are his own; he carries his master along every step of the journey, directs the motion of his own legs in walking, trotting, galloping, or stepping over a rut, makes many by-motions, as whisking the flies with his tail or playing with his bit, all by his own instinct; and if the road lie plain and open without bugbears to affright him or rich pasture on either hand to entice him, he will jog on, although the reins were laid upon his neck, or in a well-acquainted road will take the right turnings of his own accord. Perhaps sometimes he may prove startish or restive, turning out of the way, or running into a pond to drink, maugre all endeavours to prevent him; but this depends greatly upon the discipline he has been used to. The office of the rider lies in putting his horse into the proper road, and the pace most convenient for the present purpose, guiding and conducting him as he goes along, checking him when too forward or spurring him when too tardy, being attentive to his motions, never dropping the whip nor losing the reins, but ready to interpose instantly whenever needful, keeping firm in his seat if the beast behaves unruly, observing what passes in the way, the condition of the ground, and bearings of the country, in order to take directions therefrom for his proceeding. But this is not all he has to do, for there are many things previous to the journey; he must get his tackling in good order, bridle, spurs, and other accoutrements; he must learn to sit well in the saddle, to understand the ways and temper of the beast, get acquainted with the roads, and inure himself by practice to bear long journeys without fatigue or galling; he must provide provender for his horse, and deal it out in proper quantities; for if weak and jadish, or pampered and gamesome, he will not perform the journey well: he must have him well broke, taught all his paces, cured of starting, stumbling, running away, and all skittish or sluggish tricks, trained to answer the bit and be obedient to the word of command. If he can teach him to CONYERS MIDDLETON. 109 canter whenever there is a smooth and level turf, and stop when the ground lies rugged, of his own accord, it will contribute to make riding easy and pleasant; he may then enjoy the prospects around, or think of any business without interruption to his progress. As to the choice of a horse, our rider has no concern with that, but must content himself with such as nature and education have put into his hands: but since the spirit of the beast depends much upon the usage given him, every prudent man will endeavour to proportion that spirit to his own strength and skill in horsemanship; and according as he finds himself a good or bad rider, will wish to have his horse sober or mettlesome. For strong passions work wonders where there is a stronger force of reason to curb them; but where this is weak the appetites must be feeble too, or they will lie under no control. DR CONYERS MIDDLETON. CONYERS MIDDLETON was born in 1683, at Hinderwell, in Yorkshire, where his father was rector. At Trinity College, Cambridge, he received that education which placed him among the most polished classical scholars of last century, and of which, in 1741, he gave the world an enduring memorial in his charming "Life of Cicero." It is to be feared that his clerical profession was little in unison with his personal taste and private convictions; at least, there is in his correspondence a tone of levity and religious indifference, which prevents us from regretting that his preferment was academical rather than ecclesiastical. He was Woodwardian professor at Cambridge, and afterwards principal librarian of the University. He died at his estate of Hildersham, July 28, 1750. The greater part of the years 1724 and 1725, Dr Middleton spent in Italy. Some time after his return, that is, in 1729, he published, "A Letter from Rome, shewing the exact conformity between Popery and Paganism; or, the Religion of the present Romans derived from that of their heathen ancestors." It is an interesting and amusing book. Its learning is ample, but not oppressive, and its demonstration, that the Popish ceremonies are nothing more nor less than christened paganism, is abundantly conclusive. In controversy, a book of this sort answers some such purpose as a Congreve rocket. Clever and mischievous, it may carry dismay into the hostile. squadrons, but its efficacy is scarcely in proportion to the commotion which it creates. It is seldom by such means that prejudice is disarmed, or that sinners are converted from the error of their ways. Holy Water. The next thing that will of course strike one's imagination, is their use of holy water; for nobody ever goes in or out of a church, but is either sprinkled by