proach by different routs towards Florence, fo as to be in readiness at the time appointed for ftriking the blow. 'Shortly afterwards the archbishop requested the prefence of the cardinal at Florence, where he immediately repaired, and took up his refidence at a feat of the Pazzi, about a mile from the city. It feems to have been the intention of the confpirators to have effected their purpofe at Fiefole, where Lorenzo then had his country refidence, to which they fuppofed he would invite the cardinal and his attendants. Nor were they deceived in this conjecture, for Lorenzo prepared a magnificent entertainment on this occafion; but the abfence of Giuliano, on account of indifpofition, obliged the confpirators to poltpone the attempt. Difappointed in their hopes, another plan was now to be adopted; and on further deliberation it was refolved, that the affaffination fhould take place on the fucceeding Sunday, in the church of the Reparata, fince called Santa Maria del Fiore, and that the fignal for execution fhould be the elevation of the hoft. At the fame moment the archbishop and others of the confpirators were to feize upon the palace, or refidence of the magiftrates, whilft the office of Giacopo de Pazzi was to endeavour, by the cry of liberty, to incite the citizens to revolt. Lorenzo invited him and his fuite to his houfe in Florence. (To be continued.) Memoirs of Sir Hugh Pallifer, Bart. Tabacalland, He was born HIS brave and worthy officer was about the year 1721, and as early as the year 1735 chofe the fea fervice for his profeflion, in which he foon diftinguithed himself by his gallantry and courage, and was not without his share of the hardthips, the dangers, and dif trefsful incidents fo common to a feafaring life. On the 25th of November 1746, he became a poft captain in the Captain, and about 1748 he met with an accident by the bursting of a cheft of fire-arms, which left a wound that tormented him in a moft excruciating manner inceffantly during the remainder of his life. In 1762 he was made governor of Newfoundland, and in 1766 made peace with the Indians upon the back fettlements of Canada, for which he received a recompence from his fovereign. The wife and falutary laws which he caufed to be enacted for the benefit of his country, and the comfort and happinefs of the poor fishermen during his government of that ifland, will long remain proofs of a found mind and a humane and benevolent difpofition. The immediate affaffination of Giuliano was committed to Francefco In Auguft 1770 he became comp de' Pazzi and Bernardo Bandini, and troller of the navy, and was promoted that of Lorenzo had been entrusted to to the rank of rear admiral; and, in the fole hand of Monteficco. This of the fame year, was elected one of the fice he had willingly undertaken whilft elder brethren of the Trinity Houfe. he understood that it was to be executed In 1773 he was created a baronet. in a private dwelling. But he fhunk In 1775 he was chofen member for from the idea of polluting the houfe of God with fo heinous a crime. Two ecclefiaftics were therefore felected for the commiffion of a deed, from which the foldier was deterred by confcientious motives. Thefe were Stefano da Bagnone, the apoftolie fcribe, and Antonio Maffei. The young cardinal having expreffed a defire to attend divine fervice in the church of the Reparata, on the enfuing Sunday, being the 26th of April, 1478, Scarborough, and in 1776 one of the lords of the admiralty. In 1778 he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral, lieutenant general of marines and governor of Scarborough Caftle. When, in 1778, it was thought expedient to arm our fleets against France, though then poffeffed of offices which fupplied an ample income, and though afflicted with a painful bodily in mity, and therefore more expofed to danger from the fatigues of a fea command, yet, warmed warmed by a zeal to ferve his country once more in the walk of his profeffion, he accepted the third poft in the fleet under the command of admiral Keppel. The event of this is well known. An engagement enfued on the 27th of July, and for Sir Hugh Pallifer's fhare in it, the admiral publicly and repeatedly teftified his approbation of his conduct. But the action not being followed with that fplendid and compleat victory our countrymen expected, reflections were caft on Sir Hugh and his divifion, though much the greater fhare of the engagement had fallen to their lot; and it was endeavoured by letters in the public prints, and other wife, to imprefs the world with an idea that his mifconduct more particularly was the caufe of not having come to a fecond and more decifive