trust to the slender chance of once being in the neighbourhood, where it may happen to be wrecked. While various luxurious stores are most conscientiously remembered, such an article of the very highest value, the probable palladium of the ship and its inhabitants, is overlooked. As Common Sense justly observes, there can be no cowardice in practising every possible precaution in preserving the va luable lives of men. To expose his own life, or those committed to his charge, to useless destruction, can never surely be supposed to belong to the character

of a true hero.

The next topic, to which W. N. proceeds, is equally deserving of attention from the friends of humanity. He justly accuses the medical men who superintend the London hospitals of not being actuated by the same degree of zeal and activity in their attentions to the diseased poor, as those in the Infirmary at Edinburgh; for how otherwise, he asks, should there be perpetually such a disproportion in the number of cured? Any degree of indiference or neglect of the helpless poor, suffering under bodily pain, and at the same time conscious of receiving charitable assistance, without the confidence to murmur or expostulate, is a feeling consideration, and ought to be loudly reprobated. But censure or, reprobation will be of little avail, unless enforced by a more touching argu ment than merely a general sense of duty. Like the Edinburgh physicians, those of London must also be animated by a jealousy of character, and ambition to excel. In order to rouse these springs of action, I know no plan that could possibly prove more effectual than to publish annually the average number of cured in all the hospitals and dispensaries of London. Having thus introduced a liberal and commendable rivalship, its good effects would instantly be discerned, in the speedy recovery of the poor pa. tient: physicians and surgeons would then see the exaltation of their character, and the increase of their business.

The observations which follow on the Foundling and Christ Hospitals are, in my opinion, too severe and rather unguarded. That the whole of the children belonging to these noble charities are admitted from interest only, without any regard to their poverty, is altogether incredible. I can assert, from some personal knowledge, that the fourth or fifth

of charity, many of them fatherless.

streets, the whole neighbourhood is alarmed, but nobody ever hears of it being carried to this hospital. It undoubtedly would be a very proper innovation, that the one half of the children admitted into the Foundling and Christ's Hospital, be those of officers or soldiers killed in the service of their country. I would also recommend that the names of all the children, and the names and condition of their parents, be told on the external walls of the buildings. This might give pain to some, but, upon the whole, would be of service, and keep at a distance many who have no right to share in the alms of the poor.

I most heartily agree with the notion, that 20,000). ought to be granted from the public purse to the London and Middlesex hospitals. Though the Foundling Hospital be not equal in utility to these, the 70,000l. voted to it by Parliament was certainly a rational and patriotic donation. This money still exists, and will no doubt continue to support what, at least, is one of the most splendid ornaments of the metropolis. An appeal is made to the Prince Regent in behalf of the distressed, and it is not to be doubted, that, were his native goodness left freely to operate, many plans of be. nevolence might be promoted. But pity to the poor is a sentiment so much out of the common track with ministers, that one would think it never occurs to their minds, or that they deem it beneath their attention. But I ask, can they deserve the name of rational or patriotic statesmen, or of wise and good men, who would lavish on an individual, merely that he might be possessed of superfluities, a sum, that, for all ages, would continue to alleviate the pains, and relieve the distresses of thousands and ten thousands, and at the same time be a perpetual public honour to the country. When any remarkable event takes place, either of triumph or of suffering, weak minds get into such a ferment, that they kuow not when to stop. Many calm, judicious members silently lamented the senseless hot-headed fury which squandered such immense sums on the Nelsons, the Percevals, and the Wellingtons, who disliked the ungracious task of openly testifying their disapprobation.

G. P.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

ERMIT me, through the medium of

part are really poor and proper objects ar popular Miscellany, to inquire When an infant is found deserted in the if there be any fund established for the

1

improvement

improvement of Greenwich Park? From the well-known fact, that not a tree has been planted within the recollection of any person, under the age of forty, it may be presumed that there is not. Should this be the case, a small sum ought certainly to be allowed for the preservation of a place which has been so generally admired. Possibly some parliamentary reader of the Monthly Magazine, may deem this subject not unworthy of his notice; unless the Park at Greenwich should be considered less deserving of attention than Bushey Park, the state of the trees in which were adverted to in the House last session. T. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

Ο

SIR,

N the supposition of a scarcity of bread-corn in the country, many persons adopt the use of rice in pastry and cakes of all descriptions, instead of wheat flour. Whether a scarcity of bread-corn really exists, I have not the means to ascertain; but let it be supposed that it does. Under this circum stance, the value of rice to the public must necessarily increase, in a proportionable degree to that which it always bears to the bread-corn; and hence all superfluous consumption of it ought to be as carefully avoided as of wheaten flour. Allowing, therefore, all imaginable merit to the good intentions of those persons above alluded to, they surely labour under a great mistake, when they indulge themselves in this superfluous use of rice, and think they are acting meritoriously towards the public by so doing. While the use of wheaten flour and rice is restricted to articles of real substance as food, whether it be in bread or in plain puddings, I confess I do not see why the one is not as admissible as the other. Here is no waste of either article, because, independent of those whose principal food must be farinaceous, as they cannot get animal food in any quantity, animal food alone, or with only succulent vegetables, would be productive of a variety of diseases. Whether in the form of pudding or of bread, there fore, while flour and rice is only used as a necessary part of food, is of little consequence. Pastry, and cakes of every kind, let them be made of what they will, must always be unwholesome food, if they were taken strictly as food, and thus, at best, a strange perversion of good materials. But they have not even this pretence, as the principal consump

of them is after a plentiful meal of

various other kinds of food, or at idle times, when they are eaten from vicious habits of eating merely. I must own, therefore, that it appears to me an absurd self-delusion, to censure the use of a plain batter or bread pudding, which fairly constitutes half the dinner, or per haps more, of the consumers, and then complacently to eat pastry and cakes because they are made of rice.

