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two former. It was begun April the 18th 1780, and continued to May the 7th 1781, during which interval the watch was carried no less than fix journeys by land, from 110 to 220 miles each.

The greateft difference between its rates of going on any two days in these 13 months is 4′′ 1; namely, between its rates on June 28 and June 17th: and the greatest difference between its rates on any one day and the day immediately following, is 2′′ 6; namely, between its rates on Auguft 3d and 24th. But the principal point to be regarded in this trial, and in which all former watches, unless we except that of Mr. Arnold's mentioned above, have failed, is its preferving the fame rate of going to the end of the trial; whereas it has happened, that all before it, and even this in the two former trials, have been continually accelerated, or continually retarded. The thermometer, kept with the watch, was never higher than 75, nor lower than 43.

From the Preface to this little publication we gather, that it has been caufed, or at least haftened, by fome illiberalities contained in a Preface that was prefixed, by the tranflator, to Mr. Maver's Letter, relating to the going of one of Mr. Arnold's pendulum clocks, which was made for the Elector of Bavaria's Obfervatory at Manheim; an account of which is given in our Review for lift July. It is much to be regretted that liberality of fentiment is not more frequently connected with ingenuity than we find it to be: but if Mr. Mudge, or whoever else is the Author of the pamphlet before us, be hurt, either by what is put into, or left out of, that compofition, he might have accounted for the conduct which is there obferved in a much more natural manner than he has done, if he had known, as we do, that he is the perion alluded to, as holding a conversation concerning the flicking of watches together with fealing-wax, with

ONE OF the Kings of Brentford, we fuppofe; for the words "one of the greatett perfonages of the kingdom" will not apply to any other kind of perfons in it. We much wifh, alfo, that the Author of the work before us had not let the ill-nature of another perfon betray him into recrimination; for the table which he has given by no means proves that his clock goes better than the Elector's. Comparisons, at fuch great distances as 7%, 16, 9, and even 146 days, prove nothing at all. The click, for aught that appears to the contrary, might have altered its rate of going feveral feconds between any two of these comparisons, and yet, when its total gain or lofs were divided among fo many days, have appeared to go even more regular than his table makes it do. Indeed, what Mr. Mayer has done, though far lefs exceptionable than this account, is but little to the purpose; and for the fame reafon : comparifons made twice in a month are too wide to determine the daily rate of a clock's

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going with any degree of precifion. And after all, we confefs, that we should not have thought of exhibiting, even this going, as any extraordinary thing, after what had been done by Mr. Ellicot's clock at St. Helena, as published by Mr. Mafon in the Philofophical Tranfactions for 1762; by Mr. Shelton's, at St. John's College, Cambridge, as given by the Rev. Mr. Ludlam, in the account of his obfervations made there in 1767 and, 1768; the Tranfit clock at Greenwich, and many others which might be named; and against the accounts of which no such objections lie.

As we have been led to animadvert on the Preface to Mr. Mayer's Letter, we cannot help mentioning a mistake or two which are in it; but which, had the Author written with more modesty and good-nature with respect to other artifts, might probably have been overlooked. In the first place, he fays, that, "Mr. Harrifon tried a number of methods to get rid of oil, but it feems without fuccefs." This is a mistake: Mr. Harrison did get rid of it. He ufed no oil to the pallets of his pen-. dulum clock; neither did he ufe any to two of his large timekeepers. Cycloidal cheeks are alfo mentioned as an improvement of Mr. Arnold's. Now it is well known to every one who was acquainted with Mr. Harrifon, and his inventions, that he had not only applied fuch cheeks to pendulum clocks, but had alfo difcovered that those cheeks ought not to be perfect cycloids; and that he had contrived to make them in fuch manner that their curvature could be altered at pleasure, until they were found, by experiment, to answer the end propofed in applying them. This is a thing not hinted at among the improvements mentioned in the Preface now under confideration. See Obfervations made at St. John's College, Cambridge, by the Rev. Mr. Ludlam, p. 138.

ART. V. The Baron Kinkvervankot/dor/prakingatchdern.

Wa.

A new

Mufical Comedy. As performed at the Theatre Boyal in the HayMarket. By Miles Peter Andrews, Efq. Svo. Is. 6d. Cadell. 1781.

