the Empress of Ruffia, had entered into an alliance to difmember Poland, which breach of faith and juftice they found it easy to accomplish in the cafe of a weak and defenceless power. The courts of London, Paris, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, remonftrated against thefe ufurpations, but that was the only expreffion of their indignation. Poland was forced to fubmit, and the partition was ratified by their diet, under the bribes and threats of the three powers.

From this time little occurs in the life of our subject, until 1785, when a general confederacy was formed against him, and he had some thoughts of abdicating In 1787, he had an interview with the Empress of Ruffia, relative to an exchange of Polish Ukraine for part of Ruffian Poland, Next year, however, the Poles made fome endeavours to affert their inde pendence. The diet met, and the king propofed a confederation, which was acceded to, and the army reinforced to 100,000 men, but thefe events were fymptoms of approaching defolation. In May 1791, a moft important revolution took place, when the king planned a new conftitution, founded partly on that of England, which the diet adopted, but it met with great oppofition in the king. dom. The diet of 1793, made great ceffions to Pruffia at the inftigation of Ruffia. The diet of 1794, annulled the proceedings of that of 1788, and the Poles and Ruffians engaging in war, the new conftitution was entirely fubverted, although inftituted and fanctioned by the king and the diet. His Majefty fought in perfon on this occafion, but the Ruffian arms finally prevailing, the king formally laid down his crown at Grodno, November 25, 1795.

On this event, the Emprefs of Ruffia gave the dethroned monarch leave to go where he pleased, and

ment. He departed this life, Fe`bruary 12, 1798, at St. Petersburgh, of an apoplexy. He had for several days complained of a head-ach, but in confequence of the ufe of medicines, on the 11th, he found himself much better, and went to the window to observe the degree of cold indicated by the thermometer, when he felt himself suddenly seized with a violent pain in the head, attended with great feeblene fs. He was conveyed to bed, and remedies prescribed, but in vain. He requested his chaplain to give him absolution, and wished to repeat with him the penitential prayers; but his fpeech foon failed him. His Majefty then received the general absolution and extreme union. About mid-night he appeared much better; but, as the morning approached, grew continually weaker, till, about eight in the morning, he breathed his laft.

A monument to his memory has been erected by the emperor Paul, at Petersburgh, with a Latin infcription, of which the following is a tranflation,

To the memory of Stanislaus Auguftus, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, an eminent example of adverfe fortune. He was temperate in profperity, and bore adverfity with fortitude. Out of friendship to the deceased, Paul I. emperor of all the Ruffias, erected this monument.'

Mr Coxe, the traveller, who knew this monarch well, and enjoyed much of his converfation, has drawn his character, and depicted the cause of his misfortunes with great juftice. Staniflaus, fays he, feemed calculated, by his virtues and abilities, to raise Poland from its deplorable flate, if the defects of the conftitution had not fettered his exertions for the public good. The fairest hopes were conceived of his future reign; but thefe flattering prejudices, at first realized, were foon disappointed by the fac

tions of a turbulent people, fomented by the intrigues of the neighbouring powers. Thus the reign of the moft amiable among the Polish fovereigns, was doomed to experience the dreadful effects of that exceffive liberality, which is almoft inconfiftent with the existence of government. The firft acts of his majefty's reign, were highly adapted to introduce order and regularity into the interior adminiftration, and to rescue his country from her dependence upon foreign powers. The tendency of thefe executive regulations to increase the power and confequence of Poland, gave umbrage to the adjacent ftates, and were likewife vigorously oppofed by a strong party within the kingdom. At this crilis, too, religious difputes blending themfelves with public cabals, the flame of civil difcord burst forth with a violence which had not hitherto raged even in Poland.

It only remains to be added, that Stanislaus having died a depofed monarch, no court mourning was ordered upon the occafion. Efteem for his memory, however, will long be cherished by every friend to virtue. His manly and dignified conduct upon every public occafion, ranks him as a good and able prince, and his private virtues have ever been univerfally acknowledged and admired.

