great, has long been out of fashion. It is too frequently the case. that the nobility, and perfons in high ftation, model their behaviour by that of the Minifter; and 'till within a very fort Space, there has not been an inftance of any Minifter during the last fifty years, who gave the smallest encouragement to any art or fcience in this. country, to any work of genius or literature; or who countenanced. any fcheme calculated to improve the minds, or better the hearts, of British fubjects.

THE last name mentioned of a patron-Minister, is that of the: Earl of Oxford in the reign of Queen Anne; and the last design he had in hand, for the general good of these realms, was, as we are informed by Swift, a plan for correcting, improving, and ascertaining the English tongue. A defign which would probably have taken effect, as Swift alfo informs us, had the Queen lived a year or two longer. Yet, unexecuted as it was, the very intention of fetting about. fo noble a work, has made his name more generally known and talked of, and has done him more honour, than, all the other actions of his life. Nor was there any article which put his character in fo. high a point of light, as the praise which Swift bestows on him, in the beginning of his letter addreffed to him upon that head. Tho' the paffage may be known to moft readers, yet as it deferves to be attentively confidered by all, I fhall make no apology for inferting it here..

WHAT I had the honour to mention to your Lordship fome ⚫ time ago ia converfation, was not a new thought, juft then started by accident or occafion, but the refult of long reflection, and I have been confirmed in my fentiments, by the opinion of fome very judicious perfons, with whom I confulted. They all agreed, that nothing would be of greater use towards the improvement of

knowlege

4

knowlege and politenefs, than fome effectual method for correcting, enlarging and ascertaining our language; and they think it a work very poffible to be compaffed under the protection of a Prince, the countenance and encouragement of a Ministry, and the care of proper perfons chofen for fuch an undertaking. I was glad to find your Lordship's answer in so different a style, from ⚫ what hath commonly been made ufe of on fuch like occafions, for fome years paft; That all fuch thoughts must be deferred to a time of peace: A topic which some have carried so far, that they would ⚫ not have us by any means think of preserving our civil or religious constitution, because we are engaged in a war abroad. It will be among the distinguishing marks of your miniftry, my Lord, that you had a genius above all fuch regards; and that no reasonable propofal for the honour, the advantage, or the ornament of your country, however foreign to your more immediate office, was ever neglected by you.'

WHAT a glorious eulogium of a British Minifter does the laft fentence contain! How unhappy has it been for this country, that it never fince could be applied with truth to any of his fucceffors! But let it rejoice the heart of every one poffeffed of genius and talents out of the common road; of every one who has any reasonable propofal to make, for the honour, the advantage, or the ornament of our country, that we have at last got a Minifter, whofe conduct, when opportunities offer, will probably entitle him to this eulogium, and who is not likely to neglect any of these points, however foreign to his more immediate office. Of which he has already given proofs, during the fhort time he has been in power, and amongst others, one striking one: That when a plan upon the same subject as that of Swift's was lately laid before him, he, like Lord Oxford, did not make the usual anfwer, That all fuch thoughts must be deferred to a

time of peace: But at the very juncture when he was engaged in a greater variety of business, than probably has fallen to the lot of any one minister; in a most critical fituation of affairs, both foreign and domeftic; he made leifure to examine the plan with care, and declared his intention of giving it all due countenance and encouragement.

BEFORE I quit this fubject, I fhould be guilty of great ingratitude, if I did not acknowlege my obligations to one nobleman who, when he was accidentally made acquainted with the nature of Mr. Sheridan's undertaking, and had read fome of his writings upon that fubject, did not wait to be folicited, but fought out the author, honoured him with his countenance, and by more than words encouraged him to proceed in his defign. It will be hardly necessary to acquaint the reader, that this nobleman's title is to be found prefixed to this work.

July 10, 1762.

SUB

As many of the Names in this Lift were haftily taken down at the door of the feveral places where the Lectures were delivered, and but very few were written down by the fubfcribers themfelves at any of the other places, it is to be feared that many mistakes have been committed in point of fpelling, as alfo in affigning the proper title, ftile, or diftinction to each name. There being likewife a deficiency of more than one third of the names of those who attended the Lectures, occafioned by the cafual lofs of fome of the lifts, the editor, in order to fulfil the conditions mentioned in his propofals, to the belt of his power, is obliged to publish this lift, under all these disadvantages.

Mr. William Bowyer

The Hon. Lord Auchinlech, 2 James Boucher, Efq;