to me--giving
some advice about the means of serving Murphy--sets out the old case:
"Murphy is a man whose _special_ education is in advance of his _general_;
and such men are almost always difficult subjects to manage." This article
having been omitted in its proper place, I put it at 1843, the date of
Murphy's death.

A NEW VALUE OF [pi].

The Invisible Universe disclosed; or, the real Plan and Government of
the Universe. By Henry Coleman Johnson, Esq. London, 1843, 8vo.

The book opens abruptly with:

"First demonstration. Concerning the centre: showing that, because the
centre is an innermost point at an equal distance between two extreme
points of a right line, and from every two relative and opposite
intermediate points, it is composed of the two extreme internal points of
each half of the line; each extreme internal point attracting towards
itself all parts of that half to which it belongs...."

Of course the circle is squared: and the circumference is 3-1/21 diameters.

SOME MODERN ASTROLOGY.

Combination of the Zodiacal and Cometical Systems. Printed for the
London Society, Exeter Hall. Price Sixpence. (n. d. 1843.)

What this London Society was, or the "combination," did not appear. There
was a remarkable comet in 1843, the tail of which was at first confounded
with what is called the _zodiacal light_. This nicely-printed little tract,
evidently got up with less care for expense than is usual in such works,
brings together all the announcements of the astronomers, and adds a short
head and tail piece, which I shall quote entire. As the announcements are
very ordinary {351} astronomy, the reader will be able to detect, if
detection be possible, what is the meaning and force of the "Combination of
the Zodiacal and Cometical Systems":

"_Premonition._ It has pleased the AUTHOR _of_ CREATION to cause (to His
_human and reasoning_ Creatures of this generation, by a '_combined_'
appearance in His _Zodiacal_ and _Cometical_ system) a '_warning Crisis_'
of universal concernment to this our GLOBE. It is this '_Crisis_' that has
so generally 'ROUSED' at this moment the '_nations throughout the Earth_'
that no equal interest has ever before been excited by MAN; unless it be in
that caused by the 'PAGAN-TEMPLE IN ROME,' which is recorded by the elder
Pliny, '_Nat. Hist._' i. 23. iii. 3. HARDOUIN."

After the accounts given by the unperceiving astronomers, comes what
follows:

"Such ha