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Method to Jmooth wrinkled Parchments.-A curious Coin.

be asked, he faid, what have we done this year? he was forry to fay, but little; and that the next feffion of Parliament must enter upon à revision of the plans they have now adopted for the India Company, before that great end can be obtained, the fecurè permánency of the India Company; that he had a confcioufnefs of his own proceeding; that he thought it was right and confiftent with his duty in procuring the prosperity of the Company; that he fhould always ftand corrected, and give way to the future events that tended to the good of that Company; but he declared to the Houfe, that he never would abandon the purfuit of the permanent fituation of that great Company upon any other motive than conviction; that he was not to be teized or frightened out of his plan, which he was convinced was both for the public fecurity, as well as that of the Company, that, though he was fond of indolence, and a retired life, yet ever since he had entered into office, he had not been unafed to contradiction, nor unacquainted with ftorms; that others might fucceed to the temple of fame by parts, by eloquence, or ä great genius, but that he, having none of thefe qualities, thought himself happy, and plumed much upon doing, in this inftance, what was right, and his duty to do; that he entered upon that great office in a moment when things were not in the moft pacific fituation; that the emoluments were not the glaring object of his with; that he had hitherto continued in it with refoJution to do his duty, and that he should perfift in what he thought right, in defiance of all noife and clamour, and that he hoped to be fupported in it; that when after, at any time, he fhould quit the employment he was in, he meant to leave it with credit; but that, if he quitted it now, he should think he had hitherto kept it in vain ; that at prefent he was determined to abide in that poft in which he had laboured, and should not willingly relinquifh the trouble of it; that though thofe who looked into his conduct might perhaps fee indolence and a love of eafe, yet he was determined they hould not find a want of an honest perfeverance in a great and public

caufe.

No reply was made to this fpeech; and the fubfequent debates that arofe in the courte of the feffion were chiefly relative to the Eaft India loan-bill,

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the money proposed to be lent being refufed by the Company on the terms it was offered.

Mr. URBAN,

IN anfwer to the query propofed by NAUTICUS, in p. 584 of your December Magazine, be pleased to communicate to him and to the public the following directions of

TERRÆ FILIUS.

To get out Creafes and Wrinkles from
Parchment.

SMEAR lightly over the creases and

wrinkles fome pafte, fuch as is ufed by bookbinders; then press the places that are crumpled and creafed, with a fmooth folding-ftick, on the blank or back fide of the parchment, placing first feveral sheets of foft and smooth paper underneath. Then, with a linen cloth, a little moistened with water, wipe the paste all off, and place two or three sheets of the like paper on the fide that was pafted, and pass a het flat iron, used for ironing linen, over the whole, prefling it flowly and forceably. When this is done, prefs the whole in a bookbinder's ftanding-prefs, or a napkin-press.

I

Jan. 20, 1774.
Mr. URBAN,

HAVE here inclosed a drawing of a coin, which I have reafon to think is a Unic. The piece, by the appearance of it, feems to be Saxon. It is of copper; and, having never feen nor heard of a Saxon copper regal coin, hould be obliged to any of your curious readers for an explanation. Your conftant Reader,

Lynn, 08. 1, 1773.

Fig. 6.

M. See the Mifcellaneous Plate,

Some account of Fig. 7 in our next,

Thofe who are defirous of reading the Account of the Voyages round the World, inferted in this Magazine, to advantage, are defired to paste the three parts of the General Chart together, placing that published in December on the right hand; that in the Supplement in the middle; and that in this Month's Magazine on the left hand; and if carefully edged, they will join with as much exactnefs as if printed together on a single fheet.

Our Correfpondent who wishes to have fubjects of Agriculture and Gardening encouraged, may be affured that every ufeful Improvement in either fall have preference.

The Article relating to the ec-Boat was only meant in sport.

Mr. URBAN,

Curious

Defeription of a curious Piece of Antiquity

having

A Curly piece of antiquityandy,

have fent you an exact drawing of it, thinking it may be worthy a place in your Magazine.

