a Propensity to this Kind of venenous Operations, that it is not long fince (as you well remember) when the King of Macaffar's Poifon was fent hither, the Dr. was fo impatient to try the Experiment folitary, that, rather than attend the Pleasure of the Royal-Society, he adventured (though at the Price of their Difpleasure) to invade it by Surreption and Involation, and secretly deprived the Hint-Keeper of it; for which he received, I will not fay whether condign Punishment, or severe Caftigation, from the learned and honourable Prefident, in a grave and weighty Oration pronounced by his Lordship before this celebrious and renowned Affembly.

Truly, Lyndamore, I am of Opinion, that a Dog is much more proper for this Experi

that called the King of Macaffer's, upon Dogs, Cats, and other
Animals.
See Philofophical Tranfions, and Sprat's
Hiftory of the Royal Society.

But if a Dog be a Logician. This alludes to the common Argument introduced into the Schools to prove that Brutes think, by the Inftance of a Dog, who in tracing out his Master, when he comes to three Roads meeting together, tries two by his Nose, and not meeting with the Scent, immediately perfues the third by a fort of logical Conclufion.

Truly, Lyndamore.] This Repetition of the Name is exactly in the Manner of Boyle. See his Seraphic Love and his Phyfiological Elays addreffed in the fame Way to Pyrophilus.

ment, than that vigorous and vivid Animal commonly called a Cat: For a Cat, you know, is faid to have nine Lives, that is eight in Reverfion and one in Poffèffion; and it is a Matter of no mean Difficulty exactly to trace and obferve, how many of these the lethal Force of this deftructive Medicament will reach; and therefore you may have taken Notice, that when we last tryed this very Experiment on a Creature of that Species, although but a weak and feeble Kitten, the venemous Quality proved fo innocuous, that the fecure little Beast laid it felf down to fleep in the hollow Concave of that Emblem of our Jurifdiction over the Lives and Limbs of Dogs and Cats, the Mace; and in that Posture, as if it had triumphed over its mortal Enemy, and all our Hoftilities, was born before the most excellent and accomplished Lord Prefident.

You may alfo, Lyndamore, obferve the Strength of Judgment, and Ingenuity of the acute and

You may remember Lyndamore, &c.] The Perfon of whom Sorbiere fays this was Sir Robert Murray, and the Paffage alluded to, is as follows." It was a wonderful, or rather a very edifying Thing, "to find a Perfon imployed in Matters of State, and of fuch ex"cellent Merit, and one who had been engaged a great Part of *his Life in Warlike Commands, and the Affairs of the Cabinet,

profound Dr. in the topical Application of the mortiferous Unguent to that Part of the Dog's Neck, that is fituate nearest to his Brain and confequently to lefion, and furtheft out of the Reach of that natural Chirurgery, as I may call it, of his Tongue; that nothing may obstruct the free Paffage of this pernicious Compofition, but give it full Scope to exert its Efficacy in the feveral and refpective Organs of the paffive Animal.

You may remember, Lyndamore, what the fubtle and judicious Sorbier fays of a worthy Member of this Society-That 'tis a Work of Admiration to behold a Perfon bred up in Courts and Camps, and at this present employed in the most weighty Affairs of the State, to appear in Mechanical Querpo in St. James's Park, and managing the Sidrophelian Tube, to mufter the Life-guard of Jupiter, and to take an Account of the Spots in his Belt: So we may fay, it is no lefs wonderful to behold

"apply himself in making Machines in St. James's Park, and ad"jufting Telescopes. All this we have feen him do with great "Application, and undoubtedly to the Confufion of most of the "Courtiers, who never mind the Stars, and think it a Difhonour to concern themselves with any Thing, but inventing of new "Fashions." See Sorbiere's Journey to England, Page. 30.

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this exquifite and folert Dr. whose Province lies in the Cabinet of fair Ladies, and whose daily Employments are to follicit the tender Arteries of their Ivory Wrists; that he, I fay, fhould nevertheless condescend to animadvert the languishing Diastole of an expiring Mungrel.

From this, Lyndamore, we may learn, that as in general Nature there is neither higher nor lower, but Zenith and Nadir are equally on a Plane, as well as the Poles; fo we may receive Matter of Inftruction from Objects of the meanest and most contemptible Quality, as well as from Things of higher and more fublime Condition; even as the most induftrious and elegant Mr. Hook, in his Microscopical Observations, has most ingeniously and wittily made it appear, that there is no difference, in point of Design and Project, between the most ambitious and afpiring Politician of the World, and of our Times especially, and that most importune and vexatious Infect, commonly called a Louse.

BENEFICIAL REFLECTIONS

UPON

MILFORD-HAVE N.

T

HE Security of England confifting most particularly in the Circumvallation of her Ocean-Walls, it must needs be dangerous

The Writer of Butler's Life, prefixed to his Hudibras, informs us "that, after the Reftoration of King Charles II. he became Secretary to Richard Earl of Carbery, Lord Prefident of the "Principality of Wales, who made him Steward of Ludlow"Caftle."—And agreeable to this I find among his Papers a Protection of him, under that Character, against all Arrest, Molestations, &c. figned CARBERY, and dated the laft Day of September 1667.

It is highly probable, that during his Refidence in that Part of the Kingdom, he drew up these Reflections; as the nearness of the Place would give him Opportunity, and the Leifure, he might then be fuppofed to have, Time to turn his Thoughts that Way.

As the Nature of the Subject does not admit that Method of reasoning, and thofe Peculiarities of Wit and Humour, which fo remarkably distinguish Butler from all other Writers, I should not have thought of printing these Observations, if the present Attention of the Public to the Utility and Neceffity of fortifying MilfordHaven, and the Legislature's thinking it a Matter of Importance enough to merit their Care and Confideration, had not given me reafon to believe, that they would, at this Time, be received as a valuable Curiofity.