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The names of the two houfes are, the Shaws, or Shaw-houfe, which fome think is corrupted from Spaw-houfe, and the Orchard-house; which are nearly a mile distant from each other, and both pleafantly fituated on the banks of the Irthing; a very romantic river. The Shaws is indeed delightfully fituated on a steep bank of the river, and commands a very extenfive profpect to the fouth. Immediately beyond the houfe, you defcend by a fteep gravel walk to the river, where you find yearfelf in the midst of a finely wooded amphitheatre, of ftratified rocks, which forms as fublime a piece of fcenery as can almoft beimagined. On both fides of the river are feveral beautiful walks, with benches placed at proper points of view.

Out of the lowest ftratum of the rock which compofes this amphitheatre, and wach confifts of indurated aluminous fhiftus, about fix feet in thickness, iffues the mineral watery through a leaden pipe not an inch in diameter, in a ftream as clear as crystal, at the rate of about two gal lons and a half per minute. Its fmell is rongly fulphurous, like the waters of Harrowgate and Moffat; ftronger than the later, but lefs powerful than the former. This imell may often be diftinctly perceived at the distance of forty or fifty yards. Above this ftratum of indurated fhiftus is one about three feet thick of fhale, or fulporet of alumine, in a foft crumbling fate; and above that, about twelve feet of argillaceous fhiftus; above that again, early the fame thickness of very foft fhale; this is covered with argillaceous fandtone, or grit, in feveral diftinct ftrata, which extend at least twenty feet in depth, and overhang the mineral fpring. The top of this precipice is finely clothed with wood.

There are feveral objects within a moderate diftance, which are frequently vifired by the company: among thefe may be mentioned a very fine cafcade, about two miles above the Shaws, where the Irthing, whole banks are very rugged and romantic, precipitates itself from a great height, forming a fall fcarcely inferior to Some of the celebrated falls of the Clyde, orly the accompanying fcenery is not fo fine. At a fhort distance from Gilland, on the oppofite fide of the river, the Roman wall between the Soloway Firth and the eattern coaft near Newcastle may be diftinctly traced, and ftones with inicriptions are fometimes found. Several of the ftations are very confpicuous, particularly one near Glenweylt, near which are the ruins of an old fortrefs called Caftle Thelwal. At the distance of about fix miles from G.land, is Naward Caftle, a feat of the MONTHLY MAG. NO. 55.

Earl of Carlisle, which is a place of great antiquity, but very perfect a vifit to it gives a better idea of what these ancient fortreffes have been, than most places I have seen. Many of the galleries and fubterraneous paffages, as well as fome very large halls, are quite entire; and it is faid that the ingenious author of the Romance of the Foreft sketched fome of her most striking pictures of such scenery from this caftle. The greatest curiofity, in my opinion, is the library of William Earl of Carlisle, whose character is well known, and whofe memory is handed down among the common people by the appellation of belt Willie. Here are contained his printed books and manufcripts in vellum bindings; many of the manufcripts are very curious, and fome beautifully illuminated. Here are likewife his chair and reading-desk, both of very clumsy workmanship, and a curious fcreen, on which is engroffed an account of the indulgencies fold by the Pope and his retailers. All feems to be exactly in the ftate in which it was left by the noble occupier of the apartment. About a mile from Naward Caftle, is the Abbey of La nercoft, part of which ferves the purpose of a parifh-church, but the greater part is in ruins, which are very fine. An account of this abbey and Naward Caftle may be found in Nicholson's History of Cumberland.

As the properties of the Gilfland waters are but little known, no analysis of them having been published that I know of; during a fhort refidence at this place, in the month of September laft, I made fome experiments on them, of which the following were the principal refults.

Experiment 1. Characters written on paper with acetite of lead, were foon rendered vifible by being immersed in the water, or even fufpended over it: the colourwas at first brown, and afterwards black.

2. A folution of acetite of lead in dif tilled water, being dropped into the water, produced a very copious brown precipitate, which afterwards changed to black.

