fufed to let him enter: upon that, he got feveral perfons from the next town to his affiftance, beat the attendants, and fo made his way to his mother by force. In memory of which this fight was performed there yearly upon the day dedicated to the honour of Mars. A procedure very becoming thofe devotées, and fitly fuited to fuch an original. And the fame hiftorian was likewife prefent at a festival of Ifis, in the city of Bufiris; at which was a concourse of several thousand men and women: where, after the facrifice was over, they were all whipt; but in what manner, out of meer modelly, he thought not fit to declare. There paft indeed very frequent and fome very ftrange obfcenities in their worship. Amongst other trinkets they were wont to carry páλh and aid in the pomps of Bacchus, and of Ohris, as worthy of divine worship. So that it was not without juft caufe that feveral of the ancients declared the Egyptians adored fore things as Gods that they might well have blushed to name. But as this is a fubject upon which I care not how short I am, fo I shall dismiss it after I have given only one inftance more; which is, that when, after the deceate of Apis, they had found out another ox with the like marks, and brought him with wondrous rejoicings and mighty pomps to Memphis, he was there attended for forty days only by women, who were wont to prefent themselves before him; and, to give the rest in the words of the author, δεικνύασιν ἀνασυράμεναι τὰ ἑαυτῶν γεννήτικα μόρια. Such, fays Dr. Woodward, was the religion of Egypt; and fuch their practice refpecting things facred and divine. But we muft here take leave, for the prefent, of this curious and entertaining article. [To be continued.]

S.

The Speeches of John Wilkes, one of the Knights of the Shire for the County of Middlefex; in the Parliament appointed to meet at Westminster, the 29th of November, 1774, to the Prorogation, the 6th Day of June 1777. With Nates by the Editor. 2 vols. 12mo. No Price nor Publifher's Name.

To this publication is prefixed the following advertisement. "I have collected the Speeches of Mr. Wilkes in the present House of Commons from news papers and oral tradition for two reafons. The frit is, they contain, in my opinion, many bold truths, efpecially repecting America, which are of importance, and in this convenient form they will be found more useful. The other reafon is, if that gentleman fhould ever fwerve from the great line of public duty, and declared attachment to the people, which he has often pledged himselfTM to pursue through life, the inoit general infamy may overtake him, and punish his apoftacy.

"The Protefts of the Lords on the fame fubject with fome of the Speeches, I thought would be acceptable to the political reader.

"Some Notes are added, chiefly by way of illuftration, for which I am answerable. THE EDITOR."

London, July 9, 1777.

It is a pity that the editor, who here undertakes to be anfwerable for the notes, fhould remain anonymous; as, to fay the truth, he has a fufficient deal to answer for, fhould he be called upon. It may be fafer, however, for him, on fuch an occafion, not to be forthcoming. Thefe notes, indeed, breathe fo much of the fpirit of the fpeech-maker himfelf, that, were not his intrepidity too well known to permit us to fuppofe he would conceal his name, we fhould be apt to fufpect they were the production of one and the fame political genius. Our readers, who are doubtless pretty well acquainted with the text, which they must have before perufed in the public papers, will be entertained by an extract or two of the comment. On the motion, made on the 30th of April 1776, to expunge from the journals the refolution of the 17th of February 1769, respecting Mr. Wilkes's expulfion, mention is made of the inftance of expunging from the journals the refolution of thanks, given Dr. Nowell, for his famous fermon on the 3ft of January: an inftance, fays the fpeaker, of what never ought to have been moved in the houfe, its thanks to a "ftupid tory parfon, of the rank Oxford breed, for a libel on the revo ution, and the prefent establishment, in a fermon preached on the anniversary of the merited death of the tyrant, Charles I."-On this paffage is made the following comment on the more recent and famous fermon of the prefent Archbishop of York.

"The tory fame of the wretched Doctor Nowell has lately fuffered a total eclipfe by a pedantic fchoolmaster of Westminster, promoted to the Archbishoprick of York in Dec. 1776, a Doctor William Markbam. He preached a fermon, all-powerful to foothe the foul in flumbers, at Bow Church in the City, Feb. 21, 1777, before the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel in foreign parts. In what a meek fpirit of chriffianity, of gentlenefs, patience, and forbearance, does this Minister of the gofpel of peace state the nature, and bewail the wickedness, of the deluded parties among us? By what tender bonds of love and charity does this High Priest endeavour to bring over the noblemen and gentlemen in the oppofition to the court paths of honour, peace, and perhaps preferment ? His Grace obferves," nothing is too

mean for the ule of parties, as they are Now conftituted. Parties once "had a principle belonging to them, abfurd perhaps, and indefen"fible, but ftill carrying a notion of duty, by which honeft minds

might eafily be caught. But they are Now combinations of individuals, "who instead of being the fons and fervants of the community, make "a league for advancing their private interefts. It is their bufinefs to "hold high the notion of political honour. I believe and truft it is

not injurious to fay, that fuch a bond is no better than that, by which thẹ "loweft and wickedeft combinations are held together; and that it denotes "the laft ftage of political depravity."

