fome, a fpirit of scandal, and a delight to fabricate flanderous reports; if molt people will alfo retain a propenfity to listen to whatever comes from fuch a fource; let us act with fome degree of impartiality; and, before we credit, as undoubted truth, tales injurious to the reputation of another, examine whether what we have heard does not bear the molt flagrant marks of falfehood. By acting in this manner, we shall be enabled to difcover fiation from truth, and we shall frequently find, the perfon accufed is innocent; for it is the province of great minds to vindicate the characters of the abfent, when unjustly afperfed by the tongue of fcandal. JUNIUS MINOR. which defcends by a gentle declivity, and lies to the fouth of the river; the other part communicates with the ifland by two large wooden bridges. St. Peter's church is a valt ftructure, built in the Gothic -tafte, and has three towers, the leaft of which is covered with tin plates. The arenal contains arms, it is faid, for 12,000 men, and there is a frong garrifon. The college, which has been famous ever fince the celebrated Calvin taught divinity in it, and in which there is a magnificent and valuable library, is well worthy obfervation. Belides St. Peter's church, the ancient cathedral, in which are the tombs of the great protellant general, Henry duke of Rohan, and Theodore Beza, there are two churches in the great town, and one in the leffer, belidos places of worship for refugees and profelytes from Italy and other DESCRIPTION of the CITY of countries. In all the treets, which GENEVA. (With a View elegantly engraved.) THE HE city of Geneva, the capital of the republic of that name, is fituated near the confines of France and Switzerland, on the river Rhone, at the western extremity of the Leman lake, and near the efflux of the river out of it. It is confiderable not only for antiquity, extent, and power, but for its advantageous fituation, being, in a manner, the rampart and key of Switzerland, especially of the canton of Berne, as lying between France and Savoy. It is the largest and molt flourishing city of Switzerland, and the inhabitants equally cultivate trade and letters. It is well bait, rich, and ftrongly fortified. It is divided by the river Rhone into two unequal parts, and which alfo forms an ifle, full of clegant houfes, and where is an ancient ftructure called the tower of Cæfar. The largest part is built on a hill, 8 are large and handfone, are foun tains and canals of water; moft of the houfes, efpecially the moder ones, are of hewn ftone. The number of inhabitants is ellimated at about 30,000. Towards the lake, all the port is fenced with double and triple rows of huge pofts driven into the water, with only a narrow paffage for the boats, which is fhut up every night with large chains; and on the land fide are baftions, with feveral other works and ditches. The dukes of Savoy have made feveral attempts formerly on this city; and an anniverfary celebration of its deliverance from one of thefe, in 1602, is obferved fill, every 22d of December. The fortifications, which are after the modern manner, are both a defence and ornament to the city, on account of the fine walks on them. Thefe have been repaired and augmented from time to time; but, in, 1734, the contributions required on this account were fo great, that they caufed an infurrection, which was was not prefently pacified; for the troubles continued till 1738, when they were terminated by the mediation of France, and the Cantons of Zurich and Berne. However this did not prevent them from adding other works, when the Spaniards entered the States of Savoy, in 1741. The fupreme authority of the republic of Geneva is lodged in the great council of two hundred, except fo far as it is fubject to the General Affembly, which meets every five years. From the great council they chufe twenty feven, of which fixteen are the heads of the republic, and are called Syndics; but of thefe only four at a time are in office, which continues for a year; fo that in four years' time the whole fixteen take their turns. Befides this, there is a council of fixty, whose bufinefs it is to examine important affairs, which require fecrecy and dispatch. In January, every year, they choose new otheers, or confirm the old ones in their places. There are feveral other courts for the adminiftration of juftice and the management of civil affairs. The principal revenue of this republic arifes from the customs on all forts of merchandise carried out of the city, and from the prodigious quantities of corn which the magiftrates purchase and fell again to the citizens. But they must always have enough in their granaries to ferve for two years; and they must buy no corn for this purpose which grows within twelve miles of Geneva. The principal manufactures of the inhabitants are filks, clocks, watches, gold and filver lace, bonelace, thamois leather, piftols and printed books. Their religion, as is well known, is the prefbyterian, and their language is the Savoyard, or a kind of corrupt French: but the people of rank and education fpeak that language in its purity. Geneva is fitnated 48 miles N. of Chamberry, and 60 N. E. of Lyons; in lat. 46, 31' N. and lon. from London, 6° 12′ W. 4 SKETCH of the principal caufes By Dr. CURRIE. ed, it must appear evident FTER what has been advanc that no remedies can have the defired effect, unless the perfon, under the influence of the recited caufes, change his mode of living. But, that the propofition may not alarm and fhock too much, I do not propofe an impracticable task, which would certainly be ridiculous. I do not advise the man of fashion to lead the rambling and unfettled life of a favage, which is far from refembling thofe imaginary portraits drawn by romantic travellers, and which feem rather intended-to humble the civilifed being, than to exalt the favage.