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it is rather furprizing it was never thought of before. There can be no doubt that it will be equally fuccefsful in this as in other cafes, and that it is an operation that may be performed with the greatest fafety, if the precautions which the author gives are duly obferved.

Befides this, cupping glaffes may be applied; and we are directed to dress the wound with an ointment compofed of equal parts of the Emplaftrum Veficatorium, and Unguentum cæruleum.

When infection has taken place, the only remedy upon which the Doctor depends, is mercurial inunction.

Perhaps, the author's advice, that the patient" drink to intoxication of any ftrong liquor" might with propriety have been with-held; and the

conjecture," that the lard or fat of the mercurial ointment is the real prefervative" feems to have been formed rather in haste.

Upon the whole, however, we have read this Effay with much fatisfaction; and, to do juftice to the Doctor, it must be faid that he has a claim to the thanks of his fellow-creatures, and more especially of the profeffion, for the pains and atention he has bestowed on the fubject; for the correction of the errors of preceding writers; for the condemnation of feveral ineffectual means; for the demonftation of the inefficacy of the most popular remedies; and more efpecially, for the happy fuggeftion of a ready, fafe, and certain prevention*.

ART. XXVI. The Praxis: or, a Courfe of English and Latin Exercises. For the Ufe of Youth in the leffert Schools. By Henry Bright, M. A. Mafter of NewCollege School, Oxford. "Rivington.

THIS praxis contains many ufeful hints, and the exercifes prefcribed in it may be ferviceable. The propofal of extending the Praxis, which the learned Bishop of London has given in his Grammar, as a fpecimen of Grammatical refolutions, deferves attention. To inftruct the fcholar in finding the derivation of words, would undoubtedly increafe the utility of the Bishop's plan, and render it of greater advantage to the student.

To initiate youth, at an early period, into the mysteries of compofition, is eafier in theory, perhaps, than in practice. Mr. Bright may argue on the utility of adopting fuch a mode, but, in our opinion, numberlefs difficulties attend the accomplishment of an end fo defireable. Neither teachers nor scholars fhould proceed too rapidly. Whoever contrives to fmooth the rugged paths of education renders an effential fervice to the community. But it must be remembered, that Rome was not built in a day, and that man

kind must acquire knowledge by flow degrees, and by regularity of application.

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The principal fault which find in this book, is, that our author did not divide it into two parts; as the advice for mafters fhould not have been joined with exercises for scholars. Mr. Bright, however, appears to be an ingenious man, and writes Latin, not altogether unclaffically, though there is little difplay of taile in his compofitions, and more efpecially in the copies of verfes which he has given, in various parts of his work, as examples for the imitation of ftudents, who are ambitious of writing either the English or Latin languages with ease and elegance.

Our author, likewife, attempts to comprife too much in one volume. He would prefent us with the Iliad in a nutshell. For this Praxis profeffes to give "a feries of exemplifications, from an initial one for a beginner at fchool, to fuch as are applicable to the capacities

The reference to Dr. Berkenhout's Effay on the Bite of a Mad Dog, to which we were indebted for the new and important advice of fucking the wound, through fome omiffion, was not inserted in the Obfervations on the Nature and Cure of the Hydrophobia, in a former Magazine.

For dilate and dilucents, two errata in the fame Obfervations, we thould read dilute and diluents. + We are furprised that Mr. Bright should deform his title-page with fo harsh a barbarism as LESSER. We imagined that this word would no more have obtruded itfelf into modern productions, in defiance of the cenfures of Lexicographers and Grammarians. We could not withhold this remark, as the work before us is avowedly the production of a schoolinafter.

capacities and circumftances of young academics, in order to form a proper habit of thinking and writing, at an early time of life.

The exercifes which he propofes are numerous. Few of them, however, are very new, but many of them, whatever be their claim to novelty, deferve adoption. As a fpecimen of his abilities, we fhall tranfcribe the character of a Fox-hunter, and a dialogue between J. Philips and Ed. Smith.

