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CIRCUITS.

Sept. 16. The Circuit Court was opened at Aberdeen on Friday laft, by the Right Hon. the Lord Methven; when came on the trials of

Ann Simpson, accused of drowning her own fon, a boy about eight years of age-The Jury found the libel proven, but found that he was infane prior to and at the time of committing the crime; and fhe was fentenced to be confined in the tolbooth of Banff during all the days of her life.

William Stewart, accused of affault, and Barbara Scorgie, accused of childmurder-The diet against them was deferted pro loco et tempore.

24. The Court was opened at Ayr by the Right Hon. Lords Swinton and Dunfinnan, who procceded to try an indict ment against William M'Neight, late in Benaires, in the parish of Symington, and George M'Neight his fog, accufed of theft. George M'Neight the fon failed to appear, and fentence of outlawry was pronounced against him; and the father being found guilty upon his own confeflion, was fentenced to tranfportation for fourteen years, under the ufual certification.

26. The Court was opened at Invernefs by the Right Hon. Lord Efkgrove. Ewen Cameron and Angus Roy Mackin, mon, accused of deforcement were tried. The Jury, by a plurality of voices, finding them Not Guilty, they were affoilzied fimpliciter, and difmiffed from the bar. -William Mackay, accused of theft, was found Guilty by his own confeffion, and banished Scotland for fourteen years. -Dugald Cameron, John Cameron, and Malcolm M'Millan, accufed of deforcement. The diet against Dugald Cameron was deferted pro loco et tempore, and John Cameron and Malcolm M'Millan were outlawed for not appearing.

Oct. 1. The Circuit Court of Jufticiary was opened at Dumfries yesterday by the Right Hon. Lord Swinton, and proceeded to the trial of William Anderson, alias William Scott, journeyman weaver there, accused of the crime of theft. He was found guilty upon his own confeffion, and this day fentenced to tranf portation for seven years, under the u fual certification. There was no other

bulinefs before the Court.

6. The Circuit Court of Jufticiary was opened at Jedburgh yesterday by the Right Hon. Lord Swinton. There was

no criminal bufinefs before the Court, which met to-day and difcuffed two appeals in civil cafes.

APPEAL.

Oct. 24. Counfel were heard in an appeal from the Court of Seffion, wherein the Earl of Wemyfs was appellant, and Sir A. Hope refpondent. Ordered the former decree to be affirmed, with 100l. costs.

THE month of October has proved very favourable for the fowing of wheat, and raifing the potatoe crop. A greater fearcity of water has feldom been experienced at this season in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. The markets continue high, beft beef and mutton 441. pork 6d. Fish continue to be fearce, excepting herrings, which are becoming plenty, and felling at 7 a penny.

The report for England ftates, that the crops of every kind of grain have been fecured in fine condition, and fuch plentiful ones are not remembered. This obfervation applies to Great Britain generally. The prices of grain still, however, keep up in many markets, though the average price for England and Wales is fallen within the month from 75s. 6d. to 64s. 7d. and when the demand for feed corn is over, a greater fall may be reasonably expected. The fallows for wheat fowing have also been improved by the fame cause, and afford a flattering prefage of another good crop. The Smithfield markets have fallen lately; ftore ftock felt a depreffion in confequence. Beef fells at this time in Smithfield from 38. 4d. to 48. per stone. Mutton from 4s. to 4s. 6d. Wool looks up again on the profpect of a Spanish war. Hops have fallen fhort.

(The Lifts will be given next month.)

Prices of Grain at Haddington, O&. 28.
Wheat, 28s. Barley, 24s. Oats, 175.
Beane 18s.

Peafe, 20s.

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Sold by JAMES WATSON & Co, No 40. South Bridge;
And by the Principal Bookfellers in Town and Country
By ALLEN & WEST, No 16. Paternofter-row, London.

NEW INVENTIONS.

CAST IRON BRIDGE.

THE Bridge lately thrown over the river Wear, in the vicinity of Sunder. land, is undoubtedly fuperior to any thing of the kind at prefent in Europe.— It confifts of one fpacious arch, 236 feet in fpan, and a hundred in height: the navigation is by no means impeded, as fhips of confiderable breadth can fail under it, without lowering their top-mafts; the buttreffes are of stone, the bridge itself of cast iron, excepting a fmall proportion, which is wrought; the boldnefs and elegance of the defign, equally gratifies and furprizes every judicious and every curious beholder; and has been executed at the expence of about 25,cool. of which fum 19,000l. has been advanced by Mr Burden, of Castle Eden, M. P.