It is of filver, gilt, confifting of two round parts united by an hinge, and, when clofed, is not much unlike a watch. On the infide, each part has a piece of ebony, or fome fuch wood, about an inch in diameter, the furface of which is near a quarter of an inch lower than the circle which encompaffes it,paffing quite thro'on the one half, but not on theother. On one of these pieces is carved, in a very rude manner, a perfon with the hands lifted up, holding a child on the lap or knee; on each fide of the head are fome letters (fig. 1. and 2.), which I cannot form any thing out of. A kind of glory encompaffes the heads of both figures.

On the other piece of ebony are three figures, feemingly of old perfons, fitting round a table, each having one hand upon it; over them is either a glory round each head, or only a kind of Gothic ornament, I cannot fay which. Each piece of carving is encompaffed with a circular piece of brafs, O filver gilt, answering in fhape to the dial plate of a watch, ornamented with a very rude engraving as expreffed in the draught. This is faftened down by two very coarfe rivets, more like the head of nails than any thing else, being done fo very badly; round the outfide the rim tifes a quarter of an inch on each part, which two ledges are made to fit, the one on the other; and, when the parts are clofed, they are held together by an hook on one side, and an eye on the other.

To one part is a fort of handle of filver, gilt as the reft, having on one fide the head of fome faint, as is fuppofed, sketched out; the other fide plain; to this handle is faftened a chain of filver, of the length expressed in the plate; a fmall pearl has been on each fide, close to the handle, but How only one is remaining.

On the back parts; that piece of the ebony, which paffes quite through, has the crucifixion plain enough, though the whole of the outfide is much worn, either by the pocket or otherwife; and a piece of the wood broke off, though not so as to hurt the gures. There is an infcription over the head with the letters as fig. 3. The other half is filver, with a cirCENT, MAG. January, 1774

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at all. On the backs of each part are feen the two rivets, not better finished on this fide than the other.

This has been fhewn to feveral learned antiquarians, who have not been able to give me a fatisfactory account of it.-All I can inform you of is, that it came from Ruffia, and is fuppofed to have belonged to the Greek church, in fome part of her religious worship. It must certainly be of great antiquity, from the very rude manner in which it is finished, which the draught will give you a better idea of than words, as I have endeavoured to copy every ftroke as exact as poffible. It has been conjectured, that the chain is fomewhat more modern than the reft, and it is certainly much better finished.

The fentiments of your learned correfpondents on the above, and what the real ufe of it might probably have been, will give great pleasure to your humble fervant,

D-, in Kent, Sept. 17, 1773.

J.L.

Fig. 1. The letters as they stand on the right fide of the head.

Fig. 2. Ditto on the left.

Fig. 3. The infcription over the crucifixion.

MEMOIRS of M. DE VOLTAIRE”. Continued from p. 588. THE firft coolness between M. de

Voltaire and the Abbé des Fontaines was owing to a tragedy of which the poet afked the critic's opinion, and did not think it just. A polite animadverfion on the tragedy of the Death of Cafar, and a light raillery on the Temple of Taste, disgusted ou author ftill more. He complained of it in a private letter to the Abbé himself, who thereupon gave him all the fatisfaction that could be wished this pacified him, and he wrote to the Abbé, in 1735, in the most affe&ionate terms. Nevertheless, a fortnight after this letter of reconciliation and friendfhip, M. de Voltaire attacked the Abbé des Fontaines in the Mercury, and handed about fome epigrams against him. At length, he published the Prefervative, or a Criticism on the Obfervations on Modern Works;

this

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10
pamphlet clofed with a letter, which
afferts that M. de Voltaire had released
the Abbé des Fontaines from the Bi-
cêtre. This famods critic was indeed
imprisoned there in 1724, and Voltaire
employed his intereft for his releafe
But the revival of that adventure dif-
pleased the Abbé.

Memoirs of the Life and Writings of M. de Voltaire.

