and which Dr. Black does not fo much as acknowledge it does poffefs, not having a proper chemical knowledge of fire or its affinity.

But a fill fronger proof that alkaline falts have a more powerful attrac tion for fire than for fixed air is this: expose the dry cauftic alkaline falt or lime to dry fixed air, and they will not attract it, nor part with their fixed fire; but add fixed air and water to the caufic falt or lime, both acting together, their joint attraction with expel the fire, though neither can do it by themselves.

It is the very fame with the vitriolic acid and iron. The earth of iron attracts fo ftrongly its fixed fire, that the vitriolic acid cannot rob the earth of iron of it; but if the acid's attraction be affifted with water, the earth of iron having a ftrong attraction for the water, their joint powers will decompound the iron, its earth attracting the water and the acid, whilft the fixed fire is expelled as inflammable air.

If the concentrated vitriolic acid be applied to the iron, it will not act upon it, because the attraction which the earth of the iron retains for the Phlogifton is ftronger than that which the acid has for the earth. But if the vitriolic acid is diluted with water, they both act together; the acid attacks the Phlogi on and the earth, whilft the water attacks the earth.

That the earths of metals have a very Atrong attraction for Phlogiston may be frikingly feen in many inftances. Silver fo ftrongly retains this attraction, that the vitriolic acid will not act upon it; but apply the nitrous acid, and it will attract its Phlogifton or concentrated fire, and fly off with it in the form of nitrous air. Gold has fo ftrong an attraction for its Puio ifton, that the nitrous acid will not diffolve it. It is well known that the action of two acids, the marine and the nitrous, is required at the fame time, or that the marine be dephlogisticated.

We find that metals refift combuftion in the fame manner as they do the action of acids. Gold will not burn though expofed to the ftrongest fire; it may fublime, but will not confuine, becaufe gold ftrongly retains its fire. We fhall fhew in the aurum fulminans that its attraction for the concentrated fire or Phlogiston of the volatile alkali is fo very powerful, that, being expofed to the flightest degree of warmth, it will

rush into the alkali, and decompound it into actual fire *.

Upon the fame principle, the nitrous, acid (as is fhewn in my publications on this fubject) will act upon effential oils; and, owing to the attraction of gold and of the nitrous acid for concentrated fire, they will ruth into the alkali and the oils, and fet loose in the effervescence fuch a quantity of actul fire as to produce igrition; the vole alkali at the fame time exploding, as it des in the combuf.ble falt lately difcovered by the French chemitts, which is formed of the nitrous acid and the volatile alkali.

It is evident that the nitrous acid and the earth of gold act in confequence of their attraction for the fixed fire of oils and alkali, for, in the process, the nitrous acid becomes what chemifts call

phlogifticated. However, the process will not fucceed without the acid be highly dephlogidicated; and no other calx but the earth of gold will do, which (as has been already fhewn) has fo great an attraction for Phlogiston, that the gold is reduced after the explosion of the aurum fulminans. It was from this attraction that Mr. Scheele found the earths of gold and filver to be reduced by only gently throwing the rays of light on thein.

The calces of metals have a very ftrong attraction for Phlogiston; and we are acquainted with no bodies in nature capable of greater attraction than acids, nor any that can decompound the metals but them. In refpect to gold, it has been already oblerved, that the in fluence of two acids is required. Nay, it is evident from Mr. Scheele's experi ments, that the calx of gold can decompound the vitriolic ammoniac, or take from it its phlogifton. When this is done by combuftion, it is by fetting loofe their Phlogiston as actual fire. I gold is foluted in aqua regia, and another metal added to the folution, the Calx of gold having a fuperior attraction for its Phlogiston will rob the metal of it, and will be precipitated with its metallic fplendour. Silver is next in attraction for Phlogiston; then mercury and copper. They are well known to

Mr. Scheele found the earth of gold to have fuch an attraction for the volatile alkali that it would actually attract it from the vitriolic acid, decompounding the vitriolic am moniac. And the volatile alkali is known to be a phlogiftic body, forming inflammabie air with heat. See his Elays.

precipitate

precipitate each other according to their refpective degrees of attraction for Phlogifton.

To explain thefe phænomena, Mr. Lavoisier fays, it is not owing to thefe bodies having an attraction for Phlogifton, agreeable to the gradation just mentioned, but to their having a lefs attraction for dephlogisticated air than the bafer metals.

This cannot be fo, for the calces of lead and mercury part with their dephlogifticated air much easier than the

other metals.

Let us attend to a folution of gold in the dephlogifticated marine acid. If the goid is precipitated by an alkali, the acid will be found in its dephlogificated ftate, or as common marine acid. Take a quantity of this folution, and add effential oils to it, or any other phlogiftic bodies you pleafe, and you will find the oil attract the calx of the gold from the acid, which will receive ts Phlogifton again, and be precipitated in its metallic form. How can this be explained on the theory of Mr. Lavoifier? The oil which is formed of his carbone ought, according to his explanation, to have united with the dephlogifticated air of the calx of the gold, and to have formed fixed air; yet. there is not an atom of fixed air formed in the process. Moreover, dephlogifticated air could not have been imbibed again by the acid, as it is left in its phlogiftic ftate.

