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The following jeu d'efprit has been given as a tranflation of the above: Here I, Thomas Wharton, do lie, With Lucifer under my head, And Nelly my wife hard by, And Nancy as cold as lead: O how can I fpeak without dread! Who could my fad fortune abide! With one devil under my head,

And another laid clofe on each fide.

OPINIONS OF PERSONS AND BOOKS *, BY DR. JOHNSON AND MR. BOSWELL. Sir William Forbes, now of Pitiligo, [is] a man of whom too much good cannot be faid; who, with diftinguished abilities, and application to his profeffion of a banker, is at once a good companion and a good Chrif tian; which I think is faying enough.

Lord Chief Baron Orde. This refpect able English judge will be long remembered in Scotland, where he built an elegant house, and lived in it magnificently. His own ample fortune, with the addition of his falary, enabled him to be fplendidly hospitable.

"Dr. Beattie has written like a man confeious of the truth, and feeling his own Arength. Treating your adversary with reSpect, is giving him an advantage to which he is not entitled... Treating your adverfary with refpect, is striking soft in a baule. And as to Hume, a man who had fo much conceit as to tell all mankind they had been bubbled for ages, and he is the wife man who fees better than they-a man who has fo little fcrupulofity as to venture to oppofe thofe principles which have been thought neceffary to human happinefs-is he to be furprised if another man comes and laughs at him? If he is the great man he thinks himself, all this cannot hurt it is like throwing peas against a rock."

"Savift is clear, but he is fhallow. In coarfe humour, he is inferior to Arbuthnot; in delicate humour, he is inferior to Addifon. So he is inferior to his contempora ries, without putting him against the whole world. I doubt if the Tale of a Tub was his; it has fo much more thinking, more knowledge, more power, more colour, than any of the works which are indifputably his. If it was his, I fhall only fay, he was impar Kibi."

*Sir Alexander Dick, whofe amiable charafter, and ingenious and cultivated mind, is fo generally known (he was then on the verge of feventy, and is now eighty-one, with his faculties entire, his heart warm, and his temper gay).

Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, who is one of the beft philolegifts in Great Britain, who has written papers in the World, and a variety of other works, in profe and in verfe, both Latin and English, pleafed Dr. Johnfon highly."

I have given a sketch of Dr, Johnfon (fee p. 756). My readers may wish to know. a little of his fellow-traveller. Think, then, of a gentleman of ancient blood, the pride of which was his predominant paffion. He was then in his thirty-third year, and had been about four years happily married. His inclination was to be a foldier; but his father, a refpectable Judge, had pressed him into the profeffion of the law. He had travelled a good deal, and feen many varieties of human life. He had thought more than any body fuppofed, and had a pretty good flock of general learning and knowledge. He had all Dr. Johnfon's principles, with fome degree of relaxation. He had rather too little, than too much prudence; and, his imagination being lively, he often faid things of which the effect was very different from the intention. He refembled fometimes

"The best good man, with the worfi-na

tur'd Mufe."

He cannot deny himself the vanity of finifhing with the encomium of Dr. Johnson, whofe friendly partiality to the companion of his Tour, reprefents him as one whofe acuteness would help my enquiry, and whofe gaiety of converfation, and civility of man. ners, are fufficient to counteract the incon veniences of travel, in countries less hofpitable than we have paffed.'

"We were attended only by my man, Jofeph Ritter, a Bohemian; a fine ftately fellow above fix feet high, who had been over a great part of Europe, and spoke many languages. He was the best fervant I ever faw in my life. Let not my readers difdain his introduction! for Dr. Johnfon gave him this character: Sir, he is a civil man, and a wife man.'

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In Dr. Watson, a profeffor here [at St. Andrew's], the biftorian of Philip II. we found a well-informed man, of very amiable manners. Dr. Johnfon, after they were acquainted, faid, I take great delight in him.'

I happened to ask where John Knex was buried. Dr. Johnfon burst out, 'I hope in the highway. I have been looking at his reformations. Knox had fet on a mob, without knowing where it should end, Differing from a man in doctrine is no reafon why a man thould pull his houfe about his ears."

I knew Lord Monbeddo and he did not love each other; yet I was unwilling not to vifit his Lordship; and was alfo curious to fee them together. There were feveral points of fimilarity between them; learning, clearnefs of head, precifion of fpeech, and a love of refearch on many fubjects which people in general do not inveftigate. Foote paid Lord Monboddo the compliment of faying, that he was an Elzevir edition of Johnfon.

