not faying of any thing, that it is, any more, than that it is not. Such doctrines as the above, instead of having the least tendency to make wifer men, or amend the heart, are inimical to improvements in virtue, and at beft only a perverfion of the terms of real fcience; in a word, refemble the boaft of vanity, which may be fuffered without fevere reprehenfion, and the prattle of abfurdity, which may be heard without expreffions of contempt. Lacydes, a Cyrenean, fucceeded Arce filaus. He was a perfon of much gravity and had many emulators. Though poor, a common cafe with literary men, from his youth he was addicted to ftudy, and being of a pleafing converfation, he was agreeable to every company. The groves of philofophy, like the hill of Parnaffus, afford only water to fome of their most painful votaries. Refpecting the management of his houfhold, it is reported of Lacydes, that when he took any thing out of the place where he kept his provifions, he locked the door, and threw the key in at a hole that none might steal ought from him, which his fervants obferving, frequently took it, and opening the door, carried away what they wanted, and then returned the key to its place, in which they never were difcovered. However ridiculous the idea, yet this circumftance determined him to the doctrine of the middle academy, that nothing is comprehended by fenfe, arguing thus, Why fhould 1 think that fenfe can comprehend any thing certainly, when I know that my own fenfes are so often deceived; for when I go abroad, I think that I fee with my eyes, thofe things which I leave in my ftorehoufe; when I return, I find none of them, which, faid the infatuated fage, could not be, unlefs our fenfes were fallible and uncertain. On hearing this of Lacydes, one might be tempted to deny him not only the appellation of philofopher, but even to ftigmatize him with the epithet of fool; were we not reftrained in our precipitancy by this coufideration, that men of genius in all ages of the world, have had striking fingularities, or were particularly abfent, concerning the moft ordinary occurrences in life. Witness our own immortal Bacon, who after he had added to a long and careful contemplation of almoft every other object of knowledge, a curious infpection into common life, and after having fur veyed nature as a philofophey, had examined mens bufinefs and bofoms as á ftatefman; yet failed fo much in the conduct of domeflic affairs, that in the moft lucrative poft, to which a great and weal thy kingdom could advance him, he felt all the miferies of diftretsful poverty, and committed all the crimes to which poverty incites. Such were at once his negli gence and rapacity, that as it is faid, he would gain by unworthy practices, that money, which when fo acquired, his fervants might teal from one end of the table, while he fat ftudious and abftracted at the other. Equally applicable to the point is the cafe of Boileau, who when Lewis the Fourteenth was one day lamenting the death of an old comedian, whom he highly extolled, replied in the prefence of Madam Maintenon, he performed tolerably well in the defpicable pieces of Scarron, which are now defervedly forgotten even in the provinces. Bernard, Abbot of Clerval, having tra velled all day by the fide of the lake of Geneva, when he came to his inn at night, and heard the friars, who had accompa nied him, talking about that lake, he afked where it was; when they told him, it was the lake near which they had been travelling, he was furprized, declaring, he had not once feen it, being engaged in fuch deep meditation all the time of his journey. Francifcus Vieta, a learned Frenchman, ftudied with fuch uncommon application, that fometimes he would fet close at it for three days together, without taking any food, or any fleep, except what he took leaning on his elbow, and without flirring from the place. To come nearer home-The celebrated Simfon, of Woolwich, after being im merfed in mathematical fludies for weeks, would fuppofe he was going just to take a turn down Prince Rupert's walk, which was almoft contiguous to the houfe where he dwelt, and ere he recollected himself, was rouzed from his mental lethargy above a mile beyond Shooter's Hill. Simpfon, the famous geometrician of Glasgow, and contemporary with the former towards the latter part of his life, was alfo fo abfent, that nothing could recall him from his fludics except old * John Donaldfon with the newfpapers, or a bottle of + Mrs. Millar's