ing, and equally in the way to the highest station."

My dilemma becomes complete. What encouragement, putting heavenly blessings out of the argument just now, can I hold out to keep the Church in his choice? I had shewn him, in Opitius's Grammar, the quotation from a Bishop concerning candidates for Holy Orders without a smattering of Hebrew: Se nec Paulos,nec Hieronymos requirere, saltem ASINOS pro hominibus udmittere nolle. Dare I presume to measure the learning of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's Chaplains?

Your Correspondent Oxon's brings no praise. My youth, proud of a little Hebrew, insists that our authorized version of the Chapters in Deuteronomy pleases him most; that if the true sense of a passage is not more opened, made more clear to every reader, a mere change of words is not a new translation. I had held OXONIENSIS up as a pattern for emulation.

1

After all, I hope to lead my young man on. Every Critic was once a Sciolist: out of that comes good, more learning cures it or confirms it; as such he conned over this last Hebrew Primer, and put triumphantly the following question, as if I was the compiler, "How can Nun (n) and Heth (hh), being the two letters

in the Patriarch's name saved at the

deluge, how can these give out that audible word NOAH?"

AB

P*.

STRAND BRIDGE. Mr. URBAN, Beaumont-street, Feb.4. BSTRACT questions of science are often deemed little more than ingenious amusements; but their importance, when applied to practice, is universally admitted. Public works upon a great scale are necessarily rare, and judicious criticisms on such works while in progress would perhaps serve the interest of science not less essentially than a more elaborate investigation of the subject. From the general interest of works of this nature, I trust you will not think the pages of your widely-circulating Miscellany improperly occupied by a few remarks on the above work.

My observations at present will be confined to the timber framing on

which the arch is to be turned, technically called the centre.

The principle of composition is the same with that contrived by Mr. Mylne for Blackfriars-bridge, a print of which is published with other parts of the machinery used in erecting that work. It appears to have been very much copied from its elder brother at Westminster-bridge, invented by Mr. King, the Carpenter at that Bridge. The print of the latter is very scarce; but the former may be easily procured, as also a very beautiful perspective print by Rooker.

Notwithstanding its ingenuity, it is well known to many who remember the building of that bridge, that that centre did not completely perform its duty. Its defects are greatly multiThe plied in the present example. construction is much more compli cated, and the quantity of timber enormous perhaps beyond example. The solids exceed the voids, and the timber consumed in a truss would form a solid rib of sixteen feet in depth. The frequent intersecting and halving of the timbers reduces their active strength. It also diminishes greatly the value of the timber for after converting, when done with for the temporary purpose of a centre. The timbers are much too parallel to each other, producing only quadrilateral forms, which are always liable to revolve at the angles; whereas the true principle of construction for a truss must be sought in the triangle, and the nearer equilateral the better. Tenons, mortices, halvings, and boltings, weaken the timber; they should therefore be avoided as much as pos sible. The greatest strength of a piece of timber to support a weight is when it is charged with that weight in the direction of its fibres. The more it is inclined from that direction, the less weight will it support. It is absolutely impossible to conceive how a piece of timber that is perfectly straight can be bent, crippled, or broken, by any force whatever act ing at the extremes. But suppose the smallest force whatever acting in the middle, in a direction perpendicular to the length, this force will be sufficient to give it a small degree of curvature; and if a strong force be supposed to act at the ends at the same time, pressing the timber in the direction of its length, these picces

will greatly contribute towards breaking it. It is easy therefore to conceive, that if a piece of timber be the least bent whatever, or if the fibres of that timber be not quite straight, there is a certain force which if acting at the ends will break it.-The rule given by the mathematicians is, that the strength of the timber, when pressed end ways, is infinite, and when cross-ways nothing as the cosine of the angle formed by the direction of the weight and the fibres of the wood is to the whole sine.-This rule does not take into account the compressibility, and other physical qualities, of the materials, which considerably affect their strength. The strength of timber when charged endways diminishes with its length in the inverse ratio of the squares of its length.

These facts and principles are well known to all who are conversant with timber-framing.

If the truss of Blackfriars be examined by these principles, the cause of its defects will readily appear.

