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engaged at all in the county of Southampton, if the intentions of L-r H- had been in time communicated to him) fhall not only refufe to be chofen himself at the next general election, but affift lord Carnarvon and Mr. Stuart, in oppofition to thofe, who have fupported Mr. Legge at the late election, is determined to fubmit to any confequences rather than incur fo great a difgrace."

Lord B. fent a reply the fame day, which Mr. M. wrote down from his mouth, in the following words:

"The inftant Mr. Legge reprefents himself as bound in honour not to decline ftanding for Hampfhire, at the next general election, lord B. is firmly perfuaded, that the P will by no means defire it of him; but he does out of real friendfhip to Mr. Legge befeech him to confider very seriously, whether, after triumphing over the P-'s inclinations at prefent, lord B. has any method left of removing prejudices, that the late unhappy occurrences have strongly impreffed the Pwith, than by being enabled to affure him, that Mr. Legge will, as far as shall be in his power, co-operate with his R-H-'s wishes at the next general election."

Mr. Legge returned the following final answer.

Though in fact Mr. Legge has been fo unhappy as to find himself opposed to the P— of —W's inclinations, yet as to intention Mr. Legge feels himself intirely blameJefs; and has too high a veneration for the P of W-'s juftice, to think he will conceive lafting prejudices against any man, for refifting thofe inclinations, of which he was totally ignorant.

"As Mr. Legge flatters himself this confideration will induce the P-of W-to forgive his entering into engagements with the county of Southampton, he is certain, that his R-H- will not condemn his adhering to thofe engagements when entered into.

"God forbid, Mr. Legge fhould be fufpected of triumphing over the Pof W's inclinations! the contrary was fo much his intention, that from the moment he discovered, which way thofe inclinations lay, there was no endeavour he did not ufe, to avoid the difpute with honour; nor did Mr. Legge exert himfelf, either in point of expence or perfonal application, till all compromife being rejected, he had no other part left to act.

"Mr. Legge is obliged to lord B. for the friendship he expreffes toward him. Surely his lordship cannot doubt but that Mr. Legge thould be extremely glad, if he could find himself in fuch a fituation, as would permit him to have the honour of obeying the P- of W-'s com mands, and feconding his wifhes, without breaking the faith he has openly and publickly pledged to the county of Southampton. This if he were to do, he fhould forfeit all title to the P- of W-'s countenance and protection as certainly as he knows he should forfeit his RH's private good opinion."

Here the correspondence ended. His late majefty died the year following, and at the end of the first feffion of parliament, after his prefent majefty's acceffion, Mr. Legge was difmiffed, or, as he chose to exprefs it, turned out, after having serv ed the crown and the public, in his department, during that feffion, with his ufual ability and fidelity.

He

He had abundant refources in his own mind, to reconcile him to private life, and might have had his difgrace gloffed over by a favour, which he declined. He faid, it was his duty to submit but not to approve.

སྐ

He had the more valuable and independent fatisfaction, foon after, the event, to be unanimoufly chofen to reprefent the county of Southampton, at the general election.

V

DESCRIPTION of the City of VENICE.

ENICE, the capital of the duchy or Dogado of the fame name, and all the Venetian territories, likewife the feat of the republic, ftands in the Lagunes of the Adriatic fea, about five miles from the continent. Thefe Lagunes, as they are called, were little iflands or fpots of ground appearing above the fea, which overflowed the neighbouring parts: to thefe, upon the invafion of Italy by the Goths and Huns, in the 5th century, feveral opulent men from Padua and other adjacent parts fled, to avoid their devastations, and where they might probably be in fafety with their effects from thefe barbarous intruders.

