never fail to tell her whether Jacob, her lover, was true or false. She would rather go five miles about than pass a churchyard at night; she would rather have gone with her gown open, than have taken a pin of an old woman, for fear of being bewitched. Poor Sally had so many unlucky days in her calendar, that a large portion of her time became of little use, because on these days, she did not dare set about any new work. And she would have refused the best offer in the country, if made to her on a Friday, which she thought so unlucky a day, that she often said, what a pity it was that there was any Friday in the week!"-It is a fact, that even now there are men, moving in the higher circles of society, who are eveu more ridiculously superstitious than poor Sally. A gentleman at a gaming table will, upon a succession of losses, even change his chair; or politely request his friend, who has been sometime sitting near him, to remove further off. O what fools the Devil makes of men, when they depart from the sacred dictates of wisdom.

"Man, and man only rejects her sacred rules;

Who from the end of their creation fly,

And deviate into misery,

As if the liberty to act like fools

Were the chief cause that Heaven had made them free."

POMFRET.

A pamphlet has recently been published in Cheltenham, the title of which is "The Nativity of her Most

66

Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by G. T. F. Smith, Philomath." The author, at page 7, gives an explanation of "the peculiar properties of each planetary orb, as given in 66 'Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos." We are told that Mars causes heat and dryness, because he is near the Sun ;* and that the Moon generates moisture, because she is near the Earth. At page 8, Saturn is declared to be a malefic or causer of evil," because of his excess of cold; and that Mars is so too, on account of his excess of heat;" so that the one is too far from the Sun to benefit mankind, and the other too near him. However, to console us under these untoward circumstances, Jupiter and Venus are pronounced to be "causers of good," because heat and moisture abound in these orbs. But, as Jupiter is further from the Sun and Earth than Mars, and Venus nearer, it is somewhat difficult to account for the physical nature of these planets. So far, however, the Sun seems to be recognised almost as the primum mobile of the system, as it regards planetary influence; we are therefore surprised afterward to find, that the Sun himself can do little

In the time of Ptolemy, the Earth was supposed to be the the centre of our system; and the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, to evolve round him, in the order here mentioned. When it was discovered that the Sun was the centre of the system, and that the Earth was merely one of the revolving planets, astrology received a blow, the effect of which it has never recovered.

or nothing, and that he only produces good or evil, according to the nature of the planet with which he may happen "to be connected." Mr. Smith considers pla

netary influence to be simply either good or evil; but he does not pretend to discover the precise nature of either; therefore virtually disclaims the predicting of positive and distinct events. The regular professors of astrology will not thank him for this moderation; for he says, "I will not pretend to be correct upon the extreme minutiæ but only upon the general influence." Mr. Smith has for many years studied astrology, and well understands it; but he evidently, in this publication, has nearly abandoned the most curious part of the art. To illustrate his sentiments, he notices an arc of direction in her Majesty's nativity [the Moon to the square of Saturn] which he supposes will be productive of evil, and has the following remarks :-" Probably our shipping interests may suffer at this period, with trouble to the community at large, losses, and political discontent to the country: it may occasion sickness to her Majesty," &c. &c. Here we have sufficient scope both for operation and fulfilment ; and if all astrologers would but regulate their predictions upon these principles, they would generally have them accomplished, whether good or evil, for human life is chequered with both. But, however, notwithstanding the general nature of the principles of Mr. Smith's system

for prediction, he has ventured to give a hint as to the TIME OF THE QUEEN'S MARRIAGE; but in case her Majesty should not be disposed to marry at the time he has named [19 years and 11 months], a loop hole is provided a for escape; for he adds, "independently of such an occurrence, its general tendency is to promote felicity and honours a period of much happiness and distinction to our royal native."-In justice to the author, I must observe that he does not make a trade of the art, and that he is to be considered only as an astrological amateur,

REFUTATION OF ASTROLOGY,

&c. &c.

LETTER I.

SIR

SOME time ago, I received a challenge from Lieut. Morrison, to discuss "The truth or falsehood of Astrology," and I have, in consequence, during the last month, met that gentleman, at the Athenæum, four times upon this subject; and trusting, that the arguments I there produced against this pretended science were sufficient to satisfy any unprejudiced mind, that astrology is not only an airy phantom of the imagination, but that its practice is a great evil

B