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cure fuch information refpecting the various forts of Live Stock in the kingdom, as will enable us to give, in the courfe of next year, complete information to the Public upon that important fubject.

I have ever confidered it to be a wife principle for the Board to adopt, not to print books for reference, but books for ufe; not maffy volumes on a variety of different fubjects, beyond the income of the generality of the people to purchase, or their time to perufe, but, if poffible, diftinct publications, each of them on one article, exclufively of every other, avoiding the intermixture of various topics, and diftricts in the fame work. It would alfo be defirable, that no paper should be publifhed by the Board, until it has first been printed, circulated among all those who are likely to correct and improve it, and thus brought to fome degree of perfection previous to its publication. Agriculture, though often treated of, has hitherto never been difcuffed; and it can never be much improved, until information respecting it has been collected from all quarters, has been afterwards thoroughly canvaffed, and las ultimately been condensed and fyftematized. Such, however, has been the great number of communications tranfmitted to the Board upon various important fubjects, in particular Farm Buildings, Cottages, and the State of the Poor, Einbankments, Roads, the Conftruction of Mills, and of Hand Mills in particular; together with a variety of interefting papers relpecting the Agriculture of foreign countries, that the Board has refolved to print a fpecimen of thofe papers in one volume quarto, in order to afcertain the opinion of the Public respecting that mode of laying before it the papers we have received, in addition to the County Reports now publishing.

The bufinefs gone through by the Board of Agriculture is certainly more than could poffibly be expected from an inftitution poffeffed of fica limited powers, and of to confined an income. The time, however, it is to be hoped, is not far diftant, when it will be put on a better and more refpectable footing-when the fuperior importance of fuch inquiries, the fuperior value of agricultural refources, and dreadful expence, and fatal confequences occafoned by their deficiency, will be fo clearly afcertained, as not to be a subject of doubt to the weakest understanding. For the purpose of effecting so desirable an object,

propofe preparing, in the courfe of the enfuing recefs, for the confideration of the Board, and, if it fhould have the good fortune of theeting with their approbation, to be laid before his Majelly and buth Houses of Parliament, a General Report on the Agricultural State of Scotland, and the Means of its Improvement. That work will probably explain, in a fatisfactory manner, the foundness of that political maxim, that the profperity of a country ought to be founded on a spirit of internal improvement; and that a single additional acre cultivated at home is more truly valuable, than the most extensive poffeffions acquired abroad, at an enor mous expence of treafure and of blood; and retained with difficulty and danger. To that important subject, when hoftilities are brought to a conclufion, I trust that the attention of this country will be directed. Fortunately, by the exertions of the Board of Agriculture, when Peace is happily restored, the internal state of this kingdom will be fufficiently ascertained, and we fhall be able to judge, what are the fittest fteps to be taken, in order to make the utmost of our domestic resources. To that period I look up with much anxiety. If Europe once more breathes in peace, and is governed by wife counsellors, the conteft among nations naturally will be, not who will feel the greatett eagerness to rush again into the horrors of war, under the pretence of promoting national glory, but who will be the mot anxious to remain in peace, for fecuring the national interests.

I cannot conclude without expreffing my bett acknowledgments for the affiftance I have received from fo many refpectable Members, in carrying on the business of this inftitution. By their exertions, I truft, it will be brought to fuch a state, that from its eftablishment will be dated, not only the improvement and internal profperity of our own country, but much of the comforts enjoyed in future times by fociety in general. Permit me to add, that when the Board re-rembles, each of us will, I hope, bring fome proof of his zeal for the caufe, by the additional information we shall refpectively furnish. He who augments the ftores of useful knowledge already accumulated, whilst he fecures to himfelf the most fatisfactory fources of enjoyment, promotes at the fame time, in the most effectual manner, the happiness of others.

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CHARACTERS, ANECDOTES, &c. OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND CELEBRATED BRITISH CHARACTERS, DURING THE LAST FIFTY YEARS,

(MOST OF THEM NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.)

(Continued from Vol. XXIX. P. 372. )

EARL OF CLONCARTIE.

WHEN this Nobleman was Captain of a man of war, and was cruifing off the coaft of Guinea, he happened to lofe his Chaplain, who was carried off by a yellow fever; upon which the Lieutenant, who was a Scotchman, gave him notice of it by faying at the fame time," that he was forry to inform him that he died a Roman Catholic." 64 Well, fo much the better," faid his Lordship. "Oot away, my Lord, how can you fay fo of a Britifh Clergyman "Why," fays his Lordfhip, because I believe I'm the first Captain of a man of war that could boaft of a Chaplain who had any religion

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SIR GEORGE SAVILLE.

