I Extracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. COMMITTEE FOR PLUNDERED MINISTERS. N the books of the committee for plundered ministers, under the date of the 8th of July 1645, is the following entry. "Whereas the rectory of the parish of Little Gransden, in the county of Cambridge, being void by death, and as the committee were informed, was in the gift of the Bishop of Ely, it was accordingly sequestered by the committee to the use of Thomas Perry, a godly and orthodox divine; and whereas John Tolley, master of arts, hath since pretended some right to the said church, by some other title, which said John Tolley hath been since, upon articles exhibited against him, and examinations therein taken on both sides discovered to be a very strict practiser of the late illegal innovations, of bowing at the name of Jesus to the altar and to the cast, and to have furnished one of his chambers at Peter House college, in Cambridge, where he was sometime fellow and president, with divers popish ornaments, and in particular with a crucifix and an altar at the east end thereof, with an ovell upon the walls over it, with stripes of gold round about it, representing a glory and a cross within it, and other superstitious trimining, and to have assisted in the conveying away of the College and University plate to the king, for which his fellowship had been seques tered from him; it is ordered that the said rectory and the profits thereof shall continue sequestered to the use of the said Thomas Perry, and that the said John Tolley be not permitted to officiate the cure of the said church, but that the said Thomas Perry shall continue to officiate in the same, and enjoy the profits of the said rectory, until further order shall be made. confinement, which lasted a long time, and deprived of all his preferments. DR. EDMUND LYON COOKE. In Dr. Cooke's will, dated June 1609, is the following singular bequest to the master and fellows of Jesus College, which perhaps some of the fellows of that learned society may be able to explain. "Item, I give to the master and fellows of Jesus College my redde cocke, most humbly thanking them for all their goodness towards me and mine, and most heartily beseeching them as well to forgive in whatsoever I have offended, and to vouchafe their acceptance of this poor remembrance from their most undutiful and unthankful servant." ABBOT WALTER MOUNTAGUE. Abbot Mountague, son of Edward the first Earl of Manchester was born in London, and educated in Sidney College, after leaving which, he travelled so far as to unsettle his mind in religious matters. Upon being sent into France on public affairs, he bade farewell to his religion and his country, having settled himself in a monastery in France, where he wrote his "Justificatory Letter." which was answered by the celebrated Lucius Cary Lord Falkland. He was in great favour with the queen mother, Henrietta Maria, she having made him abbot of Nanteuil, and afterwards of Pontois. He survived his patroness but a short time. ANTHONY TACKNEY. This diligent and conscientious tutor was a fellow and afterwards master of Emanuel College, and also regius professor. In 1653, he succeeded Dr. Arrowsmith in the mastership of St. John's. In 1661, King Charles II. out of his princely care and regard for him, commanded him DR. BEALE, MASTER OF ST. JOHN'S. to surrender his mastership, professorship Cambridge felt the full force of Crom- and rectory of Summersham in favour of well's severity, not only in its corporate one Gunning, and the inflexible Earl of capacity, but in the manner in which the Manchester accompanied the mandate principal members were treated who re- with a billet, expressing his inclination to mained steady to Charles. Dr. Beale improve his interest for his advantage, was exceedingly zealous in the king's ser- and desiring him to cede both his places vice, particularly in conveying the Uni- on the receipt of his letter. To contend versity plate to the king, which could be was vain, and the poor old man with his scarcely justified even by the imperious family, was driven into indigence and ob necessities of his lawful monarch. This scurity, from which he was only extriconduct, however, rendered him so ob-cated by a liberal pension of 100l. per annoxious to Cromwell, that, together with Dr. Sterne, master of Jesus, and Dr. Martin, of Queen's, he was seized by a party of the usurper's soldiers, carried to Londor, and thrown into prison. He was very barbarously treated during his num voluntarily paid by his successor. He died in 1669 at the age of 71. DISPUTES BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE MAYOR OF CAMBRIDGE. Frequent disputes seem to have prevailed in former periods between the University University and the corporation of Cambridge, relative to the jurisdiction of the former. In the year 1534, an instance is recorded, which seems to have had a very amicable termination. Mr. Slegge, the then mayor, maintained that he owed no obedience to the vice-chancellor, as vice-chancellor, but as speaking in the king's name; and he drew up articles of accusation against the University for pretending that they were entitled to more. On the Friday before Michaelmas day, the vice-chancellor sent the mayor word to meet him at St. Mary's, to hear an answer to his libell, when he answered each article distinctly: after which, says the Chronicle," they departed to the Pump tavern, the University paying for it. The mayor elect asked the vicechancellor to dinner on Michaelmas day. On Michaelmas day, between nine and ten, the mayor, with his company, went to their hall in their best arraye, and a