180 On the Inutility of Convex refracting Lenfes to Lamps. [April 
Jedge publicly, with all grateful mind, that 
more than ordinary favour aud refped?, which J 
found above any of my equals at the bands of thafe 
courteous and learned men, the fellows of that 
college wherein I {pent fome years, who, at 
my parting, after i had talxen two degrees, 
as the manner is, fignitied many ways how 
such better it would content them if 1 would 
ftay, as by many letters fuil of kindnefs and 
loving refpeét, both before that time and 
long after, I was affured of their fingular 
good affection towards me; which being 
likewife propenfe to all fuch as were fortheir 
ftudious and civil life, worthy of efteem, I 
could not wrong their judgments and upright 
intentions fo much as to think I had that 
segard for them for other caufe than that I 
might be ftill encouraged to proceed in the 
hone and laudable courfes, of which, they 
apprehended, I had given good proof. And 
to thofe ingenuous and friendly men, who 
were ever the countenancers of virtuous and 
hopeful wits, I with the beft and happieft 
things that friends in abfence wifh one to 
another,” &c. 
Thefe friendly and refpe&tful fenii- 
ments are not reconcileable with a recol- 
letion of thofe grofs indignities which 
muit have left an indelible impreffion of 
antipathy on fuch a mind as Milton’s. 
Such, at leaft, is my view of the fubject. 
GILBERT WAKEFIELD. 
Hackney, March 2, 1799« 
P.S. Since I wrote the foregoing obferva- 
tions, a friend informs me, that Mr. Hayley, 
in his ‘* Life of Milton,” has urged the fame 
paflage, in confutation of the fame calumny. 
As I have never had the pleafure of reading 
that publication, and am unacquainted with 
its contents, if my communication be not 
wholly fuperfeded, and therefore unworthy 
of a place in your Magazine, it may not be 
altogether unimportant, as an uninfluenced 
and independent effort to refcue from difgrace 
the character of a man who adorned his fpe- 
cies no leis by the purity of his manners than 
the endowments of his underftanding. 
March 3. 
<n 
For the Monthly Mugazine. 
Mr. EDITOR, 
HE lamps with what are called ja- 
ter? Luruers, that is, with a convex 
refragting zlais placed before them, are, 
it fhould-eem, at prefent almoft general- 
ly adopted, under the idea of their giving 
a very fuperior light to the common 
lamp. It is very certain that a ftrong 
ray of light is thrown toa great diltance 
by means of thefe convex glafies, but this 
ray feems to attach on a particular fpot 
enly, and often through the injudicious 
manner of placing the glafs, ig made to 
fall fo high as to produce no effeé& what- 
ever on the pavement. It is found, I be- 
lieve, that on the {pot where the lamp 
is placed, no additional light is thrown, 
and the glare of light that proceeds 
from the numerous focufes that catches 
the eyes of the paflenger, is extremely of- 
fenfive. On the whole, and I fpeak 
without the leaft prejudice whatever, I 
fhould conceive it would be found that 
thelight from lamps of the old conftruc- - 
tion will be found nearly equal and cer- 
tainly more mellow ; and in fupport of 
this opinion I might perhips with con- 
vittion to fome perfons add, that it has 
already been fo decided ; for though one 
fhould fuppofe from the term patent burn- 
ers, that the invention is new, your rea- 
ders may be furprifed and gratified in 
knowing that this is far trom being the 
cafe, and that thefe lamps were ufed 
in Londgn more than acentury ago, when 
Miffon the celebrated traveller vifited 
England, from whofe travels I beg leave 
to quote the following pafflage.—*¢ In- 
ftead of lanterns, they iet up in the ftreets 
of London lamps, which by means of 
a very thick convex glafs, throw out 
great rays of light, which illuminate 
the path for people that go on foot toler- 
ably well.” The tranflator adds, that 
thele laijps were at every tenth houfe ; 
and a marginal note inthe French edition 
fays, that Mr. Edmund Heming was the 
inventor. The inference then is, that - 
they were found not toanfwer, and were 
confequently difufed. Perhaps fome of 
your philotophical readers will favour 
us with their remarks on thé comparative 
advantages of common and patent burners, - 
Lam, &c. ’ 
March 7ih, 1799. 
E. 

To the Editer of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIRs © 
] AGAIN take the liberty of calling 
the attention of your numerous read- 
ers to the fubjet of NEGLECTED Bio- 
GRAPHY. My former obfervations on 
that painful topic have failed to produce 
the effect intended ;_ perhaps this might 
be owing to their being too general, 
Particular enquiries, probably, may eli- 
cit information from fome of your intel- 
ligent cortefpondents. With your leave 
then, I will here mention a few names, 
concerning which any intelligence will he 
very acceptable, not only to myfelf, but 
to the public at large. I fhall make a 
few 
