1793* iiterary society, Newcastle. 29 



and an ambition to distlnguiih themselves among the mem- 

 bers of these societies ? May they not be expected to en- 

 crease the pleasures and advantages of social intercouse, 

 by providing an easy method of spending the evening 

 agreeably and usefully ; and maj they not thus be a means 

 of checking the first formation of difsipated habits 5 of 

 banifhing from our tables the coarser pleasures of intem- 

 perance ; and of substituting, for the always contempti- 

 ble, and frequently destructive, pursuits of the game- 

 ster, the rational and manly entertainments of literature 

 and philosophy ? 



" These observations may serve to evince the propriety 

 of such institutions in every considerable town. But 

 there appear to be many circumstances peculiarly favour- 

 able to the attempt, at least, in Newcastle. — Previous, 

 however, to an enumeration of these circumstances, it 

 may not be improper to advert to an institution of great 

 respectability, already subsisting here ; which may be 

 thought, perhaps, to supersede the necefsity of any furthur 

 literary establifhment. 



" The gentlemen of the faculty in this town and neigh- 

 bourhood have (hewn a laudable zeal for the advance- 

 ment of medical science, and of those branches of philoso- 

 phy which more immediately relate to it, by forming 

 themselves, about five years ago, into a " Philosophical 

 and Medical Society." There cannot be the smallest 

 doubt of the great utility of this institution, or of the ad- 

 vantages with which it must have been attended j and it 

 appears to be formed upon such liberal principles, as to 

 admit into its body any lovers of general literature who 

 might oflFer themselves as candidates, though not of the 

 faculty. But since it will, naturally, be the principal ob- 

 ject of its nietnbers to improve the practial part of theit 

 nrofcfsion, and since this is an object of the utmost im 



