men as ufually discharged, because it is then mixed with the white and vifcid liquor of the proftate gland; yet it agrees with that in the vafa deferentia, as nearly as cyftic bile does with the hepatic. That in the next place, it is extremely probable that the femen may remain in the veficula feminales of a caftrated animal for a confiderable time; but that fuppofing it possible to prove, that at the time of caftration there was not a drop of femen in the veficula feminales, and yet that afterwards the animal was capable of generating, it would not follow from this, that the veficula were not the receptacles of the liquor fecreted in the testicle. The utmost amount of the conclufion would be, that the veficulæ feminales, or terminations of the feminal ducts, were capable of fecreting the fame liquor as the beginnings of thofe ducts in the teftes. Inftances of caftrated animals generating, are moreover fo very rare, as to render it improbable that the veficulæ poffefs fuch a power. The Doctor therefore concludes, that the common theory, which fuppofes the veficula to be the fole or chief receptacles of the femen, is well founded. The laft fection of this chapter treats of the fwimming-bladder in fishes. On this fubject the Doctor contents himself with ftating a few facts and queries, leaving the chief circumstances to be determined by more extenfive examination and experiments. It has been long known, he fays, that in the flat fishes there is no fwimming-bladder; and in a few long-shaped fishes, as in the mackrel, he has alfo found it wanting. It is likewife known, that in many fishes the air-bag communicates by a duct with the oefophagus. On examining this matter, he found in a Aurgeon a round hole nearly an inch in diameter in the upper and back part of the ftomach, by which it communicates with a very large air-bag. In the falmon he found a hole fo large as to admit readily the largest-fized goofe-quill, leading directly through the coats of the cefophagus into the air-bag. In the pike, in different kinds of carp,in the perca-arenarea, in the conger, different ducts of confiderable length lead from the cefophagus into the airbag; and if, as in the carp, there are two air-bags, the duct leads to the posterior bag, from which there is a paffage into the anteri ur. From thefe circumftances he concludes, that the air found in the fwimming-bladder paffes into it through the abovementioned ducts. And they feem well fuited for the purpofe; for, as in the common horizontal fituation of the fish, their beginning is at the upper part of the ftomach, it is eafy to conceive that the air which they take in at their mouth when they afcend, or that such may by fume more latent procefs be disengaged from the water, is applied to these ducts: and that the fish, by an instinct of nature, diftinguishes the irritation of air from that of water, and propels the air into the air-bag, but excludes the water. But in the cod and haddock, though the air-bag is very large, and its fides remarkably strong, yet the Doctor was not able to difcover any communication of it with the mouth, cefophagus, ftomach or inteftmes. The airbag was not enlarged by blowing into the alimentary canal, nor could it be emptied without bursting it. Further, on the inner fide of the air-bag of the cod, haddock, &c, was found a red-coloured organ, the furface of which is very extenfive, compofed of a vaft number of leaves or membranes doubled; but in thofe fishes where the air-bag communicates with the alimentary canal, this red body is either very fmall and fimple in its structure, as in the conger eel, or entirely wanting, as in the sturgeon, falmon, carp, &c. Hence he thinks it is reasonable to fuppofe, that the air may be fecreted from this red body, fomewhat in the way it feems to be fecreted into the fwimming-bladders of aquatic plants, or perhaps into the air-bag of the egg of a bird as the chick grows. This, however, our anatomift leaves as a mere hypothefis, perfuaded that most readers will rather fuppofe that the cod, haddock, &c. have an air-duct, which has as yet efcaped obfervation. To fuch, continues he, another question will occur, viz. What is the use of the red body? Does it, like the gills, receive fomewhat ufeful, or difcharge fomewhat hurtful to the animal? And, are we to fuppofe that the air-bag not only ferves to render the body of the fish specifically lighter, but also that the air received into it is of benefit to the conftitution, by adding fomewhat useful, or by taking up fomewhat noxious? The next two chapters contain a defcrip tion of the fyftem of lymphatic abforbent veffels in fishes, and experiments and obfer. vations thereon. From these experiments, which were chiefly made on the Nantes Pin. nati, because in them the lymphatics, owing to their cylindrical shape and toughnets, were more eafily traced than in the Pifces, the Doctor found that the diftribution of the lymphatic fyftem is universal in them ; that the red veins are, in proportion to their arteries, as large in fishes as in man or quadrupeds, and yet their blood contains few red particles; and that thefe particles are in a great measure excluded from the veffels of their muscles, and of many other parts: from which he concludes, that their