Treaties of Education; the coe he called, A This is all we can find relating to Martinus, while be was ins Mocher's womb, excepting that he was entertained there with a Concert of Melck once in twenty four hours, according to the Cullom of the Magi: and that on a ƒ particuhe day, he was cherved to leap and kick exceedingly, which was on the fit of April, the birthday of the great Better Valerians. The Truth of this, and every preceding Fa&, may be depended upon, being taken literally from the Memoirs. But I must be to ingenuous as to own, that the Accounts are not to certain of the exact time and place of his birth. As to the first, he had the common fruity of old men, to conceal his age: as to the fecond, I crly remember to have heard him lay, that he fint aw the light in St. Giles's Parith. But in the investigation of this point, Fortune hath favoured our diligence. For one day as I was pating by the Seven Dials, I overheard a difpute concerning the place of Nativity of a great Aftrologer, which each man alledged to have been in his own ftreet. The circumitances of the time, and Ramfey's Cyrus. P. It was with judgment, that the Authors chofe rather to ridicule the modern relater of this ridiculous practice, than the Ancients from whence he took it. As it is a fure inftance of fcity, when among the many excellent things that may be learned from antiquity, we find a modern writer only picking out their abfurdities. the defcription the perfon, made me imagine it might be that univerfal Genius whofe life I am writing. I returned home, and having maturely confidered their several arguments, which I found to be of equal weight, I quieted my curiofity with this natural conclufion, that he was born in fome point common to all the seven streets; which must be that on which the column is now erected. And it is with infinite pleasure that I fince find my Conjecture confirmed, by the following paffage in the Codicil to Mr. Neale's Will. I appoint my Executors to engrave the following Infcription on the Column in the Centre of the feven fireets which I erected. LOC. NAT. INCLVT. PHILOS. MAR. SCR. But Mr. Neale's Order was never performed, because the Executors durft not administer. Nor was the Birth of this great man unattended with Prodigies: He himself has often told me, that on the night before he was born, Mrs. Scriblerus dream'd fhe was brought to bed of a huge Ink-born, out of which iffued feveral large streams of Ink, as it had been a fountain. This dream was by her husband thought to fignify, that the child fhould prove a very voluminous Writer. Likewise a Crab-tree that had been hitherto barren, appeared on a fudden laden with a vast Virgil's Laurel. Donat. P. quan tity of Cribs: This in all the old gentleman imagined to be a prognostic of the acuteness of his We Agenform of Wape play'd round his Cradle without bring him, but were very trou, E Halome to the room bedes: This seemed 4 orala prelige of the effects of his Satire. A Nail win within the space of one night to be covered Levi Mrs: This fome interpreted to promise the infint great fertility of fincy, but no long duration to his works; but the Fiber wis of mother crition. Fut what was of £ mud wonderful, was a thly the seemed a monitrous Fri, which just then droge through the y-light, near his wife's partment. It had a large body, two little difproportlered wings 1 prodigious tall, but no head. As its colour was white, he took it at first fight for & Swan, and was concluding his fon would be a Foot: but on a nearer view, he perceived it to be faked with buck, in the form of letters; and that it was heeed a Pager kite which had broke is lead by the imperality of the wind. His back was armed with the Art My, his belly was 2lled with Phytok, Als wings were the wings of Quaces and Withers, the lever Nodes of his volumicus til were Event with feveral branches of Science; where the Doctor beheld with great foy a knot of Logies, 1 knot of Metaphyllok, a koot of Callitry, a knot of Polemical Plaro, Lacur, er Divinity, and a knot of Common Law, with a Lanthorn of Jacob Behmen. There went a Report in the family, that, as foon as he was born, he uttered the voice of nine several animals: he cry'd like a Calf, bleated like a Sheep, chattered like a Mag-pye, grunted like a Hog, neighed like a Foal, croaked like a Raven, mewed like a Cat, gabbled like a Goose, and bray'd like an Afs. And the next morning he was found playing in his bed with two Owls, which came down the chimney. His Father greatly rejoiced at all thefe figns, which betokened the variety of his Eloquence, and the extent of his Learning; but he was more particularly pleased with the laft, as it nearly resembled what happen'd at the birth of Homeri. CHA P. II. The Speech of Cornelius over his Son, at the Hour of his Birth. No O fooner was the cry of the Infant heard, but the old gentleman rushed into the room, and fnatching it in his arms, examined every limb with attention. He was infinitely pleased to find, 1 Vid. Euftath. in Odyff. 1. xii. ex Alex. Paphio, et Leo. Allat. de patr. Hom. pag. 45. P. that the Child had the Wart of Cicero, the wry neck of Alexander, knots upon his legs like Marius, and one of them fhorter than the other like Agefilaus. The good Cornelius also hoped he would come to ftammer like Demofthenes, in order to be as eloquent; and in time arrive at many other defects of famous men. He held the child fo long, that the Midwife, grown out of all patience, fnatched it from his arms, in order to fwaddle it. "Swaddle him! (quoth he) far be it from "me to fubmit to fuch a pernicious Custom! Is "not my fon a Man? and is not Man the Lord of "the Universe? Is it thus you use this Monarch "at his first arrival in his dominions, to manacle "and fhackle him hand and foot? Is this what ec you call to be free-born? If you have no regard "to his natural Liberty, at least have some to his "natural Faculties. Behold with what agility he "fpreadeth his Toes, and moveth them with as great variety as his Fingers! a power, which in the small circle of a year may be totally abolish ર ed, by the enormous confinement of shoes and "ftockings. His Ears (which other animals turn "with great advantage towards the fonorous ob'ject) may, by the miniftry of fome accursed "Nurfe, for ever lye flat and immoveable. Not "fo the Ancients, they could move them at plea“fure, and accordingly are often describ'd arrectis "auribus. "What a devil (quoth the Midwife) would you have your fon move his Ears like a |