Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

residence in London, that he produced his tragedies*, which, after all, are rather poems than tragedies. Now it really appears to us, that unless in the plot, which is singularly interesting and well-conducted, Douglas displays few of the appropriate merits of tragedy. There are none of those deep views of human nature, none of those sudden turns and fluctuations of passion, which form the life of this species of composition. The impassioned scenes, not excepting even the celebrated recognition, appear to us cold.There are in return, indeed, many passages displaying the highest picturesque and poetical beauty. This combination of a novel and most interesting plot, with very fine descriptive poetry, have buoyed up this tragedy, and will doubtless continue to buóy it up.Still, however, they seem to have been barely sufficient to atone for the dramatic deficiences. When, therefore, in the succeeding plays, these deficiences remained, while the merits suffered a sensible diminution, the piece, though retaining still considerable poetical merit, became altogether unable to support itself as a drama.

Mr Home was the principal instrument in impelling Macpherson either to collect and translate, or (if our readers prefer it) compose, those celebrated poems which bear the name of Ossian. Happening to meet at Moffat with Macpherson, who was then tutor to Mr Graham of Balgowan, and learning that the young man had some Gaelic poems in his possession, he persuaded him to translate a few as a specimen. Extremely delighted, he shewed them to his friends in Edinburgh, and introduced Macpherson to them. Mr Home afterwards accompanied the latter in one of his tours through the Highlands. It will not, we think, be denied by the stoutest

A similar remark may apply to a celebrated tragedian of the present day.

opponents of the authenticity of these productions, that Mr Home, who could entertain no suspicion of any deception, displayed throughout the whole affair, a laudable zeal for the poetry and literature of his country.

Mr Home had now retired to his native country, and had married a young lady, a cousin of his own, by whom, however, he had no family.He purchased a small property in East Lothian, called Kilduff, where he resided for many years. Towards the close of his life, he took up his residence in Edinburgh. His last performance was the history of the rebellion, a subject extremely interesting to him, from the share he had taken in it. This work is generally supposed to be drawn from authentic sources; but it is destitute of those graces of composition, which are now considered as essential to history. It seems difficult to account for a deficiency so little to be expected on the part of Mr Home. It appears not impossible that a fear of his own tendency to a too florid and poetical style, may have led him to shun too cautiously every thing which had that appearance. The consequence, however, has been, that this work never has attained any degree of popularity.

In the year 1760, Mr Home published a volume of plays, containing Agis, Douglas, and the Siege of Aquileia, which he dedicated to his present Majesty, then Prince of Wales. His other three tragedies appeared some time after. The whole were collected and edited in three volumes, at Edinburgh, in 1798, under the inspection of the late Mr Woods.

Some time before Mr Home's death his faculties began to decay, till at last he was reduced to a state of mere existence. After lingering in this state for several years, he died on the 4th of September 1808, in the 85th year of his age. With the exception of Dr Ferguson, he was the last of his illustrious literary contemporaries.

Account of the Town and University of GLASGOW.

From the German of Frank.-(Reisenach, Paris, London, &c.)

GL LASGOW lies 42 miles from Edinburgh. I travelled this road, on the 9th July 1803, in seven hours and a half.

A traveller never runs a greater risk of forming a false opinion, than when he removes from a place where he has met with uncommon kindness

into another strange city. This risk is the greater, when he happens to light upon an inn, where he is ill accommodated. It can scarcely be believed how much this circumstance influences the judgement which travellers form of this, or of that city. After a good reception, objects appear in roseate colours, which in opposite circumstances assume a dark hue. From all these causes I felt constrained to do violence upon myself, in order not to judge falsely of Glasgow. Not only was I accommodated in a wretched inn, but chance would have it, that almost all the persons to whom I had letters were in the country. Not only does the situation here send a great number of the inhabitants into the country in summer, but even those who are confined to town by business, leave it at least in the summer evenings, and return in the morning. As I came to Glasgow on a summer evening, the consequence was, that I could meet almost nobody. This caused a delay in the delivery of my letter of recommendation to Mr Cuming. He is, if I mistake not, professor of Oriental languages in the university of Glasgow. To the little interest, which an unknown physician could excite in such a man, another circumstance was added. One of my friends had given me a letter of recommendation to this professor.Nothing was so natural, as that I should believe the letter to have come

[blocks in formation]

This institution for the sick has the highest reputation of any in Britain, and is universally regarded as the model of all hospitals. Such is the account Mr Pictet gives of it in his excellent letters upon England and Scotland. I was therefore particularly desirous to make a close examination of it.

