out twelve miles west of The epoch of thefe tables antiquity, and coincides inning of the celebrated Calyougham or Callee › commenced, according n account, three thoufand and two years before the it. ur fets of tables have been id compared by M. Bailly, gular felicity of genius has 1 uncommon degree of eith the parient refarchonomer, and the profound is of a geometrician. His have been verifi. d, and his have been illuftrated and 7 Mr Piayfair, in a very Certation, published in the s of the Royal Society of of attempting to follow fonings and calculations, their nature, are often abntricate, I shall fatisfy myving fuch a general view of fuited to a popular work. e, may convey a proper it has been published con-aftronomy of India, a fubrious and important to be any account of the ftare of hat country; and without any judgment of my own, e each of my readers to wn opinion. be confidered as the general I the inquiries, reafonings, tions, with respect to Indimy, which have hitherto e public, "That the mothe heavenly bodies, and articularly their fituation at umencement of the different to which the four fets of refer, are ascertained with ccuracy; and that many of ments of their calculations, lly for very remote ages, are d by an aftonishing coinciwith the tables of the modern 02 "aftronomy of Europe, when improv "ed by the latest and molt nice de"ductions from the theory of gravita"tion." Thefe conclufions are rendered peculiarly in erefting, by the evidence which they afford of an advancement in fcience unexampled in the history of rude nations. The Indian Brahmins, who annually circu- * late a kind of almanack, containing aftronomical predictions of fome of the more remarkable phenomena in the heavens, fuch as the new and full moons, the eclipfes of the fun and moon, are in poffeffion of certain me thods of calculation, which, upon examination, are found to involve in then a very extenfive fyftem of astromical knowledge. M. le Gentil, a French aftronomer, had an opportunity, while in India, of obferving two eclipfes of the moon, which had been calculated by a Brahin, and he found the error in either to be very inconfi derable. The accuracy of thefe refults is lefs furprifing than the juttnefs and fcientific nature of the principles on which the tables by which they calculate are conftructed. For the method of predicting eclipfes which is followed by the Brahmins, is of a kind altogether different from any that has been found in the poffeffion of rude nations in the infancy of aftronomy. In Chaldæa, and even in Greece, in the early ages, the method of calculating ecliptes was founded on the obfervation of a certain period or cycle, after which the eclipfes of the fun and moon return nearly in the fame order; but there was no attempt to analyse the different circumstances on which the eclipfe depends, or to deduce its phenomena from a precife knowledge of the motions of the fun and moon. This laft was referved for a more advanced period, when geometry, as well as arithmetic, were called in to the afhitance of aftronomy, and if it was attempted at all, feems not to have be n attempted with fuccefs before the age of Hip parchus. Melf. Robert Young, Charles Kerr, Robert Anderson. Lady Elizabeth Heron; Hon. Lieut. Murray, the Lord Chief Baron, his Lady and family; the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir Thomas Blacket and family; Sir Gilbert Elliot, Sir John Inglis and family; Sir Michael Malcolm, Sir John Henderson, Sir James and Lady Foulis; Sir William RamJay, Sir John and Lady Sinclair; Lady Clerk, Mark Pringle, Efq; M. P. Mr and Mrs Belfches; Capt. and Mrs Mackay; Mr Ramfay of Barnton; Mr Askew of Pallinfburn, &c. Sir Thos Blacket, Mr Afkew, &c. came from England to attend this pleasing festival, which we are happy July 18. The City of Edinburgh's Plate of to find is to be celebrated annually hereafter. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, July 11. This day came on the election of Chairman, Directors, and Office Bearers of the Chamber of Commerce here for the enfuing year, when the following gentlewere unanimously chofen : William Ramfay, Efq, of Barnton, Chair man. Neil McVicar, Efq. Senior Deputy Chair man. Robert Allan, Efq. Junior Deputy Chair man. George Kinnear, Treasurer. AUDITORS OF ACCOUNTS John Hay, James Rennie, + David Ramfay. Robert Walker, Chaplain, Meff. George Hay, John Scougal, John Horner, Francis Sharp, David Steuart, Those marked thus are newly elected, the others continued. EDINBURGH RACES. L.50 was won by Mr Spence's bay mare Gipfey-An excellent race. Tuesday laft, between two and three o'clock afternoon, we had a heavy rain, which lafted about fifteen minutes, and inundated many parts of the city to fuch a degree, that for fome time there was no paí fing along the pavement. Soon after the rain, the expanfe became amazingly clear, and the fun fhone uncommonly bright, attended with great heat. About that time an appearance was feen in the heavens, refembling a ferpent, flying in the direction of from