took place at Greenwich for Holland, under the Duke of York.

26. The Court of Seffion, in the caufe betwixt Eften and Kemble, granted an interdict against Mr Kemble from performing plays at the Circus, Edinburgh.

28. The National Convention paffed a decree banishing the Emigrants for ever from that country, and confifcating their property.-General Clairfait paffed the Roer, and defeated the French on the fide of Duren and Juliers. They retreated beyond Aldenhaven.

March 1. A pition to the King praying for a new patent for a Theatre Royal, figned at Edinburgh by the Lord Provoft, Lord Advocate, and Dean of Faculty.-Simon Butler and Oliver Bond fentenced to three months imprisonment in Newgate, Ireland, for caufing a libel against the House of Lords to be printed. -The Court of Spain ordered all French, not domiciles, to leave the kingdom in twenty days.

2. The National Convention paffed a decree ordering their Generals to fequeftrate the immoveable property of the Stadtholder and his adherents; to annul the Stadtholderfhip, the Courts of Juftice, and the States General.

3. Gertruydenburgh furrendered to the French.-Prince Cobourg defeated the French near Aix-la-Chapelle; 4000 killed, 1600 prifoners. Duke Brunswick defeated the French at Zwalme, killed 1300, took 700.The French retired from Maeftricht. 4. Mr Sheridan moved in the Houfe of Commons for a Committee to enquire into the feditious practices faid to exist in the country; motion negatived.

5. The French retired from Williamftadt.

7. The French declared war against Spain.

10. The Revolutionary Tribunal eftablished in Paris.

11. Mr Pitt laid his budget before the Commons, but proposed no new taxes-The Attorney-General made an attachment of 100,000 l. in the Bank of England, in name of Meff. Bordieu and Chollet, on fuppofition that the money belonged to the French Government.

16. Intelligence received that the Archduke Charles had taken Tongres; the Auftrians, Liege; Prince Frederick of Brunswick, Ruremonde; and the French evacuated Fort St Michael.

18. Prince Cobourg defeated Dumourier near Tirlemont.

20. Pelican Privateer loft at Liverpool.

24. The Auftrian army entered Bruffels.

25. A Convention figned at London between the Ruffian and Briti Courts mutually to affift each other during the war, to fhut their ports againft the French, and renew the treaty of 1766.

30. The French evacuated Oftend. The National Convention paffed a decree ordering General Dumourier to the bar, and appointing four Com. miffioners to the army to fufpend and arrest suspected Generals.

April 1. General Dumourier concluded an armistice with Prince Cobourg, and agreed to evacuate Auftrian Netherlands and Dutch Brabant.

2. General Dumourier fent Monf. Bournonville, and four Commiffioners, who had come to apprehend him, to General Clairfayt at Tournay, and wrote to Clairfayt of his intention to march direct for Paris.

5. Prince of Cobourg iffued a proclamation at Mons, declaring his intention of joining his forces to Dumourier to reftore to France a Conftitutional King, and informing, that whatever conquefts he made fhould be restored when the nation or General Dumourier required, &c.

6. Jofeph Draper, who made an

attempt

attempt on the life of Prince Edward at Quebec, fentenced to be shot.By the Prince's interceffion, he was afterwards pardoned.

7. The National Convention decreed that all members of the Bourbon family be kept as hoftages for the fafety of Bournonville, and the four Commiffioners arrested by Du

mourier.

9. Cobourg iffued a proclamation annulling his former one because it had not the effect expected, and declaring the war would be carried on with vigour.

10. A treaty agreed At Caffel, "between the Landgrave of HeffeCaffel and King of Britain; the former to furnish 8000 men and proper equipage; the latter to pay, for each dragoon, 80; for foot foldier, 30 crowns Banco.

13. Sentence of death pronounced at Dunkalk Affizes, Ireland, on 25 perfons ftiling themfelves Defenders.

14. Tobago taken by Lieut. Gen. Cuyler.

15. Blanchelande, late Governor of St Domingo, executed at Paris.

16. Government granted 10001.. for relief of refugee clergy, and ap pointed the King's Houfe at Winch efter for their accommodation.

