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tradition near the fpring that fill bears her name in Blenheim Park) might communicate with the palace, and prevent any furprizal from the vindictive jealoufy of his queen? This precaution, however, is well known to have proved ineffectual, and the lovely frail-one at length fell a victim to the resentment of the injured and implacable Eleanor. Rofamond was buried at Godftow Nunnery, near Oxford; where a magnificent tomb was erected to her memory, furrounded with lamps, which were continually kept burning, till Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, in whofe diocefe it was fituated, ordered her remains to be removed, and depofited in a lefs facred place: this injunction being complied with, the nuns interred her in their chapter-houfe; covering the grave with a flat ftone, on which was only infcribed, TOMBA ROSA MUNDI.

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At this place, Henry II. received the homage of Malcolm King of Scotland, and Rice Prince of Wales, in 1164; and likewife conferred the honour of knighthood on Jeffery, furnamed Plantagenet, his fecond fon by the fair Rofamond.

Edmund, the fecond fon of Edward I. who was born at this palace, was from thence called Edmund of Woodftock; as well as Edward, eldest fon of Edward III. commonly known by the name of the Black Prince, whofe early valour, and brilliant exploits, endear his name to every lover of his country. Chaucer, the father of Eng lifh poetry, was born, lived, and died, at Woodstock; and, if we make allowance for the ruft of age, and the obfolete modes of diction which obfcure his works, no one has ever equalled him in the very difficult line of poetry he adopted.

With regard to the former celebrity of this place, we fhall only add, that the Princess Elizabeth was confined at Woodstock by her cruel fifter Queen Mary, and her life was once in the moft imminent danger, from a fire which broke out under the room where the flept; but whether this fire was kindled intentionally, or merely through accident, remains among the number of undeveloped myfteries with which the path of antiquity is ftrewed.

MISCELLANY.

PHILOSOPHICAL SURVEY

OF THE

WORKS OF NATURE AND ART. NUMBER WIE.

CLOUDS.

HE afcent of vapours, confifting

parts of matter, by which fuch as are fepárated from the furfaces of humid and other bodies are repelled and forced into the air to an amaz◄ ing height, is owing to the vapour being lighter in an equal bulk than the air; a lighter body neceffarily rifing in a heavier one, as a piece of cork, placed at the bottom of a veffel of water, and there left to itfelf, rifes to the top immediately, by reafon of the fuperior weight and denfity of the water. The denfity and weight of the air being every

where variable, but greateft at the furface of the earth, and decreafing gradually upwards, as it's gravity continually decreafes, it at length be comes lighter than vapour in it's upper parts, and in one particular region between, being equally heavy

pours confequently rife from the fur face of the earth to this part of the atmosphere; and as all the air above is lighter, they cannot poffibly rife higher. Here, therefore, they remain in equilibrio with the air, appear ing under the form and taking upon them the denomination of CLOUDS. The clouds, thus produced, are fel dom without more or lefs motion. As the air is varioufly agitated, the clouds are carried about, and driven to and fro therein. The general caufe of their very different afpects

and

and pofitions in the upper regions, fometimes rifing high in the air, ranged in form of aerial mountains, and variegated with beautiful colours of light, while at others they feemingly approach much nearer to us, and appear black and louring, arifes from the different weight of the air at different times. Were the weight of the air to continue always the fame, the clouds would always be seen at the fame height: but a variety of caufes concur to alter the gravity of the air over any particular place; and where it becomes greater, the clouds rife higher, and one feries above another, reflecting the light of the fun above or below the horizon, which paints the delightful views and landfcapes difplayed in the air. At other times, when the gravity of the air is leffened, the clouds defcend of course, and, running together, mix and condenfe into a large and more opake body; in which cafe they generally fill the vifible atmosphere, eclipfe the fun from our fight, fhut out the light of the fuperior air, and make all dark and gloomy about us.

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WHEN, by the conftant heat of the fun, in fummer, great quantities of exhalations, from fulphureous and other combustible matters, are raised into the upper regions of the air, and there meet and mix with the nitrous particles, an incalefcence will immediately enfue, and oftentimes real accenfion, or production of flame; and this, if it happens in the evening or night-time, and in any one particular part of the heavens, is what is vulgarly called Lightning. But when the atmosphere is more generally replete with thefe exhalations, they çaufe a more general conflagration, and burn with one continued flame, illuminating all that part of the heavens in a molt tremendous manner, to those who have been unaccustomed to fee or reafon about fuch things: thefe are by philofophers denominated the Aurora Borealis, or North

ern Lights: and, indeed, a fummer feldom paffes without producing fome of them, (chiefly about autumn) not only in the northern, but in every other quarter of the heavens.

What is denominated a Fallen Star, is only a light exhalation, almoft wholly fulphureous, which is inflamed in the free air, much after the fame manner as thunder in a cloud, by the blowing of the winds, or by the action of the fubtle matter, and an acid in the fulphur. The fuperior part of the exhalation kindles firft, because it is lighter; and, as it is more elevated, it is at the fame time more inflammable. The inflammation is communicated to the inferior part of the exhalation, as in a train of powder; hence, this fort of ftar feems to fall: and because the communication happens fo rapidly, that the inflammation is in the bafe of the exhalation, when the impreffion which it makes upon the eyes yet fubfifts, we fancy we fee a long train of fire, which properly has no other existence than in our own imagination.

