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my unprofitable efforts to obtain a just and equitable indemnification for my expences according to agreement. The evidences indeed are in my hands, and the production of them would be highly discreditable to the memory of some, who are now no more; but redress is out of my reach; the time for that is long since gone by, aud has carried me on so far towards the hour, which must extinguish all human feelings, that there can be little left for me to do but to employ the remaining pages of this history in the best manner I can devise, consistently with strict veracity, for the satisfaction of those, who may condescend to peruse them, and to whom I should be above measure sorry to appear in the character of a querulous, discontented and resentful old man; I rather hope that when I shall have laid before them a detail of literary labours, such as few have executed within a period of the like extent, they will credit me for my industry at least and allow me to possess some claim upon the favour of posterity as a man, who in honest pride of conscience has not let his spirit sink under oppression or neglect, nor suffered his good will to mankind, or his zeal for his country's service and the honour of his God, to experience intermission or abatement, nor made old age a plea for ndolence, or an apology for ill

umour.

"Nevertheless as I have charged ny employers with a direct breach of faith, it seems necessary for my nore perfect vindication, to support hat charge by an official document, nd this consideration will I trust be sufficient apology for inserting the ollowing statement of my claimVOL. XLVIII.

"To the Right Honourable Lord North, &c. &c. &c. "The humble Memorial of Richard Cumberland, "Sheweth,

"That your memorialist in April 1780 received his majesty's most secret and confidential orders and instructions to set out for the court of Spain in company with the Abbe Hussey, one of his catholic majesty's chaplains, for the purpose of negociating a separate peace with that court.

"That to render the object of this commission more secret, your memorialist was directed to take his family with him to Lisbon, under the pretence of recovering the health of one of his daughters, which he accordingly did, and having sent the Abbe Hussey before him to the court of Spain, agreeably to the king's instructions, your memo. rialist and his family soon after repaired to Aranjuez, where his catholic majesty then kept his court.

"That your memorialist upon setting out on this important undertaking received by the hands of John Robinson esq. one of the secretaries of the treasury, the sum of one thousand pounds on account, with directions how he should draw, through the channel of Portugal, upon his banker in England for such further sums as might be necessary, (particularly for a large discretionary sum to be employed, as occasion might require, in secret services) and your memorialist was directed to accompany his drafts by a separate letter to Mr. secretary Robinson, advising him what sum or sums he had given order for, that the same might be replaced to your memorialist's credit with the bank

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of Messieurs Crofts and Co. in Pall Mall.

That your memorialist in the execution of this commission, for the space of nearly fourteen months, defrayed the expences of Abbe Hussey's separate journey into Spain, paid all charges incurred by him during four months residence there, and supplied him with money for his return to England, no part of which has been repaid to your memorialist.

"That your memorialist with his family took two very long and expensive journies, (the one by way of Lisbon and the other through France) no consideration for which has been granted to him.

That your memorialist, during his residence in Spain, was obliged to follow the removals of the court to Aranjuez, San Ildefonso the Escurial and Madrid, besides frequent visits to the Pardo; in all which places, except the Pardo, he was obliged to lodge himself, the expence of which can only be known to those, who in the service of their court have incurred it. "That every article of necessary expence, being inordinately high in Madrid, your memorialist, without assuming any vain appearance of a minister, and with as much domestic frugality as possible, incurred a very heavy charge.

That your memorialist having no courier with him, nor any cy. pher, was obliged to employ his own servant in that trust, and the servant of Abbe Hussey, at his own proper cost, no part of which has been repaid to him.

"That your memorialist did at considerable charge obtain papers and documents, containing information of a very important na.

ture, which need not here be enomerated; of which charge so incur. red no part has been repaid.

