624 Early Appearance of Birds.-Hora Pauline. It would prove a fecondary pleasure alfo to have the opportunity to compare the days of Spring on which the cuckoo was fift heard, that deftroyer of the peace of many a feathered pair; for the coupling of birds is ever, I believe, a pretty fure indication of the advance of the feafon; and the fame congenial power which promotes their union operates, in the fame degree, on the filent animation of the earth. We could then observe too in what county first the nightingale commenced his folemn air; but especially in which part of the kingdom the fwallows make their firft appearance. Your correfpondent, I find, faw two of those birds 100 miles N. W. of London, on the 28th of April; but I had already feen two or more on Eafter Monday, the 25th, within five miles of the metropolis. The coming and the going, or, if you like it better, the appearance and difappearance of thefe beneficial creatures, and particularly how they are referved until the appointed feafon, demand man's admiration. Were it not for these three tribes, which take all their food upon the wing, our atmosphere, in the Summer months, would foon be rendered unfit for refpiration. The unfledged night-bird, fo well known in every village, may be faid to exift, in like manner, upon the wing; and they reduce the number of thofe infects which do not appear in the day. Thus does Providence give life and happiness to myriads of creatures of various unknown claffes, the redundancy of which ferve for the fupport of others of a fuperior order. And though innumerable lambs are now daily flain to gratify the appetites and the wants of men, yet we [July, cannot fay but their exiftence, though fhort, hath been blithe and happy: and how fortunate for man, these are not cut off by the numerous ills which flesh is heir to ! I am inclined to think that fwallows, fwifts, and martins, like the bat with us, fleep through the Winter months; but where, or in what manner, I am yet to learn. Mr. URBAN, THE June 15. HE Apoftle Paul's repeated caution to Timothy and Titus, that a bishop be "no ftriker," is much infifted on in a late publication, to which Archdeacon Paley affixes the quaint title of "Hora Paulina," as "aliene from one who lived under a Hierarchy, and as what could not have been written after the Government of the Church had acquired that dignified form it foon and naturally affumed." Far be it from me to question the authenticity of any works afcribed, in Scripture Canon, to that great luminary of the Gentile world. I have only to remark, that arguments fo extremely captious and trifling do far more harm than good to any caufe whatever. We need only to take a curfory view of the fituation of those Churches with whom St. Paul corres fponded, to fatisfy ourfelves that they were by no means in a ftate of barba rifm. That the Grecian cities, Rome and Jerufalem, in the apoftolic days, exhibited the refinements, together with all the virtues and vices, of polished. life, the Scriptures, and various antient profane hiftorians, abundantly testify. The accounts we every where meet with of their luxuries, particularly in their apparel, and at their feafts, thew that, inftead of juft emerging from a ruder ftate, they had paled the due bounds of civilization, and were verging apace towards that effeminacy which drew on their ruin. But, from reading Mr. Paley, we should be led to infer that the Apoftle was addreffing himself to the uncivilized Goths, or that he echoed the diffonant jargon of thofe Picts who inhabited the Northern parts of this island, and, without garments to protect them from the feverity of the climate, ran howling over their inhofpitable mountains; or that the bulk of his converts were of a fimilar ftamp with those favages our Saxon predeceffors, who, with brutal exultation, dragged fhrieking victims to the altar, where their Druids officiated, and and deemed their hands, even reeking with human gore, when lifted up in folemn devotion, could beft appease the wrath of an offended Deity? Bishops, in the primitive days, were quiet, unambitious men in the reign of Conftantine they grew extremely turbulent; and, in procefs of time, became "trikers" in a very emphatical fenfe indeed. In records of the middleages we find them fallying forth, accoutered in mail, and cleaving down their foes with pole-axes and feymitars, in ftead of the fword of the Spirit. Among our contemporaries, if we look to France, we shall fee prelates lufting after the mammon of unrighteoufnefs, who forbear, perhaps, to combat with their own hands, but have been peculiarly active in raising feditious infurrections against the laws, the king, and the fenate of their country; men plunged in debauchery, and addicted to every evil work. If "ftriking," in a Scripture fenfe, mean acts of violence and oppreffion, as well as mere blows, the dignified