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1798.]

Mr. Elkington's Plan for draining marshy Grounds.

highly probable that he was the most indulgent husband in the world, and that fhe was the most unreasonable and difobedient wife. Or, fhould this not be the cafe, the reverfe will exactly ferve the fame purpofe; that is, gratify that infatiable defire for news, which is become as neceffary as the food we eat, or the raiment we put on.

We conftantly pray to be delivered “from battle, murder, and from fudden death;" (this, by the bye, feems an anti-climax, battle being the greatest calamity of the three; but let that pafs) and yet, Mr. Editor, I know no three ingredients more neceffary, nor, of late years, more frequent than thefe. Battles, indeed, from long habit, we read over with frigid indifference, and I must say, they are very dull and unentertaining. The other two, however, afford many comments, which greatly tend to promote converfation, because they come home to "". men's bufinefs and bofoms." The death of one man in the streets, who thought himself a match for half a dozen armed robbers, is a topic of converfation for a month; but the proftration of ten thousand bodies on a field, to gratify the inexplicable schemes of contending courts, is the ephemera which cannot outlive the day.

Thus much for the falls recorded in our newspapers. Now, Sir, only confider what the cafe muft be, if, after dwelling fo long upon any important event handed to us at our breakfast-tables, and carried from thence about with us wherever we go throughout the day, as ammunition ready to shoot the monster, filence, and fupply the deficiency, thought---if, I fay, after all this, it fhould be next day contradicted by the fame authority. This may appear fomewhat embarrafling; but habit has reconciled us to this alfo." We always thought there was fomething improbable in the ftory;" or, "we had our fufpicions, yet did not chufe to communicate them;" or, "we were very cautious in giving full credit to the report, although, to be fure, it appeared to be very well founded, and every body muft acknowledge it was remarkably well told." With this ex poft facto fagacity, fome continue to get out of the fcrape pretty décently, while others, determined to fupport the dignity of firft impreffions, and ftudious to avoid the weather-cock variations of common changelings, are ftill firmly of opinion that there was fame thing in it, and vote nem. con," that there

7

is no fcandalous story without fome foundation.

I might now proceed to confider the ne ceffity of newfpapers, as fupplying fund for political converfation; but as that fubject would lead me to be more prolix than in duty bound, I shall adjourn the queftion fine die, and conclude with an humble hope that I have fuggefted enough to prove that newspapers are articles of abfolute neceffity, and of the "first requifition." "I am, Sir, your's, &c.

RHAPSODICUS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

IF

SIR,

fuccefs fhall not betray you to relax your efforts, your Magazine feems likely to become the moft excellent and the moft generally acceptable periodical mifcellany of the age. For this reafon, and as thofe who have just begun to learn, are often the moft eager to teach, I beg leave to trouble you, for the information of your readers, with a fhort account of Mr. ELKINGTON'S Mode of Draining; with which I have had a recent opportunity to make myfelf acquainted.

There are but two ways in which flagnant water can be diffufed over grounds, fo as to reduce them into the ftate of morales. It may proceed from the overflowing of adjacent rivers, or the collection of rain-water; or, it may bubble up inceffantly from fprings difperfed within the bounds of the morals.

In the former of thefe cafes, the overflowing of adjacent rivers is to be prevented only by ftrong embankments; and any fimple trench will eafily carry away ftagnant water, which has no interior fource, and merely floats upon the furface.

In almost all lakes and moraffes, numercus fprings are difperfed within the compafs of the lake or morafs. These can never be exhaufted. Very many moraffes have therefore long baffled every endea-vour to drain them effectually for cultivation. Trenches of almost every different depth, and in almost every different direction, have been tried, in vain, or at beft, with very imperfect fuccefs, Vaft tracts of morafs, in England, in Scotland, and in Ireland, have been hopelessly abandoned to perpetual barrenness.