If a real scarcity subsists, for the love of our fellow creatures, and common christian charity, let us for the time use the good gifts of God only as they are needful to us, and not with the wauton ness to which plenty too often leads. LECTOR.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

I

SIR,

N your last Number, under the departiment styled "Extracts from the Portfolio of a Man of Letters," there is an article respecting the celebrated Eina nuel Swedenborg; which, though written in some respects with considerable can. dour, concludes with an anecdote, which no person acquainted with his real cha racter, as represented by the testimony of those who knew him, and exhibited in his writings, can hesitate to pronounce untrue. It is, indeed, only given as a current story, without any reference to authority. As a mere story, to those who are not displeased at its prophaneness, it may certainly afford some amuse• ment: but its wit is no apology for its falsehood; and, as its tendency is to con firm the groundless prejudice which would represent Baron Swedenborg as insane, it ought to be contradicted.

It is not my intention to enter at large into the discussion of the general question respecting this writer's alleged lunacy, as this might be foreign to the nature of your work: permit me, however, to observe, that, if any credit is to be given to the most unexceptionable testimony, nothing can be more unfounded than such a charge. The late Rev. T. Hartley, rector of Winwick, in Northamp tonshire, who had been well acquainted with him for some years previous to his decease, in the prefaces to the treatise called True Christian Religion, and some of his other works, indignantly contra dicts the assertion. M. Sondel, superintendant of the Swedish mines, Knight of the Polar Star, and Member of the Stockholm Academy, affirms, in the eulogium pronounced by him to Swedenborg's memory, in the presence of that learned body, "that be preserved

T

the

the whole strength of his mind to the Fast, without experiencing that decay of the mental faculties to which so many are subject after a long pursuit of science." And Mr. and Mrs. Shearsmith, at whose house Swedenborg resided at the time of his decease, and some years previously, deposed upon oath before the Lord Mayor, November 24, 1785, that he enjoyed a sound mind, memory, and understanding, to the last hour of his life." This Mr. Shear Smith is still living. He has lately been questioned respecting his illustrious lodger by the writer of this, and others; and perseveres in maintaining the truth of his former testimony in a tone that sufficiently evinces his conviction of the fact.

But the best way to be enabled to form a just opinion on this subject, is by a careful perusal of this writer's theological works; which, though very

numerous, and though an interval of no less than twenty-four years elapsed between the publication of the first of them and that of the last, are in perfect harmony throughout, and display such powers of reason, and such astonishing memory, in the writer, as evince him to have possessed a mind, not merely unshattered by derangement, but in the highest degree vigorous and unclouded.

Aware of the resistless force of this argument, his adversaries have sometimes endeavoured to evade it, by classing him with those partially deranged persons, whose disorder only affects them in some particular points, whilst on all other subjects they retain their faculties entire. But, unfortunately for this supposition, the points on which Swedenborg has been accused of insanity are precisely those in which his mental faculties appear in their greatest perfection: for the ideas which have thus been stigmatized run through the whole of his theological writings, which, whatever may be thought of them in other respects, certainly betray no deficiency of intellectual power. Even when treating on the very subjects objected to, he displays the same consistency of sentiment, the same force of reason and memory, which distinguish the rest of his works; and, what I believe is very uncommon with insane persons, he appears to have been fully aware himself of the incredulity with which some of his assertions would be received.

In short, a person, were any such to MONTHLY MAG. No. 234,

be found, who had attentively read his writings, and was yet resolved to vilify his character, would probably, with the Quixotic Barruel, regard a charge of imposture as less incredible than that of lunacy: though to bring such a charge would also be hazarding an untenable proposition; for what could be more extravagant than to apply such an im putation to a man whose life was blameless, and whose writings are filled with the most powerful incentives to every thing that is moral and excellent, amiable and subline?

I rely on your impartiality for the publication of this letter; by which you will oblige several of your readers, as well as O. J. N.

October 14, 1812.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

Ar. Mann's account of the beha-WAS forcibly struck with a perusal viour of a poor negro, towards two British sailors; and, in asserting that it is not unprecedented, the following anec dote more than justifies me. A short time before the war, between the English and the Indians, in Pennsylvania, com. menced, an English gentleman, who lived on the borders of the province, was one evening standing at his own door, when an Indian came up to him, and requested a little food; instead of which he received, "I have none for you:" even on moderating his request to a little water, he received the same answer, with the addition of " Get you gone for an Indian dog!" He fixed his eyes on this soi-disant English gentleman, and went his way. Some time after, this self-same gentleman (who was very fond of shooting) pursued his game till he lost himself in the woods; after wandering awhile, he descried an Indian hut, and made up to it, to inquire the way to a plantation; when he, received for answer, "It is a great way off, and the sun is near setting, you cannot reach it to-night; if you have a mind to lodge with me, you may." He required not a second invitation, but went in and accepted some boiled venison, and rum-and-water, which his be nefactor had prepared for him, and retired to rest until morning; when his landlord called him up, informing him, "That the sun was up, and he had a great distance to travel before he reached the

LET that evard each one posed. Great bodies of men, equally