1786. On the African Negroes. On the various Tribes that inhabit the Caucasean mountains. En

by your Excellence.' 'What rank do you bear in your own country, Mons. le Pasteur, are you above a brigadier? A brigadier forsooth! I am out of sight of a Brigadier. A Brigadier would think it an honour to pull off his hat to me.' 'Oh, then,' returned his Excellence, wear as much gold upon your carriage as you please.'-You perceive from the several instances I have given you, that the mode of expounding the laws in this country is truly exemplary."

6

With the Lutheran, Calvinistic, and other Pastors of the Reformed Communions, Mr. Tooke kept up a regular intercourse, by alternate meetings at the houses of each other. But the most conspicuous and pleasant of all assemblies of this nature, was the annual dinner given by her Majesty to the Ministers of Religion of all denominations in the Imperial City, and which she was pleased to call her Diner de Tolerance, or Toleration Dinner. At this the Archbishop Gabriel presided in full costume, as, indeed, were all the guests. On his right usually sat Plato, when in attendance on the Court, and on his left the Angliski -pastor, or English Pastor; the others seniores priores. Pamphi lief, the Imperial Confessor, and a Hiero-monach, with a napkin under his arm, taking his rounds to see that the guests were well served. It was truly a sumptuous banquet, and not more sumptuous than harmonious, and even facetious. Provisions of the best; with the choicest wines, and a desert from the Imperial Gardens and Hot-houses. Oh! If all the controversies of the Christian Church had been argued over Burgundy and Champain, they would, indeed, have cost more Christian wine; but, if we may judge from these councils, infinitely less Christian blood. As the extract, however, will not prove tedious, and as the memory of such a liberal institution deserves to be perpetuated with honour, I shall here insert his own account of one of these convivial meetings, as I find it in a note at page 119 of the Life of Catharine II. vol. iii. 4th edition: "Ivan Pamphilief, her Majesty's Confessor, inyited the Clergy of the several Communions in Petersburg to dine with him annually on the 6th of January; who generally met in a company of fifteen or sixteen different denominations, all in the several habits of their Church. At these agreeable meetings, his Eminence Gabriel, Metropolitan Archbishop of Novgorod and St. Petersburg, always presided. Pamphilief did the honours of the table, with that hospitality and suavity of manners for which the Russians are so celebrated among all who visit that country. When wines of various sorts were served round upon a salver, the beforementioned Metropolitan once observed, with a sensible allusion to the occasion,These wines are all good: they differ only in colour and flavour.'-The persons present at one of these dinners,

as

tertaining Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the celebrated Abbé Galiani, in which are interspersed

as an example of the rest, were: Gabriel, Metropolitan; Innocentius, Archbishop of Pscove and Riga; Eugenius, Archbishop of Kherson, the famous Translator of Virgil into Greek hexameter verse; Ivan Pamphilief: all Members of the Holy Synod. Other, Russian Clergy were, Procopius, Archimandrite, and Rector of the Gymnasium at the Nefski Monastir; Antonius, Archimandrite; Basilius, Protopope; Andrew Samborsky, Protopope of St. Sophia, formerly Chaplain to the Embassy at London; Nectarius, Monk at the Greek Gymnasium; Sergius, Monk; Livitzi, Pope of the Imperial Chapel; Basilius, Pope of the Annunciation; with several other Popes and Monks. Lutheran Preachers: Joachim Christian Grott, great grandson of the famous Hugh Grotius; Jeremiah Lewis Hoffman; Emanuel Indrenius, Pastor of the Swedish Church; John Henry Krogius, Pastor of the Finns Church; John George Lampe, of St. Peter's Church; Thomas Roinbott, of St. Anne's Church; Martin Luther Wolff, also of St. Peter's; Daniel Zachert. Ministers of the Reformed: John David Collins, Pastor of the German Reformed Church; N. Mansbendel, Pastor of the French; William Tooke, of the English Church; M. Reuter, of the Dutch; and Christian Frederick Gregor, Pastor of the Congregation of the Herrenhuyters, or brethren of the Unitas Fratrum. Roman Catholic Clergy: Sergius Krachinsky; Petrus Stankievitch; Hieronymus Beroaldigen; Johannes de Ducla; Armenian Clergy: Macarius Koskumof; Stephenus Lorismilikof; Niketa Cherkesof. Bishops and Priests from the Greek Islands, from Valakhia, Moldavia, and the worthy Abbé Guadalupe, from Mexico. At the conclusion of the repast, the Metropolitan usually said, with a loud voice, either in Russ or Latin, Glory to God in the highest !—On earth peace-Goodwill toward men !' Which done, the rest of the evening was spent in agreeable and pleasant conversation over a dessert of exquisite fruit and the choicest wines. The guests talked to one another in Russ, German, French, Italian, &c. as it might happen to suit. But the general conversation