3. Nitrate of filver produced a lightbrown precipitate, which afterwards changed to black.

4. Muriate of barytes produced no effect. 5. No change was produced by acid of fugar.

6. Tincture of galls produced no alteration.

7. After the water had been boiled for about ten minutes, acetite of lead and nitrate of filver produced a white precipitate, but muriate of barytes and acid of fugar no effect.

F

From

1

From thefe experiments it is evident that this water is impregnated with fulphurated hydrogen gas, that it neither contains fulphuric acid, lime, nor iron; but that it, probably, contains fome muriate, as would appear from the effects produced by the nitrate of filver: accordingly, on evaporating flowly a wine-gallon of this water, I found four grains of saline matter, which was chiefly muriate of foda, or common falt.

Twenty-five cubic inches of gafeous fluids were expelled from a wine-gallon of the water, of which feventeen were fulphurated hydrogen gas, four azotic gas, and four carbonic acid gas. The analyfis of a gallon of this water will therefore ftand thus

Muriate of foda, or common falt 4 grains
Sulphurated hydrogen gas
Azotic gas

171 cubic

inches.

Carbonic acid gas So that it resembles the fulphureous water of Moffat, of which I have given an account in the ninth number of the Medical and Phyfical Journal. When the gafes are expelled by boiling for a few minutes, the water washes very well, and makes excellent tea.

Though this is the water which is reforted to and chiefly drank at Gilfland, there is a fine chalybeate near the Shaws, which deferves more attention than has hitherto been paid to it. It is fituated on the common, at the distance of not more than two hundred yards from the house, in a boggy or moffy foil; the road to it is very bad, but might eafily be made better. The water fparkles a little when poured out of one glafs into another, has a ftrong inky tafte, and depofits a copious yellow fediment.

The following experiments were made with this water.

1. Tincture of galls produced a beautiful dark purple colour.

2. Muriate of barytes caufed no change.
3. Acid of fugar produced no effect.
4. Acetite of lead caused a white cloud.
5. Nitrate of filver the fame.

When boiled, it depofited a yellow fediment, and tincture of galls then produced no effect: but acetite of lead and nitrate of filver caufed the fame changes as before.

From thefe experiments it is evident that this water contains iron held in folution by a volatile acid, which is undoubtedly the carbonic, of which it contains about thirteen or fourteen cubic inches, with about five or fix cubic inches of azotic gas, for the experiment was not made with great nicety. It appears likewife that it Contains the muriatic acid combined with

fome bafe; and on evaporating a winegallon of the water, I found it contained two grains and a half of iron, and about three of common falt or muriate of foda.

A wine-gallon of the Gilfland chalybeate water appears therefore to contain

Of iron

Muriate of foda

Carbonic acid gas, about Azotic gas

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14

cubic

5 inches. So that it very much refembles the chalybeates at Moffat and Harrowgate, and indeed the greater number of chalybeate waters, which generally contain from two to three grains of iron, fufpended by carbonic acid.

While I was at Gilland, fome water was brought to me, taken up from a fpring about four miles diftant, which was tranfparent, but of the colour of brandy. It had a strong ferruginous, ftyptic tafte, much stronger than ink.

Tincture of galls produced a precipitate, which very much refembled Pruffian blue, but a little darker. Muriate of barytes caufed a copious precipitate. Acid of fugar and nitrate of filver produced no change; acetite of lead caufed a thick white fediment. From thefe experiments, and the evaporation of fome of the water, it appears a faturated folution of fulphate of iron and fulphate of alumine. It is much too ftrong and unpleasant for internal use, but it has been employed externally to wash old ulcers with very great effect.

The fulphureous water, which is the only one much reforted to, is chiefly used in what are called bilious and nervous complaints, and, in fhort, in all dyspeptic cafes. It is drank in doses of from half a pint to two or three quarts in a morning, and generally acts very powerfully as a diuretic, but often produces coftiveness, which ought to be carefully obviated, otherwife a difagreeable giddinefs comes on.

