the private quarrels of individuals, and fometimes an affair of a whole nation. In either cafe the ftars, or fome fuperftitious application, determine the conducting of the business; and they rely less on the valour of the combatants, than their beginning the enterprize in a lucky moment. Burnet, in his account of the Prince of Orange's landing at Torbay,

fays,

King Charles was once Duke of York, who had given them a most benign and liberal charter, and maintains a lamp of juftice there, which burns more clearly than that found in the grave of Chlorus, and fhines into five feveral countries, by the light whereof each fubject may fee his own right: that the beams and lightnings of his Majesty's eminent virtues did caft forcible reflections upon the eyes of all men-That he had established his throne upon the two columns of piety and juftice. They offered him the beft of facrifices, their obedience, not resembling thofe out of which the heart was taken, and nothing of the head left but the tongue; for their facrifice was that of their hearts, not of their tongues."

RUSHWORTH.

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fays-"The next day being the day in which the Prince was both born and mar ́ried, he fancied if he could land that day, it would look aufpicious to the army, and animate the foldiers-but, we all, who confidered that the day following being gun-powder-treafon day, our landing that day might have a good effect on the minds of the English nation, were better pleased to see that we could land no fooner."*

A fword bleffed, or enchanted, according as the hero is connected with a faint or a conjurer, renders its edge irresistible, except by armour that is alfo enchanted, and then the champion who has the most powerful patron, is the conqueror.

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Thefe

* Robert Drury, in his account of Madagascar, informs us, that they were just about to begin an expedition, which was stopped by a priest because it was in an unlucky time."-I do not know whether it was the fourth or fifth of November.

Thefe circumftances ftill characterize many nations in Afia, who have not advanced beyond the Brazen-Age, and they equally belonged to the most polished people in Europe before they advanced into a state of refinement. France was recovered from the English by a virginwarrior, whofe arms were for a time irrefiftible, and her body invulnerable. It was very barbarous, fay the French hiftorians, to burn this damfel-it was fo, but it was the barbarity of the times, not of the English.

Shakespeare faithfully copied the Scottifh Hiftorians in Macbeth's Adventure with the three Witches. The Weird Sifters held their ground long-I am not fure whether even at this time they have absolutely lost their existence. What the legislature thought in the times of James the first, is clear by the Act against Witchcraft-there is nothing furprising in this -it is but one circumstance out of many which

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which mark the fuperftition of the age. But by what means can we poffibly account for the witches confeffing themfelves really guilty of the crime for which they were to suffer? A crime which never existed, and a confeffion which must enfure immediate execution !*

With

*There was an inftance of this fo late as the year 1697, when feven people were executed, who declared themselves guilty, and that their punishment was juft. To add to the wonder, I will here fubjoin the reply of one of the council to another, who wanted to acquit the prisoners, from the impoffibility of the crimes exifting. This found philofophical argument procured a verdict of guilty from the jury, a sentence of death from the judge, and perhaps perfuaded the prisoners themselves that they really were witches-fo great is the force of divine eloquence! "Satan's natural knowledge," faid the learned council, "makes him perfect in optics and limning, whereby he may easily bewitch the eyes of others to whom he intends that his inftruments should not be seen in this manner, as was formerly hinted, viz. he conftricts the pores of the witches vehicle which intercepts a part of the

rays

With a few miscellaneous remarks, which might perhaps have been more properly arranged among the foregoing heads, I will finish this imperfect sketch of the Brazen-Age.

Society at this period presents to our observation a struggle between the unfubdued ferocity of individuals, and attempts of the chief to make all perfons amenable to thofe regulations which he

has

rays reflecting from her body; he condenses the interjacent air with groffer meteors blown into it, or otherwise violently moves it, which drowns another part of the rays. And laftly, he obstructs the optic nerves with humours ftirred towards them. All which, joined together, may easily intercept the whole rays reflecting from those bodies, fo as to make no impreffion upon the common fenfe. And yet, at the fame time, by a refraction of the rays, gliding along the fitted fides of the volatile couch in which Satan transports them, and thereby meeting and coming to the eye, as if there were nothing interjacent, the wall or chair behind the fame bodies may be feen," &c. &c. &c.

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