and covering with a funereal splendour the countries which the had already rendered frightful by devastation and ruin. This spectacle did not fail to be majestic in the midst of its horrors. The frequent contraft of light and shade, occasioned by the shadow of the neighbouring mountains, attracts the eye along its variegated labyrinth, and suggests to the awakened imagination a notion of the ancient chaos. The dead filence around me admirably blended with the monuments of destruction beneath me, while the stillness of foul it excited was interrupted at returning intervals by the hollow roaring of the caverns of Ætna. I cannot express the revolution I experienced at those moments, nor describe the fingular effect these shocks, which may justly be called electrical ones, produced on all my fenfes. I could not, however, refrain from laughing when, at one of those instants that Ætna roared the loudeft, a Monk, who was by my fide, seizing me with a trembling hand, forced me, in spite of myself, within the door of the convent, repeating at the fame time, in a tremulous voice, "Horrificis juxta tonat Etna ruinis." The Monks of Catania usually fend a lay brother to the convent, under whose direction the harvest is gathered, and the different fruits dried. Wehad forgotten to bring with us letters of recommendation to him, which did not, however, prevent him from receiving us cordially, and treating us with the utmost hofpitality. We slept from eight o'clock in the evening till eleven, when we were to depart, that we might be able to reach the fummit of the mountain early enough to behold the magnificent view which the rifing fun offers. The road we had to pass confifted of dry fand and steep rocks; sometimes leading to an iminente height, sometimes defcend ing frightful precipices.. We were confiderably terrified, and the more so as the moon had just set. We lighted some torches; but the wind, which began to blow with violence, extinguished them every moment. The darkness of the night was dreadful; the road, however, was no longer through precipices, but it was flippery and uneven, full of deep ruts, which scarcely permitted our mules to continue an instant on their legs: for my own part I alighted from mine, and walked as long as my strength would permit me. To this parched and ftony country, in general unproductive and strewed with afhes, fucceeded an immense forest. We were elated with joy to find ourselves upon ground on which we might travel without apprehenfion. We experienced a very different climate from that we had quitted; the fuffocating heat which had so much incommoded us at the foot of the mountain, gave place to a temperate air, more refreshing than warm. The forest protected us from those dreadful hurricanes, which, all the way from Nicolo d'Arena, had incommoded us, burying us, as it were, in clouds of ashes. This contrast, from one extreme to the other, was complete; from a barren defert we were tra transported to a delicious garden. By the light of our flamвезих we examined the objects around us, and we perceived with a kind of rapture, grafs, flowers, aromatic shrubs, and here and there fome fruit-trees, whole fragrant exhalations were the more agreeable, from the fulphureous air we had before breathed. From Catania, by the forests, the way is fforter than if we were to afcend the mountain on the fide of Taormina; it is, however, only in the latter route that the large chefnut-trees, fo much celebrated, are to be feen; respecting which the learned do not agree. The point in dispute is, whether they have one or a number of trunks. Recupero, who affirms that he examined them with attention, says, that they have but one trunk, the circumference of which measures twenty-eight Neapolitan rods, or 224 feet. I did not fee these gigantic trees, my friends in Catania having assured me, that it was not worth my while to go to far as a day's journey out of my road for the purpose. The oaks in these forefts are of a fingular form, but more remarkable for their fize than their height. When I compare them with the ancient oaks of my country, ours are lofty giants, while those of Ætna refemble misshapen dwarfs, whom the climate and foil have ftinted in their growth: the foil indeed will permit the roots neither to spread nor entwine, so that those by which the tree derives its nourishment, are scarcely below the furface of the earth, and sometimes totally expofed. At the extre. mity of the forest we found the famous Cavern of Goats (Grotta di Caprioli). This cavern, formed probably by a torrent of lava, is large and deep the road that leads both to it and the major part of * The whole Mountain is divided into three distinct regions, called, La Regione Culta, or Piedmontese, the Fertile Region; La Regione Sylvofa, or Nemorofa, the Woody Region; and La Regione Deferta, or Scoperta, the Barren Region.