noitee of our readers, viz. that in the common explanation of this phenomenon, only one of the circumstances connected with it, that is, the disappearance of the oxygen, had in reality been accounted for, while the exhibition of light and heat, which really constitute what is essential to the phenomenon, are altogether unexplained. Conceiving that this view of the matter must now be very generally admitted, it is with much satisfaction that we perceive Sir Humphry Davy to be actively engaged in the investigation of what has justly been denominated the most important problem in chemistry. His attention seems to have been naturally directed to this investigation, by his recent invaluable discovery of the safety-lamp for coal mines, and by the very curious properties of flame which were suggested by that discovery; and he has accordingly read several papers, at different meetings of the Royal Society, detailing the experiments he has made, with the view of elucidating the properties of flame. His opinion, as recently exoressed, seems to be, that flame conists of gaseous bodies heated above whiteness. Many other curious properties, however, of ignited bodies have been discovered by him in the course of his recent researches and we have little doubt, that before he relinquishes the investigation, he will either be able to go farther towards a solution of the difficulty than former experimentalists have been able to advance, or will at least succeed, by exhibiting an accurate statement of the case, in giving currency to a more scientific mode of considerng this subject, than that which has so long been implicitly adopted by the multitude of more superficial and careless inquirers. It is at all times a treat of the highest kind, to follow the progress of scientific discovery-but the gratification derived from this source is necessarily enhanced to an incalculable amount, when there seems reason to apprehend, as in the present instance, that the perseverance of the philosopher is on the point of being rewarded, by the developement of some views of prominent importance. The curiosity of a liberal mind admits, in fact, of no higher gratification (the delight of the discoverer himself excepted,) than that of being permitted to watch the event. ON THE ORIGINAL OF MILTON'S SA- MR EDITOR, Both tion in your last number, on the ProIn the learned and elegant dissertametheus of Eschylus, an old opinion has been revived, that Milton took the character of his Satan from the Prometheus of the Athenian poet. and so far, certainly, the resemblance personages are stern and unbending, holds good; but such a Satan as Milsketched with a masterly hand by the ton had to delineate was already Italian poet, Marino, in his poem on book of which, "The Suspicion of "The Slaughter of the Innocents," one Crashaw, and given to the public long Herod," was translated into English by before Paradise Lost was written. The poem of Marino I have never been able to procure even a sight of; but I have sent you some extracts from the translation, which, owing to the general bad taste of Crashaw, it is probable few of your readers are acquainted with; and those who are, will readily pardon you for reprinting some of the finest lines our poetry can boast of.-The suggestion, that Milton has borrowed from them, is not new, but has been little attended to. DIGAMMA. From "The Suspicion of Herod," translated by Crashaw, from Marino, beginning at stanza 5. BELOW the bottom of the great abyss, There, where one centre reconciles all things, The world's profound heart pants; there placed is Mischief's old Master; close about him clings A curl'd knot of embracing snakes, &c. tears, The Judge of Torments, and the King of He fills a burnish'd throne of quenchless fire; And for his old fair robes of light, he wears A gloomy mantle of dark flames; the tire That crowns his hated head on high appears, Where seven tall horns (his empire's pride) aspire ; And, to make up Hell's majesty, each horn His eyes, the sullen dens of Death and Startle the dull air with a dismal red: Such his fell glances as the fatal light dead. His breath Hell's lightning is, and each deep groan Disdains to think that Heaven thunders alone! Three rigorous virgins, waiting still behind, Assist the throne of the iron-scepter'd King; With whips, of thorns and knotty vipers twin'd, They rouse him, when his rank thoughts need a sting. Thus reigns the wrathful King, and while he reigns, His sceptre and himself both he disdains. Disdainful wretch! how hath one bold sin cost Thee all the beauties of thy once bright eyes? How hath one black eclipse cancell'd and crost The glories that did gild thee in thy rise? Proud morning of a perverse day! how lost Art thou unto thyself! From Death's sad shades, to the lifebreathing air, This mortal enemy to mankind's good Lifts his malignant eyes, wasted with care, &c. He calls to mind the old quarrel, and what spark Set the contending sons of Heaven on fire: trance ? Frown I, and can great Nature keep her seat, Heaven's golden-winged herald late he Can His attempts above still prosperous be, saw To a poor Galilean virgin sent: How low the bright youth bowed, and with what awe Immortal flowers to her fair hand present.He saw, how in that blest day-bearing night The Heaven-rebuked shades made haste away; How bright a dawn of angels with new light Amaz'd the midnight world, and made a day Of which the morning knew not. He saw a threefold sun, with rich increase Make proud the ruby portals of the East. He saw the temple sacred to sweet Peace Adore her Prince's birth- He saw the falling Idols all confess He saw Heaven blossom with a new-born On which, as on a glorious stranger, gazed The golden eyes of Night, whose beam made bright The way to Bethlem, and as boldly blazed Symptoms so deadly unto Death and him, Auspicious still, in spite of Hell and Me? "He has my Heaven, (what would be more ?) whose bright And radiant sceptre this bold hand should bear; And, for the never-fading fields of light, My fair inheritance, he confines me here To this dark house of shades, horrour and night, To draw a long-lived death, where all my cheer Is the solemnity my sorrow wears, That mankind's torment waits upon my tears. “Dark dusky man, he needs would single forth, Mock me, and dazzle my dark mysteries? "Art thou not Lucifer? he to whom the droves Of stars that gild the morn in charge were given? The nimblest of the lightning-winged loves, The fairest and the first-born smile of heaven? Ah wretch! what boots thee to cast back thy eyes Where dawning Hope no beam of comfort shews? While the reflection of thy forepast joys What force cannot effect, fraud shall devise. Myself?