Accordingly, in the year 420 or 421, they began to lay the first foundation of this city on feventytwo Lagunes, of which iflands there is at present a greater number than this city ftands upon. It is fo fecurely fituated, that no enemy can approach it either by land or fea; and the access to the Lagunes is fo difficult, that it has been thought unneceffary to furround this city with a wall; nor has it been befieged from its first foundation, for a space of above 1300 years. Its numberless palaces and lofty towers, emerging, as it were, out of the waters, without any, thing to intercept the view, make a grand apDecember 1764.

pearance, when feen either on the land-fide or from the fea. The city is about fix miles in circuit, and its inhabitants amount to 20,000. Here are many canals, by means of which one may go by water to any part of the city. These canals have no quays for walking, and fometimes they take up the whole fpace from one fide of the street to the other. Over the feveral canals in Veniè are upwards of 500 bridges, the moft remarkable of which is the Rialto, confifting of a fingle arch the third part of a circle, being ninety feat wide, and built over the grand canal. The piazza or fquare of St. Mark has not its equal in any place for the magnificence of the buildings; alfo thofe on the grand canal are most of them ftately palaces, faced with marble and pillars of feveral orders. The rooms have commonly hangings of gilt leather or tapettry, and their bedfteads are of iron; fo as thus to be free from the inconveniency of vermin common in London, Paris, and other large cities. But with thefe advantages, Venice has but bad cellaring for their wine, and the water here is not good, except what is brought from the mainland; and in fummer the canals fend forth an offenfive and noisome stench.

The procuraties, which are a fort 4 P

of

of marble ftructures, whofe architecture is very handfome and regular, run along each fide, having Jarge piazzas under them. This place is 280 paces in length, and 110 in breadth. That part next the fea is the walk of the noble Venetians, and is the place where feveral affairs are tranfacted. There are 150 palaces, the finest of which is that of the doge, that fronts St. Mark's place. He lodges in the upper apartments, and thofe below are for the affemblies of the councils of ftate, with the body of the nobility, and magiftrates. Befides thefe large buildings, there are 115 towers, of furprising height and Atructure, 64 marble flatues, and 23 of bronze, which are all mafterpieces of workmanship. The arfenal of Venice is the finest and beft furnished in Europe. It is feated on the fea fide at the end of the city, from whence it is feparated by a canal, and is about 3 miles in circumference. It is furrounded with very high walls, and feveral fmall towers, where there is a good guard. In thefe towers there are bells, which the centinels ring on the leaft appearance of danger. In this arfenal there are arms for 100,000 men, as well horfe as foot; befides 2000 cannons always ready for fervice, either by fea or land. There are near 2000 workmen con ftantly employed, whofe chief is called Amiraglio, and they are paid regularly every Saturday. Thefe workmen coft the republic 500,000 ducats every year.

In this city there are 70 churches, 39 monafteries, 28 nunneries, and 17 hofpitals. The cathedral church is that of St. Mark, in which they pretend to keep the body of St. Mark the evangelift. It is gloomy

2

within, but its walls are of marble, and the pillars of the front are encrufted with jafper and porphyry. There is alfo a library, in which are a number of Greek, manufcripts, but none of them are above 500 years old. The number of the inhabitants are above 160,000; and they have a flourishing trade in filk manufa&ories, bone lace, all forts of glaffes and mirrours, which make their principal employments. The fons are generally of the fame bufinefs as the father.

Though the religion of Venice be that of the church of Rome, the pope has no authority here, being looked upon as only a temporal prince; and the holy father at prefent is a native of this city, and of a noble family in it. Their church is under the patriarchs of Aquileia and Venice, which prelates are entirely fubje&t to the flate, and are no better than cyphers; fo that the court of inquifition, which was never effectually fettled here, can put none of their decrees in force, without the permiflion of the republic.

The Greeks, Armenians, and Jews, are allowed the free exercise of their religion: and thofe of any other, or even none, may live without any moleftation, provided they neither speak against the religion of the country, nor meddle with stateaffairs. But no Jefuits are allowed to live here, except fuch as are natives of the ftate, and whose fo perior muft be one born in this metropolis.

Venice, in general, is neatly built, and the flooring in their houfes, which are elegantly furnished, is particularly admired, being compofed of a red cement, so hard and fmooth, that you may fee your face in it.

Of

Of this rich and fine city, it may juftly be faid, that from the fearcity of fuel in it, and even earth to cover their dead, the dampnefs of the air, ftagnation, and difagreeable effluvia of the canals in Venice, with other inconveniencies abovementioned, it may be a place for a

month or two's delightful paftime, but not at all eligible to be confined in for one's whole life. Venice is fituated 150 miles E. of Milan, and about 226 N. of Rome. Lat. 45 deg. 46 min. N. long. 13 deg. 10 min. E.

