SIR JAMES HARRIS, LORD MALMSBURY. THIS accomplished Nobleman, on find him, in the year 1772, Envoy Exwhofe ability the Nation at this time traordinary at the Court of Berlin; and repofes its interefts in the most important about the fame period, he was chofen Negotiation ever carried on, and whofe Member for Chrift Church, Hampshire, conduct on former occafions affords ex- along with his father. In 1779, he had pectation of a fatisfactory conclufion, is the honour of Knighthood of the Bath the fon of James Harris, Efq. * of conferred on him, and foon after was Salisbury (a Gentleman whole merit in appointed Envoy Extraordinary to the the literary world was not inferior to that Court of Ruffia. After refiding there of the Nobleman now under our con- fome years, he was appointed Minister at fideration in the political) by Elizabeth, the Hague, and was there during the daughter of John Clarke, Efq. He was memorable commotion in 1787, where born April 20, 1746, and early was his conduct was fo acceptable to his deftined to the diplomatic employment, Pruffian Majefty and the Stadtholder of in which he has been the greateft part of the United Provinces, that they jointly his life fuccefsfully engaged. After granted to him the additional bearings paffing through the fubordinate fituation in his arms, as marks of their high apof Secretary at more than one Court, we probation of his abilities and fervices * James Harris, Efq. was the son of a Gentleman of the fame names by Elizabeth, daughter of the fecond, and fifter of the third, Earl of Shaftesbury, Author of the Cha racteristicks. He was born in the Clofe of Sarum in 1708, and educated under the Rev. Mr. Hill, Master of the Public Grammar School there. From thence he went, in 1726, to Wadham College in Oxford, but left it without a degree. It does not appear that he took any active part in public life until the year 1763, when he was appointed to a feat at the Admiralty Board, which on the 16th of April he exchanged for a place on the Treasury Bench. On the 12th of July 1765, he was removed from that poft; but in 1774 accepted the office of Secretary and Comptroller to the Queen, in poffeffion of which he remained until the time of his death. He was F. R. S. Trustee of the British Museum, and Member for Christ Church Hants, which he represented in feveral Parliaments. He died the 21ft of December 1780. He was the Author of it. THREE TREATISES; (1) Concerning Art; (2) Concerning Mufic, Painting, and Poetry; (3) Concerning Happiness; 8vo. 1745. 2d, HERMES; or, A Philofophical Inquiry concerning Universal Grammar, 8vo. 1751. 3d. PHILOSOPHICAL ARRANGEMENTS, 8vo. 1775. 4th. PHILOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 2 vols. 8vo. 1781. 5th. CONCORD; a Poem to Lord Radnor, 4to. 1751; also printed in The Poetical Calendar, Vol. xii. p. 53. 6th. SPRING, a Paftoral, acted at Drury Lane, 4to. 1762. Of HERMES, Bishop Lowth, in his Introduction to the English Grammar, fpeaks in the following terms: "Those who would enter more deeply into this subject will find it fully and accurately handled, with the greatest acuteness of investigation, perfpicuity of explication, and elegance of method in a Treatife entitled 'Hermes,' by James Harris, Efq. the most beautiful and perfect example of analysis that has been exhibited since the days of Ariftotle." M 2 don done thofe States. Thefe were bearing The Revolution in France, and the aggression of the Powers which govern there, having involved Great Britain in a war which had been carried on with much violence, it became the wifh of the Government and people of this country to endeavour to ftop the effufion of blood, and reftore peace to the world. Accordingly Lord Malmbury was appointed to go to Paris, where he was unwillingly received, and treated with much hauteur and coldrefs. The proceedings of this embaffy have been fo lately prefented to the public, that we fhall only obferve, that no difpofition appeared in the enemy to accept any reasonable terms. Without propofing any thing themselves they rejected the offers of their adverfaries in a manner that could not be juftified even to an enemy at their feet, and the Amballador was commanded, with Republican infolence, to quit their country. To the conduct of Lord Malmbury, every praise is due; it was manly, firm, and proper: in fhort, the reverfe of thofe with whom he had to negotiate. cefsfully carried on, cannot be long Lord Malmbury, on the 28th of July 1777, married Harriet Mary, daughter of Sir George Amyand, Bart. by a fifter of Sir George Cornwall, Bart. by whom But war is a ftate which, however fuc- he has feveral children. (THE MARRIAGE OF THE RAJAH's DAUGHTER. THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE COAST OF MALABAR, DATED DEC. 5, 1795.) ઠંડ ON the 16th of last month I went to Mauncherry, to be prefent at the marriage of the Rajah's daughter to the fon of the Peypenard Rajah: I had a Havildar's party with me. About two miles from Mauncherry, at the intreaty of a Bramin and feme Nairs, who accompanied us, we halted under a large Banyan tree. In a little while a principal Nair, with fifty or fixty followers, furrounded the tree, and commenced a firing, which continued, as faft as they could load, for fome minutes: certain circumitances made me defire them to defift, but without effect; and they only ftopped when their ammunition failed. 