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Dr. JOHNSON'S Letter to the Earl of CHESTERFIELD.

MY LORD,

Feb..... 1755

HAVE been lately informed, by the proprietors of the World, that two papers, in which my Dictionary is recommended to the publick, were written by your Lordship. To be fo diftinguished is an honour which, being very little accustomed to favours from the great, I know not well how to receive, or in what terms to acknowledge.

When, upon fome flight encouragement, I firft vifited your Lordship, I was overpowered, like the reft of mankind, by the enchantment of your addrefs, and could not forbear to with, that I might boast myself le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre; that I might obtain that regard for which I faw the world contending. But I found my attendance fo little encouraged, that neither pride, nor modefty, would suffer me to continue it. When I had once addreffed your Lordship in public, I had exhaufted all the art of pleafing, which a retired and uncourtly scholar can poffefs. I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleated to have his all neglected, be it ever fo little.

Seven years, my Lord, have now paffed fince I waited in your outward room, or was repulfed from your door; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties, of which it is ufelefs to complain; and have brought it at laft to the verge of publication, without one act of affiitance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of favour. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a patron before.

The Shepherd in Virgil grew acquainted with Love, and found him a native of the rocks.

Is not a patron, my Lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man ftruggling for life in the water, and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it; till I am folitary, and cannot impart it; till I am known, and do not want it. I hope it is no very cynical afperity not to confefs obligations where no benefit has been received; or to be unwilling that the publick fhould confider me as owing that to a patron, which Providence has enabled me to do for myself.

Having carried on my work thus far with fo little obligation to any favourer of learning, I fhall not be difappointed, though I fhould conclude it, if lefs be poffible, with lefs; for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boafted myself with fo much exultation.

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Meteorolog. Diaries for June and July, 1791 594 Specimen of a Barometrical Diary in Norfolk 617

A Traveller's juft Character of Mr. HowARD 595 Mrs. Macaulay Lunar Tides-Hunt ngdon 6:8

Malvern Wells-Coins found near Croydon ibid. Town Garden--Nat. Hiftory-Ratsand Mice 619

The Family Manfion of Wynne of Ofcathian 596 Mr.Hare's Opinion of Swedenborg's Character 620

Dr. PRIESTLEY on the Birmingham Riots ibid. A Medical Topography-"Sent to Coventry" 622

Answer to Dr. Priefticy's Letter on the Riots 598 A Prophecy of Efdras-The Society of Arts 623

Mr. Ruffel's Account of Birmingham Meeting 599 The early Appearance of Birds enquired after 624

Remarks on the Ete Riots at Birmingham 6co Primitive Bifeops no Strikers" Hora Pauline" 625

Some remarkable Scriptural Phrafes explained 601 Remarks on the prefent Situation of France 626

Shak fpeare's Wainfcot Chair and Mulberry-tree 602 On Black Beetles, and how to be deftroyed 6271

TheOriginality of Milton's Portraita certained 603 Evans Old Ballads-The Hogan of Houghton 628

Query on the different Effects of Lightning 605 Defcription of Lifbon-Mori ifian Mifcellany 629

Character of Bishop Robert Ferrar vindicated 6. Queries to Menof Letters, and Men of Fashion 631

Concife Account of Widworthy in Devonshire 608 Dr Johnfon and Mrs Knowles-The Quakers 632

Portrait of Bp. Robert Horne of Winchefter 611 Sir James Foulis, Bart.-Mifcellaneous Remarks b.

Defcription of the Jubilee celebrated at Rome ib. Proceedings in prefent Sellion of Parliament 633

True Idea of the Theory of Tides ftill wanting ibs REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS 641-659

WhatistheMeaning of VILLATAINITINERE?O12 FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE
650

Five Sepulchres hewn out of a folid Rock ib. INDEX INDICATORIUS-Queries anfwered 659

The Meafure and Particulars of a famous Oak ib SELECT POETRY, antient and modern 660-664

Some new Particulars of the Welth Indians 613 For. Affairs, Domeft. Occurrences, &c. 663-677

Dr. James Grainger-Rowe Mores Dionyfius 614 Marriages, Deaths, Preferment, &c. 6:8-68
Relief granted to Roman Catholicks explained 6: 5 Daily Variation in the Pries of the St c.s
Embellished with Two Picturefque Views of MALVERN WELLS; a l'ortrait of Dr. HORNE,
Bithop of WINCHESTER; a fine Monument by BACON, at WIDWORTHY, in
Devonshire; a JUBILEE MEDAL; COINS; and other CURIOSITIES.

