The military hofpital is not kept fo clean, and is not fo well regulated. The general hofpital contained 813 perfons, the lying-in hofpital 111 women and 23 children, the lunatic hospital 251. There are various other benevolent inftitutions at Vienna, which are in general conducted with attention and humanity. The range of the thermometer obferved from 1780 to 1786 was from 95° to -4° of Fahrenheit; its range in one year was from 90 to 0. The average is from 89° to 8 very nearly. In Holland the most important circumstances relate to the regulation of arrests for debt. An apartment in a private house cannot be entered, nor can a man be arrested on his own premises. While a wife is lying-in, a husband cannot be arrested; and any disturbance near the good woman's houfe would be feverely punished. A board, with lace on it, is in fuch circumftances put over the door.

The prifons in Scotland meet generally with Mr. Howard's cenfure; and his remonftrance to the lord provost on the ftate of the Tolbooth is at once spirited and just. The prifons and the hofpitals in Ireland are, with a few exceptions, managed very properly. The blue-coat hofpital at Chefter is warmly commended, and the rules of the Quakers institution at Ackworth, drawn up, we believe, by the late excellent' Dr. Fothergill, one of the earlieft promoters, and for fome time the chief fupport of that valuable feminary, are transcribed, as far as they relate to the becoming demeanour and proper regulation of the boys.

In England, Mr. Howard again goes over his former tract, and mentions the improvements which have refulted from his former labours, as well as where his obfervations have been neglected or difregarded. His obfervations on the internal conftruction and the œconomy of the London hospitals are use ful and inftructive. His idea of a perfect hofpital contains much (we fufpect, very ufelefs) refinement, but, as it is the. refinement of Mr. Howard, we shall transcribe it.

The fituation of an infirmary or hofpital fhould be on elevated ground, ncar a ftream of water, and out of a town.-The wards, if only one for each fex, to be from twenty-five to thirty feet high, arched, and without apartments over them; otherwife the building to confift of only two ftories befide the cellars, and the area extended as far as neceffary upon this plan, that the inconvenience of higher rooms may be avoided. The firft floor raised four or five steps from the ground, and the afcent made easy to the entrance. The wards fifteen feet high to the cielings, and diftin&t ones for medical and chirurgical patients. Two doors to each ward, one of them iron latticed, or canvas. Staircafe of stone, fpacious, convenient, and easy, as in Italy,

Marseilles,

Marseilles, Malta, &c. No room to contain more than eight beds. The windows lofty and oppofite, or large circular apertures (as at Leeds infirmary) opening into paffages not less than fix feet wide: hafps and ftaples to the upper fafhes to prevent their being flut at improper times: one of thefe windows fhould open from the cieling to the floor, either as folding doors, or like thofe at Guy's hofpital: a ftone gallery for more readily opening and shutting the windows, as in the Italian hofpitals. The cielings lathed and plaffered, and proper apertures in them. The fire-places in the middle of the longer fide of the wards: the beds in fpacious receffes, as at Toledo and Burgos; or to each bed a recess with curtains, as at Genoa, Savona, &c. The bedsteads, iron, painted, and with a fcrew that the backs may be easily raised or lowered: the beds on varnished boards or laths, with hair matraffes. In each ward a cistern, bason, and towel for the patients. Vaults on the outfide of the wards, and water-clofets as at Guy's hofpital: for every improvement that may render fuch places lefs offenfive, fhould be carefully adopted in all houfes containing a number of inhabitants. Airy rooms and refectories for convalefcent patients: one spare and unfurnished ward; each ward to be taken in fucceflion, and called the fpare ward. The kitchen, wafh-houfe, brew-house, and bake-house out of the house: but if the kitchen be in the houfe, it should be lofty, as in Chrift's hofpital, (not under ground) and the entrance through the fervants' hall. A convenient bath with an eafy defcent into it. A piazza and spacious walk to induce patients to take the air and exercife. The wards washed once a week, fcraped and lime-whited at least once a year. (The machines at Northwich for fupplying the falt mines with fresh air, being on a fimple conftruction, would be of admirable ufe in hofpitals, efpecially if fituated in clofe and confined places.) The patients washed, at their admiffion, in the cold or warm bath, and to conform strictly to the rules of nicety and cleanlinefs.'

