The forego'ng Figure explained. 1. THE natural line not conftituting the angle, but coupled with two lines, fhews a liberality against the perfon's will; for the defect of fome duty or payment, but being cross-cut by other two lines, denotes envy and oppreffion from adverfaries. 2. Denotes the perfon perfidious, a thief, and poor; and the deeper they are, the more fure the prediction. 3. An eminent and excellent wit, but being cut crofs, an impediment of wit. 4. Line thus traverfed, fignify good parentage, but croffing downward de note inceft. 5. Clearly cutting as xx, denotes facrilege. 6. The liver-line failing and difcontinued, fhews barrennefs, unless it conftitute a fanguine complexion. 7. The line forked toward the middle-finger, fhews the party to be double-faced, and not conftant; but if both the branches point at the fore-finger, it denotes hard labour and forrow. 8. Quarrels with vulgar people. Aphorifms rendering the fenfe of the Figure lines be abrupt, broken off, or impedi on the oppofite Page. THE fifters of the three lines moft commonly fignify good; and as they the rather confirm the fignifications of the principal line, fo they help and fupply the defects thereof, as if any of the four ted. As for example, if the line of life be abrupt and impedited, the fifter thereof, which is called the line of Mars, or of death, continued or joined thereto, preferves the perfon from death, which otherwife was fignified by the vital line. There There is often a double line which accompanies the vital line interior from the trine in the hand, exterior from the mount of the thumb. This by its proper fignification de notes most wicked luxury, and riches, according to the length and pofition thereof. 1. Crofs lines, and little appearing, denote theft. 2. The girdle of Venus, whole or divided, cutting the lines of h, H, or the Sun, hinder profperity. 3. The table-line divided at the for finger, predicts wounds in the forehead. 4. From the beginning of the natural line towards the fore finger, intimates faithfulnefs and honefty. 5. The line of life inclining near the end as a half circle, denotes pain and grief of heart. 6. The table line, like as it were chains, denotes death in a ftrange country. 7. A crofs in the Quadrangle between the Sun and Mars, fignifies Jabour, pains, and care for defending and preferving one's degrees and honours. 8. The natural line divided, part of it inclining toward the table line, denotes fhort life. 9. Such a fign in the triangle, dif. covers a treacherous, lying, wicked perfon, who will be punished for her demerits. 10. The fifter of the line of life, appearing in the hollow of the hand, with a crofs interfecting the lines, threatens the perfon with a fall from on high to his great prejudice. 11. The fupreme.angle not joined, and if a femicircle cut it, beholding the thumb, predicts lofs, or hurt of the eyes. 12. Such a character near the nail of the thumb, indicates a thief. 13. The interior and exterior line, making a circle in the fecond joint of the thumb, denotes hanging. 14. A line from the waist, extending between the finger of the Sun and Mercury, predicts good fortune. 15. The right angle or left, appearing evil or blunt, denotes a rude, wild, and wandering brain. 16. Lines scattered by the wrift, cutting themselves, fhews a wicked perfon, and an evil death- -See foregoing Figure, Page 379. OF THE EMBRYO. (Continued from Page 348.) lofophers and Phyficians, particularly the latter, because the Stagyrite did not fuppofe, that the feed of the male, formed any part of the substance of the foetus, which owes its fubftance to the menftrua, as is contended for by him; whereas the fperma, in his opinion, evaporates. This doctrine is refuted by the medical fraternity, who hold, that the fexes jointly contribute to its exiflence. Some indeed there are who maintain, that the fperma is to the menftrua, as the artificer to the work; as a carpenter, for inftance, who is the efficient caufe, is with regard to the houfe he builds, which is the effect; and that as he difpofes and arranges the materials Of the Embryo. materials towards the formation of the édifice, fo does the fperm operate on the menftrua towards the configuration of the creature. This argument they fupport by obferving, that if the male happen to be infirm and unhealthy, the debility is transferred to the offspring; confequently, like the artificer, he is the efficient caufe; inafmuch as he alters the menftrua of the female. In refutation of the above argument, thus argues the Phyfician-It is evident that the male is formed of fuperior matter; befides that it incorporates with the menftrua, cannot be denied, confidering the ftriking refemblance in the progeny, to the male parent, not only in fex, but feature and complexion. To which they add, that in the feed of the male is a generative quality which pervades the whole mafs of which the embryo is compofed, to which they tell us is owing the formation of the different members. Now the Philofopher above mentioned, in particular feems to think that the fperm exhales like a vapour, being affected by the heat; which, fays he, must appear inconteftible if the matrix can be proved to be porous, and that it can, admits of no doubt, fince by means of the pores, the infant receives nutrition. As a farther proof, it is faid, the matrix is a fkin or membrane; now every kin is certainly provided with pores, otherwife there would be no fuch thing as perfpiration; the contrary of which is mani feft. The next thing to be confidered, fays Albertus, is the admiffion of the feminal fubftance into the receptacle defigned by nature for that purpofe. An