tural than the immoral application of ridicule, as truth is more congenial to the mind than falfhood, and fo the real more eafily made apparent than the fictitious images of things. But, however ridicule may imprefs the idea of apparent turpitude or falfehood on the imagination, yet ftill reafon remains the fuperior and corrective power. Therefore every repreTentation of ridicule, which only applies to the fancy and affections, muft finally be examined, rejected, or received, as the reasoning faculty fhall determine. And thus ridicule can never be a detecter of falfhood, or a teft of truth. In confirmation of thefe affertions, the direct proof of which may poffibly be fomewhat remote from common apprehenfion, let us appeal to experience, to the general fenfe and practice of mankind. And here we fhall find, that contempt and ridicule are always founded on the received opinion, whatever be the foundation of it, whether reafon or imagination. For, in fact, do not we fee every different party and affociation of men defpifing and deriding each other, according to t their various manner of thought, fpeech, and action? Does not the courtier deride the fox-hunter, and the fox-hunter the courtier? What is more ridiculous to a beau than a phi. lofopher; to a philofopher than a beau? Drunkards are the jefts of fober men, and fober men of drunkards. Phyficians, lawyers, foldiers, priefts, and free thinkers are the ftanding fubjects of ridicule to one another. Wisdom and folly, the virtuous and the vile, the learned and ignorant, the temperate and debauched, all give and return the jeft. According to the various imprefSons of fancy and affection, the afpects of things are varied, and confequently the fame object, feen under thefe different lights and attitudes, muft in one mind produce approbation, in another Contempt. If we examine the conduct of political bodies or religious fects, we shall find it of a fimilar nature. Each of these rally every other, according to the prejudices they have imbibed in favour of their own fyftem. How contemptible and ridiculous are the European forms of government in the eyes of an Afiatic? And do not we on this fide the Hellefpont repay them in their own kind? Are we a whit more united among ourselves in our ideas of the ridiculous, when applied to modes of Empire? What is more contemptible to an Englishman than that flavish fubmiffion to arbitrary will and lawlefs power, which prevails almoft univerfally on the continent? And they are little acquainted with the ftaté of affairs abroad, who do not know, that, within the precincts of tyranny, English freedom is one of the commoneft topics of raillery and ridicule. Every man's judging for himself is the fubject of the Frenchman's drollery; one man's judging for all is the fubject of ours. The cafe is parallel with regard to religious tenets, where people are allowed to fpeak their thoughts. But why should we wonder that a difference in opinion, in fuch weighty affairs as thofe of government and religion, fhould infpire, a mutual contempt, when we fee that any confiderable variation of manners in the moft ordinary circumstances of life has the fame effect? The customs of ancient times have been held fo ridiculous by many moderns, that the great Homer has been branded for a dunce, only for recording them. What raillery has been thrown on that venerable bard, as well as the hero he defcribes, only because he has told us, that Patroclus acted in the capacity of a cook for himself and his friend Achil les? Rebecca and her hiftorian have fallen under the fame ignorant cenfure, becaufe fhe went down to draw water; and fo have the daughters of Au guftus for fpinning their father's cloaths, when he was mafter of the world. Thus the undebauched fimplicity of ancient times becomes the jeft of modern luxury and folly. From the fame principle any new mode of fpeech or action, feen in our own times, appears appears ridiculous to thofe who give way to the fallies of ignorant contempt and laughter. What fuperior airs of mirth and gaiety may be feen in a clap of citizens paffing judgment on the Scotch, the western, or any other remote provincial dialect? While at the other end of the town the ftream of ridicule runs as ftrong on the manners and dialect of the Exchange: The leaft unufual circumftance of habit, beyond what the fashion prefcribes, is by turns fo fenfibly ridiculous, that one Obfervations on the Glittering of the Sea-water, proving that it od proceeds from lucid Animalcules. Tranflated from the Italian of Jofeph Vianelli, Phyfician at Chioggia it T Italy. See thro' the air, this ocean and this earth, HE glittering of the fea-water in the night is always beheld with wonder, and the lagunes of Chiog gia in Italy exhibit that phænomenon in a particular manner. At first fight the fixed ftars feem to reflect their corrufcating images in it, and if the water be agitated by the winds, oars, &c. the emiffions will be more brilliant and numerous, especially in thofe parts where the fea-weeds moft abound. This delightful phænomenon, which continues from the beginning of the fummer to autumn, filled me with admiration, and excited an impatient cu riofity to difcover, if poffible, the real cause of it. Accordingly, in a fummer's night, I went to the place, and brought home a large veffel full of fea-water, and, placing it in a dark part of my clofet, I obferved, that, by agitating it with my hands, it glittered very copi. oufly. But, after filtrating it through a very clofe piece of linnen, all the motions and agitations I could give it, did not produce the leaft appearance of light. But this was compenfated by the beau tiful appearance of the linnen, which was covered with an infinite number of lucid particles, which fufficiently proved that thefe luminous corpufcles were entirely diftinct from the