Author of the of the Winter-
Evenings Conferences) who even
recommends the Converfation
with Children, as foon as they be
gin to fhow the first dawnings
of Reason, as extreamly diverting,
as well as Innocent; and 'tis pi-

ty thofe fhou'd ever have any of their own who don't think fo. There's nothing in the World, fays Petrarch, that's fweeter, or more agreeable than the little prattlings and looks of an Infant,

Syderei vultus, & verba, ligatis,
Interrupta modis.

As he quotes it from Statius.
Nay, even the Fathers of the
Church have, in the Primitive
Ages, recommended this, as one
of the most Natural, and inge-
nious Entertainments: Minutius
Felix was no Fool, nay he was
a Gentleman, and Lawyer, and
yet, even in fo grave a thing as
an Apology for the Chriftians, he
thinks it not incongruous to give
us a neat, and Inimitable Defcrip
tion of fo trival a thing as little
Boys playing at Duck and Drake,
and that which he adds concer
ning their Dimidiata verba &
offenfantis Lingue fragmina..
&c. is not more difficult to be

imitated. And even before Ce
dren arrive to fuch an Age, the
Little Bleffings make a fhift to
entertain us in their way, with
with fo much fweetness and In-
nocence that nothing but a meer
Barbarian can be proof aga
gainst
it. There being besides, this,
natural Tenderness and Affection
which is due from any Perfon to
that which he has brought into
the World, which thofe who
Want, may go learn it even from
Brute Creatores, tho the Tryal of
their Kindness, and the Chief

a

inftance of it, is in giving 'em a Pious and and Ingenuous Education, and doing nothing before 'em when they grow up, which they wou'd not have 'em practice.

And here, by the Way, we can't but recommend the ingenious Mr. Fluris Hiftory of the Choice and Method of Studies, not long fince tranflated from the French, into our own Language, as a Book which gives fome of the best hints, for forming the minds of Children, of any we ever yet faw.

But to Return to eur Subject, which 'tis now time to close. All that remains upon that Head, is

only to observe the mean between
a worse then brutal neglect of
Children, or Averfion for them,
and that naufeous Fondness of
fome Perfons towards them,
which must needs make 'em ap-
Fear Contemptible and Ridicu
lous. We fhall difmifs this Sub-
ject with a Copy of Verses,which
fome Wag, or other has fent us,
on
on an Argument very near akin
to that we have been Difcourfing
of, and which he inferibes,

To

To the Laud and Praife of Fatherhood.

When Nature did Defign fome wondrous thing,
It made a FATHER, or at least a King.

Welfare Old Sparta! who the work once done,
Wou'd, right or wrong, be joyful for a Son:
They took their Wives good word, nor dar'd gain-fay
Their Truth; we Chriftians have no better way.
To out-do their very Wives, the Men would strive,
The kindeft, tendereft, fondelt things alive.
And who would not, who rightly understood
The Worship and the Pride of Fatherhood?

it;

Q. There's a very ftrange Story | for it poifon'd the Grafs, as well in the Additions to Cambden, as burnt the Hay for the space of from p. 659. to 661. (as well as about a Mile, there being three more contracted in the Transacti- Small Tenements fo infected, that ons of the Royal Society) concer- the Grafs at last kill'd all manner ning a certain fiery Exhalation, of Cattle that fed upon which near Harlech in Merioneth fhire in it seems had been infectious for Wales, which has done confidera three years, tho' not quite fatal ble Mischief in the Country. Six- till the laft, there having been a teen Ricks of Hay, and two Barns, great Mortality by it of all forts one full of Corn, the other of Hay, of Cattel; all which you may fee having been totally confum'd by attefted in the Place and Book it. The Defcription given thereof before-mention'd, by feveral Perby Eye-witneffes, is, That 'twas a Jons who have too much caufe to fort of a blue weak Flame, easily know it. It's feen in ftormy as extinguifh'd, and that it did not well as calm Nights; but any great in the leaft hurt thofe who endea Noife, fuch as the founding of vour'd to fave the Hay, tho' they Horns, difcharging of Guns, &c. were fometimes actually in it. does either repel, or extinguish Thofe whe bave watcht it, have it. The Author of the Additions discover'd that it paffes an Arm to Cambden, is of Opinion, that of the Sea, from Carnarvan-fhire, this proceeds from a confiderable diftant about 8 or 9 Miles from Quantity of Locafts, which CreaHarlech. The times of its appea- tures it feems have been feen in rance is generally in the night, thofe Parts, which being drown'd and in the Winter more frequent in the Sea, and afterwards caft ly than in the Summer, much a fhore, will certainly cause a Pcabout the fame distance of time, ftilence; and that this noxious and proceeding conftantly to and Vapour, meeting with a viscous fro from the fame places for about Exhalation in the Moorish Bay, 8 Months. But it had worfe Ef- over which it past, might kindle, felts than thofe already mention'd, and confume the Corn and Hay,

