the Wicklow mountains, diftant about 15 miles, rife nearly a degree and a half. From E. to S. E. the fea is vifible, at the diftance of about 12 miles, a circumftance that in fome particular cafes is not without its ufe; and the light-houfe, which is five miles from the land, will afford excellent opportunities for making obfervations on the terreftrial refractions both by day and night;-a fubject hitherto little inveftigated, but which we hope, from the manner in which Dr. Ufsher mentions this circumftance, will be minutely attended to by him. In particular ftates of the atmosphere, especially on the approach of fevere weather, the Welsh mountains are diftin&ly vifible, particularly that ridge of hills which runs S. W. to point Braich-y-pwll, and bounds Caernarvon Bay in that direction.

The principal inftruments are, a tranfit one, of 4 feet axis, and 6 feet focal length, having an aperture of 4 inches, with three different magnifying powers, up to 600.-An entire Circle of 10 feet diameter, on a vertical axis, for meaturing meridional altitudes. An Equatorial, the circles of which are five feet diameter.-An achromatic telescope on a polar axis, and carried by an helioftatic movement; with others of lefs note, for occafional observations.

In an Obfervatory fo well fituated, built with every neceffary convenience, and furnished with fuch excellent inftruments, Dr. Usher cannot fail of improving that science for the advancement of which he appears to be well qualified.

Account of Parhelia feen at Cookstown, Sept. 24, 1783. By the Rev. James A. Hamilton, D. D. M. R. I. A.

As Dr. Hamilton was preparing to obferve the paffage of the Sun over the meridian, before the first limb touched the centre wire, he found it to be obscured by a dark cloud about 10 deg. in diameter. Going to the door of the Tranfit room, to fee if it was likely to pafs off the Sun's difk, he obferved the following phenomena. From the western edge of the cloud iffued a luminous arc, parallel to the horizon, perfe&tly well defined, and extending exactly to the northern meridian; it was about 30 minutes broad, white, and with a blunted termination. On it were two parhelia. That nearest to the fun, 26 degrees diftant, difplayed the prifmatic colours; the remote one, at go degrees diftance from the true Sun, was white; they were both ill defined. While Dr. H. was measuring the distances of these parhelia, he obferved a prifmatic circle to furround the Sun immediately within the prifmatic parhelion, and another coloured parhelion appeared on the east of the Sun, at the fame diftance, the luminous almicantar ftill remaining perfect. In about 10 or 12 minutes, fome whitish clouds came on, and obfcured these uncommon phenomena. The wind was a light breeze at S. S. W.

18

Bar.

Bar. 29.6, rifing. Therm. 55°. A drawing of the hemisphere
is fubjoined to the account.

Obfervations on the Lunar Eclipfe, March 18, 1783. By the
Rev. H. Usher, D.D.

Befide accounts of obfervations on the eclipfe, Dr. Ufsher, in this Paper, determines the longitude of his Obfervatory, which is oh 24′ 57.9 weft of Greenwich. This we think is a typographical error, and that it fhould be 57.6 inftead of 57.9; for Dr. Ufsher fays, the longitude, determined by one of Mr. Arnold's time-keepers, was o 24 58.2 differing only fix tenths of a fecond from what I made it by obfervation.'

A Synthetical Demonftration of the Rule for the Quadrature of fimple Curves, in the Analyfis per Equationes terminorum numero infinitas. By the Rev. M. Young, D.D.

This demonftration of Newton's first rule for the quadrature of fimple curves, is founded on the principles of prime and ultimate ratios.

Defcription of a new portable Barometer. By the Rev. Arthur
M'Guire.

This is an ingenious contrivance, but the machine is not a little complicated. Experience muft determine whether it is more convenient or more accurate than those now in ufe. Obfervations on Pemphigus. By Stephen Dickfon, M.D. Fellow of the College of Phyficians, and one of the King's Profeffors of Phyfic in the City of Dublin, M. R. I. A. &c.

The difeafe here defcribed does no: frequently occur, and Dr. Dickson, who has given a journal of a cafe with great minutenefs, appears to have formed a just notion of its nature, and the method of cure.

On the Extraction of the Cubic and other Roots. By

This is merely an application of Newton's binomial theorem, by which any root may be approximated.

