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Predictions from Moore's Almanack for 1808, published in London, annually.

AFTER the remarkable predicti

The palace of Cæfar refounded with the heavy groans of its inspector, and the works that Julien had directed, in order to its enlargement and decoration, languished in every department. Thofe vaft buildings which extended on and warning which diftinguished fouthwards from the river to the hill* this notable almanack, last year, and is faid to have greatly frighted the grand Turk, whole fate it foretold!! our readers, who may not yet have provided themfelves with this interefting almanack, will be curious to know what of futurity the learned phyfician unfolds in his work for the year of human redemption 1808.' He ftates as follows:

remained in an unfinished flate; the fcaffolding, abandoned by the labourers, still adhered to the half-raifed walls; farther off, vaft fubterraneous paffages, carried on even to the Seine, were left open to the public view. The extenfive gardens of the emperor, planted with fig-trees and vineyardst, and which spread from the walls of the amphitheatre to the trees that grow on the Campus Martist; from whence the eye furveys the palace of Cæfar, and the buildings and gardens which belong to it; then falls upon the fortrefs of the Parifians, which is embraced by the arms of the luxuriant Seine, and difcovers the fuburbs on the north, and the immence forefts with which they are crowned-Thefe gardens, I fay, called in vain for the attentions, of Sylvanus, heretofore fo actively directed, and experienced a total ftag

nation.

One evening, while wandering distractedly in a thady part of the garden O my daughter,' he ejaculated, 'whom I expected would be the confolation of my old whofe filial age, hand would clofe my eye-lids, and invoke the gods over my tomb, an artful deceiver is now about to rob me of thee for ever l'

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MARCH. for the fake of ambition The French ftruggling and power: the northern powers oppofing them with all their might, and are fruggling for their rights and properties. The Spaniards are struggling to regain their fettlements in South America, and are under great apprehenfion. The poor Polanders The king of Pruifia ftruggles, not are under miferies and civil diffentions. to enlarge, but to regain his dominions, and the poor Dutch to keep APRIL. England (I am forry to fay) and preferve them, &c. and is ftruggling with a diffatisfied race of mortals, who go about like wolves in heep's clothing, to difturb and breed contentions amongst us. The Turks and Ruffians are very fhy of each other and let the Turks beware, left they fall like their late emperor Selim, MAY. whofe fall I predicted in

April last year.-The politi cal affairs in Germany are not yet fettled on a permanent and folid foun dation; the people in general are yet full of tears and complaints, and not only on the continent, but too much fo even in our own dominions.→ England is as much concerned in the actions and affairs of thefe times as any nation in Europe, and will, I fear, her enemies will not go off Scot free. sustain fome lofs and damages; and

JUNE

nations having been lately notably
active, begin now to retire, and
paufe upon what they have done, and
the people in general feem better
pleafed than formerly:
OCTOBER.
but yet there is nothing
more certain than uncertainty in bu-
man affairs. Let us not repine at
those things which cannot be amend-
ed. Sudden news arrives to Eng-
land, difcovering matters of confe-
NOVEMBER. quence drawing near.
The actions of this
month at the beginning thereof, may:
be hopeful and pleafing, and proba-
bly an eminent perfon receives pre-
ferment, or fome other advantage;
though at the fame time, a worthy
lady languishes under great affliction··
and trouble of fpirit. The vulgar
DECEMBER.
is impoverished; and;
fome of the richer fort must be con-
tent to fit down with their loffes and
other cafual accidents which about:
this time may happen.'

man

I fear a wilful and obftinate JUNE. party, in high ftations in life amongst us, will do more prejudice to the intereft of this nation than it is in the power of our most public enemies to do.-A perfon of great merit fuffers by falfe afperfions; but a brave mind fruftrates the malice even of implacable enemies; and one of the long robe is, near this time, rewarded according to his merit. There are fome good afpects of the planets of late and near this tine, that denote fome wife and deliberate JULY. Councils; and if the prelimi naries of peace are not yet agreed up on, there now are great hopes thereof, as there is fome fort of negotiations carrying on tending to that effect, either for ourselves, or on the continent of Europe, in order to fettle peace and tranquillity for the public good. The schemes and defigns of a northern prince mifcarry. The pope and Italian princes greatAUGUST. ly embarraffed in their councils; the eastern parts of Germany labour under fome diftemper, or other calamities: the affans of France are near a crifis.-The af-lowing remark: pect and pofitions of the planets this month are mostly benevolent, and of a more healing nature than they have been for fome years paft; and mundane affairs feem now to take a better turn. We thall all be glad to find that. The influences of the stars of late have been propitious, but the ininds of men feem yet to be averfe and fwell with maSEPTEMBER. lice and difcontent; vet I hope the good hand of Provi dence will prevail, and thofe who are found notoriously guilty, will have cause to tremble, and be expof ed to the common justice of the nation, and that not many months hence, to the general fatisfaction of the people. Very uncertain reports and doubtful news arrive from most

parts of Europe. The European

complains he

Juft precedent to the hieroglyphick with which the fapient attronomer; yearly treats his difciples, is the fol

In the book, of the Heavens I have often read the fate of nations, and have noticed in my almanacks from time to time many of the great. chances that have taken place in Eu-. rope and other parts of the world; and I am now bold to fay, the attempt of the invafion of this country by the French, will not take place in our day; and, in fhort, it never did occur to me, either from starry energy or the cabalistical art, that it would, as I feveral times before hinted; therefore, let the people of this nation take the confolation, be united, and they have nothing to fear.'

