swords. They are very terrible weapons for one | youthful readers, particularly those of the female blow, but they seldom hold together so as to bear sex, against the perusal of novels, considering them a second. They make also the heads of their ar- as seductive and dangerous publications; assured rows with them; and, when these were first found that they generally tend to produce inflamed pasby our travellers, they were not supposed to be of sions, a distempered sensibility, and a prurient imhuman workmanship, but to have fallen from agination; and that they frequently pervert the heaven in thunder, and were called by many au- judgment, debase the morals, and corrupt the thors ceraunia. heart. We hesitate not to declare, that those who have been fascinated in early life by the perusal of novels and romances, have deluded themselves with the hope of enjoyments never to be realized, qualifications neither to be attained nor even desired, and characters which are nowhere to be found. Of all the various evils which corrupt the minds of youth in the present day, there are many less specious, but none more injurious, than this. The morality to which these books often pretend, only serves to disguise the poison they infuse, and excite a fatal degree of pride and self complacen

NOVEL. A composition which belongs to the class of poetry, in literature, as designing to please and instruct, and proceeding from the imagination, assisted by observation. It proposes to display the incidents of human life, and particularly those attendant upon love. The following view of novel writing may be equally useful to authors and readers:

'The novel professes, above all things, to exhibit the nature of love, and its consequences. Whether this be essential to such performances, may reason-cy; while the pathetic tales and elegant distresses ably be questioned; but it has been made the im- with which they abound, instead of inspiring senportant part of the drama, and, we think, with timents of enlarged and disinterested benevolence, great propriety. It is the object of the novelist to rather tend to steel the heart against the daily give a true picture of life, diversified only by ac-scenes of misery, which it is our duty to compascidents that daily happen in the world, and influ- sionate and relieve. That creation of refined and enced by passions and qualities which are really subtle feelings, reared by the authors of novels, to be found in conversing with mankind. To has an ill effect, not only on our ideas of virtue, accomplish this object, he conceives a hero or he- but also on our estimate of happiness. Such a roine, whom he places in a certain rank of life, sickly sort of refinement creates imaginary evils endows with certain qualities of body and mind, and distresses, and imaginary blessings and enjoyand conducts, through many vicissitudes of fortune, ments, which imbitter the common disappointeither to the summit of happiness, or to the abyss ments, and depreciate the common attainments of of misery, according to the passion which he life. This affects the temper doubly, both with wishes to excite in his readers. In the modern respect to ourselves and others: with respect to novel, this hero or heroine is never placed on a ourselves, from what we think ought to be our lot; throne, or buried in a cottage; because the diffi- with regard to others, from what we think ought culties that can occur in these situations, are not to be their sentiments. It inspires a certain childof a kind to interest the majority of readers.' ish pride of our own superior delicacy, and an unfortunate contempt of the plain worth, and the ordinary, but useful occupations, of those around us.

'It is justly considered,' says Dr. Johnson, 'as the greatest excellency of art, to imitate nature; but it is necessary to distinguish those parts of nature, which are most proper for imitation. No sooner docs a young female imbibe this fatal Great care is still required in representing life, poison, than she immediately discovers herself to which is so often discolored by passion, or deform- be unhappy. Her daily employments, her accused by wickedness. If the world be promiscuously tomed pursuits, and associates, are no longer capadescribed, I cannot conceive of what use it can be ble of interesting. The presence and converse of to read the account; or why it may not be as safe her relatives and friends becomes irksome and into turn the eye immediately upon mankind, as sipid. Introduced, as it were, into a higher region, upon a mirror that shows all that presents itself, and aspiring after more refined enjoyments, she without discrimination. It is therefore not a suffi- sighs to meet some kindred spirit, who can share cient vindication of a character, that it is drawn as in all the feelings of her heart. The sentimental it appears; for many characters should not be and exalted endearments of love and friendship drawn at all: nor of a narrative, that the train of are, in her eyes, the only source of all genuine feevents is agreeable to observation; for that obser- licity; and as it is always easy to believe what we vation which is called knowledge of the world, wish, if an object endowed with powers to please, will be found much more frequently to make men present himself, fancy will readily supply every cuuning, than good. The purpose of these writ-deficiency, and portray a perfect character; while ings is surely not to show mankind, but to provide the highest satisfaction of which the human mind that they may hereafter be seen with less hazard; | is capable, will be expected to result from his socito teach the means of abridging the snares which ety. Happy will it be, indeed, if inexperienced, are laid by treachery for innocence, without ensur-unsuspecting youth, do not fall a sacrifice to base ing any wish for that superiority with which the and designing seduction! But supposing things betrayer flatters his vanity; to give the power of counteracting fraud, without the temptation to practise it; to initiate youth, by meek encounters, in the art of necessary defence; and to increase prudence, without impairing virtue.'

