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Origin of certain Cuftoms.

May the 17th, 1711, and printed in the news-papers at London, May 31, 1711, mention is made that an English ship arrived at Barcelona, April the 17th, with corn from Barbary, and that the mafter caught that day in fight of the land an eagle which perched upon one of the mafts of the ship, which he prefented to king Charles III and as the emperor died the fame day, they took this as a good omen for his Catholic Majefty. See in the treatifes of Aftrology, Magic, and Dreams. AusPICIUM Q. AVISPICIUM, was taken from the flight of birds, either on the right hand or on the left; and hence is the proverb, AVI SINISTRA, good luck, because in giving or going, the right hand is oppofite to the receiver's left.

Burbury, in the relation of a journey made by the lord Howard to Conftantinople, fays, at Mufan-Bafha-Palanka, the Bulgarian women ftrewed little bits of butter and falt in the way before him, prefaging and wifhing them a profperity to their journey and affairs. Vide Burbury, p. 126.

And here it may not be improper to note fomething of the practice and antiquity of feveral fuperftitious customs and fayings now in ufe.

The cuftom of pairing nails, and cutting off our hair at certain times, is a relic of ancient fuperftition; for the Romans feared to pair their nails upon the Nundina, obferved every 9th day, and other certain days in the week, according to that of Aufonius, Ungues, Mercurio, &c.

The conjecturing on future events by fpots in our nails, is no modern practice; Cardan affirming to have difcovered a property in himself of finding therein fome figns of moft events that ever happened unto him. The fpots in the top of the nails fignify things paft; in the middle, things prefent, and at the bottom, events to come; white fpecks are fuppofed to prefage our felicity; blue ones, our misfortunes, and the like.

To obferve the falling of falt, proceeds from a particular omination

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among the ancients, who knowing falt was incorruptible, made it the fymbol of friendship, and if it cafually fell, they accounted their amity would be of no duration.

The custom of giving corals to children, and fastening it about their necks, thereby to rub their gums, and make an cafier paffage for their teeth, is a practice believed to be fuperftitiously founded, as prefumed, an amulet or defence against fafcination. For the fame is delivered by Pliny, lib. xxxii.

The refraining to kill swallows (it being efteemed unlucky to deftroy them) has no other reason for its origin, than that anciently thofe birds were facred unto the Penates, or houfhold gods of the ancients, and therefore were preferved, as alfo they were highly honoured for being the Nuncios of the fpring; for which reafons the Rhodians had a folemn fong to welcome in the fwallows. See Ælian.

The opinion that it is good to have a wolf croís the way, and bad to have a hare cross it, although it be ancient, had no other reason for its original, than that it may be efteemed fortunate to efcape the firft, and a lofs to let the fecond eícape us.

The cuftom of decking houfes with ivy at Chriftmas, is only because ivy was anciently dedicated to Bacchus the god of wine, a liquor which is plentifully drank at that time.

The cuftom of breaking the egg-fhell after the meat is out, hath been an ancient practice, and the intent was to prevent witchcraft, left witches should draw or prick names therein, and thereby do mifchief to mankind, as Dalecampius has observed.

The making a True Lover's Knot, is ftill retained in prefents of love, and might have originated from Nodus Herculanus, or that which was called Hercules's Knot, refembling the fnaky complication in the Caduceus, or Rod of Hermes; and in which form the zone, or woollen girdle of the bride, in ancient times, was fastened, as Turnebus obferves in his Adverfaria.

The

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The faying, They are unblefs'd, until they have put on their girdle, may have, indeed, no ordinary confideration for its original, fince by a girdle or cincture, are fymbolically implied truth, refolution, and readine's unto action, which are parts and virtues required in the fervice of God. According whereto we find that the Ifraelites did eat the Pafcal Lamb with their loins girded; and the Almighty challenging Job, bids him gird up his loins like a man.

The custom to fay, Somebody is talking of us when our cheek burneth or gloweth, appears to be an ancient conceit, being ranked among fuperftitious opinions by Pliny; but the first rife of it is as unknown, as the occafion of fuch a fignifying genius.