Another phænomenon is difcoverable from this experiment, namely, that the calx of gold has fo ftrong an attraction for its Phlogifton, that it will leave its acid and be united to its Phlogiston in this low temperature of heat.

When the above facts are maturely confidered, we find every thing inilitates against Mr. Lavoifier's explanation. Befides, it is well known that the oils and pure air will not unite but in the temperature of oils burning. Gold, from its affinity to its Phlogifon, refifts calcination; for, if the caix be precipitated, even the acetous acid will difplace it.

Mr. Lavoisier's doctrine of fixed air has nothing to fupport it. If I drop oil, or any phlogific body, into the marine acid, either in its dephlogisticated or phlogifticated fate, they will form only marine acid air and inflammable air, not one atom of fixed air. Will any chemift be hardy enough to contradict the evident conclufion which follows

from this experiment? It is just the fame with the other acids. With thefe carbonic bodies they form only acid and inflammable airs. When metals are

diffolved in acids, they form a calx, a fnug body in which to fecrete the pure air of the acids; but when oils are diffolved, they ought to form fixed air in the greatest abundance. Hence, agreeable to this doctrine, we should thus have a quicker procefs for obtaining fixed air than by the folution of calcareous earths in acids.

Now here we have a regular chain of phænomena clearly correfponding with this theory. But let us enquire how our modern hypothefes agree with it.

Mr. Lavoifier, fome time after I had endeavoured to fet atide the doctrine of Phlogifton being an element, from a conviction of its infufficiency to account for the above phænomena, went to the oppofite extreme, not even allowi. g any kind of fixed fire in thofe proceties of metallic reduction and formation of nitrous air, afferting that, in the fift, it is merely imbibing oxygen gas, and, in the other, the nitrous acid fofing its oxygen gas.

The first thing that ftrikes us in this doctrine is this; if you take an ounce of the concentrated vitriolic acid diluted with two ounces of water, and apply it to iron, inflammable air only is generated. If you apply the fame quantity of the concentrated nitrous acid with an equal quantity of water, nitrous air only is generated.

To explain these phænomena, it is faid, that the water, in the firft process, is decompounded, and, in the fecond, the nitrous acid. Now, I should think that every chemift must allow that it is the acid in both thefe proceffes that dif folves the metal. How then can it be conceived that, in one process, the acid fhould be the calcining body, and the water in the other? If the folutions are examined, the foluting bodies will be found to be the acids in both; for, by adding an alkali, the acid unites to it, and precipitates the earth in both the proceffes: but water will not diffolve iron by itself.

The explanation feems evidently to be this (as has been elfewbere fhewn): the nitrous acid, as is well known, hav ing a greater attraction for Phlogiston, rapidly feizes upon it, and, from its greater volatility, flies off with it as nitreas air. On the contrary, the vitriolic acid, having a lefs attraction for it, will

not

not decompound iron without the aid of water, for the earth of which, water has fo ftrong an attraction, that when the water, aided with a great degree of heat, acts upon the iron in the form of team, it will decompound iron without the acid.

That inflammable air fhould be formed when water is added to iron, either along with the vitriolic acid, or by fteam, appears to be from this caufe all airs in entering their aërial form have a firong attraction for water, the fame as the neutral falts have in enter

ing the cryftalline form, called, with great propriety, the water of compofition. Of this we have a ftriking inftance, as I have before fhewn, in nitrous vapour, which is perfectly condenfible uniefs it paffes through water, and then it gets the water of compofition for its aërial form, and becomes permanent nitrous air. Therefore, in the formation of inflammable air from iron, the water and heat feize upon the Phlogifton of the metal, with a fmall proportion of the vitriolic acid, and they form inflammable air. And if a metal is reduced by fire alone, and then cal sined by acids, or by water and pure air, as in the calcination of iron by thefe bodies, its Phlogifton, being feparated, will either take the form of an oily fcum, or the flate of inflammable air. Then we muft fuppofe that the fire has penetrated the metal, being clofely attracted by it, fo that, being let loofe, or parted from the calx, it will appear in its fixed ftate united with a part of the metal in the ftate of Phlogiston, and which, when burned, turns again into actual fire.

If the vitriolic acid without water is ided by heat, it will equally decompound iron, forming it into an air fimilar to the nitrous, viz. the vitriolic acid

cated vitriolic acid. But, by uniting them in the atmosphere of a cold cellar, they form the vitriolic æther, the acid and the fpirit of wine being fo united, that they form the neutral body, æther, the acid difappearing, being covered, faturated, or, more properly fpeaking, neutralized, with the Phlogifton of the fpirit of wine t.

ROBERT HARRINGTON, (To be continued.)

Mr. URBAN,

July 16.

YOUR correfpondent Vigornienfis, p. 508, will find the customs of Worcester in Domelday, in Dr. Nah's Collections for the county, Appendix, p. cix, and in his fac-fimile copy of Domefday, tab. 172, col. a. They principally regard the right of coinage. P. 501. It was fcarcely worth your while to copy imaginary portraits from the printed Chronicle of 1493.

