1821.] Stephensiana. — No. II. 333 
ambition—that ambition, on the surface 
of which deception tioats. 
DR. FRANKLIN. 
I have ever been hardy enough to 
admire the following verse, by Tur¬ 
got, on that great and universally 
respected character, whose portrait, it 
seems, had been presented to him by a 
friend. 
“ Eripuit fulmen ccelo, sceptrumque ty- 
rannis.” 
The above line I suspect is an imita¬ 
tion of the following, which I found in 
turning over some book rather hastily: 
“ Eripuit fulmenque Jovi, Phceboque sa- 
gittam.” 
I have since found another proof of 
the imitation, in Manilius, a poet of the 
Augustan age, representing the culti¬ 
vation of human genius: 
--—“ Solvitque animus miracula rerum 
Eripuitque Jovi fulmen, viresque tonanti.” 
TURBOT FISHER Y. 
This fishery is carried on solely from 
Barking, in Essex, and the vessels em¬ 
ployed, each of which has but one 
mast, consisted in 1809, of about sixty, 
all having wells or reservoirs for salt 
water. Much has been said of our 
rivaling, and even excelling the Dutch, 
of late years, in this art; but truth 
obliges me to declare the contrary, and 
sacrifice national vanity at the shrine 
of impartiality. 
Our expert and industrious neigh¬ 
bours not only possess the advantage 
of fishing on their own immediate 
coast, but in the plastes and salt water 
inlets which indent it. These we are 
not tempted by the law of nations to 
occupy with our small craft, and 
therefore, for the most part, we act as 
mere carriers only. 
The Dutch make use of smelts which 
they salt, and also a piece of the gore- 
bill, by way of bait. 
The English butt-men, (for so this 
description of vessel is termed) re-visit 
their coasts, both in time of war and 
peace. As they collect the turbots, 
they place them in boxes, and do not 
turn them adrift in the wells, until 
some time after. 
LONDON CONSERVANCY. 
The City of London enjoys the right 
of conservancy over the rivers Thames, 
Lea, and part of the Medway, and all 
breaches and creeks issuing from the 
same, from Colnie ditch, a little to the 
backward of Staines bridge, to the 
whirlpool beyond Yenleet to the east; 
the bounds are designated by a stone 
near Shoeberry, in Essex, and another 
in the river Medway, near Upnor 
castle ; the latter is visited by the Lord 
Mayor triennially. 
GRAVESEND, 
A new canal is projected here, in which 
it is proposed to tunnel through the line 
of hills, including Gadds hill, &c. and 
to come out near Rochester bridge. 
The distance 8f miles. 
ENGLISH GLOOM. 
If we may credit common fame, the 
English character will undoubtedly be 
thought too grave by foreigners—not 
so, perhaps, by the philosopher and the 
man of taste, who trace humanity, 
clothed in various modifications of 
manners. I happened one afternoon to 
be rather cheerful in the company of a 
foreigner, who, in consequence of this 
trifling event, gave me more surprise 
than delight by politely asking whether 
I was actually born in the island of 
Great Britain. 
PRINCE GEORGE. 
The Earl of Chesterfield thus speaks 
of 1 iis late Majesty, while a boy, in a 
letter to his son, dated London, March 
25, O. S. 1751. 
44 The death of the Prince of Wales, 
who was more beloved for his affability 
and good nature, than esteemed for his 
steadiness and conduct, has given con¬ 
cern to many and apprehension to all. 
The great difference of age in the King 
and Prince George, presents the pros¬ 
pect of a minority: a disagreeable 
prospect for any nation. But it is most 
probable that the king, who is now 
perfectly recovered of his late indispo¬ 
sition, may live to see his grandson of 
age. He is seriously a most hopeful 
hoy: gentle and good-natured with 
good sense. This event has made all 
sorts of people here historians as well 
as politicians. Our histories are rum¬ 
maged for all the particular circum¬ 
stances of the six minorities which 
have been since the conquest: viz. 
those of Henry III. Edward III. Ri¬ 
chard II. Henry VI. Edward V. and 
Edward VI. The reasonings and the 
speculations, the conjectures and the 
predictions, you will easily imagine 
must he innumerable aud endless in 
this nation, where every porter is a 
consummate politician.” 
44 Doctor Swift says” very humour¬ 
ously, 44 every man knows that he un¬ 
derstands religion and politics, though 
he never learned them, but many people 
are conscious they do not understand 
many other sciences, from having nevei 
learned them.” 
SELF 
