MR. URBAN, THE HE pretent excellent Sheriffs of London and Middlefex having projected one of the most falutary meafures for executions, as well to strike a ferious awe into the hearts of the moft obdurate and thoughtlefs, as alfo to prevent many of the mifchiefs which have arifen by the long parade to Tyburn; a correfpondent hopes, that, to fome of the curious readers of this Mifcellany, the annexed Plare of the Scaffold erected for this ferious purpofe near the prifon, may not be quite unacceptable. The whole erection is hung in black. The criminals are attended, by the proper officers and the Ordinary of Newgate, from their cells to that part of the fcaffold marked G, which is a platform raised about two or three inches above the general floor, F, and directly under the gallows: here, after the ufual prayers and folemnities, the rope is tied up, and, at the Sheriff's ignal, the exccutioner pulls away a Staple, I, which locfens a bar that fep. ports the platform G, and the platform then falls in: and this, being much more fudder and regular than that of a cat, being drawn away, has the effect of immediate death. During the whole time of this awful fpectacle, a full-toned bell, which is fufpended above the roof of this part of the prifon, is folemnly tolled; but as it is fixed fo far on the roof as not to be in light, it does not appear, and therefore is not diftinguithed in the plate. The fearold is top. ported by ftrong potis, fixed into grooves made in the firect and the whole is temporary, being all calculated to take to pieces, which are preferved within the prifon. H. L. MR. URBAN, Dec. 26. N the latt edition of Mr. Pennant's Zoology, there are fome curious particulars concerning the natural hiftory of the to.d, an animal which Mr. Pen. nant feems to counder as perfectly injoxious, for want of proof to the contrary, I was alfo much inclined to think, that a vulgar prejudice loaded that creature with undelerved obloquy. But fome doubts were railed in my mind, laft autumn, by the following inc dent. A young spaniel tock up in his mouth a large toad, which had crept into my study during the night; bat, as he was carrying it out of the room, he fuddenly threw it down, ran about the room, ieemingly in great pain, foamed very much at the mouth, and fhewed every fymptom of violent anguish. Thefe continued for more than an hour, till fome warm milk was brought him, after eating which he ap peared quite recovered in a very short time, and no farther effects enfued. I beg leave to make alfo an obfervation on Mr. Barrington's ingenious and curious effay on the language of birds, which is added to the third volume of the above-mentioned work. His expe riments feem to prove, very clearly, that the feathered tribe have no natural or innate note appropriated to each fpecies. Yet a familiar inftance, daily before our eyes, contradicts this fyftem, that of ducklings hatched under a hen; for thefe never affume the chuckle or Lote of the foster bird, but from the firft exprefs themselves as ducks, although they may never have feen or heard an old one. I beg leave to fubmit thefe doubts, through the channel of your excellent Colle&ion, to fome of your readers killed in natural hiftory, whose notice will inform and oblige your conftant reader, D. A. B. LE W. E. Dec. 14. ET me request your intelligent correfpondents to favour the publick with fomne particulars of the Rev. Mr. CASWELL, who is mentioned fo adVantatcoudly in the TATLLR, N° 55 of Dr. ELLIS, who had the honour of educating Steele and Add:fon at the Charter-house; and of Major-General DAVENPORT, Brigadier BISSET, and Lord FOREES, who are fo honourably diftinguifhed in the concluding number of the Tatler. The communicator of hiats in relation to either of thefe Wor thies will confer an eflential fervice on a ler. Spectator, and Guardian. new edition (now printing) of the Tat * two In No 63 "a certain lady" is mentioned, as then about to publish Saxon novels," of "gicat repute with "the Queries on Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. "the ladies of Queen Anne's court." The lady, without doubt, was Mrs. El ftob, who published the Saxon Homilies. Qu. Did Mr. Bickerstaffe miftake theje for novels? or is there any novel known to be exifting in the