conventions, and family - fettlements, which it would be now found difficult, if not impoffible, to trace; and all the rights of a family, excepting those derived from prescription, which were now fhewn to afford no fecurity, might depend upon a single record, buried in fome unknown repofitory, and in vain fought for, until its discovery perhaps became ufelefs. Nor were the claims upon which these proceedings were founded, by any means, even in the most favourable point of view, of that clear nature, which might ferve to palliate any irregularity or violence in the proceedings. Befides this general effect, the Duke of Deuxponts, and the Electoral houfe of Saxony, were deeply and materially affected in their respective interefts by thefe tranfactions; as the Dukes of Mecklenburg alfo were, but in a leffer degree. The Electrefs-dowager of Saxony, as only fifter, and as the neareft relation and heir of the late Elector of Bavaria, claimed a fole, and what was reprefented as an indifputable right in the fucceffion to all the allodial estates in that duchy. Though this claim took in very confiderable territorial poffeffions, it was rendered of ftill greater importance, by its comprehenfion of the purchase-money which had been paid by the House of Bavaria, for the Upper Palatinate. For that territory was maintained to be in actual mortgage to her for the thirteen millions of florins which Maximilian had paid for it to the House of Auftria; the money being not only to be specifically confidered as an allodium, but its being also settled by the contract of fale with Ferdinand II. in the year 1628, that it should be reimburfed to the allodial heirs. As this princefs ceded all her right in the allodial eftates, to her fon, the present Elector of Saxony, he of courfe became the acting party upon that claim in this conteft. The claims of the princes of Mecklenburg, which were probably founded upon the rights of fucceffion to a separate fief, diftinct from the familycompacts of the Palatine line, were confined to the landgraviate of Luchtenburg. The Prince of Deuxponts lost no time in protesting against the prefent proceedings, as well as against the late convention between the court of Vienna and the new Elector of Bavaria; and in calling upon the princes and ftates that compose the diet, both in their original character, and as guarantees of the treaty of Weftphalia, to interfere in the prefervation of his rights. Though the general voice of the Empire feems, fo far as it could be known, to be on this fide of the question; yet it would have been little heard, and lefs attended to, had not one louder, and more aweful, than the reft united, in fome degree commanded regard. The King of Pruffia, who has a jealous eye upon every thing which may aggrandize the House of Auftria, and having no common intereft, as in the cafe of the partition of Poland, to tolerate ftrong acts in favour of that House, undertook the fupport of the princes who fuppofed themselves injured, and the defence of the rights of the Germanic body. His public acts and memorials, whether at Vienna or Ratisbon, were, however, tempered with the greatest moderation, and bore every appearance of refpect and deference, as well to the head of the Empire, as to his auguft mother, whilst any hope of an amicable accommodation of the conteft feemed to remain. On the contrary, the court of Vienna was rather fupercilious in her manner, and assumed a high, haughty, and decifive tone. She knew her own rights; was the proper judge of them; and fhewed little difpofition to give any fatiffaction to others on the fubject. On the whole, though fhe did not entirely neglect to give answers to the ftrong memorials made against her, yet the was charged with placing rather more reliance on her power than her arguments. In the first formal anfwer which was laid before the diet, April 10. 1778, to a memorial of the Pruffian minifter, the fubject of contest was treated merely as a private arrangement between the court of Vienna and the Elector Palatine, in which no other ftate was concerned : The latter having acknowledged the claims of the former, an amicable accommodation, relative to the settlement and divifion of Bavaria, accordingly took place; which afforded no juft ground for the interference of any third power, in a business which only properly concerned the contracting parties: That as this tranfaction did not bear the leaft fhadow of difmembering a prince of the Empire by force, as had been reprefented by the Elector of Brandenburg, but was was founded on juft pretenfions and a Ón the very day after the delivery of The King of Pruffia was not lefs fervent in his direct representations to the court of Vienna, in favour of