3 I The Poliers, Poliers, in the mean time, urged their demands in fhort abrupt fentences, uttered roughly and not in a pleafing lirain, which made me at firit imagine they were abuting us; a privilege or indulgence allowed to mendicants in many parts of India. I was however mistaken, and my interpreter informed me, they were asking our charity in the ufual ftile of humility. When the Nairs perceived me interested for thefe miferable objects, they procured fome plantains and pieces of old aags, which they left on a particular ipot, calling out to them to oblerve the place, and depart in peace. They rejected this advice, and infifted that they ought to receive fanams from the red Rajah on horseback, meaning myfelf. They followed us clamoroully during the reft of the journey, and at night took poft in the fields adjacent to the Rajah's houfe, when they perfevered in their importunities. On ap or twelve large tom toms: proaching us the noise ceased, but this was only until they had completed their manoeuvre: they quickly lurrounded our party; the tom toms truck up afreth, and the mulquetry was discharged as before. Having finished, they requested my permiflion for the Sepoys to fire, which would make the Rajah, they faid, think we had a cannon, as our pieces all went off together; a thing they could never contrive. Being anfwered that we never ufed our ammunition in this manner, they nevertheless continued to urge their requeft; and imagining, I believe, that we refused them from an unbecoming economy, they offered to replace whatever we expended; nor, in fine, did they ceafe their importunities till the Havildar luckily told them, it was contrary to our cuftoms. After this they not only defifted, but feemed to applaud our obstinate adherence to cuftom. In a fhort time the Rajah, with fome Bramins, and a crowd of attendants, appeared. The falutations, the firings, and the tom toms were repeated, and we walked to the Rajah's houfe, which was clole by, myfelf leading the proceffion, as the Rajah infifted on walking behind me. "This unfortunate tribe have their refidence amongst the hills or jungles, where they live in nefts on trees, or in dens like wild beafts, to which they are a common prey. They are not fuffered to enter a village, or even to approach an inhabitant nearer than fifty or fixty yards; for this reafon, they are obliged to look round on all fides with circumfpection, and on the appearance of a man or a woman, especially if a Nair, they fly with speed to their proper distance. They build no houfes, and wear no clothes, except a ftring or a rag about the middle, and they have no occupations whatever. Perhaps there exifts in no other country an order of men fo totally deprived of the benefits of fociety; and it is not eafy to conceive how one part could have fo completely fucceeded in degrading the other, efpecially as from this fyltem of flavery they derive no advantage. It is in vain to expect information from the natives concerning this original inftitution; but as thefe out-cafts fpeak the language of the other inhabitants, their origin probably is not very ancient. The Poliers are not numerous, as their way of life is not favourable to population, and the tigers are faid to kill a great many of them. "Proceeding forwards, we reached another grove of trees, from whence we had a view of Mauncherry Pagoda, fituated on a hill, at the bottom of which is the Rajah's houfe: here we were again requested to stop, as the Rajah was ad vancing to meet us; and in a few minutes a cavalcade of three hundred armed men appeared, fhouting and beating ten "On the morning of the 17th, the celebration of the marriage took place: the bridegroom appeared about eighteen years of age, and the future wife between fix and feven. The following parts of this ceremony I had an opportunity of obferving: The Rajah, with feveral neighbouring Rajahs, or their deputies, and all his own family, a little after the fun rofe, went in proceffion to the Pagoda; the intended husband alfo attended, but the bride remained at home About two hours were spent here in praying, or. religious ceremonies, which I could not witnefs; but being at last admitted to the threshold of the door, a Bramin tock three measures fucceffively of rice, and poured them on the old Rajah's head, and three in the fame manner over that of the young man. This fign of plenty and generation was followed by a petition, or bleffing, in behalf of the parties. Thus ended this ceremony, and I ef. corted the Rajah home, accompanied by two thousand Moplas and Nairs, who capered and fired all the way. The fear of a difpute between thefe hoftile tribes was, indeed, the occafion of my attendance. The young man did not return to the Rajah's houfe, but retired to that of his mother-in-law, which was at á little diftance. The Rajah and the Bramins |