COFFINS.

MR GABRIEL AUGHTIE, of Cheapfide, filed a patent, on the 20th of July, for making coffins in fuch a manner that they cannot be cut, broke, or by any means opened, thereby preventing the ftealing of dead bodies. He conftructs his coffins of any kind of wood. The fides without faw-curfs, He then faftens, by means of fcrews, nails, or rivets, in the infide, flat plates, and angle plates made of steel, iron, or other metal, by which the fides and bottom are firmly bound together. The top is faftened down by means of feveral fprings, which let and falten themselves into metal boxes fixed at the top of the fides; and, alfo, by means of screws of a particultr conftruction, which pass into and through plates of iron'that are fixed to the upper edge of the fides, and to the circumference of the lid. The particular construction of the screws is in the head of them, which is formed of oppofitive bevels, fome of two, and others of four bevels, and, therefore, can only be turned one way, and no instrument can take hold of them fo as to turn them back again; they are, moreover, to be screwed into fockets, with their heads below the furface of the lid, and the hole filled with wood the fame as the coffin.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The advertisement from Philo-Scuticus was too late, it fhall have a place on the: Cover of next number.

Ludis' Poem is too indelicate for publication.

Verus received.

ERRATA.

Page 661. col. 1. line 1. for tournalist read journalist

line 29. for Fauftus read Foreftus

col. 2. line 12. for is the annual return, read is the cause of the an

nual return,

line 19. for mild read millet

line 29. for De Tol's Memoirs read Dè Tot's Memoirs and expunge fays

Page 662. line 10. from foot for muterical read material

SCOTS MAGAZINE,

For NOVEMBER 1796.

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SOME ACCOUNT OF DR TOBIAS SMOLLETT.
F the numbers of learned and in-
genious men who have benefited
the prefent age by their studies, and ad-
ded to the reputation of Great Bri-
tain by their writings, few will be found
more deferving of biographical notice
than the fubject of this narrative, whe-
ther we consider the utility and elegance
of his literary compofitions, the force
and vivacity of his mind, or the difinter-
eftedness and independence of his fpirit.
Of the perfonal hiftory of Smollett,
lefs is known than his rank in English
literature, might give reafon to expect.
It is faid, and probably with fome truth,
that the chief incidents in the early
part of his life were given to the world
in his novel of "Roderick Random."
Dr.Smollett was born in the old houfe of
Dalquhurn, contiguous to the village of
Rentoun, in the parifh of Cradroís, coun-
ty of Dumbarton in 1720. He was
the grand-fon of Sir James Smollett
of Bonhill, Bart. a gentleman of con-
fiderable property in that county, a
member of the laft Scotch Parliament,
and a Commiffioner for framing the
Treaty of Union. The father of To-
bias being a younger fon, received,
according to the cuftom of the coun-
try, only a small fhare of Sir James'
fortune; and, dying at an early age, left
his family, confifting of two fons and a
daughter, in circumftances not the most
affluent. The two brothers received
the rudiments of their education in the
fchool of Dumbarton. The elder, whofe
name was James, was bred a foldier, but
died at an early age. Tobias, the young-
er, was educated in the medical line,
ferved an apprenticeship to a furgeon in
Glafgow, whofe character he is fuppo-
fed to have drawn under the name of
Crab, in his "Roderick Random." He
Vol. LVIL

was afterwards fent to the Univerfity of
Edinburgh. While there he was tempted
to try his powers in dramatic poetry,
and wrote, in his eighteenth year, a
tragedy, called "The Regicide; or,
James the Firft of Scotland," founded
on the ftory of the affaffination of that
monarch, by his uncle Walter Stuart,
Earl of Errol, in 1437. In 1739,
when only 19 years of age, he went to
London. On his arrival there, his
tragedy, he tells us in the preface,
taken into the protection of one of those
little fellows, who is fometimes called
great men, and, like other orphans,
neglected accordingly." His firft out-
fet in the world appears to have been
as a furgeon's mate in the navy. In
this capacity he ferved in the fleet, un-
der Admiral Vernon, at the fiege of
Carthagena, in 1741, the particulars
of which he defcribes in "Roderick
Random" with fo much life.

