upon which he inftantly delivered it to him, with these words: Thy neceffity is yet greater than mine.”

86

This accomplished gentleman feems to have been the delight and admiration of the age of Elizabeth, rather for the variety, than the greatness of his genius. He that was the ornament of the University, was alfo the ornament of the Court; and appeared with equal advantage in a field of battle, or at a tournament; in a private converfation among his friends, or in a public character as an ambassador.

هوم هوم هوم هو

The following Account of an extraordinary Fish of the Eel-tribe, which the Author calls the Torporific Eel, is taken from Mr. Bancroft's ingenious Essay on the Natural Hiflory of Guinea, lately published.

THIS

HIS Fish is a native of fresh water, and is moft commonly found in the river Effequebo, being usually about three feet in length, and twelve inches in circumference near the middle. It is covered with a smooth skin, of a blueish lead colour, very much like that of sheet lead which has been expofed to the weather, being entirely deftitute of fcales. When it is touched either by the naked hand, or a rod of iron, gold, filver, copper, &c. held in the hand, or by a flick of fome particular kind of heavy American wood, it communicates a fhock perfectly resembling that of electricity, which is commonly fo violent, that but few are willing to fuffer it a fecond time.

The Torporific Eel, caught by a hook, violently fhocks the perfon holding the line.

The fame Eel touched with an iron rod, held in the hand of a perfon, whofe other hand is joined to that of another, &c. communicates a violent fhock to ten or a dozen perfons thus

joining

joining hands, in a manner exactly fimilar to that of an electrical machine.

the

A perfon holding his finger in the water, at the distance of eight or ten feet from the fish, receives a violent shock, inftant the fish is touched by another person.

This Eel, when enraged, upon elevating its head just above the surface of the water, if the hand of a person is less than five or fix inches therefrom, it frequently communicates an unexpected fhock without being touched.

No fhock is perceived by holding the hand in the water near the fish, when it is neither displeased nor touched.

The shock is most violent when the fish is highly enraged. From these particulars it is apparent, that the shock is pro duced by an emiffion of torporific, or, electric particles.

That their emiffion is voluntary, depending on the will of the animal, who emits them for his defence, either when touched or enraged.

That the existence of thefe particles depends on that of the Eel, and terminates with its life. And, that they are equally emitted from every part of the body.

A Defcription of the famous Copper-Mine, belonging to his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, at Ecton-Hill, in the County of Stafford.

ECTON-HILL, that part of it, in which the Mine is

fituated, is of a conical figure: its perpendicular height, next the river Dove, which runs close by, is about seven hundred feet: its diameter, from the fame, quite through, about half a mile; the upper ftrata, or mould, is about fifteen inches thick, and produces exceeding fine herbage for sheep and other cattle, who conftantly graze on its top and fides; and where VOL. IX.

Ε

the

the declivity will permit the plough, where very fine wheat, barley, and oats are produced in great plenty.

This Copper-Mine was discovered about thirty years ago by a Cornish Miner, who, in paffing over the hill, accidentally picked up a bit of ore, annexed to fome fine fpar, which that metal ufually adheres to.

To take a view of this flupendous Copper-Mine, you must enter at an adit at the base of the hill by the river Dove, and proceed about four hundred yards, almost in a direct line. At your entrance, for about fixty yards, it is four feet and a half high, walled up on each fide with good flone mafonry; but afterwards it varies in its height, and rifes in fome places to fix feet. When you arrive at the centre, there is a fpacious lodgement of timber, for landing and receiving the ore from below, which is drawn up by a man at a winch, (who generally works naked,) and is put into four wheel waggons that will hold about a ton and a half each. Thele waggons have caft brafs wheels,. and are run in grooves through the adit, by boys from twelve to fourteen years of of age with great facility.

When on the lodgement, you behold a large hollow over your head, at least two hundred and fifty yards high, by the fides of which there is a paffage to the fummit, but dangerous to attempt, as the timber works feem in a decayed flate.

Thus far into the mountain, with the aid of lights it is eafy enough of accefs. The late Duke of Devoushire ventured to this platform, took a curfory view of the works, gave the miners ten guineas to drink, but returned immediately, not choofing to defcend below. Indeed fuch a horrid gloom, fuch rattling of waggons, noife of workmen boring of rocks under your feet, fuch explosions in blafting, and fuch a dreadful gulph to defcend, present a scene of terror, that few peoplewho are not verfed in mining, care to pafs through.

From the platform the defcent is about one hundred and fixty yards, through different lodgements, by ladders, lobs, and croís. pieces of timber let into the rock, to the place of action,.

where

where a new scene, ten thousand times more aftonishing than that above presents itself; a place as horrible to view, as imagination can conceive. On the paffage down, the conftant blafting of the rocks, ten times louder than the loudeft thunder, feems to roll and fhake the whole body of the mountain. When at the bottom, firangers are obliged to take fhelter in a nitch cut in the rock, to avoid the effects of blafting the rocks, as the miners generally give a falute of half a dozen blafts, in quick fucceffion, by way of welcome to thofe diabolical mansions.

At the bottom of this amazing work, the monftrous cavern or vacuum above, the glimmering light of candles, and nafty fuffocating fmell of fulpher and gunpowder, all confpire to increase your surprise, and heighten your apprehenfions.

This fingular Mine, in its pofition, fituation, and inclination, is different from any yet difcovered in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America. The wonderful mafs of copper ore with which the mountain is impregnated, runs not in regular veins or courfes; but finks perpendicular down, widening and fwelling out at the bottom, in form of a bell.

Suppose yourself now upwards of two hundred fathoms deep in the bowels of a large mountain, in a great hollow of immense diameter; then fuppofe around you an impregnable wall of limeftone rock, interfperfed with small veins of copper ore, yellow, black, and fome brown, intermixt with spar, marcafite, mundic, and other fulpherous compofitions, of all colours; and at the fame time figure to yourself the footy complexions of the miners, their labour, and miferable way of living in thofe fubterraneous regions, and you will then be apt to fancy yourself in another world. Yet thefe inhabitants, being trained up in darkness and flavery, are not perhaps lefs happy, or less contented, than those who poffefs the more flattering enjoyments

of light and liberty*. Hence the wisdom of Providence is confpicuous, which as Pope fays, has placed happiness no where to be had, or every where.

*It is fuppofed there are no less than 40,000 working miners daily under ground in the tin-mines in Cornwall; and perhaps as many, if not more, in other works of copper, lead and coal, in Great Britain. They reckon about 300,000 miners in Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Carinthia, Carnola, and other parts of Europe. And if we add the many thousands employed in the various mines in South America, Indians, Negroes, and white Criminals, who are doomed to eternal darkness below, over and above those employed above ground, we may modeftly admit fome millions of fouls, whose bread depends on this laborious employment, and where many thousands live and die without ever feeing the light of the fun.

OF INSPIRATION.

[Extracted from a late Author.]

S created objects, whether material, or immaterial, may by a real, efficacious, and phyfical action, modify our fouls, and produce in them different ideas, and fenfations in a natural manner; fo the infinite, uncreated object may a&t upon our fouls in a fupernatural manner, and produce in them ideas and fenfations far more lively and penetrating than material objects. This is the fource of infpiration, and divine grace; of fupernatural light, and love; very far different from the reafonings and discoveries we make by the fucceffive comparison of our ideas. God, who is far more intimately present to our fouls than corporeal objects are; who can act upon them, invest them, and penetrate them, may open their intellectual faculties,

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