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fexes in the Florentine Mifcellany, printed under the eye and fuperintendence of the judicious and learned Mrs. Piozzi. While wit and tafte were thus publicly diffufed through the elegant part of the world, private fcandal did not want for publishers. Tales were circulated, which, according to the late and learned Lord Mansfield's doctrine, could not fail to be deemed great libels And these becoming every day more current, failed not to give great uneafinefs to the enamorato as well as to his friends. Mr. Merry's indignation at the authors of these reports, which he found among his collaborators, urged him to take up the pen of fatire in revenge. He employed it in ridiculing the greater part of the circle, and in fome measure occafioned its breaking up. This incident haftened Mr. Merry's return to his native country, and gives a proper occafion to speak of his poetical tafte and acquirements. That the fubject of our memoir poffeffed a lively imagination, that he fpoke the language of paffion, every one who had the happiness to know him must bear witnefs; what is there then to wonder at that he afterwards appeared fo capable of expreffing himself in regular, in harmonious numbers? He had the qualities of a poet by nature. The company he had kept, the countries he had vifited, the books he had read, all confpired to give thofe qualities every external aid. The approbation his first effays in the art experienced, fully juftified the great expectation formed of his future productions. Many of his pieces have been rather impromptu flights to Parnaffus, than ftudied compofitions. They fhow, however, the author's powers, and while they give pleasure to the prefent age they will not fail to fecure him the admiration of pofterity. Of his beautiful verfes and fugitive pieces publifhed in the World, under the title Della Crufca, &c. it is unneceflary to speak; they are fresh in every one's memory. Of his fatyrical and witty epigrams published in the Argus, under the fignature of Tom Thorne it is equally needlefs to make mention. During the last months of that paper's exiftence, it might be truly faid, a certain ROSE was never without a THORNE.

As a fpecimen of the keenness of our poet's epigrammatic wit, we give the few following inftances.

THE LONDON ROSE.

The ROSE is called the first of flow'rs
In all the rural fhades and bow'rs;
But O in London 'tis decreed,
The Rose is but a DIRTY WEED.

ANOTHER.

TOM THORNE.

THE HOT-HOUSE ROSE.

From genial heat, the HOT-HOUSE ROSE Expands and blushes, thrives and blows, But the poor Rose will fade and rot Whene'er the Houfe becomes TOO HOT.

A THIRD,

ON ANOTHER SUBJECT. When truth her rending fcourge applies, The HIRELINGS roar with ftreaming eyes; They crowd together and complain, They cannot bear fo GREAT A PAINE.

Upon a ministerial newspaper affixing his adopted fignature to fome verfes of a very different nature and tendency, he wrote the following

IMPROMPTU.

The SLAVISH PRINT, that's dead to shame,
In fury for departed fame,
Has even robb'd me of my name :
Alas! my nose is out of joint;
Yet what's a THORNE without a point?

Bat thefe brilliant effufions like the cut

ting epigrams of Horace (which author

our's fo much refembled in indolence, and the love of refined pleasures); or like the fatires of the laft of the Roman poets, muft in time lofe their value, when the occafions which gave them birth are forgotten, however animated and well directed they might have been at the period they were written,

These jeux d'efprits are offered as proofs of his fancy and ready wit only. For his judgement and fkill in verfification we refer the reader to the reviewers of his works as they appeared; as well as to "Literary Memoirs of living Authors." His connexion with feveral perfons concerned in dramatic affairs, poffeffed him with the idea of writing for the ftage. He was not fuperficial enough to fucceed in this walk. He difdained to facrifice judgment to perverted taile, and therefore was not calculated to please à vitiated palate. Garden houfe, and his Magician no Conjuror 3 His tragedy of Lorenzo, reprefented at Covent while they prove his various turn of mindequally manifeft to thofe who knew the writer, that he was biaffed to the undertaking without due confideration.

