VARIETIES, CRITICAL, LITERARY, AND HISTORICAL

MAXIMS AND REFLECTIONS.-BY DR.

JORTIN.

The man who is not intelligible is not intelligent. You may depend upon this, as upon a rule which will never deceive you.

It may be said as truly of a knave as of an honest man, that his word is as good as his oath.

The eighteenth century hath been in our country au age of public charities: but one charity is still wanting; and that is, an Hospital for Scholars.

Great abilities and a fawning temper seldom meet together; and they who deserve favours are not made to beg favours.

Flatterers are as mean and sordid, as they are mischievous and odious. To them might be applied the Levitical Law: Every creeping || thing is unclean, and shall be an abomination.

You must give the wall to a king and to a blind man.

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By examining the tongue of the patient phy. sicians find out the diseases of the body, and philosophers the diseases of the mind.

Glareanus, being asked how he lived, replied, "I live like a nobleman: I eat, and drink, and am in debt."

moré virtuous, and religious? Such occupations are to be considered as introductory and ornamental, and serviceable to studies of higher importance; such as philosophy, law, ethics, politics, and divinity. To abanden these sciences in order to support philology, is like burning a city to save the gates.

The true art of religious conversation is to introduce it without any seeming design,— obliquely, and indirectly.

Beasts that are surly and malicious love solitude. It were to be wished that men who resemble them in temper, had the same inclination for retirement.

The study of the Belles Lettres is a poor occupation, if they are to be confined to a knowledge of languages and of antiquities, and not employed to the service of religion and other sciences. To what purpose doth a man fill his head with Latin and Greek words, with prose and verse, with histories, opinions, and customs, if it doth not contribute to make him more rational, more prudent, more civil,

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The wise may learn from the ignorant; and an ass once instructed a Prophet.

An honest and sensible man is placed in a middle station, in circumstances rather scanty than abounding. He hath all the necessaries, but none of the superfluities of life; and these necessaries he acquires by his prudence, his studies, and his industry. If he seeks to better his income, it is by such methods as hurt neither his conscience nor his constitution. He hath friends and acquaintances of bis own rank; he receives good offices from them, and he returns the same. As he hath his occu

If there were no God, we should have a cruel pations, he hath his diversions also, and parstepmother, called Nature.

There is a pleasure in receiving favours from great men, when they are bestowed in a polite and generous manner; there is also a pleasure in passing through this world without any obligations to them; and this pleasure a man may enjoy without being envied for it.

Somebody said to a learned simpleton, "The Lord double your learning, and thenyou will be twice the fool you are now."

There is no great barm in attering dedications; because they always expose the writer, and never impose upon the reader.

takes of the simple, frugal, obvious, innocent, and cheerful amusements of life. By a sudden turn of things, he grows great in the church or in the State. Now his fortune is made; and he says to himself, "The days of scarcity are past; the days of plenty are come; and happiness is come along with them." Mistaken man! it is no such thing. He never more enjoys one happy day, compared with those which once shone upon him. He dis. "cards his old companions, or treats them with cold, distant, and proud civility. Friendship, free and open conversation, rational inquiry, sincerity, contentment, and the plain and unadulterated pleasures of life, are no more; they departed from him along with his poverty. New connexions, new prospects, new desires, and new cares take place, and engross so much of his time and of his thoughts, that he neither improves his heart nor his understanding. He lives ambitions, and restless ; and he dies-Rich.

INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN AND NEAR LONDON.

WORKS IN THE PRESS.

Mr. B. Smart is preparing for the press a small School Book, by which teachers will be enabled to prevent or remove all defects of utter

The Rev. T. Raffles is preparing for the press, in an octavo volume, Memoirs of the Life and Ministry of the late Rev. T. Spencer, of Liver-ance, and train young persons, systematically to pool; including occasional extracts from his a distinct, forcible, and polite pronunciation. Mr. He papers, &c. Mill is preparing a Genealogical Account of the Barclays of Urie, for upwards of seven hundred years; including Memoirs of Col. De Barclay, and his son Robert Barclay, author of the Apology, with Letters that passed between him and the Duke of York, afterwards James II. and other distinguished characters.

The Rev. Alexander Smith, of Keith Hall, has in the press, a translation of Michaelis's celebrated work on the Mosaic Law, in two parts, the first of which will soon appear.

Mr. Stephens is preparing a Life of the late John Horne Tooke, with whom he lived in considerabe intimacy for many years, and has been furnished with several important documents by his executrix.

Henry Meredith, Esq. Governor of Winnebah Fort, will shortly publish an Account of the Gold Coast of Africa, and of the Manners, &c. of the Natives.

The Rev. James Hall has in the press, in two volumes, Remarks on Ireland, particularly the interior and least known parts, during a late tour through that country.

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The Rev. Charles Latrobe intends to publish Letters on the Nicobar Islands, written to the Editor by L. G. Hoensel, seven years a Missionary of the United Brethren at that station.

