NUGE.

No. XIX.

THE Advertisements are

Whether it be that "Worm-doctors' fancy the public may be costive of belief with respect to their skill; or from what other cause it may arise, I know

fit into oblivion on the feuille volante of a daily newspaper: for which reason I shall consign them to immortality in the amarantine pages of the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

"To Gardeners and others.-A favourable opportunity now presents it self to gentlemen and gardeners of stocking their grounds with a choice varicly of SLUGS and SNAILS. The proprietor throws himself entirely on the liberality of a discerning public, having taken great pains to bring to perfection a new species of snail, termed the Limax Brassedacius, whose voracity is such that it will singly destroy a full grown cabbage in the course of a few hours. To be viewed, by cards, at his depository, 5, Drum Lane, Brentford.” Times Newspaper 1813.

This is a very fair hoax, and was evidently inserted to raise a good humoured laugh, or to guage the culJibility of the public by ascertaining the number of applications for cards at 5, Drum Lane, Brentford, I should hope, for the honour of humanity, that the following was intended only in sport, and for a mere jeu d'esprit. For, if the advertisement be really serious; what terms of indignation can be too severe, what "words that burn" too caustic, to brand with an indelible stigma the wretch who thus debases the sanctity of literature, and with purse-proud meanness so dares to trample upon distress as to degrade a scuo LAR to the occupation of a menial !

"Pity it is, that gentler wits should breed, Where THICKSKIN CHUFFS laugh at a scholar's need."

"Wanted, as Tutor AND Buller, a well educated reduced Scholar, to teach a boy of nine years old, Latin and Eng. lish grammatically, Writing, Accounts, and if French, Music, Dancing, and Drawing, he will be preferred. He is to dine with the youth and maid, and to act in the capacity of Butler to the Father. He will be strictly examined, and the most satisfactory characters required in BOTH capacities. Address, post paid, A. M. Gray's Library, 62, Piccadilly."!! Morning Post Newspaper

1813.

necessary always to exhibit proofs of their individual wonder-working powers in their windows. An amateur of such exhibitions may contemplate in Long Acre, stopp'd in vials, and transfix'd with pins," a more curious assemblage of "monstrous and prodigious things, than fables yet have feigned." Even Aristotle and Linnæus would be at a non-plus to designate these "wonders of nature and ART." I never saw any worm that could enter into competi tion with these, nor ever read of any equally wonderful, except the following, which, I lament to say, has not escaped the depredations of Time, since not a vestige of it is extant, except in the faithful page of the historian.

"This year [1586] on the seventeenth daie of March, a strange thing happened, the like whereof before bath not beene heard of in our time. Maister Dorrington of Spaldwike in the countie of Huntington esquier, one of hir maiesties gentlemen pensioners, had a great horsse that died suddenlie; and being ripped to see the cause of his death, there was found in the hole of the heart of the same horsse a strange worme, which laie in a round heape in a kall or skin, of the bignesse of a tode, which being taken out and spred abrode, was in forme the fashion not easic to be described in words, but in picture. The length of this worme diuided into manie grains, to the number of fiftie, spred from the bodie like the branches of a tree, was from the snowt to the end of the longest graine seuenteen inches; hauing foure issues in the grains, from whense dropped foorth a red water. The bodie in bignesse round about was three inches and a haife, the colour whereof was like vnto a mackere!l. This mon strous worme found in maner aforesaid, cralling to haue got awaie, was stabbed in with a dagger and died: which after being dried, was shewed to manie honorable personages of this realme." Holiushed's Chronicles, Vol. iv. p. 891. Edit. 1808.

Porr's numerous imitations of parallel passages in other authors have, in many instances, been either avowed by himself, or traced by his commenta

tors, Warburton, Wakefield, Warton, and Bowles. There yet remains, how ever, a copious harvest of imitations yet unnoticed. In Bowles's edition of Pope's works, which is the last and most complete, the following parallelisms are not remarked.

“Ye vig'rous swains! while youth ferments your blood, And purer spirits swell the sprightly Blood." Windsor Forest, Line 93.

Probably from Virgil:

-“ Vos o, quibus integer ævi Sanguis, ait, solidæque suo stant robore vires-" Æn. ii, 638.

