THE

EUROPEAN MAGAZINE,

AND

LONDON REVIEW,

T is not always

FOR JULY 1799.

GABRIEL SNODGRASS,

(WITH A PORTRAIT.)

the practices inveterate and

I employ alw of the thermoives the tyrannical fer de bs of in veter de ap

best reward; nor is fame always to be found in the train of defert: modeft merit fhrinks from obfervation. If to have faved the life of a citizen called forth the highest praise in the best times of Rome, what praife is due to him by whose exertions and application thousands have navigated in remote feas with fafety and fecurity, and have returned to their native country to enjoy the well-earned independence due to honeft induftry? The perfon whofe portrait ornaments our prefent Magazine, we feel great fatisfaction in bringing to the notice of the Public: he was one who rendered the moft effential fervices to his country; and, by his 'fteadiness and perfeverance, introduced more real improvements into the art of Ship Building, than any living or departed artist could ever boaft. To him, therefore, let the praise be given which is due to fuccessful exertions of genius; and let those who are now placed in cafe and affluence, in the enjoyment of fortunes acquired in diftant parts of the globe, gratefully remember that they owe, in a great measure, their prefent happy fituation to the care and attention of an individual, who was content to do good without parade, and would in his lifetime have "blushed to find it fame."

"O let not pafs
This fair occafion to remotest time
Thy name with praise, with honour, to
tranfmit!

So fhall thy country's rifing fleets, to thee
Qwe future triumphs!"

DODSLEY'S AGRICULTURE.

pointed, and their mischievous machinations return to torment themselves.

Mr. Snodgrafs was brought up in the King's Yard at Chatham, and from thence went to India, where he was employed in the capacity of a Builder of Ships for the Company's fervice. At this time the veffels built there were chiefly for trade and defence, but on a smaller scale

than the prefent flourishing state of the trade demands. In this employment he continued many years; and, on his return to England, with a very moderate fortune, he was engaged as Surveyor by the fame Matters; in which ftation he continued to fuperintend the Naval con Cerns of the Company with the most inflexible integrity, and the most difin terested attention, until the day of his death, at a very moderate falary, by no means adequate to the task, and the heavy refponfibility attached to his office. Senfible of this, the Company a few years fince prefented him a few thousand pounds by way of gratuity, and about the fame time allowed him an affistant.

He died in the prefent month of July, 1799, at the advanced age of fourfcore years, after having been the Company's Surveyor more than half that time; during which, it may be prefumed, nearly as many tons of thipping have been built and repaired, as have been fupplied by Government; yet deferving of notice it is, that not one of his fhips has ever foundered at fea, though lamentable experience has fhewn how often this dreadful accident has occurred to those which B & have

have been built in the Government dockyards. On this afflicting fubject, it will be fufficient to refer to Steele's Naval Remembrancer.

We fhall not attempt to defcribe the important improvements introduced by Mr. Snodgrafs in the conftruction of the veffels employed in the fervice of the Eaft India Company, as the round-headed rudder, the falling palls to the captterns, &c. c. nor the variety of fervices which

he rendered his employers: we are no without hopes that there will be fupplied by fome of our fcientific readers. In the mean time, we shall conclude this hafty and imperfect account of a very worthy and refpectable individual by observing, that his induftry and attention were equal to his integrity; and that his integrity would not fuffer by any the fevereft fcrutiny which could be inftituted, or comparifon with any one of the present or former times.

SOME

THE WANDERER.

NO. XV.

Huc natas adjice septem,

Et totidem juvenes ; et mox generofque nurufque
Quærite nunc, hábeat quam nostra fuperbia caufam.

Seven are my daughters of a form divine,
With feven fair fons, an indefective line:
Go, Fools, confider this; then afk the cause
From which my pride its ftrong presumption draws.

MR. WANDERER,
OMETIME ago I happened to be
turning over Johnfon's Dictionary,
when the word Batchelor caught my eye.
I had the curiofity to hunt for the ety-
mology of it, when I found that Junius
derives it from Baena, which fignifies
Foolish. I must own the derivation
ftartled me for being in my own opi-
nion a man of profound wifdom, though
a Batchelor, I felt a little hurt that the
fraternity, of which I have the honour to
be a member, fhould thus be wounded by
the arrows of a fanciful Etymologift.
From difliking the derivation, I proceeded
to quarrel with the pofition, and to en-
quire whether the cap and bells may not
be added to other decorations of the
married head. The man who, mifled by
the cunning of another, suffers himlelf to
be drawn into a contract by which he is
ruined, and the author of the calamity
unhurt, is generally spoken of with more
idicule than compaflion; nor do I think
the ridicule would be leffened, if the
knavish party fhould happen to be à
woman. In other words, by marriage a
man runs a greater rifk of being made a
fool of, than by remaining fingle; a fact
which the annals of Weftminster Hall and
Doctor's Commons are by no means
backward in authenticating.

