"In the year 1656, the aphelium of Mars, who is the general signification of England, will be in Virgo, which is assuredly the ascendant of the English monarchy, but Aries of the kingdom. When this absis, therefore, of Mars shall appear in Virgo, who shall expect less than a strange _catastrophe_ of human affairs in the commonwealth, monarchy and kingdom of England? There will then, either in or about these times, or within ten years, more or less, of that time, appear in this kingdom so strange a revolution of fate, so _grand a catastrophe_, and great mutation unto this monarchy and government as never yet appeared; of which, as the times now stand, I have no liberty or encouragement to deliver any opinion. _Only, it will be ominous to London, unto her merchants at sea, to her traffique at land, to her poor, to her rich, to all sorts of people inhabiting in her or her liberties_, BY REASON OF SUNDRY FIRES AND A PLAGUE." This is the prediction which, in 1666, led to Lilly's being examined by a committee of the House of Commons; not, as has been supposed, that he might "discover by the stars who were the authors of the Fire of London," but because the precision with which he was thought to have foretold the events gave birth to a suspicion that he was already acquainted with them, and privy to the (supposed) machinations which had brought about the catastrophe. Curran says there are two kinds of prophets—those who are really inspired and those who prophecy events which they themselves intend to bring about. Upon this occasion poor Lilly had the ill-luck to be deemed of the latter class. _Puritan Surnames._ The following names are given in Lower's English Surnames, as specimens of the names of the old Puritans in England about the year 1658. They are taken from a jury list in Sussex county:— Faint-not Hewett. Redeemed Compton. God-reward Smart. Earth Adams. Meek Brewer. Repentance Avis. Kill-sin Pimple. Be-faithful Joiner. More-fruit Flower. Grace-ful Harding. Seek-wisdom Wood. Fight-the-good-fight of Faith. Accepted Trevor. Stand-fast-on-high Stringer. Called Lower. Be-courteous Cole. Search-the-Scriptures Morton. Return Spelman. Fly-debate Roberts. Hope-for Bending. Weep-not Billing. Elected Mitchell. The-peace-of-God Knight. Make-peace Heaton. _Curious Old Memorandum._ We have supposed that no record of our Saviour's life older than the New Testament was known to exist; but it seems that a venerable journal is carefully preserved in Nablous (ancient Samaria), in which the following item appears in the handwriting of one of the Samaritan high priests:— "In the year from Adam 4281, in the nineteenth year of my pontificate, Jesus, the Son of Mary, was crucified at Jerusalem."