It having been represented to the Club, at their late meetings, that the reason why no oxen were shown in some of their classes, arose from the working of oxen being little or not at all prace tised in the districts most famed for some of the breeds alluded to, the Club resolved to exempt in future the long-horned and short-horned breeds of ozen from the condition of two years' work before they are put up to fatten, which is still an indispensable condition with large Hereford, Sussex, Kent, or Devonshire oxen. It having also been stated, that a premium offered for twoyear-old fat wethers of the pure Merino breed, would encourage attention to improvement in the carcases of these valuable animals by selection, without in jury to the fineness of their fleece, such a premium was adopted in their new bill of conditions and forms of certificates for the next Show; which may be had, as usual, of Mr. Mitchell, Draper, No. 7, Cloth Fair, near Smithfield Mar. ket. After the next year, it is the intention of the Club to have the large worked oxen shown in pairs or yokes, at their annual show during the great or Christmas market for fat animals in Smithfield, (which is usually the Monday se'nnight before Christmas Day) instead of singly, as heretofore. The number of members is now 251. Your's, &c. triumph are heard; all advancing from a rolling lake of burning brimstone. Act 2d. The scene represents a glorious sun, in its full meridian.-Enter the angel Gabriel and Noah, as in dis.course. Act 3d. Scene a pleasant garden, adorned with various walks and close bowers, and enamelled with purling rivulets; a shower of rain is seen to fall, the sky on a sudden clears up, and a glorious sun appears.-Enter Sem and Philothea, Japhet's wife.-As they are going out, Japhet enters. Afterwards the scene opens, and represents several altars, with sacrifices on them, the sacrificers devoutly kneeling before them. A cloud of fire descends on the altars, and consumes the sacrifices, then ascends: a song is sung all the while the cloud rises, expressing the acceptation of their sacrifices; and then the scene changes to the garden.—Enter Noah. Enter Lucifer in robes of light. A shower of fire falls down; a clap of thunder is heard; Noah returns affrighted; Gabriel flies down; and Lucifer sinks at the same time. Act 4th. Scene the Deluge-only one hill and the ark seen above the waves, The scene changes-all overwhelmed The scene changes with the waves. again, and represents hell: Lucifer, Satan, Beelzebub, Asmoday, and Belial, sitting in Pandæmonium. The scene Westminster, J. FAREY, Secretary. changes-all destroyed but the ark, February 19, 1810. which is swimming on the surface of the waters. All the devils appear againthey assault the ark; almost overturn it several flaming chariots full of angels fly down, and thunder and lightning drive the devils into the deep. The scene changes, and represents Noah in the ark ; to whom Sin and Death appear, and address themselves. Thus far I give the description to assist J.B.(see a late number of your Magazine.) Glasgow, Post-office-court, Your's, &c. December 7, 1809. DAVID KAY. P. S.-Can any of your correspondents point out to me the book in which I may find the confounding two the most recent and fullest account of the To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, the remarks of your Tgenerally-judicious correspondent Σ, (No. 194, p. 8.) I give my unqualified assent. But I completely dissent from his opinion respecting an equivocal use of the relative, founded on the supposed propriety of employing one and the same word in two different cases. I have no hesitation to say, that "the things which I liked, and were agrecable, &c." is an improper phraseology; and it was not without surprise, that, in a communica tion, the intended object of which seemed to be the just condemnation of "pedantic exertions to mould the English grammar on the structure of the learned languages," I perceived an attempt made to give colour to such a construction, by a supposed parallel passage extracted from one of the learned languages. The simple and genuine principles of English grammnar have already been too much distorted, by being forced into unnatural assimilations with other tongues. No applicable deduction can, with propriety, be formed from any classical rule or anomaly. By a reference to irregular, or figurative syntax, it will be seen, that the ancients were not backward to take liberties with their own regular or analogical syntax. It would, perhaps, be deemed a gram matical heresy, were I to assert, that they had as great an aptitude to trip in their syntax, as the moderns have. Indeed, upon abstract principles, the impropriety of using one and the same word, as two different cases, to represent the contrary relations of agent and patient, is sufficiently manifest. The enormity