that charcoal is formed of an immenfe quantity of fire; therefore in paffing water through it, the airs, which in confequence are formed, will poffefs a quantity of fire, according as the charcoal is heated at the time it gives out air; confequently, by its giving out lefs air, it will be fo much more faturated with fire.

Mr. C's experiments fhew he could not decompound the hydrocarbonate and the oxmuriatic airs by burning them together; for neither of them were totally decompofed. He is alfo obliged to acknowledge the very different refults, in firing fmall proportions of oxygen gas and the oxmuriatic gas with the hydrocarbonate. In the former there is a final production of carbonic acid gas; and, as he fays, "the whole volume of gas instead of being diminished, is confiderably in cre.fed." Which increafe is owing to the too finall quantity of oxygen gas to burn the hydrocarbonate; confequently, part of the tire of both is fet loofe, and from the explosion they are intimately inixed, and the fire fet loofe is partly imbibed by them, and increases their violence; alfo the water fet loofe from burning part of the oxygen-gus aids

the increase.

Now Mr. C. to prove how unable your theory is to explain the phenomena, even from your own fiatement of the experiments; let us try how my theory agrees with them. I have, I flutter myself, fhewn in the most

unexceptionable manner in my Galva-
nic obfervations, even from your ex-
periments on the Pile, that the oxmu-
riatic gas is formed from the marine
acid, and the earth of the lead and
manganese, and not from any fuppofed
oxygen gas. Mr. Rupp acknowledges
that, upon its decompofition, it always
depotits an earth. Now, by thefe being
united, they have a great attraction for
phlogifion, or fixed fire: therefore,
when expofed to phlogiftic bodies, as
inflammable airs, they will regularly
attract the fixed fire of thefe airs, and
decompound them. The fermentation
produced will fet a great part of their
fire loofe, and a phlogifticated marine
acid, with a final depofition of earth,
be the refiduum. So alfo, (as I have
fhewn in my ellays,) the nitrous air
decompounds pure air; its acid attracts
the fixed fire of the pure air, and they
decompound each other. For if the
acid of the nitrous air is neutralized
with more phlogifton, as the dephio-.
gifticated air (as Dr. P. abfurdly calls
it), fo as to have loft its acidity, and
become of a fweetifh tafte, they will
not act upon each other. So alfo, the
nitrous acid, upon the fame principle,
decompounds volatile oils; a well
known fact*.

According to their theory, the oxygen of the oxmuriatic acid gas, has a ftronger action upon inflammable air, than oxygen gas; as the one acts upon inflammable airs under a low degree of heat, while the other requires a red.

* I muft here remark with respect to Mr. Davy's treatife upon the phlogisicated air, as I call it, it being fomewhat fimilar to the nitrous ether, I do not know how far Dr. Beddoes and he have galla the credulous world, in his relation of their feeling upon breathing it; or if the good lady with the palfy continues to mount the hill with more alacrity than ufual, as the maid obferved. But I defire every reader of common fenfe to reflect (for the aërial fights of French theorifts I have nothing to do with, Paracelfus was a modest man compared with them) upon this fact, which Mr. Davy himself allows, that it kills animals (which have no flights of imagination, and no theory to eftablish,) in four or five minutes. If it was fo wonderfully pleased, how should it kill? Is death attended with these wonderfully pleasant fenfations? I think they themselves allow that life confifts in excitement, and death in collapfe. But I refer them to Dr. Haygarth's detection of Mr. Perkins's metallic tractors. This air is made from the Ditrous ammoniac, and therefore formed of the nitrous acid, and the volatile alkali; as Mr. Davy allows that it may be all formed into this air. But Dr. Auftin proved that fome fixed air was always produced. He makes a wonderful dance or play of affinities, as he calls it, like a battle royal between a number of cocks.. Thefe great theorists are continually differing about the play of affinities (fee his obfervations upon Vanquelin and Humbold's experiment:,) each differing from the other.

