thousands might with very little variation adopt the language of Neftor, when he speaks of the havock which the war of Troy occafioned among the Greeks;"

"Shall I the dire distressful scenes review,

"And open all a parent's griefs anew? "Trace the long roll of Death, and,

forrowing, tell

"How, mark'd by Fate, the best and
lovelieft fell!"

Melancholy as is this picture, yet
it certainly is applicable to the mi-
fery which refults from confumptive
complaints; and the diftrefs which
the unfortunate Mrs. Cumberland
muft have fuffered, how many hun-
dred parents have been destined to
fuftain!-That the feeds of this dif-
order are sown in mere childhood,
those who have ftudied it in its va-
rious ftages unanimously agree; and
to a boarding-school education its
prevalence in great measure has
been attributed, where fuperficial
accomplishments are confidered of
more importance than health.
Girls brought up under the eye of
their parents have a much lefs
portion of time devoted to inftruc-
tion, and the hours of recreation
are generally spent in athletic sports,
particularly if they have an oppor-
tunity of affociating with their bro-
thers, whofe amufements are cal-
culated to promote both pleasure
and health. In the generality of
female feminaries, all amufements
which excite vigour are prohibited:
even if the young ladies walk, it
must be in formal pairs; and by
this injudicious method a reftric-
tion is put even upon their feelings,
and the sportive ideas of youth are
not fuffered to expand. Volumes
might be written to prove the inu-
tility of this measure: air and ex-
ercife are peculiarly neceffary at an
early age; the fprings of life bc-
come ftrengthened by the power of
action, and their functions become
weakened and inert from the want
of use. The diet upon which chil-

dren are generally fed at boarding fchools is another reafon to be affigned for their being prejudicial to their health: puddings are fubftituted in the place of more nutritious viands, and by this means the child is deprived of the neceffary fupport of strength.

I do not mean to recommend too great a portion of animal aliment; yet I think a child should be permitted to eat a sufficient quantity once in the day, combined, of courfe, with different vegetables, to prevent the blood from acquiring humours by what is generally confidered as grofs food. Still I am perfuaded that confumptive diforders have moft alarmingly increased even within the laft hundred years; for in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when the ladies about the court ate beef-steaks for breakfast, it was far from being a common complaint. To prove the utility of animal food, Doctor Beddoes produces a variety of inftances; and in his Treatife upon Confumptive Disorders informs us, that he has found that butchers and catgut-makers are peculiarly exempt; "they both" (fays he)" pafs much of their time amidst the stench of dead animals, and the former are allowed to live entirely upon their food." Previous to his publishing his intelligent Treatife upon Confumptions, he deputed a friend who refided in Bristol to interrogate the different butchers there, for the purpose of difcovering whether any person refiding in the family had ever been fubject to pulmonary complaints. Vifiting one of their wives from curiosity, he enquired of her whether any of the young men whom her husband em+ ployed had ever died of a cough, conceiving that the might not comprehend the exact meaning of the term consumption; to which she made the following reply: "Lord bless you, Sir, die of a cough! Why I never heard of fuch a thing in my life: every one knows that the smell

of meat keeps off infection; and if you read larned books, no butcher ever died of the plague! My hufband has often taken dying fheep into fick gentlemen's chambers as foon as he has drawn the knife across their throats."

Various are the inftances which Doctor Beddoes produces, to ftrengthen his remarks upon the healthy quality of meat; and as his opinions appear to be founded upon reafon and demonftration, it is a query whether the frequenting a flaughter-houfe might not promote the cure of the difeafe. The naufea which might be produced by the experiment, doubtlefs, is an objection to its being tried; yet this, I am perfuaded, foon would be conquered, if the patient could be convinced that it was neceffary to the prefervation of life.

The number of confumptions which are occafioned by the prefent fafhionable mode of clothing are incalculable, united to the deftructive evils which refult from clofe rooms, where every ventilation of air is prevented by complete carpeting, and double doors. After breathing an air rendered putrid by the exhalations of numbers, the goffamer-clad female walks to her coach, with a fur tippet, perhaps, carelessly thrown over her fhoulders, but with all her pores open ready to receive the cold!--Whilst folly like this prevails, can we be aftonished at confumptions, and all the numerous train of evils which tread in its steps? But what have those parents to anfwer for, who permit this fhameful practice, and quiefcently fuffer their children to hurry themselves to the grave?

