fear, the rest of Europe must go without their share." To this the king only answered, “Why, then, let the press be set over again."

This monarch, it must be confessed, paid more respect to the scientific character of the English nation, than the ambassador, who chose to publish a magnificent work on a general topic in that very language which, perhaps, of all others, was the one that he ought to have rejected.

In 1772 our author favoured the world with an octavo volume of " Observations on Mount Vesuvius, and other volcanoes." This subject he pursued still farther, and discussed at great length, four years afterwards, in two folio volumes, bearing the title of " Campi Phlegræi, or Observations on the Volcanoes of the two Sicilies," to which he afterwards added a supplemental volume.

The interests of truth, however, require it to be told that great as the diligence of the English ambassador was in promoting the knowledge of this branch of natural history, which till his time had not been very accurately explored, his acquaintance with preceding writers on the subject was but scanty, and he had besides so very slender a knowledge of philosophical language, as to be under the necessity of calling in the assistance of others in the arrangement of his observations. The person to whom he was under the greatest obligations for the composition of these works, was a monk of Mount Etna. The great merit of sir William Hamilton consisted in his zealous exertions to bring a valuable accession of discoveries to the store of science, and in giving a liberal patronage to the fine arts. Even before he left his native land, and when he was but a young captain in the guards, he had evinced his judgment in the formation of a small but valuable cabinet of pictures, some of which were purchased at the sale of sir Luke Schaub's gallery, and to which he afterwards made such additions as opportunities offered and a

limited income afforded. It was, in fact, this particular bias of his mind for works of elegance that led him to seek the appointment which he obtained, and for which, unquestionably he was on various accounts eminently quali fied. This situation also offered some advantages in another point of view, by enabling so good a judge of antiquities and paintings to make such purchases as would be profitable to himself, and acceptable to his country. Many commissions of this kind were actually imparted to the ambassador by personages of the highest distinction; and so well were they executed by him, as to increase the number of applications from all parts of Europe.

Among the various objects that engaged the particular attention and curiosity of sir William, the favourite one was that of collecting, at a considerable expense, the most beautiful vases, especially those of Grecian workmanship. When he had made himself master of a considerable number of these remains, he caused drawings to be taken of the finest specimens, from whence engravings were executed under his own eye, and for the most part in his own house. Of these a fasciculus was published in the year 1791; and another of equal, if not superior beauty, four years afterwards. Besides the prospect of lucrative advantage from the sale of the work itself, the author was actuated by another consideration, in which he completely succeeded. The plates were sent to England, that from them some idea might be formed of the rich collection which they represented. A negociation was accordingly entered into for the purchase of the cabinet at the national expense; and the royal approbation having been obtained, parliament voted the sum of seven thousand pounds for this purpose, after which, the vases, bronzes, and medals, according to the catalogue, were appropriately presented to the British Museum. There were not wanting, however, some persons of literary and scientific

reputation, who considered the price set upon this collection as far above the real value. The late ingenious Mr. Wedgewood, indeed, took occasion to observe, in an examination before a committee of the house of commons, that in his manufactory he had produced imitations of the vases, to such a degree of beauty, as, by exportation alone, brought three times the money into England which the originals had cost the nation. But this testimony can hardly weigh any thing in favour of the extravagance of the grant, since it was the consequence of what could neither have been foreseen, nor even contemplated, at the time when the negociation for the purchase took place. It is not a little extraordinary that the ambassador should, very shortly after the disposal of this collection, have formed another, exceeding the former in number and value. Antiquities of this description must have been very common in that country, to have enabled the collector to quadruple the number of vases in four or five years; yet such was the case; for early in 1796 we find him endeavouring to transfer this fresh stock to Prussia, through the good offices of the countess of Lichtenau, mistress of Frederick William, which lady was at this period travelling for her health in Italy.

In the manner of conducting this business there certainly was nothing of the dignity of an ambassador, but much of the finesse of a trader in curiosities; for the dealer, in praising his wares, took care to say that the grand duke of Russia would be glad of them, but that he did not wish to see them carried so far to the north. Adverting to the sale of his first collection, sir William magnified the beauty and number of the present, which, though so vastly superior in all respects, he declared his willingness to part with to his Prussian majesty for the same sum as that which he had received from the British parliament for the articles deposited in the Museum. The proposition, how

ever, came to nothing; and most, if not all of these vases, afterwards found their way to England That the public minister of a great nation should be impelled by any cause to truck his cabinet for sale in a foreign market, and that too by the brokership of a courtezan, must certainly be considered as a proceeding little in itself, and totally unworthy of the high official character of the person who was driven to such shifts But, in truth, whatever were the motives by which his excellency was actuated in these trafficking concerns, he could hardly have said with strict justice, when parting with his treasures, "necessity, not my will, consents," since his establishment was liberal, and his fortune more ample than he chose to acknowledge. His purchases at Naples were, indeed, very large, but his profits upon them were so very considerable, that he could not fail to realize a handsome income, during the number of years in which he may be said to have almost enjoyed a monopoly in this peculiar line of commercial speculation. Every picture of value, and every antique gem were sure of being offered to the English ambassador in the first instance; and as there were not always persons at Naples who would purchase such articles upon any thing like liberal terms, he, of course, was sure of obtaining many bargains, which, by long experience, and a most extensive connexion, he well knew how to dispose of to the best advantage.

Flattered as our ambassador was by the marked attentions which he had very properly received from the most illustrious personages in all parts of the world, he had not the smallest reason to complain of any neglect on the part of his own country. His situation was not only highly honourable, but lucrative, and besides the Order of the Bath, he received from his sovereign many testimonies of personal esteem under his own hand.

CHAPTER VI.

O you! whom Vanity's light bark conveys
On Fame's mad voyage, by the wind of praise.
With what a shifting gale your course you ply,
For ever sunk too low, or borne too high....Pope.

THAT Sir William Hamilton was altogether unacquainted with the former circumstances and manner of life of the person whom he now took under his particular care, is scarcely credible; but that a person of his refined talents, experience, and situation, should voluntarily condescend to take the cast-off mistress of another man, and that too of his own nephew, is too revolting to the feelings of human nature to be supposed. The age of this respectable gentleman, his long absence from England, and his confidence in the honour of a near relation, can alone account for an act, which in any other view, would equally be a disgrace to his heart and his understanding. But in suggesting the single apology that can be possibly devised for the extraordinary conduct of the ambassador, no excuse will be thereby afforded to those who took an advantage of his liberality and weakness.

There was a want of common decency in the whole transaction, if the parties had a clear knowledge of each other's previous habits and connexions; but on the other hand, if, as is most probable, his excellency was imposed upon by the artifice of the female and the disingenuity of her paramour, no language can be too strong to reprobate proceedings, which, besides the gross immorality that marked them throughout, carried the strongest appearance of being a confederacy, to entrap a credulous old man into an imprudent alliance.

Emma improved greatly by the ample instructions which were provided for her, at the charge of the ambassador,