His native fire flames out in his odes. Some

of thefe give room to think that had he employed himfelf chiefly in the lyric species of poetry, he might have filled a moft honourable place between Pindar and Horace. In confirmation of which affertion reference may be had to the odaic fong he wrote for the fourteenth of July, the anniversary of the fall of the Baftille, and which was repeated in full chorus, with fo much applause, in the year 1791, at the Crown and Anchor ta

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would be a fpectator of the scene; and accordingly in the fummer of 1792, he visited Paris. While in that city, and under the invitation given by the French legislature to all foreigners, to favour them with their fentiments on the erecting a free conftitution; he wrote a short treatife in English, on the nature of free government. It was tranflated into French by Mr. Madget *, and prefented in the fame manner as the Laurel of Liberty to the National Convention: "honourable mention" being made of it on their journals. When Mr. Merry was making his tour in Italy, and efpecially while furveying that famous city, once the miftrefs of the world, and ftill the repertory of all the great models of the fine arts; he met with David the celebrated French painter, who had repaired there with the view of further improvement. He had now in Paris an opportunity of renewing this acquaintance with his old friend, who had laid afide the pallet and taken upon himfelf the duties of a legiflator. By David he was introduced to feveral members of the Legislative Affembly and of the Convention, and it was to this friendship he was indebted for a paffport to return home when fo many Englishmen applied for them in vain.

R. Merry was in Paris on the memorable 10th of Auguft, when the Parifians ftormed the Royal Palace. He was there alfo on 3rd and 4th of September, of the fame year, thofe diès atri of that feafon of the revolution. He had a ticket prefented to him, and a feat referved for him in one of the lodges of theconvention, now erected into a national tribunal, had he chofen to be prefent at the trial of the king; but he declined the offer; and i may be faid of him with great truth, that however he approved of the principles of the French revolution, he turned his face from all the violences with which it was attended in its progrefs. Revolution upon revolution greatly affected his fenfibility; for though he was robuft of frame, his nerves did not correfpond with his mufcular ftrength. Thus alarmed he quitted the scene of fanguinary contention, although there were many of both parties and thofe of high confideration, willing to fhew him every civility in their power.

Mr. Merry had always been a bon vivant; he had alfo a turn for play, and this with other fashionable propenfities kept him for feveral years in an embarraffed ftate; fo

This is the Mr. Madget fpoken of in the intercepted letter of Dr. Jackson, condemned in Ireland for high treafon; and whofe name for want of the real fact being known or credited, was reprefented in the inuendoes of the Attorney General, as having a myfterious signification; whereas Mr. Madget was a real character, an Irishman by birth, but had fulfilled the functions of a clergyman above twenty years in France, and at the time of Dr. Jackfon's trial, was a public tranflator of languages.

MONTHLY MAC. No. XLIII.

that it is difficult to fay whether at this pe riod his inattention to money affairs had made him more the prey of unfatisfied creditors or of unprincipled lawyers.

Upon his marriage with the celebrated actress Mifs Brunton, a profpect opened to him of living at his cafe, by the joint production of that lady's talents and his own pen; but unfortunately the pride of thofe relations upon whom he had moft dependence, was wounded by the alliance, and he was conftrained much against Mrs. Merry's inclination to take her from the stage. This he did as foon as her engagement at the theatre expired, which was in the fpring of 1792. They both returned from the continent in the fummer of 1793 (for Mrs. Merry had ac. companied him to France), and from that date they cannot be faid to have formed any fettled plan, unless their retiring to America in 1796 may be fo confidered. Occafionally in the above interval Mr. Merry wrote for a periodical paper; and fome of the best poetry in the Telegraph was the production of his pen. His Signior Pittachio, written at this period, muft ever be deemed a most happy production of keen fatire, unfurpaffed by any thing in ancient or modern times. No minifter in any age had been fo ridiculed before. But our author had feen that the thunder of reafon and truth had been as ineffectually tried to change the state of affairs, as his fquibs of fatire and ridicule; he therefore began to think of feeking in a diftant country what he defpaired of ever finding in this. He was not long in refolving. He fnatched up a pen and wrote partly in tears, partly in ink, an adieu to his native land. Thefe affecting lines are in print, and the occafion and fubject of them are fresh in the minds of his dearest friends: to whom upon his taking leave he faid, in the words of Oroonoko.

