a8 
proof that fuch a tradition was ftill rife 
among mariners. Ptolemy fpeaks of 
Scandinavia as an ifland. The Scythian 
geography of Herodotus, is wholly unin- 
telligible, unlefs we cover with fea a 
confiderable part of Poland and Ruifia; 
yet thefe countries had, in his time, 
alteady acquired the rudiments of their 
prefent form. And may we not fuppofe 
the tradition of an Atlantic ifland which 
had difappeared, to have preferved the ori- 
ginal name of Europe in its infular ftate ? 
Upon the whole, the teftimony, though 
not the opinion, of ancient geographers * 
appears more favourable to the doétrine 
ota progreffive deficcation of the fea in 
all quarters, than to that of local or fud- 
den removals of the waters by great con- 
vulfions of nature. February 10, 1796. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
URING the laft Spring, T went, for 
a fhort period, into the country, to 
enjoy the benefit of the air, after fuffer- 
ing under indifpofition all the preceding 
uncommonly fevere winter; and hap- 
pening to take: with me Whitaker’s 
“*-Courfe of Hannibal over the Alps,” I 
wandered through the fields, one de- 
lightful morning in the beginning of 
May, reading that very amufing work, 
particularly the interefting part thereof, 
tm which the author takes occafion to 
mention the highly praife-worthy con- 
duct of the Monks of St. Bernard, whofe 
convent is placed on the coldeft, moft 
areary, and dangerous part of the paf- 
lage over thole celebrated mountains, 
fur the purpofe of their being at hand, 
to affift travellers in cafes of danger or 
diftrefs, After enumerating many dif- 
culties and dangers which thefe Monks 
encounter, in iaving travellers from the 
greateft perils, and even death itfelf, the 
author adds, that, “* when the guide (em- 
“ployed by thefe benevolent monks) is 
not.juffictent of himfelf to fave the un- 
‘happy traveller fyom perithing, they 
“run to his affiftance themlelves, fupport 
him with their.own arms, ‘lead “with 
their own hands, and fometimes carry 
him up to their convent upon their 
own fhoulders. They are often oblig- 
ed to ule a ‘kind of friendly violence 
to him when he is benumbed with the 
cold, or worn out by fativue. He then 

* From Strabo, for initance, Vol. I. p.. 49 
and 50, it fhould feem that the fea had greatly 
retreated from the African coaft. We know 
it to have done the fame in the Adriatic, and 
an the fouth cout of France. 
Epitaph on a Soldier at Cobham. 
{March 
*« infifts upon being left to reft, or even 
“‘ to fleep for a moment upon the fnow; 
“the torpid influence of the cold, in 
“ ftealing upon him, renders all motion 
“unplealant, and is gently carrying the 
‘‘ fleep of death from the extremities to 
“the heart. The Monks know this; 
‘and the very thing which he diflikes, 
“‘ they know to be the only means of fay- 
“ing him. They are therefore com- 
“nelled to fhake the traveller in his 
“ deadly doze, and to drag him by force 
‘“‘ from his fatal bed of flumber. They 
‘“‘ thus expofe themfelves to all the feve- 
“‘rities of the weather’ in order to fave 
‘“ others.’’—-The torpid ftate above de- 
{cribed, is almoft invariably the cafe with 
perfons who lofe their way in fnow, and 
perifh by the feverity of cold. That 
drowfinels, which is the effe€t of cold, 
combines with it in being the caufe of 
death. The account of the conduét of 
thefe benevclent Monks (many very in- 
tercfting particulars of which are here 
omitted ) communicates a high pleafure to 
minds, which are inclined to feel delight, 
in viewing the bright fide of the picture 
of human life. Accordant with fenfa- 
tions of this caft, and feeling a great ac- 
ceffion of pleafure, from contrafting the 
fubje&t I have mentioned, and the win- 
ter that had juft paffed away, with the 
fupreme mildnefs and fweetnefs of the 
morning, whofe balmy breath I was 
then enjoying, and the great abundance 
of rich verdure and beautiful bloffoms 
that furrounded me, I entered, without 
any previous defign, the church yard of 
the truly rural village of Cebham, in 
Kent ; and the firft objeét that attracted 
my attention, was a new tomb-ftone, 
confifting of a very large flab, ftanding 
perpendicularly at the head of a grave, 
newly covered with turf. The upper 
part of the {tone was ornamented with 
well executed baffo-relieve, in a good 
tafte, reprefenting military trophies and 
implements of war; and underneath 
was an infcription, of which the follow- 
ing is a copy : 
“< To the Memory 
6¢ of 
“ PHILIP GREEN, 
‘© Private in the Grenadier Company of the 
‘s Eaft-Norfolk Militia ; 
‘© who, 
‘¢ By the intenfe horror of dreary Night, 
“¢ And from the unrelenting rigor of the Sealon, 
Cc" Perini, 
‘¢ Ina field near this place, 
“© On the 16th day of February, 1795, aged 26. 
*¢ This Monument, 
¢* Asa token of the refpeét and eftimation 
«* OF his fellow-foldiers, 
tc Was 
