F this Gentleman, who, while he lived, promoted in a very eminent degree the entertainment of his friends, it may be faid, in the words of Shakfpeare:

a merrier man,

Within the limits of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal:
His eye begets occafion for his wit;
And every obje&t that the one doth catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jest.

He was born about the year 1731, and was the fon of Mr. Francis Grofe, of Richmond, jeweller, who filled up the coronation crown of George the Second, and died 1769. By his father he was left an independent fortune, which he was not of a difpofition to add to, or even to preferve. He early entered into the Surry Militia, of which he became Adjutant and Paymafter; but fo much had diffipation taken poffeffion of him, that in a fituation which above all others required attention, he was fo careless as to have for fome time (as he ufed pleafantly to tell) only two books of acCounts, viz. his right and left hand pockets. In the one he received, and from the other paid; and this too with a want of circumfpection which may be readily fuppofed from fuch a mode of book-keeping. His loffes on this occafion roufed his latent talents with a good claffical education he united a fine tafte for drawing; and encouraged by his friends, as well as prompted by his fituation, he undertook the work from which he derived both profit and repu.

tation: we mean, his Views of Antiquities in England and Wales, which he firft began to publish in numbers in the year 1773, and finifhed in the year 1776. The next year he added two more volumes to his English Views, in which he included the Islands of Guernsey and Jerfey, which were compleated in 1787. This work anfwered his mott fanguine expectations; and, from the time he began it to the end of his life, he continued without intermiffion to publifh various works (a lift of which we fubjoin), generally to the advantage of his literary reputation, and almost always to the benefit of his finances. His wit and good-humour were the abundant fource of fatisfaction to himself and entertainment to his friends. He vifited almost every part of the kingdom, and was well received wherever he went. In the fummer of 1789 he fet out on a tour in Scotland; the refult of which he began to communicate to the public in 1790, in numbers. Before he had concluded this work, he proceeded to Ireland, intending to furnish: that kingdom with views and defcriptions of her Antiquities, in the fanie manner he had executed thofe of Great Britain; but soon after his arrival in Dublin, being at the house of Mr. Hone there, he fuddenly was feized at table with an apoplectic fit, on the 6th May 1791, and died immediately. He was interred in Dublin.

"His literary history," fays a friend, "refpectable as it is, was exceeded by his good-humour, conviviality, and friendship. Living much abroad, and

in the best company at home, he had the eafieft habits of adapting himself to all tempers; and, being a man of general knowledge, perpetually drew out fome converfation that was either ufeful to himfelf, or agreeable to the party. He could obferve upon moft things with precifion and judgment; but his natural tendency was to humour, in which he excelled both by the felection of anecdotes and his manner of telling them: it may be faid too, that his figure rather affifted him, which was in fast the very title page to a joke. He had neither the pride nor malignity of authorship: he felt the independency of his own talents, and was fatisfied with them, without degrading others. His friendships were of the fame caft; conftant and fincere, overlooking fome faults, and feeking out greater virtues. He had a good heart; and, abating thofe little indifcretions natural to moft men, could do no wrong." He married at Canterbury, and refided there fome years, much beloved and respected for his wit and vivacity; "which," another friend obferves, though he poffessed in an extreme degree, was but little tinctured with the cauftic fpirit fo prevalent among spirits of that clafs. His humour was of that nature which exhilarates and enlivens, without leaving behind it a fting; and though perhaps none poffeffed more than himfelf the faculty of fetting the table in a roar, it was never at the expence of virtue or good manners. Of the most careiefs, open, and artlefs difpofition, he was often (particularly in the early part of his life) the prey of the defigning; and has more than once (it is believed) embarraffed himself by a too implicit confidence in the probity of others. A

THE

tale of diftrefs never failed to draw commiferation from his heart; and often has the tear been difcovered gliding down that cheek which a moment before was flushed with jocularity."

He was father of Daniel Grofe, Efq. Captain of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (who, after feveral campaigns in America, was appointed in 1700 DeputyGovernor of the New Settlement at Botany Bay), and fome other children.

His works are as follow: (1) The Antiquities of England and Wales, & vols. 4to. and 8vo. (2) The Antiquities of Scotland, 2 vols. 4to. and 8vo.

(3) The Antiquities of Ireland, z vols. 4to. and 8vo.

(4) A Treatife on ancient Armour and Weapons, 4to. 1785.

(5) A Claffical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 8vo. 1785.