This laft farewel,

Be füre of one thing that will comfort us,
Whatever world we are next thrown upon,
Cannot be worse than this.

Confidering this a mere sketch of a life in what is called the grande monde; we have not touched upon any of the incidents of our hero's early age. Trifling as they may be thought by fome perfons, they will no doubt one day engage the pen of fonie abler hand, who fhall undertake fully to fatisfy public curiofity, by prefixing his whole life to a collection of his claffical works.

Having been born in London, his fand aunt was afraid the country air might be too fevere for the young cockney's tender frame, he was therefore never carried abroad unless wrapt in furs or other equally warm clothing. Notwithstanding all which, he appeared luckily to have efcaped the dangers which J. J. Rouffeau defcribes the children of great perfonages to undergo from too much parental fondnefs.

In a letter to a friend after his arrival in the new world, he speaks of the fublime emotions with which his foul was filled by the voyage Kk acrofa

258

Deaths Abroad.

acrofs the Atlantic Ocean. He faid he had
thoughts of beginning an epic poem on the
French revolution. Perhaps he waited for
its happy termination ere he could finally
refolve on the plan of fo great a work. His
refidence in America, is faid to have confider-
ably changed his difpofition which was na-
turally lively. He found neither the poli.
ties, nor the people of the United States, to
be what he had expected.
He however de-
rived all the comforts he could defire from
the fociety of an affectionate wife, whom he
dearly loved. Her good fenfe and regard for
his welfare, made her not hesitate to accept
of the offers made to her in the way of her
profeffion, and the acquitted herself in Ame-
rica as in England, to univerfal admiration.
Upon the melancholy death of her husband,
the refolved to return to Europe, and her arti-
val in London is hourly expected,

Mr. Merry was in his forty first year when he died. He was of a genteei figure, inclined to corpulency, his height about five feet ten inches. His countenance expreffed uncommon amenity and animation-the true index to his mind. He was a moft agreeable companion, and although he enjoyed the glafs, it was for the fake of company. His excefs at table, if any, is more chargeable to the fcore of eating than of drinking, though after all, it is to be prefumed his conftitutional or habitual difinclination to bodily exercife, is the thing to be moft regretted as the cause of his premature death.

In America, his lofs is greatly deplored by many of the most e lightened inhabitants. In England, it is more fo by a numerous acquaintance, who have long admired his taTents, and esteemed his virtues.

He was a cheerful and entertaining companion; his mind was as well stored with poetical images as his judgment was prompt to call them forth; on which account he was never at a lofs for an elegant and apt fimile, no more than for a pun or a jeft. He had his moments of gravity alfo, and it might be faid of him, as it has been of another literary character gone before him, that "no man ever uttered a moral fentiment with more dignity, or dreffed a gay one in more happy colouring." He could reafon or trifle juft as it fuited the He was always geOccafion or the company. nerous, though never rich, and his compaffion for the diftreffes of others, has often been mapifefted to a great degree, by fharing with them what was fcarcely fufficient for his own wanes. He had manyexcellent and enviable qualities, and though refentful to a high degree, that refentment was unaccompanied by malice. His irafcible temper was moft difcernible when he beheld the vicious in fplendour, and rapacious in fecurity. Against fuch characters, his shafts could never be fufficiently pointed and envenomed; and it may be faid of him on fuch occafions, as Scaliger faid of the Roman fatyrift,

"Ardet, inftat, jugulat."

1

[April

On the fcore of religion, Mr. Merry has been taunted at by the bigots of the age. This is a matter which wholly concerned him, felf; we have nothing to do with it. That he had fingular opinions cannot be denied: and if he did not fhew the fame abhorrence. many do, to the doctrines of Diagoras, Pythagoras and other heathens, it may be said for him as the first of thofe philofophers faid for himself, that his want of faith was chiefly caufed by the evidence of the fucceffes of fo many perjured men.

