ページの画像
PDF
ePub
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

plicius in the thread of his argument, and fo prejudiced his understanding, that, though he had ingenuity to urge this reafon, he had not at the fame time perfpicuity enough to fee the fallacy of it. But where experience and reafon refufed to go hand in hand, it is obvious there must be fome latent error, which was left for fucceeding generations to difcover and correct.

How much more exalted thoughts do the deeper researches of the prefent age furnish us with in this point, bolder in its difcoveries of truth, as well as in impiety! By the eftablished excellent fyftem of philofophy we are taught, that God acts by" univerfal, not by partial laws," and confequently that all partial evil is univerfal good." 'Tis madnefs to fuppofe that the Deity would fuperfede the general laws, which himself had established at the creation, upon every trivial account; which none but the most important occafions can require, fuch as the Sacred Writings afford us, where we find frequent atteftations of particular Providences, which are not applicable to our times, when fuch Providences, and the occafions which required them, have ceased. Let us carry our view to another part of the creation, and we thall fee no fuch thing happen in the world of aftronomy, which discovers no fupernatural interpofition to hinder the action of the planets on the bodies of each other. Providence is concerned in a more important sphere of action, the

power and influence of fuch a body as the fun, on which depends the direction of a glorious chorus of planets, all fubject to his impulfe, whofe beautiful order and regularity, in general, fufficiently proclaim their great and provident Creator and Preferver. Thefe are the laws of the celeftial choir, and it is natural to conclude, that the fame great Lawgiver enacted the fame general laws on earth, even if we wanted other reasons to confirm the fuppofition. It is unbecoming the order of Nature to fuffer general laws to clafh, for the fake of one, or even a thousand individuals.

When the loofe mountain trembles from

Shall gravitation ceafe if you go by? [on high,
Or fome old temple, nodding to its fall,
For Chartres' head referve the hanging wall?

Thefe are ends by no means adcquate to or deferving of fuch means; for what pilot would not throw a few overboard to eafe the veffel, and fave the greater part? melius eft perire unum quam unitatem. This doctrine is not an exclufion of Providence; but, on the contrary, furnishes the judicious man with more exalted ideas of the Creator's wisdom and care, when he confiders what a small proportion this body of his, nay, the whole earth, on which millions of such move, bears to the immenfe whole, and that God prefers the well-being of the general fyftem before that of particulars. Let it be our confolation that we have another world to rectify these inequalities, which if we take into one view with this, there will be fufficient rea. fon for us to fufpend our complaints.

A Genealogical Account of MANNERS, Duke of RUTLAND.

TH

HE family of Manners is one of the most antient and honourable houfes in Great Britain, April 1761.

and probably took its denomination from the village of Mannor in the bishopric of Durham. We find them

C c

of

of confequence immediately after the Conqueft, fettled in the north of England, wardens of the marches, confervators of truce, and principally concerned in all the expeditions to Scotland. Sir Robert de Manners had no fmall fhare in the victery obtained over the Scots near Durham, where their king David was taken prifoner. Sir Robert Manners, in the fourth year of Richard III. married Eleanor, eldeft fifter and coheir of Edmund Lord Roos, with whom he poffeffed the antient feat of Belvoir-castle, built by Robert de Todenci, a Norman baron, who came over with Wil liam the Conqueror: by this marriage he likewife enjoyed Helmefley or Hamlake castle in Yorkshire, and Orston castle in the county of Nottingham, with divers other manors and lands belonging to Lord Rous, lineally defcended from that of William Lord Roos of Hamlake, who food competitor with Bruce and Baliol for the kingdom of Scotland, being great grandfon of Robert Lord Roos and his wife Ifabel, daughter of William king of Scotland. George Manners, the fon of this marriage, inherited the title of Lord Roos after the deceafe of his mother, and efpoufed the daughter of Sir Thomas St. Leger and Anne dutchefs of Exeter, fifter to king Edward IV. fo that in the iue of this marriage the blood royal of England and Scotland were united. The eldeft føn, Thomas, was created earl of Rutland by Henry VIII. and was very inftrumental in quelling the two infurrections in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. John, the fecond fon of this firft earl, was ancestor of the prefent duke of Rutland, his elder brother, having died without

