pertinacious, or in any degree blame able, if, for the above reasons, I continue the same practice in English; leaving every one to follow me or not, at his discretion, and trusting to time and experience for a final decision. I must express my regret that the title of the Linnean Society, as I would always write it, has in its charter been spelt Linnean. The latter had in view the name of Linné, and was so far proper; but I have always conceived the diphthong to be more classical, and, if we preserve the word Linneus in English, undoubtedly more correct. In this point, most certainly, every writer may judge for himself, and in speaking there luckily is no ambiguity. Norwich, JAMES EDWARD SMITH. March 10, 1810. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HOSE coins which the French de time, many persons who cultivated the study of numismatics. This opinion is confirmed by plated medals; amongst which are found some that never were, perhaps, in general currency as legal coin. Such is a denarius of Tiberius, with the reverse of the, children of Augustus, and the legend C. L. Casures Augusti F. Cos.desig. Princ. Juventutis.” Other coins esteemed, on whatever account, most rare, are discovered amongst the plated, especially those of the Roman empresses; and to a fraud directed against the ancient collectors, M. Waxell is willing to attribute those handsome counterfeits, whilst the more common were probably made from the same motives which influence the coiners of base money in our own times: and this appears from the beauty of the former, which bespeaks the hands of excellent artists; whilst the others are coarsely executed, and often exhibit errors in the or and orthography, which show that plated medals, are generally of brass, covered with a coat of gold or silver. Some few have been discovered of iron and of lead, but hitherto this branch of numismatic antiquity has been neglected; which consideration induced M. Waxell, a very learned and ingenious Russian, lately in this country, to communicate, in a little French work, (elegantly printed and published by Booth, in Duke street,) the result of his enquiries, which he hopes may lead to interesting discoveries on the subject of ancient Greek and Roau coinage. From his work we learn, that, in almost all nations, necessity or poverty, and we might perhaps add, avarice, occasioned the counterfeiting of legitimate coin, although death was the punishment of this crime.---See Ulpian: Leg. digest. ad leg. Cornel de falsis; and Cod. Theod. fals, monetá. As merely counterfeits of current money, the collectors of genuine medals have thought the plated beneath their notice; but perhaps the principal origin of these base coins inay be attributed to a desire of imposing on the amateurs, or virtuosi, of early times. From the age of Angustus to that of Gordian the Third, the sciences flourished, and the emperors protected and encouraged artists of distinguished abilities. Marcus Aurelius patronized the ingenious; and, as Pliny informs us, Hadrian had formed a fine collection of medals, This example would naturally influence his subjects; and in all probability there were, in his the only object in making them, was that they might circulate in place of the current and legal money. We are authorised in supposing that the plated medals are of the most remote period of coinage. The oldest are found amongst the Grecians, of which the reverses are impressed with four strokes of the punch, probably because the art of striking both sides was not known in those early ages; or perhaps from the circumstance of the medal being placed on a block or supporter, whilst it received the blow of the hammer. In M. Waxell's collection, is a medal of Macedon, considered as of the most ancient kind; this proves that the art of plating, coins was practised about five hundred years before the Christian æra. Among the Roman medals, some are found of the first consular classes, plated; and from the workmanship of these, it appears that the art was introduced with that of coinage in a certain degree of perfection, and that the Romans were indebted for it to the Greeks. Pliny, speaking of those counterfeits, informs us that in his time, some of thei were purchased at a higher price than the true medals; a proof that they were col lected by persons desirous of completing certain series, or of possessing curious and uncommon coins. Even at this time, if a plated medal exhibits a rare reverse, or interesting device, it differs very little in price from the genuine one; but those of common devices are not esteemed by collectors, collectors, unless the perfect state of their preservation should render them somewhat valuable. However, after a very accurate calculation, it will be found that among one hundred and fifty or two hundred medals, one plated will be discovered. The Grecian of this kind are more rare than the Roman, and those of the kings more rare than those of the cities. Of Phcnician, or Punic, or that class called disconnoscidas (or unknown), M. Waxell says, he has not yet found any. The proportion of Greek to Roman plated, is as one of the former to twenty-five of the latter. a The age of Augustus was the most abundant in plated coins; and to the length of his reign, and the great number of denarii which he struck, that abundance may be