Convulfion fits-two fham lame legs and one pretended blind man, with painted glass eyes over very good natural ones, to reprefent the moft horrid disfigurement of blindnets. Goodnefs, and mere good nature, are diftinct things-the real good man must be a prudent man, and true acts of benevolence, in the very fenfe of the term, fuppofe that the good we do one part of our fellow-creatures, cannot poffibly injure another. We must therefore be particularly circumfpect in bestowing our alms, if we mean to merit the reputation of the good man -efpecially when we are about to be queath large fums by our laft wills to charitable ufes.-For here we may be guilty of the most fatal mistakes. Men are fallible beings, we know it by experience, trufts of this fort are very often thamefully milmanaged and few opulent people are fo deititute of connections, as not to be able to trace unmerited indigence in the circle of poor relations or neighbours, with. out being reduced to the neceiity (as hath lately been the cafe) of leaving twenty-one thousand pounds to three parishes, for the maintenance and education of their poor children-parithes the teftator knew little of-and initead of employing the money ufe fully, no exprefs directions having been 7 left as to the number of poor to be But For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. Defcription of the Great FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY. (With a Copper-Fiate annexed.) IIE caterpillar that produces this elegant fly, feeds on nettles in the molt private receiles of the woods, changes into a chryfaiis at the end of May, and the fly is produced in June. it is found on blackberry bloffoms, thittles, &c. and generally in woods or in fields bordering on woods. The caterpillar is armed with fpikes; the chryfalis is fixed by the tail, and hangs in à vertical direction. (1) The caterpillar; (2) the chry falis; (5) and (4) the butterfly; a branch of the bramble. ري؟ Among all the mutations of nature none appears more furprizing to the generality of mankind, or better deferves our attention, than that by which a caterpillar affumes the form of a winged animal; but if we attentively confider thele feveral changes, we hall find that the wonder will ceafe, there being nothing more furprifing in thefe, than in the change in the form of bees, or the transformation obfervable in plants. Whatever difficulty we find in this, is merely an ef fect of our own miflaken notions; and our Defcription of the Great Fritillary Butterfly. our admiration arifes from our ignorance of the nature of the nymph or chryfalis. In this the little animal lies like the flower in its bud. Nay, the nymph or chryfalis is nothing more than a change of the caterpillar; or, to speak more properly, an accretion, growth, or budding of the limbs and parts of the caterpillar, containing the embryo of the winged animal that is to proceed from it. The chry falis may even be confidered as the winged animal itfelf concealed under this particular form: Whence it follows that the caterpillar is not changed into a chryfalis, nor the chryfalis into a winged animal; but that the fame caterpillar, which, on cafting its fkin, affumes the form of a nymph or chryfalis, becomes afterwards a winged animal. From what has been faid it follows, that the chryfalis contains all the parts or limbs of the little animal itfelf to be difcovered, and may be fhewn in the chryfals itself on ftripping off its skin in a very careful manner. As therefore all the parts of the winged animal may be diftinguished in the chryfalis; fo each of them clearly expreffes the infect which is to be expected from it, or rather, it is already that very infect, being now preparing to caft off a skin, and become a winged animal, in the fame manner as it had caft off one before, and from a caterpillar became a chryfalis. It fhould alfo be obferved, that the legs, wings, trunk, horns, and every other part of the animal, are covered with a membrane of equal thicknefs in every part where they do not lie upon each other. This is the reafon why in the chryfailides of infects almost all the members appear free, flexible and capable of motion; for there is a space between all thefe parts acceffible to the air; and they neither touch nor can adhere to one another. This is alfo the reafon why the free fpace produces a light fhade between fome of the parts, affording the curious eye an opportunity of de termining exactly the figure of the infect's little body, and all its limbs, in those which are of a milky whiteefs, at the time of their change. But fome of the chryfallides are fpotted with gold, or entirely cloathed in that rich colour; and in these it is more difficult, by barely furveying their outfides, to diftinguifh the parts of the infect one from another. Their legs, wings, and