colour. lefs as well as their red arteries terminate in their red veins. By By injecting penetrating liquors into the arteries and lymphatic veins of fishes, he found it impollible to make these liquors pafs from the arteries into the lymphatics, or from the lymphatics into the arteries, except when there was a laceration of thefe veffels; yet he repeatedly injected their red veins from their arteries. Hence the lymphatic veins do not feem to be the continuation of the lymphatic arteries in fishes; or we are led to fuppofe that, as they do not affift directly in circulating the blood, they must be of a'e by absorbing fluids from the furface, and from the different cavities of their bodies.. By a variety of experiments he discovered, that it was poffible to give a decifive ocular proof, by observing the effects of injefting fluids from the trunks into the fmall branches of the lymphatic veins, of the truth of the doctrine, that the human valvular lymphatic veins are a fyftem of abforbents. From the circumftance of very large and onmerous lymphatics being difperfed upon the gills of the fcate, and the additional one that fishes foon die when put into water from which the air has been extracted, and yet that fuch water is capable of washing off exhaled matter from the gills, and of taking up phlogifton readily, the Doctor is led to fuppofe, that the gills or lungs not only difCharge hurtful matter, but ferve also to take in from the air, which is mixed with the water, somewhat neceflary for life; the pretile nature of which experiments do not yet emble us to specify. We may, however, obferve, that the color and quantity of the red particles of the blood, and the heat of animals, are connected with the mode of their refpiration; and that it is as conceivable that the craffamentum of blood immerfed in ferum, and enclofed a bladder, or that blood circulating in the hungs of a living animal, may receive or attratt fubtile matter from the atmosphere, as that it may discharge fuch into it. The fixth chapter contains obfervations on the lymphatics of the spleen in fifhes, and the ufes in general of that organ. In the fucceeding chapter he establishes his claim to the firit discovery of the existence of the lacteal and lymphatic fyftem in birds and amphibious animals, as well as in fishes, in oppofition to the pretenfions of the late Mr. Hewfon. But for this we must refer to the work itself. Chap. viii, treats of the brain, and organs of the fenfes in fishes. The brain of fishes, the Doctor obferves, is fenfibly smaller in proportion to their body, than in the mammalia or in birds; yet the nerves it fends off are as large in proportion to the feveral organs as in those two claffes. In it is found the like principal division into brain and cerebellum; and these are hollow, or have ventricles within them. In the gadus, our anatomift found spheroidal bodies between the dura and pia mater, and covering the greater part of their nerves, like a coat of mail, in their courfe towards the organs to which they are deftined. After these few general obfervations on the brain, the organs of the fenfes, particularly the nose, the ear, and the eye (for on thofe of the touch and tafte there can be little or no room for remark) are the objects of our acute observer's enquiries. In all fishes, he remarks, external openings for fmell are very evident, generally two on each fide in the offeous fishes, which on each fide of the head lead to a complex organ, the furface of which is of confiderable extent; and upon them a pair of large or ol factory nerves terminates. In fome fishes, as in the haddock, he obferved that the olfactory nerve, in its course between the head and nofe, paffes through a cineritious ball resembling the cineritious matter connected in our body to the olfactory nerve within the craninm. He therefore infers, that there can be no doubt that they enjoy the fenfe of fmelling: but there is great reason to believe, that, fuited to their furrounding element, they are much more fenfible of odorous bodies diffolved in water, and applied by its medium, than we should be, if the application of the object was to be made to our organ of fmell by the fame medium. [To be continued.] A Philofophical, Historical, and Moral Effay on Old Maids, by a Friend of the Sisterhood. In 3 vols. 8vo. London, T. Cadell, 1785. T (Concluded from P. 39.) HE fuperior claims of antient Virgins to ingenuity and patience being fully eftablished, the Effayift proceeds to fhew that their pretenfions are equally well founded with regard to charity, the remaining characteristic of the fifterhood. When nalure (he obferves) has bestowed on the autimnal maiden a conftitutional fund of beneolence, and fortune has bleffed her with wealth, her condition is highly favourable to the exercise of beneficent virtue. Unencumbered with at load of houfehold care and parental folicitude which is apt to cramp the municence of the married dame, and to confine it within the circle of a fingle family, her kiduefs and 1 berality will be often found to indulge the..felves in a more ample field. As example is beyond precept, our author accordi according to custom illuftrates his opinion by the hiftory of Chariessa, whom an easy fortune and unexampled benevolence