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METHOD OF MAKING INDIAN PAPER.

The

THE practice is to build of brick, lined with plafter, two vats rather larger than the inter ded furface of the paper; between these vats is erected a stove, with two inclining fides, each fide fomething larger than the fheet of paper; they are covered with a fine polifhed ftucco, and heated by a small fire. mould is fufpended by pulleys faftened to the ceiling; and to the end of the cords is attached a counterpoife, nearly equal to the weight of the mould. Two men lifting the mould out of the vat, turn it and apply it, together with the stuff for the theet, to the fmooth furface of the ftove, at the fame time preffing out a great part of th mofture; the heat of the wall foon evaporates the reft, and the operation is fifhed; and as the stove is furnished with two polifhed fides, and there are two vats, the fame operation is performed by two other men at the other vat, and one fire ferves.

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METHOD OF TAKING SPOTS OUT OF CLOATHS AND

FURNITURE.

TO accomplish this, nothing more is neceffary but to expofe the mark to be acted upon by diluted muriatic acid: (fp. of falt of the fhops) but as the acid is not always of the fame ftrength, no certain rule can be laid down with regard to its dilution. The best way of conducting the operation is, to mark a bit of cloth or of wood, according to the subject to be cleaned, with ruft, or ink, according as the mark to be removed, is the one, or other, by letting a little ink dry upon it, or, if it be the former, a little folution of copperas may be dropped upon it, and fuffered to dry, by which it will acquire the appearance and quali ties of an iron mark: It may now be put into a diluted muriatic acid, and if the mark be removed, and the cloth or wood be not corroded, the acii is of a proper ftrength, but if the mark be not removed, the acid is too weak, and must be made ftronger; or if the cloth or wood be corroded, it is too strong and more water must be added.

When we have a fi fficient quantity of acid of a proper ftrength, if the fubject to be cleaned be a garment, it may be dipped into it, without any fear of its being corroded, and let it remain until the mark difappear which will be in a few minutes. If the fubject be of wood, the acid may be poured upon it, and rubbed with the finger, with a bit of fpung, or of rag, until the mark difappear, which will be longer, or fhorter, according to the length of time the mark has been there, and according to the nature of the wood it is upon.

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In this manner the fineft cloth; or piece of furniture, may be cleaned without destroying the fubftance of the one, or the finest polish of the other; if the procefs be properly managed.

We must always be fure, by previous trial, that the acid is of proper ftrength; and, if it be neceffary to add fome more ftrong acid during the cleanfing, it will be neceffary to remove the fubj &t, for fear of being corroded, by the strong acid falling upon it undiluted.

Although marine acid is the beft for this purpose, any of the other acids, even the nitrous, or vitriolic, may be ufed, if properly diluted.

The theory in both cafes is the fame; when the ruft is removed, being a clx of iron it is diffolved, as in this ftate it is eafieft &ted upon by acids: when ink is removed, the fame thing happens viz. the calx of iron, which is the colouring matter of ink, is diffolved, the aftringent matter remaining behind, being colouriefs, is not oblerved.

A CORRESPONDENT.

SCOTS MAGAZIN E,

For MARCH 1796.

THE LIFE OF BUCHANAN.

WO centuries before the time of means to restore his health. As foon

Lomond Loch, was honoured by the birth of that distinguished hiftorian and poet George Buchanan.

This great man's life, which was extended to the age of feventy-fix, feems much of it to have been spent in fruggles against poverty, or in efcapes from perfecution; and at every interval betwixt them, and fometimes actually beneath their preffure, in uncommon exertions of genius and literary talents.

He was born at Killairn in Dumbartonfhire, February 1506, of a family rather ancient than opulent. His father died of the ftone, in the flower of his age his grandfather furvived a fhort time; but his affairs fuffered bankruptcy before his decease. Buchanan's mother was left in circumftances of extreme distress; a widow with eight children, five of whom were fons. James Heriot, their natural uncle, encouraged by the fair promife of George's childhood at fchool, fent him to Paris to complete his education. The younger udents in that univerfity being then chiefly exercifed in poetical compofition, Buchanan tells us, that he spent much of his time in writing verses: partly from duty, and partly from the uife of nature. Compelled by the de th of the uncle and his own want both of health and money, he returned home to his country in 1520, fter a refdence of about two years at Paris.