of the error would not, in my apprehension, be greater, even if there were a variation in the inflexion of the two cases thus confounded. The confound. ing two distinct relations in one and the same word, is just as iniproper as the 3 In English, the relative is often, not improperly, understood, when it is the objective case; as "the person [whom] you mentioned, did not come." But, in strict propriety, it is never left to be when, in the same sentence, and under supplied in the nominative case; unless the same general construction, it has been previously expressed in that case thus: although we ought not to write, "the things which I liked, and were, &c." but "which were"; yet, we may write either, "the things which were liked by me, and equally agreeable to my friends, &c." or, "and which were equally agreeable." is by general and reputable usage, no From such a practice, sanctioned as it correct writer will ever deviate intentionally.-The preceding rules result from obvious principles. The objective case is often understood, in English, even when it has not been previously expressed; and as the accusative of the relative is known to involve its antecedent, it may on this account, and from the nature of the general construction, often be omitted, without any detriment to perspicuity. On the contrary, the nominative of the relative, although it also implies the antecedent, cannot be omitted, unless it has been previously expressed. insertion. Thus, the man you mentiPerspicuity demands its oned came." is sufficiently perspicuous. But, "the man is coming, spoke," is unintelligible. We must, according to the sense, write either," the man who is coming, spoke," or "the man is coming, who spoke." that variation in construction, such as a It may be worthy of observation, too, change from an active to a passive construction, and vice versa, or in persons and circumstances, seldom allows any great latitude to elliptical constructions. It is needless to add that I object to 'Pope's "Abuse on all he loved, or loved him, both both of a nominative and an accusative; "In him who is, and him who finds, a friend." A construction of the same description occurs in 1 Corinth. ii. 9, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." All the preceding instances however, I am inclined to think, should be referred to the use of the figure ellipsis, rather than attributed, on the principles of your correspondent, to the equivocal use of one word in two cases, as the real repre⚫sentative of two distinct relations. Indeed, it appears to me not a little prepos. terous to suppose, that a word can be so employed. Univocainess, it is well known, is the very life of perspicuity; and if the construction be allowed to be elliptical (and that it is I cannot doubt), the ellipsis of the noun is not likely to be so generally reprobated as that of the Your's, &c. relative. Crouch End, February 10, 1810. J. GRANT. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. A SIR, WELL-meaning letter of some un Magazine for last month, occasions me to trouble your readers with this. There was a report lately of my decease; and I was noticed as having departed from this world, in many of the daily prints. My health had then suffered extremely, insomuch that at one time, when traveling from Chard to Sherborne, I expected to expire in the chaise. Nevertheless, here I am still: the malice of my enemies has not been able to send me to hell, nor has it been the good pleasure of my heavenly Father, as yet, to call me to heaven. But I wait for his summons in the shade of retirement. Judging that neither the history, nor the opinions, of an obscure individual, can be at all interesting to the public, I shall neither supply deficiencies, nor rectify mistakes, in either; excepting it be with respect to one passage, where it is said that "my views opened but by little and little, and therefore, I then thought Dr. Priestley went too wide." On this I judge it right to observe, that on some few points I think so still. I was well acquainted with Dr. Priestley, and held him in very high esteem; but my theological creed never entirely agreed with his. IN your Number for Aprillast there is an article on musical genius and composition, signed Great Marlow, A. R. E. which appears to be derived, in a very great degree, from my essay, -entitled Melody the Soul of Music," without referring to it in any manner. If this is intentional, it is certainly very unfair if accidental, it is a literary curiosity, so striking are the coincidences. Sometimes A. R. Ë,'s dissertation seems grounded on the ideas of my essay, sometimes is a inere variation, then an amplification, and sometimes very nearly copied. On comparison, the truth of this will appear, in the passages which treat of the natural sounds, the derivation of music from them, ancient powers