ON

EPIGRAM

THE DEATH OF THE LATE DUKE OF

NEWCASTLE.

BY CAPT. THOMSON.

NEWCASTLE dead! confufion seize
The wretch who reads it at his ease;
Nor dreams what England has to dread,
St alive, and Pelham dead !

LETTER

FROM

ABERDEEN.

Marifchal College, Aberdeen, 1767.

A Very whimsical controversy has arisen lately in our fociety, which entirely takes up at prefent the attention of every critic in North-Britain.-It arofe An exercise was from as whimsical a circumftance. impofed fome time ago in this our college, of which the following line, taken from Salluft's De republica ordinanda, was the theme:

Hac igitur multitudo, malis moribus Im-buta, parum mihi idonea videtur ad capeffendam rempublicam.

The impofition was intended as a punishment, and, therefore, to render it as difficult as poffible to a native of North-Britain, it was directed to he wrote in English.-The poor lad, whose task it was, unfortunately

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unfortunately ftumbled at the threshold: for, being but little acquainted with this foreign language, he tranflated Im-buta into Im-buted; and gave for his reason, that in this place he could find no word in the English tongue fo proper-The profeffor, dif gufted at the tranflation, and enraged at the reafon, reported it to the feniors; who, after much altercation, agreed, that the word Im-buted is a very fit and proper tranflation of Im-buta, whenever that word is used in a bad meaning, fuch as-Venenis malis Imbuta, Salluft.-Animus Im-butus malis artibus. Idem, &c. And they determined to fend a deputation from their body to their chancellor, the Earl of B, to intreat that the word Im-buted may be inoculated into the English language: aud they fubmit it to his lordship and the English nation to determine, whether the acceptance of that word fhall be dated from his lordship's admittance into Clifden house, or from his acceffion.

And they humbly pray, that the word may accordingly be inferted in all future editions of the English dictionaries: recommending it particularly to Dr. Johnson, to make use of this fhort definition of the word Penfion -Munus tabo Im-butum.Hor. Epod. which they prefume most applicable at prefent to the word Penfion in general, and to his own in particular.

In the mean time, till the fate of this important. word is determined, the Royal College of Phyficians in Edinburgh, (of which his lordfhip the Earl of B is likewise an honorary member) and all the other learned bodies in this part of the world, are preparing themselves, with the utmoft induftry, to be ready to take either fide of the question, according as his lordship shall determine.

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They, who are fuppofed to be the best judges of this matter, pretend, that the word will certainly be rejected by their chancellor; but accepted with much pleasure by the whole English nation: and they imagine, that on all future occafions, authors will not fay, that fuch a one has poisoned a youthful mind, but that he has Im-buted a youthful mind. Not that he has inftilled into him unconftitutional principles; but that he has Im-buted into him unconstitutional principles. The word Im-buted being much more expreffive than infinuated or poisoned.

They think too, that its ufe will, for fome years to come, be much more extenfive in political papers than almoft any other in the language; and particularly that, in all future changes of the ministry, instead of the old, improper, and worn-out phrases of refigned and appointed, they will, with much more precision and propriety, fay-fuch a one has been Buted out of, or Im-buted into, this or that

high office and employment. For it is notorious that, as Cicero fays,

Non docti, fed facti; non inftituti, fed Im-buti funt.

Our northern etymologifts discover likewife fomething very extraordinary in the etymology of this word, which particularly juftifies its adoption. For Voffius, Gefner, &c. fay-Videtur primo di&um effe boc verbum de nutricibus mammam præbentibus, et illius papilla as offercientibus (quod Græcè Buen vel BC eft) parvorum. And Feftus, Im-butum eft, quod cujufpiam rei fuccum bibit: unde infantibus an velint bibere dicentes fyllaba Bu, contenti fumus.

Now they pretend that the fyllable Bu is a fort of political Shibboleth amongst you in England; and that ftate-infants are not permitted, by the great ftate-nurfe, to fuck the milk of the nation, unless they pronounce this fyllable Bu, or B-, diftinctly and readily.

For my own part, I take no fhare in this controverfy; for I am at prefent too deeply engaged in a work, wherein I fhall endeavour to investigate the principles, and demonftrate the utility of the eftalishment of the lords and gentlemen of the police in Scotland, who receive about 8000l. a year from

the revenue of England. And, as I cannot learn that they have even had a meeting fince the union, it is with great difficulty that I can procure materials for this my work.

THE CHURCH'S LAMENTATION.

UPON AN ATTEMPT INTENDED TO BE MADE TO REDUCE HER TO A LEVEL, IN POINT OF LAW, WITH THE KING, LORDS, COMMONS, AND EVERY OTHER SUBJECT OF THE REALM.

BY DR. GARLICK.

ADDRESSED TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

A Learned divine,

At the commons great fhrine,
Thus offer'd the church's complaint;
True primitive grace

Spread a calm o'er his face,

And his looks spoke the heart of a faint.

A divine, who had fome years ago feen the poor in France eat a great deal of garlick, in confequence of his remark, advifed the cultivation of it in a fermon delivered at Bristol, or a neighbouring church; and advised the use of it to the poor in times when wheat was dear, and corn at a high price. For this counfel he was driven out of the city by the populace, and ever after enjoyed the title of Dr. Garlick.

O fons