16 
India of forty years, enquired much into 
the annals of that emyire ; and composed 
an historical work of considerable mag- 
nitude, adorned with well-executed mi- 
Riatures. ‘his werk, of which the authen- 
ticity cannot be disputed, was translated 
and abridged by Caérow, under the tile 
Oi-a ‘*General Efistory of the Mogul 
Empire, from its Foundation to the pre- 
sent Tyme;” and aniong the curious 
anecdotes coilected by Manucci, is one 
which throws great light on the subject 
of ius essay. itis natural to imagine, 
that the aduiterous amours of Jehangir 
with Nourjehan form “an. interesting 
portion of the Emperoi’s bistory; it was 
at a feast. given by the ambitious female 
to her illustrious ivver, that the essence 
of roses was discovered. Amidst the 
varievies of luxury displayed on that oce 
casion, the princess had contrived that 
ruse-water should flow in a simall canal 
throughout the gardens; whilst the Em- 
peror waiked with her along the borders 
of the canal, they perceived a kind of 
scum, floating on the suriace of the water; 
and when it approached the brink, they 
gathered and examined it; and this was 
a substance produced by the sun, from 
the rose-water. All the court agreed in 
acknowledging, that this oily substance 
was the must exquisite perfume known 
in India;-and in course of time, art en- 
deavoured to imitate what had been a 
first the offspring of accident, and of 
nature.”->-(Listoire Generale des Mo- 
gols ; tom. 1. 326.) 
‘These particulars are by no means un- 
worthy of credit; for Manucci arrived in 
India, during the reign of Shaljehan, 
son and successor of Jenangir, whilst the 
recollection of these circumstances was, 
no doubt, still fresh in the memory of se- 
veral persons. The essence had been, for 
a long time, observed to swim on the sur- 
face of distilled rose-water; bet in so 
smail a quantity, that no one had thought 
of collecting it; a fortunate accident in- 
spired the idea; the discovery being once 
made, (like most others) appeared so sim. 
pie, that we are astonished that the ottar 
was not found by the first chemist who ap- 
plied his alembic to experiments Oi roses. 
ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. | 
SIR : 
ANE Stuart, the extraordinary cha- 
racter of whom some account is 
given 1 the Monthly Magazine for Octo- 
ber Jast, supposed to be a natural daugh- 
rer of King James JI. after renouncing 
the world aud splendour of courts, resi- 
3 
Account of Jane Stuart. 
oo. Tiga ts 
ded at Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire. It 
is to be regretted that few memorials res 
main cf her; but two ancient ali@/respect~ 
able inhabitants, now deceased, have re- 
lated to the writer of this the following 
incidents:—When she first came, she 
sought employment by standing (as is 
usual with labourers at thisday who want 
work) on. or near the foot of the bridge, 
where, in hay-time and harvest, the farm- 
ers resort every morning to hire. She 
selected for her abode, a cellar ina part 
of the town called: the Qld Market, where 
she spun worsted; to dispose of which, 
she regularly had a stall on the. market- 
day. Being once thus employed, she re- 
cognised by the arins and livery, a coach 
andattendants going to the principal inn, 
(the Rose and Crown,) near to which ber 
stall stood, upon which, she immediately 
packed uy her worsted, retired to her 
cell, -and carefully concealed serseif. 
The owner, who was said to be the Duke 
of Argyle, endeavoured to find her, but 
without effecr. ‘The house under which 
she lived has been since rebuilt, and 
part of it isnow occupied by the Lady 
Mary Knollis, aunt to the present Earl of 
Banbury. She constantly attended, 
wheu in health; the meeting of the Society 
of Friends in Wisbech; was humble and 
exemplaty in her conduct, well esteemed 
by her neighbours, invariably avoided all 
conversation relative to her family con- 
nexionss, and when in the freedom of 
intercourse, any expression inadvertently 
escaped, leading to an enquiry, she stop- 
ped short, seemed to regret having dis- 
closed so much, and sileneed further re= 
search. She read the New Testament 
in Greek ; but even this circumstance was 
discovered accidentally by an unexpected 
call: was fond of birds, which were fre- 
quently allowed to leave their cages, and 
fly about in her apartment. When near 
eighty, she had a new set of teeth. She 
died (according to the Friends’ Register) 
“the 19th of 7th mo. 1742, aged 88,” 
and was buried in the Society’s grave-yard — 
at Wisbech, where, out of respect to her 
rnemory, box has been planted round her 
grave, with her initials, age, and date, 
which still remain: to mark-the spot of 
her interment. Your’s, &c. A. 
a 
’ For the Monthly’ Magazine. | 
LETTERS descriptive of CHELTENHAM, 
and wis VICINITY. | 
LETTER If. 
‘Cheltenbam, Fuly 27, 1808. 
THNIANKS to the favourable state of 
4 the weather, this place is now ra-" 
es pidly 
