monly called ferpents' tongues, but which he defcribes as rather refemoling human tongues.

Ar Puzzoli, fprings fuppofed to be impregnated with alum, appearing where they flue, as if mixed with flour.

THE fields in the country round Avignon, covered with faffron; and the lake in the fecluded valley of Vaucluse, not more copious in its fall of water, than the cave, celebrated in the loves of Petrarch and Laura. At Avignon, he alfo remarks, that the fruit of the French Boxthorn is fold in a folution, for the purpose of producing a brown cómplexion.

Hɛ faw, and particularly defcribes the ftupendous work of the Romans, called Pons Guardonis, a bridge confifting of three rows of At Thouloufe, a fingular quality in the earth, of preferving from putrefaction the dead bodies

interred under the church.

In the neighbourhood of Bourdeaux, Bastard Mushrooms, a wild plant, which is torn up, by wine, for its ftrong fmell.

tion at Caen, on Venefection in Dyfentery, and the usual private examinations before the profeffors, he became a Bachelor and Licentiate, and on the 20th of September, 1661, received the degree of Doctor of Medicine, from the celebrated Stephen Cathagnefus, prefident and profeffor of medicine in the univerfity of Caen.

AFTER receiving his degree, Dr Balfour, repaired to England, where he was received into favour by King Charles the fecond, and was appointed Governor to the Earl of Rochelter. He continued in this office four years, during which, he travelled through France and Italy, directing the ftudies and pursuits of his pupil. And it may be mentioned here that, after his death that ingenious and accomplished nobleman in an elegant eulogium written by himself, paid an honourable tribute to the memory of his pre

ceptor.

In the progrefs of his tour with the Earl of Rochelter, Dr Balfour made feveral additions to his obfervations in Natural History, &c.

On one of thefe journies, Balfour accompanied Mr Watkinton, an Englishman of rank, to whom his knowledge and experience were of effential fervice. He returned with this gentleman to England, and refided for fome time at his houfe in Yorkshire. Having revifited France with the view of obtaining a degree, he exclufively devoted his attention to the ftudy of medicine. After a public difputaVOL. LXV.

ty of this city he remarked a fingu. lar echo, by which the voice is repeated in forty changes.

AT Florence he particularly noticed the model of the city of Leghorn, composed of fmall pieces ut marble of various colours, but 10 exactly fitted to each other, as to elemble one ftone; containing imitations of the gates, caitle and turrets, with other prominent objects nicely cut in an in.proved itile. The ancient fpecimens of this art, our traveller obferves, are composed of quadrangular pieces, wheretore the new method is decidedly fuperior, the parts being thaped in imitation 51

of

of the natural colour and figure of the object reprefented, fo exactly joined, and diftributed fo judicioufly with regard to light and fhade, that the pencil of the painter fcarce equals this effort of mafonry in imitating nature. In the neighbourhood of Florence he defcribes other two devices in ftone, one reprefenting the towns and the adjacent country, the fecond which is of a lighter colour and interfected by dark lines, trees and groves. At Pifa he takes notice of a pyramidal tower, inclining or hanging to one fide, agreeably, it was fuppofed, to the defign of the architect. But Dr Balfour afcribes its appear ance to the giving way of the earth, one of the feveral rows of pillars by which the building is furroundded, appearing alfo to bend towards the ground.

Ar Bologna he visited the Naturalift Zanoni, and viewed his engravings of plants, which were afterwards publifhed. When in Venice, he found that Antony Donatus had left many engravings of plants, unaccompanied by defcriptions; this deficiency he fupplied, and having arranged the whole for publication, the volume appeared foon afterwards.

AT Pavia he added to the number of his friends M. Torres, profeffor of Botany, whole Medical garden is commended for the fcarcity more than the number of plants contained in it. At this place the friendship between Dr B. and his countryman Kennedy, celebrated as an author and public lecturer on Logic, commenced.

He next remarks a houfe through which the air was circulated by means of pipes or canals, and fo fkilfully contrived that it could be cooled at pleasure. There alfo he faw a fubterraneous apartment, in which the water dropping from the roof petrified wood and ftraw, al.

though the liquid itself did not con geal.

WHILE at Rome, he contrad an acquaintance with Leo Al one of the most learned men of la age, and keeper of the Vatican A. brary, to which he thus obtained eafy accefs. Among the numerous manufcripts in that colleâire, i was chiefly delighted with a T of Diofcorides, illuftrated by be tiful drawings of plants and atmals, and with a defcription d' ancient Latium, containing a old and new names of places. Here alfo our traveller, and his country. man William Leflie, contracted a friendship which they cherished af terwards through life. This perfon was fecretary to the fociety for PRO pagating the faith, and freely fhewed to his friends, or others of an inqui fitive turn, all the curiotities e nature and art, which the miffi aries had met with in different parts of the world. Robert Pendrich, a learned Scotchman, is alfo mention ed among his friends at Rone, Obadiah Walker, an Englishman, a celebrated antiquary, who codufted Balfour to all the public works, and pointed out to him whatever was worthy of notice, and Walter Pope, M. D. a dillin guifhed naturalift, afterwards one of his moft ufeful correfpondens From Father Barilier, a religious Frenchman then at Rome, he received great affillance. Barilier was an excellent naturalift, and fhewed Dr Balfour a work on his favourite fcience, (of which he formed a very high opinion) preparing for the prefs, but which was prematurely topped by the death of the author.

