No. V. Vol. I. For On the Month of MAY. For thee, fweet month, the groves greenliv'ries wear; M In MAY, To be continued Monthly. hawthorn; and the orchards difplay their highest beauty in the delicate blufh of the apple bloffoms. From the moist meadow to the wither'd hill, THOMSON. AY has ever been the favourite month of the year in poetical description; but the praises fo lavishly beftowed upon it, took their rife from climates more fouthern than ours. All this fcene of beauty and fertility is, fuch, it really unites all the foft beauties of Spring with the radiance of Summer; and however, fometimes dreadfully ravaged by has warmth enough to cheer and invigorate, the blights which peculiarly occur in this without overpowering. With us, efpecially month. The mifchief feems to be done fince we have reckoned by the new ftyle, chiefly by innumerable fwarms of very great part of the month is yet too chill for a fmall infects, which are brought by the north-eaft winds. perfect enjoyment of the charms of nature; and frequent injury is done to the flowers and young fruits during its courfe, by blights and blafting winds. May-day, though ftill observed as a rural feftival, has often little pleasure to bestow but that arifing from the name. In a very elegant poem, entitled The Tears of old May-day, this newer rival is thus defcribed. Nor wonder, man, that Nature's bafhful face, The fickly daughter of th' unripen'd year? peace; With blushes, harb'ring in their thin disguise, The blast that riots on the Spring's increase. The month, however, on the whole, is even in this country fufficiently profufe of beauties. The earth is covered with the fresheft green of the grafs and young corn, and adorned with numerous flowers opening on every fide. The trees put on all The hedges are rich in their verdure. fragrance from the fnowy bloffoms of the If, brufh'd from Ruffian wilds, a cutting gale Untimely frost; before whose baleful blast The full-blown Spring thro' all her foliage shrinks, Myriads on myriads, infect armies warp THOMSON. A cold and windy May is, however, accounted favourable to the corn; which, if brought forward by early warm weather, is apt to run into stalk, while its ears remain thin and light. The first of May is the general time for turning out cattle into the paftures, though frequently then very bare of grafs. The milk foon becomes more copious, and of finer quality from the juices in the young grafs; and it is in this month that the making of cheeses is ufually begun in the dairies. The gardens now yield an agreeable, 1786. Price Three-Pence.. though immature product, in the young goofeberries and currants, which are highly acceptable to our tables, now almoft exhaufted of their store of preserved fruits. The leafing of trees is commonly completed in this month. It begins with the aquatic kinds, fuch as willow, poplar, and alder; and ends with the oak, beech, and afh. These are fometimes very thin of foliage even at the close of May. Among the numerous wild flowers, none attracts more notice than the cowflip, Whose bashful flowers Declining, hide their beauty from the fun, Nor give their spotted bofoms to the gaze Of hafty paffenger. On hedge banks, the wild germander, of a fine azure blue, is confpicuous; and the whole furface of meadows is often covered with the yellow crowfoot. These flowers are also called butter-cups, and are fupposed by fome to give the butter its rich yellow tinge at this feafon; but falfely, as the cows will not touch it, on account of its biting quality. Birds hatch and rear their young principally during this month. The patience and affiduity of the female during the talk of fitting is admirable; as well as the conjugal affection of the male, who fings to his mate, and often fupplies her place; and nothing can exceed the paternal tendernefs of both, when the young are brought to light. Towards the end of May, the bee-hives fend forth their earlier fwarms. These colonies confift of the young progeny, now grown too numerous to remain in their parent habitation, and fufficiently strong and vigorous to provide for themfelves. One queen bee is neceffary to form each colony; and wherever the flies, they follow. Nature directs them to march in a if left to their choice, would generally be body in queft of a new settlement, which, fome hollow trunk of a tree. But man, K This month is not a very bufy feafon for the farmer. Some fowing remains to be done in late years; and in forward ones, the weeds which fpring up abundantly both in fields and gardens, require to be kept under. The hufbandman now looks forward with anxious hope to the reward of his industry. who converts the labours and instincts | duced more, the furplus fhould go to the Be gracious, Heaven! for now laborious man AN ACCOUNT OF THE THOMSON. CIVIL LIST. BE EFORE the Revolution, the whole revenue of the kingdom was called the revenue of the Crown, and the King difpofed of it as he pleafed.