on the same day of Vera Cruz, taking the name of Agostinho da Cruz.* During all these voluntary hardships, he corresponded with the learned of the age, a practise which he did not esteem derogatory to his holy calling. Agostinho earnestly refused any advancement to the offices which belonged to his or. der. At the age of sixty five, however, hoping by these means to obtain the object which he had so long desired, namely, of retiring to the Serra de Arrabida, as a solitary recluse; he, at the solicitation of the Provincial Freire Antonio da Assumpçao, accepted the appointment of superior of the Convent of S. Jozé de Rabamar. When a convenient opportunity offered, he preferred bis prayer to the Provincial, soliciting with tears his acquiescence. This, and several other applications, were fruitless; but when he nearly despaired of success, a mode offered, by which his wish was at last accomplished. There was living in the convent belonging to the Algarves, at Setubal, the venerable Fr. Diogo dos Innocentes, a native of Torraō, and brother of the chief prior of the order of Avis Dom Francisco de Avelar. This friar was desirous of retiring to the Arrabida, and of residing in the house which had been occupied by S. Pedro de Alcantara, near the hermitage of the Seigneury da Memoria. The interest of his brother, and his exemplary life, obtained him the permission. The success of this friar increased the desire of Agostinho; he resigned his superiorship, and falling at the feet of the Provincial, at last succeeded. On the day of S. Jorge, in 1605, he obtained his patent, and on the following day, taking leave of his friends, and receiving the blessing of the Provincial, he departed on his jour. ney to the Arrabida. The Duke of Aveiro and his son were then resident at the Quinta of Azeitao. The Duke being the patron of the Convento da Arrabida, and having repeatedly befriended Agostinho, he considered it prudent before his retirement to pay them a visit, and advise them of his intention. The dake was in his garden when he arrived, and courteously received his blessing, addressing him with his accustomed affability, "Welcome, father. How is it that you are absent from the Arrabida to-day? This is St. Jorge's * In an Eclogue commencing, "Trazes mudada a côr, mudado o rosto," &c. the describes his noviciate. day, and you are in the vicinity of the court?" Agostinho modestly replied, "That it was a memorable day to him," and, shewing the duke his patent, informed him, "that he now sought the Arrabida for ever, and intended to spend the residue of his days devoted to God." The cell of S. Pedro de Alcantara, be. ing occupied by the Fr. Diogo Dos In nocentes, Agostinho requested the duke would give orders for the erection of a small hut, sufficient to shelter him from the heat and the cold, which he was gra ciously pleased to assent to; and the renerable father, taking leave of the duke, repaired to the church of our Lady to pray. The duke not immediately remem. bering his promise, Agostinho made him. self a small but, covered with the branches of trees, in which he passed nearly six months. His furniture con sisted of a Breviary, and other official necessaries, and a bundle of twigs, which served as a bed to repose his weary limbs. At the end of this period, he res solved to make himself a place of greater shelter, and procuring materials, was hollowing a void in the rock for that purpose, when a severe bruise in his hand prevented the accomplishment of his object, and had nearly cost him his life. In this miserable condition he sent to the duke, requesting him to visit him, and reminding him of his promise, which request was immediately attended 10; and the duke, with his son, set out for the Arrabida, where they found Agos tinho in his wretched dwelling. Immediate directions were given for the erec tion of a hut near the Seigneury da Me. moria, which was forthwith built, and remained for long a memorial of its pos sessor. It will be sufficient to remark, without entering into a particular detail, that his life was spent in the exercise of religious duties, and under the greatest deprivations, receiving from the con. vent, on the Monday, the bread which was to serve him the remainder of the week; and which, with herbs and water, formed his sole support. In the midst of this peaceful retire. ment, a tempest arose to disturb his quiet. The religious of the Provincia da Arrabida took offence, that the two solitaries, Diogo dos Innocentes, and Agostinho da Cruz, should reside at large, and gave their opinion in the chapter, that they should either be entirely detached from the convent, or become residents like the rest. Diogo Das Janocentes agreed with them, and renouncing 1815.] Agostinho da Cruz, the Portuguese Poet. nouncing his patent, was removed on account of his age to the Convent of Alcobaça. Agostinho retained his, either from his resolution to continue the life of a recluse, or fearing the displeasure of the Duke de Aveiro. It is certain he remained there until the middle of March, 1619. In the beginning of that month he was attacked by a violent fever, and afterwards conveyed to the Infirmary of the Order, in