Directions to the BOOK-BINDER. Bind up the Title Page with the Contents to each Month: Directions for placing the PLATES. f. The Frontifpiece to face the General Title. II. January. The Map of Spain and Portugal, to face the Content Page of January. XIV. December. Antique Saint, and K. of Pruffia's Head T PREFACE. HE completion of the XXVIth vol. of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, again requires that we should look back upon a work which has been gradually produced as the last year was paffing away, to fee what new obligations we owe to our friends, and how we have attempted to deferve them. The public events that have taken place during the laft twelve months, are fo numerous and so important, that more than the ufual proportion of each number has been appropriated to record them. It muft, indeed, be confeffed, that in recording thefe we have recorded the fufferings, and the difgrace of our country, but they were not lefs neceffary to be known, because the knowledge of them was lefs pleafing; and we hope that in this refpect we have a claim to the fame merit as he who hangs out a beacon on the rock that has deftroyed one veffel, in order that it may be avoided by others. But we have not only fhewn in the conduct of our own nation what should be avoided; we have fhewn in the conduct of another what should be perfued. The King of Pruffia by the fagacity and fecrecy of his councils, by the fpeed and the vigour with which they have been carried into action, and the publication of the chicanery and perfidy which he had detected, has afforded fuch materials for forming a fyftem of government equally glorious to the prince, and advantageous to the people, as perhaps are not to be found in any hiftory of former times. But though our principal attention has been neceffarily drawn to these particulars, yet we have ftill maintained that intercourfe of knowledge, which by the favour of our friends, we have been long able to carry on between the learned of many distant countries, of whofe cafual productions our work has been long the repofitory. For natural hiftory and antiquities, the volume to which this is the preface, is diftinguished in a particular manner, there being many articles in these branches of learning which would do honour to any work, not only because they are in themselves curious and important, but because they were communicated to us by gentlemen who have been long eminent as members of the most learned focieties in Europe, before they were published in any other work. The memoirs of philofophical focieties, in which new inventions and improvements are recorded, are ufually published at diftant periods, and then it has happened that the inven. tion has been known to a neighbouring nation before it has been published in our own; and as often as this has been the cafe, they have affumed, the honour of the invention; and by first communicating it to the world from the prefs, have fecured to themselves what they have fo injuriously purloined from us, A remarkable inftance of this happened very lately. Mr Savory invented a new method of meafuring fmall angles in the heavens, and communicated it to the Royal Society at London, but before it was published in the Tranfactions, an account of it was tranfmitted to France, upon which one Bouguer arrogated the invention to himself, and first published it under the title of The New Heliometer. The invention was then claimed by Savory, but Bouguer ftill infifted it was his own, notwithstanding the remonftrances of the fociety and every other poffible proof that Savery had communicated it to the fociety here before it was heard of in France. It has therefore been thought neceflary to give fuch articles a more fpeedy publication, and upon this occafion we defire to exprefs our gratitude to thole who have chofen our work for this purpofe in preference to any other; in this respect we are ready to acknowledge that they beftow the very, merit which they reward, and by one donation produce the fuperiority which induces them to honour us with another. In return for thefe favours and many others, we can only acknowledge our obligation, and promife that we will in that part of the work which is our own, however fmall, inviolately preferves the ftricteft regard to truth, and relate whatever is alledged in any conteft that excites the publiek attention, and whatever events may bring honour or difgrace upon those who fhall tranfact the public affairs of this kingdom, with the moft difpaffionate impartiality, equally uninfluenced both by hope and fear, without attachment to any party, of implicit confidence in any person. 20644 To Mr URBAN, on compleating the Twenty Sixth Volume of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. TRBAN! fill faithful to the changing Age, URBAN The World beholds its Image in thy Page; O could thy Hand, with honeft Pride record, ; That Peace may blefs her ample Shores again:--+ Cape Breton, called by the French + The principal figures in the frontifpiece reprefent America fuing for affiftance to Britannia, who seems to grant the request, by pointing to an emblematical figure reprefenting military force. CONTENT S. The of Filliers, fet duke of Ext ingham page I The bird, Family, and accomplish of the wand Brandow anluxered -Merage signifiation of Brandons 11 23 24 Ready way of preventing its mischie vous confequences Gemine receipt for making the Eau de Lace POETRY. A fong fet to munic Korace, b. 1. ode 37, tranflated Hymn to Aurorailer's birthday ode 34 35 15 36 37 28 ib Prologue and epilogue to the appren HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. -Secretary Fox's antwerthereto 40 ib. 42 42-3 Litt of therite for the year 1756 The Mapannexed to this Magazine graves a dikira Fiery of the King dams of Spain and Portugal, and at the fame time frers the oppgite coufs on the Barbary fide. Pos as Jerso of our readers could form an idea of the road situation of Lisbon, and tsEnvirons, d the general soject of every one's attention) & quas thought proper to give a Mag "gfShe Mouth of the Tagst, in a larger Sole, where the face of t ́e country, fo far as atenda, wo ja tyhmitty ngangfented as to fland is gest of no farther AsricnULIK A. |