*799.] On the word Hitch. -Geographica, Hints. objected to, (if I may venture to diffent in opinion from so great an authority) as not being in the manner of Pope. I am unable to discover clearly the real import of " edges INTO rhyme;" it appears, however, to differ confiderably from that light and sportive idea which a STUMBLE and a FALL, especially in the rhyming part of a poet's business, (after SLIDING into it with all the easy freedom and fancy of one who mistakes the illuLons of vanity for the inspiration of the muse), expresses with fuch peculiar and eminent pr propriety: this whimsical and ludicrous idea, which constitutes, it should feem, the principal beauty of the verse, and in which the essence and pointdness of its humour confists, is, by the fubftitution of the two words above mentioned, completely set aside and done away. Many words which have become obsolete in some parts of the country, are retained in others. This I conceive to be more particularly the cafe with respect to the word "hitch." I scarcely remember to have met with it any where, in common use, at any fubfequent period of my life; but think I recollect perfectly well, even now, its being familiarly used at a school, (in Kingswood Forest, about three miles from the city of Bristol) where I refided many years ago. The inhabitants of that district, as a late writer in the Monthly Magazine observes, "speak a language that is peculiar to themselves, and perfectly unintelligible to a stranger." Should any of your intelligent correfpondents, who may have confidered this very curious paffage more attentively 25 To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. IT SIR, Tieems to be your chief concern to render your Magazine useful; perhaps, therefore, you will do me the favour to infert a hint. One great defi deratum with young students of hiftory is, the means of easily and immediately connecting the geography of the ancient and modern world. This might be effected by maps printed with ink of different colour. On common charts we fee the boundaries of distinct countries shaded. with various colours; and nothing further would be necessary to avoid the confution arifing from the interfection of independent and unconnected lines of demarcation. The names of the principal towns might be dittinguished in like manner. Such maps would not require a very expensive execution, as they would be mere links to connect fuperior atlasses of both kinds: they would be fingularly useful in elementary and school-compilations. -Mem. Ought not our gazetteers for general use to include the ancient names of places? Also a query fubmitted to your legal correspondents, but interesting to all political philosophers: " Do the annals of our criminal jurisprudence contain any instance of a conviction and EXECUTION for MURDER by DUEL, where the party has behaved according to the generally received maxims of ponour?" Should no instance occur, now Itriking a proof will. it be of the inefficacy of law opposed to manners!!! Yours, &c. December 1798. H. C. R. than I have, be dissatisfied with the above To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. mentioned explanation of it, it is to be hoped they will communicate, through I the channel of your useful Magazine, any further information leading to the more perfect knowledge of a word, which, according to his own confeffion, exercised the penetration even of Dr. Johnfon-Or if any of your numerous provincial readers can fuggest any novel or various acceptation of which the word "hitch" is fufceptible, their communications will no doubt be entitled to respectful notice, as they may ferve to throw fome additional light on the fubject. SIR, DOUBT not but from the impartiality you have difcovered, you will be ready to contribute towards the expofing of imposture and the defence of an injured body of men, by inferting the following: There is a man, who styles himself the Rev. DAVID RIVERS, who has published a pamphlet full of the groffeft abule of the proteftant diffenters. The piece is too contemptible in itself to deserve notice: But it has been raifed into fome degree of importance by the account given of it ARTHUR KERSHAW. in fome party-publications. Be to good Hoxton, January 15. MONTHLY MAG. No. XLI. as to inform your numerous readers, that this Rev. DAVID RIVERS is not, and never was acknowledged by the body of minifters, D ministers, or by any regular diffenting minifter, having never been educated or ordained to the miniftry among them. He had, indeed, affumed the office of a preacher, as any other man might do, but he met with no encouragement, and therefore has taken the method of abusing diffsenters (not an uncommon one), to recommend himself to their avowed enemies. I am, Sir, your's, &c. A PROTESTANT DISSENTER. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, BEG leave to offer the following If, in the experiments of M. GULIELMINE, the falling bodies were found eight lines and a half to the east of the plumb-line, I should suppose either that the point at which their defcent commenced did not accurately coincide with the upper end of the plumb-line, or that the plumb-line itself was not perpendicular; or, lastly, that fome secondary cause must have intervened to give the line of their descent a diverging from the plumb-line. In the latter cate, it will be worth inquiring, what that secondary cause is? If falling bodies do not describe perpendicular lines, how can it be demonitrated that plumb-lines will stand I question to your literary correfpon perpendicular? dents as a fubject for their difcuffion Whether the ufual mode in writing of prefixing a capital initial letter to lub stantive nouns should be generally adopted? Ε. Μ. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. H SIR, con AVING been in the habit of fidering it as a maxim, that falling bodies take a direction perpendicular to the horizon, I was confiderably furprised on observing the refult of fome experiments by M. GULIELMINE, as stated by LALANDE, in the History of Aftronomy for 1797, and communicated in your last number, (page 328), in which it is afferted, that bodies fell eight lines and a half to the east of the plumb-line, from a height of 247 feet. The name of LALANDE almost induces me to fufpect that I am mistaken; yet the diffidence excited by his extended and justly-acquired celebrity, will not justify the renunciation of a principle so important, without the superior authority of conviction. Falling bodies are generally understood to be acted upon, and to have their motion determined by, gravity only. This force acting upon bodies, impels them towards the center of gravity; and, if no other cause be combined with it, will determine them towards that point by the shortest way; that is, on right lines. A right line from the circumference to the center must be perpendicular to the hori. zon, unless it be demonstrated that gravity and the earth have different centers: and hence it feems pretty clearly deducible that bodies, in their defcent to the outh, move in perpendicular lines. How does the fact of bodies falling to the east of the plumb-line, if admitted, prove the motion of the earth? as LALANDE afferts. If they had fallen to the west, the inference would be more natural; but even in that cafe, it would demand a very critical investigation, before it could be confiftently denominated a proof. Having ftated the cafe with its difficulties, allow me to folicit the attention of your philofophical readers to the fubject; and in the confidence of their science, candour, and readiness to oblige, to expect that fatisfactory information which will highly gratify, Sir, your occafional correfpondent, and humble fervant, Bath, Dec. 12, 1798.. Τ. Ρ. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. Y SIR, The man OU were certainly perfectly right in inferting, in your Magazine, Mr. Horsey's letter, respecting the diffolution of the No Northampton academy. ner in which public trufts are difcharged, is undoubtedly e proper fubject of public investigation. But though Mr. Horsey may have fufficiently vindicated his own conduct, the whole business relative to the diffolution of the Northampton academy, and Mr. Coward's truft, seems not yet to have been fatisfactorily explained. Another business, in which the Dissenters are concerned, and which requires some public investigation, is the diftribution of the regium donum. It is a fingular and curious circumstance, that the perfon who is the principal, if not the fole diftributor of the regium donum, though a diffenting minifter, and minister of a congregation in London, is not now a member of the general body of 1799.] 27 Charity for Soup.-Antiquity of Hats. of diffenting ministers of London and manufacturing quarter of the metropolis, Westminster, and would not be fuffered and during the last winter contributed to be present at any of their meetings, very largely to the daily support of numeThe bufinefs business of the regium donum certainly requires fome public explanation; and no men are more interested in this than the perfons who have been employed in the diftribution, if they have discharged the ruft with integrity and honour. SIR, I am, Sir, Your humble servant, To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. rous families of the induftrious and indi gent. It was confidered as a fair calculation, that during the delivery of the foup, which did not commence till the 16th of January, and terminated the 28th of March, the society at an expence of 4241. 