enemies, but most of all from himfelf, a Turkish Janiffary. His art Idifcovered to him the fecrets of cach extremity of time, à parte ante and à parte poft; but, like moft forbidden arts, could not difcover to him what was to happen to himself.

difpofed to believe?" They cer tainly did," returned Keba; "and, what enhances their merit the more is, that, although they had few inftruments fuch as we poffefs, to affift their labours, yet nothing could exceed the accuracy of their calculations.

An adept thus calculated to fur- Pythagoras, the fage of Samos, render the magazines of Antiquity became now the fubject of converand learning, without the inconve- fation. "Did this philofopher ennience of feientific approaches, was join his difciples fuch a rigorous fiwhat Gifart above all things want- lence as we are taught to believe?" ed. Upon this occafion his curio- "Afluredly," replied Keba; because fity knew no bounds. "By what "filence and patient investigation are art," fays he, "haft thou contrived, the only fure guides to useful knowbrother Keba, to extend thy exift- ledge."-"I can readily admit this,' ence through fo many revolving fays Gifart; "but why the prohiages of the world, and to counter- bition concerning beans*, that has act the horrors of old age?"-"The fince embarraffed the Learned fo fecret," replied Keba, "I acquired greatly? To my mind, it was cruel, by a diligent comparison of the hotfay unjuft, wantonly to degloffes of our Talmud with the privethe world of fuch a pleasant myfteries of aftrology. I first ufgegerbe."

knitting his brows, like thofe whee but in part, and from thefr blindness grow confident in error. In the Pythagorean doctrine of beans there is a great mystery; but, in the prefent contracted ftate of human intellect, it may not be revealed. However, when the negative+ quantity of the Pythagoreans is connected into the pofitive of the Cartefians, thus, +: or, their minus into your plus;' ther fhall thefe things be made known."

it through choice, but now too fpeak," rejoined Keba, neceffity. If thou require it at my hands, I will impart it to thee for a fuitable reward. But com der well," added he, "before thou makeft the demand, whether abfence from death be really a bleffing." Gifart ftill perfevering in his requeft, Keba promifed fhortly to comply; obferving, at the fame time, with a figh, that Bacchus never conferred upon Midas, nor Dejanira upon Hercules, a more bancful gift. As Keba profeffed himself deeply read in myftic literature, it now occurred to Gifart to feize the opportunity of enquiring into the true properties of the word "Abracadabra," about which the Learned have been fo much divided ever fince the days of Bafilides, the heretick. Keba informed him that the word has a twofold application. In its fynthetic ftate, it is infallible against the ague; analyze it, and ach letter prefides over a particular difeafe. Gifart next enquired whether the Chaldeans, te antient inhabitants of that diftrict, had entered fo deeply into the knowledge of the heavenly bodies as mankind were in general

Having difcuffed this topick, Gifart once more adverted to aftronomy. "Since both Chaldeans and Pythagoreans," fays he, "poffeffed the true fecret of the planetary revolutions, how came it to be fo miferably degraded by the vifions of Ptolomy, the Alexandrian? His cryftalline orbs, his primum mobile, and his empyreal heavens, have evidently no foundation in ture."

na

"This was done by that philofopher," replied Keba, " rather to accommodate himself to vulgar

"Tis this the fage of Pathos means, Forbidding his difciples beans." Swift. + Swift

prejudice

prejudice, 'than to confound the truth. In fome cafes it is not expedient, in others it is not fafe, to fpeak plainly; witnefs the fate of Galilæo in the Inquifition, and the precautions with which the fecret* of Ceres was ever revealed, even to adepts."

"You know, probably, fome particulars of Mahomet, the Arabian," fays Gifart. "Is every thing true that we are told of that lawgiver? What think you of his pidgeon, his miraculous coffin, and his converfation + with the Shoulder of mutton ?"

66

Nuga! et nugarum_nugæ !" rejoined Keba. "Yet Mahomet was no fool; he knew human nature well, particularly that part of it with which he had to deal. How ingeniously did he convert his failings into virtues! His mother was a Jewefs; and in his religion he has borrowed largely from us. His followers have no grounds for the indignity with which they affect to treat our nation."

Gifart now proposed some queftions about the domeftic habits of the prophet. "Was he as fenfual as he had been reprefented?" &c.

