further inveftigation. That gentleman fays, that river-water will leave no fediments of earthy particles at the bottom of the tea-kettle." This may be strictly true in many, or, if you pleate, in moft cafes: but is it univerfally fo? or, when we talk of "rivers", are we exclufively to underftand natural rivers, which flow in their original felf-formed channels, undiverted from their courfe by human industry. This question is not foreign to the purpose that stream, for example, which is commonly called The New River, and whose water supplies fo great a portion of the metropolis-in what light are we to view it? Though, in ftrict propriety of fpeech, it be only a canal or aqueduct, yet, when every circumftance is duly confidered, its water, I think, may very fairly be deemed river water. Now, I can pofitively affert from ocular conviction, and can prove by the evidence of my own tea-kettle, that the Neau River water does depofit earthy fediments, which, in time, concrefce to ftone. My kettle has never had in it a fingle drop of any other than the New River water, from the time when it came new into my poffeffion about four or five nevertheless, at the years ago: moment when I propofed my queries, it was completely lined with a ftony incruf tation, not indeed fo thick as I have seen in fome kettles in country parts, yet little fhort of half an inch in, thickness. It may be proper to obferve that mine is an iron kettle: and, whether iron poffeffes a greater aptitude, than copper, to attract the earthy particles, is a point that deferves confideration. To me it appears an interesting question: for, if it can be ascertained that the fame water, which depofits an earthy fediment in iron veffels, leaves none in thofe of copper, it muft neceffarily follow that the water comes much less pure and wholejome from a copper kettle, than from an iron one, and that the latter is of courfe preferable. But this is a point which yet remains to be proved. I recollect, indeed, to have been informed, a few years fince, by a gentleman connected with the New River Company, that they had tried caft-iron cocks in the main-pipes which run along the streets; but that these were, in no very long time, nearly choaked with tony incrustations, and that the Company were in confequence forced to refume the ufe of wooden cocks, which, in their former practice, they had not found liable to the lame inconvenience. I conclude by expreffing a with that thefe crude remarks may attract the notice of feme more fcientific man than I, who may be able and willing to communicate *Ον Θεος θελει 'απολλύειν, πριν αφρονει Quem Jupiter vult perdere, dementat prius. PERMIT a well. winer to inquire of the critical readers of the Monthly Magazine, whether they know any other intances of the verbs 'appove and demento ufed in an active fenfe. Thefe verbs have, I think, been generally taken for actives in the lines prefixed: But if there is no authority for this conftruction, would it not be better to understand them in a neuter fenfe, in conformity with their fignifica tion in all other inftances? The fyntax will then be," Ille, quem Deus vult perdere, prius dementat," ie. infanit, delirat, defipit. The only authors within my knowledge who use the verb demento are Apuleius and Lactantius; it is a neuter with both: The tranflator of the proverb in queftion was evidently directed in the choice of this uncouth word by the corre fponding word in the Greek appwv, demens. Oxford, Your's, &c. Nov.13, 1803 GRAMMATTICUS. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. Y SIR, OU have read lately in the pub may lic prints feveral accounts of tainted meat, offered for fale by the butchers, being feized by magiftrates, and burnt. As this is an inftance of the zeal of authority interfering with commerce, it has connection enough with a defence of foreftalling for me to be permitted to ask a few queftions. 1. By what arguments has it been proved, that meat kept fo long as to be offenfive to the nofe is alfo unwholefome to the @tomach? 2. How comes it, that, if meat so kept be dangerous to the poor, it fhould be innoxious to the rich; and that a mayor, after deftroying meat kept five days, may go home to his dinner on venifon kept ten? 3. As the meat was "burnt, and not buried, because it was unfit even for dogs," are all dog-feeders in an error (for they feed with carrion highly putrid); and is the dog himself in a mistake, when he buries his bone till it is rotten? 4. Do you think that the butcher is not fufficiently punished for not having attended to the state of the atmosphere, by the lofs arifing from the decreased price of his meat; and will he not be more careful in future, if he do not fuffer the lofs of the whole? MISORHETOR. To Shall paft fupply the want of prefent worth? Whofe charm is uglinefs, whofe fpirit spite, Call'd Hero, Prince, or fomething more auguft, Creates but more abhorrence and disguft. Beware left thus Mahon or Plaffy how How war-worn titles a burlesque may grow. § But whither tends this harsh preceptive vein ? To you, O Q-, I fuit the ftrain, Who thro' St. James's pace with pompous gait, As if your own deferts had made you great. "Hence, vulgar crew," indignant you exclaim, "Who fcarcely know the country whence you came! "A D-s I." Long, mighty D-s, live, Some low plebeian's talents must be fee'd, Which all the fophift's cobwebs can unwind; Or fome bold warrior, who, from India's shore To either pole, bids British thunder roar. What excellence is your's? A Douglas blood !'