In our author's tour through England, many circumftances our which require amendment. Conftant ventilation from windows opening above in infirmaries, as well as fpacious paffages; and in jails bathing, conftant cleanlinefs, and the

* We are a little furprised that he has neglected mentioning the propriety of the windows being continued down to the floor. If M. Maret's obfervation of the fpecific gravity of infectious miafmata be difregarded, yet they are certainly of fervice in rendering the ventilation more complete. Our author's favoured architect, Mr. Blackburne, has, we believe, employed them, and feems to think that they fucceed better when they are not directly oppofite, but alternate. We are not certain that thefe low windows can be adopted fo as to make the room fufficiently warm; perhaps fmaller apertures, which may occafionally be opened and fhut with accuracy, would be more ufeful. We would only add a hint, that in Mr. Howard's large vaulted wards, a triangular chimney in the middle, with three ftoves, might be more useful than one fire-place on the longeft fide.

fuppreffion

fappreffion of taps are frequent fubjects of our author's remarks. The low fever of jails, it is often observed, arifes from confined air, indolence, and low fpirits, independent of infection. Mr. Howard often finds reafon to difapprove of infolvent acts, from his obfervations on the places of confinement for debtors, and fnuff and tobacco which are often allowed by authority, are cenfured feverely, and with great propriety, for they certainly have no particular influence in preventing infection in places where free ventilation is allowed.

The observations on the confinement in the bulks, and remarks on penitentiary houses, conclude the volume. The former are more healthy than those would expect who are prejudiced against damp fituations; and the latter are dropped in favour of the ruinous and deftructive scheme' of banishment to Botany Bay. We have always endeavoured to oppose it; but if Mr. Howard has been unsuccessful, no advantage can be reaped from our difapprobation. The obfervations on penitentiary houses, which would have been the object of a legislator not hurried away by partial views and the interested motives of individuals, are very valuable. Our author has not, probably, written in vain, fince there must be a time, and that time is probably at no great distance, when the other plan will be univerfally reprobated. A bill to prevent any liquor being fold in jails would, we think, be highly falutary. The antifeptic quality of fpirituous liquors cannot for a moment be infifted on; and if neceffary to health, they may be occafionally allowed by the furgeon.

Tables of the number of prifoners at the period of our author's different tours, of the number of convicts ordered for transportation, of the number committed for capital crimes. in Scotland, of fees due to the clerks of affize, of felons delivered from Newgate to be tranfported, with fir Theodore Janfien's table of condemnations, executions and pardons, with fome fimilar ones, are fubjoined. On the whole, the vo lume contains many facts of importance, and many obfervations of real utility. Its ornaments we have already mentioned, and we leave it with the beft founded expectations that our author's past and future labours will not be wholly in vain.

The Poems of Ferdofi. Tranflated from the Perfian. By Jofeph Champion, Efq. Vol. I. 410. 12s. in Boards. Cadell. FERDOSI, as appears from an effay on his life and writings

prefixed, was a native of the kingdom of Khorafan, and patronised by Mahmoud the fultan of Ghezny, the Auguftus of Afia, whofe court was the feat of magnificence, arts, and sciences. YOL. LXVIII, July, 1789.

C

The

The historical annals of Perfia, originally collected by command of Yezdegerd (we fuppofe the fame monarch whom we call Ifdegerfes), were preserved by an Abyffinian, when the royal palace at Ifpahan was plundered by one of Omar's generals. They were refcued from the flames contrary to the mandate of that illuftrious enemy of literature, who appears to have shewn as little mercy to the library of the Perfian monarchs as to that of the Egyptians at Alexandria. . The king of Abyffinia, to whom this historical collection was prefented, ordered it to be translated into that language. It afterwards found its way into Hindostan, and from thence to Khorafan. The governor of that province sent an envoy to tranfcribe the original manufcript, which was chiefly written in the Peihlouvi language: the fame we apprehend as that commonly known among the Perfians by the name of the Pehlvi, now a dead language, but fupposed to have been introduced by Kiumers, the first king of their first dynasty; to have been spoken in the time of Zoroaster; and in which different treatises composed by him are said still to exift. Many hiftorians and poets (we fear that circumstance will not heighten its historical credit) were engaged in adding to, and embellishing this invaluable work.' Mahmoud, delighted with fome poetical verfions taken by his commands from different parts, was defirous that the whole fhould be translated and digested into a series of heroic poems.

