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Lament him dead, whofe fertile mind "Their various excellence combin`d."

ADDENDUM.

Page 24, Art. "LIMARIUS," after "The Roman Pontiff's arrogated po"wer,"

add the following couplet:

"The Monarch's lawlefs and defpotic "fway;

"The venal Senates that his will obey." (To be continued.)

A VIEW in the DOMAIN of the CONVENT of VALLOMBROSA.

VALLOMBROSA is a Convent of Benedi&tine Monks, iituated in the Appennines, about eighteen miles from Florence, and three miles from the fummit of Sechietta. The domain of this Convent is peculiarly romantic. It abounds in mott beautiful chefnut-trees, is interfected with many rivulets, and is diverfified with many inequalities of hill and dale. It has afforded a very beautiful fimile to our divine poet Milton; who, in the Firft Book of Paradife Loft, fpeaking of Satan marthalling his army of Fiends, fays,

"He called ["intranc'd "His legions, Angel forms, who lay "Thick as autumnal leaves that itrew "the brooks [" fhades “In Vallombrefa, where the "Etrurian "High over-arch'd embower."

The ingenious Mr. Parfons, in his "Poetical Tour," thus defcribes Vallombrofa:

"Vallombrofa, facred fhade,

"For Peace and ineek Devotion made; "Safe from pangs the worldling knows, "Here fecure in calm repofe, "Far from life's perplexing maze, "The pious Fathers pafs their days. "As the bell's fhrill tinkling found

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Regulates their conftant round, ["ray, "They roufe with Hymns the morning "Or Velpers chaunt at clofe of day, "While the Organ ftrong and clear "Joins to charm th' attentive ear. "Oft return their hours of prayer. "E'en at time of fober fare "Some instructive page is read, "And mind and body both are fud.

"Oft they trace th' hiftoric pen,
"And Legends old of fainted men ;
"Liften oft to Holy Writ;
"Studies which their ftate befit.
"Here the traveller elate

Finds an ever open gate;
"Glad they all his wants fupply,
"And welcome bears from ev'ry eye.
"But most I love to wander wide

"With a ferious Monk my guide; "Who, while each fcene he proud dif"plays,

Repeats the holy Founder's praife, "Gualberto †, who in youthful prime "Ferlook Ambition's march fublime, "Neighing fleeds and feats of arms, "Tournaments and Beauty's charms, "And left the fhield and nodding crest "To be in garb monaftic dreft: "How Religion's mild control "Banish'd vengeance from his foul, "When his fword, in anger rais'd, "For a flaughter'd brother blaz'd : "How his breaft, with fury feel'd, "While the proftrate victim kncel'd, "At the Crofs's powerful fign "Relenting own'd the fpark divine; "Learn'd, like his Saviour, to forgive, "And bade th' appall'd affaffin live; "Then his raging paffions ceafe,

"Calm'd in the itili abode of Peace. "Next the Monk, with fhuddering "thought,

"Points the tone by fculpture wrought; "Whole characters tremendous tell "Where the vile Apoftate fell;

"Whom, lighing to regain the world, "The Fiend of Darknefs downward "hurl'd.

"A Poetical Tour in the Years 1-84, 1785, and 1786. By a Member of the Arcadian Society at Ro.ne." 12mo. Robfon.

†The Convent of Vallombrofa was founded in the year 1015 by Giovanni Gualberto, a Nobleman of Florence, whofe brother Hugo having been killed by a relation, he was trained to arms to revenge his death; but meeting the affatfin alone, the latter threw himself upon his knees, and made the fign of the Crofs, which so much affected the piety of Gualberto, that his anger was overcome, and he forgave him. Then going into a church to pform his devotions, a miraculous animation of the crucifix before wich he knelt determined him to embrace the monaftic life.

"Such

"Such dangers, he obferves, await
"The wretch who dares to violate
"The folemn vows he once hath given
"At the awful fhrine of Heaven.

Thus he fhews the fearful fcene,
"And each fage remark between,
"Wild Vicano, tumbling o'er
"The rugged locks, is heard to roar.
"Then at eve, in vaulted room,
"Where the aper gilds the gloom,
"Pleas'd I find the ready board
"With fimpic dainties fully ftor'd;
"Nor wants to cheer the grateful guest
"Wine from neighbouring vintage
"prefs'd;

"While various converfe time beguiles, "Of fin without, and worldly wiles;

"Or, perchance, fhall more delight
"The story of that paynim Knight,
"Enchanting Beauty's profelyte!
"Who here, in fome religious wave
"With meek fubmiffion vow'd to lave;
"For floods or flames alike prepar'd
"(So fweetly fung Ferrara's Bard),
"To cleanfe each old unholy ftain,
"That he might hope the nymph to
"gain;

"The nymph fo fair, so chafte, fo bold,
"Who bore the wond'rous lance of gold.
"At length I feck the filent bed,
"And Sleep's foft dews are o'er me
"fpread."