Rev. Robert Mafters,

A writer of confiderable diftinc. tion on fubjects of antiquity and ge neral literature. He was grandfon to Sir William Mafters, of Cirencefter, and was born in 1715. He was admitted at Bene't, or Corpus Chrifti college, Cambridge, 1731, proceeded B. A. 1734, M. A. 1738, S. T. B. 1746, and was fellow and tutor of that college from 1747 to 1750. He was upward of forty years rector of Landbeach, in Cambridgeshire, to which he was prefented by Bene't college, in 1756, when he married

Mifs Corey, daughter of one of his predeceffors in that living, who died August 29, 1764, by whom he had feveral children.

In 1753, he published the History of Bene't College, in two parts: 1. Of its Founders, Benefactors, and Matters: 2. Of its other principal Members. He alfo in this promifed an account of their valuable collection of manufcripts which he had arranged, and had new bound. He published alfo a Plan and Elevation of the new Building, which he claimed the merit of defigning, but which was really due to Mr James Effex, who publifhed his in 1773, with ' a Letter to his Subfcribers to his Plan and Elevation of this intended Addition, 1748-9, mad: for Mr Mafters when tutor,' and a paper war was carried on for fome time between the two claimants, in which Mr Effex finally prevailed.

Mr Mafters also published A Section and Ichnography of Pythagoras School, at Cambridge, with the Seal of Merton College, Oxford,' to which it belongs, engraved by William Stephens, an excellent engraver of feals and plates, defervedly patronized by Mr Masters. His next work was

Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late Rev. Thomas Baker, B. D. of St. John's College, from the Papers of Dr Zachary Grey; with a Catalogue of his Manufcript Collections, 1784. About 1790, he published

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A Catalogue of the feveral Pictures in the public Library and refpective Colleges of the Univerfity of Cambridge.' His laft work was A fhort Account of the Parish of Waterbeach, in the Diocefe of Ely, by a late Vicar, 1795.' He was elected Fellow of the Antiquarian Society in 1752, and about that time published in the Archæologia, Remarks on Mr Walpole's Hiftory Doubts,' which did not pafs unnoticed by that gentleman. He died in his eighty-third year, July 5, 1798.

Dr.

Dr Forfter.

John Reinhold Fofter, L. L. D. of the university of Oxford, the celebrated navigator, was a native of Dvifchau, in Weft Pruffia, and was born October 1729. He was formerly a proteftant clergyman at Dantzic, whence he went to Ruffia, where he purfued his favourite ftudy, natural history, of which he was profeffor in the university of Halle, at the time of his death, and a member of the Academy of Sciences, at Berlin. From 1772 to 1775, he accompanied captain Cook in his Voyage round the World. On his return he refided at London, till he was at length invited to Halle, where, for eighteen years, he was a member of the Philofophical and Medical Faculties. His fon, George Forster, who went round the world with captain Cook, and was afterward profeffor of natural history at Caffel, died at Paris in 1792. Dr Forter died at Halle, December 16, 1798.

His works are very numerous. A. mong the earliest is An Introduction to Mineralogy, or an Accurate Claffification of Minerals and Foffils, London, 1768.' In the Archeologia, vol. 2, are his Obfervations on fome Tartarian Antiquities found in Siberia; and in vol. 3, 'Obfervations on the Parthian Epoch, as found on a Coin in the Imperial Cabinet, at Vienna.' Upon Mr Banks and Dr Solander declining the fecond voyage with captain Cook, 1772, on account of the want of fome proper accommodation, the board of admiralty, at the short warning of ten days, engaged Dr Forfter, and the fon we have mentioned, who drew up an account of a ' Voyage round the World, in his Britannic Majefty's floop Refolution, commanded by captain Cook, during the years 1772-1775, 2 vol. 4to. 1777 Mr Forter having faid in this work, that Mr Arnold's watch swas unfortunately topt, Mr Wales, the attronomer of the voyage, to

