1 for those who are in want of them. Few persons have bestowed more attention to this subject than the Editor of this paper; and knowing, from this cause, the difficulties that stand in the way, he cannot help thinking that those who venture to condemn a whole body of men, because they cannot effect one of the most difficult tasks that falls to the lot of man, deserve to be censured. It is those only who have not reflected upon the subject sufficiently, to get even an idea of what ought to be done, who can bring themselves seriously to believe what common sense fhould teach them is incredible, viz. That a great number of men fhould be so stupid and so wicked, as uniformIy to punish themselves, for the sake of bringing persons who never did them any injury into a state of misery and distress. An Anonyme sends the following letter and communication, which are here inserted entire. "It is requested as a favour that Dr Anderson will insert the inclosed in his paper called the Bee, being the production of a genius not generally known. TO MARIA. Why fades the rose upon thy cheek; Each day, alas! with breaking heart, Lest it fhould add a pang to thine. JAMESWATT. B. T. sends a poem of considerable length, against the very reprehensible practice of imprefsing seamen; a practice which we are happy to say we have seen, for once at least, entirely abolished during a very busy armament in Scotland *, in consequence of the liberal encouragement granted by individuals to seamen to enter. Let it be recorded also, for an information to future times, that this is the first experiment of the kind that ever was generally adopted in any part of Britain, and that the succefs has been such as to authorise us to say, on undoubted authority, that never were nearly so many persons raised in the same time by the severest prefsing that ever could be carried into practice. The following is a genealogical account of the origin of the title of Clarence, which is at present enjoyed by the third son of our king, a seaman. It is given as a note on the poem. This was written before the late prefs commenced. Origin of the title of Clarence. “As the royal title Clare, viz. Clarence, is generally understood to be of French or Irish origin, I deem it not amiss to state its true original. Admiral, or, as you think proper, Lionel, third son of king Edward, sirnamed of Antwerp, was born in the twelfth year of his father's reign (Edward 111.) anno 1338. He had not exceeded the third year of his age, when, upon the petition of the Irish, his marriage was agreed upon with Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter and heir to William de Burgh, earl of Ulster, by Maude his wife, second daughter of Henry, earl of Lancaster, second son of Edmond earl of Lancaster, second son of king Henry III.; which William de Burgh, earl of Ulster, was descended also by his mother's side from Joan of Acres, second daughter of Edward 1. and which marriage was consummated in the fourteenth year of his age, soon after which he was created earl of Ulster in right of his wife. In the twenty-ninth year of Edward III. he constituted this Lionel, custos of the kingdom of England, and lieutenant during his absence abroad; and some years after, together with John earl of Richmond, his brother, he attended the king his father to Brabant. Nor did this Lionel acquire only the earldom of Ulster in the kingdom of Ireland with Elizabeth his wife, but also the honour of Clare in the county of Suffolk, as parcel of the inheritance of Elizabeth her grandmother, the sister and co-heir of the last earl, Gilbert de Clare; and there upon in parliament, anno 1362, was created duke of Clarence, a title derived as it were from the country about the town, castle, and honour, of Clare; from which Dutchy, the name of Claranceaux, king of arms for the southern part of England, is derived. His title was duke of Clarence, earl of Ulster. and lord of Connaught and Trim as now enjoyed by his R. H. William Henry, duke of Clarence. PREMIUMS. THE gentleman to whom the allotment of the premiums was referred having been much engaged during the winter, and having gone to the country after the rising of the Session, delayed deciding upon them till last week, when the pieces were returned with the following letter to the Editor. SIR, "I beg your pardon for having so long deferred giving a decision in the case you are so good as refer to me; and I am afraid I fhall not now afford much satisfaction either to the candidates or you. The papers are returned; all of which I have read.- -Though most of them pofsefs a fhare of literary merit, they are, like every human performance, not devoid of faults.-These I fhall not particularise.