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The Every-Day Book And Table Book

William Hone

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THE EVERY-DAY BOOK, AND TABLE BOOK; OR, EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS, SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, INCIDENT TO Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES; FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS, AND A PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC; INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, TOPO- GRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL LITERATURE, DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE ORIGINAL COMMUNI- CATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND DIVERSION.

THE EVERY-DAY BOOK, AND TABLE BOOK; OR, EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS, SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, INCIDENT TO Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES; FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS, AND A PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC; INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, TOPO- GRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL LITERATURE, DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE ORIGINAL COMMUNI- CATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND DIVERSION.

BY WILLIAM HONE. Herrick. WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM TEGG AND Co., 73, CHEAPSIDE; R. GRIFFIN AND CO., GLASGOW; CUMMING AND FERGUSON, DUBLIN. BY WILLIAM HONE. Herrick. Herrick. WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM TEGG AND Co., 73, CHEAPSIDE; R. GRIFFIN AND CO., GLASGOW; CUMMING AND FERGUSON, DUBLIN. J. HADDON, PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY. TO CHARLES LAMB, ESQ

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PREFACE.

PREFACE.

This volume is a specimen of a work undertaken for the purpose of forming a collection of the manners and customs of ancient and modern times, with descriptive accounts of the several seasons of popular pastime. Each of the three hundred and sixty-five days in the year is distinguished by occurrences or other particulars relating to the day, and by the methods of celebrating every holyday; the work is therefore what its title purports, The Every-Day Book . It is an Everlasting Calendar —because

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January 1.

January 1.

Circumcision. { A close holiday at all public offices except the Excise, Customs, and Stamps. This festival stands in the calendar of the church of England, as well as in that of the Roman catholic church. It is said to have been instituted about 487; it first appeared in the reformed English liturgy in 1550. Without noticing every saint to whom each day is dedicated in the Roman catholic calendars, the names of saints will be given day by day, as they stand under each day in the last edition of

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January 2.

January 2.

St. Macarius ; St. Concordius ; St. Adalard or Alard . St. Macarius. A. D. 394. Alban Butler says he was a confectioner of Alexandria, who, in the flower of his age, spent upwards of sixty years in the deserts in labour, penance, and contemplation. “Our saint,” says Butler, “happened one day inadvertently to kill a gnat, that was biting him in his cell; reflecting that he had lost the opportunity of suffering that mortification, he hastened from his cell for the marshes of Scetè, which abound wi

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January 3.

January 3.

St. Genevieve. St. Anterus, Pope. St. Gordius. St. Peter Balsam. Alban Butler affirms that she was born in 422, at Nanterre, four miles from Paris, near the present Calvary there, and that she died a virgin on this day in 512, and was buried in 545, near the steps of the high altar in a magnificent church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, began by Clovis, where he also was interred. Her relics were afterwards taken up and put into a costly shrine about 630. Of course they worked miracles. He

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January 4.

January 4.

St. Titus , disciple of St. Paul. St. Gregory , bishop of Langres. St. Rigobert or Robert . St. Rumon. Alban Butler informs us, from William of Malmsbury, that he was a bishop, though of what nation or see is unknown, and that his name is in the English martyrology. Cressy says, that his body was buried at Tavistock, where, about 960, Ordgar, count of Devonshire, father to Elfrida, the second wife of king Edgar, built a monastery “very agreeable and pleasant, by reason of the great variety of wo

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January 5.

January 5.

St. Simeon Stylites. St. Telesphorus. St. Syncletia. Alban Butler declares, that St. Simeon astonished the whole Roman empire by his mortifications. In the monastery of Heliodorus, a man sixty-five years of age, who had spent sixty-two years so abstracted from the world, that he was ignorant of the most obvious things in it; the monks ate but once a day: Simeon joined the community, and ate but once a week. Heliodorus required Simeon to be more private in his mortifications; “with this view,” sa

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January 6.

January 6.

Epiphany. { Close holiday at all Public offices except Stamp, Customs, and Excise. St. Melanius. St. Peter. St. Nilammon. St. Peter was a disciple of Gregory the Great, the first abbot of St. Augustine’s monastery at Canterbury, and drowned in 608 while proceeding on a voyage to France. According to Cressy, the inhabitants buried his body without knowing any thing about him, till “a heavenly light appeared every night over his sepulture,” when they held an inquest, and a count Fumert buried him

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January 7.

January 7.

St. Lucian. St. Cedd. St. Kentigerna. St. Aldric. St. Thillo. St. Canut. This saint is in the calendar of the church of England on the following day, 8th of January. He was a learned Syrian. According to Butler, he corrected the Hebrew version of the Scriptures for the inhabitants of Palestine, during some years was separated from the Romish church, afterwards conformed to it, and died after nine years imprisonment, either by famine or the sword, on this day, in the year 312. It further appears

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January 8.

January 8.

St. Lucian —Holiday at the Exchequer. St. Appollinaris. St. Severinus. St. Pega. St. Vulsin. St. Gudula. St. Nathalan. The St. Lucian of the Romish church on this day was from Rome, and preached in Gaul, where he suffered death about 290, according to Butler, who affirms that he is the St. Lucian in the English Protestant calendar. There is reason to suppose, however, that the St. Lucian of the church of England was the saint of that name mentioned yesterday. Is the patroness of Brussels, and is

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January 9.

January 9.

St. Peter of Sebaste. St. Julian and Basilissa. St. Marciana. St. Brithwald. St. Felan. St. Adrian. St. Vaneng. Of the seven Romish saints of this day scarcely an anecdote is worth mentioning. 1766. On the 9th of January died Dr. Thomas Birch, a valuable contributor to history and biography. He was born on the 23d of November, 1705, of Quaker parents. His father was a coffee-mill maker, and designed Thomas for the same trade; but the son “took to reading,” and being put to school, obtained succe

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January 10.

January 10.

St. William. St. Agatho, Pope. St. Martian. This saint, who died in 1207, was archbishop of Bourges, always wore a hair shirt, never ate flesh meat, when he found himself dying caused his body to be laid on ashes in his hair shirt, worked miracles after his death, and had his relics venerated till 1562, when the Hugonots burnt them without their manifesting miracles at that important crisis. A bone of his arm is still at Chaalis, and one of his ribs at Paris; so says Butler, who does not state t

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January 11.

January 11.

St. Theodosius. St. Hyginus. St. Egwin. St. Salvius. This saint visited St. Simeon Stylites on his pillar and had his fortune told. He ate coarse pulse and wild herbs, never tasted bread for thirty years, founded a monastery for an unlimited number of monks, dug one grave large enough to hold the whole community, when he received strangers, and had not food enough, he prayed for its miraculous increase and had it multiplied accordingly, prophesied while he was dying, died in 529, and had his hai

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January 12.

January 12.

St. Arcadius. St. Benedict Biscop, or Bennet. St. Ælred, Tygrius. Butler says he was in the service of Oswi, king of the Northumbrians; that at twenty-five years old he made a pilgrimage to Rome, returned and carried Alcfrid, the son of Oswi, back to the shrines of the apostles there, became a monk, received the abbacy of Sts. Peter and Paul, Canterbury, resigned it, pilgrimaged again to Rome, brought home books, relics, and religious pictures, founded the monastery of Weremouth, went to France

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January 13.

January 13.

Cambridge Lent Term begins . St. Veronica of Milan. St. Kentigern. The festival of St. Hilary is not, at this time, observed by the Romish church until to-morrow, but it stands in old calendars, and in Randle Holmes’s Heraldry, on this day, whereon it is also placed in the English calendar. Butler says, he was born at Poictiers, became bishop of that city, was a commentator on Scripture, an orator, a poet, wrote against the Arians, was banished for his orthodoxy, but returned to his see, worked

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January 14.

January 14.

Oxford Lent Term begins . St. Hilary. St. Felix. Sts. Isaias and Sabbas. St. Barbasceminus , &amp;c. St. Felix of Nola, an exorcist, and afterwards a priest, was, according to Butler and Ribadeneira, a great miraculist. He lived under Decius, in 250; being fettered and dungeoned in a cell, covered with potsherds and broken glass, a resplendent angel, seen by the saint alone, because to him only was he sent, freed him of his chains and guided him to a mountain, where bishop Maximus, aged and

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January 15.

January 15.

St. Paul , the first Hermit. St. Maurus. St. Main. St. John , Calybite. St. Isidore. St. Bonitus. St. Ita , or Mida. St. Paul , A. D. 342. The life of St. Paul, the first hermit, is said, by Butler, to have been written by St. Jerome in 365, who received an account of it from St. Anthony and others. According to him, when twenty-two years old, St. Paul fled from the persecution of Decius to a cavern, near which grew a palm-tree, that supplied him with leaves for clothing, and fruit for food, til

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January 16.

January 16.

St Marcellus , Pope. St. Macarius the elder , of Egypt. St. Honoratus. St. Fursey. St. Henry , Hermit, &amp;c. According to Butler, he was so strict in penance, that the Christians disliked him; he was banished by Maxentius, “for his severity against a certain apostate;” and died pope in 310. In the first of the “Letters from the Irish Islands,” in 1823, the writer addresses to his friend, a description of the rainbow on the hills at this season of the year. He says, “I could wish (provided

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January 17.

January 17.

St. Anthony , Patriarch of Monks. Sts. Speusippus, Eleusippus, and Meleusippus . Sts. Sulpicius I. and II. , Abps. of Bourges. St. Milgithe. St. Nennius, or Nennidhius. The memoirs of St. Anthony make a distinguished figure in the lives of the saints by Alban Butler, who states the particulars to have been extracted from “The Life of St. Anthony,” compiled by the great St. Athanasius; “a work,” says Butler, “much commended by St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Jerom, St. Austin,” &amp;c. This statem

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January 18.

January 18.

St. Peter’s Chair at Rome. St. Paul and Thirty-six Companions in Egypt. St. Prisca. St. Deicolus. St. Ulfrid. The Feast of St. Peter’s chair is kept by the Romish church on this day. Lady Morgan says that it is one of the very few functions as they are called (funzioni) celebrated in the cathedral of St. Peter, at Rome. She briefly describes this celebration, and says something respecting St. Peter’s chair. “The splendidly dressed troops that line the nave of the cathedral, the variety and richn

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January 19.

January 19.

Sts. Martha, Maris, Audifax, and Abachum. St. Canutus. St. Henry. St. Wulstan. St. Blaithmaie. St. Lomer. St. Martha was married to St. Maris, and with their sons, Sts. Audifax and Abachum, were put to death under Aurelian ( A. D. 270.) Butler says, that their relics were found at Rome, in 1590, one thousand three hundred and twenty years afterwards. The monks, or the observers of monkish rules, have compiled a Catalogue of Flowers for each day in the year, and dedicated each flower to a particu

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January 20.

January 20.

St. Fabian , Pope. St. Sebastian. St. Enthymius. St. Fechin. This saint is in the church of England calendar; he was bishop of Rome, A. D. 250: the Romish calendar calls him pope. Is noted in Doblada’s Letters from Spain, as within the period that ushers in the carnival with rompings in the streets, and vulgar mirth. “The custom alluded to by Horace of sticking a tail, is still practised by the boys in the streets, to the great annoyance of old ladies, who are generally the objects of this sport

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January 21.

January 21.

St. Agnes. St Fructuosus, &amp;c. St. Vimin, or Vivian. St. Publius. St. Epiphanius. “She has always been looked upon,” says Butler, “as a special patroness of purity, with the immaculate mother of God.” According to him, she suffered martyrdom, about 304, and performed wonderful miracles before her death, which was by beheading, when she was thirteen years old; whereupon he enjoins females to a single life, as better than a married one, and says, that her anniversary “was formerly a holiday

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January 22.

January 22.

St. Vincent. St. Anastasius. St. Vincent was a Spanish martyr, said to have been tormented by fire, so that he died in 304. His name is in the church of England calendar. Butler affirms that his body was “thrown in a marshy field among rushes, but a crow defended it from wild beasts and birds of prey.” The Golden Legend says that angels had the guardianship of the body, that the crow attended to drive away birds and fowls greater than himself, and that after he had chased a wolf with his bill an

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January 23.

January 23.

HILARY TERM begins . St. Raymund of Pennafort, A. D. 1275. St. John the Almoner, A. D. 619. St. Emerentia , A. D. 304. St. Clement of Ancyra. St. Agathangelus. St. Ildefonsus , A. D. 667. St. Eusebius , Abbot. This being the first day of term, the judges of the different courts at Westminster, take their seats in Westminster-hall to commence business. The engraving represents the interior of the hall at the time when the print from whence it is taken was engraved by C. Mosley. The drawing was by

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January 24.

January 24.

St. Timothy , disciple of St. Paul. St. Babylas , A. D. 250. St. Suranus , 7th century. St. Macedonius. St. Cadoc , of Wales. 1721. On the 24th of January in this year, the two houses of parliament ordered several of the directors of the South Sea company into the custody of the usher of the black rod and serjeant at arms: this was in consequence of a parliamentary inquiry into the company’s affairs, which had been so managed as to involve persons of all ranks throughout the kingdom in a scene o

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January 25.

January 25.

Holiday at the Public Office; except the Excise, Stamps, and Customs. Conversion of St. Paul. Sts. Juventinus and Maximinus , A. D. 363. St. Projectus , A. D. 674. St. Poppo , A. D. 1048. St. Apollo , A. D. 393. St. Publius , A. D. 369. This is a festival in the calendar of the church of England, as well as in that of the Romish church. On this day prognostications of the months were drawn for the whole year. If fair and clear, there was to be plenty; if cloudy or misty, much cattle would die; i

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January 26.

January 26.

St. Polycarp. St. Paula. St. Conan. Incog. Incog. M. M. M. a traveller in Russia, communicates, through the Gentleman’s Magazine of 1785, a remarkable method of cultivating bees, and preserving them from their housebreakers, the bears. The Russians of Borodskoe, on the banks of the river Ufa, deposit the hives within excavations that they form in the hardest, strongest, and loftiest trees of the forest, at about five-and-twenty or thirty feet high from the ground, and even higher, if the height

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January 27.

January 27.

St. John Chrysostom. St. Julian of Mans. St. Marius. It is observed in Dr. Forster’s “Perennial Calendar,” that “Buds and embryo blossoms in their silky, downy coats, often finely varnished to protect them from the wet and cold, are the principal botanical subjects for observation in January, and their structure is particularly worthy of notice; to the practical gardener an attention to their appearance is indispensable, as by them alone can he prune with safety. Buds are always formed in the sp

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January 28.

January 28.

St. Agnes. —Second Commemoration. St. Cyril , A. D. 444. Sts. Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus. St. John of Reomay , A. D. 540. Blessed Margaret , Princess of Hungary, A. D. 1271. St. Paulinus , A. D. 804. Blessed Charlemagne , Emperor, A. D. 814. St. Glastian , of Fife, A. D. 830. Several churches in Spain are dedicated to him. In 777, the queen of Oviedo and Asturia presented one of them with a silver chalice and paten, a wash-hand basin and a pipe, which, according to Butler, is “a silver pip

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January 29.

January 29.

St. Francis of Sales, A. D. 1622. St. Sulpicius Severus , A. D. 420. St. Gildas the Abbot, A. D. 570. St. Gildas , the Scot, A. D. 512. This being the anniversary of the king’s accession to the throne, in 1820, is a Holiday at all the public offices , except the Excise, Stamps, and Customs. Flowering Fern. Osmunda regalis. Dedicated to St. Francis of Sales ....

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January 30.

January 30.

KING CHARLES’S MARTYRDOM. Holiday at the Public Offices; except the Stamps, Customs, and Excise. St. Bathildes , Queen of Navarre, A. D. 680. St. Martina. St. Aldegondes , A. D. 660. St. Barsimæus , A. D. 114. The Jesuit Ribadeneira relates that the emperor Alexander IV., having decreed that all christians should sacrifice to the Roman gods, or die, insinuated to St. Martina, that if she would conform to the edict, he would make her his empress but on her being taken to the temple, “by a sudden

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January 31.

January 31.

King George IV. proclaimed. Holiday at the Exchequer. St. Peter Nolasco , A. D. 1258. St. Serapion , A. D. 1240. St. Cyrus and John. St. Marcella , A. D. 410. St. Maidoc , or Maodhog , alias Aidar , otherwise Mogue , Bishop of Ferns, A. D. 1632. Ribadeneira relates, that on the 1st of August 1216, the virgin Mary with a beautiful train of holy virgins appeared to this saint at midnight, and signified it was the divine pleasure that a new order should be instituted under the title of Our Blessed

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February 1.

February 1.

St. Ignatius. St. Pionius , A. D. 250. St. Bridget. St. Kinnia. St. Sigebert II. King. St. Bride, otherwise St. Bridget, confers her name upon the parish of St. Bride’s, for to her its church in Fleet-street is dedicated. Butler says she was born in Ulster, built herself a cell under a large oak, thence called Kill-dara, or cell of the oak, was joined by others of her own sex, formed several nunneries, and became patroness of Ireland. “But,” says Butler, “a full account of her virtues has not be

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February 2.

February 2.

Holiday at the Public Offices, except Excise, Stamps, and Customs. The Purification. St. Laurence , Archbishop of Canterbury, A. D. 619. This being the festival which catholics call the Purification of the virgin, they observe it with great pomp. It stands as a holiday in the calendar of the church of England. Naogeorgus thus introduces the day; or rather Barnaby Googe, in his translation of that author’s, “Popish Kingdom:” According to “The Posey of Prayers, or the Key of Heaven,” it is called

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February 3.

February 3.

Holiday at the Exchequer. St. Blase. St. Anscharius , A. D. 865. St. Wereburge , Patroness of Chester. St. Margaret , of England. This saint has the honour of a place in the church of England calendar, on what account it is difficult to say. All the facts that Butler has collected of him is, that he was bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, receiver of the relics of St. Eustratius, and executor of his last will; that he is venerated for the cure of sore throats; principal patron of Ragusa, titular patro

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February 4.

February 4.

St. Andrew Corsini , A. D. 1373. St. Phileas. St. Gilbert. St. Jane, or Joan , Queen, A. D. 1505. St. Isidore , of Pelusium, A. D. 449. St. Rembert , Archbishop of Bremen, A. D. 888. St. Modan , of Scotland. St. Joseph , of Leonissa, A. D. 1612. Tusser Goldilocks. Polytricum Commune. Dedicated to St. Jane . Indian Bay. Laurus Indica. Dedicated to St. Margaret of England ....

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February 5.

February 5.

Holiday at the Exchequer. St. Agatha. The Martyrs of Japan. The Martyrs of China. St. Avitus , Archbishop, A. D. 525. St. Alice , or Adelaide , A. D. 1015. St. Abraamius , Bishop of Arbela. This saint, who is in the calendar of the church of England, was a Sicilian martyr about the year 251. Butler relates, that before her death she was tortured, and being refused physicians, St. Peter himself came from heaven, healed her wounds, and filled her prison with light. He also as gravely states, that

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February 6.

February 6.

Sexagesima Sunday. St. Dorothy , A. D. 308. St. Vedast , Bishop, A. D. 539. St. Amandus , A. D. 675. St. Barsanuphius. Blue Jacinth. Hyacinthus Orientalis cœruleus. Dedicated to St. Dorothy ....

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February 7.

February 7.

St. Romuald , A. D. 1027. St. Richard , King of the West Saxons, A. D. 722. St. Theodorus of Heraclea, A. D. 319. St. Tresain , 6th Cent. St. Augulus , Bishop. Roundleaved Cyclamen. Cyclamen Coum. Dedicated to St. Romuald ....

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February 8.

February 8.

St. John of Matha, A. D. 1213. St. Stephen of Grandmont, A. D. 1124. St. Paul , Bishop of Verdun, A. D. 631. St. Cuthman. Narrow Spring Moss. Mnium Androgynum. Dedicated to St. John of Matha ....

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February 9.

February 9.

St. Apollonia , A. D. 249. St. Nicephorus , A. D. 260. St. Theliau , Bishop, A. D. 580. St. Ansbert , Abp. of Rouen, A. D. 695. St. Attracta or Tarahata of Ireland. St. Herard or Eberhard . Roman Narcissus. Narcissus Romanus. Dedicated to St. Apollonia ....

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February 10.

February 10.

St. Scholastica , A. D. 543. St. Coteris , 4th Cent. St. William of Maleval, A. D. 1157. St. Erlulph , Scotch Bishop. Mezereon. Daphne Mezereon. Dedicated to St. Scholastica . Silky Fork Moss. Mnium heteomallum. Dedicated to St. Coteris ....

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February 11.

February 11.

St. Saturninus Dativus, &amp;c. of Africa, A. D. 304. St. Severinus , A. D. 507, The Empress Theodora , A. D. 867. Red Primrose. Primula Verna rubra. Dedicated to St. Theodora ....

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February 12.

February 12.

St. Benedict of Anian, A. D. 821. St. Meletius of Antioch. A. D. 381. St. Eulalia of Barcelona. St. Anthony Cauleas , A. D. 896. HILARY TERM ends . Noble Liverwort. Anemone hepatica . Dedicated to St. Eulalia ....

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February 13.

February 13.

St. Catherine de Ricci. A. D. 1589. St. Licinius , Bishop, A. D. 618. St. Polyeuctus , A. D. 257. St. Gregory II. Pope. St. Martinianus. St. Modomnoc or Dominick of Ossory, 6th Cent. St. Stephen , Abbot, 6th Cent. Roger , Abbot, A. D. 1175. Polyanthus. Primula polyantha. Dedicated to St. Catherine de Ricci ....

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February 14.

February 14.

VALENTINE’S DAY. St. Valentine. St. Maro , A. D. 433. St. Abraames , A. D. 422. St. Augentius , 5th Cent. St. Conran , Bishop of Orkney. Of this saint, so celebrated among young persons, little is known, except that he was a priest of Rome, and martyred there about 270. It was a custom with the ancient Roman youth to draw the names of girls in honour of their goddess Februata-Juno on the 15th of February, in exchange for which certain Roman catholic pastors substituted the names of saints in bil

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February 15.

February 15.

Sts. Faustinus and Jovita , A. D. 121. St. Sigefride , or Sigfrid , of Sweden, Bp. A. D. 1002. It is communicated to the Every-Day Book by a correspondent, Mr. R. N. B—— , that at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, the old curfew-bell, which was anciently rung in that town for the extinction and relighting of “all fire and candle light” still exists, and has from time immemorial been regularly rang on the morning of Shrove Tuesday at four o’clock, after which hour the inhabitants are at liberty to make

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February 16.

February 16.

St. Onesimus. Sts. Elias, Jeremy, Isaias, Samuel, and Daniel , A. D. 309. St. Juliana. St. Gregory X. Pope, A. D. 1276. St. Tanco , or Tatta , of Scotland, A. D. 815. Holiday at the Public Offices; except the Stamps, Customs, and Excise. This is the first day of Lent. It is called Ash Wednesday, because in the Roman catholic church the priest blesses ashes on this day, and puts them on the heads of the people. These ashes are made of the branches of brushwood or palms, consecrated the year befor

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February 17.

February 17.

St. Flavian , Archbishop of Constantinople, A. D. 449. Sts. Theodulus and Julian. St. Silvin of Auchy, A. D. 718. St. Loman , or Luman , Bishop. St. Fintan , Abbot. Scotch Crocus. Crocus Susianus. Dedicated to St. Flavian . On the 17th of February, 1563, died Michael Angelo Buonarroti, as an artist and a man one of the most eminent ornaments of the times wherein he lived. A bare record of his decease is not sufficient. Thousands of readers have heard his name; some know his works; few know his c

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February 18.

February 18.

St. Simeon , Bp. of Jerusalem, A. D. 116. Sts. Leo and Paregorius , 3d Cent. On the 18th of February 1734, the house of commons received a petition from Mr. Samuel Buckley, a learned printer; setting forth that he had, at his sole expense, by several years’ labour, and with the assistance of some learned persons abroad and at home, made collections of original papers and letters relating to “Thuanus’s History,” written in Latin, in order to a new and accurate edition, in 7 vols. folio, which was

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February 19.

February 19.

St. Barbatus, or Barbas , Bp. A. D. 682. This saint is patron of Benevento, of which city he was bishop. Butler relates no miracle of him, nor does it appear from him that any other name in the calendar of the Romish church is affixed to this day. A pretty trifle from the Greek is descriptive of appearances about this period:— To a Lady on her Birthday Field Speedwell. Veronica agrestis. Dedicated to St. Barbatus ....

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February 20.

February 20.

St. Tyrannio , Bp. &amp;c. A. D. 310. Sts. Sadoth , Bp. &amp;c. A. D. 342. St. Eleutherius , Bp. A. D. 532. St. Mildred , Abbess. St. Eucherius , Bp. A. D. 743. St. Ulrick. This saint was the first abbess of Minster, in the isle of Thanet, founded by king Egbert about 670, in satisfaction for having murdered his two nephews, Etheldred and Ethelbright; to which satisfaction he was “miraculously terrified, by seeing a ray of bright light dart from the heavens upon their grave.” In 1033, he

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February 21.

February 21.

St. Severianus , Bp. A. D. 452. Sts. German , Abbot, and Randaut , or Randoald , A. D. 666. Sts. Daniel and Verda , A. D. 344. B. Pepin , of Landen, A. D. 640. “Here it is,” says the “Indicator,” “ready laid. Imprimis, tea and coffee; secondly, dry toast; thirdly, butter; fourthly, eggs; fifthly, ham; sixthly, something potted; seventhly, bread, salt, mustard, knives and forks, &amp;c. One of the first things that belong to a breakfast is a good fire. There is a delightful mixture of the liv

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February 22.

February 22.

The Chair of St. Peter at Antioch . St. Margaret , of Cortona, A. D. 1297. Sts. Thalasius and Limneus . St. Baradat. She was a penitent, asked public pardon for her sins with a rope about her neck, punished her flesh, and worked miracles accordingly. [7] St. Thalasius dwelt in a cavern, “and was endowed with extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost; but was a treasure unknown to the world.” St. Limneus was his disciple, and “famous for miraculous cures of the sick,” while his master “bore patiently

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February 23.

February 23.

St. Serenus , A. D. 307. St. Milburge. B. Dositheus . St. Peter Damian , Card. Bp. A. D. 1072. St. Boisil , Prior of Melross. She was sister to St. Mildred, wore a hair cloth, and built the monastery of Wenlock, in Shropshire. One day being at Stokes, a neighbouring village, brother Hierome Porter says, that “a young gallant, sonne to a prince of that countrey, was soe taken with her beautie, that he had a vehement desire to carrie her away by force and marrie her.” St. Milburge fled from him an

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February 24.

February 24.

St. Matthias , the Apostle. Sts. Montanus , Lucius , Flavian , Julian , Victoricus , Primolus , Rhenus , and Donation , A. D. 259. St. Lethard , or Luidhard , Bp. A. D. 566. B. Robert of Arbrissel, A. D. 1116. St. Pretextatus , or Prix , Abp. A. D. 549. St. Ethelbert , King. He was king of Kent, and, according to Butler, the first christian king. It was under him that St. Augustine found favour when he landed in England with his monks, and is said to have introduced Christianity to the English p

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February 25.

February 25.

St. Tarasius , A. D. 806. St. Victorinus , A. D. 284. St. Walburg , Abbess. St. Cæsarius , A. D. 369. This saint, daughter of Richard, king of the West Saxons, also a saint, became a nun at Winburn in Dorsetshire, from whence, twenty-seven years after she had taken the veil, she went to Germany, and became abbess of a nunnery at Heidenheim in Suabia, where her brother governed an abbey of monks, which at his death, in 760, she also governed, and died in 779. His relics were distributed in the pr

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February 26.

February 26.

St. Alexander. St. Porphyrius , Bishop of Gaza, A. D. 420. St. Victor , or Vittre , 7th Cent. This is the patriarch of Alexandria so famous in ecclesiastical history for his opposition to Arius whom, with St. Athanasius and Marcellus of Ancyra, as his especial colleagues, he resisted at the council of Nice, till Arius was banished, his books ordered to be burnt, and an edict issued denouncing death to any who secreted them. On the death of St. Alexander in 420, St. Athanasius succeeded to his pa

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February 27.

February 27.

St. Leander , Bishop, A. D. 596. St. Julian , Chronion , and Besas . St. Thalilæus. St. Galmier , or Baldomerus , A. D. 650. St. Nestor , A. D. 250. St. Alnoth. This saint was a weeper in Syria. He hermitized on a mountain during sixty years, wept almost without intermission for his sins, and lived for ten years in a wooden cage. Was a locksmith at Lyons, and lived in great poverty, for he bestowed all he got on the poor, and sometimes his tools. An abbot gave him a cell to live in, he died a su

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February 28.

February 28.

Martyrs to the Pestilence in Alexandria , 261, &amp;c. St. Proterius , Patriarch of Alexandria, 557. Sts. Romanus and Lupicinus . These saints were brothers, who founded the monastery of Condate with a nunnery, in the forest of Jura. St. Lupicinus prescribed a hard regimen. He lived himself on bread moistened with cold water, used a chair or a hard board for a bed, wore no stockings in his monastery, walked in wooden shoes, and died about 480. Purple Crocus. Crocus vernus. Dedicated to St. P

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March 1.

March 1.

St. David , Archbishop, A. D. 544. St. Swidbert , or Swibert , A. D. 713. St. Albinus , Bishop, A. D. 549. St. Monan , A. D. 874. St. David, or, in Welch, Dewid, was son of Xantus, prince of Cardiganshire, brought up a priest, became an ascetic in the Isle of Wight, afterwards preached to the Britons, founded twelve monasteries, ate only bread and vegetables, and drank milk and water. A synod being called at Brevy, in Cardiganshire, A. D. 519, in order to suppress the heresy of Pelagius, “St. Da

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March 2.

March 2.

St. Ceada , or Chad . Martyrs under the Lombards , 6th Cent. St. Simplicius , Pope A. D. 483. St. Marnan , A. D. 620. St. Charles the Good , Earl of Flanders, A. D. 1124. St. Joavan , or Joevin . His name is in the calendar of the church of England. He was founder of the see, and bishop of Lichfield. According to Bede, joyful melody as of persons sweetly singing descended from heaven into his oratory for half an hour, and then mounted again to heaven. This was to presage his death, and according

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March 3.

March 3.

St. Cunegundes , Empress, A. D. 1040. Sts. Marinus and Asterius , or Astyrius . St. Emeterius , or Madir , and St. Chelidonius . St. Winwaloe , Abbot, A. D. 529. St. Lamalisse , 7th Cent. Two Spanish saints, famous against hailstorms. When hailstorms come on, the clergy proceed thus: By the time this chain is linked, the storm finishes. On the 3d of March, 1792, died Robert Adam, Esq. He was born at Kirkaldy, in Fifeshire, in 1728, educated at the university of Edinburgh, devoted himself to arch

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March 4.

March 4.

St. Casimir. St. Lucius , Pope, A. D. 253. St. Adrian , Bishop, A. D. 874. Was born a prince on the 5th of October, 1458, and died 4th March, 1482. He was second son of Casimir III. king of Poland; and, according to Ribadeneira, he wore under his princely attire a prickly hair shirt, fasted rigorously, prayed at night till he fell weary and exhausted on the bare floor; often in the most sharp and bitter weather went barefoot to church at midnight, and lay on his face before the door; studied to

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March 5.

March 5.

Sts. Adrian and Eubulus , A. D. 309. St. Kiaran , or Kenerin . St. Roger , A. D. 1236. This saint, anciently of good repute in Cornwall, is not mentioned by Butler. According to Porter he was born in Ireland, and became a hermit there. He afterwards came to England, and settling at Cornwall, had a grave made for him, entered into it, and dying on the 6th of March, “in the glorie of a great light and splendour that appeared at the same instant,” was buried at Padstow. “He is reported,” says Porte

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March 6.

March 6.

St. Chrodegang , Bishop, A. D. 766. B. Colette. St. Fridolin , A. D. 538. St. Baldrede. Sts. Kyneburge , Kyneswid , and Tibba . St. Cadroe , A. D. 975. Bishop of Glasgow, died in London A. D. 608, and his relics were famous in many churches in Scotland. Bollandus says, “he was wonderfully buried in three places; seeing that three towns Aldham, Tinningham, and Preston, contended for his body.” In those days when there were no parish registers, these miraculous powers of self-multiplication after

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March 7.

March 7.

St. Thomas Aquinas , A. D. 1274. Sts. Perpetua and Felicitas , A. D. 203. St. Paul , Anchoret. This saint is in the church of England calendar. She was martyred under the emperor Severus in 205. This saint was “a man of profound ignorance.” Butler says he was named “the simple.” He journeyed eight days into the desert on a visit, and to become a disciple of St. Antony, who told him he was too old, and bade him return home, mind his business, and say his prayers; he shut the door upon him. Paul f

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March 8.

March 8.

St. John of God, A. D. 1550. St. Felix , A. D. 646. Sts. Apollonius , Philemon , &amp;c. A. D. 311. St. Julian , Abp. of Toledo, A. D. 690. St. Duthak , Bp. of Ross, A. D. 1253. St. Rosa , of Viterbo, A. D. 1261. St. Senan , 5th Cent. St. Psalmod , or Saumay , about 589. Romish saints are like earthquakes, wherein shocks crowd so fast they cannot be noted. On the 8th of March, 1750, an earthquake shook all London. The shock was at half past five in the morning. It awoke people from their sle

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March 9.

March 9.

St. Frances , Widow, A. D. 1440. St. Gregory , of Nyssa, Bp. 4th Cent. St. Pacian , Bp. A. D. 373. St. Catherine , of Bologna, A. D. 1463. Scots’ mists, like Scots’ men, are proverbial for their penetration; Plymouth showers for their persevering frequency. The father of Mr. Haydon, the artist, relates that in the latter portion of 1807, and the first three or four months of 1808, there had been more than 160 successive days in which rain, in more or less quantities, had fallen in that neighbour

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March 10.

March 10.

Forty Martyrs of St. Sebasti , A. D. 320. St. Droctovæus , Abbot, A. D. 580. St. Mackessoge. The 10th of March, 1702, is erroneously said to have been the day whereon died sir Hugh Myddleton; a man renowned in English annals for having abundantly supplied London with water, by conducting the New River from Ware, in Hertfordshire, to the Clerkenwell suburb of the metropolis. The first View of the New River—from London. This is seen immediately on coming within view of Sadler’s Wells, a place of d

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March 11.

March 11.

St. Eulogius of Cordova, A. D. 859. St. Sophronius , Patriarch of Jerusalem, A. D. 640. St. Ængus , Bishop, A. D. 824. St. Constantine , 6th Cent. 1752. Papers were affixed in the avenues to both houses of parliament, giving notice that the farmers and their servants intended to destroy the pheasant and partridge eggs, and leverets, if the country gentlemen, who had entered into an association for the preservation of game, did not desist. There were sad hearts at this time between the owners and

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March 12.

March 12.

St. Gregory the Great. St. Maximilian , A. D. 296. St. Paul , Bishop of Leon, about 573. He was prætor of Rome in 574, under the emperor Justin; next year he became a monk, and by fasting and study so weakened his stomach, that he swooned if he did not frequently eat. “What gave him the greatest affliction,” says Butler, “was, his not being able to fast on an Easter-eve; a day on which, says St. John the deacon, ‘every one, not even excepting little children are used to fast;’ whereupon, by pray

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March 13.

March 13.

St. Nicephorus , Patriarch of Constantinople, A. D. 828. St. Euphrasia , A. D. 410. St. Theophanes , Abbot, A. D. 818. St. Kennocha , A. D. 1007. St. Gerald , Bishop, A. D. 732. St. Mochoemoc , in Latin, Pulcherius , Abbot, A. D. 655. Winter and Spring allegorized—a Sport. Mothering Sunday.—Refreshment Sunday.—Rose Sunday. This is the fourth Sunday in Lent, and noted as a holiday in the church of England calendar. On this day boys went about, in ancient times, into the villages with a figure of

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March 14.

March 14.

St. Maud , or Mathildis , Queen, A. D. 968. Sts. Acepsimas , Bishop, Joseph , and Aithilahas , A. D. 380. St. Boniface , Bishop of Ross, about 630. 1733. The Excise scheme was first moved in the House of Commons, by resolutions, which were powerfully resisted, but on the 16th finally carried, and the Excise bill brought in. On the 4th of April the bill was read a first time, and carried by a majority of 36; the majority being 230, the minority 200. There were petitions against it from every trad

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March 15.

March 15.

St. Abraham , Hermit, and his niece, St. Mary , 4th Cent. St. Zachary , Pope, A. D. 752. Forty-four years before Christ, Julius Cæsar was assassinated by Brutus and his associates in the senate-house of Rome, in the 56th year of his age. He is said to have conquered three hundred nations, taken eight hundred cities, defeated three hundred millions of men, and slain one hundred millions on the field of battle. He was learned himself, and an encourager of learning and the arts. He wrote the “Comme

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March 16.

March 16.

St. Julian , of Cilicia. St. Finian , surnamed Lobhar , or the Leper. He was descended from Alild, king of Munster, built the abbey of Innis-Fallen in an island on the lake of Loughlane, county of Kerry; another at Ardfinnan, in Tipperary; and a third at Cluin-more Madoc, in Leinster, where he was buried. [29] It is related of St. Finian, that he visited St. Ruadanus, who had a miraculous tree in his cell, dropping a liquor so peculiar, into a vessel from nine o’clock to sun-set, that it suffice

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March 17.

March 17.

St. Patrick. St. Joseph , of Arimathea. St. Gertrude , Abbess, A. D. 626. St. Patrick was born towards the end of the fourth century, in Killpatrick, between Dunbriton and Glasgow. At sixteen he was carried off with many of his father’s vassals into slavery, and compelled for six months to keep cattle on the mountains in Ireland, from whence he escaped through the humanity of some sailors. He travelled into Gaul and Italy, and received his apostolical mission to convert the Irish, from pope Cele

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March 18.

March 18.

St. Alexander , Bp. of Jerusalem, A. D. 251. St. Cyril , Abp. of Jerusalem, A. D. 386. St. Edward , King, A. D. 979. St. Anselm , Bp. of Lucca, A. D. 1086. St. Fridian , Erigdian , or Frigdian , Bp. of Lucca, A. D. 578. This is the English king who was stabbed in the back with a dagger, by order of his stepmother, Elfrida, while drinking on horseback at the gate of Corfe castle, in the isle of Purbeck. He spurred his horse, which plunged him into a deep marsh, and there he died of his wounds, in

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March 19.

March 19.

St. Joseph. St. Alemund, 819. The church of Rome has canonized Joseph the spouse of the Virgin Mary, and honours him with offices and worship of various forms. 720, B. C. the first eclipse of the moon on record happened on this day. 1355. Pressing for seamen to man the navy commenced. 1668. Sir John Denham, poet, died in London; he was born in Dublin, 1615. 1719. A surprising meteor was seen about eight o’clock in the evening, from all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. To an observer in S

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March 20.

March 20.

St. Cuthbert , Bp. of Lindisfarne, A. D. 687. St. Wulfran , Abp. of Sens, A. D. 720. Of this saint there will be mention hereafter. 1727. Sir Isaac Newton died; he was born December 25th, 1642. 1751. Frederick, prince of Wales, father of king George III. died aged 44. 1793. Died William Murray, earl of Mansfield. He was born on the 2d of March, 1705, and during thirty years, and until his death, presided as lord chief justice of the court of King’s Bench. He was eminent as a lawyer, and dignifie

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March 21.

March 21.

St. Benedict , or Bennet , Abbot, A. D. 543. St. Serapion , called the Sindonite, A. D. 388. St. Serapion , Abbot. St. Serapion , Bishop, 4th Age. St. Enna , or Endeus , Abbot, 6th Cent. The accounts of distinguished persons of the Romish church written by its ecclesiastics are exceedingly curious. The rev. Alban Butler states of St. Benedict, that he was born in Umbria about 480, sent to school at Rome, and afterwards being determined to leave the world, “therefore left the city privately, and

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March 22.

March 22.

St. Basil of Ancyra, A. D. 362. St. Paul , Bp. St. Lea , A. D. 384. St. Deogratias , Bp. of Carthage, A. D. 457. St. Catharine of Sweden, Abbess, A. D. 1381. 1687. John Baptist Lulli, the celebrated musician, died, aged 54. He was born at Florence, in 1634, and from being page to madame Montpensier, niece to Louis XIV. became superintendent of music to that monarch. In March, 1665, London abounded in wealth and grandeur, in comparison with its state in former ages. Goldsmiths’ shops shone with p

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March 23.

March 23.

St. Alphonsus Turibius , Abp. of Lima, A. D. 1606. Sts. Victorian , &amp;c. A. D. 484. St. Edelwald , A. D. 699. This was an English benedictine monk of Rippon, who became a hermit, and was buried by St. Cuthbert in St. Peter’s church, at Lindisfarne. 1801. Paul, emperor of Russia, was strangled at St. Petersburg. Peerless Daffodil. Narcissus incomparabilis. Dedicated to St. Alphonsus ....

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March 24.

March 24.

Cambridge Term ends. St. Irenæus , Bp. of Sirmium, A. D. 304. St. Simon , an Infant Martyr. St. William of Norwich. The Jews are said to have murdered this infant in 1472. After having deliberated at their synagogue in the holy week, on the preparations for their passover, they came to the resolution of crucifying a child on Good Friday, and having stolen Simon, they made him the victim, and sung around his body while elevated. Whenever an act of cruelty was to be perpetrated on the Jews, fables

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March 25.

March 25.

Lady Day. Holiday at the Public Offices, except the Excise, Stamp, and Custom. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Cammin , Abbot, A. D. 653. The Roman Catholic festival of the Annunciation is commonly called in England LADY DAY , an abridgement of the old term Our Lady’s Day , or the Day of our blessed Lady . This is a “gaudy day” in the Romish church. Deeming the mother of Christ an intercessor and mediatrix, it offers innumerable honours and devotions to her. Hail Mary! resounds

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March 26.

March 26.

Oxford Term ends. St. Ludger , Bp. of Munster, A. D. 809. St. Braulio , Bp. of Saragossa, A. D. 646. Now in many situations may be heard the cuckoo. Its distant note intimating dislike to human approach, comes upon the ear as a soft welcome from a shy stranger:— Logan. Logan. Lurid Henbane. Hyoscyamus Scopolia. Dedicated to St. Braulio....

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March 27.

March 27.

St. John of Egypt, Hermit, A. D. 394. St. Rupert , or Robert , Bp. of Saltzbourg. Was a hermit, inured to obedience by an ancient holy anchoret, “who made him water a dry stick for a whole year, as if it were a live plant.” He walled himself up at the top of a rock, “from the fortieth or forty-second to the ninetieth year of his age,” and “drew the admiration of the whole world on him,” says Butler, by “the lustre of his miracles,” and the “fame of his predictions.” 1801. The peace of Amiens bet

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March 28.

March 28.

Priscus , Malchus , and Alexander , Martyrs, A. D. 260. St. Sixtus III. Pope, A. D. 440. St. Gontran , King and Confessor, A. D. 593. On this day in 1380, gunpowder was first used in Europe by the Venetians against the Genoese. Its power is said by the Germans to have been discovered accidentally by Berthold Schwartz; but our Roger Bacon who died in 1278, certainly was acquainted with it. Gunpowder was known in India very early, and from thence the knowledge of it was obtained by the Arabians, w

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March 29.

March 29.

Sts. Jonas , Barachisius , &amp;c. A. D. 327. Sts. Armogastes , Archinimus , and Saturus , A. D. 457. St. Eustasius , or Eustachius , Abbot, A. D. 625. St. Gundleus , a Welsh King, 5th Cent. St. Mark , Bishop, 4th Cent. 1315. Raymond Lulle, the most celebrated chemist and alchymist of his time, was stoned to death by the natives of Mauritania, whither he had gone on a religious mission, at the age of eighty. His attention was directed to chemistry by the power of love. A lady, very handsome,

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March 30.

March 30.

St. John Climacus. St. Zozimus , Bishop of Syracuse, A. D. 660. St. Regulus , or Rieul , Bishop of Senlis. Was caverned as a hermit in a rock near Mount Sinai, in Syria, and became at seventy-five, abbot and superior-general of all the monks and hermits of the country. He admired one of the principal citizens of Alexandria in Egypt, who, petitioning to become a monk, was ordered to remain without the gate, and manifested his obedience by staying there for seven years, and begging prayers for his

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March 31.

March 31.

St. Benjamin , Deacon, Martyr, A. D. 424. St. Acacius , or Achates , Bishop of Antioch, A. D. 250, or 251. St. Guy , A. D. 1046. 1814. On this day the sovereigns who have since formed the holy alliance, entered Paris at the head of the Russian troops. The capitulation of this capital was succeeded by the return of the Bourbons to France. Maundy Thursday is always the Thursday before Easter; its name has occasioned some trouble to antiquaries. One writer conceives maundy to be corrupted from the

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April 1.—All Fools’ Day.

April 1.—All Fools’ Day.

St. Hugh , Bp. A. D. 1132. St. Melito , Bp. A. D. 175. St. Gilbert , Bp. of Cathness, A. D. 1240. On the first of April, 1712, Lord Bolingbroke stated, that in the wars, called the “glorious wars of queen Anne,” the duke of Marlborough had not lost a single battle—and yet, that the French had carried their point, the succession to the Spanish monarchy, the pretended cause of these wars. Dean Swift called this statement “a due donation for ‘ All Fools’ Day !’” On the first of April, 1810, Napoleo

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April 2.

April 2.

St. Francis of Paula. St. Apian , A. D. 306. St. Theodosia , A. D. 308. St. Nicetius , Abp. of Lyons, A. D. 577. St. Ebba , Abbess, and her companions, A. D. 870, or 874. B. Constantine II. king of Scotland, A. D. 874. St. Bronacha , or Bronanna , Abbess. Was a Calabrian, and at fifteen years old shut himself up in a cave, in a rock on the coast. Before twenty he was joined by two others, and the people built them three cells; the number increased, and so arose the order of friar Minims, which m

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April 3.

April 3.

1825. Easter Sunday. The Resurrection. Sts. Agape , Chionia , and Irene , Sisters, and their Companions, A. D. 304; St. Richard . St. Ulpian. St. Nicetas , Abbot, A. D. 824. Was born at Wiche, near Worcester; studied at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna; became chancellor to the diocese of Canterbury; and was consecrated bishop of Chichester in 1245, against the desire of Henry III who seized his temporalities. These he regained by replevin, and pleading his cause against the king’s deputies before Inn

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April 4.

April 4.

St. Isidore , Bishop of Seville, A. D. 636 St. Plato , Abbot, A. D. 813. Easter Monday Holiday at the Public Offices; except Excise, Custom, and Stamp. 1774. Oliver Goldsmith died: he was born in Ireland, November 29th, 1728. 1802. Lloyd, lord Kenyon, lord chief-justice of England, died, aged 69. Red Crown Imperial. Fritillaria Imperialis. Dedicated to St Isidore....

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April 5.

April 5.

St. Vincent Ferrer , A. D. 1419. St. Gerald , Abbot, A. D. 1095. St. Tigernach , Bishop in Ireland, A. D. 550. St. Becan , Abbot. Easter Tuesday. Holidays at the Public Offices; except Excise, Stamp, and Custom. 1605. John Stow, the antiquary, died, aged 80. He was a tailor. 1800. The rev. William Mason died. He was born at Hull, in Yorkshire, in 1725. 1804. The rev. William Gilpin, author of “Picturesque Tours,” “Remarks on Forest Scenery,” an “Essay on Prints,” &amp;c. died aged 80. 1811.

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April 6.

April 6.

OLD LADY-DAY. St. Sixtus I., Pope, 2d Cent. 120 Persian Martyrs , A. D. 345. St. Celestine , Pope, A. D. 432. St. William , Abbot of Eskille, A. D. 1203. St. Prudentius , Bp. A. D. 861. St. Celsus, in Irish Ceallach Abp. A. D. 1129. 1348. Laura de Noves died. She was born in 1304, and is celebrated for having been beloved by Petrarch, and for having returned his passion by indifference. He fostered his love at Vaucluse, a romantic spot, wherein he had nothing to employ him but recollection of he

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April 7.

April 7.

St. Aphraates , 4th Cent. St. Hegesippus , A. D. 180. St. Aibert , A. D. 1140. B. Herman Joseph , A. D. 1226. St. Finan of Keann-Ethich. 1520. Raphael d’Urbino died on the anniversary of his birth-day which was in 1483. 1807. Lalande, the astronomer, died at Paris, aged 70. Wood Anemony. Anemone Nemorosa. Dedicated to St. Aphraates ....

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April 8.

April 8.

St. Dionysius , Bp. of Corinth, 2d Cent. St. Ædesius , A. D. 306. St. Perpetuus , Bp. A. D. 491. St. Walter , Abbot, A. D. 1099. B. Albert , Patriarch of Jerusalem, A. D. 1214. 1341. The expression of Petrarch’s passion for Laura, gained him such celebrity, that he had a crown of laurels placed upon his head, in the metropolis of the papacy, amidst cries from the Roman people, “Long live the poet!” 1364. John, king of France, who had been brought prisoner to England by Edward, the Black Prince,

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April 9.

April 9.

St. Mary of Egypt, A. D. 421. The Massylitan Martyrs in Africa. St. Eupsychius. The Roman Captives , Martyrs in Persia, year of Christ 362, of Sapor 53. St. Waltrude , or Vautrude , commonly called Vaudru , Widow, A. D. 686. St. Gaucher , or Gautier , Abbot, A. D. 1130. St. Dotto , Abbot. 1483. The great lord Bacon died, aged 66. He fell from distinguished station to low estate, by having cultivated high wisdom at the expense of every day wisdom. “Lord Bacon,” says Rushworth, “was eminent over a

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April 10.

April 10.

St. Bademus , Abbot, A. D. 376. B. Mechtildes , Virgin and Abbess, after 1300. Low Sunday. The Sunday after Easter-day is called Low Sunday, because it is Easter-day repeated, with the church-service somewhat abridged or lowered in the ceremony from the pomp of the festival the Sunday before. Pale Violet. Viola Tonbrigens. Dedicated to St. Mechtildes ....

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April 11.

April 11.

St. Leo the Great , Pope, A. D. 461. St. Antipas. St. Guthlake , A. D. 714. St. Maccai , Abbot. St. Aid of Eacharaidh, Abbot. 1713. The celebrated peace of Utrecht was concluded, and with it concluded the twelve years’ war for the succession to the throne of Spain. Dandelion. Taraxacum Dens Leonis. Dedicated to St. Leo ....

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April 12.

April 12.

St. Sabas , A. D. 372. St. Zeno , Bp. A. D. 380. St. Julius , Pope, A. D. 352. St. Victor , of Braga. 65. Seneca, the philosopher, a native of Corduba in Spain, died at Rome, in the fifty-third year of his age. His moral writings have secured lasting celebrity to his name. He was preceptor to Nero, who, in the wantonness of power when emperor, sent an order to Seneca to destroy himself. The philosopher complied by opening his veins and taking poison. During these operations he conversed calmly w

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April 13.

April 13.

Oxford and Cambridge Terms begin . St. Hermenegild , Martyr, A. D. 586. St. Guinoch , about 838. St. Caradoc , A. D. 1124. 1517. Cairo taken by the sultan Selim, who thus became sole master of Egypt. 1748. The rev. Christopher Pitt, translator of Virgil, died at Blandford in Dorsetshire, where he was born in 1699. 1814. Charles Burney, Mus.D. F.R.S. &amp;c. author of the “History of Music,” and other works, which stamp his literary ability, and his scientific character as a musician, died at

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April 14.

April 14.

Sts. Tiburtius , Valerian , and Maximus , A. D. 229. Sts. Carpus , Bishop, Papylus , and Agathodorus , A. D. 251. Sts. Antony , John , and Eustachius , A. D. 1342. St. Benezet , or Little Bennet , A. D. 1184. B. Lidwina , or Lydwid , A. D. 1433. 1471. The battle of Barnet was fought in the wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, and the earl of Warwick, called “the king-maker,” was slain on the field. 1685. Thomas Otway, the dramatic poet, died, at a public-house in the Minories, of want,

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April 15.

April 15.

St. Peter Gonzales , or Telm , or Elm , A. D. 1246. Sts. Basilissa and Anastasia , 1st Cent. St. Paternus , Bishop, or Patier , Pair , or Foix , 6th Cent. St. Munde , Abbot, A. D. 962. St. Ruadhan , A. D. 584. Average day of arrival of Spring Birds from a Twenty years’ Journal. April 3. Smallest Willow Wren. Ficaria pinetorum arrives. April 10. Common Willow Wren. Ficaria Salicum arrives. April 14. Called First Cuckoo Day in Sussex. The Cuckoo, cuculus canorus , sometimes heard. April 15. Called

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April 16.

April 16.

Eighteen Martyrs of Saragossa , and St. Encratis , or Engratia , A. D. 304. St. Turibius , Bp. 420. St. Fructuosus , Abp. A. D. 665. St. Druon , or Drugo , A. D. 1186. St. Joachim of Sienna, A. D. 1305. St. Mans , or Magnus , A. D. 1104. If such a creature as the venerable B. J. Labre can be called a man, he was one of the silliest that ever lived to creep and whine, and one of the dirtiest that ever “died in the odour of sanctity;” and yet, for the edification of the English, his life is transl

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April 17.

April 17.

St. Anicetus , Pope, 2d. Cent. St. Stephen , Abbot, A. D. 1134. St. Simeon , Bishop, and other Martyrs, A. D. 341. Antiquaries are exceedingly puzzled respecting the derivation of this annual festival, which commenced the fifteenth day after Easter, and was therefore a movable feast dependent upon Easter. [92] Though Matthew Paris, who is the oldest authority for the word Hoke- day , says it is “quindena paschæ,” yet Mr. Douce assigns convincing reasons for taking it as the second Tuesday after

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April 18.

April 18.

St. Apollonius , A. D. 186. St. Galdin , Abp. 1176. St. Laserian , or Molaisre , Bp. of Leighlin, A. D. 638. 1689. The infamous judge Jefferies died in the Tower, whither he had been committed by the lords of the council, after he had been taken in the disguise of a common sailor for the purpose of leaving England. He was born at Acton, near Wrexham, in Denbighshire, and being raised to the bench, polluted its sanctity by perversions of the law. His habits and language were vulgar and disgusting

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April 19.

April 19.

St. Leo IX. Pope, A. D. 1054. St. Elphege , A. D. 1012. St. Ursmar , Bp. A. D. 713. This saint’s name in the church of England calendar is Alphege . He was brought up at the monastery of Deerhurst, in Gloucestershire; afterwards he built himself a lonely cell in the abbey of Bath, where he became abbot, and corrected the “little junketings” and other irregularities of the monks. St. Dunstan being warned in a vision, drew him from thence, and gave him episcopal ordination. In 1006, he became bish

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April 20.

April 20.

St. Agnes , of Monte Pulciano, A. D. 1317. St. Serf , or Servanus , Bp. 5th Cent. St. James of Sclavonia, or Illyricum, A. D. 1485. Easter Term, 1825, begins . On this day the sun enters Taurus ♉ or the bull, at 9 h. 50 m. A. M. , at which period black cattle produce their offspring, and hence probably the sign is represented by the male animal. The Greeks affirmed it to be the bull into which Jupiter metamorphosed himself, when he visited Europa, but this sign was figured and worshipped through

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April 21.

April 21.

St. Anselm. St. Anastasius , the Sinaite, A. D. 678. St. Anastasius I., Patriarch, A. D. 598. St. Anastasius , the younger, A. D. 610. St. Beuno , or Beunor , Abbot of Clynnog, A. D. 616. St. Eingan , or Eneon , A. D. 590. St. Malrubius , A. D. 721. Was born at Aoust in Piedmont, and was made archbishop of Canterbury, by William Rufus, in 1093. Butler gives a circumstantial account of his life and writings, from whence it appears that Anselm was a learned and skilful theologian, and conducted hi

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April 22.

April 22.

Sts. Sotor and Caius , Popes, 2d Cent. St Caius , Pope, A. D. 296. Sts. Azades, Tharba, &amp;c. , Martyrs in Persia, A. D. 341. Sts. Epipodius and Alexander , 2d Cent. St. Theodorus , of Siceon, Bishop, A. D. 613. St. Opportuna , Abbess, A. D. 770. St. Leonides , A. D. 202. St. Rufus , or Rufin , of Glendaloch. Amongst the deliramenta of the learned, which have amused mankind, the following instance merits a conspicuous rank. Some years ago, there were several large elm trees in the college

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April 23.

April 23.

St. George. St. Adalbert , Bp. A. D. 997. St. Gerard , Bp. A. D. 994. St. Ibar , or Ivor , Bp. in Ireland, about 500. Who was St. George? Butler says that the Greeks long distinguished him by the title of “The Great Martyr;” that, among other churches, five or six were formerly dedicated to him at Constantinople; that he “seems” to have been the founder of the church of St. George over “his tomb” in Palestine; that one of his churches in Constantinople gave to the Hellespont the name of “the Arm

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April 24.

April 24.

St. Fidelis. St. Mellitus , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 624. Sts. Bona , or Beuve , A. D. 673, and Doda , Abbesses. B. Robert , Abbot, A. D. 1067. According to Butler this saint was a missionary among the Calvinists in Switzerland, was killed by their soldiers in 1622, he and his relics worked three hundred and five miracles, and he was canonized in 1729 by pope Benedict XIII. Blackthorn. Prunus Spinosa. Dedicated to St. Fidelis ....

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April 25.

April 25.

St. Mark , Evangelist. St. Macull , or Macallius , or Maughold , 5th Cent. St. Anianus. St. Phœbadius , or Fiari , Bp. A. D. 392. St. Ivia , or Ivo , Bp. 7th Cent. St. Kebius , Bp. 4th Cent. Mr. Audley says, “It is generally allowed, that Mark, mentioned i Pet. v. 13. is the Evangelist, but it has been doubted whether he be the same as John Mark, mentioned in the Acts, and in some of Paul’s epistles. Dr. Lardner thinks there is but one Mark in the New Testament, John Mark, the evangelist, and fe

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April 26.

April 26.

St. Cletus , Pope and Martyr, A. D. 89. St. Marcellinus , Pope and Martyr, A. D. 304. St. Richarius , or Riquier , Abbot, about 645. St. Paschasius Radbert , Abbot, about 865. 1716. The great lord Somers died. He was lord chancellor, and at different periods held other offices of high trust, which he ennobled by acts of distinguished virtue and patriotism: he vindicated public liberty with courage, and maintained it with success to the end of his life. A town life is coveted by the artificial, a

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April 27.

April 27.

St. Anthimus , Bp. and many other Martyrs at Nicomedia, A. D. 303. St. Anastasius , Pope, A. D. 401. St. Zita , A. D. 1272. 1742. Nicholas Amhurst, an English political, poetical, and miscellaneous writer, died in poverty and of a broken heart at Twickenham, at the age of thirty-six. He was author of “Terræ Filius,” a severe satire on the university of Oxford, from whence he had been expelled, and he edited the once celebrated “Craftsman,” one of the most popular journals ever printed, and the m

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April 28.

April 28.

St. Vitalis , Martyr, about 62. Sts. Didymus and Theodora , A. D. 304. St. Patricius , Bp. of Prussia, in Bithynia, Martyr. 1535. Albert Pio, prince of Carpi, was buried with extraordinary pomp in the church of the Cordeliers at Paris. He had been deprived of his principality by the duke of Ferrara, became an author, and finally a fanatic. Entering one day into one of the churches at Madrid, he presented holy water to a lady who had a very thin hand ornamented by a most beautiful and valuable ri

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April 29.

April 29.

St. Peter , Martyr, A. D. 1252. St. Robert , Abbot of Molesme, A. D. 1110. St. Hugh , Abbot of Cluni, A. D. 1109. St. Fiachna , A. D. 630. 1779. Died at Pershore in Worcestershire, the Rev. John Ash, L.L. D. He was an eminent minister among the dissenters, but is better known for his grammar and other works in philology. His “Complete English Dictionary,” until the appearance of Mr. Todd’s octavo edition of Johnson’s, was the best compendium of words that could be referred to, and may still be c

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April 30.

April 30.

St. Catharine of Sienna, A. D. 1380. St. Maximus , A. D. 250. Sts. James, Marian, &amp;c. Martyrs in Numidia, A. D. 259. St. Erkonwald , B. of London, 7th Cent. St. Ajutre or Adjutor , A. D. 1131. St. Catharine often saw the devil. According to Ribadeneira, at six years old she knew the lives of the holy fathers and hermits by revelation, practised abstinence, and shut herself up with other children in a room, where they whipped themselves. At seven she offered herself to the Virgin as a spo

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May 1.

May 1.

St. Philip , and St. James the less. St. Asaph , Bp. of Llan-Elway, A. D. 590. St. Marcon , or Marculfus , A. D. 558. St. Sigismund , king of Burgundy, 6th Cent. Philip is supposed to have been the first of Christ’s apostles, and to have died at Hierapolis, in Phrygia. James, also surnamed the Just, whose name is borne by the epistle in the New Testament, and who was in great repute among the Jews, was martyred in a tumult in the temple, about the year 62. [119] St. Philip and St. James are in t

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May 2.

May 2.

St. Athanasius , Patriarch of Alexandria, A. D. 373. This learned doctor of the church, was patriarch of Alexandria; he is celebrated for his opposition to the Arians, and from his name having been affixed to the creed which contains his doctrines. He died in 373. Alban Butler says, the creed was compiled in Latin in the fifth century. 1519. Leonardo da Vinci, the painter, died. Richmond. In the beginning of May, a steam-boat for conveying passengers ascends the Thames in the morning from Queenh

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May 3.

May 3.

The Invention, or Discovery of the Holy Cross , A. D. 326. St. Alexander , Pope, A. D. 119. This festival of the Romish church is also in the church of England calendar; Mr. Audley says, “the word invention sometimes signifies the finding a thing that was hidden;” thence the name of this festival, which celebrates the alleged finding of the cross of Christ by St. Helena, who is said to have found three crosses on Mount Calvary, but the true one could not be distinguished, till a sick woman being

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May 4.

May 4.

St. Monica. St. Godard , Bp. A. D. 1038. She was mother of St. Augustine, whom she sent to study at Carthage, where, in 373, he became a Manichee, and remained so, to his mother’s affliction, until 386; she was a woman of piety, and he revered her memory. Her supposed remains were translated with the customary ceremonies of the church of Rome, but their identity has been doubted. [131] 1471. Battle of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, gained by Edward IV. over the Lancasterians. 1677. Dr. Isaac Barro

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May 5.

May 5.

St. Pius V. , Pope, A. D. 1572. St. Hilary , Abp. of Arles, A. D. 449. St. Angelus , A. D. 1225. St. Mauront , Abbot, A. D. 706. St. Avertin , A. D. 1189. 1760. The right honourable Laurence, earl Ferrers, viscount Tamworth, was hanged at Tyburn, for the murder of John Johnson, his steward. 1785. Thomas Davies, died. He is well recollected from frequent creditable mention made of him in Boswell’s “Life of Johnson;” Davies was an actor, afterwards a bookseller, turned strolling player, returned t

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May 6.

May 6.

St. John before the Latin Gate. St. John Damascen , A. D. 780. St. Eadbert , Bp. of Lindisfarne, A. D. 687. This was St. John the Evangelist, though his name stands with Ante Port. Lat. annexed to it in the church of England calendar. The description is founded on a Roman Catholic legend that St. John the Evangelist in his old age was accused of atheism to Domitian, who sent him to Rome, and there, before the gate called Porta Latina , caused him to be put into a cauldron of boiling oil, from wh

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May 7.

May 7.

St. Stanislas , Bp. of Cracow, A. D. 1079. St. Benedict II. , Pope, A. D. 686. St. John of Beverley. Was born at Harpham, a village in the north of England. In the reign of king Alfred, he was made bishop of Hexham; he gave venerable Bede the orders of deacon and priest; and built the monastery of Beverley, then a forest, now a market-town, twenty-seven miles from York, where he died, in 721. [134] Bede assigns several miracles to him in his lifetime. William of Malmesbury relates, that the inha

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May 8.

May 8.

The Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. St. Peter , Abp. of Tarentaise, or Monstiers, A. D. 1174. St. Victor , A. D. 303. St. Wiro , Bp. 7th Cent. St. Odrian , Bp. of Waterford. St. Gybrian , or Gobrian , 8th Cent. It is not clear what particular apparition of St. Michael is celebrated in the Roman Catholic church on this day; their books mention several of his apparitions. They rank him as field-marshal and commander-in-chief of the armies of heaven, as prince of the angels opposed to Luci

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May 9.

May 9.

St. Gregory Nazianzen , A. D. 389, or 391. St. Hermas , 1st Cent. St. Nicholas Bp. A. D. 1391. May Morning. Leigh Hunt. Leigh Hunt. A benevolent lover of nature, [143] —and who that loves nature is not benevolent—observes, in a notice of this day, that “the Swift , which arrives in England about this time, in the morning and in the evening comes out in quest of food, and utters, while rapidly flying, its peculiar scream, whence it is called Squeaker. In a warm summer morning these birds may be s

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May 10.

May 10.

St. Antoninus , or Little Antony , Abp. A. D. 1459. Sts. Gordian , A. D. 362, and Epimachus , A. D. 250. St. Isidore , Patron of Madrid, A. D. 1170. St. Comgall , Irish abbot, A. D. 601. St. Cataldus , Bp. of Tarentum. Slender-leaved Piony. Pæonia Tenuifolia. Dedicated to St. Comgall . In May and June this bird is to be found on Gogmagog-hills and the moors adjacent. It is caught with nets, by people using a whistle made to imitate its note; the bird is so simple and fond of imitation, it suffer

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May 11.

May 11.

St. Mammertus , Abp. of Vienne, A. D. 477. St. Maieul , or Majolus , Abbot A. D. 994. A Warwickshire correspondent says, that in that county “the first swarm of bees is simply called a swarm , the second from the same hive is called a cast , and the third from the same hive a spindle . It is a saying in this county, that “In Warwickshire, also, there is a different version of verses about the swallow, &amp;c. King James I. and his queen arrived in Scotland on Old May-day, 1590, it being then

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May 12.

May 12.

Holy Thursday, holiday at the Public Offices, except Excise, Stamp, and Custom. Sts. Nereus and Achilleus . St. Flavia Domitilla. St. Pancras , A. D. 304. St. Epiphanius , Abp. A. D. 403. St. Germanus , Patriarch of Constantinople, A. D. 733. St. Rictrudes , Abbess, A. D. 688. The anniversary of Christ’s Ascension as kept by the Romish church, is set forth in the “Popish Kingdome,” thus: It is sufficient for the present to observe of Holy Thursday, that with us on this day it is a common custom

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May 13.

May 13.

St. John the Silent, Bp. A. D. 558. St. Peter Regalati , A. D. 1456. St. Servatus , Bp. of Tongres, A. D. 384. Common Comfrey. Symphetum officinale. Dedicated to St. John the Silent....

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May 14.

May 14.

St. Boniface , A. D. 307. St. Pachomius , Abbot, A. D. 348. St. Pontius , A. D. 258. St. Carthagh , or Mochudu , Bp. of Lismore, A. D. 637 or 638. Common Piony. Pæonia officinalis. Coralline Piony. Pæonia corallina. Dedicated to St. Pontius ....

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May 15.

May 15.

St. Peter , Andrew , and Companions , Martyrs, A. D. 250. St. Dympna , 7th Cent. St. Genebrard or Genebern . For the Every-Day Book. A “SEASONABLE STORY.” Δ Δ Welsh Poppy. Papaver Cambricum. Dedicated to St. Dympna ....

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May 16.

May 16.

St. John Nepomucen , A. D. 1383. St. Simon Stock , A. D. 1265. St. Ubaldus , A. D. 1160. St. Honoratus , Bp. A. D. 660. St. Abdjesus , or Hebedjesus , Bp. St. Abdas , Bp. St. Brendan the Elder, Abbot of Clonfert, A. D. 578. Last day of Easter Term, 1825; it commenced 20th of April. From the “Diana” of George of Montemayor, 1598, there is an extract in the Literary Pocket Book sweetly descriptive of a placid scene in nature. It begins with—“When the joyous companie arrived thus far, they saw how

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May 17.

May 17.

St. Paschal Babylon , A. D. 1592. St. Possidius , Bp. of Calama, in Numidia, A. D. 430. St. Maden , or Madern . St. Maw. St. Cathan , 6th or 7th Cent. St. Silave , or Silan , Bp. A. D. 1100. 1817. Died at Heckington, aged sixty-five, Mr. Samuel Jessup, an opulent grazier, of pill-taking memory. He lived in a very eccentric way, as a bachelor, without known relatives; and at his decease possessed of a good fortune, notwithstanding a most inordinate craving for physic, by which he was distinguishe

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May 18.

May 18.

St. Eric , King of Sweden, A. D. 1151. St. Theodotus , Vintner, and Seven Virgins , Martyrs, A. D. 303. St. Venantius , A. D. 250. St. Potamon , Bp. of Heraclea, in Egypt, A. D. 341. 1808. Sir John Carter, knt. died at Portsmouth, his native town, aged sixty-seven. He was an alderman, and nine times mayor of the borough; and a magistrate of the county, for which he also served the office of sheriff in 1784. His name is here introduced to commemorate an essential service that he rendered to his c

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May 19.

May 19.

St. Peter Celestine , Pope, A. D. 1296. St. Pudentiana. St. Dunstan ; Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 988. He was born at Glastonbury, of which monastery he became abbot, and died archbishop of Canterbury in 988. [146] The legend of St. Dunstan relates many miracles of him, the most popular of which is to this effect; that St. Dunstan, as the fact really was, became expert in goldsmith’s work; it then gives as a story, that while he was busied in making a chalice, the devil annoyed him by his personal

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May 20.

May 20.

St. Bernardin of Sienna, A. D. 1444. St. Ethelbert , King of the East Angles, A. D. 793. St. Yvo , Bp. of Chartres, A. D. 1115. ON BEING CONFINED TO SCHOOL ONE PLEASANT MORNING IN SPRING. In the “Perennial Calendar,” Dr. Forster with great taste introduces a beautiful series of quotations adapted to the season from different poets:— Lucretius on Spring and the Seasons, translated by Good. Milton makes the most heavenly clime to consist of an eternal spring: From Atherstone’s Last Days of Hercula

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May 21.

May 21.

Holiday at the Public Offices. St. Felix of Cantalicio, A. D. 1587. St. Godrick , Hermit, A. D. 1170. St. Hospitius , A. D. 681. Ragged Robin. Lychnis flos cuculi. Dedicated to St. Felix ....

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May 22.

May 22.

St. Yvo , A. D. 1303. St. Basiliscus , Bp. A. D. 312. Sts. Castus and Æmilius , A. D. 250. St. Bobo , A. D. 985. St. Conall , Abbot. Thomson. Thomson. Yellow Star of Bethlehem. Tragopogon pratensis. Dedicated to St. Yvo ....

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May 23.

May 23.

St. Julia , 5th Cent. St. Desiderius , Bp. of Langres, 7th Cent. St. Desiderius , Bp. of Vienne, A. D. 612. Mr. Fosbroke remarks that this feast was celebrated in Spain with representations of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of thunder from engines, which did much damage. Wafers, or cakes, preceded by water, oak-leaves, or burning torches, were thrown down from the church roof; small birds, with cakes tied to their legs, and pigeons were let loose; sometimes there were tame white ones tied with

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May 24.

May 24.

St. Vincent of Lerins, A. D. 450. Sts. Donatian and Rogatian , A. D. 287. St. John de Prado. Monkey Poppy. Papaver Orientale. Dedicated to St. Vincent ....

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May 25.

May 25.

St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, A. D. 1607. St. Urban , Pope, A. D. 223. St. Adhelm , or Aldhelm . St. Gregory VII., Pope, A. D. 1085. Sts. Maximus , or Mauxe , and Venerand , Martyrs in Normandy, 6th Cent. St. Dumhade , Abbot, A. D. 717. He founded the abbey of Malmesbury, and was the first Englishman who cultivated Latin and English or Saxon poesy. Among his other mortifications, he was accustomed to recite the psalter at night, plunged up to the shoulders in a pond of water. He was the first bish

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May 26.

May 26.

St. Philip Neri , A. D. 1595. St. Augustine , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 604. St. Eleutherius , Pope, A. D. 192. St. Quadratus , Bp. A. D. 125. St. Oduvald , Abbot, A. D. 698. He was born at Florence in 1515, became recluse when a child, dedicated himself to poverty, and became miraculously fervent. “The divine love,” says Alban Butler, “so much dilated the breast of our saint, that the gristle which joined the fourth and fifth ribs on the left side was broken, which accident allowed the heart an

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May 27.

May 27.

St. John , Pope, A. D. 526. St. Bede , A. D. 735. St. Julius , about A. D. 302. This pontiff was imprisoned by Theodoric, king of the Goths, in Italy, and died in confinement. This sovereign had previously put to death the philosopher Boëtius, who, according to Ribadeneira, after he was beheaded, was scoffingly asked by one of the executioners, “who hath put thee to death?” whereupon Boëtius answered, “wicked men,” and immediately taking up his head in his own hands, walked away with it to the a

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May 28.

May 28.

St. Germanus , Bp. of Paris, A. D. 576. St. Caraunus , also Caranus and Caro , (in French, Cheron .) 1546. Cardinal Beaton was on this day assassinated in Scotland. He was primate of that kingdom, over which he exercised almost sovereign sway. Just before his death he got into his power George Wishart, a gentleman by birth, who preached against Romish superstitions, and caused him to be condemned to the stake for heresy. The cardinal refused the sacrament to his victim, on the ground that it was

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May 29.

May 29.

St. Maximinus , Bp. of Friers, A. D. 349. St. Cyril. St. Conon and his son , of Iconia in Asia, about A. D. 275. Sts. Sisinnius, Martyrius, and Alexander , A. D. 397. This day is so called from its being the anniversary of the day whereon king Charles II. entered London, in 1660, and re-established royalty, which had been suspended from the death of his father. It is usual with the vulgar people to wear oak-leaves in their hats on this day, and dress their horses’ heads with them. This is in com

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May 30.

May 30.

St. Felix I., Pope, A. D. 274. St. Walstan , Confessor, A. D. 1016. St. Ferdinand III., Confessor, King of Castile and Leon, A. D. 1252. St. Maguil , in Latin, Madelgisilus , Recluse in Picardy, about A. D. 685. Of late years a fair has been held at Deptford on this day. It originated in trifling pastimes for persons who assembled to see the master and brethren of the Trinity-house, on their annual visit to the Trinity-house, at Deptford. First there were jingling matches; then came a booth or t

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May 31.

May 31.

St. Petronilla , 1st Cent. St. Cantius and Cantianus , brothers, and Cantianilla , their sister, A. D. 304. “Her name,” says Butler, “is the feminine, and diminutive of Peter, and she is said to have been a daughter of the apostle St. Peter, which tradition is confirmed by certain writings, quoted by the Manichees, in the time of St. Austin, which affirm, that St. Peter had a daughter whom he cured of the palsy; but it seems not certain whether she was more than the spiritual daughter of that ap

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June 1.

June 1.

St Justin , Martyr, A. D. 167. St. Pamphilus , A. D. 309. St. Caprais , Abbot, A. D. 430. St. Peter , of Pisa, A. D. 1435. St. Wistan , Prince of Mercia, A. D. 849. This saint is in the English almanacs of this day; for what reason is unknown. He was an ancient martyr in no way distinguished from others who perished during the persecution under Domitian. 1794. Lord Howe’s memorable victory by sea over the French fleet. 1814. A newspaper of this day notices that the Tuesday preceding was observed

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June 2.

June 2.

Sts. Pothinus , Bp. Sanctus , Attalus , Blandina , &amp;c., of Lyons, A. D. 177. Sts. Marcellinus and Peter , A. D. 304. St. Erasmus , or Ermo , or Elmo , A. D. 303. This grand festival of the Romish church is held on the Thursday next after Trinity Sunday, in which order it also stands in the church of England calendar, and in the English almanacs. It celebrates the doctrine of transubstantiation. In all Roman catholic countries it is observed with music, lights, flowers strewed in the stre

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June 3.

June 3.

St. Cecilius , A. D. 211. St. Clotildis , or Clotilda , Queen of France, A. D. 545. St. Coemgen , or Keivin , A. D. 618. St. Lifard , Abbot, about the middle of the 6th Cent. St. Genesis , in French, Genes , Bp. about A. D. 662. 1817, June 3, Paris .—Yesterday the ladies of the market of St. Germain, having invited the rector of St. Sulpice to bless their new market-place, that pastor accompanied by the clergy of the parish, repaired there at five o’clock, and sung the hymn, Veni Creator . A pro

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June 4.

June 4.

St. Quirinus , Bp. A. D. 304. St. Optatus , Bp. 4th Cent. St. Walter , Abbot, 13th Cent. St. Petroc , or Perreuse , Abbot, 6th Cent. St. Breaca , or Breague . St. Burian. St. Nenooc , or Nennoca , A. D. 467. 1738. King George III. born: he began his reign, October 25, 1760, and died, January 29, 1820. Indian Pink. Dianthus Chinensis. Dedicated to St. Quirinus ....

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June 5.

June 5.

St. Boniface , 8th Cent. St. Dorotheus , of Tyre St. Dorotheus , Abbot, 4th Cent. St. Illidius , Bp. 4th Cent. This saint is in the church of England calendar. His name was Winfred. He was born at Crediton in Devonshire, educated in a Benedictine monastery at Exeter, sent to Friesland as a missionary, became archbishop of Mentz and primate of Germany and Belgium, and obtained the appellation of apostle of the Germans. His conversions were extensive, but many of them were effected by pious frauds

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June 6.

June 6.

St. Norbert , A. D. 1134. St. Philip the Deacon, A. D. 58. St. Gudwall , Bp. 6th Cent. St. Claude , Abp. A. D. 696 or 703. 1762. George lord Anson, the circumnavigator of the world, died, at Moor-park, near Rickmansworth, Herts; he was born at Shuckborough, in Staffordshire, in 1700. This offence was by no means uncommon in England some years ago. In the London Chronicle for 1762, there is an extract from a letter, dated “Sunday, Highgate, June 6,” from whence it appears, that on that morning, b

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June 7.