-Neither do I mean to invite the polite to the life of a labourer, though I think the labourer is often happier in that life, than the man of fashion in his. But two very enchanting claffes of pleafure, thofe which have their fource in imagination and fentimental exercises, are almoft loft to the former, which powerfully concur to increase the pleafure of the man of fafhion and improved understanding. If, therefore, the man of fathion, who can procure them, is lefs happy than the illiterate labourer, it is his own fault; for naturally he must have the advantage. But he is generally fo inconfiderate, and fuch a flave to prevailing cuftoms, that he de. troys the edifice of his pleafures, which he makes the foundation of his pains. It ficial agents. By his precaution to avoid every impreffion which is not perfectly agreeable to nis feniations, he foon becomes a piteous fpectacle; every change of the wind aff &ts him, and every cloudy day makes a prifoner of him. The man of fashion need not go to bed with the fun, nor need he rife before that active pianet has fhed his cheering influence a full hour upon the bufy w rid; but he ought not to entertain the erroneous notion that he cannot be happy without breaking through the order of nature, by turning night into day, as if he thought it beneath nis dignity to allow the fame lumina y to light him, which lights the world. Nor ought he to fuppofe that no pleafure, worth his notice, can exist till the "fable go lefs, on her ebon throne, has held her leaden fceptre o'er a flumbering world." It is the great error of mankind, that, in the purfuit of happiness, they commonly feck for it in violent gratifications, in pleasures which are too intenfe in their degree to be of long duration, and of which the frequent repetitions always blunt the capacity of enjoyment. There is no leffon more useful than that which teaches them that the most rational, fubftantial and permanent happiness is averse to all turbulent emotions; that it is ferene and moderate in its nature; that its ingredients are neither coftly in the acquifition, nor difficult in the attainment, but prefent the nfelves almost (pontaneously to a well-ordered mind, and are open to every rank and condition of life, where indigence is excluded. It may not be either neceflary or convenient for the man of fashion who lives in the centre of the city, to retire to the country for wholefome air-not knowing how to fill up his vacant life there, he would almost die of what are vulgarly termed vapours: but he ought to be informed, that fome circulating air is abfolutely neceffary for him, and that he ought not to deprive himself of its benefit by immuring himself in his parlour all day, or by going abroad in a clofe-fhut coach. He had better ufe his feet: if they are tender, the hardness of the pave-lying a-bed, and breathing the conment will not blifter them; or, if it fined air of a chamber, all the mornshould, let him mount a gentle and ing. I have not a wish to strike at fure-footed horfe. But if he dare the existence of pleasures, to which not commit fuch a trefpafs upon the people of fortune have a legal title. rules of fashion, he ought, furely, to I only request them to observe fuch fuffer the windows of his carriage to rules as will not only enture but be left open for the entrance of more prolong their pleafures. The preair than juft fufficient to preferve fervation of health may be fecured him from fuffocation-let him not without reducing the opulent and be difpleafed when his carriage polite to live upon coarse, infipid, or paffes over rough ground; the jolt-grofs provision: fuch fare requires ing will do him no harm-the rgans fortified by exercise and open functions of the body cannot be air. performed properly, without its moving powers are affifted in their motion either by voluntary or artiVOL. XXVI, Pleasure is not confined to midnight, but is of all hours. The air of rooms where fashionable neople affemble to pafs their evenings together, efpecially when crowded and furrounded by blazing lits, foon lofes its elasticity and purity, and becomes injurious; hence, the frequency of vertiges, or dizz nefs, and of fwoonings, in large affemblies. By fitting up late at night, they are reduced to the neceffity of The town air, much thicker than that of the country, renders the appetite lefs craving, and the diBb geftive geftive powers lefs vigorous-hence common effects: among these may the necefity for lighter and more be numbered "full-gorged apopalatable diet than that which fatis-plexy, diftorting convulfion, joint fies the hardy workman. The delicacy and inactivity of the fashionable will not admit of his living on four bread and smoked bacon-fuch food would torment him with ficknefs, flatulence, and colic. There ought, therefore, to be a specific difference in their diet :-nor need joy. infpiring wine be banished from the festive board temperance and mo deration are all that are required. Nature is content with fimplicity and moderation, but luxury knows no bounds. Imaginary wants cannot be gratified. Every animal, except man, follows nature's dictates. Man alone riots at large, and ranfacks the whole creation in quest of luxuries, to his own deftruction. The organs, inflamed by too much indulgence in high-feafoned meats and ftrong wines, foon lofe their relifh for every thing that is not both delicious and rare; while the waterdrinker is never fatiated. racking gout, panting afthma, raving phrenfy, half-dead palfy, emaciated atrophy, and fwollen dropsy, with many more of dreadful import,"-diforders which one would think fufficient to deter the most defperate (if not totally deftitute of reflection) from every fpecies of excefs, and fufficient to determine him to the undeviating obfervance of temperance and regularity, which, with due attention to daily exercise in pure and open air, and preserving the mind from the ravages of vexation, will ensure health, and, for the most part, extend life to the longeft fpan. On BENEVOLENCE. (From a Differtation on the Theory N nothing are men fo apt to mif IN The Creator and Preferver of the world has furnished it with an take, if they do not repel the infinite variety of meats and drinks bias to prejudice, as in eftimating for the fupport and comfort of his characters; of thofe particularly creatures, and has annexed to the with whom they are unacquainted, ufe thereof a degree of gratification; or from whom they differ on fuband we may fafely confult our fatis-jects of religion and politics. In faction in the choice. But, though what glaring and frightful colours this be the cafe, we are bound by did the pagans paint the conduct of the laws of temperance not to exceed the primitive Chriftians! How grofsthis allowed fatisfaction; and are ly did the primitive Chriftians miftaught by reafon and the confidera- reprefent each other! and, to fpeak tion of our own fafety, to abstain the truth, how have the orthodox from exceffive indulgence in every and heretics united in calumniating thing, which, either from quantity the pagans! or quality, has a tendency to deftroy or impair felf-government, to weaken the dominion of reafon over the paffions, or to impair the conftitution and fhorten the period of life. We fee daily examples of the -pernicious effects of the caufes which have been enumerated, among people in fashionable life. Difeafes of the moft formidable nature are the The pagans charged the primitive Chriftians with feafting on infants, with dealing in magic, with paying divine honours to the head of an afs. The orthodox brought the fante charges, and worfe, againk heretics. St. Epiphanius had an unbounded averfion to heretics. What he fays of a cuftom prevailing among the Gnoftics, of beating in fants |