and I am still very infirm. That health, "Your faithful and affectionate friend, "R. ORME," In the year 1792, Mr. Orme left London, and retired to Ealing, for the benefit of his declining health; and here he chose to reside, during the remainder of his life. His attention, however, was not wholly engrossed by personal considerations, as it appears that he continued to take a warm and lively interest in the concerns of his numerous friends, and likewise in the management of public affairs. In the year 1793, we find the two following very sensible and judicious letters from Mr. Orme, to his friend, General Richard Smith. "Great Ealing, Sat. Aug. 10, 1793. 06 I was yesterday prevented by various calls, to which I was obliged to pay attention, from having the quiet hour I always wished to have, when I am writing to you. The French his tories I have read, exclusive of memoirs, are Daniel, Mezeray, and Henault. Mezeray wrote first; it is in three huge folios. The second edition in folio but lest, perchance, I be mistaken, I Ramone à ses amis charmans, Cet hoinine de toutes les heures." "His style, altho', by the nature of his plan, always concise, is always clegant, and the best French that I know; his knowledge of the history of France, the result of immense enquiry. Not to you, for you know too much to require such a process-but I would advise any young gentleman who had too much money to require any employment, and too much sense to wish to live historians, read Henault, and refer to without some, to get the voluminous the others as he wished for further information or elucidation. What you wrote to me on the 6th, concerning your situation in regard to health, shocked me most extremely. However, ed much better, and more cheerful than it was some relief to hear that you lookthe further pleasure of hearing, that you before; and I have just now received had sent for some books; which fatters me with the hopes that you think your spirits likely to be equal to them." has left out many passages which were in the first, which makes the first edition rare, and valued by book-fanciers. His style is strong, and often sharp. When he published his first volume (the first edition), it was said: ny pas un mot de trop, ni de trep peu. Next comes Daniel, who was a jesuit, and a man labouring in more than one vineyard. In his history, his style is dull, often prolix; a great bigot in his rela- "Great Ealing, Aug. 13, 1793. tion of the religious wars, but a genuine "I thank you kindly for the plan of royalist, saving his reverence, for the Seringapatam, and shall preserve it chaPope. Daniel likewise wrote the Milice rily, for the sake of the author, to whom Francoise, which is an account of the I tender my best respects. MissFrench military array and equipments, need not be afraid of its being in other from the earliest times. This work is hands, as it is a sketch which shews done with much diligence and intelli- she will draw very well. I have read gence, therefore very curious; and it Major Dirom's book; it was lent me by must have served them much, when Mr. Dalrymple; and I was much pleasever he gives an account of a campaign, ed with it, as containing curious, new, to see clearly how things went on. The and authentic information. He gives History is 14, or perhaps 16 volumes in the best reasons that can be pleaded, why quarto. The Milice is only two volumes, the siege of Seringapatam was not conand has cuts. Next comes the President tinued to the catastrophe of its capture. Henault, which I think I once sent Nevertheless from the beginning, and you, and consequently you have read; still, I persevere in the opinion, that cause. the seige once begun, it ought to have character returned at the storm of the been taken. Delenda est Carthago; and Horn-works of Valenciennes. Under weshall soon, perhaps, see that his (Tip- the shade of night, when no man could poo) restless and wicked character will observe well the behaviour of another, reduce us to the necessity of doing all they all agreed in quitting their posts; we have done and have left undone again, or in other words, running away; and with more trouble. Another rea- which shews want of that real firmness son with me for his extermination was, of which, on all occasions, they are so Tippoo's cruelty and perfidy to his Eng- foud of boasting. When not employed lish captives. Surajah Dowlah was on the necessary duties to myself and destroyed, and Cotlin Ally exterminated. friends, much of my time is employed The vengeance in such cases, ought al- in contemplating the present revolution ways to fall on the tyrant, as the first in France, and which no events in the Not but that I told Lord Clive, preceding history of that country, could that had I been of his council when he have suggested. Still less the extraordientered Muxadavad, I should have mov- nary change, or apparent change, in the ed to look out and punish the Je maut- national character from such frivolity to dars, who held up their lights to atrocious barbarity. It is a great inismock