VOL. 6.] Memoirs of Samuel Rogers, Esq. renders banishment so irksome, that we resort to it as a heavy infliction on those hardened in crime, and what endears our country, and even refines our patriotism, but the recollection of enjoyments which we have received, or which we have been the bappy instruments of conferring on others? And, if it be a weakness to attach a consequence apparently disproportionate to their real value, to even inanimate objects, standing in such a connection, the writer of the present article acknowledges, with out reluctance, his participation in that weakness; annually, as he visits the place of his nativity, he anxiously looks out for the top of that row of tall-rising elms, under which he passed his boyish days, not without fear, lest some inconsiderate or avaricious hand, shouldalmost sacrilegiously!-have swept from their stations those majestic memorials of pastime and pleasure. And the feeling of this "lawful prejudice" is so general, indeed so universal, that we cheerfully appeal to the reader, whatever be his country, his clime, or his circumstances, and have little doubt, would be but speak the truth, of his confessing similar, if not stronger partialities; they are implanted by Nature in the human heart for wise purposes-for the wisest of purposes-and though they may be occassionally quiescent, or suspended by events, they never should be checked, much less perverted or counteracted. Now the poet who takes such a subject for his theme, can hardly be said to draw on his imagination for what he recites: he collects, and he recollects; he examines the stores of his memory; he reviews, he associates, he arranges, he endeavours to place each article in that order which it would most naturally assume, and wherein it may produce the best effect. And if, like Mr. Rogers, he can wait to see the result of the whole as a composition, if he has patience and opportunity, to touch and retouch, to strengthen into prominency the principals, and to suffer the less pleasing ideas to glide into the background, then may he venture to promise himself readers of congenial spirits, 3M ATHENEUM VOY, 6. 481 with a prolongation of those honours which await on true genius, wherever it obtains the leisurely perusal of competent judges. Human life is a chequered scene : and readers will indulge those feelings which arise from such incidents as they have been parties to. This diversity is infinite; consequently, a poem to meet it should be infinite too: as that is impossible, a poem of which this is the subject will by some be thought imperfect; while others will accuse certain parts of being overcharged. The heedless will complain of that gravity which is, unquestionably, inherent in the subject; while those who have sustained "the buffeting of adverse fortune" will think the more lively incidents completely out of character; not, perhaps, because they have not witnessed such; but because they never felt them. We have hinted at the advantages enjoyed by this gentleman, and his opportunities for observation, as well abroad as at home. He bas seen foreign manners, as well as British peculiarities. The private life of a man of business in the city of London affords but few incidents for historical record and a banker's profession, perhaps, the least of any. The father of Mr. Rogers ventured into politics, and is famous for his severe contest against the interest of the present Lord Sheffield (then Colonel Holroyd) for Coventry but Mr. Samuel Rogers, we believe, enjoys the gratifications of his refined taste, and urbanity of manners, in a more private way. His works are not voluminous; and when we repeat that some of them date from so early as 1786, and others so lately as the present year, our readers will readily conclude that they are the productions of temporary intervals from business, and the effusions of a mind conscious of its powers, though not always at liberty to indulge them. : Mr. Rogers's principal works are, An Ode to Superstition, with other Poems, 1786; The Pleasures of Memory, 1792; An Epistle to a Friend, with other Poems, 1798; Poems, including the Voyage of Columbus, 1812; Jacqueline, a Tale; and Human Life. THE VARIETIES. From the (London) Time's Telescope. PROGNOSTICS from VEGETABLES. HE flowers of many vegetables expand their leaves as if to welcome the fair weather, and shut them to guard the tender fruit from the impending storms. This is remarkably apparent in the flowers of pimpernel (burnet), which have been called, for that reason, the countryman's weather-glass; in the down of dandelion and other downs; and in the contraction of the stalks of trefoil against rain. When the flower of chickweed is fully open, fair weather may be expected: the convolvulus, and a species of wood-sorrel, shut up their leaves at the approach of rain. Besides foretelling changes in the weather, many plants close and open their petals at certain hours of the day. Linnæus has enumerated forty-six flowers which possess this kind of sensibility; he divides them into three classes. (1) Meteoric flowers, which less accurately observe the hour of folding, but are expanded sooner or later according to the cloudiness, moisture, or pressure of the atmosphere. (2) Tropical flowers that open in the morning and close before evening every day; but the hour of expanding becomes earlier or later as the length of the day increases or decreases. (3) Equinoctial flowers, which open at a certain and exact hour of the day, and for the most part close at another determinate hour.