rendered, perhaps, the very happieft old maid that ever exifted. To the book itself we must refer our readers for a full view of this highly finished picture, which is beautifully contrafted with that of her fifter Erinnis, and content oufelves with giving only a few ftriking features. "The patrimonial fortune of Chariessa was 16,000l. which had been much increased by fome confiderable legacies. The prudent regulation of this income not only fupplied her with all the ufual comforts of affluence, but furnished her with the exalted pleasure of conferring happiness on a felected number of induftrious poor. She poffeffed, in the most eminent degree, a chearful fimplicity of heart, inexhaustible benevolence, and unaffected piety. By the conftant yet modeft exercise of these admirable qualities Charieffa fecured to herfelf not only more felicity, but even more public regard and attention than was obtained by fome fingle ladies of her neighbourhood, who were undoubtedly her fuperiors in the attractive endowments of beauty, opulence, and wit. There was a period in her life at which fome of her uncandid neighbours conjectured that the fubtle vice of avarice was beginning to infect her; she suddenly parted with her chariot, and reduced her establishment, without aligning her reasons for conduct fo furprifing. In a few years the refumed her equipage, and re-com.menced her ufual file of living, with as much or rather more fplendour than ever. This ftill more engaged the attention of the neighbourhood; and the very people, who on the former alteration had accused her of avarice, now exclaimed, that he was either feized with the frenzy of extravagance, or was endeavouring to allure an husband. It was, how ever, proclaimed upon her death, by the worthy family of a deceafed merchant, that, under the promise of the most abfolute fecrecy, she had allotted to his affistance, during the years of the above-mentioned retrenchment, a full moiety of her income, by which generous exertion fhe had fupported him through fome most cruel and undeferved diftreffes, enabled him to retrieve his circumftances, and preferve his family from impending ruin." Having finished the hiftory of this truly amiable woman, the author makes the following fenfible obfervations. "It was undoubtedly the warm and genuine fpirit of Charity, in the fcriptural, comprehenfive fenfe of that word, which gave to ftrong an effed to the fimple character of this excellent perfon. Indeed, in the formation of her character, it seemed as if nature had deter. mined to fhew how far her own powers were fufficient to make a woman both amiable and happy, without borrowing any afliftance from art. I once, indeed, heard it remarked by an ancient fpinfter in the neighbourhood, who, tho' infinitely more opulent, was not half fo well refpected, that Charieffa had a weak understanding.—But if to avoid all the little jealoufies, fufpicions, and bickerings of ordinary ipirits; if to conciliate univerfal regard, without practising the ungenerous arts of hypocrify and adulation; if to pursue and relish the most innocent and rational pleafures with moderation and gratitude; if to difcharge the most effential duties with regularity devoid of oftentation; if, in fhort, to enjoy and to diftribute the valuable tho' tranfitory happiness of this world, and at the fame time to fecure the permanent and ineftimable felicity which is announced to us by the promifes of Hea ven; if, I fay, to do all this may be confidered as a proof of wifdom; Envy herself muft allow that Charieffa was one of the wifeft as well as moft fortunate of women. P "No example, continues our author, can be prefented to the fisterhood, which they may follow with greater ease, or with fuperior advantage: for tho' few ancient virgins may poffefs fuch comfortable :ffluence, yet they may, with a much humbler revenue, poffefs and difcover the fame generous felicity of fpirit. Nature is equally indulgent to every rank in life. As in her vegetable kingdom, the has kindly made the fweetest of flowers the most common; fo in the moral world, the has placed the lovely virtue which conduces moft to human happiness, equally within the reach and cultivation of the rich and poor. Benevolence may be confidered as the rofe, which is found as beautiful and as fragrant in the narrow border of the cottager, as in the ample and magnificent garden of the peer. The truth of genuine charity is not effimated by the weight of what the gives; and the mite of the indigent old maid, like that of the poor widow, may be fuperior in real merit to the moft fplendid donation. Charity is a theme, on which the fublimeft fpirits have fo often and fo ably difcourfed, it is a virtue of fnch acknowledged value and luftre, that to speak further in its praise may appear like an attempt -"to gild refined gold, "Or add a perfume to the violet." Yet after all the admirable things that have been written on this lovely president of the angelic virtues, it remains, the author thinks, for him to fhew, why charity may w.th fingular propriety be recommended to that fair and tender community, of which, he delightful exertions. I exhort, therefore, has, he hopes with no offenfive arrogance, the folitary old maid-who may be confidered as the inhabitant