at Citero's Head, Red Lion Paffage, Fleet-Strect;

for DAVID HENRY, late of St. John's Gate.

And fold by ELIZ. NEWBERY, the Corner of St. Paul's
Church Yard, Ludgate-Street. 1790.

,

ON COMPLETING HIS LXth VOLUME.

HATEVER change the varying year beftows,
The Vernal bloffom, or the Summer rofe,
The plenteous Autumn, Winter's gelid breath,
Emblem of Age, of Penury, and Death;
Yet not to thefe is Intellect confin'd,
But Matter, fubject to th' Imperial Mind.
Then hail the Seafon that returning brings
The sweet and ufeful 'neath its boift'rous wings !
Thofe, fill fuperior to the fweeping storm,
Give to reflexion every fofter form,

That Science, Ethics, Tafte, or Fancy's powers,
Produce fpontaneous in their happieft hours :-
All Learning's labours o'er the midnight oil,-
The rength of ftudy, and the blifs of toil,
Still here with URBAN feek their measur'd goal,
To raife, extend, or meliorate the whole!
See Critic Lore a hoft of foes affail,
O'er Cuftom, Party, Prejudice, prevail
By fair Difcuffion!-Not thofe rabble rules
That mould at will their idly-fervile tools;
Who praife or blame without the judgement's line,
Deprefs to hell, or make a worm divine!
Low in the earth behold the Idol laid,
Whofe magic top o'er fenfe and merit sway'd;
Who, to dispatch a Rival from the earth,
To floods of Dulnefs gave a fecond birth;
One rage impels, one ruin recks around,
And all the deluge foams upon the ground!
But URBAN here no ftorm nor pique controuls
(The fickle vapouring of little fouls),
While Juftice with the fteadieft aim purfues
His talk, to vindicate a manlier Mufe:
No charrs divert him from his arduous end,
Tho' thefe the GRACES' and the LovEs attend!
Nor lefs his fortitude than Grecians bore
Who pafs'd the Syrens on the Ægéan fhore!

URBAN! thy candid, generous plan pursue,
To Man, to Liberty, to Order due :-
Still prompt fuch praifes from the tuneful choir,
As fain would emulate the Mafter's lyre,
Who could with fweeteft melodies combine

"The long-refounding march, and energy divine!"

Dec. 31, 1790.

W. H. REID.

PREFACE.

N the Completion of a SIXTIETH VOLUME we may again be allowed to make the moft grateful Acknowledgements for that Succeffion of Favour, which has fo long enabled us to ftand confpicuous in the foremost Rank of Monthly Journalists.

We affume no Merit beyond that of being the brief, but faithful, Reporters of the Chronicle of the Fimes; and of felecting from the Variety of excellent Contributions which we receive what, in our beft Judgement, we think moft conducive to the general Fund of public Entertainment and Instruction. It is to our Correfpondents that the Reader is principally indebted for the valuable Materials with which our Pages are conftantly filled, by Writers of the firft Eminence.

Ufeful Inventions and Improvements in all Branches of Science, and even the Record of unfuccefsful Projects, have regularly been registered in our Mifcellany. The Admirers of Biography, which has become a favourite Amufement of the prefent Age, will find here the moft copious Stores of Information; and that very frequently in the trueft Picture that can be given, by the genuine Letters of fuch eminent Characters as beft deferve to be perpetuated. The Natural Hiftorian, the Antiquary, the Philofopher, and the Studious in Polite Literature of every Defcription, may also meet with their favourite Object of Refearch, and mutually give and receive that Inftruction which we are proud of being the Inftruments of conveying to public Notice.

In Politicks, the prefent Year has been pregnant with Events of the highest Importance both to Church and State; and thofe it has been our Study to detail with the strictest Impartiality. And in this Volume, we may confidently affert, will be found a fatisfactory Narrative of the Proceedings of the National Affembly in France, and of that ever-memorable Federation, which an elegant Female Writer *, who went to Paris on purpose to be a Spectator of it, calls "the "moft fublime Spectacle that ever was reprefented on the "Theatre of the Earth."

We shall only add, that the very great and flattering Encouragement our Labours continue to receive is an additional Incentive to a steady Purfuit of the Path we have already trod, and to a chearful Continuance of future Exertions. INDEX

Dec. 31, 1790.

# Mifs WILLIAMS, whofe Letters from France, lately published, do her much credit.