Jnclent Ohfervatlons m Specific Gravity. _gi 



to her *. But tKc following line Immediately after this defcriptlon In Rhcmnlus, b ftUl 



more remarkable : 



Nunc allud partum Ingenio trademus codem. 



" Let us now defcrlbe another invention of the fame genius." — After which he proceeds 

 to defcribe the method ufed by Archimedes, to afcertain the quantity of filver contained in 

 the crown of Hiero. 



It appears, therefore, to be certain, that we owe the invention of the Areometer to the fame 

 man who enriched the accurate fciences with fo many difcoveries, and who, to the glory 

 of his talents, added, that of living for the welfare of his country, and dying in its de- 

 fence. , 



The poem of Rhemnius, or, rather, the fragment which remains, defervcs to be known. 

 Independent of the two defcriptions I have quoted, and a complete fyftem of ancient mea- 

 fures, it contains other interefting details. Such is the following obfervation, which fuppofes 

 experiments of fome delicacy on the fpecific gravity of liquids. 



f Namque nee errantes undis labentibus amnes 

 Nee merfi puteis latices, nee fonte perenni 

 Manantes, par pondus habent : nee denique vlnaj 

 Quje campi aut coUes, nuperve aut ante tulere. *' 



Permit me to obferve the elegance and accuracy of thefe exprefllons. They appear to me 

 to belong to a writer of good latinity : and to obviate all the doubts which can be raifed con- 

 cerning the date of the poem, another citation will confirm this idea : 



Pondus rehus natura locavit 



Corporeis : elementa fuum regit omnia pondus. 

 Pondere terra manet ; vacuus quoque ponderis ^ther 

 Inde fefla rapit volventis fydera mundi. 



An author of the fixth century, fuch as Prifcian, the only one to whom the poem of 

 Rhemnius could be attributed, could not eafily have compofed thefe verfes. 



♦ With all the advantages of the art of printing, we find, that valuable inventions are forgotten, and re -in- 

 vented, during the lapfe of periods much (horter than three centuries. Whoever will perufe the writings of 

 Boyle, Kunkel, Hooke, Wren, and the regifters of the learned focieties and fcientific correfpondcnces during 

 the laft century, will have ample reafon to be convinced of this.— Hypatia might be the fecond inventor.— N. ' 



t In Englifli, " The weights of river, well, and fpring- water, are different; as are likewife the wines, ac- 

 <« cording to the place of their growth, in hills or places, and the time of keeping.' 



N 2 Chmical 



