Indeed, this purified ether appeared by every trial to be purer than I ever faw it, even when made after the beft ufual method, and in the most careful manner. The only inconvenience attending this procefs is, that a vaft quantity of ether is loft. Not above three or four ounces of a pound of common ether remain after the purification. As the greatest part of the ether is certainly mixed with the water that is used in the procefs, it may, perhaps, be worth while to put that water into a retort, and to distil the ether from it, which must come fufficiently pure for common ufe.

It is commonly believed, that water combines with the pureft part of ether, when those two fluids are kept together; whereas, by the above defcribed procefs, the contrary is eftablished: perhaps when ether is kept in contact with water for a long time, the pureft part of it may appear to be loft, because the ether may be combined with, and may retain fome water in itself, at the fame time that the water combines with and retains fome ether; whereas the cafe may be different when the ether is quickly washed in water, and is immediately after feparated from it: but in refpect to this I have yet not made any experiments, fo as to be able to decide the

matter.

EXPERIMENTS RELATING TO THE

EXPANSION OF MERCURY.

THE difficulty and uncertainty attending the various methods hitherto propofed for inveftigating the expanfion of quickfilver, or it's increafe of bulk when rarified by a given degree of heat, determined me to contrive fome method by which this purpofe might be effected with more certainty and precifion. After various experiments, I hit upon the following me. thod, which to me seems both new and capable of great accuracy, though in this I may be deceived.

Firft, having blown.a ball to a ca pillary tube, fuch as are commonly afed for thermometers, I weighed it,

and found that this empty thermome ter was equal to 79,25 grains. This empty glafs, previous to it's being weighed, was rendered as perfectly clean as poffible, which is a neceffary precaution in this experiment, which depends upon a very great accuracy of weight. Then I introduced fome mercury into the ftem of this thermometer, taking care that none of it entered the ball, and by adapting a scale of inches to the tube, obferved that 4,3 inches length of the tube was filled with the mercury. The thermometer was now weighed again, and from this weight, the weight of the glafs found before being fubtracted, the remainder, viz. 0,24 grains fhewed the weight of fo much quickfilver as filled 4,3 inches of the tube. Now the ball of the thermometer, and also part of the tube, were entirely filled with quickfilver: then, in order to find out the weight of the mercury contained in it, the thermometer was weighed for the last time, and from this weight the weight of the glafs being fubtracted, the remainder, viz. 3205 grains, fhewed the weight of the whole quantity of quickfilver contained in the thermometer.

By comparison with a graduated thermometer in hot and cold water, I made a fcale to the new thermometer according to Fahrenheit's, and by applying a fcale of inches found that the length of 20 degrees in this fcale was equal to 1,33 inches. But 0,24 grains was the weight of fo much mercury as filled 4,3 inches length of the tube; therefore, by the rule of proportion, it will be found, that the weight of fo much quickfilver as fills 1,33 inches of the tube, viz. the length of 20 degrees, is equal to 0,0742 grains nearly, and that the weight of fo much quick filver as fills the length of the tube that is equivalent to one degree, is equal to 0,00371 grains. Now it is clear, that the weight of the whole quantity of quickfilver contained in the thermometer is to the weight of fo much quickfilver as fills the length of one degree in the tube, as the bulk of the whole quantity of quicksilver

candid minds will more than indemnify him for the imputation of folly,

and vindicate thofe emotions which have been too forcibly realized in truly fentimental breafts.

Baron Hargrove was defcended from an ancient family of that name and title in the county of Norfolk; and it was his fate to live in an age when ignorance, and, ftill more, fuperftition, left very little fcope for the exertion of genius, or even for the free use of reafon. He was, however, endowed with every accomplishment which nature could bestow; and these were improved by the early exertions of an afpiring mind and vigorous conftitution. He excelled every rival in the manly feats of chivalry, was ever moft diftinguished in the labours of the chace, (for fo they might then well be called;) and, though not yet in his nineteenth year, his youthful brow was adorned with martial laurels, which made him at once the envy and admiration of the most experienced captains and warriors. He was proceeding with eager ftrides in this arduous career of toils and perils, when Love, that lord of reafon, and tyrant of the heart, gave a fudden turn to his purfuits, and difcovered an object ftill more attractive than that of fame, to be the very foul and centre of his ambition.

It was no fmall triumph for the fair daughter of Earl Charlemont to captivate a man who was fighed for in fecret by almost every lady who had beheld him; and she was, perhaps, the only one of her capricious fex who would for a moment have proved infenfible to his love. With all that timid refpect and veneration which is the affured teft of fincerity, he breathed out his tender regards to the dear object of his affection: the most coftly prefents were added to the gentle voice of perfuafion; and nothing was neglected which could poffibly tend to prove the ardour of his own paffion, or awaken that genial fpark which he fondly hoped might lie dormant in the bofom of his mistress.