A Character in Imitation of Theophrafius.

body loves Old England better than himfelf, yet, rather than endure the leaft avocation from his hounds and horfes, he neglects to take up his dedimus; and even declines accepting a feat in parliament for the county. His attention having been wholly directed to this object, it is no wonder his ideas are clothed in expreffions alluding to the chace. Accordingly, whereas another in fpeaking of a perfon who left the company filently, fays, He took French leave, the fox-hunter expreffes it rather, by faying, He fole arvey. With him, rifing in a morning is unkennelling, or breaking cover; and to go to refi, is to take earth. His ordinary difcourfe is fo loud, that you may be fure of hearing him before you fee him. The moment he defcries one of his old acquaintance, though perhaps it is a mile off, he falutes him with a ViewHalloo. And the force of his affection for a friend unexpectedly dropping in, expreffes itfelf in a moft intolera ble fqueeze of the hand. Nor is the friend, when once received, able to get a difmiffion from his hoft. It is in vain to talk of appointments, or urge bufinefs. He muit, therefore, make himfelf eafy, nor utter a word about his departure. In his houfe are but few portraits, the three principal, thofe of his father and ancestors, which he fometimes fhews to felect acquaintance, always with this eulogy: These were men famous in their generation-all Nimrods." The book he most of all delights in, and can beft talk upon, is, The Gentleman's Recreation. But he never appears to fo great advantage as when the converfation happens to turn upon fox-hunting. Here the retention he difcovers is aftonifhing. There is not a fox-chafe of any note he was ever at, of which he cannot recollect every circumftance, the place of finding, the country they went over, even to the very names of the fields, the time they were in chace, and the spot where they killed. And if at any time a difpute arifes among the genX X

"The Fox-HUNTER is one, whofe chief delight confifts in purfuing the fox, whence he derives his name. Nor is it from any particular antipathy to this animal as hurtful to man, on account of the depredations it commits, but as only fupplying them with matter of amufement in the chafe, for the promotion of which the fox above all animals is excellently fitted by fwiftnefs and fagacity. Indeed, fo far is he from intending hereby the good of the public, that he rather encourages the multiplying of this animal, one of which, if his moft intimate friend fhould happen, from a motive of philanthropy to kill in cold blood, he would immediately break with him. The truth is, his entities are eafily contracted. He broke off all acquaintance with a vaL luable friend, because, when, upon his hounds opening in the kennel, he defired him to listen to the mufic, the friend anfwered, he could not hear it, for the noife of thofe execrable dogs. And his intimacies are as abfurdly contracted as his enmities. The following him over fix bars, or the coming in with him at the death, fhall establish with him a friendship indiffoluble through life. And fuch is his eagernefs of purfuit in the chafe, that no confideration whatsoever is able to turn him from it. Should a friend ever fo dear, in company with him, happen to be thrown from his horfe, he paffes on with the greatest infenfibility, nor inquires once after him, except at the conclufion of the chafe. Though noLOND. MAG. Oct. 1783. * It is the fate of Theophraitus to be little known in fchools; but if we would inftruct youth how to difcriminate characters, we must introduce them to this author, who was not only vested in the knowledge of men and manners, but was in high favour alfo with Ariftotle for his clégance of Ivie, and by Tully called Doctiffimus. Cic. de clar. Orator. Sect. 9. Among the French Mouf. Bruyere has excelled in this way of writing; amongst us, Bp. Hall, and Dr. Berwick.

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tlemen of the fame hunt, about the particulars of an old chafe, his opinion is always appealed to for the final adjuftment of it. You behold him every where, and always habited in boots, and buckskin breeches, and a fporting coat, trimmed with fox-hunting but tons, whence he was never obferved to deviate in his whole life, except once, when being obliged to go to court for the King's fign-manual, in order to take upon himself the name, ftyle, and title of a rich uncle, he would have appeared in his accustomed habit, but for a number of friends, all affuring him it was impoffible for him to find admittance at court, unless his habit were changed. He pities all married men, is of confequence a bachelor, and intends to keep himself fo. Such is the Fox-hunter.-But all who follow the fox-chafe are not alike fox-hunters. -There are, who being incumbered with political affairs, or afflicted with the lofs of friends, or having their health impaired by too clofe an application to books, have recourfe to the chace at intervals. The firit, in order to refume the direction of the flate en

gine with renewed abilities; the fecond, in hopes of being hardened against a too nice fenfibility; and the laft, expecting to return to the pleafures of ftudy with a double guft. Thefe are fox-hunters in no fenfe of the word. The perfon who may be truly faid to come under the defcription above-mentioned, is only, The Foxkunter by profeffion."

A Dialogue, after the manner of Lucian, between John Philips and Edmund Smith.