The hieroglyphick difplays two armies oppoted; between which a crowned mediator marches, whofe head is infcribed PAX.

over.

Hiflory

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Hiftory of a Ghoft, towards the lat ter End of the Reign of Lew is XIV

THE reader may think as he pleafes of this tory; thus much however is certain, that, at the time, it attracted universal attention, was every where believed, and even got into print; and though fome impofture was undoubtedly at bottom, yet at leaft it had this merit, that it was fo nicely contrived as to render abortive all attempts to discover it, and even to clude all probable conjecture about it.

The little town of Salon, in Provence, which claims the honour of being the birth place of the celebrated Noftradamus, was alfo, in April 1697, the firft fcene of action to the prefent hiftory. A fpectre, which many people held to be no other than the spirit of Noftradamus, appeared to a private man of this town, and caufed him no fmall trouble." It began its addrefs to him by commanding him, or pain of death, to obferve the most inviolable fecrecy in regard of what he was about to deliver. This done, he ordered him to go to the intendant of the province, and require, in its name, letters of recommendation, that fhould enable him, on his arrival at Versailles, to obtain a private audience of the king. What thou art to fay to the king,' continued the apparition, thou wilt not be informed of till the day of thy being at court, when I fhall appear to thee again, and give thee full infiructions. But forget not that thy life depends upon the fecrecy which I erjoin thee on what has paffed between us, towards every one, only not towards the intendant. At thefe words the fpirit vanithed, leaving the poor man half dead 'with 'terror:➡ Scarcely had lie come a little to himfelf, than his wife entered the apartment where he was, perceived his uheafinefs, and enquired after the Kebruary, 1808.

caufe. But the threat of the spectre to let her draw a fatisfactory answer was yet too much prefent to his mind, from him. The repeated refufals of the hufband did but ferve to fharpen the curiofity of the wife; the poor man, for the fake of quietnefs, had at length the indifcretion to tell her all, even to the minuteft particulars; and the moment he had finished his confeffion, paid for his weakness by the lofs of his life. The wife, violently terrified at this unexpected cataftrophe, perfuaded herself, howe ver, that what had happened to her hufband might be merely the effect of an over-heated imagination, or fome other accident; and thought it bet, as well on her own account, as in regard to the memory of her deceafed hufband, to confide the fecret of this event only to a few relations and intimate friends.

But another inhabitant of the town, having, thortly after, the fame apparition, imparted the ftrange occur rence to his brother; and his impru dence was in like manner punished by a fudden death. And now, not only at Salon, but for more than twenty miles around, thofe two furprifing deaths became the fubject of general converfation.

The fame ghost, again appeared, after fome days, to a farrier, who lived only at the diftance of a couple of houfes from the two that had fo quickly died; and who, having learnt wildom from the misfortune of his neighbours, did not delay one moment to repair to the intendant. It coft him great trouble to get the private audience as ordered by the fpectre, being treated by the magistrate as a perfon not right in the head.I easily conceive, fo pleafe your excellency,' replied the farrier, who was a fenfible man, and much refT E. Might not perhaps this circu nstance properly feized, have conducted to trace out the affair?

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pected

pected as fuch at Salon, that I must feem in your eyes to be playing an extremely ridiculous part; but if you would be pleafed to order your fubdelegates to enter upon an examination into the hafty death of the two inhabitants of Salon, who received the fame commiflion from the ghost as I; I flatter myself that your excellency, before the week out, will have me called.'

In fact, François Michel, for that was the farrier's name, after information had been taken concerning the death of the two perfons mention ed by him was fent for again to the intendant, who now liftened to him with far greater attention than he had done before; then, giving him difpatches to monf. de Baobefieux, minifter and secretary of State for Provence, and at the fame time prefenting him with money to defray his travelling expences, withed him a happy journey.

The intendant, fearing left fo young a minifter as m. de Baobefieux might accufe him of too great credulity, and give occafion to the court to make themfelves merry at his expeace; had enclofed with the difpatches, not only the records of the examinations taken by his fubedele gates at Salon, but alfo added the certificate of the lieutenant general de juftice, which was attefted and fubfcribed by all the officers of the depart

ment.

ifling from thy purpose, and of letting the fecret be drawn from thee by the minifter or by any one elle, as thou wouldft not fall dead upon the spot.'

