The LONDON MAGAZINE: Or, GENTLEMAN's Monthly Intelligencer. For DECEMBER, 1755. To be Continued. (Price Six-Pence each Month.) Containing, (Greater Variety, and more in Quantity, than any Monthly Book of the same Price. I. Method to value precious Stones. IV. Effay Writers, a Dream. V. Complaint of an unhappy Father. VII. The JOURNAL of a Learned and Political CLUB, &c. continued: Containing the SPEECHES of L. Lentulus and A. Bæculenius on the Motion to Address his Majesty. VIII. Caufe of our Quarrel with France. XI. Lord Harry Powlett's Defence. Mr. Smart's Epilogue, for the Middlefex Hofpital; Verfes to Mifs L--, of B—; on the Death of old Hendrick, and his Son's Speech, by Mr. Rider; the Horfe, from Job on the Rev. Mr. Mn, Vicar of WR, Effex; Epitaph on Mr. Hackett; on Mifs J-y C-b-n, of S-wick; Ode to Health; Whitehead's Epiftle; on a Lady's tearing the Picture of Achilles' Shield; a new Song fet to Mufick, and a new Country Dance, &c. XXIV. The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER : Acts paffed; new Bridge refolved on; Affiftance for Portugal; more Earthquakes; Phenomenon in Scotland; Grants in Ireland; Advices from America; Proclamations for a general Faft, &c. &c. Seffions at the Old-Bailey, Storms, Shipwrecks, Inundations, Fires, Executions, Captures, and Elections. XXV. Promotions; Marriages and Births; Deaths; Bankrupts. XXVI. Alterations in the Lift of Parliament, XXVIII. A Catalogue of Books. With a fine South-Eaft PROSPECT of LISBON, as it was before the late Earthquake; a beautiful Reprefentation of Northern CORALS, and a neat PLAN of NEWGATEMARKET, curioudly engraved on Copper. MULTUM IN PARVO. LONDON: Printed for R. BALDWIN, at the Role in Pater-Notter-Kow; Of whom may be had, compleat Sets from the Year 1733 to this Time, neatly Bound, or Stitch'd, or any fingle Month to compleat Sets. NE CONTENT EW method to determine the value How performed by the folar fpeculum ibid. The effay writers, a dream 4 Complaint of an unhappy father Some particulars of the late calamity S... Proper reflections of the author 577 555 Treaty between Great-Britain and Ruffia ibid. 556 ibid. Stipulations therein 578 1 Treaty with Heffe-Caffel 579 557 ibid. Supplies from that court -And further aid ftipulated 580 558 ibid. Improvements for the roads A matrimonial dream 559, 560 Defcription of northern corals Account of the American plantations continued Defcription of Virginia Account of the late earthquakes 560, Letter from Mr. Caftres King's meffage and lords addrefs POETRY. A new fong fet to mufick 588 Speech of his fon 589 Verfes to Mifs L--, of B-- ibid. ibid. ibid. 590 ibid. ibid. The Horfe, from Job On the Rev. Mr. M--n On Mifs J-y C-b-n, of S-wick 591 ibid. Extract from Whitehead's epiftle ibid. Prologue and epilogue for the Middlefex Hofpital On a lady tearing the picture of Achilles' 559 592 fhield 592 The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER 593 Petition for a new bridge refolved on ibid. 594 ibid. ibid. ibid. ibid. ibid. 567 More earthquakes 568 Phenomenon in Scotland And proper infcription under it ibid. Grants in Ireland French conduct fince the treaty of Aix Advices from America la-Chapelle 569 Proclamations for a general fast, &c. &c. Caufe of the prefent quarrel with France Storms, hipwrecks, inundations 593 Account of the late revolutions in Perfia ibid. Fires, Seffions at the Old-Bailey, execu ibid. Fate of Adil Shah 571 Elections, captures 593 And of his brother Ibrahim ibid. Marriages and births 595 The fucceffor's eyes put out ibid. Deaths ibid. Character of prince Heraclius 596 Cruelties of the Afghans ibid. Proceedings of the court martial on lord Harry Powlett continued Promotions civil and military Alterations in the lift of parliament 597 ibid. 573 Perfons declared bankrupts ibid. His lordship's defence 574 City liberty afferted 575 Plays, &c. acted at both theatres ibid. 598 Mir. Talmath's ftate of the cafe of the A catalogue of books 599 toll of Newgate-market 576 Abstract of the at 22 Car. II. and of ther ibid. 600 ibid. the laft leafe of that market Prices of stocks and grain; wind, wea Monthly bill of mortality The request of Amicus will be confidered of. Ruricola's ode quill be in the Appendix, and the elegy on a