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Several myfterious Figures us'd to be made on these Wands. Some cut Croffes on them; and there are four Sticks in Paris, which are pretty ancient, on which the Words Baltazar, Gafpar and Melchior are written. These, according to vulgar Tradition, are the Names of the three wife Men, who made their Offerings to Chrift; and we may prefume, that by this their Affiftance was invok'd.,

Our Author, after giving various Reafons for and against the Virtue of the Wand, and relating an Experiment, in which himself, and the famous M. de la Hyre bore a part, viz. of a Boy of twelve Years of age, who pretended to dif cover Springs, &c. by a magical Stick, which, however, fail'd in the Attempt; concludes the Chapter with thefe Words: The refult of all this is, that there is not a little Illufion in the Signs which are given by the Wand; I, nevertheless, cannot deny but that it really turns, without Art or Fraud, in the Hands of fome Perfons; and that it has difcover'd feveral hiddenthings.

Father Le Brun, in giving us an Account of fuch things as the Wand difcovers in France, relates the following Story of James Aymar. Towards the end of the Year 1689, the Farmer of the religious Ladies of St. Cecilia, was surpriz'd to find that all the Oxen and Cows which had graz❜d in a certain Meadow,died. Twenty-three of these were carried off in a few days, altho' this was the best Pasture thereabouts. Afom'd at this Accident, and defirous of finding out the Cause of it, he confider'd, that it poffibly might be the Effect of Witchcraft; and that as the Wand difcover'd fo many things, it might alfe And out this. As Aymar was look'd upon to

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be one of the ableft Conjurers, he was fent for; who employing his Wand, it turn'd in every Part of the Meadow, but ftopt every where about it, except in a little Path that went from it. Upon this Aymar defir'd, that the Parfon of the Parish might come and perform his Exorcifms, in order to find whether it were a piece of Witchcraft or not. The Parfon came, attended with the chief Men of the Parish; and in his Pontificalibus repeated the Prayers ufed on thefe Occafions. Aymar then took up his Wand,. which now ceas'd to turn in the Meadow: however, it turn'd in the Path abovemention' and the Motion continued as they went up till they came to a Hut, inhabited by a Fellow of no Character; who, inform'd of what had paft, left the Place, and was never heard of afterwards, the Magiftrates not making any enquiry after him. Such as are defirous of feeing a Refutation of Aymar's Magic, will find it in Bayle's Dictionary.

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The Author afterwards declares the Ufes to which the magical Wand is apply'd in Germany, Flanders, Sweden, Hungary, England, Italy, Spain, and Egypt. Enquires whether the Wand . was of ufe in ancient Superftitions, and tell us many aftonishing Effects produced by Wands. Relates the Practice of the Scythians, Perfians, Medes, Alani, Illyrians, Sclavonians, Germans, and feveral other Nations, in divining with this Inftrument. Takes notice of the crooked Stick, which the old Romans employ'd in Divination; and in what manner it was taught by the Chaldeans, who made ufe of a Wand for that purpose. Examines the Origin of feveral Practices which are now made with the Wand, and how it came to be thought proper for discovering Q92 Springs,

Springs, Metals, the Boundaries of Fields, Murderers, Thieves, &c. and whether it has been long employ'd for the finding out of Springs and Metals.Thefe, and a multitude of other curious Particulars are treated of in this fecond Volume, of which we cannot give any farther account for want of room; and therefore muft poftpone our account of the third and laft Volume of this learned Work, till our next Jour nal.

ARTICLE XXXI.

Histoire Ancienne des Egyptiens, des Carthaginois, des Affyriens, &c.

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That is,

The Ancient Hiftory of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Affyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Perfians, Macedonians and Greeks. By M. Rollin, &c. The third Volume 8vo. containing 772 Pages. Paris 1731.

Being a Continuation of Article 24. No 17.

N. B. That VOL. II. not having been altogether finished in the former Journal, we continue it here; beginning at the fifth Book, P. 479. R.

UR Author, after having in the former

Volume, and in the firft Part of this fecond, treated the History of the Egyptians, Affyrians, Babylonians, and Medes; comes in the fifth Book, according to the general Plan he had laid down to himfelf, to treat in few

Words

Words of the different States and Republicks of Greece.

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Of all Countries known to us from ancient History, there is none fo famous as Greece, or that have furnished the World with fo many precious Monuments; whether we confider it in relation to the Glory of its Arms, the Wisdom of its Laws, or the high Degree of Perfection and Politenefs, to which it advanced the Arts and Sciences: In all these refpects it may be confidered to have a juft Title of being called the General School of all other Nations. TheGreek Hiftory does not only furnish us with many confummate Generals to be our Models in military Affairs, but also with the most famous Legiflators, finifh'd Politicians, and Magiftrates, that feem'd born with Quali ties to govern; and with Men, who have exçell'd (even all that came after them) in every Art and Science: Their Philofophers have push'd their Searches after Natural Knowledge to a very great height, and left us fuch refined Maxims of Morality, as may make even Chriftians to blufh, that they cannot, with all the Advantages of a fupernatural Light, excel them.

As the Virtue and wife. Conduct of those great Mafters, whom we read of in this Hiftory, may ferve as Models to imitate in many Parts of Life; fo alfo their Faults, Imperfections, and Vices are no lefs fitted to inftruct: that Cenfure, Shame, and Infamy, which always accompany criminal, brutal, and bad Actions, being as proper to infpire Horror and Abhorrence of them, as the Glory and Applause that attend brave and good Actions are adapted to inspire a Love of Virtue.

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This History furnisheth numerous Examples of both kinds, which our Author is always careful to paint to us in fuch Colours, as are moft proper to make them both useful and agreeable at the fame time: Such as are defigned for publick Employments, will here meet with the moft refined Politicks of the ableft Statesmen the World could ever boast of: The Civilian may here likewife trace the Source and Origin of moft of the fundamental Laws that are now in ufe, in these weftern Parts of the World; here alfo the young Officer may with pleasure review the most celebrated Actions of the greatest Generals narrated, or rather painted to the Life before his Eyes, by Hiftorians, who themselves were no lefs confummate Maf ters in the Art of War, and bore a great Share in conducting the Actions which they account for; fuch were Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, &c. Thefe great Men, who ftill ftand in the firft Rank of Hiftorians, both for their confummate Knowledge of publick Affairs, and the Politenefs, Exactnefs, and Veracity of their Narration, range and marshal their Armies, fight their Battles, and conduct their Sieges, in fuch Propriety of Terms, and with fo lively and ftrong a Colouring, that the Reader, by an agreeable Sort of Delufion, muft imagine himfelf. prefent in the very Action. Thus our young Heroes, who read this Hiftory, may be properly faid to be conducted, and, as it were, led by the Hand thorough all the most impor tant Parts (not of the mere Theory) but of what is far more useful, the Practice of the Art of War.

It is hoped therefore, that neither the Length of this Introduction, nor the following Account

of

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