a

will oblige your

humble ser

(proconful of Africa) acquaints him, or rather reminds him of a famous cure perform’d by one fro:ulus Torpacio, according to this ceremony enjoin'd by the Apoftle. From the premises therefore we may gather the vain impertinence of the Romis doctors, who, from this text, defend their facrament of extream unction.

Q. Pray resolve me, if there be, or ever were, such creatures as Fairies, and

you vant, S. M.

A. The opinion of Fairies has been afferted by Pliny, and several historians, and Aristotle himself gave

fome countenance to it, whose words are these, ési j ó TÓTG, &c. that is, Hic locus est quem incolunt Pygmei, non eft fabula, sed pufillum genus iit aiunt, wherein 4ristotle plays the fophift: For tho’ by non est fabula, he seems at first to confirm it, yet coming in at last with his ut aiunt, he shakes the belief he had before put upon it.

Our society therefore are of opinion, that Homer was the first author of this conceit, who often us'd fimiles, as well to delight the car, as to illustrate his matter ; and in his third Iliad, compares the Trojans to cranes, when they descend against Fairies.

So that, that which was only a pleasant fiction in the fountain, became a folemn story in the stream, and current still among us.

Q. I have read in Jude, that Michael contended with the devil about the body of Moses. Pray inform me of the reason of their dispute ?

A. It is the opinion of some, that Mofes was tranNated, like Elijah, into heaven, and that the devil contended with Michael, that he ought not to be thus translated, in that he had been guilty of murder, in saying the Ægyprian. But as Moses's translation has no other dependance than Jewish tradition, it is contrary to Deuteronomy xxxiv.5, 6. So Mofes, the fervant of the Lord, died in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley, in the land of Moab. But since it immediately follows,

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no

no man knoweth of his fepulchre to this day; and the reason why his fepulchre was hid, was probably, left the Jewos (a people exceedingly prone to idolatry) should worship the body of so renown'd a law-giver, we may therefore not unreasonably suppose, that the devil would have discover'd the conceald sepulchre, but was prevented by the Arch-angel Michael, whence might arise that memorable contention mention'd by St. Fude.

0. learned Sirs ! whom all the town caress,
Whom all the wife for knowledge do address :
Let me, pretending but to mood and tense,
Declare some tokens of my want of sense:
Tell me from whence the reasons do proceed,
That forne mens hair is black, and others red?

A. Those different hues the constitutions make,
And various tempers various colours take :
So melancholick perfons black appear,
And cholerick men their fandy tresses wear.

Q. Tell me, ye British wisemen full of mirth,
Which of all creatures that have place on earth.
Te do esteem the purest, and agen,
Which is the vilesi, or wild beasts, or men ?

A. Thou who can'st add to bright Apollo's mirth,
Know that of creatures which have place on earth,
Man we esteem the purest : And again,
If man the purest be, beasts are more vile than man.

Q. Some say no general rule without exception, Pray tell if this with reason hath connexion ?

A. Who say your shiming rule's connext with reason, I'm sure, declares his judgment out of season.

Q. Since as judges you fit,

of the thing we call wit, In the name of the British Apollo :

Pray let it be known,

You have some of your own, By resolving the question that follow :

My morey's all gone,

That's to say I have none, My pockets are empty and light :

And And what is worse yet,

I'm a little in debt,
And my friends have forsaken me quite;

Now if you do know,

To what place I may go, To gather in new contributions ;

I'll readily own

You Apollo's brave fon,
And the best at a question's solution ?
A. To Rome fly amain,

While the Pope's in this vein,
To fuccour PRETENDERS with loans;

For you're a more fit

Pretender to wit,
Than the other to scepters and thrones.

Q. Gentlemen, The compassionate regard, the wife and good in all ages have sewn to the diftressed, leaves no room to doubt of the utmost advice and asistance that my unhappy cafe can admit of, from a fociety, whose ingenious performances, has, in the opinion of the best judges of both sexes, juftly entituled them to those admir'd characters.

