Our Correfpondent J. G. from Walfal, has our Thanks for the Extracts he has copied from The Cuftomes of London, commonly called Arnold's Chronicle; but that Book, though a fcarce one, is in too many hands to render it curious enough for our Magazine. The Ballad he fent is by Shenstone, and in every Edition of his Works. The Book mentioned by R. G. from Dorchester never came to our hands. Captain Drake's Letter came too late for this Month. We wish to imprefs on our Correfpondents in general, that we often receive from them what would be very acceptable to a Newspaper, where there is room to admit all their favours, but which our confined space obliges us to decline. Oats Beans 000 o Effex AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from November 12 to November 19, 1796. London Wheat Rye | Barl. 100 000 000 000 COUNTIES upon the COAST. 034 620 2'30 0 50 9 32 042 022 640 6 Glouceft. 67 2 00 038 719 733 0 Salop Berks Stafford 62 736 044 11 23 10 40 0 Somerfet 70 4 00 64 047 745 722 I 135 6 Monmou. 69 le oo Hereford 62 548 040 121 729 3 Devon 63 500 Worcest. 65 600 042 923 5 35 3 Cornwall 63 1 Warwick 66 3:00 68 041 322 441 11 Dorfet 64 040 037 82 25 8 42 8 Hants Wilts I OO 63 2 00 Oxford Bucks 54 8.00 031 4,19 431 S. Wales 65 800 35 Original Picture in the Potscision of Iohn Taylor Esq: Engl William Oldys Gag?" Published by J.Sewell, N32, Cernhill, Dee: 1,1795. THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, AND LONDON REVIEW; WILLIAM OLDYS, Esq. THIS indefatigable pioneer of litera- often approaching to neceffitous. At one ture, to whofe induitry, accuracy, period he was confined in the Fleet, durand attention, much information has been ing which he acquired a liking for the brought to light, whofe diligence was company he found there in to high a deequal to his veracity, and whole strict ad-gree, that, to the end of his life, he ufed herence to truth in all his refearches might be held out to future biographers as an example worthy of imitation, was born in or about the year 1687. He was the natural ion of Dr. William Oldys, Chancellor of Lincoln, Geminiffary of St. Catherine's, Official of St. Alban's, and Advocate of the Admiralty, by a woman who was maintained by her keeper in a very penurious and private manner, and whofe ion, it is probable, had but little affiftance in his education from parents fo circumftanced. Of the early part of his life little is known, except that he loft his parents foon, and, probably, was left to make his way in lite unaffilted by every thing but his own talents. Captain Grofe fays he foon fquandered away a small patrinony, and afterwards became an attendant on Lord Oxford's Library, of which, after Wanley's death, in 1726, it may be conjectured, he had the principal care. During this period he produced his most valuable works; and, while in this fituation, had every opportunity of gratifying his paffion for ancient and curious books. On the death of Lord Ox.crd, in 1741, his valuable library fell into the hands of Ofborne the bookfeller, who difperfed it by a Catalogue, in the formation of which Mr. Oldys was employed, as he was alfo in the election made from the pamphlets, in a work in eight volumes 4to. entitled The Harleian Mifcellany. His circumstances through life feem to have been at the best times moderate, and to spend his evenings at a houfe within the Rules, with perions who, though confined within a certain district, were exempted from actual imprisonment. The only pott he ever held was that of Norroy King of Arms, given him by the Duke of Norfolk, in return for the pleasure he had received from his Life of Sir Walter Raleigh. The chief part of his fubfiftence was derived from the Bookfellers, by whom he appears to have been conftantly employed. He feems to have had but little claffical learning, but his knowledge of English books has hardly been exceeded. Captain Grofe, who was acquainted with him, fays he was a man of great good-nature, honour, and integrity, par: ticularly in his character of an hittorian. "Nothing," adds he, "I firmly believe, would ever have biaffed him to infert any fact in his writings he did not believe, or to fupprefs any he did. Of this delicacy he gave an infance at a time when he was in great diftrefs. After his publication of the Life of Sir Walter Raleigh, fome bookiellers, thinking his name would fell a piece they were publishing, offered him a confiderable ium to father