was carried on in Latin."

How conversant Mr. Tooke is with the Greek and Latin Authors, is known to the learned who enjoy his acquaintance. In French he has often preached to the Reformed of that congregation at St. Petersburg, at times when it was without a peculiar Pastor; as he has since his return, in London, on several occasions, on behalf of the French Protestant school and workhouse, and numbers have afterwards affirmed that, without knowing to the contrary, it was scarcely possible to say that what they had heard had not been pronounced by a native of France. By one of his many Letters to me, I find, that once travelling through a part of Poland, he and his companion, VOL. IX.

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many ingenious elucidations of passages in the Odes of Horace, and other antient Authors, Observations

in the heart of a forest, came up to an antient and spacious mansion, which, on entering, they found to be tenanted by Jews." In one apartment some were employed in making or repairing cloaths, as tailors, while in others different occupations were carried on. The great hall was fitted up to serve the purposes of a Synagogue. Our travellers were hospitably received, and welcomed with good-nature. After conversing some time with two or three Rabbis, my Friend reached down the Roll of the Thora, and the other Hebrew Scriptures, and having read a chapter or two, particularly the LIIId of Isaiah, in their own accent and manner, he asked them whether those sentences could have been prophesied of any other than of our Jesus, the Christian Messiah. But like their fathers, the Pharisees of old, they turned a deaf ear to the voice of truth, and would listen to none of his arguments; like Gallio, they cared for none of these things. In good sooth, Rabbies as they were, they seemed not to have been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel.”

One passage from another of his Letters to me, as it happens to lie open on my table, I cannot resist the temptation to communicate, though under no little dread of swelling this note beyond all bounds of prolixity; for, were I to indulge the reader and myself in this way as far as I chose, there would be no end to it in view. "When it was in agitation at the Court of Petersburg to establish a College of Jesuits in the province of Mohilef in the year 1782, a project which the Empress from political motives, which are elsewhere detailed more at large [Life of Catharine II. vol. iii. p. 5], was desirous of bringing to effect, she wrote to Pope Pius VI. expressing her wish to enter upon a negotiation to that end. The Holy Father, in reply, declared his willingness to accede to her Majesty's request, although the Society had been formally abolished by Clement XIV. if means could be devised for absolving the Holy Chair from a charge of inconsistency, which, in the minds of the faithful, might appear to shake the infallibility of the Sovereign Pontiff. In the mean time a fresh difficulty occurred. The orthodox Greek faith being that established in Russia, a Nuncio could not be dispatched thither from the Court of Rome. This scruple was, however, soon got over by transmitting an order to Archetti, Bishop of Chalcedon in partibus infidelium, then legate à latere at Warsaw, to repair to Petersburg; [which he accordingly did, and the event may be seen in the work above referred to.] "Mr. Tooke happened accidentally to be walking on the Customhouse quay while the baggage of the Prelate was bringing on shore from the galliot. The Officers of the Customs were proceeding in their duty, when all at once the two Chaplains who attended on the part of the Bishop brought out a crimson velvet

case

on the Question concerning the Exportation of Corn. It is unnecessary, however, to say more of

