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MYSTERIOUS Thoughts! say, whither
would ye tend?
How have ye won me from each brighter
[path,
Each soothing hope that late with radiant
beam
Pour'd comfort down to bless the toils of
[life!
Say, is it thus ye teach me is it here
Ye bring my wand'ring footsteps--to a maze
Where Hope expires, a wilderness of Woe,
A gloomy labyrinth that tires with Doubt,
And distant far, and farther yet would lead,
Till Heav'n itself were shrouded from the
view,
And deep'ning horrors plunge the fainting
[soul
In all the hideous gulf of black Despair?-
Oh, Reason! godlike only when with God
Thou walkest-glorious only, great, and
wise,

When trusting in his goodness and his pow'r!
Depart from these, forget the mighty skill
That rear'd Creation from insensate void,
Forget the sparkling Sun, the lucid Orbs
That gleam refulgent thro' the silent Night
As rolling on they speed their circling

course

Still as in ages past, nor devious yet
Have marr'd with erring flight their destin'd
track,
Forget the beauteous Earth, the vaulted
[Sky,
The varied seasons, and with impious
tongue

Dispute the feebler wonders of thy God,
And mock them as the idle tale of things
Beyond the reach of Nature, Truth, or
Pow'r
The World may style thee Wisdom! and
[applaud
Thy bold research, that fain would seem to
judge
The works of Heav'n-may praise the dar-
[ing hand
That, stretch'd aloft, would burst the sa-
cred bonds

Of rigid Virtue, and exalting high
The grosser thoughts, the proud conceits
of Man,
Shake from his stubborn neck the hallow'd
[yoke
Of pious rev'rence to the better will
Of Him that made us-round thy rebel
throne,

Elate and tow'ring as in Freedom's joy,
May gladly flock, obsequious to thy word,
And, heedless following where thy voice
directs,

name

Pronounce thee fit, unaided and alone,
To trace the line of Error and of Truth!
Mistaken Guide! shall Wisdom be the
Thy merits ask? methinks 't were juster
[far
To call thee Madness! Reason thou art not,
Or Reason chang'd indeed,and ah! like him
Who erst "defied th' Omnipotent to arms,"
A fallen Angel! fallen from the height
Of native splendour, and befitting well
The subtle purpose of that wary Foe
Who long had watch'd thee, and with envy
pin'd,
With malice and with rage; nor wanting
[then
Glad triumph and delighted victory

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maze,

The thorny lab'rinth of bewild'ring Doubt, Of Myst'ries seeming dark, and hidden things

That stagger each enquirer, not confirm,
Because not understood and must we
Proclaim them false? Oh! ye the hapless
thence
[slaves
Ye toiling crowds who long have vainly
Of baneful Error, and of foul Mistrust,
To pierce with mortal ken the sacred gloom,
sought
Thro' wide Creation roll the searching
glance,
From wonders such as these, when, scat-
And say, can still your stubborn hearts re-
[coil
ter'd round

On ev'ry side, equal or greater far
The works ye gaze at? Oft in secret move
Burst on the ravish'd view, if right esteem'd
The wise intents and purposes of Heav'n,
E'eu as of human sight-perhaps conceal'd,
Alike beyond the stretch of human thought
Nor yet divulg'd, that they may serve on
Earth

seek

As trials of that Faith we justly owe,
As covenants ordain'd 'twixt God and Man,
The symbols of our Picty and Trust!
Reason, thy noblest gift, should madly
Parent of Light and Life! forbid that e'er
To mar thy blest design! quell the proud
[thought
That fain would judge the secrets of thy
Word;
Recall the straggling Wand'rers from thy
[Fold
Back to thyself, and teach the erring heart
Thro' all her works of thee-in all display'd
'Tis Wisdom to adore thee !-Nature sings
Thy Goodness and thy Mercy shining fair!
I view thy boundless Pow'r, in all I trace
Come then, bright Faith! thou guardian

And shedding down thy radiance, scatter
Seraph, come,
The shades of impious Doubt-unclouded
[wide
pour

Full on my darken'd soul thy kindling ray,
Confirming, that on Heav'n would lean for
And ev'ry hope exalting, ev'ry hope
rest,

So rule my heart that I may learn to bow
In meek subjection to the will of Him
Who form'd us for his Glory and our own-
A glory best bestow'd, and best acquir'd,
When most we seek to praise Him-when
From ev'ry human pride, we tread the
[paths
Of holy Virtue, still reposing firm

estrang'd

Our trust in Him, whose goodness and whose

pow'r,

Confest thro'all his wonders,reign supreme.
M. E..

PREFACE

TO THE

FIRST PART OF THE EIGHTY-THIRD VOLUME.

K Magnos motus rerum circa se frementium securus aspiciat, et dura placidè ferat, et secunda moderatè."-SENECA.

