194 Mr. Bruce on an Atmospherical Phænomenon at Edinburgh. "In a fhort time, the refinery of l'Unité was built, on the abbey-ground of St. Germain-des-pres, at Paris, Saltpetre flowed there in profufion; and this eltablishment alone yielded in the refined ftate, regularly every day, near 30,000lbs*. "As to the procefs of making powder, it has not only been abridged, brought to perfection in the old powder works, and carried to a degree of ftrength hitherto unknown; but a fabric, which may be called gigantic, the works of Grenelle, was erected at one of the extremities of Paris. There, methods altogether now, were put in practice, for mixing and tri turating the ingredients, as well as rendering the compofition more compact, and for granulating it: the machines and mechanical means were alfo entirely newt. This immenfe fabric, which fcarcely exifted five months from its commencement, had delivered out to the armies more than 1500,000lbs. of good powder, before the conftructions neceflary to the establishment were compleated and, at a time, when it had proceeded fo far as to fabricate daily 33,000 weight of well conditioned powder, it was accidentally blown up, and reduced to a frightful heap of ruins. clouds paffed over it, now and then the darkened part made a beautiful break, or interruption, which was presently restored when the cloud had pafled over. But the pillar, or body of light itself, had not the leaft appearance of that quivering or vibrating motion peculiar to aurora borealis; neither did it fhift its fituation during the whole time, fo far as could be obferved, which was a point or two to the north of eaft. About eight o'clock, er a quarter after, the sky grew hazy, then cloudy, and the whole was obfcured. At its first appearance, and indeed all the day, there was a pretty high wefterly wind, and, except near the horizon, the fky was quite clear; but except the above perpendicular stream of light, there was not the fmallest appearance of aurora borealis vifible all the time. If any of your correfpondents have ob. ferved this phænomenon, or know of any fuch appearance upon record, it is requefted they will be fo kind as to favour the public with their farther obfervations, Edinburgh, A. BRUCE. 13th Feb. 1798. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, SIR, S it is one object of your valuable A Mifcellany to elucidate great and To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. interefting characters, by the publication SIR, of authentic documents, I communicate AN uncommon phenomenon appeared the two following letters of Frederic the in the fky last night, and was obferved from about halt pait fix till near eight o'clock. It had the appearance of one large pillar or pencil of whiteifh light, as if rifing from fome luminous body near the horizon; its lower part being hid behind Salisbury-Hill, where the light fhowed much brighter for a great way up, and as it afcended to the zenith, where it alfo diffipated, it grew much fainter and broader; the fixed ftars being visible enough through it. Near the lower part, to the east, as some small It was in part burnt, by accident, on the 4th Fructidor, an, 2. which circumftancce did not long interrupt the bufinefs, although it was renewed on a lefs fcale than before. This new method of making powder, was still due to Citizen CARNY, whofe zeal was equal to his knowledge and talents. This catastrophe happened on the 14th Fructidor, an. 2. It was thought to have been occafioned by the imprudence of a workman, notwithstanding the strictest police and vigilance. It was afterwards judged prudent, to form feveral establishments on a fmaller fc.le. Great, King of Pruffia. They were first given to the German public, by Mr. Nicolai, of Berlin, who received them from the Duchefs of Brunswick, to whom they were written by that illustrious monarch. The first is on the death of her fon Leopold, a prince no lefs diftinguished for humanity than talents; the other, on the approach of his own diffolution, and written only fix days before that event. They both display the mild and philofophic firmness of a character on which so much has been said, and so little is accurately known, because it has been delineated by men wanting either opportunity or abilities for fuch a talk. Even the celebrated Zimmermann has greatly mifrepresented this illustrious monarch, in thofe anecdotes which Mr. Nicolai proves to be a fabrication of error and misinformation. I. S. Letters of the King of Prussia.