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20

Erroneous Charges of Plagiarism.

neither the new crater nor its shadow. Again, on the 4th January 1792, he perceived in the castern crater of Helicon a central mountain, of a clear grey colour, 3" in diameter, of which, during many years' observations, he had perceived no trace. "This appearance," he adds, "is remarkable, as probably, from the time of Hevelius, the western part of Helicon has been forming into its present shape; and Nature seems, in that district, to be particularly active." In making such minute observations as those to which I now allude, it would be proper, along with an inspection of the moon's luminous disk, to mark the appearances of different portions of her dark hemisphere, when it is partially enlightened by the reflected light from the carth, soon after the appearance of new-moon. These researches, however, would require a long-continued series of the most minute observations, by numerous observers in different regions of the globe, which could only be effected in consequence of a general attention excited among the bulk of mankind to such investigations. But, were this object accomplished, and were numerous observations made from the tops of mountains and in the serene sky of southern climes, where the powers of the telescope are not counteracted by dense vapours, there can be little doubt but direct proofs of the habitability of the moon would be obtained, or, at least, that this question, in reference to this point, might be completely set at rest. Perth; 1818. T. DICK. P.S. Should be glad to know if any of your readers can inform me of the present positions of the four new planets, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta; and whether their motion be yet so accurately determined as to be registered in an astronomical Ephemeris. Neither White's, nor the Nautical Almanack, nor any other ephemeris with which I am acquainted, has hitherto inserted their motions and as pects.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

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(Aug. 1, imitation. In Dryden's celebrated Ode we have the following line,

"And tears began to flow;" it occurs, too, without any variation, in Goldsmith's Hermitage: surely Goldsmith might have written this line,although he had never read a couplet in Dryden.

It appears, therefore, that, to substantiate a charge of plagiarism, there must be a similarity of thought, as well as of expression; and even then the analogy must be very striking, the ideas must be such as were not likely to occur to many writers, although their subject was the same. Perhaps, indeed, candour should prevent our considering an author convicted of plagiarism, till we find him employing the thoughts of another on a subject to which they have no relation, and which could not excite them.

The poems of Lord Byron,-which their admirers (and who does not ad mire them?) have classed with the noblest productions of native genius,having triumphantly passed the critical ordeal imposed by Scotch and English Reviewers, seem likely to encounter the insidious attacks of those ingenious gentlemen,-who, finding similar expressions in different authors, immediately conclude that they have discovered most palpable plagiarism; and proceed, without remorse, to impale their victim in the columus of a review, a magazine, or a newspaper.

A variety of passages in Lord Byron's poems have been pronounced imitations: one in Lara is said to be pil fered from the Mysteries of Udolpho:-Almost to blackness, with its demon hue.” "Lara's brow upon the instant grew If the idea proposed to the imagination in these lines be really borrowed, the obligation is not great: but common justice may induce us to believe that the thought sprung from the subject; and, as far as regards Lord Byron, is original.

An idea, however, is to be found in Miss Radcliffe's novel, which may fairly lead us to question the originality of the noblest passage in one of the noblest productions of our patrician bard. In "the Giaour," (pp. 5, 6, 7, small edition,) the following exquisitely beautiful simile occurs,

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1818.] Mr. Luckcock on the Cultivation of the Rhubarb Plant.

(Before Decay's effacing fingers,

Have swept the lines where beauty lingers,)
And mark'd the mild angelic air,
The rapture of repose that's there;
The fix'd, yet tender, traits that streak
The languor of the placid cheek;
And-but for that sad shrouded eye,

That fires not, wins not, weeps not, now;
And, but for that chill changeless brow,
Where cold Obstruction's apathy
Appals the gazing mourner's heart;
As if to him it could impart

The doom he dreads, yet dwells upon :
Yes, but for these, and these alone,
Some moments-aye-one treacherous hour,
He still might doubt the tyrants' power;
So fair, so calm, so softly seal'd,
The first, last look, by death reveal'd!
Such is the aspect of this shore-
'Tis Greece ! but living Greece no more;
So coldly sweet, so deadly fair,
We start for soul is wanting there.
Hers is the loveliness in death,
That parts not quite with parting breatha
But beauty, with that fearful bloom,
That hue which haunts it to the tomb;
Expression's last receding ray,

A gilded halo hovering round decay,-
The farewell beam of Feeling past away!
Spark of that flame,-perchance of heavenly
birth,-

Which gleams,-but warms no more its che-
rish'd earth."

