confinement growing very uneasy to me, es pecially on Lord's-days, I was extremely desirous to hear Dr Annesley preach; and immediately this contrivance was started in my head, that dear Iris should dress me in woman's cloaths, and I would venture my self abroad under those circumstances. To make short of it, I got myself shaved, and put on as effeminate a look as my countenance would let me; and being well fitted out with a large scarf, I set forward; but every step I took, the fear was upon me that it was made out of form. As for my arms, I could not tell how to manage them, being altogether ignorant to what figure they should be reduced. At last I got safe to the Meeting, and sat down in the obscurest corner I could find. But, as I was returning through Bishopsgate-street, with all the circumspection and the care imaginable (and I then thought I had done it pretty well), there was an unlucky rogue cried out, "I'll be hang'd if that ben't a man in woman's cloaths. This put me into my preternaturals indeed, and I began to scour off as fast as my legs would carry me: there were at least twenty or thirty of them that made after me; but, being acquainted with the alleys, I dropped them, and came off with honour. My Reverend Father-in-law, Dr Annesley, knew nothing of this religious metamorphosis; and though I do not think he would have suffered it, yet my inclination to public worship was justifiable enough." Wearied with this confinement, he determines to make a trip to the Continent, and spends, accordingly, several months at Amsterdam, Cologne, Mentz, &c. &c. of all which places, and their inhabitants, (the booksellers at least) he gives accounts in his usual style. On the day the Prince of Orange came to London, however, we find him once more in his native land, and, re-opening, with new vigour, his old shop at the sign of the Black Raven, in the Poultry. Here he publishes no less than 600 books (such is his success) in a very short space of time; and out of all that number there are but seven of which he is inclined to repent. Among these is the "Voyage round the World, or Pocket Library;" one volume of which collection is filled with "The Rare Adventures of Don Kainophilo," a production of the publisher's own pen, and the first, as it would seem, of the whole mighty family of his lucubrations. In regard to this volume Mr Nichols presents us with a note by the excellent author of the Curiosities of Literature, which we shall quote. "This rhapsody is noticeable for its extreme rarity, and for two elegant pieces of He poetry, which, if John's own, entitle him to a higher degree of praise than he has been usually thought to merit. It is obscurely noticed in his "Life and Errors;" but the Anagram of the Author's name prefixed to a copy of verses declares him. It has a frontispiece, which is a large folding cut, with 24 circles, exhibiting the Author's adventures. To this Work was prefixed Panegyrical Verses," by the Wits of both Universities," who, however, offer no evidence of their residence or their quality; and may be suspected to be Wits of the University of Grub-street. One of these wretched panegyrics tells us that "the Author's name, when unanagrammatised, is hid unto none," by which John Dunton would, and would not, conceal himself.These volumes were published in our Scribbler's thirtieth year, on his return from America; and are, in fact, a first essay towards that more mature "Life and Errors" which he gave the world in 1705. seems to have projected a series of what he calls" The Cock-rambles of all my Four and Twenty Volumes;" but his Readers, probably, deserted him at the third. Kainophilus, as he calls himself, " signifies a Lover of News, not any thing of Kain, as if I were a-kin to him." It is a low rhapsody; but it bears a peculiar feature, a certain whimsical style, which he affects to call his own, set off with frequent dashes, and occasionally a banter on false erudition. These cannot be shewn without extracts. I would jured genius of STERNE; but I am innot add an idle accusation to the already inclined to think he might have caught up his project of writing Tristram's life, in 66 twenty-four Cock-rambling" volumes; have seized on the whim of Dunton's style; have condescended even to copy out his breaks and dashes. But Sterne could not have borrowed wit or genius from so low a were certainly never composed by Dunton, scribbler. The elegant pieces of poetry whose mind had no elegance, and whose rhymes are doggrel. On a rapid inspection, I have detected him transcribing from Francis Osborn and Cowley, without acknowledgment; and several excellent passages, which may be discovered amidst this incoherent mass, could not have been written by one who never attained the slightest arts of composition. He affects, however, in what he calls" this hop-stride-and-jump to consider himself as " a great Original" round the World:" and says, " So great a glory do I esteem it to be the Author of these Works, that I cannot, without great injury to myself and justice, endure that every one should own them, who have nothing to do with them; like the fellow at Rome who pretended to Virgil's Verses.But I need take no other way to refute these plagiaries than Virgil himself did, requiring the tally to his Vos non Vobis.