man body, particularly in regard to the blood vessels. GREAT-BRITAIN. The following arrangement has been made at the Royal Institution for twelve courses of lectures, to be delivered the ensuing season, by the undermentioned gentlemen. 1. On Chemistry, by H. Davy, F.R.S.-2. On Natural Philosophy, by William Allen, esq. F. L. S.-3. On English Literature, by Rev. T. F. Dibdin.-4. On Moral Philosophy, by Rev. Sidney Smith, A.M.-5. On Dramatick Poetry, by Rev. William Crowe, L.L.B. Publick Orator of the University of Oxford.-6. On Zoology, by Geo. Shaw, M. D. F. L. S. Librarian to the British Museum.-7. On Belles Lettres, by Rev. John Hewlett, B. D.-8. On Musick, by W. Crotch, M. D. Professor of Musick in the University of Oxford.-9. On the History of Commerce, by Rev. Edward Forster.-10. On Drawing in Water Colours, W. M. Craig, esq.-11. On Botany, J.E. Smith, M.D. F.R.S. and President of the Linnean Society.-12. On Perspective, by Mr. Wood. GERMANY. It is not without sincere satisfaction that the admirers of Gessner's Muse, and the amateurs of the arts will learn that his family has engaged Charles William Kolbe, an eminent German engraver, to give to the publick, at a moderate price a series of the best landscapes executed by Gessner. That artist has obtained permission of his patroness, the princess of Dessau, to devote some years to this purpose at Zurich itself, amidst the family and the friends of the amiable poet. The first number of this work has recently made its appearance. It contains four prints in large folio, representing two of the best pieces in water colours in the collection of Gessner's widow, and two drawings in the cabinet of the princess of Dessau. The two first are known by the titles of the Fishermen and the Fountain in the Wood. The subjects of the two others are pastoral scenes taken from the Idyls: Daphnis, and Phillis, and Chloe. The : An important fact with regard to the theory of electricity, has recently been discovered by M. Bienvenu. By varying his experiments he has found, in contradiction to the received opinion, that glass and rosin produce the same kind of electricity, and that the difference depends upon the rubbers. With a cat's skin he electrizes an electrophorus of rosin, which manifests negative electricity an electrophorus made of a piece of glass, and rubbed with a cat's skin, manifests exactly the same kind of electricity as that of rosin. This experiment proves that if the conductor of an electrical machine constantly gives positive electricity, the reason lies in the morocco cushions, which pos sess the property of developing the electricity of glass, which, received on the conductor, communicates to it a positive electricity. To prove this, he substitutes cushions of cat's skin in their stead; the glass is then negatively electrized, and the conductor furnishing it with the electricity it has lost, manifests a negative electricity. execution proves that the honourable task of introducing these performances to the notice of the publick could not be confided to abler hands. M. Kolbe, deeply impressed with the spirit and the manner of his model, has rendered his conceptions with equal feeling and accuracy. STATEMENT OF DISEASES, &c. from Oct. 20 to Nov. 20, 1806. THE temperature of the atmosphere has been pretty equable during the past month. The weather generally fair, yet varied, with moderate rains, and some snow. The most prevalent winds have been the north-west, next to that the south-west, and then the north-east. The cases of disease have been much diminished in number this month. The most common complaint continues to be fever; accompanied with local inflammation more rarely than before. A few cases of cholera have occurred; of cynanche maligna; of rheumatism, and of pneumonic inflammation. ERRATA. In the first page of the last Anthology, in Mr. Adams' Disquisition, the first sentence of the 6th paragraph should read thus :- "Philosophy which ages of superstition idolized as a Divinity, and which, though stripped of those false trappings, still retains attributes and attractions, worthy the homage, and challenging the love and admiration of man in ev ery age." In the lines "On listening to a Crick et," last line of 2d and 10th verses, for shall read shalt-In 6th verse, 1st line, for faithful read fitful. a gibing spirit, Whose influence is begot of that loose grace, Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools. SHAKESPEARE. THE scanty portion of happi- in appetite, can find some kind of ness, and the abundant diffusion of gratification in every place. But misery over the world, has been a perhaps there is nothing, which so constant source of lamentation in much disturbs the tranquillity of all ages, and in all states of soció social life, as that mocking, gibing ety; but that the degrees of each spirit, which the Poet of Nature depend more upon ourselves, than has justly condemned ; which, we are willing to believe, is per- though the possessors flatter themhaps as well founded in truth, as it selves to be the effect of superiour may appear to be paradoxical : quickness and penetration, has ever to complain of fortune, and re- been considered by the wise, as proach each other, are privileges characteristick of a light and su. we seem to cling to as tenaciously, perficial mind. as to existence ; to estimate them In highly cultivated society suabove the price of