it? Monfieur La Hire, containing fay we have omitted none that Conick Sections, Geometrick are good; tho' we believe all Plates, and the Conftruction of that we have recommented are Equations; Barrow's Lectures, fo, and the moft perferable on Archimedes, Apollonius, Theodofius each Subject. done by Barrow, all the Works Q. Not long fince, I heard of Dr. Wallis, Mr. Newton's a very Ingenious Perfon affirm, Philofophia Naturalis Principia That the Story of the Harpies Mathematica, Kepler's Epitomy had its Rife from the Locuts; of Aftronomy, Mr. Flamfted's and that they were nothing else Doctrine of the Sphere, Gunter's but Locufts under another Name. Works, Hugonii Opera, Schooten's I defire your Opinion of it, and Mifcellanies, Diophantus, with the most probable Reasons for Barheius's Commentaries, Pappi Collectiones Mathematice, and all that has been writ by the two Gregories. As for Metaphyficks, we won't impofe fo heavy a Tax upon your Purse, but dire& you only to fuch Books es we think the beft upon the Subject, as Des Cartes Metaphyficks, Malbranch's Search after Truth, writ originally in French, and lately done into English; Mr. Lock of Humane Understanding, and what Mr. Norris has writ upon that Subje&. The best Treatife that we know of, that has been writ in Logick, was done by the Gentlemen of The Port Royal, and entituled, The Art of Thinking; which, in our Opinion, comprehends all that is Effential, that has been writ in the many numerous Volumes upon that Science, and many things that are not to be found elsewhere. Then, as for Natural Philofophy, get Des Cartes's Principles, his Treatife of Meteors, and his Letters, all either writ in French or Latin; Gaffendus's Works, whatever has been writ by Mr. Boyle, with all the Tranfactions of the Royal Society. These are fuch as we at present remember; we won't A. AeTúra in Greek, is the fame thing as Harbeh in Hebrew, which fignifies a Locuft. The chief of the Harpies was call'd Celano, or Celamo, and in the Phoenician, as well as Syriack Tongue, Solamoso fignifieth a kind of Locuft. The Poets called the Harpies, the Daughters of Typhon; by which, in Greek, was understood a Tempeftuous Wind. 'Twas likewife a high Wind that brought the Locufts into those Countries that were difturbed with them, as we are told in Holy Writ, That God by that means fent them into Egypt. wherefore also the Poets faid, That Celano was Sifter to Aello, that is, Sifter of the Tempest, in Hebrew and Greek, and Daughter of Typhon: Implorat clamore Patrem Typhonz nefanda, fays Valerius Flaccus of this Harpy. They were chased away by the Daughters of Boreus, or of the North; that is, by ftrong Winds, which happen'd also to the Locufts of Egypt. The Harpies caufed a Famine in X 2 Phineas's Phineas's Houfe; and the Poets Palestine: Vento furgente in mare tell us, they took the Meat primum & noviffimum precipitate from his Table And to be fa- funt, &c. Cumque litera utriufque tisfied that the Locufts have in maris acervis mortuarum locuftar um a little time defola:ed whole quas aque evomuerant implerentur, Families, we need only to con- putredo earum, & fætor in tantum fult Bochartus, in the beginning noxius fuit,ut aerem quoque corrumof the Fourth Book of the 2d peret,& peftilentia tam jumentoPart of his Hierozicon. The rum, quam hominum gigneretur. Harpies caufed a great Stink and noisome Smell in the Places where they were; fo alfo the Locufts, when they had nothing more to eat, died, and filled the Air with fuch a ftench, that after caufed the Plague. Apollonius of Rhodes, in his Ar. gonautics, makes Phineas, in fpeaking of the Harpies, to fay, If they leave us but a "little to eat, there proceeds "from it fuch an offenfive and "infupportable Smell, that a "Man could not endure it a The Harpies corrupted whatfoever they touched, according to Apollonius, as before-cited; the fame has likewise been faid of the Locusts. The Harpies came to devour the Provifion of Phineas with fo great a Noise, that they heard them a'ar off, which Apollonius thus expreffes: They came out of the Clouds like a Tempeft, and caft themselves upon the Meat with a great Noife. The Locufts also made a great noise with their Wings, as they fled; and Teeth, as they eat. It was impoflible for Phineas and his Men, to drive away the Harpies, or hinder them from de vouring their Meat. Harpye femper mea pabulu fervant, Fellere quas nunquam mifeno locas, ilicit omnes It was the fame with the Locufts did alfo the fame, fee Locufts, fince all the wit of Joel 2. 