I cannot, therefore, but anticipate the happiest result from the following appeal on behalf of an afflicted, and, I am sorry to add, a numerous class of persons in this Metropolis, who labour under the loss of their sight. Of these many are the children of parents who are just able to put them into nevolence in their behalf; and it will afford him peculiar satisfaction to find that it has not been in vain. Yours, &c. T. T. WALMSLEY, Rector of St. Martin's, Ludgate. FIRE OF LONDON. Mr. URBAN, April 15. Na work from which I have de the way of earning a livelihood by ived mach amusement, intituled, their own exertions, but are by no means in a situation to support them altogether, should they be precluded from those exertions by the deprivation of their eye-sight, or any other incapacity. One resource, however, is open to these unhappy people, and, to my knowledge, it has been successfully resorted to; namely, to give them such competent instructions in Music, as may qualify them for the situation of Organist in our several Places of Divine Worship. Whenever a vacancy in this office occurs, it will, I believe, generally be found, that amongst those who offer themselves upon the occasion, MANY labour under the melancholy deprivation al luded to. When the Organist's place in my own church was vacant about two years ago, four of the candidates were blind, and it is much to the honour of the parishioners that they selected one of this description for the appointment*, and I am happy to state that he acquits himself perfectly to their satisfaction. My object in this Address, is to interest the feelings of the publick in behalf of these unfortunate persons, and to express my earnest wish, that, provided they are competent to the duties of the office above-mentioned, they may invariably obtain the preference. If this rule were to be adopted, what a gratification must it be to every individual to reflect, that he was thus happily contributing his assistance to provide for those who, by the awful visitation of Providence, were otherwise unable to provide for themselves; and that he has prevented the calamity of poverty from being added to the affliction of blindness. The Author of this Address is so perfectly convinced of the distressing situation of those who e cause he now pleads, that he could not resist the impulse of an appeal to the public be * Son of Mr. Prince, Chaplain to the Magdalen, "Anecdotes of the Manners and Customs of London," the following very singular note occurs at p. 255, where the Great Fire is mentioned: "This subject may be allowed to be familiar to me, and I have, perhaps, had more than common means of judging; and I now declare it to be my full and decided opinion, that London was burnt by Government to annihilate the Plague, which was grafted in every crevice of the hateful old houses composing it." The inscription on the Monument rashly accuses the Roman Catholicks; but the dreadful catastrophe has been more frequently, and with greater probability, ascribed either to villains who had no religion whatever, orto mere accident, the city being then built with most combustible materials. Charles the Second and his Ministers were not overburthened with tender consciences: enough of averred guilt lies at their doors; but before we charge them with an atrocious crime, which no doubt occasioned many premature deaths, added to the utter ruin of an immense multitude, we ought to have somewhat beyond conjecture to go upon. Such an opinion, advanced by some obscure or anonymous writer, might be passed over as an idle paradox: but when it comes from so respectable a quarter as Mr. Malcolm, a Fellow of the Antiquarian Society, who speaks of having received assistance from your worthy Printer, it calls for some notice. The discontinuance of the Plague after the Fire has frequently been spoken of as a singular instance of Divine Providence producing good out of evil but no thanks would be due to wilful Incendiaries, if any such existed; they as little thought of benefiting the City by so foul a deed, as Henry the Eighth did of laying a substantial ground for the Reformation by his oppressive and licentious conduct. L. L. Mr. Mr. URBAN, IT Jun. 24. T must ever be a commendable employment to support and maintain the interests of Moral Rectitude and Truth. In whatever shape they are at any time attacked, or likely to be brought into danger, every man of sound judgment will always feel satisfaction in a well-formed design to repel the attack, or ward off the danger. And as Truth and Rectitude are of such vast importance, and of eternal obligation, every thing that has a manifest tendency to promote them must be received as worthy of attention and approbation by all the Friends of Virtue and Integrity. Now, as it is doubtless praise-worthy to recommend and advance Truth and Right, so it cannot but be a useful attempt properly to guard against Sophistry and Error; for, where the latter gain ground or prevail, the conflict must be fatal to the interests of the former. Whoever then has been able to detect any material errors himself, or to discover the modes in which they have been detected by others, is but acting the part of an ingenuous Citizen and of an honest Man, in pointing out such errors, and making known the right methods of refuting them; that he may thereby, according to the best of his ability, guard men from falling into the like dangerous mistakes. provement in holiness, and the ardent pursuit of all virtue.