We feel it, however, our duty, to guard our

to take the most favorable turn imaginable, and two congenial hearts, possessed of the most exquisite sensibility, after various extraordinary and most interesting adventures, are at length happily united shall we suppose that the same blissful scene, which winds up the novel or the play, will

continue through many years, in a series of unin-mation at second hand; for description, though it terrupted delight? Alas! no. The sky, that contribute to familiarity, cannot altogether remove seemed so bright and serene on the entrance into the appearance of novelty when the object itself is this enchanted path, will soon be obscured by presented: the first sight of a lion occasions some chilling damps and gloomy clouds. If no calami- wonder, after a thorough acquaintance with the tous event intervene, ennui and insipidity will cer- correctest pictures and statues of that animal. tainly succeed. Many mortifying discoveries of imperfection, on each side, will be made, and a variety of vulgar, common cares intrude to engross the attention, sour the temper, and interrupt the enjoyment that had been expected: and, after all, it will be well if that which began in the most ex-place or some other circumstance concur; but travagant attachment, an attachment built on too frail a basis to be permanent, do not terminate in indifference or disgust.

NOYAU. A cordial. The word is French, and the term is derived from the use of the ker-out making any riot or tumult. And so if a person nels of apricots, nectarines and peaches, in flavoring it. The use of them in too large quantities has sometimes made the liquor poisonous, as prussic acid may be extracted from them. The other ingredients in the liquor are French brandy, prunes, celery, bitter almonds, a little essence of orange peel, and essence of lemon peel, and rose water. It is used like the other liqueurs.

being the first and least number, below which therefore it cannot descend; except by subdivision into decimal of other parts, which may also be extended infinitely, at least in idea, if not in fact; for we cannot conceive any particle of matter so small, but that it may be supposed capable of being rendered still smaller, by division and subdivision.

NUMBERS, ANCIENT. Numbers were by the Jews, as well as the ancient Greeks and Romans, expressed by the letters of the alphabet: hence we may conceive how imperfect and limited their arithmetic was, because the letters could not be arranged in a series, or in different columns, convenient for ready calculation. The invention of the arithmetical figures which we now make use of, and particularly the cipher, has given us a vast advantage over the ancients in this respect. The Jewish cabalists, the Grecian conjurers, and the Roman augurs, had a great veneration for particular numbers, and the result of particular combinations of them.

NUMBERS, BOOK OF. The fourth book of the Pentateuch, taking its denomination from its numbering the families of Israel. A considerable part of this book is historical, relating to several remarkable passages in the Israelites march through the wilderness. It contains a distinct relation of their several movements from one place to another, or their two and forty stages through the wilderness, and many other things, whereby we are instructed in some of the weightiest truths that have immediate reference to God and his providence in the world. But the greatest part of this book is spent in enumerating those laws and ordinances, whether civil or ceremonial, which were given by God, but not mentioned before in the preceding books.

NUMERATION. The art of expressing in figures any uumber proposed in words, or expressing in words any number proposed in figures.