Ferdofi felt a confcioufnefs of being equal to the undertaking, and by the affistance of feme friends, was fupplied with those manufcripts that contained an account of the wars of Feredoon and Zohak. From thefe he formed a poem, which we fuppofe makes the fourth book of the prefent performance. Mahmoud heard of his fame, admired his talents, and fhewed him particular marks of favour. This, as may be expected in a court, excited envy; and Ferdofi, as ufual, when art and malice combine against merit, fell a victim to it. His fall was immediately owing to an improper petulance, or generous refentment (the circumstances may be confidered in either light) conceived at a supposed indignity offered to him. On the completion of his labours, 60000 filver dinars, in lieu of the fame number of gold ones, his ftipulated payment, were delivered to him. The grand vizier, his enemy, had defignedly made this mistake. The bard, who was bathing at the time he received the donation, enraged at the deception, gave immediately twenty thousand to the keeper of

*

The dinar is about eight fhillings and fix pence, and he was promifed a dinar for every line. In another place, however, we are told that the poem confifted of icooco lines; but admitting the former number, it more than doubles the Iliad and Odyffey united.

the

he bath, twenty thousand to a fruiterer who attended, and wenty thousand to the flave who delivered him the money. The poet confoled himself with the laurels of immortality, and he has beautifully described his hope of paradife from the consciousness of a life well spent. "I wrote for fame," faid Ferdofi to the flave, "not for the attainment of riches!" The Hlave repeated to the fultan the whole ftory.'

The grand vizier had art fufficient to divert the refentment of Mahmoud, firft excited against himself, on the bard: Mahmoud though,

-the Mufe's friend himself a Mufe

for he delivered an extempore poetical encomium on receiving Ferdofi's pearls of eloquence,' ftill retained the pride and ferocity of an Afiatic defpot. Any gift from him ought to be confidered as an honour, and received with gratitude. The foot of the elephant, exclaimed the irritated prince, shall teach the refractory a leffon of obedience.' Ferdofi, by fubmiffion, fomewhat foftened the monarch's refentment, but trusted to flight for fecurity. His poetical abilities acquired him new friends and patrons, more generous, at least less capricious than Mahmoud; who, galled by his fatirical invectives, fometimes perfecuted him, and sometimes, afraid of being damned to everlafting fame,' folicited a reconciliation. The poet at length retired to his native city, and the 60000 dinars were sent to him a few days after death had rendered the fultan's favour or enmity indifferent. His daughter declined accepting them, and they were expended by Mahmoud's order in erecting a magnificent fabric to his honour. Thus, what would have rendered Ferdofi happy during life, and have bound him by the strongest ties of gratitude, was denied by a prince to whom the money was of no value, and whofe earneft defire it was to be celebrated in his poems. Yet the fame perfon, after having received inftead of applaufe, the fevereft invectives from his indignant Mufe, expended them in a ufelefs compliment to his memory. So inconfiftent is man!

In this poetical hiftory, though truth commonly appears to be much exaggerated, fometimes veiled in allegory, and obfcured by metaphorical expreffions, we apprehend that it exists in fome form or other, however difguifed, and that a critical judge of the oriental mode of writing, well verfed in the traditional accounts and historical narratives of different kingdoms in Afia, might elucidate many curious circumftances, and point out many interesting occurrences by means of thofe annals. The Poems are dedicated to fir William Jones, the moit proper perfon, as a scholar and a poet, to have done justice to them.