Page images
PDF
EPUB

correct knowledge of the fubject. Neither his great acquirements. nor the fuccefs of his works, flackened his purfuit of new knowledge. He ftudied the late improvements in Chemistry, he obferved the great political events which have happened, and contemplated thofe with which the time feems pregnant. with the keen intereft of one juft entering on life. Age, indeed, and a native lo e of truth, gave him a degree of impartiality, which is now as rare in politics as it has always been in theology, fo that he spoke of every thing like a fuperior being who had purified his perceptions without impairing his humanity. He venerated Religion; not the moify contentious fyftems which lead men to hate and perfecute each other, but that fublime principle which regulates the conduct by controuling the selfish, and animating the benevolent affections. When vilified by interoperate Philofophers, he made no reply, being fatisfied with having ftated what he thought the truth; and, when outraged by zealots who moft falfely call themselves Chriftians, he bore the outrage meekly, ufing no terms either of complaint or reproach. He was, to the last moment, free from that morofe, querulous temper, which has been deemed infeparable from age. Instead of repining at the profperity or enjoyments of the young, he delighted in promoting them; and, after having loit all his own family except one daughter, he continued to treat children with fuch condefcenfion and benignity, that fome very young ones noticed the peculiar kindness of his eye. Every fcheme which promised to improve human nature, or to alleviate human mifery, found in him the most ardent fupport. He

was uncommonly active in establishing the Infirmary at Aberdeen, and he was an early, vigorons, uniform promoter of that in Glasgow.Befides a very liberal fubfcription, he feldom vifited the Infirmary without leaving a new mark of his good will. His end accorded with the widom and goodness of his former life. He ufed fometimes to fay, "I am afhamed of living fo long after having ceafed to be useful," though at that very time, he was acquiring or communicating useful knowledge. During his tatt illness, which was fevere, he complained of nothing but the trouble that he gave his affectionate family; and he looked to the grave as a place, not of reft merely, but of triumph. His late compofitions contained allufions to his own decay allufions the more affecting to his friends, because they feemed the genuine offspring of his feelings, and were expreffed with all the dignity of virtue. Laft winter, in the Litera y Society of Glofgow, he read an ingenious dif courte on the Mufcles; and, after itating, from his own experience, the effects produced on them by age, he concluded thus: "May I be per"mitted to mention, that it was the experience "of fome of these effects of old age on the "mufcular motions that led my thoughts to this "fpeculation, which, as it is owing to the infir"mities of age, will, I hope, be heard with the

[ocr errors]

greater indulgence. It is both pleasant and "ufeful to contemplate with gratitude, the wif "dom and goodness of the author of our being, "in fitting this machine of our body so ad"mirably to the various employments and en"joyments of life"

AGRICULTURE-MONTHLY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER.

We are happy in being able to congratulate the public on the close of one of the most favourable WHEAT-SEED TIMES this country has experienced. With fo flattering a profpect of another year of plenty, as well as from the demand for feed-corn having ceafed, the price of that valuable grain is every where finking; and will, we truft, focn reach the loweft degree at which the farmer, heavy burdened as he is at prefent, can afford to grow it.

Good BARLEY holds its price. The diftilleries being at length opened, and the STORE CATTLE LOW drawing towards the ftraw-yars, the doors of the barley barns have been thrown open, and the flails fet to work. But we are concerned to find, from different quarters of the kingdom, and particularly from Norfolk, that the yield of their crops is very deficient; and that, purly from a blight which the crop received as it flood on the ground, and in part from the wetness of the latter harveft, much of it is found to be unfit for the maltter's ufe; fo that maltable barleys will probably bear up their price at market.

The

LEAN CATTLE, and especially young firks, remain in every quarter extravagantly dear. immoderate fupply which our navy has of late demanded, is, doubtlefs, a principal caufe of the prefent inordinate price of this fpecies of stock. The poor labourer, however, has the lefs to apprehend from the high price at which beef is likely to be kept at, while that of bread is lowering, and potatoes cheap and good beyond example.

The average price of WHEAT, by the last return, was, for the whole kingdom, 59s. 7d.—A: Mark-lane, on Monday laft, was 49s. old.

In Smithfield, BEFF averages from 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d per ftone; MUTTON from 4s. to 5s.; VEAL 3s. 6d. to 5s. 6d; and PORK 4S. 8d. to 5s. 6d.

In the HOP-MARKET there has been neither fpeculation nor fluctuation in the courfe of the month; bags of East and West Kent produce from 31. to 51 and pockets from 41. to 61. The Wool bufinefs continues flat, and there has been little variation in the prices.