-(Darwin). The most common of these, in our own country, are thus prettily enumerated by a lady : In every copse and sheltered dell, How pass the hours and seasons by. The virgin whiteness of her breast. Till the bright day-star to the west Of plumy seed and radiate flowers, The course of Time their blooms describe, And wake or sleep appointed hours. Broad o'er its imbricated cup The Goatsbeard spreads its golden rays, But shuts its cautious petals up, Retreating from the noontide blaze. Pale as a pensive cloistered nun The Bethlem-star her face unveils, When o'er the mountain peers the Sun, And shades it from the vesper gales, Among the loose and arid sands The humble Arenaria creeps; But soon within its calyx sleeps. Lifts her soft eyes, serenely blue. The garish noontide's blazing light ; But, when the evening crescent shines, Gives all her sweetness to the night. Thus in each flower and simple bell, That in our path untrodden lie, Are sweet remembrancers, who tell How fast their winged moments fly. Sir, ENGLISH LANGUAGE. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. A Correspondent, in noticing an anomalous mode of spelling, observes, that " every substantive ending in y preceded by a consonant, forms its plural by changing y into ies; but we have no rule directing us to change ey into ies." But a second correspondent states, that "ay, ey, or y, is the same termination; and it is of small consequence whether I write (1)abbey, abbay, or abby; (2) lacquay, lackey, or lacky." If, however, ay, ey, and y, are the same termination, it matters not whether I write, "thy sconce is amazing thick," or" they sconce," &c. Again, accord VOL. 6.] Shakspeare Jubilee-Scenes in Asia-Chinese Traditions. ing to this rule, I may spell ally, a confederate, alley; and alley, a path, ally; and the plural of both nouns may be written allies. This is worse than ridiculous and the divine Milton would have thought it so : -"to reform Yon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green." J.P. will probably allow that Johnson, When this last correspondent has survied (surveyed) these authorities, bis ies (eyes) will probably be opened. Agreeably to analogy, and the best usage, all nouns ending in y immediately preceded by a consonant, form their plurals by changing y into ies; but such nouns as end in y preceded by a vowel, are rendered plural by the addition of s. Nov. 1, 1819. D. H. noticed. 483 To that work are now added eighty-four "Scenes in Asia," neatly engraved, and well described, as a suitable accompaniment. We select a short extract: "The River Jordan.---This river rises in the mountain of Lebanon and runs on the Eastern part of Judea, through the Lake of Tiberias,or Sea of Galilee, till it issues and is lost in the Dead Sea. Its course is about a hundred miles; it is small in winter, and when and overflows its banks. This river is famous in Scripture history. Its waters stood up in a heap, leaving the channel dry for the children of Israel to pass over into Canaan, under the conduct of Joshua. In after ages it was the scene of John the Baptist's preaching, and often of our Lord's abode. The wild Arabs infest the shores so much in modern times, that travelling thither is very dangerous. Those pilgrims who visit Jerusalem escorted to the Jordan; where many bathe, year by year, sometimes 2000 together, are who thereby obtain at least something to talk of when they return home." the summer melts the mountain snows it rises Similar Scenes in Africa and America, we are told, are in preparation. SINGULAR CHINESE TRADITION. The Indo-Chinese Gleaner, publishP.S.--I unfortunately mislaid the kies (keys) of my ed quarterly, Malacca, May and Aug. bookcase,otherwise he should have had an earlier reply. From the London Magazines. Sept. 6, 1819. This evening, being the 50th year from Garrick's Jubilee, a lecture (from the pen of H. Neele, esq.) upon the peculiar and characteristic merits of Shakspeare, was read at the Town Hall, in Stratford,by John Britton, esq. F. A. S. whose architectural taste and skill are so well known. While the enthusiasm of Mr. Britton in the cause of Shakspeare, and his exertions to keep alive the memory of the "Bard of Avon" in his native town, do honour to his head; his benevolence, in appropriating the whole profits of his a charitable institution in Stratford, is equally credible to his heart, lecture to NEW WORKS. Scenes in Asia, for the Amusement and Instruction of little tarry-at-home Travellers. By the Rev. Isaac Taylor. In our last year's volume Mr. Taylor's "Scenes in Europe" were duly 1817, February and May, 1818.-The Rev. Mr. Milne, seems to have been conducted from Canton, where he before resided, to Malacca, where he is actually settled, in consequence of the vexations to which the English are subjected by the Chinese officers since the visit of the English embassy under Lord Amherst. The progress of Christianity has not apparently been considerable in China. Some inhabitants of Canton, and of Macao, mostly persons employed in the English factory, seem alone to have profited by the instructions of the missionaries. In general, the greatest obstacle to the conversion of the Chinese is their indifference to every thing relative to religion. They would willingly become Christians on condition of remaining Bouddaists, or adorers of spirits. Christ, in the opinion of most of them, is only a spirit more to be adored: their mythologists have adopted, but disfigured, the traditions which they have received from the Catholic Missionaries: and Mr. Morrison mentions an account of