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redundant and defective, and the arrangement unfcientific and inconfiftent.

The tranflator has given no remarks or notes on this part of the work; he has only added the English to the Latin names, in the former of which we observe some mifnomers, ex. gr. "Weak Robin' for Wake Robin, Grapes' for Raifins.

Among the Succi, the college have neglected to avail themfelves of being the firft who introduced into a pharmacopœia, the very elegant concrete ftate of the lemon acid, the process for which is given by Scheele; the preparation here inferted is highly difgufting. See Review for laft month, p. 464.

As the Aconitum is inferted in the Materia Medica, it is fomewhat extraordinary to obferve, that its extract, the only form in which it is ufed internally, fhould be omitted. Among the extracts, we fid that of the Peruvian bark directed to be made of the gross powder. If folution is promoted by dividing the fubftance to be diffolved into minute particles, the finest powder ought to be prefcribed; and in no cafe are the aids of folution more required than in preparing the extract of the Peruvian bark.

To our former remarks on the prescription of Oleum Vini (see Rev. for June laft) we shall add, that we think the mode proposed by the college will fcarcely ever be followed; because the quantity of the oil of wine afforded by it is fo fmall, as to make it much more expenfive than it would be by the old method, and we are told, that the quality of it is not equal to that made by the old procefs. In short, the oil of wine, or more properly speaking, the oil of alcohol, is obtained at no expence, except that of a little fire, from the refiduum after the diftillation of ather, which refiduum would be ufelefs but for its yielding Oleum Vini.

The foffil alkali (Natron) is ordered to be prepared from Barilla, which fubftance is known to contain fome vegetable alkali: the foffil alkali therefore of the New Difpenfatory will always be impure; the only method of procuring a perfectly pure foffil alkali is by decompofing fea salt.

The vinum antimonii tartarifati is an unchemical preparation, and can only ferve as a fubftitute for the vinum antimonii immediately preceding it. It is unchemical, because it is intended, that the tartar in the wine fhould prevent the decompofition of the tartar emetic by any earth in the water, or by the water itself; but the wine is inadequate for this purpose, because it contains no tartar in a free ftate, or in a fufficient quantity to produce the effect propofed.

With refpect to Dr. Monro's tranflation, there appears but little cenfurable in it: the addition of a few more notes might have been acceptable, more especially as thofe which be has given are judicious and muft prove ufeful to the unexperienced

pharma

pharmaceutical operator, and in many inftances direct the phyfician in prescribing proper doses of the new compounds.

ART. VIII. Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, continued from

page 206. ANTIQUITIES.

An Account of an Ancient Infcription in the Ogam Character, on the Sepulchral Monument of an Irish Chief, difcovered by Theophilus O'Flanagan, Student of Trin. Coll. Dublin.

R. O'Flanagan, who seems to have paid peculiar attention

MR.

to the legends written on the exploits of the Irish Fenii, met with the following paffage in one of the poems afcribed to Offian. "The fierce and mighty Conan was not in the desperate battle of Gabhra; for in May, the preceding year, the dauntless hero was treacherously flain by the Fenii of Fin, at an affembly met to worship the fun :-his fepulchral monument was raised on the Northweft!-his wailing dirge was fung!-and his name is infcribed in Ogam characters, on a flat ftone on the very black mountain of Callan." To gratify his curiofity, and for the fake of trying his fkill in decyphering the Ogam character, Mr. O'Flanagan went to vifit the monument fo particularly defcribed in the paffage above quoted. After a long fearch he was fortunate enough to find the ftone; as he had not his grammar with him, and having the rules of decyphering but imperfectly in his memory, he was not prepared to collect the entire fenfe of the inscription.

