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For an author does own,

In those creatures alone

It extreamly promotes generation.

Q. Gentlemen, pray tell the reason, why upon Greenwich hill, when it is high tide, you may fee the beafts in the fields called the Ifle of dogs, and not at low tide, tho' they continue in the fame place? which has been the obfervation of feveral Gentlemen, and your humble fervant.

4. Sir, we deny the matter of fact, fince this obfervation cannot be made from the hill, but upon the levels of the oppofite fhore, and the cause of this will eafily appear from the fmalleft skill in the nature of refraction.

Q. What is the reafon of repeating Amen at the end of a prayer, and whence is that word derived?

A. The word is of Hebrew original, primarily importing verity; whence (as Buxtorf has it) it paffes into a particle of depending and affenting: and therefore at the end of a petition fignifies be it fo. And this gives us the reafon why we conclude our prayers with fo pertinent a word. As therefore this fingle word is a fummary repetition of the preceding prayer, and ought to be audibly pronounc'd (though too much indeed neglected) by the whole body of the people, to witness their affent to what the minifter has been repeating; so it fairly fhews us, that our audible repetition of the prayers is not only troublefome to our uneafy neighbours, but impertinent, but unneceffary too.

Q. How may I diftinguish between a natural thought and a diabolical fuggeftion?

A. As we are not able to diftinguish between the operations of the bleffed Spirit, and the suggestions of our own minds; fo, whatever power the devil may have of exciting thoughts (by working upon the animal fpirits or otherwife) we are (generally at leaft) incapable of tracing their original. But fince we have it in our power to cultivate the good thoughts, and reject the bad, of what advantage would it be to be able to distinguish? But from any inconveniencies

that

that might enfue from hence we may fhelter our felves under the goodness of our Maker.

Q. Wife Sirs, fince it happens that I cannot tell, How the method of speaking unto me befell, Whether it was by nature or art,

I defire your opinion you'd frankly impart ?

4. The methods of fpeaking by th' learned are
wrote,

As grammarians and rhetors and poets of note.
But to fuch we dont fay, that your speaking is due,
For we think it is natural wholly to you.

Q. Gentlemen, my father lives in Ireland, and is of the Romish religion, wherein he bred me till arriv'd at years of difcretion; when, diftinguishing between the notorious fuperftition of that Church, and the truth of the Reformd, I've out of pure confcience embrac'd the latter, whereat my father being diffatisfied will allow me nothing to live upon, bis eftate being perfonal, and of his own acquifition. Your charitable advice and opinion how far the law will oblige bim to do for me, will entirely oblige, Gentlemen, your distress'd Querift, &c.

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A. We are forry to inform you that the law in your cafe will take no cognizance of > your father's proceedings; for as his eftate was the effect of his - industry, 'tis the fervant of his will. But furely fince the dictates of your reafon were fufficient to direct your choice in matters of religion, they will furnish you with arguments to win your father from his unkind refolution by the mild effects of a perfuafive rhetorick or if he will not give you leave to try, employ fome friend or near relation to convince him of his error: if after all he fill continues obstinate, confider that fince confcience work'd your change, a little intereft fhould not fhake it, .perfift contentedly in your happy converfion, and be affur'd that God will profper your own industry, or melt in time your father's heart to pity your misfortunes, and reftore the bleffing of his loft affection.

Q. To thee, most mighty phyfiologer, Grandfon to Saturn, for of Jupiter,

Diurnal

Diurnal god, conductor of the light,
Thou fubtle folver, who in black and white
Detects myfterious fecrets moft polite:
From thee the gutless flute speech first receiv'd,
Thou god that through a glifier pipe firft breath'd,
To thee, ob! fon of fcience, oh! to thee,
Who to the filent world taught'ft archery,
And conjur'd out of profe true poetry.
Extend your love,

your gloomy lifts turn over,
And conjure why one's ticklish more than other?
This ticklish point requires your godship's view,
If flesh and blood can folve it, fure 'tis you,
Because you feem both god and devil too.

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Tours, &c. D. R. A. Prodigious fophifter, thou bard profound, That doft with thoughts infcrutable abound, Immortals doft define by flesh and blood, And little John deriv'ft, and Robin Hood; Whofe mighty genius and capacious brain Does guts and flutes and glifter-pipes contain. Thy various raptures in thy writings fhew Thy mufe luxuriant and thy body too: But this your paffion does alone abound, Where thinner skin's with tender habits found.