whofe cuftody it was committed, fele himfelf charged with having wilfully ftopped it; and Mr Forfter not immediately iffuing out, by way of erratum, a declaration that the word was flipt in by mistake, Mr Wales publifhed 1778, fome warm • Remarks,' on the voyage, which were answered with no lefs warmth in a • Reply to thofe Remarks,' the fame year, by Mr Forster, junior, who likewife at that time addreffed A Letter to Lord Sandwich,' to prove that he and his father were not rewarded fufficiently, nor agreeably to contract, for accompanying captain Cook in this voyage. Dr Forfter published in 1771, Novæ Species Infectorum, 8vo. An Easy Method of affaying and claffing Mineral Subftances; containing plain and eafy Inftructions for any Perfon to examine the products of his own Lands, or fuch as are obvious in excurfions or travels in foreign Coun tries, without having a complete chymical Apparatus. To which is added, a Series of Experiments on the Fluor Spatofus, or Sparry Fluor, abstracted from the Memoirs of the Royal Swedifh Academy of Sciences, for the year 1771, 8vo.' A Catalogue of the Animals of North America.' • Account of Quadrupeds and Birds from Hudfon's Bay, Philofophical Tranfactions, vol. 62.' Account of Fishes fent from Hudfon's Bay, ibid 63. Specimen of the Natural Hiftory of the Volga, ibid 57. Account of a new Map of the Volga, ibid 58. Management of the Carp in Polish Pruffia, ibid. 61. Account of Roots ufed by the Indians, near Hudson's Bay, to dye Porcupine's Quills, ibid 62.' • Flora America Septentrionalis; or, A Catalogue of the Plants of North America, 1771, 8vo. printed with his Tranflation of Boffu's Travels through North America, illuftrated with Notes, relative, chiefly, to Natural History, 1771, 2 vol. 8vo.' Alfo in the fame year, a Tranflation of Bougainville's Voyage round the

World,

and the Chart improved.' Tranflation of Ofbeck's Voyage to China and the East Indies, 1771, 2 vol. 8vo. of Kalm's Voyage to North America, 2 vol.' Tranflation of Baron Reidefel's Travels into Sicily, and that part of Italy, formerly called Magna Græcia, and a Tour through Egypt, 1773, 8vo.' dedicated to Thomas Falconer, Efq. of Chefter, Mr Pennant's brother law. Cha racteres Generum Plantarum, quas in Itinere ad Infulas Maris Auftralis Collegerunt, 1776, 4to,' the first fpecimen of the natural productions of thofe remote countries in the South Seas, which Dr Forfter and his fon were fent out with captain Cook, at the national expenfe, to collect and defcribe. It contains feventy-five new genera of plants. Liber fingularis de Byffo antiquorum, quo in Egyp tia Lingua res veftiaria antiquorum imprimis in S. codia Hebræorum occurrens explicatur. Additæ ad calcen mantiffe Egytiace v. on Zaphanath, Paancah, Abrech, Ark, Cherub, the Topaz, 1776, 8vo. Obfervations made during a Voyage round the World on Phyfical Geography, Natural History, and Ethic Philofophy, 1778, 4to.' tranflated into French, as an additional volume to Cook's voyages. In 1780, Dr Forfter pub

of Chymical Obfervations and Experiments on Air and Fire, by Charles William Sheele, Member of the Royal Academy, at Stockholm; with a prefatory Introduction by Torbern Bergman: to which are added, Notes by Richard Kirwan, Efq. and a Letter to him from Dr Priestley, Svo.'

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At Halle, he published, 1781, in Latin and German, Illuftrations of Natural Hiftory, with fifteen Plates, in fmall folio, engraved at the joint expence of Sir Jofeph Banks, Mr Loten, a Dutch Eaft India governor, and Mr Pennant; with the addition of a Differtation on the Climate, winds, and foil of India, and another on the Bird of Paradife, and the Phoenix.' In 1786, he published in German, which was tranflated into English the fame year, A Hiftory of the Difcoveries and Voyages made in the North, illuftrated with new and original Maps, 4to.' an ufeful compilation, without much original matter. When in London, he was employed in the Critical Review, and fupplied many fall articles in the foreign literary journals.