attributed. We find a great variety of curious reverses, besides those of Agrippa, the rarity of which is well known: the beauty of those plated coins, in some instances, equals the originals. Some of Tiberius's time, but not so numerous, are found of great value; such as the fine denarius of that emperor, with the image of his predecessor Augustus on the reverse. Of Caligula, the plated are as rare as the genuine medals; but those of Claudius present several fine reverses, with portraits of Drusus and of Agrippina. Under Nero also great many are found, well executed, and of considerable beauty; especially those which represent that emperor in his infancy; or with these legends," Equester ordo principi juventutis," and "Sacerd. coop. in omn. coni. suprà num. ex s. c." on the reverses; also those which exhibit him with his mother Agrippina. Of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, the reigns were so short, that the plated medals of those emperors are very rare, especially those of the last two; but under Vespasian, Titus, and above all, Domitian, they appear in great numbers, and with a variety of reverses. Nerva's are rare. Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius, there are many; and these, we may almost say, conclude the series of plated medals., M. Waxelf had seen but one of Marcus Aurelius, struck under Antoni, nus; and only one of Commodus; perhaps the wise administration of Marcus Aurelius for some time succeeded in suppressing counterfeits. In M. Waxell's collection, is a denarius of Philip the father, which, from the size, may be considered as a medallion. The latest of the emperors found hitherto on plated Coins of silver, are Trajan Decius, and Of Herennius Etruscus Messius; from their time none are found but a very few of the lower empire, plated in goid: of these latter M. Waxell had seen one of Honorius, and one of Zeno. From Augustus to Trajan Decius, some of the Cesars and tyrants are found, but rarely; very few also are discovered of Pompey, Mark Antony, or Julius Cesar. The Roman empresses are more rare on plated coins than the emperors; and it is a curious circumstance, that those empresses which are most rare on the true medals, are most often discovered amongst the counterfeit. M. Waxell has not met with any of Sabina, Faustina the elder, Crispina, Lucilla, &c. but he had several of Matidia, Marciana, Domitilla, Domitia, &c. and in his collection he was fortunate enough to possess a plated medallion of Domitia; this confirms his opinion, that it was to complete the series of rare coins for ancient amateurs, that those common medals were fabricated. Silver medallions are of such rarity, as all collectors know, that the very few found plated, are considered of equal value: perhaps, as being more scarce than the originals, they ought to be more highly prized. In the plated state, the Greek medallions of Roman emperors are more rare than their Latin medallions. No plated quinarii of any emperor have yet been discovered; if such exist, they may be esteemed great curiosities. The art of fabricating those counterfeits, (as far as medals are concerned) may be considered as lost; for no moderu ingenuity, even in England, where the current money is so frequently counterfeited, can by any means equal the per fection of those ancient productions, especially in their high relief. Some have imagined, that the ancients placed a coat of silver over the brass medal already coined; and this opinion was founded on the appearance of some medals which retained scarcely any vestiges of the silver coating, whilst the impression on the bronze was still sharp and perfect: but the fact is, those medals had passed through the hands of Jews, who, by a simple process, had removed the silver, and by means of some platina had improved the type of it on the bronze, But M. Waxell cannot believe that the ancients could give so good a finish to those medals by this method of coining: he rather thinks that the plated medals were, like the true, struck with the hammer. A piece of brass, covered on both sides with a leaf of silver, was placed in the For the Monthly Magazine.' the die, and received the impression; sufficient proof of this, if there were not another still more incontrovertible. This is, the circumstance of M. Waxell's having in his own collection two plated medals, one of Domitian and the other of the Legion XV. which exhibit reverses incuse or struck in, as intaglios: this may be ascribed to the carelessness of the coiner, who too precipitately substituted the piece that was to be struck, without removing that which had just been coined; and which, adhering to the hammer by the force of the descending biow, left the reversed impression on the new piece. This proves that the plated coins of the ancients were struck in the same manner as their denarii. To this curious little work, which is well worthy the notice of antiquaries and medallists, M. Waxell has subjoined an engraved plate of several coins described in the course of his essay. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. I SIR, HAVE been much interested by the letters of your correspondent from Dunbartonshire, signed J. M, on the subject of benefit-clubs; and still inore with the spirit of benevolence in which they originate. There can be no doubt that, among all the methods devised of assisting the lower classes in an hour of sickness and sorrow, no one can be compared to these, when formed upon just and accurate principles, and rightly conducted; taking also into the account, their tendency at once to relieve the distresses, and to improve the character, of the persons assisted by them. That gentleman has favoured me with a letter, inclosing a well-written paper from the Glasgow Herald of the 15th of December last, signed A. B. on the best mode of making provision for funerals; a subject hitherto very imperfectly understood. This paper, in my opinion, merits more general circulation; but as J. M. has not favoured me with his name, I have no method of addressing him or his friend, to request they would adopt measures to this end, but through the medium of your valuable Magazine. Will you then, sir, have the goodness to insert this letter; which may lead to the further discussion of a subject in which the welfare of many is concerned, and which will much oblige an occasional correspondent? САТИ. САРРЕ. York, Feb. 10, 1810. JOHN FALSTAFF. "I have much to say in behalf of that Fal staff."-Henry IV. Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4. ever genius "held the mirror up to Nature," it surely was in the produc tion of this character. He is a personage the best known, the most conspicuous, and the most original, in all the compo sitions of Shakspeare, or of any of our other dramatic writers. The critic who delights in the motes that trouble the mind's eye, and in the search after difficulties which admit not of a solution, may find a wide field for his lucubrations in that important question, What gave rise to that admirable character? and to him we leave the decision of a point equally important, namely, Whether the name of Oldcastle was that which was first assigned to him by his illustrious godfather the poet? For my own part, 'Davus sum, non dipus.' Heaven avert such disquisitions from an epistolary quill! Those who are not thorough-bred blackletter dogs, may content themselves with the account left us by the profound and erudite "Master Robert Shallow, justice of the peace and coram," that he had been page to Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk; but as we believe little to be known of his birth, parentage, and education, we may without regret leave such considerations to the descendants of Aristarchus. 66 To reduce the conduct of mankind to some fixed principles, and to bring the thousand shades of human character to one standard, has long since occupied men of speculative habits and confined experience, Every one however who has examined his own actions and their respective motives, can readily perceive that the aim of such theorists is a shadow of their own creating; and that they are, as Falstaff himself expresses it, essentially mad without seeming so." Can it be any thing but infatuation, to endea vour to prescribe limits to that which is ever changing, and to fix the most vola tile of all things? What naturalists affirm of a certain species of shells, that there are not two alike, may be in an unqualified manner asserted of the characters of men. The reason of this must be, that the infinite number of impressions from contingent and external circumstances, which tend more imme, diately to constitute individual character, cannot be the same in any two possible instances. road. About or nearly thirty years ago, a person came in great haste, between seven and eight in the evening, and knock ing furiously at the door of Mr. Jones, (the then surviving partner) told him, as soon as he recovered his breath, that he must go inmediately to the concert of ancient music (then in Tottenham-street); as the company was mostly assembled, as well as the musicians, who wished to tune their instruments previous to the entrance of their majesties; but although the gentleman at the organ had been put ting down the keys, and he had himself been blowing with all his might, they could not, with their joint efforts, make the organ speak. These remarks are fully illustrated in in your last Magazine, brings to my re the character before us. Shakspeare, collection a story of a similar nature, whose knowledge was derived from that that was once told me by Messrs. Orhman infallible source, the page of Nature, had and Nutt, who formerly worked for not studied it so much in vain, as to be Messrs. Snetzler and Jones, organ-buildignorant of the principal feature in iters, in Stephen-street, Tottenham-courtthat "foolish compounded clay, man." Falstaff is represented by him, as teeming with the striking and prevalent imperfections of his fellow-creatures; though they are so well adjusted and proportioned, as not to "outstep the modesty of nature," or to injure the whole. It is this combination of features, this composition of parts, which in poetry, as well as in the other fine arts, displays the talents of a master. Where there exists in the character some leading trait, or passion, to which all other affections are subordinate, the task is far less difficult to execute; since we have, as it were, a centre given to which inferior principles of action converge. Hence the hero of a play, to whom the poet has assigned some simple object, which must affect every source of conduct, may be a character really much easier to