To be graver, it's true in some is Learned, and we wish it more fo. The finest things that can now be faid, are little elfe than Old Senfe with a new Turn; and if ye deny this, all the Orators in't must stand ́still, and neither Divines or Lawyers get any more than our Athenian Oracle. Yet ftill, what one Man knows, another does not; diffufing Knowledge is a fort of Improving it, perhaps the best Way; and befides, we are pretty confident, there are very many Questions here, fome of Moment, which were never before publickly decided, especial 4 King of Birds) lighted upon the Dragon of St. Mary le Bow in Cheapfide, and rested her felf for half a Day, before the left it; all which confidered, if there be ever any happy Omens, thefe mentioned feem to be very fair ones, to wit, portending very aufpicious Times, as to Wealth and Power in England, particularis'd by its Metropolitan City, which will not have the leaft Share in it. And 'tis to be ho ped, that this Summer's Action will go a great Way towards it, his Majesty King William being himself an Agent, and expofing his own Perfon in Foreign and ftrange Countries, for the Accomplishment of it, perhaps not unfitly reprefented by the Royally in Morality, which is by ftrange Bird. But we leave the Event of thefe Things, and their Interpretation, to the Criticks of the Age, who perhaps may make more pertinent Comments upon 'em. QWhat's the Meaning of the Word Culprit? A. 'Tis a Term in Law, ap: propriated to Criminals, perhaps a Compound of Culpa paratus, or one made ready by his Crime for Trial or Punishment. Q. Why you pretend to fuch frange things, and yet in effect tell the World nothing but what we all know already? A. There's another of 'em, but we must take the Liberty to fay, that we doubt the Gentleman who propofed it, is hardly a fair Reprefentative for all the World; fince he has chofen himself a Parliament Man for the Universe, as Trincalo by his own Vote declar'd himself Viceroy over the Enchanted Islands. far the most useful Part of Q. Why do you trouble your felves and the World with answerng so many filly Questions? 2 A. Be A. Because the World will trouble us, and never let us alone, unless we'll give 'em an Answer, which fometimes we are forc'd to do, as to Beggars, meerly to get rid of them. Befides, what's filly to one, is not fo to another ; at leaft 'tis very likely that every one who fends any Question, thinks both himself and his Question as wife as he that fent this. Q. Why Sunds afcend? A. For the fame Reafon that a Ball does, by Repercuffion, or a fort of Reflection. The Air being moved by the Sound, (or rather a Sound being made by the Motion of the Air) moves ftill forward till the first Force be spent, or it meets with fome thing that hinders it: Now the first thing it strikes against in its circular or quaquaverfal Motion, is the Earth, whence it rebounds, and muft afcend into the Air, as was firft affer ted. Q. Whether the Letters and Story of the Turkish Spy be a Fiction, or Reality? if true, whether past, and how long fince? A. If all a Fiction, as we are most inclin'd to believe, 'tis yet fo hand fomely managed, that one may rather fufpect than prove it fo. Whoever writ it, 'tis plain he was exquifitely acquainted with the Oriental Cuftoms and Languages; he appears a Perfon of clean Senfe, Wit, and very good Humour, and has a valua ble Collection of History by him. The Objection by fome brought against it, that many, Paffages therein contradict the publick Accounts of the Transactions which the World has feen, has but fmall Force, for tho' both may in fome Inftances be falfe; a fecret Hiftorian feems not, generally speaking, to have that Temptation to Lying, which thofe have who write a publick Chronicle. But fuppofing it true, it would neceffarily follow that it must be paft, because it is a History of fuch Perfons and Actions, as are fometimes fince gone off the Stage; unlefs any one would fancy there's a fort of Mystery in it, for which we can yet fee no Reafon. Q. Whether the Gentlemen of the Athenian Oracle will engage. to maintain whatever they affert? Yes, if what they affert is Truth and Reafon; if otherwife they fhall be glad of better Information, and when it ap pears, will very willingly retract their Errors. Q. It having been experienced by feveral Perfins, that upon pronuncing the Word One, after the First time the Hiccough comes, Query it never returns. the Reason thereof. A. Unless the Querit had fent an Experiment to bring the Hiccough, as well as to drive it away, we know not what to say of what he advances.