(6) Military Antiquities; being a Hiftory of the English Army from the Conquest to the prefent Time, 2 vols. 4to. 1786, 1788.

(7) The Hiftory of Dover Castle, by the Rev. William Danell, 4to. 1786.

(8) A Provincial Gloflary, with a Collection of local Proverbs and popular Superftitions, 8vo. 1788.

(9) Rules for drawing Caricatures, 8vo. 1788.

(10) Supplement to the Treatise on ancient Armour and Weapons, 4to. 1789.

(11) A Guide to Health, Beauty, Honour, and Riches; being a Collection of humourous Advertisements, pointing out the Means to obtain thote Bleffings; with a fuitable introductory Preface, 8vo. (12) The Olio; being a Collection of Eflays in 8vo. 1793.

Public have a claim to the hiftory of great men, for the benefit of their example; and few, very few of modern times, have had fuch a claim to this character as Edmund Burke-" clarum et venerabile nomen -a name not only long known to his own country, but to all Europe, for the brilliancy of his political talents; and, in our opinion, still litted higher in the annals of literature, by his amazing eloquence as a speaker, and the uncommon itrength and harmony of his powers as a writer,

A little town in the county of Cork in Ireland had the honour of giving this great Character to the world on the first day of January, in the year 1730. His father married into the family of the Nagles in that county; a family of very antient descent and refpectable confideration; he followed the profeffion of an attorney, and with his profession enjoyed a little eftate from about one hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds a-year.

Edmund was his fecond fon, who, at

a very early age, was fent to Balytore thol, a feminary in the North of Ireard of very great repute, and well known for furnishing the bar and the palpit of Ireland with many refpectable and eminent characters. This fchool has been kept by Quakers for near a century; and the fon of the man to whem Mr. Burke was a pupil has been for these many years paft the head-mafter. It has been creditable to both parties (viz. the prefent preceptor and the quondam pupil of his father), that the ftricteft friendship has always fubfifted between them; not only by a conftant correfpondence, but by occafional vifits; in which the reiteration of boyish adventures, compared with the chain of fucceffive events, mutt have formed fuch converfations as moft feel to a degree, though none but minds of a refined and congenial temper can enjoy the true relish.

At this fchool young Burke foon diftinguished himfeli by an ardent attachment to ftudy, a prompt command of words, and a good talle. His memory too unfolded itfelf very early, and he foon became diftinguished as (what was called) the best capper of yerles in the fchool; but as this phrafe is not fo generally known in England as in Ireland, it may be neceflary to explain it : called capping of verfes is repeating any one line out of the Claffics, and following it up by another, beginning with the fame letter at which the former line caded; for instance,

:- - What is

Aquam memento rebus in ardui s
Servare mentem, non fecus in bonis.

This was carried on, in the way of literary conteft, between two boys, which begat an emulation for reading above the ordinary line of duty, and at the fame time called out and ftrengthened the powers of memory. Burke not only took the lead in this, but in all general exercifes: he was confidered as the first Greek and Latin fcholar; to thefe he aided the study of poetry and belles lettres; and, before he left the fchool, produced a play in three acts, founded on fome incidents in the early part of the History of England.

Concerning this play we have made many inquiries to little purpofe; the probability is, that a work of this kind, after it was read amongst his fchoolfellows, or perhaps acted, loft its novelty and was forgotten; or perhaps the Author, as he grew up to be a man, and "forward to put off his boyish days,"

voluntarily deftroyed it. All that we know of it, to any degree of certainty, is, that Alfred formed the principal cha racter; and we have been told, on the credit of a co-temporary ichool-boy, that this part breathed a fpirit of freedom and fublimity that was wonderful, confidering the age of the author.

The report, however, which one fchool-fellow makes of another, influenced by the fubfequent reputation of fuch a man as Burke, cannot be much depended on. If we did, not know the early productions of Dryden, judging of them by the merits of his maturer day, what should not we imagine we had loft? but, knowing what they are, how trifling they appear by comparifon! The early works of irgenicus men, however, are far from being incuricus: Dryden's Poem to the Memory of Henry Lord Haftings, with all its falle metaphors, grofs images, and hobbling rhymes, Thews an excurfive fancy, and fome latent traits of genius burting to come forward; but above all, it fhews what the powers of application and experience in the aid of genius will do, when the fame author, even in his old age, could produce fuch a fublime poem as the Ode on St. Cecilia's Day.

