spot, I never thought of making a return, except it was in the trifling articles of snuff and tobacco, until I was about to take my departure from the neighbourhood. It is therefore as a single instance of avarice and mistrust, that I mention the owner of Skyeaster, who, on coming down to my tent with a few birchen twigs that were not sufficient to boil the kettle, and about a pint of milk, demanded two marks and eight skillings. This I paid him immediately, letting him know at the same time, that had his conduct been different, he would have been better recompensed; at which he was so much vexed, that he offered to return the money, and furnish me unconditionally with as much more of the milk and fuel as I wanted.'

When our author reached the rocks of Farit, he says, that the women, with their wonted kindness of heart, came round him to inquire into his wants and to remove them to the best of their ability. On this occasion, as a mark of respect, they presented their little children to be kissed, and if any sentiments of refinement caused that request to be refused, they begged permission for them to kiss the hands of the stranger, bowing respectfully at the same time. Their mothers and the elder girls presented abundance of cream, skiur, and fuel, with unfeigned marks of welcome and satisfaction.

The next day our author reached the house of the chief justice of Iceland, which he describes as the best residence in the island. The author says, that the Tatsroed, who lived here in a state of seclusion from the literary world, possessed talents and acquirements which would have procured him distinction in the most enlightened society. In the library of the Tatsroed, Mr. Hooker was shown a translation of Milton's Paradise Lost into Icelandic verse, and the Tatsroed himself has composed an Icelandic version of Pope's Essay on Man and his Universal Prayer. His opinions were quite in unison with the liberal and comprehensive sentiments in the latter devotional effusion, which he had sometimes sung in his church.

The author says, that even in the Tatsroed's house, the custom of the ladies waiting at table, was scrupulously maintained; and his remonstrances against the observance of the ceremony on this occasion, could not cause it to be relinquished. It was urged, that the dereliction of the custom would be a want of respect in the host towards his guest.

The Tatsroed's gardens were sedulously cultivated and carefully fenced, but they made only a miserable display of vegetable products. Though his house is the best in the island, the walls and roof are said to be formed enCRIT. REV. Vol. 1, January, 1812.

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tirely of turf, but so neatly cut and so well joined, as to present a perfectly smooth and even surface.'

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From Inderholm, our author made an excursion, attended by the Tatsroed, to Hvamore and Reykholt, and was most hospitably entertained at different houses on the way. He then returned to Inderholm, from whence he proceeded by water to Reikevig. In the latter part of his journal, the author makes a few remarks on the quadrupeds of Iceland. Amongst these, he says, that the dog of the country is rather below the middle size, well proportioned in its parts, having a short and sharp nose, much resembling that of a fox, and small erect ears, of which the tips only, especially in the young animal, hang down; the hair is coarse, straight and thick, very variable in colour, but most frequently of a greyish brown; the tail long and bushy, and always curled over the back. He then mentions a curious anecdote respecting a singular species of sham fight maintained by a number of these dogs, who met for this purpose, as if by previous concert, at a certain hour, and at a particular place of rendezvous for several successive days.

The Icelandic horses are small, but strong and very sagacious in finding their way in difficult and dangerous tracks. As no wheel carriages can be used in the country, all burthens are conveyed by horses, which causes a great number to be kept. Some peasants are said to have from fifty to sixty of these useful quadrupeds. In seasons of great inclemency and dearth, they are sometimes fed with dried fish cut small.' Even the sheep in similar circumstances are said to be supported by a fishy aliment.

The appendix to this work contains

Pro

1. A Detail of the Icelandic Revolution in 1809;' 2. clamations, Letters, and other Documents, relative to the Icelandic Revolution;' 3. Account of Hecla, with some Particulars of other remarkable Volcanic Mountains in Iceland ;' 4. Odes and Letters presented by the Literati of Iceland to the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks and the Honourable Captain Jones;' 5. A List of Icelandic Plants.'

We have perused this journal of a tour in Iceland with considerable satisfaction. It is plain, perspicuous, and unaffected. We have not noticed the botanical researches with which it is interspersed, as they would not have interested the general reader, but they will be duly appre tiated by the botanist.

ART. III.—Memoirs of the Life of Thomas Beddoes, M. D. with an analytical Account of his Writings. By John Edmunds Stock, M. D. Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, London; Member of the Medical and Natural History Societies of Edinburgh; of the Medical and Chemical Societies of Philadelphia, and Physi cian in Bristol. London, Murray, 1811. 4to. 11. 11s. 6d.

'A PHYSICIAN,' says Dr. Johnson in his life of Akenside, in a great city,' (the remark is not exclusively applicable to a great city) seems to be the mere play-thing of fortune; his degree of reputation is, for the most part, totally casual; they that employ him know not his excellence; they that reject him know not his deficience.' The doctor then adds that By an acute observer, who had looked on the transactions of the medical world for half a century, a very curious book might be written on the "Fortune of Physicians."'

