THE

ENGLISH REVIEW,

For JANUARY, 1786.

ART I. Memoirs of the Literary and Philofophical Society of Man chefter. Vols. I. II. 8vo. 12s, bds. Cadell, 1785.

MA

ANCHESTER, like other young towns in the northern parts of England, has for many years been juftly celebrated for the ardour, ingenuity, and fuccefs with which it pursued different branches of manufacture, and extended the fphere of its commerce. Unrestrained by the fhackles of corporations, and the vices and avocations with which these are allied, the people of Manchefter have trodden the paths of industry, and opened by their invention new avenues of mechanical and mercantile exertions to their countrymen. And now, agreeably to the natural progrefs of human views and paffions, they apply themselves with equal alacrity to literature and philofophy. A fociety is formed among a number of gentlemen of that place and its neighbourhood, which has for its object the union of the mechanical with the liberal arts; which combines practice with fpeculation, and unites with the culture of the fciences the improvement of the arts; and which aims to fofter rifing genius; to incite a fpirit of emulation; and to give energy to the powers of the mind, by calling them forth into early exertion. But the object of their inftitution is thus fet forth in the preface to the first volume of their memoirs.

Men, however great their learning, often become indolent and unambitious to improve in knowledge, for want of affociating with others of fimilar talents and acquirements: having few opportunities of communicating their ideas, they are not very folicitous to collect or arrange thofe they have acquired, and are ftill lefs anxious about the further cultivation of their minds.But fcience, like fire, is put in motion by collifion.-Where a number of fuch men have frequent opportunities of meeting and converfing together, thought begets ENG, REV. Vol. VI. Jan. 1786.

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thought,

thought, and every hint is turned to advantage. A fpirit of inquiry glows in every breaft. Every new discovery relative to the natural, intellectual, or moral world, leads to further investigation; and each man is zealous to diftinguish himself in the interesting purfuit.

• Such have been the confideration that have led to the inftitution of the Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchefter.Many years fince, a few gentlemen, inhabitants of the town, who were inspired with a tafte for Literature and Philofophy, formed themselves into a kind of weekly club, for the purpofe of converfing on fubjects of that nature. These meetings were continued, with fome interruption, for feveral years; and many refpectable perfons being defirous of becoming members, the numbers were increased so far, as to induce the founders of this fociety to think of extending their original defign. Prefidents, and other officers were elected, a code of laws formed, and a regular fociety conftituted, and denominated, The Literary and Philo fophical Society of Manchefter."

This fociety now prefents the firft fruits of its inftitution to the public and they inform us that from the affiduity of the members, and the correfpondence of others, there is reafon to presume that a volume may be regularly fent to the prefs every fecond or third year.

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Upon these volumes of Memoirs we obferve in general, that they contain a great variety and extent of learning, with feveral new experiments and facts; difplay great boldness of fancy and conjecture, and an eager thirst after knowledge. Of each of thefe papers we fhall give a very general account, with fome occafional obfervations; our limits admit not of more. The firft paper with which we are prefented, is intitled, "Some Remarks on the Opinion that the Animal Body poffeffes the Power of generating Cold. By George Bell, M.D. Read May 16, 1781." Dr. Fordyce and other gentlemen, at different times went into a room, the air of which was heated to a degree far above that of the human blood; and though they remained there, fometimes for the space of half an hour, yet the heat of their bodies was not increased by more than three hundred and four degrees. From hence they concluded that the living body poffeffes a peculiar power of generating cold by fome occult operation. Dr. Bell denies that this conclufion is justly drawn, and accounts to our fatisfaction for the phenomenon in queftion, from the rarefaction of the air with which Dr. Fordyce and his companions were furrounded; the evaporation made from the furface of the body, and the fucceffive afflux of blood to the furface of a temperature inferior to that of the furrounding air.

"On the Advantages of Literature and Philofophy in general, and efpecially on the Confiftency of Literary and Philofophical, with Commercial, Purfuits. By Thomas Henry, F.R. S. Read October 3, 1781." Mr, Henry expatiates on

the

the entertainment and improvement to be derived from the pursuits of literature and philofophy, and on this fubject produces abundance of quotations from the fpectator, Pope, Horace, and Hayley. He alfo fhews the connection between fome of the liberal fciences, and fome of the mechanical arts. -The manner, or the means by which letters humanize the mind, Mr. Henry has not fo much as touched, although it is a very interesting and curious fubject of inquiry, and as yet almoft ground untrod. A philofopher, in a discourse addreffed to a Philofophical Society, ought not to content himself with telling them that appearances whether in the moral or phyfi cal world exift, but also, if poffible, why, and how they exist. Doctrina fed vim promonet infitam Recitique caetus pectora roborant-Dididiffe fideliter artes

Emollit mores nec finit effe feros.

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Thefe, with numberlefs other teftimonies in favour of polite literature, are in every body's mouth. But to trace the chain between literature and humanity, is the province of a philofopher. Is it by wearing off thofe antipathies, whether of animofity or intereft; by strengthening a difpofition to view things in their caufes, and confequently human frailties and injuries in the weakneffes and paffions that give them birth? Is it by elevating the mind above the common objects of contention, and nourishing a candour and fympathy with our fellow men; or in what way is it that the arts humanize the manners of men, and will not fuffer them to remain rude and ferocious? This is the question that we fhould have expected Mr. Henry to difcufs.

