himfelf in a barren defert. Modern paint- moft capital work of this noble artist, (which is generally known by the excellent engravings of the ablest masters), fhews the fpirit and intrepidity with which he departed from the beaten track, and expatiated in the avia Pieridum loca. We have nothing fince Rubens, more excellent in this kind, than the cupola of the Imperial library at Vienna, painted by Gran, and engraven by Sedelmayer. The Deification of Hercules, painted by Le Moine, at Versailles, and defigned as an allegorical reprefentation of the fame and exploits of Cardinal Fleury, is extolled in France beyond all measure, and boasted of as the nobleft compofition imaginable; but, in reality, it is no more than a cold and lifelefs allegory, when compared with the beautiful and judicious production of the German painter already mentioned; it refembles an infipid panegyric, whofe moft brilliant thoughts confift of allufions to the names of the Calendar, or to the figns of the Zodiac. Le Moine had indeed here a field for invention, and a fa Monu-vourable occafion of attempting fomething great; and it may appear fomewhat furprifing, that he fell fo far below what might have been expected from him in an undertaking of this nature. But a moment's confideration will remove this furprife; for fuppofing for once, that the deification of a minifter were a subject worthy of appearing in the principal ceiling of a royal palace, it is, nevertheless, eafy to conceive the disadvantages which muft attend the artist in fuch a fubject, and the restraint that must danip the efforts of his pencil. It was undoubtedly this fterility that engaged the most eminent painters to employ all the fire of their genius, and the power of their art, upon common fubjects. Hannibal Carrache, instead of reprefenting, in the gallery of the Farnele palace, the noble exploits of the heroes of that illuftrious houfe under allegorical fymbols, confined himself to a trite fet of fubjects taken from the Pagan Mythology, and exhausted all the refources of his talents in order to render them ftriking. The royal gallery of paintings at Drefden, contains one of the nobleft collections that is to be found in Europe, and confifts in capital productions of the great eft masters, chofen with the most exquifite tafte, and with the moft fcrupulous feverity; yet how few hiftorical pieces are there in this famous collection and in these few, how rarely do we meet with the embellishments of a poetical fancy, or the expreffive lines of allegorical reprefentation! The great Rubens, whofe enterprifing genius could not be confined within the narrow circle of Heathen fables and Chriftian legends, lanched out into the fublime region of allegory, and made bolder fteps towards this kind of perfection, than the most eminent painters of modern times. The gallery of Luxemburg, the The artists whofe genius leads them to the allegorical fpecies of painting, would require a repertory or work in which all the fenfible figures and fymbols, under which, in different nations and different ages, abstract ideas and qualities have been poetically reprefented, were care. fully collected. The materials of such a collection must be derived from a variety of fources, from mythology, poetry, the occult philofophy, gems, medals, and other monuments of antiquity, A collec tion of this nature might be divided into various claffes, and the artift might draw, from this magazine, representations and fymbols, which by an ingenious modifica tion he might happily apply to the fub jects he should have occafion to treat, Thus a new path would be opened to the imitation of the ancients, and the productions of modern artifts, would discover Z z 2 the the noble and elevated taste of antiquity. Vitruvius complained, that in his time the reigning tafte for the ornamental parts of architecture was confiderably corrupted, and was become both extravagant and infipid. This bad tafte was confirmed and augmented by the grotesque manner of painting invented by Morto, and by the capricious groupes and figures with which we adorn our apartments, and which, for the most part, are mere hors d'oeuvres, abfolutely deftitute of fenfe and meaning. An affiduous study of allegory would remedy this evil, and be the most effectual means of rendering every ornament expreffive and fignificant: it would enable the artift to fuit his decora tions to the place he defigns to embellish, and to a variety of circumstances relative to both the apartment and the poffeffor; and would thus render his art fingularly entertaining. It is true, great care is requifite to guard against a pedantic stiffels in allufions of this kind; but when affectation and pedantry are avoided, such allufions form the most agreable connec tions. The artift here must refemble the character Horace gives of the poet, who knows -Reddere perfona convenientia cuique. The paintings that are generally placed above the doors, or that adorn the ceilngs, of the great, feem to be defigned for no other purpofe than to fill a void Space, where gilding would be improper; and it is the fear of a void, that engages many to cover their walls with pictures, and ornaments which are void of fenfe. Thus this fublime and elegant art is profituted to mean and trifling pnrpofes, and is deprived of its chief glory and perfection, even the reprefentation of paft and future events, and of thofe objects, ideas, and qualities, that do not come within the compafs of our external fenfes, and are not expreffed by any natural figns, but only by fymbols, that are in telligible to reafon, taste, and