BRITISH MAGAZINE AND REVIEW; Enriched with the following truly elegant ENGRAVINGS: 1. A ftriking Likeness of MRS. COWLEY, under the Aufpices of the unveiled Comic Mufe, from an admirable Painting, by R. Cofway, Efq. R. A. in Mrs. Cow- ley's Poffeffion. 2. A most delightful VIEW of the Seat of SIR CHARLES ASGILL, ADVERTISEMENT. ROM the fullest Conviction of the utter Impoffibility of methodiz FRO ing, arranging, printing, and publishing, any Mifcellany, calculated to comprize all the Events of a Month, by the First Day of the fucceeding one the Editors of the BRITISH MAGAZINE and REVIEW, who are determined to preserve in their Work a compleat Monthly Register of authenticated Tranfactions, properly felected and digefted, have come to the Refolution of making their Day of Publication the TENTH of each fucceeding Month; fo that the Magazine for June (as is, indeed, the Cafe with the prefent Number) fhall contain all the Occurrences which may happen in the Month from which it receives it's Appellation, including even the very last Day. This is the fhorteft Time in which Facts can be fufficiently ascertained, digefted, and printed, fo as to be fafely recorded in a Work where they are meant to be preserved for Ages. It is different with Newspapers; the impatient Curiofity of whofe Readers must at all Events be gratified, and which, being of no Value after they are once perufed, are not liable to mislead at any future Period. To remedy this manifeft Defect, fome have adopted the Method of publishing in the Middle of the fucceeding Month; but as these have always continued their temporary Articles beyond the Limits of the preceding one, they have uniformly fallen into an Error equally fatal. In fhort, there feems no Way of rationally contriving a Magazine for a particular Month, calculated to fatisfy Ladies and Gentlemen of good Senfe and Difcernment, without including every Tranfaction in that Month; and as the Endeavours of the EDITORS of the BRITISH MAGAZINE and REVIEW have conftantly been exerted to fecure the Approbation of Perfons of this Defcription, they are convinced that the Alteration in the Day of publishing their future Numbers will prove highly fatisfactory to their very numerous Friends, who cannot fail to fee the Propriety of the Measure. LONDON, JUNE 9, 1783. '6DEC 1958 Anfwers to Correfpondents must be deferred till our next. LIBRARY THE BRITISH MAGAZINE AND REVIEW OR, UNIVERSAL MISCELLANY. MAY 1783. MODERN BIOGRAPHY. LORD JOHN CAVENDISH. HE Right Honourable John Ca Trending, commonly called Lord John Cavendish, is the fourth fon of William, the third Duke and fixth Earl, of Devonshire, by Catharine, daughter and fole heir of John Hofkins, Efq. of the county of Middlefex; and third uncle of William, the present and fifth Duke, and eighth Earl, of Devonshire. His lordship was born in or about the year 1730, and was elected a member of parliament for the boroughs of Weymouth and Melcombe-Regis, Dor fetfhire, in 1754; for Knaresborough, in the county of York, in 1761; and in the last and prefent parliaments for the city of York. On the 27th of March 1782, his lordship was appoint. ed Chancellor of the Exchequer; in which office he continued till a fhort time after the deceafe of his noble friend, the Marquis of Rockingham, but retired on the Earl of Shelburne's promotion to the Treasury. His lordship continued out of office till the late coalition; when he again accepted the chancellorship of the Exchequer, on the refignation of the Honourable Mr. William Pitt, by whom he had himself been fucceeded. The unfullied honour of the illuf trious family of the Cavendishes is fufficiently known to every perfon in the fmalleft degree acquainted with the 1 British hiftory; and, in inflexible integrity, and native goodness of heart, the prefent fubject of our memoirs yields not to the proudeft of his anceftors. Above the paltry views of ambition or intereft, he acts invariably from the dictates of a heart which does honour to human nature: and though we will not be hardy enough to fay he may never err, we fhall Fifque little in afferting, that Lord John Cavendish will never perfift in error after the mo ment of conviction. From principle he oppofed the measures of Lord North, during that celebrated minifter's long adminiftration; and equally from principle we have lately feen him affift in conciliating fuch an arrangement as he fuppofes will beft ferve his country. With all the ardour of genuine patriotic enthufiafm; with all the affiduity, perfeverance, and honour, of disinterefted zeal; he conftantly endeavours to difcharge what he confiders as his duty in a public capacity: in private life, he is the fecret patron of merit, and the unoftentatious difpenfer of benevolence. While we contemplate the general character of this worthy man, it is impoffible not to remember 2 T 2 that |