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Letter to Dr. Price, on his Correfpondence with Dr. Prieftley. 193

"Où vas tu l'embarquer? regagne les rivages, "Cette mer où tu cours eft celebre en nau"frages." BOILEAU.

I

SIR,

To DOCTOR PRICE.

AM an old woman, who live in a village, and who, having received the first rudiments of a pious education in the old-fashioned school of the Chriftian religion, have been accustomed to read my Bible with all thofe prejudices in favour of its authorities that are ufually entertained by Chriftian believers I have heard with concern of the newfangled doctrines that Dr. Priestley is fpreading abroad in the world; but to Dr. Price I have been taught to look up, as to a protector both able and willing to defend our ancient faith. In this thought I was comforted, and on this hope I depended. How then thall I exprefs my aftonishment, when I find you, Sir, complimenting Dr. Priestley on the magnanimous openness with which he rejects the authority of Mofes and St. Paul and with which he denies the story of the miraculous conception, and the immaculateness of our Lord's character? For a while I doubted the evidence of my fenfes, and fufpected the fallibility of my understanding: I fancied myfelt miftaken in the meaning I had affixed to the word magnanimous, or that perhaps our language, like our Bible, was undergoing various alterations, and that probably, in fome modern Dictionary, it may be used to convey the idea of daring, prejumptuous, confident, frameless, diabolical, wicked, &c. &c I therefore confulted my oracle, Dr. Johnson, who informs me, that MAGNANIMITY is greatness of mind, bravery, and elevation of fentiment. And can a word, Sir, comprehending fo much praife, be applied with juice to the act of publifh ing fuch opinions as have an undoubted tendency to the subversion of the Chrif tian religion? And by whom is it applied? A profeffor and teacher of its doctrines.Now, Sir, as I think it im poffible you can approve of fuch fentiments coming abroad into the world as muft offend the pious prejudices of every true believer, and fuch as every zealous Chriftian (and furely Dr. Price ranks in this clafs) would wish to "vanish like the baseless fabrick of a vision, and leave not a wreck behind;" I am at a lofs to account for the motives that induce you to the practice of fo much adulation: if thefe blandifhments could affist you in GENT. MAG. March, 1788.

winning the race of your controverfy; -if the Doctor could be turned out of his way by them, as Atalanta was by 4 the golden apples (a ftory I remember to have read in my youth); your firata gem might answer as well as that of Hippomenes: but know, Sir, vour profound refpe&t and flattering words, though they may fmooth the rugged road of oppofi tion, will not divert your opponent one moment from his object, nor retard him in his career though he ftoop to pick up your golden apples, the Socinian Racer will redouble his huge ftrides to overtake you; and, if you do not run as fast as you can, he will win the prize of your faith. I hould expect, from your character as a gentleman, that you would conduct the bunnefs of controverly with the manners of a gentleman; but I expect likewife, that, as a Chriftian, you conduct it with the spirit of a Chriftian, ufing no hypocritical language to your adverfary (even though he is your friend), giving him no undue praife:-not calling him magnanimous for endeavouring to invalidate the evidences of Chriftianity; not hoping he will further favour us with thewing "how much less we ought to believe (in particular points of Scripture) than is commonly believed." The drift of this compiaifance may be, to draw matter out of the Doctor for yourself to work upon. You would not “ pluck," but you would "wheedle out the heart of his mystery:" but you are not aware, that the matter you are thus gently extracting is full of dire contagion, by which numbers may be infected. Let me advise you then, Sir, (and would to heaven you would pay that deference to my opinion that Moliere paid to his Od Woman!) to relinquish all religious dif putes: for be affured, however well you may mean, and however well you may write, the good that you will do wil be found light in the balance, compared with the mifchief that will be done by your learned friend. Let the next fa vour, then, that you ask of Dr. Prickley, be, that he would meddle no more with our religion, but that he will be (if you muft ule courtly language) graciously pleased to grant us the continuance of our present faith, that he will permit us to tread the path our fathers trod,-it may be a dark one, but we do not wish to give him the trouble to light us out of it: affure him, that we Chriftians entertain the highest reverence for thofe authorities which he has the magnani

