Ne quid falfi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.

Printed by W. SANDS, A. MURRAY, and J. COCHRAN.

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can be no impropriety, but will rather make the whole more of a piece, that the preface to a volume of fuch a book as this, confift chiefly of what is taken from another's performance. The advantages arifing from works of this nature, feem to be set in a very firong and just light by the publisher of the Harleian Mifcellany, a collection of tracts and pamphlets found in the late Earl of Oxford's library. As what be fays in recommendation of bis undertaking, may with equal justice be applied to a confiderable part of ours, and we would gladly give fo very diminutive a piece, that has appeared to plead the cause of its elder brothers, a chance of being itself, for fme time, saved from deftruction, we shall make no further apology for inferting fo ach of it as fuits our prefent purpose, and is of moft general importance.

"It has been, for a long time, a very just complaint among the learned, that a multitude " of valuable productions, published in small pamphlets, or in fingle sheets, are, in a short "time, too often by accident or negligence, deftroyed and entirely loft; and that thofe authors, azboje reverence for the publick has hindered them from fwelling their works with re"petitions, or incumbering them with superfluities, and who therefore deferve the praise and "gratitude of pofterity, are forgotten, for the very reafon for which they might expect to "be remembered. It has been long lamented, that the duration of the monuments of ge"nius and fludy, as well as of wealth and power, depends in no small measure on their bulk; and that volumes, confiderable only for their fize, are handed down from one "age to another, when compendious treatifes of far greater importance are suffered to pe rib; as the compactest bodies fink into the water, while thofe, of which the extenfion "bears a greater proportion to the weight, float upon the furface.

"This obfervation bath been fo often confirmed by experience, that, in the neighbouring nation, the common appellation of small performances is derived from this unfortu nate circumftance. A flying fheet, or, A fugitive piece, are the terms by which "they are diftinguished: And diftinguished with too great propriety; as they are Jub jea, after having amused mankind for a while, to take their flight, and difappear for ever.

"What are the laffes which the learned have already fuftained, by having negleted to fix thofe fugitives in fome certain refidence, it is not easy to fay: but there is no doubt "that many valuable observations have been repeated, because they were not preferved; "and that therefore the progress of knowledge has been retarded, by the neceffity of doing "what bad been already done, but was done for those who forgot their benefactor.

"The obvious method of preventing these loffes, of preferving to every man the repu"tation be bas merited by long affiduity, is, to unite thefe fcattered pieces into volumes, "that those which are too small to preferve themselves, may be fecured by their combination awith others; to confolidate thefe atoms of learning into fyftems, to collect thefe dif "united rays, that their light and their fire may become perceptible."

We have formerly hinted at what is here more expressly infifted upon, and have not only endeavoured to enable fome small productions, by uniting them in fociety, to refift the firft affaults of time, by which they might easily have been ruined; but have ushered sthers into the world, that, without fuch a helping hand, would probably have been fifled in the birth, and never feen the light. Nay, 'tis poffible our countrymen may af· ter this reap useful inftruction, or agreeable entertainment, from works that be able to ftand alone in their own native ftrength, which yet their authors would never bave imagined themselves capable of executing, had they not been foftly allured on to

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further improvement of their genius, by the pleasure of finding their firft rude effay meet with fome measure of approbation, while in the mean time themselves flood conceal ed, and run no risk of being publickly put to the blush by cenfure.

The members of the POLITICAL CLUB, whofe fpeeches conftantly make a grea part of this collection, have fo thoroughly ftudied the fentiments and manner of the great perfonages whofe characters they have affumed, that they are justly looked upo as finished patterns of polite and nervous debate, folid and brilliant thoughts, eafy an accurate flowing language.

Among feveral particular pieces, we cannot emit pointing out the poems intitled NIGHT THOUGHTS, generally afcribed to Dr Young, and univerfally esteemed; which w have given entire in this and the preceeding volume: nor the large extracts from B Berkeley's SIRIS, or Treatife of the virtues of tar-water; which is now much use and, as we are informed, with great fuccefs. These two pieces propofe to teach a fur method of raifing, the one our intellectual, the other our animal spirits, of recoverin or confirming the health of mind and body; and we are perfuaded, it is acting agree ably to the defire of their ingenious and publick-fpirited authors, when we contribute i Spread the knowledge of them at fo eafy a rate.

