T NEW ANECDOTES OF DR FRANKLIN. HE following anecdotes of Dr one more after he had finished his Franklin are taken from the day's work. This custom appeared private history of his own life, writ- to me abominable, but he alerted ten by himself, part of which is late- that he had occafion for all this beer, ly published in France, but ftill con- in order to enable him to work. tinues generally unknown in this country. We fhall offer to our readers the following remarkable inftance of an union of temperance, industry, and economy, while he was working at a laborious occupation in London. "I now began," fays the Doctor, "to think ferioufly of laying by fome money. The printing-houfe of Watts, near Lincoln's-inn-fields, being confiderably more extenfive than the one in which I worked, I thought that perhaps I might find my account in being employed there. I offered myfelf, and was engaged, and I continued to work there during all the reft of the time I remained in London. At first I worked as a preffman, becaufe I thought I had occafion for corporeal exercife, to which I had been accustomed in America, where the printers work alternately as compofitors and at the prefs. I drank nothing but water. The other workmen, to the number of about fifty, were great drinkers of beer. I carried, occafionally, a large form of letters up and down ftairs in each hand, while the others employed both hands to carry one. They were furprised to fee by this, and many other examples, that the American Aquatic, as they used to call me, was as ftrong as they, who drank porter. The beer-boy had fufficient employment during the whole day in ferving that houfe alone. My fellowpreffman drank every day a pint of beer before breakfast, a pint with bread and cheese for breakfast, one between breakfast and dinner, one at dinner, another about fix o'clock, and "I endeavoured to convince him, that the corporeal strength furnished by the beer, could only be in proportion to the folid part of the barley diffolved in the water of which the beer was compofed; that there was a confiderably larger portion of flour in a half penny roll; and that confequently if he ate this roll and drank a pint of water with it, he would receive more nourishment than from a pint of beer. My ar guments, however, did not prevent him from continuing every day to drink his quantity of beer, and to pay every Saturday night a fcore of five or fix fhillings for this curfed beverage; an expence from which I was wholly exempt. Thus do these poor devils continue during their whole lives in a state of voluntary misery. B 66 At the end of a few weeks, Watts having occafion for me as a compofitor, I quitted the prefs. The compofitors demanded of me bienvenue afresh. This I confidered as an impofition, having already paid below ftairs. My mafter was of the fame opinion, and ordered me not to comply. I thus remained during two or three weeks out of the body, and confequently was looked upon as excommunicated. During every abfence, no little trick that malice could fuggeft was left unexercised upon me. I found my letters mixed, my pages tranfpofed, my matter broken, &c. &c. All this was attributed to the fpirit who haunted the Chapel, and tormented all those who were not regularly admitted. But I was at laft obliged to fubmit to pay, notwithstanding the protection of my Commonly named by the printers, Ralph, mafter, mafter, and convinced of the folly of not keeping up a good understanding, with thofe amongst whom we are neceffitated to live. "After this I continued to live in great harmony with my fellowlabourers, and even acquired confiderable influence among them. I propofed feveral alterations in the Jaws of the Chapel, and carried: them without oppofition. My example prevailed with feveral of them to renounce their abominable breakfaft of cheese and bread with beer; and they procured, like me, from a neighbouring house, a large bafon of warm gruel, with toafted bread and nut-meg. This was a much more wholesome breakfast, and did not coft fo much as a pint of beer; it amounted only to three halfpence, and it preferved the head much more clear. Those who continued to gorge themselves with beer, were often without credit at the public-house. They then had recourfe to me to ftand good for them, their light †, as they used to fay, being out. I attended at the pay-table on Saturday evenings to take up the little fum which I had agreed to advance for them, which fometimes amounted to thirty-fhillings a-week. "This circumftance, and my reputation of being a good gabbler, that is to fay, poffeffing a confiderable fhare of low quaint language, fupported my importance in the house. I had likewife rendered myself valuable to my mafter by my affiduous application to bufinefs, never making Saint Monday. My extraordinary quickness in compofing always procured me the moft urgent bufinefs to execute, which is commonly beft paid for; and thus my time paffed away pleasantly enough. 