2.98 Account of Thomas 
motion. Another ftyle proje€ting from the 
fame f{pindle as the former, and cutting the 
centre of the moon’s body, that is the epicycle, 
points out her true place. By this apparatus, 
the acceleration and retardation of her motion, 
the whole of her courfe, her conjunction 
with the fun, and the phenomena of full 
moon, are clearly and diftinétly feen. Around 
thefe are fix fmall circles (or wheels) one of 
which, called the dragon’s head and tail, indi- 
cates the eclipfes both of the fun and moon. 
The remainder reprefent the planets, from 
each of which projeét two indexes intended to 
point out their motions, juft like thofe which 
I have mentioned as being attached to the 
moon. But thefe alfo move in a retrograde 
courfe, which is. not the cafe with the moon. 
By thefe means are denoted the conjunGion, 
the retrocefiion, and the latitude of each pla- 
net. There is likewife another ®circle like 
that on which the figns of the zodiac are 
marked, which pafies over the fix planets, 
This denotes the degrees of the figns, and the 
Jength of the day, i. e. the time of fun-rifing.> 
The fmail circles or wheels indicate the mo- 
tion of each planet, which, with alternate 
change, move in the day-time from weft to 
eaft, and in the night from eaftto weft. But, 
on the contrary, the largeft moveable circle, in 
the {pace of twenty-four hours, moves the 
planetsin the night from weft to eaft, and in 
the day from eaft to weft. Reafon evinces, 
andthe moft able philofophers are agreed, that 
thefe circumftances exaétly agree with the 
phenomena of the heavenly hodies. 
It is not wonderful that many people fhould 
deem the defcription of this machine an in- 
credible i€tion—for, as fome one has obferved, 
Tarda folet masnis rebus incffe fides. 
ei 
We ourfelves can fcarcely believe our eyes? 
though we fee the thing every day. When 
fome time ago read an account of fome fuch 
apparatus being invented by Archimedes the 
Syracufan, 1 could hardly believe the ftory, 
which our countryman has now rendered per- 
feétly credible. The work is above all com- 
Mendation, nor can it be otherwife adequately 
praifed, than by confeffing that no praife can 
equal its merits. It is a-matter of doubt, 
whether the artift is more to be admired on 
account of the probity and fanétity of his 
life, or on account of his ingenuity. So 
much are we perfuaded of this, that weare 
inclined to think “that ‘he was fent dewn 
from the fky, and tHat in heaven itfelf he 
‘learnt the conftru€tion of the heavens, 
Fiefole, Auguft 8, 1434. 
* Limbus figniferi inflar. 
+ A quibus finguli planet@orbiculis deferuntur, 
et viciffim interdiu quidem ad orientem, uoGiu vero 
ad oceafum commeant. Contra orbis ipfe amplif- 
Sinus notiu ad orientem, interdiuad occidentem 
quatuor et wiginti hearun fpatie planetar ter- 
Gut. . ; 
Randolph, the Pact. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
CRITICAL ACCOUNT Of THOMAS RAN= 
-  DOLPH, AN OLD ENGLISH POET. 
HE fate of this illuftrious young 
author, allowed by his cotempo- 
raries to have been pre-eminent in every 
{pecies: of liberat attainment before the 
thirtieth year of his age, at which period 
he died, has been particularly fevere. 
The edition of his poems, row before me, 
was publifhed in 1652, by his brother 
Robert, who was likewife a poet ; and it : 
appears to have beenformerlyin the poffeffion 
of the ingenious Walter Harte, of whom 
Pope makes fuch honourable mention in 
the teftimonial indu&tion to his Duzciad. 
Of any later one I have no knowledge. 
The profufion of commendatory verles 
which precede his works, amply evinces 
the high efteem in which he was held for 
genius and erudition ; and not 2 little en- 
hance the fuavity of his moral charagter, 
which could procure a friendfhip fo cor- 
dial and unlimited with thofe of his 
own clafs. Of his celebrity, there re- 
mains another proof ftill more decifive ; 
He was the profeft poetical adoption of the 
learned and judicious B. Jonlon, to whofe 
paternal fuperiority he has paidan homage, 
alae too adulatory, in the following 
ines. 
I am akinne to Heroes, being thine, 
And part of my alliance is divine: 
Orpheus, Mufzus, Homer too, befide 
Thy brothers by the Roman Mother’s fide, 
As Ovid, Virgil, and the Latine Lyre, 
That is fo like thee, Horace:, the whole 
quire 
Of poets are-by thy adoption, alt 
My uncles; thou ha& given me power to-cali 
Phoebus himfelf my grandfire ; by this graunt 
Each fifter of the Nine is made my aunt. 
This abfurd arrogance, commenced by 
the {cholaftic vanity of Ben, defcended fo 
low as the more cultivated, not more> 
{plendid, days of Dryden; who has af- 
fumed the fame dignity, and appears to 
exact the fame filiai attention, though in 
a tone, it muft be acknowledged, rather 
lefs imperious, in that charming copy of 
verfes prefixed to Congreve’s Platz Dealer; 
which happily combines all the mafculine 
graces and harmonious varieties of that 
great maiter of. Enoclifh verfification. 
Lower than his time, the veftiges of this 
cuftom cannot be confpicuoufly traced. 
The Mufes’ Looking Glafs is his chief 
performance, and manifefts an accurate 
infight of the human heart. Its ftyle, asa 
drama, is perfectly original ;.nor is its 
contrivance Jefs fo, if we except a few 
imitations of the Grecian Chorus by 
Shakefpearey 
oe 
[May 3, 
Br 
s & 
