GENTLEMEN,

live in this

Ladies of Fashion, the outlines of whofe characters I wish to lay before the public, in hopes that the enemies of one, er the friends of the other, will inform the capricious world why Vertacordia is utterly forfaken by her own fex, at the very place where Apaturia feems the object of their first attention!

Vertacordia, at the age of 18, and when the poffeffed every external charm which youth and beauty could give, and improved by every advantage which education could add, was prevailed upon by an injudicious father, whom he loved, but feared to offend and an importunate lover, whom the detefted, to give her hand without the affent of her heart; and, after a miferable cohabitation with an impotent husband for three years, the did, what every woman in fuch a situation is in danger of doing, and what few who have (as The had) a superlative degree of beauty, are not generally led into; in fhort, fhe flew from the detefted arms of her hufband, and gave up all the world for the man the really loved.

Such paffions as thefe feldom continue long on the part of the men, and one falfe ftep leads to another: the polite world in general will not, I fhould have faid would not then, open an Afylum for an unfortunate penitent! Error fucceeded error, till TIME, that devouring worm of beauty, led Verticordia to feek for favour, where the had the leaft reafon to afk, or expect it! She found it, however, from her injured husband, and has been many years, not only under his roof, but has likewife been the object of his love and

attention.

On the other hand, Apaturia, much inferior in rank, beauty, and understanding, married, about the fame age, an agreeable man,' the object of her own free choice. She produced him fome pledges of his affection for her, and experienced every attention fhe could reafonably expect from a husband, who knew the was every thing a woman should be, though not a perfect angel, as other men perhaps perfuaded her to believe. With one of thefe flatterers, contemptible in every refpect but the falfe glare of drefs and few, the eloped from, her husband,

BATH, Dec. 9, 1774

cohabited fome time with him, and finding the fame weakness to prevail over her hulband which Verticordia had experienced, fhe returned home, and was kindly received.

Had the stopped here, I fhould have faid foul betide the man, whofe tongue or pen proclaimed the indifcretion; but, without any juft occafion, fhe again threw herself into the arms of her former lover; and when her husband appeared at the gates of her paramour, to demand his wife, the had the effrontery not only to face him, but to defire he would return, and think no more of her, as she was then big with child by the man fhe chose to continue with! Yet this impediment was not fufficient to cancel the love he bore her; he entered the house, and by force of arms brought away the unwilling captive.

I will leave the reader to make his own comments, and only obferve the old adage, That one perfon may with more safety feal an horfe, than another look over the hedge; and as I have fairly stated the cafes of these two extraordinary characters, I hope fome perfon, better acquainted with the Etiquette of the prefent times than I am, will inform me wherein the guilt of Verticordia appears fo much deeper than than that of Apaturia, because I know fome women of character and fashion who wish to vifit Verticordia, but durft not; and but very few who object to enter into an intimate alliance with Apaturia.

But I cannot conclude without one remark I made, on feeing a late female circle of maids, wives, and widows, at Apaturia's laft rout; which is, that when women fee no diftinction made between the virtuous part of their own fex, and the moft abandoned, I am afraid few of them will be found that may not by a little addrefs be prevailed upon before marriage to do what they find fo much encouragement to practice after; or, what will foon become the cafe, to find that they will be taken no other way; for what man of fenfe will marry in an age, when it is lefs trouble to poffefs any other man's wife, than to look after his own.

I am, Sirs, your's, &c.
VIRIPLACA.

ANEC

The GALLANT YOUTH; a Curious MILITARY ANECDOTE.