engagement. He then appealed to the commander in chief for juftice to his character; which being evaded, and fufpecting that an oppofite reprefentation was not difcouraged, and inflamed by refentment at fuch practices, he purfued mcafures with a view to his own juftification, and anticipated the withes of his enemies by making an immediate furrender of feveral valuable offices to the amount of between 2 and 3000l. a-year, leaving himself no other mark of diftinction than his military rank, which he retained with a view only of having the benefit of a trial. This trial commenced the 12th of April 1779, and was continued for eighteen days; at the conclufion of his defence he addreffed himself to his judges in thefe terms: "Here I clofe my defence for the prefent, furrender. ing my life and honour into your hands, expecting that juftice which is due from one brother officer to another, for I fee no medium between life without honour and death with ignominy and thame, and I hope you, gentlemen, will be directed by the fame alternative." The judgment of the court was, that the conduct and behaviour of Sir Hugh Pallifer were in many refpects highly exemplary and meritorious; at the fame time that they could not help think ing it was incumbent upon him to have made known to his commander in chi-f the difabled ftate of the Formidable, which he might have done by the For at the time the joined him, or by other means; yet, notwithstanding his omif fion in that particular, the court was of opinion, that he was not in any other refpect chargeable with misconduct or mifbehaviour on the 27th and 28th dayı of July, and therefore they acquitted him. Soon after this tranfaction, his ma jefty, on the death of admiral Sir Char les Hardy in 1780, appointed Sir Hugh Pallifer to the government of Green wich hofpital. In 1781 he was elected member for Huntingdon, and in 1787 was promoted to the rank of admiral of the white. He had, fome time before his death, refigned his feat in parliament, and all public concerns, except the duties of his government at Greenwich, which he continued ably and unremittingly to discharge to the laft ftage of his exiftence. He died March 19th, 1796, leaving his title, and an unentailed ellate in It land, to devolve on his nephew; and his other eftates, and a large perfonal fortune, he bequeathed by will to Mr. Thomas, his natural fon. Sentimental Obfervations and Refe ons made in a Tour through London, is December 1794. By W. Hutton, of Birmingham. LONDON. ALAS! how fhall I fee London in a black December? The fun, and the people of diftinction have left it It is counted forlorn by its own inhabit ants. The weather is dark, cold, and wet; and a hackney coach is but ill calculated for a man to view London. The court is at Windfor. The two houfes of parliament are not open. Vauxhall, Ranelagh, Aftley's, Sadler's Wells, Hughes's and the courts at Weftminfter, are fhut, as is every place of refort, but the theatres; pay, even Kenfington and the Park are locked up by the weather. I fhali fee but a small part of London, and that by candlefight. LAMPS. THE lamps are well difpofed. Not a corner of this prodigious city is unlighted. They have every where a furprifing effect; and in the straighter freets, particularly at the weft end of the town, and where thofe ftreets crofs each other at right angles, the fight is moft beautiful. But this innumerable multitude of lamps affords only a small quantity of light, compared to the fhops. By thefe the whole city enjoys a nocturnal illumination; the profpects are preserved, and mifchief prevented. I have counted twenty-two candles in one little shop. By the vaft profufion of oil, wax, and tallow, the Atranger will naturally fuppofe they coft nothing, or that money flows in with the fame eafe as the tide, and that a fortune is burnt up every night. HOUSES. THE houfes are, on the average, about one ftory higher than I have ever feen. Thefe elevated buildings tend to darken the ftreets, particularly in the winter, and where thofe ftreets are narrow. The fmoke and effluvia of this vaft city add to the darknefs; confequently the days are shorter than with us*, though we are almoft two degrees nearer the pole. In fome of the confined ftreets, day light, in this feafon, is nearly excluded. There feems nothing in London fo much wanted as room; no, not money, nor even health; for there is money to buy, but no fpace to be bought. And if one in forty wants health, thirtynine want room. They have power to penetrate down toward the centre of the earth, and up toward the heavens; a power well preferved; but no room can be gained on the fides. STREETS. few citizens, who, by mere