mountain with two summits; and from its extraordinary likeness to the Parnassus of Greece in this respect, it has been styled Parnass. Upon a gentle declivity, towards the hollow connecting these two summits, on the south western aspect, one of our progenitors, of no very remote date, erected a very tasteful temple in the Grecian style, containing two apartments, one above and one below. The agreeable tranquillity---the salubrious air---the expanding diversity of view, which this elegant retreat afforded, determined Lady B. to make it the seat of her accouchement when she was anticipating the presence of your's in toto: so that to make short, he who presumes to claim your confidence, was born on the Nape of Parnass. Whether or not any presentiments of his mother, during that particular juncture when certain affections are thought to be communicated in embryo---or whether the peculiar place of his birth would have any effect in exciting a propensity to abstruse lore, shall be left to the candour and discernment of the world to decide, when it shall have had a fair opportunity of judging how far his pretensions, on whom their decision will be passed, extend. It has been thought best to attach a figure of his nativity, which not only explains the precise moment of birth, but exhibits at once the past and future period of your Mufti's life; wherein many particulars will be seen that could not properly be inserted in a biographical sketch.

Thus not only will the Reader inform himself of the series of years which Sir Willon has lived in the world, but of all the material incidents which they have successively brought with them: nothing, therefore, remains but to show something of the mode adopted in the culture of his mind. The important task of assisting the influence of reason was trusted to his paternal grandfather, who, both by nature and cultivation, was eminently calculated to effect what had been

en

4

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planned: thus what defects soever manifest themselves in the pupil must be ascribed to his own failings and negligences. Some idea may be formed of the circumspection with which his education was conducted by the following brief sketch:---The four which the ancients termed the superior sciences, that is to say, Theology, Ethics, Metaphysics, and Physics, were most cautiously pur Sued, lest visionary doc trines and fallacious principles should pervert and

impede the results of unprejudiced reason. In his course of THEOLOGY, he was not only required to read minutely in each of their original tongues the Old and New Testament, but to examine them also with all the different versions, paraphrases, targums, and commentaries. Then to consult the spurious tenets of the Harbods, Sedres, Lamas, Alfaguis, Paw-waws, Bonzes, &c. in order to deduce proofs of their being one and all metamorphoses of the Divine Writings. The several dogmas of the Manichees, Marcionites, Arians, Pelagians, Praxeans, Celsians, with those of Julian, and all other notorious heretics and apostates, were duly and impartially canvassed, together with all controversies of the earlier and later times, all which tended to demonstrate the sound principles upon which the English Church is raised, and to enable the pupil to establish his creed, not upon hereditary custom, but upon the faithful conviction of his own soul. His ETHICS were conducted upon a scale as liberal as was necessary for settling correct and definite opinions concerning moral duties. Besides the Ethical Books of the Old Testament, and the moral rules interspersed throughout both the Old and New, all the Grecian sages and moralists, with the writers of the Augustan age, were scrupulously sifted, as well as the modern dissertations which all nations have furnished on the subject. Having thus compared all their formularies, he was required to make a brief analysis from the whole body; and which having carefully done, he found accord, as far as the duties of youthful and subordinate members of a society were concerned, with that compendium of morality, commonly called our "Duty towards our Neighbour;" which, though but an epitome, is nevertheless a most pure and sufficiently general code of Ethics. Willon had a more than ordinary desire to engage in the study of METAPHYSICS, hoping thereby to become more conversant about human intellect, a power which seemed daily to marvel at its own nature and capacity---which, whether the body waked or slept, seemed ever busy---which, though conspicuous in every human action, seemed beyond all things mysterious. Having gone through the hypotheses of the Ionic philosophers, of Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and many other of the old Greek Schoolmasters, upon this subject---having traced the opinions of the Roman Ontologists too, and others who wrote previous to the dark ages, without being able to arrive at any settled truths, or to establish any rational conclusion, all hopes therefore were resting upon the ability of the moderns. Rigid precautions were used to prevent prejudices. The name of its author even was erased from each treatise, in order that no decision might be biassed by popularity. To enumerate the several French, Dutch, German, Prussian, Danish, Russian, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Welch, and Scotch dialectitions that were one

