Guide to the British Capital; con- the press, a comprehensive work on taining, in addition to the antiquities the English Language, combining of this metropolis, an account of all several new and important practical the now establishments and institu- advantages. tions, commercial, literary and scienific, charitable foundations, &c. &c. Interspersed with a variety of original anecdotes, eccentric biography, critical remarks, &c. Faithfully Aided and in, oved from Mr. int's Lot doni, and continued to esent year, 1810. By John t press, a Selection of Psalms and runs for Unitarian Worship. Larted by Robert Aspland, minister of the Gravel Pit Congregation, Hackney. It is proposed to publish by subscription Memoirs of the Rev. Francis Stone, the deprived rector of Cold Norton, Essex, with a portrait, price one uinea, principally relating to the events which led to his gradual adoption of unitarian principles, &c. A new edition of Bishop Earle's Micro-Cosmography will shortly be published. This curious and entertaining volume was first printed in 1628, and contains a variety of allusions illustrative of the manners of that period. Messrs. Boydell and Burnett have issued proposals for publishing by subscription, an engraving from the celebrated painting of the Blind Fiddler, by Wilkie, to be executed in the line manner by Burnett. Two highly finished engravings of the Interior of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, combining precision of perspective representation with that species of effect most characteristic of that celebrated specimen of the florid gothic, from drawings by Mr. John Morton, junior, are nearly ready for publication. They are executed on a scale sufficiently large to admit of much detailed architectural informa in the press, Discourses of the Divine Unity; or a Scriptural Proof and Demonstration of the Ore Supreme Deity of God the Father of tion. All; and the subordinate character and inferior nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, with a convtation of the doctrine of a co-equal and consubstantial Trinity in Unity, and a full reply to the objections of Trinitarians. By William Christie, late member of the Society of Unitarian Christians at Montrose. A new edition of Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans, is in the press. Lloyd's History of Cambria is also reprinting with wood-cuts. A fourth volume of Stewart's Athens, which is to complete the work, is in a state of great forward Dess. The Life of Stillingfleet, by Mr. Coxe, the Traveller, is nearly completed. The Rev. Theophilus Abauzit, minister of the French church in St. Martin's lane, Cannon-street, has in the press, an edition of the Common Prayer of the Church of England, in the French language. The Gospels, Epistles, and Psalms are taken from the beautiful and accurate Geneva edition of 1805. Mr. Grant, author of the Institutes of Latin Grammar, is preparing for A work on Scripture Geography, by Mr. Toy, is in the press, containing a description of the most distinguished places and countries noticed in the Holy Scriptures, combining historical events connected with the subject. Mr. Joseph Harpur is preparing for the press, an Essay on the Principles of Philosophical Criticism, applied to poetry. Mr. Fowler, of Winterton, has completed fac-simile engravings of the principal Mosaic pavements, discovered in the course of the last and the present centuries in various parts of Great Britain, besides engravings of several subjects in stained glass in cathedrais, &c. The sixth portion of the History of Leicestershire, comprising the Hundred of Guthlaxton, almost all the copies of which were destroyed by the fire at Messrs. Nichols, is nearly reprinted. The Hundred of Sparkenhoe, which will complete the work, is also in great forwardness. Mr. Bowyer's "Conjectures on the New Testament," which have been many years exceedingly scarce, are now reprinting from a copy enriched with additional notes by the late Rev. portion of Prussian blue, or indigo, Dr. Henry Owen, which was very for a blue black; and the same blacks handsomely presented to the editor united with raw or burnt umber, by his lordship, the present Bishop bister, vandyke, or any other brown of Durham. This new edition will instead of the blue, for a brown black. also include the conjectures of Mr. These should be bound together by Stephen Weston and Professor Schultz, mixing them in weak gum water, (or The new edition of Fuller's Wor- perhaps mait-wort would answer the thies, illustrated by brief notes from purpose better) being first powdered the pen of Mr. J. Nichols, is ad- very fine in common water on a marble vancing in the press. Notes and cor- slab. When dried to a paste, and not rections are however still received. before, the glutinous matter should be well mixed with them. This will be sufficiently strong which binds the composition sufficiently to prevent its rubbing off by the touch. Indian ink drawings should be handled as little as possible, as the slightest inevitably rubbing