At the beginning of the war, the foreign trade of this place declined a little, till the year 1795, fince which it has advanced confiderably, as appears by the customs of the year 1798. By comparing the receipt of the latter year with that of 1689, both of which may be accounted medium years, it appears that the revenue has increafed to more than twenty times its former amount, and confequently that the commerce of the port is augmented nearly in the fame proportion. The receipt of 1781, and the fubfequent years compared with 1780, fhews the importance of the Dock to this place, though the increase of trade has fo far exceeded the ideas of thofe who planned that accommodation, that we are informed confiderable dock-room is already wanted, and it is to be hoped that the fpirit of the inhabitants will lead them to undertake adequate improvements of a port which from its fituation, and the progrefs already made, poffeffes fo fair a profpect of attaining the afcendency over all the maritime towns of England, London excepted. Hull was the firft port that engaged in that precarious branch of commerce the Greenland fishery, in 1598, about forty-five years after the discovery of Greenland by Sir H. Willoughby. In the prefent year, twenty feven ships have failed from Hull in this trade; twenty three for Greenland, and four for Davis's ftreights. An application has been made to the privy council for permiffion to import naval ftores, in neutral bottoms, into the ports of Great Britain, there being at prefent a want of English fhips to carry on the trade. This is a measure of much importance to the carrying trade of the country, and fhould not be adopted but under the moft evident neceffity. MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. SINCE our laft report the ftate of the weather has been fuch as to do much injury to the late hay crops in the fouthern parts of the kingdom, especially fuch as had been cut previously to its commencement; and in the northern counties we find much has been swept away and deftroyed from the low grounds by the inundations of the rivers. In thefe districts too, though the grafs has cut thicker than was expected, hay is extremely dear, the whole of the old ftacks being nearly exhaufted. The fecond crops in the south are almost every where promifing.-Hay averages in St. James's market, 41. Is. Clover in Whitechapel, 51. IOS. ¡er load. But the exceffive wetnefs of the feafon has not only done great mischief to the hay, but the corn crops alfo, by beating them down, as much of the lodged grain will probably never be able to rife again. With regard to corn crops in general, though the harvest must of course be late, they will probably not be far fhort of the average of former years. But little grain has yet been cut, even in the fouthern parts of the island, and in the more northern there is nothing nearly ready for the fcyckle, except a little early fown barley in warm foils and fituations. Potatoes have generally a very favourable appearance. The prices of grain of every kind are high, and feem ftill on the advance. Wheat on the 17th averaged throughout England and Wales 73s. Barley 38s. The quartern loaf is road. Live Stock. The prices of both fat and lean cattle are fomewhat lower. In Smithfield market, beef fetches 3s. and 4d. to 4s. and 6d. and lamb 3s. and 8d. to 5s. per ftone, of 3lb. finking the offal. Horfes Thofe for farming purposes are ftill low, but good faddle horfes fetch high prices. Late Fairs.-Evesham NEW fair was very well supplied with fat beafts and fheep, infomuch that many of the former were turned out unfold. At Warwick fair there was, however, a very fmall shew of fat beafts, but a tolerable one of fheep and lambs; the whole fold high. At Lanfdown fair, which was numerously attended, there was a confiderable fhew of grazing cattle, the fale of which was heavy, owing to the apprehended fhortness of feed. Shrewsbury fair, fine fleece wool fold from 28s. to 30s. per ftone: low fleeces declined in price, and fome remained unfold on Tuesday: lambs' wool, of which there was not a large quantity, from 20s. to 22s. 6d. per ftone. Cattle nearly at the prices of laft fair. At Our agricultural and commercial correfpondents are requested to dispatch their favours in fuch time that they may reach us by the 24th inftant. Printed for R. PHILLIPS, by J. Adlard, Duke Street, Smithfield, MONTHLY MAGAZINE. No. L.] OCTOBER 1, 1799. [No. 3. of VOL. VIII. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HE defective knowledge of arithme tinct, I am, by all means, for adopting mechanical contrivances, or rather for extending their ufe, for they are to a cer- Ttic, fed tive for the whole of tain degree already in ufe. an example mathematical fcience, which young men bring with them from our claffical schools, have been frequent fubjects of complaint. The evil, I fuppofe, ftill fubfifts in full force; nor is it to be imagined that the pupils of ladies' boarding-fchools are greater proficients in figures, than thofe who are destined to be their partners for life. On the conftant convenience of a readiness at accompts, I need not expatiate; and the various indirect ufes even of a flight acquaintance with the exact sciences have been often pointed out: perhaps nothing would more effectually check the prevailing tafte for defultory, inattentive read. ing; or more powerfully counteract the pernicious effects of this intellectual poifon. Of the common repugnance to