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Curious obfervations on ELECTRICITY; but in the Sirocc wind at Naples, languid, and our fenfibility lefs ac

with new experiments.

From Brydone's Tour through Sicily, &c. ELECTRICITY will probably foon be confidered as the great vivifying principle of Nature, by which the carries on moft of her operations. It is a fifth element, perfectly diftinct, and of a fupe rior nature to the other four, which only compose the corporeal parts of matter: but this fubtile and active fluid is a kind of foul, that pervades and quickens every particle of it. When an equal quantity of this is diffufed through the air, and over the face of the earth, every thing continues calm and quiet; but if by any accident one part of matter has acquired a greater quantity than another, the moft dreadful confequences often enfue before the equilibrium can be reftored.- Nature feems to fall into convulfions, and many of her works are deftroy ed: all the great phænomena are produced; thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and whirlwinds: for, I believe, there is little doubt that all thefe often depend on this fole caufe. And again, if we look down from the fublime of Nature to its minutiæ, we shall ftill find the fame power acting; though perhaps in lefs le gible characters; for as the knowledge of its operations is as yet in its infancy, they are generally mifunderftood, or a fcribed to fome other caufe. However, I have no doubt that in procefs of time these will be properly inveftigated; when mankind will wonder how much they have been in the dark. It will then poffibly be found, that what we call fenfibility of nerves, and many of thofe difeafes that the faculty have as yet only invented names for, are owing to the body's being poffeffed of too large or too fmall a quantity of this fubtile and active fluid; that very fluid, perhaps, that is the vehicle of all our feelings; and which they have fo long searched for in vain in the nerves. For I have fometimes been led to think, that this fenfe was nothing elfe than a flighter kind of electric effect, to which the nerves ferve as conductors; and that it is by the rapid circulation of this penetrating and animating fire that our fenfations are performed. We all know, that in damp and hazy weather, when it seems to be blunted and abforb ed by the humidity; when its activity is loft, and little or none of it can be collected; we ever find our fpirits more

the air seems totally deprived of it, whole fyftem is unftrung, and the n feem to lose both their tenfion and e city, till the north and weft wind kens the activity of this animating po which foon restores the tone, and vens all nature, which feemed to d and languish during its abfence.

It is likewife well known, that t have been.inftances of the human becoming electric without the media of any electric fubftance, and even e ting fparks of fire with a difagreeable fation, and an extreme degree of ner fenfibility.

About feven or eight years ago, dy in Switzerland was affected in manner, but I was not able to lear the particulars of her cafe; howeve veral Swiss gentlemen have confirme me the truth of the story. She was commonly fufceptible of every chang weather, and had her electrical feel ftrongeft in a clear day, or during paffage of thunder-clouds, when the is known to be replete with that f Her difeafe, like all others which doctors can make nothing of, was d ded to be a nervous one; for the real nification of thefe words I take to be ly, that the phyfician does not underf what it is.

Two gentlemen of Geneva had a f experience of the fame fort of compla though still in a much fuperior degre Profeffor Sauffure and young Mr J bert, when travelling over one of the Alps, were caught amongst thun clouds; and, to their utmost afton ment, found their bodies so full of e trical fire, that fpontaneous flashes d ed from their fingers with a crack noife, and the fame kind of fenfatio when strongly electrified by art. -1 was communicated by Mr Jalaber the Academy of Sciences at Paris think, in the year 1763; and you find it recorded in their Memoirs.

It seems pretty evident, I think, t these feelings were owing to the bo being poffeffed of too great a fhare o lectric fire. This is a very uncomm cafe; but I do not think it at all imp bable, that many of our invalids, pa cularly the hypochondriac people, thofe we call Malades Imaginaires, their disagreeable feelings to the oppo caufe, or the bodies being poffeffed of

fmall a quantity of this fire; for we find that a diminution of it in the air feldom fails to increase these feelings, and vice verfa.

Perhaps it might be of service to these people to wear fome electric fubftance ext their skin, to defend the nerves and fres from the damp or non-electric air. I would propofe a waistcoat of the fineft flannel; which fhould be kept perfectly clean and dry; for the effluvia of the body, in cafe of any violent perfpiration, will foon deftroy its electric quality. This fhould be immediately covered by anoyther, of the fame fize, of filk; but without being fewed together. The animal beat, and the friction that exercise muft occafion betwixt these two fubftances, produce a powerful electricity; and would form a kind of electric atmosphere around the body, that might poffibly be one of the beft prefervatives against the effect of damps.

