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THE

EUROPEAN MAGAZINE,

A 'N D

LONDON REVIEW;
For MARCH, 1786.

For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

An ACCOUNT of Mrs. ANNA-LETITIA BARBAULD, formerly Mifs AIK IN.

T

[With an ELEGANT ENGRAVING of Her.]

HE prefent times, whatever faults they may be charged with, have happily emancipated themselves from many prejudices which formerly enflaved our ancestors. Amongst these no one was more inveterate, more univerfal, or more abfurd, than the averfion which used to prevail against female claims to literary reputation; to that cultivation of the female mind which enabled the Ladies to diftinguish themselves by their intellectual endowments. On a retrospective view of thofe names which are entitled to literary honours, and which will hereafter redound to the reputation of the country, are to be found thofe of many females who have fuccefsfully explored the receffes of science, have enlarged the bounds of human knowledge, and added to the innocent and improving amufements of life.

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The Lady we have chofen for the fubject of this month's Magazine is no less celebrated for her intellectual than her personal endowments. She is the daughter of the Rev. John Aikin, D. D. tutor in divinity at the academy at Warrington for several years. "Though not (fays Dr. Barnes) known to the world at large as an author, his modesty having unhappily prevented him from appearing "in print, he was uncommonly revered by "all that knew him, for the wonderful ex❝tent of his knowledge, for the mild dignity ❝ of his character, and for the various excel"lencies which adorned the scholar, the tu"tor, and the man." He died about the latter end of the year 1780. Our authorefs had the advantage of an excellent education

from her respectable father, and feems early
to have fhewn her poetical genius. One of
her firft effays was the following short poem
on the death of her grandmother, Mrs.
Jennings.

'Tis paft: dear venerable fhade, farewel!
Thy blameless life thy peaceful death fhall tell.
Clear to the laft thy fetting orb has run,
Pure, bright and healthy, like a frosty fun;
And late old age with hand indulgent fhed
Its mildeft winter on thy favour'd head.
For Heaven prolong'd her life to spread its
praise,

And bless'd her with a patriarch's length of
days.

The trueft praise was her's; a chearful heart,
Prone to enjoy, and ready to impart.
An Ifraelite indeed, and free from guile,
She fhew'd that piety and age could fmile.
Religion had her heart, her cares, her voice;
'Twas her laft refuge, as her earliest choice;
To holy Anna's spirit not more dear

The church of Ifrael, and the house of pray❜r,
Her fpreading offspring of the fourth degree
Fill'd her fond arms, and clafp'd her trem
bling knee.

Matur'd at length for fome more perfect
fcene,

Her hopes all bright, her profpects all ferene,
Each part of life fuftain'd with equal worth,
And not a wifh left unfulfill'd on earth,
Like a tir'd traveller with fleep opprest,
Within her childrens' arms the dropt to rest.
Farewel! thy cherish'd image, ever dear,
Shall many a heart with pious love revere :

* Memoirs of the Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchester, Vol. I. p. 76.

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Long, long fhall mine her honour'd memory blefs,

Who gave the dearest bleffing I poffefs.

The first publication our authoress gave the public was a volume of poems in 4to. 1773, which hath been fince feveral times reprinted. It contains fome pieces which have a smoothness and harmony equal to that of our best poets; with a juftness of thought and vigour of imagination which would lofe no credit by a comparison with the greatest names in English literature. The excellence of these poems was immediately acknowledged by the world; and Mr. Garrick, foon after their publication, recognized the writer as one who fung the fweeteft lay, in an epilogue spoken at Bath before a Lady's play *. In the fame year were published, "Mifcellaneous

Pieces in Profe. 8vo." These were written by Mifs Aikin, with the affiftance of her brother+, a gentleman who has fince both in

structed and edified the world by many ufeful and entertaining works. In the next or immediately following year, Mifs Aikin united herself in marriage with the Rev. Mr. Barbauld, and published "Devotional Pieces, compiled from the Pfalms and the Book of Job. To which are prefixed, Thoughts on the Devotional Tafte, on Sects, and on Efta.

blishments. 8vo." This is the laft publication of importance which Mrs. Barbauld has produced. Since her marriage, she seems to have devoted her attention to the initiation

and improvement of children in letters, and has printed feveral little pieces adapted to their capacities. Thefe ufeful and unambi

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tious performances have received the best eulogium that can be given to works of this kind, a general reception arifing from proofs of their value. Mrs. Piozzi, fpeaking of them and of Dr. Johnson, fays, "Mrs. Barbauld, "however, had his best praife, and deserved "it: no man was more ftruck than Mr. "Johnson with voluntary defcent from pof"fible fplendour to painful duty "

We shall conclude this account of Mrs. Barbauld by obferving, that every part of her works exhibit marks of a refined and vigorous imagination, of cultivated genius, elegant manners, unbigotted religion, and unentbufiaftical devotion. The following lines, in which he has drawn the character of some friend, have been pointed out as not inapplicable to herself:

Of gentle manners, and of taste refin'd,
With all the graces of a polish'd mind,
Clear fenfe and truth ftill fhone in all she
fpoke,

And from her lips no idle fentence broke.
Each nicer elegance of art she knew,
Correctly fair, and regularly true.
Her ready fingers plied with equal skill
The pencil's talk, the needle, or the quill.
So pois'd her feelings, fo compos'd her foul,
So fubject all to reafon's calm controul,
One only paffion, strong, and unconfin'd,
Disturb'd the balance of her even mind,
One paffion rul'd defpotic in her breast,
In every word, and look, and thought confeft;
But that was love, and love delights to bles
The generous tranfports of a fond exceís.

