language. This is owing to the flight encouragement bestowed upon German originals during a confiderable period, and to the decided preference given to the translations of the French dramatic writers. It is but of late years the Germans, whofe difpofition and taste is more congenial to that of the English than of the French, have adopted the manners and spirit of the former on their ftage. They now difplay a greater relish for the activity and boldnefs of plan, and the pathetic fublimity, as well as the affecting fimplicity of Shakespeare, than for the regularity and correctness of method obferved on the French theatre: elegance of ftyle, and beautifulness of fentiments, conftitute the chief, and often the fole merit, of the greatest mafters of the French drama, who thus, in contradiction to an effential rule, have fubftituted mere dialogue in the place of action.'

This author afcribes the duration of fuch an extraordinary and complex a conftitution as that of Germany, entirely to the placid difpofition of the natives, who, he tells us, are a race of mortals peculiarly gifted with that moderation and equanimity which can reft fatisfied with any plan of government that is found any ways tolerable. But he admits that they have deviated, in fome measure, from this maxim in religious

matters.

The French,' he observes,

Who are of all people the moft arrogant and presumptuous in judging of other nations, have thought proper to affert that the Germans are flow of apprehenfion, and heavy in their proceedings.

• Herein they are abetted by the Italians and Spaniards. An ambaffador from the court of Madrid to that of Vienna complained in his dispatches that he had to deal with a wrong-headed people, fluggifh in their conceptions, and of narrow minds; adding, by way of illuftration, that their understandings were like the horns of the goats in his country, little, hard, and crooked. Strictures of the like nature, have not unfrequently been made by the natives of Italy on fimilar occurrences.

It may very juftly be answered in behalf of the Germans, that they are usually very folicitous thoroughly to comprehend what they go about, and more intent to fecure fuccefs by labour and diligence, than willing to rifque it by hurry and precipitation. This, indeed, is the natural and neceffary refult of their phlegmatic difpofition; a state of mind that holds the paffions in a happy fubjection to reafon and reflection, by fubftituting coolnefs and ferenity of judgment in the room of impetuofity and fire of imagination; the fuppreffion of thefe making way for that even temperature of the foul which enjoys its various fenfations with calmness, and is not easily moved from its poife.

This produces a habit of deliberation, which renders the Germans less liable to be actuated by violence and temerity in their réfolutions, than many of those who boast so highly of the fuperiority of their talents. Hence among many other beneficial confequences,

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proceeds

proceeds that moderation in their public councils, which reftrains religious zeal within ftri&ter bounds than in most other countries in Christendom, and prevents the Proteftants and Romanists from holding each other in so much hatred and abhorrence as they unhappily do in other parts.'

In treating of the courts of Germany, the author remarks, that an oftentatious difplay of grandeur has at all times been the favourite object of the petty fovereigns of this country; who, according to his representation, frequently indulge themselves in travelling, for no other obvious purpose than to make an empty difplay of their equipage and retinue.

The following obfervations feem not to be deftitute of foundation:

• Notwithstanding the erroneous notions of feveral among the German princes in fome parts of their conduct, and those failures in their judgment of things, of which all men have a fhare, it muft be allowed that Germany is the largest and most advantageous field in Europe for an active genius to move in.

The number of courts and states wherein employment is to be found, and men of capacity are wanted, opens a noble and spacious profpect to an enterprifing fpirit, confcious of its abilities, and of the probability of fucceeding with perfeverance and application.

As each of thefe courts places itself on a level of emulation with every other, whoever can forward their refpective views is fure of a welcome. As, according to the predominant schemes of those who govern, and the diverfity of their pursuits and defigns, an adequate proportion of talents, equal to the execution of them, is indispensably required, they who poffefs them muft neceffarily be procured.

Hence Germany abounds with perfons of excellence in those accomplishments that qualify a man for civil government, or military command; or that enable him to acquit himself with dexterity of thofe commiffions which the multiplicity of emergencies incident to a fovereign court, generally immerfed in political intrigues, is hourly giving birth to.

So thoroughly do the refolute and adventuring individuals in the European world feem perfuaded of this, that no few of them have at all times confidered Germany as a very proper and defirable theatre for a trial of their refpective capacities. In that of war particularly no other country affords fuch opportunities to men of bold difpofitions and fuitable genius of making their way to the higheft honours of their profeffion. Officers of all nations are found in the military lifts of the feveral princes and potentates in Germany, who feem wifely determined to refufe no encouragement in that line to all who may deserve it, whatever their country or their religion.'

Credulity, this author affirms, is an epidemical disease in Germany; and notwithstanding the phlegmatic difpofition which preferves the Germans from being eafily impofed upon in the

ordinary

ordinary occurrences of life, they are ftill ftrongly disposed to admit the probability of marvellous events. We agree with our author that local prejudices are no where more visible than in this extenfive country; and we may add, that the pride of noble descent is the prevailing foible for which, in general, the people of rank are remarkable. On the whole, the character which this author draws of the natives of Germany, appears, in most instances, to be well founded. He feems to have examined them equally with a candid and difcerning eye; and his national observations are frequently illuftrated by examples from hiftory.

ART. VII.

Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal Society of London, Vol. LXXVII. For the Year 1787. Part I. 4to. 8s. 6d. fewed. Davis. London, 1787.

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N inequality, in point of importance, may justly be expected in those collections of papers which are formed by voluntary contribution. The part of the volume on which we are now entering, therefore, is not fo interefting as the former; but the fame natural viciffitude will foon again introduce us to fubjects more gratifying to curiosity.