9. They shall run to and Man could not chafe them afro in the City, they shall climb up way, or hinder them from spoil-upon the Houses, and hall enter in ing whatsoever they came near, at the Windows like a Thief. The But it is further faid, That the Harpies could not be hurt; Harpies went even to Phineas's they escaped the Sword without Table; fo that in fpite of pain, according to these Words hom they entred his Houfe, the of Virgil, Invadunt focii & nova prælia tentant, Sed neque rim plumis ullum, nec vulnera tergo. Joel Joel fays the fame of the Lo-, ticular Effect of his Anger;, from whence he firft calls them, The Dogs of the Great Jupiter; and Valerius Flaccus fpeaks chus of 'em, cufts, Ver. 8 When they fall upon the Sword, they shall not be wounded. Apollonius nd Valerius Flaccus both fay, That Jupiter fent the Harpies to Phineas, as a par Fam fatis pepuliffe Deas, cur tenditis ultra So Foel calls the Locufts the Army of God; and the Scripture attributes them to a particular Vengeance of God. Deorum ira ea peftis intelligitur, fays, Pliny, Liv. 11. c.29. 'Tis that which has made the Mahometan Priefts fay, That God made the Locufts of a little Clay that remained, after he had created the Body of Adam. And they ftill call God the only Mafter of the Locufts Q. I defire your Opinion in this Question, Whether or no a Woman being in Love, may make it known without any breach of Molefty? Nay, if he were not rather to be commended for Speak ing ber Mind, than to dye like a Fool? her Love; nay, on the contra ry, 'twould be the best method to difcover it, fince by that means fhe'd foon either find a good Reception, or a Cure; for we think it very unlikely a Perfon fhould long love any one that fl ghted 'em. QA Gentlewoman having loft feveral things out of her House, she fufpected one of her Maids; whereupon he try'd this Experi ment to find out the Truth, she call'd the fulpected Perfon, and holding a Key upon her Finger, being put in a Bible, she repeated the following Words: Which are not thought fit to be printed, left the Jame ill use might be made of 'em by others; naming the Perfon's Chriftian and Sirname, whereupon the Bible immediately turn'd A. 'Twould be an Heroical and Happy Adventure for around, which makes the Lady beLady to break the Ice, and lieve the fufpected Person guilty. give an Inftance of one that has Pray your Thoughts upon it, whefuccessfully overcome a Tyran- ther any Certainty in it, or fuch a nical Cuftom: But the mischief Practice lawful? on't is, the fear of a Repulfe A. This is near a kin to the has hindred many a fine At-Trick of the Sieve and Sc zzars, tempt that way. Yet we fee the Coskniomancy of the Anno reason, why a Woman that cients, as old as Theocritus's Fire has Senfe enough to make a good Choice, and knows how as handfomly to discover it, would be obliged to fnother Αγρυιώ ταλαθέα Κοσκινο artis, A lefler fort of Ordeal, tho' not fo dangerous as thofe formerly used, both among Chri X 3 ftian dren; both Key and Bible still remain'd as unmovable as Mahomer's Mountain. However leaving every Body's Belief as free as our own in this Matter, we can't but difapprove the Practice, whatever be the E Q. Was not St. Gregory Patriarch of Armenia, and the first that introduced Chriftianity there? flians and Heathens, which we have difcourfed of more largely in other Oracles, either by a fort of Water, in cale of Perjury, which (if we'll believe Philoftratus, in his Life of ApolLonius) when drunk by any Perfon guilty of that Crime, im-vent; because we are not now mediately appear'd in their to expect any thing of that NaEyes, Hands,and Feet, and whole ture; there being no reason afBody: Other Waters there fignable of fucha ftrange Effect, were, discovering Theft a con- from Repetition of the Words, trary way to our Witch-find- either from the Nature of the ing, by the Perfon's finking, if Thing, or Divine Inftitution; and guilty, when thrown into it, we may therefore justly suspec which are farther told by Pan- it as Diabolical, which it may be, fanias, of a Cuftom among the notwithstanding