Whether the new world infpired him with new notions concerning religion, we are not able to fay; but with regard to politics, his fentiments were ftabile as the foundation of the univerfe: for upon a learned friend asking him on his arrival, whether his opinions were the fame as when he saw him last in England, he replied Calum non qnimum mutant, qui trans

mare currunt.

At Konigsberg, October 3, M. Reccard; he had published a number of aftronomical obser

vations.

Jean-Francois Callet, born at Versailles, October 25, 1744; he made a rapid progress in his ftudies and had conceived an early taste

for the mathematics. He came to Paris in

1768, where he had opportunities of making himfelf a ftill greater proficient. In 1774, he formed fome excellent pupils for the school fevere and the receptions difficult. In 1779, of engineers, where the examinations were he obtained the prize which the Society of Arts at Geneva had propofed relative to viftoes in a landfcape (fur les echappemens). In 1783, he finished his edition of the Tables de Gardiner, which was very convenient, useful and exact, and included fevera! advantages which were not to be found in the others. In

1788, he was appointed profeffor of hydrography at Vannes, and afterwards at Dunkirk;

he returned to Paris in 1792, and became profeffor of geographical engineers in the depôt de la guerre for the term of four years. The place having been fuppreffed, he conti nued to give lectures at Paris, where he was always confidered as one of the best mathematical mafters to be found there. In 1795, he published the new ftereotype edition of the with tables of logarithms of the finufes for Tables de Logarithmes, confiderably augmented,

the new decimal divifion of the circle; thefe were the first which have appeared. Towards the end of 1797, he prefented to the Institute the idea of a new telegraph, and of a teletionary of 12,000 French words which were graphical language, accompanied with a dicall adapted to it by a combination worthy fo

able a mathematician. Thefe labours had

impaired his health; he had for some time pait become asthmatical; yet, notwithstanding his infirm condition, he has published again this year an excellent memoir on the longi tudes at fea, under the modeft title of Supplement to the Spherical Trigonometry and to the Navi. gation of Bexout. He died November 14, 1798, and has left behind him a daughter born at

Vannes in 1793. According to a tradition in his family, he was defcended from that of Defcartes; the author from whom this memoir was tranflated has not been able to come at the genealogy, but he adds, it is fufficient for the glory of Callet, to have done honour to a name fo celebrated.

At Padua, (November 18, year 5) Toaldo, aufeful aftronomer; he is fucceeded in the obfervatory at Padua, by his nephew M. Chiminiello.

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On March 29, year vi. Bertrand Auguftin Carrouge, a very celebrated aftronomer. He was born at Dol, in the ci-devant Bretagne, October 8, 1741; he had calculated a thoufand ftars for the Celeftial Globe, published by citizen Lamarche, fucceffor of Fortin; he had made many calculations for the Connoiffance des tems, and for the fecond edition of Lalande's Aftronomy .Hehas printedfeveral memoirs in the Connoiffance des tems, and fome days before his death had fent him fome tables to calculate the phases of the moon, better than those which are inthe Elemens de Navigation of Bouguer and La Caille; they are in the ConnoifJance des tems for the year 1801. Carrouge was very poor, when he became Adminiftrator General of the Pofts, from the confideration which citizen director Reveilliere-Lepaux had for his merit; this elevation however did not prevent him from ftill confecrating his time and talents to aftronomy.

