Great Britain; but alas! in our present wretched, divided condition, how can we hope, that foreigners of fo great prudence will freely declare their fentiments in the midst of violent parties, and at so vaft a diftance from their friends, relations, and country? the affection I bear our neighbour-ftate, would incline me to wish it were Holland- -Sed lævá in parte mamille Nil falit arcadico. It is from France then we muft expect this restoration of learning, whofe late monarch took the sciences under his protection, and raifed them to fo great a heighth. May we not hope their emiffaries will fome time or other have inftructions, not only to invite learned men into their country, but learned beafts, the true ancient man-tegers I mean of Æthiopia and India? Might not the talents of each kind of thefe be adapted to the improvement of the feveral sciences? the man-tegers to inftruct heroes ftatesmen, and fcholars; baboons to teach ceremony and address to courtiers; monkeys, the art of pleafing in converfation, and agreeable affectations to ladies and their lovers; apes of lefs learning, to R 3 form form comedians and dancing-masters; and marmofets, court pages and young english travellers? But the diftinguishing each kind, and allotting the proper bufinefs to each I leave to the inquifitive and penetrating genius of the Jefuits in their refpective miffions. Vale & fruere, ANNUS OR, THE WONDERFUL EFFECTS OF THE APPROACHING CONJUNCTION OF THE PLANETS JUPITER, MARS, AND SATURN. By MART. SCRIBLERUS, Philomath. In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas Suppofe every body is fufficiently apprized of, and duly prepared for, the famous conjunction to be celebrated the 29th of this inftant December 1722, foretold by all the fages of antiquity under the name of the annus mirabilis, or the metamorphoftical conjunction: a word which denotes the mutual transformation of fexes (the effect of that configuration of the celeftial bodies) the human males being to be turned into females, and the human females into males. The Egyptians have represented this great transformation by feveral fignificant hieroglyphicks, particularly one very remarkable. There are carved upon an obeJisk, a barber and a midwife; the barber delivers his razor to the midwife, and fhe her fwadling-cloaths to the barber. Accordingly Thales Milefius (who, like the reft of his countrymen, borrowed his learning from the Egyptians) after having computed the time of this famous conjunction, then, fays he, fall men and women mutually exchange the pangs of having and childbearing. Anaximander modeftly defcribes this metamorphofis in mathematical terms, then, fays he, hall the negative quantity of the women be turned into pofitive, their -into + (i. e.) their minus into plus. Plato not only fpeaks of this great change, but defcribes all the preparations towards it. “Long before the bodily transforma"tion (fays he) nature shall begin the most " difficult part of her work, by changing "the ideas and inclinations of the two "fexes; men fhall turn effeminate, and "women manly; wives fhall domi neer, ❤ neer, and husbands obey; ladies fhall "ride a horseback, dreffed like cavaliers ; “ princes and nobles appear in night-rails and petticoats; men fhall fqueak upon "theatres with female voices, and women corrupt virgins; lords fhall knot and "cut paper; and even the northern pèoσε ple, ἀρσένα κύπριν ὀρινεῖν :” A phrase (which for modefty's fake I forbear to translate) which denotes a vice too frequent amongst us. That the miniftry forefaw this great change, is plain from the callico act; whereby it is now become the occupation of the women all over England to convert their useless female habits into beds, windowcurtains, chairs, and joint-ftools; undreffing themselves (as it were) before their transformation. The philosophy of this transformation will not seem surprizing to people, who search into the bottom of things. Madam Bourignon, a devout french lady, has shewn us, how man was at firft created male and female in one individual, having the faculty of propagation within himself : a circumftance neceffary to the ftate of in nocence, |