It is neither neceffary nor con

this

venient," refumed Keba, with referve," to defcend to fuch parti culars. All I can relate upon fubject is (what indeed may be better collected from the Koran), that the prophet was extremely amorous. He has been cenfured by unbelievers for making a diftinction between himself and his friends in affairs of gallantry; but he had. doubtlefs, his private reafons. To his followers he allows four wives, and as many concubines as they can afford to keep. To himfelt the prophet is more indulgent. Take his own words.

Tɔ

To thee, O, prophet! it is permitted to lye with all women that are given thee, or thou dost purchase; thy aunts, and ki dred, and all good women that freely defire thy company. And this is lawful-fe thee alone§."

Gifart next wifhed to learn fomething about Romulus, the great founder of the Roman empire. “ it fact," fays he, "that that prince was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind; and that he afterwards appeared to Julius Proculus, 25 that fenator made oath before the fenate, commanding the Roman people to adore him, and promiting to be a propitious god to them, usder the title of the god Quirinus?"

The fecret of the Eleufinian myfteries; fuppofed by fome to have been the know ledge of the true God and of the planetary fyftem.

+ There is a remarkable anecdote upon this head in Du Ryer's Koran, p. 406. Ma homet was invited to the houfe of a friend, who defigned to poison him through the me dium of a shoulder of mutton. The prophet, however, proved too many for his ho By means of a private conference with the mutton, he difcovered the perfidy, and ele ped the foare. This was all very well. But mark the prophet's ingenious method putting the veracity of the mutton to the teft. Having fome doubts upon the fubject, he fuffered an intimate friend who was prefent, and who had not the fame means of infor mation, to eat of the mutton, by way of experiment; and-be died. How much ment noble as well as more gènerous was the conduct of St. Anthony of Padua opon a tryią occafion! When the hereticks refused to listen to his preaching, instead of punitheg them for their obftinacy, as he might have done, be addreffed himself to the firs upta the fea fhore. The fermon he delivered upon this occafion was animated and grand, mi is till preferved in the hiftory of that church. Whether the fishes became bené jak converts to this excellent discourse, could only be known by the subsequent regularity d their lives; but if they did not, the more fhame for them; they must have been nato rious hypocrites. However, the hiftorian hints that they were fincere; for, at the co clufion of his report, he exclaims with triumph, “ A questo due, O maraviglia grank, come fi quelli pesci havessero havuto bumano intelletto, e difcorfo, con gette di profundatsmilta, con riverenti fembianti di religione, chinarono la testa, blandiro col corpo, qui approvando cio che detto havea il benedetto padre St. Antonio." Addifon's Travels, p. Introduction to Du Ryer's Kotan.“ Du Ryer's Koran, p. 407. Ecchard, p. 17, vol. I.,

How much the times are,altered fince the days of St. Anthony! Were fo many fihet now to trust themselves round one of our doctors, who fees not the refuit ?

"A mere

"A mere flam," replied Keba, as I hope to live, or, rather, as I ope to die. The Learned of thofe lays treated the ftory with the fame ontempt as thofe of yours do the afpiration of the Maid of Orleans." Gifart was proceeding with other ueftions, equally interefting, when; is friend was arrefted by an order rom the Bashaw. Intelligence had eached this officer, that Mahemet abhar affumed a fictitious characer; and that he was in reality a py employed by an Arab tribe that ad defigns upon the town. His, roteftations of innocence availed im nothing. He was feized, and nmediately fentenced to undergo e baftinado, to extort confeflion. As they were haling him away to unishment, he obferved to Gifart, 1a whisper, "Thefe, my friend, re the fruits of an immortality on arth; be thankful that you have ot obtained the fecret!"

Gifart had now few inducements O continue at Bagdat. He accordgly turned his thoughts towards gypt, the great mistress of myftial attainments. Fortunately, at is crifis Haffan Benoir, Shaik-eleled, and captain of a powerful be of Arabs, was dangerously infpofed with a fever, contracted om exceffive fatigue in watching r the caravan that departs annuly from Cairo to Mecca. For ten quins, and the promise of a cure*, purchafed his friendthip. Uner this protection Gifart croffed e defart that feparates Bagdat om Suez, and reached Egypt in fety. And here we take leave of m for the prefent.

Mr. URBAN,

A

May 12.

Conftant Reader, and one
who has long been accufto-

med to find entertainment in the, ufeful pages of your Monthly Pub lication, would with to propole to fuch readers as himfelf the contideration of an epitaph, which he, conceives to be of an unusual and peculiar turn; and to learn, if they pleafe, what may be the different fentiments of fome of them upon the subject.

