properly be call'd the Northern Mediterranean. This Sea is bounded, on one Side, by Mecklenburg, Pomerania. Caffubia, Pruffia, Courland, and Livonia, and, on the other, by Scania, Sweedland, Lapland and Finnland. Whence this Sea has its Name, is difficult to determine. It forms three large Bays or Gulphs, the Sinus Botnicus, ween Sweedland, Lapland and Finnland; the Sinus Finnicus, between Finnland and Livonia; and the Sinus Livonicus, between Livonia and Courland; befides several other fmaller Bays. There are alfo feveral Islands in this Sea, fome large, fome finaller, particularly Zealand, Fühnen, Bornholm. Rügen, &c. It is likewife remarkable for acording Amber, on the Coast of Pruffia, in pretty large Quantities; which, in feveral Parts of the East, and especially in Japan, is esteem'd, in Value, equal to Gold: But what is most particular in this Sea is, that it neither ebbs nor flows. That Part of the Baltick which feparates Fühnen from Jutland is call'd the Little Belt, and that which is between the Iflands of Fühnen and Zealand, is call'd the Great Belt. The Baltick has two Communications with the German Ocean; one thro' the Little Belt, which is about two German Miles broad, and the other thro' the Sound, at Cronenburg, near Helfingor, which is fo narrow, that the Cannon of that Fortrefs commands it: But as the Little Belt is fo full of Shallows, that no Ship of Burden can pass thro' it with Safety, the Sound is the only trading Paffage, the Toll of which brings a confiderable Revenue to the Kings of Denmark.

A GENTLEMAN, who happen'd to be one in this Party of Pleafure, gave me a very remarkable Account of a Child of this City, who at three Years of Age spoke several Languages, and had a tolerable Knowledge of Hiftory, both ancient and modern. As I feem'd to doubt of the Va

racity of his Relation, he told me, that he had not, indeed, been an Eye, or Ear-Witness of the Truth of it; but that being, at the fame Time, in Holland, when this extraordinary Inftance of early Learning was mention'd in the publick Prints, he wrote to a Friend, on whofe Integrity he could depend, to give him a true Relation of this Matter, whofe Antwer, he faid, left him no Room to question the Truth of the Fact. He has fince communicated this Letter to me, and I find some Things fo very uncommon in it, that I fhall give myself the Trouble to tranflate it for your Perufal, and it may probably be the Subject of my next Letter.

Ar my Return to my Lodgings, and complaining of a violent Head-Ach, occafion'd, as I fuppofed by a Cold I had caught, my Landlord advis'd me to the Drinking of a Pint of old French White Wine, he would procure me, of above 100 Years old, which he affur'd me would, by laying me into a breathing Sweat, the whole Night, effectually open the Pores, and give me immediate Relief. He fent for a Bottle, and after having fill'd me a Glafs, gave me this following History of it. "Some Years fince (faid he) fome Ruins " and Rubbish being remov'd, in Order to build "a House in this City, where none had ftood "before, in the Memory of Man, a vaulted Cel

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lar was difcover'd, which by many Circum"ftances plainly appear'd, not to have been "open'd in confiderably above 100 Years. "nong other Things, found in this Vault, were "fix Iron-bound Casks, of about two Hogfheads "each, fill'd, in the Opinion of every one, with old French White Wine, which, by Experience, "has been found to have the Medicinal Effect "I told you ". For my Part, I really found it. fo, and therefore defired my Landlord to procure

me

me a Couple of Dozen, of it, of which, at my Return to Hamburg, I hope to find an Opportunity of fending you one. I am, &c.

SIR,

LETTER

XLV.

LUBECK.