-Charles II. and James II. embezzled immenfe fums. To prevent fuch abufes in future, the Commons refolved, on the 26th of Feb. 1689, that the revenue was expired by the vacancy of the Throne, and did devolve on their Majefties King Will. III. and Queen Mary. The King's income for the year 1689, was fettled at 600,000l. to be paid out of the public revenue. Next year the hereditary excife was fettled upon the King for life, with a claufe to make it a fecurity for 250,000l. And the customs were fettled upon the King at the fame time, for four years, with a clause to make them a fecurity for 500,000l. But thefe duties did not produce what they were laid at. In 1698, a farther fubfidy of tonnage and poundage was laid, and these were all fettled on the King for life, at 700,000l. per annum. The fame was continued to Queen Anne. In 1713, the Queen being in debt, fhe was empowered to appoint, by letters patent, the fum of 35,000l. to be iffued out of the civil lift revenues for thirtytwo years, to fuch perfon or perfons as fhould advance the fum of 500,000l. for paying off the debts of the civil lift. In 1715, the fum of 120,000l. per annum was added to the civil lift revenue, during the life of George I. upon condition, that if the whole civil lift revenue, with this addition, produced lefs than 700,000l. yearly, the deficiency fhould be made good by Parliament; but if it pro Upon the acceffion of George II. the civil lift was encreafed to 800,000l. per annum, for his life, if it of that fum, the decency ever fell fhort a Μ to be made fan, Worthy-Heaven had bleffed him with a competency, and a wife upon whom he doated.-I am the furvivor of two daughters, and we were bred with every inftance of affection and tenderness." good by Parliament; but no mention was However, on the 28th of And on the 9th of April 1777, another meffage was brought to Parliament for the fame purpofe; and in compliance with that meffage there was granted At the fame time there was added to the civil lift 100,000l. per ann. And on the zd of May 1782, another meflage was brought to Parliament, requesting the payment of his Majefty's debts, which Lord John Cavendish, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer in that year, ftated to amount to PRESENT DEMAND £.5139511 618,340 433,893 L. 1,565,744 210,000 The girl who made this declaration was almoft naked-I had met her in the street When women of this defcription, and in this fituation, ftop me-it is just the same as putting a piftol to my breaft I ftand and deliver Some how or other we had got together into a tavern, and we had each taken a glass or two of wine, before I put the above question to her. "What is your name, my dear?" faid I. She anfwered," My name, Sir, is Sufannah." "Then I'll drink your health, Sufannah.' "Would you choose a biscuit, Madam?” afked the waiter. Sufannah looked at me-eager was the look. So I ordered the fellow to bring up a fowl. My attention was monopolized by two objects the languid and emaciated beauty of Sufannah, and the avidity with which fhe devoured her food. the "You have told me," faid I, name of your parents, and their situation; that they lived in happiness, and enjoyed a competency-how then have you degenerated into this life of mifery and vice?" If mifery, which has refulted from the treachery of others, can be deemed degeneracy-if actions at which the mind revolts, and to which the heart never affented, 1,775,744 can be termed vice, I am, indeed, faid Su fannah, the moft degenerate and vicious of my fex;-for, believe me, continued this unhappy girl, my life is filled up by a continued feries of repentance. She burst into a flood of tears.