tions of this excellent lady, by pequfing a tranflation of her letters lately published.

The Italians are as proud of a perfon of the fame fex: Lucretia Gonzaga was fo celebrated for the eloquence of her letters, and the purity of their ftyle, that her very notes to her fervants were collected and published. I have never read this collection; but one or two billets I have met with, fufficiently proves that they have done her no credit by publishing picces never intended to be feen by any except the perfon to whom they were directed. In one to her footman, the Signora Gonzaga reprehends him for not readily obeying dame Lucy her housekeeper, and in another addreffed to the fame Mrs. Lucy, the fays, "If Livia will not Le obedient, turn up her coats and whip her till her flesh be black and blue, and the blood runs down to her heels." This doubtlefs founds a little oddly in English, but may be very elegant, when modulated by the harmony of Italian liquids.

Several worthy perfons have laid down rules for the compofition of letters; but I fear it is an art which nature only can teach. I remember in one of those books, written by a German, there was a firict injunction not to mention yourfeif before you had introduced the perfon of your correfpondent; that is, you muft never ufe the monofyllable I before the pronoun you. The Italians have flated expreffions to be ufed 10 different ranks of men, and know exactly when to fubfcribe themfelves the devoted or the most devoted flave of the illuftrious or moft illuftrious perfon to whom they have the honour to write. It is true, in that country they have fo clogged correfpondence with forms and civilities, that they feldom make use of their own language, but generally write to one another in French.

Among many inftances of beautiful letters from lad es, and of the contrary from our fex, I fhall fele&t

two, which are very fingular in their kind.

The comparifon is not indeed entirely fair; but when I mention fome particulars of the male author, one might expect a little more elegance, a little better orthography, a little more decorum, and a good deal lefs abfurdity, than feem to have met in one head, which had feen fo much of the world, which pretended to fo much literature, and which had fo long worn one of the firit crowns in Europe. This perfon was the Em- é peror Maximilian, grandfather of n Charles V. His reign was long, fometimes fhining, often profperous, very often ignominious. His ficklenefs, prodigality, and indigence, were notorious. The Italians call him Pochi-denari, or the pennylefs; aquality not more habitual to him than his propenfity to repair his fhattered fortunes by the most unbecoming means. He ferved under our Henry VIII. as a common foldier, at the fiege of Terouenne, for a hundred crowns a day he was bribed to the attempt against Pifa, and bribed to give it over. Ia fhort, no potentate ever undertook to engage him in a treaty without first offering him money. Yet this vagabond monarch, as if the annals of his reign were too glorious to be defcribed by a female pen, or as if they were worthy to be defcribed at all, took the pains to write his own life in Dutch verfe. There was another book of his compofition in another way, which does not reflect much more luftre on his memory than his own Dutch epic; this was what he called his livre rouge, and was a regifer of feventeen mortifications he had received from Lewis XII. of France, and which he intended to revenge the firft opportunity. After a variety of fhifts, breach of promifes, alliances and treaties, he had nearly duped his vain cotemporary Henry VIII. with a propofal of refigning the em pire to him, while he himself was meditating, what he thought an ac

cef

celion of dignity even to the imperial diadem: in fhort, in the latter part of his life, Maximilian took it into his head to canvas for the papal tiara. Several methods were agitated to compass this object of ambition: one, and not the leaft ridiculous, was to pretend that the patriarchal dignity was included in the imperial; and by virtue of that definition he really affumed the title of Pontifex Maximus, copying the pagan lords of Rome on his way to the fove. reignty of the Chriftian church. Money he knew was the fureft method, but the leaft at his command: it was to procure a fupply of that neceffary ingredient that he wrote a letter to his daughter Margaret, dutchefs dowager of Savoy, and governess of the Netherlands. The whole piece may be feen in the fourth volume of the letters of Lewis XII. printed at Bruffels in the year 1712. It is written in very bad old German French, and therefore unneceffary to lay it before the reader; it will be fufficient to obferve, that his imperial majesty acquaints his beloved daughter, that he defigns never to frequent naked women any more; but to use all his endeavours to procure the papacy, and then to turn priest, and at length become a faint, that his dear daughter may be obliged to pray to him, which he fhall

reckon a matter of exceeding glory. He expreffes great want of two or three hundred thousand ducats to facilitate the bufinefs, which he defires may be kept very fecret, tho' he does not doubt but all the world will know it in two or three days; and concludes with figning himself future hope.

