titious to this first law of nature; and how ever it may be the will of God that the produce of the earth fhould become the property or right of exclufive poffeffion of an individual; yet it feems to me, that a prior obligation to an antecedent law, constitutes it in this cafe to be the inherent right of every one to fo much property of another, as may be actually neceffary to his existence. It is a maxim in moral philofophy, that every fort of actions which ultimately conduces moft to the good of fociety is right: the good arifing to mankind from the prefervation of the life of an individual, is more than the harm accruing from the lofs of fo much property as is abfolutely neceffary to his existence, or the general bad confequence supposed to happen to Society from fuch a violation. Let us confider the general confequence. Suppoling a man is killed in endeavouring to fecure fo much as is neceflary to his existence, what is the confequence? An individual is loft to Society. But it would have been the cafe if he had perished through want, and the chances are in his favour that he would not be killed in endeavouring to obtain what was neceffary to keep him alive; for his appearance in this extremity would justify the dreadful claim, and the owner in this cafe would be totally devoid of humanity were he to refufe it: nor do I think the example would influence much, for it would be a difficult matter to find a person who would starve himself to that point for the fake of trying the experiment. If there were not a difficulty of determining who are real objects in this cafe, it would have been fixed as a law of nature, that a man in this extremity might mike ufe of another's property. But as it is thus difficult to determine, let the law that provided for the fecurity of property take its courfe, and let punishment enfue for the invafion. I think there are hardly any laws exifting in any country to fevere, as that a man fhail fuffer death for taking fo much of another's property as is abfolutely neceffary to the preferving of his life; in fhort, the general confequence feems to authorize fuch a proceeding: it is clearly fo in the cafe mentioned by Mr. Paley, of pulling down a house in cafe of fire. Therefore, if a man have an inherent right to accomplish thofe actions which are ultimately moft conducive to the good of Society, in which is included the general confequence, I think he will be juttifed in the right of keeping hintelf from tarving. Thefe diftinctions which property has introduced among men feem then to cease, and he reverts to an antecedent claim, the natural rights of mankind. LIES. A lie is the undertaking to misinform another with an intention to deceive.Therefore where there is no intention to deceive, it may be a falfehood, but not to be confidered as a lie, and hereby public credit will not at all be affected: in the cafe, therefore, of the fervant's denying his mas ter, there is no intention to deceive, nor is there a deception, for it is not determinate, feeing it is the fame term expreffing two different ideas; and take which you will, they are either of them fufficient for your purpose, and upon this fcore not at all inas I will endeavour to jurious to fociety; thew. When it once becomes an established cuftom, that if any one does not wish to be feen, the fervant is to inform the vifitant his mafter is not at home; I fay, when this is generally allowed (admitting that the firft perfon, and many others perhaps before it was eftablished, told an abfolute lie), it cannot be faid that fuch vifitant is deceived: for reafoning upon the matter it appears thus: If my friend is not at home, the general term applied to the idea makes it true without any appa rent equivocation; and if he be at home, I know the fame terms are intended to con vey the idea that he does not wish to be feen; each of which are fufficiently con clufive, and the perfon goes home fatisfied. It might be urged, that the neceffity of the cafe would make it neceflary that he fhould be feen; but this is obviated by the vifitant's having it in his to convey power his with by letter. All that can be faid then is, that it is another or rather new mode of expressing the idea, that a perfon does not chufe to be feen; only there is a feeming mifapplication, in uling terms Words which fignify contrary ideas themfelves are perfectly infignificant, excepting as they are fymbols of our ideas, whether timple or compiex; therefore whatever term fhall by general affent, or by particular affent, in a particular place be determined upon to convey any idea, fuch term may be used without general confidence heing at all affected thereby; in the cafe before us for inftance. It is