Page images
PDF
EPUB

dow; and Pray for fuch out of your charity; and organs, which I brake. Redfham Magna, April the 5th. A crucifix, and three other fuperftitious pictures; and gave order for Mr Barenby, the parfon, to level the fteps in the Chancel. He preach but once a day.

Froftenden, April the 8th. Twenty fuperftitious pictures, one crucifix, and a picture of God the Father, and St Andrew with his cross, and St Catharine with her wheel; four cherubims on the pulpit; two croffes on the steeple; and one on the chancel. And Mr Ellis, an high conftable of the town, told me faw an Irish man, within two months, bow to the crofs on the fteeple, and put off his hat to it." The fteps were there to level, which they promifed to do.

" he

Trembly, Aug. the 21ft, 1644. Martin's. There was a friar, with a fhaven crown, praying to God in thefe words, Miferere mei, Deus; which we brake down, and twentyeight cherubims in the church, which we gave order to take down by Aug. 24th.

Aug. the 21ft, Brightwell. A picture of Chrift and the Virgin Mary, that we brake down; and the twelve apoftles painted in wood, and a holy-water font, and a step to be levelled; all which we gave order to be broke down, and steps to be le velled, by Aug. 31st.

Ufford, Aug. 31ft. (See above.) Where is fet down what we did Jan. the 27th. "Thirty fuperftitious pictures; and left thirty-feven more to break down ;" and fome of them we brake down now. In the Chancel we brake down an angel; three Orate pro anima in the glafs, and the Trinity in a triangle; and twelve cherubims on the roof of the Chancel; and nigh an hundred Jesus-Maria, in capital letters; and the steps to be levelled. And we brake down the organ-cafes,

-Ini

and gave them to the poor.the church there was on the roof above an hundred Jefus and Mary in great capital letters, and a crofier ftaff to be broke down, in glass; and above twenty ftars on the roof. There is a glorious cover over the font, like a Pope's tripple crown, with a Pelican on the top picking its breast, all gilt over with gold. And we were kept out of the church above two hours, and neither church-wardens, William Brown, nor Roger Small, that were enjoined thefe things above three months afore, had not done them in May, and I fent one then to fee it done, and they would not let him have the key. And now, neither the church wardens, nor William Brown, nor the conftable James Tokelove, and William Gardener the fexton, would not let us have the key in two hours. time. New churchwardens, Thomas Stanard, Thomas Stroud. And Samuel Canham of the fame town, faid, "I fent men to rifle the church;"

and William Brown, old churchwarden, faid, "I went about to pull down the church, and had carried away part of the church."

Elmfett, Aug. the 22d. Crow, a deputy, had done before we came. We rent apieces there the hood and furplus.

Holton, by Halefworth, Aug. the 29th. Two fuperftitious pictures in the church; and IXHXS the Jefuits badge, in the Chancel window, promised by the minister, Mr Wil. liam Pell.

Mettfield, Aug. the 30th. In the church, was Peter's keys, and the Jefuits badge, in the window; and many on the top of the roof. I. for Jefus, H. for Hominum, and S. for Salvator; and a dove for the Holy Ghoft, in wood.

Feb. 4th. By virtue of a Warrant directed to me, by the Right Honourable the Earl of Manchefter, I do

hereby

Lama of Tibet.

bereby depute and appoint you T. D. in my abfence to execute the faid Warrant in every particular, within the County of according to an Ordinance of Parliament therein men

15

tioned, and power given unto me by the faid Warrant as fully as I myself may, or might execute the fame. In witnefs whereof I have hereunto fet my band and feal.

Of the LAMA of TIBET.

[blocks in formation]

THERE is a great fovereign now upon earth, who, though an infant, is the oldeft of all fouls alive by many centuries.

This extraordinary perfonage is a living evidence of the foul's immor. tality, or at least has advanced so far in proof, as to convince the world, by his own example, that it is not neceffarily involved in the extinction of the body. Though he is the greatest genealogift living, and can with certainty make out the longest and clearest pedigree of any potentate now reigning, yet he is properly fpeaking without ancestors. As I cannot doubt but that so striking an event as the general deluge must be fresh in his memory, though a pretty many years have fince elapfed, he mult of neceffity have been none other than Noah himself; for as he has always been his own fon, and that fon can never have been living at the fame moment with his father, it is plain he must have been that very identical patriarch, when he furvived the flood.

As he was but eighteen months old, according to his corporeal computation, when he was laft vifited, he was not very communicative in converfation; but I have hope upon the next meeting he will have the good. nefs to fet us right about Pythagoras, who I am perfuaded funk fome part of his travels upon us, and was actually in his court, where he acted the part of a plagiary, and, in the

school-boy's phrafe, cribb'd a foul copy of his Holinefs's tranfmigration; but with fuch ftrong marks of a counterfeit, that after a fhort trip to the Trojan war, and a few others not worth relating, it is to be prefumed he has given up the frolic; for I do not hear that he is at prefent amongst us, at least not amougft us of this kingdom; where, to fay the truth, I do not fee any thing that resembles him. In the mean time, the religious fovereign of Tibet (for the reader perceives I have been fpeaking of Teehoo Lama), in the fpirit of an original keeps his feat upon the Mufnud of Terpâling; which throne he has continued to prefs ever fince his defcent from Mount A

rarat.

