gathered from the veracity of the laft paragraph, as it is well known the Pretender was in this country fome months before the Queen's death, and had apartments at Somerfet-houfe incog, and that he left Loudon only for the purpofe of making preparation for a defcent on this Lingdom. But perhaps Lord Bolingbroke might think, as a statelman, that we were too near the scene to tell the fact upon this eccafion, which would then too much involve private interefts and connections. DUKE OF WHARTON. The peace of Utrecht sticking in the Honfe of Lords, Queen Anne found it Politically neceffary to create a majority by calling up 12 Commoners to the Houle of Peers. The intention of this being previously known, caufed a great ferment amongst the oppofite party. The Duke of Wharton, who was at the head of them, promised to fpeak against a meature, which from its fuddennefs, and the wellknown ufe it was intended for, he thought trenched upon the freedom of the Conttitution. He therefore took care to be early in the House on the day of their introduction, when getting up very formally as they feverally pafled from below the bar, he called out very audibly and diftin&tly, "one, two, three, four, five, fix, feven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, good men and true.-Well, Gentlemen of the Jury, who thall Speak for you?” OWEN CAMBRIDGE, ESQ. This venerable and refpectable character, who ftill enjoys the otium cum dignitate with literature and literary men, wrote fome papers in The World, a periodical work well known amongst English readers. Being one Sunday at church during the progress of the above publication, Mrs. Cambridge obferved him to be remarkably filent and thoughtful, and, being apprehenfive he had fomething on his mind Father difagreeable, asked him, "what he was thinking of?" "Upon a very important fubject indeed, my dear," faid he," I am thinking of the next World.” DR. JOHNSON. (Anecdotes of bim never before publifbed.) Dr. Johnfon, having had a general invitation from Lord Lansdowne to fee * Bow-wood, his Lordship's feat in Wilt fhire, he accordingly made him a vifit, in company with the late Mr. Cumming, the quaker, a character at that time well known as the projector of the Conquest of Gorée. They arrived about dinner-time, and were received with fuch respect and good-breeding, that the Doctor joined in the converfation with much pleasantry and good-humour. He told feveral ftories of his acquaintance with literary charac ters, and in particular repeated the laft part of that celebrated letter which he wrote to the late Lord Chesterfield,defiring to be difmified from all further patronage. Whiift "the feaft of reafon and the flow of foul" was thus enjoying a gentleman of Lord Lanfdowne's acquaintance from London'happened to arrive, but being too late for dinner, his Lordship was making his apologies, and added, "but you have loft a better thing than dinner, in not be ing here time enough to hear Dr. Johnson repeat his charming letter to Lord Chef. terfield, though I dare fay the Doctor will be kind enough to give it to us again."- "Indeed, my Lord," fays the Doctor (who began to growl the moment the fubject was mentioned) "I will not. I told the circumftance firit for my own amufement, but I will not be dragged in as story-teller to a company." In the course of the night, which the Doctor enjoyed to a very late hour, he differed very much upon fome fubject with one of the gentlemen at his Lordship's table, and used fome ftrong expreffions, which the other took no notice of, from the particularity of the Doctor's character. In the morning however, when Johnfon cooled upon it, he went up to the gentleman with great good-nature, and faid, "Sir, I have found out, upon reflection, that I was both warmand wrong in my argument with you last night; for the firft of which I beg your pardon, and for the fecond I thank you for letting me right." It was on this vifit he was afked, which was the best poet, Boyce or Derrick ? when he fternly replied, "How can I appreciate the difference between a fica and a loufe *?" About the time of his bringing out the tragedy of "Irene," Johníon was told it would be neceffary for him to makea genteeler appearance than he used to do; upon which he made up a rich gold-laced waiftcoat, with a blue coat, red collar, &o, &c. Mr. Bofwell, in telling this anecdote, mentions the name of Chriftopher Smart instead of Boyce, which deftroys the force of the remark, Smart being a man of genius, a poet, and one of whofe abilities Dr. Johnson entertained the highest respect. a which Which was the fashionable undress of that time. On the fecond day of this tranf formation, a friend, looking in upon him, found him before a glafs in the following foliloquy:"No, this won't do, this is both troublesome and expenfive; it may lead me into vanity, and when once in, 'tis not fo easy to get out. I'll therefore return to my old brown again; which colour, with an occafional fuit of black, he continued during the remainder of his life. Mrs.C having fubfcribed for feveral Copies of Johnion's first edition of Shakespeare, fhe told Mr. M―( a particular acquaintance of