(already noticed) of analyzing the labours and appreciating the merits of the moft eminent writers, his judgment in felecting and marking every circumftance that could ferve to diftinguifh talents and character, his unbiaffed fidelity, and his impartial decifions on the characters of the most diftinguished perfons, are ftrongly difplayed, and univerfally acknowledged. His collateral reflections on a variety of incidental fubjects are numerous and inftructive; and in this mode of introducing important and useful remarks he particularly excelled. His own ideas of the great excellence and important ufes of biography, as given in the preface to the firft volume, we fhall lay before the reader, as it conftitutes, perhaps, not his leaft praife, that, in the conduct of the work, he ftrictly adhered to them. It is our wifh, fays Dr. Kippis, and will be our aim, to conduct this publication with real impartiality. We mean to rife above narrow prejudices, and to record, with fidelity and freedom, the virtues and vices, the excellencies and defects, of men of every profeffion and party. A work of this nature would be deprived of much of its utility, if it were not carried on with a philofophical liberality of mind. But we apprehend that a philofophical liberality of mind, while we do full juftice to the merit of thofe from whom we differ either in religious or political opinions, does not imply in it our having no fentiments of our own. We fcruple not to declare our attachment to the great interefts of mankind. and our enmity to bigotry, fuperftition, and tyranny, whether found in papist or proteftant, whig or tory, churchman or diffenter. A history that is written without any regard to the chief privileges of human nature, and without feelings, efpecially of the moral kind, muft lofe a confiderable part of its inftruction and energy. We know not whether any apology will be deemed needful, for our having indulged ourselves in fome remarks and reflections on fuch incidents and fuɔjects as occafionally came in our way. Since the work we are publifh. ing is critical, as well as hiftorical, it is hoped that our conduct in this respect does not require an apology. It is well known how much monfieur Bayle's grand performance was recommended by his ingenious obfervations and difcuffions. We are deeply fenfible how inferior we muft always be to that great man in his excellencies; and it is no part of our inclination to copy after him in his defects. But, while we reject his fcepticism and licentiousness, we fhould rejoice to poffefs the fame ability of applying facts to valuable purposes. Biography may be confidered in two lights. It is very agreeable and ufeful, when it has no other view than merely to relate the circumftances of the lives of eminent men, and to give an account of their writings. But it is capable of a ftill nobler application. It may be regarded as prefenting us with a variety of events, that, like experiments in natural philofophy, may become the materials from which general truths and principles are to be drawn. When biographical knowledge is employed in enlarging our acquaintance with human nature, in exciting an honourable emulation, in correcting our prejudices, in refining our fentiments, and in regulating our conduct, it then attains its true excellence. Befide its being a pleafing amufement, and a juft tribute of respect to illuftrious characters, it rifes to the dignity of fcience; and of such science as muft ever be efteemed of peculiar importance, because it has man for its object.' On the 19th of of March 1778, Dr. Kippis was elected a fellow of the fociety of Antiquaries, and, on the 17th of June 1779, a fellow of the royal fociety. He was a member of the council of the former fociety from 1782 to 1784, and of that of the latter from 178 to 1787. In each of these focieties he was a regular attendant, and a refpectable and useful member. Iu 1783, our author appeared as a political writer, in a pamphlet, entitled, confiderations on the provifional treaty with America, and the preliminary articles of peace with France and Spain. The materials for this publi cation Abtract of the Bill Paffed this Seffions in THE The fecond is to make provifions for reftoring peace in fuch diftricts of the country as fhall be in an actual ftate of difturbance, and proclaimed to be in that ftate by the magiftracy, the privy Council, and the government. I. All that are prefent aiding and affifting on taking treasonable oaths; all who are forced to take fuch oaths, and fhall not within ten days difclofe the fame to a magiftrate; all who having been forced to take treasonable oaths, and fhall not before the 10th of June next, difcover them, are made punifhable; and all perfons who fhall caufe others to adminifter unlawful oaths are made principal offenders. II. The registry of arins. All perfons having arms are to give notice to the clerk of the peace before the aft of May next, that they poffefs arme, and they are to accompany the notice with an affidavit that the notification is true, and that they believe they are by law entitled to keep arms. The penalty for the first omiffion of regiftry is ten pounds, or imprifonment for two months; the penalty for the second omiflion is twenty pounds Suppressing Insurrections. March, or imprisonment for four months. The clerk of the peace is to keep the regifter alphabetically, and divide it into baronies or half baronies; justices of the peace may infpect the register; and every perfon thus regiftering his arms generally, muft give a particular inventory of his arms to any juftice of the quorum who fhall at any time demand it: and magiftrates may fearch for arms in the houfes of unregistered perfons, upon reafonable grounds of fufpicion; and if refufed admiffion may forcibly enter houses to fearch for the fame. The bill then provides that no one is authorized to carry arms who is not qualified to keep them,under the prefent laws. III. The