Only to attend to Mr. Davy's opinion of the composition of atmospheric air, nitrous oxyde, &c. Atmospheric air confrits of 73 nitrogen, and 27 oxygen; nitrous oxyde, 63 nitrogen, and 37 oxygen; nitrous gas, 56 oxygen, and 44 nitrogen; nitric acid compofed of 1 nitrogen, and 23 oxygen. And all thefe, he fays, are united by chemical union. Then how comes that air with the leaft proportion of oxygen to be the proper air for annual life, and the others to produce instant death Away with fuch abfurdities.

heat.

heat. Then how comes the oxmuriatic acid gas not to unite itfeld infantaneoufly to the inflammable aus, as oxygen gas does? for, as it is capable of aning under a low degree of heat, why does it not infiantly unite? Does not this imply that they are chemically uniting together, in the fame flow and gradual manner, as an acid diffolves a metal? For it appears that heat did not affilt the union of the oxmuriatic gas, and the gaseous oxyde; for Mr. C. could not inflame thein; but they acted upon each other gradually, in a low temperature. Mr. C. fays he was forprifed; and certainly he ought to be, under his theory. But they will meet with nothing but furprife and mortifi

cation.

Now, Mr. Urban, I hope if the candid reader will attend to both our explanations of the phænomena, he will find mine perfectly conformable to the experiments, even of Mr. C's. ftatement of them; thewing a clear, fimple, and felf-evident explanation, according to all the known and acknowledged laws of chemitiry; fo that I will not trouble him with the immediate applica tion, it must be fo evident and Litisfactory. But indeed my former paper muft be clear and demonftrative to every impartial chemift, and which Mr. C. cannot, or dare not refute. Mr. C. found a quantity of azote in his experiments; from whence did it proceed? but, indeed, their hypothefes are a bundle of abfurdities. For infance, they fuppofe that vegetable bodies confift principally of charcoal, and the office of refpiration is to receive oxygen into the fyftem, to difcharge this charcoal; and that animal bodies confift principally of azote. Then from whence did this azote proceed, or what produced it? And how comes the oxygen, received into the fyftem, not to form with it the nitrous acid ?

But if the reader will perufe my appendix to my planetary life, its price being only fixpence, he will there fee the wonderful operation of fire demonfrated.

ROB. HARRINGTON.

general outlines of the works may be eafily made out. If we may form an opinion of the defign of the cafile itfelf from the remnant gateway, it must have been on a very grand feale; and it was impoffible to overlook the excellent quality of the muafonry, in its compofure of materials, and that juft principle by which the whole of the parts are combined; these, like Abergavenny's defenfive relicks, appearing to bid Time keep aloof, if man forbear his force. Standing in the area of thefe rains, 1, as I turned, full beheld encircling mountains, many of which fhewed themfelves in fhapes moft ftrange and marvellous.

The CHURCH. Being defirous to fee fome monuments of the Herberts, which I had been given to underfiand were in the chancel, I firft obferved one which ftands on the North fide, where, on the tomb part, or pedeftal, is a reclining ftatue of Sir John Herbert; he refts on his left fide, and a statue of Joan his wife lays in the ufual recumbent attitude: there are likewife two half-length figures at the Eaft end of the pedeftal. Sir John is in armour, which, with the drefles of the other figures, thew the fashion to be Oliverian, as the date in the infcription (1666) evinces that he died not long after the termination of the Ufurper's exiftence. I cannot precifely determine as I now write whether, at this regicide hour of change in political and religious affairs, fepulchral' fiatues began to be put up in our churches in that indecent way we are confirained to witnefs, of their either turning their heads from, or their backs against the altar, or Communion table; but fo it is; in the infrance before us, Sir John is in the action of quitting his appeal to fo holy a fpot; and his lady repofes with her head to the Eaft, and her feet to the Weft, her arms remaining in careless unemploy, inftead of that reverential raifing of the hands we in antient fiatues are wont to behold. Here, no doubt, some enlightened readers will fmile at my weakness in leaning (by this my remark) fo near the verge of

THE PURSUITS OF ARCHITECTURAL that dreadful gulph fuperftition. I beg INNOVATION. No. XLIV.

them to be merciful to me, a frail mortal, in their fern conclufions on this point, and impute error as the cause of fo manifell a tranfgreflion.