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59

56

24 S moderate

73

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25 SSW brifk

73

61

26 SW brifk

60

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27 S brifk

51

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a8 S moderate

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29 SSE brifk

55 63

30 S moderate

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blue sky, white veil, fine morning, high wind af-
overcaft, fmall rain

blue fky, white and black clouds, fine day
overcaft, pleasant day

blue fky, grey clouds, fine day, fmall rain at night
blue sky, white and grey clouds, rain at night
clear blue sky, afterwards clouded, little rain

1. Yellow crowfoot in full bloom upon the pastures. Grafs at a stand, for want of rain and dews.-4. Green peas in the market; new potatoes rd. per lb.-5. Fox-gloves in bloom.-7. A field of clover cutting for hay. Honey-fuckle in bloom.-8. The outward air cooled and refreshed by the rain of the preceding night. Sultry within doors.-11. The air extremely piercing and cold; a violent hail-storm at night.-13. The air ftill cold; the fea roars; black clouds in the West, and as if filled with fnow. Several fields mown. Grafs, both in the meadows and pastures, begins to burn.-14. Ice upon the water. Much damage done by last night's froft amongst fruit, potatoes, &c.-15. Field-beans in bloom, and strongly fcent the air. Apples drop off.-16. Bufy houfing hay. Wheat and barley in the ear. Cuckoofpit (cicadula) upon many plants-17. Gathered ftrawberries, very poor and small, the leaves and items being thriveled up by the late ftorms.-20. Many people begun hay-harvest. Swallows and martins in abundance. Hawking over the new-mown grafs, and fo low and near to the mowers as only, by great dexterity, by quick turns, to avoid striking their perfons. Qu. is it accident or instinct that directs the birds to feek their prey in thefe places? - Fall of rain this month, 6-10ths of an inch; evaporation, 4-2-roths.

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Mr. URBAN,

A

July 12.

*XXXFTER living feventy two years backwards and forwards in Great Britain, the inland which gave me birth, I am, **XXX for reafons I will not trouble you with the detail of (having done that elsewhere), retired, to spend the very little which remains of a long life, to France, the fquabbles of a public nature being less painful to me than thofe of private ones between man and man. The late Mr. Samuel Sharp told me, that he never knew a man at the approach of death who had not fome folace to offer to his mind at that aweful moment; and I remember to have read in the State Trials, that a Colonel of fome fortune, who was banged for a wicked theft, faid at the gallows, that his comfort was, that he had never in his whole life gone into a church without pulling off his batt And one of Mr. Sharp's own patients, a very rich Quaker, so repeatedly said, in his Jaft hours, that he died under one reflexion that afforded him infinite comfort, that Mr. Sharp could not avoid afking him what it was? The dying Quaker replied, he had furnished William (commonly called Duke of Cumberland) with an hundred and fifty thousand shovels, pickaxes, and inftruments of that fort, to fupply the army under William's command in foreign paris.

Now, Sir, as well as I can judge, my confolation will be (if reflexion has not quite left me), that, after being prose. cuted, perfecuted, and ill-treated, for more than a moiety of my whole life, by bad men, I fhall have the confola tion of knowing that JOHN HOWARD came twice to my houfe en perjonne, and, though a ftranger to my perfon, brought in his hand, at each of those vifits, a volume of his "State of Prifons," &c.; and, as I unfortunately was out when he made me his fecond vifit, he wrote in the cover of that vo

PART II

lume, that he had left it as a mark of

his regard. Now, Mr. Urban, though I have been honoured with the correfpondence of Princes, Prelates, and fome of the first and greatest men of my own country, and of fome other nations, I fhall confider thofe two prefents and vifits from JOHN HOWARD the greatest honour I ever received FROM MAN; and therefore I fend you two guineas, to add my mite towards erecting the monument to the memory of fo GOOD

A MAN.

The ingenious, learned, and virtuous Mr. Woodhull, of Thenford, in Northamptonshire, has done me the honour to place those two books in his noble library; for nothing but want of bread could have induced me to fell them when I fold all my other goods and chattels, and departed, never to return,

A TRAVELLER.

Mr. URBAN, Brompton, June 6. INCLOSE two drawings of Malvern-wells houfe. If you like to engrave them, they are at your fervice (fee pl. III. fig. 1, 2); and I will fend you a little sketch of the way of life at that place, and a jeu-d'esprit which appeared there lately. J. P. A.

Fig. 3 and 4 are two gold coins found lately in the neighbourhood of Croydon.

