Слике страница
PDF
ePub

1798.1

Original Anecdotes. Jahn Wilkes, Esq.

his enemies for on the 19th of January,
1764, we find him expelled the Com-
mons, and a new writ was immediately
ordered to be iffued for Aylesbury, The
Houfe of Peers alfo thought its privi-
leges violated, in the perfons of the bi-
fhop of Gloucefter, whofe name had been
affixed, as editor to an obfcene pamphlet,
printed at Mr. Wilkes's private prefs,and
exhibited a remarkable refentment on that
account. In addition to this, he was
found guilty, in the court of King's
Bench, of the republication of the "North
Briton, No 45, with notes," and for
printing and publifhing the "Effay on
Woman." Of the first of these produc-
tions, he
was avowedly the editor;
but as to the fecond, which is a parody on
Pope's Effay on Man, he was no farther
criminal than by allowing twelve copies to
be printed at his apartments: the real au-
thor was a fon of an archbishop of Can-
terbury In both inftances, the works
in question were obtained by the basest
fraud, his own fervants having been
bribed and fuborned for that very pur-
pofe.

At length, a change of miniftry having taken place, and the parliament being diffolved, Mr. W. returned to his native country; and notwithstanding the terrors of an outlawry, actually food candidate for the firft city in the empire, and only loft his election by a fmall majority. He proved more fuccessful in the firft county, as he was returned a knight of the fhire for Middlesex, after a great and decifive conteft.

The violated laws were, however, ftill to be atoned for, and, accordingly, the new member, with his ufual intrepidity, voluntarily furrendered himself, in the court of King's Bench, on April 20th, 1768; and on Saturday morning, June 18th, fentence was pronounced; in confequence of which he was imprifoned for twenty-two calendar months, and oblig ed to pay a fine of 1000l. He found means, however, to get his out-lawry reverfed, and this was accomplished with lefs difficulty than had been expected, as lord Mansfield, who, on great occafions, exhibited evident fymptoms of timidity, was alarmed at the odium attached to all thofe concerned in the proceedings, and did not, perhaps, think the

A fimilar cafe to that of Capt. Perry, ftill languishing in the prifon of Newgate, had not then occurred, or it might have been urged as a precedent! The fituation of this gentleman is particularly hard,

47

bench itfelf, although surrounded by mace bearers and tipftaves, facred from the fury of an incenfed inultitude.

No fooner was this neceffary prelimi nary achieved, than the action against lord Halifax, who had. hitherto pleaded the out-lawry as a bar, was recommenced, and a verdict of 4000l. obtained. This fum, together with 1000l. recovered from Mr. Wood, the under fecretary of state, and the amount of the verdicts, damages, and cofts of fuit, were all paid out of the civil lift, by an exprefs order of council!

To balance the victory, he was doomed to suffer a fresh profecution. His long and rigorous imprisonment having enfured the indignation of all liberal and independent men, and enflamed large bodies of the populace to a degree of frenzy little fhort of madness, many riots took place, and St. George's-fields became the fcene of much confufion. There were two legal modes of proceeding in this cafe. The first, most gracious and affuredly moft politic, would have been a fpontaneous exercife of the royal mercy, which, by its extenfion to the prifoner, would have diffolved the affociations entered into for his protection and support, and left him without complaint, and, confequently, without adherents. The fecond was the conftitutional employment of the civil power, in order to keep the peace, and, in cafe of infraction, to punish the offenders. A third was, however, recurred to, unknown to our ancient law equivocal in its nature, and problematical in its application; this was the calling in a military force, a measure ftrenuously recommended by lord Weymouth, then fecretary of state, and as warmly com bated by Mr. Wilkes. This produced a fecond expulfion, and as one injustice naturally leads to another, gave birth to the nomination of Mr. Lurterell, now lord Carhampton, as the fitting member for Middlefex, although Mr. Wilkes was duly returned by the fheriffs, and fairly elected by an immente majority.