As for our Swifs lady, I have little doubt that her complaints were owing in great part, perhaps entirely, to her drefs; and that a very fmall alteration, almoft in any part of it, would have effectually cured her. A lady who has her head furrounded with a wire cap, and her hair fuck full of metal pins, and who at the fame time ftands upon dry filk, is to all intents and purpofes an electrical conductor infolated, and prepared for collect ing the fire from the atmosphere: and it is not at all furprising, that during thunder-ftorms, or when the air is extremely replete with electrical matter, the should emit sparks, and exhibit other appearantes of electricity. I imagine a very trifing change of drefs, which from the confant verfatility of their modes may fome day take place, would render this lady's dikafe altogether epidemical among the fex.-Only let the foles of their fhoes be made of an electric substance, and let the wires of their caps and pins of their hair be fomewhat lengthened, and pointed outwards and I think there is little doubt that they will often find themselves in an dectrified ftate.-But, indeed, if they onwear filk or even worsted ftockings, may fometimes prove fufficient; for I have often infolated electrometers as perfectly by placing them on a piece of dry filk or flannel, as on glass.

How little do our ladies imagine, when they furround their heads with wire, the moft powerful of all conductors, and at the fame time wear stockings, fhoes, and

gowns of filk, one of the most powerful repellents, that they prepare their bodies in the fame manner, and according to the fame principles, as electricians prepare their conductors for attracting the fire of lightning. If they cannot be brought to relinquish their wire-caps and their pins, might they not fall upon fome fuch prefervative as thofe which of late years have been applied to objects of much lefs confequence?

Suppofe that every lady should provide herfelf with a fmall chain or wire, to be hooked on at pleasure during thunderftorms. This should pafs from her cap over the thickeft part of her hair, which will prevent the fire from being communicated to her head; and fo down to the ground. It is plain that this will act in the fame manner as the conductors on the tops of fteeples, which, from the metal fpires that are commonly placed there, analogous to the pins and wires, were fo liable to accidents. You may laugh at all this; but I assure you I never was more ferious in my life. A very amiable lady of my acquaintance, Mrs Douglas of Kelfo, had almost lost her life by one of thofe caps mounted on wire. She was ftanding at an open window during a thunder-ftorm: the lightning was attracted by the wire, and the cap was burnt to afhes; happily her hair was in its natural ftate, without powder, pomatum, or pins, and prevented the fire from being conducted to her head; for as the felt no kind of shock, it is probable that it went off from the wires of the cap to the wall, close to which she then flood. If it had found any conductor to carry it to her head or body, in all probability the must have been killed. A good strong head of hair, if it is kept perfectly clean and dry, is probably one of the best prefervatives against the fire of lightning. But fo foon as it is ftuffed full of powder and pomatum, and bound together with pins, its repellent force is loft, and it becomes a conductor *. But I beg pardon

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for thefe furmifes: I throw them in your way only for you to improve upon at your leifure; for we have it ever in our power to be making experiments in electricity. And although this fluid is the moft fubtile and active of any that we know, we can command it on all occafions; and I am now fo accuftomed to its operations, that I feldom comb my hair, or pull off a stocking, without observing them under fome form or other. How furprising is it, then, that mankind fhould have lived and breathed in it for fo many thousand years, without almoft ever fuppofing that it existed!

ny have been feduced to aid in deftroying the common freedom, while they imagined they were extending and con. firming it. Whether a faction among us. have endeavoured to acquire power by the fame arts, though at the expence of the peace and fafety of the nation, may cafily be determined by every man who has attended to their conduct.

I shall not infift on their having incited the Americans to rebel, by avowing their caufe, and declaring that it would be madness and cowardice in them not to refift; on their defeating every attempt of government to conciliate the affections The ALARM: The conduct and views of vil at the terms propofed, and ftyling of the colonies, by teaching them to caOppofition delineated.

By the Dean of Gloucefter.] THE promoters of fedition in a free ftate have many advantages. The love of liberty predisposes us in favour of those who pretend to be its advocates. The mafk of patriotifm is easily affumed, and the language of complaint and cenfure readily learned.

The herald of faction will confider all accidental evils as projected. He imputes the natural and neceffary imperfections of a government to the negligence of its rulers. He diminishes fuccefs, and aggravates misfortune. He induftriously fearches for defects and a bufes, that he may embarrass the ftate by clamouring for their reformation, at a time when public danger demands the heart and hand of every subject for the common defence.

