Give me the bard, who makes me laugh and cry, Diverts and moves, and all, I scarce know why! Untaught by commentators, French or Dutch, Paffion till answers to th' electric touch. Reason, like Falltaff, claims, when all is done, The honours of the field already won. To-night, our author's is a mixt intentPaffion and humour'd--Low andSentiment: Smiling in tears-a ferio comic playSunthine and fhow'r-a kind of April-day! A Lord, whose pride is in his honour plac'd, A Governor, with av'rice not difgrac'd; An humble priest, a lady and a lover So full of virtue, (fome of it runs over.) No temporary touches, no allufions To camps, reviews, and all our late confufions ; No perfonal reflections, no sharp satire, Wrote by a woman too! the mufes now Written over the Door of a finall House in the Country. AROUND his peaceful cot, this If love with innocence and virtue tread, Though no proud column grace the gaudy door, Where fculptur'd elegance parades it o'er, The fwain shall look with pity on the great, Nor barter quiet for a King's estate. R. R. ACCOUNT of WILBERRY-HOUSE, in Wiltfhire, the Seat of the Hon. Mr. GREVILLE; with a View of it elegantly engraved. WILBERRY-Houfe is fituated in ton,' &c. Pope was one of the last men the parish Newton-Toney, east of Ambresbury, and about eight miles from Salisbury. It was built in 1710 by William Benfon, Efq; Surveyor-general of the Works to King George the Firft, and afterwards one of the two Auditors of the Imprefts to King George the Second. This Gentleman distinguished himself for many years by his attachment to the House of Hanover, and for the honours he paid to the memory of the great Milton. He was not only the patron of men of letters, but a great scholar himfelf, and withal a moft accomplished Gentleman, his friendship and intimacy being courted by the greateft men of that Auguitan age; and, in private life, his benevolence and usefulness were unbounded. This, however, could not fecure him from the cenfure of Mr. Pope, who. in his Dunciad has this malevolent line : 'On Poets tombs fee Benfon's titles writ.' And in a subsequent note he adds, This man has endeavoured to raise himself to fame by erecting monuments, ftriking coins, and procuring translations of Mil to acknowledge the merits of others, and it was equally illiberal and uncandid to attribute Mr. Benson's veneration for Milton to any other caufe, than that noble paffion for liberty and letters for which he was ever eminent, and which has more recently diftinguished that great patriot and citizen of the world, Mr. Thomas Hollis*. Mr. Benson was fenfible of Mr. Pope's particular attention to him, and in return frequently extolled the latter as the moft harmonious of poets, in a manner that ftrongly intimated his opinion, that harmony was his only excellence. Mr. Benfon built Wilberry-House in the style of Inigo Jones, and by this excellent choice, fays Mr. Campbell, in his Vitruvius Britannicus, he has difcovered the politeness of his tafte, and, being mafter of the most refined parts of literature, he has expreffed a particular regard to the nobleft manner of architecture in this regular and beautiful design.' The houfe has been greatly enlarged by its prefent owner, Mr. Greville, and we underftand has been for fome time offered to fale, together with the estate. * In the Memoirs of Thomas Hollis, Efq; just published, are several elegant plates, engraved by Bartalozzi, &c. of Milton, Locke, and other illuftrious advo cates for liberty, whose works and whose fame Mr. Hollis was ever anxious to extend and perpetuate. Of this great and useful character we shall hereafter give fome account from thefe Memoirs. 1 N ACCOUNT ACCOUNT of the Intercepting of the great LEVANT FLEET in 1693The late fatal Blow to the British Commerce, by the unfortunate Capture of our Outward-bound East and West India Fleets, on the 9th of August, has been, for near a Century paft, unparallelled in our Naval Annals. The Capture of the great Levant Fleet, in 1693, is the only Event of the Kind that can be compared to it; and the following short Account of that Tranfaction may perhaps gratify the Curiofity of many of our Readers. IN 1693, the English and Dutch were at war with France. Every attention being exerted to prepare a formidable fleet early in the feafon, the chief command of it was vefted in the Admirals Killegrew, Delaval, and Shovel, in the room of Admiral Ruffell, who had been displaced. Rooke was created Vice-admiral of the Red, and Aylmer Rear admiral of the fame divifion; Lord Berkeley was Viceadmiral of the Blue, and Mitchell his Rear-admiral. The first object with the combined fleets of England and Holland was to block up the French in their ports, particularly in Breft, in order to remove the annoyance which the commerce of both ftates had fuffered from the privateers of France. But a certain fatality feemed to pervade the deliberations of the Council and of the Admiralty; and fuch were the delays in getting to fea, that the French had failed from their harbours before the English had quitted theirs. It was not till the middle of May that the English fleet affembled 'at St. Helen's, and took on board five regiments, intended for a defcent on France. The English and Dutch fleets united confifted of 83 fhips of the line, of which 51 were furnished by England. The French had made vaft preparations in order to repair the lofs they had fuftained at La Hogue, the preceding year. The whole naval force of France confifted of 71 capital fhips, befides bomb-ketches, fire-flips, and tenders. While it was generally