Mr. URBAN,

OME

July 2.

Some years ago I fall, at Conway, a

pair of shoes, of nearly the fame form as that defcribed in your last, p. 513, 10 inches from heel to toe, and the tus 3 inches fquare, and made of red leather (Pl. III. fig. 6). They were intermixed with other articles of female apparel of the time, ftays or boddices with fleeves, and cafes of feveral high hats, a steel cross-bow, two large yew bows, and an old wooden bedstead of the time. The houfe, in whofe upper room thefe articles were preferved, though much of the furniture had been stolen, food on the North fide of the high street, be

longed

longed to the Wynnes of Ofcathlan, and had been built in the reign of Elizabeth. It formed a small quadrangle, with a back-court, and the fide correfponding with the entrance was afcended to by a double flight of fteps from the fide to a terrace, continued on the left. It was in 1770 let out to poor families. Most of the rooms had fucoed cielings and walls. Over the kirchen - chimney were the arms of England, and E. R. for Elizabetha Regina: on the walls, D W Dorothy Wynne D6 W leopards' faces jeffant fleurs de lis, fingle, and with a chevron R W. Eagles and a chevron between three fleurs de lis, 1577. A chevron between three ftags' heads cabot, owls, boars, griffins, lions, fags. In an upper room, ER and arms of England. Over the chimney, R W

1580

o w

eagles, chevron, and stags heads. Chevron and fleurs de lis, lion rampant, Over another chimney, Wynne quarter-, ing the chevron and fleurs de lis. Over another, RG 1577. Quarterly, 1. a chevron between three eagles; 2. a chevron between three leopards' faces jeffant fleurs de lis; 3. a chevron between fleurs de lis; 4. a chevron between three flags' heads: alfo the chevron and eagles fingle. Over the inner gate in the fpandrils, the cross, date, The Ers, &c. as in Pl. III. fig. 5, RW W for Richard and Dorothy Wynne, or Gwynne. Over the outer gate the arms of England, fupported by the lion and griffin, in the fpandrils the eagles and chevron be tween the flags heads.

The above quarterings are the arms of Wynne on the altar-tomb of Robert, on the South fide of the altar in Conway church, infcribed

Robert Wynne es quier was buried the 30 daie of November Ano. 1598.

And on another altar-tomb, contiguous, Here lieth the body of Robert Wynne debytie maior of Conway efq and fone of Thomas Wynne who died the 16th of 9ber 1664 On which laft are also a lion rampant, quartering three bears. At the Weft end, Wynne quartering three lions paffant guardant; creft, an eagle difplayed. Another altar-tomb, for a female

Wynne, has the chevron and heads quartering the lions rampant, and Wynne quartering the chevron and fleurs de lis; and a mural monument for John Wynne, Efq. 1617, quarterly, 1. and 4. Wynne; 2. the lions paffant guardant; 3. the chevron and fleurs de lis.

As I do not recollect to have met with any account of this houfe in print, the prefent is at your fervice. D.H.

To the INHABITANTS of the Town of
BIRMINGHAM.

My late Townsmen and Neighbours, AFTER living with you eleven years, in which you had uniform experience of my peaceful behaviour, in my attention to the quiet ftudies of my profeffion, and those of philofophy, I was far from expecting the injuries which I and my friends have lately received from you. But you have been mifled. By hearing the Diffenters, and particularly the Unitarian Diffenters, continually railed at as enemies to the prefent Government in Church and State, you have been led to confider any injury done to us as a meritorious thing; and, not having been better informed, the means were not attended to. When the object was right, you thought the means could not be wrong. By the dif courfes of your teachers, and the exclamations of your fuperiors in general, drinking confufion and damnation to us (which is well-known to have been their frequent practice), your bigotry has been excited to the higheft pitch, and nothing having been faid to you to moderate your paffrons, but every thing to inflame them: hence, without any confideration on your part, or on theirs, who ought to have known and taught you better-you were prepared for every fpecies of outrage; thinking that, whatever you could do to fpite and injure us, was for the fupport of Government, and efpecially the Church. In defroying us, you have been led to think you did God and your country the moft eflential Service.

Happily, the minds of Englishmen have a horror of murder, and therefore you did not, I hope, think of that; though, by your clamorous demanding of me at the Hotel, it is probable that, at that time, fome of you intended me fome perfonal injury. But what is the value of life when every thing is done to make it wretched? In many cafes, there would be greater mercy in dif patching the inhabitants than in burn

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