1 On the Effects which CLIMATE produces on the MANNERS and I extremely in N hiftory we find characters and ferent climates.-When we find that thefe differences are produced by natural caufes, we no longer term their effects unaccountable; we rather blush for national ignorances and prejudices. Cold conftringes and braces; this increases the circulation. In cold countries men are therefore more vigorous. Vigour produces courage, opinion of fecurity, i. e. frankness and infufpicion. Heat relaxes, diminishes the force of the heart, and brings on faintnefs. Faintnefs communicates itself to the mind. Hence no noble enterprize, no generous fentiment, no curiofity. The inclinations are all paffive. Indolence conftitutes the chief good. Hence it is that the Indians are, and ever will be, cowards. Creoles degenerate, they gradually lose that courage peculiar to their mother climate. Afraid of every thing, in time, they feel themselves fit for nothing. In warm countries, the extremities of the nerves are expofed to every objeet. Hence fenfibility in love. As we draw near the fouth, we fancy ourfelves removed from mortality:Paffions multiply crimes, and cunning procures the means of gratification. In cold countries, the cutis is conftringed, the papillæ are fheltered from the action of external objects. The Operas in England and Italy are the fame in every respect; the audience, in one, is cold and infipid, in the other transported. The fame holds good as to pain. To make a Mufcovite feel, you must flay him alive. Their itronger frame is roufed only by wl at excites the circulation, hunting, war, and wine. The people have fewer vices, and more virtues. In temperate climates, we find the inhabitants inconftant in their manners, vices, and virtues. To this laziness of mind and body may we impute that furprizing immutability of religion, manners, cuftoms, laws, and drels. The Indians believe, VOL. VII. that repofe and non-existence are the They confider the state of inaction as the most perfect. They give to the Supreme Being the title of Immoveable. The inhabitants of Siam believe that their utmost happinefs confifts in not being obliged to re-animate a machine, according to La Loubere. Reft is fo delicious, and motion fo painful, that this fyftem of metaphyfics feems.natural. Foe, the legiflator of the Indies, reduces the heart to a mere vacuum. "We have ears and eyes, but perfection confifts in neither feeing nor hearing." This is taken from father Du Halde. The Ladies in India, eaft and weft, call their flaves to pick up any thing that drops from their laps, though within their reach. The Chinefe legiflators made religion, philofophy, and laws, practical. They wifely oppofed morality to mature. În Afia, the number of derviles and monks is exceffive. In China the Emperor affifts at an annual ceremony of opening the ground. The antient Perfian Kings quitted their pomp on the eighth day of the month Chorrem-ruz, to eat with the husbandman. Lazy nations are generally proud. The effect ought to be turned against the caufe; lazinefs might be deftroyed by pride. The Scotch mountaineers and Irish Raparees are poor, lazy, and proud. By foothing the pride of the firft, they have become the bravett foldiers, and the most useful fubjects. Diftribution of prizes has established manufactures among the latter. Lazinefs is the effect of pride; the pride of a Spaniard nakes him refufe labour. Lazy nations are all grave; thofe who labour not themselves, look upon all thofe that do, as beneath their notice. Gravity, pride, and indolence, go hand in hand. The people of Achim are proud and lazy; they let their nails grow, that it may be feen that they do not work, fays Dampier. The people of Carnataca and Cormandel contume little, because they are miserably poor; M the 1 Remarks on Court Address. 