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Scots and Irish early Literature difcuffed.

Britain were utter ftrangers to it. Chrif tianity was diffufed among the Celtic inhabitants of Britain and Ireland, while the Romans remained mafters of Britain. From the western fhores of Britain were its preachers conveyed to Ireland, ere yet the Pictish and Scottish tribes of the north of Scotland had been converted. The Irish, at a time when, of the inhabitants of thefe Ifles, only they and the ancient Britons were chriftians, fent out apoftles, by whom the gospel was propagated in the Hebude, and among the Scots of Argylefhire. But, it was not till after thefe events had paffed, that the Norsemen of Scandinavia, the Teutonic tribes of the north of Germany, or the AngloSaxons of England, embraced the chriftian faith. The Norfe-men, or Danes, were, in various instances, converted and baptized by the Irish and the Hebudian Scots, whom their frequent defcents, from time to time, harraffed and fubdued. The Anglo-Saxons of England are recorded by Bede, to have had the gospel preached to them, by miffionaries from Jona, as well as by Austin, and those others who followed him from Rome. Boniface, one

of the most distinguished apoftles of the northern Germans, is, by thofe Germans themselves, believed to have been a Scotfman. In the court of Charlemagne in England, in different places on the continent, eminent Scotfmen from Jona, and of the difciples of the famous Columba, are known to have, about a thoufand years fince, flourished.

Now, Sir, permit me to apply this detail of facts to the folution of that hiftorical problem which I have above stated. It is from their having been chriftianized before the Saxons and the ancient Scandinavians, that the Scots and Irish have derived the praife of an earlier literary illumination than was enjoyed by their neighbours. Ignorance is often prone to extravagant admiration. They to whom christianity was firft communicated, through the intervention of the Scots, venerated and praised their inftructors, as the most enlightened of mankind. The miffionaries of Rome, while they rejected, as heretical, the chriftianity of Ireland, and of Jona, yet could not deny its exiftence, nor refufe to the Scots the praise of being nearer to the kingdom of heaven than the Anglo-Saxon heathens. This praise thus acquired by the early chriftianity of the Scots, was, in the courfe of thofe dark ages which fucceeded, continually augmented by high pretenfions on the one hand, by ignorance, gratitude,

413.

and fuperftition on the other. Not till after knowledge had been revived throughout Europe, did the tales in which it was commemorated begin to be difputed. Hiftorical fcepticiím would reject the whole as fiction.. Candid investigation discovers that there is, indeed, a real form, but one invefted with falfe colours, and to the eye, enlarged to an unreal, gigantic loftinefs by the mifts through which it has been feen. The following propofition, then, may be henceforth regarded as a genuine historical truth.

"The Scots and Irish, who were converts to christianity, fooner than the Scandinavians, have, from these circumftances alone, derived that praise of early literary illumination, which has been eagerly claimed by themselves, attributed to them by many others, but now, at laft, generally denied to them, fince the age of more discriminating historical refearch had its commencement.

St. Andrews, May 17, 1798.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THE facility with which bank notes,

efpecially thofe of one and two pounds value, are now paid and received, has been the means of introducing into circulation a number of forged ones, of the above defcription. The confidence which the public has hitherto reposed in the bank of England is likewife increased by an erroneous opinion, which many perfons entertain, that all bank notes are received as fuch at the bank, fome thoufands of pounds being appropriated every year by the company, to meet the lofs they fuftain in confequence of forgeries. As the nominal value of forged notes, however, is not allowed by the bank, but the perfon to whom they can be traced back, is the fufferer, it is certainly a matter of fome confequence for each individual to adopt fome method which may enable him to afcertain, with eafe and precifion, of whom he has received any particular bank note. This may, in general, be done by writing on the back of each note, at the time of receiving it, the name of the person from whom it is received. I have always practised this method myself, writing the name of the perfon in fhort-hand, which requires but little time, and takes up confiderably lefs fpace than common-writing, and enables me, at any future period, to trace every note back again, to the perfon from whom I received it. Were the above measure generally practifed, it would

414 Bank Notes.-Appearance of Venus in the Day.-Professor Moor.

prove, perhaps, a greater check on the circulation of forged bank paper than any fuperior ftyle of engraving, as the difference in point of execution might not be fufficiently obvious to ftrike every one.

