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amufements of literature, the beauties of imagery, and the charms of invention.

The very creation of a Society fo noble, is a proof in itfelf of merit; and while it is impelled in its pursuits, by a perfon fo learned and fo zealous for information as Sir William Jones, the greatest advantages may be expected from it. His difcourfe is a striking evidence of the enthufiafm for Afiatic concerns, with which he has been animated from his earlieft youth; and in its spirit and diction we difcover the ability and tafte, which are characteristic of all his compofitions.

In his charge to the grand jury at Calcutta, he displays himself in the character of an incorrupt judge, and of a virtuous citizen. Its propriety is every where apparent; and our readers will be pleased with the following fhort extract from it.

Juftice must be administered with effect, or fociety cannot long fubfift. It is a truth coeval with human nature, and not peculiar to any age or country, That power in the hands of men, will fometimes be abused; and ought always, if poffible, to be reftrained : but the restrictions of general laws imply no particular blame. How many precautions have from time to time been used to render Judges and jurors impartial, and to place them above dependence! Yet none of us conceive ourfelves difgraced by fuch precautions. The object then of the court thus continued with ample powers, though wifely circumfcribed in its jurifdiction, is plainly this; That, in every age, the British fubjects refident in India be protected, yet governed, by British laws; and that the natives of thefe important provinces be indulged in their own prejudices, civil and religious, and fuffered to enjoy their own cuftoms unmolefted and why thefe great ends may not now be attained, confiftently with the regular collection of the revenues, and the fupremacy of the executive government, I confefs myself unable to difcover.

Another thing has been, if not greatly mifconceived, at least very imperfectly understood; and no wonder, fince it requires fome profeffional habits to comprehend it fully: I mean the true character and office of judges appointed to administer thofe laws. The ufe of law, as a fcience, is to prevent mere difcretionary power, under the colour of equity; and it is the duty of a judge to pronounce his decifions, not fimply according to his own opinion of juftice and right, but according to prefcribed rules. It must be hoped, that his own reafon generally approves thofe rules; but it

the judgment of the law, not his own, which he delivers. Were judges to decide by their bare opinions of right and wrong-opinions always unknown, often capricious, fometimes improperly biaffedto what an arbitrary tribunal would men be fubject! in how dreadful a ftate of flavery would they live!-Let us be fatisfied, Gentle men, with law, which all who please may understand; and not call for equity in its popular fenfe, which differs in different men, and muft at beft be dark and uncertain.

· The

The end of criminal law, a most important branch of the great juridical fyftem, is to prevent crimes by punishment; fo that the pain of it, as a fine writer exprefles himself, may be inflicted on a few, but the dread of it extended to all. In the administration of penal juftice, a fevere burden is removed from our minds by the affiftance of juries and it is my ardent with, that the court had the fame relief in civil, especially in commercial, caufes; for the decifion of which there cannot be a nobler tribunal, than a jury of experienced men, affifted by the learning of a judge. Thefe are my fentiments; and I exprefs them, not becaufe they may be popular but because I fincerely entertain them: for I afpire to no popularity, and feck no praife, but that which may be given to a strict and confcientious difcharge of duty, without predilection or preju dice of any kind; and with a fixed refolution to pronounce on all occafions what I conceive to be the law, than which no individual muft fuppofe himself wifer.'

The publication before us concludes with an hymn which was firft tranflated from the Hindú language into Perfian, and then re-tranflated from the Perfian, by Sir William Jones. It does not appear to us, that the poetry of this piece is very excellent; but it illuftrates eastern manners, and on that account is exceedingly curious. The Hindú God to whom it is addreffed is the fame with the Grecian Eros, and the Roman Cupido. But with this fimilarity, it is remarkable that his family, attendants, and attributes, are very different.

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According to the mythology of Hinduftán, [fays Sir William Jones] this God was the fon of Maya, or the general attracting power, and married to Retty, or Affection; and his bofom friend is Beffent, or Spring. He is reprefented as He is reprefented as a beautiful youth, fometimes converfing with his mother and confort, in the midst of his gardens and temples; fometimes riding by moon-light on a parrot or lory, and attended by dancing-girls or nymphs, the foremost of whom bears his colours, which are a fish on a red ground. His favourite place of refort is a large tract of country round Agra, and principally the plains of Matra; where Krifhen alfo and the nine Gopia, who are clearly the Apollo and Mufes of the Greeks, ufually spend the night with mufic and dance. His bow of fugarcane or flowers, with a string of bees-and his five arrows, each pointed with an Indian bloffom of a heating quality-are allegories equally new and beautiful.'

