4o4 
biographical narrative in queftion), I will 
. wenture to affert my opinion, that it 1s a 
qmoit flimfy and conceited performance, 
_ equally difeufting by a parade of philo- 
fophy, and by a hyperbolical expreffion 
of feeling. : 
_ "The death of Forfter, the father, in his 
poit of profeffor in the Univerfity of Halle, 
has lately been announced in the periodical 
publications. Authentic memoirs of his 
life would be curious and valuable. 
Your's, &c. 
Fune 5. AS 
, SEE EE Se 
*» ‘Le the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
OME SER 
HE malevolent fatire of the author 
of the ** Purfuits of Literature,” has 
been pointed out too frequently to have 
efcaped the knowledge of even thofe who 
defpife his {pecies of wit, and confequently 
do not perufe his work; but the unjuft 
attacks of this cauftic critic are not con- 
fined to individual names, he fires grape 
and canifter, and {weeps away whole co- 
lumns, led only by affociation of ideas. 
W hat but thenameof Parr drewdown 
his infidious notice of my favourite town, 
more populous, and more diftinguifhed 
by the variety and perfection of mecha- 
nical improvements than any in the king- 
dom? hear his words: 
« ____. Birmingham, renown’d afar 
#¢ At once for halfpence and for Doctor Parr.” 
Are we known only by thofe frivolous 
appendages? Dr. ParR’s fhining talents 
are unobferved where the active genius of 
mechanics produces a conftant fource of 
inventions, and the moft ufeful improre- 
ments ; at once giving honor to the ar- 
tit, and extenfive opulence and credit to 
the empire. 
_ Birmingham has been called the “* Toy- 
fhop ef Europe,’ but Europe ts well aec- 
quainted with comforts and elegancies 
which never could have been enjoyed -with- 
out the exiftence of machinery which 
Shortens labcu, and enables the merchant 
to fend the produ& to the remoteft mar- 
kets. : 
. The readers of your valuable Mifcel- 
lany are not ignorant of the commercial 
' $mportance which the arts acquire in their 
progrefs, or ef the value which philofo- 
phy will ever attach to the difcoveries 
arifing out of the induftry of the mechanic 
enius: but the anonymous fatirift is 
ignorant. of thefe comprehenfive effeéts; 
and eftimates the human underftanding 
according to its acquaintance ‘with’ the 
fibres of Greek roots. Was he fatisfied 
Defence of Birmingham and Dr. Parr. 
with Birmingham, when afew conven — 
ticles, and not a few private houfes blazed 
in devotion to the Church and King? 
It is to be feared that an aét of intempe- 
rance, which we fhall long deplore, is 
viewed by this critical bigot with com- 
placency, or he would not have negleéted 
to gratify his malignant appetite with fe 
delicious a morfel. - 3 16uDi 
Here, fir, we love temperate liberty 
and focial harmony; and, with exception 
of the one inftance of infuriated miftaken 
zeal, we fupport both, carelefs of Dr. 
Parr, but preferring writings of that 
divine, to the crude effufions which dif. 
play more acrimony, with the cowardice 
of not being owned by the author. I amy 
your’s, &c. B.R. 
Birmingham, Fine 16, 1798. ' 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magaxzne. 
SIR, > 
N your Magazine for the month of 
May laft, I obferve a letter from Mr. 
Rupp, of Manchefter, contaiming fome 
remarks on my method. of making and 
ufing oxygenated muriate of lime, for the 
purpofe of bleaching. 
In this letter Mr. Rupp attempts to 
prove that the liquor fo made, is more 
expenfive than that prepared by the ufual 
method, with alkaline falts; and that 
both are inferior to the fimple oxygenated’ 
muriatic acid for the purpofe of bleaching» 
In juftice to myfelf, and that the public 
may not be mifled by this gentleman’s 
too hafty conclufions, I beg leave to make 
the following obfervations. 
Mr. Rupp very juftly obferves, that. 
in order to prove the fuperiority of this to. 
the ufual liquor. made ‘with afhes,: it muft 
either be better in point of quality, or 
cheaper. In order to prove that it is not 
cheaper, he ftates, the quantity of pearl. 
afhes neceflary for fixing the oxygenated 
gas, produced from 30lb. of common _ 
falt, at 72lb. Mr. Rurp cannot here — 
mean faturation by the word fixing, for 
he furely knows that the pot afh in 77]b. 
of pearl afhes is not fufficient to faturate 
the oxygenated acid that may be produced: 
from 30 lb. of falt. Indeed he afferts in 
the fubfequent part of his letter, that it 
will not faturate fuch a quantity of gas. 
The meaning therefore of the affertion 
muit be, that fuch a portion of pearl 
afhes’ diffolved’ in a proper quantity of 
water, will {o far reprefs the volatility of 
the gas, that is producible from 3alb. of. . 
cominon falt, as to form an eligible, or 
perhaps the moft eligible bleaching li. 
