Humane Thoughts on the Rights and Comforts of the Poor. attended upon by those who love and regard him. There may be fome danger of finking even a flout heart by the forcible feparation of husband and wife, parents and children, in times of fick nefs and diftrefs; nor would one furely with them to be entirely indifferent to each other. The poor man, poor as he is, loves to cherish fome idea of property-to fay, my houfe, my garden, my furniture; and when his whole domestic establishment goes to wreck on a removal to a workhoufe, he is weak enough to grieve a little at the lofs of things that by ufe were become precious to him. He does not like to confider himself only as a lodger or a guest, though in a much finer manfion than his own-he does not wear with fatisfaction cloaths, though warm, that belong to the community, and not to himfelf. And are not thefe refpectable prejudices? The poor man is comforted under his poverty by thinking himself free. This freedom of his, God knows, is circumfcribed by fuch a number of imperious neceffities, that it is reduced to little in effect; but. he pleases himself in imagining that he pollelles it; and that he may go out or come in, work or play, at his own option. He likes to be the judge of his own wants, and to provide He for them ifter his own manner. even chufes to have the determination whether he shall boil or bake his Sunday's dinner. Then he cannot be eafy under confinement, abhors the thought of being under lock and key, and thinks no man deferves a prison who has not com mitted a crime. To be a cypher in the ftate, and therefore a flave, according to the idea of fome political theorifts, does not hurt him at all; but he has à mortal diflike to arbitrary rule exercifed over all his actions. And is it in England that one would wish to extinguish These feelings! Laitly, the poor man places fome of his comfort (often, it must be acknowledged, too much of it) in social and convivial enjoyments. The bare mention of thefe, in a poor man, ftrikes many with the idea of great criminality, and the appellation of drunken and idle are liberally bestowed with great indignation. To get drunk, and fquander at an alehoule what ought to maintain his family, is undoubtedly very wrong in a poor man; but that, after a hard day's or week's labour, he should love to relax a little in that place which affords "an GENT. MAG: January, 1788. 41 hour's importance to the poor man's heart," is furely fo natural that it cannot deferve much cenfure. The evening chat at a neighbour's door, the Sunday's church-yard politics, the holiday feftivities, the ruftic games, and athletic exercifes, are as welcome to the labourer, as the Opera-house and Almack's to the Lord; and who will fay, that the pleasures of the former are not as well earned as thofe of the latter? Without thefe fweeteners, what would be the bitter cup of a poor man's life! What is the life of him who is compelled to fuftain a taftelefs and melancholy being within the barred precincts of a workhouse, where the names of freedom, property, and chearfulness, are un PHILANDER. known? Mr. URBAN, You Jan. 4. YOU will much oblige me by inferting in your valuable Miscellany the following fhort account of an infant musician, Sophia Hoffman. This child, when only nine months old, difcovered fo violent an attachment to mufical founds, that, if taken out of a rooin where any perfon was playing on an in.. ftrument, it was frequently impoffible to appeafe her, but by bringing her back. The nearer fhe was carried to the performer, the more delighted the appeared to be, and would often clap her little hands together in accurate time. Her father, who is a very industrious and ingenious musician, applied himself to the cultivation of thefe favourable fymp toms. He taught her by a very fingular process the names of the notes, and their fituation on the harpfichord; and fo fuccefsful were his inftructions, in aid of her natural genius, that in less than 12 months, being then not more than a year and three quarters old, the could, with tolerable correctnefs, play a march, a letion, and two or three fongs, befides a tew bars of many other tunes which At the time the had accidentally heard 1 first faw her, which was in November laft, fhe was two years and four months old, and had been under her father's tuition about a year and a half. She played action of Stamitz, a gavot, the air of Maibrouk, La Belle Catherine, a Gelman march, and many other tunes, with furprising correctnefs, and, confidering the weaknefs and diminutive fize of her fingers, it is really unaccountable how the contrived to manage very diftant intervals, and to fcramble through difficult paffages without interrupting the time, or 42 or deranging the connection of the harmony. I obferved. that, if she struck a wrong note, the did not fuffer it to pafs, but immediately corrected herself. When the had played for about ten minutes, the feemed inclined to quit the inftru ment; but, on my defiring her to play Malbrouk again, the readily complied, and, to my aftonishment, tranfpofed the whole, without the leaft hefitation or defect, into another key than that in which he had firft played it. Her father told me, that he had often heard her do the fame by many other tunes when he has been left alone at the harpsichord. Of this I had a proof foon