250 Vulgar Errors in Natural History, corrected. The Northern Germans had two affemblies for the management of their foreign and domeftic affairs. The greater affembly confifting of the body of the People for matters of ftate: The leffer compofed of the Prince and his affeffors, for the adminiftration of juftice. Every man of perfect age, and without any diftinction of degree, had a voice at this general convention. The multitude came completely armed, and all had a right to deliver their fentiments with the utmoft freedom. hances were made, wars refolved upon, treaties of peace concluded, in the great affembly; whofe power extended alfo to capital punishments for offences against the state. Al The general affembly of the People elected annually one hundred out of their own number to attend the perfon of the Prince, and to ferve as his affeffors when he fat in judgment. Thefe gave weight to his decifions, and enforced his decrees. They fat at his table, accompanied him in his progrefs: They were his guard in peace, his protection in war. To fupport the expence of entertaining thefe conftant attendants of his prefence he received from the People a voluntary and free gift of cattle and corn, and he alfo derived a kind of revenue from the fines impofed upon petty offenders. Traitors against the State, and de- They animadverted upon petty offenders with flighter punishments: A fine in cattle, proportioned to the degree of the offence, was levied by the authority of the King and his affeffors upon the delinquent; even homicide itfelf was expiated by a certain mul& payable to the Prince and the relations of the perfon flain. Such were the rude elements which time has improved into the present Conftitution of Englith Government. Vulgar Errors in NATURAL HISTORY, corre&ed. An extraordinary Cure of the Gout. 251 by fticking itself to its bottom.-De ones off at the time of molting.la Lande, alii paffim. Hughes, & alii paffim. V. That the ftroke of the crampfifh is not occafioned by a muscle.--Bancroft's Guiana concerning the torporific Eel. VI. That the falamander does not live in fire, nor is it capable of bearing more heat than other animals.-Sir T. Brown fufpected it, Keyfler has clearly proved it. VII. That the bite of the spider is not venomous. Reaumur.That it is found in Ireland too plentifully: That it has no antipathy to the toad. Barrington's Letter, Philofophical Tranfactions, &c. Swammerdam. VIII. It is an error to fuppofe that a fly only has a microscopic eye. Dragon-flies, &c. bees, wafps, fleshflies, &c. will turn off and avoid an object in the way on the fwifteft wings which fhews a very quick and commanding fight. It is probable, that the fight of all animals is, in quickness and extent, proportioned to their Speed. IX. The porcupine does not shoot out his quills for annoying his enemy; he only theds them annually, as other feathered animals do. He has a mufcular skin, and can fhake the loofe X. The Jack-all, commonly called the lion's provider, has no connection at all with the lion. He is a fort of fox, and is hunted in the East, as the fox is with us.-Shaw, Sandys. XI. The fable of the fox and grapes is taught us from our childhood, without our ever reflecting, that the foxes we are acquainted with do not eat grapes. This fable came from the Eaft; the fox of Paleftine is a great deftroyer of grapes.-V. Haffelquist, Shaw. XII. The eye of birds is not more agile than that of other animals, tho' their fight is more quick. On the contrary, their eye is quite immoveable, as is that of moft animals and infects of the quickest fight.-British Zoology, &c. XIII. The tyger, instead of being the fwifteft of beafts, is a remarkably fluggish and flow animal.-Owen's dictionary in verbo. Experiment at Windfor-lodge. XIV. Sir Thomas Brown, who wrote against Vulgar Errors, maintains that apes and elephants may be taught to fpeak. An extraordinary Cure of the GOUT. By Dr. CLERKE, from the Edinburgh NEW ESSAYS. William Richardfon, footman to a lady of quality, naturally a ftrong man, and now aged fifty-five, was feized with the Gout about twenty years ago. For the first eight or nine years, he had a fit of it once every year in the Spring, which used to last above a mouth. After that, he was told by fome body, that he might free himself of the Gout, if he would, at its first appearance, eat one or more falted herrings at bed time, by way of fupper, and tafte no other food or drink that night; that one herring would cure a flight fit; but that, if the fit was very fevere, it would require two or three; that this fhould be continued for three night fuccefLively, if the Gout should not be en tirely gone before that time; and that it was neceflary to take the herrings ftreight from the pickle, without washing them, and to roaft them. He accordingly followed the prescription, and the firit time he was feized with the Gout, that he might make fure of fuccefs, he eat three whole herrings at bed-time, after the method prescribed, and next morning was fo well, as to be able to go abroad about his business; nor did he ftand in need a fecond night of the gure at that time. Every year fince, he has followed the fame method, eating three herrings at bedtime, when the fit attacked him; and, when he did it at the beginning of the fit, he was always well next day; but if he allowed the fit to go on for fome Ii 2 days, 762 A new Defcription of Canton and the Chinese. days, it obliged him to have recourfe to the herrings for three nights running; however he was always fure of being well in three days at most. The nights on which he took the remedy, he wrapt his feet in flannel, and they