BILL OF MORTALITY, from Feb. 25, to March 25, 1817. AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from the Returns ending March 15. Dorset 109 700 046 628 956 6 PRICE OF FLOUR, per Sack, March 24, 100s. to 105s. Kent Bags............10. 10s. to 147. 14s. Sussex Pockets......... 10. 10s. to 16. 16s. AVERAGE PRICE OF HAY AND STRAW, March 24: St. James's, Hay 4, 10s. Od. Straw 21. 2s. Od. Clover 7. 10s. Od.---Whitechapel, Hay 5. 10s. Straw 21. 3s. Od.-Clover 7. 10s. Od.-Smithfield, Hay 51. 5s. Od. Straw 21. Os. 6d. SMITHFIELD, March 24. To sink the Offal-per Stone of 8lbs. Beef Mutton......... Veal Pork ...3s. 6d. to 5s. Od. Lamb... COALS, March 24: Newcastle 32s. 3d. to 43s. Od. Sunderland 31s. 6d. to 38s. Od. TALLOW, per Stone, 8lb. St. James's Os. Od. Clare Market Os. Od. Whitechapel 3s. 5l. SOAP, Yellow, 86s. Mottled 94s. Curd 98s. CANDLES, 10t. Od. per Doz. Moulds 11s. 6d. Worcester and BirmingTHE AVERAGE PRICES of NAVIGABLE CANAL SHARES and other PROPERTY, in Trent and Mersey Canal, 12501. div. 60%. per ann. Grand Junction, 1487. 158l. March 1817 (to the 26th), at the Office of Mr. SCOTT, 28, New Bridge-street, London.ham, 191.- Kennet and Avon, 17.-West-India Dock, 1707. div. 107. per cent,London ditto, 601.- Globe Insurance, 1137.-Albion, 30%. ex div. — Rock, 21. 8s.— British Plate Glass Company, 2701.-Liverpool Bootle Water-Works, 621. — Grand Junction Ditto, 251.- Kent Ditto, 347. - Commercial Sale Room, 247. 10s. -Grand Surrey, 501.-Old Union, 75.-Ellesmere, 601. 465565 Days Bank 69 67급 8골 864 99 EACH DAY'S PRICE OF STOCKS IN MARCH, 1817. Red. 13 per Ct. 14perCt. 15 perCt B. Long Irish 5 | Imp. Imp. India So. Sea 3perCt| India E. Bills E. Bills E. Bills Ann. Stock. Stock. Sth Sea Bonds. 24d. 3d. 3 d. 34 pr. 5 pr. 16 pr. 16 pr. 2 Sunday 247 6968 87중 99 18 673 201 35 pr. 17 pr. 18 pr. 247플 694 684 874 999 shut 24 203 74 6837 pr. 6 pr. 17 pr. 18 pr. shut 68 744 37 pr. 6 pr. 17 pr. 17 pr. shut shut 69 70 shut 100 shut 37 pr. 6 pr. 16 pr. 16 pr. 7 shut shut 699 shut 99 shut 69 38 pr. pr. 16 pr. 16 pr. shut shut 69470 shut 99 shut 41 pr. pr. 14 pr. 17 pr. RICHARDSON, GOODLUCK, & Co. Bank Buildings, London. Printed by NICHOLS, SON, and BENTLEY, Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street, London. THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE: LONDON GAZETTE GENERAL EVENING M.Post-M.Herald Morning Chronic. Times-M. Advert. P.Ledger&Oracle Brit. Press-Day St. James's Chron. Sun-Even. Mail Star-Traveller Pilot-Statesman Packet-Lond. Chr. Albion--C. Chron. Courier-Globe Eng. Chron.--Inq. Cour.d'Angleterre Cour. de Londres 150therWeekly P. 17 Sunday Papers Hue & Cry Police Lit. Adv. monthly Bath 3-Bristol 5 Berwick-Boston Birmingham 3 Blackb. Brighton Bury St. Edmund's Camb.-Chath. Carli.2--Chester 2 Chelms. Cambria. Meteorolog. Diaries for March & April 290, 382 Cornw.-Covent. 2 Durham Essex Exeter 2, Glouc.2 Hereford, Hull 3 Portsea-Pottery Preston-Plym. 2 Reading-Salisb. Salop-Sheffield2 Sherborne, Sussex Shrewsbury Staff.-Stamf. 2 Taunton-Tyne Wakefi.-Warw. Wolverh. Worc.2 York 3.IRELAND37 SCOTLAND 24. Jersey 2. Guern. 2 ................ 336 .......... 338 Review of New Publications, Miscellaneous Correspondence, &c. Mr. Chalmers's "Biographical Dictionary"291 Tour through various Parts of Flanders, &c.293 "The Beauties of England and Wales"...295 MS Poems, &c. of the Rev. W. Mason...ibid. The Birth-place of Knox the Reformer.....297 Epitaph at Halesowen by Shenstone ......ibid. Cultivation of Poppy,Tobacco, and Haricot 298 COMPENDIUM of COUNTY HISTORY-Essex 299 On the Constitution of Parliament..........303 Remarks on use of the Articles A and AN. 304 Memoir of James Neild, esq. by himself. 305 History of Stained Glass in England...... 310 Topographical Account of Griston, Norfolk315 On the Hours for searching Parish Registers 318 Lawrence Family- Improvements at Camb.319 Proposed Arrangement for a Naval Brevet 320 Causes of ill Health from Indigestion...... 321 Survey of Endowed Hospitals recommended322 On the Darkness at our Saviour's Crucifixion323 Remarks on Ecclesiastical History ....... ibid. Coinage of Henry VI.-CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS327 T. HEARN, Esq.; Capt. MILLER... 371-373 Mr. Fisher's Work on Stratford-upon-Avon 328 Obituary, with Anecd.of remarkable Persons374 Circulating Library for the Poor proposed ib. Bill of Mortality.