the Doctor) that fhe wifhed above all things to be introduced to the Author, and that he would wave all ceremony, and pay him the first vifit. Johnson, being apprifed of this, confented, and a morning was appointed for the rendezvous. The parties accordingly arrived at Johnfon's chambers in Gray's Inn about one o'clock; when, after thundering at the outer door for near a quarter of an hour, Mr. Mat laft peeped through the key-hole, and obferved Johnfon juft iffuing from his bed, in his fhirt, without a night-cap (which by the by he never wore), the poi de cham bre in one hand, and the key in the other. In this fituation he unlocked the door, when, fpying a lady, he gravely turned round, begged fhe would walk into another room, and he would have the pleasure of waiting on her immediately.' As foon as ever Mrs. C had reco vered her surprise, the observed to Mr. M, "what a fortunate thing it was for her, that Johnfon's milliner had not cheated him of his linen as much be fore as the had behind. The converfation turning one night at the Club in Effex-ftreet on the injury our language fuftained by the abbreviations made by the poets, Dr. Burney was ob ferving, that he knew a lady of literature, who was in fome inftances in the contrary extreme, and often added a letter too much, particularly in all words ending in e, as agreeablee, infalliblee, &c. &c. "Why did fhe take fuch unnecessary trouble?" fays one of the company. "Nay, Sir," fays Johnson," it could be no trouble to her; on the contrary, the appears to be very much at her e e's. At another time, giving an account of his tour to the Hebrides, he was telling, that when he gave a fhilling to a Scotch peafant for fhewing him the road, he lifted up his eyes with as much gratitude and amazement, as if it had been a thoufand pounds. This story being retorted upon Bofwell, who was the only Scotchman in company, by an Irish gentleman prefent, the Doctor immediately replied, Why, to be fure, Sir, the Scotchman was much furprized at the magnitude of the donation; but then he knew it was a fhilling but had it been one of your countrymen (turning to the Irish gentleman) he in all probability would have rejected it with disdain, as not knowing the current coin of the country." WALLER. To the EDITOR of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. If the following particulars concerning WALLER, and the small Pieces by him not inferted in his works, thould be likely to be acceptable to your Readers, they are at your service. I am, &c. G. H. Na copy of Waller's Poems now lying tions, apparently written by Bishop Atterbury: "Waller commends no poet of his times that was in any degree a rival to him, neither Denham, nor Cowley, nor Dryden, nor Fairfax himself, to whose verfification he owes to much, and upon whofe turn of verie he founded his own. Sir John Suckling he writes against, and feems pleafed in expofing the many fal.e thoughts there are in his copy of verfes "Against Fruition;" and, befides, he well knew the advantage he had of Sir John; particuVOL. XXX, SEPT. 1796. larly in that fort of verse and manner of writing. He has copies in praise of the tranflator of Gratius, Mr. Wafe (I think), Sir William Davenant, Mr. Sandys, and Mr. Evelyn: he knew their reputation would not hurt his own. Ben Jonion and Fletcher he commends in good earneft; their dramatic works gave him no pain; that fort of writing he never pretended to. Denham's high compliment to Waller in his "Cooper's Hill" deferved fome return. "Mr. Walier has praifed Chaucer, and borrowed a fine aliufion to Prince Ar thur's Shield, and the name of Gloria, Y from MR. WALLER WHEN HE WAS AT SEA, cit, And Love and Beauty rais'd above their Love, that bereaves us both of brain and heart, write, from Spenfer; but he was not much con- not inferted in the late Editions of his vertant in or beholding to either. Mil- Works: ton's Poem came not forth till Mr. Waller was above 60 years old, and, as I fuppofe, he had no talte for his manner of writing. There are but few things in Waller that fhew his acquaintance with the Latin; fewer still that would make one think him acquainted with the Greek Poets. Somewhat of the Mythology he knew; but that might be no deeper than Ovid's Metamorphofes. Some allufions to feveral parts of the Eneid, the ftory of it I mean, for as to the language he has copied little of it. Had he been a perfect mafter of Virgil, his Latin phrafe would have crept every where into Waller's English; as we fee it does in Dryden's Writings (who yet was far from being a perfect maiter of him). As for his cloudcompelling, and two or three more compound words, I believe he went not to The original for them, but to fome tranflation, perhaps Chapman's." Thus far the Bishop, who, it may be added, was the Editor of Waller's Poems printed in 1690, and the Author of the Preface. The following Poem by Waller is O N Or battle paint engaged in the fight? there, Paffion writes well neither in Love nor Fear. In the University Collection of Verfes entitled "Rex Redux," 1633, are the following lines by Mr. Waller: Sedibus, emigrans folitis comitatus inermi Rex turbâ fimplex & & adema