Mr. Jackson is printing at Oxford a Grammar of the Eolo-Doric, or modern Greek Tongue, vulgarly called the Romaic; in which the pecuharities of the Eolo-Doric will be traced to the respective dialects of which the modern Greek is composed.

Mr. John Brady will shortly publish a compendious Analysis of the Calendar; illustrated by ecclesiastical, historical, and classical anec dotes.

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Mr. Ogle, of Edinburgh, intends to publish an additional Volume of Troill's Works, from his manuscripts, left in the hands of an Evangeli cal Minister.

INCIDENTS

OCCURRING IN AND NEAR LONDON, INTERESTING MARRIAGES, &c.

Lucien Bonaparte's Poem of Charlemagne has been published on the Continent under a feigned

name.

HORRID ATTEMPT AT ASSASSINATION.- the shop, having described it as being loaded, The following are the particulars of this case, and walked by the side of the canal, whilst his according to depositions taken before Mr. Co-grandson led his horse about the road. The canal nant, of Marlborough-street Police Office, on path commanded a view of Burrows's residence, Saturday evening, May 30, the day on which it and after walking there nearly two hours, he happened:-Mr. Burrows, a hay salesman, re- returned to the smith's shop, when Burrows was siding at Appleton, was suddenly attacked in his approaching it, and having taken up the blunderchaise, near his residence, by Bowler, a buss, he met him and presented it, when Burneighbouring farmer, who discharged a blunder- rows called out, "For God's sake don't shoot buss at him, and lodged the contents (slugs) in me," and inclining his head upon his legs. The bis neck and body. The following testimony of assassin, however, pulled the trigger, and Bura blacksmith at Appleton, gives the whole case. row's fell, when the former mounted his horse, The assassin, who is a man seventy years of rode off, and was not secured on that day. The age, called at the smith's shop, on horseback, at situation of the wounded man is very precarifive o'clock on Saturday morning, accompanied ous; four slugs have been extracted from his neck by his grandson, and produced a blunderbuss, and head, but there are others in the body, one which he asked leave to make the lock secure to of which is supposed to have lodged near the go off, as he wanted to shoot a mad dog. After blade bone. There are favourable symptoms, and he had done something to the lock, he left it in some hopes are entertained that bis life will be No. XXXIII. Vol. V.—N: S. Tt

saved. The cause of this diabolical act is said to have arisen from some family jealousies. The parties had a litigation a short time since, when high words arose, but they had since been apparent good friends.-Bowler has since been apprehended at his own house. It appears he rode his horse on the day of the attempted assassination to Weddesdon, five miles from Aylesbury, where he arrived at three b'clock in the afternoon, and remained till six the next morning. He gave a man of the name of Griffiths a one pound note to take his horse back to Harrow. Foy and Craig, Officers of Marlborough-street, traced him from public-house to public-house, between the two turnpike roads, for several days, and they at length followed him back to Prince Risborough, CHILD MURDER.-An adjourned Coroner's the place of his birth, where he had stated his Inquest sat at a public-house in Pall-Mall, on case to a female relation, in whose house he in- Wednesday morning, May 27, on the view of the tended to sleep that night. The woman, how body of a newly born infant child. It was stated ever, had hinted the matter to some neighbour, in evidence, that the mother of the infant was and the villagers turned out, men, women, and cook in a gentleman's family Pall-Mall, and children, and scoured the woods in vain. The her pregnancy was a secret to all but another Officers returned, after an unsuccessful pursuit, maid-servant. The mother delivered herself and soon afterwards an express arrived that secretly in the privy on the preceding Monday, Bowler had returned to his own house, where he and on the other servant hearing an infant cry, was taken by his neighbours. The officers she ran into the yard and inquired what was the brought him to London, and he underwent an matter. The unnatural mother had put the inexamination before Mr. Conant. He confant down the privy, but it did not admit of fessed discharging the blunderbuss at Mr. Bur-secreting it; and she next deposited it in the rows, but said he was mad at the time; and to strengthen his assertion, he asked if a man in his senses would do such a thing, to be obliged afterwards to lie about in the fields, and to drink ditch water. He pressed strongly to be admitted to bail, and offered £10,000 deposit to be allowed to return home. He was committed to

dust-hole. The other servant followed her thither with a candle, which the mother put out, and whilst the former ran up stairs to give an alarm, she lastly concealed the infant in the coal-hole, where it was found much bruised, and it survived only a few hours. The Jury adjourned to get farther professional evidence as to the cause of death and after Mr. Morris, a surgeon, had been examined, they returned a verdict— Killing and Slaying.-The mother was conveyed to St James's Workhouse.

Clerkenwell prison. It appears he has been acting the part of a madman in New Prison, his conduct having been so violently obstreperous as to cause a removal from the room where he was first confined, to another part of the prison, where coercion has been resorted to as necessary to restrain his violence..