Perhaps it may be objected, that the back of a note would, in a fhort time, be entirely covered with names; and is not this fometimes the cafe likewife with the endorsements on draughts payable in London, or elsewhere? But in the prefent inftance, there is always a remedy at hand, by returning fuch notes to the bank in order to be exchanged, either for cash or other notes of the fame value. I am, Sir, THO. MOLINEUX. yours, &c. Macclesfield, April, 1798.

For the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

A you have often avowed a predilec

tion for facts, I beg leave to fend you the following one, which has attracted much attention in this city*, viz. the planet Venus being diftinctly visible at noon on Thursday the 1ft inftant; it was firft feen about ten o'clock in the morning, and it was diftinctly obferved by many fpectators till late in the evening. But what rendered the vifibility of the planet much more curious, is the fact that the air, on the ift, was remarkably denfe, there had been a heavy fall of rain the night before, and that morning there were feveral fhowers of rain and fleet. The statement that I have juft given of the weather, precludes the only philofophical caufe (rarefaction) that I know, that can be affigned for this deviation from the general laws of nature; I, therefore, fhould be much obliged to any of your af tronomical readers, if they would have the goodnels to inform me (through the medium of your very useful Magazine), on what principle they account for this extraordinary circumftance- or, whether like me, they rank it amongst one of the many inexplicable phenomena of nature. Feb. 15, 1798. CLEON.

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however, has hitherto been done, in this country, towards applying thofe principles to practice. Students of Greek and Latin have as yet reaped no farther benefit than that of having their eyes opened to the futility and fallacioufnefs of our elementary treatifes, which are equally erroneous in principle, confufed in method, and barbarous in execution; while, for any real and juft investigations of the parts of fpeech, they are obliged to have recourfe to the ponderous lucubrations of the Dutch etymologifts and commentators, Schultens, Hemfterhuis, Valckenaer, Lennep, and Scheid. will not, therefore, I flatter myself, be unacceptable to your young readers, to be made acquainted with a fmall treatife, in our own language, on this fubject, which it is likely has never found its way very generally fouth of the Tweed. The title of it is: "On the Prepfitions of the Greek Language; an Introductory Elay." Glafg. 1766. It was the production of James Moor, LL.D. Profeffor of Greek in that university, a man whofe critical acumen in the philofophy of language, will be readily acknowledged by all, who are acquainted with the comprehenfive fimplicity of the principles and rules delivered in his Greek grammar; which performance, unhappily, he did not live to complete. The Effay in question, is indeed a most ingenious attempt to trace the primary fignification of the prepofitions, and approaches fo near, in many cafes, to the genuine corporeal meaning, that, were it not the best practical treatife on the fubject, it ought to be known to every scholar, as an inftance of the contemporary progrefs of philofophical investigation, in different countries, refpecting the origin and application of words. Had Profeffor Moor lived to purfue his difcuffions, it is probable that they would have ended in a more rational and fatisfactory elucidation of this as well as other topics of Greek grammar, than any yet fubmitted to the ingenious. That none of his fcholars, who heard his lectures, or of thofe who have perufed his Effay, should, from the glimpses of light therein con tained, have ftruck into the true path of grammatical investigation, will not appear furorifing to thofe who recollect, how feldom the literary annals, even of all Europe, can boaft the name of a HORNE TOOKE. I am, yours, &c. Feb. 13, 1798. J. G. Permit me, by way of poftfcript, though the fubjects have little connection,

very

Memoirs of Johnson, Author of Hurlothrumbo.

nection, to fhew to your intelligent correfpondent, who has favoured us with a Leries of Gallic coins fubfequent to the revolution, that the earlieft medallic commemoration of rifing freedom in that country, is a coin reprefenting the taking of the Bastille, and ftruck foon after that important event. The execution is good, and the piece deferves notice, as being the first of a feries, destined to record the birth, progrefs, and triumphs of liberty.

