GENTLEMAN'S ENDON GAZETIE amb.-Chath. arli.2--Chester 2 helms. Cambria. MAGAZINE : Cornw.-Covent. 2 DECEMBER, 1812. CONTAINING Doncaster--Derb. Dorchest.--Essex Exeter 2, Glouc.2 Halifax-Hanst 2 Norfolk, Norwich Portsea-Pottery Preston-Plym. 2 Reading Salisb. Staff Stamf. 2 Worc. 2-YORK 3 Sunday Advertise. Jersey2. Guern. 2. 566 Meteorological Diaries for Nov. & Dec. 498* Naval Asylum.--Whitehall.-Glastonbury 540 By SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT. 589 590 Printed by NICHOLS, SON, and BENTLEY, at CICERO'S HEAD, Red Lion Passage, Fleet-str. London; where all Letters to the Editor are desired to be addressed, POST-FAID. Days.Mo. Inches. 20ths. WEATHER. cloudy, very rainy, high wind cloudy at times, some light rain mostly clear cloudy, drizzling rain cloudy steady rain most of the day cloudy, mostly rainy cloudy at times cloudy at times, evening some rain cloudy, frequent light rain, windy thick fog, afterwards clear mostly clear mostly cloudy cloudy ditto cloudy, afternoon rainy cloudy ditto The average degrees of Temperature, from observations made at eight o'clock in the morning, are 37-4 100ths; those of the corresponding month in the year 1811, were 42-6 100ths; in 1810, 40 100ths; in 1809, 36 100ths; in 1808, 42-52 100ths; in 1807, 34-55 100ths; in 1806, 45-30 100ths; in 1805, 36 100ths; and in 1804, 42-10 100ths. The quantity of Rain fallen this month is equal to 3 inches 8 100ths; that of the corresponding month in the year 1811, was 3 inches 54 100ths; in 1810, 6 inches 80 100ths; in 1809, 1 inch 54 100ths; in 1808, 3 inches 8 100ths; in 1807, 5 inches 44 100ths; in 1806, 3 inches 36 100ths; in 1805, 1 inch 32-100ths; and in 1804, 5 inches 45 100ths. METEOROLOGICAL TABLE for December, 1812. By W. CARY, Strand. Height of Fahrenheit's Thermometer. THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, For DECEMBER, 1812. Dec. 3. Mr. URBAN, First Lord Commissioner of Trade but that Gobliged to the son of the late office in September next ensuing, la Mr. H. S. Woodfall for an excellent Edition of the "Letters of Junius," illustrated as they are by Fac Simile Engravings, and by the communica tion of much new and useful information; the grand secret still remains undiscovered. Mr. Woodfall's "Preliminary Es say" very fully investigates the claims of several eminent Writers, who have in their turns had the honour of being supposed to be JUNIUS; but, on solid grounds, he rejects them all. The field of conjecture, therefore, is still open; and I shall take the liberty of offering mine-aware that an objection or two may be started, and professing to deal in conjecture only. To come to the point:-1 am of opinion that the Letters were the production of WILLIAM PETTY, Earl of SHELBURNE, and afterwards Marquis of LANSDOWNE; a Nobleman whom when living I very highly respected, and whose memory I still revere. The first idea of attributing them to the noble Peer arose from a comparison of the Fac Simile Letters with a short Note from his Lordship on a matter of business; and, though the Letters are in a disguised hand, and the Note written 20 years later, still" there are some shades of resemblance. This alone, however, would be very insufficient ground for the supposition I have adopted. But let us look at his early history, and contemplate his literary character. His Lordship was born May 13, 1737 ; and was appointed, Dec. 4, 1760, Aide-de-camp to the present King, with the rank of Colonel of Foot. May 14, 1761, he succeeded his Father as Lord Wycombe, Earl of Shelburne, having before been a burgess in Parliament for Chipping Wycombe. April 20, 1763, he was sworn of the Privy Council; and on the 22d of that month was declared March, 1765, he was promoted to the rank of Major General. July 30, 1766, he was appointed "Principal Secretary of State for the Southern department," in the Grafton Administration; which high post he resigned, Oct. 21, 1768, when the Earl of Chatham withdrew. [Jan. 5, 1771, he lost his first wife.] From his resignation till 1782, Lord Shelburne continued in strong opposition to all the measures of Government; and took a very active part in Parliament; aud he was certainly, as much as any man of that period," in habits of