3

furviving male iffue. John's eldeft fon and heir, Roger, was a great traveller, an intimate friend of the famous earl of Effex, and married the daughter and heirefs of Sir Philip Sidney; but dying without iffue, was fucceeded in the earldom by his brother Francis. This nobleman was alfo a great traveller, and much refpected by king James. He left no children, and therefore was fucceeded by the third brother, Sir George Manners; who dying likewife without iffue, the earldom of Rutland, with the other titles, devolved on John Manners of NetherHaddon, Efq; fon and heir of Sir George Manners, fon and heir of Sir John Manners, fecond fon of Thomas the firft earl of Rutland. It was John, the grandfon of this noble earl, whom queen Anne created marquis of Granby and duke of Rutland, in confideration of his own great merits, and the fervices of his ancestors to the nation.

His grace the present duke of Rutland is grandfon of this nobleman, and father to the marquis of Granby.

It is obfervable of this antient and honourable houfe of Manners, that it has been always famous for loyalty, fidelity, valour, affability, generofity, and old English hofpirality, without one intervening blank or blemish.

John, the prefent duke of Rutland, born in the year 1696, was, after his father's deceafe, conftitured lord lieutenant of the county of Leicefter, inftalled knight of the Garter, fworn of the privy council, and made chancellor of the dutchy of Lancaster, in the reign of George 1. He carried the fceptre with the crofs at the coronation of George

[ocr errors]

II. was afterwards appointed lord fteward of the houfhold, and nominated one of the regency to govern the kingdom in the king's abfence. His pretent majefty conftituted him mafter of the horfe, an office which he ftill retains. His grace efpoufed Bridget, only daughter and heir to Robert Sutton, lord Lexington, by whom he had feven fons and fix daughters. Of all thefe children, three fons only remain. John, mar quis of Granby, born January 2, 1720-21, diftinguished as a general in the fervice. He married the lady Frances Seymour, eldest daughter of Charles duke of Somerset, by his fecond wife the lady Charlotte Finch, and by this marriage he has two fons and two daughters.

His grace is intitled John Manners duke of Rutland, marquis of Granby, earl of Rutland, baron Rofs of Hamlake, Trufbut, and Belvoir, and baron Manners of Haddon, lord lieutenant and cuftos 10

tulorum of the county of Leicester, one of the lords of his majesty's privy council, mafter of the horie, and knight of the moft noble order of the Garter.

Arms. Or, two bars, azure, a chief, quarterly of the fecond, gules, the firft charged with two fleurs-delis of the firft, and the laft with a lion of the fame. The chief was antiently gules, and the charge is an honorary augmentation, fhewing his defcent from the blood-royal of king Edward IV.

Creft. On a chapeau, gules, turned up ermine, a peacock in pride, proper.

Supporters. Two unicorns, argent, their horns, crefts, tufts, and hoofs,

or.

Motto. Pour y parvenir, Fr.-In order to accomplish it.

Chief Seats. Haddon-hall in the county of Derby; Belvoir-caftle in the county of Lincoln; and Averham-park in Nottinghamshire.

COMPENDIOUS HISTORY OF FRANCE. [Continued.]

T

HE hiftory of thefe times is no more than a repetition of ravages. Clothaire and Childebert, ftill actuated by the rage of making conquests, and allured by the hope of plunder, invaded Spain with an infinite multitude, reduced Pampeluna, pillaged all Hifpania-Tarraconenfis, and undertook the siege of Saragoffa, which, however, they could not take. Theudes, king of the Vifigoths, affembling his forces, fell upon them unawares, and defeated them with great flaughter. They were even purfued into their own country, where Fortune declared in their favour. In the courfe

of the fucceeding year, they found means to inclofe the army of the Vifigoths in Languedoc, in a narrow place near the fea-fide, where, being furiously attacked, they were either butchered or taken.

The events of war being thus pretty evenly ballanced, the two French kings concluded a peace with the Vifigoths. During thefe transactions, the troubles in Italy continued to rage without intermiffion. In the fpace of eighteen months, the Oftrogoths elected three kings, two of whom were affaffinated, The third was Totila, a prince of füning talents, equally brave, equi

[blocks in formation]
« 前へ次へ »