3508 
exact heat of the fork could be ascer- 
tained. I have below subjoined the 
beats of two imperfect unisons, the dif. 
ference of each from 480, gives the beats 
in 1 second: 
480 beatsin 1 second. 
ZComma - 477,0277 ——= 2-9723 
Comma - 474,0745 ——— 5°9255 
Babetmonts  apeitays: +. 4tgso1 
In the above experiment, therefore, 
the fork by being made very hot, had not 
flattened more than about a comma and 
a half, C.1. SmytH. 
—=_ a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N making a tour in June, 1809, I 
passed through the wretehed town of 
Woodstock, and of course went with my 
family to view the contrast afforded by 
the adjoining palace of Blenheim. 
After paying the fines which are im- 
posed at two or three passes on travel- 
iers, for. attempting to gratify their curio- 
sity in viewing this national edifice, we 
reached the flight of steps leading into 
he great hall; but were told by our con- 
ductor, that Louis XVIII. the exile King 
ef France, was then viewing Blenheim; 
and, finding that we might join his party 
by missing two or three rooms which he 
had seen, we gladly embraced the offer, 
and joined the party of his Most Christian 
“Majesty. en 
Entering suddenly by aside door, ina 
party of six or eight, His Majesty ap- 
peared to take alarm, and retreated for 
a moment throvyh an open door into 
another room; but observing that we 
bore the open visages of Englishmen, he 
instantly returned, and surveyed us with 
much complacency. 
panied by the Duke de Grammont, and 
two or three other French noblemen, 
whose names I knew not; but many 
powerful associations gave the groupe a 
strong interest with me, 
T could not but marvel attbus meeting 
with a King of France, a grand grand-son 
of Louis XIV. in the very palace which 
had been erected by the parliament of | 
England, as atrophy to the General who 
had so often in the field humbled the 
pride of that ambitious Bourbon, The 
yncident tov was rendered more curious 
from the circumstance, that all the walis 
of Blenheim are covered with graphic 
yepresentations of the triumphs of the 
Puke of Marlborough, and to view 
these exaggerated representations was 
Visit to Blenheim. 
He was accome-’ 
{Jan th. 
a voluntary penance which the exiled 
monarch had imposed on himself. 
The Ciceroni performing this delicate 
task, was, however, the ordinary show- 
man, dressed out in the tawdry livery of . 
his office, flippantly sporting his Moun- 
sheers, his tossicated Bacchus’s, his Lezeis’s, 
and other. John-Bullisms ; and vaunting 
about the thousands of the Mownsheers 
that were killed, taken prisoners, &c. &ce 
in every battle! In vain did I take him 
aside, and apprize him that the decencies 
of hospitality, and the quality and intel- 
ligence of his visitors, rendered fewer 
explanations necessary ‘I likes it,” 
said he, “I likes to tell him the truth ;” 
winking his eye at the same instant, and 
smiling with excessive gratification. 
When he came to the battle of Mal- 
plaguet, he entered into a flourishing 
rhodomontade about the vast superie 
ority of the French, their total rout, &c, 
&c. when Louis, a little piqued, exclaim- 
ed, ‘* Yes, it was a very bloody battfe !” 
“‘ Ah,” said the fellow, ‘ twenty thou- 
‘sand of the Mounsheers were killed on the 
spot!” 
His Majesty appeared to have a very 
correct taste in matters of art, dwelt with 
pleasure on the fine Carlo Dolci’s, the 
Rubens’s, &c. &c. and, evidently asa 
compliment to my party, praised some. 
faded eroupes of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 
representing some matter-of-fact figures 
in the uncouth costume of the year 1770s 
His conduct and observations, made 
in pretty good English, evinced an 
active intelligence on historical and other 
subjects. Ele spoke with evident ree 
serve; but I hope he was satisfied that 
some of the English of the party felt a 
strong desire to shew him every possible 
respect, and were much affected by 
the vulgar spirit of the ciceroni. 
At the tomb, in the chapel, this fellow 
was more than commonly boisterous in 
his descriptions of the allegories of vice 
tory, of prostrate nations, &c. &c. ex- 
hibited by the sculptor. But I Tost all 
patience when, on departing, I saw hima 
bold out his hand to the royal party, and 
receive a fee ofa guinea! On this subject 
I remonstrated with him again, bat was 
told, “he did not get a royal customer 
every day, and instead of not paying at 
all, he thought they ought to pay better 
than other people.” | 
The profile of Louis XVIIT. ts exactly 
that of the unhappy Louis XVI. and I do 
not doubt but his whole contour is very 
like that of his brother. He is very fac ; 
eae, ang 