fweated. As the diftrefs for want of drink was exceffive in the night, he used to chew fome hay or ftraw, with a view to leffen the violence of his thirst. Ever fince he began this method of cure, he has had very good health through the rest of the year, except the first year. For, having been much hurt by a fall from a tree that year, viz. in fummer 1750, he loft much of his ftrength, of his fight, and of his memory; but, by the ufe of fome medicines, and a feton in his neck, he was perfe&ily recovered before the time of the Gout's returning upon him next Spring. This prefent year, his health has been very good, though he had no fit of the Gout laft Spring, as ufual, which is the first time he has miffed it these twenty years. I never knew above one or two other people who tried this me-, thod of cure; but, as they had not fortitude enough to withstand the violence of the thirft, and were obliged to quench it with drink in the night, it did not answer. A new Defcription of CANTON and the CHINESE. By PETER O9BECK, a Difciple of the celebrated LINNÆUS. have the name of Canton; the latter is not fortified: The old town, which has been built many centuries, has high walls and feveral gates: Each gate has a fentinel, in order that no European may get in, except under particular circumstances, with the leave of people of note; in this cafe you are carried into the city in a covered chair, and thus you do not get a fight of any thing worth notice in the place. Three fourths of this fortified town (which, as we are told, is inhabited on one fide by the Tartars, on the other by Chinefe) is furrounded by the fuburbs. On the outfide of that part of the city which is open to the country, is a fine walk between the wall and the ditch. The plantations begin close to the ditches; they are moftly on low grounds, contain all forts of greens, roots and rice as far as you can fee. The dry hills ferve for burying-places, and paftures for cattle. The city wall confifts of hewn fand ftones, is covered with all forts of little trees and plants, viz. ficus Indica, urtica nivea, &c. and on the top of them are fentry boxes; however, the watch is fo ill observed, that strangers paffing by are often welcomed with iuch a volley of tones that their lives are endangered; as happened to an the old and the new der faid, that on the walls are fome eight or nine pounders; at least it is certain, that at eight o'clock at night their report is heard. I had no opportunity of measuring the circuit of the city, but it feemed about fix miles three quarters English, The fuburbs of Canton (in which they Europeans live during the time they trade there) are much greater than the fortified city. The ftreets are long, feldom ftrait, about a fathom wide, paved with oblong fand-ftones without any gutters. The ftones are full of holes, that the water may run off; for at least part of the town is built on piles.-No carriage is to be met with in the city; and whatever is brought from one place to another, fuch as hogs, ducks, frogs, fails, roots, greens, &c. is all carried on men's fhoulders in two baskets, hanging on the extremities of a pole. Living fith were carried about in buckets: The Chinele keep them in the following manner :-The fish are are put into large water vefiels in the streets, but each veffel stands under a fpout which comes out of the wall, out of which the water runs continually, but flowly, upon the fish: And for this reafon they were always to be got quite as freth as if they had been just Junius, to his Grace the Duke of G juft caught. The ladies are continually confined.-People of the fame trade commonly live in the fame ftreet together. The Factory-ftreet has Merchant-fhops, Joiners, Japanners, and workers in mother of pearl. In the markets, where the people every day run about like ants, they fell fruit, garden-herbs, fish, bacon, &c. A Pagoda, or Idol-temple, is near one of thefe markets. In this they offer incenfe to their Idols, which the Europeans call Yos, from the Portugal Dios, and which are reprefented by one or more gilt pictures of feveral fizes, according as their faint looked when he was alive. The honours they beltow on him are in confequence of his writings, or of any other fervices he has done to the public. Thefe pictures, together with fome foliage on the fides, are in the place of an altar table. Both upon the altar, and upon particular tables, are flower-pots, incenfe, all forts of meat and drink. They offer the fame facrifices in private houfes; for every body has his own Idol. The priests are called Vau-fiong by the Chinese, and Bonzes by the Europeans. They go with their heads bare and fhaved, dreis in fteel coloured filk coats with wide fleeves, which look like forplices, and wear rofaries about their necks, When they officiated on the festival of the lanthorns, they had red coats and high caps. Perhaps this was an order different from the former. Hundreds of Bonzes fometimes perform their functions in one temple. -The eye is every where ftruck with the populoufhefs of this healthy country, in which the people chufe rather to want, than to feek a plenti MY LORD, TH 253 ful fubfiftence elsewhere. They are allowed but little more navigation than what they can carry on by their inland canals. Their foreign trade is chiefly to Batavia, and fome places adjacent. The freets are as full of people here, as if there was a fair every day, at leaft during the ftay of the Europeans in this country, which is from July to February. In China are faid to be 58 millions of inhabitants, all between 20 and 60 years of age, who pay an annual tax It is reported that many were itarved to death