At Laurence Kirk our great grammarian Riddiman was once fchoolmafter. We reípectfully remembered that excellent man The paffages marked ["] are Dr. John- and eminent fcholar, by whofe labours a fon's the others Mr. Bofwell's,

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knowledge of the Latin language will be preferved in Scotland, if it fhall be preferved at all. Lord Gardenfton, one of our judges, collected money to raise a monument to him at this place, which I hope will be well execured. I know my father gave five gui

neas towards it.

"Sir Joshua Reynolds is the most invul nerable man I know; the man with whom, if you should quarrel, you would find the utmost difficulty how to abufe."

Mr. Frafer is the worthy fen of a worthy father, the late Lord Strichen, one of our judges, to whofe kind notice I was much obliged. Lord Strichen was not only honeft, but highly generous; for, after his fucceffion to the family estate, he paid a large fum of debts contracted by his predeceffors, which he was not under any obligation to pay.

"I had a kinduefs for Derrick, and have often said, that, if his letters had been writ ten by one of a more eftablished game, they would have been thought very pretty letters.

A

Bacon, in writing his "Hiftory of Henry VII." does not feem to have confulted any [records], but to have juft taken what he found in other hiftories, and blended it with what he learnt by contradiction."

He told us, he had fent Derrick to Dryden's relations, to gather materials for his Life; and he believed Derrick had got all that he himself should have got; but it was nothing. He added, he had a kindness for Derrick, and was forry he was dead."

"I look upon M'Pherfon's Fingal to be as grofs an impofition as ever the world was troubled with. Had it been really an ancient work, a true fpecimen how men thought at that time, it would have been a curiofity of the first rate. As a modern production, it is nothing. He has found names, and ftories, and phrafes, nay paffages in old fongs, and with them has blended his own compofitions, and fo made what he gives to the world as a tranflation of an ancient poem.";

"Forbes wrote: very well; but I believe he wrote before epifcopacy was quite extinguifhed."And then paufing a little, he faid, "Yes, you have Withart AGAINST Repentance"

Lord Perifcourt laid a wager, in France, that he would ride a great many miles in a certain fhort time. The French academicians fet to work, and calculated that, from the refiftance of the air, it was impof

*This was a dexterous mode of defcription, for the purpose of his argument; for what he alluded to was, a Sermon published by the learned Dr. William Withart, formerly principal of the college at Edinburgh, to warn men against confiding in a deathbed repentance, of the inefficacy of which he entertained notions very different from those of Dr. Johnson.”.

fible. His lordship however performed it."
Dr. Johnfon faid, "Shenftone was a good
layer-out of land, but would not allow him
to approach excellence as a poet. He faid,.
he believed he had tried to read all his
Love Paftorals, but did not get through
them. I repeated the ftanza,

She gaz'd as I flowly withdrew;
My path I could hardly discern;
So sweetly the bade me adieu,

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were

I thought that the bade me return. He faid, "that feems to be pretty.' "Hammond's Elegies," he faid, " poor things.' He spoke contemptuously of our lively and elegant, though too licentious, Lyrick bard, Hanbury Williams, and faid, he had no fame, but from boys who drank with him.'"

"He told us, the first time he faw Dr. Young was at the houfe of Mr. Richardfon, the author of Clariffa. He was fent for, that the Doctor might read to him his Conjectures on Original Compofition, which he did, and Dr. Johnfon made his remarks; and he was furprised to find Young receive as novelties what he thought very common maxims. He faid, he believed Young was not a great scholar, nor had studied regularly the art of writing; that there were very fine things in his Night Thoughts, though you could not find twenty lines together without fome extravagance. He repeated two paffages from his Love of Fame,+the characters of Brunetta and Stella, which he much ro come to Wellwyn. He always inpraised highly. He said, Young pressed him tended it; but never went. He was forry when Young died. The caufe of quarrel between Young and his fon, he told us, was, that his fon infifted, Young should turn him, and who, haying acquired great inaway a clergyman's widow, who lived with fluence over the father, was faucy to the fon. Dr. Johnfon faid, he could not conceal her refentment at him, for faying to Young, that an old man fhould not refign himself to the management of any body.'I afked him, if there was any improper connection between them? No, Sir, no more than between two ftatues.-He was paft four. fcore, and the a very coarfe woman. read to him, and, I fuppofe, made his coffee, and frothed his chocolate, and did fuck things as an old man wished to have done for him.'