If he was excluded however from

parliamentary, civic honours poured thick upon him. While immured with in the walls of a prifon (in 1769) he was elected alderman of Farringdon Without, the most confiderable and patriotic ward in the metropolis. Two years afterwards, he afpired to and obtained the dignity of the fhrievalty, and in 1774, he was elevated to the city chair. In all thefe different relations, he exer

cifed

48

Original Anecdotes.Mr. Wilkes.

cifed the magisterial functions, with great fpirit and integrity, and in the laft of them. he incurred fresh * debts, by fupporting the honour of his statión. While oppreffed by the accufation of minifters, the gale of popular attachment fet in ftrongly in his favour, and he was never fo great, or perhaps fo happy, as when afflicted by the perfecution of the court. His caufe was fupported by the best and ableft men in the kingdom; his debts were more than once paid by the generous care of his friends, and every immediate want was anticipated by the ardour of their bounty +. But this was not all: they were determined to procure him a more permanent provifion, and accordingly started him as a candidate for the lucrative office of chamberlain of the city of London. Mr. Hopkins however prevailed, notwithstanding his character was tainted refpecting fome money negotiations with a minor; and an annual conteft took place until his death, which occurred in 1779, fince which period Mr. Wilkes occupied that fituation, for the remainder of his life.

During the whole of the American war, he was a ftrenuous oppofer of lord North's adminiftration, and heartily joined his own perfonal enemies in oppofing the measures, aud difplaying the guilt of that juftly odious ftatefman. No fooner was the noble lord hunted into the toils, and brought within the reach of a punishment, from which he efcaped, in confequence of the eagerness difplayed in dividing the fpoils of the delinquent, than Mr. Wilkes feized that opportunity of procuring juftice to the public and to himself, refpecting the Middlesex election. The day this fcandalous decifion was refcinded from the journals of the houfe of commons, may be faid to have been the last of his political career. Indeed, from that moment, he feems to have fuppofed his miffion at an end, and in his own exprefs words to

*These were the only debts incurred in the public fervice, and I understand that they have been all liquidated,

Among other prefents received by him was a cup of 500l. value, made by Mr. Stephenfon, of Ludgate hill, on which he caufed the following lines to be engraved :> "Proud Buckingham, for law too mighty grown, A patriot dagger prob'd, and from the throne Sever'd its minion. In fucceding times, May all thofe favourites who adopt his crimes Partake his fate, and ev'ry Villiers feel The keen deep fearchings of a Felten's steel.”

[Jan.

have confidered himself as an "extinguished volcano!"

In his perfon, Mr. Wilkes was tall, agile, and fo very thin towards the latter part of his life, that his limbs seemed cadaverous. His complexion was fallow, and he had an unfortunate caft of his eyes, that rendered his face particularly liable to be caricatured. The miniftry of that day were fo fenfible of the advantages to be derived from this fpecies of ridicule, that Hogarth was actually bought off from the popular party, by means of a penfion, and earned a difhonourable reward, by employing his graver in fatirifing his former friends. Notwithstanding the defects of lus perfon, Mr. Wilkes at one time actually fet the fashions, and introduced blue hair powder, on his return from France in 1769.

*

Towards the latter part of his life, he became regardless of his drefs, and his wardrobe for the last fifteen years feems to have confifted of a faded fcarlet coat, white cloth waistcoat and breeches, and a pair of military boots, in which he was accustomed to walk three or four times a week, from Kensington to Grofvenor fquare, and from Grofvenor fquare to Guildhall. Like most of the old school, he never defcended from the dignity of a cocked bat, and it is but of late that he abjured the long exploded fashion of wearing a gold button and loop.