M. de Saint Hyacinthe deserved the refentment of our author ftill more than the Abbé des Fontaines. In his Deification of Doctor Ariftarchus Maffo, he thought proper to revive a vexatious fcene that had paffed between this great poet and an officer. M. de Voltaire could never pardon the telling this cruel adventure to the author of the Masterpiece of an anonymous writer [Chef d'œuvre d'un inconnu], and, as this work gave him a reputation which still continues, M. de Voltaire, by way of revenge, has fince faid that Saint Hyacinthe did not write a line of it. See the private letters of Voltaire, in 12mo.

'M. de Voltaire, in one of his fetters PO M. Berger, Riles Saint Hyacinthe

one of the greatest difgraces to learning and humanity!" and adds, “He "fcarce lived at London but on my "alms, and bis own libels. He has " robbed me, and how infults me ;

a public fharper, a plagiary, who "affumes to himself the Mathanafius "of Salengre and Sgravezende, born

to die by the cudgel or the rope! "I cannot fay too much. Thank * God, all my enemies are of that ftamp, and all my fiends of yours,"

&c.

The following letter, from one of his libellers, which M. de Voltaire has carefully preferved, is too curious to be omitted: Sir, I have printed a libel against you. There are 400 copies. If you will fend me 400 livres, I will faithfully fend you all the copies. M. de Voltaire fent him word, that "he "fhould take great care not to abuse

his kindness; that this ftep would "be too disadvantageous to him; and "that the publication of his book

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would be much more profitable." He had no reafon to repent of his generofity. He also relates the following Rory: I remember, that, among the deteftable editions which have been made of my pretended works in Holland, an artful editor of Amfterdain, refolving to run a Hague edition, thought proper to annex all that he could collect against me. The fift words of this detail faid that I was a ·

mangy dog (chien rogneux). I found this book at Magdebourg, in the hands of the poft-matter; who could not help telling me how eloquent he thought this fentence. Laftly, two Bookfellers at Amfterdam, after dif figuring, as much as they could, the Henriade, and my other pieces, did me the honour to write me word, that, if I fuffered a better edition of my works to be published at Drefden, which was then undertaken, they should in confcience be obliged to publish against me a volume of outrageous abuse, on the finest paper, and with the wideft margin and the beft letter that they conld. They faithfully kept their word. They had even the aftention to fend their fine collection to one of the most respectable monarchs of Europe, at whofe court I had then the honour to be. This prince threw their book into the fire, faying, that the editors deferved to be treated in the fame manner. In France, indeed, these honeft gentlemen would be fent to the galleys; but this would be laying too great a réftraint on trade, which should always be encouraged."

In Auguft, 1710, fome ladies of Rouffeau's acquaintance carried him to fee a tragedy of the Jefuits. At the diftribution of the prizes, he heard Francis Mary Arouet twice called. He afked Father Tarteron who that young man was? Father Tarteron anfwered, that he was a youth who difcovered fome tafte for poetry, and propofed fending for him; to which Rouffeau confented. The Jefaits went in fearch of him, and returned immediately with a young man very homely, but lively and animated. This was little Arouet, who was flattered by the compliments and careffes which Rouffeau gave him. Two years after, this famous poet, having taken refuge at Soleure, received a letter from Arouet, with an ode which he had compofed for the prize of the French Academy., M. Arouet afked his opinion of it, which he did not fcruple to give with the fincerity which is due to the confidential friendship of a young man. This ode was rejected, and the next year a fecond ode, which he had made to take his revenge, had the fame fate. He continued to write to Rouffeat from time to time, always with transports of admiration, tiling him his mafter and his model, and fome times addreffing to him pieces of his writing, among others, his tragedy of

