For the Monthly Magazine.

the COMMONS in PARLIAMENT.

No. IV.

account,

as imperfect recollection will enable me to give, of a plan of reform proposed by Mr. Horne Tooke, about the year 1783. I have made what enquiry I could after two tracts of his, about that time, with a view, if possible, to state it in his own words. I have been hitherto unsuccessful. They are his Letter to Mr. Dunning; and his Pair of Portraits.

I shall be much obliged to any of your correspondents, who will supply a more fall and accurate statement. Perhaps Mr. Horne Tooke himself will, if this should fall under his eye.

My recollection of it, is that it considerably indeed increased the qualifica tion required by 8 H. VI. (I am fearful of saying from memory, how considerably) and proposed on the plan of the votes of proprietors of East India stock, accumulative votes according to the property; so that the holder of double the property, entitled to one vote, should have two: and thus on progressively.

INTRODUCTION of the PIANO-FORte. I am much obliged to your correspondent, R. K. D.

I think the result very nearly establishes the introduction of this elegant and expressive instrument, which seems to me, and to many, to have so much improved on the harpsichord, to have taken place in this country probably, and almost certainly, in 1766, and to have been completed in 1768. Its improvement in two years, seems to make it probable that it was even invented here. And this appears the more probable, as I find no indication that Rousseau was acquainted with it. If he had, I presume he would have been too greatly interested in it to have passed it in silence. During his stay in England, he spent so much of his time at a distance from the metropolis, and I believe in society not particularly musical, that it was very likely that he should not hear of it. But if it had been introduced first in Germany, and before 1766, it is almost impos-ible that Rousseau, who died July 4, 1778, should not have heard of it. It could hardly have failed to have been known in Paris, through France, MONTHLY MAG. No. 205.

many.

CLAVI-CYLINDER.

This instrument, by its description, seems a variation, and probably an im provement, on the aieuton of Mr. Claggett. I judge this from the account of its mode of action, and the circumstance stated of its being never out of tune.

A friend, who is a great musical theorist, and a very respectable both composer and performer, had an exceedingly large opinion of the merit of the instrument of Mr. Claggett. It had in power, dignity, and solemnity of tone, a great resemblance to the organ, free, by its construction, from the only cha racteristic imperfection of that delightful and sublime instrument. The inventor gave it the name which has been mentioned, from its being a Bulovov, always in good tune. The Celestina mechanism of the instrument, acted by pressure on a system of metallic bars, (or pitch-forks). It is evident, that the mass of metal exempted these from any sensible change of tone, such as the changes of the atmosphere must always produce in wires, or strings. At the same time, the very nature of the construction would cause the instrument to have a somewhat hard tone, and to speak slowly; but for andante, adagio, and largo, movements, such as are generally the sublimest and most pathetic in the serious opera, and the most admirable in oratorio music, (the two highest departments of this divine art); it seems probable that this instrument> would have had the advantage over every other. The clearness, purity, and fullness of tone, the beauty of swell and diminution, which distinguish it,

were inconceivable. The invention of Mr. Claggett may have been unknown to Mr. Chladni, from whom I am sure I have no disposition to detract. On the contrary, I learn with great pleasure the introduction of an instrument from which so much may be expected.

At the same time, I wish to do justice to a man of very interesting manners, and respectable character, who disinterestedly devoted many years of his life to the improvement both of keyed and wind instruments; whose merit in

H

AVING of late, from motives of curiosity, for the first time in my life looked into the opinions of learned men as to the antiquity of the manu. scripts of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, I find, in respect to the latter, the late Dr. Harwood assured himself that Beza's manuscripts, and the Clermont manuscript, approach the nearest of any manuscripts now known in the world, to the original text of the sacred records.

We also learn, from the best authorities, as lately collated by Mr. Dyer, that there was scarcely such a thing to be found as manuscripts in the fourth century; higher none at all: that the Coder Beza is of the fifth century, and generally believed to be the most ancient Greek manuscript in the world.

Information is requested of the learn

ed, as to the original text of those sacred

records to which the Codex Beze is supposed to approach so nearly: what ground we have of assurance that such originals really existed in the times, or within the memory, of contemporaries of Jesus and the Apostles: in what country, and in whose power, such originals were deposited: or whether, since no manuscripts were ever to be found of higher antiquity than the fourth century, the first manuscripts were copied from oral tradition, delivered through a succession of generations, during between three and four hundred years after the persons had lived, and the reported facts had happened. Lastly, under what authority were the Codex Beza, and the Clermont manuscript, written, or supposed to be written. INDOCTUS.

For the Monthly Magazine.

On a peculiar MILITARY ACCEPTATION of the word" Massacrés," in FRENCH.

