kinds of factitious air already enumerated, the Prefident adds another, discovered by Mr. Cavendish, called inflammable air, of the nature of that found in neglected privies, common fewers, but chiefly in coal-pits, where it is called the fire-damp. This kind of air is furprizingly light, being only the tenth part of the weight of common air, and therefore totally different from the inephitic, which is found to be heaviThis ait may be produced in abundance from three metallic bodies, zink, iron, and tin, by diffolving them in the diluted vitriolic acid, or fpirit of sea-salt. CF. Another fpecies of air called nitrous air, the Prefident reckons among the moft brilliant of Dr. Prieftley's difcoveries. It was firft produced by Dr. Hales, from the Walton pyrites, by means of the fpirit of nitre; but Dr. Priestley by extending the experiment, found that the fame kind of air might be procured, by means of the fame kind of acid, from almost every other metallic fubftance; and that when mixed with common air, an effervelcence, with a turbid red colour, always enfued, yet it made no change when either mixed with inflamma ble air, or tainted with the breath of animals, or the corruption of their bodies; and by this teft he could judge of the kind, as well as of the degree, of injury done to common air, by candles burning in it, or by the breath or effluvia of people, after they had left viliting him in his study. The Prefident concludes his excellent difcourfe with fhewing, from Dr. Priestley, what refources Nature has in ftore against the bad effects of corrupted air, which from various caufes, infects our atmosphere. "It is well known," fays he, "that flame cannot long fubfift without a renewal of common air. The quantity of that fluid which even a small flame requires is furprifing: an ordinary candle confumes, as it is called, about a gallon of air in a minute. Now, confidering the vaft confumption of this vital fluid, by fires of all kinds made by man, and by volcanos, it becomes an interefting enquiry to afcertain what change is made in the air by flame, and to discover what provifion there is in nature to repair the injury done by this means to our atmosphere. Dr. Priestley, after relating the conjectures of others, and not finding them fatisfactory, was fortunate in falling on a method of restoring air, which had been vitiated by the burning of candies in it. This led the way to the difcovery of one of the great reftoratives which Nature employs for this purpofe, to wit, vegetation. See by what induction he proves his opinion. It was natural to imagine, that fince the change of common air is neceflary to vegetable, as well as to animal life, both plants and animals rendered it foul in the fame manner, fo as to become unfit for further life and vegetation. But when, with that expectation, the Doctor had put a fprig of mint, in a growing and vigorous ftate, under an inverted glafs jar, tanding in water, he was agreeably difappointed to find, that this plant not only continued to live, though in a languishing way, for two months, but that the confined air was fo little corrupted by what had iffued from the mint, that it would neither extinguish a candle, nor kill a fmall animal which he conveyed into it. What further evinced the falutary nature of the effluvia of vegetables, he found, that air, vitiated by a candie left in it till it burnt out, was perfectly reflored to its quality of fupporting flame, after another fprig of mint had for fome time vegetated in it. And, to thew that the aromatic vapour of that plant had no fhare in rettoring this purity to the air, he observed, that vegetables of an offenfive fmell, and even fuch as scarce had any smell at all, but were of a quick growth, proved the very best for this purpofe. Nay more, the virtue of growing vegetables was found to be an antidote to the baneful quality of air corrupted by animal refpiration and putrefaction. "We have faid, that neither candles will burn, nor animals live, beyond a certain time, in a given quantity of air; yet the cause of either fo fpeedy a death or extinction was unknown, nor was any method discovered for rendering that empoisoned air fit again for refpiration. Some provifion, however, there must be in nature for this purpofe, as well as for that of fupporting flame; without fuch, the whole atmosphere would in time become unfit for animal life, and the race of men, as well as beafts, would die of a peftilential diftemper. Yet we have reafon to believe, that, in our days, the air is not lefs proper for breathing in, than it was above two thousand years ago, that is as far as we can go back in natunatural history. Now for this important end, the Doctor has fuggefted, to the divine as well as to the philofopher, two grand resources of nature; the vegetable creation again is one, and the fea and other bodies of water are the other. "As to the former, having found that plants wonderfully