The Hiftory of an Ovarium, wherein were found Teeth, Hair, and
Bones. By James Cleghorn, M. B.

The cafe here recorded is not without parallels, which, indeed, Dr. Cleghorn has recited. He then proceeds to describe the particulars obfervable on diffection, which being merely anatomical, and fimilar to others recorded by former writers, can afford little inftruction or information.

**The Papers on Polite Literature and Antiquities shall be the fubjects of future articles.

Y

ART.

ART. III. Berington's Hiftory of the Lives of Abeillard and Heleifa, concluded: See our laft Month's Review.

IN

N the character of a general hiftorian, whatever applause we may think due to our Author's abilities, we cannot allow him the merit of impartiality: for we are of opinion, that his attachment to the Roman See has, in feveral inftances, mifled his judgment. The manner in which he has gloffed over the character and conduct of one of the moft haughty and ambitious tyrants that ever wore the triple mitre, fully juftifies this cenfure:

Hildebrand, the famous Gregory the Seventh, then wore the triple crown. He had been educated at Cluni, a French monaftery of high renown, in the feverity of monatic difcipline; had then rifen to the first dignities in the church; and during the pontificates of five fucceffive Popes, had been honoured with their confidence in the discharge of the most arduous bufinefs.It is well known what a torrent of vice had then spread itself over the face of Christendom: to stem this, in vain had every effort been made, which honeft virtue and Christian zeal could fuggeft. Hildebrand, with the keen fenfibility of a virtuous mind, had long viewed the fallen ftate of religion, and he afcended the Papal throne, with the unanimous approbation of all orders of the Roman church, big with vaft defigns of reformation. "We chufe Hildebrand for the true vicar of Chrift, (they are the words ufed at his election,) a man of much learning, of great piety, of prudence, justice, fortitude, and religion. He is modeft, abftemious, and chafte; regular in the difcipline of his family, hofpitable to the poor, and from his tender years nurfed in the bofom of our holy church: to him we give thofe powers of fupremacy, which Peter once received from the mouth of God."

The fource of the evils, he lamented, lay, it was evident, in the general corruption of manners, in the unbounded fway of paffion, and in the abuse of power. With an intrepidity of foul, that perhaps was never equalled, he dared fingly to oppofe this multitudinous enemy, and he called the fovereigns of Europe to his tribunal. The motives which led him on, and the habits of ftern virtue, which had steeled his character, excluded almoft the poffibility of fufpicion, that he himself perhaps was arrogating a power, which belonged not to him, and from the abufe of which even greater evils might enfue, than those he aimed to fupprefs. Minds of the wideft comprehenfion may be fometimes fo engroffed by a fingle objet, as to be infenfible to the most obvious deductions, which reafon in vain holds up before them. But the misconceptions of Gregory were thofe of a great man, and his errors were, in part, the errors of the age.

• To effectuate more completely the fchemes he had in view, he conceived the bold design of making himself fole monarch of the earth. The concerns of Europe, whether ecclefiaftical or civil, would then be brought within his own cognizance; he fhould diftribute favours, as merit might feem to call for them; and he would dispose of crowns, which, too often, he obferved, fell upon

the

the heads of the unworthy, or of men who knew not the

of power.

proper ufe Enthroned in the chair of the humble fisherman, Gregory put his hand to the work. The fimoniacal difpofal of church livings was a crying fin, which called aloud for redress, and he hesitated not to aim the first blow at the very root of the diforder, though it lay in the rapacious breast of power, and in the courts of Princes.'

Mr. Berington proceeds to enumerate the moft remarkable inftances of the domination which Gregory affumed over the potentates of Europe, and particularly relates the extraordinary occurrences which paffed between him and the Emperor Henry IV. and thus concludes:

• Such was Gregory the Seventh. It has been his lot, as it has been that of all great men, to be admired by fome, and to be cenfured by others. These reflect not that he lived in the eleventh cen tury, when the manners of the age, and the ideas of men, were fo different from thofe of the present day. We generally measure the conduct of others at a very unfair standard.-The notions of Gregory were, fome of them, I confefs, even then novel; but they were principally grounded on a newly-difcovered collection of decrees, to which the weak criticifm of the times gave great authenticity. The high powers he exercifed were not difputed in their principle; he was even urged to the ufe of them, as contending factions judged they might be ferviceable to their views.