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For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. Some ACCOUNT of the COUNT DE VERGENNES. HE COUNT DE VERGENNES, formerly known by the name of Chevalier de Vergennes, whilst he was ambaffador at Conftantinople, is the youngest son of a prefident in the parliament § of Dijon (which place anfwers to the rank of a judge in this country.) His family name is Gravier, and his ancestors, for feveral generations, have ranked in the province amongst the nobleffe de robe (gentlemen of the law). His eldest brother, who has been lately promoted to the rank of an

ambaffador to Switzerland, was himfelf prefident of the fame court, till the promotion of his brother to the miniftry of foreign affairs.

Mr. de Vergennes received the first rudiments in politicks from Mr. de Chavigny, his uncle, a man known in the beginning of this century as the first politician in Europe. — After having been employed in feveral em. baffics, Mr. de Chavigny was confulted by the French miniftry in every occurrence where

*Mifs More's Inflexible Captive. See Garrick's Poetical Works, published by Kearsley, Vol. II. p. 307.

Those written by Mifs Aikin, we are informed, are, The Hill of Science; on Romances; Selama, in imitation of Offian; against Inconsistency in our Expectations; on Monaftic Inftitutions; on the Pleafure derived from Objects of Terror; and an Enquiry into thofe Kinds of Diftrefs which excite agreeable Senfations.

+ Anecdotes of Dr. Samuel Johnfon, p. 17.

The idea of an English parliament differs very much. The one is entirely a political body, and the other is merely a court of judicature.

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experience and knowledge were requifite. Mr. de Vergennes was brought up under the tuition of that celebrated negotiator, who died a few years ago at the age of 96. His nephew, Count de Vergennes, is now about 65 years old.

Count de Maurepas, who has lately been, above ten years, the first minifter of France, after having been twenty-five years in exile, and before that twenty years a minister, was the bofom friend of Mr. de Chavigny. He appointed Count de Vergennes to the refidence of Treves (Triers), which was his first appointment; then to the diet of Ratisbon; from whence he was recalled after his patron's difmiffion, but foon after appointed to the embaffy of Conftantinople. Sunk in a kind of oblivion in the Turkish empire, Mr. le Compte de Vergennes employed the time he paffed there in ftudy, and has been often heard to declare, that he is indebted to that kind of confinement for all his political knowledge.

The war between the Ruffians and the Turks being of great confequence to France, whenever there is any difpute on the Continent, Mr. le Compte de Vergennes, at the breaking out of the late German war, embroiled fo well the Divan and the Cabinet of Petersburg, and has left fo good inftructions to his fucceffors, that, ever fince that time, the Divan has been entirely fubfervient to the views of France, whenever she has had occafion to prevent the joint efforts of the Northern Confederacy against her allies. Three fuccefsful attempts of Mr. de Vergennes have ftamped his plans with the admiration, if not the approbation of all the World.

During his refidence at Conftantinople, Mr. de Vergennes was united to a Grecian lady of great beauty and talents, by whom he has had two fons, who are both in the military line.

At the end of fourteen years, whilft Mr. de Choifeul was the first minister of France, the Count de Vergennes was recalled from Conftantinople at his own defire, and foon after cholen by that minifter, who knew the extent of confidence that could be repofed in hi, to go to Stockholm, to detach certain men, by his political influence, from the intereft of Ruffia, This negotiation fucceeded fo well, that the most extraordinary revolution in the government of that country which we have witnessed, was effected by that able negotiator's directions.

At the death of Lewis XV. the Count de Maurepas, who was called by the prefent king to affift him in the government of his kingdom, feeing he could not fupport long his nephew, the Duke d'Aiguillon, as mini

fter of foreign affairs, thought of Count de Vergennes to fucceed to his department, and pointed him out to his fovereign as the proper eft man to fill that high employment. The French Monarch having an unbounded confidence in Count de Maurepas, though he had the firmness to reject the Duke d'Aiguillon, the Count's nephew, for whom he had a perfonal diflike, caufed a letter to be written to the Count de Vergennes, then at Stockholm, that he was appointed a Minifter, and Secre tary of State for foreign affairs.

All the world has witneffed, fince the promotion of Count Vergennes to the Ministry, the feveral negotiations which he has undertaken, and in which he has but too well fuce

ceeded for this country. The unfortunate revolution of America, and the difmembering of our empire; the detaching Holland from our alliance, and effecting an union of the States General with France; fhew Count de Vergennes's qualifications and talents for the high employment he fills in his country.

We need not remind our readers that, by his being inftrumental in the peace concluded between the Emperor and the King of Pruffia, Coput de Vergennes rendered those sovereigns neutral fpectators of our unfortunate conteft with America; that, by his exertions, the Turkish Empire and Ruffia have been twice prevented from going to war within these few years; that the Armed Neutrality was planned by that minifter, and their commerce greatly protected by it during the war. The extent of the commercial concerns of France fince Count de Vergennes's acceffion to the Ministry, is a farther proof of his great abilities: his pacifick difpofitions, and his talents for infpiring with the fame difpofitions thofe he negotiates with, are peculiarly remarkable.

Retired in a fmall but neat houfe near Verfailles, Mr. de Vergennes is conftantly occupied in the duties of his office, and every day is in conference with each of the first clerks in the feveral departments entrafted to his care. Unawed by intrigue, he looks no farther than the line of his duty to remain in place; and with all its ftrength, a renowned party at the French court has not been able to leffen him in the opinion of his fovereign.

It has been obferved, that Mr. de Vergennes is rather flow in bufinefs; but when it is confidered that that flownefs is perhaps the cause of his conftantly keeping to bufinefs, and that his perfpicacity to judge is the refult of mature deliberation, that defect itself will appear as a qualification in a place of that confequence.

Healthy, ftrong in conftitution, exceedingly temperate, Mr. le Comte de Vergennes rides and walks every day for above two

hours,

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