port in the evening. I remember, when at that univerfity, to have heard it rumoured of an eminent The man who fupplied the college with coals. + This woman kept a tavern clofe by the university. divine divine formerly of the north-west kirk, that fo abforbed was he in fpiritual thought, as frequently when on a tea vifit, he ufed to cram the napkins in his breeches, with which it was then cuftomary for the family vifited, to fupply their guefts, and when he got home, reprimanded his wife for making his fhirts too long. FOREIGN After thefe, with many other inftances which might eafily have been quoted, why wonder at the abfence of Lacydes, who was fucceeded in the school by Evander, and he by Egelinus. ACADEMIES. Académie Françoife. THE prize of eloquence for the year 1785, is the eulogium of Louis the Twelfth, King of France, and father of the people. Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture de Paris. The academical fubject for this year in painting, was our Saviour's raifing from the dead the widow's fon; and in fculpture, the moment that the Ifraelites were about to inter a corpfe, but perceiving a band of robbers, let down the dead body into the fepulchre of Elifha, which restored him to life. Société Royale de Médecine de Paris. An anonymous member of this inftitution has ordered two hundred livres to be given to him, who can bett afcertain, by experience, if the feurvy be infectious Among the number of candidates for this prize, the fociety have diftinguifhed Meffrs. Goguelin and Bougourd, of the faculty, to whom was adjudged two gold medals worth one hundred livres each. In 1781, this fociety appropriated a benefaction left them by the late Mademoitelle Guérin for the following fubje&t: Determiner par l'analyfe chymique quelle eft la nature des remedes anti-fcorbutiques tires de la famille des cruciferes. This queftion being not fatisfactorily anfwered, it is given out again with this modification: Elle demande toujours quelle eft la nature des plantes anti-fcorbutiques prifes dans la claffe des cruciferes; mais elle n'exige point un travail chymique complet fur toutes les plantes de cette famille. fuffira que les auteurs faffent une analyfe exacte de deux ou trois de ces plantes, telles que le cochlearia, le creffon, le raifort. The prize is three hundred livres for Lent 1785; and the memoirs are to FIDELIO. be sent before the first of January of the fame year. The king's premium of fix hundred livres is to be given for the best differtation on the ufe and dangerous confequences of bark, adminiflered in rémittentes fevers. This fociety has likewife appropriated three thoufand livres to be distributed in medals, for the beft obfervations upon epidemical diforders. This diftribution is to take place in the year 1786, in or der to give proper time for collecting and determining the refpective merit of each performance. We fhall give the mode for obtaining the prizes in their own words. 1. Par une correfpondance fuivie pendant cet intervalle de tems, fur la conftitution médicale des faifons, c'eft-à-dire fur les obfervations nofologiques journalieres, comparées avec les principaux réfultats que la métérologie fournit, et dont l'enfemble forme l'année médicale (annus medicus,) que tout médecin peut rédiger dans le lieu qu'il habite. Toutes chofes égales d'ailleurs, fous ce premier rapport ceux qui correfpondront exactement mériteront la préférence. 2. Par des mémoires bien faits, foit 10 fur une épidémie ifolée, ou fur la conftitution d'une faifon pendant laquelle il aura régné des maladies remarquables, foit 2° en réponse à des queftions, ou programmes concernant la nature et le traitement des maladies épidémiques, que la fociété fe réferve le droit de propofer dans fes féances publiques. These obfervati ons are to be forwarded to M. Vicq d'Azyr, fecretaire perpétuel, rue des Pe tits-Auguflins, No. 2, à Paris. This meeting was clofed by the eulogium of our celebrated phyfician Sir John Pringle, who was a member of this learned body. Les fievres rémittentes ont tant de rapport avec les intermittentes, que tous les médecins les ont regardées comme formant deux ordres très-voifins l'un de l'autre. Quelques-uns même les ont confondues et n'en fait qu'une feule claffe. MISCEL MISCELLANEOUS SCRAPS, relating to ENGLISH HISTORY, collected for Manufcripts in the BRITISH MUSEUM. TH HE Saxons had a law, that whofoever had committed theft, and the goods were found in his house, all his family were made bond even to the child in the cradle. This fevere law Canute the Great abrogated, ordaining, that only the malefactor, and fuch as aided him, fhould endure the punishment; and that the wife, (unless the things ftolen were found under her lock) fhould not be found guilty of her hulband's offence. This fubfifts at this day. In the beginning of William the Conqueror's reign, the refentment of the Englith to the Normans was fuch, that if they found them in woods or remote places, they fecretly murdered them, nor could the perpetrators be difcovered. Whereupon it was ordained, that the hundred wherein a Norman was flain, and the murderer not taken, fhould be condemned to pay to the king, 361, or 281. according to the quantity of the hundred.-We may fuppofe, that from this originated the procefs of fuing the hundred. The custom of offering money by the bridegroom at our marriage ceremonies, originated with the Saxons, who bought their wives. No king of England before or fince the conqueft, fealed with any feal of arms before Richard the Firft, but the feal was the king fitting on a chair on one fide, on the reverfe, on horfeback in feveral forms. King Richard the First fealed with a feal of two lions; for William the Conqueror bare two lions. King John, in right of his dukedom of Normandy, (the duke whereof bears one lion) was the firft that bore three lions, and made his feal accordingly. All the Kings of England have followed him. Ralph Nevill, Bishop of Chichefter, about 1230, built an houfe for the receipt of himself and fucceffors when they thould come to London. It is now known by the name of Lincoln's-Inn, because it was afterwards in the poffeffion of Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, who enlarged it, and left it the name it now bears. Hugh Bishop of Durham purchased of Richard the Firft the manor of Sadborough, with the dignity palatinate of his own province. The king conferred on him the honor of earldom, jeftingly boafting what a good workman he was, that could make of an old Bishop a new Earl. From this time all the Bishops of Durham pofleiled the temporal powers which they now enjoy. In the 16th of Edward the First, were fined for bribery and extortions thefe of ficers, viz. Sir Balf. Hingman, Chief Juftice Banc. Regis, feven thoufand marks; Sir Jo. Loveton, Chief Baron, three thoufand marks; Sir William Brompton, fix thoufand marks; Sir Solomon Rochefter, four thoufand marks; Sir Robert Boyland, four thousand marks; Sir Thomas Soding. ton, two hundred marks; Sir Walter Hopton, two thoufand marks.-The four laft were Juftices Itinerants. Sir William Saham, three thoufand marks; Robert Lithbury, Master of the Rolls, one thous fand marks; Roger Leicester, one thoufand marks; Henry Bray, Efcheator and Judge for the Jews, one thoufand marks; Sir Adam Stratton, Chief Baron of the Exchequer, thirty-four thousand marks; and Thomas Wailand, the greateft delinquent, and of greateft fubftance, had his flate and all his goods confifcated to the King. 32d of Edward the First, Sir Nicholas Segrave, Knt. being accufed of treason by Sir John Crombwell, offered to juftify himself by duel, which the King refuling to grant; Segrave, without licence, paffed the fea to fight his enemy. For this difobedience, the King demanded juftice to proceed against him; and after three days confultation of the Judges, he was adjudged guilty of death, and all his moveables and immoveables forfeited to the King. Edward the First imprifoned his fon Edward, and banished Gavefton, for their breaking the park of the Bishop of Chiefter. In the time of Edward the Second, and tenth of his reign, one Richard St. Martin, a deformed dwarf, and follower of Earl Warren, claimed the wife of Tho mas Earl of Lancaster as his own; avowing her to be his prior poffeffion before fhe was married to the Earl, which the averred. By thefe means he took her out of the Earl's houfe at Canford, in Dor fetfhire, and claimed the earldoms of Lin coln and Salisbury to which he was beit. The firft Earl or Baron that was executed upon a fcaffold in England, was the above Earl of Lancafter, and the other peers which fuffered with him, 15 Edw. II. Upon petition of the Commons, at a parliament 36 Edw. the Third, he cauled pleas which before were in French, to be made in English, that his fubjects might underftand the laws by which they hold what they have, and know what they do. Alice Pierce, concubine to Edward the Third, in the latter end of his reign, was fo impudently