much inclined to visit, any others of the celebrated caves and excavations in the neighbourhood of those we had just seen. Of these, there are several; but none equal to those we had visited; we there fore hastened back to our former night's quarters at Ingleton, where we procured a change of clothes, which the damps, and crawling amongst the rocks, rendered highly necessary; and, on the ensuing morn, pursued the way to Kendal, from whence it was our intention to proceed by a mountainous tract to Mardale, and Haws-water, which we put in execution, having hired a guide and horses for that purpose, and sent the carriage and servants on to Penrith, to await our coming thither. Of this alpine journey you shall have an account in my next, and meanwhile I remain,

THE WANDERER.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

WISH, through the medium of your

to the public the good effects that have resulted to me from the use of stramonium. I had been many years much, and most distressingly afflicted with asthma, and had in vain consulted the most eminent of the faculty in this city and neighbourhood, than which no place more abounds with physicians, and I believe none are to be found, even in the metropolis itself, more skilful. Their prescriptions proved almost entirely nugatory, or at best afforded only temporary relief; and I looked forward to nothing better than the dragging on a miserable existence, embittered by one of the most cruel diseases to which human life is subject, when I read with emotions combined of pleasure, hope, and doubt, your correspondent Verax's letter, describing the beneficial effects of stramonium upon himself, in the disease of pasinodic asthma. As I had never heard of the plant before, I immediately hur ried, with the book in my hand, to a physician in whom I had much confidence; but he discouraged me from using it, merely, I apprehend, from ignorance of its qualities: however, I should not have been deterred from trying it, if I could have procured it, but I sought it in vain in every chemist's shop in this city; and an interval of comparative ease, induced me to defer sending for it to London, until I could meet with a medical man acquainted with its qualities. However, about a month ago, the disorder returned upon me with redou

bled violence: it was with difficulty I could respire in an upright posture, and to lie down would have suffocated me. In this dreadful delemma, I received your last Number; and, upon referring to Dr. Reid's Report, I with emotions of delight read his corroboration of Verax's account of the effects of stramonium. I immedi ately obtained a quantity from London at an exorbitant price, and smoked it as directed: in a few hours I was most wonderfully relieved; and from the daily use of it since, I at this moment enjoy a degree of ease, which I have not known for nearly nine years. I can lie down in security; and for the last ten nights have never once been under the necessity of rising in my bed: for the last eighteen months I am certain this has not once before occurred; and during the day, I feel scarcely any vestiges of the disease, To those (and they are many) who have known my sufferings for several years, my recovery appears miraculous; to my self, the merciful interposition of Provi

this candid statement of my case.

GEORGE JAMES WILLIS, Hotwells, Bristol, Oct. 4, 1810.

1806.

T

For the Monthly Magazine. ABSTRACT of a JOURNAL kept in MARTÍ LAND, in the Years 1805 and 1806. Jan. 19, quarterly meeting of of 0-day I attended the the methodists at Rreister's Town; there might be three hundred hearers. The preachers ring continually the same changes upon man's fall, grace, and faith: the same groaning and grunting as before. They concluded by giving notice, that there would be evening ser vice. "Let us, (said one of the preachers, Bloodgood,) have another stroke at the devil." In truth, their devotion re sembles a brawl or a fight, more than that of rational beings calmly and seriously contemplating the tender mercies and dispensations of the Father of the universe, and intent on proving their faith in, and dependence upon him, by an edifying life and conversation. These people seem to think they can take Heaven by storm, and keep the devil away by a hell of their own.

26.-Went to Baltimore, and accom panied two gentlemen to the other side of the eastern Water, off the point, to near a spot called Canton, the seat of the late John O'Donnell, esq. It is an excellent brick house, fronting the southiwest of the bason, and commanding a

VIEW

view of the bay. The late owner acquired an immense property in the East Indies, and by bringing over excellent breeds of cattle from England, contributed to his usefulness and celebrity. But his public-spirited plans for supplying Baltimore, and the shipping, with water, by means of pipes, and his other encouragements to the rising prosperity of the city, together with his unbounded hospitality and charity, have endeared his memory to the public, to his friends, and to the unfortunate.

