dead, and probably deriving their death from this very caufe.' Thefe inferences being admitted, Mr. G. proceeds a step farther, and from a remarkable portion of the animal fubftance being found in thefe fishes, he concludes, that the enclofing matter muft have been of such a nature, or in fuch a ftate, as to fit it for the fpeedy abforption of the fofter and more pulpy parts of thefe fish, 23 faft as they became abforbable." forms of fish that are frequently found in argillaceous fchiftus, as well as from what is commonly called petrifactions of fhells, &c. which abound in moft Lime-ftone ftrata. In this latter cafe we have feldom more than the mere external fhapes preferved; the fubftance is wholly changed, and what remains refembles, in general, a portion of the fame matter of which the mafs confifts, uft, as it were, into a mould formed by the outfide impreffion of the fhell. In Having offered thefe preliminary obfome cafes the thell-formed nucleus dif- fervations, Mr. G. next fearches for a fers from the furrounding matter, by caufe adequate to the production of bring of a brighter colour, and of a this extraordinary effect. The fubfparry texture, but, in almost all, the ftance, which he conceives to have been original fhell that gave the impreffion the chief agent in this procefs, is limeexifts no longer as fuch, nor any certain ftone. From the well known qualities remains of it. The fame holds equally of this fubftance, its becoming white, in the former cafe, a bare impreffion of when burned to lime; its falling into fi only remaining, and feldom any a powder, when immerfed in water; thing that can be thought to refemble it's being eafily diffufable in that liquid any part of the fubftance that gave it; by agitation; it's foon after fubfiding whereas in thefe of Monte Bolca, not in a pulverulent ftate; the property it only the forms are preferved uncomaonly perfect, but even every refidue of animal matter that could be expected to refift the natural deftructive caufes, and the immenfe lapfe of time in any, the oft favourable circumftances, is found fill exifting. The prominent brown matter, with which all the harder and lefs corruptible parts of the animal are fo ftrongly marked in the flone, and which may be detached from it with the point of a knife, infpection alone will determine to be of a nature wholly different from the enclosing fubftance, and as far as can be prefumed without analyfis, to be the actual dry remains of the animal bodies, in fuch a ftate as almoft to authorize their being called fishmummies. From the perfect prefer vation of the living form, which fill exifts in these foffils, our author infers, P. 295, firft, that the animals were alive, and of courfe that the water in which they were was clear and fit for the fupport of their life, at a very fhort period before they were enveloped in the matter of their prefent ftony enclo fure; and fecondly, that this matter muft have been very fuddenly diffused through that water in a pulverulent ftate, from whence fpeedily fubfiding, it caught and enclofed the fish now poffeffes of deftroying the life of fishes within its reach, and of its quickly abforbing, even in water, the oily and foft parts of animals, without injuring materially the harder and firmer parts: Mr. G. deems it highly probable, that by the action of lime ftone this phenomenon was originally produced. The. lime-ftone he fuppofes to have been acted on by fire, and moft probably projected from fome volcano in the vicinity of the hill. He conceives alfo, that the fishes may have been driven hither for a fhelter by fome fub-marine volcanic commotion, at a time when either the fea covered the hill, if this have been the feat of their original formation, or when the fea approached nearer it than it does at prefent, and that lime, projected hither from a volcano, reduced them to their present ftate. The memoir is ingenious, and the theory of the author is accompanied with a degree of probability equal, at leaft, to what may be expected in an inveftigation of this nature. Annexed to the memoir are four plates, reprefenting fpecimens of the fishes, and of the remains of fome fub-marine productions found in the fame quarries. Mr. G. has alfo favoured naturalifts with fyftematic catalogues of above an hundred different fpecies of fishes, in the cabinets of Bozza, and the marquis of Gazola. POLITE LITERATURE. Art. I. The comparative authent city of Tacitus and Suetonius, illuftrate Art. 16. On the power of fixed caufic by the question, "Whether Nero was th alkaline faits to preferve the flesh of ani- auther of the memorable conflagration a mals from putrefaction. In a letter to Rome 2" by Arthur Browne, LL. D the Rev. George Graydon, &c. from the s. F. T. C. D. & M. R. I. A.- -A compari Rev. Hugh Hamilton, D D. &c.