this year (1751) on account of the bad crop, and that great numbers were come from different provinces to get their livelihood here. Notwithstanding the industry of the people, their amazing populouf, els frequently occafions a dearth, Parents, who cannot fupport their female children, are allowed to caft them into the river; however, they faften a gourd to the child, that it may float on the water; and there are often compaffionate people of fortune who are moved by the cries of the children to fave them from death. The language of the country has nothing in common with any other; it has no alphabet, but as many characters and different figures as they have words; which have different tignifications as they are differently pro nounced, and have different accents. Le Comte fhews that by the pronun ciation only they make 1665 words quite different from each other out of 333. He is reckoned very learned among the Chinese, who knows half their words; for they have 80,000 characters. To his Grace the Duke of G HE influence of your graces fortune till feems to prefide over the Treafury. The genius of Mr. Bradfhaw inspires Mr. Robinfon. How remarkable it is, (and I speak of it not as inatter of reproach, but as fomething peculiar to your character) that you have never yet formed a friendthip, which has not been fatal to the object of it, nor adopted a caufe, to which, one way or other, you have not done mifchief. Your attachment is infamy while it lafts, and which, ever way it turns, leaves ruin and dif grace 254 Junius, to his Grace the Duke of G grace behind it. The deluded girl, who yields to fuch a profligate, even while he is conftant, forfeits her reputation as well as her innocence, and finds herself abandoned at last to mifery and fhame. Thus it happened with the best of Princes.-Poor Dingly too! -I proteft I hardly know which of them we ought most to lament:-The unhappy man, who finks under the fenfe of his uifhonour, or him who furvives it. Characters fo finished are placed beyond the reach of Panegyric. Death has fixed his feal upon Dingley, and you, my Lord, have fet your mark upon the other. The only letter I ever addreffed to the King was fo unkindly received, that I believe I fhall never prefume to trouble his Majesty, in that way, agam. But my zeal for his fervice is fuperior to neglect, and like Mr, Wilkes's Patriotiin, thrives by perfecution. Yet his Majefty is much addicted to useful reading, and if I am not ill informed, has honoured the paper in which I write with particular attention. I have endeavoured therefore, and not without fuccefs, (as perhaps you may remember) to furnish it with fuch interesting and edifying intelligence, as probably would not reach him through any other channel. The fervices you have done the nation, your integrity in office, and fignal fidelity to your approved good maiter, have been faithfully recorded. Nor have his own virtues been entirely neglected. Thefe letters, my Lord, are read in other countries and in other languages; and I think I may affirm without vanity, that the grací ous character of the best of Princes is by this time not only perfectly known to his fubjects, but tolerably well understood by the reft of Europe. In this refpect alone, It have the advantage of Mr. Whiehead. His plan, I think, is too narrow. He feems to manufacture his verfes for the fole ufe of the hero, who is fuppofed to be the fubject of them, and, that his meaning may not be unlawfully exported in foreign bottoms, fets all translation at defiance. Your Grace's re-appointment to a feat in the Cabinet was announced to the public by the ominous return of Lerd Bute to this country. When that noxious planet approaches England, it never fails to bring plague and peftilence along with it. The already feels the malignant effect of your influence over his Councils. Your former administration made Mr. Wilkes an Alderman of London, and Representative of Middlefex. Your next appearance in office is marked with his election to the Shrievalty. In whatever measure you are concerned, you are not only disappointed of fuccefs, but always contrive to make the government of the best of Princes contemptible in his own eyes, and ridiculous to the world. Making all due allowance for the effect of the minifter's declared interpofition, Mr. Robinson's activity, and Mr. Horne's new zeal in fupport of administration, we ftill wart the genius of the Duke of G to account for committing the whole intereft of government in the city, to the conduct of Mr. Harley. I will not bear hard upon your faithful friend and emiflary Mr. Touchet, for I know the Difficulties of his fituation, and that a few lottery tickets are of use to his ceconomy. There is a proverb concerning perfons in the predicament of this gentleman, which however cannot be trictly ap plied to him. They commence dupes, and finish knaves. Now Mr. Touchet's character is uniform. I am convinced that his fentiments never depended upon his circumstances, and that, in the most profperous ftate of his fortune, he was always the very man he is at prefent.-But was there no other perfon of rank and confequence in the city, whom government could confide in, but a notorious Jacobite ? Did you imagine that the whole body of the diffenters, that the whole Whig-interest of London would attend at the Levee, and submit to the directions of a notorious Jacobite? Was there no whig Magiftrate in the city, to whom the fervants of George the Third could intruft the management of a business fo very interefting to their mafter as the election of Sheriffs? Is there no room at St. James's but for Scotchmen and Jacobites?My Lord, I do |