Indeed, Gentlemen Readers, the bot Fit's off, and we have no more Poetry for ye at preient therefore we know no Remedy but to fill up with the cold Meats of a little Profe.

Q. Whether Top-knots are not unlawful? At leaf very inconvenient, confidering their Trouble in Riding, &c. and not very grateful neither; for there are few Ladies, as well as they love them, who care to bave their Pictures drawn with them?

4. There will be work enough about them shortly, whereof we fhall perhaps trouble the World with an Advertilement )and therefore we'll not foreftall theMarket, but leave the Ladies themteives to plead for their own dearly beloveds. Q. Why Rivers are not falt, as well as the Sea?

learn'd without a Guide;and if he meets with a Cheat, he is ruin'd, as thousands have been before him. Aftronomy is a bewitching Study, and a Man may, we believe, arrive at good proficiency in it at an eafie Charge, with good Glaffes,and the advantage of the New Obfervations. But here, unless his Glaffes be exquifite, 'tis probable, he muft pore a long while in 'em before he difcovers any thing New in the Cœleftial Bodies, and confequently can't much improve that Science. There seems to be a fairer Field open'd in Micrography, by the MicrofcopicalGlaffes,which may be had with no great Charge, and always prefent us with a New Face of Things, discovering unknown Worlds all about us, and confequently, mußt give a furprizing Pleasure to the curious and induítrious Enquirer, and be as ufeful as pleasant, by difclofing till New Inftances of the Power and Wisdom of the Creator; aud he who fhould carefully read the Cofervations of Swammerdam Lewenhoeck, Mr. Hook,and others, which are made to his hand, and confirm and advance them by new Q. What is the best, most eafie, Experiments of his own, so as to and most improvable Part of Phi- range thefe little Creatures into a lofophy for a young Student, who Systematical Order, as has been has not any great Eftate, to Pro- attempted in Plants, and a large fecute Experimentally, as the Fa- and happy Progress already made mous Mr. Boyl did, fo as to make in it, though far from being comat, at once, his Study and Diver-pleated.) Such a Perfon we are hon? apt to believe might rationally promise himself, he should thereby procure great Improvements to the common Service of Divinity and Philofophy, and confequently, a fair Elteem and Repu ration for himlelf with all the Learned World.

4. A School-boy can tell ye; 'tis because of their Percolation through the Earth,fuppofing that Fontes oriuntur a Mars; which fome appear not to do,but because they never flow but upon great Rains, gluts of melted Snow, or the like.

4. That's much as his Genius is, for according to that, one part of Experimental Philofophy may be more improvable to him than another. Chymiftry, doubtlefs, is a very Noble,and lufficiently ufeful Study; but this, we doubt, will icarce agree with his fmall Eitate; and befides it can't be

Q. Whether it's lawful for a Woman to marry one she don't

love, in hopes that Love will come and Mind inclined to wander in after? the Place of Publick Worship; but

they refolve, unless you direct otherwife, if not intively to leave off the Publick Devotion, at leaft to be much less frequent at them?

4. If all our Querifts would but oblige themfelves to follow our Directions, 'twould be to fome purpose to let them have them.

our Judgment, and the Reafons. on which we ground it; and if they won't follow it, when we are in the Right, the Fault is theirs, as well as the Inconveni

ence:

4. There's a great deal of dif-is fo extremely concerned at it, that ference between not loving a Perfon, and not being able to love him, as having an unconquerable Averfion to him,either from fome fecret unaccountable Caufes, (as who can give a fatisfactoryReafon, why fo many People have an Antipathy to Cheese,unless that they were furfeited of Milk before theyHowever, the can but give them were weaned) or elfe fuch an, Averfion be grounded on fome Difagreeableness in a Man's Perfon or Humour, which may be very difficult to conquer. In both these Cafes 'tis not Prudent, nor, we think, lawfull to Marry, because oae main end of Matrimony, mu- To the prefent Cafe,we anfwer: tual Comfort and Support, can The Querift does very ill, once to never be answered. Befides,you'll think, of either partly, or totally find fo much to bear with, and forfaking Publick Worship,by reaforgive in your Husband, as well fon of the Temptations they find as he in you,) that unless you are there attending them; becaule at both Angels, that without this this rate, they muft forfake the Love on both fides, to sweeten World too, for the fame Reafon: and foder all, you are like to lead Nay, nor though they find they but a miferable Life. But to tell are generally too weak for the Truth, Men are feldom fo com-Temptation, becaufe forfaking the plaifant after Marriage as before, and ten to one you muft do all your felf toward loving them, fince they generally think they have faid all their Part before Ma-quer the Temptation; as before trimony.