-Brydone, Vol. I. p. 166. the the environs, is a very narrow and fandy path, which, as we could frequently perceive, was formed, like all the rest, by lava. This grotto is in form exactly fimilar to the vomitoria of the ancient theatres, except that it is bounded, and leads to no object. Various caverns are to be seen in the neighbourhood of the fame kind, but of less extent. The people of this country, who in general are extremely fuperftitious, affirm, that the Cavern of Goats is the abode of had angels and evil spirits, inhabitants of the entrails of Etna: they add, that these wicked genii never quit their gloomy abode but to become the scourge of the human species, and to shed the horn of defolation on the inhabitants of those parts of the country in particular which are already the most ruinous. I am of a contrary opinion. I call these spirits the tutelary angels of weary travellers, and their caverns a fafe and commodious afylum. Our guide observed to us, that the night was very dark, that the wind began to blow strong, that the cold was piercing, and that we had better warm ourselves and take some refreshment. We followed his advice, made a good fire, seated ourselves upon a bed of leaves, and briskly attacked the basket that contained our provifions. Having made a good supper we repofed ourselves; but we had scarcely SIR, slept two hours, when our trufty Piedetto (To be concluded in our next..) To the EDITOR of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. BETWEEN twenty and thirty years ago the late SIR CHARLES WHITWORTH put forth Proposals for the publication of his relation LORD WHITWORTH'S STATE PAPERS. As the work has never been, heard of fince, I suppose it did not meet with fufficient encouragement to pursue the design. Along with the Preposals, he printed several LETTERS as specimens, which, I think, ought not to be loft to the world, and therefore I send them for publication in the European Magazine. It may not be improper to add, that CHARLES LORD WHITWORTH, the perfon to whom they were addressed, was the son of RICHARD WHITWORTH, Efq. of Blower Pipe, in Staffordshire, who, about the time of the Revolution, had fettled at Adbafton. He was bred under that accomplished Minifter and Poet Mr. STEPNEY, and having attended him through feveral Courts of Germany, was, in the year 1702, appointed Resident at the Diet of Ratisbon. In 1704 he was • It is here that the detail of my Journey begins to differ materially from the account which M. Brydone has published of his. He says, that after leaving the Cave of Goats, he wandered for the space of two hours in the forests of Etna. He says also, that this Cave is fituated in the middle of a wood. His defcription of the environs of the Volcano is in like manner very inaccurate.-Though his account of his Journey to Erna is a chef d'œuvre of beautiful compofition, I have my fufpicions that the Author afcended no one fummit of the Volcano; and I have been confirmed in my opinion by what was told me upon this fubject at Catania, as well as by the report of fome English travellers, who, foon after M. Brydone's returu, were conducted by the fame Piedetto who had accompanied him, and who declared to them, that our Author did not even afcend the least steep of the Mountains of Ærna. named : named Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Petersburg; as he was fent Ambasfador Extraordinary thither on a more folemn and important occasion in 1710. In 1714 he was appointed Plenipotentiary to the Diet of Augsbourg and Ratisbon; in 1716 Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the King of Pruffia; in 1717 Envoy Extraordinary to the Hague; in 1719 he returned in his former character to Berlin; n; and in 1721 KING GEORGE I. rewarded his long fervices and fatigues, by creating him BARON WHITWORTH, of GALWAY, in the kingdom of IRELAND. The next year his Lordship was intrusted with the affairs of Great Britain at the Congress of Cambray, in the character of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He returned home in 1724, and died the next year, at his house in Gerard-street, London. His body was interred in Westiminster-Abbey. I am, &c. C. D. A SPECIMEN of LORD WHITWORTH'S STATE PAPERS. I. The DUKE of MARLBOROUGH to Mr. WHITWORTH. I HAVE received the favour of your letter of the 16th inft, concerning the