• On this fuppofition a fingle day, or the diftance of a place, will fometimes be a matter of great confequence in the narrative of our Lord's life; in many parts he must have appeared and vanished like a meteor; and their inhabitants might have faid,

Oftendunt nobis hunc tantum fata, neque ultra

Effe finunt.

It might also have been objected in all ages, that his miracles and doctrines had not been fubjected to due fcrutiny.

The learned Dr. Benfon was fo impreffed with the general idea here ftated, that in his Life of Chrift I find him expreffing this fentiment in four different places. "It was neceffary that our Lord's miniftry fhould be of fufficient length, that the attentive and well difpofed might have a fair opportunity to perceive how good and upright his life was; how complete his character; how venerable and excellent his doctrine, and how full and abundant the evidences thereof." "It was fit that Jesus's miniftry fhould continue for a fufficient length of time, to manifeft what his life and doctrine were, and what the evidences of his divine miffion." "It was fit that his miniftry should laft a fufficient length of time, for making his doctrine known, and fetting before the eyes of men fatisfactory evidences of his divine miffion." "The ministry of Jefus was to be of a fufficient length, for manifefting the fublime and illuftrious virtue of his life, and the evidences of his divine miffion."

By thefe, and other fimilar arguments and obfervations, this learned and judicious writer fupports his opinion, respecting the Duration of our Saviour's public Ministry. The period, for which he contends, is the term commonly affigned to it by harmonists. Many eminent writers, among whom is fir Ifaac Newton*, fuppofed, that there were traces of five paffovers in the evangelical hiftory. Dr. Macknight thinks, that there might be fix, and that our Lord's miniftry might continue five years, or five years and a half. Nay, fays he, it may have lafted several years longer, on a fuppofition, that there were paffovers in his miniftry, of which there is neither direct mention made, nor any trace to be found in the hiftory +." This notion is by no means inconfiftent with facred history, which intimates, that the evangelifts have given us only a faint sketch of our Lord's life, and not a full delineation. The hypothefis, adopted by our author, is a medium between the two extremes, and feems to be the most probable.

* Obf. on Dan. p. 156.

+ Mackn. Prel. Obs. ii,

Some

Some Obfervations relative to the Influence of Climate. on Vegetable and Animal Bodies. By Alexander Wilfon, M. D. 8vo. 55. in boards. Cadell.

THIS treatise is divided into three parts; in the first of

which the author endeavours to prove, that a certain degree of the phlogiftic principle is univerfally neceffary to vegetation, and that the component parts of bodies are difengaged by putrefaction in a certain proportion to climate, which climate is always adequate to the re-application of the separated parts, to form new vegetables in the fame proportion.

In the first chapter of this part the author ftates the subject of his enquiry. The fecond chapter briefly evinces that air is neceffary to vegetation. The author obferves, that no plant will thrive in vacuo; and that vegetables of all kinds receive from the atmosphere matters of such quality as are requifite for their vigorous growth, and by its affiftance discharge their perfpiration according to their respective natures, and the climates in which they are placed. A plant kept in a dry, and pure air foon becomes languid, though regularly watered at the root. This, Dr. Wilson farther observes, affords proof that pure water and pure air, alone, will not promote a healthful and vigorous vegetation; the evident change which takes place in plants fo circumftanced, after a warm refreshing shower, evincing their having received fomething befides moi, fture at the root.

The third chapter treats of the ingredients in the air neceffary to vegetation. The author obferves,

It is a well-known fact, that air which hath been respired by animals is rendered unfit for the continued refpiration of the fame, or any other animal, by being loaded with phlogiston. Dr. Priestley hath fhewn, that when this air is deprived of its over-charge of this principle, it is again fit for refpiration: his experiments, with thofe of Dr. Ingenhoufz, have also made it evident, that plants retain it as a proper and healthful food, which they abforb with the common atmospherical air, and that the action of vegetables, exposed to the light of the fun, fits that fluid again for the purposes of animal life, by difcharging the impregnated air they inhaled in a pure, dephlogisticated

ftate.

The air which is detached from putrid vegetable and animal fubftances feems only improper for refpiration by the quantity of phlogifton it contains; confequently as that which renders air noxious to animals makes it falutary to vegetables, we fuppofe it is this principle contained in natural rains which fo much increases the growth of plants,

It is this phlogiston that gives a particular fulphureous fmell, fometimes obfervable even in this country after long droughts in the heat of fummer, which refembles the air of a room highly impregnated with electric matter. In the tropical latitudes this fmell is often fo ftrong as to become very difagreeable, particularly when the rains fet in after a confiderable duration of dry weather.

Phlogiston hath an affinity with water, and alfo with the air contained in water, which promotes their union in the atmofphere, either in its defcent, or when fupported in the form of vapour, which being condenfed into rain, and falling on the ftems and foliage of plants, is abforbed by them, and makes a principal ingredient in their compofition: what efcapes contact in this way finks into the ground, and is probably taken up by the roots of the plant.

From this view it is evident, that differently impregnated atmospheres mult affect vegetation very differently, and from this caufe feems to arife the fuperior fertility of lands clofe to great towns, with lefs manure and labour than thofe of the fame quality at a greater diftance from fuch places of warmth and putrefaction, by which the diffolution of bodies is accomplished, and that phlogifton difengaged which impregnates the furrounding atmosphere.

The air of the Sugar Iflands is fo highly replete with this principle, that many plants of quick growth, which have very few roots attaching them to the foil, are fupported by it; the no root, a vine of rapid growth, has not the mallet hold of the foil, and a part of it cut and flung on any old wall, or tree, will vegetate vigorously, if in a warm and not over dry fituation.'