. Say are you wife? A D--!' Brave or good? A D-s' Well-But if fo great and dull, How differs then your Grace's noble skull From your great Grandfire's on his buft of ftone? A block of marble his-and your's of bone. *We act more fairly with the bestial tribes, Where individual worth their rank prefcribes. The fwifteft ever is the nobleft horse, Tho' mean his pafture and obfcure his breed, Be diftanced on the turf, and fhame his fire, He ftill may ferve a brewer's rumbling dray, 1 Some claim to rank, perform one generous deed, Which to the lofty titles we may join, They gain'd by merit-you, my Lord, by line. tLet this fuffice for one whom Fame reports Vacant, and vain of fervitude in courts; Fruitless the Mufe's admonitions there, Where fenfe to read, or feel, them is fo rare. On borrow'd fame 'tis wretched to re pofe; The prop enfeebled, down the fabric goes. Where will is law, affaffination fport, Point to the criminal, and dictate lies, Yield not your honour in the jaws of death, Nor meanly barter happiness for breath. *Verfe 56-70. + Verfe 71-74. + Verfe 76-84. MEMOIRS MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. MEMOIR of the LIFE of the late PROFES SOR DAVID RUHNKEN. AVID Ruhnken was born at Stolpe, in Upper Pomerania, on the fecond day of January, in the year 1723. His father had been chief-magiftrate of the town, was in eafy circumitances, had feveral other children, and ipared no reasonable expence in their education. As David difcovered very early uncommon quicknes in learning, his parents determined, while he was yet a child, to bring him up a fcholar. His mother in particular had an ambition that her fon fhould become a clergyman; and he was fent for his instruction in the Latin tongue to the fchool of Schlave, of which Kniephoff, a man poffeffed with a warm and amiable enthufiafin for claffical literature, was then mafter. He communicated to his pupil all his own paffion for Roman elegance and learning; and Ruhnken from that time thought nothing fo much to be defired as fuperiority in thofe which are denominated claffical attainments. From Schlave Ruhnken went to Frederick's College in Koningsberg. He was foon diftinguished at that feminary for his extraordinary proficiency in Latin erudition. He had for his fellow-ftudent and rival Immanuel Kant, fince famous a metaphyfician and philofopher.Kant was then devoted with great zeal to claffical purfuits; and in these there was an ardent but friendly competition between him and Ruhnken all the time they ftudied together at Koningsberg. as At the age of eighteen years Ruhnken returned from the univerfity to his parents. His parents were defirous that he should now betake himself to the immediate ftudy of theology, and gave him his choice of any one of the universities of Koningfberg, Haile, or Frankfort, at which to profecute it. The youth himself defired no better than to devote his whole life to claffical learning, with the addition perhaps of jurisprudence as a means of livelihood. To avoid for the prefent any direct op. pofition to their wishes, he asked leave to go to ftudy Greek, under Gefner, at Göttingen; and as few at that time ftudied the Greek language in Germany otherwife than as preparatory to the ftudy of theology, the old people were fatisfied, and agreed that in this he should follow his inclination. He fet out for Göttingen; but on his way he took the opportunity to vifit Berlin, and the univerfities of Saxony. In Berlin he stopped but a few days, intending to furvey that capital more at leifure when he fhould be upon his return. At Wittenberg, in Saxony, he met with fo favourable a reception from J. G. Berger, profeffor of eloquence and antiquities, and from J. Dan. Ritter, profeffor of jurif prudence, that, after writing to obtain permiffion from his father and mother, he was induced to continue there two years, instead of proceeding, according to his first intention, to Göttingen. He obtained during that time the degree of doctor in the civil and the canon laws, and publifhed a Differtation De Galla Placidia Augufta. From Berger he at the fame time acquired fingular juftnefs and delicacy of tatte in regard to purity of Latin compofition, and great difcernment in the knowledge of the moft claffical Latin compofitions of modern times. He ftudied at the fame time mathematics, logic, and metaphyfics, which were there taught according to the fyllem of Wolfius. But thefe fhared his attention only in an inferior degree. The chief advantage he derived from them was in the affiftance they gave him toward the eafier and clearer under ftanding of the philofophical writings of the ancients. Ernelti happening to make an excurfion from Leipfic to Wittenberg, concurred with Berger and Ritter in perfuading him to proceed, for his improvement in Greek literature, rather to Ley. den, where he might study under the famous