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Of original papers, as manifefto's, treaties and memorials, we make it our care i thufe thofe that are most curious and important, and whose genuineness may be beft de pended upon. As to what regards the hiftorical part, we confcientiously tye ourselve down to plain facts; and the London Gazette is the chief fource of our intelligence. though other accounts are not fet afide, when they appear to be well vouched. In ou register of Marriages, Births, and Deaths, the dates are now affixed, when they ca be got notice of; when they can not, the article is placed between others whofe know dates come neareft the time at which it probably happened.

The Aill gloomy fate of affairs through Europe, feems to bode more ample matter for continued relations of fieges, engagements by fea and land, and the various methods b which mankind hurry one another to an untimely death, than we could wish. Our old war against Spain is yet upon our hands, with the addition of a very dangerous new one against France, which at the end of last year we only faw like a gathering clou at a diftance. Mean while, we have the pleasure of feeing fome more of our professe patriots at home, brought to the touchstone of power and employments in the adminiftre tion; which muft expofe counterfeits to the shame of a discovery, and render true wort unqueflionable where it is.

We chearfully embrace this returning opportunity of teflifying our gratitude to tho who have favoured us with their correfpondence or encouragement. If any one will So good as offer what he thinks may tend to correct or improve our plan, it shall b thankfully received, and meet with all the regard that, to our most impartial judgmen hall appear due from those who defire to repay the kindness of their countrymen with n thing less than every real fervice in their power.

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JANUARY,

Hammary of the fate of PUBLICK AFFAIRS at the beginning of the year 1744. OME motions of the PERSIAN army near the Cafpian fea, towards the clofe of the year 1742, put the Ruffians at firft under no fmall apprehenfions, as was evident by the miliary precautions of the latter on that fide; but their fears were foon difpelled, with affarances of peace from the Shah, and his retreat from their frontiers: fo that this proved to be only a feint, to conceal his intention of attacking the Turks, and of turning his forces towards Bagdat, Tauis and Erivan. Before his approach to the Ottoman territories, befides a defeat he fuffered from the Lefghi Tartars, his army was led a tedious journey thro' the defarts of Mungali, and arrived the be gining of May at the city Agara, three days journey from Tewris; where he reviewed his troops, faint and weary with fatigue. After a fhort refpite, they purfued their courfe to the province of Diarbeck; where, tho' they met with fome inconfiderable fuccefs, the vigorous manner they were received at the fiege of Mooful, feems to have fhocked their martial refolution, and left them doubtful, whether to liften to a treaty with the Porte, try their ability once more against Bagdat, or Babylon. It fhould however be obrved, that the chief accounts of the Shah Nadir's ill fortune come either from Conftantinople, where truth is fometimes fuppofed to be violated to keep the populacein a good temper, whofe turbulence thewife might difturb the repofe of the feraglio, or from other places attached to the Ottoman intereft; while advices from the Perfian army are replete with the celerity of its victories, and the uninterruptedness of their prince's fuccefs.

On the other hand, the TURKS have at been wanting in their preparations to opple the enemy, and preferve Bagdat and Trebifond, both which were in an in

VOL. VI.

1744.

different ftate of defence. To effect this. fix men of war were ordered up the Black fea, and the provifion-veffels haftened to Trebifond; the troops on the fide of Erzerum being likewife daily reinforced. Befides thefe cautionary steps, the Porte has got a young prince, to oppofe the Perfian monarch's right to the throne, who is gi ven out to be either the late Shah's fon or nephew, but is believed to be neither. He has had great honours paid him, and is fupported by a good body of troops, with whom it is propofed to bring about a defection or divifion among the people of Perfia. The depofal of a Grand Vizier might be mentioned among the remarkable occurrences in the Turkish capital, but that fuch a turn of fortune is grown perfectly common, thro' the intrigues of great men, the capricious influence of the Janifaries, and the fluctuating difpofition of the Muffulmen on the appearance of any bad afpect on the face of their affairs.

RUSSIA is ftrengthened against any attack that may be made from Perfia, by the fubmiffion of the Daghestan Tartars, a numerous and powerful people, and who are even capable (if any hoftile occafion fhould make it neceffary) to give the Shah work enough in defending his own poffeffions: fo that the dread which was entertained of that prince's defigns upon the Mufcovite frontiers, appeared hence to be as groundless, as himself fhewed them to be in his pacifick declarations and measures.

The Czarina has reftored a folid and

honourable peace to her fubjects, by procuring a happy conclufion of her differences with Sweden; and increased her own glory, by providing a fucceffor to that crown, fo nearly allied to herself in blood and intereft, as the Bishop of Lubeck. Notwithstanding the returns of loyalty and affection that might be expect ed from her people, a conípiracy againit the generous administration of her Imperial Majefty has been lately difcovered,

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