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Smith. From the Poet's Walk, whence I could not extricate myfelf before. And now my brains are fo chafed with the vociferous effufions of poets and poetafters, but efpecially the laft, all with one voice demanding attention at the fame time, that I know not when I fhall be myself again; but hope for eafe from a temporary feceffion.

P. Had I chanced to fee you before, I could have told you the confequence of being in a crowd of the mot infufferable of all mortals, whom I, therefore, fhun as I would a peft. Indeed I was always, as you may remember, averfe to noife of every kind, being happiest in a fnug party, and the converfation of a few felect acquaintance. But what occafioned you to come amongst us?

S.

nefs.

P.

S.

Intemperance and opinionative

Explain yourself. Having, by too great indulgence at the table of my friend George Ducket, brought upon myfelf an oppreffion in the vifcera, for which I stood in immediate need of a cathartic, I wrote a prefcription to the neareft apothecary, which he pronouncing to be too violent, expreffed as much to me by meffage before he would agree to make it up, which I faftidiously difregarding, infifted upon the dofe, and by taking it hurried my felf into thefe regions. I confefs I ftand accountable to Mines for a life of intemperance; but I confole myfelf in the reflection, I was always of immoveable principles, and that no prospect of advantage could ever induce me to renounce them. Witnefs my peremptory refufal to write the life of King William, unless I were freely permitted to relate at large the maffacre of Glencot.

P. I wish I were not as inftrumental in bringing myfelf into the fame fituation. For whereas I muft have known, by my fkill in herbs, the bad effects of an exceffive ufe of the Tobago plant, which, over and above its being a narcotic,

In allusion to that elegant elegy Smith wrote in memory of his friend Philips. + This anecdote, which I myself had from the mouth of the late Rev. Dr. Jofeph Trapp, does not at all invalidate that imparted to Dr. Johnfon, by the late Mr. Clarke of Lincoln's-Inn, relative to Smith's helitating to write the History of the Revolution, on account of the character of Lord Sunerland, fince both anecdotes may be true.

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P. Having often times, by my late rifing after a debauch contracted the night before, not by wine drank with the company, but by more had after they were gone to reft, occafioned the family to wait for me to dine, one day meffage after meffage came up to me, fignifying the dinner bell had rung, the dinner was on the table, and the family were only waiting for me to fit down with them; when up I got, and endeavoured in all hafte to drefs myfelf, but I found it impoffible to bring together my clothes as ufual, the good, but arch Mrs. St. John having ordered them in the night to be taken in. However, down I came with both arms extended horizontally, my coat and waistcoat unbraced, at which the gentlefolks affecting to be fhocked, and apprehenfive it might have been occafioned by fome poifonous herb in the foup the day before, it was agreed I fhould go to bed again, where being put to fleep with a poffet, and my clothes in the meanwhile let out again to their ufual dimensions, the next morning I got up in perfect health*.

S. A moft admirable contrivance this! but how, my friend, have you been employed fince we parted?

P. Indeed, I fcarcely know myfelf. Sometimes, I refolved upon adding to the poem I left unfinished; but having impaired my retentive faculty by large draughts of the Lethe, drank in order to remove a thirst I perpetually laboured under, I was unable to recollect what I formerly faid upon the subject;

nay, what I compofed one day was almoft obliterated the next. Sometimes, I defigned altering the rest of my works, in hopes of making them lefs exceptionable in the judgement of our late biographer, but i defpaired of doing this altogether, and therefore wifhed it were in my power wholly to cancel fome of them. Such, for inftance, is the poem of Blenheim, to the writing of which I was always averfe, and which I fhould never have attempted, but in compliance with my friends of the Tory fide, particularly my friend St. John, who wifhed by that attempt of mine to diminish the reputation of Addifon. From the ftrictures alfo made by the prefent hypercritic upon my Cyder, which I was ufed to ftyle my claffical poem, as being executed upon the model of the Georgic, I now fee no reafon for afcribing to myfelf any confiderable fhare of merit.

