strong propensity for the profession of arms, to which however his friends were decidedly hostile ; and though the same wishes which filled his bosom when a child, grew with his growth and strengthened with his strength, still they persevered in their determination, in obedience to which, after having passed through his academical course with credit and ability, Lorenzo entered on his professional career, the duties of which he discharged with fidelity, though with none of that perseverance and zeal incumbent on all who wish to succeed in any avocation. From various incidents of daily occurrence it is easy to find out what was and still continues to be the darling object of his soul. Whenever he happens to hear the sound of martial music or to witness any military spectacle, the latent flame bursts forth, his eye sparkles, and his whole frame bespeaks the soldier at other times the indifference of all his actions is equally perceptible, and though his attention is not withdrawn from his profession, yet it is evident that the regard he pays it is forced, not voluntary. Had he been allowed to have em braced that course of life to which it is clear he had a powerful and steady inclination, there is little doubt that, instead of living in obscurity, unknowing and unknown, Lorenzo would now have been celebrated amongst the defenders of his country: peculiarly fitted by nature and by habit to endure fatigue and privations, he was calculated to undergo those hardships which form no small part of the soldier's duty; as it is, he vegetates, rather than exists;—a memorable, and it is to be feared far from a solitary instance of the errors into which parents may fall as much by repressing as by indulging the wishes and inclinations of their children. July, 1818.

ANCIENT CUSTOM OF “LIFTING.“

To the Editor of the Northern Star.

N.

IN some parts of these northern counties there still exists an ancient custom called Lifting: it is practised on Easter Monday and Tuesday; on the former day the men lift the women three times from the ground by taking hold of their hands and feet, and on the following day the women repeat this unseemly practice on the men. This custom, indecorous and indelicate as it is, was originally instituted as a type of the resurrection, and affords a curious proof of the difference between ancient and modern times as to ideas of propriety; in our days it certainly would be more honoured by the breach than the observance, though I must not forget to notice that in many places, particularly at Knaresbro', this custom has given place to one far less objectionable, which is this:-On Easter-Monday the men take the women's shoes, which are only to be regained by a present; and on the following day the women seize the men's hats, which are returned on similar conditions. The author of the history of Knaresbro', in noticing this custom, has supposed it to be the remains of a festival instituted on the defeat of the Danes in 1402, in which however he is evidently mistaken. I an induced to offer you this short notice of the custom for insertion in the Northern Star, as adding one to the number of our popular ceremonies, of the origin of which, accounts have already been given in your pages.

July, 1818.

A: M:

ON COQUETRY.

To the Editors of the Northern Star.

DO not recollect whether it has fallen to your lot to put upon record the sentiments of any of your correspondents upon one frailty which the Fair Sex are found occasionally indulging; and if not, I may hope, you will admit this attempt to describe the nature and the evils of the failing to which the name of Coquetry is attached. Those who are capable of playing the coquet must be fond of admiration, but incapable of sincere attachment; they must be able to assume the appearance of affection in such a degree as to occasionally inspire hope in their victim, but they must be almost necessarily of such a cold constitution, and such languid affections, as to be in no danger of kindling from the ardour with which they are pursued; they must on all occasions of intimacy be in the habit of consulting the head rather than the heart, and their head must be full of such sentiments as guide the ambitious, not of such principles as teach human beings to be amiable and happy they must be covetous of constant advances, yet regardless of the impropriety and danger of repeated encouragement; they must be so unfeeling as to exult in the pains those have to endure who have been so fortunate as to suffer a repulse; and finally, they must be so unjust as to be able to the last moment to hold themselves in suspense, and to free themselves from the most serious engagement upon the lucky occurrence of a suitor more to their taste. From this account of the beings who can act the part I have described, you will see that I consider it by no means an universal failing, perhaps not very common. The love of admiration, which all human beings more or less feel, is so modified and controlled in the more amiable and affectionate, as to inspire a delicate reserve in the commencement of acquaintance, and a strong repugnance against trifling with a subject which so seriously affects the whole of life. The woman who knows she is the object of an attachment which she cannot return, if as prudent and amiable as she ought to be, foregoes readily any pleasure resulting from an intercourse which she cannot enjoy without keeping alive feelings which she must wish to become extinet; and on such an occasion a virtuous woman loses all sentiments of va nity in the prevailing impulse of commiseration.

Every perversion of natural feeling draws after it consequences sufficiently painful to admonish and deter, could reason have its due influence with those who manifest perverted affections. The coquet is in danger of finally making a choice that cannot contribute to her happiness. Frivolous herself, and eager after what is the most frivolous of gratifications, she will probably sport with the most superficial of the other sex; all sober admirers she gradually disgusts and dismisses, when perhaps they are seeking some excuse to recede: and though much hardened by repeated use, playing in these cases with edge-tools, some of them may happen to cut, and the wound which makes her yield fixes her the merited prey of the most insignificant coxcomb in the long train of her pursuers. The very arts she uses to attract notice are naturally repelling to the amiable; and if they occasionally allure the inexperienced by the semblance of better things they bear, yet is she too vitiated to prize a capture which might re-instate her amongst the amiable and happy of her sex.

VOL. III.

98 On determining whether the Inhabitants of a Country increase, &c.

I am driven to these reflections on this failing, by the case of one whom I wished to see happy, but whose fate may serve as a warning to all who are likely to wreck their chance of a good settlement in the same unhappy

way.