Setubal. Previous to his departure, he took an affectionate leave of the religious, begging them to remember him in their prayers, and to recommend his soul to God. The Duke of Torres novas paid him frequent visits, and informed him, that his mother and wife were desirous of receiving his blessing; to which condescension he made a suitable reply. His disorder increased, and his physicians discovered it would soon overcome a body already worn out by watching, fasting, and mortification. therefore declared to the governor of the hospital, that his death was approaching, and desired him to acquaint him with the notice, which be received with content, and returned an answer full of resignation and religious fervour. From the hands of the guardian he received the sacraments with devotion and piety, and fixing his eyes upon the image of the crucified Saviour, which was in an oratory fronting his humble bed, he prayed fervently. They His particular friend, Father Antonio Netto Correa, constantly attended him; this worthy friar observed, after some little time, that he did not move or breathe, as he was accustomed to do, and, calling in the nurses, performed the office of the Agonia; after which he expired on the 14th of March, 1619. His countenance was serene, and evinced evident proofs that the soul, which had just departed from his body, was enjoying the delights of Heaven. The intelligence of his death spreading through the town, early in the day a numerous company attended the infirmary to view the holy man, and obtain pieces of his dress, which they retained as reliques. He lay in state in the Capella-môr of the church da Annunciada; and, to preserve order, the Duke of Aveiro sent the guards of his household to act as sentinels, himself, his son, and their duchesses attending, who touched his body with their rosaries, and preserved locks of his hair. MONTHLY MAG. No. 240. 313 The duke was desirous that his body should be interred in his convent, in the Arrabida, which he knew was the wish of Agostinho. As it was necessary to transport it by sea, he gave orders for the richly apparelling it with the most precious tapestry, and placing it in his barge decorated with boughs and trees. No notice was given of its departure, yet when the body was moved, it was at tended by the fraternity, as well secular as religious, of the town, who accompanied it, and even in the Arrabida many religious assembled to pay respect to his remains. The Duke of Torres-novas, and the Marquess de Porto-Seguro, also attended the ceremony. As a further compliment, the Duke of Aveiro gave directions for his picture to be taken; and a tradition is still extant, that when the painter commenced, the countenance smiled, which filled him and his assistants with fear, so that they fled. A similar tradition is handed down in the history of the church, of a circumstance attending the body of S. Bonifacius, the martyr. On the following day, the 16th of March, was a solemn office, and the body was buried in that part of the church which is outside of the grates, in the sacristy. He was seventy-nine years of age, fifty-nine of which he belonged to the society, and fourteen of which he had lived as a hermit in the Serra da Arrabida. This is the life of this extraordinary recluse, abridged from the biography which precedes the first edition of his works, and which was written by José Caetano de Mesquita, professor of Rhetoric and Logic, at the Collegio Real de Nobres. The edition was printed at Lisbon in 1771, by the printer of the Cardinal Patriarch. Until this edition by Mesquita, the works of Agostinho had been very little known; some of his pieces had appeared in the works of his brother Diogo Bernardes, and in the Chronica da Sua Provincia. Mesquita procured the manuscript from the library of the Convento da Arrabida, and having made a faithful transcript, sent it to the press. The dedication is dated from the Collegio de Nobres, 18th of June, 1771. The vo lume is 18mo. containing, amongst other poems, twenty-six sonnets. His works * Fleury, His. Ecles. Tom. ii. liv. 9. n. 16. Ss breathe breathe the religious sentiments, to which the singularity of his life gave rise.* SONETO, A seu irmão Diogo Bernardes. Do Lyma, donde vim já despedido, Cavar cá nesta serra a sepultura, Naō sinto que louvar possa brandurá, Sem me sentir turbar do meu sentindo. A laā de que me vem andar vestido, Torcendo em varias partes a costura, Os pés que nús se daō á pedra dura, Nem me deixaō ouvir, nem ser ouvido. O povo cujo applauso recebeste, Vendo teu brando Lyma dedicado Louva comigo a Deos eternamente. To his brother Diogo Bernardes. And thoughts repress which I must now Y SIR, OUR useful Miscellany for February last has only fallen lately under my view; I there find "A list of boroughs, either corporate, or simply parliamentary and prescriptive, the elective franchise of which is at present suspended." * Agiologio Lusitano, 12 de Marco Father M. Fr. Calvo da Ordem de S. Domingos, lib. ii. cap. 2. "Das Lagrimas dos justos." Dr. Abbade Diogo Earbosa MachadoBibliot. A. Chronica da Provincia da Ar. rabida, Tom. i. p. 1. lib. 5. cap. 18 to cap. 20. + Don Sebastian, king