weft to eaft. The horizon being perfectly clear in that direction, it was visible for fome minutes, and then feemed to part in a great many pieces. Before its feparation, it was to appearance at least two hundred yards long, and its motion resembled that of a fhip's pendant difplayed at the masthead in a gale of wind. COURT COURT OF SESSION. LOCHMABEN CAUSE. The Court of Seffion, fome time ago, fettled the cofts given against the defenders in the process of reduction of the election of Magiftrates of Lochmaben, at Michaelmas 1790. The account came to about 400 l. Sterling, but was restricted to 3001. Upon this occafion Lord Swinton lamented the form of our proceedings in taking evidence in writing upon commission in cafes of this kind, both in regard of the heavy expence which it drew upon the parties, and in regard to the lofs of time which it occafioned to them and others concerned. He obferved, that in this cafe the printed proof, confifting of the depofition of no fewer than seventy-eight witneffes, filled about two hundred quarto pages of print, altho' all that was material to the iffue of the caufe might have been confined to the evidence of eight or nine witneffes, and comprised in lefs than twenty pages: That thefe witnef. fes were brought all the way from Lochmaben and neighbourhood (about fixty miles) to Edinburgh to be examined; and it appeared from the account produced, that the taking the proof had lafted a whole month, though taken before the Sheriff, a gentleman of unquestionable ability: That it had taken three days in hearing in the Court of Seffion, befides the time spent by the Judges in reading the papers at home; and it might be fairly computed upon the whole, that this caufe alone had truly coft above twenty-four days or four weeks judicial work; and near four fcore labourers, tradesmen, and manufacturers, brought from their employment, and kept fo long idle in Edinburgh. What a lofs was this to the people in particular, and to the trade and manufacture of this part of the kingdom in general, befides about 8ool costs to the parties, merely for law proceedings! He next ftated a comparison of the proceedings in this cafe with the method of proceeding by juries in our neighbouring kingdom, where a trial of fuch a kind at the Affizes, in place of four weeks, would not have flood above fix weeks, including the time of taking the proof, by examining perhaps eight or nine witneffes in prefence of the jury, and where the total expence of both fides would not have exceeded sol. The first he averred, viz. relative to the time, from his own obfervation, having had occafion to be prefent at the laft Spring Affizes in York. The fecond, with respect to the cofts, he gave upon the concurring information of eminent perfons in the law, of whom he was curious to make the enquiry, and who uniformly affured him, that, at an average, the caufes there tried coft 30l. to the plaintiff, and 201. to the defendant, including the expence of the ordinary preliminary fteps in Westminster Hall. His Lordship concluded with observing, that if the Scots Judges were ten times longer lived than the English Judges, and Scots litigants ten times richer than litigants in England, there might be fome reafon for fo much waste of time and money here; but as it was well known fuch was not the cafe, it was matter worthy confideration to provide fome remedy for fo clamant an evil. N. B. Upon these remarks made by the learned Judge, comparing the coft of the law in Scotland with those in England, we have to obferve, that from an authentic account we had of the Affizes above alluded to, there were fixty caufes tried in one week by Mr Juftice Buller, including the taking of the proof in all of them, which, at sol. each, would amount to 30col. made by the law in the fourth part of the time spent judicially upon the Lochmaben caufe. From whence we draw this conclufion, that the practitioners of the law would be no lofers by fhortening the time, and leffening the expence spent in law proceedings. Edinburgh, July 19. The Annual Competition for Prizes given by the Highland Society of London, to the three beft performers on the bagpipe, was held in the Circus on Tuefday laft, in prefence of a Committee of Judges and Directors, appointed by the Highland Society of Scotland, and a very numerous and genteel affembly who honoured the competition with their attendance. The first prize, being a pipe, with 40 merks in money, was adjudged to Donald M'Craw in Applecrofs, and delivered to him by the Prefes of the Committee, in presence of the audience, with general applause. The Committee met on Wednesday to determine the other two prizes, when the fecond being 30 merks, was given to John McGregor from Breadalbane; and the third, being alfo 30 merks, was given to Duncan Stuart, piper to the Rt. Hon. Lord Mountftuart; and by order of the Committee, the moncy arifing from the fale of tickets, was diftributed among the other competitors," and the dancers of Highland reels. Mr Biffet, an ingenious artift of Birmingham (originally from this country) had painted fome emblematic ornaments for the room where the Revolutionifts dined, which were greatly admired. The central piece was a finely-executed medallion of his Majefty, encircled with a Glory, on each fide of which was an alabaster obelisk; one exhibit ing Gallic Liberty breaking the bands of Defpotifm, and the other reprefenting British Liberty in its prefent enjoyment. Such, however, was the mifreprefentation of the mob, that the paintings were faid to be, "A figure of Liberty trampling on a Crown, and a King without a Head !"