Ii 3

as

as the Locufts themselves wou'd have done, if living. Pray your Opinion concerning this ftrange appearance.

odder Effects than one wou'd eafily believe, ftrangely dazling and confounding Travellers, tho they have been before never fo well ac4. We have confulted the Place quainted with their way; and in the New Cambden, and find waving about,in a blewish stream, the Subitance of all that's there fomething like an S. paffing with faid, reprefented in the Question; a wonderful quickness from one only the Gentleman propofes the place to another. But what's this, way of Solution here mention'd, or the Scintille Volantes either, to bat as an Hypothefis, not being at the prefent Cafe? We have met all pofitive in his Opinion; owning fomewhere indeed with a Relation that the Cause of fuch a very extra of a prodigious Draco Volans, ordinary Phenomenon, cannot be which has had even worfe Effects found out without making Obfer- than this Meteor; tho' neither was vations for fome time upon the that Regular, nor of fuch conti place. which we heartily with nuance. The Relator's Conjecture were done by fome ingenious Per-is ingenious, and 'tis but fair to fon, if it ftill continues, and fome-let it pafs till any can advance a way communicated to the Pub- better. If fome Locusts landed lick, either by us, or fome better in this part of the Country fo litHands. tle a while before, 'tis not at all improbable, as he obferves, that greater Quantities of them might be Shipwreckt on the Neighbouring Seas before they cou'd reach Harbour; and 'tis remarkable, that fome of them have been obferv'd, as he was inform'd by an Eye-witness, on the very Shores of Caernarvan-fhire, whence this Fire was feen to arife. The Substance of thefe corrupted Locufts being, 'tis probable, fit enough to produce a fort of a Phofpher, by the wife Chymistry of Nature: There being very many things which fhine, at leaft when thus corrupted, we believe molt forts of Flesh and Fish, as well as other Subftances. As for the contagion occafion'd by this Vapour, it feems rather wonderful that it does no more Mifchief, than that it has done fo much; efpecially if the Huiorians Conjecture be true, that it owes its Original to thole cor rupted Loguts, which have been

The Gentleman who makes pub lick the Relation, is there of Opi nion that fuch a Phænomenon is wholly nem, and that no Hiftorian or Philofopher ever defcrib'd any fuch before, adding, that 'twas never read that any of those fiery Exhalations, which we call Inis Fatuus, Ignis Lambens, Scintille Velantes, &c have had fuch Effects as this, to pofon the Air, or Gas, fo as to render it infectious and mortal, nor any Fires of this Nature of fuch Conience as to kindle Hay and Corn, pay, to confusie Barns and HouJes, nor to move to regularly as this, or latt fo long. We have known a Perfon who has had the Ignis Lumbens here meation'd, feen in the Night on his Head and Shoulders by others at tome di france from him, which has been fo tar from burning him, that he has not been fo much as fenfible of

The Im Fatuus has allo

trangely

ftrangely peftilential in moft places where they have been driven in any Quantities, tho' fome Strag lers of 'em have been met with, both alive and dead, in feveral Parts, and on feveral Shores of England, of late Years, as we have been inform'd by Eye-witnesses. But, Thanks be to God, they han't come with fuch a Vengeance, as Sigebert tells us, they once did to France, which after they had laid waste, being carry'd by the Wind, and plung'd in the Britifh Ocean, and thence thrown 'back again upon the Shore, their ftench infected the Air, to that degree, that the third part of Men were deftroy'd by it.

6

QWhat are we to think of that frequent mention that is made in the Chriftian Apologifts, of their cafting out Devils from poffefs'd Perfons; whereas many hold that thofe Poffeffions were peculiar to the time of our Saviour; and others, that they were nothing elfe but Diseases?

