Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

1

Leturned Bifhop. The right reverend author fays, "Hine au venit, ut fyllaba acatæ proxima pro correptâ habeatur, breviorque acuta videatur, etiam cum ipfa quoque brevis eft." If I understand this fentence aright, I would tranflate it thus:

"Hence it happens, that the fyllable on which the acute accent falls is rendered short, and one which is naturally fhort becomes more fort by being ac ecuted." The fyllable nearest or next the acute accent muit doubtless be that over which the accent is placed. If Mr. P. fhould difpute this, I will endeavour to give him an inftance in point: Some of the Cumberland papers lately afferted, that bills had been pofted up in the city of Carlisle, announcing that a gentleman on a certain day and hour, would walk over the river Eden, very near the bridge. Numbers were induced by curiosity to attend at the time appointed, that they might witness this extraordinary action. Accordingly, the gentleman appeared, and, in conformity with his promife, walked over the Eden fo very near the bridge, that he puffed over it, to the no mall confusion and difappointment of the fpectators. I am not aware that the word proximus conveys a meaning different from that which I have given it.

The fentiments of Dr. Valpy, of Readjug, in his Greek Grammar lately publifhed, agree fo well with my own on the fubject of Greek accents, that I fcruple not to make au extract from that valuable work, in confirmation of what I have before advanced: "For the proper modulation of fpeech, it is neceffary that one fyllable in every word fhould be diftinguished by an elevation of the voice. On this fyllable, the accent is marked in the Greek language. This elevation does not lengthen the time of that syllable, to that accent and quantity are confidered by the beft critics as perfectly diftinét, but by no means inconfiftent with each other. That it is poflible to obferve both accent and quantity is proved by the practice of the modern Greeks, who may be fuppofed to have retained in fomic degree, the pronunciation of their ancestors. Thus in cumquíma they lengthen the first and the last fyllable, and elevate the tone of the penultima.

"In our language the diftinction between accent and quantity is obvious. The accent falls on the antepenultima, equally in the words liberty and library, yet in the former the tone only is elevated, in the latter the fyllable is alfo lengthened. The fame difference will appear in

[blocks in formation]

I

SIR,

N anfwer to the query of J. P. of Toddington, in your Magazine for Novemnher, p. 353, I will be obliged by your infertion of the following, as it may, in cafe no other of your correfpondents answer it more fatisfactorily, be acceptable to him. In one of my manufcript Receipt-books, I find the following obfervations on the ufe to which "Horfe-Chefnuts" may be applied. Mr. Marcendie, having experienced the efficacy of horfe chefnuts, in the bleaching of linen and cleaning of woollen fluffs, made likewife ufe of an infufion of them in water, as a lye for preparing hemp.

The manner of making this lye is to peel the chefnuts, and rafp them as fine as poffible into foft water, in proportion of two or three nuts to every quart of water. This is done ten or twelve hours before the mixture is to be used, and in the mean while it is fired from time to time the better to diffolve these raspings, and impregnate the water. The last thirring is given about a quarter of an hour before the water is drawn off from the thickest part of the rafpings which fubfide, and this is done, either by inclining the veffel and pouring off the lye gently, or by ladling it out by hand, while the water is yet white, and froths like foapfuds. In order to ufe this lye, it is made rather hotter than the hand can well bear, and the hemp is then steeped and wathed in it as in foap-fuds. Linen may alfo be washed in this lyc, and even when very dirty, much lefs foap will be required than is commonly used, it being futficient to rub the dirtieft parts only with the foap.-He adds, that the rafpings of the chefnuts which link to the bottom of the lye, are good food for fowls and pigs. Hemp, as above prepared, may be dyed like filk, wool or cotton, and may be made into fulf and garments of all kinds, and that a great advantage attending the ufe of this material is, that it will not be destroyed by thofe infects which devour woollen cloth.

* Elements of Greek Grammar.

Method

Method of extracting Starch from Horfe

Chefnuts.

