Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Fry Ramifications on Windows how produced.-E. of Eglintoun. 123

Tobacco. All vulcam vertu, I parda pora fi de gratam, ka famala mara, che Baubo repartera, quirara.

Olfactus. Son to the god Vulcan, and Tellus, kin to the father of mirth, called Bacchus. Tobacco. Vilcardonock, pilloflupbe, pajcano

tinaromagas,

Pago dagon, Allifinfe, carocilato for Las.

Olfa Aus. Genius of all fwaggerers, profeffed enemy to phyficians, fweet ointment for four teeth, firm knot of good fellowship, adamant of company, fwift wind to fpread the wings of time, hated of none but thofe that know him not, and of fo great deferts, that whofo is acquainted with him can hardly forfake him.

Phantafles. It feems these last words were very fignificant. I promise you a god of great denomination, he may be my Lord Tappes for his large titles.

Mr. URBAN,

THE

Feb. 16. HE mind of man is an active principle; its prominent features are an infatiable thirft after knowledge, and an ardent defire of happinefs. To gratify thefe inclinations, the natural and moral world are laid open to its view, which afford an infinite and pleating variety of objects, on which it may exercife its powers, and which feem principally intended by the Deity for the range of its thoughts and contemplations. But, at the fame time, it must be acknowledged that thofe powers are contracted, and its faculties often embarraffed in the inveftigation of truth, nay even of the moft familiar objects.

I confefs myself, Mr. Urban, unable fatisfactorily to account for the phænomenon exhibited on our glafs windows in a frosty morning, namely, the landfcape fcenery, with thofe beautiful ramifications and vegetable appearances which Nature produces in preference almost to any other. The effects are regular, the caufe, therefore, is doubt lets the fame. Give me leave then, through the medium of your excellent Mulcellany, to which I am already very much indebted, to fubmit the following Queries to your learned and ingenious readers; and, at the fame time, to exprets the obligations I thall be under to any of them, who will be fo obliging as to favour me with their thoughts upon the subject.

Qu, 1. Whether the volatile parts of plants, which conftantly perspire, and With which thele lower regions of the atmosphere are replete, may not afflift the freezing principle in forming thefe appearances?

[blocks in formation]

family of EGLINTOUN has long been famous in hiftoric record; but the following paragraphs, combined, will point out a fingulanty in one of them not generally known.

"Yesterday a couple were married at St. Bride's church, the woman go years of age, and the man 70; the former a perfon of quality in England, and the latter an Earl of Scotland." Proteftant Mercury, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 1698.

"Alexander, Earl of Eglinton, Viscount Montgomery, Baron of Ardroffan and Kilrouning, widower, and Dime Katherine Kaye, widow." St. Bride's Marr. Regifter, Dec. 6, 1698.

Alexander, Sth Earl of Eglintoun, was one of the Privy Council to King William; and died in 1701.

W

HISTORIOGRAPHILUS.

Mr. URBAN, Feb. 6. XHEN I propofed my scheme for the fignature of real names, my with was to improve your Mifcellany. It is the opinion, it feems, of some of your correfpondents (pp. 3, 122), that it would have a contrary effect, and your own fentiment rather coincides with theirs. It becomes me, therefore, to withdraw my plan; but I cannot furrender the conviction I feel, that it would really anfiver the defign I had in view, and that none of the evils would enfue from its adoption which your correfpondents apprehend. What objection any man can have to the production of his name when his views are honourable, and the fubject merits attention, I know not. But it is a matter of feeling, I believe, wherein we cannot preferibe to one another. Surrendering my pian, as I do for the prefent, give me leave to offer a 'fingle member of it to your confideration, which is, that no anonymous reply be admitied to those who sign their real names. The utility of this arrangement mutt, I think, be univerfatly adinted

