is used with fuccefs. Many farmers of this county have loft by it feveral hundreds of pounds.

I do not, fays our Author, find that this diftemper is infellious; but, alas, it is hereditary, and equally from fire and dam; and, like other hereditary diftempers, may lie latent one generation (not more, fo far as I hear) and then revives with all its former fury: fo that when a fheep-mafter finds it in his flock, he cannot, with any prudence, breed any longer out of that blood

Mr. Comber' pronounces it an incontrovertible point, that whatever sheep is once feized by this diftemper, never recovers; and it feems, he adds, almoft as incontrovertible, that whatever sheep escapes it in his first years, never takes it: and it appears, by a note at this place, that it seizes them about spring, in the fecond year.

The taint of this diftemper, we are told, is not to be gueffed at by any symptom of not thriving, &c. till it actually breaks out all at once; fo that sheep tainted with it, may be bought by the moft judicious fhepherd, as not liable to this malady.'It is generally faid to be of about 40 years ftanding in England; and the fhepherds of this county pretend to trace it from the neighbouring county of Lincoln hither. If this circumstance be true, it is, at first appearance, a dreadful one; for if this difeafe has long had footing in that large fheep county, it may be reasonably feared that it may have been tranfmitted by multitudes of rams and ewes fent for brood into many counties of England.'

It is juftly obferved, by this Writer, that we are so national as to be unwilling to have any thing bad thought to be originally ours. Accordingly, this fheep-diftemper is generally, as he informs us, faid to be imported from Holland. But Mr. C. queftions the fact, and fays, he knows not from what nation, within thefe 50 years, the English were likely to import sheep to improve their breed. Not from France, nor Spain, for obvious. reafons; leaft of all into Lincolnshire, whofe fine breed would be hurt by a mixture of thefe.'

But, as our Author rightly obferves, it is of much less confequence to know in what country this diftemper first appeared, than to be well informed of its prefent ftate among us; in the hope that a cure may be found: or, if not, that the farmer may be taught, by good authority, to give up all hopes of that kind, and to quit the whole breed as soon as poffible.

The Author now proceeds to give a brief description of the three principal ftages of this dreadful difeafe.

The firft fymptom is a kind of light-headednefs, which makes the affected fheep appear wilder than ufual, when the shepherd,

or

or any perfon, approaches him. He bounces up fuddenly from his laire, and runs to a diftance, as though he were pursued by. dogs; and this our Author fuppofes to be an indication that his fight is affected.

In the fecond flage, the principal fymptom is the sheep's, rubbing himfelf against trees, &c. with fuch fury as to pull off his wool, and tear away his flesh. The diftreffed animal has now a violent itching in his fkin, the effect of an highly inflamed blood; but it does not appear that there is ever any cutaneous eruption, or falutary critical difcharge. In fhort, from all circumftances, the fever appears now to be at its height.'

The laft ftage of this malady, feems to be only the progrefs of diffolution, after an unfavourable crifis. The poor animal, as condemned by Nature, appears ftupid, walks irregularly, (whence, probably, the name Rickets) generally lies, and eats little thefe fymptoms increale in degree, till death, which follows a general confumption, as appears upon diffection of the carcafe; the juices, and even folids, having fuffered a general diffolution.'

Our Author does not find that there is any precife time from the first fymptoms of the diftemper to the animal's death ;' but he apprehends that the time of this difeafe, like all of the confumptive kind, varies in inverfe proportion to its violence, whence, in the human fpecies, we talk of flow and galloping confumptions and fevers.'

