Ld Clarendon's Account of his firft Of their virtues and good qualities this may be faid; their temperance is rarely without avarice; their civility without fraud; their devotion without hypocrify; their fubmiffion without treachery. If I fay there is no stealing in Spain, it is in the fame fenfe as it was faid formerly, there A was no adultery in Sparta. All that they can lay their hands on is well got, and each declares his neighbour his enemy, that he may have a right to rob him. They don't even spare holy things, and in many places the candlesticks and facred veffels are chained to the altars, left they should be itolen. B Mutual gifts are hardly known here, and when any thing is to be borrowed, every houfe is a broker's, where to have a plate you must pawn a dish. There are few witches or wizards in Spain. Without doubt the devil is afraid to contract with a Spaniard, who would C cheat him, notwithitanding his oaths; there being only a pecuniary mulct of a few reals for forgery, which being paid, the forger is looked upon as honeft a man as ever. Acquaintance with K. Charles, 57 him, and told him, that the King worl fpeak with him, and would have him that afternoon to come to him. He answered, He believed it was fome mistake, for that he had not the honour to be known to the King; and that there was another of the fame name, of the Houfe. Mr. Piercy atfured him, he was the man; and to it was agreed, that at fuch an hour in the evening he thould call on him at his chamber; which he did, and was by him conducted into the gallery, and fo into the quare room, where he ftaid till the othe. went to the King; who in a very fhort time came thither, attended only by Mr. Piercy, who as foon as Mr. Hyde had killed his Majetty's hand, withdrew. The King told him, That he had heard from all hands, how much he was beholden to him, and that when all his fervants in the Houfe of Commons either neglected his fervice, or 'could not appear ufefully in it, he took 'all occafions to do him fervice; for which 'he thought fit to give him his own thanks, and to affure him, that he would remem'ber it to his advantage. He took notice of his affection to the church, for which, he faid, He thanked him more than for all the reft;' which the other acknowledged with the duty that became him; and faid, He was very happy that his Majefty was pleafed with what he did " but if he had commanded him to have withdrawn his affection and reverence for Ethe Church, he would not have obeyed Provifions are of an immoderate price; water is fo dear, that it often cofts you D more to fprinkle your room here, than to fuddle four of the Swifs guards at Paris : wine is reasonable enough: ice, if you can get any, is dearer than Venice cryftal; and if the ice and fnow of the Alps could be transported hither, and fold at the current price, the mountain of St. Goddard would be a mine more precious than that of Potofi. There are two fins of the flesh here, one of the women, the other of the butchers. Game and poultry expect none, in a country where an egg cofts more than the price of a capon in France. You expect, without doubt,an account of F the Spanish language; but I must own I am not proficient enough in it as yet; only I know, the verbs govern always a dative; and in thefe confifts the greatest liberality of the nation. I perceive I infenfibly grow long, and that it is time to allure you, I am, &c. Lord Clarendon's Account of his firft Acquaintance with King Charles I. WHEN things [the bill for granting the G militia, and that for removing the Bishops out of the House of Peers] were thus depending, one morning, when there H was a great conference with the Lords, and fo the Houfe adjourned, Mr. Hyde being walking in the Houfe, Mr. Piercy, brother to the Earl of Northumberland, being a Member of the Houfe, came to VOL. III. July 1759. him; which, his Majefty faid, made him love him the better. Then he difcourfed of the paffion of the House, and of the bill then brought in against Epifcopacy; and afked him, whether he thought they would be able to carry it?' to which he anfwered, he believed they could not, at leaft that it would be very long first.' Nay (replied the King) if you'll look to it, that they do not carry it before I go 'for Scotland, which will be at fuch a time, when the armies thall be difbanded, I will undertake for the Church after that time. Why then (faid the other) by the grace of God, it will not be in much danger:" With which the King was well pleafed, and difmiffed him with very gracious expreffions. And this was the first introduction of him to the King's taking notice of him. Afterwards in that fummer, during the time of his Majefty's stay in Scotland, Mr. Secretary Nicholas (who then kept the fignet, tho' he was not fworn Secretary till the King's return) being very fick, fent to him to defire to fpeak with him; whereupon he went to him to his house in King H Atreet, 58 Ld Clarendon's Account of his firft Acquaintance with K. Charles. ftreet, and found him in his bed and the bufinefs was wholly to fhew him a letter from the King to him, in which he writ to him, that he understood by feveral hands, that he was very much beholden to Mr. Hyde, for the great zeal he fhewed to his fervice; and therefore commanded him to A fpeak with him, and to let him know the fenfe he had of it, and that when he returned he would let him know it himself. When the remonftronce of the state of the nation, and its particular grievances, was (by order of the House of Commons) printed, Mr. Hyde, only to give vent to B his own indignation, and without the leaft purpose of communicating it, or that any ufe thould be made of it, had drawn fuch a full anfwer to it, as the fubject would have enabled any man to have done who had thought of it: and the Lord Digby, who had much converfation and friendship C with him, coming accidentally and fuddenly into the room, where he was alone amongst his books and papers, conferring together of the extravagant proceedings of the Parliament, he, upon the familiarity that was between them, and upon the argument that was then between them, read D the answer to him