M. D. and Gresham profeffor of phyfic: but marrying in 1692, he loft his lucrative offices and his father's favour; a misfortune that affected both himself and his pofterity. How. ever, going into orders, he obtained, by his father's means, the living of Newington-Butts; in Surry, which he immediately exchanged for those of Wood. Norton and Swanton, in Norfolk. He died in 1708. Benjamin, his only fon, was educated at Norwich fchool, which he left in 1720, with the character of an excellent scholar. He then went to the Trinity College, in Cambridge, at the request of Dr Bently, the mafter, who had been private tutor to his father, domeftic chaplain to his grandfather, and much indebted to the family. Here he was a candidate for a fellowship, but was reject ed by the master's influence. This was a fevere and unexpected difap. pointment, and but little alleviated afterward by the doctor's apology, that it was a pity that a gentleman of Mr Stillingfleet's parts fhould be buried within the walls of a college. Perhaps, however, this ingratitude of Dr Bentley was not of any real differvice to Mr Stillingfleet. By being thrown into the world, he form. ed many honourable and valuable connexions. He dedicated fome tranflations of Linnæus to the late lord Lyttelton, partly he fays, from motives of private refpect and honour. Lord Barrington gave him, in a very polite manner, the place of the mafter of the barraks, at Kensington; a favour to which Mr Stillingfleet, in the dedication of his Calender of Flora to that nobleman, alludes with equal politeness, as well as with the warmel gratitude. His Calender of Flora was formed at Stratton in Norfolk, in the year 1755, at the hospitable feat of his very worthy and ingenious friend Mr Marfham, who had made feveral obfervations of that kind, and had communicated to the public his curious obfervations on the growth of trees. But it was to Mr Windham, of Felbrig, in Norfolk, that he appears to have had the greateft obligations: he travelled abroad, with him, fpent much of his time at his houfe, and was appointed one of his executors (Mr Garrick was another) with a confiderable addition to an annuity which that gentleman had fettled upon him in his lifetime. In Mr Stillingfleet's genius feems, if we may judge from his works, to have led him principally to the study of natural hiftory; which he profe cuted as an ingenious philofopher, a useful citizen, and a good man. this walk of learning he mentions, as his friends, Dr Watson, Mr (afterward Dr) Solander, Mr Hudson, Mr Price of Foxley, and fome others; to whom may be added the ingenious Mr Pennant. Nor can we omit the flattering mention which the late Mr Gray makes of him in one of his letters, dated from London in 1761: I have lately made an acquaintance with this philofopher, who lives in, a garret here in the winter, that he may fupport fome near relations who depend upon him. He is always employed, confequently (according to my old maxim) always happy, always cheerful, and feems to me a very worthy honest man. His prefent fcheme is to fend fome perfons, properly qualified, to refide a year or two in Attica, to make themselves acquainted with the climate, productions, and natural history of the country, that we may underftand Ariftotle, Theophraftus, &c. who have been heathen Greek to us for fo many ages; and this he has got propofed to lord Bute, no unlikely perfon to put it in execution, as he is himself a botanist.' Mr Stillingfleet published a volume of mifcellaneous tracts, which is in much esteem, and does great honour to his head and heart. They are chiefly translations of some effays in the Amanitates Academica, pub- verfification would not difgrace the writings of our most admired poets, Here more than once Mr Stillingfleet shows himself ftill fore for Dr. Bentley's cruel treatment of him 1; and toward the beautiful and moral close of it (where it is fuppofed he gives us a sketch of himself) feems to hint at a mortification of a more delicate nature, which he is faid to have fuffered from the other fex. To thefe disappointments it was perhaps owing that Mr Stillingfleet neither married nor went into orders. His London refidence was at a fadler's, in Piccadilly; where he died in 1771, aged above feventy, leaving several valuable papers behind him. He was buried in St James's church without the flightest monument of his having existed. CURIOUS ANECDOTES, BIOGRAPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC. From Count Stolberg's Travels through Germany, &c. A Vintage defcribed. That the great Creator defigned to provide us with food, is taken for granted but his paternal goodness would not stop here. He willed that we should eat in joy. Before the fun has warmed the earth, its morning rays announce his kindnefs; and its evening beams, in his name, lead us to feek repofe. The flower of the vegetable affords me greater delight even than its tafte: the clustering grape more than the waving wheat. "Wine maketh glad the heart of man." In most of the vine countries of Germany, paffengers are allowed, not only to pluck and eat to their heart's content, but to fill their pockets. In the Pays de Vaud, this is not permitted. When