[2] State of the BAROMETER in inches, and decimals, || High Water at LEITH and of Farenheit's THERMOMETER in the open air, taken in the morning before fun rife, and at noon; and the quantity of rain-water fallen, in inches and decimals, from July 1ft to 31ft, in the vicinity of Edinburgh. 1798. Barom. Thermom. Rain. 29.355 55 69 for AUGUST 1798. Days. I. Th. 2. Morn. Even. H. M. H. M. 5 26-546 66-6 26 6 46—7 7 7 50 F. 3. Weather. Sa. 4 7 28 Su. 5. 812- 8 36 Cloudy M 6. 9 0-925 Rain T. 7. 951- 10 19 3 29.505 54 69 Clear W. 8. 10 48-11 18 4 29.411 56 730.055 Rain Th. 9. 11 49-11 59 29.355 56 73 0.035 Showers F. 10. 051 29.31956 68 0.115 Rain 53 78 29.18 56 67 Su. 12. 8 29.38 52 70 Clear 2 23-252 M. 13. 3 21→ 3 48 Th. 16. 6— 5 32 5 57 F. 17. 6 48- 7 13 Su. 19. 8 31 8 58 T. 21. 10 9-10 47 W. 22. 11 13-11 40 623 739 8 5 18 29.64 51 66 0.055 Rain Th. 23. 11 59 Clear F. 24. 031- 055 20 29.255 54 66 Sa. 25. Su. 26. 21 28.75 52 бо 52 65 0.05 Rain M. 27. 24 29.55 55 64 Th. 30. 26 29.705 54 66 F. 31. 27 29.81 55 70 Clear 28 29.755 56 68 29 29.9 53 68 Clear W. 29. MOON. Lak Qrtr. 4. 4 30 5 51 H. M. 31 29.563 5563 0.25 Rain Quantity of Rain 2.435 THE THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE, OR LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR JULY 1798. SI-R, THE TO THE EDITOR OF THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. 'HE question, Whether the difference perceptible in the human mind is the refult of original ́organization, or merely of the education received? is yet undetermined: the principal champion of the latter opinion is Helvetius, a name of great weight: he regards the understand ing, the virtue, and the genius of man, as altogether the product of in ftruction or education. He afferts, that "it is at the very inftant when a child receives motion and life, that it receives its firft inftruction." Difference of difpofition fhews itself at a very early period: often the moft Atriking diffimilarity is obvious be tween two children not above nine months old at that age, the only ideas the child can be fuppofed to have received, are two or three of the moft forcible and fimple kind, as hunger, thirft, cold, heat, &c. which probably happen to, and operate alike upon all; but if the mind is completely the creature of fenfation, uniformity of temper would be the confequence; as this is far from being the cafe, the difficulty is only to be folved, by allowing that fimilar fenfations produce different effects, according to the conftitution of mind. Helve. tius rejects the idea that any two per fons can receive the fame inftruc. tion. "What is neceffary," fays he, "in order that two individuals should be educated in the fame manner? that they should be in precisely the fame fituation: now this is what can never take place." This reafoning deferves confideration: perhaps the fame individual objects cannot be fet before two perfons; but in unorganized, as well as organized beings, we discern that many of them have the fame principal modes and relations, and poffefs feveral properties in common with each other, fo as to form a class by themselves, diftinguished by a general name applicable to every individual of that clafs. I conceive, then, that two perfons may be faid to be educated in precifely the fame manner, when, although the objects which furround them are not individually the fame, yet they belong to the fame clafs, and excite the fame fenfations when they are the objects of thought. If you give this paper a place in your Magazine, more light may be thrown upon the question by fome of your correfpondents. I am, Sir, yours, &c. R. R. ORIGINAL |