a dozen of friends. You may pretty ward the altar, he would act in a mannearly guefs the advice I gave to this ner better becoming his profeffion, he hopeful youth; but I could get nothing interrupts me with a laugh, and a fhake from him more fatisfactory than-Well; of the hand.-Well, well, my old friend, but if every body were to do fo! but if every body were to do fo.

There is a neighbour of mine, Mr Timothy Scrip, formerly a grocer, and a very fenfible kind of nian, comings-in very great indeed. It was his misfortune to be appointed attorney to an old lady in the country who had fome property in the bank, where he ufed to go half-yearly to receive her dividend. It happened one day, that during a violent rain he was detained longer that ufual under the dome. Whether the heat of the place, and the breaths of fo many grafping brokers, gaping for an eight per cent. infected him, or whether he was bit by fome mad fpeculator, I know not, but the confequence of fomething that happened that day was, that he immediately difpofed of his shop, stock and fixtures at a very great lofs, and commenced dabbler in the funds, where his property is melting away as fast as newf paper reports can melt it. Thefe he fwallows greedily, and buys or fells by the firft paper he fees.. A thousand times have I told him that he is totally unfit for his bufinefs, and that intelligence which all poffefs, can be good for none in the way of fpeculation, but there is no perfuading him, for" if every body were to do fo!"

In this manner, fir, are all the benefits of my good advice loft upon the deaf and infenfible objects to whom I addrefs it. In this manner am I anfwered, by an if, which, to fay the leaft, is ambiguous, and may as well belong to one part of my exhortations as another. If I tell a young clergyman, that now he is in orders, and devoted to the fervice of religion, it would be as well if he did not frequent the playhouse, nor go fo frequently to balls and affemblies, that it grieves me to hear people fpeaking of what an excellent hand he is at whift, while no man mentions his dexterity at a knotty text, and that if he paid fewer adorations to the ladies, and more toVOL. LVIII.

Nay, what gave me very great uneafinefs lately, was the conduct of Mrs Arabella Gaylove, relict of my worthy friend, Mr Thomas Gaylove, of Spruce-hall, in the county of Effex, gentleman, a man whom I cannot think of without fincere regret. He was one of the few who took my advice. Indeed, I have obferved that all who did fo, are now gone to a better' world; as the epitaph fays, "God takes the good, too good on earth to stay,

And leaves the bad, too bad to take away.”

Well, fir, my honest friend Ton арpointed me one of his executors; his widow is young, beautiful and will not long be a widow. Thinking myfelf privileged to speak in a double character, both as the friend and executor of her husband, and as an old well-wisher to herfelf, I could not help humbly hinting that her fituation was a delicate one, that it was not deemed by the world in general, very confiftent with a decent refpect for the deceafed, to give routs and appear at affemblies within a month after her husband's death; that fending the two children to he nurfed and educated in a diftant part of the kingdom, was fomething like burying her husband a fecond time; that I faw no reafon why the fhould leave the family-house in Effex, for a fplendid town refidence in London, and that (here I fpoke very plain) I thought the ought to avoid every unneceffary expence, refide in the country, fuperintend the education of her children, and the management of her eftate, and truft to Providence for future bleflings-1 really believe I went too far, for the repeated my last words with an air of difdain.- Truft to Providence for future bleflings! Lord! if every body were to do fo!

I judge it quite unneceffary, fir, to enlarge my catalogue of inftances, becaufe you have already enough to fhow Y y

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how unfortunate I have been in my wellmeant endeavours to ferve man and women kind; and yet I have no doubt I fhould have in fome cafes been tolerably fuccessful, had I not been oppofed by the magic charms, which feems to be conveyed in these few words-if every body were to do fo. I have not the honour of knowing who compofed this charm, nor can I analyze the ingredients fo accurately as to know in which of them the principal virtue lies. Every body, I fhould fuppofe, had very powerful effects, but the break-off in the fentence appears to be the place where the fovereign balfam lies, as we are told that in certain manufactories, such as fugar and fnuff, all the workmen may fee the operations until a certain procefs; there the fecret begins, and that is confided only to the mafter proprietor, or a confidential deputy, who must, as I am informed, give

a fwinging price to be admitted behind the curtain. 1 have little doubt that my friends, who know the secret of the above charm, have paid handfomely for it, and cannot confequently be expected to impart it without a valuable confideration.