extraordinary affront of your Ambassador in London, but having at large answered Count Golloffkin's letter on the fame fubject, I shall only add fome few confiderations to you, with the fame freedom and fincerity 1 have always professed. I do affure you, yourself could not be more furprifed or concerned at the rude and brutal attempt offered him, than I was; but, I own, I never expected Mr. Matueoff would have been to violent in his re prefentations, er have endeavoured to blacken the fact, which of itself is ill enough, * The transaction which is the subject of this and the fucceeding letter was as follows: M.de Matueoff, the Czar's Minister in London, had been arrested in the public ftreet by two bailifis at the fuit of fome tradesmen to whom he was in debt. This affront had like to have been attended with very ferious confequences. The Czar, who had been abfolute enough to civilize favages, had no idea, could conceive none, of the privileges of a nation civilized in the only rational manner by laws and liberties. He demanded immediate and fevere pupithment of the offenders. He demanded it of a Princefs whom he thought interested to affert the facredness of the perfons of Monarchs even in their representatives; and he demanded it with threats of wreaking his vengeance on all English merchants and fubjets established in his dominions. In this ight the menace was formidable; otherwife, happily, the rights of a whole people were more facred bere than the persons of Foreign Ministers. The Czar's Memorials urged the Queen with the fatisfaction which she had extorted herself, when only the boat and fervants of the Earl of Manchester had been infulted at Venice. That State had broken through their fundamental laws to content the Queen of Great Britain. How noble a picture of government, when a Monarch that can force another nation to infringe its conftitution, dare not violate his own! One may imagine with what difficulties our Secretaries of State must have laboured through all the ambuges of phrafe in English, French, German, and Rufs, to explain to Mufcovite ears, and Muscovite understandings, the meaning of indictments, pleadings, precedents, juries, and verdicts; and how impatiently Peter must have Istened to promites of a hearing next Term! With what aftonishment must he have beheld a great Queen engaging to endeavour to prevail on her Parliament to pass an At to pre chough, with all possible disobliging circumstances; whereof, I am hitherto perfuaded, fome are not just, and very little agree with the two letters Mr. Secretary Boyle wrote him on this occafion; and the profeffions the Ambassador made, that he would mollify the matter in his relations as much as he could. It might eafily be imagined, the Czar would be extremely concerned at this in dignity: I will affure you, on the word of an honeft man, the Queen was as much; but while the is endeavouring to give all possible fatisfaction, and employing all proper means to convince you of her inlignation against her fubjects who have offended, and her real friendship for the Czar, she will be extremely surprised to fee herielf treated with fuch coldnefs, as if the had countenanced the fault; fatisfaction demanded in a threatening manner; and peremptory terms fet, without which her friendship will be rejected. I leave to your mature reflection, whether your Ambaffador could have acted otherwise, or your office ufed any other style, if the had leemed to refuse reparation; and whether this be a proper way to forward the affair, and win the friendship of her Majesty, who is in a condition not to be obliged to any thing, befides what her own generous temper and love of justice will fuggelt; in which I appeal to all the world, whether The has yet ever been found backward; and the letters fent by her order to Mr. Artemonowitz fufficiently shew, that it is not to be apprehended now. As to the reprisals threatened, I suppose that is meant on us here; but if ever it thould come so far (as I am fully perfuaded the Czar's own inclinations and your prudence will never fuifer it), I must affure you we are much too inconfiderable a part of her fubjects, that she should alter her measures in the least on our account, and we shall undergo with cheerfulness, for her service, whatever our destiny may have provided for us. I only defire you to confider, whether you could do your enemies any greater service than to occafion a breach between our principals, or even a coldness which might give them countenance in the present conjuncture: but as I have always employed myself to improve the friendship of the