£26 
tion has not ‘been fufficiently attended to in 
Atudying and ‘teaching the Latin language. 
‘That treafure of critical learning, that xtuue 
gio ates, Mr. Wakefield’s Lucretius, cafts 
“much light on this fubje€&t. Of its impor- 
tance allow me to give an inftance. Virg. 
“An. 1V. 230: 
genus alto a fanguine Teucri 

Proderet : 
which Ruzus, vir non indoftus, has thus in- 
terpreted, gui probaret originem fuam effe e nobeli 
ifanguine Teucri! For an elegant ufe of tne 
verb prodo, fee Lucret. VI. 562. 
; ————E 5 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
SKETCH of the PRESENT STATE Of SOCI+ 
ETY and MANNERS 72 PLYMOUTH. 
Wp LYMOUTH is fituated at the mouth 
hs of the river Plym ; but not imme- 
diately at its junction with the ocean. 
The town -itfelf is ill conftru€ted; the 
fireets narrow, inconvenient and fteep. 
Its extent is confiderable, and it is very 
populous. Its trade depends principally 
upon fhipping, and the-royal navy. But 
though the town itfelf has nothing to boat, 
the contiguous country is extremely beau- 
tiful; and pofieffes a pleafing interchange 
ef hill and dale. The neighbouring pro- 
{pects are very grand and, interefting. 
«\bout one mile from Plymouth, is the 
town of Stonehoufe; the refort of fafhion ; 
and about a mile further, the populous 
and extenfive town of Dock, fo named. 
from the famous Arfenal there eftablithed. 
Thefe three towns, with fmall interrup- 
tions, now nearly form an unbroken chain 
of communication, and may be almoft 
confidered as one. Ass the inhabitants of 
thefe places confift, ina great meafure, of 
the navy and army, there is much finctu- 
ation; and a large part may be confider- 
ed as a tide conftantly flowing, and as 
conftantly ebbing. To give an exact de- 
{cription of fhifting objects is difficult, 
which pafs before they can gain a fixed 
charagter. The more ftationary inhabi- 
tants, indeed, affume a more defined ap- 
pearance, while the running ftream com- 
pofed of homogeneous particles pafies on 
an a generalmafs. Although thefe towns 
are fo contiguous, yet from the different 
Occupations of the more fixed inhabitants 
an. obvious difcrimination of external cha- 
yacter is vifible. It is therefore not unu- 
fual for one of Plymouth to fay, Such‘a 
one is a Dock perfon; and a fimilar mark- 
Ing may no doubt be ftriking to the other. 
Collef&tive members of fociety purfutng 
the fame objects, or engaged in fimilar oc- 
cupations, readily acquire a ftrong and 
appropriate character. Profeffions, trades, 
and other employments, give peculiarities 
of a very deciiive-cutline and colousing, 
“ . Account of Plyntauth. 
(Fuca 
and hence: this apparent di@inétion arifes. 
War or peace produce alteroate varia- 
tions in the‘e towns. Thie former gives 
life, the latter torpor. The great objeét 
is to make the moft of cireumfances: yet, 
amidft the buitle ef commerce, and the 
ftoym of war, literature is not altogether 
neglected. There are feveral reading fo- 
cieties eftablifhed in each of thefe places. 
There are fome literary charaéters, and as 
much encouragement is given to mental 
improvement, as in other places of the 
fame extent of population. Amongf the 
inhabitants are to be found a proportion- 
ate fhare of perfons of found fenfe and 
acutenefs, | 
_ Religion has its partifans of various 
denominations, The churches are few, - 
in proportion to the inhabitants, and of 
courfe the clergy. Se&taries are nume-— 
rous, if the population of a placets fo large 
that the churches cannot contain the people, 
this muft be a natural confequence, 
Politics at one time partook of that fu- 
ry which ever accompanies the heat of 
party; particularly when individual inte- 
_refts are the ‘ecret {pring, and: public good 
the pretence of difpute. But that diiguf- 
ting heat is happily fubfded into a lan- 
guor, which is far preferable to the ani- 
mofities of political fury. To tell and to’ 
hear the news forms much of our employs 
ment. : 
A people may be deferibed by nega- 
tives. It has been obferved, that the {ce- 
nery round this country is naturally beau- 
tiful. But this is rather in the difpofition 
of the parts of the landfcape by the hand 
of nature, than the embellifhments of cul- 
ture. The hills fwell delichtfully, and 
the vales fweetly diverfify. But there is 
a great deficiency of trees; fo that the 
fine interchanges of thele oppofites are 
but too bare of thofe engaging and grand 
ornaments of vegetation. _Homer perhaps 
would have called the people of this neigh. 
bourhood tree-haters; for in his deferip. 
tion of localities he has, ‘* abounding in 
doves, fertile in foil, trainers of the horle,** 
&e, Certain it is, that within two miles 
of Plymouth, trees feem fRudioufly to be - 
difgained. ‘This is not to be attributed te 
its proximity to the fea; for in fome 
happy fpots, where~chance has placed a 
few, they thrive very well. The higher 
fituations expofed. to fea-blafts, are un- 
doubtedly unfavourable to them, Yet 
even here, the beautiful and elegant plane 
may be obferved to loxuriate in different 
elevated fites, where a few fpecimens are 
to be found. The hedge-rows too are all 
kept. Thus, the moft bounteous gifts of - 
nature ave counteraGted. After twe miles, 
tress 