The cuitom of nourishing hair upon the moles of the face, is the perpetuation of a very ancient practice, and though now innocently used, may have a fuperftitious original, according to that

MARY

of Pliny. Navos in facie tondere religiofum habent nunc.

The practice we have to determine doubtful matters by the opening of a book, and letting fall a staff, are ancient fragments of Pagan divinations.

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The custom of receiving the climacterical year of 63 as a very dangerous year, is a very ancient belief; Philo, the Jew, having filled up feveral pages with things relating to this number; and Pythagoras and Plato have been great maintainers thereof in their Numerical Confiderations. The opinion arifes from that belief, that the days of men are ufually caft up by feptenaries, and every feventh year conceived to carry fome altering character with it; as alfo the Moon, which governs man's body, is fuppofed to be measured by fevens. And fo the number feven and nine, whick multiplied into themfelves, do make 63, is commonly esteemed the great climac terical of our lives.

LIVES OF EMINENT CONJURORS.

SIBYL MFRIAN, A FEMALE FLORIST AND ARTIST.

SHE was the daughter as it is thought of Math. Merian, an ingenious German Engraver, who has given Topographical Collections, in 31 vols. fol. Florilegium, Francf. fol. 1641. She was born at Francfort in 1647, and made herself famous from her youth by her ingenuity and accuratenefs in delineating flowers and infects in water colours.

She began with filk-worms at Francfort, where he was born; and then perceiving that much finer infects fprung from other worms, fhe &llected as many as he could get, to obferve their feveral metamorphofes. The better to fucceed in her defign, fhe refolved to live in a perfect retirement; and being wholly intent upon thofe obfervations, fhe undertook to inake by that means a new progrefs in painting; and to reprefent her difcoveries in natural and lively

colours. Thus fhe painted upon vel lum, all the infects he could find Francfort and Nuremberg. Some curi ous perfons having feen her performance. defired her to impart it to the public At lait fhe yielded to their folicitations and publifhed the firit part of her figure in 1679, in 4to. and the fecond is 1683, engraved with her own hands. Afterwards fhe went into Friezland and Holland, where he continued to make new obfervations upon infects. Being in Holland, fhe admired the vaft number of animals brought into that coun try from the East and West Indies. Her admiration increased, when the was admitted into the curious cabinets of M. Nicolas Witfen, M. Jonas Witfen, Dr. Ruifch, M. Vincent, and several others. At the fight of fuch a prodigious num ber of infects, fhe refolved to make a voyage into Surinam; from whence thofe infects were conveyed into Holland. She arrived there in June 1699Whilft Mrs. Merian was in Amesca,

the

Life of Lilly

fhe wholly applied herself to make ob-. fervations upon the infects of that country. The great heat of Surinam not, agreeing with her conftitution, fhe left that country fooner than fhe intended, and returned into Holland in September 1701.

She made fome other voyages, and died at Amfterdam, 1717. The best edition of her Metamorphofis Infectorum Surinamenfium, is that of Amft. fol. 1705. Sir Hans Sloane gave 600l. for the original manufcript of this book, and it is now among the curiofities in the British Museum.

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AN ITALIAN ASTROLOGER.

Placidus De Titus, from the beft information, appears to have been an Italian monk, and an inhabitant of Bologna. He was a man of confiderable genius, and much application and induftry. It is difficult to fix the precife time of his birth or death, but it is certain he lived at the time of the revival of Letters in Europe. He was a great fearcher into the abftrufe, and latent fecrets of Nature; and, if we may judge by what he has left behind him, he muft have lived to an advanced age. His book on the Elementary Philofophy of the Univerfe," is far fuperior, in every part, to many others of cotemporary writers upon the fame fubject, and has been fo fcarce, that fifty guineas have been refused for a copy. The late Mr. Benjamin Bishop, master of Sir John Cats's School, Aldgate, caufed this work to be tranflated from the original Latin into English; but he unfortunately died before the book was quite finifhed; and the MS. falling into the hands of a rapacious and lefs learned editor, it has been pub. lifhed in a more incorrect manner than would have happened, had the life of that ingenious fiderial artist been of a longer date.

