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which was his dictionary) to his ne phew: That he brought up his filter's fon Philips, who lives near the Maypole in the Strand. She has a great many letters by her from learned men of his acquaintance, both of England and beyond fea.

"M. Theodore Haake, R. S. S. hath tranflated half his Paradife Loft into High Dutch, in fuch blank verfe as is very well liked by Germanus Fabricius, profeffor at Heidelburgh, who fent Mr Haake` a letter upon his tranflation, in which he fays, "Incredibile

AN ACCOUNT OF THE AS this gentleman has always been confidered as a leading character in France, whatever party have held the reins, an account of him will, we truft, be an acceptable article.

EMANUEL JOSEPH SIEYES was born at Frejus, in the department of Var, the 3d of May 1748. He was the 5th child of his parents, who had

two more after him. His firft ftudies commenced in the houfe of his father, under a preceptor; who, at the fame time, took his pupil to the College of the Jefuits, to receive public leffons with the other children of the town. The Jefuits took notice of this fcholar. They propofed to his father to fend him to their great feminary at Lyons, one of the beft eftablishments for educa tion they had in France. It was at the time of the commencement of that quarrel, which, in its confequences, produced the abolition of that fociety. The father of Sieyes refifted the advice of the reverend fathers, and the bifhop of the place, who joined them. He fent his fon to finish his claffes at the College des Doctrinaires, at Draguignan, a town of fome note in, the fame department.

eft quantum nos omnes affecerit gravitas ftyli & copi a beatiffimorum erborum."

"In the third book of Paradife Loft there are about fix verses of Satan's exclamation to the Sun, which E. Ph.. remembers about 15 or 16 years before his poem was thought of, which were intended for the beginning of a Tragædie which he had defigned, but was diverted from it by other bufineffe.” From Aubrey's MS. in the Afbmolean Mufeum at Oxford.

Sieyes faw the greater number of his companions leave the college, to enter into the schools of artillery or military engineering. He longed to follow the fame courfe, and wrote to his parents with all the ardour of youthful paffion.

LIFE OF ABBE SIEYES.
In anfwer he was recalled home: he was
deftined to the ecclefiaftic ftate. The
bifhop of Frejus had feduced his father
with the promife of fpeedy advancement.
This induced him to confider the weak
ftate of health of the boy, which feemed
to justify the project. Young Sieyes
was fent to Paris, to the feminary of
St Sulpice, to go through the courfes
of philofophy and theology.

He was then in his fourteenth year;
but in a fituation fo contrary to his na-
tural difpofition, it is not extraordinary
that he should have contracted a fort of
favage melancholy, accompanied with
the moft ftoic indifference as to his per-
fon and his future fituation.
He was
deftined to bid farewell to happiness ;
he was out of nature; the love of tedy
only could charm him. His attention
became ftrongly directed to books and
the fciences. In this manner paffed,
without interruption, ten years of his
life, till the expiration of what, in the
Sorbonne, is called the courfe of fcience.

During this long interval, he had not attended to the theological and pretendcd philofophical fludies of the univerfity of Paris, more than was neceffary to pafs the ordinary examinations and thefes. Urged by his difpofition, or perhaps in compliance with the mere want of entertainment to fill his time, he ran through, without diftinction or regularity, every department of literature, ftudied the mathematics and na

ual

initiate himself into the arts, particularly mafic. An involuntary inclination, nevertheless, led him to meditation. He was much attached to works of metapics and morality; and has often fad, that no books had ever afforded him more lively fatisfaction than those of Locke, Condillac, and Bonnet. In them he faw men having the fame intereft, the fame inftinct, and bufied upon one common object.

tural philofophy, and endeavoured to thedral. A fhort time after taking poffeffion of his canonicate, he was at liberty to return to Paris. He was indebted for this to one of the titles or brevets given at Versailles, by virtue of which, the revenues of his benefice could be received at Paris. An opportunity presented of changing his fituation. He became fucceffively vicar general, canon, and chancellor of the church of Chartres. In the midst of thefe mutations there is nothing worthy of remark, except his extreme care to avoid interfering in any ministerial duty. He never preached; he never took confeffion; he avoided all the functions, and all the occafions which might hold him forward manifeftly as a clergy

