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differs hardly in any respect from that of a found one, excepting that it has a fomewhat fcalded appearance: when boiled, it dif folves, and forms a fediment at the bottom of the vessel refembling mud. In those few inftances in which sheep have survived this malady, the liver is always found fcirrhous. There is one circumftance refpecting this complaint, which, as it may not be generally known, deferves to be noticed. The flesh of rotten Theep, if the taint be not of long ftanding, is remarkably florid, and the fat most delicately white. The fat, however, may easily be diftinguished from that of a found fheep, by its having a more curdly appearance. Nay, fuch is the effect of this fingular difease, that even ram's flefh, which is known to be in general coarfer, and the fat yellower than of other sheep, will, when tainted with the Rot, rival in appearance the finest wedder

mutton.

An accurate hiftory of this deftructive disorder, which poffibly is to be obtained only by repeated and fkilful diffections in the different stages of its progrefs, is much wanted.

From feveral Papers on the rheum palmatum, or true rhuburb, it appears that it may be cultivated in this climate with very little difficulty. Such directions are here given for the management of this valuable drug, as will, we apprehend, enable any one both to cultivate and cure it with fuccefs.

The Propofal for the further improvement of agriculture by a Member of the Bath Society, which is added in the Appendix, is a very well written and ingenious effay ;-but the length to which this article is already extended, prevents us from paying that attention to it which it merits.

We cannot, however, conclude without congratulating the friends of agriculture, not only on the prefent publication, but on the profpect of its being continued under the auspices of the truly refpectable and intelligent Society that has fuperintended it hitherto. As they exprefs themfelves defirous of information, from whatever quarter it may come, it is to be hoped that whoever has any thing to throw into the common stock of agricul tural knowledge, will communicate it to the Society at Bath, by them to be admitted into fome future volume of their tranfactions.

ART. VII. Strictures upon Agriculture Societies, with a Propofal for One upon a new Plan. 8vo. I s. 6d. Evans. 1780.

TH

HE plan that has been generally adopted by Agriculture Societies for the purposes of awakening a fpirit of rural improvement, and of exciting induftry in the hufbandman, has been to offer premiums for the best conducted experiments. But, rational as this fcheme appears to be in fpeculation, experience

has

has not yet, except in some few inftances, confirmed its utility. It feldom happens, that even those who obtain a premium continue their exertions when no longer ftimulated by the profpect of an immediate reward. The fact is, that most new experiments in agriculture require an increase of labour or expence, befide a degree of accuracy and attention which few are capable of bestowing, and which would too frequently interfere with other more important concerns. Before any novelty in rural œconomics can be an object of general attention, its advantages must be obvious, its execution fimple, and the profits it holds out to us not very remote. Hence it is evident, that fomething more is wanted, before agriculture can receive much additional improvement, than merely to exercife the ingenuity of the experimental agriculturift. Senfible of this, the prefent Writer, in imitation of the Dublin Society, and in conformity to that of Bath, proposes, that agriculture focieties should be provided with two farms, the one appropriated to ploughing, the other to breeding. By this method the objects of his propofed focieties would be recommended to the public approbation as established, approved practice, rather than as mere experiments. His plan, which the limits of this article will not permit us to enter into in detail, is plaufible and ingenious. There is, however, one part of it which we think merits particular notice: no one who ever poffeffed any domeftic animal befide a dog and cat, but will wifh to fee it carried into execution.