the grapes begin to ripen, the vineyards are watched; he, however, who guards the vineyard, is obliged to give those who wish to eat of the fruit, a bunch of grapes in each hand. Vifit to Necker. We have now twice vifited Mr Necker, at Copet. People had complained to me of the cold reception they had met with from him, and the distance distance of his manner. I fuffered them to talk, but I knew what to think. An apparent coldness of manner, in a man whofe heart glowed with fenfations like his, and whose mind was fo enlightened, could not deceive me for a moment. I ap proached him with that full confi dence which none but great men can infpire. His first afpect filled me with a mild, yet penetrating emotion; the vifible flushing of which did not efcape his notice. I found myself at my eafe, in the company of this dignified man; and was convinced that the of tener I faw him the more perfect would be the freedom I should feel. He faid little; but the little he did fay was worthy of himself. A few excellent remarks, concerning his enemies, escaped him; but they were delivered in a mild, moderate, and noble manner; though without any shade of affected forbearance.A gentle glow, though scarcely vifible, more than once overfpread his countenance. It was a beam, from the warm and intelligent heart of a great man; a fpark of that fire which gives immortality to his fame, his writings, and the violence of his enemies. I have here come in company and become acquainted with Mounier. It was interefting to me to meet a man, who, with courageous zeal, preffed the inftituting of a fecond houfe in the national affembly; and who developed, to the prefent times and to pofterity, the crimes of the 5th and 6th of October 1790; which, to the fhame of France, fill remain unpunished. ver. better dreffed than might have been expected, in fo fmall a place. The native talents of comedy were very confpicuous, in the acting of a man who performed the part of an old loA fymphony was vociferously called for, between the acts; and the players were loudly applauded in many of the fcenes. At the conclufion of a duet, between the old lover and his young mistress, there were two parties, who were very eager in exclaiming bravo! and brava! fome applauding the man, and others the woman. The paffion for theatrical exhibitions appears to be born with the Italians. A little boy, about 5 years old, food at the corner before the orchestra on a fmall plank, at least two ells high, with his arm round a pillar, and his attention fixed on the performers. We were unable to enter into the paffion of the fcene with the ardour teftified by the spectators, and we left the theatre long before the conclufion of the piece. Affaffination and Gaming. On the road to Turin, we faw people affembled at an inn, and asked our vetturino what was the matter. E un ammazzata! It is a man murdered! faid he; but that is nothing to you or me: let us go on and take no notice. I and Nicolovius went up to the crowd, and there faw a handfome young man, who had received a deep wound with a knife in the chin, and another that went to the heart. During the night, he and the murdered had been heard quarrelling together. My wife's maid, who had feen him lie as fhe paffed by in the other chaife, thought the recollected in him a young man whom she had remarked at the inn in the evening before; and who, being at play with another at mora, and having loft, had been quarrelling. This game has coft many men their lives. It is played by two men, holding up more or lefs fingers of the right hand, each against the other, and both calling, while the hand is railing, the numbers which they refpectively choose. This is entirely guefs yet the Italians maintain that a good player, the moment he fees the hand of his opponent, before it is half opened, can tell how many fingers he will extend. The Italians are fo paffionately addicted to this game, that no laws can induce them to re nounce it; and the quickness with which they play is incredible. The murderer of the man we faw efcaped; and, during the last night, not far from the fame place, another man was robbed and murdered. The Piedmontefe are justly accused of a propenfity to drunkenness, and of being fcandaloufly rapacious, which induces them to commit murder in cold blood. But how is it possible that,in fo active a government as that of Sardinia, no decifive regulations should have taken place, fufficient to redress this evil? How confpicuous does this make the character of nations! Among the inhabitants of Savoy, under the very fame government, the traveller is in perfect fecurity; while, on the plains of Piedmont, and in the very neighbourhood of the metropolis, a man may be murdered at an inn, or on the high road. ACCOUNT OF AN ENTERTAINMENT GIVEN BY THE EARL OF ATHOL TO JAMES V. From Pinkerton's Hiftory of Scotland. JAMES, accompanied by the queenmother and the papal embaffador, journeyed through different regions of his realm. His progress deferves fome attention, as illuftrative of the manners of the times. Hunting was his favourite amufement; and great was the flaughter of deer, roes, foxes, and wolves, an animal then, and long after, not