Symbols used to denote the Planets; also their Mutual Aspects; and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac. Hilary Term begins Jan. 23-ends Feb. 12, and has four Days of Return, In Eight days of St. Hilary.... .... W * Returns or Essoign Day. Exc. Ret. App. Easter Term begins April 16-ends May 12 and has five Days of Return. From Easter in Fifteen Days... ..April May 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Wednesday. 20 21 22 23 Wednesday. 27 28 29 30 Wednesday. 4 5 6 7 Wednesday. 9 10 11 12 Monday. Trinity Term begins May 30-ends June 18, and has four Days of Return. On the Morrow of Holy Trinity.. ... ..May 26 | 27 | 28|30| Friday. .....June .... ........ 8 9 10 11 Wednesday. 15 16 17 18 Wednesday. Michaelmas Term begins Nov. 6-ends Nov. 28, and has four Days of Return. On the Morrow of All Souls Observe. On the 2nd of February, on Ascension Day, and on Midsummer Day, there are no sittings in Westminster Hall.-The Exchequer opens eight days before any Term begins, except Trinity, before which it opens but four days. General Remark concerning Meteorological Science. Nothing, perhaps, has baffled the efforts of science more than the precarious nature of the atmosphere. The most experienced meteorologists of the present day, with the assistance of all past ages, have not been able to lay down any systematic rules to guide judgment upon this subject. The classification of clouds, with a few hypothetical doctrines regarding each variety, and the effects which sometimes follow certain specific formations, is the utmost compass of their theme. But, admitting all this to be perfectly sober instruction, it can give only a few hours' notice of approaching alterations; and the farmer, if not already so, must become as proficient as themselves, before he can forecast under their directions. The Barometer, too, certainly an ingenious and valuable instrument for experimental purpose, will scarcely anticipate a change more than 24 hours. The climate of Great Britain, encompassed as we are by the main, is, of all others, the most treacherous. Agriculture is a staple source of Britain's wealth. This primary faculty of its life and prosperity is exposed to ever-imminent vicissitudes of weather: and the existence of a whole people may chance to depend on a little Meteorological foresight. The present calamity in Ireland, affords a grievous instance of the truth of these remarks. It is therefore in Great Britain, above all other parts of the world, that the Laws should be understood by which the atmosphere is governed. Perhaps human penetration is not capable of completely entering into all the mysteries of the more subtle elements; but many valuable secrets may, nevertheless, be learnt by getting So. hold of true principles, and persevering forward from them with discretion. The Laws of Nature are peremptory-they are few-they are simple--they are methodised-they act uniformly in all their operations -they do so no less in agitating the atmosphere, and distributing pluvial and other meteoric phenomena, than they do in agitating light, heat, human blood, vegetable blood, or the blood of the Earth. Nature will never be complex though our ideas represent her With respect to the production of pluvial pheno mena, if we look only at the effect, and understand nothing of the cause, the contingent influences, which are partial in their operations, will lead us to suspect that the results are capricious. But they are mechanical as the rising of the sun. It would not be possible here to discuss the quality of those forces which work permanently, and of those which work only occasionally, on our atmosphere: and I must, therefore, be content to say, that there are regular and standing laws, which produce periodical and very general changes of the weather; and more or less great in proportion to the interposition of accidental, and counteracting forces. The subject has had much of the author's attention-his predictions are grounded on invariable principles-under almost any circumstances they will prove correct five times out of six-and, independant of accidental influence, they will be veritied nine times out of ten; some proportion of error being in all things due to human fallibility, whilst man remains liable to oversight, to misconception, and to defect of judgment. 