winter's day in January; in which month, or the Appendix to this year, our profaical, poetical, and mathematical correspondents, will find many of their pieces lately received: The piece on the marriage aél came to Land. About the Middle of January will be Published, N APPENDIX to the LONDON MAGAZINE for 1755, with a THE LONDON MAGAZINE. For DECEMBER, A new Method for determining the Value of PRECIOUS STONES. I PN the laft volume of the Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal Aca demy lately published at Paris, there is a differ- A tation by Monf. Daubenton upon precious ftones, and the most certain method of determining the value of them. This learned gentleman having ftudied the fubje& as a philofopher, begins with laying it down as a maxim, that neither the hardness, nor the polish, nor the fpecifick gravity, nor in thort B any one property of precious ftones, does with fo much certainty point out their value, as that of their colour. But, fays he, befides its being extremely difficult, especially in thofe ftones which are a little transparent, to difcover the different fhades of colour, how fhall we exprefs thofe fhades, how thall we defcribe them in fuch a manner as to be understood by others. For this purpose he has invented a most ingenious expedient, by means of what they call the folar fpeculum, that is to fay, the image which is formed by a ray of the fun after it has paffed thro', or been refracted by a glafs prifm; which is a longifh fohd piece of glass of three equal fides and three equal angles; and D the way to have the folar fpeculum formed, is thus: Let a room be darkened, and the fun permitted to thine into it thro' a small hole in the window-fhutter. Then let the prifm be fo placed as that the ray of the fun which enters at the hole may pafs thro' two fides of the prism, by which means the particles of light of which that ray is compofed will fuffer different degrees of refraction, and be thereby divided into their different kinds; and if a sheet of clean paper be placed at a convenient diftance fo as that all the rays fo refracted may fall upon it, they will form upon the paper a long perpenDecember, 1755. E 1755. dicular image or figure of feven principal different colours, the lowest of which will be red, the fecond orange, the third yellow, the fourth green, the fifth blue, the fixth indigo, and the feventh a violet purple. If this image be divided lengthwife into 360 equal parts, it has been found, that the red fhall take up 45 of them, the orange 27, the yellow 48, the green 60, the blue 60, the indigo 40, and the violet 80; and if all these rays or colours be mixed together, according to this proportion, they produce that colour which we call white, but a little inclining to yellow. But it is to be observed, that between thefe principal colours there are intermediate colours which partake fomething of the inferior and fuperior, in proportion as they are nearer to the one or the other; and that at the upper and lower end of the fpeculum there is a mixture of red and violet. Now in precious ftones there is to be found a refemblance not only of thefe feven principal colours, but of many of the intermediate colours. For example, the red appears in the spinal ruby, the orange in the hyacinth, the yellow in the topaz, the green in the emerald, the blue. and the indigo in the faphire, and the vio-> let in the amethift. The balaf's ruby is of a red colour mixed with orange, and that hyacinth which, for its beauty, the French call labelle, is of that mixture which is to be found in the fpeculum between the red and orange. In short, there are precious ftones, fuch as the oriental ruby, where there is fuch a mixture of red and violet as appear at the upper and lower end of the fpeculum. This being the cafe, Monf. Daubenton has contrived to join two prifms together, and the speculum or image thereby formed, whofe middle is of a blue colour mixed with red, he has divided into a great many equal parts or degrees. Then he places in a little plate a piece of crystal by the fide of any precious ftone whofe precife colour he has a mind to deter4 A 2 mine, 556 CURE for the PALPITATION of the HEART. Dec. mine, fo as that he may move it higher As this