the incurfions of the old Britons. I was the fon of Robert Myers, who poffelfed a large eftate in Pembroke, and entered very early into the army, but foon left that department to join a gang of fmugglers; where being very active, I was frequently fent chief of their detachments, and in a fhort time made a confiderable fortune, so as to be able to live independent; yet ftill inclined to ferve my old friends by concealing feveral valuable cargoes of tea and brandy---I foon found myfelf worth fome hundreds in thofe cominodities. I had actually fecreted a very large quantity in a private place, cut in a rock, with a defcent of fteps, leading to the paffage through which I could easily admit myself by a door from an under- ground cellar. There was no perfon in the fecret, but my man fervant, whom till the time of his infidelity I thought incorruptible; the other entrance was from a platform in the orchard, over which I had the precaution to place a large flag-ftone, artificially covered with earth and clay, to be raifed when I thought proper; but what was my furprize one day, when I returned from hunting, to find the earth thrown up, the flag-itone raifed, and my whole cargo in the vault taken away. My fufpicions naturally fell on my own treacherous domeftic, who having my life and fortune in his power, made me the following propofal. Sir, faid he, not the love of lucre fo much as the love of a beautiful and inexorable woman has induced me to this act of perfidy; the parents of the girl on whom I have placed my affections are covetous, and never raised any fcruples to my perfon or fituation, It was in vain to expoftulate. I lieving, lieving, I was recommended on trust me; and he put into my hands a purse stuffed with money, which doing, he leapt into the fea. The noife occafioned by his fall, alarmed the fhip's crew, and though it was dark; they took him up, half dead. When he was brought on the deck I knew him to be my fervant, and directly made myself known to him. We were both furrounded by the officers, curious to enquire after fo odd an incident, when his agony and furprize, together with the quantity of falt-water he had taken in, getting the better of his breath, he had only time to attempt speaking, and expired. I don't think he knew me when he first gave me the purfe, which was of ftrong leather, and contained about four hundred and feventy-four pounds; with which I am now haftening to find out the partner of my breast, and with whom I hope to live comfortably, though not splendidly. One night, it being very dark, and most of the crew being employed in finging fongs or telling ftories, a franger came up to me, and seeing me near the fhip's fide, feemingly engaged, afked me what I did there: from the darkness of the night I could only perceive he was not of the common rank of failors, fo gave him a civil answer. He then entered into a more familiar converfation, and told me, that he had a fum of money about him which he was afraid of lofing, and that as he knew I was an under-officer, he chose to truft me with it, rather than any of the fuperior officers, if I would undertake to keep it for him till we arrived at the Havannah, where he would be fure to repay me for my fidelity. I promifed him, that I would, if he durft The Difference between ancient and modern Eloquence. By J. ROUSSEAU. IN N these modern ages, men have no other influence over each other than what arifes from power or intereft; whereas the ancients effected great things by the powers of perfuafion, because they did not neglect the language of the figns. All conventions were made with great folemnity, in order to render them inviolable: before the eftablishment of the civil powers, the gods were the magiftrates of mankind; it was in their prefence that individuals made their treaties, alliances, and promifes: the face of the earth was the book wherein they preferved their archives: the rocks, trees and ftones confecrated by these acts, and rendered refpectable to uncivilized man, were the leaves of this book, ever open to the public eye. The well dug in ratification of oaths, the oak of Mamre, the mount of the covenant; these were the fimple, but auguft monuments of the facred nature of contracts: no facrilegious hand was lifted against these monuments; and the good faith of mankind was better fecured by the force of thefe mute witneffes, than they now are by all the vain rigour of the laws. In their governments, the pomp of royal power ftruck awe into the B 2 fubject. fubject. The external marks of dignity, the throne, the fceptre, the purple robe, the crown, the diadem, were looked upon as things facred; the perfon adorned with them was held in reverence, and though without foldiers to enforce his commands, he had only to fpeak, in order to be immediately obeyed. Whereas at prefent, when monarchs affect to throw off thefe marks of dignity, what is the confequence of it but contempt? The majesty of kings has no influence on the minds of their people; they are obeyed only because of their troops, and the regard of their fubjects arifes only from the fear of punishment. Kings no longer take the trouble to wear the diadem, nor their nobles their respective marks of diftinction; but they must have numerous hands in readiness to fee their orders executed. However flattering this may feem, it is eafy to fee that in the end this change is by no means to their intereft. What the ancients effected by the power of eloquence is really amazing; but this eloquence did not confist only in ftudied harangues; the orator being never fo powerfully perfuafive, as when he fpoke the leaft. The most pathetic language is not that of words but of figns; it does not speak of things, but exhibits them. The object which was prefent to the fight, ftrongly affects the imagina tion, excites the curiofity, keeps the mind in fufpenfe concerning what is going to