138 
it was unfortunate for the duke that Co- 
mines was a man of genius! If we are 
well verfed in the hiftory of the times, we 
fhall often difcover, that the writers of 
memoirs have fome fecret poifon in their 
heart. Many, like him, have had the 
boot dafhed on their nofe. Perfonal ran- 
eour wonderfully enlivens cur ftyle. Me- 
moirs are rare diftated by its fierce 
fpirit, and then hiftories are compoted 
from memoirs! 
Not in hiftories and memoirs! 

AN EXTRACT FROM A SPANISH MA- 
NUSCRIP T.—( Communicated.) 
In a romantic {pot on the confines of 
Spain there has been difcovered a tomb of 
venerable appearance, adorned with em- 
blematical {culpture, reprefenting giants 
deftroyed, magicians imprifoned, and 
coats of mail lying ve but the moft 
ftriking figure in the groupe, is Satire 
trampling en Vice, laughing at Folly, 
and pointing to the following in{cription : 
*¢ Withia refts the friend and fervant of 
the ableft fatirift, ever regiftered in the chro- 
nicles of fame, Miguel Cervantes. 
' €¢ This friend made his firft appearance in 
Spain, towards the beginning of the feven- 
teenth century, yet he may exift to the end 
ef time. He was the conftant companion of 
his mafter, the cheerer of his life, the dif- 
peller of his gloom, the fharer of his fame*. 
He differed from all mankind; they improve 
as they grow taller; his fame increafed as he 
got thortert Onthe deceafe of his employer 
he was depofited in this tomb, nor will he 
again appear until a mafter can be found 
equal to his rormer.—Though an abfolute 
flave, yet he was never difgraced in the fap- 
port of vice, the degradation of virtue, or 
_the malice of party 5 never once did his effu- 
fions coft modefty a bluth, or innocence a tear ! 
He never ridiculed or rais’d a laugh at re- 
ligion or morality, yet he was always em- 
ployed to unmafk the hypocrite. Satire 
was his forte, and with his mevements like the 
circles of a magician’s wand he could produce 
a fort of talifman againft vice and folly. He 
yidiculed general errors, but never defcended 
to pérfonality.—To fum up all he was a 
bee, diftilling honey from the moft noxious 
weeds, and pofleffed of a fing to preferve his 
fweets from the attacks of the wafp.” 
Here the infcription ended :—fome 
would-be wits, and tool-tardy traveliers, 
on reading ne enigma, broke open the 
tomb, and found a worn-down old pen !—~ 
the 2y were of courfe'much difappointed ; but 
as foon as it was underftoed, that the pen 
of Cervantes had been foal: all the mo- 
authors came in fhoals to claim it.— 
_ 
* Wide the conclufion of Don Quixotte. 

Extraéts from the Port Folio of a Tan of Letters. 
And where is TRUTH? , 
[ Feb, 
How fhall I relate the fequel! When they 
brought their works as certificates to be 
compared with the infcription, not one 
vas to be found, but what was contami- 
nated by vice, jaundic’d with party, cor- 
rupted by immorality, or vitiated with 
malice! fo that the pen is now to change 
its former habitation, and be coniigned 
for ever to the cave of oblivien. M. 

Dr. STACKHOUSE. 
‘Soon after Dr. Stackhoufe had pub- 
lifhed his Hiftory of the Bible, dining 
with a party of friends, they rallied 
him upon the miracles, particularly upon 
that of Jonah and the whale.. To one of 
them, faying, © Surely, Doctor, that 
ought to have been omitted,” Stack- 
houfe replied, ‘* Hufh, hufh, all thefe 
things have their popular ufe, and we ~ 
can by no means do without them ; the 
fad fhould not have been omitted, even 
had the text vouched for Jonah’ s having 
{fwallowed the whale.”’ 
( Communicated. ) 

ORIGINAL LETTER from Archdeacon 
BLACKBURNE #o Dr. FLEMING. 
DEAR §S1r, oth Fuly, 1771- 
Surely I am highly obliged to you for 
communicating the anecdote from North 
Britain, though I cannot fee the narrow- 
nefs of the fyftematics in that part of the 
world without pain of mind. A certain 
worthy divine, of our denomination, who 
has been a diligent obferver of men and 
times, remarked to me, the other day, 
that, about eighteen years ago, we were 
in a fair way of carrying theological im- 
provements to a very hopeful crifis; but that 
{ince that time we were going back with 
a rapidity which feemed to threaten fome- 
thing very like the bonds of Popery. 
I could with there might be a co- 
operation ot both ends of the ifland, in 
the great work of delivering Chriftianity 
from its unnatural afluments ; as that 
can hardly be brought about in this age, 
let us with, that both may have fuccefs 
in their feveral attempts. One may then 
hope they would meet at the fame time; 
and, by the bleffing of God, unite to 
overcome all obftructions ; which at pre- 
fent feem to be occafioned chiefly by a 
{pirit of diffipation, and inattention, in 
all ranks. Half a dozen Hollifes at Edin- 
burgh, and another halt dozen at Lon- 
aan would {oon make the opponents 
fhake. I am, Sir, your much vbliged 
feryant and fellow-labourer, 
Fr. BLACKBURN. 
[The Warp OLIANA will be continued in the 
ESE Kumecer. | 
\ QRIGINAL 