His ready wit was proverbial, and he never miffed an opportunity of being jocular, at the expence of his colleagues. Sometimes he would difconcert the gravity of a city feaft by his fatire; and when he told the late alderman Burnell, (formerly a bricklayer) who seemed to be unable to manage a knife, in the fim

*

"When that great charter which our
fathers bought,

With their best blood, was into question brought,
When big with ruin, o'er each English head,
Vile flavery hung fufpended by a thread,
When liberty, all trembling and ag haft,
Fear'd for the future, knowing what was paft,
When ev'ry breast was chill'd with deep despair,
Till reafon pointed out that Pratt was there,
Lurking moft ruffian-like behind a fcreen,
So plac'd all things to fee, himself unfeen,
Virtue with due contempt faw Hogarth ftand.
The murd'rous pencil in his palfy'd hand
What was the caufe of liberty to him,
Or what was hononr? let them fink or swim,
So he may gratify without control,

The mean refentments of his felfish foul:
Let freedom perish, if to freedom true,
In the fame ruin Wilkes may perish too."

Churchill's epif. to Hogarth.

ple

1798.]

New Patents. Mr. Carpenter's.

ple operation of cutting a pudding, "that he had better take his trowel to it!" he fet the whole corporation in a

roar.

As a man of pleasure, he facrificed to his paffions, not unfrequently, at the expence of his happinefs, and even of his character. The fcandal attached to the order of St. Francis *, of which he was a member, operated confiderably against the influence of his politics; it is not a little remarkable, however, that men, not the most famous for the chastity of their manners, fuch as the lords Sandwich and March (the latter is the prefent duke of Queensbury) fhould have been the moft eager to detect and expofe the follies of his loofer moments.

It cannot be denied, that his conduct as a magiftrate was not only unexceptionable, but fpirited and exemplary; and as a guardian of the morals of the city youth, he has not been excelled by any of his predeceffors. The fame candour that dictates thefe obfervations, obliges the author at the fame time to confefs that he was dilatory in the production of the city accounts, and rather too attentive to the emoluments of office.

As an author, he poffeffed the fingular merit of always writing to, and for, the people. His fuccefs was proportionate, and he actually wrote down at least one adminiftration, which is more than can be faid of any man of the prefent age. His merits can only be appreciated by the benefits he has conferred on his country. It was he who first taught the public to confider the "king's fpeech" as the mere fabrication of his minifters, and as fuch, proper to be commented on, ap

[blocks in formation]

--

49

plauded, or treated with contempt. By his bold and determined conduct, in the cafe of the city printers, he annihilated the power of commitment affumed by the fpeaker's warrant, and rendered the jurifdiction of the fergeant at arms, fubject to the control of a conftable. He punished defpotic fecretaries of state, by holding them up to public fcorn, abolished general warrants, and obliged even lord Mansfield to declare them unlawful. But this was not all; he contributed to render an Englishman's boufe bis caftle, for it is to him we are indebted for the benefit of having our papers confidered as facred, in all cafes fhort of high treafon. The most daring minifter muft now particularife his victim by name, and he cannot attempt to rob us of our fecrets, without at the fame time endeavouring to bereave us of our lives!

In fhort, with all his faults, Mr. Wilkes poffeffed fomething more than the vapour of patriotifm; he could face poverty and banishment, despise a jail, refift corruption, attack and overcome tyranny. Had his existence ceafed at the clofe of the Ainerican war, his memory, however, would have been more refpected; he outlived his reputation; and it is painful to add, that, when he died at his daughter's houfe in Grosvenor fquare, on Tuesday, December 27, 1797, in the 73d year of his age, he was nearly forgotten. Distance blends and foftens the fhades of large objects: Time throws her mantle over petty defects. The prefent age already confeffes that he was a perfecuted, the next will probably confider him as a great, man. all events, his name will be connected with our hiftory, and if he does not occupy the chief place, a niche, at least, will be tenanted by him in the temple of

Fame.

PATENTS,

THE NEW
Enrolled in October, November, &c.

MR. CARPENTER'S, FOR BLEACHING

PAPER.

THE difcovery made in France, by

M. Bertholet, of the efficacy of oxygenated muriatic acid in expediting the procefs of bleaching, has been fuccefsfully carried into effect by many of our own manufacturers and artists. Mr. COOPER, late of Manchefter, now of NorthumberJand, in America, was, we believe, the MONTHLY MAG. XXVII.