judgment. All the fine arts have a double purpofe; they are defined both to pleafe and to infruct, and this confideration has engared many eminent artifts to introduce historical or moral reprefentations even in their landfcapes. The pencil of the painter, like the pen of the philofopher, ought to be always directed by reafon and pod fenfe. He must prefent to the unCerstanding and judgment of the specta, for, fomething more than is offered to The external eye; and in this attempt he will fucceed perfectly, if he knows the right ufe of allegory, and is dexterous enough to employ it as a transparent veil, which rather covers his thoughts than con ceals them. Has he chofen a fubje& fufceptible of poetical expression? In fuch a cafe, his art will infpire him, and kindle in his foul the divine flame, that Prometheus is faid once to have brought by stealth from the celestial regions. To the author of the SCOTS MAGAZINE. SIR, Dundee, July 24. 1765. Trouble you with the inclosed cafe, not only as I believe it may be useful to many one reduced to the fame or fimilar circumstances, who are at a distance from, or perhaps unable to procure the afift ance of a physician; but alto as I believe the effects of the cortex of Peru externally applied are little known even among the learned, and as I think it may afford a good fund of inquiry in the medical world. I am, &c. M. Y. A Small livid fpot, of the fize of a garden-pea, was perceived upon the cheek of a girl about eight years of age, on the third day after the critical of an acute continual. The fphacelation increased fo faft, that in twenty-four hours the bulk of an English halfpenny fepara ted, and fell off, and part of the jawbone was feen entirely black and carrious. Notwithstanding the feparation feemed total, yet the circumference of the wound began again to mortify; and the girl being carried to a phyfician about fix miles diftant, by the time fhe came home, which was the fame night, fhe could nei ther swallow the medicines fhe had got, nor take in any fort of nourishment. At this time a by-rote prefcriber in the place, ordered the parts to be washed frequently with a decoction of the leaves of tobacco; which, notwithstanding the pres fcriber's confidence, feemed to have no effect. The minifter of the parish being called to do his fpiritual duty, being fhowed the mortified part, from bearing fo much of the antifphacelic virtues of the Peruvian bark, ordered the parents to du fome of the powder on the wound: by re peating which application, in twelve hours the progrefs of the mortification was entirely flopped; and, after a woung the fize of half a crown, and that ti upon the angle of the lower jaw-bone at this day fcarce a fear remains.— Al the while the girl took not above one drahim of the bark internally. $349 PROCEEDINGS in the SESSION of PARLIAMENT 1763-4, continued. [307.] A Mong the bills ordered in confequence of the first report from the expiring aws committee, there was a bill to con. inue the act 5° Geo. II. for preventing Frauds by bankrupts. But a motion was rade March 8. for an inftruction to the gentlemen appointed to bring in thefe bills, to make provifion in one of them, for obviating the inconveniencies which might arife from privilege of parliament, n the cafe of merchants, bankers, or traders, being members of parliament, and becoming infolvent; which motion was agreed to nem. con.: and next day an intruation was ordered, to make provifion in one of these bills, for enabling the juties of the peace for the counties of Efer and Kent, to put in execution, within the limits of their respective jurisdictions, the laws relating to the drivers of hack gey-coaches. In pursuance of thefe orders and intructions, Mr Fuller, on the 14th, preented a bill to continue the faid act 5o Geo. II. and for obviating the inconveniencies which may arife in the cafe of merhants, barkers, and traders, intitled to the privilege of parliament, and becoming mfolvent; and for extending the laws relating to hackney coaches to the counties of Kent and Eflex. Which bill was read a first and fecond time, and committed; and an inftruction was ordered to the committee, that they might turn the bill sto two, if they thought fit. The house, n a committee on this bill, April 4. turnd it into two, and made amendments; he report was received on the 9th, and ext day, both bills, with the amendnents, were ordered to be ingroffed; the ne intitled, "A bill for obviating the nconveniencies which may arite from priBege of parliament, in cafe of merchants, ankers, and traders, being members of arliament, and becoming infolvent ;" and he other, A bill for continuing an act > prevent the committing of frauds by ankrupts; and for extending to the coun ies of Kent and Effex the laws relating hackney-coaches." Thefe bills, ith a little alteration in the title of each, ailed through both houfes, and received e royal aflent [xxvi. 227.] on the 19th April. Of the first the following is an abflract. "Preamble. Merchants, &c. having prilege of parliament, are not compellable pay their just debts, or to become bank rupts, by reason of the freedom of their perfons from arrefts upon civil procefs; and fome doubts have arifen, whether, in cafes of bankruptcy, a commiflion can be fued out during the continuance of fuch privilege: To remedy which inconveniencies, and to fupport the honour and dignity of parliament, and good faith and credit in commercial dealings, which require, that in such cases the laws fhould have their due courfe, and that no merchants, &c. fhould, by any privilege whatever, be exempted from doing equal juftice to all their creditors, it is enacted, &c. § 1. From and after May 11. 