Page images
PDF
EPUB

but fetting thefe afide, I make no doubt, a grove of English oaks would be 2 more beautiful as well as a more magnificent object, than "the olive grove of Academe," or that of plane trees in the Athenian Lyceum.

"After all, it is as pollinie to err in too clofely following Nature, as it is in neglecting her. There are beauties of the artificial knd, as well as natural, which are proper to be introduced into fcenes of this kind. Statues, buildings, and other ornaments, in good tafte, and well executed, may unite with great propriety with natural objects, and heighten their effect. I do not speak of thefe ornaments, as to any particular beauties they may individually poife's, but merely as coinciding with the general effect and nature of the profpect. They are, however, to be employed cautiously, fince, if injudiciously, or even too frequently introduced, they give an ar of frivoloufnels and affectation to the whole, which renders it an object of contempt and ridicule, rather than of admiraLoa-1

“More, I think, might be faid against excluding parterres of flowers, which were fo conftant attendants upon the old gardens, and fo rarely feen at prefent. We all know, that several kinds of flowers are exquifitely beautiful, and that their beauty and perfec. tion depends on certain circumstances relative to their culture. Great care is necellary, and a feparation from other plants, both of which fuggeft the parterre as the molt proper and convenient way of producing them. I confefs, parterre divifions poffefs no remarkable beauties in themselves; but I think, at the fame time, that they have nothing fo fhocking, to the mott delicate taite, that fhould hinder their being employed, when they are the harbingers of fuch beautiful productions of nature. A fquare, or an oblong border, has nothing obviously abfurd or dilguft. ing in its appearance; and as to its being artificial, it may be faid in defence of it, that it is not an imitation of any thing in nature, nor meant to be fo, but folely calculated for uti lity, as an inftrument neceifary to the production of beauty; and, confidered in this view, we might with equal reafon object against a house, as an unnatural, and therefore an improper object, as against the divions of a flower parterie.

"I grant, indeed, that they have been whimfically, and often abturdly arranged, and fathioned; but fuch I do not here defend. I only maintain the cause of parterres, on account of the beauties which they are necellary to produce; not of any they themiclves poffets."

We perfectly coincide in opinion with our author, that a collection of flowers is a beauty which ought not to be excluded the mo

dern garden; but we by no means think that a parterre, or any other unnatural receptacie, is necellary to their introduction..

On the Regeneration of Animal Substances. By Charles White, Efq. F. R. S. &c. Read Dec. 18, 1782.

We have here an ample collection of cafes and other facts relative to this interefting fubject. The collection is rendered the more valuable, as being made by a man of Mr. White's acknowledged abilities. The manner in which he introduces his hiftory of facts, and the obfervations he afterwards makes upon them, do his head and his heart equal credit.

"The great Author of the creation has endowed the animal world with a wonderful power of repairing and recruiting its various compound machines. and not only filling up and making good loft fubitances, but in fome inftances, of even totally regenerating parts; but we must not from hence accufe him of partiality, in not doing it in every infiance; for the further we carry our refearches into the fecrets of Nature, the more we fhall be convinced of the great and unbounded wifdom of God, and of the extraordinary refources he has placed in her poieition;

The first Almighty cau'e

Acts not by partial, but by general laws. Pope's Lifay on Man. "The Deity has drawn the line, has fixed the limits, and has faid to Nature, Hither fhalt thou go, and no further.

"If this order does not appear to us to be uniformly preferved, we must not conclude that it is not really fo, but that it is owing to our fiender capacities, that we are unable to trace his hand through all his Ways:

See and confefs, one comfort ftill must

[blocks in formation]

But all

"The ancients knew that a fresh broken bone would unite by a callus, that wounds of the fleth would fill up by what is called incarnation, and would be healed over with fkin by what is called cicatrization. vain-glorious boafting man must not froin hence pretend, that he can make a tingle fi bre grow: this is the act of Nature only. The ableft furgeon living can do no more than affift her, remove the prefent obftacles, and prevent others being thrown in her way. "Yes, Nature's road must ever be preter

red,

Reafon is here no guide, but ftilla guard.” Loc. cit.

