1809.] 
others in this climate, according to the 
general law of causes and effects, this 
is an in nagination. The one produces a 
vast mae of general permanent couse- 
quences; not so the other. It is not 
therefore matter, but permanence and 
generality of effect. which distinguish 
truth and reality from the solitary 
wanderings of imagination, Mind and 
its modifications, its active and passive 
poweis, seem to me demonstrably ade- 
quate to all phenomena and effects in 
the intellectual and sensible universe. 
I seek no more for no more is wanted. 
Tadmit no more; for 1 find that more 
is useless, repugnant, contradictory, and 
1 hope that W. H. will ultimately agree 
with me in recognizing the sublime truth, 
that mind is the sole real existence :— 
a truth understood by Plato ; and which 
my Italian motto beautifully expresses. 
THE PLANET VENUS. 
We are now in one of. the Novennial 
periods, calculated by the illustrious Hal- 
ley, of greatest illumination. 
Last “night Venus far exceeded the 
brightness of either Jupiter or Juno, 
And this appearance will continue and 
increase for several days longer. The 
absence of twilight at this time of the 
year long before Venus sets, and the ab- 
sence of the moon, concur with the posi- 
tion of Venus to ‘produce this beautiful 
appearance. Your’s, &c. 
‘Troston, Capen Lorer. 
February 5, 1809. 
——eE a 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N answer to the wishes of your cor-. 
respondent, Mr. W. Neilson, respect- 
ing the Greek Inglish Lexicon, I beg leave 
to say that such a work is now ready for 
the press. 
A printed specimen of the plan of the 
Greek Lexicon.—Anecdote of a Cow. Oe: 
work I have now before me, which ap- 
pears to correspond with Mr. Neilson’s 
proposals. 
I believe it is also intended to publish 
an octavo abridgment, 
Tamworth, 
January 9, 1809. 
ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AY I beg the favor of a small 
M space in your most useful Maga- 
zine for the purpose of soliciting, from 
some of your numerous correspondents, 
the best information that can be attained 
respecting the Government Tontine, 
established under Mr. Pitt’s admimstra- 
Your's, &c. 
J: Henorrconm 
tion, in the year. 1789 ; 
33 
particularly 
stating the number of original nominees 
in each class, the deaths in each to the 
present time, and the increase of the: 
dividends respectively in consequence. 
thereof; or rather indeed what is now 
paid per share: for 1 apprehend that, 
if this auxiliary financial aid to the re- 
venue had been conducted agreeably to 
the letter of the statute, the adventurers 
now entitled to dividends therefrom 
would receive more than they do or bave 
done fur some time past, 
fam fully aware that an investigation 
into this national measure may he indise 
pensable to a perfectly satisiactory ex~ 
position of the subject; but it is not 
necessary for the purpose I have in view, 
which is merely to shew, whether there 
is any considerable ground for supposing 
nial-adiministration in a government mea- 
sure which induced so many persons to 
embark their property in it, fron the very 
flattering prospect held out by the origie 
nal scheme. 
- \ Bristol, 
January 23, 1809. 
, —E 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR,, 
S your invaluable Miscellany has, 
for a series of years, given me much 
pleasure in its perusal, it will be an ud~- 
ditional gratification to contribute the. 
smallest portion of genuine matter to the 
source of information it contains. 
Permit me to relate an anecdote of 
one of the brute species, which, perhaps, 
would never have appeared before the 
public, had not the relation of one partly 
similar, in the present work, revived the 
circumstance in my memory. 
Some years ago, haviny occasion ta 
reside for some time at a farm-house in 
the country, I was-much alarmed, one 
morning, by the unusual beilowiag of a 
cow under the window of the apartment 
wherein I was sitting; looking out ( per- 
ceived her to be one ‘belonging to a herd, 
auld previously understood were ens 
closed ima ficld near a mile distantg 
alarmed at her appearance I went out in 
order to take ber back, but as soon as 
I loft the house, she ran before me ap 
parently i che greatest eoncern, fre- 
quently looking back to see if I was fol- 
lowing; mn this manner’ she continued 
across several fields till she brought me 
to the brink of a deep and dangerous 
morass; where, to my great surprise, [ 
beheld one of her associates nearly en- 
veloped in the swamp-underneath. The 
distressed animal, after much difficulty, 
was 
Your's, &c. 
KR. Rankine 
f 