-Such, in brief, is the just character of the Church of England; so admirably is it calculated to promote the success of true Religion, and the Worship of the one true God in the world. When we thus contemplate the character, the design and tendency of this excellent Church, we cannot avoid serious apprehensions, when we perceive the appearance of a strong inclination to undermine, if not to overthrow it, by some restless Advocates for the Church of Rome. Were that Church really better or more Christian than this, the favourers of it might be listened to. But when, from the strongest evidence, it appears to be sadly corrupted, when it teaches and inculcates the crime of Idolatry, when it would set up the traditions or commandments of men even above the written Word of God, when it would bring us back to those fatal errors which cost our Ancestors such a deluge of blood to be delivered from, when it would reduce us into subjection to a foreign yoke, which fleeced our forefathers with such rapacious cruelty and such unrelenting extortion; who among us can bear the insidious advances of this Antichristian Community? What good man would not labour with his most faithful exertions to escape the dangers, to elude the artifices, to oppose the progress, and to combat the delusions, which the zealous Partizans of this Church are continually meditating and contriving against us? There cannot be a consideration of greater moment to a Christian than the Religion of his Country; neither can there be a matter of greater concerament to a Member of the Church of England than the interests and es- To give a picture of this idolatrous tablishment of that excellent Church. Church, for I would now confine myWho can devise a better or more ac- self chiefly to this character of it, I ceptable method for the public wor would recommend to my Readers to ship of God, than that which this peruse some of the Discourses of Dr. Church prescribes and sanctions? A Samuel Clarke, and particularly the method as far removed from Foppery, Third Sermon in his first Volume, on and Superstition on the one hand, as this text, "Thou shalt worship the it is from Slovenliness and fanatical Lord thy God, and Him only shalt Extravagance on the other: a method, thou serve." It would be very diffias far as human abilities at least may cult to meet with an Author of a seem to admit, reformed according to more comprehensive mind, of a more the model of Primitive Antiquity, to solid judgincut, of a more acute disthe exactest image of Apostolical Discernment, of a more extensive and cipline, and the brightest purity of Evangelical Truth: a method, which, when duly regarded and conscientiously exercised, cannot fail to influence the soul, and to warm the heart, to incite the mind to the sincerest imGENT. MAG. April, 1811. accurate acquaintance with the Sacred Records, than this great and very learned Theologist: And, although in some matters of weighty importance, he may have been justly suspected at some times to have been erroneous, erroneous, yet I believe that, in general, he had a most complete knowledge of Christianity, and ever laboured to apply it to the best purposes, the improvement of the heart and of the life. I trust I shall be excused, after having said thus much, if I cite a few of those passages from the Sermon above mentioned, which may serve to justify the above remarks, and to induce the Reader to peruse the other parts of it. The edition I quote from is the Sixth, 8vo. printed at London in 1743. At p. 55, after having spoken of several sorts of Idolatry, and especially that of the Israelites in setting up calves in Dan and Bethel, we read thus: "Even after the greater light of the Gospel, Christians, as they style themselves in the Church of Rome, haye not been a whit behind the grossest antient Idolaters in their corruptions of this kind; making pictures and images of the invisible God, even of the Father Almighty, in express opposition to the Second Commandment. And in the matter of Transubstantiation, fancying the elements to be changed into the Body of Christ, and knowing the Body of Christ to be in union with his Divinity, and his Divinity to be in union with that of his Father; from hence by three or four steps of multiplied Idolatry, they pay to the mere elements of bread and wine, that Worship which is due only to the God and Father of all." And again, at p. 57: "As the setting up any Idol or false God, in opposition to, or in conjunction with, the true God, is Idolatry with regard to God; so the setting up any Idol or false mediator, in conjunction with, or in opposition to, the one true Mediator, is Idolatry with regard to Christ, which most evidently shews, that the worship paid by the Church of Rome to