-The fon is here inftituted between Tacitu theory delivered in the preceding me- and Suetonius in point of fidelity. O moir by Mr. G. feems to be ftrength- the many criteria, by which their meri ened by Dr. H.'s experiments. Thefe in this refpect might be eftimated, the experiments were fuggefted by a defire author has felected only one; namely to procure fome innocent alkaline li- the relation given by each of the origin quor, knowing that a folution of falt of the conflagration at Rome, in the reign of tartar was not only offenfive to the of Nero. Suetonius directly and circumtafle, but even, if fufficiently ftrong to ftantially afcribes this conflagration to neutralize any quantity of acid in the Nero; while Tacitus leaves it uncertair ftomach, from its caufticity, dangerous who was its author, and what was its to the paffages. Dr. H. conjectured, caufe. "Forte, an dolo imperatoris. that this caufticity might probably arife incertum," are his words. Several arfrom its clofe affinity to flefh, and that guments of confiderable weight are here therefore it might be faturated with this adduced to overturn the authority of fubftance, and thus become not only in- Suetonius-the abfence of the emperor, nocent but falutary. To afcertain this when the fire took place; the meffages, point, he pounded fome roafted turkey which he fent from Antium to flop its well dried, and mixed it with pounded progrefs; his haflening to Rome, when falt of tartar, rendered cauftic by quick he found his orders ineffectual; his atlime, until he believed it to be fully fa- tention to the fufferers; the ardent dearated. He then fpread the mixture fire he manifefted to mitigate their dif before the fire, until it became quite trefs, by providing them with neceffadry; and having macerated it with ries, and reducing the price of corn; warm water, and poured off the liquor, the fpot alfo where the fire broke out, be found it to be a mild alkaline filt, being a quarter where dangerous and fuch as he wanted. In the year 1777 extenfive conflagrations had formerly he met with an account of fome expe- happened. Thefe arguments, and feriments made by Mr. Bewley, an inge veral others of inferior weight, eftaious chemift, which plainly proved, blith, in the judgment of Dr. B. the that fixed air is an acid, and faturates innocence of Nero, the partiality of Suealkaline falts. After this he changed tonius, and the fuperior merit of his the procefs, and prepared his falts by rival hiftorian in point of fidelity. impregnating water with fixed air, and then adding falt of tartar. By means of thefe falts he has preferved fome fech unaltered for 22 years, the fibrous o: firingy parts not having undergone the leaft change. This property of alkaline falts is to be attributed, as he conceives, to their reftoring, by fixed air, the volatile acid gas; the efcape of which, from animal fubftances, is a caufe of putrefaction. Art. 17. Extract from a paper on furveying, by Thomas Meagher, near Palace Green, in the county of Limerick, with a plate. This article was inferted in our Magazine for July 1794, p. 57. a P. 13. The truth is, fays Dr. B., when Suetonius wrote, invective gainft the race of Cæfar opened the way to honour and preferment. Abufe of the Auguftan family was the fathion of fucceeding times, and the inftrument of flattery with fucceeding, emperors. With infinite caution, therefore, are we to admit the adulatory invective of the writers of the age of Trajan. The fidelity of hiftory was made to bow to the etiquette of courts and the interefts of hiftorians.' Art. 2. An effay on the origin and nature of our idea of the fublime, by the Rev. George Miller, F. T. C. D. 3 M. R. I. A. ELLA.-What conftitutes the fublime biqueftion, which has long exercifed ingenuity of philofophers and rhetians. According to Longinus, that emation, of which we are confcious, when we contemplate a fublime object, cos in a proud elevation of mind. Tauthor of the Philofophical Inquiry into the origin of our ideas of the Sub and Beautiful makes it confift in terr. Dr. Priestley places it in an al illness, and lord Kames derives it hom the magnitude or elevation of le objects. Dr. Blair, defirous to tancile the opinions of former writand to affign a more general origin his fentiment, has fuggefted an idea, power is the fundamental quality, hich the emotion of fublimity oriates. Thefe theories the author of memoir apprehends to be defective, atst one of them is fo comprehenfive embrace every object confeffedly flime, while he admits at the fame ne that all of them have fome founda· tion in nature. To reconcile thefe tions by propofing an hypothefis ch thall comprize them all, and Apply their deficiencies, is the object of this memoir. With this view he Sides all fublime objects into three cafies; 1ft, external fenfible objects; thofe, which excite the emotion, ich Dr. Blair has called the moral, fentimental fublime; and the 34, perior beings. He then proceeds to particularize a few of thofe objects, which each of thefe claffes may be faid to include, and to defcribe the feveral