THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE. XXVII.] FOR JANUARY, 1798. [VOL. IV. A few days fince was published (price One Shilling) the SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER, completing the FOURTH VOLUME of this Work. The Articles contained in it are conceived to be highly valuable and interefling; among them are the following::---1. The half yearly Retrofpet of the State and Progrefs of Domestic Literature.---2. A curious Tranflatian from Plato, by Mr. TAYLOR, on the Atlantic History and on the State of Athens, nine thousand Years prior to Solon, which has never before appeared in any modern Language--3. Experiments on Prufian Blue, by M. PROUST;---4. Mr. RICHTER on neceffary Connection :---5. On Exchanges;---6. Proportion of Light from Combustible Bodies, by J. H. HASSENFRATZ;---7. LALANDE's History of Aftronomy for 1796; ---8. The Medals of the French Revolution, &c.--9. Defcription of the Marine School at Amfterdam;---10. Lives of Vandermonde and Flandrin;---11. Account of the Perfon who committed Suicide at Bristol ;---12. Conclufion of Mathematical Queflions, &c.&c. With the Title and Indexes to the Volume. The four Volumes may now therefore be bad complete, of every Bookfeller, price One Pound Nine Shillings, neatly half bound. For the Monthly Magazine. THE March 39 April 48 May 523 June 59 OBSERVATIONS ON THE WEATHER IN LONDON IN 1797. HE thermometer, hung out of the window of a room in the first floor, with a north-west expofure, gave the following averages at nine in the morning : January 384 July 66 February 351 Auguft 631 September 56 October 48 November 41 December 42 Average of the year, 491 That of the year 1796 was 4912: fo that the difference of heat in the two years confifted almoft folely in the diftribution, not in the fun. In 1796, the first months were warmer, the middle of fummer cooler, and the end of the year more frofty, than in 1797. With respect to heat, the year 1797 offers little remarkable, except that February was colder than March, almoft as cold as January; and that December was warmer than November. The excefs of July above June is alfo fomewhat uncommon. The wetness of 1797 has been the most obfervable circumftance attending it, in which it has furpafled all the years for a confiderable period. As no actual measurement of rain has been taken by the prefent writer, he can only give the loofe refult of his daily obfervations on the state of the weather. From thefe it appears, that the four first months of the year were by no means unusually wet. February, on the contrary, was uncommonly dry; but fog was confiderably prevalent in it and the other cold months. MONTHLY MAG. No. XXV. May began with much rain; but became fine, with a high degree of heat, in its advance; and ftrong lightning was an earlier occurrence than ufual in it. June was very variable: it had a fufficient number of fine days to engage the farmer in cutting down all the grafs, which the preceding month had brought to unusual ranknefs of growth, but had also such alterations of heavy rain, that hay-making was a very difficult and uncertain bufinefs. July had great heats and some tremendous thunder: it was, on the whole, a tolerably fair month; but was liable to occafional ftorms of wind and rain, which did much damage in beating down the corn, which from the length and thicknefs of its stalk, was generally unable to recover itfelf. Auguft afforded very unfavourable weather for getting in the har veft. Its nights were for the most part rainy, and prevented the benefit of many drying days. September began pretty fair, but ended rainy. One perfectly fair week in the beginning of October was the whole of the ufual Michaelmas jummer. The reft of the month was warm, and variable. Cold and wet, and warm and wet, were the respective characters of November and December, with occafional tempeftuous weather, fog, and an uncom mon moisture in the atmosphere, even when it did not rain. The prevalent winds in the whole latter part of the year were from the fouth and weft quarters. If a northerly wind one day gave an appearance of the fetting in of winter, a change on the next, railed the temperature of the air to autumnal warmth, and co vered 2 Dr.Rennell on the Purfuits of Literature....Mr.Blair on Nitrous Acid,&c. 17 & 19 51 32 N. E. Decem. 433 11th 37 Average of the year, 524 Hottek day, July 17, at 81° wind S. W. Coldest day, Jan. 9 From a comparison of the above with the observations inferted in the Monthly Magazine for Jan. 1797, it appears, that, notwithstanding a great variation in particular months, the average of the whole year 3797 differs but from that of 1796, which was 524. The months, January, April, June, Auguft, September, were colder in 1797 than in the year preceding; the other months were hotter in a greater or lefs degree. July 17th, 1797, was 6° higher than July 15th, 1796, but the thermometer never funk fo low as in fome of the days preceding the Christmas of 3796. For the Monthly Magazine. DR. RENNELL having feen in the Monthly Magazine, a public mention of a report of his being concerned in the Pursuits of Literature, is perfectly convinced that the Editors will have the juf tice to contradict, from him, in the most diftinct pointed manner, fo groundlets and injurious a report. In no part of that production had Dr. Rennell the most diftant co-operation. Satirical writing of every kind, particularly of an anonymous nature, is perfectly alien to his habits and occupations. Dr. RENNELL will confider the infertion of this declaration in their next Magazine as a confiderable obligation conferred upon him by the Editors. London, Dec. 15, 17978 To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, T is well known that many medical I men have been lately engaged in male ing experiments to afcertain whether, or not, the venereal disease, in all its complicated forms, can be radically cured by medicines containing a large proportion of oxygen, or vital air; and particularly by means of the nitrous acid and oxygenated muriate of pot-afh. The very refpectable teftimonies which have already appeared in favour of these remedies, and the mild as well as expedi tious manner in which they are faid to operate, have induced me to give them a fair and unprejudiced trial, in a great variety of cafes; and alfo to folicit the communications of other gentlemen in London, who have had opportunities of exhibiting them: but I am forry to obferve, that our experience obliges me to differ in opinion from thofe physicians and furgeons who have raised our expectations on this fubject. This diverfity of opinion being founded on actual obfervation, and not on any preconceived notions, has emboldened me to use the freedom of circulating a printed letter, to recommend the trial of the new medicines in advanced stages of the difeafe; where well marked blotches, nodes, ulcerated fauces, ozana, and other characteristic symptoms of a genuine Syphilis appear: fince, in thefe cafes only can we be fully affured that the fyphilitic poifon exifts in the conftitution, and indubitably requires the adminiftration of an anti-venereal medicine. The most judicious practitioners, and thofe of the largest experience, are ready to confefs, that although it be ufually advifeable to give mercury in recent stages of the venereal difeafe, with a view to prevent the farther progrefs of the fymp toms, or the occurrence of a confirmed lues venerea, yet, in very many such ftances, the patients would efcape and recover their health, by a proper plan of treatment, without the ufe of mercury: and, notwithstanding this fact inay be denied by fome fpeculative perfons, it is too well authenticated for us to reft the proof of an anti-venereal remedy folely, or even chiefly, on its efficacy to remove the primary fymptoms. All deductions from fuch premifes muft, therefore, be extremely fallacious and questionable. I have taken the liberty to trouble you with thefe curfory hints, for the attention of medical men in the country, in hopes that you will favour me by inferting them in 1798] Mislatements of Profeffor Robifon detected....Site of Paradife. 3 A SIR, LATE publication, entitled Proofs of a Confpiracy, &c. by Profeffor ROBISON, has excited my great furprize; and I am at a lofs to conceive how circumftances, long ago buried in oblivion, could, without making any farther enquiry, be represented as still existing, by the author of a book, which tends to ftigmatize fome of the most respectable characters in Germany. From the beginning of 1799, EVERY CONCERN OF THE ILLUMINATI HAS CEASED, and no Lodge of Freemafons in Germany has, fince that period, taken the leaft notice of them. Evident proofs of this affertion are to be found among the papers of Mr. Bode, late Privy Counsellor at Weimar, who was at the head of that Order in this part of Germany, and who died in 1794. After his death, all thofe papers were delivered up to the prefent DUKE of SAXE-GOTHA, who, on application, would, doubtlefs, permit the infpection of them. The league of Dr. Barth, known to Mr. Robifon only from the Annals of Giessen, a very obfcure periodical publication, was a phantom, which no fooner appeared, than it was laid and deftroyed by Mr. Bode himfelf, who printed a pamphlet, entitled, Mare Remarks than Text, which foon opened the eyes of the public. This league, a poor financial fcheme, was planned by a man of more genius than principle, but never carried into execution. This appears from the papers, written during the whole of the tranfaction, which being bequeathed to me by Mr. Bode, are now in my poffeffion, and true transcripts of them may be obtained by any one, who wishes to receive them. Although I was not a member of that fociety, yet I was intimate with Mr. Bode, and prefent at his death; confequently I am enabled to vouch folemnly for the truth of the above; and to engage, that any perfon in Great Britain, who, being alarmed at the erroneous statements contained in the book before mentioned, may obtain the requifite information, by applying to me." AUGUSTUS BOETTIGER, Counsellor of the Upper Confiftory, and Provost of the College Weimar, in Saxony, of Weimar. Jan. 5, 1798. For the Monthly Magazine. D'ANVILLE, in his Geographical Memoir L'Euphratè & le Tigre, page Edeffa, a tract of country, elevated and 14, has indicated to the caft of Roha, or beautiful, which now bears the name of Eden. This diftri&t lies in the center of the lands included between the Tigris and the Euphrates. At its foot arifes, on the eaftern fide, the river Mygdonius, on which are fituate the towns of Nefibis and Sinjar; and on the western fide, the river Chaboras, on which are fituate the towns of Refain and Thallaba. These two rie vers now unite, and fall into the Euphrates at Kerkifich; but neither of them