thing lefs than proved the non-identity of the MSS. by the fpecimens already produced. Let him publish his entire collation, and we fhall be better enabled to form a judgement. The fecond is a formidable objection truly! Mr. Porfon bimfelf having formally difclaimed all pretenfions to novelty, as any of your readers may fee xix. 28: but the MS. 49 has neither of those words in this paffage. 4. P. 227. R. Stephens affirms, that all his MSS. read piral os in Malt. ix. 2: but the MS. No. 112, now in question, reads aperiais in this paslage. 5. P. 230 That MS. (No. 72) reads phens affirms, that ALL his MSS. read pl. 8 in this verfe. by looking at the beginning of his final go in Matt. ix. 2: but R. S'econd letter, or in your vol LIX p. 101. In return, I beg to know how much new mitter Mr. Travis has added, from his own ftock, errors excepted? On the third I obferve, that you feem already to have had enough of the controverly. Such too feems to have been M. Porfon's opinion, when he took the fubject out of your Mifcellany to treat it in a more convenient place and manner. It is difficult to difcufs fuch a queftion properly with the interruptions which your plan renders neceffary. I fubmit it, therefore, to your friend, whether he would not do better to lick that mafs of knowledge, with which his mind teems, into the form of a pamphlet, than to extract it by piecemeal at monthly intervals. Whether this gentleman be a new dubbed knight, who fleeps on brambles till be kills his man, or the doughty champion himself, who wears his beaver down left his perfon fhould be known and his challenge refufed, I am willing to enter the lifts with him on the fulfil ment of one indifpenfable previous con dition. I believe that I fhall do no injuftice to Mr. Travis and your friend (if they are two), by fuppofing that they efteem the defence of R. Stephens, as newly furbished up, to be the brightest piece of armour in the hero's panoplia dogmatica. In comparing the readings of the Paris MSS. with the marginal readings of R. Stephens's edition, he makes, among other affertions, the following: 1. Page 225. That MS. (Par. No. 112), reads οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντές μοι ἐν τῆ παλιγγενεσία όταν in Matt. xix. 28; but the MS of R. Stephens read oi λεθήσαντές μοι διατολὴν ἔχεσι ὅταν the correfponding paffage. in 2. P. 231. R. Stephens affirms, that his MS. read dizsodiy exes in Matt. xix. 28; neither of which words are found in that paffage in MS. 47. 3. P. 233. R. Stephens affirms, that his MS. read dasehhi ixess in Matt. 6. P. 233. 4. The MS 49 reads ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι in Mail. ix. 2 : but all R. Stephens's MSS. read apiwixí os in this paffage. Now, Sir, I affert, on the other hand, that every one of thefe fix affertions contins a direct and abfolute falfehood. The previous condition, at which I just now hinted, is an explicit anfwer to the following queries: QU 1. Has Mr. Travis really committed thefe errors or not? Qu. 2. Ought not an author, who is capable of making fuch ridiculous, fuch infantine blunders, or of afferting fuch palpable falfehoods, to be deprived ipfa fuo of all right to engage in a literary warfare? It is diverting enough to hear Mr. Travis and his myrmidons exclaim aget the want of candour and I berality in their opponents. They always bring to my mind the ftory of the convict, who complained bitterly of the unpolite behaviour of the judge in condemning him. URBANO AMICIOR. LETTERS OF DOCTORS HILDESLEY, HALES, LELAND, AND MR. SAMUEL RICHARDSON. Mr. URBAN, Chelsea, June 30. THE ready attention with which you inferted in your pamphlet Dr. Doddr dge's letter to Dr. Hildefley is not unnoticed. My friend Mr. Giberne, no less than myself, feels encouraged to add the following, which he relerved from am dit many others: and to fee them in the lift of your permanent publications will be a circumfiance of fatisfaction to us both. To collect a fet of nedals, or of antient portraits, has, at times, been the eager pursuit of ingenious and good men. What I now forward to you are not unworthy of the like regard; and to clafs on the fame line a Hildefley, a * See Mag. for May last, p. 415. Richardfon, 1794.] Original Letter of Dr. Hildefley. Richardfon, a Hales, and a Leland, is to form a cenflellation of no ordinary luftre. They were all of the benign afpect; they did not live in vain; they fpeak forcibly, and from the heart; and thus once more exhibit a proof of the old and animating adage, Great fouls by inftinét to each other turn, Demand alliance, and in friendship buin. The good Bishop's two letters, and the narrative of his laft illnefs and deceafe, feemed too interefling to be omit ted. Such of thefe papers as you prefer, or all of them, if approved, are at your fervice. They are genuine; the or origi nals are here inclofed for your infpec. tion; and I give them to your readers, that, like my relation and myfe f, they may be at once amufed and advantaged. Yours, WN. BUTLER. LETTER I. DR. HILDESLEY TO MISS ITHELLS. THE Hitchin, 13 Dec. 1754. NOTHING could excute the liberty I take of intruding a book upon the ladies at the Temple-who, I doubt not, are amply furnished with choice of the bett of every kind but my thorough perfuafion, that what I here prefume to recommend to their perufal will be quite acceptable to them. - If this be lo ked upon as a compliment, I can only fay, it is a just one. 