On Oil, as a Cure of the Plague. having a true fight of their condition beftowed upon them. They believe, that all true miniftry is derived from the fame fource, and that it fprings from the influence of the Holy Spirit. They reject the ceremonies of baptifin and the Lord's fupper; the firft, as belonging, according to St. John, to an inferior and decreafing difpenfation, it being merely typical of true fpiritual baptifm: the latter rite they do not confider as maintaining the communion between Chrift and his church, which is only done by a real participation of his divine nature through faith; one is the fubftance, the other the fhadow. They refuse to take an oath, or to bear arms, as being repugnant to the principles of the Golpel. But their tenets inculcate fubmiffion to the laws of government in all cafes wherein confcience is not violated. SIR, I of the use of oil, in curing the plague, given in your Magazine for November laft, permit me to offer you an original treatife, from the Reverend Father LEWIS of Pomia, adminiftrator of the hofpital of St. Anthony, at Smyrna, given by him to a friend of mine while at that place, fome years ago, and containing an account of his ufe of oil in curing the plague. I understand that the idea of the ufe of oil, in this difeafe, was fuggefted to Mr. BALDWIN, by obferving that none of the porters conftantly employed in loading the veffels with oil, in the various ports of the Mediterranean, and whofe cloaths and bodies were constantly swathed with that fluid, were ever attacked by the contagion, even when most prevalent. He communicated this obfervation to FatherLEWIS, and he could not have pitched upon a perfon better fitted to bring its truth to the teft of experiment. N addition to the interefting account Father LEWIS, I am informed, was originally a Frenchman, of noble birth and liberal education. From fome circumftances, with which I am not acquainted, he was induced to dedicate himfelf to a religious life. And he concluded, that there was no way in which he could at ence fo completely teftify his conftant reliance on divine Providence, and, at the fame time, benefit his fellow-creatures, as by becoming a religious affiftant to an hofpital established for the relief of per 253 fons afflicted with the plague, and adminiftering of comfort to those whom all the world rejected. With this view, he repaired to Smyrna, and attached himself to the hofpital eftablished there exclufively for thofe afflicted with the plague. His zeal and affiduity foon made him fpiritual rector of the establishment, a fituation which he fo well deferved to fill. He has had three or four attacks of the plague, one of which totally deprived him of the fenfe of fmell. This he confiders as a great bleffing, as it was the fenfe most offended in the courfe of his ministry. Before he was deprived of smell, he could generally judge pretty accurately by that means, whether a patient when brought into the hofpital would live or die. He does not hesitate to perform every office about a perfon in every stage of the peftilence, with no other precaution than to avoid inhaling their breath. No doubt, being habituated to the notion of contagion, and having a firm and unfhaken reliance on the protection of Providence, tend to guard him against infection. He has been and every friend to humanity mull with his prefent fituation near twenty years, that he may long continue to fulfil his arduous duties. It is worthy of remark, that fome cafes have lately been published in this country, where inunction with oil, together with forcing fmall quantities of it down the throat, feem to have cured the dreadful contagion of hydrophobia, even after the difeafe had begun. The Italian is in Father LEWIS's own hand-writing, and in the tranflation more attention is paid to accuracy than elegance. Your's, London, Jan. 1798. A. P. B. TRANSLATION from the Italian of a Paper of Father Lewis, of Smyrna, on the Ufe of Oil, as a Cure for the Plague. "The wonderful effects which have been produced by the inuntion with common oil, Smyrna, miferably afflicted with the peftiin the prefent year 1792, in this our city of lent contagion, muft neceffarily render ever renowned the celebrated Signior BALDWIN, ingenious inventor of it, and the first who practifed it during the last year, at Alexandria. But it will alfo oblige every one that loves, according to the divine precept, to fuccour his neighbour in the most lamenta ble and wretched condition, to which any man can be reduced on earth, not to neglect to bestow on him fo meritorious an act of and to thank God, that after fo many ages, in Chriftian piety, and humane commiferation; which thofe who were unfortunately afflicted with the plague have been abandoned, without hopes 254 Father Lewis on the Cure of the Plague. hopes of any probable remedy, to the confequence of their difeafe; he hath at last vouchfafed, by the means of the faid Signior, to make known a fpecific, as easily procured as it is useful to the relief and eafe of the afflicted. "The repeated trials made with my own hands, not as a phyfician, which perhaps would not be of fo much importance, but as the overfeer of an infirmary which is under my own management, perfuades me of what, without any exaggeration, I affirm; and notwithstanding thofe who acknowledge theory as the only guide of their medical operations, confidering, for my part, experience as the tale-bearer of facts, I freely fay, that the fmearing with oil, after the manner