MR. Nebit, (a young gentleman of

nineteen) was an Enfign at the battle of Fontenoy, where the English left the French mafters of the field.--The next morning a patroling party, with an officer at their head, was fent to look over the field, and to fee if there was a poffibility of recovering any of the wounded. They found this youth at what they thought the laft gafp; and though he had strength enough left to tell them, that he thought he fhould recover if he had two of his most dangerous wounds dreft immediately, tenderly begging them to have mercy upon him, the French Officer had the inhumanity to order two of his men to fix their bayonets in him, with which they complied to a tittle, and all left him for dead. Five minutes after, another party, who who had taken a Lieutenant-Colonel, was hurrying him along this way to their General; as they paffed by his body, the Colonel, who knew by his uniform he belonged to his own regiment, and difcovered fome figns of life in him, ftopped a moment to ask him if he could do any thing for him; the young man, without understanding what was faid, turned his face-to his own father, ---and could just bring out, "God of his mercy reward you--dispatch me, dispatch me. "Difpatch thee, my fon, my only fon, dispatch thee," were for a long time the only words the unhappy father could utter; but breaking from his guards with the force of a thousand men, he ran like lightning to Count Saxe, who happened that moment to be standing at the door of his tent. As foon as he faw the General at fome diftance, tears of rage and paffion running down his cheeks, he cried out, "Barbarians,--Savages,--French,-cover'd honourably with wounds,--ftabbed in cold blood,---but nineteen

years old." Saxe was defervedly famous for his tenderness and generosity. The inftant he understood by a foldier who had ran after the English Colonel where the boy was, he fent litters for him, and one of his own aid-de-camps, to fee him properly treated, and ordered him to be brought into his own tent. He

lived only fix hours after the dreffing; the Count ftirred not a moment from his bed-fide; and when at last he saw he was dying, he conjur'd him to tell him the name of the Officer who had ufed him fo inhumanly. "My dear boy, (said the General, tenderly preffing his hand) collect but strength enough to tell me the name of the villain, and I fwear to thee by the honour of a foldier I will have him broke upon the wheel in a quarter of an hour." I know him not, (faid the gallant youth) and if I did, I would never tell you"---and turned away his face, and died.

The General was often heard afterwards to declare, he could wish to have his fon die fo at nineteen, rather than at fourfcore after a thousand victories.

The FOLLY of RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.

THE Jews in Conftantinople had once a violent altercation with fome Muffulmans concerning Paradife; the former infifting, that they alone, on their departure from this world, would be admitted into it.-------" If this is your maxim, what is to become of us?" said the Turks.-The Jews, being afraid to fay that their antagonists would be utterly excluded from Heaven, replied, Why, you will be placed at the outfide of the walls, and will have the pleafure of viewing us.'

The merits of this fingular difpute at length reached the ears of the Grand Vizir, who, as he only waited for a pretext to exact fresh contributions from the Jews, declared, "Since this canaille think proper to fhut the gates of Paradife against us, it is but just that they fhould fupply us with pavillions, in order to fhelter us from the injuries of the weather." He accordingly levied, befides what they had hitherto paid, an additional tax from the Jews, and that avowedly for the purpofe of furnishing pavillions for the Grand Signor in the other world. A tax, with which this tribe of ftiff-necked Anti-Chriftians are faddled in Turkey to this day!

[St. James's Mag.]

NEW

The

ART. 33. The Hiftory of Antient Egypt, as extant in the Greek hiftorians, poets, and others together with the fate of the religion, laws, arts, fciences, and government: from the firft fettlement under Mizraim, in the year before Chrift 2188, to the final fub verfion of the empire by Cambyfes. Containing a Space of 1664 years. By George Laughton, D. D. 8vo. 55. fewed. Cadell.

HE fingularity of many of the poli

Tuical institutions among the ancient

Egyptians renders the hiftory of that people particularly interefting to every reader, who would trace the progress of the human mind in the fcience of government. It is not to the nature of her laws alone, however, that Egypt is indebted for the renown the has fo univerfally acquired in the annals of mankind. The extreme remotenefs of her origin, and her cultivation of the fciences in the most early periods of the world, have concurred to spread the reputation of her former fplendor over every civilized country.The learning of the ancient Egyptians is celebrated both in facred and prophane hiftory, and from them it was that the Greek philofophers first derived the rudi. ments of knowledge. Hither Thales, the founder of the Ionic fect, Solon, the legislator, and Pythagoras, the Samian, with others of the Eaftern fages, reforted for the fake of inftruction.