NUMISMATICS. The study of coins and medals of all nations, as means of history and rectification of dates in chronology. The earliest coins are Phoenician, and were struck or imprinted from dies unreversed, so that the inscription was reversed. Greek coins are scarce, and so are many Roman ones; but, as money was often secreted under ground, pots of it are often discovered containing coins of great rarity.

this doctrine has a very specious appearance at first view. He adhered to it early in life, and it is so seemingly consistent with nature, that he is not surprised it has been generally adopted by young planters, at the same time he cannot account for those who have had much practice and long experience not exposing the errors of it. And he adds, that he has given some examples from frequently repeated experiments, of the ill effects he has felt by planting young and tender seedlings in the poorest soils, and the greater successes attending those that were well grown on the same, or in similar situations. The consequences of raising plants on poor hungry land are no less fatal than planting the seedlings in such, and should as much as possible be avoided. He has mentioned in the culture of many trees, the necessity of promoting their vigorous growth at first, in order to their becoming stately and handsome; nor can this be effected by any other means than being early nursed in a generous soil, for whatever future purpose that they are meant, or to whatever situations they are destined; and that, if they are but barely supported from infancy on meagre ground, they will never afterwards become strong, though removed to that which is rich and feeding. Farther, that he has sown the seeds of forest trees on the poorest ground, planting seedlings, and strong well nursed trees from ten to five feet high, on the same ground and at the same time, where the old well cultivated plants have frequently made good trees, when the seedlings have perished, and from the sterility and coldness of the soil, the seeds have not so much as vegetated. In short, the roots of seedlings are not so well fitted as larger plants to draw sufficient nourishment from crude, rank, and uncultivated soils: and as he has truly found what is here said in many instances to be the case, he is obliged to believe that the general practice of planting seedlings in poor, and large trees in good land, should be quite reversed.

It has also been stated by others, that almost all writers on agriculture advise the farmer to be very careful to make choice of such plants only as have been raised in a nursery of poor soil, and always to reject such as have been reared in a richer soil than that in which he is to plant them: because a plant which has been reared in a barren soil has been inured, from its infancy, to live hardily, and will advance with a great degree of luxuriance, if it is planted in one that is better: whereas a plant that has been nursed in a fertile soil, and has suddenly rushed up to a great size, like an animal that has been pampered with high feeding, and swelNURSERY. In Agriculture and Planting, the led up with fat, will languish and pine away, if name of a place appropriated for rearing and pre-transplanted to a more indifferent soil. But it serving young plants of different kinds. Every gentleman who las any extent of land to be planted should have a place of this sort for raising his young trees and plants, as it saves a great deal of trouble and expense which must otherwise be incurred in providing them.

Mr. Boutcher states, that it is an almost universally received opinion, that trees ought to be raised in the nursery on a poorer soil than that to which they are afterwards to be transported for good, and it has been directed by many, otherwise the most respectable authors. We must acknowledge

would be no difficult matter to show the fallacy of this mode of reasoning, and to point out many errors which have crept into almost all sciences, from pursuing such fanciful analogies between objects in their own natures so different, as in this example. But as this would be in some measure foreign to the purpose, it may just be noticed, that it could seldom be attended with worse consequences than in the present case, as it leads to a conclusion directly the reverse of what is warranted by experience. For it has been found, from reiterated experiments, that a strong and vig

also discovered the cause of this phenomenon in the Newtonian systern of attraction.