Notwithstanding thefe disappointments, which I have met with, in common with many other good advisers, I do not, for my own part, nor would I wish my brethren to defpair, or be difcouraged. There is an old proverb-If you throw much dirt, fome of it will stick; and I fay, let us go on giving good advice, fome of it will be taken, if not by those we give it to, perhaps by fome byeftander, to whom it may do more good. Roger Bacon tried a chemical experiment and failed, but he invented gunpowder. I am, fir, &c..

L.

THOUTGHTS ON THE VARIETIES, BOTH IN THE ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE CREATION*. THE only rule hitherto adopted by cidental deviations only from one parent naturalifts, to mark the diftinction be- animal, which they believe has origitween a fpecies and a variety, is, that nally conftituted the whole of each inthough different species of animals of the dividual fpecies; they of courfe endeafame genus may be brought to breed to- your, in moft cafes, to fix upon fome gether, (as the horse and the afs) yet the one of these varieties as having been animals thus produced, are not prolific; the original from which all the others whereas the progeny arifing from an in- have fprung. In both these last affumptermixture of different varieties of the tions, however, they seem to go farther fame fpecies, are themselves equally pro- than facts hitherto well authenticated lific as the parents from which they can authorize them. They reason, at fprang. Adhering to this rule, Dr beft, only from probabilities; from Pallas, very properly, calls all the kinds which no inferences can be admitted as of fheep yet known, only varieties of certain and as there are probabilities, the fame fpecies of animal; because he perhaps equally ftrong against the opihas found that the mixed progeny of nion they have adopted, as for it, the the whole are prolific. fafeft courfe, in this cafe, would feem Naturalifts, however, have not stop- to be, at leaft, to fufpend our opinion ped here. In their defire for fimplifi- for the prefent, and to decline drawing cation they have gone a step farther, any certain conclufion, till the facts neand are now, in general, difpofed to céffary for giving authenticity to any maintain, that all the varieties proper- opinion fhall have been fully afcertained. ly fo called, have been produced by ac

Buffon, who is the leaft fcrupulous of all modern naturalifts, has been the moft forward to decide in this, as in many other cafes. He does not fo much as condefcend to admit that there

can be a doubt in this cafe; but on all that exceeds even fome of the human occafions affumes it as a certainty, that race f. Some varieties of dogs take all the varieties of one fpecies have been to the water eafily, while others avoid derived from one parent; and boldly it with much care. Some only howl, raifes, upon that fuppofition, many practical inferences, which, if his theory fhould prove to be unfounded, might lead to very important errors; fo that it is not a matter of idle curiofity to in. veftigate this question.

like the hound; others bark almost inceffantly, as the lap dog; others, like the greyhound, feldom let their voice be heard; and others are entirely mute. This flight sketch ought to be fufficient to make one hesitate in admitting, without proof, that fuch prodigious diverfities fhould all have been the progeny of one common parent.

Among the varieties of the fame fpecies of animals, we find very great and striking diversities in refpect to fize, qualities, appearance, natural inftincts, Were thefe diverfities only cafual and and faculties. Between the largest fiz- apt to vary, it might be more ealy for ed mastiff dog, for example, and the us to give faith to the hypothefis; but fmalleft lap dog, when both are well this is not the cafe. Experience has fed, and at full growth, the difference fully proved, that any one breed may is not, I fhould fuppofe, lefs than as be kept perfectly uncontaminated for any ten to one of abfolute weight. The length of time, with all its distinctive hound, properly fo called, poffeffes the peculiarities entire, merely by preventing fenfe of fmelling in the highest perfec- an intermixture by copulation. Nor is tion, so that he purfues his game inva- this all it is also known, that if fuch riably by the scent. The gaze hound, intermixture be permitted, the defcendon the other hand, is perfectly deftitute ants will undoubtedly be a mixed breed, of that fenfe in regard to the difcrimi- evidently participating of the qualities nation of game, and pursues it invariably by the eye only; whence his name. The pointer and the fpaniel, though both poffeffing the sense of smelling, in great perfection, as well as the hound, are endowed with inftincts very different; and exercife the fenfe of fmell each in a way peculiar to its kind. The pointer and the fhepherd's dog can be each taught their leffon in their own ftyle with equal facility; but the one can never be brought farther than to act by a fort of mechanical impulfe, fteadily to one point; while the other can be taught to act, in fome meafure, like a reafoning animal, who is authorized to his conduct as circumstances. revary

