CONTENTS FROM JANUARY TO JUNE, 1784- EROSTATICS, and Air-Balloon Intelligence 12, 147,203,300,442,452 452 AB Anatomy DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. PLACE the view of Meffina oppofite to page 30, and the prospect of the Iron Bridge to face page 312. WE E cannot commence a fecond volume of the London Magazine enlarged and improved, without returning thanks to the numerous purchasers of the work for their very kind and generous encouragement, which gives us the moft unequivocal proof of their approbation of the undertaking, as well as of the means which we have adopted to effect it. If we have, after the approved example of others, increased the price of our mifcellany, we have endeavoured more than to redouble its value, and have added proportionably more to our own expences, than to thofe of the purchafers; and we hope to be always able to lay before our readers a complete regifter of the hiftory, philofophy, politicks, and literature of our times. We are happy to find that the plate of Mr. Sherwin, given with the appendix to our firft volume, was approved, and hope that Mr. Walker's view of Meflina, accompanying our prefent number, will meet with a reception equally favourable. The principal fubjects, and original papers of our first volume, are recalled to the memory of our readers by the following brief recapitulation: In the magazine for JULY, our readers will find a plan of the work: the parliamentary hiftory: a narrative of the origin and progrefs of philofophy: account of Mr. Herfchel's planet: demonftrations of fome properties relating to triangles: the life of Ariofto: a description of the funerals of the AnCent Britons; and the burial place of the Scipios, with other mifcellaneous papers: reviews of Gilpin on the Wye: Beattie's differtations: Ferguson's reF: Jones's Moallakat: Colman's tranflation of Horace's Epiltle to the dos, and others: account of new plays, and chronology of events. AUGUST. New method of conftructing magic fquares on the roots of quade equations: conclufion of the hiftory of philofophy: on the organ of bearing in fifh, and a defcription of the Monoculus Polyphemus Linnai, from the fophical tranfactions: critique on Dyer's Grongar Hill: on ecclefiaftical air in Scotland: life of Archbishop Chichele: laft paper of the Hypochondriack: Memoirs of Colonel Deveaux : reviews of Hoole's Orlando Furiofo: Kirwan's Experiments: Rooke's travels: anfwer to Potter's remarks on Johnfun's Poets: obfervations on the nature and cure of the Hydrophobia: cure of the dropfy: ftate of the theatre. SEPTEMBER. Remarkable aftronomical phenomenon: machine for raifing Wit from a deep well: obfervations on the plague: on dedications: life of the Great Haller: Sir William Hamilton's account of the earthquakes in Sicily: original letter of Dr. Ifaac Schomberg: ftory of Mr. Levet, with Dr. Johnion's elegy on his death: reviews of Fatal Curiofity, as altered by Colman: Levi's Hiftory of the Jews: philofophical tranfactions: Spencer's life of the Founder of All-Soul's College: account of folutions of fubftances in air, by Dr. Elliot: character of Mr. Bewley, the philofopher of Maffingham: account of the firft acroftatical ball, or air-balloon, which was launched at Paris: cut of it, in the air: critique on Mrs. Siddor: clofe of the fummer, and openg of the winter theatres: preliminaries of peace with the United Provinces: Emprefs of Ruffia's manifefto. OCTOBER. Remarks on Shakspeare's character of Cordelia: conclufion of Sir William Hamilton's account of the earthquakes: on the difadvantages of Lexo, MAG. Jan. 1784. keep 2 keeping company with good men: defence of a paffage in Gray's Metaphyfical Poem: life of the great critic Bentley: Sir Torbern Bergman, Profeffor of Upfal, on the economy of the univerfe, tranflated from the Swedish: reviews of L'Ami des Enfans: Berkenhout on the bite of a mad dog: Bright's praxis: Magellan's glafs apparatus: measures taken to perfect the theory of the motions of the Georgium Sidus: obfervations on the lunar eclipfe, September 10, 1783. Account of an infect in a broken tooth by Dr. Elliot: theatrical ftrictures: ftate papers. NOVEMBER. Origin of fictitious hiftory and novel writing: continuation of Bentley's life: three original letters of King Charles I. On the advan→ tages of keeping company with bad men; and other mifcellaneous papers : hymn to thanksgiving: epigrams from the Greek: reviews of Blair's lectures: tranfactions of fociety of arts: philofophical transactions: original letters on the death of Euler: account of the various meteors which have been feen during the laft and prefent centuries: parallel between Henderson and Kemble : letters on the fubject of Irish