which was deftroyed by an accidental fire on the 27th of February, 1792, and which flood upon the fame fite.

19

Mekerchus, is not a rhymning hexameter. It is not only rhyming, but doubly rhyming as perfectly fo, as

Suadendo ftultis oleum difperdere vultis ? or any other leonine verfe. But having learned, it should feem, from the profodical differtation to which he infers, that the two laft fyllables of uxori form a fpondee; and continuing in his vicious habit of reading as a trochee the two last fyllables of furori, which form a fpondée alfo, himfelf viciates the rhyme. And if he had not read with grear inattention, he would have feen, that (directly contrary to his affertion 1) the detaching or feparating, in pronunciation, any fyllable from a word, is difapproved and that even in the fcanning, according to the method there recommended, the very fyllable he mentions, the last in uxori, would not be feparated from the preceding fyllable.

Dublin Cattle, the feat of the refident Lord Lieutenant, is a very hand fome and commodious palace. Its beauty, however, has been much injured by the prefent Marquis of Buckingham, both externally and internally; externally, by ftopping up a very chafte and light arcade in the principal front, when he was there in 1783 as Earl Temple, which now has an odious appearance, and is, at the fame time, rendered totally ufelefs; and internally, when he was Lord Lieutenant there in 1788, by converting a magnificent hall at the top of the great ftair-cafe, at that time called the Battleaxe Guard-hall, into a prefence chamber. This apartment is totally unneceffary, as prior to this there was a moft excellent one; and instead of the former grand entrance, you must now pats through a lobby which was before merely the landing (as it is called in architecture) of the great ftair-cafe, which at prefent refembles the confined lobby of a decent prifon. He has, indeed, caufed fome allegorical pictures to be placed in the cicting of the ball-room. This room, in honour of the order of knighthood of St. Patrick, and in which upon that day, viz. the 17th of March, 1783, the knights of that order dined, has been called, fince the first inWere it not belide the queftion, a good fallation, St. Patrick's Hall. The muradefence might be made for the rhymes, bility of public favour was, perhaps, never more predominant than in the two though nothing can be faid for the style, periods of that nobleman's administration of the trochaic couplet, by (as H. M. in Ireland. For in the year 1483, when properly expreffes himself) a worthy fahe refided there as Earl Temple, he ren-bricator of birth-day odes; for no one dered himself the idol of the Frith nation; but in the years 1788-9, when he was there as Marquis of Buckingnam, he became to the fame people progretively ob. noxious; privately quitted the kingdom, from a fmall fea bathing place near Dub: lin, called the Black Rock, and carried with him the cenfure of the Irish Houfe of Commons, which record remains upon the Journals of that Houfe to this very hour.

[To be continued.]

As to the " Formal Attack," which H. M. feems to threaten, it had need to be conducted with co fiderable skil and power, if he hopes with any effect to counteract the public approbation which the revived doctrine of Mekerchus has obtained, and to diflodge it from the ftrong-hold it occupies, in the countenance already given to it by one of the first, if not the firft, of the fchools of reputation, in the kingdom.

ought to be able to write in a better ftyle
who would accept an office fo degrading
letters as a laureate fhip-worthily refufed
by that fterling poet who has fo elegantly
taught, that

Virtue's an ingot of Peruvian gold,
Senfe the bright ore Potofi's mines unfold;
But Temper's image muft their ufe create,
And give these precious metals fterling weight.

I am, &c.

W.S*.

20

I

Inflammation of Pyrophori.