Medical celebrity is certainly, for the most part, founded on very slender materials. It is like the bubbles which children blow out of soap-suds. Even in those instances, in which this fame seems most buoyant on the vapours of fashionable life, it is the mere exhalation of caprice, of credulity, and of ignorance. Nothing is so little dependent on real ability or science. A genteel address, an insinuating manner, a disposition that can accommodate itself to the humours and weaknesses of individuals, a copious store of technical phraseology, mixed up with a proper quantity of assurance, have recommended many a son of Esculapius to what is called the first line of prac tice, and indeed have made him consulted with as much implicit confidence as if he had the power of putting Death in a cage whenever he received a fee for that purpose. The priests of Hygeia, like priests of other denominations, never fail to find ignorance and credulity the ready supporters of their pretensions; and the higher and more absurd those pretensions are, the more likely they are to be allowed without any hesitation by the multitude, and to bring a rich confluence of victims to pour their adoration into the coffers of the physician.-But, where the fame or the fortune of a physician is principally founded on the ignorance and credulity of his patients, we may be sure that the medical man himself is not deficient in quackery and imposture. For as the prevalence of quackery and imposture supposes the prevalence of credulity and ignorance, so credulity and ignorance are fitted of themselves to produce quackery and imposture, by the encouragement

which they give to the practice and the facilities which they furnish for its success.

We do not rank Dr. Beddoes, the subject of the present article, amongst quacks or impostors, though we think that much of his reputation was owing to the credulity, or the ignorance of those who resorted to him for his advice. The majority of them knew neither how to appretiate his merits, nor his defects. The doctor was a bold adventurer, a sort of gallant knight-errant in the field of pharmacy. He was seen capering over the realms of disease, glittering in the tinsel of novelty and paradox; and those, who had tried other practitioners in vain, thought that they had, at least, some chance of success in him, who affected to strike out new lights, and to see farther into the laws of organic life than either his predecessors, or his contemporaries.

But the reputation of Dr. Beddoes, great as it seemed, at one time, amongst a portion of the community, was rather dazzling than solid. His mind was perpetually eliciting new and evanescent theories. They perhaps looked attractively brilliant for a time, but were found to be only unsubstantial coruscations.

Dr. Beddoes had the pen of a ready writer, and he has written much. But out of all that he has written, what addition has he made to the stock of medical information ? What new discovery has he brought to light? What has he made known which was not known before?

We are far from denying to Dr. Beddoes the praise of considerable ingenuity; and what is more, we are willing on many occasions, to ascribe to him a disinterested love of truth. The fearless display of his political opinions which his situation in life by no means called upon him to exhibit, proves that, if he were fond of money, he was not willing to obtain personal emolument at 'the expence of the more important interests of truth. In the times, in which Dr. Beddoes wrote, it was no moderate merit for a man to disclose his political sentiments without reserve, or without being intimidated by the savage yell which was raised against every man who dared to assert the privilege of an independent mind. But this is considering Dr. Beddoes as a politician rather than a physician; in which latter light he is principally to be viewed. For his recipes for the recovery of the state might be very energetic and judicious, though there was neither efficacy nor skill in his prescriptions for his patients.

Dr. Stock has devoted a quarto of very fair dimensions

to the life of Dr. Beddoes. Whether the work itself be not larger than the subject of it justified, we shall not stay to enquire; but shall only remark, that, if every physician had a quarto devoted to his memory, who could put in as good a claim to it as Dr. Beddoes, the lives of physicians would soon surpass in size and in number those of the saints and martyrs even of the Romish pale.

We shall now notice the principal events of Dr. Beddoes's life, without interweaving the narrative with much of Dr. Stock's analysis of, or encomiums on, his writings. If Dr. Stock had separated the biography of Dr. Beddoes from the prolix account which he has given of his writings, we think that he would have greatly consulted the advantage of the reader, and the interest of his work.

Thomas Beddoes was borit on the 13th, of April 1760, at Shiffnal in Shropshire. He appears, at a very early period, to have discovered a more than ordinary fondness for books, and a disinclination for boyish sports. Doctor Stock thinks that the following incident tended to excite in the mind of young Beddoes a thirst for medical inforination, and consequently, to determine the destiny of his future life. When he was about nine years of age, his grandfather, who was a very intelligent man, and had viewed with satisfaction the literary propensities of his grandson, was unfortunately killed by a fall from his horse.

He was thrown upon some timber within a few yards of his own door, by which his ribs were dreadfully fractured and depressed into the lungs. Universal emphysema took place to a degree scarcely ever witnessed, the features of the face being nearly obliterated by distension. An accident, in which so vaJuable a relative was concerned, was well calculated to produce a powerful influence upon his youthful mind; and the peculiar circumstances, by which it was attended, must have materially contributed to strengthen the impression. During the short interval which preceded its fatal termination, Thomas was a frequent attendant in his grandfather's apartment, and was also often present, when two professional friends paid a melancholy and unavailing visit to the sufferer. Upon these occasions he exhibited such instances of extraordinary acuteness and interest as forcibly attracted the observation of one of those gentlemen*, and induced him to treat him with particular attention. Flattered and encouraged by the notice he had met with, he was accustomed, from this period, to pass a great proportion of his leisure hours in the shop and surgery of his new friend. He

*Mr. Young, surgeon of Shiffnal.