thrive in putrid air, he began to attempt, by means of growing vegetables, to purify air that had been injured by animal refpiration and putrefaction; nor was he less fuccessful than before. Thefe plants were fure to recover the air to a degree of fitness for breathing in it, and that in proportion to their vigour, and the care he took to remove the rotten leaves and branches, which remaining would have marred the operation. "And with regard to the fecond refource of nature, namely, the ocean, and other waters, Dr. Prieftley having obferved that both the air corrupted by the breath of animals, and that vitiated by other putrid matter, was in a good measure, fweetened by the feptic part infufing itself into water, he concluded, that the fea, the great lakes and rivers, which cover fo large a proportion of the globe, muft be highly ufefel, by abforbing what is putrid, for the further purification of the atmofphere: thus beftowing what would be noxious to man and other ani mals, upon the formation of marine and other aquatic plants, or upon other purposes yet unknown. "From thefe difcoveries we are affured, that no vegetable grows in vain; but that, from the oak of the foreft to the grafs of the field, every individual plant is ferviceable to mankind; it not always diftinguished by fome private virtue, yet making a part of the whole which clean fes and purifies our atmosphere. In this the fragrant rofe and deadly night-fhade co-operate: nor is the herbage nor the woods that flourish in the most remote and unpeopled regions unprofitable to us, nor we to them, confidering how conftantly the winds convey to them our vitiated air, for our relief, and for And if ever their nourishment. thefe falutary gales rife to ftorms and hurricanes, let us ftill trace and revere the ways of a beneficent Being, who, not fortuitously, but with defign, not in wrath, but in mercy, thus fhakes the waters and the air together, to bury in the deep thofe putrid and peftilential effluvia, which the vegetables upon the face of the earth had been infufficient to confume,” The Prefident's addrefs to Dr. Priestley, on delivering him the medal before mentioned, does the Doctor honour. "Dr. 164 A Love-Letter from a Banker's Clerk. Cure for Warts. "Dr. PRIESTLEY, "It is now time that, in the name and by the authority of the Royal Society of London, inftituted for the improvement of natural knowledge, I prefent you with this medal, the palin and laurel of this community, as a faithful and unfading teftimony of their regard, and of the just fenfe they have of your merit, and of the perfevering industry with which you have promoted the views, and thereby the honour of this Society. And, in their behalf, I must earnestly requeft you to continue thofe liberal and valuable enquiries, whether by further profecuting this fubject, probably not yet exhaufted, or by inveftigating the nature of fome other March, of the fubtle fluids of the universe. You will remember that fire the great inftrument of the chymifts, is but little known even to themselves; and that it remains a query, what was by the most celebrated of philofophers proposed as fuch, whether there be not a certain fluid (he calls it ather) the cause of gravity, the caufe of the various attractions, and of the animal and vital motions *. Thefe, Sir, are indeed large demands: but the Royal Society have hitherto been fortunate in their pneumatic refearches. And were it otherwife, they have much to hope from men of your talents and application, and whose past labours have been crowned with fo much fuccefs." A LOVE-LETTER from a Banker's Clerk to bis Mistress. "TH HE number of uneasy fenfations which I have indured fince your departure, are be yond the reach of arithmetic. I am oppreffed with the weight of them. I do not mean to fubtract from the goodness of your parents; but why would they divide our perfons when they knew that our hearts were confolidated. How are my uneafineffes multiplied! Were you my omnium in this world, here, I should want no addition to my happiness. Figure to yourfelf my fituation, and you will pity me. I know very well that I ought to have patience; but I cannot reduce my fentiments to practice. Your abfence makes fuch fractions in my ideas, that I hardly know what I write. If I G write not agreeably to the rule of reafon, I hope you will make grains of allowance; for in the condition I am in I cannot pretend to weigh every fyllable in the balance of correctnefs: I hope, therefore, that you will let the scale of candour preponderate in my behalf. If you cannot forgive all the fluxions of my pen, at least pity them: it is very hard upon many occafions to draro the line of propriety; but if I offend in this, I will promife to turn over a new leaf. If I am out of your books, I fhall be driven to defpair: for you will find upon cafting up the contents of this letter, that the fum total is exceffive love. A CURE for WARTS. ET fome strong