This Derrick, in his edition, changed to "commerce first," for the sake of the more musical accent on the first syllable of commerce; "forgetting," as Mr. Todd well observes in his note on the passage, (See Warton's Dryden, Vol. i. p. 135. edit. 1811.) that "quick commerce" occurs in stanza 163, where

he could not change the position of the word."

It occurs also in Shakspeare, with the accent on the last syllable, and in company of a word equally strangely ac cented.

"Peaceful commerce from dividable shores." Troilus and Cressida, Act i. sc. 3. p. 271. vol. xv. edit. 1813.

Dr. Warton, in his Notes on Pope, seems frequently to have quoted from memory; and the consequence, as might be expected, has been, that he has occasionally fallen into error. In a note on the "Essay on Criticism," he says, "Cicero records the approbation HE met with for finishing a sentence with the word comprobavit, being a dichorèe." Bowles's Pope, Vol. i. p.

But the approbation was not bestowed on Cicero, but is recorded by him as having been given in his presence to Carbo.

"Me stante C. Carbo, C. filius, tri

bunus plebis in concione dixit his verbis, O Marce Druse, patrem appello. Hæc quidem duo binis pedibus incisim: dein membratim, Tu dicere solebas, sacram esse rempublicam. Hæc item membra ternis. Post ambitus, Quicunque eam violavissent, ab omnibus esse ei poenas persolutas. dichoreus. nihil enim ad deinde, Patris dictum sapiens, temerem, extrema illa, longa sit, an brevis. ritas filii comprobavit. Hoc dichoreo tantus clamor concionis excitatus est, ut admirabile esset." Orator, 63. Vol. ii. p. 484. Edit. Bipont. 1780. T. E.

SIR ISAAC NEWTON'S STATE of the GOLD and SILVER COIN, 21st September 1717.

To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Trea

sury.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIPS,

of reference of August 12th, that I N obedience to your Lordships' order should lay before your Lordships a state of the gold and silver coins of this kingdom, in weight and fineness, and the value of gold in proportion to silver,

with my observations and opinion, and what method may be best for preventing the melting down of the silver coin; I humbly represent, that a pound weight troy of gold, eleven ounces fine, and one ounce allay, is cut into 44 guincas and a pound weight of silver, eleven ounces two penny-weight fine, and eighteen penny-weight allay, is cut into 62 shillings; and according to this rate, a pound weight of fine gold is worth fifteen pounds weight, six ounces, seventeen penny-weight and five grains of fine silver, reckoning a guinea at 17. 18. 6d. in silver money. But silver in bullion exportable is usually worth 2d. or 3d. per ounce more than in coin; and if at a medium such bullion of standard allay be valued at 58. 44d. per ounce, a pound weight of fine gold will be worth but 14 lb. 11 oz. 12 dwt. 9 gr. of fine silver in bullion; and at this rate a guinea is worth but so much silver as would make 20s. 8d. When ships are lading for the East Indies, the demand of silver for exportation raises the price to 5s. 6d. or 58. 8d. per ounce, or above; but I consider not those extraordinary cases. A Spanish pistole was coined for 32 reaus, or four pieces of eight reaus, usually called pieces of eight, and is of equal allay, and a sixteenth part of the weight thereof: and a doppio meada of Portugal was coined for ten crusados of silver, and is of equal allay, and the sixteenth part of the weight thereof. Gold is, therefore, in Spain and Portugal of sixteen times more value than silver, of equal weight and allay, according to the standard of those kingdoms. At which rate a guinea is worth 22s. 1d.; but this higher price keeps their gold at home in good plenty, and carries away the Spanish silver into all Europe; so that at home they make their payments in gold, and will not pay in silver without a premium. Upon the coming in of a plate-flect, the premium ceases, or is but small, but as their silver goes away, and becomes scarce, the premium increases, and is com monly about six per cent. which being abated, a guinea becomes worth about 20s. 9d. in Spain and Portugal.

In France, a pound weight of fine gold is reckoned worth fifteen pounds weight of fine silver. In raising or falling their money, their king's edicts have sometimes varied a little from this proportion in excess or defect; but the variations have been so little, that I

do not here consider them. By the edict of May 1709, a new pistole was coined for four new Louises, and is of equal allay, and the fifteenth part of the weight thereof, except the errors of their Mints; and by the same edict, fine gold is valued at fifteen times its weight of fine silver; and at this rate a guinea is worth 20s. 8d. I consider not here the confusion made in the monies in France by frequent edicts to send them to the Mint, and give the king atax out of them: I consider only the value of gold and silver in proportion to one another.