of Portugal, Dadington Witteneye Charde Dunster Langeport Stoke Curcy Wilts, York, Several other towns have been such moned, but have not made returns (see Willis's Notitia Parliamentaria). I am concerned to have at all to animadvert on your learned correspondent Mr. Lofft; but the place called Sutton in his above-nentioned list, is, I apprehend, Plymoutlı, which was anciently called and repre. sented under the name of Sutton. It would be curious, and not uninstructive in a constitutional point of view, if your correspondent could add to the further information he proposes to give, some account of the population and general importance of the places in both lists at the periods when they were represented, together with any reasons that may appear for the discontinuauce of their legislative franchise. There is, in a publication Lhave lately seen, a cu rious notice respecting the town of Tor rington, which appears to have been discharged from sending representatives upon its ownpetition, complaining of thesem mons as a burden. Perhaps Mr. Lofft may be able to throw further light on some part of this subject, which could * Historical Reflections on the Constitu tion and representative System of England. Dul 1813.] M. De Luc on Geological Phenomena. not fail to be interesting to all those who are desirous of seeing our present representation improved. SCRUTATOR. April 10, 1813. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 1 SIR, N reply to your correspondent E. C. in your Monthly Magazine of July last, p. 527, I beg to acquaint him that I have known many persons relieved from the most afficting tooth-ach by the application of liquid apodildoc, applied with the finger to the affected tooth and gum. If the tooth is hollow, saturate a httle cotton-wool with the liquid, which put into the cavity of the decayed tooth, applying it also with the finger, and almost instantaneous ease will be given. I was once much afflicted with pain from ■ decayed broken tooth, but from the ap. plication of this remedy I have been for Some years effectually relieved. Sept. 5, 1811. T. L. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. A SIR, CORRESPONDENT in your Number for December last, has called up such a train of thought, as may perhaps find room in your valuable receptacie for various matter. He proposes turning gardens into potatoe grounds, to amuse those who now "find kisure to cultivate flowers and weeds, Je" Is England, late the garden of Europe, reduced to this? And are Englishmen, who formerly fed on the finest wheaten flower, and the fruits of the earth, reduced like cattle to eke out their daily bread with roots? Such, I fear, is too much the case-we all must eat, and bke pig-our taste must not be nice-what has a hungry man or beast to do with taste? Therefore let some one who prefers potatoes to roses, instruct your friend how he may best cultivate them; but I will take the liberty of deprecating that narrow policy, which turns every thing to profit, as it is called; the pleasures of life, when innocent, are indeed the most profitable. There are Jome who never look on a bed of flowers without wishing they were to eat as we see asses munching thistles and roses-or hogs eating poppies. While others, like the old women gathering simples for an apothecary, see nothing but salves and ointments, in the enameled surface of a flowery mead. It is not for such mere animals, that nature bas cloathed all her 315 works with beauty, or that she has added odour and flavour to gratify the taste of those who can feast their eves, without feasting their appetites. But there are many who will even deny themselves the grosser food of the body, to indulge that refined taste which your correspondent's individual economy goes to destroy. Heaven forbid that we should be compelled to such a state of humiliation, that our "tradesmen should prefer potatoes to the flowers and weeds," or taste for botanical pursuits, which they have hi therto-had leisure to cultivate. M R. FAREY again has sufficiently attended to another proof which I have given of the subsidence of the strata, in opposition to the system of lifting-up, afforded by the stability of our continents, I have proved in my Elementary Treatise that the actual situation of our strata can not be explained but either by the Hut. tonian theory of lifting-up of the parts now the highest, or the subsidence of those which are the lowest. This dilemma, which is fundamental in geology, Mr. FAREY has not undertaken to disprove; therefore I may take it as a foundation of the following argument, which is also supported by facts. The theory of lifting-up must necessarily extend to the whole continents now above the sea, since they were its former bed. Caverns, therefore, or vacant spaces, equal to their whole bulk, ought to exist under them; but if that were the case, the continents, consisting of broken strata, could not stand the shocks of earthquakes. This last phenomenon, however, must be explained, in order to understand in what consists the mass of our continents; and I have given that explanation, first in the fifty-second of my Lettres sur l'Histoire de la Terre & de