warm corners and dark recesses of buildings, and survive our coldest winters; and are, at the opening of each spring, the prolific parents of our numerous swarins, which, though in some instances annoying and troublesome, are needful in the scale; and their busy hum, in the shady coverts of woods and green hedges, is a pleasing accompaniment of the varied sounds and circumstances of an autumnal evening's walk. Of Swallows much has been said and written; little doubt remains of their annual migration, excepting a few instances of late hatches. On the 30th of March last, mid-day, I observed a single house martin, hawking apparently after its prey, rather irregular in its motions-a moist gloomy day, moderate in temperature; this was in Norbury Park, near Box-hill, Surrey. R. C. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, Birmingham, Jan.1. NCLOSED is a sketch of the Sta tue erected to the memory of the immortal NELSON, in the centre of the market-place of this town, executed in bronze, by Westmacott, a statuary of the first eminence. For this patriotic testimony of grateful veneration, a subscription of upwards of 3000l. was raised among the inhabitants, at the period when the glorious victory of Trafalgar animated the breast of every Briton with joy and gratitude. In this work, intended to perpetuate the greatest example of Naval genius, Simplicity has been the chief object in the arrangement. The Hero is repre represented in a reposed and dignified attitude, the left arm reclined upon an anchor. He appears in a costume of his country, invested with the insignia of those honours by which his Sovereign and distant Princes distinguished him. To the right of the Statue is introduced the grand symbol of the Naval profession: Victory, the constant leader of her favourite Hero, embellishes the prow. To the left is disposed a sail, which, passing behind the statue, gives breadth to that view of the composition. Above the ship is the fac-simile of the Flag Staff truck of the L'Orient, fished up by Sir S. Hood the day following the battle of the Nile, presented by him to Lord Nelson, and now deposited at GENT. MAG. May, 1812, Milford, as a trophy of that evermemorable action. This groupe is surmounted upon a pedestal of statuary marble. A circular form has been selected as best adapted to the situation. To personify that affectionate regard which caused the present patriotic tribute to be raised, the Town of Birmingham, murally crowned, in a dejected attitude, is represented mourning her loss. She is accompanied by groupes of Genii, or Children, in allusion to the rising race, who offer her consolation by bringing her trident and rudder. In the front of the pedestal is an inscription. (See Plate II.) R Yours, &c. JOSEPH WILDAY. was Mr. URBAN, Chelsea, May 3. OGER ASCHAM born at county of Yorn, and was buried in St. Sepulchre's church in London. His wife, whose maiden name was How, is also interred there; but Stowe mentions no monument erected to their memory. In answer to your Correspondent B. Stephen Gardiner was supposed to be the illegitimate son of Dr. Lionel Woodville, Bishop of Salisbury, brother to Elizabeth, Edward the Fourth's Queen; he went by the name of Stephens till after he became Bishop of Winchester, when he assumed the arms and name of his reputed (Gardiner), whom his mother married, puted tather though in a menial situation, to conceal the incontinence of the bishop. He is said to have died above half a Protestant, though the promoter, if not abettor, of the many and cruel sanguinary acts in the reign of Queen Mary. He died at Whitehall of the gout, and we must suppose unmarried, since he refused to subscribe to the lawfulness of clergymen's marriage, when urged so to do with other articles by the Lord Protector, after two years confinement in the Tower. A CONSTANT READER. 1 ! haps is it listened to with more reverence than in our own; for here the fickle goddess is attended with a numerous train of infatuated votaries, who wait but to obey the mandates of her will; and though they be ever so absurd, they are received with joy, and performed with alacrity. And were she satisfied in making us "the go, the gape, the stare, the gaze" of the multitude, by the singularity of our appearance, or the notoriety of our manners, nay, even did she allow us to be sincere though servile imitators of our stage coachmen in dress, and of our stable-boys in language, no great harm would be done: inasmuch as we should then be but our own dupes, and the trumpeters of our own folly, and serve but to shew the frivolity of the times in which we live, and "How arts increase in this degenerate [the stage, Peers mount the box, and horses tread Whilst waltzing females, with unblushing age, face, Disdain to dance but in a man's embrace." SHERIDAN. But now-a-days, and I glow with shame as I record it, Fashion has conspired with Folly in making us brutish and cruel-I am alluding to the rage for races against time, and the disgraceful mania for boxing matches. The first may be very fairly classed as a species of cool and deliberative cruelty, and to serve the worst of purposes, avarice and pride. When we are ing large sums on the speed of our horse, and back him to go a distance greater than nature can sustain; does it not shew a mind devoid of the feeling of humanity, which blindly sacrifices the life of an useful animal (for they trequently have died in the triai) for the petty pride of proving he is fleet of foot, and of filling your pockets with the gold his exertions have earned for you. "The butcher relenteth not at the bleating of the lamb; neither is the heart of the cruel moved with pity."