-I took every poffible mode to foothe her grief, and at length to sketch out the causes of her forrow and her shame. "I am not," faid Sufannah," a facrifice to credulity-I did not fall by feductionI was ruined by villainy-I was not betrayed by the man I loved-I was debafed by the wretch I hated." The father of Susannah had introduced a trated. Sufannah refolved upon quitting her mother's house, and had purfued her way to London, refolved to apply for a service. She was recommended from a regifter office to an old lady, who received her with tenderness, and treated her more like a companion than her fervant; but fcarcely had her mind re-affumed a part of its usual tranquillity, when a fresh misfortune broke in upon her like a hurricane. The traitor who had ruined her paid a vifit to the house, and the inftant he appeared fhe fell to the floor. For the COUNTY MAGAZINE. MAD DOGS. turned them out into an enclosure, where they were alone, in a family way. The young were educated by the mother as As the feafon approaches when the Canine ufual, and afterwards brought to the market, and the latter farrowed again.-A fiSpecies are apt to go mad, we flate the fol-milar treatment, here alfo circumftantially lowing facts of the fingular effects of related, cured the little dog; and the great Vinegar in the Hydrophobia, as commu- one, who had been the beginner of the nicated by Monfieur Beudon to the Royal mifchief, and had returned home after Society of Medicine at Paris. We all three days abfence. In fhort, fow and dogs were well and hearty, and had recovered abridge the account, as it may prove useful. perfectly their fober fenfes. Among other fuccefsful remedies against the hydrophoMad dog had bitten a fow, which was bia, our author mentions, in his lift, a weeks, our loaves of tree. We have seen in the Bibliotheca Chirurgicalis of Mr. Richter, an interesting Chirurgicalis of Mr. Richter, an interesting account of the efficacy of the powder of this cafe, and a defcription of the manner of the root of the Solanum (Night Shade) in employing it. COURTSHIP. ALARM'D and jealous at the herd Which ftill purfu'd my life, I fwore, yet think me not abiurd, Our noon admir'd her breaft; lover to her, whom the difliked and rejected. wounded her grievously in the thigh, and powder made of the leaves of the palm -The wretch determined upon revengehe conspired with a maid fervant a fleep-afterwards attacked a fmall lap dog, wounding potion was administered to her, and ed him in the neck, tore off his ear, and the most villainous purpose was perpe-family where the accident happened, gave then made his escape. The mafter of the She inftantly disclosed the whole affair to orders that the fow and little dog fhould be her father, who purfued her ravifher, de-killed; but Mr. Beudon prevailed upon termined to inflict upon him the fevereft him to change his mind, and fhut them up vengeance. A fever, however, overtook in a place where he might try fome expehim while on the purfuit, and he died in riments upon them. He shut up the fow a wretched public-houfe in an obfcure in a ftable, and made a hole in the wall, village. through which he obferved her every day with the moft careful attention; and he conveyed food to her by means of a ftone trough, which paffed from the yard into the ftable. During five days the animal fed as ufual; the fixth it was standing with its head leaning on its food, and in this pofture it remained three days. The fourth it was feized with a raging fit of madnefs; its eyes fparkled, it foamed at the mouth, wandered backwards and forwards in the ftable, and from time to time knocked its head againft one of the planks. The fit continued feven hours, after which the creature grew calm, and lay down. Mr. Beudon feized this inftant to employ his remedy. He let down, through the hole, into the ftable, a caldron, in which he had warmed four pints of strong vinegar: after which he ftopped the holes in the ftable, to prevent all communication with the outer air. In about an hour his fervant, who listened at the door to the motions of the animal, heard a noife refemRage and pride raised a paffion in her bling drinking; and upon examination the breaft, too violent for nature to withstand fow was obferved ftanding and drinking the -a fever and delirium were the confe- vinegar with great avidity. Upon this quences. She quitted this houfe of profti- Mr. Beudon placed in the trough a quantution the inftant fhe had ftrength; but tity of bran, moistened with vinegar, of on getting into the street, was arrested at which the day following nothing remained. the fuit of her mistress for diet and lodg- He continued to moiften the food of the ing, and of her apothecary for medicines. animal with vinegar, and gave it for drink It was at this inftant a young merchant an equal mixture of vinegar and water, appeared with a feeming generofity he with a fmall quantity of barley flour, paid the debt, and with affected fenfibility until it had farrowed. During the firft commiferated her fituation. He removed