confidential intercourse with different Members of the Cabinet, and with Politicians who were most intimately familiar with the Court, and entrusted with all its secrets." He had also “attained an age which would allow him, without vanity, to boast of an ample knowledge of the world." [He was created Marquis of Lansdowne, Nov. 30, 1784; and died May 7, 1805.] Thus much for his Lordship's knowledge of public life, and of public men and measures. An estimate of his literary talents shall now be extracted from Mr. Park's valuable Edition of the "Royal and Noble Authors,” "Lord Shelburne filled a large space in society as a Statesman, an Orator, an accomplished Gentleman, an excellent Landlord, a liberal Patron of the Arts, and a most amiable man in private life. He is thought to have possessed more political information than any other man of his time. There was scarcely a principal City on the Continent of Europe, or in the United States of America, in which he had not one or more correspondents, from whom he collected every local event of importance; and often received intelligence which Government had not the means of procuring. To a most accurate knowledge of the history and constitution of his own country, he added very considerable knowledge of the state of other countries. countries. He strenuously opposed the war with Revolutionary France, and supported the Union with Ireland; a country with whose character he appeared thoroughly acquainted; and therefore recommended that she should be dealt with honourably. The Marquis was also & finished Scholar, as well as a profound Politician; and when the subsequent directors of the State Machine ceased to derive benefit from his superior talents, he retired within his vaJuable Library at Shelburne House." As there are not many known productions of the Earl of Shelburne in print, I shall refer your Readers, Mr. Urban, to two of his compositions. For a Letter of his to Governor Bernard, in 1768, see Gent. Mag. vol. XXXVIII. p. 220; and for some very masterly observations on the Plan for erecting a Monument to the memory of Mr. Howard, see vol. LX. p. 395. For his Speeches in Parliament, see your Volumes from 1775 to 1783. From the portraits of Lord Shelburne when young, he might very well have been "the tall gentleman dressed in a light coat with bag and sword," who was seen by Mr. Jackson (now of Ipswich) "throwing a letter of Junius into the office door of Mr. Woodfall, which Mr. Jackson picked up, and immediately followed the bearer of it into St. Paul's Church-yard, where he got into a hackney coach, and drove off." The name of the Earl of Shelburne, it may be observed, is very rarely to be seen in the Letters of Junius; it seems, indeed, to be studiously omitted. In the "Miscellaneous Letters" attributed to him, the name in deed occurs twice, and that in such terms as his Lordship could not possibly have used, unless it were for the purpose of setting Suspicion itself at rest. But, after all, it is possible that Corregio, dated Sept. 16, 1767, (sixteen months before the date of Junius's first Letter), might be by some other Correspondent. The criterion of fixing it on Junius is only the coincidence of the Printer's "Acknowledgment to his Correspondent C.;" a signature not adopted in auy preceding Letter. That of Atticus, in which Lord Shelburne is again noticed, is dated Oct. 19, 1768; when his Lordship's resignation, which took place two days after, must have been determined upon, and when Lord Hillsborough had been many months appointed Secretary for the Colonial Department. On the 26th of the same month came out a violent Phi lippic against the appointment of the Earl of Rochford to the Seals of the Northern Department instead of the Southern, to which he was so much better adapted, and which Lord Shelburne had then just quitted; and in the earliest Letters of Junius, dated Jan. 21, 1769, the new Secretary of State is still the sad burden of the song. Sir William Draper appears to have had several important communications with the Earl of Shelburne, when in office, relative to the Corsicans, "who had applied to many Foreign Courts for assistance, and among the rest to Great Britain; and Lord Shelburne was one