quarter before eleven the mayor sent two baylyff's to the vice-chancellor, to desire him to come to the hall. The vice-chancellor, with the doctors in their red robes, with the proctors, and between sixty and eighty students, met at St. Maryes, whither the mayor came, and, after much conversation, submitted to take the oaths, as he was wont, save that he required it first to be read in Latin, and then in English, and the bailyffs were sworn, and paid the proctors 3s. and 4d. After this, the vice-chancellor, doctors, mayor, &c. separated to St. Mary's until the cloth was laid for dinner." FRENCH FLATTERY. We must not suppose that the French were at any time deficient in that style of excessive adulation in their addresses to their sovereigns, of which we now daily see so many specimens, or that it took its rise in favour of their present idol. To say nothing of the flattery with which Louis the Fourteenth was continually fed, we subjoin a curious harangue addressed to Louis the Fifteenth, after his campaign of 1745. "The conquests of your majesty are so rapid, that we think it absolutely necessary that future Historians should be cautious in their relation, lest posterity should consider them as fables, unworthy of belief. Yet they must be told as an undoubted fact that your majesty, when at the head of your army, wrote yourself an account of your exploits, having no other table but a drum. The most distant ages must learn that the English, those fierce and audacious enemies, jealous of your majesty's fane, were com pelled to yield to your prowess the palace of glory. Their allies were only so many witnesses of their shame, and hastened to join their standards only to become the spectators of your majesty's triumph. We venture to tell your majesty, that whatever may be the love you bear your subjects, there is still one way to add to our felicity, by curbing the high courage which you possess, and which would cost us too many tears, if it exposed to the cer tain danger of war your majesty's precious life or that of the young hero, the object of our fondest hopes!" Such an address to princes so little warlike as that of Louis the Fifteenth and his son, was the height of falsehood and absurdity. The military exploits of Napoleon may perhaps justify the lan guage of flattery, whatever we may think of the rest of his character. SENSIBILITY. Dominique de Vic, governor of Amiens, of Calais and vice-admiral of France, always made particular enquiry in whatchants and artificers of reputable charac ever place he commanded, for the merter, and on being informed who they sit them in the most friendly manner, were and where they lived, he would viand request them to dine with him. Of this amiable man, history relates these two affecting anecdotes. In the year 1586, he lost the calf of his right leg by a gun-shot, and though the part was well cured, yet he could not attempt to ride on horseback, without experiencing the most excruciating of which, he retired to Guyenne. He pain in his wounded leg, in consequence had lived there about three years, when he was informed of the death of Henry the Third, and the embarrassments of Henry the Fourth, and the great need in which he stood of all his good servants. He directly had his leg cut off, sold part of his estates, entered into the king's ser vice once more, and rendered him the most signal service at the battle of Ivri. Two days after this great prince was assassinated, De Vic going through the Rue de la Ferronerie, and seeing the spot on which this horrid murder was committed, he fell senseless to the ground, and died next morning. SINGULAR VENGEANCE. The following singular historical fact is related by Don Vincent Baçallar y Sanna Marquis of San-Felipe, in his history of Spain, during the reign of Philip the Fifth. The Portuguese having declared in favour of the Arch-duke Charles of Austria, Austria, and having encamped themselves in the environs of Madrid, the courtezans of the city resolved to signalize their zeal for the cause of Philip. Those who were most notoriously afflicted with a certain disorder, were accustomed to perfume themselves and regularly visit every night the camp of the Portuguese; the consequence was that in less than three weeks, more than six thousand of the enciny were consigned to the hospitals, where the greater number of them died. M. de Saintfoix, in his Essais Histo riques sur Paris, tom. 3, p. 235, remarks, that this curious event was once the subject of a debate at which he was present. The question to be decided was, Wirether these women, by thus prostituting themselves to the Portuguese, were guilty of sin; or whether the intention did not justify the deed? Those who maintained that there was no guilt in the act, argued, that as it is permitted to slaughter the enemy, burn his cities, ravage his country, and annoy him by every possible mode : à foriori, it is lawful to give him the PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. REPORT of the TRANSACTIONS of the MA- STITUTE. IN HE class is acquainted with how. and in the contrary case recede from, each other. M. Laplace, we are informed, explains in detail the circumstances which give birth to all these phenomena, the limits which separate them, and the point where success M. bus sub- repulsion an at jected to analysis the phenomena of capillary tubes; a subject the elucidation of which many distinguished philosophers and geometricians had attempted in vain. This analysis furnished him with an explanation of these singular phenomena. It was long ago remarked, that two bodies swimming on a fluid, which rises or sinks around them, approach each