Hierarchy of England, in the eighteenth century, ftands by no means wholly clear of the charge. The hard treatment which either Infidels or Separatifts have received I purposely waive, in order to mention notorious inftances of a perfecuting fpirit exerted against thofe of their own communion, men whofe virtues, piety, and learning, would have done honour to any communion whatever. Furious were the affaults of Bigotry against Bishop Hoadly, for having expounded, in a moft temperate manner, the wholesome orthodox doctrine, that Chrift's kingdom is not of this world; and against the excellent Dr. Clarke, merely for having laid before the publick a clear deduction of what Scripture teaches concerning the Trinity. But if their threats were in thefe inftances fruftrated by a wife Government, the ecclefiaftical defpots, in fome meafure, avenged their difgrace on Mr. Whifton, who was lefs guarded in his conduct, and (what to them was by far more material) lefs powerfully patronized. They stripped that refpectable confcientious man of his income; they reduced him and his family to great diftrefs, though the times would not admit of their completely fatiating their malice by burning him at the ftake. Scotland, on whofe borders our valiant polemick's archdeaconry of Carlisle-is GENT. MAG. July, 1798. fituated, does not "naturally" affume the form he idolizes, or boaft of its dignified Hierarchy. No croziers, golden prebendaries, or fat finecure commendams, are there difplayed: yet is it not found that fimilar outrages with those which difgraced the English Convocation are committed in their General Affemblies ? Breaking the context of a verfe, in order to dwell on one fingle word, always looks difingenuous; and it is very remarkable that, in both paffages 'cited, "no Ariker" is feparated only by a comma from "not given to filthy lucre ;” and why is the Archdeacon quite mute on fo important a topick? Had he not fcope enough for fhewing how narrowly it was requifite to watch the immediate fucceffors of the Apostles, those humble tent-makers and fishermen, who laboured with their own hands to avoid being burdenfome to their congregations? He might then have proceeded to contrast the picture, and expatiate on the great things done in modern days by prelates ((ome nobly born, and nobly bred, and almoft all the reft of them attached, by fome tie or other, with those of the higheft rank,) towards eradicating every fpecies of Nepotifm and Simony from the Church. A defcription of the legitimate defcendants of St. Peter, not only grafping the keys of Heaven, but ftanding forth, even in thefe dregs of time, truly uncorrupt and patriotic examples to the whole fenate, could not have failed to afford fome amufement, if not edification, to the publick. But if nothing elfe will ferve, and Mr. Paley is determined to keep to the fingle point of "Ariking," I could with that when the thirtieth of January is again commemorated with its usual folemnity, he would indulge us with a fermon on that excellent text in Ifaiah: "Behold, ye faft for ftrife and debate, and to fmite with the fift of wickedness; ye fhall not faft as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high." The defects of Jewish fafts might thence be expounded, and compared with fuch as are recommended by the holy governors of our Church, who keep up fuch inflitutions without any view to party debates, but merely for the fake of conciliating, hy the mildeft and most affectionate perfuafions, the minds of thofe who entertain any ideas repugnant to the fri&teft orthodoxy. In every page of Barrow, Tillotson, and 626 Farther Remarks on the prefent State of France. and Fofter, exalted benevolence, and a Mr. URBAN, A Paris, July 18. S every Frenchman is now become a politician, and as I, an Englishman, came hither a ready-made one, I will tell you what, and, as a Frenchman fays, "for my part, I do not know, but I am very fure," that this fame town was always a very comical place, and now more fo than ever; for formerly they had but one king, and now every body is a king but the king, and he is juftly defpifed; for, certainly, had he stood his ground, and kept his word, he would have been happier than any king in Christendom, though no longer bis Chriftian Majefty. If General Bouillé holds his refolution, and marches foreign troops into France, he will have the greater part of his countrymen to oppofe; and, though difciplined men can do wonders, fo can a whole nation, where man, woman, and child, are on their fide; and that feems to be the cafe at prefent. The long-oppreffed have now talled of the tweets of liberty; and it is [July, my opinion they will never go back to Mr. URBAN, June 30. OME circumstances having engaged my attention toward a fpecies of animals that are very common, but very difagreeable, vifitors in many houles in this country, I mean thofe which are ge