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time and Beautiful, in his Effays on the

Picturesque, be unheeded. "I with his

poem in Edkin's Collection of Poems, vol. I could be forgotten. But Cicero failed in poetry.

In one of your late numbers, you noticed a fpecimen of an intended tranf lation of Lycophron*. If this verfion has not yet appeared, I hope the tranflator will find means to confult Milton's copy of this obfcure writer, mentioned by Mr. Todd, vol. I. cxlix. His marginal obfervations could not fail of being ufeful to a tranflator..

I have read with to much pleafure, Curfory Remarks on Tragedy, on Shak Speare, and in certain_French and Itatian Puets, &c. that I thould be glad to know fomething about the (anony mous) author. He has treated Shakfpeare with, perhaps, too much feverity; but he has pointed out a very probable obligation of our immortal bard to an Italian poet. See p. 53.

Mr. URBAN,

May 8, 1801. THE inclofed drawing (Pl. I. fig.1.)

T is an imperfect reprefentation of

a very beautiful fragment of antiquity lately found in the parish of Butter worth, near Rochdale, in the county of Lancafter, by fome labourers enployed in working a flate quarry.

The piece marked A is filver, faftened to the arm, from which is fufpended the infeription B. C is not a separate piece of metal. The arm reprefented in the drawing is of the pureft filver, and in length about ten inches, and from thence I conjecture the ftatue to which it belonged muft have been about two feet in height.

The learned and indefatigable author of the Hiftory of Whaley has given a drawing of this piece of antiquity, and has attempted to difcover the hero, or illuftrious perion, whofe memory the beautiful work of art, to which this fragment belonged, was intended to perpetate; Valerius Rufus, an officer ia the VIth Legio Victrix *. But, with all dae deference to his profound knowledge in the refearches of antiquity, and with the highest refpect for the learning fhewn by him in his enquiries into the fubject, I cannot help obferving, that I think his obfervations and conjectures on the fubject very far from being fatisfactory, or convincing. For I conceive it very improbable, that the la bours of an artift, who muft unqueftionably have been one of the firit-rate talents, fhould have been employed in commemorating the memory of one fo little known in the pages of hiftory, as the perfon in honour of whom the author above alluded to conjectures the fiatue to have been made.

Knowing the extenfive circulation of your Magazine, I was not a little furprited in turning over the two laft volumes, to obferve, that almoft all the queries on points of Italian literature were unanswered. Is our knowledge of Italian literature to be for ever confined to the Jernfulem of Tallo; the Opere of Metaitafi,, and the libretti of the Opera Houte? Are all the labours of Mr. Rofcoe, Sir R. Clayton, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Gretwell, to be fruitlefs? It is not more extraordinary than true, that the literature of Italy was better known and more generally cultivated in England, in the reign of Elizabeth, than it is at prefent, though our intercourfe with Italy is now more frequent, and our connexion clofer; even Shakipeare, whofe knowledge of I fhall not offer any conjectures of languages is thought to have been very my own, Mr. Urban, upon the fubconfined, feems to have read feveral of ject; but if any among the numerous the Italian novelids and poets in their clafs of your learned friends will favour own language. This, I think, would me with their opinions, and endeavour appear, if there were as much pains to allif me in difcovering whole metaken to prove he did fo, as to thew mory urs beautiful remnant of antithat Milton read the tranflation of ieve-quity was defigned to hand down to fal French, Spanish, and Italian poems, potterity, they will greatly oblige your with the originals of which no one conftant reader PHILARGEROS. ever doubted he was well acquainted.

If Dean Swift was the editor of the Works of Sir W. Temple, 1720; sie we to attribute Some Account of the Life and Writings of the author, prefixed to that edition, to the Dean's pent? A QUERIST.

* See vol. LXXI. p. 57.

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+ Probably; but not certainly. EDIT.. GENT. MAG. January, 1801.