In the fourth chapter Dr. Wilfon urges the probability that phlogifton and electric matter are modifications of the fame principle. In order to establish this doctrine, he observes that in every climate the degree of vegetation is proportionable to that of putrefaction; and that the quantities of lightning in different countries alfo keep pace with the progrefs of putrefaction in them. He farther obferves, that in those countries which are remarkable for the rapidity of their vegetation, and the quick progrefs of putrefaction, fuch as Surinam, Ifaaccape, the Spanish Main, and the fouthern parts of America, lightning is more abundant and frequent than in countries equally woody in more northern latitudes. In the northern regions, about Greenland, there is hardly any lightning after fummer; and in Nova Zembla, yet farther north, thunder is fcarce known. Dr. Wilfon obferves, that the great quantities of lightning in hot countries feem to arife from the quick diffolution of bodies, by which the phlogifton is difengaged; and that in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean lightning is feldom

feen.

feen. This fact, he remarks, furnishes a strong argument, that the fame phlogifton which conftituted a part of the compofition of bodies, is lightning when difengaged from

them.

The fifth chapter treats of the causes of putrefaction. Heat, it is generally admitted, is abfolutely neceffary to the progrefs of putrefaction; but the latter is greatly accelerated by phlogifton and lightning, and Dr. Wilfon adduces experiments to prove that it is also very much promoted by the contact of the lunar rays.

About the latitude of 11 degrees north, fays he, in the month of February, a thin piece of fresh beef, about four ounces weight, and perfectly found, was cut in two equal parts, and kept in the fame temperature from mid-day to feven o'clock in the evening; one of the pieces was then covered with a box, which did not admit a particle of light; the other was spread open, and exposed to a bright and full moon. They were both left in this state till next morning, at which time the covered piece fhewed not the fmalleft fign of putrefaction, while the other fmelt ftrongly. By two o'clock the fame day the found piece began to fmell, but that which had been expofed to the lunar rays was much further advanced in putrefaction.

Facts of this kind are fo generally known in those climates, that the fishermen, who are out all night, take care to prevent the rays of the moon from fhining on the fish they catch; yet notwithstanding their precautions, thofe taken in moon-light become putrid confiderably fooner than others taken in the daytime, or when there is no moon-fhine. For instance, two fish of the fame kind, and nearly of the fame fize, were taken; one was killed about twelve o'clock in the day, and the other at feven o'clock in the evening; the firft was put into a cellar from which the light was excluded, the laft lay all night expofed to the full moon: at feven o'clock next morning both difcovered figns of putrefaction, and by two o'clock the fame day that which was first killed fmelled ftrongly; while the other, which was killed feven hours after, and expofed to the moon-light, fmelled as ftrong, and feemed more diffolved.'

Our author feems juftly to afcribe this effect to the contact of the lunar rays, and not to the atmosphere, from obferving that no perceivable effect follows when the rays of the moon are excluded from contact with the animal matter.-He informs us that he made various experiments to ascertain whether the contact of the lunar rays produced fimilar effects on dead vegetable fubftances, but the confequences were not remarkable; the flow progrefs of putrefaction in vegetable bodies, and the difficulty of keeping them in an equal state of moisture, making fuch experiments tedious and uncertain.

The

The fixth chapter relates to the effects of moon-light on growing vegetables. Between the tropics, we are told, it has long been a general opinion, that moon-fhine, or the contact of the lunar rays, ripens fruits, and accelerates the growth of plants; an opinion which also prevails among the people of our own country. To afcertain the reality of this fact, Dr. Wilfon and others made feveral experiments, from the general result of which they were led to conclude in its favour.

• About a dozen young cabbage plants grew together in the fame bed; fix of them of equal vigour with the reft were covered up every night, foon after fix o'clock, with a box which admitted no light, from fix days after the change to fix days after the full moon, and were uncovered every morning about, or foon after fun-rise, while the remaining plants were allowed a free exposure to the rays of the moon.

Those which were uncovered had evidently the advantage of the covered ones. The experiment was repeated with lettuces, and the advantage at the beginning was evidently in favour of thofe put under cover, by way of equivalent for want of the nocturnal humidity; yet notwithstanding, in two weeks, they were exceeded in fize and beauty by those which flood exposed.

This was a point rather too nice to be determined by the refult of one or two experiments; we therefore concur in the general idea, from finding that every trial, and inquiry, tended more or less to prove the opinion founded on fact.'

The author obferves, that as putrefaction is undoubtedly accelerated in dead animal bodies by the contact of lunar rays, there is great reafon to fuppofe it will forward the growth of plants. For every feptic, we know, promotes vegetation, and every thing that promotes vegetation is more or less a feptic when applied to dead vegetable or animal bodies.

The feventh chapter mentions the difcovery made by the abbé Nollet, that electric matter, properly applied, accelerates the growth of vegetables; a fact which our author alfo confirms by an experiment, and urges as a farther proof that phlogiston and electric matter are the fame.

In the eighth chapter the author affigns a reason why lightning is lefs frequent, and growth lefs luxuriant in the Weft India fugar iflands than on the continents in the fame latitudes. Dr. Priestley, he obferves, has proved that contact and moderate agitation with water depurates phlogisticated air, and, like vegetation, renders it fit for the purposes of animal life. Our author remarks that small islands retain but small quantities of air, and the trade winds which blow continually over them are depurated by contact with the furface of a very extenfive fea, by which they are enabled to unite with, and ab

forb