The most important properties of this water, refulting from its application as a warm bath in herpetic eruptions, chronic rheumatisms, and feveral other diseases, as is done at Harrowgate and Moffat, are here entirely neglected, there being no conveniencies for bathing. I endeavoured to perfuade Mr. Coultherd, who keeps the Shaws, to get a bathing-tub, and provide proper accommodations for warm bathing, which he promised to do. The chalybeate water deferves much more attention than has been hitherto paid to it, and would probably be much more ufeful in nervous and dyspeptic complaints than the fulphurwater. THO. GARNETT, Royal Inffitution, Albemarle-Street, Jan, 15, 1800.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. Solomon Emmanuel, p. 91; the fame perfon as Solomon Emanuel, p. 124.

SIR,

WITH

correfpond

probably the fame perfon recorded as Thomas King of Noke, Oxfordshire, p. 115.

ITH thanks to your core their p. 91, inferted again p. 102; and was communications of fome additional inftances of great longevity, I beg leave to ebferve, that I was well aware the lift fent you did not comprehend all the accounts of the kind that are recorded; it might cafily have been enlarged, but it appeared fufficiently extenfive to fhew, that inftances of this nature have been much more numerous than is generally fuppofed.

Mr. James Eafton's publication on "Human Longevity," though far from a complete collection of accounts of this kind, is faid to contain the names of 1712 perfons who lived to the age of one hundred years and upwards. There are, however, in this volume, inaccuracies which fhould not have appeared in a compilation of which the principal part is little more than a mere catalogue. The following were obferved on a very flight perufal of it:

John Newell, Efq. page 59, is recorded again as John Michaelitone, p. 75: it fbould be J. Newel of Michaelftown.

Catherine Brebner, inferted twice, p. 63 and 65.

Mr. Hill of Banbury, inferted twice, p. 67 and 75.

Robert Ogleby, p. 110, feems to have been the Robert Oglebie noticed p. 67.

Mr. Price and his wife, of Ledbury, Herts, after being recorded, p. 101, as having died within a few months of each other, in 1767, are inferted again, p. 120, as two years older and having both died in 1770.

Mrs. Carman of Fethard, in Ireland, inferted twice, p. 120, and P. 134.

Margaret M'Kay of Ribigil, near Thirfo, p. 125, and Margaret Mackey of Ribigill, in Scotland; p. 131, the fame perfon. Mr. Cordelon, p. 128, and James Cordelen, p. 141, seem to have been the fame perfon.

Shelagh M'Alefter of Londonderry p. 140, inferted again, p. 147,

Mary Pritchard, p. 188, and Jane Pritchard, p. 195, probably the fame per

fon.

Mrs. M'Carthy, p. 210, and Margaret
M'Carthy, p. 230, probably the fame
perfon.
J. J. G.
Jan. 8. 1800.

ANECDOTES OF EMINENT PERSONS.

MEMOIRS OF THE LATE DUC DE
BIRON.

PERHAPS
DERHAPS in the pages of biogra.
there never has yet appeared a
more romantic or amiable character than
that which was exhibited by this unfortu-
nate nobleman. Born to the poffeffion of
illustrious rank, and educated in the moft
polished court of Europe; the idol of its
women, the example for its men; it is not
fingular that bis mind fhould have been
frongly tinctured with a tafte for chivalry.
Early in life the Duc de Biron conceived
a marked predilection in favour of the Eng-
lifh nation; every fubordinate fenfation,
originating in felf-love, or fpringing from
the contracted fource of national prejudice,
was beneath the dignity and ingenuouf-
nels of his mind. He was an obferver of na-
ture; he traced the progrefs of her influence
on the human heart, and he discovered,
that its expanfion is always proportionate
to the liberty it poffeffes of exercising its
nobleft energies. France was then in a
Rate of degrading fubjection; England was

the favoured feat of freedom. The Duke, being, at that period, lefs affluent than noble, lefs economical than generous, about five-and-twenty years ago established his refidence in this country.

He chofe his abode in St. Alban's-street, Pall-mall; where he very speedily adopted both private manners and public opiHe confenions completely English. quently enlarged the fcale of his acquaintance, and became so popular, that his fociety was courted, not only in the most illuftrious, but in the most enlightened cir

cles.

This nobleman then bore the title of

Duke de LAUZUN. His perfon was manly and prepoffeffing; his countenance pleafing and benignant; his converfation lively, interefting, and well informed; and his temper fo irrefiftibly fafcinating, that he feldom was known to lose the af fections of thofe with whom he had once lived on terms of fociability.