ease (one having it in his hands, and the other bare-headed, solemnly marching before). This was not to be touched by the Officers. 'Well, do you open it.' It contained a large old rotten bone. 'What is this?' It is the thigh-bone of St. John the Baptist. Well; what is it worth? (Now it should be known, that every kind of goods, wares, or commodities, not severally specified in the tariffe, must pay duty ad valorem.) Worth! I said before, it is the thigh-bone of St. John the Baptist.' 'Well, and I say again, what is it worth? Worth! no value can be set upon it.' Well; if it is of no value, why do you take the pains to bring it with you?' It is not to be valued, because it is inestimable. How then,' returned the Officer, are inestimable wares to be rated ad valorem? This problem seemed for a moment to nonplus even the disciple of Loyola. It is a sacred relic.' Still the question recurred, Well: what is it worth?' The result was, that, in order to save time, it was for the present laid aside. Next came out a box, ornamented with pearls and precious stones. This was found to contain a lock of the Virgin Mary's hair [which my Friend till then had thought to have been a bright red, but he is now convinced it was only a dark brown]. To this succeeded a long list of holy trumpery. But the business of farther examination was happily terminated by an order from Court to pass the whole baggage of the Prelate without exacting the dues. But," adds my Friend, "those who have had affairs to transact at no other than an English Customhouse, will with difficulty conceive the patient simplicity, the complaisant humility, the respectful suavity, so natural to Russian subordinates, with which these interrogatories were prosecuted." And the result he draws from the little occurrence, of no moment perhaps in itself, is this: "that in all controversies with Papists, and with others who are previously determined to be in the right, the best method is to grant their postulate, and only ask what it is worth; thus would many a religious dispute be cut short.

Being one of the few," adds my Friend, "that were admitted into the Presence-chamber of the Summer Palace, when Archetti was introduced at the foot of the Throne, I had an opportunity of observing, not only the gracious and condescending manner in which he was received by the Monarch, but of contemplating the pious papistical physiognomies of the Prelate and the holy retinue, consisting of five or six Ecclesiasticke. The former, in his full Pontificals, the upper vestment being of fine muslin or lawn, trimmed with the richest point lace, preceded with slow and solemn step, exhibiting a countenance studiously expressive of all that meekness, devotion and sanctity, could pourtray. The head inclined a little to one shoulder, the eyelids half closed,

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these volumes than what the Reviewers testified of them on their first appearance: "That reader must have a fastidious taste, indeed, who does not find in them ample matter for his amusement and instruction."

"The Transactions of the Royal Humane Society; with an Appendix of Miscellaneous Observations, &c. dedicated (by Permission) to His Majesty. By William Hawes*, M. D. Senior Physician

closed, the muscles of the face trained to a gentle smile, indicative of sanctimonious serenity and peace, in short, all together wearing the aspect of a man cum Christo absconditus. Those of his suite were equal proficients in this sacerdotal artifice. Indeed I have never seen a Priest of the Romish communion who was not an adept in this godly grimace; and I am induced to believe that much of their influence over the minds of their people is owing to it."

Though Mr. Tooke was entered and continued many years a Member of Jesus College, Cambridge, he has declined taking any Academical degree, because, as he intended never to solicit, it was not likely he should ever obtain a benefice in the Church.

In 1771 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Eyton, Esq. of Llangynhaval in the county of Denbigh, by whom he has a daughter and two sons, Elizabeth, Thomas, and William.

*This truly benevolent Physician was born at Islington, Nov. 28, 1736; received the early part of his education in his native village; and completed it in St. Paul's school. He was afterwards placed with Mr. Carsan, an ingenious Medical Practitioner near Vauxhall; and, on the expiration of his apprenticeship, was for a short time an assistant to Mr. Dicks, in the Strand, whom he succeeded in business; and, by his application, and unwearied attention to his patients, acquired a considerable degree of reputation and affectionate esteem. In May 1759, he married Sarah Fox, an amiable woman, by whom he had a numerous family. In 1773 he became deservedly popular, from his incessant zeal in calling the attention of the publick to the resuscitation of persons apparently dead, principally by drown ing. In this laudable attempt he encountered much opposition, and some ridicule. The practicability of resuscitation was denied. He ascertained its practicability by advertising rewards to persons, who, between Westminster and London bridges, should, within a certain time after the accident, rescue drowned persons from the water, and bring them ashore to places appointed for their reception, where means might be used for their recovery, and give immediate notice to him. The public mind being thus awakened to the subject, greater exertions were

made