This learned and elegant effufion is figned DESCEMET, profe for in phyfic at Paris, VERDIER, privy phyfician to His Majefly the late king of Poland.

The moral that may be drawn from this performance is, that when men are groping in the dark, they ought to proceed with caution; and when they are ignorant of facts, they may fave themselves the trouble of fearching for reafons to account for them.

I acknowledge my obligations to Mr Arthur Young for the tranflation here ufed, the extracts being tranfcribed from his annals of agriculture.

For the Bee.

GLEANINGS OF BIOGRAPHY.

Oliver Cromwell.

The crafty protector beginning to grow old and decline in health, was feized on the 14th of April 1657 with fo fevere an illness, that he was unable to do business, and from day to day the committees of Parliament were acquainted by Whitlock, of his indifpofition.

With a view to obviate the apprehenfions of the people, and even to inspire them with the idea of a complete renovation of his bodily ftrength, and youthful vigour, he caufed the following article to be inferted in the news-books, or newspapers, of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The following is tranfcribed from the news-book, entitled the Public Intelligencer, of April 27. 1657. London, printed by Thomas Newcomb, dwelling over against Bainard's Caftle in Thames' Street.

Westminster, Monday, 20th April 1657.

The Lord Whitlock acquainted the Houfe, that the committee on Friday laft, were at Whitehall to attend his

Highness, who being then not in a condition of health, defired the meeting might be put off till this morning, ten of the clock, &c. &c.

Here followeth a confirmation of a most remarkable prodigy of nature, concerning the return of an extrême old man to a vigorous, youthful conftitution: as followeth, being extracted out of a letter:

From Newcastle, 13th April. As touching that ftrange accident concerning the old man, fo far as is truth I fhall here relate.

They call his name Mr John Macklain, a Scottish man, parfon of Lefbury in Northumberland, about twenty or twenty-five miles from this town, aged 116 years, who could not read without fpectacles for thefe forty years lait paft, but hath his youth fo renewed, that now he can read the smallest print without fpectacles.

He had also loft most of his teeth, but now he hath new teeth come again. Moreover, he had loft his hair, and now again his hair is coming again like a child's hair: And whereas he was feeble and weak heretofore, he now begins to renew his ftrength likewife, and ftudieth much, and preacheth twice every Lord's day. This is all, and it is truth.

Remark. This Charlatanerie of management, with refpect to the public prints, has perhaps never been exceeded fince, except in the short period intervening from Christmas 1783 to the prefent time. ALBANICUS.

Account of a fingular firub, defcribed by Mr Thunberg, in his travels, just published at Stockholm in the Swedish language.

Was

Mr Thunberg, the celebrated Swedish naturalist, informed when at the Cape of Good Hope, that there grew, in one of the diftant cantons of that country, a certain frub which produced feveral articles of wearing ap..

parel naturally, ready made, and fit for ufe, fuch as gloves, very foft and fine; furr caps, flockings of fine wool, &c. This account being confirmed by the unanimous concurrence of all the inhabitants of that district determined our philofopher to go in queft of the plant; not with the expectation of finding what the inhabitants afferted, but from a defire to account for the phænomena which had given rife to this fable. After a confiderable fearch he at length obtained fome branches of this marvellous shrub. Its leaves were covered with a fine foft, thick, white down, which gave them a good deal the appearance of some kinds of velvet. The leaves were of different forms, oblong, oval, or rounded, according to their age, and the greater or lefs maturity they had attained. The women split them, separating the two furfaces from each other with great address, without fplitting them at the edges; and turning them carefully, infide out, they thus formed different kinds of gloves, bonnets, c. of a rude fashion, according to the fize and form of the leaf, which anfwered the purpose of defending the natives from the cold very effectually. Thus was explained this aftonishing wonder, as all others of a fimilar nature may be explained, by a little attention to facts.

Mr Thunberg found that this fingular plant belonged to, the genus Bupleurum; and as its fpecies was unknown in Europe, he gave it the name of B. Giganteum.

It is to be regretted that the author takes no notice whether this kind of vegetable furr preferves its pliability for any length of time; or if it be ftrong and durable; or tender and brittle when dried, as is the cafe with most kind of leaves. He does not fay that any feeds of it have been brought to Europe.

It seems by no means impoffible, that were fuch a plant to be cultivated in this country, a mode might be discovered of feparating this down from the parenchymous part of the leaf, without deranging the texture of its furr, and planting it upon fome flexible bafis, that might thus be con verted to fome ufe as a manufacture.

parel naturally, ready made, and fit for ufe, fuch as gloves, very foft and fine, furr caps, flockings of fine wool, ¿c. This account being confirmed by the unanimous concurrence of all the inhabitants of that district determined our philofopher to go in queft of the plant; not with the expectation of finding what the inhabitants afferted, but from a defire to account for the phænomena which had given rife to this fable. After a confiderable fearch he at length obtained fome branches of this marvellous shrub. Its leaves were covered with a fine foft, thick, white down, which gave them a good deal the appearance of fome kinds of velvet. The leaves were of different forms, oblong, oval, or rounded, according to their age, and the greater or lefs maturity they had attained. The women fplit them, feparating the two furfaces from each other with great addrefs, without fplitting them at the edges; and turning them carefully, infide out, they thus formed different kinds of gloves, bonnets, &c. of a rude fafhion, according to the fize and form of the leaf, which anfwered the purpose of defending the natives from the cold very effectually. Thus was explained this aftonishing wonder, as all others of a fimilar nature may be explained, by a little attention to facts.

Mr Thunberg found that this fingular plant belonged to, the genus Bupleurum; and as its fpecies was unknown in Europe, he gave it the name of B. Giganteum.

It is to be regretted that the author takes no notice whether this kind of vegetable furr preferves its pliability for any length of time; or if it be ftrong and durable; or tender and brittle when dried, as is the cafe with most kind of leaves. He does not fay that any feeds of it have been brought to Europe.

It seems by no means impoffible, that were fuch a plant to be cultivated in this country, a mode might be discovered of feparating this down from the parenchymous part of the leaf, without deranging the texture of its furr, and planting it upon fome flexible bafis, that might thus be converted to fome ufe as a manufacture.