Hemfterhuis, than to Göttingen, as he before intended. He wrote to his father for leave, and a fupply of money.Both were at laft with reluctance granted. Berger and Ritter gave him letters to Mr. Serjeant Rucker, an eminent lawyer, and to Mr. Meerman, fyndic or recorder of Rotterdam. Ernefti joined them in the promife to procure him a profeffor's chair in fome German univerfity as foon as he fhould have finished his ftudies at Leyden. He fet out in company with a young nobleman who was on his travels, and ar.. rived there without delay or accident. To Hemfterhuis he had brought no introductory letter; but immediately after his arrival he waited upon that eminent fcholar; accofted him in Latin, related that he was a pupil of Ritter and Berger, and came to study Greek at Leyden; and 2 without without other commendation was very graciously received. The young man had before conceived a very high opinion, from the report of others, of Hemiterhuis's learning and manners. That opinion was greatly exalted by perfonal converse with the man himself. He chose this master in Grecian literature as in all refpects the most admirable model for his imitation. For fix years he continued his favourite pupil, conftant in attendance on his intractions in the hours of teaching, and living at other times al moft always in the old man's private fociety. Hemiterhuis's favour and recommendations procured him the profit of the direction of the ftudies of different pupils; fo that when his parents, to draw him home, began to deny him farther fupplies of money, he was enabled to fubfift by the fees which he 'received for his leffons. He carefully perused during this period all the Greek and Roman authors, exploring the true fenfe of every paffage with the keenest and most patient investigation; reforting, where it was neceffary, to the aid of every collateral light from other authors and other branches of knowledge; difcuffing in every obfcurity the question of the integrity of the text; carefully noting every thing that appeared to be particularly worthy of remark; and wherever he was himself ultimately at a lofs, recurring for information to Hemfterhuis. The works of Homer, Hefiod, Callimachus, and Apollonius Rhodius, in Greek literature, were thofe which he studied with the greatest attention. His proficiency was demonftrated in a Critical Epittle on Homer and Hefiod, which he addreffed to Valkenaer, another eminent difciple of Hemiterhuis; and in a fecond Epiftle on the Works of Callimachus and Apollonius Rhodius, which he fent, two years after that, to his old friend Ernefti. He alfo gave confiderable affittance to the learned Alberti in his edition of Helychius. jurifprudence, and whom it was his duty to affift in that. As a proof of his diligence and fuccefs in this purfuit, he publifhed, with a Tranflation, and learned Notes, the Greek Commentaries of Thalelæus, Theodorus, Stephanus, and Cyrilles, on the Title of the Code and Digest which relates to Advocates and Procu rators. He refined after this his ftudies in Greek. An edition of the hitherto unpublished Lexicon by Timæus, of the words of which the ufe is peculiar to Plato, was the first fruit of his return to this language. To the text of Timæus he added very learned Notes. The Treatife itself is short, and without affectation of erudition-without the quotation of authorities, fimply defines the words and phrafes which it profeffes to explain; but its definitions are very clear and fatisfactory, and illuftrate many paffages in Plato, not otherwife eafy to be understood.Montfaucon had before printed a specimen of this finall work. M. Capperonnier, of the King's Library at Paris, furnished the tranfcript from which Mr. Ruhnken printed his edition; omitting, however, fome things of fmall moment, which were in the original copy. It was reprinted at Leipfic in the year 1756. 1789 Mr. Ruhnken himself published a new edition of this Trea ife, with many additional remarks, ernendations of paffages in ancient authors, and fragments from other Greek Lexicons yet unpublished. Many parts of Plato are in this book finely illustrated by the obfervations of the editor. Timæus was a fophift who flourifhed in the third century. In This publication came out in the year 1754. Ruhnken had foon after an invitation to a profefforship in Germany; but he was now too much pleased with his fituation, his friends, and his profpects in Holland, to accept it. Hemfterhuis had given him affurance that he would leave no means untried to procure him to be nominated fucceffor either to himself or to Oudendorp, profeffor of Roman literature, hiftory, and antiquities, in the university of Leyden. From Greek he returned to the ftudy of jurifprudence. Hemfterhuis, who defired to fix him as a profeffor in fome Dutch university, was of opinion that it might be of advantage for him to be In the year 1755 Ruhnken made an exqualified to fill a juridical chair, as well curfion to Paris, to enlarge his mind by a as one belonging to the province of claf- more extenfive and varied acquaintance fical literature. Befides, the intimate with fociety, and to examine the valuable alliance between the ftudy of Roman anti- public libraries in