1796.] Cornwall...South Wales...North Wales...Scotland. himself the common neceffaries of life, and no medical affistance; though poffeffed of about 10,000l. his appearance was that of a common pauper. At Plymouth, Mr. John Prideaux. Mr. T.. Reynolds, one of the coroners for the county of Devon. CORNWALL. The Cornwall Agricultural Society has given notice, that there will be a Ploughing match at St. Columb, on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 1796, for the following premiums: 1. S. Beft Ploughman Second beft Third beft 3 3 Driver S. d. 10 6 2 2 Driver I 2 Driver 5 O 6 The drivers not to exceed the age of 16. To the best ploughman, who fhall be a parith apprentice, 11. 1s.—his driver, a parish appren tice, not exceeding the age of 16, 2s. 6d. The ploughing to be in a ley field, as for a crop of wheat; ploughs of any defcription to be admitted; 30 fquare yards of land (about the fifth part of an acre) to be the quantity affigned to each plough, which is to be ploughed two or three fplit ridges, as the ground may admit of; two hours allowed for finishing. The parish apprentices to plough in a feparate piece of ground by themselves. At a general meeting of the fubfcribers to the fcheme of the Polbrock canal, held in Bodmin, on Tuesday, the 9th of Auguft, Sir W. MOLESWORTH in the chair, it was refolved, that the line of a canal from Guinea-port, in the parish of St. Breock, to Stoney-lane and Dunmeer-bridge, in the Parish of Bodmin, on the weft fide of the river Camel, according to a plan and estimate of Mr. Rennie, be ap proved of, and adopted by this meeting; and that application be made at the next fellion of Parliament, for an act to enable the fubfcribers to carry the fame into effect. And it appear ing to this meeting, that a branch might be eafily made from the line propof. d to Ruthernbridge (about half a mile from the line) by which the benefits arifing from the canal, in regard to the carriage of manure, would be more extended; Mr. Murray is requested to furvey that branch, and make his report thereon. Died.] In St. Stephens in Branuel, 63, Mr. P. Pinch. SOUTH WALES. Died Aged 73, the Rev. R. Rogers, rector of Bryngwyn. Mifs E. Price, daughter of J. P. efq. banker, of Penybont. At Green Giove, 62, E. Vaughan, efq. one of his majesty's juftices of the peace for Cardiganfhire. NORTH WALES. 599 Died] At Mostyn Hall, Flintshire, Sir Roger Moftyn, bart. M. P. for the county of Flint; which he had reprefented in eight parliaments; he was chofen the ninth time the laft general election. W. Wynne, efq. of Wern. At New Mead, John Davies, efq. one of his majefty's juftices of the peace for Radnor fhire. At Ty-Mawr, Mrs. Hughes, relict of J. H. efq. At Penyuan, lieut. A. H. Rees, of the royal navy. Mrs. Owen, wife of the Rev. Mr. O. of Aberythwith, and fifter to Sir T. Bonfall, of Fronfraith. At Henfol Castle, Mifs Davy, daughter of the late major D. At Cardiff, Mr. T. Powell, of a very ancient family, lineally defcended from Juftin ap Gworgant, Lord of Glamorgan, SCOTLAND. A fhark, nearly fix feet long, was lately caught by fome gentlemen, in the Clyde, at the Fairly roads. While carrying afhore in the boat, it spawned a young one; and on opening it, after reaching the fhore, twenty-three others about thirteen inches each in length, and all alive, were found in it. Several of them lived fome hours afterwards. Another thark, of nearly the fame fize, has been fince caught, at the fame place. The quantity of linen cloth ftamped for fale in Scotland last year, exceeds the quantity made in the year 1792, by nearly half a million of yards. Married.] At Edinburgh, W. Buchanan, efq. of Auchmar, to Mifs S. Bartlet. R. Gordon, efq. of Xeres de la Frontera, to Mifs L. Rudyerd, daughter of Major R. R. B. Dundas, efq. of Blair, to Mifs E. Spital of Blairlogie. At Inverary, Capt. John Campbell, of the 3d regt. of Guards, to the Rt. Hon. Lady C. Campbell. At Forfar, Mr. C. Adam, of Dundee, to Mifs Ure, daughter of J. U. efq. At Hawkhill, James Gordon jun. efq. of Craig, to Mifs Johnstone, of Alva. At Dumfries, L. P. Broome, efq. of New York, to Mifs B. Nugent, of Richmond, Yorkshire. John Swinton, jun. efq. of Swinton, to Mifs Hepburn, of Cierkington. Hon. W. Hay Carr, brother to the Earl of Errol, to Mifs Eliot, of Antigua. Died.] At Edinburgh, C. Edmonstone, efq. Lieutenant Governor of Dumbarton Catti. Mifs H. Dickfon, daughter of the late Sir R. D. T. M. Riddell, of Mount Riddell, efq. only fon of Sir J. R. bat. At Kirkcudbright, in confequence of a fall from his horfe, E. M-Culloch, efq. of Ardwall. At Eaftcraigs, John Stewart, efq. Lieutenant Governor