emiffion at one and the fame time on the part of both fexes, is neceffary to conception, whereby the two fub ftances are blended into one, and form a coalition in the matrix prepared for. their reception; after which it closes; and fuch is the adhesion of the parts, that no particle of what has been there depofited, is liable to be loit, which likewife pats a flop to the periodical 381 Befides fluors peculiar to the fex. what has been juft advanced, it is to be obferved, that if the emiffion be not correfpondent, no conception takes place; again, what as effectually prevents it, is the crude, indigested state of the feminal matter, and its not being fufficiently hot. For this reafon thofe who copulate but seldom effect an impregnation fooneft, being very hot. The tenacioufnefs of the matrix, Avicenna obferves, is partly owing to its reluctance to lofe any particle of the warm moiffure committed to it: the fame author accounting for a higher degree of pleafure enjoyed by the female in the act of coition, fays, it arifes from that fex's emitting and receiving, in lieu of the fubftance emitted. The question has been flarted, whether it were poffible to contribute to propagation, after the lofs of the tefticuli? which has been answered in the negative, the feminal veffels being requifite for that purpofe. Yet inftances have been known of males generating notwithftancing this defect, which is fanctioned by the authority of Albertus, who fays, it is very poffible, fince all that is neceffary is an ability to emit, and this fome have been known to do, though not fo well. Nay, though the fperma thou have fallen to the ground, could it be conveyed to the matrix, it is not improbable that the end might be attained. Our author on this occafion mentions a circumftance that had fallen within his knowledge, and that is of a female's being impregnated in a warm bath in the prefence of a male, who fpermatifed, though not in contact with him; which he fuppofes was effected by the attractive power, of the vulva, affifted by the vigour of the fperm, no part of which had time to exhale. The menftrua in women, continues he, are formed of the fuperfluous aliments which are not converted into any other fubftance. The fame may be faid of the fperma in the oppofite fez. This flow begins at the age of twelve twelve fometimes, but more frequently at thirteen years; not uniformly vifit ing all at the fame period of life, and time; fome having the complaint at the return of the new moon, others not fo foon. It has been afked, why men are not fubject to this difcharge? and the reafon affigned for it was, that the feminal moisture in them being of a more fubtle fubftance, nature, inftead of being able to throw it off readily, feems induftrious to preferve it for the purpose of generation. Should it be afked why urine, excrement, or fweat are not regulated by the moon, like the menftrua? the answer is, that the former arifing from a daily fuperfluity of food, call for daily evacuation; young women being provided with a greater degree of moisture than thofe of a more advanced age, experience a return of their complaint in the begin ning of the month, and much fooner than the elderly, it being natural that the greater the redundancy, the fooner it requires to be difcharged. Black women are lefs fubject to it than white; and the more high-feafoned the food they ufually live upon is, the more fubtle in proportion will be the menstrua; * as, on the contrary, fuch as are from choice, or neceffity, habituated to groffer diet, communicate a proportionable groffnefs to the menftrua. The periods at which they are fuppofed to commence and ceafe, are noticed in a dif tich by our author, the pain accom panying the periodical return of this complaint, is compensated for by the advantages that refult therefrom to the fex, as thereby they are eafed of the redundant moisture, which would otherwife become grofs humours, and affect the whole fyftem, particularly the head, and of confequence the understanding, which fuffers more or lefs previous to the afflux. At this time, women are obferved to be under a ftupor, lofing much of their natural vivacity and quicknels of apprehenfion. Adde decem ternis, mulierum menftrua cernis, Ad quinquaginta, durat purgatio tanta. ENGLISHED. At ftated periods, from thirteen THE AUGUR. Na VI. I HAVE the happiness to reflect, that I have now little inore to do in clearing ground; a fufficiency of combustible' has already been applied, all the objects of burning have been thrown on the lighted fire, and will, as the fire catches them, perish. It is of no use therefore to particularize-there is no farther occafion to talk of the d....d Leopold and Guftaff and the gang of kings, whom Hell is now moved to meet at their coming." The cinders of newspapers, of the emigrants of FRANCE, and the guelts of other countries; of lawyers, of politicians, of minifters of Gov, of adulterers, of atheists, of mathematicians, of fools of all kinds, and knaves of all kinds, now fill the air and rife in the atmofphere of this Magazine. To thofe furviving this flaughter, I fhall under this head of AUGURY prefent a few initances of the fympathies of things. It is well known, that in the morning of Admiral Byng's execution, the Ramillies, wherein his, flag had been hoifted, broke her mooring chain, and rode by her bridle. It blew a heavy gale; and fo it does at almoft every great martial death, as Oliver Cromwell's, for inftance. But why did not the wind drive any other fhip from the moorings, or why did it not break the bridle? By thefe questions I do not mean to deny natural caufes, but I mean to give spi |