1764, it fhall be lawful for any fingle creditor, or two or more creditors being partners, whofe debt fall amount to 100 l. or upwards, and for any two creditors whole debts fhall amount to 150 f. or upwards, or any three or more creditors whole debts fhall amount to 200 1. or upwards, of any perfon or perfons deemed a merchant, banker, broker, factor, fcrivener, or trader or traders, within the defcription of the acts of parliament relating to bankrupts, having privilege of parliament, at any time, upon affidavit made, and filed in any of the courts at Westminster, that fuch debt is justly due, and that fuch debtor is a merchant, &c. within the defcription of the ftatutes relating to bankrupts, to fue, out of the fame court, fuinmons, or an original bill and fummons, against fuch merchant, &c. and ferve him with a copy thereof; and if fuch merchant, &c. fhall not, within two months after perfonal service of fuch fummons, pay, fecure, or compound for, fuch debt, to the fatisfaction of the creditor, he thall be adjudged a bankrupt from the time of the fervice of the fummons; and the creditor may fue out a commiffion, and proceed thereon, in like manner as against other bankrupts. 2. Provided, That this act shall not extend to any debt contracted before the 8th of March 1764. 3. If any merchant, &c. fall, after the laft day of this feflion, commit any act of bankruptcy, in fuch cafe any creditor may fue out a commiflion of bankrupt against him, and the commiffioners may proceed thereon as against other bankrupts. 4. Provided, That nothing in this act fhall fubject any perfon intitled to privilege of parliament to be arrested, or im prifoned prifored, during the time of fuch privilege, except in cafes made felony by the acts relating to bankrupts." On the 16th of March there was prefented, and read, a petition of the agents for the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia, on behalf of their respective colonies, and of feveral British merchants and own ers of fhips trading to thofe colonies; fetting forth, in fubftance, much the fame with the petition of the Carolina merchants prefented in the preceding fellion [xxvi. 251.]; and further adding, That whilft the conquered iflands in the Weft Indies were in the poffetlion of G. Britain, a very confiderable quantity of rice was exported to them from Carolina and Georgia, for which remittances were made to G. Britain in fpecie, in payment of British manufactures exported from hence to thofe colonies, or of negroes fold there; and that from the fuitableness of rice for food in fouthern climates, and from the fondness of the inhabitants of thofe islands, particularly the Spanish inhabitants of Cuba, fhewed for it, there was the highest probability, that the confumption of this grain would have greatly increafed in thofe inlands, and that still much larger quantities would have been confumed in the other American territories of France and Spain, had it been permitted to have fupplied them with it; and concluding with the fame prayer as in the former petition, that rice of the growth of thofe colonies might be transported to the Madeira, Canary, and other ifles of Africa, and to any part of America, fubject to the halffubfidy. This petition was referred to a committee; their report was made on the 23d by Mr Cuft, and referred to a committee of the whole houfe for the 28th; who came to the following refolution; which being next day reported by Mr Rice, was agreed to, viz. "That the granting, for a limited time, a liberty to carry rice from his Majefty's provinces of South Carolina and Georgia, directly to any part of America to the fouthward of the faid provinces, fubject to the like duty as is now paid on the exportation of rice, from the faid colonies, to places in Europe fituated 10 the fouthward of Cape Finifterre, would be for the benefit of this kingdom, and the faid provinces." Upon this refolution a bill having been ordered in, it was prefented on the 30th, paffed through both houfes in common Couric, and received the royal affent at the end of the feflion, This act is to be in force from and a ter June 24. 1764, for five years, and the end of the then next feffion of parli ment; and as the fhips of these two c lonies could not be obliged to come to a ny port in G. Britain, before returning their own colony, there are several regu lations in the act prescribed, for prevent ing any rice-fhips carrying on an unlawf trade, every one of which the mafter mu obferve under very fevere penalties. Bu this act, as appears by the title, does no give liberty to either of these colonies t carry rice directly to the African ifland though that liberty, as well as the other was prayed for by the petitioners, both i this and the preceding feffion, and weul certainly have been an additional encou ragement to the culture of rice in both For this non-compliance with a part o the prayer in all the petitions, I can fig geft no reason, but that the acts for grant ing leave to these colonies to carry ric directly to any port of Europe fouth o Cape Finisterre, expires at the end of the first session of parliament that shall mee after the 29th of September 1767, whe it is probable a new and general aft wi be paffed for granting the fame liberty t the colonies of Eaft and Weft Florida, a well as Carolina and Georgia; for wit refpect to every American produce which we can be rivalled at a foreign mar ket, we ought to grant to our people i America a liberty to export that commo dity to that foreign market. If