security of the state against foreign attacks, might be employed against the liberties of the people as well as in their defence; as was fometimes the cafe, particularly in the inflances of Quintius's order to kill Mælius for not obeying his fummons, and Sylla's affumption of the office, without fixing any term of expiration. It was also a circumstance unfavourable to liberty, that this officer might be appointed by a fingle conful, agreeing with the fenate, without the concurrence, and against the will of the people. Another circumftance which contributed to the destruction of the Roman republic, was the increasing power and the factious spirit of the tribunes of the people. Having authority to accuse the nobles and bring them before the people, and to stop any decree of the fenate by a negative from any one of their number; and at last obtaining a right of propofing any law to the people without the affent of the senate, and of referring to them any business treated of in that house; it is no wonder that fuch powers were fometimes exerted in a manner which threatened general anarchy and confufion.

It is to be regretted that these judicious observations are left in an unfinished flate.

Our noble Author's historical penetration farther appears in the additional Dialogues of the Dead. In the first, between Cafar and Scipio, he contrafts the ambitious and aspiring spirit of the former with the moderation and patriotism of the latter; and shows that the highest praise due to Cæfar is, that his courage and talents were equal to the object his ambition aspired to, the empire of the world, and that he exercised a fovereignty unjustly acquired with a magnanimous clemency. The second, between Plato and Diogenes, contrafts the rigid and stern philofopher, with the refined and courteous statefman. In the third, between Ariftides, Phocion, and Demofthenes, the different principles on which Phocion and Demofthenes formed such different judgments concerning the interefts of their country are investigated, and it is shown that the latter expected every thing fortunate from the union of the states of Greece, whereas the former thought the strength of Philip so much fuperior to that of the Athenians, as to render it unfafe to contend with him. The fourth dialogue between Marcus Aurelius and Servius Tullius, seems principally intended to thew the different effects of regal power, in a virtuous and in a corrupt state.

But it is time that we pass from the critic and historian to the traveller, and take notice of fome of the principal incidents which his Lordship relates in his letters.

The following letter from Paris conveys a lively idea of the natural gaiety of the French nation.

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• Dear Sir,

Paris, Sept. 8. Sunday by four o'clock we had the good news of a Dauphin, and ince that time I have thought myself in Bedlam. The natural gaiety of the nation is so improved upon this occafion, that they are all stark mad with joy, and do nothing but dance and fing about the streets by hundreds, and by thousands. The expreffions of their joy are admirable: one fellow gives notice to the public that he designs to draw teeth for a week together upon the Pont Neufgratis. The king is as proud of what he has done, as if he had gained a kingdom; and tells every body that he sees, qu'il fçaura bien faire des fils tant qu'il voudra. We are to have a fine firework to-morrow, his majesty being to sup in town.

'The Duke of Orleans was fincerely, and without affectation, transported at the birth of the Dauphin.

The fucceffion was a burden too heavy for his indolence to fup. port, and he piously fings hallelujah for his happy delivery from it. The good old cardinal cried for joy. It is very late, and I have not slept these three nights for the squibs and crackers, and other noises that the people make in the streets, so must beg leave to conclude, with affuring, that I am, Dear Sir,

Your affe&ionate and dutiful fon, G. L.' *The following extracts are taken from two letters to Mr. Bower, giving an account of a journey into Wales.

• Ludlow is a fine handsome town, and has an old castle, now in a neglected and ruinous state; but which, by its remains, appears to have been once a very strong fortress, and an habitation very fuitable to the power and dignity of the Lord Prefident of Wales, who refided there. Not far from this town is Oakley-park, belonging to Lord Powis, and part of that foreft which Milton, in his masque, supposes to have been inhabited by Comus and his rout. The god is now vanquished: but, at the revolution of every seven years, his rout does not fail to keep up orgies there, and in the neighbouring town; as Lord Powis knows to his cost, for he has spent twenty or thirty thousand pounds in entertaining them at these seasons; which is the reason that he has no house at this place fit for him to live in. He talks of building one in the park, and the fituation deferves it; for there are many scenes, which not only Comus, but the lady of Milton's masque, would have taken delight in, if they had received the improvements they are capable of, from a man of good tafte; but they are as yet very rude and neglected. In our way from hence to Montgomery, we paffled through a country very romantic and pleafant, in many spots: in which we faw farms so well fituated, that they appeared to us more delightful fituations than Clermont or Burleigh. At last we came by a gentleman's house, on the fide of a hill opening to a sweet valley, which seemed to be built in a tafte much fuperior to that of a meer country squire. We therefore ftopt, and defired to fee it, which curiofity was well paid for: we found it the neatest and best house, of a moderate fize, that ever we saw. The mafter, it seems, was bred to the law, but quitted the profeffion about fifteen years ago, and retired into the country, upon an eftate of 500 1. per annum, with a wife and four children; notwithstanding