21. A maffacre of all the Ariftocrates attempted in the land of Guadaloupe, and feveral fuffered.

22. General Washington iffued a Proclamation, declaring the neutrality of America.

23. The Swedish Court iffued a Proclamation, declaring their determination to remain neutral in the war.

25. Marat tried by the Criminal Tribunal, and acquitted.-A Conyention relative to the war figned at London, between Britain and Sardinia. The former engaged to pay the latter 200,000l. a-year for affitt

ance.

dant of an illustrious family. His brother Anne married Diana of Chateaumorand, the wealthy heirefs of another great house. After a marriage of no lefs duration than twentytwo years, this union was broken by the defire of Anne himself, who declared a fecret defect, which the modefty of Diana had never revealed. Aune then entered into an ecclefiaftic order. Some time afterwards, Honorè, defirous of retaining the great wealth of Diana in the family, addrefied this lady and married her. This union however did not prove fortunate. Diana, like the Goddefs of that nante, was a huntress, continually furrounded by her dogs. They dined with her at table, and flept

nuifance could not be patiently endured by the elegant Honoré He was alfo difgufied with the barrennefs of Diana, who was only delivered every year of abortions, He feparated from her, and retired to Piedmont, where he paffed his remaining days in peace, without feeling the thorns of marriage and ambition rankling in his heart. In this retreat he compofed his Aftrea, a paftoral romance, which was the admiration of Europe during half a century. It forms a ftriking picture of human life, for the incidents are facts beautifully concealed. They relate the amours and gallantries of the court of Henry IV. The perfonages in the Aftrea difplay a rich invention; and the

work

work might be ftill read, were it not for thofe wire-drawn and languishing converfations, which it was once the cuttom of introducing in romances. There is a modern edition of this work, which I have not feen, by the Abbe Souchai: he informs us, that he has curtailed thefe tirefome dialogues; the work, nevertheless, confifts of ten volumes in twelves.

Patru informs us, that when a youth he vifited Honorè in his retirement, and gathered from him with difficulty, a few explanations of thofe circumftances which he had concealed under a veil of fiction. The following difplay the author's ingenuity. In this romance, Celidee, to cure the unfortunate Celidon, and to deprive Thamire at the fame time of every reafon for jealoufy, tears her face with a pointed diamond, and disfigures it in fo cruel a manner, that the excites horror in the breaft of Thamire; who fo ardently admires this exertion of virtue, that he loves her, hideous as fhe is reprefented, ftill more than when he was moit beautiful. Heaven, to be just to these two lovers, reftores the beauty of Celidée; which is affected by a fympathetic powder. This romantic incident is thus explained. One of the French Princes (Calidon) when he returned from Italy, treated with colduefs his amiable princess, (Calidèe) this was the effect of his violent paffion, which had now become jealoufy. The coolnefs fubfifted till the prince was imprifoned, for ftate affairs, in the wood of Vincennes. The princefs, with permiffion of the court,

followed him into his confinement.

This proof of her love foon brought back the wandering heart and affections of the prince. The finall-pox feized her: which is the pointed diamond, and the dreadful disfigurement of her face. She was fo fortunate as to escape being marked by this difeafe which is meant by the fympathetic powder. Patiu

justly obferves, that this trifling adventure is happily turned into a wonderful incident, that a wife fhould choose to be imprifoned with her hufband is not fingular; to escape being marked by the fmall-pox happens every day; but to romance, as he has done, on fuch common circumfiances, is indeed most beautiful, moft inge

nious.

Patru fays, that D'Urfé, when a boy, loved Diana. This has been difputed. It is certain that D'Urfé was fent to the ifland of Malta to become one of its knights. While he was there he was married to Anne. What an affliction for Honorè, on his return, to fee her married, and married to his brother! His affection did not diminish, but he concealed it in refpe&tful filence. He had fome knowledge of his brother's fecret defect; and on this probably founded his hopes. After feveral years, in which the modest Diana had fuffered without complaining, Anne declared himfelf; and fhortly afterwards Honorè, as we have noticed, married Diana.

Our author has defcribed the parties under this falfe appearance of marriage. He affumes the names of Celadon and Sylvander, and gives Diana thofe of Aftrea and Diana. He is Sylvander and the Aftrea while fhe is married to Anne; and he Celadon and the Diana when the marriage is diffolved. Sylvander is reprefented always as a lover who fighs fecretly; nor does Diana declare her paffion, till overcome by the long sufferings of her faithful fhepherd. For this reafon Aftrea and Diana, as well as Sylvander and Celadon, go toge ther, prompted by the fame defpair, to the Fountain of the Truth of Love.

Sylvander is called an unknown fhepherd, who has no other wealth than his flock; because our author was the youngest of his family, or rather a knight of Malta, who poffeffed nothing but honour.

Celadon

Celadon in defpair throws himself into a river; this refers to his voyage to Malta. Under the name of Alexis he displays the friendship of Aftrea for him, and thofe innocent freedoms which paffed betwixt them as relatives; from this circumftance he has contrived a difficulty inimitably delicate.

Something of paffion is to be difcovered in thefe expreffions of friendship.

When Alexis affumes the name of Celadon, he calls that love, which Aftrea had only taken for fraternal affection. This was the try ing moment. For though fhe loved him, the is reprefented as a perfon molt rigorcufly attached to her duty and her honour. She fays, What will they think of me if I unite my felf to him, after permitting, for fo many years, thofe familiarities which a brother may have taken with a fifter, with me, who knew that in fact I remained unmarried?

