century after the univerfal deluge. A legend which fays that the Greek alphabet wat invented many ages before Cecrops and Cadmus, and the Latin characters feventeen centuries before the Romans were a people, is too ridiculous to deferve any serious confideration. But this idle ftory is not more pregnant with abfurdity than the mention that is made of Adam, Cain, Noah, the deluge, Mofes, Pharaoh, and many other names and tranfactions in the Old Teftament, in annals faid to have been written many ages before Chriftianity introduced into Europe any knowledge of the Jewish hiftory and antiquities.

The Irish being in fome measure obliged to acknowledge that the Bethluifnion, notwithstanding the arbitrary tranfpofition of the letters, and the puerile fancy of impofing upon them the names of trees, by the bards and fenachies of the middle ages, was borrowed from the Latin, ftill continue to infift that their ancestors, in remote antiquity, made ufe of characters diftinguished by the name of Ogum. Ogum is a word which has no affinity with any other in the Irish language, and feems therefore to have been á cant-name impofed upon a fpecies of ftenography or cypher, in which the old Irish, like many other nations, wrote their fecrets. Sir James Ware, whofe authority is often cited to prove the exiftence of the Ogum, fhews plainly that it was a kind of short hand, varied according to the fancy of thofe that used it, and confequently that it did not merit the title of an alphabet.

There is no circumftance more conclufive against the learning of the Pagan Irish, than the contradictions between the ancient writers, and thofe of the modern annalists of Ireland. The antiquaries of that country, in proportion as the general history' of the world became more and more known to them, reformed, newmodelled, and retrenched the extravagancies of the firft rude draught of Hibernian antiquities formed by the bards and fileas. Had letters been cultivated in Ireland in fo early a period as is pretended, fyftems of the hiftory of that country would have been fo anciently formed, and fo well established by the fanction of their antiquity, that neither Keating or O'Flaherty durft, in the feventeenth age, give a complete turn to the Irish antiquities. But that no fuch fyftem was formed, is demonftrable from the filence concerning the times of Heathenifm, in the most ancient annals of Ireland, of the existence of which we have any fatisfactory proof.

To close with one decifive argument this controversy: It is to 'be obferved that the fettlement of the Milefians, under the name of Scots, in Ireland, about a thousand years before the Chriftian æra, is the capital point established by the pretended literature of the heathen Irish. Should this early fettlement be once afcertained, it naturally ought to follow that the British Scots derived their blood from thofe of Ireland; if they did, they must have carried with them to Caledonia that learning, fcience, and civility, which had made fo great a progrefs in their mother country before they tranfmigrated from it. But nothing is more certain than that the British Scots were an illiterate people, and involved in barbarifm, even after St Patrick's miffion to the Scots of Ireland. The abettors of the Irish antiquities are then reduced into this dilemma; either the Scots of North Britain did not derive their origin from Ireland, or else the Irish had not any knowledge of letters when the British Scots tranfmigrated from their country. If the first pofition is true, the whole credit of the Milefian story is

at

was at Athens, the Eleufinian Mysteries were celebrated TM. `Iť is not impoffible, that Virgil might then be initiated, as well as the Indian philofopher"; but the Æneid could receive no improvement from his newly-acquired knowledge. He was taken ill at Megara. The journey encreased his diforder, and he expired at Brundufium, the twenty-fecond of September of the fame year 735°.

Should it then appear probable, that Virgil had no op portunity of learning the SECRET of the Mysteries, it will be fomething more than probable, that he has not revealed what he never knew.

His lordship will perhaps tell me, that Virgil might be initiated into the Eleufinian myfteries, without making a journey to Athens fince thofe myfteries had been brought to Rome long before P. Here indeed I fhould be apt to fufpect fome mistake, or, at least, want of precifion in his lordship's ideas; as Salmafius , and Cafaubon, men toleraby versed in antiquity, affure me, that indeed fome Grecian ceremonies of Ceres had been practifed at Rome from the earliest ages; but that the mysteries of Eleufis were never introduced into that capital, either by the emperor Hadrian, or by any other: And I am the more induced to believe, that these rites were not imported in Virgil's time, as the accurate Suetonius speaks of an unfuccefsful attempt for that purpose, made by the emperor Claudius, above threefcore years after Virgil's death.