In the year 1796, William Murray, efq. (commonly called Lord Williain Murray,) obtained a patent for extract ing ttarch from horse-chefnuts, of which the following is a copy of the procefs as defcribed by the patentee:

I first take the horse-chefnuts out of the outward green prickly butks, and then either by hand with a knife or other tool, or elfe with a mill adapted for that purpofe, I very carefully pare off the brown Find being particular not to leave the fmalleft fpeck, and to entirely eradicate the fprout or growth. I next take the nuts and rafp grate or grind them fine into water, either by hand or by a mill adapted for that purpofe. The pulp which is thereby formed in this water, I wath as clean as poffible through a coarfe horfe hair fieve, this I again wath through a finer fieve, and then again through a ftill finer, conftantly adding clean water to prevent any ftarch adhering to the pulp. The laft procefs is to put it with a large quantity of water, (about four gallons to a pound of starch,) through a fine gauze muflin or lawn, fo as entirely to clear it of all bran or other impurities; as foon as it fettles, pour off the water, then inix it up with clean water, repeating this operation till it no longer imparts any green, yellow, or other colour, to the water; then drain it off till nearly dry, and fet it to bake either in the ufual mode of baking ftarch, or elfe fpread out before a brifk fire, being very attentive to stir it frequently to prevent its horning, that is to fay, turning to a pafte or jelly, which, on being dried, turns hard like bor. The whole procefs thould be conducted as quickly as poffible. Huil, Nov. 6th, 1806.

Your's, &c. WILLIAM PYBUS. N.B. If any of your correfpondents would have the goodness to anfwer n'e the following queries through your Magazine, I fhall think myfelf greatly favoured.

1. The method which the late Signor Roignol used to imitate the finging of birds, &c? 2. The method of bronzing plafter-figures, and giving cafts of plafter a polish like marble? 3. The method of browning gun barrels ? 4 The method of making a powder for siraning filver plate?

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

[blocks in formation]

prized that, amidst the great variety of information contained in the different numbers, I have not had the pleasure of feeing any account of the School-Masters' Society, the outlines of which I hope you will allow me to lay before the public, through fo popular a medium.

This fociety is compofed of the mafters of endowed fchools and boardingfchools, who meet annually in London, to elect a committee, to admit new members, and to pay their fubfcriptions and benefactions; and their meetings have conftantly been honoured by numbers of our firft literary characters, who are ftrenuous fupporters of this laudable undertaking.

Two feparate funds have arifen out of the inftitution; the one called the Joint Stock, and the other the Charitable Fund. The joint-stock confits of the fubfcriptions of meinbers only, who pay five guineas a year each to this fund, and whole families are, in right of furvivorthip, entitled to its benefits.

Every member may bequeath his fhare in the joint-stock of the fociety to his widow and children, in fuch proportions as he fhall think proper; but if he die intettate, or if he omit to mention the claim in his will, the committee will pay it to his widow and children, or to fuch of them as may furvive hiin, an equal thare to each.

The charitable fund is fupported by the benefactions of the public, as well as of the profeffion; for, being intended for the relief of diftreffed teachers in general, and their families, it requires a more efficient fupport than school-mafters alone can afford: every member of the fociety muft, however, become a benefactor to it of five guineas at leaft, which conftitutes a governor of this charity. The committee have power to diftribute annually, for benevolent purpofes, a sum not exceeding half the income of the charitable fund for the preceding year; but donations beyond this proportion can only be made by permition of the general meeting. Application for reef from the charitable fund inuft be addreffed to the committee at their meetings, which are held four times a year, at

the Crown and Anchor Tavern.

The object which this fociety has in view is too laudable to need any comment: they wish to establith a fund for the benefit of the widows and orphans of thofe belonging to their profeflion; for the relief of such inftructors of youth as may become necellitous through

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

an infirmity or misfortune; and to hold out a profpect of encouragement and confolation that may leffen their prefent anxiety.