We cannot dismiss these papers, which we recommend to the ingenious, without expreffing a wifh, that the publie may foon profit by the publication of the first volume of the Tranfactions of the Afiatic Society.

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ART. VIII. A Supplement to the Fifth Edition of Collins's Peerage of England; containing a General Account of the Marriages, Births, Promotions, Deaths, &c. which have occurred in each Family, from that Publication in the Year 1779, to the prefent Time. Alfo Genealogical and Hiftorical Accounts of those Families which have been advanced to the English Peerage, whether by Descent or Creation, fince that Period. With their Paternal Coats of Arms, Crefts, Supporters, and Mottoes, engraved on Thirty-four Copper-Plates. Faithfully collected from Authentic Pedigrees in the Poffeffion of the Families, or registered in the House of Lords; Records, Monumental Infcriptions, and other Authorities which are cited. By B. Longmate, Editor of the Fifth Edition of Collins's Peerage. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Boards. Strahan, Rivington, &c.

THE

HE English Peerage, by Mr. Collins, is a work of very general utility, and every attempt to complete it, is worthy of commendation. Since the laft edition of Mr. Collins's work, there have occurred many capital and many minute cireumftances concerning the Nobility of England, which deferve to be recorded. To recount thefe is one object of the volume before us; and it is to be obferved, that Mr. Longmate has arranged the alterations which have happened in the families enjoying the peerage, according to their refpective degrees of precedence. The other object of the prefent publication is more important. It exhibits genealogical and hiftorical accounts of all thofe, who, fince the laft impreffion of the English Peerage by Collins, have been advanced to this dignity. In this branch of his plan, Mr. Longmate has been chiefly directed by authentic pedigrees in the refpective families whom he celebrates, and by exprefs communications from them. It is alfo to be allowed that he has affifted himself by a confultation of the writings of our best historians, and by a proper attention to authentic records.

As a fhort fpecimen of his defign and execution, we shall tranfcribe his account of Eliot Lord Eliot.

This family flourished for eight or ten generations in Devonfhire, before they transplanted themfelves into Cornwall, and had matched into feveral confiderable families in that county, as the Sigdens, Cotlands, Bonviles, Sumafters, Fitz, Carefwells, &c. Anno 1433, Walter Eliot was returned among the gentry of Devonshire. And to this family, as it fhould feem by the arms, was allied, Sir Richard Eliot, made by King Henry VIII. one of the Juftices of the King's Bench, who by his will, dated 1520, bequeathed his body to be buried in the cathedral of Salisbury, of which church Robert Eliot died Sub-dean, anno 1562.

The pedigree entered in the vifitation of Cornwall, made in 1620; commences with John Eliot, who by his wife Jane, Idaughter

of

of John Bonvile, of Shute in com. Devon, was father to Edward Eliot of Cutland in that county, who married Alice, daughter of Robert Guye, of Kingfbridge, and had iffue two fons; 1. John Eliot, of St. German's in Cornwall, whofe firft wife was Grace, daughter of John Fitz, of Tavestock in Devonshire; and his fecond, Mary, daughter of John Bruin of Plimouth; 2. Thomas Eliot, married to Joan, daughter of John Norbrooke of Exeter, by whom he had iffue four fons, Richard, Hugh, Walter, and Edward; alfo an only daughter, Alice.

Richard Eliot, the eldeft fon and heir of Thomas, purchafed the fite, &c. of the priory of St. German's, to which he gave the name of Port Eliot, where he lived with great hofpitality. He was buried in St. German's church, June 24, 1609, leaving by his wife Bridget, daughter and co-heir of Nicholas Carfwell of Hache, an only fon,