"The moderns have carried this matter further." A va

A variety of cafes are then enumerated, fhewing the wonderful efforts which Nature frequently makes towards re-establishing whatever art or accident has deranged or difplaced.-e natural history of the crab and lobster, the polypus,-the fea-anemone, the earth-worm, &c. &c. are next adduced, to place in a still stronger light the regeneration of animal fubftances. Finally, the author prefents us with two unpublished cafes which have occurred to his own experience; clofing his excellent performance with inferences and reflections, which, with the experience and obfervation from which they are drawn, fhew him to be at once an able furgeon, a good philofopher, and a greatminded man.

" I shall now beg leave to lay before the Society, two cafes, that have not been pub lifhed, in order to prove ftill further the doctrine I have been endeavouring to esta. blish.

"Roger Nuttal, of Bury, twenty years of age, was admitted an in patient of the Manchester Infirmary, under my care, on the 23d of January, 1775, for a tumor on his back. Upon ftripping off his fhirt, to fhew me the tumor, I was struck with a very fingular appearance of a stump of the right humerus. I asked him, if he was born with it in that form, or whether his arm had been taken off. He informed me, that Mr. Kay Allen had taken his arm off close to the shoulder, when he was but four years old, and that the ftump was grown again to that length, which feemed to be about eight inches longer than he defcribed it to have been, immediately after the amputation. I enquired both of his mother and Mr. Allen, as to the truth of his relation, which they both confirmed; and the latter with this addition, that the arm was taken off as near the fhoulder as the application of the tourniquet would permit. The bone had every degree of firmuels and folidity, and the stump was warm to the extreme point, and he informed me, was perfectly fenfible when touched, "Some years ago, I delivered a lady of rank of a fine boy, who had two thumbs upon one hand, or rather, a thumb double from the firth joint, the outer one rather lefs than the other, each part having a perfect nail. When he was about three years old, I was defned to take off the leffer one, which I did, but to my great attonithment it grew again, and along with it, the nail. The fa. mily afterwards went to refide in London, where his father thewed it to that excellent

operator, William Bromfield, Eq. furgeon to the Queen's household, who faid, he fup0.55 tkm 27. Whe, bene frid of da

maging the joint, had not taken it wholly out, but he would diffect it out entirely, and then it would not return. He accordingly executed the plan he had defcribed with great dexterity, and turned the ball fairly out of the focket; notwithstanding this, it grew again, a fresh nail was formed, and the thumb remains in this ftate.

"The conclufions I would draw from these facts, are, that, in the human fpecies, not only flesh, skin, and bones, may be regenerated, but membranes, ligaments, cartilages, glands, blood-veffels, and even nerves; and this for the wifeft purposes, that every part may be repaired in its own kind, and in fome manner restored by the coagulable

lymph, which is poured out, and becomes

vafcular, and forms organized parts.

"By this wife provifion of nature, the many accidents to which we are continually exposed, are often more completely repaired than art could be able to accomplish.

"In fome animals, we fee this regenerating and living principle carried ftill to a much greater length, where not only whole limbs, but even the more noble organs are reproduced.

"The study of nature is not only engaging and pleasant to a high degree, but it intpues us with fuch a respect and admiration of the Almighty Being, that it is impoflible either for a Naturalift or an Anatomiit to be an Atheift.

"They have constantly before their eyes fo many wonderful living machines, different. ly wrought, yet fo completely fashioned, and all tending to one great point, the prefervation of themfelves and their species; in which there are fo many orders of veffels, one depending upon another, yet complete in themfelves; capable of repairing injuries they may fuftain, and even of reitoring loft fubitances; that men who daily fee fuch objects, mutt be convinced, that these admirable fabrics cannot have proceeded from chance, but must have been the work of an Omnipotent Creator, who has formed them with the nioft perfect wisdom, and attention to their feveral interefts and fituations,"

An Effay on the Diversions of Hunting, Shooting, Fishing, &c. confidered as compatible with Humanity. Read Jan. 15, 1783.

This anonymous paper has given us great pleafure in the perufal. It is well-written, and many of the arguments it contains are clofe and ingenious. The fpecial argument,

however,

however, is wifely confined to HUNTING; it cannot with equal force be extended to SHOOTING-a lefs natural diversion ; — and by which we fear lingering deaths are rather increafed than prevented: but hear what our fenfible author advances upon the fubject.

