t-/vionM/?ruyriJ-e^Jne/4<x/e/ <^W(A 6'to-7-)-v£r,tsn.e,/y louden,Ftil 'llrlutby G.Cturtlwni.BrUisKT,ibmiy-Sti*uid.I>iX?3i. 1737. THE SCIENTIFIC MAGAZINE, AND FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY : FOR DECEMBER , 17S7. - ..-^-J/ ^/ii/AO./ rtrK ^VV«\HvVW» ^.>., , _ ~i«^v,x^\\^^^^^y2>rS^^/^^?^^.^- EMBELLISHED WITH AN ENGRAVED REPRESENTATION OF THE ' ' MONUMENT OF THE REV. W. ROM AINE. CONTENTS. Page Page Memoir pf Mr. Romaine, - 35s On a faded Rose in the bosom of Miss Of Prince Henry of Prussia, - 361 S-aB-r, - - it. Life of Edmund Burke 62 The Amicable Brothers, ib. , . -3¦ - - Life of David Garrick, . - - . 365 To'a Long Shawl, . - - - 397 On the Infelicities of the Learned, 300 Epitaph on a Freemason, - il>. Biographical Notice of Joseph Jackson, 370 on a Musician, - - il> . Singular account of Charlotte Clarke, ib. La Sainte Guillotine, - - 39S Anecdotes, - - - 37- The Invasion, - - - . j'6. Comparison between the A ncients and Moderns in Science and Litera- PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. ture, - - - - 373 Influence of Government on the men- The Chimney Corner, - - 399 Tri p to the Nore - - - i t>. tal Faculties, • - - 37 i , Burke on the' English Sty le of Writ- fhe Castle Spectre, - - 400 ing- - 80 An Escape into Prison, - - 16. , - - - 3 - - il> On Family Government, - 3S1 Falsi Impressions, . FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. The Round Tower, - 4^2 ib. Dr. Ashe's Masonic Discourse, 3S2 New Performers, - - Masonic Intelligence, - - 385 PARLIAMENTARYPROCEEDINGS. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. the Debates in the last Embassy to China, continued , 38 Conclusion of 9 Session - - Col. Dirom's Plan of Defence, 393 , 4-J Wilberforce on the Prevailing Reli- Commencement of thepresent Session, including the Debates on, and S CALE gious System of Christians, - 391 of ASSKSM EST of' The Tin PLU AS- Canterbury Tales, - - 392 ' Bidlake's Country Parson, - ib . SESSED B ILL ,' - - - 4C9 Southey 's Letters, - - 39. MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Cumberland's False Impressions ib. , ' Stockdale'slnvincib/e Island, - ib. Important Slate Papers, - - 42; po£TJtr. Foreign Intelli gence, - - 455 The Norfolk Turnippe, - - 39s Obituary , - •» 434 Sonnet to Liberty, - - ib. List of Bankrupts, - - 435 ¦ LONDON._ _ PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GEORGE CAWTKORN , BRITISH LIBRARY, NO. I32 . STRAND -, AN'U SOL!) KY H. D. SVMONDS , I'.-VTEBSOSTJill-iSOlV , AND ALL HIE BOOKSELLERS IN TOWS AND CCCSTHY , TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. THE next time Alexis attempts to write poetry, it may not be improper in. him to pay some small attention lo rhyme and reason . The .sentiments of ' A Constant Reader '' are as good, as his mode of ex- pressing them is ungraceful. Does ' Eugene'' mean to be witty ? Will N. F. have the goodness to inform us whether his piece is prose, or verse ? We are unable to discover. The brevity of the * Essay on Generosity' is its only merit, . This Magazine may now be had Complete in NINE VOLUMES , bound according to the taste of the Purchaser. A very few complete Sets remain on hand ; so that an earl y application is recommended to such Persons (Brethren or others ) as desire to possess themselves of the most elegant and entertaining Miscellany hitherto published under the denomination of Magazine. SuBscniEEns may have their Volumes bound by sending them to the BritishLibrary, No. 133^ Strand. PRICES OF BINDING PER VOLUME. s. 1. Half-bound , Russia back i a Calf, lettere d - - 30 Ditto, gilt - - - • - ' 3 6 . Extra, with Masonic Embellishments 4 6 THE SCIENTIFIC MAGAZINE, AND — FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY, FOR DECEMBER, 1797. MEMOIR OP THE REV. WILLIAM ROMAINE, A. M. WITH AN ENGRAVING OF HIS MONUMENT. HPHIS eminent and highly popular divine was bora at Hartlepool, •"¦ in Durham, September 25, 1714. His father was a refugee, one of the vi&ims of the ediS: of Nantz. He had two sons and three daug hters. He was alderman of that corporation, but was far from being in affluent circumstances. After going through the usual course of classical education , Mr. Romaine was removed to Hertford College, Oxford , from whence he went, soon after , to Christ Church. His progress in literary attainments was highl y honourable to him- self; but he was remarkable for a slovenliness in dress, which, in some degree, characterized him to the end of his life. Though he made afterwards such a distinguished fi gure as the head of the Evan- : gelical clergy (as they have been called) ; yet when Methodism sprung up at Oxford, he was very ill-disposed towards its authors, or their system. He, however, joined with great ardour another sect not much less odious, viz. the Hut'chinsonians, who set themselves against Newton and the mathematical