unfrequent in the Scottish forefts. In Athole he was entertained, with fingular magnificence, by the earl of that defignation. In the midst of a fair meadow a place was conftructed of green wood, entwined with the verdant boughs of birch; it was of a quadrangular form, and each corner was ftrengthened by a maffy and lofty tower. The turreted gate was not wanting; nor the fecurity of the ditch, drawbridge, and portcullis. The floors were ftrewn with odoriferous herbs and bloffoms; the walls were enlightened by numerous windows of fine glafs, and adorned with filken tapestry. Nor did the enchantment of the genii of the foreft fail to fupply all that could appeafe or pamper the appetite of the royal hunter, and his woodland train. Meat and game of every defcription abounded; and the ditches were filled with the most delicate fish.Wines, white, claret, mufcadel, and malmfey, hyppocras, brandy, and the wholesome beverages from malt, gratified thirft, or excited hilarity. The deffert was crowned with the choiceft fruits and confections: and the veffels and linen were worthy of a palace: nor were the luxuries of nocturnal repofe, half of the life of man, unknown to the fairy mansion. The officers of the household, and of the kitchen, were numerous, and se-, lected with care. Here, Athole treated his royal gueft for three days, and nights; and the expence of the entertainment, enormous for the time, was computed at three thousand pounds. The wonder of the papal embaffador was yet further increased, when, upon the departure of James, the whole edifice prefented one conflagration; and the monarch only obferved, with a fmile, "It is the cuftom of our highlanders to burn their lodgings." ACCOUNT ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION OF JAMES V. TO THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN THE ISLANDS. From the fame.. HE Scottish monarch had long revolved an important defign, highly honourable to his abilities and intentions, and to his defire of promoting the union, tranquillity, and happiness of the realm. His vigor ous and prudent government had reduced the borderers, and other ma rauders, to subordination. The ifles, and northern extremities of his kingdom, alone remained in ignorance of the laws, and of his power to enforce them. He determined to vifit them in perfon, attended by a force fuffi cient to chaftife the infolent chiefs, and to infpire refpect to the guardian of the public order. The voyage was worthy of the intrepidity, and wisdom, of the monarch, being almoft as dangerous as one of distant difco. very, the people and the very thores being unknown; and the patriotic prince ordered, for the general benefit, a skilful pilot, Alexander Lindfay, to attend him, and report the nautical obfervations. Arrangements were accordingly made for this interefting expedition. -The fervices of Maxwell, though admiral of Scotland, were declined on this occafion, by the interference of Cardinal Beton, whom he had of fended in refufing to admit him in efcorting the queen from France.— Twelve fhips, with ample artillery, were ordered to be ready by the fourteenth day of May. Of thefe, fix were allotted to James, and his own immediate dependants, and foldiers. Three were appointed folely for vic tualling the fleet. The remaining three were separately affigned to the Cardinal, Huntley, and Arran: Beton being to conduct five hundred men of Fife and Angus; Huntly, be fides gentlemen and thirty of the royal household, was to lead five hundred of the north; to Arran was given the fimilar command of five hundred of the weft, exclufive of the gentlemen, and twenty-four, fervants, in his train. The queen's pregnancy was fo far advanced that her delivery was daily expected: as James could not decently be abfent at the time, a delay of more than a fortnight was the confequence. Meanwhile, England became fufpicious of the intentions of this armament: fome afferting that James defigned a voyage to France, or Flanders, to meet Francis, or the emperor: others reported Ireland as the probable destination, as in lent eight Irish gentlemen had arrived at the Scottish court, with letters from most of the great chiefs of Ireland, offering homage to James, if he would fupport their religion against Henry's innovations. But as James himself was not to lead above two thousand men, fufpicion was embarraffed; though, to prevent any attack in his abfence, Murray was ordered to command a body of troops on the fron. tiers. At length Mary of Guise prefented a prince and apparent fucceffor to the exulting monarch, and nation; and her health permitted James to proceed a few days after that fortunate event. When the caufe of delay was thus removed, the royal ftandard ftreamed from the admiral's fhip; the fails were hoifted, and the fquadron advanced down the majestic course of of the Forth, amid the acclamations of numerous fpectators on the adjacent hills and fhores. They knew not their king's defign; but a patriot and a philofopher would have joined their general voice, had he beheld this youthful monarch, after having with the wisdom of years, amid innumerable difficulties, with repeated imminent hazard to his perfon, eftablish ed |