2°d S. No 93., Oct. 10. '57.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



283 



styled "John Collins of London, Accomptant, 

 Philomath." 



37. Horologiographia Optica. Dialling Uni- 

 versal and Particular, ... by Silvanus Morgan, 

 Lond. 1652, 4to. An old collection of tracts will 

 needs contain many works on dialling : we, vvith 

 our clocks and watches, know little about the im- 

 portance our ancestors attached to this art. The 

 present work is written by one who inclines to- 

 wards the doctrine of Copernicus, but will not 

 yield. Pie gets into the Court of Minerva, where 

 Clemency endeavours to persuade him to adopt 

 the earth's motion. He refuses in the following 

 terms : 



" If Tellus winged bee 



The Earth a motion round, 



Then mucli deceiv'd are they 



That it before nere foimd. 



" Solomon was tlie wisest, 

 His wit ner'e this attain'd ; 

 Cease then Copernicus 

 Thy Hypothesis vain." 



Perhaps in these days the following argument 

 may be worth reprinting : 



" Then in respect of yet an unresolved novelty, I pro- 

 pounded another question to her, whether it were pro- 

 bable to be a habitable world in the Moon, to which 

 Clemency made answer, if that were mainteined, she 

 would ask them but one question, and leave them in a 

 dilemma for their Salvation, viz. Did Christ suffer in the 

 Jerusalem above, or here below? now there is no Jeru- 

 salem above but the glorified Jerusalem ; but if there be a 

 Jerusalem also in that planet, then take which you will : 

 if Christ dyed there, there the old Adam was made alive, 

 and his death quid proficit te ? if he dyed here ; either 

 they are no sinners, or he came not to save sinners." 



A. De Morgan. 



(To he concluded in our next.) 



Recommended to a watering-place for the resti- 

 tution of my health, — or rather because my Doctor 

 I- was tired of my importunities, — as I was lounging 

 I; in a friend's room, with nothing to do (miscalled 

 " relaxation), I took up a dumpty and well-thumbed 

 volume lying on the table, entitled " Notes and 

 Queries.^^ I was putting it down as too abstruse 

 for my idleness, when I chanced upon some pas- 

 sages which gradually fixed me in my chair for 

 at least an hour ; and truly, Mr. Editor, I found 

 your work as amusing as instructive — as fit for a 

 parlour window-book to drive off ennui, as for a 

 library-table to satisfy intelligent inquiry ; and 

 though, to be sure, a thing " of shreds and patches," 

 yet composed of the richest materials, and form- 

 ing in the whole a brilliant combination. Well, 

 then (pray excuse my garrulity), I was at once 

 seized with a desire to become a contributor ; 

 and seeing an excellent charade on " Nothing," 

 p. 120. of the second volume I had in my hand, I 



determined to communicate to you a piece, which 

 I copied at least half a century ago on the same 

 subject from a manuscript in the possession of my 

 mother, and which I have never, either before 

 or since, met with in print. It is stated to be 

 written by Mr. Belsham, but whether the his- 

 torian or the minister I do not recollect, and to 

 be addressed to Mr. Bowles. If you deem the 

 lines worthy of insertion, their appearance in your 

 pages will give pleasure to 



A Septuagenarian. 



" No Muses I implore their aid to bring — 

 He needs no muse, who nothing has to sing : 

 Your favor, Bowles, and your attention lend, 

 Pardon the Poet, and protect the Friend. 

 A theme untouch'd before inspires my lays, 

 From which no Poet ever won the Bays. 

 Those Greek and Roman Bards of old admir'd, 

 Who with poetic fury nobly fir'd, 

 On ev'ry subject dar'd their genius try. 

 And drank the Heliconian fountain dry. 

 Left NOTHING to be sung in times to come ; 

 Nothing escap'd the wits of Greece and Rome. 



" When the fierce Goths did war with Learning wage, 

 And ravag'd Italy with barb'rous rage, 

 When all things good and great one ruin shar'd. 

 Nothing by Goths was honour'd, nothing spar'd. 



" Happy the man of nothing is possess'd, 

 No dire alarms disturb his nightly rest ; 

 He sleeps in peace who knows no danger near, 

 And travels ev'ry road without a fear ; 

 No long litigious suits his ease molest. 

 Nor cares of wealth disturb his peaceful breast, 

 Nor swell'd with hope, nor tost with anxious fears, . 

 O'er a calm stream securely roll his years ; 

 And when untroubled all his days are past. 

 Who nothing has to leave securely draws his last. 



" Nothing t'admire Philosophers profess 

 To be the only way to happiness ; — 

 And he, that nothing knew, was the most wise. 

 Or the great Oracle of Phoebus lies. 

 By knowing nothing, learn'd with greatest ease, 

 Each prating fool becomes a Socrates : 

 All other Arts now flourish, now decay. 

 This learning spreads and prospers ev'ry day. 

 The learn'd in Books we know can hardly live. 

 But to know nothing is the way to thrive ; 

 To this our Youth apply with early zeal. 

 To shine at Court and serve the Common Weal ; 

 Who, nothing learn, grow noble, rich, and great 

 In Senates, Councils, Army, Church and State. 



" Th' immortal Newton, tho' his tow'ring mind 

 Travers'd the worlds of knowledge unconfin'd. 

 Saw where the secret springs of Science rise. 

 And stretch'd his head like Atlas to the Skies, 

 Cours'd all the stars, and trac'd the source of light. 

 And still to unknown regions wing'd his flight ; 

 Yet pardon me, great Sago, for I sing true. 

 Nothing excell'd thy wit, nothing was hid from you. 



" See when the learned Alchymists explore 



Nature's hid ,* and try the shining ore, _ 



Now wrapt in clouds of Smoke and Hope they tire 

 The stubborn Brass, and ply the torturing Fire ; 

 And big with expectation, night and day. 

 Melt all their time, and all their lands, away : — 



* The right word, which was illegible in the MS., I 

 leave your readers to supply. 