-Spanish Poetry. d'événemens facheux à quelques favorables qui nous arrivent. Nous balottons fans ceffe entre beaucoup de chagrins, & quelques momens de fatisfaction. Voilà ma bonne foeur, le fort commun de tous les hommes! Les jeunes gens doivent être plus fenfibles à la perte de leurs proches & de leurs amis, que les viellards. Les premiers fe refentent long tems de ces privations, au lieu que les perfonnes de nôtre age les fuivent dans peu. Les morts ont l'avantage d'être à l'abri de tous les coups de la fortune, & nous qui reftons en vie, nous y fommes fans ceffe expofés. Toutes ces reflexions, ma bonne foeur, ne font guères confolantes, je l'avoue. Heureufement que votre fageffe, & votre efprit vous ont donné la force de refifter à la douleur qu'éprouve une tendre mère, en per dant un de fes enfans cheris. Veuille le ciel continuer de vous affifter, en confervant une foeur, qui fait le bonheur de ma vie ! Daignés ma bonne foeur, me croire avec le plus tendre attachement & la plus haute confideration. Mon adorable foeur, votre fidèle frère & feryiteur, FEDERIC. LETTRE II. Ce 10 d'Aout, 1786.. MON ADORABLE SOEUR, LE medecin d'Hannovre a voulu fe faire valoir chez vous ma bonne foeur; mais la verité eft qu'il m'a été inutile. Les vieux doivent faire place aux jeunes gens, pour que chaque generation trouve fa place; & à bien examiner ce que c'est que la vie, c'eft yoir mourir & naître fes compatriotes. En attendant je me trouve un peu foulagé depuis quelques jours. Mon coeur vous refte inviolablement attaché, ma bonne foeur. Avec la plus haute confideration, mon adorable foeur, votre fidèle frère & ferviteur, TRANSLATIONS.. FEDERIC. 12th May, 1785. MY BELOVED SISTER, HAVE lived above 70 years in the world, and in all that time, I have feen nothing but the capricious freaks of fortune, who mingles with the few pleafing circumftances of our exiftence, a great number of mourn ful events. We fluctuate between continued troubles, and momentary gratifications. Such, my dear fifter, is the common lot of mankind! Young people cannot but feel the lofs of friends and relations, more acutely than the old. The former continue long to recollect their lofs; while perfons, of our age, hortly follow thofe whom they lament. The dead have the advantage of being beyond the reach of fortune, but we who remain alive, continue expofed to her fhafts. These reflections, my dear fifter, afford but little confolation, I confefs. Happily, your 193 dom and fortitude enable you to bear up againft that forrow, which a tender mother muft feel for the lofs of a beloved child. May heaven continue to fupport you, and preferve to me a fifter, who conftitutes the chief happinefs of my life. Believe me, my dear fifter, with the tendereft attachment, and the highest esteem, your faithful brother and fervant, FREDERIC. LETTER II. 10th of August, 1786. MY BELOVED SISTER, THE Havoverian phyfician was defirous of recommending himself to your favour, my dear fifter; but the truth is, that he was of little Tervice to me, The old must give place to the young, in order that each generation may find its place; and if we fairly enquire in what life confifts, it is in feeing our fellow-citizens fucceffively entering and quitting existence. Meanwhile, Ifhould tell you, that I have felt myfelf rather cafier for these few days paft. My heart remains inviolably attached to you, my dear fister, and I am, with the highest efteem, my beloved fifter, your faithful friend and fervant, FREDERIC.. For the Monthly Magazine. ON THE POETRY OF SPAIN. BERNARDINO de Rebolledo was a count of the holy Roman empire, lord of Yrian, head of the Rebolledos of Caftille, knight of the order of Santiago, comendador and alcayde of Villanueva de Alcardete, governor and captain general of the Lower Palatinate, general of artillery, minifter plenipotentiary in Denmark, minifter of the fupreme council of war, &c. &c. but if Rebolledo had not been a poet, thefe titles would have been remembered only in the family pedigree, and on his own monument. On the 31ft of May, 1597, he was baptized in Leon, his native city. From his earlieft years, fays the Spanish biographer, our Bernardino difcovered his inclination for that happy union of arms and letters, which fo many have made. Two centuries ago this union, was lefs extraordinary than at prefent; in England we had a Raleigh and a Sydney. Spain affords more intances; Lope de Vega ferved in the Armada; Garcilato died in battle, and the poem of Ercilla was written in his tent. But the world is grown wifer, though it may not have grown better, and the trade of war, once held fo honourable, is now eftimated as it should be. At the age of fourteen * Zimmermann. Rebolledo 196 Poetry of Spain....Bernardino de Rebolledo. Rebolledo entered into the fleet of Naples he recommends are Camden, Hector and Sicily, in which fervice he remained eighteen years, and honourably diftinguished himself. Afterwards he fe ved in Lombardy, under Spinola. At the fiege of Cafal, his right arm was broken by a mutket ball. Perhaps the poet remembers his wound, when, in that part of his "Selva Militar y Politica," which treats of befieged places, he enumerates, among the provisions neceflary for the fiege, phyficians, furgeons, and medicine cheits. After ferving in the Low Countries, and negociating with many of the German powers, the count was appointed plenipotentiary to the court of Denmark. But Copenhagen was befieged during his refidence there, and for two years the Spanish ambalfador affifted in defending the town. After fo many toils and dangers he retu ned to Madrid, full of years and of glory; new honours were accumulated upon him, and he died in that city, univerially refpected, at the age of four fcore. Amid the toils and occupations of fo adventurous a life, Rebolledo produced thofe poems that have ranked him among the nine Caftilian mufes. They were