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Life of Gulpeper.

aftrology, but he seriously confeffed, that this art was but the countenance, and that he did his bufinefs by the help of the bleffed fpirits, with whom only men of great piety, humility, and charity, could be acquainted, and fuch a one he was. He conftantly spent every day two hours in family prayer; when a patient or querent came to him, he directly went to his clofet to pray, and told to admiration the recovery, or death, of the patient. It appears by his papers, that he converfed with fpirits, who gave him the refponfes.

Elias Afhmole, Efq. had all his MSS. where is contained his general practice for about fifty years. In thefe papers are many excellent medicines, or receipts for feveral difeafes that his patients had, and, before fome of them ftands this mark R. Ris. which Mr. Afhmole interprets thus, Re fponfum Raphaelis. They contain alfo feveral queries to the angels, as to religion, future judgment, &c. One question is, which are the most numerous, the good fpirits or the bad ones? the anfwer ftands thus, R. Ris. the good. In thefe papers are found feveral other inconteftable proofs of this fpirit of prophecy; among other things, he foretold to Dr. John Prideaux in 1621, that twenty years after he should be made a bishop, and which accordingly happened in 1641, when the doctor was cre ated to the fee of Worcester.

R. Ris. refolved him alfo that Mr. Booth of Cheshire fhould have a fon that should be afterwards created a lord; this prediction was made in 1619, and Sir George Booth, the first Lord Delamore, was born December 18, 1622. There is an inconteftable impoffibility, obferves Mr. Aubrey, that this nativity could be found any other way, but by angelical revelation. A gentleman took his grandfon to the Doctor for advice, being troubled with the worms; after confulting him, the Doctor retired, and the old gentleman's curiofity urging him to peep in at the clofet, he faw him upon his knees at prayer. A fhort time after he return

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He was near

ed, and told him that at fourteen years old his grandfon would be freed from that distemper, and he was fo. The medicine he prefcribed was, to drink a little draught of mufcadine in the morn ing: this happened in 1625. He foretold the day and hour of his own death, which happened April 1, 1634, at the age of 100 years. ly related to the learned Lord Napier Baron of Marchifton in Scotland. His eftate defcended to Sir Richard Napier, M. D. of the College of Phyficians, London, from whom Mr Afhmole had the Doctor's picture, now in the Mufeum at Oxford, where all his papers are arranged and depofited in feveral volumes in folio in the library.

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NICHOLAS Culpeper, the cele brated author of English Phyfician, a little work of great utility, was the fon of a Clergyman of the fame name, and grandfon to Sir Thomas Culpeper, Bart. He was fome time a student in the University of Cambridge, but which he appears to have left without taking a degree. He was foon after bound apprentice to an apothecary, and employed all his leifure hours in improving himfelf in the fundamental principles of his profeflion. He early learned Greek and Latin, and from his works it appears, he clofely ftudied Hippocrates, Galen, Avicen, and other celebrated phyficians, from whom he imbibed the notion of the utility of Aftrological Practice; for it is a truth, notwithftanding the boafted felf-fufficiency of the philofophy of the prefent day, that the abovementioned ancient phyficians regarded thofe as homicides, who were ignorant of Aftrology. His industry was indefatigable, for befides his practice, he found time to publifh and tranflate many ufeful books; fome of which, though fuperfeded by others improvements, have been of great fer vice in their time. The principal of

his

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Apparition of the wicked Guardian.

his writings, which even time has not obliterated, are his Aftrological Judgment of Difeafes, 1651, and his English Phyfician, firft printed in folio, and many times fince his death, in 129. to the great emolument of the publishers. Some years after his death, Dr. Blagrave, of Reading, publifhed an Introduction to his Aftrological Phyfic, and a very confiderable Supplement to his Herbal, which has fince been very rare. He died in 1654, and fome time afterwards his School of Phyfic came out, published by his widow, who married, for her fecond husband, John Heydon, the author of the Angelical Guide. From Culpeper's Prefaces, we learn, that he was the first profeffional man who gave advice gratis to the poor. His houfe was fituated in Spitalfields, next the Red Lion, then a bun-house in the fields, but now a public-houfe in Red Lion-ftreet, near the market.

