me to speak of the origin of idolatry; to distinguish the several fpecies of it; to adjust the order in which they arose out of one another; and to detect the ends of the later Platonifts, in their attempts to turn the whole into an allegory (in which the reafonings of a late writer, in his Letters concerning Mythology, are confidered). And becaufe the rage of allegorifing had fpread a total confufion over all this matter, The origin, and progrefs of the folly, and the various views of its fectators in fupporting it, are here accounted for and explained.

But my end and purpose in all this, was not barely to remove an objection against the truths delivered in this place, but to prepare a reception for those which are to follow; for if religion were fo useful to fociety, and yet not the invention of the magistrate, we muft feek for its original in another quarter; either from nature or revelation, or from both.

Such is the subject-matter of the first volume of the Divine Legation; which, as it was thought proper to publish separately, I contrived fhould not only contain a part of that general Argument, but should likewife be a compleat Treatise of itself, establishing one of the most important truths with which man has any concern; namely, the neceflity of religion for the fupport of civil government. And if, in fupport of this truth, I have entered into a long detail of fome capital articles of antiquity, I prefume I fhall not need an apology.'

[ To be continued. ]

III. Philofophical Transactions; giving fome Account of the present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours of the Ingenious, in many confiderable Parts of the World. Vol. LIV. For the Year 1764. 410. Pr. 125. fewed. Davis. [Concluded.]

RTICLE XXXV. contains an enumeration of some

Waring, M. A. Lucasian profeffor of the mathematics in the univerfity of Cambridge, and F.R.S.

We have here fix theorems, exhibiting fome remarkable properties of the circumfcribing and infcribed polygonial figures of an ellipfis in the last of these Mr. Waring obferves, that all the circumfcribing cylinders of a spheroid are equal amongst themselves; this is certainly true; but by the words defcribantur elliptici cylinderi,' it should feem as if those elliptical cylinders were generated by a rotation of the circumfcribing oblique parallelograms about the diameters of the ellipfis. This we think cannot poffibly be the cafe, because it is well known that neither a spheroid itfelf or its circumfcribing cylinder can be formed by a rotation about any other diameter than either the tranfverfe or conjugate axis of the ellipfis.

Art. XXXVI. An account of the effects of lightning at South Weald, in Effex. By W. Heberden, M.D. F.R.S.

The whole appearance of the damage done to the parish church of South Weald, by the thunder-ftorm which happened on Monday June 18, 1764, Dr. Heberden fays, very much favours the conjecture of that fagacious obferver of nature, Dr. Franklin, who thinks it probable, that, by means of metallic rods, or wires, reaching from the roofs to the ground, any buildings may be fecured from the terrible effects of lightning,

Art. XL. Obfervations upon the effects of lightning, with an account of the apparatus proposed to prevent its mischiefs to buildings, more particularly to powder magazines. By William Watson, M.D. F.R.S.

From this article we learn that the apparatus used at Philadelphia, for preventing the frequent mischiefs occafioned by lightning, confifts either of a long iron rod, placed upon the highest part of an house, or other building; or, of a shorter rod inferted into a long wooden pole, placed in the same manner. The iron rod (mentioned by Mr. Kinnerfley, pag. 95, vol. iii, of the Philofophical Tranfactions, and which probably preserved the house in Philadelphia, upon which it was placed) extended in height about nine feet and a half above a stack of chimnies, to which it was fixed; but he fuppofes that three or four would have been fufficient. Thefe rods are pointed at their upper extremity. It is indifferent, which of these two are ufed, provided that they are of height enough to reach above the chimnies, or any other part of the edifice. Connected to, or fufpended from, the metal of thefe, a metallic wire, generally of iron, is conducted, in the eaɓeft and most convenient manner, to the nearest water, viz. to the well of the house, or any other water in the neighbourhood.

Art. XLI. exhibits an account of the effects of lightning on St. Bride's church, Fleet-ftreet, on June 18, 1764. By. Edward Delaval, Efq; F.R.S.

This article contains a minute and very circumstantial account of the effects of the lightning on the fteeple and spire of St. Bride's church, with drawings which accurately express the parts damaged by it.

To this account Mr. Delaval has fubjoined the following fenfible remarks:

In every part that is damaged, the lightning has acted as an elaftic fluid, endeavouring to expand itself where it was accumulated in the metal; and the effects are exactly similar to these which would have been produced by gunpowder pent up in the fame places and exploded. Amongst many other: ftones thrown

thrown to a confiderable diftance by thefe explosions, one weighing above feventy pounds was removed fifty yards eastward from the steeple, where it fell through the roof of a house.

It is evident that these effects would have been prevented, if a fufficiently large metallic conductor had been extended from the metal at the top of the fpire down to the earth, communicating with the other metallic parts of the building that lay in its way.

• From several obfervations which I made on this occafion, fuch a communication feems neceffary in buildings of this form. The iron bars which were fixed in the ftone work of the east arches were ftruck by the lightning, while thofe in the arches fronting them, on the weft fide of the fame ftory, remained untouched by it. So that I do not apprehend, that a conductor communicating with the weft arches only, would have preserved the oppofite ones from the damage which they have fuffered.

• When fuch buildings are expofed to very large clouds replete with lightning, there is no reafon to imagine that they will not convey some of their contents to other metallic parts of the building, at the fame time as to the metal at the top; for tho' the conductor may be large enough to convey to the ground from the top, all the lightning that enters that part, yet, one fuch small conductor cannot be supposed to exhaust these immenfe bodies fo quickly, as to disable them from striking at the fame time other buildings, or other parts of the fame building.