2. None but the initiated could reveal the fecret of the

Mysteries; and THE INITIATED COULD NOT REVEAL IT,

WITHOUT VIOLATING THE LAWS, AS WELL OF HONOR AS OF

RELIGION. I fincerely acquit the bishop of Gloucefter of any defign; yet fo unfortunate is his fyftem, that it represents a most virtuous and elegant poet, as equally devoid of taste, and of common honefty.

His lordship acknowledges, that the Initiated were bound to fecrecy by the moft folemn obligations; that Virgil was confcious of the imputed impiety of his defign; that at Athens

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They always began the fifteenth of the Attic month Boedromion, and lafted nine days. Those who take the trouble of calculating the Athenian Calendar, on the principles laid down by Mr. Dodwell (de Cyclis Antiquis) and by Dr. Halley, will find, that AVC. Varr. 735, the 15th of Boedromion coincided with the 24th of Auguft of the Julian year. But if we may believe Dion Caffius, the celebration was this year anticipated, on account of Auguftus and the Indian philofopher. L. LIV. p. 739. edit. Reimar.

n Strabo, 1. xv. p. 710. • Donat. in Virgil. PD. L. vol. I. p. 188. Salmafius ad Scriptores Hift. Auguft. p. 55.

Cafaubon ad Scriptor. Hift. Auguft. p. 25. • Sueton. in Claud. c. 25. D. L. vol. I. p. 147

he

That our readers may be enabled to form a more accurate idea of the author's method, we fhall lay before them an extract from this part of the lectures.

Ift Principle. That in diftempers which proceed from too great a quantityof the blood, blood should be taken away by the lancet, or by cupping, or by leeches; but in fuch cafes, care ought to be taken not to draw off fo much blood, as will fink the quantity of it below the ftandard of health; because such a degree of evacuation from the blood veffels will not only render the quantity lefs than it ought to be, but also diminish the vital ftrength, and be a hurt to the patient, in proportion to the deficiency made in the quantity of his blood by the excess of the evacuation.

And it deferves confideration, that an over large evacuation from the blood veffels in plethorick bodies, removes indeed the general caufe of difeafes intended to be removed by it; but then it certainly brings another general caufe of dif eases to fubfift in the blood, even a deficiency in the quantity of the blood, which can never be a right practice.

IId. Principle. That when the mufcular fibres and animal veffels are rigid, befides leffening the quantity of the blood, aqueous liquors, nitrous, mucilaginous, and oleaginous medicines, and fuch like things, fhould be advised.

IIId Principle. That when the lymphatic fluid exceeds in quantity, evacuation fhould be made by urine, or ftool, or fweat.

IVth Principle. That when the mufcular fibres and ani mal veffels are lax, befides the evacuations mentioned, those medicines fhould be directed, which may bring the component parts of thofe folids to a clofer union, and a firmer cohefion.

• Vth Principle. That in difeafes which arife from an excefs in the quantity of the nervous fluid, thofe medicines fhould be prescribed, which may leffen its quantity, and remove the excefs. What thefe are will be fhewn in their proper place.

VIth Principle. That in difcafes, when the quantity of the animal fluids does not exceed the ftandard of health, or is not greater than it ought to be, evacuations by bleeding; or purging, or otherwife, ought not to be made: because they will then render the quantity of them lefs than it ought to be; or, in other words, introduce a deficiency into the body, which is one cause of diseases, and fhould therefore be carefully avoided.

VIIth Principle. That in difeafes, which are produced only by fome wrong or bad quality of the blood and other fluids of the body, medicines by which the morbific quality may be altered and deftroyed, fhould only be advifed, as the proper remediès.

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• And it is as irrational to endeavour curing fuch diseases. by making evacuations, and diminishing the quantity of the animal fluids, as it would be in diftempers which refult merely from too great a quantity of thofe fluids, to attempt a remo val of them by alterative medicines, with a neglect of the proper evacuations which ought to be made.