At

firft perfon in this country who applied the difcovery to practife: his example was foon followed by many manufacturers in Lancashire and Scotland, who have obtained patents for different contrivances to regulate the application of the acid gas the most important of thefe have been already detailed in our former numbers, under the head of bleaching, in which it will be found, that not

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

New Patents. only the linen, but the paper manufacture has been effentially benefited hereby.

Formerly writing paper could be made of unprinted linen alone, but by means of the procefs of Mr. Bertholet even printed linen may be made into the finest and whiteft paper. The prefent patent is the laft that we fhall detail on this fubject, except in cafe of fome effential improvement in the procefs or inftrument made ufe of. It was granted to Mr. ELIAS CARPENTER of Bermondfey, Surrey, and is entitled a Method of Bleaching Paper in the Water Leaf, and fizing it without drying.

In the preparation of the pulp, the coarfer rags are to be macerated for two or three days in a cauftic alcaline ley, and wrought into fheets of paper, in the ufual way; a strong wooden box or trough is then to be procured, of a fize proportioned to that of the paper, lined on the infide with white paint, and furnifhed with feveral ftages of crofs bars of glafs: the bottom of the box is to be covered with a ftratum about one inch deep of cauftic ley, and the paper laid by quarter-reams, or lefs, across the glafs bar. A hole must be made in the box to admit the beak of an earthen ware retort, into which must be put manganefe and fea falt, in powder, fulphuric acid, and an equal quantity of water impregnated with the teams of burning fulphur (fulphureous acid). The cover of the box is to be made airtight by luting or flips of paper dipped in pafte. The apparatus being thus prepared, the belly of the retort is to be plunged in water, kept boiling, and in à fhort time the oxymuriatic acid gas will be driven into the box, will penetrate the paper, and render it of a dazzling whitenefs, while the alcaline ley at the bottom will, by gradually ab. forbing it, prevent its becoming fo concentrated as to destroy or injure the texture of the paper. From three to four pounds of fulphuric acid will fuffice for one hundred weight of paper, and the operation will be completed in about eight hours. The fheets as they are taken out of the box are to be fized with the following mixture :

[blocks in formation]

MR. WEDGWOOD'S, FOR MAKING OF GLASS.

IN November, 1796, a patent was granted to RALPH WEDGWOOD, of Burflem, Staffordshire, for a new compopofition for glafs. The two extreme quantities for the materials, are given in the following formula; for according to the required hardness of the glass will be the proportions to be made use of.. From 10 to 50 lbs. of pearl-afh are to be diffolved in from 12 to 20 quarts of water; to which are to be added from 3 to 10 lbs. of borax, diffolved in from 10 to 50 quarts of water: of Paris plafter, or lime, are to be added from 40 to 100 lbs. ; of flints, or any pure quatzy ftone, powdered, from 50 to 100 lbs. ; of pounded barytes from 5 to 10lbs.;and of broken china,or fine earthenware, from 50 to 150 lbs. (Instead of this laft, from 80 to 100 lbs. of baked clay may be added). All these materials are to be ground into a smooth cream-like confiftence in the common mill, then evaporated to drynefs, afterwards melted in a full white heat, and poured into water. The glafs thus prepared is ufed either by itself, or mixed with different colouring fubftances,

MR. WEDGWOOD'S, FOR PLATING
EARTHEN WARE.

Together with the above patent is enrolled one, taken out at the faine time by the fame perfon, for an improvement in the manfacture of earthenware To a plate of foft unbaked coarse pottery clay, is applied on each fide a thin plate of china, white ware, or creamcoloured; the three plates are then united firmly to each other by means of a prefs: afterwards the mafs by rolling is brought to a proper thicknefs, and To cwt. of clippings of kin add fhaped in moulds in the ufual way.