As to the caufe of this horrid diftemper, it does not seem to have been abfolutely difcovered; but Mr. Comber mentions an investigation of it, by Mr. Beal, an intelligent gentleman farmer of his acquaintance; who had greatly fuffered by this malady among his fheep; and to whom our Author is obliged for the defcription which he has given us of its feveral ftages. Mr. B. having obferved that the principal feat of the difeafe appeared to be in the head of the creature, from whence it fpread itself through the whole body, he rationally tuppofed that by diffecting the head of a fheep dying of this diforder, he might difcover fomething which would lead to the caufe, and perhaps the cure. In confequence of this thought, he diffected the heads of feveral fheep, thus dying, and in the brain (or rather, I fuppof, the membranes adjoining) fund, without one exception, a maggot, about a quarter of an inch long, and of a brownish colour.-I asked Mr. B. whether any other farmers, who had theep dying of this dilemper, had obferved this curious phænomenon? He answered, that "he fpoke of his dif covery to feveral fheep-mafters, but he believed them too inattentive to try any experiments. They are perfuaded that no remedy can prove available, and therefore fix their attention folely to the getting quit of the flock which is feized by that evil.”

Our Author justly remarks, that sheep-mafters ought to caufe the head of every fheep which dies of this diffemper to be dif fected, in order to afcertain whether fuch a maggot as Mr. B. difcovered, be in each of them; alfo that they would kill the fheep thus feized, if thought incurable, at different ftages, and note the progrefs of this maggot, from the first discovery which can be made of it.'-Finally, that the maggot, if found, fhould be fuffered to complete its progrefs in the head of the dead fheep, and be nicely watched, in order to trace out the infect, if fuch be the parent of this evil.' He recommends, too, that the season of the year in which the fheep are thus feized fhould be noted; but he had before obferved, that the rickets feize them about Spring.' Probably the knowledge of this fact occurred after the letter was written; and therefore the Author threw it into his note, p. 76. We may add, that this feafort agrees with the hypothefis of the distemper's arifing from the eggs of infects laid in autumn, and hatched in the fpring.

Mr. Comber concludes with modeftly offering a conjecture, founded on the fuppofition that the conftant exiftence of the maggot in the head of the dying fheep be afcertained, viz. that the infect's egg, whence it is produced, must be drawn up the nose by the fheep while feeding, and by the various veffels of the head lodged near the brain; and that the symptoms of the various ftages of this diffemper, may be the effect of the various stages of the infect's hatching. In fuch a case, might not fome application to the fheep's nofe prevent the malady, at the critical feafon? I own, however, that the circumftance of this malady's being confined to fome particular breeds, feems at prefent utterly unaccountable; unless we fhould suppose the eafier admittance of this animalcula to depend on the larger veffels of the head in fome breeds.'-The grand question, after all, is, How far the fact may be depended upon as authentic ? Mr. Comber abfolutely believes it, on the credit of Mr. Beal's experiments; however difficult or impoffible it may be to account for it on any natural principles: and he farther informs his Readers, that he is affured, by feveral perfons of credit, that a diftemper exactly the fame with the rickets in fheep, is found to have arifen, of late years, among the deer, in fome parks. If fo, it may, furely, be expected that GENTLEMEN, the owners of parks, will not be fo incurious, or inattentive as common farmers are, with regard to their flocks; but will cause the most strict observation to be made on fuch deer as they may have the misfortune to lofe in this miferable manner, in hopes that by fome lucky appearance, not only the caufe of this frightful and fatal difeafe may be with certainty affigned, but the means of cure, or prevention, be happily discovered.

ART.

ART. V. Marthal's Travels through Holland, Flanders, Germany, Denmark, S. concluded. See our laft Month's Review.

N the former account of this work we just mentioned the agreeable visit which this Writer informs us he accidentally made, while he was in Denmark, to Count de Roncellen, whofe noble undertakings and improvements upon his estate are equally honourable to himfelf and beneficial to his country. Mr. Marthal justly reflects how infinitely fuperior, even as to felf-fatisfaction, fuch an employment of life and fortune is, to the lavishing of both in fhew and diffipation, in electioneering, gaming, &c. which bring on a variety of difficulties, are generally productive of remorfe and difguft, and carry us through life, labouring under the regret of inceffant disappointments.

