their full performance of all the duties of a horfe. I hope it is quite needlefs to add the many advantages that would refult from this fcheme, not to point out, that as there many who neglect the bufinefs of a useful man, it would be highly politic to bring them up to the bufinefs of a ufeful beaft.

Having provided a cheap ftud in this way, there could be no great difficulty in furnishing our kennels with packs of hounds, terriers, &c. who might fupply the place of thofe animals, properly fo called, which are fo expenfive, and against which the common complaint is, that they eat the bread that should be given to children. There are hundreds of idle, blackguard children, continually running about this great town, who are burthens upon fociety, and a grief and affliction to their parents, because they learn nothing but pilfering and ftealing, and fo come to the gallows, where they are hanged like dogs, without any of the merit of those animals. How much better would they not be employed, in following those animals, which furnish the most delicious of our food? We might then be faid to procure it dog cheap, or by cheap dogs. The dreadful accidents alfo which happen from the bite of mad dogs, would be avoided, as we fhould then only keep enough to act as nurfes, and the breed would not have half the occafion to run mad which they have at prefent.

I shall not now infift farther on this subject, as I am just about to make an experiment which will realize the doctrine. I have purchased from a friendly Overfeer, a couple of brats from the neighbouring workhoufe, whom I propofe to breed up to catch rats and mice, and if I fucceed, you fhall hear from me. Mean time, I am, Sir, &c.

AN EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHER.

P. S. Can any of your readers inform me, whether Rope-dancers propagate their species?

[St. James's Chron.]

A FAST

A FAST-DAY HYMN,

TO BE SUNG BY A CHORUS OF PLACEMEN, &c.

O God of thy goodness flay mine enemies, and destroy all them that vex my foul, for I am thy servant."

A

LTHOUGH we never pray'd before,
Yet now we're bid to pray;

To thee, O Lord, we raife our voice,
On this moft folemn day.

Fain would we murder all our foes;

O grant our pious wish,
For lo! this day have we refolv'd
To dine on falted fifh.

Oh! 'tis a goodly found to hear
Of tens of thoufands flain,
While at a distance from the fcene,
We fafe at home remain.

To thee, the God of Love and Peace,
We
e pray to whet our sword;

Grant we may cut a thousand throats-
All for thy holy word!

O, God of Mercy, grant that these
With us who do not think,
May, of the bitter cup of wrath,
Be ever doom'd to drink!

So fhall we laud thy holy name,
If thou wilt grant our wifh;

Since 'tis for this we have refoly'd

To dine on falted fish.

[Chronicle.]

J. B:

NEW DEFINITION OF MAN:

SOON after the marriage of the dauphin and dauphinefs of France (the late unfortunate Louis XVI. and Antoinette) when all the converfation ran upon the splendid fire works exhibited at their nuptials, a friend ef mine, happening to be at Paris, was much amufed with a circumftance to which he was witnefs, in a room full of company. A boy, about feven years old, poffeffed of rather more than an ordinary degree of that forward vivacity which is fo characteriftic of the youthful part of the French nation was haraguing, in the midft of the circle, with great volubility and emphafis, on the fubject of fire-works, and giving a defcription of what he conceived would make a perfect fpectacle of that kind. But while he was painting, with all his eloquence, the immenfe volumes of flame, and prodigious explosions, that filled his imagination, a by-ftander ventured to obferve, that all the people employed about them would be in danger of being blown to pieces." Oh, (fays the boy, with a nonchalance worthy of the privileged orders)-Oh, ils font faits pour cela."-" It is what they are made for."

This expreffion has often come into my mind, on reflecting upon the deftiny of the great bulk of mankind, in all paft, and in the prefent periods; and [ have wifhed, if poffible, to fatisfy myfelf what, in reality the human race was made for, and I confets, willing as I am to entertain better hopes, I cannot difcover, from any principles of philofophifing, fo fure a ground for reafoning concerning the future condition of mankind, as the uniform experience of fome thousands of past vears. If I breed up a horfe for the courfe, or a dog for the chace, or a gamecock for the pit, it is because a long courfe of experiments has convinced me that fuch is the nature of thofe animals, and that I am pretty fure of finding in

Gg

the

the progeny thofe qualities and difpofitions which I remarked in the parents. May not then a king of Pruffia, with equal reafon, train a number of twolegged unfeathered creatures, called men, to pillage, enilave, and murder other men, at the word of command, in the confidence that as the experiment fucceeded with Sefoftris, Cyrus, Alexander, Cæfar, Gengifkan, Tamerlane, Charles, Louis, and a great many more men-mafters, it will alfo fucceed with him; -in other words, as the French boy faid, that "ils font faits pour cela?

Farther-Man is a creature of ftrong appetites and paffions. Thefe are involved in him earlier an the principles of reafon and understanding, and, in much the greater part of the fpecies, they continue to take the lead during life. Senfual pleafures have attractions for all men; and it is only that clafs who, by means of the bodily labour of the majority, are able to live in comparative ease and leifure, that can acquire a relifh for intellectual enjoyments. Now, the more numerous mankind become, the more fedulous must be their exertions to procure the neceffaries of life, which muft ever be the first concern. The more refinement and luxury prevail among the higher claffes, the greater proportion of the lower muft devote the whole of their time to labour, in a variety of new modes. Even the improvements in arts and fciences require the additional manual toil of inferior artists; and the ingenuity of one head fets at work-a thousand pair of hands. What is implied by the fublime difcoveries of a Herfchell?-the existence of the collier, miner, forgeman, fmith, brazier, glafs-maker and grinder, carpenter, &c. &c. all of whom must be hard-working men, living in garrets and cellars, drinking porter and drams, when they can get them, and placing their fummum bonum in a hot fupper and a warm hed. This is what they are made for. And when the government under which they live, and of

which they mufl always be fubjects, not members, choofes to quarrel with a neighbouring ftate, about the right of fishing or trading on the other fide of the globe, or fome equally worthy matter of debate, thefe very men must be compelled or debauched to clap an uniform on their backs, and a mufket on their fhoulders, and learn to kill and be killed, at the word of command-for this too, is what they are made for.

.

An acquaintance of mine, who is fond of the Linnæan mode of characterifing objects of natural history, has amufed himfelf with drawing up the following definition of man:

Simia Homo: fine caude: pedibus pofticis ambulans: gregarium, omnivorum, inquietum, mendax, furax, rapax, falax, pugnax, artium variarum capax, animalium reliquorum hoftis, fui ipfius inimicus acerrimus.

This, I confels, is an unfavourable portrait. I wifh, Mr. Editor, fome of your correfpondents would, from a fair drawing after nature, give us a better. Your's, &c. HERACLITO-DEMOCRITEUS.

Sept. 30.
Monthly Magazine.

AGRICULTURE.

Minutes of the Report of the Board of Agriculture, for the Year 1795.

TH

HE Apoftates planted last year have thriven wonderfully, and fo generally does the foil favour fuch productions, that the more places we plant them in, they thrive the better. A hard ftoney foil appears, however, to be preferable. The bark is valuable, and generally fells at a high price; the wood being rotten and hollow, is of much lefs repute.

Petitions and Remonftrances have been very plenty. been attended to in the earlier

but from their not having 2

stages,