For

1786.

Hermitage, near Bath, July ž.

MR. URBAN,

***

T

HOUGH it has been my lot (I will not fay my happy lot) to have lived with, and converfed much among, what are generally called the great men of this nation, yet I confider the greatest honour I have received, during a long and chequered life, to be a vifit made me en perfonne by Mr. Howard; his unfolicited name as a fubfcriber to a poor performance of mine; and a prefent of his own immortal deeds; deeds fo fraught with benevolence, and told with fuch modefty, humility, and philanthropy, that he, who can read them without feeling a reverential awe for the doer, muft be unworthy of the name of man. I therefore fend you a draft on Meffrs. Hoares for one guinea, that I may contribute my mite towards the erection of a ftatue to immortalize THE PERSON of Mr. Howard; his virtues and his writings will immortalize his name. I am forry to fay it is inconvenient for me to do more; yet, rather than the work hould not be carried into immediate execution, while the worthy and modeft object of it is abroad, you may call upon me for nine more; for who would not put themselves to fome inconvenience to render refpect to the memory (as Dr. Lettfom juftly styles him) of the GODLIKE HOWARD One ftately tree in my garden has long fince borne his name on its rind and may the hand wither, like its leaves in Autumn, who dares to erafe it ! Yours, &c. POLYXENA.

MR. URBAN,

June 14.

O F the propofal, fuggefted by you ingenious and benevolent corre fpondent ANGLUS, to erect a statu in honour of Mr. Howard, I mo cordially approve; and where is to t found a man of fenfe and virtue th will not fay the fame? State fmen a: the corruption, and heroes the destroy ers, of the human species; but M Howard is, in the nobleft and most un quivocal fenfe of the word, their pr ferver. I can myfelf feel the impor ance of his fervices more than the g nerality of his readers, as, from m tives not quite diffimilar from his ow I have been long accustomed to vi prifons, and perform, now and the thofe offices of charity which are t much neglected even by wife and go men, and which, if I had not be writing on a fubject endeared to me long and folemn reflection, I fhou not have prefumed to mention concer ing myself. But Anglus feems to c upon your readers in general, i merely for approbation, but affiftan In what manner then does he w me to affift? for it is a righteous car and my heart is with it. On N Howard himself it were a waste of negyric to expatiate in that langu which truth itself would warrant. gument and perfuafion are anticipa by the general and juft celebrity he attained; and it feems to me, t merely to propofe the ftatue is fuffici to fecure the concurrence of thofe v reverence the character of Mr. H. } as to the penurious and the unfeeli I muft, fay, with a little accommo

MR. URBAN,

S. P.

July 19.

VERY fincerely with you fuccefs in your scheme of erecting a ftatue to Mr. Howard, towards which I have given you my mite with more pleasure than I ever gave any thing in my life, as I never remember an occafion which fo much infpired me with a fenfation of doing honour to myfelf. And let the Rochefoucault school chew it if they please. We agree with them that every thing centers in felf; nor can it be otherwife; but were there not goodness in man's nature, how could he be capable of fuch gratifications as thefe Even the fenfation experienced by the infignificant individual who is fcribbling to you, is an irrefragable argument against their fyftem; and how much more ftrong and noble a one is fupplied by the life and actions of Mr. Howard, the god-like man, as he has been well ftyled, and of whom we have to much reafon to be proud! What can be a more glorious part to act, than that of the Friend to, Nature, and a Second to God, in the relief of his fuffering crea zures! That is Mr. H's part, and his

place in the fcale of beings. A friend of mine amufed himself fome time ago in delineating that scale; but though he employed much thought upon it, he could not fettle it quite to his fatisfaction. I fend it you as a cud for your readers to chew, if you think it worthy of them. My friend, I fay, could not fettle it quite to his fatisfaction, as he doubted whether the fecond term in the defcending feries ought not to be put lower, nay, ought not to be the last but Bre. Yours, &c. A SUBSCRIBER.

Scale of Beings, or of Merit.
GOD:

Friend to Nature:
Tyrannicide:
Man of Honour :
Honeft Man :
PLAIN LABOURER.
Knave Secular :
Saint:
Statesman:
Hero:
DEVIL.

MR. URBAN, Statfold, July 11.
ITHIN the laft three hours I

Whave received my Gent. Mag.

for June; and, while warm from the impreffion of fome articles which have caught my eye, I fit down to fhew that, fenfible as I am (with Mr. Thickneffe, fee p. 485 of the Magazine) that the good I do in the world is but inconfiderable, I am at least a well-wisher to goodness, and forward to add my poor teftimony of approbation to those who have arrived at an exalted degree of it. In this view, I commit to your care a draught for ten guineas, as my contribution to the propofed monument for that man who, as we are told was done by the Founder of the religion of which it should seem Mr. Howard is a catholic and large-minded member, goes about doing good. I hope, and am perfuaded, there are far too many perfons who would be in hafte to stand forward on fuch an occafion, and whọ get your Mifcellany the moment it comes out, to leave a poffibility of me, at this diftance, being one of the first five propofed by Dr. Lettfom for a committee; to compofe which, it would feem, none are proper perfons but refidents about the metropolis, and who have a knowledge of the arts of defign, which I am not fo happy as to be poffeft of. Yours, &c. S. P. W.

MR. URBAN.

Τ

July 6.

IT affords me infinite pleafure that my valuable friend, Dr. Lettsom, has ferioufly aided your God-like propofal of erecting a ftatue for Mr. Howard; as I am certain public and honourable diftinctions to the fuperior excellent must be deeply impreffed upon minds difpofed to promote private and public good, and that fome fuch perfons will become ufefully active in fo. ciety; and though in a century there will hardly be a HOWARD, yet actions may be performed that may endear other characters to the community. God grant that many fuch men may come forward, and prove themselves valuable members of fociety!

I have depofited my guinea with Dr. Lettfom, and recommend to your notice, as a delightful fpecimen of Howard's exalted worth, Mr. Burke's fpeech at Bristol Guild. It is the most nervous that perhaps was ever penned : I fpeak from my own feelings. W. H.

Extract from Mr. BURKE's Speech at the Guildhall in Bristol, 1780. CANNOT name this gentleman (Mr. HOWARD) without remark

"I