med fications of the general emotion, which they naturally excite. In the awful fublime of nature, or external fenfible objects,' he obferves, terror may have place." From the fecond cals of fublime objects, he conceives it to be excluded; and with refpect to fuperior beings, he fays, that the taction of fublimity is excited by Contemplating either the terrible effets of their power, or the benign and gracius exertions of their goodnefs. The elky is concluded with an inquiry into the connection between the pathetic and the fublime. In this paper the reader will find feveral judicious obfervations; but the theory of the author, if it may be fo termed, is, we apprehend, de fective in precifion. To one or other of the three claffes, into which he has divided fublime objects, every thing in nature may be referred. Whether beautiful or ugly, regular or picturesque, low or fublime. The author's claflification therefore is indeed comprehenfive; but much too vague, and nowife tends to define the object. Some diftinctive quality or combination of qualities must be fpecified by which the fublime of each clafs may be difcriminated from the ugly, the merely terrible, and others of the fame clafs. This the author has not attempted, and without this the matter in queftion is just as it was. We acknowledge, indeed, with Mr. M. that a love of fimplicity, and a defire to form a definite and precife theory of the nature of the fublime, have mifled other writers on this fubject, and that perhaps no fingle quality does of itfelf conftitute the fublime. We are at the fame time however perfuaded, that an hypothefis may be framed much more precife than the author's, as well as more comprehenfive than Dr. Blair's, which, by the way, we reckon the most fatisfactory that we have yet feen; and we are convinced, that any theory, even though in fome minute circumftances defective, is preferable to a vague and imperfect enumeration of facts, without principle, and without system. Art. 3. Two fays on the following fubject, propofed by the academy, viz. On yle in writing, confidered with respect to thoughts and Jentiments as ull as words, and indicating the writer's peculiar and characteristic difpofition, habits, and powers of mind," by the Rev. Robert Burrowes, D. D. F. T. C D. and fecretary to the Royal Irish Academy. -The object of the learned author, in this memor, is to prove, that there is a ftyle in thought, as well as in words, and that from the compofitions of every writer, efpecially thofe in which he excels, confiderable information may be derived, relative to his moral and intellectual character. Thefe cffays we have perufed with great attention and much pleafure. They are diftinguished by correctnefs of fentiment, and perfpicuity of diction. The principles are clear, vours, by feveral ingenious argume to prove, that the paffage imports that thefe poets were the authors of Grecian theology, but that antecede to their writings, the Greeks poffeffed regular fyftem of that fcience, and Homer and Hefiod were the firft reduced the genealogy of the gods i fyftematic order, affigning to th certain furnames, diftinguithing t tutelary functions, appropriating each a peculiar mode of worship and facrifice, and inventing the partic forms under which they have ever fi been reprefented. clear, the conclufions juft, and the il- fiftency and error, our author end luftrations appofite. Perfuaded as we are of the truth of the author's theory, and that the memoir before us faithfully reflects its elegant original, we venture to affirm, that Dr. B. poffeffes a folid judgment, a correct tafte, and a happy talent for the difcrimination of character. ANTIQUITIES.-Art. 1. Some confiderations on a controverted paffage in Herodotus, by the right honourable the earl of Charlemont, prefident of the Royal Irish Academy, and F. R. S.-Thefe "Confiderations" are intended to refcue the author's favourite hiftorian, Herodotus, from the imputation of "falfe opinion and abfurdity." The honourable writer introduces the effay with afferting the general accuracy and fidelity of Herodotus. . Whether I may not,' fays he, P. 4, be too partial to an author who, during my eaftern voyage, was my conftant and beloved companion, I will not pretend to fay; but this I can fafely affert, that though perhaps in thofe circumftances and opinions which he relates or adopts on the authority of others, he may be often erroneous; wherever he peaks from his own knowledge, I have always found him a faithful guide; and in many inftances, with fome of which I may perhaps hereafter trouble the academy, I have clearly difcovered the errors which have been imputed to him have proceeded, not from his fault, but from our ignorance of his true meaning; one of which mifconceptions, (for fuch at leaft it appears to me) fhall be the fubject of the prefent effay.' The paffage alluded to runs thus in the original, p. 5. Holudur yàę nai "Oμnpor ηλικίην τετρακοσίοισι