'Tis too fure, that, in this age of variety of felf-flying engagements, there are not many to be found who have a relish for. fuch fublime and fpiritual enjoyment as thefe "Meditations" are capable of affording. It gives me great pleafure to think how you will both rejoice in them; and how ready you will be to fay, with Dr. Young, and fome others who admire them, that "they should never be far out of our reach." Were this world and its contents defigned for our chief end and happiness, right it might feem to be, as anxious, and folicitous, and eager, as we fee the generality of its votaries are,-to obtain and pu fue the gratifications peculiar to our animal frame and mortal condition. But, if our true and permanent felicity is to be had and fought elfewhere, namely, in a ftate as different as earth is from heaven, and time from eternity; if the clofe of a few more revolutions of the fame fort of unfatisfying days, months, and years, we have already paft, will inftantly convince us of this differ 595 erce, when it will avail us little to remember what degree cr ftation of life we have filled here, but what we have known, and done, of the will of BIM that placed us in it; [then] from these confiderations we are naturally led to think, farther, That, as fure as God is a fpirit, the joys of heaven must be spiritual; that even our bodies, with which we are to arife, are to be fpiritualifed,for, flesh and blood cannot inherit, cannot partake, or have any fenfe of, the delights of the kingdom purchased by the blood of Chrift. What, then, muft needs be the trucft wifdom of a rational thinking creature, but to provide in carneft for this certain, inevitable change! that it may be, with all advantage, to eternity? But, ala! how few are there fo wife and fo thinking! If thofe I am now writing to are as I conceive they are,-of the number of the few, I have my end in, and fhall need no apology for, this addrefs. My incapacity, which has of late. increased, of being fo ufeful to, and converfant with, the family I the most revere of any under my charge, has been one inducement to this unufual manner of application to them, of which I promife myfeif their candid and favourable acceptance; and fubfcribe, with my carneft prayers for their improvement and perfeverance in whatever may tend to their everlafting welfare, Mr. and the Mifs Ithell's fincerely obedient and ob1ged humble fervant, M. HILDESLEY. **The above letter, or perhaps the unknown volume referred to, is thus fuperder:bed : Το Hitchin more than I did, for the fake of his chara&er, before I had the pleasure of being vifited by him as Bishop of Man; and moft heartily I congratulated in my mind the people committed to his charge, on their happiness nót fuffering by their change. To myself, in the letters he favoured me with, I always thought him too condefcending, too humble; and is he not fo, in the notice he takes of me in the paper before me? I thought my felf very happy in meeting, at the fame inn at Barne, the good Mr. Hildeley, on his return from Kent. Dr. Young dined with me there; and it was with regret that I could not engage him to do fo too: but he had too good realons to deny me that pleasure. My bufinefs lay always heavy upon me. I never. in two or three years, could make a vifit to Dr. Young of more than three or four days, out and in; but, had I known that the good Vicar of Hitchin had formed but half a wish to fee me there, I would have got Dr. Young (both gentlemen refpe&ting each other greatly) to have thewed me the way. I had the favour of a vifit, at my houfe in town, from his Lordship; and, meeting him afterwards in the fireet, I knew that he was in town preparing for his diocefe; and, if I forget not, I was led to hope for another vitit before his departure. But little did I know that his Lordship was fix whole weeks in town, while my bufinefs led me fo near him; if I had. I thould have held my felf inexcufable not to have paid my duty to him in all that time. I have a very fincere refpect for this worthy Prelate. He has an amiable afpect, and a chearfulness in bis manner, that feemed to me an affurance that all was right within. I had interested my felf in his welfare, and fhould have rejoiced in an account of it, in his new fettlement. His Lordship is very good to me, in his kind promife not to free me, in future, occafionally, from what he calls his intruhons. He has not, any where, a more fincere well-wither. I fhould take it for a favour to be confi, dered by fo wrthy á Divine as more than