June 7.

St. Paul , Bp. of Constantinople, A. D. 350, or 351. St. Robert , Abbot, A. D. 1159. St. Colman , Bp. of Dromore, A. D. 610. St. Godeschalc , Prince of the Western Vandals, and his companions. St. Meriadec , Bp. A. D. 1302. 1779. William Warburton, bishop of Gloucester, died. He was born at Newark-upon-Trent, in 1698, followed the profession of an attorney, relinquished it for the church, and became an eminently able and learned prelate. His writings are distinguished by genius, but deformed by

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June 8.

June 8.

St. Medard , Bp. 6th Cent. St. Gildard , or Godard , Bp. A. D. 511. St. Maximinus , 1st Cent. St. William , Abp. of York, A. D. 1154. St. Clou , or Clodulphus , Bp. A. D. 696. St. Syra , 7th Cent. On the 8th of June, 1825, a publican in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel was charged at the Public Office, Bow-street, by Mr. John Francis Panchaud, a foreigner, with having, in conjunction with several other persons, defrauded him of a 10 l. note, at Ascot Heath race-course, on the Thursday preceding.

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June 9.

June 9.

Sts. Primus and Felicianus , A. D. 286. St. Columba , or Columkille , A. D. 597. St. Pelagia , A. D. 311. St. Vincent , 3d Cent. St. Richard , Bp. of Andria, 5th Cent. 1760. Nicholas Lewes, count Zinzendorf, a native of Saxony, and founder of the religious society called Moravians, died at Chelsea. Barberry. Barberis vulgaris. Dedicated to St. Columba ....

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June 10.

June 10.

St. Margaret , Queen of Scotland, A. D. 1093. St. Getulius and companions, 2d Cent. St. Landry , or Landericus , Bp. A. D. 650. B. Henry of Treviso, A. D. 1315. 1735. Thomas Hearne, the learned antiquary, died at Oxford: he was born at White Waltham, in Berkshire, in 1680. Yellow Fleur-de-lis. Iris Pseudacorus. Dedicated to St. Margaret ....

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June 11.

June 11.

St. Barnabas , Apostle, 1st Cent. St. Tochumra , of Tochumrach in Ireland. Another St. Tochumra , diocese of Kilmore. He was of the tribe of Levi, and coadjutor with the apostle Paul for several years. Though denominated an apostle, it seems agreed that he was not entitled to that character; if he were, his extant epistle would have equal claim with the writings of the other apostles to a place among the books in the New Testament. He is said to have been martyred, but of this there is not suffi

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June 12.

June 12.

St. John , Hermit, A. D. 1479. St. Basilides , Quirinus , or Cyrinus , Nabor , and Nazarius . St. Eskill , Bp. St. Onuphrius , Hermit. St. Ternan , Bp. of the Picts. 1734. The duke of Berwick, illegitimate son of James II., by Arabella Churchill, sister to the great duke of Marlborough, was killed by a cannon ball, at the siege of Phillipsburgh, in Germany, in the 64th year of his age. He was only excelled in the art of war by the duke of Marlborough himself. White Dog Rose. Rosa arvensis. Dedic

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June 13.

June 13.

St. Antony of Padua, A. D. 1231. St. Damhanade. 1625. Henrietta Maria, youngest daughter to Henry IV. of France, landed at Dover, and was married to Charles I., at Canterbury, on the same day; her portraits represent her to have been beautiful. She was certainly a woman of ability, but faithless to her unfortunate consort, after whose death on the scaffold she lived in France, and privately married her favourite, the lord Jermyn, a descendant of whom, with that name, is (in 1825,) a grocer in Ch

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June 14.

June 14.

St. Basil , Abp. A. D. 379. Sts. Rufinus and Valerius , 3d Age. St. Methodius , Patriarch of Constantinople, A. D. 846. St. Docmael , 6th Cent. St. Nennus , or Nehemias , Abbot, A. D. 654. St. Psalmodius , A. D. 630. 1645. The battle of Naseby, between the royalists under Charles I., and the parliament troops under Fairfax, was decided this day by the entire rout of the king’s army, and the seizure of all his artillery and ammunition. Among the spoil was the king’s cabinet with his letters, whic

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June 15.

June 15.

Sts. Vitus , or Guy , Crescentia , and Modestus , 4th Cent. St. Landelin , Abbot, A. D. 686. B. Bernard , of Menthon, A. D. 1008. St. Vauge , Hermit, A. D. 585. B. Gregory Lewis Barbadigo , Cardinal Bp. A. D. 1697. This saint was a Sicilian martyr, under Dioclesian. Why the disease called St. Vitus’s dance was so denominated, is not known. Dr. Forster describes it as an affection of the limbs, resulting from nervous irritation, closely connected with a disordered state of the stomach and bowels,

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June 16.

June 16.

Sts. Quirius , or Cyr and Julitta , Martyrs, A. D. 304. St. John Francis Regis , A. D. 1640. Sts. Ferreolus , or Fargeau , and Ferrutius , A. D. 211 or 212. St. Aurelian , Abp. A. D. 552. 1722. John Churchill, the great duke of Marlborough, died at Windsor-lodge, in a state of idiocy. He was son of sir Winston Churchill, an English historian, and born at Ashe, in Devonshire, 1650. At twelve years of age he became page to the duke of York, afterwards James II.; at sixteen he entered the guards, a

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June 17.

June 17.

Sts. Nicandeo and Marcian , about A. D. 303. St. Botulph , Abbot, A. D. 655. St. Avitus , or Avy , A. D. 530. St. Molingus , or Dairchilla , Bp. A. D. 697. St. Prior , Hermit, 4th Cent. This saint, the proto-martyr of Britain, is in the church of England calendar and almanacs on this day, but he stands in the Romish calendar, on the 22d of the month. St. Alban was born at Verulam, in Hertfordshire, in the third century, and went to Rome, where he served seven years as a soldier under Dioclesian.

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June 18.

June 18.

Sts. Marcus and Marcellianus , A. D. 286. St. Marina , 8th. Cent. St. Elizabeth of Sconage, Abbess, A. D. 1165. St. Amand , Bp. of Bourdeaux. 1815. The battle of Waterloo, which terminated the personal power of Napoleon, was fought on this day. BATTLE OF WATERLOO Byron. Byron. On the 18th of June, 1817, the Strand-bridge, a noble structure, erected at the expense of private individuals, was opened for the public accommodation, under the denomination of Waterloo-bridge, with military and other ce

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June 19.

June 19.

Sts. Gervasius and Protasius . St. Boniface , Abp., Apostle of Russia, A. D. 1009. St. Juliana Falconieri , A. D. 1340. St. Die , or Deodatus , Bp. A. D. 679 or 680. 1215. Magna Charta was signed, on compulsion, by king John, at Runnymead, near Windsor. 1820. Sir Joseph Banks, president of the royal society, died, aged 77. The Summer Midnight. La Julienne de Nuit. Hesperis tristis. Dedicated to St. Juliana ....

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June 20.

June 20.

St. Silverius , Pope, A. D. 538. St. Gobian , Priest and Martyr, about 656. St. Idaburga , or Edburge . St. Bain , Bp. of Terouanne (now St. Omer,) and Abbot, about A. D. 711. This day is so distinguished in the church of England calendar. Edward was the king of the West Saxons, murdered by order of Elfrida. He had not only an anniversary on the 18th of March, in commemoration of his sufferings, or rather of the silly and absurd miracles alleged to have been wrought at his tomb; but he was even

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June 21.

June 21.

St. Aloysius , or Lewis Gonzaga , A. D. 1591. St. Ralph , Abp. of Bourges, A. D. 866. St. Meen , in Latin, Mevennus , also Melanus , Abbot in Britanny, about A. D. 617. St. Aaron , Abbot in Britanny, 6th Cent. St. Eusebius , Bp. of Samosata, A. D. 379 or 380. St. Leufredus , in French, Leufroi , Abbot, A. D. 738. Summer Morning and Evening. Ado. Ado. Viper’s Buglos. Echium vulgare. Dedicated to St. Aloysius. Summer. * * “How beautiful is summer,” says the elegant author of Sylvan Sketches , a vo

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June 22.

June 22.

St. Paulinus , Bp. of Nola, A. D. 431. St. Alban , Proto-Martyr of Britain, A. D. 303. The following singular advertisement, appeared in the “Connecticut Courant,” of June 2, 1784. Take Notice, Debtors For Newspapers to the Subscriber. This is the last time of asking in this way; all those who settle their accounts by the 18th of June, instant, will have the thanks of their humble servant; and those that neglect, will find their accounts in the hands of some person, who will collect them in a mo

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June 23.

June 23.

St. Etheldreda , or Audry , A. D. 679. St. Mary of Oignies, A. D. 1213. Midsummer—The Bonfire. This engraving represents a rejoicing formerly common to this season; it is from a French print, inscribed “ Le Feu de St. Jean Mariette ex .” The summer solstice has been celebrated throughout all ages by the lighting up of fires, and hence on “St. John’s eve,” or the vigil of the festival of St. John the Baptist, there have been popular ceremonials of this kind from the earliest times of the Romish c

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June 24.

June 24.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The Martyrs of Rome under Nero , A. D. 64. St. Bartholomew. At Oxford on this day there was lately a remarkable custom, mentioned by the Rev. W. Jones of Nayland, in his “Life of Bishop Horne,” affixed to the bishop’s works. He says, “a letter of July the 25th, 1755, informed me that Mr. Horne according to an established custom at Magdalen-college in Oxford, had begun to preach before the university on the day of St. John the baptist. For the preaching of this a

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June 25.

June 25.

St. Prosper , A. D. 463. St. Maximus , Bp. A. D. 465. St. William of Monte-Vergine, A. D. 1142. St. Adelbert , A. D. 740. St. Moloc , Bp. 7th Cent. Sts. Agoard and Aglibert , A. D. 400. 1314. The battle of Bannockburn which secured the independence of Scotland, and fixed Robert Bruce on the throne of that kingdom, was fought on this day between the Scots under that chieftain, and the English under Edward II. By a recent regulation it is not necessary to put the name of a member of either house o

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June 26.

June 26.

St. John and Paul , Martyrs about A. D. 362. St. Maxentius , Abbot, A. D. 515. St. Vigilius , Bp. A. D. 400, or 405. St. Babolen. St. Anthelm , Bp. of Bellay, A. D. 1178. Raingarda , Widow, A. D. 1135. On the 26th of June, 1541, Francis Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, was assassinated. He was born at Truxillo, in Spain; his birth was illegitimate, and in his youth he was a keeper of hogs. Becoming a soldier, he went to America, and settled at Punama, where he projected the prosecution of discove

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June 27.

June 27.

St. Ladislas I., king of Hungary, A. D. 1095. St. John , of Moutier, 6th Cent. Mr. Howard, in his work on the weather, is of opinion, that farmers and others, who are particularly interested in being acquainted with the variations in the weather, derive considerable aid from the use of the barometer. He says, “in fact, much less of valuable fodder is spoiled by wet now than in the days of our forefathers. But there is yet room for improvement in the knowledge of our farmers on the subject of the

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June 28.

June 28.

St. Irenæus , Bp. of Lyons, A. D. 202. St. Leo II., Pope A. D. 683. Sts. Plutarch and others, Martyrs, about A. D. 202. Sts. Potamiana and Basilides , Martyrs. 1797. George Keate, F.R.S., died, aged sixty-seven. He was born at Trowbridge in Wilts, educated at Kingston school, called to the bar, abandoned the profession of the law, amused himself with his pen, and wrote several works. His chief production is the account of “Capt. Wilson’s Voyage to the Pelew Islands;” his “Sketches from Nature,”

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June 29.

June 29.

Holiday at the Public Offices, except Excise, Stamp, and Custom. St. Peter , the Apostle. St. Hemma , A. D. 1045. From this apostle the Romish church assumes to derive her authority, and appoints this his anniversary, which she splendidly celebrates. The illuminations at Rome on this day would astonish the apostle were he alive. From the account of a recent traveller, they appear to be more brilliant than an Englishman can well imagine; he witnessed them, and describes them in these words:— “At

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June 30.

June 30.

St. Paul , the Apostle. St. Martial , Bp. of Limoges, 3d Cent. Paul, the apostle, was martyred, according to some accounts, on the 29th of June, in the year, 65; according to others in the month of May, 66. [202] A Romish writer fables that, before he was beheaded, he “loked vp into heuen, markynge his foreheed and his breste with the sygne of the crosse,” although that sign was an after invention; and that, “as soone as the heed was from the body,” it said “Jesus Christus fyfty tymes.” [203] An

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July 1.

July 1.

St. Rumbold , Bp. A. D. 775. Sts. Julius and Aaron . St. Theobald , or Thibault , 11th Cent. St. Gal I. Bp. 5th Cent. St. Calais , or Carilephus , A. D. 542. St. Leonorus , or Lunaire , Bp. St. Simeon Salus , 6th Cent. St. Thieri , A. D. 533. St. Cybar , A. D. 581. 1690. The battle of the Boyne, fought on this day, decided the fate of James II. and the Stuart tyranny, and established William III. on the throne of the people. Agrimony. Agrimonia Eupatoria. Dedicated to St. Aaron ....

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July 2.

July 2.

Visitation of the B. Virgin. Sts. Processus and Martinian , 1st Cent. St. Otho , Bp. 12th Cent. St. Monegoude , A. D. 570. St. Oudoceus , Bp. of Landaff, 6th Cent. White Lily. Lilium candidum. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary . A Morning’s Walk in July. [206] Ode on the Approach of Summer....

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July 3.

July 3.

St. Phocas , a Gardener, A. D. 303. St. Guthagon. St. Gunthiern , a Welsh Prince, 6th Cent. St. Bertram , 6th Cent. On the 3d of July is annually celebrated, in Paris, in the church of St. Leu and St. Giles, a solemn office, in commemoration of a miracle wrought by the blessed virgin, in la Rue aux Ours, or the street for the bears; the history of which is as follows:—In the year 1518, a soldier coming out of a tavern in this Bear-street, where he had been gambling, and losing his money and clot

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July 4.

July 4.

St. Ulric , or Udalric . St. Odo , Abp. of Canterbury, 10th Cent. St. Sisoes , or Sisoy , A. D. 429. St. Bertha , 8th Cent. St. Finbar , of Crimlen. St. Bolcan , disciple of St. Patrick. He was son of count Hucbald, one of the first dukes of higher Germany. He became bishop of Augsburg, and rebuilt the celebrated cathedral there, in 962, dedicating it to St. Afra, patroness of that city, and died eighty years old, in 973, on ashes laid in the form of a cross upon a floor. Customs peculiar to thi

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July 5.

July 5.

St. Peter , of Luxemburg, Card. A. D. 1387. St. Modwena , 9th Cent. St. Edana , of Elphim and Tuam. There is a beautiful mention of flowers, at this season, in some lines from the Italian of Louis Gonzago. With an Indian Perfume-box to Maria de Mancini , 1648. Pulci. Pulci. Double Yellow Rose. Rosa Sulphurea. Dedicated to St. Edana ....

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July 6.

July 6.

St. Palladius , A. D. 450. St. Julian , Anchorite, 4th Cent. St. Sexburgh , 7th Cent. St. Goar , A. D. 575. St. Moninna , A. D. 518. Garden Hawks’-eyes. Crepis barbara. Dedicated to St. Julian ....

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July 7.

July 7.

St. Pantænus , 3d Cent. St. Willibald , Bp. 8th Cent. St. Hedda , A. D. 705. St. Edelburga. St. Felix , Bp. of Nantes, A. D. 584. St. Benedict XI. Pope, A. D. 1304. 1816. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the poet, dramatist, orator, and statesman, died. He was the third son of Mr. Thomas Sheridan, celebrated as an actor, eminent as a lecturer on elocution, and entitled to the gratitude of the public for his judicious and indefatigable exertions to improve the system of education in this country. His f

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July 8.

July 8.

St. Elizabeth , Queen of Portugal, A. D. 1336. St. Procopius , A. D. 303. Sts. Kilian , Colman , and Totnam , A. D. 688. St. Withburge , 10th Cent. B. Theobald , 13th Cent. St. Grimbald , A. D. 903. Every one must have been struck by the great number of new churches erected within the suburbs of the metropolis, and the novel forms of their steeples; yet few have been aware of the difficulties encountered by architects in their endeavours to accommodate large congregations in edifices for public

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July 9.

July 9.

St. Ephrem of Edessa, A. D. 378. The Martyrs of Gorcum , A. D. 1572. St. Everildis. In hot weather walk slowly, and as much as possible in the shade. When fatigued recline on a sofa, and avoid all drafts. Eat sparingly of meat, and indeed of every thing. Especially shun unripe fruits, and be moderate with cherries. Strawberries may be safely indulged in; with a little cream and bread they make a delightful supper, an hour or two before retiring to rest. If the frame be weakened by excessive heat

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July 10.

July 10.

The Seven Brothers , Martyrs, and St. Felicitas , their Mother. 2nd Cent. Sts. Rufina and Secunda , V. A. D. 257. If the weather is likely to become rainy, windy, or in other respects disagreeable, spiders fix the terminating filaments, on which the whole web is suspended, unusually short. If the terminating filaments are made uncommonly long, the weather will be serene, and continue so, at least for ten or twelve days. If spiders be totally indolent, rain generally succeeds; though their activi

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July 11.

July 11.

St. James , Bp. of Nisibis, A. D. 350. St. Hidulphus , Bp. A. D. 707, or 713. St. Pius I., Pope, A. D. 157. St. Drostan , A. D. 809. Sun-set. Yellow Lupin. Lupinus flævus. Dedicated to St. James ....

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July 12.

July 12.

St. John Gualbert , Abbot, A. D. 1073. Sts. Nabor and Felix , Martyrs, A. D. 304. In the “Poems” of Mr. Gent, there are some lines of tranquillizing tendency. To Mary. Great Snapdragon. Antirrhinum purpureum. Dedicated to St. John Gualbert ....

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July 13.

July 13.

St. Eugenius , Bp. A. D. 505. St. Anacletus , Pope, A. D. 107. St. Turiaf , Bp. A. D. 749. How soothing is a calm stroll on a summer’s evening after sun-set, while the breeze of health is floating gently over the verdure, the moon ascending, and the evening star glistening like a diamond. Blue Lupin. Lupinus cœruleus. Dedicated to St. Eugenius ....

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July 14.

July 14.

St. Bonaventure , Card. Bp. A. D. 1274. St. Camillus de Lellis , A. D. 1614. St. Idus , Bp. in Leinster. The heat of the season, unless patiently endured, has a tendency to inflame the mind, and render it irritable. On some infants its effects are visible in their restlessness and peevishness. Parents, and those who have the care of childhood, must now watch themselves as well as their offspring. In July, 1821, at West Felton, in Shropshire, this rare and beautiful bird was seen, in a flight of

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July 15.

July 15.

St. Henry II., Emperor, A. D. 1024. St. Plechelm , A. D. 714. St. Swithin , Bp. A. D. 862. Swithin is still retained on this day in our almanacs, and at some public offices is a holiday. He was of noble parentage, and also called Swithun, or in the Saxon language Swithum. He received the tonsure in the church at Winchester, and became a monk in the old monastery there, of which, after being ordained priest, he was made provost or dean. He studied grammar, philosophy, and theology. For his learni

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July 16.

July 16.

St. Eustathius , Patriarch of Antioch, A. D. 338. St. Elier or Helier . July , 1817.—A man of imposing figure, wearing a large sabre and immense mustachios, arrived at one of the principal inns of a provincial city, with a female of agreeable shape and enchanting mien. He alighted at the moment that dinner was serving up at the table d’hote . At his martial appearance all the guests rose with respect; they felt assured that it must be a lieutenant-general, or a major-general at least. A new gove

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July 17.

July 17.

St. Alexius , 5th Cent. St. Speratus and his Companions. St. Marcellina , A. D. 397. St. Ennodius , Bp. A. D. 521. St. Leo IV., Pope, A. D. 855. St. Turninus , 8th Cent. The mackerel season is one of great interest on the coast, where these beautiful fish are caught. The going out and coming in of the boats are really “sights.” The prices of mackerel vary according to the different degrees of success. In 1807, the first Brighton boat of mackerel, on the 14th of May, sold at Billingsgate, for for

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July 18.

July 18.

Sts. Symphorosa and her seven Sons, Martyrs, A. D. 120. St. Philastrius , Bp. A. D. 384. St. Arnoul , Bp. A. D. 640. St. Arnoul , A. D. 534. St. Frederic , Bp. A. D. 838. St. Odulph. St. Bruno , Bp. of Segni, A. D. 1125. Summer Morning. Clare. Clare. Autumn Marigold. Chrysanthemum coronarium. Dedicated to St. Bruno....

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July 19.

July 19.

St. Vincent , of Paul, A. D. 1660. St. Arsenius , A. D. 449. St. Symmachus , Pope, A. D. 514. St. Macrina V., A. D. 379. In July, 1797, as Mr. Wright, of Saint Faith’s, in Norwich, was walking in his garden, a flight of bees alighted on his head, and entirely covered his hair, till they made an appearance like a judge’s wig. Mr. W. stood upwards of two hours in this situation, while the customary means were used for hiving them, which was completely done without his receiving any injury. Mr. Wri

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July 20.

July 20.

St. Joseph Barsabas , the Disciple. St. Margaret , of Antioch. Sts. Justa and Rufina , A. D. 304. St. Ceslas , A. D. 1242. St. Aurelius , Abp., A. D. 423. St. Ulmar , or Wulmar , A. D. 710. St. Jerom Æmiliani , A. D. 1537. Midnight and the Moon. Literary Pocket Book. Literary Pocket Book. Virginian Dragon’s Head. Dracocephalus Virginianum. Dedicated to St. Margaret ....

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July 21.

July 21.

St. Praxedes. St. Zodicus , Bp., A. D. 204. St. Barhadbesciabas , A. D. 354. St. Victor , of Marseilles. St. Arbogastus , Bp. A. D. 678. Flowers. Shelley. Shelley. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Dear Sir, I read your account of this unfortunate Being, and his forlorn piece of self-history, with that smile of half-interest which the Annals of Insignificance excite, till I came to where he says “I was bound apprentice to Mr. William Bird, an eminent writer and Teacher of languages and Mathem

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July 22.

July 22.

St. Mary Magdalen. St. Vandrille , or Wandregisilus , A. D. 666. St. Joseph , of Palestine, called Count Joseph , about A. D. 356. St. Meneve , Abbot, A. D. 720. St. Dabius or Davius . African Lily. Agapanthus umbellatus. Dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen....

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July 23.

July 23.

St. Apollinaris , Bp. of Ravenna. St. Liborius , Bp. A. D. 397. Muskflower. Scabiosa atropurpurea. Dedicated to St. Apollinaris....

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July 24.

July 24.

St. Lupus , Bp. A. D. 478. St. Francis Solano , A. D. 1610. Sts. Romanus and David , Patrons of Muscovy. St. Christina. Sts. Wulfhad and Ruffin , A. D. 670. St. Lewine. St. Declan , Bp. St. Kinga , or Cunegundes , A. D. 1292. Tree Lupin. Lupinus arboreus. Dedicated to St. Lupus ....

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July 25.

July 25.

St. James the Great , Apostle, A. D. 43. St. Christopher. Sts. Thea , and Valentina , and Paul , A. D. 308. St. Cucufas , A. D. 304. St. Nissen , Abbot. On this day oysters come in; by act of parliament they are prohibited until its arrival. It is a vulgar superstition, that whoever eats oysters on St. James’s day will never want money. The indifference to industry which such notions engender in many minds, can be testified by some of themselves, who falsify the frivolous legend by their present

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July 26.

July 26.

St. Anne , Mother of the Virgin. St. Germanus , Bp. A. D. 448. Field Chamomile. Matricaria Chamomilla. Dedicated to St. Anne . On Tuesday, the 26th of July, 1825 there was a “fight,” if so it might be called, between a lion and dogs, which ls thus reported in the public journals.— This extremely gratuitous, as well as disgusting, exhibition of brutality, took place, at a late hour on Tuesday evening, at Warwick; and, except that it was even still more offensive and cruel than was anticipated, th

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July 27.

July 27.

St. Pantaleon , A. D. 303. Sts. Maximian , Malchus , Martinian , Dionysius , John , Serapion , and Constantine , the Seven Sleepers, A. D. 250. St. Congail , St. Luica. These saints, according to Alban Butler, were Ephesians, who for their faith, under Decius, in 250, were walled up together in a cave, wherein they had hid themselves, till they were found in 479; and hence, he says, “some moderns have imagined that they only lay asleep till they were found.” He designates them in his title, howe

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July 28.

July 28.

Sts. Nazarius and Celsus , A. D. 68. St. Victor , Pope, A. D. 201. St. Innocent I. Pope, A. D. 417. St. Sampson , A. D. 564. There is at present in Berlin, a boy, between four and five years old, who has manifested an extraordinary precocity of musical talent. Carl Anton Florian Eckert, the son of a sergeant in the second regiment of Fencible Guards, was born on the 7th of December, 1820. While in the cradle, the predilection of this remarkable child for music was striking, and passages in a min

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July 29.

July 29.

St. Martha V. Sts. Simplicius and Faustinus , brothers, and Beatrice , their sister, A. D. 303. St. William , Bp. A. D. 1234. St. Olaus , or Olave , king of Norway, A. D. 1030. St. Olaus , king of Sweden. By the process of boring, springs may be reached more expeditiously and economically than by the old method of well digging. The expense of boring from one to two hundred feet deep is little more than one-fourth of digging, seventy feet is less than a fourth, thirty feet is less than a fifth, a

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July 30.

July 30.

Sts. Abden and Sennen , A. D. 250. St. Julitta , A. D. 303. On Tuesday, the 30th of July, 1751, Thomas Colley, William Humbles, and Charles Young, otherwise Lee, otherwise Red Beard, were tried at Hertford for the murder of Ruth Osborne, by drowning her in a pond at Marlston-green, in the parish of Tring. The trial is exceedingly curious. It appeared that William Dell, the town crier of Hamel-Hempstead, on the 18th of April preceding, was desired by one Nichols, who gave him a piece of paper and

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July 31.

July 31.

St. Ignatius , of Loyola, A. D. 1556. St. John Columbini , A. D. 1367. St. Helen , of Sweden, A. D. 1160. St. Ignatius Loyola—Founder of the Jesuits. Ignatius was born in 1495, in the castle of Loyola in Guipuscoa, a part of Biscay adjoining the Pyrenees. In his childhood he was pregnant of wit, discreet above his years, affable and obliging, with a choleric disposition, and an ardent passion for glory. Bred in the court of Ferdinand V., under the duke of Najara, his kinsman and patron, as page

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August 1.

August 1.

St. Peter ad Vincula , or St. Peter’s chains. The seven Machabees , Brothers, with their Mother. Sts. Faith, Hope, and Charity . St. Etholwold , Bp. A. D. 984. St. Pellegrini , or Peregrinus , A. D. 643. The Romish church pretending to possess one of the chains wherewith Peter was bound, and from which the angel delivered him, indulges its votaries with a festival in its honour on this day. “Pagan Rome,” says Alban Butler, “never derived so much honour from the spoils and trophies of a conquered

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August 2.

August 2.

St. Stephen , Pope, A. D. 257. St. Etheldritha, or Alfrida. A. D. 834. Tiger Lily. Lilium tigrinum. Dedicated to St. Alfrida ....

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August 3.

August 3.

The Invention of St. Stephen , or the discovery of his relics, A. D. 415. St. Nicodemus. St. Gamaliel , A. D. 415. St. Walthen , or Waltheof , A. D. 1160. Holyhock. Althea rosea. Dedicated to The Invention of St. Stephen’s Relics ....

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August 4.

August 4.

St. Dominic , Confessor, founder of the friar preachers, A. D. 1221. St. Luanus , or Lugid , or Molua , of Ireland, A. D. 622. Holinshed records, that in the year 1577, “on Sundaie the fourth of August, betweene the houres of nine and ten of the clocke in the forenone, whilest the minister was reading of the second lesson in the parish church of Bliborough, a towne in Suffolke, a strange and terrible tempest of lightening and thunder strake thorough the wall of the same church into the ground al

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August 5.

August 5.

The Dedication of St. Mary ad Nives. St. Oswald , King. St. Afra , and Companions, A. D. 304. St. Memmius , or Menge , Bp. A. D. 290. In the “London Chronicle” of the 5th of August, 1758, there is an advertisement from a sufferer under a disease of such a nature that, though the cure is simple, a description of the various afflictions and modes of relief peculiar to the progress of the disorder would fill many volumes. To guard the young wholly against it is impossible; for like the small pox, e

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August 6.

August 6.

The Transfiguration of our Lord. St. Xystus , or Sixtus II., Pope and Martyr. Sts. Justus and Pastor , A. D. 304. This, which stands in the English almanacs on the present day, is the name of a popish festival, in celebration of the glorified appearance of Christ on mount Tabor. Meadow Saffron. Colchicum autumnale. Dedicated to the Transfiguration ....

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August 7.

August 7.

St. Cajetan , A. D. 1547. St. Donatus , Bp. A. D. 361. There is no satisfactory reason for this nomination of the present day in our almanacs. On the 7th of August, 1783, the princess Amelia, daughter to his late majesty, was born; and on the 2d of November, 1810, she died at Windsor. Her constitution was delicate, and subject to frequent and severe indisposition. On her death-bed she anxiously desired to present his majesty with a token of her filial duty and affection; himself was suffering un

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August 8.

August 8.

Sts. Cyriacus , Largus , Smaragdus , and their Companions, Martyrs, A. D. 303. St. Hormisdas. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, The variety of funeral-rites and ceremonies, prevalent in different ages and countries, has been so great as to forbid any attempt to enumerate them; but it is consistent with the character and design of the Every-Day Book , to record the peculiar customs which have existed in different districts of our native land: for although your motto from old Herrick, does

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August 9.

August 9.

St. Romanus. St. Nathy , or David , A. D. 530. St. Fedlemid , or Felimy , Bp. of Kilmore, 6th Cent. Jacobæan Ragweed. Senecio jacobea. Dedicated to St. Romanus . According to T. N., a Cambridge correspondent, this tree is, in that county, called the Cambridge oak. Old Fuller calls it “a sad tree, whereof such who have lost their love make their mourning garlands ; and we know that exiles hung up their harps upon such doleful supporters. The twigs hereof are physick to drive out the folly of chil

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August 10.

August 10.

St. Lawrence , A. D. 258. St Deusdedit. St. Blaan , Bp. of Kinngaradha, A. D. 446. His name stands in the church of England calendar. He suffered martyrdom at Rome, under Valerian. Mr. Audley relates of St. Lawrence, “that being peculiarly obnoxious, the order for his punishment was, ‘Bring out the grate of iron; and when it is red hot , on with him, roast him, broil him, turn him: upon pain of our high displeasure, do every man his office, O ye tormentors .’ These orders were obeyed, and after

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August 11.

August 11.

Sts. Tiburtius and Chromatius , A. D. 286. St. Susanna , 3rd Cent. St. Gery , or Gaugericus , Bp. A. D. 619. St. Equitius , A. D. 540. The dog-days end on this day. This period in the year 1825, was remarkable for longer absence of rain and greater heat than usual. It was further remarkable for numerous conflagrations, especially in the metropolis and its environs. Dr. Forster in his Perennial Calendar , observes, that the gentle refreshing breezes by day, and the delicious calms by night, at th

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August 12.

August 12.

St. Clare , Abbess, A. D. 1253. St. Euplius , A. D. 304. St. Muredach , First Bp. of Killala, A. D. 440. King George IV. was born on the 12th of August, 1762; but the anniversary is kept on St. George’s-day, the 23d of April. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, I am a poor wronged Day . I appeal to you as the general patron of the family of the Days . The candour with which you attended to the expostulations of a poor relative of ours—a sort of cousin thrice removed [250] —encourages me to

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August 13.

August 13.

St. Hippolytas , A. D. 252. St. Cassian . St. Rudegundes , queen of France, A. D. 587. St. Wigbert , Abbot, A. D. 747. Once upon a time—on or about the 13th of August, 1819; it might have been a few or many days before or after that day, or a month or so before or after that month—the day or month is of less consequence to the reader, than to the editor, who desires to “bring in” an interesting anecdote or two on the 13th day of August. Once upon a time, a cat—it is a fact—for it is in The Scots

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August 14.

August 14.

S. Eusebius , 3rd Cent. St. Eusebius , Priest. It is stated in The Times , on the authority of an “Evening Paper,” that two beautiful old trees in Nottingham park during the hot weather (of July and August, 1825,) shed all their leaves, and were as completely stripped as they are usually in November. Their appearance afterwards was more surprising. Wet weather came, they put forth new leaves and were as fully clothed in August as they were before the long season of the dry hot weather. THE WITHE

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August 15.

August 15.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Alipius , Bp. A. D. 429. St. Arnoul , or Arnulphus , Bp. A. D. 1087. St. Mac-Cartin , or Aid , or Aed , Bp. of Clogher, A. D. 506. So stands this high festival of the Romish church in the church of England calendar. No reason can be imagined for its remaining there; for the assumption of the virgin is the pretended miraculous ascent of her body into heaven. Butler calls it “the greatest of all the festivals the Romish church celebrates in her honour

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August 16.

August 16.

St. Hyacinth , A. D. 1257. St. Roche , A. D. 1327. St. Roche. “Sound as a roach.” All that Butler can affirm of him is, that making a pilgrimage from Montpellier to Rome, during a pestilence, he devoted himself to the sick, became infected, made a shift to crawl into a neighbouring forest, bore incredible pains with patience and joy, returned to France, practised austere penance and piety, and died at Montpellier. In the “Golden Legend” he is called St. Rock; and it relates that when infected by

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August 17.

August 17.

St. Manus , A. D. 275. Sts. Liberatus , Abbot, and six monks, A. D. 483. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, I know nothing more respecting the subjoined narrative than that I am almost certain I copied it some years ago from that mass of trifling, the papers of old Cole, in the British Museum. It purports to be an extract from the Cambridge journal, from whence he no doubt took it. I am, Sir, &amp;c. D. Account of the Earl of Roseberry’s Son, and a Clergyman’s Wife, in Essex. In the C

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August 18.

August 18.

St. Helen , Empress, A. D. 328. St. Agapetus , A. D. 275. St. Clare of Monte Falco, A. D. 1308. For the Every-Day Book. August 18 to 23. “Rare doings at Camberwell.”—“All holiday at Peckham.” I do not know Mr. Capper’s authority for saying in his “Topographical Dictionary,” that the fair, held at Camberwell from time immemorial, is suppressed. Although much has been done towards accomplishing this end, it does not seem likely to prevail. It commenced formerly on the 9th of August, and continued

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August 19.

August 19.

Sts. Timothy , Agapius , and Thecla , A. D. 304. St. Lewis , Bp., A. D. 1297. St. Mochteus , A. D. 535. St. Cumin , Bp. 7th Cent. On the 19th of August, 1823, Robert Bloomfield died at Shefford, in Bedfordshire, aged 57. He was born at Honington, near Bury, in Suffolk, where he received instruction in reading and writing at a common school, and became a “Farmer’s boy;” which occupation he has related with simplicity and beauty in a poem under that title. He wrote that production when a journeyma

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August 20.

August 20.

St. Bernard , Abbot, A. D. 1153. St. Oswin , King, 6th Cent. Autumnal Dandelion. Apargia Autumnalis. Dedicated to St. Bernard ....

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August 21.

August 21.

Sts. Bonosus and Maxmilian , A. D. 363. St. Jane Frances de Chantal , A. D. 1641. St. Richard , Bp. 12th Cent. St. Bernard Ptolemy , Founder of the Olivetans, A. D. 1348. French Marigold. Tagetes patula. Dedicated to St. Jane Francis ....

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August 22.

August 22.

St. Hippolytus , Bp. 3d Cent. St. Symphorian , A. D. 178. St. Timothy , A. D. 311. St. Andrew , Deacon, A. D. 880. St. Philibert , Abbot, A. D. 684. On the 22d of August, 1818, Warren Hastings, late governor-general of India, died; he was born in 1733. His government in India, the subject of parliamentary impeachment, which cost the nation above a hundred thousand pounds, and himself more than sixty thousand, is generally admitted to have been conducted with advantage to the interests of the nat

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August 23.

August 23.

St. Philip Beniti , A. D. 1285. Sts. Claudius , Asterius , Neon , Domnina , and Theonilla , A. D. 285. St. Apollinaris Sidonius , Bp. of Clermont, A. D. 482. St. Theonas , Abp. of Alexandria, A. D. 300. St. Eugenius , Bp. in Ireland, A. D. 618. St. Justinian , Hermit, A. D. 529. Tanzey. Tanacetum vulgare. Dedicated to St. Philip Beniti ....

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August 24.

August 24.

St. Bartholomew , Apostle. The Martyrs of Utica , A. D. 258. St. Ouen , or Audoen , Abp. A. D. 683. St. Irchard , or Erthad , Bp. Mr. Audley says, “There is no scriptural account of his birth, labour, or death. It is commonly said, he preached in the Indies, and was flayed alive by order of Astyages, brother to Palemon, king of Armenia. I have heard this day called black Bartholomew. The reason, I suppose, for this appellation is, on account of the two thousand ministers who were ejected on this

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August 25.

August 25.

St. Lewis , king of France, A. D. 1270, St. Gregory , Administrator of the diocese of Utrecht, A. D. 776. St. Ebba , in English, St. Tabbs , A. D. 683. An exact old writer [266] says of printers at this season of the year, that “It is customary for all journeymen to make every year, new paper windows about Bartholomew-tide , at which time the master printer makes them a feast called a way-goose , to which is invited the corrector, founder, smith, ink-maker, &amp;c. who all open their purses

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August 26.

August 26.

St. Zephyrinus , Pope, A. D. 219. St. Genesius , a Comedian, A. D. 303. St. Gelasinus , a Comedian at Heliopolis, A. D. 297. St. Genesius , of Arles, about the 4th Cent. “ Il cantar, che nel’ animosi sente. ” Banded Amaryllis. Amaryllis vittata. Dedicated to St. Zephyrinus ....

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August 27.

August 27.

St. Cæsarius , Abp. of Arles, A. D. 542. St. Pæmen , or Pastor , Abbot about A. D. 385. St. Hugh of Lincoln, A. D. 1255. St. Joseph Calasanctius , A. D. 1648. St. Malrubius , about A. D. 1040. St. Syagrius , Bp. of Autun, A. D. 600. Dr. Forster in his “Perennial Calendar” quotes the mention of this and other luminous insects from “a late entomological work,” in the following passage:—“This little planet of the rural scene may be observed in abundance in the month of August, when the earth is alm

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August 28.

August 28.

St. Augustine , Bp. and Doctor of the Church, A. D. 430. St. Hermes , about A. D. 132. St. Julian , Martyr. His name is in the church of England calendar. He was born at Tagasta, in Numidia, in 354. Lardner awards to him the character of an illustrious man, and says, that “a sublime genius, an uninterrupted and zealous pursuit of truth, an indefatigable application, and invincible patience, a sincere piety, and a subtle and lively wit, conspired to establish his fame upon the most lasting founda

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August 29.

August 29.

The Decollation of St. John Baptist. St. Sabina. St. Sebbi , or Sebba , King, about A. D. 697. St. Merri , in Latin, Medericus , Abbot, about A. D. 700. Yellow Hollyhock. Althea flava. Dedicated to St. Sabina ....

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August 30.

August 30.

St. Rose of Lima, Virgin, A. D. 1617. Sts. Felix and Adauctus , about A. D. 303. St. Fiaker , Anchoret, called by the French, Fiacre , and anciently, Fefre , about A. D. 670. St. Pammachius , A. D. 410. St. Agilus , commonly called St. Aile , about A. D. 650. Guernsey Lily. Amaryllis Sarniensis. Dedicated to St. Rose ....

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August 31.

August 31.

St. Raymund Nonnatus , A. D. 1240. St. Isabel , A. D. 1270. St. Cuthburge , 8th Cent. St. Aidan , or Ædan , A. D. 651. He was born in Ireland, and was bishop of Lindisfarne, which from the number of reputed saints there buried, is called the Holy Island. Bede relates many miracles and prophecies of him. His cart and two oxen laden with wood as he drove them, falling down a high rock into the sea, he only made the sign of the cross as they fell, and received all safe and sound out of the waters,

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September 1.

September 1.

St. Giles , Abbot, 7th Cent. Twelve Brothers , Martyrs, A. D. 258. St. Lupus , or Leu , Abp. A. D. 623. St. Firminus II. , Bp. of Amiens, A. D. 347. This saint is in the church of England calendar. He was born at Athens, and came into France in 715, having first disposed of his patrimony to charitable uses. After living two years with Cæsarius, bishop of Arles, he commenced hermit, and so continued till he was made abbot of an abbey at Nismes, which the king built for his sake. He died in 750. [

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September 2.

September 2.

St. Stephen , king of Hungary, A. D. 1038. St. Justus , Abp. of Lyons, A. D. 390. St. William , Bp. of Roschild, A. D. 1067. B. Margaret , 13th Cent. The “Great Fire” of London is denoted as above in our almanacs on this day. It broke out at Pudding-lane and ended at Pie-corner. The monument on Fish-street-hill to commemorate the calamity, bears the following inscription on the north side:— “In the year of Christ, 1666, the 2d day of September, eastward from hence, at the distance of 202 feet, t

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September 3.

September 3.

St. Simeon Stylites , the younger, A. D. 592. St. Remaclus , Bp. of Maestricht, A. D. 664. St. Mansuet , first Bp. of Toul, in Lorrain, A. D. 375. St. Macrisius , first Bp. of Connor, in Ireland, A. D. 513. This is the only Fair now held within the city of London, and, as introductory to an account of this annual scene, it is necessary to notice that it has been the custom from time immemorial for one of the four attorneys of the lord mayor’s court, who may happen to be what is termed the attorn

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September 4.

September 4.

Sts. Marcellus and Valerian , A. D. 179. Translation of St. Cuthbert. St. Ida , Widow, 9th Cent. St. Rosalia , A. D. 1160. St. Rosa of Viterbo, A. D. 1252. St. Ultan , Irish Bp. A. D. 655. This day in the year, 1825, being Sunday, Bartholomew Fair was wholly suspended. Yet many thousands of persons walking for recreation, repaired to Smithfield and viewed its appearance. The city officers most strictly enforced observance of the day: one keeper of a gingerbread-stall who plied for custom, and re

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September 5.

September 5.

St. Laurence Justinian , first Patriarch of Venice, A. D. 1455. St. Bertin , Abbot, A. D. 709. St. Alto , Abbot, 8th Cent. 1825. On this day, Monday the 5th, the Fair was resumed, when the editor of the Every-Day Book accurately surveyed it throughout. From his notes made on the spot he reports the following particulars of what he there observed. At ten o’clock this morning I entered Smithfield from Giltspur-street. [ Mem. This way towards Smithfield was anciently called Gilt Spurre , or Knight-

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September 6.

September 6.

St. Pambo of Nitria, A. D. 385. St. Eleutherius , Abbot. St. Bega , or Bees , 7th Cent. Alban Butler boldly says, that this saint raised a dead man to life. He died at Rome, in St. Andrew’s monastery, about the year 585. Autumnal Dandelion. Apargia Autumnalis. Dedicated to St. Pambo ....

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September 7.

September 7.

Cloud , A. D. 560. St. Regina , or St. Reine , A. D. 251. St. Evurtius , A. D. 340. St. Grimonia , or Germana . St. Madelberte , A. D. 705. Sts. Alchmund and Tilberht , Bps. of Hexham, A. D. 780 and 789. St. Eunan , first Bp. of Raphoe. This saint is in the church of England calendar, and therefore in the English almanacs, but on what ground it is difficult to conjecture; for Butler himself merely mentions him as a bishop of Orleans, who lived in the reign of Constantine, and died about 340:—he

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September 8.

September 8.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. St. Adrian , A. D. 306. St. Sidronius , A. D. 1067. Sts. Eusebius , Nestablus , Zeno , and Nestor , Martyrs under Julian. St. Corbinian , Bp. A. D. 730. St. Disen , or Disibode , A. D. 700. The Festival of the Holy Name of the Virgin Mary. Nativity B. V. M. This Roman catholic festival is in the church of England calendar and almanacs. According to Butler and other Romish writers, “the title of the mother of God was confirmed to the virgin Mary” by the traditions

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September 9.

September 9.

Sts. Gorgonius , Dorotheus , and Companions A. D. 304. St. Omer , A. D. 607. St. Kiaran , Abbot A. D. 549. St. Osmana of Ireland. St. Bettelin. The town of Stafford is honoured by this saint being its patron, where “his relics were kept with great veneration.” He is said to have served St. Guthlac, and been of all others most dear to him, and to have led an “anchoretical life in the forest near Stafford.” [313] The fate of this unhappy young woman who committed suicide at Bath, on the 9th of Sep

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September 10.

September 10.

St. Nicholas , of Tolentino, A. D. 1306. St. Pulcheria , Empress, A. D. 453. Sts. Nemesianus , Felix , Lucius , another Felix , Litteus , Polianus , Victor , Jader , and Dativus , Bps. with other Priests, Deacons, &amp;c., in Numidia, banished under Valerian. St. Finian , called Winin , by the Welsh, Bp. 6th Cent. St. Salvias , Bp. of Albi, A. D. 580. [Autumn is by some supposed to commence on the 8th of this month.] Autumn. Dr Forster is of opinion that autumn commences on the 10th of Septe

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September 11.

September 11.

Sts. Protus and Hyacinthus , A. D. 257. St. Paphnutius , A. D. 335. St. Patiens , Abp. of Lyons, A. D. 480. On the 11th of September, 1802, the following cause was decided by a jury in the sheriff’s court. Hurst v. Halford The plaintiff was a nicknackitarian , that is, a dealer in curiosities, such as Egyptian mummies, Indian implements of war, arrows dipped in the poison of the upas-tree, bows, antique shields, helmets, &amp;c. He was described as possessing the skin of the cameleopard exhi

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September 12.

September 12.

St. Eanswide , Abbess, 7th Cent. St. Guy of Anderlecht, 11th Cent. St. Albeus , A. D. 525. On the 12th of September, 1823, the inhabitants of Newcastle and Gateshead were gratified with a spectacle which in that part was novel and peculiarly interesting, although in London it is common. It was a procession through the principal streets, of the workmen employed in several of the glass-houses, each bearing in his hand a specimen of the art, remarkable either for its curious construction, or its be

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September 13.

September 13.

St. Eulogius , Patriarch of Alexandria, A. D. 608. St. Amatus , Bp. A. D. 690. Another St. Amatus , or Ame , Abbot, A. D. 627. St. Maurilius , 5th Cent. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Dear Sir, Probably a biographical sketch of this eminent professor of the histrionic art, may prove acceptable to your interesting weekly sheet. Of the latter days of Mr. Smith, I write from my own recollection of him. It is a pleasant occupation to record the acts of these worthies of the legitimate drama—to

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September 14.

September 14.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross , A. D. 629. St. Catharine of Genoa, A. D. 1510. St. Cormac , Bp. of Cashel, and king of Munster, A. D. 908. Holy Cross is in our almanacs and the church of England calendar on this day, whereon is celebrated a Romish catholic festival in honour of the holy cross, or, as our ancestors called it, the holy rood . From this denomination Holyrood-house , Edinburgh, derives its name. The rood was a carved or sculptured groupe consisting of a crucifix, or image of Chri

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September 15.

September 15.

St. Nicetas , 4th Cent. St. Nicomedes , A. D. 90. St. John , the Dwarf, 5th Cent. St. Aicard , or Achart , Abbot, A. D. 687. St. Aper , or Evre , Bp. A. D. 486. The weather on an average is, at least, six times out of seven fine on this day. [324] Chamberlayne. Chamberlayne. Byzantine Saffron. Colchicum Byzanticum. Dedicated to St. Nicetas . [324] Dr. Forster’s Peren. Calendar....

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September 16.

September 16.

St. Cornelius , Pope, A. D. 252. St. Cyprian , Abp. of Carthage, A. D. 258. St. Euphemia , A. D. 307. Sts. Lucia and Geminianus. Sts. Ninian , or Ninyas , Bp. A. D. 432. St. Editha , A. D. 984. This eccentric individual, who is recorded on the 23d of May , died in the workhouse of St. Leonard’s, at Cambridge, on the 16th of September, 1825. He had for many years been in the receipt of an annuity of five and twenty pounds bequeathed to him by Mr. Gordon, a deceased relative. Several confinements

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September 17.

September 17.

St. Lambert , Bp. A. D. 709. St. Columba , A. D. 853. St. Hildegardis , Abbess, A. D. 1179. St. Rouin , or Rodingus , or Chrodingus , A. D. 680. Sts. Socrates and Stephen , Martyrs under Dioclesian. He is a saint in the Romish calendar; his name “Lambert” stands unsainted in the church of England calendar and almanacs: sometimes he is called Landebert. He was bishop of Maestricht from which see he was expelled in 673, and retired to the monastery of Stavelo, where he continued seven years, submi

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September 18.

September 18.

St. Thomas , Abp. of Valentia, A. D. 1555. St. Methodius , Bp. of Tyre, A. D. 311. St. Ferreol , A. D. 304. St. Joseph , of Cupertino, A. D. 1663. He was “a tribune or colonel,” Butler says, at Vienne in France, and imprisoned on suspicion of being a christian, which he verified by refusing to sacrifice according to the religion of the country, whereupon being scourged and laid in a dungeon, on the third day his chains fell off his hands and legs, and he swam over the Rhone. It appears that the

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September 19.

September 19.

St. Januarius , Bp. of Benevento, A. D. 305. St. Theodore , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 690. Sts. Peleus , Pa-Termuthes , and Companions. St. Lucy A. D. 1090. St. Eustochius , Bp. A. D. 461. St. Sequanus , or Seine , Abbot, A. D. 580. This place, near Cambridge, is also called Sturbridge, Sturbitch, and Stirbitch. A Cambridge newspaper speaks of Stirbitch fair being proclaimed on the 19th of September, 1825, for a fortnight, and of Stirbitch horse-fair commencing on the 26th of the month. The corr

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September 20.

September 20.

Sts. Eustachius and Companions. St. Agapetus , Pope, A. D. 536. On the 20th of September, 1753, the foundation stone of the new exchange at Edinburgh was laid by George Drummond, Esq. grand master of the society of freemasons in Scotland. The procession was very grand and regular: each lodge of masons, of which there were twelve or thirteen, walked in procession by themselves, all uncovered, amounting to six hundred and seventy-two, most of whom were operative masons. The military paid proper ho

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September 21.

September 21.

St. Matthew , Apostle and Evangelist. St. Maura , A. D. 850. St. Lo , or Laudus , Bp. of Coutances, A. D. 568. This is a festival in the church of England calendar, and in the almanacs. Mr. Audley notices of Matthew, that he was also called Levi; that he was the son of Alpheus, a publican, or tax-gatherer, under the Romans; and that he is said to have preached the gospel in Ethiopia, and to have died a martyr there. Mr. A. inclines to think that he died a natural death. He says, it is generally,

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September 22.

September 22.

St. Maurice , and his Companions, 4th Cent. St. Emmeran , Bp. of Poitiers, A. D. 653. Tree Boletus. Boletus arborens. Dedicated to St. Maurice ....

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September 23.

September 23.

St. Linus , Pope. St. Thecla , 1st Cent. St. Adamnan , Abbot, A. D. 705. On the 23d of September, 1751, a man ran, driving a coach-wheel, from the Bishop’s-head in the Old Bailey, to the eleventh mile stone at Barnet, and back again, in three hours and fifty-one minutes, having four hours to do it in, for a wager of 50 l. [330] White Starwort. Aster dumotus. Dedicated to St. Thecla . [330] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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September 24.

September 24.

St. Gerard , Bp. of Chonad, A. D. 1046. St. Germer , or Geremar , Abbot, A. D. 658. St. Rusticus , or St. Rotiri , Bp. of Auvergne, 5th Cent. St. Chuniald , or Conald . Dung Fungus. Agaricus fimetarius. Dedicated to St. Gerard ....

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September 25.

September 25.

S. Ceolfrid , Abbot, A. D. 716. St. Barr , or Finbarr , first Bp. of Cork, 6th Cent. St. Firmin , Bp. of Amiens, 3d Cent. St. Aunaire , Bp. of Auxerre, A. D. 605. A late distinguished senator said in parliament, “man is born to labour as the sparks fly upwards.” This observation is founded on a thorough knowledge of the destiny from which none can escape. The idle are always unhappy, nor can even mental vigour be preserved without bodily exercise. Neither he who has attained to inordinate wealth

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September 26.

September 26.

Sts. Cyprian and Justina , A. D. 304. St. Eusebius , Pope, A. D. 310. St. Colman Elo , Abbot, A. D. 610. St. Nilus , the younger, Abbot, A. D. 1005. This day is so marked in the church of England calendar and in the almanacs. Respecting the rood enough, perhaps, was said to gratify the reader’s curiosity on holy-rood day . Is also in the calendar and almanacs on this day. He was a native of Carthage in the third century, and as a father is highly esteemed for the piety of his writings and the pu

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September 27.

September 27.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian , A. D. 303. Sts. Elzear and Delphina , A. D. 1323, and 1369. These saints are said to have been beheaded under Dioclesian. In a church dedicated to these saints at Isernia, near Naples, while sir William Hamilton was ambassador from Great Britain to that court, votive offerings were presented of so remarkable a nature, as to occasion him to acquaint sir Joseph Banks with the particulars. They were the grossest relics of the ancient pagan worship. The late Mr. Richard Payn

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September 28.

September 28.

St. Wenceslas , duke of Bohemia, A. D. 938. St. Lioba , Abbess, A. D. 779. St. Eustochium , A. D. 419. St. Exuperius , Bp. of Toulouse, A. D. 409. Evergreen Golden Rod. Solidago sempervirens. Dedicated to St. Eustochium, V ....

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September 29.

September 29.

The Dedication of St. Michael’s Church , or The Festival of St. Michael and all the holy Angels . St. Theodota , A. D. 642. This saint is in our almanacs and in the calendar of the church of England. The day is a great festival in the Romish church. The rev. Edward Barnard, of Brantinghamthorpe, in “ The Protestant Beadsman ,” an elegantly written “series of biographical notices and hymns, commemorating the saints and martyrs whose holidays are kept by the church of England,” says, “The rank of

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September 30.

September 30.

St. Jerome , Priest, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 420. St. Gregory , Bp. surnamed the Apostle of Armenia, and the Illuminator, 4th Cent. St. Honorius , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 653. This saint is in the church of England calendar and almanacs. Particulars concerning him will be related hereafter; it is sufficient to observe, for the present, that the church of England sets him forth as an authority for reading the Old Testament Apocrypha. The annual election of a bailiff at this town, before not

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October 1.

October 1.

St. Remigius , A. D. 533. St. Bavo , Patron of Ghent, A. D. 653. St. Piat , A. D. 286. St. Wasnulf , or Wasnon , A. D. 651. St. Fidharleus , Abbot in Ireland, A. D. 762. Festival of the Rosary. This is another saint in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. He was bishop or archbishop of Rheims, and the instructor of Clovis, the first king of the Franks who professed christianity; Remigius baptized him by trine immersion. The accession of Clovis to the church, is deemed to have been th

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October 2.

October 2.

Feast of the Holy Angel-Guardians. St. Thomas , Bp. of Hereford, A. D. 1282. St. Leodegarius , or Leger , A. D. 678. The festival of “the Holy Angel-Guardians” as they are called by Butler, is this day kept by his church. He says that, “according to St. Thomas,” when the angels were created, the lowest among them were enlightened by those that were supreme in the orders. It is not to be gathered from him how many orders there were; but Holme says, that “after the fall of Lucifer the bright star

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October 3.

October 3.

St. Dionysius the Areopagite, A. D. 51. St. Gerard , Abbot, A. D. 959. The two Ewalds , A. D. 690. Downy Helenium. Helenium pubescens. Dedicated to St. Dionysius. SONNET. Written at Chatsworth with a Pencil in October. TIME—SUNSET. Rickman. Rickman....

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October 4.

October 4.

St. Francis of Assisium, A. D. 1226. Sts. Marcus , Marcian , &amp;c. St. Petronius , Bp. A. D. 430. St. Ammon , Hermit, A. D. 308. St. Aurea , Abbess, A. D. 666. St. Edwin , King, A. D. 633. The Martyrs of Triers. Before the close of the sessions of parliament in 1825 an act passed for the removal of the toll-gate at Hyde-park-corner, with a view to the free passage of horsemen and carriages between London and Pimlico. So great an accommodation to the inhabitants of that suburb, manifests a

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October 5.

October 5.

St. Placidus , &amp;c. A. D. 546. St. Galla , 6th Cent. The cantering of Tim Tims [340] startles him who told of his “youthful days,” at the school wherein poor “Starkey” cyphered part of his little life. C. L. “getting well, but weak” from painful and severe indisposition, is “off and away” for a short discursion. Better health to him, and good be to him all his life. Here he is. ( For Hone’s Every-Day Book. ) Mr. Collier, in his “Poetical Decameron” (Third Conversation) notices a Tract, pr

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October 6.

October 6.

St. Bruno , Founder of the Carthusian Monks, A. D. 1101. St. Faith or Fides , and others. This name in the church of England calendar and almanacs belongs to a saint of the Romish church. According to Butler, St. Faith was a female of Aquitain, put to death under Dacian. He says she was titular saint of several churches in France, particularly that of Longueville in Normandy, which was enriched by Walter Giffard, earl of Buckingham. He also says she was “patroness of the priory of Horsam, in the

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October 7.

October 7.

St. Mark , Pope, A. D. 336. Sts. Sergius and Bacchus . Sts. Marcellus and Apuleius . St. Justina of Padua, A. D. 304. St. Osith , A. D. 870. After the harvest for human subsistence during winter, most of the provision for other animals ripens, and those with provident instincts are engaged in the work of gathering and storing. Perhaps the prettiest of living things in the forest are squirrels. They may now be seen fully employed in bearing off their future food; and now many of the little creatu

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October 8.

October 8.

St. Bridget , A. D. 1373. St. Thais , A. D. 348. St. Pelagia , 5th Cent. St. Keyna , 5th or 6th Cent. Sweet Maudlin. Actillea Ageratum. Dedicated to St. Bridget ....

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October 9.

October 9.

St. Dionysius , Bp. of Paris, and others, A. D. 272. St. Domninus , A. D. 304. St. Guislain , A. D. 681. St. Lewis Bertrand , A. D. 1581. This is the patron saint of France, and his name stands in our almanacs and in the church of England calendar, as well as in the Romish calendar. St. Denys. “The times have been that when the brains were out the man would die;” they were “ the times !” Yet, even in those times, except “the Anthrophagi, and men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders,” men,

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October 10.

October 10.

St. Francis Borgia , A. D. 1572. St. Paulinus , Abp. of York, A. D. 644. St. John of Bridlington, A. D. 1379. 1825. Oxford and Cambridge Terms begin on this day. AUTUMN. Cape Acetris. Velthemia Viridifolia. Dedicated to St. Francis Borgia . [347] Literary Pocket Book...

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October 11.

October 11.

Sts. Tarachus , Probus , and Andronicus , A. D. 304. St. Gummar , or Gomar , A. D. 774. St. Ethelburge , or Edilburge , A. D. 664. St. Canicus , or Kenny , Abbot in Ireland, A. D. 599. In ancient times, on the festival of this saint, furmity was “an usual dish.” [348] On this day it was a custom in Hertfordshire for young men to assemble in the fields and choose a leader, whom they were obliged to follow through ponds and ditches, “over brake and briar.” Every person they met was taken up by the

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October 12.

October 12.

St. Wilfrid , Bp. of York, A. D. 709. Now come the long evenings with devices for amusing them. In the intervals of recreation there is “work to do.” This word “work” is significant of an employment which astonishes men, and seems never to tire the fingers of their industrious helpmates and daughters; except that, with an expression which we are at a loss to take for either jest or earnest, because it partakes of each, they now and then exclaim, “women’s work is never done!” The assertion is not

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October 13.

October 13.

St. Edward , King and Confessor, A. D. 1066. Sts. Faustus , Januarius , and Martialis , A. D. 304. Seven Friar Minors , Martyrs, A. D. 1221. St. Colman , A. D. , 1012. St. Gerald , Count of Aurillac, or Orilhac, A. D. 909. This, in the church of England calendar and almanacs, denotes the day to be a festival to the memory of the removal of his bones or relics, as they are called by the Roman church, from whence the festival is derived. On the 13th of October, 1754, died at Stebbing in Essex, Mr.

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October 14.

October 14.

St. Calixtus , or Callistus , Pope, A. D. 222. St. Donatian , Bp. A. D. 389. St. Burckard , 1st Bp. of Wurtsburg, A. D. 752. St. Dominic , surnamed Loricatus , A. D. 1060. The year is now declining; “the sear, the yellow leaf” falls, and “dies in October.” There is a moral in every thing to moralizing minds; these indications of wear on the face of the earth, induce moralities on the use and abuse of time. The Hare and Tortoise. Lloyd. Lloyd. Indian Fleabane. Inula Indica. Dedicated to St. Calix

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October 15.

October 15.

St. Teresa , Virgin, A. D. 1582. St. Tecla , Abbess. St. Hospicius , or Hospis , A. D. 580. A contemporary kalendarian [351] appears to be an early smoker and a keen sportsman. He says, “From having constantly amused ourselves with our pipe early in the morning, we have discovered and are enabled to point out an almost infallible method of judging of good scent. When the tobacco smoke seems to hang lazily in the air, scarcely sinking or rising, or moving from the place where it is emitted from t

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October 16.

October 16.

St. Gall , Abbot, A. D. 646. St. Lullus , or Lullon , Abp., A. D. 787. St. Mummolin , or Mommolin , Bp. A. D. 665. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, Ascension-day, whereon there is a remarkable annual custom in maintenance of a tenure, has passed, but as it originated from a circumstance on the 16th of October, you can introduce it on that day, and it will probably be informing as well as amusing to the majority of readers. The narrative is derived from a tract formerly published at Whit

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October 17.

October 17.

St. Hedwiges , or Avoice , duchess of Poland, A. D. 1243, St. Anstrudis , or Anstru , A. D. 688. St. Andrew of Crete, A. D. 761. She was daughter of Annas, king of the East Angles, and born about 630, at Ixning, formerly a town of note on the western border of Suffolk, next Cambridgeshire. At Coldingham Abbey, Yorkshire, she took the veil under Ebba, daughter of king Ethelfrida, an abbess, afterwards celebrated for having saved herself and her nuns from the outrage of the Danes by mutilating the

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October 18.

October 18.

St. Luke the Evangelist , A. D. 63. St. Julian Sabus , 4th Cent. St. Justin. St. Monon , 7th Cent. The name of this evangelist is in the church of England calendar and almanacs on this day, which was appointed his festival by the Romish church in the twelfth century. As a more convenient occasion will occur for a suitable notice of his history and character, it is deferred till then. It is presumed that he died about the year 70, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, having written his gospel ab

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October 19.

October 19.

St. Peter , of Alcantara, A. D. 1562. Sts. Ptolemy , Lucius , and another, A. D. 166. St. Frideswide , patroness of Oxford, 8th Cent. St. Ethbin , or Egbin , Abbot, 6th Cent. The Last Rose of Summer. Moore. Moore. Tall Tickseed. Coreopsis procosa. Dedicated to St. Frideswide ....

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October 20.

October 20.

St. Artemius , A. D. 362. St. Barsabias , Abbot, and others, A. D. 342. St. Zenobius , Bp. St. Sindulphus , or St. Sendou , 7th Cent. St. Adian , Bp. of Mayo, A. D. 768. Woodcocks have now arrived. In the autumn and setting in of winter they keep dropping in from the Baltic singly, or in pairs, till December. They instinctively land in the night, or in dark misty weather, for they are never seen to arrive, but are frequently discovered the next morning in any ditch which affords them shelter, af

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October 21.

October 21.

Sts. Ursula , and her Companions, 5th Cent. St. Hilarion , Abbot, A. D. 371. St. Fintan , or Munnu , Abbot, in Ireland, A. D. 634. After a harvest with a good barley crop, a few minutes may be seasonably amused by a pleasant ballad. John Barleycorn. Burns. Burns. Hairy Silphium. Silphium asteriscus. Dedicated to St. Ursula ....

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October 22.

October 22.

St. Philip , Bp. of Heraclea, and others, A. D. 304. Sts. Nunilo and Alodia , A. D. 840. St. Donatus , Bp. of Fiesoli, in Tuscany, A. D. 816. St. Mello , or Melanius , 4th Cent. St. Mark , Bp. A. D. 156. The two first bishops of Jerusalem were “the apostle St. James and his brother St. Simeon; thirteen bishops who succeeded them were of the Jewish nation.” Upon an edict of the emperor Adrian, prohibiting all Jews from coming to Jerusalem, Mark, being a Gentile Christian, was chosen bishop of the

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October 23.

October 23.

St. Theodoret , A. D. 362. St. Romanus , Abp. of Rouen, A. D. 639. St. John Capistran , A. D. 1456. St. Ignatius , Patriarch of Constantinople, A. D. 878. St. Severin , Abp. of Cologne, A. D. 400. Another St. Severin. The annals of the saints are confused. St. Severin, Abp. of Cologne, is famous in the history of the church: by him, his own diocese, and that of Tongres, “was purged from the venom of the Arian heresy, about the year 390.” He “knew by revelation the death and glory of St. Martin a

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October 24.

October 24.

St. Proclus , Abp. of Constantinople, A. D. 447. St. Felix , A. D. 303. St. Magloire , A. D. 575. Besides his other perfections he was a queller of earthquakes. Butler instances that “Theophanes, and other Greek historians, tell us that a child was taken up into the air, and heard angels singing the Trisagion, or triple doxology,” which is “in the preface of the mass;” and that therefore St. Proclus “taught the people to sing it:” he says that “it is at least agreed, that on their singing it the

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October 25.

October 25.

Sts. Crysanthus and Daria , 3rd Cent. Sts. Crispin and Crispinian , A. D. 287. St. Gaudentius of Brescia, A. D. 420. St. Boniface I. Pope, A. D. 422. The name of this saint is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs, why Crispinian’s is disjoined from it we are not informed. St. Crispin and St. Crispinian PATRONS OF THE GENTLE CRAFT . St. Hugh’s Song. This representation of St. Crispin and St. Crispinian at their seat of work, is faithfully copied from an old engraving of the same siz

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October 26.

October 26.

St. Evaristus , Pope, A. D. 112. Sts. Lucian and Marcian , A. D. 250. It is noticed by Dr. Forster, that in a mild autumn late grapes now ripen on the vines, and that the gathering of the very late sorts of apples, and of winter pears, still continues: these latter fruits, like those of the earlier year, are to be laid up in the loft to complete their process of ripening, which, except in a few sorts, is seldom completed on the trees. Late Golden Rod. Solidago petiolaris. Dedicated to St. Evaris

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October 27.

October 27.

St. Frumentius , Apostle of Ethiopia, 4th Cent. St. Elesbaan , King of Ethiopia, A. D. 527. St. Abban , Abbot in Ireland, 6th. Cent. Evelyn says, “the loppings and leaves of the elm, dried in the sun, prove a great relief to cattle when fodder is dear, and will be preferred to oats by the cattle.” The Herefordshire people, in his time, gathered them in sacks for this purpose, and for their swine. Floribund Starwort. Aster floribundus. Dedicated to St. Frumentius ....

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October 28.

October 28.

St. Simon , the Zealot, Apostle. St. Jude , Apostle. St. Faro , Bp. of Meaux, A. D. 672. St. Neot , A. D. 877. A festival to these apostles is maintained on this day in the church of England, whereon also it is celebrated by the church of Rome; hence their names in our almanacs. Simon is called the Canaanite, either from Cana the place of his birth, or from his having been of a hot and sprightly temper. He remained with the other apostles till after pentecost, and is imagined on slight grounds t

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October 29.

October 29.

St. Narcissus , Bp. of Jerusalem. 2d Cent. St. Chef , in latin Theuderius , Abbot, A. D. 575. At this period, active measures were adopted in London for forming a “ Western Literary and Scientific Institution ,” for persons engaged in commercial and professional pursuits; its objects being 1. The establishment of a library of reference and circulation, and rooms for reading and conversation. 2. The formation of the members into classes, to assist them in the acquisition of ancient and modern lan

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October 30.

October 30.

St. Marcellus , the Centurion, A. D. 298. St. Germanus , Bp. of Capua, A. D. 540. St. Asterius , Bp. of Amasea in Pontus, A. D. 400. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, Oct. 29, 1825. The ancient and beautiful collegiate church of St. Katharine finally closes tomorrow, previous to its demolition by the St. Katharine’s dock company. The destruction of an edifice of such antiquity, one of the very few that escaped the great fire of 1666, has excited much public attention. I hope, therefore,

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October 31.

October 31.

St. Quintin , A. D. 287. St. Wolfgang , Bp. of Ratisbon, A. D. 994. St. Foillan , A. D. 655. Respecting this, which is the vigil of All Saints-day, Mr. Brand has collected many notices of customs; to him therefore we are indebted for the following particulars:— On this night young people in the north of England dive for apples, or catch at them, when stuck upon one end of a kind of hanging beam, at the other extremity of which is fixed a lighted candle. This they do with their mouths only, their

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November 1.

November 1.

All Saints. St. Cæsarius , A. D. 300. St. Mary. M. St. Marcellus , Bp. of Paris, 5th Cent. St. Benignus , Apostle of Burgundy, A. D. 272. St. Austremonius , 3d Cent. St. Harold VI., King of Denmark, A. D. 980. This festival in the almanacs and the church of England calendar is from the church of Rome, which celebrates it in commemoration of those of its saints, to whom, on account of their number, particular days could not be allotted in their individual honour. On this day, in many parts of Eng

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November 2.

November 2.

All Souls; or the Commemoration of the Faithful departed. St. Victorinus Bp. A. D. 304. St. Marcian , A. D. 387. St. Vulgan , 8th Cent. This day, also a festival in the almanacs, and the church of England calendar, is from the Romish church, which celebrates it with masses and ceremonies devised for the occasion. “Odilon, abbot of Cluny, in the 9th century, first enjoined the ceremony of praying for the dead on this day in his own monastery; and the like practice was partially adopted by other r

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November 3.

November 3.

St. Malachi , Abp. of Armagh, A. D. 1143. St. Hubert , Bp. of Leige, A. D. 727. St. Wenefride , or Winefride . St. Papoul , or Papulus , 3d. Cent. St. Flour , A. D. 389. St. Rumwald. Without being sad, we may be serious; and continue to-day the theme of yesterday. Mr. Bowring, from whose former poetical works several citations have already glistened these pages, in a subsequent collection of effusions, has versified to our purpose. He reminds us that— Another poem is a translation From the Germa

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November 4.

November 4.

St. Charles Borromeo , Cardinal, Abp. of Milan, A. D. 1584. Sts. Vitalis and Agricola , A. D. 304. St. Joannicius , Abbot, A. D. 845. St. Clarus , A. D. 894. St. Brinstan , Bp. of Winchester, A. D. 931. So say our almanacs, directly in opposition to the fact, that king William III. did not land until the next day, the 5th: we have only to look into our annals and be assured that the almanacs are in error. Rapin says, “The fourth of November being Sunday, and the prince’s birthday, now (in 1688)

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November 5.

November 5.

St. Bertille , Abbess of Chelles, A. D. 692. This is a great day in the calendar of the church of England: it is duly noticed by the almanacs, and kept as a holiday at the public offices. In the “Common Prayer Book,” there is “A Form of Prayer with Thanksgiving, to be used yearly upon the Fifth day of November; for the happy deliverance of King James I. , and the three Estates of England, from the most Traiterous and bloody-intended Massacre by Gunpowder: And also for the happy Arrival of His la

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November 6.

November 6.

St. Leonard , 6th Cent. St. Winoc , Abbot, 8th Cent. St. Iltutus , 6th Cent. Poor Robin’s Almanac , 1757. Poor Robin’s Almanac , 1757. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, October, 1825. Presuming the object you have in view in your Every-Day Book is to convey useful and pleasing information with the utmost correctness, and, if possible, without contradiction, I beg leave to say, your statement in page 100 , “that in each term there is one day whereon the courts do not transact business, na

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November 7.

November 7.

St. Willibrord , 1st Bp. of Utrecht, A. D. 738. St. Werenfrid. St. Prosdecionus , 1st. Bp. of Padua, A. D. 103. On the 7th of November, 1615, (Michaelmas Term, 13 Jac. I.) when Ann Turner, a physician’s widow, was indicted at the bar of the court of king’s bench, before sir Edward Coke (as an accessary before the fact) for the murder of sir Thomas Overbury, the learned judge observing she had a hat on, told her “to put it off; that a woman might be covered in a church, but not when arraigned in

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November 8.

November 8.

The four crowned Brothers , Martyrs, A. D. 304. St. Willehad , Bp. A. D. 787. St. Godfrey , Bp. A. D. 1118. As the maturing and dispersing of seeds was a striking character of the last month, so the fall of the leaf distinguishes the present. From this circumstance, the whole declining season of the year is often in common language denominated the fall . The melancholy sensations which attend this gradual death of vegetable nature, by which the trees are stripped of all their beauty, and left so

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November 9.

November 9.

The Dedication of the Church of St. John Laterans. St. Theodorus , surnamed Tyro , A. D. 306. St. Mathurin , A. D. 388. St. Vanne , or Vitonus , Bp. A. D. 525. St. Benignus , or Binen , Bp. A. D. 468. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, Enclosed are official printed copies of the two precepts issued previous to lord mayor’s day, for the purpose of informing the master and wardens of the respective livery companies, to whom they are directed, (as well as the aldermen of the wards through wh

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November 10.

November 10.

St. Andrew Avellino , A. D. 1608. Sts. Trypho and Respicius , A. D. 250. St. Nympha , 5th Cent. St. Justus , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 627. St. Milles , Bp., and Sts. Abrosimus and Sina , A. D. 341. Thin attendance on ’Change to-day—dull eyes—languid countenance—a little nervous this morning—fresh demand for soda-water and ginger-beer—much breakfasting at the coffee-houses about twelve—scrags of mutton in great request—confounded head-ache—shall be home early to-morrow, my dear—let me have a lit

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November 11.

November 11.

St. Martin , Bp. A. D. 397. St. Mennas , A. D. 304. He is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. By Romish writers he is called “the Great St. Martin, the glory of Gaul.” They say that he was born in Lower Hungary, about 316, and becoming a soldier, a beggar requested alms, when having no money he drew his sword, and cutting his cloak into two pieces, gave half to the beggar, and wrapped himself up in the other; whereupon Christ appeared to him the next night, in the half he had giv

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November 12.

November 12.

St. Martin , Pope, A. D. 655. St. Nilus , A. D. 390. St. Livin , A. D. 633. St. Lebwin , Patron of Daventer, 8th Cent. The anniversary of this famous old admiral’s nativity was formerly kept with great enthusiasm. It was distinguished in 1740 in a very extraordinary manner, by the ringing of bells, and public dinners in many places, &amp;c. In the evening there were the greatest rejoicings, bonfires, and illuminations in London and other cities, that had been known for many years. Don Blass

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November 13.

November 13.

St. Homobonus , A. D. 1197. St. Didacus , A. D. 1463. St. Stanislas Kostka , A. D. 1568. St. Mitrius. St. Brice , A. D. 444. St. Constant , of Logherne, A. D. 777. St. Chillen , or Killian , of Ireland. This saint is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs, for what reason is unknown. He was born at Tours, became a monk under St. Martin, and succeeded him in the see of that city. The church of St. John, Clerkenwell, having been closed for reparation since the first Sunday in July, was

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November 14.

November 14.

St. Lawrence , Abp. of Dublin, A. D. 1180. St. Dubricius , A. D. 522. This annual custom in the county of Lincoln is fixed for the 13th of November; which, in 1825, being Sunday, it was postponed to the next day, Monday the 14th. A correspondent’s communication sets forth ample and curious particulars of the usage. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, As your very respectable and highly entertaining publication, the Every-Day Book , is a receptacle for local usages and customs, doubtless th

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November 15.

November 15.

St. Gertrude , Abbess, A. D. 1292. St. Leopold , Marquis of Austria, A. D. 1136. St. Eugenius , A. D. 275. St. Malo , or Maclou , A. D. 565. This saint is in the church of England calendar and almanacs. He is the “St. Malo, or Maclou,” of Alban Butler; according to whom he was born in England, and sent to Ireland for his education, where he was offered a bishopric but declined it. Going to Brittany he became disciple to a recluse named Aron, near Aleth, of which city he was the first bishop, and

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November 16.

November 16.

St. Edmund , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 1242. St. Eucherius , Bp. of Lyons, A. D. 460. A correspondent in the subjoined note mentions a singular character, which should be taken into the particulars concerning this fair related at page 1300 . ( For the Every-Day Book. ) Mr. Editor, In addition to your account of Stourbridge fair I send you the following, related to me by an individual of great veracity, who attended the fairs in 1766 and 1767. Exclusive of the servants in red coats there was also

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November 17.

November 17.

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus , Bp. A. D. 270. St. Dionysius , Abp. of Alexandria, A. D. 265. St. Gregory , Bp. of Tours, A. D. 596. St. Hugh , Bp. of Lincoln, A. D. 1200. St. Anian , or Agnan , Bp. A. D. 453. This day was formerly noted in the almanacs as the anniversary of queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, in the year 1558. In 1679, while the bill for excluding the duke of York, afterwards James II., from the throne of England, was in agitation, there was a remarkable cavalcade in London o

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November 18.

November 18.

The Dedication of the Churches of Sts. Peter , and Paul , at Rome. Sts. Alphæus , and Zachæus ; also Romanus , and Barulas . St. Odo , Abbot of Cluni, A. D. 942. St. Hilda , or Hild , Abbess, A. D. 680. The “ Mirror of the Months ,” a pleasing volume published in the autumn of 1825, and devoted to the service of the year, points to the appearance of nature at this time:—“The last storm of autumn, or the first of winter, (call it which you will) has strewed the bosom of the all-receiving earth wi

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November 19.

