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1799.]

The Rev. Mr. Horsey's Explanation.

writers could not poffibly know that the Jetter figned David Savile would precede it; but if they had known it, they could fcarcely have penned, in my opinion, and that of many others, a more complete refutation of it. All that I could have wished for, is voluntarily substantiated by vouchers who have been my pupils, fome at the beginning of my academical career; others, during the process; and some at the period of my resigning my office. By your permiffion, Sir, I will now turn to my young friends; and by addressing to them a few fentences, through the medium of a Magazine so extenfively circulated, give the public an idea of my views and

intentions.

GENTLEMEN,

I cannot but feel the most lively sense of gratitude for your unsolicited teftimonial to my character, judicioufly supported by an appeal to facts, and for the handsome and affectionate address to me, with which you have thought fit to accompany it. Accept, therefore, my unfeigned thanks; and allow me to add, that my pleasure is heightened, by a confciousness that I am entitled to your esteem, so far as a real concern for your improvement and comfort can deferve it. Beyond this I make no boaft-And now my fidelity in my official department being established, upon the fame ground on which the credibility of the Gospel itself rests, I mean the testimony of competent witnesses, can you, can the public expect me to take notice of the infignificant letter signed David Savile? I have, indeed, at last, drawn forth a name; but to David Savile himself I certainly never intend to address one line so long as I live; because, though I have always treated him with civility, which he acknowledged but two or three weeks before we parted, I am compelled to believe, by an irresistible body of evidence, that he is the worst enemy I have in the world: and because any future representation, by the fame pen, would probably refemble the present, in which there is scarcely a fingle fact accurately and fairly stated. This I have demonftrated in a paper, which I thought of inferting in the Magazine; but upon reflection have suppressed it, perceiving that it would occupy more room in that useful work than I had a right to expect, and convinced that your testimonial, so strongly expreffed, must cruth the infinuations of an individual, who was never present at any one of my lectures, during the whole time of his refidence at Northampton. All that I shall do, therefore, is to select one Specimen of that writer's rafhness and malevoLence: and I select that in particular from among others, because it relates both to you and me. He afferts, with an air of great fo lemnity, that "for a feries of years I have been fending forth men, who have diminished many a once flourishing congregation." Now this, I venture to declare, as a general fer

93

tion, is absolutely false. I will not say that
there is not a fingle instance of a diminished
society amongst you all, but I wiil say that I
do not know any instance of the kind, where
any one of my late pupils is fettled. Instances
to the contrary, however, I do know, in se-
veral places; and that the congregations of
fome of them are at this moment in a very
flourishing state. Is this, gentlemen, the
narrator of facts, on whose teftimony the
public will rely? Is this the cenfor at whose
menaces we are to tremble, or by the smart
of whose correction " public repentance"
to be produced? Can arrows from the quiver
of fuch a man injure those against whom they
are directed? Alas! I feel quite invulnerable,
while I folace myself with the advice of the
Roman poet-

" Hic murus aheneus efto,

Nil confcire fibi, nullâ pallefcere culpa."

is

Here the public, I prefume, will make their comment; and here I shall leave Mr. SAVILE to his own reflections, only reminding him, in my turn, of a heavenly voice, which says, « Thou shalt not bear falje witness against thy neighbour."

I am glad, gentlemen, that you have connected the encouragement of FREE ENQUIRY with the faithful difcharge of my duty. I could not confciencioufly engage in any plan of education, where it was restrained or difcountenanced. Nor had I the least reason to suppose that this was wished, when I entered upon my office as theological tutor at Northampton. I will conclude, therefore, with an extract from the first address which I delivered to my academical family, to shew in what light I then confidered myself required by Mr. Coward's trustees to conduct the studies of my pupils:

"It is not the design of this institution, and it is very far from my inclination, to ufurp an authority over confcience, or to cherish bigotry and party zeal. It contributes not a little to the credit of this seminary, that it has been conducted for a feries of years on generous and liberal principles: principles which I devoutly with may be still cherished, and without which its very existence is, indeed, infignificant and ineligible. Freedom of enquiry, on all subjects, is the birth-right and glory of a rational being. In this seminary it has been enjoyed; in this seminary it shall be enjoyed. In the honest fervour of an unfettered mind, I say, Heaven forbid, that the fatal hour should ever arrive, when freedom of enquiry shall be prohibited or restrained My object, gentlemen, is not to stamp infallibility on any human system of religion. Not to require your subscription to articles of faith before you have examined into the truth of them. Not to bias your minds during the process of examination. Not to encourage a severe and illiberal disposition towards any class of your fellow christians. But the highest object of my ambition is to promote a scriptural religion; and to enrich the church

of

of Christ with a race of ministers, who shall unite learning with piety; orthodoxy (I ufe the word in its strict philological sense) with charity; and candour with zeal. No position is more common among Proteftants than this -That fcripture is, without human additions, a complete rule of faith and practice. Endeavour, gentlemen, on all occafions, to act in perfect consistency with it. Study the facred records. Study them with close and persevering attention. Avail yourselves of every advantage for understanding their genuine import. Make yourselves thoroughly acquainted with the original languages of the Old and New Testament; and carefully at. tend to the peculiar phraseology of scripture; the customs of ancient times; the particulars of the situation of those, to whom different parts of scripture refer, or to whom they were immediately addrefied; that so you may attain an accurate and comprehenfive acquaintance with those scriptures which are able to make you wife unto salvation, and which most of you propose to make the fubject of your future instructions to others. Never prefume to dictate to the facred oracles, but account it your honour to be guided by them. And call no man master upon earth, remembering that one is your master, even

Chrift."

Thankful, Mr. Editor, for the use of your Magazine, I readily fubscribe myfelf, Sir, your obliged humble servant, JOHN HORSEY.

Northampton, Feb. 15, 1798.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine,

I

SIR,

OBSERVE in YOUNG's View of

Suffolk Agriculture, a plan of the Rev. Mr. MOSELY, of Drinkston, for ploughing in for manure, the principle of which is excellent; ploughing in Buck

wheat after a crop of tares, as a manure

by

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

Y

SIR,

a regard

OUR known candour, and
to the principles of justice, will, I
truft, induce you to give an early infertion
of this letter, which is in answer to a
most flagitious, unprovoked, and out-
rageous perfonal attack upon me by fome
Man, or rather a daftardly Affaffin, who
shields himself under the fignature of A
Proteftant Dissenter, in a letter inferted
in your Magazine of the last month. I am
fensible you do not with the Monthly
Magazine to become the vehicle of flan-
der and defamation, but such it undoubt-
edly became last month, for more atro-
cious lies were never forged than those
contained in the brief, but infamous letter
referred to. I wave faying any thing re-
specting my pamphlet, after what the
most respectable literary journalists have
faid respecting it, which feems to have
excited the rage of the anonymous scrib-
bler. The facts I have stated in that
pamphlet I challenge any diffenter to
deny. Your correfpondent afferts, I never
was patronized or encouraged as a preacher
by the dissenters. To confute so infa-
mous a falsehood, I have facts to lay be-
fore the public, should I think it necef-
fary to adduce them, that would infal-
libly tend to the confufion and disgrace
of the wretch, who has most wantonly
endeavoured (if he possibly had been able)
to have injured my character and reputa-
tion. Suffice it, Sir, to say, at present,
that I was patronized by the Presbyterian
Diffenters; that I was recommended and
introduced to that congregation at High-
gate, which I ferved two years, by one of
the most popular minifters among them,
and that I received a trifling fum from
the Prefbyterian fund. These are facts
which I am ready to substantiate when-
ever called upon. As to what your cor-
refpondent remarks relative to my styling
myself the Reverend, I think proper to
inform you, it was first given me, and I
have as full a right to use it as any Dif-
fenting minifter whatever, as the law
of the land does not allow that title to any
Diffenting minifter, and when given him
it is through courtesy. I am, Sir,
Your humble servant,

and preparation for wheat. There is
only one objection, as far as I know, to
this, but it is a material one: of all crops,
tares are the most hazardous to get up for
fodder, for, if once they are encountered
a shower or two of rain, you will hardly
ever get them dry again, and being a
more fucculent plant than grafs, they take
so much time to make properly, that they
must be much exposed, especially when cut
early, as this plant requires. I will ven-
ture to fay, from experience, that three
times out of four, they will be fo
much damaged, as to be of very little Northumberland Coffee-House,

* D. RIVERS.

worth, and this has prevented many intelligent farmers from meddling with them, unless in small quantities, to cut green for foiling horfes, &c. On a large icale they will not answer. Α.Ν.Υ.

Feb. 5, 1799.

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1799.] Description of the Hall of the Council of Five Hundred.

For the Monthly Magazine. DESCRIPTION of the HALL of the COUN. CIL of FIVE HUNDRED, upon the scite of the Palais Bourbon; from om the Decade Philosophique.

T

[With an engraved plate.}

HE work of the new hall of the council of five hundred, was begun in confequence of a decree of the national convention, passed the second complementary day of the third year of the republic, on the ground of the ci-devant Palais Bourbon; conformably to a programme given in by a commiffion composed of four representatives. The architects were enjoined to confine their arrangements within the limits of the ancient palais. The commiffion accepted the plans of C. C. GISORS and LECONTE, and they were begun to be put in execution the first of Vendemaire (23d September) fourth year.

The Palais Bourbon had been built for the Princess Bourbon, in 1722, after the plan of Girardini, and continued after wards by Laffurence and Gabriel. It was greatly augmented for the Prince of Condé, by Carpentier; ntier: it was this architect who constructed the gate which opens into the square. Beliffard and Leroi were the last who made embellishments

to it.

This palace, detached in every part, is erected by the fide of the river Seine, and upon the bank opposite to the Place de la Revolution, formerly called Place de Louis quinze, with which it communicates by the newest bridge in Paris called Pont de la Revolution. It occupies a fuperficies of about 60,000 metres (180,000 feet.) Its principal entrance is not from the river fide, where, without doubt, it would produce a magnificent effect; it is turned towards the fouth, and opens into a square.

It is announced on this side by a triumphal gate raised between two ground pavilions, to which it is connected by a double colonade of the Corinthian order. After having passed this gate, we enter into the first court of 92 metres long by 32 metres in breadth. It is furrounded by buildings of a plain decoration, the cornice of which corresponds with that of the principal part of the palace which presents itself in front. This principal part embraces the three fides of a court, smaller than the former, and raised by eight steps. Arrived within this court, the chief entrances present themselves by the two periftytes in columns to the right

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and left, and which serve as entrances to two halls, one dedicated to peace, the other to victories. They communicate

on one fide with apartments of the ancient palace, all of which serve as lodgings to those perions who are employed by or attached to the Council: the other fide opens into two large rooms, one of which is dedicated to liberty, the other to equality. From each of these rooms we enter by a flight of steps into the hall of the fittings. This difpofition corresponding in the two diftant wings, one to the east, the other to the west, has a very majestic air.

'The hall of liberty and that of equality are in the form of a long square. Their dimensions are large and regular, their style sumple and antique. Statues of marble and paintings representing the principal epochs of the revolution are to decorate them. They communicate with each other by a circular gallery, contrived under the afcending benches of the hall of the affembly. Two grand stair-cases for the use of the members lead to the amphitheatre by doors which communicate with the hall of the affembly, at the fuperior extremity of each opening between the benches. The hall of the council of five hundred occupies the part which fronts the bridge. An edifice defigned to serve as a dwelling-house contains no. room of fufficient dimenfions for an affembly like this; the exterior walls therefore were the only portion of this part ot the palace which could be made use of.

This hall (represented in the two annexed medallions) is of a femicircular form. The benches look to the right, in the middle of which are placed the chair of the president, the defk of the fecretaries, and the tribune of the orator addreffing the affembly. The fecretaries and prefident are placed in a large niche taken out of the jutting or advanced part of the old palace, which for this purpose has been pushed backwards eight feet on the side of the court. The removal of this stupendous mass was effected under the immediate view of the commiffioners in a fimple and not expensive manner. Each column was advanced, not in pieces, but entirely whole. All the interior basement of this part, and the rail or barricade which confines the feats, are of curious marble, crowned with brown ornaments. The fore part of the tribune is decorated with a bas relief in white marble, and attributes in griotte marble from Italy. incrufted on it with the nicest

art.

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