After all, we must acknowledge this was a bold creed for prieftcraft to impofe: but credulity has a wide fwallow; and if the doctrine passed upon a nation fo philofophical and inquifitive as the Greeks, it may well obtain unqueftioned by Calmuc Tartars; and fuperftition, now retiring from Rome, may yet find refuge in the mountains of Tibet. This may be faid for the fyftem of Teéfhoo Lama, that impofition cannot be put to a fairer test, than when committed to the fimplicity of a child; and the Gylongs, or priefts, attendant upon this extraordinary infant, paid no fmall compliment to the faith of their followers, when they fet him upon the Mufnud.

I forbear entering into a further account of this infant pontiff, because I hope the very ingenious tra

veller,

veller, who has already circulated fome curious particulars of his audiences and interviews at the monaftery of Terpâling, will indulge the public with a more full and circumftantial narrative of his very intereft ing expedition into a country fo little vifited by Europeans, and where the manners and habits of the people, no lefs than the facred character of the fovereign, furnish a subject of so new and entertaining a nature.

When a genius like that which actuates the illuftrious character who lately administered the government of Bengal, is carried into the remoteft regions of the earth, it diffufes an illumination around it, which reaches even to thofe nations, where arts and fciences are in their highest cultivation; and we accordingly find, that befides this embaffy, fo curious of its kind, the fame pervading fpirit has penetrated into the facred and till now inacceffible myfteries of the Brahmins, and by the attainment of a language which religion has interdicted from all others but the facerdotal caft, has already began to lay open a volume, fuperior in antiquity, and perhaps in merit not inferior, to Homer himself.

Happy inhabitants of Tibet! If happiness can arife from error, your innocent illufion must be the fource of it; for prieftcraft, which has plunged our portion of the globe in wars and perfecutions, has kept you in perpetual peace and tranquillity; fo much more wife and falutary is your religious fyftem of pontifical identity, than ours of pontifical infallibility. The fame unchangeable, indivisible object of faith fecures uni

verfal acquiefcence under the commo dious impofition: No Anti-Lama can distract your attention or divide your duty; for individuality is his effence: no councils can reverse his decrees for over-rule his fupremacy; for he is coeval with religion, nay he is religion itself. Such as he was in his præterient body, fuch he must be in his prefent; the fame monaftic, peaceful, unoffending, pious being; a living idol, drawn forth upon occafional folemnities to give his bleffing to adoring proftrate hordes of Tartars, and to receive their offerings; and whether this bleffing be given by the hands of unreasoning infancy, or fuperannuated age, it matters little at which degree the moment points, when the scale is undeterminable. You fee me here (faid the Lama in his præterient body to one of our countrymen, whom he admitted to a conversation) a mere idol of ftate: You are of a more active nation; take your wonted exercife without referve: Walk about my chamber: I am fedentary by neceffity, and the habit of indolence is become to me a fecond nature.-This is a true anecdote, and shows how mild a foul it is, which has now tranfmigrated into the body of this infant.

Could this extraordinary perfonage communicate his property to all his brother fovereigns through the world, fhould we, or should we not, congratulate mankind upon the event? Let the nations fpeak for themfelves! I anfwer for one, that cannot name a period in its monarchy more in favour of the difpenfation.

Remarks on the Knowledge of the Ancients refpecting Glass. By Dr
FALCONER.

THE
THE most ancient of the Greek
writers that takes notice of
glafs, I believe, is thought to be A

riftophanes, who, in his comedy of the clouds, introduces Socrates as inftructed Strepfiades how to pay his debts,

Knowledge of the Ancients refpecting Class.

by placing a tranfparent fubftance between the fun and the writings, that ferved as a fecurity for the fums borrowed, and thus confuming them. But it is not abfolutely certain that artificial glass was here meant, as the word Taxos, fignifies cryftal, and, as fome fay, tranfparent amber likewise. If glass, however, be here meant, it fhows that it must have been brought to confiderable perfection, both in point of clearness and the art of grinding it into a convex form, fo to tranfmit and collect the fun's rays, as to produce this effect.-Ariftotle has two problems relative to glafs: the firft, endeavouring to explain its tranfparency, and the other, its want of malleability. But the learned think them both to be fpurious. Alexander Aphrodifæus, another ancient Greek writer, fpeaks particularly of glafs, and of its tranfparency.

Galen makes mention of glafs in feveral places t· He appears to have been well acquainted with it, and the method of making it. He tells us, that it was made from fand melted in furnaces, which was required to be pure; fince, if any metallic fubftance was mixed therewith, the glafs was fpoiled. Those concerned in the manufacture knew, by looking at it, if it would ferve their purpofe. In other places, he advifes medicines of a corrofive nature to be kept in glafs veffels, as fuch are not liable to be affected, or to impart any bad qualities.

Glafs was alfo ufed for cuppingveffels in the time of Galen, much in the fame way as at prefent.

