that account attended with much abfurdity, it was not only excused, but enjoyed. largely, but would do nothing till Mr. Pope came to her, whofe He gave, through-company the then fought all op out his life, many wonderful examples of this turn, or rather debility of mind; of which one will fuffice. When he had determined to go into orders, he addressed himfelf, like an honeft man, for the beft directions in the ftudy of theology. But to whom did he portunities to procure, and was uneafy to be without it. He was at that time with fome friends, whom he was unwilling to part with, a hundred miles diftant. But at Mr. Hooke's earneft folicitation, when Mr.- Pope found his prefence fo effentially con apply? It may, perhaps, be thought,cerned his friend's intereit and to Sherlock or Atterbury; to Burnet or Hare. No! to Mr. Pope; who, in a youthful frolic, recommended Thomas Aquinas to him. With this treafure he retired, in order to be free from interruption, to an obfcure place in the fuburbs. His director hearing no more of him in fix months, and apprehending he might have carried the jest too far, fought after him, and found him out juft in time to prevent an irretrievable derange ment. Mr. Hooke feems to have poffeffed no fmall fhare of Mr. Pope's esteem and friendship. His folicitude to do him fervice, is Atrongly exemplified in the following anecdote. The first dutchefs of Marlbo. rough was defirous of having an account of her public conduct given to the world. This Mr. Hooke, a Roman Catholic, in the myftic way, and compiler of the Roman Hiftory, was, by Mr. Pope and • others, recommended to ber Grace, as a proper perfon to draw up, this Accunt, under her infpection, and by the affittance of the papers the communicated to him, he performed this work fo much to her Grace's fatisfaction, that he talked of rewarding him future fupport, he broke through all his engagements, and in the depth of winter and ill ways, flew to his affiftance. On his coming, the dutchefs fecured to Mr. Hooke 5000l. and by that means attach'd him to her fervice. But foon after fhe took occafion, as was ufual with her, to quarrel with him. Her ev'ry turn by violence purfu'd, Not more a form her hate than "gratitude.' Thus Mr. Hooke reprefented the matter. The reafon he gave of her fudden diflike to him, was his attempt to pervert her to popery. This is not without probability; for he finding her Grace (as appears from the Ac count of her condu&) without any religion, might think it an act of no common charity to give her his Own. The above particulats are felected from the Life of Mr. Pope, compiled by Owen Ruffhead, Efq; from original MSS. which he had the honour to be entrusted with by that reverend and learned prelate, the bishop of Gloucetter. Some Some Account of the Life of the late THOMAS PELHAM HOLLES, Dake of NEWCASTLE, &c. "HIS nobleman was born on over their fallen enemies; while the low-church party, bereft of all means of revenge, were obliged to keep a refpectful filence; which proceeded rather from confcious in THIS was 1693; ability, than motives of virtue or and fucceeded his father as baron Pelham of Loughton: and by the laft will and teftament of his uncle John Holles duke of Newcastle, who died at his feat at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire, on the 15th of July, 1711, was adopted heir to his great eftate, and empowered to bear the arms and name of Holles, together with the title of duke of Newcastle upon Tyne. His power and intereft were now very great, and he exerted both in fupport of his majefty king George I. against the party that oppofed him. It would be unneceffary, as well as tedious, to enumerate here the feveral confequences that flowed from the hatred which had then long fubfifted between the whig and tory parties: it is well known that their mutual animofity was carried to a degree of frenzy. It was this that brought king Charles I. to the fcaffold; it was this that produced that furprifing revolution in affairs toward the end of Queen Anne's reign. The fame caufes continued to operate at the acceffion of George I. and even thook that monarch on his throne before he was well feated in it. The whole weight of authority had for fome time been in the hands of the tories, while the whigs remained without credit or influence, and at the fame time endured the farther mortification of feeing their patrons and fupporters in difgrace or exile. The high-church men indulged themfelves in an infolent triumph patriotifm. The new government feemed lefs attentive to the religious caufes of the hatred that fubfifted between the two parties, than to the influence which either of thofe parties might have on the affairs of ftate. The king had taken a ftrong prepoffeffion against the tories, whom he had long been perfuaded to confider as Jacobites, and thought the whigs his only true friends; and from this motive he threw afide all referve, and declared