for the establishment of popery; he does not think the prefent oaths fufficiently binding, and wifhes that fome better fecurity could be found for the fucceffion of the houfe of Hanover. He is zealous for the naturalization of foreign proteftants, and rejoiced at the admiffion of the Jews to the English privileges, because he thought a Jew would never be a papist. Birds have the greateft variety of notes; they have indeed a variety, which feems almoft fufficient to make a fpeech adequate to the purposes of a life, which is lated by instinct, and can adinit little change or improvement. To the cries of birds, curiofity or fupertition has been always attentive, many have studied the language of the feathered tribes, and fome have boafted that they underflood it. The most skilful or moft confident interpreters of the fylvan dialogues have been commonly found among the philofophers of the east, in a country where the calmness of the air, and the mildness of the feafons, allow the ftudent to pafs a great part of the year in groves and bowers. But what may be done in one place by peculiar opportunities, may be performed in another by peculiar diligence. A fhepherd of Bohemia has, by long abode in the forefts, enabled himself to underftand the voice of birds, at least he relates with great confidence a flory of which the credibility may be confidered by the learned. As I was fitting, (faid he) within a hollow rock, and watching my fheep that fed in the valley, I heard two vultures interchangeably crying on the fummit of the cliff. Both voices were earnest and deliberate. My curiofity prevailed over my care of the flock; I climbed flowly and filently from crag to crag, concealed among the fhrubs, till I found a cavity where I might fit and liften without fuffering, or giving disturbance. I foon perceived, that my labour would be well repaid; for an old vulture was fitting on a naked prominence, with her young about her, whom he was inftructing in the arts of a vulture's life, and preparing, by the laft lecture, for their final difmiffion to the mountains and the skies. your, and this quality makes him so much a benefactor to our fpecies. If men kill our prey and lay it in our way, faid the young one, what need fhall we have of labouring for ourselves? Becaufe man will fometimes, replied the mother, remain for a long time quiet in his der. The olď vultures will tell you when you are to watch his motions. When you fee men in great numbers moving close together, like a flight conclude that of ftorks, you may they are hunting, and that you will foon revel in human blood. But ftill, faid the young one, I would gladly know the reafon of this mutual flaughter; I could never kill what I could not eat. My child, faid the mother, this is a queftion which I cannot arifwer, tho' I am reckoned the most fubtile bird of the mountain. When I was young I ufed frequently to vifit the ayry of an old vulture, who dwelt upon the Carpathian rocks; he had made many obfervations; he knew the places that afforded prey round his ha bitation, flesh of man. Tell us, faid the ture. as far in every direction as the ftrongest wing can fly between the rifing and fetting of the fummer fun; he had fed year after year on the entrails of His opinion was, That men men. had only the appearance of animal life, being really vegetables with a power of motion; and that as the boughs of an oak are dashed together by the ftorm, that fwine may fatten upon the falling acorns, fo men are by fome unaccountable power driven one againft another, till they lose their motion, that vultures may be fed. Others think they have obferved fomething of contrivance and po licy among thefe mifchievous beings; and thofe that hover more clofely round them, pretend, that there is, in every herd, one that gives directions to the reft, and feems to be more eminently delighted with a wide carnage. What is it that intitles him to fuch preeminence we know not; he is feldom the biggest or the fwifteft; but he thews by his eagerness and diligence that he is, more than any of the others, a friend to vul tures. The bumble remonstrance of the mob of Great Britain, against the importation of French words, &L. IT T is with infinite concern that we behold an inundation of French words pouring in upon us, and this at a time too when there is fome fort of merit in deteft ing every thing that is French. In regard to ourselves, we are daily infulted, by fome of the fineft lips in the world, with the opprobrious term of Canaille: we cannot refent the infult from them, as they are too facred for our unhallowed hands; befides, they are fufficiently punished, by their mirth they afford to the Mademoifelles, when they attempt to pronounce the uncouth word ; for Canaille, from English lips, founds Canal. But as noft things are pardonable to the pride of the creation, we should readily excufe them, if the infection had not spread among the officers of our army; and as we chiefly compofe the numerous fquadrons that are to guard the liberties of Britain, we cannot conceive that we ought to have any more to do with their language, than we have with their religion. All our bufinefs is to beat them, and that we can do in plain English: if our officers order us to form a line, we can do it; but if they call that line a Cordon, we must be obliged to apply to the chaplain for a Denouement of the myfterious word.Coup de main, and Manoeuvre, might be excufable in Marshal Saxe, as he was in the fervice of France, and perfectly acquainted with both but we cannot fee what apology can be made for our officers lugging them in by head and shoulders, without the leaft neceflity, as a fudden stroke, might have done for one, and a proper motion, for the other. - Reconnoitre is another favourite word in the military way; and as we cannot find out that it is much more fignificant than take a view, we beg leave it may be fent home again. We should not have troubled the public with this addrefs, if we had not received a fresh infult by the papers of Saturday laft, in a fuppofed letter from Germany, where the ingenious author tells us, fpeaking of the intended operations of war, that the General's intention re mains perdu; which, we are informed, fignifies loft. In what fenfe we are to understand this