gerens, ED. WALLER, ARMIGER, SCANDAL. IT perhaps may be the most arrogant prefumption in an obfcure and unknown individual, to write on a fubiect in order to its depreciation, which indifputably occupies fo much of the attention of the nobility and great characters of this and of moft countries which are called cili vized and enlighten d. However, in defpite of every fpecies of oppofition, undismayed by the anticipated fury which may be denounced against my impetent (perhaps it may, by fone who -profefs themselves lovers of virtue, be termed impudent) attack againft this darling paffion of mankind, I will commence my remarks. I doubt whether it be requifite with Botwellian nicety to enter into particulars concerning it, which, if known, would tend more to tire and to lull into the arms of Morpheus my indulgent reader, than it would to advance his inftruction. I shall fuffice by noticing it in the higher circles, where, from many caufes-But hold! I must not defcend to minutia, or 1 hali palpably incur the HARVEY. The cenfure which I feemed to infer a certain which a rational creature would best fill up that inestimable gem, Time, fuch a conclufion feems exceedingly probable. While rational enquiry is either banifhed a polite affembly, or treated with contumely, and animadverfions and ftrictures on the character of another member of lociety form the pleasurable theme; perhaps he who may be undergoing the ordeal of this Tribunal may have rendered to some one member of it (who may be molt infuriate), at a former period, effential fervices, and his only crime is, being in poffeffion of that virtue which the other is to glaringly deficient of, and which routed in the bofom of the other envious principles. Now one of the chief engines of this moft accurled of paffions, is Scandal, which is not confined to the perion who fancies himself aggrieved; but when a piece of information is comraunicated to an acquaintance, which militates in opinion against the character of another, that acquaintance divulges to another the information received, and fo on al infinitum. The confequence, were it to stop here, would not be of fuch an alarm ing tendency, but in every step of progreffive ratio the story receives confiderable addition; and that which at firft, perhaps, was only an act of indifcretion, becomes, after having paffed with fix or feven from the original propagator, a crime of the greatest magnitude. Let me afk a ferious and reflecting mind this question: Would it not redound infinitely more to the character of that man, or of that woman, who iaw a fellow-creature deviating from the path of rectitude and virtue, to ufe their every exertion to warn them of the diadvantages which ultimately inutt refult from fuch a mode of procedure, than to publish to the world a itep which in itfelf may not be the refult of vicious principle, but a want of forefight or of thought? Such precipitate teps tend to render callous and infenfate thofe boloms which, impreffed with an idea that theworld have already paffed fentence against them, feel very little aptitude to retrieve a character which they confider as eternally blafted, and confequently all attempt to eradicate the public opinion would be inefficient and ineffectual. The number of trials for connubial infidelity that difgrace the annals of this country, may be accounted for in a great measure by the unrestrained licence with which libidinous tran.actions are propagated and canvalled in thofe affemblies termed POLITE. And the avidity with which trials for adultery are read by both fexes encourage men who write from no principle but a vicious one, to recount with infamous effrontery icenes which may have been developed in the courte or a trial; or if they were not, their inventive fancies create them, to fuit the difpofition in their readers for scandal; or, perhaps, to gratify or to encourage a worle paflion: but Heaven forbid it! Indeed io far is fcandal the prominent characteristic in this age, that fome of our most eminent productions in Lite rature are tainted with its contagious influence. Pamphlets denominated a "Calm and Sober Reply," and fuchlike titles, are filled with every thing that malice and dilappointinent can fuggeft to bring into difefteem the private character of an individual, and not his principles, which the author sapiently de clares in his preface his work is written for. The public newspapers, which ought to be vehicles of morality, are but too often filled with reports to calumniate the character of, perhaps, innocent men, Oh England, England! that valuable bleffing, what was once termed the Liberty of the Prefs, is drawing fast to Licention!nefs. We will, before we close, make a few remarks on the tardiness which men in general evince in proclaiming the virtuous actions of each other; whether it be that men cannot, whenever they behold others do a virtuous action, be abstracted from envy; or are impreffed with the idea t at fociety will, in a divulgement of any ipecies of virtue, take from him who proclaims it, what they confer on him who has done the juft act. But for the information of fuch narrow-minded mortals, I have quoted