Its

The Royal Infirmary of Glasgow lies on a height, close above the city. The ground about it is open, and they have acquired the property of it, in order that no one may build upon it. The church too, with a large churchyard, lies close to the Infirmary. The building itself is magnificent. front has some resemblance to the Hotel des Invalides at Paris. Before the Hospital is a large terrace surrounded with an iron rail. The hospital itself has four wards, besides one underground; and as soon as we enter the building, we find ourselves in a handsome porch.

I was carried into the ward that lies underground. I saw there the laboratory, the baths, the kitchen, and the pantry.

The apothecary's shop is small and dark, and the laboratory so narrow, that one can scarce turn round in it. The last is well supplied with water to clean it, the influx and efflux of which are very conveniently arranged.

The baths are in two chambers; one for the warm, and the other for the cold baths. This last is little and damp. The bathing place is built in,

and

pur

and can scarcely hold one person. The water bursts with great force into this reservoir. I could not see the warm paths, because the key was missing! The patients who are unable to go to the bathing place, have the bath brought to their beds. For this pose they make use of vessels of tin plate, which have the appearance of a shoe. It must be difficult for very weak patients, or such as are af fected with rheumatism, to move into these vessels; and it must be still more difficult to get them out again. The kitchen is very roomy, but so arranged, that one would believe there had never lived a Count Rumford. Not only does an infernal fire burn in one chimney, but all the other fire places are conducted on principles the most opposite to his.Near the kitchen is a place where they wash the dishes. It was disgustingly dirty. They would not shew me the pantry; but I caught a glance in passing, and observed it to be in very bad order,

In the first ward we see to the right and left, that is, in each of the wings of the building, a sick-room; the same takes place in the three other wards. This large hospital, therefore, contains not more than eight sick-rooms.These are separated, in the first, by the chamber of meeting, in the second, by the hall of operation, and in the third, by the residence of the overseer.— Each sick-room has twelve beds.These stand by two and two in the spaces between the windows, quite close to each other. Thus each sick room has six windows, three on each side. These stand directly opposite to each other, so that the room can be thoroughly ventilated. The same is the case with the doors which enter from the right and left of the lobby into the sick room. On both sides of the chambers doors open, which enter into a circular space, on the side of which are four very small hambers; two for very restless pa

tients, one for a withdrawing room, and the fourth for a washing room, The last is well supplied with water. The passage which enters into this chamber is connected with the stair. Besides the principal stair, which is seen from the lobby, each wing has at the end a handsome stair of its own. (The overseer resides in the middle of the building, so that these stairs might give occasion to many fraudulent proceedings.)

From what I have said, it appears, that the infirmary in Glasgow is very far from that state of perfection which is ascribed to it. It is however true, that most of the faults which I have noticed might, by attention, be removed in a few days; perhaps they are removed by this time. I certainly spoke on the subject to some of the directors, and frankly stated my opi nion, for which they not only thanked me, but assured me that they would pay every attention to restore order into the institution entrusted to them. In this case I will pledge myself that they will have no ground to complain of want of support from the public, as was the case in former years.

The University.

The University of Glasgow contains no complete medical faculty.Medicine is taught only by two Professors, Dr Freer and Dr Jaffray. The one lectures on the Theory of Medicine, the other on Anatomy and Botany. Besides the proper professors, they reckon here another kind of teachers, who are known under the name of Lecturers. The Medical Lecturers are Dr Miller and Dr Cleghorn. The first lectures on Materia Medica, the last on Chemistry. Dr Miller was a scholar of John Brown, and is numbered among the most zealous disciples of his school.

The abovementioned lecturers on medicine, Dr Cleghorn alone excepted, were in the country, so that I had no opportunity of forming an quaintance with them. The course

ac.

in this University begins in the month of November, and ends in May. During the holiday time, almost all the professors go to a distance. Dr Cleghorn is one of the most distinguished physicians in Scotland. Had it not been for his goodness, my stay in Glasgow would have been very disagreeable. He employed a part of his valuable time in giving me information upon many important subjects. Among others, Dr Cleghorn gave me the following statement, which appeared to me very important. Glasgow is a completely healthy town. Altho' it is almost surrounded with marshes, at the distance of three English miles, yet no intermitting fevers prevail in it. When I asked Dr Cleghorn the cause of this important phenomenon, he explained it to me thus; " Experience has shewn that marshes do not cause intermitting fevers, when

persons will undoubtedly do more in such an establishment than three hundred in the common way. Not far from this establishment, is one for the preservation of drowned persons, called the Humane Society house. On this building stands an inscription, by which persons are warned of various deep places in the river, where it would be dangerous to bathe.

After having seen, through the goodness of the worthy Dr Cleghorn, some muslin, steel, and other manufactures, I left Glasgow on the 11th July 1803.

Authentic Narrative of the Shipwreck of Lord ROYSTON.

To the Editor.