Perhaps there was nothing but an extreme modefty, joined to a temper of mind overlooking the more ambitious buffling fcenes of life, which prevented this worthy man from being celebrated as one of the firft characters of modern times; but fuch is the nature of fame, that its candidates must have fome kind of eccentricity to give it a general spread: -the fteady uniform practice of the amiable virtues feldom travels beyond the circle of private friendships, or the efteem and gratitude of the good and wife; whilft the fplendour of popular talents, though more than balanced by great vices, draws round them that glare of indifcriminate admiration, which is often as difcouraging to morals as to politics.

Notwithstanding this general remark, the character of Sir George Saville cannot fail of being ever dear to EngLifhmen; for though he never ambitioned the sphere of high fituation, either in Adminiftration or Oppofition, to exhibit his talents and his virtues, they were at all times fo much at the fervice of his country, and fo opportunely brought forth for the good of mankind, that whilft an honeft independent Reprefentative of the People, a wife and virtuous citizen, and an VOL. XXX. JULY 1796.

amiable man, can be efteemed, his character muft rife in the admiration of mankind.

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It is to be lamented, that whilft the Prefs teems with memoirs of every little. dabbler in politics and literature, we. have had as yet no Life of this great man.-The greatnefs and uniformity of his character, it is true, prefent no ex-.. traordinary revolutions; but the catalogue of good actions, the hiftory of benevolence, are what the Biographer. fhould delight in, and, as examples, muft delight and improve poflerity.

Sir

When Sir George Saville first came home from his travels, there was a petition prefented to him at one of the County meetings from a tenant of his, who ftated that he had loft the greatest part of his property by a fire. George, who then took up that juft and wife principle, of judging for himself, faid, very coolly, that he would confi. der of it, and paffed it by. The rest of the company, confifting of fome of the firft Gentlemen in the county, feemed to think that this conduct of the Baronet augured not a little of parfimony and inhumanity, and immediately put about the hat for a fubfcription, which every body but Sir George readily complied with. The next day Sir George made the neceffary inquiries relative to the misfortunes of his tenant, and found them not only to be truly ftated, but that the goodness of his private character ftill rendered him more an object of confideration. Satisfied with this account, he waited upon him, explained. to him why he did not immediately relieve him on his petition, and was now come to afk a favour in his turn, which was, "that he would pleafe to accept a five hundred pound Bank note, as a re. ward for his character, and as an allevi ation of his misfortunes," laying him only under one injunction, that he was never to fpeak of the tranfaction.

Though the poor man was penetrated with gratitude for this noble act of benevolence, it was with reluctance he promifed to conform to this act of fe. D

crecy.

crecy. He, however, complied for feveral months; till fitting one evening with fome friends, who were abufing Sir George for his fuppofed act of unkindness to him, the latter burst into tears, and faid, "he could hold out no longer." He then related the circumftances of Sir George's generofity to him, which afforded the higheft fatisfaction to the company, and gave a happy affurance of Sir George's future good difcernment and liberality.

Soon after this Sir George Saville happened to be on a fpecial jury, on the trial of property to the amount of about fifteen hundred pounds, where though he faw from the nature of the evidence that the plaintiff had a clear title, his brother jurors thought otherwife. On retiring from the box, Sir George, with great coolnets and perfpicuity of reafoning, which he was very much mafter of, endeavoured to convince them of their error; but to no purpose; prejudice in favour of the oppofite party, or fome other caufe prevailed; they were unanimous again ft him. In this dilemma he was for fome time undetermined how to proceed-his high fenfe of juftice and honour would not permit him to accede to their verdict. From their obftinacy he found he could not convince them by reafon, and as to bringing them to, by what is called tiring them out, he equally defpaired of, from the weakness of his own conftitution. He at laft made up his mind, and acceded to their verdict; but before ever he went out of Court, he gave a draft to the plaintiff on his banker for the 1500l. (the full amount of the action) as a fatisfaction for the injuftice he was obliged to do him from the peculiar fituation of his health."

He carried the ftrictness of his moral character into Parliament; and though it is too much the fashion of that House (and indeed by moft politicians laid down as indifpenfibly neceffary) to act in parties for the better enforcement and carrying on of public measures, Sir George flood principally as a Senator on his own bottom: 'tis true, he oc cafionally joined the Oppofition of that day, and particularly in their disapprobation of the late American War; yet whenever he faw a neceffity of think ing differently from them, he always acted according to his opinion, with a Coolness and equanimity of temper that

rendered him even refpectable to his adverfaries.

