138 The GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, VOL. XVII. that would at once convince him of his From this moment he refolves upon a come. While he is acquainting Mrs Strictland with the contents of this letter, his fervant Tefter brings him the following from Facina and Bellamy (now married) who had been acquainted by Lucetta with the steps her malter was taking. SIR, WE cannot bear to reflect that Mrs Strictland may possibly be ruin'd in C your eflcem, and in the voice of the world, only by the confufion which our affair has made in your family, without offering all within our power to clear the misunderStanding between you. If y you will give B and that the hat which occafioned fo much confufion was Ranger's; upon which the reproaches him for indulging himself in frolics which bring him fo little pleasure, and have confequences fo fatal to the peace of others: adding that the lived in the fame houfe, and was an eye-witnefs of the diforders which his ill-conduct had produced in a worthy family. By this laft circumstance Ranger difcovers that his coufin is Frankly's Clarinda; and, in order to alarm her tenderness for him, and bring about a reconciliation, he tells her with a penitential air, that she does not yet know half the fatal effects of his adventure; difguiled lady, Frankly and Bellamy had for that, while he was carrying off the fought about her, tho' Frankly did not care three half-pence for the girl: That Frankly was at Meggot's, dangerously wounded, and himself was going for a furgeon, when he faw her in the chair, and could not refift the temptation to follow her, tho' his friend's life was at ftake. Clarinda, moved at this, forgets her yourself the trouble but to fep to Mr Meg-refentment, hallens Ranger away, fends got's, where all the parties will be, we Meggo's, to discover the truth of the a fervant with a meilage on a card to doubt not but we can entirely fatisfy your moft flagrant hufpicions, to the honour of affair: Jacinta being informed by RanMrs Strictland, and the quiet of your ger of his ftratagem (who got there belives. Jacinta, John Bellamy. fore Clarinda's meffenger) fends fuch an aníwer back as brings Clarinda to Meggot's in a chair. Frankly is concealed in another room to favour their defign. Frankly to her, fo as that he could not Clarinda comes, and facinta mentions forbear betraying her affection by her concern, and then difcovers the friendly fraud, calls Frankly in, and, with Ranger's affiftance, improves thefe circumtances fo well as to perfect a reconciliamour. tion, and rally the lady into good-hu Mr Strictland refolving to accept the invitation, as foon as he is gone Lucetta tells Mrs Strictland that facinta and Mr Bellamy defired the would alfo go; that Clarinda, Frankly, and the gentleman who was in her room lait night would be there. Mrs Strictland, hoping by their means to do herself justice, follows Mr Strictland to Mr Meggot's. In the mean time, Ranger, who was upon the look-out for a fille de joy, fol- F lows the chair which was carrying Clarinda (who was his coufin) to her new lodgings, watches her into the house, is encouraged by feeing a bill upon the door, and goes in atter her. Clarinda knowing nun, and being perfuaded he did not know her, refolves to have fome fport with him, and to fa- G vour her delign puts on a mafk; Ranger addreffes her with the rhetoric natural to him on fuch occafions, and when the has wrought him up to a proper pitch, the discovers herself: after a little raillery on both fides, tea is called for; while it is coming, he falls into a recital of his lift night's adventure with a lady in man's cloaths: Clarinda, by the ftory, dilcovers that this perion was Jacinta, J All that remains now is to fave Frankly from the tyranny of a fine lady, inclined to play the coquet through a tedious courtship, and to remove Mr Strictland's fulpicion concerning the letter. Clarinda that Frankly's letter to her is Remarks on the SUSPICIOUS HUSBAND. fents to remove it by joining with Frankly in owning the letter, and to confirm it by appearing to encourage his addrefles: This has the defired effect; Mr Strictland is convinced, and cannot help faying that he not only fees, but feels himself ridiculous: But Ranger, who had yet a further view, pretending to prevent Strictland's being impofed upon, tells him in confidence that the proof is infufficient, and that nothing but their immediate marriage ought to fatisfy him. Strictland is fill weak enough to be the dupe of