1809.] Invention of the Piano-forte.—Portuguese Telemachus. 3 
himself. I wasinformed it had, and on 
that information was willing to concur 
in a considerable approximation to the 
true principle, as to the edection and du- 
ration of Parliaments.—That is clearly 
the true principle which will make ‘the 
House of Commons what its name pure 
ports—the Representative of the Com- 
MONS. \ 
It is obvious, thac the Article No. IIT. 
even with the comprehension, which I 
think necessary, of at least, the house- 
hoiders of such berough-towns, unless a_ 
considerable portion of the surrounding 
district were also added, would still be 
exceedingly and dangerously imperfect. 
The townsin which the edective franchise 
is in a small number of corporutors, 
from about 30 or 40 to above and below 
that extent, have, perhaps, from 2 or 
800 to 4or 500 hundred souseholders. 
This is still a number so small, that expe- 
rience shews from the example of more 
than one or two of those cailed epen bo- 
roughs, that it would. still he hable to 
corruption and undue influence. 
mass of electars, and the means of 
taking the suffrages without delay, and 
without considerable expense, seem ne- 
cessary for the exclusion of these evils, 
and, at the same time, for restorimg the 
principle and spirit of representation: 
and, although any considerable approxi- 
mation would be greatly preferable to 
the present wide deviation from that 
principle and spirit; that reform, if it 
meet the sense of the public, wiil be en- 
titled to a decided preference, which 
shall approach the nearest to these essen- 
tial principles. My own ideas on, this 
subject have been long known; but, on this 
occasion, of the revival of the cause of 
reform, I have stated them in a concise, 
and, I trust, a clear manner, in an 
Essay already ready printed, and which 
will shortly-be published. 
LORD ERSKINE'S BILL. 
HE public must have seen, with 
great pleasure, the speech which 
introduced this new and benevolent Bill, 
and its impressive preamble. Their cir- 
culation will of itself do much more good 
than can generally be expected, even 
from an act of legisiation ; good in itself, 
but unaccompanied with its reasons. 
PIANO-FORTE. 
WISH to ascertain the exact period, 
if possible, of the introduction of 
the Piano-forte into Englund, ‘That 
A large’ 
its origin is German seems agreed; but - 
neither the gra of its inventien there, 
nor of its being introduced either in 
- France, Italy, or here, seeins to be ascer- 
tained. 
I have séen, and often.had the plea- 
of hearing, a good piano-ferle, dated 
1775; but fam not sure, that this date 
might: not belong to! it in.a harpsichord 
state, and the piano-forte improvement 
be made afterwards.—I have seen ano- 
ther, which, in its whole structure and 
appearance, indicates, that, when first 
made, it had its present construction, 
This is at Bury, at Mr. Ramsay’s. The 
Superscription in front, as | 
HJoanned Dupe, fecit, 1766. 
Princes-street, Hatover-square. 
But, although not struck by quills, iz 
has metallic horizontal springs, which act 
against the wires; and it has something 
of an intermediate tene between the. 
harpsichord and the piano-forte in its 
present state of improvement. I[t has, 
however, the cloth-damper, and the stops 
for buffing the notes. [take it, there- 
fore, to be the, peano-forte, as first in- 
vented. 
Cape. Lorrr.. 
Errata.—Inour Number of June 1, un- 
der the head of **Reform in Parliament of 
the Representation of the Commons,” page 
454—-For ‘¢ time principle,” read © true - 
principle’e-After Bury St. Edmund’s, for 
“¢ Stratford,” read ¢* Thetford’’—For § al- 
ways,” read §* otherqwise’s—For ©* freehotde 
ers,” read householders.” Cie 
Sa 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly. Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the second number of the Quar- 
J rerty Review, Art. ILE. exhibits a 
coneise view otf Portuguese literature. 
The ingenious critic has notieed the 
greatest of its effurts, in medern times, 
in the attempt of giving that nation a 
kind of Telemachus; and, it is pre- 
sumed, an account of this moral ra- 
mance will gratify literary curiosity. The 
author died last year, aud one of his 
pupils is a Portuguese physician of emi- 
nence, residing in this metropolis. Fa- 
ther D’Almeida is also the author of a 
series of volumes, entitled * Philosophi- 
eal Recreations,” in which the learned 
_and ingenious writer conveys much in- 
struction in a popular manner; and ob- 
tained his purpose in the opinion of the 
Portuguese nation, r 
The 
