1814.]

To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine. SIR,

IN your number for October, Mr. Elnies has, with a spirit becoming a professor of the fine arts and an Englishman, vindicated the master-piece of the genius of Sir Christopher Wren against the misrepresentations of the Rev. Mr. Eustace in his derogatory comparison of St. Paul's Cathedral with that of St. Peter at Rome. That a catholic should feel a prepossession for the metropolitan temple of his religion, cannot appear surprizing; neither ought we to be astonished that a person who has not professedly devoted himself to the study of a particular science should fall into errors, when writing on subjects which require an acquaintance with the practice as well as theory of that science. But it may, perhaps, excite some wonder, that an author who has demonstrated that he possesses ample stores of his own to draw upon, should be guilty of so gross a plagiarism as that to which I here call the attention of your readers. The passage which justifies this charge, forms part of his late publication under the title of A Letter from Paris. The author from whom he has, without acknowledgment, borrowed the ideas, and in a great measure the words also, of that passage, is M. de Chateaubriand; who, in his Genie de Christianisme, thus concludes his beautiful and highly elo quent description of the once venerable, but now ruined, Abbey of St. Denis; for many centuries the burial place of the royal family of France.

no more.

"Those renowned sepulchres are now Little children have played with the bones of mighty monarchs: St. Denis is laid waste; the bird has made it her resting-place; the grass grows on its shattered altars; and instead of the eternal hymn of death which resounded beneath its domes, nought is now heard save the pattering of the rain that enters at the roofless top, the fall of some stone dislodged from the ruined walls, or the sound of the clock, which still runs its wonted course among empty tombs and plundered sepulchres.”*

•The Beauties of Christianity, by F. A. de Chateaubriand, Translated from the

419

Mr. Eustace, after briefly describing the same edifice as it appeared in 1790, winds up his account of it with this parody of the preceding passage:

"In 1802, I revisited it. The ruins of the abbey strewed the ground. The church stood stripped and profaned; the wind roared through the unglazed windows, and murmured round the vaults; the rain dropt from the roof, and deluged the pavement; the royal dead had been torn from the repositories of departed greatness; the bones of heroes had been made the playthings of children, and the dust of monarchs had been scattered to the wind. The clock alone remained in the tower, tolling every quarter, as if to measure the time permitted to the abomination of desolation, and record cach repeated act of sacrile gious impiety."

That this coincidence cannot be accidental, must, I think, be the opinion of every unbiassed reader, as well as of Yours, &c. DETECTOR.

London, Oct. 5, 1814.

MEDICAL QUACKERY.

To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine.. SIR,

OF all branches of human science, medicine is one of the most interesting to mankind; and, accordingly as it is erroneously or judiciously cultivated, is eminently conducive to the prejudice or welfare of the public. Of how great consequence is it, then, that our endeavours should be exerted in stemming the from ignorance, or prompted by motives propagation of errors, whether arising of base cupidity; and in giving assist ance to the dissemination of useful truths, and to the perfection of ingenious discoveries! These thoughts occurred to me on the perusal and comparison of two works lately written on the same subject: viz. the diseases of tropical climates; one of them by a surgeon who holds a high office in the naval service of this country, and who has seen the disease in all its various forms; and the other by a person who keeps a druggist's shop in Piccadilly, and professes to pack up medicine chests adapted to the speedy cure of the afflicted. The mode of treatment recommended by these two authors is diametrically opposite to each other; the one recommending a stimulating plan; the exhibition of wine, bark, and

French, by Frederic Shoberl. Vol. III., p. 49 and 50.

* Letter from Paris, p. 11 and 12.

420

similar medicines, with which his tropical chests are amply furnished: the other enforcing copious bleeding and depletory remedies, as absolutely necessary to the preservation of life. It is self-evident, that both authors cannot be right; and the question is, what is to be done in this conflicting variety of opinions? It is true, the surgeon's work is the result of actual observation and extensive experience, has the sanction of men of the first professional eminence, and has been recommended, from authority, to the perusal of all our naval surgeons as a guide for their practice; and these circumstances might be supposed to decide the question. It must be granted also, that practitioners of medicine, most of whom well know the doctrines broached in the other book to be erroneous and exploded, will not be likely to be misled thereby, or to trust the cure of so alarming a disease to the indiscriminate exhibition of the contents of a medicine chest, assorted, with directions for use, by the industrious druggist; yet there are many persons, who not being able to avail themselves of medical assistance, might, perhaps, be induced, unwittingly, to aggravate the disease they were desirous to alleviate. The mischief might be the more extensive, as the work in question is designed for popular readers, whose discrimination cannot be expected to be either accurate or profound. To put such readers on their guard against these serious evils, is surely desirable, nor can there be a more proper vehicle for this purpose than a work like yours, which is so universally read. One misrepresentation it seems essential to correct; the book, the doctrines and practice of which I disapprove, is dedicated to Dr. Dick, who is there said to have approved of the work. Dr. Dick is a man of great professional reputation and extensive experience, and holds the high post of examining all medical candidates for employment in the East India service. The approbation of such a man may be supposed to stamp value on a medical work, but it should be known that Dr. Dick has stepped forth, aud solemnly declared, in a respectable periodical journal, that he never saw the work in question, nor knew of its existence, until he read the just criticisms on it in the said journal; and that he by no means approved of the practice there recommended. The criticism and contradiction are, perhaps, confined to the

New Medical and Physical Journal, by Dr. Shearman and others.