SUPPLEMENT TO THE MEMOIRS OF THE CHEVALIERE D'EON,

IN OUR MAGAZINE FOR MARCH.

[Concluded from Vol. XIX. Page 411.]

THE following Verses were written under a picture of the Chevaliere D'Eon in the character of the French Minerva, foon after her fex was difcovered.

"DIC mihi, Virgo ferox, cum fit tibi
"cufpis et hafta,

Ægida cur non vis ferre? Gradivus
"habet.

"Pax eft fæminei generis, dat fæmina

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"Pacem,

"Que Bellona fuit, nunc Dea Pacis "erit."

IMITATED.

"STERN Virgin, tell me, whilft you

"L wear

"A helmet, and a pointed falchion bear;
Why whilft you shake your plumed
« crest,
"The gis fhines not on your breaft?"
"The God of War, as well as I,
"The Ægis fhares," you ftraight reply.
"Belides in Latin and in Greek
"(Those only tongues immortals speak),
"Peace, heav'n-born Peace, in veife and

"6 profe,

"No gender but the female knows :
"And tho' I oft with fword and fhield
"Have mow'd down legions in the field-
"And like Bellona from her car,
"Let loofe the murd'rous dogs of war,

1763.

"Now fated with the din of arms,
"The trumpet's clang, the dire alarms,
"Minerva's facred form I ftand,
"The olive-branch adorns my hand.
"The Goddefs of long-wifh'd for Peace
"I come, and bid fell Difcord ceafe."

EXTRACT from the "VIE PRIVEE
of Louis XV. written, it is faid, by
M. D'ARGENVILLE, 4 tomes, 12mo.
under the Year 1763.

"ON fe rappelle l'etrange proces, qui s'eleva apres la paix entre le Comte du Guerchy, Ambatfadeur de France en Angleterre, et le Chevalier d'Eon, qui avoit été Miniftre Plenipotentiaire dans l'interim. On fut fort etonné alors de voir l'audace avec laquelle le dernier infultoit et bafourroit le Comte, et plus encore de l'impunité dans laquelle il continua de vivre à Londres, et de repandre les pamphlets les plus outrageux contre fon enemi. L'en quarto, intitulé, "Lettres, Memoires, et Negociation ș particulieres," &c. etoit non feulement defhonorant pour celui-ci, mais compromettoit encore, les perfonages les plus puiffants de ce temps là, le Duc de Choifeuil, le Duc de Pralin, le Duc de Nivernois, la Marquife de Pompadour même. Leur petitefle d'efprit fe decéloit par leurs propres depêches même, et l'on fait combien l'amour propre eft irafcible en parcil

This alludes to the very active part the Chevaliere D'Eon took in fettling the peace of

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as. On a appris depuis qu'en effet il avoit été question de faire enlever le Chevalier D'Eon qu'on avoit eu l'agrément du Roi, et qu'en même tems fa Majefté avant voulu fçavoir la maniere dont s'executeroit le projet depuis longtems en correfpondence ignorée avec ce confident, lui donnoit avis de tout ce qui paffoit, et les moyens de fe tenir fur les gardes pour deconcerter fes raviffeurs.

"Il paroit que depuis ce Chevalier toujours refte à Londres, jufqu'à la mort du Roi, lui fervoit d'Efpion moins des Anglois que de fon Ambaffadeur, circonftance qu'un autre auroit mieux fait concourir aux grandes vues de la politique, et dont il ne tira partie que pour s'amufer, que pour rire aux depens de fes Miniftres.

"Louis XV. dans la crainte que fon Miniftre prit trop d'empire fur fui, lui oppofoit quelquesfois d'autres Miniftres ou courtifans, qui fe prevalant de ce moment du faveur, prouvoient au Miniftre que la fienne n'etoit pas toujours inébranlable. C'eft ce parti que Louis XV. avoit pris de s'ifoler en quelque forte de fon reyaume, de diftinguer en lui deux hommes prefque toujours oppofés, la Monarche et le particulier qui donne la clef de plufieurs traits de fa vie."

THE Proprietors of Ranelagh, deeply impreffed with the hardship of the Chevaliere D'Eon's cafe, with great liberality having given her the profits of a night, the following advertifement appeared in the newspapers:

THE THANKS OF THE CHEVALIERE D'EON TO THE BRITISH NATION.

No. 38, Brewer's Street, Golden Square, Saturday Morning, June 25, 1791. THE Chevaliere D'Eon, highly touched with the intereft that is taken respecting her in England, is bound in duty to her own character, and from her efteem for the British nation, to fhew herself highly fenfible of it, by accepting of what has been done for her, and grateful for it, in employing the whole pecuniary emoluments arifing to her from the munificence of the nation in the payment of fome debts fhe has been fo unhappy as to contract with fome individuals of it.