Finding himself deceived in this pleafing expectation, and being one

day difmiffed with a referve which difappointment mifconftrued into dif dain, he took a hafty refolution to hide thofe forrows in a defart, which the malicious eye of infulting pity might only render more infupportable, fhould he continue to mix in the fashionable circles. Had he lived in our wife days of heroic refinement, he would doubtlefs have ended the tragedy with more eclat; that is, he would have died like a gentleman; either by the fword, or (fince unfortunately piftols were not then invented) by the more inglorious aid of a cord; especially as the final date of his unfuccessful courthip happened to be in November: but his mind not being fufficiently enlightened by philofophy to know that fuicide was not a crime,it purfued fuggeftions of a lefs violent tendency, and Solitude became the only witness of it's penfive effufions. The place of his retreat, though not far removed from his paternal inheritance, was fo judiciously chofen, and well calculated for the purposes of concealment, that had not mere accident driven him from it, he might have eafily indulged the refolution he had formed of remaining there till death fhould release him from his folitary mifery.

Affliction is faid to be the parent of Devotion; and it is well known to what feats of extravagance that may lead the most rational beings, when cherifhed to excefs, and unrestrained by the power of reason. In lefs than a week after his retirement, the gay and amorous young baron had undergone the most effectual metamorphofe in drefs as well as difpofition: his fhoes were cut into the form of fandals, his hat was twifted into that of a cowl, bull-rushes plaited together formed a tolerable girdle, and a tough hazel twig effectually fupplied the want of difcipline. In a word, his food, his drink, and every thing about him, did not lefs agree with the life of a her. mit, than the gloominefs of his abode, which was fituated at the foot ofarock; andhe who a few days before was fighing out his foul at the feet of a miftrefs, and who confidered her fmiles or

.

frowns

frowns as the criterions of his fate, was now employed in repeating the moft earnest vows of eternal and inviolable chastity.

Eleonora, who in reality was far from being, as he supposed, infenfible to his love, and who had only practifed the arts of her sex with the ufual views of prolonging her triumph and enhancing the price of her charms, was now not lefs mortified than furprized at his fudden difappearance: though she had feemingly admitted a rival with marks of encouragement, Hargrove had in every refpect the preference in her heart; and to him her hand would doubtless have been yield ed, had he waited with patience for the happy moment of compliance. However, after a few weeks of fufpenfe and regret, Eleonora, finding that he did not return, acted her part with much feeming indifference and refolution, and even went fo far as to marry a perfon who fhe knew had very few pretenfions to his merit and vir

tues.

It was a common practice with thofe who were unfuccefsful in their facrifices to Hymen, to apply to fome holy father, by whofe interceffion they might obtain that bleffing from Heaven which can alone render conjugal felicity compleat. Eleonora was too impatient for maternal honours to fuffer many unfuccefsful months to efcape, without having recourfe to the ufual mode of redrefs. With this view she set out, in company with her husband, on a pious vifit to a reverend friar, who was celebrated for having relieved numbers on fimilar occafions. They had not proceeded many miles on their journey, which lay through bye-ways, and almost impenetrable thickets, when the dogs, who made part of the convoy, ftopped on a fudden before a wood, which rofe in a gradual afcent from the foot of a steep mountain, and by their eager emotions convinced the travellers that fome wild beaft was concealed behind the bushes. They therefore approached the place with caution; and having difcovered the fuppofed monster in his den, VOL. III.

(which was in reality no other than Hargrove in his cave) an arrow was directed to the spot where it lay concealed. The arrow had been fo well shot, as to glance on the bridge of his nofe, and the blood which flowed plentifully from the wound was no inconfiderable addition to the oddity and terror of his appearance. The pilgrims having with infinite difficulty made their way to his cell, were fo far from recollecting the features of their old friend, in his prefent condition, that they could hardly be fatisfied that he was a human being, and attributed his feeming anger to the pain occafioned by the wound he had received: they therefore began by apologizing for the involuntary injury, whilft he gazed on them alternately with looks of filent furprize and indignation. But when they proceeded to explain the nature and object of their journey, imagining they had by fome means been inform ed of his abode, and doubting not that they meant only to fport with his griefs, and infult his misfortunes, he flew into the most violent paroxifm of rage, expreffed in terms as well fuited to the temper of his mind as inconfiftent with the garb and character he had affumed. His gefture and actions, indeed, were fuch as threatened the moft defperate confequences to the new-married couple, who made a precipitate retreat; unable otherwise to account for fo rude a reception from the man of God, than by concluding him poffeffied by the spirit of the devil. Hargrove was obliged to quit his retirement in confequence of this unexpected vifit, and went in quest of another retreat in a different part of the kingdom; being obliged by the vows he had made to lead the life of a hermit for the remainder of his days. His religious fervor was, however, confiderably abated; and he refolved in his own mind to reserve a confiderable portion of his property for his own private ufe; and not, like fome of the brotherhood, to truft entirely to Providence for a precarious and miferable provifion, Purfuing his way to the north, he at last took up his abode in