other, and unite by an accelerated motion; but they are more frequently repelled, if the fluid, which rises around the one, sinks about the other, and in this case, if we suitably diminish the distance, attraction may be observed to succeed to repulsion. These surprising phenomena long since attracted the attention of philosophers. Amontons, a hundred years ago, had endeavoured to explain them; but M. Monge, in the Memoir of the Academy of Sciences, for 1787, has demonstrated the insufficiency, and even the inaccuracy of the principles of that philosopher. This memoir contains many philosophical observations and interesting experiments. Lastly, M. Laplace has subinitted all these effects to the same analysis, from which he had deduced the phenomena of capillary attraction. He proves that, if two parallel planes have their inferior parts dipped into a fluid, their internal and external surfaces support a pressure, of which he gives the analytical expression. We may conceive that, if the cxternal be superior to the internal pressure, the two planes must approach, MONTHLY MAG. No. 167. traction, and combines the whole in two general theorems, or algebraical formulæ, wherein we readily perceive the whole of his doctrine, of which all that precedes is only the translation into common language. The memoir concludes with an experiment, made with much care, by M. Hauy. A square sheet of laminated tale was suspended by a very loose thread, so that its lower part was immersed in water. In this state, when he plunged into the same fluid, and at a little distance, the inferior part of a parallelopiped of ivory, in a vertical situation, and parallel to the square of talc, a sensible repulsion was immediately obser vable; but, on diminishing this distance, the repulsion ceased by degrees, and gave place to an attraction which, by an accelerated motion, carried the talc toward the parallelopiped, and brought it speedily into contact with it. This experiment, several times repeated with different modifications, constantly gave the result indicated by the theory. In another memoir, continues the reporter, M. Laplace has proposed to subject to the same analysis the phenomena of the adhesion of bodies to the surface of fluids. When we apply a disc of glass on the surface of water at rest in a vessel of great extent, we experience, in detaching it, a resistance, so much more considerable, as the surface of the disc is greater. On elevating the disk, we raise up, at the same time, above above the fluid contained in the vessel, a column of this fluid. If we continue to elevate the disc, the column is lengthened; but, a period arrives, when its weight becoming superior to the adhesion, it is detached, and falls down. The weight of this column, when it is about to fall, indicates the proportion of the resistance to be overcome, in order to detach the disc, the analytical expression of which is given by M. Laplace. When the fluid is of a nature to sink instead of rising in the capillary tube, the column supported assumes the form of a kind of truncated cone; in this case, the analytical expression changes and includes an additional element, that is, the angle, which the surface of the cone forms with the disc of the glass. The first formula, compared with the experiments of Messrs. Hauy and Achard, gives nearly the weight of the observed column. The second has not yet been compared, because it includes an angle, which observers have hitherto neglected to consider; and of which it was equally diflicult to foresee the importance, and to ascertain the proportion. If we place horizontally, one over the other, two discs of glass, leaving between them a very thin stratum of water, the two discs adhere together with a considerable force. M. Laplace gives on this occasion a formula, by which he finds the force of adherence somewhat less than two-thirds of that which M. Guyton had found by experiments. This difference doubtless depends on the very nice valuation of the interval which separates the disks, or perhaps the inequalities of their surfaces, which it is difficult to render perfectly smooth. The same theory indicates a correction in the well known hydrostatical principle discovered by Archimedes, respect ing the diminution of weight which a body experiences when dipt into a liquid. This diminution cannot be estimated merely by the weight of a volume of fluid equal to the part of the body situated above the level. We must likewise add to it the weight of the fluid removed by the capillary action, if the body is not of a nature to become moist; but if, on the contrary, it become moistened, we must subtract from it the weight of the volume raised up by the capillary action. M. Monge, in the Memoirs already cited, had considered the first part of this theorem as a thing perfectly evident. M. Laplace enters here into a rigorous demonstration of its truth, subjoining this reflection, that what relates to the capillary action wholly disappears, when a body is completely immersed in a fluid beneath its level. To complete the explanation of ca pillary effects, M. Laplace considers, lastly, the curious phenomena which equal and very thin cylinders of steel exhibit when they swim on the surface of a fluid. In whatever manner we bring them into contact, they are not slow, after several oscillations, to unite throughout their length, as if they formed only one plate. These oscillations, being determined by analysis, it might be wished, that they should be observed with great accuracy, in order to compare them with their analytical expression. These comparisons, observes the author, are the touchstone of