26 
minifters, or by any regular diffenting 
minifter; having never been educated or 
ordained to the miniftry among them. He 
had, indeed, affumed the office of a 
preacher, as any other man might do, 
but he met with no enc ouregement, and 
therefore has taken the method of f abufing ~ 
difenters (not = uncommon one), to re- 
eommend hinifeli to their dy owed enemies. 
Tam, Su, your's, &c, 
A PROTESTANT DISSENTER. 
Se 
7? 
To the Editor of ike MVionibly Magazine. 
leave te offer the following 
SIR, 
] BEG 
queftion “to your literary correlpon- 
dents asa fubiest for their difcuffion— 
W hether NE ufual mode in writing of 
prefixing a capital’ imitial letter to fub- 
itantive nouns. fhould~ be enerally 
adopted ? 
BM. 
Face 
ea the Editor of the Monthly Mavaxine. 
an t of con- 
SIR, 
ER at falling 
AVING been in the 
fidering it as a maxin 
bodies take a direction ee caine to 
the horizon, I was conticerably {urprifed 
on obferving the refult of ae expert - 
ents by M. GULIELMINE, as flated by . 
LALANDE, in the Hittory af So 
for 1797, and communicated in ae last 
number, (page 323), in which it is ail 5 
ed, that bodies fell eight lines and a half 
to the eaft of the plunb- line, irem a height 
ofiza7; fect.) 
The name of LALANDE almoit induces 
me to fufpect that I am miftaken; yet 
the difiidence excited by his extended and 
jufly-acquired celebrity, will not juitity 
ahe renunciation of a principle fo im- 
rtant, without the fuperior authority 
@f conviction. 
. Falling bodies are generally underfiood 
to be acted upon, and to have their mo- 
tion determined by, gravity only. Thie 
force acting upon bodies, impels ‘them to- 
wards the center of gravity ; and, if no. 
ether caufe be combined with it, will 
determine them towards that ae by the 
fhorteft way; that is, on right lines. A 
right line from the circumference to the * 
center mult be perpendicular te the hori- 
gon, unleis it be demonftrated that gra- 
vity and the earth have different centers; 
and hence it feems pretty clearly deduci- 
ble that bodies; in their defcent to the 
eaith, move in perpendicular lines. 
Experiments on falling Bodies —Regium Donum. 
[ Fare 
Tf, in the experiments of M. Guriet- 
MINE, the failing bodies were found 
eight lines anda half to the eal of the 
plumb-line, I thould fuppofe either that 
the point at which their defcent com- 
menced did not accurately coincide with 
the upper end of the plumb-line, or that 
the plumb-line itfelf was net pergendi- 
cular; or, laitly, that fome lecendary 
caule muit have intervened to give the 
line of their defcent a dive erging from the 
plumb-line. In the latter cate, it will 
be worth inquiring, what that fecondary 
caule is? If falling bodies do not de- 
iccibe perpendicular lines, how can it be, 
demonttrated that plumb-lines will ftand. 
perpendicuiar } 
iow does the faét of bodies falling ta 
the eaj? of the plumb-line, if admitted, 
prove the motion of the earth? as La- 
It they had fallen to the 
‘ence would be more na- 
tural; but even in that cafe, it would 
demand a very critical inveftigation, be- 
fore it could be conuitently denominated 
<a proot. 
Having ftated the cafe with its diff. 
culties, ae me to woe the attention 
of your pail lofophical readers to the fub- 
ject ; and in the confidence of their fcience, 
candour, and readinefs to oblige, to ex- 
peat that fatisfact tory intormation which 
will highly gratify, Sir, your occafional 
correfpondent, and hunsble iervant, 
Bath, Dec. 32, 1798. LPs 
~~ 
Te the Editor of the Monthly Magarine. 
SERS e 
7 OU were certainly perfectly right im 
inferting, in your Magazine, Mr. 
Horfey” s letter, refpesting the diffolution 
of the Northampton academy. Phe man- 
ner in which public truits are difcharged,. 
is undoubtedly # proper fubjeét of public 
inveltigation. But though Mr. Horiey 
may have fufitciently vindicated his owm 
condu&ét, the whole budnefs relative to the 
diflolution of the Northamapton academy, 
and Mr. Coward’s truft, feems not yet te 
have been fatistactorily explained.  An- 
other bufine/s, in which the Diflenters are 
concerned, and which requires iome public, 
inveltigation, is the dittribution of the ve- 
gium donum. Jt is a fngular awd curious’ 
circumftance, that the perfon who is the 
principal, if not the fole diftributor of the 
PERU AOR, thou gh a ditlenting minilter, 
and minifter of-a, congregation in London, 
_ ig net now a member of the general boty 
° 
in 
