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THOUGHTS on the ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES of the ANCIENTS: Concluded from Page 9.

WE are now to confider the fenti- the feveral motions, orbits, and ftaments of the Ancients refpecting Co- tions of the planets; adding also, that mets. There is no extravagance of they could foretell earthquakes, infancy, how wild foever, but what has undations, and the return of comets. been hazarded in different ages, to account for the nature of thefe ftupendous bodies, and the irregularity of their excursions. Even in the laft ages, Kepler and Hevelius advanced conjectures abfciutely extravagant refpecting the cause of thefe phænomena. M. Caffini, and after him fir Ifaac Newton, have at length given certainty to the opinions of the philofophers in this refpect, by their very accurate obfervations and calculations; or, to speak with more propriety, by recalling and fixing our attention upon what had formerly been advanced by the Chaldeans and Egyptians, by Anaxagoras, Democritus, Pythagoras, Hippocrates of Chios, Seneca, Apollonius Myndius, and Artemidorus: for, in treating of the nature of these ftars, the definitions of Caffini and Newton, the reasons they affign for the rareness of their appearance, and the apologies they make for not having yet formed a more exact theory, are all in the very terms that Seneca had already used. Their appearances,' he obferves, are fo very rare, that there had not been an opportunity of making a number of obfervations, to determine whether their courfe was regular or not; but that the Greeks, who had fome time before oblerved this, were applying themselves to refearches of this kind.'

Ariftotle, in laying down the opinions of Anaxagoras and Democritus, fays of the first, that he apprehended comets to be an affemblage of many wandering stars, which, by their approximation, and the mutual blending of their rays were rendered vifible to us. This notion was far from being philofophical; yet was it preferable to that of fome great moderns, who would have it that they were formed out of air, as fifhes are out of water. Pythagoras, who approached very near to the times of Anaxagoras, taught, according to Ariftotle's account, an opinion worthy of the most enlightened age; for he confidered comets as ftars, which circulated re- . gularly, though elliptically, round the fun, and which appeared to us only in particular parts of their orbit, and at confiderable diftances of time.' Ariftotle relates alfo the teftimonies of Hippocrates of Chios, and Æfchylus, in confirmation of this opinion.

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Seneca acquaints us, in the fime place, that the Chaldeans confidered comets as planetary bodies; and Diodorus Siculus, in his hiftory, giving an account of the extent of knowledge among the Egyptians, praifes them for the application with which they ftudied the stars and their courfes; where he remarks, that they had collected very ancient and very exact obfervations, fully informing them of

Stobæus prefents us with the fentiments of Pythagoras almoft in the very terms of Ariftotle, though somewhat more clearly. 'He imagined the comets,' fays he, to be wandering planets, which appeared only at certain times during their course."

Upon the whole, Seneca, more than any other, has difcuffed this fubject like a true philofopher. In his feventh book of Natural Questions, he relates all the different opinions refpecting comets, and feems to prefer that of Artemidorus, who imagined, that there was an immenfe number of them, but that their orbits were so fituated, that, fo far from being always within view, they could only be seen at one of the extremities.' He after ward reafons upon this with equal elegance and folidity: Why should we

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be aftonished,' fays he, that comets, which are fo rare a fpectacle in the world, have not yet been reduced to certain rules; or that we have not been hitherto able to determine, where begins or ends the course of planets, as ancient as the univerfe, and whofe returns are at fuch diftant intervals? The time will come,' he continues, 'when pofterity will be amazed at things fo very evident; for what now appears obfcure to us, will, one day or other, in the courfe of ages, and through the induftry of our defcendants, become manifeftly clear; but a fmall number of years, paffed between ftudy and the indulgence of paffion, will not avail for fuch important refearches as those which propofe the comprehenfion of natures fo remote.' Upon a review of the feveral paffages which we have cited, it must be admitted, that the Moderns have faid nothing folid with regard to comets, but what is to be found in the writings of the Ancients; except what later obfervations have furnished them with, which Seneca judged to be fo neceffary, and which can be the effect only of a long fuccellion of ages.

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An Account of LOUGHTON, in Effex: With a Perspective View of Queen ELISABETH'S LODGE in that Parish.

