near to give up the trade and liberties of the nation. That triennial elections deftroy all family interest, and fubject our excellent conftitution to the caprice of the multitude: and, in fhort, that by triennial elections we have but a triennial Government, which is little better than no Government at all. For which reasons he was for the bill. The Lord Trevor faid, That the question now lying before them was, Whether the law, they were going to make, tended to the good or prejudice of the conftitution? That, for his own part, be looked upon the Triennial Act as an effential part of our ancient conftitution, according to which, frequent and even annual Parliaments were to be held. That he might eafily prove, that long Parliaments were always pernicious. That, when King Charles I. had given up his prerogative of diffolving Parliaments in 1640, he gave himself up into the hands of traytors, and had nothing but deftruction to expect from them. That, after the Restoration, King Charles II, that very good Prince, found the inconvenience of a long Parliament. That, as foon as the nation had opportunity, by the Revolution, to affert their juft rights and liberties, the Triennial Act was infifted on, and gained, at laft, with a great deal of oppofition. That there were very good and cogent reafons for making a law to fupport the conftitution, and prevent incroachments, either of Parliaments on the Crown, or of the Crown on the rights and liberties of the people; and to correct a bufes and exorbitances committed through the ambition and avarice of Minifters. That he would not be thought to reflect on the prefent Adminiftration; but that, in his opinion, frequent elections were a neceffary right of the subject to remedy abules. That, for his own part, he had ever been against the bill for limiting the number of Officers in the Houfe of Commons: but, if the Triennial A&t were repealed, he thought that bill would become very neceffary, because the long fitting of Parliaments would give the Crown both an opportunity and temptation to multiply the number of Officers. That fome reflections had been caft on the laft Parliament: but that, in his opinion, that Parliament was chofen by the fame method as the prefent was, by great expences. That he owned this to be a great abufe; but that laws might be made to rectify the fame. That, if this bill paffed, how could any Member of the other House expect to preferve his intereft with thofe who

chofe him, when this bill would certainly be interpreted both a violation of their right, and a breach of the truft repofed in him? That, if this Houfe of Commons continued themselves beyond the time, for which they were chofen, they were no more the Reprefentatives of the people, but a Houfe of their own making. That he was forry there were difcontents in the country; but he apprehended that this bill would rather increase than abate them. He owned, that the majority of this Houfe of Commons were honeft Gentlemen, who had the intereft of their King and country at heart; but that, in his opinion, those, who went before them, did not come short of them in point of duty and affection to his Majefty; for it was they who established the King on his Throne, and fettled his revenue with all chearfulness imaginable. That what he had fuggefted flowed from the dread of the ill confequences of this bill, which might rife to fuch an height, as to render the Crown uneasy to his Majefty. That he owed fo much to the Proteftant fucceffion, that, if he could believe this bill to be of any service to the King and royal family, he would be intirely for it; but, as he was of a contrary opinion, he would not have a bill obtained in the beft of reigns repealed in the firft year of this Proteftant reign. And therefore he was against the committing of this bill.' Lord Carteret, who spoke next, owned, That frequent Parliaments are a great fecurity of the people's rights and liberties; but he observed, that this bill was not againft frequent feffions, but only again frequent elections. That they ought maturely to weigh and confider what was fuggefted in the preamble of the bill, That there is a restless Popish faction defigning and endeavouring to renew the rebellion within this kingdom.' That of all rebellions this laft was the moft monstrous and unnatural; for all other rebellions were carried on under pretences of liberty, whereas this laft was a rebellion for flavery. That, as to our Allies abroad, though he could not fay, that they expected this bill, yet it was reasonable to fuppofe, that they would be glad to see it pass into a law; for, having found, by fad experience, that great changes may be made in the best concerted measures by different Parliaments, inflamed by different Ministries; fo, if they had not fome fecurity for the treaties his Majefty was now entering into with them, a ftrong tide might come upon a new election that might overturn all. That, in fhort, this bill would fix the

