nions have been entertained respecting these anomalous bodies. In a late periodical publication, the writer of an article on comets, when alluding to the comet of 1811, proceeds to state "some singular changes and circumstances," which its influence occasioned. "The winter," says he, 66 was very mild, the spring was wet, the summer cool, and very little appearance of the sun to ripen the produce of the earth; yet the harvest was not deficient, and some fruits were not only abundant, but deliciously ripe, such as figs, melons, and wall-fruit. Very few wasps appeared, and the flies became blind, and disappeared early in the season. No violent storms of thunder and lightning, and little or no frost and snow the ensuing winter. Venison, which has been supposed to be indebted for its flavour to a dry and parched summer, was by no means deficient in fat or in flavour. But what is very remarkable," continues this sage observer, "in the metropolis, and about it, was the number of females who produced twins; some had more; and a shoemaker s wife, in Whitechapel, produced four at one birth, all of whom," &c. &c. And all such “singular changes and circumstances," it would appear, according to the fancy of this sapient Essayist, were occasioned by the influence of the comet which appeared in the autumn of 1811!!" The poets, likewise, by their bombastic descriptions, have tended to perpetuate superstitious feelings. The following is Du Barta's description of one of these visitors. "Here, in the night, appears a flaming spire, To all estates inevitable losses; To herdsmen rot, to ploughmen hapless seasons; The following extract from "Tully's Letters from Tripoli,” contains a picturesque description of a solar eclipse, and the effects it produced on the inhabitants of Barbary. "I cannot here omit describing what an extraordinary impression an eclipse makes on the uninformed part of the inhabitants of this country. Of this we had ocular proof during the great eclipse of the sun, on the 4th of this month, which was almost total, and occasioned, for some minutes, a gloomy darkness, resembling that of midnight. The beginning of the eclipse was seen at Tripoli, at half-past seven in the morning; at half-past eight, when it was at the height, the face of nature was changed from day to night. The screech-owl, not long retired to its rest, re-appeared, and disturbed the morning with its shrieks. Lizards and serpents were seen prowling about the terraces; and flights of evening birds, here called marabats, and held sacred by the Moors, flew about in great numbers, and increased the darkness. The noisy flitting of their wings roused the Moor, who had been stupified by fear; and, when one of these heavy birds (which often drop to the ground by coming in contact with each other) chanced to fall at his feet, the African would start aghast, look at it with horror, and set up a hideous howl. About eight o'clock, when the lustre of the morning was completely faded, the common Moors were seen assembling in clusters in the streets, gazing wildly at the sun, and conversing very earnestly. When the eclipse was at its height, they ran about distracted, in companies, firing vollies of muskets at the sun, to frighten away the monster or dragon, as they called it, by which they supposed it was being devoured. At that moment, the Moorish song of death and walliah-woo, or the howl they make for the dead, not only resounded from the mountains and vallies of Tripoli, but was undoubtedly re-echoed throughout the continent of Africa. The women brought into the streets all the brass pans, kettles, and iron utensils, they could collect; and, striking on them with all their force, and screaming at the same time, occasioned a horrid noise, that was heard for miles. Many of these women, owing to their exertions and fears, fell into fits, or fainted. The distress and terror of the Moors did not in the least abate, till near nine o'clock, when the sun assured them, by his refulgent beams, that all his dangers were passed. 66 During the morning and the day, the atmosphere was uncommonly clear, even for a Barbary sky, which rendered the effects of this great eclipse more striking. We learned, from Hadgi Abderrahman, who paid us a visit when it was over, that the first ladies in the place had trembled at the event, and several were seriously ill. The ladies of his own family, he said, had suffered much less at the appearance of the eclipse, from the circumstance of his being at home with them; for, though he considered it would be useless to enter into a philosophical account of it to them, yet he assured them that the moon went occasionally to see the sun; and when they met, by their being so close together, the moon always interrupted more or less of his light. This account, he said, the truth of which they were convinced of by his great earnestness, considerably abated their fears. To the ambassador it was a serious case, as Lilla Amnani is in a very delicate state of health; but the account he gave her of the phenomenon entirely pacified her." The above description presents a melancholy picture of the gross ignorance even of the ladies of modern Barbary, and of the consequent shallowness of their understandings; since their fathers and husbands considered it useless to enter into a rational account of the phenomenon, and since they were pleased with such an absurd and extravagant explanation of it. And, since the higher ranks, in that country, are so grossly ignorant of the order of nature, and of the causes of so common phenomena, in what a state of mental darkness must the lower classes of society be placed! Nor is Barbary the only country in which such ignorance prevails. Among the middling and lower ranks, in many European countries, supposed to be in a moderate state of civilization, a similar degree of intellectual debasement will be found to exist. The Croatians, who inhabit a certain district of the Austrian empire, make the whole of their religion consist in the hearing of mass and the observance of Lent; and robbery or murder are considered as more venial crimes, than to eat, during Lent, with a spoon that has been dipped in broth. The Morlacchi, who occupy another district of the same empire, are described by geographers, as extremely superstitious in their religious opinions, and as firmly believing in ghosts and witches, in sorceries and enchantments, and in every species of supernatural agency, while they are ignorant of the causes of the most common phenomena of nature. No. III.—Absurdities of Astrology. P. 24, &c. Mr. Varley's "Zodiacal Physiognomy," referred to in a note, p. 24, pretends to decide, that the various signs of the zodiac create a great diversity in the features and complexions of human beings; and have, in fact, such influence over the destinies of the human race, that the system may be fairly styled, "the phrenology of the skies." The following extracts exhibit a few specimens of the positions maintained by this profound and erudite writer. "It has been dis covered," says Mr. Varley," that each sign confers a specific style of countenance, feature, and complexion, by which appearances, alone, the sign which was rising at the east, at birth, can, often without any other help, be ascertained."