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holds the Vox Populi to be the Vox Dei, and if broken in upon and routed by intruding Magiftrates, foon rifes like the Phoenix, more beautiful from the wide fpreading fire of the Police!"

As I found my friend's oratorical fit was upon him, I waited till he had recovered, and then promited to attend him to the next meeting of the "Friends of Free Difcuffion." The evening being arrived, after entering and taking my feat, I listened with attention to the bold and uniform eloquence of thofe about me: my friend Ranter foon arofe, and I was in but little pain for him, knowing he confidered himielf, upon the credit of his lungs, as an excellent Orator: neither was I furprifed at the applaufe that followed every fentence in which the words, Reform, Reprefentation, General Good, dulce et decorum eft pro patri á mori, &c. &c. followed in rapid fucceflion. In short, my friend continued to "cleave the general ear with horrid fpeech," to the great fatisfaction of the audience, and fhouts of applaufe graced the conclufion. I thought this a fair opportunity of Speaking in my turn, and role with an intention of itating fome errors that

had crept into the fpeeches of my predeceffors. But no fooner had I begun with calmness to controvert a few licentious opinions, and contradict a few turbulent pofitions of thefe frequenters of Liberty-hall, than instead of the audi alteram partem, which I expected, a new argument struck my aftonished ears, and the words “down with him," "filence him," " turn him out, &e." with hifies, and other tokens of anger, became as diftinct as they were audible. Deeming my character at stake, I for a while ftood firm as the Acroceraunian Promontory; but men are but men, and I was foon obliged to make a precipitate retreat. My friend was kind enough to follow me down ftairs; and as we walked home together, I could not help expreffing my indignation at their conduct. "Oh Heaven," cried Ranter, "what a hornet's neft you brought about your ears! I believe you, my dear Caius, to be a very honest and fenfible fellow, but you was guilty of a dreadful overfight."-" What oversight?” exclaimed I, in great furprife? " Why," replied Ranter with a fhrug, "you spoke on the wrong fide!”

CAIUS FITZ-URBAN.

To the EDITOR of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

2d January 1797.

SIR, A VERY neat mural Monument, in honour of the late Rev. Mr. HARRISON, and executed by Mr. Weftmacott, of Mount-street, has been lately erected in Brompton Chapel, near Knightsbridge, with the following infcription:

SIR,

SACRED

to the Memory of the
Rev. RICHARD HARRISON,
Minister of this Chapel

from its Opening in 1769;
Rector of St. John's, Clerkenwell;
and Evening Preacher at the
Magdalen Hofpital.
He departed this Life
23d December 1793,
Aged 57 years.

HIS LABOURS WERE ABUNDANT:

HIS PRAISE IS IN THE GOSPEL:

HIS REWARD IS WITH

THE MOST HIGH!
I am, Sir,

Yours,

To the EDITOR of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

SINCE the promife that was given by

Mr. Ireland to publifh the Play of . Vortigern, I have been a frequent inquirer when it was expected to appear; but fo much time has now elapfed fince that

W. B.

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No forgeries escape your piercing eyes!
Unbiafs'd then, pronounce your dread decree,
Alike from prejudice and favour free.
If no effulgent spark of beavenly fire,
No ray divine, the languid fcene infpire,
If no internal proofs denote its worth,
And trace from Avon's banks its happier birth i
With just disdain the dull attempt discard,
And vindicate the glory of your Bard

But if, the ordeal pafs'd, you chance to find
Rich fterling ore, though rude and unrefin'd,
Stamp it your own; affert your poet's fame,
And add fresh wreaths to Shakespeare's ho-
nour'd name.

When this Prologue was spoken, the lines above in Italics were omitted.

ANECDOTES.

MR. GEORGE SELWYN.

N infinity of witty fayings, fmart repartees, and bon mots, have been repeatedly related and publifhed of Mr. Selwyn. The writer of the following anecdote does not remember ever to have feen it in print: he had it from unquef-, tionable authority.