King, and the present happy establishment, on a lasting foundation; and therefore he was for committing it. The Earl of Cholmondley faid, That he made no doubt but the Legislature is velted with a fupreme power to rectify any inconveniencies, to which any former law may, by experience, be found to be subject; and, this being the cafe of the Triennial Act, they ought to remedy the fame. That what had been fuggefted, in relation to the long Parliament in King Charles the Second's reign, was, in his opinion, rather an argument for, than against the bill. For though, in that Parliament, the King had many penfioners, who, at first, complimented him with money, yet at last, when the intereft of the nation came to be at stake, they voted for a war with France, and profecuted the Popish plot with the utmost vigour. That they had lately feen what a corrupt Parliament may do, and by what means fuch a Parliament may be got: and every one might guess how there came to be a debt of 500,000l. upon the Civil Lift. That he did not mention this to irritate against perfons, but against things. That, in his opinion, there was no better remedy against corruptions, than the fuppreffing frequent elections. That he thought this bill the more neceffary, because our Allies will thereby have a fecurity, that they shall not again be left in the lurch. And, in confideration of the great benefits, that will accrue from it both at home and abroad, he was for the committing it.' Lord Foley made a long speech, in which he enlarged upon the excellency of our conftitution; took notice, that the different branches of the Legiflature are a check to one another, which prevents exorbitancies in the Adminiftration, and dragooning, as in Turky and other arbitrary Governments; fuggefted, that the pensionary Parliament made King Charles II. unealy, by making him neglect the affections of his people; and concluded, that he was afraid, that the repealing the Triennial Act would have the fame effect, and therefore he was against it.'

The Duke of Newcastle anfwered, That it had already been rightly obferved, that, though the long Parliament of King Charles II. at first complimented that Prince, yet they afterwards vigorously opposed destructive measures, and infilted on a war with France. Then paff ing over lefs material objections, which had been fully refuted, he urged, That the prefent happy fettlement could not be

It is

maintained without taking away the feeds of corruption. That no caufe ever mifcarried in fo many inftances as that of the rebels. But notwithstanding their defeat at Prefton and Dumblain, their being driven out of Scotland, with their King at their head, their difappointments in other parts, and the execution of fome of their Leaders, the Jacobites were as infolent as ever. That this was the reafon why, in a late debate in this Houfe, he was against lenity; and the rather, because no Prince was ever more naturally inclined to mercy than his present Majefty: for no Prince ever had fo many rebels in his power, and never were fo few punished. My Lords (added he) you muit now ftrengthen yourfelves, and difarm your enemies. not to be doubted but the late unnatural and monftrous rebellion was raised and fomented by large contributions of a restless Popish faction. The fame means, my Lords, will be used to renew the rebellion as foon as a proper opportunity offers. Their emiffaries are bufy every-where to keep up the fpirits of the people for a year longer, and then they hope to retrieve all by a new election.' He concluded, 'That, though the Allies would not make any thing done among us an article of their treaties, yet, having the fad experience of being left in the lurch, they would certainly enter into alliances with us with more confidence, if they faw, that our Government was not precarious.' Upon all which confiderations he was for the bill.

The Duke of Shrewsbury fpoke with fome vehemence against the bill; after which the Lord Parker inlarged on the conftitution with relation to the calling, election, fitting, and prolonging of Parliaments. He was followed by the Lord chancellor Cowper, who refumed all the arguments that had been urged in the debate; rectified fome mistakes as to the constitution and nature of the Parliaments; gave a clear account of the Triennial A&t; and vindicated the King and the Government, as to the present difaffection; appealing to the Lords and Commons, Whether the leaft provocation had been given either by his Majefty or his Minifters?' And afferting, That, if there was any fault on the King's fide, it was too much lenity; and that the only crime that could be charged on his Minifters, was their zeal and vigilance in defence of his Majelly's perfon and Government. The Earl of Aylesford having anfwered part of the Lord-chancellor's fpeech, the Bishop of London faid,

Ii

'That,

That, when he came to the Houfe, he knew not which way he fhould give his vote, and hoped to be guided and determined by what should be offered on both fides on this important subject: but now he owned he was confounded between dangers and inconveniencies on one fide, and deftruction on the other.'

The Earl of Anglesea spoke next with great vehemence against the bill; and the Duke of Bucks clofed the debate with faying, That he was for the bill, but did not think it feasonable. At laft, the queftion, That the bill be committed, being put, it was carried in the affirmative by ninety-fix voices against fixty-one. But thirty Lords entered their protests.

Two days after the Lords confidered of the bill in a grand Committee, and moft of the former fpeakers exerted themselves for and against it; and, among others, a Bishop, who had not yet spoken on the fubject, faid, "If this bill was never fo good in itself, it was very unfeafonable, becaufe very unpopular, and altogether ufelefs, the rebellion being crushed, and the power of France not to be feared; now especially, when we have a glorious ftanding army, and a Miniftry, that knows how effectually to engage the affections of the people. The Committee having gone through the bill, and ordered the blank before the word Years to be filled up with

the word Seven, the question was put Whether the fame fhould be reported, in order to be ingroffed, which was carried by seventy-four voices against thirty-nine. The next day the bill was reported, and, without dividing, ordered to be engroffed; and, being read the third time, on the 18th of April, there arose a debate, which lafted about two hours. Near half of that time was taken up by the Earl of Nottingham, who, among other things, by a long hiftorical detail, endeavoured to fhew, That Counfels for enlarging the prerogative were ever pernicions to the Crown." To this the Duke of Argyle answered,

That not being fo well read in history as that noble Lord, he would confine himself to what had happened in his own time; and that he had obferved, that his Lordfhip had, by turns, oppofed all that had been offered, either for the interest of the Crown, or the liberties of the people; of which he might easily produce feveral inftances: adding, That he did not much wonder there appeared already fo much joy among a certain party over a repenting finner. Upon the whole matter, the question being put, Whether this bill fhould pass ? It was carried in the affirmative by a majority of fixty-nine voices against thirty-fix; but twenty-four Lords protested again't it.

