T by no means to the Northern. there are confiderable Remains on They have a fecond Objection, that the Wall of Severus, on whofe Foundations that of the Britains was afterwards built with Stone, went directo tramite,as Gildas, or recta linea, as Bede, in a trait Line from Shore to Shore, which that of Scotland does; but this of the Tine is extremely oblique and crooked. We anfwer, that tho' it ben't mathematically ftrait, yet 'tis plain to any who confults the Maps, that there is but very little ground loft, and good reafon for that too; fince if they do warp a little, 'twas to get the two great Rivers, the Irthing and Tine, behind the Wall, as a double Fortification; and befides, when it creeps down below Caerlifle and Stanwick, running along for 7 or 8 Miles by the Sea fhore at Solway Frith: This was, because the Picts us'd to get over that Frith, both in their Boats, and even without them, at Low Water, and plunder the Country before this Wall was made; which, as 'twas contriv'd by Hadrian, did certainly end at the River Esk, of the Northfide the Frith; for fo fay all old Writers concerning it. But left the Country fo open, that Se verus, it feems, thought fit to order it otherwife, and get a triple Fence inftead of a fingle, by the Sea, the Wall, and the River; and this feems to be the meaning of the Expreffion before mention'd, of the VValls being Longius produ&tum by Severus,than 'twas by Hadrian; as, for ought we know, might also be the Cafe at the Eaftern End, Tinmouth Caftle, it felf, tho' beyond the Wall's End, being anciently call'd Pen-bal-crags or the Rock in the Head of the Wall. And, on the other fide, the Southern Shores, of thofe Caftles which the Romans built at their departure, to defend themi from their Enemies, who came in warms from Ireland to plunder them. Nor feems there any weight in what O Flagherly farther arges, that 'tis unlikely the Britains wou'd chufe fo inconvenient a Place for a Wall, when they might have one fo much fhorter in Scotland, and gain'd thereby near 100 Miles more, fince the fame Holda againft Hadrian and Severus. Nor in what he adds to establish his Opinion, That Bede fays the Picts immediately feiz'd all the North Parts of the Island, as far as the Wall for their own, when the Ro mans finally departed, which feems rather to make full against him; for 'twou'd not be Senfe to fay, they feiz'd what they had before, the Countries North of Glotta and Bodotria; but 'tis very likely they feiz'd all the New Province of Valentia, ufque ad murum, between the two walls, and as far as the fecond. The Southern Wall begins at Bullness, thought to be the old Blatum Bulgium of Antoninus, and has a confiderable part of it in fome Places ftill ftanding, all but the Battlements,keeping itsName, often giving Name to Towns in its paffage. Through Cumberland, over the River Eden by Carlisle, the old Lugovallum, or Tower of wall. The Cambeck, neat ton, the Irthing, and into Northumberland, near Thirlwall, fo on to Chefter in the Wall, BuyGap, VVallwick, the old Gallard forward for Newcastle. and almost every where in its paffage, are dug up noble Inferiptions and Monuments, which the Romans it seems were much given to; for among E e 2 all others, 1 others found near the Northern ligs here? Honest Jonny our Pi Vall, one was Cobortis Hifpa norum Tibicen hic jacet. Much a-kin to that modern one, VVho pere. And so much of these curious Queftions. The Three following Poems were fent us by an Ingenious Lady. Let's to the peaceful Shades and Springs remove; II. What are the Trifles that I leave behind! I've more than all the valu'd World in thee; Where all my Joys and Wifhs are confin'd, III. Come, my Beloved, then let us away, To thole bleft Seats where we'll our Flames improve; Oh tell me how, Or wherewithal fhall I before my own, and your dread Maker bow! Will Carmels verdant top afford No equal offering? Ten thousand Rams! A bounteous Offering 'tis, When all the Flocks upon a thousand fpacious Hills are bis. Will Streams of fragrant Oil his Wrath controul? Or the more precious Flood Of my dear First-born's Blood, Compound for all my Debts, and make a full Atonement for my Soul? II. If not, Great God, what then doft thou require, I willingly again refign to thee. My Youth, and all its blooming Heat, My Mufe, and every raptur'd Thought, to thee I dedicate, (Tis fit the Iffues of that facred Fire, Should to its own Celestial Orb retire) And all my darling Vanities, My Favourite Luft and all, No more that fond beloved Sin I'll spare, Than the great Patriarch would have done his Heir. And this, Great God, altho' a