1806.] 



On Experiments in Ekcfricitj/. 



i3^ 



much farther extended, if any expe- 

 rienced muficiaii would take the pains 

 to afccrtain by a pendulum the true 

 meafure of all the movements in the 

 Meffiah, in the mode and manner given 

 in \V. C.'s remarks, and print them in 

 the fize of a Iheet-fong, which would cafi- 

 ly compri/e the wi;ole. Surely luch a 

 Table would not be e:q)enUve in pre- 

 paring for the pnTs ; and iis circula- 

 tion would amply repay the labour and 

 time of the compilaiiou, and we fliould at 

 Icaft reduce to an luierriug Ihtndard the 

 lime of every air as it is now pei-fonned 

 by the moll approved leader;-. Should 

 the experiment fucceed, it might be ex- 

 tended to the other Oratorio? of Handel, 

 the (J reatioD of llaydn, and other works 

 of merit and maL:;nitu(le ; and 1 would 

 plead for its univerfal adoption by future 

 compofcrs, by which means jieople ftclu- 

 ded in the country, withuut the ineaua of 

 hearing mufical performances, might ajj- 

 proach nearer to the original defij^n than 

 is pollible by the vague and moll uncer- 

 tain directions in prcfent ufe. 



With this (jbfervution I will conclude. 

 The vibrations of a pendulum of tole- 

 rable leufrth are fo much better afcer- 

 tiiined than thofe of a fiiort one, that J 

 would not ufe one of lei's tlian twelve 

 ruches ; and if it then vibrates too ilow- 

 ly f »r a (]uaver, 1 ^vould nuike it crun- 

 mcnfurate to the crotchet, the hvdt-bar, 

 or bur, as circumftanccs requireil. W. 

 C'.'s Table feems to be conlirucxcd with 

 futhcient accuracy, and proves him well 

 f]ualihed,' and may fcrve as a mo'lel tor 

 thofe I propofc. If thi.s hint lliould at- 

 tract his notice, or that of any other ex- 

 perienced mulician, my end is anfvvered. 

 1 remain. Sir, 6cc., G. I. 



To the Editor of the Munthly Magazine. 



SIK, 



1.\ Number 14G, page GG, you 

 mention, " An iiii[)ortant fart with 

 regard to the theory of electricity has le- 

 ceutly been difcovered by I\I. Bienvenu. 

 V>y ^ aryiuii his experiments he has found, 

 in contradiction to the received opinion, 

 that Lilafs and rofui produce the fame 

 kind of electricity, and that the difference 

 depend? upon the rubbers.'' 



That this is no new difcovery, the fol- 

 lowing: quotation from C'avallo's Com- 

 j>leie Treatifc on Electi-icity, vol. 1, p. 20, 

 (Und., 179.5,) will clearly "ihew ; and, if 

 1 millalce not, it is mentioned in fome 

 publication nr.inv years before. 



"*ln the following 'J'able (gi\cu p. 21,) 

 t«a^l)C fecu Vvhul clfCtricity will be ex- 



cited in different bodies wl;en rubbed 

 with dilferent fublbiucea. Smooth glais, 

 for inllancc, will be found by this 'i ubla 

 to acquire pofitiv*; cle^:tricity when rub- 

 bed with any fubilance hitherto tried, ev- 

 cept the back of a cat, (by which I 

 mean the (kin of a cat whiU on the ani- 

 mal alive.) Rough glafs, viz , glafs tha 

 polilh of which has been dcliroycd by 

 emery or otheiwife, will be found to ac^ 

 quire the pofitivc electricity when rubbed 

 with dry oiled lllk, ful[)hur, &c. ; and the 

 iicgative when rub'ied with woollen- 

 cloth, tlic hand, &c." 



The f illouing principle does liOt ap- 

 [lear to be mentioned fo generally as it 

 ihould be, as a couftant elfect of eleCfric 

 excitation, which is, that whcu two fub- 

 itauces arc rubbed together, they both 

 become c!ectriticd,onc in the /»/«,« Hale, the 

 other in the iidtim. For e\am[ile, when 

 fmooth glab, as above mentioned, is rub* 

 bed with lilk, the lilk is excited at the 

 fame time, and fo with other fubftances ; 

 the twp bodies becoming in a contrary 

 ftaie, — one, according to the received 

 hy|)0tliclis, giving off the lluid to the 

 oilier. 



Qiitre. — Uo not the |)rincipal eleflric 

 phenoinena, or effects, depend on the 

 different ftatcs of condenrati<}n and niri- 

 fication of the fluid, more than on the ad- 

 ditional quantity and deticicncy only, as 

 nfually imagined. For an illuliration of 

 this fuppofition fee Tilloeh's Philofophi- 

 cal Magazine, July 1803, p. 73. 



I am, Sir, «&c., ELECTKoniiLVS. 

 Auguji 9, 1806. 



For the Mont/ilj/ i[agazi)te. 



OBSERVATIONS on the WRITINGS Of' 1115- 

 lORIANS of all AOr.S ff«rf COL'NTKIF.^, 



t///c//j/ uith n VIEW to the accuracy 



Ofthtir MILITAIIY PESCRimONS, (l«rf 



their KNOWLEDGE of the art vfwA.^. 



Bl/ GENERAL ANDEEOSSI. 



WAR is an univerfal, but a neceffu- 

 ly evil : its ravages may be traced 

 to the moft dillant periods of antiquity, 

 when national enmities were aroufed by 

 ihite-policy, although patriotifin was the 

 oftenlible call to battle. The enthufiaf- 

 tic multitude inftinetively obeyed this 

 fummons, and force too often decided the 

 claims of jultice. Hence thofe never- 

 fading honours which an admiring people 

 pay to the memory of their departed he- 

 roes ; hence thoi'e fplendid teftimonials 

 of national achievements which dignify 

 our annals : hence the irlory att iclied to 

 victory, — fi brilliant in iifelf, fo di'cilive 

 in its operation, tlKit it is hailed by a 

 g a gialeiul 



