In several papers of the subsequent volumes, this most amusing and instructive subject is continued.

An account is next given of the mode of making the fine marble-like cement of India, called Chunam, communicated to the editor by Dr. Anderson of Madras. We have also, in

Vol. I. curious papers on the Phenomena of Frost; on Mr. For syth's Mode of managing decayed Fruit-trees; on Hot-walls; on the best Mode of constructing Houses in Warm Climates, &c. &c. in which essays, the genius and abilities of the author display themselves to advantage.

We could have wished that Dr. Anderson had confined his Recreations to Agriculture, Natural History, and the Arts, omitting altogether the Essays on Miscellaneous Literature; since the papers introduced under the latter head do not harmonize with the prominent features of the work, and in our opinion are the least creditable parts of it. We shall not, therefore, make any farther comment on these divisions of the volumes before us, than by remarking that the effusions of a Mr. Hairbrain, had they been perfectly in character, would have ill suited a serious work,' such as Dr. A. professes this to be: but, when they only contain unsuccessful attempts at wit and vivacity, such as inviting Mr. Zephyrus to have a game at romps with Mrs. Flora,' we have additional reasons for lamenting their insertion.

In Vol. ii. among a variety of matter, Dr. A. commences a Dissertation (prosecuted through several numbers and volumes of his work) on the Origin, Excellence, and Defects of the Grecian and Gothic Styles of Architecture; in which we find many just observations, but to the whole of which we do not subscribe. In the general outline, however, of the discriminating features of the two styles, he is nearly correct, when he terms the Grecian mode of architecture the archi tecture of a colonnade, and the Gothic the architecture of a church; since neither of the styles includes a system embracing all that is requisite for duly arranging, distributing, and erecting buildings of every sort. He compares Grecian churches with Gothic, in order to shew the superiority of the latter; and he explains his ideas in the following manner, (vol. iv. p. 385.) illustrated by a wood-cut:

The most magnificent specimen of the inside of a church, erected on the Grecian system of architecture, that I know of in Britain, is St. Paul's church in London; and, although Westminster Abbey is not so perfect in its kind as many other specimens of that mode of architecture, and is besides so much disfigured by a variety of extraneous incumbrances as to detract greatly from its general effect; yet even in its present corrupted state, though greatly fallen, it still rises

proudly

proudly eminent, and seems to be (as in the language of Milton) "not less than archangel ruined;" so that as those who have not an opportunity of visiting more perfect structures of this kind, may, from it, form some idea of the kind of sensation which that species of structures are calculated to excite, I shall, on account of its proximity to the other, employ it for the purpose of illustration. Let any person, then, who has never thought of such structures, enter the one or the other of these churches by the west door; and, after the first surprise, excited by the novelty and magnitude of the objects, has a little subsided, let him candidly attend to the nature of the sensations that they severally excite. In that case, I shall be very much deceived if he does not confess, that in Westminster he feels a light and exhilarating sensation that tends to elevate and expand the mind, and exalt it to a kind of sublimity of perception that makes him rise, as it were, from the earth, and expand and till the ample space around him. The eye, whichever way it is turned, sees an amplitude of space so distinctly marked as to be sufficient to enable the mind to measure in idea its extent, without being so much broken as to separate it into parts that cannot be contemplated together. It seems, then, to be one great whole of immense magnitude; which, as it retires backward from the eye, leaves the imagination still to trace, without confusion, an indefinite extent still unseen. In St. Paul's church, on the contrary, on entering by the west door, the lowness of the roof compared to what the exterior of the building made you expect, and the uniform vault like appearance which that exhibits; the mag nitude and solidity of the pillars that support this ponderous vault, with the puerile pilasters stuck upon them; the closeness which these assume at a small distance, so as to convey the idea of a solid wall, which totally cuts off all idea of space behind it; the gloom which results from the smallness of the windows behind, totally excluded from the eye of the beholder, conjoined with the shade of the massy pillars; all these circumstances, combined, tend to depress the mind with a chilling sensation of a burial vault, more fitted for the repose of the dead than the reception of the living. Nor is this sensation abated when the eye is directed to the farther end, where the small window, from the great distance, is contracted into a point; and from the closeness, parallelism, and darkness of the sides, it conveys more truly the idea of looking through a telescope than any thing else; though the light from the dome appears to be a kind of thing that is not easy to be accounted for, the parts of it appearing from that view so indistinct as not to be easily recognized.'

some

This monument of Sir Christopher Wren's glory is farther criticized, with much severity.

To return from columns, pilasters, domes, &c. to agriculture and rural affairs, we must briefly notice the chief contents of vol. ii., which are Hints on Experimental Agriculture-on obtaining Green-houses and Hot-houses, &c. without much expence on an improved Mode of Horse-hoeing, (illustrated with figures) on the Uses of Beech-mast-on the Breed of Sheep, &c.

D43

Vol.

Vol. iii. includes, among much useful matter, some valuable experiments on Milk, and various information relative to the conduct of the Dairy. All who keep cows ought to peruse these dissertations. Some of the remarks, however, have already been published in the Bath Society Papers.-Our country readers will probably thank us for transcribing the general aphorisms:

First Aphorism.-Of the milk that is drawn from any cow at one time, that part which comes off at the first is always thinner, and of a much worse quality for the purpose of making butter, than that which comes afterward; and the richness goes on continually increasing to the very last drop that can be drawn from the udder at that time.'

Second Aphorism.-If milk be put into a dish, and allowed to stand till it throws up cream, that portion of cream which rises first to the surface is richer in quality, and greater in quantity, than what rises in a second equal portion of time; and the cream that rises in the second interval of time is greater in quantity, and richer in qua. lity, than what rises in a third equal space of time; and that of the third than the fourth; and so on: the cream that rises decreases in quantity, and declines in quality continually, as long as any rises to the surface.'

