a

became fo enamoured, as to inebriate his friend, and be familiar with his Mistress. I am not ignorant of what Columefius affirms, that the learned Barthius was not fo overtaken, but he perceived it; and in Revenge fuffered this unfortunate Gentlewoman to be drowned in the Rhine at her return. But Mrs. Scriblerus (the Iffue of that Amour) was a living proof of the falfehood of this Report. Dr. Cornelius was farther induced to his marriage, from the certain information that the aforefaid Lady, the mother of his wife, was related to Cardan on the father's fide, and to Aldrovandus on the mother's: Befides which, her Ancestors had been profeffors of Phyfick, Aftrology, or Chemistry, in German Universities, from generation to generation.

With this fair Gentlewoman had our Doctor lived in a comfortable Union for about ten years: But this our fober and orderly pair, without any natural infirmity, and with a conftant and frequent compliance to the chief duty of conjugal life, were yet unhappy, in that Heaven had not bleffed them with any iffue. This was the utmost grief to the good man; especially confidering what exact Precautions and Methods he had used to procure that Bleffing: for he never had cohabitation with his fpoufe, but he pondered on the Rules of the Ancients, for the generation of Children of Wit. He ordered his diet according to the prescription of Galen, confining him

• Columefius relates this from Ifaac Voffius, in his Opufcul. p. 102. P.

felf and his Wife for almoft the whole first

b

year Goat's Milk and Honey. It unfortunately befel her, when fhe was about four months gone with child, to long for fomewhat, which that Author inveighs against as prejudicial to the understanding of the infant. This her husband thought fit to deny her, affirming it was better to be childless, than to become the Parent of a Fool. His Wife miscarried; but as the Abortion proved only a female Fœtus, he comforted himfelf, that had it arrived to perfection, it would not have anfwered his account; his heart being wholly fixed upon the learned Sex. However he difdained not to treasure up the Embryo in a Vial, among the curiofities of his family.

Having difcovered that Galen's prescription could not determine the fex, he forthwith betook himself to Aristotle. Accordingly he with-held the nuptial embrace when the wind was in any point of the South; this Author asserting that the groffness and moisture of the foutherly winds occafion the procreation of females, and not of males. But he redoubled his diligence when the wind was at Weft, a wind on which that great Philofopher bestowed the Encomiums of Fatner of the Earth, Breath of the Elyfian Fields, and other glorious Elogies. For our learned man was clearly of opinion, that the Semina out of which Animals are produced, are

Galen. Lib. de Cibis boni et mali fucci, cap. 3. P. • Arift. xiv. Sect. Prob. 5. P.

Animalcula ready formed, and received in with the Air ".

Under these regulations, his wife, to his unexpreffible joy, grew pregnant a fecond time; and (what was no fmall addition to his happinefs) he just then came to the poffeffion of a confiderable Eftate by the death of her Uncle, a wealthy Jew who refided at London. This made it neceffary for him to take a journey to England; nor would the care of his pofterity let him fuffer his Wife to remain behind him. During the voyage, he was perpetually taken. up on the one hand, how to employ his great Riches; and on the other, how to educate his Child. He had already determined to fet apart feveral annual Sums for the recovery of Manufcripts, the effoffion of Coins, the procuring of Mummies; and for all thofe curious difcoveries by which he hoped to become (as himself was wont to fay) a fecond Peirefkius. He had already chalked out all poffible schemes for the improvement of a male child, yet was fo far prepared for the worst that could happen, that before the nine months were expired, he had compofed two Treatifes of Education; the one he called, A Daughter's Mirrour, and the other A Son's Monitor.

The fe

d Religion of Nature, Sect. v. Parag. 15. P. rioufnefs with which this ftrange opinion, on fo mysterious a point, is advanced, very well deserved this stroke of ridicule. There was a great deal of trifling pedantry and curiofity in that great man's character.

This is all we can find relating to Martinus, while he was in his Mother's womb, excepting that he was entertained there with a Concert of Mufick once in twenty four hours, according to the Custom of the Magi: and that on a ' particular day, he was obferved to leap and kick exceedingly, which was on the first of April, the birth-day of the great Bafilius Valentinus.

The Truth of this, and every preceding Fact, may be depended upon, being taken literally from the Memoirs. But I must be so ingenuous as to own, that the Accounts are not fo certain of the exact time and place of his birth. As to the firft, he had the common frailty of old men, to conceal his age: as to the fecond, I only remember to have heard him fay, that he firft faw the light in St. Giles's Parish. But in the inveftigation of this point, Fortune hath favoured our diligence. For one day as I was paffing by the Seven Dials, I overheard a difpute concerning the place of Nativity of a great Aftrologer, which each man alledged to have been in his own ftreet. The circumstances of the time, and the description of the perfon, made me imagine it might be that univerfal Genius whofe life I am writing. I returned home, and having maturely

f Ramfay's Cyrus. P. It was with judgment, that the Authors chofe rather to ridicule the modern relator of this ridiculous practice, than the Ancients from whence he took it. As it is a fure inftance of folly, when amongst the many excellent things which may be learned from antiquity, we find a modern Writer only picking out their abfurdities.

confidered their several arguments, which I found to be of equal weight, I quieted my curiofity with this natural conclufion, that he was born in fome point common to all the feven streets; which must be that on which the column is now erected. And it is with infinite pleasure that I fince find my Conjecture confirmed, by the following paffage in the Codicil to Mr. Neale's

Will.

I appoint my Executors to engrave the following Infeription on the Column in the Centre of the feven freets which I erected.

LOC.NAT. INCLVT. PHILOS. MAR. SCR.

But Mr. Neale's Order was never performed, because the Executors durft not adminifter.

Nor was the Birth of this great man unattended with Prodigies: He himself has often told me, that on the night before he was born, Mrs. Scriblerus dream'd the was brought to bed of a huge Ink-born, out of which iffued several large ftreams of Ink, as it had been a fountain. This dream was by her husband thought to fignify, that the child fhould prove a very voluminous Writer. Likewife a Crab-tree that had been hitherto barren, appeared on a fudden laden with a vaft quantity of Crabs: This fign alfo the old gentleman imagined to be a prognostic of the acutenefs of his Wit. A great fwarm of Wafps

k