his recent difmiffion. At a late annual meeting, to commemorate the return of his friend for the city of Westminster, the Duke is faid to have given the old Whig toast of "Our Sovereign, the Majefty of the People." In the memory of fome of the oldeft men now living, this has been repeatedly drank without offence; and why any exception fhould at present be taken to it, remains to be explained. The fact, however, is, that the Duke of Norfolk was dif miffed from his lord-lieutenancy, and from the command of a regiment which he had trained with the utmost care, while he had alfo generously refigned the emoluments derived from it, to increase the com forts of his favourite corps.

Report has whispered that his Grace was greatly af fected by these marks of royal displeasure; but he furely could not be hurt by the lofs of nominal influence or diftinction, although, it may readily be fup. pofed, that to be torn from a fet of men with whom he had lived in the habits of friendship for many years, would, undoubtedly, give him pain. But, if any thing could tend to produce additional chagrin, it must be to fee a man with whom he had been in the habits of acting with cordiality for fo many years, pluming himself in his fpoils, and ftooping to a minifter whofe conduct he had reprobated.

The Duke, as a bon vivant, is furrounded by those who are capable of keeping "the table in a roar," and his hofpitalities at Home-Lacey are in the first style of magnificence.

As an orator, he poffeffes an cafy delivery, and

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evinces a mafculine understanding; but he never attempts any of those rhetorical flourishes which captivate the ear, without laying hold of the understanding.

His Grace has been known to perform many generous actions. He kept the place of Secretary to the earl marshal, vacant for a confiderable time after the death of poor Brooks, who loft his life in the fatal accident at the Haymarket theatre, until, as he faid, he could find fome one worthy to fill it, although earnefily folicited by many for the appointment. Mr. Dallaway having published his ingenious book on the fcience of heraldry, the Duke directly beftowed the office on him, unasked.

His father had about him when he died a great number of perfons of the catholic perfuafion, who, on the lofs of their patron, concluded they would be dif miffed by his proteftant fucceffor; but he generously directed that their ftipends and allowances fhould be paid them, as in the lifetime of the late Duke.

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It would also be unjust to omit that his Grace has lately exerted his patronage in a very munificent manner, to a worthy and refpectable man of letters.

JOSEPH TOWERS, LL.D.

THIS gentleman has diftinguifhed himself in the annals of patriotism, in the republic of letters, and in the pulpit of the diffenters: he was not, however, intended for a divine; Dr. Towers, like his great pre

curfor

curfor and friend, Dr. Franklin, having been origi nally bred a printer.

At a very early period of his life, from a fincere conviction, obtained by reading-that great bane of all tyranny, civil and ecclefiaftical! he became firmly attached to the principles of liberty, both in respect to church and ftate; and no man has been more zealous in behalf of the freedom of his country, and of mankind. This favourite idea has, indeed, been always warmly cherished by the fectaries in general, and they must be allowed to have fanned the facred flame, and kept it alive in the nation, during the most alarming and critical periods.

After his call to the miniftry, Dr. T. was chofen paftor of the congregation of proteftant diffenters at Highgate; this occurred in 1774; and in 1778 he was nominated morning-preacher to the diffenters at Newington-green. In the latter of thefe offices he fucceeded the worthy, pious, and amiable Dr. Price, who had been appointed to the congregation at Hackney. He continued, however, to officiate at Newington-green, in the afternoon, for fome years; and his colleague and himself feemed perfectly agreed relative to all the leading points in politics and religion.

On the 4th of November, 1788, being the completion of a century from the revolution, that event was celebrated with great folemnity; and the doctor, at the request of a committee, delivered what may be termed a civic fermon on the occafion, which was liftened to with great attention, and printed afterwards at the request of the ftewards.

While the Society for Conflitutional Information flourished, the name of Dr. Jofeph Towers flood confpicuous among the most active of its members. He had been ballotted for in 1782, and continued to act with it until 1794, when the books and papers were feized by order of government, and the fecretary taken into custody. On the 13th of June, of the fame year, the doctor received an order to attend the Privy Council on the day following, which he accord- ingly obeyed; and was examined relative to the proceedings of a club which boafted of the Dukes of Norfolk and Richmond, the Earls of Effingham and Derby, Sir William Jones, Mr. Sheridan, Drs. Price, Kippis and John Jebb, Mr. Erfkine, &c. &c. among its affociates. On this occafion, Dr. T. although vifibly depreffed by the yellow-jaundice, evinced great firmness, and was difiniffed without being obliged to give bail, at the defire of a dignified clergyman then fitting as a member of the board, and who is fuppofed to have been the prefent Archbishop of Canterbury.

On the establishment of the fociety called "The Friends of the People," he was alfo voted a member.* The

*The fociety was founded in the year 1792, under the name of The Society of the Friends of the People, affociated for the purpofe of obtaining a Parliamentary Reform."

This inftitution is fuppofed to have excited confiderable alarm in the adminiûration; for, in the advertisement notifying its exiftence, a lift was published of the firft hundred affociators, among which were no less than forty members of parliament, viz. the Farl of Lauderdale, Mr. Grey, Mr. Whitbread, Mr. Francis, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Erskine, Mr. Sheridan, &c. &c.

The life of this gentleman prefents few other memorable events, his literary labours excepted, which evince a series of ftudy and toil, seldom to be met with, even in those who have dedicated their whole time to letters alone.

His principal works are the following:

1. In 1763, A Review of the genuine Doctrines of Christianity, &c. 8vo. with the name annexed.

2. In 1764, an anonymous "Enquiry into the Question, Whether Juries are, or are not, Judges of Law as well as of Fact; with a particular Reference to the Cafe of Libels." In this, Dr. Towers took the conftitutional and affirmative fide of the queftion, not only in respect to libels, but in all cafes whatsoever; this doctrine was ably fupported by the late Lord Camden fo far as concerns the former, and has alfo received the fanction of the legiflature in a bill, but too little attended to by either judges or juries.

3. He is the author of the first seven volumes of "British Bio graphy;" the firft volume of which was published in 1766.

This fociety published a very accurate account of the state of the reprefentation of England and Wales, the fubftance of which was afterwards formed into a petition, and presented to the House of Commons by Mr. Grey, on the 6th of May, 1793. In this petition it was afferted, with what truth we pretend not to deter mine, that eighty-four individuals did, by their own immediate authority, fend one hundred and fifty-feven members to parliament; and that, befides thefe, one hundred and fifty more, making in the whole three hundred and feven, were returned to that houfe, not by the collective voice of thofe whom they appeared to reprefent, but by the recommendation of feventy powerful individuals: fo that the total number of patrons was one hundred and fifty-four, who returned a decided majority. These statements the fociety obferved in their petition, which was entered on the journals, they were ready to prove at the bar.

4. Between