fent a Captain of the Guards to arrest me. As the fci rocco was blowing, the Captain came in fanning himfelf; and after fuffering me to treat him with ices, explained the nature of his business, and carried me to the Caftle of St. Angelo, in the name of the fantiffima Padre. At the Jubilee in 1775, a general and plenary indulgence for their fins was granted to all Catholics, and a general remiffion of their punishment to all prifoners; fo that I once more obtained my liberty. But I did not preferve it long; for going to Venice, I could not help expreffing my horror at the letter-boxes ftuck in the walls of the Doge's palace, to receive denunzie fegrete against fuch as fpoke of ftate-affairs. I alfo ventured to hint at fome improvements in the Venetian Government, which would be equally beneficial to the fenators and people. It was Carnival time; and as the Sbirro, who came to take me into cuftody, was dreffed in a black domino, and had a vizor mask upon his elbow, I took it for a mafquerade frolic. I foon found it, however, more serious than I fuppofed, and was detained ten years in prifon. At the end of that period, a Senator waited upon me, and told me, with great politeness, that my feclufion from fociety did not proceed from any fears entertained by the Senate, who governed the people only for their own good; but that it was a little falutary admonition they were accustomed to give to foreigners, by way of rendering them more cautious in countries where imprudencies of the like nature were looked upon in a more serious light. From Venice I went to Spain; where I had fcarcely been two days, before I found myself fnugly lodged in the prison of the Inquifition. Soon after an old Monk afked me, in the most affectionate manner, if I could not guess at the caufe of my confinement? but, as I hope to be faved, I am fo great a reprobate, that I could not divine for which of my profane jokes I was laid in limbo, till being put upon the rack, I recollected that I had called the Recollet friars, who have no beards, but wear wear the fame habit as the Capuchin Monks, the females of that fpecies of animal. This reminifcence faved me from further torments; and it pleafed God to let me get out of their hands, with no injury but the diflocation of my wrifts and ancles, and a little flagellation, by way of penance. I will not tell you how I was put into the Baftile by the old Government of France; nor how I found my way into one of the King's Caftles in Pruffia: thefe are accidents of an ordinary kind; but I must again exprefs the joy I feel at being in a free country, where a man, who, like me, fays every thing he thinks, is in fafety. Here we are in no danger of imprisonment, pillory, or transportation, for delivering our opinions; here a man may fay which kind of Government he thinks the beft, without referve. Here are no fpies, no informers; nor if there were, would they be liftened to. Here a man may indulge his paffion for liberty over a bottle.Here we are not obliged to whifper our opinions in Coffee-houfes, or look behind us in the public walks.Here we are in no danger of illegal commitments by Juftices of the Peace. Here a few unguarded and unmeaning words, fpoken in fmall companies, are not tortured into fedition, which means an open attempt to ftir up the people to acts of violence against Government.-Here no Judge endeavours to influence the jury; gives a ftrained interpretation to the law, or inAlis exceffive punishments.-Here there are no abuses or if there are, they are immediately reformed.-Here no attempts are made to delude the people, because our Governors confult the general intereft of the community alone.No; the privileges of free Britons, which we have enjoyed fo long, we ftill enjoy in the fulleft extent, and live in the utmost happiness and harmony. What a pleafure is this for a Gzetteer. I 3 COSMOPOLITE*! *This letter appeared foon after the establishment of Mr. Reeves's inquifition, and about tlle time of Mr. Froft's imprisonment, the fentences of the Scotch Judges, and many extraordinary commitments for fuppofed feditious words. IMITATIONS OF HORACE, CARM. LIB. I. ODE xiv. TRANSLATED. THE ARGUMENT. HE Poet makes a voyage to Britain, in pursuance "Vifam Britannos hofpitibus feros"--" I will visit the Britons, inhofpitable to ftrangers." The veffel in which he failed was called the Britannia, whether from the place of its deftination, or from the circumftance of being built of British wood, I cannot determine; but, I believe, for both reafons. After a tedious voyage, at laft, he arrived fafe at Portsmouth.---The fhip was grievously fhattered; but the Captain determined to go out again immediately, before fhe was well refitted, and while the weather was very unpromifing---Several of the crew were heard to mutter, in confequence of this proceeding; upon which the Captain, by advice of the pilot, put them in irons.---But the moft curious incident was (if we may believe Quintilian), that Horace was indicted for a libel, as if, under the allegory of a fhip, he had intended to paint the dangers and diftrefies of the commonwealth Whoever perufes my verfion, will fee how groundlefs and abfurd this accufation was---The reader need only keep in mind, that the Poet, more fafe at fhore, makes this pathetic address to the veffel, in which his life and fortunes were fo lately rifked-- TO THE GOOD SHIP BRITANNIA. BRITANNIA, while frefh ftorms are brewing, Your tackle's old, your timber's crazy, Your Your anchor's loft, you've fprung a leak; In vain you sport your threadbare joke, Q. HORAT. FLEC. CARM. LIB. I. O NAVIS, referent in mare te novi Et malus celeri faucius Africo, Poffint imperiofius ODE 14. Equor? Non tibi funt integra lintea; Silvæ filia nobilis-- Iactes et genus, & nomen inutile. Nil pictis timidus navita puppibus Fidit---Tu nifi ventis Debes ludibrium, cave. Nuper Nuper follicitum quæ mihi tædium; Vites æquora Cycladas! MR. EDITOR*, UND NDERSTANDING that my last tranflation of an Ode of Horace did not displease the best judges, I have taken the liberty to fend you a fecond attempt, which I fubmit to your candour. It may feem matter of wonder to you, as it does to me, that neither Quintilian, nor Will Baxter, nor any other hunter of allegories, fhould find out the real drift of this ode, which is fo very eafy to be discovered. The cafe, in fhort, is as follows. Auguftus, in the midft of peace and tranquillity, felt, or feigned, an alarm, on account of fome books written by perfons fufpected of an attachment to the party of Cato and Brutus, and recommending republican principles. Now, Horace having been a colonel in Brutus's army, and being rather too free in profeffing his religious fentiments, naturally paffed for an atheist and a republican. Auguftus published an edict to tell his fubjects how happy they all were, in spite of the fuggeftions of mal-contents; commanding them to ftick close to their old religions; and threatening, that whoever was not active in affifting the government, fhould be treated as an enemy to church and state. Upon this occafion Horace read-or affected to read, for I will not take my oath to his fincerity-a recantation. In one part of the ode he fays" Jupiter, who generally thunders and lightens in cloudy weather, now has driven his chariot through the ferene air." This is fo plain an emblem of Auguftus fulminating his cenfures in a time of perfect tranquillity, that it needs no farther comment. Our author refers to this circumftance again, CARM. vii. 5. * This Letter and Tranflation allude, with great delicacy, ingenuity, and finese, to the vifionary alarm about republican principles, raifed at the beginning of the present war. "Calo |