State of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THER MOMETER in the open air, taken in the morning before fun-rife, and at noon; and the quantity of rain-water fallen, in inches and decimals, from June 1ft to 30th, within one mile of the Castle of Edinburgh. THE borough of Dumfries is the capital of the fouthern counties. It is fituated on a rifing ground, on the eastern banks of the Nith, amid an extenfive tract of rich and fertile fields. It is a regular and well built town, the houfes being in general composed of a fine red freeftone At the upper end of the town, in ancient times, stood the castle, near the station of the prefent new church The grammar-school has long been known as a refpectable feminary of ufeful learning. An infirmary has alfo been lately established here, at the oppofite end of the town. The inhabitants were remarkable, in former times, for their zeal in religious matters. In the church-yard of St Michael, and in feveral burying grounds in the neighbourhood, are feen the monuments of the martyrs of the country, In the reign of James II.' fays Mr Pennant, powers were given to an inhuman fet of mifcreants, to deftroy thofe people upon fufpicion of difaffection; or for even declining to give answers declarative of their political principles ; and fuch as refused were inftantly put to death. Many poor peafants were fhot on the moors or fhores, wherever their enemies met with them. Perhaps enthufiafm might poffefs the fufferers,-but an infer← nal spirit had poffeflion of their persecutors.' Mr Thomas Chriftic. 4 of every defcription; and applying fedulously to the profeffion he had embraced, he went to the Continent for farther improvement; but, while he was at Paris, fome advantageous offers from a refpectable mercantile houfe in London (that of Turnbull, Forbes, and Co.) induced him to refume his original purfuit in life, and to become a partner in the firm of that houfe. The materials he had collected for his thefis, relative to a difeafe of uncommon occurrence, the Pemphigus, were published in "The "London Medical Journal," in a letter to Dr Simmons. THOMAS CHRISTIE was fen of a merchant at Montrofe, and nephew to Mr W. Chriftie,, another merchant of that place (author of "Difcourfes on the Divine Unity," &c.) After a good fchool-education, he was placed in the counting. houfe by his father, whofe idea was, that, whatever courfe of life the young man might afterwards wish to adopt, a fyftem of mercantile arrangement would greatly facilitate his pursuits. His inclination leading him to the ftudy of phyfic, he came to London, fully bent on becoming a phyfician, and entered himfelf at the Weftminfter General Difpenfary, as a pupil to Dr Simmons, for whom he ever after expreffed the highest efteem. He next spent two winters at Edinburgh; and afterwards travelled, in fearch of general knowledge to almoft every confiderable town in this kingdom*, where his letters of recommendation and an infatiable thirst of knowledge procured him admiflion to all who were eminent for science 3 E 2 Early in the year 1789, he publifhed "Mifcellanies; Philofophical, Medical, and Moral; Vol. I.; containing, 1. Obfervations on the literature of the primitive Chriftian Writers; being an Attempt to vindicate them from an Impution of M. Rouffeau and Mr Gibbon (that they were Enemies to Philofophy and Human Learning;) originally read to the Antiquarian Society of Scotland†; 2. Reflections fuggefted by the Character of Pamphilus of Cæfarea ‡; 3. * His intelligent and very copious remarks during this tour were all committed to paper, and communicated chiefly in three very interefting and well-written letters, addreffed to the Earl of Buchan, Dr Simmons, and Mr John Nichols. In a dedication of this Effay to " Dr Percival, of Manchefter, a physician who is not only diftinguished by profeffional knowledge, but alfo by an elegant tafie for the cultivation of claffical and facred literature," Mr Chriftie fays, "the materials were compiled feveral years ago, when my ftudies were of a different nature from what they have been of late. At prefent, I have done little more than put them together, and added fome notes; and even this, my profeflional studies have not allowed me to do with all the care I could have wifhed." Infcribed, "To my Friend Edmund Goodwyn, M. D. Alter Pamphilus,” 3.Hints refpecting the State and Education of the People *; 4. Thoughts on the Origin of Human Knowledge, and on the Antiquity of the World +; 5. Remarks on Profeffor Meiners' Hiftory of antient Opinions refpect ing the Deity; 6. Account of Dr Ellis's Work on the Orign of Sacred Knowledge §." In 1790 he published, in two very large folio fheets, "Sketch of the New Conftitution of France, respectfully infcribed to M. Lewis Alexandrede Rochefoucault, by Thomas Chriftie." Sept. 19, 1792, he married Mifs Thomson, of Somerfham, whom in December following, he carried with him to Paris, where he found that the new Conftitution, which he had so enthusiasti. cally admired, was wholly new-modeled; and where he was employed by the National Affembly on the English part of their Polyglott edition (a verfion intò eight languages) of the new Conftitution of that Republic; and on his return, in 1793, published (by way of anfwer to Mr Burke) "Letters on the Revolution of France, and the new Conftitution established by the National Affembly." This feems to have been his last political effay; for, he foon after, contentedly became a man of bufinefs, by entering himself as a partner in the confiderable carpet-manufactory of Moore and Co. in Finfbury-fquare; where fome neceffary arrangements of trade induced him to take the voyage to Surinam, which terminated his career in the prime of life. Mr James Dodley. the partner, and fucceffor in the bu finefs, of the late ingenious Mr Robert D. Robert very early envited his brother James (who was 22 years younger than himself) to affift him in bufinefs. Their father kept the free-fchool at Mansfield, Co. Nottingham; and being very much respect. ed, had also many other scholars of neighbouring farmers and gentlemen. He was a little deformed man; and married a young women of 17, at the age of 75, and had a child by this union at 78: befides Robert and James, he had many other children. One fon (named Avery) lived with the late Sir George Savile, bart. and died in his fervice. Another, Ifaac, lived as gardener with Mr Allen, at Prior-park, and afterwards with Lord Weymouth, at Long Leate.-He was 52 years in these families, and may juftly be named the father of the beautiful plantations at Prior-park and at Long Leate. He retired from the latter fituation at 78, and died in his 81ft year. Mr James Dodfley became an active and useful partner to his brother; in conjunction with whom he published many works of the first celebrity; "Collection of Poems," "The Preceptor," &e. and commenced, in 1758, "The Annual Regifter." Robert, who quitted bufinefs early in 1759, died Sept. 28, 1764, at the age of 61. James perfevered in acquiring wealth by the most honourable literary connections. In 1782 he communicated to the Rockingham Administration the plan of the tax on receipts, which, though troublefome to the trader, has been productive of confiderable revenue to the ftate. To my honoured Relation and dear Friend George Dempfter, Efq. Member of Parliament a Friend of Man!" + " "To Ebenezer Maitland, Elq. Merchant of London; a small Expreffion of Refpect and Efteem. $" The Knowledge of Divine Things from Revelation, not from Reafon or Nature, &c. By the late John Ellis, D. D. Vicar of St. Catharine's, Dublin, 1771," 2d edit. 8vo. To the Rev. Alexander Geddes, LL. D. Amicitiæ ergo." No date; but the decree of Aug. 17, 1790, is the last cited. |