ABSURDITIES OF ASTROLOGY. 



167 



Of this we had ocular proof during the great 

 eclipse of the sun, on the 4th of this month, 

 which was almost total, and occasioned, for 

 some minutes, a gloomy darkness, resembling 

 that of midnight. The beginning of the eclipse 

 was seen at Tripoli, at half past seven in the 

 morning ; at half past eight, when it waa at the 

 height, the face of nature was changed from day 

 to night. The screech-owl, not long retired to 

 Its rest, re-appeared, and disturbed the morning 

 with its shrieks. Lizards and serpents were 

 seen prowling about the terraces ; and flights of 

 evening birds, here called marabats, and held sa 

 cred by the Moors, flew about in great numbers, 

 and increased the darkness. The noisy flitting of 

 their wings roused the Moor, who had beenstupi- 

 fied by fear ; and, when one of these heavy birds 

 (which often drop to the ground by coming in 

 contact with each other) chanced to fall at his 

 feet, the African would start aghast, look at it 

 with horror, and set up a hideous howl. About 

 eight o clock, when the lustre of the morning was 

 completely faded, the common Moors were seen 

 assembling in clusters in the streets, gazing 

 wildly at the sun, and conversing very earnestly. 

 When the eclipse was at its height, they ran 

 about distracted, in companies, firing volleys of 

 muskets at the sun, to frighten away the monster 

 or dragon, as they called it, by which they sup 

 posed it was being devoured. At that moment, 

 the Moorish song of death and walliah-woo, or 

 the howl they make for the dead, not only re- 

 Bounded from the mountains and valleys of Tri 

 poli, but was undoubtedly re-echoed throughout 

 ihe continent of Africa. The women brought 

 into the streets all the brass pans, kettles, and 

 iron utensils, they could collect ; and, striking on 

 them with all their force, and screaming at the 

 same time, occasioned a horrid noise, that was 

 heard for miles. Many of these women, owing 

 to their exertions and fears, fell into fits, or faint 

 ed. The distress and terror of the Moors did 

 not in the least abate, till near nine o clock, when 

 the sun assured them, by his refulgent beams, that 

 &quot;11 his dangers were passed. 



&quot; During the morning and the day, the atmos 

 phere was uncommonly clear, even for a Barba- 

 ry sky, which rendered the effects of this great 

 eclipse more striking. We learned, from Hadgi 

 Abderrahman, who paid us a visit when it was 

 over, that the first ladies in the place had trembled 

 at the event, and several were seriously ill. The 

 ladies of his own family, he sak. had suffered 

 much less at the appearance of th eclipse, from 

 the circumstance of his being at home with them ; 

 for, though he considered it would be useless to 

 enter into a philosophical account of it to them, 

 yet he assured them that the moon went occa 

 sionally to see the sun; and when they met, by 

 their being so close together, the moon always 

 interrupted more or less of his light. This ac 

 count, he said, the truth of which they were con 



vinced of by his great earnestness, considerably 

 abated their fears. To the ambassador it was a 

 serious case, as Lilla Amnani is in a very deli 

 cate state of health ; but the account he gave her 

 of the phenomenon entirely pacified her.&quot; 



The above description presents a melanchoiy 

 picture of the gross ignorancoeven of the ladie* 

 of modern Barbary, and of the consequent shal- 

 lowness of their understandings; since their fa 

 thers and husbands considered it useless to enter 

 into a rational account of the phenomenon, and 

 since they were pleased with such an absurd and 

 extravagant explanation of it. And, since the 

 higher ranks, in that country, are so grossly ig 

 norant of the order of nature, and of the causes 

 of so common phenomena, in what a state of 

 mental darkness must the lower classes of soci 

 ety be placed ! Nor is Barbary the only country 

 in which such ignorance prevails. Among the 

 middling and lower ranks, in many European 

 countries, supposed to be in a moderate state of 

 civilization, a similar degree of intellectual de 

 basement will be found to exist. The Croa- 

 tians, who inhabit a certain district of the Austri 

 an empire, make the whole of their religion con 

 sist in the hearing of mass and the observance of 

 Lent ; and robbery or murder are considered as 

 more venial crimes, than to eat, during Lent, 

 with a spoon that has been dipped in broth. The 

 Morlacchi, who occupy another district of the 

 same empire, are described by geographers, as 

 extremely superstitious in their religious opinions, 

 and as firmly believing in ghosts and witches, 

 in sorceries and enchantments, and in every 

 species of supernatural agency, while they are ig 

 norant of the causes of the most common pheno 

 mena of nature. 



No. III. Absurdities of Astrology. P. 19, &c. 



Mr. Varley s &quot;Zodiacal Physiognomy,&quot; re 

 ferred to in a note, p. 19, pretends to decide, that 

 the various signs of the zodiac create a great di 

 versity in the features and complexions of human 

 beings ; and have, in fact, such influence over 

 &amp;gt;he destinies of the human race, that the system 

 may be fairly styled, &quot; the phrenology of the 

 skies.&quot; The following extracts exhibit a few 

 specimens of the positions maintained by this 

 profound and erudite writer. &quot; It has been dis 

 covered,&quot; says Mr. Varley, &quot; that each sign con 

 fers a specific style of countenance, feature, and 

 complexion, by which appearances, alone, the 

 sign which was rising at the east, at birth, can, 

 often without any other help, be ascertained.&quot; 

 &quot; The fiery trigon, consisting of Aries, Leo, and 

 Sagittarius, contains the spirited, generous, mag 

 nanimous, and princely natures. The earthy 

 trigon, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, contain 

 the careful, sordid, and pernicious qualities ; the 

 aerial trigon, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, con 

 tain the humane, harmonious, and courteous 



