1810.] 
f 249 J 
Extracts from the Portfolio of « Man of Letters. 
—saeat ir 
MR. PITT’S PLAN OF REFORM. « 
ORE O extinguish by purchase, on the 
voluntary surrender of those in- 
terested in them, thirty-six of the most 
decaved boroughs. 
Il. To add, in consequence, seventy- 
two meinbers to the county representation. 
IIL. In case ofiany future purchase to 
be made in like manner of any borough, 
beyond the thirty-six, either at present de- 
cayed, or which hereafter should become 
so, the rigiit of representation of such 
borough to be transferred to the unre- 
presented large towns which should ex- 
press a desire of exercising such right. 
IV. That copyholders be added to the 
county elective body. - 
On these grounds, be moved to bring in 
a bill to amend the representation of the 
people in parliament. 
After a debate, the motion was nega- 
tived: 
Ayes 174 
Noes 248 
422 
Majority against the motion 74; or above 
one sixth of the whole number. 
RHETORICAL ACCENTUATION. 
The analogy between musical and rhe- 
torical tone or accentuation, has been: 
beautifully illustrated in a late number. 
The same principle was recognised by 
antiquity; and is stated by Dionysius 
Halicarnassensis, a great critic and his- 
torian of the Augustan era, who, at the 
same time, observes on the coalescence 
both of the grave and acute tones in the 
circumflex. This isa circumstance which 
indeed depends on their nature ; the cir- 
cumflex vowels being formed by the coa- 
lescence of two short vowels, or a short 
and long vowel, and partaking of the 
toves of each. 
- Our long vowels, particularly e,2, and o 
long, partake of this property very largely ; 
the knowledge and use of which are of no 
little practical importance, particularly 
In music. 
Dionysius says, the melody of speech 
is measured very nearly by one interval, 
called the diapente ; and is neither raised 
above three tones and a semi-tone to 
the acute, nor descends lower toward 
the grave: yet notwithstanding, every 
particle of speech is not pronounced with 
the same tone; but some with the acute, 
some with the grave; and some have both 
Montury Mae, No. 197, 
tones, the acute and grave coalescing on 
the same syllable, which we cail the cire 
cumflex. 
On these long accented. and especially 
if at the same time emphatic, syllables, 
two or more notes may properly fall. Die 
visions, slides of the voice, sometimes in 
empassioned passages, sudden and large 
intervals; at others, appogiaturas, as ihe 
vebement and sublime, or the soft, deli- 
cate, and tender request. Amd this, like 
the other secrets of his wonderfui art, 
was well known to Handel, who is alike 
to be studied for astonishing greatness, 
and for the most refined beauties, 
THE QUINCUNX. 
The quincunx arrangement of the 
Roman legions in battle, is most come 
pletely confirmed by a passage in the 
Georgics, where it is compared to the 
mode recommended of pianting trees. 
Indeed, I fear this part of the Roman 
tactics, which made their ranks so easy to 
open and to unite, in every form of com- 
bination which the exigencies of battle 
might require, either for attack, for ral- 
lying with accumulative progression of 
strength, or for retreat (lacilis dividente 
in quacunque velis partes, facilis jun- 
genti) has been too successfully adopted 
by our great opponent. 
PASQUINADE. 
Giovanni Bona of Mondovi, was cree 
ated cardinal in 1669 by pope Clement 
IX. At the death of this pontiff it was 
suggested to confer the tiara on his 
creature, The statue of Pasquin exhie 
bited on the occasion this epigraph: 
Papa dona sarebbe un solecismo. 
WRITERS ON THE PLEASURES OF THE 
t+ PALATE, 
Sancho blesses the man who invented 
sleep; Lam for blessing those whu in- 
vented the positive pleasures. - And so 
thought Hortensio Lando, a_ physician 
of Milan, who flourished in the sixteenth 
century; and who published Un Catalogo 
degli Inventori delle cose che si mangiano, 
e delle bevandc che oggidi susano. This 
catalogue of the inventors of nice dishes 
has not been re-edited at the expense of 
any one corporation m_ christendom, 
Bengt Bergius the Swede, who pubs 
lisned in the ensuing century on dain« 
ties, does not so much as quote the work 
of his predecessor; and yet the cata- 
logue of the writers he does quote, ex~ 
ceeds forty pages. 
SACRED 