A notorious gamefter had, by an extraordinary run of good luck at a gaming-houfe in St. James's Street (in a party where a fon of the Houfe of Rutland was the principal if not only lofer), been enabled to fet up a carriage and handfome equipage. Selwyn, who had heard of the affair, which had very much diftreffed the young Nobleman in money matters, met him very fhortly after his fuccefs, and paid him, in his droll manner, some very fine compliments on the elegance of his carriage, and his tafte in the choice of his liveries. "Why, aye," returned the ether, "I really think they are very well, but I am at a lofs for a motto to the arms I have had painted on the pannels of my

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coach.""I'll help you to one, if you will give me leave," replied George. "What think you of Manners * make the man ?**

when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, was MARQUIS TOWNSEND, by fome means or other detained at a little public-house one evening; probably he was returning from an excursion, and found it was too late to reach Dublin that night. Be that as it may, his Excellency liked his landlord's wine fo well, that he got vaftly good-humoured, and in a merry cue dubbed his landlord Knight. In the morning, when his Lordship recollected fome circumftances that had paffed the preceding evening, he would fain have treated the whole as a joke; but the Knight was not to be put off fo: he was a Knight, and fo he'd remain. However, a few arguments made him rather more tractable; and he said, in all the fimplicity of an Irishman," Fait, I do not care much about it myself, but I must go upstairs and confult my Lady. FELIX.

THE FOLLOWING CURIOUS LETTER IS FROM A MS. IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY.

REVISIR,
A FRIEND of Yours this morning,
John Urry by name, brought me the
following Account.

Sept. 28, 1697.
Anth: Alfop has been with one of
Corpus Chrifti Coll: who came from Dr.
Wallis's; where had been fome talk of the
French Kings Proclaiming the Prince of
• Manners is the family name of the Duke of Rutland,

W.

W. James the 3o. And the Dr. told this Gentleman how many Original Letters he had feen under the Queens own hand, the Bricklayers Wife, and others concerned in the matter: & a long Letter alfo in Cypher, which coft him fome pains: all which made it out clear to him, & he thought 'twould to any body, that it was all cheat & Impofture. It chanced at this time that Sir Godfrey Kneller coming down to draw the Drs Picture by Mr. Pepys's order, was prefent. Wat de Devil (fays he) de Prince Wales te Son of a Brickbatt Woman, be Got it is a lye, I am not of his Party, nor fhall not be for him. I am fatisfiet wit wat te Parliament has done: but I must tell you wat I am fure of, & in wat I cannot be mistaken: His Fader & Moder have fat to me about 36 time a piece; & I know every Line & bit in their Faces. Be Got I could paint K. James juft now by me. mory. I fay the child is fo like both, that there is not a Feature in his Face but wat belongs to Fader or Moder; this I am of, & be Got I cannot be mistaken. Nay te Nails of his Fingers are his Moders te Queen that was: Dr. you may be out in your Letters and Cyphers, but be Got I can't be out in my Lines., Soon after the Coronation of the Prince of O. having fome difcourfe with S. Geo:

Hewitt (then newly made a Lord) about the late Revolution, he told me when Ki James was at Salisbury, if he had gone to dinner at Warminster, as he had promifed, his bufinefs had been done there. He & Captain Cornelius Wood who was then prefent faid Sr. Geo: He & I had done his bufinefs: for that Wood was to be Exempt of the Guard, and I should have commanded it, & the Lord Churchill would have gone in the Kings Coach, being in waiting with the Gold headed ftick. Kirk, Lanier (faid S. Geo:), and many others of our party being there, & moft of the Guards & ar my that were pofted there, right for our purpofe, we were refolved to carry him a Prifoner to the Prince of O. But if Dunbarton, Scarfield, or any other of the Popith Officers fhould endeavour to refcue him, then faid S. Geo: little Wood & I, that were on horfe-back, were to have hot him, & if that had mifs'd, then Lord Churchill, that was provided with a Pocket Piftoll & a Dagger, would have fhott him or ftabb'd him in the Coach, for there was no other way of saving themfelves after attempting the thing. But as it pleafed God, faith the Informant, his Majesties Nofe very happily fell a bleeding, by which his going to Warminster was prevented.

LORD CATHCART'S HOUSE, WHITEHALL.

THE above House, from its elegant manner of building, is intended as contraft to the antient manner of the

Architecture, below: of which remain few comparative specimens.

OLD HOUSES BEHIND THE CHARTER-HOUSE

ARE within the walls, and inhabited by Penfioners from the Hofpital. Founded by Thomas Sutton, Efq. Citizen and Girdler of London, A. D. 1611. The number of Pensioners amount to eighty, the Scholars on the Foundation forty-four, and Students at the Univerfities twenty-nine; which make the fum total of Members one hundred and fiftythree, befides the officers and fervants of

the house. In vifiting the Charter-houfe, the obferver will find a whimsical contraft of ancient and modern building, the hall, the kitchen, chapel, cloisters, &c. are well worthy the attention of the Antiquary and curious traveller. I the Hall is a good whole length portrait of the Founder.

P.

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