The ducats of Holland, and Hungary, and the Empire, were lately current in Holland among the common people, in their markets and ordinary affairs, at five guilders in specie, and five styvers, and commonly changed for so much silver monies, in threeguilder pieces, and guilder pieces, as guineas are with us for 21s. 6d. sterling; at which rate a guinea is worth 20s. 7 d.

According to the rates of gold to silver in Italy, Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden, a guinea is worth about 20s. and 7d. 6d. 5d. or 4d.; for the proportion varies a little within the several governments in those countries. In Sweden, gold is lowest in proportion to silver; and this hath made that kingdom, which formerly was content with copper money, abound of late with silver, sent thither (I suspect) for naval stores.

In the end of King William's reign, and the first year of the late Queen,' when foreign coins abounded in England, I caused a great many of them to be assayed in the Mint; and found by the assays, that fine gold was to fine silver in Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, and the northern kingdoms, in the proportions abovementioned, errors of the Mints excepted.

In China and Japan, one pound weight of fine gold is worth but nine or ten pounds weight of fine silver; and in East India it may be worth twelve; and this low price of gold in proportion to silver carries away the silver from all Europe.

So, then, by the course of trade and exchange between nation and nation in all Europe, fine gold is to fine silver as 14 4-5ths, or 15 to one; and a guinea, at the same rate, is worth between 20s. 5d. and 20s. 84d. except in extraordinary cases, as when a Plate-fleet

is just arrived in Spain, or ships are lading here for the East Indies, which cases I do not here consider. And it appears by experience, as well as by reason, that silver flows from those places when its value is lowest in proportion to gold, as from Spain to all Europe, and from all Europe to the East Indies, China, and Japan; and that gold is most plentiful in those places in which its value is highest in proportion to silver, as in Spain and England.

It is the demand for exportation which hath raised the price of export able silver about 2d. or 3d. in the ounce above that of silver in coin, and hath thereby created a temptation to export or melt down the silver coin, rather than give 2d. or 3d. more for foreign silver; and the demand for exportation arises from the higher price of silver in other places than in England in proportion to gold, that is, from the higher price of gold in England than in other places in proportion to silver, and therefore may be diminished by lowering the value of gold in proportion to silver. If gold in England, or silver in East India, could be brought down so low as to bear the same proportion to one another in both places, there would be here no greater demand for silver than for gold to be exported to India: and if gold were lowered only so as to have the same proportion to the silver money in Engfand, which it hath to silver in the rest of Europe, there would be no temptation to export silver rather than gold to any other part of Europe. And to compass this last, there seems nothing more requisite than to take off about 10d. or 12d. from the guinea, so that gold may bear the same proportion to the silver money in England, which it ought to do by the course of trade and exchange in Europe. But if only 6d. were taken off at present, it would diminish the temptation to export or melt down the silver coin, and by the effects would shew hereafter, better than can appear at present, what farther reduction would be most convenient for the public.

In the last year of King William, the dollars of Scotland, worth about 48.6. were put away in the North of England for 58. and at this price began to flow in upon us. I gave notice thereof to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and they ordered the collectors of

Europ. Mag. Vol. LXIV, July 1818.

taxes to forbear taking them, and thereby put a stop to the mischief.

At the same time the Louis d'ors of France, which were worth but 178. 03d. a piece, passed in England at 17s. 6d., I gave notice thereof to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and his late Majesty put out a proclamation that they should go but at 17s. and thereupon they came to the mint, and fourteen hundred thousand pounds were coined out of them. And if the advantage of 51d. in a Louis d'or sufficed at that time to bring into England so great a quantity of French money, and the advantages of three farthings in a Louis d'or to bring it to the Mint, the advan tage of 94d. in a guinea, or above may have been sufficient to bring in the great quantity of gold which hath been coined in these last fifteen years, without any foreign silver.