November 19.

St. Elizabeth, of Hungary , A. D. 1231. St. Pontian , Pope, A. D. 230. St. Barlaam. Apple-fruited Passion-flower. Passiflora maliformis. Dedicated to St. Elizabeth ....

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November 20.

November 20.

St. Edmund , King and Martyr, A. D. 870. St. Humbert , Bp. of the East Angles, A. D. 855. St. Felix , of Valois, A. D. 1212. St. Bernward , Bp., A. D. 1021. St. Masentia , 7th Cent. This English king and saint is in the church of England calendar and almanacs. St. Edmund was king of East Anglia, which took its name from a people called the Angles, who landed on the eastern coast of Britain, under twelve chiefs, the survivor of whom, Uffa, assumed the title of king of the East Angles. This kingdo

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November 21.

November 21.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Columban , Abbot, A. D. 615. St. Gelasius , Pope, A. D. 496. A lady assured the editor of the “Perennial Calendar,” of the truth of the following story. She had ordered an armed chair which stood in her room to be sent to a sick friend, and thought it had been sent conformably to her orders. Waking, however, in the night, and looking by the light of the night-lamp at the furniture in her room, she cast her eyes on the place where the said chair us

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November 22.

November 22.

St. Cecily , A. D. 230. St. Theodorus , A. D. 821. Sts. Philemon , and Appia . This saint is in the church of England Calendar, and in the almanacs. Her having existed has been doubted, but she is a saint of the Romish church, and Butler gives her life, wherein he calls her “the patroness of church music.” He says, that she was married to a nobleman named Valerian, whom, with her brother Tibertius, she converted, and with them she was martyred. Various legends, and many pictures and prints, repr

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November 23.

November 23.

St. Clement , Pope, A. D. 100. St. Amphilochius , Bp. of Iconium, A. D. 394. St. Tron , A. D. 693. St. Daniel , Bp. A. D. 545. This saint is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. Clement was a follower and coadjutor of the apostle Paul, who, writing to the Philippians , (iv. 3.) requires them to be mindful of the flock and their teachers, and distinguishes Clement by name—“help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, and with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laboure

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November 24.

November 24.

St. John of the Cross , A. D. 1591. St. Chrysogonus. Sts. Flora and Mary , A. D. 851. St. Cianan , or Kenan , Bp. of Duleek, in Ireland, A. D. 489. In the already cited “ Mirror of the Months ,” there is a feeling account of certain days in the metropolis, at this season, which every one who has sojourned in “that overgrown place” will immediately recognize to be “quite correct.” “Now the atmosphere of London begins to thicken over head, and assume its natural appearance, preparatory to its beco

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November 25.

November 25.

St. Catharine , 3d Cent. St. Erasmus , or Elme . This saint is in the church of England calendar, and the almanacs. It is doubtful whether she ever existed; yet in mass-books and breviaries, we find her prayed to and honoured by hymns, with stories of her miracles so wonderfully apocryphal that even cardinal Baronius blushes for the threadbare legends. In Alban Butler’s memoirs of this saint, it may be discovered by a scrutinizing eye, that while her popularity seems to force him to relate parti

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November 26.

November 26.

St. Peter , Martyr, Bp. of Alexandria, A. D. 311. St. Nicon , surnamed Metanoite , A. D. 998. St. Sylvester Gozzolini , A. D. 1267. St. Conrad , Bp. of Constance, A. D. 976. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, I do not remember to have seen in your book, “where every-day we turn the leaf to read,” any notice of a custom, which is not only very prevalent, but which is, also, most harmless in its nature and endearing in its tendency—promotes in its practice goodwill and good humour—and, not

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November 27.

November 27.

St. Maximus , Bp. of Riez, A. D. 460. St. James , surnamed Intercisus , A. D. 421. St. Maharsapor , A. D. 421. St. Virgil , Bp. of Saltzburg, A. D. 784. St. Secundin , or Seachnal , Bp. of Dunsaghlin, in Meath, A. D. 447. In Little Wild-street chapel, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, a sermon is annually preached on this day in commemoration of the “ Great Storm ” in 1703. This fearful tempest was preceded by a strong west wind, which set in about the middle of the month; and every day, and almost every ho

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November 28.

November 28.

St. Stephen the Younger , A. D. 764. St. James of La Marea , of Ancona, A. D. 476. [Michaelmas Term ends.] An invitation to a private view of the “Rath,” or state carriage of the king of Ava, or emperor of the Burmans, at the Egyptian-hall, Piccadilly, gave the editor of the Every-Day Book an opportunity of inspecting it, on Friday, the 18th of November, previous to its public exhibition; and having been accompanied by an artist, for whom he obtained permission to make a drawing of the splendid

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November 29.

November 29.

St. Saturninus , Bp. A. D. 257. St. Radbod , Bp. A. D. 918. The Times journal of Tuesday, November the 29th, 1814, was the first newspaper printed by steam. To the editor of the Every-Day Book the application of machinery, through this power, to the production of a newspaper seemed so pregnant with advantages to the world, that he purchased The Times of that morning, within an hour of its appearance, “as a curiosity,” and here transcribes from it the words wherein it announced and described the

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November 30.

November 30.

St. Andrew , Apostle. St. Narses , Bp. and Companions . Sts. Sapor and Isaac . Bps. Mahanes , Abraham , and Simeon , A. D. 339. This saint is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. He was one of the apostles. It is affirmed that he was put to death in the year 69, at Patræ, in Achaia, by having been scourged, and then fastened with cords to a cross, in which position he remained “teaching and instructing the people all the time,” until his death, at the end of two days. It is the co

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December 1.

December 1.

St. Eligius , or Eloy , Bp. of Noyon. A. D. 659. It is observed by Dr. Forster in the “Perennial Calendar,” that the weather at this time is usually mild, and wet, with fogs; we have an occasional interchange of frosts. On some occasions a kind of weather occurs now which occasionally happens during all the winter months. The air becomes perfectly calm, the sky clouded and dark, without much mist below, the ground gets dry, and not a leaf stirs on the trees, and the sounds of distant bells, and

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December 2.

December 2.

St. Bibiania , A. D. 363. On the 2d of December, 1823, the London Mechanics’ Institution was formed, and on the anniversary of the day, in 1824, the first stone of its theatre for the delivery of the lectures, in Southampton Buildings, Chancery-lane, was laid by Dr. Birkbeck. In a cavity of the stone was placed a bottle, wherein were sealed up a book of the laws of the institution—the tenth number of the “Mechanics’ Magazine,” which contained an account of the first meeting of the members—a vell

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December 3.

December 3.

St. Francis Xavier , A. D. 1552. St. Birinus , first Bp. of Dorchester, A. D. 650. St. Sola , A. D. 790. St. Lucius , King, A. D. 182. Berlin, December 3, 1821. —Of all the entertainments which took place in this capital, on the occasion of the marriage of the prince royal with the princess of Bavaria, none appeared so extraordinary to foreigners, as the dance of torches , ( Fakeltanz .) It was executed after the grand marriage feast, in the following manner:—“The royal family, followed by all t

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December 4.

December 4.

St. Peter Chrysologus , A. D. 450. St. Barbara , A. D. 306. St. Anno , Abp. of Cologne, A. D. 1075. St. Osmund , Bp. A. D. 1099 St. Maruthas , Bp. 5th Cent. St. Siran , or Sigirannus , A. D. 655. St. Clement , of Alexandria, A. D. 189. From the following lines of Barnaby Googe, it appears that rustic young girls in ancient times, indulged at this season in attempting to divine the name of the man they were to marry, from forcing the growth of onions in the chimney-corner, and that they ascertain

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December 5.

December 5.

St. Sabas , Abbot, A. D. 532. St. Crispina , A. D. 304. St. Nicetius , Bp. of Triers, A. D. 566. On Tuesday the 5th of December, 1815, a great foot-ball match took place at Carterhaugh, Ettrick Forest (a spot classical in minstrelsy), betwixt the Ettrick men and the men of Yarrow; the one party backed by the earl of Home, and the other by sir Walter Scott, sheriff of the forest, who wrote two songs for the occasion, one whereof follows:— Lifting the Banner of the House of Buccleugh, at the great

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December 6.

December 6.

St. Nicholas , Abp. of Myra, A. D. 342. Sts. Dionysia , Dativa , Æmilianus , Boniface , Leontia , Tertius , and Majoricus , Martyrs. St. Peter Paschal , A. D. 1300. St. Theophilus , Bp. of Antioch, A. D. 190. He is in the almanacs, and church of England calendar. He is patron or titular saint of virgins, boys, sailors, and the worshipful company of parish clerks of the city of London. Mr. Audley briefly observes of him, that he was remarkable in his infancy for piety, and the knowledge of the sc

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December 7.

December 7.

St. Ambrose , A. D. 397. St. Fara , Abbess, A. D. 655. The natural commencement of the winter season, according to Mr. Howard’s “Tables,” is on the 7th of December. This quarter of the year comprehend eighty-nine days, except in leap-year when it has ninety days. Winter exhibits as large a proportion of the cold, as summer did of the heat. In spring the cold gradually goes off, to be replaced in the middle of the season by warmth; the respective proportions being like those which obtain in autum

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December 8.

December 8.

The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Romaric , Abbot, A. D. 653. The winter season of the year 1818, was extraordinarily mild. On the 8th of December, the gardens in the neighbourhood of Plymouth showed the following flowers in full bloom, viz.:—Jonquils, narcissus, hyacinths, anemonies, pinks, stocks, African and French marigolds, the passion flowers, and monthly roses, in great perfection, ripe strawberries and raspberries. In the fields and hedges were the sweet-scented violets, hea

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December 9.

December 9.

St. Leocadia , A. D. 304. The Seven Martyrs at Samosata , A. D. 297. St. Wulfhilde , A. D. 990. A remarkable instance of premature interment, is related in the case of the rev. Mr. Richards, parson of the Hay, in Herefordshire, who, in December, 1751, was supposed to have died suddenly. His friends seeing his body and limbs did not stiffen, after twenty-four hours, sent for a surgeon, who, upon bleeding him, and not being able to stop the blood, told them that he was not dead, but in a sort of t

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December 10.

December 10.

St. Melchiades , Pope, A. D. 314. St. Eulalia . On the 10th of December, 1741, died Mr. Henry Wanyford, late steward to the earl of Essex. He was of so large a size, that the top of the hearse was obliged to be taken off before the coffin could be admitted, and it was so heavy, that the attendants were forced to move it along the churchyard upon rollers. [410] Portugal Cyprus. Cupressus Lusitanica. Dedicated to St. Eulalia . [410] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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December 11.

December 11.

St. Damasus , Pope, A. D. 384. Sts. Fuscian , Victoricus , and Gentian , A. D. 287. St. Daniel , the Stylite, A. D. 494. A gentleman obligingly contributes the subjoined account of a northern usage on the 5th of December, the vigil of St. Nicholas. He communicates his name to the editor, and vouches for the authenticity of his relation, “having himself been an actor in the scene he describes.” ( For the Every-Day Book. ) In the fine old city of Leewvarden, the capital of West Friezland, there ar

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December 12.

December 12.

Sts. Epimachus and Alexander , &amp;c. A. D. 250. St. Finian , or Finan , Bp. in Ireland, A. D. 552. St. Columba , son of Crimthain , A. D. 548. St. Cormac. St. Colman , Abbot, A. D. 659. St. Eadburge , A. D. 751. St. Valery , Abbot, A. D. 622. St. Corentin , 1st. Bp. of Quimper, 5th Cent. Another St. Corentin , or Cury , A. D. 401. In Lloyd’s Evening Post of December 12-14, 1781, there is the following advertisement:— A YOUNG MAN having yesterday left his master’s service in Smithfield, on

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December 13.

December 13.

St. Lucy , A. D. 304. St. Jodoc , or Josse , A. D. 669. St. Kenelm , King, A. D. 820. St. Aubert , Bp. of Cambray and Arras, A. D. 669. B. John Marinoni , A. D. 1562. St. Othilla , A. D. 772. This saint is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. She was a young lady of Syracuse, who preferring a religious single life to marriage, gave away all her fortune to the poor. Having been accused to Peschasius, a heathen judge, for professing christianity, she was soon after barbarously murde

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December 14.

December 14.

St. Spiridion , Abp. A. D. 348. Sts. Nicasius , 9th Abp. of Rheims, and his Companions , 5th Cent. This is an ancient fast, wherein monks were enjoined to great abstinence preparatory to the festival of Christmas. Swamp Pine. Pinus palustris. Dedicated to St. Spiridion ....

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December 15.

December 15.

St. Eusebius , Bp. of Vercelli, A. D. 371. St. Florence , or Flann , Abbot. There is a class of those who are said to “dearly love the lasses, oh?” by whom the verses below may be read without danger of their becoming worse. A Winter Piece. Pitch Pine. Pinus resinosa. Dedicated to St. Florence ....

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December 16.

December 16.

St. Ado , Abp. of Vienne, A. D. 875. St. Alice , or Adelaide , Empress, A. D. 999. St. Beanus , Bp. in Leinster. [Cambridge Term ends.] This day is so marked in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. Many have been puzzled by this distinction, and some have imagined that “ O SAPIENTIA ” was a saint and martyr, one of the celebrated eleven thousand virgins of St. Ursula. Mr. Audley, however, has rightly observed that, “This day is so called from the beginning of an anthem in the service

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December 17.

December 17.

St. Olympias , A. D. 410. St. Begga , Abbess, A. D. 698. [Oxford Term ends.] By this time all good housewives, with an eye to Christmas, have laid in their stores for the coming festivities. Their mincemeat has been made long ago, and they begin to inquire, with some anxiety, concerning the state of the poultry market, and especially the price of prime roasting beef. A correspondent, who was somewhat ruffled in the dog-days by suggestions for preventing hydrophobia, let his wrath go down before

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December 18.

December 18.

Sts. Rufus and Zozimus , A. D. 116. St. Gatian , 1st. Bp. of Tours, 3d. Cent. St. Winebald , A. D. 760. Fault was found because a newspaper commenced a police-office report of one of the humane endeavours of the warm-hearted member for Galway, in behalf of the proverbially most patient of all quadrupeds, by saying, “Mr. Martin came to this office with another ass.” Ridicule, however, never injures a just man with the just-minded; Mr. Martin has been properly supported in every judicious effort b

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December 19.

December 19.

St. Nemesion , &amp;c., A. D. 250. St. Samthana , Abbess, A. D. 738. By the contemplation of the “shining heavens” at this season, the mind is induced to the solemn thinking, beautifully imagined by the greatest and most wayward poet of our age. A Starlight Winter Night. Byron. Byron. Two-coloured Heath. Erica bicolor. Dedicated to St. Samthana ....

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December 20.

December 20.

St. Philogonius , Bp. of Antioch, A. D. 322. St. Paul , of Latrus, or Latra, A. D. 956. Mr. Foster’s letter , inserted on the 17th instant , occasions the seasonable recollection, that this is the time when, in fashionable language, “every body” goes to Bath. According to fabulous history, the virtues of the hot springs at Bath, were discovered long before the christian era, by Bladud, a British prince, who having been driven from his father’s house because he was leprous, was reduced like the p

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December 21.

December 21.

St. Thomas , the Apostle. St. Edburge. This apostle is in the church of England calendar and almanacs. He is affirmed to have travelled and promulgated christianity among the Parthians, Medes, Persians, and Carmenians, and to have been the apostle of the Indies; where he effected numerous conversions, and by his preaching raised the indignation of the Bramins, who instigated the people against him till they threw stones and darts at him, and ended his life by running him through the body with a

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December 22.

December 22.

St. Ischyrion , A. D. 253. Sts. Cyril and Methodius , A. D. 881. On the 22d of December, 1817, died, at Dundee, aged sixty-six, Thomas Clark, a labouring man, who, by dint of parsimony and saving, had accumulated property to the amount of from 800 l. to 1000 l. before his death. There are perhaps few authenticated instances of endurance which this person did not voluntarily submit to, in order to gratify his ruling passion. He lived by himself, in a small garret, in a filthy lane, called Tyndal’

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December 23.

December 23.

St. Servuius , A. D. 590. Ten Martyrs of Crete. St. Victoria , A. D. 250. In December, 1822, the Morning Chronicle states the following whimsical circumstance to have taken place at the Black Swan inn, at York:— An honest son of Neptune travelling northwards, having put up there for the night, desired the chambermaid to call him early the next morning, as he wished to proceed on his journey by the coach; and added, “as I am a very sound sleeper, you will most likely be obliged to come in and sha

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To the Reader.

To the Reader.

I am encouraged, by the approbation of my labours, to persevere in the completion of my plan, and to continue this little work next year as usual. Not a sentence that has appeared in the preceding sheets will be repeated, and the Engravings will be entirely new. December , 1825. W. Hone....

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December 24.

December 24.

Sts. Thrasilla and Emiliana . St. Gregory , of Spoleto, A. D. 304. This is the vigil of that solemn festival which commemorates the day that gave Calabrian Shepherds playing in Rome at Christmas. In the last days of Advent the Calabrian minstrels enter Rome, and are to be seen in every street saluting the shrines of the virgin mother with their wild music, under the traditional notion of soothing her until the birth-time of her infant at the approaching Christmas. This circumstance is related by

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December 25.

December 25.

The Nativity of Christ , or Christmas-day . St. Anastasia , A. D. 304. Another St. Anastasia . St. Eugenia , A. D. 257. The festival of the nativity was anciently kept by different churches in April, May, and in this month. It is now kept on this day by every established church of christian denomination; and is a holiday all over England, observed by the suspension of all public and private business, and the congregating of friends and relations for “comfort and joy.” Our countryman, Barnaby Goo

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December 26.

December 26.

St. Stephen , the first Martyr. St. Dionysius , Pope, A. D. 269. St. Jarlath , 1st Bp. of Tuam, 6th Cent. The church of England observes this festival, and the name of the apostle is in the almanacs accordingly. The circumstances that led to his death, and the particulars of it by stoning, are related in the seventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. He is deemed the first martyr for the christian faith. The notice of this festival by Naogeorgus is thus translated by Barnaby Googe:— Whether St

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December 27.

December 27.

St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. St. Theodorus Grapt , A. D. 822. This festival of St. John is observed by the church of England, and consequently his name is in the church calendar and the almanacs. The church of Rome, from whence the celebration is derived, also keeps another festival to St. John on the 6th of May, concerning which, and the evangelist, there are particulars at p. 617 . Mr. Audley says of him, “Tradition reports, that when he was a very old man, he used to be carried into t

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December 28.

December 28.

The Holy Innocents. St. Theodorus , Abbot of Tabenna, A. D. 367. This is another Romish celebration preserved in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. It has another name— This is conjectured to have been derived from the masses said for the souls of the Innocents who suffered from Herod’s cruelty. It is to commemorate their slaughter that Innocents or Childermas -day is appropriated, and hence the name it bears. It was formerly a custom to whip up the children on Innocent’s day morni

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December 29.

December 29.

St. Thomas , Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 1170. St. Marcellus , Abbot of the Acæmetes, A. D. 485. St. Evroul , Abbot, A. D. 596. Much has been remarked in the course of these sheets respecting painting, which, if our artists will labour, they may elevate to a height that will honour their country, and amply reward themselves. It is a mistake to suppose that real talent is not appreciated. Precocity is not talent till it has ripened; it usually withers and falls beneath the only test of greatness, l

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December 30.

December 30.

St. Sabinus , Bp. of Assisium, and his Companions, A. D. 304. St. Anysia , A. D. 304. St. Maximus , A. D. 662. The earth, as it appears in England at this period, is well represented in the “Mirror of the Months,” the pleasant reflex of the year referred to in November. “The meadows are still green—almost as green as in the spring—with the late-sprouted grass that the last rains have called up since it has been fed off, and the cattle called home to enjoy their winter fodder. The corn-fields, to

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December 31.

December 31.

St. Sylvester , Pope, A. D. 335. St. Columba , A. D. 258. St. Melania , the younger, A. D. 439. This saint, whose name is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs, was pope Sylvester I. “He is said to have been the author of several rites and ceremonies of the Romish church, as asylums, unctions, palls, corporals, &amp;c. He died in 334.” [438] To end the old year merrily, and begin the new one well, and in friendship, were popular objects in the celebration of this festival. It wa

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THE EVERY-DAY BOOK AND TABLE BOOK; OR, EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS, SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, INCIDENT TO Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES; FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS, AND A PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC; INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, TOPO- GRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL LITERATURE; DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE ORIGINAL COMMUNI- CATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND DIVERSION.

THE EVERY-DAY BOOK AND TABLE BOOK; OR, EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS, SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, INCIDENT TO Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES; FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS, AND A PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC; INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, TOPO- GRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL LITERATURE; DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE ORIGINAL COMMUNI- CATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND DIVERSION.

BY WILLIAM HONE. Herrick. WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THOMAS TEGG, 73, CHEAPSIDE. BY WILLIAM HONE. Herrick. Herrick. WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THOMAS TEGG, 73, CHEAPSIDE. LONDON: J. HADDON, PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF DARLINGTON, LORD LIEUTENANT AND VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE COUNTY PALATINE OF DURHAM, &amp;c. &amp;c. &am

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PREFACE.

PREFACE.

Before remarking on the work terminating with this volume, some notice should be taken of its Frontispiece . I. The “Clog” or “Perpetual Almanack” having been in common use with our ancient ancestors, a representation and explanation of it seemed requisite among the various accounts of manners and customs related in the order of the calendar. Of the word “clog,” there is no satisfactory etymology in the sense here used, which signifies an almanack made upon a square stick. Dr. Robert Plot, who p

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CLIMATE.

CLIMATE.

Mr. Luke Howard is the author of a highly useful work, entitled “The Climate of London, deduced from Meteorological Observations, made at different places in the neighbourhood of the Metropolis: London, 1818.” 2 vols. 8vo. Out of this magazine of fact it is proposed to extract, from time to time, certain results which may acquaint general readers with useful knowledge concerning the weather of our latitude, and induce the inquisitive to resort to Mr. Howard’s book, as a careful guide of high aut

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January 1.

January 1.

The Saints of the Roman calendars and martyrologies. So far as the rev. Alban Butler, in his every-day biography of Roman catholic saints, has written their memoirs, their names have been given, together with notices of some, and especially of those retained in the calendar of the church of England from the Romish calendar. Similar notices of others will be offered in continuation; but, on this high festival in the calendar of nature, particular or further remark on the saints’ festivals would i

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January 2.

January 2.

Is said, by his English biographer Butler, to have been a sub-deacon in a desert, martyred at Spoletto, about the year 178; whereto the same biographer adds, “In the Roman Martyrology his name occurs on the first , in some others on the second of January.” The infallible Roman church , to end the discord, rejects the authority of the “ Roman Martyrology ” and keeps the festival of Concord on the second of January. Mean Temperature 35·92....

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January 3.

January 3.

There is a father with twice six sons; these sons have thirty daughters a-piece, party-coloured, having one cheek white and the other black, who never see each other’s face, nor live above twenty-four hours. Cleobulus, to whom this riddle is attributed, was one of the seven wise men of Greece, who lived about 570 years before the birth of Christ. Riddles are of the highest antiquity; the oldest on record is in the book of Judges xiv. 14-18. We are told by Plutarch, that the girls of his times wo

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January 4.

January 4.

The “Mirror of the Months,” a reflector of “The Months” by Mr. Leigh Hunt, enlarged to include other objects, adopts, “Above all other proverbs, that which says, ‘There’s nothing like the time present,’—partly because ‘the time present’ is but a periphrasis for Now! ” The series of delightful things which Mr. Hunt links together by the word Now in his “Indicator,” is well remembered, and his pleasant disciple tells us, “ Now , then, the cloudy canopy of sea-coal smoke that hangs over London, and

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January 5.

January 5.

In the parish of Pauntley, a village on the borders of the county of Gloucester, next Worcestershire, and in the neighbourhood, “a custom, intended to prevent the smut in wheat, in some respect resembling the Scotch Beltein, prevails.” “On the eve of Twelfth-day all the servants of every farmer assemble together in one of the fields that has been sown with wheat. At the end of twelve lands, they make twelve fires in a row with straw; around one of which, made larger than the rest, they drink a c

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January 6.

January 6.

Epiphany.—Old Christmas-day. Holiday at the Public-offices. It is only in certain rural parts of France that the merriments represented above still prevail. The engraving is from an old print, “I. Marriette ex.” inscribed as in the next column. “L’Hiver. Les Divertissements du Roi-boit. This print may be regarded a faithful picture of the almost obsolete usage. During the holidays, and especially on Twelfth-night, school-boys dismiss “the cares and the fears” of academic rule; or they are regard

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January 7.

January 7.

1826. Distaff’s Day. [19] STANZAS ON THE NEW YEAR. L. E. L. [20] L. E. L. [20] Mean Temperature 35·85. [19] See vol. i. p. 61. [20] New Monthly Magazine, January, 1826. 1826. First Sunday after Epiphany. On the 8th of January, 1753, died sir Thomas Burnet, one of the judges of the court of Common Pleas, of the gout in his stomach, at his house in Lincoln’s-inn fields. He was the eldest son of the celebrated Dr. Gilbert Burnet, bishop of Salisbury; was several years consul at Lisbon; and in Novem

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January 8.

January 8.

On the 8th of January, 1753, died sir Thomas Burnet, one of the judges of the court of Common Pleas, of the gout in his stomach, at his house in Lincoln’s-inn fields. He was the eldest son of the celebrated Dr. Gilbert Burnet, bishop of Salisbury; was several years consul at Lisbon; and in November, 1741, made one of the judges of the Common Pleas, in room of judge Fortescue, who was appointed master of the rolls. On November 23, 1745, when the lord chancellor, judges, and association of the gen

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January 9.

January 9.

1826. Plough Monday. The first Monday after Twelfth day. [22] On the 9th of January, 1752, William Stroud was tried before the bench of justices at Westminster-hall, for personating various characters and names, and defrauding numbers of people, in order to support his extravagance. It appeared by the evidence, that he had cheated a tailor of a suit of velvet clothes, trimmed with gold; a jeweller of upwards of 100 l. in rings and watches, which he pawned; a coachmaker of a chaise; a carver and

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January 10.

January 10.

On the 10th of January, 1812, it is observed, that London was this day involved, for several hours, in palpable darkness. The shops, offices, &amp;c., were necessarily lighted up; but, the streets not being lighted as at night, it required no small care in the passenger to find his way, and avoid accidents. The sky where any light pervaded it, showed the aspect of bronze. Such is, occasionally, the effect of the accumulation of smoke between two opposite gentle currents, or by means of a mis

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January 11.

January 11.

This is a term in many parts of England for an annual festivity celebrated on the occasion described in the subjoined communication. For the Every-Day Book. THE FEAST WEEK. This festival, so called, is supposed to be nearly coeval with the establishment of Christianity in this island. Every new church that was founded was dedicated to some peculiar saint, and was naturally followed by a public religious celebration, generally on the day of that saint, or on the Sunday immediately following. What

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January 12.

January 12.

Among the cold-blooded animals which resist the effects of a low temperature, we may reckon the common leech, which is otherwise interesting to the meteorologist, on account of its peculiar habits and movements under different states of the atmosphere. A group of these animals left accidentally in a closet without a fire, during the frost of 1816, not only survived, but appeared to suffer no injury from being locked up in a mass of ice for many days. [25] Certain rewards allowed by act of parlia

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January 13.

January 13.

1826. Hilary Cambridge Term begins. Some curious circumstances are connected with the name of this saint, who appears to have been a poor ignorant girl, born near Milan, where she worked in the fields for her living. Conceiving a desire to become a nun, she sat up at night to learn to read and write, which, her biographer says, for want of an instructor, was a great fatigue to her. He proceeds to tell us, that she was relieved from labour of that kind in the following manner:—“One day, being in

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January 14.

January 14.

1826. Oxford Hilary Term begins. Mariners form a distinct community, with peculiar manners, little known to their inland fellow countrymen, except through books. In this way Smollett has done much, and from Mr. Leigh Hunt’s “Indicator,” which may not be in every one’s hands, though it ought to be, is extracted the following excellent description: And first of the common sailor.—The moment the common sailor lands, he goes to see the watchmaker, or the old boy at the Ship. His first object is to s

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January 15.

January 15.

An opinion has been long entertained, that there are vicissitudes in the climate and temperature of the air unknown to former times, and that such variations exist in America as well as in Europe. It is said that the transatlantic changes have been more frequent, and the heat of the sun not so early or so strongly experienced as formerly. In America, these alterations are attributed to a more obvious cause than uncertain hypothesis, and at not many degrees distance. For instance, the ice in the

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January 16.

January 16.

Mr. Reddock’s paper on this subject, at page 13. has elicited the following letter from a literary gentleman, concerning a dramatic representation in England similar to that which Mr. Reddock instances at Falkirk, and other parts of North Britain. Such communications are particularly acceptable; because they show to what extent usages prevail, and wherein they differ in different parts of the country. It will be gratifying to every one who peruses this work, and highly so to the editor, if he is

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January 17.

January 17.

On the 16th and 17th of January, 1809, Mr. Howard observed, that the snow exhibited the beautiful blue and pink shades at sunset which are sometimes observable, and that there was a strong evaporation from its surface. A circular area, of five inches diameter, lost 150 grains troy, from sunset on the 15th to sunrise next morning, and about 50 grains more by the following sunset; the gauge being exposed to a smart breeze on the house top. The curious reader may hence compute for himself, the enor

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January 18.

January 18.

In the church of England calendar. This is still observed in some parts of England. In default of holiday making by the editor, who during the Christmas season has been employed in finishing the indexes, which will be in the readers’ hands in few days to enable them to complete the first volume of this work, he has now and then turned to his collections to relieve the wearisomeness of his occupation, and finding the following anecdote in “The Times” of Dec. 1825, he subjoins from his stores an i

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January 19.

January 19.

This is a festival with the Chinese on the fifteenth day of the first month of their year. It is so called from the great number of lanthorns hung out of the houses, and in the streets; insomuch that it rather appears a season of madness, than of feasting. On this day are exposed lanthorns of all prices, whereof some are said to cost two thousand crowns. Some of their grandees retrench somewhat every day out of their table, their dress, their equipage, &amp;c. to appear the more magnificent

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January 20.

January 20.

In the church of England calendar. [32] The dedication of each day in the year, by the Romish church, in honour of a saint, which converts every day into a festival, is a fact pretty well known to the readers of the Every-Day Book . It is also generally known, that in certain almanacs every part of the human body is distributed among the days throughout the year, as subjects of diurnal influence; but it is not perhaps so well known, that every joint of each finger on each hand was appropriated t

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January 21.

January 21.

In the church of England calendar. [33] Obtain a free circulation of the blood by walking, or other wholesome exercise, so as to procure a gentle glow over the entire surface of the body. Hasten to your chamber, undress yourself quickly, and jump into bed without suffering its temperature to be heightened by the machine called a warming-pan. Your bed will be warmed by your own heat, and if you have not eaten a meat supper, or drank spirits, you will sleep well and warm all night. Calico sheets a

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January 22.

January 22.

In the church of England calendar. [35] Skating on the Serpentine. * * A hard frost is a season of holidays in London. The scenes exhibited are too agreeable and ludicrous for the pen to describe. They are for the pencil; and Mr. Cruikshank’s is the only one equal to the series. In a work like this there is no room for their display, yet he has hastily essayed the preceding sketch in a short hour. It is proper to say, that however gratifying the representation may be to the reader, the friendshi

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January 23.

January 23.

1826. Hilary Term begins. It appears that our ingenious neighbours, the French, are rivalled by the lark-catchers of Dunstaple, in the mode of attracting those birds. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. 6, Bermondsey New Road January 18, 1826. Sir, In the present volume of your Every-Day Book , p. 91 , a correspondent at Abbeville has given an account of lark-shooting in that country, in which he mentions a machine called a miroir , as having been used for the purpose of attracting the birds wi

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January 24.

January 24.

The scenes and weather which sometimes prevail on the Vigil of St. Paul are described in some verses inserted by Dr. Forster in his “Perennial Calendar.” St. Paul’s Eve. Mean Temperature 36·60....

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January 25.

January 25.

Conversion of St. Paul. [39] This Romish festival was first adopted by the church of England in the year 1662, during the reign of Charles II. Formerly a buck’s head was carried in procession at St. Paul’s Cathedral. This by some antiquaries is presumed to have been the continuation of a ceremony in more ancient times when, according to certain accounts, a heathen temple existed on that site. It is remarkable that this notion as to the usage is repeated by writers whose experience in other respe

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January 26.

January 26.

So says a well-known old ballad, and we are acquainted, by the following communication, that our patron saint still appears in England, through his personal representatives, at this season of the year. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, I send you an account of the Christmas drama of “St. George,” as acted in Cornwall, subscribing also my name and address, which you properly deem an indispensable requisite. I thereby vouch for the authenticity of what I send you. Having many friends and r

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January 27.

January 27.

1826. The alteration of the standard this year, in order to its uniformity throughout the kingdom, however inconvenient to individuals in its first application, will be ultimately of the highest public advantage. The difference between beer, wine, corn, and coal measure, and the difference of measures of the same denomination in different counties, were occasions of fraud and grievance without remedy until the present act of parliament commenced to operate. In the twelfth year of Henry VII. a st

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January 28.

January 28.

Apology will scarcely be required for introducing a character, who at this season of the year comes forth in renovated honours, and may aptly be termed one of its ever-blues — The Beadle— Shakspeare. not a peculiar of either Farringdons, nor him of Cripplegate, or St. Giles in the Fields, or of any ward or precinct within the bills: not this or that “good man”—but the universal parish beadle . “How Christmas and consolatory he looks! how redolent of good cheer is he! He is a cornucopia—an abunda

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January 29.

January 29.

1826. Sexagesima Sunday. 1820. King George III. died. A contemporary kalendarian, in recording this memorable fact, observes, that “the slow and solemn sound of St. Paul’s bell announced the event a short time after, and was heard to a great distance around the country.” He adds, that he was reminded, by this “mournful proclamation of departed royalty,” of the following lines in Heywood’s “Rape of Lucrece,” written to go to a funeral peal from eight bells: This opportunity the same agreeable wri

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January 30.

January 30.

King Charles’s Martyrdom , 1644.—Holiday at the Public Offices, 1826. It is recorded that, after King Charles the First received sentence of death, on Saturday the 27th, he spent the next day in devout exercises. He refused to see his friends, and ordered them to be told, that his time was precious, and the best thing they could do was to pray for him. On Monday the 29th, his children were brought to take their leave of him, viz. the lady Elizabeth and the duke of Gloucester. He first gave his b

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January 31.

January 31.

King George IV. proclaimed. —Holiday at the Exchequer. A newspaper of this day, [48] in the year 1821, relates the following anecdote:— All through Ireland the ceremonial of wakes and funerals is most punctually attended to, and it requires some sçavoir faire to carry through the arrangement in a masterly manner. A great adept at the business, who had been the prime manager at all the wakes in the neighbourhood for many years, was at last called away from the death-beds of his friends to his own

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February 1.

February 1.

A good garden in a sunny day, at the commencement of this month, has many delightful appearances to a lover of nature, and issues promises of further gratification. It is, however, in ball-rooms and theatres that many of the sex, to whose innocence and beauty the lily is likened, resort for amusement, and see or wear the mimic forms of floral loveliness. Yet this approach to nature, though at an awful distance, is to be hailed as an impulse of her own powerful working in the very heart of fashio

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February 2.

February 2.

This day, the festival of “the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” is sometimes called Christ’s Presentation , the Holiday of St. Simeon , and The Wives’ Feast . An account of its origin and celebration is in vol. i. p. 199. A beautiful composition in honour of the Virgin is added as a grace to these columns. Portuguese Hymn. TO THE VIRGIN MARY. By John Leyden. On Candlemas-day, 1734, there was a grand entertainment for the judges, sergeants, &amp;c. in the Temple-hall. The lord chance

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February 3.

February 3.

These two Romish festivals are still retained in the church of England calendar. Of St. Blaise’s festival there is an account in vol. i. p. 207. The necessity for instruction is powerfully exemplified by the following narrative. Some who reflect upon it, and discover that there are other and worse consequences to be apprehended from ignorance than those related below, will consult their own safety, by providing education for the children of labouring people, and influencing their attendance wher

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February 4.

February 4.

On the 4th of February, 1800, the rev. William Tasker, remarkable for his learning and eccentricity, died, aged 60, at Iddesleigh, in Devonshire, of which church he was rector near thirty years, though he had not enjoyed the income of the living till within five years before his death, in consequence of merciless and severe persecutions and litigations. “An Ode to the Warlike Genius of Britain, 1778,” 4to., was the first effusion of his poetical talent. His translations of “Select Odes of Pindar

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February 5.

February 5.

Browne Willis, Esq. LL.D. * * The present engraving , however unwinning its aspect as to drawing, is, in other respects, an improvement of the late Mr. Michael Tyson’s etching from a picture painted by Dahl. There is no other portrait of “the great original” published. On the 5th of February, 1760, Dr. Browne Willis died at Whaddon hall, in the county of Bucks, aged 78; he was born at St. Mary Blandford, in the county of Dorset, on the 14th of September, 1682. He was unexcelled in eagerness of i

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February 6.

February 6.

Collop Monday. See vol. i. p. 241. At this time, Dr. Forster says that people should guard against colds, and, above all, against the contagion of typhus and other fevers, which are apt to prevail in the early spring. “Smoking tobacco,” he observes, “is a very salutary practice in general, as well as being a preventive against infection in particular. The German pipes are the best, and get better as they are used, particularly those made of merschaum, called Ecume de Mer . Next to these, the Tur

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February 7.

February 7.

Several of the customs and sports of this day are related in vol i. p. 242-261. It is the last meat day permitted by the papacy before Lent, which commences to-morrow, and therefore in former times, full advantage was taken of the expiring opportunity to feast and make merry. Selden observes, “that what the church debars us one day, she gives us leave to eat another—first, there is a carnival, and then a Lent.” This period is also recorded in the homely rhymes of Barnaby Googe. Shrove-tide. Naog

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February 8.

February 8.

1826.— Ash Wednesday , To the particulars concerning this day, and the ashes , (in vol. i. p. 261,) is to be added, that the ashes , made of the branches of brushwood, properly cleansed, sifted, and consecrated, were worn four times a year, as at the beginning of Lent; and that on this day the people were excluded from church, husbands and wives parted bed, and the penitents wore sackcloth and ashes . [55] According to the Benedictine rule, on Ash Wednesday , after sext, the monks were to return

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February 9.

February 9.

She is called, by Butler, “the admirable Apollonia, whom old age and the state of virginity rendered equally venerable.” He relates, that in a persecution of the Christians, stirred up by “a certain poet of Alexandria,” she was seized, and all her teeth were beaten out, with threats that she should be cast into the fire, “if she did not utter certain impious words;” whereupon, of her own accord, she leaped into the flames. From this legend, St. Apollonia is become the patron saint of persons aff

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February 10.

February 10.

1818. On this day died in London, captain Thomas Morris, aged 74, a man of highly cultivated mind, who was born in its environs, and for whom when young a maternal uncle, of high military rank, procured an ensigncy. He beat for recruits at Bridgewater, and enlisted the affections of a Miss Chubb of that town, whom he married. He was ordered with his regiment to America, where he fought by the side of general Montgomery. Captain Morris at one time was taken by the Indians, and condemned to the st

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February 11.

February 11.

1763. William Shenstone, the poet, died at his celebrated residence the Leasowes, near Hagley, in Worcestershire. He was born at Hales Owen, Shropshire, in 1714. Mean Temperature 40·00....

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February 12.

February 12.

The communion service of the church of England for the Sundays in Lent, was extracted from the offices appointed for these Sundays by the missal of Sarum, excepting the collect for the first Sunday, which was composed by the compilers of the liturgy, and also excepting the gospel for the second Sunday. Mean Temperature 38·37....

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February 13.

February 13.

Valentine’s Eve. 1826. Hilary term ends. Cambridge term begins. For the Every-Day Book. At Swaffham in Norfolk it is customary to send valentines on this evening. Watching for a convenient opportunity, the door is slyly opened, and the valentine, attached to an apple or an orange, is thrown in; a loud rap at the door immediately follows, and the offender, taking to his heels, is off instantly. Those in the house, generally knowing for what purpose the announcing rap was made, commence a search f

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February 14.

February 14.

OLD CANDLEMAS DAY. Referring to vol. i. from p. 215 to 230, for information concerning the origin of this festival of lovers, and the manner wherein it is celebrated, a communication is subjoined concerning a custom now observed in Norfolk. For the Every-Day Book. Independent of the homage paid to St. Valentine on this day at Lynn, (Norfolk,) it is in other respects a red-letter day amongst all classes of its inhabitants, being the commencement of its great annual mart. This mart was granted by

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February 15.

February 15.

Ember weeks are those in which the Ember days fall. A variety of explanations have been given of the word Ember , but Nelson prefers Dr. Marechal’s, “who derives it from the Saxon word importing, a circuit or course ; so that these fasts being not occasional, but returning every year in certain courses, may properly be said to be Ember days, because fasts in course.” The Ember days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent, and after the 13th of December. It is enjoi

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February 16.

February 16.

A question was carried in the house of commons for building a bridge over the Thames, from Palace-yard to the Surrey side. During the debate, that river overflowed its banks by reason of a strong spring tide; the water was higher than ever known before, and rose above two feet in Westminster-hall, where the courts being sitting, the judges, &amp;c. were obliged to be carried out. The water came into all the cellars and ground rooms near the river on both sides, and flowed through the streets

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February 17.

February 17.

On the day after the expiration of every term, the courts of law continue to sit at Westminster, and try causes; and some judges come into London at the same time, for the same purpose. These sittings are called the “sittings after term,” and during these periods, suits, arising out of clashing claims of important interests, are usually decided by the verdicts of special juries, and other litigations are disposed of. The origin and progress of every possible action, in a court of law, are succin

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February 18.

February 18.

Mr. Arthur Aikin, in his “Natural History of the Year,” narrates the first vital function in trees on the conclusion of winter. This is the ascent of the sap after the frost is moderated, and the earth sufficiently thawed. The absorbent vessels composing the inner bark reach to the extremity of the fibres of the roots, and thus, through the roots, imbibe water, which, mixing there with a quantity of saccharine matter, forms sap , and is from thence abundantly distributed through the trunk and br

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February 19.

February 19.

1826.— Second Sunday in Lent. Of all our native birds, none begins to build so soon as the raven: by the latter end of this month it has generally laid its eggs and begun to sit. The following anecdote, illustrative of its attachment to its nest, is related by Mr. White in his “Natural History of Selborne.” “In the centre of this grove there stood an oak, which, though shapely and tall on the whole, bulged out into a large excrescence about the middle of the stem. On this a pair of ravens had fi

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February 20.

February 20.

The roads now are usually heavy , that is, the thaws have so entirely liberated the water in the earth, that the subsoil, which had been expanded by the action of the frost, becomes loosened, and, yielding mud to the surface, increases the draught of carriages. Now, therefore, the commissioners and agents who execute their duty have full employment, and the highways afford employment to a large number of persons who are destitute of their customary labour, or unfit for other work. Travelling in

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February 21.

February 21.

On p. 187 there is a “Letter,” delivered to a favourite servant at parting, which deserves to be printed in letters of gold, or, what is better, because it is easier and more useful, it should be imprinted on the memory of every person who reads it. There are sentiments in it as useful to masters and mistresses as their domestics. The following “Rules” may likewise be perused with advantage by both; they are deemed “seasonable,” because, as good-livers say, good things are never out of season. I

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February 22.

February 22.

1826. This year may be deemed remarkable in the history of modern times, for its being the period wherein, for the first time within the memory of man, a parliament expired by efflux of time. Most of the preceding parliaments were dissolved, but this attained to its full duration of seven years. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir, Kensington, Feb. 1826 . I hope the following description of an extraordinary custom which has obtained at Alnwick, in Northumberland, may be considered worthy pr

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February 23.

February 23.

1821. John Keats, the poet, died. Virulent and unmerited attacks upon his literary ability, by an unprincipled and malignant reviewer, injured his rising reputation, overwhelmed his spirits, and he sunk into consumption. In that state he fled for refuge to the climate of Italy, caught cold on the voyage, and perished in Rome, at the early age of 25. Specimens of his talents are in the former volume of this work. One of his last poems was in prospect of departure from his native shores. It is an

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February 24.

February 24.

After the crucifixion, and the death of the traitor Judas, Peter, in the midst of the disciples, they being in number about a hundred and twenty, proposed the election of an apostle in his stead, “and they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias: and they prayed” to be directed in their choice, “and they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” ( Acts i. 23-26.) Writers disagree as to the particula

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February 25.

February 25.

1826.— Third Sunday in Lent. The stilling of the waves by oil is briefly noticed at p. 192 , and another instance is subjoined. C. W., in Dr. Aikin’s Athenæum, says: “About twelve years ago, during my stay at Malta, I was introduced to the bey of Bengazi, in Africa, who was going with his family and a large retinue of servants to Mecca. He very politely offered me and my companion a passage to Egypt. We embarked on board a French brig which the bey had freighted, and very unfortunately were capt

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February 26.

February 26.

1826.— Third Sunday in Lent. 1732, February 26. The title to an estate of 100 l. per annum, which had been settled on the Penderill family “for preserving king Charles II. in the oak,” was sued for on behalf of an infant claiming to be heir-at-law, and the issue was this day tried in the court of king’s bench. It was proved that Mr. Penderill, after marrying the mother of the claimant, retired into Staffordshire two years before he died; that during that time he had no intercourse with his wife,

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February 27.

February 27.

A Scotch newspaper of the 27th of February, 1753, relates, that on the preceding Wednesday se’nnight, the river Tweed was dried up from six o’clock in the morning to six in the evening, the current having been entirely suspended. On the 20th of February, 1748, the river Sark, near Philipston, in the parish of Kirk Andrews upon Eske, and the Liddel, near Penton, in the same parish, were both dry. At the same time other rivers also lost their waters. These remarkable phenomena are naturally accoun

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February 28.

February 28.

It was recorded in the daily journals, on the 28th of February, 1755, that “the university of Oxford, in full convocation, unanimously conferred the degree of master of arts on the learned Mr. Samuel Johnson, author of the New English Dictionary.” Such a testimony to distinguished merit, from a learned university, was, perhaps, such a reward as Dr. Johnson appreciated more highly than others of more seeming worth; the publicity given to it at the time is evidence of the notoriety he had attained

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March 1.

March 1.

To the particulars connected with this anniversary, related in vol. i. p. 317-322, may be added that Coles, in his “Adam in Eden,” says, concerning leeks, “The gentlemen in Wales have them in great regard, both for their feeding, and to wear in their hats upon St. David’s day.” It is affirmed in the “Royal Apophthegms” of James I., that “the Welchmen in commemoration of the Great Fight by the Black Prince of Wales, do wear Leeks as their chosen ensign.” Mr. Brand received through the late Mr. Jo

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March 2.

March 2.

A rare quarto tract alleges some extraordinary appearances in Ireland on this day in the year 1679. It is here reprinted verbatim, beginning with the title-page: viz. A true Account of divers most strange and prodigious Apparitions seen in the Air at Poins-town, in the county of Tipperary, in Ireland: March the second, 1678-9. Attested by Sixteen Persons that were Eye-witnesses. Published at Dublin, and thence communicated hither. Licensed, 1679. London: printed for L. C., 1679. Upon the second

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March 3.

March 3.

This saint is called Winwaloc, by father Cressy, and Winwaloke by father Porter. St. Winwaloe’s father, named Fragan, or Fracan, was nearly related to Cathoun, one of the kings or princes of Wales. In consequence of Saxon invasions, Fragan emigrated from Wales to Armorica, where the spot he inhabited is “called from him to this day Plou-fragan.” Whether Winwaloe was born there or in Wales is uncertain; but he was put under St. Budoc, a British abbot of a monastery in Isleverte, near the isle of

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March 4.

March 4.

The fair author of the “Flora Domestica” inquires, “Who can see, or hear the name of the daisy, the common field daisy, without a thousand pleasurable associations? It is connected with the sports of childhood and with the pleasures of youth. We walk abroad to seek it; yet it is the very emblem of home. It is a favourite with man, woman, and child: it is the robin of flowers. Turn it all ways, and on every side you will find new beauty. You are attracted by the snowy white leaves, contrasted by

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March 5.

March 5.

1826.— Mid Lent Sunday. For particulars of this day, see vol. i. p. 358. Yes—Flowers again! It is the season of their approach; therefore make ready for their coming, and listen to the fair herald who is eloquent in praise of their eloquence. She tells us, in her “Flora Domestica,” and who dare deny? that “flowers do speak a language, a clear and intelligible language: ask Mr. Wordsworth, for to him they have spoken, until they excited ‘thoughts that lie too deep for tears;’ ask Chaucer, for he

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March 6.

March 6.

Mean Temperature 40·22. Merriment in March. * This is a French sport, which, according to a print from whence the present representation was taken, is peculiar to the month of March. The inscription on the engraving just mentioned, is— MARS. REJOUISSANCES DU PAPEGUAY. The “Papeguay,” Papegai , or Papegaut , is “a wooden bird to shoot at, a shaw fowl.” [76] This wooden bird in the print is carried on a pole by the man on horseback, attended by those who are about to partake of the sport, and prec

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March 7.

March 7.

The earth has now several productions for our gratification, if we stoop to gather and examine them. Young botanists should commence their inquiries before the season pours in its abundance. They who are admirers of natural beauties, may daily discover objects of delightful regard in the little peeping plants which escape the eye, unless their first appearance is narrowly looked for. The Primrose. Clare. Clare. It is remarked by the lady of the “Flora Domestica,” that “this little flower, in its

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March 8.

March 8.

At this season there is a sweetness in the fresh and open air, which never “comes to town.” Residents in cities, therefore, must seek it at some distance from their abodes; and those who cannot, may derive some pleasure from a sonnet, by the rural bard quoted just now. Approach of Spring. Clare. Clare. Mean Temperature 40·05....

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March 9.

March 9.

Mean Temperature 40·15. THE ELEPHANT, As he laid dead at Exeter Change. The most remarkable incident in the metropolis, since “the panic” in the neighbourhood of the Royal Exchange, in January, 1826, was the death of the celebrated elephant at Exeter Change, in March of the same year; not that it is attempted to insinuate comparison between these events, as to their nature or consequences, but it may fairly be observed, that each produced what is commonly called “a sensation” in town and country

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March 10.

March 10.

A few anecdotes of this eminent painter, who died on the 10th of March, 1820, are related in vol. i. p. 346. By the favour of a gentleman who possesses letters from him, the reader is presented with Mr. West’s Autograph. Another gentleman, an artist, has obligingly made a drawing from the bust by Mr. Behnes, in sir John Leicester’s gallery, and thrown in some touches from intimate acquaintance with Mr. West, in his last illness, to convey an idea of his friend’s last looks. Benjamin West, Esq. T

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March 11.

March 11.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Newark, Feb. 1826. A curious traditional story of a very extraordinary deliverance of alderman Hercules Clay, and his family, by a dream, is at your service. I am, &amp;c. Benjamin Johnson. On March 11, every year, at Newark-upon-Trent, penny loaves are given away to every one who chooses to appear at the town-hall, and apply for them, in commemoration of the deliverance of Hercules Clay, during the siege of Newark by the parliamentary forces. This Hercul

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March 12.

March 12.

1826. Fifth Sunday in Lent. On the 12th of March, 1808, died, at West Ham, in Essex, George Gregory, D. D. vicar of that parish. He was descended from a respectable family, originally from Scotland, a branch of which was settled in Ireland. His father, who had been educated in Trinity-college, Dublin, held, at the time of his son’s birth, the living of Edernin, and a prebend in the cathedral of Ferns. Dr. Gregory was born on April 14, 1754, but whether in Dublin or in Lancashire, of which county

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March 13.

March 13.

On the 13th of March, 1614, in the reign of king James I., Bartholomew Legat, an Arian, was burnt in Smithfield for that heresy. 1722, March 13, there were bonfires, illuminations, ringing of bells, and other demonstrations of joy, in the cities of London and Westminster, upon the dissolution of the septennial parliament. [80] Mean Temperature 40·47. [80] British Chronologist....

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March 14.

March 14.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—Perhaps you are not aware that, during fine weather, football is played every Sunday afternoon, in the fields, between Oldfield’s dairy and Copenhagen-house, near Islington, by Irishmen. It generally commences at three o’clock, and is continued till dusk. The boundaries are fixed and the parties chosen. I believe, as is usual in the sister kingdom, county-men play against other county-men. Some fine specimens of wrestling are occasionally exhibited, in o

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March 15.

March 15.

With much pleasure insertion is given to the following letter and its accompanying song. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Seymour-street, Feb. 18, 1826. Sir,—In illustration of the custom of “Swearing on the horns at Highgate,” described at p. 79, in the Every-Day Book of the present year, I enclose you a song, which was introduced in the pantomime of Harlequin Teague , performed at the Haymarket theatre, in August, 1742. If you think it worthy the columns of your valuable work, it is at you

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March 16.

March 16.

From several valuable communications, a letter is selected for insertion this day, because it happens to be an open one, and therefore free for pleasant intelligence on any subject connected with the purpose of this publication. It is an advantage resulting from the volume already before the public, that it acquaints its readers with the kind of information desired to be conveyed, more readily than the prospectus proposed to their consideration. If each reader will only contribute something to t

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March 17.

March 17.

1826, Cambridge Term ends. St. Patrick’s Day—a Pattern. It happens that several fairs , similar to those in the country parts of England as to tents and booths, are held in Ireland on Saint Patrick’s day, and then its hilarity is heightened by the publicity of the celebration. The usual fair day or “ patron ,” or, as it is usually pronounced, pattern or patten , is a festive meeting to commemorate the virtues of a patron saint. It is a kind of rural fete with drinking and dancing, whereto (in Ir

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March 18.

March 18.

On this anniversary, which is a holiday in the church of England calendar, and kept at the Exchequer, Rapin says, “I do not know upon what foundation Edward was made both a saint and a martyr, unless it was pretended he was murdered out of revenge for his great affection to Dunstan and the monks.” See farther concerning him in vol. i. p. 372. Mean Temperature 41·75....

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March 19.

March 19.

1826. Oxford Term ends. This is the first of Passion Week . To accounts of remarkable ceremonies peculiar to the day, and its present observance, it is proper to add the mode wherein it is celebrated by the papal pontiff at Rome. An eye-witness to the pageant relates as follows:— About half-past nine in the morning, the pope entered the Sistine chapel, attired in a robe of scarlet and gold, which he wore over his ordinary dress, and took his throne. The cardinals, who were at first dressed in un

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March 20.

March 20.

It is related in the Scottish newspapers that about the year 1770, a Selkirkshire farmer, a great original in his way, and remarkable for his fondness of a “big price” for every thing, attended at Langholm fair, and, notwithstanding his parsimonious habits, actually sold his lambs to a perfect stranger upon his simply promising to pay him punctually at the next market. On his return home, the farmer’s servants, who regularly messed at the same table, and seldom honoured him with the name of mast

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March 21.

March 21.

Concerning this saint in our almanacs, see vol. i. p. 380. For the Every-Day Book. In the summer of 1825, a meeting was held at Tunbridge in Kent, by some gentlemen interested in the formation of a rail road, in that neighbourhood; at which was a present a young gentleman well known for astonishing celerity in resolving difficult calculations by the aid of memory alone. One of the company, a great snuff-taker, and good mathematician, proposed the following, (as he thought,) puzzling question; “I

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March 22.

March 22.

In 1826, this being the Wednesday before Easter, called Passion Wednesday , is celebrated with great solemnity in catholic countries. At Seville a white veil conceals the officiating priest and ministers, during mass, until the words in the service “the veil of the temple was rent in twain” are chaunted. At this moment the veil disappears, as if by enchantment, and the ears of the congregation are stunned with the noise of concealed fireworks, which are meant to imitate an earthquake. The evenin

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March 23.

March 23.

These denominations have been sufficiently explained in vol. i. p. 400, with an account of the Maundy at the chapel royal St. James’s. The Romish church this day institutes certain ceremonies to commemorate the washing of the disciples’ feet. The particulars of these solemnities are recorded by the rev. Blanco White. The ceremonies of the high mass, are especially intended as a remembrance of the last supper, and the service, as it proceeds, rapidly assumes the deepest hues of melancholy. The be

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March 24.

March 24.

This annual commemoration is the only one observed in England, with the exception of Christmas, by the suspension of all business, and the closing of shops. The late bishop Porteus having particularly insisted on this method of keeping Good Friday, the reverend Robert Robinson of Cambridge wrote a remarkable pamphlet, entitled, “The History and Mystery of Good Friday,” wherein he urges various statements and arguments against the usage. This tract has been published from time to time by Mr. Benj

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March 25.

March 25.

Annunciation, or Lady Day. QUARTER DAY. For the Every-Day Book. X. X. Lady Morgan describes the “sepulchres,” in the churches of Italy, to have been watched night and day by hundreds clad in deep mourning from the dawn of Holy Thursday till Saturday at mid-day, when the body is supposed to rise from the grave, and the resurrection is announced by the firing of cannon, the blowing of trumpets, and the ringing of bells which from the preceding Thursday had been carefully tied up to protect them fr

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March 26.

March 26.

There is little trace in England of the imposing effect of this festival in papal terms. It is affirmed, that at Queen’s-college, Oxford, the first dish brought to the table on Easter-day, is a red herring, riding away on horseback, that is to say, a herring placed by the cook, something after the likeness of a man on horseback, set on a corn sallad. [104] This is the only vestige of the pageants which formerly were publicly exhibited by way of popular rejoicing for the departure of the forty da

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March 27.

March 27.

This is the day for choosing churchwardens in the different parishes, and for merry-making afterwards. Now, at last, the Easter week is arrived, and the poor have for once in the year the best of it,—setting all things, but their own sovereign will, at a wise defiance. The journeyman who works on Easter Monday should lose his caste , and be sent to the Coventry of mechanics, wherever that may be. In fact, it cannot happen. On Easter Monday ranks change places; Jobson is as good as sir John; the

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March 28.

March 28.

Formerly, “in the Easter holidays, was the Clarke’s-ale for his private benefit, and the solace of the neighbourhood.” [115] Our ancestors were abundant drinkers; they had their “bride-ales,” “church-ales,” and other sort of ales, and their feats of potation were so great as to be surprising to their posterity; the remainder of whom, in good time, shall be more generally informed of these regular drinking bouts. “Easter-ale” was not always over with Easter week. Excessive fasting begat excessive

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March 29.

March 29.

For the Every-Day Book. There are frequently mornings in March, when a lover of nature may enjoy, in a stroll, sensations not to be exceeded, or, perhaps, equalled by any thing which the full glory of summer can awaken:—mornings, which tempt us to cast the memory of winter, or the fear of its recurrence out of our thoughts. The air is mild and balmy, with, now and then, a cool gush by no means unpleasant, but, on the contrary, contributing towards that cheering and peculiar feeling which we expe

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March 30.

March 30.

On the 30th of March, 1759, this celebrated female issued a singular advertisement through the “ Public Advertiser ,” which shows her sensitiveness to public opinion. She afterwards became duchess of Bolton. TO ERR is a blemish entailed upon mortality, and indiscretion seldom or never escapes without censure, the more heavy, as the character is more remarkable; and doubled, nay trebled, by the world, if that character is marked by success: then malice shoots against it all her stings, and the sn

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March 31.

March 31.

This celebrated man wrote a letter to sir John Elliott, on this day, in the year 1631, which is deposited in the British Museum. [116] At its date, which was long before “the troubles of England,” wherein he bore a distinguished part, it appears that he was absorbed by constant avocation, and attention to the business of others. The letter has been obligingly transcribed and communicated by our kind correspondent, T. A. It is curious from its style and sentiments, and is here printed, because it

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Spring.

Spring.

The beauties of the seasons are a constant theme with their discoverers—the poets. Spring, as the reproductive source of “light and life and love,” has the preeminence with these children of nature. The authors of “ The Forest Minstrel and other poems,” William and Mary Howitt, have high claims upon reflective and imaginative minds, in return for the truth and beauty contained in an elegant volume, which cultivates the moral sense, and infuses a devotional spirit, through exquisite description a

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April 1.

April 1.

In the first volume of the present work, (p. 409,) there is an account of the singular usage of fool-making to-day, which may be further illustrated by a few lines from an almanac of 1760:— Poor Robin. Poor Robin. The custom of making April fools prevails all over the continent. A lady relates that the day is further marked in Provence by every body, both rich and poor, having for dinner, under some form or other, a sort of peas peculiar to the country, called pois chiches . While the convent of

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April 2.

April 2.

On the 2d of April 1755, Severndroog castle, on the coast of Malabar, belonging to Angria, a celebrated pirate, was taken by commodore James. His relict, to commemorate her husband’s heroism, and to testify her affectionate respect to his memory, erected a tower of the same name on Shooters-hill, near Blackheath, where it is a distinguished land-mark at an immense distance to the circumjacent country. Mean Temperature 44·37....

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April 3.

April 3.

It is noticed on this day in the “Perennial Calendar,” that the birds are now arriving daily, and forming arrangements for the hatching and nurture of their future young. The different sorts of nests of each species, adapted to the wants of each, and springing out of their respective instincts, combined with the propensity to construct, would form a curious subject of research for the natural historian. Every part of the world furnishes materials for the aërial architects: leaves and small twigs

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April 4.

April 4.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Cornhill, March, 1826. Sir,—The following observations on the leechworm were made by a gentleman who kept one several years for the purpose of a weather-glass: A phial of water, containing a leech, I kept on the frame of my lower sash window, so that when I looked in the morning I could know what would be the weather of the following day. If the weather proves serene and beautiful, the leech lies motionless at the bottom of the glass, and rolled together in a

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April 5.

April 5.

Our friend J. H. H. whose letter on wild-fowl shooting, from Abbeville, is in vol. i. p. 1575, with another on lark shooting in France in the present volume, p. 91 , writes from Southover, near Lewes, in Sussex, on this day, 1826, “How delightful the country looks! I shall leave you to imagine two swallows, the first I have seen, now preening themselves on the barn opposite, heartily glad that their long journey is at an end.” The birds come to us this year very early. In a letter of the 5th of

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April 6.

April 6.

This period of the year is so awakening to intellectual powers, that for a few days some matters of fact are occasionally deferred in favour of imaginative and descriptive effusions occasioned by the season. The Poet’s Pen. ( From the Greek of Menecrates. ) Pulci Pulci Mean Temperature 46·84....

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April 7.

April 7.

Our old acquaintance with the saints is not broken: but they are sad intruders on the beauties of the world, and we part from them, for a little while, after the annexed communication of an attempt to honour them. For the Every-Day Book. The following anecdote, under the article “Black Friars,” in Brand’s “History of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,” as a specimen of the extreme perversion of mind in the Romish clergy of former times, is curious, and may amuse your readers as much as it has me. Richard Mars

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April 8.

April 8.

On this day in the “Perennial Calendar,” Dr. Forster observes, that it may be proper to notice the general appearance of the wild and less cultivated parts of nature at this time. In the fields, the bulbous crowfoot, ranunculus bulbosus , begins to blow. Daisies become pretty common, and dandelions are seen here and there by road sides, and in fields, on a warm soil, are pretty abundant. The pilewort, ficaria verna , still decorates the thickets and shady green banks with its bright yellow stars

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April 9.

April 9.

Some verses in the “Widow’s Tale,” are beautifully descriptive of the season. Mean Temperature 47·17....

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April 10.

April 10.

Art, as well as nature, is busily occupied in providing for real wants or natural desires. To gratify the ears and eyes of the young, we have more street organs and shows in spring than in the autumn, and the adventures of that merry fellow “Punch in the Puppet-show,” are represented to successive crowds in every street, whence his exhibitors conceive they can extract funds for the increase of their treasury. A kind hand communicates an article of curious import, peculiarly seasonable. To the Ed

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April 11.

April 11.

St. Mary Islington Old Church “Merry Islington.” In March, an anonymous correspondent obligingly enclosed, and begged my acceptance of a ticket, for a parish dinner at Islington, on the 11th of April, 1738. It would have been rudeness to decline the civility, and as the editor was not prepared to join the guests at the great dinner, “not where they eat, but where they are eaten,” he appropriates the ticket to the use for which it was intended by the donor, T. H. of St. John-street. It would do t

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April 12.

April 12.

One of the “Hundred Mery Tales” teacheth that, ere travellers depart their homes, they should know natural signs; insomuch that they provide right array, or make sure that they be safely housed against tempest. Our Shakspeare read the said book of tales, which is therefore called “Shakspeare’s Jest Book;” and certain it is, that though he were not skilled in learning of the schoolmen, by reason that he did not know their languages, yet was he well skilled in English, and a right wise observer of

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April 13.

April 13.

Birds. About this time, according to Dr. Forster, whose observations on the migrations and habits of birds, are familiar to most persons acquainted with the natural history of our island, the bittern, ardea stellata , begins to make a booming noise in marshy places at eventide. The deep and peculiar hollow tone of this bird in the breeding season, can hardly be mistaken for that of any other: it differs essentially from the note of the same bird when on the wing. The bittern sits all day hid amo

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April 14.

April 14.

Spring. Genial weather at the commencement of the year, dresses the meadows with the common and beautiful flowers that delight childhood. The Cowslip. Mean Temperature 47·44....

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April 15.

April 15.

To the Reader. On Saturday, the 15th of April, 1826, No. 68, and Part XVII., of the Every-Day Book , forming No. 16, and Part IV. of the second volume, were published by Messrs. Hunt and Clarke , of Tavistock-street, Covent-garden. As the removal of the office from Ludgate-hill may be an event of as much interest to the friends of the work as any other belonging to the day it is recorded here with the following explanation which was printed on the wrapper of the part :— “This step relieves me fr

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April 16.

April 16.

C. L., whose papers under these initials on “Captain Starkey,” [118] “The Ass, No. 2, [119] ” and “Squirrels,” [120] besides other communications, are in the first volume, drops the following pleasant article “in an hour of need.” For the Every-Day Book. Rummaging over the contents of an old stall at a half book , half old iron shop , in an alley leading from Wardour-street to Soho-square yesterday, I lit upon a ragged duodecimo, which had been the strange delight of my infancy, and which I had

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April 17.

April 17.

Sir William Davenant, the reviver of the drama after the restoration of Charles II., and patentee of the theatre in Lincoln’s-inn-fields, died on the 17th of April, 1668. He was the son of an innkeeper at Oxford, where he was born in 1605; and after studying at Lincoln-college, became a page to Greville, lord Brooke, a literary nobleman, who encouraged his attainments. He cultivated acquaintance with the poetic muse, and the eminent wits of his time. His imagination, depraved by sensuality, was

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April 18.

April 18.

On this day, in the year 17 , there was a solemn mock procession, according to the fashion of the times, in ridicule of freemasonry, by an assemblage of humourists and rabble, which strongly characterises the manners of the period. Without further preface, a large broadside publication, published at the time, is introduced to the reader’s attention, as an article of great rarity and singular curiosity. The year wherein this procession took place, is not ascertainable from the broadside; but, fr

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April 19.

April 19.

This open day may be devoted to the contemplation of appearances and products of the season, presented to us by ministering bards: the first to be ushered in, is an offering from a hand whence nothing can be proffered that will not be especially acceptable. For the Every-Day Book The Blackthorn. W. Howitt. W. Howitt. Passing the eye from the hedge-row to the earth, it lights on the “wee-tipp’d” emblem of “modesty” sung by poets of every clime wherein it blows:— The Daisy. Montgomery. Montgomery.

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April 20.

April 20.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—A notice of St. Katherine’s church, near the tower, having already appeared in your first volume, induces me to subjoin, from “Testamenta Vetusta,” by Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Esq., [126] the will of the duchess of Exeter, who was buried at the east end of the church now no longer existing. I am, Sir, &amp;c. I. E——tt . “Ann Holland, Dutchess of Exeter, April 20, 1457. My Body to be buried in the Chapel of the Chancel of the Church of St. Katharine’s

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April 21.

April 21.

Leaving “hill and valley, dale and field,” we turn for “a passing time” to scenes where, according to the authority subjoined by a worthy correspondent, we find “disorder—order.” To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. April 15, 1826. Sir,—The following notice of an ancient school for learning how to pick pockets is, I conceive, worthy notice in the Every-Day Book . I am, Sir, &amp;c. T. A. Kennington. In the spring of 1585, Fleetwood, the recorder of London, with some of his brother magistrate

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April 22.

April 22.

At least so say a great many who call themselves Christians, and who are willing to believe all evil of the Jews, who, in compliment to their own questionable goodness, they “religiously” hate, with all the soul of “irreligion.” The following account of an individual of the Jewish persuasion, well known to many observers of London characters, may disturb their position: it is communicated by a gentleman who gives his name to the editor with the article. For the Every-Day Book. They who are in th

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April 23.

April 23.

1826. King’s birth-day kept. For an account of St. George the patron saint of England, and how he fought and conquered a cruel dragon, and thereby saved the princess of Sylene from being devoured, see vol. i. p. 496-502. On St. George’s day, people of fashion were accustomed, even to the beginning of the nineteenth century, to wear coats of cloth of blue, being the national colour in honour of the national saint. This, however, seems to be a reasonable conjecture for the custom. Mr. Archdeacon N

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April 24.

April 24.

St. Mark’s Eve. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—As you solicit communications of local usages or customs, I send you some account of the “Watching the church” on St. Mark’s E’en, in Yorkshire. According to the superstitions of some other counties, the eve of St. John’s day is the privileged night for unquiet spirits to revisit the upper world, and flit over the scenes of their mortal existence. But, in Yorkshire, it was believed by the superstitious and the peasantry within these twent

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April 25.

April 25.

St. Mark’s day was anciently kept a fast through all the country, and no flesh eaten upon it. Also upon this, and the three first days of Cross, or the Rogation week, there were processions by the prior and monks of Durham to one of the parish churches, and a sermon preached at each. Upon Holy Thursday was a procession with two crosses, borne before the monks, and each in rich copes; the prior in one of cloth of gold, so massy that his train was supported. Shrines and relics were also carried. O

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April 26.

April 26.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—Permit me to call your attention to the following description of a storm, which may be acceptable to the readers of the Every-Day Book . I am, Sir, &amp;c. J. W. On Sunday, the 26th of April, 1818, about half-past twelve o’clock, the neighbourhood of Stanmore was visited by a tremendous storm of hail, rain, and wind, accompanied by some unusual phenomena. The elevated situation of Bushey heath afforded me peculiar facilities for viewing its progress

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April 27.

April 27.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—Having, like Falstaff, “babbled o’ green fields,” I resolved to visit them; and a few mornings ago, taking with me a certain talisman with his majesty’s head thereon, I bent my steps through the now populous town of Walworth, famous, like London, for its “Sir William,” and in whose history are many things well worthy your notice. Proceeding thence through Camberwell, I ascended the hill at whose foot quietly stands the Sunday resort of many town immured

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April 28.

April 28.

In 1658, during this month, the accomplished colonel Richard Lovelace died in the Gatehouse at Westminster, whither he had been committed for his devotion to the interests and fortunes of the Stuart family. His celebrity is preserved by some elegant poems; one is especially remarkable for natural imagery, and beautiful expression of noble thought:— Mean Temperature 50·21....

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April 29.

April 29.

This month is remarkable for the endurance of great suffering by many thousands of English artisans. In a “Statement to the Right Hon. Robert Peel, by the Hand-loom Weavers of Blackburn,” they say— “Our dwellings are totally destitute of every comfort. “Every article of value has disappeared, either to satisfy the cravings of hunger, or to appease the clamour of relentless creditors. “Thousands who were once possessed of an honest independence gained by laborious industry, are now sunk in the lo

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April 30.

April 30.

On the 30th of April, 1745, the battle of Fontenoy was fought between the allied armies of England, Holland, and Austria, under the command of the duke of Cumberland, and a superior French army, under marshal count De Saxe. Here the advantage of the day was to the French; the duke of Cumberland left his sick and wounded to the humanity of the victors, and Louis XV. obtained the mastery of the Netherlands. The battle was commenced with the formal politeness of a court minuet. Captain Lord Charles

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May 1.

May 1.

St. Philip and St. James. [145] As we had some agreeable intimacies to-day last year, we will seek our country friends in other rural parts, this “May morning,” and see “how they do .” To illustrate the custom of going “a Maying,” described in volume i., a song still used on that occasion is subjoined:— The Mayer’s Call. There is a rural ditty chanted in villages and country towns, preparatory to gathering the May:— The May Eve Song. After “bringing home the May,” here is another lay:— The M

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May 2.

May 2.

It is noticed in the journals of May, 1817, that in the preceding summer, Mr. J. Welner, a German chemist, retired to his house in the country, there to devote himself, without being disturbed, to the study and examination of poisonous substances for the purpose of producing a complete “ Toxicology ,” established by undeniable proof. He tried his poisons upon himself, and appeared insensible to the great alterations which such dangerous trials produced upon his health. At the latter end of the m

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May 3.

May 3.

For the origin of this church of England holiday, see vol. i. p. 611. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. May 3, 1826. Sir,—There is a custom at Yarmouth dinners, which in my opinion would be “more honoured in the breach than the observance.” After the cloth has been removed, and the ladies have retired, some one in the company, who is an adept in the game, sings the following lines,— At the conclusion, the person sitting next to the singer continues the strain thus,— during which the first sin

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May 4.

May 4.

For this movable feast see vol. i. p. 651, 643. For the Every-Day Book. Unless the historians of Derbyshire have been very negligent in their inquiries, the peak differs exceedingly from mountainous tracts in general, where the customs, manners, and language of antiquity are preserved with peculiar care. The language, indeed, has retained its olden character, but of peculiar customs little is known. In Lysons’ “Magna Britannia,” the practices of rush-bearing, of hanging up white gloves and garla

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May 5.

May 5.

The Indexes , &amp;c. to the Every-Day Book, Vol. I. were published on the 5th of May, 1826 . The new preface to the volume is particularly addressed to the notice of correspondents , and I shall be particularly obliged if every reader of the work will favour it with attentive perusal. It should be observed of Joseph Baretti, who died on this day in the year 1789, that he was the friend and associate of Johnson, who introduced him to the Thrale family, and whom he assisted in the compilation

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May 6.

May 6.

The bird-catchers are now peering about the fields and thickets in search of different species of song-birds, for the purpose of netting and training them for sale. Old bird-fanciers treat the younger ones with disdain, as having corrupted the rich melodies of the birds, by battling them against each other, in singing matches, for strength of pipe. For the Every-Day Book. Sonnet , Written on hearing my Blackbird, while confined to my Bed by Illness . April 16, 1826. S. R. J. April 16, 1826. S. R

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May 7.

May 7.

The Mediterranean produces many sorts of fish unknown to us, the thunny among others. The manner in which these fish are caught is somewhat curious; it is a sort of hunting at sea. The nets are extended in the water so as to close upon the fish when they come within reach of them, and then the boats chase them to that part where they are taken: they have great force in their tails, so that much caution is required in getting them aboard. Vernet among his other sea-pieces has a very good one of t

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May 8.

May 8.

For the Every-Day Book. On the eighth of May, at Helston, in Cornwall, is held what is called “the Furry.” The word is supposed by Mr. Polwhele to have been derived from the old Cornish word fer , a fair or jubilee. The morning is ushered in by the music of drums and kettles, and other accompaniments of a song, a great part of which is inserted in Mr. Polwhele’s history, where this circumstance is noticed. So strict is the observance of this day as a general holiday, that should any person be fo

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May 9.

May 9.

A New York paper of the ninth of May, 1817, announces that in Montgomery county, Mr. Jesse Johnson, being eighteen or nineteen years of age, and four feet one inch high, and weighing about seventy-five pounds, was married to Miss Nancy Fowler, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age, six feet two inches high, and weighing about two hundred and fifty pounds. “Sure such a pair were never seen.” Mean Temperature 54·20....

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May 10.

May 10.

In May, 1736, Henry Justice, of the Middle Temple, Esq., was tried at the Old Bailey, for stealing books out of Trinity-college library in Cambridge. He attempted to defeat the prosecution by pleading, that in the year 1734, he was admitted fellow-commoner of the said college, whereby he became a member of that corporation, and had a property in the books, and therefore could not be guilty of felony, and read several clauses of their charter and statutes to prove it. But after several hours’ deb

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May 11.

May 11.

The establishment of this institution is of so great importance to the health and manners of the metropolis, that to pass it unregarded would be inexcusable. Much of mental infirmity proceeds from bodily infirmity. Without activity, the entire human being is diseased. A disposition to inactivity generates imbecility of character; diligence ceases, indolence prevails, unnatural feelings generate unnatural desires, and the individual not only neglects positive duties, but becomes sensual and vicio

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May 12.

May 12.

The Month. Bloomfield. Bloomfield. Mean Temperature 54·22....

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May 13.

May 13.

1826. Oxford Term ends. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—I confess I was not a little astonished a few days ago, on becoming acquainted with a custom evidently heathenish in its origin, which exists in the united kingdom, where, it must be admitted, great advances have been made in morals and religion, as well as in science and general knowledge. The fact I allude to is in Dr. Jamieson’s “Dictionary of the Scottish Language.” He mentions a festival called Beltane , or Beltein , annually

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May 14.

May 14.

This is the annual commemoration of the feast of Pentecost. In the catholic times of England it was usual to dramatise the descent of the Holy Ghost in the churches; and hence we have Barnaby Googe’s rhymes:— Naogeorgus. These celebrations are noticed in vol. i. p. 685. In an old tract printed against church ceremonies during “the troubles of England,” there is an account of “fearfull judgements that God hath shewed upon churches,” one whereof is alleged by the puritan author to have been manife

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May 15.

May 15.

This second season of annual holidays in England, with the humours of Greenwich fair, and the sports in the park, is described in vol. i. p. 687, &amp;c. It is a universal festival in the humble ranks of life throughout the kingdom. H. K. White. H. K. White. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—The approaching Whitsuntide brings to my remembrance a custom which I believe to be now quite obsolete. I remember when I was a boy that it was usual in Devonshire, at Easter and Whitsuntide, for

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May 16.

May 16.

