'that visible and sensible fire was but the act of the dissolution of heated bodies by the air that this dissolution of such bodies took place in a manner perfectly similar to the solution of iron, tin, and copper, by acids that the evolution of heat and light was a necessary result of the solution of heated and combustible bodies in air : that the ashes of a burnt body were a residuum of it, that was insoluble in air.' This chemical theory, as the learned reader cannot but perceive, differs from that, which was proposed by M. Lavoisier, and which is now deservedly received as philosophical truth,only in being expressed in the chemical dialect of that time, which is now obsolete; and in being, in the intention of its author, to a certain degree accommodated to other theories, which then prevailed. In verifying the theory of Hooke, the society made a number of experiments to ascertain how long a candle, a lamp, or ignited coals, would continue to burn in a cube foot of common, of rarefied, and of condensed air; to exhibit the sudden extinction of flame by the affusion of air already satiated with burning, and the impossibility of even the most intense and torrid heat to continue without a supply of fresh air; and to find what particular degree of heat was to be produced from the burning of every different combustible material. By other experiments, having a respect to the same theory, they ascertained that flame was subject to be extinguished by the air in a deep well. They made beside these, and with a view to discern the varied phænomena of ignition and combustion, independently of Mr. Hooke's system, a great number of other experiments on the bringing of copper into a state of great combustibility, on the igniting of tin filings by the help of nitre, &c. &c. They instituted a multitude of experiments to determine the nature, properties, and uses of air. By the care especially of Mr. Boyle, many trials were made to find, by means of the baroscope, the different degrees of the pressure or gravity of the atmosphere at different heights and depths. They took much pains to discover the opposite limits of the rarefaction and the condensation of air. They made a variety of experiments on the propagation of sound in air and what is, in a chemical point of view, highly remarkable, a number of their experiments were directed to ascertain the generation of air, by corrosive menstrua, out of fermenting liquors; and to determine the fitness or unfitness of such air to support combustion and respiration.' Other experiments were made by them for the purpose of discovering how long a man might live by inspiring and respiring the same air; whether air contaminated by respiration might be again made pure and respirable; whether the unfitness of contaminated air for respiration were not a quality altogether independent of its temperature, as hot or cold. other experiments they examined what quantity of air might be sufficient for the respiration of an animal for a given space of time; and in what manner air, previously applied to support combustion, be came by that unfit to be respired. Others of these experiments respected the necessity of air to support vegetation; and it was the object of others to examine what use was made of air in the vital functions of fishes under water. By Water was the immediate sub Ject of many of their first experiments. Some of these were made to ascertain the differences in the specifick gravities of different sorts of water. The Torricellian experiment on the ascent of water in vacuo was repeated in almost every possible change of circumstances. Other experiments were made on the production and phanomena of steam. By others they endeavoured to find the differences in the heat of the waters of the ocean at different depths under the surface. On stones and metals they instituted many experiments. Lead, diamonds, the Bologne stone, the separation of silver from lead, and especially the loadstone and the magnetized needle, were now first philosophically examined in regard to some of their most important qualities. They examined the growth of vegetables in different sorts of water; the utility of steeping seeds; the inversion of the roots of plants set for growth; the decrease of the weight of plants growing in air; the reunion of the bark to the wood, from which it had been stripped. Their medical and anatomical experiments were numerous. They dissected a cameleon : they made injections into the veins of different animals they made a number of observations and exper riments with a view to determine how far there might be truth or falsity in the doctrine of the equivocal generation of insects: they made many trials on the meaner animals of poisons and antidotes : they tried what effects might ensue from the transfusion of the blood of one animal into the veins of another and they made likewise some curious experiments Vol. V. No. 2. L on the hatching of silk-worms in rarefied air. Their experiments on the freezing of water in different circumstances; on the production of cold by saline solutions; on ice, to evince that it was susceptible of various degrees of cold more intense than that of simple