at Naples, they, of their own accord, fet apart an hour each evening, after they had finished their work in the Military Workhoufe, to pray for me?

"Will it be thought improper to mention the affecting reception I met with from them, at my firft vifit to the Military Workhoufe upon my return to Munich laft fummer, after an abfence of fifteen months; a fcene which drew tears from all who were prefent? and must I refufe myself the fatisfaction of defcribing the fête I gave them in return, in the English garden, at which 1800 poor people of all ages, and above 30,000 of the inhabitants of Munich affifted? and all this pleasure I must forego, merely that I may not be thought vain and oftentatious? Be it fo then; but I would juft beg leave to call the reader's attention to my feelings upon the occafion; and then let him afk himself, if any earthly reward can poffibly be fuppofed greater-any enjoyments more complete than thofe I received. Let him figure to himfelf, if he can, my fituation, fick in bed, worn out by intenfe application, and dying, as every body thought, a martyr in the cause to which I had devoted myfelf; let him imagine, I fay, my feelings, upon hearing the confufed noife of the prayers of a multitude of people, who were paffing by in the streets, upon being told, that it was the poor of Munich, many hundreds in number, who were going in proceffion to the church to put up public prayers for me:-public prayers for me!-for a private perfon-a ftranger! a proteftant! I believe it is the first initance of the kind that ever happened; and I dare venture to affirm that no proof could well be ftronger than this, that the measures adopted for making these poor people happy, were really fuccefsful; and let it be remembered, that this fact is what I am moft anxious to make appear IN THE CLEAREST AND MOST SATISFACTORY MANNER."

Upon this detail no remarks are neceffary.-The reader, provided he poffeffes the leaft fpark of fenfibility, will exult in so glorious a scene. How much more honourable are these tokens of esteem, than all the laurel that ever decked the brow of conquerors! How much more gratifying to the fenfible mind than all the empty pageantry which has been induftriously devifed to flatter the pride and footh the vanity of mankind!

We

We have detailed this affair at fome length, because it is, in the opinion of the COUNT himself, the most interefting of all his labours. “It is time," says he, in one of his Effays, "that I fhould return to the poor at Munich, for whofe comfort and happiness I laboured with fo much pleasure, and whofe hiftory will ever remain by far the most interesting part of this publication." It may be here juft mentioned, that after he had thus provided comfortably for the beggars, he then proceeded to meliorate the condition of the poor in general, in which measure he fucceeded beyond his most fanguine expec

tations.

When he returned from the continent we cannot fay, but having employed himself unceasingly for the good of his fellow creatures, he at laft favoured the public with an account of his exertions, whence the above fketch of the poor is taken. The title of the publication is ESSAYS Political, Economical, and Philofophical, by Benjamin Count of Rumford. The edition before us is the fourth, in two octavo volumes. The contents are various, but an enumeration of the fubjects of the ef fays, will give a fufficient idea of the whole work.

Effay ft. An account of an establishment for the poor at Munich, together with a detail of various public measures connected with that inftitution which have been adopted and carried into effect for putting an end to mendicity, and introducing order and useful industry among the more indigent inhabitants of Bavaria. Effay 2. Of the fundamental principles on which general eftablishments for the relief of the poor may be formed in all countries. Effay 3. Of food, and particularly of feeding the poor. Effay 4. Of chimney fire-places, with propofals for improving them to fave fuel, to render dwelling houfes more comfortable and falubrious, and effectually to prevent chimnies from fmoaking. Effay 5. A fhort account of feveral public inftitutions lately formed in Bavaria. Effay 6. Of the management of fire and the economy of fuel. Effay 7. Of the propagation

propagation of heat in fluids. Effay 8. Of the propagation of heat in various substances, being an account of a number of new experiments, made with a view to the investigation of the causes of the warmth of natural and artificial clothing. Effay 9. An experimental enquiry concerning the fource of the heat which is excited by friction. Such are the interefting fubjects which are difcuffed in this valuable publication.

The fubject of the fourth Effay, which refpects chimney fire-places, has excited general attention, and the plan fuggefted has been almost everywhere adopted. The improvement, indeed, is of fuch general utility, that we shall state it in the words of the Essay :

"Those who will take the trouble to confider the nature and properties of elastic fluids-of air, smoke, and vapour, and to examine the laws of their motions, and the neceffary confequences of their being rarefied by heat, will perceive that it would be as much a miracle if fmoke fhould not rife in a chimney, (all hindrances to its afcent being removed,) as that water should iefuse to run in a fyphon, or to defcend in a river.

