Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Engraved by Freeman.

Stephen Weston, BD: FRI SA ROC.

Published by Vernor. Hood & Sharpe. Poultry, Sept 1808.

STEPHEN WESTON, B. D. F. R. S. S. A. R. L. H.

(With a Portrait.)

MR. WESTON, Whose print, prefixed to this number, is taken from a portrait painted at Rome in 1775, is the author of a va riety of detached publications at different periods: among which

are

Conjectures on the New Testament in Bowyer, 4to. 1782. Conjectures on the Old and New Testament, 4to. 1795. Song of Deborah, with a New Version and Notes. Exeter, 1795.

Soubah Sing to Aurungzebe, in Persian and English. 4to. Rousseau. 1801.

Conformity of the European with the Oriental Languages. 1801. Republished and enlarged, 1803.

Horatius cum Græcis Scriptoribus collatus, as a pendant to Virgil, by Eobanus Hessus, Fulvius Ursinus, and Valckenaer. London, 1805.

Arabic Aphorisms, with a Persian Comment, and Translation of both. 8vo. 1805.

Fragments of Oriental Poetry, in which the fine poem of Meleager on the Spring, is translated into Latin and English, and expressed in Arabic and Persian, by parallel passages from the Ara bian and Persian poets, passim, for the use of students in the Oriental languages. London, Payne. 1807.

To Mr. Du Bois's edition of Francis's Horace, 1807, he furnished many ingenious and learned comments on the works of the Roman poet.

A variety of anonymous publications are also ascribed to his pen, and from their peculiar character for curious erudition and research, little doubt is entertained of the fact.

It has been said that the best of an author is to be found in his works; and Dr. Johnson has affirmed that "A transition

from an author's book to his conversation, is too often like an entrance into a large city, after a distant prospect. Remotely, we see nothing but spires of temples, and turrets of palaces, and imagine it the residence of splendour, grandeur, and magnificence; but, when we have passed the gates, we find it perplexed with narrow passages, disgraced with despicable cottages, embarrassed with obstructions, and clouded with smoke." Ramb. No. XIV. If this be true, authors would act wisely to imitate the Eastern princes, who cultivate respect by concealment, and their biographers would shew their prudence by not imitating the details of a Piozzi or a Boswell.

In the present case we are possessed of but little to disclose, and that little certainly contains nothing to confirm the doctrine laid down by Johnson. It is recorded in Fabricius's Bibliotheca, Hamburgi, 1791, pp. 873-4, that Mr. Weston is a fellow of Eton college. This we can contradict, for although he was fortunate enough to have been of the school, he was never of the college. All we have further to add is, that many years are passed, since he exhibited a singular instance of conjugal affection, by giving up, on the loss of Mrs. Weston, every advantage of his church preferment in Devonshire, the parsonage of which he had, when his hopes were as blooming as deceitful, adorned with a profusion no less of taste than of expence. A solitary man, he has now spent a large portion of life in the pursuits of science, virtù, and literature, and will we trust, for the promotion of good letters, continue in the same honourable course, plaudite."

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ENDYMION. THE EXILE.

"

LETTER VII.

My landlord invited me last Wednesday to drink tea in his front parlour, in company with a rich man from the city. The gentleman, in knowledge of our language, was about upon a par with the English admiral who took the Count de Grasse prisoner, and who (as my father has twenty times informed me,) addressed his unwilling visitor as follows" Mon admiral, I am tres gratified de vous voir." The citizen, however, could not conceal his contempt of my foreign pronunciation, and before the tea-things were removed, whispered my landlord, loud enough to be overheard by me," Why the devil doesn't he speak English like a man ?”

Notwithstanding this prejudice in favour of his mother tongue, Mr. Transfer, as I found his name to be, proved to be good humoured and officious. He told me, that he was born at Tadcaster, and was sent up to London as an apprentice. That for the first four years of his service, he and the house-dog slept together under the counter; that his indentures and his old master expired in the same year; soon after which he married the widow, and had lately, by a lucky speculation of indigo, obtained considerable wealth. "But I don't know how the devil it is," said he, "since my wife has determined on living in Baker-street, I find the evenings hang fire like a volunteer musquet! If I could but go to Batson's or Tom's I shou'd'nt mind, but lord love you! I now live four miles from them there places. 'Tis true, I have at last established a bowling club in the new road, and a devilish good evening lounge it is: I drink negus there while my wife treats her visitors with whist and lemonade, so you see we make up the old proverb between us, while I play at bowls she expects rubbers!" My landlord laughed heartily at this sally: he understands English jokes, and owes Mr. Transfer money. But as I was not in either of those predicaments, I preserved the regularity of my muscles. Transfer now proceeded to inform me, that the great mercantile secret was speculation. "Ah! Mr. Endymion," said he, " in my grandfather's time it was different; men grew rich then by saving money, but now speculation's the word, aut seize her, aut loose her, as Homer says, neck or nothing. Rules and poverty approach so near, that like the natives of Bow lane, they may shake hands from the opposite windows-a villa at Twickenham, is elbowed by a whereas in the gazette, and an open table closed by a lock-up house." I told him that my countrymen were as great speculators as his townsmen could possibly be. "Are they?" cried Mr. Transfer with alacrity. "Come along with me then; I'll show you the lions: something may strike you." "Yes," answered I, "unless your lions are caged, something may strike me." "Why you ninny,” replied Transfer, with a roar of laughter, "shewing the lions means, letting people see any thing very-in short it means showing the lions." I expressed my gratitude for this definition, and on the following morning (as these late dining Londoners call it) at about three o'clock in the afternoon, I accompanied my communicative acquaintance to the court of Plutus. The first place we visited was a street named the Old Jewry, where there is an institution lately established for teaching Thames lightermen how to steer by Æneas's compass;