quire; and does fo, accordingly, in fome cafes, with a cautious difcretion,

Here a distinction takes place, fomewhat analogous to what is obferved to take place among men, with refpect to the difcrimina. tion of mufical founds. A man may have the fenfe of hearing fufficiently acute, yet be totally deftitute of an ear for mufic. The greyhound too poffeffes, I believe, the fenfe of felling in fome cafes fufficienly frong, yet he is not able, by that means, to trace his game.

and appearances of both its parents. Between a hound and a grey-hound, a mongrel breed is obtained which poffeffes the fenfe of fmelling, though in a

Of the fagacity of dogs many instances might be adduced: but none that I have ever met with can equal the following inftances of the fagacity of a fhepherd's dog; the owner himself having been hanged fome years ago for fheep ftealing, the following facts, among others respecting the dog, were anthenticated by evidence on his trial.When the man intended to steal any sheep, dog to perform the bufinefs. With this view, be did not do it himself, but detached his under pretext of looking at the sheep, with an intention to purchase them, he went through the flock with his dog at his foot, to whom he fecretly gave a fignal fo as to let him know the individuals he wanted, to the

number of perhaps ten or twelve, out of a flock of fome hundreds; he then went away, and from a distance of feveral miles fent back the dog by himself, in the night time, who picked out the individual fheep that had been pointed out to him, feparated them from the flock, and drove them before him by himfelf. for the diftance of ten or twelve, miles, till he came up with his mafter, to whom he delivered up his charge.

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In one clafs, for example, among which may be ranked the common potatoe, we find that plants, obtained from feeds, are difpofed to fport infinitely; and none of the progeny can ever be expected to be found exactly of the fame kind with the parent flock; fo that if that ftock be not propagated otherwife than by feeds, it will be loft never to be recovered. Many plants belong to this clafs, as pinks, carnations," &c.

Jefs degree than one, and the facul- are called varieties, very great diverfity of fleetnefs in a lefs degree than ties, fo as to constitute feveral distinct the other of its parents; and its whole claffes. external appearance evidently indicares, at first fight, the compound of the ftock whence it has defcended. The fame thing is obfervable in every o ther mongrel breed; and after the diftinctive qualities have been thus blended together, it does not feem poffible ever to feparate them, fo as to ob tain once more a breed from that progeny, which fhall poffefs the original qualities of either of the parents pure. This may be indeed nearly affected, by croffing repeatedly with a pure individual of the unmixed breed, through many generations; by which means the qualities which were once equally blended, will become fo unequally mixed, as that one of them fhall not be difcernible; just as an equal mixture of milk and water might, by frequent additions of pure water, have the milk fo much diluted as to be totally imperceptible.

Another clafs of plants, which are equally ftyled varieties, are not liable to fport, or indeed to intermingle at all in breeding, but continue to propagate their own kind by feeds without variation. No man, I believe, ever had a white pea from a gray, or a gray from a white. If white peas perfectly unmixed with gray are fown, it is well known the whole of the produce will be white, and so of gray. Many plants alfo belong to this clafs.