SIR,

they are surrounded by turf, a cir- A Sit has been understood, by friends

INCL

cumstance, which takes place universally in the neighbourhood of Glasgow." Dr Cleghorn challenged me to examine the observation my self. Certain it is, that the turf, which surrounds marshes, attracts the damp very eagerly, and as it were drinks it

up.

of the parties, that very erroneous accounts have been given of the melancholy shipwreck of Lord Royston, and several other English, who lost their lives off the coast of Prussia, last year; your inserting the following narrative of the event, written by an English mate on board, will greatly oblige them, and

Your obedient servant,

In a walk which I took in the company of Dr Cleghorn to the banks of the river Clyde, which winds thro? A Friend of the Parties. large meadows planted with trees, I On the 2d of April A.D. 1808, at saw an establishment, which pleased P. M. we sailed from Libau, the me very much. I speak of the public wind N. E. and fine weather, the ice washing house. It stands on one of lying close about half a mile from the the above meadows. By paying a shore, but we got through it without small sum, every one can wash their injury, at the rate of two miles an own clothes, or get them washed. It hour, when we were in clear water at were to be wished that this establish- three P. M. On the 4th of April, we ment were imitated. I cannot doubt got sight of the island of Oeland at that in the hands of expert men it the distance of eight or nine miles; in might be greatly improved. By a an hour we got close in, and perceived washing-place constructed on Count the ice lying about a mile from the Rumford's principles, a very import- shore; Colonel Pollen asked me if I ant saving of fuel might be expected. thought we could anchor under OeA single fire might then suffice, to land; I gave it as my opinion, we warm an immense quantity of water. could not, as the ice would drift off By a proper division of labour, thirty with the wind, which was about S.W.

and

sight of Memel, he immediately came on deck full of glee, as well as Lord Royston and the other gentlemen ; Colonel Pollen said, "Now, Captain, you will give the charge of the vessel to Smith;" which he accordingly did; at six o'clock we came to the bar, the sea running very high, and two seamen at the helm. As soon as the captain saw the sea breaking over the bar, he was so frightened, that he ran directly to the helm and put it hard a port; all my strivings against three were in vain. I begged for God's sake they would put the helm the other way, and save our lives, but all was in vain ; for in ten minutes we were on the South lands; the third time she struck, she filled with water; a dreadful scene now succeeded :— there was a small wooden house on deck, into which Mrs Pollen, Mrs Barnes, her three children, three gentlemen, and a maid servant of Mrs Barnes's, got in to save themselves from the sea. Colonel Pollen and I immediately began to clear the boat out, the sailors would not assist us; we soon got a small one out, and three sailors got into her with the captain+; Lord Royston would have followed, but I prevented him, assuring him it was not safe, and the captain got out again; the moment the boat left the ship's side she upset, and the men were drowned. We then cleared out the large one, but before we could clear her, she was washed away, and now we had no hope left us, but that the Almighty would send us some assistance. About 9 o'clock, we cut away the mast to ease the vessel, but could see nothing of the life boat ‡, which gave the gentlemen bad heart, for the sea

and cut the cables. He then asked the Captain what was best to be done, and he said he would stand to the shore till 8 o'clock, and then return to the island, but neither at 8 nor at 12, would he go back, and it now blew a gale of wind from the W. and very heavy sea, the vessel made much water, the pumps were choaked up with the ballast, and the water partly over the ballast, while the crew would bale very little, by which it gained very fast on us. At 12 o'clock, on the 6th, Colonel Pollen consulted me what was best to be done, and if the vessel was fit to keep the sea. I told him unless the sailors made more exertion in baling, she could not live long, as we had already three feet water in the hold, and it was continually gaining upon us, and that the best way to save our lives was to bear away for some port in Prussia. The Colonel being of my opinion, told the Captain he thought it necessary we should bear away for some harbour, to which he readily consented, and recomended Libau, but Col. Pollen objected to it, on account of Mr Rannie, a passenger, who had escaped without a pass from Russia, so he agreed to go to Memel, but said he was never there in his life, but if I would take the ship in, he would give her into my charge when ever she came to the bar *. At two in the morning of the 7th, we got sight of land to the southward, about 15 miles from Memel, and close in on a lee shore, through the ignorance of the captain in running so far in the dark; we hauled the ship to by the wind on the starboard tack, and at four got sight of Memel, which the captain took for Libau, and when I told him it was Memel, expressed much surprise. I went down to the cabin and told Colonel Pollen we were in

*This mate was in the Memel trade, and had been there several times that very season; he had made his escape

Russia, where he was a prisoner.

was

This is ever the case with the Lubeckers, whose ignorance can only be equaled by their folly, for they never make an exertion in the moment ofdan ger.

Memel was not above a quarter o a mile from where the ship struck.

« ZurückWeiter »