66 Myllodging in Little Britain was at too great a distance from the printing-houfe, and I moved to another in Duke-street, oppofite to the Ro man Catholic Chapel. It was a back room in an Italian warehouse. The: house was kept by a widow; fhe had a daughter, a fervant, and a shop-boy, who all lodged out of doors. After having made the neceffary inquiries concerning my character, the agreed to let me the lodging at three fhilings and fixpence a-week, contenting herfelf with a small rent, becaufe fhe wished to have a man in the house. "She was a woman rather advanced in life; the daughter of a clergyman. She had been educated. a protestant, but her husband, whofe memory fhe venerated greatly, had converted her to the catholic religion. She had feen much of genteel life, and had many anecdotes, as far back as the time of Charles II. Being confined to her room by the gout, the was fometimes defirous of feeing company. Her's was fo agreeable to me, that I was ready to pass the evening with her as often as she defired it. Our fupport confifted of half an anchovy to each, with a little bread and butter, and a pint of ale between us. But the entertainment confifted in her converfation. "In a garret of the houfe there lived in the moft retired manner a lady of feventy years of age; and I' received the following account of her from my landlady. She was a Roman Catholic. In her early years fhe had been fent to the Continent, and entered a convent in order to become a nun; but the climate notagreeing with her conftitution, she was obliged to return to England; and as in this country there are no monafteries, fhe refolved to lead the monaftic life as far as circumstances would permit. With this intention fhe had difpofed of all her worldly poffeffions for charitable purposes, and referved to herfelf only twelve pounds *Moft confiderable printing-offices are fo denominated by the workmen. A cant term for credit with the publican. fterling fterling a-year; and even of this the gave a fhare to the poor, fupporting herfelf wholly on water-gruel, and never ufing fire but to cook it. She had lived during a great many years in that garret, without paying any rent to the fucceffive Catholic inhabitants of the house, who indeed confidered her abode among them as a divine bleffing. A prieft came every day to confefs her. "I have afked “her," faid my landlady," how it was poffible that he could find "employment for a confeffor."" Oh!" answered the," it is impoffible to guard against evil thoughts." 66 "Once I was permitted to vifit her. She was polite, cheerful, and her conversation very agreable. Her apartment was perfectly neat and clean; and the whole furniture confifted of a mattress, a table with a crucifix, and a book, a fingle chair, which she gave me to fit on, and over the mantle-piece a painting of St Veronica difplaying a handkerchief, on which was feen the miraculous impreffion of the face of Chrift, which fhe commented on with much ferioufness. Her countenance was pale, but she had never experienced any fickness; and I may exemplify her as another forcible inftance of how little is fufficient to fupport life and preferve health." Among other things, the Doctor gives the following account of the origin of a project that he once had of fetting up a school for teaching fwimming in this country. "Having gone one day with fome companions to vifit the curiofities at Don-Saltero's Coffee-house at Chelsea, on my return, at the request of some of my compa nions, I undreffed and leaped into the river, I fwam from near Chelsea all the way to Black-friars bridge, fhewing during my courfe a variety of tricks and poltures of addrefs and activity, both on the furface and under water. This fcene occafioned much astonishment and pleasure to thofe to whom it was new. In my youth I delighted in this exercife. I knew and could execute all the pofitions and evolutions of Thevenot; to these I added several of my own invention in which I endeavoured to unite utility and elegance. On this occafion I went through them all, and was much pleafed with the admiration they gave rife to. Some time after this I was fent for by a gentleman whofe name I did not know. I waited upon him, and found it was Sir William Wyndham. He had by fome means heard of my performances between Chelsea and Blackfriars, and that I had taught the art of fwimming to a young man in the course of a few hours. His two fons were on the point of fetting out on their travels. He was defirous that they fhould previously learn to swim, and offered me a very liberal reward, if I would thus undertake to inftruct them. This, the uncertainty of my stay in London rendered it impoffible. But this incident led me to fuppofe, that had I remained in England, and opened a school of natation, I might have gained a deal of money. Some years afterwards, I had fome business of a very different nature to fettle with one of these young gentlemen, then Lord Egremont. But let me not anticipate events." (TO BE CONTINUED.) ANECDOTE RELATIVE TO THE AUTHENTICITY OF BUCHANAN'S HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. FROM THE M.S. HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF MR JA. MELVILLE IN THE POSSESSION OF MR GEORGE PATON, EDINBURGH. Buchanan was weak, and his History under the press, paft over to Edinr. anes errand to visit him, and see the wark. When we came to his chamber we fand him fitting in his chair, teaching his young man that ferved him in his chamber to fpell a b ab, eb eb, &c. After falutation, Mr Andro, fayes, I fee, Sir, you are not idle. Better this, quo he, nor fteiling sheep, or fitting idle, which is als ill. Thereafter he thewed us the epiftle dedicatory to the King, the whilk when Mr Andro had read, he tauld him, that it was obscure in fome places, and wanted certain words to perfect the fentence. Sayes he, I may do na mair, for thinking on another matter. What is that, fays Mr Andro. To die, quo he: but I leave that, and manie ma things, to you to help: (margin) he was telling him alfo of Bleech-wood's answer to his buike de jure Regni. We went from him to the Printer's wark-house, whom we fand at the end of the 17 book of his Cronicle, at a place whilk we thought very hard for the tyme, whilk might be an occafion for ftaying the hail wark, anent the burial of Davie. Therefor ftaying the printer from proceeding, we came to Mr George again, and found him bedfaft. By his cuftome, we afked him how he did. Even going the way of welifare, fayes he. Mr Thomas, his coufine, fhowes him of the hardness of that place of his ftorie, that the King would be of. fended with it, and it might stay the wark. Tell me man, fays he, giff I have tauld the treuth? Yes, fayes Mr Tho. Sir, I think fa. I will bide his fead and all his kins. Then, quo he, pray to God for me, and let him direct all. Sa be the printing of his Cronicle was ended, this maist learned, wife, and gødlie man, ended this mortal lyfe. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE TRIAL or MR THOMAS PAINE, THI FOR A LIBEL. ON TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 1792, AT GUILDHALL, LONDON. HIS trial lafted fix hours, and it is impoffible for us to do juftice to the admirable fpeeches of Mr Attorney General and Mr Erfkine, but by giving them a full length, which would occupy too much room in our Magazine, and therefore we must content ourfelves with the general outlines of them. Mr Percival opening the pleadings on this information, which stated, "That Tho. Paine, being a wicked, feditious, and ill-difpofed perfon, and being greatly difaffected to our Sovereign Lord the King, and to the happy Government and Conftitution of this kingdom, as eftablished at the Revolution, publifhed a falfe and fcandalous libel of, and concerning the faid Government and Confti tution, &c. which libel fhall be afterwards ftated." To this the defendant had pleaded, Not Guilty. Mr Attorney General laid before the Jury what appeared to him a plain, clear, and indifputable cafe. Had it not been that certain circumftances had rendered it of more expectation than ordinary, he should have literally contented himself with reading the different libellous paffages from the Second Part of the publication called the Rights of Man, and left them to the judgment of the Jury, without faying one word upon them; but the accumulated mifchief which had arifen from this libel, had rendered it neceffary that he should fay a few words. In the first place, a report had been 1 been propagated, that the prefent profecution did not accord with his private fentiments. He wished to refute that report, and declared, if it had been true, that he should no longer have been worthy to hold his prefent fituation, but to be expelled from the fervice of his Sovereign, and of the public. He certainly thought it his indifpenfable duty to bring this enormous offender before a Jury of his country. He obferved, the publication in queftion was not the first of the kind which this defendant had fent forth into the world. He had published what is called the First Part of the Rights of Man, which, though it was extremely reprehenfible, he had overlooked on this principle, that he did not wish to prevent any kind of fpeculative difcuflion from coming under the public eye. But another was ushered into the world still more reprehenfible, which had been spread over every part of the kingdom with incredible industry, and thrust into the hands of all defcriptions of perfons in this country. Even children's fweatmeats were wrapped up with parts of it. The most inconceivable industry had been exerted to obtrude this book on the minds of the public, who were not converfant with fuch fubjects, and of which they could form no proper judgment. He had therefore thought it his duty to put a charge on the record against the author of this work. He fhould ftate what he conceiyed the intention of this writer to be, and they would afterwards confider whether they were not fatisfied that it deserved that defcription which his duty obliged him to give it. In the first place, he imputed to it a deliberate intention to vilify and difgrace, and thereby to bring into abhorrence and contempt, the whole Conftitution of the Government of this country as explained at the Revolution that fyftem of Government under which we had the hap pinefs to live at this day. By thefe means the fubjects of this country might be impofed on, to their destruction, and be diffident of that which was their falvation, and upon which every thing that was dear to them depended. He imputed to this book a deliberate delign to bring calamity on his country, by deftroying that love which we had hitherto had for pur Conititution. He imputed to the defendant, that he had reprefented the regard of the Government of this country, bounded and limited as it was, as oppressive and abominable tyranny; and he farther imputed to the Defendant, that he had reprefented the Legiflature of this kingdom as a direct ufurpation. With respect to the laws, they, without one fingle exception, were founded on this ufurpation, or, to use his own words, there was little or no law in this country. Thus it was held out to a community confifting of ten or twelve millions of people, that there was no law that bound them except thofe obligations which arofe from morality and religion. According to this defendant, we had no law to defend our lives, our property, or our reputations; but were reduced back to a state of nature, where the weak are a prey to the ftrong, and where there is no fecurity to property, nor to any thing that is dear to man. This, therefore, was the sweeping imputation on all our laws, that they were null and void. He imputed to the defendant artifice, in order to create disgust to our Conftitution, by stating pure and fimple Monarchy and Ariftocracy repeatedly, without having chofen to fay one fingle fyllable of them as combined with Democracy. Farther, he took no notice of unbalanced Democracy, which was accompanied with Democratical Tyranny. Instead of reasoning, he dictated. And to whom was all this addreffed? To the ignorant, to the credulous, and to defperate perfons, who were al ways |