The ENQUIRER, No. X, will appear in our next Number -Thofe friends who lend their aid to our Agricultural Report, are intrated to be punctual in their favours -Biographical Notices, and Memoirs, will be always inferted with readiness.Our Subfcriber, are requested to be particular in geting their orders for the Supplement, as that it may be delivered in due time.( See the cover.) The Meteorological Journal is not yet come to hand.

[blocks in formation]

The Conductors of the Magazine inform their readers, that the SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER, containing Indexes, Title, &c. to Volume II, and several valuable Orginal Communications, will be ready for delivery, on or about the 12th of January. They alfo, on this commencement of a new year, refpectfully return their acknowledge ments for paft favours of every kind, from friends, fupporters, and correspondents, which they hope to continue to enjoy, as it shall be their jedulous endeavour to continue

to merit.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THE following general account of the State of Chemifry in Germany, particularly with regard to the progrefs of the new fyftem, which has rendered the name of Lavoifier fo illuftrious, will not, I prefume, be an unacceptable article in your Mifcellany.

An entire revolution in the fyftem of chemistry has been recently effected in Germany. The exiftence of the doctrine of phlogifton, with certain qualifications, had till, however, a few partizans remaining: GREN, a fcholar of confiderable repute, although too tenacious of his opinion, WESTRUMB, GMELIN, and CRELL.

TROMMSDORF, who is a convert to the new doctrine, ftill adheres to fome remains of the ancient fyftem. GOTT LING has promulged a new hypothefis, which he is eager to appear the champion of. With regard to the junior chemifts of that nation, SCHERER DE JENA is the most promifing, he is a man of extenfive talent, an excellent experimenter, and zealously attached to the French chemistry. Were it not for the res angufta domi, we might expect, from his refearches, the most important new difcoveries in the fcience.

Profeffor MAYER, at Erlang, fhines equally as a mathematician, a natural philofopher, and a chemist. HERME

STADT is a ftrenuous advocate for the new doctrine.

The German chemifts, WIECLIEB,
MONTHLY MAG. No. XI.

KICHTER, LEONARDI, and the rest above-mentioned. &c. in attempting to combine the new theory with the exiftence of phlogifton in combuftible bodies, admit the general principle, together with its confequences. All they aim at, is, to refcue themfelves from the pretended difgrace of a complete defeat. Thofe who fill maintain the existence of this agent, confider it as the bafis of light, or as light extinguifbed. This bafis, ftored up in abundance, in inflammable fubftances, when it meets and combines with heat, conftitutes luminous fire; thus accounting for the fact, of combuftible bodies requiring a certain degree of heat, in order to catch fire.

Thefe are reftrictions which fome of the German chemifts lay down; with the exception, however, of thefe, they have all adopted the new doctrine. VANMONS has been chiefly inftrumental in effecting their converfion; having plainly demonftrated the prefence of the oxygen, in the oxyde of Mercury, made redhot by fire.

When it is reprefented that GREN, WESIRUMB, GMELIN, and CRELL, maintain, partially, the exiftence of phlogifton, it is not meant to affert, that they ftill profefs the principles of Stabi's theory. A late publication of GREN, who is a profound naturalift, mathematician, and geometrician, as well as chemift, is entitled, "The Foundations of the New Chemistry," and agrees precifely with the principles of the French doctrine. In his Manual of Chemftry, reprinted two years ago, he reprefented

5 P

the

the theory of oxygene, in parallel with that of phlogifton. He had done nearly the fame thing, the year before, in the fecond edition of his Foundations of Phyfics." A third edition of that work has been juft printed, in which he explicates the phenomena of the fcience, after the fyftem of LAVOISIER. His Journal of Phyfics, of which feven voTumes have been published, has always admitted, indifcriminately, the articles for and againft both theories. GMELIN devotes his whole attention to historical and technical chemistry. In the fecond edition of his Manual of Chemistry applied to the Arts, juft finished, he has given the theory according to the ancient principles. His Introduction to General Chemistry furnishes an account of the ftate and progrefs of the fcience, in both theories.

WESTRUMB is a practitioner of technical chemistry, extremely well verfed in the art. His writings on pharmacy evince equally the man of reflection in a fcience where it cannot be denied, that every thing ftill remains to be done. In both thefe purfuits, he judiciously neglects reafoning for facts.

CRELL is the editor of the Annals of Chemistry, an invaluable collection, which has, in fact, given the grand impulfe to the prevailing ftudy of chemiftry in Germany. In this work, the editor expreffes faithfully the very language, as well as opinions, of the authors. He makes fome hefitation, however, to adopt the new principles; but, at his age, perhaps, it is difficult to renounce long entertained ideas. CRELL has alfo fome correfpondents, &c. (whom it is his intereft to keep on good terms with) among the difciples of Stahl.

