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Q

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HETHER the advice of Gamaliel (Acts iii.) in relation to the Apostles, and the religion they taught, be not a good argument in behalf of the Malimetan religion, which has made fo great a progress, and bad fo long a duration in the world?

A. Gamaliel faw, that the chriftian religion was propagated by fuch unequal agents, fuch weak, fuch feeble inftruments (who had unheard of difadvantages to struggle with, both with regard to the nature of the doctrine taught, and the powerful adverfaries that oppos'd it) that he prudently concluded, that a religion fo ftrangely circumftantiated, cou'd never gain credit in the world, unlefs miraculously fupported by a power divine. But this bears no mai ner of analogy to the Mahometan impofture; which fpread fo far by the power of the prevailing fword, and was of a nature politickly accommodated to flefs and blood.

Q. What is the reafon and use of the column of figures in the calenders of Common-Prayer-Books, before the days of the months?

4. The column fpecified is compos'd out of the golden, number, or cycle of the moon, which is a revolution of nineteen years: And therefore you may obferve, that there is no number in the column exVOL. III,

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ceeding

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ceeding nineteen. As often as that revolution is perform'd, the new moons, the full moons, and all the other configurations of the moon return to the fame folar day. If therefore you observe, what day of any month the moon changes, you may conclude, that upon the expiration of nineteen years, the moon will change on the very fame day of the month. And therefore by the column you may know, on what day in any month the moon changes. For when you have got the golden number for the year, look for that number in the column of the month, you defign; and the day of the month the faid golden number is affix'd to, is the time of the moon's changing. And therefore, if any referve this paper, they may know the changes of the moon, not only prefent, but for an hundred, or any number of years to come. For if you know the golden number (which, every almanack will tell you) you may easily find out the faid number for any year to come by proceeding to nineteen, and from thence back to an unite, and fo on till you come to the year you defign. And when you have got the golden number for the year intended you must apply it by the foremention'd rule.

Q. I obferve you are of opinion, that the earth has a double motion, viz. One round its own axis in 24 hours, and the other, through the twelve signs in 365 days, or thereabouts.

1

The first I can easily conceive, but the latter perplexes me: For I cannot understand how the earth in it's annual motion should make fuch a confiderable inclination to the fun, and (none that can be perceiv'd) to the fixed ftars.

4. The objection will readily vanish, if you confider, the fix'd ftars are fo vaftly diftant from the earth, that they cannot exert so attractive an influence, as to determine the motion of the earth from that direct motion, which the great Creator may at firft be 'fuppos'd to have imparted to it. For the annual motion of the earth is a mix'd motion, compos'd of a right line motion, and a tendency towards the fun. Were it not for the former, the earth wou'd move

directly

directly to the fun, and we fhou'd be burnt up with heat. Were it not for the latter, it wou'd be continually moving to a greater diftance from the fun, and we fhou'd be frozen up with cold. But these two different motions fo determine each other, that we happily enjoy a delightful medium. Manifold are thy works, O Lord; in wisdom haft thou made them all. QYe fons of the British Apollo, Whom fo many wife men do follow, Pray tell me the reafon,

Why against a wet season,

So low doth fly the swallow ?

4. The flies, which the swallows devour
Defcend, when in clouds hangs a shower,
And that is the reason,

Why near a wet season,

The fwallow directs her flight lower.
Q. We fent y' a letter t other day,
As we were moistening our clay,
Not touching matter philofophic,
Or any other foaring topic;

But an odd faying, that's fo very
Current 'mongst us when we're merry ;
Highly conceiting there would follow
Solution, by the next APOLLO;
But disappointed of that pleasure,
Whether thro' lofs, or want of leisure.
We ftill addrefs, in fanguine hope
Ye will not let the question drop;
But compliment us honeft fellows,
And the original meaning tell us.
of finging old rofe and burning the bellows.
4. Your ditty, merry fellows, know,
Came to our hands ten days ago :
But then our brains ftood mathematic,
And all our flights were most extatic,
Till now, like you, our clay we moiften,
And fo, by chance, your queftion boift in.
An answer then, we'll give you, very
True an't please ye, Sirs, and merry,
Hha

Highly

Highly conceiting there will follow

Thanks to your faithful friend APOLLO.
In good King Stephen's days, the RAM,
An ancient inn at NOTTINGHAM,
Was kept as our wife father knows,
By a brisk female call'd OLD ROSE;
Many like you, who hated thinking
On any other theme but drinking,
Met there, d'ye fee, in fanguine hope,
To kifs their landlady, and tope;
But one cross night, 'mongst twenty other,
The fire burnt not, without great pother,
Till ROSE, at last, began to fing,
And the cold blades to dance and fpring;
So, by their exercife and kiffes,

They grew as warm-as were their wishes :
When fcorning fire, the JOLLY FELLOWS
Cry'd, SING OLD ROSE, AND BURN THE
BELLOWS.

This is our answer to your letter.
Which if you like not, find a better.

Q. Pardon, bright offspring of a fire fublime,
Pardon young Theodor's unwary crime,
My folly has with lively grief opprest
My tender foul, and left no space for ref.
I figh, I've offended him I love,

O let my flowing tears your pity move ;·
Excufe the fault, 'twas virgin modefy,
That forc'd the fuit, th' unhappy fuit for me,
I hope your love admits of no delay,
Whilft mine's too vigorous grown to fear decay;
This rather adds unto my chaft defires,
This rather adds unto my purer fires :
Smile on your captive with a pleasing ray,
And then I'll name the place and happy day.

Theodora,

A. Whilst Theodora thus in vails conceals
Her felf, in vain her paffion the reveals;
Apollo now his brighteft rays puts on,
And fmiles all day, but muft at night be gone,

No

No mortal influence can his prefence stay,
Each may call this, but none the next, their day,
No more procrastination then, but shew

The mystery, or bid the God, Adieu.

The Epitaph of His Royal Highness, the late PRINCE GEORGE OF DENMARK.

WHO

Here Lies,

'HO, fhall I fay? No name can fuit his praise; May they the lawrel give who claim the bays. To' indulgent mafter bore fo mild a fway, His fervants thought it empire to obey. The husband rul'd fo void of noify ftrife, The fovereign cou'd not overlook the wife. Nor did the husband overlook the Queen: A ftrangely mingled, yet a tuneful scene. Here wisdom greeted inoffenfive love; The ferpent temper'd by the gallefs dove. Sweetness and grandeur with fuch luftre fhone, In him the blended couple made but ONE. To heav'n with wondrous fteadiness inclin'd, He drew the picture of his confort's mind. To find the

whither muft we roam ?

In war a LYON, but a LAMB at home.

When bravely he the Swedish troops difmay'd,
The brother and the fubject he difplay'd.

When Danish valour did with BELGICK join,
We view'd SCAMANDER in the frighted BOYN.,
The Boyn that flows with heliconian streams,
And lavishly infpires poetick themes.
Denmark his youthful days, the better part

Our happy ifle; but BOTH enjoy'd his HEART,
In Britain's love he had fo large a fhare
As tho' he first had breath'd Britannick air.
Each had his love, the great ones, and the small,
And yet to ANNA he bequeath'd his all.
Does costly spice the teeth of time controul ?
He's precioufly embalm'd in ANNA's foul.
Does marble blazon the fepulchral womb?
Fame is HIS monument, the world HIS tomb.

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