the Palatine line, and the other claimants of the Bavarian fucceffion, than he was induftrious in refuting its pretenfions, and laying open the dangerous tendency of the prefent measures before the diet of the Empire. That court feemed, however, determined on its measures, and both refolved and prepared to support them at all events. In answer to the preffing folicitations of that monarch, for withdrawing the Auftrian troops out of the territories of Bavaria, and fubmitting the different claims upon that fucceffion to a legal inquiry and decifion, according to the laws and conftitution of the Empire; his minifter at Vienna received the following declaration, in the beginning of April, from the Imperial court. That they would no longer continue difcuffing their own rights:- That they would not defift from keeping poffeffion of territories legally acquired: That juftice fhould be rendered to all who had the leaft pretenfions to it, but that her Imperial Majefty would never admit, that a prince of the Empire fhould arrogate to himself the authority of judge or tutor in his co-principalities, or to conteft about their rights: - That the court of Vienna knew how to defend, and even to attack him who durft prefume to do it : That notwithstanding they fhould adopt every admissible means which could be judged proper, to maintain the general tranquillity." This answer, which can fcarcely be confidered as lefs than tantamount to a declaration of war, was not, however, fufficient to overcome that guard and caution by which his Pruffian Majefty feems to have particularly regulated, his conduct in this whole bufinefs. He fill remonftrated, and ftill fought for explana tion. At length the court of Vienna, yielded to fome general juftification of her conduct, and expofition of her intentions, in a memorial delivered by Prince Kaunitz to the Pruffian minister on the 7th of May. The principal ground of juftification taken in this piece was, that the Elector Palatine had no complaint of that court; and that the Prince of Deuxponts had no right to interfere in the business, during the existence of the prefent line in poffeffion. It was faid, that her Imperial Majefty did not oppose the pretenfions of the Elector of Saxony, or the Dukes of Mecklenburg; and a defire or intenmight tion was held out, that all the claims might be examined conjointly with thofe of the Emprefs-Queen, and that a legal decifion might put an end to a conteftation which the court of Berlin had thought proper to excite. In answer to this it was observed, that the court of Vienna was already in the violent and forcible poffeffion, which it abfolutely refufed to relinquish, of all the objects of contention; and that though a legal decifion is talked of, no competent tribunal is mentioned, to which it would fubmit the award; but that, on the contrary, that court had conftantly rejected with the utmost contempt every propofal of that nature; fo that if the expreffion of legal decifion was intended to mean any thing, it must fignify that the Emperor was to be the judge in his own caufe. It is easily feen, that if the Prince of Deuxponts had fuffered his claims to lie dormant, until the Auftrian title to Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate was firengthened by length of poffeffion, and all its confequences, how futile his attempts of recovering them muft then prove. Previous, however, to the delivery of this memorial, a negotiation was opened upon new ground; and attended with fome circumftances which feemed to afford room for hoping, that thefe differences might be terminated amicably. In the course of the difcuffion at Vienna and Ratisbon, and the great preparations for war which were made on both fides; the great force of the Auftrian armies was collected in Bohemia and Moravia, which of course drew the Pruffian forces from the diftant provinces to the fron tiers of thofe countries. Thefe movements alfo drew the King of Pruffia into Silefia, and the Emperor into Bohemia, about the fame time in the month of A pril. In this fituation, a direct correfpondence by letters was opened by the Emperor, and carried on between the two monarchs, with an apparent view to an accommodation. A negotiation was accordingly opened at Berlin, under the conduct on one fide of Count Cobentzel, the Imperial minifter. The first propofals made by this minifter were fimple and laconic: That the King should acknowledge the validity of the convention which the Emprefs Queen had concluded with the Elector Palatine, and her legal title to thofe territories which the poffeffed in Confequence of that treaty; and that he fhould alfo leave all other arrangements to be fettled by these two princes as they liked, whether they might relate to particular diftricts, or to the whole of the dominion of Bavaria. That it might not be fupposed this useful compliance was to pafs without due reward, the court of Vienna was to be bound, to favour the King's convenience and pleafure, in all things that related to the fucceffion of the Houfe of Brandenburg, to the countries of Anfpach and Ba reuth, on the failure of iffue-male in thofe two younger branches of his own family. To pave, &c. [To be continued.] N the 18th of October 1779, the Sieur ON de Domaschnew, Chamberlain, and Director of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, made an experiment fimilar to that exhibited in London [38. 