ford; whofe genius, foaring above the incomprehenfible jargon that was then dignified by the name of philofopby, by his discoveries in mathematics, optics, and chemistry, appears to have wrefted the palm from the fuppofed inventors of later ages, and to have been the original conftructor of many mathematical inftruments, of telefcopes, fpectacles, microscopes, burning-glaffes, the camera obfcura, and gunpowder. Though all these inventions have been, at different periods, claimed by others, it is not impoffible but that the original hints might have been derived from him; as were, un questionably, many more refpecting the rules of arithmetic, the exact period of the year, and methods for correcting the calendar. The difcoveries of this illuftrious man, oppofed by the jealoufy and ignorance of the monks his compatriots, feem to have made their way into the world but flowly; yet they certainly were more known than has been generally believed, because their author has been deemed a magician, or conjuror, by those who certainly were no conjurors, and therefore would not have found out the merit of his inventions if fome fort of publicity had not been given to them. BY JOSEPH MOSER, ESQ. No. I. THE Commencement of a new volume of this Magazine, which, ftimulated by public patronage, has attempted its fiftieth ftride toward the palace of PRINCE POSTERITY, feems to be a period peculiarly adapted to the commencement of a NEW WORK, which, like "the world of wonders," arifes from a courfe of defultory reading, and will be continued occafionally. It will contain remarkable circumstances, ancient and modern, with obfervations upon them, wherefoever their fubjects require elucidation. To have faid lefs with respect to this undertaking would not have been explanatory; to fay more is unneceffary, as, in its course, its pages will speak for themselves. This illuftrious English philofopher A RETROSPECTION of REMARKABLES. was born at Ilchefter, Somersetshire, 1214, and, under the aufpices of that eminent encourager of learning, Robert Groothead, who was his patron through life, educated at Oxford. He feems to have been most fingularly fortunate with respect to his encouragers and inftructors: these were, Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury; William Shirley, Chancellor of Lincoln, an excellent mathematician; and Richard Fifhacre, an able profeffor at Oxford and Paris. To the latter univerAty Bacon repaired, after he had finished his education at the former. He returned to Oxford about A.D. 1240, and entered into the order of St. Francis. Devoting himself principally to chemistry, natural philofophy, and mathematics, he pursued his ftudies fo ardently, that he is faid, in the course of twenty years, to have expended in experiments socol.; a fum fully equivalent to 50,000l. at the prefent time. In the courfe of his works, he affirms, that chariots may be made to go without horses (which we have seen); that machines may be constructed by which a man may mount into the air (whether this was first reduced to practice by the wings of Bishop Wilkins, or a modern balloon, is uncertain); and others by which he may walk at the bottom of the fea (which is the first idea of a diving-bell). In short, from thefe and other circumftances of his life, it was reported and believed, that he had recourfe to the agency of evil fpirits, and that all his knowledge confifted in his profound kill as a magician. In confequence, he was forbid to read lectures in the univerfity, and foon confined to his cell. He, after a clofe Imprisonment of ten years, was released, and died at Oxford, June 11, 1292. LONGEVITY. In October, 1712, a prodigy is faid to have appeared in France, in the perfon of one Nicholas Petours, who one day entered the town of Coutance. His appearance excited curiofity, as it was obferved that he had travelled on foot: he therefore gave the following account of himself, viz. That he was one hundred and eighteen years of age, being born at Granville near the fea in the year 1594; that he was by trade a fhoemaker, and had walked from St. Malo's to Coutance, which is twenty-four leagues diftant, in two days. He feemed as ac • Coutance was an epifcopal town, the capital of a small diftria in Lower Normandy. tive two tive as a young man. He faid, "He ASTROLOGY. DR. WILLIAM SALMON, The author of the Biographical Dictionary has, upon the authority of Granger, afferted, that "William Salmon," well known as a fuccefsful practifer of phyfic, "died in 1700. "died in 1700." It is, therefore, not only to correct The air of the fea-coast was held by the ancients to be peculiarly favourable to exiftence. The moderns, in this country efpecially, feem in a great degree to have adopted this opinion; thefe inftances in the family of Petours confirm it but whether, contrary to the practice of the occafional visitors at our bathing-places, they did not add the advantages of regi. men to thofe which the falubrity of the air afforded, is a queftion not yet decided. + Dr. Watkins. Author of the Biographical Hiftory of England, 4 vols. an error which has crept into that valuable work, but