James's, and Robertfon's Hiftory of Scotland.

The history of other countries may, as Mr. Gillier obferves, be very useful, particularly that of England; but then only fummaries fhould be put into Mr. Hope's hands, where good may be found, that he may not be overloaded

I wish I could recommend a compendi ous Hiftory of England; Rapin's Abridge. ment, with his Differtation on the Laws of the Anglo-Saxons; and the Letters from a Father to a Sun upon the English Hiftory, may answer Mr. Hope's prefent purpose.

Dr. Goldsmith has lately published an Abridgement of the English History; but as I have not read it, I cannot venture to give my opinion about it Puffendorff's Introduction à l'Hiftoire de l'Europe

should be read.

Of the Hiftory of France, President Henault has made an excellent abridgement; and there has been lately published on the fame plan a good one of the Hiftory of Spain. Necker Sur le Corps Germanique is accounted accurate, and gives the best idea of that Conftitution.

The Modern Hiftory of all Nations previous to the Reformation is obfcure, fabulous, and of little importance. A young man who has learned what is ufe ful to be known of the dark times from Giannoni and Robertson thould begin his study of modern history at that period.

But as Mr. Hope must be content for the prefent with a general fuperficial knowledge of history, both ancient and modern, it is not neceffary now to chalk out an extensive plan of either.

Thefe hints are calculated to abridge Mr. Hope's ftudies upon every fubject, and to bring them within a narrow compaís, confiftent with the prefent difpofition of his time, and the avocations which his health requires. Mr. Hope and Mr. Gillier will eally diftinguish those books which must neceffarily be read, from thofe which are recommended to be read, in cafe the time permit, for amufement, or for improvement in the Latin and French languages.

If Mr. Hope's time fhould allow for enlarging his studies upon any fubject, Mr. Gillier may collect from the Archbishop of York's Inftruction to Lord Defkford any books he shall think molt proper.

I agree with Lord Prefident and Lord Hailes, that in law, history, and indeed all fciences, it is inoft prejudicial to a young man to overcharge his memory, and to perplex his thoughts with a multiplicity of voluminous books.

All food does not turn to nourishment: real knowledge is not acquired by the number of words a man devours, or the pages he turns over, but only by fuch reading as he thoroughly digefts and makes his own.

The rules for reading all hooks with effect and to the beft advantage are admirably laid down by Mr. Locke, in a short and most valuable tract, entitled, The Conduct of the Human Understanding, printed in his pofthumous works, and reprinted in a small volume by itself fome years ago at Edinburgh. I would recommend to every young man, before he enters upon any courfe of ftudy, to perufe with attention and fix in his mind the directions contained in this incomparable treatife. It will open his understanding, and teach him with the greatest perspicuity

the nature of afsent and evidence.

Distinct pronunciation, the improvement of the ear, the modulation of the voice, and everything that tends to render elocution agreeable, harmonious, and grateful, merits peculiar attention.

I agree with Lord Prefident, that with this view fome paffages of Cicero's Orations fhould be read almost every day aloud, and alfo fome paffages of one of the best English authors. For this purpofe I would recommend the Select Öratons of Demofthenes by different hands, with Toureil's Preface, which is juftly admired for an elegant, beautiful, and correct ftile.

I would beg leave to fuggeft to Mr. Hope another exercife that appears to me to be of great importance. Whatever be the fubject of his ftudy, whether claffics, history, ethics, or law, let him either write a fummary or abstract of it in Englifh, or let him chufe fome fubject arifing out of it, and connected with his reading, and compofe a differtation upon it in English.

For instance, when he reads the claffical authors, let him abstract a fummary of the coms and manners of the Romans, as they occur in them or their commentators. In reading hiftory, ancient or modern, various fubjects will present themselves where a fact is dubious, he may ftate the evidence pro and con, toge ther with his own judgment upon it. If an event be complicated, he may enumerate particularly and illustrate the several circumftances; he may ftate the several judgments on both fides; how far an action was in the whole or in part blameable, or laudable; then give a decifion, with his reafons for it. He may investigate the cauies of any great event or revolution, i C2

and

equal to what can be acquired, undebauched wind, and a bottom * spirit, never to proBounce the word ENOUGH. He fights the stick as well as moft men, and understands a good deal of the finall-fword. This practice has given him the diftinction of time and MEASURE beyond the reft. He stops as regularly as the swords-man, and carries his blows truly in the line; he fteps not back, diftrufting of himself to ftop a blow, and piddle in the return, with an arm unaided by his body, producing but a kind of flyflap blows, fuch as the pastry-cooks ufe to beat thof: infects from their tarts and cheesecakes. No-Broughton fteps bold and firmly in; bids a welcome to the coming blow; receives it with his guardian arm; then with a general fummons of his fwelling mufcles, and his firm body feconding his arm, and fupplying it with all its weight, pours the pile-driving force upon his man.

That I may not be thought particular in dwelling too long upon Broughton, I leave him with this affertion, that as he, I beLeve, will scarce truft a battle to a warning age, I never fhall think he is to be beaten, till I fee him beat.