· -But as foon as we have an Opportunity to try the Matter of Fact, we'll endeavour to find out the Reason thereof. Q. In your Answer to that Question, Whether a Friendship contracted between fingle Perfons, may continue with the fame Zeal and Innocency if ei part. till Death them do Q. Which is the best Way for one who is willing to ferve ber Majesty, when a genteel Poft is va cant, to obtain it? ther marry, binting, that if it last do fe, viz. the fame Zeal, it is unjust: I demand then, that confidering Friendship is the Marriage of Souls, which is a much Stronger Tie than that of Bodies, whether Perfons fo united ought not to continue fingle, rather than to break fo facred a League, and make the deferted Party fo unhap py as fuch a Divorce will certainly do? A. We think they ought, if they have no prior Obligation to the contrary, tho' there are very few whole Intereft in this Cafe will not prove too hard for their Generofity; and tho' fill even here, a high Stroke of the latter, which obliges one Friend to die for another, may perhaps oblige him to do more, that is, part with a Friend, rather than hinder his Happiness. But to But to be ingenious, the Union of Souls is a pretty thing to talk of, tho' fo very fine, that 'tis near a-kin to the Mufick of the Spheres, too exquifite for our dull Senfes. However, we have granted there may be in fome few, very few Inftances, fuch a thing, and that it does not at all depend on Fancy, but has a real Being: Yet ftill the Union of Hands is the fureft Hold-faft, as the World goes. The Body is very near a-kin to the Soul, and whatever Perfons flatter themselves, will take it unkindly if it mayn't come in for a Share. Why then may not both be join'd, and the Friends be better acquainted with one another, than any befides, fince in this Cafe the Sacred League has one Article more added, which will be fure to make it . A. The honeft Gentleman who fends this Question, feems very much in earnest in't: For we have two Letters on the fame Subject, in the last of which, he's a little angry we have fo long neglected an Anfwer, which that he may be fure not to mifs, he has directed us where to fend to him (his Name and all) at his Lodgings, near the Peacock in Kings-street, nigh St. James's-Square. Well, 'tis Pity to disappoint him, and therefore we'll put him on the very nearest cut to Glory, and fhew him a Path which if he'll but follow, will make him as great as he wishes. Let him go find out a Gold-Mine, rout Villeroy and Boufflers; or which is all one, make them fight; or fink all the French Fleet, or take and bring 'em into our own Harbours. him chufe any of these Enter prizes, and if he accomplishes them happily, he's certainly a made Man. But to be graver, the Way now to be preferr'd, is, ('tis hoped) to be brave and honeft: To love ones Country and Queen Anne hate the French, defie them and all their Luyderes. To be no Bigot, nor Debauchee, neither Superftitious nor Profane, but to love Reli gion, and Virtue, and Honour; not to be forward or hafty, to be modeft and patient, obfequious, and induftrious and humble. If all this fails, there is , Let ftill a laft Reserve, which will do better; Live contented in your own low Sphere, and thank GOD, that her Majefty can find So many better Men to prefer before you. Q. Whether fo small a Creature as a Fly has a Heart; and if it has, who hath the greatest Heart, the Fly or a late King; becaufe a Fly when taken, if you pluck off a Leg, or a Wing, will Struggle and strive, and as much as is poffible fight for its Life, baving nothing elfe to lofe; whereas that Prince loft neither Leg nor Arm in the Defence of his three Kingdoms? A. In Anfwer to this mer. ry Quefiion, tho' the World han't had the Happinefs to tee any Diffection of that Creature by the Vertuofi made Publick, yet we may fafely conclude, a Fly has a Heart, for the Circulation of that Liquor, whatever 'tis, which ferves it inftead of Blood; for proper Blood we doubt that and other Infects can't be faid to have, fince no fuch can be found nor discovered by a Microscope, or otherwife, in difmembring or killing them, unless in fuch as are used to feed upon Blood, which only feem to contain it like ordinary Food in their Bodies, without any peculiar Reception for the fame. But to the