-But the boxing mania is, if poss ble, more disgraceful, and more dangerous in its consequences. When we not only tolerate, but with feelings of delight go any distance to behold, two champions of the fistic art, bruise each other with the inveteracy of sworn foes, we cannot say much for our taste; but, on the contrary, cannot butallow it to be sunk very, very low, in the scale of wisdom and morality. But this is not the worst of the matter; we are not considered inen of spirit unless we bet, learn the slaug, and be able to " mill, fib, or give a cross buttock," with the best of them, and in time this disgraceful mania grows on us, we neglect our occupations, and become associated with some of the most worthless of society. As some proof that these are something more than bare assertions, I have to relate, that the swarthy champion of Pugilism, Molyneux, and the sparring Powers, have been exhibiting the noble art of self defence, as they term it, in Salisbury and its vicinity; the consequence of which has been that not a night elapsed, but the house the champions took up as their abode, was besieged as though the Regent's levee had been held there, and happy and proud was that man, who had the honour of sparring with these men of wonder and admiration; nay not even the Persian ambassador himself had more respect shewn him, than have these fashionable nuisances. The result of all this has been, and will be, the neglect of business; every one, in the hopes of becoming an amateur, has become a bruiser, and the glovers have already reaped a golden harvest, through the foily of their townsen, in supplying the numerous demands for those necessary badges of the art, Boxing-gloves. Surely then it will not now be urged that this is an amusement worthy of Englishmen, or that it becomes us to patronize that as a manly and useful science, which undoubtedly shews the depravity of our taste, or to encourage that as useful which will as undoubtedly prove a misfortune. don to a numerous party of the sons of Folly, whom I have passed by without mention; I allude to the Don Whiskerandos of the day; but as silence has ever been a mark of con I have, I perceive, now to beg par tempt, and as they have very lately sustained a defeat in losing their leader Baron Geramb, I will not now glory over their misfortunes - sed tamen in pretio-as they still have a value in serving as land-marks to ward the unwary to steer clear of the shoals of folly, foppery, and impudence. Yours, &c. OBSERVATOR. LETTER LETTER IV.ion ACOUSTICS. Addressed to Mr. ALEXANDER, Durham-place, West Hackney. N delivering IN a Course of Lectures this appellation, because it contains a greater number of tones in the octave than the Chromatic, which proceeded (with them) by three semitones and a minor third, or the Enharmonic, which consisted of three dreses or quarter tones, after a wide gap, to a similar arrangement. The modern Diatonic scale consists of the elements (or component parts) tone greater, tone less, and semitone. It is the collocation of the two semitones in the octave which constitutes the mode of the key; that is, whether it is a major or minor key; in other words, a key with a major or minor third. on Experimental Philosophy, the lecturer illustrates his principles by example. Words convey a very inadequate idea of the sensation experienced by an electric shock: and in Musick, to give one, who has never heard the result, any clear idea of the effect of an interval a comma out of tune, is impossible. Wishing, therefore, to unite practice with theory, I would advise you, before you read the observations I am going to offer on the diatonic scale, to tune fifteen notes of your piano forte, by making the chords of C, F, G, with a major third, perfect; and comparing, during the process of tuning, the inter-, the ratio of the semitone, is neither vals with each other; and tune the remaining notes of the scale to the notes already obtained. This will answer a valuable purpose; because, when you come afterwards to alter the arrangement of the intervals, or change the pitch of a string previously tuned, you will hear how much it deviates from the pitch required; and thus be convinced, for example, that if A vibrates only 400 times in a second as major sixth above C, and must-vibrate 405 times to make a perfect fifth above D, how very great an alteration is produced