I knew a gentleman of an honourable family, who having been long a martyr to the gout, found relief from the diversion of an uniform employment that cost him no expence of thought, but occupied him in his elbow chair.

He made extracts from books to fill nine huge volumes in folio, which I have had in my hand, and contemplated with wonder, which ceased when I considered the sedative end he had in view. Besides this, the gentleman set down every curious authentic particular he could lay his hands upon, and I found considerable entertainment from reading many of them, which I faintly remembered to have heard in common conversation, but durst not repeat them for want of such authentication.

Among others I found a note from Dunning's clerks books, of his principal earnings in the course of his practice, which stated the first year at L. 34: 16: 8, and his last at L. 9744.

The subdivision of labour, the wealth of nations, and the leisure afforded thereby to thousands, has multiplied the singularities and anomals of human nature to a wonderful extent and as every new circumstance added to the account of human acquisition, though an unit in itself, reckons as hundreds, thousands, or millions, ac cording to its place in the column, it is difficult to say what ages of ages may produce

I would not say that Bayle's general dictionary could cast up at last from a jumble of types, but I would say that things may cast up, of which at present we can form no conception."

"Nil admirari."

LITERARY NEWS FROM RUSSIA, BY ARCTICUS.

Inflamamable phosphoric gas..

OUR readers will recollect that meation was made of this GAS in a former volume of the Bee, (vol. xiii. p. 109.) in which, from something that had occurred in Crell's chemistry, we expressed some doubt whether this gas was strictly phosphoric, that is, takes fire without contact with any ignited body; or if it was only a highly volatile gas, readily inflammable by communication with an ignited body. It would now seem, that it is purely phosphoric and inflammable, as it takes fire on the contact of the open air only, in proper circumstances; our correspondent's words

are:

"Count Sternberg, who is now here, performed his experiment of burning a diamond by a species of inflammable gas which takes fire on coming into contact with metals, or any thing else containing the inflammable principle, and ignites such bodies. The ice, at that time floating in the Neva, prevented me from attending, as I live upon an island, and he on the continent. The experiment succeeded, and the diamond burnt away to nothing, as I was told.

"This gas is the fluor acid, distilled on manganese in a tin retort, which then takes an aerial form, and loses the power of corroding glafs, which is the mark of its being duly prepared."

The caustic vegetable alkali chrystalized.

A frigorific mixture principle of amazing power. "Professor Lovitz of this city, mentioned by me on a former occasion, (Bee, vol. xiii. p. 109.) has lately found a

way to chrystalize the caustic vegetable alkali, with which he freezes mercury by the pound, as I am assured, in a warm room, such is the cold produced by the solution of these chrystals. What a quantity of latent heat they must have swallowed upon quitting their form!"

Japanese chart.

"I forgot to tell you that I have discovered where the curious Japanese chart was deposited, and have got a copy of it for you.'

This is a chart that was made from memory of the coasts of Japan, by the Japanese merchant who was shipwrecked on the coasts of Kamtchatka,—a man of great ingenuity and knowledge in the geography of these coasts, (see Bee, vol. ix. p. 59.) When the chart arrives it shall be engraved and published for the satisfaction of the curious.

Seeds of the Turban gourd.

By this opportunity, the Editor has been favoured with a few (fifteen in all) seeds of the Cucurbita Ochkofensis; of which a figure was given in the Bee, vol. xii: p. 265. These he has distributed among his correspondents in the best manner he could; having reserved only one for himself. He is sorry it has not been in his power to supply all who applied to him for these; but as he has requested that as many of the seeds as pofsible of this singular and beautiful fruit may be preserved, he doubts not but plenty will be obtained to supply all his curious correspondents next year; and he will take care that those who are now disappointed fhall be then first supplied.

China orange gourd.

Along with the above, the Editor has received a few seeds of another gourd, which in size, fhape, colour, and appearance, is said to resemble a China orange in all resThese seeds are distributed along with the

pects. others.

SHORT STATEMENT OF THE QUESTION RELATIVE TO THE HARPUR CHARITY.

The following paper was delivered at the door of the House of Commons, and was handed to the Editor by a gentleman, a member of that house, to whom the Editor of this Miscellany lies under great obligations. The facts contained in this short statement are of a curious nature, and will give rise to interesting reflections in the mind of every attentive reader.

In the year 1566 (the 8th of Elizabeth) Sir William Harpur conveyed an estate by indenture of the clear yearly value of 401. arising from thirteen acres, and one rood of meadow land, in the parish of St. Andrew's, Holborn, to the corporation of Bedford, as trustees: "for the sustentation ́of a master and usher of a school in that town, for poor· children there to be nourifbed and informed, and for the marriage of poor maids."

His estate in process of time has increased greatly in value, and produces now a clear income of about 3000l. ayear. At midsummer next, however, it is expected to produce about 4500l. and in ten years about 7000l. and in thirty years from this time, about 10,cool. a-year clear income, Now, to come to the case,

It is notorious that the corporation of Bedford have for years past abused the charity committed to their trust, by the indenture of the said Sir William Harpur. This cha

rity has been twice thrown into Chancery 'since its institution; first, in the year 1725, by New College, Oxford, to establish their own rights: secondly, in the year 1747, by Benjamin King, esq. (now living,) and by Thomas Woodward, esq. and five others (since dead,) to prevent future unfair leases being granted, as had been the case for the first 200 years, and two several decrees have been obtained against the said corporation. Fresh circumstances, however, have lately occurred, which have occasioned another information to be filed against them in Chancery. The intention of those who filed it was, not only to córrect the abuses in the expenditure of the 3000l. a-year, as above stated; but to rescue the vast additional sums, soon to arise as before explained, from any future misapplication to bad purposes. It was, in fact, to obtain from the law of the land such fixed and certain rules for managing the present income, and for letting the buildings on the estate, and managing the future increasing surplus, as should secure the value of the whole estate to the charity itself, and not to the trustees, for their own emolument. Accordingly an information was filed against the corporation of Bedford in January last, and this suit is now depending.

Now what steps do the trustees take against this measure? They oppose it. But how? Not by answering the bill in Chancery, but by bringing a bill into parliament, (the bill now before the committee,) which is to be pufhed through the house before the procefs in Chancery can be finished; and which, if passed, appears calculated not only to give the trustees a full indemnity for all they have done, but to render all the legal attempts now in train for regulating their future conduct, inefficacious and void; and still to leave the disposal of the whole profits of the estate