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In "the Mysteries of Udolpho," (vol. ii. page 29,) we have the subjoined remark:- Beyond Milan, the country wore the aspect of a ruder devastation; and, though every thing seemed now quiet, the repose was like that of death, spread over features, which retain the impression of the last convulsions."

Now, under all the circumstances, it is hardly possible to withstand the conclusion, that this served Lord Byron as a text to the lines quoted above. When it is considered that the idea intended to be conveyed, both in the poem and in the novel, is a most extraordinary one, the delicacy and beauty of which can only be appreciated by a very excursive imagination, an idea not naturally suggested by the subject, and unlikely to occur to more than one mind, it will appear that the poet is, to a certain extent, a copyist. The thought is wonderfully improved; but still it is borrowed. The daring of the bard's imagination is truly sublime: but the wings with which he soared, in this instance, are not his own. He has tinc tured them with the hues of heaven, and gilt them with its sun-beams: but the fancy of another first expanded them. Pentonville; W. C. H. June 8, 1818.

21

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

CONSIDERING myself indirectly

pledged (Sept. 1817,) to give some farther information on the cultivation and properties of the rhubarb plant, if any thing worth communicating should occur, I now sit down to fulfil the intention.

The lateness of the season, with its chilling damps, kept me from paying any attention to my plants till the beginning of April, when I unexpectedly found that they had begun to germinate and make their appearance above ground; so that I supposed it was now too late to disturb them without injury, at least for the present season. I, however, dug up four of them, and found the roots so bulky as to admit of six pounds being detached from each, without at all encroaching upon the heart and crown of the plant: these were again deposited in their former places, with the addition of a little stable manure; and I have since found them nearly as luxuriant as those roots which were not disturbed. From this quantity of twentyfour pounds, I cut off-sets for twentyfailed; but the greater number will yield four new plants; not one of which has considerable produce the present summer, and bid fair the next season to rival their parent stocks in quantity. quantity of the youngest shoots, about To prove their hardiness, I exposed a the thickness of my finger, and from days, to the full operation of the cold, four to eight inches long, for nine or ten frosts; yet they are now in a thriving during which time we had several severe state, with the exception of a few, which, I apprehend, were so small as to have of the bulk, consisting of seven pounds, no germs upon them. The remainder was then well washed, and, without any other preparation, or the rejection of any part, divided into two portions; one of them was put into an oven of a temperature not to bake, but to dry it grain about twenty-four hours; the other dually, which I found was completed half I tied in small bunches, and hung them within airing of the kitchen fire, which produced, in two or three weeks, the same effect as the oven. I do not know that either of these modes has the preference; the only precaution which appears necessary is, that, the sooner the process of drying is begun, the more the virtues of the plant will be secured by its not being suffered to become vapid,

or

22

Mr. Luckcock on the Cultivation of the Rhubarb Plant. [Aug. 1,

or in any degree approaching to decay. The produce, when thoroughly dry, was a pound and a quarter, or say one-sixth part of the original weight: and, taking the whole, rough and smooth, I passed it through the family coffee-mill, and was pleased to see it come out of a regular and beautiful orange-colour; and which, by being closely bottled, will, no doubt, continue unimpaired in its qualities as long as may be required.

I had supposed that the most solid parts of the root, or perhaps its roughest and gnarled covering, would possess the strongest medicinal properties: to put this out of doubt, I kept the parts distinct, for experiment; and can now with confidence decide, that every part of it, if not equally efficacious, is good to mix promiscuously; and that the total, whether of the Turkey or English sort, whether young or old, bark, pith, or fibres, will be found as good as any which the shops can produce. I have tried it upon myself and various other subjects, some of whom the faculty might pronounce rather obstinate; and have found that from twenty to twentyfour grains, with the addition of about the same quantity of calcined magnesia, was uniformly sufficient for a dose; thus proving its complete efficacy as one of the most useful articles in the whole materia medica.