this ral had been obferved with regard to fugar and the Barbadoes and Leeward ifland duty upon it abolished, the French fugar islands could not have profpered fo much or fo faft, as they have done; efpeciall if to this we had added a public and pr per care of our island of Jamaica. A when the former acts relating to rice com to be continued, it may perhaps be though proper, not to make it neceflary for fhip's having a licence from hence, from the governor of the colony where is loaded; and to impower her to deli part of her cargo at one, and part of cargo at another foreign port, until whole of it be difpofed of. Leave was given, April 4. to bring a bill relating to bills of credit in A rica; and it was prefently after refol to addrefs the King, that his Maj would be pleased to give directions to commiffioners of trade and plantations prepare, in order to be laid before houfe the next fellion, an account of te nder and amount of the bills of credit hich had been created and issued in the veral British colonies and plantations in merica, as well thofe under proprietors nd charters, as under his Majesty's imediate commission and government, fince anuary 1749; distinguishing the amount f the fame in each colony and plantation, nd the respective times when fuch bills ere iffued, with the amount of the faid ills in money of G. Britain, both at the me when fuch bills were issued, and at he time of preparing the faid account; nd also the times fixed for the calling in, aking, and difcharging, fuch bills, and he funds appropriated for that purpose. On the 5th Mr Rice presented, acording to order, a bill to prevent paper ills of credit, hereafter to be issued withany of his Majesty's colonies and planations in America, from being made a gal tender in payments of money, and o regulate the tender of fuch bills of creit as have been already iffued there: hich paffed through both houfes in comhoa courfe, and received the royal afint at the end of the session. Óf this the following is an abstract. "Preamble. Whereas great quantities of paper bills of credit have been created and iffued in his Majefty's colonies or lantations in America, by virtue of acts, c. of affembly, declaring fuch bills of tredit to be legal tender in payments: and whereas fuch bills of credit have greatly depreciated in their value; by means whereof debts have been difcharged with a much less value than was contractd for, to the great difcouragement and rejudice of the trade and commerce of is Majesty's fubjects, by occafioning conufion in dealings, and leffening credit: For remedy, be it enacted, &c. $1. From and after Sept. 1. 1764, no a, order, refolution, or vote, of affemly, in any of his Majesty's colonies or planations in America, fhall be made, for reating or iffuing any paper bills of creit, declaring them to be legal tender in ayment of any bargains or demands whatsoever; and every claufe hereafter nferted in any act, &c. of affembly, conrary to this aft, fhall be void. 2. Whereas the great quantities of paer bills of credit, now in currency, ake it highly expedient, that the terms pon which they have been emitted, ould not be varied or prolonged; be it acted, That every act, &c. of affemy made to prolong the legal tender of any paper bills of credit now current in any of the faid colonies or plantations in America, beyond the times fixed for calling in, finking, and difcharging them, fhall be void. 3. If any governor of any of the faid colonies or plantations, hall, after the faid Sept. 1. 1764, give his affent to any act or order of affembly, contrary to this act, he thall, for every fuch offence, for feit 1000 l. be immediately difmiffed from his government, and for ever after rendered incapable of any public office or place of trust. 4. Provided, That nothing in this act fhall alter or repeal an act 24o Geo. II. to regulate and restrain paper bills of credit in his Majefty's colonies or plantations of Rhode Island, &c. and to prevent the jame being legal tenders in payments of money. 5. Provided alfo, That nothing herein contained fhall extend to make any of the bills now fubfifting in any of the faid colonies a legal tender." This is an abstract of the act; but there feems to be an inconfiftency between the second and last clauses of it. By the fecond clause it seems by implication to be enacted, that the legal tender of the bills now fubfifting fhall continue until the time now fixed for their discharge: whereas by the laft claufe it is exprefly enacted, that this act fhall not make any of the bills now fubfifting a legal tender. This may lay the courts of justice in fome of our colonies under a difficulty: and if the cafe fhould come to be decided here, it is probable that the decision would be against the legal tender; for I doubt if the king can give a power to any colony, or corporation, to make their bills or notes a legal tender in payinents of money, because it is contrary to the com→ mon law of England, as every thing muft be that is in itself unjust. Our parlia ment never did, and I hope never will, go fo far as to enact, that exchequer-bills, or any other public fecurity, fhall be a legal tender in payments of money, efpecially with regard to bargains made before the act was paffed; because, as I have faid, it would be unjuft in itself, and because it would very much imbarrass, not only our foreign trade, but even our dealings amongst ourselves; as every man, after passing such an act, would stipulate to be paid in ounces of Sterling gold or filver. Now with regard to the bills brought in, that had not the good fortune to be paffed |