on the plain of Troy, attending the more magnificent obsequies of Patroclus," or because "the ferocious Achilles” is rendered respectable "by the magick of poetry," and against the whole system of mythology because it gives the student "feeling, in a great degree, pagan, and benumbs his religious sensibilities"-in such folly, we trust, he has neither predecessor nor coadjutor. It may be well enough for declamation, but if it is intended for reasoning, it proves nothing, or too much. When pursued to its ludicrous consequences, it not only excludes us from what he calls "unsanctified science,” but also from the most unexceptionable Christian poets; for the same arguments will apply to Tasso, because he has introduced the gorgeous apparatus of magick, and even to Milton, because he has redeemed the, character of Satan from the reproach and inconsistency of unqualified depravity, by giving him a few severe virtues. Indeed, we do not know where this system will relax its comprehensive grasp, for it would be difficult to find a single production of value, ancient or modern, which is not marked with some of the faults for which Dr. Parish would exterminate classical literature.

The life of Professor Hubbard was meagre of events; but his eulogist, by inserting episodes on musick, on the satisfaction of being a judge of probate, on a religious education, and on several other subjects, has contrived to extend it through many pages. These are, perhaps, legitimate means for making a book, and we should not complain, if they were not abused.

We should here close the pamphlet and our remarks, if a fault of a more amusing kind did not obtrude itself on our nonotice. We expose the following plagiarisms, not only because they are such, but to show how indistinct the boundary is, which separates sublimity and pathos from bombast, and with what wonderful facility Dr. Parish reduces every thing to the level of his own style. Bossuet, after exciting his audience by an uncommon degree of vehemence, ventures on the following bold apostrophe :

"O nuit desastreuse, O nuit effroyable! où retentit tout-à-coup comme un éclat de tonnerre cette étonnante nouvelle Madame se meurt, Madame est morte !".

:

Qraison funèbre de Henrietta a' Angleterre.

This produced such an effect as might be expected from the hazardous attempt of a man who never attempted in vain; for we are told by his editor that this passage overcame both the speaker and his audience: Ici Mons: Bossuet fut interrompu par les larmes de toute l'assemblée et par les siennes. It may be doubted whether such a sentence could be translated into English so as to retain its spirit and power; but there can be no difference of opinion respecting the value or effect of the parody of Dr. Parish, introduced without any previous preparation, and followed by an almost burlesque mutilation of at very beautiful text of scripture:

"Was there ever an evening of more dismay, an hour of more sincere sorrow, than when it was reported from room to room, "Professor Hubbard is dying; Professor Hubbard is dead?" Was ever the tolling of the bell more dismal? In your most serious hours, in the awful moment of dissolution, will you not say, Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like that of Professor Hubbard." p. 15.

Bossuet has also the honour of being imitated in the conclusion of the eulogy, where the following idea is borrowed from the last sentence of the Oraison funèbre de Louis de Bourbon :

"Having discharged this last, last office of friendship, I am seriously reminded not only by his death, but my own grey hairs, that I may never stand in this place again." p. 26.

Addressing himself to the dead body of the Prince of Bourbon, the French orator says:

:

"Vous mettriez fin à tous ces discours au lieu de déplorer la mort des autres, grand Prince, dorénavaut je veux apprendre de vous à rendre la mienne sainte. Heureux si averti par ces cheveux blancs du compte que je dois rendre de mon administration, je resèrve au trompeau que je dois nourrer de la parole de vie, les restes d'une voix qui tombe et d'une ardeur qui s'éteint."

We do not accuse Dr. Parish of travelling up to the original French, in order to rifle and mar these splendid passages, because they were rendered much more accessible by one Nancrede, who, several years ago, published a book called the Pulpit Orator, in which he inserted a very bald translation of both these Eloges. To this book we refer the English reader, not only as the source of our author's plagiarisms, but as the foun

tain from which he has probably drawn some of his false rhetorick.

For a fair specimen of the eulogy we extract a part of one of its episodes, beginning p. 15.

"As the heavens are above the earth, so are the thoughts of God above our thoughts, and his ways above our ways." He forms the noblest agents, the most dutiful sons. They are the lights of the world, the pillars of the world. He breaks these pillars, he extinguishes these lights. We exclaim, 'Wherefore destroyest thou the hope of man? At one time a mighty Genius arises to direct the destiny of nations, to chain the demon of war, to cultivate the arts, to be the guardian of religion. In another period, a celestial spirit is fired with apostolick zeal; like an angel, he flies through the earth, spreading the triumphs of the cross far and wide. He plants the banner of salvation on the strong holds of satan. Tartary, Persia, India, listen to the glad tidings of redemption; Ethiopia stretches out her hands; the isles of the sea welcome the faith of the gospel to their shores. Anon, a luminary of science arises; he is the delight of human kind; youth are formed to science and rational religion; a golden age is commencing. In a moment these hopes vanish. From the cottage of Joseph, the son of Mary goes through the villages and cities of Palestine. The inhabitants throng around him; they crowd the house, they cover the roof, where he is; they follow him to the fields and mountains. The lame, the sick, the blind, are healed; the dead are raised. Let a Physician go through the country; he finds no patients; the Son of David has been there. Men hope that disease, and death, and misery, will vanish from the world. Devout souls exclaim, 'Let the Son of David reign; let him extend his travels over the world; let him live forever." While they pray, they behold a multitude ascend mount Calvary; the Prince of Life is nailed to the cross; he bleeds, he dies; disease, and misery, and death, cover the land."