His Grace the Duke of Baubleshire, On the sixteenth of May, 1796, died in Durham workhouse, at the advanced age of eighty-five years, the “duke of Baubleshire.” His title was neither ancestral, nor conferred by creation; but, as Napoleon is said to have placed the iron crown on his own head, and vowed to maintain it with his sword, so Thomas French assumed the title of duke of Baubleshire of his own will, and maintained his nobility throughout life, by wearing a star of coloured paper, or cloth,

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May 17.

May 17.

1826. Ember Week. Oxford Term begins. On the seventeenth of May, 1817, a respectable farmer of Kirton Lindsey for a wager of a few pounds, undertook to ride a poney up two pair of stairs into a chamber of the George Inn, and down again, which he actually performed before a numerous company, whose astonishment was heightened by the rider being upwards of eleven stone weight, and his horse less than thirty. They were weighed after the feat to decide a wager. Mean Temperature 56·65....

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May 18.

May 18.

On the eighteenth of May, 1664, the following public advertisement was issued for the healing of the people by king Charles II. Notice. His sacred majesty having declared it to be his royal will and purpose to continue the healing of his people for the evil during the month of May, and then give over till Michalmas next. I am commanded to give notice thereof, that the people may not come up to the town in the interim and lose their labour. Newes , 1664. Mean Temperature 55·32....

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May 19.

May 19.

A willing record is given to the memory of an unfortunate young man, in the language of an intelligent correspondent. For the Every-Day Book. Poor Joe Moody lived in Ballingdon, a village in Essex; he was an idiot, a good, simple-hearted creature. The character of his infirmity was childishness; he would play at marbles, spin his top, run his hoop, and join the little boys in the village, with whom he was a great favourite, in all their sports. As a boy he was rational, but when he assumed the m

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May 20.

May 20.

On the twentieth of May, 1736, the body of Samuel Baldwin, Esq. was, in compliance with an injunction in his will, immersed, sans ceremonie , in the sea at Lymington, Hants. His motive for this extraordinary mode of interment was, to prevent his wife from “dancing over his grave,” which this modern Xantippe had frequently threatened to do in case she survived him. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—A desultory sketch of the more prominent features, on the darker side of Scotch character,

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May 21.

May 21.

For usages on this day, see vol. i. p. 722. It is observed by Dr. Forster in the “Perennial Calendar,” that the sky is generally serene, and the weather mild and agreeable, about this time. A cloudy day, however, frequently happens, and is sometimes succeeded by a day’s rain; but we have noticed frequently, that an overcast sky, when not too obscure, is the best for viewing flowers, and at this time of year often sets off the splendid Vernal Flora to great advantage. Song to Summer. To the Edito

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May 22.

May 22.

At East-Bourn, in “a descriptive account of that village in the county of Sussex,” there is mention of a very singular custom having prevailed for many years under the denomination of “Sops and Ale.” It was productive of much mirth and good humour, being conducted as follows: the senior bachelor in the place was elected by the inhabitants, steward, and to him was delivered a damask napkin, a large wooden bowl, twelve wooden trenchers, twelve wooden knives and forks, two wooden candlesticks, and

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May 23.

May 23.

This is the anniversary of one of the great duke of Marlborough’s most celebrated engagements, the battle of Ramilles, a place near Namur in the Netherlands, where, on this day, in the year 1706, he gained a memorable victory over the French. It was in this battle that colonel Gardiner, then an ensign in the nineteenth year of his age, received a shot in his mouth, from a musket ball, which, without destroying any of his teeth, or touching the fore part of his tongue, went through his neck, and

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May 24.

May 24.

On this day, in 1736, five felons in Newgate were to have been executed; but the prison was so insecure, that, during the night, one of them “took up a board and got out of his cell, and made his escape.” The other four were taken to Tyburn and suffered their sentence; and Jack Ketch “on his return from doing his duty at Tyburn, robbed a woman of three shillings and sixpence.” [189] Mean Temperature 56·42. [189] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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May 25.

May 25.

On Corpus Christi day, at about a quarter before one o’clock at noon, the worshipful company of skinners (attended by a number of boys which they have in Christ’s Hospital school, and girls strewing herbs before them) walk in procession from their hall on Dowgate-hill, to the church of St. Antholin’s, in Watling-street, to hear service. This custom has been observed time out of mind. This notice is communicated by one of the company. For other customs on this festival, see vol. i. p. 742 to 758.

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May 26.

May 26.

Mean Temperature 59·35....

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May 27.

May 27.

1799. On this and the three following days, the library of the celebrated Addison was sold by auction by Messrs. Leigh and Sotheby, at their house in York-street, Covent-garden. The books were brought from Bilton, where Addison had resided, near Rugby, in Warwickshire, and under Mr. Leigh’s hammer produced 456 l. 2 s. 9 d. There is a portrait of Mr. Leigh, who is since dead, from a drawing by Mr. Behnes. Mr. Leigh dissolved partnership with Mr. Sotheby, his son supplied his father’s place, and t

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May 28.

May 28.

The journals of this day, in 1736, announce that mademoiselle Salle, a famous dancer at Paris, who valued herself highly on her reputation, instituted an order there, of which she was president, by the name of “the Indifferents.” Both sexes were indiscriminately admitted after a nice scrutiny into their qualifications. They had rites, which no one was to disclose. The badge of the order was a ribbon striped, black, white, and yellow, and the device something like an icicle. They took an oath to

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May 29.

May 29.

For customs on this day, see vol. i. p. 711 to 722. This anniversary is an opportunity for introducing the following curious view . Boscobel House, Where Charles II. was concealed after the Battle of Worcester. This engraving , from a rare print of great value, represents Boscobel-house, in the state it was when Charles II. and colonel Carlos took refuge there. They remained in the house till they became alarmed for their safety. Dr Stukely mentions the straits to which Charles was reduced durin

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May 30.

May 30.

This day, in 1730, being the anniversary of the birth-day of the princesses Amelia and Caroline, Mr. Cook, a publican, discharged twenty-one guns in salute of their royal highnesses as they passed his door, “to drink the water at the wells by the New River Head in the parish of St. James, Clerkenwell.” It appears that “almost every day for the latter part of that month, there was so great a concourse of the nobility and gentry, that the proprietor took about thirty pounds in a morning.” [191] Cl

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May 31.

May 31.

With the destruction of the elephant belonging to Mr. Cross, at Exeter Change, described in the present volume, may be paralleled the destruction of another on this day in the year 1820. The particulars are related in the “London Magazine” of April 1, 1826; they seem to have been translated from a “Notice sur l’Elephant mort a Geneve le 31 Mai dernier,” in the “ Almanach Historique, nommé Messager Boiteux pour l’An de grace, 1821,” which has been sent to the editor of the Every-Day Book for the

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June 1.

June 1.

Ovid assigns the first of June to “Carna,” the goddess of the hinge ; who also presided over the vital parts of man, especially the liver and the heart. Massey, commenting on his taste, cannot divine the connection between such a power and the patronage of hinges . “False notions,” he says, “in every mode of religion, lead men naturally into confusion.” Ovid. Ovid. The poet then relates that Janos made this Granè (or Carna) goddess of the hinge ; Mean Temperature 57·05....

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June 2.

June 2.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Newark, Notts, May 17, 1826. Sir,—It appears to me that there have been in “old times,” which we suppose “good times,” rogues in grain. To prove it, I herewith transmit the copy of an advertisement, from the “Cambridge Journal” of 1759. Wishing you an increasing sale to your interesting Every-Day Book , I remain, &amp;c. Benjamin Johnson. Advertisement. WHEREAS I William Margarets the younger, was, at the last Assizes for the County of Cambridge, convicte

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June 3.

June 3.

On this day, in the year 1789, died Paul Egede, a Danish missionary, who, with his father Hans, visited Greenland, for the conversion of the natives to christianity, in 1721. Hans was the author of a celebrated work, published in 1729, on the topography and natural history of that country. Paul conducted a new edition of his father’s book, and published a journal of his own residence in Greenland, from 1721 to 1788. He died at the age of eighty-one. [195] Captain Bart, grandson of the renowned J

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June 4.

June 4.

This was king George the Third’s birth-day, and therefore during his reign was kept at court, and in many towns throughout the kingdom. At Bexhill, on the coast of Sussex, where the inhabitants, who scarcely exceed 800, are remarkable for longevity and loyalty, on the 4th of June, 1819, they celebrated the king’s birth-day in an appropriate and remarkable manner. Twenty-five old men, inhabitants of the parish, whose united ages amounted to 2025, averaging eighty-one each (the age of the king) di

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June 5.

June 5.

1826. First Monday in June. A solemn festival in the Scottish metropolis is ordained by the “Statutes of George Heriot’s Hospital,” (cap. ii.) in the following words:—“But especially upon the first Monday in June , every year, shall be kept a solemn commemoration and thanksgiving unto God, in this form which followeth. In the morning, about eight of the clock of that day, the lord provost, all the ministers, magistrates, and ordinary council of the city of Edinburgh, shall assemble themselves in

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June 6.

June 6.

To the Editor. The Every-Day Book has presented a more striking view of the changes of manners and customs than any book which has gone before it; yet even the editor himself, I think, never dreamed of this revolution of habits extending from the walkers on the earth to the inhabitants of “the waters which are under the earth.” How little do men dream, when they are advocating the cause of any class of people, in what manner those very people shall repay their services. Poor Izaak Walton! He cri

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June 7.

June 7.

This exhibitor’s public performances in London, seem to have excited great curiosity in a multitude of persons unacquainted with the natural quality of the human body to endure extraordinary heat. The journals teem with astonishing accounts—people wonder as they read—and, by and by, they will “wonder at their own wonder.” Perhaps the most interesting account of his first appearance is the following:— Hot! hot!—all hot! Monsieur Chabert (the celebrated continental salamander) exhibited his power

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June 8.

June 8.

A printed advertisement from this “early master” in the “noble art of self-defence,” in answer to a challenge from the anciently-noted Sutton, with the challenge itself, being before the editor in the shape of a small hand-bill, printed at the time wherein they “flourished,” it is submitted verbatim, as the first specimen in these pages of the manner wherein these self-styled heroes announced their exhibitions “for the benefit of the public .” G. R. At Mr. FIGG’s New Amphitheatre. Joyning to h

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June 9.

June 9.

Now, during the first fortnight, Kensington Gardens is a place not to be paralleled: for the unfashionable portion of my readers are to know, that this delightful spot, which has been utterly deserted during the last age (of seven years), and could not be named during all that period without incurring the odious imputation of having a taste for trees and turf, has now suddenly started into vogue once more, and you may walk there, even during the “morning” part of a Sunday afternoon, with perfect

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June 10.

June 10.

On the 10th of June, 1412, King Henry IV. granted his royal license to an hospital called the Maison de Dieu , or “House of God,” erected by Roger Thornton, on the Sandhill, Newcastle, for the purpose of providing certain persons with food and clothing. The building seems to have been completed in that year. Before it was pulled down in 1823, the “Merchant’s Court” was established over it, and at this time a new building for the company of Free Merchants, &amp;c., is erected on its site. The

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June 11.

June 11.

Blessings of Instruction. Bowring. Bowring. Mean Temperature 58·75....

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June 12.

June 12.

Sheep-shearing, one of the great rural labours of this delightful month, if not so full of variety as the hay-harvest, and so creative of matter for those “in search of the picturesque” (though it is scarcely less so), is still more lively, animated, and spirit-stirring; and it besides retains something of the character of a rural holiday, which rural matters need, in this age and in this country, more than ever they did, since it became a civilized and happy one. The sheep-shearings are the onl

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June 13.

June 13.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Liverpool, 6th June, 1826. Sir,—The pages of The Every-Day Book , notwithstanding a few exceptions, have afforded me unqualified pleasure, and having observed your frequent and reiterated requests for communications, I have been induced to send you the following doggrels. I ought to promise that they formed part of the sign of an alehouse, formerly standing in Chapel-street, near St. Nicholas church in this town, but which is now taken down to make room for a

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June 14.

June 14.

1826. Trinity Term ends. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Newark, May 17, 1826. Sir,—The following singular circumstance may be relied on as a fact. The individual it relates to was well known upon the turf. I recollect him myself, and once saw the present venerable Earl of Fitzwilliam, on Stamford race-course, humorously inquire of him how he got his conveyance, in allusion to the undermentioned circumstance, and present him with a guinea.—I am, &amp;c. Benj. Johnson. John Kilburn, a pe

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June 15.

June 15.

To the Editor of the Every-day Book. Sir,—You have inserted in vol. i. p. 559, an interesting account of the Morris Dance in the “olden times,” and I was rather disappointed on a perusal of your extensive Index, by not finding a “few more words” respecting the Morris Dancers of our day and generation. I think this custom is of Moorish origin, and might have been introduced into this country in the middle ages. Bailey says, “the Morris Dance is an antic dance performed by five men and a boy, dres

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June 16.

June 16.

June 16, 1722, the great duke of Marlborough died. (See vol. i., p. 798.) Among the “Original Papers,” published by Macpherson, is a letter of the duke’s to king James II., whom he “deserted in his utmost need” for the service of king William, wherein he betrays to his old master the design of his new one against Brest in 1694. This communication, if intercepted, might have terminated the duke’s career, and we should have heard nothing of his “wars in Flanders.” It appears, further, that the duk

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June 17.

June 17.

This English saint, whose festival is on this day, with his brother Adulph, another saint, travelled into Belgic Gaul, where Adulph became bishop of Maestricht, and Botolph returned home with news of the religious houses he had seen abroad, and recommendations from the two sisters of Ethelmund, king of the south Saxons, who resided in France, to their brother in England. Ethelmund gave him a piece of land near Lincoln, called Icanhoe, “a forsaken uninhabited desert, where nothing but devills and

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June 18.

June 18.

On the 18th of June, 1805, died Arthur Murphy, Esq., barrister at law, and bencher of Lincoln’s-inn; a dramatic and miscellaneous writer of considerable celebrity. He was born at Cork, in 1727, and educated in the college of St. Omers, till his 18th year, and was at the head of the Latin class when he quitted the school. He was likewise well acquainted with the Greek language. On his return to Ireland he was sent to London, and placed under the protection of a mercantile relation; but literature

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June 19.

June 19.

The united kingdom may be said to be in uproar, wherever the electors are solicited for their “sweet voices.” One place latterly seems to be without a candidate; viz. “the ancient and honorable borough of Garrett,” situate near the Leather Bottle in Garrett Lane, in the parish of Wandsworth, in the county of Surrey. Information to the Editor respecting former elections for Garrett, and especially any of the printed addresses, advertisements, or hand bills, if communicated to the Editor of the Ev

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June 20.

June 20.

Custom at Dunmow, in Essex. On this day, in the year 1751, a flitch of bacon was claimed at Dunmow, in Essex, by a man and his wife, who had the same delivered to them as of right, according to ancient custom, on the ground that they had not quarrelled, nor had either repented, nor had one offended the other, from the day of their marriage.—The above Engraving is after a large print by C. Mosley, “from an original painting taken on the spot by David Ogborne,” which print represents the processio

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June 21.

June 21.

This day the sun enters the sign Cancer, and is then at his extreme distance north of the Equator, passing in the zenith over the heads of all the inhabitants situated on the tropical line; while to us, who reside in London, he appears at his greatest altitude, and hence arises the increased heat we experience from his rays. To individuals within the Arctic circle the sun at this time does not set. Cancer is the first of the summer signs, and when the sun enters it we have our longest day. Accor

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June 22.

June 22.

Parliament having existed to its utmost legal duration, the electors exercised, or withheld the exercise of their franchise, according to their individual wishes or hopes, desires or fears, intelligence or ignorance; or as feelings of independence directed, or influence over weakness misdirected. Contests were as numerous and fierce as usual; and, as might have been expected, in some places, the numerical state of the poll-books intimated more of intellectual enlargement than the final results.

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June 23.

June 23.

An ancient custom is still maintained by the inhabitants of Ripon, in Yorkshire. On midsummer-eve, every housekeeper, who, in the course of the year, has changed his residence into a new neighbourhood, spreads a table before his door in the street, with bread, cheese, and ale, for those who choose to resort to it. The guests, after staying awhile, if the master is of ability, are invited to supper, and the evening is concluded with mirth and good humour. The origin of this usage is unknown, but

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June 24.

June 24.

There are several interesting notices of usages on this day and midsummer-eve, in vol. i. from col. 825 to 855. To the account of the “old London watch” there cited, from “Stow’s Survey,” should be added from Mr. Douce’s notes, quoted by Mr. Brand, that the watch “was laid down in the twentieth year of Henry VIII;” and that “the chronicles of Stow and Byddel assign the sweating sickness as a cause for discontinuing the watch.” Mr. Douce adds, that “Niccols says the watches on midsummer and St. P

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June 25.

June 25.

1826.— The first Sunday after Midsummer Day. Mr. Brand says, “It is the duty of the rector of St. Mary at Hill, in which parish Billingsgate is situated, to preach a sermon every year, on the first Sunday after midsummer-day , before the society of Fellowship Porters, exhorting them to be charitable towards their old decayed brethren, and ‘to bear one another’s burthens.’” It is remarkable that Mr. Brand, who was the rector of this church, and who quotes largely from the churchwardens’ accounts

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June 26.

June 26.

The harvest in Provence begins about midsummer; the process of gathering it in is very different from ours. It is cut, bound up in sheaves, and carried away immediately to the thrashing-floor, where it is stacked up. The thrashing-floor, or aire , (to give it the name by which it is called in the country,) is out in the open field; it is of a circular form, and paved sometimes with stone, sometimes with a stiff clay beaten down till it becomes nearly as hard as stone. In the parts near the aire

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June 27.

June 27.

On the twenty-seventh of June, 1752, about one in the morning, a fire broke out in Lincoln’s-inn new square, by which No. 10 and 11 were entirely consumed. The chambers of R. Wilbraham, the hon. Edward Harley, hon. Charles York, E. Hoskyns, — Chomley, Edmund Sawyer, master in chancery, and — Ansell, Esqs. all in No. 10, with the papers, books, plate, furniture, and wearing apparel were totally destroyed. In the next staircase, No. 11, were Mr. John Sharpe, solicitor to the treasury, and Messrs.

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June 28.

June 28.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Wisbech, June 24, 1826. Dear Sir,—The rural village of Wisbech St. Mary, two miles west of this town, has long been famous for its annual exhibition of rustic sports, under the patronage of John Ream, Esq., on whose lawn they are celebrated. The enclosed bill is an outline of the amusements for the present year. Knowing you have a pleasure in recording every thing that has a tendency to keep alive the manners and customs of our ancestors, I send it for insert

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June 29.

June 29.

On the twenty-ninth of June, 1813, died at his house in St. Alban’s-street, London, Valentine Green, Esq. A.R.S., keeper of the British Institution; greatly respected for his superior talents as a mezzotinto engraver, for the purity and universality of his taste in works of art, for the general urbanity of his manners, and for that invariable benignity of disposition, which, in popular language, is usually styled “goodness of heart.” Mr. Green, besides his distinguished merit as an artist, acqui

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June 30.

June 30.

All the world knows that London is famous for porter; it is not of this porter we speak to-day, but of a personage who derives his quality from the means by which he has attained the honour of doing credit to the corporation. The individual alluded to, was publicly made known by a police report of the thirtieth of June, 1826, viz.— Mr. Alderman Wood came to the Mansion-house for the purpose of contradicting a statement which appeared in the Courier newspaper, that he had persecuted a poor man, n

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July 1.

July 1.

July 1, 1826.—Mr. Farren appeared in the part of Old Cockletop , in O’Keefe’s farce of Modern Antiques , at the Haymarket theatre. This will be recollected as a crack character of Munden’s; and it was one which he had hit so happily, that it became almost impossible for any other actor to play it very successfully after him. There was a sort of elfin antic—a kind of immateriality about the crotchets of Munden in Cockletop . His brain seemed to have no more substance in it than the web of a spide

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July 2.

July 2.

On the second of July, 1741, died at Dublin, Mr. Thomas Morecroft, “a baronet’s younger son, the person mentioned by the ‘Spectator’ in the character of Will Wimble .” This notice is from the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for 1741, as also is the following:— On the same day, in the same year, the earl of Halifax married Miss Dunck, with a fortune of one hundred thousand pounds. It appears that, “according to the will of Mr. Dunck, this lady was to marry none but an honest tradesman, who was to take the

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July 3.

July 3.

Dog days begin. On the third of July, 1751, William Dellicot was convicted at the quarter-sessions for Salisbury, of petty larceny, for stealing one penny; whereby his effects, consisting of bank-notes to the amount of 180 l. , and twenty guineas in money, were forfeited to the bishop, as lord of the manor; but his lordship humanely ordered 100 l. of the money to be put to interest for the benefit of the wretch’s daughter; 20 l. to be given to his aged father, and the remainder to be returned to

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July 4.

July 4.

This day is thus noticed as a festival in the church of England calendar and the almanacs, wherein he is honoured with another festival on the eleventh of November. The word “translation” signifies, in reference to saints, as most readers already know, that their remains were removed from the graves wherein their bodies were deposited, to shrines or other places for devotional purposes. “Give a dog an ill name and hang him”—give hackney-coachmen good characters and you’ll be laughed at: and yet

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July 5.

July 5.

On the fifth of July, 1685, the duke of Monmouth’s enterprise against James II. was ended by the battle of Sedgemoor, near Bridgwater, in Somersetshire. The duke’s army consisting of native followers attacked the king’s veteran troops, routed them, and would finally have conquered, if error in Monmouth as a leader, and the cowardice of lord Gray, one of his commanders, had not devoted them to defeat. To several letters of distinguished individuals, first brought to light in these sheets, the edi

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July 6.

July 6.

This day is still marked in our almanacs, on account of its being adhered to, in a few places, as a “good old day,” of the “good old times.” The subjoined letter was duly received according to its date, and is now in due time inserted. The editor has very few omissions of this kind to apologize for: if he has prematurely, and therefore unduly, introduced some communications which arrived too late for their proper days, he may be excused, perhaps, in consideration of the desire expressed by some

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July 7.

July 7.

Strange to say, the name of this saint, so obnoxious to the early reformers, is still retained in the church of England calendar; the fact is no less strange that the day of his festival is the anniversary of the translation of his relics from the undercroft of the cathedral of Canterbury, in the year 1220, to a sumptuous shrine at the east end of the church, whither they attracted crowds of pilgrims, and, according to the legends of the Romish church, worked abundant miracles. St. Thomas a Beck

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July 8.

July 8.

July 8, 1533, Ariosto, the celebrated Italian poet, died at Ferrara: he was born in 1474, at the castle of Reggio in Lombardy. In high summer, persons accustomed to live “well” should diminish the usual quantity of their viands and fluids: wine should be taken very sparingly, and spirituous liquors seldom. Habits of indulgence at this period of the year fill many graves. It may not be amiss to cite WHEREAS the subscriber, through the pernicious habit of drinking, has greatly hurt himself in purs

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July 9.

July 9.

Every year on the ninth of July, the eve of the great fair of Wolverhampton, there was formerly a procession of men in antique armour, preceded by musicians playing the fair tune , and followed by the steward of the deanry manor, the peace officers, and many of the principal inhabitants. Tradition says, the ceremony originated when Wolverhampton was a great emporium of wool, and resorted to by merchants of the staple from all parts of England. The necessity of an armed force to keep peace and or

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July 10.

July 10.

On the tenth of July, 1740, died sir Charles Crispe, bart. of Oxfordshire. He was great-grandson of sir Nicholas Crispe, bart. who spent 100,000 l. in the service of king Charles I. and II. He took out a commission of array for the city of London, for which the parliament offered 1000 l. reward to bring him alive or dead. The city of London sent him commissioner to Breda, to invite over king Charles II. who took him in his arms, and kissed him, and said, “Surely the city has a mind highly to obl

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July 11.

July 11.

On the eleventh of July, 1804, general Hamilton of New-York was killed in a duel by colonel Burr, the vice-president of the United States. Whereas certain persons who contemn the obligations of religion, are nevertheless mindful of the law of the land: And whereas it is supposed by some of such persons, that parties contemplating to fight a duel and bound over before a magistrate to keep the peace, may, notwithstanding, fight such duel in foreign parts: Be it known , that the law which extends p

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July 12.

July 12.

In July, 1731, “an odd accident happened in Bushy-park to one of the helpers in the king’s stables, riding his majesty’s own hunting horse, who was frighted by a swan flying at him out of the canal, which caused him to run away, and dash out his brains against the iron gates; the man was thrown on the iron spikes, which only entering his clothes did him no hurt. Some time before, the same swan is said to have flown at his highness the duke, but caused no disaster.” [253] This, which is noticed b

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July 13.

July 13.

For the Every-Day Book. Anthony Payne, the Falstaff of the sixteenth century, was born in the manor-house at Stratton, in Cornwall, where he died, and was buried in the north aisle of Stratton church, the 13th of July, 1691. In early life he was the humble, but favourite attendant of John, eldest son of sir Beville Granville, afterwards earl of Bath, whom he accompanied throughout many of his loyal adventures and campaigns during the revolution and usurpation of Cromwell. At the age of twenty he

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July 14.

July 14.

On the 14th of July, 1766, the Grand Junction Canal, connecting the Irish sea to the British ocean, was commenced by Mr. Brindley. From the destruction of the Bastille this day in the year 1789, [259] the commencement of the French revolution is dated. Miss Plumptre mentions a singular allegorical picture in the Hotel de Ville , or Guildhall, of the city of Aix. It represented the three orders of the state—the nobles, the clergy, and the tiers-état —in their relative situations before the revolu

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July 15.

July 15.

For this saint, and his supposed miraculous power over the weather, see vol. i. p. 953. On this day in the year 1743 died, “in earnest,” the wife of one Kirkeen, who was twice at Dublin ready to be buried; but came to life to her loving husband’s great disappointment, who fearing the like accident immediately put her into a coffin, had it nailed up, and buried her the next day. Mean Temperature 62·60. [261] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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July 16.

July 16.

Dr. Forster observes, there is one circumstance that will always render the country in July and August less pleasing than in the other summer and spring months, namely, that the birds do not sing. Aves mutae might be regularly entered into the calendar for these two months. Mean Temperature 62·37....

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July 17.

July 17.

“The Times” of July 17, 1826, says that on Sunday last Isaac Gaskill, bone-setter and farmer, of Bolton-by-the-Sands, did penance for the crime of incest in the parish church of that place. As the punishment is not very common, we subjoin, as a matter of curiosity to some of our readers, the “Whereas, I, good people, forgetting my duty to Almighty God, have committed the detestable sin of incest, by contracting marriage, or rather the show or effigy of marriage, with Mary Ann Taylor, the sister

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July 18.

July 18.

The Leverian Museum. On Friday the eighteenth of July, 1806, the sale of the magnificent collection of natural history and curiosities formed by sir Ashton Lever, was concluded by Messrs. King and Lochee, of King-street, Covent-garden. It is impossible to give an adequate account of the “Leverian Museum,” but its celebrity throughout Europe seems to require some further notice than a bare mention: a few facts are subjoined to convey an idea of its extent, and of the gratification the lovers of n

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July 19.

July 19.

K. George IV. crowned. Holiday at all the public offices. This is the title of “A Historical Treatise on the Anointing and Crowning of the Kings and Queens of England, by Arthur Taylor, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. London: 1820.” 8vo. pp. 440. The present notice is designed to acquaint inquirers with the most important and satisfactory work regarding our regal ceremonies that exists. Mr. Taylor’s volume is a storehouse of information concerning the kingly title and office, the regalia,

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July 20.

July 20.

This saint is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. Butler speaks of her merely as a virgin, who is “said” to have been instructed in the faith by a christian nurse, and persecuted by her father, who was a pagan priest; that after being tormented, she was martyred by the sword “in the last general persecution;” that “her name occurs in the litany inserted in the old Roman order,” and in ancient Greek calendars; that, from the east, her veneration was exceedingly propagated in Engla

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July 21.

July 21.

We are informed by Butler that this saint was a martyr under the emperor Maximian. From his silence as to the saint’s life, it is to be inferred that biographers of saints were rare, while, from his elaborate account of the saint’s death, it is to be inferred that their martyrdoms were attended by able reporters. The abbey of St. Victor at Marseilles was one of the most celebrated religious foundations in Europe. It claimed to have been the first monastery established in France. Its ruins are st

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July 22.

July 22.

This name is in the church of England calendar and the almanacs. The character of Magdalen is ably vindicated from the common and vulgar imputation by the illustrious Lardner, in a letter to the late Jonas Hanway, wherein he urges on the eminent philanthropist, the manifest impropriety of calling a receptacle for female penitents by the name of Magdalen. Sainte Beaume near Marseilles is a vast cavity in a mountain, thence called the mountain of the Sainte Beaume. Here Mary Magdalen has been repu

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July 23.

July 23.

Died, at Elderslie, on the twenty-third of July, 1826, Hugh Shaw, at the great age of 113 years. Till within the previous eighteen months he walked every Saturday to Paisley, and returned, a distance of seven miles. While able to go about, he had no other means of support than what he collected by begging from door to door. After his confinement to the house, he was supported by private bounty. Previous to the last three weeks of his life, he was able to leave his bed every day. Latterly he was

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July 24.

July 24.

The following communication was received too late for insertion on the fifteenth of the month, under which day the reader will be pleased to consider it to belong. For the Every-Day Book. July 15. On the fifteenth of July, 1757, a violent shock of an earthquake was felt on the western part of Cornwall. Its operations extended from the islands of Scilly, as far east as Leskeard, and as far as Camelford north. The noise exceeded that of thunder; the tremours of the earth were heard and seen in dif

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July 25.

July 25.

This name in the calendar refers to St. James the Great, who was so called “either because he was much older than the other James, or because our Lord conferred upon him some peculiar honours and favours.” [268] He was put to death under Herod. A new piece under the title of “ The Death Fetch , or the Student of Gottingen,” was brought out on this day in 1826, at the English Opera-house, in the Strand. The following notice of its derivation, with remarks on the tendency of the representation, ap

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July 26.

July 26.

She was the mother of the Virgin Mary, and is a saint of great magnitude in the Romish church. Her name is in the church of England calendar, and the almanacs. There are curious particulars concerning Ann and her husband St. Joachim, in vol. i. col. 1008. Mean Temperature 63·67....

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July 27.

July 27.

This is a remarkable incident in the annals of events relating to the memorials of past times. The Haunted Oak of Nanneu , Near Dolgelly, in Merionethshire . On the twenty-seventh of July, 1813, sir Richard Colt Hoare, bart., the elegant editor of “Giraldus Cambrensis,” was at Nanneu , “the ancient seat of the ancient family of the Nanneus ,” and now the seat of sir Robert Williams Vaughan, bart. During that day he took a sketch of a venerable oak at that place, within the trunk of which, accord

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July 28.

July 28.

The festival of this saint, who was the first bishop of Ardmore, in the county of Waterford, is held on the twenty-fourth of the month. The brief memoir of St. Declan, by Alban Butler, did not seem to require notice of him on that day; but the manner wherein the feast was celebrated in 1826, is so remarkably particularized in an Irish paper, as to claim attention. St. Declan is represented to have been the friend and companion of St. Patrick, and, according to tradition, Ardmore was an episcopal

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July 29.

July 29.

On the festival of this saint of the Romish church, a great fair is held at Beaucaire, in Languedoc, to which merchants and company resort from a great distance round. It is a great mart for smugglers and contraband traders, and is the harvest of the year both to Beaucaire and Tarascon; for, as the former is not large enough to accommodate the influx of people, Tarascon, in Provence, which is separated from it by the Rhone, is generally equally full. Tarascon, according to a popular tradition, h

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July 30.

July 30.

On the 30th of July, 1760, the materials of the three following city gates were sold before the committee of city lands to Mr. Blagden, a carpenter in Coleman-street, viz.— To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. July 30, 1826. Dear Sir,—In the “Times,” of the twenty-second instant, there is the following paragraph, copied from the Newcastle paper. “The bishop of Durham arrived at his castle at Bishop Auckland, on Friday last. On his entering into the county at Croft-bridge, which separates it from

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July 31.

July 31.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. July 4, 1826. Sir,—The following is a brief notice of the annual mock election of the “mayor of Bartlemass,” at Newbury, in Berkshire. The day on which it takes place, is the first Monday after St. Anne’s; therefore, this year if not discontinued, and I believe it is not, it will be held on the thirty-first day of July. The election is held at the Bull and Dog public-house, where a dinner is provided; the principal dishes being bacon and beans, have obtained

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August 1.

August 1.

Though the origin of this denomination is related in vol. i. col. 1063, yet it seems proper to add that Lammas or Lambmas day obtained its name from a mass ordained to St. Peter, supplicating his benediction on lambs, in shearing season, to preserve them from catching cold. St Peter became patron of lambs, from Christ’s metaphorical expression, “Feed my lambs,” having been construed into a literal injunction. [278] Raphael makes this misconstruction the subject of one of his great cartoons, by r

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August 2.

August 2.

Thomas Gainsborough, eminent as a painter, and for love of his art, died on the second of August, 1788. His last words were, “We are all going to heaven, and Vandyke is of the party.” He was buried, by his own desire, near his friend Kirby, the author of the Treatise on “Perspective,” in the grave-yard of Kew chapel. Gainsborough was born at Sudbury, in Suffolk, in 1727, where his father was a clothier, and nature the boy’s teacher. He passed his mornings in the woods alone; and in solitary ramb

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August 3.

August 3.

Michael Adanson, an eminent naturalist of Scottish extraction, born in April, 1727, at Aix, in Provence, died at Paris on the third of August, 1806. Needham, at one of his examinations, presented Adanson, then a child, with a microscope, and the use of the instrument gave the boy a bias to the science which he distinguished as a philosopher. His parents destined him for the church, and obtained a prebend’s stall for him, but he abandoned his seat, made a voyage to Senegal in 1757, and published

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August 4.

August 4.

On the fourth of August, 1739, a farmer of Croydon undertook for a considerable wager, to bowl a skittle-bowl from that town to London-bridge, about eleven miles, in 500 times, and performed it in 445. [288] Mean Temperature 63·72. [288] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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August 5.

August 5.

It is on this day, and not on St. James’s day new style, as mistakingly represented in vol. i. col. 978, that oysters come in. Oyster Day. For the Every-Day Book. *, *, P. *, *, P. Sir Reginald Bray, the architect of king Henry the seventh’s chapel, died August 5, 1503. His family came into England with the Conqueror, and flourished in Northampton and Warwickshire. He was second son to sir Richard Bray, a privy counsellor to king Henry VI. In the first year of Richard III. Reginald had a general

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August 6.

August 6.

For this denomination of the day see vol. i. col. 1071. It is alleged that this festival was observed at Rome in the fifth century, though not universally solemnized until in 1457 pope Calixtus III. ordained its celebration to commemorate the raising of the siege of Belgrade by Mahomet II. [290] Mean Temperature 63·37. [290] Butler. Brady....

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August 7.

August 7.

A festival in honour of the name of Jesus appears was anciently held on the second Sunday in Epiphany, from whence it was removed at the reformation to this day, and the name of St. Donatus expunged by the English reformers to make room for it. That saint’s name had previously been substituted for that of St. Afra, to whom the day had first been dedicated in honour of her martyrdom. Caput Sancti Adalberonis. Augsburg cathedral was rebuilt by St. Ulric to whom and St. Afra jointly it was dedicate

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August 8.

August 8.

This time of the year is usually remarkably fine. The rich glow of summer is seldom in perfection till August. We now enjoy settled hot weather, a glowing sky, with varied and beautiful, but not many clouds, and delightfully fragrant and cool evenings. The golden yellow of the ripe corn, the idea of plenty inspired by the commencing harvest of wheat, the full and mature appearance of the foliage, in short the tout ensemble of nature at this time is more pleasing than perhaps that of any of the o

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August 9.

August 9.

The “Gentleman’s Magazine” records that, on August the ninth, 1734 a large eagle was taken near Carlton, in Kent, by a taylor: its wings when expanded were three yards eight inches long. It was claimed by the lord of the manor, but afterwards demanded by the king’s falconer as a royal bird and carried to court. It was formerly a custom with itinerant showmen, who had tolerably sized eagles among their “wonders of nature,” to call them “Eagles of the Sun.” To the Sun. Byron. Byron. Sunset. Mean T

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August 10.

August 10.

This is the festival day of St. Lawrence. Old Anthony Munday, the pleasant continuator of Stow’s “Survey,” renders this day remarkable by a curious notice. Coya Shawsware’s Tomb. This is an exactly reduced fac-simile representation of the wood-cut in Stow, and the following is Anthony Munday’s story:— “This monument, or that of which this is a shadow, with their characters engraven about it, stands in Petty France, at the west end of the lower churchyard of St. Botolphes, Bishopsgate, (not withi

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August 11.

August 11.

Dog Days end. Clouds are defined to be a collection of vapours suspended in the atmosphere, and rendered visible. Although it be generally allowed that clouds are formed from the aqueous vapours, which before were so closely united with the atmosphere as to be invisible, it is not easy to account for the long continuance of some very opaque clouds without dissolving; or to assign the reason why the vapours, when they have once begun to condense, do not continue to do so till they at last fall to

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August 12.

August 12.

On the twenty-fifth of August, 1761, the princess Charlotte of Mecklinburgh Strelitz, embarked with her attendants at Cuxhaven, on board the royal yacht, under the salute of a squadron destined to convey her to England, as the affianced bride of his majesty George III. On the twenty-eighth, she sailed, and after that day, no despatches were received until she arrived at Harwich, on the sixth of September. The court was in some concern lest the tediousness of her voyage might have affected her he

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August 13.

August 13.

August 13, 1783.—The eminent lawyer, John Dunning (lord Ashburton) died. He was the second son of an attorney at Ashburton, in Devonshire, where he was born, October 18, 1731, educated at the free-school there, and articled to his father. Preferring the principles to the practice of the law, he obtained admission to the bar, and attended on the court and circuits without briefs, till, in 1759, he drew a memorial in behalf of the East India company against the claims of the Dutch, which was deeme

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August 14.

August 14.

August 14, 1794, died George Colman the elder , an elegant scholar, and dramatist. He was born in 1733, at Florence, where his father was appointed resident from Great Britain to the court of Tuscany. He received his education at Westminster-school, and Christchurch-college, Oxford, where he became acquainted with Lloyd, Churchill, and Bonnel Thornton. In conjunction with the latter he wrote “the Connoisseur,” which procured him many eminent literary friendships. By the advice of lord Bath he we

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August 15.

August 15.

This Romish festival is retained in the church of England calendar. Our old acquaintance Barnaby Googe rhimes of this festival from Naogeorgus:— There is a volume printed at Amsterdam, 1657, entitled, “Jesus, Maria, Joseph; or the Devout Pilgrim of the Everlasting Blessed Virgin Mary, in his Holy Exercises, Affections, and Elevations, upon the sacred Mysteries of Jesus, Maria, Joseph.” From this curious book an amusing extract may be adduced, as a specimen of the language employed by certain wri

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August 16.

August 16.

August 16, 1678, died Andrew Marvel, a man who “dared be honest in the worst of times.” He was the son of a clergyman at Hull in Yorkshire, where he was born in 1620. In 1633, he was sent to Trinity-college, Cambridge; in 1657, he became assistant to Milton in his office of Latin secretary to Cromwell; and at the restoration he was chosen to represent his native town in the house of commons. His conduct was marked by inflexible adherence to the principles of liberty, and his wit as a writer was

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August 17.

August 17.

August 17, 1736, died Mr. Niblet, master of the copper mills at Mitcham, Surrey, renowned in the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” and in this column, for having made the ball and cross of St. Paul’s cathedral, London. [297] Mean Temperature 63·52. [297] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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August 18.

August 18.

August 18, 1746, William, earl of Kilmarnock, aged forty-two, and Arthur, baron Balmerino, aged fifty-eight, were beheaded on Tower-hill, as traitors, for levying war against king George II., in behalf of the pretender. At the foot of a flight of stairs in the tower, lord Kilmarnock met lord Balmerino, and embracing him said, “My lord, I am heartily sorry to have your company in this expedition.” At the Tower-gates, the sheriffs gave receipts for their bodies to the lieutenant, who, as usual, sa

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August 19.

August 19.

It is noted in the “Historical Chronicle” of the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” on the nineteenth of August, 1755, under the head, “Stroud,” that at that time there were such quantities of earwigs in that vicinity that they distroyed not only the flowers and fruits, but the cabbages, were they ever so large. The houses, especially the old wooden buildings, were swarming with them. The cracks and crevices were surprisingly full, they dropped out in such multitudes that the floors were covered; the linen

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August 20.

August 20.

On the twentieth of August, 1589, James VI. of Scotland afterwards James I. of England married the princess Anne of Denmark, daughter to Frederick II. She became the mother of the ill-fated Charles I. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—It was the custom in England in “olden tyme,” as the ancient chronicles have it, for “enamoured maydes and gentilwomen,” to give to their favourite swains, as tokens of their love, little handkerchiefs about three or four inches square, wrought round about,

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August 21.

August 21.

We are told on the thirtieth of June, 1735, that her majesty (the queen of George II.) ordered “Mr. Rysbrack to make the bustos in marble of all the kings of England from William the Conqueror, in order to be placed in her new building in the gardens at Richmond.” On the twenty-first of August, in the same year, we learn that the figures her majesty had ordered for Merlin’s cave were placed therein, viz. 1.—Merlin at a table with conjuring books and mathematical instruments, taken from the face

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August 22.

August 22.

This is the anniversary of the memorable conflict wherein Richard III. lost his life and crown. King Richard’s Well. For the Every-Day Book. The well of which the above is a representation, is situate on the spot where the celebrated battle of Bosworth field was fought, by which, the long-existing animosities between the rival houses of York and Lancaster were finally closed. The king is said, during the heat of the engagement, to have refreshed himself with water from this spring. A few years a

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August 23.

August 23.

August 23, 1305, sir William Wallace, “the peerless knight of Elleslie,” who bravely defended Scotland against Edward I. was executed by order of that monarch on Tower-hill. This distinguished individual is popular in England five hundred years after his death, through the well-known ballad Swallows are now preparing for their departure. On this day, in 1826, the editor observed hundreds of them collecting so high in the air that they seemed of the size of flies; they remained wheeling about and

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August 24.

August 24.

For St. Bartholomew, see vol. i. col. 1131. This horrible slaughter is noticed in the same volume at the same place. For particulars of the probable amount of the persons massacred, and the different accounts of historians, the reader is referred to a most able article in the “Edinburgh Review, June, 1826,” on the extraordinary misrepresentations of the event and its perpetrators in Mr. Lingard’s “History of England.” On the twenty-fourth of August, 1736, a remarkably fat boar was taken up in co

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August 25.

August 25.

August 25, 1746, a distemper which arose among the horned cattle, broke out afresh in the parts adjacent to London, and “the fair for the sale of Welsh cattle near Islington was kept at Barnet.” [303] The following letter from a lady claims the attention of every good housewife at this particular season. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Westbury, Wiltshire, Aug. 15, 1826. Sir,—The importance that I attach to the above sweet subject,—the uses of “a jam ” even may be important,—induces me to o

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August 26.

August 26.

On the 26th of August, 1635, died Lope de Vega, called the “Spanish Phenix,” aged sixty-three years. His funeral was conducted with princely magnificence by his patron, the duke of Susa, and his memory was celebrated with suitable pomp in all the theatres of Spain. Lope de Vega was the rival and conqueror of Cervantes in the dramatic art; yet in his youth he embarked in the celebrated Spanish armada, for the invasion of England, and spent part of his life in civil and military occupations. His i

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August 27.

August 27.

The editor has received a present from Mr. John Smith of a wood block, engraved by himself, as a specimen of his talents in that department of art, and in acknowledgment of a friendly civility he is pleased to recollect at so long a distance from the time when it was offered, that it only dwelt in his own memory. The impression from this engraving , and the accompanying information, will acquaint the reader with an old London “effigy” which many may remember to have seen. It is the only cut in t

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August 28.

August 28.

Of this father of the church, whose name is in the church of England calendar, there is a memoir in vol. i. col. 1144. On the 28th of August, 1736, a man passing the bridge over the Savock, near Preston, Lancashire, saw two large flights of birds meet with such rapidity, that one hundred and eighty of them fell to the ground. They were taken up by him, and sold in Preston market the same day. The following bill was in circulation in Norwich and the neighbourhood for days previous, and on the eve

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August 29.

August 29.

The anniversary of the baptist’s decollation is in the church of England calendar. His death is known to have been occasioned by his remonstrance to Herod against his notorious cruelties. “In consequence of this,” says Mr. Audley, “Herod imprisoned him in the castle of Machærus, and would have put him to death, but was afraid of the people.” Herodias also would have killed John, had it been in her power. At length, on Herod’s birthday, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, by her former husband, Phi

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August 30.

August 30.

August 30, 1750. Miss Flora Macdonald was married to a gentleman of the same name related to sir Alexander Macdonald, bart. This lady is celebrated in Scottish annals for having heroically and successfully assisted the young Pretender to escape, when a price was set upon his head. Her self-devotion is minutely recorded in the late Mr. Boswell’s “Ascanius,” and Johnson has increased her fame by his notice of her person and character, in his “Tour to the Hebrides.” Mean Temperature 62·95....

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August 31.

August 31.

It was observed at the end of August, 1742, great damage was done to the pastures in the country, particularly about Bristol by swarms of grasshoppers; and the like happened in the same year at Pennsylvania to a surprising degree. [314] In 1476, “Grasshoppers and the great rising of the river Isula did spoyle al Poland.” [315] Grasshoppers are infested by a species of “insect parasites” thicker than a horse hair, and of a brown colour. It consumes the intestines, and at first sight in the body o

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NATURALISTS’ CALENDAR.

NATURALISTS’ CALENDAR.

Mean Temperature 63·69. [328] See vol. i. p. 1147. [329] Mirror of the Months. [330] Ibid....

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September 1.

September 1.

This popular patron of the London district, which furnishes the “Mornings at Bow-street” with a large portion of amusement, is spoken of in vol. i. col. 1149. Until this day partridges are protected by act of parliament from those who are “privileged to kill.” In the shooting season of 1821, a fashionably dressed young man applied to sir Robert Baker for a license to kill—not game , but thieves . This curious application was made in the most serious and business-like manner imaginable. “Can I be

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September 2.

September 2.

This notice in our almanacs was descriptively illustrated in vol. i. col. 1150-1165. Another year arrives, and spite of corporation “resolutions,” and references to “the committee,” and “reports,” and “recommendations,” to abolish the fair, it is held again. “Now,” says an agreeable observer, “Now arrives that Saturnalia of nondescript noise and nonconformity, ‘Bartlemy fair;’—when that prince of peace-officers, the lord mayor, changes his sword of state into a sixpenny trumpet, and becomes the

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September 3.

September 3.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. August 18, 1826. Dear Sir,—Perhaps you, or some of your readers, may be acquainted with a small village in the north of Wiltshire, called Purton , very pleasantly situated, and dear to me, from a child; it being the place where I passed nearly all my boyish days. I went to school there, and there spent many a pleasant hour which I now think of with sincere delight; and perhaps you will not object to a few particulars concerning a fair held there on the first

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September 4.

September 4.

Gather them dry, and put them with clean straw, or clean chaff, into casks; cover them up close, and put them into a cool dry cellar. Fruit will keep perfectly good a twelvemonth in this manner. Let the cultivator of choice fruit cut in paper the initial letters of his name, or any other mark he likes; and just before his peaches, nectarines, &amp;c. begin to be coloured, stick such letters or mark with gum-water on that side of the fruit which is next the sun. That part of the rind which is

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September 5.

September 5.

This day has been so marked in our almanacs since the new style. We may expect very pleasant weather during this month. For whether the summer has been cold, warm, or showery, September, in all latitudes lying between 45 and 55 degrees north, produces, on an average, the finest and pleasantest weather of the year: as we get farther south the pleasantest temperature is found in October; more northward than 55 degrees the chills of autumn are already arrived, and we must look for temperature to Au

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September 6.

September 6.

On the 6th of September, 1734, died in France, the Sieur Michael Tourant, aged ninety-eight, of whom it is said he never eat salt, and had none of the infirmities of old age. [335] To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—As a subscriber to your highly entertaining work, I take the liberty of sending you the following. In the first volume of the Every-Day Book , page 1086, I found an account of some small writing, executed by Peter Bales, which Mr. D’Israeli presumed to have been the whole bibl

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September 7.

September 7.

For this saint, in the church of England calendar, see vol. i. col. 1253. On the 7th of September, 1772, a most astonishing rain fell at Inverary, in Scotland, by which the rivers rose to such a height, as to carry every thing along with the current that stood in the way. Even trees that had braved the floods for more than one hundred years, were torn up by the roots and carried down the stream. Numbers of bridges were swept away, and the military roads rendered impassable. All the duke of Argyl

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September 8.

September 8.

The legend of this festival retained in the church of England calendar, is related in vol. i. col. 1274. Extract from the Parish Register of Burwell, in Cambridgeshire , “1727, September 8. N. B. About nine o’clock in the evening, a most dismal fire broke out in a barn in which a great number of persons were met together to see a puppet-show. In the barn there were a great many loads of new light straw; the barn was thatched with straw, which was very dry, and the inner roof of the barn was cove

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September 9.

September 9.

At this period of the year the fashionable people of unfashionable times were accustomed to close their sojournments on the coasts, and commence their inland retreats before they “came to town for good .” In this respect manners are altered. The salubrity of the ocean-breeze is now courted, and many families, in defiance of gales and storms, spend the greater part of the winter at the southern watering places. The increase of this remarkable deviation deserves to be noticed, as a growing accommo

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September 10.

September 10.

The Rainbow. On the 10th of September, 1802, a very beautiful lunar rainbow was observed at Matlock, in Derbyshire, between the hours of eight and nine in the evening: its effect was singularly pleasing. The colours of these phenomena are sometimes very well defined; but they have a more tranquil tone than those which originate in the solar beams. They are not unfrequent in the vicinity of Matlock, being mentioned by some writers among the natural curiosities of that delightful spot. On Saturday

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September 11.

September 11.

These are delightful at any time. At about this season of the year, 1817, the following poetical description appeared in a newspaper which no longer exists:— LINES By Mr. J. H. Reynolds. Mean Temperature 58·40....

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September 12.

September 12.

On the 12th of September, 1817, the gentlemen forming a deputation of the “Caledonian Horticultural Society,” while inspecting Mr. Parmentier’s gardens at Enghien, were suddenly overtaken by a violent thunder storm, and compelled to flee for shelter to Mr. Parmentier’s house. “As this thunder storm was of a character different from what we are accustomed to in Scotland, and much more striking than what we had witnessed at Brussels, a short notice of it may be excused.—A dense, black cloud was se

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September 13.

September 13.

Mean Temperature 56·90....

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September 14.

September 14.

The origin of the festival of “Holy Cross,” standing in the church of England calendar and almanacs, is related in vol. i. col. 1291, with some account of the rood and the rood-loft in churches. Mean Temperature 58·20....

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September 15.

September 15.

On the 15th of September, 1731, “the famous devil that used to overlook Lincoln college in Oxford, was taken down, having, about two years since, lost his head, in a storm.” On the same day in the same year “a crown, fixed on the top of Whitehall gate in the reign of king Charles II., fell down suddenly.” [342] The origin of the statue of the devil at Oxford is not so certain as that the effigy was popular, and gave rise to the saying of “the devil looking over Lincoln.” That the devil has a “cl

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September 16.

September 16.

On the 16th of September, 1735, Mr. Yardley died in the Fleet prison, where he had been confined nearly ten years in execution for a debt of a hundred pounds. He was possessed of nearly seven hundred a year, and securities and other effects to the value of five thousand pounds were found in his room. [345] Mean Temperature 59·04. [345] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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September 17.

September 17.

There is an account of this saint of the church of England calendar, in vol. i. col. 1295. On the 17th of September, 1737, the secret was discovered of some mysterious robberies committed in Gray’s-inn, while the inhabitants had been in the country. About a month before, there died at a madhouse near Red Lion-square, one Mr. Rudkins, who had chambers up three pair of stairs, at No. 14, in Holborn-court, Gray’s-inn. His sister-in law and executrix, who lived in Staffordshire, wrote to Mr. Cotton,

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September 18.

September 18.

The “coming over” of these two kings of the house of Brunswick, is marked in the almanacs on this day, which is kept as a holiday at all the public offices, except the excise, stamps, and customs. Mean Temperature 58·97....

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September 19.

September 19.

In September, 1737, a new university founded at Gottingen, by his Britannic majesty, which has since attained to great eminence, was “opened with a very solemn inauguration.” In 1788, the black board, on the walls of its council-house, bore three edicts for the expulsion of three students named Westfield, Planch, and Bauer. These papers were drawn up in Latin by the celebrated professor Heyne, and are printed in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for June, 1789. King George IV., when prince regent in 18

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September 20.

September 20.

This is, of all times of the year, the most productive of epidemical disorders of the bowels, which are erroneously ascribed to fruits, but which, in reality, the autumnal fruits seem best calculated to mollify. If the diarrhea be very violent, or accompanied with incessant vomiting, as in cholera morbus , the best practice is, after the intestinal canal has been suffered copiously to evacuate itself, to take small doses of chalk, or of some other substance known to check the disorder, with whic

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September 21.

September 21.

Swallows and martins are still very numerous, the general migration not having begun. They roost in immense numbers on buildings, round about which martins fly some times in such quantities as almost to darken the air with their plumes. Sparrows, linnets, various finches, and also plovers, are now seen about in flocks, according to an annual habit, prevalent among many kinds of birds, of assembling together in autumn. [347] The accompanying stanzas applicable to the season, are extracted from an

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September 22.

September 22.

This saint, to whom and his companions a festival is celebrated by the Romish church on this day, received a similar honour in England. They are said to have been officers in the Theban legion, which refused to sacrifice to the gods on their march into Gaul, and were, therefore, ordered to be decimated by Maximian. Every tenth man was accordingly put to death, and on their continued resistance, a second decimation ordered, and Maurice and his companions encouraged them, and the whole legion cons

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September 23.

September 23.

For the Every-Day Book. To cultivate pleasant associations, may well be deemed a part and parcel of the philosophy of life. Now that spring, that sweet season redolent of flowers and buds hath passed away, and summer mellowing into autumn, has well nigh fallen into the “sere the yellow leaf,” we in “populous city pent,” gladly revert to those social enjoyments peculiar to a great metropolis, and among which stand conspicuous, the amusements of the acted drama. The opening of the winter theatres

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September 24.

September 24.

In the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” for September, 1775, Mr. Clayton, a wealthy farmer of Berkshire, is related to have died at the extraordinary age of a hundred and fifteen years, and retained his faculties to the last; he is further remarkable, for having rented one farm ninety years. An occupancy of so great duration, by one individual, is perhaps unequalled in the history of landlord and tenant. Mean Temperature 55·40....

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September 25.

September 25.

There is an exhilarating effect in the sea-air and coast scenery, which inland views or atmosphere, however fine, fail to communicate. On the 25th of September, 1825, a gentleman and lady came out of one of the hotels near the Steyne, and after taking a fair start, set off running round the Steyne. They both ran very swiftly, but the young lady bounded forward with the agility of the chamois and the fleetness of the deer, and returned to the spot from whence they started a considerable distance

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September 26.

September 26.

For these remembrances in the church of England calendar and almanacs, see vol. i. p. 1324. Communications of local customs are always received and inserted with satisfaction. It is with peculiar pleasure that the editor submits the following, from a gentleman with respect to whom he has nothing to regret, but that he is not permitted to honour the work, by annexing the name of the respectable writer to the letter. Paisley, September 21, 1826. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—Having bee

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September 27.

September 27.

On the 27th of September, 1772, died at Turnhurst, in Staffordshire, James Brindley, a man celebrated for extraordinary mechanical genius and skilful labours in inland navigation. He was born at Tunsted, in the parish of Wormhill, Derbyshire, in 1716, where he contributed to support his parents’ family till he was nearly seventeen years of age, when he bound himself apprentice to a wheelwright named Bennet, near Macclesfield, in Cheshire. In the early period of his apprenticeship, he performed s

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September 28.

September 28.

On the 28th of September, 1736, when the “Gin Act,” which was passed to prevent the retailing of spirituous liquors in small quantities was about to be enforced, it was deemed necessary to send a detachment of sixty soldiers from Kensington to protect the house of sir Joseph Jekyl, the master of the rolls in Chancery-lane, from the violence threatened by the populace against that eminent lawyer for his endeavours in procuring the obnoxious statute. The keepers of the gin-shops testified their fe

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September 29.

September 29.

In the former volume, there are particulars of St. Michael, at col. 500, 629, and 1325. To the latter article, there is a print of this archangel, with six others of his order: on the present page he appears with other characteristics. St Michael. This print from a large engraving on copper, by one of the Caracci family in 1582, after a picture by Lorenzo Sabbatini of Bologna, represents the holy family, and St. John, and St. Michael standing on the devil, and presenting souls to the infant Jesu

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September 30.

September 30.

It is noted under the present day in the “Perennial Calendar,” that at this time the heat of the middle of the days is still sufficient to warm the earth, and cause a large ascent of vapour: that the chilling frosty nights, which are also generally very calm, condense into mists; differing from clouds only in remaining on the surface of the ground. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—The character and manners of a people may be often correctly ascertained by an attentive examination of the

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October 1.

October 1.

This is the season of holding a remarkable court, which we are pleasantly introduced to by the relation of a good old writer. [361] “Ryding from Ralegh towards Rochford, I happened to haue the good companie of a gentleman of this countrey, who, by the way, shewed me a little hill, which he called the Kings Hill; and told me of a strange customarie court, and of long continuance, there yearely kept, the next Wednesday after Michaelmas day in the night, upon the first cock crowing without any kind

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October 2.

October 2.

October 2, 1751, a man, for a wager of twenty guineas, walked from Shoreditch church, to the twenty mile stone near Ware, and back again, in seven hours! [365] In October, 1754, lord Powerscourt having laid a wager with the duke of Orleans, that he would ride on his own horses from Fountainbleau to Paris, which is forty-two English miles, in two hours, for one thousand louis d’ors, the king’s guards cleared the way, which was lined with crowds of Parisians. He was to mount only three horses, but

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October 3.

October 3.

On the 3d of October, 1737, a cart-gelding belonging to Mr. Richard Fendall, of the Grange, Southwark, died by an accidental cut in his knee with a garden-mellon bell-glass; which is taken notice of, because this gelding was forty-four years in his possession. It was bought Michaelmas, 1693, at Uxbridge, was never sick nor lame all the time, and within the fifteen years preceding, drew his owner and another in a chaise, fifty miles in one day. [367] It is observed that—“Among the miscellaneous e

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October 4.

October 4.

On the 4th of October, 1749, [370] died at Paris, John Baptist Du Halde, a jesuit, who was secretary to father Le Tellier, confessor to Louis XIV. Du Halde is celebrated for having compiled an elaborate history and geography of China from the accounts of the Romish missionaries in that empire; he was likewise editor of the “Lettres edifiantes et curieuses,” from the ninth to the twenty-sixth collection, and the author of several Latin poems and miscellaneous pieces. He was born in the city where

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October 5.

October 5.

Mean Temperature 55·12....

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October 6.

October 6.

Of this saint in the church of England calendar, there is an account in vol. i. col. 1362. On Sunday evening, the 6th of October, 1823, a lad named George Davis, sixteen and a half years of age, in the service of Mr. Hewson, butcher, of Bridge-road, Lambeth, at about twenty minutes after nine o’clock, bent forward in his chair, and rested his forehead on his hands. In ten minutes he started up, fetched his whip, put on his one spur, and went thence to the stable; not finding his own saddle in th

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October 7.

October 7.

On the 7 of of October, 1736, a man and his wife, at Rushal, in Norfolk, “having some words,” the man went out and hanged himself. The coroner’s inquest found it “self-murder,” and ordered him to be buried in the cross-ways; but his wife sent for a surgeon, and sold the body for half a guinea. The surgeon feeling about the body, the wife said, “He is fit for your purpose, he is as fat as butter.” The deceased was thereupon put into a sack with his legs hanging out, and being thrown upon a cart,

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October 8.

October 8.

Elias Ashmole, the antiquary, enters thus in the diary of his life:—“1657, October 8. The cause between me and my wife was heard, when Mr. Serjeant Maynard observed to the court, that there were 800 sheets of depositions on my wife’s part, and not one word proved against me of using her ill, nor ever giving her a bad or provoking word.” The decision was against the lady; the court, refusing her alimony, delivered her to her husband; “whereupon,” says Ashmole, “I carried her to Mr. Lilly’s, and t

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October 9.

October 9.

This name in the church of England calendar is properly noticed in vol. i. col. 1370. On the celebration of this saint’s festival in catholic countries he is represented walking with his head in his hands, as we are assured he did, after his martyrdom. A late traveller in France relates, that on the 9th of October, the day of St. Denis, the patron saint of France, a procession was made to the village of St. Denis, about a league from Lyons. This was commonly a very disorderly and tumultuous asse

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October 10.

October 10.

1826. Oxford and Cambridge Terms begin. On Sunday, October 10, 1742, during the time of worship, the roof of the church of Fearn, in Ross-shire, Scotland, fell suddenly in, and sixty people were killed, besides the wounded. The gentry whose seats were in the niches, and the preacher by falling under the sounding-board were preserved. [378] To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sherborne, September, 1826. Sir,—Having promised to furnish an account of our fair, I now take the liberty of handing it

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October 11.

October 11.

This is “Old Michaelmas Day.” On the 11th of October, 1797, admiral Duncan obtained a splendid victory over the Dutch fleet off Camperdown, near the isle of Texel, on the coast of Holland. For this memorable achievement he was created a viscount, with a pension of two thousand pounds per annum. His lordship died on the 4th of August, 1804; he was born at Dundee, in Scotland, on the 1st of July, 1731. After the battle of Camperdown was decided, he called his crew together in the presence of the c

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October 12.

October 12.

On the 12th of October, 1748, was born at St. John’s near Worcester, Mr. William Butler, the author of “Chronological, Biographical, Historical, and Miscellaneous Exercises,” an excellent work, for young persons especially, a useful compendium in every library, and one to which the editor of the Every-Day Book has been indebted as a ready guide to many interesting and important events. In the seventh edition of Mr. Butler’s work just mentioned, we are informed by his son, Mr. John Olding Butler,

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October 13.

October 13.

This notice of the day in the church of England calendar and almanacs, denotes it as the festival of the translation of king Edward the Confessor. [383] Edward the Confessor died on the 5th of January, 1066, and was buried in the abbey church of St. Peter, Westminster. “His queen, Edgitha, survived the saint many years;” she was buried beside him, and her coffin was covered with plates of silver and gold. According to his biographers, in 1102, the body of St. Edward was found entire, the limbs f

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October 14.

October 14.

“ Some Memorable Remarques upon the Fourteenth of October , being the Auspicious Birth-Day of His Present Majesty The Most Serene King James II. Luc. xix. 42 In Hoc Die Tuo . In This Thy Day . London, Printed by A. R. And are to be sold by Randal Taylor , near Stationers -Hall 1687.” Folio. In this curious tract, the author purports to set forth “how lucky the Fourteenth of October hath been to the princes of England,” and because he discovers “out of Wharton’s Gesta Britannorum , and the collec

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October 15.

October 15.

It appears from a printed half sheet, of which the following is a copy, that the will of a person who had been resident at Stevenage, was proved on this day in the year 1724, whereby he desired his remains to be kept unburied. It is a curious document, and further information respecting the individual whose caprice was thus indulged will be acceptable. Where his Remains are still upon the Rafters of the West End of the Hovel, and may be viewed by any Traveller who may think it worthy of Notice.

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October 16.

October 16.

An appearance at this time of the year, already noticed, appears to have surprised our countrymen in Lancashire. Though there is no doubt that the authorities who communicate the intelligence believe it very remarkable, yet it is doubtful whether the occurrence may not be more frequent in that part of England than they have had the opportunity of remarking. Their account is to the following purport:— On Sunday, October 1, 1826, a phenomenon of rare occurrence in the neighbourhood of Liverpool wa

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October 17.

October 17.

A lady who is pleased to grace these columns by her pen, transmits a very minute description of a very “comfortable thing” at this time of the year, which may well be extended from a particular usage at an interesting period, to a general one. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Westbury, September 10, 1826. Sir,—I suspect that although you solicit the aid of correspondents in furnishing your excellent miscellany with accounts of local customs, you scarcely expect to receive one which appertain

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October 18.

October 18.

If any thing can be believed that is said by the lottery people respecting the lottery, before the appearance of the next sheet of the Every-Day Book the lottery will be at an end for ever. Particulars respecting the last moments of this “unfortunate malefactor,” will be very acceptable if transmitted immediately; and in order to an account of lotteries in the ensuing sheet, information and anecdotes respecting them are most earnestly desired. A newspaper of this day in the year 1818, contains a

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October 19.

October 19.

“Garrick was, and Kemble is no more.” On this day in the year 1741, the “British Roscius,” as he is emphatically termed, made his first appearance as “a gentleman who never appeared on any stage.” A remarkable event, precursing the revival of the drama, by Garrick, and its perfection by Kemble, deserves notice as a memorial of what “has been:” particularly as we have arrived at a period when, in consequence of managers having been outmanaged, and the public tricked out of its senses, the drama s

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October 20.

October 20.

A writer in a journal of this month, 1826, [390] gives the following account of several wrestling matches between men of Devonshire and Cornwall, on the 19th 20th and 21st of September preceding, at the Eagle-tavern-green, City-road. He says, “the difference in the style of wrestling of these two neighbouring shires, is as remarkable as that of the lineaments of their inhabitants. The florid chubby-faced Devon-man is all life and activity in the ring, holding himself erect, and offering every ad

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October 21.

October 21.

In a dreadful engagement off Cape Trafalgar, on the 21st of October, 1805, between the English fleet, consisting of twenty-seven sail of the line and four frigates, and the combined fleets of France and Spain, consisting of thirty-three sail and seven frigates, which lasted four hours, twenty sail of the enemy were sunk or destroyed, and the French commander-in-chief, (admiral Villeneuve,) with two Spanish admirals, were made prisoners. The gallant Nelson was wounded about the middle of the acti

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October 22.

October 22.

In October, 1735, a child of James and Elizabeth Leesh, of Chester-le-street, in the county of Durham, was played for at cards , at the sign of the Salmon, one game, four shillings against the child, by Henry and John Trotter, Robert Thomson, and Thomas Ellison, which was won by the latter, and delivered to them accordingly. [392] Mean Temperature 49·97. The Roman Station at Pancras. Cæsar’s Camp, called the Brill. Enlarged illustration (270 kB). A former notice of some antiquities in this vicin

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October 23.

October 23.

St. Surin, or St. Severin, which is his proper name, is a saint held in great veneration at Bordeaux; he is considered as one of the great patrons of the town. It was his native place, but he deserted it for a time to go and preach the gospel at Cologne. When he returned, St. Amand, then bishop of Bordeaux, went out with a solemn procession of the clergy to meet him, and, as he had been warned to do in a vision, resigned his bishopric to him, which St. Surin continued to enjoy as long as he live

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October 24.

October 24.

For the Every-Day Book. “Vat’s the time , Villiam?” “ Kevarter arter seven.” The “Mirror of the Months” seems to reflect every object to the reader’s eye; but not having read more of that work than by extract, in the Every-Day Book , I think an addendum, par hazard , may not be without truth and interest. Rise early,—be abroad,—and after you have inspired sufficient fog to keep you coughing all day, you will see Jewboys and girls with their fathers and mothers veering forth from the purlieus of

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October 25.

October 25.

On this, the festival day of St. Crispin, enough has been already said [398] to show that it is the great holyday of the numerous brotherhood of cordwainers. The latter name they derive from their working in Spanish leather manufactured at Cordovan; their cordovan-ing has softened down into cordwaining. The business of a shoemaker is of great antiquity. The instrument for cleaning hides, the shoemaker’s bristles added to the yarn, and his knife, were as early as the twelfth century. He was accus

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October 26.

October 26.

On this subject a curious notice is extracted from “the Postman, October 26-28, 1708”—viz. Advertisement. The Creditors of King Charles, K. James, and K. William, having found out and discovered sufficient Funds for securing a perpetual Interest for 4 Millions, without burdening the people, clogging the Trade or impairing the Revenue; and all their debts not amounting to near that Sum; the more to strengthen their interest, and to find the greater favour with the Parliament, have agreed that the

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October 27.

October 27.

On the 27th of October, 1736, Mr. Robinson a carpenter, and Mr. Medway a bricklayer, contracted to build Fleet-market, by the following midsummer, for 3970 l. [403] Mean Temperature 47·50. [403] Gentleman’s Magazine....

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October 28.

October 28.

(St. Simon and St. Jude.) A correspondent says, that about, or before this time, it is the custom at Bedford, now abouts, for boys to cry baked pears in the town with the following stanza— Mean Temperature 46·30....

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October 29.

October 29.

On looking into the “Mirror of the Months,” we find “a lively portraiture” of the season.—“October is to London what April is to the country; it is the spring of the London summer, when the hopes of the shopkeeper begin to bud forth, and he lays aside the insupportable labour of having nothing to do, for the delightful leisure of preparing to be in a perpetual bustle. During the last month or two he has been strenuously endeavouring to persuade himself that the Steyne at Brighton is as healthy a

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October 30.

October 30.

On this day in the year 1485, when king Henry VII. was crowned at Westminster, he instituted the body of royal attendants, called yeomen of the guard, who in later times acquired the appellation of “beef-eaters.” Mean Temperature 47·17....

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October 31.

October 31.

The superstitious observances of this night, described in the former volume, are fast disappearing. In some places where young people were accustomed to meet for purposes of divination, and frequently frighten each other into fits, as of ancient custom, they have little regard to the old usages. The meetings on Hallow-eve are becoming pleasant merry-makings; the dance prevails till supper-time, when they take a cheerful glass and drink to their next happy meeting. Mean Temperature 47·62. * * We

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November 1.

November 1.

All Saints. [405] A remarkable colloquy between queen Elizabeth and dean Nowell at St. Paul’s cathedral on the 1st of November, 1561, is said to have originated the usage of inscribing texts of scripture in English on the inner side of the church-walls as we still see them in many parishes. Her majesty having attended worship “went straight to the vestry, and applying herself to the dean, thus she spoke to him.” Q. Mr . Dean, how came it to pass that a new service-book was placed on my cushion?

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November 2.

November 2.

All Souls. [407] Naogeorgus in his satire, the “Popish Kingdome,” has a “description which” Dr Forster says “is grossly exaggerated, like many other accounts of catholics written by protestants.” If the remark be fair, it is fair also to observe that many accounts of protestants written by catholics are equally gross in their exaggerations. It would be wiser, because it would be honest, were each to relate truth of the other, and become mutually charitable, and live like christians. How far Naog

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November 3.

November 3.

On the 3d of November, 1735, Peter Beckford, Esq. died in Jamaica, worth three hundred thousand pounds. [408] His direct male ancestor, served in a humble capacity in the armament under Penn and Venables, which captured that important island. Mr. Peter Beckford was father of the celebrated alderman Beckford, whose fortune enabled him to purchase the landed estate of the Meroyns in Wiltshire, which, till lately, formed a distinguished part of the possessions of the present Mr. Beckford. A corresp

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November 4.

November 4.

On the day appointed for the commemoration of the landing of king William III. (who in fact landed on the 5th [412] ) it may be worth notice, that its centenary in 1788 is thus mentioned in the “Public Advertiser” of that year—“This day is appointed to commemorate an event, which, if deserving commemoration, ought never to be forgotten, and yet it is probable it will produce as much good moral or political effect as the events which distinguish Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter, from other days

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November 5.

November 5.

To keep alive the remembrance of this conspiracy, and in contemplation of its anniversary in 1826, a printed quarter sheet was published, “price one penny coloured, and one halfpenny plain.” It consists of a rude wood-cut of “a Guy,” carried about by boys, and the subjoined title with the accompanying verses. Quick’s New Speech for the Fifth of November , On the Downfall of Guy Fawkes . There was a publication in 1825, of similar character to the preceding. “Guy” was the subject of the cut, and

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November 6.

November 6.

Michaelmas Term begins. St. Leonard is retained in the church of England calendar and almanacs, from his ancient popularity in Romish times. He is the titular saint of many of our great churches, and was particularly invoked in behalf of prisoners. A list of holydays published at Worcester, in 1240, ordains St. Leonard’s festival to be kept a half-holyday, enjoins the hearing of mass, and prohibits all labour except that of the plough. St. Leonard was a French nobleman in the court of Clovis I.,

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November 7.

November 7.

On the 7th day of November, 1665, the first “Gazette” in England was published at Oxford; the court being there at that time, on account of the plague. On the removal of the court to London, the title was changed to the “London Gazette.” The “Oxford Gazette” was published on Tuesdays, the London on Saturdays: and these have continued, to be the days of publication ever since. The word gazette originally meant a newspaper, or printed account of the transactions of all the countries in the known w

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November 8.

November 8.

On this day the chief magistrate elect of the metropolis is sworn into office at Guildhall, and to-morrow is the grand festival of the corporation. Mean Temperature 44·27....

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November 9.

November 9.

This “great day in the calendar” of the city, is the subject of the following whimsical adaptation. In the subjoined humorous account of a former civic procession and festival, there are some features which do not belong to the present celebrations. To describe the adventures and incidents of this important day in the city annals, it is very necessary to revert to the preceding evening. It is not now as it was formerly— Had Pope lived in the auspicious reign of George III., he would have indulge

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November 10.

November 10.

Richard Corbet, bishop of Norwich, wrote the following excellent lines To his Son, Vincent Corbet , On his Birth-day, November 10, 1630, being then three years old . Bishop Corbet, a native of Ewell in Surrey, was educated at Westminster school, and Christchurch, Oxford; took the degree of M. A. in 1605, entered into holy orders, became doctor of divinity, obtained a prebend in the cathedral of Sarum, and other church preferment, and being a man of ready wit, was favoured by king James I., who m

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November 11.

November 11.

The customs of this festival, which is retained in the church of England calendar and almanacs, are related under the day in last year’s volume. Mean Temperature 44·40....

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November 12.

November 12.

To the mention of the pageant “at Chancery-lane end,” in honour of admiral Vernon on this day, in the year 1740, [424] may be added some ingenious verses commemorative of Vernon’s exploits. They were written in the same year by John Price, a land-waiter in the port of Poole, and are preserved in Mr. Raw’s “Suffolk Garland,” with the following introduction:— In Dr. Percy’s “Reliques of Ancient Poetry,” vol. ii. p. 376. is an admirable ballad, intituled “Hosier’s Ghost,” being an address to admira

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November 13.

November 13.

Brit. [426] On the 13th of November, 1755, at a court of the governors of Bridewell hospital, a memorable report was made from the committee, who inquired into the behaviour of the boys at Bartholomew and Southwark fairs, when some of them were severely corrected and continued, and others, after their punishment, were ordered to be stripped of the hospital clothing and discharged. [427] The “bridewell-boys” were, within recollection, a body of youths distinguished by a particular dress, and turb

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November 14.

November 14.

The “Carbonari,” a political association in the Italian states, occasioned considerable disturbance to the continental governments, who interfered to suppress an order of persons that kept them in continual alarm: “His Holiness” especially desired their suppression. An article from Rome, dated the 14th of November, 1820, says “Bishop Benvenuti, vice-legate at Macerata, having received orders from the holy father to have all the Carbonari in that city arrested and sent to Rome, under a good escor

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November 15.

November 15.

Machutus. [429] To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. October 20, 1826. Dear Sir,—In your last week’s number of the Every-Day Book , your correspondent *, *, P. gives a short account of Blackford, the backsword-player, and also mentions one of his descendants who signalized himself at the “Hungerford revel” about two years since. In the year 1820, I visited the latter revel; perhaps a description may be acceptable to you, and amusing to your readers. I think it may be generally allowed that Wilts

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COLLECTIONS RESPECTING LOTTERIES

COLLECTIONS RESPECTING LOTTERIES

Dr. Rawlinson, a distinguished antiquary, produced to the Antiquarian society, in 1748, “A Proposal for a very rich Lottery, general without any Blankes, contayning a great N o of good prices, as well of redy money as of Plate and certain sorts of Merchandizes, having been valued and prised by the Commandment of the Queenes most excellent Majesties order, to the entent that such Commodities as may chance to arise thereof, after the charges borne, may be converted towards the reparations of the H

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November 16.

November 16.

On the night of this day in 1823, about half past nine o’clock, Dr. T. Forster observed a very remarkable and brilliant phenomenon about the moon. It was a coloured discoid halo, consisting of six several concentric circles; the nearest to the moon, or the first disk around her, being dull white, then followed circles of orange, violet, crimson, green, and vermillion; the latter, or outermost, subtending in its diameter an angle of above ten degrees. This phenomenon was evidently produced by a r

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November 17.

November 17.

His name is in the church of England calendar and almanacs on this day, which was ordained his festival by the Romish church, wherein he is honoured as a saint. St. Hugh was born in Burgundy in 1140, educated in a convent, took the habit of the Chartreuse near Grenoble before he was of age, was ordained priest, and, at the end of ten years, the procuratorship of the monastery was intrusted to him. Henry II. of England, confiding in his prudence and sanctity, induced him to come over and regulate

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November 18.

November 18.

On the 18th of November, 1777, died William Bowyer, an eminent printer of London, where he was born on the 17th of December, 1699. He had been always subject to a bilious colic, and for the last ten years of his life was afflicted with the palsy; yet he retained a remarkable cheerfulness of disposition, and his faculties, though somewhat impaired, enabled him to maintain the conversation of his literary friends, pursue a course of incessant reading, which was his principal amusement, and correct

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November 19.

November 19.

On this day in 1703 died, in the Bastille at Paris, an unknown prisoner, celebrated throughout Europe under the appellation of the Man with the Iron Mask ; he had been confined, for state reasons, from the year 1661. There have been various disquisitions and controversies respecting his identity, but a recent work seems to have rendered it probable, that he was an Italian diplomatist who counteracted certain projects of Louis XIV., and was therefore condemned, by that monarch’s despotism, to per

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November 20.

November 20.