I am well aware, that to establish an inftitution of this fort, its nature and merits ought to be clearly stated; I cannot, therefore, but prefume it would be difficult to point out an employment of more general importance to fociety than that, the profeffors of which this intitution propoles to encourage and relieve. In addition to the importance of the profellion, I may, and I hope with propriety, urge the great labour and anxiety attending its practice, and the inadequate compenfation afforded by it. In a word, as no profeffion has an equal influence on the happiness of fociety, I have no doubt but the liberal part of the public will be fenfible that, in whatever degree they may eftimate the exertions of individual fchool-mafters, they will benefit their own times or potierity by leuding their fupport to this well-conducted eftablishment.

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

For the Monthly Magazine. PARTICULARS of the PRESENT STATE of POLAND, by an ENGLISH GENTLEMAN recently returned from that COUNTRY, after a RESIDENCE in it of TWO YEARS.

I LANDED at Dantzig, formerly an

independent town under the protection of Poland; and as it has always been intimately connected with that country by the trade in corn, fome account of a place fo confiderable, yet fo little known, may not be unacceptable before I introduce my obfervations on the interior. This city is become an object of particular intereft, too, from events now evolving.

Dantzic is fituated on the Viftula, in an immenfe plain or marth, about four miles from the Baltic. Its population (as I learnt from a merchant of the place) is, as flated by others, 36,000. It is regularly and ftrongly fortified. Its circumference, within the fortifications, is about four miles, as I afcertained pretty ncarly, by walking entirely round. The

eastern and western entrances, which are the principal, are joined by the lange gaffe, or long ftreet, which paffes nearly through the centre of the town. This ftrcet is by no means uniformly built, nor of an equal width throughout; it confifts rather of two or three different ftreets, running the one into the other: The streets crois one another at right angles; thofe parallel with the long fireet are the widest and best built. Some few of thefe have alfo rows of trees on each fide. Many of the others are rather lanes than freets; the whole are paved, though they are entirely without flags. As the exterior form of the houses in this town is fingular, and feems common in this part of the world, the reader may perhaps not be difpleafed with a brief defcription of it. The houfes, then, commonly present a narrow front; and ap pear as if the gable ends were turned towards the fireet. The oppofite fides of the roof, however, do not converge in ftraight lines, and terminate in a point; but deviate into various ornamental curvatures, and finally terminate in rounded fummits, fimilarly to what may be obferved over the windows of fome old halls in England.

On the west, immediately without the moat, arife heights which completely command the town. One of these little hills is as conveniently fituated for an enemy, as if artificially thrown up for his purpofe. I attempted to afcend it, in order to look about me; but a fentinel foon obliged me to retreat. On the fecond partition of Poland in 1793, when the King of Pruffia ufurped the fovereignty of Dantzic, his firft object was. to obtain poffeffion of this height, whence he overawed the town.

The trade of Dantzic has been faid to be, for fome years, on the decline; yet a new custom-houfe has been lately erected, far more capacious than the former one: befides, the harbour at Fairwater has been enlarged and rendered more commodious. I am unable to adduce the comparative ftate of the cuf toms, of exports and imports, in any given number of former and late years.

;

The prevalent religion at Dantzic, as throughout Pruffin, is the Lutheran though there are feveral catholic churches, one of which is of confiderable magnitude, and adorned, as usual, with a variety of fuperb monuments and fine paintings. The largest Lutheran church is ftill more capacious, but totally with out ornament. The difference in this

respec

ftretches a fertile plain, in appearance of immeatureable extent. On the weft, the profpećt is completed by the adjacent woodlands.

