charming. Such is the prefent rage for building, that streets are daily rifing to the furprife of every body, and I was informed by a principal architect that near 12,000 workmen are now employed for this purpose. The whole city is built upon three vaft ridges, very fteep and difadvantageous, the intermediate vallies being fo deep as to require very large and expenfive bridges to be erected over them, which are the greatest curiofities over dry land in Europe; the north bridge, which connects the old and new town, is finished very handfomely for about £.25,000. Its length is 1134 feet, and breadth 50. It has 5 arches, three of which are 72 feet each, and the other two about 20. They are now carrying on the fame line to the fouth, from High-street to Nicholson's, another equally large and magnificent, on which are raifed very lofty and hand fome houses. There is also another parallel to the north one, entirely formed of earth taken out of the foundation of the new town, begun in 1783, and now brought almost to a level; this was a very furprifing undertaking, and the abundance of earth already buried is beyond conception. What could have induced the original founders of this city, to chufe fo irregular a fituation is unaccountable, when they might have fixed upon fuch excellent ground at Leith, only two miles off, in a charming fea-girt vale, a good harbour and paffage for fhips of burden. The only object that could have directed the former choice must have been the fite of the castle, that they might be more immediately under the protection of this fortified place.'

The motive for this choice is indeed fufficiently evident, confidering the rude time in which it was made; when fecurity from hoftile depredation was of more importance than feagirt vales,' or conveniences for fhips of burthen. Paffing over his brief remarks on the old city, the pictures in Holyrood houfe, the dimenfions of the gallery there, thofe of the new alfembly room, tea-room, and card rooms, we fhall add his character of the inhabitants of this metropolis.

To give a defcription of the manners of the people would be fuper fluous and prefumptuous after fo many able writers. But before I finally take leave of this metropolis, I fhall put down a few ideas that occurred during our tour, and acquaintance with this place. The deportment of the higher class is stiff and referved, and in all their communications felf-intereft feems to be their predominant paffion and rule of action; and though they profefs to keep up their dignity, by holding it neceflary that ftrangers must be properly introduced to their families, particularly their daughters; yet, when once the ice is broke, there may be found more Hoydens amongst them than in other fouthern countries, which must be owing to the native pride of their parents, who, in order to enhance their hereditary rights, give all to their eldeft fon, and leave the youngest children to fport with fortune. This furely is a conduct prejudicial to virtue and prudence. The women are in general handfome till they approach twenty, when much of their beauty vanishes, as they become large and mafculine. Amongst the lower ranks, efpecially in thofe parts where education has fhed little of its influence, the torpid genius of the country fully difplays i:felf. For instance, thould a traveller,

paffing

paffing through fome remote village, wish to be informed of the road to any particular place, and the intermediate diftance, he must wait till another opportunity, for this is too much information to obtain at one time; happy for him if he gets the first question folved to his fatisfaction.'

Though this character of the citizens of Edinburgh, is but fhort, it may probably be deemed too long to be formed during his fojournment there. People of prudence, and the Scots are not esteemed deficient in this quality, do not cordially unfold themselves to mere ftrangers, who are not introduced to them by particular recommendation, whofe real errands they cannot know, and in whom experience may juftify a caution, that the tranfient ftay of a traveller cannot diffipate. Under fuch circumftances, the perfons to whom a ftranger could gain accefs, might have hoydens' in their families, with whom it may be injurious to clafs the well-bred ladies in Edinburgh, whom it is probable he does not know *. Nevertheless, it must be confeffed that in all places of little refort, pride is an epidemical diforder of the mind; a limited intercourfe with mankind, fuffers ill notions to breed, like weeds in a neglected spot, and allows us to form ridiculous eftimates of perfonal advantages or qualities; for which malady a more extenfive communication with the world is the best cure. That pride thrives in, and choaks up, narrow minds, is evident from its being moft rank in the moft retired fituations, and from men who are most conversant with their fellow creatures having generally the leaft of it. Grafs will not grow in a frequented path; and pride is too often trod on, to thrive in large commercial cities.