gentleman, we cannot fay; his meaning indeed feems perdu; he may perhaps, give us to understand, by printing the word in Italics, that the army and treasure fent to Germany, is all perdu : the word then wants a little epaulement, to fupport it, or rather a little eclairciffement; for, in the prefent application of it, it is dark and my ferious. We must beg the gentlemen of the army pardon, if next to them we should take the liberty of mentioning the barbers; a fet of gentlemen very useful in their station, but under no absolute neceffity of hanging out falfe French upon their figns it may indeed become a French frifeur, to acquaint the public that he makes a tete de mouton, or fimply a tete; but we are a little offended when an English tonfor, under the fign of a thing, which in fome countries might be called a periwig, fhal write ladies taites, or tates, or taets, or taites, or taites's made here; it looks as if they meant a reflection upon the ladies of Great Britain, by acquainting the public, that their heads were made in barbers fhops, and to be had either in Middle-row or Rag-fair. Now their intended purpose of ferving the community would certainly be better answered, if they would fuffer their figns to fpeak plain English, and inform the world that beeps heads (which we are told is the meaning of the three French words above) were fold there, as by that means they would bid fair to serve gentlemen as well as ladies, who were not already provided. Je-ne-feai-quoy, though of French extraction, we fhall not prefume to find fault with, because it has been naturalized, and productive of infinite good in England; it has helped many an unfortunate girl to an hufband; it has indeed fometimes parted man and wife, but has foon brought them together again; feldom fails of healing up the breaches it had made between friends; has fitted out fleets and armies, and brought them home again; has been a, theme for oratorsin velvet and crape, and has furnished matter for many volumes. Chicane, we dare not meddle with, as we are told the lawyers have taken it under their immediate protection; but as quicks and tricks as foreign to their profeffion, as ambition and avarice to that of a more venerable order, we fuppofe the charge is without foundation. Bagatelle, or trifle, we shall leave to the fmarts, as it would be a pity to rob them of the chief object of their ftudy. Pet-en-l'air, may fuit very well with French effronterie; for if the ladies of that country make no fcruple of watering their rueller before the gentlemen who attend their levees, I fee no reafon why they should be ashamed of a f―t; but as no fuch offenfive wind is ever fuppofed to blow from fair English b ms, we could wish they had found a name of a little more delicacy for this garment. We therefore humbly pray, that French words, as well as French drefs and French manners, may be laid afide, at leaft during the continuance of the prefent war; for we are apprehenfive, fhould their language and customs defcend to us, we fhould be taught by their example, on the day of battle, to f-te le camp. as For these reasons we pray above and fhall, as in duty bound, hold them in ever lafting abherrence. LEGION. 2 To the K-'s most excellent M-y. ་་།ཟསཎྜ The humble petition of P*** E. of C Knight of the most noble order of the garter, Sheweth, THAT your petitioner being rendered by deafness, as ufelefs and inefficient, as most of his cotemporaries are by nature, hopes, in common with them, to fhare your Majefty's royal favour and bounty, whereby he may be enabled to fave or fpend, as he may think proper, a great deal more chan he poflibly can at prefent. That your petitioner having had the honour to ferve your Majefty in feveral very lucrative employments, feems thereby entitled to a lucrative retreat from bufinefs, and to enjoy otium cum dignitate, that is, leifure and a large penfion. Your petitioner humbly apprehends, that he has a juftifiable claim to a confiderable penfion, as he neither wants, nor deferves, but only defires, and (pardon, dread Sir, an expreffion you are pretty much used to) infifts upon it. Your petitioner is little apt, and always unwilling, to fpeak advantageously of himfelf; but as fome degree of justice is due to one's felf, as well as to others, he begs leave to reprefent, that his loyalty to your Majelty has always been unfhaken, even in the worst of times: That particularly, in the late unnatural rebellion, when the young Pretender had advanced as far as Derby, at the head of an army of at least three thoufand men, compofed of the flower of the Scotch nobility and gentry, who had virtue enough to avow, and courage enough to venture their lives in fupport of their real principles, your petitioner did not join him, as unquestionably he might have done, had he been fo inclined; but, on the contrary, raised, at the public expence, fixteen companies, of one hundred men each, in defence of your Majefty's undoubted right to the Imperial crown of these realms; which fervice remains to this hour unrewarded. Your petitioner is well aware, that your Majesty's civil lift muft neceffarily be in a very weak and languid condition, after the various and profufe evacuations it has undergone; but, at the fame time, he humbly hopes, that an argu ment which does not feem to have been urged against any other per, fon whatfoever, will not, in a fingular manner, be urged against him, efpecially as he has fome rea fons to believe, that the deficiencies of the pension fund will by no means be the last to be made good by parliament. Your petitioner begs leave to obferve, that a fmall penfica is difgraceful, as it intimates opprobrious indigence on the part of the receiver, and a degrading fort of dole or charity on the part of the giver; but that a great one implies dignity and affluence on the one fide, on the other esteem and confideration; which doubtless your Majefty muft entertain in the higheft degree for thofe great perfonages, whofe reputable names glare in capitals upon your elemofynary lift. Your petitioner humbly flatters himself, that upon this principle, less than three thousand pounds a year will not be propofed to him, and if made gold the more agreeable. Your petitioner perfuades himfelf, that your Majefty will not imBb 4 pute |