to poffefs the public with fome more particular notices of one of its benefactors, that we attempt this thort memoir: for, with respect to the error in chronology, to which we have alluded, we have, upon confideration, fome doubt whether it be one or not, or whether the author did not mean flily to infinuate, that although the faid Doctor did actually die at the time he has tated, ftill, as in the inftances of Gadbury, Partridge, Wing, and many other altrologers, his fpirit might walk, write, prefcribe, and publish, for many years after. From this he might intend to deduce this moral leffon, that art, particularly the art of pecuniary extraction, fometimes from ftars, fometimes from fimples, is confiderably longer than human existence. However, be this as it may, it seems to be a position no lone ger tenable; as we can, upon the credit of the veracity of the Hiftorical Regifter," with confidence affert, that Dr. William Salmon, though he might, by those who at that time delighted to treat weighty fubjects lightly, have been me taphorically faid to have attended his patients to the regions beyond the grave, or that when they had ceafed to refpire to have himfelf expired, with many things of the like nature afloat in the year 1700, did not really die until about the middle of December, A.D. 1712*. As we have now fettled the era of the death of this learned profeffor, we conceive it to be a proper time to give fome account of his Life: this we thall do in our own manner, making use of fuch materials as we have been able to collect. Dr. Salmon, it appears, died fuddenly; and although (whether Mr. Henry Coley, Aftrologer and Almanackmaker, who was firft his mafter, and then his rival and enemy, was fearful that philofophical honours would be paid to his memory, and that, at least, one of the celeflial fish would in future be called a Salmon, is uncertain ?) it is certain, that as 4 Envy will merit as its fhade pursue," nay will even pursue the shade of merit, fo he, perhaps out of malice to the ashes of his quondam pupil, gave the Compiler of the Hftorical Regifter the fubftance of the following account. The great Dr. Salmon, like those Chaldean and Egyptian shepherds to *Historical Regifter, 1712 App. P. 32. Da whom whom the world was indebted for the first aftronomical obfervations, "was originally a keeper of fheep, or of fome fimilar occupation," which obliged him to be much in the open air. In this fituation, like his celebrated precursors, he made his aftrological obfervations, and having obtained a small fmattering of science, fays Mr. Henry Coley," he came to London, and applied to me for further inftruction;" though it appears, that by the force of his genius young Salmon afterward excelled his matter; for he not only turned his ftudies toward the flars, which may be termed a light art, but caft his eyes down to the Nadir, and contemplated thofe things which are faid to be neceffary to com. plete a profeffor of the black art, or, in other words," a conjurer, or cunning man, as he was termed by the common people." How well he deferved this appellation, will be feen by the progrefs which he made in the world. When he first began to hold converfe with the itars, or with *** *****, his decrees, myftical as thofe of the oracles of old, were delivered in a little room over the gate of St. Bartholomew's Hofpital, whence he removed to a mall house by the fide of Fleet Ditch, where he began to collect materials for that elaborate work, his Herbal t. This fituation poffeffed many advantages, one of which we have ftated in the note; another arofe from its contiguity to Alfatia, the inhabitants of which fingular fpot must have had frequent occafion to confult him both upon the fcores of bealth and fortune. The theatre in Dorset Garden might, from its attractions, have combined to have ren *This, we prefume, was one of the old gates of the priory, and unconnected with the hofpital; though this building, which efcaped the fire of London, was in a very ruinous state at the beginning of the last century. In the year 1729 the prefent elegant pile was erected. For this undertaking, the fituation that Dr. S. had chofen feems to have been particularly appropriate, as, before the Fleet Market was erected, a number of ftalls, belor ging to the dealers in herbs, fruit, and flowers, were ranged along the fides of the tream, towards Holborn Bridge: fo that he might be faid to have had his fubjects brought home to him. White Friars, at that time the refort of the idle and diffolute. dered his refidence in its vicinity de firable*. Whether, according to the fashion of the times, this his dwelling was diftinguished by the image of a pun in the fhape of a large gilt falmon over the door, fuch as we have formerly feen identify the celebrated Mrs. Salmon's Court of Wax Work, we have not yet been able to ascertain. However this may be, the Herbal, and all the other puriuits of the learned Doctor, were fufpended, fays Mr. Henry Coley, in confequence of a voyage which he made to America with his wife's fifter, who, we believe, fettled in Carolina. Upon his return, he is faid to