of Mr. BALDWIN, is the only medicament which practically feems to promife to turn out a real method, by which we may be enabled to cure this contagious disease, which difgracefully * and that all the other difcoveries, which during full twenty years that I have affifted thofe afflicted with the plague, I have feen used in Smyr na, have in general appeared to be the productions of prefumptuous ignorance, or wretched oftentation; and, therefore, not only ufelefs, but prejudicial to fuch as, with a foolish enthufiafm, put their truft in them. "I fhall not attempt philofophically to account for the facts I am about to detail. But guided, as I have already faid, by experience alone, I fubmit the obfervations I have uninterruptedly made on the effects of the unction, during a period of five months, to the difpaffionate judgment of those who are acquainted with fuch matters, hoping, that they will not attribute to imposture or deceit what is faid in the pure fpirit of doing good to my fellow men. I have feen, then, that the inunction with oil and acts rather by fhutting than by opening the pores of the fweat. "Secondly, I have obferved that the inunction fhould be followed by a confiderable degree of friction of the limbs of the patient; and alfo, that thefe remedies fhould be applied as foon as poffible after the attack of the difeafe; for if four or five days are fuffered to elapfe, as has happened in fome patients, they are no longer of any use. "Thirdly, That none have been benefited by the inuntion, however accurately performed, whofe nervous fyftem has been attacked by the malady, or who were afflicted with diarrhea, both of which have * WV bere blanks are left the original is defaced. always been confidered by me, as well as by others, as fatal fymptoms in this complaint, impoffible to remedy. "Fourthly, Exclufive of thofe already feized with these mortal fymptoms, I attribute to the inunction with oil, in which I repofe the greatest confidence, the cure of fixty-four of my patients, who amounted this year to the number of one hundred and fif teen; as well as fixty-five others, which either by me, or by Signior Ebazaro d'Etian, phyfician to the plague-hospital, were anointed in this manner; and I conclude, that if the inunction did not fucceed with those who died, it was either because the confultant phyficians refused it a trial, or because it was not had recourse to in time, or becaufe it was not followed up with the requifite attention." To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, W Why do our dramas of the prefent day of writing gone into difufe? afford no dialogues, in which wit, humour, and native character are difplayed, in union with fenfe and fpirit ?"-Thefe are questions to the one of which we may give a tolerably fatisfactory answer, by obferving, that men do not now, as in the days of Plato and Cicero, gain their knowledge in fo confiderable a proportion from viva voce inftruction, as to be naturally led to imitate the fanie form, even when communicating science through the medium of books; but that, on the contrary, fo little are we now accustomed to receive instruction, otherwife than from books, that whenever we attempt to teach with the living voice, we are, from this circumftance, led to prefer the dull formal lecture, which imitates the reading of a book, to the lively and varied dialogue, which might make fcience wear the bewitching, unstudied air of cafual and carelefs converfation. The other I fhall, for the prefent, leave to be answered by Meffrs. REYNOLDS, MORTON, CUMBERLAND, or by whomfoever else it may concern. Nothing has lately contributed fo much to confirm a partiality which the writings of Plato and Cicero, and of Erafmus, that black fwan of Holland, long fince led me to conceive, in favour of the dialogue-form of compofition; as the perufal of that fine work, "Il Cortegiano," by Conte Baldaffar Caftiglione. The defign of this work is, to explain what native qualities and acquirements of education are neceffary, to accomplish a gentleman and a lady for fhining with diftinction in a court. It was written after Inquiry into the Difufe of Dialogue-writing. after its author had attained to full maturity of years and experience; after he had converfed much with books, and in fcenes of warfare, of folemn political bufinefs, of gallant and courtly gaiety, very much with men. He intended it as a fond memorial of the court of Urbino, in which he had spent many of his earlier years. The accomplished male and female characters which he has attempted to delineate, were meant by him to exhibit the copied excellencies of the fair, the gallant, and the wife, whofe fociety he had there enjoyed. The fashion of literary compofition in dialogue was, at that time, even to a ridiculous degree, prevalent in Italy. So very prevalent was it, that hiftory, of which I poffefs a particular fpecimen, was then written in dialogues. Caftiglione, of course, and with the happieft propriety, was induced to frame his work in this fashionable form. It is represented as the fubftance of feveral different converfations, which paffed, on fo many fucceffive evenings, in the prefence of the duke and duchefs of Urbino. The fubject, and its difcuffion, are chofen at the pleafure of a lady, as an amufement after fupper, which might for once be preferred to queftions and commands, or crofs purpofes, or any other more common and lefs refined means of recreation. First, on one, and then, to relieve him, on feveral others in