the wretched sufferers in the black fortune that they are now civilized sahole. You see, therefore, that I agree vages. In future time, this commotion with you in the support you gave ad- will produce the most curious and ministration, on the subject of our war eventful history the world ever saw. with Tippoo. You are a much better You may judge then, that I shall, with judge than I can be of our war on the great pleasure, read Mirabeau's letters. continent, as knowing the art, and I thank you for the kind offer of Gib. being acquainted with the scenes of bon's second and third volumes, and operation and its defences. Dunkirk will, with great pleasure, keep them as certainly should be taken, to serve as a a memorandum from you. God send marine place d'armes; but still Calais, you a continuance of amendinent. The with a very strong garrison, would be the weather here is delicious; and I regret same to Dunkirk, as Dunkirk is to now every hour that you cannot breathe it to Ostend. I never knew, before you with me. I was on horseback yesterday told me, that Calais could be sluiced. evening, two hours and a half, and It must therefore remain, I am sorry to earnestly wish you could do so too.” think, impregnable. Pray, do the sluices. The following letter, addressed to to Calais depend on inlets under its one of his most intimate friends tocommand from the sea? Lord Stair wards the close of the year 1794, will used to say that they who attacked place in a pretty luminous point of France by Flanders, took the bull by view, the sentiments that Mr. Orme the horus. By Dumourier's account, entertained with respect to the polithe frontier of Lorraine and Champagne tical situation of Great Britain and is as strong by nature, as the other has France, at that period : been made by art. How much do the "I owe you an account of the present convention owe to the magnifi- reasons of my long silence, since I recent ambition and prodigality, as some ceived your letter of the 20th of last called it, of Louis the 14th, who left month, and why I have not come to them such a line of barrier as runs along town, although when I wrote you last, Flanders? Lisle cost the Duke of Marl- I seemed so near it; of this I shall borough three months, yet isle must speak first as of the less importance. be taken, otherwise, on adving into With my fever, all the distressful cir France, the allies might be inclosed be- cumstances which accompanied it, hind by a net. So I see no end of the were almost removed; yet the fever left war and an wearied with conjectures. I me much weakened, but fortunately have been much surprised at the spirit came on, I know not from what cause, with which the French have fought a succession of better sleep for fifteen since the revolution. nights, than I have known these ten What would old Lawrence say, were years. I could not bring myself to he alive? nevertheless, their original break through this best of medical reVol. VI. F lief, by coming into the ramble of Harley-street; and to this, was added the opportunities I have had of riding, which have generally happened every other day; for the bye-roads. about this place are better than any near London, although the high road is perhaps the very worst. My good sleep was interrupted four or five nights, but it has returned for the last week; therefore I am not to be blamed for continuing here: such neighbours as I am wlling to be known to, are very civil to me, but as I am never out in the night air, (a caution most necessary to all invalids, in the months of November, and December), I cannot be much with them. I find very pleasant companions in my study, (my books), to whom I can communicate my ideas, with as much confidence as I do to you. Your letter of the 26th of November combined with what little I picked up from papers and talk, gave me much matter of reflection, of which every result was ominous, none favourable; and I will confess to you, that my mind was gradually getting into a gloominess, irksome and unpleasant, to the last degree; and therefore I determined to break through it, by applying myself to a literary pursuit, which should keep me from being absorbed in the politics of the day, of which every aspect is dismal. I knew if I wrote my thoughts to you, you would have taken the trouble to have given me yours, which, from your situa tion, would have comprehended many points unknown to me; and I should have laid a burden on you, which how ever willingly taken up by you, I felt myself almost ashamed to expect, as it would be a return of ten for one. The approaching session of parliament will be more important, than any this country ever knew. The question is, whether we shall make peace, or contine the war? and each of these propositions branches out into others that immediate ly spring from them. With whom shall we treat? The convention? Can they be trusted? Will they make peace with any other view, than to gain two or three years, to raise a navy stronger than ours, and then to begin with us again? What guarantees