-"The fiery trigon, consisting of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, contains the spirited, generous, magnanimous, and princely natures. The earthy trigon, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, contain the careful, sordid, and pernicious qualities; the aerial trigon, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, contain the humane, harmonious, and courteous principles; and the watery trigon, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, the cold, prolific, cautious, and severe qualities." Sagittarius, the house of Jupiter, is the only sign under which no persons are born having black or dark hair, eyes, and eye-brows." "I have always uniformly found," says the author, "those born under Sagittarius, to be very fair, with grey eyes, and, in general, of a lively, forgivinghearted, and free dispositions." Again, " Five minutes' difference of the time of their birth, renders the members of the same family red-haired, or black-haired, blue-eyed or black eyed, sordid or generous."—"Saturn, at any period of life, passing through the ascendant, which he does every thirty years, causes dulness or melancholy, for a few weeks, to the native, and when Jupiter passes over it, the party feels cheerful and healthy; and should a party of antiquarians, hundreds of years after a person's death, discover his grave, there must be some planet or the sun in conjunction, or some other aspect with his ascendant."-"Jupiter in the third house gives safe inland journies, and agreeable neighbours or kindred. The moon in this house will give constant trudging from one place to another, and is often so posited in the nativities of postmen and travellers. Jupiter in the fourth, with Venus, gives fixed or landed property, and a house ornamented with matters of taste, or of the fine arts. Jupiter in the fifth, gives a family of good or clever children, and much pleasure in life and its amusements. In the sixth, he signifies good servants and assistants, good health, and that the native will be fortunate in small cattle and animals. Jupiter in the seventh, signifies a good wife or husband, and agreeable dealings with mankind in making good bargans, &c."" Children born under Mars have well formed chins,-under Aquarius, are fair and amiable,— under Scorpio, are dark with aquiline noses, and greenish or grey eyes.' "Lord Byron, who was born under Scorpio, received enough of the reflected Taurus principle to prevent his nose from being aquiline, and to give to his character a degree of perverseness or eccentricity." "Persons born under Aries, with Jupiter in the first house, are likely to succeed and be appreciated in England: If he be posited in Taurus, the native is likely to succeed well in Ireland; if in Gemini, in London, of which this sign is the significator. Jupiter in Cancer will give him success in Scotland or Holland, or concerns connected with the water, unless Jupiter should be afflicted by any malevolent planet, or be in combustion by being too near the sun." By this time the reader will be sufficiently satiated with the sage doctrines of Mr. John Varley, in relation to "Zodiacal Physiognomy" and the Phrenology of the heavens. If he has a desire to pick up any more of such precious fragments of wisdom, he will be abundantly gratified in perusing the work itself, where, among other unique and precious relics, he will be presented with an engraving of the Ghost of a Flea, together with an account of the manner in which it appeared to Mr. Blake the artist, who drew it, and of its astrological correspondency and signification. That such absurdities should be published by the first bookselling establishment in London, in the twenty-eighth year of the nineteenth century, and be purchased by hundreds, perhaps by thousands, is a proof, that strong efforts are still requisite to extirpate the superstitions of astrology from the minds of many of our countrymen. No. IV.-Proofs of the belief which is still attached to the doctrines of Astrology, and of the pernicious effects it produces. P. 23. That the predictions of astrologers are still believed by many of our countrymen in the middling ranks of life, appears from the following recent occurrences. On the 2d September, 1829, Joseph Hyatt, a journeyman printer, was summoned before Sir Peter Laurie, at the Guildhall, London, charged with assaulting his wife, Phillips, on the preceding Saturday. In his defence, Hyatt declared, that all their unhappiness proceeded from his wife (a pretty young woman of eighteen years,) continually haunting the fortunetellers, and paying attention to their predictions. He produced a paper he had recently found, written by an astrologer, to whom his wife had applied. After laying down the position of the planets on the third of June, at the moment she applied to him, the astrologer proceeds, "The querant must not expect any thing to be very kind to her until late in this year, say October next. This day will not prove any thing kind or pleasant. The 28th day of this month also will not be friendly. July 2d, mind your phunny, and take no journey, and trust to no relative. The eighth day will not be unkind I hope. Look to it. The thirteenth day also promises you pleasure and also profit. Attend it; and avoid all dark sallow persons. (Her husband nearly answered this description.) From such your disappointments must come. August 2, 6, 23, avoid them days—may be qualified to give you vexation,—avoid them. Sept. 1, 6, will be unkind, but pray avoid 15, 20. October 4, avoid it, may be vexatious. The 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30, will be more kind, pray attend to them and make good use of them, they will not be unkind." The husband said, this fellow had predicted their separation for three months; what other things he had put in her head he did not know, but he led a miserable life with her.-Morning Chronicle, Sept. 3d, 1829. On the same day as above stated, (Sept. 2, 1829) Ann Wheeler, a servant girl, was brought to the Mansion-house, charged with having attempted to enter the house of her master, at two o'clock in the morning, over the rails. She was exquisitely dressed, and wore an elegant satin bonnet, which belonged to her mistress, and put on her curls and finery, in order to attend a "hop" in the neighbourhood, and acknowledged that she had been walking for an hour or two up and down the streets in conversation with her friend. In the course of the investigation it was stated, that there was found in the corner of her box, wrapped up carefully, a document |