To the PHILOLOGICAL SOCIETY of LONDON. GENTLEMEN, Dear Sir, ISHALL take it as a particular favour if Your very humble Servant, Chelfea, Friday, SIR, The following Letters from the late Dr. SMOLLETT, which I fend you in his own handwriting, will, I am persuaded, be an agreeable entertainment to many of your Readers. They were written to DANIEL MACKERCHER, Efq. a gentleman whofe name is familiar to the Public, as well from the account of his Life inferted in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, as from the part he took in the celebrated Anglesea Cause. They will do credit to the writer, and I think can give no offence to any perfon now living. I am a well-wisher to your work, G. H. gentleman to whom you was a stranger, merely to gratify the rancour and malice of an abandoned fellow who had feed you to fpeak in his cause.-Did I ever seek your acquaintance, or court your protection? I had been informed indeed that you was a Lawyer of fome reputation, and when the fuit commenced, would have retained you for that reafon, had I not been anticipated by the Plaintiff; but, far from coveting your acquaintance, I never dreamed of exchanging a word with you on that or any other subject : you might therefore have spared your invidious declaration, until I have put it in your power to mortify me with a repulse, which, upon my honour, would never have been the cafe, were you a much greater man than you really are.—Yet this was not the only expedient you used to prepossess the Jury against me.--You was hardy enough to reprefent me as a perfon devoid of all humanity and remorfe; as a barbarous ruffian, who in a cowardly manner had, with two associates as barbarous as myself, called a peaceable gentleman out of his lodgings, and affaulted him in the dark with intent to murder.—Such an horrid imputation publickly fixed upon a perfon whose innocence you could hardly miss to know, is an outrage, for which I believe, I might find reparation from the law itself, notwithstanding your artful manner of quali fying the expreffion by faying, provided the facts can be proved. This low fubterfuge may, for aught I know, screen you from a profecution at law, but can never acquit you in that Court which every man of honour holds in his own breast. I fay, you must have known my innocence from the weaknefs of the evidence which you produced, and with which you either was or ought to have been previously acquainted; well as from my general character and that of my antagonist, which it was your duty to have learned.-I will venture to fay, you did know my character, and in your heart believed me incapable of fuch brutality as you laid to my charge.-Surely, I do not over-rate myown importance in affirming, that Iam not fo obfcure in life as to have escaped the notice of Mr. Hume Campbell; and I will be bold enough to challenge him and the whole Y H A V E waited several days in hope of receiving from you an acknowledgement touching those harsh, unjustifiable (and let me add,) unmannerly expreffions which you annexed to my name, in the Court of King'sBench, when you opened the caufe depending between me and Peter Gordon; and as I do not find that you have difcovered the leaft inclination to retract what you faid to my prejudice, I have taken this method to refresh your memory, and to demand fuch fatisfaction as a gentleman injured as I am has a right to claim. The bufinefs of a Counsellor is, I apprehend, to investigate the truth in behalf of his Client; but furely he has no privilege to blacken and afperfe the character of the other party, without any regard to veracity or decorum. That you assumed this unwarrantable privilege in commenting upon your brief, I believe you will not pretend to deny, when I remind you of those peculiar flowers of elocution which you poured forth on that notable occafion.-First of all, in order to infpire the Court with horror and contempt for the Defendant, you gave the Jury to underkand that you did not know this Dr. Smollett; and, indeed, his character appeared in such a light from the facts contained in your brief, that you never should defire to know him,-I should be glad to learn of what confequence it could be to the cause, whether you did or did not know the Defendant, or whether you bad or had not an inclination to be acquainted with him ?