For the Monthly Magazine.

MR. EDITOR,

Y heard of that renowned comedy, or tragedy, or farce, or opera, or what you will, called Hurlothrumbo, or the Supernaturals, which, about 60 or 70 years ago, made fuch a noife in this kingdom, and was the means of impofing a trick upon the public, fimilar to that of the memorable Bottle Conjuror. Perhaps a few biographical sketches of Lord Flame, its eccentric author, and to know where the father of Hurlothrumbo lies, may not be unacceptable to fome of your readers. His real name was Samuel Johnson: a man, who though not equal, in folid fenfe and ftrength of understanding, to his celebrated namefake, may at least contend with him on the score of vivid fancy, verfatility of talent, and oddness of character. With the profeffion of a dancing-master, in which he excelled very much, he united that of a poet, of a musician, and a player. In the firft of thefe characters he was tutor to fome of the higheft families, and by that means became acquainted with many of the nobility. The late Duke of Montague (the reputed author of the Bottle Conjurer), finding Mr. Johnfon a proper inftrument for his favourite purpole of ridiculing the credulity and foolish curiofity of the age, engaged him to write the play of Hurlothrumbo; a compofition, which, for abfurd bombaft and turgid nonfenfe, perhaps, ftands unrivalled in the English, language, infomuch that "Hurlothrumborant" is now become a proverbial expreffion. This play was extolled in the newspapers by the duke, as the moft fublime effort of human genius which had for a long time appeared; in confequence of which, and the continued commendations of it which were thus echoed round, it was performed for many fucceffive pights, till the whole town had had the fatisfaction, or rather the mortification, of finding themselves perfonally duped, and of difcovering that unintelligible rant MONTHLY MAG. No. XXXII.

YOU may probably have feen or

415.

did not constitute fublimity. The author himself performed the part of Lord Flame> one of the characters, a title which he from thence obtained, and was faluted with by all ranks during the remainder of his life. This extraordinary work, was published by fubfcription, in the year 1729, and many names of the first rank and confequence then in the kingdom, are prefixed as fubfcribers. The character of the play is defcribed with great humour in the epilogue annexed to it, written by Mr. Byrom, of which I quote from memory a few of the ideas. Hurlothrumbo (another of the characters) is introduced upon the ftage, quarrelling with a critic concerning the qualities of the drama.

"CRIT. Call this a play! Why there's no plot, or none that's under

ftood.

HURL. There's a rebellion tho', and that's as good.

No fpirit nor genius in it. HURL.

What! don't here

CRIT.
A fpirit and a genius both appear?"

In truth, and fo they do, Mr. Hur lothrumbo, and as terrifying a spirit as the best of them; no less than death himfelf, who enters, arrayed in all his accoutrements, mounted on a great black horfe, and attended by a genius as horrible as himself. But to proceed to the mention of Lord Flame's other produc tions; foon after the publication of Hur lothrumbo, encouraged, no doubt, by the extraordinary fuccefs of his laft performance, he wrote another play, called the Blazing Star, or the Beauties of the Poets, which was equally patronized with his laft performance, and which he dedicated to the then Lady Delves and Lord Walpole. The dedication, to which he fubfcribed himself Lord Flame, is a model for compofitions of this nature; and thofe who are at a lofs for the style of dedicatorial adulation, need only refort to this fpecimen of his lordship, to be initiated into the whole art and mystery of it. The Blazing Star is by no means inferior in fublimity to Hurlothrumbo, and the common unpoetical reader will, doubtlefs, be a little furprized, when he hears not only the heroes, but even their very pages, venting the moft lofty and founding paffages of Milton, and other authors, as familiar difcourfe. Lord Flame feems perfectly to have understood the meaning of Longinus gigi ves, for the dialogue foars fo conftantly in the fublime, that every one of the characters ranges at his eafe, through the bigbeft 3 H

part

416

Memoirs of Lord Flame.

part of heaven, and never fuffers himself the town of an entertainment; and, in the

to defcend an inch below the fun, the moon, and the stars.

