1823.] Church Revenues. 



Ouc of the most striking charactt- 

 ristics of a professional clond-gazcr is, 

 tJjat his predictions arc invarial)ly con- 

 trary to the opinions of the rest of the 

 company, and to the present appear- 

 aiircs of things ; for, to foretol what all 

 the world expects, would show no su- 

 periority of judgment, and conse- 

 quently excite no attention; therefore, 

 if the sun shine iu meridian splendour, 

 it is sure to rain before night ; and, 

 wlien gatliering clouds darken the air, 

 and seem to threaten another Hood, 

 signs, known only to the initiated, arc 

 seen, wliich predict calm and sun- 

 shine. To prove that this is no exag- 

 geration, I have only to state my own 

 experience, which was no less than 

 hearing a deep snow predicted last 

 year in the month of May or the be- 

 ginning of June; which prediction was 

 dinned into my weary ears every time 

 I unwittingly remarked upon the fine- 

 ness of the day. It is needless to say, 

 that the snow kindly deferred his visit 

 until the ensuing winter ; nevertheless, 

 a few stray flakes, which none but the 

 alert eye of an adept could discover, 

 was considered as an ample fulfilment 

 of the prophecy.* 



The astronomer in Rasselas, con- 

 vinced of the vanity of his pretensions, 

 and the usclcssness of his predictions, 

 quietly yielded up his self-imposed 

 task, and ceased to concern himself 

 with the war of tiie eknientiS, or the 

 changes of the seasons: that his exam- 

 ple may be followed by all the cloud- 

 gazers and weather-prophets tlirough- 



* We may observe on tiiis subject, as ou 

 that of all predictions, that the propliet is 

 right just as often as the chances are in liis 

 favour. Thus, if it rain one day out of 

 three, or two days in the wei k, it is as one 

 to tliree that lie may name the day in the 

 next week in which it will rain; and once 

 in three times he would in general he 

 right. So, also, in regard to the moon and 

 the weather ; the moon changes fifty-two 

 limes iu every year, and the weather about 

 twenty-fix times; and then, if we connect 

 the changes of the weather two days after 

 each change of the moon, the chance is, 

 that three in seven times the changes will 

 coinciile ; and hence our weather-prophets 

 often have ueca»ion to plume themselves 

 on their skill in connecting the moon with 

 the weatlKT. Similar plansihiliiy secures 

 astrologers and pioplu-ts in general. The 

 only true ground of proplie<-y is to reason 

 (Vom cause to effect, a cuiiditiun too often 

 .-iverlookcd. — Editor. 



421 



out his niujesly's dominions, is the' 

 earnest prayer of A. Z. 



To the Editor of the Moiiildy Magazine. 



SIK. 



THAT there does exist in the 

 Cluircli of England, a patrouago 

 too powerful for any counteraction 

 short of a petition to parliament, is 

 sufficiently apparent from A. Z. Until 

 a Bill be passed to limit any clergy- 

 man from lioKling his preferment in 

 more thru two ar(;'.iueaeonries in the 

 same diocese, ')r in more tfian two 

 adjoining counties in England, tlio 

 bishops cannot counteract the inflii- 

 eiice which besieges them. Any mem- 

 ber of parliament is competent to be- 

 gin the work of prevention which has 

 for so many years been a matter of 

 indignant animadversion. I am ui- 

 clined to believe A. Z. intends no 

 more by his statement than that cer- 

 tain persons are holders and patrons of 

 the number of livings he represents, 

 and not actual incumbents. In Iho 

 law, counsellors are restricted in tlie 

 number of circuits. In the navy, and 

 in tlie service of the East and VVcst 

 India companies, no man is captain of 

 two ships. In the army, also, tiierc is 

 some restriction ; m bile your man with 

 his thirty-fourbenefiecs, if the thing bo 

 possible, being not bounded within 

 any known circumference, may arrive 

 at an acme of degradation to which 

 avarice knows no limitation. Cer- 

 tainly, the possibility of holding bene- 

 fices in every part of tlie kingdom docs 

 exist, and calls for attention and 

 remedy. If, indeed, the clergyman 

 who holds one cure of souls, and is 

 wishing for another, would rise np and 

 visit the sick and the afllicled of that 

 jiarish. already conmiitted to his 

 charge, such employment would give 

 him a better blessing than can be 

 found in the abumlance of the world. 

 During the reigns of Edward III. 

 and his successor Richard II. the 

 (Commons in j)arliainent moved several 

 Bills for a parochial elergj', in which it 

 was set forth, " that it was known from 

 divine, canon, and human, laws, that 

 benefices of holy church, having cure 

 of souls, were first of all instituted and 

 (;stablished to the honour of God, the 

 lieallh and reiriedy of the founders, 

 the government and relief of the; jia- 

 rishioncrs, and advancement of tiic 

 clergy ; but (hat spiritual patrons, 

 through divers colours and cautions. 



did 