John, born and baptised at St. German's, April 20, 1590; who became a gentleman commoner of Exeter College, Oxford, in 1607, where he continued two or three years, and then removed to the inns of court; and May 10, 1618, received the honour of knighthood from King James I. was elected reprefentative for the borough of Newport in Cornwall to the laft parliament of that reign, and was re-elected to the firft parliament of King Charles I. which being foon diffolved, he was chofen for St. German's to the enfuing parliament, and in 3 Car. I. was knight of the fire for Cornwall. Sir John being a great oppofer of the court, was appointed by the Houfe of Commons one of the managers of the impeachment of the Duke of Buckingham, for which he, with Sir Dudley Digges, the other manager, were committed prifoners to the Tower, but were foon after releafed; on March 1, 1682, Sir John Eliot, and other members of the Houfe of Commons, were committed elofe prifoners to the Tower, for refufing to answer before the Privy Council for what was faid or done in the Parliament; and on May 29 following, an information was exhibited against them in the Star Chamber, for their undutiful fpeeches in the late Parliament; in Michaelmas term following, upon an information in the King's Bench, they pleaded to jurifdiction of the court, but were over-ruled, and afterwards adjudged to be imprisoned during the King's pleasure, to give fecurity for their good behaviour; and Sir John Eliot was alfo fined two thoufand pounds: they were afterwards offered to be released on their making fubmiffion, which they refused, and Sir John Eliot died in the Tower, and was buried in the chapel there. By the inquifition, taken after his death, it appears, that he died Nov. 27, 8 Car. I. 1632, leaving John his fon and heir, then twenty years and forty days old. Sir John married Redigund, daughter and co-heir to Richard Gedy, Efq; by whom he had feveral fons and two daughters, the eldest of which was Elizabeth, wife to Colonel Nathaniel Fiennes, fecond fon of William, the first Viscount Say and Sele.

John, the eldest fon and heir, was baptifed at Port Eliot, October 18, 1612. He reprefented the borough of St. German's in 15 Car. I. and the two firft Parliaments of Car. II. and was buried

near

near his grandfather in the fouth ayle, or nave, of St. German's church, March 25, 1685, leaving an only fon and heir,

• Daniel Eliot, who reprefented the borough of St. German's in feveral parliaments, and was buried among his ancestors, Oct. 28, 1702, leaving an only child Catharine, married in 1702, to the learned antiquary, Browne Willis, of Whaddon Hall in Buckinghamfhire, Efq. By his will he bequeathed his eftate, in order to keep up the name of his family, to Edward Eliot, grandfon to Nicholas Eliot, fourth fon to Sir John Eliot above-mentioned..

Which Edward Eliot, Efq; reprefented St. German's in Parliament, from 1705 to 1714, was elected for Leftwithel in 1718, was appointed one of the commiffioners of the Excife in 1720, and chofen for Lefkard in Sept. 1721, but died the fame year without iffue, and was fucceeded by his brother,

Richard Eliot of Port Eliot, Efq; who was elected to parliament for St. German's in 1733, for Lefkard in 1741, and again for St. German's in 1747; he was alfo Auditor and Receiver-general to the Prince of Wales, and died Novemb. 19, 1748, aged about fifty-three, and was buried at St. German's. He married March 4, 1726, Harriot, natural daughter of the right honourable James Craggs, Efq; Secretary of State in the reign of King Geo. I. and by her (who was re-married, November 14, 1749, to the honourable John Hamilton, brother to James, Earl of Abercorn) had iffue three fons, and fix daughters; the fons were, 1. Edward, notv Lord Eliot; 2. Richard, who entered into the royal navy, and died under age; 3. John, who was a Captain in the navy, and died Governor of Weft Florida, unmarried: Anne, the eldest daughter, married Hugh Bonfoy, Captain in the navy; Harriot, the fecond daughter, married Pendock Neale of Tollerton in Nottinghamfhire, and died without iffue 1776; Augufta and Hefter, the third and fourth daughters, died infants; Elizabeth, fifth daughter, was wife to Sir Charles Cocks, of Dumbleton, in Gloucefterihire, Baronet, and died 1771; and Catharine, the youngest daughter, is unmarried.

Edward, Lord Eliot, born July 8, 1727, was on his father's death chofen reprefentative for the borough of St. German's, and conftantly fat in Parliament, either for the county of Cornwall, or fome borough therein, till his advancement to the peerage by parent, dated January 30, 1784, whereby he was created Baron Eliot, of St. German's in Cornwall, and to the heirs male of his body; his Lordship is alfo Receiver-general of the Dutchy of Cornwall.

His Lordfhip was married September 25, 1756, to Catherine, fole daughter and heir of Edward Ellifon of South Weald in Effex, Efq; by whom he has had iffue four fons; 1. Edward, who died an infant; 2. Edward-James, born July , 1758, elected to parliament for St. German's in 1776, and appointed one of the Lords of the Treafury, December 27, 1783; 3. John, born September 28, 1761 and 4. William, born April 1, 1766.

Title.] Edward Eliot, Baron Eliot of St. German's in the County of Cornwall.

Creation.] Baron Eliot, January 30, 1784, 24 Geo. III.

• Arms.]

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