And is really the union in a great national caufe of foch men as have compofed the prefent oppofition, and fet their names to the fpirited

Protefta

Protests of the very laft feffion, the Portlands, Richmonds, Devon. hires, Manchefters, Rockinghams, Abingdons, Chathams, Shelburnes, Effinghams, Fitzwilliams, Torringtons, &c. &c. and of the Saviles, Cavendishes, Townfhends, Johnstons, Glynns, Wrays, Burkes, Barrés, &c. &c. is fuch a combination of individuals in the two Houfes of Parliament to be confidered as a bond no better than that, by which the loweft and wickedeft combinations are held together? Are they really no better than the loweft and wickedeft combinations of pirates and banditti? Are they really no better than gangs of robbers and highwaymen ?

Ne fævi, magna facerdos.

Virgil. Æn. 6. 1. 544.

"Surely instead of this coarfe compliment we might expect a little favour from his Grace, when he affures us," the apostles themselves, "with all their advantages, were not eafily freed from the entanglement "of popular error." If the infpired Apoftles did indeed err, we uninspired private chriftians might expect fome indulgence, not inquifitorial feverity on account of our popular errors, not to be confidered as in a defperate cafe, in the laft ftage of political depravity. I believe and truft it is injurious to fay this.

"This political fermon tells us, "what is affumed upon the prefent oc"cafion is the glorious nature of LIBERTY. It realizes and fecures all the reft; and by thofe, who are in the enjoyment of it, ought to be maintained at all hazards." Have not the Americans on this juft ground taken up arms?" But it remains to be fettled." Was it not fettled by the Revolution?" Wherein does it confift? St. Paul in the Epistle to the Romans, has anfwered this question of the Archbishop of York. He makes liberty, glorious liberty, confift in being delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." chap. 8. ver. 21, The Archbishop goes on, "I have fometimes thought it a misfortune, that a thing so valuable and important, should have no word in our language to express it, except one which goes to every thing that is "wild and lawless." Does the fignification of the word liberty really go to every thing that is wild and lawless? Has this learned Prelate, who is fo deep in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, the Coptic, Perfian, Chaldaic, Arabic, Syriac, Phoenician, Palmyrene, Chinele, Gentoo, &c. &c. who is himself a perfect Polyglott, has he never heard of the English words licentiousness and licence to exprefs every thing that is wild and lawLefs, as diftinguished from liberty. Penfioner Johnfon's Dictionary would have told him that licentiousness is "boundless liberty, a contempt "of legal and neceffary reftraint." Milton underflood the difference between liberty and licence, as well as Swift did between liberty and licentiousness, although the Archbishop of York feems to understand neither. The English Homer fays, "Licence they mean, when they cry liberty." The English language is not reproached with poverty, but by those who are ignorant of it.

What a melancholy confideration is it for the rifing generation, that an illiberal Priest, one of

The low-born, cell-bred, felfish, fervile band,

although now promoted to be a general officer in the fable army of the x. VOL. VI.

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minifterial mercenaries of the Church Militant in the Houfe of Lords, that fuch a man fhould have been Preceptor to the children of England, to the Prince of Wales, and Bishop of Ofnabrugh? Was a mere bookworm, who does not yet know the meaning of the most important word in the language of this free country, who is equally ignorant of the thing, and is found ftumbling at the very threshold of liberty, was fuch a perfon fit for fuch a charge? The child that is unborn may rue the fatal mistake. Is the next age likewise to deplore the mischievous errors of their prince?

I was really forced to remind his Grace of the Apoftle Paul. May I foftly whisper in his ear a few words of St. Peter, because they are a good recipe to cure magifterial pride and petulance? As free and not ufing your LIBERTY for a cloke of MALICIOUSNESS-honour all men, love the brotherhood.

The First Epiftle General of Peter, ch. ii. v. 16, 17. In a note, on the fpeech on the late American high-treafon bill, Mr. Burke is feverely handled for neglecting his duty in parliament on that occafion, and for reproaching thofe who did.

