Parchment, which hung at the upper-end of his hall. On this was curiously traced the ancient Pedigree of the Scribleri, with all their Alliances and collateral Relations (among which were reckoned Albertus Magnus, Paracelfus Bombaftus, and the famous Scaligers in old time Princes of Verona) and deduced even from the times of the Elder Pliny to Cornelius Scriblerus; for fuch was the name of this venerable Perfonage; whofe glory it was, that, by the fingular virtue of the women, not one had a head of a different Caft from his family.

His wife was a Lady of fingular beauty, whom not for that reafon only he efpoufed; but because she was undoubted daughter either of the great Scriverius, or of Gafpar Barthius. It happened on a time the said Gafpar made a vifit to Scriverius at Harlem, taking with him a comely Lady of his acquaintance, who was fkilful in the Greek tongue, of whom the learned Scriverius became fo enamour'd, as to inebriate his friend, and be familiar with his Miftrefs. I am not ignorant of what * Columefius affirms, that the learned Barthius was not for overtaken, but he perceived it; and in Revenge fuffered this unfortunate Gentleman 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 Phyfic, 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 Hea

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

ven had not bleffed them with any iffue. This wasthe utmoft 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 spouse, 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 himself and his wife for almoft the whole first year to 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 mifcarried; but as the Abortion proved only a female Foetus, he comforted himself, that, had it arrived to perfection, it would not have answered his account; his heart being wholly fixed upon the learned Sex. However he difdained not to treafure up the Embryo in a Vial, among the curiofities of his family.

Having difcovered that Galen's prefcription could not determine the fex, he forthwith betook himfelf to Ariftotle. Accordingly he with-held the nuptial embrace when the wind was in any point of the South; this Author + afferting 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 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

Galen Lib. de Cibis boni et mali fucsi, cap. 3.

† Arift. xiv. Sect. Prob. 5.

fmall

fmall addition to his happiness) he just then came to the poffeffion of a confiderable Estate 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 several annual Sums, for the recovery of Manuscripts, the effoffion of Coins, the procuring of Mummies; and for all thofe curious discoveries by which he hoped to become (as himself was wont to fay) a fecond Peireskius*. 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 composed two Treatises of Education; the one he called, A Daughter's Mirrour, and the other A Son's Monitor.

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 Mufic once in twentyfour hours, according to the cuftom of the Magi: and that on a particular day, he was obferved to leap and kick exceedingly, which was on the firft 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 muft be fo ingenuous as to own, that the Accounts are not fo certain of the exact time and place

There was a great deal of trifling pedantry and curiosity in that great

Man's character.

+ Ramfey's Cyrus. 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.

of

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 first saw the light in St. Giles's Parish. But in the investigation 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 circumftances 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 confidered their feveral 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 seven 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 passage in the Codicil to Mr. Neale's Will.

I appoint my Executors to engrave the following Infcription on the Column in the Centre of the feven streets 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 fhe was brought to-bed of a huge Ink-horn, out of which iffued feveral large ftreams of ink, as it had been a fountain. This dream was by her husband thought to fignify, that the child should prove a very voluminous Writer. Likewife a* Crab-tree that had been hitherto barren, appeared on a fudden laden with a vast quantity of Crabs: This fign alfo the old gentleman imagined

* Virg. Laurel. Donat.

to

to be a prognoftic of the acuteness of his Wit. A great fwarm of Wafps * played round his cradle without hurt ing him, but were very troublefome to all in the room befides: This feemed a certain prefage of the effects of his Satire. A Dunghill was feen within the fpace of one night to be covered all over with Mushrooms: This fome interpreted to promise the infant great fertility of Fancy, but no long duration to his works; but the Fa ther was of another opinion.

1

But what was of all moft wonderful was a thing that feemed a monftrous Fowl, which juft then dropt through the iky light, near his wife's apartment. It had a large body, two little difproportioned wings, a prodigious tail, but no head. As its colour was white, he took it at first fight for a Swan, and was concluding his fon would be a Poet: but on a nearer view, he perceived it to be fpeckled with black, in the form of letters; and this it was indeed a Paper-kite which had broke its leash by the impetuofity of the wind. His back was armed with the Art Military, his belly was filled with Phyfic, his wings were the wings of Quarles and Withers, the feveral Nodes of his voluminous tail were diverfified with feveral branches of Science; where the Doctor beheld with great joy a knot of Logick, a knot of Metaphyfick, a knot of Cafuiftry, a knot of Polemical Divinity, and a knot of Common-Law, with a Lanthorn of Jacob Behmen.

There went a report in the family, that, as foon as he was born, he uttered the voice of nine feveral animals: he cried like a Calf, bleated like a Sheep, chattered like a Mag-pye, grunted like a Hog, neigh'd like a Foal, croaked like a Raven, mewed like a Cat, gabbled like a Goose, and brayed like an Afs. And the next morning he was found playing in his bed with two Owls, which came down the chimney. His Father greatly rejoiced at all thefe figns, which betokened the variety of his

Plato, Lucan, etc.

Eloquence,