EVERAL years past, I noted in the Monthly Magazine, that our party Newspapers, eagerly catching hold of every object of reproach and contumely against their enemies, the French, accused them frequently of massacres, when a body of men had been by the French put to the sword in battle, merely because the French writers themselves made use of the term, massacrés. To this our newswriters were accustomed to add, by way of giving force to their insinuation, notes of admiration-Massacred!!! A curre spondent of the Magazine replied to ine, denying that the word in French had any other than the usual signification, for example, as applied to the revolutionary massacres. I was, however, at no rate convinced by that argument, since the French themselves apply the term in the offensive signification, to men cut down in the defence of a military post? It was obvious they meant, put to the sword; but in a very sharp conflict, none perhaps being saved, or as we should say in English, a mere carnage was made of them— they were cut to pieces. In this way, the French described several of their conflicts with the Mamalukes in Egypt; and what confirms me in my old opinion as to this use of the word Massacrés, I have lately found it repeated in the same sense, in the Moniteur.

NORMA LOQUENDI.

For the Monthly Magazine. The CASE of MR. GASCOIGNE'S DAUGHTER

A

CONSIDERED.

LTHOUGH I cannot boast of being

learned in any other laws than those of justice and common sense, I must crave permission to give my opinion on this case, so very inter esting to humanity. J. W. Gascoigne's unfortunate situation, indubitably caused to devolve upon the officers their legal right of putting his daughter in a way to earn her living, without being burdensome to the parish, and also a considerable discretion in the exercise of that right; but I apprehend not to the extent of depriving the parents of all vote, or choice, in the destination of their child at the early age of eleven years. I am not aware that the law confers any such power, which however being granted, legality and justice are by no means to be taken for synonimes. Much has been

written

to increase the general beauty of the

scene.

Crossing the river, by a boat kept for the purpose of conveying visitors to the opposite shore, a little way above the town, we ascended by a winding path, and gained the summit of the height we laboured to attain: we stood upon a high projecting point of rock, some hundred yards above the level of the stream, and looked upon the vale in all its glory, diversified by woods of various hues and species; the windings of the Derwent, the greyish-coloured rocks, and whitened houses embosomed amidst groves of trees, which, sprouting from every crevice in the precipices, give variety and animation to a scene of wonderful beauty.

Proceeding along the edge of the woody height, the views continually varied as we advanced. Beneath our feet, a steep and thickly-wooded bank stretched close along the margin of the stream, while the opposite shore rose boldly from the water, and appeared almost wholly covered over with romantic human habitations, huge masses of impending rocks, and a hare and lofty hill broken by craggy precipices, and forming a charming contrast to the softer features of the landscape.

Advancing still a little farther onward, the eve takes in a reach of the river, smooth and unruffled, and overhung by dark and thickly-spreading wood, Some whitened houses at a little distance from the baths, with a rich variety of pointed rocks, tufted with trees, and adding to the beauty of a view at once interesting and romantic as imagination can conceive. From thence a path leads to the bottom of the hill, by which the views are reversed; and every object seen m a different point, forms new and interesting pictures of peculiar loveliness and diversity.

Till evening closed, and hid the charming landscape from our sight, we conti nued to wander round the environs of Matlock; and it was with reluctance we retired to our auberge, where we had an excellent supper, and good beds. The day had been delightfully fine, and we were all charmed with our ramble, and eager for the ensuing morn to extend it still further, to the elegant seat of Sir Richard Arkwright, at Cromfit, about two miles or the other side of Matlock. We accordingly prepared at an early hour, to put our former evening's plan in execution; and having again taken a partial survey of the more immediate beau.

ties of the vale of Matlock, we proceeded onward, and shortly came in view of the spacious mansion of Sir Richard, and the numerous dwellings of the persons he employs daily, to the number of several hundreds, in his extensive cotton manu factories. This is indeed a different scene from the calm sequestered envi rons of Matlock; but it is by no means an unpleasing one; for industry and neatness are combined to give an air of comfort and animation to the whole sur rounding district; and cold and unfeeling must be the heart which does not experience gratification at the sight of "happy human faces," or know a sentiment of delight at hearing the sounds of merriment and cheerfulness amongst the poorest of their fellow mortals.

Of the interior of Cromfit House I cannot give you a description, for we did not ask to view its apartments. We were assured it was elegant, and laid out for the convenience of the owner's family and guests; but, as by far the greater number of the houses of the affluent bear a striking similarity to each other, it is little worth while to explore the inte vior of each, or seek to fatigue others by descriptions of what can tend but slightly to the gratification of curiosity, nor in any manner interest the admirers of Nature's unadorned scenery.