Edmund. King and Martyr. [503] On the 20th of November, 1746, fifty-one barbers were convicted before the commissioners of excise, and fined in the penalty of twenty pounds each, for having in their custody hair-powder not made of starch, contrary to act of parliament; and, on the 27th of the same month, forty-nine other barbers were convicted of the like offence, and fined in the same penalty. [504] To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—The following observations have been the result of a v

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November 21.

November 21.

Messieurs Montgolfier, two brothers, paper-makers at Annonay in the department of Ardeche, in 1782 discovered the use of rarefied air in floating balloons; and on the 21st of November, 1783, the marquis d’Arlandes and M. Pilatre Rosier made the first unconfined aërial voyage in a machine called a “Montgolfier,” in honour of the inventors, to distinguish it from balloons made with inflammable air. [510] Mean Temperature 40·27. [510] Butler’s Chronological Exercises....

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November 22.

November 22.

Towards the latter end of the seventeenth century, an entertainment was instituted, on the 22d of November, in commemoration of her, by many of the first rank in the kingdom; which was continued annually for a considerable time. A splendid entertainment was provided at Stationers’-hall, which was constantly preceded by a performance of vocal and instrumental music, by the most capital performers. This feast is represented by Mr. Motteux, in 1691, as “one of the genteelest in the world; there are

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November 23.

November 23.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—In your last year’s volume I see you have taken great notice of St. Clement, and the customs observed on his day; but I do not see any mention of a custom which was common in Worcestershire , where I was born. I am entirely ignorant of its origin; yet in my youth I have often been at its celebration. The custom was as follows:— On the afternoon of St. Clement’s day, a number of boys collected together in a body, and went from house to house; and at the d

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November 24.

November 24.

In a popular “calendar” there are some observations on this day, which, as the time for telling “Ghost stories” is come in, seem appropriate. They are to the effect, that there is an essential difference between “Ocular Spectres” and “Spectral Illusions.” Ocular Spectres move with the motion of the eye, whatever may be the forms of the spectrum on the retina; hence, they are spectra in the eye. Spectral Illusions , or Ghosts , seem to move with their own proper motion, like real persons, and the

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November 25.

November 25.

For an account of this Saint, see vol. i. col. 1504. In the “Morning Advertiser” of this day, 1807, which year was almost as much distinguished by joint-stock impositions as the present, there are two advertisements, which, from their station in the advertising columns of that paper, have a more remarkable, than if they had been displayed in its columns of entertainment, viz: FINAL MEETING of the PUBLIC BLACKING SUBSCRIPTION COMPANY, held at the Boot in Leather-lane, ANTHONY VARNISH, Esq. in the

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November 26.

November 26.

Autumnal appearances are increasing, and occasional gales of wind and interchanges of nipping frost hasten the approaching winter. The following passage seems to allude to the wintry garb of nature:—“The earth mourneth and languisheth; Lebanon is ashamed and withereth away; Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.”—Isaiah, xxiii. 9. Soon shall we be compelled to exclaim with the poet, in reference to this, generally speaking, gloomy season, November, however, ha

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November 27.

November 27.

The chapter of an old, black-letter book of wonderful things concludes with the following amusing paragraph:— “Here may we also speak of the people, Lucumoria, dwelling among the hilles, beyond the river Olbis. These men die every year the 27 of November, which day at Rutheas was dedicated to Saint Gregorie; and in the next spring following, most commonly at the four and twentieth day of April, they rise again like frogs.” [518] Mean Temperature 40·00. [518] Batman’s Doome....

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November 28.

November 28.

Mean Temperature 39·65....

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November 29.

November 29.

Mean Temperature 39·90....

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November 30.

November 30.

Respecting this Saint, the patron of Scotland, there is a notice in vol. i. 1537. For the Every-Day Book. A Model Lottery is drawn on the 30th of November, at Mr. Oldershaw’s office, Lower-street, Islington. Several capital prizes are made, the principal of which is Fonthill Abbey, valued at 5 l. There are others less valuable, Islington church, Cannonbury Tower, the Queen’s Head, Sir William Curtis’s villa, at Southgate,—the house in which Garrick was born,—many Italian buildings, and a variety

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December 1.

December 1.

Mr. Edward Bright, of Maldon, in the county of Essex, who died at twenty-nine years of age, was an eminent shopkeeper of that town, and supposed to be, at that time, the largest man living, or that had ever lived in this island. He weighed six hundred, one quarter, and twenty-one pounds; and stood about five feet nine inches high; his body was of an astonishing bulk, and his legs were as large as a middling man’s body. Though of so great a weight and bulk, he was surprisingly active. After Brigh

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December 2.

December 2.

Winter may be now considered as having set in; and we have often violent winds about this time, which sweep off the few remaining leaves from the trees, and, with the exception of a few oaks and beeches, leave the woods and forests nothing but a naked assemblage of bare boughs. December, thus robbing the woods of their leafy honours, is alluded to by Horace, in his Epod. xi.:— Picture to yourself, gentle reader, one of these blustering nights, when a tremendous gale from south-west, with rattlin

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December 3.

December 3.

1826. Advent Sunday. On the 3rd of December, 1729, died at Paris, John Hardouin, a learned Jesuit, especially celebrated for his condemnation of the writings of almost all the Greek and Latin authors as forgeries in the middle ages. He supposed that all history, philosophy, science, and even divinity, before the middle of the XIVth century, had been forged in the abbies of Germany, France, and Italy, by a set of monks, who availed themselves of the taking of Constantinople by the French in 1203,

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December 4.

December 4.

In December, 1808, was living William Brockbank, whose daily pedestrian achievements occasioned public notice of him to the following effect. He was the Walking Post from Manchester to Glossop, in Derbyshire, a distance of sixteen miles, which he performed every day, Sundays excepted; returned the same evening, and personally delivered the letters, newspapers, &amp;c. in that populous and commercial country, to all near the road, which made his daily task not less than thirty-five miles, or

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December 5.

December 5.

The versifier of ancient customs, Naogeorgus, relates through the English of his translator, Barnaby Googe, a curious practice on the vigil of this festival:— A festival or ceremony called Zopata, from a Spanish word signifying a shoe, prevails in Italy in the courts of certain princes on St. Nicholas’ day. Persons hide presents in the shoes and slippers of those they do honour to, in such manner as may surprise them on the morrow when they come to dress. This is said to be done in imitation of

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December 6.

December 6.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—In your fiftieth number, p. 1566, under the head “St. Nicholas in Russia,” you give a very correct account of the festivities which usually enliven the 5th December in Holland , but not a word of Russia . It appears you have mistaken the situation of Leeuwarden, which is not a Russian, but a Dutch town. Friesland was one of the Seven United Provinces. Perhaps you may think it worth while to correct this error. N. N. December 18, 1825. “At the Est ende of

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December 7.

December 7.

In December, 1751, the following “Uncommon Natural Curiosities” were exhibited in London. 1. A Dwarf , from Glamorganshire, in his fifteenth year, two feet six inches high, weighing only twelve pounds, yet very proportionable. 2. John Coan , a Norfolk dwarf, aged twenty-three; he weighed, with all his clothes, but thirty-four pounds, and his height, with his hat, shoes, and wig on, was but thirty-eight inches; his body was perfectly straight, he was of a good complexion, and sprightly temper, su

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December 8.

December 8.

This day is so marked in the church of England calendar and almanacs. It is the Romish festival of “ The Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin ,” whom that church states to have been conceived and born without original sin. A doctrine whereon more has been written, perhaps, than any other point of ecclesiastical controversy. One author, Peter D’Alva, has published forty-eight folios on the mysteries of the Conception. The immaculate conception and happy nativity of the Virgin are maintained t

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December 9.

December 9.

On the 9th of December, 1809, the following cause was tried in the court of King’s-bench, Guildhall, London, before lord Ellenborough and a special jury. Holme and others v. Noah . Mr. Garrow stated this to be an action upon a bill of exchange for a small sum of money for coals, which the plaintiffs, who were coal-merchants, had furnished to the defendant, who was an ingenious lady, employing herself in drawing pictures. The bill, when due, had not been honoured. Mr. Park, in defence to the acti

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December 10.

December 10.

For the Every-Day Book. On the 10th of December, 1813, in passing through the small village of Llangemuch, in Carmarthenshire, I observed several of the villagers assembled round the door and windows of one of the cottages, and heard within the loud tones of what proved to be one of their preachers. I entered, and found them employed in the baptism of a child. The font was a pint basin, placed on a small plate; the humble table was covered with a clean napkin. The minister, a brawny, round-shoul

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December 11.

December 11.

Ledyard, the traveller, who died at Cairo in 1788, on his way to accomplish the task of traversing the widest part of the continent of Africa from east to west, in the supposed latitude of the Niger, pays a just and handsome tribute to the kind affections of the sex. “I have always observed,” says Ledyard, “that women, in all countries, are civil and obliging, tender and humane; that they are ever inclined to be gay and cheerful, timorous and modest; and that they do not hesitate, like men, to p

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December 12.

December 12.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—I perceive in page 539 of the present volume, you have inserted the national song of “God save the King,” in the Welsh language, as translated by the able and learned Dr. W. O. Pughe, perhaps the following version of the same in the Gaelic language, or that spoken by the Highlanders of Scotland, may prove acceptable to many readers. Among the translations of Dr. Owen Pughe, his version of “ Non nobis Domine ” is excellent. I subjoin it, that you may make

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December 13.

December 13.

Lucy. [533] Be virtuous; govern your passions; restrain your appetites; avoid excess and high-seasoned food; eat slowly, and chew your food well. Do not eat to full satiety. Breakfast betimes; it is not wholesome to go out fasting. In winter, a glass or two of wine is an excellent preservative against unwholesome air. Make a hearty meal about noon, and eat plain meats only. Avoid salted meats: those who eat them often have pale complexions, a slow pulse, and are full of corrupted humours. Sup be

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December 14.

December 14.

In December, 1738, was shown at the Linen Hall, in Dublin, a piece of linen, accounted the finest ever made; there were 3800 threads in the breadth. The trustees of the linen manufacture set a value of forty guineas on the piece, which contained 23 yards. It was spun by a woman of Down. About two years before, Mr. Robert Kaine, at Lurgan, county of Ardmagh, sold 24 yards of superfine Irish linen, manufactured in that town, for 40 s. per yard, to the countess of Antrim which occasioned the follow

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December 15.

December 15.

On a certain day, the date of which is uncertain, in the month of December, 1730, the books and MSS. of Dr. Tanner, bishop of St. Asaph, being on their removal from Norwich to Christchurch college in Oxford, fell into and lay under water twenty hours, and received great damage. Among them were near 300 volumes of MSS. purchased of Mr. Bateman, a bookseller, who bought them of archbishop Sancroft’s nephew. There were in all seven cart loads. [534] It may be recollected that bishop Tanner was the

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December 16.

December 16.

Cambridge Term ends. The meaning of this term in the calendar is in vol. i. 1571. Is a diversion of necessity in winter, when we are confined by the weather, and must make entertainment in the house, because we cannot take pleasure in the open air. Though at any time we may like, yet now we love to hear accounts of sayings and doings in former times; and, therefore, it seems that a description of an old house in the country, and an old and true story belonging to it, may be agreeable. Littlecote

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December 17.

December 17.

During the reign of Henry VIII., and even of Mary, they were, if we except their size, little better than cottages, being thatched buildings, covered on the outside with the coarsest clay, and lighted only by lattices. When Harrison wrote, in the age of Elizabeth, though the greater number of manor-houses still remained framed of timber, yet he observes, “such as be latelie builded, are com’onlie either of bricke or hard stone, or both; their roomes large and comelie, and houses of office furthe

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December 18.

December 18.

Oxford Term ends. The usual fare of country-gentlemen, relates Harrison, was “foure, five, or six dishes, when they have but small resort,” and accordingly, we find that Justice Shallow, when he invites Falstaffe to dinner, issues the following orders: “Some pigeons, Davy; a couple of short-legged hens; a joint of mutton; and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William Cook.” But on feast-days, and particularly on festivals, the profusion and cost of the table were astonishing. Harrison obser

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December 19.

December 19.

Bishop Earle says, “he is a holiday clown, and differs only in the stuff of his clothes, not the stuff of himself; for he bare the king’s sword before he had arms to wield it; yet, being once laid o’er the shoulder with a knighthood, he finds the herald his friend. His father was a man of good stock, though but a tanner or usurer: he purchased the land, and his son the title. He has doffed off the name of a country fellow, but the look not so easy; and his face still bears a relish of churne-mil

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December 20.

December 20.

Ember Week. See vol. i. Mr. Hastings, an old gentleman of ancient times in Dorsetshire, was low of stature, but strong and active, of a ruddy complexion, with flaxen hair. His clothes were always of green cloth, his house was of the old fashion; in the midst of a large park, well stocked with deer, rabbits, and fish-ponds. He had a long, narrow bowling-green in it; and used to play with round sand bowls. Here, too, he had a banqueting-room built, like a stand, in a large tree. He kept all sorts

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December 21.

December 21.

Now is a busy day in London, for wardmotes are held in the city by the aldermen of every ward, “for the election of officers for the year ensuing;” and hence, in the social public rooms of the citizens, there is great debate this evening, on the merits of the common-council-men returned without opposition, or on the qualifications of candidates who contest the poll for two days longer. The “Lumber-Troop” muster strong at their head-quarters near Gough-square; the “codgers” enlighten each other a

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December 22.

December 22.

As on this prevalent custom of the season there have been remarks, an anecdote from the Worcester Journal of 1760, before servants’ vails were abolished, and soon after the battle of Minden, may be added. At a young lady’s rout there appeared a card hung to each of the candlesticks, with these words, “No card money, but you may speak to the drummer.” In a corner of a room stood the figure of a drummer on a box, with a hole in the top to receive money, and the figure held a paper in its hand cont

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December 23.

December 23.

For the Every-Day Book. Symptoms of the returning season of Christmas and its festivities are approaching; for the rustics are standing at the street-corners with boughs of clustering berry-holly with pointed leaves, glossy laurel, and the pink-eyed lauristina:—the cheesemonger perks a dandy sprig of evergreen in the centre of his half butter tub, and hangs the griskins and chines at his doorposts: the show of over-fed beasts is advertised, and graziers and come-up-to-town farmers, loiter here t

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December 24.

December 24.

For the Every-Day Book. The 24th of December, among other causes, is rendered remarkable from its having been the day on which the bold Robin Hood breathed his last, in the year 1247. The accounts of the life of this extraordinary outlaw are so various, and so much mixed up with fable, that to render a true history of him would be almost impossible. His real name was Fitz-Ooth, his grandfather, Ralph Fitz-Ooth Earl of Kyme, whose name appears in the Roll of Battle Abbey, came over to England wit

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December 25.

December 25.

CHRISTMAS-DAY. Bellman’s Verses , 1707, Upon Christmas Day. To the Shepherds. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Whitehaven, 4th Sept. 1826. Sir,—You furnished your readers last Christmas with a dish, greatly up-heaped, of information regarding the manner in which it was kept in various parts of the kingdom. I enclose herein a printed copy of the play, which is said, or rather sung, at and about that time, by numbers of boys in this town. The comedians, of which there are many companies, parad

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December 26.

December 26.

For some remarkable observances on this festival, see vol. i. 1643. The representation of this tragedy was omitted in the Christmas holidays of 1819, at both the Theatres, for the first time. When Mr. Ross performed the character of George Barnwell , in 1752, the son of an eminent merchant was so struck with certain resemblances to his own perilous situation, (arising from the arts of a real Millwood ,) that his agitation brought on a dangerous illness, in the course of which he confessed his er

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December 27.

December 27.

For wine manchets on this festival to preserve the eaters from poison annually, see vol. i. 1647. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. January 12, 1825. Sir,—In your account of the ceremonies now practised in Devon at Christmas, regarding the apple-trees, [556] you are wrong in calling it a “ clayen cup,” it should be a clome or clomen cup: thus all earthenware shops and china shops are called by the middling class and peasantry clome or clomen shops, and the same in markets where earthenware is

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December 28.

December 28.

How children were annually whipped on this festival, and of its reputed luck as a day, see vol. i. 1648. Mean Temperature 36·10....

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December 29.

December 29.

A play, with this title, appears to have once existed in MS. It is noticed in an early quarto auction catalogue, printed before 1700, though unfortunately without a title, penes me ; the catalogue contains a rich sprinkling of English poetry, and this play, with others, occurs in Lot 40, amid a rare, though not very copious collection of old plays and miscellaneous tracts. J. H. B. Mean Temperature 38·35....

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December 30.

December 30.

The following communication, though relating to an earlier period of the year, is now inserted, in order to include it, as its subject requires, in the present work. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,—As I have frequently derived much pleasure from the amusing descriptions of local customs in your Every-Day Book , I take the liberty of forwarding some reminiscences of customs which existed when I first drew halfpence from my breeches pockets, and which still remain in the north of England

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December 31.

December 31.

To December. New Monthly Magazine. New Monthly Magazine. Mean Temperature 37·50. The Indexes to the Volume will end the Every-Day Book. On taking leave, as Editor of this work, I desire to express my thanks for its favourable acceptation. It seems to have been regarded as I wished—a miscellany to be taken up by any body at any time. I have the pleasure to know that it is possessed by thousands of families of all ranks: is presented by fathers to their sons at school; finds favour with mothers, a

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THE EVERY-DAY BOOK AND TABLE BOOK; OR, EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS, SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, INCIDENT TO Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES; FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS, AND A PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC; INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, TOPO- GRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL LITERATURE; DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE ORIGINAL COMMUNI- CATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND DIVERSION.

THE EVERY-DAY BOOK AND TABLE BOOK; OR, EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS, SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, INCIDENT TO Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES; FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS, AND A PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC; INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, TOPO- GRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL LITERATURE; DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE ORIGINAL COMMUNI- CATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND DIVERSION.

BY WILLIAM HONE. Herrick. WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THOMAS TEGG, 73, CHEAPSIDE. BY WILLIAM HONE. Herrick. Herrick. WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THOMAS TEGG, 73, CHEAPSIDE. J. HADDON, PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY. On the close of the Every-Day Book , which commenced on New Year’s Day, 1825, and ended in the last week of 1826, I began this work. The only prospectus

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THE FRONTISPIECE. PETRARCH’S INKSTAND.

THE FRONTISPIECE. PETRARCH’S INKSTAND.

Miss Edgeworth’s lines express her estimation of the gem she has the happiness to own. That lady allowed a few casts from it in bronze, and a gentleman who possesses one, and who favours the “ Table Book ” with his approbation, permits its use for a frontispiece to this volume. The engraving will not be questioned as a decoration, and it has some claim to be regarded as an elegant illustration of a miscellany which draws largely on art and literature, and on nature itself, towards its supply. “I

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My Table Book.

My Table Book.

The title is to be received in a larger sense than the obsolete signification: the old table books were for private use—mine is for the public; and the more the public desire it, the more I shall be gratified. I have not the folly to suppose it will pass from my table to every table, but I think that not a single sheet can appear on the table of any family without communicating some information, or affording some diversion. On the title-page there are a few lines which briefly, yet adequately, d

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Ode to the New Year From the Every Day Book: set to Music for the Table Book, By J. K.

Ode to the New Year From the Every Day Book: set to Music for the Table Book, By J. K.

Play music: midi (3 kB) ⁂ For the remaining verses, see the Every-Day Book , vol ii. p. 25....

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The New Year.

The New Year.

Anciently on new year’s day the Romans were accustomed to carry small presents, as new year’s gifts, to the senators, under whose protection they were severally placed. In the reigns of the emperors, they flocked in such numbers with valuable ones, that various decrees were made to abolish the custom; though it always continued among that people. The Romans who settled in Britain, or the families connected with them by marriage, introduced these new year’s gifts among our forefathers, who got th

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Antiquities.

Antiquities.

The following letter, written by Horace Walpole, in relation to the tombs, is curious. Dr. ——, whom he derides, was Dr. Zachary Pearce, dean of Westminster, and editor of Longinus, &amp;c. Strawberry-hill, 1761. I heard lately, that Dr. ——, a very learned personage, had consented to let the tomb of Aylmer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, a very great personage, be removed for Wolfe’s monument; that at first he had objected, but was wrought upon by being told that hight Aylmer was a knight templ

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Biographical Memoranda.

Biographical Memoranda.

Brantome relates, that the duchess of Angoulême, in the sixteenth century, being awakened during the night, she was surprised at an extraordinary brightness which illuminated her chamber; apprehending it to be the fire, she reprimanded her women for having made so large a one; but they assured her it was caused by the moon. The duchess ordered her curtains to be undrawn, and discovered that it was a comet which produced this unusual light. “Ah!” exclaimed she, “this is a phenomenon which appears

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Representation of a Pageant Vehicle and Play.

Representation of a Pageant Vehicle and Play.

Representation of a Pageant Vehicle and Play. This engraving is from a very curious print in Mr. Sharp’s “Dissertatien on the Pageants or Dramatic Mysteries, anciently performed at Coventry.” Coventry is distinguished in the history of the drama, because, under the title of “Ludus Coventriæ ,” there exists a manuscript volume of most curious early plays, not yet printed, nor likely to be, unless there are sixty persons, at this time sufficiently concerned for our ancient literature and manners,

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“The Thing to a T.”

“The Thing to a T.”

A young man, brought up in the city of London to the business of an undertaker, went to Jamaica to better his condition. Business flourished, and he wrote to his father in Bishopsgate-street to send him, with a quantity of black and grey cloth, twenty gross of black Tacks . Unfortunately he had omitted the top to his T, and the order stood twenty gross of black Jacks . His correspondent, on receiving the letter, recollected a man, near Fleet-market, who made quart and pint tin pots, ornamented w

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Books.

Books.

Fletcher. Fletcher....

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Imagination.

Imagination.

Imagination enriches every thing. A great library contains not only books, but “the assembled souls of all that men held wise.” The moon is Homer’s and Shakspeare’s moon, as well as the one we look at. The sun comes out of his chamber in the east, with a sparkling eye, “rejoicing like a bridegroom.” The commonest thing becomes like Aaron’s rod, that budded. Pope called up the spirits of the Cabala to wait upon a lock of hair, and justly gave it the honours of a constellation; for he has hung it,

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Actors.

Actors.

Madame Rollan, who died in 1785, in the seventy-fifth year of her age, was a principal dancer on Covent-garden stage in 1731, and followed her profession, by private teaching, to the last year of her life. She had so much celebrity in her day, that having one evening sprained her ancle, no less an actor than Quin was ordered by the manager to make an apology to the audience for her not appearing in the dance. Quin, who looked upon all dancers as “the mere garnish of the stage,” at first demurred

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Home Department.

Home Department.

If potatoes, how much soever frosted, be only carefully excluded from the atmospheric air, and the pit not opened until some time after the frost has entirely subsided, they will be found not to have sustained the slightest injury. This is on account of their not having been exposed to a sudden change, and thawing gradually. A person inspecting his potato heap, which had been covered with turf, found them so frozen, that, on being moved, they rattled like stones: he deemed them irrecoverably los

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London.

London.

The Gresham committee having humanely provided a means of leading to the discovery of lost or strayed children, the following is a copy of the bill, issued in consequence of their regulation:— To the Public. London. If persons who may have lost a child, or found one, in the streets, will go with a written notice to the Royal Exchange, they will find boards fixed up near the medicine shop, for the purpose of posting up such notices, ( free of expense .) By fixing their notice at this place, it is

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Manners.

Manners.

The following is an extract from one of Richard Symons’s Pocket-books, preserved amongst the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, No. 991. “At the marriage of his daughter to Rich, in Nov. 1657, the lord protector threw about sack-posset among all the ladyes to soyle their rich cloaths, which they tooke as a favour, and also wett sweetmeats; and daubed all the stooles where they were to sit with wett sweetmeats; and pulled off Rich his peruque, and would have thrown it into the fire, but did not

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Topographical Memoranda.

Topographical Memoranda.

The following is an authentic account, from the “Antiquarian Repertory,” of the incumbents of a vicarage near Bridgenorth in Shropshire. Its annual revenue, till the death of the last incumbent here mentioned, was not more than about seventy pounds per annum, although it is a very large and populous parish, containing at least twenty hamlets or townships, and is scarcely any where less than four or five miles in diameter. By a peculiar idiom in that country, the inhabitants of this large distric

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Weather.

Weather.

A new instrument to measure the degrees of moisture in the atmosphere, of which the following is a description, was invented by M. Baptist Lendi, of St. Gall: In a white flint bottle is suspended a piece of metal, about the size of a hazle nut, which not only looks extremely beautiful, and contributes to the ornament of a room, but likewise predicts every possible change of weather twelve or fourteen hours before it occurs. As soon as the metal is suspended in the bottle with water, it begins to

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Omniana.

Omniana.

A red kitten was sent to the house of a linen-draper in the city; and, on departing from the maternal basket, the following lines were written:—...

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Twelfth-Day

Twelfth-Day

For the Table Book. The ancient custom of carrying the “holly tree” on Twelfth Night, at Brough in Westmoreland, is represented in the accompanying engraving . Formerly the “Holly-tree” at Brough was really “holly,” but ash being abundant, the latter is now substituted. There are two head inns in the town; which provide for the ceremony alternately, though the good townspeople mostly lend their assistance in preparing the tree, to every branch of which they fasten a torch. About eight o’clock in

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Emigration of the Deer from Cranbourn Chase, 1826.

Emigration of the Deer from Cranbourn Chase, 1826.

Emigration of the Deer from Cranbourn Chase, 1826 The deer of Cranbourn chase usually average about ten thousand in number. In the winter of 1826, they were presumed to amount to from twelve to fifteen thousand. This increase is ascribed to the unusual mildness of recent winters, and the consequent absence of injuries which the animals are subject to from severe weather. In the month of November, a great number of deer from the woods and pastures of the Chase, between Gunvile and Ashmore, crosse

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Barley-break.

Barley-break.

Mr. Strutt, the indefatigable historian of the “Sports and Pastimes of the People of England,” says of Barley-break : “The excellency of this sport seems to have consisted in running well, but I know not its properties.” Beyond this Mr. Strutt merely cites Dr. Johnson’s quotation of two lines from sir Philip Sidney, as an authority for the word. Johnson, limited to a mere dictionary explanation, calls it “a kind of rural play; a trial of swiftness.” Sidney, in his description of the rural courts

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Scraps.

Scraps.

An order was made in the house of lords in May, 1776, “that the commissioners of his majesty’s excise do write circular letters to all such persons whom they have reason to suspect to have plate , as also to those who have not paid regularly the duty on the same.” In consequence of this order, the accountant-general for household plate sent to the celebrated John Wesley a copy of the order. John’s answer was laconic:— “Sir, “I have two silver tea-spoons in London, and two at Bristol. This is all

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Mock funeral of a Bath Chairman.

Mock funeral of a Bath Chairman.

Mock funeral of a Bath Chairman. To the Editor. Bath. Sir,—I beg leave to transmit for your use the following attempt at description of an old and singular custom, performed by the chairman of this my native city, which perhaps you are not altogether a stranger to, and which is still kept up among them as often as an opportunity permits for its performance. Its origin I have not been able to trace, but its authenticity you may rely on, as it is too often seen to be forgotten by your Bath readers

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William Gifford, Esq.

William Gifford, Esq.

On Sunday morning, the 31st of December, 1826, at twenty minutes before one o’clock, died, “at his house in James-street, Buckingham-gate, in the seventy-first year of his age, William Gifford, Esq., author of the ‘Baviad and Mæviad,’ translator of ‘Juvenal and Persius,’ and editor of the ‘Quarterly Review,’ from its commencement down to the beginning of the year just past. To the translation of ‘Juvenal’ is prefixed a memoir of himself, which is perhaps as modest and pleasant a piece of autobio

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Interesting Memoir of Mr. Gifford. By Himself—verbatim.

Interesting Memoir of Mr. Gifford. By Himself—verbatim.

I am about to enter on a very uninteresting subject: but all my friends tell me that it is necessary to account for the long delay of the following work; and I can only do it by adverting to the circumstances of my life. Will this be accepted as an apology? I know but little of my family and that little is not very precise: My great-grandfather (the most remote of it, that I ever recollect to have heard mentioned) possessed considerable property at Halsbury, a parish in the neighbourhood of Ashb

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Omniana.

Omniana.

The following is a literal copy of an English card, circulated by the master of an hotel, at Ghent:— “Mr. Dewit, in the Golden Apple, out of the Bruges Gate at Ghent, has the honour to prevent the Persons who would come at his house, that they shall find there always good and spacious Lodging, a Table served at their taste, Wine of any quality, ect. Besides he hires Horses and Chaises, which shall be of a great conveniency for the Travellers; the Bark of Bruges depart and arrives every day befor

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The Newsman.

The Newsman.

The Newsman. Shakspeare. Newsmen’s Verses , 1747. Newsmen’s Verses , 1747. The newsman is a “lone person.” His business, and he, are distinct from all other occupations, and people. All the year round, and every day in the year, the newsman must rise soon after four o’clock, and be at the newspaper offices to procure a few of the first morning papers allotted to him, at extra charges, for particular orders, and despatch them by the “early coaches.” Afterwards, he has to wait for his share of the

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The Drama.

The Drama.

To the Editor. Sir,—As many of your readers may not have had an opportunity of knowing the form and manner in which dramatic representations were permitted, by the Master of the Revels, upon the restoration of the Stuarts, I submit a transcript of a licence in my possession. It refers to a drama, called “Noah’s Flood,” apparently not recorded in any dramatic history. It is true, Isaac Reed, in the “Biographia Dramatica,” 1782, vol. ii. p. 255, cites “Noah’s Flood, or the Destruction of the World

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THOMAS AIRAY, The Grassington Manager and his Theatrical Company, Craven, Yorkshire.

THOMAS AIRAY, The Grassington Manager and his Theatrical Company, Craven, Yorkshire.

For the Table Book. John Reeve in Peregrine Proteus. At this season, every thing appears dull and lifeless in the neighbourhood of my favourite mountain village. In my younger days it was otherwise. Christmas was then a festival, enlivened by a round of innocent amusements, which the present enlightened age has pronounced superstitious or trifling. Formerly we had a theatre, at this season, and perhaps a few particulars relating to it may not be uninteresting. Gentle reader! should you ever visi

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Literary Novelty.

Literary Novelty.

“ The Sybil’s Leaves , or a Peep into Futurity , published by Ackermann, Strand, and Lupton Relfe, Cornhill,” consist of sixty lithographic verses on as many cards, in a case bearing an engraved representation of a party in high humour consulting the cards. Thirty of them are designed for ladies, and as many for gentlemen: a lady is to hold the gentleman’s pack, and vice versa . From these packs, each lady or gentleman wishing to have “the most important points infallibly predicted” is to draw a

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The ancient River Fleet at Clerkenwell.

The ancient River Fleet at Clerkenwell.

The ancient River Fleet at Clerkenwell. * * In 1825, this was the first open view nearest London of the ancient River Fleet: it was taken during the building of the high-arched walls connected with the House of Correction, Cold-bath-fields, close to which prison the river ran, as here seen. At that time, the newly-erected walls communicated a peculiarly picturesque effect to the stream flowing within their confines. It arrived thither from Bagnigge-wells, on its way to a covered channel, whereby

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January.

January.

If you are ill at this season, there is no occasion to send for the doctor—only stop eating . Indeed, upon general principles, it seems to me to be a mistake for people, every time there is any little thing the matter with them, to be running in such haste for the “doctor;” because, if you are going to die, a doctor can’t help you; and if you are not—there is no occasion for him. [29] Annals of Sporting. Annals of Sporting. The first Monday after Twelfth-day is so denominated, and it is the plou

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Topography.

Topography.

For the Table Book. There is an artificial mount, by the side of the road leading from North Burton to Wold Newton, near Bridlington, in Yorkshire, called “Willy-howe,” much exceeding in size the generality of our “hows,” of which I have often heard the most preposterous stories related. A cavity or division on the summit is pointed out as owing its origin to the following circumstance:— A person having intimation of a large chest of gold being buried therein, dug away the earth until it appeare

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Customs.

Customs.

For the Table Book. Mr. Editor,—In reading your account of the “Boar’s Head Carol,” in your Every-Day Book , vol. i. p. 1619, I find the old carol, but not the words of the carol as sung at present in Queen’s College, Oxford, on Christmas-day. As I think it possible you may never have seen them, I now send you a copy as they were sung, or, more properly, chanted, in the hall of Queen’s, on Christmas-day, 1810, at which time I was a member of the college, and assisted at the chant. I am, &amp

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Manners.

Manners.

From “The London Mercury” of January 13, 1721-2. There are, it seems, in the parish of Covent-garden, twenty-two such houses, some of which clear sometimes 100 l. , and seldom less than 40 l. a night. They have their proper officers, both civil and military, with salaries proportionable to their respective degrees, and the importance they are of in the service, viz. A commissioner , or commis, who is always a proprietor of the gaming-house: he looks in once a night, and the week’s account is aud

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Omniana.

Omniana.

Taste is the discriminating talisman, enabling its owner to see at once the real merits of persons and things, to ascertain at a glance the true from the false, and to decide rightly on the value of individuals. Nothing escapes him who walks the world with his eyes touched by this ointment; they are open to all around him—to admire, or to condemn—to gaze with rapture, or to turn away with disgust, where another shall pass and see nothing to excite the slightest emotion. The fair creation of natu

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Social Happiness.

Social Happiness.

For the Table Book. “Almack’s” may be charming,—an assembly at the “Crown and Anchor,” and a hop of country quality at the annual “Race Ball,” or a more popular “set to” at a fashionable watering-place, may delight—but a lady of city or town cannot conceive the emotions enjoyed by a party collected in the village to see the “old year” out and the “new year” in. At this time, the “country dance” is of the first importance to the young and old, yet not till the week has been occupied by abundant p

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The last Likeness of the Duke of York.

The last Likeness of the Duke of York.

The last Likeness of the Duke of York. (NOW FIRST ENGRAVED) From the Bust by Behnes, executed for His Royal Highness in 1826. * Towards the close of the year 1825, the duke of York commenced to sit for this bust at his late residence in the Stable-yard, St. James’s; and, in the summer of 1826, continued to give sittings, till its final completion, at the artist’s house, in Dean-street, Soho. The marble was then removed, for exhibition, to the Royal Academy, and from thence sent home to his royal

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Mr. Charles Lamb. To the Editor.

Mr. Charles Lamb. To the Editor.

Dear Sir, It is not unknown to you, that about sixteen years since I published “Specimens of English Dramatic Poets, who lived about the Time of Shakspeare.” For the scarcer Plays I had recourse to the Collection bequeathed to the British Museum by Mr. Garrick. But my time was but short, and my subsequent leisure has discovered in it a treasure rich and exhaustless beyond what I then imagined. In it is to be found almost every production in the shape of a Play that has appeared in print, from th

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Garrick Plays. No. I.

Garrick Plays. No. I.

[From “King John and Matilda,” a Tragedy by Robert Davenport, acted in 1651.] John, not being able to bring Matilda, the chaste daughter of the old Baron Fitzwater, to compliance with his wishes, causes her to be poisoned in a nunnery. Scene. John. The Barons : they being as yet ignorant of the murder, and having just come to composition with the King after tedious wars. Matilda’s hearse is brought in by Hubert. Song. Song. This scene has much passion and poetry in it, if I mistake not. The last

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Literature.

Literature.

“ Constable’s Miscellany of original and selected Publications ” is proposed to consist of various works on important and popular subjects, with the view of supplying certain chasms in the existing stock of useful knowledge; and each author or subject is to be kept separate, so as to enable purchasers to acquire all the numbers, or volumes, of each book, distinct from the others. The undertaking commenced in the first week of the new year, 1827, with the first number of Captain Basil Hall’s voya

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Characters.

Characters.

Our old gentleman, in order to be exclusively himself, must be either a widower or a bachelor. Suppose the former. We do not mention his precise age, which would be invidious;—nor whether he wears his own hair or a wig; which would be wanting in universality. If a wig, it is a compromise between the more modern scratch and the departed glory of the toupee. If his own hair, it is white, in spite of his favourite grandson, who used to get on the chair behind him, and pull the silver hairs out, ten

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GERMAN UNIVERSITIES.

GERMAN UNIVERSITIES.

Germany, which embraces a population of thirty-six millions of people, has twenty-two universities. The following table contains their names according to the order of their foundation, and the number of professors and students: Of this number six belong to Prussia, three to Bavaria, two to the Austrian States, two to the Grand Duchy of Baden, two to the Electorate of Hesse-Cassel, and one to each of the following states—Saxony, Wurtemberg, Denmark, Hanover, the Grand Duchies of Mecklenbergh-Schw

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Colley Cibber’s youngest Daughter.

Colley Cibber’s youngest Daughter.

Colley Cibber’s youngest Daughter. * * “ The Life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke , youngest daughter of Colley Cibber, Esq. written by herself ,” is a curious narrative of remarkable vicissitudes. She dedicates it to herself, and aptly concludes her dedication by saying, “Permit me, madam, to subscribe myself, for the future, what I ought to have been some years ago, your real friend, and humble servant, Charlotte Charke .” In the “Introduction” to the recent reprint of this singular work, it is well

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AN INEDITED BALLAD.

AN INEDITED BALLAD.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—A friend of mine, who resided for some years on the borders, used to amuse himself by collecting old ballads, printed on halfpenny sheets, and hawked up and down by itinerant minstrels. In his common-place book I found one, entitled “The Outlandish Knight,” evidently, from the style, of considerable antiquity, which appears to have escaped the notice of Percy, and other collectors. Since then I have met with a printed one, from the popular press of Mr. Pitts, the six-yar

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PRIDE AND GOOD-WILL.

PRIDE AND GOOD-WILL.

It is related of a certain class of French nobility, who, in their winter residence at Aix, were objects of dislike from their arrogance and self-importance, that they were beloved and esteemed for their kindness and benevolence by the dependants around their chateaus in the country. Many instances might be cited to show that the respect paid them was no more than they deserved; and one is particularly striking:— A seigneur, when he resided in the country, used to distribute among the women and

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Garrick Plays. No. II.

Garrick Plays. No. II.

[From the “Parliament of Bees,” a Masque, by John Day, printed 1607. Whether this singular production, in which the Characters are all Bees , was ever acted, I have no information to determine. It is at least as capable of representation, as we can conceive the “Birds” of Aristophanes to have been.] Ulania, a female Bee, confesses her passion for Meletus, who loves Arethusa. * * * * * * Porrex, Vice Roy of Bees under King Oberon, describes his large prerogative. of these pretty little winged cre

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Biographical Memoranda.

Biographical Memoranda.

In the year 1539, there lived in Scotland one John Scot, no way commended for his learning, for he had none, nor for his good qualities, which were as few. This man, being overthrown in a suit of law, and knowing himself unable to pay that wherein he was adjudged, took sanctuary in the abbey of Holyrood-house; where, out of discontent, he abstained from all meat and drink, by the space of thirty or forty days together. Fame having spread this abroad, the king would have it put to trial, and to t

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REV. THOMAS COOKE.

REV. THOMAS COOKE.

The verses at the end of the following letter may excuse the insertion of a query, which would otherwise be out of place in a publication not designed to be a channel of inquiry. To the Editor. Sir,—I should feel much obliged, if the Table Book can supply some account of a clergyman of the name of Thomas Cooke, who, it is supposed, resided in Shropshire, and was the author of a very beautiful poem, in folio, (published by subscription, about ninety years since,) entitled “The Immortality of the

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Varieties.

Varieties.

The following remarkable theatrical announcement is a mixed appeal of vanity and poverty to the taste and feelings of the inhabitants of a town in Sussex. ( Copy. ) At the old theatre in East Grinstead, on Saturday, May, 1758, will be represented (by particular desire, and for the benefit of Mrs. P.) the deep and affecting Tragedy of Theodosius, or the Force of Love, with magnificent scenes, dresses, &amp;c. Varanes, by Mr. P., who will strive, as far as possible, to support the character of

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Winter.

Winter.

For the Table Book. B. W. R. B. W. R. For the Table Book. The horizontal sun, like an orb of molten gold, casts “a dim religious light” upon the surpliced world: the beams, reflected from the dazzling snow, fall upon the purple mists, which extend round the earth like a zone, and in the midst the planet appears a fixed stud, surpassing the ruby in brilliancy. Now trees and shrubs are borne down with sparkling congelations, and the coral clusters of the hawthorn and holly are more splendid, and o

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TAKE NOTICE.

TAKE NOTICE.

A correspondent who has seen the original of the following notice, written at Bath, says, it would have been placed on a board in a garden there, had not a friend advised its author to the contrary: “ Any person trespace here shall be prosticuted according to law. ”...

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THE BAZAAR.

THE BAZAAR.

For the Table Book. ( Song. ) ( Song. )...

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Omniana.

Omniana.

For the Table Book. January, 1827. P. January, 1827. P. Addressed to the Admirers of Alliteration, and the Advocates of Noisy Numbers. For the Table Book. The names of towns, cities, or villages, which terminate in ter , such as Ches ter , Cas ter , Ces ter , show that the Romans, in their stay among us, made fortifications about the places where they are now situated. In the Latin tongue Castra is the name of these fortifications—such are Castor, Chester, Doncaster, Leicester: Don signifies a

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The Font of Harrow Church.

The Font of Harrow Church.

The Font of Harrow Church. Some years ago, the fine old font of the ancient parish church of Harrow-on-the-Hill was torn from that edifice, by the “gentlemen of the parish,” and given out to mend the roads with. The feelings of one parishioner (to the honour of the sex, a female) were outraged by this act of parochial Vandalism; and she was allowed to preserve it from destruction, and place it in a walled nook, at the garden front of her house, where it still remains. By her obliging permission,

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Garrick Plays. No. III.

Garrick Plays. No. III.

[From the “Rewards of Virtue,” a Comedy, by John Fountain, printed 1661.] Success in Battle not always attributable to the General. Unlawful Solicitings. Proportion in Pity. Modesty a bar to preferment. Innocence vindicated at last. Dying for a Beloved Person. Urania makes a mock assignation with the King, and substitutes the Queen in her place. The King describes the supposed meeting to the Confident, whom he had employed to solicit for his guilty passion. C. L. [43] Is it possible that Cowper

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THE CUSHION DANCE.

THE CUSHION DANCE.

For the Table Book. The concluding dance at a country wake, or other general meeting, is the “Cushion Dance;” and if it be not called for when the company are tired with dancing, the fiddler, who has an interest in it which will be seen hereafter, frequently plays the tune to remind them of it. A young man of the company leaves the room; the poor young women, uninformed of the plot against them, suspecting nothing; but he no sooner returns, bearing a cushion in one hand and a pewter pot in the o

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ST. SEPULCHRE’S BELL.

ST. SEPULCHRE’S BELL.

For the Table Book. On the right-hand side of the altar of St. Sepulchre’s church is a board, with a list of charitable donations and gifts, containing the following item:— Looking over an old volume of the Newgate Calendar, I found some elucidation of this inscription. In a narrative of the case of Stephen Gardner, (who was executed at Tyburn, February 3, 1724,) it is related that a person said to Gardner, when he was set at liberty on a former occasion, “Beware how you come here again, or the

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THE DEATH OF THE RED KING

THE DEATH OF THE RED KING

Southey. Aquila. Aquila....

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London. Described by a Writer in 1634.

London. Described by a Writer in 1634.

I will first take a survey of the long-continued deformity in the shape of your city, which is of your buildings. Sure your ancestors contrived your narrow streets in the days of wheel-barrows, before those greater engines, carts, were invented. Is your climate so hot, that as you walk you need umbrellas of tiles to intercept the sun? or are your shambles so empty, that you are afraid to take in fresh air, lest it should sharpen your stomachs? Oh, the goodly landscape of Old Fish-street! which,

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“STATUTES” AND “MOPS.”

“STATUTES” AND “MOPS.”

To the Editor. Sir,—Although your unique and curious work, the Every-Day Book , abounds with very interesting accounts of festivals, fairs, wassails, wakes, and other particulars concerning our country manners, and will be prized by future generations as a rare and valuable collection of the pastimes and customs of their forefathers, still much of the same nature remains to be related; and as I am anxious that the Country Statute , or Mop , (according to the version of the country people general

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HAM AND STILTON.

HAM AND STILTON.

For the Table Book. The Poet’s Epistle of Thanks to a Friend at Birmingham. Mary. B.C. To E. T. Esq. Jan. 1827. B.C. To E. T. Esq. Jan. 1827....

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LOVES OF THE NEGROES. At New Paltz, United States. Phillis Schoonmaker v. Cuff Hogeboon.

LOVES OF THE NEGROES. At New Paltz, United States. Phillis Schoonmaker v. Cuff Hogeboon.

This was an action for a breach of the marriage promise, tried before ’squire De Witt, justice of the peace and quorum. The parties, as their names indicate, were black, or, as philanthropists would say, coloured folk . Counsellor Van Shaick appealed on behalf of the lady. He recapitulated the many verdicts which had been given of late in favour of injured innocence, much to the honour and gallantry of an American jury. It was time to put an end to these faithless professions, to these cold-hear

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THE RETROSPECT.

THE RETROSPECT.

L. E. L.— Monthly Magazine. L. E. L.— Monthly Magazine....

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TIMBER IN BOGS.

TIMBER IN BOGS.

It is stated in the second report of the commissioners on the bogs of Ireland, that three distinct growths of timber, covered by three distinct masses of bog, are discovered on examination. But whether these morasses were at first formed by the destruction of whole forests, or merely by the stagnation of water in places where its current was choked by the fall of a few trees, and by accumulations of branches and leaves, carried down from the surrounding hills, is a question. Professor Davy is of

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MODES OF SALUTATION.

MODES OF SALUTATION.

Greenlanders have none, and laugh at the idea of one person being inferior to another. Islanders near the Philippines take a person’s hand or foot, and rub it over their face. Laplanders apply their noses strongly against the person they salute. In New Guinea, they place leaves upon the head of those they salute. In the Straits of the Sound they raise the left foot of the person saluted, pass it gently over the right leg, and thence over the face. The inhabitants of the Philippines bend very low

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Omniana.

Omniana.

For the Table Book. P. P. During a late calling out of the North Somerset yeomanry, at Bath, the service of one of them, a “Batcome boy,” was enlivened by a visit from his sweetheart; after escorting her over the city, and being fatigued with showing her what she had “ne’er zeed in all her life,” he knocked loudly at the door of a house in the Crescent, against which a hatchment was placed, and on the appearance of the powdered butler, boldly ordered “two glasses of scalded wine, as hot as thee

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My Snuff-box.

My Snuff-box.

My Snuff-box. He only who is “noseless himself” will deem this a trifling article. My prime minister of pleasure is my snuff-box. The office grew out of my “liking a pinch, now and then,” and carrying a bit of snuff, screwed up in paper, wherewith, some two or three times a day, I delighted to treat myself to a sensation, and a sneeze. Had I kept a journal of my snuff-taking business from that time, it would have been as instructive as “the life of that learned antiquary, Elias Ashmole, Esq., dr

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Garrick Plays. No. IV.

Garrick Plays. No. IV.

[From “All Fools” a Comedy by George Chapman: 1605.] Love’s Panegyric. Love with Jealousy. Bailiffs routed. [From the “Late Lancashire Witches,” a Comedy, by Thomas Heywood.] A Household Bewitched. [From “Wit in a Constable,” a Comedy, by Henry Glapthorn.] Books. C. L....

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THE TURK IN CHEAPSIDE

THE TURK IN CHEAPSIDE

For the Table Book. To Mr. Charles Lamb. I have a favour to ask of you. My desire is this: I would fain see a stream from thy Hippocrene flowing through the pages of the Table Book . A short article on the old Turk, who used to vend rhubarb in the City, I greatly desiderate. Methinks you would handle the subject delightfully. They tell us he is gone—— We have not seen him for some time past—Is he really dead? Must we hereafter speak of him only in the past tense? You are said to have divers stra

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Literature.

Literature.

Specimens of British Poetesses ; selected, and chronologically arranged, by the Rev. Alexander Dyce , 1827, cr. 8vo. pp. 462. Mr. Dyce remarks that, “from the great Collections of the English Poets, where so many worthless compositions find a place, the productions of women have been carefully excluded.” This utter neglect of female talent produces a counteracting effort: “the object of the present volume is to exhibit the growth and progress of the genius of our countrywomen in the department o

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Hiring Servants at a Statute Fair.

Hiring Servants at a Statute Fair.

Hiring Servants at a Statute Fair. This engraving may illustrate Mr. Pare’s account of the Warwickshire “statute” or “mop,” [49] and the general appearance of similar fairs for hiring servants. Even in London, bricklayers, and other house-labourers, still carry their respective implements to the places where they stand for hire: for which purpose they assemble in great numbers in Cheapside and at Charing-cross, every morning, at five or six o’clock. It is further worthy of observation, that, in

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February 14. VALENTINE’S DAY.

February 14. VALENTINE’S DAY.

Menage, in his Etymological Dictionary, has accounted for the term “Valentine,” by stating that Madame Royale, daughter of Henry the Fourth of France, having built a palace near Turin, which, in honour of the saint, then in high esteem, she called the Valentine, at the first entertainment which she gave in it, was pleased to order that the ladies should receive their lovers for the year by lots, reserving to herself the privilege of being independent of chance, and of choosing her own partner. A

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AIR AND EXERCISE For Ladies.

AIR AND EXERCISE For Ladies.

There is a notion, that air spoils the complexion. It is possible, that an exposure to all weathers might do so; though if a gipsy beauty is to be said to have a bad complexion, it is one we are very much inclined to be in love with. A russeton apple has its beauty as well as a peach. At all events, a spoilt complexion of this sort is accompanied with none of the melancholy attending the bad complexions that arise from late hours, and spleen, and plodding, and indolence, and indigestion. Fresh a

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London. MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.

London. MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.

In the annals of the world there have never been such rapid changes and such vast improvements as have occurred in this metropolis during the last seven years. We have no occasion now to refer to Pennant to produce exclamations of surprise at the wonderful changes in London; our own recollections are sufficient. Oxford-street seems half a mile nearer to Charing Cross than in the days of our youth. Swallow-street, with all the dirty courts in its vicinity, have been swallowed up, and replaced by

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THE SPELLS OF HOME.

THE SPELLS OF HOME.

Bernard Barton. Bernard Barton. F. H. Monthly Magazine. F. H. Monthly Magazine....

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BOOKS.

BOOKS.

Cowper. If there be one word in our language, beyond all others teeming with delightful associations, Books is that word. At that magic name what vivid retrospections of by-gone times, what summer days of unalloyed happiness “when life was new,” rush on the memory! even now the spell retains its power to charm: the beloved of my youth is the solace of my declining years: such is the enduring nature of an early attachment to literature. The first book that inspired me with a taste for reading, wa

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ETIQUETTE.

ETIQUETTE.

Philosophy may rave as it will, “little things are great to little men,” and the less the man, the greater is the object. A king at arms is, in his own estimation, the greatest king in Europe, and a German baron is not more punctilious than a master of the ceremonies. The first desire with all men is power, the next is the semblance of power; and it is perhaps a happy dispensation that those who are cut off from the substantial rights of the citizen, should find a compensation in the “decoration

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INDICATIONS. Written in the Frost. For the Table Book.

INDICATIONS. Written in the Frost. For the Table Book.

Jan 27. *, *, P. Jan 27. *, *, P....

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ADOPTION.

ADOPTION.

There is a singular system in France relative to the adoption of children. A family who has none, adopts as their own a fine child belonging to a friend, or more generally to some poor person, (for the laws of population in the poor differ from those in the rich;) the adoption is regularly enregistered by the civil authorities, and the child becomes heir-at-law to the property of its new parents, and cannot be disinherited by any subsequent caprice of the parties; they are bound to support it su

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A Royal Simile.

A Royal Simile.

“Queen Elizabeth was wont to say, upon the commission of sales , that the commissioners used her like strawberry -wives, that laid two or three great strawberries at the mouth of their pottle, and all the rest were little ones; so they made her two or three great prices of the first particulars, but fell straightways.” [56] [56] Apophthegms Antiq....

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Blind Hannah.

Blind Hannah.

Blind Hannah. * This young woman sojourns in the neighbourhood of the ancient scene of the “Pretty Bessee” and her old father, the “Blind Beggar of Bethnal-green”— Her name is Hannah Brentford. She is an inhabitant of Bunhill-row, twenty-four years old, and has been blind from the time she had the small-pox, two and twenty years ago. She sings hymns, and accompanies herself on the violin. Her manner is to “give out” two lines of words, and chant them to “a quiet tune;” and then she gives out ano

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Garrick Plays. No. V.

Garrick Plays. No. V.

[From “Arden of Feversham his true and lamentable Tragedy,” Author unknown. 1592.] Alice Arden with Mosbie her Paramour conspire the murder of her Husband. Arden, with his friend Franklin, travelling at night to Arden’s house at Feversham, where he is lain in wait for by Ruffians, hired by Alice and Mosbie to murder him; Franklin is interrupted in a story he was beginning to tell by the way of a BAD WIFE , by an indisposition, ominous of the impending danger of his friend . [ They are set upon b

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Music.

Music.

For the Table Book. In answer to an inquiry in The Times , respecting the author of “God save the King,” the writers of several letters in that journal, during the present month, concur in ascribing the air of the “national anthem” to Dr. John Bull. This opinion results from recent researches, by the curious in music, which have been published in elaborate forms. Dr. John Bull was a celebrated musician, born about 1563, in Somersetshire. His master in music was William Blitheman, organist of the

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Topography.

Topography.

For the Table Book. The Gipsies are pretty well known as streams of water, which, at different periods, are observed on some parts of the Yorkshire Wolds. They appear toward the latter end of winter, or early in spring; sometimes breaking out very suddenly, and, after running a few miles, again disappearing. That which is more particularly distinguished by the name of The Gipsy , has its origin near the Wold-cottage, at a distance of about twelve miles W. N. W. from Bridlington. The water here d

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British Portraits.

British Portraits.

Catalogue of Painted British Portraits , comprising most of the Sovereigns of England, from Henry I. to George IV., and many distinguished personages; principally the productions of Holbein, Zucchero, C. Jansen, Vandyck, Hudson, Reynolds, Northcote, &amp;c. Now selling at the prices affixed, by Horatio Rodd , 17, Air-street, Piccadilly . 1827. This is an age of book and print catalogues; and lo! we have a picture dealer’s catalogue of portraits, painted in oil, from the price of two guineas

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DEATH’S DOINGS.

DEATH’S DOINGS.

“I am now worth one hundred thousand pounds,” said old Gregory, as he ascended a hill, which commanded a full prospect of an estate he had just purchased; “I am now worth one hundred thousand pounds, and here,” said he, “I’ll plant an orchard: and on that spot I’ll have a pinery— “Yon farm houses shall come down,” said old Gregory, “they interrupt my view.” “Then, what will become of the farmers?” asked the steward, who attended him. “That’s their business,” answered old Gregory. “And that mill

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THE BARBER.

THE BARBER.

For the Table Book. Barbers are distinguished by peculiarities appertaining to no other class of men. They have a caste , and are a race of themselves. The members of this ancient and gentle profession—foul befall the libeller who shall designate it a trade —are mild, peaceable, cheerful, polite, and communicative. They mingle with no cabal, have no interest in factions, are “open to all parties, and influenced by none;” and they have a good, kind, or civil word for everybody. The cheerful morni

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Books.

Books.

Dabshelim, king of India, had so numerous a library, that a hundred brachmans were scarcely sufficient to keep it in order; and it required a thousand dromedaries to transport it from one place to another. As he was not able to read all these books, he proposed to the brachmans to make extracts from them of the best and most useful of their contents. These learned personages set themselves so heartily to work, that in less than twenty years they had compiled of all these extracts a little encycl

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Anecdotes.

Anecdotes.

It is related of this distinguished officer, that his death-wound was not received by the common chance of war. Wolfe perceived one of the sergeants of his regiment strike a man under arms, (an act against which he had given particular orders,) and knowing the man to be a good soldier, reprehended the aggressor with much warmth, and threatened to reduce him to the ranks. This so far incensed the sergeant, that he deserted to the enemy, where he meditated the means of destroying the general. Bein

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February.

February.

Conviviality and good cheer may convert the most dreary time of the year into a season of pleasure; and association of ideas, that great source of our keenest pleasures, may attach delightful images to the howling wind of a bleak winter’s night, and the hoarse screeching and mystic hooting of the ominous owl. [66] Shakspeare. Shakspeare. To “keel” the pot is an ancient spelling for “cool,” which is the past participle of the verb: see Tooke’s “Diversions of Purley,” where this passage is so expl

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Monument at Lucerne, designed by Thorwaldsen

Monument at Lucerne, designed by Thorwaldsen

Monument at Lucerne, designed by Thorwaldsen, To the Memory of the Swiss Guards who were massacred at the Tuilleries, on the Tenth of August, 1792 . The engraving above is executed from a clay figure, modelled by a Swiss artist from the original. It was obligingly sent to the editor, for the present purpose, by the gentleman to whom it belongs. The model was presented to him by a friend, who, in answer to his inquiries on the subject, wrote him a letter, of which the following is an extract:— “T

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Garrick Plays. No. VI.

Garrick Plays. No. VI.

[From the “Chaste Maid in Cheapside,” a Comedy, by Thomas Middleton, 1620.] Citizen to a Knight complimenting his Daughter. Master Allwit (a Wittol) describes his contentment. Rescue from Bailiffs by the Watermen. [From “London Chanticleers,” a rude Sketch of a Play, printed 1659, but evidently much older.] Song in praise of Ale. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. C. L. [67] A rich old Knight, who keeps Allwit’s Wife. [68] To his Wife’s Lying-in. [69] Alsatia, I presume. [70] The original

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The Drama.

The Drama.

The novel called “Mr. Dumont,” by this unfortunate woman, was published in the year 1755 in one volume, twelves, by H. Slater, of Drury-lane, who may be presumed to have been the bookseller that accompanied Mr. Whyte to her miserable dwelling, for the purpose of hearing her read the manuscript. Since the account at col. 125, I met with an advertisement of November, 1742, from whence it appears that she and her daughter, “ Miss Charke,” performed at one of those places of public amusement at that

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Music.

Music.

After the Restoration, the number of workmen in England being found too few to answer the demand for organs, it was thought expedient to make offers of encouragement for foreigners to come and settle here; these brought over Mr. Bernard Schmidt and —— Harris; the former, for his excellence in his art, deserves to live in the remembrance of all who are friends to it. Bernard Schmidt, or, as we pronounce the name, Smith, was a native of Germany, but of what city or province in particular is not kn

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MISERIES OF TRAVELLING.

MISERIES OF TRAVELLING.

For the Table Book. Don Juan , c. 10. v. 72. If the number of persons who have been killed, maimed, and disfigured for life, in consequence of stage-coach mishaps , could be ascertained, since the first establishment of steam-packets in this country, and, on the other hand, the number who have been similarly unfortunate by steam-boilers bursting, we should find that the stage-coach proportion would be in the ratio of ten to one! A solitary “blow up” of a steam-packet is “noised and proclaimed” f

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THE UGLY CLUB.

THE UGLY CLUB.

From a New York Paper. The members of the Ugly Club are requested to attend a special meeting at Ugly-hall , 4, Wall street, on Monday-evening next, at half-past seven o’clock precisely, to take into consideration the propriety of offering to the committee of defence the services of their ugly carcasses, firm hearts, sturdy bodies, and unblistered hands.— His Ugliness being absent, this meeting is called by order of His Homeliness . Aug. 13. In 1656, a fisherman on the banks of the Rhone, in the

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JACK O’ LENT.

JACK O’ LENT.

This was a puppet, formerly thrown at, in our own country, during Lent, like Shrove-cocks. Thus, in “The Weakest goes to the Wall,” 1600, we read of “a mere anatomy, a Jack of Lent ;” and in Greene’s “Tu quoque,” of “a boy that is throwing at his Jack o’ Lent ;” and again, in the comedy of “Lady Alimony,” 1659: Also, in Ben Jonson’s “Tale of a Tub:” So, likewise, in Beaumont and Fletcher’s “Tamer tamed:” Further, in Quarles’ “Shepheard’s Oracles,” 1646, we read: From the “Jack o’ Lent ,” we deri

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Shrove Tuesday AND Ash Wednesday.

Shrove Tuesday AND Ash Wednesday.

The copious particulars respecting these festivals, which have been brought together in another place, [73] admit of some addition. In France and other parts of the continent, the season preceding Lent is universal carnival. At Marseilles, the Thursday before Lent is called le Jeudi gras , and Shrove Tuesday le Mardi gras . Every body joins in masquerading on these nights, and both streets and houses are full of masks the whole night long. The god of fritters, if such a god there be, who is wors

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Quinquagesima. Carnival in Spain.

Quinquagesima. Carnival in Spain.

“Carnival,” properly so called, according to Mr. Blanco White, is limited to Quinquagesima Sunday, and the two following days, a period which the lower classes pass in drinking and rioting in those streets where the meaner sort of houses abound, and especially in the vicinity of the large courts, or halls, called Corrales, surrounded with small rooms or cells, where numbers of the poorest inhabitants live in filth, misery, and debauch. Before these horrible places, are seen crowds of men, women,

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THE LIEGE ALMANAC.

THE LIEGE ALMANAC.

The celebrated almanac of “Francis Moore, physician,” to whose predictions thousands are accustomed to look with implicit confidence and veneration, is rivalled, on the continent, by the almanac of Liège, by “Matthew Laensberg,” who there enjoys an equal degree of celebrity. Whether the name of Laensberg is a real or an assumed name is a matter of great doubt. A tradition, preserved in the family of the first printers of the work, ascribes it to a canon of St. Bartholomew, at Liège, who lived ab

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DISCOVERY OF MADEIRA.

DISCOVERY OF MADEIRA.

In the year 1344, in the reign of Peter IV. king of Arragon, the island of Madeira, lying in 32 degrees, was discovered, by an Englishman, named Macham, who, sailing from England to Spain with a lady whom he had carried off, was driven to the island by a tempest, and cast anchor in the harbour or bay, now called Machico, after the name of Macham. His mistress being sea-sick, he took her to land, with some of his company, where she died, and the ship drove out to sea. As he had a tender affection

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Health.

Health.

That “a sharp stomach is the best sauce,” is a saying as true as it is common. In Ulrick Hutton’s book on the virtues of guaiacum, there is a very singular story on this subject. The relations of a rich German ecclesiastic, carrying him to drink the waters for the recovery of his health, and passing by the house of a famous quack, he inquired what was the reverend gentleman’s distemper? They told him a total debility, loss of appetite, and a great decay in his senses. The empiric, after viewing

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Books.

Books.

—— To read lamely or crookedly, and not evenly, smoothly, and thoroughly, entangles the sense. Nay, the very sound of the voice will seem to alter the sense of the theme; and though the sense will be there in despite of the ill voice, or ill reading, yet it will be concealed, or discovered to its disadvantages. As an ill musician, (or indeed one that cannot play at all,) instead of playing, puts the fiddle out of tune, (and causeth a discord,) which, if well played upon, would sound harmoniously

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Aphorisms. By Lavater.

Aphorisms. By Lavater.

Who in the same given time can produce more than many others, has vigour; who can produce more and better, has talents; who can produce what none else can, has genius. Who, without pressing temptation, tells a lie, will, without pressing temptation, act ignobly and meanly. Who, under pressing temptations to lie, adheres to truth, nor to the profane betrays aught of a sacred trust, is near the summit of wisdom and virtue. All affectation is the vain and ridiculous attempt of poverty to appear ric

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Manners.

Manners.

Before the year 1736, it had been usual for gentlemen of the House of Commons to dine together at the Crown-tavern in Palace-yard, in order to be in readiness to attend the service of the house. This club amounted to one hundred and twenty, besides thirty of their friends coming out of the country. In January, 1736, sir Robert Walpole and his friends began to dine in the same manner, at the Bell and Sun in King-street, Westminster, and their club was one hundred and fifty, besides absent members

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THE DEATH OF LEILA.

THE DEATH OF LEILA.

For the Table Book . B. W. R. Islington , 1827. B. W. R. Islington , 1827....

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Omniana.

Omniana.

There are three methods proposed for lessening the number of rats. I. Introduce them at table as a delicacy. They would probably be savoury food, and if nature has not made them so, the cook may. Rat pie would be as good as rook pie; and four tails intertwisted like the serpents of the delphic tripod, and rising into a spiral obelisk, would crest the crust more fantastically than pigeon’s feet. After a while they might be declared game by the legislature, which would materially expedite their ex

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March.

March.

We have seen this requisition on the walls till we are tired: in a book it is a novelty, and here, I hope it may enforce its claim. For thy sake, gentle reader, I am anxious that it should; for, if thou hast a tithe of the pleasure I had, from the perusal of the following verses, I expect commendation for bidding thee “stop and read.” The First of March. This beautiful poem has afforded me exquisite gratification. Till I saw it printed in Mr. Dyce’s “Specimens of British Poetesses,” I was ignora

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The Story of the Scotch Soldier.

The Story of the Scotch Soldier.

The Story of the Scotch Soldier. Matthews — and Self . For the Table Book. “Is the master at home, sir?” said a broad-shouldered Scotchman (wearing a regimental coat of the —— regiment, and with his bonnet in his hand) to myself, who had answered a ring at the office-bell. I replied that he was not. “Weel, that’s onlucky, sir,” said he, “for ye see, sir, a hae goten a pertection here, an’ a hae been till a’ the Scotchmen that a can hear ony thing o’, but they hae a’ signed for the month; an’ a h

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Highland Legend.

Highland Legend.

The following poem originates in a legend which is still popular in many parts of the highlands of Scotland: that a female branch of the noble family of Douglas contracted an imprudent marriage with a kerne, or mountain peasant, who was drowned in the Western Islands, where he had escaped for concealment from the persecutions of the offended family of his wife. She survived him eighteen years, and wandered a maniac over the mountains, where, as superstition alleges, she is even now to be seen at

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Marriage Customs.

Marriage Customs.

By John Hay Allan, Esq. There is not probably, at the present day, a more social and exhilarating convocation than a highland wedding among the lower orders. The ancient hospitality and kindliness of character fills it with plenty and good humour, and gathers from every side all who have the slightest claim in the blood, name, and friendship of the bride or bridegroom. That olden attachment, which formerly bound together the superiors and their dependants, yet so far influences their character a

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Garrick Plays. No. VII.

Garrick Plays. No. VII.

[From “Fortune by Land and Sea,” a Comedy, by T. Heywood, and W. Rowley, 1655.] Old Forest forbids his Son to sup with some riotous gallants; who goes notwithstanding, and is slain. Scene, a Tavern. Rainsworth, Foster, Goodwin. To them enters Frank Forest. Exeunt. Exeunt. Enter Two Drawers. 1st Dr. Stay the gentlemen, they have killed a man. O sweet Mr. Francis. One run to his father’s. 2d Dr. Hark, hark, I hear his father’s voice below ’tis ten to one he is come to fetch him home to supper and

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Billy Boots.

Billy Boots.

Billy Boots. For the Table Book. On January 6th, 1815, died at Lynn, Norfolk, at an advanced age, (supposed about seventy,) this eccentric individual, whose proper name, William Monson, had become nearly obliterated by his professional appellation of Billy Boots ; having followed the humble employment of shoeblack for a longer period than the greater part of the inhabitants could remember. He was reported, (and he always professed himself to be,) the illegitimate son of a nobleman, whose name he

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The Drama.

The Drama.

Friday the 23d of February, 1827, is to be regarded as remarkable, because on that day “The Great Unknown” confessed himself. The disclosure was made at the first annual dinner of the “Edinburgh Theatrical Fund,” then held in the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh—Sir Walter Scott in the chair. Sir Walter Scott , after the usual toasts to the King and the Royal Family, requested, that gentlemen would fill a bumper as full as it would hold, while he would say only a few words. He was in the habit of heari

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Hot Meals.

Hot Meals.

One fire burns out another burning. The jack-puddings who swallow flame at “the only booth” in every fair, have extinguished remembrance of Powell the fire-eater—a man so famous in his own day, that his name still lives. Though no journal records the time of his death, no line eulogizes his memory, no stone marks his burial-place, there are two articles written during his lifetime, which, being noticed here, may “help his fame along” a little further. Of the first, by a correspondent of Sylvanus

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March Fair, at Brough, Westmoreland.

March Fair, at Brough, Westmoreland.

March Fair, at Brough, Westmoreland For the Table Book This fair is held always on the second Thursday in March: it is a good one for cattle; and, in consequence of the great show, the inhabitants are obliged to shut up their windows; for the cattle and the drivers are stationed in all parts of the town, and few except the jobbers venture out during the time of selling. From five to six o’clock the preceding evening, carts, chiefly belonging to Yorkshire clothiers, begin to arrive, and continue

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THE TWELVE GEMS Of the Twelve Months.

THE TWELVE GEMS Of the Twelve Months.

For the Table Book. It is a Polish superstition, that each month has a particular gem attached to it, which governs it, and is supposed to influence the destiny of persons born in that month; it is therefore customary among friends, and lovers particularly, to present each other, on their natal day, with some trinket containing their tutelary gem, accompanied with its appropriate wish; this kind fate, or perhaps kinder fancy, generally contrives to realize according to their expectations. Januar

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Garrick Plays. No. VIII.

Garrick Plays. No. VIII.

[From the “Game at Chess,” a Comedy, by Thomas Middleton, 1624.] Popish Priest to a great Court Lady, whom he hopes to make a Convert of. [From the “Virgin Widow,” a Comedy, 1649; the only production, in that kind, of Francis Quarles, Author of the Emblems.] Song. [From “Adrasta,” a Tragi-comedy, by John Jones, 1635.] Dirge. Another. [From “Tancred and Gismund,” acted before the Court by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple, 1591.] A Messenger brings to Gismund a cup from the King her Father, enc

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Necromancy.

Necromancy.

The dean of the cathedral of Badajos was more learned than all the doctors of Salamanca, Coimbra, and Alcala, united; he understood all languages, living and dead, and was perfect master of every science divine and human, except that, unfortunately, he had no knowledge of magic. He was inconsolable when he reflected on his ignorance in that sublime art, till he was told that a very able magician resided in the suburbs of Toledo, named don Torribio. He immediately saddled his mule, departed for T

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Phrenology.

Phrenology.

For the Table Book. King John. ...

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TO THE RHONE

TO THE RHONE

For the Table Book. B. W. R. Upper Park Terrace. B. W. R. Upper Park Terrace....

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ADVICE.

ADVICE.

Would a man wish to offend his friends?—let him give them advice. Would a lover know the surest method by which to lose his mistress?—let him give her advice. Would a courtier terminate his sovereign’s partiality?—let him offer advice. In short, are we desirous to be universally hated, avoided, and despised, the means are always in our power.—We have but to advise , and the consequences are infallible. The friendship of two young ladies though apparently founded on the rock of eternal attachment

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Tommy Sly, of Durham.

Tommy Sly, of Durham.

Tommy Sly, of Durham. For the Table Book. Tommy Sly, whose portrait is above, is a well-known eccentric character in the city of Durham, where he has been a resident in the poor-house for a number of years. We know not whether his parents were rich or poor, where he was born, or how he spent his early years—all is alike “a mystery;” and all that can be said of him is, that he is “daft.” Exactly in appearance as he is represented in the engraving ,—he dresses in a coat of many colours, attends th

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Topography.

Topography.

The following particulars from a paper before me, in the hand-writing of Mr. Gell, were addressed to his “personal representative” for instruction, in his absence, during a temporary retirement from official duty in August, 1810. The abbey-church of Westminster may be safely pronounced the most interesting ecclesiastical structure in this kingdom. Considered as a building, its architecture, rich in the varieties of successive ages, and marked by some of the most prominent beauties and peculiarit

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St. David’s Day.

St. David’s Day.

Written by William Leathart , Llywydd . Sung at the Second Anniversary of the Society of Undeb Cymry , St. David’s Day, 1825. Air — Pen Rhaw . I. II. II. Mr. Leathart is the author of “ Welsh Pennillion , with Translations into English, adapted for singing to the Harp ,” an eighteenpenny pocket-book of words of ancient and modern melodies in Welsh and English, with a spirited motto from Mr. Leigh Hunt.—“The Ancient Britons had in them the seeds of a great nation even in our modern sense of the w

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THE WINTER’S MORN.

THE WINTER’S MORN.

Sotheby. Sotheby....

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Characters.

Characters.

For the Table Book. Mrs. Aurelia Sparr is a maiden lady, rather past fifty, but fresh and handsome for her age: she has a strong understanding, a retentive memory, a vast deal of acquired knowledge, and with all she is the most disagreeable woman breathing. At first she is amusing enough to spend an evening with, for she will tell you anecdotes of all your acquaintance, and season them with a degree of pleasantry, which is not wit, though something like it. But as a jest-book is the most tiresom

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Wine.

Wine.

To J. C——y , Esq. On receiving from him a Present of a Wine-strainer. —1825. E. E. For many years the goodness of Mr. Ewart’s old Port has been duly appreciated by his private friends. The preceding verses, in The Times of Monday, (March 5, 1827,) have disclosed “the secret,” and now, probably, he will “blush to find it fame.” The knowledge of his “ruby drops” should be communicated to all who find it necessary to “use a little wine for their stomach’s sake, and their often infirmities.” Can the

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Beauty.

Beauty.

As the late beautiful duchess of Devonshire was one day stepping out of her carriage, a dustman, who was accidentally standing by, and was about to regale himself with his accustomed whiff of tobacco, caught a glance of her countenance, and instantly exclaimed, “Love and bless you, my lady, let me light my pipe in your eyes!” It is said that the duchess was so delighted with this compliment, that she frequently afterwards checked the strain of adulation, which was constantly offered to her charm

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PERSIAN SONG OF HAFIZ.

PERSIAN SONG OF HAFIZ.

By Sir William Jones....

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“OUR LIVES AND PROPERTIES.”

“OUR LIVES AND PROPERTIES.”

By Mr. William Hutton , F. A. S. S. If we survey this little world, vast in our idea, but small compared to immensity, we shall find it crusted over with property, fixed and movable. Upon this crusty world subsist animals of various kinds; one of which, something short of six feet, moves erect, seems the only one without a tail, and takes the lead in the command of this property. Fond of power, and conscious that possessions give it, he is ever attempting, by force, fraud, or laudable means, to

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A MUSICAL CRASH.

A MUSICAL CRASH.

The Rev. Mr. B—— , when residing at Canterbury, was reckoned a good violoncello player; but he was not more distinguished for his expression on the instrument, than for the peculiar appearance of feature whilst playing it. In the midst of the adagios of Corelli or Avison, the muscles of his face sympathised with his fiddlestick, and kept reciprocal movement. His sight, being dim, obliged him often to snuff the candles; and, when he came to a bar’s rest, in lieu of snuffers, he generally employed

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FASHIONABLE RELIGION.

FASHIONABLE RELIGION.

A French gentleman, equally tenacious of his character for gallantry and devotion, went to hear mass at the chapel of a favourite saint at Paris; when he came there, he found repairs were doing in the building which prevented the celebration. To show that he had not been defective in his duty and attentions, he pulled out a richly decorated pocket-book, and walking with great gravity and many genuflexions up the aisle, very carefully placed a card of his name upon the principal altar....

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A POLITE TOWN.

A POLITE TOWN.

Charles II. on passing through Bodmin, is said to have observed, that “this was the politest town he had ever seen, as one half of the houses appeared to be bowing , and the other half uncovered .” Since the days of Charles, the houses are altered, but the inhabitants still retain their politeness, especially at elections. Ancient British Pillar, Valle Crucis Abbey, North Wales. * A few years ago, an artist made a water-colour sketch of this monument, as a picturesque object, in the romantic vic

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Hard Fare.

Hard Fare.

By Father Paulian. The beginning of May, 1760, was brought to Avignon, a true lithophagus or stone-eater. He not only swallowed flints of an inch and a half long, a full inch broad, and half an inch thick; but such stones as he could reduce to powder, such as marble, pebbles, &amp;c. he made up into paste, which was to him a most agreeable and wholesome food. I examined this man with all the attention I possibly could; I found his gullet very large, his teeth exceedingly strong, his saliva v

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Garrick Plays. No. IX.

Garrick Plays. No. IX.

[From the “Two Angry Women of Abingdon,” a Comedy, by Henry Porter, 1599.] Proverb-monger . She Wit. Master Goursey proposes to his Son a Wife . Wandering in the dark all night. The pleasant Comedy, from which these Extracts are taken, is contemporary with some of the earliest of Shakspeare’s, and is no whit inferior to either the Comedy of Errors, or the Taming of the Shrew, for instance. It is full of business, humour, and merry malice. Its night-scenes are peculiarly sprightly and wakeful. Th

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Characters.

Characters.

For the Table Book. There is a story in the Rambler of a lady whom the great moralist calls Althea, who perversely destroyed all the satisfaction of a party of pleasure, by not only finding, but seeking for fault upon every occasion, and affecting a variety of frivolous fears and apprehensions without cause. Female follies, like “states and empires, have their periods of declension;” and nearly half a century has passed away since it has been deemed elegant, or supposed interesting, to scream at

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THE BISHOP OF BUTTERBY. A Sketch, by one of his Prebendaries.

THE BISHOP OF BUTTERBY. A Sketch, by one of his Prebendaries.

For the Table Book I remember reading in that excellent little periodical, “The Cigar,” of the red nose of the friar of Dillow, which served the holy man in the stead of a lantern, when he crossed the fens at night, to visit the fair lady of the sheriff of Gloucestershire. Whether the nose of the well-known eccentric now under consideration ever lighted his path, when returning from Shincliffe feast, or Houghton-le-spring hopping—whether it ever this deponent knoweth not; but, certainly, it ever

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THE DRAYMAN.

THE DRAYMAN.

For the Table Book. Epig. 23, Christmas Treat . The drayman is a being distinct from other men, as the brewer’s horse is distinct from other horses—each seems adapted to the other’s use: the one eats abundantly of grains, and prospers in its traces—the other drinks porter by the canful, and is hardly able to button his jerkin. Much of a drayman’s life is spent with his master’s team and barrels. Early rising is his indispensable duty; and, long ere the window-shutters of London shopkeepers are t

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SONNET. From the Spanish of Quevedo.

SONNET. From the Spanish of Quevedo.