the following appropriate paffages from Rollin, which if adhered to, the meaning of the lines in my motto will undergo a happy transformation, and we might with certitude affert that "our good actions would be written on narble, and our bad ones on fand.” The Antients, who were not enlightened by Christian virtues, have in many inftances fhewn a difinterestedness of conduct in advancing the reputation of others, that must draw forth our unequivocal ap probation. Witnefs the conduct of Scipio Africanus in the war with Antiochus the Great, with regard to his brother-in-law. Many other illuftrious characters could be produced fuch as this, as Cyrus, Agricola, and indeed many more: "But," fays Cicero," it was then customary to do justice to another's merit without icruple. Erat amming ju»mus, ut faciles effent in fuum cuique tribuendo. WILLIAM HENRY W Y 2 PARTICULARS of the FAMILY of the CRAGGS'S. Copied from a MS. of THOMAS BAKER, which had formerly belonged to Dr. ZACHARY GREY. CRAGGS, the late Mr. PoftMaster's grandfather, was the firft of that name and family known in the county of Durham. This man is faid to have come from Ireland*, and dropping at Wolfingham, falls to labour as a common miner in the lead works; where fcraping together a little money, he ventures upon a fmail share in a fresh mine; which proving fuccessful, he grows rich apace; buys Wiferly (a farm about 30l. a year, near Wolfingham), and afterwards Hole Houfe, which I take to be the true name of the family feat, tho' called Holebeck in Mrs. Craggs's epitaph. Anthony, his only fon, fucceeding to these estates (in the whole near 1ool, per ann.), marries a daughter of Dr. Morecroft, by whom he has two fons, James and Ferdinando, ard two daugh. ers, Margaret and Anne. After his wife's death (whatever was done before), inftead of faving fortunes for his children, he runs into every extravagance, plunges himself over-head-and-ears in debt, fells Wiferly, mortgages HoleHoufe, and 1683 fells it alfo. But to make the purchaser a good title, he must have the confent of his fon James, who feems to pocket all the money over and above what pays the debt. Upon this he takes fhipping for London (where his fon James had been fome years before), not the leaft difcouraged with this alteration in his circumstances, as appears by a letter (in a very bad hand) to his nephew Ailey, then Rector of Wolfingham, dated London, June 26, 1.683. "I thanke God my fon is very kind to me, and is in a very fine way to live; he is fertainly as much improved, to have no more breeding when he came heer, as any young man that ever came out of the North, for he tould me that he could marry a fortune that is worth 1200l. at the leaft, but faith he is very wellas he is, for if he should marry, it would take of his inclination from us, which was a kind faing from a fon. I have much to praife God that I have fuch a fon, for if God bleffes him with life and health, I hope to live as well as ever I did in my life.?? Next year we find him preferred to ride 9 in a troop. Overjoyed with being advanced to fuch high honour he writes again: + From St. Clements Pomp, this 25 June, 1684. “ Į Am in the King's troop under Captain Leg, a very worthy gentleman. I thanke God I have had my health very well fince I came into the South. I am very well fatisfyed with my imployment; there are many very good gentlemen in our troope, feverall who hath been in commifhon for the King, that is as Cap. tains and Lieutenants. I thanke God I can get love amongst them; their is very few in the troope, but they are fit to bę commanders." After this we hear no mere of Anthony, and what time his fon James left the North, with what money in his pocket, or how educated, is uncertain; but proba bly not overstocked either with money or learning; for his father feems to own in his first letter above, that he went away but with little breeding, and he himself writes: St. James's, 22 March, 1682-3. "I Am very jealous of fome who have in a good measure promoted his (meaning his father's) paft mifcarriages, and Į believe do not care what the future fate of his family be, fo they be gratifyed with the old trade of fudling and quaff. ing; it is indeed my furmife, that my father has been diffwaded from takeing any care for me, for of late he has not taken the leaft notice of what he formerly promifed, which was to give me soof. and which I am fure would be his and his family's intereft, fince I am fure I can difpofe of it to farr greater advantage than he can." Nor does it appear how he lived, nor what bufinefs he fell into upon his going thither. In 1681, and for fome time after, he was probably with Lord Arundel, His first letter is dated Edenburgh, Dec. 31, 1681. "You may depend upon any thing I can do, as much as if it were in your own power, either to Lord Arrundell, or any other." Windfor, July 28 (8z).· "I have not omitted to take all occa * I the rather believe the truth of this tradition, because fomic of their letters mention bufinefs and relations in Ireland. All the letters here quoted were fent to the fame Mr. Ainfley, whose father married another daughter of Dr. Morecroft. Hons |