His fuperiors had, according to their cfton, infpected his reading and his writings. They had found among his pipers fome fcientific projects of confiderable novelty. They configned in their regifter the following note: "Sieyes fhews a difpofition of some ftrength for the fciences; but it is to be feared, that his private reading may give him a tafte for the new philofophical principles." They comforted themfelves, however, by obferving his decided love of retirement and ftudy, the fimplicity of his manners and his character, which even then appeared to be practically philofophical. "You may make him," they once wrote to his bihop, 66 a canon, as he is a gentleman, and a man of information. But we muft acvife you, that he is by no means fit for the ecclefiaftical miniftry."

Sieyes, having finifhed his licence in the Sorbonne, neglected the formality c: the coctor's bonnet, and entered the world at the age of twenty-four.

Part of the year 1773 and 1774 was employed in cultivating mufic, then at the period of a revolution in Paris, and partly in refuting the fyftem of the Ecomitts. He made, or fuppofed he Fad made, in those years, important refearches concerning the irregular proceedings of the human mind, in philoSophy, metaphyfics, language, and intelectual methods.

He departed in 1775 for Brittany, with a bishop who was going to be intalled; and who, in order to carry Sieyes with him, had procured him the Brevet de joyeux avenement on his caVOL. LVIII.

man.

At that time the clergy of France was divided into two kinds or claffes of individuals: the ecclefiaftics preachers, and the ecclefiaftics adminiftrators. Sieyes was, at moft, of the fecond clafs. He was deputy to the States of Bretagne, for the diocefe where he had his firft benefice; and on this occafion we may remark, that nothing could equal the indignation he brought from this affembly, against the fhameful oppreffion in which the nobleffe held the unhappy third state of the people.

At that time he had a permanent administrative employment at Paris. He was counfellor commiffary, nominated by the diocefe of Chartres to the fuperior chamber of the clergy of France.

When the Provincial Affembly of Orleans was formed, Sieyes had fome reputation for his administrative knowledge. He was nominated a member, not by the advice of the minifter, but of thofe already elected. He gave proofs of fome capacity for bufinefs, and a patriotic difpofition: fo that he was ftrongly invited by the affembly to take the prefidency of the intermediary commiffion. He performed the functions for a short time.

On the day when the chambers were exiled to Troyes, Sieyes gave the advice to go inftantly to the palace, to arᏃ

reft

reft and hang the minifter who figned orders evidently arbitrary, illegal, and profcribed by the people. But his advice did not prevail.

It was during his leifure in the country, where he was in the habit of paffing two-thirds of the year, that he compofed, in the fummer of 1788, towards the end of the miniftry of Cardinal Lomenie, his Vues fur les Moyenes d' Exécution, dont les Repréfentans de la France pourront difpofer, in 1789, (Views of the Executive Means which are at the Difpofal of the Reprefentatives of France, in 1789.) with this infcription, calculated to fhew his intention: "We may elevate our defires to the extent of our rights; but our projects must be measured by our means." This pamphlet was delivered to the printer, and was advancing towards publication, when, on his return to Paris, he thought fit to fufpend its appearance. The political queftions which interefted and employed the minds of all France, feemed already to have changed its nature; it was forced to yield to the modifications which the pretenfions of the different claffes had urged. It was no longer the whole nation, defirous of afferting its rights against the abfolute power of royalty; it was the nobility, ever ready to form combinations; who, taking advantage of the re-union and difpleasure of the notables, had no other aim than that of urging their own interefts against thofe of the people, with the hope, likewife, of caufing the minifter to confirm their account, as well as their new pretenfions, fimply by put ting him in fear. This was the circumftance which led Sieyes to write his Effai fur les Privileges, (Effay on Privileges,) and immediately afterwards, his work entitled, Qu'est-ce que le Tiers Etat, (What is this Third Eftate?) It is eafy, by comparing these two publications with the former, to fhew how different, though not oppofite, their fpirit is to that in which he traced his Vues fur les Moyenes d' Exécution. Thefe three pamphlets appeared immediately

following each other, at the end of 1788, and the beginning of 1789.