What fhall I say to the Lover of

Truth? He is very angry. I did not mean to irritate him, but to check the wanton petulance of his pen. He came forward unprovoked. The fubject has no general intereft in it, and it fhould expire with the year; otherwife he may know, that to remove his difficulties would not be the labour of five minutes. The miftrefs whom he vainly fancies to allure is really in my intereft. Truth has its Champions, Error its bullies. Inadvertently, he has engaged under a wrong ftandard, it feems. His temper of mind, and the fcurrility of his tongue, are not, at least, at all adapted to the impofing name he has affumed. The fpirit of perfecution dies away on the great continent of Europe, and the inquifitorial office has ordered fearch to be made in the islands for fupport. The Lover of Truth knows the Spanish language, and he can read the tales of Ribadeneira with pleafure. The circumftance will give him intereft; and let him not fear but he will eafily be rofelyted to the Popery he has defcribed, which even now is fo congenial with all his feelings. Ignorance, he obferves, is its leading principle.

Mr. Urban, it is really wonderful that, in a country where the civil conftitution, and all the modes of education, seem to have an obvious tendency to enlarge the mind, there should still be found in it fo difproportionate a meafure of illiberality and intolerance. The obfervation, I know, is juft. The Abbé Mann, for inftance, whofe probity is refpecled, and whofe abilities are admired, no fooner gives his name to your Mifcellany, than more than one correfpondent, because he is a Catholic, deems it honourable to infult him. Are Proteftants fo treated by the friends to literature, even at the foot of the papal chair? Where they go they are refpected; nor is there a periodical fheet, or a literary fociety in Europe, that will not thankfully receive their communications. Only the narrow-minded and the vulgar, I know, are capable of the conduct I cenfure. But why, in England particularly, are fuch charac ters to be found? I fubmit the problem to your correfpondents. We English Catholics are certainly a fociety to which refpect is due. Like the ruins of the noble edifices which our ancestors once poffeffed, we also have survived

* Has Mr. B. or any other ferious gentle man of the fame or any other principles in religion, reafon to think differently of the Gentleman's Magazine? EDIT..

the mouldering hand of time. Other agents confpired to effect our diffolution. With what ardour fhould not an Antiquary then view the old stock, and furvey the broken lineaments, which nor the lapfe of years, nor the hammer of perfecution, have been able utterly to deface! At all events, what concern has fcience, or its purfuits, with modes of faith? Miftaking their own paffions for the fuggeftions of religion, men have too long perverted the best interefts of reafon. It is now pretended that we fee through a jufter medium. May our actions prove it!

Mr. URBAN,

JOSEPH BERINGTON.

Feb. 8.

addition to the reafons which were urged in your laft Magazine against compelling your correfpondents to fign their real names, it may be observed, that, unless you are well acquainted with the writing of all your correspondents, and forbid any communication from new ones, you will never be able to diftinguish between true and fictitious fignatures, and muft, confequently, be fubject to very frequent impofition.

By fuch impofition, I prefume, you were induced to publish (vol. LVII. p. 1164) a pretended ancient account of Yarmouth, which very obfcurely alluded to the difputes by which at present the town is unfortunately divided. The affumed fignature of a perfon, whose intellects are frequently deranged, gave an appearance of credibility to the account; and by that appearance, Mr. Urban, you must have been deceived, for the account itfelf was a very imperfect imitation of an old manufcript.

With the expofure of this impofition, I am induced to fend you the account of an unfortunate woman in this town, whofe mind is conftantly, occupied by the idea that she is Queen of England, and that the power and artifices of her enemies deprive her of the throne. She carries in her pocket an old feal, and a fcroll of paper, which the fhews as her great feal and her title. At church (where the generally attends), when the King or Queen is mentioned, the calls out" no George," or, "no Charlotte," and mutters a fort of proteft against the ufurpation of her and her husband's rights. She bears an equal antipathy to the word " fociety," for, whenever it occurs in the fermon, fhe fails not to exclaim, "no fociety," and again mutters a few words. Her fears are frequently excited for the Catholic Church,

and,

Extraordinary Mad-woman.-Egg laid by a Cock Macaw.