the theories; but in order that the proof may be reckoned complete, it is not sufficient, that the formulæ vaguely indicate the effects, which proceed from given circumstances; it is moreover necessary, that they determine their exact quantities. M. Laplace is about, we are informed by M. Delambre, to publish an interesting addition to this theory. M. Roswag, of Strasburg, presented in 1784, to the Board of Commerce a kind of gauze made of iron wire, for which he received a premium, and the loom, which he had invented for its fabrication, was deposited in the cabinet of machines, at Vaucanson. In imitation of this fabric, M. Rochon produced others in 1799, which he varnished with a transparent glue, in order to substitute them for horn in the lanterns a-board ships of war. He is also of opinion, that this species of gauze covered with a thin coating of plaster might protect ships and buildings ashore from fire, or at least serve to render such a calamity less frequent, and less destructive. These fabrics might in short prove extremely useful for theatrical decorations, which are so liable to take fire; the only inconveniency attending their adoption, for such purposes, would be their want of flexibility; but M. Rochon, we learn from the present report, does not despair of discovering, by the aid of chemistry, a remedy for this imperfection; and it was chiefly with the view of obtaining the assistance of his learned associates, associates, and calling the attention of chemists and naturalists to this subject, that he was induced to read the memoir, of which M. Delambre has given the account. An eclipse of the sun is a phenomenon equally useful in order to verify astronomical tables, and to determine geographical longitudes; it is one besides which of all others attracts most the attention of observers. M. Lalande, in conformity to a practice he had followed, for more than fifty years, calculated all the observations he could collect, respecting that of 1806. The intervention of clouds concealed it from the view of the astronomers of Paris, but it was observed in several parts of France, Germany, Holland, and Italy. It was in America, however, where it must have been most interesting, since it was total at Boston and Albany. At Kinderhook, near this last city, M. Ferrers observed it with very excellent instruments. According to him, the conjunction took place at 11h. 45′ 38". M. Lalande found exactly the same, and as it was known by other observations, that it happened at Paris, at 4h. 30' 6", the difference of longitude is therefore 7b. 15' 27". The same eclipse was also observed at Albany, but at the instant of returning light the observer happened not to have his eye applied to the glass; and though this phenomenon appears to be of a nature to be equally well observed by the naked eyes, it yet should seem, that he had been some seconds too late. A curious remark of M. Ferrers is, that the disc of the moon appeared enlightened a few seconds before the end of the total eclipse, which he considers as an effect of the moon's atmosphere. The obscurity was not so great as might have been supposed; he saw only six principal stars or planets. A luminous ring from 45 to 50, which surrounded the sun, in some degree lessened the darkness. from the common motion of rotation, which is generally admitted, supposed that it might possess a motion of translation. This, which he threw out as a mere conjecture, Dr. Herschel has undertaken to prove by observations; he appears even to be confident that he could determine the point of the heavens, towards which the sun advances with all his planetary train. M. Prevot, a member of the academy of Petersburgh had drawn the same conclusion; but M. de Sejour, having treated the question analytically, was of opinion, that it cannot be resolved when considered in all its extent, which has led Dr. Herschel again to resume the subject in the Philosophical Transactions for 1805. If the motions that are remarked in several stars are only apparent, and produced by the movement of the sun itself, which approaches some while it recedes from those on the opposite side of the heavens, all these apparent motions would be parallel between themselves, and to the motion of the sun. These motions are very slow, and so far as they have been hitherto observed form only small arcs; but if we prolong them in idea, they must form large circles, which will intersect each other at the same point of the heavens, and this point must be that, towards which all the planetary system tends. The well known motions of two stars are sufficient to determine this point, if the observations be accurate, and the principles just. Two other stars would lead to the same conclusion as the first, and the same consequence will be confirmed by all the other stars that can be observed in pairs. Dr Herschel undertook to observe in this way the most brilliant stars in the Catalogue of Maskelyne. The results of these labours are not, however, sufficiently decisive to establish the motion of the sun, and the immobility of the stars; it should rather seem, that they have each a distinct motion, and without admitting this supposition, M. Sejour is of opinion, that the problem cannot be solved. Notwithstanding this deci sion, M. Burckhardt has submitted it anew to the strictest analysis. formulæ are more commodious, and more susceptible of application than those of M. de Sejour, and much less complex than the trigonometrical calculation of Dr. Herschel. He has, with great propriety, rejected the distances of the stars which appear, and are really one of the elements of that calculation, His and |