Printed at St. John's Gate, for D. HENRY; and fold by E. NEwr 1 the Corner of St. Paul's Church-Yard, Ludgate-Street. Price. ws for he 20 id appar ut peare 21 23 25 Ted to the ib. 'oem 28 licy) ib. T 's to Lor kc.29--36 37-40 41 &c. 50 rrences of Captain Addreffed to MR. URBAN, on completing t Lth Volume of THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE Aid me, fome Bard, to execrate the hour, When Genius knelt before the thrine of. Power; [hands, On whofe proud bafe, uprais'd by impious Intereft, in form a golden idol, flands; And Fraud and Meanness fwell the tyrant's train, And noify Faction, pointing ftill to Gain. Here Britain's alter'dMufe, that once was free, Low bows the head, and bends the fupple knee; And, when th' imperious Tyrant gives command, Strikes the bafe lyre with proftituted hand; Dims with dark mifts fair Reason's ray of light, Or gilds Rebellion with the name of Right; Pour forth their poifon, and ufurp the land. -But midft thisfervile train,this fordid race, The blot of Genius, Learning's foul difgrace, Pleas'd let me own one genuine Son of Song, Whom Britain boafts, and may the boat him long! [choir, In whofe pure breaft preferve the useful With juft and holy care, their veftal fire. In Virtue's facred caufe the Peet fings, And all o'er Genius fpreads his guardian ·~wings." Lo! when meek Mercy's Son't, o'er fwelling Leas, Sought with firm tep the dungeons of difeafe And, like Marfeilles + good Bifhop, daunt lefs ftill, With safety walk'd 'midft peftilence and ill, The Poet, of his Hero justly vain, Pour'd with a Pindar's fire the Lyric ftrain : Lur'd by her lovely mien, and claffic state, creas'd. To guard the facred caufe of Truth be thine ! And future times fhall blefs thy pious page, "Of tranfient life to leave fome little trace, "And win remembrance from the rifing “race §," Yes, 'tis our with, and be the with confefs'd, name, "And graft my verfe immortal on his fame.” See a Poctical Epistle to an eminent Painter, by William Hayley, Efq; reviewed, Vol. XLVIII. p. 525. + See Hayley's Ode to John Howard, Efq; the humane vifitor of the prisons, throughout. This Ode is reviewed, p. 483. Why drew Marseilles' good Bishop purer breath, Effay on Man, IV. 157. See Epiftles to Edward Gibbon, Efq; the Hiftorian of the Roman Empire. There are reviewed, p. 288. § Epifles to Gibbon, I, rog. ㄦ ( 3 PRE FA C E. ALF a Century, a large proportion of the life of man, having now elapfed fince we first engaged in the pleafing but arduous task of inructing and amufing*, we think it expedient, for the convenience of our fumerous readers, in fome meafure to complete this part of our Work by fubbining a General Index to the laft Thirty, as has been done to the first Twenty Volumes; but as this will be a work of much labour, and will require great are and accuracy, our Readers cannot expect it to be hailily exeecuted. Thofe ho have complete Sets may then eafily refer to any former volume, and those ho chufe to begin de novo may confider THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE for Fanuary 1781, as the commencement of a new work, which in due time will e clofed in the fame manner, with this material advantage over every new ompilation, and indeed over all our competitors, that our long-established reputation has procured us fo many triends and correfpondents in all parts of the British dominions, that we have often reafon to fay, with the fanciful poet of Sulmo, Inopes nos copia fecit, we are often at a loss what to adopt and what to eject, and, in general, inftead of extracting honey, as at first, from the fugiive flowers + and bloffoms of the month, or poifon (as is the manner of fome) From the baneful hemlock of the day, have little more merit than the industribus hufbandman or gardener, who fows good feed in his ground, and clears it from weeds and vermin. Our Biographical Memoirs have been generally efteemed, and are frequently copied. Our Antiquarian Researches have received a very flattering commendation ; and many other elogiums might be mentioned that do us equal honour. But for the importance of the fubjects difcuffed, we shall refer (as usual) to the principal contents of each month, and shall conclude with obferving, that, inftead of relaxing in our speed, the encouragement which we receive and gratefully acknowledge, and the rivalry which our fuccefs has excited, fhall only quicken our endeavours to deferve the one, and to counteract the other. In January, Debates in parliament; Theatrical regifter; Memoirs of the life and gallant actions of the late Earl of Bristol; Curious remark from Thorn's Chronicle: Lift of the fociety of Antiquaries at their firft incorporation; Particulars relative to Robert Scot, a famous bookfeller in Little Britain; Remarks on the tables of equal and apparent time; Illuftrations of obfcurities in Shakspeare; Account of Mr. Maittaire's learned publications; Prior's Solomon. Strictures on that poem; Humorous epiftle (a literary curiofity); On the feftivities of Shrove-Tuesday. In February, Parliamentary debates continued; Mifcellaneous obfervations and corrections; A paffage in St. Paul farther illuftrated; Hints to authors and bookfellers; Curious particulars of New Zealand; Remarks on Hannibal's paffage through the Alps; Account of the wonderful boy of Lubeck. In March, Parliamentary debates continued; Character of Bp. Atterbury; Brief addrefs to proteftants of all denominations; Obfervations on the university of Oxford; Average price of wheat for 80 years; Mr. Dodiley's collection of poems illuftrated Biographical anecdotes of eminent perfons; Original letters of Bp. Atterbury and Mr. Prior; The Dean of Gloucefler's thoughts on the prefent fituation of public affairs. i In April, Parliamentary debates continued; Characters of Dr. John Burton, Dr. Stephen Hales, Mr. Charles Godwin, and Mr. Joseph Sandford; Remarks on Dr. Predeffe et delectare. + E pluribus unum. It may be fufficient here to refer to the Annual Register; a publication of sterling merit. In the volume which has appeared within thefe few days, the long and curious account of Mr. Garrick is (amongst other articles) copied álmolt literally from our Magazine. In the Bright Topography See our Volume for 1772, p. 275. Priestley; |