of the warmest supporters of their cause, and most desirous, when in Adminis tration, to engage in it. But his Colleagues opposed him; and the cause of Corsica was abandoned, though the citizens of London contributed largely to its support." Between the Earl of Shelburne and Sir William Draper there had also been some intercourse on the Manilla Ransom. (See the new edition, Vol. I. p. 73, note; and the Index, vol. III. p. 505; where "the English Minister" is identified with the Earl of Shelburne.) In a letter to Junius, dated Sept. 14, 1769, Sir William "In the last autumn, I Draper says, personally delivered a Memorial to the Earl of Shelburne at his seat in Wiltshire. As you have told us of your importance, that you are a person of rank and fortune, and above a common bribe, you may in all probability be not unknown to his Lordship, who can satisfy you of the truth of what I say." From the four words in Italics, so marked by Sir William Draper, it might almost be supposed that he thought Junius and Lord Shelburne to be alter et idem. In the earliest Letter of Junius to Mr. Wilkes, Aug. 21, 1771, he strenuously recommends that Mr.Sawbridge should be supported at the then approaching election of Lord Mayor of London. Wilkes (certainly not knowing Junius) answers, "Junius has, in my idea, too favourable sentiments of Sawbridge. I allow him honest, but think he has more mulishness than under understanding, more understanding than candour. He is become the absolute dupe of Malagrida's gang." Paley's Evidences. Hora Paulinæ. Grotius de Veritate Religionis Christianæ. Pretyman's Refutation of Calvinism. Burn's Ecclesiastical Law. Having no view, in this communication, but a desire to elucidate a point of some considerable import- Paley, and Gilpin. ance in literary history, no apology, Mr. Urban, will be necessary for this intrusion. If I am right in the conjecture, there must be in existence a sufficient number of his Lordship's Letters to compare with the Fac Simile engravings.-If I am wrong, the supposition may be easily disproved; and I trust that I shall not have given offence to the Friends of the illus trious Peer, by endeavouring to place on his brow one sprig of laurel, which the ablest Writer of that period might have proudly worn. Mr. URBAN, You N. S. Dec. 3. OUNG men preparing for the Ministry, are often in doubt as to the books which might be read by them with the greatest advantage, during the interval between their take ing their first degree, and the time of ordination. As there are few of this, or indeed of any description of readers, into whose hands the Gentleman's Magazine may not fall, I thought that it might confer a general benefit, if I sent you a list of books which it would be adviseable for them to study; and with this view I enclose you what has lately fallen into my hands, the course of reading recommended to his candidates for orders, by the present Bishop of Chester: and I am Mr. Urban's old Correspondent, CLERICUS. "A Course of Reading recommended to the Candidates for Orders at Chester. "The Septuagint. An interleaved Greek Testament. Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. Burnet on the Thirty-nine Articles.. Taylor on Romans. Shepherd on the Common Prayer. A Hoax. St. Alban's, Dec. 18. "A hoax! in troth a hoax! a parlous hoax!!!" A Master URBAN. That a man at three-score may not creep to the ty ring house of all flesh, without being Jured far away, like a true Falconer, and spring no game. Thus it was :— On the second of November, after a morning of excellent sport, having netted, with my peculiar fly, a saucy pike of some six pounds, and a scarletshotted tawny trout of near the same chair for the evening, when your Masize;-I had just nestled in my easy gazine arrived. Scarce had the tremulous task of cutting begun, when the specious invitation of Rusticus. "Hawking" attracted my eye to "What a triumvirate were this to dine with!". I exclaimed. "What if I join them? Sure a true sportsman making a fourth,will not be considered an intruder: especially one who at college acted by the words of our elder poet, who says, PLAGUE of all knavery, I say, 'That studentes gay seke hauke and one who divided this county for hoop |