1829.] Fall of the Ottoman Empire prophecied. nal elemental state, or quickened only with one sullen power of useless vege tation;" but Lochlomond made amends in the evening. In the morning I was up at sunrise, and on board a steamer on Lochlomond, and saw the English coming up along the sides with guns, dogs, and baggage, to grouse-shooting. A gipsy-faced Highland girl told us that she had learned to crack with the English folk, from living at one of the Inns here. She kent we had a great deal of siller, because we could afford to pay 3s. for the packet; she had only 23. herself in the world, and was going therefore to "feer," or hire herself, to the shearers for six weeks. The packet disembarked us at Dunbarton, where the jail is in the middle of the town, as in Stirling. The prisoners looked out between the bars, and asked us to buy the prison. A man going round as a crier, was beating a drum. We here went on board another steamer. Leav ing Benlomond, and passing Dunbar- 389 Rev. Robert Fleming, a learned and pious divine of the Kirk of Scotland, in a work published A. D. 1701, under the title of “ An Epistolary Discourse concerning the Rise and Fall of the Papacy," &c. I then ventured to point out, drawing from thence an inference of the successive fulfilment of Prophecy. The work referred to had indeed been before rendered so remarkable by the awful previous events of the French Revolution, and the tragical fate of the unfortunate Louis, which were therein considered as having been metaphorically prefigured, by the fourth of those vials of God's wrath, successively poured out by the seven angels (see Revelation, ch. xvi. ver. 8 and 9), as to give at that period an extensive circulation to a new and numerous edition published under the title of "An Apocalyptical Key." Still more remarkable was that of the subsequent invasion of the Papal dominions, designated according to the same system in the book above referred to, and that too near a century before it took place, by the 5th vial. "The fifth vial, (ver. 10, 11,)” says he, "which is to be poured out on the seat of the beast, or the dominions which more immediately belong to and depend upon the Roman See, that I say this judgment will probably begin about the year 1794, and expire about the year 1848; so that the duration of it, upon this supposition, will be for the space of 54 years. For I do suppose, that seeing the Pope received the title of universal Bishop ↑ no sooner than A.D. 606, he cannot be supposed to have any vial poured out upon his seat immediately, so as to ruin his authority so signally as this vial is supposed to do, until the year 1848, which is the date of the 1260 years in prophetical account, when they are reckoned from the year 606. But yet we are not to imagine that this vial will totally destroy the papacy, (though it will exceedingly weaken it), * The date of Buonaparte's invasion of Italy. "Or if a bare title of this sort,” adds Fleming, in another part of his work, "be not deemed sufficient to constitute the Pope Head of the Beast, we may reckon this from the year 608, when Boniface the Fourth did first publicly authorize idolatry, by dedicating the Pantheon to the worship of the Virgin Mary and all the Saints,” 390 Fall of the Ottoman Empire prophesied. for we find this still in being and alive when the next vial is poured out." * Excuse me, Mr. Urban, if I may here appear to have trespassed in some degree on your patience by the above quotation, on the ground of its apparently introductory connection with what follows. We now proceed to the resumption of our main subject. "The 6th vial," says Fleming, "will be poured out on the Mahometan Antichrist, as the former on the Papacy; and seeing the 6th trumpet, brought the Turks from beyond the Euphrates, from crossing which river they take their rise, this 6th vial dries up their waves, and exhausts their power, to prepare the way for the kings of the East to renounce their heathenish and Mahometan errors, in order to their receiving and embracing Christianity; for I think this the import of the text."+ How striking, on comparison, agreeably to my former remark, are the features of those events now passing before our eyes, with these conjectures of our author, though formed more than a century ago. According to Fleming's prophetical reckoning, days are taken for years, as counted by the ancients, 12 months of 30 days each; three years and a half, or forty-two months equal to 1260 days; or a time, two times, and half a time. Prophetical. Days 360, a year or time. 720, two years or times. · Days 1260 [Nov. 606; and 18 years to be deducted from the reckoning by the Julian period, from 1866, brings the prophetical reckoning to 1848. The learned author of the Apocalyptical Key substantiates the accuracy of his mode of reckoning by a species of corollary, deduced from various passages of Scripture, in respect to the prophetical years reckoned after this plan, each day for a year, and particularly points out its solution of the 70 weeks of Daniel in these words: "The famous prophecy of Daniel reaching down from the edict of Artaxerxes Longimanus in his 20th year (Nehemiah xi. 1 ver. to 10,) to our Saviour's suffering at Jerusalem, which was exactly 490 prophetical years, not Julian ones; the not distinguishing of which has hitherto confounded most interpreters." MASON CHAMBERLIN. Mr. URBAN, AS an addition to my letter in your Magazine for April, I send the key to another character in the "Private Memoirs of Sir Kenelm Digby." It is one I should have least expected to have identified,-that of Mauricana, or Manricana, as perhaps Sir Kenelm originally wrote it. This was a lady of consequence in the Court of Madrid; to whom Sir Kenelm Digby devoted his attentions, in consequence, as he says, of some remarks of Lord Kensington, afterwards Earl of Holland (Arcadia in the Memoirs), that the philosophic Knight appeared indifferent to the charms of the Spanish ladies. "To reduce you out of your error," he told his friend I will, for a while, make truce with higher contemplations, and let down my judgment to make love to a mistress; in which I dare, beforehand, promise myself such success, that, for the future, you shall have no cause to pity any servant of the Muses for learned modesty; and, because I will leave you no colour for new exceptions, I will apply myself to the service of that great and fair lady, for whom you continually sigh, because you receive from her so small encouragement to continue that hitherto unlucky affection of yours; and am so confident of the favour that my learned patronesses may procure me (it being their custom to insinuate themselves with secret sweetness into the most rebellious minds, and to tame the *The Muses, of whom he had been before talking. 1829.] A Character in Sir Kenelm Digby's Memoirs. hardest hearts,) as I am nothing at all deterred with the consideration that she is the greatest lady in Egypt [Spain], and the richest, and of the noblest family, and in highest favour with the Queen; and hitherto an enemy to all intimations of love. But, because my conquest may be the more glorious by having a worthy rival, I will engage you to continue your suit, lest, when you see me to have got the start of you, you may give over your course, pretending the change of your affection, when, indeed, it is the barrenness of your hopes: therefore name what wager you will venture upon the success of our loves, which the most fortunate man therein shall win, and the Prince shall be our judge.' This overture, made by Theagenes with some earnestness, pleased the Earl very well, who ordered the quality of the wager should be at the loser's discretion; he being confident to have the advantage in his suit, since his passion was real, and the other's but feigned; besides that, in every respect, for the mysteries of the Court and of winning ladies' affections, wherein he had long experience with happy success, he preferred himself much before Theagenes, who was yet scarce entered into his apprentissage there. But what cannot continual industry bring to pass? and especially with women, whose hearts, for the most part, to those that can take the true height of them, are made of gentle and yielding substance? Certainly it supplieth for all defects, even the want of love, as was evident in Theagenes's suit; whose personated affection won such a real one from Mauricana, that she lived only in him: and this she expressed in such a public manner, that the Earl, who had never seen towards himself from her other than the effects of a disdainful mistress, could not choose but acknowledge it, and, giving over his fruitless labour, yielded the loss of his wager to Theagenes; who, till then, never omitted any occasion of endearing himself into the affection of his princely lady. For whensoever she went abroad, he was the next to attend her chair; if she went to any place of devotion, he went too, but behaved himself so there as if she were the only saint that he came in pilgrimage unto; if she were a spectator to any public entertainment, as of tilting or the like, he would there make himself known for her servant by wearing the livery of her colours, and clothing his servants correspondently; and at any comedy or masque at the Court where she was present, he would teach his eyes in their dumb language to beg her favours so effectually, that many times in public conferring them upon him, she did exceed that reservedness which is practised among the ladies of those parts; so that she was not a little censured by many that knew no more of her but by the outward face of her actions. And the fame of Thea 391 genes's dearness with this so great lady, the first of the Bedchamber to the Queen, and of a vast wealth, was soon dispersed through all Morea*; where, with his friends, it wrought different effects: for it added to Stelliana's deep sorrow, who, though she neither hoped nor desired any-thing for herself, so broken was her heart, yet she felt a kind of repining that another should enjoy that place which was once her's, and that her misfortunes had made her lose; and others of his friends, whose affection was accompanied with fondness, were grieved in the midst of their joy for his good hap, doubting that the advantages which she would bring him, if he married her, would cause him to settle himself with her in that country, whereby they should lose him. But the discreetest of those that loved him, not only rejoiced at his fortune, but advised him, and daily solicited him to delay no time in effecting what they understood she much desired, which was to marry her; but, if they had known how opposite the motions of his heart were to his exterior demonstrations, and what was the ground of them, they would never have lost time about this fruitless counsel." "Among the rest that provided to attend the Prince on his return, Theagenes was one; which was no sooner known by Mauricana but she sent for him, and there used all the powerful means to divert this his intention that an entreating beauty is mistress of; sometimes endearing her own extreme affection to him, which she would raise in value by recounting the scornful disdains wherewith she had paid great Princes' loves; then by taxing him with falsehood and treachery, in inveigling away her heart to make it serve only for a trophy of his inhuman cruelty; then by representing the advantages which his match with her would bring him; but most of all she relied upon the force of her fair eyes and charming looks: but when she saw that nothing would prevail for the obtaining of the main of her desire, she sought at least to win time for the present, hoping that when the Prince was gone, she might the more easily work his heart to her desires, and therefore only sued to him to stay while the stormy season made it unsafe to pass the seas; that in that while she might, by little and little, teach her soul how to bear her future misery, and not be plunged into it unkindly all at once. "But Theagenes, whose very bowels were then even torn in pieces between a sad constancy and tender pity, strived all he could to sweeten her passions, and to excuse the expression of his affections, which he said that he perceived she mistook, for that he never made approaches otherwise than in a courtly manner, as desiring to be called her * England. + Venetia Stanley. 392 Sir Kenelm Digby.-Forms of Prayer. knight, which title he would still maintain by all the real service that it might challenge from him, and should attend mindful with singular delight of the great favour she had done him; but that his affections had once been, though unfortunately, engaged elsewhere with too great force, to place them upon any other object; and that, for the present, he was obliged to attend the Prince his master, into whose service, in an honourable place, he was now received. But all that he could say availed no more to the cure of her mind, than the speeches of ignorant standers-by do, to bring health to one that lieth burning in a violent fever; so that, when he left her, she remained wedded to sorrow and despair; and not long after, seeing she could not have him whom only she thought worthy of her, she left the world, that afforded to her but a constant succession of continual torments, and consecrated the rest of her days to a worthier spouse, among other vestal virgins of noble quality." Now for the development of this inamorata's real name, great part of which, in pursuance of Sir Kenelm's plan, pointed out in your Magazine for April, is preserved in her fictitious title. It is furnished by a passage in one of Howel's published letters to Sir Kenelm Digby, which, from its commencing with a mention of the final rupture of the Prince of Wales's projected Spanish match, must have been written about the beginning of April 1624. "I send you herewith," he says, letter from the paragon of the Spanish Court, Donna Anna Maria Manrique,* the Duke of Maqueda's sister, who respects you in a high degree; she told me this was the first letter she ever writ to man in her life, except the Duke her brother. She was much sollicited to write to Mr. Thomas Cary, but she would not. I did also your message to the Marquesa d'Inojosa, who put me to sit a good while with her upon her estrado, which was no simple faYou are much in both these ladies' vour. books, and much spoken of by divers others in this Court." *The name is Manrique, not Maurique. "Don Manuel Manrrique" was one of the performers at the grand Masque of the Spanish Court, at Easter 1623.-Nichols's Progresses of James the First, vol. iv. p. 863. The younger son of Lord Carey, after ward Earl of Monmouth, and brother to the second Earl. He was one of Charles's Grooms of the Bedchamber, and continued in that post until the unfortunate Monarch's death, very soon after which he died From various sacrifices to the Muses, he has been frequently styled a Poet. Epistola Ho-elianæ, p. 238. [Nov. The Duke of Maqueda I find among the performers at the Bull-fight exhibited in Madrid at Pentecost 1623, for the entertainment of the English Prince Charles. His "entrie," says the historian of the contest, "both in respect of his qualitie, as also for the valour and aspect of his person, might well have stirr'd up envie in the Romaine Triumphes, for the Duke lookt like one of the Cæsars, or rather indeed he might more properly have been their patterne and example." On meeting the bull his antagonist, “ the Duke of Maqueda made such a thrust, that the beast being batterd and sore goared with it, he revenged himselfe horse, that he ranne him quite through, in such a strange fashion upon his from one side to the other, and the Duke beheld the assault given on the one side of his horse, and the horne of the bull as it came out at the other; and the poore brute beast gave so many twitches and wrenches, enforced with paine and griefe, that the Duke was fayne to use all valour and dexteritie to prevent his owne falling; whereat we were all much afraid." § Of this perilous pastime the Duke's sister and her deceitful English knight were doubtless both spectators. The Marchioness d'Inojosa, the other lady who was honoured by a particular share of Sir Kenelm Digby's gallantry, was the wife of a nobleman who, at the time Howel wrote, was absent as Ambassador Extraordinary in England. J.G.N. "Two Royall Entertainments," &c. reprinted in Nichols's Progresses of King James the First. Mr. URBAN, THE Walthamstow, Nov. 21. HROUGH the wide circulation which your Miscellany has given to my wants, I have had some thousands of Forms of Prayer sent to me, so that I have now every Form, either printed or MS. before mentioned; and soon expect to make my collection complete from 1544 to 1820, a period of 276 years! Of that Form spoken of by J. F. (vol. XCVII. ii. p. 517), as wanting in the Lambeth Collections, I have a duplicate copy; as also of many other Forms, which an inspection of the Archiepiscopal Library has shown me are not there. These I should be happy to exchange for the Lambeth duplicates of those Forms which I have only in MS., if I know how to effectuate so desirable an exchange. J. W. NIBLOCK. |