philosophers, under the affect- ed plea that their system was adverse to the Scriptures. It is obser- vable, that neither Hutchinson himself, nor any of his followers, were mathematicians. By this attachment, Mr. Romaine acquired a great knowled ge of the Hebrew Scriptures, which study was much en- couraged by those of his party. He was ordained deacon at the age of twenty-three, and server] a small cure in Devonshire for a short time. In 17,78 he was at Epsom , where he drew up a lette r to Mr. Warburton , who had pro- voked the Hutchinsonians extremely by his Divine Legation . The same year he was ordained priest, and served the churches of Ban-? stead and Horton . The year following he preached a sermon before the University against Mr. Warburton 's hypothesis. In 1741 he was appointed chaplain to the Lord Mayor; but obtaining no preferment, he re- solved to quit London, and accordingly took a passage on board a vessel for his native country. As he was going to the water-side to embark, a stranger abruptl y asked him if his name was not Romaine ? On rep lying in the affirmative , he told him that the striking resem- blance which he bore to his father had led him to make the enquiry. The gentleman , on being informed of his situation and design, told him that the lectureship if the parish where he lived , St. George, Botol ph-Lane , was vacant, and he promised to exert his interest to procure it for him. Mr. Romaine gave his consent, and the election was secured. in How long he remained in this situation weT^now .not; but 1745 he was chosen lecturer at St. Dunstan 's in the West, and in 1750, morning preacher at St. George's, Hanover-Square. In the former of these years he completed an edition of Caiasio 's Dictionary, and Concordance of the Hebrew Bible, in 4 volumes folio. His eloquence drew a multitude of heareis at both churches ; and this began to excite the disapprobation of the parishioners, particu- larl y ot St. Geqrge 's, the rector of which was prevailed upon to, dismiss him. The lectureshi p was barely eighteen pounds a ye;tr. Here also the church was constantl y crowded ; and endeavours being made to exclude him from the pulpit, a suit at law was commenced, and terminated in his favour. At the time when the bill for the naturalization of the Jews occa- sioned such violent disputes , Mr. Romaine embarked in the contro- versy, and gave such satisfaction thereby to the opposers of the mea- sure, that he was appointed astronomical professor at Gresham College. Here his violent prejudices in favour of the Hutchinsonian jargon broke forth, and in consequence he was soon dismissed from a pro- fessorshi p he certainly was very ill qualified to fill . When Lady Huntingdon took the popular clergy under her pa- tronage, she appointed Mr. Romaine her chap lain , and he preached both in her ladyship's house in town, and at the different chapels which she erected in the country. Althoug h his popularity was deservedly great, and his friends had encreased , he yet remained for many years without any higher pre- ferment than his lectureship. In 17 64, the majority of the parishi- oners of St. Anne's, Blackt'riars , chose him for their rector, after a long and sharp contest. On this occasion he, much to his honour, refused to canvas for votes, not fro m pride but from a sense of its impropriety. The election was followed by a suit in Chancery, which ended in his favour , thoug h he was not inducted till 1 766. The prejudices which had at the beginning prevailed so greatly against him , at length gave way before the conviction of his eminent usefulness , his zeail his charity, and exemplary conduct He built a handsome parsonage house, erected a gallery in the church , and rendered all the avenues to it more commodious, without the least; assistance from the parish. Alter a life spent in the service of his Master with;fidelity and ardour, he departed, crowned with age and honour, to the regions of immorta lity, July 26, 1795. On the day of interment an innumerable multitude assembled ; and the City Marshal and his officers guarded the church doors, to prevent confusion or tumult. Several funeral sermons were preached on the occasion of his death , some of which have been published. He left a widow, and one son, who is in orders. As an orator, Mr. Romaine was plain, but very persuasive. He studiousl y avoided all nicety of expression, and flourishes of rhetoric, aiming his discourses directly to the heart . He published three volumes of sermons, besides several single ones, preached on parti- cular occasions, and some other works on religious subjects, all of which have been collected and printed together in eight volumes, 8vo; EPITAPH. ' ' In a vault beneath lies the'mortal part of the R EV . WILLIAM. ROMAINE, A . M . Thirty years Rector of these united Parishes, and forty-six years Lecturer of St.