refpect was to me very ftriking, having On the north, we have a view of the gone immediately from the one to the Baltic; of the bay of Dantzic, its botother; and I very fenfibly felt on this tom adorned with forefts of pine; of the occafion, that I was not fo rigid a pro- harbour and fhipping at Fair-water, with teftant as to be prevented from feeling a the vellels paling to and fro between higher gratification on entering a temple that and the town. To the eaft, is the of religion refplendent with the tasteful city of Dantzic, with its walls and towproductions of the fine arts, than on beers; from which, on the fouth and eaft, holding only the bare and mouldy walls of another, though fanctified by the authority of the renowned and mieritorious Martin Luther. But religion does not appear to be much in fathion at Dantzic. Both in the Lutheran and in the Catholic churches, I obferved that the congregation confifted chiefly of peasants and of the lowest claffes of the people. The merchants are, in general, profelfed unbelievers; and in no town, that I have feen, does infidelity appear fo widely diffufed among uneducated and illiterate people. I was told by a merchant, who feemed very folicitous that I fhould cons fider hint of the clafs of gentlemen, that it was ungenteel to go to church, and that few but the vulgar, particularly the penfants, would be found zealous frequenters of the temple.

The places of public amufement are more frequented. Within a very few years a new theatre has been built here; which, agreeably to the cuftom of the continent, is always open on Sundays. The fcenery is tolerable, though the general appearance is heavy and inelegant, The pit has no feats, except a few hear the mufic-box: the greater part of it ferves as a fort of parade for loungers,

The other Sunday amusements, during the fummer, are rope-dancing, tumbling, &c.; to which may be added, the vifiting of public gardens, where you are regaled with coffee, punch, &c. and the gaynefs of the fcene is heightened by a band of mufic. But the molt celebrated tea-garden is fituated in a village, about three miles to the wett of the town. The road to this village runs, for two miles out of the three, in a straight line between a double row of lofty trees; and between the rows on each fide is a walk ten or twelve feet wide, completely overthadowed by the arching of the oppolite branches. In this village, and its vicinity, many of the merchants of Dantzic have country refidences. I have mentioned this place chiefly, because it affords many picturefque and beautiful fcenes; and becaufe, from the adjoining heights there is the most extenfive pro Ipect of the whole furrounding country,

The vaft inarth which stretches out from Dantzic for an extent of forty miles, is of fingular fertility. It is culti vated partly in corn, and partly in paf turage. The farm-houfes are good, and the barns uncommonly capacious. Hence this town is abundantly fupplied with excellent thambles of meat, as well as corn; and, as it is fomewhat cheaper here than in England, the masters of our trading-veffels often choofe to take in their fea-ftores at this place, rather than in their own country. Through this plain winds the Viftula, difcharging itself into the Baltic at the bottom of Fairwater, about four English miles below Dantzic. This river is fo fwelled in the fpring by the melting of the winter's fhow, that its fiream has been confined by two prodigious banks, which feem to commence at the fouth-eastern extremity of the marth, extending downwards through a diftance of at least twenty or thirty miles, and gradually difappearing as the river approaches the fea. Thefe banks are nearly a mile afunder, though the river itself is rarely a quarter of a mile wide. They are, at the leaft, twenty feet in perpendicular height; are broad enough at the top for two carri ages to pals with difficulty, and at the bafe are proportionally extended. The river is paffed here, and in various other places, by a boat capable of containing two coaches and four in fucceffion, and two abreaft, with a number of perfons betides. The ends of the boat are adapted to a fiuall pier at the side, to which when the boat is lathed, carriages, &c. are cafily driven into it. During the winter, moft of the ftreams throughout Poland are croffed on the ice, which is commonly covered with flow. In fome places indeed, which are comparatively few, there are bridges of boats, and on piles, of course all of wood.

Soon after crofling the Vistula, at the eastern extremity of the plain of Dant zic, the country affumes that appear ance which, with flight variations, it

E2

univerfally

univerfally retains through Poland. Having defcriped, therefore, the appearances of an extent of thirty or forty miles, I may be confidered as having defcribed the whole region.

