perfpiration, which is chiefly done through the leaves; for we may obferve, that thefe not only ferve to blefs the eyes with their verdure, the nofe with their charming favours, and for many medicinal and nutritive uses, according to their natures; but are alfo emunctories, by which those juices, which have no kindred particles in the tree or plant, are carried off. And it is evident, that when the fun's genial influence begins to rarify the fluids, which, during the inclement winter's cold, had been rendered fluggish, that then new leaves are put forth from their feveral organizations, to ferve as well for excretory glands, for the welfare of the tree or plant, as for the other occafions mentioned. For we fee, when by the approach of winter no more fluids rife into vegetables, there can be no perspiration, and confequently no ufe for leaves any longer in the greatest part of them; wherefore they fall off, and are not fucceeded by others, till the vegetable begins to receive fresh nourishment, and has occafion therefore of excretory glands, to carry off fuperfluities. How extremely this imitates the conftitution of animal bodies? What do the fuperfluous juices, which are daily carried off by perspiration from animal bodies, confist of, but of fuch particles as are heterogeneous to whatever are their native constituent parts; or, in other words, which have no kindred particles in the animal? And what can produce greater evils in either animals or vegetables than an obftruction of that perfpiration? The more animals and vegetables are nourished, the more they perspire; because, the greater quantity of the general mafs is conveyed to either, there will be the more heterogeneous matter to be carried off, fince all the food, of every kind, that is taken into an animal, and the nutritious juices that supply the vegetable body, consist of a great number and variety of other particles, befides those that are natural to them.'

He now mentions fome experiments, to confirm this doctrine of innate juices, and then proceeds to take a short view of the animal fluid, and its fecretions in the body. And in this likewife, fays he, the fame fcene of order, uniformity, and analogy will prefent itself in as lively colours: but, in order the more clearly to explain it, we muft premife a word or two concerning the animal ovum. I have before defined it an egg, containing an organization, capable of growing into no other than the fame species of animal that produced it; and confidered, that the integuments of this organization are the membranes to which the funis umbilicalis and placenta

placenta are fixed; and that, therefore, the little placenta is on the out-fide of this ovum, which has absorbent veins to receive nourishment, and convey it to the organization of the foetus by the funis: it muft alfo be obferved, that every veffel, gland, &c. are already formed, however they may, from their minutenefs, escape our fight; and that each individual gland is furnished with its own innate juice, depofited there, as I have faid of the vegetable organizations, when they were formed.

Now, as foon as the impregnated animal ovum paffes from the ovarium into the uterus, its natural matrix, the absorbent venula or radicule of the placenta, receive the general nourishment, and convey it to the little organization of the fœtus. Here, as is faid of the general fluid of vegetables, the mother's mass of blood must be confidered as the general animal fluid, containing all the particles of nourishment neceffary for the foetus, and alfo fuch as are fimilar to all the feveral innate juices of the organization; and that, when this general fluid is carried to the foetus, it is difcharged into the veins, and paffes through the heart into the arteries, and is difperfed to every part of the orgarization; and, as it paffes to the feveral parts to be nourished, every part receives, from its own kindred particles out of the mafs, what is naturally fuitable to its own innate juice, and the rest is driven on to their feveral places. Thus the liver, having its innate juice, the bile, when the general mafs of blood paffes over the ducts and paffages leading into its fubftance, none is admitted to enter but the bilious parts of the mafs, which alone are capable of being attracted by their kindred particles and fo of the pancreas, and all other glands of the body.'

In the fifth chapter, our author treats of the fubordinate organizations of different animals: of the polypus; of the indivifibility and immortality of the animating principle; and of man's peculiar advantages beyond thofe of other animals. As his explanation of the manner in which each piece of a divided polypus becomes another perfect animal of the fame fpecies, is very curious, we fhall close our account of his performance, with laying it before our readers.

If we confider this creature maturely, fays he, I believe, we fhall hardly find any difference between it and thofe other parts of the creation juft mentioned, either as to what regards the care of the Almighty in its preservation, or the analogy and uniformity of their conftruction and organization.

organization. Here are indeed two ways by which this animal is propagated: the firft is, by the extrusion of the foetus from the fides of the parent; and the other is, by cuttings of the animal itself. My bufinefs here is not to enquire whether there is any coitus between them, nor do I think it at all neceflary to my prefent purpofe; for the facts before us will be fufficient to found any opinion upon, that may seem beft to illuftrate the fubject, which I am at prefent endeavouring to explain; nor do I think there is any need to confider, in this place, what particular management caufes them to become more prolific than ordinary, at some particular times for all which, I refer the reader to the observations of these gentlemen, (Martin Folkes, efq; and mr. Henry Baker) who made experiments upon them from time to time.