The grounds we however sought and obtained permission to walk over, and were amply repaid for our trouble, by the view of a part of the sweet vale of Matlock, and an extensive tract of the adjacent country. The walks are tastefully formed; and, though not extensive, are extremely pretty, and deserving of a visit.

From Cromfit we crossed the country to Ashburn, a sweetly situated, clean, pretty town, on the road between Derby and Buxton, and twenty miles from the latter.

I had been there years before: but two of my companions never having been in that part of the county, I made no objec. tions to extending our tour thither. As we arrived at an early hour in the evening, we had a long stroll ere supper was announced to be upon the table; and found much to admire in the various views upon the banks of the Dove, and in the vicinity of the town, where the country is beautifully diversified, fertile, and finely cultivated, and the air of neat ness so conspicuous even in the humblest of the habitations, peculiarly pleasing. The church is a tasteful structure, but

unfinished.

unfinished. It had been meant to form a cross, but has never been completed; and the tower stands on the north side, which was purposed to be elevated from the middle of the building. The inns, of which there are several in Ashburn, are good; and there is a considerable lace manufactory carried on in the town and neighbourhood. Sir Brook Bootheby has a beautiful seat adjoining the town, which strangers often visit.

On the succeeding morning, having breakfasted, we began our journey back to Buxton; and when about a mile from Ashburn, we quitted the turnpike-road, and sending on the carriages to meet us at a particular spot some miles distant, we proceeded on foot to the entrance of the celebrated Dove-dale, a narrow winding valley, to which a guide conducted us, and where we found ourselves enclosed betwixt two rocky ridges varied in height, and diversified by an assemblage of broken craggs and jutting precipices, partly shaded over by groupes of trees shooting from their crevices, and hanging from the summits of the frowning cliffs, or wholly hid from sight by thick embowering woods; while, at the bottom of the dell, the Dove winds amidst an infinity of shrubs, and broken pieces of rocks, sometimes assuming a more bold appearance as it dashes over stones and fragments that impede the progress of its waters; at others, smoothly flowing over its narrow channel with gentle murmur, reflecting the varied colours of the pen dant boughs that droop and dip their beautiful luxuriant foliage in the lucid stream. On the rocky boundaries of the dale, some wonderfully picturesque precipices rise in wild confusion, and give added beauty to the scene: in these, there are several arches formed as it were by the hand of art, but which, upon ascending the steeps to examine, we were satisfied were wholly the work of nature, and only serving to render the scenery around more beautifully pictu

resque.

The walk we here enjoyed was indeed Jelightful; and we were all enchanted with the whole of our excursion. The weather was charining, the air was clear, and the softened light thrown on the different objects from the sky, contributed with the mildness of the air, to "send into the heart a summer feeling." The sun occasionally only peeped through white and slowly sailing clouds floating upon the azure horizon, and from the partial gleams it cast upon the beautiful

intermixture of woods and rocks, and patches of softest verdure, the picture was one which could not fail to inspire the most pleasing sensations, and wild, silent, and solemn as the scene appeared, we were inexpressibly delighted with it. No trace of human habitation was seen; no sound was heard, save that of the rushing water, as it played amongst the broken pieces of the rocks; we seemed as if shut out from human intercourse; and a fertile, romantic imagination, might have formed a variety of pictures, to charm the senses, and create ideal structures of felicity.

At the extremity of the dale, we found the carriages in waiting; when, seating ourselves again in them, we were shortly conveyed over the excellent lime-stone roads, for which that part of the country is remarkable, and reached our quarters at the hotel early in the evening, when we concluded the day amusement by a visit to the theatre, and laughed away a couple of hours at the representation of a popular comedy, and the buffooneries of a no less fashionable farce.

My stay at Buxton being now completed, and my anxiety to pursue my meditated wanderings returning as the period of departure drew nearer, I determined to begin my journey to the northward; and, two days after my return from Matlock, bidding adieu to the friends in whose society I had passed some very pleasurable moments, and the newlyformed acquaintances whom I had found agreeable during my stay at Buxton, I proceeded across the mountainous and dreary tract that intervenes between that place and the populous smoky town of Sheffield; a tract so bleak and uninteresting as any you can form an idea of, excepting for a little space in the vale where stands the village of Middleton, the approach to which upon the Buxton side, is singularly wild and romantic, the road passing through a very narrow dell of nearly a mile in length, the boundaries of which are principally composed of rocky precipices of a greyish colour, formed into a variety of fantastic shapes, and in many places resembling the cient turrets of a castellated mansion, or a ruined fortress; while.broken fragments' scattered on the ground, give added force to the idea of their having once belonged to the dilapidated monuments of grandeur that imagination leads the observer to fancy have at some far distant period surmounted the craggy boundaries of the way. Though less

talked