ille. Mr Playfair, of whose mechaical genius we shall speak hereafter, soon comprehended the plan, and, in the course of the next day, executed two working models of the instrument, which he sent to the Duke of York, and hence," says the Encyclopædia Britannica," the plan and alphabet of the machine came to England."

Although, from this time, the cacoethes scribendi had become his ruling passion, yet it was not the only one, and Mr Playfair successively obtained five patents for inventions, of the nature of which, however, the writer is not fully acquainted. One of them was for making sashes of metal, composed of copper, zinc, and iron, which he called eldorado sashes, and with which several windows in Carlton House, and some door sashes in the British Museum, are fitted up.

Mr Playfair also invented the machines by which the ornamental part or fret-work of silver tea-boards and sugar-tongs was done, which had hitherto been executed by the hand only. The same machine was applicable to the manufacture of coach ornaments, buckles, and even to the making of horse-shoes. Of the latter, it made six dozen and a half, from the iron bars, in seven minutes.

After residing some time in London, where Mr Playfair opened a silver-smith's shop for the sale of plate of his own manufacture, he proceeded to Paris, and entered into some mechanical speculations, particularly a rolling mill on a new plan, for which he had obtained an exclusive privilege from the king. While residing in that capital, he formed an acquaintance with Mr Joel Barlow, who had been sent agent to Paris for the sale of lands on the banks of the Sioto, a river which falls into the Ohio. These lands, to the extent of three millions of acres, had been purchased by a company at New York, of which Mr

Duer, an eminent merchant, and Mr Hamilton, Secretary to the United States Treasury, were leading members. Mr Barlow, being without connections in Paris, and unacquainted with the language, found some difficulty in carrying his object into effect, until introduced to Mr Playfair, who undertook the disposal of the lands. The French revolution rendering emigration a matter of choice to some, and of necessity to more, Mr Playfair undertook the agency, to dispose of the lands, at five shillings per acre, one half of which was to be paid on signing the act of sale, and the other half to remain on mortgage to the United States, to be paid within two years after taking possession. The office was opened in a large hotel in the Rue Neuve des Petits Champs, contiguous to the Palais Royal, in November 1789, under the title of the Sioto Company, and, in less than two months, fifty thousand acres of land were sold. Two vessels sailed from Havre de Grace, laden with emigrants; and the colony of Sioto, formed by Mr Playfair, though not a very flourishing, is an improving settlement.

The political opinions of Mr Playfair were not very favourable to the French Revolution, and happening to express himself somewhat freely on the subject, he provoked the enmity of Barrere, who obtained an order for his arrest; apprised, however, of his danger, he succeeded in making his escape to Holland, and thence to England. On his return to London, Mr Playfair projected a bank, to be called the Security Bank, in which Mr Hartsinck, formerly in the celebrated house of the Hopes at Amsterdam, and the Rev. Mr Hutchinson became partners. This bank was opened in Cornhill; its object was to lend money on such sccurities as were valuable, but not easy to borrow money upon. Unfortunately, however, sufficient attention was

not paid to the nature of the security, and bankruptcy ensued. Mr P. now subsisted for several years as a writer by profession for the newspapers and booksellers, and suffered all the misery consequent on a precarious employ ment without original capital. On the restoration of the Bourbons he went again to Paris, and there conducted Galignani's English newspaper, till driven away by a prosecution for some insignificant libel. Since that time he has existed, we cannot say subsisted, in London, by essay-writing and translating. His constitution being, how ever, broken up, and his means having become precarious, he died from old age, which event, perhaps, was accelerated by anxiety of mind. Of his activity, the following list of his works will bear ample evidence :—