two empires as much as poffible (which, I am convinced, is for the advantage of both), so I shall take contrary meafures to Mr. Matueoff, and do all I can to soften this proceeding, and prevent its ill effects. As to the manner of fatisfaction, I will be answerable that all reparation shall be made you which our laws will allow, and that it shall be fo great and signal, as fully to clear his Czarish Ma jeny's honour in the eye of the world, and give undeniable proofs of the Queen's friendship; but you know our government is not abfolure, nor can I tell whether it be in her Majesty's power to proceed fo far as you defire against the criminals: however, I will give an account of it, and urge the doing all that is poffible, and I hope you will not infift on more; for afking a fatisfaction impoffible, or denying to receive any, is the fame thing, and will look as if you were weary of our friendship, and only fought an occafion to lefien it; whereas I am fure, by a moderate and prudent conduct, you might make a more noble and advantageous use of the present unlucky accident. You defire fatisfaction may be given; the fooner the better; that shall be done. You fee how far they have proceeded in London already, and when they know what you demand, I do not question but prevent any fuch outrage for the future! What honour does it reflect on the memory of that Princess, to see her not blush to own to an arbitrary Emperor, that even to appeafe bim the dared not put the meanest of her fubjects to death uncondemned by law ! "There are," says she, in one of her dispatches to him, "infuperable difficulties with respect to the ancient and fundamental laws of the government of our people, which, we fear, do not permit fo fevere and rigorous a fentence to be given, as your Imperial Majesty at first seemed to expect in this cafe; and we perfuade ourfelt that your Imperial Majesty, who are a Prince famous for clemency and for exact justice, will not require us, wbe are the guardian and protestress of the laws, to inflict a punishment upon our fubjects which the law does not empower us to do." Words so venerable and heroic, that this broil ought to become hiftory, and be exempted from the oblivion due to the filly squabbles of Amballadors. See Walpole's advertisement prefixed to "Lord Whitworth's Account of Ruffia." 8vo. 1758.-" Moreley's Life of Peter I." Vol. II. 57.67.-" Blackstone's Commentaries." On this occafion Lord Whitworth went to Ruffia, to make the apology. When he had compromised the rupure, he was invited to a ball at Court, and taken out to dance by the Czarina. As they began the minuet she squeezed ham by the hand, and faid in a whifper, "Have you forget Letle Kate ?" further I EMERIUS, in the year 1618, quoted the following Latin Verses, which, he fays, were written by a Proteftant Advocate of the Parliament of Paris fifty years before that time; or rather," adds he, ** by an Angel who dictated them." What would he have faid, had he been now living and feen the actual completion of the prediction ? Feftinat propero cursu, jam temporis " ordo, " Quo locus, et Franci Majeftas prifca " Senatûs, "Papa, Sacerdotes, Misse, Simulachra, " Deique " Fictitii, atque omnis fuperos exosa po"Judicio Domini jufto fublata peribant." " teftas "With their own phantoms scare his " deteft; gen'rous breaft, "And every sway, except their own, "These, whilst eternal justice rules this " ball, "These, these, by Heav'n's own high "behest, shall fall, "In endless ruin and confufion hurl'd, "A dread example to a wond'ring " world." The difcovery of America is faid to have been predicted in some of Seneca the Tragedian's Verfes; and the emancipation of America, with the causes of it, is to be met with in fome lines of Sir Thomas Brown's, written a century before that happy event, for this country at least. MADAME, MOTHER TO THE REGENT, though a good woman, was so indolent, that fome one wrote on her tomb, " Cy gift l'Oifiveté"-" Here lies Idleness perTonified." She is mentioned by Duclos and other writers as disgufting the perfons about her by her complete inattention to their feelings or fituation. Being able herself to stand upon her feet for ten hours together, and having never known herfelf what it was to have been ill, the never confidered any delicacies of conftitution in in others; and from this fingle circumstance indisposed persons against her who reality wished her well. "Elle ne cherchoit point à plaire," says Duclos, " elle ne vouloit être aimée que de ceux qu'elle eftimoit. Elle aimoit fort sa nation, et il suffifoit d'être Allemand pour en être accueilli. |