Angels and to Saints departed, to Images and Relicks, and to the blessed Virgin, is truly and properly Idolatry. The excuse they plead, that the worship thus paid is not divine, but mediatorial worship, is nothing to the purpose, and alters not at all the nature, but only a circumstance of the crime; an Idol-Mediator being as truly and plainly an Idol, and a departing from Christ (or God in Christ) our only true Mediator and Advocate, as the worshiping an Idol-God is a departing from the living and true God." See Col. ii. 18. In the following part of the Discourse the Author shews how this Idolatry is apt to grow by insensible degrees; and how it has been productive of sad immorality and horrid cruelty even amongst Christians "insomuch (as he observes at p. 66.) that even of the Christian Church it is prophesied in Scripture, that in her should be found the blood of Saints and of Prophets, and of all that are slain upon the earth." He then thus wisely concludes: "For our deliverance from this tyranny by the Reformation, we can never be too thankful; nor ever sufficiently careful to guard against every appearance of approaching towards it again." Many other eminent Divines of our Church have laboured to guard us against the errors and corruptions of Popery, as well as Dr. Clarke; and, however the indolence of the times, the sufferings of those who have sate in the Papal Chair, or some other unhappy prejudices, may have prevented men from paying due attention to, or studying their labours; yet I trust there will never be wanting able, sincere, and zealous Champions, to coinbat the manifold corruptions of the Roman Church, and to vindicate, preserve, and continue to succeeding ages, that admirable Bulwark against it, the Protestant Church of England. A COUNTRY PARISH PRIEST. Feb. 19. Mr. URBAN, observations on Meteorological Terms used in my Journal: I now proceed to define and explain certain other technical phrases which I shall have occasion to make use of in future. I have had frequent occasion, during my observations, to mention cerabout the Sun and Moon, and occatain luminous appearances observed sioned by the refraction of their light through an intervening medium of peculiar structure: these are in common called Halo's, Coronæ, Burrs, &c. But, as these phenomena vary considerably, and as I know of no existing nomenclature calculated to express, with precision, their several appearances; and, as the above terms are another, I shall take the liberty to very frequently confused with one offer one, which, however imperfect, may serve till a better shall be found. I shall endeavour to classify them (for want of a better criterion) according to the various shapes or figures which they present. It must be remembered, that their various figures figures are the result of the particular construction of the cloud which refracts their light: a correct attention, therefore, to these appearances may lead to a more perfect knowledge of the structure of the refracting medium. HALO*. Def. Circulus vel Annulus lucidus aream includens, in cujus centro Sol aut Luna apparet. Obser. By a Halo I understand an extensive luminous ring, including a circular area, in the centre of which the Sun or Moon appears, whose light, refracted through the intervening cloud, gives rise to the phænomenou. Halones are called Lunar or Solar, according as they appear round the Moon or Sun. Lunar ones are the most common. I have observed that halones are generally about 40° in diameter: they are generally pretty correct circles; I once, however, saw a halo of a somewhat oval figure. Halones are sometimes coloured with the tints of the Rainbow. HALO DUPLEX. Duo Annuli, in quorum centro communi Sol aut Luna videatur. Obser. A double Halo is not a very common occurrence. I have observed that simple Halones are generally about 400 in diameter; in case of double halo, it might be worth while to take the diameters of each of the concentric circles. HALO TRIPLEX. Tres Annuli, in quorum centro communi Sol aut Luna appareat. Obser. Triple halones are extremely rare occurrences. HALO DISCOIDES. Annulus aream reliquâ nubis parte lucidiorem continens, in cujus centro Luna aut Sol visus est. Obser. A discoid Halo may be said to be a halo constituting the boundary of a large corona: it is generally of less diameter than usual, and often coloured with the tints of the Iris. A beautiful one appeared on the 22d of December, 1809, about midnigh during the passage of a Cirro-stratus before the Moon. The word Halo or Halos is evidently derived from the Greek ἅλων or ἅλως, signifying an area. The Latin writers appear to have spoken indifferently of Halones, Halyses, Corona, Circuli, &c. without sufficiently distinguishing between the Corona and the Halo-in other words, between the luminous disk, and the luminous ring. CORONA. Discus lucidus, vel por tio circularis nubis reliquâ lucidior, in cujus centro Sol aut Luna videtur. Obser. When the Sun or Moon is seen through a thin Cloud, a portion of the Cloud, more immediately round the Sun or Moon, appears much lighter than the rest of it: this luminous disk, if