But, about the year 1764, Mr. Elkington, in an attempt to draw fome part of the farm of Princethorpe, in the parish of Stretton, upon Dunfinore, in the county of Warwick, was accidentally led to ob

ferve

8 Mr. Elkington on Draining....Mr. Coleridge on his Monody. [Jan

ferve, that by commencing his drains from the different fprings which continually poured forth their waters upon the ground, and by this means alone he could effectually accomplish his purpose. He had not even reflected upon the poffibility of the moisture of moraffes, arifing from fprings at a confiderable depth beneath the furface, when, to his furprife, he happened to obferve a column of water burft up with great force, by a hole which he cafually made with an iron crow, within the bounds of his morafs. The fact, although neither new nor ftrange, ftruck his mind as an extraordinary difcovery. He foon after adopted the ufe of an auger, inftead of an iron crow; and determined to make his morafs perfectly dry for tillage, by detecting all the fprings, and continually exhaufting thefe by fuitable drains. He quickly fucceeded in making that particular field perfectly dry. The fubfequent application of the fame principle to all the other marthy parts of his farm, proved alike fuccessful.

In confequence of the ttriking improvement thus effected upon his own grounds, Mr. Elkington was confulted and employed by his neighbours. He, in every inftance, fought out the fprings from which the stagnant water was fupplied; wherever there was a declivity of the furface, endeavoured to detect the main fpring, on which, in every fuch case, there are ufually various fmaller fprings dependant; ftill bored with the auger to difcover fprings of which he fufpected the exiftence, although they were not quite apparent; commenced his drains from the refpective springs; but, inftead of cutting a drain, in every cafe, to the very level of a very deep fpring, adopted the idea of preferving only an auger-hole perpendicular to the fpring, as an outlet by which its waters might afcend into the drain, to be by it conveyed away. Continued experience gave him, at last, very great fagacity in detecting the existence of hidden fprings, and extraordinary fkill to difcern the readieft means for draining off their waters. He learned to pay particular attention to the nature of the ftrata through which the water had to rife, and to adapt to it the construction of his drains. His fame as a drainer was extended his affiftance was fought even from diftant parts of the country. It decifively appeared, that barren moraffes might, oy his art,

be converted into rich meadow and fertile

arable fields; that four, wettish grounds, might, by the fame means, be made fuf

ficiently dry and kindly; that an astonishing proportion of the lands of Great Britain and Ireland might be thus redeemed from infertility. Contriving to cover his drains, with only certain openings at proper distances, he thus prevented them from marring the beauty and equality of the fields. To collect water for the use of mills and canals; to draw off the water from mines and coal-pits, and for other ufeful purposes, may the fame invention of Mr. Elkington's be likewise applied.

To reward this invention, and to purchafe it for the use of the public, the Board of Agriculture obtained to Mr. Elkington a grant from Parliament, of a thousand pounds fterling. I am perfuaded, that the beneficial effects of his difcovery have already more than compenfated this fum to the nation. I am, &c. Kello, Dec. 21, 1797. R. H.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

Hope, that this letter may arrive time

thofe

poems are.

enough to answer its purpose. I cannot help confidering myfelf as having been placed in a very ridiculous light, by the gentlemen who have remarked, anfwered, and rejoined concerning my monody on Chatterton. I have not feen the compofitions of my competitors (unless indeed the exquifite poem of Warton's, entitled, "The Suicide," refer to this fubject) but this I know, that my own is a very poor one. It was a school exercife, fomewhat altered; and it would have been omitted in the laft edition of my poems, but for the request of my friend, Mr. COTTLE, whofe property If it be not in your intention to exhibit my nance on any future month, you will accept my best thanks, and not publish this letter, But if Crito and the Alphabet-men should continue to communicate on this subject. and you should think it proper, for reafons best known to yourself, to publish their communications, then I depend on your kindness for the infertion of my letter; by which, it is poffible, those your correfpondents may be induced to expend their remarks, whether panegyrical or vituperative, on nobler game than on a poem which was, in truth, the first effort of a young man, all whofe poems a candid critic will only confider as firft efforts. Your's, with due respect,

Shrewsbury.