GIRTANNER, another eminent chemit, maintains. that phofphorus is compounded of azote and hydrogene; that it contains in it more or lefs of carbone, a principle which, however, does not enter into its compofition; that it may thine in azotic gas and carbonic acid by means of the water contained in thofe gafes; and that it is capable of decompoition, inafmuch as a hydrogeneous phofphorated gas may be procured from it in experiments.

Should the foregoing prove acceptable, I wish, Mr. Editor, you could prevail on fome of your intelligent correfpou lents to furnish an account of the State of Chemical Opinions in ENGLAND. Your's, &c.

[blocks in formation]

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

66

THE poetry of the ancients differs from that of the moderns, as in many other refpects, fo especially, in abounding more in matter, and lefs in words. Even their most flowing writers do not feem to have poffeffed the happy art of fo many poets and poeteffes of the prefent day, in drawing out a fine and bril liant tiffue of defcription and fentiment from the fcanty ftaple of two or three flight circumftances or ideas. They do not feem to have been aware, that the effence of poetry confifts not in compreflion, but in amplification; and that the practice of always haftening to the event," muft reduce the happieft fubjects down from epic or heroic bulk, to the diminutive fize of ode, or even epigram. Let thofe who with to fee the different effects of the fame fubject, when treated in the concife and the expanded manner compare the original odes of Horace with the beautiful paraphrafes of them, by a poetefs of diftinguished excellence in the fplendid fabrications above hinted at. The difference cannot fail to ftrike; and the reader must lament, that the Sabine bard has fo often wafted upon a few of his lyric stanzas, what would have ferved, if properly managed, for a piece as long as a modern canto. From the general character of Ovid, and the wonderful facility with which he turned every thing into verfe, it may be thought he would not have been guilty of this fault; yet fuch was his fuperfluity of matter, that I know not any author who affords more examples of the dry Roman brevity, both in narration and fentiment What can be a more remarkable inftance of this, than where, in his Fafti, he makes the goddefs Flora relate the principal adventure of her life in two lines? It is true, not one material circumftance is omitted in this fhort compaís; a power of compreffion, that we might admire in an epigram-but what an opportunity of fhining has he fuffered to escape him! In the hope that fome poet of our own growth, bleft with the talent of harmonious verfification and elegant diffufion, will take up the theme, and make of it all it is capable of affording, I fhall just fketch out a defign which, I think, might be happily followed, without deviating from the outline of Ovid. Ver erat; errabam. Zephyrus confpexit; abibam Infequitur; fugio; fortior ille fuit.

1796.]

Refearches of Fauvel in Greece, c.

[blocks in formation]

"I was

Errabam.] The lady tells the story herself, which makes it the more interefting, though it may be a check upon fome parts of the defcription. roving" fays fhe (for fuch is the force of the Latin imperfect tenfe). Was the roving without an object? Probably not. What, then, was this object? At leaft, fhe was thinking: What were her thoughts? Without doubt, they partook, in fome degree, of the foftnefs of the feafon. Here is fair fcope for fome pretty fentimental writing, of which an adept will make good ufe. A defcription of her drefs would naturally employ the pen of a poetefs; and, though Flora cannot directly praife her own beauty, the may give fome delicate hints about figure and complexion, which will agreeably imprefs the reader.

Zephyrus confpexit A blooming young deity, the very model of grace and agility, who fuddenly appears, catches a glimpfe of the fair-one, ftops fhort, amazed and enraptured, and gazes with all the fervour of admiration and defire, will certainly furnish matter for two or three hundred lines, highly interefting to every heart fufceptible of the tender paffion.

Abibam.] A treasure of fentiment lurks under this fingle word. "I was departing," fays the; but with what lingering reluctant steps with what a ftruggle between unfatisfied curiofity and, perhaps, a rifing emotion of a more tender kind, on the one hand, and modesty and apprehenfion on the other! A full and fair confeffion, to a confidante of all that paffed in her bofom on this very interefting occafion, will be worth a whole letter in Rouffeau or Richardfon. Infequitur.] A word of alarm! I fee the amorous god, his face glowing with defire, and every mufcle in agitation, unable to bear the lofs of the object which had fo deeply impreffed itself upon his imagination, follow her, inftinctively, with hurried pace, refolved

[ocr errors]

845

to overtake, though fearful of urging her to flight.

Fugio. Poor Flora! with what energy wilt thou paint thy fenfations, when, turning thy head at the found, thou perceivedit thy fond purfuer clofe upon thee, and ready to fcize thee as his prey! Away the fprings, with all the velocity that fear can give; and a race commences, which may be made as long as the relator choofes; for Ovid fays nothing to limit it. The flight of Daphne, Syrinx, and Arethufa, may be confulted on the occafion, for circumftances and fimiles. Flora, doubtlefs, ran her beft; and why fhould the not be as nitable as other nymphs in the fame emergency?