Unfortunately for literature, while E

thus flourished in fcience, a jealousy, gypt incompatible with the generous fentiments which learning ought to infpire, induced her to conceal the improvements in knowledge under fuch myfterious characters as were understood by none but the priests of the country; and hence, with the interpretation of her hieroglyphics, have perifhed her acquifitions in fcience.

The political history of Egypt has fhared in a great meafure the fame fate with that of her learning, owing not only to the cause which has affected the latter, but also to a national foible which prevailed among the ancient Egyptians, of recording no tranfactions unless fuch as were honourable to their country.

Our author introduces his hiftory with a geographical defcription of ancient Egypt, after which he delivers an account of the state of arts, fciences, religion, MISCEL. VOL. II.

REVIEW.

laws, government, manners, and cuf toms, in the reign of Amofis, about 1724 years before the Chriftian æra, We fhall prefent our readers with the account of the penal laws of the Egyptians, as these conftituted a remarkable part of their civil polity.

"" Law the Firft. That no man should have more than one wife: with whom, contrary to the custom of every other people, he received a portion. Solomon received of Pharaoh the city Gazar, for his daughter's dowry. The pernicious effects of polygamy fufficiently demonftrate the wisdom of this law befides the internal feuds, family quar rels and distractions produced by the jarring intereft of a variety of mothers and children, which frequently end in murder, and are not feldom the foundation of civil wars, and ruin of kingdoms; the countries where it is permitted, are by no means fo populous as those where it is forbidden. This law Cecrops carried into Greece, and inserted it in the code which he compiled for the Athenian itate.

"Law the Second. To fecure the marriage bed from violation, they enacted, that every adulterer fhould receive a thousand ftripes on his naked body; and that the adulterefs fhould fuffer the mutilation of her nose.

"Law the Third. Whoever had it in his power to fave the life of another in danger of being killed, and did not, was himself put to death. If he could not protect the perfon affaulted, he was obliged immediately to inform the magiftrate of the author of the violence, or incurred the punishment of a fevere flagellation, and .confinement for three days without food. By this means," every citizen confidered himself as his neighbour's protector, and was interested not only to avoid danger, but to avert every degree of violence from others.

"Law the Fourth. Whenever a perfon was found dead, by whatever accident it happened, the city nearest to the place, where the body was found, was obliged to embalm and bury it magnificently, that the greatness of the expence may influence each city, to take the most effectual fteps to guard against accidents of every kind.

"Law the Fifth. Wilful murderers y ere condemned to death.

"Law the Sixth. The punishment inflicted on parricides, was peculiarly contrived; they ftuck their bodies full of fmall reeds, and furrounding them with thorns, burnt them to death.

"Law the Seventh. If any unnatural parent killed his child, he was not put to death

but,

but compelled to hold the dead body in his arms three days, without any kind of fuftenance, and afterwards left to the horrors of his own confcience. This was thought a thore fevere punishment than immediate death.

"Law the Eighth. Perjury was punished with death.

"Law the Ninth. A calumniator received the punishment intended by his defamation.

"Law the Tenth. Revealers of ftate fecrets were deprived of their tongues.

"Law the Eleventh. The hands of those were cut off who counterfeited feals, or the public coin, ufed false weights and measures, or forged deeds.

"Law the Twelfth. Whoever attempted to deflower a woman was made an eunuch. In all their punishments they had an eye to the part offending.