-my strength too, with my inno cence? Come, try who dares, Heaven, Earth, what e'er dost boast A borrowed being, make thy bold defence! cost Me yet another fall?-we'd try our strengths. Heaven saw us struggle once; as brave a fight Earth now should see, and tremble at the sight!" Thus spoke th' impatient prince, and made a pause. His foul hags rais'd their heads, and clapp'd their hands, And all the Powers of Hell, in full applause, Flourish'd their snakes, and toss'd their flaming brands. WHITE'S NEW INVENTED HORIZON. MR EDITOR, It is well known, that, at sea, when thick or foggy weather, the sun's merithe natural horizon is obscured by dian altitude, for ascertaining the latitude of the ship's place, cannot be observed; consequently the navigator has nothing to depend on, until noon next day, to regulate his future proceedings, except his dead reckoning. Sea, the Banks of Newfoundland, the In the English Channel, the North Coast of America, and many other places of the world, the fogs are often so thick, and of such long continuance, as to render it impossible to ascertain the true position of the ship, for want of the latitude. Under such circumstances, although the sun is seen very there is no other alternative but to distinctly, and felt very powerfully, keep the ship at sea: for no man in his senses will run for a port, in such weather, without being pretty certain of his latitude. To obviate these hitherto insurmountable obstacles, Mr Gavin White, grocer in Kinross, has, by a wonderful effort of uncultivated genius, invented a very simple apparatus,-with which, when fixed, by an easy process, to the common quadrant, an artificial horizon can thereby be obtained, and the sun's meridian altitude observed, the same as if ascertained with a quadrant and natural horizon, in the common way "I thank you all, but one must single made use of on board a ship at sea. out. This apparatus is, at present, made so as to screw on to my brass sextant, with which I have made many observations, not only for determining the latitude, but also for ascertaining the true apparent time; which, from the accuracy of the whole, enables me to pronounce the invention one of very great importance to science and navigation. A large series of observations have been made with it, both on shore and on board the Ramillies, now in Leith Roads, which have been forwarded to some gentlemen, eminently distinguished for scientific knowledge and acquirements in this city; who, with a very laudable zeal for the promotion of science, have interested themselves in such a manner, as, it is hoped, will ultimately prove highly beneficial both to the invention and inventor. W. BAIN, Master, Royal Navy. Edinburgh, May 6th, 1817. TALES AND ANECDOTES OF THE PASTORAL LIFE. No II. THE wedding-day at length arrived; and as the bridegroom had charged us to be there at an early hour, we set out on horseback, immediately after breakfast, for the remote hamlet of Stridekirtin. We found no regular path, but our way lay through a country which it is impossible to view without soothing emotions. The streams are numerous, clear as crystal, and wind along the glens in many fantastic and irregular curves. The mountains are green to the tops, very high, and form many beautifully soft and shaded outlines. They are, besides, literally speckled with snowy flocks, which, as we passed, were feeding or resting with such appearance of undisturbed repose, that the heart naturally found itself an involuntary sharer in the pastoral tranquillity that pervaded all around. My good friend, Mr Grumple, could give me no information regarding the names of the romantic glens and mountains that came within our view; he, however, knew who were the proprietors of the land, who the tenants, what rent and stipend each of them paid, and whose teinds were unexhausted; this seemed to be the sum and substance of his knowledge concerning the life, character, and manners of his rural parishioners, save that he could sometimes adduce circumstantial evidence that such and such farmers had made money of their land, and that others had made very little or none. This district, over which he presides in an ecclesiastical capacity, forms an extensive portion of the Arcadia of Britain. It was likewise, in some late ages, noted for its zeal in the duties of religion, as well as for a thirst after the acquirement of knowledge concerning its doctrines; but under the tuition of such a pastor as my relative appears to be, it is no wonder that practical religion should be losing ground from year to year, and scepticism, the natural consequence of laxity in religious duties, gaining ground in proportion. It may be deemed, perhaps, rather indecorous to indulge in such reflections respecting any individual who has the honour to be ranked as a mem ber of a body so generally respectable as our Scottish Clergy, and who, at the same time, maintains a fair worldly character; but in a general discussion in any thing that relates to the common weal of mankind, all such inferior considerations must be laid aside. And the more I consider the simplicity of the people of whom I am now writing the scenes among which they have been bred and their lonely and sequestered habits of life, where the workings and phenomena of nature alone appear to attract the eye or engage the attention,-the more I am convinced that the temperament of their minds would naturally dispose them to devotional