Some few years since I married a Gentleman, whose good fenje, business and estate, gave the most promising expectations of being one of the happiest of my fex. But now, by his sudden and unaccountable change, from an agreeable pleasant companion, to the most fantastick hemorist, I am render'd one of the most wretched and urban fortunate of women. When at the same time he continues of a healthful and vigorous conftitution, without the leaft fymptom of any approaching alteration, or visible dimingtion of his reason." Let me therefore conjure you, by all the respect you have 10 our sex, and compassion you

have for the miserable, that you would exert your utmojt genius to account for the cause of this wretched change, and, if it be posible, direct to some method of cure? Your Speedy compliance with this request, will infinitely comfort the moff disconfolate Dorinda.

A. Our society think it impossible to shew the first cause of this change, since many accidents may have conspir'd to help it on; but whatever the original cause

may

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may have been, we are sure we are not mistaken in the case, which is, the highest degree of ppleen, and we make no question but there is much more diftem. per than humour in it too. 'Tis our opinion, Madam, that you ought to consult fome eminent physician, that proper medicines may be adminiftred' to him. And for your part of this cure, we advise you, to let him always be easie at home, never to use raillery unfeasonably, that is, when a fit is upon him, but rather, by a fympathizing and seeming condesa cension to his humour, artfully

give his thoughts another turn, and amuse him with variety of diverfions, which will call off his mind from those ideas, which are the cause of his disorder.

Q. What is the reason and original of the custom among the Romans, of sacrificing before any considerable enterprize ? And what is your opinion of those surprizing repreJentations in their facrifice, which fo frequently preaffur'd them of the future event of their affairs ; of the truth of which wondrous presages, their astonishing successes are an abundant teftimony ?

A. To the first question we reply, That the original custom proceeded from the reason of it, wbich. is plainly this ; Since the Romans look'd upon their Gods as presiding over their affairs, and since facrifices were the principal part of their religious ceremonies, what more natural, than with such to usher in an extraordinary concern ?

As to the second, Minucius Fælix fays, That impure spirits lie conceald under consecrated images, infpir’d the priests, animated the intrails of the sacrifices, directed the flight of Birds, Sc. But then to the enquiry, How devils could pre-signifie events to come, Lactantius replies, That since they had been God's ministers, they had thence a forelight of his future providences. But as that cloquent writer is taken notice of by the learned, for theological mistakes, so we beg Teave to place this to the account. In answer therefore to the question, we offer these particulars.

1. As a wiseman can foresee

many

considerable events, by comparing circunstances, by nicely scanning the present pofture of affairs, by observing the na tural tendency of things, so the devil has the advantage of the profoundest statesman, by a more experienc'd knowledge, a more acute fagacity, and an invisible : presence at the most secret councils.

2. When the Romans receiv'd auspicious omens from the intrails of their facrifices, this, no doubt, inspir'd'. 'em with vigorous resolutions, inflam’d their breasts with redoubled bravery, and rather occasion'd than foreshew'd the wonderful event. But,

3. Their religious omens might be frequently impeach'd of fallacy and deceit. From whence St. Cy-prian (that excellent father) draws this necessary con-clusion, That the Roman empire did not owe its increase to their superstitious ceremonies, but was determin’d to a certain period by the providence of God. And as he avers, that their prognostications : were precarious uncertainties, so he gives us a few memorable instances, in Regulus Mancinus, Paulus Æmja. lius, and Caius Cafar.

Q. What is the meaning of that passage in 1 Pet. iii.. 19, 20. By which also he went and preached to the spio rits in prison, which sometimes were disobedient, when once : the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah?

4. The relative which refers to the spirit in the : preceding verse ; and therefore the meaning of the

; passage is that Chrift, preach'd to the antediluvian world by his holy Spirit, which was in Noah, whom this very Apostle, in his ift Ep. iii 2, 5. testifies to have : been a preacher of righteousness. And since those Antediluvians were so very wicked, and thence in bondage to fin, they may well be said to be in prison, agreeably to those expressions in Ifis. Ixi. 12. The fpi- . rit of the Lord is upon me, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them: that are bound. From the premises we may gather, , how improperly some have expounded the sth arti-.

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