correfpondence with his friends on the most common occafions. We know but of very few inftances in which a perfon's familiar letters have been voluntarily fubmitted to the public in the life-time of the author; as thefe, if ever they be fent to the prefs, are generally placed among his pofthumous productions. By deviating from this practice, however, in being himself the editor of his own works, Mr. Victor precludes the injury which his name might fuffer from the ill-judged officioufnefs of any friend; at the fame time that he may reap whatever fame or emolument can be fuppofed to accompany the publication. This confideration, therefore, perhaps may justify the defign; though we cannot eafily reconcile the execution of it with either the author's modesty or disregard for frivolous productions; whether he has requested from his correfpondents a copy of the letters he had written, or he has originally preferved tranfcripts of thofe extemporaneous compofitions. The first volume of the work is entirely occupied by the author's Letters, which amount to a hundred and twenty-five. As a fpecimen of Mr. Victor's epiftolary ftyle, we prefent our readers with the following very curious letter. To Sir William Wolfeley, Baronet, at Wolfeley-Hall. Dear Sir, The poftfcript to my laft, brought you the catastrophe of the late earl of S -; and the furmifes that could occafion this ftrange accident, I promised you should follow. And by the help of my old friends, and able newfmongers, Cibber the laureat, and captain Bodens, I have got beyond all furmises, even to the matter of fact. • This very furprizing, unhappy man (for fo I must call one, who was, feemingly, in the zenith of happiness) had long had an intimacy with the lady of the late duke of M--, whom he was to have been married that very night he shot himself? to It is remarked by feveral he visited and converfed with that day, that he never appeared with a more chearful and fatisfied countenance; this circumftance was the more remarkable in him, who usually wore a quite contrary face. He went home that fatal evening, about eight o'clock, retired into his drawing room, and ordered his fervant not to come near him, 'till he called him-He feated himself in an easy chair, before a large looking-glass; between him, and the glafs, ftood a little table with candles placed on books, to raise them to the defired height he then put the muzzle of a small piftol into his mouth, clofed his lips, and discharging it, fent the ball through the roof of his mouth into the brain, where it lodged; this method fo fo much deadened the report of the piftol (which, no doubt, had but a moderate charge) that the attending fervant imagined it to be the falling of a great book! however, it raised his curiofity to liften at the door, and thinking he heard his lord groan, he opened it-and found him in the agonies of death; by the fmall effufion of blood, from the mouth downwards, he, at first, thought his throat was cut-but when more fervants came-the pistol foon explained the affair. The first perfon they fent for, was lord Chesterfield, who lived near, and came immediately and as hastily got home again to bed, fick with the fight. Notwithstanding the care of the family to conceal it, under the common name of apoplexy, it alarmed the coroner, who has a right to enter all places. The fervants had removed the body into another room, and after cleaning it, no figns of a violent death were vifible-but the coroner taking a furgeon with him, the truth was foon discovered. You will easily fuppofe this news muft throw the difappointed duchefs, into the greateft diftraction! who was, at that time, waiting for his lordship, with Dr. Clarke, at lady Hawey's lodgings, in the palace. The generality of people, who are not only fubject to a fallacious way of thinking, but to the greatest degree of malice and ill-nature, call this choice which the earl has made, a réflection upon the lady; but the wifer and better part are of a contrary opinion; they think a man of that gloomy difpofition, would probably have deftroyed himself, and (as the lady did not live happily with her late husband) that it would have been a greater reflection on her, for him to have killed himself after, than before marriage, For my own part, fir William, fince I find thefe fuicides can determine their fate with fo much compofure, I believe I fhould have taken one night's lodging with the lady, and then have confidered further on it.' In the fecond volume we meet with a tragedy, entitled Altamira, written above fifty years ago, and which was the author's first attempt in the drama, This tragedy, on account of an opinion that the fable was defective, has never been brought upon the ftage. It is fucceeded by another tragedy, named the Fatal Error; and a comedy called the Fortunate Peafant, or Nature will Prevail; with The Sacrifice, or Cupid's Vagaries, a musical mask; all which have met, we believe, with a fimilar fate. The third volume contains the author's Poems, a great part of which confifts of Odes for the King's Birth-day. We infert the following lines, for the fake of the anecdote that is fubjoined. On returning the Manufcript Poem, called Winter, to the • Winter, indeed, in all its horrors drefs'd, From thefe volumes, Mr. Victor will be admitted to be a man of vivacity, however unfuccefsful he has proved in the exertion of a dramatic genius, which appears to be the department he was chiefly ambitious to cultivate. A Sermon preached at the Opening of a Chapel in Margaret-street, Cavendish-fquare; and the Introduction of a Liturgy on the univerfal Principles of Religion and Morality. On Sunday, April 7, 1776. By D. Williams., 80. 6d. Payne. A Liturgy on the universal Principles of Religion and Morality. 