arithmetic, a bad method of teaching feems, as in fimilar cafes, to be the principal caufe. Without some extrinsic motive, fuch as the conviction of its neceffity to a livelihood, or the strong terror of the rod (and fuch a motive will not often operate upon the rich), arithmetic will continue to be loathed, as long as the mafter contents himself with propofing and exemplifying the dry rule. To render the ftudy engaging, a liberal explanation of the very curious properties of figures must be given; and the reafons for fuch and fuch a proceeding be amply and familiarly developed. This can be done in a manner perfectly clear, and highly amusing to in telligent children of fix or feven years of age. The beft elementary tract I have yet feen, is that by Condorcet (Moyens d'apprendre à compter furement et avec facilité). I do not, however, wish to fee even this excellent tra& literally tranflated. It might be confiderably improved. That it should have defects we cannot wonder, when we are told: C'étoit dans l'afyle où il fe cachoit à fes bourreaux que Condorcet l'a écrit. To enliven the rudiments of arithmetic, and to make certain points more dif. MONTHLY MAG. No, L. or two will beft explain my plan. Let us fuppofe that the effect of the cypher (o) in notation is to be fhewn, I would have a flider, from which, at the end nearest the right-hand, there should project a cube, having fome figure, fuppofe 1, infcribed upon its upper furface; I would alfo have other detached pieces in the form of wedges, with their base of the fame fize as one of the faces of the cube, upon which bafe a cypher should be infcribed. The flider should move in a simple frame of this shape. [Į 141 When it is pushed quite home, the cube will stand clofe to the right end of the frame, and the figure (1) will appear; in this state of the apparatus, push in a wedge between the right end of the frame, and the flider, which of course will be driven back, and 10 will be feen: by another wedge we fhall produce 100, and fo on. Thus it will be perceived, that each cypher-wedge has the effect of removing the figure (1) a fingle place nearer the left-hand, and of increafing its value tenfold. I fuppofe the learner previously to understand notation, as far at leaft as 10, 100, &c. By a fet of wedges, marked with the different numerals, he thus may be taught notation to any extent. Were I to put down here all that is to be faid at the moment, your readers would find me needleffly tedious. Thofe who feel themselves at a lofs for an explanation, must be either dull of apprehenfion, or little in the habit of addreffing instruction to the fenfes of the young. Let it not be fuppofed that I imagine the contrivance I have defcribed to be neceffary. The fame thing, I am very fenfible, may be fhewn on a flate or upon paper. But I wish to gain an interest in the mind of the pupil for the study of figures; and the fimpleft movement interefts a child. The only precaution requifite is, that the apparatus fhould be plain, and have few parts; otherwife, the eye 4 S will will fix upon fomething foreign to the defign. Give me leave to take, from the second rule in arithmetic, a more difficult and more interesting example. The pupil, who is taught to borrow in fubtraction imitates his preceptor, and finds his fum right. But of the rationale he often either remains quite ignorant, or is puzzled by the attempts at elucidation. To explain the operation mechanically, let a number of counters of the fize of a fixpence (or peafe or French-beans) be provided; let a portion of the counters be fixed together, in tens and hundreds, by a peg, paffing through a fmall hole in the centre of each (in the cafe of feeds a ftring may be used). Let it now be propofed to take (or fubtract) 136 from 245; I fuppofe the pupil to have been initiated in the rule of addition mechanically, I mean by counters; not by mere written figures: the 136 fhould first be counted out of 245 detached pieces, and the remainder afcertained; then let the figures of the larger fum be written down at fuch a diftance from one another, that two packs, of a hundred counters each, can be placed upon the left-hand figure, and four packs, of ten each, upon the middle figure, and five fingle counters upon the right-hand figure: at the fame time, the fum fhould be written down in the ufual manner (24) on another part of the flate or paper. 45 + The method of proceeding after this need fcarce be defcribed. Six cannot be taken from five; fo the learner mußt be directed to remove (borrow) one of the packs of ten from the fecond to the fint place of figures, detaching the counters. From thefe fiftcen counters he will take fix; he will next have three, that is, all the tens to take from the middle place, and removing one pack from the third place, there will be left one; and the fum compleated; and the management with operations can afterwards be fhewn to produce the same effect. Some years ago, finding that the late Mr. B. Donne had mechanical demonstrations of the principal propofitions of Euclid; and that thefe demonftrations were fufficiently plain and ftriking, I procured him a number of fubscribers; and sets of demonstrations were made, and an explanatory book printed. By help of thefe, young perfons foon and easily learn many properties of plane, and fome of folid figures. Somewhat more than an hundred fets are difperfed through the kingdom; and it were to be wifhed, that more were in readinefs. But