"In the ruins of castles however, other countries may compare with ours. But in the remains of abbeys no country certainly can. "Where popery prevails, the abbey is ftill intire and inhabited; and of course less adapted to landfcape.

But it is the mode of architecture, which gives fuch excellence to thefe ruins. The Gothic ftyle, in which they are generally compofed, is, I apprehend, unrivalled among foreign nations; and may be called a peculiar feature in English landfcape.

"Many of our ruins have been built in what is often called the Saxon ftyle. This is a coarse, heavy mode of architecture; and feldom affords a beautiful ruin. In general, the Saxon prevails moft in the northern counties; and the Gothic in the fouthern: though each divifion of the kingdom affords fome inftances of both: and in many we find them mixed.

"What we call Saxon architecture feems to have been the awkward imitation of Greek, and Roman models. What buildings of Roman origin were left in England, were probably deftroyed by the ruthlefs Saxon in his early ravages. Afterwards, when Alfred the Great, having cftablished government, and religion, turned his view to arts, we are told he was obliged to fend to the continent for architects. In what fpecies of architecture the buildings of this prince were compofed, we know not: but probably in a purer ftyle, than what we now call Saxon; as Alfred lived nearer Roman times; and perhaps poffeffed in his own country fome of thofe beautiful models, which might have escaped the rage of his ancellors. Even now, amidst all that heavinefs, and barbarifm, which

we call Saxon, it is not difficult to trace fome features of Roman origin. Among the ruins of Brink, burn abbey, between Rothbury, and Warkworth, in Northumber land, we difcover in fome parts even Roman elegance.

"This ipecies of architecture is fuppofed to have continued till the time of the Crufades; when a new ftyle of ornament at leaft, fantastic in the highest degree, began to ap pear. It forms a kind of compo. fite with the Saxon; and hath been called by fome antiquarians the Saracenic though others difallow the term. Many ruins of this kind are ftill exifling.

:

"The English architect however began, by degrees, to ftrike out a new mode of architecture for himfelf; without fearching the continent for models. This is cal led the Gothic; but for what reafon, it is hard to fay for the Goths, who were never in England, had been even forgotten, when it was invented; which was about the reign of Henry Ii. It is befides found no where, I believe, but in England; except in fuch parts of France, as were in poffeflion of the English.

"In this beautiful fpecies of architecture the antiquarian points out three periods.

"When it first appeared, the round Saxon arch began to change into the pointed one; and the fhort, clumfy pillar began to clutter; but fill the Saxon heavinefs in part prevailed. Salisbury cathedral, which was finished about the year 1250, is generally confidered as a very pure fpecimen of the Gothic, in it's firt, and ruder form.

"By degrees improvements in architecture were introduced. The eaft-window being inlarged, was trailed over with beautiful fcrawl

work;

work; while the clustered-pillar began to increafe in height, and elegance; and to arch, and ramify along the root. In fhort, an intire new mode of architecture, purely Britifh, was introdu. ed. The grandeur of the Roman -the heavinefs of the Saxon- and the groteique ornament of the Saracenic, were all equally relinquithed. An airy lightnefs pervaded the whole; and ornaments of a new invention took place. The cathedral of York, and part of Canterbury, among many others, are beautiful examples of this period of Gothic archi

tecture.

"About the time of the later Henrics, the last period began to obtain; in the architecture of which the flat, stone roof, and a variety of different ornaments were the chief characteristics. Of this inriched ftyle King's college chapel in Cambridge, and Henry VII.'s at Westminster, are two of the molt elegant examples. The flat, ftone roof is generally, even at this day, confidered, as a wonderful effort of art. It is faid, that Sir Chrifto. pher Wren himfelf could not conceive it. He would fay, "Tell

me where to place the first stone;

and I will follow it with a fe▾ "cond.”

"This ftyle is generally confidered as the perfection of Gothic architecture. I own, it rather appears to me the decline of the art. The ornaments fo affectedly introduced, and patched on; as the rofe and portcullis in King's college chapel, have not, in my eye, the beauty of the middle ftyle; in which every ornament arifes naturally from the feveral members of the building; and makes a part of the pile itself. Nor has the flat roof, with all it's ornaments, in my opinion, the fimplicity and beauty of the ribbed, and pointed

one.

"Abbeys formerly abounded fo much in England, that a delicious valley could fcarce be found, in which one of them was not ftationed. The very fites of many of thefe ancient edifices are now obli terated by the plough; yet fill fo many elegant ruins of this kind are left, that they may be called, not only one of the peculiar features of English laudfcape; but may be ranked alfo among it's moft pictu refque beauties."

"TH

HE great diftance of the Georgian planet, and its prefent fituation in a part of the zodiac which is fcattered over with a multitude of fmall ftars, has rendered it uncommonly difficult to determine whether, like Jupiter and Saturn, it be attended by fatellite. In purfuit of this inquiry, having frequently directed large telefcopes to this remote planet, and finding myfelf continually difappointed, I afcribed my failure to the want of fufficient light in the inftruments I ufed; and, for a while, gave over the attempt.

"In the beginning of last month, however, I was often furprifed when I reviewed nebule that had been feen in former fweeps, to find how much brighter they appeared, and with how much greater facility I faw them. The caufe of it could be no other than the quantity of light that was gained by laying afide the fmall fpeculum, and introducing the front-view; an account of which has been inferted, by way of note, to the catalogue of nebule contained in the Philofophical Transactions, vol. lxxvi. P. 499.

It would not have been pardonable to neglect fuch an advantage, when there was a particular object in view, where an acceffion of light was of the utmost confequence; and I wondered why it had not ftruck me fooner. The 1th of January, therefore, in the courfe of my general review of the heavens, 1 felected a fweep which

led to the Georgian planet; and, while it paffed the meridian, I perceived near its difk, and within a few of its diameters, fome very faint ftars whofe places I noted down with great care.

The

"The next day, when the planet returned to the meridian, I looked with a moft fcrutinizing eye for my fmall ftars, and perceived that two of them were miffing. Had I been lefs acquainted with optical deceptions, I fhould immediately have announced the existence of one or more fatellites to our new planet but it was neceffary, that I fhould have no doubts. leaft hazinefs, otherwife imperceptible, may often obfcure small stars; and I judged, therefore, that nothing lefs than a feries of obfervations ought to fatisfy me, in a cafe of this importance. To this end I noticed all the small stars that were near the planet the 14th, 17th, 18th, and 24th of January, and the 4th and th of February; and though, at the end of this time, I had no longer any doubt of the exitence of at least one fatellite, I thought it right to defer this communication till I could have an opportunity of feeing it actually in motion. Accordingly I began to purfue this fatellite on Feb. the 7th, about fix o'clock in the evening, and kept it in view till three in the morning on Feb. the 8th; at which time, on account of the fituation of my houfe, which intercepts a view of part of the ecliptic, I was obliged to give over the chace: and

during