S. Indeed, I cannot help thinking you too diffident of yourfelf, and that you give up things by much too tamely, If all the great, able critic, abovementioned, hath determined about the merit of your Cyder be granted, there will be little more praife left you than what every common Herefordshire planter, or, at beft, a diligent imitator is entitled to. Whereas, a few places excepted, which I could eafily mend, I think, under the correction of that able judge of literary merit, the poem hath many marks of genius and learning intermixed, whether I confider the ftructure of it in general, or the pleafing manner in which the precepts are conveyed, or that eafe with which the digreffions are introduced. Among a number of others, that of the fate of Ariconium more especially, than which are few paffages among the poets to be found of a more ftriking effect. unwilling am I to grant you were unhappily fond of blank verfe, when I recollect hearing that Felton (whose opinion upon a poetical queftion ought to carry fome weight) affirmed you X x 2

As

was

* This anecdote I received from a perfon of undoubted veracity, who was at Mr. Secretary St. John's when this affair happened. The lady was Mifs Frances Winchcomb, one of the coheirelles of Sir Henry Winchcomb, of Bucklebury, Berks, Bart. the former lady to Henry St. John, Efq. afterwards Lord Bolingbroke, and whofe praites are founded in Mr. Philips's well-known Ode, under the name of Francifca,

was more equal to Milton in your verfe, than you was beneath him in the compafs and dignity of your fubject; and further, that your Cyder would live as long as cyder was drunk in England. Indeed, I fee no reafon for fuch an abfolute reprobation of blank verfe, which I fhall always hold to be the proper drefs of didactic poetry, to which, in my judgement, the garihnefs of rhyme is not fo well adapted as the grave meafure of English heroic verfe without that adjunct. And in this opinion I rejoice to find myfelf countenanced by various authors among the moderns, I mean Somerville, Atenfide, Arafong, and Dyer. Nor herein am I biaffed by partiality for you, for had another been author of the Cyder, I fhould have expreffed myfelf in the fame terms upon the fubject; nor have I faid it from any difguft or cffence conceived at our biographer, on account of any remarks which have fallen from him upon my works, fer if I were to live my life over again, I thould alter them accordingly; but I fpeak from inward conviction, and a defire to give every man his due; and, therefore, I can acknowledge merit even in the turn of the motto to the Cyder, by the fupplemental addition of a point of interrogation-Et honos erit buic quoque pomo? Than which nothing could have been imagined more effectual to propoffefs the reader in favour of the poet, without which, as it is in Virgil, it would have had an appearance

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of arrogance, like fnatching applause inftead of modestly waiting for it.

P. I perceive you likewife have drank too large draughts of the Lethe, otherwife you could not have forgot I formerly told you, that, when I first laid my Cyder before Atterbury, he, with his ufual readinefs, immediately taking a pen in hand ingrafted upon the period of the motto the fuperior part of an interrogation.

S. I declare it had wholly flipped me. Nor, indeed, ought it to be matter of admiration. It is rather to be wondered at, that of the many tranfactions which have happened fo many more should occur to me, which I now proceed to touch upon.- But I feel myfelf affected unaccountably by the fudden influx of day-light from yonder aperture above us.-I must away,Till we meet again, dear John, Adieu.”

The Latin tranfiation of Dr. Johnfon's celebrated eulogy on Gilbert Walmfley is feeble. The declamations, however, on public and private education, deferve praife. We cannot, however, be perfuaded to think, that the queftion may not be easily decided in favour of the public, notwithstanding we must allow, that Mr. Bright's arguinents are ingenious, and that the pamphlet which Mr. Percival Stock dale published a few months ago, in anfwer to Mr. Knox, difplayed a great portion of tafte, interfperfed with fome good arguments.

ART. XXVI. Peription of a Glass-Apparatus for making in a few Minutes, and at a very small Expence, the bift Mineral Waters of Pyrmont, Spa, Seltzer, Seydschutz, Aix-la-Chatelle, &c. Together with the Defcription of two new Eudiometers, or Inftruments, for oftertaining the Wholefmenels of Refpirable Air, and the Method of ufing theje Infoments. In a Letter to the Rev. Dr. John Prifiley, LL. D. F. R. S. By I. H. de Magellan, F. R. S. The Third Edition, revijed, corrected, and enlarged by the Author, with an Examination of the Strictures of Mr. T. Cavallo. F. R. S. upon thefe Eudiometers. 8vo.

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IT is well known to thofe who are converfant in natural philofophy, that it is to Dr. Prieftley we owe the dif covery, that by combining fixed air with water, Pyrmont and other mineral waters of a fimilar kind may be imitated; and also that nitrous air is a true teft of the purity of the air we breathe. These are two of the moft

important of the numerous difcoveries which have been made by that illustrious philofopher, and are the foundations of the two fubjects of which Mr. Magellan has treated in the prefent pamphlet.

He begins with artificial mineral waters; and, in a brief way, mentions the improvements that have been made

on

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