90 the people of Indoftan work, and enjoy the neceffaries of life. In warm countries, the aqueous part of the blood tranfudes by perfpiration, it must therefore be fupplied by a fimilar liquid. Water is therefore the beverage. Mahomet's law, which forbids the drinking of wine, is a law of the climate. Placo mentions the fame. In cold countries, the aqueous part of the blood is detained. Strong liquors encrease perfpiration, and throw off that redundancy of peccant humours pent up by the obftruction of the pores. Mahomet's law would be improper for cold countries. The climate feeins to force them to a national drunkennefs. Drunkenness predominates in proportion to the coldness and humidity of the climate. It is very natural, that where wine is contrary to the climate, and confequently to health, the excess of it should be more feverely punished than in countries where drunkenne's produces very few bad effects to the perfon, fewer to fociety, where it does not make people mad, but ftupid. Germans drink through. cuftem; Britons do the fame. Lažineis in warin countries gives great relief to the fibres; a fmall quantity of nutritious juice is fufficient to repair them; for which reafon these cat much lefs than in cold countries, where the fibres are conftantly exercifed. This difference of living gave rise to that of laws. T. C. To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. SIR, Otwithstanding all the celebrated deed won feveral great and important battles, methinks the fon of Philip looks much diminished from the modeft and humane youth that came out of the hands of Ariftotle; efpecially when we fee him open to all the attacks of his fycophants, affuming divine honours, and difclaiming a really illuftrious defcent for one that was fuperftitious and fabulous. Yet this was owing to the Addrefs of thofe about him; as doubt lefs were many of his brainless atchievements, after he had once taken a full revenge of his enemy. There are always in Courts men of this great and fublime Addrefs; and if thofe they flatter there did but fufficiently confider, they would be as much defpifed as their Apes in lower life, who are every where to be found.. Now I am talking of Court Addrefs, I cannot omit a ftory that I have met with in the life of Mr. Waller, the famous Poet, who was Member of Parlament fo early as the Reign of King James the First. This Gentleman, on a day of diffolving the Parliament he had ferved in, went, fays the Hiftorian, qut of curiofity or refpect to fee the King at dinner, at which Dr. Andrews, Bishop of Durham, were ftanding behind his Majesty's chair. The Moparch, who poffibly had been harraffed by fome obftinate Patriots during the Seffion, afked the Bishops. " My Lords, cannot I take my Subjects money when I want it, without all this formality in Parliament? The Bishop of Durham, a true Courtier, readily answered, "God forbid, Sir, but you should; you are the breath of our noftrils." Whereupon the King turned to the Bishop of Winchefter," Well, my Lord, what say you ?". "Sir (replied the Bishop) I have no fill in Parliamentary cafes." The King replied, "No put effs, my Lord; answer me prefently." Then, Sir, (faid honeft Andrews)" I think it is lawful for you to take my Brother Neal's money, for he offers it." Mr. Waller reported, the Company were pleased with the anfwer, and the wit of it feemed to affect the King. I look upon the Bishop of Durham's compliment to be one of the highest inftances of Court Address that is any where to be met with. It could no other way have been fo properly anfwered as in his Brother Prelate's word, Mr, Gerrard de Brahm's Letter to the Editor.. words, which might be a good Law against all Minifters who advife arbi trary or exorbitant levies on the People. But Public Addreffing did not come in vogue till a good while after this: I think not till the Government of Richard Cromwell. That timid fon of a daring father, weak as he has been reprefented, had however fenfe enough to fee the folly of thofe forms, and would make himfelf merry with the lives and fortunes of the good People of England (as he called his collection of Addreffes) which he put together in a chelt. Had James the Second feen as much when he was fo generally addreffed upon his difpenfing ordinance, he would hardly have pushed on the fame violent meafures to his own ruin. It is the hearts, and not the words of a people, that make the fecurity, of any establishment. When the men of Totnefs offered the other fixteen fhillings, few can think they were more willing to give it than the rest of their well affected Fellow Subjects. Where there is leaft flattery there is ufually moft fincerity For which reafon nothing can be fo defirable as to fee a Monarch and his People talk plain language to each other, allowing only for the terms and tokens of high refpect in the latter. : This would naturally beget