and, upon this fubject, the applies to the Clergy, fome of whom the threatens with punishment, and to others the very liberally promifes Bishopricks. Her Nobles confift of a few of the inhabitants of the town, and, with the true Spirit of a Warwick, the makes and unmakes Lords whenever fhe is pleafed or offended. Under the influence of her prevailing idea, and her alarms about the Church and State, he has fometimes walked to Norwich, to make her complaints to the Bishop; and fome. times he has walked to London, and found her way to the Treafury. In one of thefe excurfions fhe applied to Lord North, who is faid to have anfwered her with great quicknefs and pleafantry (and the introduction of this anecdote is a great motive for my fending you this account)," that the next cart-load of money which fhould come into the town was intended for her." By this anfwer his Lord fhip might free himfelf from her importunity, and cafe her apprehenfions for the moment; but her expectations were foon deftroyed, and the now thinks that the money has been fent, and that her rebellious Nobility have with-held it from her.

She is fupported by an allowance from the town; and, though fhe difdains the gift of charity, and will not involve herself in debt, the will fometimes accept relief (in a regal ftyle) as a Benevolence from her Subjects. Of the refpect due to her imaginary rank he is extremely tenacious; and, if the be not addreffed with the title of Majefty, is very highly offended. Upon the fubject of her injured rights, and and the danger of the Church, her whole attention feems engaged; yet the is perfectly quiet and inoffenfive. In other refpects the is by no means irrational, nor is there any thing in her drefs or appearance (except when the is agitated by contradiction or alarmed by fear) to indicate the diftra&tion of her mind. So nice and infcrutable are the caufes which feparate fenfe and madnefs!

I

Mr. URBAN,

GARIENUS.

Bath, Feb. 5. NOW have it in my power to give you a more particular account of the Cock Macaw which laid an egg in the year 1755, and which I mentioned in your Magazine published for the month. I fay the Cock Macaw, for no female of any fpecies of bird was ever fo beautifully be-feathered. I was intimately acquainted with the bird, and its wor

125

thy mafter, Captain Williams, for many years; and I am as confident the bird laid the egg, and that it was a cockbird, as the evidence of eyes can afcertain any fact. The rev. Mr. Cooper Williams, the fon of my deceased and worthy friend, has juft fent me the egg from Gloucetter. It is patted upon a piece of paper, and is about the fize of a bantom egg, but rather of a larger oval; and the following is copied from the paper on which it fticks, and which is of my friend's own hand-writing, which I now remember to have feen more than twenty years lince:

"This gg was laid by a Macaw belonging to John Williams, of Plantow, efq. in the county of Efex, the 28th day of October, 1755, after the bird had been thirty years in England. It was formerly the property of Sir Charles Wager."

Now, Sir, if there are any contemporaries of Sir Charles Wager living, it is probable they may rene über the bud allo, for he was the moit fplenaid in plumage I ever beheld.

I have too much refpe&t for fuch a fpecimen of contra Nature to part with it while I can keep it; but, when my own hell breaks, it shall go to the Br tih Mufeum.

P. T.
P. S. I think he lived feveral years
after laying the egg and lying with the
maids.

LETTERS to the PEOPLE OF GREAT
BRITAIN, on the Cultivation of their
NATIONAL HISTORY.

Mihi quidem nulli eruditi videntur, quibus
noftra ignota funt.

LETTER

Refpected Countryinen,

IT

Chers de Fin.

I.

T was once my fortune to have a difpute, in a ftage-coach, with the Master of a College in one of our Caiverfities; which, after much juling and joltling, ended, like molt other difputes, in tetting us both do vn at our refpective homes. The fubject of this debate was an obfervation of the faid Mifter, that every fcience had now attained all the perfection to which mankind could carry it; and that new books mutt, of course, only contain a repetition of what was already known and written. An opinion, fo easily confutable from conftant experience and facts, needs no ftrong arguments to overturn it. Against a perion capable of advancing an abfurdity, the weakelt ai

[blocks in formation]

gument is always the ftrongeft, as being beft adapted to his understanding. I, therefore, confined myfelf chiefly to this fyllogifm:

Authors, printers, book fellers, fupport themselves, and their families, chiefly by publishing new books. They are confeffedly of great ufe to fociety.