• A wire, or very small rod of metal, does not seem to be a canal fufficiently large to conduct fo great a quantity of lightning to the earth; especially when any part of it, or of the metal communicating with it, is inclosed in the ftone-work; in which case, the application of it would increase its bad effects, by conducting it to parts of the building which it might otherwife not have touched.

Dr. Franklin, from obferving that the filleting of gold leaf on the cover of a book conducted the charge of five large jars, reasons that a wire will be fufficient to conduct the lightning from the highest buildings to the earth.

'But it appears from an experiment of his own, that a much larger body of metal, when inclofed between fmall plates of thick looking-glafs, is not fufficient to conduct a fifth part of fuch a charge, without being melted, and burfting to pieces the plates of glass.

And it is remarkable, that in thofe parts of the church where the effects of the lightning are most confpicuous, the iron was inclosed in a refifting fubftance, fimilar to the glafs furrounding the gold leaf in that experiment.

• Wires,

Wires, inftead of conducting the lightning, have frequently been melted by the explosion. So that, I think, a conductor of metal less than fix or eight inches in breadth, and a quarter of an inch in thickness (or an equal quantity of metal in any other form that may be found more convenient) cannot with safety be depended on, where buildings are expofed to the reception of fo great a quantity of lightning.

Art. XLII. is an account of the effects of lightning in Effexstreet, on the 18th of June, 1764. By Thomas Lawrence, M.D. In this article Dr. Lawrence obferves, that befides the mifchief done to the houses in this ftreet, the effects of the shock were very particular on fome perfons. A lady in the bottont houfe on the eaft fide, who had left the room which looks over the river, to avoid the lightning, and fat near a window which looks directly up the street towards the north, fell from her chair; but her furprize was fo great, that he cannot fay whether he was thrown down by the concuffion of the air, or fell by the fright. She fays, fhe felt the lightning on her arm, and had a very odd fenfation, like what the fuppofes people feel by the electrical fhock; fhe further fays, her arm smelt very ftrong of fulphur for a confiderable time, though she went out of the houfe immediately.

Another lady, who lives on the weft fide of the street, in the houfe the roof of which was bulged in, as the fat on the bed, with a window open behind her which looks to the west, was thrown off the bed on a child, who far on a chair by the bed. fide. The fenfation the fhock gave her, was, as it were, a blow cross her shoulders.

My houfe (continues the doctor) is on the eaft fide of the ftreet, next door but one to that where the Reps were broken and the chimney thrown down. I was at home in the foreroom on the ground-floor. I felt a greater fhock and concuf fion in the air, than I had ever obferved before from thunder. A gentleman, who was with me, fays, what he felt was moft like the fenfation produced by the preffure of the water when a man leaps into it.'

Art. XLIII. contains an account of what appeared on opening the body of an afthmatic perfon. By W. Watson, M.D. F.R.S.

On opening the body of this deceafed young man, it appeared, upon lifting up the fternum, that the lungs were enormously diftended with air, which no preffure could force back through the wind-pipe. This air was extravafate, had burit through the extremities of the bronchia and veficular substance, and had infinuated itself throughout the whole fubftance of the lungs, in which it was detained by the membrane investing

them.

them. In a word, the whole fubftance of the lungs was in a ftate truly emphysematous. In feveral parts this air had formed large bladders, which though no preffure upon the furface of the lungs could force back, a flight incifion into them permitted to efcape, and caufed the whole lobe to collapfe.

Befides this emphysematous affection of the whole substance of the lungs, the pulmonary vein was in all its parts diftended into numberless varices, many of which were of the size of the fmall or Lucca olive, and were diftended with grumous blood. Befides thefe, there was a larger cift in the right lobe of the lungs, which was filled with deep coloured ichor; this lobe adhered to the pleura in great part of its furface. The lungs in general were of a deep red colour, and here and there upon their furface beginning to fphacelate.

The figure of the heart in this subject was much altered, and was more compreffed than usual; and its ventricles deftended with grumous blood. Every other part of the body was in its natural frate.

Art. XLIV. A letter to the marquis of Rockingham, containing fome confiderations to prevent lightning from doing mifchief to great works, high buildings, and large magazines, from Mr. Wilfon, F. R.S. and member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Upfal.

Thefe confiderations ferve to evince the utility of metallic conductors, for preventing the damage frequently done by lightning to very high and exposed buildings.

Art. XLV. Solis defectus obfervatus in Collegio Romano a Patribus Societatis Jefu, die prima Aprilis, anno 1764.

By thefe obfervations it appears, that the eclipse began at 9h 49′ 8′′, ended at 12 52′ 49′′; the neareft diftance of the centers of the fun and moon was at 115 18′ 45′′, and the digits eclipfed 8h45'.

Art. XLVI. contains a defcription of a new invented hygro meter, invented by James Ferguson, F.R.S.

Prefixed to this account we have a very accurate drawing of the hygrometer, whereby its conftruction may be readily underflood.

Art, XLVI. Experiments and observations on the compreffibility of water and fome other fluids. By John Canton, M.A. and F.R.S.

We congratulate this gentleman upon the fuccefs, of those experiments which led him to the difcovery, not only of the compreffibility of water, but likewife of the quantity of its compreffion, being well affured that, fhould a fimilar degree of accuracy ever be obtained in aftronomical obfervations, fome future tranfit of Venus may afford fufficient data for de

termining