T

OWARDS the Conclufion of my laft Letter, I promis'd you a farther Account of an extraordinary Instance of early Learning, in the Perfon of a Child of three Years of Age; and I fhall do it, as near as I am able to tranflate it, in the Words of the Letter I then mention'd:

"IN the Year 1724, the 2d of January, I "fpent almoft the whole Day (the Time of "Divine Service only excepted) 'till ten at Night, "in the House of Madam Heincken, in Order to "be inform'd, if there was any Grounds for "what was reported of her Son, Chriftian Heincken, "not then full three Years of Age. I can now, "in Truth, affure you, that I myself have been "an Eye-and Ear-Witness of fuch Things, in "this Child, as infinitely exceed what can be ex"pected from his Age; and diftinguishes it from

many Thousands of other Children: And I have, "therefore, often lamented, that every one, who "has had the Opportunity of feing this wonder"ful Child, has not heard the fame, out of its "own Mouth. The Reafons, why all have not "had this Satisfaction, are; because he does not "much care to have Questions ask'd him by any, but by Monf. von Sch a Gentleman

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"of Silefia, who lodges in the fame House. This <6 very learned Gentleman, who has been a great "Traveller, and is himself Mafter of a more than "common Knowledge and Ingenuity, has impart"ed fo much of both to this Child, merely for his "own Diverfion and Pleasure. But the Boy is "often stubborn, and will not anfwer to the "Questions ask'd him; nor is he, on Account of "his tender Age, to be compel'd to it. Thus, "the Day I spent in his Mother's House, he "twenty Times broke off fhort, whilst I was ex"amining him, with his ufual Expreffion, Now I "will go to Nutrix; upon which we were oblig'd "to let him go immediately; but then he would often return prefently, and continue what he had begun. To this we may add, that either the prefent feeble State he is in, on his Side, or "want of Time and Patience, on that of those "who come to fee him, often will not allow of "fo many Questions being ask'd him: Notwithstanding which I, by Degrees, heard many Things of him, which fhew partly a wonderful Strength of Memory; for he remembers what"ever is faid to him; and partly a very found Judg"ment, by diftinguishing Things very minutely, "and not confounding one with another. He re"peats the Names of the Roman Emperors, both "ancient and modern, in one Series, without "Hefitation, obferving, at the fame Time, "their feveral Defcents. Of Charlemaign, he ob"ferv'd, that he converted the Saxons to the

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Christian Faith, &. Of Charles IV, that he had been at Lubeck, and lodg'd in that very "House we were in; that he founded the Univer

fity of Prague; that he loft many of the Domi"nions of the Empire, and was therefore call'd "Vitricus Imperii, &c. Of Maximilian, I, that "he divided the Empire into Circles, (all which

"he

"he nam'd) and that Luther and Tetzel lived in "his Time; on which Occafion, he took No"tice of the Hiftory of the Reformation, and re"lated several remarkable Circumftances of it. "Of ancient Hiftory, the Reigns of Julius Cæfar "and Auguftus were more particularly mention'd, " and he gave an Account of the most memorable "Tranfactions of thofe Times. He had as per"fect a Knowledge, of the Eastern Emperors, " and, for Inftance, knew how to distinguish be"tween Constantine, the Great, and Conftantine "Palalogus: Of the former, he took Notice of. "the Sign he faw in the Heavens; and, on that "Occafion, repeated the Infcription over it, in "Greek, Latin and German; and, of the latter, "that, in his Reign, Conftantinople fell into the "Hands of the Turks, &c. So likewife of the

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Perfian Monarchy, he gave a Series of its Kings, " without omiting one, from Cyrus to Darius "Codomannus; and the fame of the Ptolemy's of "Egypt. Of the Hiftory of the Old Teftament he gave us the Names of the Patriarchs, and

a Series of the Judges, and of the Kings of "Juda and Ifrael: Not to mention many other "Hiftorical Matters, which it would be too te

dious to enumerate fingly. In Geography, as the

Choice was left to me, I pitch'd upon the Maps "firft of Germany; fecondly, of the Land of Promife; " and thirdly, of Greece; and, with Astonishment, "heard him repeat, on Occafion of the firft, the "many Principalities and Lordfhips of Silefia, &c. "Of the fecond, the twelve Tribes, diftinguifhing

which and how many of them belong'd to each " of the principal Countries; and, of the third, "the principal Battles of the Grecian History "which render'd feveral Places famous. He has "been indulg'd, when he has got a Knowledge of any particular History, to have a Picture Dd 3

' or