openly in their favour. This effected a fatal and inftantaneous change in all offices of honour and advantage. Among the rest that were diftin. guished by the royal favour was the duke of Newcastle, who, on the 26th of October, 1714, was advanced to the dignity of earl of Clare, in the county of Suffolk, and viscount Naughton, in the county of Nottingham, with re. mainder to the hon. Henry Pelham, his brother and his heirs male. Nor did the royal favour terminate here: for two days after, namely, on the 28th of October, he was conftituted lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the county of Nottingham. And on the 10th of November following, cuftos rotulorum of Middlefex, and lord lieutenant of the faid county and city of Westminster on the 28th of December following. The fame year he was alfo conftituted fteward, warden, and keeper of the foreft of, Sherwood, and park of Folewood, in the county of Nottingham. This manifeft partiality fhewn to the whig party in general, greatly inflamed the minds of thofe who were already but too much difcontented at the late changes; and the Jacobites impatient ader a revolution which deprived them of all hopes of having the family of Stuart again on the throne, joined the malccontents. The royal party were, in many places, interrupted in their rejoicings on account of the coronation, by diforderly and tumultuous rabbles, who crying, "Down with the whigs, Sache"verel for ever!" proceeded to numberless diforders. Seditious pamphlets were printed and difperfed without number or decency; breaking of windows and pulling down meeting houfes, was practifed and carried to fuch an amazing height, that the whig party hardly thought themfelves fafe, even under the fhadow of royal protection. now The duke of Newcastle food firm in fupport of the royal caufe, and oppofed the lawless attempts of a mifguided populace: Nor was his matter wanting to acknowledge his fervices; he was on the zd of Auguft, 1715, created marquis and duke of Newcastle under line, with remainder to the female iffue of his brother, the hon. Henry Pelham. On the 2d of April, 1717, he married the lady Harriot Godolphin, daughter of the right honourable Francis earl of Godolphin, by his wife the lady Henrietta, eldet daughter and co-heir of John duke of Marlborough, He was declared lord chamberlain of his Majefty's household on the 13th of April following, and on the 16th of April fworn a member of the privycouncil. A chapter was held at St. James's on the 31st of March, 1718, when his grace was elected one of the knights companions of the most noble order of the garter, and in led on the 30th of april follo ving. His grace was alfo one of the peers commiffioned by his majefty, to fign the quadruple alliance, between the emperor, the king of Great-Britain, the king of France, and the ftates-general. This treaty was figned at the Cockpit, Whitehall, on the 22d of July, 1718. By this treaty the contracting powers engaged for the reciprocal prefervation of their feveral dominions and fubjects, and for the maintaining mutual peace. The former treaties of Utrecht and Baden were confirmed, except in fome few points; and the feveral powers mutually promifed to give no protection in any of their dominions, to thofe who are, or fhall be, declared rebels, by any of the other contracting powers: and if any one of the four contracting powers fhould be attacked or difturbed, either by their own fubjects, or any prince or ftate, the other three fhall endeavour to procure them juftice, and to prevent the aggrelor from continuing hoftilities; but fhould friendly offices prove infufficient for reconciling the two contending parties, together with fatisfaction and reparation to the injured power, the high contracting parties thall furnish to their ally, who is attacked, in two months after requifition fhall be made, the fuccours fpecified in the treaty. His Majefty having on the 19th of May, 1719, declared his intentions of vifiting his Hanoverian dominions, his grace was declared one of the lords juftices, for the adminiftration hiftration of justice during his majefty's abfence. Charles XII. of Sweden, had for fome time made preparations for invading England; but death put an end to his ambitious project, and his fifter, the princefs Ulrica, had afcended the throne. This was thought a favourable opportunity for putting a period to the troubles in the north: accordingly his majesty appointed lords juftices, among whom his Grace of New caftle was one, and embarked for his German dominions. Ulrica entertained very different views from thofe of her late ambitious brother: the faw her kingdom exhaufted of men and money, unable to fupport a war, and therefore ardently withed for a good peace. The Swedish council confented to cede Bremen and Verden to the elector of Hanover, fo that all the difficulties that had hitherto retard. ed a pacification were removed: the duke of Orleans