66 General Remark concerning the Science of Astrology. Divinity, the most sacred and exalted of all sciences, were it to fall into the hands of Doctors whose degree issued from the Taylor and Wigmaker, rather than from skill in their profession, must needs fall to scorn. Fashion reigns in science as well as in kick-shaws. One species is topinost one day, and another the following. But to paddle into the shallows and try for a gudgeon is less dangerous than to launch into the deep and make captive the grampus. On this account -and having consequently fallen from capable hands to those of clumsy pretenders is it, that the profound depths of Astrology have, of late years, been shunned: and, as it is with Divinity, many who never thought farther into the science than its name, affect to disbelieve its sublime truths.-A metaphysical disputant once asked the author, if he, the querist" were alive?" Certainly," was the reply. "How do you prove it?" said he. By a negative demonstration," rejoined I. "Show it, Sir," said he. "A witness must be present," and one being called, taking up a carvingknife," it will be proved that now you are, what, in a trice, you will be NOT," said yours. The demonstration was excused. For my part, I cannot understand the wisdom that belongs to this Pyrrhonic Club of Drummondizers. When divine prophecy, word by word, is substantiated by events, and yet is met by point-blank denial of its truth, predictions claiming no supernatural protection may well expect insult. With regard to astrology, it is a branch of Natural Philosophy-the subjects on which it is employed are a part of the System of Nature. It is no necromantic stuff-no fudge! Let me propose a few physical questions to the deep philosopher.-What provokes the gad-fly to vex the steed, and drive the frantic herd about the pasture-why do raving fits suddenly seize the raven and the owl-what summons fetches troops of frogs from the muddy bottom of the lake to prosecute land-journeys-what leads the snail to unwrap its uncouth body, and proudly push out its long hornswhat calls the sleepy beetle abroad from his deep lurking hole-in fine, what occult goad is it that rouses the hulky ork, slumbering in the lowest gulphs of the great deep, to rise and toss vast, fountains to the clouds-what circulates from this unwieldy monster, through living nature, disquieting all, to the minutest swarms that fall in honey-dews, when the sky means to lower ?-The brains of the poor maniac or infected hound, shut close in lidless box-your callous corns fortified in holds of leather-and rheumy joints, all rue alike the teasing tumults that portend a change of air. This is a problem from nature, and in course admits of solution. Will Pyrrho please to answer it.Every crink of 1823 is full or bespoke: till another year, the mystery cannot, therefore, be unfolded.Still, however, desirous as far as possible to reclaim the credit due to Celestial Omens, a few extracts from the Prophetic Almanacks, coupled with their corresponding events, have (the regular pages being all filled) been added as a loose scrap: and, in honour to human reason, I say, that I do expect such a weight of evidence in favor of Astrology to make some impression on the corrigible-on those minds which are not inaccessible to the effects of truth.-Leaving you now to read, mark, learn, and digest what you will find in the following pages, I just warn you to lose no time.-Begin, at once, to survey well the rock to which you must cling, or-sink! Fail not to attach to your supplications that comprehensive clause which you will find in the Gospel of St. Luke, XVII, v, 5.— Observe minutely, the reply in v. 6-weigh well the brief parable v. 7, 8, 9:-then, write the moral, v. 10, on your hearts. B h. m. h. 16 m. 75 57 6 53 6 13 5 19 5 47 6 13 40 6 22 Day Date Lunar Periods. 4th Day, 10 min. past 4 morn. Sun h. m. d. m. m. d. m.m. s. h. m. h. m. d. m. d. m. 6 3 54 18 45 23 S 4 32 42 9A 45 53 55 18 4 3 5618 5 3170 43 ON I 47 182 22 55 51 33 57 18 30193 54 11 18 sets Declin. pass. Me. sets Declin. pass. Me. h. m. d. m. h. m. h. md. m. h. m. 123 36 OA 9 5A 24218 31 1A 19 4M39 18N 43 8A54 4 4 623 17 0 74 1222 53 O 23 O 8 5110 17 6 55 53 17 3113 4410 o 4 sets Declin. (pass. Me. sets Notable Aspects. 3. Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury in the Tropical Sign Capricorn, at 1 o'clock in the morning. 4. Saturn for a few days, at this time, apparently stationary, in 3 degrees 16 minutes of the sign Taurus. 7. Quartile Aspect of the Sun and Mars, from the signs Taurus and Aquarius, at 30 m, past 5 in the morning. 8. Appulse of the Moon to Antares, a star of the first magnitude in Scorpio, at 38 min, past 3 in the afternoon. 8. Conjunction of Venus and Mercury in the Tropical sign Capricorn, Mercury 653 minutes South of Venus. 