that capital. Thofe quities and that of the civil law, naturally which he was the most defirous to investi- ́ led him, who was a proficient in the one, gate were the King's Library, and that to take a pleasure in cultivating the other. of the Benedictines of St. Maur's, at St. Ruhnken had likewife under his care a Germain's-in-the-Fields. To both he pupil who was engaged in the ftudy of obtained eafy accefs by the favour of M. MONTHLY MAG, No. 112. Capperonnier. X Capperonnier. Capperonnier not only allowed him to have the ufe of books from the King's Library in private at his own lodgings, but procured him fimilar indulgence from the Benedictines. His application and readings were ravenous and indefatigable. Some manufcripts he tianferibed entirely; from others he made extracts others he compared with the printed editions, and noted the variations, As the catalogues had not been always made out from a thorough examination of the manufcripts which their titles refpectively described, he was often led afide from the particular purpofe with which he opened any one of thele, by finding, un der the title, perhaps, of fome Father of the Church, befide him, portions of Plato, Aritole, Xenophon, and others of the best authors. Thefe he found commonly inferted without any difcontinuity of the manufcript, or any mark to indicate that the copyilt there paffed from one work to another. Among other objects of curic. fity which were fhewn to him at this library, was the ftudy occupied by Cafaubon when he was keeper of it; an apartment which Ruhnken naturally furveyed with awful veneration. In a whole year's refidence at Paris he made a greater number of transcripts and collations of different editions than were ever known to have been executed by one perfon within the fame pace of time. The Parifians, who witneffed his industry, named him, on account of it, Hercules Mulagetes. Nor did he, in the mean time, neglect to mingle in the amufements and the fociety of Paris. He visited the theatres, galleries of paintings, fchools of medicine, cabinets of medals, with the workshops of eminent artists and artizans, and all that was most interefting in that feat of learning, fcience, pleasure, bufirefs, tafte, and vanity. He became acquainted there with two learned Englishmen, in whofe converfation he took great delight; Mr. Samuel Mufgrave, who was then studying medicine; and Mr.Thomas Tyrwhit, a man of fortune and of pleafure, but fond of elegant erudition, and who lived afterwards to diftinguish himfelf by his learned publications in his own country. From Paris he was recalled by the friendly care of Hemfterhuis. Both Hemfte huis and Oudendorp were now old and jnfirm; and Ruhnken's good patron withed him to be in the way, to fucceed to the chair of the one or the other of them.Till a vacancy should occur, Ruhnken was appointed as Greek reader to affift Hemsterhuis. He entered upon the duties of this appointment in the month of October 1757, by reading an inaugural Differtation on the Right of Greece to the Character of the Parent Country of the Arts and Sciences. This oration was heard with extraordinary applaufe, on account both of the ingenuity and research with which its general propofition was proved and il luftrated, and of the purity and elegance of its Latinity, excelling any thing that had for many years been produced on any fuch occafion at Leyden. The duties of his fituation as reader or lecturer engaged him to interpret the books of the New Teftament, fuch as the Gospel of St. Luke, and the Acts of the Apostles, and after thefe the profane claffics, Homer, Xenophon, &c. This task he performed with great ability, explaining those books one portion after another, and teaching his pupils alfo to read and explain them; after which he ufually dictated obferva, tions upon the difficult paffages, to be written down, and privately ftudied by them. When Gefner of Göttingen was afterwards preparing to publish his edition of the Hymns of Orpheus, Rhunken having be flowed much pains in the critical fiudy of thofe pieces, communicated his notes to that learned profeffor. But Gefner was not willing to give to another a right to fhare in the praife of his labour; and he, therefore declined to use what Rhunken had fent. Yet the advice of Ernefti at laft prevailed upon him to infert those hitherto unpublished fragments of Orpheus, which Rhunken had copied from the manu fcripts in the King of France's library, and the various readings which he had noted in collating three of those manu fcripts.. Gefner received thefe from Ernefti, and but for his earnest persuasion would not have made use of them. Soon after this, upon a vacancy in the profefforfhip of civil-law at Leyden, Ruhnken, by the influence of Hemfter huis, was enabled to evince his gratitude to his old friend Ritter, by procuring him to be nominated to fill the vacant chair. Ritter, however, after fignifying his acceptance of the appointment, fuffered himself to be over-perfuaded by his wife, who was afraid of finding her death in Holland, and stayed where he was. Four years after his appointment to the office of reader in Greek, Rhunken fucceeded, on the death of Oudendorp, to the |