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She

than almoft any man to keep the publick in "Though Garrick had more opportunities mind of him, by exhibiting himfelf to fuch numbers, he would not have had fo much reputation, had he not been fo much attacked."

He told me," he did not know who was the author of the Adventures of a Guinea, but that the book feller had fent the firft volume to him in manufcript, to have his opinion if it should be printed; and he thought it thould."

Mr.

MR. URBAN,

You

OUR former notice of the artlefs draft I fent you of the Yellow Steeple at Trim, encourages me to trou ble you with a coarfe view of another ancient building in the neighbourhood of the fame freeple. It is a rough profpect of part of the remains of the ancient Monaftery Church of the Carmelites, at Athloy, in the county of Meath, in Ireland, and within which the inhabitants have conftructed their prefent parochial church. I am not a draughtsman, nor pretend to be fuch; and can recommend the inclofed fcratch to you, no other wife than by affuring you that it is a just reprefentation, although taken fome years fince. The tracery window at the Eaft end has been fince deftroyed, and the branched and upright work all taken away; not to adorn any other edi fice, but to lie fcattered in the churchyard, where the inattention of the inhabitante fuffers what is now left of it to remain expofed to every injury that can arife from accident or depredation. It certainly deferved a better fate, having been uncommonly light and elegant; but in its prefent wretched ftate it was impracticable to trace the courfe of the upright pillars, or the ramifications of the upper branches. Close by this window are two very ancient tombs, one on each fide, (the Northern one fhewn in this fketch,) with very long Latin infcrip. tions, now hardly to be made out: and within the South aile, whofe walls are here reprefented, are other antique monuments, fome withcut infcriptions, and fome with mutilated figures. In the rault of one of thefe tombs the covering Bag fell in, and difcovered a corpfe which had protruded hair through all the interRices of the coffin. I law it in fuch ftate about twenty years ago, fince which time I have not been in that country; or I fhould endeavour to copy fome of the monumental infcriptions I have mentioned, fo far as in my power to make out: and infirmity will not now permit my undertaking fuch a journey.

Should this appear fufficiently material to engage a column of your valuable Compilation, I fhall not make any apology for tranfmitting it.

MR. URBAN,

A. M. T.

it be not contrary to any law you

I have preferibed to yourfelf to admin

review of other Reviewers (yourseit be

See plate 11. fig. 7.

ing in part a Reviewer), one might folicit a corner in your ufefub Mifcellany to defend a late departed friend and antiquary against the puny infinuations of the Critical Reviewers, who have difcharged their shafts through the XXIIId Number of the Bibl. Brit. Top. at the very ingenious and accurate Compiler of the "Hiftory and Antiquities of Hawfted." (See Vol. LIV. p. 678.) As well might one fuppofe that the hif tory of a county can be of no ufe out of the county, as that the Hiftory is queftion may afford pleasure only to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood of the place: or that it is impoffible a review of ancient manners, and a recital of improvements in arts and sciences should be interefting to the kingdom at large. Why then fpend fo much time on the ancient state of a monaftery, or the progrefs of a Roman road, and brand a párochial hiftory, which might ferve as a plan for fuch compofitions, as uninterefting to the public at large, and the mere effufion of local attachment. Not to infit that, as the work was published above a year ago, it is unfair to abuse it now the author is unable to fpeak for himfelf. If there be a falfe delicacy in cri. ticifing living authors, furely there is a high indecorum in abufing departed ones. B. P.

MR. URBAN,

S

'Dec. 5.

As you occafionally infert feals in the

corners of your miscellaneous plates, I send you two, that have been fome time fince engraven for private ufe, from the cabinet of your old friend Mr. Jacob of Faversham. The fift of them, found at Oare near Faversham, (plate II. fig. 7.) is infcribed, S. FRATERNITATIS DOMUS DE HUNDHSLOVE, and belongs to the convent of friars of the or der of the Holy Trinity for the redemp tion of captives, fubfifting at Hounslow, co. Middlesex, before 3 Edward I. See Tanner's Notitia Monaft. p. 317.

The other (fig. 8), which the late Dr. Ducarel, who was himfelf official as well as commifiary of Camerbury, efteemed curious, is, s. OFFICIALITATIS ECCL. XPI CANTUAR. VACANTE SEDE. Yours, &c. EUGENIO.