Saxon language? Yours, &c. M. G. P. S. Any perfon, who has got either ' Gazettes, or News-papers, publifhed from 1708 to 1716, or 1730, and is inclined to part with them, may have a reasonable price for them. They are wanted for the illuftration of the above works; and if any perfon, not difpofed to fell them, will be fo kind as to lend them, for inspection, the greatest care fhall be taken of them, and they fhall be punctually returned according to direction. Any communications that tend to throw light on any parts of the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian, or to afcertain the real authors of any Papers in them, will be thankfully received, duly attended to, and properly acknowledged, if configned to the care of Mr. NICHOLS, Printer, Red Lion Paffage, Flect-ftrect. Meteors. 991 2d. Its apparent Altitudes and Bearings at its firit appearance, at its greatest elevation, 3d. Its Figure, and the diameter of the Boat its borting, and at its difappearance. dy when at the greateft apparent altitude, compared with that of the Sun or Moon at the fame altitude; the brightness and colours of its Light, and the degree of Illumination which it gave; and to make a sketch or drawing of the appearances before and after it burft, or any other of its appearances. 4th. Whether both the Body and Tail burft; and how many parts this bursting produced; and whether this happened before or after it arrived at its greatest apparent altitude; the length of the Tail before the Meteor burit; and indeed every al teration of its length they obferve; whether the Meteor appeared very faint at firft, and gradually grew brighter, or ap peared very bright at once; and whether it was extinguished fuddenly or by degrees. th. Whether a Sound or Sounds (as of an 5th. How long the appearance lafted. explosion) was heard fome minutes after its difappearance, and how long, and from what point of the compafs they thought it came. APLAN for observing the METEORS called 7th. The Bearing and Difiance of the place FIRE-BALLS. By NEVIL MASKELYNE, D.D. F.R.S. and ASTRONOMER ROYAL. F1 IVE Meteors, of the kind which from their appearance are generally called Fire-balls, have been feen of late, in the fpace of a few weeks, viz. on August 18, September 26, October 4, 19, and which feems to indicate that they appear 29, more frequently than is commonly imagined. The curious and extraordinary ap pearances, which they exhibited, flew them to be deferving more attention than has been hitherto given them. For want of a feries of proper obfervations, little progrefs has been made towards accounting for their phanomena. The greater part of those who have feen them, not being previously ac quainted with the circumflances they ought to attend to, have made obfervat.cas too imperfect to answer that purpole. It is therefore to be wished, that ali perfons, who may happen to fee a Meteor, would attend to the following particulars, and fet down their remarks as foon as they can after they fee it, while the impreffion made by the Meteor is full and freth in their memory, before it is vitiated by their own after-thoughts, or the accounts received from other obfervers. Such after-thoughts may be of great ufe: but their own genuine original oblervations are chiefly to be withed for by any one who is to calculate the track of the Meteor. The particulars to be attended to are thefe: 1. The precife time of its appearance, of obfervation from the nearest markettown should be put down. N. B. As found moves only at the rate of 13 miles in a minute, the obferver thould patiently wait for at least 8 or 10 minutes, litening for the Sound, for all the Metcors appear to be very many miles indeed nearer to the obferver than they really are. REMARK S. Corious perfons may avail themselves of obfervations made even by the most illiterate, by caufing them to trace with a tick the path which the Meteor defcribed in the Heavens, according to the best of their recollection. The obfervations would be better made, if you accompany the perfon to the very spot where he faw the Meteor, for there the neighbouring objects, fuch as roads, honfes, or trees, will much affit his memory. The apparent Altitudes of the Meteor are best found by a Quadrant (a common wooden one of 3 inches