The Tiers-Etat of Paris, which the minifters had thought fit to convene very late, had to nominate twenty deputics to the States General. It was agreed by the clectoral affembly, that neither a noble nor a priest should be elegible. After the nineteenth fcrutiny, the vote of exclufion was refcinded, and the majority of votes, at the laft ballot, were in favour of the author of Qu'est-ce que le Tiers?

The States General were affembled, and feveral weeks were confumed in vain difputes refpecting the verification of the powers. The public, all France, expected, with impatience, the first efforts of the reprefentatives of the people. Sieyes dared to cut the cable which still confined the vessel near the shore.

He thought it became him to endeavour to put in practice the principles which had made him known, and procured him the truft he poffeffed; opinions which became every day more decidedly thofe of the people at large. No man has more openly and decidedly fhewn his manner of thinking, and the principles of his conduct. He fpoke with fuccefs to the National Affembly, on the Icth, 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th, and 23d of June. But cur prefent intention is not to give a detail of fuch objects as come under the province of hiftory.

We may diftinguish the political career of Sieyes into three intervals from the opening of the States General to that of the Convertion. The firft dates from the day wherein he uttered these words :-"They wifh to be free; but they know not how to be juft."

Thefe words efcaped him-and they were received by the ear of paffion. Hatred and the fpirit of faction was earnestly difpofed to preferve them: and falfehood added its commentaries. Under their united efforts, that which was improperly called his influence, difappeared. In the fufpicions exhibited around him, he obferved the work of

Са

calumay. His determination was foon occupied the Affembly, though it is proper to fay, if for no other purpose than that of accuracy, that none of his plans were adopted without mutilation, and a mixture of other matter, more or lefs foreign to the object. A part of his projects and memoirs has remained behind, if it be not loft, among the papers of the committees, and by himfelf they are fcarcely ever remembered.

made; to neglect the remarks of folly; to profit by this mistrust, by diminishing his labours; to appear feldom in the tribune, for which, in other refpects, he found himself little fuited; but he continued to work ufefully in the committees, and the more fo, as he did not there meet with a kind of obftacle he found it impoffible to combat ; namely, that of treachery, applauded and fupported by thofe very men who have the greatest intereft in unmasking it.

In this manner he bore a more or lefs confiderable fhare in the great labours and important questions which

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TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 116.

IN addition to what was faid in The following is the progreffive inour laft number, a correfpondent has creafe of Edinburgh, at the annexed favoured us with the following particulers refpecting the population of Edinburgh:

"FROM a furvey made from house to houfe in 1791, with the utmost exactnefs, the number of families were found to be 18,654, and the number of inhabitants 84,886, including the whole of the parish of St Cuthbert, the caftle and hofpitals, which is nearly 4 to a family. So that both Mr Maitland and Mr Arnot are greatly above the truth: Dr Price calculates the number of each family in Edinburgh only at 4t which is not far wrong. Of 12 country parishes, taken at random from the Statistical Account of Scotland, fome of them in manufacturing counies, 4 was found to be the average number of each family.

From the above furvey, in 1791, the number of a family, in the nine parishes within the Old City, was found to

be

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41

5

32

containing 32,947 perfons 515 5%

periods:

In 1747

45,320

1755

57,220

1775

1791

69,039 -84,886 So that in 50 years this city has almost doubled the number of its inhabitants."

