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for the lofs of Sicily; for his brother, prince Edward, foon after defeating the earl of Leicester and his adherents, at Evesham, the earl's immenfe eftates, and those of the earl of Derby and others were confifcated and given to Edmund, who was created earl of Lancaster, Leicester, Derby, and Campaigne. Thefe vaft poffeffions laid the foundations of the future greatness of the houfe of Lancafter, the power and influence of which encreased to such a height, that Henry of Bolingbrooke, being too powerful for a subject, depofed Richard II. and fucceeded him. Thus in the person of Edmund were originally founded the great contentions which long fubfifted between, the two houfes of York and Lancaster.

As to the coin which Mr. Pegge speaks of in the preceding article, Mr. Aftle is of opinion, that it is nothing but a feal confifting of two lamine of gold fitted together, but not yet perforated for the purpofe of being appended. Edmund, being permitted to coin in England, would have made Henry still more odious to his fubjects, without one fingle advantage to himself. The pope's fubfidy was 2000 ounces of pure gold, therefore the expence of coining was unneceffary and ufelefs. Neither is it probable that a coin of that fize (14 dwts. 22 gr. in weight) which in the purchase of neceffaries for the pope's army, would have been equal to near 401. of our present money, could be coined for fuch a purpose, for which it was evidently useless.

Mr. Aftle, from his acquaintance with our ancient history, and particularly with the documents which are ftill preserved in this country, has been enabled to give his valuable memoir a great degree of precifion. He feems likewife to be poffeffed of experienced judgment and critical difcernment, by means of which he has difclofed the fecret caufes of great revolutions in the annals of mankind. We have not only reaped in. ftruction, but found that agreeable entertainment in the perufal of his effay, which is fo rarely to be met with in the writings of antiquaries.

[To be continued. ]

Georgical Effays in which the Food of Plants is particularly confidered, feveral new Compofts recommended, and other important Articles of Hufbandry explained, upon the Principles of Vegetation. Vol. V. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. Dodfley.

THIS. volume commences with the account of a preparation of carrots for the ufe of feamen on long voyages. The method prescribed is as follows:

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Take any quantity of carrots in the months of September or October. Let them be topped and tailed, and afterwards washed clean in warm water. Scrape them, and cut them into pieces about two inches in length, throwing away fuch parts as are decayed. Put the whole into a large copper, with as much water as will preferve the bottom from burning. Cover them up clofe, and light a moderate fire underneath, fo that the carrots may be ftewed and foftened in the steam. When they have become fufficiently foft, let them be mashed and pulped through a coarfe fieve. Then take a quantity of loaf fugar equal to the weight of the pulp, and, according to the rules of confectionary, reduce the whole over the fire to a proper confiftence, taking care to evaporate the fuperfluous moisture by continual ftirring. When cold, put this marmalade into pots, covering it over with a paper moistened in brandy; and over that fuch another covering as is generally recommended for conferves.'

In order to be fatisfied that this anti-fcorbutic will keep in a warm climate, the author informs us that he preserved fome pots of it a whole year, in a room heated with a constant fire, and had the pleasure to obferve that it kept extremely well. He ordered fome pots to be acidulated with fpirit of vitriol, but this method was not attended with equal fuccefs; on which account he thinks it moft eligible to mix the acid with it occafionally.

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The fecond Effay treats of the usefulness of bones in the manuring of land. The perfon by whom the experiment was made, acquaints us, that eight years ago he laid down to grafs a large piece of very indifferent limeftone land with a crop of corn; and in order that the grafs-feed might thrive the better, he took care that the ground was well-dreffed. From this piece he felected three roods of equal quality with the reft, over which he spread bones broken very finall, at the rate of fixty bushels per acre. The crop of corn produced by this management, was infinitely fuperior to that which was reaped from the other parts of the field. Next year, and ever Since, the grafs has also been fuperior, and annually becomes green three weeks before the contiguous land. Laft year the fame perfon dreffed two acres with bones in two different fields prepared for turnips, fixty bufhels to the acre, and had the pleafure to find the turnips greatly fuperior to the others managed in the common way. He likewife dreffed an acre of grafs-ground with bones, and rolled them in. The fucceeding crop of hay was an extraordinary good one; but he has found from experience, that this kind of manure exerts itself more powerfully the fecond year than the firft. He informs VOL. XLIV. Auguft, 1777. H

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us that bones of all kinds will anfwer the purposes of a rich dreffing, but he apprehends that thofe of fat cattle are the beft; an additional proof, he obferves, to thofe formerly given in the Georgical Effays, that oil is the food of plants. Previous to spreading the bones on the land, it is recommended that they be well broken; and we are told, that at Sheffield, it is now become a trade to grind bones for the ufe of the farmer.

The third Effay contains fome obfervations relative to the effects of fixed air on the colours and vegetation of plants, tending to confirm the curious experiments made by Dr. Prieftley on this fubject. The fourth prefents us with ingenious conjectures on the action of different manures; and the fifth treats of the action of lime and marle as manures; with the making of artificial marle.

In the fixth Effay we meet with a method of raifing the pine-apple by oak-leaves inftead of tanner's bark. We fhall lay before our readers the advantages faid to attend this ufeful and œconomical improvement.

• Many powerful reafons may be given why oak leaves (for I have not tried any other kinds) are preferable to tanners bark.