have exercifed that privilege which his great precurfor, Sir John Mandeville, fo freely used, and which was formerly thought inherent to travellers, of telling ftories. Thole of Dr. Salmon were fuch, fays my author, "as neither himfel nor any one elfe could believe." Dr. Goldsmith, had he been living in his time, and defcribed his manner, would probably have faid, "The man boun ces." However, it appears that he did this, in fome inftances, with good effect; for he perfuaded the people that his medical skill was profound, confequently he became the fashion among the lower orders. Here he feems to have rivalled his neighbour, Dr. Cafe; though it must be allowed the latter had the genteeleft practice. Be this as it may, Dr. S. got both reputation and money, To increase these advantages, which indeed may be condenfed, as the latter naturally follows the former, he refumed the pen, and produced a work entitled "The Complete Physician; or, The Druggift's Shop opened." He likewife furnished his large Herbal, in two volumes, folio; wrote a treatise on Altrology; and another, which is e *This theatre, the first in which, under the guidance of the tafle and genius of Sir William d'Avenant, the English became acquainted with operatic fplendour, had a confiderable influence upon the manners of the people; whether the change that took place in them was a real improvement, it is not here neceflary to difcufs. Sir William continued at the head of the company until his death, which happened the 17th of April, 1668. After which event, his fon, Dr. Charles d'Avenant, undertook the management. Ateemed 1 steemed the best of his effufions, which he called "Polygraphice; or, A Trea tife on the Art of Painting.' These works, which are certainly the emanations of an active, acute, and comprehenfive mind, however they may have fallen into difetteem, or rather, perhaps, into difufe, had at that time their admirers; of which their author was convinced by the increase of his practice, which became fo great as to enable him to take the house near the Black Friars Stairs, wherein he died. This houfe, which had been built by Sir Thomas Pike, was, like his former, most advantageously fituated, with refpect both to the ftudy and the practice of the Doctor. He therefore fitted it up at a confiderable expenfe, particularly the library, which he is faid to have furnished with books to the amount of 2000l.; a large fum in thofe times; though we are forry to observe that, in his choice of authors, he was guided by the judgment and taste of fome auctioneers, who are faid to have been fole arbiters of the value of the works in feveral arts and fciences, and the preference of the editions that they procured, rather than his own. It is from fmall circumstances that we frequently gain a knowledge of the Roman character. The following story, circulated by and among bis friends during his life, fhows that he was not held in much efteem, and that his works were confidered as of ftill lefs value. Although auctions were by no means very common during the feventeenth century, they became fashionable toward its clofe. The death of Dr. Francis Bernard, A.D. 1697*, was confidered as an event in the literary world; therefore, when the fale of his library, which was in 1698, commenced, it was, in confequence, numerously attended. The auctioneer, who, from his peculiar cast of humour, had obtained the appellation of Arch Millington, happening to fpy Dr. Salmon in the crowd at the time when he was Dr. Francis Bernard was a phyfician of very confiderable eminence for his talents and learning. He was also highly esteemed by the literati for his bibliographical erudition. Of this his library was confidered as a complete fpecimen, as it contained a great number of books that were then deemed extremely curious. This collection fold for 1600l. exhibiting a volume of his works, opened it, and obferving fomething written in it in Dr. Bernard's own hand, he announced it by the title it bore, and added, "What renders this work more peculiarly valuable, Gentlemen, if any thing could add to its value, is, that it contains fome of the late learned poffelfor's notes upon it." The confequence of this intimation was, that it produced a fpirit of rivalry among the bidders; but at length Dr. Salmon had the good fortune to obtain the prize. When the auctioneer had knocked down the lot, he begged permiflion to read one of Dr. Bernard's notes: to this the company affented; and while the buyer, in the anticipation of praife, was exulting, he read to this effect, "I bave perused this work, and it is not worth a farthing.” How Dr. Salmon felt upon this occa fion, when, according to the practice of thofe times, he had really bought a bargain, it is not neceffary for us to conjecture. LITERARY GLIMPSES; or, SHORT REMARKS on feveral SUBJECTS. Being the Lucubrations of W. C., a folitary Reclufe. (Continued from Vol. XLIX. page 436.) XXXI. WE may obferve, that old people ge nerally have a great unwillingnefs to give up any vocation, or way of life, to which they have been accustomed, though their infirmities may almost demand it; and