry feem by fuch frequent Publications little to confult the Reputation of their Advocates; for how far muft that Man be removed from the common Level,, whofe Life does not afford a more copious Subject for a weekly Satire, than a daily Encomium ! C That Men are never either whollygood or bad, is univerfally allowed; D every Man at fome times means well, and most Men are in fome unhappy Moments led afide from Virtue. The fame Obfervation may be with equal Justice applyed to Wisdom and Folly. A Fool fometimes ftumbles on the Right, and the wifest Man may deviate into Error and Mif-conduct. For this Reafon, to fingle out any Man for a perpetual Mark of Reproach, or Theme of Panegyrick, to praife or libel by the Week, is a Conduct to the laft Degree fhameless and profligate, and nothing but long Experience of the Weakneffes into which Men are driven by Party Rage, could make me imagine any Caution neceffary against fuch open and undifguiled Artifices. I cannot but feel for thefe Writers as much Compaffion as Diftrefs ought to raife when it is not the Confequence of Crimes, when I fee the laborious Drudgeries which they are forced to undergo in the Recefs of the Parliament, or a Time of Inaction, to give Expreffion to worn-out Thoughts, to fay fomething when they have nothing to fay, and to find, in the moft barren Months, fome Field of Praife or Satire yet untouch'd. Some Topicks indeed there are equally copious and eafy, by the help of which it cofts them very little Pains to fill their Pages. The miferable Fate of the brave and refolute Catalans, the Life of the great Burleigh, and the Hiftory of Bolinbrole, are inexhauftible Funds of Eloquence on one Side, which can only be equalled by the Fate of wicked Ministers exemplified in the Hiftories of all Ages and Nations. If to thefe wire-drawn Common Places, you do not think proper to allow any Room in your Paper, I think neither Authors nor Readers have reafon to complain. It is ufually thought neceffary, after difcourfing of the Malignity of a Diftemper, to propofe a Remedy. The Remedy which fome feem to think neceffary, is a Licenfer of the Prefs ; but this in the Opinion of others would only exafperate the Evil. Falsehood and Defamation would then circulate unconfuted, under the Protection of a Court, and Sanction of a License. There is no reason why good Actions fhould not be defended, or bad Measures E expofed; all we ask of the Writers is not to repeat ftale Invectives, or general Panegyricks, but to diverfify their Papers, and fupply the Deficiencies of political with other more general and entertaining Subjects. And, if I might offer Advice for the Improveyou any ment of a Book fo well received, it fhould be, to draw up a general Index to all your Volumes, by which you will fhew how many Repetitions you have already been fo complaifant as to admit, and enable your Readers, by barely mentioning the Subject of the Paper, to fatisfy their Curiolity without fuperfluous Extracts. F G H In BIRCHIUM. ARTE nova, raraque fide perfcripferat aufus |