Mr. URBAN, Paterford, Dec. 28.
EREWITH I find you, (fig. 2.)

a tketch of Reginald's tower, by the inhabitants vulgarly called the Ring tower, on the quay of Waterford. This tower was erected anno 1003, by Re

* See this Month's Review, p.46. EDIT. ginald,

ginald, fon to the Danish king Jarrus, and formed the principal bulwark or defence of this city before the time of Henry II. After the reduction of Waterford in 1171 by Strongbow, he imprifoned Reginald prince of the Danes, and O'Feolan prince of the Defii, in this tower; and, foon after, his marriage with Eva, daughter to king Dermot, took place, and was celebrated here with great pomp. In 1172, king Henry II, foon after his arrival, imprifoned Robert Fitzftephen here, for levying war against the citizens of Wexford. In 1173, in the abfence of Strongbow at Wexford, an infurrection of the Danes took place in the city, when they murdered all the Englith except a few who faved themselves by retiring to this tower. Strongbow, Henry II, and king John, made ufe of this tower, during their refidence. here, as a prifon for the Danith and Irifh princes; and in later times Cromwell converted it into a citadel and prifon. It is now, like the White Tower at London, appropriated for a magazine; and on days of rejoicing for a victory, the news is promulgated by the exhibition of the Union flag on the ramparts. This ftructure is pleafantly fituated at the Eaft end of the city, on the quay, and forms one corner of the mall, a pleafant fireet, about 200 yards in length, and proportionally broad; on the Weft fide of this fireet the theatre and bishop's palace are fituated; thofe two buildings are very elegant. Oppofite the tower, on the Eaft fide of the mall, is a handfome row of houfes built by Alderman Ramfay, one of which is inhabited by Lieutenant General Johnfton and his Staff. The materials of this tower are flat quarry ftones, ftrongly cemented with a rubble or mortar, which appears to have grown into as durable a fubftance as the ftone which it binds. The platforms are Shillelah oak, and exhibit as fresh an appearance as the roof of Weliminflerhall, which, it is well known, is the fame kind of Irith oak, and neatly coeval in its erection with this pile. On the brink of the river Suir, oppofite the town, there was a half-noon battery erected for its defence by the Marquis of Ormond, which was difimantled and demolished in 1711.

Notwithstanding the ravages of time, and rage of innovation, this antient and

* Cox vol. I. p. 21. Ware's Ann. Story's Hift. Affairs of Ireland.

venerable relique of "other times" has fuffered little damage during the lapfe of nearly 800 years. As I am engaged on this fubject, I fhall mention in this place, the round tower, an edifice peculiar to this island; by whom those fingular fiructures were erected, or for what purpofe, has never yet been clearly afcertained, although the fubject has engaged the attention of various writers, both in this and the laft century. Whether they were built by the Milefians, or the Danes, for beacons, belfries, retreats for anchorets, erected to the memory of a chieftain, or as a fanctuary for a criminal, for druidical, or pagan rites, it is impoffible at this time to determine. As the pyramids are peculiar to Egypt, fo are the round towers to Ireland; but the origiu and reafon of the erection of the round towers is wrapped up in much more obfcurity. It appears, that in the fame climate, and fimilarity of fituation, they have no ftructures of this kind amongst their remains of antiquity. And if we extend our enquiries to the Continent of Europe, and in the firft inftance to Spain, the reputed feat of the Irish colony of Milefians, we fhall find no edifice of this form, or conftruction. In fact, the reafon of the erection of those lofty fiructures appears to be involved in as much obfcurity as the reafon of the exemption of the land from venomous reptiles, on which fubject I have written formerly in your Magazine. The earliest English writer on the fubject, Giraldus Cambrenfis, gives us but little information on the fubject: "Turres ecclefiafiicas que more patrio funt necnon et rotunda t." I have lately viewed one of thofe ftructures, which is faid to be the moft perfect now remaining in this kingdom. I found it to be in altitude nearly 100 feet by meafurement; I made the circumference 49 feet, and the walls upwards of three feet thick. This tower appears to have been divided into fix flages, or floors, with a fmall loop-hole, or window, to each; in the upper divifion there are four, the firft fiory is without light. The floors I conceive were wood, which might have been afcended by the help of ladders; the door or pallage leading to the body of the tower is is feet from the ground, and the pile gradually diminishes from the bafe to the

* Except two in Scotland.
+ Topog. Hibern. II. c. 9.

fummit,

fammit, where it appears to have terminated in a point, but at prefent it is open. ANTHONY SINNOT.