Mr. Henry fets himself to combat an opinion that philofophical pursuits are incompatible with thofe of business. He thinks that both might be carried on by a proper arrangement of time. We are of opinion that, without a degree of enthu→ fiam, there can be no delight in any pursuit, nor yet any fuc cefs. And two different kinds of enthufiam, not to fay oppofite kinds, cannot co-exift in the fame breaft. A war would be commenced between the philofopher and the tradefman, and one of them would deftroy the other.

"On Crystallization. By Alexander Eafon, M. D. Read Nov. 14, 1781." Dr. Eafon, from analogy, and feveral facts, makes it probable that all precious ftones, with many other mineral bodies, have been originally in a ftate of fufion, by means of heat, from which they have been formed by the law of cryftallization.

"On the Prefervation of Sea-Water from Putrefaction by Means of Quicklime. By Thomas Henry, F. R. S. To

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which is added, an Account of a newly invented Machine for Impregnating Water, or other Fluids, with Fixed Air, &c. Communicated to Mr. Henry by J. Haygarth, M. B. F.R.S. Read Nov. 21, 1782." Mr. Henry fhews the manner in which he preferved fea-water from putrefaction by means of quicklime.

'On the Nature and Effential Character of Poetry, as diftinguished from Profe. By Thomas Barnes, D. D. Read Dec. 5, 1781. Dr. Barnes fhews that there are different orders and degrees too of poetry. In this there is not any great discovery. The doctor, however, exhibits a very just and lively relifh of poetry.

On the Affinity fubfifting between the Arts, with a Plan for promoting and extending Manufactures, by encouraging thofe Arts on which Manufacturers principally depend. By Thomas Barnes, D. D. Read January 9, 1782.' Dr. Barnes, having with equal ingenuity, truth, and learning, fhewn that it is not defirable that a man of learning fhould devote himself to one particular object, and that the interefts of science are best promoted by a more general and extended application to dif ferent ftudies, obferves,

That, in the prefent ftate of Arts, capital improvements are not to be, in general, expected from thofe, who would, at first fight, appear most likely to make them; I mean, the workmen in different branches of mechanifm. Turn your eyes to any of our numerous manufactures. You find every divifion of mechanical labour executed by a feparate fet of workmen. Dr. Smith, in his Wealth of Nations, tells us that a Pin goes through eighteen several distinct operations," each of which, probably, in a large concern, is performed by a different operator, who, it may be prefumed, would feel himself very aukward and unready, if obliged to change employment with any other of his fellow workmen. How many hands concur in the formation of a Watch, but very few of whom are fo well acquainted with the whole mechanifm, as to be able to put the Watch together, or to calculate the different wheels, of which it is compofed.

I imagine it to be owing to this circumftance, that improvements, upon a larger fcale, fuch as the invention of great and complicated machines, &c. have generally been made by perfons not originally educated to the profeffion of thofe arts in which they have made fuch aftonishing difcoveries. Whilft the regular artists have had their attention fixed upon the little points and ramifications of art, in which indeed they have become aftonishingly perfect, the others, ftanding more at a distance, have had a wider field, a nobler object in their view, at once. Hence, their minds have been extended to a complex whole, the firft faint outline of which they have, by flow degrees of patient labour, finished into form and beauty. Hence, almost all our late machines have been invented, in a part of the country, where the ftate of the Arts is not greatly improved, and

where

where original genius is not minced down to the fhreds and atoms of a long established and widely extended manufacture.'

But if random genius has made aftonishing difcoveries and improvements without any aid, but that of native fagacity, how many minds, Dr. Barnes afks, capable, with affistance and encouragement, of producing the happieft inventions, have, for want of them, pined in obfcurity, been loft to the world, and incapable of any great atchievement? After thefe and other observations, Dr. Barnes' proceeds to chalk out the outlines of a plan, the fole object and principle of which is, the improvement of our manufactures, by the improvement of those arts on which they depend.

The first object of this fcheme, fays he, is,-To provide a public repofitory among us for chemical and mechanic knowledge.

"In order to this, I could with models to be procured, of all fuch machines, in the various arts, as feem to bear the most distant relation to our own manufactures. All the proceffes in thofe of Silk, of Woollen, of Linen, and of Cotton, fhould be here delineated. These would make the moft neceffary and important parts of this collection. But to thefe might, with great advantage, be added, the aftonishing effects of Mechanic Genius in other branches, which have not fo apparent an affinity with our own.

"In this repofitory, let there be likewife provided, an affortment of the feveral ingredients used in dying, printing, &c. for the purpose of experiments.

A fuperintendant will be neceffary, to arrange, and to apply this collection to its proper ufe. He fhould be a man well verfed in chemical and mechanic knowledge. And let his province be, at certain feafons, and under certain regulations, to give lectures, advice, and affiftance, to those who wish to obtain a better knowledge of these arts.

"Laftly; let the expence, neceffary to open, and to fupport the feheme, be defrayed by a fubfcription; and let every subscriber have the power of nominating one, or more, to receive the advantages of this inftitution."

I mean only to draw the rudeft outline of the plan, and would leave it to the enfuing converfation to be filled up, with colouring, or ade. By this fcheme, properly methodized and conducted, I should hope for fome of the following advantages.

This mechanic school would properly finish the education of a young Tradesman, or Manufacturer. It would fucceed, in its natural order, to the school for writing, and arithmetic. It would ferve as a proper ftep of transition, from thence to the warehouse; and, perhaps, it might become a regular part of a young Gentleman's preparation for bufinefs. How defirable a part it would be I will not here fay. Other gentlemen prefent are much better qualified to decide upon the question.

But the principal advantage I fhould propofe from this scheme, is ' this. Here would be a kind of general oracle, which those might

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confult,