"Perhaps," says Dr. Johnson, "if we speak with rigorous exactness, no human mind is in its right state. There is no man whose imagination does not sometimes predominate over his reason." We submit it to the decision of our readers, whether Dr. Parish wrote the eulogy on Professor Hubbard in a lucid interval.

INTELLIGENCE,

PHILOSOPHICAL INTELLIGENCE.

DAVY ON HEAT, LIGHT, AND COMBUSTION.

From the London Monthly Magazine, April 1, 1811.

THE opinions advanced by Dr. Davy, during the present lectures at the Royal Institution, relating to combustion, and the nature of heat and light, vary so much from the received doctrines, and are so interesting and important, that we shall here endeavour to give an abstract of them from his different lectures.-Combustion, according to these new doctrines, is not the result of the combination of oxygen with other bodies, by which the oxygen is condensed, and the light and heat given out, as the French chemists assert; nor are heat and light specifick substances, differing from other matter. All bodies, which have a strong chemical affinity or attraction for each other, are found to possess two different states of electricity. Thus, acids are negative, and the alkalies positive. Zinc and mercury, and other metals which possess strong chemical affinities, are also in different states of electricity. This difference in the natural states of electricity, Dr. Davy considered as the cause of chemical affinity. Combustion is the effect of chemical action. In such bodies as combine rapidly together, the particles are violently agitated; and, being separated from each other by their polar repulsions, are thrown off in straight lines through free space, and become radiant heat and light. According to Dr. Davy, the particles of all bodies possess polarity. With many bodies oxygen has a most powerful affinity, and combines with great rapidity; and, during this violent chemical action, much light and heat are produced. Some of the French chemists have asserted, that oxygen is the only support of combustion, and that the light and heat given out comes from the oxygen alone. But light and heat are produced in a variety of instances without the presence of oxygen. Indeed, in all cases where bodies rapidly combine, the phenomena of combustion takes place. The new metal potassium, or the metal of potass, was placed in a glass vessel

filled with carbonick acid gas; by the heat of a spirit lamp applied to the glass, the metal inflamed in this gas, and gave out a brilliant light. Charcoal was deposited on the side of the glass. In this experiment, it may be said, that the oxygen of the carbonick acid combined with the potassium; but it ought to be recollected, that this oxygen had given out its light and heat. According to Lavoisier, when it combined with charcoal to form carbonick gas, it ought not, therefore, to give out a second time what it had before lost.-In another experiment, potassium and arsenick were placed in a close retort, containing nitrogen gas; by the heat of the spirit lamp they combined rapidly, and, during their combination, much light and heat were produced. Here, if the experiment was properly made, no oxygen was present.-Metals also inflame spontaneously in chlerine gas, (improperly called oxymuriatick acid gas). This gas, Dr. Davy stated, was a simple uncompounded substance, containing no oxygen. His experiments on this subject we shall afterwards mention.-Heat is radiated from the surfaces of all bodies, but in different degrees, according to their nature and colour. Black surfaces absorb and also emit radiant heat more rapidly than others. If a polished surface of metal, and an equal surface of charcoal, be heated to the same degree, and a thermometer be placed at the same distance from each, the charcoal will raise the thermometer more rapidly than the polished metal. This radiation of heat Mr. Leslie had attri. buted to certain aerial pulsations. Dr. Davy stated, this could not be the case, for heat was more powerfully radiated in vacuo than in the open air. He placed a platina wire in vacuo, and a thermometer at a certain distance from it; the wire was then ignited by means of the voltaick pile; the effect on the thermometer was greater and more rapid than when the same experiment was repeated in the air. All the metals are fused more rapidly in vacuo than in the open air, when acted upon by the voltaick pile, and give out a more intense degree of heat and light. Charcoal, in the same circumstances, ignites with a most brilliant light; and this light may be continued for any length of time, without any change or decomposition of the charcoal. The light and heat, in these experiments, cannot proceed from combinations of oxygen, but may be supposed to originate from the vibrations or violence of action of the