O.R, Enriched with the following truly elegant ENGRAVINGS: 1. A moft delightful VIEW of the South Front of BLENHEIM, the Seat of his Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH. 2. A most affecting SCENE defcribed by Sir WIL- Printed for HARRISON and Co. No. 18, Paternofter-Row; by whom Letters to the EDITORS are received. A HE friking Likenesses of the Stadtholder and Emperor of Germany, ceptable. R. The Biographical Memoirs recommended to our Attention by Sir C. J. will be given in the next or fucceeding Number. The Editors are greatly obliged to the kind Correfpondent who favoured them with the Letter figned Ludovicus. Verfes addreffed to the Mufe, which were obliged to be omitted on Account of the extreme Length of fuch temporary Articles as cannot again hastily occur, will be inferted in our next. The Poetical Epistle from a Nun in Portugal to an English OfficerJ. Wd's Ode to Senfibility-and Prince Robert-which have for the fame Reason been deferred, with many other valuable Articles intended for the prefent Number-shall likewise be given in our next. The Rev. Mr. Gwill be furnished with the principal Editor's Address immediately on leaving his own with the Publishers. We have no Idea of giving our Opinion of new Literary Schemes to Anonymous Enquirers. We are obliged to Suggeftor for his Hints-as well as to Hint for his Sug gestions. We hope our Old Correfpondent will compleat the Tale he laft Month promised us, early enough for Infertion in the next Number. The Adoption of the Plan fuggefted by Dr. B, is under the serious Confideration of the Editors, who will convey their Determination to the learned and liberal Propofer the Inftant they are decided in their Opinion. The Publication mentioned by Lignarius will probably come under our Confideration next Month. The Young Author,' who wishes us to review his Work, should at least have tranfmitted a Copy. In his Cafe, indeed, it is indifpenfably neceffary; for, as we have never feen it advertised, we know not where it is to be met with. The Letter to Solomon Sagebaro, Efq. figned A Barrifter, cannot pass the Great Touchstone, or Seal of Office. The Verfes to the Cambrian Bard are inadmiffible. 1 The ftrange Story of an Apparition at Rotterdam, communicated by Mr. Plettenberg of the Hague, is not fufficiently interefting for our Mifcellany. The Idea in the Epigram figned D. is by no means original. Several other Letters have been received, which we have not yet had Leifure to examine: THE BRITISH MAGAZINE AND REVIEW; OR, UNIVERSAL MISCELLANY. L SEPTEMBER 1783. MODERN BIOGRAPHY. LORD CAMDEN. ORD Camden is the third fon of Sir John Pratt, (who in May 1718 was appointed Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench) by Lady Elizabeth Wilfon, his fecond wife. His lordship, after a learned education, applied himself to the study of the law, and foon became one of the most eminent and fuccefsful pleaders at the bar. He was chofen a member of parliament for Downton, in Wiltshire, on a vacancy for that place, foon after the general election in 1754 In 1759, he was chofen recorder of Bath; and, in the fame year, was appointed his Majefty's attorney-geeral. In December 1761, he received the bnour of knighthood, on being confituted Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas; and he was ciled to the degree of Serjeant at Law ir the year 1762. On the 16th of July 1765, he was cvanced to the dignity of a peer of Great Britain, by the ftile and title of Lord Camden, Baron of Camden n the county of Kent; and, July 30, 766, on the refignation of Robert Larl of Northington, his Majefty de livered the Great Seal to his Lordship, as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, from which office he was re-. moved in the year 1770. At the great change of adminiftration, in the beginning of laft year, he was appointed Lord Prefident of his Majefty's Privy Council; in which office he was fucceeded, on the retreat of Lord Shelburne, by David Lord Viscount Stormont. Lord Camden (then Sir Charles Pratt) prefided in the Court of Common Pleas when Mr. Wilkes was feized and committed to the Tower) upon an illegal general warrant; and, having granted an Habeas Corpus to bring him before the court, difcharged that gentleman from his confinement, on the 6th of May 1763, after stating the cafe in a fpeech which procured him great popularity. His remarkable behaviour on this occafion, and in the confequent judicial proceedings between the printers of the North Briton, and the king's meffengers and others concerned in that bufinefs, was fo acceptable to the public, that the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of London, prefented him with the freedom of their corporation in a gold box, and requested him to fit for Y 2 his his picture, which was put up in the Guildhall, with the following infcription at the bottom of the frame Hanc Iconem CAROLI PRATT, Efq. Summi Judicis C. B. in Honorem tanti Viri Anglica I beg you will be pleafed to return my moft refpectful thanks, and to inform the Chamber, that I feel an uncommon pleasure in this teftimony of good-will from the city of Exeter, as it is the capital of that county where my father, and all his ancestors, took their birth, and where I myself heretofore received an encouragement in my practice far beyond my merits." If I have deferved, in any part of my conduct, the approbation of my countrymen, as an honest and impartial judge, I shall not be ashamed to confefs, that I take a pride in that applaufe that flows from an opinion of my integrity, leaving the praife of capacity to others whom God has endued with more fhining parts, and fuperior abilities. The Guild of Merchants of the city of Dublin voted him the freedom of their Guild in a gold box; the corporation of Barber Surgeons of that city voted him his freedom of their company; and the Sheriffs and Commons of Dublin prefented him their thanks for the diftinguished zeal and loyalty which he had hewn in affert ing and maintaining the rights and liberties of the fubject in the high ftation which he then filled with remark-I can make no other return (and able dignity, and for his particular I know the Chamber of Exeter expect fervices to that kingdom in the office, no other) for this valuable compliof Attorney General.' ment, than a promife to perfevere in an upright and impartial execution of my office; and I hope this promife will obtain fome degree of credit, when it is confidered, that by deviating from this path, I fhall not only forfeit the efteem of your city, which I am now fo honourably poffeffed of, but I fhall likewife difgrace my royal mafter's nomination, and break my oath. On the 27th of February 1764, at a Chamber held in the city of Exeter, it was refolved by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, that the Right Honourable Sir Charles Pratt, Lord Chief Juftice of the Court of Common Pleas, fhould be prefented with the freedom of that city in a gold box; as an expreffion of that corporation's profound veneration for his confummate abilities, and as a teftimony of that gratitude which he had me rited at the hands of every Englishman, by the unfhaken courage and inflexible integrity which he fo fignally. difplayed in the public administration of juftice, and in maintaining and vindicating the private liberty and property of the fubject, which make fo effential a part of the legal and conftitutional rights of a free people.' The anfwer which his lordfhip fent to the town-clerk, on receiving a copy of thefe refolutions, may not be unacceptable to our readers. The Common Council of the city of Norwich also presented the freedom of their corporation to his lordfhip in a gold box: and, on the 26th of October 1764, the Corpora tion of Bath, of which city his lord acknowledgments for his uprigh fhip was Recorder, voted him thei and fteady conduct; requesting him to fit for his picture, as a perpetual me morial of what ought never to be forgot by them or their pofterity, whilft the fpirit of law and liberty remains in any part of this free kingdom." But, notwithstanding thefe diftinguished marks of general approbation from from a great number of refpectable fellow-citizens, his lordship has been charged with having rifen into notice on the wings of faction; and, from a knowledge of the pufillanimity of adminiftration, with endeavouring to fhake the fabric of that ftate which he ought to have protected, by abetting riots and tumults, at the time of Wilkes's popularity, from which many are yet difpofed to trace the ori, gin of every fubfequent humiliation which this country has experienced. He has likewife been accufed of ftrenuously vindicating, in one inftance, under the plea of ftate necef-, fity, an arbitrary exertion of prerogative, in iffuing general warrants; which, in another, he most violently condemned. 시 The cafe in which he difapproved of this exertion, is well known to have been that which refpected Mr. Wilkes: it will be fair to ftate how far the other cafe alluded to met with his fanction.. A gentleman, who called himfelf the Comte de St. Germain, came from France, during the war before laft, pretending to have had a quarrel with the minister of that country, and to have always entertained a great partiality for England. Being a perfect mafter of the European languages, a fine mufician, and an entertaining companion, he found eafy accefs to the tables and parties of the nobility. Lord Chatham, then Mr. Secretary Pitt, had his eye upon this gentleman; and he was foon fatisfied, in his own mind, that the count's quarrel with the French court was a mere pretence, and that he was in fact no better than a fpy: but, being unable to procure evidence to convict him legally, he confulted Lord Camden, then attorney-general, on the propriety of iffuing a warrant to feize him; deeming it abfolutely neceffary to fecure fo dangerous a perfon, or at leaft to drive him out of the kingdom. His lordship gave his opinion, that though the execution of fuch a warrant would be illegal, it might nevertheless be made out; and, intelligence of the preparation to feize his perfon and papers being in the mean time privately intimated to the count, he would probably quit the country if guilty; but, if innocent, he would undcubtedly be entitled to bring his. action fhould the warrant be ferved, and the fecretary muft anfwer for his temerity. The iffue of this affair was, that the moment the count received information of the intended arreft, he withdrew himself as expeditiously as poffible, and prevented any farther difficulty. This being the true ftate of the bufinefs, we belive no man in his fenfes will think of throwing the flighteft: imputation of blame on his lordship; nor even upon the worthy Secretary. of State, who was certainly the principal in this tranfaction. Another ftretch of authority has likewife been charged upon Lord Camden, as well as upon Lord Chatham, and with no better foundation than the former. During the mayoralty of Alderman Nelfon, there was a great fcarcity of corn, the price of which was indeed fo high, that many of the poor, in different parts of the kingdom, were abfolutely reduced to the neceflity of feeding on grains. The lord-mayor, at that time the greateft cornfactor in Great Britain, in this dilemma, apprized adminiftration that an univerfal famine muft inevitably en fue if the exportation of corn was not immediately put a stop to. Accordingly, though the parliament was neither, fitting nor fummoned, their lordships. joined in advising his majefty to stop the exportation, and to lay an inftant embargo on the fhips already laden. This measure Lord Camden warmly fupported when the parliament met, on the ground that the public good fuperfeded every other confideration; and fome of the gentlemen out of of fice calling it an act of tyranny, his lordship replied, that if it was an act of tyranny, it was only tyranny for forty days, as the parliament was called in that time, and fully approved of the act. We are, ourselves, fo far from objecting to fuch neceffary extenfions of prerogative, that we think Lord Chat "ham |