VOL. I.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 85 



Chester towards his house near Andover, in very bad weather, was killed by 

 lightning, together with his horse. At about a mile from Winchester he was 

 found with his face beaten into the ground, one leg in the stirrup, the other 

 in the horse's mane ; his cloaths all burnt off his back, and his hair and all his 

 body singed ; and his cloaths were so scattered and consumed, that not enough 

 to fill the crown of a hat could be found. His nose was beaten into his face, 

 and his chin into his breast, in which was a wound cut almost as low as his 

 navel. His gloves were whole, but his hands in them singed to the bone. 

 The hip-bone and shoulder of his horse burned and bruised, and his saddle torn 

 into small pieces. 



Of some Books lately published. N° 14, p. 248. 



I. Relations of Divers Curious Voyages, by Mons. Thevenot, vol. 3. in 

 French. This book contains chiefly, the Embassy of the Dutch into China, 

 translated out of the Dutch manuscript : a Geographical Description of China, 

 translated out of a Chinese author by Martinius ; and the account which the 

 Directors of the Dutch East-India Company made to the States General, 

 touching the state of affairs in the East-Indies, when their late fleet parted 

 from thence. 



II. A Discourse on the Causes of the Inundation of the Nile. The author 

 of this book is Monsieur de la Chambre, who being persuaded, from several 

 circumstances which accompany the overflowing of this river, that it cannot 

 proceed from rain, ventures to assign as a cause, as well as for other effects 

 of its swelling, the nitre with which that water abounds.* 



III. De Principiis et Ratiocinatione Geometrarum ; Contra Fastum Profes- 

 sorum Geometriae; authore Thoma Hobbes. It seems that this author is 

 angry with all geometricians but himself; yea he plainly says in the dedica- 

 tion of his book, that he invades the whole nation of them ; and unwilling, it 

 seems, to be called to an account for doing so; he will acknowledge no judge 

 of this age ; but is full of hopes that posterity will pronounce for him. Mean- 

 while he ventures to advance this Dilemma ; Eorum qui de iisdem rebus mecum 

 aliquid ediderunt, aut solus insanio Ego, aut solus non irisanio ; tertium enim non 

 est, nisi (quod dicet forte aliquis) insaniamus omnes^ Doubtless, one of these 

 will be granted him. 



* It is now well known that the overflowing of the Nile in summer, is owing to the torrents of 

 rain and the melting of the snow on the mountains in Abyssinia and Upper Egjpt. 