in pitch by so small an increase of vibrations, as the adding of 5 to 400. Of the Diatonic Scale. In perfect tune, or the Diatonic Scale perfectly in tune, there is no such thing as a semitone ; because the half of tone greater, the ratio of which is, or tone less, the ratio of which is % *. But, as you, Sir, are not a Mathematician; before we proceed, i will again advert to ratio or proportion. I said above that the ratio of tone greater was. Now if in the same time that the lower sound makes 8 vibrations, the upper sound makes 9 vibrations, these sounds will be in the ratio of 8 to 9. The Diatonic major scale requires the following arrangement of the tones greater and lesser and semitones. The upper line gives the proportional length of a string, and the lower the vibrations of each interval, The scale called by the Greeks the assuming 240 vibrations for C, at Diatonic Scale, probably received concert pitch. 618 34 45 23 8 G 360 400 450 2 C 480 fraction) into each other, and multiplying the denominators (or lower figures of the fraction) into each othert. Now does not equal, the ratio of C major third. It must, therefore, be greater or less. The difference is found by substrac tion, and substraction of musical in * It hath long since been demonstrated, that there is no such thing as a just hemitone practicable in musick, and the like for the division of a tone into any number of equal parts; three, four, or more. For, supposing the proportion of a tone to be as 9 to 8, the half of that note must be as 9 to the 8, that is, as 3 to/8, or as 3 to 2, which are incommensurable quantities; and that of a quarter note 9 to 8, which is more incommensurate; and the like for any number of equal parts; which will never fall in with the proportions of number to number. Smith's Harmonies. tervals H tervals is performed by division of the ratios. which reduced to its lowest terms gives Two tones greater, therefore, exceed a perfect major third by the ratio, a deviation from perfect tune exceedingly offensive to a moderately correct ear. But this famous comma is of too much importance to he passed over without explanation. Indeed you will hereafter find that the temperament of the musical scale is measured by fractions of this interval. If in the same time as a second for instance, the lower sound makes 80 vibrations, the upper sound makes 81, or vice versa, these two sounds are a comma out of tune. One of them is a comma sharper than the other, and consequently they are not unisons. But to return to the Diatonic scale. Now the seven notes in the Diatonic scale are not in tune with respect to each other. The fourth, though it is perfectly in tune with the key note, is not in tune with the second of the key; and the second of the key is not in tune with the sixth of the key. We will prove this. The fourth of the key makes a minor third to the second of the key. Now the ratio of a minor third is. And the vibrations of D were 270; of 270 = 324 : but the vibrations of F were only 320; consequently they are not quick enough to give a perfect minor third above D. 320.324::80:81. To be read thus: as 320 is to 324:: so is 80. 81. D and F, the second and fourth of the key, are a comma too flat. Let us try the second and sixth of the key, viz. D and A. The vibrations of D are 270. of 270 are 405. But the vibrations of A in the Diatonic scale are only 400. 400:405 :: 80.81. A, therefore, is a comma too flat for D. Hence it follows that the Diatonic scale, for perfect tune, requires nine instead of seven sounds in the octave. The voice and instruments capable of altering the pitch of sounds at pleasure, make such alterations as may occasionally be requisite. But in instruments of fixed sounds, as the organ and piano forte, no such requisite alterations for perfect tune can take place; hence the necessity for a temperament: a subject hereafter to be discussed. Mr. URBAN, Bath, April 6. AVING returned nearly all the Subscriptions to a proposed Translation of Strabo, I think it candid to acquaint any literary person, who may be disposed to undertake an English version of the Geography of Strabo, that I lately committed to the flames the whole of my labours; and, therefore, the enterprize is again open to any adventurer. I add, also, that my late accomplished friend, Dr. Leyden, had translated several books of Strabo, of which he gave me a list, distinguishing them into those written in short hand, and those written at length. I never, however, saw any part of Dr. Leyden's translation. Yours, &c. M THOS. FALCONER, May 1. Mr. URBAN, Churchmen and Methodists. Let us examine, for a moment, how we stand in the affair. We are already in possession of the ground, as Defenders of the Faith; and have the Scriptures, I think, in our favour. The people, for the most part, are born and brought up in the bosom of the Church. Their tendencies, and first impressions, are favourable to the Church, and to her Ministers. We have the advantage of education and connexions on our side, of property