5s. 6d.provided more than 200,000 meals of a palatable and wholesome food for the poor. The foup is not delivered gratis, which would be liable to much abuse, and be inconfiftent with the principles on which the society is formed, but fold at one penny per quart, and though it cost the society less than two-pence per quart, it will be easily conceived that it was much better than those who were fupthemselves for three-pence. at least as much confideration as the implied with it could have prepared for mediate relief afforded them; for if the mode in which charity is adminiftered tends to create a mean and fervile difpofition in the objects of it, the evil done may frequently be of much greater magnitude than the benefits arifing from a palliation of the distresses of poverty, because the latter are generally temporary, and fometimes work their own cure by roufing the fufferer to greater exertion, whereas the difpofition just mentioned is permanent in its effects, and the fource of half the villanies that disgrace society. This is a point which ought to be maturely confidered in forming the arrangements of every plan intended for the relief of the indigent. "There is a spirit of independence to be found in the walks of humble life, which would rather submit to great difficulties than rely too much on the bounty of others. This is a difpofition which it is the duty of every well regulated community to cherish and cultivate; fince (referring to moral confiderations only) there is not a more powerful stimulus nor any better prefervative from that desponding ftate of mind, which aggravates the unavoidable ills of poverty, by indolence." These obfervations are taken from the address of a fociety for fupplying the poor with meat-foup during the winter season; an institution founded on such judicious principles, and the utility of which foon became fo apparent, that two other focieties of the fame kind were afterwards formed, and it is much to be wished the example was more generally followed in our large manufacturing country towns. The fociety is established in the principal The constant fuperintendance of fome of the fubfcribers, during the making and ferving, enfures the good qualities of the materials, and prevents all abuses; and if among any of the poor prejudices have heretofore existed against this kind of food, experience in the present instance has com pletely removed them, fo that in addition to the immediate benefit derived, it may be the means of introducing this excellent and economical method of cooking more generally into their families. The hopes which were at first formed of the fuccess of the society, were realized during the last season beyond expectation, which enabled it to recommence the delivery of the soup on the 4th inftant, with much better accommodations, and a fair profpect of being a permanent institution. Dec. 17th, 1798. J. J. G. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, tisfactorily the enquiry of your correfpondent MUNNOO, respecting the origin of hat-making, I will venture to recommend to his confideration, the former part of the article HAT in the English Encyclopædia, where the practice of wearing hats is stated to have commenced in the western parts of Europe, about the year 1400; and where it is observed on the authority of F. Daniel, "that when Charles II. made his public entry into Rouen, in 1449, he had on a bat lined with red velvet, and furmounted with a plume or tuft of feathers." Suppofing hats to have been, allowing only for their variations in shape, what they are now, I conceive their manufacture must have depended almost wholly on manual ingenuity, and not on the application of any particular machine. To his enquiry after a fuitable addition to his "kitchen library," I flatter myself I can recommend a work of some importance. I mean, Sir, "The Cheap Repofitory," in 3 vols, published by Mr. RIVINGTON, which of itself, with a Bible and Prayer-book, would form a library in miniature, capable of effecting every religious and moral purpose. I am, Sir, Your's, &c. W. H. P. S. I am a lineal defcendant on the female fide of the PRESIDENT BRADSHAW, and have taken some pains to procure materials for a genuine account of that repudiated character; but as his defcendants have found it neceffary to shrink, as much as poffible, from observation, as every trace of him is effaced from the public records of the country, I find it too difficult a task, not to folicit, through the medium of your valuable mifcellany, fuch hints on the subject as your correspondents may be enabled to communi éate. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. A SIR, To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, READING Societies utility in promoting the ger neral spread of literature and useful knowledge, that every rational attempt to introduce them into places where they are not yet known, to improve their rules, or to correct the abuses to which from various causes they are liable, deserves attention and encouragement. Several valuable essays for this purpose have appeared already in your truly liberal miscellany but as the subject is highly important, and by no means exhausted, and as yours is now the only periodical work wherein every topic interesting to the public, can be fairly and candidly difcuffed, I trust me you will readily consent to allot a few pages for the reception