ME. URBAN, Elmfthorpe, Jan. 4. SEND you a drawing of a very curious Oak Tankard (fig.3.), which by the carving of the lid and handle, I fuppofe to be antient; it holds two quarts; the old hoops, which were wood, and replaced with iron ones, by the fingularity of the make, may be worth inferting.

I fend alfo a drawing of an antique powder flask, curioufly inlaid with ivory, &c. (fig. 4.), which I purchafed from the mufeum of the late David Wells, efq. of Burbach, F. S. A.

Yours, &c. RICHARD FOWKE,

[blocks in formation]

fure of pure washed hydrocarbonate, and two meafures of what they call oxygenated muriatic acid gas, mixed together for the space of 24 hours; he fays, "that, upon water being admitted, the fluid inftantly rofe, and the gas occupied only 43 parts of a measure, or a diminution of 257 measures had taken place. The refiduary gas being agitated with lime-water, 9. parts more were abforbed, evidently carbonic acid gas. The wathed refiduum was inflammable, and burned with a blue flame, exacly fimilar to the gazeous oxide, but very different from that of the original hydrocarbonate. This experiment was repeated with nearly the fame refult."

Now, Mr. Urban, what a finall proportion of carbonic acid appears in this experiment, not one tenth of the hydrocarbonate employed; but then, fays

AMONG the papers of an old he, this gateous oxyde was the refiduum,

friend, I found a drawing of a remarkable crols (fig. 5.), taken from the monument of Dr. Francis Lee, at Gravelin in Flanders; at the botton of which is this fhort infeription, "Jefus Chriftus Vita & Resurrectio. F. L. ær. 56 ob. Aug. 12-23, 1719." Yours, &c. M. GREEN.

Mr. URBAN,

Jan. 21. ET me requeft information refpect

fhire. About 200 years ago, they refided in a houfe near N. Tawton in Devon; which was built by a Mark Cottel in or about 1500; on the porch is the date 1555, evidently of more modern date than the house. In the parlour chamber, over the mantle-piece, are the arms of the Coutel family (fig. 6.) ftamped in platter, as are the cielings of many of the rooms. The houfe is much out of repair at prefent. I hope foon to be able to fend you a drawing of it, with fome farther particulars.

UPON

A CONSTANT READER.

Mr. URBAN, Carlisle, Sept. 27,1801. ON my perufal of Mr. Cruikfhank's fecond paper, my furprife and aftonishment were truly great, that after my paper fuch experiments fhould be given to the publick. But to analyfe them. At first I thought them undeferving of notice; but reflecting how artfully the publick has been deceived and gulled by thofe experimenters, I thought it better to give them a curfory examination.

His first experiment with one mea

that the washed (hydrocarbonate) requires only 165 measure of oxygen, and with the water produces about 115 measure of carbonic acid." Therefore, even with the fuppofed gafeous oxyde, there is a great deficiency. But when he fired thefe airs over mercury, the mercury rofe and filled two thirds of the veffel, (one third of which, he fays, is fixed air), there being no water admittted to abforb the muriatic gas; for, to br "there was a little moisture depofited on its fides, which, probably, abforbed the whole of the common muriatic acid gas produced." Surely, Mr. Urban, you cannot but. finile with me at fuch a fuppofition. When he is anxious to obtain his fixed air, he washes the refiduum well with lime water; but when none of the muriatic gas is to appear, no water is to be admitted.

Pray Mr. C. how do you know that this abforbed gas was fixed air? Do not you fuppofe that, by agitating it in lime water, the water and earth of the lime might abforb the muriatic acid, even the oxygenated, as it is called? But fuppofing it was fixed air; the hydrocarbonates might, when decoinpounded of their fixed fire by this ftrong acid, have fome fixed air in its compo fition, Will not this acid, and the nitrous acid, decompound even oils of their fixed fire? Even camphor burns in the former; and he allows, that thefe hydrocarbonate airs have one tenth of fixed air in them.