—Sir, this was a pitiful personality calculated to depreciate the character of a EUROF. MAG. VOL. V. as world world to prove one inftance in which my integrity was called, or at least left, in question. -Have not I therefore reafon to fuppofe that, in fpight of your own internal conviction, you undertook the caufe of a wretch, whofe ingratitude, villany, and rancour are I firmly believe, without example in this kingdom; that you magnified a flight correction bestowed by his benefactor in confequence of the most infolent provocation, into a deliberate and malicious fcheme of affaflination; and endeavoured, with all the virulence of defamation, to destroy the character, and even the life of an injured perfon, who, as well as yourself is a gentleman by birth, education, and profeffion? In favour of whom and in confequence of what, was all this zeal manifefted, all this flander exhaufted, and all this fcurrility difcharged? Your Client, whom you dignified with the name of Efquire, and endeavoured to raise to the fame footing with me in point of station and character, you knew to be an abje&t mifcreant, whom my compaffion and humanity had lifted from the moft deplorable scenes of diftrefs; whom I had faved from imprisonment and ruin; whom I had cloathed and fed for a feries of years; whom I had occafionally affifted with my purse, credit, and influence.---You knew, or ought to have known, that, after having received a thoufand marks of my benevolence, and prevailed upon me to indorfe notes for the support of his credit, he withdrew himself into the verge of the Court, and took up his habitation in a paltry alehouse, where he not only fet me and the reft of his creditors at defiance, but provoked me by fcurrilous and infolent letters and meffages to chaftife him in fuch a manner as gave him an handle for this profecution, in which you fignalized yourself as his champion, for a very honourable confideration.-There is fomething fo palpably ungrateful, perfidious, and indeed diabolical, in the conduct of the Profecutor, that even in thefe degenerate days, I wonder how he could find an Attorney to appear in his behalf. O Tempora! O Mores! -After having thus founded the trumpet of obloquy in your preamble,and tortured every circumftance of the Plaintiff's evidence to my detriment and dishonour, you attempted to fubject me to the ridicule of the Court, by afking a queftion of my firft witnefs, which had no more relation to the caufe, than if you had defired to know the name of his grandmother. What title had you to ask of a tradesman, if he knew me to be an Author? What affinity had this question with the circumftances of the affault? Was not this foreign to the purpofe? Was it not impertinent, and propofed with a view to put me out of countenance, and to raise the laugh of the fpectators at my expence? There, indeed, you was disappointed, as you frequently are in thofe little digreffive efforts by which you make yourself remarkable.-Tho' I do not pretend to poffefs that fuperlative degree of effrontery by which fome people make a figure at the bar, I have affurance enough to ftand the mention of my works without blufhing, efpecially when I defpife the tafte, and fcorn the principles, of him who would turn them to my difgrace.-You fucceeded, however, in one particular; I mean, in raifing the indignation of my Witnefs; of which you took all imaginable advantage, puzzling, perplexing and brow-beating him with fuch artifice, eagerness, and insult, as overwhelmed him with confusion, and had well nigh deprived me of the benefit of his evidence. Luckily for me, the next gentleman who was called confirmed what the other had fwore, and proved to the fatisfaction of the Judge and Jury, and even to your own conviction, that this terrible deliberate affaffination was no more than a fimple blow given to a rafcal after repeated provocation, and that of the moft flagrant kind; that no advantage was taken in point of weapons; and that two drabs, whom they had picked up for the purpose, had affirmed upon oath a downright falfehood, with a view to blast my reputation.-You yourself was fo confcious of this palpable detection, that you endea voured to excufe them by a forced explanation, which, you may depend upon it, fhall not fcreen them from a profecution for perjury.-I will not fay, that this was like patronizing a couple of Gypfies who had for fworn themselves, confequently forfeited all title to the countenance, or indeed forbearance of the Court; but this I will fay, that your tenderness for them, was of a piece with your whole behaviour to me which I think was equally infolent and unjust: for, granting that you had really fuppofed me guilty of an intended affaffination, before the trial began, you faw me in the course of evidence acquitted of that fufpicion, and heard the Judge infift upon my innocence in his charge to the Jury, who brought in their verdict accordingly. Then, Sir, you ought in common juftice to have owned yourfelf mista ken, or to have taken fome other opportunity of expreffing your concern for what you had faid to my disadvantage: though even fuch an acknowledgment would not have been a fufficient reparation; because, before my witneffes were called, many persons left the Court with impreffions to my prejudice conceived from the calumnies which they heard you efpouse and encourage. On the whole, you opened the trial with fuch hy perbolical impetuoufity, and conducted