THEORY OF THE INFLAMMATION
OF PYROPHORI.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

SEE, with great ple fure, that you are extremely fuccefsful in your attempts to cook up the utile with the dulce. The public relish the dih. Nay, I believe, there never was a Scotfman fon er of his baggice, nor a Englishman of his beef fleak, nor a Spaniard of his olla podrida, nor an Italian of his macarom, than are all thofe among my neighbours, who are thought connoiffeurs in the food of the mind, of the Monitly Magazine. You cannot be ill-pleafed to know, that your Mifcellany has found its way far north as did Cromwell's foldiers, and English cabbages, in the middle of the laft century; and is read with cagernefs on the claffic grounds of Macbeth, and of Offian.

as

It is not, however, a claffic matter, but finall chemical trifle, with which I now with to trouble you. There is a particular compofition, known to chemifts by the nane of pyrophorus, because it poffeffes the property of being liable to fponraneous inflammation in the open air. It was compofed by Homberg, apothecary and chemift to the famous regent duke of Orleans, by the diftillation of alum with the refidue of human excrement. There are very many vegetables and animal matters which, if treated with alum, afford this pyrophorus. It may be obtained from the greater number of thofe falts which contain fulphuric acid in union with whatever cafe. M. Prouft has even proved, that any fubftance containing carbonaceous matter, in union, with an earth or oxyde, is fufceptible of this fpontaneous combuftion in the air. It is now commonly prepared by meling three parts of alum with one part of, fugar, honey, or meal, expofing the melted, cooled, and hardened mixture, a fecond time, to heat, till it be kindled to burn for a few moments, with a blueish flame; then cooling the matter thus burned, and preferving it in a dry flask, clofely ftopped, to be ufed as pyrophorus, Expofure to the atmosphere brings it inftantly to burn with a flame fufficiently vivid. The more humid the air, fo much the more readily does this inflammation take place.

To account for a phenomenon fo remarkable, as the fpontaneous inflammation of this prophorus, chemifts have offered feveral different theories, which are almost all alike unfatisfactory. Hom

[Jan.

berg and Lemery fuppofed, that the prefence of calcareous earth in the mixture was the caufe of the inflammation. Le Jay de Savigny imagined the mixture to containa glacial oil of vitriol, which, attracting moisture from the atmosphere, gradually heated the mafs to inflammation by this means. Mr. Bewly, in a letter to Dr. Prieftley, afcribes the fame effect to the prefence of a principle in the pyrophorus, by which there is nitrous acid attracted from the atmosphere. Others have conjectured, that the combuftion of pyrophorus by fpontaneous inflammation, might be owing to its always containing in it a quantity of phofphorus. But none of all these theories has been received in the world as completely juft and fatisfactory.

Now, fir, I think I can exhibit a new and peculiar theory of the relations of this curious chemical phenomenon, of which -the ftriking truth and fimplicity thail not fail to command the immediate affent of all intelligen: chemifts.

In combuftion in general, the principal thing that always takes place is the new combination of oxygen on the one hand, with carbon, cr fume dift.rent matter, on the other hand. The oxygen for this new combination is ufually detached out of its union with light and caloric in vital air. The light, and caloric which it deferts, are, in confequence of this defertion, commonly evolved into a momentarily free ftare, in which they prefent themselves to our fenfes, as heat and flame. But carbon and other combustible matters cannot, in every temperature, nor in every ftate of aggregation, detach oxygen out of vital air, and by its abftraction produce an evolution of heat and fame. It is neceffary, in order to this event, that the carbon or other combuftible matter be, where it is prefented to the contact of the vital air, confiderably comminuted; and that the vital air exhibited to it be, at the fame time, fupercalorated, in fuch a manner, as that the ordinary mutual attractions of its ingredients may be greatly weakened by the super-caloration. In this ftate alone of the respective fubftances, does the phenomenon of combuftion ufually take place.

But there are oxygenous compounds in which the oxygen is much more flightly combined than it is in vital air; and it is poffible to exhibit carbon to oxygen in fome ftates which fhall be more favourable to combuftion than others. In certain ftates of moft of the acids and the metallic oxydes, oxygen undeniably exifts in them, in a very loofe combination.

Destroy,

Elearic Property of India Rubber.

122

Prevention of Forgery of Bank Notes.

tion thofe of paper, fponge, fmooth mahogany, a piece of glue a little warmed, linen cloth, leather (of which, that used for fo-foles is the best) &c.

