1804.] ( 
135 
) 
Extras from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 
CAMPHOR. 
N a curious little book, intitled 
_ © Fob. Fonftoni Thaumatographia Na- 
turalis,” is the following paflage, on the 
‘properties of Camphor, which fhews that 
a lady of confiderable notoriety did not 
make ufe of this fanciful charm againft 
pleafure, without confiderable weight of 
learned authority at leaft.. ¢* Odor illius 
repugnat venerl, pota imo atta¢ta genitu- 
ram extinguit. Quia vero fertur ad ca- 
put, fi rapuerit fecum frigidos humores, et 
gignere poteft fomnum, et homines, ante- 
quam fenefcant, canos reddere. Experi- 
mento didici, inquit Garzias ab Horto, in 
oculorum inflammationibus nivis frigidi- 
tatem retuliffe.”’ 
VOLTAIRE. 
At the rehearfal of one of M. de Vol- 
taire’s tragedies, Mr. Cramer, bookfeller 
at Geneva (and Voltaire’s owi immediate 
publifher) was finifhing his part, which 
was to end with fome dying fentences ; 
when Voltaire, all defpotic over thole he 
thought his dependants, cried aloud, 
*< Cramer, you lived like a prince for 
the four preceding aéts, but at the fifth 
you die like a bookfeller.”” Dr. Tronchin, 
(‘he Boerhaave of his age) being prefent, 
could not help in kindnefs interfering ; 
adding withal, ‘¢ Why, Mons. de Voltaire, 
can you expect to have gentlemen be at 
the expence of dreffes and the fatigue of 
getting fuch long parts, if you thus con- 
tinue to upbraid them? On the contrary, 
I think they all deferve the greateft en- 
couragement at your hands ; and as to my 
friend Cramer, I declare, that as far as [ 
am a judge, he dies with the fame dignity 
that he lived.” Woltaire, who detetted 
advice or information from an inferior 
(for an author was, in his eye, beyond 
even an /E{culapius, were he living) made 
this cool reply ; ‘ Prythee, Doftor, when 
you have got kings to kill, killthem your 
own way ; let me kill mine as I pleafe.” 
ALEXANDER GILL, B.D. 
He was an ufher in St. Pauil’s {chool, 
under his father, and cenfured in the Star- 
chamber, for faying in Trinity College, 
that) * our king is fitter to ftand in a 
Cheapiide thop with an apron before him 
and fay, what lack you? than to govern . 
the kingdom:*—and that the Duke was 
gone down to hell to meet king James there. 
Alfo, for drinking a health to Felton, 
faying <“* that he was forry he had de- 
Prived him of the opportunity of commit- 
ting that brave action.’ His cenfure was, 
to be degraded from his miniftries and his 
‘degrees taken away; to lofe one ear af 
London, and the other at Oxford, and to 
be fined 20001, Sir Jofeph Meade in a let- 
ter to Sir Martin Scuteville, dated Chrift 
College, November 15, 1628, fays; 
“* Gill is degraded, but for the fine and 
corporal punifhment, there is obtained a 
mitigation of the firit, and a full remiffion 
of the latter, upon old Mr. Gill the fa- 
ther’s petition to his Majefty, which my. 
Lord of London feconded for his coat’s 
fake and love to his father.’’ 
SELDEN’S HISTORY OF TYTHES- 
The learned Thomas Baker, of St. 
John’s College, Cambridge, wrote upon 
his copy of this book, in the title page, 
‘¢ Mr. Langbaine being confulted by fome 
what might be faid for the civil right of 
tythes, anfwered them by fending them to 
this hiftory: and truly his refolution was 
not amifs, for, if I miftake not, Selden 
has faid more for the civil right, than all 
the many anfwers that were made to him.”’ 
Chriftopher Elderfield’s Civil Right of 
Tythes is alfo a very well written book, 
WILLIAM PRYNNE. 
In his «¢ Trueand perfeét Narrative of 
what was acted and fpoken by him and 
other fecluded Members”? (anno 1659) is 
a curious account of his buftling to regain 
his feat, in the parliament honfe, againft 
the Rump, in 1659. At p.54,inhis prophetic 
dream of Oliver’s death, and his converfation 
with him and advice to him; at p. 64, he 
fays ** Mr. Prynne having neither wife nox 
cnild to provide for, not much to care for, 
and never yet defiring any new office, ad- 
vancement or employment in this prefent 
world, nor receiving the leaft reward for 
all his faithful public fervices, nor recom- 
pence for his manifold lofles, fufferings 
and expences for the public, to whom he 
hath ever been a faithtul unmercenary fer- 
vant,” &c, In1645, he was engaged in a 
controverfy with that choice fpirit John 
Lilburne, who, at p. 20, of the ‘* Copy 
of a Letter irom John Lilburn toa friend,” 
thus treats hin—* Now, I fay, for Will. 
Prin, the lawyer, but rather the grand 
lyar, that would be thought one of the 
wifeft men inthe world, though indeed he 
be one of the arranteft fools and. ide- 
ots,’ &c. 
JOHN LOCKE. 
My Lady Matham, in a letter to Mr. 
Laughton, dated from Oates, November 
T2 8, 1704) 