A complete and much enlarged and improved Edition of his Aftrological Phyfic and Herbal, is now publishing in Numbers, in the Houfe whence proceeds this Magazine, and is orna mented with four and five Prints of British Plants in each Number, at the trifling fum of Sixpence each!

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fubjects mentioned in the former article, he published, among other useful works, the following: An Account of all the Drugs that are fold in the Druggifl's-fhop; a work which has been fince enlarged by William Salmon. To this book is fubjoined, A new Tract of Chirurgery, and method of curing gunfhot wounds, upon the fympathetic plan of Sir K. Digby. In the Biographia Britannica, is an account and extract of a curious MS. written by him, entitled "A Remonftrance in Favour of Ancient Learning, against the pretenfions of the Moderns, more efpecially in refpect to the Doctrine of the Stars." It is addreffed to Mr. William Backhouse, of Swallow-field, in Berkshire, a celebrated Aftrologer and Chymift of that place. He died in 1690, aged 80.

ANOTHER HERBALIST.

SUCH was the reputation of Culpeper's Herbal, that Robert Turner publifhed, in 8vo. in 1664, his Botanologia, or the British Phyfician, defcribing Aftrologically the nature and virtue of English Plants, and method of gathering them at the planetary hour. Robert Lovell, who was contemporary with Turner, and a Botanist also, accufed him of having ftolen his matter entirely from Culpeper, without altering. He is only known now for his tranflation of Fryar Moultron's Complete Bone-fetter. He died juft before the fire of London.

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Wonderful Incidents.

and there lived in a very reclufe and folitary manner; keeping no fervant, the wife doing all the bufinefs of the house herfelf: in this manner they lived fome time, till one evening, as the gentleman was taking his ufual walk, he fuddenly (as it is fuppofed) fell down and expired, where he was found by fome labourers return ing from work. In a few nights after his burial, the wife complained to her neighbours of the house being haunted by his apparition, which often appeared to her, requesting fome of them to fit up with her a few nights: accordingly fome of them offered themselves, however totally disbelieving her story: when night came, the woman went to bed, and two or three men fat up, in the kitchen; well, beft part of the night paffed without any moleftation, they now thinking themselves perfectly fecure from any ghoftly attacks. At length, the tremendous hour of twelve arrived, when to their great terror and aftonishment, the large paffage door fuddenly unbolted, and in came the form of a large Bear! it paffed through the kitchen without taking any notice of them, afcended the itairs, and entered the room where the woman lay (but before it entered affumed a lefs terrible appear ance, viz. that of her husband,) where its chief aim feemed to be to draw her out of bed; which, when it could not effect, it instantly vanished. The fame apparition continued several nights, but in various fhapes, fuch as a bear, maftiff, &c. &c. It at length gained its point, fo far as to get the woman out of bed, and lead her into an adjoining apartment, where it pointed to a certain cheft, and then vanished. She got the cheft opened, and found in it the writings of an estate belonging to two young ladies, to whom he had been left guardian, and which he had defrauded them of. She immediately fent for them, and restored them their writings: they took her with them, and with them fhe ended her days, free from the burden of a troubled confcience.

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DR. DONNE.

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THE following ftory is related of the famous Dr. Donne, who, on account of his great learning and piety, was appointed by King James to wait on him at dinner the next day; and his Majefty (being fet down) before he ate any meat, faid (after his pleasant manner)," Dr. Donne, I have invited you to dinner, and though you fit not down with me, yet I will carve to you of a dish that I know you love: you love London well; I do, therefore, make you Dean of St. Paul's; take your meat home to your study, say grace, and much good may it do you."

In the year 1612, the Doctor accompanied Sir Robert Drury to Paris; where he is faid to have had a most extraordinary vifion: Mr. Walton informs us, that, when Sir Robert requefted him to go, Mrs. Donne, who was then with child, and under an ill habit of body, expreffed an unwillingnefs, faying, "that her divining foul boded fome ill in his abfence:" but, upon Sir Robert's being importunate, the at laft confented. Two days after their arrival, Dr. Donne was left alone in a room, where himfelf, Sir Robert, and fome friends had dined together: to which Sir Robert returning in an hour, as he left, fo he found Dr. Donne alone, but in fuch an extafy, and fo altered in his countenance, that Sir Robert could not look upon him without amazement. He afked him, in God's name, what had befallen him in the fhort time of his abfence: Dr. Donne was not able to anfwer directly, but, after a long and perplexed paufe, at laft faid, " I have feen a dreadful vifion fince I faw you: I have feen my dear wife pafs twice by me through this room, with her hair hanging about her fhoulders, and a dead child in her arms. This I have seen fince I faw you." To which Sir Robert answered: "Sure, Sir, you have flept fince I went out,

