228 
afcribed however to J. B. Andreini, who 
printed at Milan, in 1613, his Adamo. 
PRIVY COUNSELLORS INDEPRIVABLE. 
‘The office of a privy counfellor (fays 
an excellent conftitutional lawyer) is for 
the joint lives of the king and counfellor: 
for, being originally appointed by parlia- 
ment, no authority but parliamentary can 
difplace him; and, as the king’s death 
diflolved the parliament, confequently it 
determined the privy counfeller’s office.—~ 
See an *¢ Hiftorical Effay on the Legiflative 
Power of England, by George St. Amand, 
P- 154.) 
EPISCOPAL SEDITION. 
Even bifhop Jeremy Taylor is fome- 
times feditious: mark the following paf- 
fave from his Sermon on godly fear.— 
«© When Dionyfius the tyr rant impofed j in- 
tolerable tributes on his Sicilian fubjeGts, 
it amazed them, and*they petitioned, and 
cried for help, and flattered him, and 
obeyed him carefully ; but he impofed ftill 
new ones and greater, and at laft left them 
poor as'the valleys of Vefuvius, or the top 
of Etna: but then, all being gone, the 
people grew idle and carelefs, and walked 
in the markets and public places, curfing 
the tyrant, and bitterly {coffing his perfon 
and vices; which, when Dionyfius heard, 
he caufed his publicans and committees to 
withdraw their impofts ; for now, faid he, 
they are dangerous, becaufe they are de- 
fperate.”” 
EDITION of the BRITISH POETS. 
A new edition of Johnfon’s eBritith 
Poets is in contemplation. Surely this is 
unwife: his editions are not worth per- 
petuating. The greater poets fhould have 
more commentary, and the minor poets 
lefs text. One is always tempted at, laf 
to buy an antiquarian or variorum edition 
of the more eminent ; fuch as Tyrwhitt’s 
Chaucer, or Steevens’s Shakefpeare. This 
plan of editing fhould be extended to 
Spenfer, to Milton, to Dr yden, and others: 
but the inferior poets fhould be cut down 
into anthologies ; a fhort biography, and 
a fele€tion of Hiei beft effuficns, is all one 
covets.. ‘There is already more poetry in 
ithe world than can be read ; and yet more 
ought to be written, until works as excel- 
Jent exift in Englith, for every department 
of the art, as in foreign languages. 
LETTER of LEIBNITZ. 
In the collection of Leibnitz’s letters, 
the fifth to Bourguet -is remarkable for 
announcing two theories, the promulga- 
tion of which has greatly contributed to 
the reputation of Linnzus and Buffon, 
Thefe are the paflages alluded to: © 
Extras from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 
{April 1, 
_ <*M, Camerarius deTubingue a eruque 
la graine des plantes eft comme ’ovaire 
des animaux, et le pollen, quoique dans la 
méme plante, comme le {perme du male. 
Mais quand cela feroit vrai, la queftion 
refteroit toujours fi la bafe de la transfor- 
mation, ou le vivant preformé, eft dans 
Povaire, felon Valifnieri, ou dans le {fperme, 
fuivant Leeuwenhoek: car je tiens qu'il 
faut toujours un vivant preformé; foit 
plante, foit animal, qui foit la bafe de la 
transformation, et que la ‘méme monade - 
dominante y foit. . 
Je crois done que notre globe a été un 
jour dans un etat femblable a celui d’une 
montagne ardente 3 et c’eft alors que les 
mineraux, qui fe decouvrent aujourd hui, 
et qu’on peut imiter, dans nos fourneaux, 
ont été formés. _ Vous trouverez ma con- 
jecture expla plus amplement dans 
les Aétes de Leipzig, fous le titre de 
Protogaza. _ Les rochers, qui font, pour 
ainfi di ive, les offemens de Ja terre, font 
des fcories, ou vitrifications, de cette an- 
cleiie fufion.’ Te fable Wee que du verre 
de cette vitrification pulverifée par le 
mouvement. L’eau de Ja mer eft comme 
un oleum per deliquinm, fait par le refroi- 
diffement, apres la ca cination. Voila trois 
matieres trés €tendues fur la fuperficie de 
notre globe, favoir la mer, les rochers, et 
le fable, expliquées affez naturellement par 
le feu, dont il ne fera pas facile de rendre 
raifon par un autre hypothefe. Cette eau 
a couvert un jour tout le globe, ety a 
caulé bien de changemens avant méme le 
deluge. Je panche donc affez vers le fen- 
timent de Defcartes, qui juge que notre 
terre a été autrefois un etoile fixe; ou- 
ers celui de mon crt, qu’elle pourroit 
avoir éié une-piece fondue ou grande 
macule jettée hors du foleil, ou elle tache 
toujours de retomber.” 
This letter is dated Vienna, * 22 Bae 
1714. 
CIRCULATING LIBRARIES. 
Thefe inftitutions, now fo general and 
ufeful, are of no greater fianding than fifty 
or fixty years. The firft in London was 
commenced at No. 132 in the Strand, by 
a bookfeller of the name of - WRIGHT, 
about the year 1740; he was fucceeded in 
the fame concern by BATHO, who was 
fucceeded by Mr. JOHN BELL. This li- 
brary has lately been fold off by auétion. 
Among the earlieft and moft fuccefsful ri- 
vals of Wright were the Nobles, in 
Holborn and St. Martin’s-court; and 
Lowndes. in Fleet Street. The number 
of airenlaling libraries in Great Britain 
was, in the year 1800, not lefs than one 
thoufand, 
ELOQUENT | 
