atlantic plan of leaving religion, like other matters of individual concern, to the care of individuals themselves, fecure that it can never injure the peace of a well-regulated ftate, as long as the state abstains from interpofing in its differences. Ν. Ν. gion does not belong to them, but to their mafter. They are to follow authority in that, as in any other matter of civil regulation; and it would be punishable presumption in them to decide for them felves, as if they had any concern in the conclufion, A person may be of any religion he is commanded to be-he may bring his foul to submit as well as his body; and no duty can be supposed to A VIEW OF THE HERRING FISHERY, View of the Herring Fishery. supercede that of abfolute fubmiffion to the fovereign, This manner of confidering the subject is, in fact, a greater affront to the human understanding, than the power affumed by a Spanish inquifition. The latter founds all its authority upon the fuppofition that what it maintains is exclufively the truth, and truth of the highest importance to mankind; and it affects to make conviction the basis of that uniformity of belief and practice which it compels. It equally, indeed, with the other denies the right of private judgment; but it is on the plea that the matter has already been judged by the only competent tribunal; and it will not permit reasons of state or local circumstances to sway the decision of points not amenable to civil jurisdiction, The Ruffian scheme is evidently formed upon political confiderations; but it is accommodated only to a nation, the great hody of which are stupid barbarians. It proves that despots, with all the free-thinking they may poffefs, are only half-philofophers. They would gladly enjoy all the benefit which can arife from the men tal energies of their slaves, without taking off their shackles when acting for themselves. But to reduce the mind to fuch a state of difcipline is beyond their power. It will not be limited in its exerions. It will not expand itself freely upon topics of comparatively small consequence, and pass over those of the greatest. While the native Russians are to be mere hewers of wood, and drawers of water, they may perhaps be made to continue to worship pictures bought at their god shops, and fast and pray just as their priests bid them, But if the noble plan is really pursued of reclaiming a great people from barbarifm, and placing them on a level with the most enlightened nations of Europe, they must be allowed at least as much liberty as the strangers who come to teach them, and not have their religion shofen for them like a footman's livery, or a foldier's regimentals, How mean and barbarous is this policy, as well as every other scheme for restraining free enquiry, compared with the fimple trans For the Monthly Magazine. EXTRACTED FROM THE EVIDENCES BEFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, 1797 AND 1798. NORWAY. THE fishery begins in the middle of June, and continues to December. The fish taken in large nets within the rocks, bays, and creeks, with which the coast abound, and with the help of boats which cost from 16s. to 31. only, worked by two to fix men. The herrings all falted or pickled with Portugal falt, at 9s. or French falt, at 7s. per bushel. Their barrels cost only 16s. per laft of 12 barrels. Price of the best herrings 22s. to 24s. second sort 14 to 16s. third fort 3 to 10s. per barrel. Exports from Bergen annually about 30,000 barrels, chiefly confumed in Denmark and the Baltic. No bounties. GOTTENBURGH. Here is carried on the largest herring fishery in the world. Two to 4000 bar, rels caught in one draught of the seine, a net about 12 fathoms deep, and 150 long, worked by 16 men, and hove in by winches. Net costs 60 to 701. sterling. Boats carrying 1 to 200 barrels, with two or three men, and which cost 50 to rool. transport the fish, when cured, along the coast. The fishery commences the ist November, and continues till the frost stops it. Neither bounty nor drawback... Salt pays a duty of 15s. per ton, One barrel of falt cures 34 of herrings, The cost of falt is 31. per ton, and of barrels 28. each. Herrings for home consumption pay a duty of od. per barrel. Annual quantity falted or pickled about 300,000 barrels; one-fourth con fumed at home, the reft in the Baltic, Ireland, and the West Indies. Price about 8s. 6d. per barrel. Fifty thousand casks of oil, of 8000 tons, are yearly extracted from about a million of barrels of fish, two gallons to a barrel. Oil worth from 161. to 231. per ton; pays a duty of 15s, for home, and zos, per ton for export. Merchants from Gottenburgh offer to contract for millions of barrels, if want .ed 5 Jan.1 ed, for the West Indies. The annual confumption of the British islands computed to be about 250,000 barrels; four times greater than our average export to them. ISLE OF MAN. Three hundred and forty-three boats have of late years paid custom, but fome evade: feven or eight men in a boat; and 40 to 50 fishing smacks buy and cure and carry the fish away, as well as great quantities in bulk, to a market, chiefly to Liverpool. These finacks carry five men each, and many others attend to buy. The boats are from 12 to 22 tons. Fishery begins at Midfummer, and ends in October. Export for four years previous to 1791, was 7,390 barrels of white or pickled herrings to Great Britain, and 12,272 barrels of red herrings; and 27,525 red herrings to the Mediterranean. Bounty 1s. per barrel for home, and for export, 28. 