I shall just observe, that the plant, which I mentioned last autumn as being suffered to grow too long in the seedpod, has been a valuable example in the inquiry; it is now suffering for the neglect, growing small and huddled,

and not likely, I think, to recover its former vigour: whence I infer, that it will be better on all occasions to cut off the seed as soon as it makes its appearance, taking care to cover the opening or cup to keep out the rain. How long it may be prudent to depend upon off-sets for new plants, or whether an occasional new supply should not be raised from seed, I have yet no experience for my guide; nor have I any means of ascertaining how many years a root will give full produce before it begins to decline. One property, not mentioned before, is that of its early produce,-coming in before apples, and even before gooseberries: though the spring season was so remarkably late, the article was ready for use the beginning of May, and may be reckoned to begin, on an average, as early as the middle of April, and to continue in full supply till the end of August. To enable observers to ascertain how far comparative excellence is attainable, I cut one stem, last summer, which weighed nineteen ounces, every pennyweight of which was eatable.

The sketch of the three leaves annexed is sufficiently accurate for the information intended. No. 3 is by far the most productive for the table. No. 2 has been very scanty in this respect, but has produced much more in the roots than either of the others; and of course No. 1 has the balance of mediocrity. These qualities, however, on the limited scale on which the observations have been made, may, to a considerable degree, be accidental.

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1818.]

Foxiana.

duce; in marketable value; and in medicinal virtues, it is equal to any plants which our climate can exhibit; and, in the combination of all these good qualities, and without a single defect, it certainly stands pre-eminently unrivalled.

I am desirous of obtaining such information as should enable me, or any other person, to make a comparative estimate or table of the produce per acre, or per yard, of the principal articles in cultivation, both in our fields and gardens;* together with expenses; time required in the growth; succession which the soil would allow, either by repeating the same article or following with others, so as to fill the annual round to the best advantage; the average market prices; the certainty of demand; the district; soil and situation most favourable; in short, without farther enumeration, such an estimate as should encourage the production of those articles most profitable to the grower, and most beneficial to society. I have long remarked the little attention to the subject, in this point of view, in our gardening books; none of them, that I have seen, attempting to explain which articles are most productive in value or quantity, but merely stating a general description and the best methods of cultivation. Connected with this subject, would be the estimate between tillage and pasture, not only as it respects the agriculturist himself, his comparative trouble and gains, but, in a more extended view, as involving the important questions of a greater or less supply of human food and human employment. Will some of your friendly correspondents say from what books the intelligence may be procured, or whether such an attempt has been made and reduced to a practical and intelligible scale? To search at random the almost countless books on husbandry and horticulture for the detail wanted, would be something

"Like speed toiling in iufinity." Or perhaps a conclusion more attain able would be, for any of who have had opportunities of noticing your readers the produce of some favorite articles, to transmit their remarks upon them, unconnected with others to which they may not have turned their attention; similar (if it may be allowable to quote oneself,) to mine, on rhubarb. There

An attempt of this kind is made in Blair's Universal Preceptor, and there is other information in Middleton's Middlesex.-EDITor.

23 are few professional men capable of reflection, whose experience may not enable them to add something to the stock of public knowledge; and I reckon it an invaluable privilege attached to such periodical works as your Magazine, that a writer may, without expense or risque, and with little trouble to himself, be gratified with the certainty that his communications will have almost unlimited circulation; so that no useful hint, or experimental observation, however fugitive or detached, need be lost to the world for want of an effective vehicle. May utility still be cellany, and a liberal and judicious the leading characteristic of your missure that variety and intellect which the encouragement of correspondence enpublic may duly appreciate. Birmingham; June 26.

J. LUCKCOCK. N.B. It appears from an official report, that the quantity of rhubarb imported into Great Britain, during three successive years, was in value:

1814

1815
1816

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£14,281
24,065
55,290

For the Monthly Magazine.
FOXIANA;

Consisting of Selections from the Speeches
of the late C. J. Fox.