now in mott large towns generally agreed to, that when a perfon does not wifh to be feen, he is not at home. This is the expreffion intended to convey the idea, and, thus generally agreed to, and grown into a cuítom, may be ufed; and fo far, in my humble opinion, from weakening general confi dence dence in the mode it is ufed, may be confi dered as veracity itfelf. It feems to have arifen from that delicacy of conduct which peculiarly distinguishes polished Society; and excepting that at its first inftitution it was to be confidered as a breach of veracity, it was dictated by an honourable fentiment, the fear of cffending, which invented a mode to foften the harshness of an abrupt refufal to be feen: and it is a matter of doubt, whether the direct truth would meet with fo favourable a reception; for people then would be too apt to dwell upon the reafons for their nonadmittance; a circumftance which would probably be productive of disagreements among friends. July 15. R. B. (To be continued.) To the EDITOR of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. SIR, Looking over the life of Lord Barrington in the Biographia Britannica, I was furprised to find that the Editors of that Work had not availed themselves of the information concerning his Lordship they might have derived from the funeral fermon preached by Mr. Mackewen on his Lordship's death. The authenticity of Mr. Mackewen's Memoirs admit of no doubt, and therefore I recommend them to the notice of those who are engaged in the Biographia, when a new volume of that Work shall make its flow appearance, Helpead, June 17, 1791. HE was defcended from worthy ancestors, eminent for their virtue and zeal for the caule of liberty, feveral of whom feived the Kings of England with honour, as commanders in the wars of Normandy, when Normandy was annexed to the crown. He had a graceful perion, a happy conftitution, and an extraordinary genius, improved by a pious and liberal education; and, if I am not miltaken, it will hereafter be accounted an honour to Utrecht, where he finished his academical studies, to have contributed to the forming fo great a man; for he was a perfon of almoft unequalled abilities, and many excellent and uncommon virtucs : his great judgement, extentive knowledge, acute fagacity, and intentive application, rendered him, perhaps, upon the whole the most finished character in "His principles of chitian and civil liberty were rational, demonftrative and immoveable; and his happy facuty of Communicating his thoughts upon any fubject made his convertation catremely agreeable and inftructive to men of fenfe and talte. Such admirable talents could not long be hidd; and therefore he had an early and fric: friendship with feveral perfond of the greatcft rank, learning, and virtue, which he never fought, was made a Commiffioner of the Cultoms in virtue of a promile he never afked; and had feveral employ ments of honour and profit I am, &c. T. W. offered him, which he declined to accept whift the Occafional Act was in force. He was adopted without his knowledge by two gentlemen of good eftates and the greateft worth, Francis Barrington, of Tofts in the county of Effex, Efq. purfuant to whofe fettlement he took the name of Barrington; and John Wildman of Becket in the county of Berks, Efq.; from a juft perfuafion of his inflexible attachment to the interest of religion and virtue in general, and the religious and civil liberties of his country, was chofen into Parliament by the town of Berwick upon Tweed without a bribe; and was created a Peer of lieland by the bounty of King George the First, againit his will, for his eminent fervices and unfhaken loyalty to the illustrious House of Hanover, and the British constitution; the fupport of which, with the extenfion of liberty and rational religion, was the noble and conftant end of his thoughts and actions; and therefore he was prevailed upon, contrary to his inclinations, and in apparent prejudice to his health and affairs, to be a candidate at the late election, and might have been chofen, would his principles have permitted him to have given a bribe of forty pounds; but he had too frict a regard to the laws and interest of his country to countenance corruption, and trifle with the facredness of oaths, This may be ridiculed by a fort of men; but it will be a lafting honour to his me * The Shutese mory, mory, when they will be forgot, or only remumbered for their infamy. He had in deed too high an idea of the moral charafter of men; which, though an inftance of the uprighter's of his own intentions, expofed him the more to their treacherous &igns. i themes, by the happiest mixture of reason and oratory, was the admiration and