I may be allowed the expression, I call a Corona. Coronæ are of various sizes, according to the peculiarities of the refracting vapour: but they seldom exceed 100 in diameter; they are generally faintly coloured at their edges. Frequently, when there is a Halo encircling the Moon, there is a small Corona more immediately round it. Coronæ, as well as Halones, have been always observed to prognosticate Rain, Hail, or Snow. As far as I can observe, they are generally seen in the Cirro-stratus Cloud. CORONA DUPLEX. Discus lucidus, alium discum paulo lucidiorem ac minorem includens, in quorum centro communi Sol vel Luna observatur. Obser. A double Corona is very common; but I never remember to have seen a triple one. PARHELION. Def. Imago Solis fulsa, vel. plures imagines ejusdem generis circa Solem circulatim dispositæ, et magis minúsve halonibus aliisque lucidis vittis comitatæ. Obser. Parhelia vary considerably in general appearance; sometimes the Sun is encircled by a large Halo, in the circumference of which the mock Suns usually appear; these have often small Halones round them; they have usually a horizontal band of white light of a pyramidal figure extending from them: sometimes a large semicircular band of light, like an inverted arch, seems to rest upon the Halo which encircles the Sun; but these phenomena vary too much to be particularly described here; their peculiarities ought to be minutely observed and noted down in a Meteorological Journal. PARASELENE. Lunæ imago falsa, vel plures imagines hujus generis circa Lunam dispositæ, et magis minúsve Halonibus, aliisque lucidis viltis comitatæ. Obser. The Paraselene, the Parhelion, and the several kinds of Halo and Corona, all appear to result from the intervention tervention of Cloud between the spectator and the Sun or Moon, through which the light is refracted; but there is another well-known phænomenon, which always appears in a Cloud opposite to the Sun or Moon, namely, the - IRIS. Def. Circulus maximus coloratus in Nube Soli oppositû visus, qui, quòd portio ejus tantùm videtur, arcus apparet. Obser. The Rainbow is an appearance too familiar to every one to need any particular description. As the Halo and Corona appear generally in the Cirro-stratus Cloud; so the Iris appears always in the Nimbus. Lunar Rainbows are very rare occur rences. Concerning the causes of Halo, &c. all I have to say is, that this phænomenon must depend on some peculiar unexplored structure of the intervening cloud, whereby certain of the rays are refracted at a particular angle: it seems to me that the semidiameter of a Halo must always correspond with the angle at which the rays are refracted. In Vol. V. of the PhilosophicalTransactions, an attempt is made to account for this kind of refraction, by supposing that the Cloud whose intervention produces Halo, is composed of transparent particles of concentrated vapour,including opaque kernels; and that the Cloud which refracts Parhelia, &c. is composed of long transparent cylinders of the same texture, which include opaque ones. I must refer your Readers to Phil. Trans. Vol. v. 1065; xxii. 535; xxxi. 212; xxxix. 118; xlvi. 196; lii. 3.-M. Hevelius, end of "Merc. in Sol."-Des Cartes, Treatise of Meteors M. Huygens, Posthum. Works, p. 293.-Newton, Optic. Ist edit. p. 134. THOMAS FORSTER. much mischief to Books, may, I think, be fairly admitted; but when I inform you of the recent discovery of an Edition of our Statutes, printed in English by CAXTON, you will allow ́ that the aforesaid old Gentleman ought not to be censured in language of severe and indiscriminate condemnation. I have yet another bibliographical curiosity to communicate; but we will first pay due attention to our friend Caxton. It will be seen in my first volume of Ames, p. 354, that only a fragment of the Statutes printed by Caxton was then known. By great good fortune, a complete series of the acts, passed in Henry the VIIth's reign, up to the period of Caxton's decease, and printed by himself, was discovered by me; and is now deposited in the noble library of Earl Spencer. From this copy I proceed to submit the following account to your Readers; adhering to the antient orthography only in the commencing sentence. The kynge our souereyn lorde henry the seuenth after the conquest by the grace of god kyng of Englonde and of Fraunce and lorde of Irlonde at his parlyame[n]t holden at Westmynster the seuenth daye of Nouembre in the first yere of his reignc, To thonour of god and holy chirche, and for the comen profyte of the royame, bi thassent of the lordes spirituell and temporell, and the comens in the sayd parliame[n]t asse[m]bled, and by auctorite of the sayd parlyamente hath do to be made certein statutes & ordenaunces in maner & fourme folowyng:' Sign. a ij. rect. In this Session of Parliament the following acts were passed: [The titles are here printed in modern orthography.] 1. Fermedowne. The opening of this chapter, or preamble of the act, will cause an Englishman now to smile. Item in the said parliament it was called to remembrance, of the great minishing and decay that hath be[en] now of late |