the greateft confidence and harmony, which could only be diffolved by what we fhould have little reason to fear, a violence from without. When fpeeches and actions are always defigned to tally, and feem to do fo in effect, it would be to little purpofe to attempt from abroad to embarrass our Councils, and Corruption would die away at home in the Cabinet. However, I thall perhaps be reminded that this is by no means the period of addreffing, confequently that all I have faid upon the fubject is inapplicable. I muft however observe, that 91 we of this generation have improved With a Remonftrance we are with the utmost difficulty permitted to approach the ThroneLet us only be-, gin to addrefs, and we shall find every avenue open-no limitation of num bers no Browbeaters will be called in to prescribe due distance. All would have been complacency on the part of the Court, if all had but been implicit faith and abject fubmiffion on ours. Befides, to deal candidly, the reftraints of Parliament, and the fpirit of the Laws, are annoyances and impedi ments that a Prince fhould not meet with; to be bound in common with his People, as the Coronation Oath and the Oath of Allegiance feem to imply, is a folecim in politics, and ought to be wholly obliterated. Which of us. would be willing to fubmit our actions to the infpection, nay regulation of our Dependents? We may have a ve ry good opinion of our fervants, but a capacity to accomplish our commands, and an unenquiring mind, are. the best requifites of the beft fubject. I could illuftrate this matter much farther, but very little difcernment is neceffary to fee the beginning, ending, and propriety of the Court-fyftem, which is pretty much the fame in all Ages, and at all periods, except when the Sovereign is fo weak as to reft himfelf wholly on the affections of his People, and his People in return believe he can never be fufficiently reverenced and fupported. I am, Sir, Your humble fervant, IRONICUS. To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. SIR, 2 September 8, 1771. THEN Í, during last winter and tory of Eaft Florida, I fettled its lónfpring, was finishing my fur-gitude by that of Charles-Town, in veys of the martiers on the promon- South Carolina, which by a tedious M ź furvey Scene from the Coxcombs. 92 furvey I had carried from the CharlesTown lighthouse to Cape Florida and the dry Tortugas, but could not reconcile it with the longitude of the Havannah; was therefore conftrained to unde take, July laft, a more tedious expedition a cross the Atlantic ocean to the ftart point in the English Channel, which I accomplished the 7th of this month, by which I have not only obtained the true weft longitude from London to Cape Florida differing 1-56-43, from the commonly known longitude between London and Charles-Town lighthoufe, which I bring in 80-42-43 weft longitude from the London meridian, and answers compleatly to the bearings from Cape Florida to the Havannah, but have alfo traced the Florida, commonly called Gulf-Stream, with all its windings from the dry Tortugas, the Westernmost of the Martiers, along the Atlantic coaft to the Newfoundland bank; likewife all the different deviations of the magnitical from the folar amplitudes, as alfo the precife latitude and longitude near America of no varia tion. Veffels bound from any part of America through the new Bahama channel to Europe, may take the benefit of that ftream, which will not only guide them clear of all the shoals projecting from the Capes on the coaft of North America, but also accelerate their voyage in an incredible meafure, from twice to fix times the diftance, to what I found by my Loxodromic when corrected by my daily obfervations. As I am convinced of the utility my difcoveries afford to the public, I would not choose to loose a day to communicate it to your publication. I am, Sir, Your most humble fervant, WILLIAM GERRARD de BRAHM, His Majefty's Surveyor General for the Southern District of North America. P. S. As foon as I am now at leisure, will tranfinit you, what will be worth your notice, and give fatisfaction to the public, efpecially if I find you have given room for the above in your firft Magazine appearing after this date. A SCENE from the COX COMB S. Written by Mr. Gentleman and performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-market, on Monday