THIS publication is an appeal from the people to the

TH

people! from the many in the theatre to the few in the clofet. The Mufical Comedy of The Baron did not, it feems, “pit, box, and gallery, and all that, 'egad!"—as Bayes phrafes it; but the Writer refers it from the turbulent fpeculators to the gentle readers.

The two following paragraphs, extracted from the Preface, contain the chief reafons affigned as the motives of this publi

cation.

The very extraordinary circumflances which attended the hearing, or rather the not hearing of this piece, with the fubfequent con tentions

tentions which it occafioned, would feem fufficiently to call for its publication: these circumstances, however, the Author would cer tainly have foregone, rather than appear to make appeals from the determination of the Public; but having been charged with bringing on a polite Theatre many low and grofs indecencies, many vulgar and improper allufions, juftice, and not vanity, obliges him in fome meafure to rescue himfelf from fo ungentleman-like a conduct. In doing this, however, the Author begs that it may now, as well as formerly, be perfectly understood, he could never mean to difpute the judgment, or oppofe the decided opinion of the town ;-all he ever withed or requested was, a fair and candid trial, that their opi nion might be fupported by dignity and justice.'

In a word, the Author begs again to repeat, that he does not mean to murmur at the public decree; but having been charged with intentions he is not confcious of, and having been unkindly denied a candid hearing, after he had carefully erafed every paffage he could conceive objectionable, he takes the opportunity, when tumult has fubfided, and the voice of contention is heard no more, to leave it in the breast of every difpaffionate reader to determine, whether dulnefs and indecency pervade his fcenes throughout.'

Juftice obliges us to confefs, that the dialogue of this piece, even purged as it now is, is not remarkably chafte. A certain pruriency of imagination feems to keep the Author in a perpetual purfuit of double entendre, which he fometimes effects adroitly enough, and often but clumfily. The fable of this play is avowedly founded on a German anecdote, lately presented to the Public, in the form of a novel, by a Lady of Quality: but the Author has alfo vifibly had recourfe to the Candide of Voltaire, and Sterne's Triftram Shandy. The name of the Curate does not, as we remember, occur in the dialogue; but in the lift of the Dramatis Perfonæ, he is openly ftiled Panglofs: but, bating his name, and his doctrine of Optimism, he is but a poor сору from the original of Voltaire. The following fcene, one of the beft in the piece, will immediately recal Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim to the memory of our Readers.

SCENE, An Antichamber. The Baron's Cafle difcovered; fervants entering with ferubbing-brushes, brooms, &c.

Groot. Lord, Dagran, how tired I am!

Dag. Why to be fure, Mrs. Grootrump, thefe curfed old apartments do take a confumed deal of cleaning.

Groot. Yes, and we are to do all the business by ourselves;—I am fure you and I work from morning till night, and from night till morning again; but 'tis all labour in vain, I fee!

Dag. I am forry for it! but these devilish long galleries (with the wind coming in at one end, the rain at another, and the dust on all fides) would conquer the patience of Job.

Groot. Aye; and when I have done here, then am I forced to trundle down into the kitchen; ferve up breakfast; cook the dinner; waih the dishes, and fcrape enough out of them to make fupper; befides dreffing our young lady in the morning; writing out the accounts at

noon;

noon; and tucking up the old Baron at night! Oh! I can never hold it long! If it was not for the comfort you give me, I fhould be found fome morning lifelefs in my bed.

'Dag. Come, come, Grootrump, am not I as hard ridden as you

are?

'Groot. No, no! not altogether.

Dag. Don't I aflift in cleaning the caftle? Don't I fweep the ftable, take care of the horses, feed the hogs, dig in the garden, and fay Amen to the curate; befides waiting on my mafter Hogreftan, who's the very devil himself for tiring a perfon.

'Groot. Aye! what with his long account of florms and breaches

Dag. Aye, but we have met with fome difafters, as I can fafely fay, who have gone through the fame duty with him.-A great many rubs (rubbing with the brush) a great many rubs, that's certain! and then to get no higher than a Lieutenant at the age of fifty; fad promotion !

'Groot. Yes, but he hopes to get a better promotion now; for he feems to have fixed an eye on our young lady, in an honourable way; and a fhameful thing it is at his time of life, I can tell him.

