An Account of the Astronomical Discoveries of 18s. ture of the Manners of Paris. From the French 9$. of Lavallee, 2 vols. 12mo. The Volunteer's Guide, or, Complete Military Instructor, in the Drill, Manual, and Platoon Exer 2s. 6d. cises, with 27 Cuts, engraved on Wood. Swiftiana; or Bon Mots, Anecdotes, and Fugitive Observations and Facts, connected with the Life, Writings and Contemporaries of Dean Swift, 2 vols. 12mo. 10s. 6d. Beautiful as an Arcadian Nymph! upon her brow With Innocence: her waving locks fell down Her features were intelligence; her words were soft, As lighted in her face resistless charms : 2s. 6d. Raising the Wind, a Farce, in Two Acts. By James Nectit 1s. 6d. pacta fides; jurgia nesciunt Perrupisse levis vincula copulæ ; Nec rodente libido Tactu gaudia polluit, Ah! quales cruciant, conjuge mortuâ, Pectus tristitia! lacryma molliit Orbi fusa mariti Plutonis violentiam : Auritos lapides molliit Orpheos Per prærupta ruens, et juga montium, Communem ibimus ad domum ! Pellunt oscula pectoris. Sic cæptas bene nuptias Firmet ritè dies singula; gaudia Nobis mutua sint, mutuus et dolor; Vivamusque, et amemus, Projectis querimoniis. Et si fortè tuo diripiar sinu, Te, Dilecta, gemam vivus, et ultimo Questu Lesbia conjugis. "Jan. 17, 1699. "Mr. Elstob and I have been talking about ALPHABETS several times, and when he has put me to it, I have owned that I could not altogether approve of Dr. Bernard's sheet for divers reasons. He then tells me that I ought not to find fault with what is done already, unless I intend to do better myself, and if other men's faults are so material, I ought to rectify them to the best of my power, &c. I will now take it into consideration, and endeavour to find out a method that may be suitable to the matter. "I fancy then that the Alphabets would do better in a small and portable book, which may be easily carried along on a journey, or into a library, than to have them all together in a table, which hanging in a room is commonly out of the way when there is occasion to use it. And these Alphabets may be so contrived as to be pasted on a table together, if there be occasion. "As for the exactness of the Alphabets 'tis proposed:-1. That they shall not be taken from any printed book whatsoever, if a manuscript of the same letter can be had.-2. That when there is choice of manuscripts of the same language, we may give more Alphabets than one, if any sensible difference is found by reason of the antiquity or extraordinary neatness of the character.-3. That we will not insert trifling Alphabets, but those only of good authority and use. +. That these Alphabets shall be exactly engraven by either Mr. Sturt or Mr. Burghers, who are the two only men in England capable of engraving plates of this nature to any tolerable degree of perfection. "That this design may be better understood, we will enumerate some of the languages that may be comprized within our Alphabetarium. But it must not be expected that this collection should be absolutely compleat, seeing that the collector (having not travelled) serves himself only of those things that he knows of in England, and may afterwards enlarge this first draught as he grows able. The SAMARITAN. 1. From the coins, and, as the letters are in the Polyglott Bibles. 2. As they are expressed in the MS. Pentateuch in the Cottonian and Bodleian Libraries. The HEBREW. 1. From Mr. Huntingdon's He brew Pentateuch or such fair books. 2. The Hebrew as it is now usually written by the Rabbins of Italy and Germany. The SYRIAC. From Greg. Abilpharg's History, or fairer books if they can be found. 2. The Nestorian and 3. The Estrangle from their books, if such can be found. The ARABIAN. 1. In the Kophite letter, if any of them can be found in England: and in the modera letters-1. Of Asia, 2. Of Africa, 3. The Mendaan alphabet, 4. The Persian, 5. The Turkish, 6. The Malayan; all from their books. Alphabets, or specimens of the letters of the 1. Gauri. 2. The Brahmans, 3. Of Siam, -4. Of Bantam, 5. Of Malabar, 6. Of China, 7. Of Japan, S. Of Ceylon, 9. Of the Tartars. The GREEK from the 1. Marbles, 2. Medals, 3. Books of several ages down to the present time. The COPTIC from two or three different books. The ETHIOPIAN from the books, with a specimen || with, it is in the singular number, viz. when joined of Amharic letters. The ARMENIAN from the books. The IBERIAN or GEORGIAN. The SCLAVONIAN, according to the use of 1. Russia, 2. Poland, 3. Hungary, 4. Valachia, 5. Moldavia, 6. Bohemia, 7. Croatia. The LATIN, as the Greek before, from the 1. Marbles, 2. Medals, 3. Books in several ages to the present times. The SAXON, from 1000 years to the English of these times. The ancient British alphabet from St. Dunstan's book, and the modern one. The Irish from their books. with verbs, as, he created; YD, he found; 8, he said; 81, he came; and when to substantives Domba, God is a Judge; (Psalms, 50. 3.) app'a bwin ons, God ruled in Jacob, (59. 13.); Jehovah יהוה הוא האלהים,and when with pronouns he is Elohim, 1 Kings 18. 39.); 772b omba nns. Thou alone art Elohim, (2 Kings, 19. 