induftry, have each acquired Lico,000. and who look down on every perfon who has not, we shall learn, that the inhabitants are little better than paupers; that very few can pay their way with credit; that the commercial intereft would fall, if not fupported by the bank; and that there will not be room in the Gazette for any thing but bankrupts and their dividends. But thefe fober citizens forget to remark, that one man cannot acquire fuch a fortune, without infpiring an emulation in two to follow him; that trade and the bank like a prudent husband and wife fupport each other, or matters would run into confufion; that the prodigious fums fpent in luxury prove, that thofe fums were firft acquired, either by the fpender, or fomebody else; and that in any public undertaking money feems out of the question. The franger will be aftonished at the improvements which have been introduced during the laft thirty-five years, and how money could be procured to complete them. He will find, during that fmall fpace, three grand bridges crected, each of which is an honour to the place, and would cost an immenfe fun. That befides many fuperb edifices, of a public and a private nature, every street and paffage in the whole city and its environs has been paved in one regular and convenient ftyle; an expence equal in value to the whole domínions of fome fovereign princes. Public trutures of grandeur never indicate poverty. As the connexions of the people of Birmingham frequently draw them to London, where they muit obferve the conveniency arifing from open streets, the centres of which are regularly paved, and the files, from one loot to fixteen, according to the width of the fireet, aid with flat flows, for the benefit of the paffenger, it is fupring they do not, at humble diftance, with to imi. tate the metropolis. There can be no If we attend to the fentiments of a difgrace in following thofe who lead us NOTE. It will be remembered, that the writer was refident in Birmingham. Hib. Mag. June, 1796. right. Every thing, however, is not to be imitated, even in London. There are defects, which loudly call for redre ใน fuch as obftructive buildings in fome of the principal treets, particularly in High Holborn, Fleet-ftreet, the Strand, &c. If a man wishes to fee dark nefs by day-light, to hear a few new coined oaths, or fee the height of confufion, let him go into Thames-ftreet: if he wishes to avoid a broken limb, or being fplafhed from head to foot, let him keep out of Thames-treet. The city abounds with beggars, which fhews a defect in the police. It is hardly poffible to travel the ftreets of London and keep money in one's pocket; not because it is picked out, but drawn by our own confent. Diftrefs and compaffion are infeparable companions. This kind of miftaken charity, however neceffary, defeats its own intent, by encouraging the beggar in his practice. There appears but one way to obviate this evil, which is not by punishment; for if we punish the beggar, it drives him to greater crimes. Every parifh or diftrict ought to be provided with fome kind of employment, which might be learnt in an hour, where every one who is able fhould labour: for when a man finds he muft work for the public, he will quickly learn to work for himself. It is poffible to teach people to do right, even by gentle means. Thofe who are not able to labout ought to be maintained by the community. This was the intention of the workhoufe, which is fill preferved in every part but the chief, which is the laborious. WATER. THERE are benefits too great to be rewarded; nay, some have been rewarded with injury. Thus Henry VII. cut off Stanley's head, who had fet the crown upon his own. The greateft benefit ever conferred upon London was, of all others, the fooneft forgotten; that of fir Hugh Middleton, who brought the new river to fupply the city with water, at the expence of many years labour, many law-fuits, much peace of mind, an im-' menfe fortune, and the ruin of his family. Although thousands have arifen to ffluence by the means which brought him to poverty, yet his fucceffors are not of that number. Exclufive of multitudes who procure a daily relief from this valuable river, it is thought, by promoting cleanlinefs, to prevent the plague, as no interval has been fo long as the prefent, which is 120 years. If the defcendants of this fteady and enterprizing genius are not in affluence, it is not too late to display a grateful return. CHURCHES. The taste of a nation is afcertained by the ftyle of their public buildings; they rife and fubfide together. Ele gance in architecture originates from the people, although Inigo Jones, or fir Chriftopher Wren, may