If we contemplate Gregory with the fame eyes, with which we look on an Alexander or on a Cæfar, I think, we may be disposed to raise him far above the level of thofe mighty conquerors. With them he aimed at univerfal empire, but with views far more meritorious than theirs. His great ambition was to extirpate vice from the earth, and over its furface to extend the benign influence of that religion, which himself practifed and revered. Before a mind, fwelling with this noble project, was it not natural, that Princes and fceptred Kings fhould fink into infignificancy? He would treat them as impediments, which lay in the way of his defigns. Gregory, at the head of armies, would have called after him the admiration of posterity: we view him in another light, because habituated to appreciate what are called great qualities, by the conqueft of kingdoms and the overthrow of armies, we have not eyes for other talents, or for atchievements formed in another order of things.'

This artful attempt to apologize for that infolent ambition, which afpired at univerfal defpotifm, both civil and ecclefiaftical, is a fufficient proof that Mr. B. is not the new character in the republic of letters which he wishes to be thought- a Roman Catholic writer, attached to his religion, but unshackled in his thoughts, and free in his expreffions.

He difcovers no common fhare of credulity, in the following marvellous relation:

The ordeal trials, by boiling water, or red-hot iron, were now in great ufe. In vain had councils by their canons, and Popes by their decrees, attempted to fupprefs them. The fuperftitious obftinacy of

the

the age could not be controuled. Yet, if we can at all rely on accounts, which come down to us with all the air of authenticity, it must be owned that the event of these trials was fometimes truly wonderful. In 1067, were great diffenfions in Florence between the Bishop and the people. They accufed him of having obtained their fee by fimoniacal practices. The Monks of a neighbouring convent fupported. the accufation. The Bishop denied the charge. In this ftate of in decifion, which no ordinary procefs could then terminate, the Monks offered to verify their accufation by the trial of fire. The bold challenge was applauded by the people, and they affembled round the convent. Two piles of wood were raised, ten feet long, five feet wide, and four feet high. A space of fix feet feparated the piles, which was alfo covered with combustible materials. A young Monk, named Peter, came forward. He had been chofen for the awful ceremony, and he was habited in his priestly veftments. By order of his Abbot he then advanced to the altar, and began the fervice of the day. The people, filent and in dread expectation, waited round the altar. Towards the clofe of the facrifice, four Monks came down to fet fire to the piles. They carried in their hands twelve lighted torches. In an inftant the piles were in a blaze. Peter, having finished the fervice, advanced towards the fires, bearing a cross in his hand, and finging with the choir as he advanced. Silence being made, the conditions of the trial were read to the people. They applauded with loud acclamations, and called on heaven to fupport its own cause.

By this time the piles were nearly reduced to glowing embers; when Peter, standing at a small diftance, pronounced, with a firm voice, the following prayer: "Lord Jefus," faid he, "if Peter of Pavia has ufurped by fimony the fee of Florence, fuccour me, I be feech thee, in this tremendous trial, and fave me from this fire, as thou didft preferve the three children in the burning furnace." So faying, he embraced his brethren; and the people were afked, how long they chose he fhould remain in the fire? Let him but pafs flowly through it, faid they.-He fixed his eyes on the cross, and with a gay countenance, flowly entered the burning paffage. His feet were bare. For a time he was invifible in the fmoke; but he foon appeared on the other fide, fafe and uninjured. The flame feemed gently to move his hair, and his linen garments floated lightly on the current: but not even the hairs on his legs were finged. The people crowded round him; fell at his feet, and called him their deliverer and the friend of heaven.-The Bishop confessed his guilt, and was depofed.

The account is abridged from the letter which the clergy and people of Florence wrote to the Pope on the occafion; and its truth is attefted by the hiftorians of the age. Peter was afterwards made a Cardinal and Bishop of Albano. He acquired the name of Igneus..

I could mention many fimilar events, but none fo fplendid as this. Our philofophers, verfed in the chymiftry of nature, will account for the phenomenon. To me it feems, that heaven, propitious to the good intentions and fimplicity of the age, might fometimes perhaps thus vifibly announce itself, to excite a juft horror of crimes, which by their frequency had ceased to be regarded. I canREV. Sept. 1788.

not,