enced a great degree of rudeness from the Mayor of Liverpool, which produced an impression unfavourable to the good manners of the magistracy of England, but the very next magistrate with whom I became conversant, effaced this impression, and produced the opposite; it is highly probable that both impressions were erroneous, and that English magistrates are much like those of other countries, rude, indifferent, or polite, according to the particular character and humour of the man. In recording a fact, however, there cannot be any danger of error, and it gives me pleasure to relate an instance of frank hospitality received by my companion and myself, without the smallest claim to it, and with the hazard which always attends the bestowing of confidence, in advance, upon a stranger. Mr. T——, a respectable merchant of Manchester, was our stage coach companion from Liverpool, and soon discovered himself to be so intelligent a man that we were prompted to make such inquiries as proved us to be foreigners. On our arrival at Manchester, Mr. T gave us his address, requested us to call upon him, and promised to shew us the curiosities of the town. Accordingly, we called, and were introduced into an intelligent and agreeable family, whose cordial manners gave us confidence to accept the offer of their hospitality. We took tea with them, and would have withdrawn at an early hour, had not their kindness exceeded our diffidence, and induced us to spend the evening. We found that our newly acquired friend was not merely a man of business. He had a literary turn, which was evinced by a judicious collection of ancient coins, maps, and books, principally historical. He had an atlas of American maps, and made me point out the very spot of my residence when at home. Among

his coins were several of the Roman emperors, and of the republic. On one of the coins of the republic, was the story of Romulus and Remus, sucking the wolf; the boldness of the relief was very little impaired by time. He had also some Saxon coins which, although rude, were interesting.

In the mean time, Dr. T, the father of the gen. tleman to whose politeness we had been so much indebted, returned from a tour of professional duty, (for he was a physician) and insisted on our staying to supper. Our host entertained us with all the kindness of friendship, and in the midst of convivial freedom, we forgot that we were strangers. The glass circulated cheerfully but moderately, and we felt grateful to the country whose inhabitants treated us with such gratuitous hospitality. We found that Dr. T- was a North Briton, and had been a warm friend to the Ame. rican revolution. The conversation turned upon its most interesting scenes, and the whole family were warm in their praises of Washington. In such society it was no difficult thing to detain us till a late hour, and when we took our leave, it was with warm solicitations that we would repeat our visit.

INSTITUTIONS, ANTIQUITIES, &c.

May 13.-Under the guidance of Mr. T— we have visited the college of Manchester. The building is an ancient monastery, now appropriated to the edu cation of eighty poor boys, who remain here only till they are fourteen years old, and are then apprenticed to various useful employments.

The college contains a valuable library of 15,000 volumes; we were not however permitted to take any books down, as they were all defended by a lattice of

wire. There is also a small collection of curiosities, and among these, they shewed us Cromwell's shot-bag and sword; the protector was doubtless well furnished with swords, for I have seen one in America which was shewn as his. The boys of this institution are dressed in the garb of the 16th century, which is a kind of petticoat of blue coarse cloth with a leather belt, around the waist. They wear also a cap, and a short jacket of the same materials.

The venerable edifice which they inhabit, was once the abode of those deluded beings who mistake seclu sion for innocence and austerity for piety. It is situated on the very place where the Romans had a summer station. On the other side of the town are the remains of a formidable camp belonging to the same warlike people; the walls are in some places tolerably entire, and every where they are sufficiently distinct to mark the extent of the camp, which enclosed about 12 acres. I broke off a piece of the cement, which at a future day I may have the pleasure of shewing you, for we have no Roman ruins in America.

Near the college is the old collegiate church. It was erected in the fifteenth century, and is a very venerable remnant of Gothic architecture. I shall not trouble you with a particular account of the tombs which it contains of ancient nobility; of its rude carv. ings and statues, which set all gravity at defiance; nor of its grotesque tapestry, nor of the ludicrous exhibition of seraphs playing on fiddles. The effect of the whole is nevertheless very solemn, and it needs no great effort of the imagination to fancy ones-self transported back to the period of the seventh Henry. Over the altar are suspended the colours of the 72d regiment, a part of the army that so bravely and success

fully defended Gibraltar, under General Elliott. The regiment was raised in Manchester, and on their return, they deposited in this church, the banners under which they fought.

It suffered much during the civil wars, being then in the centre of a fortress, which was besieged by the Earl of Derby; for Manchester was on the popular side.

Mr. T pointed out the house in which Prince Charles, the Pretender, lodged in 1745, when he shook the throne of the house of Hanover. Manchester was warmly in his interest, and I saw the place in the public square, where the heads of some of the first gentlemen of the town, who had held commissions in the pretender's army, were stuck on poles, and their quarters suspended on hooks. For these and other similar barbarities, (for it is mockery to call them wholesome examples of severity,) all North Britain, to this day, execrates the memory of the Duke of Cumberland, under whose orders these exhibitions were made. Treason is, undoubtedly, an enormous crime, but death is a sufficient punishment for any offence against society; and there is a dignity in justice that is disgraced, by violations of a human form, which are equally atrocious and puerile.

SCIENCE.

It is no small gratification to find a taste for science in a great manufacturing town, where the acquisition of property is the very business of life. The philosophical society of Manchester has favoured the world with several volumes of transactions, containing many important and interesting papers. Two philosophical men of considerable distinction reside here, Mr. Wil

liam Henry, and Mr. John Dalton. I have had the pleasure, this evening, of hearing an interesting lecture. from Mr. Dalton, on electricity; his statements, which were very perspicuous, were illustrated by several very apposite experiments. His lecture-room is in a build. ing belonging to the philosophical society, and his lectures are given to citizens of Manchester, of various pursuits and of both sexes. The theatre opened at the same hour with his lecture, but its attractions were not sufficient to draw off a considerable number of young ladies, who composed a part of Mr. Dalton's audience.

VOLUNTEERS.

I have seen a review of several regiments of volunteers raised in this town, and held in readiness to act, in case of invasion. They are composed principally of mechanics and manufacturers, but gentlemen of the highest rank and first fortune, equally with the lowest of the people, join these military associations. Their appearance at the review was such as to do them much credit, although they are far from being such perfect machines as regular soldiers. The review was on Sunday, because this day does not interfere with the work of the artists. We are not informed whether any military Kennicott has discovered, in some newly found manuscript, such a reading as this, in the decalogue"six days shalt thou labour, and the seventh shalt thou train; however this may be, Sunday drilling is said to have become general, in England, since the alarm of invasion has turned them into a nation of soldiers.