In the Autumn of 1785, at the requeft of the Royal Academy, he again vifited the monument, in company with Mr. Burton. It was with difficulty that they could find it; for the peasants, from motives of fuperftition, had concealed the ftone by covering it with heath. They took an accurate drawing of the ftone, with its infcription, an engraving of which is annexed to the memoir. Mr. O'Flanagan reads it five different ways, viz. ft. Beneath this fepulchral monument is laid Conan the fierce, the nimble footed. 2d. Obfcure not the remains of Conan the fierce, the nimble footed! 3d. Long let him lie at eafe on the brink of this lake, beneath this hieroglyphic, darling of the facred! 4th. Long let him lie at eafe on the brink of this lake, who never faw his faithful clan depreffed! 5th. Hail with reverential forrow the drooping heath around his lamentable tomb."

We fhall not enter into the examination of the Author's criticifm on this Ogam epitaph. The difcovery of the tomb authenticates the manufcript in which it is defcribed; and the proof that one of these legends is founded on facts, is a prefumptive evidence that most of them are hiftorical records.

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The

The Antiquity of the Woollen Manufacture in Ireland proved from a Paffage of an ancient Florentine Poet. By the Earl of Charlemont. P. R. I. A.

In an Italian Poem, intitled Dittamondi, which appears to have been written before the year 1364, is the following paffage: "Similimente passamo en Ilanda

La qual fra noi e degna de fama

Per le nobile SAIE che ci manda."

Thefe lines,' fays his Lordship, appear to me to contain a full proof of a moft extraordinary fact-That Ireland fhould have been already famous for her woollen manufactures fo early as in the middle of the fourteenth century, and fhould at that period have exported them into Italy, where the vent of thefe commodities was even then fully established.' This however is not the only argument which the Noble Author uses to ascertain the fact he wishes to establish. He quotes feveral ftatutes and paffages from Madox's Hiftory of the Exchequer, Anderfon's Commerce, Rymer's Federa, &c. which confirm his affertion.

An Inquiry concerning the Original of the Scots in Britain. By Dr. Barnard, Bishop of Killaloe. M. R. I. A. F. R. S. The difputes of the Irish and Scotch antiquaries concerning the origin of their respective ancestors have been laid before our readers in many parts of our journal *. The Author of the prefent memoir thinks that the opinions of each party may be reconciled, and that a fyftem may be formed, from the materials which the controverfy produced, confiftent both with probability and written authority. He admits that the Irish might have been the children, rather than the parents, of the Caledonians. As to the high antiquity and long duration of the Milefian dynafty in Ireland, he cannot difcover any thing incredible in the account of it. He does not fuppofe that the Milefian invaders extirpated, but only fubdued, the inhabitants whom they found in the island: and he thinks that the fettlement under Carbic Riada, which was effected in the Weft of Scotland about the middle of the fecond century, confifted of the pofterity of ancient Caledonians under a Milefian leader, who returned to their original country with the new appellation of Dalriadans. The learned Author fhews this colony, which is the first migration that the Irifh hiftorians have diftinétly defcribed, to be the Dalrheudini of Bede, who went into Scotland about the year 150. In fupport of this opinion, he quotes Buchanan, John Major, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Fabius Athelwerdus, Gildas, and Fordun; and from a comparison of the ac

*See Rev. vol. xliv. p. 405. xlvi. p. 460. xlviii. p. 469. xlix. P. 193. lx. P..3 and 95.

counts

counts given by thefe authors, however they may differ in fome circumftances, he collects the following facts. That a colony of Scots from Ireland had fettled in Caledonia; that they had given umbrage to the Romans. in Britain, by their hoftilities against the province, in conjunction with the Irish, the Picts, and other nations. That they were attacked by the Romans, defeated, and forced to abandon Britain. That on Maximus's leaving Britain without defence, they took advantage of his abfence, and made fresh attempts to reinftate themselves. That they were again chaftifed by Gratianus Municeps; but on his being affaffinated, they returned in full force, and, with the affiftance of the Irish and Picts, laid waste and occupied the country from fea to fea. And laftly that they eftablished themfelves in Scotland about the year 396.' Thefe facts are confirmed by the Irish chronicles now extant, which the Bishop has, with great labour and ingenuity, fhewn to agree with the accounts of the hiftorians above mentioned.