after another consulted, would furnish pages of names; however, it is certainly due to the intellectual researches of the latter country to say, that for numbers they excel all the Metaphysicians of the world collected. Being, as usual, obliged to recapitulate his subject throughout, and to deduce his own inferences, the young student had the temerity to assert, that no two of the numerous theorists agreed as to the particular operations of each mental faculty; to the distinct modal affections of being; nor to the compass of any one term used to technically express any specific division of their subject. The venerable tutor rather knit his brow at the manner in which his young disciple had drawn his metaphysical inferences, and took the trouble of making the subject of incorporeal entities probably as clear as it could well be made, by an oral dissertation. That PHYSICS would engage a very considerable share of attention may very readily be supposed. Inquiries into the operations of nature, are, for the most part, satisfactory; and as curiosities diversify and multiply continually during the progress of these studies, the mind is constantly regaled with some new gratification. After the essential and peculiar properties of matter---the laws of nature with respect to rest and motion---ubiety and space, as they respect nature---the doctrine of time---the nature of vision---and all other elementary matters had been properly familiarized, the subjects of Astronomy, Geography, Hydrography, Pneumatics, Anemography, Meteorology, Geology, Mineralogy, Phytology, Anthropography, Zoography, Ornithography, Ichthyography, Entomatography, Herpetography, Zoophytography, &c. &c. &c. were each systematically pursued.---The ancients distinguished those which they termed the inferior sciences, into two classes; one of which they called the liberal, and the other mechanical, or manual. The seven which they term the liberal, required the exercise of the mind only; whilst those which they called mechanical, required also the ministry of the hands. In modern education these distinctions having become almost obsolete, it is not necessary to particularize the acquirement of them as they succeed one another in the class of antiquity, but merely to notice that a perfect intimacy with Arithmetic, Geometry, and Astronomy, was established during Willon's course of Mathematics---that Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic were incorporated with his Philological Exercises; but in consequence, as it may be supposed, of his constitution partaking rather more of the nature of Adam than of that of Apollo, he never made Music one of his regular studies. With a few remarks concerning his attainments in that class of occupations which the ancients entitled mechanical, will this sketch of Willon's acquaintance with science and art be concluded. Sir Isaac Newton, in the Preface to his "Principia,” says, "Rational Mechanics is the science which proposes and demonstrates, in the most exact manner, the motions which arise from any forces whatsoever. This part of Mechanics was improved by the ancients in the five powers commonly called the Mechanical Powers, and which are employed in manual arts."- With the assistance of this definition then, may be perceived the propriety of including, among the Mechanical Arts, not only agriculture and gardening, but also hunting, fowling, fishing, and all rural diversions whatsoever: for in hunting the man is put in motion by the power of the horse; in fowling, the piece is put in motion by the power of the man; also, in fishing, the power of the man compels the animal from the water: and hence, also, may be seen the propriety with which all persons employed in any sort of manual occupation whatsoever, are termed Mechanics. When Lady Morgan was lately upon a voyage of discovery in France, she took care to have it well known that she was not in quest of wonders for her own private gratification, but that she was catering for the entertainment of the world. There are a great many wonder-mongers in France, with whom Lady M. made friends, and with their assistance she did her business with ease. Amongst other queer sights, after quaking and palpitating for some time lest she should be disappointed, Lady M. got a peep at Mrs. Genlis, à clever old schoolmistress, very clever. Mrs. G. had been previously told what the thing meant---that the world was to be obliged with Lady M.'s journal: and wishing, like myself, to astonish the world, Mrs. G. after several days spent in preparing, admitted Lady M. to her boudoir. The sight consisted of the starch Old Dame busy about a piece of curious needle-work---lots of embroidery, filligree, and the deuce knows what, strewed with careless art about the room---harps here--guitars there---pianos yonder---all artlessly interspersed with monstrous learned books; so that Lady M. instead of archly exclaiming, "I'm up, Ma'am, to your dolus," was really astonished: and when she expressed her amaze, Mrs. G. artlessly simpered, and told her the accomplishments which all this bespoke her to possess, were, in her own mind, nothing compared with, I believe (for I quote from memory) a dozen or more trades which she had so perfectly learnt as to be able to get her living at either. Must we suppose her to have meant haberdashery, huckstery, and such like trades; or mechanical trades, as millinery, mantua-making, stay-making, stocking-making, shoe-making, &c. ?— -Now if Lady M. had chanced to have got a peep at Sir W. L. B. in her tour, she would have been still more wonder-struck: for, in the first place, there is no rural occupation in which he is not experienced; secondly, no rural diversion in which he is not perfectly versed and eminently expert; and lastly, no manual trade, or art, at which he could not obtain a livelihood: and not merely get a living, but teach those who follow such arts and trades, for emolument, advantages, and improvements which, for the most part, they are not aware of. In the summing up, therefore, of this part of his qualifications, much trouble is saved by having recourse to Sir Isaac Newton's explanation of what we are to understand by

title, according to the fullest Import of the definition, with perhaps a few very trifling exceptions, he pledges himself to be conversant: and thus has he given a brief sketch of his Savoirs.

The fulfilment of a previous promise, as well as the necessity of showing that Knt. T. R. is not a sham honour, requires some account of the manner by which the author became invested. Having, as it has been already stated, very numerous family connexions distributed throughout the British Isles, the summer is commonly spent in visiting his kin. A veteran of the Apollonian extraction, who, by legitimate succession, occupied, as his sole right, Clayroz, one of the Orcadian Isles, had for years past been desirous of a visit from the present representative of the Brachms. A few summers ago, therefore, when an interval between those severe embargoes to which the best of married ladies are subject, permitted, we determined upon a trip to the northern eyght of our venerable kinsman. These long jaunts would be rather toilsome, but for the commodious and delightful manner in which we travel. We have been singularly fortunate in our possession of the best, and most sapient-visaged Jerusalem palfrey that ever was born; on which we buckle the most scientifically contrived pair of panniers that ever were seen. In one of these we seat Venustissima, our little girl: upon the cleverest wicker contrivance possible, for the dried fish---hocks of bacon---eggs---onions, &c. On the other side rides our boy, Coroptime, upon a few bottles of Deady's Genuine British Compounds, which balance the load: Lady B. being elevated betwixt the two, upon the softest cushion imaginable, I drive. Then we have means for fixing a cacabus, and other conveniences, so as to make ourselves comfortable without depending upon the precarious accommodation of road inns. It is very strange that your villagers, and your common market-town people shou'dn't know that a philosopher is thought nothing of among the well-informed, unless he is eccentric---that, indeed, more than half the celebrity depends on one philosopher out-doing another in this respect: and these habits and manners of the scientific not being commonly known, we often get laughed at as we go along. Excepting this trifling annoyance, we performed our expedition to Far-out-head very delightfully, whence we shipped it to Clayroz, where we found my great uncle honoured by his little sodality as the legitimate sovereign of the island. He knew that the Apollonian Oracles had regularly devolved to your's, and when he was made acquainted with my design of making them intelligible for the future advantage of the world, he expressed considerable indignation that the meed of knighthood or doctorhood had not rewarded my zeal. He pressed me much, if I could not get a stall in the honourable fraternity of the garter, to try for one in that of the stocking (la calza) of Venice. To all these importunities I was really insensible. Finding me so indifferent, my sage relation assailed lady B, descanted upon the elevated origin of the family---caused her to understand that, would I consent to be knighted, she, by courtesy, would be lady B. Thus he managed to obtain an advocate whose intreaties were irresistible, and the victory was insured. It was in vain for me to state that there was a material difference between a legitimate ladyship, and one that was merely nominal. It did not signify--- an honour,' they said, was an honour;' and so after parleying a little (for I never can hold out long when a lady is pressing me) I complied. Then, as we were talking over the several orders, it came up that Castalianed, our progenitor, having enjoyed the honourable title of Windex of Truth and Reason, I signified that I should prefer succeeding to this rather than to a more modern dignity. But as it was entirely extinct I was apprehensive there might be a good deal of cringing required to get it revived on my account, and again begged that all further ideas on the subject might be relinquished. Upon this, after sitting mum for a few seconds, in a tone of somewhat more than usual impatience and disappointment, lady B. exclaimed, 'What then, you won't do it for me, won't you? And to save further trouble my uncle proposed, as his authority was absolute in his own little dominion, to revive the order himself on my account: but he said that nothing but knighthood would do now-a-days; and that therefore it must be Knight of Truth and Reason. Thus you see it was no proud-hearted desire of my own, but from a dutiful obedience to my old relation, whom I might never see again, and for the sake of my marital affection, that I did at last comply. Thus also you see it is no sham concern, for my great uncle Fatidicoramus dubbed me.