of fuch further remarks upon it as your correfpondents may haye to communicate. In your last num ber, p. 332, a lively, sensible writer has with great justice and truth afferted, that these valuable institutions " have been univerfally set on foot by the friends of liberal difcuffion, who have ever showed themselves fuperior to the narrowness of party, and readily voted for books on both fides of every question." But now (he complains) " they are artfully gotten into other hands, and perverted to the support of a particular set of opinions.' Sa proper fupplement to the statement you inserted in your last Nomber, page 429, you will poflibly oblige with admitting the following, being a most remarkable epoch in the funding annals : Millions Millions Total 486 millions already funded. It may deserve the attention of your readers, that as the ratio on income is mated to produce only ten millions, re- device, for the reft of the fupplies wanted This indeed is an evil of great magnitude; almost general; and loudly calls for effectual redress. There are but few read ing focieties in the kingdom which can not produce instances of facerdotal craft and bigotry, equal at leaft to those which Indagator has related, Now this is the more alarming, as it is well known that the clergy as a body, usually take their cue from the will or caprice of the higher powers, and almost confider themselves bound in confcience to act as their tools or co-operators. If then we find them 1799.] Book Societies. - Enquiry concerning Religion in France. them branding all free liberal discussion as factious; and rejecting every book which contains fentiments contrary to the ruling system, we have great reason to fear that our liberty is expiring, and the dark night of monkih ignorance and barbarifin once more approaching. For it deserves particular notice that the popish clergy and officers of the holy inquifition, adopted this very method to fupport their abfurd, impious superstition: every opinion they disliked was danmined, and every book fuppreffed which had not their imprimatur. Heresy, fedition, innovation, the danger of the church, atheism, &c. &c, were as much the alarm-bells formerly as at present, and were rung in pretty much the fame changes. Our ancestors nobly despised this jargon, and at the hazard of their lives laid the foundation of that beautiful edifice, which has fince become the residence of science, arts, and liberty. Little did they imagine that pofterity after enjoying the glorious, diffusive effects of their magnanimity so long, would fo far lose their virtue as to connive at, if not approve those measures which must infallibly overturn this fabric, and fubject them once more to the ignoble caprice of clerical authority. It would perhaps be difficult to contrive a plan for collecting the various instances of bigotry and narrowness of spirit, which the clerical managers or their agents have practised in the selection or expulfion of books for our reading socie ties; ; otherwise such a collection would be useful, in many important respects. Moft of our best books upon the subject of civil and religious liberty are included in the "Index Expurgat." and their places are supplied with the flimfy writings of apostate patriots, afpiring priests, or the canting tribe of vital-chriftianity-men, whose mountain-like faith enables them to believe that the religion of the merciful Jesus tolerates the spreading of discord, war, and mifery throughout the world. But though experience has proved that the indifcriminate admiffion of members into our reading societies, has greatly perverted the main design of their institution, yet as this is partly owing to some defect in the rules, and partly to the conduct of the friends to liberal discussion, who have too often given up their authority, and retired in disgust; it feems posfible to redress the evils complained of, without having recourse to those restrictions which Indagator proposes, and which in their turn would be charged with narrowness and illiberality. The experiment however is now trying, and as yet with Your's, 4. These LIBERTAS. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. Y SIR, OUR report of the proceedings of the national institute of France, and your retrospect of French literature, are valuable articles, which are rendered peculiarly interesting by the late aftonifhing changes in the state of that country. The thoughtful obferver will trace with anxious curiosity the conduct and improvement of a people so metamorphosed. I have frequently made inquiries respecting the present state of Chriftianity among them, but was never fatisfactorily answered. Has recollection of the tyranny and superstition of their old church produced the fame effect on the bulk of the people as the contemplation of it did upon their philosophers? Is the number of French protestants increased since the revolution? or are they generally gone over to deifin? Have any confiderable attempes |