bones this, we are told, he did by Divine order, which farther directed that he fhould travel to Scotland; where, after wandering fome time, and fuffering fhipwreck, he landed fafely with his cargo, near to the fpot on which were afterward built the town and church of St. Andrew. Fordun, who gives fuch account, lived about the year 1370, when these and other fuperftitious fancies greatly prevailed, and relics were fought after with avidity, purchafed at immenfe prices, and preferved with anxious attention, under a perfuafion that departed Apoftles, Martyrs, and Saints were objects of adoration, and, like the heathen local tutelar deities, vouchfafed fpecial protection to fuch as put themselves under their particular patronage. Profeffor Brown remarks, that though thefe and other abíurd opinions and practices were almost univerfally prevalent in Fordun's time, the Chriftian church was unacquainted with them at the feason fixed on for the tranfportation of the relics in queftion. And it is true, that frauds of this kind were not, in the 4th century, carried to the excefs to which they arofe in after-times; yet we have accounts that fuch pious ftratagems began, even then, to be employed, by mercenary Monks, and other impoftors, who aimed at enriching themfelves, by the ignorance and errors of the people.

The Chapel of Regulus, or Rule, is however ancient; though this tale concerning its erection was probably fabricated, in the dark times when Popifh invention and tyranny operated ftrongly on the human mind; and, poffibly, long after the building felf was raifed. Its prefent remains are indeed very cu

rious.

The Ceremonial obferved by the Parliament of Scotland in attending the High Commiffioner from Holyrood to the House of Parliament,' is the fecond article in this number. We have an account of thefe proceffions in the year 1606, 1681, 1685. These are followed by ftatutes and orders of the most noble Order of the Thiftle, revived by Queen Anne, together with an estimate of the fees of admiffion, which here amount to 111. 2s. 2 d. The whole is finished with an Inflrument, made in the fixth year of Queen Anne, on the lodgment of the regalia of Scotland, viz. Crown, Sceptre, and Sword, within the Caftle of Edinburgh, wherein they are all very minutely defcribed; and it is engaged that they fhall all remain within the said castle. The original of this inflrument, curioufly illuminated, we are informed, was prefented by the Earl of Buchan to the Society of Antiquaries, London. Mr. Nichols adds an extract from Arnott's Hiftory of Edinburgh, concerning the probable fubfequent difpofal of thefe regalia. "No mortal (fays this writer) has been known to have feen them; whether it was that the government entertained a jealoufy, that the Scots, in their fickle

nels

nefs or difguft, would repent them felves of the union; or, that they dreaded the regalia might, on an invafion, fall into the hands of the heir of the houfe of Stuart; it appears probable, that the regalia have been privately removed, by a fecret order from the court; for it is impoffible that any governor of the caftle would abftract them without authority."

This number contains three plates, North-west View of St. Rule's Steeple: The Seal of St. Rule's: North eaft View of St. Rule's.

No. 48. confifts of Fragments of English and Irish History in the ninth and tenth Century, tranflated from the original Icelandic, and illuftrated with fome Notes. By Grimr Johnfon Thorkelin, LL. D. Regius Profeffor of Antiquity in the Univerfity of Copenhagen, &c. &c. &c.' Dr. Thorkelin dedicates his work to Lord Rawdon. He obferves, in the preface, that his countrymen, the Danes, having, in earlier times, an intercourfe with England, have handed down fuch particulars concerning the British kingdoms, as are yet fcarcely known; of which the prefent collection is confidered as a proof.

The firit of thefe fragments, called Nordymra, contains an account of fome Danish invafions of Northumberland, in the course of the ninth century. It is publifhed from a manuscript which, Dr. Thorkelin fays, came into his hands after the death of Erland Olafson, Efq. a juftice of peace for the county of Ifaftord in Iceland. This is an amufing tale, written in the manner of the northern countries in that early age;-fome fimilar circumstances are related in our own hiftory respecting the Danish invafions. It feems, however, a compofition fomewhat of the fabulous kind, containing, probably, both truth and falsehood, according to the writer's humour. It is followed by a Latin tranflation, with annotations in the fame language.