of Blackness Caftle. Near Dumfries, John Ranaldfon, efq. of Blairhall. At Campbelton, Mrs. M. Robertfon, wife of Dr. G. R. T. Rutherfoord, efq. of Knowfouth. At Pollok Houfe, Capt. R. Maxwell, of the 16th reg. brother to Sir J. M. bart. At Park, Lady Hay, relict of Sir Ť. H. bart. At Machany, the Dowager Viscountess of Strathallan. Nor h Glaffimount, G. Bruce, ef1. At At Moffat, Mrs. Duff, relict of Admiral D. of Fettereffo, and daughter of the late General Abercromby. At Kinghorn, Major A. Rutherford, late of the 16th reg. of infantry. At Stromnefs, aged 109, James White. At Elgin,. Mrs. Leflie, wife of C. L. efq. At Dundee, Mrs. M. Ogilvy, daughter of the late Sir D. O, bart. At Edinburgh, Mifs Jean Chryftie, daughter of the late Right Rev. H. C. At Loudon Caftle, Mrs. Douglas, wife of G.D. efq. AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE. Monthly Report for Auguft. PERHAPS at no period have the operations of nature fo completely aided the industry of the hufbandman, as in the prefent feason. A more abundant crop, and more favourable weather for getting it in, has fcarcely been remembered. It is additionally fortunate for the public, that our cultivators of the earth, tempted by the great prices of grain during the last year, were induced to fow an unufually large proportion of their lands with wheat. Importations to a very enormous and even ruinous extent have also taken place, which, with our own fuperabundant produce, can scarcely fail to make Grain far more plentiful than it has been for many years. Such is the general refult of a correfpondence of the Conductors of the Monthly Magazine through nearly twenty diftricts of Great Britain: the particular reports of fingle diftricts, it is believed, will not confiderably affect it. In all the fouthern parts of the island, the harvest is in general over, and the corn has never been remembered to be got in fo quickly, and so good and abundant. In Scotland, and in the Counties adjoining, the harveft is backward, and the profpect by no means fo good. The deftructive infect, which occafioned fo confiderable a failure in laft year's crop, and the blight, a disease which is likewife fatal, will certainly prevent the wheat crop in that part of the island from being very productive, notwithstanding a greater breadth of that crop never before covered the country. The white wheats on moift lands have fuffered the moft; the Egyptian red, a fpecies which poffeffes many fuperior properties in cultivation, has fuffered the leaft. In this place it may be interefting to mention the average prices of wheat, in correfponding months within the last ten years. In 1786, July, 37 In 1792 42 10 113 75 10 the fourth weeks of July and Auguft, in the prefent year, has been 67s. 8d. and 44s. 6d. In the northern diftricts, the BARLEY and OATS, and BEANS, are very far fhort of expectation, though the late warm weather has much affifted them. The PEAS promife to be a better crop. The crops of this grain have proved very full and luxuriant in the eastern and midland, and particularly fo in the fouthern and western diftricts. Since our laft, HAY has varied little in price in the London markets. The oldland hay, to which the rains in the last month proved favourable, made up for the indifferent crops of rye-grafs and clovers. The cole-feed and mustard, which is mofily got in, promises to yield well: the profpect for young cole-feed is generally good, particularly for that forward fown. TURNIPS are, in general, a failing crop. The PASTURES are also much burnt up, and many places during the late heats have been very fhort of water. STOCK of all kinds ftill, however, continue at high prices, and little variation has yet taken place in any of the fairs or markets. In Smithfield, Beef fells now (as it did last month) from 3s. to 4s. per stone, and Mutton from 4s. to 4s. 6d. The feafon throughout has proved highly favourable to FALLOWING: indeed the ground never appeared in a berter ftate of culture. In the wool bufinefs, little has been tranfa&ted in the prefent month. The prices are in the midland counties from 21s. to 24s. per ton; and in the western, Somerfetfhire 30s. to 335. and Wiltshire 34s. to 36s. a weight. Hors promife varioufly. Complaints are made in Kent of the fhortnefs of bine, and in Worcestershire of the mould. The whole duty is laid as low as 110,000, that of Worcestershire at 14,000. Markets very dull, and prices stationary. THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE, No. VIII.] SEPTEMBER, 1796. [VOL. II. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, YOUR correfpondent, who has with fuch very fuperior merit tranflated the Leonora of BÜRGER, is mistaken when he calls that ballad wholly original. He has obferved that many of the ballads of the gloomy German are tranflated with improvements from English originals.Perhaps the ftory of Leonora was fuggefted by a ballad entitled, "The Suffolk Miracle, or a relation of a Young Man, who a month after his death appeared to his Sweetheart, and carried ber on burfeback behind him for forty miles, in two hours, and was never feen after but in his grave." It is in a collection of ballads, printed 1723. The collection extended to three volumes, each published feparately, and is now very rare. In this tale the fpirit comes at midnight, and the maiden departs with him. When he was got her love behind, But as they did this great hafte make, And unto him she thus did fay, "Thou art as cold as any clay! "When we come home a fire we'll have," But little dreamd he went to grave! As Bürger is well versed in this branch of English poetry, it is not improbable that this rude but ftriking tale may have occafioned the fublime ballad of Leonora. However this may be, it certainly contradicts a remark that has not unaptly been made upon that Poem, that the dif ference between a German ghoft and an English one is, that the German rides on horfeback, and the English one goes on foot. MONTHLY MAG. NO. VIII. The imitation of the following lines from William's Ghoft", is, I think manifeft. These are the lines of Leonora : "And where is then thy house and home, "Wherein that I may creep?" Compare them with thefe of the English ballad : Now fhe has kilted her robes of green, A piece below her knee, The dead corpfe followed the. "Is there any room at your head, Willie ? "Or any room at your fide, Willie, Ι "There's no room at my head, Margaret, "My coffin is made to meet." Leonora is in parts equal to any compofition I have ever read. The moral however is very exceptionable, and they who may abhor the vindictive justice of God, will think the punishment of Leonora exceeds her offence. The other ballad of the Parfon's Daughter is, in my opinion, fuperior. The abruptnefs of the beginning, and the recurrence to it at the end are unequalled. Sept. 3, 1796. B. To my remarks on the symptoms of progreffive deficcation, inferted in page 96, of your Magazine, I wish the following to be added. In the Odyffey (book iv, v.355) Homer tells us that the inland Pharos was a day's fail from Ægypt, or from the mouth Mr. NICOL, Bookfeller, London. ALEXANDER MUNDELL, Efq. of Robert Areet, Adelphi, London. There has been already fubfcribed at Dumfries, were the Poet refided for the Jaft years of his life, At Edinburgh £ 104. 12 64 16 Subfcriptions are received at the houses of Sir W. FORBES and Co. and MANSFIELD, RAMSAY, and Co. bankers, and at the fhops of the bookfellers in Edinburgh; in London, at the shops of Mers. CADELL and DAVIES, NICOL, EDWARDS, WHILES, PAYNE, JOHNSON, RICHARDSON, HOOKHAM, and ARCHES, book fellers; at Oxford, by Meffrs. FLETCHER and Co. and Mr. J. COOKE, bookfellers; at Cambridge, by Mr. W. H. LUNN, bookfeller; and at Glafgow, by Meffrs. DUNLOP and WILSON, and BRASH and REID, bookfellers; and by Mr. MUNDELL, printer to the University of Glasgow. It is to be expected that many of your numerous readers will exhibit on this occafion a tribute of their regard to departed genius; and that an age which in general affects fo much mental liberality, will prove it by a bounty that thall effccually ferve these distreffed objects. Your's, &c. To the Editor of ibe Monthly Magazine. SIR, ON looking over the Hints on the Po pulation of England and Wales, which appeared in the First Number of your Magazine, I was rather furprised to find our rapid decline in this refpect fo ftrongly afferted; particularly as the writer, who appears to have taken al the facts which he produces in fupport of his opinion from Dr. Price's Ellay, moft probably well knew, that the Doctor, after a long and minute inveftigation of the fabject, requested it might be remembered, that bis opinion in this infrance was by no means a clear and decided conviction; and with his ufual candour allowed, that in continuing to fupport his former arguments, he might probably be influenced too much by a defire to maintain an affertion once delivered. From a comparison of the returns of the furveyors of houfe and window dutics, it is inferred, that in 87 years the number of houfes had decreafed upwards of 360,000, their number in the year 1777 being 952,734. No evidence is brought forward to fhew that the population from 1777 to the prefent time continued to decline; but from the