June 15, Alexis-Jean Pierre Paucton, born near Luffan, February 10, 1732, and celebrated for his Metrologie; a vaft collection of the measures of all countries, which appeared, in 1780. This undertaking was fuggefted to him by Lalande, the astronomer, who alfo fur

nifhed him with the greater part of the fo. reign measures; but he added to it a number cf his own refearches, together with differtations and calculations on the ancient measures, population and agriculture. He had alfo exercifed himself in other parts of mathematics, as the fcrew of Archimedes. In 1781, he published a Theory of the Laws of Nature, in which he refuted Newton and Nollet, and eftablished a new geometrical foot of 123 lines and a quarter (a line is the twelfth part of an inch); in this work he treated of the pyramids of Egypt, &c. He was fo thoroughly convinced of the importance of his difcoveries, that he took for his motto, E puteo veritas. He was last of all employed in reducing the immenfity of foreign measures to decimal meafures, when the economy of government fuppreffed his ftipend, which plunged him in mifery and defpair and at length occafioned his death. The Inftitute is at prefent foliciting pecuniary aid of government for his widow and children.

Beauchamp, brother of Beauchamp of Arles, whom he accompanied in the expedition to Arabia, together with Hyacinthe Receveur, pupil of the latter, who had already given very prompt indications of zeal and capacity. This lofs, which is a very great one for aftronomy, had difgufted Beauchamp for the Arabian voyage and even thrown him into defpair, fo that he had quitted the fame and returned to Arles; the minifter however has fent to him to rejoin General Buonaparte and the learned men with him in Egypt, and he will doubtless contribute to the fuccefs of that important expedition, in whatever relates to the geographical and aftronomical part of it.

MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT.

TH 'HE difcovery of a fuppofed illicit trade carried on from Bengal to Batavia, thence to Europe; and alfo to Manilla, by a ship called the Helfingoer, has engaged much attention in the mercantile world; and in whatever light it is viewed, the matter certainly deferves investigation; but as feveral respectable names, particularly that of a director of the East India company, are implicated in a very great degree in the bufinefs, we decline entering into further particulars, till the publication of the papers moved for at the late general court at the India-house, fhall have enabled us to form an impartial opinion on the subject.

From the report of a committee of the House of Commons on the ftate of the Eaft India company's affairs, it appears, that the debts owing by the company in Great Britain, amounted on the 1st of March, 1798, to 7,284,6941.; that the effects of the company in England, and afloat outward, confifting of annuities, cafh in their treasury, goods fold not paid for, goods unfold, cargoes afloat, and other articles in their commerce, amounted at the fame period to 13,211,3701.; and that the fales of the company's goods, which in February, 1793, were estimated on an average to amount to 4,988, 300l. amounted in the year 1797-8 to the fum of 4,718,8221.

Some alteration is about to take place in the duties and drawbacks on Eaft India goods of different kinds.

An act has been paffed to continue to the 24th of June, 1800, the act paffed in the year 1755, for granting a bounty on certain species of British and Irish linens exported.

A committee of the Houfe of Commons has been fome time engaged in confidering the most effectual means for the improvement and extension of the British herring fishery.

It has been thought neceffary to fufpend the operation of the convoy act of the laft session, with refpect to a part of the Newfoundland trade, by permitting ships to fail from certain ports in the island of Newfoundland without convoy.

The prefent high price of copper has also been the subject of parliamentary interference. It has lately rifen to 1231. and 1241. per ton, and as this unprecedented price, which is probably occafioned, in a great meafure, by the increafing export by the East India company,

which

which now amounts to about 3000 tons per annum; and, perhaps in fome degree by the new copper coinage, caufes a great additional expence in the copper, fheathing of all forts of veffels as well as in various manufactures. The House of Commons on the 20th inftant, refolved, That the East India company ought to be prohibited, for a limited time, from contracting for any copper ore or copper for the purpose of exportation, and from exporting, or permitting to be exported, any copper ore or copper, except fuch as has been already contracted for; alfo that it is expedient that copper ore or copper should be permitted to be imported for his majef ty's fervice without payment of duty.