happiness itself; periour talents are necessary to and think, that peace and content- attain eminence, and even they ment would be purchased dearly will not always ensure success ; by making them a sacrifice. In but though the spirit of honourable proportion as the progress of sci- ambition is felt by few, the desire ence and extension of literature of notice and distinction is comhave tended to ameliorate the con- mon to all ; hence the labours of dition of life,and refinement of taste egotism to display itself, and the to polish the manners ; mankind exertions of vanity to extort admihave been ingenious to counter ration ; hence peevish invective is balance these blessings by fictitious indulged in the hope of being sorrows and artificial evils ; by dreaded as well-directed satire, forlistlessness and languor, by peev- ward impertinence attempts to imishness and spleen, by arrogance pose itself for an easiness of adand conceit, which reason is not dress, and flippant pertness sets suffered to repress, and by insa- up for a wit to rail at the ignorance tiable vanity, which, generally be- and dulness of mankind. This ing as coarse in taste, as voracious gibing spirit, so frequently men Vol. III. No. 12, 4F cover. tioned by Shakespeare, appears to ferments and vents itself in ebullihave excited in his bosom a great tions of petty malice and mean dedegree of indignation and con- traction. The imperfect state of tempt ; of contempt for the qual. man affords an abundance of crimes ity itself, as the offspring of a fool's and follies, of deviations and misvanity, and of indignation at those takes, of strange and ridiculous “shallow laughing hearers," whose circumstances, which require no injudicious applause gives it an extraordinary penetration to disinfluence, which renders it mis It is easy enough for little chievous. That this propensity beings to spend their time in huntshould abound in polished life is ing out the little foibles, humours, not to be wondered at, when we awkwardness, or peculiarity, of consider how insidiously vanity their neighbours; to hold them up mixes itself with all our actions, to ridicule, and delight themselves and how much its sphere of exer- and “shallow laughing hearers," cise is enlarged by the decoration, with descriptions incessantly repageantry, and caprice, which at- peated. Cats, owls, and ferrets tend on luxury and fashion : but delight to hunt after vermin, bethat this spirit should acquire an cause they feed on it afterwards ; influence to make itself dreaded, and monkeys will, for their own par"we must account for by supposing ticular gratification, perform that these laughing hearers to be as office for which decency and cleancowardly, as they are complaisant, liness require the assistanee of a and that their applauses proceed comb ; but generous natures find as much from fear of being sub- no gratification in such employ, ject to its effects, as from the plea- ment; their aim is to attain superisure they take in seeing it em- ority, rather than degrade it ; to enployed on others. courage the diffident, rather than It is evident, that ignorance and overwhelm them with confusion ; vanity are the legitimate parents and to support modest pretensions of mockery and flouting. Those and honest endeavours, when in who best know themselves find danger of being brow-beat by arimperfections enough at home to rogance, or of shrinking from the beget humility, and tenderness to jeers of a gibing spirit. A gibing the failings of others ; and those spirit requires neither the keenness who have made some advances to- of satire, nor the brilliance of wit ; wards the temple of wisdom, find it often affects these qualities, but more pleasure in the extension of supplies their place by prying cutheir prospects, than pride in re- riosity, a spiteful temper, unblushviewing the small comparative ing assurance, a loud tone, mimprogress they have made ; but su- ickry, exaggeration, and not selperficial minds, having reached as dom by falsehood. It is most frefar as their feeble vision, enabled quently possessed by those whose them to see, believe they have at- vanity has been mortified, or whose tained the summit of excellence, extravagant pretensions few were and sit down in confidence to enjoy willing to allow ; by those whose all the immunities of vanity ; its chimerical notions of fancied happretensions being frequently not piness experience has overthrown, only unreasonable, but unbounded, or whose malevolence has been des are sometimnes disputed; this gen- feated, and recoiled upon themerates a petulant disposition, which selves; but it reigns triumphant at the tea table, when thronged with gossips from every quarter, and of every kind. The ancient maiden, who too late regrets refusing offers as good as she had any right to expect; the gaudy or the slatternly wife, who married not from the impulse of virtuous affection, but that she might, with more impunity, indulge her darling propensities; the pretty insipid miss, whose head would be perfectly vacant of ideas, were there not in the world such things as muslin and lace, and trinkets and gewgaws, and dancing-masters and beaux; the coxcomb, who having left the college or shop, applies to his tailor and shoemaker CRITICISM. KA SKETCH OF THE GENIUS AND WRITINGS OF DR. BEATTIE, WITH EXTRACTS FROM HIS LIFE AND LETTERS." Concluded from p. 576. ■ ALTHOUGH Dr. Beattie