Before Edmund left Ealytore school, his elder brother died, which determined his father to change his plan of defignation in regard to his family: and here it is curious to reflect how a fingle incident opens a way to great and confiderable events: had the elder fon lived, he would have been educated to all the advantages of primogeniture, whilft this, his fecond, would in all probability have been either configned to his father's profeifion as an attorney, or bred to fome trade; and thus have ended his days in the inglorious buttle of a country town, unknown to fame and to pofterity. But fate decided it otherwife: Edmund, foon after this event, was entered a fellowcommoner at the Univerfity of Dublin, where he pursued his ftudies with the fame unceasing application as at school; and where he was no lefs efteemed as a fcholar, than beloved for his agreeable manners and the integrity of his friendfhips: indeed this latt feature of his character was his peculiar praife through life, as he not only retained his political connections with fidelity, but all thofe of an earlier date; and fome of these, to the ftill higher praife of his generolity, as his purfe, his table, and his influence, were conftantly at their fervice: nor did

be

he "ever meet an old friend with a new face," bus those who by their fubfequent Conduct had forfeited his protection.

After ftaying the ufual time at the University of Dublin, he came over to London, and entered himself as a ftudent of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Here, though neither the duties of the Inns of Courts, or the example of his fellow-practifers in the law," demanded or ftimulated his attention, fuch

I

SIR,

was his natural inclination for know ledge, that he ftudied here as in every other fituation, with unremitting diligence: many of his habits and converfations were fome years paft well remembered at the Grecian coffee-house (then the great rendezvous of the ftudents of the Middle Temple), and they were fuch as were highly creditable to his morals and his talents.

(To be continued.)

Beaconsfield, April 5, 1796. HAVE read the manufcript which you have had the goodness to fend for my entertainment and inftruction. You have not failed in your humane and honourable purpose: I was very much entertained; and, if I were treated with lels partiality, I fhould have received more inftruction. I have feldom feen fo much wit in fo fmall a compafs as there is in your piece: as to the prudence of publishing it, I have nothing at all to day; I have never given advice to an author on that fubject, that I recolle&t, in the whole courte of my life. If you fhould follow the advice you have received (except that a very pleafant performance would be denied to the public), I fee nothing ill that can happen by confining it to the entertainment of your particular friends. I am almoft afhamed to fay, that I have been fo much out of the literary world as not fo much as to have heard of Mr. Wakefield's name until yesterday, except what I found about him in your manufcript, and in the printed book of another Gentleman; but I find he is a man of confiderable literary reputation. Of the other I had heard fometime, I believe two years fince, as the author of fomething very fcandalous and abfurd against myself and the Gentlemen of France: I did not read more than a page or two of it; and that as it was fhewn to me, for I never was in poffeffion of the pamphlet. What I fee from your piece, and from the extracts made in Mr. Townfend's, he appears to be just the fame illiterate, fupid, and impudent reiler that I thought him at that time. As to the reit, whether this fort of Atuff pleafes the public is a matter unknown to me, hait not wholly indifferent; becaufe, if it did, I fhould be forry for the bad taste of my Countrymen with regard to morals and

to compofition. As to myself, perfonally, if I were fo weak as much to attend to this foolish fort of fcurrility, it can never affect my tranquillity. I am under no obligation to read the works of those who revile me; and in fact I never do; and I affure you, that if it were not for the respectful attention I owe to the men of talents who are generous enough to take an intereft in me, I fhould live in the most profound ignorance of the existence of what this fort of authors write against me. Their pieces, when they are fent to me, I read, and by what I perceive, they are engaged in a kind of conflict which indeed does honour to their humanity; but which gives, to fome at least amongst their antagonists, an importance which they could no otherwife obtain.

I am rather furprised at your speaking of fuch a perfon as Haftings with any degree of refpect; at prefent I fay nothing of those who chose to take his guilt upon themselves: I do not fay I am not deeply concerned; God forbid I fhould fpeak any other language. Others may he content to prevaricate in judgment; it is not my taste; but they who attack me for my fourteen years' labours on this fubject, ought not to forget, that I always acted under public authority, and not of my own fancy; and that, in condemning me, they afperfe the whole Houfe of Commons for their condu&t continued for the greater part of three Parliaments. I beg leave once more to return you my best acknowledgments. I have the honour to be, with great refpect and efteem,

Your most obedient,
and obliged humble servant,
EDM. BURKE,

Jofeph Mofer, Efq. Little
Smith-fireet, Dean's-
yard, London.

HAMBURGH