These are the hackneyed arts of faction in every country, by which too maelectrical apparatus. To this end he defired a young lady to ftand on a cake of bees wax, and to comb her fifter's hair, who was fitting on a chair before her. Soon after the began to comb, the young lady on the wax was greatly aftonished to find her whole body electrified, darting out fparks of fire a gainst every object that approached her. The hair was extremely electrical, and affected an electrometer at a very great diftance. He charged a metal conductor from it with great ease: and in the space of a few minutes collected as much fire immediately from the hair as to kindle common fpirits; and by means of a small phial gave many fmart fhocks to all the company. A full ac count of thefe experiments was lately read before the Royal Society. They were made during the time of a very hard frost, and on a ftrong head of hair, where no powder or pomatum had been used for many months,

them "infidious and treacherous." I will not urge their inconfiftency in pledging themfelves that they would refift the independency of America, and confefling that it would be the duty of every good fubject to withstand it, and yet uniformly continuing their oppofition to all measures for destroying and preventing their independency. These are deeds which, from long habit, they have learned to hear of without a blufh, and to practise without remorfe. Let us therefore come to tranfactions more recent. With what tranfport did they obferve the affociations in Ireland! What an harveft of fedition did they triumphantly predict! How induftrious were they in fcattering the feeds! But when the minifter laid before the House propofitions for the relief of Ireland, these benevolent patriots, fo full of anxiety for their diftreffed brethren in America and Ireland, thefe champions of Liberty! preferved a cold neutrality and indifference: An inconteftable evidence that they wish not the cure of grievances, but to dwell and fatten, like poisonous infects, on the wounds of the body-politic!

The Irith, contrary to the wishes and prophecies of thefe Patriots of ill omen, accepted the terms with joy; yet who ever reads the papers under the influence of Oppofition, or attends to the harangues of the party, will find, that no tion of harmony, to excite fufpicions, art is left untried to prevent the reftoraand urge the people of Ireland to new demands.-Curfe on that ambition which can induce men, for the fake of fupplant ing their rivals in' power and station, to kindle the flames of civil war, and set évery man's hands againft his neighbour, at a time when diffention must be de

Aruction!

Atruction! These are undeniable marks of unprincipled ambition, and the facts which support them must be known by every man of common obfervation. Yet fuch is the influence of an avowed oppofition to tyranny, fuch the magic of lented declamations on Liberty, that men, with the best intentions, are often perfuaded to follow the falfe colours of patriotifm, and to increase the force of those who are the enemies, not the friends, of Freedom. All governments are defective, all buman inftitutions may be a bufed, and the wifest measures miscarry: a factious man will therefore never want materials to inflame the minds of the people with a difplay of abuses, and plans of reformation. The administration and conftitution of every country, it is true, fould be rendered as perfect as poffible, (an object which leads many a good man to fapport a wicked faction): but then it fhould be confidered, whether the feafon will admit of the business of reformation, and whether the evils to be remedied will juftify the danger of the medicine. It is a part of true wisdom, to attend first to things which moft require and merit its care. It would be abfurd in a pilot to fix his mind on the ornaments of his ship when he was finking in a form, or to quarrel with his feamen about rank and wages, when the diligence and attention of all would fcarce by fave them from fhipwreck. Thus in the ftate, a prudent patriot will not think a time of calamity, when the nation is clofely preffed by foreign foes and obftinate rebellion, a fit feafon to create jealoufy and alarm, or to adjust delicate plans of reform, at the risk of public har mony, of clogging the wheels of government, and of wafting the fpirit and frength of the ftate in domeftic difputes, when they thould be employed against its foreign enemies. Thefe are principles which every man profeffes to hold, and yet the conduct of Oppofition has been a direct violation of them. Defeated often in their schemes to attain the confidence of the people, they have at laft devised a plan, which, from its popular and feductive appearance, they confidently affure themfelves will be fuccefsful. But Latet anguis in herba. With the plaufible pretence of establishing economy, and checking corruption and venality, their fcheme is, to combine and affociate the people in all parts of the kingdom, and to form committees of correspondence,

that by their joint force, and oppofition to government, they may effect a change of adminiftration, or raise a confederacy which fhall dictate to the legislature, and exercise fupreme power in the ftate. This plan is difclofed to the public in the General Advertiser of Monday, Jan. 10. 1780, a paper notoriously under the direction of the faction, and I beg the attention of every reader to the extract as follows.

"The intention of calling together the nobility, gentry, clergy, &c. of the different counties, at this important crifis, is not to carry on the old farce of petitioning for what we know a corrupt miniftry will never grant, nor for the purpofe of trufting to the obstinacy of an unfeeling k- for redrefs, but for the exprefs purpose of redreffing themselves. And to effect this great and conftitutional end, committees are elected by the unanimous voice of the people, to whom they delegate full power and authority to adopt whatever meafures they may deem effectual for the falvation of this country, for the re-establishment of public liberty, annual parliaments, and an equal reprefentation of the people; and particularly to ftop the rapid progrefs of venality and corruption, by ftriking off unneceffary placemen and proftituted penfioners; and if these b'effings cannot be obtained from parliament, to form a national convention or congress, from the feveral counties, with the full powers to enforce fuch regulations as they may deem neceflary for the welfare and exiftence of this country."