fucceffion, is impofed the task of defcribing the character, and enumerating the qualifications of the accomplished courtier. From the accomplished gentleman, the progrefs of the converfation at length paffes, by a very natural tranfition, to the accomplished lady. The perfons in the company, and particularly those who take a fhare in the dialogue, are men and women of the highest rank, and the most illuftrious perfonal character, which were in that age known in Italy. The tedioufnefs of a continued harangue from the mouth of one perfon, is avoided, by objections, from time to time, gaily urged against the opinions of the principal fpeakers, and from frequent explanations demanded from them. Men, who were themfelves confeffedly eminent in thofe accomplishments which are enumerated, are the fpeakers from whofe mouths the defcriptions of the different qualifications required, are made refpectively to flow. One rich ftream of mellifluent eloquence and wisdom runs through the whole feries of the difcourfe, from its opening to its very clofe. It is enlivened, not only with the flowers and figures of eloquence, MONTHLY MAG. No. XXX, 255. but with a multitude of smart and striking witticisms, and with many entertaining anecdotes, which the fpeakers relate, to illuftrate their pofitions, and which the author muft have intended, also, to prevent weariness in his reader. The peculiar paffions, humours, habits, and talents of every different speaker, are, with great dramatic power, expreffed in those parts of the dialogue which are refpec-. tively attributed to each. Every literary. compofition, whatever be its fubject, must neceffarily difplay, in its illuftrations and allufions,, more or lefs of the customs and manners of the age and country in which it is written; and must be, with more or lefs care, modelled to fit the common level of the tafte and intelligence. of thofe contemporaries, to whom it is by the author addreffed. But, I have never", met with any work, in which there was. a more copious, a more difcriminating, a more picturefque and faithful difplay. of the manners and cuftoms, amid which it was compofed, than that which occurs in "Il Cortegiano:" or with any in which: fuch a difplay was introduced with a happier fubferviency to the principal fcope of the compofition. Caffiglione's Dialogue feems to prefent, as it were, a grand hiftorical painting of the court of Duke Guido Ubaldo, in the perfect coftume of the age, in which he lived in that prince's fervice. Reading fuch a work, one is interefted much as if fome ancient city, that had been fuddenly overwhelmed by a volcanic eruption, fhould be unexpectedly cleared from all the fuperincumbent matter, and exposed to our view, and we should behold apartments, perfons, dreffes, utenfils, ornaments, fuch as were peculiar to the period of the fatal deluge of fire, all grouped together in the various affemblages of the bufinefs, or amufements of real and active life. exordia, or introductory paragraphs in Cicero's "Philofophical Dialogues," are often exquifite morfels of delicate, tender, or animated compofition. But none of all thefe appears to me to excel the exordia, particularly of the firit and the fourth book of "Il Cortegianc." For that dramatic contexture and effect to which dialogue-writing owes aloft all its peculiar advantages, I fhound, villout hefitation, prefer Caftiglione's work to any treatife in the form of dialogue, whether ancient or modern, and however highly celebrated. Caftiglione lived and wrote in the end of the fifteenth century, and the beginning of the fixteenth, the very golden age of Italian literature. His style, The although 256 Interesting Establishment of a Country School. although not purely Tufcan, is accounted exquifitely elegant by the Italians themfelves. I have, of purpofe, here confined myself to speak of the form and acccidental ornaments of " Il Cortegiano," without confidering its merits, as a treatife on its peculiar fubject; in respect of which, at leaft equal praife might be, with juftice, bestowed upon it. I fhould like to fee this charming book more generally read in Britain than it, at prefent, is. T. N. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HE intelligence which I have juft me fo much pleasure, and impreffes my mind with fo high an opinion of its value, that I cannot well refift the inclination I feel of making it public. When any thing is done for the improvement or ornament of fociety, I think it is a tribute we owe the benefactor, not to withhold the praife he merits, nor to be filent on a fubject which concerns the general welfare. I could have wished even to have introduced you to the name of my worthy friend, as well as to his liberality, but this not meeting his ideas, I fhall content myself with recommending to the imitation of others what juftly entitles him to the thanks of his country. It occurred then to him, and more particularly as being a clergyman, for he is one, and what is more, a true minifter of the gofpel, that nothing is fo much to be regretted, as the want of that information amongst the lower claffes of people, which is fo effential to their temporal and eternal intereft. It is indeed but too just a reflection upon the policy of any ftate, where the means of cultivating the understanding of its members are not provided. We have only to turn our eyes to Scotland, to evince the truth of this remark, in whofe fuperior wifdom we read our own reproach. It is quite unneceffary to detail, or