STRANGE OCCURRENCE.-Tuesday morning, June 2, a little before eight o'clock, a man of a very genteel appearance, dressed in black silk stockings, black small clothes, marcella waistcoat, and dressing-gown, a white night-cap on his head, and carrying a small poker on his left arm, walked through St. James's Park, his unCommon appearance attracted a number of people

to follow him. He proceeded to York House, and knocked at the door; the porter observing his very strange appearance, did not open the door; however, he repeated his knocks with a degree of consequence, which induced the porter to open the door. He then presented a letter for the Duke of York, observing, that it was upon State affairs, and it must be given him directly. The porter told him it was impossible to deliver the letter to his Royal Highness immediately, but he should haveit very shortly, with which he appeared satisfied, observing the contents was of the utmost concern for the Duke to know, and said he should call again at about ten o'clock. He then left York House, and proceeded along the Park.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.-A respectable young woman, the daughter of industrious tradespeople, in Mary-le-Bone-lane, who was nurserymaid in a family in Alpha-road, Mary-le-bone, lately threw herself from a second floor back window into a paved yard; but miraculously without fracturing a bone. After recovering from the sudden effects of the fall, she . attempted to cut her throat. The motive which induced the rash attempt is not known. The | young woman is restored to her relations.

PROVINCIALS-REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES, &c. &c.

PROVINCIALS,

INCLUDING REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES, &c. IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES OF GREAT BRITAIN,

CORNWALL.

DREADFUL MURDER.-William Bowden, labourer, has lately been committed to Bodmin gaol, charged with the most diabolical murder of his wife. He lived in a cottage near Redruth : a neighbour called at his house on some business, and finding him in a state of great confusion, suspected something unusual had occurred, when he presently found that he was burning the dead corpse of his wife with turf, whom he had previously stabbed to death with many wounds; and there can be no doubt but he meant to have consumed her ashes to prevent discovery.

DEVONSHIRE.

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FIRE IN PLYMOUTH DOCK-YARD.-At halfpast four on Monday morning, June 6, the watchman stationed on Bunker's-hill perceived smoke issuing from a part of one of the Rope Houses, and on going to the spot, the flames burst from various parts of the roof. He instantly returned to his station, directed the soldier on duty to fire his piece, and rang the bell on the station, which was repeated by all the Dock-yard bells succession, by the Salvador del Mundo, the flag-ship in Hamoaze, and by all the shipping. The bell at the Dock-yard gates also rang to alarm the people belonging to the Dock-yard, who, with their usual alacrity, repaired to the scene of action. The boats of the men of war were also dispatched full of men to 'assist in extinguishing the fire, and the whole of the military in garrison were also marched into the Dock-yard, the drums having previously beat to arms. The flames raged with a violence which completely baffled the efforts of all present to subdue them: the artizans, however, of the Dock-yard, with their characteristic activity, saved the valuable machinery of the Rope-house, by cutting down a part of the building at each of its ends, the middle being irremediably wrapped in flames. The scene was singularly awful.-The Rope-house, perhaps the finest and longest in Europe, and nearly one thousand two hundred feet in length, exhibited at one time, with the exception of an inconsiderable quantity at each end, one tremendous line of flame. The engines of the Dock-yard, of the largest bore made, the Gun-wharf engine, of immense size, the engines

devouring element, although there was a plentiful supply of water from a pipe of six inches bore, issuing from the grand reservoir of one thousand three hundred tons. The Commanderin-Chief, Lord Keith, Admiral Buller, Generals Stephens, England, Thomas, and a great number

Naval and Military Officers attended. It is but justice to the artificers of the Dock-yard to say, that their exertions were never exceeded, and that the seamen and soldiers did their duty.It is consolatory to reflect that the Western Ropehouse did not take fire, as in it are contained immense quantities of combustible matter, and particularly such a quantity of tar as would have threatened destruction to the whole of this magnificent arsenal. The windows of the latter building were several times on fire, but it was preserved by the activity of the artificers.

DERBYSHIRE.

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DARING ROBBERY.-A most wanton and wick ed outrage was committed in the night of Thursday, May 7, on the property of Mr. John Drinkwater, a respectable farmer, of Bugsworth, in the parish of Glossop. His wife, who occasionally acts as a midwife, was called up at midnight, to attend a woman who was named to her; but she had no sooner opened the door than she was beset by a number of ruffians who presented pistols and demanded a hundred pounds of her. She said there was very little money in the house, but what there was they might take. Upon this they rushed in, having their faces disfigured, and she opened to them all the drawers and cupboards, from which they took what they liked, including twenty pounds in money, ten cheeses, twenty sheets, blankets, pillow-cases, &c. for six beds, besides all her husband's and children's clothes. The ale and liquors in the cellars they drank or spilled in the place, broke pickle and preserve pots, scattering and trampling their contents, together with a quantity of butter, cream, and other provisions, on the floor. All this time a fellow stood over her husband as he lay in bed, brandishing a sword, and threatening him with instant death if he stirred. The honest man lay still, and he had a good reason for so doing, besides the sword that glittered over his head, for under it was a case containing two hundred

of the Laboratory, &c. in vain played upon the || pounds in money, and the writings of his little