1. Joseph and Eenjamin.-2. Regulations for the Interest of Money, 1785.3. The Statistical Breviary, shewing on a principle entirely new, the Resources of every State and Kingdom of Europe. -4. The Commercial and Political Atlas, 1786.-5. On the Asiatic Establishments of Great Britain, 4to.-6. The inevitable Consequences of a Reform in Parliament. -7. A general View of the actual Force and Resources of France, 1793.-8. Bet ter Prospects to the Merchants and Manufacturers of Great Britain, 1793.-9. Thoughts upon the present State of French Politics, 1793.-10. Peace with the Jacobins impossible, 1794.-11. Letter to Earl Fitzwilliam, occasioned by his two Letters to the Earl of Carlisle, 1794.-12. The History of Jacobinism, 1795.-13. A real Statement of the Fi

8vo, 1806.-18. A Statistical Account d the United States of America, Translati from the French, 8vo, 1807.-19. Pia for Establishing the Balance of Power Antiquity, 9 vols. 4to.-21. An Addres Europe, 8vo, 1813.-20. British Family to the Nobility on the Advantages of He reditary Rank, 8vo.-22. A second A4dress to ditto.-23. On the Trade of India, by P. O'Hara.-24. Ecce Iterum25. Letter to Lords and Commons = Support of the Apprentice Laws—3 Early Friends of the Prince Regent27. Vindication of the Reign of Georg III.-28. A Letter to the Prince Regent Catholic Claims; containing also a c on the Ultimate Tendency of the Roman Statement of the Operation of the Sink ing Fund, &c.-29. Buonaparte's Jour ney to Moscow, in the Manner of John Gilpin, 1813.-30. Statement to Earl Ethurst, on the escape of Napoleon from Elba, &c.-31. Letters to Earl Bathurs An Answer to the Calumniators of Loci Messrs Abercromby, and Morier.-2 XVIII. 1815.-33. Political Portraits in this New Era, 2 vols. 1814-34. Sup plement to Political Portraits.-35. France On Emigration to France.-37. On Agrias it is, not Lady Morgan's France.-36. cultural Distress.

nances and Resources of Great Britain, 1796-14. Statistical Tables, exhibiting a View of all the States of Europe, 4to, 1800.-15. Proofs relative to the Falsification, by the French, of the intercepted Letters found on board the Admiral Aplio East Indiaman, 8vo, 1804.-16. An Enquiry into the Causes of the decline and fall of wealthy and powerful Nations, 4to, 1805, 2d edit. 1807,-17. Smith's Wealth of Nations, with notes, supplementary chapters, &c. 11th edit. 3 vols.

Mr Playfair has left a widow and four children. One of his sons was a lieutenant in the 104th regiment, who, on its being disbanded in Canada, turned his attention to mechanics, and superintended the construction of a sawmill, though bred only to the military profession. Mr Playfair has left two daughters, one of whom is blind. As the daughter of a person whose life was devoted to the service of the British government, she has strong claims on its bounty, and we trust they will not be overlooked.

SIR MARK-MASTERMAN SYKES, BARI.

Feb. 16.-At Weymouth, on his way to London, aged 52, Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Bart. of Sledmere

ouse, and of Settrington, co. York, nd late M.P. for the city of York. He was son of Rev. Sir Christopher ykes, D.C.L. and was born Aug. 20, 771, married, first, Nov. 11, 1795, Ienrietta, daughter and heiress of Henry Masterman, Esq. of Settringon, co. York, and by her, who died July 1813, had no issue. He maried, 2dly, Aug. 2, 1814, Mary-Eliabeth, daughter of William Egerton, Esq. In 1795, he served the office of High Sheriff of the county of York, nd on the death of his father, Sept. 801, he succeeded to the title and states.

In 1807 he was elected Representaive in Parliament for the city of York, fter a severe contest; he was again lected in 1812, without opposition, nd returned a third time, after a conest, in 1813. He retired from pubc life in 1820, on account of ill ealth, to the great regret of his contituents.

Sir Mark was a bibliomaniac of the irst class, and was a member of the Roxburgh Club. Some of his treaures are thus noticed by Mr Dibdin n his "Decameron :”.