delight of all that had a juft relish of them. and, I speak it from knowledge, the contemplations which filled his own mind with the highest rational pleasure, were of the Supreme Being, his moral government, particular providence, and difpenfations to mankind. We may view the picture of his mind in thefe pathetick and admi rable lines wrote to his fon and heir, whom he tenderly loved, a few weeks before his death. "But as eminent talents, virtues, and attainments, feldom fail of raifing envy, it would be very unreasonable to form a character of him from the inhuman treatment he met with from various forts of nien; particularly the unprecedented cenfure which he unjustly underwent, and mercenary fcribblers employed against him. "He will appear to every unprejudiced and difcerning perfon to have been governed by an earnest and steady love of truth, liberty, his country, and mankind, in all the different periods and circumftances of his life; which ought to be the chief objects of every man's purfuit. To there he facrificed not only his private intereft, and the flattering fecular vices; but, as is known to his intimate friends, even his constitution. "He was a perfon of unlimited chrif. tian charity to men of all perfuafions, free from every degree of fuperftition, and had the utmost abhorrence to all kinds of perfecution, as perfectly anti-chriftian: he was always zealous to ferve his friend, and ready to forgive injuries, which generous chriftian principie the worit treatment could never extinguifh: his gratitude and generofity have many witneffes among the relatives and friends of his benefactors, as well as others. "He owned no mafter but Chrift in his church and kingdom, and maintained that revealed religion did not fubvert, but at natural. For there and the like fentiments, he was calumniated by the crafty, the ignorant, the envious, and bigoted; but his patience and fortitude will be ad red by generations to come : for as no man knew better the intereft of virtue and his country, fo none, perhaps, ever had greater refolution to promote it. This was well known to thofe who have had the henour of the greatest share of power and credit in the prefent and two preceding teit. s. "The years of his retirement were spent to the nonieft pptes, the study of the facred ovacies; in which province he ned with a peculiar luie. His profound kill and faculty in handling thefe divine "The study of morality," fays he, "is the nobleft of all other; thofe eternal truths that regulate the conduct of God and man. This alone can be called the fcience of life; will inftruct us how to ac in this fcene with happiness and usefulnefs; to leave it with compofure, and he affociated in a future and better state to the beft moralifts and philofophers that ever lived; to the wifeft men, and the greatest benefactors of mankind; to confeffors and martyrs for truth and righteoufnefs; to prophets and apoftles; to cherubin and feraphim; to the Holy Spirit that fearches and knows the deep things of God; to Jefus the Mediator of the new covenant ; and to God the Judge of all, who is before all, above all, and in us all." "His first and steady view was always truth and right; and his fine genius and jult sentiments gave him that diftinguithing fhare in the esteem of the greatest and belt men this nation ever knew; which, together with his vindications of revelation, will make his name immortal. "His conjugal friendship and affection was inviolable and manly; he was a peculiarly kind and tender parent, and the principles of religion and liberty, which he took care to inftil in the minds of his chihen and fervants with a suitable addreis and fingular perfpicuity, were just and rational, worthy of God and the dignity of human nature. His ardent defiws, that they might be faved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, and the love and practice of virtue. In a word, he was a frie oberver of the laws of God and his country, a shining example of fobriety, regularity and juftice; a terror to ev doers, and a moft affiduous and able patron of afflicted virtue, and the just and natural rights of mankind; religious without enthufiafm; zealous without bigotry; learned withou pedantry.” Wharton, Sommiers, Locke, King, Cowper, Nevil, Burnet, Clark, Newton, &c. with many virtuous and shining characters that still adorn their country. Befiles Befides the works mentioned in the Bigraphia, Lord Barrington published at Utrecht, "Differtatio Philofophica In"auguratio de Theocratia Civili; quam "annuente fummo Numine, ex aucto"ritate magnifici D. Rectoris D. Her"manni Witfii S. S. Theol. Doctoris, ejufdemque in Inclytâ Academia Ul"traje&trina Profefforis Ordinarii, et Ecclefiæ ibidem Paftoris, nec non amplif"fimi Senatûs Academici Confenfu, Subtiliffimæque Facultatis Philofophica "Decreto, pro gradu Doctoratûs in Philofophia et Liberalium Artium Magif "terio, omnibufque prærogativis, hono"ribus et privilegiis rite ac legitime con"fequendis, publice propugnabit Johan"nes Shute Londino Anglus ad diem 12. "Octob. horis locoque folitis. 