to go to Charenton, that are not of the Balliage of Paris. This I fuppofe is laid as a ground-work to demolish Charenton, whenever they please. Some families of Rochelle being come hither, there is an edict to oblige them to return, and they talk of prohibiting all trading to the Proteftants, that they may fix them to their habitations. • I doubt my stay here will be fo fhort, that I fhall not be able to fend you any virtuofo communications. We have delicate funfhine, which will haften me to Bourbon in about three days. I have no more to write, only that you will let me hear from you foon, and to affure you, with much fincerity, that I am yours, &c. WILLIAM AGLIONBY." Lyons, Sept. 30. 1685. • SIR, When I left Paris, it was with a refolution to go to Bourbon, taking Fontainbleau in my way; but when I came to Melun, the king's journey to Chambort had so swept all that country of horses and coaches, nay, even the very affes, that I was forced to ftay there two days, before I could get any fort of beaft to carry me to Fontainbleau. Being thus deprived of a conveniency, and unwilling to return to Paris, I ftruck into the Lyons road, and, with much ado, and all the inconveniencies that can be, except foul weather, I am at last got hither, where I have found no letters from you, nor any of my English friends, which I impute to your thinking me ftill at Bourbon. France is quite spoiled in all fenfes. Travelling is made a thing almost impracticable; for all public conveniencies being monopolized, they ufe you as they pleafe; and, whether by land or water, so overload themselves, that to perform their ftage, the paffengers are well off to get four hours fleep allowed them in the twenty-four. You have no attendance in the inns; in fhort, I think it would deter any one from travelling thefe roads again. I am fure it will me; and there is no poffibility of going any other way than by these public conveyances. With much perfuafion I prevailed for two horfes and a man to go with me from Melun to Auxerre, to recover the Lyons road. It is but two days journey, and it coft me fifty fhillings, and poor ftumbling cattle too. When you complain of this, they bid you ride poft, for it is for that purpofe they make travelling fo inconvenient. I am not forry to fee it, for I think it will ruin commerce, which they feem now to neglect entirely, being refolved to exterminate all the Hugonots or compel them to turn Roman Catholics. This country is full of foldiers going to Vivarais and the Sevennas, to quarter upon the Reformed, 'till they have converted them, or eat them up. Tomorrow will be be the demolition of the temple here, which has been spared all this while in favour of trade. The archbishop himself, who is governor of the town, has remonftrated at court, that it will be the ruin of the trade here, and confequently of the place itfelf, but in vain: and accordingly numbers of their workmen in filk beg in the streets, for want of employment; feveral Hugonot families having carried their beft manufacturers with them to Germany and other places, where they have withdrawn themfelves. Geneva in particular is fo full, that there is not a loft or garret un-let. The whole induftry of the government is employed to hinder their removing, and they have condemned feven chief burghers of Rochelle to the gallies, for attempting it. The king has caufed the governors in all places to declare to the Hugonots, that he is refolved to have but one religion in his kingdom, and that by Eafter next he will have all his fubjects under one communion. The reafon of this great precipitation (as fome guess) is the rumour of a league between the Proteftant princes in Germany, who defign to intercede for their brethren here but before that time, in all probability, there will be none left in France. I have been to feek out Mr. Spor, but the noife of the dragoons who arrived here yesterday has frighted him out of town, being a Proteftant, and I cannot fo much as hear where he is. From thence I went to fee the famous Difcus, or buckler of filver, where the action of Scipio Africanus giving the Spanish lady to her lover, is fo well reprefented. It is a noble thing, and worthy the closet of a prince. Inclofed I fend you a cut of it: the mafter of this rarity having presented me with feveral of them. You will give me leave to end here, and without any ceremony, believe me to be, Affectionately yours, WILLIAM AGLIONBY." The following letter, which is the twenty-feventh in the collection, is of a very uncommon nature. From ABRAHAM HILL, Efq; to JOHN BROOK, Efq; • SIR, London, Feb. 24, 1662. I ought to receive it as a particular favour, that you choose to direct your defires and correspondence to me, when all of our fociety will readily acknowledge their obligations to ferve you, and I must confefs myself the moft unfit perfon to do it effectually. Your acceptance of what accounts I can give you, will be my fatisfaction, and your returns thall be welcome as a favour to me, and the friends to whom I communicate them. I do not well remember the time when you were here, and ferved yourfelf yourself by your own obfervations of the proceedings at Gresham College; but the latest entertainment has been from Sir William Petty, who (excufe "his flow proceedings by the trouble he and other English are in to defend the title of their lands) has done this. Upon two hollow and large cylinders, he lays a kind of itage or float, and fits thereto fails, fhrowds, head, and butt, all different from the common. With this veffel he has made divers trials against the best vessel at Dublin, and fails two foot for their one, and makes more advantage of cross winds, than is done in the ufual way. His veffel draws fo little water, that harbours will be rendered useless; it can scarce be funk by ftorm or enemies, and they coft but half what ships of the like burthen ordinarily come to. This, his firft effay, is on a veffel twenty-five feet long; but he intends fhortly to make one much larger, to be freighted for England. We have lately held a correspondence with one Mr. Beale, a minifter in the Weft, who has greatly propagated the plantation of red-ftreak, a fort of apple, which is found to make the beft cyder, efpecially for long keeping. The plant is very hardy, and grows quick; and the fruit fo four, that the very