either of local powers or sovereign states, will be granted to them, or undertaken by their neighbours? What are we to give to induce them (who certainly have the advantage ground at present) to make peace with us? They have got all Flanders, &c. and we have only their West India Islands, which it is most likely they think themselves able to reconquer from us. Supposing then, that we are obliged to continue the war, in what mode, and in what points are we to continue it? Is Flanders to be attacked again? I think our strength quite insufficient! The Emperor must join us with at least 120,000 men. Will or can he? The other princes of the empire, will they do more than hire out their men to us? and then will they not do as the king of Prussia has done this year? If Holland will accept our support, instead of fraternizing with the French, she must by all means be supported by us. The alliance of Holland with France, will be a great increase of naval force to the enemy. Should the French obtain Holland, they might probably attempt to invade us; but all that they can do, whilst we can meet them at sea in full strength, will be to make descents on our remotest coasts-but even these will greatly affect our stocks. These and many more points, you will have to think on at the meeting of parliament. I am confident that you will judge right on all; I hope your health continues indisturbed; my respects I wish to be acceptable to Monday, 8th Dec. 1794." Among other of his friends who frequently visited Mr. Orme, in his life of retirement at Ealing, and who appear to have entertained an unfeigned and ardent affection for him, we may particularly notice Sir George Baker, Alexander Dalrymple, esq. John Roberts, esq. Mark Beaufoy, esq. and General Richard Smith, above mentioned. But his books, as he himself acknowledges, were his principal and most favourite companions, and at the age of seventy, he found in them a constant and copious source of amusement. Many of them bore interesting evidence of the strict and unremitting attention, with which he had perused them; their margins, as we have before observed, being replenished with observations and parallel quotations in his own hand writing. In the month of April, 1796, Mr. Orme having predetermined to re- To the pulpit, as well as the press side no longer in London, except at we shall direct our particular obser intervals, in occasional visits, he be- vation; to what is preached, more gan to dispose of his house in Harley- than to what is printed. Here is that street; and as he had no convenient portion of the vineyard, on which the place wherein to bestow his library in least industry has been exerted, and the country, he thought proper to into which, though susceptible of the send a considerable part of the same noblest improvements, few labourers to the hammer of Messrs. Leigh and appear to have entered. We come, Sotheby, auctioneers, who found am- perhaps, at the eleventh hour: but ple employment for the sale of it, our dependence is on Him, with during ten days consecutive. Mr. whom priority does not constitute Orme had, however, previously made preference; in whose estimation the a selection of such books, as were first is sometimes last, and by whom most congenial to his taste and turn the last has been declared first. If in of thinking, and these he carefully the possession of only one talent, we removed to Ealing, where till the know in whose service it is to be emtime of his death, whenever his health ployed, and at whose hands its use would permit, they served as food will shortly be demanded. and subject matter of reflection, to his active contemplative mind; for he retained the use of his faculties to nearly the very last moment of his existence. (To be concluded in our next.) · Bigotted towards no denomination of the religious world, in every classification of which something estimable is to be included, we desire to renounce all uncharitableness of judg ment; we hope to approve ourselves the champions of universal truth and morality, of unadulterated and salutary belief, more solicitous to reform practice, than to litigate opinion: discriminating, nevertheless, between noxious and innoxious sentiments, and humbly attempting to separate the chaff from the wheat. Impartia lity is not indifference. Such is the "good fight," in which we have voluntarily and earnestly enlisted; and to the prosecution of which we pledge our sincerest and ablest endeavours. A VISIT TO THE VICTORY, Lying at Gillingham-Reach, near Chatham: to which are added, Reflections written immediately after viewing the ball, with part of the gold-lace epaulette adhering to it, by which Lord Nelson was killed at the battle of Trafalgar, Oct. 21, 1805. [IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND.] SERIOUSLY convinced of the importance of religious instruction, without the pure and continued promulgation whereof no country, professing christianity, can long expect to enjoy the advantages desirable from the adoption of our most Holy Faith," it is