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At the first signal, he himself, and the four lifters, begin to draw a long, full breath; and when the inhalation is completed, or the lungs filled, the second signal is given for raising the person from the chair. To his own surprise, and that of his bearers, he rises with the greatest facility, as if he were no heavier than a feather. On several occasions, I have observed, that when one of the bearers performs his part ill by making the inhalation out of time, the part of the body which he tries to raise is left as it were behind. As you have repeatedly seen this experiment, and performed the part both of the load and of the bearer, you can testify how remarkable the effect appears to all parties, and how complete is the conviction, either that the load has been lightened, or the bearer strengthened, by the prescribed process. At Venice the experiment was performed in a much more imposing manner. The heaviest man in the party was raised and sustained upon the points of the forefingers of six persons. Major H. declared that the experiment would not succeed, if the person lifted were placed upon a board, and the strength of the individuals applied to the board. He conceived it necessary that the bearers should communicate directly with the body to be raised.

I have not had an opportunity of making any experiments relative to these curious facts; but whether the general effect is an illusion, or the result of known principles, the subject merits a careful investigation.

The inhalation of the lifters the moment the effort is made is doubtless essential, and for this reason :-When we make a great effort, either in pulling or lifting, we always fill the chest with air previous to the effort; and when the inhalation is completed, we close the r.ma glottidis to keep the air in the lungs. The chest being thus kept expanded, the pulling or lifting muscles have received, as it were, a fulcrum round which their power is exerted, and we can thus lift the greatest weight which the muscles are capable of doing. When the chest collapses by the escape of the air, the lifters lose their muscular power. The inhalation of air by the lifter can certainly add nothing to the power of the lifters, or diminish his own weight, which is only increased by the weight of the air which he inhales.

In the Zoist for January, is an article entitled, “A suggestion to explain certain Phenomena of Levity," in which the sub

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ject of his Query is discussed. The writer throws out a hint that a clue may be found to the hitherto inexplicable experiment, in the Odic fluid of Baron Reichenbach, suspending or neutralizing the law of gravitation, in a way similar to that of magnetism in the instance of the iron rod in the electro-magnetic helix. The subject is certainly one which, as Sir David Brewster, who testifies to the reality of the fact, remarks, merits a careful investigation.

CHARADE ON A GAMING-TABLE.

The following charade was written by Mrs. Piozzi :
A place I here describe, how gay the scene!
Fresh, bright, and vivid with perpetual green,
Verdure attractive to the ravish'd sight,
Perennial joys, and ever new delight,

Charming at noon, more charming still at night.
Fair pools where fish in forms pellucid play;
Smooth lies the lawn, swift glide the hours away.
No mean dependence here on summer skies,
This spot rough winter's roughest blast defies.
Yet here the government is curs'd with change,
Knaves openly on either party range,
Assault their monarch, and avow the deed,
While honour fails, and tricks alone succeed;
For bold decemvirs here usurp the sway;
Now all some single demagogue obey,

False lights prefer, and hate the intruding day.

Oh, shun the tempting shore, the dangerous coast,

Youth, fame, and fortune, stranded here, are lost!

There have several charades been written on the same subject, evidently in imitation of this. The following has been attributed to Sheridan :

There is a spot, say, Traveller, where it lies,

And mark the clime, the limits, and the size,

Where grows no grass, nor springs the yellow grain,

Nor hill nor dale diversify the plain;

Perpetual green, without the farmer's toil,

Through all the seasons clothes the favor'd soil,
Fair pools, in which the finny race abound,
By human art prepar'd, enrich the ground.
Not India's lands produce a richer store,
Pearl, ivory, gold and silver ore.

Yet, Britons, envy not these boasted climes,
Incessant war distracts, and endless crimes
Pollute the soil:-Pale Avarice triumphs there,
Hate, Envy, Rage, and heart-corroding Care,
With Fraud and Fear, and comfortless Despair.
There government not long remains the same,
Nor they, like us, revere a monarch's name.
Britons, beware! Let avarice tempt no moro ;
Spite of the wealth, avoid the tempting shore
;
The daily bread which Providence has given,
Eat with content, and leave the rest to heaven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, TEMP. ELIZABETH AND JAMES.

On running over the pages of the Commons' Journals, many a little characteristic incident turns up.

Coughing down a Member.-"Whosoever hisseth or disturbeth any speech hereafter, shall be called to the bar. Growing upon Sir Lewis Lewknor's speech "—that is, the practice gained strength during his speech (2 James I., June 20).

Absenteeism.—This was most rigorously denied, except by special leave for attending Assizes or other public matters. The following permission being accompanied by a stipulated honorarium, suggests that the cause of absence was regarded by the House as frivolous: "Sir Rob Wroth hath leave to absent himself for a se'nnight, upon the king's hunting in the forest; hath leave, paying a brick to Mr. Speaker (June 12, 2 James I).