"When Mr. Dunning moved the claufe of limitation, he faid that he meant to take the fting out of the bill as to all the people of Great Britain, whom he justly reprefented as exceedingly alarmed at the fufpicion of the common law and babeas corpus, at the temporary lofs of those bulwarks of the conftitution, which Mr. Burke admits to be the fole fe curities either for liberty or juftice. The city of London had petitioned the House of Commons on the 14th of February, and declared, that if the bill should pass into a law, it would create the greateft uneasiness in the minds of many of his Majefty's good subjects, and tend to excite the moft alarming difturbances, &c. &c. therefore earneftly befeeching the Houfe, that the faid Bill may not pass into a Law; or at least to take fuch care as in their wisdom may feem meet, to prevent it from being extended, in its opera tion or conftruction, to any of His Majefty's fubjects refident in the kingdoms. The great with and effort of thote gentlemen in oppofition, who at tended their duty in Parliament, was to have thrown out the Bill, and thereby freed every fubject of the empire from the terrors of the arbi*trary power proposed to be vefted in the prefent administration. When that was found impracticable after repeated trials in every ftage of the bill, they exerted themfelves, and happily fucceeded in delivering moft of the inhabitants of Great Britain. His Majesty's fubjects refident in thefe kingdoms, from the fangs of a cruel miniftry. To them the nation is indebted for the prefent peace and fecurity of its capital, of this great feat of empire, of this whole ifland. Are they now, instead of being thanked, to be harfhly told by thofe, who did not attend their duty in Parliament, that they have done mifchief, that, fo far from taking out the fling, they have sharpened and envenomed it to a greater degree, that they ought to have fuffered fo wicked an act to have been univerfal, and to have extended to Great Britain as well as America? Are they now to be reproached by thofe, who would not join on the minister's attack, that the act is far worfe in its confequence, when by their generous ftruggles, and glorious victory, it can have no con Jequence whatever to the most important of the empire? Were they to have facrificed the fole fecurities either for liberty or juftice for themselves,

for

for the whole ifland, to a fpeculation, that partial freedom was a most invidious mode of flavery? Mr. Burke judges better for his friends, the two Sheriffs of Bristol. He tells them in this letter, "I never ventured to put your folid interefts upon fpeculative grounds." p. 48. I have not heard of any answer to this letter from either of the Sheriffs of Bristol, "that boneft, well-ordered, virtuous city, a people who preferve more "of the original English, fimplicity, and purity of manners than per"haps any other." p. 69. As to the Bristol Sheriffs ideas of their folid interefts, I take it for granted that they exactly coincide with those of the Sheriffs of London, the Aldermen Plumbe and Thomas. They well know their own folid interefts, and certainly proceed upon fpeculative grounds effentially different, both in nature and extent, from thofe of Mr. Burke. Their fpeculations do not extend beyond Exchange-Alley. Mr. Burke's angel genius takes in

The hemifphere of earth in cleareft ken,

MILTON.

"I will answer for most City Sheriffs, whether of London or Briftol, at least for the present London Sheriffs, that they attend to their own folid interefts; and "have never troubled their understandings with fpe"culations concerning the unity of empire, and the identity or diftinc"tion of legiflative powers." p. 54. Their fpeculations however are neither partial, nor narrow. They fpeculate on every thing, on the Omnium with wonderful intelligence and fagacity. If they do not beautifully moralize on this frail and feverish being, they calculate with amazing exactnefs the great uncertainty of human life, and the moft minute degrees of the probability of its continuance in every object of their fpeculations. Nor are their speculations confined to any faction, or influenced by the blind zeal of party. Whigs and Tories, courtiers and patriots, are indifferent to them, as to life annuities, and reverfionary payments. They even wish to unite them in a joint security.

"But to return to the argument of the partial fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus. Is a man voluntarily to fubinit to the conflagration of his own dwelling houfe, becaufe fome diftant buildings of his are in danger of being burnt? Is a phyfician to give up every idea of preserving the head or the heart, from a belief that fuch extremities as the hands or the feet are in an alarming state? Is he not to endeavour to cure, because he cannot fave all his patients? If we cannot beltow the godlike gift of univerfal, we ought furely to give partial, freedom. When the minority found it impoffible to redeem from flavery the whole empire, they faved the most valuable part. They nobly struggled, and fucceeded for us on this fide the Atlantic. I will truft the fons of America to their own virtue and powess, by which I have no doubt of their being finally faved.

"What mode of flavery, however, partial freedom can seem to any man, I freely own I do not guess. How partial freedom to fome can be the moft invidious mode of flavery to others, is beyond my comprehenfion. Yet I can conceive partial freedom in fome may make the lofs of liberty more regretted, more fharply felt, by others. Among all the different fpecies of flavery, under which the infulted race of man has fuffered, partial freedom has not hitherto been claffed, nor did they ever before

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