feelings. If they were but taught to read their bibles, and only saw uniformly in the ministers of religion that sanctity of character by which the profession ought ever to be distinguished, these people would naturally be such as every wellwisher to the human race would desire a scattered peasantry to be. But when the most decided variance between example and precept is forced on their observation, what should we, or what can we, expect? Men must see, hear, feel, and judge accordingly. And certainly in no other instance is a patron so responsible to his sovereign, his country, and his God, as in the choice he makes of spiritual pastors. These were some of the reflections that occupied my mind as I traversed this beautiful pastoral country with its morose teacher, and from these I was at length happily aroused by the appearance of the cottage, or shepherd's steading, to which we were bound. It was situated in a little valley in the bottom of a wild glen, or hope, as it is there called. It stood all alone; but besides the dwellinghouse, there was a little byre that held the two cows and their young,-a good stack of hay, another of peats,a sheep-house, and two homely gardens; and the place had altogether something of a snug, comfortable appearance. Though this is only an individual picture, I am told it may be viewed as a general one of almost every shepherd's dwelling in the south of Scotland; and it is only such pictures that, in the course of these tales, I mean to present to the public. A number of the young shepherds and country-lasses had already arrived, impatient for the approaching wed ding; others were coming down the green hills in mixed parties all around, leading one another, and skipping with the agility of lambs. They were all walking barefooted and barelegged, male and female-the men were dressed much in the ordinary way, only that the texture of their clothes was somewhat coarse, and the women had black beavers, white gowns, and "green coats kilted to the knee." When they came near the house they went into little sequestered hollows, the men and women apart, pat on their hose an' shoon, and made themsels a' trig an' witching," and then came and joined the group with a joy that could not be restrained by walking,-they run to mix with their youthful associates. Still as they arrived, we saw, on our approach, that they drew up in two rows on the green, and soon found that it was a contest at leaping. The shepherds were stripped to the shirt and drawers, and exerting themselves in turn with all their might, while their sweethearts and sisters were looking on with no small share of interest. We received a kind and hospitable welcome from honest Peter and his father, who was a sagacious-looking old carle, with a broad bonnet and gray locks; but the contest on the green still continuing, I went and joined the circle, delighted to see a pastime so appropriate to the shep herd's life. I was utterly astonished at the agility which the fellows dis played. They took a short race of about twelve or fourteen paces, which they denominated the ramrace, and then rose from the footing-place with such a bound as if they had been going to mount and fly into the air. The crooked guise in which they flew shewed great art the knees were doubled upward the body bent forward and the head thrown somewhat back; so that they alighted on their heels with the greatest ease and safety, their joints being loosened in such a manner that not one of them was straight. If they fell backward on the ground, the leap was not accounted fair. Several of the antagonists took the ramrace with a staff in their hand, which they left at the footing-place as they rose. This I thought unfair, but none of their opponents objected to the custom. I measured the distance, and found that two of them had actually leapt twenty-two feet, on a level plain, at one bound. This may appear extraordinary to those who never witnessed such an exercise, but it is a fact of which I can adduce sufficient proof Being delighted as well as astonished at seeing these feats of agility, I took Peter aside, and asked him if p might offer prizes for some other exercises. "Hout na," said Peter; ye'll affront them; let them just alane; they hae eneuch o' incitement e'now, an' rather owre muckle atween you an' me; forebye the brag of the thing-as lang as the lasses stand ande look at them, they'll ply atween death an' life." What Peter said was true, instead of getting weary of their sports, their ardour seemed to increase;› and always as soon as the superiority of any individual in one particular exercise was manifest, another was instantly resorted to; so that ere long there was one party engaged in wrestling, one in throwing the stone, and another at hop-step-and-leap,all at one and the same time. ཉྭ་ ་ ་ This last seems to be rather the fa vourite amusement. It consists of three succeeding bounds, all with the same race; and as the exertion is greater, and of longer continuance, they can judge with more precision the exact capability of the several competitors. I measured the ground, and found the greatest distance effected in this way to be forty-six feet. I am informed, that whenever two or three young shepherds are gathered together, at fold or bught, moor or market, at all times and seasons, Sundays excepted, one or more of these athletic exercises is uniformly resorted to; and certainly, in a class where hardiness and agility are so requisite, they can never be too much encouraged. But now all these favourite sports were terminated at once by a loud cry of "Hurra! the broose! the broose!!! Not knowing what the broose meant, I looked all around with great preci pitation, but for some time could see nothing but hills. At length, how ever, by marking the direction in which the rest looked, I perceived, at a considerable distance down the glen, five horsemen coming at full speed on a determined race, although on such a road, as I believe, a race was never before contested. It was that by which we had lately come, and the only one |