8d. white, and 1s. 9d. red. Cured with Liverpool falt. Fishermen payed by shares. Value of smacks from Hool. to 500l. of boats, 80 to roogs. This fishery is now in a declining state, from unfuccessful seasons and becaufe of the war, which prevents their export to the Streights. IRELAND. Bounty Jos. per ton for 80 tons, and 45. per barrel for white herrings packed, and 1s. 3d. in bulk. Premiums, 80 guineas for the first, 60 guineas for fecond, 40 for third, and 20 guineas for fourth fuccefsful vessel; besides other encouragements from towns, &c. In 1793, bounty was received by 42 vessels, of 2848 tons and 543 men, and on 16,099 barrels; some quantity of fish caught befides. The fishery is carried on along shore; each veffel has two boats, with nets, to fupply her cargo, Two seasons, 25th October, for three months; and also ist of March. In 1785, when bounty was granted upon tonnage only, without any specific obligations as to the curing of fish, &c. export was 35,414 barrels. In 1794, only 1390 barrels. Annual import of Swedish herrings, 23,693 barrels, paying a duty of od. per barrel. LIVERPOOL. Employed, in 1797, 27 fail of fishing smacks in the Autumn, and 61 in the Winter fisheries, to buy and not to catch herrings, chiefly from the boats on the N. W. coast of Scotland, and in the Firth of Forth, Wales, and Isle of Man. Thefe fmacks are of 50 or 60 tons, worth 500 and 6001. and carry nine men. Ex 21 port increased, from 1794, only 7410 barrels to 27,387 barrels, in 1797, for the West Indies chiefly, the increase owing to our conquests of the French Welt India iflands. SCOTLAND. Three buffes employed in the N. W. Fisheries for three months, carrying 12 to 15 men, and three boats, with nets to fish in the locks, to compleat the cargo of the bufs, which is only a floating torehouse, cost 800l. with nets and outfit. Bounties allowed 20s. per ton, and 4s. per barrel, to the amount of 21 barrels per ton, and 1s. per barrel for the remainder. These busses are chiefly from Greenock; but there are some from the remotest Highlands, and in the Orkneys. The society, instituted a few years fince, for promoting the Scotch Fishery in the Highlands, have expended near 40,0001. in this object, and established three or four new settlements. In 1753, when the bounty was first given, there were only eight vessels, which caught 519 barrels. In 1796, an increase of 292 vessels, of 14,218 tons, 3,328 men, and 53,875 bar rels of herrings. Barrels. In 1793-316 vessels produced 67,203 In 1794-315 only 33,485 In 1795, 30,000 barrels were exported to the West Indies, and 37,000 barrels to Ireland. The Fishery in the Firth of Forth was very inconfiderable till 1794, fince which the bufses flocking here, and boats from all the eastern coast of Scotland, the catch in 1796 was 132,000 barrels by the boat fishery. It appears, that on a medium of the last three years, ending 5th of January, 1798, there were annually cleared out from all the parts of Scotland, without the tonnage-bounty, 736 vessels or boats, measuring 23,348 tons, manned with 2,366 men, laden with 195,149 bushels of falt, and 45,755 barrels, besides a great many empty barrels, &c. That of these 557 were either decked or of 15 tons and upwards, and 147 carried out nets. One hundred and fifty thousand barrels may be computed to be the annual produce of the boat fishery, beside fresh fish sold. Encouragements, are the allowance to fishcurers to take salt duty free; a bounty of 2s. per barrel in the taking of herrings by boats not belonging to busses; and a bounty of 2s. 8d. for the export of white herrings. Wages on board the buffes: master 50l. mate 451. Cooper 451. three boatmen 381. and three skunkmen 30l. three new hands 251. and a boy 15 to 198. per month; beside premiums, amounting to to 281. for refuse, and 141. for half cargo. Price of herrings from 20 to 25s. per barrel. One and a half bushel, or 84lb. falt required for each barrel packed for the West Indies; Portugal falt 41. per ton; barrels cost from 4. to 5s. each. Seafon for fifhing, November and December. Yarmouth has now nothing to do with the white herring fishery, having made the experiment and failed: but with Lowestoff, confidered as the principal place for red-herrings in the world; 30 or 40 years ago, the export has amounted to 70,000 barrels, chiefly up the streights; and 3 or 400 vessels have been employed. In 1793, about 10,000 barrels might be exported; none of fignification since. In 1798, only about 34 boats, and 30 cobles, from the coast of Yorkshire employed; the whole catch about 12,000 barrels for home consumption: price of ist fort, 45s. 2d fort, 30s. and 3d fort, 20s. per barrel. This is the only deep sea fishery in the kingdom, and which is therefore the best nursery for feamen. The boats carry 11 and 12 men, and are worth, with their appurtenances, 1000l. Their fishery is throughout the stormy months of October and November, from Yarmouth to the Channel. Bounty 20s. per ton, and 18. per barrel; for export is. gd. Dover and Hastings, &c. employ about 20 boats: finaller herrings redded for the home consumption, but