Q. In what sense could the plague of darkness, which was brought upon the land of Egypt, be said to be a darknefs that might be felt ?

A. We may suppose this darkness to have proceeded, at least in part, from such thick unwholesome fogs as affected the Egyptians in a very offensive manner. In the 17th chapter of the book of Wisdom, you will meet with a very clegant (tho’ apocryphal) de: scription of this Egyptian darkness.

Q. What is colour

Q. Whether light be of any colour, and if it be, of what it confifts ?

Å. To answer both the questions at once, colour, according to the incomparable Sir Isaac Newton, is that affection or quality of light, whereby it is dispos'd to produce in us such a particular fenfátion. And as he evidently shews that the difference of colours arises from difform rays of light, varying in proportion to their various refrangibility, and that whiteness is compos'd of a due proportion to all other colours, so there is that due proportion of them all in the streams of rays, of which light confifts, and thence consequently light is of a white colour ; or, to {peak more properly, produces in us the sensation of what we call white.

Q. What is the reason that the gravest perfons should express their being pleas’d by a jest, &c. by making var riety of faces, and a great noise in laughing, which is not to be stopt, tho’ really endeavour'd?

A. The gravest persons are often endued with me lancholy tempers, and thereby liable to the height of passion, and by consequence subject to immoderate expressions thereof: the cause why melancholy persons are subject to such passions, is from the too great heat of their blood rendring it adust.

Q. Gentlemen, I desire to know how you reconcile the acute sensation of the olfactory nerves in a hog (to be se much superior to those in man, with the fordid practice of those animals) as you affert. A. We gave the anatomical reason before, viz. From

a

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3

1

the expansion of the membranes lining the nostrils, whence the wind more affects them than other creatures. As to the objection of their fordid practice, doc. habit renders those scents natural to them, nay even to human creatures; for our night-men, accustomed to their trade, are equally offended by perfumes as others are by what they trade in ; an experiment of which a Gentleman of our Society hath been an eyewitness to.

Q. Pray solve this question. 'Tis in dispute, and refer- . red to your determination: an oval folid whose longest diameter is 21. 6. (or 21 inches and is, and shortest dia-. meter 12 inches and is, what is the folidity?) having the two diameters of an oval superficies limited (as suppose 24 and 16) by geometry to delineate the figure?

A. To the first question we answer, that 1711.04. is the folidity required : to the second, that you may find it answered in all the books of conics.

Q. Gentlemen, It hath been often questioned, where the swallows, cuckoe, doc. abide all winter, being never seen by any, as I could get hear of, in that cold season: if you please to give your opinion berein. for the fatisfaction of my self and some friends?

A. It is generally conjectur'd that they neep all that season in hollow trees and subterraneous vaults, because some have been found in such places; but we think it as probable for them to pursue hot countries, as the wood-cocks cold ones..

Q. What is fin?
A Sin is the transgression of the law.

Q. I desire to know the reason that these parts, , } * of a pound added together, will not make one pound sterling ?

A. For the same reason that 19 does not make 20.

Q. Myne Heer Apollo, Ick a been in Frankrick als well as Hollandse, vare ick found de people fo very wise, as to have de streets always lighted when it is dark, and their reafon is, because they pay for it. Now altho' ick a payd vor des lights here, yet í have been forced, a great while to grope in de dark, vare sometime me break mey min,

some

fometime my nose against de pofi, and sometime tumble in de durt; and dat is very hard ?

A. Myne Heer van der over boots and shoes, We believe ven you quarrel vid de post de fume of de vine fupplys de room of de brain ; and den dat you take de post vor de vench, vare. upon you go to kiss her vid de grand fury, and so break a de nose against de post, and dat, as you say, is very hard indeed. As vor de break of de fins, it may be won grand a mistake, and only de pain you veel from fome lettel hore, who had creep a into your bones. If you know de laws Engliche, you wou'd have ver great care how you quarrell’d vid de post, vitch might bring de action of affault and battery against you vor your pains.

Dis for your réafon, for your rbime

Veel answer make anoder time. Q. I desire the favour of your opinion in the next of the Unicorn, with a description of that creature.

A. The Rhinoceros may be term'd fuch, from having only one horn, growing on the faout, but there is no such-creature, as is represcated to us in the common figures of it; what we call Unicorn's-horn, is taken from a filh.

Q. It is evident that liquor will arise and come out of a crane or crooked pipe; Apollo, pleafe to give the reason of liquor so arifing?

A. The air being first fuck'd out of the crane, the preffure of the air on the liquor in the other vessel forces it up, which then keeps ruiming, because no air can intervene to repress it. 0. This weighty cafe i humbly, Sirs,

Submit to your belief ;
Which is, that riding galls my Bych,

And gives me cause of grief,
But when with wkole fome elder joint,

Sécurd I mount my borse, I'll ride you forty miles an end,

And not a jor the worse ; Whether the bark, she wood, the pith, Or all of 'em together,

Os

Or secret sympathy betwixt

The Elder and the Leather
Occasions this grand anodyne,

At present is the query ;
Sent on no other account, I trov,

Than just to make you merry?
A. A weighty case, and well deserves

We should be circumspect,
To find you out the wond'rous cause

Of such a strange effect.
But left our Wit should chance to fail

In folving such a doubt,
We'll e'en adjourn your worship's tail

'Till the next answ'ring bout.
Q. From day to day unfortunate I am

In every thing I undertake ;
Your good advice pray give me, if you can,

For Jesus Christ his fake.
0! tell me what the cause of it may be
That more than other men i should unhappy be?
4. We ought, in dispensations of this kind

Strictly to search the cause within,
Left heaven should take this way to strike our mind

For unrepented fin;
Or try those virtues, which in christian strain
Most bright in sufferings are, most beautiful in pain.

Q. APOLLO, pray tell us,
Our mouth being made bellows,
We blowo hot, or blomo cold; pray do not we?
How this thing can be,
It appears not to me:
At the same time to be, and to not be ;
For if it be cold, Sirs,
As I have you told, sirs,
Why then sure it camot be hos, Sirs?
Or if it be hot, Sirs,
Then cold it is not, Sirs,
Which I think is made plain on the spot, şirs;

Therefore our puffs are neither cold, nor hot,
Prey say if this be either true, or not?

4. Through

1

A. Through mouth, or behind port,
If you
blow your

wind short,
Tis hot; but if forc'd out with strength,

And meets with resistance,

It cools at a distance,
Like your wit, when 'tis drawn out at length.
Q. That it is very hard,

I should give a reward
To Apollo, before he'as unty'd

The knot which I fent

In the middle of Lent, I think cannot be deny’d.

I promis'd him claret,

To untie, break, or tear it;
But he sends me his cordial advice,

To swing an a ropez

And then I may hope
To untie it my self in a trice.

A priest might as well,

Even, one of you tell
When you trudge to the Kirk with a doxy,

And ask him to marry,

Left she should miscarry,
Go marry your felves and be pox t'ye.

I am none of those fellows,

Puts tricks on the gallows,
And cheats them of what's their just due :

To bang me in private,

For that's what you drive at, Wou'd I be advis’d to't by you.

If you could not unwed me

You should not ha' led me Such scandalous counsel to follow;

And if nought but a fring,

My lost freedom will bring,
Then a hangman's as good as Apollo?
A. There's hopes to recover

Our retrograde lover,
To's senses again with a banging;

For