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married to Dr. Julep, a fantastical pretender to the medical fcience; but Augufta is attached to captain Melville, a young man of worth and accomplishments who ardently returns her affection. Stave, the parish clerk, who is the principal fervant of fir Solomon, has been bribed by Melville to forward the intereft of his paffion for Augufta. Melville, by the advice of Stave, affumes the drefs of a ruftic, in order to gain admiffion into fir Solomon's manfion, and obtain an interview with his miftrefs. The lovers meet and agree to elope the fame evening, but are unfortunately overheard by Dr. Julep, who confequently determines to fruftrate their intentions. It appears, that Julep was previously married to Maria, an amiable woman, whom he deferts, but who has traced him to that neighbourhood, and has heard of his dishonourable views of a fecond wedding. In this extremity, Maria applies to commodore Larboard, a rough and hafty, but honeft old tar, who is the uncle of Dr. Julep. The commodore fympathifes in her diftrefs, and determines to difinherit his nephew, unless he redreffes the injuries of the unfortunate Maria. The doctor himfelf feels fome qualms of confcience when he reflects on the worth of his neglected wife, and his own villainous intentions, but has not generofity enough to aid the caufe of the lovers. When Melville attends, at the hour of affignation, to convey away his miftrefs, the doctor and his fervant come armed to the fpot to prevent the clopement. Melville drives away the cowardly fervant, and commodore Larboard is brought to the fpot by the noise of the contention; he immediately reproaches his nephew on the bafenefs of his conduct; and this apprehenfion operates fo forcibly on the mind of Julep, that he is prepared to atone for his cruel treatment of Maria, whom he foon after meets in the garden, and a reconciliation takes place. Melville, difappointed in his firft attempt, fcales the wall, and finds admiffion into the houfe, where he fortunately meets his Augufta; but, while they are meditating the means for efcaping, fir Solomon and the commodore fuddenly arrive, the latter having feen Melville enter the garden. Melville is obliged to conceal himself in the clofet; but as

the commodore perfifts in afferting that he faw him enter, fir Solomon, to ascertain the innocence of his daughter, demands the key of the clofet, where the captain is difcovered in ambufcade. On hearing that the lovers had long been attached to each other, that Julep was married, and that Melville had returned with a confideable fortune from India, Sir Solomon confents that they fhall be married; and the piece concludes with the happiness of all parties. This is the mere outline of the plot, which contains feveral incidental fcenes of humorous fituation between Stave, Handy, Melville's fervant, and Judith, Augufta's maid, to whom Stave and Handy are pretenders, but who finally decides in favour of Stave, on account of old acquaintance, if not tender familiarity.

The following are the moft approved airs in the above piece:

AIR.-Mr. INCLEDON.

How poor are words! how vain is art,
Augufta's charms to trace !
Her fpeaking eye, her feeling heart!
Such fymmetry and grace!

Her mind more pure than virgin fnows
That on the mountain reft;
Nor is lefs pure the flame that glows
Within this faithful breaft.

AIR. Mifs DALL.

Behold, deny'd their airy flight,

The tenants of the gaudy cage; No more their warblings breathe delight, Thofe notes are chang'd to ftrains of rage!

And fhould, perchance, in happy hour, Some friendly hand leave ope' the door,

Eager they fly the bonds of pow'r,

And gladly part-to meet no more.

Not fo the bird whofe choice is free,

In jocund fpring he joins his mate Gaily they range from tree to tree,

Their little breafts with joy elate. And if fome ruder breeze fhould blow; Or chilling rain difturb their refl; Fundly they thare each others woe, As deftin'd partners of one neft.

AIR.-Mr. MARSHALL.

Were old Galen to rife
From Elyfium below,
Of modern complaints
So little he'd know,
That amaz'd at the change,
And ftruck dumb with furprize,
He'd foon hurry back,

Nor believe his own eyes!