hogs will not eat it; confequently there is no danger of their being ftolen. Some of these plants are fent for up, to be diftributed hereabouts, and fome expect the plantation will become general, and of great advantage hereabouts, as well as in Herefordshire. Not far from Salisbury there are ftrange noises heard, and have been for many months, whereof many hundreds are wit'neffes. At firft it was a drum beat of its own accord, and that being cut in pieces and burnt, that noife ftill continued, and there have been others fince almost incredible. Dr. Wilkins has fome thoughts of going thither, to examine all the circumftances of it, for the ftory is extraordinary. Somewhat of this nature we are promised from York affizes; and if any thing has happened fince the person suspected for the murder at Dryfield was committed to prison, pray let us know; but to that time we have had a particular account, and it is faid here, the spirit promised to appear at the trial, if other teftimony were wanting. At the fociety, our most frequent experiments are on the air and frofts; but, as you know they are ufual, and not easily to be reported, but by the copies of the papers given in by the curators, if you defire any of them, I will take care you shall have them, or any thing you approve of. I remain, Sir, The remaining part of this curious collection is equally entertaining and inftructiue; but we cannot clofe our review of it without inferting the following letter, which is from an illuftrious ornament of mathematics and natural philofophy, who lived in or near our own times. HON. SIR, Pagham, June 22, 1691. I got down hither this morning by times, and went on board, in order to have gone down and fet our people to work; but it was captain Chanterell's advice, that our five-inch hawfer, which had fcarce been five times ufed to the capftan, was fo far worn, being exceedingly burnt with overtanning, that he thought it unfafe, and therefore defired he might have a new one fomewhat larger, of about thirty fathoms; the cafks likewife prove not fo well as expected. Is is the opinion of all who have feen our ropes, that they are the most tarred of any they ever faw, and I am willing to believe it is done for the advantage of the maker, rather than out of any design to baffle and defeat our bufinefs. We fhall with all diligence profecute the affair; and I hope now; in a fhort time, to give you a good account of your fhip. This business requiring my affiftance, when an affair of a great confequence to myfelf calls me to London, viz. looking after the aftronomy profeffor's place in Oxford, I humbly beg of you to intercede for me with the archbishop Dr. Tillotson, to defer the election for fome fhort time, 'till I have done here, if it be but for a fortnight: but it must be done with expedition, left it be too late to speak. This time will give me an opportunity to clear myself in another matter, there being a caveat entered against me, till I can fhew that I am not guilty of afferting the eternity of the world. I hope you will excuse this trouble, as it will be of fo great fervice to Your moft obliged, &c. • EDMUND HALLEY,' We recommend to all publishers of pofthumous writings the example of this judicious collection, in which the editor has admitted nothing that can betray any of thofe little weaknesses to which the greatest genius is at times liable. The publication before us places the reader at a convivial entertainment, where the most ingenious naturalifts and philofophers of the age deliver their fentiments in literature, and fometimes in politics, with that agreeable eafe and candour which improves instruction and endears fociety. X. Critical X. Critical Reflections on the Character and Actions of Alexander the Great. Written originally in Italian, by his Serene Highness Frederic Auguftus, Prince of Brunfwic. 8vo. Pr. 2s. 6d. Becket and De Hondt. Vein of the greatest humanity, as well as the foundest A fenfe, runs through these reflections. The original inten tion of their ferene author very poffibly was to instruct the princes of his own family; to arm them against those exceffes into which pride and prefumption are apt to carry the braveft and the moft generous of mankind; to point out the danger of being intoxicated by power, and the meanness of being governed by paffion. It was certainly commendable in this prince to fuffer his obfervations to be publifhed for the common good of mankind; though we cannot fee that they are always applicable to the conduct of common life. His Highness fays, that Alexander's fentiment, in bewailing his lot that nothing would remain for him to conquer, if his father's victories fhould continue, deferves at once our commen dation and our cenfure. 'It was, fays he, very commendable in Alexander, when he had fcarcely outgrown his infancy, to be fo defirous of distinguishing himself from his cotemporary princes, who used to pafs away their days in luxury and effeminate softness, after the example of the kings of Perfia. But was it not likewife a great mistake to imagine, that the only method for a king to diftinguish himself, is to extirpate a part of the human fpecies, to make thousands miferable, and to fhed the innocent blood of whole nations? With what abundant reafon might the race of men bewail their fate, if all thofe who are placed upon the throne should think in the fame manner! The whole world would presently be depopulated! A fovereign who hath the flendereft feelings of humanity will al ways regard war as a misfortune. He may render himself refpectable, and acquire a fufficient fhare of glory by governing his fubjects with discretion and equity, and conforming his actions to the laws of nature and reafon. It is only when a war is unavoidable, that he should think it glorious to distinguish himfelf by military atchievements. In that case he doth nothing but obey the dictates of his duty.' With all due deference to his Serene Highness, we think his own words exclude all kind of merit from the impious regret of Alexander, which contains no fentiment but that of brutality or inexperience. He either thought it a fine thing to cut throats, or to see raree-fhews of reviews, battles, and triumphs. The truth is, he seems to have had a paffion for both. As to the indolence charged upon the kings of Perfia, and opposed to the |