The other fragment is, A Voyage to Ireland; undertaken from Iceland in the tenth Century.' It is faid to be taken from a history called "Laxdæla," which comprifes the rife and progrefs of the firft inhabitants of the county of Laxardal, in the weft of Iceland. This, like the former, is curious and amufing, bearing much the air of a romance, yet in a degree, no doubt, having fome foundation in truth. The annotations

which are added to this little hiftory are in English, and are, together with those before mentioned, very useful for explaining and illuftrating ancient notions and cuftoms. In one of thete notes, we are informed of the merchandifes of Iceland, confifting, • during the courfe of the republic, chiefly in broad cloth, which the inhabitants brought in bales into the markets of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ruffia. Great quantities of garments ready made were likewife exported and fold with a confiderable advantage, particularly to the Norwegians, as we are

X 4

told

told by Snorro Sturlefon, in the Life of Harald Grafeld, the King of Norway. This prince once went on board the veffel of an Icelandic merchant, and having viewed the cargo of readymade clothes called feldr, bought a fuit of grey colour; on which occafion he received the epithet of Grafeldr, or Grey Coat.'

Another note, fpeaking of Chriftmas, fays,

I must beg leave to obferve, that the feaft which I have tranflated Chriftmas, was called Iol, or Iul, which fignifying a fumptuous treat, is ftill known under this name in Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden; nay, even in the North of Britain, and whence the month of Januarius by the Saxons was ftyled Giuli, i. e. the Feftival. And as this feaft had originally been dedicated by our heathen ancestors to the fun, their fupreme deity; fo the Chriflians, for the purpose of engaging the minds of their Ethnic (gentile) brethren, ordered it fhould be celebrated in memory of the birth of Christ. And thus it has been, through ages, a feast of joy and entertainment. We are indebted to Procopius for the firft account of this feaft.'

We fhall infert one more note, relative to inclosures:

At an early period of the republic of Iceland, it was enacted by law: That all cultivated land be inclofed with walls and fences built of entire one, or earth: that thefe walls be five feet thick at the bottom, three feet at the top, and fix feet high: that the inclosure laid across the public road have a gate of eight feet wide, hut up with a wooden frame on iron hinges, which may be opened and clofed by a man on horfeback: the offences against this law be popular, and be tried by nine jurymen before the court to which the offender belongs. In confequence of this wife law, a regular trade of inclofures was eftablifhed and carried on till the fourteenth century. From that period, during the courfe of almoft five centuries, the inclofures have mouldered away, and been totally neglected, till the husbandry of Iceland got new patrons in a Steman, a Reventlow, a Schimmelan, an Erichfen, and a Todahl.'

The remainder of this number confits of very short accounts of difcoveries made by the Icelandic navigators in the ninth century; and farther, a collection of records concerning the Orkney islands.

A map of Great Britain and Ireland, with the adjacent islands, according to the defcriptions of writers in the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, is the only plate belonging to the 48th number of this work.

ART. V. Bell's Claffical Arrangement of Fugitive Poetry. Vol. 4th*. izmo. Pp. 185. 35. fewed. Bell. 1789.

SMA

MALL poems, however admired at the time of their publi cation, are apt to be neglected; and, in the courfe of a few years, to be loft, or at leaft to become extremely fearce, unlefs

* Numbers 5, 6, and 7, are likewife published, and will be more particularly mentioned in our next.

preferved

preferved and multiplied by collections. Thofe of DodЛley, Pearch, &c. have continued the existence of, and facilitated our access to, many poems, which otherwife would, probably, have perished; and we heartily with, that while thefe induftrious men were employed in collecting pieces of poetry, others had been occupied in collecting together the most valuable fmall profe pieces which have iffued from the prefs; as for want of this circumftance, there are now many curious pamphlets, which the learned with occafionally to confult, that are extremely difficult of accefs. Mr. Bell has improved on his predeceffors, not only by the elegance of his types, but by a claffical arrangement of the poems, which is what we much approve. No doubt, the public will encourage him to perfevere; and we are happy to learn, that many authors, whofe works are to be included in thefe volumes, and have not hitherto been publifhed in any collected or regular form, have promifed to collect, arrange, and revife their own pieces.