Let fools their old nonfenfe

Still folemnly broach, While they trudge it on foot, I'll loll in my coach: They may pore o'er old books, And inceffantly toil; Be their's the dull task,

Mine-Fashion and Hoyle.

On Wednesday, May 23, a new ferious Opera, called Dido, Queen of Carthage, was produced at the King's theatre, in the Haymarket. It is a tranflation from Metaftafio, by Mr. Hoare, author of No Song no Supper. The characters of which were thus reprefented;

Eneas, Mrs. Crouch; Iarbas, Mr. Kelly Abdalla, Mr. Dignum; Almidah, Mr. Sedgwick :-Dido, Madame Mara; and Anna, Mifs Barclay.

The following is the fable: Dido, the widow of Sichæus, flying from the treacherous cruelty of her brother Pygmalion, king of Tyre, by whom her hufband had been murdered, and carrying away immenfe wealth and treafure, took refuge in Africa. Here the purchafed a large tract of land, and built the city of Carthage; vowing eternal fidelity to her husband, to whofe memory the raised a magnificent maufoleum.

Iarbas, king of Getulia (ftyled the fovereign of Africa) fought Dido in marriage, and being refufed, endeavoured to enforce his fuit by arms.

Eneas, after the deftruction of Troy, being fhipwrecked on the Carthaginian coaft, was hofpitably received by Dido: who, conceiving a violent paffion for him, and no longer regarding her vow, propofed to him to fhare her throne; but Eneas perfifting in his intentions of failing to Italy, and having at laft left Carthage, Dido, in defpair, flew her

felf and expired amid the flames of her capital, which was at that time befieged by Iarbas.

To the opera there is an addition of a mafque. Neptune appears, and predicts, that Great Britain will, in naval fame, eclipfe both Tyre and Carthage.

The mufic is chiefly the compofition of Storace, who has been, as ufual, fuccefsful both in his own and in the selection.

The opera is caft with the ftrength of the operatic company. Madame Mara fupported the character of Dido, and fung the airs with great taste and fweetnefs. Mrs. Crouch was alfo exceedingly happy in Æneas. Kelly executed the airs allotted him extremely well.

Mifs Barclay and mafler Walfh, who fung in the Oratorios of laft feafon, appeared for the firft time in the dramatic line, and were moft favourably received. The lady promifes to be an acquifition of confiderable importance, poffeffing a voice of much fweetnefs, though at prefent not of extraordinary compafs; a genteel perfon, a very pleafing face, and manners perfectly unembarraffed. Her fong was encored.

Much expence has been beftowed in the decoration of the opera, as fome of the dreffes are fuperb, and the new fcenery beautiful. The portico leading to queen Dido's palace, and the temple of Neptune, are very happy efforts of Mr. Greenwood's pencil. The deftruction of the city of Carthage was alfo well imagined, and well executed.

The following airs will ferve as a specimen of the poetry:

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Than gold or gems I'd prize more dear
Each breathing figh, each falling tear.
But cruel grief is moft inclin'd
To triumph o'er the yielding mind;
And tears, like fhow'rs that fall to earth,
Increase the fource that gave them birth.

AIR. Dido-Madame MARA.
Say, can you deny me!
Ah, fay, can you fly me !
Who will not deceive me,
If you are untrue ?

Oh hear my entreaty!
Oh hear me, and pity!
No torment can grieve me,
Like parting from you.

Theatre Royal, Hay-Market.

On the 16th of June, the public affembled for the first time this feason, at this elegant Summer Theatre. The new prelude, called " poor Old Haymarket, or two fides of the gutter," is faid to be a production of the younger Colman'sand from its point, its pleafantry-and fome reflections on the unfortunate fituation of the Italian Opera Company, which breathe that fpirit of benevolence and generofity, which enriches every thing that comes from his pen, we fubfcribe to the general opinion. The late Queen Margaret has refigned her thea trical crown in favour of her relation, Mrs. Whitlocke, who wears it with dignity and grace. But where is the firft of Wowfki's to look for the firft of Yarico's-The prelude clofed with the following fong, which was given in the richeft file of genuine humour by the youngeft Bannifter.