Almost a year now elapfed in ufing

made a

paign with the French auxiliaries in the rank of a common foldier, under the Duke of Albany, Viceroy of Scotland; his country being at that time engaged in a war with England. The hardfhips of a military life proving highly prejudicial to his health, he quitted it, and, according to Moreri, took the habit of St Francis; but this stop seems attributed to him without foundation; as neither Buchanan himself, nor any other of his biographers, mentions it.. Reafon, however, wil! appear, in the courfe of this account, for fuppofing him well acquainted, if no way particularly connected with that Order,

In the fpring of 1524, he was fint to the University of St Andrew's, to study logic under the celebrated John Major*, whom he reprefents as a fophift. The. next year, however, whether from intereft or literary attachment, he followed his tutor to Paris, where he became partial to the doctrines of Luther. He now ftruggled with his adverse fortune for about the space of two years; but was at length received into the college of St Barbe at Paris; where he prefided over the clafs of grammar till the year 1529.

We find him next under the protection of the Earl of Caffillis. This nobleman, pleafed with his converfation

* He had been feveral years lecturer in philofophy and fcholaftic divinity at St. Andrew's Many of his fcholars were much diftinguished among the literati of that age.

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five years, partly in France and partly
in his native country. During this con-
nection he tranflated Linacer's Rudi-
ments of English Grammar into Latin,
and dedicated this performance to his
patron.

and admiring his talents, retained him from his bed-chamber window, and, thus managing to elude his guard, took refuge in England*. This happened in 1539. But his ftay there was of very fhort continuance. Difcouraged by the ftate of public affairs in England, and finding, from Henry the Eighth's inconfiftency of character and conduct, that Papifts and Lutherans were fometimes dragged together to the fame stake, he fled, in the course of that year, to Paris. Unfortunately for our poet, Cardinal Beaton, in the mean time, was engaged on an embaffy from Scotland to the Court of France. Buchanan, therefore, haftened from the capital as privately as he could to the city of Bourdeaux, where he had been before invited by Andreas Govea, a learned Portuguese, and with whom he was immediately chofen to partake the province of claffical instruction in the public fchools. Here he taught for three years.

After the death of the Earl of Caffillis, Buchanan in 1534, whilst meditating another journey into France in order to profecute his ftudies, was detained by James I. as preceptor to his natural fon, who afterwards became Prior of St Andrew's, then Earl of Murray, and, on the dethronement of Mary, Queen of Scots, Regent of the kingdom. Buchanan's strong and lafting partiality to this pupil explains, in a great measure, thofe virulent and ungrateful invectives against the unfortunate Queen, which many writers of Scottish history have fo loudly complain

ed of.

Difgufted at the irregularities of the Francifcans, he had, in fome moment of leifure, probably about this time, compofed his "Somnium," a little elegy, in which he reprefents St Francis as foliciting him to enter into the fraternity. The poet rejects the propofal with a farcaftic difdain, which greatly irritated the Order against him, and they are faid to have accused him of atheism.

At the inftigation of the King, who fufpected the Francifcans of a confpiracy against his life, Buchanan was unwillingly induced to attack them with his pen once more; he did it, however, with an ambiguity which took off much of the fatiric edge of his poem. But the King was not fatisfied till Buchanan had lashed them without mercy in his prolix, but animated fatire, entitled

Francifcani," which, the more completely to gratify his Royal Mafter's revenge, he was fome time after obliged to publifh. Buchanan learning at Court that the Friars meditated fchemes against his perfonal fafety, and Cardinal Beaton was making a pecuniary bargain for his life with the King, efcaped