Third Aphorism. Thick milk always throws up a much smaller proportion of the cream that it actually contains, than milk that is thinner; but that cream is of a richer quality and if water be added to that thick milk, it will afford a considerably greater quantity of cream, and consequently more butter, than it would have done if al lowed to remain pure; but its quality is at the same time greatly debased.'

Fourth Aphorism.-Milk which is put into a bucket, or other proper vessel, and carried in it to a considerable distance, so as to be much agitated, and in part cooled before it be put into the milk-pans to settle for cream, never throws up either so much or so rich cream, as if the same milk had been put into the milk-paus directly after it

was milked.'

Dr. A.'s plan for the construction of a Milk-house proceeds on those scientific principles which must insure to it the appro. bation of all men of discernment.

Among the papers in vol. iv. the author discusses an important question, on the comparative influence of agriculture and manufactures over the morals and happiness of a people, and on the improvement and stability of states. His view of this subject would encroach too much on space otherwise allotted, but it must not be altogether omitted:

There is one very striking difference that must occur to every one who views the same number of persons as employed in agriculture, or in manufactures, viz. the great fluctuation in the carnings of the people, in the last class, in comparison of those in the other. Ma. nufactures are subjected to great variations in the demand at mar

ket.'

ket.No such changes can ever be experienced by men who follow agriculture. Neither the encouragement, nor the discouragement, are nearly so great. So that this political malady, which is one of the severest that can affect a state, is never experienced.'

He endeavours to solve a difficulty which has much puzzled some of our legislators; viz. to reconcile the idea of the prosperous state of agriculture in this country, for some years past, with the facts which they discovered, that the actual produce in corn has been diminished during that period; by shewing that, as manufactures have raised the price of wages, this circumstance has induced the agriculturist to employ fewer hands, and in course to raise more animal and less human sustenance: or, in other words, to convert arable into grass land, which he finds more profitable:

'After this manner does an undue demand for manufactures neces sarily induce a kind of temporary prosperity which excites a spirit of wantonness that tends to sap the foundations of the stable prosperity of a state. The first consequence of this extraordinary spirit is wealth to all. The next is the deterioration of the soil; for I call every thing a deterioration that diminishes the gross produce of the fields. A third consequence is the diminution of labour; for, when men can earn much more than will furnish for their daily subsistence, they abandon their work at pleasure: a consequence of this is a want of hands, and an increase of wages in every case. A rise in the price of every article of necessary consumption is then unavoidable. Hence, at present, the rise in the price of grain, so severely felt in every part of this country. These things may continue for a time to be felt, and complained of as a hardship; but so long as the demand for ma Bufactures continues brisk, these inconveniencies can be borne. But if ever a permanent slackening in that demand should take place, the consequences would be dreadful.-Men, who had been used to fare luxuriously, being turned out of employment, would End it a matter of the utmost difficulty to subsist in any other way;-the farmer who found a slackening demand for the articles he used to rear, and on which he made his rent, would be compelled to reduce the price be low what he could afford. The consequences might be traced mi nutely but it is an ungracious task. They are too obvious.

I conclude, that the prosperity that results from an extraordinary demand for manufactures is a political disease of the most dangerous tendency. It is a poison that produces a pleasing delirium, which, like that from opium, must end in a miserable death. Sober minded persons, therefore, will look upon this general intoxication without participating in the phrenzy it produces; and will regret that circumstances should here so unfortunately concur to cherish it.'

Having already extended this article to some length, we must dismiss the remaining volumes with briefly observing that they contain equal evidences of Dr. A.'s fertility of mind; and that they contain, among other matter, (in vol. v.) a statement of

Dd 4

the

the principles of the author's Patent Hot-house; and (in the 6th) a Dissertation on the Natural History of Fishes, including an account of their Food and Migrations, exemplified in those of the Salmon, Eel, and Herring,

On the whole, the public are obliged to this indefatigable philosopher for a rich fund of entertaining instruction.-The papers here collected were originally published in periodical numbers; and they are embellished with various engravings on wood, inserted in the letter-press, illustrative of different subjects in Natural History and the Arts.

ART. XIII. Letters on Education. By Elizabeth Hamilton. 8vo. 2 Vols. 158. Boards. Robinsons.

We are happy in having this new opportunity of introdu cing to our readers a fair author, who has already merited the public attention by her ingenious "Letters of a Hindoo Rajah," and her "Memoirs of Modern Philosophers :❞—of which works we have given accounts in our 21st and 34th vols. The subject of the present performance is of a more serious and important nature. The education of youth, if it could be conducted so as to preclude all erroneous and vicious impressions on the tender mind, familiarizing it from infancy to maturity with trains of virtuous reflection and with just perceptions of truth, would produce a most desirable revolution in the state of the world, and cause a wonderful change in the knowlege, opinions, and habits of mankind. The difference, indeed, would be so great, that a future generation would probably look back on the ignorance, folly, and bigotry of their forefathers with surprize; and would scarcely be persuaded that so much prejudice and blindness could be succeeded, without the miracle of a new creation, by the unfettered exercise of reason and the free discernment of truth.

In the hope of facilitating our progression towards this great change, Miss Hamilton devotes the first series of these letters to the consideration of the infinite importance of watching over the early associations of good and evil;'-and the second part contains reflections on the cultivation of the understanding.'

Writers in general, who have treated on the subject of edu cation, have made the practical part the chief object of their attention; and although it be true that theory is of no avail unless it can be reduced to practice, yet, before positive rules are laid down, it seems requisite to examine, and to establish on a solid foundation, the principles on which the rules are grounded