"The tie of natural affection, it hath already been observed, is not weak amongst brute animals; but it may be remarked, that though in many cafes it is so strong in parents towards their progeny, the reflected attachment seems to fubfift, only whilft the young offspring are incapable of providing for themfelves. When they attain to maturity, the connection is, in moft cafes, diffolved, and the relationship forgotten. How pitiable then muft be the fituation of that animal, whom age, with its attendants, weaknets and diftale, hath reduced to a feeble and helpless ftate, incapable of providing for itself the necellary fabfiftence, a prey to continual apprehenfion from those animals whofe attacks it is unable to fly from or repel; and at length languishing to the period of its exiftake, confumed by famine and walted by difeafe? Compare with the fate of fuch an an.mal, that of the timid hare. She meets the opening morn in health and vigour, and with playful frolic wantons on yon upland bill, enlivened by the beams of the rifing fan. No feeble pulfe, or languid eye, indicate a difordered frame; no anticipation of ber approaching fate infpires her with appre. henfion. All is gay and lively, like the profpect around her. On a fudden, how ever, the fcene is changed, the echoing of the horn refounds from the adjacent valley, and the cry of the deep-mouthed hounds thunders fowards the hills. Se becomes motion!efs with fear, when a fecond alarm roufes her from her trance; the flies, and with eager fteps feems to outttrip the winds. Men, horfes, and dogs uitantly join in the chace, and the foreft echoes to the wild uproar. The hare doubles-the fwiftnefs of her fpeed abates-fear, more than fatigue, retards her flight-fhe faints at the noife of the approaching hounds-redoubles to elude their purfuit-her feeble limbs are unable to perform their office-and now-breathlefs and exhaufted, the is overtaken, and torn in pieces by her merciless purfuers.

"Such a doom seems fevere, and hard is the heart which doth not commiferate the fufferer. Its apparent feverity will, however, be much mitigated, if we confider the quick tranfition, from perfect health to the expiring conflict, Death brought on by difeafe, or the decay of nature, would be

much more to be dreaded; and compared therewith, the fate of the partridge from the gun of the fowler, or of the trout by the rod of the angler, is mild and enviable.

"To recapitulate then what hath been advanced on this fubject - We have feen the human mind, in every age, endowed with a ftrong, natural inclination to thefe diversions. In the favage ftate, we have seen, that the fituation of man renders fuch a propensity abfolutely neceifary; we have seen it become at once conducive to his convenience, and his pleatures; we behold him emerge from a ftate of uncivilization into polished life, This propenfity ftill accompanies him; it stimulates him to exercife the efficient caufe of health; it infpires him with a love of induftry and activity, the certain fource of true pleature; he becomes habituated to fatigue and exertion, despises danger and difficulty, nor dreads exposure to thofe elements, from whofe feverity he acquires ftrength of body, with vigor and firmnefs of mind. We have feen, with refpect to brute animals, that, being deftined for the ufe of man, in depriving them of existence, he disturbs not the order and intention of nature; that in facrificing them to his pleatures, he neither deftroys nor diminishes their portion of enjoyment; and that, in exercifing the prerogative with which he is invefted, if he were not thus prompted by inclination, he would be compelled by neceifity.

66

It may be urged, if not as an argument in favour of thete diverfions, yet as a circumitance which should incline us to caution in condemning them, that they are purfued by many individuals who are diftinguished for thofe virtues of the heart, which feem totally inconfiftent with thoughtless or with intentional cruelty, and which are at once the ornament and the bleffings of fociety."

Obfervations on Longevity. By Anthony
Fothergill, M. D. F. R. S.
Read Jan.
15, 1783.