reprefentation: ftate papers. DECEMBER. Account of two ancient oil mills dug out of the excavations of Stabia and Pompeia, in Italian and English: critique on Sbozzo del Commercio di Amfterdam, a foreign journal: Duke of Richmond's letter on Irish parliaments: account of the meteors feen in the prefent century, and particularly that which appeared on the eighteenth of August 1783: Dr. Mafkelyne's plan for obferving meteors: account of the principle on which aeroftatical experiments are performed: air-balloon intelligence: original letter defcribing a comet feen at York: news of Volcano in the moon: defcription of the poifon tree, which infects the air and earth in the island of Java, fo that neither animal nor vegetable can live within twelve miles of the fpot in which it grows, with an account of the manner in which the poifon is procured from it by condemned criminals, and various experiments tried with the gum : memoirs of Mrs. Anne Williams: correction of a fragment of Alceus: life of Bentley, continued: hints for the management of political tropes: reviews of Pringle's difcourfes: life of Fox: Blair's lectures: tranfactions of the fociety of arts: Andrew's remarks on French and English ladies: theatrical remarks: philofophical poftfcript: aerial voyage of Meffrs Charles and Robert: account of a new pair of wings. APPENDIX. Important debates in both Houfes of Parliament: letters of Earl of Effingham, Dr. Price, and Dr. Jebb, on Irish representation: Governour Haftings's letter to the Eaft India Company: narrative of the King of Pruffia's difpute: American papers, prefenting a fuccinct account of the proceedings of the Colonies, fince the ceffation of hoftilities: theatrical regifter. Befides thefe and other important papers, each number preferves an impartial and concife view of parliamentary bufinefs: a felection of original and fugitive poetical pieces: a collection of mathematical queftions and anfwers, well calculated to amufe the lovers of fcience: original theatrical criticifms, and new remarks on performers; with a chronology of important events, a tranfcript of flate papers, neceffary to form a complete hiftory of the times. Such are the contents of the first volume of this work; and we shall endea vour to profecute the plans which were formerly laid before the public with increafing affiduity and vigour during the enfuing year. THE LONDON MAGAZINE, ENLARGED AND IMPROVED, PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. a large proportion of our readers, whofe curiofity is anticipated by the daily perufal of the whole mafs of undigefted materials, from which great part of our information must neceffarily be drawn, this department of our work, we are fenfible, muft appear uninterefting. The lapfe of a few years, we doubt not, will give it that weight in their eftimation, to which, at prefent, it may not feem entitled; and to thofe who, from want of leifure, or a fituation remote from the great theatre of public tranfactions, are excluded from more copious or more early intelligence, and yet wish to know fomething of the conduct of ftatesmen and ftate affairs, fuch an epitome must be eminently useful. Confidered as an impartial regifter of parliamentary proceedings and the politics of the time, for the benefit of poiterity; and we, with that laudable vanity which ought in fome degree to actuate all who afpiring to entertain or inform the public, are willing to flatter ourselves that our labours will defcend to pofterity; as elucidating events and unfolding characters, by exhibiting the arguments on which every public measure was defended or oppofed, recording the opinions of leading men, and fhewing how they differed from one another, and frequently how each differed from himself, as he happened to be minifter er patriot, its utility and importance are too obvious to be infifted on. Animated by these confiderations, and the liberal fupport of a difcerning public, we proceed with confidence and alacrity in the plan we have prefcribed ourselves. In the profecution of it, we fhall meet with fpecimens of eloquence if not the chafteft, the moft argumentative and powerful, the moft animated and glowing. We fhall fee men, on the fole ftrength of talents for parliamentary debate, rifing from humble stations to the highest offices of the ftate, in oppofition to wealth, to influence, and to power; and we fhall fee thefe men but too often facrificing every confideration of the public weal to their private views of ambition, infomuch that that we might almost be juftified in adopting for a motto, Per noftra tempora, quicunque rempublicam agitavere, honeftis nominibus, bonum publicum fimulantes, pro fua quifque potentiâ certabant. |