water. This increafed my curiofity to dif cover what thefe corpufcles were, but, they being too fmall for the naked eye, I was obliged to defer it for want of a microfcope. However, it immediately recurred to me, that thefe fhining particles abounded moft on the leaves of the weeds; accordingly I gathered fome, nor do I exceed in fay ing, that above thirty were eafily dif tinguishable on every leaf. I next fhook the leaf over a fheet of clean paper, that at least one of thefe corpufcles might be thrown off upon it; for I was not a little ambitious of fhewing them to my friends, who were as impatient to know the refult of my obfervations, which I had previoufly 'communicated. I fucceeded, and the fmall luminous body, wrapped up in the paper, was perceived by all the company, emitfing particles of light thro' the pores of the paper. Upon unfolding the paL12 per, per, and attentively viewing this luminous corpufcle, it appeared to be far lefs than a small hair; its colour was of a deep yellow, and its fubftance, to the laft degree, delicate and tender. Being now provided with a microfcope, I was fatisfied that this luminous corpufcle was really a living animalcule, and of fuch a curious and fingular texture, that I could not fufficiently admire it, especially the fplendor of its light; and, from this brilliancy, I called it the little fhining fea-water worm. This animalcule, like the caterpillar, and other infects of this fpecies, confifts of eleven fegments, or ringlets, which, the celebrated Malpighi obferves, is the number of which worms generally confift. Along thefe fegments, and near the belly, were a kind of flying fins, which were the inftruments of its feveral motions. Out of its head rofe two little horns, and its tail appeared twifted. These small lucent worms, as I have already obferved, abound more among the weeds, than in any other part, and particularly at the beginning of fum. mer. Afterwards they increafe in a furprifing manner, and difperfe themfelves all over the water. This may probably proceed from the heat of the feafon, which induces thefe fmall worms to leave their eggs, already focundated, like other fmall aquatic infects, which, according to the learned Derham, is the feafon of copulation. This opinion is ftrengthened by the discoveries of Mr. Reaumur, who ob ferves that the terreftrial infects of the fame kind fhine only in the fummer, and then by a particular effervefcence at the feafon of copulation, Of this kind are the lucid flies of the Leeward iflands, which light travellers in the night, during the very hot feafon. Such likewife are the worms in fome parts of the Indies, which during the very hot nights, emit fuch prodigious quantities of lucid particles, that the bushes feem to be wholly on fire. * A remarkable fuperiority of my lit the glittering fea-water worms, above the lucid terreftrial ones, is, that the latter emit lucid particles only from a fpot near their tail, whereas the former are entirely luminous. It is a very furprifing circumstance in these fhining animalcules, that, while they are in an inert ftate, they do not emit the leaft fhining particle; but no fooner are the parts of their little bodies agitated, than they fhine with a prodigious brightnefs. Hence we may obferve, that their fplendor is derived from motion, or a ftrong vibration of their parts, for their corrufcations seem to be proportionable to their motions. After what has been faid, it will not appear furprising, that, from an extraordinary glittering of the fea and lakes, the fishermen foretel an alteration of the weather, or the approach of a ftorm; becaufe, on thefe changes, these fhining animalcules are more strongly agitated and disturbed, as is the cafe with other winged infects, and particularly flies, which upon any fenfible alteration in the air, indicated by the barometer, are fo affected, that they fly about in a very diforderly manner, Neither must we omit that the small lucid animalcules, when by any acci dent they happen to be mutilated, to which they are very liable from the tenderness of their fubftance, every part emits lucid particles very strongly for fome time. Probably this emiffion continues, while their fmall feparated parts continue to vibrate; for a kind of motion, or ofcillations is known to continue in feveral fifhes and infects, though divided into feveral pieces. It has been the opinion of feveral learned perfons, that the nocturnal glittering of fea-water proceeds from fome electrical matter. The furface of the fea, fay they, having been expofed all the furamer to the fcorching rays of the fun, towards autumn it is obferved, when agitated, to emit very copiously, lacid fparks, exactly refembling those which iffue from electrified bodies. Now it appears from occular demon ftration, stration, that this delightful phænome non owes its origin to lucid animalcules. But whether the luftre of thefe animalcules do, or do not proceed from an electrical matter, excited by vibration, or any other internal cause, I fhall leave to the determination of the learned. An Account of the old and new Style, or the Julian and Gregos rian Methods of Computation. T Time of itfelf is nothing, but from thought HE mean tropical year, or that fpace of time which flows while the fun is moving from any point in the ecliptic till he returns to the fame point, confits, according to the most accurate aftronomers, of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 55 feconds, and feems as if it were defigned by the God of nature to meafure time by. The Egyptians made the year to confift of 365 days just, and this being lefs than the true folar year by fix hours nearly, they lost almost a day in every four years; and confequently in four times 365 years, that is, in 1460 years, which was called the great canicular year, or Sothiacal period, the beginning