(Being the THIRTEENTH OF A NEW SERIES.)

PART THE FIRST.

L'RODESSE ET DELECTARE.

E PLURIBUS UNUM.

By SYLVANUS URBAN, Gent.

LONDON: Printed by JOHN NICHOLS and SON,

25, Parliament-street, Westminster ; where Letters are particularly requested to be sent, Post-PAID;

AND SOLD BY JOHN HARRIS and SON (Successors to Mrs. NEWBERY), at the Corner of St. Paul's Church Yard, Ludgate Street;

and by Perthes and Bessek, Hamburgh. 1820.

son,

seen,

LET others tell of wars and warlike deeds, Monarchs should from their envied greatOf mortal heross, and immortal steeds;

ness flee, Of Fairy land, of Virgins spotless white, To live in Fame, SYLVANUS, great as thee. And doughty Champions born to do their But Jove forbids, and I the lask forbear; right;

A grateful iask, which greater well enight Or let them jocond hail the festal ring ;

share, Far other joys than these be mine to sing ! His deathless pages must record his praise, Give me, ye gods! a nobler race to run, Himself alone nust his own trophies raise ; Some Muse my guide ; my theme Apollo's Yet not alone, fair Science and her train

Of lesser Arts, or equals of her reigo, Sylvanus! Guardian of the letter'd store, With pride shall own SYLVANUS' fost'ring Son and High Priest of him we bards adore!

hand, Others have sung him in the cool retreat And bid to latest time his memory stand. Of shady groves, retir’d from Summer's Methinks, thro' ages yet to come, I see heat ;

Admiring Genii bend green minds to thee; (Far from Augusta's lofty tow'ring spires, Each virgin Muse lead on, with hand uuYet humble balanc'd with her high de. sires ;)

Their youthful steps, where Knowledge Have tun'd iheir barps, to hymn his spring

ever green of days,

Springs in thy bounteous garden of the His rising glories, and his growing lays;

mind, Each heightening still his praise in every Like branching laurel that outlives the strain,

wind, Agreeing still to show the task how vain, First white-rob’d Polyhymnia leads the Yet fondly urge the course the 'mpotent to

way, gain.

To mark the strength of Rhetoric's graceStill be it mine to mark 'midst Winter's

ful sway. frore,

She reads each thought, looks thro' each His added laurels greener than before ;

rich design, His years unshackled by the weight of Aud wond'ring owns her flowery paths were time,

thine. With ardour hast'oing on a second prime. Calliope her winning tribute gives, O could I praise bis purity of though', And Clio doats upon thy faithful leaves. His wisdom, strength, and justice, as I Nor dares the stately Buskin'd Dame reought!

fuse, Or trace his steps thro' each luxuriant Or laughing Goddess of the Mimic Muse, scene,

To celebrate thy praise in rites divine; His fancy rov'd, and still shall rove, I While holy Themis consecrates thy shrine, ween ;

Urania becks thee to her spangled throue ; Or could I paint his skill to read the heart, E'en Time the spoiler of most men's reMocking the timner's superficial arts

nown, Or chaunt his virtues equal to their worth, Inverts bis scythe to hand yours safely Pure as the fire that gives the sun beams

PRE FACE.

We have once more to thank our Readers for the

encouragement which we continue to receive, and to congratulate them and ourselves, under reasonable hopes of improving Times : and, if the prompt operation of Law has suppressed the danger of turbulent spirits, Literature has had labours of great difficulty, in the check which it has been obliged to oppose to restless innovations, founded upon the most controvertible principles. Persons who are somewhat elevated beyond the vulgar, by moderate education and accomplishment, are often desirous of distinguishing themselves; and commence Authors, not with the view of instruction or public benefit, but for reputation only. Each one has a favourite topick, a professional view of every subject; and public institutions are to veer, like weathercocks, in order to be suited to the plans of this or that Pamphleteer or Projector. Tell them that their plans are serious infringements of the Wisdom of Experience ; and affect both person and property ; that there is a science, attached to business, not to be acquired, but by habituation and practice; and that, if they themselves were put into the situations, which they représent as the most fit and proper, and obliged to act upon the ideas which they suggest as the only perfect ones, they would find them impracticable; and that if, as one man has an equal right with another to attention, they were permitted to occupy the time of our public men, persons intentionally or unintentionally dangerous, would acquire unmerited consequence; add, that as nine pamphlets out of ten are written from private motives, to please a party, religious or political, or to gain a name; and that every one has a right, if he so pleases, to re

; fuse reading or hearing them, yet nothing will appease them short of a dictatorship over the minds of mankind. Now it is of infinite importance to the interests of Society, that there should be Periodical Journals of the form of our own, were it only in this view, of acting as Clerks of the Market, to prevent the Literary Public Stomach from being seriously injured by eating unwholesome food. The high utility of such Journals may be illustrated by an apposite instance. Not many years ago some of our leading Reviews were in the hands of able, but prejudiced Sectaries, who were in the habits of viewing all subjects in their own partial light; but, since the establishment of the great Quarterly Journals, every subject of any moment to the Publick is sure to be most elaborately discussed, in a proper scientific techni