"A man of a genius as active, and of acquirements as univerfal almost as thofe which are afcribed to the famous Pico, prince of Mirandola. His philofophy was not, however, the cool and temperate reasoning of Boyle.-It was mingled too much with imagination, and his fuperftitious zeal in favour of his" Sympathetic Powder," which was to be a cure for almost all difeafes, has fixed a blot on his character, which has rendered his philofophical publications lefs objects of general attention than they deserve.

"Sir William Petty is chiefly known for his great and acknowledged kill in political arithmetic; yet, even this was one of the leaft of his accomplishments. Perhaps no man, not excepting the late Dr. Franklin, ever poffeffed a mind fo happily adapted to practical and ufeful fcience; and, indeed, he was not only one of the most extraordinary men of his age, but that Britain ever produced. Like the man, whom, in modern times, he most resembled, Franklin, he was the son of a plain tradefman, and was born at Rumfey in Hamphire. At a very early age he displayed an uncommon genius for mechanics; but after his grammar education, and fome fubfequent inftruction at the univerfity of Caen in Normandy, he was appointed to a fituation in the navy.--But before he had arrived at the age of twenty, having faved about fixty pounds, upon the ftrength of this fum he fet out to travel for his improvement; and after spending three years abroad, and maintaining all the time his younger brother, fuch was his great œconomy and induftry, that he returned to England with ten pounds more than he took with him. About this time he invented an inftrument for double writing, by which the operator was enabled to produce an accurate copy of a fcript, while in the act of writing the original. This inftrument has fince been more fuccefsfully employed in the art of drawing and defigning. After this, he removed to Oxford, and in 1649 was created a doctor of phyfic. He was foon after appointed phyfician to the army, and was alfo phyfician to three fucceffive lord-lieutenants of Ireland. This profeffion, however, he afterwards abandoned, and, on the divifion of the forfeited eftates in Ireland, was appointed to take the furveys, which he did with fingular accuracy, and gained con fiderable property by his fervices on this occafion. After the refloration, he was in confiderable favour with government,

manu

received

received the honour of knighthood, and was a member both in the English and Irish parliaments.-The object which most engaged his attention at this period was, how to improve the arts of fhip-building and navigation; and he constructed a veffel to fail against wind and tide. To enumerate his various experiments and difcoveries would occupy more of the volume than we ufually appropriate to this divifion of our work. He was one of the founders and one of the most active members of the Royal Society; and yet, while fo much of his time was devoted to science, his private bufinefs was more than most men would be able to conduct: it confifted in the management of a large eftate, both in lands and buildings, in working of mines, and a confiderable trade in lead, iron, and fish. His labours were crowned with extraordinary fuccefs.-He died at the age of fixty-five, poffeffed of immenfe property, and was the founder of a noble family, in which genius as well as patriotism seems to be hereditary.

"Among the philofophers of this age we may clafs most of thofe who have been already noticed as the founders of the Royal Society, particularly bifhop Wilkins, and Mr. Hooke, the friend and affiftant of the illuftrious Boyle.

"It may, perhaps, be information to those of the prefent day, who affume a name, of the real import of which they are effentially ignorant, that these real philofophers were Chriftians. Their learning was united with its natural concomitant, modesty. They did not apologize for vice and impiety, becaufe they loved to practise them; they did not cavil at the Scriptures, while ignorant of the very languages in which thefe fcriptures were compofed; or deny the God of Nature, while they were totally unacquainted with all Nature's ope rations. Their philofophy was not rhapsody and wild conjecture; it was the philofophy of fact and experiment. Their labours were directed to the welfare of fociety, and not to its undoing; they were the friends of religion, of order and good government, because they were the friends of virtue and of truth *.

*Sprat's Hiftory of the Royal Society; Birch's History of the fame; Rapin's Hiftory of England; Biographia Brit.; Biographical Dict. &c. &c.

Thus

Thus we find that the Royal Society was established by the moft learned men of the age, and that their labours are intended to fcrutinize and lay open the won ders of creation. The fame great obje& should still engage our attention; the progrefs of fcience amongst us fhould be always a matter of rejoicing--we are thereby freed from the terrors of fuperftition-feel an ardent curiofity gratified, and become affimilated to that great Being, by whofe power and wisdom all things were formed. Knowledge, fteadily acquired, and properly improved, conftitutes the glory and dignity of the intelligent creation.

