[ 384 ] METEOROLOGICAL DIARY, BY W. CARY, STRAND, South Sea Stock, Oct. 18, 97.-Old South Sea Stock, Oct. 15, 854; Oct. 27, 83. J. J. ARNULL, Stock Broker, Bank-buildings, Cornhill, late RICHARDSON, GOODLUCK, and Co. 3. B. NICHOLS AND SON, 25, PARLIAMENT-STREET, Mr. URBAN, [ 386 ] MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. I have to acknowledge a great oversight at p. 328 b. where I have said that the Docti et Prudentes seem to have become ashamed of their latinizing on Prepositions. I see from Crito Cantabrigiensis, p. 21, that I have no ground for saying of him, Erubuit, salva res est. I shall be ready to go with Crito over the whole of the lecture that he has received from Emlyn. In the mean time, I am contented with the passage which he himself produces, Apoc. v. 13, Whatever he may decide respecting the MSS. which give the reading that is rejected by Wetsten and Griesbach, I am ready to take for the Montfort, on 1 Johu, v. 7, 8. For I did not contend that it gives every word according to the autograph of the apostle. I merely undertook to let the world see what their dependance is, when they mutilate their Bibles on the authority of our six article Latinizers. The reader will see that I reckon upon Crito's lenity for not applying the explosa fabula de Græcis codicibus latinizantibus, at Rev. v. 13. What may be the reading of the Montfort there I know not; as both Wetsten and Griesbach, who give the MS. on all the other parts, omit it on Revelations. FRANCIS HUYSHE. We are obliged, by this Correspondent's consent, to withdraw from our publication (on account of the pressure of other articles which demand insertion) his copious remarks on the Britannic MS. of Erasmus, on the Ottobonian of Scholze, and on the Complutensian edition; not doubting they will soon meet the public eye through a more suitable medium. A. C. C. says, "An Old Subscriber, who inquires, p. 290, for the situation of the river Tenglio, mentioned in 'Pollok's Course of Time, is referred to a much better known poem Thomson's Seasons,' for the requisite information. Thomson mentions Lapland as the scene Where pure Niemi's fairy summits rise, And fring'd with roses TENGLIO rolls his stream," referring at the same time, in a note, to some French travels, which represent Lapland as a perfect paradise in the course of its short summer. " DILETTANTE, in reply to G. M. says, "that gist is the old shape of the French git, from the verb gesir, to lie. The Ci git of the old French epitaphs was written Ci gist, as we find in old books Prêtre, spelt Prestre; hôtel, hostel; être, estre; dit, dist; &c. The French expression Tout git en cela,' is equal to ours, ‹ That is the gist of the thing: so that gist means the lying or bearing of a thing, or the point upon which it lies or bears. Gravamen, burthen or weight, is nearly synonymous with it." AN OLD CORRESPONDENT remarks, “A Synopsis of the Irish Peerage, on the plan of Nicolas's excellent book, was some time since announced from the pen of Sir W. Betham-has it been abandoned? A new edition of Nicolas's is much wanted, to rectify some few errors and omissions to be expected in a first edition; for instance, the titles of Earl of Tipperary and Baron of Arklow, peerages of the United Kingdom, are erroneously considered as Irish peerages. The same Correspondent asks, “whether titles merged in the Crown, are in the nature of extinct titles or not? As to an English peerage, the question is immaterial; but, as his present Majesty was an Irish Peer as Earl of Munster, a point arises whether that Earldom may be inserted in a new patent of creation, as one of three extinct peerages now required by law to legalize a new promotion to an Irish dignity.-A family of King is stated to have existed at Feathercock Hall in Yorkshire, temp. Q. Eliz. or earlier; query, where can any particulars of that family be found? the late Bishop King was of a Yorkshire family." P. H. enquires, "who was the author of a Poem written iu blank verse, and divided into four books, which he has heard attributed to Bishop Lowth, entitled Choheleth, or the Royal Preacher,' published anonymously, Lond. 1765, 4to. and inscribed to King George III.? Dr. Lowth was born 1710, but not elevated to the Bench till 1766." L. says, "Any particulars relative to the late General Haviland, and his family connections, in addition to those in vol. LIV. p. 719, will be thankfully received. It is presumed that the Christian name of Mrs. Haviland was Salisbury, that she was sister of Mrs. Townley Balfour, and mother of Mrs. Ruxton Fitzherbert, both of Ireland." The communication of ACADEMICUS is inadmissible. P. 268, for Viscount Tullamore, read Lord Tullamore; for Blaney, read Hon. Cadwallader-Davis Blayney. P. 270, for Earl of Talbot, read Earl Talbot; for Lord Clarino, read Clarina. The late Lord Clarina had but one brother, an elder one; he died unmarried, and consequently "Richard Massey, Esq." could not be the late Lord's "nephew." HE two following letters warded to me on the part of her Majesty, in June 1788.+ While I this present as Tnever been translated into English, testimony of esteem, and of a probation of or even republished at home, that I am aware of. They are certainly a li terary curiosity, whether we consider the eminent names which are attached to them, or the circumstances to which they relate. A French_writer* observes, that the rule of an author's mind being depicted in his works, holds eminently good in the present instance, and asks, whether so selfish a character as Volney could possibly be a good friend, husband, or parent? This may be going too far; but, as sceptics are watchfully alive to the foibles of Christians, they must in this instance allow the same uncompromising scrutiny to detect the faults of their apostle, and hold them up to merited scorn. A copy of Volney's Travels in Egypt and Syria, had been presented in 1787 to the Empress of Russia, Catherine II. by the Baron de Grimm, then minister plenipotentiary of the Duke of Saxe Gotha at the Court of France. The Empress sent Volney a gold medal, which at the French Revolution he thought himself bound to return, accompanied by the following letter to Baron de Grimm, through whom it had been received. the political principles I have avowed, I have respected it as a noble instance of what power ought to be: but now, when I share this gold with men of perverted and unnatural character, with what eye can I regard it? How can I endure that my name should remain inscribed on the same list with those of the depredators of France? Doubtless