To the facred monuments of antiquity in this place, Dr Balfour gave particular attention, and made himself eminently mafter of the fubject.

He was an attentive obferver of the habits and manners of eminent

men,

18

it

1

hen, and quick in difcovering their atural disposition, which he made his ftudy to indulge, while he cquired in their company much feful information and folid wisdom. He at length quitted Rome, highly leafed with the customs and mode of living in that renowned city, and efumed the functions of a philofophical traveller.

In the country of Naples he viited the natural caverns called St Germains ; a number of fmall cells, yielding a warm vapour from the earth, which brings on perfpiration, and is beneficial in feveral difeafes. Near this is the Dog's Grotto, a cavern in the fide of a hill, which fcarce admits two or three men tanding upright. It contains a moift, dirty foil, from which a poisonous vapour arifes, but continues at about the height of a foot from the ground. It extinguifhes a lighted torch immediately when applied to it, and may be difperfed by duft violently fcattered amongst

it.

A DOG, when introduced into this cavern, is obferved immediately to breathe with difficulty, and foon appears to be in a state of fuffocation; if longer detained from the pure air his death is inevitable, but he recovers when thrown into the lake as foon as he faints. Dr Bal four conjectured this air to be of the fame defcription with the noxious vapours, or damps, which frequently occur in our coal pits. Thofe, however, are eafily difperfed, whereas this continues perpetually, altho' expofed to the action of pure air. Our author found, that one of the dogs with which experiments on this subject were made, recovered without dipping in the lake, altho' he continued paralytic and deprived of motion in his hind parts for two hours. Thus he afcertained that animation fufpended from the effects of this vapour, might be restored

with certainty and expedition, by immerfion in the lake, or by the infpiration of pure air only, altho' the efficiency of the laft mentioned was not fo fully afcertained. He concluded from his investigation of this matter, that the vapour defcribed confines the breath, fous to put a stop to the animal functions.

Ha next defcribes a level fpot of the figure of an amphitheatre, 1200 feet long and icoo broad, enclosed by lofty mountains. In various parts, clouds of fmoke of a fulphureous fmell, emitted from apertures of the earth, afcend with a hilling noife, and expand in the air as they rife. At first the smoke afcends in ftraight lines like fmall canes, and the whole appearance is reprefented to be extremely beautiful. About the vents or apertures here, he found fublimate flour of fulphur, of the internal ufe of which Dr Balfour is fufpicious, on account of its mixture with other hurtful minerals, but is of opinion that in external applica. tions it may be beneficial. fpirit of fulphur may be obtained in great abundance from thefe vents, by means of glais tubes. The earth from the hories' feet at this place appeared calcareous, and the hollow cavities under ground refounded, as if they had been riding along a wooden pavement. The mountains adjoining are faid by Dr Balfour to contain blue vitriol, fal ammoniac, fulphur, nitre, alum, &c.

The

baths. He found them to contain warm water which produced perfpiration on the skin, and the rows of windows and vents, for the emiffion of vapour, appeared to be of a conftruction fimilar to the baths at Bayonne.

In the harbour of Puzzoli he infpected the remains of an ancient mole, confifting of twelve or thirteen piles of building refembling turrets, and connected with each other by vaults, a form which he reprefents to be more fecure for mooring velfels, and not fo much expofed to the impetuofity of the tide as a folid wall.

He examined Mount Vefuvius, of which his Travels contain an excellent description. He alfo accurately defcribes feveral other curiofi. ties, and concludes with the paffage of the Alps.

AFTER fifteen years thus employ ed in travelling, and in the great object of travel, the cultivation of his mind and understanding, his friends induced him to think of fix. ing his refidence at home. Return. ing to Scotland with this view, he fettled at St Andrews, and commenced practice as a phyfician. He perfevered, however, in his former ftudies, particularly in enquiries refpecting indigenous plants. He alio eftablished diffections of the human body, at one of which he took from a pregnant woman a male fœtus of a fingular appearance, which was preferved, and remained afte. his death among the Rariora Musei Balfouriani.

