May 31st, The singular note of the fern-owl or goat sucker, is now heard almost every evening. I have not this year been able to ascertain the time when these birds arrived; it however most commonly during the first ten or twelve days of May. Hampshire.

MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

THE late rains in the country and about the metropolis have been of considerable advantage in filling the wheat, and forwarding other sorts of grain crops. And they will probably be of much benefit to those of the bean kind, which have been greatly injured by the fly in many places. They must likewise prove of great utility to the turnip crops, the season for sowing which has been very bad in most situations, though the land was generally in a state of fine preparation for their reception.

The pastures are in common extremely scarce of grass, but the rains that have lately fallen must be of very material service to them. It has however come too late for much of the hay grounds; which are almost universally thin and poor crops. Even in the best hay dis tricts this is the case.

In consequence of the great importations of grain, it has continued at nearly its former prices. Wheat fetches from 65s. to 106s. per quarter; Fine ditto, 108s. to 116s.; Rye, 40s. to 50s.; Barley 34s. to 44s.; Oats, 26s. to 36s.

Fattening stock, especially of the neat cattle kind, seems to look up; but sheep and lambs much as in our last.-Beef fetches from 5s. Od. to 6s. 6d. per stone of 81b.; Mutton, 5s. Od. to 5s, 8d.; Veal, 4s. 10d. to 6s. 10d.; Pork, 5s. 8d. to 6s. 8d; Lamb, 5s. 83. to 7s. 44. Hay has had a considerable advance since our last.-IIay fetches from 51. Os. to 81. 10s.; Straw 31. 3s. to 31. 12s.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.

Observations on the State of the Weather, from the 24th of May 1810, to the 24th of June 1810, inclusive, Four Miles N.N.W. of St. Paul's.

THE rain collected during the month is not sufficient to be noticed. In this neighbourhood we have scarcely had showers more than one or two days, and these were of short continuance. It is believed that in many parts of the country the weather has been more propitious to the crops of grass. Here the produce is very scanty, averaging probably but little more than half a load to an acre.

The barometer has been steady, and the thermometer high; the mean height of the former is 29.82; and that of the latter upwards of 60°. The number of brilliant days has been un usually great, being 24 out of S1. The wind has, with a few exceptions, blown from the

east.

We have been favoured with an account of the temperature of the atmosphere, taken with a good thermometer,' at Lympstone, Devon, in the morning and evening, from the 18th of November, 1809, to the 28th of May inclusive: we shall give theaverages for each month: Morning past 8.

November......34°

December......40.3 .....

Evening.
.37°625

....42.1

TO THE TWENTY-NINTH VOLUME OF THE

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

JULY 31, 1810.

HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF DOMESTIC LITERATURE.

Wiclif's Version was originally published in the year 1751, by the Rev. John Lewis, minister of Margate, in the, county of Kent; in the preparation of which for the press, he was greatly assisted by the celebrated Dr. Daniel Waterland. Its value, as one of the best monuments of our early language, needs not to be enlarged on here.

In the "Memoirs of the Life, Opinions, and Writings, of Dr. Wiclef," Mr. Baber has superseded the Life by Lewis. He concludes it with a more complete list of the reformer's writings than has hitherto been given to the world; mentioning, in most instances, in what repositories the unpublished pieces may be found.

"The Historical Account of the Saxon and English Versions of the Scriptures, previous to the opening of the fifteenth Century;" will be found, if possible, even anore interesting than the Life of Wiclif. Mr. Baber mentions their first dawn in a brief description of the work of Cadmon, a writer who, in the Saxon tiines, had the reputation of being inspired. His paraphrastic version of several of the most remarkable passages of Sacred History, is supposed to have been written about the middle of the seventh century. After mentioning one or two lost translations of detached parts, Mr. Baber proceeds to the description of the celebrated manuscript of the Gospels called the "Durham Book," containing a Latin text, with an interlineary Saxon version. The former written by Ead frid, bishop of Lindisfarne, about the year 680: the latter supposed to have been added in the time of Alfred, and known to have been the work of one Aldred, a priest. He also gives a particular account of the Rushworth copy of the Gospels in the Bodleian, followed by several other manuscripts of lesser

note.

After mentioning one or two metrical Psalters of the thirteenth century, and Rolle of Hampole's prose Psalter of the fourteenth, Mr. Baber proceeds to a more particular account of Wielif's ver

sion, the first attempt toward a complete English translation of the Scriptures. What extent of aid he received, it would now be difficult to discover; but Mr. Baber has pretty clearly proved that he did receive assistance from at least one of the strenuous asserters of his principles, Nicholas de Herford or Hereford, of Queen's-college, Oxford.

John de Trevisa's claim to an English translation of the Bible, Mr. Baber considers as an erroneous report, arising from a loose assertion of Caxton's, in the preface to his first edition of the Polychronicon.

We heartily wish Mr. Baber encou ragement in the farther extension of his labours; and shall be happy to see the Old Testament of Wiclif printed in a corresponding form. The words of Fabricius, quoted in his preface, are too memorable to be omitted here:

"mirum vero est, Anglos eam [versionem] tam diu neglexisse, quum vel lingu causa ipsis in pretio debeat."

