der: above us and around us fhook the Gothic pile, threatning to overwhelm us beneath its ruins. At the fame time our lamp went out, and in its ftead was feen a blue fulphureous flame hovering over the steps of the ftone ftair cafe, from whence it now began to roll itfelf down. Hollow groans, and the difmal clanking of chains, invaded our ears. Terror, beyond the power of language to defcribe, laid hold of us.

As the noife drew nearer, the Sage placed himself with his face towards the ftone ftair-cafe, and foon we faw, with horror inexpreffible, a grim and ghaftly figure, of uncommon magnitude, defcending down the fteps. A double row of chains were faftened to his feet and hands, which, rattling at every step he took, grated harth infernal thunder in our ears. His garment appeared as if it had been newly dipped in blood; his right eye-, ball was forced out of its focket, and the upper part of his fkull was that tered to pieces. Thus, horrible to behold! he approached with furious mien the outer circles, foaming at the mouth, and grinding his teeth like the lavage fierce Hircanian tyger. The Sage ftretched forth his wand, and with authoritative voice addreffed the Spectre: "Stay here, accuried wretch" he faid," and tell me who thou art?" "A spirit of the damned!" replied the ghoft, trembling.

Sage. "Hell then is fittelt for thee! What business brings thee hither ?" Ghoft. "To feek deliverance from

its flames."

103

At these words the Sage pointed to the oppofite door of the dungeon: reluctantly the fpectre bowed fubmis. fion, and retreated. Inftantly the vault appeared the fecond time in flames. Louder and more awful roared the thunder; all the doors fell to with horrible recoil: dreadful groans refounded in our ears: frightful apparitions glided along the walls, which, fhaking with the deep-mouthed thunder, 'threatened us with immediate deftruction.

A fcene like this might well ftrike terror into the ftouteft heart. We remained a long time in a state of ftupefaction, from which we, however, gradually recovered as the lightnings ceafed to flash, and the hoarse rebellious thunder abated its fury. The blue fulphureous flame no longer rolled itfelf down the ftone ftair-cafe; darkness, worse than Egyptian, enveloped us around; hideous groans and lamentations rendering the gloomy filence of the place ftill more awful and tremendous.

Thefe likewife gradually dying away, we were, if poffible, ftill more terrified and alarmed by the hoarfe mufic of the winding horn, and the dafhing of horfes hoofs, which now refounded dreadful in the echoing air. Rouzed, by the well-known found, from the state of infenfibility in which we lay, we difcovered with horror our hopeless fituation. Bewildered in a gloomy fubterraneous dungeon, furrounded with impenetrable darkness, and nearly fuffocated with a ftrong fulphureous vapour that pervaded the place, it tended not a little to aggra vate the horrors of the fcene, that each of us, ignorant of the presence of the reft, fuppofed himfelf deferted and alone. Long time was it before I could recover fufficient fortitude to grope about me; was I lefs

perplexed which way to fteer my doubtful courfe, than the marines that toffes without compafs on the boundlefs deep, whilit night invefts the

pole,

104 pole, and not a star is feen in the fpa

cious firmament of heaven.

In this uncertainty I felt myfelf fud. denly feized by the hand. Reason had not yet refumed her empire over my mind; my imagination was ftill too much heated with the ftrange fcenes I had juft witneffed, to form any cool deliberation: and fancying myfelf actually under the influence of enchantment, I started back with a fearful fhriek, not lefs appalled than if the grilly king of terrors himfelt had laid his icy hand upon me!

"Don't be alarmed,"-exclaimed the well known voice of the Lieutenant, and inftantly my fears fell, like a heavy ftone, from my heart. At the fame time, I had the pleasure to hear the Count fpeak. We prefently joined him, and holding fast by the fkirts of our coats, that we might not be feparated again, endeavoured to grope our way to the ftair-cafe.