The radiating timbers, called by Mr. Mylne Kingposts, are, apparently, well placed to take the weight of the arch-stoues, being in the direction of the radius: And it was expected the Kingposts would be kept from descending by the long braces. But practice, which is the test of theory, proves that they did not. Thus it happens where the centre was loaded on the haunch it was depressed there, and rose at the

crown.

This descent may be accounted for on the principles quoted above. In fact, the supposed ingenuity of placing the Kingpost in the direction of the radius, which is unquestionably the line of pressure, proceeds from the mistaken idea that that post is the support; whereas the weight is actually carried by the long braces, and the Kingpost acts merely as a hanging tie, to prevent the swagging of the beam at its foot; exactly as is the case in a common kingpostroof, where the weight of a purlin is supported by a brace, and the Kingpost prevents the tye-beam being pressed down by the foot of the brace. In the centre, if the head of the brace descends, there is evidently nothing to prevent the Kingpost coming down, The great length of the brace allows

it to bend, and the weakness arising from its length is further increased by the frequent halvings; the fibres, instead of being pressed endways, are pressed sideways; in which direction the timber is easily compressed. The long braces thus failing, the lower braces will easily spread, by forcing up the next adjoining post; and thus the action of the strain forces the centre up at the crown, and the general forms being quadrilaterals, and easily revolving at the angles, present but little resistance to this change of form,

If this was the case at Blackfriarsbridge, much more may it be expected at the Strand-bridge, where the length of the braces is much greater, and the angle they form much more obtuse; as well as the additional defects mentioned at the commencement of this paper.

Sir Joshua Reynolds says that "Happy appropriation is equal to originality," and with great propriety, for judgment and taste must be exerted to make a happy appropriation. This may be equally true in the Mechanical Sciences, as in the Fine Arts. But when we see a professor copy a design, and instead of remedying the defects, multiply them, we cannot give him the praise of judgment or taste; but he is justly described as an ignorant copyist.

The elasticity of the timber allows of a considerable strain before it will break; but there is a certain determinate curvature for every beam, which cannot be exceeded without breaking it for there is a certain separation of two adjoining particles that puts an end to their cohesion. And when the weight is so great as those arches will be, the strength of the timber must be enormous to resist the fracture of its fibres, when acted upon by such a cross strain. The substitution of quantity is but a clumsy contrivance, and can never compensate for inju dicious application.

These trusses are well enough adapted to support an equal permanent weight; but when partially loaded, as must be the case in turning the arch, they have no principle to resist change of form.

It is true that the arch, when completely turned, has a tendency to recover its form, and certainly in its

pro

In Blackfriars-bridge many of the stones suffered great spalls in consequence, injuring its stability and appearance. Perronet is well aware of these evils, and speaks of similar spalls having happened in building certain bridges in France, and describes minutely the precautions and great care and labour he bestowed to avoid similar accidents, and recommends, as a desideratum, that the centre be made so as to resist as much as possible all change of form while turning the arch. That the arch will thereby be ultimately more perfect, as well as built with more ease, and of course economy, cannot be disputed.

In the present informed age, in a public work we expect to see science brought in aid of economy; whereas this example might be properly enough exhibited as a caricature of a design for a centre; for it would be difficult to contrive one more expensive or less efficient.

Yours, &c. GEO. MONEYPENNY.

N answer the inquiries in

ings, Hungerford, &c. &c. who dying unmarried in 1789, the Earldom of Huntingdon (and, according to Banks, the Barony of Hastings) became extinct; but Hungerford, &c. being Baronies in fee, and therefore descendible to heirs general, devolved upon the said Elizabeth, then Countess of Moira.

In the year 1809, Lord Moira claimed the Barony of Hastings, stating, that he was sole heir-general of William first Baron of Hastings, called to Parliament by writ of summons, 1 Edward IV.

