University of Virginia Library

The late Dr. Warton's exquisite Ode to Fancy.

The Lady of General Harcourt, of St. Leonard's Hill.

Edward, styled the Black Prince, from the sable armour which he wore, son of Edward the Third.

Cartoon.—The Death of Ananias, in the Royal apartments at Windsor Castle.

Cartoon.—Paul preaching at Athens.

Cartoon.—Paul and Barnabas at Lystra.

Raffaelle died in 1520, at the age of 37 years.

The Victories of Edward the Third, and Edward the Black Prince, painted by Mr. West.

Horat. lib. ii. Ode 13.

Schiras or Scheraz, the capital of Ancient Persia: said to derive its name from Cyrus.—The Poet Hafez, the Anacreon of the East, was entombed in this city, rich in nature's choicest luxuriance, and overshadowed with cypresses of unrivalled elevation and beauty.

A Latin song, called “Domum,” sung with instrumental accompaniment, on the day before the commencement of their Whitsuntide vacation, by the scholars of Winchester College. The words “Matin Hymn, &c.” in the preceding couplet refer to other ancient customs of that venerable seminary.

A minute detail of the duel which Mr. Wilkes fought with Lord Talbot, Steward of the Household, is given in “Letters to and from Mr. Wilkes,” published in 1760.

For an account of the Monks of Medenham, and the consternation excited among the members of that irreverend order, during the celebration of their scandalous rites, by Brother Wilkes's Monkey, consult the third volume of “Chrysal,” or “The Adventures of a Guinea.” And for a particular description of Medenham Abbey, see the “Letters to Mr. Wilkes” beforementioned.

Mr. Wilkes, having been repeatedly solicited by Sylva, a Jew, to discharge a bond and other securities, which he had given him to a considerable amount, at length appointed a day and hour for that express purpose, inviting his creditor to breakfast with him at the same time. The Jew, punctual to his engagement, met with the most flattering reception, and sat down to a special dèjunè dinè most exquisitely seasoned with the wit and vivacity of his host, who unlocked his scrutoire and made a display of cash and bank notes, minutely inquiring of Sylva the amount of what he owed him, and whether he had brought with him every receipt which was requisite to exonerate his debtor from future demands. The bond and necessary papers were of course produced, and freely submitted by Sylva (whom the fascinating pleasantry of his host had thrown intirely off his guard) to Mr. Wilkes's inspection, who, availing himself of the confidence reposed in him, instantaneously committed them to the flames; and seizing the poker, which he had purposely suffered to become red hot in the fire, employed it in keeping his distracted creditor at bay till the bond, &c. &c. were consumed to ashes.

This detail is faithfully given from the statement of the unlucky sufferer himself.

The articles comprized in this clerical wardrobe, for the satisfaction of the curious reader, are subjoined, viz.

• 1 Suit of scarlet and gold, cloth.
• 1 Suit of white and silver, cloth.
• 1 Suit of blue and silver; camblet.
• 1 Suit of flowered silk.
• 1 Suit of black silk.
• 1 Black velvet surtout.

These many-coloured Canonicals which our hero, retorting a quotation of Horace upon his quondam intimate, (and, what is no less extraordinary than it is evident from his own letter, misunderstanding the passage itself) calls, the “Vestimenta pretiosa of Eutrapelus,” his reverend Correspondent, it seems, entrusted to his custody in May, 1767, and charges him with having pawned in Paris to supply his necessities in the September following. See pages 37, 39, 40, 67. of Controversial Letters of John Wilkes, Esq. &c.—Williams, Fleet-street, 1771.

See the Ballad:—

Reliques of Antient Poetry.

The Life of Lord Mansfield.

“See a long law-life, in 4to. of the great Earl Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, by Mr. Holliday, in a very peculiar style indeed. For the greater part, it is a bundle of reports and law pleadings strung together. It is astonishing to me that conveyancers and attorneys, who really appear not to know how to construct a single sentence without provoking a smile at some error in grammar, language, or metaphor, will think themselves qualified to deliver down to posterity the lives of great men. Luckily Mr. Holliday's zeal does not offend us in rhyme. The friendship and the verse of Pope, as well as the splendour of his own abilities, and the dignity of their high exertions, have secured an eternity of reputation to Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, which can never fall, even by Mr. Holliday's attempt.”—Pursuits of Literature, 7th edit. page 322.

The reader, who would be more fully informed on this head, will please to consult the Contributors to Mr. H's Commercial undertaking, who are well qualified to give him the proper explanation.

The pious Conveyancer has no seat in his parish church.

Spring Garden's Chapel, where the Curate was engaged as morning preacher.

Hudibras, Part ii. c. 3.

While his relation, the late Colonel Tims, was visiting Mr. Elwes at his house at Marcham, in Berkshire, a heavy shower falling in the night, he found the rain dropping through the cieling upon his bed, on which he immediately rose and moved the bed from its place; he had, however, scarcely got into it again ere he found the same inconvenience recur and oblige him to have recourse a second time to the same experiment, which still proved ineffectual. At length, after having pushed his bed quite round the room, he gained a corner where the cieling was better secured, and there he slept till morning. When he encountered his host at breakfast, he told him what had happened.—“Aye, aye!” said the old gentlemen, seriously, “I don't mind it myself; but to those who do, that is “a nice Corner, in the rain.”—See the Life of John Elwes, Esq. page 13.

A celebrated teacher of school-divinity in the universities of Italy, about the middle of the thirteenth century, commonly called the Angelical Doctor.

Golgotha, “the place of a scull,” a name ludicrously appropriated to the place in which the Heads of Colleges assemble.

Electrical sparks may be elicited by friction from a cat's back.

The social porker here alluded to, is well known to have been the assiduous companion of Lord M---t Edg---'s excursions.

On the death of Cibber, the place of Poet Laureate was offered by Lord John Cavendish, at the desire of the late Duke of Devonshire, then Lord Chamberlain, to Mr. Gray, who refused to accept it. See Mason's Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Gray.

Rutterkin.—A cat of this name was cater-cousin to the great great great great great great great great great grandmother of Grimalkin; and first cat in the caterie of an old woman, who was tried for bewitching a daughter of the Countess of Rutland in the beginning of the sixteenth century.

“Moreover she confessed, that she took a cat and christened it, &c. &c. and that in the night following, the said cat was conveyed in the middest of the sea by all these witches sayling in their riddles, or cives, and so left the said cat right before the towne of Leith in Scotland. This doone, there did arise such a tempest at sea, as a greater hath not been seen, &c.”

“Againe it is confessed, that the said christened Cat was the cause of the Kinges Majestie's shippe, at his comming forthe of Denmarke, had a contrarie winde to the rest of the shippes then beeing in his companie, which thing was most straunge and true, as the Kinges Majestie acknowledgeth, for when the rest of the shippes had a fair and goode winde, then was the winde contrarie and altogether against his Majestie, &c.”

Old Pamphlet entitled, “Newes from Scotland, &c. &c. &c.” Printed in the year 1591, by William Wright.

Ovid. Met. lib. viii.