Q. Apollo, I wonder why matter, which I think naturally is of a ponderous body, should for a time be kept from the centre while it is lodged in the clouds; and also why when it falls, it is fo feparated, just as if it were fifted through a fierie...!

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A. The phænomenon is attributed to a twofold caufe, to the motion of the wind converfant in that higher region, and the continual afcent of other va pours, which are affiftant to the fuftaining the fuperior clouds.

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As vapours are water rarefied, fo either cold condenfates them into drops of rain; or heat raifes fo large a quantity of them, as by joining with one another compofe drops of fuch a bignefs, that they cannot be any longer fufpended in the air.

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Q, Gentle

Q. Gentlemen, In maintaining arguments about the wonderful works of nature, we generally find the following expreffions fall in with the difcourfe, viz. deficient and preternatural; now I would willingly be informed whether in propriety of language we may not make use of the former, Speaking of animal productions, coming into the world without one or more parts naturally belonging to the whole fpecies; as for inftance, a child wanting one or more fingers and toes and why the latter may not be more properly applicable to nature, tranfgreffing as it were the accustomed boundaries and limits usually prescribed by her felf; as by inverting the propofition, we fuppofe another child with more parts or members than they commonly have by the regular and ordinary course of generation? The premifes have bred very warm debates, and a Strenuous oppofition from both parties, and all occafioned by the late ingenious authors of the Athenian Oracle, who feem to difallow the propriety of the former in any natural caufes. Pray favour me with an answer in the next Apollo, and you will by fo doing oblige your humble fervant and admirer.

4. Words are but arbitrary figns of our conceptions, and are taken fometimes in a loofer, fometimes in a stricter fenfe. And therefore we are of opinión, that in common difcourfe the word præternatural may be allowed to denote even natural productions, but are exceptions from the ufual courfe of nature, (fo you intend no further by the word) though to fpeak more ftrictly and philofophically even monsters muft be granted natural.

Q. Laft night at the tavern amongst other difcourfe, a difpute arofe whether all living creatures had brains or not ? upon which one of the company (whether he had more brains than all of us or not I will not yet determine) faid and perfifted in it, that a horse has none, and is the only creature that has not. Your opinion herein will very much oblige yours, &c.

4. That an horfe hath no gall hath been an old erroneous opinion, but that he hath no brains is a

new

new one; and none but the brainfick or brainless will vindicate it.

Q Pray British Apollo, What is the cause of thunder and lightning, and why it does not thunder and lighten in cold weather as well as hot? By refolving which you will oblige your fubfcriber.

A. Lightning is caus'd by the fulphurous and nitrous exhalations fet on fire in the air. And the fuddenness of their accenfion disjects the air in fo violent a manner as to produce the found we call thunder. And this gives a folution to the fecond queftion, fince thofe exhalations cannot be suppos'd to be fet on fire in a cold air.

Q. Gentlemen, Pleafe to inform me how many letters are contain'd in the English alphabet, which being now in difpute is refer'd to your opinion? And likewife if the letter H in the English tongue is to be accounted as a note of afpiration or breathing only? Excufe this feeming impertinence in your humble fervant.

A. We fee no reafon to recede from the common computation of 24; for tho' the Latins look'd upon the letter H as a fpiral in compliance with the Greeks, from whom they receiv'd their letters by Evander and his mother Carmentis; yet it is to be observ'd that a capital H was more antiently accounted a letter by the Greeks themselves. And tho' it be nothing but a breathing, yet that breathing gives a found to the adjoyning vowel diftinct enough to receive the denomination of a letter. The letter K, tho' call'd peregrinum by the Latins, is yet a native of England, as is evident from the customary use of it: and tho' z r were Greek letters with the Latins, and at best but naturaliz'd, yet that they are free-born with us may be collected from the common ufe of them in our underiv'd appellatives.

Q. That to be mafter of Latin, Greek and French, are so many steps to perfection in the English tongue, I am (my felf understanding neither) most unhappily affur'd. Now Gentlemen, your opinion whether or no it may be VOL. II.

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