day after this, he gave the patient barley her to a lodging-her gratitude foon influ- flour, moistened with equal portions of enced a furrender of her perfon. Though water and vinegar, and the whole sweetenher heart was unftained, fhe could noted with a little honey. The fow and her claim the pride of virtue. The youth foon pigs were kept a month in their confineleft her-poverty was the confequence, and ment; and when Mr. Beudon faw that there in the courfe of a few months unhappy was no appearance of a returning fit, he Sufannah came upon the town. On recovering, the confeffed to the old lady the whole of the misfortune under which the fuffered, and was foothed by repeated offers of friendship and protection. In a few weeks, however, the awoke to the fame horror which had been the original caufe of her woe.-The old woman was no better than a bawd, and by her the was a fecond time betrayed to the object of her hatred. K 2 * To Miss H. Blefs'd with every gentle grace? In vain th' attempt thofe eyes to trace ; But all united, like the rays LA FLEUR. SIR, To the Editor of the County Magazine. | for a month's lodging. It was in vain that I had recourfe to the act, and pleaded that we were strictly within the meaning of it, having "dwelt and inhabited" more than four weeks fucceffively in the parish. The Parfon was inexorable, and the cere I Am a plain unlettered man, accuftomed to retirement, and not much used to commit my thoughts and obfervations to paper; but having read of the degene-mony was not performed. Now, Mr rate ftate of the prefent age, I often thought Editor, being a plain inan, and unfkilled it partly arofe from a fplenetic difpofition in the fubtleties of the law, I with one of of the author, to be out of conceit with your more learned and ingenious correfhimself and all the world, and that we were pondents would tell me whether the divine no farther funk into a ftate of degeneracy or I was in the wrong; and, if he is not now, than a century ago. But the following juftified in his refufal, to what penalty or ocular circumftance fully convinced me to punishment he is liable. My punishment, the contrary, and that what I had read, had I am fure, you will allow, has been great, when I tell you that I am in good health, and whom this cruel priest would not unite me) 30 years of age, and that the young lady (to is 22, and as beautiful as an angel. fome foundation for the truth of it. Some little time ago I paid a visit to an old friend, a bookseller, in a market-town in this county, who keeps a circulating library, and happening to be there on a Sunday, whilft the inhabitants were returning from church, a young lady, in her way from that old fashioned place, called at my friend's fhop door, to know if the new novel of Eleonora was come out, and if fo, defired by all means fhe may take it with her.-In the courfe of the fame evening he was obliged once more to attend to a call at his door, at the folicitation of a girl, who requested the perufal of Roderick Random? This young lady, who would wifh to tread in the polite steps of her fuperiors, I found was a girl who got her livelihood by her needle, at about 6d. a day. From whence can arife this immorality, and contempt of the Sabbath? Can it be any otherwife than from the bad example of fuperiors?-Query, What would the inhabitants of a little country town have faid to fuch proceedings only half a century ago? I am, Sir, yours, &c. Dorfet, May 2, 1786. A. B. To the Editor of the COUNTY MAGAZINE. SIR, I WAS upon a vifit laft fummer at a friend's houfe in the country; where, among other visitors, was a young lady, who foon won my affections, and I was fo fortunate as not to have the offer of my hand rejected. We had been there near fix weeks when we agreed to be married; and, to fave the trouble of fending to London for a licence, we confented to the publication of banns. In confequence of this I gave feven days notice to the Rector of the parish of our intention, and was extremely furprised at his telling me, that our being on a vifit at a friend's and pa rithoner's houfe was not that kind of refidence required by the Act of Parliament to prevent clandeftine marriages; and that he would not publish the banns, unlefs I produced a receipt for money actually paid THE French may boaft of their being the first inventors of the aerial bal loons; but how can they lay claim to any more than the revival? when we read in one of Seneca's Epiftles of his aerial flight; an abftract of which may be both entertaining and inftructive to the readers