and people difcovered with customs, and languages, utterly unknown before. But to what purpose, further than amufement, do these investigations ferve? Captain Furneaux is returned, with an Indian from Otaheite, and all the world are running to fee this exotic Black. The King is to fee him-the Queen is to fee him, and his velvet fkin is to be touched by the Maids of Honour; and all this is the wondrous production of a voyage of two years to the South Seas! When the Efquimaux Indians were in London, who were favage beyond redemption, ladies of delicacy ufed to go to fee them eat candles for breakfast; for tallow they indelicately preferred to other wholfomer viands. In fhort, there are trifling manners prevalent in this Ifland, inconfiftant with the noble dignity of Human Nature, unbecoming of Princes, and unworthy of Subjects. Our fpunk of valour is degenerated into coxcombry, and the glory of this Nation will fink with the luxury and diffipation of the times. England hath rifen to her meridian of glory, and is finking now with a rapidity equal to the earth's diurnal revolution. Extract from the Works of George Lord Lyttleton, formerly printed feparately, and now firft collected together; with Some other Pieces never before printPublifhed by George Edward Ayscough, Efq; One Vol. Quarto. ed. T HIS volume contains his Lordship's observations on the life of Cicero. Obfervations on the ftate of our affairs at home and abroad. Letters from a Perfian in England to his friend at If pahan. Obfervations on the converfion and apoftleflip of St. Paul. Dialogues of the dead. Four fpeeches in Parliament. Poems. Letters to Sir Thomas Lyttleton. And an account of a journey into Wales. Among the pieces never before printed, are his letters to Sir Thomas Lyttleton, from which the following are feleЯted. LETTER IV. Luneville, June 8, 1728. my fifter's marriage, and wish you may difpofe of all your children as much to your fatisfaction and their own. Would to God Mr. P-† had a fortune equal to his brother's, that he might make a prefent of it to my pretty M—! but unhapppily they have neither of them any portion but an uncommon share of merit, which the world will not think them much the richer for. I condole with poor Mrs,-upon the abrupt departure of her intended husband: to be fure, fhe takes it much to heart; for the lofs of an only lover, when a lady is paft three and-twenty, is as afflicting as the lofs of an only child after fifty-five. : "You tell me my mother defires a particular journal of my travels, and the remarks I have made upon them, after the manner of the fage Mr. Bromley. Alas! I am utterly unfit for fo great a work; my genius is light and fuperficial, and let flip a thousand obfervations which would make a figure in his book. It requires much industry and application, as well as a prodigious memory, to know how many houses there are in Paris; how many vestments in a proceffion; how many faints in the Romish calendar, and how many miracles to each faint and yet to fuch a pitch of exactnefs the curious traveller muft arrive, who would imitate Mr. Bromley; not to mention the pains he must be at in examining all the tombs in a great church, and faithfully tranfcribing the infcriptions, tho' they had no better author than the fexton or curate of the parish. For my part, I was fo fhamefully negligent as not to fet down how many croffes are in the road from Calais to Luneville; nay, I did not so much as take an inventory of the relicks in the churches I went to fee. You may judge by this what a poor account I fhall give you of my travels, and how ill the money is bestowed that you spend upon them. But, however, if my dear mother infifts upon it, I fhall have fo much complaifance for the cu NOTE. *To Thomas Pitt, Efq; of Boconnock, in Cornwall, She was his Lordfhip's eldest fifter, and died at Hagley, June 5, 1750. + An officer in the Foot Guards, Dear Sir, nephew to his Lordfhip, and fon to the "I heartily congratulate you upon late Dean of Bristol. riofity 1774. Extracts from Lord Lyttleton's Works. riofity natural to her fex, as to write her a fhort narrative of what rarities I have feen; but of all ordinary fpectacles, fuch as miracles, raree-fhows, and the like, I beg her permiffion to be filent. I am, dear Sir, Your dutiful fon, &c. G. L." LETTER V. Luneville July 21. Dear Sir, "I thank you for fo kindly forgiving the piece of negligence I acquainted you of in my laft. Young fellows are often guilty of voluntary forgetfulness in thofe affairs; but, I affure you, mine was quite accidental. Mr. D tells you true, that I am weary of lofing money at cards; but it is no lefs certain, that without them I fhall foon The fpirit of be weary of Lorrain. quadrille has poffeft the land from morning till midnight; there is