THE

PREFACE.

AT

T the commencement of a new volume, and of a new year, it is in-
cumbent on the Proprietors of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE to ac-
knowledge their obligations to a generous Public for the patronage they
have received. From a long and careful obfervation, they are convinced
that a Magazine, to be fuccefsful, muft deferve fuccefs. Unfupported by
merit, not all the efforts of novelty, the arts of business, or the exertions of
intereft, can infure its fuccefs; unfupported by merit it muft fall. Hence
it is, that though this fpecies of publication is fufficiently numerous, few
arrive at any maturity; they appear and depart, they depart, and are for
gotten.

Impreffed with this conviction, the Editors of this work will not fuffer
their vigilance to be furprised, nor their attention diffipated, by foreign
purfuits. They are not infenfible that the Public have a claim on their
industry, and they do not confider their employment as infignificant or
degrading. Of late an importance has been annexed to Magazines, which
has exalted them to a very refpectable rank in the literature of the nation:
and justly; as productions of this kind have been often known to inspire
a tafte for knowledge imperceptibly.-And while they infpire it, they
gratify it too. They fteal fome moments from the round of diffipation;
they relieve the minds of men of bufinefs, who cannot easily pass from fe-
vere labour to severe study; and they preferve the dangerous idleness of
many from worse employment. Hence writers of the first abilities and of
acknowledged reputation have not difdained to enrich them with their
ftudies, to grace them with their wit, and warm them with the boldest
flights of invention. Confcious of this, the present Editors will be ever
on their guard, and do not defpair of raising a ftructure which neither
their country nor themselves will be ashamed to own.

Of the various objects of a periodical Mifcellany, the hardest talk is
Rejection. Many performances are daily fent, which either from their
fubject are improper, or from their length inconfiftent with the plan of
this Magazine. Our materials, for fome time paft, have been increasingly
numerous; and we can affure our Correfpondents, that their favours will
be perused with candour, and not hastily thrown afide. We have, on a
former occafion, pointed out what we would willingly give the preference
to; and in the prefent overflow of contributions, think it not improper to
repeat them. They are Effays moral and literary; fuch as illuftrate dark
paffages of History; Biographical Anecdotes of Men of Eminence, either

B 2

livin

living or dead; Letters on Erudition and Criticifm; original Letters of
celebrated Perfons; and Accounts of new Inventions, or remarkable Cha-
racters. They are already in poffeffion of many pieces within thefe de-
fcriptions, which are intended for future Numbers, and rely on the libe-
rality of their Friends for a fresh fupply before these are exhaufted.

In one department they are confcious of their fuperiority over every
competitor, and feel fome exultation when they refer their readers to the
Engravings with which they have ornamented their work. These, they
trult, will bear the most rigid comparison with any thing that can be pro-
duced by the beft rival publication. In this particular they can confi-
dently fay, that if any change in future is to be obferved, it will be by
improvement. They are already in poffeffion of many fubjects for Plates,
which are in the hands of Artifts who will neither difgrace themfelves nor
the prefent work by hafty or flovenly performances. Any hints for the
improvement of this part of the undertaking will be thankfully received.

To conclude: The Public may rely on the engagements the Proprietors
have entered into with them being performed; and they defire no encou-
ragement beyond what they fairly claim from the exertions of diligence,
circumfpection, and impartiality, to produce a work worthy of the patron-
age of the world.

THEATRICAL REGISTER, 1787.

Jan. 1. SHE Would and She Would not-
Harlequin's Invafion.

2. Grecian Daughter-Virgin Unmasked.

3: Wonder-Richard Coeur de Lion.

4. School for Scandal-Jubilee.

5. Fair Penitent-Harlequin's Invasion.

6. Trip to Scarborough-Richard Cœur de

Lion.

8. Heirefs-Jubilee.

9. Tempelt-Harlequin's Invafion.

10. Rule a Wife and Have a Wife-Ri-

*་ chard Coeur de Lion.

11. Hamlet-Harlequin's Invafion.

iz. She Wou'd and She Wou'd Not-Rich-
ard Coeur de Lion.

13. New Way to pay Old Debts--First

Floor.