Fortior ille fuit.] "He proved the ftrongeft," fays Flora, with equal delicacy and expreffivenefs. The misfortune and the excufe are implied in the fame words. It is not for one to fuggeft, to a fentimental writer, how much, or how little, of the catastrophe fhould enter into the paraphrafe. Obviously a good deal may be faid, and yet not too much faid. I fhall only hint, that, from the moderation and lenity of Flora's words, and from our knowledge that Zephyr and fhe afterwards lived on intimate terms together, there is reafon to believe, that her terror and defpair on the occafion, did not rife to the pitch fometimes experienced in fimilar cafes; and that anger and refiftance were, in a reafonable time, fucceeded by patience and refignation.

From the topics here fuggefted, I fhould not queftion, that a piece, at leaft as long as any in Dodfley's collection, might, with eafe, be formed; ner can I doubt, that, in certain bands, it would prove highly interefting to all lovers of poetry and fentiment. That this wellintended hint may not be neglected, is the earnest wish of

PHILOMUSE.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

the Archipelago, celebrated in ancient hiftory. He refided five years in Athens alone. He alfo has traverfed Afia Minor, making frequent excurfions to the reputed fite of ancient Troy, and to the fource of the river Simois.

Previous to his travels in Greece, he made a voyage to Egypt, where he took the plans of a number of antique monuments, feveral of which were hitherto unknown. At Grand Cairo, he collected feveral curiofities. At Alexandria, he took plans of the city, its catacombs, Pompey's Pillar, and the ruins of Canopus. He measured feveral coloffal figures of Ifis and the Sphinx, and procured interefting information relative to the Pyramids, their elevation, and defigns, &c.

He even had it in contemplation to penetrate into the interior of Africa, to the Temple of Jupiter Ammon, and had prepared for this adventurous undertak ing, interpreters, guides, and camels, &c.; but Choifeul-Gouffier, who acted in concert with him, from motives not known, but fuppofed to be thofe of jealoufy, prevented the execution of his enterprife.

In thefe voyages, FAUVEL has equal ly exhibited the talents of a geographer, an antiquarian, and an artift. He has drawn maps of the country of Attica, its iflands, &c. and traced, with great care and exactitude, a very minute chart of of Athens; wherein he has marked, with a particular colour, its enceinte (limits) and its ancient monuments.

He has recognised the real fituation of many ancient cities in Peloponnefus, which, in the common maps, and even in thofe of Danville, are inferted at random. Such are, for example, Tyrinthus, Hifa, Midea, Mycena, Mantinea, Tegæa, Megalopolis, Meffena, and Olympia.

He has drawn a chart of the island of Santerin (anciently Thera) fketched defigns of the craters of its volcanoes; and made fubterraneous refearches in Califta, a city fituated in the island. He has made fimilar refearches at Del s, Naxos, Jos, Cimolis, Eleufis, and in the plain of Marathon and has taken plans of the temples of Delos, its porticos, its Naumachia, and its Coloffus.

Through the medium of certain Turks, whofe intereft he procured, he has been allowed to dig under ground, any where in Athens, at the foundations of the temples, and even of the citadel itfelf a favour till then unprecedented,

He has been alfo permitted to take all the requifite measurements of thefe monuments. At Athens, he moulded and caft in plafter about 200 pedeftals of bas-reliefs, the productions of Phidias, which adorn the ruins of the famous temple of Minerva; alfo. many ftatues, and all the precious remains of fculpture to be found in the city. He also moulded many details of architecture, the contemplation and ftudy of which, he judged might afford fome advantage to artifts.

The most valuable difcovery which has been made by FAUVEL, is that of the ruins of Olympia. The learned Winckelman was unable to trace the exact pofition of this city; he gave it as his opinion, however, that it abounded, more than any other place, with antiquities of every defcription. FAUVEL has been so fortunate as to trace the veftiges of its famous Hippodrome, and Geal, and of the Alis, that facred grove, which was fo replenished with ftatues and other monuments of the arts, that Paufanias informs us he was unable to exhibit a complete enumeration of them.

This is the place, above all others, where under-ground refearches promifed to be the moft interefting. * Additional motives recommended the meafure, at this moment, ftiil more forcibly; for the Turks appear to take a pleasure in demolishing what has with flood the ravages of time. As a recent inftance of this barbarous fpirit, an aga lately built, within two miles of Olympia, his houfe, out of the materials of that temple ef Jupiter, fo renowned throughout Greece, in which were facrificed fo many victims, previously to the commence. ment of the Olympic Games. Athens itfelf is not fpared by the Turks, although its remains attract such a con, tinual concourfe of foreigners. Your's, &c. ANTIQUARIUS.

Canterbury, Dec. 2, 1796.

Even

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »