Ne quid falfi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. EDINBURG H: Printed by JAMES COCHRAN and COMPANY. HEN preceeding volume was published, we took notice of the great ad Wvantages expected from the change then lately made in the administration; our wibes kept pace with the most fanguine hopes our country could entertain; and we fignified how much we thought the prefent miniftry obliged in honour to juflify their former profefions, by feadily pursuing the interefts of their country. But as we were fenible, that when men get into the poffim of power, they enter upon a peculiar kind of trial, bow far they can be fafely trusted by others, or even by themselves; and that triamphs should be decreed only for those who, upon repeated experiments, are found to have gained the mastery of their own selfish paffions, and to be influenced in the exercife of their power by fuch a genuine spirit of patriotifm as is proof against all temptations; fo we would not then pass a pofitive judgment upon those to whom the management of our natianal affairs was committed: and we ftill leave it to the publick freely to judge of them from their past and future condut. We ball always ftude to avoid prejudice in fawar of, and against all men and parties, and shall maintain a disposition impartially to reprint whatever may be offered either to condemn or acquit them. If we confider the prefent ftate of affairs, whether abroad or at home, we may reafenably prefume that the enfuing year will afford great ftore of materials for our collection. We have a war with Spain ftill upon our hands; we are, at a vast expence, renewing sar preparations to alt yet more vigorously as allies to the Queen of Hungary; a direct and open war with France appears to be upon the point of breaking out; the councils and measures of Europe in general are moft perplexed and fluctuating in fuch a conjuncture, the employment of our ableft British heads and bands will be necessary; and the events that fillow must be very interefting to every confiderate British heart. The misunderstandings which happened last campaign in the allied army, the motions dready made in parliament for removing the occafions of these misunderstandings, with may yet fall under the confideration of both houses upon that and other important shes, will naturally produce fuch speeches in the POLITICAL CLUB as must well merit to be read with attention both by the prefent and after ages. Befides, it is not to be fapped that the political writers will be idle in fuch a bufy year; nor shall we negle their performances, when they deferve particular regard. But notwithstanding jo large a fund for history and politicks, care shall be taken to intermix fo many effays of wit and hamour, and other mifcellaneous pieces, as may increafe the variety, and furnish fomethem agreeable to every taste. We hope our readers will continue to fhew, not only candour, but indulgence, to all the tays of our correfpondents that discover fuch feeds of true genius, as, if kindly cherishmay grow up and ripen into the richest fruits. Tho' writers of extraordinary genius mat fan force themselves into general efteem, when they have once acquired the courage to appear in publick; yet it is no lefs certain, that the best qualified are often moft shy of submitting their compofitions to the cenfure of the world, because their own innate juftness of thought renders them the quickest to difcern their imperfections. As the moft folid parts will almay wear longest, and turn to best account, when duly improven; so an early fenfe of the pu black approbation would prove one of the fofteft oils to make them bear all the hard applicatias that are neceffary to polish them into the most beautiful and useful form. Mean time we muft beg of those who favour us with their correspondence, not to be offend tif all the effays they tranfmit be not published. Some persons may be too young attained that accuracy of thought and file which is requifite in a piece that is to go abroad into the world, and yet may do very well, if they will imitate good patterns, and wait till beir proper feafon; fome may not have had opportunities of Jeeing what has been formerly crate to fuch good purpose on the fubjects they treat of, as would prevent their attempting anything further upon them till they had ftudied fome real improvements; others may be fo harried with bufinefs, that they have not time often to review, what they would perhaps be to have able able to render abundantly correct; and we may add, that the difficulty of writing Sterling English, a language not yet familiar to most of our countrymen, must embarrass not a few. On this fubject we have had feveral letters, of different import. Some complain that ef fays efteemed tolerable by pretty good judges have been denied a place. Others advise the moft fcrupulous exactness in examining what we admit. One in particular has fent us a few fentences taken from Mr POPE's preface to his own works, with a recommendation of them to be confidered by our correspondents in compofing, and by us in judging. We shall conclude this addrefs to our readers by laying before them what has been fuggefted as an ufeful memorandum from fuch an ingenious author. 66 "What we call a genius, is hard to be distinguished, by a man himself, from a "ftrong inclination; and if it be never fo great, he cannot at first discover it any "other way than by that prevalent propenfity which renders him the more liable to "be mistaken. An author's particular friends may be either ignorant or infin cere, and the rest of the world too well-bred to fhock him with a truth which ge--nerally his bookfeller is the first that informs him of. -I corrected because it was as pleasant to me to correct as to write. I ferved myself all I could by reading; I made ufe of the judgment of authors dead and living; I omitted no means in my power to be informed of my errors, both by my friends and enemies " and I expect not to be excufed in any negligence on account of youth, want of leifure, or any other idle allegations. I have as great a refpect for the publick, as most authors have for themselves; and I have sacrificed much of my own self"love for its fake, in preventing not only many mean things from feeing the light "but many which I thought tolerable. I would not be like thofe authors, who for give themselves fome particular lines for the fake of a whole poem, and vice versa a whole poem for the fake of fome particular lines. I believe no one qualificatior "is fo likely to make a good writer, as the power of rejecting his own thoughts; and "it must be this (if any thing) that can give me a chance to be one." EDINBURGH, Dec. 31. 1743. CHARACTERS affumed by the Members of the POLITICAL -CLUB, whofe SPEECHES are contained in this VOLUME. L. Æmilius Paullus, late Duke of Argyll. Albius Tibullus, Edward Walpole, Efq; C. Cicerejus, Earl of Cholmondeley. C. Lælius, Lord Visc. Lonsdale. Cn. Manlius Vulfo, Sir Wat. W. Wynne. C. Plinius Cæcilius, Lord Chancellor. M. Valerius Corvus, Sir John Barnard. The SCOTS Magazines A Summary of the fate of PUBLICK AF- VOL, V. RUSSIA has been augmented, fince the revolution which placed the reigning Emprefs on the throne, by the entire conqueft of the large country of Finland, under the conduct of the brave Gen. Lacy. This would probably have widened the breach with Sweden, had not the contending crowns agreed in courting the acceptance of one fucceffor; who, tho' he cannot fucceed to both, will probably be mainly inftrumental in compofing their differences. By the Duke of Holftein's embracing the Greek religion, his election in Sweden is made void; but should the Czarina confent to veft him, in the mean time, with the separate fovereignty of Finland, as is furmifed, that province would become a ftrong barrier to the dominions of either crown, and the Duke would have the most engaging and natural ties to preserve the tranquillity of both. M. Nolcken's journey to Mofcow might have been more fuccefful, for bringing about a peace, had not his inftructions hindered him to act but under the mediation of France. This being intimated, immediately obftructed the negotiation on foot, and he was informed fuch a mediation was not neceffary; M. de la Chetardie being told at the fame time, that only the good offices of his court were requifite, and alone defired. Since which, the French influence there is greatly declined; and the indefatigable endeavours of the British and Hungarian minifters have been very successful; as appears by the treaty brought about by the former, and the good difpofitions, procured in a great measure by the latter's reprefentations, which her Imperial Majefty has dif covered for the Queen his mistrefs. Altho' the prevailing power of foreigners at the court of the late Princess Regent, and their affuming behaviour there, contributed not a little to irritate the native Nobles against her administration, and raise the right heir to the Imperial feat, the Emprefs continues to pay them all the re A gard |