The furface is flightly uneven, but not fufficiently to interrupt the view towards the fartheft poffible horizon. Hence, though Poland is a flat country, it is not a perfect plain, as has been fometimes reprefented. Its furface undulates, but never rifes into hills, except in a few places. The Carpathian mountains, which feparate it from Hungary, do not forin a proper exception to this general appearance. The town of Lemberg, however, is fituated in a hilly diftrict; though the hills are too ftoney, too little wooded and covered with grafs, to exhibit a fingle specimen of the picturesque. There are a few pretty fcenes; and I was informed that the vicinity of Cracow prefents others still more worthy of attention: but it may be remarked, that neither of thefe towns is many miles diftant from the above mountains.

The traveller fometimes finds himself in an expanse of surface, almost without a house, a tree, or any fingle object large enough to attract his notice. Soon, however, are defcried the fkirts of fome vaft forest fringing the diftant horizon; and on entering it, we proceed for eight or ten miles (more or lefs) winding with the road through lofty pines, &c. &c. precluded from the night of all objects but trees and fhrubs. Sometinies, in the midit of a foreft we meet with a fmall spot or ground (for example, of ten or twenty acres) cleared and cultivated; its fides prettily fenced by the green fur rounding woods. Sometimes a fmall lake is found thus fituated, its borders ornamented in a fimilar manner: and thefe, generally fpeaking, are the pret tieft fcenes which Poland furnishes. Thefe forefts in fome places are fifteen, and even twenty, miles in all directions; an affertion which will appear the more credible, when I obferve that of an eftate belonging to a certain nobleman, containing about fifty fquare miles, nearly one half is computed to be foreft. It is not eafy to traverse thefe vait wilderneffes, without being filled with a fentiment of awful admiration! Their frequent and deep fhade, confpires with their never-ending extent, to fugget an idea of infinity which approaches the fublime; and fublime indeed would be the profpect, if only a folitary inount peered above the tops of the trees, that

the eye might be permitted to rove unimpeded over a hemifphere of green and delightful foliage,

During the fummer-heat, the forests afford a very grateful shelter to the tra veller. In winter, the fcene is totally changed. Every bough and branch is heavily laden with congealed fnow, and the ever-greens are completely hid be neath this white and univerfal covering, The pines lift their lofty heads in the cold, clear air, huge and ftill as giants enchanted into pillars of falt. There are fome lakes far more extenfive than thofe just mentioned. The Vittula itself, from the great increase of its waters in the fpring, is expanded, in certain places, into a fort of lake. There are also oc calional bogs, and impaftable moraffes.

At very diftant intervals are found plains of fome extent, affording rich pafturage. The richest I have had an opportunity of feeing, are thofe contiguous to the Viftula, and which are periodically overflowed by that river. Such are thole in the neighbourhood of Warfaw, and which fupply that town with good butcher's meat. The e patture-lands, in general fo thinly fcattered, are faid to be more frequent in Lithuania.

On the fkirts of a forest (more rarely in the midft) are commonly found the villages; though they fonetimes appear wholly unheltered in a wide extended plain, as above defc zoed, A Puliffi village confits of a collection of iterable huts, from eight or ten to forty or lifty, all of wood, and rudely covered with fraw and turf. A collection of the very worst fpecies of huts found in fome parts of Scotland, would be a favourable ipecimen. Thefe hovels afford fo indiferent a protection against the rigours of the winter, that their wretched, inhabitants abfolutely top up the vents of the chin nies, preferring to be half fmathered with fmoke, to expoling themselves to the piercing cold. The villages are thinly fcattered; I thould not choose to hazard an affertion of the average diftance. They are fituated mott frequently within about four or five miles of each other, and are often leis difiant; but I have foine, times travelled for ten, and even more miles, without feeing a tingle boule of any defcription, excluding the nterven tion of foretts, in which they feldom appear.

The first remove from the extreme stretchedness of the villages, are the lit the towns. Thefe are allo of wood; but the houles are larger, and better conAtructed

« ZurückWeiter »