Lauzun was an admirer of literature and the fine arts; he wrote with elegance and F 2 feeling

feeling on fubjects wherein the heart was his monitor; and with claffical propriety, when matters of worldly import formed the tenour of his letters. If he evinced a fault, or rather a defect of nature, it was that of a portion of vanity which fometimes contributed to diffufe a fhade over the brighter features of his character. But his exceffive fenfibility, united to a fervid imagination, probably led him beyond the boundaries of judgment, and awakened in his mind a fpirit little lefs vivid than that of the most romantic heroes of antiquity. During his refidence in England he became enamoured of a lady, at that time one of the most beautiful in the courtly circle. Unfortunately he was married. Lauzun, with a fpirit of gallantry refined by an enthufiaftic fenfe of honour, worshipped the object of his idolatry in filent regret. But love is lynx-eyed; and the accomplished victor fanctioned a pure and facred intercourse of foul, which by turns ameliorated and embittered the destiny of her adorer.

Few men are capable of entertaining, and still fewer women of inspiring, a paffion which reafon and refinement have power to divest of its groffer propenfities. But Lauzun was not commonly organized; he was an enthufiaft of every thing eftimable in the softer fex, and an example of all that was dignified in his own. Every thing that we read of in romance falls fhort of the ardour which actuated his mind, when it once became influenced by a beloved object.

After many months had paffed away in this Platonic attachment, fome untoward circumstances produced a fudden feparation; circumstances no lefs agonizing to Lauzum's heart, than unexpected in the fashionable circles. The confequence was, the lady's immediately quitting the metropolis, and fixing her retirement in the wilds of a filter kingdom.

Lauzun's defpair was undifcribable! He experienced all the miferies of that gloomy vacuum which fucceeds the intereft of a warm and generous paffion. He refigned himself for a time to the excefs of melancholy, and, after vainly endeavouring to shake off the spell which feemed to faften on his faculties, devoted to regrets the moft poignant, to fenfations the moft af. ficting, he again repaired to his native country. There he continued to refide under the immediate protection of his venerable uncle, then Duc de Biron, whofe fortune and title he afterwards inherited.

Lanzun was the darling of fociety, the ornament of the French Court; and the

diftinguished favourite of the unfortunate MARIE ANTOINETTE. But let it not be fuppofed that the kindness fhewn towards this amiable nobleman originated in any motive but a liberal defire to pa tronize and to promote fuperior qualifications; Lauzun was a foldier, as well as an accomplished gentleman; he was no leis enterprizing than polifhed; no les enlightened than liberal. ANTOINETTE, amidst all the errors that, perhaps, malice has afcribed to her, knew how to dif criminate with judgment, while the rewarded with munificence.

During the early periods of the American war, Lauzun was prevailed upon by family influence to form a matrimo nial alliance. Intereft was the unsteady bafis on which a foul replete with all the fenfibilities of refinement was compelled to build its fabric of domeftic happiness. His relatives urged the union as both honourable and lucrative; and Lauzun being, at that time, les opulent than high born ; more pliant than provident of his own felicity; repeatedly folicited by his uncle, whofe influence was boundlefs, and whom he loved with the affection of a fon, he at laft confented. Even at this interefting and important epocha of human exiftence, Lauzun was too brilliantly enlightened to admit the very fhadow of deception. The day previous to his marriage, he candidly avowed the real itate of his heart; and confeffed without referve, that the bonds of honor, the chain of family connection, and the policy of convenience, not the fofter fetters of affection, would unite them.

Superior minds will condemn the plea of fuch an union; and refined natures will fhudder at fuch a fordid facrifice: but marriages of this kind were perpetually folemnized in France; and very frequently fuch contracts were ratified by parents, even before the contracted parties were perfonally known to each other. This was not one of the leaft violations of liberty which operated powerfully in promoting, and at length in accomplishing, the French revolution.