freezing; and the congelation of oils; were various, interesting, and prosecuted with the most attentive accuracy. A curious train of experiments was made at the Tower, under the immediate inspection of the lord viscount Brounker, to ascertain what changes might be produced on the weights of lead and copper by subjection to fire in a cupel. Both the copper and the lead were found to gain (by oxidation, no doubt,) an addition. The cupel suffered always a diminution of its weight when ignited, but not a tation in the weight of the metals. diminution equal to the augmen Among the instruments invented by the society within a few years after its institution were, an universal standard measure of magnitudes by means of the pendulum; a wheel barometer and other instruments for finding the pressure of the air; an auger for boring the ground, and fetching up parts of the strata, through which it should pass, in their natural order; an instrument for measuring the swiftness and strength of the wind; a diving-bell, and a pair of spectacles, with which a diver might see any thing distinctly under water; several engines for finding and determining the force of gunpowder; several acoustick instruments to assist and improve the sense of hearing; a chariot way-wiser, which would exactly measure the length of the way of any coach or chariot, to which it was applied; an instrument for grinding optical glasses; a variety of telescopes, &c. &c. A manufacturer of glass had been more than thirty years before established in Broad-street, in London, by a company of mercantile adventurers, among whom the most considerable person was admiral Sir Robert Mansel. Workmen and superintendents were procured from Venice. It might have gone on successfully, if the great civil war had not broken Soon after the restoration, the duke of Buckingham, at a vast expense, established new glass-works in London; and the art was there, within a very few years, carried to out. such perfection, that these works supplied better glass for microscopes and telescopes, than that which was to be had from Venice. The duke of Buckingham not only expended much money upon those glass-works, rather as an experimentalist than a manufacturer, but took a warm and active interest in various others of the society's pursuits; and it was under his immediate patronage that Dr. Spratt wrote his excellent History of the Royal Society-the finest piece of English prose that was produced in the seventeenth century. For the Anthology. To be continued. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF HARVARD COLLEGE Department I. LIBRARY. ORIENTAL LIT- in several of them curious memo ERATURE. THIS department of literature in the library at Cambridge owes its principal supplies to the munificence of the late THOMAS HOLLIS, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn, London, who presented at different times more than 3000 volumes, in various languages, which, with his other benefactions, amounted to about 5000/. sterling. Desirous of furnishing ample means for the cultivation of science and arts, and various erudition in that seminary,' he sought for the works of the most celebrated authors, and books the most estimable and rare,' and spared no expense in the purchase. Most of the volumes he procured to be new bound, all in a very neat, and favourite authors in a magnificent manner.* He also wrote randa and remarks. Some of these will be quoted in this, and the succeeding numbers, in which we propose to direct the attention of the Alumni of our University to the treasures of learning contained in the Alcoves, to which they are favoured with daily access. I. GIGGEUS. Thesaurus lingue Arabicæ. fol. 4 tom. Mediolani 1632. [HOLLIS.] This is a fine copy of a very scarce work. T. H. has been particularly industrious in collecting Grammars and Lexicons of the Oriental ROOT languages, to send to Harvard college, in hopes of forming by that means, by me for my own proper library; but,by long experience, I have found it necessary to attend to them for other libraries, having thereby drawn notice, with preservation, on many excellent books, or curious, which, it probable, would else have passed unheeded or neglect. ed. assisted by the energy of the leaders, always beneficent, a few PRIME SCHOLARS, honours to their country, and lights to mankind. Two other works he wished to have been able to send to that college. proficients in the language can derive much benefit from it ; on this account the work of Giggeus is peculiarly valuable.* Giggeus was a doctor of the Ambrosian College at Milan. He flourished at the commencement of Gazophylacium Linguæ Persa- the seventeenth century. rum, Amst. 1684, fol. • Meninski, Thesaurus Linguarum Orientalium. [Containing the Arabick, Persick, and Turkish languages.] Vienna 1687. 