Vo. IV. N° 19.

Dion Caffius

17

relates, that a

man, in the time of the Emperor Tiberius, brought a glafs cup into the prefence of the latter, which he threw with great force upon the ground without breaking it, and immediately repaired the bruise it had received, by hammering it out before all the fpectators with his own hands. He adds, however, that he loft his life for his difcovery.

Plutarch alfo appears to have been acquainted with glafs, fince he informs, that the wood of the Tamarifk, was the best to use for fuel in the melting of it.

The Latin writers are more particular. Lucretius was, undoubtedly, acquainted with glafs and its qualities. In his fourth book, he remarks the difference between founds and the images of objects: the former paffing through any openings, however curved or winding, but the latter, being broken and confufed, if the paffages through which they come are not ftraight or direct. As an inftance, he adduces glafs, the pores of which he fuppofes to be direct or rectilinear. This, tho' only true with fome limitations, fhows him to have had no inconfiderable knowledge of the fubjects in question.

Horace likewife fpeaks of the clearness and brightnefs of glafs, in terms that show the art to have been

arrived at a high degree of perfection. Martial mentions glafs in fuch a manner, as fhows it to have been not uncommon in his time for drinking veffels, and alfo of so clear

* De Simpl. Medic. facultate, L. IX. De terra Samia.

C

† De Antidotis, L. VIII. C. 8. De Comp. Pharmac. fecund. loc. L. VIII. C.5.

+ L. LVIII.

and

Vox per flexa foramina rerum incolumis tranfire poteft, fimulacra renutant. Profcinduntur enim, nifi recta foramina tranant; Qualia funt vitri fpecies quæ tranfvolat

omnis.

Lucret. L. IV. 598.

$ Perlucidior vitro. Hor. Carm. I. Od. 18..

Splendidior vitro. Hor. Carm. L. III. Od. 13.

Nos bibimus vitro, tu myrrha Pontice, quare?

Prodat perfpicuus ne duo vina calix. Mart. Epig. IV. 86.

transparent a texture, as to admit an accurate eximination of the liquor contained in them.

Seneca well understood the magnifying powers of glafs, when formed into a convex fhape. A glass globe, he fays, filled with water, makes letters viewed through it appear larger and brighter *. The magnifying power of glafs, confidered as a more denfe, and, of courfe, a more refrangible medium than air, was not unknown to him. Fruits†, fays he, viewed through glafs appear much larger, and the intervals between pillars longer. The stars alfo appear magnified in a humid atmofphere. If a ring be put into a bowl of water, and viewed there, it seems to approach to the eye, or in other words, is magnified; which, the fame author obferves, is the cafe with every body viewed through a fluid. Seneca fays here exprefsly, that water, as a medium, has the fame effect with glass.

There is a remarkable paffage in Seneca relative to the effect of glafs cut angularwife, or into a prifmatic form, in feparating the rays of light when held tranfverfely in the fun's rays. From the expreffion he ufes concerning it, we may think fuch inftruments were not uncom.

[blocks in formation]

to fome merchants, who, coming thither with a fhip laden with nitre, or foffil alkali, ufed fome pieces of it to fupport the kettles in which they were dreffing their meat upon the fands. By this means a vitrification of the fand beneath the fire was produced, and thus afforded a hint for this manufacture.

Clear pebbles, fhells, and other kinds of foffil fand, were also employed. In India, rock-cryftal was ufed, and, on that account, the Indian glafs was preferred to any other. It was firft melted with the foffil alkali, in proportion of three of the latter to one of the former (which has continued to be the flux for glafs from the earliest to the prefent times) in furnaces, into maffes of a dull black colour. These were again melted by the refiners, either into a colourlefs glass, or tinged of any hue they thought proper. The grofs mafs, from the firft fufion, feems to have been called ammonitrum, and probably did not differ much from the Lapis Obfidianus, which is faid to have been of Ethiopian or Egyptian origin. It is faid to have been a kind of black vitreous fubftance, but ftill pellucid, which was used for cafting into large works. Pliny fays, he faw folid ftatues of the Emperor Augustus made of this material; and the fame Emperor dedicated four elephants of the fame fubftance in the Capitol. It appears to have been known from great antiquity, as Tiberius Cæfar, when he governed that country, found a ftatue of Menelaus of this compofition. Xenocrates likewife, according to Pliny, fpeaks of the fame compofition as in ufe in India, Italy, and Spain. Sidon

* Literæ quamvis minute et obfcuræ per vitream pilam aqua plenam majores clariorefque cernuntur. SENEC. Nat. Quest. I. 6.

f Queft. Nat. L. I. C. 3. 6.

Virgula folet fieri ftricta vel pluribus angulis in modum clave torofa; hæc fi ex trans verfo folem accipit colorem talem qualis in arcu videri folet.

SENEC. Quæft. Natur. L. I. 8. Strabon. L. XVI. Jofeph. L. II, C. 19. § 2. Plin. Hift. Natural, L. XXXVI. C. 26. Taciti Hiftor. L, V. C. J.

« PreviousContinue »