acted as mediator on this occafion, to bring about a reconciliation between all the powers of the north. His Grace was again invefted with this important truft on the 26th of May, 1723, when his majefty declared to his privy-council, that fome extraordinary affairs called him abroad for the fummer. On the 2d of April, 1724, his Grace refigning the pot of lord chamberlain, was declared one of his majesty's principal fecretaries of ftate. On the 3d of June, 1725, he was again appointed one of the lords juftices; and in April, 1726, chofen recorder of Nottingham. In July, 1737, he was chofen high fteward of Cambridge, and afterwards chancellor of that univerfity. VOL. XII. It would be tedious to mention all the honours and places his Grace enjoyed under the aufpicious houfe of Hanover, whom he had fo affiduously and faithfully laboured to fix upon the British throne. We fhall, therefore, only add, that in the year 1761, his Grace refigned all his employments, and quitted that fatigue and hurry of bufinefs, in which he had been fo long involved, fpending the remainder of his days in retirement. He died at his houfe in Lincoln's-inn-fields, on the 17th of November, 1768, in the 77th year of his age. His Grace was, perhaps, one of the moft difinterested patriots, that either this, or any other nation, could boaft of; his ettate, when he first came into poffeffion of it, is faid to have been worth 50,000l. per annum, which he greatly reduced in the fervice of his king and country; notwithstanding which, he nobly refufed a large penfion when he retired from public bufinefs. In private life, his character was the most amiable, affable, and religious. He caufed divine fervice to be conftantly and regularly performed every day in his family, both in town and country: and at proper ftated times, the facrament was adminiftered, at which he conftantly affifted with great devotion. He received it the day he died, from the hands of the bishop of Salisbury, and yielded up his breath with the most perfect calmnefs and refignation. His Grace dying without iffue, the title of duke of Newcastle upon Tyne became extinct, but that of Newcastle under Line devolved to the earl of Lincoln, who married the eldest daughter of the late hon. Henry Pelham. NATURAL HISTORY. An account of the Eruption of Mount Vefuvius, in 1767: In a Letter to the Earl of Morton, Prefident of the Royal Society, from the Honourable William Hamilton, his Majefty Envoy Extraordinary at Naples. [Read Feb. 11, 1768.] My LORD, ΤΗ HE favourable reception, which my account of laft year's eruption of Mount Vefuvius met with from your Lordship, the approbation which the Royal Society was pleased to fhew, by having ordered the fame to be printed in their Philofophical Tranfactions, and your Lordship's commands in your letter of the 3d inftant, encourage me to trouble you with a plain narrative of what came immediately under my obfervation during the late violent eruption, which began October 19, 1767, and is reckoned to be the 27th fince that, which, in the time of Titus, deftroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii. The eruption in 1766 continued in fome degree, till the 10th of December, about nine months in all, yet in that space of time the mountain did not caft up a third of the quantity of lava, which it difgorged in only feven days, the term of this laft eruption. On the 15th of December, laft year, within the ancient crater of Mount Vefuvius, and about twenty feet deep, there was a cruft, which formed a plain, not unlike the folfaterra in miniature; in the midft of this plain was a little mountain, whofe top did not rife fo high as the rim of the ancient crater. I went into this plain, and up the little mountain, which was perforated, and ferved as the principal chimney to the volcano; when I threw down large ftones, Í could hear that they met with many obftructions in their way, and could count a hundred moderately before they reached the bottom. Vefuvius was quiet till March 1767, when it began to throw up ftones, from time to time; in April the throws were more frequent, and at night fire was vifible on the top of the mountain; or, more properly fpeaking, the finoke, which hung over the crater, was tinged by the reflection of the fire within the volcano. Thefe repeated throws of cinders, afhes, and pumice ftones, increased the little mountain fo much, that in May its top was vifible above the rim of the ancient crater. The 7th of Auguft there ilued a finall ftream of lava, from a breach in the fide of this little mountain, which gradually filled the valley between it and the an cient crater; fo that the 12th of September the lava overflowed the ancient crater, and took its courfe down the fides of the great mountain; by this time the throws were much more frequent, and the redhot ftones went fo high as to take up ten feconds in their fall. Padre Torre, a great obferver of Mount Vefuvius, |