i 
120 
himself of the neglected traditions of 
cow-herds, and dairy maids. Let such 
an example teach us, that whilst the 
empiric 1s always ready with his reme- 
dies, the pbysician’s higher department 
is to ascertain diseases; it is this only 
“that renders his knowledge progressive, 
that enables him to improve the facts he 
every where meets with, and to use with 
safety and advantage, what would be 
otherwise misapplied or neglected; such 
was the business of Sydenham’s life, 
such the lesson he has bequeathed us, 
“Si morbi cujuslibet historiam diligen- 
ten perspectam haberem parmalo reme- 
dium numguam non scirem adferre.”* 
This advice may seem fitter for the fa- 
culty.than the public. But my only 
wish is to co-operate with your well inten- 
tioned Correspondent. 
Your’s, &c. 
New Bridge-street, JosEPH ADAMS. 
August 12, 1808. 
ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR 
TAKE the opportunity, through your 
] widely circulated and useful miscella- 
ny, to point out to the public, the cruel 
practice of the poulterers of the metro- 
olis and its environs, who are generally 
an the habit of plucking their fowls alive 
—I say, alive, because it is merely for 
their own convenience that they slightly 
twist the necks of the tortured animals, 
which they are obliged in most cases to 
hold fast between their knees while 
plucking, to prevent their escaping and 
exposing their cruelty to the world ; not- 
withstanding which there are many I- 
stances of the fowls, (when placed in 
unpractised hands to pluck) flying upon 
the counter or running abont the shop in 
astate of nudity, before they received 
the coup de grace. Such things have 
been seen, and it is only from compas- 
sion to the families of the men whose 
hearts are hardened to these cruel prac- 
tices, that I forbear mentioning their 
names. I hope, however, that some of 
your readers who have proper feelings 
towards the brute creation, (and what 
sensible, humane, well-informed man, 
is destitute of this!) will take the trouble 
to investigate the matter,—not by ma- 
king enquiries of the tradesmen, but by 
endeavouring to-ascertain the fact from 
érsonal observation, when I am_per- 
suaded they will find what I have related 
——_— 
* Morbid Poison, 4to. edition, p. S10. 
Cruel P ractice of Poulterers. 
[Sept. 1, 
to be perfectly correct; several poulte- 
rers themselves having acknowledged the 
truth of the accusation; and in extenua~ 
tion they say—that if the fowls were 
dead before they were plucked, this 
could not be done without tearing the skin, 
My object in this:communication is 
to make the matter public, and as I 
have not myself sufficient influence in 
society to prevent the practice from being 
continued; I sincerely hope that those 
who have, willinterest themselves in en- 
deavouring to puta stop to one so abo- 
minably cruel and disgraceful. 
Your’s, &c. 
Hackney, AN OLD CORRESPONDENT. 
August 9, 1808. ; 
a 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N Dr, Farmer’s Essay on the Learn- 
ing of Shakspeare, there is the fol- 
lowing passage, —‘* Shakspeare himself 
hath left some translations from Ovid. 
The epistles, says one, of Paris and He- 
len give a sufficient proof of his aequain- 
tance with that poet; and it may be con- 
cluded, says another, that he was a:com- 
petent judge of other authors, whe wrote 
in the same language.” 
“This hath been the universal cry, 
from Mr, Pope himself to the criticks of 
yesterday. Possibly, however, the gen- 
tlemen will hesitate a moment, if we tell 
them, that Shakspeare was not the au- 
thor of these translations. Let them turn 
to a forgotten book, by Thomas Hey- 
wood, called Britaine’s Troy, printed by 
W. Jaggard in 1609; and they will find 
these identical epistles, § which being so 
pertinent to our historie, says Heywood, 
J thought necessarie to translate’. How 
then came they ascribed to Shakspeare? 
I will tell them that likewise. The same 
voluminous writer published in 1612, an 
Apology for Actors, and in an appendix 
directed to his new printer, Nic Okes, he 
accuses his old one, Jaggard, of taking 
the two epistles of Paris to Helen, and 
Helen to Paris, and printing them in a 
less volume under the name of another; 
but he was so much offended with Mas- 
ter Jaggard, * that altogether unknown 
to him, he had presumed to make so 
hold with his name’. In the same work 
of Heywood are all the other translations, 
which have been printed in the modern 
editions of the Poems of Shakspeare.” 
This passage contains an heavy charge 
against Shakspeare: it accuses him, not 
only of an attempt to impose on the pub« 
lic, baton his patron, Lord Southamp. 
ton, 