which he had prepared to the remonftrance; with which he feemed much pleased, and defired him that he would permit it to be made use of by the King and that he might fhew it to his Majefty; who found it abfolutely neceffary to publish fome anfwer in his own name to E that remonitrance which had fo much poifoned the hearts of the people; and that his Majefty was endeavouring to procure fuch an anfwer to be drawn. The other exprefly and politively refufed to give it him, or that any ufe fhould be made of it; and reproached him for propofing a thing F to him which might prove ruinous to him, if the Houfe fhould have the leaft imagination that he exercifed himself in fuch offices with which anfwer he seemed fatisfied, and departed; no other perfon having feen it but the Lord Falkland, from whom nothing was ever concealed. . G Within few days after, the Lord Digby, with whom the King advised in the business of the Parliament without referve, came again to him; and after fome apologies, told him freely, that very many had been with the King, defiring him that he would take care that fome antwer might be pub- H lished to that remonftrance, which had already done much harm, and would do much more if it were not answered; and that the King had spoken to him, upon which he had confefled that he had feen an answer that pleafed him very well, but could not prevail with the author of it to fuffer it to be made ufe of, and told him who it was; whereupon the King feemed to wonder very much, that a person who had appeared fo publickly in defence of his fervice fhould be fo wary of affifting him in private; and after many expreflions of grace towards that Gentleman, his Majefty had commanded him to come in his name to him; and to conjure him to fend that paper to him, and to give him his royal word that no perfon living thould know that he had the leaft hand in it, so that no danger should accrue to him thereby. Mr. Hyde, though he was very unfatisfied with what the Lord Digby had done (whofe affection to him he did not in any degree make queftion of, but did not like his over activity, to which his reftless fancy always difpofed him; and as he doubted not, that himfelf had given the occafion to the King to fend thofe commands, fo he had likewife enlarged thofe commands, as he believed, in fuch a manner as he thought might moft oblige him) yet upon the real confideration that it might do the King much fervice, he did without delay deliver the papers: infifting upon the promise of fecrecy, and likewife, that his Majefty would not publish, without first communicating it to his Council, and as done with their advice. And to that purpose he affixed that title to it, before he delivered the papers out of his hands; believing that as it would be more for the King's fervice to carry fuch an authority in the front of it, as The King's answer with the advice of bis Council; fo it could not be refufed by them, and yet might engage them in fome difpleature with the Houfe of Commons, which probably might be offended at it. The King was very punctual in doing what was defired; and caufed it to be read at a full council; where many of the Lords commended it very much, and none fpake against it; and fo it was published and printed: and it was apparent to all men, that the King's fervice was very much advanced by it: and it was not more evident to any, than to the Houfe of Commons, who knew not how to make any expoftulation upon it, it being in the King's own name, and published with the advice of his privy council; fo that all they could do, was to endeavour to difcover who was the penner of it; to which difcovery they were moft intent by all their fecret friends in court; who found means to discover most other fecrets to them, but in this could do them no fervice.-[We have inferted this pasfage at full length by way of illufiration. See P. 4. D.] Pro Proceedings in Parliament relating to Weights and Measures. Proceedings in PARLIAMENT. ON March 22, 1758, it was refolved nem. con. that a Committee should be appointed to enquire into the original standards of weights and meafures in this kingdom, and to confider the laws relating thereto, and to report their obfervations A thereupon, together with their opinion of the most effectual means for afcertaining and enforcing uniform and certain standards of weights and measures to be used for the future; and a Committee was appointed accordingly, with power to adjourn, from time to time, and from place to place, B as they should think fit, and to fend for perfons, papers, and records. This Committee continued fitting, from time to time, till May 26, when the Lord Carysfort reported, that the Committee had enquired accordingly, had confidered the laws relating thereto, and had directed C him to report the obfervations of the Committee thereupon, together with their opinion of the moft effectual means for afcertaining and enforcing uniform and certain ftandards of weights and measures to be ufed for the future; and the faid report being taken into confideration on June 2, D the boxes, containing the ftandards referred to in the faid report, were brought to the table, after which the refolutions of the Committee were, with amendments to fome of them, agreed to by the House, and were as followeth : 1. That it is necessary, in order effectu. E ally to afcertain and enforce uniform and certain ftandards of weights and measures to be used for the future, that all the Statutes relating thereto fhould be reduced into one Act of Parliament, and all the faid Statutes now in being, fubfequent to the Great Charter, repealed. 59 goods, ought to contain the fame number of cubical inches, and that the gallon ought to contain 282 fuch inches, and the quart one fourth of the gallon, and the pint one half of the quart. 6. That the bufhel ought to contain eight of the faid gallons, and the quarter eight fuch bufhels; and all other measures, called measures of capacity, ought to be taken in parts, multiples, or proportional parts of the faid gallon. 7. That all goods measured by any of the faid measures of capacity, fhould not be heaped, but ftricken with a round strike of the fame diameter from one end to the other. 