As a contraft to this fcrap of imperial folly, I fhall prefent the reader with the other letter I mentioned. It was written by the lady Anne, widow of the earls of Dorfet and Pembroke (the life of the former of whom he wrote) and heiress of the great houfe of Clifford-Cumberland, from which, among many noble reverfions, the enjoyed the borough of Appleby. Sir Jofeph Williamfon, fecretary of flate to Charles II. wrote to name a candidate to her for that borough: the brave countess, with all the fpirit of her ancestors, and with all the eloquence of independent Greece, returned this laconic anfwer.

"I have been bullied by an ufur. per, I have been neglected by a court, but I will not be dictated to by a fubject; your man fh'n't ftand.

Anne, Dorfet, Pembroke, and Montgomery,"

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

W

E your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of Ireland, in parliament affembled, beg leave to renew our unfeigned profeffions of the most zealous and affectionate attachment to your Majesty's royal perfon and

government, which we have been, upon all occafions, forward to exprefs, and, we truft, have manifefted by our conduct.

We now think ourselves, in a very particular manner, called upon, to make the moft folemn and public declarations of our inviolable duty and

attach

attachment to your Majefty, when the most infamous and flagitious libels have been published and circulated throu, h your kingdoms; filled with the groffet infults to your Majefty's facied perfon and royal authority; violating every rule of decency, order, and government; and tending to fir up, through all ranks of your Majefty's fubjects, a fpirit of discontent, and of difobedience to their Prince, the laws and the conftitution.

As thefe audacious and outrageous attempts have been deemed fitting objects for the juft and exemplary cenfure of the legislature of Great Britain, we think it cannot be unfeafonable, and we hope it will not be unacceptable to your Majefly, that we alfo exprefs our utter deteftation and abhorrence of such infolent and wicked practices.

And we beg leave, at the fame time, humbly to affure your Majesty, that thefe fentiments proceed, not only from thofe principles of duty, by which we are bound as fubjects, but from the moft cordial affection and reverence for thofe refpectable and amiable virtues, which are the objects of the love and admiration of all your people.

We therefore intreat your Majcfly graciously to receive thefe declarations from us; that we are fully fenfible of the many and great blefings we enjoy under your Majesty's mild and aufpicious reign; that we are truly thankful to your Majefly for the honourable and advantageous peace, which your Majefty, through

your great wifdom, and paternal concern for your fubjects, hath happily concluded for the benefit of your kingdoms; that it is our firm and unalterable refolution to fupport the dignity and authority of your Majefty's government, where foever our influence can extend, against all who fhall prefume to disturb it; and that it is our moft fincere and ardent with, that your Majesty may reign. through a long courfe of years, bleffed with the increase of every public and domeftick felicity, and fupported by the unanimous voice of all your fubjects.

To us, who, by our fituation must be deprived of your Majefty's immediate influence, it is of the utmoft confequence, that your Majefty's Royal power fhould be delegated to perfons fenfible of the importance of that high truft; and by their capacity, probity, and moderation, fitted for the execution of it. And we cannot omit this occafion of afuring your Majesty, that the rights and dignity of the crown can never be more faithfully maintained, nor more honourably fupported, nor the adminiftration of your Majelty's government carried on upon principles more agreeable to the conftitution, nor in a manner more entirely acceptable and fatisfactory to the people, than by the Earl of Nor, thumberland.

Hen. Baker Sterne, Cler. Parlia

H

May it pleafe your Excellency, IS Majefty's faithful commons, who with pleasure embrace every opportunity of manifefting their duty and affection towards his Majefty's perfon and government, have commanded me to prefent to

your Excellency the two bills of fupply by them granted this feffion of parliament, with a chearfulness becoming the moft dutiful and loyal people to the best of Kings.

They are perfuaded, from their know

knowledge of your Excellency's candeur and justice, that his Majefty will be truly informed, that our attachment to his facred perfon and royal house, and our zeal for the fupport of his government, have no other bounds than those which the narrow extent of our abilities neceffarily prefcribe.

The Commons humbly prefume, that their loyal and dutiful behaviour will entitle them to the continuance of his Majefty's favour and protection, and they flatter themfelves, that through your Excellency's judicious and favourable reprefentation of the ftate of this country, they fhall not only enjoy the bleffings, but partake of the advantages of the public tran

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quility, by the encreafe of their trade, and encouragement of their manufactures by which they will be enabled effectually to fhew their duty. to his Majefty, by fupporting his government with honour.

