XIX. Anecdote of the late Duke of Montague. MR. URBAN, WE have often been amused with stories of the whims and frolics that great men have exercised upon little ones to the no small astonishment and perplexity of the said little men, and the unspeakable delight of themselves and their company. The late Duke of Montague was remarkable for these achievements of wit and humour, which he conducted with a dexterity and address peculiar to himself. I send you an account of one of them for the entertainment of your readers, though I doubt whether there is one among them all to whom it will give as much pleasure as it gave his grace. Soon after the conclusion of the late peace he had observed, that a middle-aged man, in something like a military dress, of which the lace was much tarnished and the cloth worn thread-bare, appeared at a certain hour in the park, walking to and fro in the Mall with a kind of mournful solemnity, or ruminating by himself on one of the benches, without taking any more notice of the gay crowd that was moving before him, than of so many enimets on an ant-hill, or atoms dancing in the sun. This man the duke singled out as likely to be a fit object for a frolic. He began, therefore, by making some inquiry concerning him, and soon learned that he was an unfortunate poor creature, who having laid out his whole stock in the purchase of a commission, liad behaved with great bravery in the war, in hopes of preferment; but upon the conclusion of the peace had been reduced to starve upon half-pay. This the duke thought a favourable circumstance for his purpose; but he learned, upon farther inquiry, that the captain having a wife and several children, had been reduced to the necessity of sending them down into Yorkshire, whither he constantly transmitted them one moiety of his half-pay, which would not subsist them nearer the metropolis, and reserved the other moiety to keep himself upon the spot, where alone he could hope for an opportunity of obtaining a more advantageous situation. These particulars afforded a new scope for the duke's genius, and he immediately began his operations. After some time, when every thing had been prepared, he watched an opportunity as the captain was sitting alone, buried in his speculations on a bench, to send his gentlemau to him with his compliments, and an invitation to dinner the next day. The duke having placed himself at a convenient distance, saw his messenger approach without being perceived, and begin to speak without being heard; he saw his intended guest start at length from his reverie, like a man frighted out of a dream, and gaze with a foolish look of wonder and perplexity at the person that accosted him, without seeming to comprehend what he said, or to believe his senses when it was repeated to him till he did. In short, he saw with infinite satisfaction all that could be expected in the looks, behaviour, and attitude, of a man addressed in so abrupt and unaccountable a manner; and as the sport depended upon the man's sensibility, he discovered so much of that quality on striking the first stroke, that he promised himself success beyond his former hopes. He was told, however, that the captain returned thanks for the honour intended him, and would wait upon his grace at the time appointed. When he came, the duke received him with particular marks of civility, and taking him aside with an air of great secresy and importance, told him that he had desired the favour of his company to dine chiefly upon the account of a lady, who had long had a particular regard for him, and had expressed a great desire to be in his company, which her situation made it impossible for her to accomplish, without the assistance of a friend; that having learned these particulars by accident, he had taken the liberty to bring them together, and added, that he thought such an act of civility, whatever might be the opinion of the world, could be no imputation upon his honour. During this discourse, the duke enjoyed the profound astonishment and various changes of confusion that appeared in the captain's face, who, after he had a little recovered himself, began a speech with great solemnity, in which the duke perceived he was labouring to insinuate in the best manner he could, that he doubted whether he was not imposed upon, and whether he ought not to resent it; and therefore to put an end to his difficulties at once, the duke laid his hand upon his breast, and very devoutly swore, that he told him nothing that he did not believe upon good evidence to be true. When word was brought that dinner was served, the captain entered the dining-room with great curiosity and wonder, but his wonder was unspeakably increased when he saw at the table his own wife and children. The duke had begun his frolic by sending for them out of Yorkshire, and had as much, if not more, astonished the lady than he had her hus hand, to whom he took care she should have no opportunity to send a letter. It is much more easy to conceive than to describe a meeting so sudden, unexpected, and extraordinary: it is sufficient to say that it afforded the duke the highest entertainment, who at length, with much difficulty, got his guests quietly seated at his table, and persuaded them to fall to, without thinking either of yesterday or to-morrow. It happened, that soon after dinner was over, word was brought to the duke, that his lawyer attended about some business by his grace's order. The duke, willing to have a short truce with the various inquiries of the captain about his