1797+] 
Mr. DarBy’s ‘* Short Account of Mr. 
Burrows’ Meafurement of a degree of 
Longitude, and another of Latitude, 
near the tropic, in Bengal, in the years 
1790 and 1791. Lirtle attention will, 
probably, be paid to an obfcure and fan- 
ciful traét, entitled, ‘A new Syftem of 
’ 
Fire and Planetary Life,’’ in which the 
Newtonian fyftem is oppofed, and pla- 
netary life, whatever that be, is main-. 
tained to be the refult of repulfion and 
gravitation. . 
Tue ARTS. 
The artift, or connoiffeur in archi- 
tecture, will be gratified by an elegant 
Original Anecdotess——Right Hon, Edmund Burke, — 4? 
work, publifhing in numbers by Mr. 
‘FLALFPENNY, In which are reprefented 
in plates neatly and accurately executed, 
“ Gothic Ornaments in the C:#hedral ° 
Church of York.” A fimilar publication 
containing, in forty plates, a variety of 
beautiful forms, under the ucle of “* Spes 
cimens of Gothic Ornaments, from the 
Parifh Church of. Lavenham, in Suffolk.” 
In Painting, a work of grear tafte, 
judgment, and ingenuity, written by Mr. 
DAULBY, has appeared, under the title 
of ** A deferiptive. Catalogue of thé 
ae of Rembrandt, and his Scho 
ars.” 
*+* On Account of the length of fome other interefting Articles in this Number, the Subjeéts of 
THEOLOGY, MORALITY, CRITICISM, POETRY, EDUCATION, and MISCEL & 
LANY, are unavoidably deferred till our next. 

ORIGINAL MEMOIRS, ANECDOTES, LETTERS, &c. 
:" SOME ACCOUNT 
OF THE LATE 
- RIGHT HON, EDMUND BURKE. 
fs human heart is excited by a prin- 
ciple of curiofity, to trace the early 
dawnings of ability, and follow the firft 
footfteps of genius. Weare pleafed to 
behold talents emerging from obfcurity, 
and the difadvantages incident to medio- 
crity of fortune, melting away before the 
intenfe powers of a great and afpiring 
mind,- 
Thefe ideas are naturally called forth 
while contemplating the charaéter of the 
Jate Mr. Burke; and it is hoped, it may 
be permitted for a man who admired him 
without fervility, to colleét a few faéts re- 
lative to his hiftory, and give an opinion 
on his merits and his faults, equally devoid 
of adulation on one hand, and of enmity 
on the other. ‘ 
The fubje& of this hafty memoir was 
born in Ireland, tn the neighbourhood of 
Catherlough or Carlow, in the provinte 
of Leinfter, in 1729. Some peculiarities 
attended the early part of his life, His 
parents, like the great body of the inha- 
bitants of that covptry, are faid to have 
been Cathoiics; he himfelf was educated, 
and always continued a Proteftant; the 
preceptor under whom he ftudied was a 
‘Quaker *, From a provincial {chool, he 
repaired to the capital, entered himfelf as 
a ftudent of Trinity College, Dublin, and 

_* His name was Shackleford; he refided at 
Ballytcre, was a man of great erudition, and 
received the appellation of Dsé&or from the 
courtefy of his neighbours, Mr. Burke alfo 
fpent fome time ata fchool in the neighbour- 
hood of Smithfield, Dublin. 
Monruty Maé, No. X&. 
1s reported to have takena degree there in 
1749. ai 
Of moft celebrated men, fome early 
traits of genius have ufually been record- 
ed, and the adult orator or flatefman has 
generally been, at fome time or another, 
developed in the fchool-boy. If we are 
to truft, however, to the report of one of 
his contemporaries, this young man, who 
by dint of talents alone rofe to fome of 
the firft offices in the ftate, held a high 
rank in the republic of letters, and occu- 
pied neariy the firft place in the fenate, 
was not diftinguifhed from the vulgar 
herd that furrounded him. 
It was formerly obligatory on fuch of 
the youth of Jreland as were intended for 
_the bar,'to repair to this country, in order 
to become members of the inns of court ; 
and it is but of late years that Ireland has 
been refcued from this remnant. of fubju- 
gation. As Mr. Burke was intended for 
the law, he is faid to have enrolled his 
name in-the Inner Temple, and had he 
but continued his juridical ftudies, it is 
more than probable that he would have 
‘attained great eminence, and rifen to the 
hicheft honours of the profeffion. His 
mind, however, was foon diverted from 
this object, to a far different purfuit ; in- 
deed, this was fcarcely an Appropriate 
one; for a man poffeifing the fineft fancy, 
pethaps,tf the age, would have experienc- 
ed no common degree of difguft in the ate 
tempt to untie the Gordian knot of our mu- 
nicipal law, and might have found it diffi- 
cult to fubmit to rhe drudgery’ of eliciting 
the principles of juftice froma bafbarous 
coee, in which medersiidea: are cngrvafted on 
ancient principles, and human rea{on helds 
an eternal hoftility with feudal prejudice. 
3 A plan , 