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which incumbrances, he found means to fit up the house in the manner we saw it, with remarkable elegance, and to plant all the hill about him with groves and clumps of trees, that, together with an admirable profpect seen from it, render it a place which a monarch might envy. But, to let you see how vulgar minds value such improvements, I must tell you an answer made by our guide, who was fervant to Lord Powis's steward, and spoke, I prefume, the sense of his master; upon our expressing some wonder that this gentleman had been able to do fo much with so small a fortune; "I do not, said he, know how it is, but he is always doing fome nonfenfe or other." I apprehend, most of my neighbours would give the fame account of my improvements at Hagley.

• From hence we travelled, with infinite pleasure, (through the most charming country my eyes ever beheld, or my imagination can paint,) to Powis castle, part of which was burnt down about thirty years ago; but there are still remains of a great house, situated so finely, and so nobly, that, were I in the place of Lord Powis, I should forfake Oakley-park, with all its beauties, and fix my feat near there, as the most eligible in every respect. About 30001. laid out upon it would make it the most august place in the kingdom. It stands upon the fide of a very high hill; below lies a vale of incomparable beauty, with the Severn winding through it, and the town of Welshpool, terminated with high mountains. The opposite side is beautifully cultivated half way up, and green to the top, except in one or two hills, whose summits are rocky, and of grotesque shapes, that give variety and spirit to the profpect. Above the castle is a long ridge of hills finely shaded, part of which is the park; and ftill higher is a terrace, up to which you are led through very fine lawns, from whence you have a view that exceeds all description. The county of Montgomery, which lies all within this view, is to my eyes the most beautiful in South Britain; and though I have not been in Scotland, I cannot believe I shall find any place there fuperior, or equal to it; because the Highlands are all uncultivated, and the Lowlands want wood; whereas this country is admirably fhaded with hedge-rows. It has a lovely mixture of corn-fields and meadows, though more of the latter. The vales and bottoms are large, and the mountains, that rise like a rampart all around, add a magnificence and grandeur to the scene, without giving you any horror or dreadful ideas, because at Powis-caftle they appear at such a diftance as not to destroy the beauty and softness of the country between them. There are indeed some high hills within that inclosure, but, being woody and green, they make a more pleasing variety, and take off nothing from the profpect. The castle has an old-fashioned garden juft under it, which a few alterations might make very pretty; for there is a command of water and wood in it, which may be so managed as to produce all the beauties that art can add to what liberal nature has fo lavishly done for this place.

We came to Festiniog, a village in Merionethshire, the vale before which is the most perfectly beautiful of all we had seen. From the height of this village you have a view of the fea. The hills are green, and well shaded with wood. There is a lovely rivulet, which winds through the bottom; on each fide are meadows, and above are corn fields, along the fides of the hills; at each end are

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high mountains, which seemed placed there to guard this charming retreat against any invaders. With a woman one loves, with the friend of one's heart, and a good study of books, one might pass an age there, and think it a day. If you have a mind to live long, and renew your youth, come with Mrs. Bower, and settle at Feltiniog. Not long ago there died in that neighbourhood an honest Welth farmer, who was 105 years of age; by his first wife he had thirty children, ten by his second, four by his third, and seven by two concubines; his youngest fon was eighty one years younger than his eldest, and 800 persons descended from his body attended his funeral."

