526  Tranflations propofed—Danger of Steam in the Gout. [ July ie 
J allude to, is entitled D:/putattones Camal- 
dulenjes. The foliowing account of this 
erformance is given by the Rev. Mr, 
Grefwell : 
¢* Lorenzo de® Medici, the true Mzcenas 
of his age, (says he) with a view to pals 
the fultry feafon more agreeably, having 
affembled fome of the moft eminent lite- 
rary perfons in the grove of Camaldoli, 
amongft whom were Marfilio Ficino, Do- 
nato Acciajaoli, Alamanno Rinuccini, 
Chriftofero Landino, and Leon Rattifta Al 
bert: ; and the converiation turning on 
fuch topics as might be expected, the /at- 
ter in feveral learned difcourfes fatistac- 
torily proved, that under many of the 
fiGions of the Afneid the fublimeft myf- 
teries of philofopny were concealed; and 
that Virgil was tn reality a philofopher in. 
the difguife of a poet. The fubftance of 
his dilccurfes on this occafion, was record- 
ed by Landino, and publifhed in his work 
entitled Difputationes Camaldulenjes.” 
To the various merits of this work Mr. 
Rofcoe bears teftimony, while, at the 
fame time, he opens a moft pleafing and 
interefling view of it. Is it nct to bé won- 
dered at that a work fo recommended 
fhould fil! remain wz-tranfiated, while the 
Englith pre!s groans with tranflations of 
the flim{y and immoral modern prcduc- 
tions of France and Germany! 
T fhall alfo beg leave, Sir, to dire&t the 
notice of your readers to another work of 
coniiderable merit, which will too, I truxt, 
find a tranflator among them, I mean the 
Dialogue on ibe Viciffitudes of Fortune, by 
Poggio Bracciclini.—This Dialogue, fays 
Mr. Shepherd, ‘* iaculcates maxims of 
fublime philofophy, enforced by a detail 
of fplendid and ftriking events. The ac- 
ecunt which it contains ef the changes 
which tock place in Italy at the end of the 
fourteenth, and at the commencement cf 
the fifteenth centuries, prefents a fuccinct 
and clear view of the politics of that 
period ; and the Journey of the Venetian 
traveller merits the attentive perulfal of the 
curious inguirer into the hiftory of man- 
Kind.” To this powerful recommenda- 
tion of the work in queftion by the able 
Biographer of Poggio, I fnall only add, 
that I hope the Dialogue on the Viciffitudes 
of Fortune wiil foon appear in an Englifh 
garb. 
Permit me to enquire whether or not the 
Dramaturgia of Lefing, or L’Effratto 
dellarte Poeticad’ Arifiotile,e confiderazione 
fu la medefima, by Metaitafio, have been 
yet tranilated into Englith ? With the me- 
rits of the former, Mr. Pye has made us 
acquainted ; and of the latter, a flight ana- 
lyfis is given by Dr. Burney. . 
Befcre I difpatch thefe loofe hints for 
tranflators, I thal] beg leave to recemmend 
a new verfion of Ovid's Elegies, with notes 
illuftrative of the curious and interefting 
hiitory of his exile; a fubjeét which has 
been treated poetically by Politiano, and 
hiftorically by the laborious Tirabofchi. 
It is hardly neceflary to add, that when 
any one determines to undertake a tranfla- 
ticn of any well-known work, he fhould 
publicly announce his intention. This 
precaution, for obvious reafons, is not ne- 
ceflary in the cafe of an original work. 
Iam, &c. 
Feb. 4, 1804. © A. 3. 
lene eed 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OBSERVE in your intelligent maga- 
Ji zine for May, Dr. Stenhoufe’s cure 
for the gout, which ttruck me fo forcibly 
for its fimplicity,-&c. that I haftened to 
communicate it to a friend of mine, whofe 
extremities are frequently afflicted with 
that painful diforder ; but an elderly lady 
to whom I mentioned the mode of cure by 
team, feemed fo agitated by the fuggel- 
tion, from a recollcétion of the ill effeéts 
this prefcribed mode had upon her 
great-uncie, a gentleman in London, that 
I fufpend the intended communicati n till. 
I have the fcilowing queftions fully an- 
fwered, or the i]l-effects of this mode re- 
futed ; for the purpofe of which I fubmit 
to Dr. Stenhoufe the following recital, 
which, for the good of tne public, I hope 
he will not refule to elucidate. 
The gentleman above alluded to was {g 
violently afflicted with the gout, from his 
knees to his jower extremities, that he was 
induced to try the effets of fteam: he 
fiood over a tub of boiling water, which 
occafioned a powerful fteam to flow up, 
wards al over his body, A Friend of his 
caning in at the [ame time, feemed furprif- 
ed at this novel experiment, and exclaimed, 
What are you doing? Gh! any thing for 
eafe—any thing for eafe! which feemed 
the momentary effect. But alas! the real 
effeét was, ina fhort time, to throw up 
the gout in his fflomach, and occafion 
his immediate death. Such a recital ne- 
ceffarily alarmed me, leaft any one fhould 
haftily adopt this preferibed mode of cure, 
before Dr. Stenhoufe, or his friend, had 
made a mere full and varied trial of ite 
I am tully of the opinion it may be fafe to 
practice it, when the inflammation is con- 
fined 