— Let any man write on at the rate this is already written, and I will grant he is the Author of this book, that before, and all the rest to the end of the Chapter. No: there is such a sort of a Whim in the Style, something so like myself, so incomprehensible (not because it is nonsense,) that whoever throws but half an eye on that and me together, will swear 'twas spit out of the mouth of Kainophilus." The famous Athenian Society was shortly afterwards instituted by this person-and of the many clumsy vofumes published by them, a great part was written by Dunton himself. The purpose of these lucubrations was to solve real or imaginary "cases of conscience," in regard to worldly-above all love affairs-and being assisted by Samuel Wesley and some other writers of talent, it is wonderful how much success attended this absurd proposal for a time. Even Swift has written a poem in commendation of the Athenian Society, but when he did so, little" as Mr Scott observes, "did he suspect that he was bestowing his praises on the bookseller, John Dunton.' The prosperity of Dunton's business seems soon after this time to have again been on the decline, for we find him making another involuntary voyage (to Ireland,) and shortly after his return he publishes Dunton's farewell to printing," and seems to have shut up shop for a season. To the last named production is prefixed an engraved head of the author-for which seeming piece of vanity he thus apologizes: 66 "I shall conclude," he observes, "with a short remark on Dunton's Effigies; and shall introduce all I have to say on that subject with a short account of the original of drawing Faces; for it is so little known, the discovery of it is a sort of novelty. "The first Limning that ever was owes its rise to the parting of two Lovers, in this manner : When the daughter of Deluriades, the Sycionian, was to take leave of her sweet-heart, now going to wars, to com fort herself in his absence she took his Pic ture with a coal upon the wall, as the candle gave the shadow, which her father admiring, perfected it afterwards; and it was the first Picture by report that ever was made. But the drawing of Dunton's face owes its rise to the great wrong done me by Harris and other piratical Printers, and not to love (as was the case of the Sycionian Limner); for being married, my Spouse and I wear each other's Pictures in our hearts (being drawn and hung there), and so have no occasion for an outward Picture to comfort us; for neither absence, time, nor scarce death itself, can fade the colours where a united heart is the frame, and the picture true affection. So that you see, Gentlemen, it was mere Right and Property, and not the fear that my Wife should lose the idea of her Husband's face, that tempted me the exercise of so much patience as to sit three times to have (an't please ye) my face drawn, to be stared on as often as the Reader pleases; yet I might affirm (did no modesty forbid me to give them their just praise), that Knight has limned, Vander Gucht graved, and Freeman workdo not flatter them when you say, ed off, my Picture so much to the life, you "They make my Picture seem to think and live." "A Gentleman seeing a very good Picture of St Bruno, the Founder of the Car thusian Order, and being asked his opinion of it, Were it not,' says he, for his silent rule, it would speak.' Dunton's Picture (it is drawn so much to the So I may say of life, 'bating a little flattery), that were not Pictures resolved on a perpetual silence (that is, had they not a rule to hold their tongues), this Picture would talk as loud and as often So that, Gentlemen, you might well say of as the Original does by which it was drawn. my two Limners, Their pencil sure was made of flesh and blood. for, as speechless as my Picture is, it is drawn so much alive, it is hoped it will guard Printers, by distinguishing the original and 'Dunton's Athenianism' from all piratical true Copies from such as are false and imperfect. So that you see, Gentlemen, it is merely the securing the benefit of my own copies, that has put me to the charge of a Copper-plate, and not the ambition to have a Face cut in Brass, with a Laurel about my Head, and Pegasus for my Arms, and eight Verses under my Picture, writ by the Athenian Society." Dun By this time (we had almost forgotten the matter as easily as Mr Dunton himself appears to have done,) he has lost Iris, and married another lady whose romance name is Valeria. Having lived happily with her for a few months, their harmony is disturbed by money, the root of evil. ton is in want of cash to answer some bills, and applies to Madame Nicholas, his mother-in-law, who refuses to give him any assistance. The consequences are a separation from his wife of whom, notwithstanding, he still continues to speak in terms of the most devout attachment-and about a score of pamphlets on the behaviour of her mother. Nothing can be more pestiferous than the titles of these libellous brochures-but we find that we are giving more than enough of room to the affair when we mention it at all. (To be continued.) PREDICTIONS BY C. C. Prediction First. The densities of the planets will be found to be constantly increasing. EVERY particle of matter, from the surface of a planet down to the centre, presses with a constant force on the particle upon which it is recumbent; and this globe would still be subject to the same law, whether it had a distention to equal the magnitude of Jupiter, or a compression to equal the density of Mercury. If, from the centre of the Earth up to the surface, every particle pressed on the superincumbent particle, it is evident that the Earth would constantly suffer a dilatation of diameter. Now, as it is the prevailing opinion among philosophers, that there is more vacuity than matter within the circumference of any one of the planets, it is no wonder that it should become a question much agitated amongst them, whether the pressure of all the particles in an opposite direction would produce an opposite effect? i. e. Whether the law which is now in force within the bowels of the Earth would produce a constant diminution of the Earth's diameter so long as vacuities existed within the interior? It was a grand era in the history of this discovery when