46

mity to object to. Alas, Sir, what evidences does every day produce of the truth of the wife man's obfervation, that all is vanity and vexation of fpirit!" Even that most perfect workman ship of the creation, a man endowed with fuperior rational powers, proves but too often an inftrument of mischief, turning the glorious gift of reason against the God that gave it. France had a Voltaire, England has a Prieftley. Such men fay not with the Pfalmift, "Cive me understanding, and I fhall keep thy law; yea, I fhail oblerve it with my whole heart:" but rather, "Give me understanding, and I fhall defpife thy law; yea, I fhall pervert it with my whole heart." I know, Sir, your reply to me would be, that I mittake the good Dofior's intentions, and am not able to fee the light he is daily throwing into the world, owing to the clouds of my own ignorance. But furely, Sir, women are happy in this darkness,-under this fhade we repofe; here we are theltered from the forms of religious controverfy, nor liable, through fuch tempeits, to be driven on the fatal rocks of infidelity. The fequeftered vale of retirement forves as an afylum to our faith -here we read our Bible with full confidence in its divine truth-we are out of the each of Dr. Pricftley's Commentaries-his volumes we should confider in the light of a body of facrilegious banditti, making various depredations on the property of the facred hiftorians. Yet, Sir, though fecure myfelf from the intrution of a new iyftem, the heart of a philanthropist interests itfelf in the happincts of mankind, even after its own palpitations will be at an end.

tion of the world. Thefe have long aga been given up as idle tales, having been discovered, by a celebrated divine of the 18th century, to be entirely devoid of ang credible authority." And in another "St. Paul is a weak and inconplace: clufive reafoner, he has never been beld in any eftimation fince this fame period." And in another: "This text of St. Joba muft not be depended upon, the correctnefs of his recollection being very doubtful: he was fuppofed (by another learned contemporary writer) to have been an Evangelift with the worfi memory of the four. Thus, Sir, I tremble for the fate of my beloved Bible. You will allow for the zeal of an old woman on this occafion: but what am I talking of? f the enlightened century to which I am looking forward, an old Bible will be found to contain fo many fables, fo many idle ftories, fo many fpurious chapters, fo many questionable authorities, and the whole of its defects amounting to fo vatt a magnitude, that, when it has undergone the gleanings neceflary to reduce it to a fyftem of faith fit for the creed of a philofopher, it will icarcely form the fize of a Primmer; and the refpectable venerable quarto, of which I have been fpeaking, will either be configned to culinary purpofes, or be banifhed to the thelf of an uninhabited lumber-room. I will thortly, Six, releafe vou from my impertinence; but I must have one word with your friend before I go. In the first place, as I have taken the liberty to advite you to avoid all controverfy with him, I will make no apology for recommending to him (as that animated and zealous writer Mr. And I Madan does) to burn his books: 1 with cannot but reflect with concern, that, if he would commiffion me to employ foine Dr. Pricfley is thus encouraged, thus poor old woman to pick up flicks for courted to let loofe his principles; and the purpofe of erecting a funcial pile for as he is training up difcip'es in his own their reception. I verily think I could fchool, who will probably favour the even give my countenance to the breakworld likewife with their enlightened ing the hedges of the Lord of our vil opicions: the fundamental doctrines of lage for the occafion. Having thus the Chriftian religion in the next century difpofed of his books, I have conceived may be nearly obliterated. I could thed the following whimfical contrivance for a tear over an old Family Bible that pow the fecurity of his perion: I would have Lies before me, whofe margin bears teflim, Sir, hut up in a large receiver, rimony to the picty of its former ownere, when I confider, that in fome future day, these notes may be effaced, and the foowing very different ones falsfututed in their room: • These chapters of St. Mat.bew are all spurious, and the hole story of the miraculous conception ajabie, no more to be believed than the account swoich Mojes gives of the crea5

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furrounded by an atmosphere of whichever air of his own be gives the preference to, whether pblogisticated, inflammable, or fixed air, this matter leave to his own decifion; I only infift on his remaining in this fiate of imprifonment till he has made ample reftitution of all he has taken away from the Sacred Writors: by this fratagem, I think, St.