How he got over this nice fcruple does not appear; it was however for a long time a great obftacle to the felicity of our author. There is an incident which thews the purity of this married virgin, who was fearful of the liberties the allowed Celadon might be ill conftrued. Phillis tells the Druid Adamas, that Aftrea was feen fleeping by the fountain of the truth of love, and that the unicorns which guarded thofe waters were obferved to approach her, and lay their heads on her lap. As the fable fays that it is one of the properties of these animals never to approach any female but a maiden, at this ftrange difficulty our druid remains furprised; while Aftrea has thus given an incontrovertible proof of her purity.

The hiftory of Philander is that of the elder D'Urfè, None but boys difguised as girls, and girls as boys,

appear in this hiftory. It was in this manner he concealed, without offending modeity, the defect of his brother. To mark the truth of this hiftory, when Philander is difguifed as a woman, while he converfes with Aftrea of his love he frequently alludes to his misfortune, although in another fenfe.

Philander ready to expire, will die with the glorious name of the hufband of Aftrea. He intreats her to grant him this favour; fhe accords it to him, and fwears before the Gods, 'that the receives him in her heart for her husband. The truth is, he en joyed nothing but the name. lander dies too, in combating with a hideous moor, which is the personification of his confcience, which at length compelled him to quit fo beautiful an object, and one fo worthy of being eternally beloved.

Phi

The gratitude of Sylvander, on the point of being facrificed, reprefents the confent of Honorè's parents to diffolve his vow of celibacy, and unite him to Diana; and the druid Adamas reprefents the ecclefiaftical power. The Fountain of the Truth of Love, is that of marriage; the unicorns are the fymbols of that purity which fhould ever guard it; and the flaming eyes of the lions, who are also there, are thofe inconveniences attending marriage, but over which a faithful paffion eafily triumphs,

In this manner has our author difguifed his own private history; and blended in his works a number of little amours which paffed at the court of Henry the Great. I might proceed in explaining thefe allegories; but what I have noticed will be fufficient to give an idea of the ingenuity of the author. As they relate to his private hiflory, which I cannot think uninterefling.

ACCOUNT

DR Dee was the fon of Rowland Dee, Gentleman Sewer to Henry VIII, and grandfon of Bedo Dee, Standard-Bearer to Lord de Ferrars at the battle of Tournay; if any credit is to be given to his pedigree in the British Museum, drawn up by himself, he was defcended in a direct line from Tudor the Great. His father was imprifoned in the Tower in the year 1553. His Mother, Johanna Dee, lived at Mortlake as early as the year, 1568. The greater part of the following account, except where other authorities are quoted, is taken from the MS. narrative of his life t, which he read to the commiffioners at his houfe at Mortlake.

John Dee was born in London A. D. 1527.. At the age of 15 he went to the university of Cambridge, where he applied himself to his ftu dies with fuch diligence that he allowed only four hours for fleep and two for his meals and recreation. In 1547 he went abroad to converfe with learned men, particularly mathematicians; and on his return the enfuing year was elected fellow of Trinity College, and made underreader of the Greek language. He went to the Continent again foon afterwards; and being then only 23 years of age, read public lectures at Paris upon the Elements of Euclid to crowded audiences, and was vifi. ted by perfons of the highest rank, who were anxious to become his pupils. In 1553 Edward VI. took him under his patronage, allowed

B

gave

him a penfion, and him the rec

tories of Upton-upon-Severn in Worcefterfhire, and Long Leduain in Lincolnshire. About this time he was offered a handfome falary for reading lectures upon natural philofophy at Oxford. In Queen Mary's reign he was out of favour; and being fufpected of treafonable defigus, was committed to the cuftody of Bishop Bonner, but efcaped better than his fellow-prifoner Green, who fuffered at the flake. Queen Elizabeth, upon her acceßion to the throne, immediately took Dee under her patronage, and among other marks of her favour appointed him, though a layman, to the deanery of Gloucefter of which however he never got poffeffion, In 1575 the Queen, with feveral of the nobility, came to his houfe at Mortlake, with an intention of feeing his library, but hearing that his wife was lately dead, they did not enter the house. Dee attended her Majefly at the door, and explained to her the properties of a glafs which had occafioned much converfation, and given rife to a report that he was a magician. In 1578 he married Jane, daughter of Bartholomew Fromound, Efq. of Eaft-Cheam. In 1581 he first began his incantations in concert with one Edward Kelly. Albert Lafki, a Polish nobleman of high rank, (and I have no doubt of large fortune, or he would not have answered their purpofe,) was admitted into a kind of partnership with them. They pretended to carry on their converfations