the reft, are folded up, and, as it were, packet together in a moft intricate manner: And this difficulty of difcovering the feveral parts of the animal in the chryfalis, has been the principal caufe of the mistakes of authors who have written on this fubject. The trunk, which in the butterfly is contracted and curled up into the fize and shape of the head of a small pin, and lies between its wings appears in the chryfalis beautifully expanded along its belly, between the two wings. The legs, by a molt inimitable contrivance, are placed on both fides clofe to the trunk, quite otherwife than in the butterfly; and, finally, to complete this fcene of wonders, the horns, which in the butterfly are ftretched out at full length, over the eyes, lie over the legs in the chryfalis; fo that upon the whole, all the parts of the infect, the body, wings, horns, legs, and trunk, are to be found in the chryfalis. As the limbs of the chryfalis, fastened together in the manner already mentioned, harden by degrees, or its skin, which at firft was foft and tender, gradually dries up, and becomes, as it were, of a horny fubftance, it gradually alfo changes its greenish hue into a gold colour, and all the parts lofe their motion; till at laft this chryfalis, or properly the butterfly, which has lain its time under the form of the chryfais, cafting off its hardened fkin, breaks from its confinement in the very fhape in which it lay concealed under it, without having fuffered any change during its confinement; unless that its tender parts, which were fluid like water, and immoveable, through an excess of humidity, have, with time, acquired firmness and strength. When the chryfalis has caft off its fkin, the wings vifibly expand to their true dimenfions in a moft furprising manner; and the legs and other limbs unfold The School of Reason." unfold themselves, and affume the direction and form we fee in the butterЯy. If it fhould be afked, why fome infects, while in their chrysalides, are furrounded with a tougher and more horny skin than others, we can only anfwer, that thefe particulars are hardly, if at all, explicabie by human fagacity; the nature of them depending entirely on the pleasure of their Creator, and the reafons of this variation being hidden in his impenetrable wifdom, whofe providence has bettowed on his animal productions, as great a variety of cloathing, as it has pleafed him to form diftinct fpecies of fuch beings. But we fhould do well to remember, that this affords the moft evident proofs of the infinite wif dom and power of the Almighty. Indeed every particular obfervable in the works of creation confpires equally to fill us with fentiments of admiration and reverence for the great Author of nature. How carefully is every infect cloathed, to protect it from the inclemency of the feafons, and furnifhed with weapons to defend itself against its enemies, and procure its own fubfiftence! Surely nothing lefs than infinite wisdom, affifted by infinite power, could have to elegantly provided for fuch minute creatures! Nothing but infinite benevolence could have engaged fo great a Being to be thus careful of the finalleft parts of the creation! For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. The SCHOOL OF REASON, an ALLEGORY. A Magician,, quite out of patience in other words, to live as he pleafed, with hearing men continually condemning in others, the vices and follies most prevalent in their own characters, refolved to correct the errors of the many, by a striking example of the abfurdity of three individuals, who had rendered themselves troublesome and odious to fociety by their refpective foibles. With this view he retired to a pleafant, fertile Inland, on which nature had bestowed every gift that could contribute to render it a defirable retreat, from the noise and buftie of populous, corrupt cities. Here by his magic art, he won the affections of the eafy, virtuous inhabitants, and became their fovereign, and indeed fo mild was his government, that obedience to his laws was the natural effect of inclination. He therefore met with no oppofition from the inhabitants when he published a proclamation, which, in fome ftates would have spread a general alarm, and have excited the jealous murmurs of the citizens. He invited all strangers to come and fettle in his little kingdom, promifing that every one fhould be allowed to follow the bent of his inclinations, or VOL. VIII. without moleftation or injury on the part of the ancient inhabitants. This general invitation no fooner reached the polite, and crowded capital, from which our magician had retir ed in difguft; then three of the citizens, who were well known in all places of public refort, and who piqued themfelves upon their fuperior talents, refolved to embark for the happy Inland. On