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It was during this period, partly in compliance with a custom of the inftitution, which required annually from the Masters, certain Latin compofitions, that he wrote his four tragedies, "The Baptifta," "Medea," " Jephthe," and "Alceftis," published at different times, fome years afterwards. His principal object in thefe dramas, the first and third of which are originally written by himself on the Grecian model, and the other two tranflated from Euripides, was to discountenance au inordinate paffion, then perhaps prevalent, for allegories, and to introduce a better taste. The chalte compofition, elegancet, and general purity of style, difplayed in these pieces, gained him much reputation as

*He fays in his own Life," Betonium a Rege pecunia vitam ejus mercari." This, if the King confented, was ingratitude of the deepest dye, and furely of no royal fort.

+ To fay, with fome of his panegyrifts, that his Latin was, without exception, pure, would certainly be going too far; though it may well be queftioned, whether any of his numerous learned contemporaries, who, like himfelf, wrote almoft wholly in Latin, have furpaffed him in the article of purity.

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a poet, which his Odes, his tranflation Scotland, moreover, in 1542, and circumftances in confequence of it, contributed to divert the Cardinal's attention.

of the Pfalms, his Satires, Elegies, Silva, Hendecafyllables, Iambics, his three books of Epigrams, one of Mifcellanies, and five on the Sphere, con- During the next four years, Buchantributed fill to augment. Indeed, the an gives no account of his own life, and fublime tone and genuine language of thofe memoirs which have been offered lyric poetry, the tenderness and pathos, by different authors to fupply the chafmn, of the elegiac fong, the praife of the are found, upon comparison with each Deity, the beft fubjects of either, a other, either inconfiftent or improbable. beautiful variety and appropriate choice The learned editor of his works at of numbers, all fuccefsfully united in Edinburgh, in 1715, in his notes on his Paraphrafe of the Pfalms, to give the Life written by Buchanan himself, to these charming pieces the air and va- after having examined the various aclue of originals; and this work alone counts, is able to conclude nothing from had been fufficient to procure him im- them, but that our illuftrious author mortality of fame among the bards of spent the four years in question, in difany age. In the other fpecies of poetry above-mentioned, in which he has left behind him fuch ample fpecimens, let it fuffice to fay, that he has happily adopted the manner of the ancients, and that their spirit characteriftically animates them.

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It happened at our Poet's firft eftablifhment at Bourdeaux, that Charles the Fifth paffed through that city. Buchanan, as one of the rectors of the fchool, was appointed to addrefs the Emperor in a Latin poem, in which the greatness and fame of this Prince were fo handfomely celebrated, that he only rewarded the poet, but his account, to exprefs a more partial regard for the inhabitants, to whom he promised his favour and pro

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But all his genius, learning, and merit were infufficient to avert, or to alley the malice of offended power. Cardinal Beaton had been exerting his influence with the Archbishop of Bourdeaux to have him apprehended. This revenge, however, was feafonably fruftrated by Buchanan's friends, into whofe hands Beaton's letters to the Archbishop had fallen. The death of the King of

In hoc argumento facilè omnibus palpræripuit Buchananus." Duport, Præf. ad Græc. Pfalmorum Metaphrafin.

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Buchananus unus eft in totâ Europâ, omes poft fe relinquens in Latina poefi. ligeriana, p. 75, Edit. Colon. 1695. VOL. LVIII.

ferent parts of France, fometimes in the capital, and fometimes in the provinces, cultivating acquaintance with the most learned men of that country, and af fifting them occafionally in their lectures, aud other literary engagements. About the year 1544, he is fuppofed, with confiderable probability, to have been connected with the famous Adrian Turnebus + and Muretus ‡, in the College of Cardinal Le Moine, at Paris.