Q. Whether is Anger a Neceffary Paffion?

4. Why not? As well as Love Fear, and all the reft? Elfe why would God have implanted them in the minds of Men? And why, was our Saviour himlelf, who knew no Sin, capable not only of Love and Delight, but alfo of Sor ow and Anger?

Q. What courfe ought a Perfen to take, who finds their Eyes

Affembling of the Saints, is doubtleis a Sin,and one Sin, we are fure, cannot excufe another. But there are other ways befides this, to con

they come to Church, earnest Prayer; the fame as foon as en tered. The Confideration of the Place, and Bufinefs, and invifible Attendants. Befides this, fixing their Eyes conftantly on their Pfalms, Prayers, and other Offices, and fitting, if pollible, low and out of fight. After all, this is certain, that he whofe Heart is full of true Devotion, will have no room, either in that, or his Eyes, for any other Object.

Q. I have been a Tradefman thefe many Years, and the World has for feveral Years fimiled upon me, and I have been in a profperous condition; but now 'tis otherwife, and by the going off of a great many Men, in my debt, I find I am run bebindhand; and that on the looking over my Books, and cafting up my Stock, all my good Debts and Stock will but uft pay my Debts: Whereas, fhould I pay all to the full, I should have nothing left to fubfist on, and to maintain my Family. I defire your Fudgment, whether 'tis lawful for me to compound with them, and pay as far as I am able, referving fome Little Matters to my felf to begin the World again with?

Queft. 2. I'm no Roman Catholick, or in the leaft inclined to that Religion, tho' there is one of their Dodrines (which I find also taught by feveral others, who differ from that Church) and which I'm very much inclin'd to, and indeed very willing to believe, and that's praying for the Dead: Now tho' I cannot, either from the Scriptures, or what I've hitherto read, he affur'd of this as a matter of Faith, and being unwilling to be inftructed therein by any of the Church of Rome, tho' 'tis offered me; I fend this to defire your Opinion therein, and whether it be a Sin for me to d it, while I'm under fome uncertain ties about it. The occafion of this 4. 'Tis an hard piece of Equity, Query is, That I've loft a Relation to pay all away, and itarve ones that was, and ftill is, equally dear own Family However, we are to me with my own Soul, and coninclin'd to think, if your Credi-fequently am fo folicitous for his tors abfolutely demanded their future Happiness, that if I can be fuil due, 'tis not just to retain it from them, as far as your Eftate will extend, becaufe 'tis properly theirs, and not your own. But mayn't there be a Menn found in the prefent Cafe? And that is, to acquaint your Creditors with your Condition (keeping your Body out of the way, fince we can fcarce think our Forefathers were very wife, or kind, to order it fhould lie rotting in a Goal, perhaps not for your own, but others ill Husbandry) and if they have any manner of Chriftian, or Hunane Compaffion in them, they'll voluntarily allow an Honeft Man fomething to fubfift on: Though if ever you should come to better Circumftances, you are, we think, oblig'd to pay them all the reft of the Debt, though it should happen to be twice as much as you Compounded for.

confirm'd in this Do&rine, I should perhaps become fo great a Zealot, that I should not ceafe till I had prayed him and my felf into that State of Blifs, where I hope to fee him and share in his Felicity. The Answer will highly oblige yours, &c.

4. This Queftion came in a fair Womans hand, unfullied even by the Tears of the Writer,whom we wish we cou'd give more fatisfaction than we are like to do, in this difficulty, Grief being as great an Enemy to Reaton as Love it felf, and both are here united. And here by the way, the impar

and

tial Reader may obferve the true rife of the Popish Purgatory, praying for the Dead, which is grounded chiefly on that Natural Weakness incident to all Perions that paffionately affect each other, either to converse with them, ot

at

Saviour, in his glorify'd Body, who may defcend to Paradife now, as well as he did to Earth formerly,

at least fome way affift and benefit them after they are feparated by, at least, half the great Gulf from 'em, to which general Palli-that Place, if there be any fuch,