produces a certain degree of gloss. ARTS, SCIENCES, &c. It having been long supposed by many persons that in bottling porter there is some preparation made use of not generally known, the public are assured nothing is necessary to produce good bottled porter excepting the following rules:-Let the bottles be cleaned, washed, and drained dry, the corks sound and good, for this is essential, fill the bottles one day, and let them stand open till the next; this will bring the beer to a proper flatness, and prevent the corks from flying, or the frequent bursting of the bottles. Afterwards let the bottles be corked as close as possible. The following mode of preparing red ink, though rather more expensive than the common mode, is warranted to remain forty years. Take four grains of the best carmine, and pour thereon two ounces of caustic ammoniac, adding twenty grains of the clearest gum arabic; let these remain till the gum is entirely dissolved. As a substitute for hemp it appears that long wool has been successfully used in Lincolnshire for some time; even sacks, halters, cart ropes, &c. have been fabricated from this material. More than this was expected when the discovery was first made; however, in all cases long wool will effectually answer the purposes of hemp, if it is not exposed too much to damp and moisture. By an accurate calculation it appears that, in the course of last year, Great Britain produced 600,000 packs of wool, each weighing 240lbs. Remedy for the Gloss in Indian Ink Drawings.-This is done by the artist composing his own ink, by an union of ivory or lamp black, with a small Mr. John Schmidt, of St. Mary Axe, has obtained a patent for a chronometer, &c. This instrument consists of a vase, or any ornamental case either of wood, stone, or tin, so constructed as to admit a free communication of the air, and yet prevent the rays of the sun from being visible, and having on one side a watch with two dials, or what are called the day and night dial, and on the opposite side a combination of glasses, or a single glass moveable in a tube. The diameter of the glass is one inch and three quarters, and the pins two inches and three quarters, serving to represent the inward or nightly dial against the wall. In the foot of the vase is a light or lamp shut in, yet so constructed that by means of a little door or slider it may be taken out, and when in, may be altered in its position and placed nearer or further off the magnifier or dial. The mysterious circulation of the whole, consists of the work of a horizontal or vertical watch, fixed in a box or globe, representing the earth, rendering visible at night to any enlarged size the dial of a watch against the wail of a room, &c. &c. The motion is effected by a little weight fixed to the axis of a pinion acting into a wheel with thirty teeth. The improvement of substituting iron for timber in buildings meets with much encouragement. The coloured Cloth Hall, at Leeds, now raising in five compartments, averageing 100 ards each, has cast iron instead of wood for the main-beams. resembles this composition, it is only In several other public buildings, timber being in a great measure excluded, has rendered these erections in a great degree fire-proof known by means of the missionaries at Pekin; and as it is so highly praised on account of its beauty, its haraness, and the scund it gives when streck, Bowls and vases made of the rich is is astonishing it is not known in China clay found in the parish of St. Europe. The missionaries wish to Stephen's, Cornwall, upon which the have it believed that Yu is a natural arms of some of the ancient towns stone, but the sonorousness'of us suband families of the county are richly stance gives reason to suppose that it and tastefully emblazoned, are coming is an artificial kind of glass. Although much into repute, the undertaking several sounding stones are known, as being patronized by the Royal Corn- clinkstone, or porphyry slate, and the wall Topographical Society and Lodge quartz christals from Prieborn, the of Sincerity established in London, sounds they give are by no means composed of ingenious and respect-comparable to that of Yu, neither can able young men from that county. musical instruments be formed from Lord Falmouth is also understood to them as from that. But that there be a warm friend to this improve ment. China. From experiments lately made in France, it now appears that the ricepaste of which the Chinese make the goblets, cups, and other vessels sometimes brought to Europe, is an artificial product whose constituent parts are at present unknown. M. Kratzenstein of Copenhagen, it is thought, has at length determined the real nature of this substance, having given the following description of a cup made of the same:"The substance is a fusible glass of the colour of clear jelly, which has been pressed into a mould formed of two pieces, while the paste was still soft. It is ornamented with figures and handles in relief. The sharp edge produced by the meeting of