or fomething-it was a prodigious fine morning a little hazy or fo but I fhould have told you that the well remember we had a haunch of venifon, a prefent I believe fromthe mayor- the mayor! let me reco lect, was it not the recorder?-night before Tom engaged me to fup no-the mayor-the mayor fent the with him on my return-if not betbuck-he recorder fent a brace of ter engaged-but yet I don't know pheafants and a harc-fupped on where I could have been better enthem another night-now, fir, after gaged a pleafant fellow too-and dinner as we were drinking the egad! we had fuch a fupperking's health in a bumper of claret, among ourselves-finished five bor. of which you know my friend Tom tles a-piece-claret is a very light always has great plenty. I fearce wine-when taken in moderationknow any man more curious in his But port-port is very heady-did liquors-fome excellent hock too, you ever drink any of my friend but I did not tafte it-it always dif Sam Oldftile's port ?-never tasted agrees with me-fo, after the ladies better upon my honour.-Well, as had retired, we were drinking fome I was faying-before we parted— jolly toafts, for Tom never forgets fhook hands-"goodbye, Piger,' church and king, and fo forth-by fays he, " remember the wager,' the bye I believe his father's brother a generous dog, but never forgot to was among the Manchefer people demand a wager.-So-fir-as foon in 1745-but mum for that-if a as I was dreffed-and I had an hour man gives a good dinner, what fig- to wait for my hair-dreffer-a lazy nifies his anceflors or his principles- fcoundrel-muft turn him off I befo, after we had drank a little, we lieve though upon the whole he is were talking about the riots-it was the fame year when my town-house fuffered with the others though, between ourselves, I never could discover what made them fuppofe I was a Papist-fays I, Tom, I ride to-morrow from Durham to Newcaftle in a certain time-he fwere I could not do it-I took his bet-a cool hundred-and a dinner for the company, who were pretty numerous among others I remember was Dick Dainmy, a lieutenant of a man of war, and George he! no, I believe he was not of the party at that time-he came in afterwards, and drack a few glaffes of wine, he was always a queer dogwe were at fchool together at York. tolerable. "When I had mounted my mare you have feen my mare, have you not?a tight going thing-furefooted-I had her from Sir Charles Turf, of our neighbourhood-you remember the day we met Sir Charles on the heath, when his bay horse run against Dumps, belonging to what's his name-O! it was the day we dined with Mr. of Cambridge-a couple of fine girls his daughters-Betty for my money— the other is tall and fhowy but-well fo-little did I think what was to happen-Sir, fays the holler to me-" And here I fuppofe my reader will be fatisfied, without accompanying Piger to Newcastle, where indeed he did not arrive, until the company were about to depart. "In the morning, fir, I got up about-hey let me fee-I believe it might be about eight o'clock-or Story-telling is, after all, a danrather a quarter or twenty minutes gerous talent. It is a weapon few paft- well remember my watch can weild without hurting fome tood at the time-goes in general friend, even when they point it very well-but the weather I am most fuccessfully; and when handled told affects watch-fprings, or wheels,clumfily it never fails to recoil upon themselves. Thoughts on Providence. themfelves. To have the laugh on | our fide is not always a proof that we have either truth or argument in our favour. Profeffed wits, however, are above confiderations which damp their genius. 97 ponderation of happiness in favour of virtue: but as the truth of this opinion forms a very powerful argu ment, in proof of a wife and good prefiding power; I fubmit the fol lowing reflections in fupport of it. When we obferve mankind in gene ous, him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not,' fo anxious as they appear to be, that their children fhould pursue virtuous courfes; we must conclude fuch a general defire to have as general a motive, which is their happiness and profperity in life. And though this motive, which to the temporalift is a leading one, be to the good and virtuous only fecondary, its effects are in both inftances the fame; forming an argument from univerfal confent, that, according to the prefent difpenfations of providence, or if this mode of expreffion appear an affumption of the point in doubt, according to the prefent courfe of things, fuccefs even in this world is the confequence of a virtuous con. duct. Toothers it may be obferved that, truth is in itself fo valuable and foral, the wicked as well as the religi honourable that its place is poorly fupplied by a filly tale. A habit of telling ftories is too apt to relax our attention to truth, which, when departed from in little things may be justly fufpended in matters of higher moment. Anecdotes too, however fupplemental, are no part of reafoning, and he who trufts to them for a reply, difcovers a fhallow understanding and a barren invention. They cannot fupply the whole of converfation, and therefore our opinion of that man's knowlege cannot be favourable who fecks to recommend himself to our attention by copious details from jeft-books. He may occafionally entertain us, but he comes uninvited and departs without regret. Men of this defcription feldom enquire how far the story occurring to their memory may be proIn proof of this truth, permit me per, whether it may not convey an to refer the argument in another unmerited cenfure, or a direct infult, fhape to the difcrimination