615.], on the incombuftibility of wood prepared after a particular manner. He had a wooden house erected, of a square form, twelve feet high, in the Wafily-Oftrow, behind the Petite Perspective, Petersburg. The fire which was lighted up therein was fo violent, that the heat was felt at a very confiderable diftance; but, notwithstanding the fury of the conflagration, occafioned by the combustible materials with which it was covered on the outfide and filled within, yet the partitions, the garret, the flooring, and a fmall ftaircafe in the building, received not the leaft damage, du ing near two hours continuation of the fire, half an hour of which it raged with extreme violence, and then diminished gradually. One remarkable difference between the experiment made at Petersburg and that in London, and which is entirely in favour of Ruffia, is, that from the first mo. ment no mystery was made here of the fimple and cheap procefs ufed in the preparation of the wood which the fire leaves unburnt. It was very foon declared, that the compofition of this prefervatory cement is nothing more than a quantity of lime, fand, and hay, cut fmail, which may be laid on by any common carpenter. The Empress has ordered, that a particular detail of the exact method of preparing and using this aftonishing and ufeful cement, be inferted, for univerfal benefit, in a publication which appears at the beginning of every year. SIR. January 1780. THE admirable Crichton was confidered as the wonder of his age; becaufe, when twenty years old, he was mafter of twelve languages, of all fciences, and of all exercifes. [15.432.] William Crotch is in these days confidered as a moft extraordinary phænomenon; becaufe, at two years of age, he began to play (felf-taught) on the organ. [9.] But what is all this to the wonderful learned boy of Lubeck? He knew, and would repeat, the principal facts in the five books of Mofes before he was one year old; and he went on in the fame proportion. But to do juftice to the ftory, I fhall "CHRISTIAN HENRY HEINEKEN ufed, at whatever he faw or heard, in ftantly to apply, according to the laws of affociation of ideas, fome examples or fentences from the Bible, from geography, from profane or ecclefiaftical hiftory, from the Orbis Pictus, or from ancient claffics. At the court of Denmark he delivered twelve fpeeches, without once faultering; and underwent public examinations on a variety of subjects, efpecially the hiftory of Denmark. He spoke German, Latin, French, and Low Dutch. He was exceedingly good-natured and well-behaved; but of a moft tender and delicate bodily conftitution; never ate any folid food, but chiefly fubfifted on nurfe's milk; and, notwithftanding his weak ftate of health, fought all his fatisfaction, pleasure, and amufement, in the acquifition of knowledge. [What a pity that the imprudent parents and teachers of fo admirable a child, probably from avaricious motives, could ftrain his mental faculties, in fo tender an age, and fo weak a state of health, to fuch a degree and variety of premature, prepofterous, and ufelefs exertions, as muft neceffarily have exhaufted his ftrength and shortened his life!] He was celebrated all over Europe, under the name of the Learned Child of Lubeck. He died at the age of four years, four months, twenty days, and twentyone hours; and his death was recorded in a number of periodical papers: but his native place, Lubeck, erected no monument to this prodigy of Nature." GENEROSITY: An Anecdote. AN elderly gentleman, a merchant in Glasgow, took a young man into a nominal partnership, allowing him only the falary of a clerk. After a faithful fervice of feven years, he one day called -, I have him by name, faying, Mr been confidering the nature of our articled agreement and bufinefs-accounts; the latter are confiderably increased fince our junction: your perfonal reputation is high in the world, and I have come to a refolution to reward your merits.Accept this fum, which is a fourth .of our profits for feven years paft; it will make a little bank of