we may be very certain that, notwithstanding the greatest ingenuity in his fchemes and projections, fuch enquirer is absolutely wrong. We do not think, as Mr. Lovett fuppofes, that natural philofophy was carried to its highest pitch of perfection by that great man we have fo often mentioned; but on the contrary, that even his Herculean labours were barely fufficient to clear our way to the temple of true physical science; and to throw open the door for the entrance of his fucceffors: while these, alas! have been ever fince fo taken up in admiring the beauty and harmonical difpofition of the exterior parts of the building, that scarce a man of them has had curiofity or courage enough to fet his foot over the threshold, with defign to go in. If any of the electrical gentlemen are difpofed to make fo bold an attempt, we give them a caution not to rush in too haftily. The receffes of this fcientific tabernacle, form a labyrinth, wherein they will be bewildered for ever, unless they hold faft the clue, they receive at the entrance. It is a pofteriori only that we can proceed in investigations of this nature, with any certainty of making improvements. To this, we doubt not, but all practical electricians will agree; but then the misfortune is, they look upon all propofitions and conclufions, founded on their experiments, to be as true as mathematical demonftrations, without confidering how liable phyfical experiments (and perhaps electrical ones, of all others) are to be misunderstood and mifapplied. For instance, as another error of Mr. Lovett's, he talks of proving the existence of an æthereal fluid by ocular demonftration. We have made many electrical experiments, and have attended those of the most celebrated profeffors; and yet we could never fee this ætherial fluid so much talk'd of. We have feen, indeed, what is called the electrical fire or effluvia, which, with our author, is the fame thing; but we could never be fure whether those identical particles of the fire, or effluvia, which appeared to us, paffed through the internal parts of the wire, or other body, as a fluid might do through a pipe; or whether that appearance of fire was not fome kind of motion, propagated along the parts of bodies, or generated in their furrounding medium. No motion, indeed, was observable in the conftituent parts of those bodies; but, at the fame time, the paffages, or canals, through which the fuppofed fluid is fuppofed to pass, were equally imperceptible: and as to the appearance of flame iffuing from the ends of the divided wires, might it not be the effect of fome kind of motion, propagated through the intenmedium, whose particles might vibrate with such velocity, as to affect us with a fenfe of light? The medium of electricity may, indeed, be the medium of light, for aught we know or fufpect to the contrary; but then this medium never appeared to us as a perceptible fluid; nor do the rays of light give us ocular demonftration of its exiftence as fuch. To help, however, Mr. Lovett out; the most that can be said in favour of his argument is, that the fubftance compofing the flame of fire, when applied to the palm of the hand, gives a sensation like to that of a cool blaft of wind. But if we are to confider this as the current of the electrical fluid, which paffes, as he says, through bodies like water, how are we to account for the sense of that refiftance, which we perceive reciprocally between the hand and the parts of this fame fluid? Mr. Lovett might, indeed, as well fay, that when the wind blows in his face, the current of air goes directly through his head, as to fuppofe this phænomenon to be a part of the electrical fluid; and that it pervades the hand, or any other bodies, in like manner: befides, in feeling this electrical effluvia feemingly rush against the palm of the hand, we can judge, in fome measure, of the velocity with which the particles compofing it actually move; and this is infinitely lefs than that of the velocity of the electrical power, whose moft diftant effects appear to be almost instantaneous. Now if the electrical power out-runs the apparent current of this fuppofed fluid, the palpable appearance of that current does not prove, to ocular demonftration, the exiftence of any fluid at all, whereon the electrical power directly depends. We do not, however, deny the exiftence of an electrical medium, nor, indeed, that it is fimilar to the ather of Sir Ifaac Newton. have long conceived it to be fo; and the experiments of Meffrs. Hoadly and Wilson seem to confirm it *: but we are not therefore to conclude, by the apparent flame of fire, or blaft of wind, that we have experimental proofs of its existence as a fluid. We We could point out fome farther errors in Mr. Lovett's performance; but as they are his, in common with most of his electrical brethren, we fhall difmifs this fubject for the present, with obferving only, that as the nature of our work requires we fhould treat many things very concifely; fo, if we do not always give the explicit reafons that determine our judgment of authors and their works, it does not thence follow, that we have no good reasons to give. The ingenious paper alfo of Mr. Euler the younger, which obtained the prize given by the royal academy of Petersburgh, feems to afcertain the truth of Sir Ifaac Newton's fuppofition, refpecting the existence of ather. Reafons Reafons for an Augmentation of at least twelve thousand Mariners, to be employed in the Merchants Service, and Coasting-trade, with fome thoughts on the means of providing for a number of our feamen, after the prefent war is finished; alfo to support a conftant additional marine force, in order to the cheaper and more expeditious decifion of our future quarrels, and to render preffing neceflary in a lefs degree. Also to promote the benefit of Ship-owners and under-writers; to extend the navigation of these kingdoms, and to take care of the poor who incline to a fea-life. Likewife to make provifion for the boys fitted out by the marine fociety when they fhall be discharged from the king's fhips. With fome remarks on the Magdalen-house. In thirty-three letters to Charles Gray, Efq; of Colchester. By Mr. Hanway. 