by quarrelling with the adage, or conteftingthe converfe of the propofition, which might, by oblique implication, appear to affect the credit of his abilities. His familiarity with Locke is already proved beyond difpute, in that determinate clearness of language, and elegant precilion of reafoning, which pervade the

has felected are equally applicable to any other fet of perfidious ruffians. The total indifference to all religion, which he mentions at the conclufion of his letter, as what will probably take place in this envied nation, has already commenced among the free and brave fubjects of his panegyric, where Atheism has been publicly and vauntingly pro-whole compofition of his Letter. And feffed, and the profeffing Atheist loudly applauded.

I am not one of the apologifts, Mr. Urban, whom L. L. alludes to, nor do I mean to defend the enormities perpe trated at Birmingham, and in the neighbourhood of it; but regret, with your very refpectable correfpondent J. M., that violence should have exifted. I fhould indeed have hoped, and exprsted, that what he had faid upon the fubje&t in your Magazine, vol. LXII. pp. 124. 418, would effe&tually have prevented the obtrufion of it again upon the readers of your valuable mifcellany, in order to bring a railing accufation against particular members of the Established Church, as unjaft as it is illiberal.

Yours, &c. CHRISTIANUS.

THE ACADEMIC. No. V. Ακέρδεια λελογχεν θαμένα κακαγόρως. PINDAR.

Mr. URBAN,

Feb. 6.

THE notice, with which the John nian Academic (fee. p. 6. of Jan. Mag.) has vouchfafed to honour his very obedient the Reformer, is too flattering to the vanity of a young author to be paffed over in ungrateful filence. And yet, much as the laid Reformer is obliged to him, for refcuing his "Ad. drefs" from the brink of Lethe's flood, and fecuring it at least one month's more existence in the memory of your readers, he muft in the fincerity of his foul confefs, that he entertains fufficient affection for his good old Alma Mater, and fufficient refpect for the College of St. John the Evangelif, to with, that "Cantab" had either acquitted himself better in their defence, or had not entered the lifts at all.

If the old adage be true, that in a good caufe any one may be eloquent, what muft that caufe be, which refts its fupport on

' tali auxilio et defenforibus iftis !' Perhaps "Cantab" may enter his proteft against this logic. He need not, however, waste his labour on a fecond, elay" to evince his not fuperficial acquaintance with the fagacious Locke,"

no one will call in question, either his deep infight into the principles of Butler, or his accurate adaption of them to his own purpose, who fhall obferve, how ingeniously he manages the argument from analogy in thefe propofitions: Prop. I.

"Both the claffics and the various fubjects of morality have a place in the pursuits of the young gentlemen of Cambridge." Demonftration. "This I affert on my own perfonal knowledge."

gantiam?

Did I not tell you he would exhibit a fpecimen of analogical reafoning, that fhould furprife you? Butler was a fool to him. He drew his analogy from the many to the few. His bolder difciple, after quitting, as it should seem, the untenable fortrefs of perfonal knowledge, to establish the general prevalency of moral, metaphyfical, and claffical fludies, in this Univerfity, foars on the Pegasus of the inverted method, and prefumes the exiftence of a fact in fifteen colleges, because it is confefsedly true in

one.

But what is all this to the question? Was any charge brought against individual lecturers, or individual colleges? Was any neglect of all other, except mathematical reading, urged against undergraduates? The Jobnfonian Academic miftakes the purpose of my "Addrefs," which involves two charges against the members of the Senate. The firft I meant to bring is, not that either themselves are guilty of any remiffness in the pursuit of their favourite fyftem, or that every encouragement to hold it is not held out to under-graduates, by the masl konourable

impartiality in the distribution of mathematical honours to the candidates for the first degree of arts,-but, that an examination equally fevere is not at the fame time inftituted under the fanction of the University, to discover and reward great attainments in lefs abstract and more neceffary branches of learning. My next accufation is of a higher kind, that, whereas, in academical foundations, liberally endowed, and pidufly defigned, to promote the interefts of mankind, not more by the communication than the extenfion of knowledge, omnia novis operibns et ulterioribus progreffibus circumftrepere debent, we hear of little or any new and original inveftiga tion in fciences, that evidently admit and call for advancement.