Mathew

A Stonehenge in Fricfeland.-Original Anecdotes.

Matthew may recover his chapters, St.
Paul his reafoning faculties, and Mofes
his veracity. And now, Sir, I take my
leave of you, praying that you may be
ftrengthened in all hoiv refolutions, that,
if you will fight (which, I have told
you, I had rather you would not do),
You may fight the good fight of faith
Your but friends, you fav, with vou
were a Socinian-alas, Sir! you hate
worfe friends than even Job had: for
though Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bil-
dad the Shuhite, were more irritating to
him than all his boils, they were lefs
dangerous than yours. I think, there-
fore, I cannot conclude with a better
wifh, than that you may be prejer ved
from your friends!

I am, Sir, your humble fervant,
Surbiton.
EVANGELICA.

Mr. URBAN,

PER

Feb. 13. ERHAPS fome of your many correfpond nts may not diflike the following articles, tranfcribed from the blank leaves of a book which once belonged to Dr. Ducarel, EUGENIO.

"Aug. 18, 1783. Dr. D. told me this day, that he very much wifhed he had known that Dr. Lwas gone to travel into Bruffels, Friefeland, and Holland. Not calling upon Dr. D. as he promifed, the Doctor has loft an opportunity of acquainting Dr. L. (who means to fee Friefeiand, which he has once before feen), that he might, by canals in that country, have efily reached a place, which lies but a very few miles from Derventer, in which there is a Stonehenge, of which Stonehenge Dr. D. has a complete account, in a very scarce and uncommon Dutch book, written at the beginning of the prefent century, by one Picardt, a minifter of the parish where it lies; together with engraved views of the faid Stonehenge, and of many antique monuments, and a particular map of that part of Friefcland. The Doctor has an Englith tranflation of that part of Picardt's account; and, if he knew of any Antiquarian adven

turer that would go there to take a drawing of it, would not only lend the faid book, but would give five guineas to the faid perfon towards his travelling charges. The book is filled with accounts and engravings of Druidical Antiquities in that part of the world, where the names of the places appear to be Saxon, and very nearly allied to our pronunciation, having much affinity with names of several towns in this king

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his circumstances. A fubfcription being propofed, he faid, he feared his friends would be too few to defray the charge.This being mentioned to Abp. Secker, he immediately promifed to fubfcribe gol. and paid that fum into Mr. Lye's hands the first fcription the publication of that curious work time he faw him; by which generous fubtook place.

A. C. D.'

Original Letter from the Duke of Albemarle, directed, "For Sir Anthony Aucher, one of the Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Kent, at Canterbury; (Duke of Albemarie, Franc, New Hall.)"

"SIR, Cockpit, O. 26, 1665. "I received vours of the 24th in"flant, and hearing the Dutch fleet are off the coafts, the Trained gone Bands may return to their homes; and "I believe the Dutch will fearce trou. "ble you again this winter. I remain your very affured friend and fervant, "ALBEMARLE,"

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IN

Mar. 9.

Mr. URBAN, [N your Obituary for laft month, p. 182, is the death of a lady who was on the point of marriage with the hul band of her deceafed filter. Such marriage, by one of thofe remnants of Fapal tyranny, I prefume, which ftill fo much

fgrace our ecclefiaftical polity, is ex• prefsly prohibited; and by the civilians is, I guefs, termed voidable, though not void. Can, therefore, any parfon, knowing fuch affinity, fafely publifh the bans of the parties, grant a licence, or perform the marriage ceremony, in which he folemnly exhorts them, knowing any impediment, openly then to declare it? Cab there be a stronger proof, I fpeak it with all humility, of the abfolute neceffity of an immediate relief against fuch an open, ferious prevarication; and yet, without which, a conne&tion the moft natural, and, from the ftate of families, the moit promifing of conjugal felicity, cannot be completed? Yours, &c.

CONSISTENCY.

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Letters to the People of Great Britain, on the Cultivation of their National Hif tory.