19.) Thus it is found throughout the whole of the Bible, always governed either by a verb, or a noun, or a pronoun, in the singular number. From these observations it || plainly proves, that Elohim is not a proper name, particularly when it alludes to God, who has no name: even that of Jehovah is not essential, according to the Hebrew, it cannot be read in the manner as it is written; the letters of Jehovah, prove the everlasting To these we may add if it be thought fit the Teu-existence of GOD, viz. n'n, he was, mn, he is, and tonic, the Danish, Swedish, Lappian, Finic, low Dutch, Frisian, Spanish, Biscayn, French, Italian, with others which will come in, though I cannot now think of them: closing the whole with two plates-1. The Hieroglyphics of Egypt, 2. Of Mexico, with their explications." The GOTHIC and Meso Gothic. The Francic, the Lombardic, the Runic, the Islandic. many Observations on the Word ons, Elohim, sent by Reverend Sir, The last time I had the pleasure to be in your company, I recollect our conversation principally turned on the propriety, and true meaning of the Hebrew TT '', he will be; which three words are derived from these four letters ', a word that cannot be pronounced according to these letters, but from the points, and it is read, 7, edonai, signifying, my Lord a title given unto those who are possessed of power, and dignity. T T : Abarbernel, in one of his treatises on the Psalms, declares that God has no name appropriated to him, as his creatures have, whose names are required to be known. GOD is only known from his works, who is the same now, and will be so for ever, as He was before the creation: consequently he can have no name. Thus we find in Exodus. (Ch. 3. v. 13.) מה אמר אליהם || The renuarks I have since made .אלהים word Elohim whereMoses ואמרו לי מה שמי is the first person future, from the אהיה The word | מות נמות כי אלהים ראינו tend to prove, from the various connections, and rela- says, If they should ask me what is His name, what tions which pbs has with other words, that it is shall I tell them. From this question, and the subseno more than an attribute denoting dignity, power, &c. quent answer, many ideas arise connected with our the root of which is signifying strong. The word subject: but as these would fill a small pamphlet, I s occurs in the Old Testament 979 times, out shall at present only add from God's own words in of which it alludes 795 times to the Supreme Being the same chapter and verse, Thus shall you say, mas the Creator of the World; and 184 times it is used ws, I will be, that I will be! and not, acvariously, sometimes as relating to angels, as in cording to the English translation ; I am, that I am. Judges (Ch. xiii. v. 22.) we shall surely die; for we saw bs, meaning the Angel, ascending in the flame. Sometimes it refers to man, as in Erodus ch. 4, v. 16. man ansi 15. Thou shalt be to him an Elohim, meaning his superior, And again in Exodus (ch. 7. v. 1.) an, to Pharaoh, meaning that he, Moses, had the power of chastising Pharaoh. Sometimes it signifies a judge, as in Exodus, (Ch. 21. v. 7.) behold I hate made thee ראה כתתיר אלהים לפרעה root fuit: the meaning of which is, Tell them I will be, that I will be! meaning, I am not known by any name, but from my everlasting existence, I repeat to you the word 's. I will be that I will be: and, as I am addressing you, you can make no mistake in the number of the godhead: but to them who did not hear, nor see me, say only once s, he that has been, and will be, sent me to you; זה שמי לעולם this is my name for ever, and to this וזה זכרי לדור דור | and his master shall bring והגישו אדוניו או האלהים demn. him to the judge: again in Exodus, (Ch. 22. v. 9.) Hence it must appear, that in whatever manner God name shall I be remembered throughout all generations. bews, and whom the Judges shall conIt is often used to idols, as ons is expressed, it is merely by his attributes, whether of strange gods. Sometimes the superlative degree, as in Jehovah, or of Elohim, or any other, as be Genesis, (Ch. xxiii. v. 6.) ns ns sw, Thou Almighty!, compassion, &c. The only difference art a mighty Prince !—and in Exodus (Ch. ix. v. 28.) in these words, is this, that all attributes, except that Ons niip, great thunders. of Jehovah, are used variously, as has been already shewn: whereas Jehovah from its very signification, is the only appellation of that invincible existence, the creator of all, who is Jehovah Elohim, the Everlasting Power; and thus Elias the Prophet in his In these, and the remaining instances, the word , is joined to verbs and nouns, both in the singular and plural numbers: whereas in the 795 times, when it alludes to GOD, whatever it is joined VOL. II. 2 U prayers, (1 Kings, Ch. 18. v. 39.) says, in mm Jade ex Heb. Jaduh, rejicere, quod tales equi rejiciantur quia non sunt validi; i. e. because their withers were not unwrung. I am Sir, Your humble Servant, .rain, lie is tuititas . אלהים: יהוה הוא אלהים : I remain, Rev. Sir, Your obedient humble Servant, (Copy) S. LYON. E. Observations on Al. Plumptree's Hypothesis respecting The Pedigree of an Arabian Horse bought in Egypt, Shakspeare's Hamlet. Mr. EDITOR, I have read again and again the account by your Correspondent E. D. of Mr. Plumptree's Observations on