believed, that with this force the French King meditated fome fresh attempt to restore the exiled James, his views were really directed to intercept a very valuable fleet of merchantmen, bound from the ports of England and Holland for the Levant. Four hundred ships, confifting of Englith, Dutch, and Hamburghers, bourd for the Straits, lay waiting for a convoy in May. On the 19th of that month, orders were fent for the whole grand fleet to convoy thote fhips as far as might be requifite. The three Admirals had agreed that Sir George Rooke fhould cominand a fquadron of twenty-three men of war, English and Dutch, to escort the trade through the Straits, and along the Mediterranean, after the main fleet had left it. Though the Ministry had received no certain intelligence of the motions of the French, the fleet under Count Tourville had failed from Breft the 16th of May. It proceeded towards the Straits to join the fquadron expected from Toulon, under D'Entrees. On the 28th of the fame month, this armament put into Lagos bay. Whilst it lay there, Rooke, with his fquadron, and the fleet under his convoy, appeared, the grand fleet having left him, and the wealth which he efcosted, on the 6th of June, about fifty leagues W. S. W. of Ufhant. Rooke, deceived by falfe intelligence of the strength of the enemy, prepared to engage, but, foon perceiving his mistake, he flood out to fea; at the fame time fending orders to the merchantmen that were near fhore to put into the neighbouring ports of Faro, St. Lucar, and Cadiz. About fix in the evening, ten fail of the enemy's fleet, having on board their Admiral and Vice-admiral, came up with three of the iternmost ships, which were Dutch men of war, two of them commanded by the Captains Schrijver and Vander-Poel; who finding themfelves under the wind, and thereby cut off from all efcape, tacked in for the fhore; and thus, by dividing the attention of the enemy, gave many fhips an opportunity of efcaping. Thefe three Dutch hips, when attacked, made a most defperate defence. For five hours together they bravely fought, first eleven, and then feven of the enemy's men of war. They had the good fortune to get clear of the first eleven, but at laft were forced to yield, after a most obstinate refiftance †. An English ship of war, and a rich pinnace, were burnt, twenty-nine merchant-fhips were taken, and about fifty deftroyed, the value of which was estimated at about a million fterling The efcape of the rest of the fleet was owing to the injudicious conduct of Tourville, who might have furrounded and taken the whole. Rooke, having called a council of war, found The Captains being carried a-board the French Admiral, he asked Schrijver Whether he was a man or a devil? found his Officers divided in their opinions, fome propofing that he should bear away for Ireland, and others, that he fhould attempt to make the harbour of Lisbon. The Admiral, however, determined to proceed to the Madeiras, where he fafely arrived; and having there taken in wood and water, he set fail for Ireland, and arrived at Cork on the 3d of August, with fifty fail of ships of war and trading veffels. The Dutch, although very great fufferers by this fatal blow, in the account which they published of their lofs, acknow. ledged, that it would have been much greater, but for the conduct of Sir George Rooke, on whom they bestowed warm praifes. Tourville, inftead of purfuing Rooke, attacked fome of the Spanish ports where the fhips had retired. On the 20th of July he appeared before Malaga, threatening to bombard the town, if the Governor protected the English and Dutch veffels which lay in the harbour. The Spaniards not being intimidated by this threat, Tourville attacked the fhips which lay in the mole with great fury. The feamen on board them made a long and gallant defence. The French twice attempted to burn the Union frigate, but were bravely repulfed. Superiority of numbers at length prevailed; so that the mafters of the veffels were obliged to fink them, to prevent their failing into the hands of the enemy. A detachment of 14 men of war, and two bomb ketches, were then fent to Cadiz, where, however, they effected very little. At Gibraltar, after an obstinate defence, feveral rich fhips were burnt and funk, to ether with a Dutch man of war. The French had hoped to have found and deftroyed the Spanish fleet, but they had put into Port Mahon, where they were fafe; and, at length, after a glorious campaign, the victors returned to Toulon. OCCASIONAL LETTERS. LETTER XCIX. On the Internal Excellency of the Chriftian Religion, in a Letter from Baron HALLER to his Daughter. The uncandid Charge against the Advocates of Christianity, that the Clergy are interefled Men, pleading for Hire, has been repeatedly anfwered to the Satiffaction of impartial and unprejudiced Minds. Indeed, it must ever vanish before the venerable Lift of Laymen, of the first Rank, the most fhining Abilities, and the most extenfive Literature, who have been the ftrenuous Defenders of our holy Religion, and to whom interested Views cannot be imputed. The Names of Grotius, Newton, Locke, Boyle, Addifon, Weft, and Lyttelton, are familiar to the public Ear. To these illuftrious characters we may add the Name of Baron Haller, whofe noble Works have done Honour to bis Age, and whom almost all the learned Societies in Europe have been proud to enrol in their · Number*. We are, therefore, happy in felecting this Letter from a Volume juft publifhed, entitled, Letters from Baron Haller to his Daughter on the Truth of the Chriftian Religion. Albert