the two pieces of the mould. is visible all round. The substance is so hard that it scratches glass. It is more difficult to cut than marble; a broken part offers a dull appearance, like dried boiled starch, and its colour and transparency bear a strong resemblance to alabaster. are other sonorous stones in Chin.., is evident from a Chinese king in the collection of M. Betin at Paris, which being analyzed was found to be bituminous black maible. France. Cure of the Hydrophobia. The following official notification has been inserted in all the French journals:"The accidents caused by dogs having greatly increased for some time past, the Counsellor of State and Prefect of Police hereby inform such persons as shall in fature be bitten by dogs supposed to be mad, that they ought to have recourse to a physician or surgeon within twenty-four hours; experience, which has not yet been contradicted by any authentic fact, having proved that a deep cauterization of the bites, made early with a red-hot iron, is a certain method of preventing the developement of hydrophobia. Persons who have been bitten, will find in all the hospitals of France, at all hours the assistance which these accidents require. The Prefect of Police assures all persons that no reliance can be placed in any other remedy, whatever may be the confidence reposed in them by credulity or ignorance." Germany. Some trials which have been made, have shewn that a substance analogous to rice-paste may be prepared The new mode of printing with by melting 8 parts of oxyde of lead stone is carried on in three different with 7 parts of feldspar, 4 parts of modes at Vienna; the method in recommon white glass, and one part of lief is mostly used for music. borax; or which is equally proper, by taking 8 parts of the oxyde of lead, 6 parts of feldspar, 3 parts of flint, and parts of borax, potash, or soda. As to the stone called Yu, which The second, called the hollow me thod is preferred for engravings. The third is the flat method, or that which is neither hollow nor in relief, very useful for the imitation of drawings Sweden. which resemble those which have now extinct, has lately been dug up been drawn with chalk. near Minava. This animal must have The kinds of work engraved on been at least ten or twelve feet long. stone are the following:-1,Imitations The horns are a foot and a half in cirof wood-cuts; 2, imitations of the cumference at the root, and two feet dotted matter; &, drawings; 4, musi- and a half long, which from length of cal works; 5, all kinds of writing; time have partly passed into the state 6, geographical maps; 7, engravings of fossils. Foreign naturalists are of in mezzotinto. The peculiar advan- opinion that this head must have betage of this kind of printing is its dis- longed to the race of urus or aurochs, patch; for, a design which an artist mentioned in Cæsar's Commentaries, could not finish upon copper in the and supposed by some to have existed space of five or six days, may be en- but a short time since in the moungraved upon stone in one or two. tains of Siberia and the forests of While the copper-plate printer takes Poland. off six or seven hundred impressions, the printer on stone can take off two Mr. Barclay, the lieutenant of the thousand. An engraved plate will police at Stockholm, has projected a not work so many plates by thousands curious instrument for seizing a thief as will one of stone; for at a stone or vagabond. It is fixed on a pole printing office in Vienna, thirty thou- five feet long, and when pushed forsand impressions of the same design ward, opens with a spring and receives have been taken off, and even the last the neck of the person wished to be impression is said to have been nearly taken into custody, from which he as handsome as the first. cannot extricate himself, and may be Further, the most skilful and in- led along by a boy; or a ring fixed to dustrious engraver of music cannot the end of the shaft, may be made engrave more than four pages of music fast to any post, &c. on the way. in a day, while the stone engraver Something of this nature was promay perform double; and upon the jected at Hamburgh many years ago, whole, upon the continent at least, but is said to have been disregarded, experience has shewn that printing because a wag added to it a report, stone may be performed with a that it would, as well as apprehend a saving of one third of the expense, thief, &c. carry him before a magisin comparison, of the priating upon trate! On all hands it must be allowed copper or pewter. that it would be very imprudent, at present, to introduce either of these Russia. The cranium of a horned animal, inventions into England. MEMOIRS OF REMARKABLE PERSONS. The Right Hon WILLIAM WINDHAM, of Felbrig, Norfolk. received in rescuing the most valuable part of the library of his friend, Mr. THIS HIS gentleman, (whose death we Frederick North, from the fire which announced in our last), was consumed that gentleman's house in member of parliament for the rotten