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Thomas Pennant, Efq.

For an account of this very ufeful and indefatigable writer, fe our last Magazine, page 428.

birds, and fome potent roots, weeds

and bushes, of which Europeans are at this time ignorant; but which were known, for the fame purposes, to the ancients. Certain mixtures of these ingredients are burnr, or buried' very deep in the ground; or hung up a chimney; or laid under the threfhold of the door of the party, to fuf. fer; with incantation fongs or curses, performed at midnight, regarding the afpects of the moon.-A negro, who

thinks himself bewitched by Obi, will apply to an Obi-man or Obi-woman, for cure-Laws have been made in the West Indies to punish this obian practice with death; but they have bad no effect. Laws conftructed in the Weft indies, can never fupprefs the effect of ideas, the origin of which is in the centre of Africa.

I saw the obi of the famous negro robber, Three fingered Jack, the terror of Jamaica in 1780 and 1781. The Maroons who flew him brought it to me. His obi confifted of the end of a goat's horn, filled with a compound of grave dirt, afhes, the blood of a black cat, and human fat; all mixed into a kind of pafte. A black cat's foot, a dried toad, a pig's tail, a flip of parchment of kid's skin, with characters marked in blood on it, were also in his obian bag.

Thefe, with a keen fabre, and two guns, like Robinfon Crufoe, were all his obi; with which, and his courage in defcending into the plains, and plundering to fupply his wants, and his skill in retreating into difficult faftneffes, commanding the only accefs to them, where none dared to follow him, he terrified the inhabitants, and fet the civil power, and the neighbouring militia of that island, at defiance, for two years.

He had neither accomplices, nor affociate. There were a few runaway negroes in the woods near Mount Libanus, the place of his retreat; but he had croffed their foreheads with fome of the magic in his horn, and they could not betray him. But he trufted no one. He fcorned affiftance. He afcended above Spartacus. He robbed alone; fought all his battles alone; and always killed his purfuers. By his magic, he was not only the dread of the negroes, but there were many white people who believed he was poffeffed of fome fupernatural power. In hot climates, females marry very young; and often with great difparity of age. Here Jack

was the author of many troubles :for feveral matches proved unhappy. Give a dog an ill-name, and hang him.' Clamours rofe on clamours against the cruel forcerer; and every conjugal mishap was laid at the door of Jack's fpell on the wedding-day. God knows, poor Jack had fins enough of his own to carry, without loading him with the fins of others. He would fooner have made a medean cauldron for the whole island, than disturb one lady's happinefs. He had many opportunities; and, though he had a mortal hatred to white men, he was never known to hurt a child, or abufe a woman.

die.

But even Jack himself was born to

Allured by the rewards offered by Governor Dalling, in a proclamation, dated the 12th of December 1780, and by a refolution which followed it, of the houfe of affembly, two negroes, named Quafher, and Sam (Sam was captain Davy's fon, he who shot a Mr Thompson, the matter of a London fhip at old harbour) both of Scots. Hall, Maroon town, with a party of their townfmen, went in fearch of him.

Quafher, before he fet out on the expedition, got himself chriftened, and changed his name to James Reeder." The expedition commenced; and the whole party had been creeping about in the woods, for three weeks, and blockading, as it were, the deepest receffes of the most inacceffible part of the ifland, where Jack, far remote from all human fociety, refided—but in vain.

Reeder and Sam, tired with this mode of war, refolved on proceeding in fearch of his retreat; and taking him, by forming it, or perifhing in the attempt. They took with them a little boy, a proper fpirit, and a good fhot, and left the reft of the party. These three, whom I well knew, had not been long feparated, before their cunning eyes difcovered, by impref