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To give a fanction and colourable pretence for affociations, one of the leaders of Oppofition, in a letter to the York committee *, fays, "The legislature itfelf, under that baneful influence, is fo far degraded in the public confidence, as to be effeemed little better than the perfonal property of the minifter for the time being. and transferable to any fucceffor." gain, "The attention of the whole body of conftituents throughout the kingdom to the prefent ftate of public concerns, and their interpofition in a conftitutional way, is now become a matter of the higheft and most important neceffity." One of the fame partyt, of fuperior rank and influence, alfo reprefents, that "he has a thorough conviction of the neceffity that the fenfe of the people should be Vid. Hartley's Letter to the York committee.

† Duke of Richmond's Letter.

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taken on the condition of their distracted affairs." He accordingly fummons them to meet," in order to confider what steps it may be expedient for the county to take on the prefent critical situation of public affairs."

But as men who are lovers of their country would not be eafily led into a meafure fubverfive of all legal government, affociations are required with the plaufible pretence of effecting a plan of œconomy, cutting off all useless penfions, and curtailing all extravagant falaries : A confummation devoutly to be wished! But by what methods do they propofe to effect it? Not by fubmitting the fubject to the free deliberation and wifdom of parliament; for that is unneceffary, as the Marquis of Rockingham and Mr Burke had announced their intentions of making motions for this purpofe immediately after the holidays; but by intimidating the legiflature into the measure by powerful combinations:— A measure fubverfive of the conftitution, deftructive of liberty, and ruinous to the state. Parliament would thus become the mere regifter of the edicts of committees, and the fovereignty be transferred from the fenate-houfe to private cabals and selfcreated affemblies. The anarchy and confufion would then enfue which the legiflature was conftituted to prevent: for to remedy the uncertainty, delays, and tumult, of popular affemblies, the legiflative power was vefted in parliament. But if parliament be bound to confirm and execute the decrees of popular affemblies, its deliberations are ufelefs, and it becomes a mere vox et prætesea nihil.

Let it not to be faid, that the object of the prefent affociations is laudable, and they therefore merit the fupport of every good citizen: for if committees are to be the ultimate judges of the proprie ty and neceflity of public measures, whatever they pronounce to be fuch will be as binding as their prefent refolves, the authority being the fame, and parliament equally excluded from a right of diffenting.

For inftance, fhould the committees who infift on the prefent reform, adopt the fentiments of Lord George Gordon and the Proteftant affociations, and refolve with them, that the act granting relief to Papifts is fubverfive of our civil and religious liberties, the legislature muft comply with their demands in this, As much as in the former cafe, as they

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will reft on the fame authority. fhould they proceed on the work of reformation, and infift on a triennial parliament, or the abolition of the privilege of boroughs to fend members, they will be equally juftifiable. Who fees not that the exercife of fuch a power will be subverfive of the conftitution? Who will be able to fay to fuch combinations, "So far you fhall go and no farther ?" The advances of fedition are gradual; but when it has once acquired the afcendency, no barriers can ftop its career. The factious will never want pretences to retain and exercise their power, and the work of reformation will go on till the conftitution and all legal government are refined away.

The progrefs of innovation in the reign of the unhappy Charles is too ftriking to be forgotten. The power that was at firft employed to remove real grievances, foon became unmanageable by those who had excited and directed it, and at last deftroyed the conftitution, and the liberties of the people. The fame arts kindled the rebellion in America, fuppreffed all conftitutional authority, and effected its independence. Committees of the people were at first chosen to instruct their reprefentatives in the provincial affemblies, and an exemption from parliamentary taxation was their highest claim. Affociations, and committees of correfpondence, were then formed, to keep up an union in the different colonies. A congress of deputies from each was the next measure. The congrefs, fupported by the multitude, soon assumed exclufive legislation, and the provincial affemblies became ufelefs. The people were then led on from claim to claim, till the curtain was drawn, and independency proclaimed.

Such inftances will make every lover of order, and good government, cautious how he concurs in erecting an unconftitutional power in the ftate, which may overturn its liberties, or at least endanger its fafety. For if affociations of men adverfe to the measures of government, and under the influence of Oppofition, continue to be formed, to correfpond, and increase in ftrength, men of different fentiments will find it neceffary to affociate alfo. Committee thus will be raised against committee, and the ftate be enfeebled by difcord, at a time when unanimity is effential to the common fafety.

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