Three houfes once there ftood, in famous London city;

Two were great and grand, and the

third is fimall and pretty; Why two were meant for winter wear, is plain as fun at noon, Sir! 'Tis caufe they acted plays in the middle of June, Sir.

Bow, wow, wow,

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Obfervations on the Influence of the Wind and of the Ocean upon Heat. (From Experiments upon Heat,' by Major General Sir Benjamin Thompson, in the Philofophical Tranfactions, Part I, `for 1792.)

THOUGH the particles of air indi

vidually, or each for itfelf, are capable of receiving and transporting heat, yet air in a quiefcent ftate, or as a fluid whofe parts are at reft with refpect to each other, is not capable of conducting it, or giving it a paffage; in fhort, heat is incapable of paffing through a mafs of air, penetrating from one particle of it to another, and it is to this circumftance that its non-conducting power is principally owing.

It is alfo to this circumftance, in a great measure, that it is owing that its non-conducting power, or its apparent warmth when employed as a covering for confining heat, is fo remarkably increafed upon being mixed with a small quantity of any very fine, light, folid

fubftance,

fubftance, fuch as the raw filk, fur, Eider down, &c. in the foregoing experiments for though thefe fubftances, in the very fmall quantities in which they were made ufe of, could hardly have prevented, in any confiderable degree, the air from conducting, or giving a paffage to the heat, had it been capable of paffing through it, yet they might very much impede it in the operation of tranf porting it.

But there is another circumftance which it is neceffary to take into the account, and that is the attraction which fubfifts between air and the bodies above mentioned, and other like fubftances, conftituting natural and artificial cloathing. For, though the incapacity of air to give a paffage to heat in the manner folid bodies and non-elaftic fluids permit it to pafs through them, may enable us to account for its warmth under certain circumftances, yet the bare admiffion of this principle does not feem to be fufficient to account for the very extraordinary degrees of warmth which we find in furs and in feathers, and in various other kinds of natural and artificial cloathing; nor even that which we find in fnow; for if we fuppofe the particles of air to be at liberty to carry off the heat which thefe bodies are meant to confine, without any other obftruction or hindrance than that arifing from their vis inertia, or the force neceffary to put them in motion, it seems probable that the fucceffion of fresh particles of cold air, and the confequent lofs of heat, would be much more rapid than we find it to be in fact.

That an attraction, and a very ftrong one, actually fubfifts between the parti cles of air, and the fine hair or furs of beafts the feathers of birds, wool, &c. appears by the obflinacy with which thefe fubftances retain the air which adheres to them, even when immerfed in water, and put under the receiver of an air pump; and that this attraction is effential to the warmth of thefe bodies, I think is very ealy to be demonftrated..

In furs, for infiance, the attraction between the particles of air, and the fine hairs in which it is concealed, being greater than the increafed claflicity, or Hib. Mag. July, 1792.

repulfion of thofe particles with regard to each other, arifing from the heat communicated to them by the animal body, the air in the fur, though heated, is not eafily difplaced; and this coat of confined air is the real barrier which defends the animal body from the external cold. This air cannot carry off the heat of the animal, because it is itfelf confined, by its attraction to the hair or fur; and it tranfmits it with great difficulty, if it tranfmits it at all.

Hence it appears why thofe furs which are the fineft, longeft, and thickeft, are likewife the warmeft; and how the furs of the beaver, of the otter, and of other like quadrupeds which live much in water, and the feathers of water fowls, are able to confine the heat of those animals in winter, notwithstanding the extreme coldnefs and great conducting power of the water in which they swim. The attraction between thefe fubftances, and the air which occupies their interitices, is fo great, that this air is not diflodged even by the contact of water, but remaining in its place, it defends the body of the animal at the fame time from being wet, and from being robbed of its heat by the furrounding cold fluid; and it is poffible that the preffure of this fluid upon the covering of air confined in the interftices of the fur, or feathers, may at the fame time increafe its warmth, or non-conducting power, in such a manner that the animal may not, in fact, lose more heat when in water, than when in air: for we have feen by the foregoing experiments, that, under certain circumftances, the warmth of a covering is increased, by bringing its component parts nearer together, or by increafing its denfity even at the expence of its thicknefs. But this point will be further inveftigated hereafter.