it with fuch particular bitterness and rancour that every body perceived you was more than ordin a y interested; and I could not divine the myfterious bond of unionthat attached you to Peter Gordon, Efq, until you furnished me with a key to the whole fecret by that ftrong emphasis with which you pronounced the words Ferdinand Count Fathom. Then I difcovered the fource of your good will towards me, which is no other than the history of a law-fuit inferted in that performance, where the author takes occafion to obferve, that the Counfel behaved like men of confummate abilities in their profeffion; exerting themfelves with equal industry, cloquence, and erudition, in their endeavours to perplex the truth, brow-beat the evidence, puzzle the Judge, and mislead the Jury.-Did any part - of this character come home to your own confcience? or did you refent it as a farcafmlevelled at the whole Bench without diftinction? I take it for granted, this must have been the origin of your enmity to me; becaufe I can recollect no other circumstance in my conduct by which I could incur the difpleafure of a man whom I fcarce knew by fight and with whom I never had the least dispute, or indeed concern. If this was the cafe, you pay a very scurvy compliment to your own integrity, by fathering a character which is not applicable to any honeft man, and give the world a handle to believe, that our Courts of Juftice ftand greatly in need of reformation. Indeed, the petulance, licenfe, and buffoonery of fome Lawyers in the exercife of their function, is a reproach upon decency and a fcandal to the nation; and it is furprifing that the Judge, who represents his Majefty's perfon, fhould fuffer fuch infults upon the dignity of the place. But, whatever liberties of this kind are granted to the Counsel, no fort of freedom it feems, must be allowed to the Evidence, who, by the bye, are of much more confequence to the cause.-You will take upon you to divert the audience at the expence of a witnefs, by impertinent allufions to fome parts of his private character and affairs: but if he pretends to retort the joke, you infult, abufe, and bellow against him as an impu dent fellow who fails in his refpect to the Court.-It was in this manner you behaved to my firft witnefs, whom you firft provoked into a paffion by injurious infinuations; then you took an advantage of the confufion which you had intailed upon him; and laftly, you infulted him as a perfon who had shuffled in his evidence. This might have been an irreparable injury to the character of a tradesman, had not he been luckily known to the whole Jury, and many other perfons in Court, as a man of unquestioned probity and credit. Sir, a witness has as good a title as you have to the protection of the Court; and ought to have more, becaufe evidence is abfolutely neceffary for the investigation of truth; whereas the aim of a Lawyer is often to involve it in doubt and obfcurity. Is it for this purpose you fo frequently deviate from the point, and endeavour to raise the mirth of the audience with flat jokes and infipid fimilies? or, have you really fo miferably mistaken your own talents, as to be fet up for the character of a man of humour ?-For my own part, were I difpofed to be merry, I fhould never defire a more pregnant subject of ridicule, than your own appearance and behaviour; but, as I am at prefent in a very ferious mood, I fhall content myfelf with demanding adequate reparation for the inju rious treatment I have received at your hands; otherwife I will in four days put this Letter in the prefs, and you shall hear in another manner, not from a ruffian and an affaffin, but from an injured gentleman who is not ashamed of subscribing himself. For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. T. SMOLLETT. Mrs. DRAPER, the Lady who has been fo celebrated as the Correfpondent of Mr. STERNE under the name of ELIZA, will naturally attract the notice of the Publick. That she was deferving of the encomiums bestowed upon her by that admirable writer will appear from the following eulogium written by the excellent Abbe RAYNAL, which I tranfmit to you for publication in your next Magazine. TERRITORY of Anjengo, thou art no thing; but thou haftgiven birth to Eliza. A daywill come, when thefe ftaples of commerce founded by the Europeans on the coafts of A. T. I am, yours, &c. Afia, will exift no more. Before a few centuries are elapfed, the grafs will cover them, or the Indians, avenged, will have built upon their ruins. But if my works be destined to Y 2 have have any duration, the name of Anjegno will not be obliterated from the memory of man. Those who shall read my works, or thofe whom the winds fhall drive towards the fe fhores, will fay: There it is that Eliza Draper was born; and if there be a Briton among them, he will immediately add, with the fpirit of conscious pride, And there