In the year 1546, his old friend Govea was commiffioned by the King of Portugal, to invite able teachers of philofophy and claffical literature, to cftablish themselves in the University of Coimbra. Among others, he made the

†Turnbull. He was defcended from an

ancient family in Scotland, which was called

by this name from one of his ancestors, hav

ing probably faved the life of King Robert

furiously to attack him. His father was a
Bruce, by turning afide a wild buil running
Scottish gentleman in the French Guards.
Scaliger fays of Adrian Turnbull, that he

was the greatest and most learned man of his
time. He died in 1565, in the 53d year of

his age, fo much regretted in the Republic of Letters, that not less than five hundred epitaphs and elegies were publifhed in his honour, fhortly after his death, by his learned contemporaries. Some Author, I think, has

faid of him, that a man equally profound in literature, does not arife once in a thoufand ycars.

Muretus was among the most eminent as a critic and philologer; fo that the triumvirate must have formed one of the brightest conftellations in our literary hemisphere. Y King's

King's propofal to Buchanan, who very He now greatly defired to return to willingly closed with it, as offering him France, and earneftly folicited a paffa quiet retreat, and that in a fociety of port and neceffaries for his journey. feveral of his friends, for the cultivation The King, perfuaded of his uncommon of letters, in almoft the only corner of merit, endeavoured to detain him in Europe at that time free from foreign Portugal, and, to tempt his stay, held or domeftic wars. out to him profpects of honourable advancement; allowing him, however, in the mean time, but a flender provifion for his daily fuftenance. After having been for feveral months encouraged by falfe hopes of a certain and permanent fituation, chagrined and tired out by delay, he was determined to yield no longer to obftacles thrown in the way

In 1547, this learned coterie embarked for Portugal; and here our author's affairs profpered, till the death of Govea, who lived only about a year after they had quitted France.

tunity of a Cretan veffel ready to fail for England, in 1552, he embarked without permiffion, and landed in this country.

He did not liften to any propofals made for his continuance in England, amidst the confufions which prevailed during the minority of Edward VI. but after a very short stay here, he fulfilled his original defign of going to France, and remained two years at Paris. During this vifit, he published his Alceftis, and wrote his "Fratres Fraterrimi,"

How prematurely are our beft purposes of happiness often thwarted! Buchanan had now, bereft of his friend and protector, to combat the tyranny of his departure, and feizing the opporand fuperftition of Monks. A monfter that ate flesh in Lent, and dared to imagine that St Auftin's opinions favoured the common fenfe of the Protef tants, more than certain extravagant doctrines of the Catholics; an impious wretch who could difcover no metamorphofis in the elements of the Eucharift; and one, above all, from whofe eye the hypocrify of Francifcans could neither veil their ignorance nor their vices, was fure not to want enemies at that time in Portugal. Through the influence of the Monks, Buchanan was imprifoned in one book, confifting of Epigrams, a year and a half in the Inquifition. Delivered from thence, he was fent to a monaftery, to be better inftructed in the principles of the Catholic faith. But arriving at no conviction in its favour, and vainly endeavouring, in his turn, to enlighten those whom he found to comprehend nothing of the genuine fpirit of Chrift's religion, he grew weary of his fituation; although he acknowledges, the particular friars of that convent to have been neither bad men, nor to have wanted kindness towards him. To amufe the ennui of his confinement, he here wrote a confiderable part of his inimitable version of the pfalms. Some have afferted, that this task was enjoined him as a penance for his heterodoxy, and that, fascinated by the divine mufic of his lyre, the Monks of the cloyfter rewarded him with his liberty. Be the caufe what it might, he at length ob

tained it.

and smaller poems, in various metres, meant chiefly to fatirize lazy Monks, fuperftitious Priefts, and even Popes themselves. Among thefe we find his "Somnium," fpoken of above, and which feems to have been the primary cause of half the vexations and unpleafant occurrences of his life.

Charles de Coffi, Marefchal de Briffac, conceiving very highly of his talents, from his tragedy of Jephthe, published at Paris about a year after his Alceftis, induced him, in 1555, to undertake the education of his fon, Timoleon de Coffi, and for that purpose, to accompany him into Piedmont. According to Brantôme, Buchanan" fucceeded not ill in this task; for we are informed by that author, that he rendered his pupil fufficiently learned to qualify him properly for military life, in which his father was chiefly ambitious of advancing him to honour. Our pre

ceptor,

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