Not being fatisfied with the fight of fuch a memorial as I have here deferibed, I fearched about for those monumental

as forth we walked towards this warlike fructure. A guide led the way, a worthy foul, an open and a chearful heart, a learned too, and one who ve nerated in truth our antient works; now the merry tale, anon the ferious record; combining thus the entertaining and inftructive ways of men to keep alive that genial flow of fpirits, to necellary to bear us out in life's pilgrimage, with due fortitude and refignation, towards "that bourne from whence no traveller returns."

This cafile is now far removed from all refort of men, fave a few cottagers, who with their humble roofs were hid by their infignificance from ftanding in any feeming before its mighty front. Around we went the frong enduring circle; told every tower, wall, and loop-hole; an arduous tafk it was, the circuit being of fuch a prodigious girt. The works are divided into three dif tinét courts; one of which has little to mark its order but the bafe line of demolished matonry. The other courts ftand almoft entire in their exterior defigu, fimple in architectural forms, but fublime in effect. The grand entrance into the centre or principal court is ro

numental works which fo admirably combine antient devotion and feulpture together; and it was fouse time before I could fatisfy my curiolity, this part of the fabrick being fo filled up with pew lumber, and the other ufual obttructions of ragged mats and haffocks. On each tide of this chancel then I perceived, under arched receffes, ftatues of a lady on the North, and a knight on the South fide; but they were covered with all kinds of rubbish, and it was not until the fexton had cleared out the recefies that I could have a proper view of them; and before I was enabled to pafs any opinion on their merits, I was obliged to reinftate the mutilated parts, by fixing on the lady's head, and putting together the feveral extremi ties of the knight. How was I grieved and charmed at the fame time, in witnelling fuch neglect and havock! fuch elegance and grace! Yet, in this abuse of thefe ftatues, I obtained much information, as they had not been thought worthy by church-warden authority of being white-washed, to deeypher out many a rare embellishment, either of the rayment of the fofter fex, or the maily guife of manhood. By the arms on the furcoat of the knight he was a Her-mantic to a degree; and, as I eflayed to bert. In this way I added ftore to my antiquarian hoard, a flock which I have but few opportunities to lay out to ufe, or to benefit our pretenders to antiquity, who in general, and the more fo if profeffional men, prefume too much on their own notions of improving on antient lore, than taking up upon credit from my firm of felections worked out of the mine of fcience known among us in elder times. Well; another age may think lefs of themselves, and more of their ancestors; lefs of the “new Fantaltic order of architecture," and more of the old English order of architecture; lefs of “capricious fancy," and more of refined tafte.

WHITE CASTLE.

When we are in a difpofition to be morofe, fociety does not always drive away fo ungracious a pathon: therefore we are beft left to ourselves till this phlegmatic propentity has fubfided, and a return of our natural gaiety inclines us to think all we find addrelled to our fenfes pleafant and agreeable. In this mood of fullen restraint I have trod many a weary ftep: I welcome now the other operation of the mind, a difpofition to be happy. Quick flew the moments, and lightly tripped our feet

gain its rugged afcent, feeing on either hand no objects but wild underwood and a deep-cut fofs, and before ine two tremendous towers, and an arched entrance which feemed to grin deftruction, I wholly gave into the imoulfe of the moment, that I was an adventurcus being of old times, about to atchieve fome perilous exploit. I already heard the trumpet found, and the clang of the iron defenders of the dreadful país. My nerves, however, foon told me I was no valorous knight; and, full of modern fear and trembling, I ferambled up the height I had thus fought to gain. And now a new fancy took hold of my weak ideas; for, not be ing able to trace out any veftiges of either the great hall, chamber, or bower, the inner lines of the exterior walls alone remaining, and looking round in vain for my guide (who, by the by, had taken fome other route about the ruins), I concluded that I was left here to enjoy at leifure my propenfity to contemplate on the pleatures of Antiquity, until the fhades of night and the blettings of repose thould invite me to forget my-prefent fituation. Getting rid of this thought, I was abont to return the way I came; but that

:

proofs of it; which Grotius in one of his letters confirms by additional proofs; and he avails himself of thefe remarks in order to prove that the perfon of whom St. John fpeaks, Revelat. chap. xiii. ver. 8, is no other than Trajan; becaufe in the word OrAuOC, which is the name of that Emperor, we find the number 666, taking C for fix, and not for two hundred according to the numeral computation of the letter .