To the Authors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

Reading the other day your laft Magazine, I could, not but obferve the abandoned chara&ter there given of the life of Mr. Samuel Boyfe. Now, left any of your readers fhould be induced to think he died as he had lived, the inclofed genuine copy of a letter written by himself just before he died, to the Rev. Mr. James Hervey, author of the Meditations, &c. will fully convince them of the contrary. By giving it a place in your next Magazine, you will greatly oblige, Yours, G. S,

Rev. and dear Sir,

FOR

OR your tender admonitions and excellent advice, I am truly indebted to you; as they difcover a generous and compaflionate concern for my better part. I blefs God I have reason to hope that great work is not to do; for of all the marks of infatuation I know amongst men, there can be none equal to that of trufting to a deathbed repentance. I do not pretend to vindicate my own conduct, nor can I ever forget the very Chriflian fenfe of my condition and misfortunes, which (notwithstanding all my misbehaviour) you have fo pathetically expreffed. The follies of my youth have furnished a plentiful harvest of reflection for my latter years, as I have been now for a long time in a manner buried from the world, fo it has been my endeavour to spend that time in lamenting my paft errors, and in purfuing a courfe of life void of of

I

God as my

fence towards God and man. have learnt to trust in only portion, to bless him for his fatherly corrections, which have been much gentler than my demerit: and by which I have been taught to know him and myself; his infinire mercy and goodness; my own ingratitude and unworthinefs, fo that I may truly fay with the returning prodigal," Father, "I have finned againft heaven,

and against thee, and am not "worthy to be called thy fon."

My health is in a very precarious ftate; and the greatest hopes of recovery I have (which are very fmall) arife from warm weather and the country air. I thank God I am abfolutely refigned to his holy and bleffed will. I have feen enough of the vanity and folly of earthly things, and how infufficient they are to fatisfy the defires of an immortal foul. I am fenfible of my 4 P 2

Own

British own wretchedness and nothingnefs, virtue; and may you, by your fhinand that my only hope of falvationing example, be a means of turnis through that bleffed Redeemer ing many to righteoufnefs: this is who died to fave loft finners. This the fincere and ever grateful with is my rock of hope against an approaching eternity.

May you long, Sir, tafte thofe true and unfading pleafure, which attend the practice of religion and

of

Your moft obliged, and
Faithful Servant,

S. BOYSE.

Obfervations on VIPERS. From Mr. John Bartram's Travels into Carolina.

A Gentleman aftured Mr. Bar. fix minutes he began to draw in his

:

tongue: by flow degrees he hut his
jaws, then the film removed from
over his eyes, which appeared very
bright, he first turned his head and
neck, then his whole body, and,
foon after, the fubtle ferpent crept

away.

Next day he efpied another viper, by the way fide, upon which he got a flick, and provoked him as he did the other. This viper foon feigned himself dead, and Mr. Bartram ftood a confiderable time looking at him; at length he revived again, and endeavoured to creep away, but was prevented.

tram, that he had vexed a viper to that degree that he bit him felf, and then turned on his back and died and afterwards, as Mr. Bar. tram was travelling, he faw a black viper in a coil by the road-fide; he then bethought himself to try the experiment he had fo lately heard, of which he doubted the truth; he got a cleft flick, and drew the viper into the road, which fo irritated him, that he hiffed and fpread his head and neck very flat, and his body flattish, attempting at the fame time to make off, but he ftopped his career, which provoked him fo much, that in a rage he opened his mouth to its utmost extent, and drew half the length of his body through it, into his ftomach, and feemed to bite himself; he immediately turned on his back, his jaws being wide open, his tongue Jolling out, and lying on his neck, and a film covering his eyes; his body was alfo contracted, and his belly funk between his ribs: he lay quite motionless, and was to ap-its mouth, it prefently turned on its pearance dead. Mr. Bartram ftood back, and feemed to all intents quite at fome distance from him to ob- dead; but he flood fo long as to fee ferve his motions; in about five or it revive and recover.

A perfon afterwards overtook him, and related a flory he had heard well afferted, that our fpittle, inje&ed into the mouth of a ferpent, was mortal poifon. This he determined to try the first opportunity. Some time after he found a viper, which he provoked to open its mouth, and keeping it in that pofture, he fpit on the end of a tick, and dropping the fpittle into

To

H

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