About the time I firit obferved this promifing hero upon the ftare, his chief competitors were Pipes and Gretting. He beat then both (and I thought with eafe) as often as he fought them.

Pipes was the neatest boxer I remember. He put in his blows about the face (which he fought at moft) with furpr.fing time and judgment. He maintained his battles for many years by his extraordinary kill, against men of far fuperior ftrength. Pipes was but weakly made; his appearance bespoke activity, but his hand, arm, and body were but fmall; though by that acquired spring of bis arm he hit prodigious blows; and I really think that at laft, when he was beat out of his championship, it was more owing to his debauchery than the merit of those who beat him.

Gretting was a strong antagonist to Pipes. They contended hard together for fome time, and were almoft alternate victors. Gretting had the nearest way of geing to the ftomach (which is what they call the mark) of any man I knew. He was a molt artful boxer, Atronger made than Pipes, and dealt the traiteit blows. But what made Pipes a march for him, was his rare bottom spirit, which would bear a deal of beating; but this,

in my mind, Gretting was rot fufficiently furnished with; for after he was beat twice together by Pipes, Hammersmith Jack, a meer floven of a Boxer, and every body that fought him afterwards, beat him. I must, notw.thilanding, do that juflice to Gretting's memory, as to own that his debauchery very much contributed to fpail a great Boxer; but yet I think he had not the bottom of the other.

Much about this time, there was one Whitaker, who fought the Venetian Gondolier. He was a very frong fellow, but a clumfy Boxer. He had two qualifications very much contributing to help him out. He' was very extraordinary for his throwing, and contriving to pitch his weighty body on the fallen man. The other was, that he was a hardy fellow, and would bear a deal of beating. This was the man pitched upon to fight the Venetian. I was at Slaughter's Coffee-house when the match was made, by a gentleman of an advanced flation: he fent for Fig to procure a proper man for him; he told him to take care of his man, becaufe it was for a large fum; and the Venetian was a man of extraordinary strength, and famous for breaking the jaw-bone in boxing. Fig replied, in his rough manner, I do not know, mafter, but he may break one of his own countrymen's jaw-bones with his fift; but I will bring him a man, and he thall not break his jaw-bone with a fledge hammer in his hand.

The battle was fought at Fig's amphi theatre, before a fplendid company, the po liteft houfe of that kind I ever faw. While the Gondolier was ftripping, my heart yearned for my countryman. His arm took up all al fervation; it was furprisingly large, long, and mufcular. He pitched himself forward with his right leg, and his arm full extended, and as Whitaker approached, gave him a blow on the fide of the head, that knocked him quite off the stage, which was remaikable for its height. Whitaker's misfortune in his fall was then the grandeur of the company, on which account they fuffered no common people in, that ufually fit on the ground and line the ftage round. then all clear, ard Whitaker had nothing to stop him but the bottom. There was a ge

It was

neral foreign huzza on the fide of the Venetian, pronouncing our countryman's downfal; but Whitaker took no more time than was required to get up again, when finding his fault in ftanding out to the length of the

:

oth.r's

other's arm, he, with a little ftoop, ran boldly in beyond the heavy mallet, and with one English peg in the stomach (quite a new thing to foreigners) brought him on his breech. The blow carried too much of the Enguth rudeness for him to bear, and finding himself fo unmanner'y ufed, he fcorned to have any more doings with his flovenly fift

So fine a house was too engaging to Fig not to court another. He therefore stepped up and told the gentlemen that they might think he had picked out the best Man in London on this occafion; but to convince them to the contrary, he said, that if they would come that day fe'nnight, he would bring a man who fhould beat this Whitaker in ten minutes, by fair hitting. This brought very near as great and fine a company as the week before. The man was Nathaniel Peartree, who knowing the others bottom, and his deadly way of fl.nging, toɔk a most judicious method to beat him fet his character come in here He was a moit admirable Boxer, and I do not know one he was not a match for, before he loft his finger. He was famous, like Pipes, for fighting at the face, but ftronger in his blows. He knew Whitaker's hard.ness, and doubting of his being able to give him beating enough, cunningly determined to fight at his eyes. His judgment carried in his arm fo well, that in about fix minutes both Whitaker's eyes were shut up; when groping about a while for his man, and finding him not, he wifely gave out, with these odd words, Damme, I am not beat, but what fignifies my fighting when I cannot fee my man?

We will now come to times a little fresher, and of later date.

George Taylor *, known by the name of George the Barber, fprang up furpr.fingly. He has beat all the chief Boxers but Broughton. He, I think, injudiciously fought him one of the firit, and was obliged very feon to give out. Doubt is it was a wrong ftep in him to commence a Boxer, by fighting the

ftanding Champion: for George was not then twenty, and Broughton was in the zenith of his age and art. Since that he has greatly diftinguished himself with others, but has never engaged Broughton more. He is a ftrong able Boxer, who with a skill extraordinary, aided by his knowledge of the small and back-fword, and a remarkable judgement in the cross-buttock fall, may contest with any. But, please or difplease, I am refolved to be ingenuous in my characters. Therefore I am of opinion, that he is not overstocked with that neceffary ingredient of a Foxer, called a bottom; and am apt to fufpect, that blows of equal ftrength with his, too much affect him, and difconcert his conduct.