Ye-sou, (Jesus) ta of Great Britain and Ireland. Of the peers the Duke of Gordon born 1743, who inherof Scotland at his Majesty's accession, only ken from a Chinese mythological work, in which his miraculous birth, his travels in the country called Iu-ti-ya (Ju-ited the title in 1752, is alive. The twenty dea) at the distance of 97,000 li (9700 leagues) from China, the treachery of Ju-taf-se, (Judas) and the other particulars of the life of our Saviour, are represented in such strange colours that they seem to belong to a divinity of Asiatic origin. The English author himself finds it difficult to recognise them, and examines whether this narrative can have come to the Chinese from the Jesuits or the Nestorians, In deciding with reason, for the former, he seems greatly to err in calling in question the entrance of the latter into China above ten centuries ago. The monument of Si-an-fou, the authority of which is incontestible, suffices to render all discussions on this point superfluous. The mythological work from which Mr. Morrison extracted this singular piece, was composed by a physician, and published under the reign of Khanghi, with the sanction of the patriarch of the sect of the Tao-sse. It is in twenty-two volumes, and the title of it, "Chin-si-an thoung kian" (History of the Gods and the immortals). There are many plates in it, in one of which Jesus is represented as still a child, in a Chinese dress and hat, and God the Father under the figure of a wrinkled and decrepit old man, resting his hand on the head of our Saviour. Such are the notions which the Chinese have the most eagerly caught hold of and most easily retained in the writings of our missionaries. They shew what precautions we should take with persons so disposed to form false ideas, and whom we have so few means to preserve from them. GEORGE III. Oct. 25, 1819.---This day our venerable and afflicted Sovereign entered into the 60th year of his reigu ---a period longer than any of his Majesty's predecessors in England and Scotland occupied the throne. Henry III. reigned in England fifty-six years, and James VI. in Scotland fifty-eight years; but the former was only nine years of age when he succeeded to the monarchy, and the latter was an infant, when, in consequence of the extorted resignation of his mother, he became King; while George III. was of legitimate age on his accession to the Sovereignty Judges of the court of Session and Excheqrenewed during this reign; the appointments to the Bench being sixty in number, excluthe President's chair. Of the Peers of Ensive of two promotions of Puisne Judges to gland and Ireland, at the commencement of this reign, five are alive; viz. the Earl, now Earl Fitzwilliam, Viscount Nettville, and Marquis Drogheda, the Earl of Carlisle, Viscount Bulkely, all of whom were under age at the accession, with the exception of and at the head of the Generals of the army. the Marquis Drogheda, now in his 90th year, uer in Scotland have been exactly three times OATS 1000 YEARS OLD. In the highest point of a field a mile south from Forfar, there was a druids' place of worship, consisting of a circle of large stones, field was fallowed last year, and this temple with one (the largest) in the middle. The trenched, from which a very great quantity lar, however, appeared, except a few bones of stones were turned up Nothing particuthat went to dust. The field this year was sown with barley and this trenched part with the rest: so far as this trench extended, there are considerable quantities of oats, of various kinds, sprung up among the barley, the seeds of which must have remained there more than 1000 years. Without the trenched ground there is not a head of oats to be seen. Orders have been given to preserve these oat plants. GREAT ECLIPSE. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR--On perusing the former volumes of your valuable Miscellany, I perceive that 1813,) given the elements of the annular Mr. Squire, of Epping, has, in vol. 35, (Feb. eclipse which is to happen on Sept. 7, 1820, in which he has mentioned that a map of Europe, with an accurate delineation of the moon's shadow across the earth's disc, would be interesting to the curious, and show at one rare phenomenon: the like has not occurred view the progress of this great eclipse and since the year 1764, nor will it happen again penumbra being determined by the formula till 1847. The central part of the moon's given by Delambre, in the second volume of his Astronomy, set off on each side of it a parallel line, at the distance of five degrees; the space thus included, will shew all those places where the annular appearance will be visible. The map which I have subjoined, is constructed on this principle.