VIIIth Principle. That when the quantity of the blood is too little, endeavours fhould be used to make up its deficiency by directing thofe aliments which moft eafily may be af fimulated, or tranfmuted into blood.

This is an important rule of medical practice, because the keeping fick perfons, in fuch a ftate, too low in their diet, may occafion their finking under their distemper.

IXth. Principle. That when the quantity of the lymphatic fluid is too little, the deficiency fhould be fupplied by fufficient quantities of fuch watery, diluting liquors, as may most easily be mixed with the blood, and tranfmuted into lymph.

Xth Principle. That when the nervous fluid is too little in. quantity, medicines proper to promote the increase of the fe cretion of that fluid, and fuitable cordials fhould be advised.

XIth Principle. That in difeafes produced by complex causes, each concurring caufe fhould be confidered, and the remedies should be carefully adapted for the removal of them."

Dr. Lobb feems to have been particularly explicit in endeavouring to ascertain the proximate caufe of difeafes, and to make his pupils acquainted with the leading and elementary principles which are the foundation of practice on which account, he is generally lefs copious than other fyftematical writers in the treatment of the feveral difeafes. His opinion of the nature and caufe of the hooping.cough, may be fufficient to fhew the judgment with which he conducted his inquiries.

• The hooping cough (tuffis convulfiva infantum) is a difeafe which very much deferves our confideration; and I do not remember that I have met with a clear explanation, or account, of its productive caufe in any author.

. It is called the hooping cough from the found which the convulfive motions forcibly extort from children in their fits of coughing.

'I may obferve that a fit of coughing feldom ceases till a vomiting is brought on, and a humour thereby evacuated, unlefs the child' happens to swallow it. This matter, thrown out by vomiting, is generally clear and viscous like a mucilage or jelly.

The cause of this disease, in my opinion, is a diminution of the infenfible perfpiration.

• I ap

I apprehend that in children, as their veffels are univerfally more lax than thofe of adult bodies, fo their lymphatic arteries are alfo more lax, and the diameters of them more eafily enlarged. And therefore, that when the quantity usually excreted from the body by infenfible perfpiration, happens by any occafion to be diminished, there then often occurs a greater flow of lymph through the lymphatic veffels into the air-veficles of the lungs than in the time of perfect health; whence the hooping cough.

The lymph, evacuated into the air-veficles clear, (by the exhalation of the thinner, moft limpid parts of it, continually with the breath) acquires the confiftence of a viscous mucilage or jelly; which, when it encreases to a certain quantity, occa fions a cough, which does not ceafe till it is brought up from the lungs. Then all is quiet till a certain frefh quantity is emptied into the lungs..

The reafon why the fits of coughing return in fome children more frequently than in others, and in the fame children oftener fome weeks than in others, is probably this, viz. the quantity of the viscous humour, neceffary to occafion a fit of coughing, is in fome children fooner collected from the lymphatic veffels than in others; and in the fame children, in fome weeks of days, it is collected in fhorter spaces of time, than in others.

This account of the disease, under our confideration, implies, indeed, that the viscous, clear, jelly-like bumour, which children throw out of their mouths in fits of the hooping cough, (often in large quantities) comes from the lungs, and not from the ftomach.

The reafon for my opinion is this, viz. whatever matter or phlegm happens to be lodged in the ftomach, if it creates very uneasy sensations, may bring on vomitings, as in fach cafes daily happens among children, but not a cough, and especially not a fit of coughing, for feveral minutes before any vomiting happens.

It is a thing incomprehenfible to me, how any humour in a ftate of reft in the ftomach, and a humour which excites no vomiting, no ftomach-fickness, or lothing, can act as a stimuJus on the larynx, and produce an inceffant coughing for minutes before a vomiting is exerted.

But it seems eafy to apprehend that an acrimonious viscous humour, extravafated into the air-veficles in the lungs, may (when the quantity of it is increased to a certain degree). by the action of the air paffing to and from it, irritate the nerves terminating under the membrane which lines the afpera arteria, and affect the whole membrane, even to the larynx, and excite that violent coughing which happens in this disease.