"Law the Thirteenth. The execution of pregnant women was always deferred until they were delivered. This law, fo wifely founded on humanity and justice, was afterwards obferved by the Greeks and Romans, and is at this time, by every civilized nation." "Law the Fourteenth, The Egyptians thought the deprivation of funeral rites the greatest misfortune which could poffibly attend them; and knowing how powerfully religious fentiments inforced focial and moral virtues, applied that opinion to the fupport of order in the ftate, and made a law, that every one should be judged immediately after his death. The manner of conducting this fingular proceeding is thus related. As foon as a perfon was dead, his relations were obliged to acquaint the judges with it, who appointing a day for producing the body before their tribunal in public, then entered into a strict examination of his morals and actions; and if they were found particularly culpable and vicious, he was condemned to be unworthy of funeral rites; if nothing criminal was laid to his charge, he was honoured with a funeral oration, in which the perfon's virtues and merits were difplayed, to excite imitation; but not the least intimation of rank or dignity, all the Egyptians thinking themfelves equally noble."

The extreme idolatry of the ancient Egyptians, in paying adoration to various animals, has afforded great fubject for fpeculation to thofe who have written on the hiftory of that people. Dr. Laughton enumerates the feveral opinions which have been entertained refpecting the origin of this practice. The moft probable Ts, that it proceeded from a fuperftitious veneration for the fymbols by which they expreffed religious fentiments.

"Singularity and fuperftition (fays our author) were vifible in every fhade of the Egyptian character. They delighted to act

in a peculiar manner, and were in many particulars fo exceedingly indelicate, that I cannot prevail on myfelf to mention their fingularities. With refpect to their superstition, it is amazing to fee the lengths they carried it, in oppofition to nature and reason.

"They felected particular animals to honour with worthip and adoration, and entertained for them the most intoxicated yeneration. The father of hiftorians says, a man would neglect his property, however valuable, when his houfe was in flames, through his anxiety for a cat; and another, that those who returned from diftant countries, brought home with them dead cats and kites, mourning and lamenting their lofs, and fuffering at the fame time in filence, mifery, fatigue, and want. And Ælian, a writer of reputation, fays, (which almost tranfcends the powers of credibility) that a mother would receive the greatest joy, from feeing a crocodile devour her child, thinking herfelf happy in having produced a being worthy the appetite of her god.

"Many facred animals, lodged in apartments appropriated to their ufe, were care. fully attended, and fed with the most delicious food: whenever any of them died, fo generál a scene of mourning overspread the country, that it seemed to have fuffered fome great calamity.

"To kill an ichneumon, cat, ibis, or hawk, even by accident, was unpardonable; the blood of the unfortunate offender only could attone for the crime. Diodorus relates a remarkable inftance of their fuperftitious rage against a Roman, who had accidentally killed a cat.

Superftition (fays he) fo totally prevailed over every faculty of their minds, that at the time when Ptolemy was not admitted to the friendship of the Romans, and the Egyptians univerfally paid the utmost deference and attention to every Roman who came amongst them, to avoid giving them the least pretence for a war; yet a Roman having accidentally killed a cat, an enraged multitude ran to his houfe, and notwithstanding the king fent officers to intreat them to offer no violence, and the general fear of offending the Romans, they put him to death. This I do not relate from report, but was prefent at the tranfaction.

"So powerfully did fuperftition prevail over every rational faculty and human fenfation. The principle from which it sprung, had nothing of the noxious quality of the production,

"The peculiar utility fheep and goats were of to fociety, when animal food was not abundant, and the great fervice the dog, hawk, ichneumon, ibis, and cat did the country, by deftroying dangerous animals, particularly afps and other ferpents, whofe bites were mortal, occafioned these animals to be much careffed and regarded: which partiality, superftition

perftition converted by an eafy tranfition into a facred estimation.

"This, together with their custom of Conveying ideas and fentiments of the divine attributes, elements, or heavenly bodies, by hieroglyphics or figures of plants and animals, and applying that facred refpect and admiration to the fymbols' themselves, which they were only intended to indicate, gave birth to the high veneration they entertained for leeks, onions, and animals even of the vileft fpecies, and compofed a fyftem of unparalleled idolatry, degrading to human nature."