Article I. An Account of a new Comet. In a Letter from Mifs Caroline Herschel to Charles Blagden, M. D. Sec. R. S. Mifs Herschel, during her brother's abfence in Germany, has, to use her own expreffion, fwept in the neighbourhood of 'the fun in search of comets;' and, on the 1ft of August 1786, was fo fortunate as to difcover one of them. It refembled in colour and brightness the 27th nebula in the Connoiffance de Tems, but differed from that ftar in being round.

Art. II. Remarks on a new Comet. By William Herfchel, LL. D. F. R. S. This comet is the fame with that mentioned in the preceding article. Dr. Herschel first viewed it on the 19th of Auguft, at which time it seemed to have a very imperfect and confufed kind of gathered light about the middle, which could hardly deferve the name of a nucleus. It had, likewife, befides a diffused coma, a very faint light towards the north, extending to about three or four minutes, and lofing itself infenfibly.

Art. III. Magnetical Experiments and Obfervations. By Tiberius Cavallo, F. R. S. Mr. Cavallo had the year preceding presented to the Royal Society an account of fome magnetical experiments, particularly relative to the magnetism of brafs; from which it appeared that moft brafs becomes magnetic, fo far as to attract the magnetic needle, by being hammered,

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and

and lofes its magnetism by annealing or foftening in the fire; but that there is fome brafs which poffeffes no magnetifm naturally, nor acquires any by hammering. In the account now before us, however, he corrects fome of the particulars which he had formerly advanced: and afterwards recites farther experiments and obfervations on other branches of the fame fubject of magnetifm. Mr. Cavallo, in profecuting his experiments on brafs, and alfo platina, had recourse to the method of Bergman, or that of exploring substances floating on the furface of quickfilver. He put pieces of brafs, or grains of platina, upon the furface of quickfilver, and then presented a strong magnet near them. The result of those experiments was, that very feldom a piece of brafs, or grain of platina, occurred, which was not affected by the magnet; and even when they were not affected by it, their indifference, as he expreffes it, was not very and decifive. Indeed there are very few fubftances in nature which, when examined by this means, are not in fome degree attracted by the magnet; fo general is the difperfion of iron, or fuch the tendency which moft bodies have towards the magnet.

Such brafs as, in the author's former experiments, appeared to have no magnetifm naturally, nor to acquire any by hammering, was now found to be moftly magnetic. though in fo very fmall a degree as to be difcoverable only when floating upon quickfilver. The fame was the cafe with the grains of platina before they were hammered; but, after hammering, their attraction towards the magnet became more evident; whereas thofe pieces of brafs which naturally had not any degree of magnetifm fufficient to affect the needle, nor acquired any by hammering, but yet fhewed fome tendency towards the magnet when floating upon quick filver, never, or very feldom, had that tendency increased by hammering.

Towards accounting for the variation of the magnetic needle, Mr. Cavallo makes the following obfervations:

If we collect, under one point of view, all the causes hitherto afcertained, which can increase or diminish the attraction between magnetic bodies, we shall find that the attraction between the magnet and iron, or between magnet and magnet, is increafed by cooling, by a regeneration of iron or phlogiftication of its calx, and within certain limitations by the action of acids upon the iron; that this attraction is diminished by heating, and by the decompofition of iron; and lastly, that it is probably annihilated by a very great degree of

heat.

Thefe truths being premised, it must be confidered, first, that, according to innumerable obfervations and daily experience, the body of the earth contains almoft every where ferruginous bodies in various ftates and bulks; fecondly, that the magnetic needle must be

attracted

attracted by all thofe bodies, and its fituation or direction must be determined by all thofe attractions confidered together, viz. from their common centre of action; thirdly, that by removing or altering the degrees of attraction of some of those bodies which are fituate on one fide of the magnetic meridian, more than of thofe fituated on the other fide, the abovementioned common centre of attractions, and of course the direction of the magnetic needle must be altered, which in fact is the variation of the needle; and, laftly, that this alteration in the attractions of fome of the ferruginous bodies in the earth muft undoubtedly take place, it being occafioned by the parts of the earth being irregularly heated and cooled by the action of volcanoes, which decompofe or otherwife alter large maffes of ferrugi nous fubftance, by earthquakes which remove ferruginous bodies from their original places, and we may add alfo by the aurora borealis for though we are as yet ignorant of the cause of that furprifing phænomenon, it is however certain that the magnetic needle has been frequently disturbed when the aurora borealis appeared very ftrong.'

Art. IV. Defcription of a new Electrometer. By the Rev Abraham Bennet, M. A. This electrometer confifts of two pieces of leaf gold, fufpended within a glass cylinder; but for the particular conftruction of it we muft refer to the volume and the plate; where fome experiments which were tried with it are recited.

Art. V. Appendix to the Defcription of a new Electrometer. By the fame. Mr. Bennet here explains the conftruction of his electrometer, as connected with M. Volta's condenfer.

Art. VI. Some Account of an Earthquake felt in the northern Part of England. By Samuel More, Efq. The earthquake occurred on the 11th of Auguft, 1787, about two in the morning. It appears to have extended from Penrith along the banks of Ulfwater and Winander Meer to Manchester, where it was flightly perceived.

Art. VII. Determination of the Heliocentric Longitude of the defcending Node of Saturn. By Thomas Bugge, Profeffor of Aftronomy in the Univerfity of Copenhagen. The culmination of Saturn was obferved with a fix feet acromatic transit inftrument; and the meridian altitude with a fix feet mural quadrant. From the author's obfervations made with inftruments, he calculates the right afcenfion and declination, as well as the geocentric longitude and latitude of Saturn. He next compares the calculations with thofe of Halley and de la Lande, in which he points out several errors. From the calculations of the heliocentric longitude of Saturn, and that of the node, it appears that Saturn's paffage through the node happened on the 21st of August, 1784; and that the heliocentric longitude of his defcending node 9s.21° 50′ 8′′,5.

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Art.