4to. 2s. 6d. Dodley, &c. H AVING formerly given our opinion of Mr. Hanway's abilities, as a writer, we fhall here only obferve that, in this refpect, he neither feems capable, or ambitious of improvement. In the work before us, he begins in his ufual diffusive, moralizing ftrain, and then goes on to inform us, in about an hundred and thirty pages, of what might have been well enough contained in ten or twelve. He appears, however, to be pretty well acquainted with the nature of the fubject, on which his pen is, in the present cafe, employed; a qualification, of which, however neceffary it may be for every writer, this gentleman has not always had the advantage. As a philofopher, phyfician, and divine, (for our Author has occafionally figured in all these characters) very little could with juftice be faid in his praife: but, as a fpeculative merchant, we have ever looked on him with due refpect; and thought his fuffrage of much weight, on thofe particular fubjects, of which he might be reafonably fuppofed to have acquired a competent knowledge. It is from men of this clafs, indeed, that, next to mathematicians, we have reason to expect the moft fatisfactory account of the objects, and fuccefs, of their enquiries; fince, however miftakenly they may fometimes plume themselves on vain projects, and buoy themfelves up with chimerical expectations; yet the balance of profit and lofs, to which they muft neceffarily recur, rectifies all mistakes in fpeculation, and seldom fails, in the end, of conducting them to truth. There is this defect, however, in all reafonings, founded on private practice, without a view to the general fyftem of things: the conclufions, drawn from the premises, are partial; and whatever fuccefs may often attend particular experiments, it does not always afford a fufficient foundation, on which to raise the capital pillars of national ceconomy. The celebrated marquis of Worcester is is faid to have contrived a machine, which, once fet a going, he conceived, would neceffarily continue to revolve with a perpetual motion. Others have done the like, with the fame falfe affurance of fuccefs; not confidering that no fcheme or device, however fubtle or cunning, can poffibly be hit upon, to effect what, in the nature of things, is impoffible. The like obferIvation may be made with respect to political projectors, and their schemes to remove errors in government: for it is as true in polity as in phyfics, that, lay the burthen how we will, in proportion to its weight, must be the strength that supports it; and that, if ever we would increase any part of our executive power, we must neceffarily take up time, in proportion to fuch increase. Our Author would, indeed, have matters fo contrived, that, at the beginning of a war, there fhould be always a competent number of feamen, ready at hand, to man the King's fhips, without diftreffing the merchants fervice. At prefent, he obferves, fuch a number cannot be got together, notwithstanding the disagreeable method of preffing, till three years af ter a war commences: during which time, and even till the war be ended, the merchants are diftreffed for want of hands. Such is, and fuch undoubtedly will be, in a greater or less degree, the cafe, fo long as we are fubject to that political evil, a war; and our government hath so much wisdom and economy, as to think the maintaining such a number of feamen, in time of peace, an unneceffary burthen to the ftate. For fuppofing that 50,000 men are employed, in time of war, more than are required in peace; and that, at all times, the merchant-fervice requires about the fame number, it is evident, that, at the commencement of a war, the merchants must be diftreffed, in a direct proportion as the British navy is mann'd; unless such meafures are taken, that, by gaining time, fuch an additional number of feamen fhall be rais'd, or form'd: and this, under proper regulations and encouragement, might probably be much fooner effected, and with lefs inconvenience to the purposes of both government and commerce, than it now is by means of a prefs; which, as Mr. Hanway justly obferves, deters men from entering into the fea-fervice, inftead of encouraging them to it. As to those feamen, who may have ferved in a former war, and, during the interval of peace, betaken themselves to other employments, there is little likelihood that many fuch will be found fo public-fpirited as to attend the call of government, under the prefent difcouragements which attend the fervice. Out of young and inexperienced landmen then it is, that the greater part of thefe 50,000 mariners must be formed. Time is here neceffarily required. But though we do not think that seamen are are almost as foon made as talked of, yet we are fenfible a few It is quite a common faying, we know, with the merchants in Holland, that the English vefiels in general fail deep; by which they mean, their expences run high. But, fays Mr. * Of 40 s. per Month for each man, wages and victuals included. REV. April 1759. Χ Hanway, |