THE European Magazine, For APRIL 1798. [Embellished with, 1. A PORTRAIT of DR. HUGH BLAIR. And, 2. A View of The Wanderer, No. I. Account of the Savoy, THE SAVOY.] CONTAINING, Page 220 222 238 A Character of the Life and Administra- Memoirs of the Author of a Vindication The Town and Country Auctioneer's 240 246 251 Page 259 A Warning to Britons against French Perfidy and Cruelty; or, a fhort Account of the treacherous and inhuman Conduct of the French Officers and Soldiers towards the Peasants of Suabia during the Invafion of Germany in 1796. Selected and tranflated from a well-authenticated German Publication, by Anthony Anfrere, Efq. Short Inftructions to Officers; with military Figures for the Practice of Tactics, ibid Table Talk; being Difcourfes of John Selden, Efq. or his Senfe of various Matters and high Confequence relating efpecially to Religion and State, Lectures Graduées pour les Enfans premier Cours, ibid ibid Theatrical Journal; including Fable and Character of The Stranger-The Raft; or, Both Sides of the Water-Harlequin's Return-Curiofity-and Forecaftle Fun; or, Saturday Night at Sea; 260 Poetry; including Lines written in confequence of the Execution of a young Man for Forgery-Lines found in the Grotto at the Foot of the Cascade at Shrub's Hill, Surry-Sol.loquium felis albæ morientis, equi pedibus fauciatæ -Imitated by the fame-Horatii Flacci Epodon Liber-Poor Mary-and The Rainbow, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mr. Swete's Letter is received; but as we have not interfered in the difpute betwee him and Mr. P. we do not think it neceffary to notice it further. S. S―n's Verification of Mrs. Rowe is what he defcribes it, too hafty a production. Letters from Francis Baily in our next. AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from March 17, to April 14, 1798. Derby 59 000 029 • Cheshire 50 2 00 0,00 018 800 Salop Worcest. 52 024 431 Warwick 56 300 031 6 55 050 033 923 11 I 11 Somerset 57 6 00 50 937 034 522 237 4 Monmou. 52 9 00 Hereford 49 741 833 019 730 4 Devon 59 5 00 24 529 2 Cornwall 56 8 00 030 23 235 of Hants 028 3 54 6 00 028 818 0,00 O 820 1130 3 020 1026 4 N. Wales THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, AND LONDON REVIEW; FOR APRIL 1798. DR. HUGH BLAIR, N our Magazine for September 1783, on the publication of the Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, by Dr. Blair, we prefented our readers with an account of him to that period. Little is now to be added. The events of the life of a man of letters afford but few incidents. By Mr. Bofwell we are informed, that at an early period of Dr. Blair's life, while he and his coufin, Mr. George Bannatine, were ftudents in divinity, they wrote a poem, entitled "The Refurrection," copies of which were handed about in MS. No perfon appearing to claim the performance, a perion, more defirous of fame than delicate in the means of obtaining it, published in 1747 an edition of it in folio, to which the name of William Douglas, M. D. was appended as the author. We believe the real authors were but little folicitous about their property in the performance, though we truit they did not permit fo grofs an impofition to pafs on the public without expofing the impoftor. The following anecdote is extracted from the fame author: "The Rev. Dr., Hugh Blair, who had long been admired as a preacher at Edinburgh, thought now of diffufing his excellent fermons more extenfively, and encreating his reputation by publishing a collection of them. He tranfmitted the manufcript to Mr. Strahan the printer, who, after keeping it for fome time, wrote a letter to him difcouraging the publication. Such at firft was the unpropitious ftate of one of the most fuccesful theological books that has ever appeared. Mr. Strahan, however, had fent one of the fermons to Dr. Johnfon for his opinion; and after his unfavourable letter to Dr. Blair had been sent off, he received from Johnson, on Christmas eve, a note in which was the following paragraph: "I have read over Dr. Blair's firft fermon with more than approbation; to fay it is good is to fay too little." "I believe Mr. Strahan had very foon after this time a converfation with Dr. Johnfon concerning them; and then he very candidly wrote again to Dr. Blair, inclofing Johnson's note, and agreeing to purchase the volume, for which he and Mr. Cadell gave one hundred pounds. The fale was fo rapid and extenfive, and the approbation of the public so high, that, to their honour be it recorded, the proprietors made Dr. Blair a prefent firit of one fum, and afterwards of another, of fifty pounds, thus voluntarily doubling the ftipulated price: and when he prepared another volume, they gave him at once three hundred pounds, being in all five hundred pounds, by an agree ment to which I am a fubfcribing witnefs: and now for a third octavo volume he has received no less than fix hundred pounds." 'Thus far Mr. Bofwell; and it appears from various parts of his work, that Dr. Johnfon's favourable opinion of Dr. Blair fuffered little if any diminution during his life. In the year 1778 he faid, "I read yesterday Dr. Blair's fermon on Devotion, from the text Bofwell's Life of Johnson, 8vo. Vol i, p. 324. ↑ Ibid. Vol. i. p. 466. Ff2 Ibid. Vol. iii. p. 128. • Cornelius, |