man body, particularly in regard to the blood vessels.

GREAT-BRITAIN.

The following arrangement has been made at the Royal Institution for twelve courses of lectures, to be delivered the ensuing season, by the undermentioned gentlemen. 1. Ón Chemistry, by H. Davy, F.R.S.-2. On Natural Philosophy, by William Allen, esq. F. L. S.--3. On English Literature, by Rev. T. F. Dibdin.-4. On Moral Philosophy, by Rev. Sidney Smith, A.M.-5. On Dramatick Poetry, by Rev. William Crowe, L.L.B. Publick Orator of the University of Oxford.-6. On Zoology, by Geo. Shaw, M. D. F. L. S. Librarian to the British Museum.-7. On Belles Lettres, by Rev. John Hewlett, B. D.-8. On Musick, by W. Crotch, M. D. Professor of Musick in the University of Oxford.--9. On the History of Commerce, by Rev. Edward Forster.-10.

On Drawing in Water Colours, W. M. Craig, esq.-11. On Botany, J. E. Smith, M.D. F.R.S. and President of the Linnean Society.-12. On Perspective, by

Mr. Wood.

GERMANY.

It is not without sincere satisfaction that the admirers of Gessner's Muse, and the amateurs of the arts will learn that his family has engaged Charles William Kolbe, an eminent German engraver, to give to the publick, at a moderate price a series of the best landscapes executed by Gessner. That artist has obtained permission of bis patroness, the princess of Dessau, to devote some years to this purpose at Zurich itself, amidst the family and the friends of the amiable poet. The first number of this work has recently made its appearance. It contains four prints in large folio, representing two of the best pieces in water colours in the collection of Gessner's widow, and two drawings in the cabinet of the princess of Dessau. The two first are known by the titles of the Fishermen and the Fountain in the Wood. The subjects of the two others are pastoral scenes taken from the Idyls: Daphnis, and Phillis, and Chloe.

The execution proves that the honourable task of introducing these performances to the notice of the publick could not be confided to abler hands. M. Kolbe, deeply impressed with the spirit and the manner of his model, has render. ed his conceptions with equal feeling and accuracy.

An important fact with regard to the theory of electricity, has recently been discovered by M. Bienvenu. By varying his experiments he has found, in contradiction to the received opinion, that glass and rosin produce the same kind of electricity, and that the difference depends upon the rubbers. With a cat's skin he electrizes an electrophorus of rosin, which manifests negative electricity: an electrophorus made of a piece of glass, and rubbed with a cat's skin, manifests exactly the same kind of electricity as that of rosin. This experiment proves that if the conductor of an electrical machine constantly gives positive electricity, the reason lies in the morocco cushions, which possess the property of developing the electricity of glass, which, received on the conductor, communicates to it a positive electricity. To prove this, he substitutes cushions of cat's skin in

their stead; the glass is then negatively electrized, and the conductor furnishing it with the electricity it has lost, manifests a negative electricity.

STATEMENT OF DISEASES, &c.

from Oct. 20 to Nov. 20, 1806.

THE temperature of the atmosphere has been pretty equable during the past month. The weather generally fair, yet varied, with moderate rains, and some snow. The most prevalent winds have been the north-west, next to that the south-west, and then the north-east.

The cases of disease have been much diminished in number this month. The most common complaint continues to be

fever; accompanied with local inflamfew cases of cholera have occurred; of mation more rarely than before. A cynanche maligna; of rheumatism, and of pneumonic inflammation.

ERRATA. In the first page of the last Anthology, in Mr. Adams' Disquisition, the first sentence of the 6th paragraph should read thus :--

"Philosophy! which ages of superstition idolized as a Divinity, and which, though stripped of those false trappings, still retains attributes and attractions, worthy the homage, and challenging the love and admiration of man in every age."

In the lines "On listening to a Cricket," last line of 2d and 10th verses, for shall read shalt-In 6th verse, 1st line, for faithful read fitful.

tioned by Shakespeare, appears to have excited in his bosom a great degree of indignation and contempt; of contempt for the quality itself, as the offspring of a fool's vanity, and of indignation at those "shallow laughing hearers," whose injudicious applause gives it an influence, which renders it mischievous. That this propensity should abound in polished life is not to be wondered at, when we consider how insidiously vanity mixes itself with all our actions, and how much its sphere of exercise is enlarged by the decoration, pageantry, and caprice, which at tend on luxury and fashion but that this spirit should acquire an influence to make itself dreaded, we must account for by supposing these laughing hearers to be as cowardly, as they are complaisant, and that their applauses proceed as much from fear of being subject to its effects, as from the pleasure they take in seeing it employed on others.