prefuming, that fhe would fit in Courts of Juftice and compafs her own defires. At a parliament in the fiftieth year of his reign, at her fuit, fhe caufed Sir Peter De la Mere (fpeaker of a late parliament, who had exhibited complaints against her) to be committed per petual prifoner at Nottingham. The firft poll-tax was exacted in the fiftieth of Edward the Third. Every man, woman, and child, above fourteen years of age, (alms people excepted) were obliged to pay four-pence; the clergy one fhilling; every beneficed perfon, and all other religious perfons, four-pence per head. This became a precedent for the ufurpations in the next reign, which caufed the greatest and firft popular infur rection till that time in England. It was the custom in England continu ally, till about one hundred and twenty years fince printing was invented, that the ftatutes which were made in parlia ment, were fent to the fheriffs of the feveral fhires, who were to receive them, and caufe them to be published and proclaimed in their counties. Inftances of the MUTABILITY of FORTUNE; selected from Ancient and Modern Hiftory, Continued from p. 24. INSTANCE THE FIFTH. David. NOTHER fingular inftance of the yet he wanted no perfonal or mental endowment that could render him worthy of the honour intended him. His perfon was formed after one of nature's most perfect models, fuch as we fee it defcribed by the A is cleva of Corregio; and tion of David, the fon of Jeffe, to the throne of Ifrael; defcended from Boaz and Ruth before-mentioned, his father held a refpectable rank in the Hebrew nation; but not fo elevated as to afford him the leak room to expect, that the brows of any of his defcendants would be encircled with a crown. However, it pleafed the great difpofer of events, to confer that honour on his youngeft fon, David. We read in the hiftory of the Kings of Ifrael, that Saul having fo highly offended the theocratic head of the Jewish empire, by difobeying his commands relative to the deftruction of the Amalekites, as to make him form the refolution of taking the kingdom from him; the prophet Samuel was directed by the divine infpiration to go to Bethlehem, to anoint one of the fons of Jeffe to be his fucceffor, when the train of circumftances which were to bring about this event should be completed. to any Samuel naturally thought the eldest of Jeffe's fons must be the object of his choice, not only on account of the priority of his birth, but the fuperior dignity of his perfon of the others. But God, who judgeth not as man judgeth, by the outward appearance, preferring the mental qualifications and integrity of the youngest, directed the prophet to fix on him; and David was accordingly anointed after the ufual form. Notwithflanding this young man did not equal his eldest brother in the height of bis ftature and majefty of his deportment, EUROP. MAG. tural and acquired accomplishments were far above the level of the times, appears from every circumflance of his life." In the following, the obfervation is remarkably confpicuous. Soon after his fe lection to the future fovereignty of Ifrael, Saul being attacked with ftrange demoniacal complaints, it was proposed by his phyficians, as the most effectual remedy they could point out for the cure of his perturbed mind, that a perfon fhould be fought for who was skilful in playing upon the harp, and in reciting hymns, to perform before the king. Upon this occas fion, when it is rational to fuppofe the moft able judges directed the choice, David, though the youngest fon of a perfon at a diftance from the royal refidence, and whofe ufual employment it was to tend his father's fheep, was fixed on, in prefe rence to all others, for this purpose. A certain proof that his abilities in that line were of the first rate. And we find he exerted them fo happily, that whenever the evil fpirit became turbulent, the melody of his voice, aided by the fweet reverberations of his harp, reftored the mind of Saul to its ufual placidity. But what raised David fo high in the eftimation of his countrymen, and ferved as the foundation of his future glory, was his combat with Goliah; which for its fingularity requires more than a curfory re cital. them. Whilft the two armies lay encamped on two hills oppofite to each other, one of the Philiftines, named GoJiah of Gath, came daily into the valley between the two camps, defying any one of the Ifraelites to meet him and decide the conteft by fingle combat. "If," exclaimed Goliah, "the