For the Table Book. “ En el mundo naciste, no a emmendarle. ”...

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The Royal Table.

The Royal Table.

King George II. was accustomed every other year to visit his German dominions with the greater part of the officers of his household, and especially those belonging to the kitchen. Once on his passage at sea, his first cook was so ill with the sea-sickness, that he could not hold up his head to dress his majesty’s dinner; this being told to the king, he was exceedingly sorry for it, as he was famous for making a Rhenish soup, which his majesty was very fond of; he therefore ordered inquiry to be

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MONEY—WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

MONEY—WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Pound , is derived from the Latin word pondus . Ounce , from uncia , or twelfth, being the twelfth of a pound troy. Inch , from the same word, being the twelfth of a foot. Yard , from the Saxon word gyrd , or girth , being originally the circumference of the body, until Henry I. decreed that it should be the length of his arm. Halfpenny and Farthing . In 1060, when William the Conqueror began to reign, the Penny , or sterling, was cast, with a deep cross, so that it might be broken in half, as a

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OLD MUG-HOUSES.

OLD MUG-HOUSES.

The internal economy of a mug-house in the reign of George I. is thus described by a foreign traveller:— At the mug-house club in Long-acre, where on Wednesdays a mixture of gentlemen, lawyers, and tradesmen meet in a great room, a grave old gentleman in his grey hairs, and nearly ninety years of age, is their president, and sits in an armed chair some steps higher than the rest. A harp plays all the while at the lower end of the room; and now and then some one of the company rises and entertain

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“AS DRUNK AS DAVID’S SOW.”

“AS DRUNK AS DAVID’S SOW.”

A few years ago, one David Lloyd, a Welchman, who kept an inn at Hereford, had a living sow with six legs which occasioned great resort to the house. David also had a wife who was much addicted to drunkenness, and for which he used frequently to bestow on her an admonitory drubbing. One day, having taken an extra cup which operated in a powerful manner, and dreading the usual consequences, she opened the stye-door, let out David’s sow, and lay down in its place, hoping that a short unmolested na

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SINGULAR RETURN.

SINGULAR RETURN.

For the Table Book. An inhabitant of the parish of Clerkenwell being called upon, a short time ago, to fill up the blanks of a printed circular under the following heads, in pursuance of an act of parliament passed in the sixth year of his present majesty’s reign, entitled “An Act for consolidating and amending the Laws relative to Jurors and Juries,” sent in his return as follows:— “ Street. ” Baker-street —badly paved—rascally lighted—with one old woman of a watchman. “ Title, Quality, Calling

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Suburban Sonnets.

Suburban Sonnets.

Islington. J. G....

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Shepherd’s Well, Hampstead.

Shepherd’s Well, Hampstead.

Shepherd’s Well, Hampstead. On the west side of Hampstead, in the middle of one of the pleasant meadows called Shepherd’s fields, at the left-hand of the footpath going from Belsize-house towards the church, this arch , embedded above and around by the green turf, forms a conduit-head to a beautiful spring: the specific gravity of the fluid, which yields several tuns a day, is little more than that of distilled water. Hampstead abounds in other springs, but they are mostly impregnated with miner

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Garrick Plays. No. X.

Garrick Plays. No. X.

[From the “Fair Maid of the Exchange,” a Comedy, by Thomas Heywood, 1637.] Cripple offers to fit Frank Golding with ready made Love Epistles. After this Specimen of the pleasanter vein of Heywood, I am tempted to extract some lines from his “Hierarchie of Angels, 1634;” not strictly as a Dramatic Poem, but because the passage contains a string of names, all but that of Watson , his contemporary Dramatists. He is complaining in a mood half serious, half comic, of the disrespect which Poets in his

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ERRATA.

ERRATA.

Col. 357 . Last line but two of the last extract— a sun-bright line spoiled:— Last line but two of the extract preceding the former, (the end of the old man’s speech)— should have a full stop. These little blemishes kill such delicate things: prose feeds on grosser punctualities. Will the reader be pleased to make the above corrections with a pen, and allow the fact of illness in excuse for editorial mischance? *...

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SNUFF AND TOBACCO.

SNUFF AND TOBACCO.

For the Table Book. In the year 1797 was circulated the following:— Proposals for Publishing by Subscription, a History of Snuff and Tobacco , in two Volumes. Vol. I. to contain a Description of the Nose—Size of Noses—A Digression on Roman Noses—Whether long Noses are symptomatic—Origin of Tobacco—Tobacco first manufactured into Snuff—Enquiry who took the first Pinch—Essay on Sneezing—Whether the ancients sneezed, and at what—Origin of Pocket-handkerchiefs—Discrimination between Snuffing and tak

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Old Customs and Manners By JOHN AUBREY, 1678 Ex MS. Coll. Ashmol. Mus. Oxford.

Old Customs and Manners By JOHN AUBREY, 1678 Ex MS. Coll. Ashmol. Mus. Oxford.

There were very few free-schools in England before the Reformation. Youth were generally taught Latin in the monasteries, and young women had their education not at Hackney, as now, scilicit, anno 1678, but at nunneries, where they learnt needle-work, confectionary, surgery, physic, (apothecaries and surgeons being at that time very rare,) writing, drawing, &amp;c. Old Jackquar, now living, has often seen from his house the nuns of St. Mary Kingston, in Wilts, coming forth into the Nymph Hay

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Young Lambs to sell.

Young Lambs to sell.

Young Lambs to sell. This is a “London cry” at the present time: the engraving represents the crier, William Liston, from a drawing for which he purposely stood . This “public character” was born in the Gallowgate in the city of Glasgow. He became a soldier in the waggon-train, commanded by colonel Hamilton, and served under the duke of York in Holland, where, on the 6th of October, 1799, he lost his right arm and left leg, and his place in the army. His misfortunes thrust distinction upon him.

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LINES ON HAPPINESS.

LINES ON HAPPINESS.

For the Table Book. J. B. O. J. B. O....

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HUMAN LIFE.

HUMAN LIFE.

By Goethe. That life is but a dream is the opinion of many; it is mine. When I see the narrow limits which confine the penetrating, active genius of man; when I see that all his powers are directed to satisfy mere necessities, the only end of which is to prolong a precarious or painful existence; that his greatest care, with regard to certain inquiries, is but a blind resignation; and that we only amuse ourselves with painting brilliant figures and smiling landscapes on the walls of our prison,

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VALEDICTORY STANZAS.

VALEDICTORY STANZAS.

For the Table Book. H. H....

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EFFECT OF CONSCIENCE.

EFFECT OF CONSCIENCE.

On the 30th of March, 1789, 360 l. was carried to the account of the public, in consequence of the following note received by the chancellor of the exchequer. “Sir—You will herewith receive bank notes to the amount of 360 l. which is the property of the nation, and which, as an honest man, you will be so just as to apply to the use of the state in such manner that the nation may not suffer by its having been detained from the public treasury. You are implored to do this for the ease of conscienc

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Anecdotes OF HENRY THE GREAT.

Anecdotes OF HENRY THE GREAT.

About 1605, Henry IV. of France attempting to enforce some regulations respecting the annuities upon the Hotel de Ville, of Paris, several assemblies of the citizens were held, in which Francis Miron, the prévôt des marchands, addressed the king’s commissioners against the measures with fervour and firmness. It was rumoured amongst the people of Paris, that their magistrate was threatened, for having exerted himself too warmly in their behalf; they crowded about his house, in order to defend him

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CUSTOM AT SCARBOROUGH.

CUSTOM AT SCARBOROUGH.

The fish-market is held on the sands, by the sides of the boats, which, at low water, are run upon wheels with a sail set, and are conducted by the fishermen, who dispose of their cargoes in the following manner. One of the female fishmongers inquires the price, and bids a groat; the fishermen ask a sum in the opposite extreme: the one bids up, and the other reduces the demand, till they meet at a reasonable point, when the bidder suddenly exclaims, “Het!” This practice seems to be borrowed from

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LINES TO A BARREL ORGAN.

LINES TO A BARREL ORGAN.

For the Table Book. Gaston. Gaston....

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MINISTERIAL FAVOUR.

MINISTERIAL FAVOUR.

A gentleman who had been long attached to cardinal Mazarine, reminded the cardinal of his many promises, and his dilatory performance. Mazarine, who had a great regard for him, and was unwilling to lose his friendship, took his hand, and explained the many demands made upon a person in his situation as minister, which it would be politic to satisfy previously to other requests, as they were founded on services done to the state. The cardinal’s adherent, not very confident in his veracity, replie

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DUDLEY OF PORTSMOUTH.

DUDLEY OF PORTSMOUTH.

“ I’m a going! ” For the Table Book. Barbers are not more celebrated by a desire to become the most busy citizens of the state, than by the expert habit in which they convey news. Many a tale is invented out of a mere surmise, or whisper, for the gratification of those who attend barbers’ shops. An old son of the scissors and razor, well known at Portsmouth, was not, however, quite so perfect a phiz iologist, as his more erudite and bristling fraternity. One evening, as he was preparing his fron

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ROYAL DECISION.

ROYAL DECISION.

In the reign of George I. the sister of judge Dormer being married to a gentleman who afterwards killed a man very basely, the judge went to move the king for a pardon. It was impossible that he could offer any thing to the royal ear in extenuation of the crime, and therefore he was the more earnest in expressing his hope that his majesty would save him and his family from the infamy the execution of the sentence would bring upon them. “So, Mr. Justice,” said the king, “what you propose to me is

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Biographiana.

Biographiana.

To the Editor. Sir—In reply to the inquiries of your correspondent G. J. D. at p. 136 , I beg to state, that the person he alludes to was the translator of Hesiod, immortalized by Pope in his Dunciad. The Rev. Thomas Cooke was a profound Greek and Latin scholar, and consequently much better versed in the beauties of Homer, &amp;c. than the irritable translator of the Iliad and Odyssey: his remarks on, and expositions of Pope’s glaring misconceptions of many important passages of the ancient

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DUKE OF YORK Albany and Clarence.

DUKE OF YORK Albany and Clarence.

For the Table Book. In the History of Scotland, there is a remark which may be added to the account of the dukes of York, at col. 103 ; viz. Shire of Perth. —That part of the county called Braidalbin, or Breadalbane, lies amongst the Grampian-hills, and gives title to a branch of the family of Campbell; where note that Braid-Albin, in old Scotch, signifies the highest part of Scotland, and Drum-Albin, which is the name of a part thereof, signifies the ridge or back of Scotland. Hence it is colle

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DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS.

DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS.

Lord George Germain was of a remarkably amiable disposition; and his domestics lived with him rather as humble friends than menial servants. One day entering his house in Pall-mall, he observed a large basket of vegetables standing in the hall, and inquired of the porter to whom they belonged, and from whence they came? Old John immediately replied, “They are ours , my lord, from our country-house.”—“Very well,” rejoined his lordship. At that instant a carriage stopped at the door, and lord Geor

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Riddle.

Riddle.

I have long maintained a distinguished station in our modern days, but I cannot trace my origin to ancient times, though the learned have attempted it. After the revolution in 1688, I was chief physician to the king; at least in my absence he ever complained of sickness. Had I lived in ancient days, so friendly was I to crowned heads, that Cleopatra would have got off with a sting; and her cold arm would have felt a reviving heat. I am rather a friend to sprightliness than to industry; I have of

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THE MERRY MONARCH, AND “BLYTHE COCKPEN.”

THE MERRY MONARCH, AND “BLYTHE COCKPEN.”

While Charles II. was sojourning in Scotland, before the battle of Worcester, his chief confidant and associate was the laird of Cockpen, called by the nick-naming fashion of the times, “Blythe Cockpen.” He followed Charles to the Hague, and by his skill in playing Scottish tunes, and his sagacity and wit, much delighted the merry monarch. Charles’s favourite air was “Brose and Butter;” it was played to him when he went to bed, and he was awakened by it. At the restoration, however, Blythe Cockp

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Topography.

Topography.

The following curious entry is in the register of Lymington church, under the year 1736:— “Samuel Baldwin, esq. sojourner in this parish, was immersed , without the Needles, sans cérémonie , May 20.” This was performed in consequence of an earnest wish the deceased had expressed, a little before his dissolution, in order to disappoint the intention of his wife, who had repeatedly assured him, in their domestic squabbles, (which were very frequent,) that if she survived him, she would revenge her

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Elvet Bridge, Durham.

Elvet Bridge, Durham.

Elvet Bridge, Durham. The above engraving is from a lithographic view, published in Durham in 1820: it was designed by Mr. Bouet, a very ingenious French gentleman, resident there, whose abilities as an artist are of a superior order. Elvet bridge consists of nine or ten arches, and was built by the excellent bishop Pudsey, about the year 1170. It was repaired in the time of bishop Fox, who held the see of Durham from 1494 to 1502, and granted an “indulgence” to all who should contribute towards

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Garrick Plays. No. XI.

Garrick Plays. No. XI.

[From “Jack Drum’s Entertainment,” a Comedy, Author unknown, 1601.] The free humour of a Noble Housekeeper. [From the “Changes,” a Comedy, by James Shirley, 1632.] Excess of Epithets, enfeebling to Poetry. [From the “Guardian,” a Comedy, by Abraham Cowley, 1650. This was the first Draught of that which he published afterwards under the title of the “Cutter of Coleman Street;” and contains the character of a Foolish Poet, omitted in the latter. I give a few scraps of this character, both because

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ANCIENT WAGGERY.

ANCIENT WAGGERY.

For the Table Book. [From the “Pleasant Conceits of old Hobson, the merry Londoner; full of humourous Discourses and merry Merriments:—1607.”] In the beginning of queen Elizabeth’s reign, when the order of hanging out lanterne and candlelight first of all was brought up, [95] the bedell of the warde where Maister Hobson dwelt, in a dark evening, crieing up and down, “Hang out your lanternes! Hang out your lanternes!” using no other wordes, Maister Hobson tooke an emptie lanterne, and, according

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YORKSHIRE SAYING.

YORKSHIRE SAYING.

For the Table Book. “ Let’s begin again like the Clerk of Beeston. ” The clerk of Beeston, a small village near Leeds, one Sunday, after having sung a psalm about half way through the first verse, discovered he had chosen a wrong tune, on which he exclaimed to the singers, “Stop lads, we’ve got into a wrong metre, let’s begin again!” Hence the origin of the saying, so common in Leeds and the neighbourhood, “Let’s begin again, like the clerk of Beeston.” T. Q. M....

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TO CONTENTMENT.

TO CONTENTMENT.

I. II. III. IV. II. III. IV. [96] From Dunton’s “Athenian Sport.”...

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Biography.

Biography.

This celebrated Italian lyric and dramatic poet was born at Rome, in 1698, of parents in humble life, whose names were Trapassi. At ten years of age, he was distinguished by his talents as an improvvisatore . The eminent jurist, Gravina, who amused himself with writing bad tragedies, was walking near the Campus Martius one summer’s evening, in company with the abbé Lorenzini, when they heard a sweet and powerful voice, modulating verses with the greatest fluency to the measure of the canto impro

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A DEATH-BED: In a Letter to R. H. Esq. of B——.

A DEATH-BED: In a Letter to R. H. Esq. of B——.

For the Table Book. I called upon you this morning, and found that you were gone to visit a dying friend. I had been upon a like errand. Poor N. R. has lain dying now for almost a week; such is the penalty we pay for having enjoyed through life a strong constitution. Whether he knew me or not, I know not, or whether he saw me through his poor glazed eyes; but the group I saw about him I shall not forget. Upon the bed, or about it, were assembled his Wife, their two Daughters, and poor deaf Rober

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LINES FOR THE Table Book.

LINES FOR THE Table Book.

February 21, 1827. Amicus. February 21, 1827. Amicus....

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WAVERLEY.

WAVERLEY.

It is a curious, yet well authenticated fact, that the novel of “Waverley”—the first, and perhaps the best, of the prose writing of sir Walter Scott—remained for more than ten years unpublished. So far back as 1805, the late talented Mr. John Ballantyne announced “Waverley” as a work preparing for publication, but the announce excited so little attention, that the design was laid aside for reasons which every reader will guess. In those days of peace and innocence, the spirit of literary specula

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A Young Artist’s Letter FROM SWITZERLAND.

A Young Artist’s Letter FROM SWITZERLAND.

From the letter of an English artist, now abroad, accompanied by marginal sketches with the pen, addressed to a young relation, I am obligingly permitted to take the following— EXTRACT, Interlaken, Switzerland. Sunday, Sept. 10, 1826. I arrived at Geneva, after a ride of a day and a night, from Lyons, through a delightful mountainous country. The steam-boat carried me from Geneva to Lausanne, a very pretty town, at the other end of the fine lake, from whence I went to Berne, one of the principal

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Gretna Green Marriages.

Gretna Green Marriages.

On Friday, March 23, at Lancaster Lent assizes 1827, before Mr. baron Hullock, came on the trial of an indictment against Edward Gibbon Wakefield and William Wakefield, (brothers,) Edward Thevenot, (their servant,) and Frances the wife of Edward Wakefield, (father of the brothers,) for conspiring by subtle stratagems and false representations to take and carry away Ellen Turner, a maid, unmarried, and within the age of sixteen years, the only child and heiress of William Turner, from the care of

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Eccentric Biography.

Eccentric Biography.

This unfortunate being, well known by the designation of “the poor poet,” was born at Soham, in Cambridgeshire, in 1748, where his father was a leather-seller, but having been unfortunate in business, and marrying a second wife, disputes and family broils arose. It was probably from this discomfort in his paternal dwelling-place, that he left home never to return. At first, and for an uncertain period, he was a maker and seller of nets and some small wares. Afterwards, he composed verses on birt

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Vauxhall. A Dramatic Sketch.

Vauxhall. A Dramatic Sketch.

For the Table Book. Characters—Mr. Greenfat, Mrs. Greenfat, Masters Peter and Humphrey Greenfat, Misses Theodosia and Arabella Greenfat, and Mr. John Eelskin. Seen dispersedly in various parts of the gardens. Master Peter. Oh my! what a sweet place! Why, the lamps are thicker than the pears in our garden, at Walworth: what a load of oil they must burn! Miss Arabella. Mamma, is that the lady mayoress, with the ostridge feathers, and the pink satin gown? Mrs. Greenfat. No, my love; that’s Miss Bid

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TO MY TEA-KETTLE.

TO MY TEA-KETTLE.

For the Table Book. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sam Sam’s Son. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sam Sam’s Son....

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TO MY TEA-POT.

TO MY TEA-POT.

For the Table Book. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sam Sam’s Son. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sam Sam’s Son....

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Stratford upon Avon Church.

Stratford upon Avon Church.

Stratford upon Avon Church. From a sepia drawing, obligingly communicated by J. S. J., the reader is presented with this view of a church, “hallowed by being the sepulchral enclosure of the remains of the immortal Shakspeare.” It exemplifies the two distinct styles, the early pointed and that of the fourteenth century. The tower is of the first construction; the windows of the transepts possess a preeminent and profuse display of the mullions and tracery characteristic of the latter period. [100

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Garrick Plays. No. XII.

Garrick Plays. No. XII.

[From the “Brazen Age,” an Historical Play, by Thomas Heywood, 1613.] Venus courts Adonis. Phœbus jeers Vulcan. The Peers of Greece go in quest of Hercules, and find him in woman’s weeds, spinning with Omphale. I cannot take leave of this Drama without noticing a touch of the truest pathos, which the writer has put into the mouth of Meleager, as he is wasting away by the operation of the fatal brand, administered to him by his wretched Mother. What is the boasted “Forgive me, but forgive me!” of

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Topography.

Topography.

For the Table Book. Shakspeare. Shakspeare. The village of St. Margaret’s at Cliff is situated at a small distance from the South Foreland, and about a mile from the high road half way between Dover and Deal. It was formerly of some consequence, on account of its fair for the encouragement of traders, held in the precincts of its priory, which, on the dissolution of the monastic establishments by Henry VIII., losing its privilege, or rather its utility, (for the fair is yet held,) the village de

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TO A SEA-WEED Picked up after a Storm.

TO A SEA-WEED Picked up after a Storm.

[101] Poems and Translations from Schiller....

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MARRIAGE OF THE SEA.

MARRIAGE OF THE SEA.

The doge of Venice, accompanied by the senators, in the greatest pomp, marries the sea every year. Those who judge of institutions by their appearance only, think this ceremony an indecent and extravagant vanity; they imagine that the Venetians annually solemnize this festival, because they believe themselves to be masters of the sea. But the wedding of the sea is performed with the most noble intentions. The sea is the symbol of the republic: of which the doge is the first magistrate, but not t

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OLD COIN INSCRIPTIONS.

OLD COIN INSCRIPTIONS.

To read an inscription on a silver coin which, by much wear, is become wholly obliterated, put the poker in the fire; when red hot, place the coin upon it, and the inscription will plainly appear of a greenish hue, but will disappear as the coin cools. This method was practised at the Mint to discover the genuine coin when the silver was last called in....

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THE LADY AND THE TROUBADOUR.

THE LADY AND THE TROUBADOUR.

For the Table Book. [Emeugarde, daughter of Jacques de Tournay, Lord of Croiton, in Provence, becoming enamoured of a Troubadour, by name Enguilbert de Marnef, who was bound by a vow to repair to the Camp of the Crusaders in Palestine, besought him on the eve of his departure to suffer her to accompany him: de Marnef at first resolutely refused; but at length, overcome by her affectionate solicitations, assented, and was joined by her the same night, after her flight from her father’s chastel, i

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THE GOLDEN TOOTH.

THE GOLDEN TOOTH.

In 1593, it was reported that a Silesian child, seven years old, had lost all its teeth, and that a golden tooth had grown in the place of a natural double one. In 1595, Horstius, professor of medicine in the university of Helmstadt, wrote the history of this golden tooth. He said it was partly a natural event, and partly miraculous, and that the Almighty had sent it to this child, to console the Christians for their persecution by the Turks. In the same year, Rullandus drew up another account o

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LE REVENANT.

LE REVENANT.

“There are but two classes of persons in the world—those who are hanged, and those who are not hanged: and it has been my lot to belong to the former.” There is a pathetic, narrative, under the preceding title and motto in “Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine,” of the present month, (April, 1827.) It is scarcely possible to abridge or extract from it, and be just to its writer. Perhaps the following specimen may induce curiosity to the perusal of the entire paper in the journal just named. “I have be

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Blind Willie, the Newcastle Minstrel.

Blind Willie, the Newcastle Minstrel.

Blind Willie, the Newcastle Minstrel. Newcastle Song. Newcastle Song. William Purvis , or, as he is generally styled, blind Willie, is a well-known character, and native of Newcastle, where he has resided since his infancy. He was born blind, and is the son of Margaret Purvis, who died in All Saints’ workhouse, February 7, 1819, in her hundredth year. Willie is, indeed, as the ingenious Mr. Sykes calls him in his “Local Records,” a “famous musician,” for he has long been celebrated for his minst

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FARMERS.

FARMERS.

IN 1722. 1822. 1822. 1722. 1822. G. [102] [102] The Times....

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A REVERIE.

A REVERIE.

For the Table Book. ——On a cool delightful evening which succeeded one of the scorching days of last summer, I sallied forth for a walk in the neighbourhood of the city of ——. Chance led me along a path usually much frequented, which was then covered thick with the accumulated dust of a long drought; it bore the impression of a thousand busy feet, of every variety of form and size; from the first steps of the infant, whose nurse had allowed it to toddle his little journey to the outstretched arm

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HIGHLAND TRADITION.

HIGHLAND TRADITION.

About the middle of the sixteenth century, the eldest son of Lamond, of Cowel, in Argyleshire, was hunting the red deer in Glenfine. At the same time the only son of Macgregor, of Glenstrae, the chief of that once powerful clan, was on a similar excursion in the same place, which was the boundary between the extensive territories of these two great families. Young Lamond had pierced a prime hart with an arrow; and the noble animal, galled by the shaft, which stuck in the wound, plunged into the

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HY-JINKS. A Scotch Amusement.

HY-JINKS. A Scotch Amusement.

This is a drunken sort of game.—The queff , or cup, is filled to the brim, then one of the company takes a pair of dice, and cries “Hy-jinks,” and throws. The number he casts points out the person that must drink; he who threw beginning at himself number one, and so round, till the number of the person agree with that of the dice, (which may fall upon himself, if the number be within twelve,) then he sets the dice to him, or bids him take them. He on whom they fall is obliged to drink, or pay a

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Clubs.

Clubs.

There was at Amadan a celebrated academy. Its first rule was framed in these words:— “The members of this academy shall think much—write little—and be as mute as they can.” A candidate offered himself—he was too late—the vacancy was filled up—they knew his merit, and lamented their disappointment in lamenting his own. The president was to announce the event; he desired the candidate should be introduced. He appeared with a simple and modest air, the sure testimony of merit. The president rose, a

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SUMMER DRINKS.

SUMMER DRINKS.

Take two gallons of water, two ounces of ginger bruised, and two lemons; boil them together; when lukewarm, pour the whole on a pound and a half of loaf sugar, and two ounces of cream of tartar; add four table spoonfuls of yeast, and let them work together for six hours; then strain the liquor, and bottle it off in small stone bottles: it will be ready for use in a few hours. Take nine Seville oranges and three lemons, grate off the yellow from the rinds, and put the raspings into a gallon of wa

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CABBAGE, AND TAILORS.

CABBAGE, AND TAILORS.

The Roman name Brassica came, as is supposed, from “præséco,” because it was cut off from the stalk: it was also called Caulis in Latin, on account of the goodness of its stalks, and from which the English name Cole, Colwort, or Colewort, is derived. The word cabbage, by which all the varieties of this plant are now improperly called, means the firm head or ball that is formed by the leaves turning close over each other: from that circumstance we say the cole has cabbaged.—From thence arose the

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ETYMOLOGY.

ETYMOLOGY.

The following are significations of a few common terms:— Steward literally means the keeper of the place; it is compounded of the two old words, stede and ward : by the omission of the first d and e the word steward is formed. Marshal means one who has the care of horses: in the old Teutonic, mare was synonymous with horse, being applied to the kind; scale signified a servant. Mayor is derived from the Teutonic Meyer , a lover of might. Sheriff is compounded of the old words shyre and reve —an o

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ORGANS.

ORGANS.

For the Table Book. A few particulars relative to organs, in addition to those at col. 260 , may be interesting to musical readers. The instrument is of so great antiquity, that neither the time nor place of invention, nor the name of the inventor, is identified; but that they were used by the Greeks, and from them borrowed by the Latins, is generally allowed. St. Jerome describes one that could be heard a mile off; and says, that there was an organ at Jerusalem, which could be heard at the Moun

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PERPLEXING MARRIAGES.

PERPLEXING MARRIAGES.

At Gwennap, in Cornwall, in March 1823, Miss Sophia Bawden was married to Mr. R. Bawden, both of St. Day. By this marriage, the father became brother-in-law to his son; the mother, mother-in-law to her sister; the mother-in-law of the son, his sister-in-law; the sister of the mother-in-law, her daughter-in-law; the sister of the daughter-in-law, her mother-in-law; the son of the father, brother-in-law to his mother-in-law, and uncle to his brothers and sisters; the wife of the son, sister-in-law

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STEPS RE-TRACED.

STEPS RE-TRACED.

Catherine de Medicis made a vow, that if some concerns which she had undertaken terminated successfully, she would send a pilgrim on foot to Jerusalem, and that at every three steps he advanced, he should go one step back. It was doubtful whether there could be found a man sufficiently strong and patient to walk, and go back one step at every third. A citizen of Verberie, who was a merchant, offered to accomplish the queen’s vow most scrupulously, and her majesty promised him an adequate recompe

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Street Circulars. No. I.

Street Circulars. No. I.

For the Table Book. He whistles as he goes for want of bread . [108] J. R. P. [108] Vide Dryden’s Cymon, [109] This word rhymes with lost , to oblige the cockneys. [110] Like the punning clown in the stocks, that whistled Over the wood laddie! [111] [111]...

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Maundy Thursday. The Thursday before Good Friday.

Maundy Thursday. The Thursday before Good Friday.

There are ample particulars of the present usages on this day at the chapel royal, St. James’s, in the Every-Day Book , with accounts of celebrations in other countries; to these may be added the ceremonies at the court of Vienna, recently related by Dr. Bright:— “On the Thursday of this week, which was the 24th of March, a singular religious ceremony was celebrated by the court. It is known in German catholic countries by the name of the Fusswaschung , or the ‘washing of the feet.’ The large sa

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Good Friday—Easter. “Visiting the Churches” in France.

Good Friday—Easter. “Visiting the Churches” in France.

On Good Friday the churches are all dressed up; canopies are placed over the altars, and the altars themselves are decorated with flowers and other ornaments, and illuminated with a vast number of wax candles. In the evening every body of every rank and description goes a round of visits to them. The devout kneel down and repeat a prayer to themselves in each; but the majority only go to see and be seen—to admire or to criticise the decorations of the churches and of each other—to settle which a

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PHLEBOTOMY.

PHLEBOTOMY.

Bleeding was much in fashion in the middle ages. In the fifteenth century, it was the subject of a poem; and Robert Boutevylleyn, a founder, claimed in the abbey of Pipewell four bleedings per annum . Among the monks this operation was termed “minution.” In some abbeys was a bleeding-house, called “Fleboto-maria.” There were certain festivals when this bleeding was not allowed. The monks desired often to be bled, on account of eating meat. In the order of S. Victor, the brethren were bled five t

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OLD CEREMONIES, &c.

OLD CEREMONIES, &c.

Extracted by W. H. Dewhurst For the Table Book. First.—The hall was prepared with a long table on each side, and formes set by them; on the edges of which tables, and under those formes, were lay’d carpets and cushions, for her majestie to kneel when she should wash them. There was also another table set across the upper end of the hall, somewhat above the foot pace, for the chappelan to stand at. A little beneath the midst whereof, and beneath the said foot pace, a stoole and cushion of estate

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Garrick Plays. No. XIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XIII.

[From the “Battle of Alcazar, a Tragedy,” 1594.] Muly Mahamet, driven from his throne into a desart, robs the Lioness to feed his fainting Wife Calipolis. [From the “Seven Champions of Christendom,” by John Kirk, acted 1638.] Calib, the Witch, in the opening Scene, in a Storm. [From “Two Tragedies in One,” by Robert Yarrington, who wrote in the reign of Elizabeth.] Truth, the Chorus, to the Spectators. Murderer to his Sister, about to stow away the trunk of the body, having severed it from the l

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The Old Bear Garden AT BANKSIDE, SOUTHWARK.

The Old Bear Garden AT BANKSIDE, SOUTHWARK.

Bear Baiting—Masters of the Bears and Dogs—Edward Alleyn—The Falcon Tavern, &amp;c. The Bull and the Bear baiting, on the Bankside, seem to have preceded, in point of time, the several other ancient theatres of the metropolis. The precise date of their erection is not ascertained, but a Bear-garden on the Bankside is mentioned by one Crowley, a poet, of the reign of Henry VIII., as being at that time in existence. He informs us, that the exhibitions were on a Sunday, that they drew full asse

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Literature.

Literature.

Mr. Jackson, the author of several poems, whose merits he deems to have been disregarded, puts forth “Ahab,” with renewed hope, and a remarkable address. He says— “Reader, hast thou not seen a solitary buoy floating on the vast ocean? the waves dash against it, and the broad keel of the vessel sweeps over and presses it down, yet it rises again to the surface, prepared for every assault—I am like that buoy. Thrice have I appeared before you, thrice have the waves of neglect passed over me, and o

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PULPIT CLOCKS, AND HOUR GLASSES.

PULPIT CLOCKS, AND HOUR GLASSES.

In the annals of Dunstable Priory is this item: “In 1483, made a clock over the pulpit.” A stand for a hour-glass still remains in many pulpits. A rector of Bibury used to preach two hours, regularly turning the glass . After the text, the esquire of the parish withdrew, smoked his pipe, and returned to the blessing. Lecturers’ pulpits have also hour-glasses. The priest had sometimes a watch found him by the parish. [127] [127] Fosbroke’s British Monachism....

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Easter.

Easter.

The catholic religion was that in which the French were brought up; and they were, from habit at least, if not from conviction, attached to it: so far was its overthrow from meeting with the general approbation and concurrence of the nation, that if it was acquiesced in for a time, it was merely from a feeling of inability to avert the blow; and the persecution which it experienced only served, as all persecution does, to endear the object of it more strongly to them. Such would have been the ef

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OLD MAP OF SCOTLAND.

OLD MAP OF SCOTLAND.

In the year 1545 was published at Antwerp, the Cosmography of Peter Apianus, “expurgated from all faults,” by Gemma Frisius, a physician and mathematician of Louvain. It is sufficient to say, that in this correct “expurgated” work, Scotland is an island , of which York is one of the chief cities. [129] [129] Fosbroke’s British Monachism....

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PEN BEHIND THE EAR—PAPER.

PEN BEHIND THE EAR—PAPER.

The custom of carrying a pen behind the ear, lately common, is ancient. In the life of S. Odo is the following passage: “He saw a pen sticking above his ear, in the manner of a writer.” Mabillon says, that he could find no paper books more ancient than the tenth century: but the pen made of a feather was certainly common in the seventh century; and though ascribed to the classical ancients, by Montfaucon’s mistaking a passage of Juvenal, it is first mentioned by Adrian de Valois, a writer of the

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Suburban Sonnets.

Suburban Sonnets.

Islington, March 25, 1827. J. G....

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London Cries.

London Cries.

London Cries. The criers of singing birds are extinct: we have only the bird- sellers . This engraving , therefore, represents a by-gone character: it is from a series of etchings called the “Cries of London,” by Marcellus Lauron, a native of the Hague, where he was born in 1653. He came to England with his father, by whom he was instructed in painting. He drew correctly, studied nature diligently, copied it closely, and so surpassed his contemporaries in drapery, that sir Godfrey Kneller employ

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Garrick Plays. No. XIV.

Garrick Plays. No. XIV.

[From the “Arraignment of Paris,” a Dramatic Pastoral, by George Peel, 1584.] Flora dresses Ida Hill, to honour the coming of the Three Goddesses. The Muses, and Country Gods, assemble to welcome the Goddesses. The Welcoming Song. Paris. Œnone. ( They sit under a tree together. ) ( They sing. ) Both. { Fair, and fair, &amp;c. Fair, and fair, &amp;c. } ( repeated. ) Both. { Fair, and fair, &amp;c. Fair, and fair, &amp;c. } ( repeated. ) Both. { Fair, and fair, &amp;c. Fair, an

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Etymology.

Etymology.

The original of nonce , an old word used by George Peel, is uncertain: it signifies purpose, intent, design. Spenser. They used at first to fume the fish in a house built for the NONCE . Carew. Ben Jonson. Ben Jonson. Cleaveland. Cotton. These authorities, adduced by Dr. Johnson, Mr. Archdeacon Nares conceives to have sufficiently explained the meaning of the word, which, though obsolete, is still “provincially current.” He adds, that it is sometimes written nones , and exemplifies the remark

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THE BANQUET OF THE DEAD, OR GENERAL BIBO’S TALE. A Legend of Kirby Malhamdale Church-yard, Craven, Yorkshire.

THE BANQUET OF THE DEAD, OR GENERAL BIBO’S TALE. A Legend of Kirby Malhamdale Church-yard, Craven, Yorkshire.

For the Table Book. Bloody Squire, or Derbyshire Tragedy. On Sheep-street-hill, in the town of Skipton, in Craven, is a blacksmith’s-shop, commonly called “the parliament-house.” During the late war it was the resort of all the eccentric characters in the place, who were in the habit of assembling there for the purpose of talking over the political events of the day, the knowledge whereof was gleaned from a daily paper, taken in by Mr. Kitty Cook, the occupier of the premises, and to the support

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SALT.

SALT.

The conjecture of T. Q. M. concerning the disappearance of the spectre-host, and the breaking up of the nocturnal banquet, in the church-yard of Kirby Malhamdale, is ingenious, and entitled to the notice of the curious in spectral learning: but it may be as well to consider whether the point of the legend may not be further illustrated. According to Moresin, salt not being liable to putrefaction, and preserving things seasoned with it from decay, was the emblem of eternity and immortality, and m

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A CORPORATION.

A CORPORATION.

Mr. Howel Walsh, in a corporation case tried at the Tralee assizes, observed, that “a corporation cannot blush. It was a body it was true; had certainly a head—a new one every year—an annual acquisition of intelligence in every new lord mayor. Arms he supposed it had, and long ones too, for it could reach at any thing. Legs, of course, when it made such long strides. A throat to swallow the rights of the community, and a stomach to digest them! But whoever yet discovered, in the anatomy of any c

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House at Kirkby-Moorside, Yorkshire

House at Kirkby-Moorside, Yorkshire

House at Kirkby-Moorside, Yorkshire, WHEREIN THE SECOND DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM DIED. Pope. Pope. In an amusing and informing topographical tract, written and published by Mr. John Cole of Scarborough, there is the preceding representation of the deathbed-house of the witty and dissipated nobleman, whose name is recorded beneath the engraving. From this, and a brief notice of the duke in a work possessed by most of the readers of the Table Book , [138] with some extracts from documents, accompanying

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Literature.

Literature.

It is an item of “Foreign Occurrences,” in the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” July, 1807, that a firman of the grand signior sentenced the whole Servian nation to extermination, without distinction of age or sex; if any escaped the sword, they were to be reduced to slavery. Every plain matter-of-fact man knew from his Gazetteer that Servia was a province of Turkey in Europe, bounded on the north by the Danube and Save, which separate it from Hungary, on the east by Bulgaria, on the west by Bosnia, and

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GRETNA GREEN.

GRETNA GREEN.

For the Table Book. This celebrated scene of matrimonial mockery is situated in Dumfrieshire, near the mouth of the river Esk, nine miles north-west from Carlisle. Mr. Pennant, in his journey to Scotland, speaks in the following terms of Gretna, or, as he calls it, Gretna Green. By some persons it is written Graitney Green, according to the pronunciation of the person from whom they hear it:— “At a short distance from the bridge, stop at the little village of Gretna—the resort of all amorous cou

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SCOTCH ADAM AND EVE.

SCOTCH ADAM AND EVE.

The first record for marriage entered into the session-book of the West Parish of Greenock, commences with Adam and Eve , being the Christian names of the first couple who were married after the book was prepared. The worthy Greenockians can boast therefore of an ancient origin, but traces of Paradise or the Garden of Eden in their bleak regions defy research....

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BOA CONSTRICTOR.

BOA CONSTRICTOR.

Jerome speaks of “a dragon of wonderful magnitude, which the Dalmatians in their native language call boas , because they are so large that they can swallow oxen.” Hence it should seem, that the boa -snake may have given birth to the fiction of dragons. [140] [140] Fosbroke’s British Monachism....

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Varia.

Varia.

Under this title, in a west-country paper of the present year, (1827) there is the following statement:— On the highway near Bicton, in Devonshire, the seat of the right hon. lord Rolle, in the centre of four cross roads, is a directing post with the following inscriptions, by an attention to which the traveller learns the condition of the roads over which he has to pass, and at the same time is furnished with food for meditation:— To Woodbury, Topsham, Exeter. —Her ways are ways of pleasantness

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Law.

Law.

It has been ascertained from the almanacs of the different departments and of Paris, that there are in France no less than seventeen hundred thousand eight hundred and forty-three medical men. There are, according to another calculation, fourteen hundred thousand six hundred and fifty-one patients. Turning to another class of public men, we find that there are nineteen hundred thousand four hundred and three pleaders, and upon the rolls there are only nine hundred and ninety-eight thousand cause

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May-Day at Lynn in Norfolk.

May-Day at Lynn in Norfolk.

May-Day at Lynn in Norfolk. For the Table Book. Where May-day is still observed, many forms of commemoration remain, the rude and imperfect outlines of former splendour, blended with local peculiarities. The festival appears to have originated about A. M. 3760, and before Christ 242 years, in consequence of a celebrated courtezan, named Flora , having bequeathed her fortune to the people of Rome, that they should at this time, yearly, celebrate her memory, in singing, dancing, drinking, and othe

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Easter.

Easter.

A custom was instituted in the city of Thoulouse by Charlemagne, that at Easter any Christian might give a box on the ear to a Jew, wherever he chanced to meet him, as a mark of contempt for the nation, which had, at that season, crucified the Saviour of mankind. This usage, scandalous in itself, was sometimes, through zeal, practised with great violence. It is stated that the eye of a poor Jew was forced out, on that side of the head whereon the blow was given. In the course of centuries this c

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DOCTOR GIBBS, alias “HUCK’N!”

DOCTOR GIBBS, alias “HUCK’N!”

For the Table Book. Dr. Gibbs, commonly called “Huck’n!” was an extraordinary individual, who followed the profession of an itinerary veterinary surgeon in the west of England. His ways were different from his neighbours, and his appearance was so singular, that a stranger might have taken him for a tramping tinker. Like Morland, he had an unfortunate predilection for “signs,” under whose influence he was generally to be found. He would “keep it up to the last,” with his last shilling; and, like

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Armorial Bearing OF THE LORD OF THE MANOR OF Stoke Lyne, Oxfordshire.

Armorial Bearing OF THE LORD OF THE MANOR OF Stoke Lyne, Oxfordshire.

The above print , obligingly presented, is submitted to the reader, with the following in explanation— To the Editor. Sir ,—As I have taken in your Every-Day Book , and continue with the Table Book , I send you the subjoined account, which, perhaps, may be worth your consideration, and the engraved wood-block for your use. I remain your well-wisher, X. An Account of the Manor of Stoke Lyne in Oxfordshire, late the Property of the Earl and Countess of Shipbrook. The lord of the manor has a right,

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May-Day Dance in 1698.

May-Day Dance in 1698.

May-Day Dance in 1698. This engraving of the milkmaids’ garland, and the costume of themselves and their fiddler, at the close of the century before last, is from a print in “Mémoires, &amp;c. par un Voyageur en Angleterre,” an octavo volume, printed “à la Haye 1698,” wherein it is introduced by the author, Henry Misson, to illustrate a passage descriptive of the amusements of London at that time. His account of the usage is to the following effect:— On the first of May, and the five or six

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ISABELLA COLOUR.

ISABELLA COLOUR.

The archduke Albert married the infanta Isabella, daughter of Philip II. king of Spain, with whom he had the Low Countries in dowry. In the year 1602, he laid siege to Ostend, then in the possession of the heretics, and his pious princess, who attended him in that expedition, made a vow that till the city was taken she would never change her clothes. Contrary to expectation, it was three years before the place was reduced; in which time her highness’s linen had acquired a hue, which from the sup

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Garrick Plays. No. XV.

Garrick Plays. No. XV.

[From the “City Night-Cap,” a Tragi-Comedy, by Robert Davenport, 1651.] Lorenzo Medico suborns three Slaves to swear falsely to an adultery between his virtuous Wife Abstemia, and his Friend Philippo. They give their testimony before the Duke of Verona, and the Senators. Philippo, at an after-trial, challenges Lorenzo. Abstemia, decoyed to a Brothel in Milan, is attempted by the Duke’s Son. Undue praise declined. [From the “Conspiracy,” a Tragedy by Henry Killigrew, 1638. Author’s age 17.] The R

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THE GOOD CLERK.

THE GOOD CLERK.

He writeth a fair and swift hand, and is completely versed in the four first rules of Arithmetic, in the Rule of Three, (which is sometimes called the Golden Rule,) and in Practice. We mention these things, that we may leave no room for cavillers to say, that any thing essential hath been omitted in our definition; else, to speak the truth, these are but ordinary accomplishments, and such as every understrapper at a desk is commonly furnished with. The character we treat of soareth higher. He is

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Defoeana. No. I.

Defoeana. No. I.

I have now lying before me that curious book, by Daniel Defoe, “The complete English Tradesman.” The pompous detail, the studied analysis of every little mean art, every sneaking address, every trick and subterfuge (short of larceny) that is necessary to the tradesman’s occupation, with the hundreds of anecdotes, dialogues (in Defoe’s liveliest manner) interspersed, all tending to the same amiable purpose, namely, the sacrificing of every honest emotion of the soul to what he calls the main chan

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MANNERS OF A SPRUCE LONDON MERCER, AND HIS FEMALE CUSTOMER, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

MANNERS OF A SPRUCE LONDON MERCER, AND HIS FEMALE CUSTOMER, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Those who have never minded the conversation of a spruce Mercer, and a young Lady his Customer that comes to his shop, have neglected a scene of life that is very entertaining.—His business is to sell as much silk as he can, at a price by which he shall get what he proposes to be reasonable, according to the customary profits of the trade. As to the lady, what she would be at is to please her fancy, and buy cheaper by a groat or sixpence per yard than the things she wants are usually sold for. F

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CURING OF HERRINGS.

CURING OF HERRINGS.

From the Works of Thomas Nash, 1599. “It is to bee read, or to bee heard of, howe in the punie shipe or nonage of Cerdicke sandes, when the best houses and walles there were of mudde, or canvaze, or poldavies entiltments, a fisherman of Yarmouth, having drawne so many herrings hee wist not what to do with all, hung the residue, that hee could not sel nor spend, in the sooty roofe of his shad a drying; or say thus, his shad was a cabinet in decimo sexto , builded on foure crutches, and he had no

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Poetry.

Poetry.

For the Table Book. S. R. J....

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Varia.

Varia.

When Wilson the comedian made his début, it was in the character formerly supported by Shuter; but, upon his appearance on the stage, the audience called out for their former favourite, by crying, “Off, off— Shuter, Shuter! ” Whereon Wilson, turning round, and with a face as stupid as art could make it, and suiting his action to his words, replied, “ Shoot her, shoot her? ” (pointing at the same time to the female performer on the stage with him,) “I’m sure she does her part very well.” This wel

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OFFICE OF LORD HIGH ADMIRAL.

OFFICE OF LORD HIGH ADMIRAL.

Seal and Autograph of the Lord High Admiral, Charles Lord Howard of Effingham, 1585. OFFICE OF LORD HIGH ADMIRAL. An engraving of the great seal of Charles Lord Howard of Effingham, as high admiral of England, with another , his lordship’s autograph, are presented to the readers of the Table Book from the originals, before the Editor, affixed to a commission in the first year of that nobleman’s high office, granting to sir Edward Hoby, knight, the vice-admiralty of the hundred of Milton, in the

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Milton Hundred, Kent.

Milton Hundred, Kent.

Through a different source than that, whence the commission just set forth came to hand, the Editor has now before him various original papers formerly belonging to sir Edward Hoby, concerning his private and public concerns. The two following relate to the hundred of Milton. I. Articles of the Queene’s Majestie Lands belonging to the Mannor of Milton with ther yearly values as they wilbe letten, and of the other benefitts belonging to the same mannor, which are now letten by her Majestie in far

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Garrick Plays. No. XVI.

Garrick Plays. No. XVI.

[From “Tottenham Court,” a Comedy, by Thomas Nabbs, 1638.] Lovers Pursued. Worthgood, Bellamie, as travelling together before daylight. Bellamie, alone, in Marybone Park. Song, within. [From the “Duchess of Suffolk,” an Historical Play, by T. Heywood, 1631.] A Tragic Pursuit. The Duchess, with her little child, preparing to escape by night from the relentless persecution of the Romanists. ( A noise of Pursuers. She re-enters. ) The Duchess, persecuted from place to place, with Berty, her Husband

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Theatrical Customs.

Theatrical Customs.

To the Editor. Sir,—Conjecturing that some slight notices of the early use of play-bills by our comedians might be interesting to your readers, allow me respectfully to request the insertion of the following:— So early as 1587, there is an entry in the Stationers’ books of a license granted to John Charlewood, in the month of October, “by the whole consent of the assistants, for the onlye ymprinting of all maner of bills for players. Provided that if any trouble arise herebye, then Charlewoode t

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THE LINNET FANCY.

THE LINNET FANCY.

To the Editor of the Table Book. Of all the earthly things by which the brain of man is twisted and twirled, heated and cooled, fancy is the most powerful. Like a froward wife, she invariably leads him by the nose, and almost every man is in some degree ruled by her. One fancies a horse, another an ass—one a dog, another a rabbit—one’s delight is in dress, another’s in negligence—one is a lover of flowers, another of insects—one’s mind runs on a pigeon, another’s on a hawk—one fancies himself si

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Foundation of the LONDON UNIVERSITY.

Foundation of the LONDON UNIVERSITY.

On Monday, the 30th of April, 1827, his royal highness the duke of Sussex laid the foundation-stone of the London University. The spot selected for the building is situated at the end of Gower-street, and comprehends a very extensive piece of ground. The adjacent streets were crowded with passengers and carriages moving towards the place. The day was one of the finest of this fine season. The visiters, who were admitted by cards, were conducted to an elevated platform, which was so much inclined

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Syr Delaballe ande the Moncke. A LEGENDE OFFE TINMOUTHE PRIORIE.

Syr Delaballe ande the Moncke. A LEGENDE OFFE TINMOUTHE PRIORIE.

( For the Table Book. ) “O horrydde dede toe kylle a manne forre a pygges hede.” — Inscription. * * * * * * * * * * To the Editor. The legend of “Syr Delavalle and the Moncke” is “owre true a tale.” The stone syr Delavalle was compelled to erect in commemoration of this “horryd dede” is (or rather the shattered remains of its shaft are) still lying close to a neat farmhouse, called Monkhouse, supposed to be built on the identical spot on which the “flagellrie” was effected, and is often bent ove

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On Chatham Hill.

On Chatham Hill.

On Chatham Hill. This sketch , in the pocket-book of an artist, suddenly startled recollection to the April of my life—the season of sunshine hopes, and stormy fears—when each hour was a birth-time of thought, and every new scene was the birth-place of a new feeling. The drawing carried me back to an October morning in 1797, when I eagerly set off on an errand to Boughton-hill, near Canterbury, for the sake of seeing the country on that side of Chatham for the first time. The day was cloudy, wit

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GREENGROCERS’ DEVICES.

GREENGROCERS’ DEVICES.

For the Table Book. Dear Sir,—In my wanderings through the metropolis at this season, I observe an agreeable and refreshing novelty, an ingenious contrivance to make mustard and cress seeds grow in pleasant forms over vessels and basketwork, covered on their exterior with wet flannel, wherein the seeds are deposited, and take root and grow, to adorn the table or recess. The most curious which struck me, consisted of a “hedgehog”—a doll’s head looking out of its vernally-growing clothes—a “Jack i

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Garrick Plays. No. XVII.

Garrick Plays. No. XVII.

[From the “Parliament of Bees;” further Extracts.] Oberon. Flora, a Bee. Oberon holds a Court, in which he sentences the Wasp, the Drone, and the Humble-bee, for divers offences against the Commonwealth of Bees. Oberon. Prorex, his Viceroy; and other Bees. Oberon then confirms Prorex in his Government; and breaks up Session. [From “David and Bethsabe,” a Sacred Drama, by George Peel, 1599.] Nathan. David. C. L. [182] The hum of Bees....

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Dissertations on Doomsday.

Dissertations on Doomsday.

For the Table Book. Doomsday Book, one of the most ancient records of England, is the register from which judgment was to be given upon the value, tenure, and services of lands therein described. Other names by which it appears to have been known were Rotulus Wintoniæ, Scriptura Thesauri Regis, Liber de Wintonia, and Liber Regis. Sir Henry Spelman adds, Liber Judiciarius, Censualis Angliæ, Angliæ Notitia et Lustratio, and Rotulus Regis. The exact time of the Conqueror’s undertaking the Survey, i

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I. ANCIENT TENURE. II. MODERN ANECDOTE.

I. ANCIENT TENURE. II. MODERN ANECDOTE.

For the Table Book. The manor of Bilsington inferior was held in grand sergeantry in the reign of Edward III. by the service of presenting three maple cups at the king’s coronation and, at the time of the coronation of Charles II., by the additional service of carrying the last dish of the second course to the king’s table. The former service was performed by Thomas Rider, who was knighted (Mos pro Lege) by his late majesty George III., when the king, on receiving the maple cups from the lord of

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Zoology.

Zoology.

Mr. Joshua Brookes, the eminent anatomist, gave a lecture on Wednesday evening, the 25th of April, 1827, at the house of the Zoological Society, in Bruton-street, on the body of an ostrich which his majesty had presented to the society. The lecture was attended by lord Auckland, lord Stanley, Dr. Birkbeck, and several other noblemen and gentlemen distinguished for their devotion to the interests of science. The ostrich, which was a female, and had been presented to his majesty about two years be

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THE EVENING LARK.

THE EVENING LARK.

For the Table Book. In the evening, the body relaxed by the toil of the day, disposes the mind to quietness and contemplation. The eye, dimmed by close application to books or business, languishes for the greenness of the fields; the brain, clouded by the smoke and vapour of close rooms and crowded streets, droops for the fragrance of fresh breezes, and sweet smelling flowers. * * * * * * Urged by this feeling, I rambled along the Old Kent Road, making my way through the Saturnalian groups, coll

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THE VOICE OF SPRING.

THE VOICE OF SPRING.

Mrs. Hemans. Mrs. Hemans....

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MOTHERING SUNDAY.

MOTHERING SUNDAY.

For the Table Book. To the accounts in the Every-Day Book of the observance of Mid Lent , or “Mothering Sunday,” I would add, that the day is scrupulously observed in this city and neighbourhood; and, indeed, I believe generally in the western parts of England. The festival is kept here much in the same way as the 6th of January is with you: that day is passed over in silence with us. All who consider themselves dutiful children, or who wish to be so considered by others, on this day make presen

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Defoeana. No. II.

Defoeana. No. II.

I came into a public-house once in London, where there was a black Mulatto-looking man sitting, talking very warmly among some gentlemen, who I observed were listening very attentively to what he said; and I sat myself down, and did the like; ’twas with great pleasure I heard him discourse very handsomely on several weighty subjects; I found he was a very good scholar, had been very handsomely bred, and that learning and study was his delight; and more than that, some of the best of science was

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MANNERS OF A LONDON WATERMAN, AND HIS FARE, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

MANNERS OF A LONDON WATERMAN, AND HIS FARE, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

What I have said last [ of the Manners of a spruce London Mercer , [184] ] makes me think on another way of inviting customers, the most distant in the world from what I have been speaking of, I mean that which is practised by the watermen, especially on those whom by their mien and garb they know to be peasants. It is not unpleasant to see half a dozen people surround a man they never saw in their lives before, and two of them that can get the nearest, clapping each an arm over his neck, hug hi

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May.

May.

For the Table Book. On the first of May, the juvenile inhabitants of Skipton, in Craven, Yorkshire, have a similar custom to the one in general use on the first of April. Not content with making their companions fools on one day, they set apart another, to make them “May goslings ,” or geese. If a boy made any one a May gosling on the second of May, the following rhyme was said in reply:— This distich was also said, mutatis mutandis , on the second of April. The practice of making May goslings w

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NAVAL ANECDOTE.

NAVAL ANECDOTE.

During the siege of Acre, Daniel Bryan, an old seaman and captain of the fore-top, who had been turned over from the Blanche into sir Sidney Smith’s ship Le Tigré, repeatedly applied to be employed on shore; but, being an elderly man and rather deaf, his request was not acceded to. At the first storming of the breach by the French, one of their generals fell among the multitude of the slain, and the Turks, in triumph, struck off his head, and, after mangling the body with their sabres, left it a

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THE “RIGHT” LORD LOVAT.

THE “RIGHT” LORD LOVAT.

The following remarkable anecdote, communicated by a respectable correspondent, with his name and address, may be relied on as genuine. For the Table Book. An old man, claiming to be “the right lord Lovat,” i. e. heir to him who was beheaded in 1745, came to the Mansion-house in 1818 for advice and assistance. He was in person and face as much like the rebel lord, if one may judge from his pictures, as a person could be, and the more especially as he was of an advanced age. He said he had been t

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FAST-PUDDING. Extract from the Famous Historie of Friar Bacon. How Friar Bacon deceived his Man, that would fast for conscience sake.

FAST-PUDDING. Extract from the Famous Historie of Friar Bacon. How Friar Bacon deceived his Man, that would fast for conscience sake.

Friar Bacon had only one man to attend him; and he, too, was none of the wisest, for he kept him in charity more than for any service he had of him. This man of his, named Miles, never could endure to fast like other religious persons did; for he always had, in one corner or other, flesh, which he would eat, when his master eat bread only, or else did fast and abstain from all things. Friar Bacon seeing this, thought at one time or other to be even with him, which he did, one Friday, in this man

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CLERICAL ERRORS.

CLERICAL ERRORS.

The Rev. Mr. Alcock, of Burnsal, near Skipton, Yorkshire. Every inhabitant of Craven has heard tales of this eccentric person, and numberless are the anecdotes told of him. I have not the history of Craven, and cannot name the period of his death exactly, but I believe it happened between fifty and sixty years ago. He was a learned man and a wit—so much addicted to waggery, that he sometimes forgot his office, and indulged in sallies rather unbecoming a minister, but nevertheless he was a sincer

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REMARKABLE EPITAPH.

REMARKABLE EPITAPH.

For the Table Book. Frank Fry , of Christian Malford, Wilts, whose bones lie undisturbed in the church-yard of his native village, wrote for himself the following “ Epitaph. The worms have had, in Frank, a lusty subject—his epitaph is recorded only in the Table Book . *, *, P....

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A MODERN MYSTERY.

A MODERN MYSTERY.

To the Editor. Blackwall, April 13, 1827. Sir,—As I perceive you sometimes insert in your Table Book articles similar to the enclosed original printed Notice, you may perhaps think it worthy of a place in your amusing miscellany; if so, it is much at your service. I am, &amp;c. F. W. ( Literal Copy. ) NOTICE. Saturday 30 and on Sunday 31 of the corrent, in the Royal Theatre of St. Charles will be represented by the Italian Company the famous Holy Drama intitled IL TRIONFO DI GIUDITTA, O SIA

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ODD SIGN.

ODD SIGN.

For the Table Book. At West-end, near Skipton in Craven, Yorkshire, a gate hangs, as a sign to a public-house, with this inscription on it— J. W. Pair of Curious Old Snuffers Described on the next page ....

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SNUFFERS.

SNUFFERS.

Perhaps there is no implement of domestic use that we are less acquainted with, in its old form, than snuffers. I have now before me a pair, which for their antiquity and elegant workmanship seem worth attention: the engraving on the other side represents their exact size and construction. After some research, I can only meet with particulars of one other pair, which were found in digging the foundation of a granary, at the foot of a hill adjoining to Cotton Mansion-house, (formerly the seat of

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Garrick Plays. No. XVIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XVIII.

[From “David and Bethsabe:” further Extracts.] Absalon, rebelling. * * * * * * * * * * Absalon, triumphant. [From a “Looking Glass for England and London,” a Tragi-comedy, by Thomas Lodge and Robert Green, 1598.] Alvida, Paramour to Rasni, the Great King of Assyria, courts a petty King of Cilicia. ( She sings. ) ( She sings. ) [From “Tethys’ Festival,” by Samuel Daniel, 1610.] Song at a Court Masque. C. L. [186] Jove, for Jehovah....

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Scylla and Charybdis. Ancient and Present State.

Scylla and Charybdis. Ancient and Present State.

This Latin verse, which has become proverbial, is thus translated:— The line has been ascribed to Ovid; it is not, however, in that or any other classic poet, but has been derived from Philippe Gualtier, a modern French writer of Latin verses. Charybdis is a whirlpool in the straits of Messina, on the coast of Sicily, opposite to Scylla, a dangerous rock on the coast of Italy. The danger to which mariners were exposed by the whirlpool is thus described by Homer in Pope’s translation: Virgil imag

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A FRAGMENT.

A FRAGMENT.

From Cornelius May’s “Journey To The Greate Markett at Olympus”—“Seven Starrs of Witte.” * * * * * * * *...

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DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND: OR, MANNERS OF LONDON MERCHANTS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND: OR, MANNERS OF LONDON MERCHANTS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Decio, a man of great figure, that had large commissions for sugar from several parts beyond sea, treats about a considerable parcel of that commodity with Alcander, an eminent West India merchant; both understood the market very well, but could not agree. Decio was a man of substance, and thought nobody ought to buy cheaper than himself. Alcander was the same, and not wanting money, stood for his price. Whilst they were driving their bargain at a tavern near the Exchange, Alcander’s man brought

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CHILTERN HUNDREDS.

CHILTERN HUNDREDS.

The acceptance of this office, or stewardship, vacates a seat in parliament, but without any emolument or profit. Chiltern is a ridge of chalky hills crossing the county of Bucks, a little south of the centre, reaching from Tring in Hertfordshire to Henly in Oxford. This district belongs to the crown, and from time immemorial has given title to the nominal office of stewards of the Chiltern hundreds. Of this office, as well as the manor of East Hundred, in Berks, it is remarkable, that although

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THE PITMAN.

THE PITMAN.

For the Table Book. Old Pit Song. Gentle Reader,—Whilst thou sittest toasting thy feet at the glowing fuel in thy grate, watching in dreaming unconsciousness the various shapes and fantastic forms appearing and disappearing in the bright, red heat of thy fire—here a beautiful mountain, towering with its glowing top above the broken and diversified valley beneath—there a church, with its pretty spire peeping above an imagined village; or, peradventure, a bright nob, assuming the ken of human like

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THE NORTHERN STAR.

THE NORTHERN STAR.

[190] Tynemouth-castle, the grounds of which are used as a cemetery....

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British Mines.

British Mines.

For the Table Book. Mines of gold and silver, sufficient to reward the conqueror, were found in Mexico and Peru; but the island of Britain never produced enough of the precious metals to compensate the invader for the trouble of slaughtering our ancestors. Camden mentions gold and silver mines in Cumberland, a mine of silver in Flintshire, and of gold in Scotland. Speaking of the copper mines of Cumberland, he says that veins of gold and silver were found intermixed with the common ore; and in t

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Angling

Angling

For the Table Book. Thames Ditton is a pretty little village, delightfully situated on the banks of the Thames, between Kingston and Hampton Court palace. During the summer and autumn, it is the much-frequented resort of the followers of Isaac Walton’s tranquil occupation. The Swan inn, only a few paces from the water’s edge, remarkable for the neatness and comfort of its appearance, and for the still more substantial attractions of its internal accommodation, is kept by Mr. John Locke, a most c

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THE CLERKS OF CORNWALL.

THE CLERKS OF CORNWALL.

1. In the last age there was a familiarity between the parson and the clerk and the people, which our feelings of decorum would revolt at, e. g. —“I have seen the ungodly flourish like a green bay tree.”—“How can that be, maister?” said the clerk of St. Clement’s. Of this I was myself an ear-witness. 2. At Kenwyn, two dogs, one of which was the parson’s, were fighting at the west-end of the church; the parson, who was then reading the second lesson, rushed out of the pew, and went down and parte

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Custom OBSERVED BY THE LORD LIEUTENANTS OF IRELAND.

Custom OBSERVED BY THE LORD LIEUTENANTS OF IRELAND.

On the great road from London to West Chester, we find, at the principal inns, the coats of arms of several lord lieutenants of Ireland, framed, and hung up in the best rooms. At the bottom of these armorial pictures (as I may call them) is a full display of all the titles of the party, together with the date of the year when each viceroyship commenced. I have often inquired the reason of this custom, but never could procure a satisfactory answer. I do not reprobate the idea of this relique of a

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THE BACHELOR’S PLAINT. An Ode of the olden Time.

THE BACHELOR’S PLAINT. An Ode of the olden Time.

W. T. M. May, 1827....

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BRUMMELLIANA.

BRUMMELLIANA.

A great deal used to be said of Beau Nash and his witticisms; but certainly we never met with any thing of his which was at all equal to the oracular sentences of the gentleman who gives a name to this article. Of all the beaux that ever flourished—at least, of all that ever flourished on the same score—exemplary of waistcoat, and having authoritative boots from which there was no appeal—he appears to us to have been the only one who made a proper and perfect union of the coxcombical and ingenio

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The Crooked Billet, on Penge Common.

The Crooked Billet, on Penge Common.

The Crooked Billet, on Penge Common. Friday, May, — 1827. I had appointed this morning with my friend W. for a visit to the gallery of paintings at Dulwich College; and he was to obtain from a printseller an admission ticket, and bring it with him. He came furnished with the ticket, but as the ticket provided that the public were not to be admitted on a Friday, our seeing the pictures was out of the question. Neither of us, however, was in a humour to be disappointed of a holiday; we therefore s

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Witchcraft.

Witchcraft.

To the Editor. Witherslack, near Milnthorpe, Westmoreland. Sir,—I think you have not celebrated in the Every-Day Book the virtues of the mountain ash, or as it is called in the northern counties, the Wiggen Tree .—Its anti-witching properties are there held in very high esteem. No witch will come near it; and it is believed that the smallest twig, which might cross the path of one of these communers with the powers of darkness, would as effectually stop her career, however wild it might be, or h

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A PARTICULAR DIRECTION.

A PARTICULAR DIRECTION.

A few months ago a letter, bearing the following curious superscription, was put into the post-office in Manchester:—“For Mr. Colwell that Keeps the Shop in Back Anderson-st. to Bee Gave to Jack Timlen that Keeps the pigs in his own Sellar in Back Anderson-st. the irish man that has the Large family that bgs the mail from Mr. Colwell and milk to Bolton.” [195] [195] Bolton Express....

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Garrick Plays. No. XIX.

Garrick Plays. No. XIX.

[From the “Silver Age,” an Historical Play, by Thomas Heywood, 1613.] Proserpine seeking Flowers. Ceres, after the Rape of her Daughter. She questions Triton for her Daughter. She questions the Earth. Arethusa riseth. [From the “Golden Age,” an Historical Play, by the same Author, 1611.] Sibilla, the Wife of Saturn, is by him enjoined to slay the new-born Jupiter. None can do it for his smiles. Sibilla. Vesta. Nurse. C. L. [196] The car of Dis. [197] Proserpine; who was also Luna in Heaven, Dian

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THE FIRST BUTTERFLY.

THE FIRST BUTTERFLY.

One of the superstitions prevailing in Devonshire is, that any individual neglecting to kill the first butterfly he may see for the season will have ill-luck throughout the year. The following recent example is given by a young lady:—“The other Sunday, as we were walking to church, we met a man running at full speed, with his hat in one hand, and a stick in the other. As he passed us, he exclaimed, ‘I sha’n’t hat’en now, I b’lieve.’ He did not give us time to inquire what he was so eagerly pursu

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KING JAMES I. AT DURHAM.

KING JAMES I. AT DURHAM.

To the Editor. Sir,—If you think the subjoined worthy of a place in your Table Book , I shall feel glad to see it. I believe it has never been in print; it is copied from an entry in one of the old corporation books. Yours, very truly, M. J. Durham, May, 1827. The Manner of the Kinges Majesty coming to the Cittie of Durham, Anno Dom. 1617, as followeth. Upon Good Friday, being the 18th of April, 1617, Mr. Heaborne, one of his majesties gentlemen ushers spoke to George Walton, Maior, that it was

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MARCH OF INTELLECT.

MARCH OF INTELLECT.

Every intelligent mind of right reflection accords its wishes for general enlightenment. It appears, from a fashionable miscellany, that a late distinguished writer expressed himself to that effect; the following are extracts from the article referred to. They contain, in the sequel, a forcible opinion on the tendency of the present general diffusion of literature.— Maturin’s opinions of poetry, as of every thing else, were to be inferred rather than gathered. It was very difficult to draw him i

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Old London Cries, No. II.

Old London Cries, No. II.

“Sixpence a pound, fair cherries!” “Troop, every one!” Old London Cries , No. II. We have here a print of the cherry-woman of a hundred years ago, when cherries were so little grown, that the popular street cry was double the price of the present day. Readers of the Every-Day Book may remember the engraving of the “London barrow-woman,” with her cherry-cry—“round and sound”—the cherry-woman (that was ) of our own times—the recollection of whose fine person, and melodious voice, must recur to eve

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MR. HOBDAY’S GALLERY. No. 54, Pall-mall.

MR. HOBDAY’S GALLERY. No. 54, Pall-mall.

In addition to the associations for the exhibition and sale of pictures by living artists, Mr. Hobday opened an establishment on the 21st of May for the same purpose, adjoining the British Institution, This gentleman is known to the public as a respectable portrait painter, with a taste for art entitled to consideration for his present spirited endeavour in its behalf. In this exhibition there are performances of distinguished merit by several eminent artists. The Upas, or poison-tree of Java, b

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Topography.

Topography.

For the Table Book. Denton-castle, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and on the north-west side of Otley, was once the seat of the parliament’s general, Fairfax, and came to the present family of Ibbetson by relationship. Prince Rupert in passing by it on his march into Lancashire, in order to assist the king’s troops in that quarter, was about to raze it, but going into the house, he observed the pictures of the Manners and the Villiers, Fairfax’s ancestors, and out of good will towards them he

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PRONUNCIATION.

PRONUNCIATION.

The difficulty of applying rules to the pronunciation of our language may be illustrated in two lines, where the combination of the letters ough , is pronounced in no less than seven different ways, viz. as o , uf , of , up , ow , oo , and ock . For the Table Book....

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EMIGRATION OF THE ROOKS FROM CARLTON GARDENS, 1827.

EMIGRATION OF THE ROOKS FROM CARLTON GARDENS, 1827.

Cowper. T. T. [200] Pleasures of Hope...

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MUSIC AND ANIMALS.

MUSIC AND ANIMALS.

Bonaventure d’Argonne says, “Doubting the truth of those who say it is natural for us to love music, especially the sounds of instruments, and that beasts are touched with it, I one day, being in the country, endeavoured to determine the point; and, while a man was playing on the trump marine, made my observations on a cat, a dog, a horse, an ass, a hind, cows, small birds, and a cock and hens, who were in a yard, under a window on which I was leaning. I did not perceive that the cat was the lea

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IRISHMEN ON A HOLIDAY.

IRISHMEN ON A HOLIDAY.

When they met at a “pattern,” (patron, perhaps,) or merry-making, the lively dance of the girls, and the galloping jig-note of the bagpipes, usually gave place to the clattering of alpeens, and the whoops of onslaught; when one of them sold his pig, or, under Providence, his cow, at the fair, the kicking up of a “scrimmage,” or at least the plunging head foremost into one, was as much matter of course as the long draughts of ale or whiskey that closed his mercantile transaction. At the village h

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LONDON HOLIDAYS.

LONDON HOLIDAYS.

Holidays, like all other natural and lively things, are good things; and the abuse does not argue against the use. They serve to keep people in mind that there is a green and glad world, as well as a world of brick and mortar and money-getting. They remind them disinterestedly of one another, or that they have other things to interchange besides bills and commodities. If it were not for holidays and poetry, and such like stumbling blocks to square-toes, there would be no getting out of the way o

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THE HUSBANDMEN OF HINDU.

THE HUSBANDMEN OF HINDU.

They are generally termed Koonbees, and on the whole they are better informed than the lower classes of our own countrymen; they certainly far surpass them in propriety and orderliness of demeanour. They are mild and unobtrusive in their manners, and quickly shrink from any thing like an opposite behaviour in others. Litigation is not a marked part of their character. They are forgetful of injury; or if they harbour animosity, they are seldom hurried by it into acts of violence or cruelty. Custo

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ROUND ROBIN.

ROUND ROBIN.

It was customary among the ancients to write names, whether of the gods, or of their friends, in a circle, that none might take offence at seeing another’s name preferred to his own. The Cordeliers have formerly been known to have paid the same attention to delicacy, and when a pope has demanded the names of some priests of their order, that one might be raised to the purple, they have sent those names written circularly, that they might not seem to recommend one more than another. The race of s

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NAMES.

NAMES.

Toward the middle of the fifteenth century, it was the fancy of the wits and learned men of the age, particularly in Italy, to change their baptismal names for classical ones. As Sannazarius, for instance, who altered his own plain name “Jacopo” to “Actius Syncerus.” Numbers did the same, and among the rest, Platina the historian, at Rome, who, not without a solemn ceremonial, took the name of “Callimachus,” instead of “Philip.” Pope Paul II., who reigned about that time, unluckily chanced to be

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A SEA BULL.

A SEA BULL.

An Irishman, who served on board a man of war in the capacity of a waister, was selected by one of the officers to haul in a tow-line of considerable length, which was towing over the tafrail. After rowsing in forty or fifty fathoms, which had put his patience severely to proof, as well as every muscle of his arms, he muttered to himself, “Sure, it’s as long as to day and to-morrow! It’s a good week’s work for any five in the ship!—Bad luck to the arm or leg it’ll leave me at last!—What! more of

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CHEERFUL FUNERAL.

CHEERFUL FUNERAL.

Lodovick Cortusius, an eminent lawyer, who died at Padua on the 15th of July, 1518, when upon his death-bed forbad his relations to shed tears at his funeral, and even put his heir under a heavy penalty if he neglected to perform his orders. On the other hand, he ordered musicians, singers, pipers, and fiddlers, of all kinds, to supply the place of mourners, and directed that fifty of them should walk before his corpse with the clergymen, playing upon their several instruments; for this service

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ANECDOTE. Charles I. and Parliaments.

ANECDOTE. Charles I. and Parliaments.

Mr. Pye, the late poet laureate, in his “Sketches,” says, “When I was at Oxford, my tutor having the revisal of some papers relative to the civil war, (I know not if they have been published,) showed me a letter from one of the king’s secretaries, with remarks on the margin in the king’s own handwriting. One expression particularly struck me, as seeming to show his determination to lay aside the use of parliaments. The paper was a circular request to some of the counties for their pecuniary assi

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THE YANKEE CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.

THE YANKEE CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.

For the Table Book. Sam Sam’s Son...

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Bridge on the Road to Beckenham.

Bridge on the Road to Beckenham.

Bridge on the Road to Beckenham. * On our way from Penge, [204] W. thought this object worth sketching. He occupied himself with his pencil, and I amused myself with dropping grains of dust among a fleet of tadpoles on the yellow sands, and watching their motions; a few inches from them, in a clearer shallow, lay a shoal of stickle-backs as on their Dogger-bank: a thread and a blood-worm, and the absence of my friend, and of certain feelings in behalf of the worms, would have afforded me excelle

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Garrick Plays. No. XX.

Garrick Plays. No. XX.

[From “Bussy D’Ambois his Revenge,” a Tragedy, by George Chapman, 1613.] Apparitions before the Body’s Death Scotice , Second Sight . [From “Satiromastix,” a Comedy, by Thomas Decker, 1602: in which Ben Jonson, under the name of Horace, is reprehended, in retaliation of his “Poetaster;” in which he had attacked two of his Brother Dramatists, probably Marston and Decker, under the names of Crispinus and Demetrius.] [From the “Antipodes,” a Comedy, by Richard Brome, 1633.] C. L....

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THE DIVER OF CHARYBDIS.

THE DIVER OF CHARYBDIS.

To the Editor. Sir,—Mr. Brydone, in the quotations you have made, [205] appears to doubt the accuracy of the stories relating to Charybdis. I never recollect to have heard mention of the name of Colus, but apprehend he was the same as the famous Sicilian diver, Nicolo Pesce. Associated with Charybdis, some notice of this extraordinary man may not be uninteresting. The authenticity of this account depends entirely on the authority of Kircher. He assures us, he had it from the archives of the king

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COUNTRY LITTLE KNOWN.

COUNTRY LITTLE KNOWN.

We have to inform the public of a remarkable discovery, which, though partially disclosed by former travellers, has still remained, for the most part, a strange secret. It is this;—that there is actually, at this present moment, and in this our own beautiful country of Great Britain, a large tract of territory, which to nine hundred and ninety-nine thousandths of our beloved countrymen is as much an undiscovered land as the other end of New South Wales, or the Pole which they have gone to find o

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SPECTROLOGY. A Remarkable Narrative.

SPECTROLOGY. A Remarkable Narrative.

Nicolai, the celebrated German bookseller, a member of the royal society of Berlin, presented to that institution a memoir on the subject of a complaint with which he was affected, and one of the singular consequences of which was, the representation of various spectres. M. Nicolai for some years had been subject to a congestion in the head, and was blooded frequently for it by leeches. After a detailed account of the state of his health, on which he grounds much medical as well as psychological

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The Porch of Beckenham Church-yard.

The Porch of Beckenham Church-yard.

The Porch of Beckenham Church-yard. * Over the wickets to many of the church-yards in Kent is a shed, or covered way, of ancient structure, used as a resting-place for funerals, and for the shelter of the corpse until the minister arrives to commence the service for the dead. This at Beckenham is one of the most perfect in the county: the footway beyond, to the great entrance-door of the church, is canopied by a grove of trees, “sad sociate to graves.” These old church-yard buildings, now only s

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THE WHITE LADY. A romantic and true Anecdote.

THE WHITE LADY. A romantic and true Anecdote.

At Nottingham, a year or two ago, Sophia Hyatt, in consequence of extreme deafness, was accidentally run over by a carrier’s cart, at the entrance of the Maypole inn-yard, and unfortunately killed. She had arrived that morning in a gig from Newstead Papplewick, or somewhere in that neighbourhood, and had been, for the three or four preceding years, a lodger in one of the farm-houses belonging to colonel Wildman, at Newstead Abbey. No one knew exactly from whence she came, nor what were her conne

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DUELS.

DUELS.

Duelling in England was carried to its greatest possible excess in the reigns of James I. and of the two Charles’s. In the reign of the latter Charles, the seconds always fought as well as their principals; and as they were chosen for their courage and adroitness, their combats were generally the most fatal. Lord Howard, of Carlisle, in the reign of Charles II., gave a grand fête champêtre at Spring Gardens, near the village of Charing, the Vauxhall of that day. This fête was to facilitate an in

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ANSWER TO A CHALLENGE.

ANSWER TO A CHALLENGE.

At a late meeting under a commission of bankruptcy, at Andover, between Mr. Fleet and Mr. Mann , both respectable solicitors of that town, some disagreement arose, which ended in the former sending the latter a challenge, to which the following answer was returned. To Kingston Fleet, Esq. Andover, July 24, 1826. [208] Mr. Fleet is a batchelor....

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Prolific Writers.

Prolific Writers.

The copiousness and the multiplicity of the writings of many authors, have shown that too many find a pleasure in the act of composition, which they do not communicate to others. Great erudition and every-day application is the calamity of that voluminous author, who, without good sense, and what is more rare, without that exquisite judgment which we call good taste is always prepared to write on any subject, but at the same time on no one reasonably. We are astonished at the fertility and the s

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WILLIAM PRYNNE.