The Commons having fo fully and fo recently expreffed their fentiments with regard to your Excellency's adminiftration, have nothing to add upon that fubject, but their most fincere wishes (which I have the utmoft pleasure in delivering) that your Excellency may long continue to prefide over us, for the advancement of his Majefty's fervice, for your own honour and fatisfaction, and for the happiness and profperity of this kingdom.

SI believe every true Englishman has a love for his country, I make no doubt of their being very uneafy to fee it fplit and divided into factions and parties, at any time, but more especially at this juncture, when the intereft of the nation calls aloud for the most inflexible unanimity. It gives me great uneafinefs, to fee those party-animofities fomented, by the very men who ought to employ all their vigilance to difcourage and annihilate them. Whoever calls to mind the clamour and the calumny, the artificial fears and jealoufies, the shameful abuse and mifrepresentation of perfons and things, raised by a certain party, upon a very popular member, a true friend to his country: If, I fay, he has any regard for Old England, he muft feel great pleasure, although mixed with fome indignation, to fee the wishes, the conjectures, and the endeavours of an inveterate faction in fome measure difappointed.

The government is always ftrong

er, as it is complicated with the private intereft of more individuals; becaufe, though there are few that have comprehenfion fufficient to difcern the general advantage of the community, almost every man is capable of attending to his own; and though not many have virtue to stand up in oppofition to the approach of general calamities, of which every one may hope to exempt himself from his particular fhare, yet the most fanguine are alarmed, and the moft indolent awakened, at any danger which threatens themselves, and will exert their utmoft power to obviate or efcape it.

The offices of ftate are furely great trufts, and confequently fhould have great and good men to difcharge them. Each minifter, according to his feparate province, is to inform their master of the true ftate of af

fairs. The heads of the law are to acquaint him plainly what is against law and the constitution. The heads of the treafury fhould lay before

him the taxes on the people; the difficulties of raifing money without new burthens on them; and commend frugality, and practife it: not one fear mentioning the fenfe of the people; not one fhould dare to deceive the fovereign with flattering accounts, and fycophantic defcriptions; and, inftead of deliberating upon means to impeach and ruin each other, apply their genius and talents to the advancement of the national good. For were it only the bufinefs of minifters of ftate to make a parade of bufinefs, confitting in noife and hurry, to be complaifant enough to know what they are bid, and give what they are afked for, and all this to ferve their own private views, Tidde-dol, the gingerbread man, would make as good a minifter as any of them all.

The reader may look on this as too ludicrous a comparifon: therefore to give fome authority for it, I will quote a fcence from a play of Ariftophanes. This is a fatire on one Cleon, who, from his noify harangues, and having neither honour nor confcience, had worked himself into the ftate.- -The poet, to conduct the scenery, makes it revealed to two leading men of the other party, that the oracle faid, a maker of faufages would make as good a flat man as Cleon, and fould fucceed him. They are confulting on this when they fee the faufage-maker at work in his fhop, and thus accoft him. Demefilenes, Nicias, Saufage-maker,

Dem. Hail right honourable pudding-man! happy are we to fee the deliverer of the republic.

Sauf. What is all this? what d'ye mean by giving me thefe titles? Dem. Lay afide your trafh and mind me. You fhall be a ftatefman and politician to-morrow.

Sauf. How can that be, when I am a pudding-maker?

Dem. Because you are bold, and wicked, and have no ties of honour, friendship, or confcience.

Sauf. Yet I don't think myfelf worthy of fuch a poft.

Dem. Not worthy! d'ye think yourself a good or a bad man? Sauf. Bad enough, by all the Gods.

Dem. That's right, for our commonwealth wants none of your virtuous, righteous, uncorrupt men.— Don't defpife what the Gods have decreed.

Sauf. The oracle flatters me; how fhall I have politics enough to be a minister, and manage govern

ment ?

Dem. As eafy as to fluff a gut, and manage a faufage.Politics and faufage making are much like; you are to do only what you were ufed to do before: mix, jumble them together, make a hodge podge, difturb and confound every thing you take in hand. Then as to the practical part, if poffible, you must cajole the people to fwallow your politics, as you used to do the mcb to fwallow your faufages: you have a rare talent for this; a falfe tongue, and a wicked cunning; and, befides a little mattering in the law, you have every thing neceffary to make fuch a politician as our republic ftands in need of.

I will add only a remark, that thofe in Athens, at the time Ariftophanes lived, who fought great places, had need but of two things: one, first to affect an air of popularity; the other, to affirm and do any thing afterwards which fuited. with their defigns. From fuch faufage-maling ftatefmen, good Lord deliver us.

G. E. W.

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