LONDON, Printed by JOHN NICHOLS,
at Cicero's Head, Red Lion Paffage, Fleet-Street:
And fold by ELIZ. NEWBERY, the Corner of St. Paul's
Church Yard, Ludgate-Street. 1792.

ADDRESS TO SYLVANUS URBAN, ESQ.

ON COMPLETING HIS SIXTY SECOND VOLUME.

A

GAIN revolving Time his record brings

With dread variety upon his wings;

War, horrid War, ftalks wafteful o'er the land;
Confufion madly hurls his flaming brand;
The foul affaffin, darker than the night,
With reeking flaughter ftains the morning light;
The gown no more by Juftice is maintain'd;
The altar's fcorn'd, or openly prophan'd;
With wildest Anarchy fair Order blends,
And all diftinction in confufion ends !

But not for Britain are these traits defign'd,
From fuch by patriot vigilance confin'd,
The fage affertor of true Freedom's caufe,
And genuine "liberty that loves the laws.”
Hence may thy tafk, SYLVANUS, never ceafe
To cultivate the happier reign of Peace;
Far, very far, be hence that fatal rage,
Which with oblivion threats th' enlighten'd page!
May milder Fates this favour'd fpot defend,
And Science ftill at all its temples bend!
And, as thy vehicle's the general choice

Of Learning's Commons, and their genuine voice,
Still may we read in ev'ry volume's pile
Th' increafing bleffings of this favour'd ifle :
Here the majority a judgement sways,
Or pleasing probability conveys,

Till from all fides opinions meet the fight,
And from their contact truth is brought to light.
Still more each rank and order here affords,
While Poetry creates her mimic Lords ;-
Yet not their names, or flars, obfcure the reft,
Enraptur'd thofe if by fome Mufe carefs'd;-
If but a fprig of laurel they can claim,
Or just a whisper from the trump of Fame.
URBAN, the object of unbiafs'd choice,
As King proceed to give the cafting voice;
Form and difpofe, as thou at first began,
The various members of thy fruitful plan;
Check the licentious, and the modeft raise
By each diftinction that commands our praise;

From fech prerogatives the good excel,

Befides the luxury of acting well;

Thus each combines the useful and the sweet,
While Fame and Honour in one focus meet;
And hence the Mufe the pleafing task performs,

Her fong by Truth approv'd, her laurels fafe from forms.
Dec. 31, 1792.

(iii)

PREFACE.

THE

"HE Editor of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE Contemplates the Com pletion of its Sixty-second Volume with delight and gratitude. This delight and this gratitude is the more increased from the Recollection, that the Competitors for the Favours of the Publick become every day more and more numerous; he has, therefore, the greater Reafon to be fatisfied that his well-meant Endeavours retain, what they ever have been exerted to deferve, their proper share of the Public Countenance and Efteem.

We have yet again lived to fee turbulent and perilous times; but we do not fear that we fall still continue to behold the Solid Good Sente of Engliflumen difpel the Mifts of Sophiftry and vain Philofophy; we still hope to know that Vice and Folly can never triumph over Virtue and Wildom; and we are fully convinced that the Bleffings and Advantages of the British Conftitution are as permanent in themselves, and as equally diffufed, as the infirmities of human kind will warrant, or its reafonable faculties enjoy.

To the Conftitution, they whose labours are devoted to the Gentleman's Magazine have ever been firm, confiftent, and fyftematic Friends; we may defy thofe who have been most envious of our Succefs to prove, that we have in any instance deviated from the Integrity of Englishmen, to favour any Prejudices of any Party, at the Expence of our general Duty to the Publick. To this Conduct we shall adhere with fteady perfeverance, uninfluenced, and unintimidated. We stand on the firm baie of our Countrymen's good Opinion; and we well know they will never remove us from it as long as we shall continue to vindicate their true and proper Interests.

We are compelled allo to avow the melancholy Truth, that we have be◄ held the cause of Religion, and confequently the best hopes of Man, audaciously attacked by fome, and infidioully undermined by others. In this refpect we may venture to claim to ourselves fome Portion of Applaute We have been vigilant in counteracting thefe Attacks, in whatever Form, and from whatever Quarter, they came; being well affured that we could not better ferve or promote the genuine Happiness of our Fellow-beings, than by averting all Contamination from thoie Springs, which, rifing in the Firt Principles of Things, are to terminate only in Eternity.

We will not conclude this Introduction without promifing our numerous Readers an agreeable Augmentation of their Amufement in our Poetical Department. In this refpect, we have adopted a new Plan, which cannot fail of Succefs; new Correfpondents of distinguifhed Talents have voluntarily offered us their Affiftance; and it will be the Employment in future of one Perfon alone to felect and arrange our various Communications of Poetry. It has been our Pride and Happinefs to foster and encourage Genius and rifing Merit of every Defcription; and we beg that we may now be confidered as holding out a general Invitation to all who are fentible of an amiable Emulation, to enlarge the Gratifications of the Publick, at the fame Time that they materially promote their own individual Improven.eat.

Dec. 37, 179.

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