the priest, who attends for that purpose on solemn days, or else serves himself with it from a vessel, usually of marble, placed just at the door, not unlike to one of our baptismal fonts. Now, this ceremony is so notoriously and directly transmitted to them from Paganism, that their own writers make not the least scruple to own it. The Jesuit, De la Cerda, in his notes on a passage of Virgil, where this practice is mentioned, says, "Hence was derived the custom of holy Church, to provide purifying or holy water at the entrance of their churches." * "Aquaminarium or Amula," says the learned Montfaucon, " was a vase of holy water, placed by the heathens at the entrance of their temples, to sprinkle themselves with." + The same vessel was by the Greeks called Hepippavτýpiov; two of which, the one of gold, the other of silver, were given by Croesus to the temple of Apollo at Delphi; and the custom of sprinkling themselves was so * Spargens rore levi, &c.-Virg. Æn. vi. 230. necessary a part of all their religious offices, that the method of excommunication seems to have been by prohibiting to offenders the approach and use of the holy water pot.* The very composition of this holy water was the same also among the heathens, as it is now among the Papists, being nothing more than a mixture of salt with common water; and the form of the sprinkling-brush, called by the ancients aspersorium or aspergillum (which is much the same with what the priests now make use of) may be seen in bas-reliefs, or ancient coins, wherever the insignia or emblems of the pagan priesthood are described, of which it is generally one. Platina, in his Lives of the Popes, and other authors, ascribe the institution of this holy water to Pope Alexander the First, who is said to have lived about the year of Christ 113; but it could not be introduced so early, since, for some ages after, we find the primitive fathers speaking of it as a custom purely heathenish, and condemning it as impious and detestable. Justin Martyr says, "that it was invented by demons, in imitation of the true baptism signified by the prophets, that their votaries might also have their pretended purifications by water"; and the emperor Julian, out of spite to the Christians, used to order the victuals in the markets to be sprinkled with holy water, on purpose either to starve, or force them to eat what by their own principles they esteemed polluted. § Thus we see what contrary notions the Primitive and Romish Church have of this ceremony; the first condemns it as superstitious, abominable, and irreconcilable with Christianity; * Vid. Eschin. Orat. contra Ctesiphon. 58. Porro singulis diebus Dominicis sacerdos Missæ sacrum facturus, aquam sale adspersam benedicendo revocare debet, eaque populum adspergere. Durant. de Rit. l. i. c. 21. Vid. Montfauc. Antiq. t. ii. p. i. 1. iii. c. 6. It may be seen on a silver coin of Julius Cæsar, as well as many other emperors. Ant. Agostini discorso sopra le Medaglie. § Vid. Hospinian. de Orig. Templor. 1. ii. c. 25. the latter adopts it as highly edifying and applicable to the improvement of Christian piety: the one looks upon it as the contrivance of the devil to delude mankind; the other as the security of mankind against the delusions of the devil. But what is still more ridiculous than even the ceremony itself, is to see their learned writers gravely reckoning up the several virtues and benefits, derived from the use of it, both to the soul and the body; and, to crown all, producing a long roll of miracles, to attest the certainty of each virtue which they ascribe to it. Why may we not then justly apply to the present people of Rome, what was said by the poet of its old inhabitants, for the use of this very ceremony? Ah nimium faciles, qui tristia crimina cædis Flumineâ tolli posse putetis aquâ !-Ovid. Fast. ii. 45. Ah, easy Fools, to think that a whole flood I do not at present recollect whether the ancients went so far as to apply the use of this holy water to the purifying or blessing their horses, asses, and other cattle; or whether this be an improvement of modern Rome, which has dedicated a yearly festival peculiarly to this service, called, in their vulgar language, the benediction of horses; which is always celebrated with much solemnity in the month of January; when all the inhabitants of the city and neighbourhood send up their horses, asses, &c., to the convent of St Anthony, near St Mary the Great, where a priest, in surplice, at the church door, sprinkles with his brush all the animals singly, as they are presented to him, and receives from each owner a gratuity proportionable * Durant. de Ritib. 1. i. c. 21. It. Hospin. ibid. bid. Hujus aquæ benedictæ virtus variis miraculis illustratur, &c. Durant. |