He is fuppofed to have been the Editor of "A Compendium of Authentic Voyages, digested in a Chronological Series," 7 vols. 12mo. 1756. His firft publication that is known with certainty, is, "The Advice and Reproof," two fatires, printed in 1746 and 1747. In the fame year, he expreffed his indignation at the feverities exercifed upon the Highlanders, by the royal army, after the battle of Culloden, in an exquifite ode, intituled, "The Tears of Scotland." In 1748, he published his "Adventures of Roderick Random," in 2 vols. 12mo. an hiftorical novel, executed, he tells us in the preface, upon the plan of Le Sage, in his "Adventures of Gil Blas." The fuccefs which attended this novel encouraged him to exercife his abilities in that fpecies of

com

compofition; and, in 1751, he publish ed The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle," in 4 vols. 12mo. in which he introduced the Memoirs of the celebrated Lady Vane, the materials of which, it is faid, fhe herself furnished. This episode, which he received a very handsome reward for inferting, excited much attention, and contributed greatly to its fuccefs. About this time, having obtained the degree of Doctor of Phyfic, he fettled as a phyfician at Bath, and with that view, he published "An Effay on the External Ufe of Water, in a Letter to Dr ——, with particular Remarks upon the prefent Method of ufing the Mineral Waters at Bath, in Somersetshire, and a Plan for rendering them more Safe, Agreeable, and Efficacious," 4to. 1752. This is the only profeffional work which is known to have proceeded from his pen.

--

In 1743, he published his " Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom," in 2 vols. 12mo. This novel was not fo generally read, on its first appearance, and has not fince obtained fuch an extenfive popularity as his "Roderick Random," and "Peregrine Pickle."

In 1755, he published a new tranflation of "The Hiftory of the Renowned Don Quixote, from the Spanish of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra; with fome account of the Author's Life.

In 1756, he began the "Critical Review, or Annals of Literature," which he conducted, with much ability, till 1763, but with a degree of acrimony that involved him in a variety of difputes. The most serious in its confequences, was his difpute with Admiral Knowles, who had published a pamphlet in defence of his conduct in the expedition to Rochfort, The confequence was, that a profecution was immediately commenced against Smollett, and he was fined 100l. and fentenced to three months imprisonment in the King's Bench prifon. His fpirited conduct on this occafion, however, gained him much credit and applaufe.

In 1757, his comedy of "The Reprifal; or, the Tars of Old Eng

land," an after-piece of two acts, was performed at Drury-Lane theatre, and met with fuccefs; yet not equal to its merit. In 1758, he gave to the world his "Complete Hiftory of England, deduced from the defcent of Julius Cæfar, to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748," in 4 vols.4to. The fale was very extenfive, and he is faid to have cleared 2000l. by it, and the "Continuation, &c." which followed, in 4 vols. 8vo. 1762, and i vol. 8vo. 1765. He was concerned, in 1762, in a periodical paper, called "The Britain," in oppofition to which Mr Wilkes published his " North Bri tain."

Affiduous application to ftudy, having impared his health, which had been weakly from his infancy, he went abroad, with a view to re-establish it, in June 1763, and continued in France and Italy about two years. He wrote an account of his "Travels through France and Italy," in a series of Letters to fome friends, which were pu blished in 1766.

In 1769, he again entered the thorny paths of political difcuffion, and pu blifhed his "Adventures of an Atom," in 2 vols. 12mo. a political romance.

In 1771, he published his "Expe dition of Humphry Clinker," in 3 vols. 12mo. where, under the character of Matthew Bramble, he inferted the ob fervations he had made on a visit to his native country, and described the scenes of his infancy. He died foon after the publication of it.

in

Smollett was a man of the most polished manners, and finest address, talents which feldom fail to recommend the phyfician; but with thefe he pof feffed a pride which counteracted their influence. His mind was chiefly turn ed to the ftudy of life and manners, delineating of which he is, perhaps, fur paffed by few. As a hiftorian, he may be inferior to Hume and Ro bertson in refinement of thought, and political obfervation; but when the fubject leads to defcription, or to the delineation of character, his powers ap

pear

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