misunderstanding, we should perhaps have been defeated; for our cavalry was engaged a full half hour before the infantry could join it. For the same reason, I directed the village of Hurne to be abandoned, that I might send the battalions by which it was occupied, to support the squadrons on the left wing. But the duke of Argyle arrived with all possible expedition, at the head of the English infantry; and then came the Dutch, though much more slowly. "Now," said I to Marlborough, "we are in a condition to fight." It was six in the evening of the 11th of July; we had yet three hours of day-light. I was on the right at the head of the Prussians. Some battalions turned their backs after having been attacked with unequalled fury. They rallied, retrieved their fault, and we recovered the ground they had lost. The battle then became general along the whole line. The spectacle was magnificent. It was one sheet of fire. That of our artillery made a pow. erful impression; that of the French, being ve y injudiciously posted, in consequence of the uncertainty which prevailed in the army on account of the disunion of its commanders, produced very little effect. With us it was quite the contrary; we loved and esteemed one another, not excepting the Dutch marshal Ouverkerke, venerable for his age and services, my old friend and Marlborough's, who obeyed and fought to ad miration. The following circumstance may serve to prove our harmony. Matters were going wrong on the right, where I com manded. Marlborough, who perceived it, sent me a reinforcement of eighteen battalions, without which, I should scarcely have been able to keep my ground. I then advanced, and drove in the first line; but at the head of the second, I found Vendome on foot, with a pike in his hand, encouraging the troops. He made so vigorous a resistance, that I should not have accomplished my purpose, had it not been for Natzmer, at the head of the king of Prussia's gendarmes, who broke through the line, and enabled me to obtain complete success. Marlborough purchased his more dearly on the right, where he attacked in front, while Ouverkerke dislodged the enemy from the hedges and villages. Nassau, Fries, and Oxenstiern, drove the infantry beyond the defiles, but they were roughly handled by the king's household troops, who came to its assistance. I rendered the same service to the duke. I sent Tilly, who, making a considerable circuit, took the brave household troops, which had nearly snatched the victory from us, in the rear: but this decided the business. The darkness of the night prevented our pursuit, and enabled me to execute a scheme for increasing the number of our prisoners. I sent out drummers in different directions, with orders to beat the retreat, after the French manner, and posted my French refugee officers, with directions to shout on all sides: A moi Picardie! A moi Champagne ! Amoi Piemont ! The French soldiers ran to these posts, and I picked up a pretty round number: we took in all about seven thousand. The duke of Burgundy, and his evil counsellors, had long before withdrawn. Vendome collected the relics of the army, and took charge of the rear. As the firing had re-commenced while it was stili dark, Mariborough waited for day-light to attack the enemy before he reached Ghent. His detachinent found him but too soon. Vendome had posted his grenadiers to the right and left of the high-road, and they put our cavalry, which pursued them, to the rout. Vendome by this saved the remnant of his army, which entered Ghent in the utmost confusion, with the dukes of Burgundy and Berry, and the count of Toulouse. His presence pacified and cheered the soldiers. They all held a council of war at the inn called the Golden Apple. The opinion of the princes and their courtiers, was as usual, detestable. Vendome grew warm, expressed his indignation at having been crossed by them, and declared, that as he was determined not to be served in the same manner again, he should order the army to encamp behind the canal from Bruges to Lovendeghem. I pitied him from the bottom of my heart, as I bad done the elector of Bavaria in 1704, and the duke of Orleans in 1706. SCARCE SCARCE TRACTS, WITH EXTRACTS AND ANALYSES OF SCARCE BOOKS. It is proposed in future to devote a few Pages of the Monthly Magazine to the Insertion of suck Scarce Tracts as are of an interesting Nature, with the Use of which we may be favoured by our Correspondents; and under the same Head to introduce also the Analyses of Scarce and Curious Books. "Table-Talk: being the Discourses of John Selden, esq. or his Sense of various Matters of Weight and high Consequence; relating especially to Religon and State. Distingue Tempora! The third Edition. London, 1716." 800. HE name of Selden has been so uni Tversally and so long known, that lit tle of introductory remark can here benced ed. One observation, however, we shall premise, from the epistle dedicatory prefixed to the work by Richard Milward. "In reading, be pleased to distinguish times, and in your fancy carry along with you the when and the why many of these things were spoken; this will give them the more life and the smarter relish." The observations are alphabetically arranged, as will appear from the following selections. Churches." The way coming into our great churches was antiently at the west door, that men might see the altar and all the church before them; the other doors were but posterns." Language."1. To a living tongue new words may be added, but not to a dead tongue, as Latin, Greek, Hebrew, &c. 2. Latimer, is the corruption of Latiner; it signifies, he that interprets Latin, and though he interpreted French, Spanish, or Italian, he was called the king's latiner, that is, the king's inter preter. 