l'Homme, afterwards in § 12 of my 4th Letter to Professor Blumenbach, in the British Critic, and lastly, at p. 209 of my "Elementary Treatise of Geology," of which I shall give an abstract. There is no doubt that these commo. tions must be produced by some elastic fluid, suddenly pervading internal pas. sages, which extend unfer the greatest chains of mountains. The famous earthquake of Lisbon extended beyond the chains of the Jura and the Alps. But a remarkable circumstance of such exten $2 SIVE sive commotions, is, that they cease with out producing any external sign. Why then, since the continents so evidently are cavernous, do those fluids that per. vade them so swiftly cease to act without any new catastrophe and without being perceived externally? This, I repeat, was an important geological question, without the solution of which nothing but mere conjectures could be formed respecting the nature of our continents, and the following is the explanation which I have given. The production, and all the catastrophes of our strata had already happened on the bed of the ancient sea. After the successive catastrophes produced by the pre-existing caverns, the broken masses of the strata attained the bottom of these caverns, where at the birth of our continents they alrcady rested, and thus the catastrophes ended. But these broken masses left between them innumerable vacant spaces, susceptible to be pervaded by any elastic fluid forming in the bowels of the earth. Now the only fluid that answers to the phenomena of the earth. quakes is the aqueous vapour, or steam, formed when any internal stream of water happens to fall into the furnaces where lavas are continually forming. There is no fluid so powerful as steam produced by such a heat: as long as it retains that degree of heat, and continues to be formed, it may shake the shattered mass of the continents; but when it cools in any place faster than it arrives there, it loses all its power, returning to the small buik of the water which constitutes it. This is an adequate explanation of the great geological phenomenon of earthquakes, which will be found resumed in my Travels announced above, as I there describe the mountainous country of Neufchatel, in Switzerland. These mountains being very cavernous, with internal streams, afford examples of all the circumstances of the internal parts of the earth conducive to this theory of earthquakes. Mr. FAREY, continuing to dissent from me on the catastrophes which have reduced our strata to their shattered situation, says, p. 315, "Certainly in all Derbyshire and its environs no such case oς. curs as a valley occasioned as Mr. De Luc maintains all valleys and inequalities of the earth's surface to have been; and farther, I can, I think, safely affirm, that I have never met with a single valley oc casioned solely, or in any considerable degree, by the angular motions of the strata or their depressions. Mr. De Luc's numerous statements of valleys occasioned by the angular motions of the strata, in his Geological Travels, and other works, I conceive to have partly arisen from assuming, as he does at the end of p. 414, and throughout his works, that the strata were all formed in an ho rizontal position, particularly such as contain shells; bells: and therefore wherever be has noticed inclined strata, he has, as appears to me, inferred fissures and de pressions corresponding to the nearest valleys, without sufficient examination of the bottoms, and of the whole of both sides of such valleys, to detect his mistake." I shall first remark, that the shells contained in strata are not the only proof which I have given of their horizontal formation, but also the breccias. If Mr. Farey had read my "Elementary Treatise on Geology," he would have found the proofs that M. DE SAUSSURE, the first geologist who demonstrated that proposition, in which I only acquiesceri, has given of it. He had been at first of Mr. FAREY's opinion, that marine bodies are not a proof that the strata in which they are found had been formed in an hori. zontal position; but when he came to more extensive observations in the Alps, the strata of breccias struck him. I summarily expressed that change in his mind, in p. 141 of the above-mentioned work. "The breccias were the first phenomenon which led M. de Saussure to his interesting discovery, that the strata which are at present so much inclined as sometimes to be vertical, were yet formed in an horizontal position: for strata which were originally so soft as to inclose fragments of other stones, could not, in any other different position, have been formed of an equal thickness; their substance would have slidden to the bottom in one mass." He describes, in §§ 689 et seq. of his Travels in the Alps, the valley called Valorsine, near the central ridge of the Alps, in which he observed strata of breccia, almost vertical, forming altoge. ther a thickness of 100 farhonis, which he followed on the surface in the space of three miles, and there they sunk under it. These strata belong to those of Schisti, and they are parallel to the same strata, which contain nu fragments. But from that point the ridge of the Schistu |