Hamlet, and his own Remarks, and am really at a loss to determine whether it is a serious paradoxical hypothesis, or an ironical ridicule of such hypotheses, like the Key to the Lock, which proved Pope's poem of the Rape of the Lock, to be a masked censure of the Barrier Treaty. What cannot be proved to mean eny thing, if any allusion between Gertrude, and Mary Queen of Scotland can be drawn from such a circumstance as this-viz. that Gertrude died by poison, which her husband had involuntarily administered, and Bothwell had poisoned Mary's cup of happiness, which was the cause of her death. Honest Fluellin's comparison of Alexander and Henry the Fifth, is mathematical demonstration compared with this. One of the proofs drawn from the original story in Saxo Grammaticus of the allusion to Mary, is that Fengo (the Claudius of the tragedy) imbrues his hands in his brother's blood, wins over his wife by dissembling the motives of his villainy, and adds incest to the horrid crime of fratricide. Now, as in the case of Mary, Bothwell, and Darnley, there was neither incest nor fratricide; we must again have recourse to Fluellin, and his comparison of the death of Clytus, and the dismissal of Sir John Falstaff. Surely the author could not be serious in drawing any allusion in these lines Why such daily cast of brazen cannon, Such foreign mart for implements of war, &c." to the fact that great and various exertions were made by Elizabeth in the course of her reign, for the augmentation of her warlike resources, the art of making gunpowder was introduced, brazen cannon were cast, and many ships were built. If the circumstances had been exactly alike, warlike preparations are so general, that no connexion could possibly be proved between them; but unfortunately they happen to be essentially different from each other; for the Poet says, Denmark was to gain her implements of war chiefly from foreign mart, whereas the manufacture of gunpowder was introduced (by the way was it?) by Elizabeth. This objection however I must own is a little in Mr. Plumptree's own manner. translated from the Original Arabic written in the broken hand. In the name of God, the merciful and compas sionate, and Sid* Mahomet, the agent of the high God, and of the Ali of God, and the companions of Ma homet, and Jerusalem, by the grace of God, the author of the creation. This horse, the Sire of Rabhamy, equal in power to his son, is of the tribe of Zazzalah, and descends from the uncle of Lahadah, the sire of Alket--is of a fine figure, and fleet as an ostrich; herewith is his tooth, when a colt, in a bag with his pedigree, which a Caffre may believe. Among ♦ the honours of relationship he reckons Zaluah, the sire of Mahat who was the sire of Kallak, and the unique Alket sire of Manasseh, sire of Alsheb, from generation to generation, down from the noble horse Lahalala. And upon him be green herbage in abundance, and the water of life with an edifice inclosed with walls, a reward from the tribe of Zoab for the fire of his cover; and let a thousand cypresses shade his body from the hyena of the tombs, from the wolf, and the serpents of the plain; within the inclosure a festival shall be kept, and at sun-rise thousands shall come, and observers arrive in troops, whilst the tribe exhibits, under a canopy of celestial signs, the saddle, and the name, and the place of the tribe Bek Altabek, in Mesopotamia, and Kulasla of Lutarek of the inspired tribe of Zoab. Then shall they strike with a loud noise, and ask of heaven in solemn prayer immunity for the tribe from evil, and the demon of languor, from pestilence, from wandering from God, from scabby camels, from scarcity, from circumcision-feasts, from the spittlef of adultery, from perplexed congregations, from the spleen, from the fiery dragon, from commixtion, from beating on the feet, from treading out with the feet, from Heiubnu, or the unknown son of an unknown father, from lameness at birth, from imposthumes, from seclusion, and from fascination, from depression and elevation, from cracks in the feet, from numerous assemblies, from importunate soothsayers, from the offspring of prophets, and nocturnal travellers, from diviners of good oppor tunely for a purpose, from relations, and degrees of affinity, and from rash and inconsiderate riders deliver this tribe, O Lord, and secure those who are slow to follow, and slow to advance, who guard the truth, and observe it. Note of the Transcriber of the Pedigree.—What re mains of the cord is worn, and the pedigree is in tatters, and not bettered by passing from place to place, and the frequent change of hands, and the thumbs of the hawkers, that prate over it. The concluding remark of E. D. which he says, "is perhaps the strongest argument of all," (and perhaps it is,) is curious in the extreme. He says in this sentence, let the galled Jade go wince. Shakspeare has changed the original proverb from horse to jade, to mark its application to Mary. It is, I believe, impossible for us to know the exact words of the original proverb; but I believe the appellation of jade for a *Seid or Sid, is Lord or Prince, and one of the titles of the worthless woman was posterior to the time of Shak-chiefs of the family of Mahomet, who descends from Ali, and speare, for no such meaning is given by Minshew, his daughter Fatima. with whose derivation of the word I will conclude, This alludes to the Arabian custom of spitting in the face of the adulterer. The last Line.