3. If you look upon the language spoken in the Saxon time, and the language spoken now, you will find the dif ference to be just as if a man had a cloak that he wore plain in queen Eliza. beth's days; and since, here has put in a piece of red, and there a piece of blue, and here a piece of green, and there a We borrow piece of orange-tawny. words from the French, Italian, Latin, as every pedantick man pleases. "4. We have more words than notions, half a dozen words for the same thing. Sometimes we put a new signification to an old word, as when we call a piece, a gun. The word gun was in use in England for an engine to cast a thing from a man, long before there was any gua-powder found out. "5. Words must be fitted to a man's mouth; it was well said of the fellow that was to make a speech for my lord mayor, he desired to take measure of his lordship's mouth." Libels "1. Though some make slight of libels, yet you may see by them how the wind sits: as take a straw and throw it up into the air, you shall see by that which way the wind is, which you shall not do by casting up a stone. More solid things do not shew the complexion of the times so well as ballads and libels." Proverbs." 1. The proverbs of seve ral nations were much studied by hishop Andrews, and the reason he gave was, because by them he knew the minds of several nations, which is a brave thing; as we count him a wise man that knows the minds and insides of men, which is done by knowing what is habitual to them. Proverbs are habitual to a nation, being transmitted from father to son." Truth."The Aristotelians say, all truth is contained in Aristotle in one place or another. Galileo makes Simplicius say so, but shows the absurdity of that speech, by answering, all truth is contained in a lesser compass, viz. in the alphabet: Aristotle is not blamed for mistaking sometimes; but Aristotelians for maintaining those mistakes. They should acknowledge the good they have from him, and leave him when he is in the wrong. "Le Prince d'Amour, or the Prince of Love: with a Collection of several ingenious Poems and Songs, by the Wits of the Age." Lond. 1660. 8vo. Among the poems and songs are seveReliques. The two following are selectral which bishop Percy printed in his ed as specimens of the better sort: THE FRUITS OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE. «To shine in silk and glister all in gold, To build up houses stately to behold, 1 The The princes favor and the peoples care: Although the gifts be great and very rare, The groaning gout, the click, and the stone, works, would probably be uninteresting to the general reader. From the first, however, we have selected, Will mar their mirth, and turn it all to 4 AN EXPLANATION OF THE WORDS OF moan. The want of this made Adam hide his head, The want of this made Cain to wail and weep, The want of this makes many go to bed, When they (God wot) have little lust to sleep; Strive therefore, strive to entertain and So rich a jewel, and so rare a guest, UPON A PRIEST THAT HID MONEY. "A certain priest had hoarded up A mass of secret gold, And where for to bestow the same He knew not to be bold; k length it liked his fancy well "Latam's Faulconry, or the Falcon's Lur and Cure: in two Books. Sima Latham, gent. Lond. 1658. 8vo. By -Leham's New and Second Book of Faicury: concerning the Ordering and Trainng up of all such Hawks as were omittd or left unmentioned in his printer Book of the Haggard Falcon, and Gr-Faulcon: namely, the Goshawk ad Tussell, with the Sparhawk, the Lamer and Lanneret, as they are divided n their generation; the Hobby und Malyn, in their kindes ; teaching approvca Medicines for all such Infirmities nd Diseases as are incident to them." Lond. 1658. 8vo. Hawking has so long ceased to be a general spot among the English, that a complete anlysis of either of the above ART. Creance, is a fine small long line of strong and even twound packthread, which is fastened to the hawk's leash, when shee is first lured. Check, or to kill: check is when crowes, rooks, pyes, or other birds, comming in the view of the hawk, she forsaketh her naturall flight to fly at them. Custing, is any thing that you give your hawk to cleanse her gorge with, whether it be flannell, thrammes, feathers, or such like. To cast a hawk, is to take her in your hands before the pinions of her wings, and to hold her from bating or striving, when you administer any thing unto her. Cadge, is taken for that on which faulconers carry many hawks together, when they bring them to sell, D. Dropping, is when a hawk muteth directly downward, in severall drops, and jirketh it not long wayes from her. Disclosed, is when young hawks are from their shells. newly hatch't, and as it were disclosed E. Erie, is the nest or place where a ones, whether in woods, rocks, or any hawk buildeth, and bringeth up her young other places. meat, not only putting it over from Endew, is when a hawk digesteth her her gorge, but also cleansing her pannell. G. first receiveth the meat, and is called the Gorge, is that part of the hawk which craw, or crop, in other fowls. Gurgiting, is when a hawk is stuft or sufforated, with any thing, be it meat or otherwise. I. Inke, Muting, is the excrements, or ordure, which comes from hawks, and containeth both dung and urine. A muke Hawk, is an old stanch flying hawk, which being inur'd