Fift, they always heat regularly; for, during the whole time that I have used them, which is near feven years, I never once knew of their heating with violence; and this is so frequently the cafe with tan, that I affirm, and indeed it is well known to every perfon converfant in the management of the hot-houfe, that pines fuffer more from this one circumstance, than from all the other accidents put together, infects excepted. When this accident happens near the time of their fruiting, the effect is foon feen in the fruit, which always comes ill-shaped and exceedingly fmall. Sometimes there will be little or no fruit at all; therefore gardeners who make use of tan only for their pines, fhould be moft particularly careful to avoid an over-heat at that critical feafon-the time of Shering fruit.

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Secondly, the heat of oak leaves is conftant; whereas tanners bark generally turns cold in a very short time after its furious heat is gone off. This obliges the gardener to give the tan frequent turnings in order to promote its heating. 'These frequent turnings (not to to mention the expence) are attended with the worft confequences; for by the continual moving of the pots backwards and forwards, the pines are expofed to the extremes of heat and cold, whereby their growth is confiderably retarded; whereas, when leaves are used, the pines will have no occafion to be moved but at the times of potting, &c. The pines have one particular advantage in this

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undisturbed fituation; their roots go through the bottoms of he pots and mat amongst the leaves in a furprizing manner. From the vigour of the plants, when in this fituation, it is highly probable that the leaves, even in this state, afford them an uncommon and agreeable nourishment.

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Thirdly, there is a faving in point of expence, which is no inconfiderable object in places where tan cannot be had but from a great diftance, as is the cafe here, the article of carriage amounting to ten fhillings for each waggon-load. Indeed, this was the principal reason that first induced me to make trial of leaves.

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My last ground of preference is the confideration that decayed leaves make good manure; whereas rotten tan is experimentally found to be of no value. I have often tried it, both on fand and clay, alfo on wet and dry lands, and never could discover, in any of my experiments, that it deferved the name of a manure; whereas decayed leaves are the richest, and, of all others, the most suitabte for a garden. But this must only be understood of leaves after they have undergone their fermentation, which reduces them to a true vegetable mould, in which we experimentally know that the food of plants is contained-but whether that food be oil, mucilage, or falt, or a combination of all three, I leave to philofophers to determine. This black mould is, of all others, the most proper to mix with compoft earth, and I ufe it in general for pines, and almoft for every thing that grows in pots. For flowers it is most excellent. The remainder of this vegetable mould may be employed in manuring the quarters of the kitchen-garden, for which purpose it is highly useful.

Leaves mixed with dung make excellent hot-beds and I find that beds compounded in this manner preferve their heat much longer than when made entirely with dung. In both cafes the application of leaves will be a confiderable faving of dung; a circumstance very agreeable, as it will be the means of preventing the contefts, frequently obferved in large families, between the fuperintendant of the gardens and the directors of the husbandry,'

The feventh Effay contains an account of the method of planting upon the duke of Portland's eftates in Nottinghamfhire. In the two fucceeding is given a comparative view, the one of top-dreffing, and the other of baron Van Haake's compoft, the oil-compoft, and foot mixed with ashes. The tenth is employed on the culture of cabbages; the eleventh on the method of preparing land for fowing lucern broaft-caft; the twelfth on nutritive lime; the thirteenth on the best method

of raifing early potatoes; and the fourteenth on dibbling wheat.

Subfequent to the Effays, twenty-three experiments on mifcellaneous fubjects are related, with the names of the feveral gentlemen by whom they have been made. Should the philofophical and practical parts of agriculture continue to be fo accurately inveftigated, as by thofe who have contributed to the Georgical Effays, we may expect to fee this valuable art carried to a higher degree of perfection than it has hitherto ever attained.

Sermons by Hugh Blair, D. D. one of the Minifters of the High Church, Edinburgh. 8v6. 6. bound. Cadell.

AS

S we fometimes hear people talk of excellent fermons and admirable difcourfes, let us endeavour to ascertain the meaning of thefe general expreffions, and fee what are the characteristics of a perfect compofition in that spécies of: writing.

We may include thefe characteristics under three heads, jus fentiments, regular order, and elegance of ftyle.

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First, the fentiments ought to be just. That is, the au thor's representations of the divine nature should be honourable: and exalted; his explications of fcripture clear and accurate; his notions of piety and morality warm, rational, and manly. Juft fentiments are as neceffary in writing, as good materials in a building. If these are wanting, no fuperficial decorations can fupply the deficiency.

In the next place, these fentiments fhould be ranged in proper order, as they naturally arife from each other. If they are thrown together promifcuoufly; if there is not what the critics require in an epic poem, a beginning, a middle, and an end, the whole compofition will be but a confufed, incoherent rhapsody; it will refemble the materials of a building, heaped upon one another, without any regard to regularity, fymmetry, proportion, or any of the rules of architecture.

The laft effential ingredient in good writing is elegance of ftyle. This confifts in accuracy, perfpicuity, and ease. There must be no grammatical improprieties, no embarraffed or obfcure fentences, no mean or vulgar phrases, no pedantic expreflions. The language fhould be majestic, but not pompous; the metaphors natural, but not common; the periods harmonious, but not poetical. Without thefe embellishments, the finest fentiments are debafed and obfcured: as a building confifting of the beft materials, and conftructed on the most elegant

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