nothing else in every house in town. "This court is fond of strangers, but with a provifo that strangers love quaWould you win the hearts of drille. the maids of honour, you must loofe your money at quadrille; would you be thought a well-bred man, you must play genteely at quadrille; would you get a reputation of good fenfe, fhew judgment at quadrille; however, in fummer, one may contrive to pafs a day without quadrille; because there are agreeable promenades, and little parties out of doors; but in winter you are reduced to play at it, or fleep like a fly till the return of fpring. Indeed, in the morning the Duke hunts; but my malicious stars have fo contrived it, that I am no more a sportsman than a gamefter. There are no men of learning in the whole country; on the contrary, it is a character they defpife. A man of quality caught me the other day reading a Latin author; and asked me with an air of contempt, whether I was defigned for the church. All this would be tolerable, if I was not doomed to converse with a fet of English who are ftill more ignorant than the French; and from whom, with my utmost endeavours, I cannot be absent fix hours in the day. is the only one among Lord them who has common fenfe; and he is fo fcandalously debauched in his principles, as well as practice, that his converfation is equally fhocking to my morals and my reason. 469 "My only improvement here is the company of the Duke and Prince Craon, and in the exercise of the academy: I have been abfent from the last near three weeks, by reafon of a sprain I got in the finews of my leg, which is not quite recovered. My duty to my dear mother; I hope you and she continue well. I am, Sir, Your dutiful fon, G. L." LETTER VIII. my Soiffons, Oct. 28. and nation. "You may be fure I avoided it as To prevent any much as poffible; but malgre moi, I fuffered a great deal. comfort from other people, they had made a law among themselves not to admit any foreigner into their company; fo that there was nothing but English talked from June to Jauuary. men of virtue and good On the contrary, my countrymen at Soiffons are fenfe; they mix perpetually with the French, and converfe for the most part in that language. I will trouble you no more upon this fubject; but give me leave to fay, that however capricious I may have been in other things, my sentiments in this particular are the fureft proofs I ever gave you of my strong and hereditary averfion to vice and folly. Mr. Stanhope is always at Fontainbleau. I went with Mr. Poyntz to Paris for 4 days, when the colonel was there to meet him: he received me with great civility and kindness. We have done expecting Mr. Walpole, who is obliged to keep ftrist guard over the cardinal, for fear the German Minifters fhould take him from us; they pull and haul the poor old gentleman fo many ways, that he does not know where to turn, or into whofe arms to throw him felf. "Ripperda's efcape to England will very much embroil affairs, which did not not seem to want another obftacle to hinder them from coming to an accommodation. If the devil is not very much wanting to his own interests in this bufinefs, it is impoffible that the good work of peace fhould go on much longer. After all, moft young fellows are of his party, and with he may bring matters to a war; for they make but ill minifters at a congrefs, but would make good foldiers in a campaign. "No news from and her beloved husband: their unreasonable fondnefs for each other can never laft; they will foon grow as cold to one another as the town to the Beggar's Opera. Pray heaven I may prove a falfe prophet! but married love, and English mufic, are too domeftic to continue long in favour. "My duty to my dear mother; I am glad he has no complaint. You fay nothing relating to your own health which makes me hope you are well. I as fondly love my brothers and fifters as if I was their parent. "There is no need of my concluding with a handfome period; you are above forced efforts of the head. I fhall therefore end this letter with a plain truth of the heart, that I am, Lordship, and prayed him to remove you from his royal perfon; it produced no other effect than to render you a greater favourite both to his royal highnefs and to the world. The nobleness of your Lordship's deScent, and the very ancient title you bear, demand my greateft veneration: and that unbounded generofity, and good-nature, which are your particular characteristics, oblige me to lay at your Lordship's feet the productions of my leifure bours, which, as I entertain the highest esteem for your royal pupil, I humbly recommend to his royal perufal, I beg leave to tell your Lordship, you will find my works very entertaining, as well as inftructive; and for that reafon I fincerely crave your patronage and