[Dec. 1,

faculty, and remain unknown to the public at large. To rectify the opinions and regulate the practice of a young and inexperienced tyro of the medical profession, is surely meritorious; to guard the public against error and deception, is of still greater utility; the preservation of even a single life, is an object of ne inconsiderable moment; and my desire of contributing to the attainment of this end, must plead my apology for troubling you on this occasion. I am, &c. London, Nov. 1814. PHILO-VERITAS.

REMEDY for NOISE in the HEAD. To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine. SIR,

ALTHOUGH I have never laboured under the complaint which your corre spondent G. W. mentions, yet I flatter myself I may be able to suggest a remedy. G. W. says, that he enjoys a good state of health, and that he has a good appetite: now I should be inclined to suspect, that he has a local plethora, or a redundancy of blood in the smaller vessels of the head; which, combined with his age, causes a languor in the cir culation, and, probably, a partial obstruc tion; and the pressure of the vessels in this turgid state upon a nerve, is sufficient to produce the noise complained of. Now, supposing this to be the case, I would recommend G, W. to lose about eight ounces of blood, by cupping, from the nape of the neck: and, I think, with the assistance of a little laxative medi cine, and moderate diet, he will expen ence relief, as numbers have by the sameprocess.

Νου. 8, 1814.

I remain, &c.

H. M. MUSIC to the ODES and ELEGIES of the CREEK and LATIN POETS.

To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine. SIR,

AS the odes and elegies of the Greek and Latin poets were originally intended to be sung, it has often struck me as a matter of regret, that the ancients had no mode of handing down to us the tunes used for that purpose, with the exception of one or two, which have been preserved by tradition, and are supposed to be ori ginal.

But, Sir, it has been matter both of surprise and regret, that none of ou eminent composers have ever attempted to adapt those remains of classic poetry, to modern music; and I feel confident, that a judicious selection from Pindar and Anacreon, as well as from Horace

and Tibullus, accompanied by characteristic music, would not only gratify the harmonist and the man of taste, but also be profitable to the composer.

The varied measure of some of Horace's odes, in particular, would afford a fine scope for expression in the airs; whilst the works of Pindar, Tyrtæus, and others, would admit of a grandeur of composition, and a fulness of harmony, that might stamp the fame of a composer for ever.

Nay, Sir, I cannot help thinking that your magazine would be a very proper vehicle for such a subject; and if a classic composer would supply you monthly with a subject, gratis, the increased fame, and the increased sale which it would procure for your magazine, would enable you to meet the expense of engraving and paper, without any increase in the price. If the publication of this hint shall induce any of our best composers to dedicate a few leisure hours to the subject, it will certainly be a matter of great interest to your readers in general, and to none more than to Yours, &c. .

London, Nov. 1814. ARION. ** It is scarcely necessary to assure our ingenious correspondent and such composers who may be induced to turn their attention to the subject, that we shall feel proud in their selection of our magazine as a vehicle for bringing the result of their labours before the public.

reviewed my forsaken collections, and resolved that the worlde should-see the best picture of the author that my artlesse pensil (guided by the hande of truth) could present to it. If I be demanded, as once Pompey's poore bondman was (whilest he was alone on the sea-shore, gathering the pieces of an old boat to burne the body of his dead master) What art thou that preparest the funeralls of Pompey? Who I am that officiously set the author's memorie on fire? I hope the question hath in it more of wonder then disdaine." He then, after a few observations, says it is likely that he shall incur the censure of some, yet he is well pleased in the conviction that the author's spirit," which is now in heaven, can have leisure to looke downe" and see him perform the pleasing duty. "Mr. Donne was borne in London of good and vertuous parents; and though his own learning and multiplied merits may justly seeme sufficient to dignifie both himselfe and posterity, yet reader be pleased to know that his father was masculinely and lineally descended from a very ancient family in Wales." About the 20th year of his "he resolved to travell, and the Earle of Essex going to Cales, and after the iland voyages, he took the advantages of these opportunities, waited upon his lordship, and saw the expeditions of those happy and unhappy imployments." After relating a variety of personal anecdote both of Dr. Donne and other well known characters of the age, the author relates

age,

DEAN of ST. PAUL'S.

To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

I HAVE in my possession what I consider to be a valuable and curious edition of Dr. Donne's Sermons, printed in about the year 1631 or 1632; to which is prefixed a memoir of his life. The writer of this memoir laments the death of "that great master of language and art, Sir Henry Wootton, provost of Eton College," who, he observes, had he lived to see the publication of these sermons (of course the first edition that was ever published of them,)" he had presented the world with the author's life exactly written." After stating that the friendship between Mr. Donne and Sir Henry had continued till death parted them, he continues, "When I heard that these sermons were to be publisht without the author's life, (which I thought was rare,) indignation or griefe (I know not whether,) transported me so far that I NEW MONTHLY MAG.-No. 11.

conferred on Dr. D. the deanery of St. Paul's. "Dr. Cary was made Bishop of Exeter, and by his removall the deanry of St. Paul's became vacant, the king appointed on Dr. Donne to wait on him at dinner the next day; and his majesty, (being sat down) before he eat any meat, said, (after his pleasant manner,) Doctor Donne, I have invited you to dinner, and though you sit not down with me, yet I will carve to you of a dish that I know you love; you love London well; I doe therefore make you dean of St. Paul's; take your meale home to your study, say grace, and much good may it doe you." Immediately after he came to the deanery he made several repairs and additions to the chapel belonging to his house, " suffering," as the author observes, in imitation of David," his eyes and temples to take no rest, untill he had first beautified the house of God." After the exemplary death of the doctor is described, the author gives his cha

VOL. II.

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