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mate enquiry into his life and actions, than here, as on many other occafions, we are astonished at the barrennefs of the fubject fo important in biography, the detail of private life; and are fpeedily compelled to confefs, that, however interefting his pub. lic tranfactions, the character under our contemplation, has been handed down to us in confiderable ambiguity.

"Sir Walter Ralegh (fays Naunton) was one that, it feems, fortune had picked out on purpose of whom to make an example and to use as her tennis-ball, thereby to fhew what she could do; for fhe toffed him up of nothing, and to-and-fro to greatness, and from thence down to little more than to that wherein fhe found him, a bare gentleman." Soldier, feaman, ftatefman, fcholar, poet, and philofopher, we may challenge a fimilar inftance in modern ages of that union of characters, more frequent among the ancients, which diftinguifhed Sir Walter Ralegh; a union on the excellence of which much might be written, were we not filenced by the reflexion, that the correfponding union of talent and op portunity can rarely occur. Maiter of every accomplishment requifite to defend a ftate in war as well as to adorn it in peace, a warlike reign was fafety to him, a peaceful one deftruction. He affords a memorable example that a martial fpirit, under an active and adventurous Prince, fhall find honour and emulation; but if the Prince be of a contrary character, his unfashionable virtue, unless it can mould itfelf to occafions, fhall be criminal, and his courage of lefs fecurity than cowardice.

"Amid the various interefts arifing by various favourites in the long reign of Elizabeth, no man enjoys the credit of being lefs immeried by the fmiles of the court in the luxuries of it; while no one converted its frowns to greater utility, by being animated by them to enterprize the moft honourable.

"Though he gained much at the court, (fays Naunton) he took it not out of the exchequer, or merely out of the Queen's purfe, but by his wit and by the help of the prerogative. For the Queen was never profufe in delivering out of her treasure, but paid moft and many of her fervants part in money, and the reft with grace; which, as the cafe ftood, was then taken for good payment.' That he could never condefcend to court the people by the ufual arts, is noticed by Lord Burleigh, in a breath with Effex's affection of popularity, among his precepts to his fon Cecil. "Seek not (he writes) to be Effex, fhun to be Ralegh."

"In addition to the inftances already noticed in the cafes of Mr. Udall and Sir Richard Greenville of the Knight's zeal in the cause of friendship, we may prefume many remain unrecorded. Having told Queen Elizabeth he had a favour to beg of her, when, Sir Walter,' faid her Majefty, will you ceafe to be a beggar? When your gracious Majefty ceafes to be a benefactor," replied the gallant Knight."

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From the various entertaining anecdotes which are interfperfed, as well as from the various fpecimens of beautiful poetry illuftrative of the main fubject, we could easily have produced a long and entertaining article, for which moft of our readers would have thanked us. But enough has been given to fatisty all, that the author has executed his tafk with ability, and to convince also most who collect books of Hiftory that the prefent publication merits a place in every fuch collection."

ART. VII. Obfervations on the Climate of Ireland, and Refearches concerning its Nature from very early periods to the prefent Time. With Thoughts on fome Branches of Rural Economy, particularly recommended in an Addrefs to the Inhabitants and Friends of this Country. To which are prefixed Preliminary Confiderations on the Structure and Functions of Plants-On the Analogy between the Vegetable and Animal Syftems. On the general fate of Woods and Plantations in Ireland, in ancient and modern times.-On peculiar circumfances denoting the various conditions of her Linen Manufacture throughout a feries of ages.--And on the Utility of the co-operation of Art and Science in every Work wherein their joint Labours are required. By W. Patterson, M. D. F. R. S. A. &c. Octavo. pp. 326. Gilbert and Hodges, Dublin; Murray, London. 1804.

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R. P. is undoubtedly deferving of commendation, for the pains he has taken in his endeavours to promote the welfare of his country, and the condition of its inhabitants. We have perufed with pleafure the publication, of which we are now going to give an account, and we hesitate not to recommend it to the inquifitive world, and especially to the Irish gentry, whofe intereft and whofe duty is to co-operate with Dr. Patterson's views, in promoting the intereft, the cultivation, and the happinefs of their country.

This work confifts of two parts; namely, the preliminary confiderations, which occupy 113 pages, and the obfervations, &c. which form the reft of the work. The preliminary confiderations are divided into fix fections. The obfervations on the climate, &c. confifl of five chapters, each of which is fubdivided into fections.

The first fection of the first divifion is a fhort difcourfe on the ufefuels of the fludy of meteorology. In the fecond

fection,

Tection, which is pretty extenfive, Dr. P. gives an elegant compendium, or general idea, of whatever belongs to the vegetable kingdom. He defcribes the general organization of plants, which he principally obtains from Mirbel's work on that fubject, and at the fame time laments the very limited ftate of our knowledge relative to it. He briefly explains the foundation of the Linnæan fyftem, and defcribes the dif ferent parts of the vegetable body, especially those which belong to the propagation of the fpecies, in the courfe of which he fometimes compares vegetables to animals, in a manner which is fomewhat poetical: thus, fpeaking of the different modes of vegetable propagation, he fays,

"The feeds of plants are thus a fexual progeny, claiming both a father and mother, whilft the buds are a linear progeny, produced and nourished by a father alone, to whom they adhere, not falling off like the feeds. For in this moft fimple kind of vegetable reproduction, not only by buds, bulbs and wires, which are their viviparous generation, the caudex of the leaf is the part of the bud, or bulb, or wire, which rifes into its bofom. This paternal race exactly resembles its parents, when it has arrived at its maturity; whereas the feminal race, fince it derives its form partly from the mother, and partly from the father, is liable to perpetual vari ation; both which difpofitions are employed by skilful gardeners to great advantage." P. 14.