protection. In particular, my Lord, I wish you to guard and preferve them against all and all manner of Paftry-cooks-Shop-keepers-Tobacco nifts-Grocers-Tallow chandlers—and worshippers of that filthy goddefs Cloacina: for, believe me, my Lord, they are very hurtful to us authors, and great enemies as well to your Lordship, as to your royal pupil and his fubjects. My Lord, they are totally unacquainted with Genius, and treat her votaries with the utmost contempt :-and this I humbly conceive ought (as governor and guardians of the renowned Prince your royal pupil) to engage your attention, For otherwise, The SPECULATIST. No. I. nithed out of the land, as it has long Lord, Genius will be bamy Your most affectionate and dutiful fon, G. L." [To be continued.] DEDICATION. To the Right Honourable and moft Powerful Earl Time, Viscount Havock, and Baron Mortality, Governor of his Royal Highness the Prince Pofterity. My Lord, WE ERE I to purfue the plan of moft modern Dedicators, I fhould here enlarge upon all your Lordship's virtues, and acquaint the public of your fkill as a phyfician-of your poffeffing. the true philofopher's ftone-difcovering the perpetual motion-curing all difeafes and performing incredible miracles. But these things and many others, my Lord, are already fo well known, that my bare mentioning them is needlefs. For though the bald-pated Swift, in his addrefs to your royal pupil, did endeavour to inculcate notions in his royal cars, highly prejudicial to your been out of Corporation Towns, and your Your Lordship's most devoted, most obedient, and most humble fervant, THE SPECULATIST. From my Garret the 10th PREFACE. IT has been a rule amongst authors, time immemorial, before they difclofed their vaft profundity of knowledge to ingratiate themselves as much as poffible in thy efteem by a prefatory dif. courfe and thereby fecure a favourable reception of their works. Now, Reader this maxim is a very judicious one; for thou art moft undoubtedly fenfible, penetrating, and wife; thou canst difcover perfections and pardon errors: In fhort, thou art the real Philofopher. To thee, therefore, I fubmit my productions, and defire thou wilt treat them with all imaginable delicacy-and believe that at all times, and upon all occafions. I fhall endeavour to experience myself thy fincere friend and wellwifher. INTRODUCTION. I HAVE observed that very few writers attain any tolerable degree of credit, till they have firft faid fomething of themselves, and been formally introduced by fome great man, their patron, to the gentle and courteous reader. In obedience, therefore, to this cuftom, I have folicited and obtained the patronage of my fold friend and acquaintance Lord Time, and addreffed myself to the goodnatured Reader in a Preface; fo that there is nothing further to be done to gain their hearts, than to give a defcription of myself. The reader may depend on my impartiality and veracity in this relation; but I must beg him not to be prejudiced against me by the odd figure he may fancy I make, as that will not be very pleafing to me, nor indeed confonant with his often experienced candour. My dear reader, know then, that I have a genteel apartment on the third ftory of an ancient houfe, which is commonly called a Garret. Here my imagination roves uninterrupted by noise, and my contemplation foars above worldly delufions. I hate gaiety of drefs, and therefore am very indifferent about the colour or fashion of my cloaths, My grandfather's great uncle was educated at Court, and brought up in the honourable poft of a link hoy; and as he acquired much credit by his good behaviour, he foon got pollelled of a very handfome wardrobe, of which I am now the lawful and lineal poffeffor. I have a furprising antipathy to luxury in eating or drinking, and fatisfy myself with common food; by which my brain never is overheated. The twentyAuguft, 1774. fecond of May, one thousand Seven hundred and thirty-two, was remarkable for my birth. The fun fhone with uncommon luftre, and every thing portended me something extraordinary. But as my modefty prevents my enlarging much on my qualifications, I must be silent on that head-and. "Thank Heav'n, which made me of an humble mind "To action little, 'lefs to words inclin'd!" My flature is of a pleafing height, rather exceeding four feet-my nose inclined to the Koman, though fomething of the longeft, and ferves as a very happy flade to my chin, which nearly meets it. The Small-pox has done me great injury, not only as it has marked me very much, but as it has deprived me of my left eye. I am unfortunate in a pretty confpicuous hump on my back, and my right leg being contracted, makes it rather difagreeable to me to walk far at a time. Without these disadvantages, and if I had been about eighteen