4to. 1697. In the London Daily Poft 25th December 1734, is the following article: In a letter from Shrivenham in Berks, it is faid of Lord Barrington, "He had not been right well fince he fell out of his chaife when at Berwick; he had fomething of a dropfy and an asthma, but was on horieback in the fields the Wednesday before he died; on Thursday he eat a very hearty dinner, and at night played at cards; about ten he was feized with a chilnefs, and had like to have been carried off with fainting fits; on Saturday morning early he died. After his death a marble monument to his memory, by Mr. Cragg of Oxford, was fet up in Shrivenham Church. To the EDITOR of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. SIR, IN looking over the papers of a deceased friend, I found the following Fragment in manufcript; and as I do not recollect to have feen it in print, I transmit it to you. If you fhall deem it worthy of infertion in the European Magazine, I shall confider myfelf amply repaid for the trouble of tranfcribing it, April 20, 1791. POSIDIPPUS, a comic Greek Poet, utters the following complaint on human life. 1. Through which of the paths of life is it eligible to pafs? In public affemblies are debates and troublefome affairs; 2. Domeftic privacies are haunted with anxieties. 3. In the country is labour 5. In a foreign land, he that has money must live in fear, he that wants it mus pine in diftrefs. 6. Are you married, you are troubled with fufpicions; 7. Are you fingle, you languifh in folitude. 8. Children occafion toil, and a childlefs life is a life of deftitution. 9. The time of youth is a time of folly; and grey hairs are loaded with infirmity. 10. This choice only, therefore, can be made, either never to receive being, or immediately to lofe it. METRODO US, a Philofopher of Athens, has fewn that life has pleasures as LETTER FROM PROFESSOR BARTELS, DESCRIBING HIS JOURNEY TO MOUNT ÆTNA. EMBRACE the first opportunity of giving you a circumftantial detail of my journey to Mount Etna. Towards noon my fellow-traveller and I left Catania, accompanied by two muleteers. A number of ruftics, returning me. rily from the town where they had been to tell their commodities, joined us. We presently got acquainted with them; they interested them. felves in our welfare, and I was never more pleased than to find how envious they were to give us the best advice refpecting the inconveniences and dangers we fhould run from want of being previoutly informed; inconveniences to which foreigners are frequently expofed, efpecially in fo arduous a journey as that to Mount Etna. They pointed out to us the best means of avoiding every difagrecable occurrence; there was even an officious difpute among them respecting the choice of a guide. They at lait agreed as to the perfon, who, for thirty tarini, would join us at Nicolofi, where the journey begins to be difficult. Thanks to the cares of these honest ruftics, we escaped a variety of dangers, and had reafon to applaud the fidelity of our guide. The commencement of the journey had been fo highly extolled to us, that I expected to find a terreftrial paradife; our difappointment was the greater as it afforded but little to pleafe us. Here and there, however, we perceived, among the terrible torrents of lava, fertile countries; on one fide, all the horrors of deftruction; on the other, all the bleffings of Heaven united. But we fought in vain for that feducing picture of abundance and riches, which had been so boasted of. This difappointment ferved in the end to increafe our joy and aftonishment, when, having advanced a few miles, we were ftruck with a moft magnificent change of fcene. Before us was the celebrated Volcano, roaring like thunder and emitting large maffes of fire; behind us, Catania, inundated by torrents of lava; and around us a fertile country, in whofe bofom the Goddefs of Plenty feemed to have delighted to fhed her horn. of fix leagues from Catania to Sancta We had no fooner quitted the walls of Catania than we entered a barren defert, and intolerable roads, where the lava had formed a kind of pavement, confiling of pieces of rocks and fuch a prodigious quantity of fmall ftones, that we were obliged to take every precaution to keep our mules from frumbling. Meanwhile it is remarkable that this barren diftrict, being a space VOL. XX. D dies |