But there are other confequences of

CROXALE

marriage, which, though not fo ruinous to happiness as infidelity, are equally calculated to promote vexation and excite ridicule. Some of these confequences will appear in the following account:

Frank Homely and myfelt were in early youth as infeparable companions as goodhumour and port wine could make us, till Love, who, as the poet fings,

At fight of human ties, Spreads his light wings, and in a moment

flies,

threatened in an evil hour to fet us at variance. Alike in studies, and alike in pleasures, the fame arrow fmote us both, and both became victims to the bright eyes of Mifs Rachel Barnaby, daughter of Mr. Giles Barnaby, an inconfiderable farmer in the neighbourhood. For myfelf, being a man of an invincible modesty I

never told my love;" content that my patient affiduities fhould tell it for me. But, alas! patient affiduities could effect little, when placed in competition with the more fubstantial qualifications of my friend, namely, affurance and three per cents. By means of these, Frank increated fo rapidly in the damfel's good graces, that in the space of two months he led her to the altar had, during the progrefs of my paffion, with a prudence rarely attainable by per-.

fons

!

fons in that fituation, concealed it from my friend; nor do I think Rachel herfelf, with all her fex's penetration, ever once dreamt of it. Being foon cured of all remains of fondness, I fet out on my travels, and, year after year, received from the English newfpapers the important intelligence, that the wife (I beg her pardon, the Lady) of Francis Homely, Efq. was delivered of a child. This brings to my mind an odd obfervation, made to me by a lady of eminence at Venice, that the English, wifely knowing that the true wealth of a country confifts in its population, never fail to record the birth of a child in all their public prints. But to proceed in my story.

Fourteen years had elapfed fince the period of my quitting England, and every year had witneffed an increase to the noble family of the Homelys. In that prolific houfe, the human figure might be feen in all its fhapes and gradations-"ab ovo ufque ad mala”—from the infant "muling and puking in the nurse's arms," up to the tall coquettish girl aping the airs of womanhood I had not been long landed when I received a letter from Mr. Homely, acquainting me, among other things, that he had been long married to Old Barnaby's daughter, Rachel, a woman" poffeffed of every accomplishment to make the married state happy" that he had already bleed him with feven fons and feven daughters, as fine a fet as ever I faw in my life, and that nothing was wanting to complete his felicity, but to find his friend a witnefs to it, &c. &c.

Eager to enjoy the fight of fo much connubial happinefs, I fixed an early day to dine with him, and bufied myself in the anticipation of the elegant delights which my poetic imagination figured my friend to poffefs. When the hour arrived, I repaired to Mr. Homely's houfe, and was fhewn into his ftudy, which, instead of being furnished with books and maps, was ftrewed around with go-carts, dolls, whiftles, penny trumpets, and "cheap publications. I thought this rather ftrange furniture for a library, and ima. gined that nothing short of the ingenuity of the Sage of Laputa could extract food for ftudy from fuch a jumble of materials. Scarce had I made this reflection, when my ears were alarmed with a tremendous found, which, afcending the ftair-cafe, and bursting open the Judy door, exhibited four of my friend's fons and fix of his daughters, fhouting like wild Americans, with their arms ftrongly

faftened with cords, and urged forward by another of the hopeful race; who brandifhed a whip over his head, and fent forth founds from it which might have filenced the thong of a French poftilion: this gentle paftime, it feems, they called playing at borfes. The infant banditti had paced round the room, and thrown down three chairs in their progrefs, when the fecond horfe in the team fell down and was dragged by his playful affociates along the floor, in fpite of his angry cries and remonftrances. It required all the authority of their father to quell this hideous din, who fhortly made his appearance; and, notwithftanding the increased wrinkles on his brow, welcomed me with a cordial shake of the hand, and led me up-stairs to the drawing-room, to introduce me to his wife. The drawing room had discarded all fuperfluous ornaments, and boasted a negligence and plainnefs that Diogenes might not have been afhamed of. In one corner two mischievous urchins had torn open a new pack of cards, and were building houses with them. In another flood a cradle and cawdle cup, while rush-bottomed chairs, back-boards, steel collars, and stocks, ufurped the places of candelabrums, filk hangings, and mirrors. On my entrance, Mrs. Homely fhook two children from her lap, and one from her fhoulder, and arofe to welcome me; exhibiting to my aftonished view the once flender Rachel converted into a broad clumfy dame, with all the marks of premature old age. After the ufual cere monies I took my feat, and now my torments commenced. One child fastened my button with packthread to the back of the chair; another pierced the calf of my leg with a black pin; while a third infifted upon mounting behind me, and fwinging by my pig-tail. I bore thefe tortures with the firmnefs of an Ameri can captive, hoping that the call to dinner would put an end to my fufferings. But my expectations were vain, and question whether Sancho fuffered half the vexation that I did during the mockery of a banquet, though I confess my fut ferings were alleviated by obferving that the rest of the company came in for their fhare. Mrs. Homely fat at the head of the table with a rickety child on her knee, and infifted, like an indulgent mother as fhe was, that nine of her numerous brood fhould feat themselves at the board, which caufed all the din and disturbance that Į expected. Two butter-boats were overfet on the fattin breeches of Mr. Deputy