Thofe two plays are now very rare, and it is to be lamented that they are not more diffused among the world, for the benefit of tragic, or would-be-fublime authors, in general. These were not his lordship's only productions in the dramatic line, for I was favoured, by an ingenious gentleman who had refort to his papers after his death, with two manufcript plays, in the fame ftyle as the two before mentioned, together with a printed dialogue, intitled" Court and Country." The gentleman who furnished me with thefe plays, was Bryan Grey, Efq. of Lancaster, lately decealed, a man, who, with the most amiable difpofitions of the heart, united an elegance of mind, an intelligence, a variety of acquirements poffeffed by few. Confidered as a moft agreeable companion, as a man of fuperior talents, kind, condefcending to all, he will be long remembered and regretted by as numerous a circle of friends, as perhaps ever graced the acquaintance of a private gentleman. I could not help paying this fmall tribute to departed merit, though it has fomewhat interrupted the thread of my narrative. But, to return, on a blank leaf in one of these manufcript plays, is the copy of a letter written by Lord Flame, and feemingly intended for the manager of one of the theatres, which, as it throws a little light upon the author's character,

I tranfcribe.

"Sir, laft May twelvemonth I call'd to fee you, and offer you a play, but you thought proper to tell me that you were then engaged for two years, and that time being now near expired, I write this to let you know that I have been thirty years compofeing mufic and Tongs, and, out of a great number, I have pick'd out thirty fongs, and have made an English comedy, or opera, and fuch a one that will introduce all the paffions that mufic

can defcribe. I have fome bufinefs in London

in May, and I think to do myself the hofour to wait on you with the drama-part of my opera, and will leave it with you to pe rufe as long as you fhall think proper. What I defire of you is, to hear the comedy read over, and when it comes to a fong then I will play the aire and fymphony; and I have the happyness to think, that there is no better judg of a fong in the kingdom than yourfelf, and when you have heard it, if you fay that you have ever heard a better, then I will not defire you to play it; but if you fhould think it better than any, and not take it in, then you will be cruel to the author, and hinder

third place, you may prevent any great genius rifing up in the age you live in. I heard the Duke of Montague fay, that if Homer was in London in this age, and did write for the play-houfe, his genius would be thrown away, for the masters would not made five operas, and all of them were performed in public, but then I was young and acted in them myfelf, but now I am about fourfcore years old, and cannot act any more ei but, as this opera is much the best that ever I made, I am defirous to fee it performed before I leave the world."

do his work the honour to look at it. I have

There is no date or fignature to this nufcript plays in my poffeffion, as fome letter, nor any title pages to the two maof the firft leaves are torn away; but whenever the learned world fhall express of genius in print, they fhall be brought any defire to fee thefe ineftimable treasures forth, difplayed on a fine cream-coloured wove paper, and hot preffed, with engravings by the beft artists, expreffive of the moft fublime paffages. The other opera alluded to in this letter, I have not feen, and am fearful it has fhared the

fate of many claffic authors, the want of
which we now deplore, namely, that it is
totally loft.
As a poet, the plays above
mentioned, which are interfperfed with
in the manner of our modern novels
many original pieces of poetry," exactly
(another recommendation for the world
Lord Flame ample teftimony. The po-
to have them printed) bear the genius of
etry, no doubt, contributed not a little

to the fame of his dramas. So much for
his writings. Lord Flame, after having
moved the chief part of his life in the
higher circles, was, in his declining age,
prefented by the late Earl of H******.
***, to whofe family he had formerly been
tutor in the art of dancing, with a small
manfion at Gawfworth, a romantic vil-
lage near Macclesfield, in Chefnire, where
he might spend the remainder of his days
in peace, and indulge his paffion for the
mufes, in rural leifure. To this place he
retired, where he was liberally fupported
by the annual contributions of feveral of
the firft wits of the age, and many of
thofe families with which he had before
been intimate. The nominal nobleman
had been fo long accustomed to hear him-
felf addreffed by his title, that he at last
abfolutely fancied himself to be a lord,
aping the manners and affuming all the
dignity of one defcended from a long
train of illuftrious ancestry. His patrons,
willing perhaps to humour the conceit,

were

Memoirs of Lord Flame.