It is not clear then, in all respects, that a sufficient number of perfect organizations are placed every where in this creature, to answer all the ends of the wife CREATOR, for the preservation and continuation of this species of animal, as well as of others capable of the fame manner of propagation, by being cut in pieces? What, but fuch a mechanism as this, could answer thofe ends? and why fhould that analogy and uniformity cease here, which are every where else fo manifeftly carried on in the animal and vegetable creation?

Let us, however, intimately view this animal in its progrefs, together with a young willow; and then the analogy, I am contending for, will be more clearly understood: for example, the young willow is an entire organized body in itself, capable of growing larger till it is come to its perfect growth, by means of the vegetative principle: the po. ypus is alfo a perfect organized body of itself, and capable of being extended and growing larger, till it is come to its perfect growth, and of feeding and loco-motion, by means of its animating principle. The willow, as it grows, is gradually fending off new branches, which are its foetufes, proceeding from the organizations I have mentioned before, each of which being capable of having its other fecondary organizations, to be produced in due time: the polypus, in like manner, is gradually fending off its fætufes, which alfo, no doubt, proceed from fecondary organizations, placed by providence in its fides for that purpofe, each foetus being, in like manner, capable of having its other fecondary organizations, to be produced in due time. willow, when cut in pieces and planted, each piece, proVOL. VI.

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vided it contains any of these organizations, will be expli cated into a tree, like its perfect parent, and in its progress extrude its foetufes, &c. as above: the polypus alfo, when cut in pieces, each piece having its organizations, one of them will first take place, explicate itself, and in its progrefs fend off its foetufes alfo in due time. Thus may a tree or plant be propagated to produce innumerable trees or plants: and thus may a polypus be the parent of innumerable polypi. So that cutting a polypus in pieces, is but anticipating the propagation of thofe very organizations, in the pieces, which would, if let alone for a while, themselves iffue forth of the fides of the parent in due time: and this is the cafe of a twig or branch, having a certain number of organizations, which, if let alone, would extrude them of themselves, though not in so short a time, as if cut off and planted.

The polypus would seem a very infignificant creature to those whose views of nature's works are not extensive enough, and who cannot spare time to discern with due attention and admiration, the beauties and perfections of every part of the creation: but this great provifion of fecondary organizations fhews they are not fo inconfiderable in the eyes of their CREATOR, as to fome men who may imagine them not worth notice. For, if we only obferve their extreme tenderness, which exposes them to be wounded, nay torn to pieces, by any hard body, though never fo finall, carried down the ftreams, or moved in the ponds, in which they dwell, we may eafily fee the providential reafon for placing organizations every where, for their refloration and further propagation: for, perhaps, there is no other animal of fo tender a texture, and confequently fo eafily deftroyed, having neither fagacity to avoid danger, nor strength to refift or bear the leaft injury. Indeed, the fame power is also apparent in fome kinds of worms, and in all the kinds of the ftar-fish; which has been proved too by experiments, and can be fo only for the fame reason, their being very liable to danger and destruction.'

Having finifhed his obfervations on the animal and vege table creation, our author now rifes to the contemplation of man; and, in the remaining part of his performance, confiders the peculiar advantages which providence has bestowed upon him.

ART.

ART. XLV. ELFRIDA. A dramatic poem. Written on the model of the antient Greek tragedy. By mr. Mason. Firft edit. 4to. 2s. 6d. Second edit. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Knapton.

WE

E have perufed this work with uncommon pleafure. The ingenious author had before, in his excellent monody to the memory of mr. Pope, and in his Isis, given us ample proofs of his happy genius for plaintive poetry; and, from the fpecimen now before us, we dare almost venture to predict, that the author of Elfrida may one day be efteemed the first tragic writer of the prefent age, which this nation hath produced.

Elfrida was not intended for the ftage. Mr. Mafon did not chufe to fink his plan to that level to which it must have been lower'd, in order to fecure its fuccefs before an English audience; who would fcarcely have relifhed its want of incidents, and of the ufual variety of characters: deficiencies which are amply compenfated for, to the judicious reader, by the introduction of the chorus.

The real ftory of Elfrida may be found at large in Rapin: from whofe account our author has departed in only his one imaterial circumftance; that, whereas the historian uppofes Elfrida to have concurred in the cataftrophe of her husband, the poet makes her a perfect pattern of conjugal tenderness and fidelity.

With refpect to the critical rules of the ancients, mr. Mafon has strictly obferved the three grand unities, and his poem has thereby the advantage of the niceft regularity, added to the peculiar graces and ornaments of the author's imagination: an example which may fuffice to obviate the current opinion, that a ftrict adherence to these unities, reftrains the genius of the poet.' Vide the author's fecond introductory letter.- Of these letters we fhall here give fome extracts, from which the reader will be able to form a very tolerable idea of the poem they are prefixed to. They are five in number; addreffed to a friend, and chiefly intended to answer fuch objections as were, or might be, made to the author's defign of writing after the antient model.

In the first letter he obferves, that he did not intend an exact copy of the antient drama, his design being much less

Reign of EDGAR the Peaceable.
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