of your entertaining Magazine, viz. "WHAT a delight, what a tranfport is it, for a foul that is wandering among the ftars, to look down and laugh at the palaces of princes, and the whole globe of the earth, and all its treafures! I do not speak of that only that is converted into money and plate, but of that alfo which is referved in the bowels of the earth to gratify the unfatiable covetoufnefs of pofterity. Nor can we ever bring ourselves to the abfolute contempt of luxurious ornaments, rich furniture, ftately buildings, pleafant gardens and fountains, until we have the world under us, and until, looking down from the heavens, and beholding that spot of ground we live upon, the greater part of it covered with the fea, befides a great deal of it defolate, and either scorched or frozen, we fhall fay thus to ourselves: Is this miferable point the ball of contention, that is divided among fo many nations the bounds, as well as the contests of morwith fire and fword? How ridiculous are tals! Such a prince muft not pafs fuch a river, nor another prince those mountains. And why do not the very pifmires canton out their pofts and jurifdictions too? for what does the bustle of troops and armies amount to, more than the bufinefs of a fwarm of ants upon a molehill? The scene where both at fea and land we tug and fcuffle of all the important actions here below, for dominion and wealth, is but a wretched point of earth; whereas the dominions of the foul are boundless. This very connourishment. The mind is there at home, templation gives us force, liberty, and and it has this argument of its divinity, contemplates the rifing and the falling of the that it takes delight in what is divine; it ftars, and the admirable harmony of order, even in their various motions. Difcuffing and enquiring into every thing, as proper fcorn does it then reflect upon the narrowly appertaining unto itself, with how much nefs of its former habitation! There it is that it learns the end of its proper beingthe knowledge of God. VERSES from a Gentleman in Town to his Sifter in the Country, apologizing for his late Neglect of her in a former Letter. I Muft confefs I could not bear, On those whom heav'n has planted there? repofe, WHERE proud Augufta, bleft with long Yet though its parts all elegantly fhine, Confummate art informs the breathing stone: Heart-foft'ning plaints demand the pitying tear, Within the chambers which this dome contains, In all her frantic forms Distraction reigns. For when the fenfe from various objects brings, Through organs craz'd, the images of things; Ideas, all extravagant and vain, In endless fwarms, crowd in upon the brain : The cheated reafon true and falfe confounds, And forms her notions from fantastic grounds. Then if the blood impetuous fwells the veins, And choler in the conftitution reigns, Outrageous fury ftrait inflames the foul, Quick beats the pulfe, and fierce the eye balls roll; Rattling his chains the wretch all raving lies, And roars and foams; and earth and heav'n defies. Not fo, when gloomy the black bile prevails, And lumpish phlegm the thicken'd mafs congeals: All lifeless then is the poor patient found, In melancholy loft, the vital flame The mortal, all to mirth and joy refign'd, Now ent'ring in, my Mufe, thy theme purfue, And all the dome, and each apartment view. Entends a vaft imaginary fway. Enjoys the dear delufion of his brain, In this fmall fpot expatiates unconfin'd, Supreme of monarchs, firft of human kind. Such joyful extafy as this poffeft On fome triumphal day, great Cæfar's breaft; Great Cæfar, fcarce beneath the gods ador'd, The world's proud victor, Rome's imperial lord, With all his glories in their utmost height, Whilst shouts on fhouts from gather'd nations rife, And endless acclamations rend the skies. Poor Cloe-whom yon little cell contains, Falfe as he is, ftill, ftill fhe loves her fwain, And moans and droops, with pining grief oppreft, Whilt fweet complainings warble from his breast. Lo! here a wretch to avarice refign'd, 'Midft gather'd fcraps, and fhreds, and rags confin'd; His riches thefe-for thefe he rakes and fpares, Thefe rack his bofom, thefe engrofs his cares; O'er thefe he broods, for ever void of reft, Scarce to his bowels half their due affords, Behold a fage! immers'd in thought profound: For science he, for various skill renown'd. And thro' the liquid sky, and o'er the wat❜ry way. Hence ever pregnant with fome vaft defign, The Mufe forbears to vifit ev'ry cell, And paint the whole variety of woe. Mean time, on these reflect with kind |