
. 348 



were now only permitted to intereft them- 
felves on one fide of a queftion. 
Without enquiring into the juftice of 
this gentleman’s obfervation, or entering 
on fuch political difcuffions as they gave 
rife to, I will juft obferve, that we were 
brought to this conclufion, that in pro- 
portion as difficulties 2re thrown in the 
way of political difcuilion, writers fhould 
ftudy prudence, and jurors fhould prac- 
tice integrity. 
As an enquiry into the province of 
jurors is, at all times of confequence to 
an Englifnman, fo are there increafing rea- 
fons, why, in the prefent period, the fub- 
ject fhould be accurately underftood and 
the office faithfully difcharged. I there- 
fore, Sir, fubmit to your confideration,” 
and to the confideration of your readers, 
whether it would be ill-timed, if fome 
perfon, properly acquainted with this fub- 
ject, would difcufs it ina temperate but 
faithful manner, in the ‘* Monthly Maga- 
eine.” The hiftory and the practice of 
juries furnifh ample materials. 
This has already been ably done by 
Dr. Towers, in the fecond volume of his 
“ Traéis,’ but on a large feale. A few 
thoughts, I apprehend, might be com- 
preffed within the limits of an eflay, fuit- 
able_to the character of your valuable 
publication, and beneficial to many of 
your readers. I remain, Sir, 
Yours) oH: 
Se 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ae engaged, and far advanced, in 
) a general biographical account, 
comprehending all periods and couniries, 
of women illuftrious for talents and vir- 
tues, in the progre(s of which a great va- 
riety of materials will be neceflary: I 
with, through the medium of your maga- 
zine, to folicit the affiftance of fuch per- 
fons as may be poffeffed of fcaree books 
or manufcripts, or who would have the 
goodnefs to furnith me with any hints, 
fuggeftions, or information, that may be 
uleful to my purpofe. Books or papers 
entrutted to my care, through Mr. Jehn- 
fon, book(eller, No. 72. St. Paul’s Chureh 
Yard, or Mr. Phillips, No. 71. will be 
punctually returned. It may perhaps be 
proper to mention, that the work I have 
undertaken is not defigned to ferve the 
purpofe of any fect or party, but to afford 
in general. fuch examples to female youth, 
as may ftimulate them to the cultivation 
and improvement of their minds, and to 
the attainment of moral excellence. 
May, 23, 1799+ Mary HAYES. 
Furies... Mufiricus Women....Calculation*of the Antients. 
june 
To the Etitor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE word hitch appearing to excite a 
confiderable degree of curiosity 
among your readers, it may not be unac- - 
ceptable to mention the fenfe in which it 
is {till conftantly ufed in Cumberland and 
Weitmoreland. Hitch means to Sop upon 
one leg: thus, the game hop, ftep, and 
jump, is called A:tch, ftep, and loup, (leap). 
—A man who has one leg fhorter than the 
other, is faid to hitch in his walking, &c. 
&c. This probably may be the fenfe in 
which Pope ufes the word in the lines 
quoted by Mr. WaxkEFIELD. 
«¢ A Lover of Biography,” in your ma- 
gazine for May, exprefles a with for the 
republication ot ** Milton’s Areopagiiica.” 
That valuable traét was: republifhed a 
few years azo for BLAMIRE in the 
Strand, and it is probable that the 
whole impreflion may not yet be difpo- 
fed of. 
If you think either of the above worth 
infecting in your valuable magazine, ufe 
them as you think beft. 
Your’s, with great Refpeé, 
James LOSH. 

To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
UCH is the facility, with which the 
numerical figures or ciphrae Ara- 
bicee are applied to all arithmetical pur- 
pofes, that we in thefe days are altonifhed, 
how people, unacquainted with them, 
could periorm complex calculations ;— 
and indeed we may eafily conceive the te- 
dioufnefs and prolixity the Romans and 
Grecians muft have had to contend with 
in operations of this kind, if we only in- 
terrogate ourfelves, how we fhould manage 
to multiply, divide, or extract the roots 
of numbers, by means only of the Latin 
numeral letters, MDCLXVI, or the cor- 
refpondent Greek ones a, 6, y, d, &c. 
However, the method of doing thefe is 
particularly pointed out in ‘* Ewtocius, 
Com. Archimedes de Dimenfione Circuli,” 
and by the venerable Bede. —T hough the 
algorithmic notation (univerfally ap- 
plicable fnce the invention of Jogarithms 
and decimals), is inexpreflibly fuperior ta 
all other modes; yet the ancients gave 
locality to very extenfive numbers, and 
diftributed them in the fame manner as 
we do; but as they wanted a convenient 
way of diftributing proportionally to that 
diftribution, they were frequently obliged 
to expreis their numerical ideas by words 
at 
4 
