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covered the copy from the worms, defired Captain Bell, with whom he was well acquainted while he was agent for king James I. on the continent, to tranflate it into English, and publish it in London for the advancement of religion; but Captain Bell was always somehow most unaccountably hindered from profecuting that work in fuch a fort as to bring it to a proper conclufion, being prevented by fuch intervening bufinefs as his public occupation required him to execute.

About fix weeks after he had received the German copy, being well in health, and in bed with his wife, between twelve and one of the clock, there appeared to him ftanding at the fide of the bed, an ancient man cloathed in a light-coloured habit, and of a most reverend aspect, having a broad and white beard, which hung as low as his girdle, who fmiling at him, faid, in a gentlemanly manner of rebuke, "Will you not take time to tranflate that book which is fent to you out of Germany? If you do not, I will fhortly hereafter provide you both time and place to do it;" and then instantly vanished.

This extraordinary vifion affrighted him fo much, that he fell into an extreme fweat; fo that his wife awaking, and finding him all over wet, she asked him what he ailed? He then related to her his vision, and the remarkable meffage attending it. But Captain Bell not paying much attention to the matter afterwards, time wore it off his memory, and he paid no more regard to what he had feen and heard than if it had been a mere dream.

However, he had foon reason to recollect the old man's words, for foon after being at his lodgings in King'sstreet, Westminster, at dinner with his wife, two meffengers came from the Council Board, with a warrant to carry him to the Gate house, there to be confined till farther orders from the Lords of the Privy Council. Upon this warrant he was detained ten whole

years a close prifoner, whereof he fpent five in the tranflation of the aforementioned work; having good cause to be mindful of the old man's faying, “I will fhortly provide for you both time and place to tranflate it."

This narrative is extracted from the Preface of Luther's Table Talk, printed in 1652; and from what Mr. Aubrey obferves upon this story, which he briefly relates, it appears, that whatfoever was pretended for the cause of his confinement, yet the true reafon of the Captain's commitment was, because he was urgent with the Lord Treasurer for his arrears, which amounted to a great fum; he was unwilling to pay, and to be freed from his clamours, hit upon the fcheme of holding him in prifon.

APPARITION BEFORE DEATH.

MR. Jofeph Glew, a fword hiltmaker, lived with his wife (both ancient people), many years, and one woman lodger, in the house over the archway in the paffage to Bear-yard, near the Oratory, in Lincoln's-Inn-fields; and for the fake of company defired a nephew of his, by marriage, to come and lodge in his houfe. Accordingly, in the beginning of January 1739, 40, the nephew came to his uncle, and spent every evening with him and his wife, in reading, &c. for their amufement. About the twenty-fifth of the fame month, after the nephew had been reading to his uncle and aunt, who were at this time in very good health, fome ditations out of Dr. Thomas Coney's Devout Soul, he retired to his chamber, a large back room, up two pair of ftairs, and, having fastened the door, went to bed, and fell afleep before ten o'clock. A little before the clock ftruck twelve, he was awakened by the drawing of the curtains of his bed, and on starting up, faw by a glimmering light, refembling that of the Moon, the

me

fhadow

Apparational Narrative.

hadow of his uncle in the night-gown and cap he had on when he last parted with him, ftanding on the right fide, near the head of the bed, holding the head-curtain back with his left hand, and feemed as if he was either going to ftrike or ftroke him with his right; but the nephew believed the latter, as the face of the fpirit had a cheerful look, and they lived in the greatest amity.At this inftant, Mrs. Cooke, an ancient woman, that lodged in the fore two pair of stairs room, and who formerly belonged to Mr. Rich's company of comedians feveral years, came out of her apartment to light downs ftairs the widow of the facetious James Spiller, who had been this evening to vifit her. He now heard the clock, which was in his uncle's apartment, underneath, ftrike twelve, and tried to call out to the two women as they paffed by his door, but had loft all power of utterance. The ghoft kept its pofition, and the nephew his eyes fixed on it, and heard when the two women opened the ftreet-door, that they called to the watchman, as he came by crying the hour of twelve, and agreed to give him fome pence to light Mrs. Spiller to her lodging, which was but at a little diftance. On which fhe went away, and Mrs. Cooke having again faftened the door, was coming up the ftairs, when the nephew fuppofes he fwooned away; for, on coming again to the use of his reafon, he found himself half out of bed, and immerged into a cold and fickly fweat. The first thing he heard after he had recovered from his fright, was the clock ftriking one.