+++ Fig 9, in the fame plate, which has been fent by a correfpondent whe found it at Glaftonbury, is infcribed, s. AD CAUSAS JOH'IS DEI GRA. EP! ASSAVENSIS. Of this hereafter.

Fig. 1c, though.inferted at a friend's request, is only a-murokant's mask.

143. Epitome of Pbilofophical Tranfa&tions of
the Royal Society of London. Vol. LXXV.
For the Year 1785. Part II. 450.
ART. XVI. Uf the Rotatory Motion
of a Body of any Form whatever, revolv-
ing, without Refraint, about any Axis
paffing through its Center of Gravity. By
Mr. John Landen, F. R. S.

After mentioning the polar evagation of the earth, it is added, that, "in other "planets, the tracks of polar evagation 66 may, from a fimilar caufe, be very "different. The theory above ex"plained evidently proves, that their "axes of rotation may poffibly vary greatly in pofition merely through the "inertia of matter; whilft Providence "has fo ordered it, that the pofition of "the axes of rotation of this planet "fhall, by that caufe, be but very little "altered." But this theory cannot be explained without diagrams.

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ART. XVII. Defcription of a new Marine Animal. In a Letter from Mr. Everard Home, Surgeon, to John Hunter, Efq. F. R. S. With a Poffcript by Mr. Hunter, containing Anatomical Re marks upon the fame.

This fea animal, which came from Barbadoes, Mr. Home thought "a non"defcript." But Mr. Hunter had beföre received the fame animal from St. Vincent's. The former "was found on "the S. E. coaft, close to Charles Fort, "about a mile from Bridge Town, in "fome fhoal water, feparated from the "fea by the ftones and fand thrown up "by the dreadful hurricane of 1780. It "is a fhell-fish, and is almoft entirely "inclofed in the brain-ftone. When in "search of food, these animals throw "out two cones, with membranes twift"ed round them in a fpiral manner, "which have a loose fringed edge, look"ing at the bottom of the fea like two "flowers; and in this ftate they were "difcovered. The animal, when taken "out of the fhell, including the two "cones and their membranes, is five "inches in length; of which the body "is three inches and three quarters, and "the apparatus for catching its prey, "which may be confidered as its tenta"cula, about an inch and a quarter." For other particulars, and the anatomical remarks, we must refer to the article. Two drawings, in two different ftates, are annexed.

ART. XVIII. A Defcription of a new Syftem of Wires in the Focus of a Telefcope, for obferving the comparative right GENT. MAG: Desember, 1785.

Afcenfions and Declinations of celestial Objects; together with a Method of inveftigating the fame when obferved by the Rhombus, though it happen not to be truly in an equatorial Pofition. By the Rev. Francis Wollafton, LL.B. F.R.S.

By a paper in laft year's Tranfactions (fee vol. LIV. p. 840) it was expected that the writer would have added fome farther obfervations on that conftellation [Corona Borcalis], of which he then gave a rough map. The difficulties which disappointed his hopes have led to what appears to him an improvement in the inftrument with which to pursue his obfervations. But it is too mathematical and abftrufe for common readers, and requires a diagram. It may be proper, however, to inform thofe who use the rhombus, that a new formula has been contrived by the author's fon, now mathematical lecturer at Sidney College, Cambridge, for inveftigating the comparative right afcenfions and declinations of ftars observed by it, when the inftrument is not placed truly in the plane of the equator. A formula, that had long been wifhed.

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ART. XIX. An Account of a Stag's Head and Horns, found at Alport, in the Parish of Youlgreave, in the County of Derby. By the Rev. Robert Barker, B. D.

In a quarry of that kind of stone called Tuft, at about four or fix feet below the furface, in the folid part of the rock, feveral fragments of horns. and bones of animals, and in particular. a very large ftag's head, with two antlers upon each horn, were inclofed in it, in perfect prefervation. The dimenfions are given, and the horns are uncommonly large.

ART. XX. An Account of the fenfitive Quality of the Tree Averrhoa Carambola. By Robert Bruce, M. D. [of Calcutta.]

This tree, fo named by Linnæus, "called in Bengal the Camruc, or "Camrunga, is poffeffed of a power "fimilar to thofe fpecies of Mimofa "which are termed fenfitive plants. Its "leaves, on being touched, move very "perceptibly." Some peculiar properties are added. Two other plants, as fpecies of this genus, are mentioned by Linnæus: the Averrboa Bilimbi, which this writer has not feen, and the Averr

"Tuft is a ftone formed by the depot left by water paffing through beds of flicks, large tiratum at Matlock bath in this roots, vegetables, &c.; of which there is a county."

boa Acida, which, (he fays) "does not "feem to belong to the fame clafs, nor "do its leaves poffefs any of the mov66 ing propertics of the Carambola."