"Sledmere, the elegant and hospiable residence of Sir Mark Sykes, is ituate in the East Riding of Yorkhire, about 18 miles from that most ovely of all lovely minsters, ycleped Beverley.

"Sledmere is a show-house; built of stone-capacious and well-contrived. The architecture is a specimen of the taste of Sir Mark's father; and it has, upon the whole, an air of classical elegance. The library is 100 feet in length, and one of the finest rooms in the kingdom. Here repose all the Editiones principes of Sir Mark; and among them the first Livy upon vellum. Here too are seen his History and Topography, and Voyages and Travels, mostly upon large paper; while below stairs, in Sir Mark's own

particular department, and by the side of a book-case which contains some of the very rarest old English poetry in our language, are to be found his beautiful Hollars and matchless Faithornes."

The high estimation in which Sir Mark was justly and universally held, will occasion his death to be lamented as a great public loss. In his political capacity he was strongly attached to the Constitution of this country as by law established, and a firm friend and zealous supporter of the Protestant religion. But it was in private life that his character shone with the greatest lustre ; blessed with a princely fortune, he had the means as well as the inclination to benefit his fellowcreatures; to him the distressed never appealed in vain, his purse was always open to the calls of humanity; his benevolence was exercised with the greatest delicacy, being fearful of hurting the feelings of the objects of his boun ty.

By his second wife he had no issue, so that his next brother, Mr (now Sir) Tatton Sykes, succeeds him.

SIR T. H. CLIFFORD CONSTable, BART.

Feb. 25.-At Ghent, aged 60, Sir Thomas Hugh Clifford Constable, of Tixall, in Staffordshire, and of Burton Constable, in Yorkshire, Bart. He was the eldest son of the late Hon. Thomas Clifford, youngest son of Hugh, third Lord Clifford, of Chudleigh, in the county of Devon, and of the Hon. Barbara Aston, youngest daughter of James, fifth Lord Aston, Baron of Forfar, Scotland; born December 4, 1762; married, June 7, 1791, Mary Macdonald, second daugh. ter of John Chichester, of Arlington, co. Devon, Esq., (by his second wife, Mary Macdonald of Tiendrish, in

North Britain,) and had issue one son, Thomas Aston, yet a minor, who succeeds to the title and estates, and two daughters. He was created a baronet in 1815, by the title of Sir T. H. Clifford, at the particular request of Louis XVIII.; and in 1821 succeeded to the estates of the late F. Constable, Esq. of Burton Constable, near Hull; on which occasion he took the name of Constable.

His parents being Roman Catholics, he was educated at Liege, and afterwards at the famous college of Navarre, in Paris (since converted to the Polytechnic school.) He travelled. over Switzerland on foot; where he formed an acquaintance with the late Mr Whitbread. On his return from his travels, Sir Thomas conceived an ardent passion for the study of botany, which became his favourite pursuit. Of the extensive and accurate knowledge which Sir T. C. acquired in this pleasing branch of science, he has left a great proof in the Flora Tixalliana, which is appended to the Historical and Topographical Description of the parish of Tixall, which he composed in conjunction with his brother, Mr Arthur Clifford, and of which he furnished almost all the materials. This amusing and instructive work was published at Paris in 1818. At a later period Sir T. Constable imbibed a taste for the study of history, antiquities, topography, heraldry, and genealogy, in all of which he was conversant. He had conceived the plan of a "History of the Normans," and had made considerable progress in it. He frequently amused his leisure hours with lighter pursuits; he translated into English verse the Fables of La Fontaine, and he had contrived to hit off, with remarkable felicity, the almost inimitable naivete and indescribable arch simplicity of that original author. In his latter years Sir T. Constable completed a new Metrical

Version of the Psalms. He prod also a work in French, entite "L'Evangile Médité." From religious work he extracted forty ditations on the Divinity and Pi of Christ, for the forty days of L which he translated into English, published at his own expense.

No one supported through more uniform good character, very few will be more sincerely deservedly regretted.