and consideration in the State. Whence then, I ask, does it arise, that, with these advantages, so many, particularly among the lower classes, fall off from the Church? The love of novelty, although a strong principle of action, can scarcely be a cause adequate to such an effect. Besides, if novelty were the principal cause, that cause must every day decrease. In my opinion, the Methodists, as a sect, are an inconvenience naturally arising out of the relaxed state of discipline amongst ourselves; and until that can be corrected, in all probability the evil will increase rather than diminish. Non-residence amongst the Parochial Clergy is, I apprehend, a leading cause of the increase of the Methodists. And I am confirmed in this opinion from observing, that in those Country Parishes where the Minister is resident and active amongst his people, the Methodists rarely attain to such influence, as to become formidable to the Church. The lower classes of the people, Mr. Urban, are not insensible to the attentions of their Minister, nor ungrateful for them. If he reside among them, and is punctual in discharging the duties of his Church; if he pay them occasional visits of friendship, at their houses, and enter into religious conversation with them; if he attend their sick, and shew a disposition to assist them in their temporal as well as spiritual necessities; if he catechise their children; send some of them to school, according to his ability; and prevail with his more opulent parishioners to assist in sending others; the Minister of a parish so treated, need not be afraid of Methodism*, nor any other species of religious dissent. All this, you will say, is nothing more than our duty; and nothing more, I am persuaded, than numbers of our brethern would gladly perform, if they had it in their power; I will also add that it is nothing more than was originally intended, when Parishes were first set out, and liberally endowed with Tithes and Glebes. But how, I ask, is all this to be performed by a Clergyman, even with the best intentions, residing at a distance from his Parish? I am so thoroughly convinced of the necessity of a more general Residence of the Clergy in their respective Parishes, in the present state of things, that, without it, all the Societies we can form for preventing defection from the Church (not excepting the Society for the Education of the Poor in the principles of the Establishment, which I think by far the best) will, I fear, fall short of their object. Such Societies may be powerful allies in this "good fight of Faith;" but they are weak principais. Having made these observations, I come now to that which I have chiefly in view in this address,-namely, to shew the absolute necessity of Residence, and in what manner it may best be effected. It is admitted universally, I believe, that many evils result to the Church from Non-residence; and if there be that intimate union that is generally supposed to exist between Church and State, many evils must result to the State also. The root of the mischief, however, lies deep; for, in consequence of a long neglect of residence, in many parishes there is not even the vestige of a Parsonagehouse; in others, the Parsonagehouse is so dilapidated and ruinous, that it would take nearly as much money to put it in repair, as to build a new one. Without houses then to live in, and without money to build or to repair, which I believe to be the case with many of the Parochial Clergy; how are the Incumbeuts to reside? It may be said, perhaps, that the Incumbent can borrow for this purpose on the living, and pay by instalments. But this method has already been tried, and found to be nearly impracticable. Few people chose to lend their money on such terms; and few incumbents can afford to draw so largely from their incomes, without distressing both themselves and families. Again, the evil of Non-residence is urgent, and becomes every day more apparent, whilst the remedy of building, in this way, is slow; and at best uncertain. I shall offer no apology, therefore, for considering this as a question in which the publick have an interest; and that it ought to be argued on public grounds. If we wait till the Parochial Clergy can build or repair Parsonage-houses on an extended scale, I am afraid we must wait ad Græcas Kalendas; and shall never obtain Residence; and without Residence there are many and encreasing dangers, to which our Establishment is exposed. In this state of the question, I sec * When I speak of the effects of Residence, in counteracting the attempts of the Methodists; I allude principally to Country Parishes; and suppose that the minds of the lower classes have not previously been biased against the Church. In populous Parishes, where there are a variety of interests; or in smaller Parishes, where the Methodists have already obtained a footing; no doubt the difficulty is increased to the Minister. Yet even here, Activity, combined with Residence, would operate as a powerful check. but |