The Proprietors of Ranelagh have offered an opportunity to the different talents that adorn this capital, to give the Chevaliere the marks of the most flattering diftinction; and they have offered the Public, of all ranks, an opportunity of proving to her the kind and generous intereft they are fo good as to take in what

concerns her.

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THE

LONDON REVIEW

AND

LITERARY JOURNAL,

For JULY

1791.

Quid fit turpe, quid utile, quid dulce, quid non.

An Eftimate of the Religion of the Fashionable World. By one of the Laity. Second 3s. 6d. Cadell.

Edition. 12mo.

AMIDST the variety of publications which are continually iffuing from the prefs with no other tendency than to pervert the understanding or to corrupt the

heart, we are happy in obferving fome ftrongly directed against the fafhionable evils of infidelity and immorality.

Irreligion, under the maik of free-en

quiry,

quiry, and licentioufnefs under that of liberty have gained of late years, and it is to be feared are fill gaining, a wonderful prevalence in every rank of Society. An humble faith in the mysteries of revealed religion is too generally made the fubject of ridicule, and an obedience to civil authority is artfully oppugned. Whither this will lead us, as a people, is, at prefent, not very easy to be conjectured; but this we may be certain of, that a continuance in fuch a courte cannot ultimately end in good. Happy, very hap. py are they, and much more happy will they be who fave themfelves from fuch an untoward generation, by not adding their own conduct to the aggregate of the national difgrace!

In the honourable number of these real patriots may be reckoned the anonymous author of the little volume be fore us. Great, indeed, has been our fatisfaction in the perufal of it, an we truft that our improvement will be proportionate. No reader's judgement, we fhould think, can remain unconvinced by its reasoning, nor his heart be unaffected by its piety. A language elegant y plain, arguments peripicuously strong, and an addrefs unaffectedly pathetic, are the leading characteristics of this truly excellent work. "The general defign of thete pages," fays the author in the Introduction,” “ IS to offer fome curfory remarks on the prefent state of religion among a great part of the polite and the fashionable; not only among that defeription of perfons who, whether from difbelief, or whatever other cause, avowedly neglect the duties of chrif tianity; but among that more decent chis alfo, who, while they acknowledge their belief of its truth by a public profeffion, and are not inattentive to any o y of its forms, yet exhibit little of its fpirit in their general temper and conduct: to fhew that christianity, like its divine Author, is not only denied by thofe who in word, difown their submission to its authority; but betrayed by still more treacherous difciples, even while they say, Heil Mfter 1

"That religion is, at present, in a very unflourishing state among thofe whofe example guides and governs the reft of mankind," is the author's general pofition, and in our opinion cannet poffibly be controverted. In the Firit Chapter we have a comparative view of the religion of the great in the preceding ages. This is very judicioufly drawn up, and the contraft which it exhibits is ftrongly coloured: but though ftrong and unpleating, it is no caricature; every lineament and f.de

ftrikes us with a conviction of its likeness. What the author fays of the irreligious prefumption of the prefent generation, fo different from the pious humility of their ancestors, is fo juft that we fhill take the liberty of making an extract.

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"Inftead of abiding by the falutary precept of judging no man, it is the fashion to exceed our commiffion, and to fancy every body to be in a fafe ftate. But, in forming our notions, we have to choose between the bible and the world, between the rule and the practice. Where thefe do not agree, it is left to the judgment, of believers at least, by which we are to decide. But we never act in religious concerns by the fame rule of common fenfe and equitable judgment which governs us on other occafions. In weighing any commodity, its weight is determined by fome generally-allowed ftandard; and if the commodity be heavier or lighter than the ftandard weight, we add to or take from it but we never break, or clip, or reduce the weight to fuit the thing we are weighing; becaufe the common confent of mankind has agreed that the one fhall be confidered as the ftandard to afcertain the value of the other. But, in weighing our principles by the ftandard of the golpel, we do just the reverfe. Inftead of bringing our opinions and actions to the balance the fanctuary, to determine and restify their comparative deficiencies, we lower and reduce the standard of the fcripture doctrines till we have accommodated them to our own purpofes; fo that, inftead of trying others and ourselves by God's unerring rule, we try the truth of God's rule by its conformity or non-conformity to our own depraved notions and corrupt pra&ices."

To the plea that "this is an age of benevolence," the author in the next Chapter yields a cheerful aflent, but at the fame time contends beautifully for that lovely fpecies of benevolence which is not the characteristic of the age, Christian charity. "Of charity," fays the author, "piety is the fire from heaven, which can alone kindle the facrifice, and make it ac ceptable."

In Chapter the Third the author confiders the "neglect of religious education, as both a caule and confequence of this decline of christianity." Here the proofs of the melancholy fact are clearly adduced, and the reafoning clofe and convincing.The next Chapter Rtates "other fymp toms of the decline of christianity-viz. No family religion-Corrupt or negligent example of fuperiors.-The felf-denying

and

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