examination of a witness murdered, maimed, or fecreted, is made evidence. IV. A power is given to grand juries to prefent for magiftrates, peace officers, or witneffes, who may be maim ed in the execution of their duty, or for their personal representatives, if they fhould be murdered, fuch fums as they fhall think reasonable, having due regard to their rank, degree, fituation and circumstances. V. Magiftrates are enabled to arrest ftrangers, and examine them upon oath as to their place of abode, the place whence they came, their manner of livelihood, and their object and motive for remaining or coming into the county where they may be found, and if fuch ftrangers do not anfwer fatisfactorily, they may be committed until they find furety for their good behaviour. Such are the provifions of the bill: thofe which apply to difturbed diftricts, are as follows. When a county is difturbed, or in immediate danger of becoming fo, any two magiftrates may fummon a special feflion for the peace at forty-eight hours notice, and all magiftrates who thall attend fuch special feffion, provided seven be prefent, and one of them of the quorum may memorial the Lord Lieutenant to proclaim the county, or a part thereof, to be in a state of difturbance; upon which memorial the Lord Lieutenant and privy council may may iffue a proclamation accordingly.Within three days after the proclamation being iffued, the magiftrates are to meet in a petty feffion, and to caufe notification to be made throughout the proclaimed district, that the inhabitants are to keep within their dwellings at all unfeafonable hours between funfet and funrife, and to warn them of the penalties on a contrary conduct. any I. After fuch notification, perfon who shall be out of his dwelling at an unfeasonable hour of the night, may be taken before two magiftrates, and unless he can prove he was out of his house on his lawful occafions, he fhall be fent to ferve on board his majefty's Beet: fuch perfon, however, fhall be allowed to appeal to the next feflion, upon giving fatisfactory bail before a juftice of the quorum. II. Any juftice may enter houfes during the night, to fearch whether the ufual inhabitants are at home, and fuch as fhall be abfent, unless they can prove that they were abfent on their fawful occafions fhall be deemed diforderly, and with like remedy of appeal and giving bail, be alfo fent on board the fleet. III. All perfons guilty of taking unlawful oaths may be arrested upon information upon oath, and after the fame fummary trial, fhall alfo, if guilty, be fent on board the fleet. IV. All perfons who follow no lawful occupation, fuch as that of a labourer or otherwife, fhall be deemed diforderly, and fent in like manner on board the fleet. V. Such perfons fent on board the fleet are freed from all other penalties, to which their offence make them liable.. VI. In every proclaimed diftrict, magiftrates may take away the arms of registered perfons, giving a receipt for the fame. VII. Perfons unlawfully and tumultuoufly affembling in the day, time within a proclaimed diftrict, may be fent on board the fleet. VIII. All perfons found in tipling houfes, between nine at night and fix in the morning, except inmates and travellers, within a proclaimed diftrict, may be fent on board the fleet. IX. All perfons felling feditious hand bills or papers unftamped, which were required to be ftamped by law may be fent on board the fleet; if women they may be committed to jail tili they difcover their employers; and this claufe extends to the whole kingdom. Conjectures relative to the Origin of Hieroglyphical and Alphabetical Writing. N the early ages, after men had ac ledge either by research or by obfervation, they naturally wifhed to communicate that knowledge to their contemporaries, and even to tranfmit it to pofterity. But this they could not do effectually, till they contrived a method of making fpeech an object of fight. When this was accomplished, the knowledge, which they conveyed to the ears of a few by pronounced fpeech, it was in their power to convey to multitudes even in the moft diftant countries by the eye. By The first method of rendering fpeech vifible, was that which hiftory informs us was practifed by all the antient nations we have any knowledge of, from the Chinese in the eaft to the Mexicans in the weft, and from the Egyptians in the fouth to the Scythians in the north. All thefe, taught by nature, formed images, or pictures, on wood, or ftone, or clay, of the fenfible objects for which they had invented names, and of which they had occafion to discourse. thefe pictures they reprefented not only the things themselves, but the articulate founds or names alfo by which they were called. Thus to exprefs in that kind of writing a man, or a horse, that is, to exprefs both the name and the thing, they drew its picture on fome permanent fubftance, whereby not only the thing itself, but its name, was immediately fuggefted to thofe who looked on its picture. But this method being tedious, the Egyptians, who it is. fuppofed were the inventors of picturewriting, fhortened it by converting the picture into a fymbol, which, as Warburton obferves in his Divine Legation, they did in three ways. 1. By 1. By making the principal part of the fymbol ftand for the whole of it, and by agreeing that that part fhould reprefent the character of the thing reprefented by the fymbol. Thus they expreffed a fuller by two feet ftanding in water, and a charioteer by an arm holding a whip. This is what is called the Curiologic Hieroglyphic. From this the Eyptians proceeded to a more artful method of rendering fpeech vifible and permanent. 