to her flight, will easily instruct a younger hawk to be waining in her prey. Managing, is to handle any thing with cunning, according to the true nature thereof. Mew, is that place, whether it be abroad or in the house, where you set down your hawk, during the time that she raseth her feathers. Mites, are a kind of vermine smaller than lice, and most about the heads and nares of hawks. P. Pluming, is when a hawk seizeth a fowl, and pulleth the feathers from the body. Plumage, are small downy feathers which the hawk takes, or are given her for casting. Pelt, is the dead body of any fowl, howsoever dismembered. Pill, and Pelf, of a fowl, is that refuse and broken remains which are left after the hawk hath been relieved. Plume, is the generall colour, or mixtures of feathers in a hawk, which sheweth her constitution. Pearch, is any thing whereon you set your hawk, when she is from your fist. ·Prey, is any thing that a hawk killeth, and feedeth herself thereupon, Seizing, is when a hawk taketh any thing into her foot, and gripeth or holdeth it fast. Sliming, is when a hawk muteth from her long-wayes, in one entire substance, and doth not drop any part thereof. Stooping, is when a hawk, being upon her wings at the hight of her pitch, ben deth violently down to strike the fal o any other prey. Summ'd, is when a hawk hath all her feathers, and is fit either to be taken from the crie or mew. Setting-down, is when a hawk is out into the mew. Sore-hawk, is from the first taking of her from the eiry, till she have moved her feathers. To the right Worshipfull, my singular good Friend M. Gabriell Harvey, Doctor of Laroes. HARVEY, the happy above happiest men I read, that sitting like a looker-on Of this worldes stage, doest not with critique pen The sharp dislikes of each condition, And as one careless of suspition, Ne fawnest for the favour of the great; Ne fearest foolish reprehension Of faulty men, which danger to thee threat, But freely doest of what thee list entreat, Like a great lord of peerlesse liberty: Lifting the good up to high honour's seat, And the evil damning evermore to dy. For life and death is in thy doomefull wri. ting, So thy renown lives ever by endighting. Your devoted friend, during life, "A Letter sent by William Laud, Archbishop of Canteburie, with divers Manuscripts, to the University of Oxford. Which Letter, in respect, it hath Relation to this present Parlia ment, is here inserted: together with the Answer which the University sent him, wherein is specified their integrity, as he is their Chancellor. The Tenor whereof ensues. Printed in the Year 1641." 4to. This singular and rare tract consists but of five pages. The public orator's answer is dated "from Oxford, 1640." Laud merely adds to his former gifts six manuscripts in Hebrew, eleven in Greek, thirty-four in Arabick,, twenty-one in Latin, two in English, and five in Persian. "One of which [last] being of a large volume, containeth a historie from the beginning of the world to the end of the Saracen empire, and without doubt is of great worth." These were, probably, among the last presents which were made by archbishop Laud to the uni versity. Extracts from the Portfolio of a Man of Letters. TRANS-INCORPORATION OF SOULS. HE doctrine of the trans-incorpora Tration of souls, or of their migra tion through successive human bodies, was taught at length, and with more confidence, by a Jewish rabbi called Jitzcach Loriensis. His book is entitled De Revolutionibus Animarum. He supposes a limited number of souls to have been made at the creation, and that these souls are constantly in waiting about our atmosphere, to animate such bodies as are ready for a soul. Those embryos perish which no soul chooses to animate. The souls of the eminently good are dispensed from re-animating men, and become angels of God. The souls of the very bad are forbidden for a time to rehumanize themselves, and become devils; but they are often endeavouring to obtain a human body, that they may have a chance of bettering their condition: this may be observed in the case of pos. session by dæmons. Those souls continue to revolve in human life which are not perfect enough for angels, or foul enough for devils; and it may often be perceived, that whole groups of souls, which, during their first visit on earth, were acquainted with each other, come consentaneously again at the same time into new being. In schools of philosophy and theology, these clusters of old souls may especially be traced; and many men of vigilant intellect have recollected their former character, and are aware that their present ideas are mere reminiscences. In the history of all nations, souls follow their original order of presentation; the bold and cruel make choice of an earlier period of national existence than the humane and subtle, which mosly await a period of luxury and refinement. Many persons are born to misfortune; as when poverty, or hereditary disease, greatly afflict their parents. These evils are to be considered as voluntary expiations, which the soul so born chose to undergo, in order to purge off the sins committed during its preceding existence. Those are the wisest souls who so choose their bodies: the well-embodied almost always contract fresh pollutions, and go back into the atmosphere a degree lower in spiritual existence. The soul of Abel belonged afterwards to Moses; and the soul of Cain belonged to that Ægyptian whom Moses slew. John the Baptist claimed the soul of Elias. Pythagoras was a Trojan, before he became a disciple of Eyra. Philo was |