1751. REMARKS in Travels thro' ITALY. defire of fome gentlemen, members of the We have now only to add, that on June 25, his majesty came to the house of lords, and the commons being fent for, alter paffing the acts ready for the royal affent, he concluded the feffion with a moft gra cious fpeech from the throne, the fubftance whereof the reader may fee in our Magazine for that month, p. 283. Extract of a Letter from Robert More, WH 461 down it a ftream of water. When I went down into the Crater on the top of Vefuvius, it was full of fmoak: Yet I did not perceive it fuffocating, and thought it steam. The guides indeed tell the English, that milorde of their country was fuffocated there: Being asked his name, they think it was my lord Plinio. That which they I call fulphur, when I got home, ran per deliquium. I owe to you the feeing of Beneventum, a place full of antiquities. At Arienzo, village half way to it, I faw coppicewoods, from which they make manna. (See p. 389.) At Terni I was obliged to your directions for feeing the cafcade below, as well as above. I went down by the fide of the precipice, which I believe few have done, or they would not imagine the fall fo little as Miffon makes it, very short of what the people of the place call it.-Mr. Addifon, on the contrary, makes the aquedu at Spoleto as many yards, as I take it to be palms. One finds, indeed, ftrange incorrectness in all the travel-writers, when one reads them upon the spot.-One of them conjectures the fine bridge in ruins at Narni might have been an aqueduct, which manifeftly rofe all the way towards the town, to ease the steep afcent to it. But I was most surprised to fee Mr. Addison misDtatue of Bacchus, which quote a Latin verfe of Bembo's, under a think he calls HEN I got to Barcelona, I did E not find an opportunity of going immediately to Naples, as you proposed; yet am I not forry that I was forced thro the South of France, where are many places, I thought, well worth feeing, When I got into Italy, it was most convenient for me to haften to Rome, where I spent the winter, and went early to meet the fpring at Naples; from which I began your route. You cannot more regret your own not having feen the natural curiofities of that place, than I do the lofs thereby to the publick. The voyage-writers do not feem to me fufficiently to have confidered the force and effects of team, which may be formed by fprings of water falling upon a vaft furface of the fluid lava, and talk too much of fulphur, deceived by the complexion of a falt that covers the ground in fome places there." In the Solfatara I held a cold iron in the vent, and therë ran F G Apollo's. I believe the Museum of the Specula at Bologna is improved fince you were there ; the joint collections of count Marsigli, marchefe Cofpi, Aldrovandus, and others, form the finest set of natural curiofities I ever faw; and are now improving by the munificence of the prefent pope. I had certainly miffed feeing the continual fires upon the Apennines, by the badness of the weather, if it had not been for your caution. I indeed faw that at Fiorenzuola only at a distance; but I spent good part of a night over a more confiderable one, as they told me, at Pietra Mala, a village among the fnows. The flame here, when I faw it, was extremely bright, covered a furface of about 3 yards by z, and rofe about 4 feet high. After great rains and fnows, they faid, the whole bare patch, of about 9 yards diameter, flames. The gravel, out of which it rifes, at a very little depth, is quite cold. There are three of thefe fires in that neighbourhood and there was one they call extinct. I went to the place to light it up again, and left it flaming. The middle of the lat place is a little hollowed, and had in it a puddle of water: There were strong ebullitions of air thro' the water. But that air 462 Account of an HORSE bit by a mad Dog. air would not take fire; yet what role N Dec. 1, 1745, a neighbour's large mastiff dog, mad, broke out in the night from the place where he was too carelefly confined, and, by a rotten back window, entered my ftable, fell upon my horfe, and bit him in many places, as houlder, breaft, and right noftril, which B was indeed much torn. He bled largely. The town being early in the morning alarmed by this mad dog, and my horfe being found loofe, his collar broke to pieces, wounded in many places, and much blood fcattered up and down the stable, it was too justly concluded the dog had fallen upon him. According to Default's method, and C what Dr. James fays, in a letter I had from him on another occafion, will effectually prevent the ill confequences of this bite; I immediately ordered the wounds to be well rubbed with a mercurial ointment, ex axung. porc. 3 vj. argent. viv. Zij. About Zij. were at times expended. Next morning he was bled two pounds or more; after which I gave him in milk lieben ciner, terreft. 3 vj. pip. nig. 3 iiij. five mornings fucceffively; which I repeated at the end of a fortnight for four mornings more. D a As the pulu. antily us was not in our fhops, and no one in town knew the lichen E but myself, I went with my fervant Sunday forenoon, the day of my horfe's misfor tune, to feek it. What I found was, I fear, too young; for it seemed just coming from the earth, and the leaves were scarce one third as big as at its full growth. I got what I hoped might be fufficient; and, after cleaning, perhaps too haftily dried it at the fire, that it might be ready for use the next day. The wounds healed up foon, without any other application; and the horse fed uncommonly hearty after a day or two, (during which the fright had made him uneafy and fretful) and feemed to improve confiderably in every refpect. I omitted riding him for 20 days; but about the G 20th rid him two fhort journeys only. He travelled chearful and brisk, and I took care not to heat him (for tho' the horse was old, I would not willingly have parted with kim for 20 pieces.} I saw him every day, but could in no respect discover any thing amifs. Dec. 25. Two days before the full moon, my fervant told me, that in the morning he trembled much on entering the horfepool, and refused to drink at the wateringtrough; but in the evening drank heartily at another well. This alarmed me ; but confidering that horfes frequently refuse to drink there, and that he drank in the evening, I was fomewhat easy; but ordered my fervant, if he refufed next morning drinking at one, to try him at the other, and if he refufed at both, to let me immediately know it. Dec. 26. As soon as he entered the horse pool, he trembled all over in a moft furprifing manner, and would by no means attempt to drink. The fervant immediately returned with him. I ordered him to be led into a small pool of rain-water which flood in my court. The trembling returned; every muscle was strangely agitated; he looked as if he were melancholy on the water, smelt to it, but would not touch it. Being put into the ftable, a bucket of pure clean water was brought to him; he eagerly thrust his mouth into the water, but, endeavouring to fuck it, a convulfion feized him. I was now fatisfied he had a true aquæ pavor. He was bled to about 3 pints, mufk 3 cinnab. ant. 3j. made into a ball with conf. antbos, was given him. In bleeding he once (napt at the fmith, tho' well known to him, having fhoed him for years: And indeed this was the only time he attempted to bite any one. In about two hours after the musk was given to him, I offered him with my own hands about two galions of white water warm: He drank it off without the leaft difficulty or hesitation. Had I diffolved in it two ounces of nitre, I had certainly done well. Had the quantity of musk at first given been greater (for Dr. James writes me, he gives the above quantity of the best musk in a watchfulness remaining after a febrile delirium is removed) or had I now again repeated the fame ball, I am apt to think the horse might have been faved (this being the Tonquin method, even after the appearance of the bydrophobia ;) for he was as yet quiet and tractable. I went to him as ufual, handled him, and he behaved as in his former health; but, being looked on as a mad horfe, I faw every one was afraid to meddle farther with him. He eat both hay and oats heartily. In the evening, about nine o'clock, more of the white water was offered him, but he drank none. 1751. Of the ROYAL TOUCH for the EVIL. Dec. 27. This night the madness in- groan in an affecting manner, and fre- B He still eat his allowance of hay and oats; but when not eating, he was con tinually thrusting out his tongue, and C working with his lips, as if to moisten and cool them. His tongue was exceeding dry, and of a blackish-brown colour on the furface. As he eat oats, I have fometimes lamented I had not mixed turpetb, mineral, with them. I tried him with water about nine at night; every thing was as in the morning, only the convulfion was, if poffible, stronger, and more excruciating, for he groaned deeper, louder, and in a more affecting tone. His breath was exceeding hot; it came from his noftrils like smoke from a chimney-top; he expanded his noftrils as if he had been violently running; and the steam was vifible for more than a yard diftance. D E Dec. 28. This night he broke his collar in pieces, broke down the partition by which he was feparated from the place of my other horfe, traverfed the ftable, attempted to get out; in order to which he beat down the under half of the stable. door; however, in the morning, being Spoken to by my fervant, he neigh'd, immediately went to his place, where he ftood biting his breaft and manger almost continually. His look was now become. wild and furious, and about 10 o'clock I ordered him to be shot. P. S. I obferved he was always worse, every fymptom being aggravated, at the time the moon came to the meridian which again, as the day advanced, in fome degree abated. Of the Royal Touch for the EVIL. T has ever been an allowed maxim, I that truth lies buried deep in the earth, G 463 nor is to be difcovered, but by delving for it to the bottom. In kingly governments of old, the wifer fort were univerfally of the opinion, that the multitude were to be deceived and allured to their duty, by fictitious and fabulous tales, contrived to inftil a fuperftitious reverence for the perfon of their princes. This is a fact fo notorious, as to need no example from history to prove it; for all ancient history is a living witness of it; and, perhaps, there never was a better step taken, to procure vulgar refpe&t to kings, than that pretence fome of them have used of curing our maladies, as blindness, evil, barrenness, &c. This is by no means a modern device, nor peculiar to the British race of monarchs. Ziphilin, the abridger of Dion, in his life of Vefpafian, tells us of two fellows, the one blind, the other lame, that dreamed they were to expect their cure from that prince; and accordingly, on application to him, we are informed, that in order to occafion a belief, that there was fomething of divinity about him, he cured one by rubbing his eyes, and the other he trod on; but our hiftorian well obferves, that the crafty Alexandrians esteemed him no more for his miracle-working, plainly seeing thro' the juggle. Whether the prefent advocates for our British kings working miracles by the touch, will chufe to date the antiquity of this power in kings, from the great Vefpafian, or from the much more modern example of Edward the Confeffor, is a matter equally indifferent to me; however, this story from Ziphilin fully demonftrates the notion to have been originally pagan, and of confequence a heathenish and devilish folly. It is a long jump from the time of Velpafian to the days of our Edward the mira cle-worker, whom all chronicles pretend cured a young married woman of barren, nefs