is a very ingenious invention, To the AUTHOR of the LONDON C Studious and fedentary men, Sir, are D very fubject to this fad and melancholy complaint, and a strange, gloomy, defponding terror of mind is apt to accompany it for the most part, the lives of thefe affli&ted miferables are altogether comfortless, their sleep (if any) affording them little or no refreshment; yes, life's a fore burden, ever giving way to the E diftrefs of foul perpetually attending these much to be lamented fufferers. How ever, I hope L. M. may potfibly receive: fome benefit from a long experience in this matter, if he'll but be fo good to himself as to follow the advice laid down. for him. But I will firft give a few inftances in point. I knew a gentleman labouring under F the above complaint effe@ually cured, only by the use of the cold-bath for fome time, who continued free from the diforder, and all complaints of this nature, for more than 20 years afterwards, even to the day of his death. I knew another gentleman (a clergyman) in this deplorable cafe, who, if any G perfon but knocked at his door, would fall into a trembling, and be almoft frightened out of his fenfes ; who (after a fix months regular courfe of medicine, under the care of two very eminent phyficians, and their advice proving fruitless) by only leaving off the drinking of bohea tea in a morning, his usual breakfast, and wholly laying afide this useless and highly pernicious exotick, recovered a found and good state of health. The world is not aware, Sir, of the great mischief this Eastern drug does to English conftitutions, being as bad and as deftructive as gin. Our common people are greatly hurt by their immoderate ufe of it, nor will they be at all perfuaded, that it is in the leaft hurtful but I look upon bohea tea as a flow poifon nothing weakens, relaxes, or fouls the ftomach like it, or enervates more. In short, it enfeebles nature, and the whole habit, and destroys, yes, kills its thousands. i I have lately met with more patients, in the courfe of my practice, whole fad complaints have proceeded entirely from the use of bohea tea, than in 20 or 30 years before; particularly among the fair fex, complaints of lowness of fpirits, wart of appetite, ever complaining, and never well; head ach, and highly hysterical, little or no fleep, and even violent convulfion fits, which neither yield nor give way to any known remedies; but by leaving off the ufe of bohea tea they foon grew well, without the medical art, and. have acquired thereby a lively, sprightly, and healthy constitution. Many of my friends, and patients, as well as myfelf, dare not meddle with this hydra. If I drink bohea tea in a morn ing for my breakfast. I shall furely rue for it at night; for as foon as I lay my head upon my pillow, and endeavour to compofe myself to reft, a violent palpitation of the heart comes on, and sleep flies from me, but by wholly laying afide the ufe of bohea tea, as well as green, I am altogether free from the palpitation of the heart: Nor could I lie in bed on either fide, but wholly on my back, when thus afflicted. -Your friend L. M. will do well to do the fame, and fubftitute a half pint of ground-ivy tea every morning for his breakfast, adding thereto two or three. tea-fpoonfuls of Dr. Quincy's ftomachick: bitter tincture, and a large spoonful of common treacle, and a little grated nutmeg, which will be apt to keep his body open, to his great advantage. Let his dinner be young, light, animal food, drinking a glass of freth Pyrmont water, warmed with a little good old Port wine ; and a few glaties of the fame wine may not be amifs after dinner. His fupper early at night, a good dish of houfe-foailbroth, adding an onion, a few grains of whole pepper, and a handful of pearl barley, at difcretion: In the boiling of it, first cleaning the nails with common falt. By 1755. PROPOSAL for a MILITIA. By thefe means L. M. may very poffibly receive fome benefit, not a little, I hope : And the hearing of the fuccefs thro' the canal of your most useful Magazine, will amply reward, SIR, Your conftant reader, Dec. 13, 1755. G. B. A Poftfcript. This methad must be continued for fome time: If he diflikes Port wine, let him make use of good old mountain