-The law of the religion of Mahoment and of Ali, and the companions of Mahomet, and peace. 6. Lewis, king of Hungary, on his arrival at Naples, in 1348, did not meet queen Joan; as she had fled to her dominions, in Provence, where she re For the casting of the nativity of the horse of Le-mained till the peace. taam. Mr. EDITOR, Magazine. In the last Number of the Monthly Magazine, under the head of Extracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters, (page 447,) is a paragraph concerning the unfortunate queen Joan I. of Naples, in which the most notorious facts are strangely altered and disfigured. We presume the Editor of that Miscellany had not perused the paragraph before it was committed to the press. Your readers will perhaps be astonished to see that, in so sinall a space, no less than eight historical mistakes have been made! The paragraph runs thus : "Joan, queen of Naples, and Sicily,' was the eldest daughter of King Robert, brother 3 to St. Lewis. She married her cousin-german4 Andrew, brother of Lewis, king of Hungary, whom, in 1846, she caused to be hanged. Immediately after she married another cousin who was prince of Tarento."-" Lewis of Hungary, 6 who joined the army which had conquered Naples, caused her to be hanged on the same spot, where she had put her first husband (Lewis's brother) to death." The genuine facts are as follow: 7. The prince who ordered Joan to be put to death, in 1382, was Charles III, of the house of Durazzo, on whom she herself had settled the crown of Naples. 8. The unfortunate princess was not strangled on the same spot where she had put her husband to death; as she underwent her fate at Muro, a city of the ancient Lucania, whereas Andrew had been murdered at Aversa, a celebrated town in Campania, at the distance of about 120 miles from the other. London, Dec. 7, 1803. SCIENCE. LUCANUS. Description of an electric Eel of Surinam, by Sam. Fahlberg, in Stockholm ̧* Justiciary in Stockholm, received an electric eel [GymAt the beginning of the year 1797, Mr. Norderling, notus electricus, L.] from the waters of Surinam. and about 7 inches in circumference. It was in a The fish was, while living, 27 English inches in length vessel of about 2 feet in diameter, filled with fresh water every 3 days to the height of about half a yard. In this vessel it lived upwards of four months tolerably easy without showing any marks of decay, until the last week of its life, when both its appetite and motion began to decrease. In the same proportion its electric force also decreased and entirely ceased with its life, nor was any electricity observable at the dissection of the fish. This was rather singular, as during its life it was most richly gifted with electricity; unless that circumstance be accounted for on this principle, that there exists a material difference between the force and elasticity of the fibres of animals in full vigour, which are killed on a sudden, and of those, which die a natural death. In an animal, which dies 1. Queen Joan never reigned in Sicily; as, in consequence of the famous vespers in 1282, the continen-in full vigour, and whose nerves are laid bare, before tal dominions of the Sicilian monarchy had been detached from the island, and so remained till the year 1442, when they were again united to it by Alphonso the 1st. 2. Joan was not the eldest daughter of king Robert: but the elder daughter of Charles, duke of Calabria, so renowned for being governor of Tuscany, and having, in that capacity, ordered the death of the philosopher Cecco d'Ascoli, who attempted to renew the doctrines of Empedocles. 3. King Robert was not a brother to St. Lewis. He was the second son of Charles the 2d, and consequently the grandson of Charles the 1st, brother of the French the irritability and vital functions cease, as is always similar description are made, the force and elasticity the case when galvanic experiments or others of a of the fibres still continue in a sufficient degree; while animals, which approach their dissolution through the cessation of all natural functions, lose the elasticity of their fibres and along with it all irritability, for which reason no electricity has ever been observed in animals, which died a natural death. From the small size of the stomach of this fish its hunger was soon satisfied; but as the digestion proceeded rapidly, it repeated its meals several times a day. Two or three small live fishes, about two inches long, were its favourite food, yet it disdained not and fish. Living fishes it would generally approach other nourishment, consisting of boiled or raw meat with a stroke, the powerful effect of which was always commensurate to the size of the offering, and the eel was but seldom deceived in its judgment since one stroke generally sufficed to overcome the resistHad hunger much sharpened its appetite, it * Annalen der Physik, &c. for 1803, page 415, |