inches higher, I have the vanity to believe I fhould have cut a fine figure. Doubtless Providence, for fome wife end, faw fit that, I fhould not be handsome; and probably for these reasons: The utility of my lucubrations is beyond conception; and my observations are exceeding beneficia! to mankind in general. Now, had I been otherwife than I am, in all probability the world would never have been favoured with my works, as I might have directed my attention to the fair fex, the army, or many other things which have no power over me at prefent. Upon the whole, I really believe (and fo fuppofe do every one elfe), that I was born for the good of my fellowmortals, and in confequence that I am very clever. This, perhaps, may not be granted by all ftrangers at first; but when once they are intimately known to me, they will readily acknowledge it, and thank Heaven for fending into the world A THE SPECULATIST. The Just Punishment. MONG the courtiers of the Em peror Alexander Severus there was one named Veronius Turinus, who, having frequently the honour to converse with the emperor in private, was foon confidered as a man who had influence. and who might procure favours. Many perfons made application to him, and offered him fums of money, if he would promote their intereft. Their money he never failed to grafp at, but paid not the smallest attention to his promifes; and, when their affairs happened to fucceed by means of fome other channel, it was his conftant cuftom to give out, that it was to him they were indebted for it. This he himfelf called felling of Smoke. The emperor, having at length heard of this fraudulent conduct refigned him into the hands of juftice: in confequence of which, all the fums he had received from the credulous dependants upon the favour of the court, and fometimes even from each party, were made public. It was thereupon ordained, that he fhould be tied to a ftake, that around him a quantity of hay and green wood fhould be fet on fire, and that there he fhould remain till ftifled to death with the fmcke. This fentence was accordingly executed, a herald all the while proclaiming aloud, "The feller of Smoke punified with his own merchandise." In these days, when it is fhrewdly fufpected, that we are not ourselves exempted from fuch courtiers as Veronius Turinus, this brief anecdote may have its ufe. A new Theory of Canine Madness, with Never before printed. THE Obfervations on the good or bad Success To establish this important maxim of practice, Sydenham propofes himfelf as a model. "For example (fays he) in feric vapours, 'I do not make ufe of feel or other remedies which fortify the blood and fpirits; and I abitain from purgatives and other evacuants; becaufe, though I imagined, in the first place, that the diforder depended on a weaknefs, and a walling of one and the other, yet having conftantly obferved that purgatives encreafed the difeafe, and that contrary medicines had cured it; I founded my hypothefis on this obfervation of fuccefs. That is, I may fay, a philofopher explaining the operations of an emperic. But if I had began by building my hypothefis, and deducing from it indications for the remedies, I fhould have been like a builder, who would erect the roof of his houfe before he had laid the foundation; or, as the common proverb fays, who builds caftles in the air." In confequence of this maxim, I shall examine the ufual remedies propofed for canine madnefs: the foremost of which is bathing in the fea, which feems to be authorised by public confidence, and the unanimous confent of all nations. But, alas! this has been frequently found ineffectual; multitudes have gone through the ceremony, with the most fcrupulous exactness, who have, neverthelefs, perished with the fupervening Hydrophobia. The method of bathing is this: The the fea fhore, while two ttrong men bow patient is either placed on his knees on down his head at the approach of a wave, which thereby goes quite over him: or he is fastened by a rope,and plunged into the fea. This is repeated nine times. The patient puts on his cloaths, and thinks himself fecure from any evil confequences. According to my theory, we may eafily conclude that this bathing must be very ineffectual to prevent madness: although fea falt rubbed upon fish or flesh will preferve it from worms, yet no rational perfon can fuppofe that five or fix minutes immerfion in fea water, can caufe it to infinuate into the blood fo as to deftroy worms, which have already multiplied, and are fwimming in the ferofity. On the other hand, the fea water braces up the fibres of the skin, and confequently purfes up and clofes the orifices of the abforbant pores, by which the marine falt fhould penetrate and introduce itself. Therefore it muft become useless. A forty |