We are beholden to this piece, in the original, for the moft judicious and learned remarks, made by the famous Partridge, in his " Opus Reformatum,"

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and "Defectio Geniturarum," who was, perhaps, himself, the greatest English Profefior of this fcience in the last cen◄ tury.

A FAMOUS ENGLISH AND POLITICAL ASTROLOGER.

William Lilly, an eminent English Aftrologer, in the feventeenth century, carried the art of the fiderial influx to fuch a height, and the temper of the times favouring the celeftial fcience, that no material ftep was taken by the Court, without firit confulting Mr. Wm. Lilly. His "Merlinus Angliciis Junior," the

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Supernatural Sight," and the " White King's Prophecy," contributed much to his fame, in the aiftracted time of Charles I. While that king was at Hamptoncourt, about July or Auguft, 1647, he was confulted, whither his majefty might. retire for fafety; and in 1648, he was confulted for the fame purpofe, while the king was at Carifbrook-caftle, in the Inle of Wight. The fame year, he published his "Treatife of the Three Suns," feen the preceding winter; as alfo an aftrological judgment upon a conjunction of Saturn and Mars. This year, the Coun cil of State gave him, in money, fifty pounds, and a penfion of an hundred pounds per annum. In 1648 and 49, he publicly read and explained the firft part of his Chriftian Aftrology, for the improvement of young ftudents in that fcience. In 1651, he published his Monarchy or no Monarchy. During the fiege of Colchefter, he and John Booker were fent for, to encourage the foldiers, affuring them that the town would foon be taken, as indeed it was. In 1652, he publifhed his "Annus Tenebrofus." In his Almanack for next year, he afferted, that the parliament ftood upon a tottering foundation; upon which he was confined for thirteen days. In 1654, he had a diipute with the learned Mr. Gataker, who, in his Annotations on Jeremiah x. 2. had reflected on Mr Lilly. In 1655, he was indicted at Hick's-hall, for giving judgment upon

ftolen

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Life of fames Ozanam.

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ftolen goods, but was acquitted. In 1659, Captain Cox brought him, from the King of Sweden, a gold chain and a medal, worth about fifty pounds, count of Mr. Lilly's having mentioned that King with refpect, in his Almanack of 1657. In June 1660, he was taken into cuftody by order of the Parliament, by whom he was examined concerning the perfon who cut off the head of King Charles I. The fame year, he fued out his pardon under the great feal of England. The plague raging in London, he removed with his family to his eftate at Hertham and in October 1666, was examined before a Committee of the Houfe of Commons, concerning the fire of London, which happened in September that year.

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His laft publication was his "Guide for Aftrologers," tranflated from the Latin of Guido Bonatius, a good piece; but his principal work is the "Chriftian Aftrology," a book, than which there is not a better extant upon the subject in any language.

After his retirement to Herfham, he applied himself to the study of Phyfic, and, by means of his friend Mr. Afhmole, obtained from Archbishop Sheldon a license for the practice of it. A little before his death, he adopted for his fon, by the name of Merlin Junior, one Henry Coley, a taylor by trade, and at the fame time gave him the impreffion of his Almanack, after it had been printed for 36 years. He died in 1681, of a dead palfy. Mr. Afhmole fet a monument over his grave, in the church of Walton upon Thames. Mr. George Smalridge, then a scholar at Westminfter-school, afterwards Bishop of Bristol, wrote two elegies, one in Latin, the other in English, upon his death.

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mily, and defigned for the Church by his father, who had given him an excellent education. He ftudied Divinity four years, rather out of obedience than inclination; but upon his father's death he quitted that ftudy, and applied himfelf wholly to the Mathematics, for which he had a fingular genius. He afterwards taught that fcience at Lyons, and was, for his generofity to two foreigners, his fcholars, by them recommended to Mr. Dagueffeau (father of the Chancellor) who fent for him to Paris, with a promife to affift him to the utmoft of his power. Our author, therefore, came and fettled at Paris, where he abandoned his inclination to gaming, to which he had been very much addicted, and devoted himself entirely to the Mathematics. He met with pretty good encouragement at Paris, till the war (which was occafioned foon after the year 1701, by the Spanish fucceffion) deprived him of all his scholars, and reduced him to a very melancholy ftate. It was at that time he was admitted in the Royal Academy of Sciences, in quality of an Eleve. He had fuch a prefentiment of his death, though without any fick nefs, that he refufed to accept of fome foreign noblemen for his scholars, alledging that he should foon die; as he actually did, April the 3d, 1717, of an Apoplexy, in less than two hours, being then 77 years old.