this artifice, relapfes into his doubts, and requires this laft proof to remove them; which Clarinda, after a little hesitation, fuffers herself, as it were, to be compelled to give. Jacinta, upon this, leads in MrsStrictland; her husband embraces her, confeffes his folly, tears the letter to her brother, and the promises never to reproach him under pain of being again" fufpected; but, as a proof both of her prudence and refolution, and that no latent feeds of future uneafinefs might remain, the confefles that there was really a man in her chamber, who left his hat, alledging Ranger to be the perfon, and referring to him for the rest of the ftory. Mr Strictland now relapfes again, and Upon this Mr Strictland cools again, Mr Strictland invites the whole company to his houfe, but Meggot infitts upon their spending the day with him, and calls a dance, with which the play concludes. A THIS Skeleton is a fufficient proof of the fertility of the author's invention; and equal fkill and judgment appear in his having conducted it fo as that the plot unravels itfelf in the action, without the affiftance of tedious narrative fpeeches; and, instead of long dialogues full of quaint repartees, common place wit, forc'd conceits,and dou 139 ble entendres, fome unexpected event The wit here lies more in things than 66 Ranger's reflexion, with which play "of oaths, dice, and the damnn'd tink- and all this for the converfation of a company of fellows I defpife. Their "wit lies only in obfcenity, their mirth "in noife, and their delight in a box cand dice. Honest Ranger, take my "word for it, thou art a mighty filly "fellow. "In which he appears confcious of his own infignificancy, and implicitly approves virtue in fpight of G himself. Bellamy's reproof, when he catches Ranger making love to his milliner's maid How can you, Ranger, for a mi"nute's pleasure, give an innocent girl "the pain of heart I am confident the "felt-There was a modeft blush up66 on her check convinces me fhe was ❝honeft. Ranger's explicit approbation of virtue in another, by his fine compli ment to Bellamy, when he declares, "He is the only man to whom I don't care how much I am obliged." * His reflexion on hearing that facinta, a fortune of 30,000/. has refolved to run away from her guardian to Bellamy. "How the devil (fays_he) could he "work her up to this? I never could "have had the face to have done it. "But-I know not how-there is a de gree of aflurance in you modeft gen"flemen, which we impudent fellows never can come up to.. A fine acknowledgment of the fuperior dignity of mind in men confcious to real merit, and has all its beauty by being put into Ranger's mouth, who feels the want of it." Jacinta's delcription of Bellamy's manner of exprefling his love, which I had pleas'd and won her moit :not the pleasure (fays fhe) of hearing my perlon, wit and beauty painted out with fore'd praifes; but 1 had a more fenfible delight in perceiving 66 "the "the drift of his whole behaviour was I fhall conclude with a few obfervation of my own upon the whole, both as a critic and a moralist. he had fuch a wife as Bellamy's and Frankly's. Now,if it is not natural to fuppofe that the circumftances through which the author conducts him, would produce a A fuppofe they will have that effect on areformation in him, it is not natural to ny one elfe: fince no perfon equally vicious can be fuppofed to have more good qualities; fo that either Ranger fhould be reform'd in the play, or no moral view can be anfwer'd by the character. B First, I think it does not fufficiently appear that Jacinta was reduced to a neceffity of getting away from Mr Strictland's in fo extraordinary a manner as from a window, at midnight, by a rope ladder, and in boys cloaths; for we have no hint, nor is it natural to fuppofe that Mr Strictland lock'd her up day and night, as in a prifon; nor had he thoughts even of removing her into the country till after her attempt to efcape; and yet this is an effential part of the action, and the ground-work of C all the adventures which follow. Jacinta's talking aloud to herfelf, when in her chamber, before fhe difcovers Ranger, is not natural: but this is a fault which has been generally allowed to, and practifed by dramatic writers for the information of the audience, and therefore cannot reasonably be de- D nied to Jacinta for the information of Ranger. The whole piece is admirably adapted to fhew the folly of fufpicion, which feems to be the author's chief defign. We are taught by