it, which he rejected with the greatest indignation." From the fame authority we learn, that Mr. Oldys, in the latter part of his life, abandoned himself to drinking, and was almoft continually in a ftate of intoxication. At the funeral of the Princefs Caroline he was in fuch a fituation as to be scarcely able to walk, and actually reeled about Sf2 with with a crown on a cushion, to the great fcandal of his brethren. He is faid alfo to have been much addicted to low company. His exceffes, however, feem not to have fhortened his life, though they might render his old age unrefpected: he died April 15, 1761, at the age of 74 years, and was buried the 19th following in the North aile of the church of St. Bennet, Paul's Wharf, towards the upper end of the aifle. He left no will; and the property he poffeffed was barely fufficient to defray his debts and funeral expences: Administration therefore was claimed by, and granted to, a creditor, Dr. Taylor the Oculift, to whofe family he was under obligations for acts of kindness to him beyond the loan of the money for which he was indebted. He appears to have been continually employed in fome literary work or other, and the memory of many of them (as he feldom put his name to them) are probably loft. The following, are the principal: The Life of Sir Walter Raleigh, pre THE fixed to an Edition of his Hiftory of the World. 2 Vols. fo. 1736. Some Lives in the General Dictionary. The Lives in the Biographia Britannica marked G. The British Librarian. 8vo. Introduction to Hayward's British Mufe. 3 Vols. 12mo. 1738. The Life of Richard Carew the Cornish Antiquary. The Life of Dr. Moffat, prefixed to Heath's Improvement. 12mo. 1746. Differtation on Pamphlets in Morgan's Phoenix Britannicus. 4to. He was alfo for fome time concerned in the publication of "The Univerfal Spectator," a weekly Journal, under the name of Henry Stonecaftle in Northumberland, parts of which have been collected into 4 Volumes, 12mo: but the moft ufeful of his labours were his Collections for the lives of English Eminent Men, which have been the fource of information to late Biographers of various defcriptions, and are ftill likely to be further ufeful, as fome works intended for publication are proceeded on. ABSENT BY JOSEPH MOSER. AGENTLEMAN, whofe name begins with a B, vifited Lady H, who refided in Edinburgh, about the hour of dinner, that is to fay, near five o'clock. "It was in dark November:" He entered the room in his riding dress, and faid, that he intended, that evening, to fet out for London. As her Ladyship knew that Mr. Bwas a man who had paffed great part of his life in ftudy, and had acquired fuch a redundance of difcordant ideas that he fometimes acted like an ideot, fhe was fearful if he began a journey at fo late an Eour, fome accident might happen to him he, therefore, preffed him to stay dinner, thinking, perhaps, that the guests at her table would chain down his attention, and with it his perfon, for the evening. With this requeft, after an apology for his boots, he complied. The com pany affembled: he met feveral of his friends; talked of his own works; was in high fpirits, and feemed to enjoy the conviviality of the party. While every thing was proceeding with fuch harmony and decorum, the firft courfe was removed; and, during the bia MAN, tus this operation occafioned, a gentleman, at the lower end of the table, unfortunately happened to afk Mr. B- - if he had read the work lately publifhed by Lord Firebrand? At the found of his Lordship's namme he started, and exclaimed, "Read it, yes! It is a work calculated to illuminate the minds of the Sixteen; and I now recolle& that I was to have dined with his Londhip, in private, this day, in order to give him my opinion of it. Perhaps he now waits for me with all the impatience of a young author. I have fome vivifying touches for a fecond edition, and muft pofitively fly to communicate them." This declaration threw the company into fome confufion, efpecially as the gentleman that uttered it was about to leave the room. Her Ladyfhip was, upon this occafion, too nimble for him; for the got betwixt him and the door, and in that fituation demanded a parley, in the courie of which the fo effectually explained to him the impoffibility of his reaching the mansion of the peer in time to keep his engagement, that he agreed to fend his fervant with a note, in which he purposed to ftate, that fo charmed was he |