The minitter, as may easily be imagined, did his utmost to worm out the mystery: but the farrier was firm, and kept filence, fwore that his life was at ftake, and at laft concluded with thefe words: that he might not think that what he had to tell the king was all a mere farce, he need only mention to his majefly, in his name that his majefty, at the laft hunting party at Fontainebleau, had himself feen the spectre; that his horfe took fight at it, and started aide: that his majesty, as the appa rition lafted only a moment, took it for a deception of fight, and there fore fpoke of it to no one.'

This laft circumftance flack the minifter; and he now thought it his duty to acquaint the king of the farrier's arrival at Verfailles, and to give him an account of the wondertul tale he related. But how great was his furprife, when the monarch, after a momentary filence, required to fpeak with the farrier in private, and that immediately!

What paffed during this extraor dinary interview never tranfpired.— All dat is known is, that the fpirit-feer after having flaid three or four days at court, publicly took leave of the king, by his own permiffion, as he was fetting out for the chace.

Michael arrived at Verfailles, and It was even afferted that the duc de was not a little perplexed about what Duras, captain of the guard in waithe thould fay to the minifler, as the ing, was heard to fay aloud on the fpitit had not yet appeared to him occation: Sire, if your majesty again according to its promife. But, had not exprefsly ordered me to bring in that very night the fpectre threw this man to your prefence, I should open the curtains of his bed, bid him never have done it, for most assuredtake courage, and declated to him, ly he is a fool! The king anfwerword for word, what he was to deli-ed, fimiling, Dear Duras, thus it is ver to the minifter, and what to the that men frequently judge faliely of king, and to them alone. Many their neighbour; he is a more fenfidifficulties will be laid in thy way,' ble man than you and many others added the ghost, in obtaining this imagine.' private audience; but beware of def

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This fpeech of the king's made

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great impreffion. People exerted all Furibond. This operatic trifle was performed with the ufual attractions of Braham; but it is recommended to that gentleman, when he is finging his new fong in the third act, at the window of Emily, to look towards the window, and not turn his back upon his miftrefs, for the fake of fhewing his perfon to the audience.

their ingenuity, but in vain, to decypher the purport of the conference between the farrier and the king and the minifter Baobefieux. The vulgar, always credulous, and confequently fond of the marvellous, took it into their heads, that the impofts which had been laid on by reafon of the long and burdenfome war, were the real motives of it, and drew from it happy omens of a speedy relief; but they, nevertheless, were continued till the peace.

The fpirit-feer having thus taken leave of the king, returned to his province. He received money of the minifter, and a strict command never to mention any thing of the matter to any perfon, be he who he would. Roullet, one of the best artifts of the time, drew and engraved the portrait of this farrier. Copies are ftill exifting in feveral collections of prints in Paris. That which the writer of this piece has feen, represented the vitage of a man from about 35 to 40 years of age; an open countenance, rather pentive, and had what the French term phyfionomic de caractere. RD.

British Theatrical Journal.

DRURY LANE.

MONDAY, Dec. 28.-George Barnweil-Furibond; or, Harlequin Negro. This excellent domeftic tragedy, whofe moral at all times touches the heart, and which is always with great propriety performed at this feafon of the year, was played at both houfes on the fame evening.

A new grand pantomime, called Furibond, fucceeded; in which mr. Laurent, from Aftley's, made his first appearance at this theatre in the Clown; but he muft yield the palin to his formidable rival Grimaldi. To detail its plot and its changes, would be to recount the exploits of a play ground...

Tueday, Jan. 12.-Falfe Alarms

Wednesday, Jan. 15-Much ado about Nothing-Furiband. In the account of this play at Covent-garden, is exhibited a parallel of the caft of characters at either houfe, and it is performed in a manner decidedly fuperior at this theatre, with the fingle exception of mr. H. Siddons, whofe performance of Claudio is much inferior to that of mr. C. Kemble. Ellifton, in Benedick, gave additional proofs that the bufkin makes rim ridiculous.

Mifs Mellon was much too tame and fpiritlefs in the character of Hero. When accufed by Claudio, the hears him with lefs emotion than the probably would the arrival of her mantua-maker with a new drefs.→ Of mrs. Jordan's Beatrice nothing can be faid, but what has been faid a hundred times; it is too wel known to need comment, and too excellent to admit of cenfure.

Mr. Dowton was excellent in Dogberry; he had all the humour of Munden without his buffoonery.

Saturday, Jan. 16.-All in the Wrong-Furibond. This delightful comedy was performed this evening with the higheft effect. Wroughton, in Sir John Reftlefs, acted with more than ufual fpirit; and mifs Duncan in Lady Reftiefs, taught the audience to forget mils Farren. Mrs. Jordan in Belinda, delighted with that difplay of playful gaiety and tender affection, which lo peculiarly belongs to her that fprightly raillery and unaffected cafe, for which we look in vain in any other actress on the ftage. Mr. Ellifton's performance of Beverly, was a rich and excellent

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