We do not confidèr it neceffary to ftate particularly the revenue and expenditure of the city of Edinburgh. The proper revenue of the city confifts partly of the duties or taxations exigible by the town council; fuch as the impoft on wines; the fhore-dues at Leith; the duties collected at the poultry, fish, meal, and other markets; the annuity, or minifters ftipend; partly of their landed property, fuch as Leith and Bruntsfield Links, Calton-hill, and Meadows, houfes and fhops in Edinburgh and Leith; partly of their feuduties, as thofe on the mills of the Wa ter of Leith, of the houfes in the New Town, &c.; partly of what is paid for private water pipes. The proper revenue of the city confifts of these, and many other articles. Its grofs produce (not reckoning here the appropriated revenue) is at prefent about L. 10,000 Sterling yearly, and a gradual increase of it may be expected.

2.2

What

What may be mentioned as the curiofities to be attended to, are the College library and mufeum: the Advocates' library, where, befides the extenfive collection of books of upwards of 30,000 volumes, exclufive of manufcripts, already noticed, is to be feen an entire mummy in its original cheft. This was purchased by the late Earl of Morton, Lord Register of Scotland, at L. 300 Sterling, and was by him prefented to the Faculty. They are alfo poffeffed of a fine collection of coins and medals to the number of between 3 and 4000. Thefe are partly Greek, Roman, Saxon, Scottish, and English. Mr Weir's museum is alfo worthy of attention. His collection of birds and animals is extenfive, and in excellent prefervation. He confiders himself as the first who has brought the art of preferving fishes to perfection. Here are alfo to be feen feveral good fpecimens of petrifactions, fhells, and minerals. The antiquarian fociety are alfo poffeffed of a fine collection of coins, and many curious relicts of antiquity.

The buildings occupied by the Antiquarian Society, and Weir's museum, were formerly private houfes. Our plan does not admit of a particular defcription of the buildings, occupied by different focieties, though feveral of thefe are remarkable for elegance and beauty; fuch as the Phyficians' hall, after a defign of the late Mr James Craig, founded in November 1775; and the Excife-office, formerly the refidence of Sir Laurence Dundas.

In a capital, like Edinburgh, which is making rapid improvement, and in a country where trade, agriculture, and commerce are fo much on the increase, the manners of the people cannot be stationary, nor their style of living long the fame. The higher ranks fpend, now and then, a portion of their time in London, and fall into the fashion of that metropolis. As the inferior ranks always copy the manners of their fuperiors, thefe are gradually communicated from one circle to another, till a

change is produced in the whole community; wealth affording the means, luxury creeps in apace.

We hope to be excused for contrasting our short account of the present manners, with that given by an Englishman who vifited Edinburgh in 1598, as quoted by Mr Arnot.

66

Myfelf," fays he, "was at a knight's houfe*, who had many fervants to attend him, that. brought in his meat, with their heads covered with blue caps, the table being more than half furnished with great platters of porridge, each having a little piece of sodden meat; and, when the table was ferved, the fervants fat down with us; but the upper mefs, instead of porridge, had a pullet, with fome prunes in the broth. And I observed no art of cookery, or furniture of houfhold-stuff, but rather rude neglect of both, though myself and my companions, fent fromthe governor of Berwick, about bordering affairs, were entertained after their best manner. The Scots, living then in factions, used to keep many followers, and fo confumed their revenue of victuals, living in fome want of money. They vulgarly eat hearth cakes of oats, but, in cities, have also wheaten bread, which, for the most part, was bought by courtiers, gentlemen, and the best fort of citizens.

"They drink pure wines, not with fugar as the English; yet, at feasts, they put comfits in the wines, after the French manner; but they had not our vintners fraud to mix their wines. I did never fee nor hear, that they have any public inns with figns hanging out; but the better fort of citizens brew ale, their ufual drink, (which will diftemper a ftranger's body); and the fame citizens will entertain paffengers upon acquaintance or intreaty. Their bed-steads were then like cupboards in the wall, with doors to be opened and shut at pleasure, fo as we climbed up to our beds. They used but one fheet, open at the fides

* Morifon' itinerary, part 3. b. 3. c. 4.

and

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