WILLIAM PRYNNE.

Prynne seldom dined: every three or four hours he munched a manchet, and refreshed his exhausted spirits with ale brought to him by his servant; and when “he was put into this road of writing,” as Anthony à Wood telleth, he fixed on “a long quilted cap, which came an inch over his eyes, serving as an umbrella to defend them from too much light;” and then, hunger nor thirst did he experience, save that of his voluminous pages. Prynne has written a library, amounting, perhaps, to nearly two hundre

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FRENCH PAMPHLETEER.

FRENCH PAMPHLETEER.

One Catherinot all his life was printing a countless number of feuilles volantes in history and on antiquities; each consisting of about three or four leaves in quarto: Lenglet du Fresnoy calls him “Grand auteur des petits livres.” This gentleman liked to live among antiquaries and historians; but with a crooked head-piece, stuck with whims, and hard with knotty combinations, all overloaded with prodigious erudition, he could not ease it at a less rate than by an occasional dissertation of three

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LOVE’S PROGRESS OF A TOBACCONIST.

LOVE’S PROGRESS OF A TOBACCONIST.

For the Table Book. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sam Sam’s Son....

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THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

The title of chancellor originated with the Romans. It was adopted by the church, and became a half ecclesiastic, and half lay office. The chancellor was intrusted with all public instruments which were authenticated; and when seals came into use, the custody of them was confided to that officer. The mere delivery of the king’s great seal, or the taking it away, is all the ceremony that is used in creating or unmaking a chancellor, the officer of the greatest weight and power subsisting in the k

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Anonymiana.

Anonymiana.

Sir Thomas More, when at the bar, is said to have undertaken only such causes as appeared just to his conscience, and never to have accepted a fee from a widow, orphan, or poor person; yet he acquired by his practice the considerable sum, in those days, of four hundred pounds per annum. When he rose to the height of his profession, his diligence was so great, that one day being in court he called for the next cause, on which it was answered, that there were no more suits in chancery. This made a

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THE CHILD OF MIGHT.

THE CHILD OF MIGHT.

For the Table Book. J. J. K....

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The old Water Carrier.

The old Water Carrier.

The old Water Carrier. This is another of the criers of a hundred years ago, and, it seems, he cried “ New-River water.” The cry is scarce, though scarcely extinct, in the environs of London. I well remember the old prejudices of old-fashioned people in favour of water brought to the door, and their sympathy with the complaints of the water-bearer. “Fresh and fair new River-water! none of your pipe sludge!” vociferated the water-bearer. “Ah dear!” cried his customers, “Ah dear! Well, what’ll the

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Garrick Plays. No. XXI.

Garrick Plays. No. XXI.

[From Sir Richard Fanshaw’s Translation of “Querer Por Solo Querer”—“To love for love’s sake”—a Romantic Drama, written in Spanish by Mendoza: 1649.] Felisbravo, Prince of Persia, from a Picture sent him of the brave Amazonian Queen of Tartary, Zelidaura, becoming enamoured, sets out for that realm; in his way thither disenchants a Queen of Araby; but first, overcome by fatigue, falls asleep in the Enchanted Grove, where Zelidaura herself coming by, steals the Picture from him. The passion of th

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THE STUART PAPERS, In Possession of the King.

THE STUART PAPERS, In Possession of the King.

In the year 1817 the public, or, more correctly speaking, the English public at Rome, were much excited by the report of a very singular discovery. The largest and the most interesting collection of papers relating to the Stuart family, probably existing, was suddenly recovered. The circumstances connected with the discovery are curious. Dr. W., whose residence on the continent for many years had been unceasingly devoted to every species of research which could tend to throw light on the antiqui

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THE PLANETS.

THE PLANETS.

To assist the mind in framing a conception of the magnitude and relative distances of the primary planets, let us have recourse to the following method. The dome of St. Paul’s is 145 feet in diameter. Suppose a globe of this size to represent the Sun; then a globe of 9 7 ⁄ 10 inches will represent Mercury; one of 17 9 ⁄ 10 inches, Venus; one of 18 inches, the Earth; one of 5 inches diameter, the Moon, (whose distance from the earth is 240,000 miles;) one of 10 inches, Mars; one of 15 feet, Jupit

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ACCOUNT OF THE BEE-EATER Of Selborne, Hampshire.

ACCOUNT OF THE BEE-EATER Of Selborne, Hampshire.

By the Rev. Gilbert White , 1789. We had in this village, more than twenty years ago, an idiot boy, whom I well remember, who, from a child, showed a strong propensity to bees: they were his food, his amusement, his sole object; and as people of this cast have seldom more than one point in view, so this lad exerted all his few faculties on this one pursuit. In the winter he dosed away his time, within his father’s house, by the fire-side, in a kind of torpid state, seldom departing from the chim

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Poor’s-Box in Cawston Church, Norfolk.

Poor’s-Box in Cawston Church, Norfolk.

Poor’s-Box in Cawston Church, Norfolk. Before the Reformation, says Anthony à Wood, “in every church was a poor man’s box, but I never remembered the use of it; nay, there was one at great inns, as I remember it was, before the wars.” Poor-boxes are often mentioned in the twelfth century. At that period pope Innocent III. extended papal power to an inordinate height; absolved subjects from allegiance to their sovereigns; raised crusades throughout Europe for the recovery of the holy sepulchre; l

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Poetry.

Poetry.

C. Lamb. New Monthly Magazine, June 1, 1827. The poet of “The Sofa,” when “in merry pin,” trifled pleasantly. As an instance of his manner, there remains the following Letter to the Rev. J. Newton . July 12, 1781. My very dear Friend,—I am going to send, what, when you have read, you may scratch your head, and say, I suppose there’s nobody knows, whether what I have got, be verse or not; by the tune or the time, it ought to be rhyme; but if it be, did you ever see, of late or of yore, such a dit

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HIGHLAND DEER AND SHEEP.

HIGHLAND DEER AND SHEEP.

“ The last Deer of Beann Doran. ” A note to a poem, with this title, by John Hay Allan, Esq., relates, that in former times the barony of Glen Urcha was celebrated for the number and the superior race of its deer. When the chieftains relinquished their ancient character and their ancient sports, and sheep were introduced into the country, the want of protection, and the antipathy of the deer to the intruding animals, gradually expelled the former from the face of the country, and obliged them to

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HIGHLAND MEALS.

HIGHLAND MEALS.

Among the peculiarities of highland manners is an avowed contempt for the luxuries of the table. A highland hunter will eat with a keen appetite and sufficient discrimination: but, were he to stop in any pursuit, because it was meal time, to growl over a bad dinner, or visibly exult over a good one, the manly dignity of his character would be considered as fallen for ever. [218] [218] Mrs. Grant....

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TREAD MILLS.

TREAD MILLS.

At Lewes, each prisoner walks at the rate of 6,600 feet in ascent per day; at Ipswich, 7,450; at St. Alban’s, 8,000; at Bury, 8,650; at Cambridge, 10,176; at Durham, 12,000; at Brixton, Guildford, and Reading, the summer rate exceeds 13,000; while at Warwick, the summer rate is about 17,000 feet in ten hours. [219] [219] The Times....

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Extraordinary ORAN-OUTANG, The Wild Man of the Woods.

Extraordinary ORAN-OUTANG, The Wild Man of the Woods.

The largest and most remarkable oran-outang ever seen by Europeans, was discovered by an officer of the ship Mary Anne Sophia, in the year 1824, at a place called Ramboon, near Touromon, on the west coast of Sumatra. When the officer alluded to first saw the animal, he assembled his people, and followed him to a tree in a cultivated spot, on which he took refuge. His walk was erect and waddling, but not quick, and he was obliged occasionally to accelerate his motion with his hands; but with a bo

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A LITTLE LEARNING — “not a dangerous thing.”

A LITTLE LEARNING — “not a dangerous thing.”

Mr. Thomas Campbell having been chosen lord rector of the university of Glasgow, made his inaugural speech on the 12th of April, 1827, wherein are the following estimable remarks on desultory attainments:— “In comparing small learned acquisitions with none at all, it appears to me to be equally absurd to consider a little learning valueless, or even dangerous, as some will have it, as to talk of a little virtue, a little wealth, or health, or cheerfulness, or a little of any other blessing under

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FIGURES, AND NUMBERS.

FIGURES, AND NUMBERS.

Respecting the origin of the numeral figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, there are various opinions, but the one most generally received is, that they were brought into Europe from Spain; that the Spaniards received them from the Moors, the Moors from the Arabians, and the Arabians from the Indians. Bishop Huet, however, thinks it improbable that the Arabians received figures from the Indians, but, on the contrary, that the Indians obtained them from the Arabians, and the Arabians from the Grecia

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Omniana.

Omniana.

This individual, many years deceased, was a most remarkable man in his circle; a great natural genius, which employed itself upon trivial or not generally interesting matters. He deserved to have been known better than he was. The last years of his life he resided at Bristol. He was a great Persian scholar, and published some translations of the poets of that nation, which were well worthy perusal. He was self-taught, and had patience and perseverance for any thing. He was somewhat eccentric, bu

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Notice TO THE CHANCE CUSTOMERS OF THE COMPANY OF FLYING STATIONERS.

Notice TO THE CHANCE CUSTOMERS OF THE COMPANY OF FLYING STATIONERS.

Formerly there was a numerous class who believed every thing they saw in print. It is just possible that a few of these persuadable persons may survive; I therefore venture to remark, that my name printed on the squibs now crying about the streets is a forgery. W. HONE. June 8, 1827....

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Beckenham Church, Kent.

Beckenham Church, Kent.

Beckenham Church, Kent. The parish of Beckenham lends its name to the hundred, which is in the lath of Sutton-at-Hone. It is ten miles from London, two miles north from Bromley, and, according to the last census, contains 196 houses and 1180 inhabitants. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s books at 6 l. 18 s. 9 d . The church is dedicated to St. George. —Beyond “Chaffinch’s River” there is an enticing field-path to Beckenham, but occasional sights of noble trees kept us along the high r

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GONE or GOING.

GONE or GOING.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Elia. [223] Who sat up with him. [224] I have this fact from Parental tradition only. [225] Death lengthens people to the eye....

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Scottish Legends.

Scottish Legends.

The scenery and legend of Mr. James Hay Allan’s poem, “The Bridal of Caölchairn,” are derived from the vicinity of Cruachan, (or Cruachan-Beinn,) a mountain 3390 feet above the level of the sea, situated at the head of Loch Awe, a lake in Argyleshire. The poem commences with the following lines: the prose illustrations are from Mr. Allan’s descriptive notes. Inishail, the name of one of the islands in Loch Awe, signifies in Gaëlic “the lovely isle.” It is not at present so worthy of this appella

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MY ARM-CHAIR.

MY ARM-CHAIR.

For the Table Book. In my humble opinion an arm-chair is far superior to a sofa; for although I bow to Cowper’s judgment, (who assigned the superiority to the sofa,) yet we must recollect that it was in compliance with the request of a fair lady that he chose that subject for praise: he might have eulogized in equal terms an arm-chair, had he consulted his own feelings and appreciation of comfort. I acknowledge the “soft recumbency of outstretched limbs,” so peculiar to the sofa—the opportunity

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Garrick’s Plays. No. XXII.

Garrick’s Plays. No. XXII.

[From “Querer Por Solo Querer:” concluded from last Number .] Address to Solitude. Song in praise of the Same. Unwilling to love again. Loving without hope. The True Absence in Love. To a Warrioress. All mischiefs reparable but a lost Love. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. C. L. [229] Claridiana, the Enchanted Queen, speaks this, and the following speech. [230] Claridoro, rival to Felisbravo, speaks this. [231] Addressed to Zelidaura. [232] Sole

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WELSH WEDDINGS.

WELSH WEDDINGS.

From a Lady—To the Editor. Sir,—If a brief account of the manner of celebrating marriage in some parts of Wales should afford entertainment to your readers, I shall feel gratified. The early part of my life was spent at a village in the mountainous part of Glamorganshire, called Myrther Tidvel. Since then it has become a considerable place for the manufactory of iron, and I expect both the manners and inhabitants are much changed: the remembrance of its rural and lovely situation, and of the sim

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CUMBERLAND WEDDINGS.

CUMBERLAND WEDDINGS.

In Cumberland, and some other parts of the north of England, they have a custom called a “bridewain,” or the public celebration of a wedding. A short time after a match is entered into, the parties give notice of it; in consequence of which the whole neighbourhood, for several miles round, assemble at the bridegroom’s house, and join in various pastimes of the county. This meeting resembles the wakes or revels celebrated in other places; and a plate or bowl is fixed in a convenient place, where

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A GOOD EXCUSE.

A GOOD EXCUSE.

In the Court of Session in Scotland, the judges who do not attend, or give a proper excuse for their absence, are, by law, liable to a fine; but it is common, on the first day of the session, for the absentee to send an excuse to the lord president. Lord Stonefield having sent such an excuse, on the president mentioning it, the late lord justice clerk Braxfield said, in his broad dialect, “What excuse can a stout fallow like him hae?” “My lord,” said the president, “he has lost his wife.” The ju

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EARLY RISING.

EARLY RISING.

Buffon rose always with the sun, and he used often to tell by what means he had accustomed himself to get out of bed so early. “In my youth,” said he, “I was very fond of sleep; it robbed me of a great deal of my time; but my poor Joseph (his domestic) was of great service in enabling me to overcome it. I promised to give Joseph a crown every time that he could make me get up at six. The next morning he did not fail to awake and torment me, but he received only abuse. The day after he did the sa

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PUNCTUALITY. “A Quarter before.”

PUNCTUALITY. “A Quarter before.”

Industry is of little avail, without a habit of very easy acquirement—punctuality: on this jewel the whole machinery of successful industry may be said to turn. When lord Nelson was leaving London on his last, but glorious, expedition against the enemy, a quantity of cabin furniture was ordered to be sent on board his ship. He had a farewell dinner party at his house; and the upholsterer having waited upon his lordship, with an account of the completion of the goods, he was brought into the dini

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Reading the Newspaper.

Reading the Newspaper.

Reading the Newspaper. A venerable old man is, as the reader of a newspaper, still more venerable; for his employment implies that nature yet lives in him;—that he is anxious to learn how much better the world is on his leaving it, than it was when he came into it. When he reads of the meddlings of overlegislation, he thinks of “good old times,” and feels with the poet— He reads of proposals for extending the poor-laws to one part of the United Kingdom not yet cursed with that sure and certain m

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Garrick Plays. No. XXIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXIII.

[From the “Downfall of Robert, Earl of Huntingdon,” an Historical Play, by T. Heywood, 1601.] Chorus; Skelton, the Poet. Robin recounts to Marian the pleasures of a forest life. Scarlet recounts to Scathlock the pleasures of an Outlaw’s life. Fitzwater, banished, seeking his daughter Matilda (Robin’s Marian) in the forest of Sherwood, makes his complaint. He discovers Robin Hood sleeping; Marian strewing flowers over him. Feigns himself blind, to try if she will know him. A Judgment. A Wicked

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The Drama.

The Drama.

The following communication from “a-matter-of-fact” correspondent, controverts an old dramatist’s authority on an historical point. It should be recollected, however, that poets have large license, and that few playwrights strictly adhere to facts without injury to poetical character and feeling. The letter is curious, and might suggest an amusing parallel in the manner of Plutarch, between the straightforward character and the poetical one. To the Editor. Sir,—Having been in the country during

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A GROVE The Formation of one with a View to the Picturesque.

A GROVE The Formation of one with a View to the Picturesque.

The prevailing character of a grove is beauty ; fine trees are lovely objects; a grove is an assemblage of them; in which every individual retains much of its own peculiar elegance; and whatever it loses is transferred to the superior beauty of the whole. To a grove, therefore, which admits of endless variety in the disposition of the trees, differences in their shapes and their greens are seldom very important, and sometimes they are detrimental. Strong contrasts scatter trees which are thinly

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GROVES AND HIGH PLACES.

GROVES AND HIGH PLACES.

The heathens considered it unlawful to build temples, because they thought no temple spacious enough for the sun. Hence the saying, Mundus universus est templum solis , “The whole world is a temple of the sun.” Thus their god Terminus, and others, were worshipped in temples open-roofed. Hills and mountains became the fittest places for their idolatry; and these consecrated hills are the “high places” so often forbidden in the sacred writings. As the number of their gods increased, so the number

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West Wickham Church, Kent.

West Wickham Church, Kent.

West Wickham Church, Kent. ——From Beckenham church we walked about two miles along a nearly straight road, fenced off from the adjoining lands, till we reached West Wickham. It was from a painted window in this church that I made the tracing of St. Catherine engraved in the Every-Day Book , where some mention is made of the retired situation of this village. “Wickham Court,” the ancient manor-house adjacent to the church, was formerly the residence of Gilbert West, the translator of Pindar, and

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Topography.

Topography.

Note. A small chapel, and a wall, enclosing an ample space, are all now remaining of the Benedictine nunnery at Godstow. A hazel grows near the chapel, the fruit of which is always apparently perfect, but is invariably found to be hollow. This nunnery derives its chief interest from having been the burial-place of Rosamond. The principal circumstances of her story are thus related by Stowe: “Rosamond, the fair daughter of Walter lord Clifford, concubine to Henry II., (poisoned by queen Eleanor,

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BATHING.

BATHING.

I do not know any author who has reckoned man among the amphibious race of animals; neither do I know any animal that better deserves it. Man is lord of the little ball on which he treads, one half of which, at least, is water. If we do not allow him to be amphibious, we deprive him of half his sovereignty. He justly bears that name, who can live in the water. Many of the disorders incident to the human frame are prevented, and others cured, both by fresh and salt bathing; so that we may properl

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Rural Sports.

Rural Sports.

Gay....

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GOOD-LIVING. A Domestic Scene.

GOOD-LIVING. A Domestic Scene.

Gent. I wish, my dear, you would not keep the carriage an hour always at the door, when we go to a party. Lady. Surely, my dear, it could not have waited half so long; and that was owing to the unusual length of our rubber. Gent. I feel exceedingly unwell this evening, my head aches confoundedly, and my stomach is very uneasy. Lady. You know, my dear, Mr. Abernethy told you, that after such a severe fit you ought to be very careful and moderate in your living. Gent. Mr. Abernethy is a fool. Can

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DRINKING.

DRINKING.

Lime applied to trees makes them put forth leaves and flourish, and produce fruit early, but then it kills them. Wine cheers and stimulates men, and makes them thrust forth flowers of wit; but, then, there is no doubt it shortens life. [239] [239] Perron....

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KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD By St. Evremond.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD By St. Evremond.

The first thing by which we know men, is the physiognomy, the colour, and the lineaments of the face; the briskness, the air, the motion of the body, the action, the sound of the voice, the aspect, &amp;c.: and there is no man, but at first sight we are either well or ill affected towards him. Every man makes some impressions upon us of what he is; but these impressions, being sudden, are not always certain, a little frequent conversation with him perfects our knowledge of him. Hear the man

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THE TONGA ISLANDS.

THE TONGA ISLANDS.

It is a custom at Tonga for the young women to gather flowers in the earlier part of the morning, and twine them on their return into various ornaments, for themselves, and their relations and friends. They gather them at sunrise while the dew of the morning is still fresh on them; because, when plucked at that time, their fragrance is of longer continuance. [240] [240] From the “Ocean Cavern, a Tale of the Tonga Islands,” 1819....

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SENSIBILITY IN A RAVEN.

SENSIBILITY IN A RAVEN.

In 1785 there was living at the Red Lion inn, Hungerford, Wiltshire, a raven, respecting which a correspondent communicated to “Mr. Urban” the following anecdote:— His name, I think, is “Rafe:” and you must know, that going into that inn, my chaise ran over, or bruised, the leg of my Newfoundland dog. While we were examining the injury done to the dog’s foot, Rafe was evidently a concerned spectator; for, the minute the dog was tied up under the manger with my horses, Rafe not only visited, but

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DIAMONDS.

DIAMONDS.

The diamond is chiefly found in the provinces of Golconda and Visiapour, and also in that of Bengal. Raolconda, in Visiapour, and Gandicotta, are famed for their mines, as is Coulour in Golconda. The diamond is generally found in the narrow crevices of the rocks, loose, and never adherent to the fixed stratum. The miners, with long iron rods, which have hooks at the ends, pick out the contents of the fissures, and wash them in tubs, in order to extricate the diamonds. In Coulour they dig on a la

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STOICAL WIT.

STOICAL WIT.

Zeno detected his slave in a theft, and ordered him to be flogged . The slave having in mind the dogmas of his master, and thinking to compliment him, in order to save himself from punishment, exclaimed—“It was fated that I should commit this theft.”—“And also that you should be flogged for it,” replied Zeno....

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CAMBRIDGE WIT.

CAMBRIDGE WIT.

When Dr. Jeggon, afterwards bishop of Norwich, was master of Bennet College, Cambridge, he punished all the under graduates for some general offence; and because he disdained to convert the penalty-money into private use, it was expended on new whitening the hall of the college. A scholar hung the following verses on the screen:— The doctor, perusing the paper, wrote underneath, extempore:—...

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SENTENCES Worthy to be got by Heart.

SENTENCES Worthy to be got by Heart.

As you cannot overtake time, the best way is to be always a few minutes before him. Whatever your situation in life may be, lay down your plan of conduct for the day. The half hours will glide smoothly on, without crossing or jostling each other. When you set about a good work, do not rest till you have completed it. In the morning, think on what you are to do in the day, and at night, think on what you have done. Religion is the best armour, but the worst cloak. If you make an intentional conce

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The Gimmal Ring.

The Gimmal Ring.

The Gimmal Ring. This is an ancient form of the “tool of matrimony,” from one found at Horsleydown, and exhibited in 1800 to the Society of Antiquaries. Mr. Robert Smith, the possessor of this curious ring, transmitted with it some remarks and descriptions of a nature very interesting to the lovers of archæology, and the “happy estate;” and from thence is derived the following account of this particular ring, with illustrations of the form and use of the gimmal -ring generally.— This ring is con

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Garrick Plays. No. XXIV.

Garrick Plays. No. XXIV.

[From “Chabot, Admiral of France,” a Tragedy, by G. Chapman and J. Shirley, 1639.] No Advice to Self Advice. Virtue under Calumny. [From “Cæsar and Pompey,” a Tragedy, by G. Chapman, 1631.] Cato’s Speech at Utica to a Senator, who had exprest fears on his account. His thoughts of Death. His Discourse with Athenodorus on an After Life. His last words. Greatness in Adversity. [From “Bussy D’Ambois,” a Tragedy, by G. Chapman, 1613.] Invocation for Secrecy at a Love-meeting. At the Meeting. Invocati

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MAID MARIAN.

MAID MARIAN.

To the Editor. Sir,—A correspondent in your last Number [249] rather hastily asserts, that there is no other authority than Davenport’s Tragedy for the poisoning of Matilda by King John. It oddly enough happens, that in the same Number [250] appears an Extract from a Play of Heywood’s, of an older date, in two parts; in which Play, the fact of such poisoning, as well as her identity with Maid Marian, are equally established. Michael Drayton also hath a Legend, confirmatory (as far as poetical au

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RIVAL ITALIAN DRAMATISTS.

RIVAL ITALIAN DRAMATISTS.

The Venetian stage had long been in possession of Goldoni, a dramatic poet, who, by introducing bustle and show into his pieces, and writing principally to the level of the gondoliers, arrived to the first degree of popularity in Venice. He had a rival in Pietro Chiari, whom the best critics thought even inferior to Goldoni; but such an epidemic frenzy seized the Venetians in favour of these two authors, that it quickly spread to almost all parts of Italy, to the detriment of better authors, and

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NATURAL CURIOSITIES OF DERBYSHIRE.

NATURAL CURIOSITIES OF DERBYSHIRE.

For the Table Book. Buxton, May 27, 1827. * * * I was so fortunate as to meet at the inn (the Shakspeare) at Buxton with two very agreeable companions, with whom I dined. The elder was a native of the place, and seemed well acquainted with all the natural curiosities at Buxton, and in the county of Derby. The name of the other was H——, of a highly respectable firm in London, sojourning at the Wells for the benefit of a sprained leg. He accompanied me on the following morning to visit an immense

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BRIBERY.

BRIBERY.

Charles V. sent over 400,000 crowns, to be distributed among the members of parliament, in bribes and pensions, to induce them to confirm a marriage between Mary and his son Philip. This was the first instance in which public bribery was exercised in England by a foreign power....

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The Retired Husbandman.

The Retired Husbandman.

The Retired Husbandman. This is a sketch from nature—“a repose”—an aged man enjoying the good that remains to him, yet ready for his last summons: his thoughts, at this moment, are upon the little girl that fondles on him—one of his grandaughters. The annals of his life are short and simple. “Born to labour as the sparks fly upward,” he discharged the obligation of his existence, and by the work of his hands endowed himself with independence. He is contented and grateful; and filled with hope an

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A DIALOGUE BETWEEN VIRTUE AND DEATH,

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN VIRTUE AND DEATH,

On the Death of Sir James Pemberton, Knight, who departed this Life the 8th of September, 1613. He was lord mayor of London in the reign of James I., and was a great benefactor to several charities. H****t. London, June 12, 1827....

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ANCIENT DIAL.

ANCIENT DIAL.

For the Table Book. The dial in use among the ancient Jews differed from that in use among us. Theirs was a kind of stairs; the time of the day was distinguished, not by lines , but by steps or degrees ; the shade of the sun every hour moved forward to a new degree . On the dial of Ahaz, the sun went back (magnoloth) degrees or steps , not lines .— Isai. xxxviii. 8. P....

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PETER HERVE.

PETER HERVE.

To the Editor. Sir,—Having had the happiness and honour of holding correspondence with that most benevolent man, Mr. Peter Hervé, whose death I deeply deplore, I shall feel myself relieved from a debt due to his memory, if you will allow me, through the medium of your valuable publication, to express my hope that he was not, in the time of need, forgotten by that society of which he was the honoured founder. His last letter told me he was ill and in distress; and had been advised to try the air

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CABALISTIC ERUDITION.

CABALISTIC ERUDITION.

Nothing can exceed the followers of cabalistical mysteries, in point of fantastical conceits. The learned Godwin recounts some of them. “Abraham,” they say, “wept but little for Sarah, probably because she was old.” They prove this by producing the letter “Caph,” which being a remarkably small letter, and being made use of in the Hebrew word which describes Abraham’s tears, evinces, they affirm, that his grief also was small . The Cabalists discovered likewise, that in the two Hebrew words, sign

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OFFERINGS TO INFANTS.

OFFERINGS TO INFANTS.

To the Editor. Edgeley, near Stockport. Sir,—I am anxious to notice a custom I have observed in Yorkshire, relative to very young infants, which I think it would be desirable to keep alive. I know that it is partially practised now, in that county, in the neighbourhood of Wakefield. The custom I allude to is, the making an offering to new-born infants on the occasion of their making their first visit abroad, by the person who is honoured with it, of a cake of bread, an egg, and a small quantity

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BUNYAN’S HOLY WAR DRAMATISED.

BUNYAN’S HOLY WAR DRAMATISED.

A very beautiful manuscript was once put into the hands of one of Dr. Aikin’s correspondents by a provincial bookseller, to whom it had been offered for publication. It consisted of two tragedies upon the subject of John Bunyan’s Holy War: they were the composition of a lady, who had fitted together scraps from Shakspeare, Milton, Young’s Night Thoughts, and Erskine’s Gospel Sonnets, into the dramatic form, with no other liberty than that of occasionally altering a name. The lady Constance, for

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GENTLEMEN OF THE PARISH.

GENTLEMEN OF THE PARISH.

Look up at the inscription on that venerable church defaced with plaster; what does it record? “ Beautified by Samuel Smear and Daniel Daub, churchwardens.” And so these honest gentlemen call disguising that fine, old, stone building, with a thick coat of lime and hair, or whitewash, beautifying it! What is the history of all this? Why the plain matter-of-fact is, that every parish officer thinks he has a right to make a round bill on the hamlet, during his year of power. An apothecary in office

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THE ANGLER.

THE ANGLER.

From the German of Goethe. R. W. D....

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CLOSING THE EYES.

CLOSING THE EYES.

For the Table Book. A GIPSY’S FUNERAL. Epping Forest. It was considered a mark of the strongest affection by the ancients, that a son, when his father was dying, should lean over him and receive his last gasp, The Jews, Greeks, and Romans, esteemed it a high privilege for the nearest relative to close the eyes of the deceased body; as in Genesis, when Jacob’s sun was setting, “ Joseph shall put his hands upon thine eyes.” And in another place,—“The memory of the father is preserved in the son .”

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LITERARY INGENUITY.

LITERARY INGENUITY.

The above line is said, in an old book, to have “cost the inventor much foolish labour, for it is a perfect verse, and every word is the very same both backward and forward.”...

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ST. JAMES’S PARK.

ST. JAMES’S PARK.

New Monthly Magazine. New Monthly Magazine....

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ON CHANGE.

ON CHANGE.

To the Editor. Sir,—We know that every thing in this world changes in the course of a few years; but what I am about to communicate to you is a change indeed.—“I’ve been roaming;” and in my city rounds I find the present residence and profession of the undernamed parties to be as follows: Adam is now an orange-merchant in Lower Thames-street; and a counseller in Old-square, Lincoln’s-inn. Eve is a stove-grate manufacturer in Ludgate-hill; and a sheep-salesman at 41, West Smithfield. Cain is a bu

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Anonymiana.

Anonymiana.

The Jews-trump, or, as it is more generally pronounced, the Jew-trump, seems to take its name from the nation of the Jews, and is vulgarly believed to be one of their instruments of music. Dr. Littleton renders Jews-trump by sistrum Judaicum . But there is not any such musical instrument as this described by the authors that treat of the Jewish music. In short, this instrument is a mere boy’s plaything, and incapable of itself of being joined either with a voice or any other instrument. The pres

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Keston Cross.

Keston Cross.

Keston Cross. When I designed with my friend W. a visit to the Dulwich gallery, which we did not effect, we did not foresee the consequence of diversion from our intent; and having been put out of our way, we strolled without considering “the end thereof.” Hence, our peradventure at the “Crooked Billet,” on Penge Common; [252] our loitering to sketch the “Bridge on the Road to Beckenham;” [253] the same, for the same purpose, at “the Porch of Beckenham Church-yard;” [254] the survey of “Beckenha

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Garrick Plays. No. XXV.

Garrick Plays. No. XXV.

[From “Edward the Third,” an Historical Play, Author Unknown, 1597.] The King, having relieved the Castle of the heroic Countess of Salisbury, besieged by the Scots, and being entertained by her, loves her. The Countess repells the King’s unlawful suit. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Flattery. Sin, worst in High Place. C. L....

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Poetry.

Poetry.

For the Table Book. SONNET TO MISS KELLY, On her excellent performance of Blindness, in the revived Opera of Arthur and Emmeline . C. Lamb. C. Lamb....

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VOLUNTEER REMINISCENCES.

VOLUNTEER REMINISCENCES.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—Some agreeable recollections induce me to pen a few circumstances for the Table Book , which may kindle associations in the many who were formerly engaged in representing the “raw recruit,” and who are now playing the “old soldier” in the conflict of years. I do not travel out of the road to take the “Eleven city regiments” into my battalion, nor do I call for the aid of the “Gray’s-inn sharpshooters,” (as lawyers are,) and other gents of the “sword and sash,” who then e

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. I.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. I.

It has been ascertained by the researches of a curious investigator, [270] that many celebrated philosophers of recent times have, for the most part, taken what they advance from the works of the ancients. These modern acquisitions are numerous and important; and as it is presumed that many may be instructed, and more be surprised by their enumeration, a succinct account of them is proposed. It appears as unjust to praise and admire nothing but what savours of antiquity, as to despise whatever c

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THE GOSSIP AND STARE.

THE GOSSIP AND STARE.

It is feminine; a lower animal of the tribe Inquisitoria ; and with all others of its species indescribably restless. It is commonly found with the bosom slatternly arrayed, leaning with folded arms out of a “two-pair front,” looking cunningly and maliciously over the side of a garden-pot—like a starling through the water-hole of its cage over the water-pot—with its head always on the bob, like that of the Chinese figure in grocers’ shops. Its features are lean and sharp as the bows of a Folksto

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NAVAL MANNERS.

NAVAL MANNERS.

When the old duke of York (brother to George III.) went on board lord Howe’s ship, as a midshipman, the different captains in the fleet attended, to pay him their respects, on the quarter-deck. He seemed not to know what it was to be subordinate, nor to feel the necessity of moderation in the display of superiority resulting from his high rank, and he received the officers with some hauteur. This a sailor on the forecastle observed; and after expressing astonishment at the duke’s keeping his hat

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LEGAL RECREATION.

LEGAL RECREATION.

It is alleged in a memoir of the Life of Lord Eldon, that, when plain John Scott, his zeal for knowledge of the law was so great, that he abandoned the pursuit of almost every other species of information, and never sacrificed a moment from his legal studies, beyond what was absolutely necessary to his health. His brother William, (afterwards lord Stowell,) with a view of engaging him to meet Dr. Johnson and other men of distinguished literary talent, would sometimes say, “Where do you dine to-d

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CANONS OF DESCENT. By an Apprentice of the Law.

CANONS OF DESCENT. By an Apprentice of the Law.

Canon I. Cannon II. Canon III. Canon IV. Canon V. Canon VI. Canon VII. Canon III. Canon IV. Canon V. Canon VI. Canon VII....

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FRENCH JUDICIAL AUTHORITY.

FRENCH JUDICIAL AUTHORITY.

In the “Thuana” we read of a whimsical, passionate, old judge, who was sent into Gascony with power to examine into the abuses which had crept into the administration of justice in that part of France. Arriving late at Port St. Mary, he asked “how near he was to the city of Agen?” He was answered, “ two leagues.” He then decided to proceed that evening, although he was informed that the leagues were long, and the roads very bad. In consequence of his obstinacy the judge was bemired, benighted, a

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A LONG MINUET.

A LONG MINUET.

Hogarth, in his “Analysis of Beauty,” mentions the circumstance of a dancing-master’s observing, that though the “minuet” had been the study of his whole life, he could only say with Socrates, that he “knew nothing.” Hogarth added of himself, that he was happy in being a painter, because some bounds might be set to the study of his art....

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The Bishop’s Well, Bromley, Kent.

The Bishop’s Well, Bromley, Kent.

The Bishop’s Well, Bromley, Kent. There is a way from Bromley market-place across meadow grounds to the palace of the bishop of Rochester. This edifice, about a quarter of a mile from the town, is a plain, homely mansion, erected in 1783 by bishop Thomas, on the site of the ancient palace built there by bishop Gilbert Glanville, lord chief justice of England, after he succeeded to the see in 1185, instead of a still more ancient palace, founded by the prelate Gundalph, an eminent architect, bish

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MISS KELLY.

MISS KELLY.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—Somebody has fairly play’d a hoax on you (I suspect that pleasant rogue M—x—n [273] ) in sending you the Sonnet in my name, inserted in your last Number. True it is, that I must own to the Verses being mine, but not written on the occasion there pretended, for I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the Lady in the part of Emmeline; and I have understood, that the force of her acting in it is rather in the expression of new-born sight, than of the previous want of it.—

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Garrick Plays. No. XXVI.

Garrick Plays. No. XXVI.

[From “Doctor Dodypol,” a Comedy, Author unknown, 1600.] Earl Lassenburgh, as a Painter, painting his Mistress al grotesco. A Cameo described. Earl Lassenburgh, for some distaste, flees Lucilia, who follows him. An Enchanter, who is enamoured of Lucilia, charms the Earl to a dead sleep, and Lucilia to a forgetfulness of her past love. C. L. [274] In charmed visions....

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Life of an Usurer. HUGH AUDLEY.

Life of an Usurer. HUGH AUDLEY.

There are memoirs of this remarkable man in a rare quarto tract, entitled “The Way to be Rich, according to the practice of the great Audley, who began with two hundred pounds in the year 1605, and died worth four hundred thousand.” He died on the 15th of November, 1662, the year wherein the tract was printed. Hugh Audley was a lawyer, and a great practical philosopher, who concentrated his vigorous faculties in the science of the relative value of money. He flourished through the reigns of Jame

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AVARICE.

AVARICE.

There are two sorts of avarice. One consists in a solicitude to acquire wealth for the sake of those advantages which wealth bestows, and the dread of poverty and its attendant evils; the other, in an anxiety for wealth on its own account only, and which sacrifices to the attainment of it every advantage that wealth can give. The first is the exaggeration of a quality, which when not carried to excess is praiseworthy, and is called economy. The other, when indulged in the extreme, produces the e

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ECONOMY.

ECONOMY.

A rich and parsimonious person, remarkable for having by his will preferred public charities to his relations, was fond of going to the theatre, and taking his great coat with him. But where should he leave this useful appendage during the performance? The box-keepers would expect at least sixpence; and, should he leave it at a coffee-house, he must spend threepence to obtain house-room for it. His invention supplied him with a method cheaper and equally secure. He pledged his garment every even

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Mrs. Gilpin riding to Edmonton.

Mrs. Gilpin riding to Edmonton.

Mrs. Gilpin riding to Edmonton. The sketch, here engraved , (probably from the poet’s friend Romney,) was found with the above three stanzas in the handwriting of Cowper, among the papers of the late Mrs. Unwin. It is to be regretted that no more was found of this little Episode , as it evidently was intended to be, to the “Diverting History of Johnny Gilpin.” It is to be supposed that Mrs. Gilpin, in the interval between dinner and tea, finding the time to hang upon her hands, during her husban

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SAWSTON CROSS.

SAWSTON CROSS.

In the summer of the year 1815, I fulfilled my long standing promise of spending a day with an old schoolfellow at Sawston, a pleasant little village, delightfully situated in a fertile valley about seven miles south of Cambridge, the north of which is encompassed by the Gogmagog hills, which appear Apennines in miniature; the south, east, and west, are beautifully diversified with trees and foliage, truly picturesque and romantic. After partaking of the good things at the hospitable board of my

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. II.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. II.

The Method and Logic of Descartes and Locke derived from the Ancients. Within the last two centuries some notions were advanced in logic and metaphysics, which were taken to be new; and Descartes, Leibnitz, Mallebranche, and Locke, were regarded as innovators, although nothing be put forth in their works, but what is clearly laid down in those of the ancients. Descartes sets forth, as a first principle, that whoever searches for truth, ought once in his lifetime at least to doubt of every thing.

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MECHANICAL POWER.

MECHANICAL POWER.

Mr. Robert Owen calculates that two hundred arms, with machines, now manufacture as much cotton as twenty millions of arms were able to manufacture without machines forty years ago; and that the cotton now manufactured in the course of one year, in Great Britain, would require, without machines, sixteen millions of workmen with simple wheels. He calculates further, that the quantity of manufactures of all sorts produced by British workmen with the aid of machines is so great, that it would requi

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MANUFACTURING CELERITY.

MANUFACTURING CELERITY.

In 1811 a gentleman made a bet of one thousand guineas, that he would have a coat made in the course of a single day, from the first process of shearing the sheep till its completion by the tailor. The wager was decided at Newbury, on the 25th of June in that year, by Mr. John Coxeter, of Greenham Mills, near that town. At five o’clock that morning, sir John Throckmorton, bart. presented two Southdown wedder sheep to Mr. Coxeter, and the sheep were shorn, the wool spun, the yarn spooled, warped,

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BALLAD. Suggested on reading the Novel Of “Castle Baynard.”

BALLAD. Suggested on reading the Novel Of “Castle Baynard.”

* * * July 3, 1827....

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HELL BRIDGE.

HELL BRIDGE.

There is a narrow pass between the mountains in the neighbourhood of Bendearg, in the Highlands of Scotland, which, at a little distance, has the appearance of an immense artificial bridge thrown over a tremendous chasm: but on nearer approach it is seen to be a wall of nature’s own masonry, formed of vast and rugged bodies of solid rock, piled on each other as if in giant sport of architecture. Its sides are in some places covered with trees of a considerable size; and the passenger who has a h

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Clubs AT BIRMINGHAM.

Clubs AT BIRMINGHAM.

The whole British empire may be justly considered as one grand alliance, united for public and private interest; and this vast body of people is subdivided into an infinity of smaller fraternities, for individual benefit. Perhaps there are hundreds of these societies in Birmingham, under the name of “clubs;” some of them boast the antiquity of a century, and by prudent direction have acquired a capital, at accumulating interest. Thousands of the inhabitants are connected; nay, to be otherwise is

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HYPOCHONDRIA.

HYPOCHONDRIA.

A person at Taunton often kept at home for several weeks, under an idea of danger in going abroad. Sometimes he imagined that he was a cat, and seated himself on his hind quarters; at other times he would fancy himself a tea-pot, and stand with one arm a-kimbo like the handle, and the other stretched out like the spout. At last he conceived himself to have died, and would not move or be moved till the coffin came. His wife, in serious alarm, sent for a surgeon, who addressed him with the usual s

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Prisons, ANCIENT AND MODERN.

Prisons, ANCIENT AND MODERN.

The prisons of the classical ancients consisted of “souterains,” or, sometimes, of only simple vestibules, where the prisoners saw their friends, &amp;c.: it was in this latter kind of confinement that Socrates was placed. Their “latomiæ” and “lapidicinæ” were caves or vast quarries, guarded at the entrance: in the “latomiæ” prisoners could move about; but in the “lapidicinæ” they were chained and fettered. The famous “latomiæ” at Syracuse made a capital prison. The prisoners bribed the lict

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ODE To a Sparrow alighting before the Judges’ Chambers in Serjeant’s Inn, Fleet-street.

ODE To a Sparrow alighting before the Judges’ Chambers in Serjeant’s Inn, Fleet-street.

Written in half an hour, while attending a Summons....

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Ancient Door of Bromley Church.

Ancient Door of Bromley Church.

Ancient Door of Bromley Church. On our visit to Bromley church, as soon as the modern outer gates of the porch were unlocked, we were struck by the venerable appearance of the old inner oak door; and, instead of taking a view of the church, of which there are several prints, Mr. Williams made a drawing of the decayed portal, from whence he executed the present engraving . On the hinge-side of the engraving, there is a representation of the outer edge of the door. This door formerly hung on the w

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Garrick Plays. No. XXVII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXVII.

[From the “Gentleman of Venice,” a Tragi-Comedy by James Shirley, 1655.] Giovanni, of noble extraction, but brought up a Gardener, and ignorant of any greater birth, loves Bellaura, a Princess; and is beloved again. Bellaura. Giovanni. C. L....

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JAMES THOMSON.

JAMES THOMSON.

A volume, entitled the “English Gentleman’s Library Manual,” contains the following remarkable anecdotes respecting the author of “The Seasons.” Memoranda communicated by James Robertson, Esq. of Richmond, in Surrey, late Surgeon to the Household at Kew, October 17, 1791, to Thomas Parke, Esq. the Poet, and by him to the Earl of Buchan. Parke. Have you any objection, sir, to my taking down memorandums to a conversation? Robertson. Not in the least, I will procure you pen, ink, and paper immediat

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QUIPOES.

QUIPOES.

The Peruvians had a method of expressing their meaning by narrow knotted ribands of various colours, which they called “Quipoes:” a certain number of knots of one colour, divided by so many of another, expressed particular meanings; and served these simple and innocent people in place of the art of writing. P....

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SPANISH MYSTERIES.

SPANISH MYSTERIES.

Of all the dramatic works of Lope de Vega, the Lives of the Saints are in every respect the most irregular. Allegorical characters, buffoons, saints, peasants, students, kings, God, the infant Jesus, the devil, and the most heterogeneous beings that the wildest imagination could bring together, are introduced. Music seems always to have been an indispensable accessary. Lope de Vega’s spiritual comedy, entitled the Life of Saint Nicolas de Tolentino, [288] commences with a conversation maintained

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PORTUGUESE MYSTERIES.

PORTUGUESE MYSTERIES.

One of the spiritual dramas of Gil Vicente, performed at Lisbon, commences with shepherds, who discourse and enter a chapel, which is decorated with all the apparatus necessary for the celebration of the festival of Christmas. The shepherds cannot sufficiently express their rustic admiration of the pomp exhibited in the chapel. Faith ( La Fé ) enters as an allegorical character. She speaks Portuguese, and after announcing herself to the shepherds as True Faith, she explains to them the nature of

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POACHING.

POACHING.

A poor itinerant player, caught performing the part of a poacher, and being taken before the magistrates assembled at a quarter sessions for examination, one of them asked him what right he had to kill a hare? when he replied in the following ludicrous parody on Brutus’s speech to the Romans, in defence of the death of Cæsar:— “Britons, hungry-men, and epicures! hear me for my cause; and be silent—that you may hear; believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believ

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HAPPY UNION.

HAPPY UNION.

Quin used to say, that of all the bans of marriage he ever heard, none gave him such pleasure as the union of delicate Ann Chovy with good John Dory . This sentiment was worthy of such a disciple of Apicius. S. S. S....

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Fine View. LEITH HILL, NEAR DORKING.

Fine View. LEITH HILL, NEAR DORKING.

Extracted from a letter from Mr. Dennis to Mr. Serjeant , near seventy years ago . In a late journey which I took into the wild of Sussex, I passed over a hill, which showed me more transporting sights than ever I had seen before, either in England or Italy. The prospects which in Italy pleased me most were the Valdarno from the Apennines of Rome, and the Mediterranean from the mountain of Viterbo; of Rome at forty, and the Mediterranean at fifty miles distant from it; and that of the famous Cam

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PARSIMONY.

PARSIMONY.

Augustine Pentheny, Esq. who died on the 23d of November, 1810, in the eighty-third year of his age, at an obscure lodging in Leeson-street, Dublin, was a miser of the most perfect drawing that nature ever gave to the world. He was born in the village of Longwood, county of Meath, and became a journeyman-cooper. Very early in life he was encouraged to make a voyage to the West Indies, to follow his trade, under the patronage of his maternal uncle, another adventurer of the name of Gaynor, better

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. III.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. III.

The Innate Ideas of Descartes and Leibnitz, derived from Plato, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, and the Chaldeans—the System of Mallebranche from the same Source, and St. Augustine. The innate perception of first truths, maintained by Descartes and Leibnitz, which raised such warm and subtle disputes among metaphysicians, is a doctrine derived from Plato. That great philosopher, who acquired the surname of divine, by having written best on the subject of Deity, entertained a very peculiar sentiment resp

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DISTRESSES OF MEN OF GENIUS.

DISTRESSES OF MEN OF GENIUS.

Pope Urban VIII. erected an hospital for the benefit of decayed authors, and called it “The Retreat of the Incurables,” intimating that it was equally impossible to reclaim the patients from poverty or poetry. Homer is the first poet and beggar of note among the ancients: he was blind, sung his ballads about the streets, and his mouth was oftener filled with verses than with bread. Plautus, the comic poet, was better off; for he had two trades: he was a poet for his diversion, and helped to turn

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ON CHANGE. No. II.

ON CHANGE. No. II.

For the Table Book. Noah is now a tailor, No. 63, Pall-mall. Ham , a watchmaker, No. 47, Skinner-street, Snow-hill. Isaac , a fishmonger, No. 8, Cullum-street. Jacob , an umbrella and parasol maker, No. 42, Burlington Arcade. Israel is a surgeon in Keppell-street, Russel-square. Joseph is a pencil manufacturer, No. 7, Oxford-street. Joshua , a grocer, No. 155, Regent-street. Simon , a ship broker, No. 123, Fenchurch-street. Joel , an auctioneer, No. 44, Clifton-street, Finsbury. Paul , a manufac

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THE GRETNA GREEN PARSONS.

THE GRETNA GREEN PARSONS.

The first person that twined the bands of Hymen this way is supposed to have been a man named Scott, who resided at the Rigg, a few miles from the village of Gretna, about 1750 or 1760. He was accounted a shrewd, crafty fellow, and little more is known of him. George Gordon, an old soldier, started up as his successor. He always appeared on marriage occasions in an antiquated full military costume, wearing a large cocked hat, red coat, jack boots, and a ponderous sword dangling at his side. If a

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A BLACK DREAM.

A BLACK DREAM.

A number of years bygone, a black man, named Peter Cooper, happened to marry one of the fair towns-women of Greenock, who did not use him with that tenderness that he conceived himself entitled to. Having tried all other arts to retrieve her lost affections in vain, Peter at last resolved to work upon her fears of punishment in another world for her conduct in this. Pretending, therefore, to awake one morning extravagantly alarmed, his helpmate was full of anxiety to know what was the matter; an

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A MUCH-INJURED MAN.

A MUCH-INJURED MAN.

George Talkington, once a celebrated horse-dealer at Uttoxeter, who died on the 8th of April, 1826, at Cheadle, Cheshire, in his eighty-third year, met with more accidents than probably ever befell any other human being. Up to the year 1793 they were as follows:—Right shoulder broken; skull fractured, and trepanned; left arm broken in two places; three ribs on the left side broken; a cut on the forehead; lancet case, flue case, and knife forced into the thigh; three ribs broken on the right side

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GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION.

GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION.

A farmer’s son, just returned from a boarding school, was asked “if he knew grammar? ”—“Oh yes, father!” said the pupil, “I know her very well;— Grammer sits in the chair fast asleep.” P. A Sketch. Akenside....

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A LOVER OF ART TO HIS SON.

A LOVER OF ART TO HIS SON.

My dear Alfred, Could you see my heart you would know my anxious feelings for your progress in study. If I could express myself in words of fire I would burn in lessons upon your mind, that would inflame it to ardent desire, and thorough conviction, of attaining success. Our talented friend, who permits you the use of his collection of models and casts, and does you the honour to instruct you by his judgment, assures me that your outlines evince an excellent conception of form . To be able to ma

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Garrick Plays. No. XXVIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXVIII.

[From the “Devil’s Law Case,” a Tragi-Comedy, by John Webster, 1623.] Clergy-comfort. Sepulture. Two Bellmen, a Capuchin; Romelio, and others. Immature Death. Guilty preferment. Mischiefs Last Love strongest. Mother’s anger. Distraction from guilt. Obstacles. Falling out. [From the “Bride,” a Comedy, by Thomas Nabbs, 1640.] Antiquities. Horten, a Collector. His friend. Accidents to frustrate Purpose. C. L. [293] Slain in a duel. [294] Webster was parish-clerk at St. Andrew’s, Holborn. The anxiou

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NATURAL CURIOSITIES OF DERBYSHIRE.

NATURAL CURIOSITIES OF DERBYSHIRE.

For the Table Book. June 1, 1827. Visited Chatsworth, the princely residence of the duke of Devonshire, three miles to the north-east of Bakewell. As soon as the summit of the neighbouring hill is attained, the house and park lie immediately in front in a beautiful valley, watered by the Derwent. An addition is making to the main building, which is large, but not very handsome in its architectural design; on approaching it, I passed over an elegant stone bridge, close to which is an island where

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August. THE FRUIT MARKETS OF LONDON AND PARIS IN THIS MONTH.

August. THE FRUIT MARKETS OF LONDON AND PARIS IN THIS MONTH.

A gentleman, one of a deputation for inquiring into the state of foreign horticulture, visited the Paris fruit and vegetable market in the month of August, 1821, and having seen Covent Garden market nearly a fortnight earlier, under peculiar circumstances, was enabled to form an estimate of their comparative excellencies. The coronation of George IV. on the 19th of July had caused a glut of fruit in the London market, such as had never been remembered, and large quantities of the fruit, which ha

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The Lee Penny.

The Lee Penny.

The Lee Penny. Belonging to Sir Charles Lockhart, of Lee and Carnworth, Lanarkshire. This curious piece of antiquity is a stone of a dark red colour and triangular shape, in size about half an inch each side, set in a piece of silver coin; which, though much defaced, by some letters still remaining, is supposed to be a shilling of Edward I., the cross being very plain, as it is on his shillings. It is affirmed, by tradition, to have been in the Lee family since the year 1320 odd; that is, a litt

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THE DEVIL’S PUNCH-BOWL.[298]

THE DEVIL’S PUNCH-BOWL.[298]

You,—Mr. Editor,—Have journeyed from London to Portsmouth, and must recollect Hindhead—you will, therefore, sympathize with me:—the luxury of riding round the rim of the Devil’s Punch-Bowl is over! Some few years back the road, on one side, was totally undefended against casualties of any description—overturning the coach into the bowl (some three or four hundred yards deep)—the bolting of a horse—or any other delightful mishap which could hurl you to the bottom—all is over! They—(the improvers

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JERRY ABERSHAW AND THE MEN IN CHAINS.

JERRY ABERSHAW AND THE MEN IN CHAINS.

Townsend, the Bow-street officer’s interesting examination before the police committee of the House of Commons in June, 1816, contains some curious particulars respecting Abershaw, the pirates, “the dangers of the road ” and “hanging matters,” toward the close of the last century. Q. The activity of the officers of Bow-street has infinitely increased of late years? A. No doubt about it; and there is one thing which appears to me most extraordinary, when I remember, in very likely a week, there s

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KING HENRY II. Described by Giraldus Cambrensis, Who accompanied him (as he afterwards did King John) into Ireland, A. D. 1172.

KING HENRY II. Described by Giraldus Cambrensis, Who accompanied him (as he afterwards did King John) into Ireland, A. D. 1172.

Henry II., king of England, was of a very good colour, but somewhat red; his head great and round, his eyes were fiery, red, and grim, and his face very high coloured; his voice or speech was shaking, quivering, or trembling; his neck short, his breast broad and big; strong armed; his body was gross, and his belly somewhat big, which came to him rather by nature than by any gross feeding or surfeiting; for his diet was very temperate, and to say the truth, thought to be more spare than comely, o

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AMSTERDAM—WITHOUT WATER.

AMSTERDAM—WITHOUT WATER.

An amusing and lively account of this capital, its public institutions, society, painters, &amp;c. may be found in a small volume, entitled “Voyage par la Hollande,” published by a French visitant in 1806. This is probably the most recent sketch of Amsterdam. With the exception of the conversion of the stadt-house into a king’s palace, and the establishment of certain societies, its general aspect and character have undergone little change for a century past; insomuch that “Le Guide d’Amster

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REASON, If not Rhyme.

REASON, If not Rhyme.

Verite. For the Table Book....

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SWEETHEART SEEING.

SWEETHEART SEEING.

St. Mark’s Eve. — In Chancery , August 2, 1827. In a cause, “Barker v. Ray,” a deponent swore, that a woman, named Ann Johnson, and also called “Nanny Nunks,” went to the deponent, and said to her, “I’ll tell you what I did to know if I could have Mr. Barker. On St. Mark’s night I ran round a haystack nine times, with a ring in my hand, calling out, ‘Here’s the sheath, but where’s the knife?’ and, when I was running round the ninth time, I thought I saw Mr. Barker coming home; but he did not com

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THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING.

THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING.

A man who is fond of disputing, will, in time, have few friends to dispute with. Truth is clothed in white. But a lie comes forth with all the colours of the rainbow. Those bear disappointments the best, who have been the most used to them. When a misfortune happens to a friend, look forward and endeavour to prevent the same thing from happening to yourself. The worth of every thing is determined by the demand for it. In the deserts of Arabia, a pitcher of cold water is of more value than a moun

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Robert Millhouse

Robert Millhouse

The Song of the Patriot. Robert Millhouse The Song of the Patriot. Robert Millhouse ——The talented author of the poem from whence the motto is extracted is scarcely known to fame, and not at all to fortune. His unostentatious little volume, entitled “The Song of the Patriot, Sonnets, and Songs,” was thrown accidentally in my way; and its perusal occasions me to acquaint the readers of the Table Book with its uncommon merit. I do not know any thing concerning the poet beyond what I have derived f

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AN INFERNAL PALINDROME.

AN INFERNAL PALINDROME.

[ Palindrome. A word or sentence which is the same read backward as forwards: as, madam ; or this sentence Subi dura a rudibus . Johnson. ] Whence did Geoffry Crayon derive “The Poor Devil Author,” the title to one of his “Tales of a Traveller,” but from a legendary story, according to which the devil is acquainted with versification, although his lines are constructed in a very remarkable manner; for they can be read forward and backward, and preserve the same sense. There is a specimen of this

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Garrick Plays. No. XXIX.

Garrick Plays. No. XXIX.

[From the “Gentleman Usher,” a Comedy, by G. Chapman, 1606.] Vincentio, a Prince (to gain him over to his interest in a love-affair) gulls Bassiolo, a formal Gentleman Usher to a Great Lord, with commendations of his wise house-ordering at a great Entertainment. The same Bassiolo described. [From the “Bastard,” a Tragedy, Author Unknown, 1652.] Lover’s Frown. ( he tries, and cannot; they smile on each other. ) ( she swoons. ) ( he tries, and cannot; they smile on each other. ) ( she swoons. ) [F

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RIDICULE.

RIDICULE.

In many cases ridicule might be used in the place of severe chastisement, and sometimes with a more lasting effect, especially among young people. One scheme of this kind was tried with great success by the elder Dr. Newcome, who governed a school at Hackney about forty years ago. When a pupil mistook in the pronunciation of a Latin word, he used to make the faulty lad repeat after him, before the whole school, “Nos Germăni, non curămus, quantītătem, syllābărum.” The penalty of uttering, in fals

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RIDICULOUS SITUATIONS.

RIDICULOUS SITUATIONS.

Melancthon studied the gravest points of theology, while he held his book in one hand, and in the other the edge of a cradle, which he incessantly rocked. “M. Esprit, a celebrated author and scholar, has been caught by me,” says M. Marville, “reading Plato with great attention, considering the interruptions which he met, from the necessity of frequently sounding his little child’s whistle.” The great constable of France, Anne de Montmorency, a man whose valour and military skill was only exceede

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The Quintain.

The Quintain.

The Quintain. Running at the “Quintain,” an old sport formerly common in England, unexpectedly occurs, and is sufficiently described, in the following report of a recent fashionable entertainment:— Court Circular. Viscount and viscountess Gage gave a grand fête on Friday, (August 3, 1827,) at their seat at Firle-place, Sussex, to about a hundred and sixty of the nobility and gentry, at which the ancient game of quintain was revived. The sports commenced by gentlemen riding with light spiked stav

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DAVID LOVE.

DAVID LOVE.

For the Table Book. Died, on Tuesday afternoon, June 12th, 1827, David Love; of whom there is a portrait, with a memoir, in the Every-Day Book , vol. ii. p. 225, with a further notice at p. 1575. He had nearly attained his seventy-seventh year; and, till within a few weeks of his death, pursued his avocation of “walking stationer” in Nottingham. It was unnecessary for him to take out an hawker’s license, as the commodities in which he dealt were entirely of his own manufacture. According to the

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THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING.

THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING.

If you only endeavour to be honest, you are struggling with yourself. Truth is the conformity of expression to thought. Equivocation is a mean expedient to avoid the declaration of truth, without verbally telling a lie. Our debts and our sins are always greater than we think of. It is true that some misfortunes are inevitable; but, in general, they proceed from our own want of judgment and foresight. If we had it in our power to gratify every wish, we should soon feel the effects of a surfeit. T

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. IV.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. IV.

Of Sensible Qualities. The most eminent philosophers of antiquity, Democritus, Socrates, Aristippus the chief of the Cyrenaïc sect, Plato, Epicurus, and Lucretius, affirmed, that cold and heat, odours and colours, were no other than sensations excited in our minds, by the different operations of the bodies surrounding us, and acting on our senses; even Aristotle himself was of opinion, that “sensible qualities exist in the mind.” Yet when Descartes, and after him Mallebranche, taught the very sa

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MR. EPHRAIM WAGSTAFF, HIS WIFE AND PIPE.

MR. EPHRAIM WAGSTAFF, HIS WIFE AND PIPE.

About the middle of Shoemaker-row, near to Broadway, Blackfriars, there resided for many years a substantial hardwareman, named Ephraim Wagstaff. He was short in stature, tolerably well favoured in countenance, and singularly neat and clean in his attire. Everybody in the neighbourhood looked upon him as a “warm” old man; and when he died, the property he left behind him did not bely the preconceived opinion. It was all personal, amounted to about nineteen thousand pounds; and, as he was childle

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AN ULTRA-MARINER.

AN ULTRA-MARINER.

According to father Feyjoo, in the month of June, 1674, some young men were walking by the sea-side in Bilboa, and one of them, named Francis de la Vega, of about fifteen years of age, suddenly leaped into the sea, and disappeared presently. His companions, after waiting some time, and he not returning, made the event public, and sent an account of it to De la Vega’s mother, at Lierganès, a small town in the archbishopric of Burgos. At first she discredited his death, but his absence occasioned

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ANTIPATHIES.

ANTIPATHIES.

Erasmus, though a native of Rotterdam, had such an aversion to fish, that the smell of it threw him into a fever. Ambrose Paré mentions a gentleman, who never could see an eel without fainting. There is an account of another gentleman, who would fall into convulsions at the sight of a carp. A lady, a native of France, always fainted on seeing boiled lobsters. Other persons of the same country experienced the same inconvenience from the smell of roses, though they were particularly partial to the

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THE LACTEALS IN A MOLE.

THE LACTEALS IN A MOLE.

A curious observer of nature will be delighted to know, that the lacteal vessels are more visible in a mole, than in any animal whatever. The view, however, is not of long duration. These vessels are rendered visible by the mode of killing the animal, which is by a wire gin that compresses the thoracic duct, thereby preventing the ascent of the chyle upwards. The time of demonstration is about half an hour after death. This curious fact was unknown to anatomists, till mentioned by Dr. A. Hunter,

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LOUIS GONZAGA TO MARIE MANCINI. Florence, 1649.

LOUIS GONZAGA TO MARIE MANCINI. Florence, 1649.

Pulci. Pulci....

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POINTS OF CHARACTER.

POINTS OF CHARACTER.

The late sir Robert Walpole was from his youth fond of field sports, and retained his attachment to them until prevented by the infirmities of age from their further enjoyment. He was accustomed to hunt in Richmond Park with a pack of beagles. Upon receiving a packet of letters, he usually opened that from his gamekeeper first; and in the pictures taken of him, he preferred being drawn in his sporting dress. Bishop Juxon, who attended Charles I. on the scaffold, retired after the king’s death to

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My Desk.

My Desk.

My Desk. For the Table Book. Every one will agree with me, that this is the favourite article of furniture. Every one is fond of it as of an old friend—a faithful and trustworthy one—to whom has been confided both joys and sorrows. It is most likely the gift of some cherished, perhaps departed being, reminding us by its good qualities of the beloved giver. We have no scruple in committing our dearest secrets to its faithful bosom—they are never divulged. The tenderest billet-doux, the kindest ac

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WRITING DESKS.

WRITING DESKS.

There is not any mention of writing-desks among the ancients. They usually wrote upon the knee in the manner wherein Angelica Kauffman represents the younger Pliny, as may be seen in a modern engraving; and yet it appears from Stolberg, quoted by Mr. Fosbroke, that desks resembling ours have been found in Herculaneum. Writing-desks in the middle ages slanted so much, as to form an angle of forty-five degrees: their slant till within the last two centuries was little less....

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Topographiana.

Topographiana.

To the Editor. Dear sir,—I hand you the following authentic particulars which happened in the pleasant village of S****n B****r, and gave rise to “dancing round the harrow:” if worthy of being chronicled in the Table Book , they are yours. John Jones, not finding his lovesuit successful with his master’s daughter, because her father, a farmer, rebuked him, took umbrage, threw down his whip on the “harrow” in the field, left the team, and, sans cérémonie , went to sea. The farmer and his daughter

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ERASMUS.

ERASMUS.

Resp. Joannis Audoeni , lib. vii. epig. 34. The Reply of Erasmus. J. R. P....

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Garrick Plays. No. XXX.

Garrick Plays. No. XXX.

[From a “Woman’s a Weathercock,” a Comedy, by Nathaniel Field, 1612.] False Mistress. Scudmore alone; having a letter in his hand from Bellafront, assuring him of her faith. Scudmore, afterwards, forsaken. He replies to his friend, who adjures him to live. C. L....

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Ancient Music SUPERIOR TO MODERN.

Ancient Music SUPERIOR TO MODERN.

“That the music of the ancients,” says Jeremy Collier, “could command farther than the modern, is past dispute. Whether they were masters of a greater compass of notes, or knew the secret of varying them the more artificially; whether they adjusted the intervals of silence more exactly, had their hands or their voices further improved, or their instruments better contrived; whether they had a deeper insight into the philosophy of nature, or understood the laws of the union of the soul and body m

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MUSICAL ANECDOTES.

MUSICAL ANECDOTES.

A musical instrument-maker of Bremen was on the point of failure, and his creditors watched him so close, that he could not get a pin’s worth carried away. He bethought himself of a singular stratagem for deceiving his watchmen. He got together about a hundred and fifty musicians, his friends, in the shop, and set them all playing with the different instruments there, the overture of the “Gazza Ladra.” As it was night, at each movement of the orchestra, he contrived to throw some article of furn

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BEETHOVEN.

BEETHOVEN.

Ludwig von Beethoven was born in 1770 at Bonn, where his father was then tenor singer in the chapel of the elector of Cologne. At an unusually early age he was able to perform that first of all works for forming a finished player on the organ or the piano-forte, the preludes and fugues of Sebastian Bach, called “Le Clavecin bien tempéré.” At this time he displayed equal progress in composition; for, in the same year, he published variations to a march, sonatas, and songs, all for the piano-forte

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ANNE DE MONTMORENCY.

ANNE DE MONTMORENCY.

Of the sanguinary character of this constable of France some idea may be formed by the specimen which Brantome has given of his favourite orders.—“Go! Let me see those rascals stabbed or shot directly! Hang me that fellow on yonder tree! Hack me to pieces those scoundrels this moment, who dared to defend that church against the king’s forces! Set fire to that village, d’ye hear! Burn me all the country for a mile round this spot!”...

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Fac-simile of a French Assignat for Ten Sous, Referred to in the following Communication

Fac-simile of a French Assignat for Ten Sous, Referred to in the following Communication

Fac-simile of a French Assignat for Ten Sous, Referred to in the following Communication . To the Editor. Dear sir,—Perhaps you may esteem the enclosed as a curiosity worthy of a place in the Table Book . It is a genuine specimen of the assignats used in lieu of money during the French revolution. I believe there are very few now to be had. It was given to me by a French gentleman, whose father (a native of Normandy) had lost considerable sums by them. He had unfortunately converted most of his

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BUYING AND SELLING.

BUYING AND SELLING.

A merchant shall hardly keep himself from doing wrong; and an huckster shall not be freed from sin. As a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones; so doth sin stick close between buying and selling. Ecclesiasticus. It has been observed in the House of Commons, “That commerce tends to corrupt the morals of a people.” If we examine the expression, we shall find it true, in a certain degree. Perhaps every tradesman can furnish out numberless instances of small deceit. His conduct is ma

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LONGEVITY Of a remarkable Highlander.

LONGEVITY Of a remarkable Highlander.

In August, 1827, John Macdonald expired in his son’s house, in the Lawnmarket, at the advanced age of one hundred and seven years. He was born in Glen Tinisdale, in the Isle of Skye, and, like the other natives of that quarter, was bred to rural labour. Early one morning in his youth, when looking after his black cattle, he was surprised by the sight of two ladies, as he thought, winding slowly round a hill, and approaching the spot where he stood. When they came up, they inquired for a well or

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. V.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. V.

Having examined what knowledge the ancients had in logic and metaphysics, we are now to consider with the same impartiality, what general or particular discoveries they made in physics, astronomy, mathematics, mechanics, and the other sciences. Although the distance may appear considerable between metaphysics and physics, yet an idea of their connection runs through the whole system of Leibnitz. He founds this on the principle, employed long ago by Archimedes, “that there must be a sufficient re

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GRASSHOPPERS.

GRASSHOPPERS.

“Sauter de branche en branche.” Aug. 1827. J. R. P. For the Table Book....

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WASPS.

WASPS.

A grocer’s shop at Camberwell—“the Grasshopper”—is much visited by wasps for the sweets of the sugar hogsheads. The shop is closed on Sundays, but they find entrance into it by creeping privately through the keyhole of the door . C. W. P....

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THE BARLEY-MOW.

THE BARLEY-MOW.

To the Editor. My dear sir,—Nothing could possibly exceed the heartfelt pleasure I enjoyed when the last load was drawn into the farm-yard; and the farmer, and his men and women, witnessed the completion of the “Barley-mow.” Their huzzas filled the scenery, and the barns and church replied. The carters and horses were trimmed with boughs and wild flowers. The hedges siding the lanes, and the patriarch elms and walnut-trees, as the survivors of templar consecrations to the demesne, took their tit

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HANGING THE SHUTTLE.

HANGING THE SHUTTLE.

To the Editor. Sir,—The custom of “hanging the shuttle” arose out of the introduction of a “spring loom,” which an eminent clothier at Langley ventured, in 1794, to have erected in one of his cottages, built for the use of his men. One person performing nearly as much work in this loom as two persons, the weavers in the neighbourhood met at the “Plough,” to consider the best means of opposing the success of the one-shuttle stranger. After sundry resolutions were passed, declarative that spring-l

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THE STEPS OF PERFECTION. Paraphrased from the Latin of John Owen.

THE STEPS OF PERFECTION. Paraphrased from the Latin of John Owen.

Faith, Hope, and Charity. P....

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NEWSPAPER ORTHOGRAPHY, 1682.

NEWSPAPER ORTHOGRAPHY, 1682.

From the “True Protestant Mercury,” No. 162. Advertisement. Lost, a Flowered silk Manto (Mantua) Gown of a sable and Gold Coulor, lined with Black, betwixt Arniseed Clere (St. Agnes le Clair) and the White Houses at Hogsden (Hoxton) on Wednesday last, the 19th instant, about 4 or 5 a clock in the Afternoon. Any one that can give Intelligence of the said Manto Gown to Mr. Blewit’s, at the Rose and Crown in Loathberry , shall have 10 s. for their pains....

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Poetry.

Poetry.

For the Table Book. THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB’S ARMY. And it came to pass that night, that the Angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses!— 2 Kings , xix. 35. O. N. Y. July, 1827. For the Table Book....

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NIXON’S PROPHECIES.—MR. CANNING.

NIXON’S PROPHECIES.—MR. CANNING.

Mr. Canning’s decease on the 8th of August, 1827, occasioned the following article in the newspapers. In an old book, entitled The Prophecies of Robert Nixon , printed in the year 1701, is the following prophetic declaration, which appears to refer to the late melancholy event, which has deprived the English nation of one of her brightest ornaments:—“In the year 1827 a man will raise himself by his wisdom to one of the most exalted offices in the state. His king will invest him with great power,

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BUSH EELS.

BUSH EELS.

At this season when persons, at inns in Lincolnshire, ask for “eel-pie,” they are presently provided with “bush eels;” namely, snakes , caught for that purpose in the bushes, and sold to the landlords cheaply, which are made into stews, pies, and fries. P....

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Case containing the Heart of Lord Edward Bruce, AT CULROSS ABBEY.

Case containing the Heart of Lord Edward Bruce, AT CULROSS ABBEY.

Case containing the Heart of Lord Edward Bruce, AT CULROSS ABBEY. Lord Edward Bruce was eldest son of sir Edward, baron of Kinloss, so created by James I. in 1603, to whom the king gave the dissolved abbey of Kinloss, in Ayrshire, after he had been instrumental in his succession to the crown of England; whither accompanying the king, he was made master of the rolls in 1604, died in 1610, and was buried in the Rolls chapel. His son, the lord Edward, killed in duel by sir Edward Sackville in 1613,

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HEART BURIAL.

HEART BURIAL.

During the rebuilding of part of the church of Chatham, Kent, in 1788, there was found in one of the vaults a leaden pot, containing, according to an inscription, the heart of a woman, one Hester Harris. The pot appeared to have been nailed up to the side of the vault, there being a piece of lead soldered on for that purpose. [321] [321] Gent. Mag. 1789....

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POETICAL QUID PRO QUO.

POETICAL QUID PRO QUO.

A Greek poet frequently offered little compliments to Augustus, with hopes of some small reward. His poems were worthless and unnoticed, but as he persisted in his adulation, Augustus amused himself with writing an epigram in praise of the poet, and when he received the next customary panegyric, presented his lines to the bard with surprising gravity. The poor man took and read them, and with apparent delight deliberately drew forth two farthings, and gave them to the emperor, saying, “This is n

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POCKETS.

POCKETS.

Mr. Gifford relates the preceding anecdote, in a note on his Juvenal, from Macrobius. He makes the poet draw the farthings from his “pocket:” but the pocket was unknown to the Greeks and Romans. Mr. Fosbroke says the men used the girdle, and the women their bosom; and that Strutt thinks the scrip, and purse, or bag, were succedanea. The Anglo-Saxon and Norman women wore pocketting sleeves; and sleeves with pockets in them, mentioned by DuCange, Matthew Paris, Malmesbury, and Knighton, were searc

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POCKET HANDKERCHIEFS.

POCKET HANDKERCHIEFS.

These useful appendages to dress were certainly not in use with the Greeks. The most ancient text wherein handkerchiefs are expressly mentioned, describes them as long cloths, called oraria , used and worn by senators “ad emungendum et exspuendum;” that use is said to have grown out of the convenience of the orarium , which is supposed to have been merely used at first to wave for applause in the public shows. Mr. Fosbroke presumes it to have been the “swat-cloth” of the Anglo-Saxons; for one ca

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PICKPOCKETS.

PICKPOCKETS.

The old robbers, in the “good old times,” when purses were carried in the hand or borne at the side, cut them away, and carried them off with the contents, and hence they were called “cut-purses.” In the scarce “History of Highwaymen,” by Smith, there is a story of a ludicrous private robbery, from “the person” of a man, mistakenly committed by one of these cut-purses. One of Shakspeare’s rogues, Autolycus, says, that “to have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cut-p

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Garrick Plays No. XXXI.

Garrick Plays No. XXXI.

[From the “Triumphant Widow,” a Comedy, by the Duke of Newcastle, 1677.] Humours of a Thief going to Execution. Officers. Room for the prisoner there, room for the prisoner. Footpad. Make room there; ’tis a strange thing a man cannot go to be hanged without crowding for it. 1st Fellow. Pray, Sir, were not you a kin to one Hinde? [322] Footpad. No; I had run faster away then. 2d Fellow. Pray, prisoner, before your death clear your conscience, and tell me truly, &amp;c. ( all ask him questions

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FURS.—TIPPETS AND SCARFS.

FURS.—TIPPETS AND SCARFS.

To the Editor. Dear sir,—Dr. Whitaker, in his “History of Craven,” makes several extracts from the Compotus of Bolton in Craven, a folio of a thousand pages, kept by the monastery; which book begins in 1290 and ends in 1325. On one item, “In fururâ de Buget, v s. ,” the doctor has the following note, which may be interesting to others besides the lovers of the delightful science of heraldry. “ In Fururâ de Buget. In the middle ages, fur of different species formed an elegant and comfortable appe

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BUDGE BACHELORS.—BUDGE-ROW.

BUDGE BACHELORS.—BUDGE-ROW.

In the old lord mayors’ processions of London, there were, in the first division, the “ budge bachelors marching in measured order.” [326] These budge -bachelors go in the “Lord Mayor’s Show” to the present day, dressed in blue gowns trimmed with budge coloured fur, white. Bishop Corbet, in his “Iter Boreale,” speaks of implying, that his beard and habit were of like colour. Budge -row, Cannon-street, according to Stow, was “so called of budge -fur, and of skinners dwelling there.” * [326] See t

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DAIRY POETRY.

DAIRY POETRY.

To the Editor. Sir,—You may perhaps think the “Old Arm Chair” worthy a place in your amusing columns. It is the production of a self-taught, or natural genius, like Bloomfield, living in the fens of this place, and carrying on the business of a small dairyman. Isle of Ely, Yours obediently, Aug. 14, 1827. M. W. See Table Book , vol. i. p. 786 . For the Table Book....

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SONNET

SONNET

To T. Hood, Esq. written after reading his “Plea of the Midsummer Fairies.” Edward Moxon. For the Table Book....

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THE QUINTAIN.

THE QUINTAIN.

As You Like it. Mr. Chalmers, in his edition of Shakspeare, gives the following annotation on the preceding passage:—“A quintain was a post , or butt , set up for several kinds of martial exercises, against which they threw their darts, and exercised their arms. But all the commentators are at variance about this word, and have illustrated their opinions with cuts, for which we must refer the reader to the new edition, 21 vols. 8vo.” Ben, the satirical sorrel Ben Jonson, thus notices this same q

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A FARTHING LORD.

A FARTHING LORD.

Lord Braco, an ancestor of the earl of Fife, was remarkable for practising that celebrated rule, “Get all you can, and keep all you get.” One day, walking down the avenue from his house, he saw a farthing lying at his feet, which he took up and carefully cleaned. A beggar passing at the same time, entreated his lordship would give him the farthing, saying, it was not worth a nobleman’s attention. “ Fin’ a farthing to yoursel’ , puir body,” replied his lordship, and carefully put the coin into hi

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SINGULAR TOLL. Skipton in Craven.

SINGULAR TOLL. Skipton in Craven.

From a paper of Henry the Eighth’s time, among the MSS. at Skipton, I find that the following singular toll was anciently levied in Skirack and Crookrise: “Note, that theise customes hayth ben used tyme out of mynd, by y e report of Rob. Garth, forster ther; the whych s-ay-eth, that he in all his tyme, and his father afore him in y t office, always hayth taken the sayd customes: “First, that ev’ry bryde cumynge that waye shulde eyther gyve her lefte shoo or III s. IV d. to the forster of Crookry

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A CURIOUS NARRATIVE.

A CURIOUS NARRATIVE.

For the Table Book. The following very remarkable anecdote is accompanied by a reference to the only work of any authority wherein I have met with it. Prince George of Denmark, the nominal king-consort to queen Anne, in passing through Bristol, appeared on the Exchange, attended only by one gentleman, a military officer, and remained there till the merchants had pretty generally withdrawn, not one of them having sufficient resolution to speak to him, as perhaps they might not be prepared to ask

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. VI.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. VI.