-It will be sufficient to point out those which pleased me most. 66 Among the poetical pieces there are two so nearly alike in merit, that I have not taken upon me to give a preference to either, but leave it to yourself. One of these is entitled the Bear Leader." The other, "On Money." The first has more humour; and from my own partiality for things of that nature, I should perhaps have been tempted to prefer it; but perhaps those of another turn of mind would like the other better; so I leave you to choose between them. "I am in like manner undecisive as to the prose essays. The life of John Knox by Gnatho, is a plain, judicious, unornamented, biographical sketch; and the essay on the Will of Man, is an ingenious well written disquisition, rather tending to the metaphysical strain; which I think you do not like yet I cannot belcive this will prevent you from being sensible, that if it be the production of a young man, it discovers a very promising talent for literary investigation. I leave you here to choose also. The award. Since the Arbiter in this case has declined to decide positively between these competitors, the Editor cannot encroach on his province. Hence, as there are now due two premiums for poetical essays, of two guineas each, be it decreed that the writers of each of these essays obtain one, viz. Two guineas to the author of the essay signed Benedict having this motto a Quod quisque vitet nunquam homini satis cautum est in boras. HOR. And also two guineas to the author of the essay on Money having this motto: O Cives! cives querenda pecunia primum est veritas post nummos. HQR. In like manner the premium of two guineas offered for the best efsay in prose, fhall be divided equally between the writers of the two following efsays, viz. One guinea to the author of the character of John Knox, signed Gnatho, and having this motto: Nullius addictus juvare in verba magistri. HOR. And one guinea to the author of the essay on the Will of Man, his Liberty, and the Direction of his Consience, signed Eusebius, and bearing the motto: Offered not without diffidence. On opening the respective sealed papers belonging to each of these efsays, it appeared that none of these competitors choose to have their names published; and most of them concealed them from the Editor himself. The premiums above named therefore, will be paid at the Bee Office to any person bringing an order for the same, written in the same hand, and bearing the signature annexed to the respective essays. The Editor returns his thanks to the other gentlemen who have favoured him with essays, some of which he thinks have considerable merit, and will be published in the Bee at some future period, if not otherwise ordered. 129. THE BEE, OR LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 22. 1793. FRAGMENTS BY LORD BACON. Art of life. Continued from vol. xiv. p. 274. ***** NOTHING more tendeth to procure an abiding reputation, than that of dealing with men sweetly and gently, and according to the maxims of old ethicks, and the classical rules of honesty, and not by sinistrous policies, which sooner or latter doe but lead into inextricable labyrinths. It is dangerous to think that morality is ambulatory; that vices in one age or country are not vices in another; or that virtues which are under the everlasting seal of right reason, may be stamped by opinion. For this cause, it is a prime art of life in respect of reputation, portion of the "That though May 22. vicious times may for a little space invert the opinions of things, and set up new ethicks against virtue, we bold nevertheless unto old morality, and rather than follow a multitude in delusion to doe evil, stand like Pompey's pillar, conspicuous by ourselves and single in integrity. But although we ought thus to comport ourselves, it is not necefsary that we fhould preach unto the world as Noah did before the deluge, but rather that, keeping ourselves quiet in the figurative ark of our covenant, with virtue we fhould bear with those evils which we cannot cure or avert. Certainly there are times of extraordinary and unaccountable violence in opinion, that make it hard for the wisest of men to sustain reputation without ignoble concefsions, or joining in the madnefs of the many for the benefit of the few. When after many ages of heathen and barbarous darkness, the mighty superstructure of pagan superstition did fall before that pure and enlightened morality which Socrates taught, and which his disciples and followers sophisticated, no man could be safe (till the victory was compleat,) to acknowledge his devotion to right reason and to common sense. When even in the very first ages of our blefsed religion, the Platonists and other school-men on the one hand, and the ignorant votaries on the other hand, did turn that sublime, yet simple, that humane, yet just doctrine of our Saviour, into mystėry and enthusiasm, how hard must it have been for an honest and wise man in times like those that succeeded under Constantine, when tyranny took shelter |