—2797-] 
. 
dition as a breach of politenef:, T will not 
caft that malevolent afperfion on his vera- 
city which he has done upon mine; but 
fimply conclude with faying, thar 
65 ——memimnne I fee men’s judgments are 
* A parcel of their fortunes; and - things 
outward 
*¢ Do draw the inward quality after them, 
To fuffer al] alike.” 
SHAKSPEARE, Antony and Cleopatra. 
B. D. 

For the Monthly Magazine. 
1 is requefted, that the gentleman who 
fent the anfwer to the prize queftions 
propofed by the Royal Medical Society 
of Edinburgh, concerning the -nature of 
the influence lately difcovered by Gal- 
vant, which was written in Latin, and 
had the motto 
Ulira poge nemo tenetur 
prefixed, will tranfmit his name and ad- 
drefs to the fecretary of the fociety. | 
This differtation appears to have been 
written many months ago, but, from 
fome accident, did not reach the fociety 
tillthe middle of this feifion. 
A. DUNCAN. 
R, Capper, 
G:C,DeE La Rive. 
Edinburgh Medical Hall, Fuly 20, 1797. 
By order'o he 
committee 

COMET. 
To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
M®: WILLFAM WALKER, tthe lec- 
turer in aftronomy, has dijcovered a 
~ Comet, which has been obferved here, 
on Friday night, the 18th, and the two 
following nights. 
It was firft feen by him at half pat 
eight of the Friday evening, nearly in 
the pole of the ecliptic, compofing a rhom- 
boid, or lozenge fhaped figure, ‘with 
Gand y Draconis, and a ftar of the fourth 
magnitude in the left heel of Hercules. 
_ It was then diftinétly vifible to the 
naked eye as a faint ftar. With a good 
telefcope, it appeared to moft advantage, 
when a power of about 40 was ufed. It 
was then a diffufed milky hazinefs, very 
like the nebula of Andromeda. 
It has fince been rapidly changing its 
pofition. Saturday, the rgth, about one, 
it had moved near 14 degrees, Its mo- 
tion in the 24 hours had been about 12°. 
When meafured by an excellent mi- 
crometer-wire to an achromatic of Dot- 
‘LAND, the diameter of the diftin& white 
fight was 2’ 30’; that of Fupiter being 
then 47”: fo that its apparent diameter 
was rather more than three times that of 
Montruary Maa. No, XI 
New Comet. 
haze of the comet. 
I0r 
the planet. The whole extent of the 
faint vague nebulofity, might poffibly be 
four or five minutes. 
It had no diftinét nucleus; but its 
fouthern fide was moft luminous. 
A ftar or two was feen through the 
It was lefs confpi- 
cuous to the eye than the evening of its 
difcoyery. 
Laft night, Sunday 20, nine, the co- 
met vifible ; at leaft, equally to the tele- 
“feope, with the preceding night’s ap- 
pearance. Sky cloudy, and very unfa- 
vourable for afcertaining its place. Its 
rate of progrefs toward the ecliptic ap- 
pears diminifhed. ens 
A quarter before ten, Sunday night. 
The comet diftin@tly vifible to the naked 
eye. It was beyond the bright ftar Lyra, 
and had advanced about 6° ° toward the 
ecliptic, fmce the laft night’s cbfervation, 
and was near the triangle: of flars A pw ¥, 
in the left hand of Hercules.. Its path, 
which hitherto had appeared nearly in 
the direction of the prime vertical, feems 
now to be a little incurvated. It will 
probably pafs the ecliptic not far fouth 
from the firft degree of Cafricorx. 
From its apparent path, and the 
earth’s place in its orbit, it appears like- 
ly to be vifible till near its perbelivm, to~ 
ward which it appears to be defcending. 
It may become very confpicuous in its 
afcent from the fur. But farther obfer- 
vation is required toward eftimating 
what we may expect concerning it. 
If itis any of the comets hitherto ob- 
ferved, this is probably the firft time it’ 
has been feen coming down to its-perbe- 
lion. 
Aftronomers of all countries, and in- 
deed all perfons who feel a juft fatisfac- 
tion in contemplating the heavens, have 
an intereft in thefe appearances. And 
an early intimation may lead to the afcer- 
tainment of very valuable faéts toward’ 
extending our knowledge of this ftrik- 
ing part of the System of the Uni- 
VERSE. 
TE remain, your’s, fincerely, and with 
great efteem, . 
Capret LoFFT. 
‘Frofion, Monday, Augufi 20, 1797 
SECOND COMMUNICATION. 
sIR, . 
THERE was fome inaccuracy, I doub*, 
in what I faid of the pofition of the 
Comet laft night. It was at ten o'clock 
this night, by ain the lefc hand of Hercu- 
les. At eight minutes before ten, it had 
5333 altinude, nearly. It has advanced 
5 23% Ds 