Many other meteors and phonomena in the air, may be accounted for on fimilar principles.

The Ignes Fatui, which feem to fport upon the furface of the earth, flying from thofe who do not fear them, and purfuing those who do; are exhalations arifing from churchyards, and other fulphureous or marfhy places. If they feem to fly from us when we advance towards them, it is becaufe we push the air forward on which they are borne; and if they feem to purfue us when we retreat from them, it is because the air which bears them takes immediate poffeffion of the place which we have quitted.

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Thunder, properly fpeaking, is, neither a phenomenon, nor a meteor, confifting wholly in found; for when the combuftible matters in the heavens take fire, if there be no refiftance, they flash away without any thing more than the phenomenon of Light ning, which is generally the cafe of

a rare

rare and unconfined air, as we often fee during the autumnal evenings. But it is far otherwise when these fermenting matters are contained in the denfe body of a cloud: the great refiftance they then meet with occafions an equal power of re-action, which is fpent wholly on the body of the cloud and ambient air; which air, by this means, having it's vibrations excited in the highest degree, occafions those loud reports from the upper regions, and expanding over all the inferior parts of the atmosphere, propagate thofe awful founds which we call Thunder.

A Thunder Bolt, being a phænomenon of the most folemn kind, the confideration of it fhould certainly fill every serious mind with awe, when the many dreadful effects frequently produced by it are confidered. Initant death is the immediate effect of it's ftroke in animals, the ftrongeft trees are rent and torn afunder, the fineft buildings are at once demolished, and the hardeft metals in a moment diffolved! Such are the effects of the greatest and most formidable powers in nature; and they have lately been but too evidently difplayed. The fubftance of thefe bolts confifts of a compact and undiffolved body of ignited matter, which not having fufficient time to explode in the air, is darted, with the velocity of light itfelf, to the objects on the furface of the earth, which it ftrikes with an inconceivable and irrefiftible force, deftroying at once the nature and texture of every thing that stands in it's way.

The matter of lightning may be refolved into three different ftates. First, that in which it only explodes, and flashes away without proving deAtructive. Secondly, when it explodes with greater force and denfity: then it's effects are often but too fenfibly felt at a distance, ftriking the unhappy fpectator with blindness, and fetting fire to ftacks of corn, houses, &c. And, thirdly, that of the thunder-bott.

VOL. III.

4

RAIN.

THE alteration in the weight of the air is the general cause of rains by which means the clouds defcend, intermix, and thereby become much heavier: their weight now forcing the aqueous particles together, they attract each other, and the cloud becomes liquified, much after the fame manner as a heated fteam or vapour condenfes, or runs into drops, against any cold furface. The water of the cloud, as fast as it is produced by this coalefcence and condenfation, being heavier than the air, muft neceffarily diftil through it, and defcend in drops of rain; and thus, from the bafis or lower part of the cloud, proceed thofe fhowers which the bounty of Providence beftows on every part of the earth, as there is occafion or neceffity for them.

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The winds are another general caufe of rain, driving the clouds together, forcing them to coalefce, condenfe, and become heavier, and therefore to fall in rain. Those winds which blow from the ocean, (as the fouth and weft) bring large recruits of vapours to the clouds, and are therefore more likely to produce rain than the north and north-east winds, which blow from the land, and generally difperfe the vapours, and drive the clouds away.

THE RAINBOW.

AMONG the various meteors which refult from the reflection of light, the Rainbow is certainly the most pleafing and extraordinary: it's colours not only charm the eye with the mildnefs of their luftre, but convey delight to the mind of the fpectator, by the profpect of fucceeding ferenity which they enfure.

This beautiful meteor is only feen when the fpectator turns his back to the fun, the rain at the fame time falling on the oppofite fide. It's colours, beginning from the infide of the arch, are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, being the delightful fhades of the prifm.

We often fee an external rainbow,

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with colours lefs vivid than the firft, and ranged in an oppofite order, beginning from the under part, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet; fometimes we fee half, fometimes an whole bow; frequently one, very often two, and even three have been feen. Dr. Halley gives an account of his having obferved fuch a triple bow at Chefter; and many others have likewife feen them.

The difference between the bows is, that in the internal bow each drop receives the rays of the fun on it's upper furface; whereas, on the contrary, in the great external bow, each drop receives the fun's rays at it's bottom, from whence the ray being twice refracted, and twice reflected, it comes to the fpectator's eye with diminished luftre, and in an inverted order.

If, with our backs turned towards the fun, we fquirt water from our mouths, or look at the fcattering drops of a fountain or water-fpout, the rainbow will appear pretty accurately imitated on the difperfed drops; and we fhall generally, at the fame time, diftinguish two rainbows.

