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THE

Edinburgh Magazine,

OR

LITERARY MISCELLANY,

FOR DECEMBER 1791.

With a View of DUNEIRA, a Seat of the Right Hon. HENRY DUNDAS, one of His Majesty's Princ pal Secretaries of State.

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Most beautifully fituated near the head of Loch Erne, in Perthshire.

With the Magazine for January will be given, an clegant Print of MARY QUEEN of SCOTS, engraved by BEUGO, from an original Painting in the poffeffion of the Earl

of Buchan.

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State of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THER-
MOMETER 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
Novmeber 30th 1791, to the 30th of Dec. near the foot of Arthur's
Seat.

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AMUSEMENTS OF MEN OF LETTERS.

EN of letters, for a relaxation from ME literary fatigue-a fatigue which is more unfufferable than that which proceeds from the labours of the mechanic-form amufements, fome times, according to their profeflional character; but, more frequently, according to their whim.

Tycho Brahe diverted himfelf with polishing glaffes for all kinds of (pectacles, and making mathematical in

ftruments.

D'Andilly, the Tranflator of Jofephus, one of the moft learned men of his age, cultivated trees; Barclay, in his leifure hours, was a florit; Balzac amufed himfelf with making paftils; Peiresc found his amufement amongt his medals and antiquarian curiofities; the Abbé de Maroles with his engravings; and Politan in finging airs to his lute.

Rohault wandered from fhop to fhop, to obferve the mechanics labour.

The great Arnald read, in his hours of relaxation, any amufing romance that fell into his hands. This allo did the critical Warburton. Galileo read Ariofto; and Chrif tina, Queen of Sweden, Martial.

Guy Patin wrote letters to his friends; an ufual relaxation amongst men of letters, and very agreeable to their correfpondents, when they are worth the poltage..

Others have found amufement in compofing treatifes on odd fubje&s. Seneca wrote a Burlesque Narrative on Claudian's Death. Pierrius has written an Eulogium on Beards.

Virgil fported prettily with a gnat; Homer with frogs and mice.

Holftein has written an Eulogium on the North Wisd; Heinfius, on the Afs; Menage, the Tranfmigration of the Parafitical Pedant to a Parrot; and alfo the Petition of the Dictionaties.

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Earafmus has compofed-I think it was to amufe him elf when travelling in a poft chaife-his Panegyric on Morus, or Fally: which, authorized by the pun, he dedicated to Sir Thomas More.

Montaigne found a very agreeable play-mate in his cat.

Cardinal de Richelieu, amongst all his great occupations, found a recreation in violent exercifes; and he was once difcovered jumping with his fervant, to try who could reach the higheft fide of a wall. De Grammont, obferving the Cardinal to be jealous of his powers in this refpect, offered to jump with him; and, in the true fpirit of a courtier, having made fome efforts which nearly reached the Cardinal's,confeffed he w s furpaffed by him. This was jumping like a politician; and it was by this means, it is faid, he ingratiated himfelf with the minif

ter.

Dr Campbell was alike fond of robuft exercife; and the fcholar has been found leaping over tables and chairs.

What ridiculous amufements paffed between Dean Swift and his friends in Ireland, his difcerning editors have kindly revealed to the public. We are aftonished to fee a great mind tuffring itfelt to be levelled to tries which even our very magazines confider as difgraceful to their pages!

The life of Shenftone was paffed in an amufement which was to him an eternal fource of dilappo.num nt end angufh. His favourite forme orne, while it difplayed all the taste and e'egancies of the poet, difplayed at his characteristic poverty. His feeling mind was often pained by thofe invidious compar fons which the vulgar were perpetually making with the facely fcenes of Hagley's neighbouring magnificence.

If Dr Johnfon fuffered his great

mind to defcend into trivial amufe

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