never for export. The war is a deadly blow to this fishery, which is only upheld by the bounty. Yarmouth, Jan. 11, 1799. SIR, For the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. HAVING for fome years paid confiderable attention to subjects connected with the police of this country, I tranfmit you a gloffary of the principal terms now ufed in the thieving world; perfuaded that the publishing it in your extenfively circulated Magazine would be ferviceable to the public in general; and particularly useful in the examination and detection of thieves, to gentlemen in the commiffion of the peace, refiding at a distance from the metropolis. I remain, Sir, with respect, A CONSTANT READER. PRIGS-Thieves. Files or Knuckles-Pickpockets. House-breaking-Milling of Kens Public-houte for Thieves-A Flash Ken. A Lobb full of Glibbs-A box full of ribbons. A Rum Beak-A good Juftice. A Quare Beak-A bad Justice. A Scribing Gloak to the Beak-A Clerk to a Justice. A Horney-A Conftable. and a Turnkey A Rifpin-A Bridewell. for Tankards or Spoons. Nix in whideling-Don't speak. Tip us your fain-Give us your hand. A Coaping Cull-A Horse-jockey. Paffing Quare Blunt, or Smashing-Paffing bad Money. Scamping on the Panny-Going on the To Glee the Rattler-To notice a Coach on the Road. Mill the Cull to his long lib-Kill the Man you rob. Mill the rattling Gloke-Kill the Coach The Bustrap Johns me-The Thieftaker knows me. I have received my Patter-I have had my Trial. I am down for my Scrag-I am to be hanged. I am to be legg'd-I am to be transported. Our Fence is grabbed-Our receiver of Let us pike to the Spell-Let us go to the 'Tis a rum Darky, and Oliver shows- Tip me your Chive-Give me your Knife. Drawing a Reoder with Bank ScreensStealing a Pocket-book with Bank notes, Drawing Jan.] Controversy on the Nitrous Acid by Mr. Brown. Drawing a Thimble-Stealing a Watch from the Side or Fob. Pikeing across the Herring Fond-Going to Botany Bay. The Swag is safely planted with the Fence He has Split or turned Snitch against all dows. "Non ex fulgore fumum, fed ex To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. P SIR, ERMIT me, through the channel of your very valuable miscellany, to favour your numerous readers with a brief sketch of the controversy respecting the antivenereal property of Nitrous Acid, and other analogous substances, which have within these few years been introduced in public as well as private practice; and upon the success of which, we might say with Terence, " Quot homines tot fententiæ." It is not my intention to enter very minutely into the subject of this debate; but the intereft of the public is too deeply concerned to allow of its being lightly passed over; the decision of this question is of the utmost importance, and cannot be scrutinised with more attention than it deferves; it is alone from a sense of profef. sional duty, I venture to state what at prefent appears to me to be the refult of all the obfervations which have been made by those practitioners who have so laudably and zealoufly pursued the enquiry. It is now more than five years ago, that Mr. William Scott, of Bombay, proposed to cure the Lues Venerea, by substituting the acid of nitre instead of mercury. The principles upon which he introduced this remedy, and the unqualified terms in which he recommended its use, inclined various medical practitioners in Europe and America to make an experimental enquiry into its merits. Several gentlemen of rank and reputation in their profeffion, have taken a more than ordinary degree of pains to examine this subject: among whom I particularly name Dr. Rollo, of Woolwich; Dr. Beddoes, of Clifton; and Mr. Blair of London. Although a cloud of witnesses have teftified the good effects of the oxygenated medicines in fome states of the Lues Venerea, it is disputed by men of unimpeached character, skill, and pro. bity, whether they may be juftifiably de 23 pended on alone, especially in the more advanced stages of this infidious complaint. The following is, I believe, a just account of the controversy, as it has been impartially represented by Mr. Blair. This gentleman, with much ability and candour, has brought into a luminous point of view, all the exifting facts, both for and against the new mode of treatment. (See the first of his Essays on the Venereal Disease). Upon the whole he states, that the generality of the cures adduced in favour of the acids, &c. are not such as an impartial observer would select as the most unequivocal: It is therefore to be doubted, he thinks, whether the cures ought to be admitted as finally conclufive. Again, a great number of persons treated by Dr. Girdlestone of Yarmouth, Mr. Benjamin Bell of Edinburgh, and other eminent practitioners (not to mention his own patients at the Lock Hospital and Finsbury Difpenfary), experienced an actual increase of the venereal symptoms, during the careful exhibition of these remedies: from hence he infers, with much plausibility on his fide, that the fuccefsful trials alledged by Dr. Rollo and Dr. Beddoes, are probably fallacious. Dr. Rollo has given the refult of more than 150 cafes and experiments, conducted by the Surgeons of the Royal Artillery Hofpital; and is decidedly of opinion, that the new remedies are more fafe and certain than mercury, in every