Having mentioned the titles of the feveral poems in the three firt volumes of this work (fee Review for April laft, p. 343.), we shall here fubjoin the contents of this fourth volume. Under the general head of Epifles Defcriptive and Narrative, are given Evans's Vertumnus to Profeflor Bobart-Bainbrigg Buckeredge, Ffq. to Signor Ant. Verrio at Hampton Court-Whaley to a Friend-Dr. Davies's Defcription of a Voyage to TinternAbbey-Yalden to Sir Humph. Mackworth-Dalton to two Ladies-Henly to a Friend just leaving a favourite RetirementGilbert White to Thomas Pennant, Efq.-Gerald Fitzgerald's Academic Sportfman-The Hon. C. Fox, Partridge fhooting, to he Hon. J. Townfhend, cruifing: by R. Tickell, Efq.The Project, to Dean Tucker, by the fame-The Pleasures of he Mind, written in a Cottage at Park-place, by the Rev. Mr. Powys-Mickle's beautiful poem, written from Lisbon, enitled Almada Hill*-and Goldfmith's Traveller.

Notes are fubjoined, as in the preceding volumes.

ART. VI. Mifcellaneous Experiments and Remarks on Elearicity, the Air Pump, and the Barometer: with the Defcription of an Electrometer of a new Construction. Illuftrated with Copper Plates and Notes. By A. Brook. 4to. pp. 211. and 3 Plates. 10s. 6d. Boards. Printed at Norwich; and fold in London by Johnson. 1789.

THE Electrometer, mentioned in the title, was published

THE

in vol. ixxii. of the Philofophical Tranfactions; but fome of the figures in the original drawings which Mr. Brook fent to he Society, and the defcriptions of feveral of the others, having,

* Which title is here omitted.

by

by fome accident or ftrange neglect, been there omitted, a great part of the conftruction of the apparatus became, as we then obferved, unintelligible, In this republication of it, the author has fupplied thofe omiffions; fo that the whole mechanifm, though fomewhat complex, is now fufficiently clear; and may be executed, we apprehend, without much difficulty. He has likewife contrived, very ingeniously, to combine it with a difcharging electrometer, fuch as Mr. Nairne's, fo as to fhew, by inspection, the fucceffive progrefs and ftrength of a charge, and to make the difcharge as foon as it has acquired the propofed ftrength.

In this electrometer, the repulfive force, between two balls of a given fize, is expreffed by the number of grains that are fufficient to counterbalance it; which number is pointed out by an index, on a dial-plate. The author is led to think, from his own obfervations, that no glafs will bear a greater charge of electricity than that whofe repulfive force is equal to 60 grains, before it will be perforated. Indeed he has feldom found glass that would bear 50 grains; and he thinks it hazardous to charge higher than 45. Thefe obfervations will ferve to give fome idea of the language of this electrometer; for 60 grains being the utmost charge that coated glaís can bear, the meaning of 20, 30, or any other number of grains, is eafily understood.

The fecond chapter contains 73 experiments, ftating the effects of the explofions of an electrical battery on wires of iron, copper, brafs, and lead, of different fizes and lengths. The object of them is, to afcertain what extent of coated furface. and ftrength of charge, will be fufficient for melting wires of thofe metals, of any given dimenfions; which, where bell wires of known dimenfions have been melted by a thunder ftroke, may as the author oblerves, point out pretty nearly the strength of the ftroke from the cloud; and thence enable us to find the quantity of coated furface of glafs, and height of charge that would be neceffaty for producing the like effect.

It appears from thefe experiments (and their general cor refpondence gives great ftrength to their evidence), that 43 fee of coated furface, charged to 16 grains, will melt 3 inches o fteel or iron wire one-eightieth of an inch thick :-That hal the extent of coated furface with a double charge, or a doubl extent with half the charge, will produce the fame effect; and univerfally, that an increafe of charge exacly compenfates di minution of furface, and vice verfa :-That in wires of the fam thickness, a double charge is neceffary for melting a quadrupl length:-That brafs wire will bear a charge one-third fronge than feel wire of the fame dimenfions:-That copper wir

*See Monthly Review, vol. lxix. p. 394.

bear