It is in the church-yard of a village in one of our centrical counties, upon the fide of a large handfome itone tomb, raised to fome height from the ground, and built, as it is fair to fuppofe, at a contiderable expence.

mire the epitaph in queftion as an Some, perhaps, may much adelegant example of the well-known figure in rhetorick, the Apofiopefis, fo often employed by the antient writers, both Greek and Roman, and with fuch happy effect: of which it would be easy to produce numerous inftances.

inclined altogether to condemn the Others, on the contrary, may be writer of the infcription, as not having ftrictly and to the letter complied with the wishes of his. departed friend.

And others again, taking a middle courfe, may think that the writer acted at least from a commendable intention; that, if he deviated from his friend's with, it was in his friend's behalf; that, like Scævola of old, if he had not deviated or made a mistake (if fome will fo infift upon it's being called),. "Si non errâffet, fecerat ille minus;" and that, at the utmost, he' only did, according to the neat and interefting language of Cicero,, pleading the caufe of Milo, "what, every one would with that his own

*The profeffion of medicine is not without its dangers in the Eaft, particularly in ypt. To acquit himself with eclat, the phyfician must be matter of both the fymptotic and curative branches of his art. When he is called in to a great man (or rather ght by him, for few go volunteers), he is expected infantly to predict the difeafe by ich his patient is confined, and to undertake, within a given time, to complete the e. If he fail in the first, he is treated with contempt; if in the lift, he forfeits his ad. In the year 1777, the Emir Hadge was feverely wounced in an action with his emies."M. Grace, the French phyfician, was called in, and cured him, but not,” Savary, "without fuffering many fears; for bis life depended on that of the patient."

adherents

adherents in fimilar circumftances and re-building the fallen arches had done."

I

Mr. URBAN,

May 3 AM juft returned from viewing the ruins of Chelmsford church, of whofe downfall, Jan. 18 this year, you gave an account in p. 79. It was occafioned. by digging for a vault* between two of the South pillars of the nave for a lady of the family of Tindal. The workmen were not aware till too late that they were got below the foundation of the two pillars, which, being at no great depth in the ground, gave way in about five hours after they left the fpot, and drew along with it the whole range of arches on that fide, and with them the roof of the nave and its ailes, and the greatest part of the walls over the arches and windows, leaving only the tower at the Weft end, and the chancel at the Eaft end, ftanding. The organ efcaped unhurt, though the gallery before it was beaten down, and the monuments with the library in the North aile are fafe. A bill, to enable the parishioners to raife a fum of money on annuities, is brought into parliament; and it is believed that, by taking down the upper walls to the crown of the arches,

A fimilar accident happened, exactly from the fame cause, about the same period, at Wingrave church, in Buckinghamshire.

with the old materials, a thorough repair may be made.

What meafures are to be adoptted for rebuilding the tower of Writtle church, which fell in co■fequence of three injudicious at tempts at repair by a country bricklayer, is not yet known.

The church of High Ongar is fhored up, and threatens downfall.

It is hoped these inftances will be timely warnings to the inhabitants and incumbents of parochial churches, how they truft the repair of them to country or inexperienced workmen.

The gaol and town-hall of Chelmsford are monuments of the fkill of its architect, Mr. Johníon to whom the re-establishment of the church is committed.

The old conduit in the middle of the town is fucceeded by the figure of a woman holding a shield thus infcribed:

"This conduit was erected near the fite of the former, the inclosure at the spring

[head rebuilt, and a more ample fupply of water conveyed i [the town than of late years, by the accumulation ef [intereft annually from the fum of 2001. left by the

Sir William Mildmay, of Moulsham hall, bart. in the year 1771, for the fuppert

and maintenance of the conduit and pip

[leading from the spring-head, by the direction of Dame Anne Mildmay, and the very liberal contribution of the Royal Exchange Aff

[rance and Sun fire-office with the subscription of feveral inhabitants of this town. 1771." Over the infeription, quarte, I and 4, three lions rampant, Mil may; 2 and 3, .... impaling three lions rampant, Mildma Round the circular peduttal, capitals, and formerly on the d conduit in four finall tables on the four fides,

"Sic charitas a Deo fonte, benigna nignis, nec diminutus largiendo, mec parces parcis."

On the top of the pedestal, four dolphins. From four lions heads at