erous plant, that has grown up quickly and arrived at a considerable magnitude in a very short time, uever fails to grow better after transplanting, than The first principle of that system is known to another of the same size, that is older and more be, that all bodies mutually attract each other in stinted in its growth, whether the soil in which the direct ratio of their masses, and in the inverse they are planted be rich or poor: so that, instead ratio of the squares of their distances. From this of recommending a poor hungry soil for a nursery, mutual attraction, combined with motion in a right it would perhaps in all cases be best to set apart line, Newton deduces the figure of the orbits of for this purpose the richest and most fertile spot the planets, and particularly that of the earth. If that could be found; and in the choice of plants, this orbit was a circle, and if the terrestrial globe always to prefer the youngest and most healthy, to was a perfect sphere, the attraction of the sun such as are older, if of an equal size. This is would have no other effect than to keep it in its given as the result of much experience in this orbit, and would cause no irregularity in the posi business. And the practical planter suggests, that tion of its axis; but neither is the earth's orbit a so much has been said concerning the question, circle, nor its body a sphere; for the earth is sensiwhether a nursery should be on a soil, and in a bly protuberant towards the equator, and its orbit situation corresponding to those on which the trees is an ellipsis, which has the sun in its focus. When are ultimately to be planted, that he should deem it the position of the earth is such, that the plane of unpardonable to pass the subject in silence. He the equator passes through the centre of the sun, briefly delivers his own opinion, so that the reader the attractive power of the sun acts only so as to may apply or reject what agrees with, or stands draw the earth towards it, still parallel to itself, and opposed to his. But he first remarks, that experi- without changing the position of its axis, and this ence has taught him that it is only for an extensive happens at the equinoxes. In proportion as the scale of planting that the nursery can be had re-earth recedes from those points, the sun also goes course to; in other cases it is no saving for a gen- out of the plane of the equator, and approaches tleman to rear a nursery. He confines himself to that of one or other of the tropics; the semidiamthe nursing of seedlings only, on the same princi-eter of the earth, which is then exposed to the sun, ple; and from indisputable proofs, demonstrated being no longer equal, the equator is more powerboth by himself and others, who have had much experience, made impartial trials for ascertaining how far it might be to a gentleman's advantage to rear his own nursery from seed. And they have all found it unprofitable, and attended with considerable perplexity. A thing not at all to be wondered at, when we reflect on the multiplicity of business at that season most critical, for insuring success in this branch. If the soil and situation whereon the trees are ultimately to be planted be good, and all other circumstances concur, he conceives the trees ought to be nursed on the spot; but for no other reason than that it is less expensive to carry to a distance seedling, than transplanted trees. But if the soil whereon the trees are to be planted be bad, and the situation be bleak, and exposed to violent winds, then he should conceive the attempt The same effect which the sun produces on the to rear nursery plants clean, healthy, and well- earth, by its attraction, is also produced by the rooted, opposed to common sense. And after moon, which acts with greater force, in proportion stating that great care and attention is requisite as it is more distant from the equator; now, at the in rearing young plants; that some are raised with time when its nodes coucur with the equinoxial more difficulty than others; it is asked are the points, its greatest latitude is added to the greatest ash, the beech, the birch, the elm, the larch, and obliquity of the ecliptic. At this time, therefore, the oak, reared in infancy with equal ease? Do the power which causes the irregularity in the pothey not, if properly treated, all equally flourish sition of the terrestrial axis, acts with the greatest afterwards on the mountain, in the vale, where soil force; and the revolution of the nodes of the is hardly found, and where it is found in abun- moon, being performed in eighteen years, it is clear dance? Do we sow seed in sand, gravel, clay, the that in eighteen years the nodes will twice concur crevice of a rock, on the bleak top of a mountain, with the equinoxial points; and, consequently, that or in a fertile vale, with equal expectation of seeing twice in that period, or once every nine years, the it rise a good plant?' earth's axis will be more influenced than at any other time; so that it will have a kind of balancing NUTATION. In Astronomy, a kind of trepi-backward and forward, the period of which will dation, or tremulous motion of the axis of the be nine years, as Mr. Bradley had observed; and earth; whereby its inclination to the plane of the this balancing he calls the nutation of the terresecliptic is not always the same; but varies back- trial axis.

wards and forwards some seconds: and the period

fully attracted than the rest of the globe, which causes some alteration in its position, and its inclination upon the plane of the ecliptic: and as that part of the orbit, which is comprised between the autumnal and vernal equinox, is less than that which is comprised between the vernal and autumnal, it follows that the irregularity caused by the sun, during his passage through the northern signs, is not entirely compensated by that which he causes during his passage through the southern signs; and that the parallelism of the terrestrial axis, and its inclination with the ecliptic, will be a little changed. But though the irregularity is now accounted for, we are still at a loss for the cause of its happening in a period of nine years. This difficulty, however, will immediately disappear.

of these variations is nine years. This nutation NUT, COCOA. The fruit of the cocos nuci was discovered by Dr. Bradley, who published an fera of Linnæus. Within the nut is found a keraccount of his discovery in the year 1737. He nel, as pleasant as an almond, and also a large