S. T. COLERIDGE.

To

1798.3

On the Fables of Antiquity.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THO

HOUGH the fables of the ancients are, in their fecret meaning, utility, and conftruction, the most beautiful and admirable pieces of compofition which the mind of man is capable of framing, yet nothing has been fo little understood, or fo fhamefully abused. Of the truth of this obfervation, the philofophic part of your readers will, I perfuade myfelf, be fully convinced, by comparing the following explanations of fome of thefe fables, with thofe given by the Abbé Banier, and other modern writers on mythology, in thofe ridiculous and contemptible publications called Pantheons.

That thefe moderns, indeed, fhould have grofsly erred in their interpretation of ancient fables, is by no means wonderful, if we confider that they appear to have been ignorant that thefe fables were invented by theological poets, and adopted by intellectual philofophers +; and, confequently, that their meaning can only be unfolded by recurring to the theology and intellectual philofophy of the ancients.

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great genius, without the affiftance of intellectual philofophy is able to effect: but the most piercing fagacity, the most brilliant wit, and the most exquifite fubtilty of thought, without this affistance, are here of no avail.

This being premifed, it will be neceffary, in the firft place, to obferve, that between us and the highest god there are certain mighty powers, which, though rooted in, yet poffefs energies diftinct from their ineffable caufe; for we, in reality, are nothing more than the dregs of the univerfe. These mighty powers are called by the poets a golden chain, on account of their connection with each other, and incorruptible nature. Now, the first of thefe powers you may call intellectual ; the fecond vivific; the third peonian, and fo on, which the ancients defiring to fignify to us by names, have fymbolically denominated. Hence, fays Olympiodorus (in M.S. Comment. in Georgiam) we ought not to be difturbed on hearing fuch names as a Saturnian power, the power Jupiter, and fuch-like, but explore the things to which they allude. Thus, for inftance, by a Saturnian power rooted in the firft caufe, underftand a pure intelle: for Kgovos, or Saturn, is κόρος νους, i. e.

On this account, too, poets fay, that Saturn devoured his children, and afterwards again fent them into the light, becaufe intellect is converted to itself, feeks itself, and is itself fought: but he again refunds them, because intellect not only fecks and procreates, but produces into light and profits. Hence, likewise, Saturn is called ayuunis, or inflected counsel, becaufe an inflected figure verges to itself.

It is, indeed, eafy for ingenious men to give an explanation of an ancient fable, which to the fuperficial obferver fhall ap-xabagos, or a pure intelle&t. He adds, pear to be the precife meaning which its hence we call all those that are pure and inventor defigned to convey, though it virgins, xopai. be in reality very far from the truth. This may be eafily accounted for by confidering, that all fables are images of truths, but those of the ancients of truths with which but few are acquainted. Hence, like pictures of unknown perfons, they become the fubjects of endless conjecture and abfurd opinion, from the fimilitude which every one fancies he difcovers in them to objects with which he has been for a long time familiar. He who understands the explanations given by the Platonic philofophers of thefe fables, will fubfcribe to the truth of this observation; as it is impoffible that thefe interpretations could fo wonderfully harmonize with the external or apparent meaning of the fables, without being the true explanations of their latent fenfe. Even Lord Bacon himself, though he faw enough to be convinced that thefe fables were replete with the highest wifdom of which he had any conception, yet was far from penetrating the profound meaning they contain. He has, indeed, done all in attempting to unfold them that

Orpheus, Homer, Hefiod, &c.
Pythagoras, Plato, &c.
MONTHLY Mag. XXVII.

Again, as there is nothing difordered and novel in intellect, they reprefent Saturn as an old man, and as flow in his motion: and hence it is that aftrologers fay, that fuch as have Saturn well fituated in their nativity are prudent and endued with intellect.

