poor world's peace," whom Divine Provdence has been pleased to make the scourge of human kind. Gloomy as our prospect is, (on this account alone*,) and great as is the danger with which we are threatened, (I mean internally, for as to external violence, we are fully equal to any force which our assailants can bring against us,) I still cherish a hope that the cloud which hangs over us will be dispersed, and that we have stamina sufficiently strong to resist the pestilential

* I say, on this account alone; because in all other respects England is at present in an unparalleled state of wealth and prosperity, though there is a temporary distress occasioned by want of the ordinary circulating medium of commerce. It appears from authentick and indisputable documents, that the trade of England from 1784 to the present time, has doubled; and that our Exports in the year 1796 amounted to THIRTY MILLIONS; and it is well known that the rate of the purchase of land, contrary to the experience of all former wars, continues nearly as high as it was in the time of the most profound peace. These FACTS ought to be sounded from one end of England to the other, and furnish a complete answer to all the SEDITIOUS DECLAMATIONS that have been, or shall be, made on the subject.-[The foregoing observ ations, as well as those in the text, were made in the

contagion suspended in our atmosphere; and my confidence is founded on the good sense and firmness of my countrymen; of whom far the greater part, justly valuing the blessings which they enjoy, will not lightly hazard their loss; and rather than suffer the smallest part of their inestimable Constitution to be changed, or any one of those detestable principles to take root in this soil, which our domestick and foreign enemies with such mischievous industry have endeavoured to propagate, will, I trust, risk every thing that is most dear to man. To be fully apprised of our danger, and to show that we are resolved firmly to meet it, may prove our best security. If, however, at last we must fall, let us fall beneath the ruins of that fabrick, which has been erected by the wisdom and treasure of our ancestors, and which they generously cemented with their blood.

For a very long period Sir Joshua Reynolds enjoyed an uninterrupted state of good

health, to which his custom of painting standing, (a practice which, I believe, he first introduced,) may be supposed in some degree to have contributed; at least by this means he escaped those disorders which are incident to a sedentary life. He was indeed in the year 1782 distressed for a short time by a slight paralytick affection; which, however, made so little impression on him, that in a few weeks he was perfectly restored, and never afterwards suffered any inconvenience from that malady. But in July, 1789, when he had very nearly finished the portrait of Lady Beauchamp, (now Marchioness of Hertford,) the last female portrait he ever painted*, he for the first time perceived his

* The last two portraits of gentlemen that he painted were those of the Right Honourable William Windham, and George J. Cholmondeley, Esq. and they are generally thought to be as finely executed as any he ever painted. In this respect he differed from Titian, whose latter productions are esteemed much inferior to his former works. He afterwards attempted to finish the portrait of Lord Macartney, for which that nobleman had sat some time before: but he found himself unable to

sight so much affected, that he found it difficult to proceed; and in a few months afterwards, in spite of the aid of the most skilful oculists, he was entirely deprived of the sight of his left eye. After some struggles, lest his remaining eye should be also affected, he determined to paint no more, a resolution which to him was a very serious misfortune, since he was thus deprived of an employment that afforded him constant amusement, and which he loved much more for its own sake than on account of the great emolument with which the practice of his art was attended. Still, however, he retained his usual spirits, was amused by reading, or hearing others read to him, and partook of the society of his friends with the same pleasure as formerly*; but in October, 1791, having strong

Early in September, 1791, he was in such health and spirits, that in our return to town from Mr. Burke's seat near Beaconsfield, we left his carriage at the inn at Hayes, and walked five miles on the road, in a warm day, without his complaining of any fatigue. He had at that time, though above sixty-eight years of age, the appear

apprehensions that a tumour accompanied with an inflammation *, which took place over the eye that had perished, might affect the other also, he became somewhat dejected. Meanwhile he laboured under a much more dangerous disease, which deprived him both of his wonted spirits and his appetite, though he was wholly unable to explain to his physicians the nature or seat of his disorder. During this period of great affliction to all his friends, his malady was by many supposed to be imaginary: and it was conceived, that, if he would but exert himself, he could shake it off. This instance, however, may serve to show, that the patient best knows what he suffers, and that few long complain of bodily ailments without an adequate

ance of a man not much beyond fifty, and seemed as likely to live for ten or fifteen years, as any of his younger friends.

*This inflammation, after various applications having been tried in vain, was found to have been occasioned by extravasated blood; and had no connection with the optick nerves.