Memoirs of the Life and Writings of M. de Voltaire. IL

Dedipus, to which the French Horace fome applaufes, though he found gave in it many faults. He only advised the young author to fpeak for the future with a little more caution of Sophocles, and some others whom he abufed in his prefaces. He travelled to Bruffels, and scarce ever quitted the great Rouffeau; entrusting to him his poem of the League, fince Ailed the Henriade. Rouffeau returned it to him two days after, advising him, like a wife man and a true friend, to corre& the fatirical and paffionate declamations in which he launched out very improperly against the Romish church, the Pope, the fecular and regular priests, in short, against all ecclefiaftical and civil governments; begging him to confider that an Epic Poem fhould not be treated like a Satire; that he ought to have made the ftile of Virgil his model, and not that of Juvenal. Not. withstanding this advice, every thing ftill went on amicably between these two poets, when M. de Voltaire hav ing one day invited Rousseau to take an airing out of town, he thought proper to repeat to him a certain epittle, the fubject of which being contrary to Rouffeau's way of thinking, he could not help Arewing fome furprife and diffatisfaction, and ftopped him at the first lines. M. de Voltaire would go on; Rouffeau interrupted him again, and pofitively told him that he would get out of the chariot, if he did not change the discourse. He then was filent, and begged him not to mention that piece. From that day M. de Voltaire was more referved than ufual to Rouffeau. Matters at length came to a crifis, and he did not think it necessary to keep any terms with the great poet whom he had fo much ad. mired, using the most bitter invec tives against him in his conversations in Holland and at Paris. But the grand æra of his resentment was in 1732, on account of the tragedy of Zara, which was then acting. M. de Launay, with whom Rouffeau had made an acquaintance by letter, sent him this piece as foon as it was printed, adding his reflections on the play and the author. Rousseau answered him in the fame ftrain; this answer was publifhed contrary to his intention. M. de Voltaire was very fenfibly hurt by it, and from that moment he undertook to humble the great Rousseau. He commenced hoftilities in the famous Temple of Lafe, and never afterwards laid down his arms,

The real caufe of Rouffeau's lak difgrace with Prince Eugene, was owing to an ode entitled The Palinody, againit a Marshal of France, Minifter of State, who had formerly been his patron. This Minifter had married one of his daughters to the son of Marshal Villers. He being informed of the infult which Rouffeau had offered to the father-in-law, of his fon, complained of it to Prince Eugene, and that Prince in return withdrew the penfion which he had fettled on Rouffeau. Though this fact was attested by Marthal Villers's lady, Rouleau could not be perfuaded that M. de Voltaire had not engaged the Marshal to complain of him to the Prince. Though this was falle, our poet was, however, innocently the caule of his being expelled from the house of the Duke d'Aremberg: for, haying pretended that M. de. Voltaire had ac cufed him to that Prince of being the author of thofe couplets for which he was banished from France, and being fo imprudent as to print that imposture in a journal of du Sauzet, M. de Voltaire was obliged, in his own juftification, to fend the journal to the Duke, who for that reafon only expelled Rouffeau. He died in 1739%

having lived (fays our author) too "long for his own fame, and for the of honeft men." peace

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Semiramis was acted for the first time August 29, 1748. It was written at the defire of the Infanta of Spain, Dauphinefs of France, who, ber ing thoroughly converfant with the ancients, was pleased with works of that ftamp. If he had lived, the would have patronised the arts, and given the Aage more pomp and dignity. This tragedy was dedicated to Cardinal Querini, a great patron and encourager of learning, to whom our poet after wards addreffed an elegant epiftle in verfe, and also feveral letters, in Ita lian, dated Berlin and Potsdam, 17526 and published by the Cardinal, at Rome, in 1753. They were written on occafion of the church which the K. of Pruffia had allowed to be built for the Catholics of Berlin, for which his Eminence had been a most ardent folicitor.

