1 79*' miscellaneous ohseryations. 97 



state the facts as distinctly as pol's ok, and to expb.in 

 the circumstances that may probably have given rise 

 to the opinion, if it fliall be found to be erroneous ; 

 ©r if it be true that fifti be really caught in these 

 circumstances, it will be accounted singularly obli- 

 ging, if the kind, or kinds of fifh, thus found, be enu- 

 merated, their size and natural history, as far as it is 

 known, given ; and, if pofsible, figures of these ani- 

 mals. It is highly probable that when all matters 

 are fairly stated, much of what appears uoonderful ia 

 this narrative will disappear. 



MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 



Sir, To the EJitor of the Bee. 



In one of your late numbers we were favoured by 

 your correspondent Albanicus with an elaborate pa- 

 negyric on profefsor Stuart's eletnents of the philofophy 

 of the human mind. The panegyric however was not 

 more elaborate tlian juft ; if Socrates was preferable 

 to all his predecefsors in science, chiefly becaufe he 

 laboured to turn the attention of speculative men 

 from obstruse inquiries, which few understand, and 

 in which few were interested, to the businefs and 

 manners of common life, much of the same merit be- 

 longs to Mr Stuart. More t])an one of his cotempo- 

 raries perhaps may vie with him in profundity of 

 thought, in accuracy of discrimination, and in beauty 

 of arrangement; but I know not that I have ever 

 read a metaphysical writer so generally intelligible, 

 -and so fraught with ingenious observations, equally 

 instructive to the philosopher, the politician, the 

 aaerchant, the mechanic, and even to the farmer. 

 VOL. xi. N t 