Question, about its Heart, and the Bignefs of it, we acknowledge, as the Rehearsal, that there is more Shape and Beauty in a Fly than in a Whale; but whether there's more Courage in that Infect than in the Survivor of the two Kings of Brentford, that Author faith not; nor dare we, in fo weighty a Caufe, venture to determine. But here may come in one Obfervation relating to the Hearts of Animals, which mayn't be unacceptable. The Heart of a Lion, as we learn from one diffected at Paris, is proportionably larger than any Animal's, fix Inches long, and four large towards the Bafis, terminating in a fharp Point: But whether or no the Fly or the Prince laft mentioned may be thought to have the larger Heart, we are fure we have now a Queen, who, as well as our famous Richard, deferves the Title of Coeur-deLion. Queft. I defire to know bow the Veins and Arteries of an Arm or Leg amputated, can be re-united to continue the Circulation of the Blood. Anf. When the Inquifitive Doctor Harvey first afferted the Circulation, this was one of the Objections raised against it by them who could not prefently admit it then. They fuppofed an Inoculation of the Veins, with the Arteries, which upon Amputation never could be re-united fo again; the Con troverfy is in Waleus his fecond Letter to Bartholin; but Circulation is performed by the Blood pulfed into the Arteries, which as they pafs, they diffeminate their Capillary Ramifications into the Parts for Nourifhment, like fo many Meanders to water the Earth, and drain up all that the Arteries give, more than can be employ'd in the Nourishment of the Parts, and re-convey it to the Heart, and from thence to B 4 the the great Arteries, to be pulfed into the leffer Arteries again. So that if a Hand or a Foot be amputated, then the Arteries do not carry the Blood fo far, and cenfequently the Veins cannot fetch back any Blood from thence; and fo if the whole Arm or Leg were amputated, the Capillary Ramifications of the Arteries and Veins go no farther: Yet the Circulation is the fame in the Parts remaining, for there is no need of Re-union or Anaftomofes, which this Question fuppofes. Q. A Maid Servant of cne of my Relations, fianding at the Door, a Woman came to her, and pretended to tell her ber Fortune; in order whereunto, fhe was to Crofs her Hand with a Piece of Silver, which being dene, fhe told her, that if he laid fuch a Sum of Money under one of the Boards of the Garret Floors over Night, fhe fhould have fo much more added to it before the next Morning; But in ftead thereof, he found her own Money miling, with feveral Pieces of Linen, and other Things which fhe bad particularly named to the Woman before he left her; which were taken cut of the Trunk, where there were feveral other Things; Query, after what manner did fhe convey them away and whether he not naming of thofe Things that were left, bir dred her from taking them away, being mingled with the Reft? A. The Question fuppofes the Woman a Stranger, there fore unacquainted with the Garret, placing of the Boards, or with the Diftinction of the un- Jeen Pieces of Linen; the most probable Method in effecting this Cheat, was a Confederacy betwixt the Stranger and fome Body that knew the Linen and the Garret, or else the Stranger was fome Perfon in League with the Devil, to whom the Maid fubjected her felf, by her unlawful Curiofity, and Defire of Gain, without examining by what Means the was to obtain it; her Wickednefs in coveting to be independent of GOD, might very well bring the hidden Treasure, and what Linen fhe had named, under the Power of those whofe Aid the required; and had the specified that Linen that was left, no doubt but it had gone all the fame Way. Q. In the Tear 1686, there was fhewn in Southwark Fair, a black Negro Man, having a Child growing out betwixt his Breafts, with all the perfect Parts of a Man, except the Head: Query, what was the Cause of fuch a Birth, and after what Manner, did it receive its Nourishment? Anfw. The Fráme of this Monster, may not unfitly be compar'd to the Workmanship upon a Piece of Tapestry, upon which two Perfons are employ'd, the more Diligent of the Two finishes his Task firft; and the more flothful, finding all the Materials fpent, is conftrained to leave his Business imperfect, and faften it to the other as well as he can: So the Spirits being in too great Abundance to attend the Formation of One fingle Child, under took |