nerally known by the name of black beetles, I have endeavoured to obtain, if poffible, fome knowledge of their origin and economy: and oblerving that they have, more than once, been a fubject of confideration in your useful and entertaining Miscellany, I have thrown together fuch thoughts as occurred to me upon the subject, hoping that the publication of them may be a mean, if not of conveying to fuch of your readers as are troubled with them ufeful information, at leaft of engaging fome perfons, who are better informed, to throw more light upon the fubject. I find no reason to fuppofe that Beetles are antient inhabitants of the houfes in this country. Shakspeare, indeed, makes Macbeth fpeak of "fhard-born" Beetles, i. e. favs Dr. Johnfon, "produced among broken fiones or pots;" or, as Bifhop Warburton, "hatched in clefts of wood," but, in the fame line (act III. fcene 3.) he mentions alfo their drowfy hums ringing night's yawning peal." Now, as our modern houfe-beetles are perfectly filent, the poet muft certainly refer to that infect which we call a cockchafer, which is a fort of flying beecle, very frequently to be feen and heard, and even felt, in a fummer evening in the country, for it flies about making a humming noife, and often triking againft one's face as it flies. And, if Beetles had been as numerous formerly as they are in fome houfes at prefent, we fhould certainly find more frequent references to them in old books than we meet with: befides, how general; and how immenfely numerous, muft they by this time have been, especially confidering the fmallness of the rooms in days of yore, the loofe tapestry with which they abounded, the clotenefs of the buildings in large towns, and the general want of party-walls! On the contrary, they feem to me to abound moft in newer houses: there are, within lefs than a mile of me, feveral new, well-built houfes, in all parts of which, I understand, they fwarm to fuch a degree as to be ablolutely in tolerable; and I myself, but a few days ago, killed one that was walking, at noon-day, in a new and elegant building of three or four years standing. I have heard of their abounding at Briftol, and, I think, in fome part of Lincolnshire. They delight in hot and dry places, fuch as chimnies, ovens, lugar-houfes, &c.; and I am perfuaded that it is a mistaken idea which fome perfons have adopted, that the primary and chofen refidence of thefe animals is in fewers. They are very voracious; and, I apprehend, eat almoft any thing they can get at. But we are by no means fully informed of their history. They will fometimes totally, and, fo far as appears, finally, abandon a house, without any caufe known to the inhabitants. This has actually been the cafe, as I am informed, in two houfes in my neighbourhood, in both which they were very numerous. I have known them warm in one house in a prodigious degree; and in the adjoining houfe, which was feparated from the former only by a thin party-wall, not above one or two have been feen in a twelvemonth. With refpect to the common remedy, a hedgehog, one of my neighbours procured one, which used to be kept in his kitchen, and let loose to devour the vermin at night; but he was at length glad to get rid of it, for he thought it was the means of driving them into a bedchamber over the kitchen: and I have heard that another perfon who kept a hedgehog loft feveral little chickens, and, after fome time, found that the hedgehog deftroyed them; they are, morcover, I understand, very nafty creatures. Some time fince I purchafed a house, which I knew fwarmed with thefe vermin, though it had not been built forty years. No means had been feriously thought of, or pains taken, to get rid of them, for a long courfe of time: the fervants of my predecctfor very feldom opened the fafhes, and, I apprehend, were not very liberal in the ufe of foap and water. I could find nobody that pretended to poflefs any specifick for the eradication of the vermin; and most of the remedies that I ever met with were mere palliatives, like that in your Magazine for May laft. The places where they principally fwarmed wets the kitchen and an adjoining closet, which are facing the S. or SSE. and below the level of the garden. My furveyor directed the workmen to pull thofe two rooms topieces, to take down the wainscot and chimney-piece (behind the latter of which were found thoufands of young beetles, that looked more like ear-wigs), neatly to whiten the walls, and to fit-up the rooms again without wainscot; for "thus," fays he, "there will be no place in which they can breed, or behind which they can be hid." For a time none appeared; but afterward I iaw a few, and heard that there were more be low fairs. At length a friend found in a country paper, and communicated to me, the following "remedy for extirpating cock-roaches" (a larger and more. offentive fpecies of beetles): "Take almall quantity 628 Black Beetles, how to be destroyed.