geologists had proved that the primitive strata, if placed in a horizontal position, would form the circumference of a much larger globe than that which they now circumscribe; this globe, therefore, must have had a greater magnitude when these strata were deposited; and that the secondary strata must also have been incumbent upon a larger globe while they retained a horizontal position; but as they neither dip to so great a depth as the primitive strata, nor are so highly inclined in their position to the horizon, the globe on which they were deposited could not have had so great a magnitude as that on which the primitive strata were formed; and that also the last formed strata, which, though they are in general but little removed from their first position, must have nevertheless been deposited upon a globe of a somewhat greater magnitude, but not so great as that on which the secondary strata were formed. Thus did geologists approximate toward the evolution of this important law, by proving that the globe had from time to time diminished in magnitude since the strata which encompass it began to be deposited. It may here just be observed, that the sinuosity of the strata in certain situations proves that the globe must have had a greater magnitude when these strata were deposited. Thus it is evident, that those secondary strata, which have sometimes been found to undulate from one range of primitive hills to another, and which at the same time remain continuous throughout, would, if restored to their former level position, extend over a much greater horizontal surface than could be included between those ranges of hills; those hills must have therefore been removed to a greater distance from each other when they admitted of the horizontality of these strata between them, now they could only be removed to a greater distance from each other by a dilatation of the Earth's diameter; this globe must have therefore had a greater magnitude when these strata were deposited. The question relative to the constant increase of the Earth's density by the particles gravitating towards the centre, now found its way into the records of science, and no longer was it rejected by philosophers as but the reverie of a maniac-the probable existence of such a law operating within the bowels of the Earth was now fully established, and philosophers in their future researches, after its discovery, arbitrarily insulated the Earth in space beyond the sphere of all planetary and solar attraction, and then reasoned as to the effects that would be produced on the globe by the pressure of all the particles towards the surface-that the diameter of the It was a bold conjecture of Newton's, that the porosity of the Earth is such, that, were all the particles brought into contact with each other, it is possible they might be contained within the compass of a cubic inch. VOL. VI. E Earth would constantly dilate by every particle pressing on the superincumbent particle was admitted-that as the globe distended the quantity of vacuity within the interior would increase and that after the Earth had attained to the magnitude of Jupiter, there would exist within it at least a hundred and twenty times more vacuity than matter;-having obtained these data, they now argued as to the probable effects that would be produced on the globe by the constant pressure of all the particles in an opposite direction, and since they had found that a quantity of vacuum, equal to a hun dred and twenty times the magnitude of the Earth, before it was subjected to the operation of the expansive force, was now contained within it, they had no difficulty in admitting that the particles would take a retrograde movement, and that the globe would consequently suffer a diminution of diameter. It was however a problem long and keenly agitated amongst them, to determine the precise state of condensity of the Earth at which the mobility of the particles would be arrested; this was found to be a problem of very difficult solution, and it was not till after much contention and varied discussion that they arrived at the plain and natural conclusion, that so long as vacuities existed within the interior of the Earth, the motion of the particles downwards would never cease; and as they found that the force which counteracts the force of gravity does not operate to a great depth be low the surface of any one of the planets, they thus proved that the densities of all of them must still be constantly increasing. No sooner was the discovery of this planetary law announced to the philosophers of every country, than they began to apply it to the solution of those phenomena which till then in several physical sciences had remained problematical. First the spheroidal form of the Earth received a ready and certain explication, and then the important fact was obtained, that the mean density of the Earth, from the centre to the poles, is greater than from the centre to the equator; and this fact suggested a new and plausible theory as to the cause of the polarity of the magnet-those numerous and wonderful discoveries which were evolved by the compression of mixtures, and the subsequent expression of some of the substances of which they were composed were also due, though less directly, to the discovery of this extraordinary law; but of all the sciences, Geology and Cosmogony were certainly the most indebted to its evolution. In geology it accounted satisfactorily, First, Why strata, which were ori ginally horizontal in their position, are now inclined to the horizon. Thus, as a plant increases in density, it diminishes in magnitude; and since it is constantly increasing in density, it is constantly diminishing in magnitude, this globe has therefore suffered a diminution of magnitude since