Mr. C. in fome of his experiments, when he wanted to reduce the bulk of

the

the remaining airs, added water to them, in order, he fays, to abforb the muriacid gas. Still inore furprifing! When he fired thefe airs, viz. the hydrocarbonate and oxymuriacid gas, he did not obtain half the quantity of fixed air from them, as he did by fimple mixTure. But then (as they are never at a lots for reafons, however abfurd), he fiys, that there was a depofition of charcoal. No doubt but there would be fuch an alertion, as their theory must be supported. "In this infiance, (he fays,) the hydrocarbonate did not yield above half the proportion of carbonic acid which it ought to have done. But this is fufficiently accounted for from the copious depofition of charcoal." Here, Mr. Urban, are the fame identical airs, and in the very fame proportion; then, as they allow, the procels being the fame, ought not alfo the refiduum to be the fame? Should not all the oxygen gas of the oxmuriatic acid have united with the charcoai; more particularly when burned, than when fimply mixed? But that it muft, according to them; as the muriatic gas was equally decompounded ; then what became of its oxygen?

I proved in my former paper, that fixed air, though ever fo ftrongly heated with iron, will not form the gafeous oxyde. But Mr. C. fays, that, by pafling fixed air through iron, he formed this air. But, Mr. Crban, how was this done? Why thus; by having two bladders and a great quantity of water to cool the iron tube applied to the ends of it, where the bladders were placed. Now, Mr. Urban, I affert, that the fixed air, when heated, will imbibe moifture from the bladders. From Mr. C's affertions, he does not feem to know, that chalk contains fixed air and water in chemical combination.

proved, that inflammable gafes are formed of a great quantity of fire; that, according to the quantity of fire, they will be inflammable, or light; that, by adding fire to thofe already formed, you will make them more inflammable and lighter; therefore, that airs produced from charcoal under an iminenfe degree of heat, will have more fire in them. This I very forcibly fhewed in my obfervations on Mr. Henry's paper. In patting the electric fire through the air, it became fo much lighter, and receiving water for its aerial compofition at the time.

Mr. Lavoifier, their mafter, whofe great character, they fay, was correctnets in his experiments, and a nice mathematical precifion, has been directly contradicted by Mr. C. in his leading experiments, which gave birth to his theory. I have mentioned, one in my former paper; the other is, that, in burning oxygen gas and charcoal, the fixed air produced is heavier than the oxygen gas. Now they agree with me that it is lighter. But then, by their doctrine, they try to prove what is equally abfurd, that charcoal poffeffes what they call hydrogen. Mr. Urban, I have, by experiments, clearly

But I muft make another obfervation upon Mr. C's experiments. This gafous oxyde could not be fired by him in the oxmuriatic acid air; though they fay, that its oxygen is more eafily attracted by charcoal, than when in the fate of oxygen gas; for charcoal burns in the former in any temperature, but requires a red heat in the latter.

Pray, Mr. C. how comes it that this gafeous oxyde is fo light an air, as it is formed of oxygen gas and charcoal? You fay the charcoal makes the oxygen gas heavier, as the fixed air is heavier. Surely then, if we are allowed to reafon jutily, when it got half its faturation, it fhould have been heavier than oxygen gas, as its full proportion makes it to much heavier. But, as I obferved before, I can fay with greater propriety, that fome heads have no brains in them, than that this gafeous oxyde has no inflanimable air in it! So alfo thofe heads are light, who can believe that oxygen gas, by receiving charcoal, fhould become lighter! And I would afk (for numerous abfurdities are fill faring us in the face) how comes the oxygen of the muriatic acid gas to burn with charcoal, with this great brilliancy of light and heat, even more fo than when it burns in oxygen gas? as its xygen is condenfed in the acid, or united to it; and even the gas it received was from lead; and oxygen gas in metals gives out all its fire in its condenfation, or when it is imbibed. This is ftrikingly exemplified in the burning of iron; the fire produced by it is fo inenfe, that the iron when burning will pals through the fides of the glas it is burning in, the fame as if it were foft palie. And all this fire and light, you fay, refided in the oxygen gas, and, when condenfed in the metals, it parted with them.

I have clearly fhewn in my

works, that

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