worthless Prize, Is a fincere, intire, and early Sacrifice. The Reflection. Here glide my Thoughts? Rafh Inclinations, ftay; WH Stay ere it be too late; yet ftay and take Ee 3 [Should Should I have took the charming Venom in, Ince Vertue is the fafeft Guide for Man, I. A. In fearch of falfe miftaken Good we ftray, II. O may the Eternal Way, and Life and Light, Q. Being in Flanders the last Campaign, I knew there was a Mastiff Bitch riding in the Box with the Driver of a Carriage, who fell out of the Box The Bitch then great with Whelp, and in the Fall her Tail was taken off: In four days after fhe whelpt three Bitch-Puppies, and one Dog: The Bitch-whelps were all helps without Tails, the Dog had a Tail. This is a real Truth, and pray your Opinion of the manner of it? A. If the Fact be true, as we know not but it may; for a Man wou'd fearce hit on fo odd a Fancy, if he wou'd himself invent it, here's one very strange Inftance more of the Power of Imagina } tion. But how that acts, how it marks and wounds, and kills Children in the Womb, we'd be glad to learn our felves of better Philofophers, tho' we don't hope ever to receive intire fatisfaction in it. However, if this of the Tails be true, we don't know but fo may be the ftrange Story of the Head, which we formerly had from those Parts, of the teeming Woman, who having feen an Execution, was fo extremely frighted when the faw the Head fever'd from the Body, that the went home, and foon fell in Labour, and was deliver'd of a Child whofe Head was newly divided from the Body, and both fresh and bleeding. Q. Gen Q. 4. Gentlemen, I am defired by a Friend out of Flanders to beg the favour of your answer,and reafons upon a fubject which his own Judgment cannot refolve him, he is alover of the Mathematicks, and through want of ingenious perfons in those parts, has addreffed himself to you. The matter is this. During the late famous Siege of Namur, be found on feveral affaults there made, that the Drum-beaters ufually held their Drums before them,which on advancing to the Attacks, proved extraordinary good Armour, for they received Jeveral small foot in the batter heads which they went through, but immediately ftruck out again by the Rims, and touch'd not the fnare heads, and by this means feveral of them were perferv'd. They held the Drums directly before them laying their hands on upon the boops, keeping the fnare head clear from their Bodies. Your antwer herein is earnestly defired, to know the cause of the Ball not piercing through both beads. I am Gentlemen, Your most humble Servant. A. We can but guess at the reason, and leave others to guess better. 'Tis probable that the Drums being hard brac'd tho' not proof against the fhot, yet might have ftrength enough to turn the Ball glancingly in the Infide, not fuffering it to go directly thorow; especially when 'tis likely few of the hot were point blank against 'em, but might hit 'em flantingly, as they could fcarce do otherwife when the Defendants had the higher ground. Q. For what reafon does the Church of England obferve the Feast of Epiphany or the Mani feftation of Chrift to the Gentiles on the twelfth day after Chriftmas? Is it because the Wife Men (as they are call'd in our Tranfla-, tion) did make their Vifit at Bethlehem the twelfth day) after our Saviour's birth, or because the Star appeared to them at that time in their own Country? A. In the first place it matters not whether the precife time either of the Star's appearing, or the wife Men's coming to worship, were the 12th. day after our Saviour's Birth, which the Church does no where affirm, only faying in the Collect for this occafion O God, 'who by the leading of a Star,didit 'manifeft thy.only begotten Son to the Gentiles not adding [as at this time] as is ufual on other occafions. However, they being the firft fruits of the Gentiles, this revelation of our Saviour unto them was, undoubtedly fuch a Bleffing as well deferv'd to be folemnly and thankfully Comand for the exact memorated time thereof, 'tis but a Circumstance, which makes no alteration in the Nature of the thing. being often But again, Dr. Hammond and others have obferv'd from the ancients that the Feast of the Nativity it feif has been known by that name amongst them, call'd Epipha nia, and Theophania, the manifeftation, or appearance, or ra, ther glorious appearance, as 'tis often us'd in the Scripture, fometimes indeed with the addition of Jons, tho' at others without it, Now this Feaft of the Nativity be ing Celebrated Twelve days together, of which the firft and the laft, according to the cuftom of Ee 4 the |