Some years ago the Portugal moeders were received in the west of England at 288. a piece. Upon notice from the Mint that they were worth only about 21s. 7d. the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury ordered their receivers of taxes to take them at no more than 27s. 6d. Afterwards many gentlemen in the West sent up to the Treasury a petition that the receivers might take them again at 28s. and promised to get returns for this money at that rate, alleging that when they went at 28s. their country was full of gold, which they wanted very much. But the Commissioners of the Treasury, considering that at 28s. the nation would lose five pence a picee, rejected the petition. And if an ad vantage to the merchant of 5d. in 28s. did pour that money in upon us, much more hath an advantage to the mer chant of 94d. in a guinea, or above, been able to bring into the Mint great quantities of gold without any foreign silver, and may be able to do it still, till the cause be removed.

If things be let alone till silver money be a little scarcer, the gold will fall of itself: for people are already backward to give silver for gold, and will in a little time refuse to inake payments in silver without a premium, as they do in Spain; and this premium will be an abatement in the value of the gold. And so the question is, whether gold shall be lowered by the government, or let alone till it falls of itself by the want of silver money,

It may be said, that there are great

F

quantities of silver in plate, and if the plate were coined there would be no want of silver money: but I reckon that silver is safer from exportation in the form of plate, than in the form of money, because of the greater value of the silver and fashion together. And, therefore, I am not for coining the plate till the temptation to export the silver money (which is a profit of 24. or 3d. an ounce) be diminished; for as often as men are necessitated to send away money for answering debts abroad, there will be a temptation to send away silver rather than gold, because of the profit, which is almost 4 per cent.; and for the same reason foreigners will choose to send hither their gold, rather than their silver.

All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships' wisdom. (Signed) Mini Office, Sept. 21, 1717.

ISAAC NEWTON.

IDEAL ANALOGY betwixt a NEGRO BOY and the late ALEXANDER POPE, Esq. "Heav'n first taught letters for some wretch's

aid, Some banish'd lover, or some captive maid; They live, they speak, they breathe what love inspires;

Warm from the soul, and faithful to its fires, The virgin's wish without her fears impart, Excuse the blush, and pour out all the heart, Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul, And waft a sigh from Indus to the Pole."

Eloisa to Abelard.

N contemplating many philosophical

therefore, all the reasoning upon this curious subject has been hypothetical, and been supposed to refer to casual analogy in the sentiments and expressions of men of learning who had read the same books, and were contemplating the same subjects; but surely there is a finer, a more subtile, and a more natural perception in the human mind, than the mere adoption of faded ideas; there surely is an innate and a connate principle, that, by operations at once imperceptible and inscrutable, draws together the same thoughts engendered in minds the most opposite; that there certainly is, we shall endeavour to prove by the following short anecdote.

It is, in the whole creative range of human nature, impossible to conceive a greater dissimilarity in the mental powers, than must be supposed to have existed, betwixt those of that enlightened, learned, sublime, and elegant writer, Mr. POPE, and a NEGRO BOY, scarcely sixteen years of age, who was, by his master, an eminent merchant of the island of Jamaica, taken from the field, where, totally untutored, he had in a manner run wild, to be employed in domestic offices, and about his person. This gentleman, engaged in many insular affairs, used frequently to write letters and notes in the presence of the boy, who always observed with the keenest, the most particular, attention, what his master was doing he also used to receive answers through the same medium of communication.

mind, it may, as a conclusion which their ample premises most justly warrant, be fairly stated, that metaphysical observation must melt into air before the solar beams of natural experiment. How little real knowledge can be derived even from modern speculators, numerous as they have been, and vo luminous as their works are, who have written upon this subject: many of those, it should seem, merely for the sake of writing, and, perhaps, more for the sake of controverting opinions long received, and introducing others, at least, as liable to observation, which, it must be re-observed, is not experiment. Among the numerous divisions and subdivisions nuder which ideas have been attempted to be systematized, that of coincidence has not been forgotten, but it has never been treated as a natural emanation of the mind;

Negro Boy, the master, one day, thought he night safely trust him with a verbal message upon a subject of some importance, and which was, in its detail, rather intricate. He summoned the boy into his study; stated to him the message that he was to deliver; and told him how he was to proceed. The boy heard him with profound attention; asked questions extremely pertinent; got him to repeat the whole; and left the study. He had, however, it may be presumed, a rehearsal by himself, with which he was not satis fied; for he soon returned his master, surprised at his sudden appearance, asked him what he had forgotten?"Massa, Massa," said the boy, with great simplicity, "I forgot_words;" and, pointing to the ink-stand, "Do! Do, Massa! MAKE PAPER SPEAK!"

M.