15. Winter's Tale-Ditto.

16. Twelfth Night-Ditto.

17. Jealous Wife-Ditto.

18. Stratagem-Richerd Cour de Lion.

19. School for Scandal-Firit Floor.

20. Trip to Scarborough-Richard Cœur de

29. Cymbeline-Romp.
31. School for Scandal-First Floor.

COVENT GARDEN.

1. Provoked Wife-Enchanted Castle.

2. Bold Stroke for a Wife-Ditto.

3. Love in a Village-Ditto.

4. Beaux Stratagem-Ditto.

5. Love for Love-Ditto.

6. Funeral-Ditto.

8. Zenobia-Ditto.

9. He Would be a Soldier-Ditto.

10. Love in a Village-Ditto.

11. Love Makes a Man-Ditto.

12. He Would be a Soldier-Ditto.

13. Artaxerxes-Ditto.
15. Merope-Ditto.

16. He Would be a Soldier-Ditto.

17. Love in a Village-Ditto.

18. Merry Wives of Windfor-Ditto.

19.
He Would be a Soldier-Ditto.

20. Artaxerxes-Ditto.

22. Love in a Village-Ditto,

23. Provoked Wife - Ditto.

24. Love Makes a Man- Ditto.

25. He Would be a Soldier-Ditto.

26. Provoked Hufband-Hob in the Well.

27. Orphan-Man Milliner.

29. Romeo and Juliet-Ditto.

31. Rule a Wife and Have a Wife-Three

Weeks after Marriage.

An ACCOUNT of the Rev. WILLIAM COXE, AUTHOR of TRAVELS, & (With an excellent ENGRAVING of HIM:)

IF the Editors of the European Magazine feel any particular fatisfaction in the conduct of their work, it arifes from the opportunities they have had, at various times, of producing to public notice perfons who have excited curiofity by their genius, or are intitled to applaufe from the exercife of it. Several have lately been communicated to them which will ornament future Numbers; and the gentleman to whom we are obliged for the following notices will accept our acknowledgments for the information we have received from him. Of Mr. Coxe's talents we, in common with the rest of the world, are warranted to join in terms of approbation. Of his virtues, the general eftimation in which he is held by his friends will fpeak more effectually than any eulogium pronounced by ftrangers, were we difpofed to be, which we are not, the panegyrifts of any gentleman whofe life or works may fall under our confideration.

WILLIAM COXE is the fon of Dr. William Coxe, a physician, and was born in Dover-street, on the 7th of March, 1747, O. S. At the age of between four and five years he was fent to the school at Marybone kept by Mr. Fountaine, where he continued but a fhort time, being, at the age of fix years, removed to Eton, under the care of the Rev. Dr. Barnard. At this feminary he continued until June 1765, when he was admitted of King's College, Cambridge; of which fociety, in 1768 he was chofen a Fellow.

At Cambridge he diftinguished himself as a polite fcholar, and obtained, for two years fucceffively, the firft prizes for the belt Latin differtations: and determining

In

to devote himfelf to the church, he was, in December 1771, adinitted into deacon's orders by the Bishop of London. March 1772, he was ordained priest. On his laft examination for deacon's orders, he wrote a Latin Thelis, with which the Bishop of London was fo well fatisfied, that when he applied to be ordained as a prieft, Dr. Terrick paid him the compli ment of faying, that on the former occafion he was convinced of his abilities, and that it was neediers to examine him further.

Tracing the events of Mr. Coxe's life, we find him, foon after his ordination, serying the curacy of Denham near Uxbridge for a few months, until he was, without any folicitations on his part, appointed tutor to the Marquis of Blandford, eldest fon to the Duke of Marlborough, in whofe family he remained two years, when he retired.

In October 1775, he went abroad with Lord Herbert, only fon to the Earl of Pembroke, and travelled with him through feveral parts of Europe, until October 1779, when he returned to England. During this tour, he wrote "Sketches of "the natural, civil, and political State "of Swifferland," in a series of letters to William Melmoth, efq. which were publifhed in 8vo. in the fpring of 1779, and a fecond edition in the latter end of the fame year. During his refidence at Peterburgh, he particularly directed his enquiries to the difcoveries which have been lately made by the Ruffians in the fea that feparates Afia from America. For this purpose he endeavoured to collec the respective journals of the different

voyages