8. That the ftandard of weight ought to be the pound herewith delivered, defcribed in this report, and made upon the examination and review of the feveral prefent ftandard Troy weights therein mentioned, and that the 12th part of the faid pound fhould be an ounce, the 20th part of fuch ounce a penny-weight, and the 24th part of fuch penny-weight a grain. 9. That all other weights thould be taken from parts, multiples, or certain proportions of the said standard pound. 10. That all contracts, bargains, fales, and dealings, ought to be taken and adjudged to be according to the standards aforelaid, and that no perfon fhould recover the price of goods fold, or the goods themfeives, or any damages on account of any contracts, bargains, fales, or dealings, but according to the faid ftandards. 11. That it ought to be made penal for any perfon to have in his poffeffion any measure or weight that is not agreeable to the faid ftandards. 12. That it ought to be made highly pe. Fnal for any perfon to make or fell any meafure or weight that is not agreeable to the faid ftandards. 2. That the distance between the two points in the gold ftuds in the brass rod defcribed in this report, and delivered herewith, ought to be the length called a yard, and the inftrument alfo herewith delivered adjusted to the fame length, ought to be preferved and ufed for fizing measures of G length at the Exchequer, and that one third part of the faid length, called the yard, fhould be a foot, and the 12th part of that third or foot deemed one inch. 3. That all measures of length whatsoever fhould be taken into parts, multiples, or certain proportions of the faid standard yard. H 4. That measures, called measures of capacity, thould be afcertained according to the number of cubical inches therein contained. 5. That all meafures of the fame denomination, whether of liquids or of dry 13. That for the forcing an uniformity in the weights and measures to be used for the future, no perfon ought to be permitted to make weights or measures, without having firft obtained a proper licence for that purpose, upon the payment of a certain fum. 14. That all measures, called Measures of Capacity, to be hereafter made, ought to be marked with the name of the maker; and after a proper examination of the meafure, the fame to be stamped with the initial letters of the name of the person who has examined it. And after thefe refolutions were agreed to, it was ordered, that the faid report, with the appendix thereunto, and the proceedings H 2 ceedings of the Houfe thereupon, should The Speech of the Ajutant of the Wilshire W B HAT at our laft meeting, in this place, was the object of our hopes C only, we now have happily obtained. His Majetty, according to our wishes, has been pleased to honour us with his royal orders to be called out to the defence of himfelf and of our country, the care that will be taken for their com- you Be it our glory, my friends and fellow foldiers, that we are chofen out for this honourable and neighbourly office; and let it be our ambition to manifeft to the world, that the men of Wilts neither want heads, hands, or hearts, to engage in any fervice that may promote the fecurity and happinefs of their King and fellow subjects. Tho' the barely being employed in fo glorious a fervice is a fuincient encourage- D ment to generous fouls, like yours; yet it may probably be an additional fatisfaction to you, to be affured by your officers, in this public manner, what regard will be paid to you, and your families left behind, in grief, perhaps, for your departure. You must know, then, that before you EA danger, the Militia is arrayed agreeable leave the Devizes each of you will receive for a reafonable time. But you will, without being admonished of it, perceive of yourfelves, that this indulgence cannot be granted to many at a time; and 'tis therefore expected you will request it fparingly, and never without fufficient grounds, as nothing will give H greater concern to your Commanders, than to be obliged to deny any favour to men who have deterved well of them, and of the public. They flatter themselves the principal motive for vifiting your families .W , in a great measure, be removed, by GENTLEMEN, AN it be affirmed, that at this time of pub lic to the Act for its eftablishment? Have all the counties and divifions raifed their quotas to this neceffary part of felf-defence? If not: To whom are we to afcribe the deficiencies in this array? To the people? No. The alacrity with which the common men have entered into this fervice, under the patriot commanders, directs us to afcribe the luke-warmnefs in fome, and a total defect in others, to fome other fuperior caufe. Is it the fault of the Gentry? No: their intereft in a national militia, for the fecurity of their liberty and property; and their united endeavours to obtain its establishment, will acquit this clafs of a backwardness in the exe cution of fuch a falutary and neceffary law. Where then can the obftruction of the Militia act be fought for? Among thofe, and thofe only, whom the Nation have long beheld with the greateft contempt. The little arts daily practifed by hirelings to leffen the prefent Minifter in the esteem of the public, fhew the true spirit of these men. Net an advantage gained fince his happy Administration, but they have endeavoured to letien; not a favour able piece of news has arrived, but the next day has produced fome fabulous defeat, propagated to damp the joy of the people, and make them forget their obligations to the Saviour of his Country, Those who are not for us must be against us.-No man can love his country, who does not rejoice in its fucceís, NOW POETRY. A WINTER PIECE. you my tongue would oft enraptur'd tell, Delia forbear to rack me with thy ftay, 61 But O tis paft, and all is now defpair, To VIDUUS. (See our laft, p. 354.) WHE HEN from black Clouds th' Sky is clear The smooth Canal does oft reflect; Your lines no fooner my eyes faw A hint's enough; my modest meaning The sweetest notes which numbers know More than to five a Monarch's bride. Your |