printed feparately at Amberes and at Copenhagen. An edition, in four volumes, was published about thirty years fince at Madrid; but it is fuppofed, that fome of his publications efcaped the editor's fearch. The firft of thefe volumes contains his "Ocios," chiefly confifting of lyric pieces. From this volume a curious epiftle is extracted in the " Parnafo Efpanol," hitherto my guide. The etor felects it as, in his opinion, the best poem in the Ocios of Rebolledo, and as difplaying profound erudition, folid piety, exquilite taite, and accurate judgment. This praife is fomewhat enormous, for what he calls a Foema Bibliografico, and what may properly be flated a catalogue in rhyme; for it is only a lift of books recommended to a young itudent, In enumerating thefe, he begins with poetry; the names alone are mentioned of various pcuts, Greek, Latin, Italian, French, and Spanish, without one difcriminating epithet or remark; except that. Virgil is called, agreeably to Spanish gallantry, the elegant defainer of Dido." England is only mentioned under the head of hiftory, and the writers Boethius, and Biondi, a name with which I am unacquainted. He advifes his friend to fly from the madness of Copernicus, whofe opinions are contrary to revelation and common sense. Afterwards he mentions all the books in the Old and New Teftaments, and gives the number of chapters in each; recommends for frequent perufal, the works of St. Terefa and Kempis, and concludes thus ; “as you now afpire to a more fecure state, you must abhor your former way of life; but if you look back upon iniquity, I fhall regard you as a new pillar of falt." In the fame volume there is a madrigal, curioufly exemplifying the text; "every one that exalteth himself shall be abaicd, but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." On the entrance into Bifcay from Caftile, through the Sierra de Orduna, between the little towns, or rather perhaps villages of Berberana and Leza ma, a ftream falls from the height of a mountain into a deep valley; through which a current of air continually paffes, with fuch force, as to scatter the water on its fall, and fweep it away in vapour. The vapour, on its elevation, condenfes, and falls in perpetual rain. This fingular fport of nature is the fubject of this little poem. With what a deafening roar yon torrent rolls Its weight of waters, from the precipice, Whofe mountain mafs darkens the hollow vale! Yet there it falls not, for the eternal wind, Methinks that Eolus here forms his clouds, Of elder times, had journied here, his art, learn ( 197 ) WALPOLIANA; OR BONS-MOTS, APOPHTHEGMS, OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE AND LITERATURE, WITH EXTRACTS FROM ORIGINAL LETTERS, OF THE LATE HORACE WALPOLE, EARL OF ORFORD. NUMBER I. This Article is communicated by a Literary Gentleman, for many years in habits of intimacy zith Mr. WALPOLE. It is partly drawn up from a collection of Bons-Mots, &c. in his roa band-writing; partly from Anecdotes written down after long Converfations with him, in which be would, from four o'clock in the Afternoon, till two in the Morning, difplay thofe treasures of Anecdotes, with zubich bis Rank, Wit, and Opportunities, bad replenished bis Memory; and partly from Original Letters to the Compiler, on jubjects of Taste and Literature. Mr. Gray, the poet, has often obferved to me, that, if any man were to form a book of what he had feen and heard himself, it must, in whatever hands, prove a most useful and entertaining one. Walpole. I. BERNIS AND FLEURY. CARDINAL de Beinis, when only then four score, for fome preferment. Fleury told him fairly, he fhould never have any thing in his time: Bernis replied, "Monfeigneur j'attendrai *.” II. COUNTESS OF COVENTRY. Towards the clofe of the reign of George the Second, the beautiful countefs of Coventry talking to him on fhows, and thinking only of the figure the herfelf fhould make in a proceffion, told him, the fight the withed moft to fee was a co ronation. III. THE CLERICAL GOWN. Mr. Suckling, a clergyman of Norfolk, having a quarrel with a neighbour ing gentleman, who infulted him, and at last told him, "Doctor, your gown is your protection" replied, "it may mine, but it fhall not be your's;" pulled it off, and thrashed the aggreffor. IV. PATRIOTISM OF WILKES. be Depend upon it, my dear Sir, that Wilkes was in the pay of France, during the Wilkes and liberty days. Calling one day on the French minifter, I obferved a book on his table, with Wilkes's name in the first leaf. This led to a converfation, which convinced me. Other circumftances, too long and minute to be repeated, ftrengthened, if neceflary, that conviction. I am as fure of it, as of any fact I know. Wilkes at first cringed to Lord Bute. The embafly to Conftantinople was the object of his ambition. It was refufedand you know what followed. *My Lord, I fhall zait. V. BUTE'S MINISTRY. Lord Bute was my fchool-fellow. He believe his intentions were good. He wished to blend and unite all parties. The tories were willing to come in for a Jhare of power, after having been fo long excluded-but the whigs were not willing to grant that share. Power is an intoxi cating draught; the more a man