It may be sufficient, perhaps, to give the title only of " An Historical and Poli tical View of the Catholic Religion; from which Reasons are deduced that most peremptorily compel every thinking Man to combat the Emancipation of the Irish who are of the Catholic Church.” In a series of Letters to Lord Grenville.

In this class also we shall notice "A Letter to Sir John Nichol, on his Decision against a Clergyman, for refusing to Bury the Child of a Dissenter; with a Preface addressed to the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church."

Among the most important of the SER MONS which have appeared, is the course of lectures to the king's scholars at Westminster, in the years 1806, 1807, and 1808, by Dr. IRELAND, entitled, "Paganism and Christianity compared." The subject, as we are informed in the preface, is chiefly historical. The event which serves as the foundation of the whole, is the capture of Rome by Alarick, in the beginning of the fifth century. Out of this arises, in the first part, a defence of the character of the church against the slanders of Pagansin. The true causes of the decay of the empire are contrasted with the false; the impotence of the heathen deities, to whom the prosperity of Rome had been attributed, is exposed in the arguments employed by the ancient apologists of the faith; and the beneficial tendency of the gospel is asserted, in its connection with the condition of man in the present life.

This part may therefore be called a vindication of the civil character of Christianity in the Roman empire, during the first four centuries. The second part is employed in discussing the opinions of the Pagans concerning the worship of a Deity, and the pursuit of happiness, as it was prescribed by the philosophical sects. "Lest it should be objected," says Dr. Ireland, "that only half my task is accomplished, and that the refutation of Paganism is not the proof of Revelation, a determination has been already taken to begin another course of lectures, which shail look to this as their principal object; describe, in a regular manner, the scheme of Revelation; and impress more fully on the young hearers, its doctrines and its duties."

These discourses are not less distinguished by depth of learning, than by the pious and impressive manner in which the truths they deliver are inculcated.

Nor must we forget another sermon, published in Scotland by Dr. WILLIAM LAURENCE BROWN, "On the Character and Influence of a virtuous King," preached on the occasion of the Jubilee.

NATURAL HISTORY.

In this department of our Retrospect, we cannot speak too highly of the first portion of the tenth volume of the " Linnean Society's Transactions;" although it consists of five articles only. The first paper is on the "Characters of a new Milaceous genus called Brodiaa," by Dr. JAMES EDWARD SMITH, the presi dent of the society. The second paper, by the president also, contains "Remarks on the Sedum Ochroleucum, or Autov To pipor of Dioscorides; in a Letter to Alexander Mac Leay, esq." The third contains, "A Determination of three British species of Juncus with jointed leaves, by the Rev. HUGH DAVIES." The fourth, and by far the most elaborate memoir, is by Mr. BROWN, Bishop HORSLEY'S "Sermons," in two the society's librarian, "On the Proteavolumes, octavo, form another accession cea of Jussieu;" a paper highly credi of no ordinary value to the theologian. table to his talents as a botanist. The The discourses are in number twenty-fifth and last memoir, by Dr. SMITH, is nine; of which six were given to the "On a remarkable Variety of Pediculapublic by the bishop himself in his life- ris Sylvatica." time. The memory of this learned prelate is too fresh in the recollection of our readers to need any observations on the richness, the originality, or the energy, of his productions. The efforts of his mind. are as conspicuous in his posthumous Sermons, as in those which were immediately prepared to meet the public eye by himself.

Mr.OUTRAM'S "Sermons and Extracts," are calculated to excite an interest both with the members of the church of England and those who have separated from her.

The first of the former is a visitation sermon, "On the Increase of Separatists;" the second was preached on laying the foundation-stone of Downing College. The Extracts are "illustrative of the Opinions, Pretensions, and Designs, of those who have of late, either wholly or in part, deserted the Established Church, made chiefly from the Writings of Arminian and Calvinistic Methodists;" in no less than thirty-one

Among the productions in this class, which are more immediately addressed to youth, two deserve to be particularly noticed: "The Wonders of Animated Nature," and "the Young Botanist's Com panion." The former consists of descriptions at large, and engraved representations of the principal animals in the royal menageries of London and Paris; translated from La Cepede, with considerable additions by the English editor. The latter, in thirteen dialogues, is designed to afford some fundamental ideas of botanical science. In forming it much assistance has been derived from "Rousseau's Letters on Botany," and the "Studies of Nature."

Dr. REEVE'S" Essay on the Torpidity of Animals," though amusing, contains little of new investigation.

MEDICINE, SURGERY, &c.

In announcing the fourth edition of Dr. WILLICH'S Lectures on Diet and Regimen," in our Retrospect, we conceive ourselves to be recommending one of the best treatises on the subject of health which has appeared of late years.

Mr. COOPER'S "Dictionary of Practical Surgery," is in fact a system in which the various topics treated of are arranged in alphabetical order. His style is clear, and he has compiled his work with judgment, from the best authors. Nor