—Evans's "Old Ballads." [July quantity of white arfenick, finely pulverized, frew it on fome (mall crumbs of bread, and lay it, the last thing at night, on the hearth-ftone, or any other place where they principally haunt. Repeat ing it a few nights will have the defired effect." Thinking that it feemed to promife fair, I refolved to try it, and applied for fome arfenick to my apothecary, an intelligent man, who advised me to mix with it fine-powdered fugar inftead of crumbs of bread. I followed his prefcription for a night or two; but, not finding that it produced any visible effect, I gave it up. I had fome converfation with him about the origin of thefe vermin. I obferved, that the most of thofe which I had feen in ny house were not black, as the true beetles are, but reddish, which I understand to be the colour of the Weft Indian cock-roaches; and he feemed of opinion, that they muft been more effectual than all the other, and that I have heard ridiculed as a piece of fuperftition and folly, namely, a black cat, which the fervants fay they have frequently feen eat the vermin. I mention his colour, because I have reason to believe that white cats never eat them: at the fame time I must acknowledge I have heard it obferved, that cats which eat these animals foon grow fick and die; however, the fcavenger of my family feems at prefent in good health and spirits. I tranfmit to you, Mr. Urban, these imperfect hints, fancying that, if you think proper to favour them with a place in your Magazine, both you and I may, perhaps, receive the thanks of fome of your numerous readers, who, like me, have a great antipathy to vermin. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, have been, originally produced by the THO importation of those animals; an idea which feems to be confirmed by their colour, unless it be fuppofed that all the black beetles are originally of that colour, and afterward turn black. Now, if there be any ground for this hypothefis, may we not imagine that they are first introduced into our houfes by beams of old fhip timber made ufe of in the building, which are impregnated with the eggs of thefe vermin derived from fugar-hogfheads, and warmed into life when the timbers happen to be fixed near a fireplace, oven, copper, or the like? and does not this argument receive fome ftrength from the appearance of the animals in fo fhort a time after the building of houfes? Where I have been able to difcover crevices, from whence it might be fuppofed that the vermin would come forth into the rooms, 'fuch as the edges of a marble hearth, the bottoms of doorpofts that have fhrunk, or the like (and their bodies are fo very thin that it is amazing through what fmall crevices they make their way), I have had the places carefully ftopped with plaifter of Paris, or putty, and that appears to have anfwered the defired end. Upon the whole, the houfe is very tolerably, I will not fay totally, freed from this nuifance and, though I apprehend that the introduction of fresh air and light, by the conftant opening of fhutters and fafhes, frequent fcowering of rooms, and the deftruction of them whenever seen, have done much toward ridding the house of these verinin, yet there is one thing which, I am inclined to think, has E. July 1. HOUGH I am by no means forry to be undeceived, I must own I have always fufpected Mr. Mickle to be author of the pretendedly antient ballads in the third and fourth volumes of Evans's Collection. This fufpicion arofe from the following caufes: first, Mr. Mickle was a poet of genius, of which the forgeries in queftion carry fome marks; fecondly, I knew that he and Evans were very intimate; and lafly, he was a native of Scotland, and (though I abhor national prejudices) I firmly believe that more perfons of that country have been concerned in literary impofitions upon public credulity than of any other in the world, from Hector Boetius, in the fifteenth century, down to his Prototype in the prefent: it remains for your correfpondent to tell us, whether the actual perpetrator of this piece of villainy is to be added to the lift. Of Mr. Mickle's circumftances I can fay nothing; but as he had, for fome time, before his death, folicited fubfcriptions for a guinea quarto of his "Poetical Works" (which I need scarcely fay was never published), I have a right to conclude that they were far from affluent. That Evans published the volumes as containing original ballads of genuine antiquity, no one who looks into them can entertain a doubt; and I fhall never think that a law of principle would allow fo profligate an impofition to be practifed with impunity : indeed, I know an eminent lawyer who is of opinion that the culprit may be indicted as a common cheat. Being a fort of fmatterer in old poetry, I called at Evans's fhep to exa |