an acquaintance. Many happy returns of the feafon at tend your Ladyfhip, and all you love, prays, Madam, your most faithful and obliged fervan', S. RICHARDSON. (This Correfpendence will be confixued.) Mr. URBAN, June 16. AVING been lately employed in HA dicious "Effay on Aliments," fome rethe perufal of Dr. Arbuthnot's jumarks, which are made between the 28th and 32d pages of the volume in octavo, have given rife to a few thoughts that I think may, in fome meafure, lay claim to originality; at least I have never feen them before: and, if you fhou'd think they might prove not uninterefling to fome of your readers, you will be kind enough to give them a columin as foon as you conveniently can; and by fo doing you will oblige the writer of thefe lines, who thinks they may be of fome ufe, in order to invalidate an. invidious charge (frequently falfe) which is often made againft the general body of Clericks. It not unfrequently happens that the priefts of our land are health," and are both corpulent and of a deck'd with ruddy complexion. Now, the cenforious part of the world afcribe this to indolence and luxurious diet. The ignorant believe the accufation to be a true one and thus are that truly valuable part of fociety vilified and lightly esteemed by fuch a large proportion of mankind as are the cenforious and the ignorant. But, if there be any truth in D. Arbuthnot's affertion of the lungs being "the chief infirument of fanguification, and that the animal, who has that organ faulty, can never be duly nourished," then the Anatomift and Phyfiologist will be able to account for clerica obefity and floridness on lets invidious princioles than thofe which afcribe them to laziness and high-living. ties of their profeffion their lungs are By the periodical duneceffarily put in action, and continued fo for fome fpace of time well known by ali mankind (however oppafite their practice may be to their knowledge) that general mufcular exertions, as walking, riding, &c. contribute to general health, and that exertions of any particular let of mufcles tend, in a particular manner, to invigorate and ftrengthen thofe mufcles in a fuperior degree to fuch as are kept in a more quiefcent ftate; witnefs the arms of a Waterman or Blacksmith, the legs of a Dancing-mafter, and the brawnyfhoulders of a Porter. Thus the lungs of a Clergyman being exerted by reading and preaching, fuch exercife has a natural tendency to keep that organ in a state of Now it is health 1794-] Philofophical Reafons for Clerical Corpulence. health, and to remove flight defects; and, confequently, as fanguification and nutrition are thereby better obtained than by the lungs being only employed in the unavoidable act of refpiration, the neceffary inference thence must be, that Clericks are more likely to be florid and fat than other men, whofe occupa tions do not fo much lead them to pulmonary exertions for the purpose of Speaking. The fame reafoning holds good wih refpect to fuch perfons, in the other departments of life, as are employed much in cratory; many of them approach, in rotundity of appearance, to Shak!peare's Sir John Paunch, and often "lard the lean earth as they wilk along." But this does not invariably happen: for, while fome of them are, like Faiftaff, 'horfe-back-breakers, and huge hills of Aeth," there are others who are farvelings, dry'd neats' tongues, stock-fishes, and tailors' yards." The ftage affords proofs of this; and the two leading Speakers of our fenate are arguments pro and con- Mr. F. is corpulent, Mr. P. is lean. In objection to the fyftem here advanced, fome wag may archly oblerve, that "the under ings of the Church, the curates, and fuch as read moft, and eat and drink leath, are generally the leaft corpulent;" but, as excessive exercife may debilitate and weaken the whole frame, instead of strengthening it, fo tog much (peaking may impede the nutritive functions of the lungs, and thus produce leannes: and, befides, it is generally the cafe, that perions much given to oratory are addicted to close Audy, which is another caufe that operates agzinft the repletion of the body. However, taking the fubject in a general view, we fhall find that moderate exercife of the lungs in elocution contributes to corpu lence; and the ale-bibber, who drinks near a gallon a day, and is grown fo fat as to be, like the facetious knight, almoft "out of all compafs," perhaps is not lefs indebted to that loud vociferation, that finging and roaring, which generally accompanies inebriety, than to the nutritious qualities of his cerevifial poration. The few laft words may induce fome of your readers. Mr. Urban, to suppose the author of this letter to be fome Lexiphanic pedagogue, fond of ufing uncommon terms when a plainer diction would be more expreffive and more elegant; but he begs leave to hint so them, that they must not conjecture 597 who he is; for, it they guefs from week's By way of P. S give me leave to fug- Mr. URBAN, July 1. N