as the project was, I believe, never advertifed in any newspaper, or noticed in any literary journal, the knowledge of it was confined to a few hundred families. Thofe who have used thefe models, have been fatisfied with them; though poffibly they could be greatly improved. I did not think the book well calculated for the purpose, fuppofing the whole had been to be put into the hands of young people. It does not want perfpicuity; but many technical terms, as lemma, fcholium, are introduced. To thofe, however, who think with Quinctilian, that viva voce inftruction is beft, and in the rudiments of knowledge it furely is particularly advantageous, the defect of adaptation to the capacity of children in the book will be a trifling objection. There is a work, entitled Cowley's Solid Geometry, fold by Jones, 135, Holborn, which would come in perfectly well after Donne's models. I am, Sir, your humble fervant, THOMAS BEDDOES. Raney-place, Clifton, To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, IVE me leave to tell your angry figures made perfectly intelligible. Or Gr correspondent G. Y. (p. 538), that courfe, the teacher will propofe a concrete leis haite and paffion would probably have cafe; as, Mr. Wells borrowed of Mr. So-enabled him to do more juftice to himself, mers 245 pounds, and, at different times, to DIDOT, and to VIRGIL. Criticism is paid back 135; he is come to difcharge the calm. reft of his debt; and wants to know how much he fill ores? After borrowing in fubtraction, our cuftom is to add an unit to the next figure in the lower row: but it seems more perfpicuous at firft, and it is more conformable to the theory of the process, to diminih one from the correfponding figure of the upper, as Condorcet does. Both *This had likewife been directed in Practical Education, I I had spoken very refpectfully of Didot, and of the neatnefs, cheapnefs, and conve nience of his finall ftereotype Virgil. There is no triumph where he fuppofes; but a fimple statement. I continue to fy, that reperit, the firk fyllable long, with a fingle p, is not agreeable to the fyftem of orthography purfued in this edition by Didot; in which Jupiter is printed with a double p, and Religio with with a double 1. Whether perfect or preterperfect tenfe, the quantity of the prepofition will be the fame. The preterperfeet, to make the last fyllable short, muft indeed be the old reperi, like peperi, and not the common reperii, which, when reduced from reperiit to reperit, would circumflex the last fyllable as it does. Geo. ii. 23. Whatever Heyne and Brunck read, the Medicean MS. as published by Foggini, reads abfcindit. And it does not read exfcidi, n. ii. 177. Nec poffe Argolicis exfcindi Pergama telis, Scindo in its feveral modifications is very frequent. Will your correfpondent fhew Jcidit any where but in the præteritum, where it is unquestionably right.-Hefperium Siculo latus abfcidit, n. iii. 418. Will he give any inftance of this verb, either in the prefent, the participle, or the infinitive, where the n is omitted, and fupport it by the authority of an ancient MS. G. ii. 435. umbram. I had stated my preference of this as more musical than umbras; and this it is affuredly; and efpecially before fufficiunt. This, in fuch a poet as VIRGIL, is no light prefumption for it. Didot might certainly follow Heyne and Brunck; who read umbras it feems. He might too have followed, with equal liberty, the Medicean MS, which reads umbram. The elegant and very correct edition by PLANTIN*, 1589, adopts this reading. But I will give your correfpondent a much ftronger authority for umbras than he feems to have found. ERYTHRAEUS fo reads it in his Index: and PIERIUS fays, "In omnibus veteribus codicibus fcriptum obfervavi UMBRAS, numero mul. titudinis." But what fhall we fay to this, if there be an exception to be made of one of the most ancient MSS in the world, the Medicean? G. iii. 267. If your correfpondent has not found affumpfere for abfumpfere, the ftereotype Virgil has been benefited by the very correction I have indicated. I have only to add, my copy was purchafed in the beginning of April laft; and living in the country, I am content with collating the copy which I have: I cannot judge of the accuracy of thofe which are in London. The fame obfervations apply to Thetis for Tethys. It is fomewhat ftrange that this zealous champion of DIDOT fhould be angry that This perhaps is one of the smallest of books, and one of the most valuable of edl tions. I have done what Didot very properly requefts may be done: "Si malgré les foins les plus grands, et l'attention la plus fuivie, il étoit echappé quelques fautes à la première édition, des l'inftant même qu'elles nous feront notifiées, nous nous emprefferons de les corriger-on donnera mêine gratuitement le carton, avec la faute corrigée, à tous ceux qui voudront l'avoir." It is true, Didot has warned thofe readers who have Virgil only in the little school editions, not to take for faults certain va- · riations or peculiar readings, which, he affures them, are all authorized by good editions. I will here reverfe an Horatian line-" Efto; bona:-fed MALA fi quis.” Certainly there are many good readings which are not in the common editions ;but if a reading is not good, it will not be the better for being uncommon. By this time your correfpondent may difcover, if you publish this, what, by a little inquiry, he might probably have learnt before; that my remarks are not founded on