THE circle of St Andrews was too limited for the exercife of his extraordinary endowments and qualifications. He therefore removed to Edinburgh, and with an ardour peculiar to himself commenced prac. tice in the metropolis. Nor was his public fpirit lefs confpicuous than his profeffional zeal, for in the attention and encouragement which

the c

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1.

of th

2.

he continued to beftow on at history and the useful sciences, w he promoted his own interei a reputation, he contributed to honour and ornament of his cour HERE he arranged his very va able Library, and formed a feum of his numerous rarities à lieu of tapestry he adorned the la with pictures which he had brough Salts from Italy, of men who had

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feful to Literature by their w ings or difcoveries. Among the he poffeffed excellent pictures Prince Mirandola, Petrarch Laura, Columbus, Jovianus P tanus, Fulvius Urfinus, Thema Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, Rphael Volateranus, Ambrofe Cale pin, Angelo Politian, Lewis Vivis Charles Segonius, Jo. Baptist Pogre ta, N. F. Pericias, G. Galilea, I: Leo Alatius, Dyonyfius Petar par and others.

DR BALFOUR was an indefatig able collector of coins and medals, of which he accumulated a great number, and from which he mad himself perfectly acquainted with ancient mythology; with the like neties of celebrated perfonages of antiquity, and with ornaments whe ther of a religious, warlike or civil defcription.

He was particularly anxious to preferve the unpublished writings which he purchased from their re pective authors or their heirs, and

he rescued from deftruction a num

ber of manufcripts which were af ter his death found in his Mufeam.

His collection was alfo enriched by books from China and the Eat Indies, Geographical Tables, plans of Ancient Edifices, Portraits, Mathematical, Optical and Chirurgical Inftruments of curious workmanfhip, pieces of exquifite mechanifm, and other remarkable productions of Nature and Art. The lift of his natural curiofities alone would form a volume; the following are

the

tax

a

V

1

claffes in which they were ared.

Preparations of different parts The Human body.

Animals, viz. Quadrupeds, As, Reptiles, Filhes, and their arkable parts, fuch as claws, h, horns and eggs.

. Minerals and Metals, viz. Es, Sulphur, Stones, &c.

.. Marine Minerals, viz. white, and fparkled Coral, &c. 3. Vegetables, rare Plants, Tim-, Fruits and Gums.

In diftinct claffes he alfo kept the teria Medica. The Arms and arlike Intruments of various Nais,- Ornaments, Robes, and dotic Utenfils.

His Library was formed with eat judgement, tafte and liberality. comprehended books in every dertment of Science, particularly à Medicine; every work then exmt, on the Natural Hiftory of nimals, Plants, Minerals and Mane productions; fcarce works on Lathematics and Natural Philofo-. y; the beft writers on Hiflory d Antiquities; and Scots Auors on whatever fubject they had ritten. The best editions of the Greek and Latin Claffics, all the choliafts on the Greek Poets and he molt efteemed works in the French and Italian languages, in hort his library formed an ample epofitory of valuable, elegant and carce Books.

He kept always an accurate regifter of fuch works, as his judge. ment or information led him to believe were worthy of notice, and it was his first bufinefs, in every town he entered when travelling, to enquire for thefe at the Bookfellers hops and buy them at whatever price they were charged. After his return home he received frequent and regular intelligence from his friends abroad refpecting new publications; and of very fcarce books, he

was often poffeffed of fuperfluous copies which he gave to his friends. By thefe and fimilar measures he acquired a most extenfive and general knowledge of Literature.

THE Duke of Lauderdale, was induced by its fame to vifit Dr Balfour's Library, with which he was highly delighted. The Scholiafts on the Greek Poets particularly attracted his notice, and received his commendation, wherefore Dr Balfour prefented his grace with a number of them. He alfo gave to his Colleagues many books which he knew would be ufeful to them.

EVERY lover of learning, or of the Arts, was politely admitted to his Library and Museum. To perfons of a literary turn who were about to travel, he gave introductory letters addreffed to his friends abroad. He alfo gave to fuch as were fond of Natural Hiftory, lifts of curious. plants, arranged in proper claffes, with directions calculated to facili tate their enquiries. In return for thefe civilities he was constantly receiving from abroad, rarities of every defcription. He maintained alfo a regular and permanent foreign correfpondence with literary characters, among whom were Morifon the Profeffor of Botany at Oxford; Dr Mill diftinguifhed by his travels through Europe; Mr Marchant of the royal garden at Paris; and Dr. Pope. The gentleman laft mentioned fent him the feeds of uncommon plants, which Dr Balfour rail. ed in his own garden, and of which feveral were then for the first time introduced into this country, such as the Marcus Syriacus, Scammoneus Monfpeliacus, and Centumgrane Cifalpine.

He was introduced by Sir R. Sibbald to the acquaintance of Patrick Murray of Livingfton, whofe habits and manners were fo congenial with Balfour's, that they contrafted a warm and lasting friend.