LETTER II.

our National Hiftory be not neg

Iletted, there letters would be abfurd; and it is therefore proper, in the first place to fhew that it is neglected, and to a degree capable of exciting furprize and regret in every mind at all interested in the glory of the nation.

To evince this neglect, it is proper to turn our eyes upon foreign countries. Were the neglect general, there would be no occafion to complain; but this is fo far from being the cafe, that Britain, a country from its wealth, free government, and fuperior abilities of its natives, entitled to take the lead of moft countries, is here about a century behind all; nay, yields to Ruffia, a coun try where literature was unknown till the prefent century ! That this is no bold atfertion, will appear from a flight deduction of what has been done, and is doing, for their hiftory, by fome other countries; for to dwell upon all, would Occupy more room than thefe letters will

admit.

Let us begin with France, our great rival in fciences, arts, and arms :-but, alas in this all rivalfhip ceafes. Next to the glory of national arms, is that of national hiftory; without which the greatest actions are as if they had never been. Britain, which ought to have led the example, is fo far behind France in the cultivation of her hiftory, that the utmost exertion will hardly compenfate for the inglorious remiffion. In poetry, philofophy moral and natural, mathematics, divinity, medicine, law, the belles Jettres, and the arts, Britain is, it is be lieved, fuperior to France. But fo fatal is the term Hiflory to this ifland, that we have no Natural History anywife_comparable with Buffon's. Our Gibbons and Robertfons perhaps exceed any modern French hiftorians, though no Frenchman will allow this. But hiftoriography is foreign to my fubjeét, which concras the foundations of hiftoriography, the publication and illustration of the original write and documents.

One would have imagined that, upon the invention of printing, the first care, in every nation, would have been to publish their hiftorical documents. For the very nature of hiftory demanded this attention; inafmuch as every other feian recover its materials, when pt hiftory alone. It poetry

perith, as good may again appear: if natural or moral philofophy, mathematics, divinity, medicine, the belles lettres, the arts, &c. were loft, they may be recovered, exceeded, as nature

and man main the time, Baue

ONE HISTORIC FACT PERISH, IT IS

LOST FOR EVER. Yet this irrefragable confideration was, as ufual, forced to yield to the fafhionable writing of the day and near a century elapied, after the invention of printing, before any attention was paid to the publication of the original hiftorians of modern nations. France diftinguished herself among the firft; and Du Chefne's Bibliotheque Hiflorique de la France, published in 619, contains a lift of published hiftorians, which England cannot exceed at prefent. Since that time France has been conftantly proceeding in that noble purfuit; and hardly a learned man of France can be mentioned, who did not contribute fomewhat to illuftrate the ancient hiftory of his own country, while our literati were loft in the antiquities of Greece, Rome, India, China; and, in fhort, of every country but their own. But, not to dwell on this, it is fufficient to oblerve, that in the year 1738, half a century ago, that magnificent collection of all the old French hiftorians was begun, of which twelve or thirteen large volumes in folio have now appeared; and, compared to which, all our hiftoric labours, put together, appear as nothing. Every volume contains original writers and documents, generally for one century; and the elegance, accuracy, and completeness of the work, exceed all praile. It muft alfo be added, that our polite fcholars and men of genius, our Lowths, Wartons, Joneses, Gibbons, Jortins, Warburtons, &c. never think our hiftory worthy notice; whereas in France, Du Bos and Montefquieu, to name no more, have deeply examined the early history of their country.

To avoid prolixity, let us pafs the great labours of Leibnitz, &c. in Ger man hiftory; of Muratori, &c. in Italian; and let us turn our eyes upon kingdoms which in other matters of fcience we infinitely exceed. Yes, let us fhew that Denmark, a remote and unwealthy ftate, and Ruffia, whole sciences are of yesterday, excell Britain in attention to national hiftory! Denmark, in fact, rivals France, by the elegant edi tion of her ancient hiftorians, published by Langebek, and now going on. Why mention the Society appointed by the

Letter II. on the Cultivation of our National Hiftory.