of the year had moved thro' all the feafons, whence this was cal led the moveable folar year; and is the fame with the year of Nabonaffar, of great esteem among the ancient aftronomers, made ufe of by Ptolemy, Copernicus, and others, and by the ancient Perfians, for the space of 477 years; till by the command of their Emperor Abb Arfalam, about the year 1079, they began to add a day at the end of every fourth or fifth year, and in 648 years, to include 23667 days, fo that their mean year confifted of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 55 feconds. But Julius Cæfar, long before this time, finding the inconveniencies which arofe from this method of computati on, and confidering that it was neceffary that the civil year fhould always commence on the fame day, and at the beginning of that day, which it would not do, if the fix hours were added to every year, and being highpriest among the Romans, endeavoured, by the affiftance of Sofigenes, the mathematician, to correct the year, ordering that every fourth year should have an intercalary day, which should therefore confift of 366 days, and that this added day fhould be put in the month of February; and, because, in the common year, the 24th of Febru ary, in the Roman way of reckoning, was called the fixth of the calends of March, he ordered that every fourth year there fhould be two fixths, or that the fixth of the calends of March should be twice reckoned; upon which account, this year was called Biffextile, and by us Leap-year. This method of computation is what we now call the Julian, or old style. But, because the true length of the year, as we have already obferved, confifts only of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 min. 55 feconds, therefore, according to this method of reckoning, at the end of every four years, the civil year will begin 44 min. 20 seconds fooner, than it did before, and confequently in 131 years it will anticipate one whole day; so that, if at any time the equinoctial happened upon any one day of the year, it will happen, after the term of 131 years, a day fooner and this was the reason why Pope Gre gory XIII, in the year 1582, being willing to celebrate Eafter according to the original inftitution, and to keep up followed by moft nations of Europe. We have obferved that Pope Gregory, when he reformed the year, found that the equinox had anticipated ten whole days fince the Council of Nice, and that he ordered those ten days to be taken out of the calendar for the year 1582. This correction rendered the Gregorian account ten days before the Julian, and according to this new method of reckoning, the year 1700 was a common year, confifting only of 365 days, whereas in the Julian it was Leap-year, and confequently contained 366. This additional day, added to the former correction, rendered the Gregorian account eleven days before the Julian; and hence we fee the reafon why, in order to make the latter conformable to the former, eleven days must be taken out of the calendar. up to the letter of the order of the Nicene Council, which was held in the year 325, fet himself about reforming the year, and finding that, between the Nicene Council, and his time, that the equinox had anticipated ten whole days, he ordered that thofe ten days fhould be taken out of the calendar that year, and that the 11th day of March fhould be reckoned the 21ft; and to prevent the feafons of the year from going backwards as they did before, he ordained that three intercalary days fhould be omitted or dropped in every four-hundred years, by reckoning all thofe years, whofe date confifts of a number of entire hundreds, not divifible by 4, fuch as 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, &c. to be only common, and not Biffextile, or Leap years, as they would otherwise have been; and confequently omitting the intercalary days, which, according to the Julian This method of computation is, by account, would have been inferted in act of Parliament, to be obferved for the month of February, in those years. the future in this kingdom, and the But at the fame time he ordered that year to commence on the first of Januaevery four-hundredth year, confifting ry; and in order to render our account of a number of entire hundreds, divi of time conformable with that prac fible by four, fuch as 1600, 2000, tifed by the other European nations, 2400, 2800, &c. fhould ftill be confi and the original inftitution of the Coun dered as Biffextile, or Leap years, and cil of Nice, eleven days are ordered of confequence, that one day fhould to be taken out of the calendar in the be intercalated as ufual in thofe years. month of September 1752, fo that the It must not however be fuppofed natural day immediately following the that this correction has entirely re fecond of the faid month of Septemmoved the error; for the equinoxes ber and folftices ftill anticipate 1 hour, 53 min. 20 feconds, in four-hundred Gregorian years. But that difference is fo inconfiderable, as not to amount to twenty-four hours, or one whole day, in less than 5082 years. This is called the Gregorian, or new ftyle, and is is to be called, reckoned, and atcounted to be the fourteenth of the fame month, omitting, for that time only, the intermediate eleven nominal days; fo that the month of September, 1752, will contain only nineteen days. Memoirs of the Lives and Deaths of the Regicides (Page 121, Vol. IX.) continued. Simon Mayne, who was commiffioned to fit in the pretended Highcourt of Justice, and to determine on his Sovereign's life, was fo obfcure a perfon, that we have no mention of any other act of his life, than his dar ing treafon to fign the warrant for his execution. Thomas Horton was no lefs obfcure in his parentage and ftation of life, till he was admitted a recruit in the Long Parliament; where he gave ear ly |