it of this advantage which was referved for modern times, any more than we can depreciate their military skill, because cannons and gunpowder were unknown to them. The poffibility of practising the magic of the clear-obfcure, and of carrying the air perspective to that high degree of truth, which we admire in the works of a Correggio, a Titian, and others, was merely connected with the invention of oil-colours. All the paintings of the beft Italian masters before that time, are deftitute of all keeping, and are grouped exactly, like the On a crayon ground and in water colours it was impoffible to employ the number of colours that are fo eafily mixed on the pallet. The faintnefs of the fketch, the diverfity of the uebermahlens and lofirens depended merely on the time now allowed to perfevere in oil-painting, without apprehending the drying of the cofours. And this poflibility it was that gave wings to genius, to exercife itself in fore-fhortenings, whereof the drawing, without colour-degradations, is only difgufting; to give fo many tints to middle and diftant grounds, to form fo much harmony with the ky and the objects that are enlightened by it, to lay fo much truth in local colours, and by these fo very much to help up the effect of the light. In the paintings of the ancients we complain that there are fo few, and thefe only glaring colours. But hence we fee that they never conceived the principle of a once adopted light, and its particular effect, but neglected it altogether. Their imitation of objects was juft as if they viewed them under the open fky; that is, faw them in the mind of the painter without peculiar light, becaufe as foon as light concentrated, falling from a certain point, and confined, was imagined, fuch effects arife as caufe the thoufand deadenings and heightenings of the proper colours, and never admit of an unbroken abftract red, blue, or yellow. Cow keepers of Middlefex, by Mr. Thomas Baird; from the Annals of Agriculture, vol. xxi. ALL round London, but par ton, and for feveral miles thereabouts, the cow-keepers engrofs every inch of land they can pro. cure. The quantity of milk, confumed by the metropolis, must be very great indeed. Some of thefe cow keepers have remarkable large ftocks of cows, for the purpofe of fupplying this neceflary article: one farmer (Mr. Weft, of Iflington) has, on the different farms he poffeffes, in that neighbourhood, very near one thoufand; in one yard I faw about three hundred cows; and, at this feafon of the year (July), they are in the fineit order, and their colours are different, and beautifully variegated; I could not help being much pleafed with a fcene, fo near London, at once fo rich and rural. The cowkeepers are not particular as to their breed; for you will find in their hands beatts as various in their kinds, as in their colours, a cow that gives a great quantity of milk is naturally preferred, quantity, not quality, being the object. They are in general bought from drovers in the northern parts of England, who make it a bulinefs to purchase cowa Bb 4 for for the London cow-keepers, for which they give from fix to ten pounds per cow, when with calf. The fpotted cows fell for more by twenty fhillings than cows of equal goodness, but all of one colour. The Holderness breed certainly give the largest quantity of milk, but they are more tender than the Lancashire and Staffordshire, which, on that account, are in general preferred. The price of the Hol dernefs, per head, is from ten to twelve guineas, at leaft at lflington, where a fresh fupply from Yorkshire is regularly expofed to fale. From what I could obferve, the milk is delivered entirely free from adulteration, to the people who retail it in London; and as they have it unadulterated, at the rate of three-farthings per pint, and retail it at three halfpence, their profit is furely fo great, as ought not to tempt them to any adulteration. But when it is confidered how much their milk is lowered by water, and other worfe mixtures, it is mat ter of regret, that no method has hitherto been fallen upon to prevent the abufes, fo juftly complained of, in regard to this very neceffary article of life *. This is an object well entitled to the particular confideration of those who fupply the metropolis with milk, as it cannot be doubted but the generalty of the inhabitants of London would be fatisfied, high as the price is, to give fome addition to the fum they now pay, if they could purchafe fo ufeful an article perfectly genuine. The cow-keepers breed very few cattle, and thofe they do breed, only from favourite cows, which become fo, merely from their giving much milk, and with very little attention to the choice of their bulls. Even in fummer, and when the grafs is in the greatest plenty, the cows are regularly fed with grains, which, though the quantity of milk may be thereby increafed, does by no means add to its quality. The general allowance is forty-five quarters of Not fatisfied with the profit above ftated, which, confidering the difference of measure, is above one hundred per cent. it is a common practice with the retailers of this ufeful article, to carry the milk first home to their own houses, where it is fet up for half a day, when the cream is taken from it, at least all that comes up in that time, and it is then fold for new milk, by which means, what is delivered in the morning, is no other than the milk of the preceding afternoon, deprived of the cream it throws up by ftanding during that time. By this means a farther confiderable profit accrues to the retailer, and the milk is greatly reduced in point of ftrength and quality. This cream, poor as it is, is afterwards, it is faid, mixed with other ingre dients, and yet finds a quick and ready market in the metropolis. It is a matter of furprife, that in the city of London, fo long and deservedly famous for the attention and vigilance of its magiftrates, in the conduct and regulation of the markets, no notice has hitherto been taken, or any effectual means adopted, to prevent the abufes fo generally and juftly complained of, in an article, the confumption of which (in London and its environs alone) is greater than in half the cities of Europe.