In the next place, the ancient theologists called life by the name of Jupiter, to whom they gave a twofold appellation, a and , fignifying, by these names, that he gives life through himself +. Farther

* So in Hefiod in his Theogony. †Thefe etymologies of Saturn and Jupiter, are given by Plato in the Cratylus; a dialogue in which he every where etymologises agree

C

ably

10

Mr. Taylor on the Fables of Antiquity.

Farther ftill, they affert that the fun is drawn by four horfes, and that he is perpetually young, fignifying by this his power, which is motive of the whole of nature fubject to his dominion, his fourfold converfions, and the vigour of his energies. But they fay that the moon is drawn by two bulls: by two, on account of her increase ard diminution; but by bulls, because as thefe till the ground, fo the moon governs all thofe parts which

furround the earth.

I perfuade myself every liberal and intelligent mind will immediately perceive the propriety and accuracy of the above interpretations; and be convinced, from this fpecimen, that the fables of the ancients are replete with a meaning no lefs interesting than novel, no leis beautiful than fublime.

That your readers may be ftill farther convinced of this, I thall fubjoin the divifion of fables given by the Platonic philofopher Salluft, in his elegant Treatife on the Gods and the World: "Of fables, fome are theological, others phyfical, others animaftic (or belonging to foul) others material, and, laftly, others mixed from.

thefe.

"Fables are theological, which employ nothing corporeal, but fpeculate the very effences of the gods; fuch as the fable which afferts that Saturn devoured his children: for it obfcurely intimates the nature of an intellectual god, fince every intellect returns into itself.

"But we fpeculate fables phyfically, when we fpeak concerning the energies of the gods about the world; as when confidering Saturn the farne as Time, and calling the parts of time the children of the univerfe, we affert that the children are devoured by their parents.

"We employ fables in an animofie mode when we contemplate the energies of foul; becaufe the intellections of our fouls, though by a difcurfive energy they proceed into other things, yet abide in their parents.

Lattly, fables are materia', fuch as the Egyptians ignorantly employ, confidering and calling corporeal natures divinities; fuch as Ifis, earth; Ofiris, humidity; Typhon, heat: or again, denominating Saturn, water; Adonis, fruits, and Bacchus, wine. Indeed, to affert

ably to the Orphic theology. Moft critics, not perceiving that Plato's defiga in this dialogue was to fpeculate names philofophically, and not grammatically, have very ridiculously confidered his etymologies as for the most part falle.

[Jan.

that these are dedicated to the gods, in the fame manner as herbs, ftones, and animals, is the part of wife men; but to call them gods, is alone the province of mad men; unless we speak in the fame manner as when, from eftablished cuftom, we call the orb.of the fun, and its rays, the fun itself.

"But we may perceive the mixed kind of fable, as well in many other particulars, as in the fable which relates that Difcord, at a banquet of the gods, threw a golden apple, and that a dispute about it arifing among the goddeffes, they were fent by Jupiter to take the judgment of Paris, who, charmed with the beauty of Venus, gave her the apple in preference to the reit. For in this fable the banquet denotes the fupermundane powers of the gods; and on this account they fobfift in conjunction with each other: but the golden apple denotes the world, which, on account of its compofition from contrary natures, is not improperly faid to be thrown by Difcord, or Strife. But again, fince different gifts are imparted to the world by different gods, they appear to conteft with each other for the apple. And a foul living according to fenfe (for this is Paris) not perceiving other powers in the univerfe, afferts that the contended apple fubfifts alone through the beauty of Venus."

If the intellectual philofophy, then, is alone the true key to ancient mythology, furely nothing can be more ridiculous than the attempt of the Abbé Banier, to explain ancient fables by hiftory; not to mention that his interpretations are always trifling, and frequently impertinent; are neither calculated to instruct nor amute; and are equally remote from elegance and truth. That this is not mere declamation, the following inftance from his Mycology, will, I perfuade myfelf, abundantly evince: "I fhall make it appear (fays he †) that the Minotaur, with Pufipher, and the rest of that fable, contain nothing but an intrigue of the queen of Crete with a captain named Taurus; and the artifice of Dædalus, only a fly confident." Let the reader contraft with this, the following explanation of this fable, given by Olympiodorus in his Ms. Commentary on the Gorgias of Plato: "The Minotaur fignifies the

By this is to be understood, powers 'which are wholly unconnected with every thing of a corporeal nature.