In this defign, after many fruitless attempts, we had at length the good fortune to fucceed. Never did pant ing lover mount the ftair-cafe leading to the apartment of his miftrefs with greater alacrity than we difplayed in climbing up these steps. But how fhall I exprefs the horror and difap. pointment we experienced on finding the trap-door faftened against us? The Lieutenant, who on this as on all other occafions, acted as our leader, after communicating this unwelcome intelligence, propofed that, inftead of giving ourselves up for loft, we fhould try our united ftrength in forcing it open. Every nerve accordingly was ftrained to accomplish a purpose to devoutly to be wished: but all in vain; the door defied our utmost efforts.

Equally unfuccefsful were we in our endeavours to make ourselves heard by the Lieutenant's fervant, whom we had left faft afleep in the hail on the arrival of the Pilgrim, as related before. In vain did we exalt our voices, till our very throats were hoarfe with bawling in vain did Echo repeat his

name, in long reiterated peals, through the fpacious, untenanted apartments: in vain, with hands and knees, did we ftrike against the iron door, till the blood began to trickle down with the blows;-no pleafing found of human footfteps faluted our longing ears.

"Deuce take the lazy rafcal!”— exclaimed the Lieutenant, tired with the double fatigue of bawling and thumping against the door-" I quel"tion whether the latt trump itfelf "would be powerful enough to aroufe "him; and we may fairly roar our "lungs out at this rate, without doing

any manner of good. Rather let us "fit down upon thefe fteps, and liften "till he begins to walk about in search "of us, as no doubt he will do when "he awakes, and finds us miffing."

This advice was immediately put in execntion; though, for my own part, I must acknowledge that I had little hope of ever seeing the fervant again. I judged it, however, prudent to conceal as much as poffible my fufpicious, and the Lieutenant likewife diffembling his anxiety, began to discourse upon the ftrange fcenes we had juft witneffed; but, in fpite of his utmoit efforts, was not able to affume his wonted gaiety and unconcern. The Count and myfelf made little or no reply, our thoughts being too much engroffed with the probable danger of our prefent fituation: the Lieutenant foon found it impoffible to disguise his apprehenfions any longer; and in this miferable state of horror and alarm we continued, as nearly as I can guess, upwards of an hour, without exchang ing a fingle word. Nothing but the gentle breath of refpiration disturbed the gloomy filence that reigned around.

Thus things continued, till the natural impetuofity of the Lieutenant could contain itself no longer; wherefore, making a fresh attempt to engage us in converfation, he demanded, whe ther we were all in a league with his fervant, and were fleeping for a wager?

But

But though the agitation of our mind effectually repulfed the most diftant advances of fleep, we were equally in capable of joining in difcourfe, and urged by that ftrong propenfity in human nature, which renders man a genuine Heautontimorcumenos *, and inclines the mind to take a ftrange delight in tormenting itself, and brood. ing over its misfortunes and calamities, we ftill remained filent for nearly two hours longer, feafting our troubled thoughts with ideal and anticipated forrows."

"Damn me if I hold it out any "longer!"exclaimed the Lieute nant, in a kind of frenzy-" that "curfed rafcal of mine can

never

rate

fleep at fuch a devil of a "as this. But were he even as faft "as our great-grandfather Adam when "his precious rib was taken from his "fide, I think I'll manage to open "his eyes for him.”

With these words he began to ftamp and roar, as though his design had actual. ly been nothing less than to anticipate the day of general refurrection. The Count and myself, feconding him with might and main in his pious intentions, joined luftily in the rough chorus--but all to no purpose; no answer was returned no tread of footsteps, could be heard. Exhaufted with fatigue we were fain to defist: and once more feating ourselves upon the ftone-steps, our patience was again put to the teft, in waiting till the fervant fhould think proper to awake.

After two or three hours spent in fruitless expectation

"I should be very forry, Gentlemen," began the Lieutenant, addreffing us in a firm indignant tone of voice," to torture either you or myfelf with groundless apprehenfions. But from the complexion of circumftances, our destruction in this difmal

* The name given to one of Terence's Plays. The word is originally Greek, and fignifies a Self-tormentor. VOL. III.

