It cannot Rain but it Pours: OR, London ſtrow'd with Rarities.
BEING An ACCOUNT of the Arrival of a White Bear, at the Houſe of Mr. Ratcliff in Biſhopſgate-Street, &c.

WE ſhall begin with a Deſcription of Peter the Savage, deferring our o⯑ther Curioſities to ſome following Papers.

Romulus and Remus, the two famous wild Men of Antiquity, and Orſin that of the Mo⯑derns, have been juſtly the Admiration of all Mankind: Nor can we preſage leſs of this [4] Wild Youth, as may be gathered from that famous and well-known Prophecy of Lilly's, which being now accompliſh'd, is moſt eaſily interpreted.

The Pope is now going to Benevento; the Spaniards have broke their Treaty; the Em⯑peror Trades to China; and Lilly, were he alive, muſt be convinced, that it was not the Empreſs Fauſtina that was was meant in the Prophecy.

[5] It is evident by ſeveral Tokens about this Wild Gentleman, that he had a Father and Mo⯑ther like one of us; but there being no Regiſter of his Chriſtning, his Age is only to be gueſſed at by his Stature and Countenance, and ap⯑peareth to be about Twelve or Thirteen. His being ſo young was the Occaſion of the great Diſappointment of the Ladies, who came to the Drawing Room in full Expectation of ſome Attempt upon their Chaſtity: So far is true, that he endeavour'd to Kiſs the young Lady W—le, who for that reaſon is become the Envy of the Circle; this being a Declaration of Nature, in favour of her ſuperior Beauty.

Ariſtotle ſaith, That Man is the moſt Mi⯑mick of all Animals; which Opinion of that great Philoſopher is ſtrongly confirm'd by the Behaviour of this Wild Gentleman, who is en⯑dow'd with that Quality to an extreme Degree. He receiv'd his firſt Impreſſions at Court: His Manners are, firſt to lick People's Hands, and then turn his Breech upon them; to thruſt his Hand into every body's Pocket; to climb over Peoples Heads; and even to make uſe of the Royal Hand, to take what he has a mind to. At his firſt Appearance he ſeiz'd on the Lord Chamberlain's Staff, put on his Hat be⯑fore the King; from whence ſome have conje⯑ctur'd, that he is either deſcended from a Gran⯑dee [6] of Spain, or the Earls of Kingſale in Ireland. However, theſe are manifeſt Tokens of his innate Ambition; he is extremly tena⯑cious of his own Property, and ready to in⯑vade that of other People. By this mimick Quality he diſcovered what wild Beaſt had nurſed him: Obſerving Children to ask Bleſſing of their Mothers, one Day he fell down upon his Knees to a Sow, and mutter'd ſome Sounds in that humble Poſture.

It has been commonly thought, that he is U— natural Brother, becauſe of ſome re⯑ſemblance of Manners, and the officious Care of U— about him; but the Superiority of the Parts and Genius in Peter, demonſtrates this to be impoſſible.

Though he is ignorant both of ancient and modern Languages, (that Care being left to the ingenious Phyſician, who is entruſted with his Education) yet he diſtinguiſhes Objects by certain Sounds fram'd to himſelf, which Mr. Rotenberg, who brought him over, un⯑derſtands perfectly. Beholding one Day the Shambles with great Fear and Aſtoniſh⯑ment, ever ſince he calls Man by the ſame Sound which expreſſeth Wolf. A young Lady is a Peacock, old Women Mag⯑pyes and Owls; a Beau with a Toupee, a Monkey; Glaſs, Ice; Blue, Red, and Green [7] Ribbons, he calls Rainbows; an Heap of Gold a Turd. The firſt Ship he ſaw, he took to be a great Beaſt ſwimming on her Back, and her Feet tied above her: The Men that came out of the Hold he took to be her Cubs, and won⯑der'd they were ſo unlike their Dam. He un⯑derſtands perfectly the Language of all Beaſts and Birds, and is not, like them, confin'd to that of one Species. He can bring any Beaſt what he calls for, and no doubt is much miſs'd now in his Native Woods, where he us'd to do good Offices among his Fellow Citizens, and ſerv'd as a Mediator to reconcile their Diffe⯑rences. One Day he warn'd a Flock of Sheep that were driving to the Shambles, of their Danger, and upon uttering ſome Sounds, they all fled. He takes vaſt Pleaſure in Converſa⯑tion with Horſes; and going to the Meuſe to converſe with Two of his intimate Acquain⯑tances in the King's Stable, as he paſs'd by, he Neighed to the Horſe at Charing-Croſs; be⯑ing as it were ſurpriz'd to ſee him ſo high, he ſeem'd to take it ill that the Horſe did not an⯑ſwer him; but I think no body can undervalue his Underſtanding for not being skilled in Sta⯑tuary.