After going through thefe and many other fimilar experiments, I made a fquare deal frame, on which I glued a fheet of paper, I then placed it before the fire, and applied the India rubber as in my other experiments, but the propenfity to electricy was fo weak, that it was only vifible by its attracting a light feather, fufpended by a thread. Hence my opinion that the fluid is collected from the fubftance on which the paper is laid, and not from that by which it is rubbed.

If the paper be rubbed with bees'-wax previous to its being ufed, it will be found to have a much stronger propenfity to the *production of electric matter, than when quite clean. I am, fir,

Your obedient fervant, THOS. GRIFFITHS. Manchefter, Dec. 20, 1797.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

AM not inclined to controvert the arguments advanced in your laft, by A Suf fever by Forgery, either as to the propriety of adopting every poffible means to prevent the forgery of bank notes, or as to the degree of guilt which attaches to the public, or to any clafs of the community, when they punish, with feverity, a crime which they have not done every thing in their power to prevent.

His reafoning, on thefe points, goes fo home to the conviction of every man, that I am fure his fuggeftions will not be overlooked; but, towards the clofe of his letter, he starts a queftion which ought not, in my opinion, to have been brought forward, until he had afcertained its truth; and the more fo, as the fact to which it alludes is of fuch a nature, that even more than a common degree of evidence would be neceffary to give it any degree of credibility.

Before I proceed farther, I beg leave to quote your correfpondent's own words: If there be,' fays he," any degree of culpability on the part of thofe in whofe department it lies, in not having adopted fuch obvious improvements in the fabriIcation of bank notes, as the prefent advanced ftate of the arts puts within their reach, will it not be aggravated if it fhall be found, that they have refufed a plan which would not only bave rendered forgery much more difficult than at prefent, but almost, if not altogether, impoffiblea

[Jan.

plan, to the excellency of which all the principal artifts in London barve borne teflimony?"

I will readily grant, that if a plan, fo powerfully recommended, has been rejected by the Bank Directors, they are not only deferving of cenfure, but, howeter juftiy the forger may deferve hanging, will be acceffaries to murder, if they ever profecute to death any future forgery, while their notes continue to be fabricated on the old plan. But to me, and, I dare fay, to all your readers, it must appear abfolutely impoffible, in the nature of things, that the fact can be true. Are not the Bank Directors men of the first character in the commercial world, both with relation to property, abilities, probity, and integrity? Could fuch men be fo criminally negligent and regardless of the high trust repofed in them, and of the dury they owe, not only to their immediate conftituents, but to the public, as to refufe a plan calculated to leffen the number of forgeries and public executions? Impollible! But even, if we could for a moment fuppofe them fo devoid of principle, as to allow themfelves to be influenced by a spirit of patronage and private motives in the employment of thofe who are

more immediately connected with this department; could we believe that men of their penetration would be fo blind to their own intereft, as to neglect the means of adding to the fecurity of their individual property? This would be to fuppofe them governed by principles different from thofe which actuate all mankind, and more void of intellect than afs-drivers.

If, by the principal artifts in Lon don," the " Lofer by Forgery" means Bartolozzi, Heath, Sharp, Fittler, and other equally eminent men, which I have a right to think he does, by the defervedly refpectful manner in which he speaks of them, I will allow that their judgment is not to be queftioned on a point of this nature. But it will be no eafy matter to convince the public, that the Bank Directors would arrogate to themselves a right to fet up their opinion, on a queftion connected with the arts, in oppofition to that of fuch men-of individuals, whofe character, for probity and honour, ftands as high as that of the Directors themfelves; for a proper degree of modefty will ever be found to refult from thole attainments which qualify a man for fo diftinguished a fituation as that of a Bank Director.

By principal artists, it would be unfair to fuppofe that your correfpondent merely

means

1798.1

Anecdote of Mr. Burke corrected.