It is evident, that ignorance and vanity are the legitimate parents of mockery and flouting. Those who best know themselves find imperfections enough at home to beget humility, and tenderness to the failings of others; and those who have made some advances towards the temple of wisdom, find more pleasure in the extension of their prospects, than pride in reviewing the small comparative progress they have made; but superficial minds, having reached as far as their feeble vision enabled them to see, believe they have attained the summit of excellence, and sit down in confidence to enjoy all the immunities of vanity; its pretensions being frequently not only unreasonable, but unbounded, are sometimes disputed; this generates a petulant disposition, which

ferments and vents itself in ebullitions of petty malice and mean detraction. The imperfect state of man affords an abundance of crimes and follies, of deviations and mistakes, of strange and ridiculous circumstances, which require no extraordinary penetration to discover. It is easy enough for little beings to spend their time in hunting out the little foibles, humours, awkwardness, or peculiarity, of their neighbours; to hold them up to ridicule, and delight themselves and "shallow laughing hearers,” with descriptions incessantly repeated. Cats, owls, and ferrets delight to hunt after vermin, because they feed on it afterwards; and monkeys will, for their own particular gratification, perform that office for which decency and cleanliness require the assistance of a comb; but generous natures find no gratification in such employment; their aim is to attain superiority, rather than degrade it; to encourage the diffident, rather than overwhelm them with confusion; and to support modest pretensions and honest endeavours, when in danger of being brow-beat by arrogance, or of shrinking from the jeers of a gibing spirit. A gibing spirit requires neither the keenness of satire, nor the brilliance of wit; it often affects these qualities, but supplies their place by prying cu riosity, a spiteful temper, unblushing assurance, a loud tone, mimickry, exaggeration, and not seldom by falsehood. It is most frequently possessed by those whose vanity has been mortified, or whose extravagant pretensions few were willing to allow; by those whose chimerical notions of fancied happiness experience has overthrown, or whose malevolence has been defeated, and recoiled upon themselves; but it reigns triumphant

human soul forfeited its immortality by the fall, but regained it in consequence of the merits of Jesus Christ; and that it cannot exist without the body; and must, therefore, in the interval between death and the resurrection, remain in a state of non-existence. The theory is not a new one; but his Lordship seems to be one of the most sanguine of its adherents. Some of the objections, drawn from the scripture, he gets the better of by a mode of criticism, which, I humbly think, would not be admitted in a commentary upon any other book."

In 1776, Dr. Beattie published his "Essays on Poetry and Musick; Laughter and Ludicrous Composition and on the utility of Classical Learning." "My principal purpose," says he, "was to make my subject plain and entertaining; and, as often as I could, the vehicle of moral instruction; a purpose, to which every part of the philosophy of the human mind, and indeed of science in general, may, and ought, in my opinion, to be made in some degree subservient."

I will now add a few, and a very few, miscellaneous extracts; for I fear this article already grows too long.

1785. Johnson's harsh and foolish censure of Mrs. Montagu's book does not surprise me; for I have heard him speak contemptu ously of it. It is, for all that, one of the best, most original, and most elegant pieces of criticism in our language, or any other. Johnson had many of the talents of a critick; but his want of temper, his violent prejudices, and something, I am afraid, of an evious turn of mind, made him often a very unfair one. Mrs. Montagu was very

kind to him; but Mrs. Montagu has more wit than any body; and Johnson could not bear that any person should be thought to have wit but himself. Even Lord Chesterfield, and, what is more strange, even Mr. Burke he would not allow to have wit! He preferred Smollett to Fielding. He would not grant that Armstrong's poem on "Health," or the tragedy of "Douglas," had any merit. He told me that he never read Milton through, till he was obliged to do it, in order to gather words for his Dictionary. He spoke very peevishly of the Masque of Comus; and when I urged that there was a great deal of exquisite po etry in it; "Yes," said he, “but it is like gold hid under a rock ;” to which I made no reply; for indeed I did not well understand it. Pray, did you ever see Mr. Potter's "Remarks on Johnson's Lives of the Poets?" It is very well worth reading."

1788.

"What Mrs. Piozzi says of Goldsmith is perfectly true. He was a poor fretful creature, eaten up with affectation and envy. He was the only person I ever knew, who acknowledged himself to be envious. In Johnson's presence he was quiet enough; but in his absence expressed great uneasiness in hearing him praised. He en vied even the dead; he could not bear that Shakespeare should be so much admired as he is. There might, however, be something like magnanimity in envying Shake speare and Dr. Johnson; as in Julius Cæsar's weeping to think, that at an age at which he had done so little, Alexander should have done so much. But surely Goldsmith had no occasion to envy me; which, however, he certainly did; for he owned it, (though when we