It is to thofe mothers who are anxious to preferve the existence of their offspring that the preceding remarks are particularly addreffed; and it is to them that I repeat---the moft beneficial effects may be expected from warm clothing, and from wearing a flannel jacket which

completely covers their chest. Though a fea voyage has fo often proved falutary in confumptive diforders, fea-bathing has univerfally been attended with an oppofite effect; for it not only increases the diforder, but rapidly haftens the approach of death. The animal food taken by patients in this diforder fhould at once be pure, fimple, and light: bread foaked in the gravy of meat which has been roafted, is, in fome cafes, preferable to the meat itself.

I am well aware that it has too long been the practice to keep confumptive patients upon the fimpleft diet that could be procured; and that I fhall have a host of objections raised against my innovations upon a long eftablished plan. Doctor Kaempf, in his Treatife upon the Disorders of Children, produces a variety of inftances of their recovery merely by a diet of meat, where there was every appearance of a confumption, and where their food had been merely vegetables and milk. If this falutary effect has been produced in the conftitution of children, why should it not be equally favourable in adults? Yet when I recommend an animal diet, by way of giving vigour to the fyftem, I do not mean to difapprove thofe fimple regimens which are applied to for complaints upon the lungs. Both real and mock affes's milk, where it agrees with the ftomach, I have known attended with an excellent effect: eringoroot boiled in bran-gruel is likewife another remedy for a tightness upon the cheft, and an obftinate cough..

I cannot take leave of this interefting fubject without obferv. ing, that unremitting attention ought to be paid to the circulation of air in a fick room; for if a perfon in health is allowed to spoil a gallon of air in a minute, the calculation must be ftill greater where there is any difeafe upon the lungs.

"It has been a great mistake,"
obferves the celebrated Doctor
Franklin," to fuppofe it is right to
fleep in clofe rooms; for no out-
ward air, even blowing in upon a
perfon, can be fo unwholefome as
the unchanged air of a confined
chamber. As boiling water does
not grow botter by longer boiling,
if the particles that receive greater
heat can efcape; fo living bodies
do not putrefy, if the particles, as
faft as they become putrid, can be
thrown off." Nature expels thefe
by the pores of the skin and lungs,
and a free open air, of course, car-
ries them off; but in a clofe
room we re-breathe thefe exhala-
tions, and it is eafy to imagine the
pernicious effect which is produced.

To the Editor of the Unicerful Mag.
SIR,

PERCEIVING the letter of your correfpondent" Curiofus," in the laft number of your Magazine, I am induced to make the following enquiry refpecting the author of a very interefting work.

In 1797 there was a final volume published for Debrett, intituled "Fragments in the Manner of Sterne," but which is now out of print. Confidered as an imitation, they are incalculably the beft that has ever yet been written; and it is even doubtful whether they do not, in fome degree, eclipfe Sterne himfelf. At least, the tale of "Anna," with which the volume concludes, is, beyond a doubt, more pathetic and more exquifite in its touches of nature than any thing I ever read of poor Yorick.

Could any of your readers inform me who is the author of this work, and why there has not been a reprint of it (for I am fure it muft experience a rapid fale), I should feel infinitely obliged to them. 1 remain, &c.

May 9, 1804.

X. Y. Z.

To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag.
SIR.