APOLOGY.

OF what is contained in these sheets, the judicious reader is left to discriminate between that which is serious and that which is legendary. If any apology be here necessary for having supplied the motto from the word of God, the solemn conviction that a most awful and emphatical appeal to the whole human race is contained in those words, is sufficient. There ought not to be a question concerning the meaning of the sentence quoted. It is a compound sentence consisting of several members; but of only two chief: the former whereof declares the signs that shall forebode the coming of the kingdom of Christ; and the latter the natural effect of those signs. The former member of the sentence which declares the signs, is, And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity :---and the latter, which signifies the immediate effect of the signs, is, The sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. It is quite necessary to compare the reports of the thre gospel historians, in order to obtain a satisfactory opinion upon this momentous text. St. John des not

in his gospel touch upon this subject; but each of the other three do, though not in precisely the same words. The disciples spake to Jesus of the magnificence of the Temple; to whom he replied, "The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another," &c. The disciples, reasoning naturally, supposed that he spake of the end of the world; and asked him, "But when shall these things be; and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?" Jesus then tells them in a full, plain, and distinct manner, what signs shall precede the destruction of the temple, and precisely how the final overthrow of the Jews will be accomplished. Having finished upon this point, and knowing that their thoughts had dwelt more upon the signs of the latter day when they proposed the question, he proceeds to say, 'And there shall be signs in the sun," &c. "And when these things begin to come to pass then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." According to the gospel of St. Mark, the question comes with two propositions, both which, seem to appertain to the final desolation. "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?" Now Jesus in his answer, as in the former Evangelist, decidedly intimates that the fall of Jerusalem will be indicated by other omens than those which are to fore-shew the downfall of Antichrist. Having ended his prophetic allusions to the Jewish calamities, he says, "But in those days, AFTER that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened," &c. which report shows in somewhat more formal terms, that the signs of the one event must not be confounded with the signs of the other: and that from the fulfilment of the former catastrophe we are to begin to look forward to the accomplishment of the other event. From the gospel report of St. Matthew, it may seem that the disciples in framing their question, ask concerning the destruction of the temple distinctly from that part of their inquiry which concerns the coming of Christ; yet, upon deeper examination, it will, I think, appear that they allude only to the end of the world. "Tell us," say they, "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign OF THY COMING, and oF THE END OF THE WORLD?" Now the phrases thy coming, and the end of the world, seem to have been used to express, more definitely, what was meant by these things in the former of the two propositions: so that from the whole view it seems that the disciples had no other notion than that the world would end with the destruction of the temple and the Jewish kingdom: and that the reply is calculated to inform them that they must not comprehend the two as one event; nor mistake what he said when he spake of the temple only. In the authorized version of St. Matthew's Gospel, the announcing of the signs of the latter days commences with "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened," &c. The word sets, which is translated immediately signifies straightway, or applied to time, soon; immediately seems to imply without any mediate time. If therefore we read, "And soon after the tribulation of those days," &c. we express the sense of the Greek more strictly than if we read immediately after. Again, from St. Matthew, oi àçéges mecvtaι ånd To gave, is rendered "The stars SHALL FALL from heaven”---oi açéges roû sçavě čσovтas inπíπTOVTEC, is the parallel passage of St. Mark. Now both exrirores and evra, signify excido or deficio, the latter of which expressly corresponds with exλsinw, to be eclipsed, and both signify to fail, therefore if we were to read the stars in the firmament shall fail, the meaning of the original would, seemingly, be better expressed than as it stands in the two translations. It is probable that these parts of the passage have occasioned difficulties not easily solved by the human mind; and hence may some have been occasioned to call them figurative expressions signifying primarily the destruction of the Jewish state." But the declaration of the signs of the calamities of Jerusalem had been concluded before these signs of his future coming were at all mentioned by the Son of God. Were I therefore to tell you that they are figurative expressions concerning the Jews, I should conceive myself guilty of a deep crime against the Christian system; because I feel confident that they are not figurative nor tropical, but literal and categorical expressions. They are words in continuation of that prophecy regarding Jerusalem which was accomplished as foreboded, and foreboded as foretold, according to the literal import of the prophecy. When they talk of tropes and figures in their comments upon the most vital parts of religion, they ought, at least, to state what particular trope or figure it is to be classed with. Tropes and figures are, with regard to their kinds, as strictly defined as nouns and verbs. There are, I believe, fifty-eight distinct Rhetorical Tropes, Affections of Tropes and Figures---the passage cited belongs to none of these. There are, moreover, twenty-nine Grammatical Figures of Speech---it belongs to none of these. If a strong figure," to what express figure does it belong? But it is no figure---no trope---it is a plain, positive, solemn, awful warning---it must be read verbatim---must be understood verbatim. Of the old scriptural prophecies concerning the coming of Christ in judgment none is so clear and cogent as Joel. Tropes and figures abound in his description---imagery exceedingly magnificent, affecting, terrible; accompanied by persuasions the most inviting, animating, heavenly. But Joel does not use a figure when he, alluding to the signs of the latter day, says, "The sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining;" which expressions tend to corroborate that reading of the gospel historians just pointed out. Upon concluding these observations concerning the import of the motto, it may be necessary to state that it is merely the appeal of the disciples, and that part of the reply which is contained in the citation, that are alleged ɔ be---the former, direct, positive, formal---the latter, unequivocal, literal, downright.