23

means engravers of fhop-bills and clock dials; for, though among these there may be, and no doubt are, many men of abilities and character, it might be no difficult matter for a projector to find, among this clafs, friends who might be influenced to approve a plan on which they are by no means competent to decide... It has been wondered at by many, that But, even in this cafe, the Directors would certainly have bestowed on the plan the attention to which it might appear to be entitled, by taking the opinion of abler artists to guide them in their determina tion.

gal; and I believe a guinea wager was betted. The truth is, Mr. Burke, as Lord North well knew, and has often told me, was but an indifferent claffical fcholar, not knowing a letter of Greek, perhaps even unable to conftrue many or most of his own Latin quotations.

Thus, I think, I have demonftrated, from every view that can be taken of the fubject, how extremely improbable in is, that the Bank Directors have refufed a plan recommended in the manner which has been ftated; but, if it should turn out to be true that they have actually rejected fuch a plan, in fpite of all the inducements for its adoption which it holds out, I know no language which can do juftice to their, demerits.

The question may, however, be brought into a narrow compafs: if fuch a plan has been propofed, let its author come forward, and let the artists, by whom it has been approved, declare themselves alfo. This is a duty which they owe to the public; and no motives, of a private nature, ought fo to operate, as to prevent them from its performance.

The public have a right to every fecurity the bank can give them; and if the plan, to which the Sufferer by Forgery alludes, be calculated to increafe that fecurity, I can with fafety promife him, that its merits will be inveftigated by more than one

PRIVATE BANKER.

London, Dec. 22.

For the Monthly Magazine.

TO THE EDITOR,

WITHOUT intending the fmalleft

offence, fir, to your ingenious correfpondent, Modulator, I will be bold to counfel him to obferve correctnefs in his promulgation of anecdotes. No fuch converfation, as he pretends, could ever have poffibly paffed between the late Mr. Burke, my old acquaintance, and the worthy doctor alluded to; because the fmall grammatical difpute in queftion really happened in the Houfe of Commons during the American war, and in my hearing. It was between Lord North and Mr. Burke, the former fchooling the latter very much, to his apparent mortification, for pronouncing the i fhort in večli.

your Magazine, acknowledged, at last, even in our reluctant circles, as the best which has hitherto appeared in our language, fhould never have given the pub lie, or even noticed, the character of Mra Burke, as given by the man who, of all others, knew him beft, the late Gerrard Hamilton. It appeared first in France, and afterwards, about July laft, in fome of our Magazines. Certain it is, the friends of Mr. Burke did all in their power to fupprefs it, and I believe fucceeded in fome degree. Hamilton's quarrel with Burke is now faid to have been purely of a political nature, and that there are, befides the character in queftion, certain pieces from the pen of the former, which will one day be highly interefting to pub lic curiofry.

DEMOCRATICUS. Pall-Mall, Sunday Evening, Dec. 17.

For the Monthly Magazine. [The following account of the prefent conditim of the United States of North America, in feveral important particulars, is tranfla ed from the Decade Philofophique, one of the French Periodical Journals.]

one

N the United States of America, the fciences may ftill be faid to be but in their cradle. Three colleges and university, of theology, of law, and phyfic; five or fix Academical Societies, which are but in a paralyzed state; a number of very active Private Societies, inftituted for the purposes of commerce, manufactures, &c.; and a proportionate number of private fchools for the education of youth, conftiture, at prefent, the only

fources of intellectual and moral inftruction. Indeed the general character of the inhabitants of the American States, leads them to study rather the means of augmenting their fortunes, than to cultivate the fciences, and to contribute, pro parte virili, their quota towards the progrefs and diffemination of knowledge. The public prints, of which there is a great variety, have the fame tendency here, as in Europe, to corrupt the public fpirit, or to cloak the faults of an inefficient government, frequently convulfed by ephemeral factions. A long refidence and diligent obfervation are indifpenfibly neceffary to

develope