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that's impossible!' Some time afterwards, he went to Winchington. Just as he was going, one of his friends bid him remember what Mr. Gadbury had said, and beware of drinking. As soon as he was taken ill, remembering, I suppose, Mr. Gadbury's words, he told his son he should not recover. Mr. Turner had sat down to drink, but nothing extraordinary, two days previously to his being taken ill, with other gentlemen, and had related what had passed between Mr. Gadbury and himself; and that it is true, I can produce several persons of undoubted 'reputation to testify." Whether Mr. Turner died from a prepossession of the truth of Mr. Gadbury's prediction, or from a disease calculated to destroy life, there is no other document to prove; at all events, it shows the general belief and impression, at that period, in favour of such prophetic sagacity.

Mr. William Lilly, who encouraged the prevailing credulity by absurd fictions, relates, with great apparent good faith, how a poor woman had the singular gift of foretelling the death of any one, from the bare inspection of their portraits. Such renown had she, that, about the year 1615, King James, when at Hampton Court, sent for this poor woman, to a house in one of the Moulseys. There were provided purposely the pictures of King James, Queen Ann, Palsgrave and his lady, the Duke of Richmond, and Marquis Hamilton.

The poor woman no sooner entered the room, and had performed her homely compliments, but she looked seriously on every picture, and, with great silence, took down the portrait of Queen Ann, and laid it gently under the table, making signs with her fingers the number of years she should live, and so of King James, the duke, and the marquis. Not one

of those exceeded the number of years limited by her, but died precisely at the time. She then took the Palsgrave and his Lady, threw them on the ground, and with her stick did nothing but beat the pictures, and at last tore them in pieces. A young man coming into the room, and calling her a witch, she muttered, and signified he should be hanged in two years and a half; and so he was for coining of silver.

The latest account extant, of an astrologer practising his profession with success, is to be found in the reports at Union Hall, June 21, 1832, when an application was made at that office for a warrant against a Mr. Stiff, far famed for casting nativities with the greatest accuracy. The applicant for the warrant said he had a valuable book stolen from him, and, to find out the thief, he went to Mr. Stiff, who, after some apparent study, exclaimed, "I have it! " and described with admirable minuteness the features, figure, and dress, of a female, to whom the applicant was paying his addresses, adding, that the person whom he so described was the thief. This description so agreed with that of the young lady he at one time loved sincerely, that, from the day he first consulted Mr. Stiff, he had broken off all acquaintance with her. Indeed, he was so convinced that she was the thief, upon hearing Mr. Stiff pronounce the fact, that he discarded her from that moment, not feeling inclined to proceed against her. The magistrates could scarcely refrain from loud laughter at the credulity evinced by this simpleton's visit to the wise man. It was not in consequence of the loss of his book, or his mistress, that the present complaint was made; but because he had given Mr. Stiff ten pounds, to teach him the art of astrology, which sum he

wished to recover, because in the end he found himself as ignorant as ever.

In many parts of the world, particularly in the East, astrology still reigns with undiminished sway. Among the Hindus, it exercises a powerful influence upon all their actions. No affair of consequence is undertaken without the astrologer being consulted. When, about ten years ago, the cholera raged at Jeypore, the astrologers hit upon the following curious mode of ejecting it from the city. They and the singers attended, and the state band commenced playing. A Bramin lighted a row of lamps, and selected four goats. After killing two of them at two of the gates, and a third at the burying-ground, he lighted a wisp of straw, ran with it to another gate, and killed there the fourth goat. He next drew in a brass pot some water from a sacred well, muttered a charm over it, and sprinkled a portion on the walls, from which simultaneously issued four snakes (no doubt previously secreted there), and fled towards the west. When they were gone, the Bramin declared that they were the spirits of pestilence, in the form of serpents, that they were now expelled, and that, to prevent their return, the people must repair, on a certain day, to the temple of Hanuman.

That astrology is not less prevalent in Ceylon than on the Indian continent is manifest from the following curious directions for storing grain, and celebrating a festival. "In the 1746th year of the glorious æra of Saka, being the present year, designated Taaruna, appropriate to the sun, and belonging to the first division, over which Brahma presides, of the cycle of sixty years, the commencing year of which is denominated Prebhava, on the twelfth day of the sun in

Capricorn, month of Nawan Mase, third day of the increasing moon, Saturday. At the completion of the fifteenth hour of the morning *, at the propitious moment when the prevailing constellation shall be Seeva Wase, and the sign of Arise, and the hour influenced by Lunies. Viewing the month (at this propitious moment), it will be good, and conducive of a happy result, to deposit the new corn and rice in the Royalty Gabadawe, which is comparable to the 'all desires-fulfilling tree,' the Kalpa Warksha, in order to induce plenitude of grain and of riches therein.

"On the fourteenth day of the sun in Capricorn above mentioned, on the fifth day of the increasing moon, Monday, † at the completion of three quarters of the first hour of the night, the propitious moment when the prevailing constellation shall be Uttrapotupe, and the sign Capricorn, and the hours under the denomination of the sun, viewing the north-east (at the propitious moment), in order to induce exemption from sickness, and constant prosperity to his excellency the eminent governor of the three divisions of Ceylon, and who is comparable to the mighty royal lion, the vanquisher of all his foes, it will be good to enjoy the five nectareous viands with the first produced grain-Success! Prosperity! Health!"

It will be seen, from this specimen, that the Cingalese astrologers are by no means behind their European brethren in the use of an unintelligible jargon; and that they are as determined flatterers of the great as the most voracious devourer of flat

*This answers to twelve at noon.

A Cingalese hour is equal to twenty-four minutes; consequently, eighteen minutes after dark.

tery could desire. The reader will not fail to observe, likewise, that, when they are singing the praises of "the eminent governor," they find no difficulty in expressing themselves so as to be clearly understood.

CHAPTER XXVI.

MEDICAL DELUSIONS AND FRAUDS.

State of Medicine in remote Ages-Animals Teachers of MedicineGymnastic Medicine-Cato's Cure for a Fracture-Dearness of ancient Medicines and medical Books-Absurdity of the ancient Materia Medica: Gold, Bezoar, Mummy-Prescription for a Quartan- Amulets - Virtues of Gems-Corals CharmsCharm for sore Eyes-Medicine connected with Astrology—— Cure by Sympathy-Sir Kenelm Digby-The real Cause of the Cure The Vulnerary Powder, &c.-The Royal Touch-Evelyn's Description of the Ceremony-Valentine Greatrakes Morley's Cure for Scrofula-Inoculation-Vaccination-Dr. Jenner-Animal Magnetism-M. Loewe's Account of it-Mesmer, and his Feats-Manner of Magnetizing-Report of a Commission on the Subject Metallic Tractors-Baron Silfver hielm and the Souls in White Robes Mr. Loutherbourg-Empirics-Uroscopy-Mayersbach-Le Febre-Remedies for the Stone The Anodyne Necklace The Universal MedicineConclusion.

THE history of the art of medicine begins with fable and conjecture, and rests on dubious tradition. Fifty years prior to the Trojan war, Esculapius is said to have been deified, on account of his medical skill; and Machaon and Podalirius, his sons, formed the medical staff of the Grecian army before Troy. In the temples of the gods diseases and cures were registered, and engraved on marble tables and hung up, for the benefit of others. The priests, at that time, prepared the medicines, and made it a lucrative trade; and fables were invented to increase the re

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