-Milk has always been a favourite part of the food of Britons; and, in a great and populous city, it is highly conducive to the health of the inhabitants.-Lace et carne vivunt, fays Cæfar, in his Commentaries, grain per week, at one fhilling and though in general they are very awkward at it. Confumption of Milk in London. The quantity of milk confumed in the metropolis, and the fum of money it cofts the inhabitants to be fupplied with that article, it would be extremely defirable to ascertain ; but there are not fufficient data to do it with any great precifion. The following calculation, however, may be improved and perfected by more minute and careful inquiries, which the board may afterwards caufe to be instituted. Though the yielding a great quantity of milk, is naturally the principal quality wished for by the London cow-keepers, in the cows they purchase, yet fo indifferently have they as yet fucceeded in at taining that object, that though it is well known that cows in Scotland, of the true Dutch breed, yield at the rate of fixteen Scotch pints or eight English gallons per day, and fometimes more, yet in the neighbourhood of London they feldom give more than fix gallons even in the height of the feason; indeed five gallons in fummer, and four in winter, is a high enough average. The account of each cow will then ftand as follows: No. of Gal. Value of Milk. 910 } .22 15 0 the fupply of London and its fuburbs, there are confequently nine millions millions eight hundred and fifty-two thoufand gallons of milk fold there in a year, or, at an average, about twenty-feven thousand and forty-fix-gallons daily, for which the cow-keepers get 246.3001.; and as the retailers get is per gallon, it costs the inhabitants of London 492,6001. per annum, or about 13501. per day, to be fupplied with milk and cream. The butter confumed there comes at a greater diftance, par. ticularly from Epping, Cambridge, &c. London Brick Fields, by the fame. TH pro for infide work, at a guinea. Unlefs the earth, with which the ground is filled up, is of a very good quality, or unless great quantities of manure are laid upon it, fome time must elapfe before the field recovers its former fertility. There are many who object to fuch a manufacture being fuffered in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, confidering it offenfive and unwholefome. On the other hand, it is contended, that fire is a great purifier of the atmosphere, and that, in clofe and hot weather, a number of brick kilus, all round London, is of real ufe to the health of the inhabitants. From the fame. MONG the articles for which A Middlefex is celebrated, that HERE is oue mode of making ufe of earth, which is, pro- Ilouse and Grafs Lambs, by the fame. bably, carried to a greater extent in Middlesex than in any part of the kingdom, namely, in the manufacture of bricks. Some years ago, the fum ufually paid for an acre of brick, was 1001; but the price of this, like that of other commodities, has been rapidly increafing, and indeed has gone as high as 350 1. per acre. The common way now is, for the proprietor to get 1 s. per thousand, and to receive the ground in a level fiate, within a foot of the height of the adjoining road, when the brick earth is completely manufactured. The common calculation is, that there is one million of bricks per acre, in every foot depth of brick earth (at least with the addition of the afhes that is mixed with the earth), and, one field with another, that the brick earth is four feet deep. The bricks called greyflocks. for the outfide of houfes, fell at from 27. to 28s. per thoufand, carriage included. Common bricks, of breeding and fattening houfelambs, for the London market, is undoubtedly one which merits particular attention. It is an art which, it is believed, originated in this county, though it is now gradually spreading itfelf over other parts of the island, but it ftill continues to be carried on here to more advantage, and on a larger feale, than in any other part of the kingdom. Without entering into any minute detail of this fpecies of traffic, it may be sufficient, in this hafty fketch, to remark, that it not only involves in it a very profitable branch of farming, but also furnifhes a market for the aftermath of the country, when made into hay, which, if ftacked, in tolerable order, is faid to afford a food very proper for the ewes during the time of fuckling; and, if the fea fon proves fo unfavourable, that this Early Grafs-Lamb. The vicinity to Smithfield market makes early grafs-lambs an object of L. s. d. 4110 2 1 2 Comments on Sterne. Ty John Fer; riar, M. D. From the Manchef chefler Philofophical and Literary Tranfactions for 1793. Vos adefle Rifus, blanditia, procacitates, T who Buchanan, HIS is almoft the only fatiri cal and ethical writer of note, wants a commentator. The works of Rabelais, Butler, Pope, Swift, and many others, are overloaded with explanations, while Sterne remains, in many places, unintelligible to the greater number of his readers. I would gladly difcharge this debt of gratitude to an author who has afforded me much delight; but my leisure hours can but produce fome general traces, or occafional hints, that amount only to an amufing relaxation. Some perfon whofe zeal is greater, and his literary repofe complete, may work the mine I have opened, with profit and fplendor. Indeed, there is fome danger in attempting to detect the fources from which Sterne drew his rich fingularities. It has been fashionable of late, to decry the analyfis of objects of admiration, and those who wish to trace the mysteries of O wit and literary pleasure, are held to be profane diffectors, who mangle the carcafe of learning, out of fpleen and idle curiofity*. Befides, the originality of Sterne has fcarcely been made a problem; on the contrary, he is confidered as the in 6 3 6 160 - 0 17 6 It has been faid, that a learned Gentleman intends to re-publish Joe Miller's Jefts, with illuftrations from the Greek writers. I expect impa tiently the restoration of feveral of his Irish ftories to Hierocles the Philofopher, from whofe Ara thofe ridiculous blunders have wondered abroad, and having loft their original country, are most unfairly quartered upon Ireland. |