Maroon;

KING CHARLES II.

KOTZEBUE.

OTZEBUE, the celebrated German its feminary for the education of young

KDramatilt, was born at Weimar, men of tank, affording the students the

ane of the moft polished at this time in Europe. Kotzebue's predilection for the Drama difplayed itself while he was very young; for in his youth, he not only wrote, but performed in feveral private theatres, though, we believe, he never appeared on any public stage.- He was educated under the celebrated Profeffor Mufous, and early betook himself to the profeffion of the law, which he practifed with confiderable fuccefs, filling various eminent stations, till at length he became Prefident of the High College of Juftice in the Ruffian province of Livonia, where, at his leifure mcments, he wrote many of his dramatic works, as well as

L

other mifcellaneous compofitions. The cabals of a powerful party in Livonia, who envied his fuperior talents, compelled him, after some years, to refign his profeffional fituation; when, fortunately for the admirers of genius and learning, he refolved to devote himself entirely to li terary purfuits, and accordingly repaired to the Court of Vienna, where he was fhortly afterwards appointed Dramati and Director of the Imperial Theatre: an office which he has ever fince filled with pleasure to himself, and the highett fatisfaction to the Emperor, under whom he has been thus honourably employed.

LORD CHIEF JUSTICE EYRE.

ORD CHIEF JUSTICE EYRE was, we believe, from the county of Wilts; his family, at leaft, was connected with that of Lord Pembroke; and we have always understood that he received his education at Winchester and Oxford; from whence he proceeded to one of the Inns of Court, and the ftudy of the Law. We hall therefore take him up at the earliest period of his profeffional life, when he was one of the four Common Pleaders belonging to the City of London, who purchase their fituations, and are commonly called the City Counfel. He was at this time decent in his man. ners, grave in his appearance, regular in bis attendance, but was not known beyond the practice of the Lord Mayor's and Sheriff's Courts, and had difplayed no particular tokens of future eminence. An accidental event, however, brought him forward into unexpected notice, and fubfequent circumftances led him to dif tinction.

At this period, Sir William Morton was Recorder of London. He had quitted the practice of the Bar, and confined himself to the duties of that refpecable office. He had been brought into Parliament by the influence of the Duke of Bedford, and was refpectable from private fortune as well as public fituation. He had looked with a natural expectation to a feat in one of the Courts of Law, but at length, difappointed and growing old, he applied to the Court of Aldermen for leave to appoint a Deputy to affift him in his official duties.

The Common Serjeant, the second Law Officer in the Corporation of London, had an evident claim to fuch an appointment. Mr. Nugent, a moft amiable and excellent man, though of no

great profeffional name, and fully equal to any employment connected with the City of London, in whofe fervice he had fpent the greater part of his life, now filled that fituation. Thefe Gentlemen, however, having differed in fome points of legal difcuflion that had been officially propofed to their confideration, fuch a coolnefs had taken place between them, that Mr. Eyre, who had gained the favour of Sir William Morton, was propofed by him to be Deputy Recorder, and his influence in the Court of Aldermen overbearing the mild, unaffuming character of Mr. Nugent, obtained the appointment.

Mr. Eyre was now elevated into importance; and, though the Recorder might have indulged his iplenetic averhon in

paffing by the Common Serjeant on this occafion, it foon appeared that he had nominated an affilant, who poffeffed knowledge and abilities adequate to his ftation; and as the Recorder's duty now devolved, in a great measure, upon Mr. Eyre, he had an opportunity of proving his qualifications in fuch a manner, that, on the death of his patron in the year 1762, he was elected by the Court of Aldermen to fucceed him. As Recorder of London, he now enjoyed an office of great refpectability, as well as confiderable emolument.-It also gave him the diftinction of a filk gown in Weltminfter Hall, and precedency after the Serjeants at Law.

He had not, however, proceeded but a very few years in the calm exercife of his duties, when he was called upon to encounter difficulties, and to be involved in circumstances, which had not encum bered any of his predeceffors, and which, we truft, will not again disturb the grave

and