The Reviewer of Bibliotheca Chethamenfis defires J. R. to accept his acknowledgements for his candid correc tions, p. 520.

P. 522. In Douglas's Scots Peerage, P. 553, it is faid, that James, fourth Earl of Perth, "made a gnation into the king's hands of the earldom of Perth, and his whole other lands, with the heritable offices of the ftewartry, coronership, and forestry, of Strathearn, Glenerty, and Ballwhedder, &c. in favour of James, Lord Drummond, his eldeft fon, and the heirs male procreate, or to be procreate, of his body; which failing, to the faid James, Lord Drummond, and his other heirs male

Mr. Scheele has written an admirable

Efay on Ether, in which he clearly proves that the acids unite with the fpirit of wine. Speaking of the vitriolic æther, p. 301, he fays, "this, I think, will be quite fufficient to prove that the vitriolic acid is a conftituent part of the vitriolic æther." And he proves just the fame of the other æthers formed of the other acids and ardent fpirit.

From the very great evaporability of all the different kinds of æther, it is evident that they are fluids remarkably prone to take acids neutralized with fpirit of wine, a fluid on the aerial form; and, as they confift of containing a very high concentration of fire,

it is aftonishing that any perfon can hesitate a moment to carry his idea one step further, and to perceive that, when any of these fluids are aërialized by the addition of a little heat, the refpective airs which they form must consist of an acid neutralized with Phloguten or fixed fire. EDIT.

whatfoever,

whatfoever, &c. Whereupon he expede a charter under the great feal, in which their whole lands lying in the ftewartry of Strathearn are particulariv enumerated, dated in November, 1687.” His authority for this is "Writs of the Family and Chart. in Pub. Archiv." The coin of Arcadius, p. 529, is, by Occo, p. 522, referred to an earlier pe riod of his reign, about A.D. 383, when he returned with his father Theodofins to Conftantinople victorious over the Scythians. The reverfe reprefents him ftanding, holding in his right hand the Jabarum, in his left a little figure of Victory, and standing on a captive. The letters M D'CONOB are explained of the places of mintage, Milan and Conftantinople. Mediolani & Conflantinopoli obfignata.

The feal from Godftow, p 529, I have feen already engraved, but cannot recollect by whom.

P. 532. The portraits of Chaucer are all very much alike, and may have been copied from that by Occleve.

P550, col. 1, 1.7 from bottom, read Charles Hawtrey.

It is believed Luke Booker, mentioned p. 551, col. 2, `is D.D.

If Mr. Savage will favour you with a ketch of his intentions and Propotals For his Hiftory of Wrefi! Cattle, p. 555, he may probably meet with afftance not unworthy his regard. He needs not be told, that an excellent hiftory of Heming brough is annexed to the first volume of Dr. Burton's Monafticon Eboracenfe; or that we thould be glad if he would give us an hiftory of Hoveden, which place he enquired about p. 294, and was aufwered, p. 421.

A MOTHER OF MANY CHILDREN may relieve them from warts by a perfevering application of the mitky juice in the flalks of the common fig leat*. Yours, &c. D. H.

and ill-proportioned, has a book in his right hand, and a crofs in the left, and poffibly made, before reforming times, part of the external decorations of the cathedral at that piace.

In Catholic countries is commonly feen, placed in a niche, over the entrances of monaftic buildings, the image of the founder of the order. Had this figure been reprefented in the benedictine habit, and with the tonfure, it might probably have been concluded to have once had the fame diftin&tion, and to have been an icon of St. Benedict.

On the North fide of Merton chapel in Rochefter cathedral, formerly St. William's, is a niche, now plaftered up, in which it is faid, Cuftumale Roffenfe, P. 171, "might be placed this imaginary faint," whole name occurs in no calendar, neither Roman or Sarum, that ever vet come to hand. The fize of this niche and figure are not illy appropriated to each other, and, from circumftances attending, it is not unlikely but it once occupied that place, where the right fide being expofed to the North and Eafterly winds with the wintry fnows and fleets for ages have cor roded the face, hand, book, veliments, and whatever was oppofed to their fury, particularly the returning fide of the flem of the crofs, while the back and other file have a comparative degree of pofh, being only worn by time and the external air; thus it has fared with the pillars on each fide the windows, at the fame end of St. William's chapel; the eaftern defended by the depth of the architrave remains whole, while the other, open to them, is nearly corroded away. Beneath this niche is a door into the crypt, which, whether an original entrance, for the conveniency of thofe vifiting the altars there placed, as at Canterbury, or converted from one of the lower range of windows fince, that part of the fabric has ferved the purpose of cellars, is not at this time to be de termined. If the former is the cafe, it is probable this might have been a reprefemation of one of the faints whofe altar was placed in that part. What aged man St. William might be, and how reprefented, no where appear. Yet, not withstanding, this figure on account of its bufay divided beard, elegantly flowing hair, and palliated garments, feems too venerable for that of a baker, ftill, as being without the benedi&ine infig. nia, it cannot be of any faint of this order; besides having the marks of a le

cular.