experienced the happiness, as a philosopher, to have almost all the eminent divines on his side, such as Porteus, Hurd, Markham, &c. yet it seems he had not the unanimous concurrence of the Bench of Bishops. For in a letter to Mrs. Montagu, of March 13, 1774, he says, "Pray, Madam, be so good as to favour me with some account of the Bishop of Carlisle, Dr. Law, if he happens to be of your acquaintance. His Lordship, in a book lately published, has been pleased to attack me in a strange manner, though in few words, * Considerations on the Theory of Religion, by Edmund Lord Bishop of Carlisle, p. 431. Forbes. The Bishop was of a school of phi, losophers and divines, whom we have since had the happiness of seeing go out of fashion. But when the Editor was at Cambridge, the prejudices in favour of the dry, coarse, and fallacious modes to shape him into a gentleman, and after visiting the brothels and gambling-houses of foreign countries, calls himself a buck, and a man of the world; these generally compose the mass of "shallow laughing hearers," whose "loose grace" or vague and worthless applause give to a gibing spirit the influence and eclat it sometimes possesses; upon such suffrages it plumes itself, and acquires a confidence, which simple honesty and unaffected goodness observes with astonishment and fear, and which stern wisdom cannot easily put down. Dec. 18, 1806. and very superciliously seems to condemn my whole book; because I believe " in the identity of the human soul, and that there are innate powers, and implanted instincts in our nature." He hints, too, at my being a native of Scotland, and imputes my unnatural way of reasoning, (for so he characterizes it) to my ignorance of what has been written on the other side of the question, by some late authors. It would be a very easy matter for me to return such an answer to his lordship, as would satisfy the world, that he has been rather hasty in signing my condemnation; but perhaps it will be better to take no notice of it; I shall be determined by your advice. His doctrine is, that the of thinking and reasoning, of this hard old man, who then resided there, had not ceased. He was father of the pre sent Lord Ellenborough, GENIUS AND WRITINGS OF DR. BEATTIE. human soul forfeited its immortality by the fall, but regained it in consequence of the merits of Jesus Christ; and that it cannot exist without the body; and must, therefore, in the interval between death and the resurrection, remain in a state of non-existence. The theory is not a new one; but his Lordship seems to be one of the most sanguine of its adherents. Some of the objections, drawn from the scripture, he gets the better of by a mode of criticism, which, I humbly think, would not be admitted in a commentary upon any other book." In 1776, Dr. Beattie published his Essays on Poetry and Musick; Laughter and Ludicrous Composition and on the utility of Classical Learning." "My principal purpose," says he, " was to make my subject plain and entertaining; and, as often as I could, the vehicle of moral instruction ; a purpose, to which every part of the philosophy of the human mind, and indeed of science in general, may, and ought, in my opinion, to be made in some degree subservient." I will now add a few, and a very few, miscellaneous extracts; for I fear this article already grows too long. 1785. "Johnson's harsh and foolish censure of Mrs. Montagu's book does not surprise me; for I have heard him speak contemptuously of it. It is, for all that, one of the best, most original, and most elegant pieces of criticism in our language, or any other. Johnson had many of the talents of a critick; but his want of temper, his violent prejudices, and something, I am afraid, of an evious turn of mind, made him often a very unfair one. Mrs. Montagu was very has more wit than any body; and kind to him; but Mrs. Montagu Johnson could not bear that any person should be thought to have wit but himself. Even Lord Chesterfield, and, what is more strange, low to have wit! He preferred even Mr. Burke he would not alSmollett to Fielding. He would not grant that Armstrong's poem on "Health," or the tragedy of told me that he never read Milton Douglas," had any merit. He through, till he was obliged to do it, in order to gather words for his Dictionary. He spoke very mus; and when I urged that there peevishly of the Masque of Coetry in it; was a great deal of exquisite poit is like gold hid under a rock;" "Yes," said he, "but to which I made no reply; for indeed I did not well understand it. Pray, did you ever see Mr. Potter's "Remarks on Johnson's Lives of reading." the Poets?" It is very well worth 1788. "What Mrs. Piozzi says of Goldsmith is perfectly true. He was a poor fretful creature, eaten up with affectation and envy. He who acknowledged himself to be was the only person I ever knew, envious. In Johnson's presence he was quiet enough; but in his in hearing him praised. He enabsence expressed great uneasiness vied even the dead; he could not bear that Shakespeare should be might, however, be something like so much admired as he is. There magnanimity in envying ShakeJulius Cæsar's weeping to think, speare and Dr. Johnson; as in that at an age at which he had done done so much. But surely Goldso little, Alexander should have smith had no occasion to envy me; which, however, he certainly did; for he owned it, (though when we |