Before I leave him, let me do him this juftice to fay, that if he were unquestionable in his Lottom, he would be a match for any

man.

It will not be improper, after George the Barber, to introduce one Eofwell, a man who wants nothing but courage to quai.fy him for a compleat Boxer. He has a particular blow with his left hand at the jaw, which cones almost as hard as a little horfe kicks. Proife be to his power of fighting, his excellent choice of TIME and MEASURE, his fur perior judgement, dispatching forth his executing arm! but fye upon his daftard heart, that marrs it all! As I knew that fellow's abilities, and his worm-dread foul, I never faw h.m heat, but I wished him to be beaten. Though I am charined with the idea of his power and manner of fighting, I am fick at the thoughts of his nurfe-wanting courage. Farewel to him, with this fair acknowledgement, that if he had a true ENGLISH bottom (the best fitting epithet for a man of spirit) he would carry all before him, and be a match for even Broughton himself.

I will name two men together, whom I take to be the best bottom men of the modern Foxers; and they are Smallwood, and George Stephenfen the coachian. I saw the

latter

latter fight Broughton for forty minutes. Broughton I knew to be ill at that time; befides, it was a hafty-made match, and he had not that regard for his preparation as he afterwards found he should have had. But here his true bottom was proved, and his conduct shone. They fought in one of the fair-booths at Tottenham Court, railed at the end towards the pit. After about thirty-five minutes, being both against the rails, and fcrambling for a fall, Broughton got fuch a lock upon him, as no mathematician could have devised a better. There he held him by this artificial lock, depriving him of all power of rifing or falling, till refting his head for about three or four minutes on his back, he found himself recovering; then loofed the hold, and on setting to again, he hit the coachman as hard a blow as any he had given him in the whole battle, that he could no longer stand; and his brave contending heart, though with reluctance, was forced to yield. The coachman is a moft beautiful hitter; he puts in his blows fafter than Broughton, but then one of the latter's told for three of the former's. Pity-fo much spirit should not inhabit a ftronger body!

Smallwood is thorough game, with judgement equal to any, and fuperior to molt. I know nothing Smallwood wants but weight, to stand against any man; and I never knew him beat.n fince his fighting Dimmock (which was in his infancy of Boxing, and when he was a perfect stripling in years), but by a force fo fuperior, that to have refifted longer would not have been courage but

madness. If I were to choose a Boxer for my money, and could but purchase him ftrength equal to his refolution, Smallwood should be the man.

James I proclaim a moft charming Boxer. He is delicate in his blows, ard has a wrift as delightful to thofe who fee him fight, as it is fickly to thofe who fight against him. I acknowledge him to have the best spring of the arm of all the modern Boxers; he is a compleat master of the art; and, as I do not know he wants a bottom, I think it a great pity he should be beat for want of ftrength to stand his man.

I have now gone through the characters of the most noted Boxers, and finith d my whole work. As I could not praife all in every 2.ticle, I must offend fon.e; but if I do not go to bed till every body is pleased, my head will ach as bad as Sir Roger's. I declare that I have not had the least thought of offending throughout the whole treatife, and therefore this declaration fhall be my quiet draught.

Let me conclude with a general cal! to the true British Spirit, which, like prest gold, has no alloy. How readily would I encou rage it, through the moit threaten ng dangers, or severest pains, or pledge of life itielf! Let us imitate the glorious example we enjoy, in the faving Offspring of our King, and blessed Guardian of our Country. Him let us follow with our keen fwords, and warm glowing hearts, in defence of our just cauf, and prefervation of Britain's honour.

SİR,

INNUMERABLE tranflations from the

Perfian have been given to the world, fome of them affuming the title of paraphrafes, from their being deftitute of the remoteft analogy in fenfe or fimilarity of expreffion with the original. But I have seen none which could convey to an English reader any idea of the common figurative style of their authors, which prevails in far the greatest part of their compositions, and from which our tranflators fhrink, terrified at the appearance of mutilated periods, redundant circumlocutions, and crouds of metaphors heaped together without art or connection. You will perceive by this time, Mr. Editor, that the above is meant to ferve as an apology for all those faults in what I now fubmit to your inspection, and which you will lay be. fore the public, if you think it deferves it.

The following, which has only the merit of being a literal tranflation, is prefented to the public, as a specimen of the kind of compofition, termed by the Perfians COLOURED EXPRESSION, which name it has acquired from the multitude of epithets, of metaphors, and other oriental embellishments with which it is ir terspersed. Thef: are fo foreign to the genius of the English language, that every tranflation in which they are preferved, must inev.tably have an appearance of extreme gaucheté. But that I may, in fome measure, compensate the style, I have chofen a description of winter, which cannot fil to have fomething particular, from the pen of a wr.ter who never faw its severities displayed on any other scene than Hindoftans The reader, then, will not expect to fee her advance fullen, and fad, with all her rifing train,