has, the more he defires. VI. LADY WORTLEY MONTAGUE.. The letters of Lady Wortley Montague are genuine. I have feen the ori ginals, among which are fome far fuperior to thofe in print. But fome of them cation was about to take place, Lord were very immodeft. When the publiBute, who had married her daughter, fent for the editor, and offered one hundred pounds to fupprefs them. The man took the money, promifed-and publifhed. Lady Wortley Montague was a playfellow of mine when both were children. She was always a dirty little thing. This habit continued with her. When at Florence, the Grand Duke gave her apart ments in his palace. One room fufficed for every thing. When she went away, the stench was fo ftrong, that they were obliged to fumigate the chamber with vi negar for a week. Pope gave her the Homer he had ufed in tranflating. I have got it: it is a finall edition by Wetstein. Here it is. She wrote that little poem in the blank leaves. VII. CONJUGAL AFFECTION. A French gentleman, being married a fecond time, was often lamenting his first wife, before his fecond, who one day faid to him, "Monheur, je vous affirme qu il 198 Original Anecdotes by the late Horace Walpole: qu'il n'y a perfonne qui la regrette plus que moi *** VIII. CONJUGAL WIT. Another French lady wrote this letter to her husband. "Je vous écris, parceque je n'ai rien à faire: je finis, parceque je n'ai rien a dire +." IX. MONKS AND FRIARS. What you fay is perfectly juft. Some degree of learning is neceffary even to compofe a novel. How many modern writers confound monks and friars! Yet they were almost as different as laymen and priests. Monachifm was an old inftitution for laymen. The friars, freres, or brothers, were firft inftituted in the thirteenth century, in order, by their preaching, to oppofe the lollards. They united priesthood with monachifm; but while the monks were chiefly confined to their respective houses, the friars were wandering about as preachers and confeflors. This gave great offence to the fecular clergy, who were thus deprived of profits and inheritances. Hence the fatyric and impure figures of friars and nuns, in our old churches. Do you remember any example of retaliation? I fuppofe there were fimilar libels on the fecular clergy in the chapels of friaries now abolished t. 1 X. MR. HOLLIS. Mr. Hollis is always publishing republican books; and yet profeffes great veneration for our conftitution. I cannot reconcile this; our conftitution being, in its leading parts, an oligarchy, the form perhaps, of all others, the most oppofite to a republic. Nota. Before the French revolution, Mr. Walpole was fo warm a friend of freedom, that he was almost a republican. The change of his fentiments will be delineated in the clofe of these anecdotes. XI. SYMPTOMS OF INSANITY. My poor nephew, Lord ***, was deranged. The firft fymptom that appeared was, his fending a chaldron of coals as *❝ I afïure, you, Sir, no one regrets her more than I.". t I write to you, because I have nothing to do; I end my letter, becaufe I have nothing to say." Grofs errors of this kind appear in the writings of Mrs. RADCLIFFE, and Mr. LEWIS. "The Monk" of the latter, both in his book and play, being in fact a friar, a being of a very different defcription. EDIT. a prefent to the Prince of Wales, on learning that he was loaded with debts. He delighted in what he called book-hunting. This notable diverfion confisted in taking a volume of a book, and hiding it in fome fecret part of the library, among volumes of fimilar binding and fize. When he had forgot where the game lay, he hunted till he found it. XII. A LONGING WOMAN. Madame du Chatelet, (Voltaire's Emilie) proving with child again, after a long interval, and king Stanislaus joking with her husband on it, he replied, “ Ab! Sire, elle en avoit fi forte envie !”—“ Mon ami," faid the old king, c'étoit une envie d'une femme groffe XIII. A PRETTY METAPHOR. loved, and leaving many friends in town, A young lady marrying a man fhe to retire with him into the country, Mrs. D. faid prettily, "She has turned one twenty fhillings into a guinea." and XIV. ROYAL FAVOUR. king had fpoken to him. Being asked A low Frenchman bragged that the what his majefty had faid, he replied, "He bad me ftand out of his way." XV. MADAM DU BARRY. A great French lady, who was one of the first to visit Madam du Barry, after the was known to be the royal mistress, justifying herfelf to her niece on that account, faid, "It is reported that the king gave an hundred thousand livres to countenance her; but it is not true.""No, madam," replied the niece nobly, "I dare fay it is not true; for it would have been too little." XVI. PROOFS OF GENEALOGY. A lord of the court being prefented for the first time, Louis XIV. faid afterwards, that he did not know the late lord of that name had had a fon, having been reckoned impotent. "Oh Sire!" faid Roquelaure, « ils ont été tous impuissans que pere en fils." XVII. VOLTAIRE AND ADDISON. fon at a tavern. A ftory is told of Voltaire and AddiI do not believe Voltaire was in England while Addison was alive. "Ah! Sire, fhe longed fo much for it." "My friend, it was the longing of a woman with child." XVIII. PRICE |