"R. Rhabbarrbarri pulverizz. gr. xxx. Capp. mannee inn quovviss vehhicculloo." But, I fuppofe, Mr. Malone will fay, that because rhubarb and ginger is a common compofition now, it must be an anachronifm. Sir, he might as well call it a rheumatifm. In this manner, Mr. Baldwin, will all his objections be removed; and I think it peculiarly fortunate for all true believers (of which number you may perceive I am one), that he has ftated his objections fo early as to give fufficient time for the great author of our new religion to provide antidotes. Mr. Malone was too precipitate. The trunk is but opened, and he thinks he fees to the bottom already; but let him be content with what he has done; let him wait patiently, and let us, true believers, fay, with our everlafting Bard, "Thus bad begins, but worse remains behind.” I am, Sir, yours, ONE OF THE FAITHFUL *. EXAMPLE OF FOUL LANGUAGE, IN ALLUSION ΤΟ THE CONDUCT OF MODERN POLITICIANS. SIR, OUR [From the Morning Chronicle.] JR rulers and thofe of France having adopted the manner in which our Billingfgate dames ufually decide their difputes, it is not unfair to conclude that the gentlemen have fimilar feelings with the ladies, and will equally enjoy a triumph at their own weapons. The following little anecdote will furnish the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a firatagem, which can It is almost unneceffary to point out to the readers of this collection, that this letter, and feveral of the foregoing articles, are meant to ridicule the curious manuscripts, which that worthy man, Mr. Samuel Ireland, attributed to Shakespear. not not fail to fecure him the victory, and filence his adverfary: In the fishing-town of Johnshaven, in Scotland, I witneffed a conteft between two Ladies of the Basket, which, for fome fifteen or twenty minutes, was conducted on toto fides with a virulence of invective, and an exuberance of epithet, that his hardly yet been equalled by their dignified imitators: at length, however, one of the ladies, finding herfeif fairly outrailed by her foul-tongued antagonist, but unwilling to quit the field, laid her arms acrofs, affumed a placid fmile, and, to every foul epithet, returned an humble courtesy; her fuccefs was complete; for her yet enraged adverfary, deprived of the fuel that fed her fire, and her gall still unexhaufted, came up to her very nofe, ftuck her arms a-kimbo, and foaming with wrath, exclaimed, "Speak, fpeak, ye b, or Ifhall burst ! ! !" Let our rulers go, and do likewife. MELANCHOLY EFFECTS OF A GENERAL ELECTION. [From the St. James's Chronicle.] MR. BALDWIN, THOSE who are advocates for fhorter Parliaments than the period of feven years, would do well to confider the many bad confequences which a general election is attended with; and then reflect how much better it is that thefe confequences fhould return once in feven years, rather than oftener. A man who is troubled with the gout thinks but little of it, if it returns only once a year; indeed he confiders that as a periodical difcharge, or receipt in full, for all errors in eating and drinking; but what his fituation would be, if the fit were to return once a week, or even once a month, I leave you, Sir, to judge! But to come to the point. Among the other melancholy effects of a General Election, I obferve, that fun dry dry very worthy gentlemen have totally and almost fuddenly loft their fight, to fuch a degree, Sir, that they don't know their "dearest friends," when they meet them in the streets. This is furely a very great calamity; but it is attended with a symptom not often defcribed in medical writings; namely, a preternatural adhesion of the infide of the hat to the outside of the caput, or head; fo that it will fearce move to return the politeft bow; whereas, a few weeks ago, it went off with the flighteft touch, like the patent piftols. This diforder, Sir, has occafioned no fmall confufion; fome have caught the heartburn from it, and others are worked up to a degree of frenzy, for which I am afraid there will be no cure thefe Jeven years. Befides bodily diforders, fome that more particularly affect the mind have become very prevalent. I know many of the moft polite gentlemen, who, a very few weeks, or even days ago, were perfect patterns of grace and affability, on a fudden become rude, diftant, and forbidding. They have no more manners than a coffeehouse waiter the