were wont not to send their fubfcriptions immediately to him, but to the Earl of H*********'s steward, who lived at Gawfworth, and who used to wait upon Lord Flame annually, with this introductory address My Lord, I have brought you your rents." He was defired to wait, and his lordship having received the money, gave him a formal receipt, and difmiffed him. Indeed one of his patrons, the Bishop of C-, re. gularly tranfmitted to him perfonally, an annual prefent of a pound of tea, in which were contained ten guineas; but it is probable, from feveral little ftories told concerning him, that had the naked fubfcription been fent to him, undisguised and unpalliated by fome fuch cover as the tea, he would have refented the gift intended for his fubfiftence, as an affront. He was familiar at the tables of the gentlemen in the neighbourhood, where his lively fallies of wit made him conftantly acceptable, and where he always behaved as if he was really of the rank which his title imported. The ruftics ftill remember him, and relate with fmiles, many little anecdotes concerning his eccentric deportment. They all of them invariably addressed him by the title of "My Lord," but behind his back they gave him another title, not quite fo refpectable as the firft, namely, "Old Maggotty." He was himself of a good old age, but notwithstanding, had a particular diflike to old women. There

was

an old woman, named Hannah Bailey, who lived neighbour to him, and, it is probable, had never been unkind to him, but on whom he never could look with an eye of favour. One ftory in particular, I recollect hearing from the villagers concerning him; it is cuftomary in country churches, when a couple has been newly married, for the fingers to chaunt, on the following Sunday, a particular pfalm, thence called the Wedding Pfalm, in which are thefe words: "Oh well is thee, and happy fhalt thou be." It happened, that the nuptials of a village pair were thus celebrated before Lord Flame, but the hoarfe mufic of the countrymen did not please his refined When the fervice was over, he accofted the clergyman at the church-door with this opinion, "I tell you what, fir, I think yonder Tom Friar would do to fing Oh well is thee, and happy shalt thou be, if the devil was married to Hannah Bailey." The ruftics celebrate him as a remarkably excellent performer on the violin, which stamps an additional

car.

417

luftre on his name, in his character of a musician. They add, too, that he himfelf imagined he was an uncommonly melodious finger, but the contortions of his face during the performace, were fo hideous, that he was accustomed, whenever he was defired to fing, to stand with his face close to a wall, and to cover each fide of it with his hands, in order to prevent every poffible chance of its being feen, as otherwife it would have been fure to have diverted all attention from his fong.

After having enjoyed the fweets of tranquillity in his fequeftered retreat for feveral years, he was at laft fummoned out of this world in the year 1780. When he was on his death-bed, he earnestly requested, that after his decease, his body might not be buried in the church-yard, but in Gawfworth wood, and affigned as his reafon for the ftrange requeft, that he was certain if he was buried in the church-yard, that at the refurrection, fome old woman or other would be quarrelling with him concerning the property of a leg or thigh bone, and therefore he was determined to keep himself to himself. A vault was accordingly made for him in the wood, near a favourite fpot, which had been his conftant walk and haunt of meditation, and he was there buried. The neighbouring gentlemen wishing to preferve the memory of fo extraordinary a character, erected a small tomb over him, for which the following epitaph was written, and has fince been infcribed upon it :

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having been in his life distinct

from other men,

By the eccentricities of his genius, Chofe to retain the fame character after his death,

And was at his own defire buried here. A. D. 1780. Aged 82.

Stay thou, whom chance directs, or ease perfuades,

To feek the quiet of thefe fylvan fhades;
Here, undisturb'd, and hid from vulgar eyes,
A wit, musician, poet, player, lies;
A dancing-mafter too, in grace he thone;

And Hurlothrumbo's fire was all his own;
'Twas he, with pen fublime, who drew Lord
Flame,

Acted the part, and gain'd himself the name. Averfe to ftrife, how oft he'd gravely say, Thefe peaceful groves fhould fhade his breathlefs clay, 3 H 2

That,

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