Hiftory has tranfmitted no incidents of the three fucceffive reigns immediately fubfequent to Amofis; all we know of this period is the names of the princes, who were Chebron, Amenophis, and Mephres. Under the reigns of Horus, Acencheres, Achoris, and Cherres, we are prefented with a particular account of Mofes, extracted from the hiftory of Jofephus. Here alfo, Dr. Laughton preduces feveral quotations, to fhew that the Egyptians founded the fable of Typhon upon the hiftory of Mofes.

The most celebrated prince in the annals of Egypt is Sefoftris, who afcended the throne about the year 1485 before the Christian epoch, and under whom the nation rofe to its highest pitch of grandeur. We fhall prefent our readers with part of the author's account of this monarch's tranfactions.

"Sefoftris, before he undertook the conqueft of foreign nations, wifely determined to remove the internal defects of his own dominions, and by a juft arrangement of the feveral departments in the ftate, render Egypt formidable within itself.

"He firft divided the whole kingdom into fix and thirty diftricts, and fet over them men of known honefty and abilities, who were to fuperintend the execution of the laws, collect the taxes within their provinces, and give an account of the particular ftate of affairs, and their conduct to the king; and at the fame time parcelled out the lands to individuals, under an annual tax to be paid into the treafury of the district, with this referve to the landholder, that he should have his taxes remitted in proportion to the damage he should at any time fuftain from an impetuous inundation of the Nile.

"The lands, and revenues arising from them, being thus regulated, he reduced all his fubjects into feven claffes or orders: and the more effectually to fupport this regulation, he instituted, that every fon fhould practise the profeffion of his father.

"Having fettled his civil plan, he prepared to gratify his defire of glory, and military atchievements: here he had great difficulties to furmount. The difpofition of the

people, by no means inclined to war; the fupineness of former reigns, had introduced an indolence and averfion from fatigue, which had not only infected the artifts, but the military order, which having long tafted the fweets of retirement and ease, difcovered the greatest reluctance in exchanging their placid enjoyments for the toils of war. Sefoftris divided the militia into two separate corps, Hermotybians, and Calafirians; the former were raised in the diftri&s of Bufiris, Sais, Chemmis, Papremis, and one half of the island of Natho, and confifted of 160,000 foot; the latter were fupplied by the jurifdictions of Thebes, Bubaftis, Apthis, Tanis, Mendes, Sebennytus, Athribis, Pharbathis, Thmius, Onyphis, Anyfis, and My cephoris in an island oppofite to Bubaftis, and amounted to 250,000. In peace they were quartered in their feveral provinces, and had each twelve acres of land, free from taxes, allotted to them for their pay, and mainte nance; from each of thefe corps, a thousand men were annually draughted to guard the king, and received, befides the revenues of their lands, five pounds of bread, and two pounds of beef each day, with a fufficient quantity of wine: an allowance difpenfed for the maintenance of their families as well as themfelves.

"This body of militia, fo refpectable in point of numbers, was in reality a vait undifciplined rabble, unufed to regularity on a march, ignorant of method in war, and when led on against an enemy, rushed, re gardless of order, tumultuoufly to battle, Sefoftris is faid to have introduced a fpecies of difcipline amongst them: what it was, is at this time unknown: it is certain, however, that he found means, not only to eradicate their indolence and inactivity, but to infufe into them a fpirit of emulation and ardent defire of fame.

"Having augmented his army with one hundred and ninety thousand men, from the order of hufbandmen, twenty-four thousand cavalry, and twenty-eight thousand armed chariots, which he first introduced into armies, and affembled on the Red Sea a fleet of four hundred fhips loaden with warlike ftores and provifions, he first attacked and fubdued the Ethiopians, (who having left the banks of the Indus, had for a confiderable time been fettled in the neighbourhood of Egypt) and laid on them an annual tribute of ebony, gold, and ivory. From thence he marched into Afia, and his fleet having paffed, what is now called the ftraits of Babolmandel, attended the army in its march, coafting by the Arabian shore, to the gulph of Perfia."

From the death of Sefoftris, the author profecutes his narrative, through frequent intervening chafms, to the period of his hiftory; delivering likewife an account of the remaining monuments of Egyptian magnificence,