The importance of live-ftock, both to the proprietors and the public, fuggefts to me another inftitution, which, if it could be annexed to this breeding farm, would apparently render the whole plan complete; I mean the inftitution of a veterinarian School or academy, where pupils fhould be inftructed medically and fyftematically in the knowledge and cure of the difeafes of domeftic animals, by men of experience and abilities in their profeffion. Whoever confiders the value of fuch animals, the many diseases they are fubject to, and the deplorable ignorance of thofe to whom they are committed under them, muft certainly allow that fuch an inflitution would be a most ufeful and important acquifition to the public. It is not perhaps unreasonable nor uncandid to fuppofe, that it is an equal chance in any cafe, whether the generality of our farriers, cowleeches, &c. do good or harm. If they have no clear, rational principles to direct them in their practice-as, in general, they certainly have not-the event is at belt but fortuitous. Nay, there are many difeafes, and particularly of that most valuable animal, the fheep, which few or none of them even pretend to know or cure. And what an immenfe advantage would it be to the proprietor and the public, if a certain and effectual remedy could be found out for even one particular disease, which this animal is occafionally fubject to! I mean the Rot. For this fatal

and lurking malady, in fome unfavourable years, deftroys almost half the sheep in this island, and renders many, not abfolutely destroyed, of no real value to the owner. What a pity, nay what a fhame it is,

that

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that we do not pay greater attention to the lives of thofe animals which conftitute fo great a part of our neceffary food, and afford the materials for our most valuable manufactures. It is not certainly becaufe we are either ignorant of their value, or indifferent to their welfare, but the want of competent knowledge in their difeafes. If therefore perfons of abilities and experience would undertake the treatment of their difcafes, there is no doubt but their merit and fervices would be honoured with adequate encouragement and reward. For a farmer, who confiders the health of his live-ftock as next in importance to that of his own and family's, will undoubtedly look upon him with proportionable efteem who can fuccefs fully treat the difcafes of the former. The greateft difficulty in the beginning of fuch an inflitution, would be to find proper matters or profeffors; but when once this was furmounted, there is no doubt but the plan would be properly continued and fupported, both with fuccefs to the practitioners and the public. Thofe of the medical faculty, from the mode of their education, feem beft qualified for fuch an undertaking, and without any reflection upon individuals, fome of them might perhaps be employed as profitably to themselves, and as ufefully to the public, in the cure of the diseases of domeftic animals, as in thofe of the human fpecies. Nay, the propriety and even neceflity of fuch an inflitution is fo obvious, that it is matter of aftonishment that we have never yet put it in practice; and particularly as a fimilar inftitution is well known to have been for a confiderable time fupported with great reputation and fuccefs in France. We are but too fond of adopting what we efleem the elegancies of our ingenious and inventive neighbouring rivals: but let us in this inftance give a proof of our good fofe, and good policy, by adopting what is really and effentially ufetul. If the establishment of fuch an academy fhou'd be thought too arduous or too expenfive an undertaking for a fociety whofe funds arise from voluntary contributions, and must be applied to other purposes too; is not the matter of fufficient importance to warrant the interpofition of the legiflature? Affitted by the public in fuch a manner as this great national council might think proper and effectual; every agriculture fociety, or at leaft every two contiguous focieties, might be enabled to add this important object of rural improvement to the rest of their plan. It cannot, in my humble opinion, be confidered in this manner, as an appendage to other objects of greater importance; for improvements in the mode of treating the difcafes of domestic animals, is certainly of equal, if not greater importance, than improvements in agriculture; if, at least, we may be allowed to judge of the future by the past.'

ART. VIII. Principia cum Juris Univerfalis tum præcipue AngliAuctore Capel Lofft J. C.- 12mo. 2 Vols.

cani.

6 s.

Boards. Owen, &c. 1779. Elements of Univerful Law; being the 1ft Volume of the Tranflation of the foregoing Work.

WE

7E have fufpended for fome time the task of reviewing this performance, in expectation that the learned and laborious Author would have completed the defign he has un

folded

'