2. By putting the inftruments, whether real or metaphorical, by which a thing was done, for the thing done. Thus they expreffed a battle by two hands, the one holding a fhield, the other a bow: a fiege, by a scaling ladder; the Divine Omnifcience, by an eye eminently placed: a monarch, by an eye and a fceptre. Sometimes they reprefented the agent without the inftrument, to fhew the quality of the action. Thus a judge was expreffed by a man without hands looking downwards, to fhew that a judge ought not to be moved either by intereft or pity. This method was called the Tropologic Hieroglyphic. 3. Their moft artificial method of abridging picture-writing was, to make one thing ftand for another, where any refemblance or analogy, however far fetched, could be obferved between the thing reprefented and the thing by which it was reprefented, whether that refemblance was founded in nature, or in popular opinion only. Thus a ferpent, on account of its vigour and fpirit, its longevity and revirefcence, was. made the fymbol of the divine nature; a moufe was used to reprefent deftruction; a wild goat, uncleannels: a fly impudence; an ant, knowledge; a ferpent in a circle, the univerfe; and the variegated fpots on the ferpent's fkin, the ftars. This method of writing was called, the Allegorical, Analogical, or Symbolical Heroglyphic: and being formed on their knowledge of phyfics, the marks of which it was compofed increafed in number, as the Egyptians, the invent ors of picture-writing increafed in fcience. But, in regard that there are many qualities and relations of things which are not objects of fenfe, and many complex moral modes and other mental conceptions which cannot be likened to any object of fenfe, consequently which cannot be expreffed by any picture natural or fymbolical, it became neceffary, in all kinds of picture writing, to introduce arbitrary marks for expreffing thefe qualities, relations, or modes. Yet, even with this aid, picture-writing was ftill very defective and obfcure. The Chinese, therefore, to improve the method of rendering fpeech vifible and permanent by writing, threw away the images, or pictures, altogether, and fubftituted in their place new marks,: formed, it is faid, from the images. However, as in this way of writing every word required a distinct character or mark, and as the greatest part of these characters were arbitrary, the difficulty of acquiring the knowledge of the meaning of fuch a multitude of charac ters was fo great, that very few could attain to it. Meanwhile, the Chinese method of denoting the feparate words of which fpeech confifteth by feparate marks, is fuppofed by fome to have fuggefted to the ingenious of other nations, the idea of expreffing by feparate marks the diftinct articulate founds of which words are compofed. Hence the alphabetical or literary method of write ing arofe, which on account of its great facility and utility, hath come into genera ufe among all civilized nation except the Chinese themfelves. Anecdote of Mrs. Baddely. W - A Tribute A Tribute to the Memory of the late Mr. Warton, in a foort account of his Character and Writings. (Continued from Page 158.) F Mr. Warton's literary abilities, genius, and learning, much might be faid. He was one of thofe hard ftudents, who have early ftored their memories with fentiments and images; and one of those poets, who have very early felt the emotions of genius. He owed to Nature excellent faculties and a ftrong mind, and to induftry and great application, many acquired accomplishments. His tafte was juft and delicate; his judgment clear and ftrong, accompanied with an imagination of great compafs, and richly ftored with refined ideas. His mind, vigorous and fervid, was fupplied with unceafing and unlimited enquiry, with great extent and variety of knowledge. He had the moft perfect command of his intellectual powers, and no one ufed them with more propriety and effect. His literature was unquestionably great; he had a quickness of apprehenfion, and ftrength of mind, which eafily underftood and furmounted the most difficult points of learning, joined with indefatigable application. But of his application to books, which began at a very early age, and was cultivated with unremitting attention to the end of his life, it was uncommon: we may fay, he almoft lived in the libraries at Oxford; and from his love of books he was never to be diverted. As Dr. Johnfon fays of Pope, "he was one of thofe few to whom the labour of ftudy is a pleasure." On this head, I cannot help mentioning an anecdote I know of his uncommon application to books at a very early age, as it is extraordinary; and I know it to be a fact, from a gentleman then intimate in his family: That when he was a boy of only eleven or twelve years old, fo devoted was he to his ftudies, that in the exceffive cold nights of the fevereft winter perhaps ever felt in England (in 1739-40), he would leave the chearful Hib. Mag. March, 1796. fire-fide of his focial family, and retire alone to his chamber, where (in extreme cold) he would intrepidly (if I may ufe the expreffion) fit hours conftantly and moft laboriously working at his books, with the clufeft intenfenefs; not in writing a school-boy's task, but in making learned researches, as a matter amufement; whilst the chearful family below have been wondering where he was, and vainly attempting to make him one of the focial circle. Such a proof of the ftrong love of literature, at fuch an early age (and this too in his Christmas ho lidays), delights as it is strange, and inftructs as it is real; and is a convincing proof of the vigour and activity of his young mind. OF MR. WARTON'S PORTRY AND PROSE. His works both in poetry and profe were various, and, if they were all collected, would reflect on him the highest honour; but his modeft merit (hunning applaufe) ever difclaimed the juft praife which talents and induftry like his merited. He was equally excellent in profe as in poetry. Of poetry, every reader of talte will fee, he was of the fchool of Spenfer and Milton, rather than that of Pope; and like Milton, his favourite author was Spenfer (fee his ingenious effay on that author's works.) It was prettily faid, by an admired poet (fpeaking of Mr. Warton), |