The hafte and brevity of the Author before us, has perhaps unwarily made us prolix in remarking his deficiencies; he travelled for private pleasure, and reaped it, but has not imparted enough of it for the public to participate with him. One obfervation, however, in his preface is too well founded to be overlooked:

Among the many reflections that must rife in the minds of those who attend to the prefent ftate of Great Britain, there is one which cannot fail to excite regret. The character of the ancient nobleman, living in fplendour and hofpitality among his country vaffals and his neighbours, nay even that of the country gentleman, is almoft extinguished. To fee fo many noble manfions adorned with painting and with fculpture, and placed amidst fuch glorious fcenery; endeared too to the owners by the recollection of their having been the abode of their ancestors: to fee fuch places as these deferted; to fee one poor folitary figure, who ferves to make the

* Does not our Author recollect the refentment a late traveller drew on himself in Ireland, and the expedient which the Irish are faid to have used to express it?

folitarinefs of the houfe more apparent, open those doors, and difplay thofe rooms, which are calculated for all the purposes of country enjoyment; for difpenfing the fociety of their poffeffors among ft thofe by whom it will be moft valued, and their wealth amongst thofe by the fweat of whofe brow it is obtained: to know that they are inhabited but a month or two in the year, if at all; to recollect that they are relinquished for the unfpacious abodes of London, or the clofe apartments of thofe public places, which are now made fummer retreats, amid the fmoke of trade, or the effluvia of ficknefs: to fee, to know, and perceive the effects of these things muft give much pain, much melancholy to thofe who feel, and who think.'

This is indeed a melancholy evidence of that general turn for diffipation that has infected all ranks of the people; and which, too probably, will foon debafe our national character, and depreciate our national confequence! But what care the frivolous crowd? The few who feel, and who think,' are too few to check their career, and their remonftrances are converted to sport.

ART. XVIII. The Families of Plants, with their natural Characters, according to the Number, Figure, Situation, and Proportion of all the Parts of Fructification. Tranflated from the laft Edition (as published by Dr. Reichard) of the Genera Plantarum, and of the Mantife Plantarum of the Elder Linneus; and from the Supplementum Plantarum of the Younger Linneus, with all the new Families of Plants, from Thunberg and L'Heritier. To which is prefixed an accented Catalogue of the Names of Plants, with the Adjectives applied to them, and other Botanic Terms, for the Purpose of teaching their right Pronunciation. By a Botanical Society at Lichfield. Svo. 2 Vols. 16s. Boards. Johnfon. 1787.

TH

HE title-page fufficiently expreffcs the contents of the fe volumes. But there is one advantage to be derived from this tranflation, even to profeffed botanifts, viz. through the information of Mr. DRYANDER, many errors, which had obtained in former publications, are pointed out and corrected. It may be proper to add, that the tranflators have given a very ingenious preface, explanatory of the principles on which they have conducted their work.

To thofe who joined in applauding the former publication (the Syftema Vegetabilium) by the Licnneid Society, this werk must come p:cularly acceptable; and to thofe who know nothing of that work, we muft recommend this, as an excellent and very neceflary afiftant to the ftudy of Englith botany for it is as capable of conveying an adequate idea to the English ftudent, as Linné's Latin is to the fcholar.

For not only the exact punctuation is obferved in the printing, with all the capital and Italic letters (which are nicely attended to in

4

the

the original, for the purpose of falling readily under the eye of the botanist, who is studying a recent plant), but the very arrangement of the words of Linneus, the method he fo much valued, are all exactly copied in the tranflation, and hence the concifenefs, the perfpicuity, and the spirit of our Author live, we hope, undiminished by the change of language.' Pref. p. 4.

Having in our Review of their former work given a fpecimen of the ftyle which the Lichfield Society have adopted in their tranflation, it will be needlefs to repeat it here. Suffice it to fay, that the fame uniformity of botanical language, and con cifenefs of expreffion, is preferved in this work.