105

dungeon appears inevitable. As men, however, who have nothing worfe than what already awaits us to dread, let us borrow hope and courage from defpair; and rather let us perish in a bold attempt to regain our liberty, than calmly fubmit to a lingering death, which refolution and perfeverance may ftill, perhaps, enable us to escape. Though this proud door defies our utmoft and united efforts, fome other opening may perhaps be found, at leaft the chance at any rate is worth the trial."

Without waiting for our reply, the Lieutenant began to defcend the steps. We followed his example, and returned to the dismal dungeon from which we fought to escape. Each taking a different direction, we groped about in queft of fome friendly avenue that might afford us egrefs.

In any other fituation, the whimfical manner in which we frequently met together, might well have excited our rifibility. Sometimes we laid hold of each other by the feet and hands, or running foul, came tumbling to the ground together. At other times our nofes met in rude contact with the oppofing walls, or cur fhins were kicked bloody against the loose bricks and rubbish that lay fcattered up and down the place. But all our efforts proved abortive, Faint and exhausted, I at length ftretched myfelf out upon the ground, and more concerned about the fafety of the Count than my own, began to load myself with bitter reproaches, for having, through any indifcreet compliance, precipitated my pupil into inevitable ruin and deftruction, into the neceffity of dying a lingering death in a fubterraneous dungeon.

Meanwhile that I was indulging thefe difagreeable reflections, the Licutenant and Count continued their refearches, as I could eafily diftinguish by the found of their feet, which echoed dreadful through the difmal vault. Neither of them spoke a O

word

ད

SIR,

THE foregoing nativity is of a child born the time mentioned in the figure, at a Mr. Matthews's, No. 16, Church Lane, White Chapel; and as the Part of Fortune is indifputably hileg, your inferting it will tend to elucidate that important point, which is very little understood, and quite neglected, by fome modern profeffors.

Ptolemy plainly tells us it is computed from the intercepted degrees be. tween the Sun and Moon, and that "what proportion and configuration the Sun has to the horofcope, the fame has the Moon to the Part of Fortune, that it may be as a lunar horoscope." Therefore, when the Sun is on the af. cendant, the mundane place of the Moon with her latitude is the exact place of the Part of Fortune, or lunar horofcope. For instance, in the prefent nativity, if we make the Sun, or twenty-one degrees, and fifty-five minutes of Pifces afcend, then eighteen degrees and twenty-nine minutes of the fame fign, with nineteen minutes fouth latitude, which is the Moon's place; this, I fay, will be the place of the Part of Fortune, about forty minutes from the cusp of the afcendant, and it will have the Moon's declination.

I calculated this nativity when the child was about three weeks old, and informed the people of the houfe that it would scarce live half a year, though very different thoughts were at that time.entertained by the child's relations. However, it did not live three months, but died on the first of June.

40'

The cause of this child's death is fo obvious, that it is almost unnecessary to mention it; for the Part of Fortune is within half a degree of the mundane fquare of the Sun, and applying to the zodiacal parallel of the Sun, Mars, and Mercury.

I was induced to send you this by a flight controverfy with an acquaintance who difputed the propriety of even admitting the Part of Fortune to be hileg, and fearing there may be several of the fame opinion, for I have obferved a very refpectable correfpondent, in the nativity of H. H. fome time back has afferted, that on the direction of the afcendant, to an oppofition of Mars at twenty-ht years, the native muft have fuffered a fevere illness, which I am fure never happened; at least not from that caufe, as the part of, Fortune is hileg in that nativity.

This mistake, I fuppofe, is owing to the erroneous methods that have been given for its calculation, for even in the annotations to the Quadripartite, the method there taught is quite ab

* I would not be thought to have predicted this child's death from an aphorifm which, thongh applicable to this nativity, and generally received as true, yet has neither reafon nor experience for its bafis; it is, "That those born at the new or full Moon, or at the time of I have met with feveral inftances to the conan eclipíe, feldom live to years of maturity.". trary, particularly in the nativity of one born at the time of the great eclipfe in 1715, and yet lived fixty years after. Neither would Ptolemy have directed to judge of cafes of lunacy in nativities where the new or full Moon was overcome by the malefics at the

time of birth.