of a wilderness, where the profeffed himself the paftor. flowers of love are utterly withered, and those of friendship very thinly fcattered-to make charity her favourite and conftant companion. She who does, will infallibly find, in the delight arifing from fuch intercourse, an adequate and lively fubftitute for all the more precarious pleasures, of which the caprice of chance may have cruelly deprived her." "The unhappiness of ancient virgins," he fays, "often arifes from a certain vacuity of heart, which is frequently the natural confequence of their peculiar fituation. I have fometimes confidered the bofom of an old maid as a kind of cell, in which it was intended that the lively bee Affection fhould treasure up its collected fweets; but this bee happening to perish, before it could properly fettle on the flowers that should afford its wealth, the vacant cell unluckily became the abode of the drone Indifference, or of the wap Malignity.-To speak in lefs figurative language the want of proper objects to engage and employ that fund of tenderness, which nature fekdom fails to beflow on the female frame, may render the joyless, unconnected spinfter both troublesome to her acquaintance, and a burden to herself. Of all the different kinds of want, I apprehend that which originates in the heart, must be the most depreffing. The pains of disappointed banger and thirst are undoubtedly great; yet a destiny far more deplorable than that of Tantalus would be affigned to that being, (if we may fuppofe fuch a being to exift) who, with a spirit full of generous and kind affecpons, fhould never be allowed to indulge itfelf in a single act or expreffion of generofity or kindness. Now the fol tary yet benevolent old maid, who has no husband to love, no child to idolize, and, perhaps, Do friend to esteem, would be almost reduced to the dreary and miferable condition which I have here imagined, were not chanity, who has the power of fupplying even the tendereft relations, and of giving chiléren to the childless-were not charity both perfectly able and perpetually ready To fill the void left aching in the breast. It is the privilege of charity to poffefs one fignal advantage over fome of the most emineut paffions and virtues of the human fpirit, Ambition, love, and friendship, are not only fubject to mortification and difappointment, but cannot eyen exift without the attiftance of time and chance. But charty is by no means the offspring or the flave of accident, and all her defigns are permanent and certain. It is poffible that a heart which nature has rendered capable of the most tender and fublime attachment, may wander through the wilderness of human life, without tafting the fweets of either love or friendship. But a charitable fpirit, tho' confined to the moft narrow and barren field of action, may fnd even there abundance of objects to call forth, and to reward the most falutary and The author here meant, he informs us, to have clofed this part of his work; but a friend just then entering his study, obliged him with a full and frank opinion on what he had written; and after fome animating compliments on the defign of his work in general, pointed out to him, that there appeared to him a deficiency in this part of the Effay; that the author had done ample justice to the fifter. hood in many inftances; that he had fuccefsfully combated the vulgar error, that every old maid was a mortified being, whona the want of attractions, or the influence of accident, had reduced to an involuntary, woeful condition; had by argument and example fhewn on the contrary, that the anci ent virgin might be cheerful and happy, completely contented with a ftate fhe had deliberately chofen; but that ftill, as their advocate, he ought to celebrate fome characters, who, without any tincture of Romish fuperftition, had devoted themselves to a life of virginity, from the pure and sublime motives of friendship and affection; and that he was ready to fupply him with two fignal inftances of fuch a generous facrifice, in the characters of Angelica and Meletina. These characters are accordingly introduced, and drawn in the warmest colours; and the author concludes this part of his work with the remark, "That two members of fuch engaging excellence are alone fufficient to ennoble any community; and I flatter myfelf, the mild luftre of their characters will reflect a degree of glory on the fifterhood, and raife it confiderably in the estimation of the world." Perhaps, if a just chronicle of old maids had been kept fince the creation, it would have presented to us many fimilar examples of tender magnanimity. In order, as he expreffes himself, to rival the curious researches of our prefent most celebrated antiquarians, and in the wide field which he has chofen to leave no bush or bramble unexplored, the author proceeds to examine if there ever exifted an antediluvian old maid: he next offers conjectures concerning old maids among the Jews, the Egyptians, and fome other nations of antiquity; on the old maids of Greece, on the vestals, and other old maids of Rome before before the christian æra. He then takes notice of the infinite increase of old maids fince that period, and quotes fome of the most early chriftian authors who have