Dag. Very true--and then fo humble, and so distant, that he'll never come to the point.

Groot. Well, give me an active man for my money (pushing the chair forward). None of your thrivell'd decay'd old gentlemen, that make love without knowing how.

Enter Hogreftan, with a Stick and long Pipe; takes two or three Strides about the Stage without noticing them.

Dag. None of your tall, aukward, forlorn figures, that fride about a place like a ghoft! that one fcarce knows when they're prefent or not.-Always thinking of fomething elfe, poring and puffing. Groot. (Leaning over the chair) No, nobody minds fuch fully people

Dag. (Over another chair oppofite) No, no, nobody cares for them, more than an old

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[Hogreftan comes betwixt 'em, and drops his flick, as if absent, with great force, and they fiart.]

Hog. -Jack boot! they could not mean it!

Groot. (In a fright) Lord blefs us! I hope he has not overheard

Dag. O don't be alarmed, he thinks too much to hear any thing.

• Groot. Then I'll take care not to give him another opportunity. [Exit running. Hog. Why, Dagran, do'st thou recollect my old regimental boots, that hung across the Baron's great aunt, in the gallery thofe that I wore at my first campaign?

Dag. To be fure, your honour-I fhall never forget them! They came up (if I recollect) to your Honour's hips, and as roomy as the boot of a stage coach.

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Hog. Then thou remembereft when Count Grunderditch and Baron Filchenberg gave me a moft mortal affront by putting a leg of mutton, and other provifion, taken on our march, unperceiv'd by me,

into

into the top of them, and when I paraded into the next quarters, they tumbled out, to the confufion of the whole corps.

Dag. And how I faid upon the occafion, that fuch a gallant gentleman as Lieutenant Hogreftan-fuch a wonderful officer

Hog. Yes, who had feen fervice

Dag. Such a trict difciplinarian, fays I-attach'd to flogging from his infancy

Hog. Aye, from theory

Dag. Yes, and from practice-knows all the perfections of a foldier ; fo upright, and fo unforgiving! fo clean and fo poor; fuch a length of time in the fervice, and no promotion!

Hog. Very true, Dagran.

Dag. O, fays I, it's a mortal fhame! a leg of mutton in a foldier's boots! I am fick at the thought!

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Hog. I am obliged to thee-thou haft long been a faithful fervant to me, and interefts thyself in all my diflreffes; fo come hither! I have fomething to impart to thee of great confequence; fee that the door is fastened.

Dag. Ay, your honour, the door is fast enough—but here are fuch a damn'd number of chinks and crannies in this old manfion, that there is no certainty of not being overheard at any time-it is a rare piece of antiquity-this caftle, that's the truth on't.

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Hog. What think'st thou then of my becoming master of it?

Dag. What, by ftorm, your honour? Yes, we could foon-
Hog. No!

Dag. By fap-I remember

Hog. No, good Dagran, I mean by marriage; thy poor head is always running upon fortifications, breaft-works, horn-works, and Dag. Ay, your honour, it's all the fame thing.

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Hog. I hope not. Thy ignorance, good Dagran, faves thee from all intention of offence-however, I mutt inform thee, that there are great difficulties to ftruggle with.

Dag. So much the better for your honour's courage.

Hog. But then, Dagran, think how heavily it would fit upon a gentleman, whom fortune has long born hard upon, to be thus crossed in his affections at fifty years of age, in his firft paffion, the very infancy of his love, the very dawn of his regard

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Dag. The fecond childhood, your honour would fay.

Hog. I would not fay any fuch thing! but confider how difficult it is to attack with vigour, and yet win with gentleness; to open one's trenches, and not difcover one's weaknefs!

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Dag. Lord, your honour, don't mind, you'll difcover nothing.

Hog. Honet Dagran, thy zeal overpowers thee! thou forgetteft

that ugly wound I received in my last campaign.

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Dag. The enemy will think it an honourable mark.

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Hog. Sure thou doft not remember that

Dag. We must then give up the point.

Hog. (haking the afhes from his pipe) I have nothing left to con

fole me.

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Hog. (looking at his pipe in a melancholy pofture)—Not a fpark remaining.

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