their arrival, they prefented their requeft to the Magician, that they might enjoy the benefit of the proclamation;-to which he replied, that they should be entitled to all tue privileges and rights of citizens, but he must impofe one exprefs condition. "That each of them should tell him, his real character, and mention his ruling paffion," though this condition was not contained in the proclamation; yet it was naturally to be understood, because it was impoffible for them to enjoy that full liberty it offered without knowing their refpective inclinations. "Be very circumfpećt in your declarations," added the Magician, " for what you fhall dictate, will be enrolled in our put lic offices, that our Illanders may know B how The School of Reafon.. how to refpect your inclinations, according to which you may freely live among us." The firft ftranger, whofe name was Almon, faid, "I am quite natural, free, and open, I hate diffimulation, I am what I appear to be, this is my character." It was written on the register, "Almon is ingenuous." The fecond faid, "for my part, my name is Belcour; I love to pleafe, to do all in my power to amufe others; and I have acquired fome talents, which infure me fuccefs." It was written, "Belcœur loves to please.". "I must confefs," faid the third, whofe name was The Idler," that I am extremely fingular," it was inftantly recorded. The Idler is fingular." "You may now, faid the Magician, retire to your feveral habitations allotted for you, which you will find fuitable to your former conditions in life; and pursuant to my proclamation, to give yourfelves up without conftraint to the kind of life that is moft agreeable to your profeffed characters. When they were gone, the Magician turned to his attendants, and thus addrefled them :-You fee with what confidence these three men have anounced their feveral characters. I will now give you their true portrait. Almon, without any regard for what fuits other men, has accustomed himself to know no reftraint whatever.-I own he has fome wit; but whenever he blames, or commends, it is only through caprice; this is what he calls being natural, or ingenuous.Without intending to do. mineer, he always decides, he talks folely for the pleasure of talking; he interrupts converfation to give his opi nion, and a few minutes after, contradicts the very perfon who has followed it. In a word, he finds fociety full of faults, he gives free career to his cen. fures of men and manners, and this is what he terms, "hating diffimulation." Belcour, who in fact, poffeffes excellent talents, is always employing them against himself, he wants his company to be always liftening to him, he wants to be constantly applauded, and will not fuffer any perfon to thare this honour in his prefence, and this fpecies of tyranny he calls " loving to please, and doing nothing but amule other men." With respect to the Iller, as a contradiction to his name, he has one occupation which he purfues indefatigably-the care of not resembling any other human being;--he laughs at what makes his fellow-creatures forrowful, and looks with a fatal, blafling eye on every thing that excites them to mirth. Eafy to unravel when he thinks himfelf moft impenetrable.-We plainly difcern, that in the morning he makes out a list of the proud, furly criticifins on young authors,-of the abfurd negligences,-of the wanderings,-starts, diftractions and caprices he intends to practice for the day. Tyrannic, infolent, and unjust to rival merit, he thinks himself justifyed, by saying, “I am extremely fingular," and he has the vanity to imagine, that this is his eulogium. Now let us enjoy, unfeen, the adventures they will meet with in our Ifland,-no fooner had he spoke these words, but he rendered himself and his courtiers invisible. Almon, when he left the Enchanter, found himfelf in a freet, where he faw a fuperb palace, and over the portal was infcribed in transparent characters, these words: EVERY BODY IS IN THE RIGHT. The only reafon we have to imagine that this allegoric flory was cal.culated for the meridian of London is, that a celebrated Dr. living in that city, anfwers to the name and defcrip. tion; this fingular man wrote fome Curiofity led him to approach the papers called Idlers, containing precepts gates, and entering the court, he of fociability, to which his life is a conheard the found of various instruments, tradiction, and an execration againft which encouraged him to take a nearer fiers, and is now a court fyco-view, when, as he was liftening in the phant and pentioner himself. See Dr. piazza, on a fudden the founds ceafed, Johnton's Dictionary. a pair of folding-doors opened, and two heroes appeared, whofe dress was a The School of Reajon. a motley compofition, which, in fome will pic turned upon politeness, and Almon not |