Τ Η Ε BRITISH APOLLO. VOL. I. F APOLLO's Address to the Town by way of PROLOGUE. Righted from earth by scenes of death and wars, Domestick Strifes and military scars, And universal groans which pierce the skies, But on a sudden, shouts of praise were giu'n, To bless the wondrous worth of her illustrious reign. Hail therefore happy fons of Britain's ifle , B Q. What. Q. What is the cause of the blackness in the Negroes, and how came that people first to be black ? A. The most accurate of the modern anatomists have observ'd, that there is a certain gluc or varnish, called by them CORPUS MUCOSUM , immediately under the EPIDERMIS, and that in different animals, or in different parts of the fame animal, being of a different colour, it imports it to the EPIDERMIS, wbich of its self is transparent. 'Tis then to be fupposed that this glue or gelly in the Negroes is black. But still the question will be how came it to be fo in them and white in us ? to which it may be easily answer'd, that every one naturally begetting its like, 'tis no wonder the children of Blacks should be black : and then we must come to the latter part of the question, viz. How the first parents of the black generation came to be of that huc ? which is not so easy to be determined; for to say that it was a punishment inflicted upon Cham and his posterity, is a very groundless fuppofition; we rather think that their going naked in a climate, where the sun is extream hot, did contribute a little to it, by scorching as it were the thick juice aformentioned, as we see that violent heat of fire turns black several bodies; we also may conjecture that they might use some art to make this black colour the deepe er, as 'tis related the Hotentots, or natives of the Cape of good Hope, do at this day, anointing their children with a mixture of foot and oil, and so expose them naked to the heat of the fun : this huc might be more strongly fixt in them after , by the force of imagination, by their women ( when pregnant ) always beholding such. A famous precedent whereof, we have in history, of a white Lady's conceiving a Black, from her continual looking on a Negro's picture. Sacred Writ gives us the like instance in brute creatures, Q. Why the noise of a file, faw, &c. fets the teeth on edge 4. Because the particles of the air thus moved into disagreeable undulations, and being disproporciond to the pores of the nerves that are inserted in che roots of the teeth do so distort and twitch them, that they are either benumb'd or affected with pain. Q. What is the reafon, that looking down from any bigh place, a man's head turns, and he is ready to fall ? A. Because the diftance of objects and the mighty sense of danger so extreamly terrifies the imagination, and creates such a confusion and disorder amongst the spirits in the brain, that they are altogether incapable of performing their regular motions. Q. What is the reason that at the sight of some eatas bles, a thin water or (pittle arises in the mouth ? A. It is caus'd from the communion of the nerves of the eyes and palate, which arise and run along together in one common trunk, till they are diftributed to their respective parts, amongst which there is a certain sympathy or consent of action, Q. Gentlemen, I have long passionately lov'da Lady, who for her excellent perfections rather merits ado, ration : I have pafi'd through all the probationary in, junttions requir’d of a lover, given my self violent airs, then figh’d, whin'd, pip'd under her window, look'd like an ass, went Novenly, forgot to blow my nose and made verses ; nay, I had certainly attempted to kill my self, but that I feared her consent to it. Now pray resolve me if this divine creature, this illuftrious Goddess, in regard is all I have suffer'd for her fake, is not obliged in gratitude to return love for love ? A. Certainly no. It argues worse than pagan Atupidity, to expect the object of our worship Should make reciprocal returns, it is sufficient; if the accepts your offerings, but presumption to expect fo much as familiar conference with a superiour power : were she convinc'd that you was such another divine creature, (of which, your going Novenly and looking like an ass, gives us little hopes ) she might possibly admit of parley ; but even then would not be under the least obligation of making mutual returns, for. that wou'd cncroach on the freedom of her choice, В 2 and , and reduce her to a more servile condition than your Therefore if your Goddess be inexorable, the best advice we can give, is, to comfort your self with Epicurus's maxim, that your fufferings cannot be great and long : perbaps she may honour your afhes with so much compunction, as to figh, and say, 'tis Pity and so call for the cards, The Tenth MUSE, Sc. And bright' as those as Paphos do's the charmer shine. Tbus in Hortensia we may juftly own, day our PROPOSALS came out ; since we have eng ter'd the lifts, we must undertake all combatants. 0. Ar bold solutists, folve the doubt, Or elfe expect r'll lay about : } Nor . Nor fate, nor sex, nor age is free, A. What daring squire is this, what mortal, The reason why you Thake in ftaling, goes Now, Sir, altho you thought to pose, Lib. 9. Epig. 74. Whole T B3 |