I HAVE often, in the fecrecy of
my own thoughts, lamented the
poverty to which our greatest poets
have been expofed; and that want
of patronage among the affluent,
who frequently diffipate their for-
tunes in fashionable vice and ex-
travagance, while indigent merit
has fcarcely wherewith to fatisfy
the wants of nature. Among the
illuftrious names which dignified
the commencement of the last cen-
tury, and clofe of the preceding
one, how few are there who could
boaft the comforts of affluence, or
even competency! Humanity weeps
as the perufes the fate of a Butler,
a Dryden, and an Otway; and
amid the infpired of a later age,
who does not fhed a tear to the
memory of the unfortunate Chat-
terton? This neglect of merit among
thofe who by their rank and wealtà
are enabled to patronize it, reflects
little credit on their memory; nor
do they feem aware, that a fmall
portion of that profufion which they
idly lavish on unworthy trifles,
might render many an ingenious
man happy; might fofter by its
poffeffion a genius weighed down
by poverty; and that they might
then be tranfmitted to pofterity,
not as the most accomplished de-
bauchee, the most expert jockey,
or the most fashionable rake, but
as the benevolent fupporter of mo-
deft worth, the amiable patron of
ftruggling merit, and the envied
Auguftus of a lettered age.

Thefe remarks occurred to me lately, on a perufal of the works of the paftoral poet Cunningham. The merits of fome of his productions are certainly of no common clafs, His " His "Contemplatift," "An Elegy on a Pile of Ruins," "The Land fcape," and other fmall pieces, difplay a rich luxuriance of fancy, a chafte imagery, and a correctnefs of language, which would not have difgraced the fublime pen of

Gray, or the more modest effufions of a Goldfmith.

With the few occurrences of his life, which diligence has been able to collect, you are doubtless well acquainted. He, too, was poor, and

owed a decent interment after his death to the kindness of a friend, who had generously fupported him, during his previous ilinefs, from the pureft motives of humanity. Yet, to a mind chattened by learning, and which feels its own individuality of character, dependence, clothe it in whatever garb you will, muft always be a painful reflection. To this our poet feelingly reverts in the following ftanzas, which he addreffed to a particular acquaint

ance.

“The drama" and I have fhook hands,

"We've parted, no more to engage: "Submiffive I meet her commands, "For nothing can cure me of age. "My funthine of youth is no more,

My mornings of pleasure are fled: * 'Tis painful my fate to endure;

"A penfion fupplies me with bread.

"Dependant at length on the mant
"Whole fortunes I struggled to ruife;
"I conquer my pride as
I can;

"His charity merits my praise.

His bounty proceeds from his heart, "'Tis principle prompts the supply; "His friendfhip exceeds my defert, "And often fuppreffes a figh."

Though thefe ftanzas boaft no : fuperior merit, yet they evince a fentiment and dignity in the author which certainly claim our appróbation and efteem.

66

Of his paftorals, the three which appear to me to poffefs moft merit are Day" (divided into morning, noon, and evening); " Corydon" (to the memory of William Shentone); and "Content." To illuftrate this opinion, it will not, I hope, be unpleafing to your readers if I felect fuch parts as are most striking, and tranfcribe them for their perufal. To begin, then with " Day."

This pattoral our poet divides into three parts: morning, noon, and evening. In the former ho defcribes the appearances which introduce the day; and after obferving (as ufual) "the cock's thrill clarion," the shadows of night difpelled by the fun-beams, &c., he makes the following very pretty, and, I believe, novel obfervation:

"From the low-roof'd cottage ridge,

"See the chatt'ring fwallow fpring, "Darting thro the one-arch'd bridge, "Quick the dips her dappled wing."

The two laft lines have great beauty in them, nor is the concluding ftanza devoid of merit.

"Sweet, O fweet! the warbling throug "On the white embloffom'd fpray; "Nature's univerfal fong

"Echoes to the rifing day."

His "Noon" is greatly fuperior to either his Morning or Evening. It poffeffes more harmony of verfifi

Indeed,

The principal productions of Cunningham are paftoral, and it is only to be regretted they are focation, greater ftrength of imagery, few in number. Of his lighter pieces and a more diverfified aflociation than either of the others. fo excellent is it in all its parts, that to tranfcribe any particular stanza would be to injure the whole. You will therefore excufe me, if, to do juftice to the merits of this compofition, I trefpafs on your attention by an entire tranfcription.

Cunningham had, during the greater part of his life, followed the profeffion of an itinerant player.

This friend was a Mr. Slack, a printer in Newcastle upon Tyne: it was there that Cunningham formed a connection with him, and, from his zeal and fervices in establishing and conducting a newspaper, fo concili ated himself with Mr. S., that their friendip terminated but with life.