Winthrop, John, 1714-1779. Papers of John and Hannah Winthrop, 1728-1789. Annotated almanac, 1741. HUM 9 Box 4, Volume 2, Harvard University Archives.

An Astronomical Diary, OR, AN ALMANACK For the Year of our LORD CHRIST, 1741. And from the CREATION fo the WORLD, according to the best of prophane History, 5691 And by the Account of the Holy Scriptures 5643 Being the Year after Bissertile, OR LEAP YEAR, And the Fourteenth Year of the Reign of our most gracious Sovereign King GEORGE, II Wherein is contained, the Lunations, Eclipses of the Luminaries, Aspects, Sun's Rising and Setting, Time of High-Water, Courts, Spring Tides, Judgment of the Weather, &c. [etc.} Calculated for the Meridian of BOSTON in NEWENGLAND, Lat. 42. Deg. 25 Min. North. The Vulgar Notes for this Year 1741. Golden Number 13 / Epact 23 Cycle of the Sun 14 / Dominical Letter D By Nathanael Ames. TIME is the Effect of motion, born a Twin, And with the World did equally begin ; Time lide a Sream that hastens from the Shore, Flies to an Ocean where 'tis known no more, All must be swallow'd in the endless Deep And Motion rest in everlasting Sleep. Dryd. Ovid. BOSTON in NEW ENGLAND; Printed by John Draper, for the Booksellers, 1741

COURTEOUS READER,

THE Verses over each monthly Page I hve again this Year transcribed from several ingenious Authors; but what follows in this Page, and the Essay on the Microscope I offer you as something of my own, not borrowed nor stolen: since nothing that I can say will recommend my own Performances to you, I fesire you would be pleased to take them as some Men take their Wives, for better or for worse: some Men, I say, for other some there are, who take them for Better and they prove altogether Worse; but this is a Digression, and if as beautiful, as true, I hope you will forgive your humble Servant, N. AMES.

Of the ECLIPSES this YEAR, 1741. BUT TWO ECLIPSES thie YEAR, both of the SUN, Invisible. I. THE First is JUNE the 2d Day about our Sun-Rise. II. THE Second NOVEMBER 26th DAy at 11 at Night.

To the Scoffers at Mr. WHITEFIELD's Preaching.

IF while you hear him, you can mock him too, Attend to me, I've something here for you; With hardn'd old Aligula prepare To mock the mighty THUNDER of the Air, Prepare and Engine now, (for sure you can, Since Thunder once was mimicked by Man) To show the World your Mind is mighty great And Flash for Flash, and Crack for Crack repeat: Go forht int othe Field, but chuse a Day, When Heav'ns Artillery begins to play, And as th' embattled Clouds together throng, Whose gloomy Terrors, slosly march along; Erect your Standard, cast at them your Eyes, Stretch forth your Hand, defy 'em as they rise; And when they all come cent'ring o'er your Head, Then play the Man, Disdain to be afraid; And as the crooked Streams burst from the Cloud, Whose Thunder, others terrified aloud, --- Then play your Engine, with sincere disdain, And as Heaven Thunders, answer Heav'n again Do thus! and then indeed to you I'll say Come, mighty Her'ck Scoffer, come away; And hardned Impudence, the Victory is thine.

[Planet Symbol?] 1st satellite makes 4 {revolutions} in --------- 7 {days} 1{hour} 54' 24 {2nd}--------------------------------------------9---------------------------------31 23 41 6 {3rd}---------------------------------------------6--------------------------------42 23 57 36 4th-----------------------------------------------4---------------------------------67 00 20 52 28 {Right} {ascension} of [?] pole star in time for {?] is 42 5 change of {right} {ascension} in time for 10 years 1 46 star's distance from [y?] pole 1 {January} [?] 41 {2nd} 4 49 star comes nearer [y?] pole yearly------------------------------------------------------------------------20

In 13 {years} & 3 days [Planet Symbol?] returns to [y symbol; V symbol?] after 8 {years} -- 2 {days} 9 {hours} -Y [bubble?] [such?] is = 724 {grams} of water, unimmersed in my [Windia?] [rum?] needs 42 {grams} in 7 opposit [scale?] to {balance} it. 724-42=682. Rum to water as 682 : 724 :: 341:362. {t.i.?] almost as 31:33. -- Some double distill of his Honors required 77 1/2 {grams} - has 724-77 1/2 = 646 1/2. [Yet?] [yr/} rum to water as 646,5: 724 -- Some of Stedmans {West} India required 46 {grams}. Some of Beam's 45 1/2 {grams}. Some of N {England} -- 49 1/2 {grams}. Some {West} India from home 43. Stedmans - N {England} -- 49. his {West} India 43. Some [sile?] [shift?] from took but 38. Some of Mr W. Vassals took 59. Y focal D of y {object} glass [afer?] 8 foot tube is 7 {feet} 2 inches & of y eye glass 2, 6 inches. It mafnifies in y ratio of 2,8 : 8[?]: 1,3 : 43 : : 1:33

Some new cyder took 25 {grams} to sink y bubble. took but 15 {grams} to sink y bubble in [istr?]

{Variation} of a needle [ys?] year is {between} 7 & 8 {day} [week?].