His fpeeches in Parliament are perhaps fome of the best reasoned during the courfe of the American War. He did not often speak, nor was he, in comparifon with the fluency and prolixity of his cotemporaries, what may be called a great orator; but he spoke rationally, coolly, and perfuafively; ne had credit with the public for the moft pure and upright intentions, and with this impreffion in his favour-"Truth came mended from his tongue."

He understood the character of his cotemporaries with great skill, and at times defcribed them with a briefness and perfpicuity which made everybody fubfcribe to their characteristical fidelity.

Of Charles Fox, when he was a young man, he predicted his rifing greatnefs, as well as where the git of his talents refted; he praised him "for his readiness at finding out blots-his celerity in hitting the bird's eye of an argument," and his general talents for Oppofition; heuce, he faid, others may have more stock, but Fox had more ready-money about him than any of his party.

Of Burke, he faid he was a man to draw admiration on whatever fide he arranged, or almoft on whatever topic he difcuffed. To the late Mr. Dowdefwell he likewife paid great compliments, for the manliness of his understanding, the extensiveness of his comprehenfion, and the general integrity of his views.

One of the laft Parliamentary fervices of this good man's life, was his procuring an Act in favour of the Roman Catholics of this kingdom, intitled, "An Act for relieving his Majefty's Subjects profeffing the Popish Religion. from certain Penalties and Difabilities impofed on them by an Act made in the eleventh and twelfth Years of the Reign of King William the Third."

The nature of this last Act, which Sir George's humanity has happily obliterated from our Statute books, was one of the moft grievous perhaps ever impofed on a fubject under the protection of a free Government; "it punifhed the celebration of the mafs with perpetual imprisonment-the keeping a Catholic fchool was fubject to the fame unproportioned punishment whilft every Roman Catholic was, under the fame Act, to forfeit his eftate to his nearest Proteftant relation, until, thro' a profeffion of what he did not believe,

he

he redeemed by his hypocrify what the Law had transferred to his kinfman as the recompence of his profligacy."

An Act fo oppreffive one would think needed but to be recited to be repealed -it was fo by the Legislature of this country, through the friendly medium of Sir George Saville; yet fuch was the bigotry and fuperftition of a number of milguided people out of doors, called "The affociated Proteftants," that they refented this act of humanity by the moft daring acts of barbarity and devaftation, and what hiftory is now painfully obliged to record under the defcription of the Riots of 1780."

In the fcene of riot and confufion which the paffing this Bill created, it was not to be expected that the mover and framer of it could pafs unnoticed. Sir George Saville's houfe was accordingly one of the first marked out for devastation, which the mob in a great measure effected by breaking feveral of the windows, and by frequent attempts to fet it on fire, which they would have accomplished but for the interference of his numerous friends, who rallied round him in this hour of difficulty and danger.

The coolness of his temper was truly exemplary amidst all this tumult; no unmanly complaints agaiuft the ingra. titude of the public, no felf-condemnation for his original interference in the bufinefs. The confcioufnefs of having done his duty was indeed his murus abeneus, and with this defence he compofed himself with all the philofophy of a Chriftian, and with all the becom ing prudence of felf-prefervation. The following little circumftance will help to elucidate this last observation.

On that night when the mob was moft riotous, a number of Sir George's friends infifted on fitting up with him, for the better protection of his perfon and family-it was likewife agreed amongst them, that parties fhould fally out from time to time, to make fuch reports as circumstances would prefent. On the giving in of thofe reports, it was obfervable that scarcely two ac counts agreed, one making the danger Jefs, another greater, and fo on; upon which Sir George, with great compofure, made the following obfervation:

"Here, Gentlemen," fays he, " is a fine leffon for an historian; we have a fact of the day before us, reported by men of integrity and abilities, anxious to fearch for truth, and willing to re

cord it with as much circumftance and minutenefs as poffible-yet fuch is the nature of the human mind, that with all its inclinations to do right, it is under that operation which in fome degree prevents it."

Everybody prefent fubmitted to the juftness of this remark, and, tho' fome of them confifted of men of the first rank for learning and abilities, they feemed to feel the force of this obfervation in a light which nothing but the recent caufe of it could fo powerfully imprefs.