We are here prefented with three Tables, followed by fome valuable obfervations, on Longevity; a fubject interesting to every man. Having already laid before our readers an extract from this valuable paper *, we fhall here only infert the concluding obferva

tions :

"That fo complicated a machine as the human body, fo delicate in its texture, and fo exquifitely formed in all its parts, should continue, for fo many years, to perform its various functions, even under the most prudent conduct, is not a little furprizing: but that it should ever hold out to any advanced

* See page 145, et feq.

period,

period, under all the rude shocks it fo often meets with from riot and intemperance, which lay it open to all the various "ills that flefh is heir to," is ftill more truly miraculous! But here, perhaps, it may be alledged, that it never can be fuppofed, all the long livers pursued one uniform, regular courfe of life, fince it is well known, that fome of the moft noted ones were fometimes guilty of great deviations from ftrict temperance and regularity. Let not this, however, encourage the giddy libertines of the prefent age to hope to render their continued fcenes of intemperance and debauchery compatible with health and longevity. The duties and occupations of life will not, indeed, permit the generality of mankind to live by rule, and fubject themfelves to a precife regimen. Fortunately, this is not neceffary: for the Divine Architect has, with infinite wifdom,

By Dr. Barnes. Read Feb. 12, 1783.

This is an interesting subject; and the pa per with which we are here prefented upon it is the belt proof we could have had of the doctrine advanced; namely, "that an ener gy imparted to one power of the human mind will often communicate a degree of energy to the reft;"-for this paper appears to have been written in confequence of a

difpate, which, it is highly probable, kindled "a degree of warmth and fenfib.lity"-0 wh ch, it is more than probable, we owe this admirable differtation. But we think it our duty to let this admirable writer tell his

own tale.

"A fentiment was advanced in converfation feveral evenings ago, in this place, which, to fome Gentlemen, appeared strange, or rather faife. The refpect I owe to this Society, and above all to Truth, obliges me

to endeavour to defend a point, which ap. pears to me to be not only juft, but very important.

it

rendered the human frame fo duite, as to admit of a very confiderable latitude of health; yet this has its bounds, which none can long tranfgrefs with impunity. For, if old Parr, notwithstanding fome exceffes and irregularities, arrived at fo attonishing an age, yet we have reafon to fuppofe, that there were far from being habitual; and may alfo conclude, that had it not been for thefe abufes, his life, and thus allift and quicken their operamight have been fitill confiderably protracted.

On the whole, though fome few exceptions may occur to what has been alrea dy obferved, yet it will be found, in general, that ali extremes are unfriendly to health and longevity. Exceffive heat enervates the body; extreme cold renders it torpid: floth and inactivity clog the neceffary movements of the machine; inceffant labour foon wears it out. On the other hand, a temperate climate, moderate exercife, pure country air, and strict temperance, together with a prudent regulation of the paffions, will prove the most efficacious means of protracting life to its utmost limits. Now, if any of thefe require more peculiar attention than the left,

is, undoubtedly, the latt: for the focial paffions, like gentle gales, fan the brittle veffel calmly along the ocean of life, while, on the other band, rough, turbulent ones dash it upon rocks and quickfunds. Hence, perhaps, it may be explamed, why the cultivation of philofophy, mufic, and the fine arts, all which manifeftly tend to humanize the foul, and to calm the rougher paffions, are fo highly conducive to longevity; and, finally, why there is no ture method of fecuring that habitual calmness and ferenity of mind, which constitute true happiness, and which are, at the fame time, fo effential to health and long life, without virtue."

On the Influence of the Imagination, and the Paffions, upon the Understanding.

[ocr errors]

"In the converfation before alluded to, had been afferted, "That an energy imparted to one power of the human mind, will often communicate a degree of energy to the

tion."

"In proof of this, it was maintained, "That in many cafes, the vigour of imagination will give correfpondent vigour to the judgment;" and, "That a degree of warmth aud fenfibility will be greatly favourable to the clearness, as well as to the celerity, of the perceptions of the underflanding."

"This fentiment will, probably, alarm thofe who have implicitly received what is to generally afferted, "That pure and fimple truth has nothing to do with imagination feelings, or paffions; and, that he will bid the faurelt for fuccefsful inquiry into any fubject, who can diveft his mind mott ent rely of all affections, and bring it into a itate of abfolute indifference and apathy."

"It is not uncommon to hear the Imagination condemned as a criminal of the muit dangerous nature, whofe province is, at the beft, only to amule, who is a fworn enemy to truth, and whom Reafou wifhes to banith as far as poflible from her throne. How often have we known, what was very dul's for want of fome feafon.ngs of imagination, fuppofed to be, for that reaton, very deep! whilft, on the other hand, what was eulvened by the ammation of an active fancy, was cenfured as flimfy and irrational ? as if a brilliant imagination could not poffibly become the companion and affiftant of the pureft understanding! That it may, Is the point which this paper attempts to prove.

