Then foods of passions do the heart affail,
And as they strike, our grief or joy prevail:
Thus when our tend'rest love we do reveal,
If we're belov'd again, true joy we feel.
We the duration of that love desire,
Nay, hope it, for 'tis Hope which feeds the fire.
Inconftancy we fear, for who can bear
The fickle fondness of a changing Fair ;
But if a rival we have cause to dread,
Aversion strikes each softer passion dead.

If one kind look to such the charmer bears,
Or but a word, our grief's confess’d in tears.
These passions all from the fame object roul,
Prest by a diff'rent image on the soul.
Then great his torment and his joy must be,
When in one breast such various turns you fee:
This mixture of the passions makes it plain,
That Love's the greatest pleasure, and the greatest pain.

Q. How long did Adam continue in Paradise?

A. The time can no way be assign'd, since the Scriptures are wholly filent in the matter, but though he might not perhaps continue long there, yet as for their opinion, who fancy he was excluded thence the very day he was created, we are oblig'd to reject it upon these palpable accounts.

1. The particulars transacted while Adam was in Paradise seem naturally to require a longer space.

2. Other transactions, which seem to take up a larger portion of time, may rationally be suppos’d to have interven'd between his creation and his fall, namely the contemplation of the divine attributes, fo wonderfully conspicuous in the new-created world; his observation of his own being, with his admiration of so excellent a structure; his entertainment of his sure, prizing wife, with her reciprocal return; his not careless view of so delicious a garden, and of the various curiosities therein observable.

3. We may suppose Adam and Eve to have been a fonder couple than to have separated from each other the very first day, and exchang'd the society of so

dear and so new a confort for ungrateful solitude ; and yet Eve was alone, when tempted to eat of the forbidden fruit.

4. We cannot well suppose that so subtle an adversary, as the devi), would bave aflaulted Eve so soon after the command was given, and not have staid fome time at least, till the impression it had made was not so present to her mind.

Q. I defire in your next your opinion of that paffage in the Common-prayer ( viz.) Give peace in our time, O Lord! because i here is none other that fighteth for us,

but only thou, O God! For why should we desire peace when he fights for us, and we own his omnipotence?

A. Since a true and folid peace ought to be the aim of all our fightings, and is the prosperous issue of a successful war; To whom should we address our selves for so important a blessing, but to that GOD who fights our battles, and upon whom alone we can depend for so glorious a conclusion of them?

Q. Why did not Joseph, who was so long absent from his father Jacob, notwithstanding the great love and af. fection of his father, even not so much as give him the least intelligence where he was, from the time his brethren fold him, to the time they came to buy corn of him?

A. His long confinement in prison, and afterwards his extraordinary preferments and momentary concerns therein, might in some measure be the occasion of his long silence to his father; besides, as Joseph before had been blessed with divine inspiration, so probably he might now thro'a dream be acquainted with the mind of the Almighty in this affair; or the overruling providence for its own glorious design might order and contrive things after this manner.

Q. Have dogs any feeling, or not?

A. That dogs are endued with the sense of feeling, is not to be doubted, since they are not without nerves, which are the most proper organs of that, as well as the rest of the senses.

Q. I love a cruel beauty to excefs,
Mad with desire, yet hopeless. to possess:
Long has her service been my chief employ,
And toils made easy bay expected joy:
Freely, at last, she does her flame confess,
But with a more than barb'rous tenderness,
To give her feeedom, and her eafe restore,
Commands me never to approach her more.
Say, great Apollo, if I must obey,
I cannot go, and yet I dare not say, .
My happiness is doubtful either way?

A. Her' fame's confess’d, he gains à double right,
To claim your presence, or command your flight;
Obey her then, whate'er you feel of pain,
Her Aame's confess’dshe'll call you back again.

Q. What is the reason, that for some days (two at least) before the great hurricane, November 26th, 1703, the Sea swelled and raged at an unusual rate, tho at the same time it blew only a gentle breeze, which 'tis impossible mould have that effect. This I experienced my self, and I find was observ'd by some others, whose letters on that occafion were publishid?

A. Granting the matter of fact, it might possibly happen from subterraneous winds, making their way where they met less oppofition. This the rather seems the cause, since a Hurricane ensu'd the effect of contrary winds.

Q. Tell me, ye worthy fons of great Apollo,
Since

ye the dictates of his Godhead follow,
Whether in fact there is, and what is evil?
Who the first author was; and if the devil?
Whence did proceed his wicked inclination
To Jin, and thereby change his happy station ?

A. That evil is in fact, poor mortals feel,
For which to pungent conscience we appeal :
Would you that we define th' unfeemly flaw?
A deviation from eternal law.
In vain we charge the tempter with our ill;
He but persuades, he cannot force the will.

Both

Both him and man with freedom God endu'd,
And both that freedom wantonly pursu'd.
When such free agents lavishly begin
To stake their virtue, and engage in sin;
From liberty the inclination Aows,
The manner how, our Maker only knows.

Q. Pray how came crooked men by the title of My Lord?

4. Among several probable accounts of the original of this custom, the following appears most rational.

In the first year of the reign of king Richard III. commonly known by the name of Crookt-back, fix persons, unhappily deform'd in that part of their bodies, were made Lords, as a reward for several fervices they had formerly done the king; the novelty whereof occasion'd the whole nation to make merry with those fort of people, by advising them to go to Court, and receive an honour which nature seem'd to have delign'd them for: 'Tis from this, we prefume, the mock-title of My Lord has been ever since peculiar to such persons.

Q. Why did Jacob, after his seven years fervitude not perceive before the morning, that instead of Rachel, Leah was with him?

A. The reason of this imposition proceeded from a custom then frequent among them, which was to deliver the bride to her husband in the dark, having her face covered with a veil; and Leah being confcderate with her father, and instructed by him, doubtless took the greatest care to prevent discovery.

Q. Ye fors of Apollo, pray what should it be which makes infants smile when they nothing fee? A. No wonder from sprightly young blood smiles

appear, Since old ones laugh out, when they nothing hear.

Q. Tell, great Apollo, who do'd fit O'er mortals

fovereign judge of wit, How does a man inflame a maid, And make her willing, thoo afraid ? Is it as brimstone doth falt peter?

nhs

2

If this my query you reply to,
In all my doubts, 'tis you rll flie to.

4. If the bright querift this would know,
We will a proper method fhew,
Wben c'er his mouth shall chance to water,
Let him fome mistress find, and at her ;
And as he courts her, he may find,
How love's warm sparks inflame her mind;
For surely such a fiery writer,
Must needs to flames and darts invite her.

}

Q. If Oedipus fuch awful thoughts did raise
Among the ancient wife, and gain'd immortal praise
For one solution: What is then your due,
Wbo answer many, and from Sphinxes too?
And all our Sphinxes are more fubtil grown,
Thro' natures most mysterious Mazes run.
From dark -ænigma's you resolve them; thus
Each one of you exceeds fam'd Oedipus:
For had the Theban monster coin'd anew,
And from unknow effects her questions drew,
The royal Solutist had made a pause,
Endeavour'd hard to farhom nature's laws,
And own'd himself too weak to find the cause.
But you, inspir'd with a diviner fense,
Triumph in knowledge, and scorn impotence.
Te learned, witty, wife, since ye so well
The glories of all human 'acts can tell,
Inform me, if misfortunes can controul,
And force despair upon a valiant foul ?
Whether 'tis brave, when we resign our breath,
And force our selves upon the hands of death;
Or whether 'tis a mean dejected mind,
oppressing vital parts, and'rendring reason blind,
When men the partial frowns of fate to shun,
Piftol themselves

, or on 4 dagger run?
A. Ah! why will men the paths of virtụe leave,
Grow old in fin, and their own souls deceive ?
Courage, dear Bard, dares meet the storms of fate,
And he who stands their shock; is truly great ;

He's