wine. Tar water is no mean remedy in this cafe. Frequent fober and gentle riding on horfeback is likewife to be recommended to Mr. L. M. in fresh country air, &c. Let him know alfo, that B temperance is the grand rule of life, in all climates whatsoever. PROPOSAL for a well disciplined MILITIA. As our neighbourhood to and the increase of their naval power, neceffarily expofes us to the danger of invations, and as notwithstanding the prefent fuperiority of our naval force, thofe very winds that would favour a defcent of the French, would lock up our own fleets, in our own harbours; and as the landing of 20 or 30,000 French in any part of the country, might occafion great defolation and confusion before they could be checked or defeated, it is certain, D that a well regulated national militia must be of fingular advantage, our standing forces being too fmall a body for national' defence, in cafe of feparate attacks or descents by our enemies in different places at the fame time. It is therefore propofed, that our standing forces be kept up as at prefent, at least to the number of 20,000; and that a militia be raifed con confifting of 50,000 effective men, al ways difciplined and ready to be incor porated with the standing troops, and to be marched to any part of Great-Britain as his majefty fhall direct; and for this purpose, 1. Let each county furnish a number of men proportioned to its fize, and pro- F vide them with arms, cloaths, horfes, and pay, out of the county rates, in time of peace; but when called out to war, by reafon of invasions or rebellions, let them be paid by the king out of the ant nual grants of parliament. 2. Let each regiment bear the name of its own county. 3. Let the crown appoint the officers as at prefent. 4. Let the men be voluntiers, inlifted by the officers, and when called out to duty, let them be fubject to martial law in the fame manner as the regular troops. 5. Let ftorehouses be provided in every 557 county for laying up the arms, regimen¬ 6. Let the men and horfes be called out and difciplined for one month in the fpring, before hay time, and while out, let them and their officers receive the fame pay as the regular troops: At other times, let the men apply to their refpective employments, only allowing them two-pence a day when at home. 7. Let the horfes be employed in hufbandry when not wanted, only under the inspection of fome of the fubaltern officers. 8. Let a proper number attend in their courfe for a fortnight or month, as a guard for the storehoufes, and to perfect themfelves in their exercifes. 9, Let the forces of fix or eight counties once in four years be encamped, and reviewed by fome field-officer. All publick schemes are attended with their difficulties and imperfections, and doubtlefs this would have its share; but yet till a better is propofed, this is recommended to the confideration of the publick; and it is much to be wished, that fome scheme of this fort were carried. into execution, as under God, it would become a great addition to our national fecurity, for then a number of well difciplined troops, might, in a few days, be affembled in great numbers in any part of the kingdom, and being joined: with the regular standing forces, would be able to make head against any body of foreign troops that might be landed. upon us. And a militia' thus regularly. difciplined and kept up, would to all. the purpofes of national defence, become equal to the fame number of standing, forcesAnd the behaviour of the duke of Kingston's new raised horse, at the battle of Culloden, is a plain proof of the great ufe thefe troops might be of, in cafe of the fame emergency. And fure no free born Briton or Pro teftant would be fo fupidly felfish and incontiderate, as to grudge the additional expence which must neceffarily attend this scheme, when it is for the defence of his religion, his liberty, his property, nay, every thing which a wife man can efteem facred and dear. Harborough, Dec. 5, 1755. BRITANNICUS. 1 The ESSAY WRITERS. A DREAM, felf in the court of Apollo, where there was then held a kind of quarter-feffions, at which, every effay-writer was obliged to take out a licence, or to have his old one renewed. When the busines began, |