C to

folded in his Preface, and which he there informs us was have illuftrated his Principia Juris Univerfalis, &c. with examples of our own and former times, and to evince by experi ence-which is the genuine and peculiar praife of real worthnot only how uniformly they have been recognized in judgment, but how great their utility: and this, he fays, he means to make the bufinefs of a future publication.' At prefent, we feel ourfelves obliged to confider his work as in a flate of immaturity and imperfection: as an immenfe heap of maxims and obfervations on the fubject of natural and municipal law, extracted from the beft writers, with great diligence; but difpofed with little happiness or judgment: and more ufeful to the compiler, than interefting to a student; who, if he must have a common-place-book, had much better have one of his own making than of any other man's. Indeed, we ftrongly fufpcct, that it is not by piling up maxims and rules under the name of principles, that a fcience is moft fuccefsfully taught and inculcated. Lord Bacon, whofe practice is alone a precept to inferior understandings, tells us, in the Introduction to his "Maxims of Law,” that he did not think it fufficient "to fet down rules like fo many fhort dark oracles: but that it was neceflary to attend. them with a clear and perfpicuous expofition, fhewing the reafons whereupon they depend, and the affinity they have with other rules. For want of this," he adds, "rules are but as proverbs, and many times plain fallacies."-And for want of this, we must add, the prefent work (for whofe Author.we have a real esteem, on account of his learning and generous zeal for the principles of law and liberty) will be found of little utility to the world.

This gentleman appears to have haftened to the prefs with too much of the gallantry of a young author, and too little confideration of the tafk he impofed upon himfelf. Had he delayed his work a few years longer, the order of it might have been more perfect, and his whole defign completed. The first mode of arrangement he adopts is an alphabetical one, like Mr. Ray's Proverbs, and this he has carried through feveral letters of the alphabet, and then deferted for a more fcientific diftribution, etfi (adds he) eoufque non male alphabeticus refpondiffet ordo."-Will Mr. Capel Loft gravely affure us, that one half of the alphabet is fuitable to legal fubjects, and the other unfuitable? That fome letters anfwer well (to ufe his own word), and some ill? Or will not his readers guefs, for him, that, on finding this plan of arranging his Principia embarraffing and prepofterous, he was obliged to abandon it for a better; but at the fame time, being unwilling to lofe all the labour he had expended on this childish scheme, he chofe the world fhould have what he had done thus far (eoufque), crude and imperfect as it was.-To correct

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rect is laborious; to expunge is mortifying: labor & mora lima pænituit.

That part of the work which comprehends the Elements of the Law of England, is built upon the arrangement of Sir William Blackstone, of whofe Commentaries a liberal ufe is made; though he appears rather aukward in his Latin drefs. Mr. Lofft's reafons for publishing first in Latin are given in his Preface, where he contends, that he is fupported herein by very ancient authorities, and thofe fome of the greatest ornaments of the law among his own countrymen. That these maxims and rules had generally been expreffed in Latin by the ablest men; that, by being uttered with that folemnity, they might the better be imprinted in the mind; and then, that having the infignia of the Roman Toga, as it were, they might not be confined within the limits of our language and empire, formerly both narrow, but as citizens of Rome in the days of her ancient greatness, on whatever region they happen to be caft, might find them felves at home but chiefly, that, according to their defert, they might be delivered to perpetual memory: as they faw that language to be peculiarly extenfive in its reception, least exposed to the probable viciffitudes of human affairs, and one in which they could exprefs their ideas with most concifenefs, perfpicuity, and force.'

These reafons, however, Mr. Lofft juftly obferves, in his English Preface, are of lefs weight than they were formerly:" of which, indeed, we want no other argument from him, than his having thought it expedient, after all thefe high founding phrafes, to give the world a Tranflation of his Latin work.

The first volume only of the Tranflation has hitherto appeared. In the second, we apprehend, he will feel rather a ridiculous embarraffment in re-tranflating into English thofe parts of Blackftone which he had first tranflated into Latin.

Even in the Latin work, fome of our Law terms appear fo ludicrously aukward, that Mr. Loft had fubjoined to the fecond volume an English Gloffary, of which the following is a speci

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Dimiffio,

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Action of Trover and Converfion.

A Defeazance.

Advowfon.
Ligan.
Turbary.
A Grant.

A Covenant.

A Lease.

There is furely fomething inconfiftent in this. We are told above, that one of the benefits of giving these Principia in Latin,

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