and the evil at one and the fame time, The ftory is, that this woman (as in Ve fpafian's cafe) dreamt that the king was to cure her; and accordingly, at her coming to court, this holy king touched her, and, that after she became well and a joy. ful mother of children. As this power is by the Jacobites always fixed to the eldest in the lineal and lawful fucceffion, fo this affertion in Edward the Confeffor's reign could not bear; for it is plain, from the hiftory of that time, there was no fuch thing in those days, Edward himself not being the next heir, but a baftard, born in a double adultery, or at leaft only cleared from it on one fide, by his fa ther's cruel murder of earl Ethelwold, the husband to the beauteous Elfrida, an iffue God could no more be fuppofed to affift in 464 A further Account of STONEHENGI. a fuper-extraordinary manner, than he did, in like cafe, the iffue of David by Uriah's wife, when, left it should occafion the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme, the child born was doomed to die. However, on the fcore of piety, it is poffible God might blefs the iffue of fuch a principal Views, we thought proper so Say Something more of it, after referring our Readers to an Abstract of Dr. Stuke ́ley's Account of this amazing Structure, which they will find in our Magazine for 1740, p. 20, 21. conjunction, 3, and all, and by fays, it was AWE obferve, that the doctor and fome his fanctity, if at all, and not his royalty, did obtain this privilege; for why elfe was his father and brother without it? confequently, there is no reafon, his fucceffors, who were no faints, should be thus greatly favoured of heaven. Again, very unfortunately it falls out, for thofe who infift, that this power always remains fixed in the eldest of the li. B neal fucceffion; whereas this very Confef for, this faint, this weak prince, prepofte. roufly abstained from converting with his queen, a handsome and virtuous princess, out of malice and hatred to her father, and fo died without iffue, like the son of Uriah's wife and David; and the lineal fucceffion failed, which, at length, involved the Englifh in flavery. Ailred foifts together many other mira. eles he did, as giving fight to 7 or 8 blind men, &c. but takes not the leaft notice of this power of curing the evil, descending to those who filled the throne after him; no more than the power of reftoring the fight, or removing barrenness by the touch. other authors, tho' they agree in the account we have given, of this being a work of the Briton's, and not of the Romans, nor Danes, yet differ with regard to the time of It's erection, and the defign or occafion of it. They are of opinion, that we ought to date the original of this ftructure long before the invafion of the Romans under JuHus Cæfar, and that it was really a temple of the ancient Britifh druids. Thefe druids were a fort of religious, who were the chief men alfo in the ftate, and the judges in all matters of importance relating to the publick, as well as between man and man. They were held in the highest veneration, and had a moft fuperftitious regard for the oak and mifletoe. Dr. Stukeley thinks they preferved the ancient patriarchal religion, derived from Abraham, with little or no idolatry; but, according to others, they were very grofs idolaters. However, there were 4 orders of them, philofophers, divines, prophets, and poets, each having their diftinct colleges; and the works at From whence then must our kings derive D Stonehenge feem to be the remains of a this lineal right? from Vefpafian, whofe race ended above 16 hundred years ago? Or will they deduce it from Edward the Confeffor, who never had iffue? And if our accounts in history be true, and the right in all kings, this touching for the evil is alike exercifed by pagans and chriftians, by baftards and lawful heirs, by E catholicks and proteftants, by good and bad men, by tyrants and ufurpers, by men, women, and children: In a word, it seems like another will-of-the-wifp, an ignis fatuus, which tho' all have heard of, yet none ever felt. Whether the prefent illuftrious race on the throne can cure the evil by the touch, none can know till they are weak enough to try, which I believe will fearce happen in this enlightened age. Our good prince, perhaps, thinks, that fo long as the king does no evil, there is no evil for the king to remedy Refigning entirely to God fuch matters, as alone belong to the Creator, and referving to himself those only, which truly belong to Cæfar. We gave a Defeription of that remarkable British Antiquity, called STONEHENGE, on Salisbury-Plain, in our lafi, p. 392; and as we have bere exhibited one of ita F college of the fecond order, where the myfteries of their religion were performed, and facrifices offered, and they pretended to call up the dead and give answers from them. The British name for this ftupendous work was Choir gaure, which monkish writers interpret Chorea Gigantum, or the Giants Dance, agreeable to the vulgar notion of its being built by magick: But the words rather fignify Chorus magnus, the great choir, round church, or temple. The name Stonebenge is purely of Saxon original, and fignifies hanging ftones, referring to the ftones laid across, or to the rocking-ftone; as pendulous rocks are even now called benges in Yorkshire. The grand or only access to this work is by afcending ground from the E. N. E. or rather from a point a small matter more to the N. It stands not on the very fummit of a hill, but pretty near it, and for more than 3 quarters of the circuit you afcend to it very gently from lower ground. It appears really majestick to fuch as approach Git in front, and cannot fail of striking the perfon who confiders it as a facred structure, with a religious awe. The line of 2 detached ftones before the front of the fabrick directs to the middle of the most entire part of the body of the building; and |