He now

wrapped himself up in his bed-cloaths, but closed his eyes no more the whole night. About eight in the morning, as foon as he heard his aunt open the door of her apartment, he jumped out of bed, and putting on his apparel with what expedition he could, hurried down to her room; and having asked

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how his uncle did, heard he was pretty well. On this he told his aunt what he had feen, with the time and circumftances; but fhe, looking on it as fabulous, they called for Mrs. Cook, who was just got up, and fhe confirmed every thing he had faid concerning Mrs. Spiller and the watchman, a pofitive proof he was awake, and in his fenfes. The aunt now defired he would not mention it to his uncle, which he promifed he would not, but withal told her he could never more lie in that chamber, and went out about his business. The same day, before one o'clock, the nephew received a meflage from his aunt, where he was at work in Fleet street, defiring him to come immediately to her: he accordingly went to her house, where he found his uncle dead, and was told that he fell down in croffing his room, and died fuddenly about three minutes before twelve o'clock; exactly twelve hours from his ghost's appearance to his nephew.

This circumftance induced the young man to think his uncle might want to reveal fomething to him, and therefore defired to fit up with his corpfe the night preceding his interment, which the aunt agreeing to, he fortified his mind, and prepared a devotional book for his companion, with which he shut himself up in the room with the body, about fix in the evening, in hopes he might fee the fpirit of his uncle, if he had any thing to fay or open to him ; but as nothing occurred, during fourteen hours he was alone with the corpfe, the following evening he attended his funeral to the north part of the church yard of St. Giles's in the Fields, where his body was interred, leaving behind him the character of a good chriftian, a tender husband, and a fincere friend.

DOMESTIC

DOMESTIC NEWS.

THE fnow has fallen remarkably heavy in the Weft; on Saturday the 3d inftant in particular, it lay exceedingly deep. Two poor farmers, in going from Axminster to Honiton, miffed their away, and were found on the Sunday following frozen to death, and almoft buried in the fnow. This article is literally copied from the nowpapers. See the Frediction, p. 112, of the last number.

5 This evening, about five o'clock, Mr. Carver was topped in the fields near the Shepherd and Shepherdeis, Ilington, by three footpads, who robbed him of a filver watch, two guineas and a half in gold, and eight fhillings and fixpence.

Several human skulls, and other remains of skeletons, have been found in the courte of this month, by the workmen digging the foundations of fome houfes adjoining to Wilderness row, behind the Charter Houfe Gardens, near Sutton-ftreet. It is not generally known, that 60,coo perions were buried upon this fpot, during one of the earlieft plagues.

10. This evening, about, twelve o'clock, as Mrs. Eaton, of Sommers Town, was returning from London to that place, fhe was fiopped in the fields between Gower-freet and the Bowling-green Houfe, by two footpads, with crapes over their faces and armed with piftols, one of them beat her very much over the head and arm, and robbed her of two guineas, fome filver, and a pair of stockings, which fhe had juft before bought in town.--

Letters in town, confirm the truth of the report of the lofs of the Sodermandland, a Swedish veffel of 500 tons burthen. Mr. Nealion, who is a lieutenant of the admiralty of Stockholm, was the commander. The Sodermandland was wrecked on the Lemon, on Monday fortnight. The crew, after driving twenty fix hours on pieces of the veficl, were all, excepting one man who perished, taken up

terribly bruised, by the Swanland, Capt. Birnes, of Hall.

11. At three o'clock this afternoon, a fad catastrophe happened. Three men ventured fo far on the ice that it gave way, and they fell into the middle of the Canal, which is at least ten feet deep.

An unhappy youth ventured to their affiftance, and reached a flick, and with the ftruggling the ice on which he food gave way, and he fell a victim to his humanity.

In about half an hour the bodies were dragged out; two were taken to the Horfe-Guards, and one to a public houfe, and every effort ufed by the medical gentlemen, but without effect.

A fifth m an fell in at the fame time, and was faved by a ladder at the mo ment he was firking.