this tenacity is generally thought to proceed from an avari. cious difpofition, which cannot relinquifh the very crumbs, as it were, of their profeffional, or other earnings. But the reluctance may, and probably often does, proceed chiefly from another fource; the gloomy reflection of the near approach of their latter end. For, if this relinquishment be to be made at once in an advanced age, it looks fo like a giving up of life, the actual putting of one foot into the grave, that they have not courage to make the attempt. Hence they defer the disagreeable moment as long as they can, and feel a happiness in every little deed and office which protracts the time, keeps them within the circle of fociety, and makes them appear to themselves and others neither as altogether fuperannuated or ufelefs. And we may ob ferve ferve further, that, for like reafons, old men do all their little acts with a complacency of mind which we never obferve in the young. For, to the naturally stronger degree of pleasure they have in doing what they will confider their duty, they in fome fort add that of a reprieve. XXXII. It is faid, that when Stephen Batori, King of Poland, offered to free the laves from the corporeal chaflifement often inflicted upon them by the nobility of Livonia, that they could not bear to have fo ancient a custom abo lithed, and therefore petitioned the King to make no innovation. This fhows the folly of bigotry. But it also shows fomething elfe in the human mind worth attending to. It proves, that old cuftoms may often deferve to be retained, merely from the circumftance of their being old; and that therefore, whenever an ulage is refpected, and at the fame time is innocent and indifferent in its nature, it is fubborn and impolitic to attempt to destroy it, because it brings po pecuniary benefit, or is founded upon no fyllogiftical reafon. Man is man; and while he is fo, he will derive much of his fatisfaction, if not of his happinefs, from attention to feelings which a late cold blooded, and equally erroneous philofophy, would have us to hold of no account, XXXIII. Of the two kinds of fatire, the laughing, like that of Horace, and the vindictive, like that of Juvenal, the laughing kind is by most critics preferred to the other, as more likely to be effectual, and as indicating a better difpofition in the writer. This reprefentation, I think, on many accounts, far from being just. For the laughing fatyrift (and fo it is alledged) only laughs to make his terms cut the deeper, more intent apparently that his object should feel as a man than as an offender; which circumftance tinges a juft indignation with fo much malignity. And thus, with a fimilar fpirit, indifference and contempt are often shown, when it is fuppofed anger and refentment would convey inferior punishment Where, then, is the peculiar humanity of this Bibl. Univ. IV. 161. mode of a fatyrift's making, as Dryden fays, bis defperate passes when he smiles; this tickling while we ftrike, as others exprefs it? And, in atrocious cafes, where is the propriety? How would familiar wit and unfeeling jocularity fuit a Judge upon the Bench? How did the Saviour of the world and his Apostles reprimand fin and wickednefs? And how wil' the decisions of the last day be delivered?-The truth is, in correcting flight ridiculous failings, there may be propriety in laughter, as the occafion might not generate any more powerful emotion. But in other cafes it is doubtless incongruous; it is wrong; nay, it seems to be unbecomingly malignant. Honesty of heart, and rectitude of understanding, will al. ways be bet pleafed with a direct, open refentment; deep and heavy in fome proportion to the enormity of crimes and the depravity of guilt. And none, furely, will approve of fatire indifcriminately exhibited in fmiles, who do not prefer laughter to fenfe, and buffoonery to whatever is beneficial and feri ous. Thus much is faid of fatirical correctives, which are juft and proper on the principles of evident reafon. But after all, it would conftantly become a fatyrilt to reflect, that in every species of reproof there is fomething due to the pleadings and abatements of Chriftian charity. XXXIV. Moralifts and divines juftly concur in representing the obligations we are under to benefit the community, of which we are a part, as great and rational; though they may not be bound upon us in all cafes by the force of established laws. But if thefe obligations be fo apparent and needful, much more fo must be thofe which we owe to ourfelves; which, befides their moral fitnefs, are forcibly inculcated in the Scriptures, and must hence neceffarily affect us most nearly in their confequences. Yet among youth we now often fee this capital duty fhockingly tranfgreffed in almost all their conduct and habits. And fuch is the folly and infatuation of the times, that errors of this home and interesting kind meet with little difcouragement from their friends, or the world at large; but, on the contrary, they are excufed at all points, under the gentle appellations of wild oats and natural gaieties, and perhaps by those persons, too, who are |