tion, a wicked one, whom the Apoftie caft out, which if a Difeafe only, how could it get her Mafter gain? If a Cheat, how could the Apostle expel it? The Inftances are almost innumerable of the Appeals which are made to the Jews, and Heathens, by all the Ancient Apologifts, concerning this matter. Justin Martyr in his Dialogue, fays, "Even now "alfo we that believe in that Jefus, "who was Crucified under Pontius Pilate, have all the Devils and Evil Spirits fubject unto us, when we adjure them in his Name, at whofe Power the De"vils tremble. So Origen against "Celfus Chriftians, fays he, caft

out Devils, not by curious, or "Magical Arts, but only by "Prayer and a fimple Adjuration, and this not only the learned Men amongst 'em, but even the Idiots, or Unlearned. Lactantius confirms the fame; fo does Minutius and others; but none more clearly than Tertullian, in many places of his Writings, particularly in his Apology, Cap. 23. De Phantafm. Magie & Demonibus, where he is

proving the Heathen Gods to be Devils, and does it by the following Demonftration, as he himself juftly calls it." Let any one, fays

he, be brought before your Tri"bunals, who, 'tis plain is pof"fefs'd by a Devil (quem Damone agi

A. That Devils were fomething worse than Difeafes, we have formerly prov'd; nor is there any great difficulty in doing it to thofe who either believe the Scriptures, or the Fathers. They did indeed inflict Difeales; but, for that very Reason, they must be fomething elfe, as the Caufe muft needs differ from the Effect. The Jews, 'tis plain, believ'd them different; for they fay Chrift caft out Devils, through Beelzebub, the Prince of" the Devils; and what true Senfe wou'd this make, if we should read it; Difeafes by the Prince of Difeafes? But after our Saviour's time, we read in the Acts of the Apoftles, of the Pythonela, a Maid who had a Spirit of Divina

conftat) he speaks of it as a thing common; and notorious. The Spirit (he goes on) being "commanded to speak by any Chriftian, will with as much "Truth confefs himself to be a Devil, as he will in other places fally pretend to be a God. Again,if they don't confefs them"felves to be Devils, before a I i 4 "Chri

26

"But we are wont to caft t "blame upon God, when th "Fault is really in our own fleth " and unbelief.

Q. Whether these words in the 34th verfe of the 5th Chap

A. If you read the whole verfe, you will find that this com mand is againft Swearing in our common Communication. For our Saviour here was only ex.

Christian, to whom they dare "not lye, we give you leave to "kill that Sawcy Christian on the "very place. Now can we fuppofe any Man in his right Senfes would talk at this rate, if he had not been fure of Matter of Falt?ter of St. Matthew, viz But I Again, when he fpeaks of the mul- fay unto you, Swear not at all, titude of Chriftians, pars pene be not a positive command of major, cujufq; civitatis, almoft Chrift to exclude Swearing forthe Major part of every City, mal Qaths before any Judge, or (therefore not fo few as fome tell Magiftrate, as well as vain Oaths us.) If they fhould leave you, in Conversation? fays he, who could deliver your "Bodies and Minds from 'thofe fe"cret, deftroying Enemies, from "the incurfions of Evil Spirits, "which we caft out of you, with "out Price and without Reward?plaining that particular Command, "Twould be revenge enough "that you'd be then left to thefe "unclean Spirits. And he fays no lefs to Scapula; We con quer the Devils, fays he, and "lead 'em in Chairs every day, " and cast 'em out of Men, as is "known to many By all which 'tis plain, that these things were not done in a Corner, nor among the Chriftians only, but the Mira cles were wrought on the very Heathens, their bitter Enemies, and this fometime after, as Opta tus and St. Austin affirm of their own knowledge. We fhall con clude this great Queftion with fome remarkable Expreffions of Grotius on this Subject. Later Ages (fays he are full of Teftiments are all Moral and obliging, "monies of the fame nature, and now the third Commandment has "if any fhould now preach Chrift no fignification at all, if the word in fuch a manner as he would be in vain is not oppos'd to fomepreach'd to Natiqns which have thing; and if to any thing, it mult no knowledge of him, (among needs be to a Religious men "whom only Miracles are needful, tion of the Name of God, and as 1 Cor. 14.22 I doubt not fays attefting hun in truth and righ be,but the force of ourSaviour's teousness, whenever there fhall "promife would still remain.be Occafion for it.

<.

26

་་

Thou shalt not take the Name
of the Lord thy God in vain,
&c. How often do we find that
God Almighty Cenfures the Ifra-
elites for Swearing by Baal, and
tells 'em they should Swear in
Truth and in Righteoufnels by
him; do we not find God Al
mighty Swearing by himself, as
I live faith the Lord, &c. read
that paffage of St Paul, Men
verily Swear by the greater, and
an Oath is a Confirmation unto
them for an end of all strife;
this is mention'd not as an antiqua
ted Cuftom, but as that that was
in ufe in St. Pauls time. In fhort,
'tis granted by the Quakers them
felves, that the ten Command-

Q. Several