8vo. 21. Jewed. Payne. IN N this age and nation no man can reasonably complain, that he is deprived of his religious liberty. A fpirit of univerfal toleration prevails, and every man is permitted to wor This excellent poem was written in the year 1724, fome few months after the author's arrival in London, from Edinburgh; he had no friend here but Mr. Malloch, his school-fellow, who then lived in the house of the duke of Montrofs, in Hanover-fquare, as tutor to the duke's two fons. I remember Mr. Malloch (who foon after changed his name to Mallet) and I walked one November day to all the booksellers in the Strand, and Fleet-ftreet, to fell the copy of this poem, and, at last, could only fix with Mr. Millar, who then lived in a little fhop in Fleet-ftreet; and the chief motive with him was, that the author was his countryman; for, after feveral arguments, we could get but three pounds! This poem was dedicated to fir Spencer Compton, then fpeaker of the house of commons, who took no notice of the author for more than a month. Our agreeable friend Mr. Hill, who had read and admired the poem in manufcript, and was fo provoked at this fhameful neglect, that he wrote about twenty fatirical lines, which were printed, wherein he told the author he was mistaken if he expected minifters of ftate to do honour to his poem, as being much above their comprehenfion. Soon after fir Spencer Compton, fent for the author, and, with fome apology, gave him a bank-bill of twenty pounds. This poem fold fo well, that Millar gave Mr. Thomson fifty pounds for the fecond, the Spring; and the copy-money was encreased for the Summer and Autumn; and when printed together, fo many editions were fold in a few years, that this grateful bookfeller erected that monument to the author's memory now by Shakespeare's, in Westminster-Abbey-but his own works are his best monument." ship fhip his Creator in his own way. Of this we have at present two remarkable inftances. The refpectable Mr. Lindsey has published a liturgy, in which he has excluded the author of Chriftianity from all religious adoration. The fpeculative Mr. Williams has now introduced another, in which he rejects every thing which bears an affinity to the Chriftian fyftem; admitting only the principles of natural religion, or Deifm. It is, he fays, a fpecimen of that kind of public service, which is exceedingly wanting. Not one in five, perhaps not one in ten in this vaft city, goes with any decent regularity to a place of public worship. The people in general have no rea fon to give, but the examples of thofe, who are wifer and better than themselves. The perfons, who give the example, alledge objections against the established forms, as being full of myfteries and creeds; and against the diffenting method of worhip, as a faint and infipid resemblance to the enthufiafm of thofe times, when the diffenters imagined their effufions were uttered by the Holy Ghost. Attempts have been made to re form eftablished customs; but they have proved fruitless. The only thing left is to endeavour to affift them, by providing for thofe circumftances to which they are not fuited. Many thoufands might be benefited, prevented from falling into vices, and affifted in forming habits of virtue, by fuch a public fervice as we have read; who would not, and perhaps could not, attend to any other. If refpe&able focieties were formed on the pure and fimple principles of morality, the advantages would be very great. Even thofe perfons who adhered to the old eftablifhments would find their account in encouraging such societies, as they might be pointed to as proofs, that men may drop their prejudices about myfteries and creeds, and yet retain fufficient and indifputable reafons for every duty to God and man. would be the object of fuch focieties, not to reform other religious fects, but to affift them in preventing the public ruin. Religious affemblies and churches do not want reformation, if their people are fincere. It is that vaft multitude, who attend no church, and have no religion, which ought to be reformed. "With these views, and only thefe, the prefent form of worship is offered to the public. We hope to avoid contention with religious parties; we want not to reform them; we want not to interfere with them: we wish to affift them in what fhould be their principal defign, improving the minds and manners of the people. They are in poffeffion of their flocks; we would pursue none, but thofe who are out of all inclofures. It We have no defire, however, to feparate ourselves from good men of all denominations; of all religions; and of all nations. We have endeavoured to compofe our form of devotion, fo as to admit every honeft man in the world to join us; and we could with all good men had fo much liberality as to confider this method of joining in a general fervice, as a pro proper preparation for that heavenly world: where they must fuppofe, that all diftinctions of parties will ceafe; and that all honeft men, of all Chriftian denominations; all good Deifts, Jews, Turks, and Heathens, Thall unite in one form of worhip, and be animated by one general principle of benevolence. In the prefent ftate of the world, education, cuftom, the laws and ordinances of fociety, form us into parties. We fee, however, that there are general duties and fentiments, which fuit the whole world; and which are the ground of that nobleft of all human affections-univerfal benevolence. If we extend our imaginations to Heaven; or to any world fuperior in excellence to ours; and fuppofe its glorious inhabitants affembled to worship God:-can it be on any of the defective and narrow plans for which we now contend; and not on those general principles in which every creature of God can join We ought at least now and then to engage in fuch fervices as may unite us to all our brethren; and if we should all meet in Heaven, prepare us to receive with affection good men of all opinions, and of all nations; and to join them with pleafure in the worship of our common Creator.' This quotation from the Sermon may be thought a fufficient explanation of our author's defign, and the advantages he expects from his new inftitution. We fhall therefore proceed to the Liturgy; and left we thould be thought to place it in an unfavourable light by fhort quotations, we fhall prefent our readers with the order for the morning prayer, at full length. • Minifter. Hear, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world; for the Lord God, omnipotent reigneth. Let the heavens and the earth praise him; the feas, and every thing that moveth therein. Sing unto the Lord, and give thanks at the remembrance of his goodness. Trust in him at all times, ye people; pour out your hearts before him; for God is our refuge. People The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. COLLECT. Min. Almighty God, before whom all creatures bow, may we celebrate thy glorious perfe&tions, and speak of thy wonderful works with reverence and fincere devotion; fing thy praifes with gladness; and humble ourselves before thee,, with true penitence and refolutions of amendment.. May the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in thy fight, O God, our strength and our preferver. The following hymn, or one of those at the end of the liturgy, to be recited by the minifter and people alternately; all franding. HYMN I. The Lord our God is worthy of univerfal praife. We acknowledge the immenfity of his works; we gladly own our VOL. XLII O. 1776. T fub |
