in the hill; and he becomes more urgent for "a
private search into these mines, which I have, I think, a way to." In
the postscript he adds an account of a well, which by washing, wrought a
cure on a person deep in the king's evil. "I hope you don't forget your
promise to communicate whatever thing you have relating to your IDEA."

This promised _Idea_ of Aubrey may be found in his MSS., under the title
of "The Idea of Universal Education." However whimsical, one would like
to see it. Aubrey's life might furnish a volume of these philosophical
dreams: he was a person who from his incessant bustle and insatiable
curiosity was called "The Carrier of Conceptions of the Royal Society."
Many pleasant nights were "privately" enjoyed by Aubrey and his
correspondent about the "Mine in the Hill;" Ashmole's manuscripts at
Oxford contain a collection of many secrets of the Rosicrucians; one of
the completest inventions is "a Recipe how to walk invisible." Such were
the fancies which rocked the children of science in their cradles! and
so feeble were the steps of our curious infancy!--But I start in my
dreams! dreading the reader may also have fallen asleep!

"Measure is most excellent," says one of the oracles; "to which also we
being in like manner persuaded, O most friendly and pious Asclepiades,
here finish"--the dreams at the dawn of philosophy!

FOOTNOTES:

[197] Godwin's amusing _Lives of the Necromancers_ abound in
marvellous stories of the supernatural feats of these old students.

[198] Agrippa was the most fortunate and honoured of occult
philosophers. He was lodged at courts, and favoured by all his
contemporaries. Scholars like Erasmus spoke of him with admiration;
and royalty constantly sought his powers of divination. But in
advanced life he was accused of sorcery, and died poor in 1534.

[199] One of the most popular of our old English prose romances,
"The Historie of Fryer Bacon," narrates how he had intended to "wall
England about with brass," by means of such a brazen head, had not
the stupidity of a servant prevented him. The tale may be read in
Thoms' "Collection of Early English Prose Romances."

[200] The allusion here is to the automaton chess-player, first
exhibited by Kempelen (its inventor) in England about 1785. The
figure was habited as a Turk, and placed behind a chest, this was
opened by the exhibitor to display the machinery, which seem