of every a thing very poffible and not uncom- man's own judgment. Let us remon in mixed companies. The volve in our minds a certain number highest merit of the greatest wit, is of our friends and acquaintances, to fupprefs the finest impulfe of his whom we know to be men of virtue; genius, because whatever entertain- and an equal number whom we ment it may afford to vacant minds,know, or have great reafon to beit may have a tendency to injure a lieve, to be vicious characters: then friend, or difhonour virtue, or vio- let us reflect, whether the virtuous late truth. A, B or vicious characters appear to enjoy the most happiness in themfelves and their connexious; and from fuch reflection, concurrent opinion, I am perfuaded, will confirm the truth of the affertion that happiness, in the things,;, even in this life que fan of ordinary and general courfe of THOUGHTS on PROVIDENCE, by Dr. Shepherd. I weight to purement the quantity of good or evil, that falls VOL. XX, PUBLIC SPEAKING. The Attitude in which a Boy fhould always place bimfelf when he begins to speak. [From Mr. WALKER'S "Academic Speaker," just published.] H E fhould reft the whole weight of his body on the right leg; the other juft touching the ground, at the distance at which it would naturally fall, if lifted up to fhew that the body does not bear upon it. The knees fhould be ftrait and braced, and the body, though perfectly trait, not perpendicular, but inclining as far to the right as a firm pofition on the right leg will permit. The right arm must then be held out with the palm open, the fingers ftrait and clofe, the thumb almost as diflant from them as it will go; and the flat of the hand neither horizontal nor vertical, but exactly between both. The pofition of the arm perhaps will be lefs defcribed by fuppofing an oblong hollow fquare formed by the meafure of four arms, where the arm in its true pofition forms the diagonal of fuch an imaginary figure. So that if lines were drawn at right angles from the fhoulders extending downwards, forwards and fideways, the arm will form an angle of almost forty-five degrees every way. When the pupil has pronounced one fentence in the pofition thus defcribed, the hand, as if lifelefs, muft drop down to the fide, the very moment the last accented word is pronounced; and the body, without altering the place of the feet, poize itfelf on the left leg, while the left hand raises ifelf into exactly the fame pofition as the right was before, and continues in this pofition till the end of the next fentence, when it drops down on the fide as if dead and the body, poizing itself on the right leg as before, continues with the right arm extended till the end of the fucceeding fentence, and left to right alternately, till the fo on from right to left, and from fpeech is ended. To the Editor of the LADIES MAGA SIR, ZINE. IF you think the following folu I' tions worth inferting in your next Magazine, they are very much at your fervice. I was in hopes fome abler hand would have attempted the first, but as no anfwer has appeared to it, I offer mine though it is not quite perfect. And I beg leave to obferve that a want of exactness either in the authors-or printer-of thefe agreeable trifles, render the folution of them far more difficult than it otherwife would be,-inftance No. 11. of the Iflands, where in the latter part "An Hofpital folely for the Reception of Children," is meant to convey the idea of -foundland'; when, if wrote properly, it would be foundling, which would not answer. In No. 2. of the Sea-Ports, I think coin has been printed in place of corn, and there is an evident miftake alfo in No. 5. in the words "thirteen fifths." A hint to your correfpondents on this fubject, will oblige-Sir, Your humble fervant, ANNA. Enigmatical Solutions and Queftions. 6. Dover. 7. Exeter. 8. Flamborough. 9. Sunderland. 10. Margate. 11. Ramfgate.. 12. Chatham. 13. Whitby. 14. Bristol. 15. Falmouth. 16. Pool. 17. Portfmouth. 18. Whitehaven. 19. Yarmouth. 20. Sandwich. *99 3. Three tenths of a painful dif order, three fixths of parching heat, myfelf, a numerical letter, and a confonant. 4. An article, two fifths of the reverfe of wrong, two fixths of the moft capital river in England, and a vomit, expunging the first letter. tian name, four tenths of the chief 5. Three fixths of a man's chrif city in any kingdom, and the twenty third letter in the alphabet. 6. Five tenths of a fortune-teller a negative, and a pronoun. 7. Three tenths of a fmall fhell fifli, an article, half a circle, and a confonant: 6. A perfume, two fourths of in-. tend, and to defire earnestly, omiting a letter. 7. Three fixths of a fhell-fish, two thirds of a filly fellow, and half a fpice. An Enigmatical Lift of RIVERS in Great Britain and Ireland. 1. Three fifths of damp, a confonant, and two fifths of the mufe of love-poetry. 2. A famous poet. 3. Three fifths of a Mufcovite, lord, and two fixths of an ancient king of Pylos, who was faid to have lived 300 years. 4. One half of an island in Kent, two sevenths of the meflenger of the Gods, and a ferpentine letter. 5. Harf, changing a letter. 6. To avoid, changing a letter, and a denial in French. A Spanish title of honour. 8. 1 wo fevenths of a kingdom in Europe, and a vowel. 9. One half of one of the Gorgons, and a meafure, changing a letter. 10. Two fifths of an entertain ment, and a number tranfpofed. 11. A colour, and a pure ele12. A confonant and a mourning 9. Three fevenths of an inftrument. ment very useful to mariners, and an harbour. 10. The initial of a river in Perfia, and five elements of a fine fing. ing bird. habit. 7 POETICAL |