foap Lees, that has not been used, and wet the warts often with it, which will PETER PLUME. certainly cure them, as has been repeatedly experienced. Newton's Optics, Quer. 18204 PARLI ON PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS of Great Britain. N Friday, Feb. 11, the Speaker did not take the Chair till near a quarter after three o'clock, although the Houfe was amazingly full, upwards of three hundred Members were prefent. He made a bort apology for not taking the Chair fooner, faid it was on account of a letter which had appeared in a public paper addreffed to him; that he should with before he proceeded to bufinefs, the Honourable Members that were employed in the bufinefs of the petitions alluded to in the faid letter were prefent, that they might declare what they knew of his conduct in respect to those petitions, and whether he merited the abute that was thrown on him. Neither Mr. Sawbridge nor Mr. Oliver being prefent, the common business went on. After feveral other private petitions and bills were prefented, the Speaker, finding that neither Mr. Sawbridge nor Mr. Oliver were come, begged leave to go on with his vindication; faid he was confcious there was not the leaft ground for the accufation against him; that, if he was guilty of fuch bafeness as he was there charged with, he ought not only to be drove out of the Chair, but never fuffered to come within the doors of that Honourable House again; that he now perceived an Honourable Gentleman coming in, who prefented one of the petitions, (Mr. Sawbridge came in at that inftant) and he hoped he would inform the Houfe what he knew of his conduct refpecting these petitions, Sir Edward Aftley arofe, and went thro' the whole of the charges contained in the faid letter, as far as refpected him, and faid the charges of partiality were false. Mr. Sawbridge faid he was applied to to present the petition but a few days ago; that what he had faid concerning it was according to the inftructions he received; but he knew of no partiality on the fide of Sir Fletcher. The whole Houfe feeming unanimous that the charge was groundiefs, Sir Fletcher arofe, and faid he was thoroughly fatisfied the Houle thought him innocent, and it was the height of his ambition to gain their esteem; that if he had their good word, he cared not what any faction faid of him. The order of the day was going to be read, when Mr. Herbert faid he thought it would be an impeachment of the underftanding of that Houfe to fuffer fuch a thing as this to pats with impunity; that he should therefore move, that the letter in the Public Advertiser of this date, adMarch, 1774.. dreffed to Sir Fletcher Norton, Knight, Speaker of this Houfe, is a falfe, föandalous, and malicious libel, contrary to all law or juftice, and in open violation of the privilege of this House. The question was put, whether the above should pafs, and agreed to nem. con. Mr. Herbert then moved, that the printer of the Public Advertiser be ordered to attend this House on Monday next.' And he was ordered accordingly. On Monday, Feb. 14, at about five minutes past three, the House being informed that Mr. Woodfall attended according to order, he was called in, and placed at the bar, when the Speaker acquainted him with the refolution which had passed relative to the letter, in Friday's Public Advertiser, being a falfe, fcandalous, and feditious libel. The paper which contained the libel was handed to Mr. Woodfall, and, after being asked what he had to say in his defence, he spoke nearly to the following purport: 'SIR, I received the letter from Mr. Horne, I was the more induced to believe the con→ tents true, because I faw the copies of two petitions, the one figned Thomas De Grey, Efq; the other William Tooke Efq. I which neglect will, I hope, be imputed to did not read the former part of the letter, that hurry which the nature of my business fubjects me to.' · · The Clerk having taken down this part of his exculpatory addrefs, the Speaker asked, If that was all he had to fay in his defence?' He replied, During the course of twenty years in which I have been in bufinefs, I never before incurred the displeafure of this Houfe. I have voluntarily obeyed the fummons, and throw myself upon the mercy of the House.' He was then interrogated by a Member Whether he knew Mr. Horne's Chriftian name?' He answered John.' • Whether Mr. Horne was a clergyman?' His reply was, He is deemed fo. He was queftioned as to the place of Mr. Horne's refidence, and the profeffion he followed?' He anfwered after fome hesitation,That Mr. Horne lived, he believed, at Brentford, and officiated as Curate there.' Mr. Woodfall was then ordered to withdraw, and the debates were opened by Mr. Herbert, who, after expatiating largely upon the enormity of the crime, the atrocioufnefs of the libel, and the neceffity of maintaining the privileges of the House Y inviolate, inviolate, moved, that H. S. Woodfall, for