1803.] - 
memory does not deceive me) ‘ There is 
one caufe only which occafions all my de- 
-preffions ; could that be removed, which 
is impoffible, I fhould be as cheerful and 
happy as any man.”” Cowper’s words are 
to this effeét, although I am not able to 
quote them accurately: the letter is fome 
where about the middle of the firft volume. 
Mr. Hayley pafles over this important hzat 
with unaccountable and inexcufable ne- 
gligence; here is a palpable allufion to fome 
' particular event in the life of Cowper, the 
too fertile fource of all his infelicity. Such 
a hint fhould have excited the keeneft re- 
fearch of the biographer ; byt it. feems 
to have efcaped him entirely. 
But let us rather acknowledge our obli- 
gations to Mr. Hayley for what he has 
done, than fhew a difpofition to be dif- 
contented that he has not done more. He 
has prefented the public with a confide- 
rable body of new, that is to fay, upub- 
lifhed, poetry, from the pen of Cowper: 
and he has collected from the fame moft 
mild, amiable, and excellent man, a feries 
of familiar letters, which, whether written 
in a melancholy or a playful mood, whe- 
ther critical, admonitory, or immaterial, 
are not furpafled by any in the Englifh 
language. . 
I truft, Mr. Editor, that nothing has 
efcaped me which the compiler of the 
Retrofpe& can confider as perfonally dif- 
refpeétful ; believe me, Sir, I fhould be 
particularly forry to fay any thing unhand- 
fome concerning a gentleman with whom 
I have long been in habits of intimacy, 
and for whom he very well-knows that [ 
have as great a regard as one man can 
have for another. In fhort, Sir--...- 
Your’s, &c. 
. Dy Sarl 
=e 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HAVE obferved with pleafure in 
your Magazine, for July, page 531, 
4 propofition for inftituting a SocrEry - 
FOR ScIENTIFIC INFORMATION,: and 
your Correfpondent Mr, Bevan, in the 
laft number, exprefles a with for the out- 
lines of fuch a fociety ; and although the 
following obfervations cannot boat of 
~ fuch an appellation, yet I think they may 
not be wholly ufelefs. 
If fuch a thing could be infticuted on a 
- good bafis, it would undoubtedly tend to 
general inftruétion, The greateft impe- 
diment will be in procuring able and wil- 
ling members in the feveral diftrits ; for 
Society for Scientific Information. 
103 
it cannot be fuppofed that every man who 
pays down his quota of money, is proper 
to give the neceflary information; I would 
therefore make a diftin&tion between mem- 
bers and fubfcribers. ‘Chere fhould be 
fome advantage, I think, arifing to mem- 
bers 3 for where will be found withour 
this a fufficient number of difinteretted 
perfons, who are willing to engage in the 
tafk ? I would firft confine the fociety ta 
England, ‘and, if it fucceéds, it fhould be 
extended toScotland and Ireland. A com- 
mittee fhould be appointed in London; of 
as many members as convenient, and as 
the fociety extends, I think there fhould 
be fub-committees at Edinburgh and Dub- 
lin, or any other place where a fufficient 
number of intelligent perfons could be 
procured.. The departments of {cience, 
which appear to me td be the moft ufeful, 
are, agriculture, antiquities, commerce, 
natural hiftory in all its branches, bet 
particularly botany, ornithology and mi- 
neralogy; and I am not fure if painting 
were admitted, whether it would not be ay’ 
advantage, for there ave diftrifts where 
that art may be more advyantageoufly 
ftudied' than others. I think, however, 
that the neceffity of agricultural members 
is fuperfeded in moft parts by focieties al- 
ready inftituted. 
Mr, Bevan judges very properly in al- 
lotting two hundred {quare. miles to each 
member ; fo that he may have an eye over 
any. remarkable occurrences, relative to 
the feveral departments of {ciencey which 
may turn up in. his diftrié&. -') This 
would be little trouble, as there mu¢ 
be neceflarily a frequent communica- 
tion between the diftance of fourteen 
miles, and as every man is fuppoled to 
vifit his neighbourhood, nothing material 
to the fociety could turn up, without the 
knowledge of the’ refident member. I 
would endeavour’ Beate. mernbers on 
thofe_parts of feience, peculiar’ to the dif- 
tri&t where they lived ; for inftance, in . 
Cornwall, Derbyfhive, &c. I would 
choofe the mineralogift; in Dorfetthire, 
Somerfethire,  &c. botanical: members’ 
fhould be molt numerous, and wheré’the 
country is but imperfe&tly known, there 
fhould be as many members as could be 
conveniently obtained, 
If thefe -obfervations will fuit your 
Miicellany,, you will-oblige an old corre- 
fpondent by inferting them. ~ 
J. E. B* 
* The editors invite the communication 
of further hints on this fobjeét. 
a 
