(8). An ancient brass Dolphin, dedicated to Venus, and dug out her temple. Nam Venus orta mari.

Take Mother of Pearl, the small White Venus-Shell of each equal parts. Pour upon them, being first powdered, the juyce of Lemons, and let them stand together (a day or two) then filtre the liquor, and keep it, as the best wash for the Face in the World. (f)(f) Prævot. lib. de Med. facilè paralilibus.

The Seed of VENUS LOOKING-GLASS. Of the shape and bigness of a Fly-blow, but of a dark glistering colour, like polish'd Steel. Figur'd and describ'd by Mr. Hook. (a) (a) Micrographia.

Venus Shell, Concha Veneris vel inverecunda; this is white and large, with both Lips furrowed. The bunch back'd Venus Shell, it is dark coloured. The long Venus Shell, with white Spots upon a bay Ground. Another somewhat less. The high back'd with Purple Spots upon a white Ground. Another with the like Spots upon a dark-coloured Ground; all the before-mentioned are about seven or eight Inches in Circumference.

THEThe late Mr. Lhwyds curious Tract Lithophylacii Britannici Ichnographia (s)(s) Lond. 1699., being the most comprehensive of any Author within my Compass, I shall endeavour to reduce these to his Method, only he beginning with Chrystals and Diamonds, I shall premise the Margaritæ Cumbrenses. Some of these Pearls have as good a Water as the Oriental: Here are also three different Colours of those called the Sand-Pearls, which are as useful in Physick as the finest, though not so valuable for the Beauty. A double or Twin-Pearl of the finer Water; a Dozen of which were sent me by my Lord Bishop of Carlisle, who hath been a First-rate Benefactor to this Collection of Natural Curiosities above 20 Years ago. By the learned Sir Hen. Savile's Notes (t)(t) Tacitus's Life of Agricol., it appears, that Pliny run into the same Mistake as Tacitus, which is neither so agreeable to the Sentiments of Julius Cæsar, who was tempted by their Beauty (as Suetonious positively affirms) to invade Britain, and dedicated a Breast-plate all studded or cover'd over with British Pearls to Venus Genetrix, nor to the express Testimony of venerable Bede (u)(u) Bede's Eccles. Hist. Lib. I. C. I., who esteems them (as King Alfred renders it) the Old English?.

There are none of the Adder-beads to be met with in Ireland, that Country having no Snakes; but here is an Amulet from thence every whit as efficacious; it is near an Inch long, and of the Colour of Amber. To these may be added an Ancient Ring, which I suppose belonged to the famous Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, having his Device upon his Signet, viz. a Bear with a ragged Staff; for which see his Monument in Sir W. Dugdale's Hist. of that County: The Motto is anang apta, an agreeable Fate or Destiny, which may perhaps relate to his Martial Disposition and Victories in France: It is composed of Links of Iron or Steel very odly twisted with the Brass, on each Side of the Signet (which is of a third Metal, viz. Copper gilded) is a glassy Ruby. The Samothracians, who were noted of old for these Practices had Stars of Iron in their Rings of Gold. On one Side of the said Inscription is the old Character for Jesus; and on the other, Christ, with a Cross by each. There was a vast Variety of Rings or Amulets, which in the dark Days of Popery were eagerly sought after by poor deluded People, with different Saints upon them; but the Name of Jesus was a standing Charm, not only upon them, but even amongst the Turks, as appears by Dr. Smith's Letter, Registered in the Phil. Trans. N° 155. A Silver Talisman from the Lord Fairfax's Curiosities, on one Side is an unintelligible Character, upon the other in modern Letters L H with ☿ and Ⅱ. Another with a Globe and Cross upon one Side, and an Anchor of Hope on the other, with crooked Lines and Figures round; the former is engraved, this stamped as Money, both have a Hole punched to hang about the Neck. A third (sent me by Robert Plompton, of Plompton, Esq;) hath the Area fill'd with Planetary Characters, and this Inscription round, In Deo confido, revertentur Inimici mei retrorsum: Upon the other Side are Jupiter and Venus embracing each other, inscribed, A pavore inimici Custodi vitam meam oh tu Jehova, with ♃ and ♀ in Conjunction in ♓. The Effects formerly attributed to these Figures were altogether miraculous; the Spark, for whom this was erected, expected, by Virtue thereof, to obtain both Honour and Beauty; that with Mercury was for Success in Merchandizing and Gaming. These are engraved upon Silver; those used of old for the Preservation of Cities were Statuary Telesms made under a certain Configuration of the Heavens, the most propitious that could be for the Time and Place. The Blind and the Lame hated by David's Soul, 2 Sam. 5. 8. are by some Learned Interpreters taken for these Images. And the brazen-Serpent, which Moses (the Talisman, as those who write in Defence of the Practice, affect to call him) made in the Wilderness is said to be the first Occasion, not given, but taken, of all these Telesmatical Practices, (Gregory's Notes upon the Scripture, p. 41.) I shall conclude this Matter with a Charm, sent me by Capt. Furness, who saw it taken out of the Pocket of an Irish Soldier, who was slain in a Skirmish, notwithstanding the Protection he promis'd himself from this Billet of the three Kings of Cologn, which is thus inscribed, Sancti tres Reges, Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar Orate pro nobis nunc & in hora mortis nostræ. ""Ces Billets ont touch‚ "aux trois testes des Saints Rois a Colonge ils sont pour les Voyageurs "contre les malheurs des chemins, maux de Teste mal caduque, fievres, sorcellerie toute sorte de malefice & morte subite." To this Charm may be added another Sort of a Cheat, one Walter Freazer pretending that his Tongue was cut off by the Turks, had imposed upon most Parts of England, during his four Years Vagrancy, begging with the Account of his miserable Case writ upon his Breast, many Justices and Physicians had attempted the Discovery of the Imposture, but in Vain till Mr. John Morris of Leedes, by his assimiliating Temper (which he inherited from his Grand-Father Colonel Morris, who surprized Pontfract Castle for K. Charles I.) discovered the Cheat; and that the said Youth had learnt beyond Sea the Trick of drawing his Tongue so far into his Throat, that it appeared like a Stump only: Hereupon the said Freazer was sent first to the House of Correction, and the begging Billet deposited here by the said Mr. Morris, who was also famous for Pantomimian or Antick-Dancing, which Archbishop Usher tells us was first used at Rome, An. I P. 4579.