"That upon the capture of the East and West India ships by the cnemy, your memorialist was addressed by many of the British prisoners, some of whom he relieved with money, and in all cases ob. tained the prayer of their memo rials. Your memorialist also, through the favour of the bishop of Burgos, took with him out of Spain some valuable British seamen, and restored them to his majesty's fleet; and this also he did at his own cost

that

"That your memorialist during his residence in Spain was inds pensably obliged to cover these bis unavoidable expences by several drafts upon his banker to the amount of 4500/. of which not on single bill has been replaced, nor one farthing issued to his support during fourteen months expensive and laborious duty in the king's inmediate and most confidential ser vice; the consequence of which un paralleled treatment was, your memorialist was stopped and arrested at Bayonne by order from his remittancers at Madrid, in the agonizing situation your memo rialist, being then in the height of a most violent fever, surrounded by a family of helpless women in an enemy's country, and abandoned by his employers, on whose faith he had relied, found himself incapa ble of proceeding on his journey, and destitute of means for subsist ing where he was under this acc mulated distress he must have sunk and expired, had not the generosity of an officer in the Spanish service, who had accompanied him into France, supplied his necessities with the loan of five hundred

pounds

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nds, and passed the king of at Britain's bankrupt servant his own country, for which ane action this friendly officer, rchetti by name) was arrested aris, and by the count D'Aranemanded back to Madrid, there ake his chance for what the inace of France may find occasion evise against him.

Your memorialist, since his rn to England, having, after inerable attempts, gained one only ittance to your lordship's perfor the space of more than ten, ths, and not one answer to the [uent and humble suit he has le to you by letter, presumes for the last time to solicit your sideration of his case, and as he persuaded it is not, and cannot in your lordship's heart to dee and abandon to unmerited an old and faithful servant of crown, who has been the father four sons, (one of whom has ly died, and three are now car. ug arms in the service of their g) your memorialist humbly ys, that you will give order for to be relieved in such manner, to your lordship's wisdom shall m meet.

Il which is humbly submitted by
Your lordship's most obedient,

And most humble servant,
Richard Cumberland.'

This memorial, which is, peros, too long and loaded, I am rsuaded lord North never took pains to read, for I am unwil. g to suppose, that, if he had, he uld have treated it with absolute glect. He was upon the point of itting office when I gave it in, d being my last effort, I was de.

sirous of summing up the circumstances of my case so, that if he had thought fit to grant me a compensation, this statement might have been a justification to his successor for the issue; but it produced no compensation, though I should presume it proved enough to have touched the feelings of one of the best tempered men living, if he would have devoted a very few minutes to the perusal of it.

"It is not possible for me to call to mind a character in all essential points so amiable as that of this departed minister, and not wish to find some palliation for his over. sights; but if I were now to say that I acquit him of injustice to me, it would be affectation and hypocrisy; at the same time I must think, that Mr. secretary Robinson, who was the vehicle of the promise, was more immediately bound to solicit and obtain the fulfilment of it, and this I am persuaded was completely in his power to do: to him, therefore, I addressed such remonstrances, and enforced them in such terms as no manly spirit ought to have put up with; but anger and high words make all things worse; and language, which a man has not courage to resena, he never will have candour to forgive."

Some Account of the Life and

Writings of Lope Felix de Vega
Carpio, by Henry Richard Lord
Holland.

We have already given an account of Lope de Vega, extracted from this interesting work, and in the poetical part of the Re. gister are some specimens of his 4 A 2 lordship's

lordship's skill as a translator of poetry. We cannot quit our task without further noticing, that in an Appendix his lordship gives the following account of a memorial to the Royal Academy of History, on the games, spectacles, and public diversions of that country, which, at the moment we are writing, affords to all Europe the affecting spectacle of a people breaking the bonds of slavery, and rising against their foreign oppressors, to avenge the injured honour of their monarchy, and the insulted dignity of their nation. At such a time, therefore, even this fragment which illustrates the character of their late government, deserves the attention of all who feel for the sufferings of a people whose honour is proverbial.

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"Informe dado à la Real Academia de Historia, sobre Juegos, Espectaculos, y Diversiones Publicas.

This treatise is the work of don Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, late minister of grace and justice in Spain: a man, who, after having devoted the labours, and even the amusements, of his useful life, to the improvement and happiness of his fellow countrymen, is now languishing in the dungeons of Palma; imprisoned without an accusation, and condemned without the form of a trial.