appears to purfue its ancient course, the Mygdonius having originally flowed, amid the dry ravine called Tirtar, which meets the Tigris above Hatra; and the Chaboras amid the dry ravine called Sebaa, which meets the Euphrates below Ofara. What forbids our fuppofing this Eden to have been in the contemplation of the author of the fecond chapter of Genefis? Dr. GEDDES, in his note on the paffage (II.. 14,) admits, that by Hiddekel is meant the Tigris, and by Perath the Eu phrates: with the other two rivers only he is embarrassed, and at length fixes on the Araxes and the Oxus, which travel to the Cafpian and Euxine feas. The Phifon, however, is faid to bound the land of Havila, where there is gold. Now, a confiderable stretch of the Mygdonius is yet called Al Havali, and thus retains obvious traces of the name and contiguity of that province, which may well have extended as far fouth as the mouth of the Zab, a stream celebrated for its gold. Of the name Gihon, no traces are indeed to be detected along the banks of the Chaboras; but this river is faid to have bounded the land of Cufh. Now, the land of Cufh (Genefis X. 7,) comprehended the five fubdivifions or townships of Seba, Havilah, Sabtha, Raamah, and Sabthechah. Safa and Zabdicena, (or Gezirat) on the western bank of the Tigris, appear evidently to preferve the names of Sabthah and Sabthechah, Seba, with the prefix 4 Benefit Societies....Prevention of Bank Forgery. En, or Ain, indicating fountains, may poffibly have given origin to the name of Nefibis; but it is far more probable fome deferted place contiguous to the dry ravine, yet called after it Sebaa. Havila was, no doubt, fituate in the province, and on the river of the fame name, and fhould be fought nearer to its mouth than to its head, because the names of rivers commonly afcend, being firft impofed where they are moft confiderable.. The name of Raamah may with faint probability be imagined in Aaraban, between Refain and Thallaba. If thefe indications be put together, it will follow that the land of Cuh nearly answered to the modern province of Diarrabia, fince it contained five of the cities therein fituate: in a word, that it was the diftrict com prehended between the Tigris and the Charboras; and confequently that the Chaboràs is the Ghion which bounded the land of Cufh. The four rivers of Paradife appear then to have been the Euphrates, the Chaboras, the Mygdonius, and the Tigris. It is ftrange, that the garden of Eden fhould not oftener be mentioned by the early writers of the Jews. Except in an indecifive paffage of Deuteronomy, a book which feems to have been written during the captivity, (XXIX. 28) under Hofhea, no allufions to it occur, until about the period of the Babylonian conqueft. Was the account at that time new to Jewish literature? I To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, AM much gratified, and much obliged, by the account Mrs. CATHARINE CAPPE has given in your Magazine for November, of the fuccefs that has attended a female benefit club; and I think those who founded or promoted such an institution, are entitled to public regard. I beg leave, through your Magazine, to throw out a hint or two, which, I humbly apprehend, might be improvements upon thefe excellent inftitutions. In the first place, I fhould recommend, that in fuch focieties, on any female marrying, a fall fum of fixpence per quarter, or whatever fum may be thought adequate, fhall be paid, in addition to the former fubfcription, in order to raise a fund for allowing married women fomething in child-bed; fuppofe, ten fhillings and fixpence for the month, and in cafe they are not fully recovered, two fhillings per week during the remainder of their illnefs, unlefs fuch fubfequent illness is amongst the number provided for by the rules, [Jan. I further beg leave to hint, that I think the reduction of the allowance to one fhilling per week, if a member lies fick more than fix months, feems withdrawing the aid when moft needed, as it is probable the allowance of four fhillings per week will not frequently fupport a fick perfon, and pay all expences of medicine and attendance; and if the extra expence is to be paid out of the neceffaries of the fick perfon, is there not reafon to fear fuch perfon may be left to great want, and one grand defign of fuch inftitutions loft, viz. a fupport in old age or inability to labour. ---Several inftances have lately been mentioned in the papers of different Friendly Societies fupporting fome of the aged and infirm members for feveral years.---But, although I take the liberty to give these hints, I do it with fome degree of diffidence and great deference to those respectable characters who have inftituted and promoted the Societies in queftion, who having made obfervations upon their effects, will better judge of the propriety of fuch regulation than I can do. I beg leave to obferve further, in addition to the hint I gave in your Magazine for September, that a complete trial of one of thefe focieties could not be made in lefs than forty years, that my calculation went upon the ground of the allowance not being leffened in fo great a proportion to a member, who might lie a long time fick, as is the cafe in the Berwick Society; nevertheless, I am still of opinion, that no fociety of the kind can have had a fair trial in lefs time, as many years muft elapfe, after fuch an inftitution is formed, before it can have any old members belonging to it, therefore not fubject to thofe expences which fall moit heavy on the funds of the fociety. I am, Sir, your humble fervant, J. K. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. A Correfpondent of your's, who fub a plan fcribes himself "A Sufferer by Forgery," has expreffed a wifh to be informed, whether the Directors of the Bank of England have refufed a plan for preventing the forgery of Bank notes; which would not only have rendered forgery more difficult than at present, but almoft, if not altogether impoffible, and of which the excellency was attefted by all the principal artifts in London ?" From the manner in which the question is put, I am led to fuppofe (though I cannot be certain) that your correspondent has heard fomething refpecting the plan offered offered to the Bank of England by a Mr. TILLOCK; at the rejection of which, by a Committee of Bank Directors, I was prefent, together with Meffrs. BYRNE, FITLER, LOWRY, and SHARP. That it was our unanimous opinion, as well as the opinion of Mr. BARTOLOZZI, (who was prevented by indifpofition from attending on the occafion) that the fpecimen produced by Mr. TILLOCK of a newly-invented art, was not copyable by any known art of engraving; and that the attempt toward imitating it produced by the Engraver to the Bank was very eafy to be diftinguished from its original, may be acceptable information to your correspondent, and perhaps not ufelets to the public. To fay that this invention would utterly prevent the poffibility of forgeries on the Bank, would be hazarding a rafh afsertion to determine that, if adopted, it would, by increafing the difficulty, diminish the number of forgeries, requires no hesitation, and very little eye-fight. That I mean to deny that little to the Directors of the Bank, must not be inferred, nor that I think they have fhewn themfelves lefs clear-fighted in this bufinefs than difinterested. Irony apart, I fhould conceive it to be a point both of duty and honour, for the Bank Directors---not to tempt men to the commiffion of a capital crime, by authorifing an eafy mode of committing it--not themselves to fuftain the loffes arifing from the frequent forgery of Bank-notes, ---not to adopt Mr. TILLOCK's plan for the prevention of forgery, if a better can be produced, but---to call forth the talents and ingenuity of the country in fair competition, by offering a handfome reward for the best practical means of preventing forgery on the Bank. That a procedure to this effect, is a duty the Bank Directors owe to the public, your correfpondent has fufficiently fhewn; that it fhould be confidered as a point of honour too, I think, is evident, when we recollect that honour due is, in all cafes, proportionate to confidence repofed. I am, Sir, your's, &c, Queen Anne-freet Eaft, J. LANDSEER. Dec. 20, 1797. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, URING the parliamentary debates an additional tax upon newspapers, it 5 was difputed by fome of our state-orators, whether a newspaper was an article of luxury or neceffity; but the Minifter, who was more defirous to obtain an addition to. the revenue, than to wait for the difcuffion of fo intricate a queftion, hurried the bu finefs forwards, without allowing time to determine it. Perhaps, indeed, he might think that much was to be faid on both fides; and that it was a matter of very little confequence to a mere financier whether it was determined one way or other. When, however, I look around me in this vaft metropolis, and mix in the varied focieties that are formed in it, I am clearly of opinion, that a newspaper ranks among the neceffaries of life, and ranks fo high, that, if we except the mere mechanical operations of eating and drinking, I fcarcely know any thing that is fo indifpenfible to the happinefs of my fellow-citizens. As a queftion, "What news ?" is fecond only to "How do you do?" and I am much mistaken if, on many occafions, it does not precede even now, and hereafter, in all probability, it will iffue at the firft opening of the lips. It is, perhaps, impoffible to prove the mifery that would overshadow fuch a place as London, were there no newspapers publifhed in it; but my imagination has fometimes fuggefted to me the horrid thought of a fufpenfion of newspapers for only one week! Dreadful idea! Intellectual famine! What crowds of diftreffed human beings, hurrying from place to place, afking and befeeching one another, for the love of mercy," to fupply one little bit of intelligence, to cool the parched tongue of communication---one little accident to supply the repetition of diurnal morality---one anecdote, ever fo meagre and barren, juft to keep the life and foul of converfation together---or one crim. con.* or even the leaft fufpicion, hint, conjecture, or furmife, to employ the magnifying powers of imagination, and prevent the dreadful neceffity of feeking for what we know we cannot find---refources within ourselves. Such have fometimes been the horrid images which my imagination, probably difordered at the time, has fuggefted to me: but how faint is this expreffion of the workings of fancy; for fure I am, it hath not yet entered into the heart of man to form words capable of difplaying the wretched ftate of our metropolis, were it to be afflicted with a ceffation of news. Wifely, therefore, did our ancestors con entrance into |