[To be continued. ]

T

HE Flamingo has the jufteft right to be placed among cranes; and tho' it happens to be web footed, like birds of the goofe kind, yet its height, figure and appetites, intirely remove it from that groveling clafs of animals. With a longer neck and legs than any other of the crane kind, it feeks its food by wading among waters; and only differs from all of this tribe in the manner of feizing its prey; for as the heron makes ufe of its claws, the flamingo ufes only its bill, which is ftrong and thick for the purpose, the claws being ufelefs, as they are feeble, and webbed like thofe of water-fowl.

The flamingo is the tallest, bulkiest, and the most beautiful of the crane kind. The body, which is of a beautiful fcarlet, is no bigger than that of a fwan; but its legs and neck are of fuch an extraordinary length, that when it ftands erect, it is fix feet fix inches high. Its wings, extended, are five feet fix inches from tip to tip; and it is four feet eight inches from tip to tail.

The head is round and small, with a large bill, feven inches long, partly red, partly black, and crooked like a bow. The legs and thighs, which are not much thicker than a man's finger, are about two feet eight inches high; and its neck three feet long. The feet are not furnished with fharp claws, as in others of the crane kind ; but feeble, and united by membranes, as in thofe of the goofe. The use of thefe membranes does not appear, as the bird is never feen swimming, its legs and thighs being fufficient for bearing it into those depths where it seeks for prey.

This extraordinary bird is now chiefly found in America, but was once known on all the coafts of Europe. Its beauty, its fize, and the peculiar delicacy of its flesh, have been fuch temptations to destroy or take it, that it has long fince deserted the fhores frequented by man, and taken refuge in countries that are as yet but thinly peopled. In thofe defert regions, the flamingos live in a state of fociety, and under

a bet

a better polity than any other of the feathered creation.

When the Europeans first came to America, and coafted down along the African fhores, they found the flamingos on either continent gentle and no way diftrustful of mankind. They had long been used to fecurity, in the extenfive folitudes they had chosen; and knew no enemies but those they could very well evade or oppofe. The negroes and the native Americans were pofleffed but of few deftructive arts for killing them at a diftance; and when the bird perceived the arrow, it well knew how to avoid it. But it was otherwife when the Europeans firft came among them: the failors, not confidering that the dread of fire-arms was totally unknown in that part of the world, gave the flamingo the character of a foolish bird, that fuffered itself to be approached and fhot at. When the fowler had killed one, the rest of the Hock, far from attempting to fly, only regarded the fall of their companion in a kind of fixed aftonifhment: another and another hot was discharged; and thus the fowler often levelled the whole flock, before one of them began to think of efcapeing.

But at prefent it is very different in that part of the world; and the flamingo is not only one of the scarceft of birds, but the moft difficult of approach. They chiefly keep near the most deserted fhores, near falt water lakes and fwampy iflands. They come down to the banks of rivers by day'; and often retire to the inland, mountainous parts of the country at the approach of night. When seen by mariners in the day, they always appear drawn up in a clofe line of two or three hundred together; and, as Dampier tells us, prefent, at the diftance of half a mile, the exact reprefentation of a long brick wall. Their rank, however, is broken when they feek for food; but they always appoint one of the number as a watch, whofe only employment is to obferve and give notice of danger, while the rest are feeding. As foon as this truly centinel perceives the remoteft appearance of danger, he gives a loud fcream, with a voice as fhrill as a trumpet, and instantly the whole cohort are upon the wing. They feed in filence; but, upon this occafion, all the flock are in one chorus, and fill the air with intolerable fcreamings.

From this it appears that the flamingos are very difficult to be approached at prefent, and that they avoid mankind with the most cautious timidity, however, it is

not from any antipathy to man that they fhun his fociety, for in fome villages, as we are affured by Labat, along the coaft of Africa, the flamingos come in great numbers to make their refidence among the natives. There they affemble by thousands, perched on the trees, within and about the village; and are fo very clamorous, that the found is heard at near a mile distance. The negroes are fond of their company; and confider their fociety as a gift of Heaven, as a protection from accidental evils. The French, who are admitted to this part of the coaft, cannot, without fome degree of difcontent, fee fuch a quantity of game untouched, and rendered useless by the fu perftition of the natives: they now and then privately fhoot fome of them, when at a convenient distance from the village, and hide them in the long grafs, if they perceive any of the negroes approaching; for they would probably stand a chance of being ill treated, if the blacks difcovered their facred birds were thus unmercifully treated.

