"Here sits again the old Anotomy, Which Use to please the Country People's eye; For if they in this place don't see his features They'll not know at what time to Cut their Creatures.”—1706. JANUARY. The Earth is white like Neptune's foamy face FEBRUARY. Boreas's chilly breath attacks our Nature Winter seems stronger The Days are longer. Rome's sign will disturb his Holiness. MARCH. Phoebus & Mars conjoin'd do both agree, This Month shall warm (nay, more than usual) be. I now predict the Winter's Death & Spring's Birth. (to get the Day) about the Weather. APRIL. The Birds like Orpheus now all things invite MAY. MAY, like a Virgin quickly yields her Charms To the Embrace of Winter's Icy Arms. A cold May storm which will pacifie Noisy Affairs, & JUNE. SOL'S scorching Rays puts Blood in Fermentation And is stark naught to Acts of Procreation. JULY. THE Moon (this Month) that pale-fac'd Queen of Night Now there's great signs of Rain or Hail AUGUST. The Earth and Sky Resound with Thunder Loud SEPTEMBER. The burthen'd Earth abounds with various Fruit OCTOBER. THE Tyrant Mars old Saturn now opposes NOVEMBER. Now what remains to Comfort up our Lives DECEMBER. The Chrystal streams congeal'd to Icy Glass Christmas is nigh-The bare Name of it TO THE LEGITIMATE SONS OF URANIA. GENTLEMEN: All the Ephemeries now Extant among us, and Tables of that nature containing the Eclipses, Lunations, Planets places, and aspects calculated for the meridian of London, are notoriously false for the first four Months of this Year, and differ from the Truth as far as light from darkness: but I with much care and elaborate Calculations have supplied the defects of the said four months in every respect, and with much difficulty have introduced another Almanack into the World, which is entirely of my own Calculating and not borrowed. And tho' I do not avouch the verity of my Calculation, yet I doubt not but that they will come pretty nigh the Truth, except some Typographical Errors intervene. I have inserted the Moon's Rising and Setting in the last column of my Almanack, which I doubt not but will meet with general acceptance by my Countrymen: And tho' I have left out the Planets' Places there, and inserted them in the great Column of the Weather, here and there, where there was room, yet it was not out of ill will to the sublime Sons of Art, but because they spring up so thinly, scarce one in an hundred. And tho' my Brethren Almanack makers be reckoned among that Number yet they have all (this year) built upon Colson's1 Calendar (a rotten foundation) which hath filled the first four months of their Almanacks as full of Errors as there are Days in the same. I am far from laying a foundation for a long Controversy with those of my own fraternity, but because I would not have the World depend upon so great untruth, I would have them Re-calculate their Eclipses, and they shall find themselves that they are mistaken: two of 'em make their first Eclipse (which they say is of the Moon) to be on the 24th Day of February tho' by their own Almanacks the Moon is at her first Quarter at that time, and as for their Eclipse of the Sun which they make to be on the 19th day of March it is as far from the truth as the other, for the Sun at that time is above forty degrees distance from the Dragon's head, which carries the shade of the moon to the north more than three times the Diameter of the Earth, and therefore it is impossible in nature that the Earth should suffer an Eclipse at that time. Thus much I thought fit to tell the World that they might not mistake a third in the Number, and a month in the Time of the Eclipses this year. NATH. AMES. Octob. 25th, 1728. Notes on 1729.—The fear of adverse criticism which possessed our Author when he essayed his first Almanack has now borne fruit, and with the tide of success has floated in the carping censor, and on his first page in this year's production he casts a poetical "sop to Cerberus." The monthly poetical offerings of the muse continue to improve. Momus exerts a mild influence, and in some lines the spirit of Hippocrates is shadowed forth evincing the proficiency of the "Student in Physick," while under November the social qualities of the future "Dedham innkeeper" are quite apparent. 1 Possibly Nathaniel Colson, a noted Almanack maker of London. In his address to the "Legitimate Sons of Urania" the Doctor demonstrates his superiority in the world of figures, and while apologizing for the non-appearance of certain Astrological features he berates his London contemporary for his erratic conclusions, and in a left-handed manner sympathizes with his Almanack making neighbors for their misfortune in following blindly, the unverified Ephemerides of the mother country Astronomer. While the Doctor's argument is unanswerable he has opened the door now for continued controversy and aspersion. One of the contemporary almanack makers whom Dr. Ames took to task for erratic calculations was Mr. Nathan Bowen who wrote under the soubriquet "a Native of New England," and in his Almanack 1730 thus replied to his castigator: "I have once more ventured into the world, notwithstanding a Repulse I met with the last Year, from a Young Stripling, who under the influence of Mercury, gave his Pen a Latitude beyond that of his Beard; but let him know, That tho' he hath so great a value for the merits of his own performance, were I disposed to pick holes in his Coat, I should leave him in a ragged Condition; tho' I rather chuse to take the Advice of Old Mecaenas to his friend Cremutius, which was 'never to be concerned at what was spoken against him.' For (saith he) 'If what is alleged against us be true, it is rather our business to Reform our selves, than for others to hold their Tongues; But if what is said of us be false, so soon as we show a Concern at it, we make it suspected for Truth, the Contempt of such Discourses discredits them, and takes away the pleasure from those that raise them; If you resent them more than you ought to do, it is in the power of the most contemptible Enemy to disturb the Repose of your Life; and all your power cannot secure you against vexation." THE ALMANACK FOR 1730 BY NATHANIEL AMES, Jun. Student in Physick & Astronomy. BOSTON: Printed by B. Green and sold at the Booksellers Shops, 1730. Bright Scenes do change, three Posting Years shan't Cease Before stern Mars stares in the Face of Peace, JANUARY. Could'st thou mount up, and be as far FEBRUARY. Now all a Loud the Winds do blow MARCH. Cunkeechah Netop? what News you speak to me? APRIL. When first the Spring Dissolves the Mountain Snow, And Western Winds upon the Waters blow, When Neptunes fury stops, the Winds do sleep And only Whisper Musick to the deep. Then Smooth Fac'd Thetis bids you hoist your Sails, And plow the Briny Seas with prosperous Gales. MAY. Aurora's Winged Choristers Prepare To Chant forth Anthems in Harmonious Air And Mounting Lark Day's Herald gets on Wing And bids each Bird choose out their bough to Sing: The Daz'ling Sun sends down Porlific beams, And Rarifies the Earth with piercing Gleams. JUNE. Hail, high-pitch'd Sol, thy Scorching Aetna turn |