Printed by JOHN NICHOLS, for DAVID HENRY, late of St. John's Gate;
and fold by ELIZ. NEWBERY, the Corner of St. Paul's Church
Yard, Ludgate-Street. 1785.

On completing his LVth, Volume.

T'S voyage o'er, with profperous gales

IT'S

Your rich galleon my Clio hails

Excell'd in wealth by either Ind,

The matchlefs treasures of the mind.
But, foon as Phoebus gilds the fkies,
Each morn again your toils will rife:
Bards, Sages, will again for you
Rhyme, criticife, explore, review.
In every month you thus engage
All ranks, each fex, and every age;
More goodness hence the good obtain,
And hence the wife more wisdom gain ;
While fome are married, buried, born,
Others rejoice, and others mourn;
Bards for the dead attune their lays,-
They die,-whom other pocts praife: .
Coins, feals, all worthless now, unseen
In thy Museum, curious GREENE *,
Found, when long hidden, fhall surprise
Some future PEGGE's exploring eyes.
Let ufeful lore, in every page,
The gay and thoughtless thus engage!
For all now wedded, and ev'n born,
Friends, parents, children, foon must mourn,

And all who live, as die they must,

Know, that coins, feals, and men are dust.

Dec. 31, 1785.

*Of Lichfield. See p. 25, 176, 496, 694, 943, &c.

PREFACE TO THE FIFTY-FIFTH VOLUME.

REFACE has fuceeeded Preface, as Year has fucceeded Year, for more than Half a Century, till a Repetition of the fame Acknowledgements, and a Requifition for the Continuance of the fame Favours, have become like Birth-day Congratulations at Court, which vary only by being. prefented in the fplendid Decorations of a new Drefs.

In the Prefaces to fome former Volumes we ventured to quit the beaten Track, and, by a Recapitulation of the principal Contents of the Volume, endeavoured to attract the Notice of the Public. Our Readers were pleafed with the Appearance of Novelty at first, but foon found, that, in reality, there was nothing new but the Form; that, in the Display of old Articles, however brilliant, with which they were acquainted, we feemed more intent on gaining new Readers, than in contributing either to the Entertainment or Information of the Old. Thus circumftanced, it is become neceffary to ftrike out a new Plan, which, we hope, will be equally pleafing to our Conftant Readers, and inviting to thofe who honour us with their Attention occafionally only.

Our Plan in brief is this, to introduce annually what we shall call Ar INDEX INDICATORIUS, or, An Index expreffive of the Subjects we have in Store, which our Limits would not admit in the Courfe of the preceding Year. What is meant will be beft explained by what follows.

Index Indicatorius; or, An Explanatory Index of Papers unpublished.

A LEARNED Correfpondent from Birmingham accounts for the Fables of

the Ancients by fuppofing the idle Tales of Naturalifts to have been collected from oral Traditions, handed down from Father to Son, before the Art of Writing was invented. Amidt this Heap of Fiction, much Truth, he fays, may be found by thofe who will take the pains to fearch for it, of which he gives fome examples J. M. in Defence of the Immateriality of the Soul, and of the Unity of the Divine Nature, is ingenious; but fo much has been faid on thete Subjects, that Nothing new can be expected.-The Effays, under the Title of Speculator, were not found interefting enough to excite the Attention of our Readers.-G. M. B.'s excellent Paper on the Commutation for Tithes was de ferred because the Caufe was dropped. Should it ever be revived, which it is much wished may be the Cafe, that Paper fhall be early noticed.Rufticus, in Reply to Agricola on enforcing the Penal Law, by which Incumbents on Livings of a certain Income are obliged to Refidence, remarks juftly, that fach Sentiments generally proceed from malicious Motives. Where Parithioners are in earnest to attend their Duty, the Clergy are never wanting to affift them in the Performance of it. He laments the Depravity of the Times, and charges much of the Profligacy of the lower Clafs of People to thofe infernal Haunts the Ale-boufes, which ought never to be licenfed without the Confent of the refident Minifter. An Englishman's fecond Exhortation to the humane Treatment of Negroes was judged unneceflary, as the firft was known to have the defired Effect. A Deputation from the Negroes reftored to Freedom by the Quakers have lately attended, at the Meetings in London and elfewhere, to return Thanks.-M Rack's Paper on the Arts and Sciences feems better calculated to be read before a Society of Philofophers, than published at large to Readers, by far the greater Number of whom have no Relish for fuch Difquifitions; and to those who have. there was little new.-Our Cor:cfpondent who recommends the Infertion of a Synopfis of the Works of Plato, when he reads the prefent Litt of Correspondents whofe Communications we are thus obliged to cutul, will not wonder that we declined to comply with his friendly Hint.-The treasonable Paper

nailed