Your argument goes to abolish thefe profeffions.

It is therefore injurious to fociety. I have fince thought that the opinion of this difputant was too general in Great Britain; and particularly with regard to one moft important branch of literature, our National Hiftory. From the utter neglect fhewn, for near a century, in publifhing monuments, or illufirations, of the Hiftory of Great Britain and Ireland, while all the other countries of Europe are eager in this purfuit, one would imagine that our liferati were agreed in opinion, that all was done for our history that could be done, and that further labour was only crambe recočia. It is truly furprizing that our bookfellers, who deferve great praife for their fpirit in literary undertakings, do not enter into this. With out their affiftance, where fhould we have been in other refpe&s? To their enterprize we are indebted for Biograprias, Syftems of Geography, Encyclope dras, Dictionaries. In France and Italy fuch works were projected, and carried into execution, by the Literati, fup. ported by the patronage of kings and nobles; and the Lookfellers knew nothing of the matter till the manufcripts were put into their hands. Here, on the contrary, the bookfellers projected the works, and engaged the authors. They are, in fact, the fole patrons of literature in this country; and to their fpuit we must have recourie for the publication and illustration of our hiftocat documents, thould the great, as utual, fand aloof.

But it is to be hoped that our Great will return to their former tafte for true glory; that the characters of jockey and gambler will one day not be thought abfolutely neceflary to complete a nobleman and a gentleman; but that the folid patronage of literature may be admitted to claim fome attention. Many are the literary works, which, though of the hightlt importance to this country, cannot be undertaken without patropape, as the public tafte, which gecially follows the patronage of the

Great, does not encourage them. For, if the publick was to go fomewhat into that line of reading, the books would fell, and pay for themfelves. But the Gat ought to lead the way, by publifhing fuch works at their own expence, as the Princes of the blood do in France and Denmark; and Nobles have done in Germany, Italy, and Spain. The patronage of poets and men of genius has now ceafed in moft countries; and is unneceflary, as their works, if good, reward themfelves, if bad, deferve no encouragement. But the patronage of learning, whofe productions are feldom, if ever, popular, though of the highest ufe and importance to the glory of the nation, is continued in molt countries, as the chief fame of the great. The publication of any aucient English hiftorian, with illuftrations, would not at prefent pay for the printing. Nobody reads fuch books. The study is too mafculine for our trifling times; and all fiy at the flowers of fcience, and neglet the fruits. Yet books of Natural Philofophy and Mathematicks, though ftudies more fevere, are greedily read. This mystery, that in Britain alone National Hiftory fhould be the only fcience neglected, certainly merits explanation; and, in a future letter, fhall be attempted to be explained.

In order to excite fome attention to this fubje&, a feries of letters on it is intended to be given in the Gentleman's Magazine, as in that useful Repofitory they may fall into a greater number of hands than if printed in a feparate volume, fecing that the fubject is fo much neglected. The epiftolary nature difpenfes with fevere method; but it will be beft to follow fome little order. It is propofed, therefore, 1. To fhew that a neglect of our hiftory does exift, and is peculiar to us; and to produce an example or two of fuch neglect. li. To point out where the neglect chiefly lies. III. To examine the caufes of this neglet. IV. To hint at the remedies.

