away, while the master of the shop was busy at his accounts, and left it on his hands like a foundling. Thus, instead of pocketing a book clandestinely, of which the Bath booksellers sometimes complain, they smuggled into his hands a fine shewy portrait, which may hereafter adorn either the servants' hall, or perhaps the little parlour that opens into the shop of some grand-child, according to the rank of life which fortune may allot them.

I shall close these trifling reflections, with only observing, that I am convinced, by long experience, "That it is better, and cheaper (all circumstances considered) to go directly to some creditable tradesman who is contented with moderate gains (I do not mean those who sell under prime cost,) and buy what we really want, than to spend our time and money at an auction; where we are often tempted irresistibly to buy superfluous articles of furniture, often beyond their original price, and often damaged or patched up goods. If we consider it as an agreeable lounge, we should go armed with resolution, not to bid for a single article, instead of buying every thing that strikes our fancy. Let us attend to the remark contained in my motto:

"Omnia, castor, emis, sic fiet ut omnia vendas."

While thus you buy whate'er you see,

And think you do full well,

The consequence will surely be,

You every thing must sell.

EULOGY ON THE DOMESTIC QUALITIES OF GARRICK; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE FAMILY OF MR. CUMBERLAND, THE DRAMATIST.

THE happy hit of the West Indian drew a considerable resort of the friends and followers of the Muses to my house. I was superlatively blest in a wife, who conducted my family with due attention to my circumstances, yet with every elegance and comfort, that would render it a welcome and agreeable rendezvous) to my guests. I had six children, whose birth-days were comprised within the period of six years, and they were by no means trained and edu- ́ cated with that laxity of discipline which renders so many houses terrible to the visitor, and almost justifies Foote in his professed veneration for the character of Herod. My young ones stood like little soldiers to be reviewed by those who wished to have them drawn up for inspection, and were dismissed, like soldiers, at a word. Few parents had more excuse for being vain than my wife and I had, for I may be allowed to say, my daughters even then gave promise of that grace and beauty, for which they afterward became so generally noticed; and my four boys were not behind them in form or feature, though hot climates and hard duty by sea and land, in the service of their king and country, have laid two of them in distant graves, and rendered the survivors war-worn veterans before their time: even poor Fitzherbert, my unhappy and lamented friend, with all his fond benignity of soul, could not with his caresses introduce a relaxation of discipline in the ranks of

our small infantry; and though Garrick could charm a circle of them about him whilst he acted the turkeycock. and peacocks, and water-wagtails, to their infinite and undescribable amusement, yet at the word, or even look of the mother, hi motus animorum, were instantly composed, and order re-established, whenever it became time to release their entertainer from the trouble of his exertions.

Ah! I would wish the world to believe, that they take but a very short and impartial estimate of that departed character, who only appreciate him as the best actor in the world: he was more, and better than that excellence alone could make him, by a thousand estimable qualities; and as much as I enjoyed his company, I have been more gratified by the emanations of his heart, than by the sallies of his fancy and imagination. Nature had done so much for him, that he could not help being an actor; she gave him a frame of so manageable a proportion, and from its flexibility, so perfectly under a command, that by its aptitude and elasticity he would draw it out to fit any size of character that tragedy could offer to him; and contract it to any scale of ridiculous diminution, that his Abel Drugger, Scrub, or Fribble, could require of him to sink it to: his eye in the mean time was so penetrating, so speaking, his brow so movable, and all his features so elastic, and so accommodating, that wherever his mind impelled them they would go, and before his tongue could give the text, his countenance would express the spirit and the passion of the part he was encharged with.

THE CASTLE AND PALACE OF EDINBURGH.

There, watching high the least alarms,
Thy rough rude fortress gleams afar,
Like some bold vet'ran grey in arms,
And mark'd with many a seamy scar;
The pondrous wall and massy bar,

Grim rising o'er the rugged rock,
Have oft withstood assailing war,

And oft repell'd the invaders' shock.

BURNS.

THE castle of Edinburgh is situated on the western and rugged extremity of the central hill on which the ancient part of the city is built. As before observed, it is separated from the buildings of the city by a space of about 350 feet in length and 300 in breadth. The area of the rock on which the castle stands mea

sures about seven English acres. It is elevated 294 feet above the level of the sea, and is accessible only on the eastern side, all the others being nearly perpendicular.

At the western termination of the castle-hill is the outer barrier of the castle, formed of strong pallisadoes. Beyond this is a dry ditch, with a drawbridge and gate, which is defended on the flanks by two small batteries. A half-moon, mounted with twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four pounders, commands the whole. Within the gate is a guard-room, and a reservoir lately erected to supply the garrison with water. Beyond these, on a road winding upwards, towards the north, are two gateways, the first of

which is very strong, and has two portcullisses. A little from the gateway, to the right, is a battery mounted with brass guns, near which there are store-houses for gun-carriages, and other implements of artillery. On the north is a grand store-room and arsenal, which, together with the magazines in the fort, are capable of containing upwards of 30,000 stand of arms. In addition to these there are several other batteries at different parts of the circumference of the ramparts, or wall, by which the brow of the rock is encircled. But the fortifications of the castle correspond with none of the rules of art, being according to the irregular form of the precipice on which they stand.

The highest part of the castle which is towards the south-east, consists of a number of houses in the form of a square, affording a parade for mustering and exercising the soldiers. These houses are chiefly laid out in barracks for the accommodation of the officers. The buildings on the east side of the square were formerly used as royal apartments. These apartments are of considerable antiquity; and, from the date 1556 appearing in the front wall, seem to have been either built or repaired at that period. In a small room on the ground floor in the south-east corner of the edifice was Mary queen of Scots delivered, June 19, 1566, of her only son James VI. afterwards James I. of England; a prince whose birth was fortunate for the whole island, as in his person the crowns of two nations, who had opposed each other from the earliest ages, were at last united.