week after Chriftmas, and take no more care than a watchman who has received his annual douceur. Even inanimate things feem to partake of the fame changes: doors that ufed to fly open, as if by magic, now remain obftinately fhut, or creak upon their hinges, with a moft difcouraging found the confequence of which has been, that many, who do not choofe to call again, have caught fatal colds in their heels, by waiting in gloomy antechambers, and fione-paved halls. ; But the worft mental diforder of all, and which I think must be of great detriment to the unhappy patients, is a total lots of memory, to fuch a degree, that they cannot poffibly recollect to-day the promises they made yesterday and even though reminded ever fo often, they have not the most diftant idea of thofe declarations and engagements, which they feemed to make with the greatest carneftnefs. It would be fuperfluous to to state the ill confequences which muft arife from this fymptom; I fhall only add, that, when joined to the blindness above mentioned, the patients appear to be fo very bad, that nobody can know them for the fame men, nor hold converfation with them as they used to do. They afford, indeed, a melancholy illuftration of the two myftical words BEFORE and AFTER; which, in politics, as well as matrimony, are placed at an immenfe diftance. I am, Sir, yours, A CITY PHYSICIAN. P. S. As there is no evil without fome mixture of good, I think it my duty to add, that one or two of my patients, who, a few weeks ago, were fo addicted to booing, as to appear crooked, have recovered the perpendicularity of their figures, by a single dose of a medicine called a return. SIR, THE DREADFUL ALARM*. ON my return from a peaceable corner in the weft of England, I found the metropolis convulfed by the alarm of a dreadful and horrible plot against the conftitution and government. Shocked beyond measure by fuch exifting circumstances, you may fuppofe I was very anxious to get at the bottom of this bufinefs; but as my arrival happened to take place late in the evening, I was obliged to content myfelf with the information that my family could afford, and which was fo fcanty, as to increase my fears, without fatisfying my curiofity. After a long fleep, provoked by a hard and long ride, but interrupted by fuch frightful dreams as are incident to epileptic ftatefmen and hyfteric politicians, I fet out after breakfaft, fully determined to inveftigate this matter, and act accordingly. C Conceiving, from a geographical, or rather topo This letter appeared foon after the alarm in 1792-3, which served as an introduction to the present just and necessary war, 2 graphical graphical principle, that the city, on account of its clofe and confined fituation, the narrowness of the streets below, and the denfity of the fmoke above, must be the proper place for an undifcovered plot, I repaired thither with all poffible fpeed, and went first to the Bank. "But why firft to the Bank?" you will fay. I will tell you, Sir. The Bank, I humbly prefumed, if not the feat of a plot (which we know it is not, because no bufinefs is tranfacted there fecretly), might, with great probability of advantage, be the object of one. Meeting, therefore, my broker, Sam Scrip, I took him afide into a corner (for, between ourfelves, I do not think that plots are matters to be talked of in public)—" Well, Sam, have you heard of this plot?" "Yes, and a hellish bufinefs it is." "But what are the particulars? for I have been in the country for fome weeks." "Why, the particulars, as far as I know yet, are, that Bob Hopkins and Bill Dafhit, who always did a power of bufinefs here, have refufed to pay, or give up their principals; and Bob fays" "But, Sam, what is all this to the purpose? The plot I mean is fomething against Government." "I don't know of any fuch matter.-(Door-keeper calls, Sum Scrip is wanted.') Good morning; if you mean to do any thing, I'll be with you in half an hour." Paffing from my friend Sam, whofe ignorance I deplored, I went into the 'Change, and finding an old friend feated on one of the benches, with what Foote calls "a lovely dejection of fpirits," I endeavoured to found him. "So, my old friend, here have been fine doings among you. How are things now?" "Why, Mr. Medium (for that, Sir, is my name), only fo fo; I don't believe I fhall ever get him out." "Get him out! Get who out?" VOL. I L .. Why, |