ART. XXI. An Account of fome Experiments on the Lofs of Weight in Bodies on being melted or beated. By George Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S.

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The experiment here related (there feems only one) "appears" to the writer "conclufive in determining the loss of "weight in ice when thawed into wa66 ter, and fubject to the leaft fallacy of any he has hitherto made, in fhewing "the lofs of weight in ice on being "heated." And 1. he obferves, "Heat "certainly diminishes the attractions "of cohesion, chemistry, magnetifin, "and electricity, 2. the ice gained "an eighth part of a grain on being "cooled to 12 degrees of Fahrenheit's "thermometer."-In fhort, it is 66 prov"ed, that water gains weight on being "frozen."

ART. XXII. Sketches and Defcriptions of three fimple Inftruments for drawing Architecture and Machinery in Perfpecline. By Mr. James Peacock.

ART. XXIII. Experiments on Air. By Henry Cavendish, Efq. F. R. and A. SS.

Both thefe require diagrams.

ART. XXIV. An Account of the Meafurement of a Base on Hounslow-heath. By Major-General William Roy, F.R. and A. SS.

This very fkilful engineer, in his Introduction, after premiling the great ufe of accurate furveys, as works of great public utility, both for internal improvement and plans of defence, mentions the idea of firft making a map of the Highlands, in 1747, by the late Lieut. Gen Watfon, a work ftill in manufcript, and unfinished; a general furvey of the whole ifland, at the public coft, was in contemplation by Government in 1763, under the direction of himself, but was prevented by many unforeseen obftacles, and at laft by the unfortunate American war; till the peace of 1783 affording a proper opportunity, the General, for his own private amufement, undertook "to meafure a bafe of 7:44 3 feet, across the fields between the Jews Harp, near Marybone, and Black Lane, near Pancras, as a foundation for a fries of triangles, carried on at the fame time for determining the relative fituations of the moft remarkable fteeples, and other places, in and about the capital, with regard to each

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other, and the Royal Obfervatory at Greenwich;" and hinting at a revival of the almoft forgotten fcheme of 1763,had in view the principal object "to facilitate the comparifon of the observations, made by the lovers of aftronomy, within the limits of the projected furvey, viz. Richmond and Harrow, on the Weft, and Shooter's Hill and Wanfted, on the East." But a more important and public operation, while he was making his computations, fuperseded, at prefent, his private obfervations, a Memoir of M. Caffini de Thury being tranfmitted, in October 1783, by the French ambaffador, Count d'Adhemar, to Mr. Fox, then fecretary of state, fetting forth the great advantages that "would accrue to aftronomy by catry. "ing a fories of triangles from the neigh"bourhood of London to Dover, there "to be connected with thofe already "executed in France; by which coin"bined operations the relative fituations "of the two most famous obfervatories in "Europe, Greenwich and Paris, would "be more accurately afcertained than "they are at prefent."-This memoir having been tranfmitted by the Secretary of State to the Prefident of the Royal Society, Gen. Roy was defired to execute the operation, with the gracious approbation, and at the generous expence, of his Majefty, the lover, patron, and encourager offcience. Of this operation," the first of the kind ever undertaken in this country, on any extenfive fcale," an accurate account is here given, i. e. the fift part, at prefent, only, viz. "the choice and mea"furement of the bafe, with every pof"fible care and attention, as the founda❝tion of the work." But, however curious and interefting the event to aftronomers, engineers, and the publick in general, the procefs is too abftrufe, copious, and mathematical, for us more fully to enter into it, than fhortly to mention in general, that on April 16, 1784, the "choice of the bale" was fixed on Hounflow-heath, as, in many respects, a moft eligible fituation, at a place called King's Arbour, at the N. W. extremity of the Heath, between Cranfordbridge and Longford, by Hanworthpark and Hanworth-farm, finishing at Hampton Poor-houfe, near Buthy-park, at the S. E. extremity, diftant upwards of five miles, Mr. Cavendish and Dr. Blagden accompanying the Prefident; that foldiers, inftead of country-labourers, very properly and frugally

were

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