总 Flattery and fervility came into the world at the fame time with power; and tho' a generous fpirit cannot reconcile itfelf to them, yet have they obtained among all ranks, in all nations, and often in a manner beyond any thing among us. < It is hardly to be expreffed to what a degree the poor, the candidates for offices, the clients, and dependents among the Romans, that people so celebrated for magnanimity, carried their flattery and obfequiqufnefs. The modern ceremonies of courts, or the respect of vaffals to their lords, is familiarity or neglect, in comparison of their affiduity and abasement. • Attendance among the Romans was expreffed by the word affectatio, and included three parts, falutatio, deductio, and affiduitas, all three indifpenfible duties to be paid to thofe from whom any thing was expected. The firft of these ceremonies was the falutatio, and this was not a tranfitory falute in the street, but the poor and dependents used to refort to the houses of the great men, to wish them a good day, and make tender of their perfons to them; these were called amici communes, and crowded the hall and outer chambers; but Juvenal's third fatire, fpeaks of the highest magistrates hurrying along to a much bafer attendance: In vain, we poor, to levies early run, The grandee has long fince been up and gone. Thefe infatiable wretches could ftoop to make their bows. at the houses of widows, and fuch as had no heirs; and these falutations being ufually paid at, or before, the dawn of day, were termed officia antelucana. This fervile crowd, 'till their idol appeared, amused themselves in the court or adjoining chambers, which, from thence, were called cubicula falutatoria; but in the houfes of the moft eminent perfons there was a diftinction of chambers, according to rank; the ⚫ vifitants of quality going into the anti-chamber, whilst they who really wanted relief or protection ftaid below. At the appearance of the master of the house, the apartment rang with falve or ave; at firft, the title of dominus ferved, but afterwards that of rex came to be much more generally used; then, in their turns, and with the most refpectful geftures, they offered him their perfons and fervices; their compliments never failed of an affable return from their patrons, who even were not above bestowing a kifs on the the beft fort of their attendants; and after taking a turn in the court, they withdrew. When any one had fallen under ⚫ the patron's displeasure, he was denied admittance, or made to wait, or answered only with a nod, and sometimes was obliged to take himself away without any answer. Something like this is not unfrequently feen among the great in our days. From this firft vifit fome haftened away to do the like at the houfes of other men in power, from whom also they had other expectations; others staid to attend their patron when he went abroad; but the cream of the jeft is, that they fhould take it into their heads to attend by proxies. The fecond way of paying their court was the deductio, or accompanying of great men to the forum or fenate, and other places, and back again to their houses; a ceremony ⚫ which would little agree with the business of this age; and, ⚫ it is not to be questioned, but, upon fuch occafions, they put on their best cloaths. The most creditable attendants, or those who were moft in the great one's confidence, were nearest his perfon; the patron himself went on foot, or in a litter, the others going before or after him. Thus Martial ⚫ informs us, he had attended one Baffus, when he waited on widows, to wheedle them out of a good legacy. The fame " poet also -mentions no less a person than Paulus, a conful, as very affiduous in these morning vifits, and even dangling ⚫ after litters; fo low was the confular dignity funk under the • emperors! They who led the van in thefe proceffions, went by the derifory name of anteambulanes, and fhewed their zeal for their patron by clearing the way. The third means of their infinuating themselves into favour was the affiduitas, the very extreme of officiousness ; not returning home after the morning falutation, but waiting on their patron the whole day long wherever he went. It is true, they were generally of the indigent class, who 'thus loitered away a day; a knight or fenator seldom con• defcended so far, unless they were candidati, put in for • fome employment, and then only to a perfon of diftinguished intereft. The affiduitas was alfo performed by proxy. The train of these attendants, at length, growing a nuisance in the streets, a motion was made for reducing them to stated ⚫ numbers, according to the patron's rank; but it was overborne by the tribunes of the people, who were fond of having a mob at their heels, huzzaing them along. The compenfations which the great made to their followers after thefe fervilities, to the poor were provisions, and sometimes B 4 money money and their protection, to others their intereft for preferments. This cuftom, however, was not without its use to the young nobility; and was chiefly introduced, that they who afpired to the chief pofts of the republic might ⚫ not only make intereft among the leading men, but, by frequenting them, learn their eloquence, their politics, their virtues, and their deportment. The dialogue, de caufis corrupta eloquentie, attributed to Tacitus or Quintilian, fpeaks to this purpofe: "It was formerly a cuftom for the father "or relations of any young man of parts and education, who "was defigned to make a figure in the common-wealth, to "recommend him to fome eminent orator, to whom the "youth attached himself, paying his court at his house, "waiting on him every where, and especially attending his "pleadings."--- .. ΟΙ Thus was it an ufage of no bad origin; but foon corrupted by ambition and avarice, the general motives alfo of modern attendance.' 