particularize, any of the numerous inftances that have occurred, and which are recent in almoft every one's recollection, of fo many of the inferior orders of her community, who have attained to eminence, opulence, and honour. An incitement to industry and ability, a general door to merit is thrown open, by the adoption of feminaries for the education of youth in every town and village of that provident country. To enumerate the great advantages which refult from fuch wife inftitutions would far exceed my prefent purpofe; I shall proceed therefore to elucidate fome of them afforded us in the inftance of my generous correfpondent. And furely it is a noble proof of difintereftednefs and of charity in a private individual, the rector of an inconfideraable parish, to fink (and while living too) above two thoufand pounds of his fortune in the founding of a school for the inftruction of the children of his flock. It is an occurrence, Mr. Editor, fo ftriking, that I scarcely think the prefent age can furnish a fimilar example. Not many miles fouth of Oxford, in a village in the county of Berks, is erected a strong but hand fome edifice, of brick entrance, and the mafter's houfe on the other, with the feveral respective offices adjoining: the approach from the street is by two fteps of afcent; on each fide is a parterre of flowers and fhrubs, with a paved walk to the house twenty feet in length, behind which there is a good kitchen garden. Here, by the found of a bell, the children, forty in number, (boys and girls) are fummoned to repair at an early hour, and are inftructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic. The fchool opens and clofes with prayers read by the mafter, to whom a very liberal falary is given; which, together with an annual fum for providing books, paper, pens, and ink, for the scholars, and repairs, arifes from the public funds, and is properly fecured for ever. My friend, who attends even to the minutiae of propriety, has left nothing undone; for there is fomething appropriated for a handfome dinner for the children on the anniversary, and likewife for the entertainment hereafter of truftees who will audit the accounts, and infpect the fchcol on that day. I shall now conclude my letter by fubjoining a specimen of the fruit, which this infant inftitution has already produced; a fpecimen I think of genius almost as extraordinary, as the fplendid inftance of charity by which it was brought to light. It is the compofition of a boy of eleven years of age, who has been but three years at fchool: the ideas were his own, and the only alteration made by the master was in a trivial error or two of orthography: it was prefented by the boy to his benefactor on the morning of the anniversary. I am, Sir, your's, &c. PHILOLOGUS, SPECIMEN. School, October 3, 1797. "Moft refpected and most generous benefactor, permit me, in the humblest manner, Further Particulars relative to Welsh Indians. manner, to return you fincere thanks, To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, YOU 257 feveral are particular in marking the time of the voyage down the ftream into the Miffiffippi to be full three months, which exceeds the fpace it took EVANS by about from 16 to 20 days. In order to do away the impreffion, which the failure of EVANS's expedition may produce, I beg leave to inform you, that I have, with the affiftance of a friend, ma de a collection of about eighty different notices of the existence of fuch a tribe in the fituation above mentioned, and The following communication refpecting the fame fubject, came to hand a few days ago, being an extract of a letter, written laft April, to the late Dr. Jones of Hammersmith, by his brother, Mr. BENJAMIN JONES, the propriet of fome iron works on the Monangahela river, near Pittsburg, which runs thus: "One of our neighbours, who bought wares of us last fall, went down the Ohio, and then up the Miffiffippi, within fixty miles of the confluence of the Mifsouri, to a town called Mazeres. He being one day in a store, saw two Indians coming in, who began to talk to the ftore-keeper in fome unknown language. The ftorekeeper fent for all the interpreters about the neighbouring towns and forts, but none of them underfood their language: at last a perfon, who spoke Welsh, came in, and obferving the two Indians pointing to fome goods in the store, and talking together, obferved that they talked Welfh. He immediately accofted them in that language, and the refult was, that、 they understood each other exceedingly well. They were very neatly dreffed in buck-fkin from head to foot, but had no fhirts. They had brought fome white bear-fkins, dreffed in a very curious manner with the hair on. He understood that they lived a great way up the Miffouri, and had been at least three months on their journey, before they reached the place they were then in. These are all the particulars I could learn of him. He is now gone down again, and promised to He faid make a more particular inquiry. they were copper-coloured, like other Indians, and had very black hair, and no beard, except a little on the chin. There is no doubt at all but the nation of Welth Indians lives near the fource of the Miffouri, perhaps two thousand miles from its mouth: it likewise seems probable that thofe regions are pretty cold, as they abound with white bears, which are all perfe&ly black, at least on the fouth fide of the lakes, and about the Allegany mountains. I remain, Sir, your's, &c. MEIRION. April 6, 1798. |