Lord Lyttelton's character as a statesman, which is already well-known, and universally admired by the true friends of their country, appears in a pleasing point of view in the speeches which are published in this miscellany. The first is on the bill (1747) for annulling hereditary jurifdictions in Scotland; in which his lordship clearly proves, that fuch jurisdictions cannot be preserved confiftently with that fourd policy, "which carries the majefty and justice of the crown into every part of the state; and presents to the eye of the subject no other object of his obedience, no other executive power, no other fountain of justice except the king."-In the second speech, on the mutiny bill (1751) his lordship makes judicious remarks on the neceffity of preferving a strict military difcipline. The third, on the repeal of the act called the Jews bill, affords a noble specimen of that liberal and enlarged fpirit which always animated his lordship, on the fubject of religion. Speaking of the reafonablenets of repealing this act, he says:

This appears to be a reasonable and fafe condefcenfion, by which nobody will be hurt; but all beyond this would be dangerous weakness in government. It might open a door to the wildest enthusiasin, and to the most mischievous attacks of political disaffection working upon that enthusiasm. If you encourage and authorife it to fall on the fynagogue, it will go from thence to the meeting-house, and in the end to the palace. But let us be careful to check its further progrefs. The more zealous we are to fupport Chriftianity, the more vigilant should we be in maintaining toleration. If we bring back perfecution, we bring back the antichriftian spirit of poperv; and when the fspirit is here, the whole system will foon follow. Toleration is the basis of all public quiet. It is a character of freedom given to the mind, more valuable, I think, than that which fecures our persons and estates. Indeed, they are inseparably connected together: for, where the mind is not free, where the confcience is enthralled, there is no freedom. Spiritual tyranny puts on the galling chain; but civil tyranny is called in, to rivet and fix them. We fee it in Spain, and many other countries; we have formerly both feen and felt it in England. By the blessings of God, we are now delivered from all kinds of oppreffion, let us take care that they may never

retorn."

In the fourth speech, concerning privilege of parliament, particularly in writing and publishing libels, he says:

Is not such a privilege a virtual declaration that every member of parliament, while he continues a member, though he be guilty of perjury, of misprision of felony, of misprision of treason, though he spreads sedition from one end of the kingdom to the other, is abfolutely exempt from the justice of the crown? Such an exemption is moft abhorrent from the whole spirit and genius of our conftitution. It is the worst solecism in politics; it is fetting up a kingdom within a kingdom.' Soon afterwards he says: 'The king is the vicegerent of that God to whom vengeance belongs. What power upon earth can intercept or delay that righteous vengeance? What power on earth can have any right, any privilege, to interpose itself between him and the performance of his oath ??

We cannot help intimating an apprehension that his lordship's ardor in fupport of the just cause he had espoused, has here led him to make use of expreffions which are not quite confiftent with his general ideas of the origin and ends of government; which lean too much towards the exploded doctrine of the jus divinum of princes. Surely it would have been fufficient for the present argument to have faid, That no part of the people can have a right to ftop the regular course of justice in that channel in which the whole body of the people had appointed it to flow, for the public good; and to have afferted, as he does at the clofe of this judicious and animated speech, The dominion of law is the dominion of liberty: privilege against law in matters of high concernment to the public, is oppreffion, is tyranny, wherever it exifts.'

There is yet another character, under which Lord Lyttelton appears in these remains, which does him greater honour than all the reft; it is that of a good man. It is impoffible to peruse his letters to his father, without being charmed with the manly and virtuous fentiments which he difcovers, and particularly with the unaffected ardor of filial affection which runs through the whole. The following specimens, while they justify our remark, will, we are certain, afford much pleasure to those of our Readers, who have not suffered false tafte to eradicate the principles of nature.

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LETTER VI.

• Dear Sir, Luneville, Aug. 18. 'I wrote to you last post, and have fince received yours of the 20th. Your complaints pierce my heart. Alas, Sir, what pain must it give me to think that my improvement puts you to any degree of inconvenience; and perhaps, after all, I may return and not anfwer your expectations. This thought gives me so much uneasiness, that I am ready to wish you would recall me, and save the charge of travelling: but, no; the world would judge perversely, and blame you for it: I must go on, and you must fupport me like your fon.

• I have observed with extreme affliction how much your temper is altered of late, and your chearfulness of mind impaired. My heart has ached within me, when I have seen you giving yourself up to a melancholy

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