be faid, and very often fpeaks fufficiently of itfelf alone. Did not Thrafibulus and Tarquin in cutting off the heads of poppies, Alexander in clapping his feal on the lips of his favourite, and Dicgenes in walking before Zeno, speak more expreffively than if they had made each a tedious harangue ? What circumlocution had been neceffary to convey all the meaning of thofe fimple actions! Darius, entering Scythia with his army, received, from the king of that country, a bird, a frog, a moufe and five arrows. The ambaffador, who brought them, delivered his prefent, and returned without fpeaking. In our times fuch a metlenger would pafs for a fool; this terrible harangue however was in those days well understood, and Darius made the beft of his way into his own country. Had a letter or verbal melage been fent inftead of these emblems; the more menacing the terms the lefs terrible would it have appeared; it would have been looked upon as a bluftering rhodomontade, which Darius would only have laughed at. How attentive were the Romans to the language of figns! They wore garments peculiar to their different ranks and ages; they had their toge, and diftinguishing ornaments of various kinds, their rof *The Romish clergy have very judiciously preferved these marks; and, after their example, fome republics : among others that of Venice. Hence the Venetian government, notwithstanding the fall of their ftate, is fill in poffeffion of its antient majefty, and of all the affection and adoration of its people; fo that next to the pope adorned with his tiara, there is not a monarch or potentate on earth fo much refpected as the doge of Venice, without power or authority, but rendered refpectable by wearing a woman's night cap under his ducal coronet. The ceremony of the bucentaur, fo much ridiculed by fuerficial witlings, would alone animate the Venetian populace to fhed the laft Grop of their blood, in defence of their tyrannical government. trums, trums, their lictors, their fafces, their crowns, ovations, triumphs, &c. all was parade and ceremony; and all had its effect on the minds of the citizens. It was of no little confequence to the state that the people fhould affemble in one certain place rather than in any other; that they should be in view, or not in view, of the capitol; that they fhould deliberate on particular days, &c. Perfons accufed of crimes, and candidates for favour, wore diftin& habits; the warriors boasted not of their exploits, they fhewed their wounds. Let us fuppofe one of our modern orators harranguing the people on the affaflination of Cæfar, and endeavouring to excite them to revenge his death; he would doubtless expatiate on the horror of the deed, and give a pathetic defcription of his bleeding wounds and lifeless corpfe. Mark Antony, however, though not deficient in verbal elocution, did nothing of all this: he brought and placed before them the dead body itself. What rhetoric! A Geographical Dictionary for 1763. Belleifle, A jewel in the hands of the French, but a bauble in thofe of the English, who having reduced it, at a great expence of blood and treasure, threw it away as a trifle not worth the keeping. Cape Breton, A large ifland of the like importance to the English and the French, who defpife, or prize it, for reasons of state. Canada, The finest place in the world; and the vileft fpot on the earth; one time an uncultivated foreft of wild beafts, and another a mine of wealth; ceded by the French for Martinico, who love rum and fugar, and kept by the English, who love hunting and felling trees. Globe, In its confined fenfe, that fpeck fufpended near the fun, commonly called the earth; but in a more fublime fenfe, the globe at my lord's door, or the globe tavern, globe coffee-house, &c. Germany, A country, where according to fome philofophers, the English conquered America ; but, according to others, where foreigners dance, and England pays the piper. It is remarkable for a very poor fpot of ground, kept up by English gardiners, at a great expence of hot-houses, exotic plants, and other fine improvements. Hanover, A fine country in Germany, for which we play hand over head, half feas over-over and over. Havannab, A place where the king of Spain keeps his exchequer, lately given up for a few bottles of Port wine. Minorca, A place of call, valued, or undervalued, as the wind blows; but now deemed an equivalent for the the expences of a feven year's war, a million of men, and twenty of money. Newfoundland, A fine fish-market, equal, if not fuperior to Biling gate, where the French are permitted to fet up ftalls and undertnine us. Pitsburgh, A place where we found a Pit's diamond, to which we preferred a Scotch pebble. World, Several forts; the whole world, the great world, the other world, the beau monde, the polite world, round the world, all over the world. A Profecution having been brought against Mr. Foote, who is now in Dublin, by Mr. Fr, a Printer of that City, for Defamation, occafioned Mr. Foote to publish the following: Mr. FOOTE's Addrefs to the Public. After the Profecution against bim for a Libel. One Aristophanes (a wicked wit Who never heeded grace in what he writ) Had mark'd the manner of this Grecian fage, HUSH! let me fearch before I fpeak And, thinking him a fubject for the stage, Had, from the lumber, cull'd with curious aloud Is no informer fkulking in the crowd! With art laconic noting all that's faid, Malice at heart, indictments in his head. Prepar'd to levy all the legal war, And rouze the clamorous legions of the bar! Is there none fuch? not one?-then At Athens once, fair queen of arms and arts, There dwelt a citizen of moderate parts, And penn'd a paragraph most daintily: In both, and darb, was rarely known to fail, Himfelf the hero of each little tale : With wits and lords this man was much delighted, And once (it has been faid) was near being knighted. |