* The annular eclipse of 1764 was the first the great astronomers Maskelyne and Lalande saw it also excited the attention of the king of France, (Louis XV.) who, accompanied by Abbé Nollet, De Thiery, and * Our readers may possess it, by drawing on any map of Europe, with a pencil, three curves: the first passing thro' the Orkneys, Amsterdam, Leghorn, and Messina: the second through Anspach, Munich, Venice, and Tarento; and the third through Bergen, Dresden, and Athens. VOL. 6.] Groaning-Analysis of Coal-Black Lead Mines, &c. De la Condamine, went to Compiegne, in order to observe it. Le Mounier undertook a journey from Paris to Edinburgh, to make proper remarks during the appearance of the annulus, and to measure the diameter of the moon as it passed the sun's disc. It was also observed at Aberdeen Castle in Scotland, by Lord Morton and Mr. Short; but their observations were chiefly confined to the superior light the mountains in the moon afforded, and the variation of the thermometer. Considering the interest the eclipse of 1748 occasioned, it is a little surprising that no notice is taken of the ensuing eclipse in the Nautical Almanack, any further than the usual formal manner of announcing it. JAMES LAW. COMFORTABLE DISCOVERY. "Laugh and grow fat" was the grand ancient specific for long life--" every sigh and groan drove a nail into our coffins," whilst a contrary excitation of the risible organs drew one out. Truly every generation grow eth wiser, and we may live to witness ocular proofs that pain is merely an alleviator of indigestion, and the repudiation of a limb, under the doctor's saw, a pleasant and exhilirating morning exercise; in short, what may we not expect after reading the following: A French Surgeon has published a long dissertation on the beneficial influence of groaning and crying on the nervous system. He contends that groaning and crying are the two grand operations by which nature allays anguish; and that he has uniformly observed, that those patients who give way to their natural feelings, more speedily recover from accidents and operations, than those who suppose that it is unworthy a man to betray such symptoms of cowardice as either to groan or to cry. He is always pleased by the crying and violent roaring of a patient during the time he is undergoing a surgical operation, because he is satisfied that he will thereby so soothe his nervous system, as to prevent fever and ensure a favourable termination.---From the benefit bysterical and other nervous patients derive from crying or groaning, he supposes that “by these processes of nature," the superabundant nervous power is exhausted, and that the system is in consequence rendered calm, and even the circulation of the blood diminished. He re lates a case of a man, who, by means of crying and bawling, reduced his pulse from 120 to 60 in the course of two hours. That some patients often have a great satisfaction in groaning, and that hysterical patients often experience great relief from crying, are facts which no person will deny, As to the restless hypochondriacal subjects, or those who are never happy but when they are under some course of medical or dietetic treatment, the French surgeon assures them that they cannot do better than groan all night and cry all day. By following this rule, and observing an abstemious diet, a person will effectually escape disease, and may prolong life to an incredible extent. COAL NOT OF VEGETABLE ORIGIN. In the Wernerian Megnoirs, it is said that common coal is an original chemical deposite, and therefore is not formed from vege 485 tables.---This opinion, which is fully warranted by the geological relations of coal, has been further confirmed and illustrated by the experiments of John, of Berlin, and of Dr. Thomson, of Glasgow. Dr. Thomson, we understand, has planned and executed a most beautiful and interesting series of experiments on the different coals of our coal fields, from which it results, that coal is essentially different from vegetables, whether in their perfect or altered state; and also possesses characters very different from these which vegetables exhibit when exposed to heat in close vessels or under compressions. BLACK LEAD. It has for some time past been an object of interest, with regard to the Fine Arts,that the black lead mine in Borrowdale, near Reswick, has of late years decreased very much in productiveness, affording indeed, most recently, very inconsiderable returns. It is pleasing, however, to know that the deficiency is now likely to be supplied by two mines of the same material in Scotland; one lately opened at Glentrash farm in Inverness-shire, the other in Ayrshire, near New Cummock. In the latter there is a greater variety in the quality than in the Borrowdale mine: but as the quantity is considerable, and the average quality excellent, its discovery is of great importance. In the former the lead, or graphite, is much mixed with foreign substances; but many masses of it are of very good quality, and it is altogether of considerable promise. INDENTURED APPRENTICES. It has been decided by the Judges of the Court of King's Bench, that an action for breach of covenant will lie against the father of an apprentice, who was bound by indenture to serve seven years, but this period not having expired before the apprentice attained his 21st year, he left his master, and thus, as it was shown he was empowered to do at that age, rendered his indentures void. The father, however, being responsible to the master for performance of the covenant, it was ruled that an action for the breach of it would lie against him. The same doctrine, of course, applies to guardians. DISCOVERY OF THE CAUSE OF GRAVITATION. Mr. John Herapath of Bristol has lately completed the solution of the Problem respecting the cause of Gravitation,in which he has been engaged at different times for several years. His researches for the solution of this Problem (which was some years ago the object of ardent inquiry by the Royal Society and the continental mathematicians) show that gravitation is only a particular case of a general principle, which comprehends all the great phænomena of Nature. Coincides with the opinion of some of the It is remarkable that this deduction exactly greatest philosophers of modern times; and in particular, with that of the late Pro fessor Playfair, in his " Outlines of Natura |