A Lawyer outvoted by a Jackdaw.-This was in a case for a "bill for costs in a prohibition," which was dashed in the division of the House; for a jackdaw flew in at the window, during his (Mr. Fuller's) speech, which was called omen to the bill (May 31).

Bill against costly Apparel.-Mr. Brook's speech for this bill (18 Jac. I) is a

prose version of the New Courtiers' Alteration, or second part of what is now called the Old Country Gentleman. He attributes to extravagance in dress, decay of the public treasure, the ceasing of old-fashioned hospitality, the debts of the knights and gentlemen; and what he terms the inequality of trade, importation and exportation (only think of); "£18 a year by a great courtier for shoe strings!" Now-a-days, roses worn by members of this House on their shoes, cost more than did their fathers' apparel; and he concludes by observing, that gilding and lace are clothing neither for winter nor summer. Scripture teaching us that man's first covering, even by gift of heaven, was nothing but skins.

Quoting Latin.-The trick so common among the members at that time, of dragging in Latin upon all occasions, was a fashion strengthened, if not set on foot, by the king's pedantry. It was all very well in Sir Francis Bacon and such as he, but must have been insufferable when Sir Roger Owen could not allude to a straight line without adding, "Brevissima extensio a puncto ad punctum." The greatest array of Latinisms occurs in the numerous debates about the union of Scotland and England, which, being a pet subject of James', would of course attract his eye. But (independently of the quackery here referred to) it is worth adding that if the disjointed jottings-down of these brief but energetic debates touching Scotland were judiciously linked into continuous dialogue, they would bring out an array of facts and arguments more instructive than chapters of formal history-writing.

Fulsome Homage towards the King. This, it must be confessed, showed itself more in words than in deeds; but the words are often inexcusably extravagant, and James is perpetually referred to as guided by maxims and influenced by a motive power unknown to common men. Sir George Moore said, “ They could not follow & better guide than his Majesty; though, like Peter, afar off" (March 19, 21 James I). A more glaring instance of abject homage could hardly be furnished than by the examination of Edward Floyd, Esq., for speaking jeeringly of the Queen of Bohemia, James' daughter. One member after another starts up and proposes some cruel or grotesque form of punishment, such as boring the tongue, pillory, fining, flogging, riding backwards on horseback with his beads and friar's girdle about him. Sir George Goring moved for "twelve rides on an ass, at every stage to swallow a bead, and twelve jerks to make him." "As he laughed at the loss of Prague, therefore let him cry by whipping." Sir Edward Wardbur: "As many lashes as the Prince and Princess are old." Mr. Angell: "A gag in his mouth to keep him from crying and procuring pity." Sir Francis Seymour of Marlborough

delivered his judgment as follows; "To go from Westminster at a cart's tail, with his doublet off, to the Tower, the beads about his neck, and to receive as many lashes by the way as he had beads." It is satisfactory to add, that the merciful part of the House prevailed, and though the riding backwards and fining were inflicted, there was "no blood." James, in one of his messages to the Commons, tells them that "he was infinite, and his occasions infinite” (vol. i. p. 946); but the House, without presuming to question this modest attribute, do appear to have considered it necessary to promise a corresponding "subsidy."

The Long-bow versus the Gun.-An act, in 1621, for the preservation of game, is based on the now "inordinate shooting in pieces," but it was opposed as absurd, the long-bow being now an obsolete weapon, and "guns being the service of the State; " meaning thereby that the practice of gun-shooting was valuable, however acquired. Yet, though the long-bow is declared obsolete at the period here mentioned, it is certain that at the commencement of the civil wars, twenty years later, it was an arm by no means neglected by the Parliament. It may also be remembered that Sir W. Scott has introduced its use into the Legend of Montrose in 1643, greatly to the contempt of Dugald Dalgetty.

Purity of Elections.-Mr. Noy, on this point, tells the House a story of Lord Bruce of Bremberghe, for only uttering the word reminiscar by way of threat to one Roger, a Baron of the Exchequer, being adjudged: To go up and down Westminster Hall, in his hose and doublet, without his hat; to go to all the Courts, and then to go to the Tower. "And fit it were," he then adds, "that these men (divers Yorkshire constables) for forstalling freedom of election, and terrifying the men with as much as reminiscar, should go to the Tower." Then, as to the qualification of voters, there is abundant evidence that electors in boroughs always lose their right by non-residence; and it was not till the 13th Elizabeth that an attempt was made by a bill to give "validity to burgesses non resiant"-the term burgesses here meaning representatives. And the independence of cities and towns is illustrated by the unchallenged assertion of a member, in 1604, that the interference of a sheriff would be tantamonnt to the "disinherison of any corporation."

Plan for keeping Members to their Seats.-"Ordered: That if after the reading of the first bill, any of the House depart before the rising of Mr. Speaker, to pay to the poor men's box four pence" (Nov. 9, 9 Elizabeth).

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