Moft kinds of leather are at a high price. The great confumption of calf leather for mili tary accoutrements, has contributed much to advance the price of that article. Red Morocco fkins have rifen about 10s. within the last twelve months, being at prefent from 96s. to 1448. per dozen. Flack Spanish have rifen 3s. or 4s. in the last two or three months, being from 45s. to 114s. per dozen. Scotch white sheep are from 51. 15s to 61. 5s.; and English white kids from gl. to 151. per hundred. Skivers, for bookbinders, are 2s. or 3s. dearer within the last two months, being at prefent from 14s. to 24s. per dozen. Calf, for ditto, are from 28s. to 54s. per dozen. Ruffia hides, rough, are cheaper than they were fome time fince, being at prefent about 2s. to 2s. 2d. per pound, for heavy fkins; light ditto to 2s. 8d. Raw fkins or pelts, have experienced a great rife on the laft market, and are now 61. 5s. per hundred.

The fpring trade of the filk manufactory has been very good, having been affifted by confiderable orders for exportation. There has been very little variation in the price of raw and thrown filk during the last three months, as most of the manufacturers supplied themselves about that time, but as the import has been very fmall, the market is fcanty of the beft filatures, and fome inconvenience begins to be experienced from the detention of this article by the late froft, and fince from want of convoy. A very confiderable arrival of filk from Hamburgh, is expected shortly, in confequence of which, the prefent ftock in the hands of the merchants is to be purchased at very moderate prices; but the manufacturers, aware of the daily expected fleet, avoid buying as much as poffible. The Perfian manufac turers have been deftitute of white novi for fothe months, which has obliged many to subftitute filk of an inferior quality.

The Eaft India company have declared for fale on the 1st of May, 25,oco bags, 95 baskets, and 10 calks of fugar. Prompt day the 5th of July.

The total quantity of fugar imported into Great Britain from the West Indies in one year, from January 1798 to January 1799, was 2,361,715cwt. the duty on which was 2,070,3771. of which, 305,3541. was repaid as drawbacks on raw fugar exported, and 216,6591. as bounty on refined fugar exported. The quantity of rum imported in the fame period, was 4,196,19% gallons, the duty on which amounted to 95,9961.

Notwithstanding the large quantities of Stock now buying up by the Commiflioners of National Debt, in confequence of the redemption of the Land Tax, in addition to their former purchafes, the Public Funds have rather fallen than rifen during the last monthThe expectatation of a deferred loan may probably be the cause.

THE

MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

weather for the most part of the month has been unufually fevere; cold northerly winds, attended with frofts, have almoft conftantly prevailed; and in fome of the more northern diftri&ts there have been flight falls of fnow.

The general bufinefs of agriculture has not, however, heen much retarded by these cir、 eumstances; in many dry and warm fituations, oats and even barley have already been fown though not to any great extent.

The procefs of vegetation, efpecially in winter corn and graffes, has not proceeded with its accuftomed degree of vigour. If fine weather fhould, however, foon take place, we are rather inclined to believe, that the check which has been given by the late feverity of the feafon, may, in fome meafure, prove beneficial to the future crops. No material injury has certainly yet been done to the growth of any thing.

The few turnips which have efcaped the feverity of the weather, will foon be cleared off by the fattening cattle, many of which, in fome places, ftill remain on hand.

Fodder is rather fcarce in the northern districts; hay and ftraw have confequently increafed much in price of late. The latter is, indeed, extremely high.

GRAIN. In many parts of the country is plentiful, and does not yet rife much in price. This is particularly the cafe with Wheat, which averages throughout England and Wales. 50s. 5d. Rye 33s. 3d' Barley 295. Oats 20s. 5d. Peafe 38s And Beans 33s. gd.

HOPS. Kent bags 91. 155. to 10l. 4s. pockets 1ol. 16s. to 111.45.; Suffex bags 91. roS. to gl. 15s. pockets 10l. to 1ol. 15s.

CATTLE. Beef in Smithfield market fells at 3s. 4d. to 4s. 4d. per stone of 81. finking the offal. Mutton 3s. to 4s.

HORSES. Thofe for the purposes of the farm, have ftill an extremely dull fale; but good. faddle Horfes fetch high prices.

HAY averages in St. James's Marke 21. 175. per load. Straw 21, 199. 60.

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