King to publish all the Icelandic monuments of Danish history? Why men tion the expences of the Princes of the Blood in Denmark upon fuch publications, and inflitute odious comparifons? For who does not know, that the whole study of the Danish nobility, gentry, and literati, is bent upon their hiftory? And furely no ftronger proof of a folid and manly mind, and of true patriotism, can be given, than this purfuit.

If we pafs to Ruffia, we fhall find the prefent Emprefs the patronefs of Let the hiftory, as of other sciences. works of Mulier, the publications of Neftor's Chronicle, and that of Sylvef ter in 1767, under the title of, Letopis Neftorova, Stritter's Memoria Populorum, &c. and other works, fpeak the prefent attention of Ruffia to her hiftory. And what is Britain doing? Nothing. Her published hiftorians are loft in florenly-printed editions; and many remain unpublished. Boid affertions! But where are the proofs ? The proofs are to be found in every bookfeller's fhop; and in the catalogues of the Bod leian, Harleian, Cottonian, and other li braries. Yet, after a prefatory remark or two, one inftance fhall be given, which will of itself prove, that our hiftory is neglected to a degree exceeding

.all belief.

The

Ever fince the time of Thomas Hearne,
of black letter memory, carbone notan-
dus, the publication of our old hittoric
writers has been difcontinued.
names of Saville, Camden, Selden, Gale,
are most refpectable in this line; but
fuch is the effect of weak nefs, that it
difhonours all it touches; and furely a
weaker man than Tom Hearne never
exifted, as his prefaces, to called, la-
mentably fhew.

Pox on't, quoth Time to Thomas Hearne,
Whatever I forget you learn.

:

Inftead of manly erudition, thought, and elegance, fuch as became a publifher of important works, his prefaces fhew the moft trifling and abject purfuits of antiquarian baubles. We are forced to defpife the man to whofe labours we are obliged and it is fufpected that the notorious character of Hearne has not a little contributed to the contempt into which our history has lately fallen, for great events often fpring from fmall causes. This remark was thought neceffary here, as thofe very publications of Hearne, which might be urged as a proof that our history is not neglected,

197

on the contrary afford a lamentable proof that it is, and has long been. For in no other country would he have been forced to publish a few copies, by an extravagant fubfcription, of books important to national history, and of courfe interefting to all. Old plays, and dead pamphlets, are greedily fed on, perhaps in other countries as well as this; for it is not to be conceived that literary dif eafe, and mental fick nef, are confined to Britain in other countries virtuofi and collectors of toys alfo abound. Yet it feems certain, that the curfe foretold by Dr. Browne, in his Eftimate of the Manners and Principles of the Times, has come to pafs; that we are not vicious, but infignificant; that we are incapable of that exertion in which ei ther vice or virtue confitts, and that our tafte has, as he foretold, become trifling even to childishnefs; and fo weakened, as to be incapable of wholefome gratification. Hence our greediness for the fillieft iterary baubles; and our neglect of the manly and auftere provinces of literature. Such, indeed, are the effects of great wealth and luxury in all countries, enervating both body and mind. Herodotus finely calls poverty, "the nurfe of Greece;" and the effects of wealth on Roman literature may be teen in the dialogue on the caufes of the decline of eloquence, afcribed to Tacitus, tho' moft probably by Quintilian.

Let us now proceed to the inftance formerly promifed, to fhew at once that our history is neglected to a furprising degree. It is well known that Italy, France, and Germany, are the only countries in Europe which exceed England in the feries of early hiftorians. From Gregory of Tours, who wrote A.D. 591, France has hiftorians of every century. England, on the contrary, has no hiftorian after Beda, who wrote "in 731, till the year 1100. For Ethelwerd certainly did not write till that time; and his work is a mere tranflation of the Saxon Chronicle: and Affer gives only the life of Alfred. I fay, no English hiftorians are found from 731 till 1100, EXCEPT the Saxon Chronicle. Nav, Beda, who alone precedes, is merely an ecclefiaftical hiftorian, as his title, Hiftoria Ecclefiaftica Anglorum, and his whole work, declare. So that the Saxon Chronicle is, in fact, the ONLY civil hiftory of England preceding the year 1100: and without it we should know nothing of English hif

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