VARIETIES,

[merged small][ocr errors]

VARIETIES,

LITERARY and PHILOSOPHICAL;

Including Notices of Works in Hand, Domeftic and Foreign.

* Authentic Communications for this Article are earnestly folicited from all our Friends.

MESSRS. ROBINSONS are about to publish a Work of confiderable Importance and Curiofity to the political world: "Letters and Correfpondence, Public and Private, of the Right Hon. Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Boling, broke, during the time he was Secretary of State to her Majesty Queen Ann, with State-papers, explanatory notes, and a tranflation of the foreign letters, by GILBERT PARKE, Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales." This work will appear in 2 volumes quarto, and at the fame time in 4 volumes octavo, to fuit the feveral editions of Lord Bolingbroke's Works.

Mr. BELSHAM, the author of the Hiftory of Geo. III. and of the Houfe of Brunfwick, has juft completed his Hif. tory of England, from the Revolution, where Hume ends, to the acceffion of Geo. I. It will be published with his preceding works in 4to. and 8vo.

Mr. BLAIR, of Great Ruffel-street, Bloomsbury (Surgeon to the Lock Hofpital and Asylum, and the Old Finsbury Difpenfary) has recently circulated a printed Letter among his medical friends in London, inviting them to concur with him in an attempt to afcertain how far the cure of a genuine fyphilis may be trufted to the anti-venereal powers of nitrous acid, oxygenated muriate of potafh, or any of the other remedies of analogous conftitution, which have been lately recommended by feveral practitioners as fubftitutes for mercury?

From an hint contained in that letter, it may be expected that Mr. BLAIR will foon prefent the world with fome O5fervations and Cafes on this Interefting fubject. We are informed that he is likewife preparing a much more extenfive work, in which he has been fome time engaged, viz. an Enquiry into the Natural History and Medical Treatment of the Venereal Disease, in all its Forms and Stages, from the earliest period to the prefent time.

Dr. GILLIES has announced for publication, in the courfe of this month, A Tranflation from the Greek of Ariftotle's Ethics and Politics, comprifing his Practical Philofophy. Dr. G. has illustrated

the Work by Introductions and Notes, and by a new analyfis of the Speculative Works of the celebrated Greek Philofopher.

Dr. JOHN WILLIAMS has published Propofals, for printing by Subfcription, Græco-Barbara Novi Teftamenti; or, Oriental and other Foreign Words occurring in the New Teftament, felected and illuftrated by MART. PETR. CHEITOMEUs, tranflated out of the Latin Original, with additional Words, and Notes, Critical and Explanatory. To which will be prefixed, a fhort Differtation on the Hebrew Vowel Points.

Mr. J. SYMONS, of Hackney, intends to publish in a fhort time, A Syftematic Pocket-Flora of indigenous plants, to be intitled Synopfis plantarum infulis Britan nicis indigenarum.

A very useful Medical Work, confifting of Popular Cautions to Young Soldiers, and Gentlemen Volunteers, who may be called into the Field in the prefent Crifis, is in the prefs, and will be published about the close of February. Mr. DYER has in the prefs a volume of Descriptive and Rural Odes.

The interefting annual publication, apnounced in our laft, under the title of "The Spirit of the Public Journals for 1797," will make its appearance in the courfe of February.

A monthly work is announced for publication on the first of March, addreffed to ladies of fashion and quality, and to milliners, &c. &c. to be called The Magazine of the Fashions of London and Paris. Each number, price one fhilling, is to contain fix beautifully coloured figures, three of London and three of Parifian Ladies, in the most prevailing dresses of month.

We mentioned in a former number that Dr. Beddoes had recommended to Meffrs. Bowles and Smyth, furgeons of Briftol, to give a courfe of anatomical lectures.-The principal defign of these lectures was to exhibit the structure and economy of the human frame, and to point out thofe accidents and disorders to which it was most liable, together with the beft means of guarding againft them, But Dr. Beddoes, conceiving that it was

H 2

im

« ПретходнаНастави »