of music, simplicity, modern refinement, complication, &c. Possibly A. R. E. may have intended to refer to the original source of his disthe more likely, as he makes a direct allusion to the title of my essay by the phrase "Body of Music;" which, however, he qualifies with the parenthesis "if I may use the expression," as if intending no allusion. It is usual for orators to sum up their matter in a few words. Query: Does A. R. E. mean to do this in the last words of his dissertation, a mass of well-concealed plagiarism?" For the sake of literary justice and curiosity, I shall expect a speedy explanaYour's, &c. A. MOLLESON. tion. Glasgow, October 28, 1809. had exhibited the effects of a stream of To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. candle-grease and snuff for more than twelve months: Scrape finely some pipe-clay, the T quantity of which may be easily deter nined on making the experiment; lay thereon the sheet or leaf, and cover the spot in like manner with the clay. Cover the whole with a sheet of paper; and apply, for a few seconds, a heated ironing-box, or any substitute adopted by laundresses. On using Indian rubber to remove the dust taken up by the grease, the paper will be found restored to its ́original degree of whiteness and opacity. Bristol Mercury Office, Sept. 14, 1809. Your's, &c. J. EVANS. P. S. Your correspondent C. in the next page of the same Number, I presume may be fully satisfied upon the subject of Mr. Thomas Moore's assertion respecting General Washington, by referring to the Works of Peter Porcupine in America. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, YOUR correspondent E. M. who en SIR, HROUGH the medium of your Ma gazine, I wish to be favoured, by some of your numerous readers, with the best method of preparing the composition which is now used for varnishing coloured drawings and prints, so as to make them resemble paintings in oil. a At the same time I offer to their notice receipt to make permanent ink for marking linen, &c. which, though not so convenient as may be wished, is better adapted to that purpose than any other I have yet become acquainted with. I speak from experience, having marked my shirts and handkerchiefs with it for some years; and though I claim no merit for the discovery (having gleaned it from a periodical work which I do not at present recollect), I may take to myself credit for an improvement in substituting a tincture of galls for pure water, which I never saw mentioned by any other person. Take of lunar caustic, (now called argentum nitratum) one diam; weak solution (or perhaps more correctly speaking tincture) of galls, two drams: the cloth is Yquires after spine wash for preserving to be first wetted with the following liquid, drawings made with a black-lead pencil, may be informed, that a thin wash of isinglass will fix either black-lead, or hard black chalk, so as to prevent their rubbing -out; or that the same effect may be produced by the simple application of skimmed milk, as I have found by frequent trials. The best way of using the latter,, is, to lay the drawing flat upon the surface of the milk; and then, taking it up expe. ditiously, to hang it by one corner till it drains and dries. The milk.must be per fectly free from cream, or it will grease the paper. Having answered one enquiry, I shall now take the liberty of proposing another, of a very opposite nature. E. M. wishes to fix black-lead; and I wish, on the other band, to be informed of some cheaper material than black-lead, which may be effaced as completely with Indian rubber, and with as little injury to the paper. I do not, however, require it to be in a solid form; as any dark-coloured matter in a liquid vehicle would answer equally well, or even better, provided they were thoroughly incorporated, so as to flow with a free and equal tint from a pen. Much Jaudable pains have been taken to produce an indelible ink; but a good and cheap delible ink would, to my conception, be found a useful article on many occasions. Milford, South Wales, Your's, &c. September 24, 1809. R. R. viz. salt of tartar, one ounce; water, one The materials are not expensive, and October 9, 1809. W. WEENE. To the Editor of the Monthly, Magazine, SIR, they afford me entertainment in a way rather different from the usual, I beg to communicate my observations. am a great reader of novels, and, as The ladies, I observe, are often downright parsons. Cecilia and Evelina both preach and lecture; and, what is worse, not with the pretty lisp of Miss Byron. As for Clarissa, she is a school-mistress; or at least, has an old head upon young shoulders. The only natural elegant girl I know, is Surr's Lady Emily; but neither he nor any of the rest give us any hoydens. No, no, there is no munching of apples, and "have a bite ;" no bagging of beds; no half-bawling whisper