Thefe circumftances ftill characterize many nations in Afia, who have not advanced beyond the Brazen-Age, and they equally belonged to the most polished people in Europe before they advanced into a state of refinement. France was recovered from the English by a virginwarrior, whofe arms were for a time irrefiftible, and her body invulnerable. It was very barbarous, fay the French hiftorians, to burn this damfel-it was fo, but it was the barbarity of the times, not of the English.

Shakespeare faithfully copied the Scottish Hiftorians in Macbeth's Adventure with the three Witches. The Weird Sifters held their ground long-I am not fure whether even at this time they have abfolutely loft their exiftence. What the legislature thought in the times of James the first, is clear by the Act against Witchcraft-there is nothing furprising in this -it is but one circumstance out of

many

which mark the fuperftition of the age. But by what means can we poffibly account for the witches confeffing themfelves really guilty of the crime for which they were to fuffer? A crime which never exifted, and a confeffion which muft enfure immediate execution !*

With

* There was an instance of this so late as the year 1697, when seven people were executed, who declared themselves guilty, and that their punishment was juft. To add to the wonder, I will here fubjoin the reply of one of the council to another, who wanted to acquit the prisoners, from the impoffibility of the crimes exifting. This found philofophical argument procured a verdict of guilty from the jury, a sentence of death from the judge, and perhaps perfuaded the prisoners themselves that they really were witches-fo great is the force of divine eloquence ! "Satan's natural knowledge," said the learned council, "makes him perfect in optics and limning, whereby he may easily bewitch the eyes of others to whom he intends that his inftruments fhould not be seen in this manner, as was formerly hinted, viz. he conftricts the pores of the witches vehicle which intercepts a part of the

rays

With a few mifcellaneous remarks, which might perhaps have been more properly arranged among the foregoing heads, I will finish this imperfect sketch of the Brazen-Age.

Society at this period prefents to our observation a struggle between the unfubdued ferocity of individuals, and attempts of the chief to make all perfons amenable to those regulations which he

has

rays reflecting from her body; he condenses the interjacent air with groffer meteors blown into it, or otherwise violently moves it, which drowns another part of the rays. And laftly, he obftructs the optic nerves with humours ftirred towards them. All which, joined together, may eafily intercept the whole rays reflecting from those bodies, fo as to make no impreffion upon the common sense. And yet, at the fame time, by a refraction of the rays, gliding along the fitted fides of the volatile couch in which Satan transports them, and thereby meeting and coming to the eye, as if there were nothing interjacent, the wall or chair behind the fame bodies may be feen," &c. &c. &c.

has pronounced to be laws-Nor is it lefs curious to fee with what greater willingness mankind, in this state, submit to fuperftitious ceremonies than to reason. Truth is not attempted to be discovered by an enquiry into facts, but by supernatural means. A wife accused of adultery, makes no attempt to prove her innocence from circumstances, but by walking barefoot over the burning plowshares.* Thievery is to be discovered

by

*This ancient European custom even now prevails in India. In the Afiatic Refearches there are many inftances of the fiery ordeal being practifed in and about 1784: and one inftance of a perfon's grafping a red-hot iron ball, unhurt--An additional proof of the natural inhabitants of Indoftan being ftill in the Brazen-Age.

No very accurate obfervation feems neceffary to know that iron may be hot without changing colour, that a greater degree of heat makes it red, and by a greater heat ftill, it becomes white-But the superstition of the Kalmucs is more than equivalent for this truth. They hold that in all ordeal proofs, iron white-hot, burns lefs than iron red

hot.

by the turning of the fieve and fhears. Murder by the corpfe fresh bleeding in Stars ap

the presence of the murderer. Stars pear upon joyful occafions,* and difaftrous events are foretold by comets.† Superftition

hot. But why fhould I laugh at the Kalmucs? With us, it is a common notion, that a tea-kettle full of boiling water may be fafely rested upon the naked hand. The fact is, if the kettle has been much ufed, and has a thick cruft at the bottom of condensed fmoak, it prevents the heated metal from coming in contact with the hand; but if the kettle be new and clean, it is hotter than the water it contains in proportion to its fuperior density.

*"Prince Charles was born at St. James's a little before one in the afternoon-At his birth, at that time of day, a star appeared visible-Some faid it was the planet Venus, others Mercury," &c. RUSHWORTH.

+"A comet appeared (fays the above historian) to whose threatenings a learned knight boldly affirmed that England (and not Africa only, as fome out of flattery would have it) was liable; but also that perfon (James the firft) in whofe fortune we

were