Oxford engroffes, with few exceptions, the Mufes of elegant and claffical learning. Edinburgh has produced, and fill produces, the most eminent mafters in the theory and the art of medicine, and the whole philofophy of physics. In that and the other Scotch univerfities, M'Laurin, Duncan, Simfon, and others, have been bred, whose works are here applauded for their ingenuity, and honoured by a reception into general use. That other more numerous clafs of public profeffors have carried much depth of erudition, and much acuteness of intellect, with fuccefs perhaps not ai. ways equal, to researches into the fubjects of Metaphyfics, Morals, Policy, Hiftory, and the Belles Lettres. Amongst modern names, need I mention Beattie, Reid, and Stewart, chiefs of the fchool that rears its formidable head against the doctrines of Locke, Bruce, Campbell, Ferguson, Smith, Robertfon, and Blair, who muft at least be allowed the full merit of laborious endeavours to claflify obfervations into fcience, to advance beyond what was difcovered, and to illuftrate what was obfcure, in the various walks of knowledge, often with an immediate reference to useful and important application?

death of Mrs. Griffith, who has so often given me pleafure by her elegant writ ings; but on reflection I could not help rejoicing at her death; feeing her mentioned as the relic of Richard Griffith, Efq. I never heard before of his death, and am certain, from the great affection the had for him, that his death ought to be confidered by all her friends as a bleffing. I fhall efteem it a favour to be informed when he died-he was not fo general a writer as his wife. I believe The Gordian Knot, The Letters, and The Triumvirate, are all he ever publithed; and the laft I have received fo much pleasure from, that I wish to communicate it to others, and I much wonder it is not more read, as it would be admired. Mrs. Griffith's fentiments on

How much of this praife can the alma mater Cantabrigia claim for her fons, fupported by independent and ampler revenues, with every advantage of a more retired and dignified leifure, and a more ample accefs to the treasured ftores of antient and modern literature! Yours, &c. A REFORMER. MR. URBAN, IN your Obituary, p. 93, I could not help theding tears on reading the

Feb.

7.

it being the fame as my own, I fhall take the liberty to copy part of them; "it is rich even to luxuriancy in matter, language, fentiment, folic, adventure, and furprife; there are many pallages in it which feize upon the heart unawares, and leave the eyes to mourn its captivity even without a wifh to fet it free. But there are paflages in it (the adds) which offend me not fo much as a critic, as a woman and a mother; (the adds) the is certain he would not put this manufcript (it was not at the time of her write ing printed) into the hands of his fon or daughter; however, I believe he printed it without the wifhed-for alteration; and though I do not recommend it to the fair fex, yet I think that every gentleman will read it with pleafure, and 1 truft without any injury to his morals." I hope fome correfpondent will inform me when Mr. Griffith died; and likewife the Bristol milk woman, with fome particulars of her life and writings; but I hope fhe is not dead, as I have been informed. Yours, &c. VERITAS.

Mr. URBAN,

Feb. 6.

IN vol. LXII. p. 1298, W. F. feeins

to be a great ftickler for spoonsful, and not spoonfuls. Were they two diftinct words, he certainly would be right, as we cannot fay fulls; but as I take Spoonful (une cuillereé Fr.) to be but one word, I fee no difficulty in writing Spoonfuls in the plural. Here the fubftantive and adjective joined make but one compound. The fame is to be faid of bandful, une poignée in French. J. H.

*** An old CORRESPONDENT will be much obliged by any anecdotes of the Rev. MATHIAS UNWIN, who died rector of Medley and Buckland, in Kent, in 1756.