OUGHTON is a pleafant vil

fkirts of Epping Foreft, about eleven miles from London. This, and fome of the neighbouring parishes, may be called the Garden of Effex, from the pleafing variety of hills and vales, the fertility of the foil, the number of villas interfperfed, and the variety of beautiful profpects. Of the villas in this parish, the principal are Loughton Hall the feat of mifs Whitaker, and Golden Hil, the feat of Mrs. Clay. The former, though not a regular building, is large and handfome, and is furrounded by delightful views. In 1688, according to Mr. Morant, the princess Anne of Denmark refided here, for fome time, during the agi

tation into which the kingdom was

her father, in his attempts to introduce popery and arbitrary power; and foon after, with her royal confort, prince George, the went over to her brother-in-law, the prince of Orange, Golden Hill commands an exceedingly rich and extenfive profpect, in which the greatcft part of the metropolis is included. In this parish alfo is an ancient building, which is very interefting to the antiquary. It is called Queen Elifabeth's Lodge, and is fituated on Epping Foreft, not far from Woodford. According to the tradition of this part of the country, it was a hunting lodge of that illuftrious princefs; and it is faid that the ufed to

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ride

ride up and down the ftairs. This, on the first intimation of the circumftance, appears improbable, but, upon examination, is found not to be fo: for every step of this ftaircafe is very low; to every two steps is a landing place; at the top is every appearance of a horfeblock; and the timbers are of furprising magnitude. The furrounding grounds appear from the regularity of the trees, to have been once a park; and when the late captain Boothby refided in the Lodge, there was a choice, though fmall collection of pictures. What renders the traditional history of this building the more probable, is, that not far from this place, at the corner of Snakelane, in the parish of Woodford, ftands Hereford Houfe, which, upon the fame authority, is ftated to have been the refidence of Robert Devereux, earl of Effex, the great favourite of

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Elifabeth. This houfe was afterward inhabited by the family of Devereux, viscount Hereford. Indeed, this adjacent foreft was much frequented by royal vifitors at that period. In particular, near Hereford house, is Hearts, the ancient and venerable feat of Jervoife Clerke Jervoife, efq. where king James the firit often breakfalled in his hunting excurfions from his palace at Theobalds to Enfield Chafe and Epping Foreft. Queen Elifabeth's Lodge is now the property of William Heathcote, efq. and the refidence of his game-keeper. In the aircafe, the curious vilitor is shown a hole made by a bullet, of which the hiftory is, that the famous highwayman, Turpin, who many years ago ufed to rob on the 'Epping road, having a quarrel with the late game-keeper, in revenge fired into the Lodge.

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL.
NUMBER XV.

To the GUARDIAN ANGEL.
Celestial Spirit,

HAVE been particularly pleafed with obferving, that you have devoted fome of your late lucubrations to confiderations of the excellence of that pure and rational religion which is exhibited by genuine Chriftianity, and how effentially different from it is that fyftem, which, in many countries, has affumed the name of

Chriftianity, while, in reality, it has proved the most productive fource of infidelity, and its most common concomitants, vice and infelicity. As a farther illuftration of your labours in this refpect, I have taken the liberty to fend you a beautiful Vifion, written many years ago by mifs Carter, and I fhall be happy if it contributes, in the leaft degree, to fecond your benevolent views in favour of us mor

tals.

THEOPHILA.

METHOUGHT I was in the midft of a very entertaining fet of company,

and extremely delighted in attending to a lively converfation, when on a fudden I perceived one of the most thocking figures imagination can frame, advancing toward me. She was dreft in black, her skin was con

tracted into a thousand wrinkles, her

eyes deep-funk in her head, and her complexion pale and livid as the

countenance of death. Her looks were filled with terror and unrelent

ing feverity, and her hands armed with whips and fcorpions. As foon as fhe came near, with a horrid frown, the bid me follow her. I obeyed, and and a voice that chilled my very blood, the led me through rugged paths, befet with briars and thorns, into a deep folitary valley. Wherever the paffed, her fleps; her peftilential breath inthe fading verdure withered beneath fected the air with malignant vapours, obfcured the luftre of the fun, and involved the fair face of heaven in univerfal gloom. Difmal howlings refounded through the foreft; from every baleful tree, the night-raven

uttered

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