Befides the common rainbow, occafioned by the rays of the fun, there is fometimes alfo a lunar one, formed exactly in the fame manner, by the bright beams of the moon ftriking on

meteor,

the bofom of a shower. This Ariftotle boasts, was Firft remarked by himself; and he affures us, that, in his time, fuch a rainbow was feen, with the colours extremely lucid. Similar meteors have beeen frequent ly obferved fince; and, among our own countrymen, Mr. Thorefby has given the defcription of one in the Phi lofophical Tranfactions. The lunar rainbow which this laft gentleman obferved, was equally admirable both for the beauty and the fplendor of it's colours: and it lafted about ten minutes, when the view was inter cepted by a cloud.

COLD AND FROST.

COLD being a comparative term, fignifies nothing more than that leffer

degree of heat ufually called modes rate: and it is well known that fome bodies will liquify with one degree of heat, and become fixed with another. With one degree of warmth, water will appear in a fluid ftate; with a lefs, it's particles will be found to be fixed, congealed, or frozen. Thus the vapours, in a warm air, are in a fluid ftate; and when condenfed by the coldness of the evening, they defcend, adhere to the piles of grafs in the liquid form of pearly drops, and are in that ftate denominated Dew: but thefe very particles, in a ftill colder air, will be fixed, and while they are floating in the air, make what is termed a Rimy Fog, or Frozen Mift. Defcending upon the grafs, and the twigs of fhrubs and trees, they make a beautiful incruftation, called a Hoar or White Froft, in contradiftinction to another fort, termed the Black Froft, only because it does not appear white; and this Black Froft differs from the other, because it is not accompanied with a mift or fog.

SNOW.

THE particles of all falts naturally running together, conftitute fome particular form; and as they are in themfelves tranfparent, and clear as glafs or cryftal, this natural action of fhooting into thofe forms is termed Cryftallization; and the particles fo combined and configurated are called the cryftals of fuch and fuch falts or metals. Water being an infipid, fluid falt, in the upper region of the air, where the conftituent parts of nitrous falts abound, the difpofition to freezing or congelation is very great in the winter feafons, when the atmofphere is much less heated by the fun's rays than during thofe of the fummer; and the aqueous particles mixing with nitre, immediately hoop into cryftals, and form the original parts of fnow, whofe figure is truly wonderful; for, from one point, as a centre, they irradiate into fix different but very beautiful parts, more or lefs connected, and variegated with an appearance of a vegetable nature.

Thefe

care fome years ago. I am forry I cannot be more particular, having unfortunately loft all my books and my notes of practice of this cafe and feveral others, by the capture of the convoy on the 9th of laft Auguft.

Thefe fnowy cryftals, being ofan hexagonal and ramous form, are apt to hitch into and hang upon one another, till they compofe a body too heavy to be fapported by the air, when they defcend in the fhape of Flakes of Snow, which are fmaller or larger according to the degree of cold which forms them. Thefe flakes, by reafon of their weight, defcend, with a gentle. and irregular motion, through the air; fo that a fhower of fnow (though common to us, and therefore not much regarded) is in itself a most beautiful thing, and beheld by the natives of fouthern climes, on their arrival in this country, as one of the moft extraordinary and amazing phoenomena of nature.

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HAIL.. T

It is obfervable, that fhowers of Hail feldom fall except when the air is heavy, and the vapours afcend to a great height in it; and this during the fummer months, when hail-ftorms are much more frequent than in the winter feafon. The cold, in the higher regions of the air, being much more intenfe than in the lower, a much greater quantity of nitre is lodged in the former than in the latter, caufing a more immediate and; ftronger congelation of the aqueous particles, and binding them firmly into bodies of ice of various magnitudes, according to the degrees of cold.

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In 1768, the fmall-pox was fo general in Jamaica, that very few people efcaped the contagion. About the middle of June, Mr. Peterkin, merchant at Martha-brae, in the pa rifh of Trelawney, got about fiftynew negroes out of a ship: foon after they landed, feveral were taken ill of a fever, and the fmallpox appeared; the others were immediately inoculated. Amongst the number of thofe who had the difeafe in the natural way, was a woman of about twenty-two years of age, and big with child. The eruptive fever was flight, and the fmall-pox had appeared before I faw her. They were few, diftinct and large, and he went through the difeafe with very little trouble, till on the fourteenth day from the eruption fhe was attacked with the fever, which lailed only a few hours. She was, however, the fame day taken in labour, and delivered of a female child with the fmall-pox on her whole body, head, and extremities. They were distin& and very large, fuch as they com-' monly appear on the eighth or ninth day in favourable cafes. The child was fmall and weakly; fhe could fack but little; a wet-nurfe was procured, and every poffible care taken of this infant, but he died the third day after fhe was born. The mother recovered, and is now the property of' Alexander Peterkin, Efq. in St. James's parish.

In the courfe of many years practice in Jamaica, I have remarked, that where pregnant women had been feized with the natural fmall-pox, or been by mistake inoculated, they generally; mifcarried in the time of, or foon after, the eruptive fever; but I never faw any figns of fmall-pox on any of their bodies, except on the child's above-mentioned."

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