touched on virginity, fuch as Tertullian, St. Cyprian, &c. and gives confiderable extracts from the faints who have written panegyrics upon it, particularly St. Athanafius, St. Bafil, St. Gregory Nazianzen, his name-fake of Nyffa, St. Ambrofe, St. Chryfoftom, St. Jerom, &c. &c. &c. But tho' this part of the work undoubtedly affords the author an opportuni ty of difplaying his reading, and intimacy with the works of the Fathers, yet we must candidly confefs it afforded us, and will, we may venture to affert, afford the generality of his readers much less fatisfaction than other lefs elaborate, tho' more interefting parts of this admirable Essay. The remainder of the fifth part contains an account of fome miracles afcribed to monaf. tic virgins; of the decline and fall of monaftic virginity; of fome monaftic old maids dif tinguished by literary talents; of fome old maids of the new world, and of the reverence paid to them by our northern ancestors. The fixth and laft part gives several paffages in Englith poets concerning virginity; treats of the medical influence afcribed to it, and of the various devices supposed to afcertain it. The reader is alfo prefented with a curious difcuffion of the delicate and important queftion,-"Which is the more eligible for a wife, a widow, or an old maid?" in which the author has difplayed his ufual vivacity and penetration. From among his various arguments in favour of the fifterhood, we thail only mention the following, truly characteristic of his ftyle. The widow is a piece of war"ped wood, which the most skilful workman "may find himself unable to shape as he "withes; but the old maid is the pliant virgin "wax, which follows with the most happy ❝ductility every ferious defign, every ingenious "device, every fportive whim of the modeller." The chapter concludes with an extract from an epiftle of St. Jerom to a widow of the name of Ageruchia, containing an account of a wedding between a man who had had twenty wives, and a woman who had buried her twenty-fecond husband. The last article is a fermon, supposed to be delivered in a dream, the text of which is taken from the 38th verse of the 11th chapter of Judges: "She went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity." On awaking from his reverie, the author tells us, he looked wittfully around, and, instead of a kind and honeft old maiden on each fide of him, was furprized to find St. Bafil's Difcourfe on Vir ginity at his left hand, and towards the right an exhausted bottle of Port. We cannot better conclude our account of thefe entertaining and improving volumes, which have afforded us much fatisfaction, than in the author's own sensible and modeft, tho expreffive and epigrammatic words. "Frank and gentle fpirits, who are wil ling to be pleafed! let me request and advife you to confider this chequered produc tion with that uniform good-nature and fatiffaction which the author has endeavoured to promote, and fincerely wishes you to preferve, not only through thefe pages, but in turning over every new leaf of your feparate lives, whatever you may chance to find its contents! Let me caution you against une poffible error in your judgment of this performance! Do not, I entreat you, fuppofe that thefe little volumes were written with an idle ambition of trying what fuppofed wit and learning could produce on a fubject not very promifing! Do not, I conjure you, rank my Efay on Old Maids with the famous Meditation on a Broomstick! I flatter myself, it is far fuperior to that celebrated production, in the merits of the aim propofed, though not in thofe of execution. I am willing to hope that my defign will be thought to poffefs the charm of originality; but I cannot prefume to think that I am entitled to any fuch commendation for the conduct of my performance, fince I must candidly confefs, that it bears a very striking refemblance to many other Philofophical Effays, by ending in a DREAM. The Errors of Innocence. 5 Volumes. London. Robinsons. 1786. THIS novel, which is faid to be written the has fuccefsfully exerted her endeavours by a lady, is far above the general run of fuch productions. The author, if a female, has fhewn herself thoroughly acquainted with high life, and need not fear, what the modeftly alledges in her preface as a reafon for omitting the declaration of her fex in the tile-page," that her work will fuffer in the eyes of the judicious from fuch a declaration," To guard againft, or to fupprefs thofe caprices and purfuits, which, tho' felt without fhame, and indulged without remorfe, frequently lead to error, and progreffively to vice, is undoubtedly commendable. This our author profeffes to have been her aim, and we think for that purpose, by endeavouring to direct the understanding to that mental regulation, from an inattention to which arife half the turbulent paffions that corrode the bleifings and embitter the pleasures of life. We, however, think, that like most other ladies, the author has been fond of amplification, and that three volumes might have contained every thing interesting in the bufinefs. Nor does she stand in need of the poet's advice-nec Deus inter fit-as in many inftances the contrives knots fufficient to puzzle the whole body of hea then divinities to untie. |