In the afternoon, I went to the fort, where there is a good tavern: it is a resort on Sundays for purposes of pleasure. There were about fifty soldiers on the evening parade. The fort was erected about five years ago. It is octangular, the entrance facing the east-bynorth, three of its sides the east, southeast, and cast-by-south, which command the entrance in the bason, the bay, and Patapsico river. They mount 28 and 18-pounders. Over the gateway in the entrance, and niched into the brick work, is a piece of beautiful sculpture in stone, representing the Eagle and Seventeen States. The sculptor was a Frenchman. Nearly opposite the entrance, and about two hundred yards from it, is the old fort, which was made principally by the citizens themselves, on the alarm of a French war.

The spirit of gambling is considerable in Baltimore, aud dissipation of all kinds very prevalent. I accompanied a gentleman to a raffle, at Bryden's tavern: it was for a time-piece of considerable value. After that was raffled for, the company began to play with dice, at a game called snap and raffle. The next day, somebody informed against forty of them, and the fine was fifteen dollars ahead, half to the corporation and half to the informer; but it being optional in the mayor to remit the one-half, he did so, merely, I fancy, because they were called gentlemen, and did not exactly come under the description of gamblers by profession.

Jan. 28. At last I met with B-this morning: he had been at George Town. He attended once the debates in Congress, but the place is so large, he could not understand what was said. He gave me some account of a masquerade and ball, at which were present all the diplomatic characters. The Tripolitan ambassador took a fancy to a young lady of tolerable en-bon-point. In the morn ing, he waited upon the president, and

requested permission to take five wives, at the same time pointing out the abovementioned lady as one. The president with a smile intimated the impractica. bility of granting his request, and ob served, that in this country, it was no easy thing to obtain one.

The public mind is much agitated respecting British spoliations on American commerce. The late new ground advanced about the continuity of voyage from the colonies to the enemy's country, and upon which British ships of war have begun to capture American vessels, has irritated the people beyond description. An Englishman is in very low estimation in Baltimore, and still lower in Philadel phia, with the majority of the people. It is true, there are many candid and upright men, who discriminate between the mad infatuation of the British cabinet, and the peaceful wishes of the British people. Nothing can manifest the temper of the times more than the circumstance of Mr. Wright, a senator from the eastern shore, having brought in a bill for the purpose of encouraging sailors to resist British impressment, by bounties, and giving the president a power to retaliate upon any Englishman in this country, to the extent of injury inflicted on any American sailor by the king's ships. A memorial was read here the other night to be sent to Congress. It has since been published. One feature of the British law is noticed, as extremely inconsistent and absurd. To break the continuity of a voyage from the enemy's colonies to the mother country, the produce must not only be unshipped, and the duties paid, but it must be likewise sold. Now it is very strange that the merchant should have no right to re-ship his own property, because that would be deemed a continuity of voyage; but be` may sell that right to another, by selling him his unshipped cargo. It seems to be a regulation originating in envious malignity at the American commerce, fraught with incongruity, and pregnant with embarrassment and oppression to the American merchant, without promising any adequate mercantile advan tages to Great Britain. It is true, she may capture a number of ships, and has so done; but will it redound to her honour, and correspond with her loud professions of fair, open, and mauly dealing, to have sent this new law of nations clandestinely to her commanders of ships on the American station, without previously acquainting the American mi

nister

nister in London with it; and by this means causing them to capture a numBer of vessels who were ignorant of the new law, and who, it is presumable, would not have exposed themselves to capture upon such grounds, had time been given for the owners to be possessed of the intelligence. Is not this acting upon an ex-post-fucto law, and of course unjust and cruel.

The Marquis Grusa, the Spanish ambassador, has just been ordered away from Washington, in consequence of an insolent letter to the secretary of state, Madison, in which he comments very ungraciously upon several parts of the president's speech, relative to Spanish affairs. He even goes the length of deaying some of his statements respecting the seisure of the Kempors, and the vexations practised by the Spanish authorities on the Mobile in the Mississippi territory. Supposing his reasonings and assertions are founded on facts, and borne out by documents, (which latter is not the case), still is it not in the province of the ambassador of a foreign power, to presume to tell the president his duty. That certainly behoves the people who

elected him: he complains that the president has mentioned the spoliations committed by Spanish armed ships, and omits those committed by British armed Vessels, when it is notorious that some thousands of American seamen are impressed from on board American vessels, and made to fight against the king, his master, on board of British ships. The marquis and the president have not been upon good terms for some time. The Court of Madrid has been applied to for his removal, which it consented to; and it has been understood that the marquis had an intimation to that effect, so that he might leave the country without the disgrace of a recal; but he is proud and obstinate. He is at present in Baltimore. He married a daughter of M'Kean, governor of Pennsylvania. Sept. 14, 1810.