He expreſſeth his Joy moſt commonly by Neighing; and whatever the Philoſophers may talk of their Riſibility, Neighing is a more noble Expreſſion of that Paſſion than Laughing, [8] which ſeems to me to have ſomething Silly in it; and beſides, is often attended with Tears. Other Animals are ſenſible they debaſe them⯑ſelves, by mimicking Laughter; and I take it to be a general Obſervation, that the top Felicity of Mankind is to imitate Monkeys and Birds: Witneſs Harlequins, Scaramouches and Maſquerades; on the other Hand, Monkeys, when they would look extreamly ſilly, endea⯑vour to bring themſelves down to Mankind. Love he expreſſeth by the Cooing of a Dove, and Anger by the Croaking of a Raven, and it is not doubted but that he will ſerve in Time as an Interpreter between us and other Animals.

Great Inſtruction is to be had from this Wild Youth in the Knowledge of Simples; and I am of Opinion, that he ought al⯑ways to attend the Cenſors of the Col⯑lege in their Viſitation of Apothecaries Shops.

I am told that the new Sect of Herb⯑eaters intend to follow him into the Fields, or to beg him for a Clerk of their Kitchen: And that there are many of them now thinking of turning their Children into Woods to Graze with the Cattle, in hopes to raiſe a healthy and moral Race, refin'd from the Corruptions of this Luxurious World.

[9] He ſings naturally ſeveral pretty Tunes of his own Compoſing, and with equal Faci⯑lity, in the Chromatick, Inharmonick, and Diatonick Stile, and conſequently muſt be of infinite Uſe to the Academy, in judging of the Merits of their Compoſers, and is the only Perſon that ought to decide betwixt Cuzzoni and Fauſtina.

I cannot omit his firſt Notion of Cloaths, which he took to be the natural Skins of the Creatures that wore them, and ſeem'd to be in great Pain for the pulling off a Stock⯑ing, thinking the poor Man was a Fleaing.

I am not ignorant that there are diſaffected People, who ſay he is a Pretender, and no genuine Wild Man. This Calumny proceeds from the falſe Notions they have of Wild Men, which they frame from ſuch as they ſee about the Town, whoſe Actions are rather abſurd than wild; therefore it will be incumbent on all young Gentlemen, who are ambitious to ex⯑cel in this Character, to Copy this true Origi⯑nal of Nature.

The Senſes of this Wild Man are vaſtly more acute than thoſe of a Tame one; he can follow the Track of a Man, or any other Beaſt of Prey. A Dog is an Aſs to him for [10] finding Trouf [...]es; his Hearing is more perfect, becauſe his Ears not having been co [...]fin'd by Bandages, he can move them like a Drill, and turn them towards the Sonorous Object.

Let us pray the Creator of all Beings, Wild and Tame, that as this wild Youth, by being brought to Court, has been made a Chriſtian; ſo ſuch as are at Court, and are no Chriſtians, may lay aſide their Savage and Rapacious Na⯑ture, and return to the Meekneſs of the Goſpel.