73. SEDITION.

that I would have thought it neces NEVER yet saw the seditious paper sary to prosecute; but this by no means implies that emergencies may not make it proper.

74. SLAVERY. blished, let discord reign for ever. Rather than slavery should be esta

75. TYTHES.

tythes, the collection of which was harsh He said the country was oppressed by that some gentleman in the House and injurious; and he anxiously wished would attempt to relieve the country from that species of barbarism and discouragement to every agricultural improvement.

England was assigned, and this perhaps One-tenth part of the produce of land. was more than one-seventh part of the He wished to deprive no clergynew constitution, and laying down new man of his just rights; but, in settling a principles, to enact that the clergy should have one-seventh of all grants, he must confess appeared to him an absurd doctrine. 76.

RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS.

He professed himself the friend of toleration

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toleration, without any restriction; and, at the same time, of an established church.

He also said that he was a complete friend to religious establishments, on the same ground that he was a friend to toleration. He thought it highly proper that a system of instruction for the improvement of morals should be provided for in every country; but highly proper, also, that those who dissented from that system should incur no penalties, should suffer no disabilities, on account of their dissent; because, to admit of religious instruction, whatever character it assumed, as far as it contributed to inculcate morals, was to enlarge the sphere of religion.

77. LAWS OF SCOTLAND.

If that day should ever arrive, which the lord advocate seems so anxiously to wish for; if the tyrannical laws of Scotland should ever be introduced in opposition to the humane laws of England; it would then be high time for my honourable friends and myself to settle our affairs, and retire to some happier clime, where we might at least enjoy those rights which God has given to man, and which his nature tells him he has a right to demand.

In the debate on the criminal law of Scotland, he rose, and said, "I have often prepared myself not to be astonished at any desertion of former principles; I have often been surprised at doctrines advanced in this House; I have often had my understanding perplexed and confused; but never did I find myself so much at a loss as on the present occasion."

78. ERRORS OF THE UNDERSTANDING. No man is accountable for the errors of his understanding.

79. RIGHTS OF MAN.

The rights of man, I say, are clear: man has natural rights; and he, who denies it, is ignorant of the basis of a free government, is ignorant of the best principle of our constitution.

80. TREASON AND SEDITION BILL. Sir, I hope this bill (Treason and Sedition Bill,) will never come into this House. I am not friendly to any thing that will produce violence. Those who know me, will not impute to me any such desire; but I do hope that this bill will produce an alarm; that, while we have the power of assembling, the people will assemble; that, while they have the power, they will not surrender it, but come forward, and state their abhor

2

[Aug. 1,

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Mr. Fox paid a handsome compliment to the worth and character of Mr. Walker, who, he said, entertained opinions respecting the constitution of which he did not approve ; but that was no reason for withdrawing his good opinion, while his life and conduct were irreproachable. It was their duty to take into their minds, not toleration, but that on which toleration was founded, sympathy for human infirmity and human error, and to recollect, that those who differed from us might be right, although we could not see it. pressed his doubts of the legality of the associations and subscriptions for criminal prosecutions; not of those for aiding the civil magistrate in suppressing riot or insurrection. Of one of this sort he should be ready to become a member, and to assist the magistrate in person, if necessary; for it was the duty of every man to do so.

He ex

83. WISDOM OF MAN IN FORMING A GOVERNMENT.

And if, said Mr. Fox, by a peculiar interposition of Divine power, all the wisest men of every age, and of every country, could be collected into one. assembly, he did not believe that their united wisdom would be capable of forming even a tolerable constitution. In this opinion he thought he was supported by the unvarying evidence of history and observation. Another opinion he held, no matter whether erroneous or not, for he stated it only as an illustration, namely, that the most skilful 'architect could not build, in the first instance, so commodious a habitation as one that had been originally intended. for some other use, and had been gradually improved by successive alterations suggested by various inhabitants for its present purpose, If, then, so simple a structure as a commodious habitation was so difficult in theory, how much more difficult the structure of a govern ment. One apparent exception might be mentioned, the constitution of the United States of America; which he

believed

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