" We, tho' from heaven remote, to heaven will move With strength of mind, and tread the abyss above; And penetrate with an interior light, Those upper depths which nature hid from sight. Pleas'd will we be to walk along the sphere Of shining stars, and travel with the year To leave this heavy earth, and scale the height Of Atlas, who supports the heavenly weight: To look from azure clouds, and thence survey Mistaken mortals wand'ring from the way".

Ovid's Metamorthosis.

The planet Mercury is the smallest of all the primary planets, and moves the quickest in his celestial orbit; he is so near the central sun, as rarely to be seen; except a little before sun-rise in the morning, and a little after sun-set in the evening; but even then, his motion is so rapid towards the sun, that he can only be discerned for a short space of time. When observed through a telescope, he appears of a bright white glistening color, but to the naked eye he appears more of a dull leaden color: the ancient Grecian Astrologers, (in their unrivalled classical delineations of both celestial and terrestrial objects) assigned to this planet the celestial office of being " the swift messenger of the Gods", and represented him by the figure of "a youth with wings at his head and feet", whence the character , is symbolically derived. The singular circumstance of Mercury forming so conspicuous a feature in the doctrines of judicial Astrology, (since he is said to role the whole of the rational and intellectual faculties), is perhaps a stronger proof of the verity of this art than could well be imagined; for were those precepts and judgments, "founded on whim and fancy" (as some say), the ancients never would have constituted an almost invisible planet, as the chief ruler of the menial powers, but would doubtless have chosen some other more visible and ponderous star, for that important office. The student, and judicious reader will be probably led to notice this remarkable fact, in the course of perusing our writings, on sideral subjects, a fact which to the unprejudiced enquirer is worth more than an hundred syllogistical arguments, pro and con, on the matter in hand.

Mercury is the Astrological source of wit, ingenuity, invention, discovery, and eminent skill in science, art, and almost every important branch of human knowledge. He is considered as a cold, dry, earthy, melancholy star; when well dignified or free from hostile aspects of afflicting stars, the mind is strong, vigorous, active, "searching and exhausting both worlds, and imagining new;" the memory retentive, tenacious, inheriting a natural thirst for knowledge, which all the wells of discovered science cannot slake, but still does the intellectual soul wish, "ardent and aspiring" for store after store of philosophic, classic, or celestial learning: generally the most eloquent orators, the most skilful philosophers, the most eminent mathematicians, and the most rare and curious of mankind are under his "selectest influence;" no one can become distinguished or eminent in life, for real abilities, unless Mercury in their horoscope be free from evil configurations.

George Bidder, the calculating youth, whose nativity the reader may see in " the Astrologer of the nineteenth century", was born decidedly under the auspicious influence of , having the sign Gemini, for his horoscope, with Mercury therein, in zodiacal parallel to the Moon, which not only confirms what is before laid down, but (as there can be no evasion as to the time of his birth being correct) proves the theory of the ancients to be unquestionable; but when Mercury is afflicted or ill dignified by aspect, configuration, or discordancy of sign, the native will be a mean, shuffling, unprincipled character, a voucher of falsehoods, and void of real understanding.

The real Mercurial person is of a tall, upright, spare body, long nose, dark eyes, long visage, dark hair, long slender hands and fingers, which last is a peculiar mark of Mercury. The color varies as he is aspected by other Stars,. but generally he is any thing but of fair complexion, and often quite dark colored, or very sallow. He governs the brain, tongue, hand*, and feet; his diseases are madness, apoplexy, vertigo, head-aches, stammering, dumbness, stoppage or humour in the head, coughs, and rheumatic or gouty disorders. His enemies are , his friends and ; yet some write him as friendly to all but

In the questionary arl he denotes, when well placed, Astrologers, philosophers, mathematicians, secretaries, officers of state, merchants, travellers, sculptors, poets, lawyers, teachers, orators, ambassadors, commissioners, artificers, and all ingenious clever persons. When weak, he represents scriveners, clerks, pettifoggers, vile persons, cunning in acting mischief, thieves, carriers, messengers, footmen, servants, etc.

Of beasts, he rules all such as are of quick sense; ingenious, inconstant, and swift; also such as are easily taught by man, as the dog, ape, fox, weasle, hart, mule, hare, civet cat, squirrels, the hyaena, spider, etc.; and of fishes, the mullet, and all swift reptiles; likewise of birds, all those that are naturally witty and inconstant, as the nightingale, linnet, ibis, blackbird, thrush, parrot, swallow, jay, crane, cockatoo, the lark, and the jackdaw. Of herbs and plants, he. rules cinquefoil, marjoram, fumitory, pimpernel, parsley, and such " as are of divers colors, and mixed natures/' or those which in medicine have chief relation to the brain and tongue, or which remove obstructions; and comfort the spirits, as adders tongue, lungwort, dragon-wort, vervain, hiera, diambra, etc. Of trees, the walnut, filbert, and hazel, etc.

In the mineral creation, he rules quicksilver, tin, marchasite, aetates, red marble, topaz, millstone, granite, and all stones of spotted colours. Of places. Mercury represents symbolically academies, schools, common halls, or public convened assemblies, places where lively games are held, as tennis and racket courts, fairs, ordinaries, markets, bowlingrgreens, the hall, study, libraries, counting houses, pulpits, etc. He delighteth in the northern quarter of the heavens, and his influence over the weather is usually according to the applying planet, to whose aspect he is hastening.