anfiver to B. b. p. 443, I can in Infwer to t, about 4 years ago, I was applied to for filver to make a ring for a young girl of the place where I live (Gloucefteifhite), but not in the fame way your correfpondent was. The gil's mother came to me; and, after a prelude of,Sir, I hope you will excufe my boldnefs!" "I do not wish to offend you!" "I beg your pardon for troubling you!" &c. &c. with a great many more introductory phrafes, which almoft put me out of countenance, not being able to guess what dreadful sale foe would urfold -t length fhe faid, that her daughter, a young girl in her teens, was very much troubled with convulfion fits. "Well !" cried 1, a Intle recovered from the furprize the bad occafioned, "do you mistake me for a Door?" "No, Sir, but I came to beg that you will colle& five fixpences of five different batchelors, which you will be fo good as to convey by the hands of a batchelor to a fmith who is a batchelor, for him to make a ring for my daughter, to cure her fits." Thus It was to the mighty bafinefs was out. be kept a profound fecret; not the perfons who gave the money were to know what for or whom they gave it to. I did as defired; and, behold! it cured the girl. This I can affirm. Now, Mr. Urban, I think with your correfcondent B., that it must be the power of imagination entirely that did this. I have fince kwown more inftances with the fame effect, though differing as to the number of fix-pences, fome taking three, leven, or nine, to make the ring. Yours, &c. BOURTONIENSIS. Aremarkable Cafe of HYDROPHOBIA. Mr. URBAN, June 16. S the following unfortunate cafe of A that dreadful malady, the canine madnels, may operate as a caution to practitioners, and prove beneficial to the publick, I beg the favour of you to infert it in your next, and you will oblge your humble fervant, G. NORTH ROBINSON, Surgeon, Chip-Norton, Oxfordshire. Early on Friday morning the 13th infant I was requested to fee John Edwards (about 40 years of age), at Swerford, near Chip-Norton, Oxfordfhire, who had received a bite on the hand from a mad dog upwards of eight months before. He was then attended by a young gentleman of the faculty, who, after the ufe of the knife and cauftick, unfortunately undertook to cure or prevent the effects of the wound by means of filivation, in preference to the ufual and moft eff&tual remedy, the fea-water. The means made ufe of to promote a free difcharge of filiva fo far fucceeded; but, as it ultimately and evidemly appears, did neither correct nor exterminate the acrid virus, or caufe of this deplorable difeafe. On Monday the 9th intant the patient feit a pain and tingling of the * See our lDEX INDICATORIUs this month. hand and arm, beginning in the part where the bite was received, and proceeding upwards, towards the back partof the head. As he had no idea of the caufe nor confequences, no notice was taken of this partial affection, as he confidered it to be only rheumatic, and he with tome difficulty purfued his ufual avocations, until Wednefday the 11th inftant, when apparent fymptoms of hydrophobia were perceived, and the gentleman who before attended him was fent for. It was alfo thought neceffary to confult Mr. Harris, of HookNorton, near Swerford, a gentleman who has the care of maniacal patients. Blood was drawn from the arm, the tiraight waistcoat put on, and a pill, containing one grain of opium and two grains of calomel, adminiftred every four, hours, but without quieting the convulfive motions of the whole fyftem in the leaft degree. Under thefe terrible and unremitting affections the unfortunate patient laboured the whole of Thurfday night; and, as before-mentioned, I was requested to fee him on Friday morning. About feven o'clock I found him in the moft agitated and commiferating ftate, with a very quick weak pulle, and an intolerable thirft, which at this time could not be alfeviated by liquids. As air, and the fight of every kind of fluid, aggravated the difeafe, and feemed to occafion an apprehenfion of fuffocation, I tried both oil and milk, by means of a feather moistened with the fame, but in vain. I then mixed a little powder-(ugar with fresh butter, which was taken from a fpson with much avidity, and anfwered the purpofe of moistening the mouth and fauces exceedingly well. I then fcarified the difeafed arm, above the wrift, and both the legs, with the fcarificator, and applied blifters over the fame, as an external ftimulus, to derive, if poffible, fome of the morbid matter from the more fenfitive and vital parts. I confulted with Mr. Harris, to alter the pills, and to adminifter them more often; upon which the patient took one of the pills as follows every hour during the violence of the paroxyfms: R Camphor ifs Opiifs Calo5 mel gr. x. ft. maifa in pil. xxx. The good effects of this plan were evidently demonftrated by foon diminifhing the irritability and violence of the convulfions; for, by two o'clock in the day, thefe commotions were in a great |