rected phenomenon: the comet of 1759 was preceded by numerous predicting pamphlets. Obfervation of the Tranfit of Mercury over the Sun's Difk, made at Louvain, in the Netherlands, May 3, 1786. By Nathaniel Pigott, Efq. F. R. S. Obfervation of the late Tranfit of Mercury over the Sun. By Edward Pigott, Efq. at Louvain. Thefe two obfervations contain only the egrefs of Mercury; 20 49 22 A new Method of finding Fluents by Continuation. By the Rev. Sam. Vince, A. M. F. R. S. Every attempt toward facilitating the investigation of fluents, ought to be gratefully received by the mathematical reader. Various methods have been pursued with various fuccefs; but no one has yet been offered which merits the title of univerfal: for although every fluxion, how foever complicated, may be expanded into an infinite feries; yet, if the feries thus produced neither converges, terminates, nor is fummable, it can never be useful on this account the method of finding fluents by infinite feries, which fome writers have called a univerfal method, can only be applicable in certain cafes, and therefore the induftry and invention of mathematicians can never be employed on this fubject without advantage, efpecially when the refults of their labours fupply the deficiencies of former writers. The method which Mr. Vince hath here investigated and exemplified, appears to be convenient in its application; but fill it can only be applied in particular cafes; for different methods will always be found to have their different ufes, and where one becomes impracticable, another will be found to fucceed. The nature of the fubject will not permit us to make any abridgment of this ingenious paper; we must therefore refer our readers to the publication at large, where those who can find entertainment in the fubtleties of analytical fpeculations will meet with full fatisfaction. A Catalogue of One thousand new Nebula and Clusters of Stars. By William Herfchel, LL. D. F. K. S. If the hoft of heaven be innumerable, Dr. Herschel's labours will be endless. He has here prefented the Public with one. thousand new observed clusters of stars, in addition to those formerly published. In this catalogue the Doctor has given no new names to his clusters, or nebula, but he diftinguishes them by numbers: he gives the difference of right afcenfion between each and the nearest known star, in minutes and feconds of fidereal time, and their difference of declination in degrees and minutes: the next column in the catalogue records the number of obfervations made on each clufter; by which it appears that fome of them have been obferved five, fix, feven, or eight times: We mention this circumftance as a proof of the vaft expence of labour as well as time which this feries of obfervations muft have incurred. The immediate utility of this great work we do not at prefent perceive; but as it adds to the general stock of knowledge, the purfuit is laudable. The parallax of these nebula ought, in our opinion, to be minutely attended to; we hope the future obfervations of this indefatigable obferver, who is furnished with inftruments of very high magnifying powers, will determine whether thefe objects have any parallax or motion. It is impoffible to form any conjectures relative to these bodies, from their appearance alone. If they are planets or comets near their aphelia, which is by no means improbable, a change of place muft certainly be obfervable in them; which, being very small, will require not only good inftruments but a length of time, to be accurately determined. The expected comet in 1789 will, we hope, be attended to by Dr. Herfchel. Observations on comets at a great distance from their perihelia, are much wanted in aftronomy, in order to afcertain the difturbances to which their motions are fubject, by approaching the planetary fyftem. MEDICA L. Hiftory and Diffection of an extraordinary Introfufception. By John Coakley Lettfom, M. D. F. R. S. &c. The cafe here recorded was an inverfion or prolapfus of the inteftinum ileon into the colon and rectum: the lower extremity of the ileon was forced along the whole length of the greater intestines down to the sphincter ani. From the description here given, we are rather at a lofs to conceive the poffibility of fuch an inverfion; the mefocolon and the mefentery feem infurmountable obftacles to the defcent of the ileon, which carried along with it the colon inverted into the rectum. This circumftance ought to have been mentioned by Dr. Lettfom. If the figures given with this account are faithful copies of nature (which we doubt not), both the mefentery and mefocolon were wanting. MISCELLANEOUS. Obfervations on fome Causes of the Excess of the Mortality of Males above that of Females. By Jofeph Clark, M. D. Phyfician to the Lying-in Hofpital in Dublin. It is proved, from registers, that the proportion of males born, is to females, as 17 to 15, or as 9 to 8. The deaths ought therefore therefore to be in the fame proportion, and taken collectively it cannot be otherwife. If at any particular age the deaths of the males exceed thofe of the females in a greater proportion than 9 to 8, as, for example, 9 to 7, at another age the deaths of males to females must be less than the proportion of 9 to 7. This is evident from the confideration that all muft die, males as well as females; therefore during the whole period of life, the proportion of the deaths of males to females muft equal the proportion of the births of males to females. Dr. Clark has given an extract from the registry kept at the lying-in hofpital in Dublin from the year 1757 to 1784, by which it appears that 19,455 children were born, viz. 10,305 males and 9,150 females; of thefe 2,903 died, viz. 1,656 males and 1,247 females; but he has not mentioned at what age these children died, though we fuppofe, from an inference fubjoined, they all died under 16 days. The proportion of births being very nearly as 36 to 32, and of deaths as 36 to 27, excited the Doctor to enquire into the causes of the excess of male deaths above thofe of females. Anatomy has not been able to discover any internal difference between the animal œconomy of males and females, which can account for their difference of mortality, more especially in early infancy. The principal caufe of this difference, Dr. C.. thinks, depends on the greater fize of males, and the confequent greater difficulty and hardship attending their birth; we doubt whether practice and obfervation can confirm the opinion that male are more difficult than female births. Another cause is fuppofed to be, that males require a greater quantity or fupply of nourishment than females, fince they are naturally of a more robuft frame, and that confequently a deficiency of fupport induces a weakness, which muft prove more fatal to male children. These reasonings are rather too fine; they are ingenious, and may be founded in truth, but they want force of conviction. The subject is rather curious than useful; and the reader will in this paper meet with many uncommon obfervations. [To be concluded in our next. ] ART. IV. Ancient Scottish Poems, never before in Print; but now published from the manufcript Collections of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, Knight, Lord Privy Seal of Scotland, and a Senator of the College of Juftice. Comprizing Pieces written from about 1420 till 1586. With large Notes, and a Gloffary. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 6s. Boards. Dilly. 1786. THE Editor (Mr. Pinkerton) informs us, that the Maitland TH Collection, from which this work is felected, confifts of two volumes, viz. a folio, begun, it is conjectured, about 1555, and probably finished near the time of Sir Richard Maitland's I death, death, 1585. The other volume is in quarto, in the handwriting of Mifs Mary Maitland, third daughter of Sir Richard. Thefe manufcripts were always preferved in the family of the original collector, till the Duke of Lauderdale presented them to Mr. Pepys, Secretary to the Admiralty, in the reigns of Charles II. and James II.; who, at his death, bequeathed them, with his other curious manufcripts, to Magdalen College, Cambridge. The Editor's curiofity having been excited by the accounts given of the Maitland Collection by feveral writers, and particularly by Dr. Percy, he went to Cambridge, and obtained permiffion to copy any part of the manufcripts that he judged worthy of publication. Of the pieces now prefented, for the first time, to the Public, we fhall give a brief account in the Editor's own words. The firft is a long allegorical poem on human life, called King Hart, and written by the celebrated Gawin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld. The poem deferves prefervation as a curiofity, though it will not highly entertain the Reader.' The next piece is a Tale, by Dunbar. It is in a fingular kind of blank verfe, ufed by the old romancers, and after them by the author of Pierce Plowman's Vifions. It is full of knowledge of life, and rich defcription; and is alfo much tinctured with immodefty; which Fontaine, indeed, looks upon as effential to this kind of writing :'-and for which, we may add, our Editor fcruples not to ftand forward as an advocate; pleading, for its excuse, that it must ever delight every mind that is not callous to nature's beft and fineft fenfibilities;' juftifying it by the practice of the Greek and Roman writers, and, above all, by the. converfation of the modern French ladies-who, it is faid by Mr. Pinkerton, indulge themselves upon all occafions with every liberty of fpeech." Having confirmed his argument by fuch truly refpectable authorities, he concludes with obferving that it is undoubtedly a falfe idea to look on immodefty as a mark of an unpolished age.' The other piece in this collection is entitled, The Friars of Berwick, a Tale.' This is only fsupposed to be written by Dunbar. It is in his manner; and worthy of his immodest Muse. The Editor discovers more wit and beauty in it, than we have the good fortune of finding out. For nature,' fays he, it is admirable; but for contrivance, the rareft quality of this fpecies of writing, it is the first that I have ever read; and very few ancient or modern Tales have efcaped my reading.' Perhaps we may, in fome measure, account for the Editor's peculiar tafte and judgment, from the manner in which he hath employed his time. Such Such are the larger pieces in this collection. Those which follow are of lefs bulk, of various measures, on a great variety of fubjects, and written by different hands. They are alfo of various merits. A few are very beautiful; and we obferve, here and there, an elegance of fentiment and expreffion, rarely to be met with in writings of that period. They be The smaller poems of Dunbar follow the Tales. gin with his youthful and light pieces, and end with those written in his old age. The fole merit of fome is their curiofity; but others [in the Editor's opinion] have every intrinfic merit.' The next divifion is of Poems by various Authors; viz. Quintin Schaw, Arbuthnot, Lord Thilftane, James VI. &c. &c. Then follow Poems by unknown Authors; which form the most numerous affortment, amounting to upwards of thirty. The collection ends with Poems by Sir Richard Maitland. They have,' fays the Editor, confiderable merit in every view, and fhew him to have been a good man, as well as a great ftatefman. His lighter pieces have a delightful gaiety and garrulity of old age, for he doth not feem to have written a line of poetry till he had reached his fixtieth year.' We have no doubt of the authenticity of thefe Poems, and of the fidelity of the Editor; and we have better proof of it than the Editor's word-which, by his own confeffion, in a former inftance, was a voucher not to be depended on. His confeffion, however, would better have entitled him to forgiveness, if he had not leffened its merits by an apology which almost amounts to a juftification of the crime. In the year 1781, he published a Collection of Scottish Tragic Ballads. To thefe Ballads he prefixed two differtations; and toward the conclufion of the fecond, he afferts that he was indebted for most of the stanzas now recovered' [viz. in the 2d Part of Hardyknute, then first publifbed and declared to be original] to the memory of a lady in Lanerkshire.' He attempted to colour the deception ftill more by afferting in a note, that the common people in Lanerkhire can repeat fcraps of both the Parts.' And is the credit of Scotch poetry ever to be propt up by falfehood? Yes-till vanity difmantles what impofture hath erected. Of the fecond part of Hardyknute the Editor must now confefs himself guilty. As for his fecret, he bath obferved the Horatian precept he at first laid down to himself, Nonum prematur in annum. This is a very curious application of the Horatian precept! publish a faliehood, but don't confefs it, till the world hath been deceived by it nine years. But this is not the only inftance in which the Editor hath fhewn his dexterity in * See Review, vol. Ixvi. p. 292. applying |