+ Vol. I, of the tranflation of his Mytho logy, p. 29.

1798.]

Anfwers to Queries....Poetry of Spain.

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IN

SIR,

the fame page of your Magazine for laft month there are two queries from correfpondents, which betray a degree of ignorance of the most common places of philofophy, that one would hardly have expected to meet with at the prefent day from any perfon who had at all turned his mind to that ftudy, and from thofe who had not, fuch questions are not to be expected.

Mr. W. E. if he had ever attended to the Lavoisierian chemistry, as he is pleafed to term it, must have known that azote is found in confiderable quantities in a very large tribe of plants, viz. all the cruciform, which comprehends the wild-crefs, muf. tard, &c. found in every pasture; and the experiments of Bertholt, prove that it is alfo prefent in a very great variety of other vegetables. It is ftrange indeed that any man who ever perceived the fimell of putrid cabbage, fhould affert that azote exifts in no vegetable whatever. But even allowing this negation, let us attend to Lavoifier's own words; "Azote is one of the principles moft abundantly diffufed through nature. Combined with caloric, it forms azotic gaz, which conftitutes two-thirds of the common atmospheric air." Might not then any quantity of it be combined with the animal organization, by the act of refpiration, which is fo often repeated during life, even if none were received by the ftomach.

To Mr. E. L's query about the bell, it is fufficient to obferve that the vibrations of the air within the glafs-receiver, are communicated to the receiver itself, and by that means to the external air. The accuracy of this experiment is doubted by many ingenious philofophers, but on other grounds than thofe ftated by E. L. If your correfpondent will apply his hand to the walls of a steeple during the ring

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ing of a peal, he will be convinced of the power of bells, to communicate their vi brations to folid bodies. A. B.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine

SIR,

PERMIT me to correct some errors in

my account of Lupercio and Bartolome Leonardo. I afferted, from the Parnafo Efpanol, that no edition of their works had been printed fince that of Zaragofa, 1634: I have now procured one published fince the Parnafo. Don Ramon Fernandez, the editor, has prefixed a fenfible preface: "One of the principal caufes," he fays, "of the bad tafte obfervable in the greater part of the poetry of the prefent day, is the fcarcenefs of good authors, who might ferve as models to our youth; while the multiplied editions of the corruptors of our poetry are in the hands of all, maintaining and perpetuating a bad tafte." He remarks the vague eulogies lavifhed upon the Spanish poets by their editors, applying to them indifcriminately the phrases of purity, elegance, enthusiasm, beauty, &c. and proceeds to point out the cha racteristic and peculiar merit of the two Argenfolas. In this preface there is a very curious trait of the national vanity. After mentioning the rich and harmonious verfification of these authors, he adds, this has at all times been an endowment peculiar to the Spanish poets, for if we confider well, we fhall find that they gave a harmony and eafe to the La in metres which is not to be met with in the poers anterior to Lucan and Seneca. The choruffes of the three genuine tragedies of this great tragedian, incomparably exceed thofe of Horace in their flowingnefs and harmony; and the excellent hexameters of Lucan, have, in these points, a great advantage over thofe of Virgil. And even what Cicero fays of the Cordovan poets confirms this, though fome, from wrongly understanding the paffage, interpret it as a reproach: for Tully, in this place, fpeaks only of their pronunciation and accent, which to Roman ears, accuftomed only to fweetnefs, might appear ftrange and harsh; this by no means proves that their verfes were bad or deficient in harmony; inftead of this I prefume, that the too great fwell and fullness of the Spanifh poets, that loquiore rotundo, that os magna fonaturum, which Horace fo much

* Cordubæ natis poetis pingue quiddam cantibus atque peregrinum. Cicer. pro Archia C & recommends

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