the strata were deposited which everywhere encompass it; and, there fore, since these strata at their formation would form the circumference of a larger globe, and are now circumscribing the nucleus of a less, they would, if soft, suffer bendings and inflections while accommodating themselves to a globe constantly diminishing in magnitude; and, if indurated, they would break asunder, and assume a position somewhat inclined to the horizon, and as the globe diminished more and more in magnitude, the strata would approach more and more toward a verticle position. from the horizontal position as they Second, Why strata deviate the more are the more ancient. nished in magnitude, then the more As this globe has constantly dimiwe recede from the present period, the greater will be its magnitude, and consequently the more ancient the strata, the greater would be the globe on which they were deposited. Since, therefore, strata, according to their seniority, would, when deposited, form as it were the circumference of a larger globe, and they are now all investing the same nucleus, and that the nucleus of a less, it is evident that the strata last formed would require to shift less from their original horizontal position, in order to accommodate themselves to the present magnitude of the globe than strata of a prior formation; that therefore the more ancient the strata, the more must they be displaced from their first position; the primitive strata must have therefore assumed a posture more highly inclined to the horizon than those of a subsequent formation. Third, Why strata, which were ori ginally soft, are now consolidated; and why in general they are more indurated as they are the more ancient. The force which consolidates the Earth, must also be equal to the consolidation of the strata near the surface, where it acts with so much intensity; and since the solidity of the globe is constantly increasing, the consolidation of the strata must likewise be in constant operation; those strata, therefore, which have been the longer subjected to the consolidating cause must be the more indurated, i. e. strata must be the more indurated according to their seniority. It must however be remarked, that the hardening of the strata is not altogether effected by the perpendicular pressure of the particles; there is besides a constant la teral pressure, arising from the circumference of the globe being in a state of constant decrease; and, by the cooperation of these two forces, the fluid which every stratum contains after its deposition must be ultimately expressed. Fourth, Why bendings and inflec tions are more frequent in strata according to their seniority. As the force which consolidates the Earth acts nearly with the same intensity, whatever may be its density, it is evident that the magnitude of the globe must diminish the faster in proportion as the Earth is less dense. Those strata, then, which were deposited when the density of the Earth was not so great, would not preserve their level position so long as those which were deposited when the density of the Earth was greater; since, then, the more we recede; from the present period, the density of the globe is always the less, strata would therefore, according to their seniority, preserve their horizontal position for a shorter period; they would consequently be the less consolidated while shifting from that position, as they had not been so long subjected to the operation of the consolidating cause, they would therefore, according to their seniority, be more pliant while shifting from that position; wherefore, bendings and inflections must be more frequent in strata according to their seniority. The shifting of the strata, while accommodating themselves to a globe diminishing in magnitude, accounted for earthquakes. The latent heat which exists below the surface of the Earth, and which must from time to time be expressed as the globe gets more indurated, was found to be the primary agent in the production of a volcano, and as there is a greater pressure at the time that the strata are turning to a more vertical position, it accounted for the fact of the earthquake and volcano generally accompanying each other. It was also found, that the substance of a vein was originally diffused throughout the strata which include the vein, and had been expressed from the strata after the formation of the fissure which now contains it. C. C. (To be continued.) SOME EFFECTS OF AN EXCESSIVE APPLICATION TO THE STUDY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE CONSIDERED. It seems a fit subject for the curiosity of an age to inquire into the effects upon its character of its own peculiar pursuits; unless it may be thought, that, with a people, as in the case of an individual, too much curiosity of self-examination may both enfeeble and mislead the mind. Yet to a people, as well as to an individual, there inust be a measure of self-examination that is both justifiable and salutary; and we conceive, that the questioning of those opinions, upon which a whole generation is disposed to act with implicit confidence, and something like the ardour of passion, may fall within this reasonable measure. The age to which we belong has pursued, with activity and success unknown before, the investigations of physical science; and with this spirit of inquiry there has prevailed also a persuasion, that the knowledge thus acquired to the human mind was of high importance, not only for the powers which it added to human art, but for its direct influence on the faculties and character of the mind. Its influence may be beneficial, but it may easily be over-rated. We believe, too, it is in danger to exceed its just limits. The effect upon the mind, of application to physical science, will vary |