family, ordered the lawyer to be introduced, who pulling out a deed that the duke was to sign, was directed to read it, with an apology to the company for the interruption. The lawyer accordingly began to read, when, to complete the adventure and the confusion and astonishment of the poor captain and his wife, the deed appeared to be a settlement which the duke had made upon them of a genteel sufficiency for life. Having gravely heard the instruments read, without appearing to take any notice of the emotion of his guests, he signed and sealed it, and delivered it into the captain's hand, desiring him to accept it without compliments, for, said he, I assure you it is the last thing I would have done, if I had thought I could have employed my money or my time more to my satisfaction any other way. 1756, April. XX. Toads found in Stones. MR. URBAN, Ramsay, March 10. YOUR correspondent, in your Magazine for last February, relates a story, which he calls a strange one, and that he will not take upon him to determine how much of it is true, viz. that in sawing a block of marble, or, as he supposes, of free-stone, a living toad was found in the cavity. However, to put the possibility of the fact beyond all doubt, I will relate a story of the same sort, which happened about the year 1743, when I lived at Wisbech, in the Isle of Ely, and which I saw with my own eyes. Mr. Charlton, a stone-cutter, who lived at the bottom of my yard next the river, came up to my house, and desired me to walk down to his shop, and he would shew me a great curiosity. The marble was just sawn asunder as I got there, and a living toad of a more than ordinary size was lodged in the middle of the block. The cavity was pretty near in the shape of the toad, but something larger than the animal itself. The cavity, to the best of my remembrance, was of a dusky yellow colour, but the toad himself was surrounded, exclusive of the cavity, with several inches of clear, solid marble, on both sides. He seemed healthful and well, and not at all the worse for his long confinement. This is the naked fact, which I am fully satisfied of from my own. knowledge, and I appeal to Mr. Chariton, now living at Wisbech, for the truth of it. The fact itself is undeniable, though I am not able to say what satisfactory account a philosopher can give for so strange an appearance. I have myself often reflected upon it, and endeavoured to solve the question, but confess my inability. Sometimes I have imagined there might be different species of these animals, though this that I saw had all the appearance and complexion of a common toad. I presume, if a toad was put into an exhausted receiver, and the air drawn from him, he would die like other animals, though I never knew the experiment tried. I should be glad if any of your learned correspondents can solve this difficulty, viz. How it was possible for this toad to have lived, as he must have done for several years, to all appearance, without either food or air. Yours, &c. T. WHISTON. Another Instance of the same Kind. On the 14th day of June last, at Great Yarmouth, I took a live toad out of a solid free-stone that was brought from Rutlandshire, of these dimensions:-The stone was in length four feet, in breadth three feet six inches, and in thickness one foot six inches. When I had sawn this stone in the middle, upon dividing the two parts of the stone I observed a hole about six inches from the edge of the stone, in which lay this toad. I took the toad out of the hole with my compass; I did not observe that I any ways hurt it in taking it out of the hole. When it was on the ground it hopped about, and died in less than one hour. There was a yellow list on the back which changed its colour soon after the toad died. The hole was about three inches long, and almost as deep. I strictly viewed the stone, and could not perceive any flaw or crack in it; the inside of the hole was smooth, and looked as if it had been polished. Witness my hand this five and twentieth day of July, 1716. JOHN MALPAS. I was present, and saw the toad alive. Witness my hand, 1756, May. PETER HURFORD, Mason. XXI. The Effect of Musk in curing the Gout in the Stomach, by She did ON the third of November, 1745, a gentlewoman, aged 43, was violently seized with the gout in the stomach, so that she could by no means lie down, but was forced to sit night and day in an easy chair in an erect posture. nothing all this while but keep herself warm, now and then drinking a little of some generous wine, (as she said, to keep it out of her stomach) and once or twice took a little of the Tinct. Sacra. On the 21st of November, about 9 o'clock at night, a lady of her acquaintance, who had seen her in this condition, desired me to visit her, though she doubted if I should find her alive. Accordingly I went, and as I had seen such extraordinary effects of the Tonquin medicine in the Singultus, and had heard from Mr. Reid of its efficacy in other nervous cases, I imagined it might be of some service here; and therefore I sent her the following bolus: Cinnab. nativ. Antimon. aa. gr. xv. Mosch. opt. gr. xvi. Syr. bals. q. s. f. bolus. But although this is Mr. Reid's common dose, yet as she was very weak I ordered her to take the one half of it immediately, drinking after it a cup of brandy, and the other half in six hours after. Next morning I found her much better, having from the first dose no more convulsions in her stomach. I then ventured to give her a bolus at nine o'clock in the morning, and repeated it every four hours |