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Watter, thy blicem the Promife of his future Correspondence as an

E are greatly obliged to Ordovix Philopatris for his valuable Communi

Honour to our Mifcellany. His elegant Production, juft received, shall certainly appear in our next.

The Writer of a fenfible Letter, figned Nauticus, thanking us for the Entertainment he received in perufing the Memoirs of Admiral Lord Howe, in our Jaft, 'with whom he has often failed, and can vouch for most of the Facts, though he is astonished where we could procure them;' is refpectfully informed, that it is fufficient that they are genuine, of which we were fully convinced before we published them, but it would be highly improper, for a Variety of obvious Reasons, to hint at our Sources of Information.

The Youth of Seventeen, with a deal of good Senfe, has a very confiderable` Portion of Genius, but it feems much too exuberant. Indeed, we cannot, from the Specimen he has tranfmitted to us, comprehend the Drift of his Plan; which appears to poffefs much Originality, and to be by no Means deftitute of Merit. But we must not only make ourselves acquainted with it's true Tendency previous to Infertion, but muft alfo receive every Line of the Article compleat, before we can think of giving it a Place; as we never infert any thing which is to be continued, from an Anonymous Correfpondent. Perhaps this young Gentleman has undertaken too comprehenfive a Plan: We are of Opinion he might fucceed very refpectably in fome short, lively Effay. The propofed Criticifm would be thrown away; as the Work alluded to is already held in the moft fovereign Contempt by every Man of Sense who has ever perufed it.

We entirely agree with Lady Sh, that the Character fhe mentions is well worthy of a Place in our Biographical Department, and we shall certainly take the first Opportunity of procuring the neceffary Information. If her Ladyship can fupply any Anecdotes for this Purpofe, we fhall think ourfelves honoured by the Communication.

The Verfes by S. S. are wholly inadmiffible: they are not only in almost every Line ungrammatical, but even the Orthography is unpardonably defective.

The Lines on Life, and thofe to the Memory of the late Marquis of Rockingham, are exactly in the fame Predicament.

The Hints of Sir J. S. will be attended to in our next.

The Lines on Mifs E. figned Leander, are as deficient in Poetry as in Candour: The British Magazine,and Review fhall never convey either a Blush to the Cheek, or a Pang to the Bofom, of any Lady.

We are obliged to W. H. Efq. R. Herbert, H. L. Xenophon, Academicus, T. S. Sappho, Melifa, Emma C. and An Edinburgh Correfpondent, for the very flattering Marks of Approbation they have fo politely expreffed.

The Publication of a New Paper, intended to have been opened in our prefent Number under the Title of the TOUCHSTONE, is obliged to be deferred to another Month,

Genuine Memoirs of the EMPRESS of RUSSIA, with a masterly Engraving of that great Princefs, from a capital Painting in the Poffeffion of his Excellency the Ruffian Ambassador, will be given in our next.

I

PREFACE.

Tis, we believe, ufually expected, that the Editors of a Periodical Mifcellany fhould make their general acknowledgments for favours received, and endeavour to eftablish their claim to future patronage, at the commencement of every new volume.

The beft proof of our gratitude, we prefume, is to be gathered from the manner in which the BRITISH MAGAZINE and REVIEW has hitherto been conducted; and if this has proved fatisfactory, full credit will be given us, by the candid at least, for future exertions.

That whatever abilities we may be thought to poffefs will increase under that fage tutor, EXPERIENCE, is extremely probable; but, we must take the liberty to fay, that the pains we have bestowed on the numbers already published, cannot be exceeded: of the former our readers will certainly have every poffible advantage; for we fhall, moft affuredly, never relax in the latter.

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Our plan of publishing on the TENTH of every month, instead of the first, must be approved by all who confider the utter impoffibility of giving a compleat account of the occurrences in any month, without waiting a few days after it's expiration; not only to be informed of such transactions as really happen during the laft five or fix days, but to have time to decide on their authenticity, before they are irrevocably registered. What would the world think of an Annual Publication, which promifed a Compleat Hiftory of the Year 1783, to be published at the beginning of next December? Would it not be immediately exclaimed, This is abfurdity in the extreme; the propofers of fuch a work muft certainly have loft their fenfes!' And is there not at least equal abfurdity, equal want of reafon, in calling a Monthly Publication, which does not contain a fingle article of intelligence beyond the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth of July, a Magazine for July. The trick of putting a later date, fometimes even the thirtieth day, to general articles, which do not require any date at all, and to which none can particularly apply, may poffibly deceive careless or ignorant readers, but men of fenfe readily discover the fallacy,

The various kind expreffions of approbation, not only of this impor tant part of our defign, but of the novelty, refpe&tability, and candour, confpicuous throughout our whole plan, as well as it's general execution, tranfmitted to us by Characters whofe flighteft praife is fame, we feel a pride-an honeft one, we hope-in acknowledging. To the liberal recommendations of fuch perfons, we greatly owe the prefent celebrity of our work, and the proud boaft, that our labours, (notwithstanding the difadvantages of the word Magazine in our title-page, a word which has long been but too notoriously fullied) find their way to the HIGHEST as well as to the most learned and ingenious CHARACTERS, in every enlightened nation of Europe, Afia, and America. And we pledge our bonour to the world, that we do not exceed the bounds of TRUTH, when

we folemnly declare, that fèveral of those exalted Characters-whofe kindness can never be effaced from our memory-have abfolutely expreffed their wish, that a higher price might be fet on the Numbers of the BRITISH MAGAZINE and REVIEW, which themselves and friends would gladly pay, to encourage a publication of fuch fuperlative elegance.

Since the publication of this work, the fabricators of feveral common fixpenny Magazines have very modeftly owned-though fome of them had for years continued the now acknowledged impofition-that a Sixpenny Magazine is not worth a Farthing: and they have accordingly raised their price to a hilling each number; that they may at leaft refemble the BRITISH MAGAZINE and REVIEW-the fuccefs of which they have long beheld with a greedy eye-in the article which they deem moft important; and which, indeed, it requires no other qualification to imitate, than a tolerable portion of affurance.

Let them imitate alfo the authenticity and variety of our Original Articles, the difinterefted nefs and liberality of our Strictures; and the methodical Arrangement of the different Materials, (which fome of them have, indeed, with abundant lack of skill attempted to copy;) as well as the goodness of our Paper, the neatnefs of our Types, and the very fuperior excellence of our delightful and of courfe expenfive Engravings, all from original Drawings, or capital Paintings, by Artifts whofe Names conftantly appear to their respective performances; and we will with them as much fuccefs as they may merit, or indeed as they can fairly obtain: for, as our good old friend Mr. TOBY SHANDY obferves-This world, furely, is wide enough to hold us all!'

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NORTH VIEW of BLENHEIM, the SEAT of the DUKE of MARLBOROUGH Published as the Act directs, by Harrifon & Co Aug. 1.1783.

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