deftruction of the American and prefent wars, it is confidered as highly probable: during the former, however, the contrary appears to have taken place, the total num→ ber of houses, according to the report of the furveyors in 1781, being in that year 1,005,810; from which time to the prefent, the produce of the house and window duties as little indicate a decreafe of habitations, as that of the duties. affected by confumption do of inhabitants. It is fated as the moft alarming circumftance attending the fuppofed depopulation, that it has taken place chiefly among the poorer clafs of the people; but if the following account of the number of houfes excufed on account of poverty in 1756 and 1781 is correct, they increafed during 25 years nearly 10,000; the number being in 17:6-274,755 1796.1 Population... Meteorological Phenomena. numbers. The generality of any people will fubmit to much inconvenience before they are driven to the determination of quitting their native country; their burchens accumulating gradually, they feel the effect without diftinguishing the caufe, and frequently afcribe to adventi tious circumftances that accelerating rife in the price of commodities, which is the inevitable confèquence of a fyftem of increafing taxation. The tendency of our debt, which at prefent is augmenting with unprecedented rapidity, feems rather to be the daily introduction of a greater difparity between the conditions of the different claffes of the community, by increafing the wealth of the rich, while it diminishes the comforts of the poor; and caufing a confiderable alteration in their comparative numbers, though that of the whole may remain nearly the fame, or even increase. Your Northumbrian correfpondent, p. 524, with much propriety, declines entering upon the ftate of the population of the country at large. It is a point, which, except by a general enumeration, can only be determined from the data furnished by taxation, produce, or confumption; and the fingle inftance produced of the great depopulation of a once confiderable village, though founded on the actual number of inhabitants at different periods, might be cafily oppofed by correct enumerations of many villages in Yorkshire and other parts, which prove a very confiderable increafe. Even this deferted village is reprefented to have been nearly in its prefent ftate for the Jaft forty years; and though a more extenfive enquiry might have difcovered a few fimilar inftances, I apprehend many more would have been found that for fome years paft have been, and ftill are, gradually increafing in numbers, though perhaps at the fame time increafing in poverty. Of 606 parishes defcribed in Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, there are many in which the inhabitants are much lefs numerous than formerly, notwithstanding which there has been upon the whole a very confiderable increafe. In 1755 they contained 884,981 inhabitants; and by accounts taken between the years 1790 and 1793 they amounted to 1,108,522; fo that the increafe of fome places had not only counteracted the depopulation of others, byt produced an augmentation of 223,541 inhabitants, or about 6000 per annum.This, however, it must be observed, is 605 very much below the natural rate of in- To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, THE obfervations of M. of Chichester in your number for July, p.462, upon the halo round the moon, led me to the confiderations which ended in the following queries; and it occurred to me that when he fees thofe queries, he will find exercife for a mind which difcovers much genius. Q. Whether the circle or rings we frequently fee round the Sun and Moon, are not occafioned by the reflection of the circumference of the earth? 2. Whether fuch reflection is not produced by that ftate of our atmosphere which generally precedes rain?" On Sunday laft, the 21ft inftant, a very large ring was feen for a confiderable time round the fun. The sky was clear at its first appearance; in the evening, clouds appeared in the S. and S. E. to S. W. by S. Yefterday, clouds from E. and N. E. lowered confiderably, and this morning at three the whole atmofphere was overcaf, and fo continues now at nine A. M. Aug. 23, 1796. ORIENS. For the Monthly Magazine. SIR, AM a Country Gentleman, and enjoy an estate in Northampton fhire, which formerly enabled its poffeffors to affume fome degree of confequenc in the country; but which, for feveral generations, has been growing lefs, only because it has not grown bigger. I mean, that though I have not yet been, obliged to mortgage my land, or fell my timber its 4 H 2 relative |