Sept. 23. MAKEMIRTH, FROLIC, & GRAVELY. Enter to them, Sir AMOROUS LA FOOLE. dered, my last fo horridly with Chian, that nothing but the palate of a fireeater could fwallow one bit. Make. What a dreadful disappoint ment! Sir Amo. Faith, and so it was, Charles, confidering what excellent judges of eating I had; four Aldermen paft the chair, three Deputies; two Chaplains; a Major of the Train-Bands; ten Common-council men; and the Ladies of as many as were married. Fro. By your guefts we may prefume fome city election is in view. Sir Amo. No, no, I don't trouble my head with politics. Grav.. No! then you differ much from your name fakes; for the La Fooles are notorious dabblers that Fro. Nay, Sir Amorous, don't mind cynical Jack, your family is very refpectable and ancient. Sir Minutes on reading Dr. Cadogan. Sir Amo. Yes, Sir, we are very antic we bear our arms from Adam in Paradife: three fig-leaves pendent and an apple-tree rampant, for the creft. Make. Fro. Ha! ha! ha! Sir Amo. And as my grandfather, Sir Humphry, used to fay, we are, like the Jacobites, fcattered all over the face of the earth. Grav. Jacobites! Ifraelites you mean. Sir Amo. Ay, ay, Ifraelites, they are all the fame you know-but, gents, I fhall pofitively expect you to dine with me when I get into my new house on the Terrace Adelphi next week. Mak. Adelphi ! a moft claffical situation. 93 Sir Amo. True-every one knows I have taftewe shall have fteeples, wharfs, timber yards, bridges, barges, and water in abundance there. Fro. Objects plenty-but, Sir A morous, won't your profpect, like a pudding ftuck too full of plumbs, be apt to cloy? Sir Amo. Not at all-I love rich profpects, rich puddings, rich parties, rich purfes-rich every thing; befides, they tell me for fix months together we fhan't fee further than the balluftrades. Mak. How fo? Sir Amo. Thames fogs won't let us. Grav Admirably pleafant and wholefome, to be half the year wrapped round with a wet blanket. For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. AN old correfpondent has fent us the following, which he minuted whilft reading Dr. CADOGAN, for the benefit of fuch of our readers who are too fond of their bellies, beds, and eafy chairs. 32. IN P. Nactivity first forms obftructions in thofe exquifitely fine parts, upon which the health and vigour both of body and mind depend entirely, and lays the foundation of many difeafes to come; which the induftrious and active never feel. P. 34. No man can have those delightful fenfations who lives two days with the fame blood, but must be languid and fpiritlefs. In a state of inactivity, the old humours pafs off fo flowly, the infenfible perfpiration is fo inconfiderable. P. 35. In a ftate of indolence they do not pass off either fo foon, or fo regularly, as they ought. P. 36. Hence the breath and perfpiration of indolent people is never fweet. P. 37. Is it not ftrange, that many would chufe rather to take a vomit or a purge, than a walk? Thus indolence must inevitably lay the foundation of general disease. P. 39. Thefe caufes often make the rich and great more wretched than the poor. P. 40. Nine in ten of all the chronic difeafes in the world, particularly the gout, owe their firft rife to intemperance. P. 42. Indeed, I cannot allow him to be strictly temperate who drinks any wine, or ftrong liquor at all. P. 44. Something to give me an appetite,-leck it by labour. P. 45. All the chain of evils is brought on, and accumulated by indolence and intemperance, or miftaken choice of diet. P. 48. Pleafure and happiness are as different things as riot and enjoyment. Let the man of high experience bear me teftimony, that this is true, of all the luxuries of the table, wine, mufic, wamen, and every fenfuality. Have I no art or kill (fays he) to reconcile health and luxury no remedy, no rare fecret to repair, and restore fenfation and vigour torn to rags ? No Medea's kettle to boil a-new? If not, do not defcribe to us a life of moderation, temperance, and exercife, it is not worth having upon thefe terms. P. 50. The poor having this advantage from their poverty, that they are much less afflicted with chronic difeafes than we are. P. 56. Taking off entirely all its tendency to diffolution and putrefaction, by falting, fmoaking, pickling, potting, and preferving things that, in their own fimple nature, would foon corrupt |