of "Dont tell ma';" no rattling down stairs, and pushing each other forward; no skipping into the room. Their girls in general are not tittering things; their heads full of nonsense; and Pa's and Ma's never have the head-ache through their intoler able able noise, or are teazed with their sulkiness. In the description of beauty, I find too, that the girls are all fair; all shoulderof-mutton complexions, and dead-fish eyes. They cut the fine majestic brunette. No lark-heels are particularized; no notice is taken of the physiological fact, that the nymph-like form scarcely lasts but from seventeen to twenty-two, and that afterwards the shoulders begin to square, and the haunches to be promiment and mountainous; nor is it noted, that soon after the last period, they often begin to carry a portly abdomen. I observe, that in novels, people have no appetites. They take indeed long walks, but not a word is said of their becoming hungry, though all this is very natural. They do, it is true, partake of an elegant refreshment, but it is always in a mincing petty way: a man might cry "You don't eat" over and over again, till bis lungs were cracked; he would stand no more chance of being heard, than a whistle would have in a storm. Miss and Master are staring at each other; or if they don't stare, they do worse, squint; which, in their language, is called glancing. At last down goes a tumbler of beer, out coines the handkerchief, such rubbing and scrubbing! "Maria!" says Mamma, with a grave and reprehensive look. One important incident is also uniformly omitted in novels. I mean little sister Betsy running into the drawing room, full of morning-visitors, with "Mamma, I saw Mr. Sigh kiss Miss Horse-shoe in the garden;" "nor Q in the corner, the stiff formal young man in the window-seat, smothering a horse-laugh; and the entry of Miss Horse-shoe, ignorantly and innocently running up to him, with "Pig-tail, what are you laughing at?" and the tremendous burst which follows. Mr. Sigh does not, of course, laugh it off like a man of the world, for that would be unnovel-like; but suffers the most melancholy sensations on account of poor Miss Horse-shoe-Feeling soul! In the development of their mutual sensations, what a hurly-burly ensues! I copy an existing novel. Two constables, a couple of deep and long-drawn sighs, like the city-marshals on Lord Mayor's day, advance and clear the road; then follow in procession, alarm, confusion, starting from seats, amazement, inability to speak or move, and trembling expectation. After all this, one would naturally expect, that the next thing we should hear, would be that a blood-vessel had burst, and that the doctor was sent for: no, no such thing; they fly, they rush into each other's arms; yes, they do, and I have been told, that the concussion of their two noddles, which sometimes most unfortunately clash through this violent and dangerous gesture, has produced raptures indeed, but not of the most graceful kind, such as hopping about the room, &c. In their lovers there is no inconstancy; there are no Inkles. Girls without fortunes, do as well as those with them; horse-radish without beef, the cloth without the pudding. All this is very generous and very noble; people in this world have no necessity for eating, it is only a bad fashion for the good of butchers: this they ought to insist upon; but very wrongly do they take different measures, even dangerous ones. One half of the peers of this kingdom are bigamists, having one wife in a novel and another in the world; what scanda lum magnatum! Then again they take one half of the estates of the kingdom from their right owners, and give them to people whom nobody ever heard of. How inany suits in chancery do or may result from this violent propensity to dispose of other people's property, I cannot tell; but I am sure, that it requires the notice of parliament. It is indeed a tremendous grievance. A person who had a fine estate in Dorsetshire, might find that he had been indulging all this while in a reverie, and become insane. Besides, it affects the interests of mortga gces and annuitants. I find too what the novelists are pleased to call incident, is neither more nor less than rouing. All parties must rou, or they are not fit characters for novels. They rou methodically, gradually, or more and more, till the last chapter but one: Then is a universal hubbub wild, And tumult and confusion all embroil'd. But the lucky dog of a lover, in the next chapter, like Satan, Springs upward like a pyramid of fire Matrimony of course follows: now this in novels is not punch, a mixture of acids, &c. but always sugar-candy; miseries enough before, but marriage, in the world of novels, puts an end to all human evils. Eternal health! no children that die! no cheating servants! no spiteful neighbours! no bad debts! no stray giances |