of life. Our own times, in which the intention of polite education is to produce a general, uniform manner, afford little diverfity of character for the stage. Our dramatifts, therefore, mark the diftinctions of their characters, by incidents more than by fentiments, and abound more in ftriking fituations than interefting dialogue. In the old comedy, the catastrophe is occafioned, in general, by a change in the mind of fome principal character, artfully prepared, and cautiously conducted; in the modern, the unfolding of the plot is effected by the overturning of a fcreen, the opening of a door, or by fome other equally dignified machine.

When we compare Maffinger with the other dramatic writers of his age, we cannot long hefitate where to place him. More natural in his characters, and more poetical in his diction, than Johnson or Cartwright, more elevated and nervous than Fletcher, the only writers who can be fuppofed to conteft his pre-eminence, Maffinger ranks immediately under Shakespeare himfelf*.

It must be confeffed, that in comedy Maffinger falls confiderably beneath Shakespeare; his wit is lefs brilliant, and his ridicule lefs delicate

I omit Milton, because his Samfon is an exotic, not captivating to the eyes of Englishmen; and whatever detached beauties Comus may poffefs, it is incomparably heavy, confidered as a dramatic piece.

and

1

and various; but he affords a fpecimen of elegant comedy, of which there is no archetype in his great predeceffor. By the rules of a very judicious critic†, the characters in this piece appear to be of too elevated a rank for comedy; yet though the plot is fomewhat embarraffed by this circumstance, the diversity, spirit, and confiftency of the characters render it a most interesting play. In tragedy, Maffinger is rather eloquent than pathetic; yet he is often as majestic, and generally more elegant than his mafter; he is as powerful a ruler of the understanding, as Shakefpeare is of the paffions: with the disadvantage of fucceeding that matchlefs poet, there is still much original beauty in his works; and the most extenfive acquaintance with poetry will hardly diminish the pleasure of a reader and admirer of Maffinger.

The Great Duke of Florence.

+ See the Effay on the Provinces of the Drama.

OBSERVA

OBSERVATIONS on the BILLS of MORTALITY for the Towns of MANCHESTER and SALFORD; by THOMAS HENRY, F. R. S. Acad. Philof. Amer.; Philadel.; Med. Lond. & Phyfic. Edinb. Soc.

READ JANUARY 18, 1786.

N the year 1773, feveral perfons, many of

IN

whom are now Members of this Society, fubfcribed, for the purpose of obtaining an accurate account of the ftate of the population of the towns of Manchester and Salford*, which fhould contain the number of houses, families, males, females, &c. The refult of this inquiry, which was inftituted with a view to the opinion, at that time propagated, of the general decline of population in the kingdom, proved that, instead of being diminished, as was fuppofed to be the cafe with the inhabitants of London, the number of perfons, refiding in Manchester and Salford, was greatly increased: that the

Manchester and Salford, though diftin&t townships, are only feparated by the river Irwel, and communicate by means of feveral bridges. In the year 1757 the number of inhabitants was no more than 19839.

number

number of tenanted houses was 4268; of families 6416, and of inhabitants 27246; or 6 to a house. But, in this account, the number of inhabitants residing in the townships, almost the whole of which was then nearly contiguous with the towns, and now forms a part of them, was not included. These districts contained, at that time, 311 houses, 361 families, and 1905 individuals. This number, added to the former, makes that of the inhabitants amount to 2915!

Soon after the period, at which this furvey was taken, a very confiderable increase of inhabitants took place. The fpirit and ingenuity of our manufactures made extraordinary and rapid improvements in our fabrics; and the introduction of machinery, inftead of leffening the number of hands, found employment for many additional people. The town extended on every fide, and fuch was the influx of inhabitants, that though a great number of new houses were built, they were occupied even before they were finished.

The progrefs of the trade and population, though certainly checked, was not wholly reftrained, by the unfortunate, and ever to be lamented, war, which was waged, during a period of almoft nine years, with our American Colonies, fupported by the immenfe and united

Dr. Percival's Effays, vol. III.

forces

forces of France, Spain and Holland. Contrary to every reasonable expectation the manufactures of Manchefter were not affected by the war, to any great and alarming degree; and they still found their way, by various channels, to almost every market, where they had been ufually fold. By cafting our eyes on the bills of mortality, for those years, we find the population of the towns greatly advancing, and, what is a pleafing circumftance, especially confidering the number of men, of which they were drained, for the supply of his Majefty's fleets and armies, we see a striking fuperiority of the births over the burials.

On the happy event of the restoration of peace, the influx of inhabitants was furprizingly great. Multitudes of men, who had ferved abroad, or in our provincial regiments at home, now returned into the country; and the fuccefs of the oppofition which was made to the monopoly of the cotton machines, drew, from various quarters, large recruits of people. During the three laft years the number of our chriftenings has been much augmented, but though they ftill maintain a majority, yet I am forry to observe, that the lift of burials, when compared with thofe of the three preceding years, is more than proportionably enlarged. A contagious fever has proved very deftructive, and its virulence has been, probably, increased, by the crowded and VOL. III. uncleanly

M