We shall conclude thefe curfory remarks on the character of Sir George Saville with the following sketch drawn by the Right Hon. Edmund Burke ; one who had known him long and intimately, and who even in this miniature will leave to pofterity a likeness equally dear to patriotifm as to the rights of humanity. What gave occafion to this character was a report which had gone abroad at the time of Mr. Burke's election for the city of Bristol, that he was the principal mover of the Bill in favour of the Roman Catholics; and Mr. Burke thinking it ne ceffary to disclaim this point to his conftituents, takes this occafion to ftate the fact as it happened in the House of Commons, and at the fame time do juf tice to the difinterefted views and general character of the refpectable author of the Bill.

I find it has been induftriously given out in this city (Bristol)-from kindness to me unquestionably-that I was the mover or feconder of this Act: the fact is, I did not once open my lips on the fubject during the whole progrefs of it. I do not fay this as dif claiming my fhare in that measure; very far from it. I inform you of this fact, left I fhould feem to arrogate to myself the merits which belong to another. To have been the man chofen out to redeem our fellow-citizens from slavery, to purify our laws from abfurdity and injuftice, and to cleanfe our religion from the blot and ftain of perfecution, would be an honour and happiness to which my wishes would undoubtedly afpire, but to which nothing but my wishes could poffibly have entitled me. That great work was in hands in every refpect far better qualified than minethe Mover of the Bill was Sir GEORGE SAVILLE.

“When au act of great and fingular humanity was to be done, and done D 2

with

with all the weight and authority that belonged to it, the world could cait its eyes upon none but him. I hope that few things which have a tendency to blefs or to adorn life have wholly efcap ed my obfervation in my paffage thro' it. I have fought the acquaintance of that Gentleman, and have feen him in all fituations. He is a true genius, with an understanding vigorous and acute and refined, and diftinguishing even to excefs; and illuminated with a moft unbounded, peculiar, and original cast of imagination. With thefe he poffeffes many external and inftrumental advantages; and he makes ufe of them all.

"His fortune is amongst the largest; a fortune which, wholly unincun.bered as it is with one fingle charge from luxury, vanity, or excels, finks under the benevolence of its difpofer. This private benevolence expanding itfelf into patriotifm, renders his whole being the eftate of the public, in which he has not referved a peculium for himself of profit, diverfion, or relaxation.

"During the feffion, the first in and the laft out of the Houfe of Commons; he paffes from the Senate to the Camp, and, feldom feeing the feat of his anceftors, he is always in Parliament to ferve his country, or in the field to defend it. "But in all well-wrought compofitions, fome particulars ftand out more eminently than the reft, and the things which will carry his name to pofterity are his two Bills-I mean that for a limitation of the claims of the Crown upon Landed Eftates,

and this for the relief of the Roman Catholics. By the former he has emancipated property-by the latter he has quieted confcience; and by both he has taught that grand leffon to Government and fubject, "No 1 nger to regard each other as adverfe parties."

"Such was the Mover of the A& that is complained of by men who are not quite fo good as he is an Act moft affuredly not brought in by him from any partiality to that fect which is the object of it; for amongst his faults I really cannot help reckoning a greater degree of prejudice again ft that people, than becomes fo wise a man. I know that he inclines to a fort of difguft, mixed with a confiderable degree of afperity, to the fyftem; and he has few, or rather no habits with any of its profeffors: what he has done was on quite other motives.-The motives were thofe which he declared in his excellent fpeech on his Motion for the Bill, namely, "his extreme zeal for the Proteftant Religion, which he thought utterly difgraced by the Act of 1699, and his rooted hatred to all kind of oppreffion under any colour, or upon any pretence whatfoever."

Sir George was in his perfon taller than the middle fize, of a thin make and aduft complexion. His conftitution was by no means ftrong or vigorous, though both in body and mind he was remarkably active. From a careless, easy ad. drets (almoft bordering on negligence), he gave the impreffion of a man who had lived rather freely in the early parts of life, though nothing could be more the contrary. In fact, when he fpoke either in or out of Parliament, what he faid was clear, fenfible, and perfuafive; and whenever philanthropy was the fubject, there was foinething in his features which feemed to invite the unfortunate to take refuge under their benignity.

In thort, Sir George Saville was upon the whole, what we may fay with refected triumph,

THIS WAS AN ENGLISHMAN.

NEW DISCOVERY RESPECTING THE VARIATION OF THE MAGNETIC

NEEDLE.

WE feel a great fatisfaction in having fure correct angles to the true meri

it in our power to announce to the public, that a Gentleman has difcevered the caufe of the variation of the Magne tic Needle; and that, thro' his theory, he has contructed a Compass, which ftands invariably due North and South, on all parts of the globe. The navigator, by this wonderful difcovery, can always fteer a true courfe; and the Engineer or Surveyor will always mea

dian.

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