The Reader will recollect that in our above-mentioned ac.count, we had occafion to animadvert on the accented catalogue. We have the pleasure of announcing that our objections to feveral words have been attended to, and that this part of the work merits the attention of all ranks of botanifs. The Society feem to have taken great pains in conftructing this accented catalogue, and to have judged wifely in recurring, in conformity with their former plan, to the opinions of the learned.

It remains only that we here return our beft thanks for their kind affiftance in the accentuation of the following catalogue of botanic words, to the REV. WILLIAM PICKERING of Mackworth near Derby; to the REV. DR. GOOD ENOUGH of Ealing in Middlefex; and to JOHN SNEYD, Efq. of Belmont in Staffordshire. And for many valuable communications, to the REV. T. MARTYN, Profeffor of Botany, at Cambridge; to DR. BLAGDEN, fecretary to the Royal Society; to JON. DRYANDER, Efq. and many others of the learned and ingenious.' Preface, p. 20.

There are two particulars in the Tranflators' preface which deferve fome notice, viz. what they have advanced refpe&ting the ufe of English Generic names, and the mode of accentua tion which they have adopted.

As to the first, we cannot but approve of the principle on which the Society have guided themselves in the adoption of English Generic names, viz. that of introducing an univerfal botanic language. Influenced by this idea, the Society have introduced them very sparingly, and then only when real propriety countenanced the introduction of them. Certainly it were to be wished, that the Linnéan names were in familiar use. However, as it may be confidered, that the English ftudent, while he has an English trivial name, may wish for an English Generic one, and in a work of this kind has fome right to be indulged, we think that the Society go out of their way in falling fo foully on Dr. Withering for his general ufe of them in his

* See Review, vol. lxxii. p. 401. and lxxiii. p. 1.

Nn 4

Botanical

Botanical Arrangements*. The Doctor certainly has the argue ment from uniformity on his fide, and we should be inclined to take up the cudgels for a moment in his behalf, were he not fo unmerciful himself, on the alleged defect of brother authors. Since, therefore, he fhews fuch a fpirit of sparring, and seems so capable, we shall leave him to fight his own battles.

As to the mode of accentuation, we see no reason (notwithftanding our idea is styled conjectural or capricious') to alter the opinion which we formerly gave on the neceffity of fome difcriminating marks for the open and clofed fyllables. By the fe marks only can the true accent be expreffed, and the very words produced by the Society acris and acrid, ara-bica and arabica, prove our affertion. How fall the unlearned be able to give the proper accent, unless they be pointed in a proper manner? We fear that thofe who most want to have their pronunciation regu lated, will fill labour under great difficulties. In our English Dictionaries much difficulty is experienced, owing to the adop tion of only one mark of accent. What is more common than to hear ignorant people lay the stress, τny Evipyɛiav, upon the right fyllable, but give the wrong tone, Tas pavns TάσIV.

The difpute is not whether we restore the pronunciation of the ancients; that we know is irrecoverably loft,-but the point is, how to fecure the prefent beft mode of claffical pronunciation. As to the idea of the Geek accent teaching the quantity of pronunciation, that certainly is altogether conjectural or capricious,' and has been long fince exploded by the learned Fofter, in his Treatife on the Greek accent. The accent is there fhewn to be a mere mufical note.

We cannot but with that the Society had attempted fomething of the kind, as we are well perfuaded that whenever the attempt is made, the advantage must be at once felt by all.

Some few errors are ftill obfervable in the accented part, but as they bear the appearance of typographical rather than literary errors, it would feem faftidious in us to dwell on them.

* In the short account of this work, in our laft Numb. p. 461, a material part of the title was inadvertently omitted: after by W. Withering, M. D.' add, including a new set of references to figures. By Jonathan Stokes, M. D. Phyfician at Kidderminster, &c.'

The first paragraph likewife of the article fhould run thus; we fuppofe that very confiderable additions will be made to the class of Cryptogamia, the introduction to botany, the glosary of terms, &c. theje articles being all that remain to make up the promised third volume.

MONTHLY