It is not without reafon that confiderable knowledge in Aftrology has been afcribed to him, and the foreknowing his death feems to confirm it: but, perhaps, like Dryden the Poet, he chofe not to affect any fcientific difplay. His works, which are very numerous, have met with the approbation of the learned of all countries, particularly his "Mathematical Recreations," which remain an uncontrovertible proof of his great ingenuity. Monf. Guyot has made much ufe of this work, though neither him, nor Dr. Hooper, his tranflator, have had the candour to acknowledge it.

A SYSTEM

Anfwers to the Queries in N° I.

A SYSTEM MAKER.

The celebrated Ticho Brahe, or Brache, was born in Denmark, in 1546. At the age of fourteen, seeing a folar eclipfe happen at the very moment fore told by the Aftronomers, it enflamed him with a defire of learning that fcience he was sent to Leipfic, to ftudy the law, but, unknown to his mafters, he employed a great part of his time in aftronomical obfervations. Having loft his nose in a nocturnal fray, he made himself another, compofed of gold, filver and wax, with such skill, that strangers thought it natural: on his return into Denmark, he married a countrygirl, which drew on him the refentment of all his family, till the King of Denmark interpofed his authority for a reconciliation. In his travels through Italy and Germany, the Emperor and feveral other Princes made him very confiderable offers, but he chofe rather to fettle at home; where Frederic II.

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King of Denmark, gave him the Isle of Ween, with a large pension. Here he built his wonderful obfervatory of Stelleburg, befides a feat, to which he gave the name of Uranienburg, which, with his feveral inftruments and machines of his own making, were the admiration of all who came to fee him; and among thefe were, James VI. of Scotland, and Chriftian, King of Denmark. He invented a new Syftem of the World, which bears his name, and was a long while adopted by moft Divines, being free from the inconveniences of that of Ptolomy, but yet fuppofes the Sun to turn round the earth. Some courtiers, envious of his great favour, did him fuch an ill turn with the King of Denmark, that his penfion was taken from him; on which he removed into Holland; but, at the preffing invitations of the Emperor Rodolph II. he repaired to Prague, where, in the year 1601, he died by fuppreffing his urine too long

at an entertainment.

THE QUERIST. N° III.

them. Befides, if a man has more than

QUERY 1. No 1. 4 one wife, he cannot follow the direction

ANSWERED BY J. H. B.

IN answer to the firft queftion which the Querift puts for folution" Did not St. Paul give leave to Laymen to marry, or have more wives than one, when he fays, Let a Bifhop be the hufband of one wife only ?"-He certainly never meant any fuch thing; for he taught the duties of man and wife, in the feventh chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians; in the fecond verfe whereof he fays, Let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband. Now, if every woman ought to have her own husband, the wives of that man who has a plurality, cannot fay they have each their own hufband, for they have but one amongst VOL. I.

of the next verfe, where St. Paul exhorts the husband and wife mutually to render each other due benevolence. He alfo fays, in Ephefians 8th and 31ft, The man fhall be joined to his wife, and they two fhall be one flefh-Timothy iii. 2.; for the Apoftle is there fpeaking only of the affirmative qualities and duties of the Bifhop, and fays, He must be blameless, the husband of one wife; vigilant, fober, of good behaviour, given to hofpitality, apt to teach. In the next verfe, he teaches the negative duties and qualities of the function. So that I take it to be St. Paul's meaning, that a man must be the husband of one wife, before he can take upon himfelf the exercife of the duties of a Bishop. And this is again confirmed in his Epiftle to Titus, i. 6. N

SOLUTION

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