the Goodness ancient Grecians to try the of the Words, as we have forChastity of their Veftal Virgins, merly shown in parallel Inftanwhen under any fufpicion, by ces. giving them a Draught of BullsBlood, (fomething like the Water of Jealoufie among the Jews) which, if innocent, did them no Injury; if otherwife, twas prefent Death. And Fire has been as common a Trial, for the fame Reason, both among the Chriftians and Heathens, though it is generally granted we had it from them: Nay, in fome Places, the WaterOrdeal is ftill in ufe, in a Juridical manner, as part of the Law of the Country. The Cafe before us feems not altogether unlike fome of thefe mentioned, only the Trial feems more like a Charm or Divination. For the Truth of the Fact it felf, we hope the Querift won't take it amifs, if we can't put it quite into our Creed, even though we have it on the Word of a Gentlewoman. Having our felves feen fome Trials of the like napure formerly made, which are more pardonable among Chil A. An Armenian Author tells us, That the Gospel was carried into Armenia by the Apostles, St. Bartholomew, and St. Thaddeus, who afterwards fuffered Martyrdom there. This is confirmed by Galani, in a fhort Lift he gives of all the Kings of Armenia who lived from the Time of our Saviour, until St. Gregory, who, he fays, was indeed the firft Patriarch of that Place; but that he was not born a Chriftian, yet accidentally inftructed in that Religion: After this manner, one Chefoes, Prince of Armenia, was affaffinated by St. Gregory's Father, who was a little while after punished for his Crime, and all his Family maffacred, except two Children, who efcap'd, whereof,one was St. Gregory, whom a Christian Womau carried to Cæfaria in Capa docia, and there Educated in the Chriftian Religion; as foon as he was fomething advanced in Years, he returned into Armenia, where he was m.de Patriarch, Two hundred and fixty Years after the Death of St. Bartholomew and St. Thaddeus. cant, me, пос Q. A Friend of mine, who is defirous of advancing himself in the World, and one whofe EmQ. I have had the Misfortune ployment is not very agreeable to be very extravagant and to his Merit, has often acquainWicked; and amongst other Sins, ted me with his intent of quitto be guilty of deluding a mer-ting his prefent Business, and to ry'd Woman. I am (I hope) find out fome one or other that through the great Goodness of may fuit better with him: He God, become truly forrowful for is about Twenty five Years Old, it. I am very defirous to re- one that has had the Advantage ceive the Holy Communion, but of a very good Education, dare not. Query, May I do given to any Vice that I know it, and be a Worthy Communi- of, and one of Universal Prowithout first reconciling bity, very fit and capable of the Perfon I have wrong d to almost any Bufiness; he under which I am ready and stands the Latin Tongue very very defirons to procure, but well, with its Idioms and par cannot find out any means to ticular Graces, which he has obtain it, without expefing the fometimes expreffed in Letters, Woman to her Husband, and by &c. In the Mathematicks no that occafion, make a difference less skill d, viz. In Arithmetick, between them, which instead of not only the Vulgar but also extenuating, may add to the E- Decimal, with Algebra : In normity? the Theory of Aftronomy and A. Since the Husband knows Navigation, Surveying, &c. nothing of the Injury, your And to promote his Advancediscovering it to him by beg-ment, his Friends will not be ging his Pardon, would but ra- wanting to furnish him with any ther encreate it; for it would Money upon Occafion. Now give him continual Difquiets; Gentlemen the Question is, and the Trefpaís being of fuch what way do you think most a Nature as you can never re- probable for one fo qualified to pair, or make any Satisfaction pitch upon; your Speedy Answer tor, tis much better conceal d and Direction in this Cafe will than difcover'd. 'Twere rea- be very obliging. He's refolfonable to confider this, if the ved not to act without your Ads Woman fhou'd not be concern'dvice. in the ill Effects on't; but fince The is, you are obliged to be filent in your Repentance; and A. He'll do well to keep in his Bufiness, till he has at least a great probability of doing better: X 4 The |