Tuesday night the 11th, as Colonel Sinclair was returning from the City, he was attacked at the corner of Fleet-market, by three men armed with bludgeons. Their fit blows knocked him down totally fenfeless; and it evidently appears from the state of his head and body, and the opinion of his furgeon, that the intention was to aflafinate, not rob, as his money and watch were left, and only his pocket book taken away, in which was a 2cl. bank note, and a copy of a letter addrefled great perfonage in Germany. It is fufpected from circumstances, and from their not fpeaking a word, that the attack was preconcerted.

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12. Early this morning a melancholy accident happened clofe to Dover harbour. Five young feamen, the eldest about feventeen, were rowing off to a fhip; but getting too near the breakers under Shakespeare's Cliff, a heavy fea drove the head of the boat round, and the next wave taking her on the broadfide, overfet her; the two first mentioned young men had the good fortune to fwim to fhore, but the three latter were unfortunately drowned.

CORRESPONDENTS, &c.

The great length and importance of the Anfwers to Queries 4 and 5, in our No. 4, occafions the poftponing their infertion till our next Number.

We were prevented, by want of room, from making ufe of the curious Paper upon the Faces of the Planets. In a future Number, S. G.'s hint thall be attended to; but the Letter, complaining of the incorrectness of Dr. Halley's Tables, the quarto edition of 1752, does not fall within any department of our Magazine, and would only draw us into a tedious mathematical difquifition of little or no importance to the generality of our readers,

Mr. W may find his doubts refolved at fome of the Mathematical Socie ties in this City.

The Nativity of a Gendeman, worked in full, is received; as likewife two other nativities, calculated according to the Placidian Canons, and fhall be infered as foon as poffible.-Our refpects to the writer of the first article, for fending the Ephemerits for the year of the Geniture, as it will fave much trou ble in proving the calculation.

In anfwer to our humorous correfpondent Quoz, who pleafantly tiles our Magazine Le Paradis Des Fous, we can reply, that, fince our first appearance, Mr. Lejeaux, a Bookteller at Paris, has begun a fimilar publication with ours there, which is called Les Sorciers, ou Le Magazin Magique, a periodical work from which we fhall not be afhamed to borrow.

To form Judgments from Tranfits, Revolutions, Directions, and Pofitions of any kind, Tyo may confult Salmon's Hore Mathematica, or Soul of Aftrology; Thresher, Middleton, and Partridge's Fade Mecum.

Mr. L-v-L's doubts refpecting Leovitus's Aftrology, are ill founded. He was a celebrated Bohemian Aftrologer, and has left many learned works behind him in Latin, a particular account of which we fhall prefent to our readers next month.

The Second Part of the New Aftrology stands in the fame predicament as the first. The third edition of Ward's Introduction to the Mathematics is the inoft correct, as it was fupervifed by the Author. To T. P.

I. PO's Requifition will be duly attended to.

Wm. Hardy's Letter and Queries in our next.

B's Aufwer to the Query upon Palmistry, will better, we think, appear as an article by itself, and fhall have room next month.

Peter's Aftrological Prediction will find place in No. 7,-his Queries fhall also be attended to.

The learned Differtation by Ben Row, fen. is returned, as defired.

The MS. upon the Diving Bell, incloting feveral curious Queries, is under con fideration.

Querical Correfpondence clofed for this month.

Befides the fuccessful candidates, we have received fome very ingenious Anfwers from the following Gen lemen R, Davenport; Jofepfon; T. S. N.; Theodoric; Amalthufus; Leicefterienfis; Domus Scientiæ; B. Wm. D-n; S. Canterel; V. U. Sebaftian Sigifmond; Althorpe and Jofeph.

We are heartily forry that Locubus has met the fate or many other ingenious men, even of the Marquis of Worcester himself, of whom he fo pitifully complains.

R. C.'s very excufable complaint of the fhortnefs of the Tranflation of Albertus's Secrete, cannot be answered this month, as this department is in the bands of a Perfon out of town, to whom his letter will be conveyed.

The Philofophical Amufements are unavoidably poftponed till our next. Mr. FRANCIS BROWNE, (as Ben Row) Cooper, in Golden-lane, returns his thanks to the Editor for a MAGIC LANTERN prefented him last month, as a wifing recompense for his attention to this highly favoured Work,

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