The Attorney General, Sir Vicary Gibbs, produced a variety of evidence, shewing that the said William was called to Parliament by writ of summons; and that he took his seat accordingly. That he died (he was be headed) in 1483, leaving Edward Hastings who had beca summoned to Parliament the year before, as Lord Hastings of Hungerford, jure uxoris, his son and beir. That it appeared from the Close Rolls of 8, 7, and 12 Henry VII. that a writ was directed in each of those years" Edwardo de Hastyngs de Hungerford, chevalier," summoning him to Parliament. That he died about the year 1506, and was succeeded by George his only son, who, it appeared from the Close Roll of 1 Henry VIII. was summoned to Parliament by the name of George Hastings de Hastings: that he sat in Parliament under that writ; and that he was created Earl of Huntingdon by letters patent, 21 Henry VIII. That the said Barony passed in a regular course of descent Francis the late

the precedence of the Earl of Moira as an English Baron: his Lordship sits in Parliament as Lord Hastings, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in the county of Leicester; first called by writ of summons, 26 July, 1461, 1 Edw. IV.

Lord Moira sat in the English House of Peers as Baron Rawdon, of Rawdon in Yorkshire, until the year 1808, when he succeeded to the Baronies of Hungerford, Newmarch or Newmark (called by Cainden de Novo-mercatu), Botreaux, Molins, and Moels, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth, sister and heir of Francis, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, and Baron Hast

* See the Pedigree of this Noble Family in the "History of Leicestershire," vol. III. p. 607. EDIT.

the outside of St. Michael's Church, was sanctioned by the same Mr. Sharp of whom he speaks (and who is, in reality, one of the Churchwardens), in conjunction with the Vicar and his associates; and that how much-soever this unseemly projection may offend the eye of Taste and Sensibility, it was made under the legitimate authority.

It is most likely the directors of that piece of brick masonry were not aware that the church might have been warmed much more effectually, and at much less expence, by stoves in its area, which (with spiral tubes to carry off the smoke) might have been made highly ornamental, and could have been removed at pleasure.

If this method had been adopted, the beautiful exterior of that edifice would have been left unimpaired, for the enjoyment of the man of taste, whencesoever he may come; for he alone is capable of being charmed by it; it is emphatically his

Mr. URBAN,

ARRA.

Feb. 12.

I. S.

HAVE been desired by several friends (who have for many years found the advantage of the following method) to request you will, in your next Magazine, insert it for the benefit of the publick; and it will oblige your constant reader, How in every year to procure plenty of New-laid Eggs at Christmas. Let the hens be set upon eggs as early in the year as possible; not later than March. A hutch should be made for the hen and chickens, 24 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 18 high, divided in the middle, so as half to be open and half very close; let down a door to keep them very warm in the night; and, when wet or very cold, if made light, it may easily be put under shelter. The chickens are to be fed with plenty of boiled eggs for 12 or 14 days; if too much relaxed, eggs are a speedy cure. Chickens hatched early will be Rearly as large as the hens at Mid

summer, and in November and December will always lay plenty of eggs, and will sit upon eggs very early the next spring; this will produce an early breed of poultry. The best fowls for laying are not very large; and the white ones do not lay so well in cold weather.

Remarks.-Poultry should roost very warm in winter; and in summer the house should have air, and be cleaned every week. Many die through drinking dirty water. An earthenware fountain keeps the water clean, and preserves their health in hot weather. After three years hens cast their feathers later and later every year, and are hardly in full feather until December or January; seldom lay eggs until March or April, and then only 20 or 30, and no more for that year. Hens should not be kept above four years, nor cocks above three.

By this method six hens will lay more eggs than twelve in the usual way.

Mr URBAN,

Jan. 28. A Dierenarth you observation, DVERTING to your known ha

I make no apology for assuming that you have taken notice of those edifices with which voluntary contribution, parochial providence, and postmortuary piety, have embellished this Metropolis, for the safe conduct of juvenile poverty, during the erratic season of incipient intellect. Neither can I suppose that you have wholly overlooked those party-coloured troops which every parish delights to send to our Cathedral, to celebrate the annual festival. You must also have remarked, that the male tenantry of these mansions are accustomed, at the time of Christmas, to carry round certain scrolls, whereof the circumjacent decorations are sacred or secular, plain or coloured, according to the taste or finances of the purchaser; while in the centre are depicted all the vast varieties of symbolic notation. First, the smooth running-hand, and beneath it the mighty text; while lower still the light Italian uprears its lank elegance, to dispute the palm with the florescent beauties of the German Text. And who shall pretend to descry preeminence so nearly rivalled? Oh! my countrymen, the task is yours; you must decide.