Belinda was in early life the object of general admiration. Rather too fond of dress and show, she was, nevertheless, sprightly, engaging, and sensible. With considerable vivacity of imagination, a fine person, a sweet voice, and great volubility of speech, she too soon perceived that she was formed to attract; and felt the pleasure which many a popular preacher feels in having a croud of pursuers. She found that, to select from these an object suited to her better judgement and warmer feelings, would gradually diminish the large circle in which she was formed to move; and after causing several young, intelligent, respectable admirers to languish in vain for the accomplishment of hopes she loved to excite without designing ever to allow them to close in possession, she found an enemy more insidious than her own corrupted taste preying upon those charms which formed her outward attractions. Alarmed at the evident change which this wrought in the number and the ardour of her devotees, she began to think too impatiently of settling in life; but her best days and fairest prospects were gone, and she was obliged to bury her remaining charms in the most loathsome embraces of an aged, silly, though rich dotard; and to find, that when nature is violated, no circumstances can ward off the punishment which she inflicts for the outrage her majesty has sustained.

Yours, &c.

К.

ON DETERMINING WHETHER THE INHABITANTS OF A COUNTRY INCREASE OR DECREASE IN AN ARITHMEPTICAL OR IN A GEOMETRICAL PROGRESSION.

THE number of inhabitants in a given kingdom or state, is either always the same, or it increases or decreases in some progressive manner. If it be not stationary, the increase or decrease must be nearly either in an arithmetical or in a geometrical progression. To determine which of these laws it observes, we will first solve the last question in Bonnycastle's Arithmetic concerning the cow and calves, and then deduce from it, if possible, the law which the series observes.

The question is,Suppose a man has a ealf, which at the end of three years begins to breed, and afterwards brings a female calf every year; and that each calf begins to breed in like manner at the end of three years, bringing forth a cow-calf every year; and that these last breed in the same manner, &c.: it is required to determine the owner's whole stock at the end of 20 years?

in

By the nature of the question, it appears that the increase in the first year will be 0, in the 2nd 0, in the 3rd 1, in the 4th 1, &c. and that the increase any year will be equal to the sum of the increase in the preceding year and the year two years before the preceding year, i. e. each succeeding term is the sum of the last term, and the last term but two. To find the sum of the series, or of any part of it, To three times the last term, add

On determining whether the Inhabitants of a Country increase, &c. 99

the last term but five, and the sum will be the aggregate required, as by the following table.

[Yr., Increase.

1

이

1

12

13+ 6: 11-000013 19+ 9:

Amount.

23

4

1

5

22-0000 14 28+13=

--

Katio.

88 1.4667

193 x 19+ 3= 60 1.4634 283× 28+ 4: 413× 41+ 6=1291-4659 31-5000 15 41+19 603 X 60+ 9-1891-4651 41-3333 16 60+28 883× 88+13-277 1-4655 61+1=23X2+0= 61.5000 17 88+41-1293 X 129+19-4061-4657 88+41=1293×12919-406 72+1=33X3+0= 91.5000 18129+60-1893×189+28=595 1.4655 82+2=43x4+1=131-4444 19 189+88-2773 x 277+41-872 1-4655 94+2=63X6+1=191-461520277 +129=4063 × 406+ 60=12781-4656 106+3=93x9+1-281-4737 119+4=133x13+2=41|1·4643

Total 1278

By inspecting the 2nd column of the above table, it appears that the increase or differences are not equal, and therefore the series is not an arithmetical progression. It is not a series of figurate or polygonal numbers, because if the differences were repeatedly taken, they would never become equal but by inspecting the 4th column, which is found by dividing each term by the preceding, it will appear that it approaches nearly to a geometrical progression; and if the terms were continued ad infinitum, it is evident that it would be one, The ratio, when it becomes constant, is probably that of 1:1-465, or 900:1319. Hence, as the series is a geometrical progression when none die off, and as the ratio of dying off, supposing them to die at a certain age, will, by the same chain of reasoning, be a geometrical progression also, it is well known that the series compounded of these two will be of the same nature.

Now, as the population of a country would be exactly similar to the case we have been considering, if the ratio of increase were not sometimes lessened by wars, famine, pestilence, &c. and as these are casual circumstances which it is impossible to reduce to rule, it follows, that the inerease or decrease must be nearly that of a geometrical progression. cordingly, when we know the population of a country at two different periods, we can find the ratio of increase, and also the time of doubling the number of inhabitants.

Ac

England and Wales, in the year 1377, contained about 2,093,000 inhabitants; in 1483 they were 4,686,000. Hence, to find the annual ratio of increase between these two periods, we have only to find a ratio that will give (1483—(1377+1)) 105 mean proportionals between 2,093,000 and 4,686,000, or 2,093 and 4,686. This may be easily found by Logarithms, thus:

Divide 30103, the Log. of 2, by 0033022, and the quotient will be 91, the number of years in which the inhabitants were doubled. On these principles we have calculated the time of doubling the number of inhabitants in England and Wales between the respective periods in the following table.

The following Table will show the time of doubling the several other countries, and also of the city of London.

55

inhabitants of

The Census of the United States in 1801, furnishes some curious details, which are worthy of mentioning. The number of females under 10 years of age, in that country, is to the number of males under the same age, as 100 to 105; the females of 10 and under 16, is to the males, as 100 to 106; of 16 and under 26, as 100 to 98; of 26 and under 45, as 100 to 106; and of 45 and upwards, as 100 to 103. Also, that the number of persons under 10 years of age is equal to about ths of the whole population'; of those under 16, to; of those under 26, 11ths; and of those under 45, ths. And that, contrary to what is observed in England, the number of males in the United States is greater than the number of females. The ratio of the former to that of the latter is, as 104 to 100.

Nottingham, July 5, 1818.

26

JOHN BAINES.

QUERIES ON TYPHUS FEVER.

medical correspon

To the Editor of the Northern Star. I SHALL esteem it as a great favour if any of your dents would return an answer, through the medium of your Magazine, to