proposed, from time to time, as occasion shall prompt, or necessity require, to devote a few pages of the UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE to the investigation of theological concerns. Under the present article, therefore, our readers may anticipate a zealous but ACCOMPANIED by three gentleliberal attention to the best and high- men and an old pupil, I passed the est interests of mankind; if beings, whole of the morning of Tuesday, amidst all the aberrations of humanity, Jan. 7, 1806, in visiting the Victory designed by a beneficent creator, for lying in the river Medway, about moral and rational existence here, and four miles below Chatham; it is frefor perfection and immortality here- quented daily by hundreds from va rious parts of the country. Many of atter, Dear Sir, the visitors come from the metro- the most serious injury. Besides, in polis, and even some it is said from the present case it must be rememberScotland. It is certainly an object of ed, that Lord Nelson bearing down curiosity, not only as the scene of directly on the enemy without firing Lord Nelson's last moments, but as a gun, the fore part of the ship susthe leading ship in the late renowned, tained a dreadful cannonading, which naval triumph over the combined were it a common vessel, must have enemies of Great Britain. sent it to the bottom of the ocean! Upon reaching the Victory in our About this time also, it was that a canlittle skiff, the effect of contrast was non ball entering the fore part of the sensibly felt. We were astonished at ship flew its whole length, carrying off its immense bulk, which, joined to its in its carreer thirty of the marines--thus length, with four tiers of guns in- sweeping the deck as if it were the cluding its stern, constituted a spee- besom of destruction! War, horrid tacle, which could not fail of exciting war! what can be more shocking to emotions of dreadful admiration! We the thoughtful mind, what more however, saw it to a disadvantage, agonizing to the feeling heart! the rigging having been taken down, We were told that on the morning and the guns removed, but it was of the battle, the officers were very easy to imagine what a tremendous pensive and thoughtful, no doubt appearance it must make in its com- meditating on the work of death, piete form, and how stately must which was that day to be accomplishhave been its course on the trackless ed. Some of them however there surface of the ocean! Its sides were were who seemed to be in more than evidently perforated through and ordinary spirits, and it was remarkthrough, but as some of the holes red that these very individuals were had been covered with pieces of sheet- taken off in the course of the action! lead, it had not that battered appear- So little do we know of the good or ance which might have been expect- evil that is before us; so utterly ignor ed. We clambered up the side by ant are we, of what lies concealed in means of two ropes, covered with the womb of futurity!--The moment green baize, but its height was such, any man is killed, he his flung over that it required some effort before board; and one dreadful indication of the ascent was completed. There the slaughter of the day was, that of were not any other means of getting an officer having his head struck off aboard, and without continuing a his shoulders in a moment, when a firm grasp of the ropes, down we few minutes before he had been seen must have fallen into the rolling tide, and were likely to disappear for ever! Seamen will smile at these trifling dangers, but to landsmen they present many a serious difficulty. busily employed in picking up the scattered remains of a brother officer, and committing them to the bosom of the deep! Indeed, the instances of sudden destruction during the action, We were on board the Victory up- must have been very great-these wards of an hour, and having been joined with the groans of the woundintroduced to the officers, we found ed and the dying-added to the conthem very polite and attentive, indeed tinued roar of cannon and the tumulthey shewed us every thing worth tuous dashing of the waves-form such inspection. The masts, or rather a picture on the imagination, that what remained of them, was the first must overwhelm us with a profound object to which our attention was and silent astonishment. directed. The mizen one had been Having examined the exterior part carried away in the action, and a jury of the Victory, we were shown the mast was placed in its stead. The spot on which Lord Nelson stood, main mast was thickly marked with when the fatal ball struck him-he musket shot, and the foremast was was in the act of turning round toin a most shattered condition, being wards the enemy's ship, and giving splintered from top to bottom with directions respecting that work of cannon balls, for the French it is destruction, in which they were all at said, always aim at the rigging, the that time dreadfully engaged! We amaging of which is in their opinion, went down to the Cock-pit below wa☛ |