the affair of the hat, that even where fufpicion is well-grounded it is ufelefs; for the art of a filly E Befides, every fool, who has vanity enough to think himself poffefs'd of Ranger's good qualities, will indulge himself in the fame vices, and expect the fame favourable fentiments from others, which he feels for Ranger. And every rake may ruin an innocent girl, fure, and yet flatter himself with being and even a family, for a moment's pleaa man of honour. Destructive and bru tal as they are, custom and prejudice fcreen these vices from infamy; if it were not for this, all our Rangers would renounce them. It is, therefore, the part of moral, and efpecially dramatic as fhall render all who are guilty of writers, to exhibit them in fuch a light them objects of contempt and deteftatiwho has reprefented them as confiftent on, which is not done by this author, with generofity, honour and humanity. SIR, Office of Ordnance in the Tower, girl obliged Mr Strictland to afk pardon ELECTRICITY, as appears by all experiwhen he was not in fault: and that, where it is ill-grounded, it tends to bring on what it is moft folicitous to prevent, by the encouragement Ranger received, from hearing that Mr Strictland was jealous. Mrs Strictland's conduct throughout contains an admirable pattern for the imitation of fuch ladies who have hufbands of the fame caft with hers. Lafily, I think, the piece is defective both in conduct and moral with respect to Ranger. He is reprefented as a man of generofity, honour, good fenfe and humanity, and yet does not relent on hearing what confufion and diftrefs his follies had occafioned in Mr Strictland's family: And, he appears, after all his experience of the extream folly and emptiness of his perfuits, fo firmly attached to the fame courfe of life, that in the laft fpeech of his play he exprefles his averfion to matrimony, even though 2 ments, is a kind of fluid lambent fire, produced by collecting and giving a vibrative motion, and new direction, to the fluids of ether and air, which being the two catholick agents of nature, whereby the generation,growth, and corruption of all bodies are effected, there is no doubt but the faid general caufes, proFperly applied, will ferve as the only best univerfal means for preferving the health, and curing the difeafes of animals and vegetables fome of the many probable ufes of this won derful power of nature are hereunder fuggefted, but as the truth thereof muft be difcover'd by experiments, the following are propofed to the curious, who have a proper apparatus, genius, and leifure to try them; which, as they open a large field for many new difcoveries in the animal and vegetable creation, and are of general ufe to mankind, that I hope will recommend them to a place in your Magazin'. G I am, SIR, Your conftant Reader, &c. H&c. are daily and frequently electriz'd, wili &c. Electrical Experiments proposed: c. be more perfect than those not electrified? And will not this practice greatly advance all the branches of gardening, as the nursery, green-houfe, &c. 2. Altho' fuch vegetables and trees as are rooted in the earth, can't be made to retain or confine the ethereal fire, yet as it may be de A termin'd fo as to produce ftrong inftantaneous motions and concuffions therein, will not the proper application of fuch shocks, either to the trunk or whole tree, or any of its branches, contribute to its vegetation, &c. 3. Will not the electrifing of malt, hops, gunpowder, &c. at fuch times as the feveral proceffes relating to their culture and manufacture beft admit, contribute much to their B perfection and prefervation, &e? 4. Will not the electrifying all forts of bread corn, feeds, &c, both before fown, and after, greatly promote their vegetation? and alfo pre-. Terve them in granaries from being mufty, &c. 141 longer or shorter time, and as often as required, and with as little trouble as electrizing one only. Which method will, ferve alfo to improve the production, hatching and culture of bees, filk-worms, r. and likewife for electrifying of vegetables in a nursery or greenhoufe, let their number be ever fo great, &c. 9. If the whole external body be well electri fied, at proper times, will not the ethereal fire, by its univerfal vibrations and ftimulating force upon the cutaneous glands, greatly pro mote perfpiration, and be of general ufe in all fevers, fmall pox, confumptions, relax'd folids, plague, &c 10. As any region of the body, either the head, thorax, and abdomen, or limbs, either arms or legs, or any other parts, as the eyes, ears, mouth, nofe, breafts, anus, organs of genération, &c. of any animal may have the current of electrical fire fo determined as to exert its force moft upon any of the faid parts, which may be done either by applying any er lectrified body, as the phial, to the part; or by 5. Whether the fermentation, depuration, prefervation, &c. of all liquors, may not be greatly improved by a proper application of e-electrifying the whole body, and then touching lectricity, as the feveral proceffes will admit ? 