"In fupporting this hypothefis, I beg

leave

heave to hazard a defcription of the human mind, which fome may not very readily ad mit. In judging of the mental powers, it does not appear to me philofophically jutt, to describe the foul as confifting of feveral dutinct and difcordant faculties, of which fome are commiflioned perpetually to oppote and contradict the others. The proper idea of human nature feems to be, "That it is one uncompounded effence, continually in motam, and receiving different denominations, according to the different modes and circumftances of its movement." luftead of contidering the understanding, memory, paflions, and will, as diftinct and opposite powers, or as unconnected tenants under the fame roof, Would it not be more jutt, to confider them al as modes of the mind itself, and as each of them bearing the common nature and charact r of the whole united fpirit? We should then confider the mind itfelf as understanding, the mind itself as judging, remembering, faling, willing. And this idea would be exactly confonant to many facts, and pheno. mena of human nature, which will be hereafter mentioned,

[ocr errors]

However the common representation of human nature, as confifting of feveral intending powers, may have been figu atively a topted, in order to folve fome appearances; fuch, the experience of conflicting paffions, or of opeglite tendencies in the foul; yet it is not founded in philofophical truth, and, if not properly guarded, by being always confered merely as a figure, it may lead to fal ehood and absurdity.

"The full elucidation of all these pofitons would fwell this paper to a length far beyond the limits wifely appointed for our communications, which, being intended only as fubfidiary to converfation, fhould rather contain binti, than a regular compofition of tothed and artificial fentences. I may add, Its fubject wou'd have received its beft illuftration and fupport from morals and religion. But as thefe would lead me too much into a prof fional line, 1 fhall endeavour to draw the arguments from thofe lower fubjects, of taft, e iticism, and polite literature, by which, it appears to me, to be unantwerably fupported.

"The points we undertake to defend, are thefe; "That the imagination and paflions #17, within proper limits, be of the utmost fervice in giving ftrength and clearness to the understanding. And, that this arifes,-from the nature and office of the imagination,and from the principle before-mentioned, that the energy of ore power may be communied to the reft, with the greatest advan

-

After producing feveral ingenious arguments in fupport of this position, our author proceeds to enquire more particularly into the nature and office of the Imagination.

"Imagination," fays he, is that power, or. more properly, that at of the mind, which allembies, compounds, divides its ideas, not in the order in which they first came into the mind, for that is the province of memory, but in any order, and upon any principles it chooses. It ranges abroad, through the immenfe magazine and repotitory of ideas treafured up there, and joins together, or feparates, at pleasure, ideas, qualities, and forms. It may be called the fervant or labourer of the mind, continually employed to bring before it, from its amazing storehouse, material, with which to build up its conclufions. It is the ever bufy, patient, indefatigable drudge, toiling for the common benefit and alittance of all the other powers; and does not defove the indignities and reproaches it is continually receiving. How often is it forced to be prefent, and even to give aff tance, in the condemnation and execution of itfelf? How many, with declamation moft extravagant, with ideas moft deranged, with apprehenfions moft fanciful, have abused the poor Imagination, whilft all their cenfure and alarm have had no better than an imaginary foundation? *

"A mind too imaginative does, indeed, often join its ideas together in wild and ridiculous affociations. One who is called a wit, joins only thofe which appear odd and fantaftic. But he whofe judging are exactly poised by his imaginative powers, who is, according to our fcheme, at once, lively to conceive, and fober to judge, collects together only those ideas, which are proper to fet the fubject before him in fuch a ligh', as to form an exact determination. The power of imagining is, therefore, in its place, as neceliary as the power of judging. Suppose a mind which coul Ionly remember-it would fail, at once, into the track muked out by others, and would never employ its own pow ets, by reafoning and determining for itself. Accordingly we find, that perfons of the ftrongest memory have generally the weakest judgments.

"If thefe principles are juft, a mind which could not imagine, could not renfor. It would have no materials before it, on which to form its decifion. Its view of any fubjećt would be narrow and defective. Obferve, on the other hand, a mind keen and fervent in the profecation of a favourite fubject, viewing it attentively on every fide, catching every ray of light which can illuminte, and every kindred fentiment which

[merged small][ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »