the Opera, and the Play-Houfes; the Mechanick may often find ufeful Difcoveries in his way; nor fhall the Tradefman have reafon to complain that his Intereft is forgot.

The Politician naturally claims a confiderable Share in this Work; but our Readers may be affured we shall very rarely spin out a Paragraph, or fill the Page with impertinent Reflections; there being no Danger of our wanting Matter of Confequence enough to fill up Six Sheets, which is the Size of the Book we propose. We fhall therefore be as concife in our News as we can, without becoming obfcure, or omitting fuch Facts as actually deferve to be recorded; and we flatter our felves, that the Obfervations we fhall make will not be thought unneceffary. Nor will we proftitute our News, and fall into thofe Meanneffes fo many Writers are guilty of: A Perfon who never deferved a good Character whilst living, fhall not have one bought here at his Deceafe; and a Woman of mean Extraction may venture to marry, without being under the dreadful Apprehenfions of feeing her Name in our Matrimonial Lift; nay, the Man whofe Memory is famous for nothing but the Money he leaves behind him, may die in peace, and without fear of our disturbing his Afhes, by a Recital of the Funeral Pomp and Magnificence with which he was interr'd: Such Lifts fhall be, as they were originally defigned, only for the People of Quality and Diftinction, or for Perfons of uncommon Note and Merit; and we fhall often, at the Death or Marriage of People of Fashion, take an opportunity of inferting the Genealogy of their Families; which may be of double Service, by putting the World in mind of the Refpect due to their Births, and by reminding them how much the World expects from them and their Succeffors; for as a long Race of Ancestors is the highest Honour to those who tread in their glorious Paths, and strive to emulate their Virtues, fo it is the utmoft Difgrace to thofe, who degenerate from their Examples, or only copy their Vices.

The Ladies, to whom we shall always fhew a particular Regard, will not only have the Benefit of that part of our Work which is calculated for the Gay, but may ever and anon expect an Inftructive Novel, and to be entertained with fuch Poems and Songs as were never published, or thofe which are only handed about by the Curious.

We

We shall never appear Dogmatical but when we affume the Part of Criticks, and take upon us to reform Abuses in our publick Diverfions, which very often ftand in need of fuch Reformations. But then we fhall to the best of our Power act the part of true Criticks, and be as ready to point out Beauties, as to expofe Faults; nor will we ever be Refpecters of Perfons, or fpare even a Pluto or Mercury, or any other Deity, when they fhall fo meanly debase themselves, as to affume the Form of a Modern Harlequin.

Thus have our Readers a fmall Sketch of the Work propofed; and fhould it happen to hit the Tafte of the Town, a fhort time will produce Variety of Circumstances to make it more useful and entertaining; tho' it cannot be expected it will appear in its utmost Perfection for the first fix Months; for as there are several Correfpondences of neceffity to be fettled in foreign Countries, as well for Political as Learned Intelligence, till we fee how our Mercury is receiv'd, 'twould be a Folly to purfue fo chargeable a Method of Inftruction; but if it be attended with the Approbation of the Polite and Judicious, the Society of Gentlemen by whom 'tis undertaken, are determined to fpare no Coft or Pains, but to make their Work as agreeable and ferviceable to the Publick as they poffibly can. In the mean time, thofe who are willing to contribute to fo good a Defign, by correfponding with the Authors, are defired to enclose their Letters in a Wrapper, directed to Mr. Roberts, near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane.

Two Letters from M. Capperon, ancient Dean of St. Maxent, to a Friend, concerning thofe Plants, various Shells, Tongues, Teeth, and other Parts of Serpents, Fishes, and of divers Animals, which are often found, preferved, and Sometimes petrified in Mountains, Quarries, and other Parts of the Earth; and of the feveral Impreffions left by them on Stones and Pebbles.

The first dated from Eu in the Upper Normandy, May the 20th, 1724.

OU may very well remember, Sir, that as we have frequently difcourfed on Phyfical Subjects, you have talked to me of Plants and Shells, and petrified Animals, which you have met with in the Clofets of the Curious; as well as of feveral Impreffions of these things which you have obferv'd upon Stones, Pebbles, and pieces of Marble. As you informed me at the fame time, that they were ever and anon to be found in Mountains, Quarries, and even in common Lands and Grounds; I thought, that if I would give my felf the trouble of feeking after them, I might eafily enough find fuch things; and indeed, after a little Search I have met with feveral of them, which you may fee in my Study whenever you pleafe; and in the mean time, I thought you would be glad to have a particular Account of them.

There are amongst thefe Curiofities which I found, feveral Shells of different kinds, which we met with in our Mountains, amidst the rough Stone and Shards which we dig there, whether it be actually in the deepest Quarries, or when we fink Wells; for in this Province, dig where we will, we are always fure of finding Stone; and thefe Shells have often been difcovered Twenty or Thirty Fathom deep in the Earth, fome of them filled with Shards, others quite petrified. We have found fome Pebbles

too,

too, with the Impreffions of these Shells upon them; and others, to which the Shells or Pieces of them stuck faft.

I have alfo found various kinds of the Echinus, or Sea-Urchin; fuch as the Diadema Turcarum, the Echinus in Dicus, and the Echinus Spatagus, which is the most common here; many of them refembling Buttons of various Forms and Sizes, and others of a direct oval Figure. And it is worth while to obferve, that feveral of them, tho' whole, are fqueezed flat, and their Heads bruifed, by which they appear to have fuffer'd violent Preffures ; and many of this kind are even petrified. Amongst the Echinus, as well as the Shells, you meet with fome quite fill'd with the Marl amidst which you find them, and fome of them wholly petrified. I have alfo feen fair Impreffions of the Echinus upon Pebbles; and found in the Hollow and the Depth of the Mountains Oyster-Shells enclofed in the Stone, fome of which were in their natural State, and others petrified.

Befides thefe Shells, I have found feveral Heads or new Shoots of that Herb, which in Latin is called Equifetum, and vulgarly Horfe-tail, quite petrified, feveral of then being heaped up together without order; and fometimes feparate Pieces of this Herb petrify'd, and alfo feveral of that fort of Mushrooms, properly called Puff-balls. And what deferves to be particularly observed is, That in the Depth of thefe Mountains you may find many Fragments of different Shells, fometimes difperfed about, fometimes mixed together, without any order, wrapped up in the ftony or fhardy Subftance, or elfe as it were inchafed in the Peb

bles.

You may easily imagine, Sir, that after having made thefe Difcoveries, I was naturally inclined to fearch into the Caufe of them, and enquire how thefe Plants and Shells came enclosed in the Depth of Mountains. Having read what I could on this Subject, I found that the most common Opinion, and which has been followed by the Generality of learned Men, was, That these Shells and Plants which are in the Mountains, whether petrified or not, have remained there ever fince Noah's Flood, having been carried over the Earth by the Sea which overflow'd it, and being difperfed up and down by its Waters, at length funk into the Mud which thefe Waters had caufed, and by which the Mountains were form'd.

I muft

I must own, that at first I gave into this Opinion; but examining the Matter a little more strictly, I found it was far from being founded upon Truth; for although the Sea did at the time of the Deluge overflow the World, yet does it not follow from thence, that it carried its Shells all over the Earth. Those who know nothing of the Sea may perhaps imagine, that Shells fwim upon the Waters, and are carried about every where with them; but whoever will take the Pains to fearch into it, will foon be fenfible, that thefe Shells being of a hard and folid Subftance, naturally go to the Bottom: And as Bernard Palify, in his Difcourfe of Waters, Fountains, &c. very well obferves, the ShellFishes cleave fo close to the Rocks, that the bare Flux and Reflux of the Sea cannot move them. Nor do we find, even when its Waters overflow with the greatest Rapidity and Violence, that it carries its Shells into the Fields and Meadows which it overfpreads; we barely fee that it rowls upon its Sands fome few light Shells, which have been forcibly pluckt by fome body or other from the Rocks, or which the Fishermen have caft away.

Besides, That prodigious heap of Marl (in which fome of these Shells are found, and which reaches quite throughout our Province) goes fo very deep, that we can dig no further for the Waters; and yet, before we have been hindered, we have fometimes gone Ninety Fathom deep. And could fuch vaft heaps of Stone and Marl be formed out of the Mud, which fettled from the Waters of the Deluge that covered the Earth the space of a Year only? If thefe Mountains confift only of Mud, how came they to be as white as the pureft Chalk, which make up the Body of these Mountains? Or could Waters which pass over the Surface of the Earth with impetuous Force, carry off fuch pure and unmix'd Parts of it?

If thefe Mountains were made up of that Mud, ought we not, when we have digged to a certain Depth, find the ancient Earth on which this Mud firft refted? Would one not fee a palpable Difference between the two Soils? Should we not find upon the Surface of the old Earth Stumps of Trees, either petrified, or at least to be diftinguished by their Colour from this white Mud, as well as the remains of other Things which were there before the Flood? And lastly, Ought we not in this Mud to find more Bones of Men and Beasts than Shells and Fishes, fince fuch a Number of them were drowned at that time?

I

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