Dr. _Quibus_ chuses for the subject of his discourse the operation designed to be performed on the ears of one _Rey_, a condemn’d malefactor, by Mr. _Cheselden_. This he treats in a ludicrous manner, and supposes that if Mr. _Rey_ should prove so unphilosophical as to give the surgeon the slip as soon as the operation is over, we should be as much in the dark as we were before. He declares his opinion, that not only the drum, but the whole organ, or the ear it self, is of no use at all in hearing, and would know the truth of his conjecture by seeing the ears of some malefactor entirely extirpated. Recommends it as a thing of great use, if instead of executing malefactors they were made to undergo such kind of experiments. Trial may be made whether the _Retina_ of the eye is of any use in seeing. A needle might be introduced into the eye, and the _Retina_ quite remov’d. The spleen might be taken out of some vile malefactor, and an observation made whether their inclinations to evil courses depend not on a superfluity of the _Atra Bilis_. Another experiment he recommends as of great consequence, that is, whether the tying up one of the testicles would not determine the sex of a child begotten at such a time. By this means, he says, many illustrious families might be inform’d of a just and certain method of obtaining an heir to their estates. _See_ p. 19. The Grub-street Journal, _Thursday, Jan. 14._ No. 54. The author begins with the _Laureat_’s new-year’s ode (for which see p. 20.) and subjoins to it some explanatory notes; the substance of which is contain’d in the following short remarks. _Line_ 1. The eternity of the world is here maintain’d, tho’ Dr. _Clarke_ had objected against it. 3. Old _Janus_, a heathenish emblem, is supplanted by _old Time_, as more familiar to christian readers. 5. To this is objected, making _Spring a living person calling for birth_ as it were to _old Time_; whereas _old Time_ had bid _spring pass_, so no occasion for _spring to call_. Which is defended thus; When _time bids spring pass_, it might not be ready, but as soon as it was, it _calls for birth_. Line 7. _Harvest_ in _summer_ is very early, and something unusual. 9. But not soon enough, it seems, because here _each season_ is said _to bring ~THEIR~ stores ~TO~ winter’s wants, ~till~ warmer genial suns recall the spring_----However Mr. _Cibber_’s authority makes it current. 15. An admirable improvement of _Nocte pluit tota_, &c. which to set in a true light is translated and imitated: _It rains all night, the shows returns with day:_ _Thus ~Jove~ and ~Cæsar~ bear divided sway._ _Plenty is Heav’n’s, and Peace our Monarch’s care,_ _Thus ~Jove~ and ~George~ divided Empire share._ But to this was objected, that we are not only indebted to heaven for _plenty_, but for _peace_ too, tho’ like marriages said to be made there, it was not yet come down. 21. It is queried what _war_ and _peace_ the poet means here.