-His Majefty having expreffed a defire to see these paintings, they have been fent up to London for his infpection. MARRIAGES. June 30. Mr James Bruce, Accountant of Excife, to Mifs Gloag, daughter of Mr John Gloag, merchant in Edinburgh. July 1. Mr Hotchkis writer, to Mifs Gardner, daughter of the late Richard Gardner, Efq, of the Customs. William Reynell, Efq. of Ireland, to Mifs Montgomery, daughter of the late Sir William Montgomery, of Macbeehill, Bart. 7. James Cleghorn Profeffor of Anatomy in Dublin, to Mifs Agnes Home, daughter of the late Mr Alexander Home, coachmaker. 16. Archibald Fletcher, Efq. advocate, to Mifs Eliza Davidson of Tadcaster. BIRTHS. July. 1. Mrs Chriftie of Durie, delivered of a fon, 5. The wife of a labouring man at Laurifton, of two boys and a girl, all doing well. 23. Mrs Riddel of Ardnamurchan, of a daughter. 26. Mrs Patrick Crichton of a fon. DEATHS. June 1. Lieutenant-Colonel David Muirhead of the Eaft India Company's fervice. 2. Dr James Gillefpie, Principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews. 5. Lieutenant Colonel David Hepburn. 29. Mrs Gardner, wife of Dr Gardner. 30. The Rev. Duncan M'Farlane of Drymen, aged 84. July 1. Mrs Janet Clark widow of Mr William Alfton, writer to the fignet. 6. John Lord Doune, fon to the Earl of Moray. 7. After a fhort illness, the Rev. Dr Thomas Blacklock, a name well known in the learned world, and which will long furvive him. He was an extraordinary perfon. Though totally deprived of fight from his early infancy, and unaffifted by the advan tages of fortune, his genius, notwithstanding thefe unfavourable circumftances, fhone out in various productions both in verfe and profe. He was an excellent claffical fcholar, and well versed in most of the other branches of literature. As a poet, a philofopher, and a divine, a great share of merit will not be denied him by thofe who are acquainted with his writings. His poetical works are marked with fuch an elegance and force of diction, fuch a glow and propriety of defcription, and fuch an ardour of sentiment, as affect the feelings of every reader of taste, and have accordingly been admired by the beft judges in Great Britain. His mufe was ever the friend of virtue, for he himself was the friend of human kind. The whole of his private life was an amiable example of unaffected piety towards God, and undiffemHis converfation bled good-will to men. was animated, entertaining, and instructive. His wit, of which he poffeffed no small share, " Muloften gave pleasure, but never pain. tis ille flebilis occidit!"-Such was the mildnefs of his temper, the benevolence of his heart, and the elegance of his mind, that it was impoffible to know him and not love him; and it may truly be said, that he never loft a friend, nor made a foe. The following lines, extracted from his own poems, occafioned by the death of an intimate friend, may be applied, with much truth, to himself. "Him Nature with no common care defign'da "O! with what ardour did his piercing, view "Through every maze of Nature Truth purfue; "Sacred to Virtue and the Mufe, his breast "With Heaven's own lovelieft image was impreft: "Like Heaven's eternal goodness, unconfin'd, "His foul, with one fond wifh, embrac'd Mankind." Mifs Mary Millar, daughter of John Mil-› lar of Millhcugh, Profeffor of Law at Glaf gow. July 10. Patrick Kerr, Efq. of Abbotrule, writer to the fignet. 13. The Rev. Thomas Sharp, minister of Corstorphine. 19. Mrs Threipland, daughter of the late Sir David Threipland of Fingask. Mrs Ogilvy, widow of Mr James Ogilvy, fenior, Leith. 20. Dr Campbell of Smiddygreen. 25. John Mitchelfon, Efq. of Middleton. Mr Patrick Crawford, late merchant in Edinburgh. THE Edinburgh Magazine, -OR LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR AUGUST 1791. With a View of KILCHURN, OR KILCHAIRN CASTLE *. Kilchurn, or Kilchairn Caftle, is a magnificient pile, now in ruins, feated on a low ifle near the fouthern border of Lochaw; it belongs to the Earl of Breadalbane. It was built by Sir Colin Campbell, Lord of Lochaw, who died aged 80 in 1480. His fucceffor added greatly to it. Within are fome remains of apartments, elegant and of no great antiquity. The view from it of the rich vale, bounded by vaft mountains, is fine. See another View of it in our Magazine for October 1785. On Account of the compleat detail given of the French Conftitution, tour additional pages are given with this Magazine. |