( 55 ). Method for determining the Numbers of the INHABITANTS of a Country. HE fureft way to come at the of a country, would unquestionably be to number them. This, however, being what is feldom done, and in very few countries, (a) though the annual practice of it would be very useful, recourfe must be had to fome other method. When the number of houses, or which is very nearly tantamount, that of families, is known, only multiply it at most by fix, and at the leaft by four, and this gives the number of inhabitants, allowing a very flender difference (b). Another way is to endeavour to find out, from the accounts of feveral years, the exact proportion between the dead and the living: It has been obferved, that in very large, populous, and opulent cities, more people die, in proportion, than in middling and lefs peopled towns, and in these again, more than in the country. In the larger cities, one of 24, fometimes of 28, has been found to die every year (c); in the smaller, the propor Treal number of the inhabitants (a) To know whether the number of the inhabitants increases or decreases, is a point of concern to government. If there be fome obftacles to population, which may be easily removed, others there are which fcarce admit of a remedy, being latent defects, fpringing from the very conftitution of the state. At the clofe of the 17th century, and in the year 1733, an enumeration of the people was made in France. The like is done every year in the Pruffian dominions, and the duchy of Wirtemburg. The inhabitants of Spain have been twice numbered of late years, and in 1756 the like method of afcertainment took place in the electorate of Hanover. (b) This is Uftariz's way in determining the number of the inhabitants of Spain. (c) Such bills of births, marriages, and burials, are of very great ufe. It is to be wifhed that they obtained every where, and were made public. They are the most simple facts which can tion is as 1 to 30, or 32, and in the country death annually removes only one out of 40 or 42. These different proportions being reduced to a medium, it will, in fome countries, be one from 32 or 33, and in others one from 37; that is, the number of people is at the leaft 33, and at moft, 37 times more than the number of perfons dying within the courfe of a twelvemonth. Thus, on knowing the number of the dead (d), it is only multiplying it by that number of the living, of which one is fuppofed to die every year, and this quotient nearly fettles the total number of inhabitants. The number of thofe who are born within a year, ufually exceeds the number of burials. within the fame fpace; of course, the number of inhabitants must increase in times of peace, when that bleffing is not imbittered with an epidemical diftemper (e). It appears that the births of males are to thofe of females, as 21 to 20. For can come under an obferving eye, and, to a judicious mind, fuggeft many useful inferences. But in many fuck lifts a proper exactness is wanting. inftance, to form a calculation of the population of London, from the yearly number of births, it must be known, that the children of Jews, Nonconformifts, Catholics, Foreigners, and many poor, are not entered in the parifh regifters. To calculate the population of Paris from the number of burials, it must be known, that the greater part of children are nursed out of Paris, and confequently die out of that city; now, of the dead children make the majority. (d) Six years are the fewest that can be taken for inferring from them a medium, which, without rifque of error, may be accounted a fixed point for regulating one's calculations. (e) From 1750 to 1756, the births in the dominions of the King of Pruffia exceeded the burials, communibus annis, no lefs than 41,000. The A (.56 ). The Great HOMER charged with PLAGIARIS M. poems, APHNE, a celebrated Grecian time of the Trojan war. The learned Mr. Larrey, in his Hiftory of the Seven Wife Men of Greece, fays, that it was from her compofitions Homer took who in ungratefully the rich the capital beauties of both his store to which he was indebted; yet has not his theft efcaped discovery. Dict. des Femmes célebres. PIN INDAR extols fculapius's kill in affuaging pains and removing difeafes, and by a moft delightful method of cure, even music. Thefe words are generally thought to imply fome unaccountable magical effect or incantation; but a very refpectable phyfician, whom I confulted on this paffage, as equally acquainted with the Greek language and their Therapuetics, affures me, that mufic was one of their ufual remedies in bodily aches, and much more in melancholy or atrabiliarious vapours. Galen, de Sanitate tuenda, relates, that harmony was the only remedy which Æfculapius made use of for inflammative diseases, connected with the paffions of the foul, and to this practice, fays he, Pindar here alludes. The reader's surprise will naturally increase, at the joint teftimony of Calius, Aurelianus, and Soranus, that the fciattica, or hip-gout, was cured by the found of the flute. The inftrument was held near the part affected, which, as it were, fimmered and palpitated whilft the flute was played, the anguifh in the mean time abating. This method of cure was termed decantare loca dolentia. Mem. de Lit. tom. xxxii. To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. Some Account of the Duke of MONMOUTH's Execution, in the Reign of James the Second. ONMOUTH was not condemned grave: They believed that one of his him in a court might excite commiferation. At his execution the fpectators were innumerable. On his first appearance upon the fcaffold he bowed to the people, by whom, he knew, he was tenderly belowed; but, from regard to the decorum of his rank, ad. dreffed them not. Deep filences fucceeded alterntely to murmurs of fighs and groans in the fpectators, who felt their grief retrained by refpect, when they looked upon Monmouth; but burit into tears, as oft as they bekeld the forrowful looks of each other. Men of rank are more afraid of pain than death, and of fhame than of either: He expreffed anxiety left the executioner fhould hot end his life at a blow, examining the axe to fatisfy himself, and faid, "He was afraid to die." Yet afked, "Could any one perceive it by his countenance?" The executioner, awed by the rank of his victim, after feveral ineffectual ftrokes, threw away the axe, and could with difficulty be prevailed on to complete his duty. The people, in their tears and prayers, and the contortions of their bodies, feemed to feel thofe ftrokes which the Duke no longer felt. Thole who confidered the various turns of human things, reflected, that the multitudes who attended his execution would, in a different fituation of his fortune, have been shouting after the wheels of his chariot. The decent courage with which he died, thewed how much force the fentiments of perfonal dignity have over thofe of nature, in men of illuftrious birth. In his pockets, after his death, were four fpelis against danger, fongs, and prayers, in his own hand-writing; papers characteristic of a mind addicted to ambition, pleasure, and fuperftition. The fondness of the common people followed Monmouth even beyond the VOL. VII. to lose his life in public, to fave that of Monmouth. They started at every rumour of his name; and long expected with impatience, when their favourite fhould again call them to affert his caufe and their own. Lord Dartmouth, by order of James, at tended the execution. When he gave an account of it to the King, he faid, "You have got rid of one enemy, but a more dangerous one remains behind." James pretended not to understand that his fon-in-law was alluded to; yet the words funk deep into his mind. Two relations were printed by the King's authority; one of the manner of Monmouth's falling into the hands of thofe who purfued him, and the other of his execution, the laft of which was figned by the bishops who attended him. In these was deicribed every thing which Monmouth had faid or done, during thofe painful periods: Here, it was faid, he had taken fhelter in a covert, furrounded with hedges, but full of outlets to the open country: Of thefe outlets the guards had taken poffeffion; fo that as often as he approached them, which was thirty times, he had been driven back into his concealments." There, it was faid, "The bifhops had preffed him to repent of his connection with Lady Harriot Wentworth; but he had treated his paffion for that Lady as a matter of refpect; and the last act of his life was to fend her a love-token. The bishops had preffed him to own on the fcaffold to the people, the doctrine of non-refiftence; but he anfwered, He came there to die, not to make speeches. They urged him to pray himself for the King, but he kept filent: They asked him to join in their prayer for the King; with a careles air he faid, Amen." H |