Frowning from Chalgrave's fanguine field, "In timely death his virtue feal'd, "* The right he bled for, to maintain ; "Hampden in fun-bright mail augments the train. "Victims of Stuart's bigot pride; "Nor are ye abfent, generous pair, " + In many a year * He was killed in a skirmish in the beginning of the civil wars, while the parliament's caufe was yet that of liberty and the people. There feems a great fimilarity in the cafes of Hampden refufing the payment of fhip-money, and the American denial of parliamentary taxation. The British parliament seems to ftand nearly in the fame relation to America, as the King to the people of England; each poffeffes a conftitutional fupre. macy, which invefts them with the most important powers; but each is bound to abstain from invading a right which our conftitution expressly referves to the people; the only fure defence against the defpotifm of a King at home, or a nation at a distance.. Whoever has feen the letters of Algernon Sidney, will eafily estimate the worth of that truly great character. A modern reader will be much ftruck with the following paffage from one of his father, the Earl of Leicester. "It was not "God's will that the King fhould follow the advice I gave "him, to accommodate his differences with the Scots, and not "to make war, where nothing was to be gained, and much 60 might be loft." "Join'd in love, in fate ye fell! "Still the juft mufe your fame shall tell, "Where freedom holds on earth her hallow'd feat; And nations yet unborn the pious strains repeat. III. 2. "Ye too, they cry, be bold! "Uncheck'd by fecret guile, or force abhorr'd, "Your charter'd rights uphold; "And dauntless brave the mercenary fword. "To heaven oppreffion rears her head, "Her fcourge the proftrate kingdoms dread; "But fhort her rule, and fleeting is her hour. "The rod avenging justice bears, "And when are paft the appointed years, "Smites with a giant's force, and quells her power. III. .3. "Faft by the fapphire throne "Its adamant beam the balance sways, "In which the deeds of men th' Eternal weighs : "Thence the decrees are known "That fet the fuffering nations free, "And bear to virtue victory. T "Cherish deeds by heaven approv'd, "And virtues equal to thy doom. "Thrice happy land! See on thy plains belov'd "And bless with hope the weary'd feaman's eyes, "Worn with th' Atlantic ftorm,and wrapt in night, Thy genial breast shall still the unhappy greet, "Refuge of injur'd worth, and freedom's laft retreat." PROPOSAL FOR A NEW DICTIONARY. THERE are in every language, ancient and modern, certain heterogeneous words and anomalous expreffions, which render it more difficult to be acquired by students and foreigners, than even the most licentious idiomatic phrafes, or the most irregular combination of fentences. In vain may the laborious Lexicographer boast of having traced every radical word through a collateral series of parallel ramifications. The Philologist still toils with hopeless *However convulfions like those in America may retard the progress of the arts during their continuance, they make abundant recompence, by forcing the minds of men to uncommon exertions. The ftrength thus acquired cannot fail of producing the nobleft fruits, when the return of peace and establishment of freedom permits them to be occupied with thofe objects. investigation, " 99 investigation, and finds himself bewildered in the maze of petty familiarity, and entangled in colloquial barbarifms. The ebullitions of convivial or epiftolary humour, and the fallies of dramatic hilarity, the lucubrations of the periodical effayift, the sportive vein and dry intelligence of our diurnal, nocturnal, and hebdomadal historians, are almoft totally unintelligible, for want of an adequate interpretation. To remedy this defect in English literature, I have, with infinite labour, compiled a vocabulary or gloffary, intended as a fupplement to a larger and more folemn dictionary. It is easy to foresee, that the idle and illiterate will complain that I have encreased their labours, by endeavouring to diminish them; and that I have explained what is more easy, by what is more difficult-Ignotum per ignotius. I expect, on the other hand, the liberal acknowledgments of the learned. He who is buried in fcholaftic retirement, fecluded from the affemblies of the gay, and remote from the circles of the polite, will at once comprehend the definitions, and be grateful for fuch a feafonable and neceffary elucidation of his mother-tongue. Annexed to this letter is a fhort fpecimen of the work, thrown together in a vague and defultory manner, not even adhering to alphabetical concatenation. The whole will be comprised in two folio volumes, and will appear fome time within the enfuing twenty years. In the mean-while, fubfcriptions are taken in at all the most eminent bookfellers in London and Weftminster; of whom may be learnt all further particulars relative to this arduous and important undertaking. SPECIMEN. Higgledy-piggledy-Conglomeration and confufion. Scribble-ferabble-Pages of inanity. See-faw-Alternate preponderation. Tittle-tattle-Futile converfation. Mum-chance-Mental torpidity. Fee! Fau! Fum!-Gigantic intonations. Arfy-vary An inverfion of capitals and fundamentals. Topfy-turvy S } Hobble-de-boy-Adolescence, between the period of puberty and virility. Tit for Tat-Adequate retaliation. Hurry-fcurry-Inordinate precipitation. Ding-dong-Tintinnabulory chimes, used metaphorically to fignify dispatch and vehemence. Tag-rag The lowest Plebeians. See base-born, and Riff-raff S cum of the earth. Nincompoop, |