1806.]. On the Prognoftics of the Leech. —ZTints on Trufi-Making. 515 
And when the palace-gates were far behind, 
From the high walls a dreadful noife they 
heard ; 
And, looking back the hidden:caufe to find, 
The palace and its towers had difappear’d 5 
Not ev’n a ftone was fianding, todeclare 
That once a palace and its mwers were there. 
Canto II. ft. 18. 
The boats of the new-made Chriltian 
on this glorious victory are not unworthy 
the character, which Pulci has gained, of 
a burletque writer. But leaving them and 
the little remaining incidents on the road, 
together with a very good defcription of 
Manfredonio’s camp, as viewed from an 
eminevce, let us fuppofe our heroes intro- 
cuced to this botiterous lever, and Or- 
lando already enlifted among his captains 3 
and, paffing over the dreadtul combat in 
which the Paladin overthrows and kills 
the brother of Meridiana, and the prepar- 
ations which the valiant heroine makes to 
revenge his death, we will only give a 
fingle ftanza which deferibes the conclufion 
of her encounter with Orlando. 
All full of rage, the Paladin, her foe, 
His heavy fword drove furious at her creft. 
Creft, plume, and helm, were broken by the 
blow, 
And her long hair dropp’d, loofen’d, o’er 
her breatt ; 
Bright as the ftars, in cloudlefs fky that 
glow, 
Fair as the locks the Queen of Love pof- 
fe{s'd, 
Or Daphne’s treffes floating in the wind, 
Fann’d by Apollo’s panting breath behind. 
Canto III. fi. 17. 
Difcomfited and afhamed, Meridiana 
returns to the palace of her father Cara- 
doro; Orlando: exu'ts a little too much 
over the poor lady ; and Manfredonio’s 
hopes feem to approach their completion, 
ag 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N your Magazine for April laft, page 
249, you announce the difcavery of 
a metal by Dr. Richter, which he calls 
Niccolanum, and which, he obferves, re. 
fembles the metal Nickel in many of its 
qualities, but particularly by its having 
a {trong magnetic quality. But as Nickel 
is now proved, by the experiments of mo- 
dern chemifts, to owe its magnetic virtue 
to a {niall portion of iron which jt.con- 
tains in an impure fthte (or before it is 
thoroughly purified, or freed from foreign 
fubftances) ; and when freed from foreign 
fubftances, it is not in the leatt magnetic ; 
Ethink that Dr. R. has mot thoroughly 
_as tothe changes of the weather. 
invefticated the nature and properties of 
Nickel; ctherwife he would not have faid 
that the metal Niccolatium refembled it in 
its magnetic qualities. I make no doubt 
but that it refembles Nickel in its other 
qualities. If, through the medium of your 
Magazine, you could inform me where a 
ipecimen of the meral could be procured, 
it would much oblige, yours, 
S. He 
Ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly 
SIR, | 
O your intelligent correfpondent, D. 
Bridges, who has anfwered my que- 
ries which you did me the f:vour to infert 
in vol, xx. page 395, refpecting the qua- 
lities of the leech as prognoftication of the 
changes in the weather, and which anfwers 
are in vol, xxi. p. 219 of your entertaining 
Mifcellany, I bee my beft thanks for his 
kind communications, which are, as well 
as I can remember, fimilar to thofe which 
I was formerly pofleffed of, as alluded ta 
in my former letter. I wifh I could ob~ 
lige him in obferving the fpider, as he 
requefts, but neither time nor opportu- 
nity will allow me. 
Surely when Cowper made thofe ftrong . 
affertions, that ‘the leech, as being in 
point of the earlieft intelligence, was worth 
all the barometers in the world,” he muft 
have been in the habit of keeping the 
leech, and of minutely examining its mo- 
tions, and making obfervations thereon 
I wifh 
therefore to call the attention of fome of 
your correfpondents (many of whom, no 
doubt, well knew Cowper), to afcertain 
whether any of his obfervations are on 
record in Olney or its neighbourhood, 
where he dwelt; and if any of them can 
give information whether he did particu- 
Jarly obferve them as prognofticators of 
the changes of the weather, and kept a 
regifter of their motions, &c., as 1 am 
led to fuppofe he mutt, from his making 
fo trong an affertion in their favour. 
Iam, Sir, yours, &c. 
R. RUFFHEAD« 
Lidhiagton, near Woburn,-- 
Fune 2, 1806, 
ena 
Tothe Editor of the Monthly Magazines 
SIR, , 
S your valuable Mifcellany is open to 
every thing ufeful, I hope you wilk 
fpare a corner for the following hints, 
which have nothing elfe te recammend 
them. 
,U2 
LagaZinee 
Having 