MR KEMBLE.

John Philip Kemble was the e son of Mr Roger Kemble, why the time of his birth, was manage: a company of comedians in L shire, and some of the neighbo counties. He was born at Presc Lancashire, February 1, 1757, received the rudiments of letters the celebrated Roman Catholic nary of Sedgeley Park, in Stafr shire; and here made so rapid a p gress in his studies, and gave of a taste for literature so uncom at his early age, that his father induced to send him to the univers of Douay, for the advantage of a cation that might qualify him for of the learned professions. Whi college, he was already distingu for that talent of elocution, which terwards raised him to unrivalleder nence in the delivery of the com tions of our immortal Shakespe Having gone through his acade course with much reputation, Mr K ble returned to England, and preferred the stage to every o pursuit. He made his first appeara at Wolverhampton, in Theodo or the Force of Love; and als Bajazet, but without any extrac nary success. He afterwards pertar ed at Liverpool, York, and Es

gh, but still without the due share pplause.

Ar Kemble, while at Liverpool, duced a tragedy on the story of isarius, which recommended him he notice of Mrs Dobson, author the "Life of Petrarch," to whom inscribed a poem, entitled, "The ace of Mersey." At York, he ught on the stage an alteration of 'he New Way to pay Old Debts," also of "The Comedy of Errors," hed in the alteration "Oh! It's imsible!" He, about the same time, lished a small collection of verses, ler the title of "Fugitive Pieces." ey were juvenile productions, with ich, we have been told, he was so ch discontented when he saw them print, that, the very day after their blication, he destroyed every copy of m that he could recover from the blisher, or elsewhere; though with re modesty, perhaps, than dispasnate decision; for we have heard, m a very good judge who had seen em, that, though not faultless, they re certainly characterized by vivid shes of feeling and fancy. A copy these birth-strangled poems was af. wards sold by Mr King the auctionr, for 31. 5s.

Whilst at York, Mr Kemble also ed a new species of entertainment the theatre of that city, consisting a repetition of the most beautiful les from Mason, Gray, and Collins; the tales of Le Fevre and Maria om Sterne; with other pieces in prose nd verse; and in this novel and ha ardous undertaking met with high pprobation. In Edinburgh, he deliered a lecture, of his own composiion, on sacred and profane oratory, which, while it proved him a sound critic in his own profession, obtained im the reputation of refined taste among men of letters. From Edinburgh he was engaged to act in Dublin, where his merits were first appre

VOL. XVI. PART. III.

ciated. He remained two years, and the attraction of his exertions, and the applause that rewarded them, are still fresh in every one's remembrance.

Mr Kemble appeared on the London stage for the first time, at Drurylane theatre, on the 30th of September, 1783, in the character of Hamlet. His reception in the metropolis was highly favourable and encouraging; yet he had not, till some seasons after, the opportunity of displaying his abilities in their full extent; almost all the principal parts, both in tragedy and comedy, being at that time in the possession of Mr Smith; on whose retirement, in 1788, Mr Kemble was promoted to that decisive lead in the tragic career, which he ever after maintained with increasing powers and popularity, till his retirement from the stage.

In 1787, he formed a happy alliance with Mrs Brereton, daughter of Mr Hopkins, prompter of DruryLane theatre; which lady survives him.

On the secession of Mr King, Mr Kemble became manager of DruryLane theatre. In this office, which he held uninterruptedly for eight years, he amply justified the discernment that had placed him in it, by the many material improvements which he made in the general conduct of the preparatory business of the stage, in the regular decorum of representation,in the impar tial appointment of performers to characters suited to their real abilities, and in giving to all characters their true and appropriate costume. The departments of the painter and machi. nist were likewise objects of his constant attention; and to his study and exertions the drama is indebted for the present propriety and magnificence of its scenery and decorations. His single energy accomplished a complete reform in the whole system of scenic dress and decoration. Macbeth no

Y