after; for, while I was converfing with Mr. Hoffman at the other end of the room, the tranfpofed "God fave the King" from the key of G. into the key of E. 4. and then into the key of D. Her whole flock of tunes, I believe, confified of about fixty or feventy, befides many which the could play by frag ments. It was with a good deal of trouble that he could be prevailed on to fing; but, having once begun, the continued voluntarily, at intervals, to accompany "How Sweet in the Woodlands," Dans votre lit," and two or three other fongs, with her voice. When the touches a note which is very much out of tune, the fometimes ftops, and laughs; but, I have reafon to think, her ear is not fo infallibly fenfible of fuch defects as Crotch's is reported to be: for if the diffonant note be truck by itfelf, or, indeed, if it do not occur in one of her own tunes, fhe does not feem to be aware of it, or to be affected by it. A gentleman, I remember, told me, that having put his finger one day on an organ which was out of tune, in a room where Crotch was fitting, the boy, then only three years old, turned away with looks of great unealinels, and cried very vehemently when his brother attempted to bring him back to the intrument. He added, that his ear was to exquifie as to enable him, when even an unfkilful perfon preffed down nine or ten of the keys together, to name every note which compofed the found with great rapidity and accuracy. It would be injuftice to neglected genius, were 1 to lofe this opportunity of reminding the public, of what they feem to be igno rant, that William Crotch is ftill living, and at Cambridge; and that this exti.. ordinary boy, after maintaining a mother and brother for more than nine years out of a life of twelve, by the ex hibition of talents which nature has, it is hoped, endowed him with for nobler purpofes, is ftill left to rely on precarious bounty for his fupport. If we confider his origin, and his unfettled courfe of living, his powers must appear very wonderful. At feven years of age he became his own inftructor in the mechanical part of mufic, and fo well has he fucceeded, that now, in his thir teenth year, he has almoft finished an Oratorio, which is faid to contain fuch marks of invention, and fuch fublime combinations of harmony, as promifes one day to give us, what we yet want, an original English ftyle. Independent, indeed, of his favourite art, he poffeffes an active and vigorous mind, which, under proper cultivation, may hereafter difplay a combination of talents, rarely, if ever, found in a mufician. The newspapers have lately been boafting of a laudable propenfity, among the rich and noble of the prefent day, to mufical patronage; will none of thefe ftep forward to refcue the name of Crotch from our already too copious catalogue of deferted genius ? But to refume the little heroine of my narrative. SOPHIA HOFFMAN is cer tainly more indebted to the perfevering ingenuity of her father, than to any ef fort of her own natural talents, for those extraordinary powers which the difplays at fo early an age; at the fame time it ought to be obferved, that, had nature afforded a lefs favourable foil, the feeds of inftruction could fcarcely yet have taken root, much lefs have produced fuch promifing fruits from an infant mind. She appears to be perfectly well acquainted with mufical notation, for, if you fhew her any tune which the can play, the knows it at the first glance, and will flop, her father tells me, at a wrongly pointed note. The foregoing remarks are haftily made, after a first vifit. I mean, when I go to London, to ftudy her more accurately; and will take an opportunity of giving you more par ticular information on a fubject well worthy not only of public attention, but of public patronage. B. A. Jan. 18. Mr. URBAN, Remarkable Original Letter of Anthony Windfor, Esq. knighted 1 Car. I. 1625; and that he married a lady of large fortune. The anecdote mentioned in the letter is cu rious, and not uninterefting. By in ferting it in your Magazine, you will oblige your conftant reader, STAFFORDIENSIS. "Being now in the 75th year of my age, and thinking it proper to leave you fome memoirs of the tranfactions of my time, I fhall, in the first place, fet down, as a key to all the rest, a remarkable paffage that happened fome time before the restoration of the late K. Charles II. In the time of Oliver's ufurpation, the reputed delinquents and recufants were neceflitated to endeavour to make their compofitions as well as they could; and, for that purpose, to attend upon the feveral committees, both at London, and in the country, as their different circumstances required, and make what intereft they could for the mitigation of the high impofitions laid upon them. On this troublefome occafion, Sir William Pethall, a gentleman of my acquaintance, who had been cotemporary ftudent, and fellowreveller, with the great Bradshaw, at Gray's-inn, and by that means had contracted a great friendship with him, found himfelt obliged to apply to him for alliftance. Many years had intervened fince they had lived together; but yet, upon Sir William's firit addrefs to Bradshaw, he allured mm of the continuance of his friendship, and that he would confirm it by any favours he could do him or any of his friends. And I have heard Sir William affirm it to the gentlemen tris friends, at