Account of an Ancient Urn found in the Parish of Kilranelagh, in the County of Wicklow. By Thomas Green, Efq.

The urn defcribed in this memoir was found at the depth of 6 feet below the furface of the earth in an enclosure of eight flat Rones, 6 of which formed the fides and two the top and bottom. The urn, of which a drawing is annexed to the account, was of a conical form, about 14 inches high, 12 inches diameter at the top, and 3 at the bottom: it contained a confiderable quantity of alhes, and calcined human bones.

[To be continued.]

ART. IX. Cuftumale Roffenfe, from the Original Manufcript in the Archives of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester: to which are added, Memorials of that Cathedral Church; and fome Account of the Remains of Churches, Chapels, Chanteries, &c. By John Thorpe, Efq. M. A. F. S. A. Folio. 2 1. 12s. 6d. Boards. Nichols. 1788.

HE Cuftumale Roffenfe is printed from a manufcript written by John de Wefterham, a monk, and prior of Rochefter, about the year 1320. It contains a variety of curious particulars relative to the antient tenures, fervices, rents, villenage, &c. of the manors belonging to that priory. Extracts from it would not be interefting to the generality of our readers.

The volume before us, although entitled Cuftumale Roffenfe, contains, befide that curious record, which occupies only about a fifth part of it, defcriptions of a variety of antiquities in Kent, especially thofe within the diocefe of Rochester.

Mr. Thorpe's abilities, as an antiquary, are fo well known to the public, that any work on the fubject of antiquities, coming

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coming from his hand, cannot fail of being well received by the lovers of that fcience. The general utility of the antiquary's researches may be queftioned by thofe who have not fufficiently attended to them, but they will be found useful in afcertaining biographical knowlege-in explaining old cultoms-in difcovering the fources of obfolete or forgotten lawsand in elucidating fome undetermined or obfcure parts of hiftory.-Independently of the amufement which they afford to curious enquirers, they affift us in making out pedigrees, and defcents of families, and in correcting the omiffions or mistakes in parish registers, which, through inattention, are often deficient. Without fuch objects in view, the ftudy of antiquities is a matter of mere curiofity, and of little benefit to fociety.

Among the antiquities in Kent, none feems more remarkable than Kits Cotty house, a monument which hath engaged the attention of many hiftorians, and hath excited a variety of conjectures concerning it. Mr. Thorpe increases the lift of its defcribers, and concludes it, with much propriety, to be a monument erected over the grave of Catigern, brother to king Vortimer, who was flain in a battle fought near Aylesford between the Britons and Saxons. It is compofed of four ftones, three ftanding upright, and the fourth laid flat on them. Their fize and weight, and the diftance they are from the nearest quarry, would naturally excite an inquiry into the ftate of mechanics at the period when the monument was erected. Captain Grofe was the first antiquary who has given the weight of thefe ftones, the others copying his account. The tone on the fouth fide weighs about eight tons, that on the north eight and a half, on the weft two, and the impoft or tranfverfe, which is near nine feet from the ground, about ten and a half; and the nearest quarry, whence they were probably taken, is fix miles diftant. That the impoft could be laid on the fupporters by human ftrength alone, is totally impoffible; and there must have been no fmall difficulty in bringing them all, except the western one, to the place where they ftand. The fimilarity of this monument to thofe fabrics which compofe Stonehenge, indicates a fuppofition that Stone-henge itself may be a number of fepulchral monuments. This is however a mere conjecture. See more on this fubject, Rev. vol. XLIX. p. 255, 381.

Mr. Thorpe pays much attention to the City of Rochester, its bridge, and other objects worthy of notice. The particulars relative to the cathedral are given by the Rev. Samuel Denne, M. A. and occupy a large part of the volume; but we see no account of the caftle. The fhort biography of the bishops, and the prebendaries, is curious, and, in many inftances, may ferve to explain the hiftory of the times,

Without

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