Now, in this laft cafe, whether is it more natural for me to fuppofe, when I fee two fluids, milk and water, perfectly A third clafs, like that of animals, diftinct, that thefe fluids were original- may be raised by feeds, either pure and ly feparate and diftinct things; or to unadulterated, or mixed and of a monbelieve that both the milk and the wa- grel breed, at pleasure. Cabbages after had been the fame thing original ford a noted inftance of this kind. ly, and by fome wonderful procefs, of White or red cabbages may be reared. which we had feen no example, but from feeds without degenerating, for much the reverfe, had fpontaneously fe- any length of time, if the two kinds parated, and in time become two dif- be kept at a great diftance from each ftinct fluids, both of which we are fure other; but fhould a white cabbage be inevitably to lofe, if ever they fhall be allowed to perfect its feeds in the neighfuffered to mix together again? The bourhood of red cabbages producing production of diftinct breeds of animals feeds at the fame time, a mongrel kind is equally contradictory to the whole of would rife from these feeds, which the experience we have had in the would not be pure white, nor diftin& breeding of domeftic animals. It is red, but a pale red compounded of the eafy for us, when we pleafe, to adulte- two. Early and late cabbages, which rate any breed; but it totally exceeds are very diffinguishable from each other our power, after fuch adulteration, to in feveral refpects, befide earlinefs, are recover the pure breed again. adulterated in the fame manner. voys in like manner may be blended thus alfo with cabbages or other greens. In fhort, the peculiarities affecting this clafs of plants, are precifely fimilar to

If, with a view to enlarge our ideas on this head, we go to vegetables; in regard to the varieties of which, philofophers entertain nearly the fame opinions, we fhall find among thofe that

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affecting different breeds of dogs, and naturalifts, without one symptom of heother animals; fo that when once a firation. mongrel breed has been obtained, there is no recovering the true fort, but by a freth importation of uncontaminated feeds, though the mongrel fort may be preferved as long as you pleafe by propagating it by itself.

The inference I would draw from thefe facts, (and other claffes of plants might be named) is, that fince we find naturalifts have overlooked fome very obvious peculiarities of plants, which affect thofe diverfities that have been called varieties, they may have, in like manner, overlooked other peculiarities that may occafion striking diverfities among animals, which have been called varieties: and as this fubject has never yet been thoroughly inveffigated, it behoves us to be cautious in admitting general conclufions.

The fhepherd's dog Buffon confiders as the parent ftock from which all the different varieties have been produced, by a change of climate, education, food, and other circumftances. "This animall," he obferves, "ftill continues pretty nearly in its original state among the poor in temperate climates. Being tranfported into colder regions, he be comes fmaller, as among the Laplanders; but becomes more perfect in Iceland, Ruffia, and Siberia, where the climate is lefs rigorous, and the people more civilized."-But if there is a difference in the dogs of these countries, it can scarcely be owing to the cause affigned, as the climate of Lapland, is as mild as that of a great part of Siberia, and the inhabitants, perhaps, more civilized.

"The fhepherd's dog," he farther obferves, "if tranfported to temperate climates, and among people entirely civilized, fuch as England, France, or Germany, becomes divefted of his favage air, his pricked ears, his long thick hair, and from the influence of climate and education will become a bull-dog, a mastiff, a beagle, or a hound.”—But if this were the cafe, whence should it happen that we in Britain have the race of thepherds' dogs in as great perfection as any where elfe, and the maltiff, bull dog, hound, &c. in equal perfection; and can preferve the breeds of each of thefe kinds as diftinct from one another, as if they had been bred in the moft diftant corners of the earth?

With regard to dogs, which as being well known to every one, are a fit object for illustration, we fee, that let a fmall lap dog, and a large mastiff be fed with the fame food, and tended with the fame care, the one difcovers no fymptoms of increafing in fize or diminishing it more than the other. Let them be carried from one country to another, they equally preferve their original diftinctive qualities, without any farther change than the climate may perhaps produce; which equally feems to affect all the varieties of this animal; never was there adopted an hypothefis more truly abfurd than that of Buffon in this refpect: nor was there ever made fuch a barefaced attempt to try how far the credulity of mankind could lead them aftray in deference to a great name, in direct contradiction to facts which fall immediately under the cognizance of every man who pleafes but to open his eyes, and look right before him, as in thofe bold and unfounded affertions which he has been pleased to make, with regard to the transformation of "The hound," he farther obferves, dogs, from one variety into another. "if tranfported into Spain or Barbary, Yet thefe opinions have been inadvert- where the hair of all animals becomes ently tranfcribed many times by learned foft and long, will be converted into the

The hound, the terrier, and small fpotted fetting dog, he confiders as of the fame family; and afferts, that they are often all produced at the fame litter, although the bitch fhould have been covered with only one kind of dog.-I afk the reader, if ever he knew a fingle inftance where this happened?

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