having printed a falfe, fcandalous, and feditious libel, fhould be committed to the cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms.' Mr. Charles Fox faid he was not against fhewing lenity to any man; but to a perfon who had been proved guilty of fuch an atrocious crime he thought committing to the Serjeant at Arms was not fufficient: He should therefore move, that he be com mitted to Newgate, Lord North faid, that he should have had no objections to the first motion, if a precedent could be found where a libeller was committed to the Serjeant at Arms; and that, as to fhewing lenity, he had no objections, if the printer would afterwards petition; but it was neceffary, for the honour of the Houfe, that he should be committed to fome jail. Mr. Charles Fox then withdrew his motion, and the question was put, whether the printer should be committed to the Serjeant at Arms or the Gate-house? For the first 152, Against it 68, Majority, 84. He was accordingly ordered into cuftody. The question was then put, and refolved on unanimously, that John Horne do attend this Houfe to-morrow. "The fame day Mr. Sawbridge made his motion for fhortening the duration of Parliaments. For the motion 94, against it 221. "On Wednesday, Feb. 16, Mr. C. Fox informed the Houle, that he had two news papers of that day in his hand; that in each was a letter figned A South Briton," which, in his opinion, was the most flagrant and malicious libel that ever appeared; that it was a libel of the most atrocious kind, as it reflected on his Majesty and the Government at large; that, if they, fuffered those libellers to go unpunished, we thould never be, free from libels. He made a long speech in fupport of the pri vilege of the House, and concluded by moving, that his Majesty's Attorney General be ordered to profecute the Authors, Publishers, and Printers of the faid letter, which was agreed to, only one diffentient voice (Mr. Van). On Wednesday, February 17, Mr. Clemention, Deputy Serjeant at Arms, was called into the Houle, who faid he went yesterday to Mr. Tooke's house in Serjeants-inn and had Mr. Horne in custody in one of the rooms belonging to that houle.. The Speaker informed the House that, when the prifoner was brought to the bar, · no questions could be propofed to him but from the Chair.' Mr. Horne was then ordered in, and made a long defence to that part of his accufation which tended to his holding the. Houfe in contempt. He faid he hoped his letter to the Clerk of the Houfe, his answer to the Messenger, and, above all, the readiness he had fhewn in being taken into custody to-day, would prove that he did not hold that House in contempt.-He was ordered to withdraw, and Mr. Oliver made a motion, that as Mr. Horne had. exculpated himself from the charge alledged against him of holding that House in con- . tempt, he be now difcharged from the cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms.' Aftrong debate enfued, whether the above motion fhould be put or not; which was carried against Mr. Oliver. Several queftions were proposed to the Speaker to be asked Mr. Horne.-Mr. Horne was called in, and the question put to him. He defired to know whether what Mr. Woodfall had faid was the only evidence or charge against him?' The Speaker faid, 'It was the charge.' He then faid, It was very droll, for he had a charge against him;' he spoke for a long time, and concluded with faying he should plead there, as in any other Court of Juftice, NOT GUILTY.' He was again ordered out, and another debate enfued on the competency of Mr. Woodfall's evidence ; it was ftrongly urged, on one fide, that Woodfall, being under fentence, could not be a proper evidence; it was as strongly opposed on the other. Mr. Horne was again called in, and defired to know if he chused to have Mr. Woodfall before him ;' which was agreed to. Mr. Woodfall was called in, and proved that he received the letter from Mr. Horne; that it was that Mr. Horne's writing, and that he delivered that Mr. Horne a proof of the letter before it was published; that he went to Mr. Horne as foon as he received a fummons to attend, and that that Mr. Horne defired him to give him up as the author.' were again ordered to withdraw, and another debate arose, Whether this evidence of Mr. Woodfall was competent or not? and it was proposed to afk Mr. Woodfall ་ They if any perfon was present at any of the times when Mr. Horne was with him?" They were both again called in; Mr. Woodfall faid no perfon was present when Mr. Horne gave him the letter- -no perfon was prefent when he gave Mr. Horne a proof to correct that, when the proof was corrected, it was fent back; but he was not at home then, neither did he know who brought or received it.' He was then afked the names of his fervants?' He gave in the names of three compositors, tome of whom he imagined composed it. They were both ordered to withdraw. Mr. Herbert moved, that the three perfons |