THE above is one of the characteristics which Seneca gives of Wisdom; and certain it is, that they whose situation in more recent times has exposed them to any degree of responsibility, must necessarily have been involved in the universal agitation which has disturbed the World. We are not at all disposed to use the language of ostentatious vaunting; but we may securely appeal to our Prefatory Addresses to our Friends and Correspondents for many preceding years, in proof, that, notwithstanding the triumphs of Despotism, and the dark rollings of many a tempestuous storm, which ever and anon threatened to burst over our heads, we never flinched from the firmness of our confidence in that All-wise and Almighty Being who regulates the affairs of Nations. We have invariably felt and expressed the honest confidence of Britons, rejected all emotions of despondency, and encouraged the golden vision of Hope; nor have we been disappointed. The British Eagle once more towers aloft above its foes; the Leopard, which was to have fled at the sight of Napoleon's Banners, has sprung upon his aggressors, and inflicted no common vengeance. But we forbear too unlimited an indulgence of

our emotions; and rather incline to contemplate the probable result of these triumphs and victories with the complacency inspired by our love of Peace, and attachment to the Muses. Unus idemque inter diversa. This is our chief delight, and proudest distinction; though we should ill deserve the patriotic character to which we have always aspired, were we to pass with little, or with cold observation, the great and proud events which have of late so splendidly contributed to adorn our Annals. A most consolatory circumstance it must surely be to Englishmen to have observed, that the thunder and tempests of War have never with us impeded the progress of Learning in any of its various branches. The studious pursuits of our Countrymen have proceeded without molestation and interruption; and we have continually to boast of new discoveries in Philosophy, greater progress in the Arts, novel and important information in Geography; and, to sum the whole at once, in all the circle of the Sciences. To these, collectively and individually, we continue to lend our humble, but strenuous and unremitting assistance; and, with some pride we may be allowed to say, our assistance has not been in vain.

It only remains with us to repeat our customary acknowledgments of gratitude; and our respectful solicitations for a continuance of that patronage which has been so long and so effectually bestowed. "Nemo non benignus est sui judex; inde est ut omnia meruisse se existimet, et in solutum accipiat, nec satis suo pretio se estimatum putet.” Such are not our sentiments; on the contrary, we are zealous to confess that the public favour may, perhaps, have exceeded our merits; but this only operates with us as an additional stimulus for our exertions.

June 30, 1813.

THE

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Meteorological Diaries for Dec. & January 2, 8 Robt. Preston's Epitaph.-CambridgeCritics 83

Conjecture respecting Author of Junius, &c. 3 Price of Gold and Silver.-Henry's Chapel ib.

Account of "The British Gallery of Pictures" 6 Portraits.-Almanack.- Register Bill, &c. 34

Epitaph at Dorchester, 7-Mr.Tyson? &c. 8 ARCHITECTURAL INNOVATION, No. CLXX.. 36

View of the Roman Wall atWroxeter,Salop 9 Literary Intelligence,39.-Indexindicatorius 40

CLIst Psalm.-Remarks on English Liturgy 10] REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS; viz.

Comment on Zeph iii. 8.-Hebrew Points 11 Defence of Poesy.-Lord Thurlow's Verses 41

Letters from eminent. Scholars to Dr. Busby 12 Beloe's Anecdotes of Literature, vol. VI.... 42

Epitaphs for Mrs. Mason & Lady Palmerston 14 General Biographical Dictionary, V.-VII. 43

Hints for ameliorating the Condition of Poor 15 Evans's Funeral Sermon on J. Brent, Esq. 44

Zechariah. - Heraldry.-'Visiting on Sundays' 16 Speeches, &c. of Mr. Canning at Liverpool 46

St. Martin's Church, Canterbury, described 17 Brady's "Clavis Calendaria," concluded... 47

Proclamation, emp. Eliz.onSports on Sundaysib. Chamberlaine's "Tirocinium Medicum," &c. 49

St. Helier's, Jersey.-Dress of antient French 18 Spence's Sketch of Manners, &c. of Scotland 51

Industry of Monks. Fire at Buckingham 1726 19 Nolan's "Objections" to Uniting with BibleSoc. 54

Bernadotte.Voltaire on Female Warriors 20 Halpin's Poem on 50th year of George III. 56

Church at Honduras.-Wycliffe Family..... ib. Nightingale's Portraiture of Catholic Religion ib.

Capt. Layman on Means of supporting Navy 21 REVIEW OF MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS......... 59

Strictures on Dr. Symmons's Life of Milton 25 SELECT POETRY for January 1813, ......61-64

Courayer's Tract on the Divinity of Christ.. 26 Regent's Declaration against the United States 65

Luke xvi.9.-Churching Sing "Old Rose," 26 London Gazettes, 71.-Foreign Occurrences 75

Church at the Cape.-Island of Acunha.... 28 Country News, S0.-Domestic Occurrences 81

Leopards' Faces.-H. Burlton.-Sir R. Ellys 29 Preferments.-Births. Marriages, &c...... 82

Beautiful MS. of Hobbes's "Leviathan"... 30 Obituary, with Anec. of remarkable Persons 83

Medley of Epigrams, &c.-The word Aches 32 Canal, &c. Shares94-Prices of Markets, &c. 95

Funerals from Livery Halls in the City..... ib. Prices of Stocks each Day in January....... 96

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