delineate, than one whose part appears to be of secondary consequence. Iago evinces more labour and genius than Othello; and Shylock than Antonio. In the same manner, Falstaff exhibits the talents of the poet more than any other personage introduced. It may here be observed, that his tory, unless very remote or obscure, must cramp the faculties of the poet, and confine his range of invention. As it was often the fate of Shakspeare, to have no other model than the stiff forms afforded by the pencil of the historian, or fre quently the bare outline of the annalist, 50 he ever considered them (as, to the poet they certainly should be) as the basis on which imagination is at liberty to raise a splendid superstructure. It is from this consideration, that we learn to estimate the merit of Shakspeare in his his torical plays; some of which show how much may be done by the poet, even where the subject and its particulars are neither distant nor obscure. In my next letter, I will continue my observations, and introduce you more intimately to the company of our corpulent knight, Toy μέγαν κ θαυμαςον. For the present, adieu. A. B. E. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HE account of the opening of the Torgan at Aylsham, from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters, 1 Mr. Jones therefore immediately set out; and, thinking that some accident must have happened to the bellows, or wind-trunk, went first to the back of the organ without going into the room; when, finding the machinery apparently in per fect order, he entered the orchestra in his common working-dress, which he had not had time to change; where he found all the sprucely-dressed musicians, with their instruments in their hands, waiting for the spell to be taken off the organ, and the "full chord of D" to set them going. Sitting down to the organ, Mr. Jones now put down the keys with one hand, having, as it were mechanically, with the other, first drawn out one of the stops; when lo! the organ uttered its harmonious sounds as freely as ever it had done, to the astonishment of the gentleman who had before been at the keys; who at length perceived that, far from having like the organist of Norwich, drawn out the whole range of stops and wished for more, he had forgotten to draw any of them. Whether this absent gentleman was the celebrated Mr. Joah Bates, who at that time used generally to take the organ and conduct that concert, I was not informed. And indeed, I should hardly suppose it could be he, were it not that, besides absence of mind being by no means an unusual concomitant of men of genius, he had an additional cause as being about that time smitten with the charms charms of miss Harrup, although his fingers were wandering over the keys of the organ, his thoughts, which ought to guide them, might at the time be wandering toward the lady. For the Monthly Magazine. METEOROLOGICAL ABSTRACT for the last TWELVE MONTHS at CARLISLE. An. Mean 47,4875 Annual Mean 29,817 31,77 General Remarks on the Weather, &c. ANUARY was marked by a snc Jcession of the most severe and de structive weather we ever witnessed; the former part of tire month was exceedingly story, with heavy fails of snow, rain, and sleet: from the 19th till the 27th, we had a most intensely severe frost, accompanied with a strong pene. trating east wind; on the 23d, 24th, and 25th, an excessive quantity of snow fell, the average depth of the whole about twenty inches: a mild thaw, with heavy rain, and commenced on the 27th; melt. ed the snow suddenly, which swelled the rivers here beyond their bounds to such a degree, that immense damage was done, and much private property destroyed. February The mean temperature of this month (410) is in this climate nuusually high for the season. This high degree of temperature was attended with very stormy weather; and during the former part of the month, rain fell in such torrents, as to cause the rivers to overflow their banks and adjoining low grounds, for the space of four or five days. March was remarkably dry, and, with some trifling exceptions, temperate and 196 220 145 Total. Total. Total pleasant. Towards the end of the mouth, we had some showers of snow and sleet, at which time snow was observed on the surrounding mountains. month was extremely severe and unseaApril.-The weather during this sonable; the average temperature of several days, was nearly as low as the freezing point. We had some very heavy falls of snow, and the mountains were clothed in white during the whole of the mouth. It will be observed, on inspecting the table, that the average temperature of this month is lower than that of the preceding, and nearly the same as February. Notwithstanding the extreme coldness of the season, some straggling hirundines were seen in this district, as early as the 12th of this month; but they were not numerous till about three weeks after this period. May was very cold and gloomy, with showers of hail, till the 7th; it afterwards was dry, bright, and pleasant, till the 14th. In the afternoon of that day, a storm of thunder and lightning occurred, which was attended with a melancholy accident: a young man driving some cattle in a lane leading to Broadfield, about eight miles from this city, was struck dead by the lightning; the electric fluid passed through his head, shattering |