M. de Voltaire, defirous of being admitted into the French Academy, in order to shelter himself from the profe cutions to which fome of his attacks on christianity might expofe him, at the exhibition of Merope traversed the boxes and the ftage, and caufed him

felt

12

Memoirs of the Life and Writings of M. de Voltaire.

felf to be proclaimed an Academician -amidst the applaufes which his play received. 'The opportunity was favourable; he visited the Forty, and was rejected. This refufal gave occafion to an ironical difcourfe, by M. Baillet, of St. Julien, pronounced at the door of the Academy. This door was fhut against M. de Voltaire in a very difobliging manner. He knocked again three years after, and both the folding doors were opened to him. Some envious fpirits then revived the Sironical difcourfe long buried in oblivion, and annexed to it a piece in bad verfe, entitled, The Poetical Triumph. Enraged at this, M. de Voltaire endeavoured to discover the authors, and, fufpecting that Travénol, an opera musician, was the writer of the difcourfe, he took out an extent against him. The father only was found; he was carried to Fort l'Evêque, but was releafed after five days confinement. The father having thus efcaped M. de Voltaire's vengeance, he thought to ruin the fon, at whofe house he had found two copies. Travenol, the father, then infifted on the damages due for his falfe imprisonment; which M, de Voltaire was fentenced to pay hiin to the amount of 500 livres, with cofts.

The poem of Fontenoy, 1745, being augmented in every edition, from a piece of one hundred lines became by degrees a poem of above three hundred and forty. Some foreigners would have perfuaded the public that Mr. Addifon, in his Campaign, had made more honourable mention of the King's household-troops than even the author of Fontenoy; but, on looking into Mr. Addison's work in the King's Library, it appeared to abound much more with reproaches, than praises: fee the 300th verfe. "Thefe re

proaches, (fays M. de Voltaire) it is "needlefs to anfwer: the King's household bas answered them by "victories."

Oreftes was acted Jan 12, 1750. It was written in order to give France fome idea of a tragedy without love, without confidants, without epifodes.

Its ill fuccefs," fays the author, "was owing to a faction:" others fay, that it proceeded from his having fubftituted declamations for episodes. When it was acted, the initials of this hine of Horace being printed on the pit tickets, Omne tulit pun&tum qui mifcuit utile dulci,-0. T. P. Q. M.

V. D.-a wag pretended that they meant Orefte, Tragedie Pitoyable Que M. Voltaire Donne "Oreites, a pityful tragedy which M. Voltaire exhibits."

In the fame year appeared a book entitled, A Sketch of the Beauties and Faults of Poetry, and Eloquence of the French Language. M. de Voltaire is extremely commended in it, and preferred to the best French writers, without exception. He was, however, fufpected of being the author. He difclaimed it indeed; but what work has he not difclained? In this fingular piece he fets himself up as the only model.

To the 20th edition of the Henriade was prefixed a letter full of panegyrics from the learned Dr. Cocchi, of Florence, to M. de Renuccini, Secretary of State, tranflated by Baron Eelderchen. "My friend Tiriot (fays our "author) has had his picture drawn "with the Henriade in his hand. If "I had a copy of it, I fhould have my "mistress and my friend in one❝ frame,"

M. de Voltaire's difpute with M.de Maupertuis was the confequence of Maupertuis's quarrel with Koenig. The latter had quoted a letter of Leibnitz, by which he would have wrefted from Maupertuis the glory of a certain difcovery. The Prefident of the Berlin Academy fummoned his opponent to produce the original letter, but that not being found, Maupertuis had it declared fpurious by the Academy. Koenig appealed to the public, and fent back his patent of Academician. M. de Voltaire, notwithstanding the prohi bition that he had received from the King of Pruffia, took part in this quarrel. Several copies of the Aka kia were feized at the printing-office in Berlin, as was alfo the original itfelf; and, on the author's difavowing it to the King of Pruffia, that Prince confounded him by producing the manufcript. (See Vol. XLIII. p. 641.)

This envenomed faire confits of three parts; the first entitled, Diatribe of Dr. Akakia, physician to the Pope; the fecond, Decree of the Inquifition the third, Judgment of the Projefors of the College of Wisdom. It is a contant allusion to the works of Maupertuis, a tiffue of ironics, perfonal reйections, and infults, in which no moderation nor decency is obferved. It was burnt by the common hangman in all the fquares of Berlin, December 2

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