on, the Church of Rome has fix'd being rather to be reckon'd to Heaa Center, as we think we have ven than Earth, becaufe the Manfomewhere formerly obferved, and fion of happy Souls in Hades, or the upon fome fuperftitious Tales, and Invifible World. But tho' this was, Fancies of Fond Relations, have we believe, the general received erected all the fair Fabrick of Pur-Opinion amongitunem, 'tis certain gatory in th'other World, which there's a great deal of dark neis in't, has rais'd 'em to many fine Chur-and io far precarious, as it luppoles ches and Abbys in this. However, the Saints receive any fuchprefent that the Dead might receive fome benefit by our Prayers, of which benefit by the Suffrages of the Liv-it's certain there's not an: Word.n ing, as the Living by thofe of the Holy Scriptures, the only ground Dead, and that the whole Church and pillar of our Faith, tho' ale.s Mutant and Triumphant, do pray may ferve for Opinion; and yet for one another, has we believe, even here, the Prayers were fupbeen the general Opinion of the pos'd to reach all holy Men de parancient Fathers, and yet not one ted; and never medled with ill fpark of Purgatory, not one fingle Men, whom they believed inanirSoul faving Mafs neither, which reverfible State, and that out of Hell will foon appear, if we comp.re was no Redemption: Nay, nor held the reafon and manner of the Play-fo much as any middle State in reers of the Primitive Church, as well as the Objects of their Prayers, with thofe of the prefent Romanifts. The Suffrages of the ancient Church, were general, for thofe whom they efteem'd good Men and departed in the Faith, for this reafon, because they (weers or Maffes for 'em,and they muit think) generally believ'd, that the to broiling agen on Sunday morning, generality of Chriftians enjoy'd as in the famous Inftance of their not the beatifick Vifion till the Re- Tyrannus Turnus,orTereni ius Rufus, furrection; others, who carry'd it quoted by Buxtorf in his Synag.and highest, did believe that Souls de-feveral other Authors: We fay, parted were in a fort of anxiety we find no Place of Torment for and pain, in that unnatural State, good Men after this Life, nor any from an impatient longing after eafe for the wicked,either inScrip their confummation, by the reuni-ture or ancient Fathers, but as the on and perfection of their Souls Tree falls,fo it lies, the State of Proaud Bodies, and that under this bation being in this Worldonly,the anxiety, they were capable of re-truePurgatory only here,as the other ceiving fome fort of Refrigerium, or Refreshment, probably by the fight and converie of our Bleffed

lation to good and bad; Joy and Torment, no Trimmers between Hell and Heaven. Tho' the Jews, we confefs, talk in their Fables of fome relief the damn'd have, but 'tis only, according to them,every Sabbathday,and this without anyPray

World the State of Retribution, or eternal Punishment or Reward,nor can we fuppofe any thing else, for 113

how

how fhou'd Habits of Vice be e-[fent Cafe. There's good Reason that all Officers fhould have Fees, how elfe fhould they live? Tho' there's a Question whether 'twere better for the Commonwealth that they fhou'd receive their Salaries from the State, or the People in

ver chang'd,if we carry 'em out of the World with us? How can we expect an Eternity to repent in, who refused to do it in time? How fhou'd our Friends avail us after we are dead, when we wou'd not pray our felves while we were li-particular, there being inconve ying? Or if happy, what need of niencies in both, the firft is obvi'em, unless for the general Con- ous, the fecond that they'll impose fummation? On the whole there- upon the People, which is in many fore, this paffionate Lady wou'd Cafes unavoidable, and in Fact we do much better to pray for her find that these Fees Cuftom genefelf, than another, and to employ rally determines, for even in fuch all her Life in Acts of Charity Cafes where they are exactly af and Devotion, that if he the lov'd certain'd by Authority, the Officers be not happy, the may avoid his often take more than is allow'd Fate; if he be, he may in God's 'em; but we think not honestly, time share in his Felicity. unless 'twere honeftly given 'em,as we fuppofe the Cafe usually was at firit, which afterwards they pretended to as a juft due. Twill be faid, if they quit fuch irregular

Q. Whether a Perfon in Publick Office may with a good Confcience receive fuch Moneys in his Office, as bave only a pretended Cullom to warrant their Pay-Profits, they injure their Office:

ment.

'Tis eafily anfwer'd, they injure it more, and themselves too, by Injuftice; and 'tis a piece of Injuftice to demand more than Law, or publick Justice gives 'em.

Q. How far a Man may fufpe& another's Treachery, and not be cenforious?

4. If the Cuftom be only novel and pretended, 'tis a clear Cafe you ought no more to take it, nor have any more right to it than an Arab has to Caffre-money, for the Civility of not cutting your throat, or our Gentlemen upon the Road to take a Purse, a very cuA. The Rule is, in that Cafe, fomary thing you know, nay, and to let Prudence and Charity ecan plead Prefident for many Ages. qually direct us: Charity obliges However, the Law has over-rul'd not to mistrust a Man, Prudence not 'em there, 'tho it gives more Li- to trust him before we know him: cence in Cafes perhaps not much Tho' when we do, and find him lets mifchievous, there being hard- an ill Man, 'tis not Cenforioufness ly any Remedy where things are to judge accordingly, but Folly to once too deeply rooted. And yet do the contrary; we must thereto speak truth, unlefs the thing fore obferve the Medium, and neibe very plain and notorious, the ther do actually one or th❜other, milchief is greater in difturbing preferving our minds in as pure a what has been long allow'd and fufpence, as juft an Equilibrium fetled, than the removing any pri- as poffible, before we are fatisfied yate inconvenience can counter-froin Fact, or know how to dewall, But farther, as to the pre- termine. Not that they're to re