"The whole mystery, therefore, of curing fmoking chimnies is comprised in this fimple direction-find out and remove thofe local hindrances which forcibly prevent the fmoke from fol lowing its natural tendency to go up the chimney; or rather, to fpeak more accurately, which prevents its being forced up the chimney by the preffure of the heavier air of the room.

"Although the caufes by which the afcent of fmoke in a chimney may be obstructed, are various, yet that cause which will most commonly, and I may say almost universally be found to operate, is one which it is always very easy to difcover, and as easy to remove-the bad construction of the chimney in the neighbourhood of the fire-place.

"In the course of all my experience and practice in curing fmoking chimnies, and I certainly have not had lefs than five hundred under my hands, and among them many which were thought to be quite incurable, I have never been obliged, except in one fingle inftance, to have recourse to any other method of cure than merely reducing the fire-place and the throat VOL. VII.

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of the chimney, or that part of it which lies immediately above the fire-place, to a proper form and just dimenfions.

"That my principles for conftructing fire-places are equally applicable to thofe which are defigned for burning coal, as to thofe in which wood is burnt, has lately been abundantly proved by experiments made here in London; for of above an hundred and fifty fire-places which have been altered in this city, under my direction, within these last two months, there is not one which has not answered perfectly well. And by feveral experiments which have been made with great care, and with the affiftance of thermometers, it has been demonftrated, that the faving of fuel, arifing from these improvements of fire-places, amounts in all cafes to more than half, and in many cafes to more than two-thirds of the quantity formerly confumed.-Now as the alterations in fire-places which are neceffary may be made at a very trifling expence, as any kind of grate or ftove may be made ufe of, and as no iron work, but merely a few bricks and fome mortar, or a few fmall pieces of fire-ftone are required; the improvement in question is very important, when confidered merely with a view to economy; but it fhould be remembered that not only a great faving is made of fuel by the alterations proposed, but that rooms are made much more comfortable and more falubrious; that they may be more equally warmed, and more eafily kept at any required temperature; that all draughts of cold air from the doors and windows towards the fire-place, which are fo fatal to delicate conftitutions, will be completely prevented; that in confequence of the air being equally warm all over the room, or in all parts of it, it may be entirely changed with the greatest facility, and the room completely ventilated, when the air is become unfit for respiration, and this merely by throwing open for a moment a door opening into fome paffage from whence fresh air may be had, and the upper part of a window; or by opening the upper part of one window and the lower part of another. And as the operation of ventilating the room, even when it is done in the most complete manner, will never require the door and window to be open more than one minute; in this fhort time the walls of the room will not be fenfibly cooled, and the fresh air which comes into the room will, in a very few minutes, be fo completely warmed by thefe walls, that the temperature of the

room, though the air in it be perfectly changed, will be brought to be very nearly the fame as it was before the ventilation."

Befides thefe Effays, Count Rumford has juft published a pamphlet, entitled "Propofals for forming, by Subfcription, in the metropolis of the British Empire, a public Inftitution for diffufing the Knowledge and facilitating the general Introduction of Mechanical Inventions and Improvements, and for teaching, by Courfes of Philofophical Lectures and Experiments, the Application of fcience to the common Purposes of Life." To fupport and forward this inftitution, it is propofed that a fund be formed by fubfcribers contributing to it, either the fum of fifty guineas, or ten guineas, or two guineas. The largeft fubfcribers are to be the proprietors of the institution. Nine managers, chofen out of their number, are to be invefted with the immediate adminiftration. Every member enjoys an extent of privilege commenfurate with the extent of his fubfcription.

Sixty noblemen and gentlemen have, already, fubfcribed fifty guineas each for carrying this plan into execution. And it alfo appears, that, at a meeting held at the houfe of Sir Jofeph Banks, March 9, 1799, nine managers were chofen, and a refolution made to apply for a royal charter. They intend, alfo, to proceed to immediate bufinefs.

After the perufal of these Proposals, we cannot help congratulating the metropolis of the British Empire, with having had such an inftitution formed within its own bofom. Something of the kind has been long wanted. Such a pian, wifely and fteadily executed, will embrace a large circle of advantages. It will conduce both to the improvement and felicity of the nation, to have a central inftitution, whither every ingenious device may be communicated and examined. Genius, however humble, and industry, however obfcure, may, by this means, rife into notice and conciliate the atten

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