the common school editions. As to the Delphin Virgil, he is peculiarly unfortunate in his guels; for though it is, with other editions, on my thelves, I rarely look into it: and, I believe, I did not once confult it on this occafion, But it is no wonder, if the readings that I defend are found in that edition; more good readings than bad will be found in any edi. tion. In Geo. ii. 150. "Arbos," and not arbor, will be found in the excellent edition of H infus, the very valuable of Emmenefius 1680, the careful and in many refpects judicious one of Cunningham, and the Medicean. The wonder is, if in any it be not found. I will go farther. I believe there will be difficulty to find one good authority, except the Index of Erythraus, for faying that arbor once occurs in Virgil. He gives it iv. Geor. 142. I think "ne" is printed for nec, and not merely the c omitted to be ftruck, in my copy, Æn. iv. 307. I fhall be glad to learn it is corrected in other copies. Though fhort-fighted, my eyes are exact; and I do not think the ftop after amici was a comma ftruck imperfectly. If it were, your correfpondent might have fhewn that in fome copy it is better ftruck. Whether adfto, ii. n. 303, fhould have a full ftop, we need not ask this or that editor. It is fufficient to read the paffage with attention to the principles of punctuation. S 2 The The typographical correctness of this fmall edition by Didot, is, indeed, almost fingularly great. I reprefented it as printed with great care. Its critical merit I mean hereafter to examine. My with has been to add whatever might be poffible to its accuracy, and by no means to detract. Those who know any thing of me will believe this. Sept. 4, 1799. I obtained yesterday, through favour of a friend, one of the corrected copies of DIDOT's small stereotype VIRGIL. In this we have the proper readings. Tethys. i. Geor. 31. Malis membra abfumpfere quadrigæ Nec te nofter amor. iii. Geor. 267. iv. En. 307. But-Bis pomis utilis arbor, Geor. ii. 150, is ftill retained for arbos. I think I need not add, in confirmation of the change r into f, the remark in the Afiatic Refearches, vol. i. 21: yet it is pleafing to fee this archaïfm there noticed. In n. ii. 731. Evafiffe VICEM for viam, may perhaps be meant for a various reading, as I obferve it retained in the corrected copy: but it seems neither neceffary nor probable. It has not the fupport of the Medicean MS; nor of that of Jefus College; nor of the fine editions of 168; and not of the Plantin of 1585; nor of Cunningham; nor of Wakefield: and the Nuremberg edition of Virgil, 1492, reads alfo viam. Why there fhould be any doubt of this being the true reading, I fee not; and hope that it will be restored, inclina I flatter myself that neither my tion nor my motive can be mifunderstood. That it is fimply an anxious with, in which every literary man may naturally be expected to participate, that the DIDOT edition of VIRGIL, which is fo near to being typographically perfect, may be abfolutely fo, and exempt from even a fingle error of the prefs. IN my paper on inclofures be fo good to correct in the note, by reading "Stanton near Bury." ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. What your correfpondent fays of the tate or IRELAND is dreadful, if it related to any other nation: moft dreadful when to that nation fo related to us by vicinity, by interefts; and long by a participation of generous feeling, in which, I believe, no nation on the earth can exceed the Irifh. Under fuch circumftances it certainly concerns, in a moft peculiar degree, the executive of that country to remove all figns of animofity, and all objects of a vindictive character; and the executive of this, to avoid moft anxiously all measures which tend to jealoufy, and to contention. The fubject and the circumftances are both most delicate; but none can be fuch as to juftify the fuppreffion of a fentiment which connects itself with confiderations of such unspeakable importance. CAPEL LOFFT. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. H SIR, AVING obferved the publication of Mr. Kearfley's Travellers' Companion, announced in your last Number,with my name prefixed; I think it right to ftate, that the MS which I fent to Mr. Kearfley from this place, contained hardly one-third of that publication; the reft has been added by fome perfon to whom the correction of the prefs was entrusted, and without my knowledge or confent. Upon my fuggefting the impropriety of this matter to Mr. Kearfley, he has kindly promifed to withdraw my name and preface from the work. 'I am, Sir, yours respectfully, THOMAS NORTHMORE. Cleve, near Exeter, Sept. 5, 1799. P.S. I will thank you to publish the above in your next Number. For the Monthly Magazine. Offendam in nugis? Hæ nugæ feria ducent In mala. Hor. de Art. Poet. SIR, T has been cuftomary for many years, even for men whofe great learning and extenfive knowledge are too well known to admit of any difpute, to reject, altogether, that pronunciation of the Latin and Greek languages which is founded upon accent. In this, they profeís to follow the rules of Voflius, Mekerchus, Henninius, and others, who maintained that Latin and Greek verfe fhould be read with a strict regard to quantity only. That quantity ought greatly to be attended to, in the pronunciation of every language, is a matter which no man, I believe, will attempt to controvert. But I would state, at this time, what appear to me infuperable ob jections |