1822.] 
according to the celebrated Lord Ba- 
con, nearly two thousand years; but, 
as it does not appear that it has been 
generally known, your correspondent 
Capt. Layman has conferred a benefit 
upon society by reverting to the sub- 
ject. Itis probable that Bacon’s ac- 
count of the process, as given in his 
Sylva Sylvarum, may not be uninterest- 
ing to some of your readers. 
“Dig a pit upon the sea-shore, 
somewhat above the high-water mark, 
and sink it as deep as the low-water 
mark; and, as the tide cometh in, it 
will fill with water fresh and potable. 
This is commonly practised on the 
coast of Barbary, where other fresh 
water is wanting. And Cesar knew 
this well, when he was besieged in 
Alexandria; for, by digging of pits in 
the sea-shore, he did frustrate the la- 
borious works of the enemy, who had 
turned the sea-water upon the wells 
of Alexandria; and so saved his army, 
being then in desperation. But Cesar 
mistook the cause; for he thought that 
all sea-sands had natural springs of 
fresh water. Gutitis plain thatit is sea- 
water, because the pit filleth accord- 
ing to the measure of the tide; and the 
Sea-water, passing or straining through 
the sands, leaveth the saltness.”— 
Sylva Sylvarum, Century 1. 
But there is another process of puri- 
fying waiter by percolation, which may 
be as useful, under certain circum- 
stances, as the foregoing. 'To obtain 
pure water from a muddy pond, or 
river, or cistern, take a tub, bore the 
bottom full of holes, and, after half 
filling it with sand, or sand and gravel, 
place it in a shallow part of the pond 
or river, so thatits edge remain above 
the surface ; and the water will rise 
through the sand and gravel perfectly 
clear and pure. 
This simple process, I conceive, 
might be rendered highly useful, both 
in families and on ship-board, by 
merely substituting an outer tub for 
the pond or cistern, and letting the 
foul water fall between the outer and 
inner tubs. Thus a constant supply 
of pure water may be obtained, where- 
ever foul water and two old tubs are 
to be had. J. Fitca. 
Stepney ; Sept. 10. 
—>— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
q HAVE observed that in the lite- 
tary world popularity is generally 
taken as the criterion of superior me- 
Montury Mac. No. 374. 
The minor living Poets of Ireland. 
321 
Tit, and fame as the natural conse- 
quence resulting from the develop- 
ment and exertion of extraordinary 
talent; in slort, the individual who 
has acquired distinction is admitted 
gratuitously to. have deserved it: 
while obscurity, on the other hand, is 
uniformly looked on as the invariable 
reward of ambitious duliness; and 
neglect as the necessary but unenvia- 
ble appendage of ignorance, or at least 
of mediocrity. Can we tell 
How many a soul sublime 
Hath felt the influence of malignant star ? 
And the rest of this sweet stanza is 
highly applicable :— 
Or wag’d with fortune an eternal war ; 
Check’d by the scoff of scorn, or envy’s 
frown, 
Or poverty’s unconquerable bar. 
Who, for instance, among the great 
bulk of the present generation of 
readers knew anything of the exis- 
tence of many of the ‘“ American 
Poets,” until the Monthly Magazine, 
some time ago, brought the subject 
into notice. What has been done so 
ably and so judiciously for the Ameri- 
cans, I am now anxious to see done 
for my neglected countrymen: the re- 
wards of genius are few, and frail and 
uncertain. They whom a want of 
celebrity is likely to deprive of pecu- 
niary compensation, have nothing to 
excite them to higher undertakings 
but the inherent Jove of song, and the 
applause of the judicious few to whom 
chance may render their merits 
known; the latter excitement may be 
administered without seeming a sacri- 
fice on the part of him who confers it ; 
and, when given with a feeling of tem- 
perate indulgence, will produce the 
best effect. Acting under this impres- 
sion, I shall venture to trespass on 
your pages by a few observations on 
the writings of some of our authors 
residing here, and probably not gene- 
rally knowa in England. 
I should begin with Anster, the 
author of a volume of poems published 
in Edinburgh: I have been told, how- 
ever, that he has gone but recently to 
the Continent ; and, as Blackwood and 
the New Monthly have noticed his 
productions, he van hardly be classed 
among the neglected. 
Mr. John Banim, one of the authors 
of “Damon and Pythias,” is a young 
writer of great promise. To his tra- 
gedy ample justice has been done: but 
why has his “ Celts Paradise” been 
passed over in silence by all the re- 
Wt ~ views ? 