de Haller, difciple of the celebrated Boerhaave, was born at Berne, in Switzerland, in 1708, and took his degree of Doctor of Phyfic, at Leyden, in 1727, before he had attained the 19th year of his age. Few of the learned have been coin. parable to him, either for the number, or the merit of their productions; and his reputation was founded more on his own perfonal and literary qualities, than on the honourable titles heaped upon him by almost all the Academies in Europe. But his ge nius was not confined to the talents peculiar to his profeffion, nor to his numerous writings in Medicine and Natural History. The poems he hath written in the German language entitle him to the reputation of being one of the faft poets of his nation. He died in 1777. was the difciple of the immortal Boerhaave. I have always before my eyes the venerable fimplicity of that great man. How many times hath he faid, when fpeaking of the precepts of our Saviour, that this divine teacher knew mankind better than Socrates." But what was Jefus în himself, when we abstract from his perfon every thing that was fupernatural? He was the fon of a mechanic, who was the parent of fifhermen. He had no master to instruct him; he had read nothing but the writings of Mofes and the prophets, and had received no leffons from the Socrates's, the Plato's, the Confucius's of the age: yet what was the doctrine taught by this fon of a mechanic, whofe relations were men of obfcure birth, and without any tincture of fcience? That the fimple defire of committing a crime is itself a fin; a truth, which though confidered in the prefent times as inconteftable, was, nevertheless, a doctrine entirely new, when taught by Chrift. The Jews, it is true, regarded, as unlawful, many things which were confidered alfo as faults by the wifeft Heathens; though their notions of their criminality did not rest upon just foundations. Thofe things only, in their apprehenfion, were morally evil, which were prohibited by the law, or which were repugnant to the happiness of fociety. But they condemned only the action itself; that alone they thought worthy of punifhment-a diftinction not only abfurd, but in fome measure a felf-contradiction. When a debauched perfon fills his imagination with obfcene pictures, the lewd ideas which he recals fail not to ftumulate his defires with a degree of violence that he cannot refut. This will be neceffarily followed by grafication, unless fome external obftacle thould prevent him from the commiffion of a fin on which he had internally refolved. No dihonourable ideas will ever be formed in the pure foul of a virtuous woman; but if they should obtrude themfelves on the mind, and there meet with a favourable reception, he will be an eafy prey to the first temptation. It did not efcape the obfervation of our Saviour, that the first rejectionof evil thought was the best defence againft vice. Every moment, spent in meditations on fin, increafes the power of the dangerous object which has poffeffed our imagination. The illuftrious Boerhaave has often admired this fentence of our Saviour: Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart." This maxim was in reality included in the ancient law against adultery. But mankind, through the blindness of their paffions, could not difcern it By this fhort precept, Chrift hath prescribed, in the most efficacious manner, the means of preferving us from fin. The first attacks of vice are generally feeble; reafon has then fome power over the mind; if then, at the very moment that fuch thoughts occur to us, we shall with all diligence fupprefs them, and employ our attention on other things, we may avoid the approaching danger. But, on the contrary, if we encourage these ideas, they will not fail to entice us into evil. This law, which fubjects even our thoughts to the divine tribunal, is the only means of security in focial life. Human justice hath no power over the paffions. It will never banish crimes, though it may punish criminals. It is not poffible but that a mind, daily fond of reflecting on the feductive allurements of voluptuouf nefs, will devote itself to enjoyment as foon as it perceives a fit opportunity of procuring that fatisfaction, the simple idea of which afforded fo much pleasure. When we speak of the enjoyments of fenfe, we mean all the vices without diftinction. The tribunals of human juftice oppose them only with terror, in cafes where they are made manifeft by their effects. It is not eafy for a man blinded by his paffions to perfuade himself, that he can conceal his faults from the eyes of his fellowcreatures? Is it not difficult for him, when his defires have obtained the fovereignty, to banish from his mind every idea that can oppose them? Will he not suppress all thoughts of future punishment, during the time that he fixes his affections upon prefent pleasures? But the doctrine of Chrift is not confined to the cutting off the young fhoots of these venomous plants; it deftroys them in the bud, as the only means of preventing their growth. He who hath God always before him, in whom the fear of this tremendous Judge is one prevailing fentiment, will never attend to the vicious fuggeftions of his own heart; he will not fuffer any impure ideas to defile his imination; he will not even be exposed to the danger of falling into the latt ttage of a vice, of which he abhorred the very beginnings. That the man, who confiders fin as the greatest of all evils, fhould at once abandon himself to its utmost exceffes, is indeed impoffible; nor is it unlikely that a man who guards |