agreed that the numeral figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, usually called Arabic, are of Indian origin. The Arabians do not pretend to have been the inventors of them, but borrowed them from the Indian nations. The numeral characters of the Bramins, the Persians, and the Arabians, and other eastern nations, are similar. They appear afterwards to have been introduced into several European nations, by their respective travellers, who returned from the east. Our own antiquaries have discovered them to exist in our old manuscripts as far back as the middle of the tenth century; but they were then rarely used, and their use confined to works of science. They were afterwards admitted into Calendars and Chronicles, but they were not introduced into charters, says Mr. Astle, before the sixteenth century. The Spaniards, no doubt, derived their use from the Moors who invaded them. In 1240, the Alphonsean astronomical tables were made by the order of Alphonsus X. by a Jew, and an Arabian; they used these numerals, from whence the Spaniards contend that they were first introduced by them.

They were not generally used in Germany until the beginning of the fourteenth century; but in general the forms of the cyphers were not permanently fixed there till after the year 1531. The Russians were strangers to them, before Peter the

Great had finished his travels in the beginning of the present century.

The origin of these useful characters with the Indians and Arabians, is attributed to their great skill in the arts of astronomy and of arithmetic, which required more convenient characters than alphabetic letters, for the expressing of numbers.

Before the introduction into Europe of these Arabic numerals, they used alphabetical characters, or Roman numerals. The learned authors of the Nouveau Traité Diplomatique, the most valuable work on every thing concerning the arts and progress of writing, have given some curious notices on the origin of the Roman numerals. They say, that originally men counted by their fingers; thus to mark the first four numbers they used an I, which naturally represents them. To mark the fifth, they chose a V, which is made out by bending inwards the four middle fingers, and stretching out only the thumb and the little finger; and for the tenth they used an X, which is a double V, one placed topsyturvy under the other. From this the progression of these numbers is always from one to five, and from five to ten. The hundred was signified by the capital letter of that word in Latin c-centum. The other letters D for 500, and м for a 1000 were afterwards added. They subsequently abbreviated their characters, by placing one of these figures before

another; and the figure of less value before a higher number, denotes that so much may be deducted from the greater number; for instance, IV signifies five, less one, that is four; IX ten, less one, that is nine; but these abbreviations are not found among the most ancient monuments. These numerical letters are still continued by us, in recording accounts in our Exchequer.

That men counted originally by their fingers, is no improbable supposition; it is still naturally practised by the vulgar of the most enlightened nations. In more uncivilized states, small stones have been used, and the etymologists derive the words calculate and calculation from calculus, which is the Latin term for a pebble-stone, and by which they denominated their counters used for arithmetical computations.

Professor Ward, in a learned dissertation on this subject in the Philosophical Transactions, concludes, that it is easier to falsify the Arabic cyphers than the Roman alphabetic numerals; when 1375 is dated in Arabic cyphers, if the 3 is only changed, three centuries are taken away; if the 3 is made into a 9 and take away the 1, four hundred years are added. Such accidents have assuredly produced much inconvenience and confusion among our ancient manuscripts, and still does daily in our printed books; which is the reason that Dr. Robertson in his histories has al

ways preferred writing his dates in words, rather than confide them to the care of a negligent printer. Gibbon observes, that some remarkable mistakes have happened by the word Mil. in мss, which is an abbreviation for soldiers, or thousands; and to this blunder he attributes the incredible numbers of martyrdoms, which cannot otherwise be accounted for by historical records.

ENGLISH ASTROLOGERS.

A BELIEF in judicial astrology can now only exist in the people, who may be said to have no belief at all; for the sentiments of those who are incapable of reflection, can hardly be said to amount to a belief. But a faith in this ridiculous system in our country is of very late existence; it was a favourite superstition with the learned, and as the ingenious Tenhove observes, whenever an idea germinates in a learned head, it shoots with additional luxuriances.

When Charles the First was confined, Lilly the astrologer was consulted for the hour which would favour his escape.

A story, which strongly proves how greatly Charles the Second was bigotted to Judicial Astrology, and whose mind was certainly not unenlightened, is recorded in Burnet's History of his Own Times.

The most respectable characters of the age, Sir

William Dugdale, Elias Ashmole, Dr. Grew, &c. were members of an Astrological Club. Congreve's character of Foresight, in Love for Love, was then no uncommon person.

Dryden cast the nativities of his sons; and, what is remarkable, his prediction relating to his son Charles took place. This incident is of so late a date, one might hope it would have been cleared up: but, if it is a fact, we must allow it affords a rational exultation to its irrational adepts.

In 1670, the passion for horoscopes and expounding the stars, prevailed in France among the first rank. The new-born child was usually presented naked to the astrologer, who read the first lineaments in its forehead, and the transverse lines in its hand, and hence wrote down its future destiny. We find an anecdote that Catherine de Medicis brought Henry IV, then a child, to old Nostradamus, whom antiquaries esteem more for his chronicle of Provence, than his vaticinating powers. The sight of the reverend seer, with a beard which "streamed like a meteor in the air," terrified the future hero, who dreaded a whipping from so grave a personage, Will it be credited that one of these magicians having assured Charles IX. that he would live as many days as he should turn about on his heels in an hour, standing on one leg, that his majesty every morning performed that solemn exercise for an hour. The principal