Conduit-street, about twelve months borough of ligham Ferrars,-the co- since. Mr. Windham consulted the adjutor of that ever-to-be-lamented" most eminent surgeons, among whom statesman, Mr. Pitt, in all his dis- were Messrs. Cline, Home, Wilson, astrous measures, and a fast friend to Lynn, &c. The result was a deterthe present corrupt system of govern- mination to submit to the knife. It ment; a man, in short, who has at is said that the resolution was formed once merited and obtained the praises upon a majority of only one vote in of the patriotic Post and the disin- favour of the operation, for which Mr. terested Chronicle, and whose death Lynn was selected. Mr. Windham's has called forth the tears of the vir- fortitude was such, that he engaged trous House of Commons -The the operator to perform his duty, origin of the complaint which ended without the usual precaution of tying in Mr. Windham's death is said to down the patient; and even when it have been a contusion in the thigh, became necessary to cut deeper than UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. XIV. H was at first expected (the tumour not being insulated as was supposed, but having a cancerous root on the bone, which it was absolutely necessary to scrape), he said repeatedly, "cut more, I can bear it;" but when they reached the bone, he said, "Now, indeed, you may feel for me." It was discovered very soon after the operation, that the event was likely to be fatal. The whole of the royal family, as well as his Majesty, were earnest and constant in their inquiries after him. As the particulars of the early part of this gentleman's life and his political connections would be much too extensive for our present number, we have preferred the latter part as related by the Examiner, one of the best bebdomadal writers we know of, and particularly as the latter part of Mr. Windham's life exhibits the most clear and undisguised developement of his long doubtful character: "De mortuis nil nisi bonum' was a maxim very well altered by Johnson into De mortuis nil nisi cerum.' -To speak nothing but good of the dead would put an end to all reasoning from example, not to mention the strange predicament in which it would place us by making it a shame to abuse Henry the eighth, Borgia, or even Nero and Domitian; for if death is in itself a merit, those who have been dead the longest must have the greatest claim upon our respect. On the other hand, to speak nothing but truth of the dead is an admirable rule, as just to the departed as it is useful and honourable to the living; it anticipates the reward of good ambition and the punishment of bad; it gives history it's beauty, strength, and utility; and indeed were history and biography to cherish this maxim above all others, we should almost be enabled to do without experience. "It is the same with the petty monarchs of a state, it's intriguers, it's corrupt orators, it's baughty disgracers. 'A dead lord,' says Gray, · ranks with commoners. Statesmen are prond actors, who are highly resentful if we hiss them on the stage, however well paid for performing; but the moment the great man has fretted his hour and quitted the public eye, he can as little help criticism as the meanest of his brother actors. The only plea which the dead have upon our forbearance is their helplessness, and this to a certain extent will have it's effect upon every well-disposed mind:-If our personal enemy dies, it becomes us to say as little about him as possible; if a public character dies, against whom we have never ventured to write in his lifetime, it becomes us to write nothing against him in his grave. But death makes nobody meritorious and therefore renders no memory sacred. If we have been honest observers of the ving, we may and ought to be honest critics upon the dead." "I have said thus much in introduction of a few remarks on the late Mr. Windham, because I would do myself justice in differing with the daily papers respecting the memory of that gentleman. It is indeed somewhat extraordinary, that the very papers, which without an exception united to gall him as much as possible when living by omitting his parliamentary speechies, should unite to do him every possible honour the moment he can no longer feel it. If the contempt he expressed of newspapermen was unfounded in some instances and base in others, the papers should have proved it so, as Mr. Cobbett did; but if, as the Times now assures us, he was distinguished throughout his life for his manliness' and integrity "Such a liberty is of the more importance, inasmuch as it is very often the only satisfaction which a nation can obtain for the vices of it's princes and politicians. A monarch shall rule his country as foolishly or as viciously as possible, and yet we shall have a thousand voices telling us every day of his wisdom or his virtue: if, as the magnanimous Post assures this has been the case with many of us, he was principally to be admited, our own kings, but death has set the as a public mau, for his generous 1 |