radius will fuffice) which the perfon huld direct to the points in the Heavens where the Meteor appeared to him, if he faw it, or even to fuch points where the illiterate perfón above-mentioned pointIn like manner is Bearings fhould be found by a Compais. ed. To feriain how long the appearance lafed, be thould trace over its path in the Heavens with its proper velocity, while an other perfon obferves the time by a watch or cluck that thews Teconds; or by the nam ber ber of fwings of a temporary pendulum made by a musket ball, or any fmall weight, fufpended by a string of 39 inches long from the center of the ball or weight, which will fwing Seconds. Without fome fnch method as this, they will be apt to estimate the time much longer than it is. It would be well if thofe perfons, who happen to fee a Meteor, would put down the time by their watch when it firft appeared, or was at its greatest altitude, or burft, or difappeared, and again when they hear the found; and, as common watches are liable to vary much in a few hours, that they would, as foon after as may be, find the error of their watch by comparing it with a good regulator; for, if the exact times could be had at different places, the abfolute velocity of the Meteor, the velocity of the found propagated to us from the higher regions of the atmosphere, and the longitudes of places might be determined. Even in cloudy weather it might be ufeful to note the times of accidental explofions, or any unusual founds heard, with the points of the compafs from which they are hought to come, whether in the day or Fortunatus. 2. The Stratagem-The Ladies' Frolick. 3. The Wonder-Fortunatus. 4. New Way to pay Old Debts-Ditto. 5. The Metamorphofis-The Apprentice. 6. The Gamefter-Deaf Lover. 8. The Metamorphofis-Fortunatus. 10. King John-Deaf Lover. 12. The Plain Dealer-Ladies' Frolick. 13. King John-The Lottery. 15. Richard the Third-Fortunatus. 16. King John-Comus. 17. The Tender Hutband-Catherine and Petruchio. 18. The Gamefter-Who's the Dupe? 19. The Chances-Fortunatus. 20. Venice Preferv'd-Gentle Shepherd. 23. School for Fathers-Deaf Lover. 29. George Barnwell-Gentle Shepherd, night, and of fudden illuminations of the sky in the night, as they may prove after wards to have been owing to Metcors, and will ferve fome of the purposes above-mentioned. These Meteors generally leave a vifible track of faint light behind them, which gives time to obfervers to afcertain the path, either by the Stars near it, or the obferva. tions of altitudes and bearings. Meteors are fometimes feen in the day-light. It may not be amifs to apprize observers, that estimations of altitudes made without an inftrument are very uncertain, owing to the apparent figure of the sky being the fegment of a fphere, whose center is greatly below the furface of the earth; fo that perfons will be apt to judge an object which is near the Horizon to be much higher than it is; at 23° of altitude they may think it at 45°; and to be in or near the Zenith, when with an inftrument it would be found ice or 260 from it. This points out the neceffity for obfervers to mention whether they eftimated their altitudes or obferved them with an inftrument. Greenwich, Nov. 6, 1783. REGISTER. Nov. 18. The Magic Picture-Poor Soldier. 21. The Magic Picture-Ditto. 22. Douglas-Ditto. 24. Myfterious Hutb.-Lord Mayor's Day. 25. Caft. of Andal.-Devil upon Two Sticks. 26. The Magic Picture-The Quaker. 27. Grecian Daughter-Poor Soldier. 28. Bold Stroke for a Hufband-Ditto. 29. Douglas Ditto. Dec. 1. Grecian Daughter Rofina. 2. The Magic Picture-Poor Soldier. 3. Caftle of Andalusia-Barnaby Brittle. 4. Grecian Daughter-Poor Soldier. 5. Merchant of Venice-Love a-la-Mode. 6. More Ways than One-Country Madcap. 8. Ditto-Poor Soldier. 9. Ditto-Ditto. 10. Ditto-Ditto. 11. Venice Preferv'd-Tom Thumb. 12. More Ways than One-Poor Soldier. 13. Ditto-Ditto. 15. Ditto-Rofina. 16. Merchant of Venice-Love a-la-Mode. 17 More Ways than One-Poor Soldier. 18. Macbeth-Ditto. 19. More Ways than One-Ditto. 20. Caft. of Andal-Devil upon Two Sticks.. 22. More Ways than One-Poor Soldier.. Winter's Tale-Friar Bacon. 23. 26. George Barnwell-Ditto. 27. Othello-Dito. 29. Richard the Third-Ditto. 30. Merry Wives of Windfor-Ditto. 31. The Gamefter-Ditto. Summary |