"The paper on the games, exhibitions, and public diversions of Spain, was undertaken at the request of the Royal Academy at Madrid, and completed in 1790, during his retirement at Gijon; at a time when the displeasure of a minister did not necessarily imply the ruin, persecution and imprisonment of its

object. It has never been priam. probably owing to the fastidio. severity with which this excee author has generally viewed own productions. As he is, ho ever, the only person who is d tisfied with them, copies of treatise in MS. are not difficul be obtained in Madrid.

"After a rapid historical sk of the Roman exhibitions in S and a short account of the do sions introduced by the norar barbarians and their descend he describes the state of the Spa. theatre, from its first regularpearance in Ferdinand and bella's time, to the commences of the present reign. He take view of the controversies to it has given rise; and thoug condemns such scandalous ab of theatrical representations as ar occasionally prevailed in Span. 1 vindicates the use of that rab diversion, from the imputations the clergy, with his usual eloq-m and success. The latter part e work is devoted to the expost of plans for the revival of an exercises and diversions, and to suggestion of expedients for ret the character of the drama, exa the profession of players, and 1 mating the exertions of poets. B it must be acknowledged that allows his zeal for letters, and anxiety to direct them to bene purposes, to divert him from c. clusions to which his own pro ples would more naturally condhim; and he somewhat incors tently expects from such regulat more than any interference of vernments or academies was yet able to produce. His avers to the bull feasts induces him a

to under-rate their popularity, and to exaggerate the evil consequences produced by that barbarous but not unmanly amusement. But even where his reasoning is least conclusive, one is fascinated by the beauties of his style, which always seem to arise from the discussion, and to be as much the result of the sincerity of his conviction, and the benevolence of his views, as of an enlightened education, and a correct taste in composition and language. Such, indeed, is the character of all his writings, though it may possibly excite surprize, that a dissertation on games and exhibitions should af ford any room for displaying it. Jovellanos has, however, contrived, even on such a topic, to throw into the compass of a few pages, much curious information, and sound philosophical reflexion, without wandering from the subject, or betraying any disposition to pedantry or affectation.

"To justify the above commendations of his work, I subjoin a pas sage, which may serve also to illus. trate a remark in the text, and to shew that the gloomy appearance, so often objected to Spaniards, is to be ascribed to the perverse spirit of their municipal laws, and not to the natural disposition of that highspirited and warm-hearted people.

"The labouring class of society require diversions, but not exhibitions; the government is not called upon to divert them, but to permit them to divert themselves. For the few days, the short moments, which they can devote to recreation and entertainment, they will naturally seek, and easily find amusement for themselves. Let them merely be unmolested, and protected in the enjoyment of them. A bright sky

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and fine weather, on a holiday, which will leave them at liberty to walk, run, throw the bar, to play at ball, coits, or skittles, or to junket, drink, dance, and caper on the grass, will fill all their desires, and yield them complete gratifica. tion and contentment. At so cheap a rate may a whole people, how. ever numerous, be delighted and amused.

"How happens it then, that the majority of the people of Spain have no diversion at all? For every one who has travelled through our provinces must have made this me. lancholy remark. Even on the greatest festivals, instead of that boisterous merriment and noise which should bespeak the joy of the inhabitants, there reigns through. out the market-places and streets, a slothful inactivity, a gloomy still. ness, which cannot be remarked without the mingled emotions of surprise and pity. The few persons who leave their houses, seem to be driven from them by listlessness, and dragged as far as the threshold, the market, or the church-door. There, muffled in their cloaks, leaning against some corner, seated on some bench, or lounging backwards and forwards, without object, aim, or purpose, they pass their hours, aye, I may say their whole evenings, without mirth, recreation, or amusement. When you add to this picture, the dreariness and filth of the vil lages, the poor and slovenly dress of the inhabitants, the gloominess and silence of their air, the laziness, the want of concert and union so striking every where, who but would be astonished; who but would be afflicted by so mournful a phænomenon? This is not indeed the place to expose the errors which 4 A 3 conspire

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