17. On infidelity; by M. Formey. M. Formey obferves, very juftly, that tho' infidelity, with regard to religion, has had many great and learned abettors, yet their efforts in fupport of their own opinions, and their attacks upon religion, are very far from being formidable. There is nothing new or extraordinary in this performance; it concludes with an exhortation to believers of all ranks, by authority, precept, and example, to check the abettors, and weaken the influence of so destructive a principle. 18. The love of life; from the fame. There is nothing fingular in this performance: its intent is to fhew upon what accounts a tenacious fondness for life is juftifiable. 19. Spanish history. This concife account of the Spanish monarchs, down to Philip IV. is well worth the perusal of those who have not opportunity or leifure for a more ample information. It concludes with an article relative to natural hiftory and trade, which the generality of our readers may chufe to fee. The pafferillas, or dried raisins, of the kingdom of Granada, are known to all foreigners, but not the manner of curing or preparing them; they are of two forts, one called pafferillas del jol, i. e. fun-raifins, and the other, pafferillas de lexia, i. e. lye-raifins. The former are thus prepared; when near ♦ ripe, a notch is made in the ftalk, fufficient to interrupt the ⚫ radical • radical moisture, and yet that the bunch may hang; thus ⚫ exposed to the fun, the grapes gradually contract their ficcity, • and then are gathered and put into frails. In order to cure the lye-raifins, the prunings of the vines are laid by in bun⚫dles against the vintage, when they are burned, and a strong lye made of their afhes, in which the bunches of grapes being dipped about noon, are immediately laid on a very hard and clean floor, where the fun foon dries them. The fame • method is obferved with fig-tree prunings, for curing dried • figs. 20. On filk worms; from a Dutch Gazette. It is attempted, by this Gazette-writer, to make us believe, that filk worms may be raised in any place where mulberrytrees will grow, without the trouble and charge of houfing, provided the trees be in a proper expofure. This prefumption is founded upon a fingle experiment of Mr. Gautier, tho' that very experiment turn'd out fo unluckily, that of a thousand, the number fet out with, five worms only lived to produce filk. This is but poor encouragement, were the filk as fine as it is represented to have been, or, indeed, ever so excellent. But we are alfo, in, this manner of treating the worms, to be at the expence of a net and a circular wooden frame, fupported by pofts of a diameter equal to the branches, for each tree; and each of these frames is to be entirely covered with a linen cloth. The nets are to keep off the birds, and the frames and cloths to intercept the worms that drop from the trees, which would otherwife fall to the ground and burst. Few schemes are to be met with so romantic as this; 'tis extravagant to impoffibility, were we even to throw afide the important article of profit and lofs. We are exhorted, however, to go on, because in China, India, and Perfia, the filk worms thrive and enrich their owners, without constant attendance.' Excellent argument! But the misfortune is, that, as to the great part of China, it is falfe. The Chinese, in many places of their extenfive country, do house their filk worms, and give them as much, nay more attendance than either the Italians or French are obliged to do; of this we have inconteftible evidence in our own hands. The reader will meet with a treatise upon this profitable infect, which deserves to be read, in the appendix to the xth vol. of our review. 21. Methad for hardening of timber;' from Journal Romaine. We are at a lofs to conceive how our compiler could allow himself to admit this article into his felect effays; fince the au thor, 6 thor, at the conclufion, is ingenuous enough to own, that our countryman, Evelyn, in his treatise of forefts, mentions it [the method here propofed] as a common practice in • Staffordshire.' 22. Of laws; from Martinelli. 23. The whole world one houfe, mankind one family, and providence the univerfal mother, as careful of every individual as if he were the whole. From the Italian of Bartole's recreatione del fanio. This is a well-intended defence of a particular providence, and deserves to be perused. 24. Letter on antient medals, infcriptions and ftatues; from the French of an anonymous author. We look upon this as the moft curious, and beft conducted article in the whole collection. The fubjects require great judgment and delicacy in a writer who has any regard for his reputation in the Belles Lettres, and the learned world. The author, whoever he is, has united, in his fentiments and ftyle, the ícholar and the gentleman; and has been happy enough, not only to inftruct, but to entertain his readers, upon fubjects which, as they are generally managed, feldom produce either of these effects. "Twould be injuftice to the whole, to extract a part; 'tis fufficient to fay, that those who keep within his documents, in their ftudy and collections of these elegant remains of the antients, will neither lose their time, nor injure their fortunes. 25. Vindication of christianity, against a charge of Machiavel from the Spanish of Oforio de la nobleza christiana. The charge produced by Machiavel against christianity, the vindicator reprefents as follows, viz. That chriftianity has occafioned the extinction of the antient elevation of mind, • military virtue, defire of glory, and, further, the ruin of the Roman empire. But, aware of the indignation which < fuch an atrocious accufation must raise, he would foften it ⚫ by throwing the blame not on the religion, but on the false interpreters of it, without giving a fingle inftance of any abufive interpretation.' What is there To this the vindicator fummarily replies: in our profeffion which deferves contempt? If true great• nefs of foul confists in an attachment to what is glorious and divine, it is at its fummit among our true members, who 5 knowing themselves adopted into the family of heaven, be |