stage of this disease. Dr. Beddoes, with his usual industry, has likewise collected a large body of evidence from different parts of the kingdom, which he conceives will go a great way toward establishing the efficacy of these remedies (parti. cularly the acid of nitre), both in primary and fecondary symptoms of syphilis; to this collection I have contributed my mite. This ingenious physician has also announced, that he is on the eve of publishing another collection of cafes, still better calculated to prove his former suggestions, beyond all reasonable controverfy. Amidit all the uncertainty in which the fubject is involved, I am happy to learn (by a late advertisement) that Mr. Blair still perfeveres in his design of accumulating additional evidence, from private as well as public fources; and I cannot doubt but the fubject will be fully elucidated by his unremitting enquiries. Before I conclude, allow me to make a few obfervations in anfwer to your correfpondent N. at Bristol, of last morth, on the fubject of the propriety of admis mistering vomits in coses of fufpended ammation. If, with all his chemical knowledge 1 ledge of the properties of the different gafes (but particularly that of oxygen) The cannot comprehend the existence of a fact admitted by all enlightened philosophers of the present day, viz. that fubtances, fuch as the oxydes of mercury, zinc, &c. do contain oxygenous matter in folution, and that by a chemical process which takes place in the ftomach, and which is admirably calculated to excite our admiration and answer our designs, do readily impart this vivifying principle to stimulate the vital organs, it is not for me to spend that time in anfwering fuch fuperficial queries, which require only a flight knowledge of philofophical chemistry to solve, and which might be more usefully employed in the exercife of my professional duties. I reommend to his attention the following celebrated Italian proverb, "A caufa perfa parole affai." Ely Place, Holborn, Your much obliged, January 12, 1799. CHS. BROWN. **Slides into verse, and edges into rhyme," &c. With all due deference however to the Tearned emendator, whose accuracy and acumen in researches of this nature are very generally and gratefully acknowledged and admired, and whose productions in facred and profane criticilin have rendered a lasting service to the caufe of piety and general literature, I cannot help, in this particular instance, calling in queftion the justness of this or indeed of any other verbal alteration as neceffary to be adopted in the verse alluded to. I shall briefly explain the reasons why I think myself warranted to retain the reading as it now stands. To form a proper and determinate judgment on the fubject, the paffage, I prefume, should be taken in connexion with the scope and context. Peace is my dear delight, not Fleury's moreBut touch me--and no minister so fore; Who ever offends, at some unlucky time So fang the English poet, with a strength and spirit, a familiar ease, a grace, a beautiful abruptness, scarcely, if at all, interior to the glorious object of his imitation. The drift of the passage will appear, I think, fufficiently obvious, and we shall hardly mistake the poet's meaning, if, adopting the definition of the word in queftion precisely as given by Dr. Johnfon and Mr. WAKEFIELD himself*, we conceive the CAUSE to be put here for the EFFECT, by a common figure of rhetoric, viz. "HITCHES'in a rhyme," for "STUMBLES in a rhyme," &c. This or fomething like it, the poet must certainly have had his mind, from his touching next on the RIDICULE CONSEQUENT to SUCH a SITUATION; or rather, to express my fentiments freely, the "SACRED TO RIDICULE his whole life long," &c. may be confidered as a further and even complete elucidation of this construction of the paffage. I am greatly mistaken if one of our moft elegant and graceful writers, whose superior taste and judgment no person will call in question, is not exactly of the fame opinion as myself, with refpect to the figurative sense and acceptation in which the word is here used. According to Mr. MELMOTH, there is not only a pertinency, but even a peculiar aptness, a curious felicity in the phrase; -obviously, I should think, understanding the word "hitch" in the extensive sense above mentioned. I have no particular fault to find with " edge," as substituted for "hitch," provided the line were to run " edges in a rhyme," and not " edges into rhyme," &c.; unless that in poetry, the change of only a fyliable or two sometimes produces a very unpleasant fenfation on the ear, and affects the barmony of the numbers! Of this, however, poets themfelves are probably the best judges--This fame unpleafant fenfation is not a little increased, by the word " into" occurring twice in the fame line, according to Mr. WAKEFIELD'S correction-and which may be juftly * "TO HITCH." To catch, to move by jerks. Johnfon. Hitch is ufed in the northern counties, for getting into a place fideways, with difficulty and contrivance. In many parts of England, it is customary to fay, that "one substance bitches on another," meaning, that it catches on the edges, or protuberances, of another. Mr. *Pope's Imitations of Horace, book ii. fat. I. WAKEFIELD. ver. 77. + See the Letters of Sir Thomas Fitzofborne. objected |