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bed, and that, after a long and danger.

and this is the refult of fome melancholy dream, which I defire you to for-ous labour, fhe had been delivered of a get, for you are now awake." Dr. dead child. And, upon examination, Donne anfwered, "I cannot be furer the abortion proved to be on the fame that I now live, than that I have not day, and about the fame hour, that Dr. flept fince I faw you; and am as fure, Donne affirmed he faw her país by him that at her fecond appearing, fhe ftopped, looked me in the face, and vanifhed."

A fervant was immediately difpatched to Drury-house, to know whether Mrs. Donne was living, and, if alive, in what condition; who brought word, that he found and left her very fad and fick in

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in the room.

Mr. Walton obferves, that, though he had not this ftory from Dr. Donae himself, yet he had it from a perfon of honour, and the ftricteft intimacy with Dr. Donne, who affirmed the truth of it with the moft folemn affeverations.

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DOMESTIC NEW S.

AT Thetford Affizes, William Anthony, for the wilful murder of Sarah Cufher, of Kettlestone, near Fakenham, by poisoning. her with arfenic; whereof the died on the 13th of January laft; and Richard Burgess, for fheep-ftealing, received fentence of death. On the trial of Anthony, it appeared, that the deceased was about fix months gone with child by him, and that the poifon had been adminiftered with a view to procure an abortion, but fatally deftroyed both the mother and

child. He was ordered to be executed at Norwich.

HEREFORD, March 20.-On Friday laft, Mifs Lloyd, of Killryyg, near Llangitho, Cardiganfhire, a maiden Lady, aged 70, having occafion to fend fome of her fervants to Tregaron Fair, and the reit being employed in agricultural purposes at fome diftance, fhe was unavoidably left at home by herself the greatest part of the day. About five o'clock in the afternoon, one of the fervants, returning from the fair, went into the parlour upon bufinefs, where he found his mistress dead, and laid on her back, with her arms extended.Upon calling for affiftance, they examined the body, and. found feveral marks of violence about the neck. Mifs Lloyd was a Lady of very refpectable family, and poffeffed an eftate of 2001, annual value. The particu

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lars of this myfterious affair remain to be developed; for though it was readily fuppofed fhe had been murdered (a very large fum of money which the had in the house, being immediately miffed), yet there was no traces to lead to a discovery of the perpetrators.

DUBLIN, March 21.

Laft Friday night a most barbarous murder was committed in Dolphin's-barn: About nine o'clock five villains went to the houfe of Mr. Benjamin Lyneal, one of whom kocked at the door for admittance. Mr. Lyneal, a friend of his, and his two daughters, were at cards, and heard the rap. Mr. Lyneal defired his fervant-woman not to let any perfon in without fhe knew them. The woman accordingly enquired who was at the door, when one of the villains counterfeiting the voice of a neighbour, and making ufe of his name, the opened it, and the five fellows rufhed in. Mr. Lyncal's friend, on hearing the noife, feized a poker, and ran into the hall, when one of the villains made a ftab at him, which fortunately coming against his breaft-bone, faved his life. Mr. Lyneal coming out of the parlour at the inftant with a candle in his hand, one of the fellows cried out, Let this man alone, there is your mark! pointing to Mr. Lyneal. A piftol loaded with flugs, was fired at him, which killed him inftantly. The murderers efcaped.

THE

Conjuror's Magazine,

OR,

Magical and Physiognomical Mirror.

APRIL, 1792.

Embellished with the following elegant Engravings, all accurately copied by BARLOW, from LAVATER. -I. A numerous Groupe of Human Figures in Contraft.-2. Portrait of ATTENTION mixed with ASTONISHMENT.-3. Head of FREDERICK II. KING of PRUSSIA.

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