Left-hand page: 1. Went to Bost & came back. Hastings

10. noon. Ye [the] greatest number of spots in ye [the] sun[?] I ever saw. One I discove[red] with my naked eye (with only a colord glass to save [see?] it) with thro[?] telescope appeard to be a cluster of spots exceeding[?] black & incompa[?] on all sides with a nebula; & besides yee, yre [there] were 5 or 6 in obse[?] parts of ye sun. In ye eveng a considerable aurora, which abt 9[?] o'clock was coverd by ye clouds. Till now ye winter has been very severe, Boston harbor quite froze up, loaded sleds drive over Charlestown ferry etc. 11. Snow. 12. A great thaw. 13. Cloudy, warm. Abt noon had a sight of ye great spot in the sun with only the red glass.

Right-hand page: 1741. JANUARY hath 31 Days. Behold yon Mountains hoary Height Made highter with new Mounts of Snow, Again hehold the Winters weight Oppresses the lab'ring Woods below: And Streams with Icy Fetters bound Benum'd and Cramp'd to solid Ground. With well-heap'd Logs dissolve the Cold, And feed the genial Heat with Fires; Produce the Wine that mades us bold, And sprightly Wit and Love inspires: Dryd. Hor. M.W. courts, Spr. Tid. Aip.[?] Weath, etc. R [sun] S F. Sea [moon] pl. Lunat. 1\5 unsettled Weather \7 25 5\7 16\21\ 2\6\[Opposition] [sun] [mars] violent Winds \7 24 5\8 00\thighs\ 3\7\ [conjunction] [venus] [moon] and stormy \7 24 5\8 48\ 16\ 4\D\[Opposition] [Jupiter] [Moon] but now Fair\7 23 5\9 36\26\ 5\2\Earth & Gold Strive for mastery\7 22\5\10 33\knees\ X6\3\Inf C Boston, York & S. Kingston\7 21 5\11 28\28\ 7\4\Falling Weather and a driving\7 21 5\12 23\legs\ 8\5\ [Opposition] [Saturn] [Venus] Storm about this\7 20 5\1 17\28\ 9\6\[Quadrature] [Jupiter] [Moon] Time [?] Perige\7 19 5\2 13\feet\ 10\7\ middling Tides \7 18 5\3 5\27\ 11\D\ slippery weather \7 17 5\3 56\head\ 12\2\[Quadrature] [Saturn] [Moon] Now a cold\7 16 5\4 47\28\ X 13\3\ [Opposition] [Sun] [Saturn] Storm\7 15 5\5 38\neck\ 14\4\Avisible [Conjunction] of Finery & Fraud\7 14 5\6 34\2\ 15\5\[Opposition] [Jupiter] [Venus] fair Weather in some\7 13 5\7 15\arms\ 16\6\[Conjunction] [Jupiter] [Moon] & frosty Nights Places\7 12 5\8 6\20\ 17\7\[Opposition] [Mars] [Moon] S. Wind and \7 11 5\8 53\breast\ 18\D\ a Thaw \7 10 5\9 40\16\ 19\2\Prince of WALES born \7 09 5\10 29\29 XX 20\3\Inf C Barnstable [Conjunction] [Saturn] [Moon]\7 08 5\11 13\heart\ 9 21\4\ Small spring Tides \7 07 5\12 00\24\ 22\5\Alas! An unlucky [Opposition] coming on,\7 06 5\12 44\belly\ 23\6\portends a bad Time for [?] Apge\7 05 5\1 28\18 24\7\LOVERS, and many Matches \7 04 5\2 13\reins\ 25\D\disappointed Now expect aPlenty\7 03 5\2 56\13\ 26\2\ [Opposition] [Mars] [Venus] either Rain or \7 02 5\3 40\24\ 27\3\Sup.C. Charlstown [Quadrature] [Saturn] [Moon] \7 00 5\4 24\secrets\ 28\4\Snow, or a Mixture, causing\6 59 6\5 8\18\ 29\5\ bad Ways, and heavy Travel-\6 58 6\5 53\thighs\ 30\6\ ling; like some Mediums of \6 56 6\6 40\13\ 31\7\ Trade. Pretty cold after it.\6 54 6\7 28\26\ [Text printed in landscape orientation along edge of page] New Moon 6 Day 7 Morning. \ Full Moon 20 Day 1 Afternoon, First Quart. 13 Day 1 Morning. \ Last Quart. 28 Day 3 Afternoon

Went to Bost & came back. Hastqr home. Walkd over {the} forny. Exceedg sharp, & stormy weather all {the} week.

Snow. An exceedg fine day.

20. Went to Bost. 1/2 Hartqr—play. Drover over Charlestown ferry 24. Came back to Cambr.

26. Public fast on acct of {the} war.

As hard a winter as was ever known.

5. An extraordinary aurora borealis. 6. Fair. 7. A grt s now all day

10. Exceedg high sly wind in [y?] eveng. Fair. 12. Went to Bost & came back. Hartgr [play?]. 14. Some thundr & lightng in {the} morng. a barn burnt wth it.

26. a very considerable aurora in y eveng. 27. a fine day. 28. Same. 29. Same.