Jewish sage to the land of Egypt, has been lately produced by an unbeliever, as foretelling a circumstance which has not taken place: "No foot of man shall pass through it, no foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited for forty years." With submission to the philosopher, its not having been fulfilled is no proof that it may not. Indeed, when we consider the present state of that unfortunate country, a prey to foreign enemies, and distracted by internal discord, and add to those circumstances the hourly danger of its being desolated by that tremendous scourge the plague, I am of opinion that there is great probability of the prophetic words of the son of Buzi being verified. For these last fifty years, what motive could call any rational man to that devoted territory, what but the impetuous call of duty, or the fanatic zeal of the French institute, that fine political mask for concealing Bonaparte's deep designs on our oriental possessions; a mask, I thank God, so gloriously torn from the usurper's face, by Abercrombie, Hutchinson, and Nelson. It has been the honest perhaps PUBLIC PRAYER. VOL. IV. the visionary wish of many worthy individuals that a liturgy or form of worship and adoration could be compiled, which every reasonable creature in the universe might in public association join in, and address to the merciful and omnipotent Creator of the world. In such a composition without meaning to remove or to enter on the subject of subscriptions and tests, sectarian dogma and every point that has been or can be disputed would naturally be dropped, and each individual reserving in his bosom and for the closet his own precise mode of doctrine and faith, would chearfully partake in the sublime chorus of praise and thanksgiving to that Being whom he reverentially looks up to for all that he hopes, and all that he enjoys. Such has been the inexpedient chimera of a modern philosopher, who prepared a form and a house of prayer on this plan, and if I mistake not, actually officiated himself; but as the novelty wore away, his pews were gradually deserted, the gentleman himself was exposed to considerable obloquy; and as scepticism has been compared to the perpetual motion, and to leaven dropped into meal, which rests not from its ferment till the whole be leavened, so, the B b versatility versatility of his genius still travelling on through the land of doubt and uncertainty, at last led him to the gloomy regions of *** ****, from which I **, from which I sincerely wish him a safe and speedy return; for that he will return to the central point from which he originally verged I feel a firm conviction, as strong as it is possible to feel of any event that hath not yet taken place. The following is part of the liturgy he formerly composed and made use of; it was thought well put together by many persons who differed from him widely in religious opinions; but I understand that the ingenious author Now will not hear of it. MINISTER. The Lord our God is worthy of praise; from his omnipotence, which appears manifest in the creation, and from his benevolence, which is apparent in the means of happiness he has so liberally diffused through animated nature. We acknowledge him to be the only true God, whose wisdom planned, and whose power conducts the moral government of the world. PEOPLF. Blessed art thou, O Lord God, and worthy to be praised for ever. MINISTER. We adore and worship the Most High, as a Being of in MINISTER. Thou hast exercised a wise. wise and gracious care over us, O Lord, from the moment that our dim speck of entity began, till we grew up and became rational beings. Thou hast supplied all our wants, and when our powers are wearied, refreshest us with balmy sleep. PEOPLE. of anecdotes preserved with the Harleian manuscripts, and entitled Merry Passages and Jests. William Shakespeare being at a certain time on terms of familiarity and friendship with Ben Jonson, before the latter had become jealous and envious of his rising merits, stood godfather to a child of Ben's, who demanded of him in a pleasant way what gift O that men would praise the he would bestow, as the custom Lord, for his goodness. MINISTER. We thank thee, O Lord, for endowing us with understanding, and for enabling us to see the beauty of virtue and religion; for laying open the measures of knowledge to our view. We thank thee, for placing us in civilized society, for giving us social affections, and a form of government, under which personal liberty, property, and a reasonable freedom of opinion are respected. PEOPLE. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever. PUNN was. "I have just been thinking," replied the Warwickshire bard," and am determined to give the boy a dozen latten spoons, and thou shalt translate them." Swift sometimes succeeded in this species of illegitimate wit, and on hearing the following impromptu, said he would have given a guinea (in his opinion and at the latter part of his life a great sum) to have been author of it. A friend of the Dean's, at that period well known and respected in the church, was caught in a heavy shower, and rode full speed and dripping wet into an inn-yard, where he quickly dismounted, and having a strong UNNING, an infirmity to voice, called lustily about him. which many able men have He soon found his way to a large kitchen fire, and to a waiter who advanced towards him with a low bow, he exclaimed " Pull pull! at the same time extending his arm for the purpose of havB b 2 ing ing his great coat taken off; the waiter drawing back, immediately replied, "No, Sir, you must excuse me; I cannot think of flying in the face of an express act of parliament. It is felony to strip an ASH"-that being the clergyman's name, who was himself a notorious punster, and so delighted with what could not have been premeditated that he directly gave the utterer of it a guinea. Swift the drawcansir, and atall of his day, who spared neither man, woman, nor child, whose attacks on Delany and Sheridan were coarse, mortifying, and incessant, we are informed, on the faith of an humble friend, that on a certain occasion, receiving a note from one of these gentlemen directed to the Dean of St. Paw tricks, this same Dr. Swift sat in a brown study for more than an hour. Every day's experience proves that making a joke of another man and being ridiculed ourselves are two very different things. UACK MEDICINES.To account for the rise and fall of these remedies in public estimation has exercised the ingenuity of many. If any public medicines, as we now are taught to call them, really possessed such virtues as their projectors first announced, how can mankind be so blind to those invaluable blessings health and comfort as to suffer them to sink into oblivion. If, on the other hand, they have proved not only ineffectual but frequently mischievous, it is equally difficult to account for their having ever attained general approbation and repute. A strong case, in point, occurs in the 255th page of my third volume. In the article to which I refer, I am accused of defending the unwarrantable practice of a rash and impudent empiric, who while the cures he performed were proclaimed in every newspaper and blazoned on every post, artfully suppressed the numerous cases in which his medicines either failed or were productive of fatal effects. Another example is also on record. Mrs. Stephens, the inventor or rather the assumer of a composition once so famous for dissolving the stone in the human bladder, and for the communication of which she received from the public purse a large pecuniary reward.. On this occasion, considerable pains were taken to ascertain its real merits, and, if possible, to prevent fraud aud collusion. By certain eminent professional men, appointed for the purpose purpose, a patient was found who evidently laboured under the disease which the compound professed to remove; he was placed under the care of Mrs. Stephens, took her preparation in such form and quantity and for such a period as she directed, and after a certain time, he was produced as cured. A second and a careful examination, by the gentlemen appointed, now took place, and after repeated soundings with the staff, as I understand, is the technical mode, no stone could be found. A report, favourable to the efficacy of the receipt, was made, and five or ten thousand pounds were paid to the fortunate proprietor. In this instance, the word fortunate was peculiarly applica- Addressed to an avaricious man, ble; as, a few years after this transaction, the patient died, when permission was obtained by a professional man concerned to open the body of the deceased. No stone, it is true, was discovered in the bladder, but by a wonderful effort of nature, which cannot, I think, be fairly attributed to the drugs taken, a large one was found in the cavity which contains the bladder and intestines, protruded in a portion of the coat and between the muscular fibres of the former. who starved his horses. Bred in thy stable, in thy meadow born, What vast ideas they must have of corn. Another important circum-. stance should also be recollected by mankind; the mere preparation and dispensing of medicines, the giving them pompous names, and compiling a long list of dis-. eases which they INFALLIBLY cure is an easy branch of the medical art, often within the reach of a farrier, a school-boy, a merry |