$2 Babylonian Bricks—~Landlords defended, 
portance to the well-being of man: in 
proportion as it prevails, it muft check 
the growth of intellect, and retard the di- 
minution of human evil. | 
Edinburgh, Nov. 11, 1801. A.R. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the differtation with which Dr. 
] Hager has lately favoured us on the 
Babyionian bricks in the poffeffion of the 
Eaft India Company, the learned writer 
has jufily remarked, that many travellers, 
whole names he has given, had formerly 
noticed thefe curiofities, but that the firft 
perfon who had obferved the infcriptions 
upon them, and which conftitute their 
chief value, was Father Emanuel, in a 
manufcript account tranfmitted by him to 
the celebrated D’ Anville, and publifhed in 
the xxviii. volume of the Mémoires de 
1 Acad. des Inicriptions; he had, therefore, 
never probably feen the very entertaining 
Life of Peirefc, written by Gaffendt, from 
which I fhiall bee leave to extract the fol- 
lowing curious paflage:—‘* He exceed- 
ingly defired, that fome interpreter might 
be found out who could explain the figures 
and charaéers which were evidently to be 
feen upon a fragment of brick-work which 
was, not long before, dug up at Babylon, 
and fent to him; for he conjectured it was 
fome of that brick-work upon which 
Pliny tells us (from Epigenes) that the 
Babylonians wrote the obfervations which 
they made of the ftars for feven hundred 
and twenty years.” Book iv. p. 26. of 
Dr. Rand’s tranflation, 1657, 8vo. 
Before I had read Dr. Hager’s differta- 
tion, or met with the above paffage, I had 
found the quotation of Pliny, of which I 
think Dr. Hager has not made all the 
ufe he might have done; for it really 
feems to apply moft appofitely to the 
bricks in queftion, provided it could be 
afcertained in what manner thofe bricks 
were placed in the buildings now remain- 
ing at Hilla, the fuppofed {cite of Ancient 
Babylon I am aware that it has been 
afferted ,that thofein{cribed bricks are found 
with the letters turned inwards, in which 
cafe I fhould be inclined toadopt the opinion 
of thofe who think the charaéters talifma- 
nical, or even the names of the makers; 
but it is to be lamented that we have not 
the particulars of thefe ruins correétly and 
minutely ftated, with elevations and draw- 
ings of any fragments of walls or build- 
ings that remain, except in one folitary 
view given us by Mr. Ives, in his Voyage 
to India. It would alfo be neceflary to 
[Feb. 1, 
know how many varieties of infcriptions 
occur on thefe bricks; whether a@// are 
infcribed, or in what proportion; and it 
is hoped, that the perfon who may be at any 
future time delegated by the India Com- 
pany for the purpofe of making further 
Inquiries, will have the goodne{s to attend 
to thefe imperfeét hints, or confult thofe 
who are qualified to extend or improve 
them ; till then, all comment or further 
inveftigation fhould, I think, be fufpended. 
Your ‘ Man of Letters,” Sir, whofe 
port-folio fo frequently adminifters to the 
entertainment and inftruction of your 
readers, is refpeétfully intreated to flate 
ewhence he extracted the communication of 
Jaft month, p. 524. He appears to quote 
the original manulcript of Brunetto’s Tefore, 
written in the Romance tongue, and not 
in the Provencal, as Mr. Warton has 
fomewhere afferted, and J think afterwards 
acknowledged his miftake; but the Eng- 
lifh fable from AEfop, if genuine, is a cu- 
riofity of which a more particular account 
would be highly acceptable. - D. 
6th Fanuary, 1801. 
—com—eee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I AM forry to perceive an attempt, in 
the laft number of your truly valu- 
able Magazine, to transfer the unfortu- 
nate popular prejudice again farmers to 
their landlords, by an Obdferver ; and I am 
confident, that neither the landholders nor 
the public are much indebted to him for 
this laft effort of his obfervations. Iam 
ready to admit, that the general ovtcry 
again{t farmers is ill founded ; fo illiterate 
a clafs of men fpread over the whole 
face of the country (as a Correfpondent 
in your laf juftly obferves) can never 
act in concert; and if the high price of 
provifions-is not kept up by their combi-_ 
nation, thére can be no blame properly 
charged upon them as a body, as the fame 
{pirit of competition ftill exifts amongtt 
the individuals as formerly. We mutt, 
therefore, Jook to fome other caufe for the 
high price of provifions, than the com- 
bined efforts of farmers; but I am far 
from being prepared to admit, that the 
landlords, though apparently the next in 
the chain, are to be faddled with produ- 
cing this unfortunate effect. | Numerous 
and various, indeed, have been the expla-__ 
nations aiready given of this national ca- 
lamity ; but I donot think, thatthe pub- 
lic mind is fully impreffed with the fun- 
damental caufe of the greateft part of the 
evil, We aretold of light crops for years 
z ‘together 