In the fequel, Dr. P. briefly examines the ideas of Van Marum, Hildebrand, Darwin, Pefchier, &c. concerning the irritability of plants; after which he defcribes the various branches of vegetable economy, or of the phyfiology of plants, together with the actions of gafes, of light, of heat, of electricity, &c. upon vegetables, fuch as have been investigated by modern philofophers. The last part of the section treats of the principal difeafes of plants.

The third fection commences with the following paragraph.

"Reflecting on the properties of the several substances which compose, or have a confiderable agency in the atmosphere, that great and magnificent apparatus in the immenfe laboratory of nature, we must own that it is a fcene of wonders, and be convinced that it is largely inftrumental in carrying on the most important purposes of terreftrial creation. By its operations are produced the terrible, as well as the cheering phenomena of the natural world. Yet the most formidable phenomenon must have its ufe in the vaft mechanism of this fyftem, to preferve the balance in the feveral powers, and to co-operate with that of the mildest def. cription

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eription in fustaining the grand and vivifying agency of the whole." P. 51.

He then fucceffively fhows the great dependence of animal and vegetable life on the various conflitution of the atmofphere, the advantages and disadvantages arifing from heat, cold, windy feafons, in agriculture, manufactures, animal and vegetable economy, &c. He alfo earneftly recommends the ftudy of meteorology, and notices the plans propofed for making regular obfervations in that branch of natural philofophy.

In the fourth fection, this author confiders more immediately the modes of improving the economical flate of Ireland, by fhowing that it is at once beneficial and practicable to di minifh the quantity of imports for manufacture and home confumption, by introducing or extending the culture of various articles, which they are at prefent content to derive from abroad. He then treats of the mode of making proper plantations of trees in different parts of the kingdom, and Thews the fertility of the foil for this purpofe, by mentioning the great quantities of timber which Ireland has furnished in former times.

The fifth fection mentions whence Ireland is faid to have been first peopled, which was the first tribe of cloth manufacturers, the viciffitudes of the linen manufactures at different periods, the introduction of the art of dying, the demands of various articles of drefs for the inhabitants of Ireland, and other fuch particulars.

In the fixth fection, Dr. P. briefly treats of the neceffary divifion of labour, and fhows how the literary men and the artists are connected with, and ought to affift, each other; for the labours, he obferves, of the mechanic, and of the philofopher, like thofe of the hand and head, ought to unite in order to conduct a work of public importance to its point of greatest utility.

The title of the first chapter of the Obfervations, &c. is obfervations on the weather, in the year 1801. This chapter is fubdivided into three fections.

In thofe fections Dr. P. defcribes the fituation of the city of Dery, where the meteorological obfervations were made, gives fummary tables of the obfervations made with the barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, and raingage; also fynoptical views of common phenomena, fuch as the direction of the wind, the rain, hail, fnow, froft, ftorms, and aurora borealis; after which he gives fhort accounts of the quality of the weather during each month, and laftly relates the progrefs of vegetation in the courfe of the whole year.

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The contents of the fecond chapter are the fame as those of the firft, but for the following year, viz. 1802. It contains likewife a fourth fection of remarks on the origin and nature of winds.

Chap. III. Sect. I. On the climate of Ireland, commences with the following paragraphs.

"That the climate of Ireland has fuffered a confiderable change, almoft within the memory of the prefent generation, is not only a popular opinion, but is a doctrine held by intelligent and philofophical obfervers. We are told, that the winters in this ifland, have laid afide their ancient horrors, and frequently affume the mildness and vegetative powers of fpring; while fummer is reprefented as lefs favourable than formerly, lefs genial in promoting vegetation, and lefs vigorous in advancing to maturity the fruits of the earth.

"In fupport of thefe fentiments it is alledged, that our prevailing winds, which blow from the weftward, have, of late years, fwept with uncommon violence over the furface of our island; fruftrating the ufual effects of their genial properties, by the overbearing fury of their courfe. The evidences which are brought to prove this difpofition of the winds with us, are three phenomena, ftated as principally occurring in the province of Ulfter, namely, the trees of the country, the fands of the fea-coaft, and the tides of the ocean*. P. 155.

In order to examine the influence of thofe caufes, this author in the first place endeavours to trace the state of the climate of Ireland from the earliest periods, by collecting whatever he has been able to find concerning it in the works of old writers, commencing with Diodorus Siculus; he then collects and examines the particulars which relate to the above-mentioned caufes, in the courfe of the fix fections. into which this chapter is divided, and at the end of thofe fections there is an Address to the Inhabitants of Ireland, wherein Dr. P. recommends, in a very impreffive manner, the planting of trees on the island, which was once covered with wood. He fhows the advantages which muft naturally arife from it, and recommends the offer of premiums, and other encouragements, for the attainment of that object.

The fourth chapter treats of the planting of trees, in all its branches. And the fifth, which is the laft of the work, treats of the ftructure, utility, cultivation, and disease of the flax plant.

Hamilton, Tranfact. R. I. A. Vol. VI. Science, page 27. A Memoir on the Climate of Ireland, read in 1794. M4

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