Symbols used to denote the Planets; also their Mutual Aspects;

and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac,

Juno

Pallas.

f

Quartile Aspect, or two
Planets 3 signs, or 90

degrees asunder...................

Capricornus.. 9 :: ::

Trine Aspect, or two Plan

ets 4 signs, or 120 de-Aquarius.....10 :: ::

Georgium Sidus.

Pisces... ⠀⠀

ECLIPSES.

m

Hgrees asunder.

MARCH 4th. Sun eclipsed, invisible in England and in the whole of Europe, Africa, and America. During this eclipse, which will begin at 20 minutes past 4 o'clock in the morning, the centre of the Moon's shadow will traverse the Indian Ocean from about 17 degrees South latitude, and 78° East longitude, in a North-Easterly direction towards Sumatra, crossing which island it will vanish over the Chinese Sea between Borneo and the Coast of Cambodia. About half the Sun's disc will appear obscured to the people of Ceylon; and nearly the same quantity of obscuration will be observable on the North-Western Coast of New Holland.

AUGUST 27th. Sun eclipsed, invisible in England and in the whole of Europe, Asia, and Africa, except the Coast of Capes Verd and Blanco. During this eclipse the centre of the Moon's shadow will traverse the Western or Atlantic Ocean from nearly 23 degrees North latitude, and 30 West longitude, in a SouthWesterly direction; and entering South America little North of Surinam, it will continue until it vanishes near the River Amazon, in latitude about 3 degrees South, and 60 West longitude. At Barbadoes, about two-thirds of the Sun's disc will be obscured.

The Planet JUPITER, will be an Evening Star until March the 27th, then a Morning Star until October 18th, and an Evening Star again until the end of the year.

The Planet VENUS, will be a Morning Star until May 23rd, then an Evening Star until the end of the year.