Bears, wolves, foxes, hares, and other like quadrupeds, inhabitants of cold countries, which do not often take the water, have their fur much thicker upon their backs than upon their bellies. The heated air occupying the interftices

N O T F.

*For thefe experiments, which are very curious, we muft refer the fcientific reader to the paper, as quoted above, in the Philofophical Tranfactions.

H

of

of the hairs of the animal tending natu- tern coaft of Europe, they blow from rally to rife upward, in confequence of the north-eaft. its increafed elafticity, would efcape with much greater cafe from the backs of quadrupeds than from their bellies, had not providence wifely guarded againft this evil by increafing the obftructions in thofe parts, which entangle it and confine it to the body of the animal. And this, I think, amounts almoft to a proof of the principles affumed relative to the manner in which heat is carried off by air, and the caufes of the non-conducting power of air, or its apparent warmth, when, being combined with other bodies, it acts as a covering for confining heat.

The fnows which cover the furface of the earth in winter, in high latitudes, are doubtlefs defigned by an all-provident Creator as a garment to defend it against the piercing winds from the polar regions, which prevail during the cold

feafon.

Thefe winds, notwithstanding the vaft tracts of continent over which they blow, retain their fharpnefs as long as the ground they pafs over is covered with fnow; and it is not till, meeting with the ocean, they acquire, from a contact with its waters, the heat which the fnows prevent their acquiring from the earth, that the edge of their coldness is taken off, and they gradually die away and are loft.

The winds are always found to be much colder when the ground is covered with fnow than when it is bare, and this extraordinary coldnefs is vulgarly fuppofed to be communicated to the air by the fnow; but this is an erroneous opinion; for thefe winds are in general much colder than the fnow itself."

They retain their coldness, becaufe the fnow prevents them from being warmed at the expence of the earth; and this is a friking proof of the ufe of the fnows in preferving the heat of the earth during the winter, in coid lati

tudes.

It is remarkable that thefe winds feldom blow from the poles directly toward the equator, but from the land toward the fea. Upon the caftern coat of North America the cold widns come

om the north-well; but upon the wel

That they fhould blow toward thofe parts where they can moft eafily acquire the heat they are in fearch of, is not extraordinary; and that they fhould gradually ceafe and die away, upon being warmed by a contact with the watrs of the ocean, is likewife agreeable to the nature and caufes of their motion; and if I might be allowed a conjecture refpecting the principal use of the feas, or the reafon why the proportion of water upon the furface of our globe is fo great, compared to that of the land, it is to maintain a more equal temperature in the different climates, by heating or cooling the winds which at certain periods blow from the great continents.

That cold winds actually grow much milder upon paffing over the fea, and that hot winds are refreshed by a contact with its waters, is very certain; and it is equally certain that the winds from the ocean are, in all climates, much more temperate than thofe which blow from the land.

In the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, there is not the leaft doubt but the great mildnefs of the climate is entirely owing to their feparation from the neighbouring continent by fo large a tract of fea; and in all fimilar fituations, in every part of the globe, fimilar cautes are found to produce fimilar effects.

The cold north-weft winds, which prevail upon the coaft of North America during the winter, feldom extend above 100 leagues from the fhore, and they are always found to be lefs violent, and lefs piercing, as they are further from the land.

Thefe periodical winds from the continents of Europe and North America prevail moit toward the end of the mouth of February, and in the month of March; and I conceive that they contribute very effentially toward bringing on an early pring, and a fruitful fummer, particularly when they are very violent in the month of March, and if at that time the ground is well covered with fnow. The whole atmosphere of the polar regions being, as it were,

tranfported

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