6. If all food, hoth folid and liquid, is well impregnated with the ethereal fire, immediately before used, will it not promote the digeftion, circulation, fanguification, fecretions, &c? 7. Will not the frequent electrifing of bedsteads, bedding. wearing apparel, &c. ren der them much wholefomer, and more efpeci- D ally when perfons are fick, or the conftitution of the air bad, either from noxious exhalations, or a peftilential difpofition? And will not the frequent exciting fuch currents of ethereal fire in bed-chambers ferve to purify the air therein, as thunder and lightning do the general atmosphere, and prove of more ufe for that pur pofe than any ventilators, &c? ་༈ 8. If a number of foecundated eggs are fet to hatch, and one half of them being mark'd for diftinction, are every day during incubation often electrified; will they not be fooner hatched, and the animals produced therefrom endow'd with more life, vigour and activity than the other half? And if the fame, or any other animals, whilft young, are daily electrifed, will not their growth, &c. be much accelerated and augmented thereby, more than those not electrified? E N.B. To prevent making fruitless experi ments, it is to be obferv'd, that the beft method to electrify the eggs (the marking them being unneceffary) is to fet any number of fowls and their eggs in warm nefts, one half the usual way, and the other half to be fet in G wide-mouth'd open glafs veffels, or upon cakes of rofin, &c. from which there goes à wire to conduct the electric fire from the mat chine, and communicate it to the latter half of the fowls and their eggs, without disturb ing the fowls, or taking the eggs from under, them, which may have a bad effect, and fruAtrate the operation. And thus if a theufand H fowls or more are fet to hatch, either all, or any number of them may be electrified, either at the fame or different times, and for a (Gent. Mag. MARCH 1747.) the part with a non-electric body, whereby the whole ethereal fire being attracted to, and difcharged at that part, must confequently have a greater effect upon it than the other parts; will not the inftantaneous strong concuffions and fenfations thus produced in any of the faid parts, greatly promote the cure of the diforders incident thereto, by caufing a powerful derivation aud revulfion, and operating as a ftimulating, warm, dry, univerfal vapour-bath, e? 11. Whether by putting a tube into the anus of any animal, the electric vapour mayn't be propagated through the whole compound intestinal canal to the mouth, and contrarywife from the mouth to the anus, and be tranfmitted alfo through the lacteal vellels to the blood, and fo communicated to the whole animal fyftem? And what effects the often repeating this operation will have on the animal functions of digeftion, circulation, perfpiration, fecretions, and in curing the iliac paffion, colic, pally, convulfions, confumptions, apoplexies, hysteric and hypochondriac affections, and other diseases of the head, thorax, and abdomen? And what effects will this ethereal vapour have, if communicated to the womb of animals, either pregnant or not; and likewife to the urinary bladder? 12. If the ftream of ethereal fire is convey'd by a pipe into the lungs of any animal, and communicated to the blood (which tho always neceffarily impregnated both with ether and air) will not this additional quantity of fresh ether, thus at once injected into the blood, produce furprifing alterations therein, and in the whole animal oeconomy? 13. If any animal is inclofed in a large glass veel filled with air, what effects will be produced, fint, by injecting and conderfing the ether alone in different quantities, into the veffel? Secondly, by condenfing the air alone in different quantities? Thirdly, by condending both the ether and air in different quantities? And if another fuch veffel, is filled partly with air and water, and any fish put therein, how т Of will |