9: Moon in Apogee, or in that point of her Orbit in which she has receded to her greatest dist. from the Earth, 12. Sun eclipsed in the Tropical sign Capricorn, at 54 min. past 8 o'clock in the morning. Invisible in England. 12. Mars in the Head of the Dragon, or the Ascend. Node of the Lunar Orbit, at 5 in the afternoon. Orb combust. 12. Conjunction of the Moon and Venus in the Tropical sign Capricorn, at 22 m. p. 7 at night. Orbs.combust. 12. Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury in the Tropical sign Capricorn, at 34 m. p. 10 at night. Orbs combust. 13. Conj. of the Moon and Mars in the sign Aquarius, and Dragon's Head, at 43 m. p. 6 at night. Orbs combust. 15. Quartile Aspect of Saturn and Mercury from the signs Taurus and Aquarius, at 12 o'clock midnight. 18. Quartile Aspect of Saturn and Venus from the signs Taurus and Aquarius, at 4 o'clock in the morning. 18. Mercury in the Head of the Dragon, or the Ascend. Node of the Lunar Orb. at 5 in the morng. Orb combust. 20. Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in the sign Taurus, at 40 minutes past 10 o'clock in the forenoon. 20. Sun enters Aquarius, the Eleventh sign of the Zodiac, at 48 minutes past 6 o'clock in the afternoon. 21. Jupiter for a few days stationary, in 26 deg. of Taurus, from Trines with Mars, Mercury, and Venus. 21. Venus in the Head of the Dragon, or the Ascending Node of the Lunar Orbit, at 6 at night. Orb combust. 21. Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter in Taurus, at 15 min. past 12 o'clock midnight. Jupiter retrograde. 22. Conjunction of Mars and Mercury in the sign Aquarius, at midnight. Mercury 27 min. South of Mars. 24. Moon in Perigee, or in that point of her Orbit in which she has made her nearest approach to the Earth. 24. Quartile Aspect of the Sun and Saturn from the signs Aquarius and Taurus, at 8 o'clock in the morning. 26. Moon visibly eclipsed in her approach towards her descending Node: Greatest obscuration, Ilm. p. 5, evng. 30: Quartile Aspect of Jupiter and Mercury from the signs Taurus and Aquarius, at 4 o'clock in the morning. FORECASTS FOR FARMERS.. The year may be expected to open with clear frosts, which are likely to be interrupted about the 5th, and on the 11th, 12th, and 13th, abundance of Snow or Rain (according as the temperature at this season may happen to be operating upon the fluids of the Atmosphere), may be expected. The ensuing Signs portend strong winds, with varieties of fluctuating weather, which seem to prevail until the 23rd, after which sharp frosts are again signified, and will probably last out the month. Timely Warnings and wholesome Precepts. Conformable to the custom of European Chronologers, I divide the year into the Four Seasons by the Solar Ingresses into the Tropical and Equinoctial Signs... The state of the Firmament at 20 minutes past 8 o'clock in the morning of the 22nd of December, when the Winter Quarter commences, is as follows. Three degrees of Capricorn. are Orient, with the Sun, Venus, and Mercury emerging in the Ascendant, whilst 10 degrees of Scorpio culminate. Jupiter in the House of Good, and Saturn in that of Evil Fortune, emit their relative influences. The Moon at the moment is Quartile with the Sun; and Mars, with Georgium Sidus, is occupying a station in the Lower gate. From the friendly intercourse amongst several of the chief Orbs during the month, it is to be inferred that indefatigable exertions are making in order to improve the condition of the civilized world. Notwithstanding the impediments which the depth of Winter occasions, political embassies, and overtures amongst intestine partizans, are actively passing. But the position of Mars, and Venus, and Mercury, and the Moon, combust as they all together are on the 12th and 13th, not only impede the hope of any substantial amelioration, but lead to the fear that intemperate passions will rage with great violence; and, from the general tenor of the horoscope, it appears to be said, "that a latent and long suppressed fume is just breaking out in Ireland with impetuous malignity." The omen, however, bears a more general import, and cannot, I should imagine, be confined to a very narrow theatre of the Earth; yet its vehemence most applies to our Sister Island.-A notorious time-serving sycophant, not that I know which of the host is signified, seems to have got himself into a disagreeable pickle. An Allegorical Threnody on the Vicissitudes of Nations. Agents of First-rate immortalities→→→ Is not this globe your garden?-And its powers, Remember, when in Orient Eden, Of Nations, erst, you put your seed in, When your young crop, o' the soil first granted it, |