it was that fhe was born of English parents. Let me be permitted to indulge my grief, and to give a free course to my tears! Eliza was my friend. Reader, whofoe'r thou art, forgive me this involuntary emotion. Let my mind dwell upon Eliza. If I have sometimes moved thee to compaffionate the calamities of the human race, let me now prevail upon thee to commiferate my own misfortune, I was thy friend without knowing thee; be for a moment mine. Thy gentle pity fhall be my reward. Eliza ended her days in the land of her forefathers at the age of three-and-thirty. A celestial foul was feparated from a heavenly body. Ye who visit the spot on which her facred afhes reft, write upon the marble that covers them: In fuch a year, in fuch a month, on fuch a day, at fuck an hour, God withdrew his fpirit, and Eliza died. And thou, original writer, her admirer and her friend, it was Eliza who inspired thy works, and dictated to thee the most affecting pages of them. Fortunate Sterne, thou art no more, and I am left behind. I wept over thee with Eliza; thou wouldeft weep over her with me; and had it been the will of Heaven that you had both furvived me, your tears would have fallen together upon my grave. The men were used to say, that no woman had fo many graces as Eliza: the women faid fo too. They all praised her candour; they all extolled her fenfibility: they were all ambitious of the honour of her acquaintance. The ftrings of envy were never pointed against unconscious merit. Anjengo, it is to the influence of thy happy climate that she certainly was indebted for that almoft incompatible harmony of voluptuoufnefs and decency, which diffused itself Over all her perfon, and accompanied all her motions. A ftatuary who would have wished to reprefent Voluptuoufnefs, would have taken her for his model; and he would equally have ferved for him who might have had a figure of Modefty to difplay. Even the gloomy and clouded sky of England had not been able to obfcure the brightnefs of that aerial kind of foul, unknown in our climates. In every thing that Eliza did, an irresistible charm was diffufed around her. Defire, but of a timid and bafhful caft, followed her steps in filence. Any man of courteousness alone muft have loved her, but would not have dared to own his paffion. I fearch for Eliza every where: I discover, I difcern fome of her features, fome of her charms, fcattered among those women whose figure is most interefting. But what is be come of her who united them all? Nature, who haft exhausted thy gifts to form an Eliza, didst thou create her only for one moment? Didst thou make her to be admired for one inftant, and to be for ever regretted? All who have feen Eliza, regret her. As for myself, my tears will never cease to flow for her all the time I have to live. But is this fufficient? Those who have known her tenderness for me, the confidence she had bestowed upon me, will they not fay to me, She is no more, and yet thou liveft. Eliza intended to quit her country, her relations, her friends, to take up her refidence along with me, and fpend her days in the midft of mine. What happiness had I not promifed to myself? What joy did I not expect, from seeing her sought after by men of genius; and beloved by women of the niceft tafte? I said to myself, Eliza is young, and thou art near thy latter end. It is the who will close thine eyes. Vain hope! Fatal re verse of all human probabilities! My old age has been prolonged beyond the days of her youth. There is now no perfon in the world existing for me. Fate has condemned me to live, and die alone. Eliza's mind was cultivated, but the effects of this art were never perceived. It had done nothing more than embellish nature; it serv ed in her only to make the charm more lafting. Every inftant increased the delight the infpired; every inftant rendered her more interefting. Such is the impreffion fhe had left in India; fuch is the impreffion fhe made in Europe. Eliza then was very beautiful? No, she was fimply beautiful but there was no beauty fhe did not eclipfe, becaufe fhe was the only one that was like her. felf. : Eliza has written; and the men of her nation,whose works have been the most abounding in elegance and tafte, would not have difavowed the fmall number of pages the has left behind her. When I faw Eliza, I experienced a fenfa tion unknown to me. It was too warm to be no more than friendship; it was too pure to be love. Had it been a paffion, Eliza would have pitied me; fhe would have endeavoured to bring me back to my reason, and I fhould have completely loft it. Eliza used frequently to say, that she had a greater eftcem for me than for any one else. At present I may believe it. In her laft moments, Eliza's thoughts were fixed upon her friend; and I cannot write a line without having before me the monument he has left me. Oh! that she could also have endowed |