Jofeph Scaliger obferved, two centuries ago, in the Scaligerana, that no country abounds in fine manufcripts more than England, and that no country fhews fuch neglect of them. Were our historical MSS. alone properly publihed, the prefs might groan with them for half a century, to the emolument of our printers and bookfellers: that is, if Government were to appoint a fociety for publifhing luch documents; if the Great were to contribute; or if, as in mott

foreiga

Original Letter on the Salmon Fishery in the Tweed.

foreign countries, every gentleman were to look on fuch works as necessary even in a small library, and regard the hiftory of the nation as the moft interefting knowledge of every native. This knowledge never can be acquired but by perufal of the original writers. The fyftems and prejudices of modern hiftorians are notorious, The hiflory of Greece and Rome all feek for in the fountains: and why should not the hiftory of Great Britain obtain even greater attention from every native? As the ftudy of our history has declined, true patriotifm has declined; and to attempt its revival may, it is hoped, be regarded as a fervice both to patriotifm and to literature. In the next letter, as a proper foundation for the reft, it shall be fhewn that a neglect of our history exifts, and a furprizing inftance fhall be given of it. PHILISTOR.

--

AN ORIGINAL LETTER TO J. C.
Esq. LONDON, ON THE SALMON
FISHERY ON THE TWEED.

Dear Sir, Berwick, O. 30, 1761.
HE favour of yours, of the 9th

TH

inftant, gives me the more pleafure, as it prefents me with an opportu nity of fhewing with how much refpect I fhall employ my fmall abilities in an fwering your enquiries on our Salmon Fishery.

2.1. What number of fish may the river Tweed produce yearly?

Anfw. The produce of this river is variable, being feldom two years alike, and for many feafons together unpro ductive, or the rents ill paid, while another time, for many fubfequent seasons, the falmon are remarkably plenty. To

obtain an account of the number of falmon caught in the river Tweed in one year, with tolerable accuracy, I have, by the affistance of a well-informed perfon, collected a rental of every feparate fishery in the river for about 14 miles from its mouth (in all about 41), the rents amounting to about 5,400l. annually *.

The fame perfon alfo, thoroughly ac

This rental was taken in the year 1761, fince which time moft of the leafes have been renewed at an advanced rent. In one inftance, at the mouth of the Tweed, the fact is well known; the leafe, which expired only a few years ago, was, with avidity, fecured at more than double its old rent, in the proportion, if I mistake not, of three to feven and a half.

127

quainted with the yearly expences neceffarily attending each individual fishing water, moderately computes the whole charges at 5000l. which together make 10,400l. Now, the number of falmon to pay thefe annual rents and charges cannot be lefs than twenty times that fum, viz. 208,000, exclufive of the gilfes and trout.

The gilfes are the falmon fry, and therefore of the fame fpecies: for, by the best-informed people, this is an admitted fact, that they return from the fea well-grown falmon.

In the latter end of the year, the fal mon make as far up the river as potiible, in order to spawn; and, when they meet with a place fuitable, the be and be conjun&tly form a hole in the fand or gravel, about 18 inches deep, wherein they caft their sperm together, and carefully cover it over with the fame materials, where it continues till the fpring, if not disturbed by the winter's floods.

One of the two roes of the fbe-fifb will, at this feafon, be fometimes twelve inches in length, and fix in circumfe rence. As to the fize of the milt of the be-fifh, I cannot say.

About the latter end of March, or beginning of April, the young fry thew themfelves alive, very fmall at first, but gradually arrive at the fize of about four inches in length, and are then termed fmelts; though they certainly have no here fmowres, or rather, properly, affinity, in fhape or hue, to that delidifh of Tweed falmon at your London cate morfel with which you decorate a tables. This young fry haften to fea with no fmall expedition. About the beginning of May, the river feems to be all alive. You cannot conceive any idea of their numbers. If a land-flood then happens, they are fwept away to fea more effectually, as, after it, fcarce any are to be feen.

of them take the river again; they are Near the middle of June, the earliest then, in this fecond ftage, cailed giltes, and are about 12, 14, or 16 inches long. Thus they increase in numbers and tize till about the middle of July, which is, as we call it, the middle of gilfe-time, a period much looked-for by the induftri ous and laborious poor.

The method of tifhing for falmon is by a net of confiderable length, which the fisherman coils up on the fquare ftern of a flat-bottomed boat, nine or ten feet long, and four feet wide. The net is loaded, to link at bottom, and buoyed

« ZurückWeiter »