Sometimes, in their wild ftate, they are fhot by mariners; and their young, which run exceffively faft, are often taken. Labat has frequently taken them with nets, properly extended round the places they breed in. When their long legs are entangled in the meshes, they are then unqualified to make their escape: but they ftill continue to combat with their deftroyer; and the old ones, though seized by the head, will scratch with their claws; and thefe, though feemingly inoffenfive, very often do milchief. When they are fairly difengaged from the net, they nevertheles prefeive their natural ferocity; they refuse all nourishment; they peck and combat with their claws at every opportunity. The fowler is therefore under a neceffity of deftroying them, when taken; as they would only pine and die in captivity. The tongue of this bird, which is much fought after, is a good deal larger than that of any other bird whatever. The bill of the flainingo is like a large black box, of an irregular figure, and filled with a tongue which is black and griftly; but what peculiar flavour it may poffefs must be deter mined by fuch as understand good eating.

Thefe birds always go in flocks toge ther; and they move in rank, in the manner of cranes. They are fometimes feen, at the break of day, flying down in great numbers from the mountains; and conducting each other with a trumpet cry, that founds like the word Tococo, from whence the favages of Canada have given Iia

them

them the name. In their flight they appear to great advantage; for they then feem of as bright a red as a burning coal. When they difpofe themselves to feed, their cry ceafes; and then they difperfe over a whole marth, in filence and affiduity. Their manner of feeding is very fingular: the bird thrufts down its head, fo that the upper convex fide of the bill fhall only touch the ground; and in this position the animal appears, as it were, standing upon its head. In this manner it paddles and moves the bill about, and feizes whatever fish or infect happens to offer. For this purpose the upper chap is notched at the edges, fo as to hold its prey with greater fecurity.

Their time of breeding is according to the climate in which they refide: in NorthAmerica they breed in our fummer; on the other fide the line they take the most favourable feafon of the year. They build their nefts in extensive marthes, and where they are in no danger of a furprize. The neft is not lefs curious than the animal that builds it it is railed from the furface of pool about a foot and a half, formed of mud, fcraped up together, and hardened by the fun, or the heat of the bird's body: it refembles a truncated cone, or one of the pots which we fee placed on chimnies; on the top it is hollowed out to the fhape of the bird, and in that cavity the female lays her eggs, without any lining but the well cemented mud that forms the fides of the building. She always lays two eggs, and

no more; and, as her legs are immoderately long, the ftraddles on the neft, while her legs hang down, one on each fide, into the water.

The young ones are a long while before they are able to fly; but they run with amazing swiftnefs. They are fometimes caught; and, very different from the old ones, fuffer themselves to be carried home, and are tamed very eafily. In five or fix days they become familiar, eat out of the hand, and drink a furprifing quantity of fea-water. But though they are easily rendered domeftic, they are not reared without the greatest difficulty; for they generally pine away, for want of their natural fupplies, and die in a fhort time. While they are yet young, their colours are very different from thofe lively tints they acquire with age. In their first year they are covered with plumage of a white colour, mixed with grey; in the fecond year the whole body is white, with here and there a flight tint of scarlet; and the great covert feathers of the wings are black: the third year the bird acquires all its beauty; the plumage of the whole body is fcarlet, except fome of the feathers in the wings, that fill retain their fable hue. Of these beautiful plumes, the favages make various ornaments, and the bird is fometimes fkinned by the Europeans, to make muffs. But these have diminished in their price, fince we have obtained the art of dying feathers of the brightest scarlet.

army, who generally refided at Litchfield. His fon David was born when he was on a recruiting party in Hereford, and baptized, as appears by the register in the Church of All Saints in that city, February the 20th, 1716. His mother's maiden name was Clough, daughter to one of the Vicars in Litchfield Cathedral. Captain Garrick was a man of an amiable difpofition, and much refpected. Mrs. Garrick, though not beautiful in her perfon, was very attractive in her manner; fo that, though restrained in their circumftances, the company of Capt, Garrick and his

Young Garrick was a moft fprightly and diverting boy; he engaged the attention of every body who knew him. Mr. Walmsley, Register of the Ecclefiaftical Court in Litchfield, a Gentleman much refpected, of very confiderable fortune, and friend of Capt Garrick, took early notice of him: he would often unbend himself by liftening to his odd questions, and divert himself with his mart repartees and frolick fome actions. When young Garrick was about ten years of age, he was put under the care of Mr. Hunter, Mafter of the Grammar-school at Litchfield.