The above account of the Royal Society, will enable the young reader rationally to interpret the three famous initials F, R. S. Fellow of the Royal Society, by which the names of the learned are often decorated.

The Utility of Religious Affociations, A Sermon preached before an Affociation of Minifters at Chalfont, St. Giles, in the County of Bucks. By Hugh Worthington. Published by Requeft. Printed by C. Whitting ham, Dean Street, Fetter Lane. Price 4d. or 3s. 6d. per Dozen.

IT is ufual for the Diffenters of different denomina

tions to hold, among themselves, thefe affociations, where the explication and enforcement of an appointed fubject become particularly ufeful and impreffive. The utility of fuch affemblies is here fully explained and ably

recommended.

Among many other advantages refulting from these affociations, the ingenious author thus ftates the following benefit with energy and effect-" These fer"vices," fays he, "bring together members of dif"ferent churches, and thus tend to diminish bigotry and "to promote brotherly love and a Chriflian temper. "That these objects are desirable, every enlightened

३

"follower

"follower of the bleffed Jefus muft allow, for next to "abfolute vice, there is nothing more dishonourable to "our creed, more difpleafing to our Mafter, more ruin"ous to the Church of God on earth, or more un"fuitable to the fpirit, employment, and felicity of "heaven, than-BIGOTRY.'

A Chronological Table on a new Plan, comprising Articles of an Hiftorical, Biographical, and Mifcellaneous Nature, for Daily Ufe; to which are fubjoined an Explanation of the feveral Subdivifions of Time; the Origin of the Names of the Days of the Weeks and Months of the Year; an Account of the Correfpondence of the latter with the New French Calendar, and a Copious Index to the Work, defigned for the Ufe of Young Ladies. By William Butler, Teacher of Writing, Accounts, and Geography, in Ladies Schools and in Private Families. Second Edi. tion, enlarged. 5s. Dilly.

AN immenfe number of events ftands infcribed upon the ample fcroll of history, which it is the province of CHRONOLOGY to arrange and concentrate, for the purposes of inftruction. Hence its unfpeakable utility; and we ought to feel obliged to every individual whofe efforts are directed to the improvement of this important branch of learning.

Mr. Butler has here felected fome of the most interefting events of modern hiftory; and arranged them according to the days of the year on which they happened. This is an excellent mode of impreffing the memory, and muft prove highly beneficial to the young mind. We add JANUARY by way of fpecimen :

JAN.

1, 1057. William the Conqueror was crowned at Weftminfer. He was born at Falaife, and buried at Caen, D d VOL, VIII,

now

JAN.

2,

now in the department of Calvados, France. See battle of Haftings, Arith. Quest.

1515. Expired Lewis XII. King of France, in the 53d year of his age, to the extreme regret of the French nation, who, fenfible of his tender concern for their welfare, gave him, with one voice, the honourable appellation of father of his people. See October 9, 1514. 1651. Charles II. was crowned at Scone, Perthshire, Scotland.

17. Ovid, one of the finest poets of the Auguftan age, expired at Tomi, near Varna, on the western coaft of the Black Sea, whither he had been banished by the Emperor Auguftus, but for what reafon it is not now known His poetical talents have justly ranked him among the first of Roman poets, but his works have a very immoral tendency. Ovid's death is faid to have happened on the fame day with that of LIVY, the celebrated Roman hiftorian, who was born at Padua, 59. years, B. C. 3, 107 B. C. Cicero, one of the greatest orators, ftatesmen, and philofophers of antiquity, was born. Sec December 7, 43 B. C.

1670. Died General Monk, Duke of Albermarle, a principal inftrument in reftoring Charles II. after he had been an exile almoft nine years.

4, 1568. Died Roger Afcham, who had been Latin fecretary and tutor in the learned languages to Queen Elizabeth, by whom he was much lamented. He was born near Northallerton in Yorkshire, about the year 1515.

1712. Prince Eugene, of Savoy, arrived in England. On his audience of leave, March 13, 1712, Queen Anne prefented him with a sword, valued at 5000l. He had rendered eminent fervices to the country in conjunction with the Duke of Marlborough.

1724. Philip V. King of Spain, refigned his crown to his fon, and retired to his palace of St. Ildefonfo. It is fomewhat remarkable, that in lefs than 80 years four fovereigns abdicated their thrones ; namely, Chriftiana, Queen of Sweden, in 1654; Cafimir, King of Poland, in 1667; Philip, King of Spain, in 1724; and Ama

deus,