You know that our Profession is justly call'd the Noble _Science_ of _Defence_, and makes a considerable Branch of the _Mathematicks_; if the Ignorant should gain this Point against us, they won't stop here; no doubt, their Design is to attack all Arts and Sciences, and beat them one by one quite out of the Nation; the _Assault_, 'tis true, seems only made against us; but wise Men foresee that all Learning is in Danger. Our Adversaries are upon the _Longe_ with their Swords just at our Breasts, I desire therefore your Advice and Assistance, in what _Guard_ we must stand to _parry_ this fatal _Thrust_. Yours, "FLANKANADE." * * * * * Printed for W. BOREHAM, at the _Angel_ in _Pater-Noster-Row_, where Advertisements and Letters from Correspondents are taken in. Numb. XVIII. THE THEATRE. By Sir _JOHN FALSTAFFE_. _To be Continued every_ Tuesday _and_ Saturday. Price Two-pence. _Totum hominem Deus adsumit, quia totus ab ipsô est; Et totum redimit quem sumpserat, omne reducens Quicquid homo est, istud Tumulis, ast istud Abyssô._ Prudent. [Greek: Phthenxomai hois themis osti, thuras d' epithesthe bebêlois.] Orpheus. Saturday, _April 16. 1720._ The Person, who confines himself to the Task of writing a Paper of Entertainment, is not thereby obliged to be continually ludicrous in his Composition, or to expect that his Readers should always be upon the broad Grin. The _rational_, as well as _risible_, Faculties are to be exercised; and if I think fit to be too precisely serious to Day, my good-natur'd Customers will give me an Indulgence, and believe that I will make it up to them with Mirth on _Tuesday_. As I devoted the spare Hours of yesterday to Meditation, I could not help reflecting, what little Notion we have at this Time of _Prodigies_ and _Phenomena_, that are not in the common Course of Nature. We are grown _Epicureans_ in our Principles, and force our selves to believe, that it is Fear, Superstition, or Ignorance, to fancy that Providence sends the World a Warning in extraordinary Appearances: We buoy our selves up, that we only want such a Portion of Philosophy to account for what startles the Grossness of Sense, and to know that such Appearances must have their Cause in Nature, tho' we cannot readily determine where to fix it. This brings to my Mind, when _Glendour_ was boasting in the Play, that at his Nativity the Heavens were full of fiery Shapes, and the Foundation of the Earth shook like a Coward; _Hotspur_ reply'd humourously, _Why so it would have done at the same Season, if your Mother's Cat had but kitten'd, tho' your self had never been born_.