244 
This Alnodus had a fonne called Robert 
Dunprieft which, after the deceafe of his 
‘father Alnode, had allfo the fame benefice, 
and after this Robert Dunprieft, William 
ee his fonne enjoyed the benefice like- 
wife.”? 
COMETS. 
Comets and blazing ftars, which, in con- 
fequence of the prefent improved ftate of 
aftronomy, and the great perfection of op- 
tical inftruments, are every now and then 
dilcovered, were in former times, from 
being more rarely feen, confidered as the 
forerunners of greatevents. Wilfon, the 
author of a ‘**Life and Reign of James 
the Firft,” though a man of good fenfe 
and learning, gave very much into this 
popular error and prejudice of education. 
He {peaks of a comet which appeared in 
1618, in the following words: ‘*And now 
the Heavens declare the glory of God; a 
mighty blazing ftar appears in Libra, whofe 
bearded beams covered the Virgin fign. 
Our Do&tor Bambridge relates in his de- 
{cription of it that it began in Germany 
and paffed over London towards the Or- 
cades and fo vanifhed. Nunquam futilt- 
bus excanduit Ienibus “thera ; thefe ap- 
paritions make not their courfe in vain 5 
they do always portend fome horrid events 
here below. The Divine Wildom points 
out to us what we fhould do, It appears 
‘firft in Libra, the emblem of juftice, and 
fireams over the Virgin Aftrea, which, as 
the Poet faith, was laft of all the Virtues 
that left the earth, Ultima Calefiium Ter- 
ras Aftrea relinquit. We mutt from this 
admonition learn to do juftly, and it is 
for injuffice that thefe fad omens threaten 
us. The firft remarkable accident that 
happened in England after this prodigious 
forerunner was the death of Queen Anne, 
who died of a dropfie at Hampton-court. 
‘The common people thought this great 
light in the heavens was fent as a fiam- . 
beau to her funeral; their dark minds not 
difcovering while this blaze was burning 
the fire of war that broke out in Bohemia 
wherein many thoufands perifhed.”” Thus 
far Wilfon. In the year 1664, three 
comets made their appearance together, 
and it was afterwards remarked that thefe 
were the forerunners of three punifhments 
which fel! to the lot of Engiand ; that ts 
to fay, the great plague, which happened 
in the year 1665; the fire of London in 
the next year, and the war which followed 
{con after! 
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. 
Thefe phenomena of nature have been 
eoafidered asthe meienzers of approbation 
er dilapprobaiicn of Divine Wifdom ; 
From the Port-folto of a Man of Letters. ‘ 
‘Neds 
roa. 1, 
and accordingly we poor mortals have 
put what conftruétion we pleafe on 
them, and adapt them to our narrow ca- 
pacities and concerns. When King 
James the Firft had prevailed with the 
General Affembly of the Church of Scot- 
land, which fat at Perth, to come to an 
agreement with the Church of England 
in five material articles, fince called the 
Five Articles of Perth ; the Prefbyterians 
oppofed them, but the Epifcopal Party ap- 
proved of them asa greater point than 
any they had obtained fince the Reforma~ 
tion. When thefe articles came to be 
ratified in Parliament, juft as the King’s 
Commiffioner touched the Ac& with the 
{cepter, according to the form of fignifying 
the royal affent in that kingdom, there 
happened a mighty clap of thunder, the 
like of which had not been known be- 
fore nor fince. The writers of ecclefiattical 
affairs on both fides have noticed this ac- 
cident, and given it aturn as fuited beft 
their own genius and intereft. The Pref- 
byterians fay, Aud thus Ged from Heaven, 
by the voice of thunder, expreffed bis ab- 
horrence of what was then done on earth. 
Thofe on the other fide are not behmd 
them; for they fay: Thus God, by the woice 
of thunder, ratified in Heaven what was 
done on earth. In 1795, a plan was an- 
nounced ina provincial new{paper for pres. 
venting thunder and lightning. 
ORIGINAL LETTERS. 
A LETTER from the REV. DR. GEORGE 
BENSON, to the late REV. MICAJAH 
TOWGOOD, of EXETER. 
DEAR SIR, 
I herewith fend you a Copy of the * Let- 
ters concerning Conformity,*” &c. I was 
defirous you fhould fee them; becaufeT hope 
youare proceeding with youranfwer toPow- 
ell’s Sermon, concerning fubf{cription to the 
Thirty-nine Articles, in any fenfe,inevery — 
fenfe, in no fenfe at all—as articles of 
truth which are not true; as articles of 
peace, which create endlefs contention 5 
‘as articles of the Church of England, 
which the divines of the church very — 
* Which paffed between a young gentle-~ 
man defigned for holy Orders, and his uncle, 
a clergyman: with an Appendix by the Edi- 
tor. 1758. ’ 
N.B. The correfpondence. was a real one. 
The Editor was Mr. Robert Whithear, a gen- 
tleman aged 66, who then refided at Nunnyy 
near Frome ; a friend of the late Rev. John 
Wiche, of Maiditone ; on whofe authority this 
information is given by ae Pee 
commonly 