man you shall choofe vanquishes me, then will we be your fervants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then fhall ye be our fervants and ferve us." And this he continued to do for forty days, to the great terror of Saul and his troops, not a man daring to accept the challenge, on account of his gi gantic fize; he being above four cubits in height, clad in complete armour, and bearing weapons proportionable to his enormous bulk. About the expiration of this time, it happened that Jelle fent his fon David to the camp, to carry fome refreshments to his three eldest brothers, who were with the army, and to enquire after their wel fare; from whence we must conclude, though there appears to be a chafm in the history here, that as foon as Saul's diforder was removed by the mufical exertions of David, he returned to his former occupation of tending his father's flocks. Just as David arrived, the Philifline came to his wonted flation, and repeated aloud his defiance and reproaches. The young man found his indignation kindled, and his valour arouzed, on hearing fo glaring an infult offered to his countrymen, and he inftantly declared that he would accept the challenge of this vaunting in del. Nor could the difcouragement he met with, on making this declaration, from his eldeft brother, (who defpifing his youth and want of military fkill, reproved him for his prefumption, and bid him return to his flocks) deter him from adhering to his refolution. Impelled by that invifible power, who was planning his future elevation, he was not to be filenced, but continued publicly to exprefs his defign, till at length it reached the ears of the king. As foon as Saul received the information, he ordered David to be brought before him, and interrogated him relative to the truth of the report. Upon which David thus addreffed him: "Be not difmayed, oh King! at the infolence of this uncircumcifed Philifline, for I will go down and meet him; and I truft, altho' there is fuch a vaft difproportion in our rength and ftature, that I fhall be able to rid thee of fo troublefome an enemy." Saul admired the fpizit of the young 4 man, but reflecting on the difparity of the age, fize, and military knowledge of the two combatants, would have diffuaded him from undertaking the combat. "How canft thou," said the King, "attempt fo hazardous an encounter, who art but a ftripling, and thy opponent, not only a man exceeding all others in ftrength and bulk, but one that has been a warrior from his youth ?" 66 Judge not of my abilities by my appearance, oh King!" replied David, (whilft firmnefs, tempered by modefty, beamed from his engaging countenance) "for not long ago, as I kept my father's flocks, a hungry lion rafhed from a thick et, and carried off a lamb. Though unarmed, I inflantly purfued him, and refcued the bleating animal from his favage gripe. Upon which, he turned to attack me, when I feized him by the beard, and having overpowered him by dint of ftrength and refolution, flew him. A bear, likewife, upon another day, feized one of my flock, and I vanquifhed him with the fame cafe. Thy fervant, oh King," continued the young man, (his voice being now animated by the pleating recollection) thy fervant "flew both the lion and the bear, and God, in whole frength I go to meet this uncircumcifed Philiftine, may enable me to vanquish him with the fame facility I did the two wild beafts. He who delivered me out of their hands, will, I doubt not, deliver me out of his.” David appearing thus refolute, Saul armed him with his own warlike accoutrements, and permitted him to meet the Philifline. But the armour proving cumberfome to the young hero, he laid it alide; and taking his ftaff in his hand, went to a neighbouring brook, from whence he chofe five fmooth ftones, which he put into his ferip, and with thefe and his fling only, advanced towards his gi gantic adverfary. Goliah feeing David approach with fuch trivial weapons, and the bearer of them fuch a ftripling, he contemned and ridiculed him; faying, "Am I a dog, that thou comeft againft me with faves?" Af ter which he curfed him by his gods. But the fon of Jeffe, not in the leaft intimi dated, marched boldly on, and as he came near him, thus faid: "Thou comest towards me with a fword, a fpear, and a fhield; but I meet thee in the name of the Lord of Hofts, the God of the armies of Ifrael, whom thou haft defied; and this day will he most affuredly deliver thee into my hands and likewife the whole |