your own. I fhall continue you a real partner on the fame terms with my laft, being perfuaded your good fenfe, honefty, and abilities, will make a proper use of my friendship. Account Account of an INFANT MUSICIAN. By Charles Burney, Doctor of Mufic. In a letter to Dr W. Hunter, Feb.9.1779. From the Phil. Tranf. vol. 69. part 1. W Illiam Crotch was born at Norwich, July 5.1775. His father, by trade a carpenter, having a passion for mufic, of which however he had no knowledge, undertook to build an organ; on which, as foon as it would fpeak, he learned to play two or three common tunes, fuch as," God fave great George our King;" "Let Ambition fire thy Mind;" and "the Eafter hymn;" with which, and fuch chords as were pleafing to his ear, he used to try the perfection of his inftru ment. About Christmas 1776, when the child was only a year and a half old, he difcovered a great inclination for mufic, by leaving even his food to attend to it when the organ was playing: and about Midfummer 1777, he would touch the keynote of his particular favourite tunes, in order to perfuade his father to play them. Soon after this, as he was unable to name thefe tunes, he would play the two or three firft notes of them, when he thought the key-note did not fufficiently explain which he wished to have played. But, according to his mother, it seems to have been in confequence of his having heard the fuperior performance of Mrs Lulman, a musical lady, who came to try his father's organ, and who not only played on it, but fung to her own accompaniment, that he first attempted to play a tune himfelf: for, the fame evening, after her departure, the child cried, and was fo peevifh that his mother was wholly unable to appeafe him. At length, paffing through the diningroom, he fcreamed and struggled violently to go to the organ; in which when he was indulged, he eagerly beat down the keys with his little fifts, as other children ufually do after finding themfelves able to produce a noife, which pleafes them more than the artificial performance of real melody or harmony by others. The next day, however, being left, while his mother went out, in the dining-room with his brother, a youth of about fourteen years old, he would not let him reft till he blew the bellows of the organ, while he fat on his knee, and beat down the keys; at firft promifcuously; but prefently, with one hand, VOL. XLII. he played enough of "God fave great George our King" to awaken the curiofity of his father; who being in a garret, ftairs to inform himself who was playing. which was his workshop, haftened down this tune on the organ. When he found it was the child, he could hardly believe what he heard and faw. At this time he was exactly two years and three weeks old, as appears by a copy I have obtained of the register in the parish of St George's, Colgate, Norwich, figned by the Rev. Mr Tapps, Minifter. When his mother returned, the father defired her to go up ftairs with him, as he had fomething curious to fhew her. She obeyed; and was as much furprised as the father on hearing the child play the first part of "God fave great George our King." The next day he made himfelf mafter of the treble of the fecond part; and the day after he attempted the bafe, which he performed nearly correct in every particular. In the beginning of November 1777, he played both the treble and base of "Let ambition fire thy mind." Upon the parents relating this extraor dinary circumftance to fome of their neighbours, they laughed at it; and, regarding it as the effect of partial fondness for their child, advised them by no means to mention it, as fuch a marvellous account would only expofe them to ridicule. However, a few days after, Mr Crotch being ill, and unable to go out to work, Mr Paul, a mafter-weaver by whom he was employed, paffing accidentally by the door, and hearing the organ, fancied he had been deceived, and that Crotch had stayed at home in order to divert himself on his favourite inftrument. Fully prepoffeffed with this idea, he entered the house, and, fuddenly opening the dining-room door, faw the child playing on the organ while his brother was blowing the bellows. Mr Paul thought the performance fo extraor dinary, that he immediately brought two or three of the neighbours to hear it; who propagating the news, a croud of near a hundred people came the next day to hear the young performer; and, on the following days, a fill greater number flocked to the house from all quarters of the city; till, at length, the child's parents were forced to limit his exhibition to certain days and hours, in order to leffen his fatigue, and exempt themfelves from the inconvenience of constant attendance on the curious multitude. B This |