If your sublime speculations ever hovered over this point, it must have struck you that they have three motives for this practice. First, a laudable ambition of displaying their skill in the graphic art; secondly, a rational and highly-stimulant expectation of receiving sixpences; and, thirdly, a prospective hope, that the beauty and variety of their penmanship may excite in those to whom they exhibit it, a desire to employ talents so multifarious and ornamental. And now, Mr. Urban (if I may compare small things with great), I will say, that my situation is somewhat similar to that of the exhibitors above described. In short, Sir, I am a Retail Poet; and should you want any thing in the small way (a sonnet, pastoral, rebus, or the like), I shall be most happy to supply you.

My life has been chiefly spent upon the road to Parnassus; but, being naturally short of stature, and having had the misfortune early in life to break my back-bone in an unsuccessful attempt to swallow a pair of spectacles, I have not been able to gather the fruit which there grows so luxuriantly by the way-side, or even any of the flowers, except toad-stools; and have therefore been obliged to comfort myself with the treasures of the road, and to content myself with picking up hob-nails and sparables. mode of passing my life has at least given me the advantage of investigating the cross-roads and bye-paths of this mountain; and if I cannot be the Paterson, I will at least be the Luffman of Parnassus. If I caunot direct the traveller from London to Edinburgh, I may at least tell him how far it is from Duke's-place to Petticoat-lane.

This

Such, Sir, is my history; and I beg leave, in imitation of the gentry to whom I have adverted, to subjoin my scroll; and, although I fear it will reflect no credit upon my penmanship, and have no rational or highly-stimulant expectation that you will give me a sixpence, yet I have a prospective hope, that if your cat should die, or from any other cause you should want any verses about nothing at all, you will (unless you should be previously engaged with Mr. or Mr. -) honour with your commands your profound admirer, PHERECYDES TINDERBOX.

And bye-pathes manie a one do marke its side,

And Poets choosen anie one they wille, Along the which on Pegasus to ride (That lordly beaste whom everie Bard doth stride) [stande in ken

Unto Fame's temple, wlrich doth Ne e'en one path have Poets left untried[and men, And, to set forth these various ways The lowliest of the trayne doth consecrate his pen.

There once were Bards, &c.

[Here follows in the MS. a long passage, which the Editor thought it necessary to omit for the sake of brevity, and which, it is hoped, the Reader will not much miss, as it relates to authors now almost obsolete.] But as we've none of these men now, I've said enough of them I trow, And turn to those whose talents lie In Hudibrastic poesy.

For many a Poet since his time
Hath copied Butler's double rhyme;
And greater Bard there is of them none,
Than he who sang of Agamemnon,
His Special Guide to Special Pleading-
Or he who wrote, as you may read in
But others oftimes when they take
Their metre, make a small mistake,
And thinking, if they use their measure,
They must be read with equal pleasure,
Forget the wit was all the time in
The men themselves, and not their
rhyming-

And then besides-but, out upon it!
I'd like to have forgot the Sonnet.
Yes-there are Sonnets, and my pensive
mind
[hest;

Hath oft obeyed fair Sympathy's beWho, with sweet Sensibility combin'd, Hath inly nestled in my bleeding

breast, [trac'd, And bid me, while the beamy lines I Pour forth the tear that glisten'd in [sigh;

mine eye,

Or heave the sadden'd sympathetic Such sigh as Rosa's bosom oft hath grac'd. For there are Bards who touch the

balmy soul

With sweet vibrations of ecstatic bliss,

And o'er congenial heart-strings gently

roll,

[kiss

In numbers softer than the Zephyr's Oh! might such beauties in my lines be [write fifteen.

But,

seen,

ah!-I can no more, or I should Offe otherres too there ys noe lacke, Who balades doe endyte; Ytrickt and frounc'd ynne letterre blacke, Ryghte pleasaunte toe the syghte. Ande