4 tom. fol. II. Gazophylacium Linguæ Persarum, ANGELIA SANCTO JuSEPH. fol. Amst. 1684. [HOLLIS.] The note in the Giggeus, notwithstanding, I have since, most unexpectedly, obtained this book, and, as times go, at a cheap rate too, for 55 shillings. It was sold in a publick auction of no great account; was probably unknown to the East India buyers; and the booksellers, who know I wish well to them and the press,[guard it,North Americans!] would not bid against me.' Pall Mall, Jan. 21, 1767. T. H. The first used to appear in the catalogues at a guinea, 25s price: the last, even within these four years, at four guineas. Now, when they appear, and that most rarely, ten, twenty guineas are given for the former, and fifty for the latter. This change has proceeded from the gentlemen of our East India Factory's buying up all the copies they can meet with of these books; the more ingenious, The real name of ANGELO A for themselves; the artful, to ST. JOSEPH was LA BROSSE. make presents to the great men was Apostolick missionary for maand literati of the east, to many of whom it seems books of this residence among the natives, acny years in Persia, and by his long kind, [and the gentlemen of Har- quired an extensive knowledge of vard will still rejoice at it, as it the Persian language. In his Gamay lead further,] are peculiarly zophylacium the Persian words acceptable. Lord Clive paid, it is are explained in Italian, Latin, and said twenty guineas for the GAZO- French. But it can only be used PHYLACIUM, just before he sailed by a person acquainted with the from England and governour Italian language, as : Van Sittart, lately, for his brother, fifty for the MENINSKI. There is no contending with Asiatick Nabobs!' This excellent work is a translation of the Kamoos of Firoosbudee, who flourished in the fourteenth century. Temoor Leng, vulgarily called Tamerlane, was his Mecenas in this difficult undertaking, and to reward his learning and industry gave him 5000 ducats on the completion of the work. As the Kamoos is written entirely in Arabick, with all the technical phraseology of the grammarians, few but He the Italian word must be first known before the Persian can be sought for. In short it is an Italian dictionary, the words of which are explained in Latin, French, and Persian. Some emendations and remarks on this work may be found in HYDE'S SYNTAGMA DISSERTATIONUM, 4to. Oxon. 1767. Vol. 1. III. GOLIUS. Lexicon Arabico-Latinum. fol. Lug. Bat .Elzevir 1653. [HOLLIS.] This work, the most complete and scientifick of its kind ever of * Clark's Bibliogr. Dict v 9 n * a fered to the publick, was chiefly compiled from the Saha al loghat Ismaeel ben Hamed, commonly surnamed Al Jooharee, who flourished about the 390th year of the Hegira, A. D. 999. He was Turk by birth, and rose among the Arabians to the highest pitch of literary reputation. Of his work and the Kamoos of Firoozbadee, Golius gives the following character, while treating of the Arabick Lexicographers: 'Duo præ cæteris in hoc argumento recepi passim et conspicui scriptores extant : quos, velut duo sidera, Cynosuram et Helicen, omnis fere eruditorun cohors in ipso Oriente sequi solent. Eorum alter florentissimo literis sæculo vixit, alter posteriore ac deflorescente; Geiharis niinirum et Firuzabadius, Camusi autor. Quorum ille fæcundum flumen, hic profundum pelagus, uterque profuse doctrinæ opus, eiisit.' By the labours, therefore, of these two eminent men, Giggeus and Golius, we have a very valuable part of two of the most eminent of the Arabick Lexicographers, clothed in an European dress.† As Arabick and Persian literature continue to be cultivated with increasing diligence, this work, being frequently in demand, has become both scarce and dear. The ordinary price of a good copy is 4l. 148. 6d. sterling; but in fine preservation and elegant binding it sells much higher. The work is in every respect well edited. The arrangement of the words, the definitions given, the paper, types, and typographical execution, are all in the first style of accuracy and elegance. Notwithstanding the labours of Richardson * Lex. Gol. præfat. p. 2. Bibliogr. Dict. v. 7. p. 271. in his Arabick, Persian, and English dictionary, Oxford 1780, 2 vols. fol., the Lexicon of Golius is still essentially necessary to every student of the Arabick and even of the Persian language, which latter has borrowed so much from the former, that, without a proper Arabick Lexicon, it cannot be thoroughly understood. Till a new edition, equal in every respect to this of the Elzevirs be published, (which, says the author of the Bibliographical Dictionary, I am afraid is never to be expected) Golius will retain that decided and well merited pre-eminence, which he now without a rival enjoys. This very learned man was born at the Hague in 1596, and suc ceeded the celebrated Erpenius in the Arabick professorship at Leyden. He travelled into the east to perfect himself in the knowledge of the Oriental languages, and died at Leyden in 1667, aged 71 years.* IV. ASSEMAN, J. S. Bibliotheca Orientalis. fol. Rome 1719. 4. tom. An excellent work, and of great importance to collectors of Oriental manuscripts. It contains an account of the Syriack, Arabick, Persick, Turkish, Hebrew, Samaritan, and other MSS., collected in the east by the directions of Clement XI. and placed in the Vatican Library, with a description of each, and the life of the writer. V. ASSEMAN, S. Evod. Catalogus codicum Orientalium MSS. Bibliothecæ, Medicex Laurentianæ et Palatina studio Ant. FRAN. GoRII. Florent. 1742. fol. |