and at their head. A genius can only expres what others with to be expreffed. Good fenfe, and good tafte, are in fome degree the portion of every per fon; he may improve them by cultiva tion, like the flowers in his garden; or, if neglected, like them, they run wild: but in either cafe there will be a differ ence, according to the difference of the foil. The churches in London are beauti ful. They are an honour to the taffe of the people, and will be remarked with pleasure by the ftranger. They may be faid to be clafely attended; for wherever we find one, we find it pent up by the houses, as if with de fign to fqueeze it into a narrower compaís. In fome parts of London, particularly at the weft end of the town, they are thinly fcattered; but, perhaps, they are as numerous as neceffaty. Within, they are not quite fo much attended as in Birmingham. A bishop, with us, would draw an innumerable multitude after him; but in London I attended divine fervice, at St. Mary Al dermary, where the bifhop of Bpreached almoft to an empty church. However, it should be remembered, he preached a charity fermon. During prayers at Weftminfler Ab bey, which were performed by the sub. dean and chapter, the whole congregation, during a confiderable part of the fervice, confifted folely of myself. This brought brought to mind the celebrated ftory of produced by thousands prefs it; that if Dr. Swift, and his dearly beloved Roger. I confidered, that I compofed the whole congregation of the firft church in Great Britain; that I had an exclufive right to the benedictions folicited by this reverend body; that under this lofty roof were affembled two congregations, a dead and a living; that the congregation of the dead was, perhaps, the grandeft in Europe; that of the living was next to it. But I did not with both to fleep; one half, as in other places of worship, was enough. I entertained a fincere value for each. Before the conclufion of the fervice, the congregation, for which I had the greateft regard, was recruited by an old woman and two cripples, which convinced me, that the people who attended public worship were thofe only who were unfit for every thing elfe. When I visited St. James's being dreft in black, a gentleman accofted me, Sir, do you perform the duty of the chapel this morning? No, Sir, it is not my turn. Why, you have no congregation!" No, Sir, the weather is fo bad, I think nobody will attend.' I was much inclined, however, though a diffenter, to have affumed the furplice, and attempted the fervice; for if I had committed a blunder in the rubric, there were none to detect me. THAMES. To a ftranger, who refides in an upland country, like that of Birmingham, where the largest rivers might almost be fkipped over by an active man, a profpect of the Thames from London bridge, efpicially to an Englishman, is peculiarly pleafing. Whether it would pleafe a Frenchman, is another quef tion. If a citizen paffes over this bridge, perhaps he thinks of nothing but the Borough; but if a ftranger goes upon it, he hardly knows how to go off. His thoughts will Row fafter than the river, in contemplating that the prefent riches of the kingdom failed up this channel; that the manufa Aures water quenches fire, according to the old adage, it must be in other places; for here, the river, fupplying the city with fuel, may be faid to kindle it; that this key opens a paffage to every country in Europe, and, on the contrary, opens London to them; that every language and every luxury are wafted up. Down this paffage James the fecond, the laft of the Stuart race, fled from a crown; and George the firft, to enjoy one, through the fame paffage led up the line of Brunfwick. Among the prodigious number of veffels which compofe this grand prof pect, feems one in which is a young failor, who cafts many a wishful look on a woman with a child, ftanding on the fhore. The fhip takes in her cable, and glides gently with the tide. A vaft ocean is going to feparate, perhaps for ever, a fond hufband from a wife, who appears lovely in diftrefs, and a tender infant. He ftill moves on; her heart moves with him, and her tears follow. The winding river terminates their fight, but not their grief. Another feemed a new veffel juft arrived, having three mafts; and as I had never been on board a fhip, nor feen one of that magnitude, I defcended from the bridge with a defign to board her. A plank facilitated my paffage; but, to my difappointment, the people were all Spaniards from Bilboa; not one of them understood a word of mine, nor I of theirs: however, they treated me with great civility, and we paried better friends than the English and Spaniards often do. |