-Prices of Markets, &c. 383 Monument of DeanVincent-Prize-fighters ib. Canal, &c. Shares.-Prices of the Stocks...384 Embellished with a View of the Birth-place of KNOX, the Reformer in, GIFFORDGATE, Haddington; and with a Silhouette of JAMES NEILD, Esq. the Visitor of Prisons. By SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT. Printed by NICHOLS, SON, and BENTLEY, at CICERO'S HEAD, Red Lion Passage, Fleet-str. London; where all Letters to the Editor are particularly desired to be addressed, POST-PAID. THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, For APR I L, 1817. Mr. URBAN, Temple, March 31. THE greater part of your Readers have doubtless examined the successive volumes of the new "General Biographical Dictionary" with pleasure and advantage. They must have marked with surprize the speedy and faithful fulfilment of the Editor's engagement; and, at the close of his long and meritorious labours, cannot but be willing to offer that tribute which is due to talents and industry so well and so successfully applied. But few years have elapsed since Mr. Chalmers conducted through the press an edition of our English Poets —a gigantic labour-which, from its extent and general accuracy, would alone seem a sufficient occupation for the life, and that not a short one, of one individual. These proofs of intellectual industry furnish the best evidence of what may be accomplished by habits of perseverance, and a due apportionment of our chief talent — time. We are told, and with truth, that "the labour we delight in, physics pain;" for how many works of magnitude, like the Dictionary of Johnson, have been digested" amid inconvenience and distraction, in sickness and in sorrow!" nor could a better lecture be read to men of genius, "whose fastidious indolence sits still, because it disdains to do little," than by pointing to those volumes of merit and industry, which within so short a period have resulted from a single pen. It would be time mispent, at the Το present day, to enlarge on the dignity and usefulness of Biography. From what class of Literature do the generality of Readers derive more essential benefit? in what study do we take a more lively interest, than in that which "gives us what comes near to ourselves, what we can turn to use?" The productions of the illustrious individual I have named would alone vindicate its claim; yet, with the deepest reverence for the talents of Johnson, it must be confessed that his model is a dangerous one. copy it, would not only be hazardous; but, were it generally adopted, the utility of Biography would be lessened. In his "Lives of the Poets" Johnson appeared rather as a Critick than a Biographer. Satisfied with gleaning a few of the most striking incidents in the Life, he exerted the whole force of his genius in an elaborate criticism on the Writings of an Author; and, neglecting himself the due labour of research, he too often rested content with a few facts already recorded, or which friendly aid or accident threw in his way. The digressions into which he wandered, interesting and delightful as they are, in a series of critical essays, would nevertheless be misplaced in a body of biography, where facts are alone sought for *. Still, in offering these remarks, they must be qualified with most important exception Johnson's personal intimacy with Sa one There is a passage in Dryden's Life of Plutarch which closely applies to this striking feature in the Lives of the Poets. "I have always been pleased," says the Author, to see him and his imitator, Montaigne, when they strike a little out of the common road; for we are sure to be the better for their wandering. If we mark him more narrowly we may observe, that the great reason of his frequent starts is the variety of his learning; he knew so much of nature, was so vastly furnished with all the treasures of the mind, that he was uneasy to himself, and was forced, as I may say, to lay down some at every passage, and to scatter his riches as he went." (Works, Scott's edit. XVII. 63.) No writer has more forcibly pointed out the peculiar excellences of Biography than Dryden in this Memoir; nor has he failed to notice, as an indispensible requisite, that "descent into minute circumstances, and trivial passages of life, natural to this way of writing, and which the dignity of Commentaries and History will not admit." |