the Empress is deceived; doubtless the sovereign who has set the example of consulting philosophers for the purpose of drawing up a code of laws; who has recog nised equality and liberty as the basis of her laws; who in her administration has always aimed at the annihilation of the nobility and of feudalism; who has enfranchised her own serfs, and who, not being able to break the chains of such as belong to her boyards, has at least loosened them ;-doubtless Catherine II. has not meant to espouse the quarrel of the unjust and absurd champions of the superstitious and tyrannous barbarism of past ages; doubtless, in fine, her misguided religion needs only one ray to be undeceived. But, in the mean time, a great and reprehensible contradiction exists, which just and upright minds cannot consent to be implicated in. Be so good, then, Sir, to return to the Empress a favour I can no longer be honoured with; and to tell her, that if I obtained it from her esteem, I restore it to her to preserve it; and say, that the new laws of my country, whom she persecutes, do not permit me to be ungrateful or un + Note by the author.-"In June, 1787, M. the Baron de Grimm having informed me, at the house of M. d'Holbach, that he proposed to send my Travels (in Egypt and Syria), which were about to appear, to the Empress, I desired him to take a choice and corrected copy; he offered obligingly to present it on my behalf; and this piece of politeness brought me a very fine medal seven months after. My Memoir on the Turkish War' was almost finished, and I said with truth, that I neither added to it, nor suppressed any part of it." 388 Correspondence of Volney and Baron de Grimm. manly, and that after having made so many Ex-Deputy to the National Assembly This decided step on the part of Volney gave rise to two pamphlets, one of them published under the name of Petreskoi, the other under that of Grimm. The first I have not seen, and only know that it is mentioned in a biographical article in the Dictionnaire Historique. The second however has been carefully preserved by his enemies. M. Barbier, the editor of the Correspondence of Grimm and Diderot, reprinted it in 1823, in the Supplement to the work, as well as Volney's own letter. Some attribute the actual authorship of this answer, pub lished under Grimm's name, to Count Rivarol, a writer of some talent, but now principally known as the founder of a good French dictionary, which goes by his name. He was a royalist, wrote in favour of the monarchy, and emigrated into Prussia. Baron Grimm was equally opposed to the Revolution, but seems to have escaped the conviction that the principles he had espoused and maintained were the cause of its worst features. However, it is agreed upon that Volney made no reply; and it is impossible to read it, without owning that it has been justly termed une sanglante reponse. From M. the Baron de Grimm, Agent of the ber 4, 1791. Coblentz, Jan. 1, 1792. I have received your long letter, my dear Volney, and the little gold medal which I had granted you, after many solicitations, and many letters written by you to my friends, who hold themselves bound to produce them, if you wish it. Not for your sake who are well aware of it, but for that of the public, it is necessary to explain to you what these gold medals are, which have been given, in the name of her Imperial Majesty of the Russias, to the pamphleteers of Paris. Her Majesty loves literature, and wishes to encourage it: she knows that little gifts coming from her hand may have the effect of developing talent, by exciting emulation. She accepts with sufficient goodwill all the books that are presented her. It is true that she reads only the good ones, but sometimes she pays for the bad: such de [Nov. tails are beneath her consideration; the total only has engaged her regards for a moment, and she has granted her ministers at foreign courts permission to distribute these encouragements in her name, to the young men whom they consider as deserving them. This her determination is of the 15th of March, 1770. See, my dear Volney, what the public must be given to understand, that it may no longer wonder at the medal with which I honoured you. The wrong I did in giving it you is small, but still the blame belongs to me. You told me that you had so much talent! that you wrote such excellent books! It was my fault to believe you on your word. But, on the other hand, you wished my Sovereign so much success in her war against the Turks, that your wishes were well worth a medal;" so that I cannot even now repent of having To-day, my dear Volney, you send it me conceded it to your pressing solicitations. back; in truth, if I might dispose of it, I should present it to Count de Rivarol, who, if I had listened to him, would have hindered me from thus committing myself on your account. Placed as he was for several years on the observatory of the republic of letters, he sets his microscope to discover and make known the grubs of literature; such a man could not be but useful to my Sovereign, to hinder her agents from disposing so improperly of the little medals. But in your letter of the 4th of December, you give yourself some airs which I will not pass by. You desire that your name may not be found in the list of her Majesty's munificences to feed one's self on such an idea, requires all the vanity of a small author. Be assured, my dear Volney, that when her Majesty, or one of her agents, grants a golden crown-piece, so much importance is not attached to the circumstance at Petersburg, as to record it in the archives; and the proof positive which I can give you of the little importance attached to these gifts, is, that you have one of them! Annual gifts or pensions are registered, but it is her Imperial Majesty herself that gives these; and no one knows better than you do that you have no chance of obtaining such a favour. you, It is not easy to divine the motive which could lead you to take so ridiculous a step toward me, and which you well know can only be thought anything of in the Faubourg St. Marceau. But, as I know I have comprehended you quickly enough. You wish to make yourself talked of, my dear Volney, to renew your ties with the Jacobins, or make yourself paid by the monarchicals who dispose of the civil list. Your breast-plate is too short. If you had been pleased to consult me, I would have advised you against such an oversight, which carries you precisely where you would not be it brings you to awake in the public mind the recollection of your eagerness to |