I have often thought, Mr. Urban, that many Latin words have probably been derived from the Celtic; a language of which Grotius certainly had no knowledge, and which lays in as high a claim to antiquity as mott languages. The Celtic was once the Janguage of the greateft part of Western Europe, and was fpoken throughout the whole of this ifland at the time of the Roman invafion. I have fome knowledge of that branch of the Celtic which is fpoken to this day in the Highlands of Scotland; and I have often been firuck with the refemblance that many words in the Gaelic language bear to Latin words. It is very plan that the Celts mulì have borrowed their words from the Latins, or the Latins

- Græcia all the people who fpoke Greek were antiently divided into lonians and Dorians; and the two principal dialects were the Ionic and the Doric. The Attic dialect, according to Grotius, is only a branch of the Ionic. The Eolian is a branch of the Doric, which prevailed in Sicily, as appears from the eclogues of Theocritus, which are in pure Doric; whereas the olic was fpoken in thofe ifles which had the name of olian; and it is from this laft dialect that Grotius main tains the Latin language is derived, in proof of which he adduces a variety of examples. The other Dorians changed into A long, the common termination of the feminines in II; but the Eolians changed it into A fhort, for example rupa nympha, dua fama. The fixth letter in the antient Greek alphabet was formerly called Bai, or Vav, as it is called in the Phenician alphabet, from which the Greek alphabet is derived. Others call it the Eolic digamma, which letter, although it be difearded from the new alphabets, yet fill retains its place among the Greek numbers, for For makes fix. The Eolians had been accufioned to prefix this letter to words beginning with a vowel; thus, for him they faid Fédia, as Prifcian teftifies. The Latins followed their example, for infiance, infiead of impos, they wrote Vefperus; infiead of oog, they wrote Vinum: and fo on. The Eolians prefixed their Bax to words that began with an R, as Fedy, to break, for the Doric fay, which comes from ry, out of ufe for which they fubftituted fy. It is plain that from the Eolic Frago, comes the Latin Frengo the only difference being the letter N in the laft, which at other times was omitted, as appeafs by the words Fragor and Confiages. The Eolians allo put an S before the vowels, as well as the Latins, who for or fay Serpo, for - Sas, &. Whence it happens the we find in the Eolie dialect alone feveral Latin words of which there are no traces in the other dialects, as 10 y;"Dieu a difpofe toutes chofes, en fòrie nuncius, T.; nepos, &c. The fame nter, adds Le Clerc, is treated more fully in the Etymologicon of Voilius, and in forse leiters of Salmatius. The lauter, having been confulted by Gro-tural caufe of things, the wick d find, hinfelf punished. And he refers the tins to know whether C or 2 did not reader to a finilar puleze in the ages. fignify a uon; the Grecks, anfwered in the am rive, and gate feveral hal book of Ecclefiafticu

from the Celts; and I fhould be glad to fee this fubject difcuffed by foine of your readers who are verfed in Celtic antiquity. A vocabulary of parallels would be interefting and amuling to those who underftand the Latin and Gaelic languages. I am not compete, i to the tafk, not having been in the h bit of fpeaking Gaelic for many years. but I have no doubt that you have both readers and correfpondents who are and I hope to have the fatisfaction of fecing the fubject speedily taken up in your Mifcellany.

To return to Grotius. We find in fome of his Epiftles explications of various paffages from Scripture, and profine authors. In Ep. 91. are reevirks The Lord

en Proverbs c. xvi. v. 4.
hath made all things for himfelf; yea
even the wicked for the day of evil.
Grotius's tranflation of this pallage is
thus given by Le Clerc, in French,

qu'elles fe repondent les unes aax 97
ties, & le méchant au jour de l'over-
fites" that is to fay, adds Le Clerc,
God hath fo ordained, that in the n