the club or meeting then held in Hen-andchickens Court, near St. Dunstan's church, in Fleet-ftreet [where Sit Wm. conftantly reforted], that he had experienced his favour both as to himielf and others, and that he gave him the freedom of accels to him at any time face upon his occafions. And I remember he told us, that he had waited upon him once at his clofet in, or near to, the council-chamber; and being there alone, Bradthaw, after his free and familiar way, afked lum, Sir W. what do you think I am doing -Sir W. answered, he could guess no other wife than that he was bufy about the affairs of his great employ. Sir (faid Bradthaw), I am itudying politics. They have made me prendent of their council; and I am reading Mr. Secretary Cecil's inftructions left them; and, pray you, fee how you Papifts are to be 43 dealt with; for this, I affure you, is the Secretary s own hand;” giving him a loofe fheet of paper out of feveral others. Sir W. read it carefully, and, I remember, told us of the club that the fubftance of it was, "that the Miniftry should by no means be ever induced to take off the penal laws; but that when they perceived that, by their connivance and forbearing to put them in execution, the Papifts began to be too popular and agreeable, both to the'r neighbours in the country, and to their friends and relations at court, as by their moral and charitable way of living they would not fail to do, and even to be thought by them to deferve the pri vileges and freedom of other fubjects, and not the feverity of perfecution merely for their confcience; then, to obviate and allay this good opinion of their relations and neighbours, the Minitry must be fure to fix fome odious defign upon them, which would never fail to be belieyed by the generality of the common people, and then they might put the penal laws in execution to what degree they should think neceffary against them, and the people would think them kind and favourable to let them live. But they must never permit or fuffer themfelves to be prevailed with to take off the penal laws, but referve them as a bridle to keep the Papists out of all public employ in their country, and to deprefs them whenever they thould think it neceffary, or find them grow more numerous or in greater favour and efteem with their neighbours." This, Sir, I remember very well, was the fubftance of what Sir W. told us he had read in that paper. And I give you this account of it the rather, be caule as I heard him fpeak it, and atteft it as a matter of fact and a real truth, fo have often reflected upon it, finding our inodern ftate-minifters purfuing the faid mechod exactly," &c. &c." The writer then proceeds to compare the conduct of Miniftry under Cha II. with the inftructions of Cecil, and thews a remarkable conformity between both. Who that perfon was, to whom the above letter is addreffed, I know not; nor of Mr. Windfor can I furnish any other particulars than what I have men tioned. Names of the Fish, and their best Seafons. 1 A codlin, Novemb. Decemb. January. 3 A barbel, September. 4 A jack pike, in moft months. 5 A maid, all the year. 6 A grey mullett, October, 7A fole, all the year. 8 A red gurnet, September and October. 9 The gold and filver eel, all the year. 10 The large river flounder, March, Auguft, December, January. 11 Atench, November and December. 12 A small roach, January and September. 13 A fmall dace, January and September. 14 A green fmelt, September. 15 A gudgeon, moft months. 16 A lamprey, September. 17 A dab, Octob. Novemb. Decemb. Jan. 18 A fmall river flounder, moft months. 1 A horfe mackerel, September. 120 A common mackerel, September. 21 A Feverfhem oyiter, from Oct. to Jan. Numbur II. 1 A turbot, March, and most months. 2 A haddock, October, Novemb. Decemb. 3 Sea crab, March, April, May. 4 A green river carp, January. 5 A fea cray fish, November, April, May. 6 A whiting, October, Novemb. Decemb. 7 A perch, October. 8 A herring, May, June, September. 9 A Scotch haddock, November. 10 A fhrimp, all the year. 11 A cockle, Decemb. January, February. 12 A Colchester oyiter, from Octob. to Feb. Number III. 1 A cod, Novemb. Decemb. Jan. Feb. 4 A fea flounder, Dec. Jan. Feb. March. 5 A weaver, December. 6 A pouting, November and December. 7 A char, December, Jan. Feb. March. 8 A fcolop, in mackerel feafon. 9 A green Welfleet oyster, Nov. Dec. Jan. zo A mufcle, December. 11 A fprat, November, Decemb. January. Number IV. 1 A hallibut, January, February, March 2 A golden pond carp, most months. 3 A grailing or Huinber, January. 4 A golden fmelt, January. A chub, February. 6 A loach, most months. 7 Large dace, Eebruary. S Large roach, February. 9 A cole fifh, January.. 10 A grey lump, January. 1 A Melton oyster, Novem. Decem. Jan. 12 A white Walficet, Noyem. Decem. J. Number VI. 1 A river trout, from February to Auguft. 2 A thorn-back, ail the year. 3 A black lobster, June. 4 A fmeer dab, August. 5 A filver eel, most months. 6 A Kingston, March. 7 A homeling, September. 8 A river coney-fish, December,. 9 A fea perch, February. ro A bleak, most months. 11 A grig, most months. Number VII. Afturgeon, most months. 2 A falmon trout, from Feb. to August. 3 A beautiful large mackerel, May, June. 4 A fire flaw, April. 5 A pope, most months. 6 A red prawne, most months. 