THE European Magazine, For OCTOBER 1799. [Embellished with, 1. A PORTRAIT of WILLIAM SEWARD, ESQ. And, 2. A VIEW of 245 LONDON REVIEW. Afiatic Researches; or, Transactions of the Society inftituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the History and Anti.. quities, the Arts, Sciences, and Literature, of Afia. Vol. V. Printed verbatim from the Calcutta Edition, Willich's Lectures on Diet and Regimen ; being a fyftematic Inquiry into the most rational Means of preferving Health and prolonging Life; together with Phyfiological and Chemical Explanations, calculated chiefly for the Ufe of Families, in Order to banish the prevailing Abuses and Prejudices in Medicine [Concluded], Tooke's View of the Ruffian Empire during the Reign of Catharine the Second, and to the Close of the present Century [Concluded], Bishop Beilby's Charge delivered to the 246 La Peroufe, a Drama, from the German ibid. 255 a Letter to a Member of Parliament, ibid. Reports refpecting the Scotch D. ftilleries, ibid., Grellier's Terms of all the Loans which have been raifed for the public Service during the last Fifty Years, &c. Trial of Mackell v. Hanfon, Theatrical Journal; including Fable and Character of The Embarkation, a Mufical Entertainment The Naval Pillar, or Britannia Triumphant, a Mufical Piece-and Account of two new Performers, ibid. Poetry; including Ode, by John Scott, Efq. of Amwell, to a Friend-The Fate of France, imitated from Horace 249 Journal of the Proceedings of the Fourth Seffion of the Eighteenth Parliament of Great Britain, 255 Foreign Intelligence, from the London ibid. Prices of Stocks. 253 London: Printed by Bunney & Gold, See-lane, Flet-Brest, J. DEBRETT, PICCADILLY. Ff VOL. XXXVI. OCT. 1799. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Juvenis's Piece on Confirmation, though we approve of it, is of too ferious a nature for our Magazine. We therefore decline the infertion. It shall be returned wherever the Author pleases to direct. We omit Mr. Holloway's Verfes on Lieutenant Harris, as they are founded on a mistake. He is no relation of the Conqueror of Seringapatam. The Original Letter of Lord Chesterfield is received. AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from Sept. 14, to October 19, 1799. IF, THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, AND LONDON REVIEW, FOR OCTOBER 1799. WILLIAM SEWARD, ESQ. (WITH A PORTRAIT.) to have paffed a life of active bene regret of every good man to whom he was known if, to have been ever ready to affift indigence, to foothe affliction, to encourage merit, and to relieve diftrefs, be fufficient claims for notice beyond that record, -where, to be born and die, Of rich and poor makes all the history:the name of SEWARD will not be loft in the undiftinguifhed mafs of those who, without any laudable exertion or praifeworthy endeavour to improve or benefit mankind, obfcurely creep through life; leaving no trace of their existence in the memory of their furviving contemporaries, nor the remembrance of any action worthy to be held up as an example for the imitation of pofterity. WILLIAM SEWARD was the fon of Mr. Seward, partner in the brewhoufe under the firm of Calvert and Seward, and was born in January 1747. He first went to a small feminary in the neighbourhood of Cripplegate, and afterwards to the Charter-houfe-fchool, where he was contemporary with Mr. Day, the Author of Sandford and Merton, and Mr. Bicknell, the Author of Joel Collyer's Travels. At the Charter-house he acquired a competent knowledge of Greek and Latin, which he improved at Oxford. Having no inclination to en gage in bufinefs, he relinquished his concern in the brew-houfe at his father's death; and, being possessed of an easy fortune, he did not apply to any profeffion, but devoted his time to learned leifure, cultivating his talents for his own amusement, and the entertainment and inftruction of the public, This plan of life, though in many refpects an eligible one, he fometimes doubted the wildom of adopting; for, having no fettled employment, he fometimes felt in a very fevere manner what is understood by the French term ennui. To divert, and relieve himfelf from this unpleasant fenfation, he firft amufed himself with collecting the materials for what he called DROSSIANA in the prefent Magazine; which he began in October 1789, and continued without intermiflion to the end of his life. After he had published in this manner for fome time, he was advifed to make a felection, which in 1794 he began with two Volumes, and thefe were followed in the three fucceeding years by three more, under the title of "Anecdotes of fome Distinguished Perfons, chiefly of the present and two preceding Centuries;" a work which met with general approbation, and has been fince reprinted. In 1799 he published two Volumes more on the plan of the former work, which he entitled "Biographiana." Thefe were finified a very short time before his death. He used frequently to repeat an observation of Dr. Johnson, recorded in the Biographiana, Vol. II. p. 599 :-" That the happiest as well as the most virtuous perfons were to be found amongst those who united with a business or profeffion a love of literature. |