ἔτεσι δοκέω μεν ευρεσβύτερος γενεσθαι, και πλέυσι. δελοι δὲ ἐτσι οι ποίησαντες θεογονίην Ἕλλησι, και τοίσι Θεῖισι τας ἐπωνυμίας δίπλες, καὶ τίμας τε και τέχνας διίλοντες, καὶ είδεα αυτῶν σημηνανίες Lib. i. cap. 53. This paffage has been by moit interpreters fuppofed to imply, that Homer and Hefiod were the firft inventors or importers of Grecian theology, and the first who affigned names to the Pagan gods. In oppofition to this conftruction of the hiftorian's words, which would involve him in the juft charge of incon The effay is ingenious and writ with modefty. The author's anim verfions on the conceited prefumpt of fome modern critics are juft pertinent. We add, that we find little difficulty in affenting to his in pretation of the paffage in quefti but apprehend that Blackwell's tr flation of the words TWY społ yerova Ionlar," viz. "the p who lived before him," is the o correct one. The author's argume however, does not depend on t folely; and we give it as our opini that he has treated the fubject w great fairness, ability, and fuccefs. ་་ Art. 2. An account of the game chefs, as played by the Chinese, i letter from Eyles Irwin, Efq. to right honourable the earl of Charlema prefident of the Royal Irish Acader From this memoir it appears, that game of chefs originated in China, that it was invented by a manda called Hanfing, about 1967 years a on the following occafion :Cochu, king of Kiangnan, fent an pedition into the Shenâ country, un -H A the command of this mandarin. ret confid confidered the fubject, he invented the game of chefs, which he naturally fuppofed would not only amufe his men in their vacant hours, but alfo inflame their military ardour. The ftratagem fucceeded; the foldiery were delighted with the game; and forgetting in their daily contefts for victory, the hardships of their condition, remained peaceably in their quarters till next fpring, when the object of the expedition was fully accomplished. The manner in which the Chinese play this game is fonnewhat different from ours. The mandarin, which anfwers to our bishop in his ftation and fidelong courfe, cannot, through age, cross the river, or fpace dividing the board in the middle; and a rocket boy, still used in the Indian armies, who is ftationed between the lines of each party, acts literally with the motion of a rocket, by vaulting over a man and taking his adverfary at the other end of the board. The king is fupported by his two fons inftead of a queen. The account of the game is accompanied with a plan of the board and pieces, with directions how to place the men and play the game. Trial of John Leary, for High Treafon at Hugh Crothers, Efq. Foreman. To whom the prifoner was given in charge, on an indictment fimilar to that of Weldon, to wit, charging him with affociating with certain falfe traiitors, known by the title and denomi NOT E. nation of defenders, affociated for the purpofe of fubverting the king's go. vernment, and compaffing the king's death, and of aiding the perfons exercifing the government of France, at open war with his majefty, for the faid purpofes, and with conferring and confpiring with faid falfe traitors, for those purpofes, thereby compaffing and imagining the king's death, and adhering to the king's enemies, contrary to the ftature, 25. Hen. III. Mr. Ruxton opened the profecution, and the Attorney General stated the cafe with great ability, and the law thereon; in the courfe of which he commented with much force on the enormity of the crime of high treason. The firft and principle witnefs examined was William Lawler, upon whofe teftimony Weldon was convicted. and it will be unneceffary here to gu minutely into that part of the teftimony which only recapitulates a great part of his evidence on the trial of Weldon, as our readers, are already in full poffeffion of the whole of his evidence in that cafe; it will, we prefume, be fufficient to mention here, that the witnefs proved his occupation; his ferving his there becoming a member of the London time in Dublin: going to Lonton. correfponding fociety: his return hither about two years fince, and his be coming a member of the philanthropic and telegraphic focieties, under the aufpices of a man named Burke, i formerly a ftudent of Trinity College, from which he was expelled. The ac count he gave of the formation of thuis focieties, under the direction of John Burke, was, that Burke first affociated ten members, and bound each of them to find ten others of their acquaintance to become members, each of which ten fhould be obliged to raife five more members, by which means a fufficient force would be railed to feize on the cafile of Dublin; one hundred of this number were to be cloathed in feirlet uniforms, in order to deceive the citizens of Dublin into a belief that the army had joined in the purpofe. Witnes made up his ten members and introducd them to Burke, who procured a room in High-ftreet for their affociation |