The Ducheffe was remarkably deficient in perfonal graces; though nature had beflowed on her the powers of receiving a confiderable degree of mental cultivation. The avowed indifference which fubfifted between them naturally produced a lan gour of mind, which was wholly inimical to domestic happiness; mutual negles. foon gave birth to mutual ditguft; and, after a few months had tediously clap fed in a series of constrained civilities, they parted

Shortly

Shortly after their feparation, Lauzun was ordered with his regiment to America. It was now that the ardour of his foul blazed forth unftifled: he panted for glory, he lighed for military diftinction; he was eager to entwine the lauret of victory with the infignia of nobility. But Lauzun was defined through life to be the vaffal of his fenfibility; and the more delicate, the more refined paffions of his heart perpetually interrupted his progrefs towards fame.

While he was preparing to embark for America, intelligence reached him, that the lady for whom he had once cherished the moit ardent affection, was at that moment exposed to some pecuniary difficulties, and labouring under the anxiety of neglect even from those in whom she had repofed anbounded confidence. The fufceptibility of Lauzun's heart could not calmly endure the inquietude occafioned by fuch events; therefore, after obtaining leave of abfence for a fhort interval, he collected the remnants of his pecuniary refources, inclofed the fum in a fmall port-folio, and, on a poft horfe, unattended, fet out from Paris. Thus did he travel many hundred miles, with little corporeal and ftill lefs mental reft, till he arrived at the abode of the fair reclufe. It was in the dreary feafon of the year; the fituation wild and barren; and nothing less eccentric than the feelings of such a character could bave prompted or performed fo romantic an expedition.

He was immediately admitted; he found the lady alone; he had not power to utter a fyllable; but, after placing the port-folio an a table which ftood before her, he quitted the room, remounted his horfe, and remeasured back his route towards Paris; shortly after he embarked for America, where by his gallant conduct he foon became highly distinguished. He was the friend of the Marquis de la Fayette; and he also enjoyed the esteem even of his military adverfaries, among whom may he named the Earl of Moira, then Lord no lefs diftinguished for rtue, for political knowuine philanthropy! own was furrendered by un was difpatched to the les, with the important arrival at Paris, he was lamations of transport; conqueft, the harbinger ich was in a great degree s important capitulation. f France now became a - brilliant festivity-(the

writer of thefe pages was then at Paris);Verfailles was the temple of delight; and Lauzun was the idol of the day. His name was re echoed by all ranks of peo ple; and the furrender of York-Town was confidered as the most promifing event which had been recorded on the annals of the American war. But the French people, particularly thofe who were blinded by courtly fplendour, did not foresee, that thofe, who by their valour had contributed towards the establishment of liberty in America, would fcarcely permit the ardent effects which it produced to lie dormant in their bofoms.

The Duc de Lauzun, at this period, poffeffed a small villa at Mont-rouge, in the vicinity of Paris. It was completely fitted up after the English fathion; all the domeftics, excepting one or two, were of this country, and even his table was arranged after the manner of the English. This retreat was the fcene of rational feftivity, very unlike the temples of fome illuftrious perfonages, who dedicated their villas to the moft profligate debafement.

The late Duke of Orléans, then Duc de Chartres, followed the example of Lauzun; and the fairy palace of Mouceau was inhabited by English domeftics.There English liberty was enthusiastically extolled, and French defpotism daily difcuffed without referve; till a fpirit of reform, and a glow of newly awakened independence, faftened on every mind, among the inferior claffes of fociety.

Shortly after the commencement of the revolution, the subject of these pages, then Duc de Biron, having fucceeded his uncle in fortune and title, fet out for England. His perfonal attachment to the Queen in a great degree kept down the spirit of republican ardour,and fuppreffed that active zeal which would otherwife have influenced his conduct in the cause of freedom. Biron was the very foul of chivalry.-The Queen of France was beautiful, and perfecuted. The event of his departure terminated unfortunately. Biron's refources were locked up by the ftrong hand of anarchy: he had many debts in England: his creditors, either under the fuppofition that he was become opulent by the death of his uncle or that he would fhortly be expofed to indigence by the convulfions of political changes, arrested him; and he was, for feveral weeks, confined in the houfe of a fheriff's officer.

It was there that the enterprising foul of Biron indulged in the varying emotions which his chequered destiny gave birth to; and, while his bofom glowed with the en

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