(To be continued.)

J. W.

be found among many of the whigs of our time.

"It was constantly the unhappy fate of these wars, in former ages, (for foreign interest and considerations) that, though they began with some victory, or action glorious to the English, they ever ended with loss and dishonour, the nature of things not allowing a war unequally carried on, to be for any length of time successful; and it will puzzle the most zealous advocate for our late wars, to find out any benefit that hath thence accrued to this nation; whilst every body feels the insupportable load of debts and taxes, which have ruined most of the ancient families of our gentry, and sees the general corruption, with an infinity of other evils, which they have occasioned. When these will have an end, late posterity may possibly be able to tell!"

For the Monthly Magazine.. MR. WRIGHT'S NEW THEORY of IN

FLEXION.

(Continued from vol. 29, pagé 134)

ATURE has given to every animal

NA

certain signs, or symbols of expression, with which correspondent species are eminently conversant. Nor are these signs of emotion restricted to man alone, neither do they peculiarly attach to any particular species; for in inany instances of the cries, or signs of lamentation in the irrational creatures, we can distinctly observe their kindred emotion; and each of his kind, as he may be more or less gifted with sensibility, propor tionally discovers this leading feature of expression. But these instinctive signs are not, by any means, analogous to language. Not being comprised of articulated voices, they are the less qualified to communicate ideas, or intellectual improvement; and, consequently, they can be only serviceable to make known their several necessities. Endowed with rea-" son to contemplate the divine origin of his existence, how pre-eminent a station then does man hold among the various ranks of created beings in this lower world! Speech being the most distinguishable attribute which exalts man above the brute creation, to improve it to the utmost of his ability, seems to be an incumbent duty.

In recommending to the man of science, the scholar, and the gentleman, the study of the English language, it would

3 II

capital divisions of an idea, whether simple or complex, are marked with proportionate distinction of sound in the pronunciation; the one wherein the train of thought is partly discoverable, the other wherein the idea is perfectly known. If the example above quoted be altered thus, "A man NEVER detects a pleasing error," the logical deduction of the proposition appears false or doubtful; and the qualifying clause, "till reflexion operates," is requisite to be added, that the thought may be rendered just and true. By this single instance, it must appear evident to the most negligent observer, how close is the connexion between sense and sound, when, while pronouncing the passage, the modifica tion of voice signifying completion on the word "error," as in the first instance, would entirely destroy the thought. The student will perceive, that the distinction spoken of, will shift from the first nominative to the division of clauses. "A man

may be altered or improved; so, by the study and practice of elocution, do we perceive that though words, independent of each other, convey only certain limited ideas, by adunation their signifi cation may be either restrained or enlarged. The union of words conveys to the student the true nature of accented inflexion: the most significant of the words which are united, adopts the ac centuation; but the sounds of inflexion are governed by the progress, or com pletion, of the sense.

"Let us proceed then by recollection." In the above sentence there are but two accents; and this at once illustrates the adunation upon which we are now com menting. The separate meanings of the four first and the two last words, are modified into distinct classes; the former, in point of accentuation and inflexion, may with accuracy be termed a word of five syllables; and the latter, a word of six syllables: consequently, there can be only two accents in the sentence. The one indicates that the sense is to be continued, the other that it is finished. This pronunciation of the sentence appears to agree with the general meaning deduced from the construction of its parts; but if, by the context, there be an opposition implied, and some more of its words are intended to convey particular mean. ings, they must be introduced to the ear with suitable force of utterance. This change of stress, however, does not at all affect the general principle of adunation; for, certain single words, forming distinct classes of themselves, are liable to the same alteration of accent, when placed in the manner of contradistinction. This additional stress on words, is termed EMPHASIS: but, as we have not yet thoroughly defined the more subordinate class of accented inflexion, we will dismiss for the present the subject of con trariety. JAMES WRIGHT, 33, Bedford-street, Covent Garden.

For the Monthly Magazine.

ON COUNTRY BANKS.

ND pray, sir, (said I,) what do you think of the odium lately thrown upon country bankers?

Why, (said he,) it is ungenerous, and I think, in many respects, unfounded.

But do you not, (I observed,) consider such an overflow of paper-currency as highly dangerous?

*Sounds as to high and low; inflexion rising er falling.

By