1881.] Dr J. B. Pearson, On Sympathetic Needles. 97 



passionate epistles, such as Flames, Darts, Die, Languish, Absence, 

 Cupid, Heart, Eyes, Hang, Drown, and the like. This would very 

 much abridge the lover's pains in this way of writing a letter, as it 

 would enable him to express the most useful and significant words 

 with a single touch of the needle." 



I have transcribed the passage from Addison at full length, in 

 order that the spirit in which he wrote may be properly appreciated. 

 I give next the passage in the Prolusiones Academicce of Fain. 

 Strada, in which it seems to be allowed that the notion in general 

 is first promulgated. Strada was a Jesuit, who lived mainly at 

 Rome, about the year 1600: he also wrote an history of the wars 

 in the Low Countries in the sixteenth century which is well spoken 

 of by Mr Motley; but the work in which the following passage is 

 found is a book written in Latin, on the model of Cicero's philo- 

 sophical works, evidently designed to exercise students in language, 

 style, and general knowledge. The passage referred to by Addison 

 is as follows: 



P. Bembus loquitur: 



Magnesi genus est lapidis mirabile, cui si 



Corpora ferri plura stylosve admoveris, inde 



Non modo vim motumque trahent, quo semper ad Ursam 



Quae lucet vicina polo se vertere tentent, 



Verum etiam mint inter se ratione modoque; 



Quotquot enim lapidem tetigere styli, simul omnes 



Conspirare situm motumque videbis in unum. 



Ut si forte ex his aliquis Romse movpatur, 



Alter ad hunc motum, quamvis sit dissitu' longe, 



Arcano se naturai foedere vertat. 



Ergo age, si quid scire voles qui distat, ami cum, 

 Ad quern nulla accedere possit epistola, sume 

 Planum orbem patulumque: notas elementaque prima 

 Ordine quo discunt pueri, describe per oras 

 Extremas orbis: medioque repone jacentem, 

 Qui tetigit magneta, stylum; ut versatilis inde 

 Litterulam quamcunque velis, contingere possit. 

 Hujus ad exemplum, simili fabricaveris orbem 

 Margine descriptum, munitumque indice ferri, 

 Ferri quod motum magnete accepit ab illo. 

 Hunc orbem discessurus sibi portet amicus, 

 Conveniatque prius, quo tempore queisve diebus 

 Exploret stylus an trepidet, quidve indice signet. 



His ita compositis, si clam cupis alloqui amicum, 

 Quern procul a tete terrai distinet ora, 

 Orbi adjunge manum, ferrum versatile tracta. 

 Hie disposta vides elementa in margine toto: 

 Queis opus est ad verba notes, hue dirige ferrum. 

 VOL. IV. PT. II. 7 