7 A white prawne, May. 8 A brown fhrimp or bunting, May, Dec. 9 A river crab, May. 10 A fhadd, May. 11 A periwinckle, May and June." Number VIII. A Joanna Doree, August. 2 A icate, moft months. 3 A river cray-fifh, moft months. 4 A red mullet, May, June, July. 5 A Brill, September. 6 A fea eel or congre, moft months. 7 A ruff, August. 8 A grey gurnet, gurnard gurney, Sept. 9 Poft, or miller's thumb, November. 10 A right anchovie, the beginning of July. P. S. The Joiners' Company, whose -hall is alfo in Thames-ftreet, have a their Court of Alliftants' Parlour of a capital painting over the chimney of former Court of Affiftants, fmall whole lengths. B. W. H 1 Mr. URBAN, Jan. 7, AVING already told you that I had done with Philalethes and his fubje&t (and I agree with him that it may be as well for me that I have; for, like the difputant he defends, he will have the last word), you need not fear that I am going to enter into controverfy with him again. I am only fearful that my filence might lead him to J. E's Farewell to Philalethes.-Parliamentary Debates. exult in the fuppofition, that he has been able to find one at leaft whofe fentiments are at variance with the doctrines to which he fubfcribes. I did not expect the proof he was called upon to produce, becaufe I did not think fo ill of the arder he fo wantonly afperfed, as to fuppofe he had the fmalleft foundation for the bold and indecent affertion, that "the fentiments of a very large body of the ableft and wifeft among the clergy are at variance in the extreme with the established forms, and that the number is every day increasing." But I own to you, Mr. Urban, that I thought myfelf fecure from the leaft fufpicion of being one of the number, even if my vanity had led me to fuppofe Philalethes would with to allow me a place in fuch refpectable company. From the contempt in which he holds me, I could add but little to the honour of his triumph, or 45 the ftrength of his caufe, if I were difpofed to oblige him by confeffing myelf one of the number he has to produce, whofe fentiments and profeffious are at variance in the extreme. But, not feeling my felf quite inclined to facrifice my fincerity to my politenefs, I fhall rather beg leave to requeft the intereft of Philalethes with thefe great characters into whofe confidence he is admitted, “the ableft and wifeft among the clergy" (tome at least of whom are no doubt the rulers and patrons of the church), to procure me the opportunity of fubfcribing again to the articles I have frequently had occafion to affent to; and which i hall think myfelf greatly indebted to the friendship of Philalethes if he can obtain me the oc cafion once more to fubicribe. "In that cafe you too, Mr. Urban, fhall come in SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT, SESS. V. Debates in the Fifth Seffion of Parliament. THE HE Speaker having returned from the House of Peers, and taken his feat in the chair, ftated, that, agreeably to act of Parliament, he had illued his writs, during the recefs, for the election of members to represent the boroughs of Calne, New Windfor, and Dartmouth, vacated by death. The following members then took the oaths at the table: Edward Baftard, efq Earl Gower, Jof. Jekyll, eiq. Reg. Poole Carew, eiq. Jof. Grant, eiq. Ld. Fred. Campbell, William Wemyfs, efq. Sir Charles Gould, and Lord Mornington. The bill to prevent clandeftine outlawries having been read thort; The Speaker produced a copy of the King's Speech (fee p. 1018 of the preceding volume); which being read, The Hon. Dudley Rider, member for Tiverton, role to move the addrefs. He was happy, he faid, that on the prefent occafion he had only to give a detail of facts, of which the best eulogium would be a plain reprefentation. He then defcribed, in animated terms, the late fituation of the United Provinces, in which a defperate faction had nearly obliterated every trace of civil government. This faction, it was fuperfluous, from the notoriety of the fact, to fay, was hostile to Great Britain in the fame proportion that it was attached to France, our natural enemy; a circumftance of the most critical and alarming nature to this kingdom, as the Dutch, from their ftrength and local fituation, if thrown into the fcale of a potent rival nation, would give it a preponderancy dangerous to us in the extreme. Where then could be found terms to expreis our gratitude to the Sovereign and Mihiftry, whofe wifdom and firmnefs had averted this danger? The King of Pruffia, led by a conformity of interefts, had avowed his intention to aflift the Stadtholder, even at the time that France had declared herself determined to fupport his rebellious enemies. At this crifis, the fpirit and alacrity of our measures gave independance to our old and natural ally, whilt our moderation wifely preferved the peace of Europe. He pointed out the advantages of the treaty with Heffe Caffel. The proximity of that country to Holland would en able its troops to act with the most pow erful effect: nor was this the only benefit attached to the meature; by the fubftitution of thefe fubfidiaries for English forces, a confiderable number of our moft ufeful fellow-fubje&ts would be kept to the labours of the loom and the field. The paffage in the fpeech, which recommends that our diftant poffeffions fhould be put into an adequate pofture of defence," deferved much praife. If, on examination, ảny |