Among other obfervations on the conflitution of Denmark, we find the following: It has been common, fays Mr. M. in many hiftorians and political writers, to fpeak of the government of Denmark as an abfolute monarchy, founded on the right and juftice of a free gift, but nothing can be more prepofterous.The account of the tranfaction, as given us by the best authors, fets forth, that the commons, di'gufted with the tyrannical behaviour of the nobles, went in a pet to the palace, and made an offer of their lives, liberties, and properties, to the King, without ever asking the concurrence of the third eftate; the nobles, which was the principal of the three, were utterly against the meafure, as the most unheard-of monster in the world; and though they agreed in it at laft, yet every writer is fufficiently clear, that it was by force they came into the agreement, and not till the gates of Copenhagen were shut and guarded, and troops pofted all over the town. This was the free gift fo much boafted of by fome of the flavish hiftorians of this country. It is extremely evident, from the face of the tranfaction, that the final and complete agreement, which gave an appearance of validity to the act, was forced, and confequently null and void; but when once arbitrary power is erected, however unjustly, who is to overturn it? who is to oppose it? None but fome bold, defperate, and enthufiaftic lovers of liberty, who, rifing from the flavish condition of their brethren, dare to draw the fword of liberty, by defpots mifcalled that of rebellion. The chance of fuch men being found, and of circumftances which may give them fuccefs, is too great to be looked for. But where is the right to that defpotifm which the Kings of Denmark have affumed? Not in the free gift of the states, I think, is very clear; but even fuppofing the nobles had agreed in the measure, did it from thence follow, that the ftates of the day have an unlimited power to make slaves of all their pofterity? I am very fenfible that there are more univer

fities than one who would very readily give a decifion in the affirmative; but for the honour of humanity, I hope there are numerous bodies of men who would difdain the reafoning.'

Mr. Marshal speaks of Copenhagen as a fine city, ftrong by nature, and farther ftrengthened by numerous works added to it in the modern ftile of fortification. The most striking object, he fays, is the harbour and the naval arfenal; it is capacious enough to hold five hundred men of war, and yet only one fhip can come in at a time.-The King's fleet lies arranged between booms, and against them magazines, with the name of each fhip on the door of the ftore-rooms belonging to her, and every thing is kept in the compleatest order.' After other remarks upon this city, our Author proceeds to relate fome long converfations which he had with the Count de Smikelane and the Baron de Rofenburg: in which particular notice is taken of a proposal that was made to the late King of Denmark of opening a commerce with the great fouthern unknown continent, called the Terra Auftralis; but the King would not come into the fcheme; being preffed more than once upon that head, his only answer was, let me hear no more of the matter; for which reafon no attempt was made. The Count de Smikelane appears as a warm advocate for this plan, though he obferves that these attempts of new discovery are not defirable to nations who have already colonies and fettlements enough.' This remark of the Count's gives rife to feveral reflections of Mr. Marshal's upon the fubject, fome of which we will, here transcribe. All experience tells us, fays he, that when once a nation fits down contented, and fays to herfelf we have in duftry enough, we have colonies fufficient, we want no more trade, let us confine ourselves to make the most of what we have already gained. Whenever a nation acts (or rather ceafes to be active) on fuch principles, we may fafely venture to pronounce her decline at hand. It is impoffible that industry and commerce should be stationary; if it ceafes to advance, it will go backward; activity and motion are the foul of its fuccefs; trade never makes fuch gigantic ftrides as in the midst of wars, enterprizes, and a continual buftle.' After introducing the cafe of the Dutch, and of the Portugueze, as ftriking instances of this, he proceeds, Might I not fhew that this is not peculiar to forming fettlements of trade, but that it is the fame in all the affairs of life. Great fuccefs, in every walk, is gained by the bold enthufiafm which attends the activity of purfuit, but falls off when a fcries of fortunate events have blunted the edge of this activity, and brought on a flothful poffeffion. This is the cafe in common life, in war, in politics, in commerce.→ It is upon the folid foundation of thefe reafons that I am an enemy to fentiments which I have often heard in England,

concerning