The two illustrious moderns, Newton and Gassendi, attribute the continual change which happens in bodies to the different figure and magnitude of their minute corpuscles; and affirm, that their different junction or separation, and the variety of their arrangement, constitute the differences of bodies. This corpuscular philosophy can be traced from the times of Democritus, to its founder Moschus the Phœnician. It does not appear that the Phœnician school admitted the indivisibility of atoms; whe

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GRASSINGTON THEATRICALS.

GRASSINGTON THEATRICALS.

To the Editor. Dear sir,—When I sent you the sketch of “Tom Airay” of this place, and his associates, I was not aware that the practice of acting plays was a very ancient one in the parish of Linton, (in which this place is.) The following extract from Whitaker’s history will prove this to have been the case, and that Airay was “the last of a bright band.” It will doubtless be perused with interest by many of the inhabitants of Craven, very few of whom I am inclined to think know of the circumst

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THE GIN ACT—NAMES OF DRAMS.

THE GIN ACT—NAMES OF DRAMS.

On the 29th of September, 1736, when the bill against spirituous liquors took place, several people at Norwich, Bristol, and other places, as well as at London, made themselves very merry on the “Death of Madam Gin,” and some of both sexes got soundly drunk at her “funeral,” for which the mob made a formal procession, but committed no outrage. A double guard for some days mounted at Kensington; the guard at St. James’s, and the horse-guards at Whitehall, were reinforced; a guard was placed at th

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A YOUNG POET’S OWN EPITAPH.

A YOUNG POET’S OWN EPITAPH.

A few weeks before John Keats died of decline, at Rome, a gentleman, who was sitting by his bedside, spoke of an inscription to his memory. Keats desired that there should be no mention of his name or country. “If there be any thing,” he said, “let it be, Here lies the body of one whose name was writ in water .” For the Table Book....

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HACKERSTON’S COW.

HACKERSTON’S COW.

This is a Scotch proverb, the application of which may be inferred from the following account of its origin. A tenant of lord Hackerston, who was one of the judges of the court of session, one day waited on his lordship with a woful countenance. “My lord,” said he, “I am come to inform your lordship of a sad misfortune, my cow has gored one of your lordship’s cows, so that I fear it cannot live.”—“Well, then, you must pay for it.”—“Indeed, my lord, it was not my fault, and you know I am a very p

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ROPE-RIDING ON HORSEBACK, ON ST. MARK’S DAY AT VENICE.

ROPE-RIDING ON HORSEBACK, ON ST. MARK’S DAY AT VENICE.

The gaiety and splendour exhibited in the place of St. Mark at Venice on this anniversary, is extremely attractive. Formerly, among the remarkable customs in honour of this the patron saint of the city, it was usual for a man to ascend and descend a rope stretched from the summit of St. Mark’s tower, and secured at a considerable distance from the base. On the last day of February, 1680, the doge, the senate, and the imperial ambassador, with about fifty thousand spectators, beheld the annual so

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REV MR. WILSON, THE MAN IN THE MOON.

REV MR. WILSON, THE MAN IN THE MOON.

It will now give pain to no one, if I notice Mr. Wilson, formerly curate of Halton Gill, near Skipton in Craven, and father of the late Rev. Edward Wilson, canon of Windsor. He wrote a tract, entitled “The Man in the Moon,” which was seriously meant to convey the knowledge of common astronomy in the following strange vehicle: A cobbler, Israel Jobson by name, is supposed to ascend first to the top of Pennigint; and thence, as a second stage equally practicable, to the moon! after which he makes

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SUMMER SHOWERS—SCORCHED LEAVES.

SUMMER SHOWERS—SCORCHED LEAVES.

In the summer, after some days of fine weather, during the heat of the day, if a storm happens, accompanied with a few light showers of rain, and the sun appears immediately after with its usual splendour, it burns the foliage and the flowers on which the rain had fallen, and destroys the hopes of the orchard. The intense heat, which the ardour of the sun produces at that time on the leaves and flowers, is equal to that of burning iron. Naturalists have sought for the cause of this strange effec

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ROYAL SUMMER-HOUSE, IN SIAM.

ROYAL SUMMER-HOUSE, IN SIAM.

The king of Siam has in one of his country palaces a most singular pavilion. The tables, the chairs, the closets, &amp;c. are all composed of crystal. The walls, the ceiling, and the floors, are formed of pieces of plate glass, of about an inch thick, and six feet square, so nicely united by a cement, which is as transparent as glass itself, that the most subtile fluid cannot penetrate. There is but one door, which shuts so closely, that it is as impenetrable to the water as the rest of this

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SPANISH PUNCTILIO.

SPANISH PUNCTILIO.

On occasion of the decease of the queen mother of Spain in 1696, the Paris papers gravely relate the following particulars of a dispute respecting precedence. The officers of the crown and the grandees of the kingdom assembled at the usual time to open her majesty’s will; but finding that the first lady of the queen’s chamber, who ought by virtue of her office to have been present, was absent, the august body sent a messenger, requesting her attendance. The first lady, deeming the message a gros

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BOSWELLIANA.

BOSWELLIANA.

The following anecdotes are related by, or relate to, the well-known James Boswell, who conducted Dr. Johnson to the Highlands of Scotland. It may be recollected that when Boswell took the doctor to his father’s house, the old laird of Auchinleck remarked, that “Jamie had brought an odd kind o’ a chiel’ wi’ him.” “Sir,” said Boswell, “he is the grand luminary of our hemisphere,—quite a constellation , sir.”—“ Ursa Major , (the Great Bear,) I suppose,” said the laird. Some snip-snap wit was wont

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BOWEL COMPLAINTS. A Recipe.

BOWEL COMPLAINTS. A Recipe.

The writer of a letter to the editor of the “Times,” signed “W.” in August, 1827, communicates the following prescription, as particularly useful in diarrhœa, accompanied by inflammation of the bowels:— Take of confection of catechu 2 drachms; simple cinnamon water 4 ounces; and syrup of white poppies 1 ounce. Mix them together, and give one or two table-spoonfuls twice or thrice a day as required. To children under ten years of age give a single dessert-spoon, and under two years a tea-spoonful

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Epitaph ON A MARINE OFFICER

Epitaph ON A MARINE OFFICER

[337] From the “Notes of a Bookworm.”...

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Nathan Coward, Glover and Poet, of Dersingham, Norfolk.

Nathan Coward, Glover and Poet, of Dersingham, Norfolk.

Nathan Coward, Glover and Poet, of Dersingham, Norfolk . For the Table Book. This eccentric individual, whose fertile pen procured him notoriety, was the son of a small grocer at March in the Isle of Ely. To use his favourite expression, he “came forth” on Friday, the 13th of April, 1735, O. S. He received the rudiments of his education under “dame Hawkins,” from whom he was removed to a most sagacious schoolmaster, named Wendall; and he “astonished his schoolfellows by the brilliancy of his gen

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PETER AND MARY.

PETER AND MARY.

Dr. Soams, master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, towards the close of the sixteenth century, by a whimsical perverseness deprived the college over which he presided of a handsome estate. Mary, the widow of Thomas Ramsey, lord mayor of London, in 1577, after conferring several favours on that foundation, proffered to settle five hundred pounds a year (a very large income at that period) upon the house, provided that it might be called “The college of Peter and Mary.” “No!” said the capricious master,

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXII.

[From “Love’s Metamorphosis,” a Comedy, by John Lily, M. A. 1601.] Love half-denied is Love half-confest. Nisa. Niobe, her maid. Nisa. I fear Niobe is in love. Niobe. Not I, madam; yet must I confess, that oftentimes I have had sweet thoughts, sometimes hard conceits; betwixt both, a kind of yielding; I know not what; but certainly I think it is not love: sigh I can, and find ease in melancholy: smile I do, and take pleasure in imagination: I feel in myself a pleasing pain, a chill heat, a delic

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WHITTLE SHEEPSHANKS, ESQ.

WHITTLE SHEEPSHANKS, ESQ.

Formerly there was a farmer of very extensive property, who was also of great piety, residing in Craven, with the above awkward Christian and surname. He once purchased some sheep of a native of North Britain at one of the Skipton cattle fairs, and not having cash enough with him to pay for them, he said to the man, “I’ve no money by me at present, but I’ll settle with you next fair.” “An’ wha ma ye be, sir?” said the Scotsman. “What, don’t ye know me? I thought every body knew Whittle Sheepshan

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MY “HOME.”

MY “HOME.”

This is the soothing word that calms the mind under all the various anxieties, mortifications, and disappointments we meet with, day after day, in the busy world. This is the idea that enables us to support the most trying vexations and troubles—it is an antidote for every evil— My “Home!”—There is a deliciously restful, quiet tone about the word. It presents heavenly ideas of soft ease, and gentle repose to the oppressed mind and languid body—ideas of quiet seclusion, where one’s powers and fac

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THE BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM. Written in Epping Forest.

THE BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM. Written in Epping Forest.

August 19, 1827. —— Burnsal Lich-Gate. Grassmere Font. ...

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NOTES ON A TOUR, CHIEFLY PEDESTRIAN, FROM SKIPTON IN CRAVEN, YORKSHIRE, TO KESWICK, IN CUMBERLAND.

NOTES ON A TOUR, CHIEFLY PEDESTRIAN, FROM SKIPTON IN CRAVEN, YORKSHIRE, TO KESWICK, IN CUMBERLAND.

“I hate the man who can travel from Dan to Beersheba and say ’tis all barren.”— Sterne July 14, 1827. Left Skipton for Keswick. The road from Skipton to Burnsal exhibits some romantic scenery, which the muse of Wordsworth has made classic ground. About half a mile from Rilston, on the right-hand side of the road, are the ruins of Norton tower, one of the principal scenes in the poem of the “White Doe of Rylstone.” Having visited the tower before, I did not think it worth while to reascend the im

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GENDERS.—JAMES HARRIS.

GENDERS.—JAMES HARRIS.

A good translation of Xenophon’s Cyropædia is much wanted. That by Ashley is vilely done; though Mr. Harris has pronounced a high eulogium on it in his Philological Inquiries. Mr. Harris was an excellent Greek scholar, but beyond that he does not seem to have great merit as a writer. In his “Hermes,” speaking of the grammatical genders, he says, they are founded on a “reasoning which discovers, even in things without sex, a distant analogy to that great distinction, which, according to Milton, a

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DOCTOR LETTSOM.

DOCTOR LETTSOM.

To the Editor. Sir,—Few inherited better qualities or were more eccentric than the late Dr. Lettsom. While he associated with literary men, communicated with literary works, and wrote and published his medical experience, he gave gratuitous aid to the needy, and apportioned his leisure to useful and practical purposes. In a work, called “Moods and Tenses,” lately published, I find anecdotes of the doctor, which I had sent to a literary publication, [344] reprinted without acknowledgment, and ext

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“PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.”

“PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.”

Extemporaneous Lines, written to oblige a young Friend, who suggested the Topic. August 25, 1827. * For the Table Book....

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TOMMY MITCHESON, OF DURHAM.

TOMMY MITCHESON, OF DURHAM.

The above is a well-known character in Durham, called “the philosopher:” and were his literary attainments to be measured by the books he peruses, they would far exceed those of any gentleman in the place. Tommy reads every thing that he can borrow—legal, medical, theological, historical—true narrative, or romance, it matters little to him;—but Tommy has no recollection. On arriving at the last page of a work he is just as wise as before he commenced. A friend of mine once lent him Gibbon’s “Dec

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A MAN-LIKING BIRD.

A MAN-LIKING BIRD.

“I have read of a bird,” says Dr. Fuller, in his Worthies of England, “which hath a face like , and yet will prey upon , a man, who coming to the water to drink, and finding there, by reflection, that he had killed one like himself, pineth away by degrees, and never afterwards enjoyeth itself.”...

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PENNY A LOT.

PENNY A LOT.

A Schoolboy’s fruitless Ramble through Town . P....

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FISH.

FISH.

Philip II. of Spain, the consort of our queen Mary, gave a whimsical reason for not eating fish. “They are,” said he, “nothing but element congealed, or a jelly of water.” It is related of a queen Aterbatis, that she forbad her subjects ever to touch fish, “lest,” said she, with calculating forecast, “there should not be enough left to regale their sovereign.”...

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Hogarth embarking at the Isle of Grain.

Hogarth embarking at the Isle of Grain.

Hogarth embarking at the Isle of Grain. Gostling. This sheet is dedicated to the five days’ travels, in 1732, of him and four of his friends. “Some few copies of the Tour,” says Horace Walpole, “were printed by Mr. Nichols. It was a party of pleasure down the river into Kent, undertaken by Mr. Hogarth, Mr. Scott, and three of their friends, in which they intended to have more humour than they accomplished, as is commonly the case in such meditated attempts. The Tour was described in verse by one

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The Diet of Augsburgh Commemoration Medal.

The Diet of Augsburgh Commemoration Medal.

The Diet of Augsburgh Commemoration Medal. To the Editor. Sir,—This engraving is from a silver medal, of the same size, which commemorates two events—The first is that of the date of June 1530, which is called the Confession of Augsburgh, to settle the religious disputes, in a Diet, or Assembly of Princes between the Lutherans and the Catholics—The second relates to the celebration of the Centenary of the Diet. The inscription “Johannes” on the side of the medal dated 1530, is for John Elector o

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HIGHLAND EMIGRATION.

HIGHLAND EMIGRATION.

The preceding stanza is the first in the poem entitled “The Last Deer of Beann Doran.” On the last two lines its author Mr. James Hay Allan, appends a note as follows:— In consequence of the enormous advance of rents, and the system of throwing the small crofts into extensive sheep-farms, the Highlands have been so depopulated in the last seventy-seven years, [351] that the inhabitants do not now amount to above one-third of their number at the commencement of that period. An instance of this me

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXIII.

[From the “True Trojans, or Fuimus Troes,” an Historical Play, Author unknown, 1633.] Invocation of the Druids to the Gods of Britain, on the invasion of Cæsar. Another, to the Moon. [From the “Twins,” a Comedy, by W. Rider, A. M. 1655.] Irresolution. Resolution for Innocence. [From “Sir Giles Goosecap,” a Comedy, Author Unknown, 1606.] Friendship in a Lord; modesty in a Gentleman. [From the “English Monsieur,” a Comedy by the Hon. James Howard, 1674.] The humour of a conceited Traveller, who is

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THOU AND YOU, IN POETRY.

THOU AND YOU, IN POETRY.

The promiscuous use of thou and you is a common error among all our poets, not the best or most accurate excepted. The cause of this anomaly is not of difficult investigation. The second person singular not being colloquial with us, (for we never use it to our familiar friends like the French,) it at once elevates our language above the level of common discourse—a most essential object to the poet, and therefore he readily adopts it; but when it comes to govern a verb, the combination of st is s

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HARVEST-CATCH IN NORFOLK.

HARVEST-CATCH IN NORFOLK.

To the Editor. Sir,—Your Every-Day Book contains several interesting accounts relating to the present joyous season of the year. Amongst others, a correspondent G. H. J. (in vol. ii. col. 1168,) has furnished us with some amusing particulars of the old customs of the harvest supper. It should seem, however, that he is but imperfectly acquainted with the old “catch” of this country. That which he has given is evidently compounded of two different songs in use on these occasions, and I have no dou

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POTTED VENISON.

POTTED VENISON.

Sir Kenelm Digby, in a fanciful discourse on “Sympathy,” affirms, that the venison which is in July and August put into earthern pots, to last the whole year, is very difficult to be preserved during the space of those particular months which are called the fence-months; but that, when that period is passed, nothing is so easy as to keep it gustful (as he words it) during the whole year after. This he endeavours to find a cause for from the “sympathy” between the potted meat, and its friends and

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THE DEFEAT OF TIME; OR A TALE OF THE FAIRIES.

THE DEFEAT OF TIME; OR A TALE OF THE FAIRIES.

Titania, and her moonlight Elves, were assembled under the canopy of a huge oak, that served to shelter them from the moon’s radiance, which, being now at her full noon, shot forth intolerable rays—intolerable, I mean, to the subtil texture of their little shadowy bodies—but dispensing an agreeable coolness to us grosser mortals. An air of discomfort sate upon the Queen, and upon her Courtiers. Their tiny friskings and gambols were forgot; and even Robin Goodfellow, for the first time in his lit

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PARODIES ON HORACE.

PARODIES ON HORACE.

Mr. James Petit Andrews, the continuator of Dr. Henry’s History of England, mentions a whimsical instance of literary caprice—a parody of Horace, by a German, David Hoppius, who had interest enough to have his book printed at Brunswick, in 1568, under the particular protection of the elector of Saxony. Hoppius, with infinite labour, transformed the odes and epodes of Horace into pious hymns, preserving the original measure, and, as far as possible, the words of the Roman poet. “The classical rea

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A GENTLEMAN’S FASHION.

A GENTLEMAN’S FASHION.

In the reign of Henry VII. sir Philip Calthrope, a Norfolk knight, sent as much cloth, of fine French tauney, as would make him a gown, to a tailor in Norwich. It happened one John Drakes, a shoemaker, coming into the shop, liked it so well, that he went and bought of the same as much for himself, enjoining the tailor to make it of the same fashion. The knight was informed of this, and therefore commanded the tailor to cut his gown as full of holes as his sheers could make. John Drakes’s was mad

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. VII.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. VII.

In the present stage of the inquiry will be adduced examples of the knowledge of the ancients, respecting the essential principles that “uphold the world.” The moderns, who imagine that they were the first to discover universal gravitation, have only trod in the paths of the ancients. It is true, that they have demonstrated the laws of gravitation, but this is all. Besides universal gravitation, the ancients knew that the circular motion described by the planets in their courses, is the result o

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AVON MILL, WILTS. The Gleaning or Leasing Cake.

AVON MILL, WILTS. The Gleaning or Leasing Cake.

To the Editor. Sir,—It may not be deemed an intrusion to inform your readers, that when Avon Mill was devoted to the grinding of corn it was very centrally situated for the convenience of the poor gleaners. This mill, then kept by a family of the name of Tanner, (the sons were renowned swimmers,) had also much business with the neighbouring farmers and maltsters. At the time, dame Tanner, one of the best-hearted women then living, had a custom of her own, (perhaps to discharge the dictates of a

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TRASHING. A Bridal Custom in Yorkshire.

TRASHING. A Bridal Custom in Yorkshire.

To the Editor. Morley, near Leeds, July 21, 1827. Sir,—There is a custom prevalent in various parts of Yorkshire, which I do not remember to have seen noticed in the works of Strutt, Brand, Fosbroke, or any other learned writer upon such subjects. It is called “trashing,” which signifies pelting people with old shoes on their return from church on the wedding-day. There were certain offences which subjected the parties formerly to this disagreeable liability; such as refusing to contribute to sc

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BILBOCQUET.

BILBOCQUET.

In 1595, Henry III. of France diverted himself, when passing through the streets of Paris, by playing with a “bilbocquet,” a cup and ball. The dukes d’Epernon and de Joyeuse accompanied him in his childish frolic, which, by this example, became so general, that gentlemen, pages, lackeys, and all sorts of people, great and small, made the management of the “bilbocquet” a serious and perpetual study. The same king traversed his capital with a basket hanging by a girdle from his neck, out of which

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REMARKABLE CHARACTERS.

REMARKABLE CHARACTERS.

Erasmus, while a schoolboy, composed a panegyric on king Philip, (father of Charles V.,) on his coming out of Spain into Germany. His majesty took such notice of his early wit, that he honoured him with a yearly pension during his life. King Henry VIII. of England wrote to him with his own hand, ordered him several very valuable presents, offered him a house and land, with six hundred florins a year, if he would reside in England. Francis I., king of France, also wrote to him, offering him a bis

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JUST JUDGMENT. A good Judge, and a good Jury.

JUST JUDGMENT. A good Judge, and a good Jury.

It is of most essential importance to the due administration of justice that juries should be sensible of their own dignity; and, when occasion requires, that they should not implicitly and servilely bow to the opinion of any judge, however high he may be held in estimation. An instance of the beneficial result of a jury asserting, in a respectful manner, the privilege of having an opinion of their own, occurred, not at the assizes now holding, but not very long ago. Two men were indicted for a

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OLD ENGLISH ALE.

OLD ENGLISH ALE.

About 1620 some doctors and surgeons, during their attendance on an English gentleman, who was diseased at Paris, discoursed on wines and other beverages; and one physician, who had been in England, said, “The English had a drink which they call ale, and which he thought the wholesomest liquor that could be drank; for whereas the body of man is supported by natural heat and radical moisture, there is no drink conduceth more to the preservation of the one, and the increase of the other, than ale:

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A SOLDIER’S AGE.

A SOLDIER’S AGE.

Napoleon, in his Italian successes, took a Hungarian battalion prisoners. The colonel, an old man, complained bitterly of the French mode of fighting—by rapid and desultory attacks, on the flank, the rear, the lines of communication, &amp;c., concluding by saying, “that he fought in the army of Maria Theresa.” “You must be old? ” said Napoleon. “Yes, I am either sixty or seventy.” “Why, colonel, you have certainly lived long enough to know how to count years a little more closely?” “General,

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COUNSELS AND CAUTIONS By Dr. A. Hunter.

COUNSELS AND CAUTIONS By Dr. A. Hunter.

Leave your purse and watch at home when you go to the playhouse or an auction room. When you take a journey in winter put on two shirts; you will find them much warmer than an additional waistcoat. If you mean to buy a house that you intend to alter and improve, be sure to double the tradesman’s estimate. Paint the steps a stone colour; it will save scouring and soap. If you are in trade keep no more houses than you can support; a summer-house and a winter-house have forced many a man into a poo

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The noted John Cooke of Exeter.

The noted John Cooke of Exeter.

The noted John Cooke of Exeter. “DRAWN FROM NATURE.” To the Editor. Corporations in old times kept fools, and there are still traces of the custom. The antiquary admires the carving of a fool, “a motley fool,” at the porchway of the King John tavern at Exeter, and contemplates it as probably the faithful representation of an obsolete servant of that ancient city; while the traveller endeavours to obtain a sight of the “noted Captain Cooke, all alive! alive!”—the most public, and not the least im

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXIV.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXIV.

[From the “Antipodes,” further extracts: see No. XX ] A Doctor humours his patient, who is crazed with reading lying books of travels, by pretending that he himself has been a great traveller in his time. Peregrine, the patient. Doctor. Lady. Scene, at the Antipodes. N.B. In the Antipodes, every thing goes contrary to our manners: wives rule their husbands; servants govern their masters; old men go to school again, &amp;c. Son. Servant. Gentleman, and Lady, natives. English Traveller. Enter

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BEAR AND TENTER.

BEAR AND TENTER.

To the Editor. Morley, near Leeds, July, 1827. Sir,—On surveying the plays and pastimes of children, in these northern parts especially, it has often struck me with respect to some of them, that if traced up to their origin, they would be found to have been “political satires to ridicule such follies and corruptions of the times, as it was, perhaps, unsafe to do in any other manner.” In this conjecture I have lately been confirmed, by meeting with a curious paper, copied from another periodical

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GLANCES AT BOOKS ON MY TABLE.

GLANCES AT BOOKS ON MY TABLE.

The History and Antiquities of Weston Favell , in the County of Northampton . By John Cole , Editor of ‘Herveiana,’ &amp;c. Scarborough : Printed (only 50 copies) and published by John Cole; and Longman and Co. London , 1827.—8vo. pp. 74. According to Mr. Cole, Weston Favell is entered in Domesday book as “Westone,” and the addition of Favell was derived from a family of that name, who formerly possessed the manor. From each of three mansions standing there at the commencement of the last ce

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ARUM—CUCKOO-PINT—STARCH-WORT.

ARUM—CUCKOO-PINT—STARCH-WORT.

Old John Gerard, who was some time gardener to Cecil lord Burleigh, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, says, in his “Herbal,” that “beares, after they have lien in their dens forty dayes without any manner of sustenance, but what they get with licking and sucking their owne feet, do, as soon as they come forth, eate the herbe Cuckoo-pint, through the windie nature whereof the hungry gut is opened, and made fit againe to receive sustenance.” Gerard further tells, that “the most pure and white starc

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MEMORIALS OF JOHN KEATS.

MEMORIALS OF JOHN KEATS.

To the Editor. Sir,—The anecdote of Keats, which appeared in a late number of your Table Book , [356] recalled his image to my “mind’s eye” as vividly, through the tear of regret, as the long-buried pictures on the walls of Pompeii appear when water is thrown over them; and I turned to reperuse the written record of my feelings, at hearing him spoken of a few months since. These lines I trouble you with, thinking they may gratify the feelings of some one of his friends, and trusting their homeli

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FUNERALS IN CUMBERLAND.

FUNERALS IN CUMBERLAND.

To the Editor. Sir,—It is usual at the funeral of a person, especially of a householder, to invite persons to attend the ceremony; and in Carlisle, for instance, this is done on the day of interment by the bellman, who, in a solemn and subdued tone of voice, announces, that “all friends and neighbours of ——, deceased, are requested to take notice, that the body will be lifted at —— o’clock, to be interred at —— church.” On this occasion the relatives and persons, invited by note, repair to the d

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BIDDEN WEDDINGS In Cumberland.

BIDDEN WEDDINGS In Cumberland.

Sir,—It was a prevalent custom to have “ bidden weddings” when a couple of respectability and of slender means were on the eve of marriage; in this case they gave publicity to their intentions through the medium of the “ Cumberland Pacquet,” a paper published at Whitehaven, and which about twenty-nine years ago was the only newspaper printed in the county. The editor, Mr. John Ware, used to set off the invitation in a novel and amusing manner, which never failed to ensure a large meeting, and fr

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. VIII.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. VIII.

That lucid whitish zone in the firmament among the fixed stars, which we call the “Milky Way,” was supposed by the Pythagoreans to have once been the sun’s path, wherein he had left that trace of white, which we now observe there. The Peripatetics asserted, after Aristotle, that it was formed of exhalations, suspended high in air. These were gross mistakes; but all the ancients were not mistaken. Democritus, without the aid of a telescope, preceded Galileo in remarking, that “what we call the mi

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RELIQUIÆ THOMSONIANA.

RELIQUIÆ THOMSONIANA.

To the Editor. Sir,—The article relating to Thomson, in a recent number of the Table Book , cannot fail to have deeply interested many of your readers, and in the hope that further similar communications may be elicited, I beg to offer the little I can contribute. The biographical memoranda, the subject of the conversation in the article referred to, are said to have been transmitted to the earl of Buchan by Mr. Park. It is not singular that no part of it appears in his lordship’s “Essays on the

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THE BERKSHIRE MISER.

THE BERKSHIRE MISER.

The economy and parsimony of the Rev. Morgan Jones, late curate of Blewbury, a parish about six miles from Wallingford, were almost beyond credibility; he having outdone, in many instances, the celebrated Elwes, of Marcham. For many of the last years of Mr. Jones’s ministerial labours, he had no servant to attend any of his domestic concerns; and he never had even the assistance of a female within his doors for the last twelve years. The offices of housemaid, chamber-maid, cook, and scullion, an

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXV.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXV.

[From the “Hectors,” a Comedy; by Edmund Prestwick, 1641.] A Waiting Maid wheedles an old Justice into a belief, that her Lady is in love with him. Maid. I think there never was Woman of so strange a humour as she is for the world; for from her infancy she ever doted on old men. I have heard her say, that in these her late law troubles, it has been no small comfort to her, that she hath been conversant with grave counsellors and serjeants; and what a happiness she had sometimes to look an hour t

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IMPERIAL FATE.

IMPERIAL FATE.

Richard II. Richard II. Does any man envy the situation of monarchs? Let him peruse the following statement, which particularizes the deaths of the forty-seven Roman emperors, from Julius Cæsar to Constantine the Great; only thirteen of whom encountered “the last enemy” in the ordinary course of nature:— Where did these events occur? Among the savage tribes of interior Africa, or the rude barbarians of northern Europe? No: but in Rome—imperial Rome—in her “high and palmy state,” when she was mis

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ILL-FATED ROYAL FAMILIES.

ILL-FATED ROYAL FAMILIES.

The successors of Charlemagne in his French dominions, were examples of a melancholy destiny. His son, Louis le Debonnaire, died for want of food, in consequence of a superstitious panic. His successor, Charles the Bald, was poisoned by his physician. The son of Charles, Louis the Stutterer, fell also by poison. Charles, king of Aquitaine, brother to Louis, was fatally wounded in the head by a lord, named Albuin, whom he was endeavouring, by way of frolic, to terrify, in disguise. Louis III., su

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Original Poetry.

Original Poetry.

For the Table Book. John Lidgate. John Lidgate. Alpha. September, 1827. [ 360 , 361 ] Tynemouth castle and priory, which stand together on a bleak promontory. [362] Keep to the wind , &amp;c. This line is a technical description of the sails of a vessel when contending against the wind.—αλφα. For the Table Book....

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MY POCKET-BOOK.

MY POCKET-BOOK.

I crave good Mr. Du B——’s pardon for my “flat burglary” with regard to the title of the present little paper. It is very far from my intention to endeavour in any way to place myself in competition with that great satirical genius, of whose very superior talents and brilliant wit I am pleased to be thus afforded an opportunity of avowing myself an ardent admirer: but as this title suits my purpose, I must entreat his permission to appropriate it, and merely remind him of the poet Puff’s excuse o

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WOMEN.

WOMEN.

That venerable people—who were the ancients to those whom we call the ancients—the wise Egyptians, in the disposition which they allotted to the genders of their nouns, paid a singular and delicate compliment to the fair sex. In the four elements, beginning with water, they appointed the ocean, as a rough boisterous existence, to the male sex; but streams and fountains they left to the more gentle females. As to earth, they made rocks and stones male; but arable and meadow lands female. Air they

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. IX.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. IX.

To the Reader. In the present volume has been commenced, and will be concluded, a series of Articles under this title, which to some readers may not have been sufficiently attractive. It is therefore now re-stated, that they present very curious particulars concerning the extent to which the ancients were acquainted with several popular systems and theories, usually supposed to have originated in modern times. Sir Isaac Newton’s Theory of Colours appears, by the succeeding paper, to have been im

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Durhamiana.

Durhamiana.

For the Table Book. Willey Walker, a well-known Durham character, who has discovered a new solar system different from all others, is a beadsman of the cathedral; or, as the impudent boys call a person of his rank, from the dress he wears, “a blue mouse.” It is Willey’s business to toll the curfew: but to our story. In Durham there are two clocks, which, if I may so express myself, are both official ones; viz. the cathedral clock, and the gaol or county clock. The admirers of each are about equa

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A SENSUALIST AND HIS CONSCIENCE.

A SENSUALIST AND HIS CONSCIENCE.

The following lines, written in the year 1609, are said, in the “Notes of a Bookworm,” to have induced Butler to pursue their manner in his “Hudibras.” Dialogue....

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PLAYWRIGHT-ING.

PLAYWRIGHT-ING.

To the Editor. Sir,—The following short matter-of-fact narrative, if inserted in your widely circulated miscellany, may in some degree tend to lessen the number of dramatic aspirants, and afford a little amusement to your readers. I was, at the age of sixteen, apprenticed to a surgeon, and had served but two years of my apprenticeship, when I began to conceive that I had talents for something superior to the profession I had embraced. I imagined that literature was my forte; and accordingly I tr

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EPIGRAM.

EPIGRAM.

A few years ago a sign of one of the Durham inns was removed, and sent to Chester-le-Street, by way of a frolic. It was generally supposed that the feat was achieved by some of the legal students then in that city; and a respectable attorney there was so fully persuaded of it, that he immediately began to make inquiries corroborative of his suspicions. The circumstances drew forth the following epigram from our friend T. Q. M., which has never appeared in print. [363] A favourite expression of t

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THE ROMANS.

THE ROMANS.

The whole early part of the Roman history is very problematical. It is hardly possible to suppose the Romans could have made so conspicuous a figure in Italy, and not be noticed by Herodotus, who finished his history in Magna Græcia. Neither is Rome mentioned by Aristotle, though he particularly describes the government of Carthage. Livy, a writer by no means void of national prejudice, expressly says, they had never heard of Alexander; and here we surely may say in the words of the poet, Pliny,

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A LITERARY BLUNDER.

A LITERARY BLUNDER.

When the Utopia of sir Thomas More was first published, it occasioned a pleasant mistake. This political romance represents a perfect, but visionary republic, in an island supposed to have been newly discovered in America. As this was the age of discovery, (says Granger,) the learned Budæus, and others, took it for a genuine history; and considered it as highly expedient, that missionaries should be sent thither, in order to convert so wise a nation to Christianity....

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TREASURE DIGGING.

TREASURE DIGGING.

A patent passed the great seal in the fifteenth year of James I., which is to be found in Rymer, “to allow to Mary Middlemore, one of the maydes of honor to our deerest consort queen Anne, (of Denmark,) and her deputies, power and authority, to enter into the abbies of Saint Albans, Glassenbury, Saint Edmundsbury, and Ramsay, and into all lands, houses, and places, within a mile, belonging to said abbies;” there to dig, and search after treasure, supposed to be hidden in such places....

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PERSONAL CHARMS DISCLAIMED.

PERSONAL CHARMS DISCLAIMED.

By a Lady. If any human being was free from personal vanity it must have been the second duchess d’Orleans, Charlotte Elizabeth of Bavaria. In one of her letters, (dated 9th August, 1718,) she says, “I must certainly be monstrously ugly. I never had a good feature. My eyes are small, my nose short and thick, my lips broad and thin. These are not materials to form a beautiful face. Then I have flabby, lank cheeks, and long features, which suit ill with my low stature. My waist and my legs are equ

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FORCIBLE ABDUCTION.

FORCIBLE ABDUCTION.

The following singular circumstance is related by Dr. Whitaker in his History of Craven:— Gilbert Plumpton, in the 21 of Henry II., committed something like an Irish marriage with the heiress of Richard Warelwas, and thereby incurred the displeasure of Ranulph de Glanville, great justiciary, who meant to have married her to a dependant of his own. Plumpton was in consequence indicted and convicted of a rape at Worcester; but at the very moment when the rope was fixed, and the executioner was dra

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POLITENESS.

POLITENESS.

A polite behaviour can never be long maintained without a real wish to please; and such a wish is a proof of good-nature. No ill-natured man can be long well-bred. No good-natured man, however unpolished in his manners, can ever be essentially ill-bred. From an absurd prejudice with regard to good-nature, some people affect to substitute good temper for it; but no qualities can be more distinct: many good-tempered people, as well as many fools, are very ill-natured; and many men of first-rate ge

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A FRENCH TRIBUTE TO ENGLISH INTEGRITY.

A FRENCH TRIBUTE TO ENGLISH INTEGRITY.

The Viscount de Chateaubriand gratefully memorializes his respect for the virtue of a distressed family in London by the following touching narrative prefixed to his Indian tale, entitled “The Natchez:”— When I quitted England in 1800 to return to France, under a fictitious name, I durst not encumber myself with too much baggage. I left, therefore, most of my manuscripts in London. Among these manuscripts was that of The Natchez , no other part of which I brought to Paris but René , Atala , and

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DEVONSHIRE WRESTLING.

DEVONSHIRE WRESTLING.

For the Table Book. Abraham Cann, the Devonshire champion, and his brother wrestlers of that county, are objected to for their play with the foot, called “showing a toe” in Devonshire; or, to speak plainly, “kicking.” Perhaps neither the objectors, nor Abraham and his fellow-countrymen, are aware, that the Devonshire custom was also the custom of the Greeks, in the same sport, three thousand years ago. The English reader may derive proof of this from Pope’s translation of Homer’s account of the

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Penn and the Indians.

Penn and the Indians.

Penn and the Indians. This stanza is in a delightful little volume, entitled “The Desolation of Eyam; the Emigrant, a tale of the American Woods; and other poems: By William and Mary Howitt, authors of the Forest Minstrel, &amp;c.” The feeling and beauty of one of the poems, “Penn and the Indians,” suggested the present engraving , after a celebrated print from a picture by the late Benjamin West. The following particulars are chiefly related by Mr. Clarkson, respecting the scene it represen

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QUAKERS. Origin of the Term.

QUAKERS. Origin of the Term.

On the 30th of October, 1650, the celebrated George Fox being at a lecture delivered in Derby by a colonel of the parliament’s army, after the service was over addressed the congregation, till there came an officer who took him by the hand, and said, that he, and the other two that were with him, must go before the magistrates. They were examined for a long time, and then George Fox, and one John Fretwell of Staniesby, a husbandman, were committed to the house of correction for six months upon p

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The Will OF JOHN KEATS, THE POET.

The Will OF JOHN KEATS, THE POET.

To the Editor. Sir,—Underneath I send you a copy of a document which “poor Keats” sent to Mr. ——, in August, 1820, just before his departure for Italy. This paper was intended by him to operate as his last will and testament, but the sages of Doctors’ Commons refused to receive it as such, for reasons which to a lawyer would be perfectly satisfactory, however the rest of the world might deem them deficient in cogency:— Copy. “My share of books divide amongst my friends. In case of my death this

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Old London Cries.

Old London Cries.

Fine Writing Ink! Buy an Iron Fork, or a Shovel? Old London Cries. These engravings pretty well describe the occupations of the figures they represent. The cry of “Fine writing-ink” has ceased long ago; and the demand for such a fork as the woman carries is discontinued. They are copied from a set of etchings formerly mentioned —the “Cries of London,” by Lauron. The following of that series are worth describing, because they convey some notion of cries which we hear no longer in the streets of t

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ANTIQUARIAN MEMORANDUM.

ANTIQUARIAN MEMORANDUM.

For the Table Book. At a little alehouse on the Lea, near Hoddesdon, called “Page’s Lock,” there is a curious antique chair of oak, richly carved. It has a high, narrow back inlaid with cane, and had a seat of the same, which last is replaced by the more durable substitute of oak. The framework is beautifully carved in foliage, and the top rail of the back, as also the front rail between the legs, have the imperial crown in the centre. The supports of the back are twisted pillars, surmounted wit

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MINISTER OF KIRKBY LONSDALE, KIRKBY KENDAL.—LUNE BRIDGE.

MINISTER OF KIRKBY LONSDALE, KIRKBY KENDAL.—LUNE BRIDGE.

To the Editor. Sir,—The Tenth Part of your interesting publication, the Table Book , has been lent to me by one of your constant readers; who, aware of the interest which I take in every thing connected with Westmoreland, pointed out the Notes of T. Q. M. on a Pedestrian Tour from Skipton to Keswick. [368] It is not my intention to review those notes, or to point out the whole of his inaccuracies; but I shall select one, which, in my humble judgment, is quite inexcusable. After stating that the

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. X.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. X.

Copernicus places the sun in the centre of our system, the fixed stars at the circumference, and the earth and other planets in the intervening space; and he ascribes to the earth not only a diurnal motion around its axis, but an annual motion round the sun. This simple system, which explains all the appearances of the planets and their situations, whether processional, stationary, or retrograde, was so fully and distinctly inculcated by the ancients, that it is matter of surprise it should deri

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GRAVESEND.

GRAVESEND.

To the Editor. Rochester, Sept. 29, 1827. Sir,—On the beach at Gravesend yesterday morning, I saw a gaily dressed young female walking and fondling an infant in her arms, whom she called Henry; with a fine, lively, bluff boy of about three years old running before, who suddenly venturing to interrupt the gravity of a goat, by tickling his beard with a switch, became in immediate danger of over-punishment from the provoked animal. I ran to “the rescue,” and received warm thanks for its achievemen

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“POOR BILLY W——.”

“POOR BILLY W——.”

For the Table Book. Some years ago my pen was employed to attempt the sketch of a Character, but apprehending that the identity might be too strong and catch his eye,—he was my friend, and a great reader of “periodicals”—I desisted. I meant to say nothing ill-natured, yet I feared to offend a harmless and inoffensive man, and I destroyed what had given me an hour’s amusement. The reason no longer exists—death has removed him. Disease and a broken spirit, occasioned by commercial misfortunes and

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ABORIGENES.

ABORIGENES.

This word is explained in every dictionary, English, Latin, or French, as a general name for the indigenous inhabitants of a country; when in reality it is the proper name of a peculiar people of Italy, who were not indigenous, but supposed to have been a colony of Arcadians. The error has been founded chiefly on the supposed derivation of the word from ab origine . Never (except in Swift’s ludicrous work) was a more eccentric etymology—a preposition, with its governed case, made plural by the m

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TASTING DAYS.

TASTING DAYS.

To the Editor. Sir,—Few men enjoy, or deserve better living than the citizens of London. When they are far on the journey of life, and have acquired a useful fame in their respective companies, their elevation is delightful and complacent. Not a subject is proposed, nor a matter of reference considered, but, as a living author has observed, “it must begin or finish with a dinner.” Thus originated a most exquisite anticipation to the select few, the “Tasting Day,”—a day which precedes all good ge

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CURIOUS SIGN.

CURIOUS SIGN.

For the Table Book. So said Pope, and so say I. At Halton East, near Skipton-in Craven, the following inscription arrests the attention of every passer-by:— Watkinson’s Acadamy Whatever man has done man may do. Also Dealer in Groceries , &amp;c. Tim. T——....

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ORDERS TO MARCH.

ORDERS TO MARCH.

The following parody, on a stanza of the “Blue Bonnets over the Border,” is put forth, as an advertisement, by a hatter, at Brighton, named March....

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The Broom-maker’s at Shirley Common, Surrey.

The Broom-maker’s at Shirley Common, Surrey.

The Broom-maker’s at Shirley Common, Surrey. * On a fine summer’s day I alighted, with my friend W——, from the roof of a stage-coach at Croydon, for a by-way walk, in a part unknown to both. We struck to the eastward through Addiscombe—it is scarcely a village, and only remarkable for the East India Company having seated it with a military establishment; which, as peaceable persons, we had no desire to see, though we could not help observing some cannon in a meadow, as smooth-shaven, and with as

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THE WOOD FEAST.

THE WOOD FEAST.

To the Editor. Sir,—In the autumn it is customary at Templecoomb, a small village in Somersetshire, and its neighbourhood, for the steward of the manor to give a feast, called the “Wood feast,” to farmers and other consumers that buy their wood for hurdles, rick-fasts in thatching, poles, spikes, and sundry other uses. When the lots are drawn in the copses, and each person has paid down his money, the feast is provided “of the best,” and few attend it but go home with the hilarity which good che

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CHOOSING COMMON CONSTABLES.

CHOOSING COMMON CONSTABLES.

For the Table Book. It is annually the custom to hold a meeting, duly summoned, on Startley Common, Wilts, for the choice of new constables for the hundreds of the county. Lots are cast for those who are to serve for the ensuing year; and afterwards the parties present adjourn to a house for refreshment, which costs each individual about seventeen shillings. This may almost be regarded as an equivalent for serving the office—the lots mostly fall on the absentees. P....

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXVI.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXVI.

[From “Love’s Dominion, a Dramatic Pastoral,” by Richard Flecknoe, 1634.] Invocation to Silence. Fable. [From “Andronicus,” a Tragedy, by Philonax Lovekin, 1661.] Effect of Religious Structures on different minds. Song for Sleep. [From “Don Quixote,” a Comedy, in three parts, by Thomas D’Urfey, 1694.] Dirge, at the hearse of Chrysostom. C. L. [369] i. e. “may thy sleep be so profound, as not even by dreams of a resurrection to be disturbed:” the language of passion, not of sincere profaneness...

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ÆSOP IN RUSSIA. Peter the Great’s Summer Garden.

ÆSOP IN RUSSIA. Peter the Great’s Summer Garden.

Schræder, a celebrated Swedish gardener, was employed by the czar to execute a plan he had approved of, for the gardens of his summer palace. The work was already far advanced, and among the different parts that were finished, were two large divisions adjoining to the principal avenue, opposite to each other, enclosed with a hedge, and covered with turf. The czar, who came often to see the progress of his undertaking, on observing the two grass-plots, conceived a design of converting this place

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LOVE OF GARDENS In distinguished Men.

LOVE OF GARDENS In distinguished Men.

Juvenal represents Lucan reposing in a garden. [370] Tasso pictures Rinaldo sitting beneath the shade in a fragrant meadow: Virgil describes Anchises seated beneath sweet-scented bay-trees; and Eneas, as reclining, remote from all society, in a deep and winding valley. [371] Gassendi, who ingrafted the doctrine of Galileo on the theory of Epicurus, took not greater pleasure in feasting his youthful imagination by gazing on the moon, than Cyrus, in the cultivation of flowers.—“I have measured, du

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DUTCH ROYAL GARDEN AND SCHEVELING SCENERY. Described by the Deputation of the Caledonian Horticultural Society.

DUTCH ROYAL GARDEN AND SCHEVELING SCENERY. Described by the Deputation of the Caledonian Horticultural Society.

August 26, 1817. Late in the afternoon, we took a walk to the northward of the Hague, on the Amsterdam road, and entered a forest of large and ancient trees, by much the finest which we have seen on the continent, and evidently several centuries old. Many oaks, elms, and beeches were magnificent. Some of the oaks, at two feet from the ground, measured twelve feet in circumference, and had free and clean boles to the height of about forty feet. This wood, in all probability, gave rise to the name

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Michaelmas.

Michaelmas.

To the Editor. Sir,—At this season “village maidens” in the west of England go up and down the hedges gathering Crab-apples , which they carry home, putting them into a loft, and form with them the initials of their supposed suitors’ names. The initials , which are found on examination to be most perfect on old “Michaelmas Day,” are considered to represent the strongest attachments, and the best for the choice of husbands. This custom is very old, and much reliance is placed on the appearances a

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A Young Ash Tree, SHIRLEY HEATH, WARWICKSHIRE, Used for Charms.

A Young Ash Tree, SHIRLEY HEATH, WARWICKSHIRE, Used for Charms.

A Young Ash Tree, SHIRLEY HEATH, WARWICKSHIRE, Used for Charms. Mr. Brand mentions, as a popular superstition, that if a tree of any kind is split—and weak, rickety, or ruptured children drawn through it, and afterwards the tree is bound, so as to make it unite, as the tree heals and grows together, so will the child acquire strength. Sir John Cullum, who saw this operation twice performed, thus describes it:—“For this purpose a young ash was each time selected, and split longitudinally, about f

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TREES Poetically and Nationally regarded.

TREES Poetically and Nationally regarded.

A gentleman, who, on a tour in 1790, visited the burial-place of Edmond Waller, in the church-yard of Beaconsfield, describes the poet’s splendid tomb as enclosed, or cradled, with spiked iron palisadoes, inserted into a great old ash tree, under which his head reposes. “This umbrageous tree overshadows the whole mausoleum. As the pagan deities had each their favourite tree—Jupiter, the oak; Apollo, the laurel; Venus, the myrtle; Minerva, the olive; &amp;c.—so poets and literary men have imi

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THE PEARL. A Persian Fable.

THE PEARL. A Persian Fable.

Imitated from the Latin of Sir W. Jones....

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XI.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XI.

Cassini, and after him sir Isaac Newton, by their close observations and accurate calculations respecting the nature and courses of comets, have given certainty to the opinions of the old philosophers; or, to speak with more propriety, they have recalled and fixed our attention upon what had before been advanced by the ancients on these subjects. For, in treating of the nature of these stars, their definitions of them, the reasons they assign for the rarity of their appearance, and the apologies

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MEDICAL AND LEGAL DUALITY.

MEDICAL AND LEGAL DUALITY.

A gentleman calling on a friend, found two physicians with him: he wrote the following lines on the back of his card:— An opulent farmer applied about a law-suit to an attorney, who told him he could not undertake it, being already engaged on the other side; at the same time he said, that he would give him a letter of recommendation to a professional friend, which he did. The farmer, out of curiosity, opened it, and read as follows: The farmer carried this epistle to the person with whom he was

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THE HAUNTED MILL.

THE HAUNTED MILL.

For the Table Book. At the basis of the Wolds, in the north riding of Yorkshire, creeps a sluggish stream, on whose bank may be seen the ruins of a mill, which our good forefathers supposed to be haunted. I often gaze upon those ruins with great interest; not so much for its picturesque beauty, which, like a flower in the wilderness, makes solitude less lonely, as for the many endearing claims it has upon my memory, by way of association. It stands near the home of my childhood, it reminds me of

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COUNSELS AND SAYINGS, By Dr. A. Hunter.

COUNSELS AND SAYINGS, By Dr. A. Hunter.

Accustom yourself to reflect. Seek wisdom, and you will be sure to find her; but if you do not look for her , she will not look for you . Do, as you would be done by. Use yourself to kindness and compassion, and you may expect kindness and compassion in return. Have you a Friend? If you have a grievance on your mind you may tell it to your friend, but first be sure that he is your friend. Educate your Children properly. An university implies a seminary, where all the young men go the same way. W

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GERMAN EPIGRAMS

GERMAN EPIGRAMS

Honourable Service. A Mother’s Love. Epitaph. Adam’s Sleep. Epitaph. Epitaph. Adam’s Sleep. Epitaph....

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PRUSSIAN COURT MOURNING.

PRUSSIAN COURT MOURNING.

Frederick the first king of Prussia was an extremely vain man, and continually engaged in frivolous pursuits. His queen, Sophia Charlotte, the sister of our George I. was a woman of a very superior mind. In her last illness she viewed the approach of death with much calmness and serenity; and when one of her attendants observed how severely it would afflict the king, and that the misfortune of losing her would plunge his majesty into the deepest despair, the queen said, with a smile, “With respe

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MI-EAU IN AMERICA.

MI-EAU IN AMERICA.

A New York paper says, that a lad in that city, on delivering his milk, was asked why the milk was so warm. “I don’t know,” he replied, with much simplicity, “unless they put in warm water instead of cold .”...

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A CAPITAL EXTEMPORE

A CAPITAL EXTEMPORE

To the Author of some Bad Lines, on the River Dee....

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PETITION OF THE LETTER H TO ITS DECIDED ENEMIES.

PETITION OF THE LETTER H TO ITS DECIDED ENEMIES.

ANSWER. ANSWER. Hezekiah Hulk , Huntsman . Milford, June, 1827....

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THE GLORIOUS MEMORY.

THE GLORIOUS MEMORY.

Sir Jonah Barrington lately met rather a noted corporator of Dublin in Paris, and in the course of conversation inquired why, after the king’s visit to the metropolis of Ireland, and his conciliatory admonitions, the corporation still appeared to prefer the “Boyne Water” and “King William.” The answer was characteristic. “Lord bless you, sir Jonah,” replied the corporator, “as for the Wather we don’t care a farthing about that; but if we once gave up ould King William , we’d give up all our enjo

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ERRATA.

ERRATA.

Col. 397 , line 18, for “ modern Europe,” read “ northern Europe.” Col. 430 . In the Will of John Keats, for “ losses of the sale of books,” read “ hopes of the sale of books.”...

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Catherine Mompesson’s Tomb at Eyam.

Catherine Mompesson’s Tomb at Eyam.

Catherine Mompesson’s Tomb at Eyam. The Desolation of Eyam. The Desolation of Eyam. Through the seventeenth and half of the eighteenth century the village of Eyam, three miles east from Tideswell, in Derbyshire, was populous and flourishing; and all that part of the country thickly sown with little towns and hamlets, was swarming with inhabitants. Owing to the exhausted state of the lead mines the scene is altered, and Eyam is now thinly peopled. It had before endured a dreadful affliction. The

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXVII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXVII.

[From “Ram Alley,” a Comedy, by Lodowick Barry, 1611.] In the Prologue the Poet protests the innocence of his Play, and gives a promise of better things. [From the “Royal King and Loyal Subject,” a Tragi-comedy, by T. Heywood, 1627.] In the Prologue to this Play, Heywood descants upon the variety of topics, which had been introduced upon the English stage in that age,—the rich Shakspearian epoch. [From the “Challenge to Beauty,” a Tragi-comedy, by T. Heywood, 1636.] In the Prologue to this Play,

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Wrestling IN CORNWALL AND DEVONSHIRE.

Wrestling IN CORNWALL AND DEVONSHIRE.

To the Editor. Sir,—The ready insertion given to my letter on the above subject, in the second volume of the Every-Day Book , (p. 1009,) encourages me to hope that you will as readily insert the present, which enters more fully into the merits of this ancient sport, as practised in both counties, than any other communication you have as yet lain before your numerous readers. Having been the first person to call your attention to the merits of Polkinhorne, Parkins, and Warren, of Cornwall, (to wh

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XII.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XII.

By ether the moderns understand a rare fluid, or species of matter, beyond the atmosphere, and penetrating it, infinitely more subtile than the air we respire, of an immense extent, filling all the spaces where the celestial bodies roll, yet making no sensible resistance to their motions. Some suppose it to be a sort of air, much purer than that which invests our globe; others, that its nature approaches to that of the celestial fire, which emanates from the sun and other stars; others, again, s

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Manners and Customs.

Manners and Customs.

For the Table Book. “ An account of a May-Game, performed at Richmond, Yorkshire, on the 29th of May, 1660, by the inhabitants of that town; whereby they demonstrated their universal joy for the happy return of Charles II., whom God was pleased to make the instrument of freeing this nation from tyranny, usurpation, and the dismal effects of a civil war. “They came into the town, in solemn equipage, as follows:— “1. Three antics before them with bagpipes. “2. The representative of a lord , attend

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A RARE BROAD FARTHING!

A RARE BROAD FARTHING!

To the Editor. Sir,—In your last very pleasing number, p. 242 , you give an account of a “ Farthing Lord .” As addenda to that article I state, that in the west of England I knew a penurious old gentleman, who, by way of generous reward, used to give the person who performed little services for him a farthing! , with this grateful apostrophe, “Here, my friend; here is a rare broad farthing for thee!—go thy way—call to-morrow; and, if thou earn it, thou shalt have another rare broad farthing! ” B

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SIR WALTER SCOTT.

SIR WALTER SCOTT.

The following good-tempered and agreeable letter has been published in illustration of an excellent engraving of Wilkie’s interesting picture of Sir Walter Scott and his family:— Letter from Sir Walter Scott to Sir Adam Ferguson, descriptive of a Picture painted by David Wilkie, Esq., R.A., exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1818. My dear Adam,—I have duly received your letter, with that enclosed from the gentleman whom you have patronised, by suffering the sketch from the pencil of our friend Wilk

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ADVICE

ADVICE

The advice given by a girl to Thales, the Milesian philosopher, was strong and practical. Seeing him gazing at the heavens, as he walked along, and perhaps piqued by his not casting an eye on her attractions, she put a stool in his path, over which he tumbled and broke his shins. The excuse she made was, that she meant to teach him, before he indulged himself in star-gazing, to “look at home.” In a late translation of Hippocrates, we read the following piece of grave advice, which, notwithstandi

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A NOMINAL ACCIDENT.

A NOMINAL ACCIDENT.

To the Editor. It is rather extraordinary that of the two pork-butchers in Clare-market, one of their names should be “ Hum ,” the other’s “ Shum .”—Fact! upon honour!—See for yourself; one is at the corner of Blackmore-street, the other in the street adjoining Clement’s Inn. F. C. N. August 9, 1827....

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The Revolution-house at Whittington, Derbyshire.

The Revolution-house at Whittington, Derbyshire.

The Revolution-house at Whittington, Derbyshire. Rev. P. Cunningham This edifice obtained its name from the meeting of Thomas Osborne earl of Danby, and William Cavendish earl of Devonshire, with Mr. John D’Arcy, privately one morning, in 1688, upon Whittington Moor, as a middle place between Chatsworth, Kniveton, and Aston, their respective residences, to consult about the revolution, then in agitation. [390] A shower of rain happening to fall, they removed to the village for shelter, and finis

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VIRTUOUS DESPOTISM. Character of Alia Bhye.

VIRTUOUS DESPOTISM. Character of Alia Bhye.

One of the purest and most exemplary monarchs that ever existed, a female without vanity, a bigot without intolerance, possessed of a mind imbued with the deepest superstition, yet receiving no impressions except what promoted the happiness of those under its influence; a being exercising in the most active and able manner despotic power, not merely with sincere humility, but under the severest moral restraint that a strict conscience can impose upon human action. And all this combined with the

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UXBRIDGE AND THE TREATY HOUSE.

UXBRIDGE AND THE TREATY HOUSE.

For the Table Book. Uxbridge, the most considerable market town in the county of Middlesex, is distant from London about fifteen miles on the north-west. It consists of one long street, which is neatly paved, and its situation on the road to Oxford, Gloucester, and Milford Haven, is productive of much benefit to the inhabitants, while it imparts a constant air of bustle and vivacity to the main thoroughfare. [398] The name of this place was anciently spelt Oxebruge; and in more modern records Wo

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LONDON WATCHMEN.

LONDON WATCHMEN.

Had a council of thieves been consulted, the regulations of the Watch could not have been better contrived for their accommodation. The coats of the Watchmen are made as large and of as white cloth as possible, to enable the thieves to discern their approach at the greatest distance; and that there may be no mistake, the lantern is added. They are fixed at stations, that thieves, by knowing where they are, may infer where they are not, and do their best; the intervals of half an hour in going th

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXVIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXVIII.

[From the “Fawn,” a Comedy, by John Marston, 1606.] In the Preface to this Play, the Poet glances at some of the Play-wrights of his time; with a handsome acknowledgment, notwithstanding, of their excellencies. “for my own interest let this once be printed, that, of men of my own addition, I love most, pity some, hate none: for let me truly say it, I once only loved myself for loving them; and surely I shall ever rest so constant to my first affection, that, let their ungentle combinings, discur

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THE ACTING OF CHILDREN.

THE ACTING OF CHILDREN.

The acting of children in adult characters is of very ancient date. Labathiel Pavy, a boy who died in his thirteenth year, was so admirable an actor of old men, that Ben Jonson, in his elegant epitaph on him, says, the fates thought him one , and therefore cut the thread of life. This boy acted in “Cynthia’s Revels” and “The Poetaster,” in 1600 and 1601, in which year he probably died. The poet speaks of him with interest and affection. Jonson. Jonson....

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A Dumb Peal of Grandsire Triples.

A Dumb Peal of Grandsire Triples.

In the just departed summer, (1827,) on my way from Keston, I stept into “The Sun—R. Tape,” at Bromley, to make inquiry of the landlord respecting a stage to London; and, over the parlour mantelpiece, carefully glazed, in a gilt frame, beneath the flourishing surmounting scroll, there appeared the following inscription “ in letters of gold: ”— O n the 15th of January 1817, by the Society of Bromley Youths , A complete Peal of Grandsire Triples , which is 5040 changes with the Bells Muffled , in

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THE CONDEMNED SHIP AND THE FALLS OF NIAGARA.

THE CONDEMNED SHIP AND THE FALLS OF NIAGARA.

Various announcements in the American papers of a large vessel, constructed for the purpose of passing the Falls of Niagara, have terminated in very unsatisfactory accounts of the manner wherein the ship descended. All descriptions, hitherto, are deficient in exactness; nor do we know for what purpose the experiment was devised, nor why certain animals were put aboard the condemned ship. The latest particulars are in the following letter to the printers of the “Albany Daily Advertiser:”— “ Buffa

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NAVARINO.

NAVARINO.

This is a strong town on the west coast of the Morea on the Gulf of Zoncheo, with an excellent harbour, recently distinguished by the fleet of the pacha of Egypt being blockaded there by admiral sir E. Codrington. It is affirmed that this was the ancient Pylus, where the eloquent and venerable Nestor reigned. At the siege of Troy, according to Homer, he moderated the wrath of Achilles, the pride of Agamemnon, the impetuosity of Ajax, and the rash courage of Diomedes. In the first book of the Ili

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COUNSELS AND SAYINGS. By Dr. A. Hunter.

COUNSELS AND SAYINGS. By Dr. A. Hunter.

Up, and be Doing. The folly of delaying what we wish to be done is a great and punishing weakness. Be orderly. Uniformity of conduct is the best rule of life that a man can possibly observe. Man is orderly by Nature. Is it not a matter of astonishment that the heart should beat, on the average, about four thousand strokes every hour during a period of “threescore years and ten,” and without ever taking a moment’s rest? In Travelling be contented. When we complain of bad inns in poor and unfreque

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St. John’s Well, at Harpham, Yorkshire.

St. John’s Well, at Harpham, Yorkshire.

St. John’s Well, at Harpham, Yorkshire. To the Editor. The preceding sketch was made on the 17th instant. The well stands by the roadside. The covering stones, though heavy, were at that time laid as above represented, having just before been knocked over by some waggon. Although but a poor subject for the pencil, it is an object of interest from its connection with St. John of Beverley. “St. John of Beverley may be challenged by this county (York) on a threefold title; because therein he had hi

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Garrick Plays. No. XXXIX.

Garrick Plays. No. XXXIX.

[From the “Ambitious Statesman,” a Tragedy, by John Crowne, 1679.] Vendome, returning from the wars, hears news, that Louize is false to him. Valediction. Incredulity to Virtue. Faithless Beauty. [From “Belphegor,” a Comedy, by John Wilson, 1690.] Doria Palace described. [From the “Floating Island,” a Comedy, by the Rev. W. Strode, acted by the Students of Christ-Church, Oxford, 1639.] Song. C. L....

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PLAYERS—GHOST LAYERS.

PLAYERS—GHOST LAYERS.

For the Table Book. Christian Malford, Wilts. It required a large portion of courage to venture abroad after sunset at Christian Malford, for somebody’s apparition presented itself to the walker’s imagination. Spritely gossips met near their wells with their crooked sticks and buckets, to devise means for laying the disturbed returners and their once native associates; but a party of strolling players did more towards sending the spectres to the “tomb of all the Capulets,” than the divinations o

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EX-THESPIANISM.

EX-THESPIANISM.

I am the son of a respectable attorney, who sent me, when very young, to an excellent school, at which I conducted myself much to the satisfaction of my superiors. It was customary for the scholars to enact a play at Christmas, to which the friends of the master were invited. On one of these occasions, when I was now nearly head-boy, I was called upon to perform the part of Charles Surface, in the admirable comedy of the School for Scandal. I studied the character, and played it with great appla

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SILCHESTER, HANTS.

SILCHESTER, HANTS.

For the Table Book. Every thing in this world is subject to change, and the strongest buildings to decay. The ancient Vindonum of the Romans, from whence Constantius issued several of his edicts, does not form an exception to this rule. From being a principal Roman station, it is now a heap of ruins. Silchester is situated about eleven miles from Reading, on the side of a hill, or rather on a level spot between two, and commands most beautiful views: from its being surrounded by woodland, a stra

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TO THE NIGHTSHADE.

TO THE NIGHTSHADE.

For the Table Book. *, *, P. Sept. 1827. *, *, P. Sept. 1827....

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The Velocitas, Or Malton, Driffield, and Hull Fly Boat

The Velocitas, Or Malton, Driffield, and Hull Fly Boat

The Velocitas, Or Malton, Driffield, and Hull Fly Boat. To the Editor. A carriage bearing this name, of which the above is a sketch, forms a neat, safe, pleasant, and commodious conveyance from Malton, by way of Driffield, to Hull every other day, and from Hull to Malton on the intermediate days, during the summer months. The vehicle is, in fact, a boat on wheels, driven like a stage-coach, and furnished on each side of the body with a seat, extending the whole length, on which the passengers ar

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SHEEPSHEARING IN CUMBERLAND.

SHEEPSHEARING IN CUMBERLAND.

Sir,—The letters of W. C. , in a recent number of the Table Book , recalled to my mind four of the happiest years of my life, spent in Cumberland, amongst the beautiful lakes and mountains in the neighbourhood of Keswick, where I became acquainted with a custom which I shall attempt to describe. A few days previous to the “clipping,” or shearing of the sheep, they are washed at a “beck,” or small river, not far from the mountain on which they are kept. The clippings that I have witnessed have ge

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DR. GRAHAM.

DR. GRAHAM.

For the Table Book. In the year 1782, that extraordinary empiric of modern times, Dr. Graham, appeared in London. He was a graduate of Edinburgh, wrote in a bombastic style, and possessed a great fluency of elocution. He opened a mansion in Pall Mall, called “The Temple of Health;” the front was ornamented with an enormous gilt sun, a statue of Hygeia, and other attractive emblems. The rooms were superbly furnished, and the walls decorated with mirrors, so as to confer on the place an effect lik

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STORKS.

STORKS.

The storks of the Low Countries are mentioned more than once in the journal of the gentlemen deputed by the “Caledonian Horticultural Society” to visit the gardens of our continental neighbours. Their route from Antwerp to Rotterdam is marked by the following entry:— August 22, 1817. “In the course of our progress into this land of meadows and waters, we had been making inquiries about the storks (Ardea Ciconia, L.) which every year visit Holland in the breeding season; and we learned that the g

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VARIA.

VARIA.

For the Table Book. Shenstone, the poet, divides the readers of a newspaper into seven classes. He says— 1. The illnatured look at the list of bankrupts. 2. The poor to the price of bread. 3. The stockjobber to the lies of the day. 4. The old maid to marriages. 5. The prodigal to the deaths. 6. The monopolizers to the hopes of a wet and bad harvest. 7. The boarding-school and all other young misses, to all matters relative to Gretna Green. From the registry of fires for one year, commencing Mich

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WOMEN.

WOMEN.

It is the opinion of Mr. J. P. Andrews, that antiquarians are by no means apt to pay great attention to the fair sex. He says, He instances, as among those who have “set themselves most warmly” against females, old Antony à Wood, whose diary affords some specimens of grotesque dislike. Page 167. “He” (sir Thomas Clayton) “and his family, most of them womankind , (which before were looked upon, if resident in the college, a scandal and abomination thereunto,) being no sooner settled,” &amp;c.

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DOWER.

DOWER.

There was an absolute necessity for providing a dower for the widow in the thirteenth century, because women at that period had no personal fortune to entitle them to a jointure by way of marriage. Shiernhook, and all the writers upon the ancient laws of the northern nations, dwell much upon the morgengavium ; i. e. the present made by the husband to his wife the morning after consummation. It is singular, therefore, that we have no traces of such a custom. In the Philippine islands, a certain p

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SANS CHANGER.

SANS CHANGER.

For the Table Book. ———. ———....

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CASUALTIES OF THE ANCIENTS.

CASUALTIES OF THE ANCIENTS.

To the Editor. Your having, sir, inserted certain “ Antipathies ” which I communicated to your work, encourages me to hope you will find some “Casualties” not unacceptable. Anacreon, according to Pliny and Valerius Maximus, was choked with the kernel of a raisin, and Tarquinius Priscus with a fishbone; the senator Fabius with a hair; and the very sight of a physician in a dream, frighted Andragorus out of his life. Homer, Rutilius, Rusciacus, and Pomperanus were overwhelmed with grief. Zeuxis an

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THE HOUR OF PRIME.

THE HOUR OF PRIME.

Pastor Fido. Pastor Fido. E. E. [432] Dr. Young. [433] Shakspeare. For the Table Book....

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THE SOLDIER’S RETURN. A Fragment.

THE SOLDIER’S RETURN. A Fragment.

——Many days and nights the wounded soldier travelled with his knapsack and stick to reach his native place, and find solace in the bosom of his relatives. The season merged into the solstice of winter, the roads were bad, his feet were tender, and his means were scanty. Few persons in years could have borne the fatigue and hardships he endured; but if he could find his wished-for Mary, he trusted all would be well—his spirit could not break while the hope of his earliest attachment survived. He

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George Watson, the Sussex Calculator.

George Watson, the Sussex Calculator.

George Watson, the Sussex Calculator. This singular being, who in every thing, but his extraordinary powers of memory and calculation, is almost idiotic, was born at Buxted, in Sussex, in 1785, and has followed the occupation of a labourer. He is ignorant in the extreme, and uneducated, not being able to read or write; and yet he can, with facility, perform some of the most difficult calculations in arithmetic. The most extraordinary circumstance, however, is the power he possesses of recollecti

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Garrick Plays. No. XL.

Garrick Plays. No. XL.

[From “Fatal Jealousy,” a Tragedy, Author unknown, 1673.] No Truth Absolute: after seeing a Masque of Gipseys. Apprehension Injured Husband. Gerardo; his wife murdered. Doubt. Owl. [From the “Traitor,” a Tragedy, by J Shirley: by some said to have been written by one Rivers, a Jesuit: 1635.] Sciarrah, whose life is forfeited, has offer of pardon, conditionally, that he bring his sister Amidea to consent to the Prince’s unlawful suit. He jestingly tries her affection. [From the “Huntingdon Divert

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“BURNING THE WITCH” At Bridlington, &c.

“BURNING THE WITCH” At Bridlington, &c.

For the Table Book. A custom was very prevalent in this part of Yorkshire about fifty years ago, and earlier, which has since been gradually discontinuing, until it has become nearly extinct—called “burning the witch” in the harvest-field. On the evening of the day in which the last corn was cut belonging to a farmer, the reapers had a merrimaking, which consisted of an extra allowance of drink, and burning of peas in the straw. The peas when cut from the ground are left to dry in small heaps, n

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WITCHCRAFT

WITCHCRAFT

Recollections of Practices formerly used to avert and avoid the Power of Witchery. Having a small, smooth limestone, picked up on the beach, with its edges rubbed down by friction and the continual action of the sea, and with a natural hole through it, tied to the key of a house, warehouse, barn, stable, or other building, prevented the influence of witches over whatever the house, &amp;c. contained. Sailors nailed a horse-shoe on the foremast, and jockeys one on the stable-door, but to be e

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OLD HOUSES AND FURNITURE.

OLD HOUSES AND FURNITURE.

To the Editor. Sir,—A rare and valuable copy of “Holinshed’s Chronicles of Englande, Scotlande, and Irelande,” a black letter folio volume, with curious wood-cuts, “imprinted at London” in 1577, has lately fallen in my way, and afforded me considerable amusement. One chapter especially, in “The Seconde Booke of the Description of Britaine,” namely, “Cap. 10. Of the Maner of Buylding, and furniture of our Houses,” cannot fail, I think, to interest your readers. After a very entertaining account o

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LONDINIANA.

LONDINIANA.

For the Table Book. Mr. Editor,—Since most of your readers will readily admit the propriety of the adage, “Time and quarter-day wait for no man,” allow me the favour of insertion for the following rhyming couplets, by John Heywood the elder, distinctively known as “the epigrammatist.” They are an extract from his “Workes, newlie imprinted, with six hundrede very pleasant, pithie, and ingenious Epigrammes, 1598, 4to.;” and are thus entitled:— Seeking for a Dwelling-place. Sign. B b 3. Sign. B b 3

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Thomsoniana.

Thomsoniana.

To the Editor. Sir,—I shall be greatly obliged, and there can be no doubt your readers will be considerably interested, by your insertion of the subjoined article in your valuable Table Book . It was copied from the “Weekly Entertainer,” published at Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, in the year 1800. I am, sir, Yours, very respectfully, G. H. I. Memoranda of Mr. Thomson, the poet, collected from Mr. William Taylor, formerly a barber and peruke-maker, at Richmond, Surrey, now blind. September, 1791. (C

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AN OLD SONG RESTORED “Busy, curious, thirsty Fly.”

AN OLD SONG RESTORED “Busy, curious, thirsty Fly.”

To the Editor. Sir,—In Ritson’s “Collection of Old Songs” are but two verses of this, in my estimation, very beautiful song. Going from this place, Liverpool, to Chester, it was my good fortune to hear a blind fiddler on board the packet both play and sing the whole of the following, which I procured from him at his domicile about two years ago. He was lost in the same boat with the captain and others, during a gale of wind off Elesmere port. If you think them worthy a place in your amusing Tabl

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HERMITS.

HERMITS.

Mr. J. Pettit Andrews has two anecdotes concerning hermits, which exemplify the strength of the “ruling” passion, when the individual is “dead to the world:” viz. Born at Ravenna, of noble parentage; he embraced, towards the middle of the tenth century, the state of a hermit, under the direction of a solitary, whose severity at least equalled his piety. Romuald bore for a long time, without a murmur, the repeated thumps which he received from his holy teacher; but observing that they were contin

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CURIOUS ANECDOTES OF BIRMINGHAM MANUFACTURERS AND MANUFACTURES.

CURIOUS ANECDOTES OF BIRMINGHAM MANUFACTURERS AND MANUFACTURES.

Birmingham, says the late Mr. William Hutton, (the historian of this large and populous town,) Birmingham began with the productions of the anvil, and probably will end with them. The sons of the hammer were once her chief inhabitants; but that great crowd of artists is now lost in a greater. Genius seems to increase with multitude. Part of the riches, extension, and improvement of Birmingham, are owing to the late John Taylor, Esq. who possessed the singular power of perceiving things as they r

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PRESERVATION OF FLOWERS.

PRESERVATION OF FLOWERS.

A few grains of salt dropped into the water in which flowers are kept, tends greatly to preserve them from fading, and will keep them fresh and in bloom, double the period that pure water will. For the Table Book....

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LETTER FROM A VILLAGE. To Mr. Charles Pickworth.

LETTER FROM A VILLAGE. To Mr. Charles Pickworth.

Lincolnshire, — June, 1815. Dear Charles,—You remember our meeting the other day—I shall.—It’s a long time since we ran riot, and got into mischief together—trundled our hoops, gathered flowers in summer, and rolled in the snow in winter. There is a dim pleasure in the remembrance of our late interview, and that of these isolated scenes of our childhood: they are as faint gleams of sunshine in a gloomy day. I don’t like, however, to reflect upon being handwhipped, and put into the corner: the fe

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GRASSINGTON FEAST. Clock Dressings.

GRASSINGTON FEAST. Clock Dressings.

During the continuance of “Grassington Feast,” it is customary for the inhabitants to have convivial parties at one another’s houses: these are called clock dressings ; for the guests are invited to come and “dress the clock.” Grassington feast was once one of the largest and most celebrated one in Craven, but it is fast dwindling away. This year the amusements were of a paltry description; and the sack racers, bell racers, hasty-pudding eaters, and soaped-pig catchers, who used to afford in for

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A FRAGMENT Found in a Skeleton Case at the Royal Academy, Supposed to have been written by one of the Students, and deposited there by him.

A FRAGMENT Found in a Skeleton Case at the Royal Academy, Supposed to have been written by one of the Students, and deposited there by him.

Sceletos. [442] From the Morning Chronicle , Sept. 14, 1821....

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ANECDOTE OF A MAGPIE.

ANECDOTE OF A MAGPIE.

For the Table Book. A cobbler, who lived on indifferent terms with his wife in Kingsmead-street, Bath, somewhat like Nell and Jobson, kept a magpie, that learned his favourite ejaculatory exclamation—“What the plague art (h)at? ” Whoever came to his shop, where the bulk of his business was carried on, the magpie was sure to use this exclamation; but the bird was matched by the ghostly, bodily, and tall person of “Hats to dress!” a well-known street perambulator and hat improver, who, with that c

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THE ARTIST.

THE ARTIST.

For the Table Book. ———. ———....

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The Giants IN THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW, AND IN GUILDHALL.

The Giants IN THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW, AND IN GUILDHALL.

In the Lord Mayor’s Show on the 9th of November, 1827, there was a remarkable variation from the customary route. Instead of the new chief magistrate and corporation embarking at Blackfriars, as of late years has been usual, the procession took a direction eastward, passed through the Poultry, Cornhill, Leadenhall-street, Billiter-lane, Mincing-lane, and from thence by Tower-street to the Tower Stairs, where they embarked. This deviation is presumed to have been in compliment to the Tower ward,

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NORWICH GUILD. Mayor’s Feast, Temp. Elizabeth.

NORWICH GUILD. Mayor’s Feast, Temp. Elizabeth.

The earls of Northumberland and Huntingdon, the lords Thomas Howard and Willoughby, with many other noblemen and knights, paid a visit to the duke of Norfolk, and were entertained, with their retinue, at the duke’s palace, in Norwich, in 1561. The guild happening at this time, William Mingay, Esq., then mayor, invited them and their ladies to the feast, which they accepted, and expressed the greatest satisfaction at their generous and hospitable reception. At the entertainment the duke and duche

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Garrick Plays. No. XLI.

Garrick Plays. No. XLI.

[Dedications to Fletcher’s “Faithful Shepherdess;” without date; presumed to be the First Edition.] To that noble and true lover of learning, Sir Walton Aston. To the Inheritor of all Worthiness, Sir William Scipwith. ODE. 1. 2. 3. 4. 2. 3. 4. To the perfect gentleman, Sir Robert Townesend. To the Reader. If you be not reasonably assured of your knowledge in this kind of Poem, lay down the Book; or read this, which I would wish had been the Prologue. It is a Pastoral Tragic-Comedy; which the peo

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Lodge and Avenue at Holwood, The Residence of John Ward, Esq. formerly of the late Right Hon. William Pitt.

Lodge and Avenue at Holwood, The Residence of John Ward, Esq. formerly of the late Right Hon. William Pitt.

Lodge and Avenue at Holwood, The Residence of John Ward, Esq. formerly of the late Right Hon. William Pitt . Mr. S. Young’s comfortable little inn, the Cross at Keston, or Keston Mark, is mentioned before as being at the north-east corner of the grounds belonging to Holwood. My friend W—— and I, on a second visit to Mr. Young’s house, went from thence, for the purpose of seeing the church and village of Keston, through which the main road runs to Westerham. We kept along to the entrance gate of

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THE PLAGUE AT EYAM, AND THE REV. THOMAS STANLEY.

THE PLAGUE AT EYAM, AND THE REV. THOMAS STANLEY.

To the Editor. Sir,—The publication of the paper, entitled “Catherine Mompesson’s Tomb,” on “The Desolation of Eyam, and other Poems, by William and Mary Howitt,” at p. 482 of the Table Book , gives me an opportunity, with your good offices, of rescuing from a degree of oblivion the name and merits of an individual, who has unaccountably been almost generally overlooked, but who ought, at least, to be equally identified in any notice of the “Plague at Eyam” with Mr. Mompesson himself. The Rev. T

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THE REIGN OF DEATH.

THE REIGN OF DEATH.

And I saw, and beheld a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Revelations , vi. 2. Oct. 14, 1827. O. N. Y....

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XIII.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XIII.

Some of the moderns have assigned the cause of Thunder to inflamed exhalations, rending the clouds wherein they are confined; others, to the shock between two or more clouds, when those that are higher and more condensed fall upon those that are lower, with so much force as suddenly to expel the intermediate air, which vigorously expanding itself, in order to occupy its former space, puts all the exterior air in commotion, producing those reiterated claps which we call thunder. This is the expla

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FILEY, YORKSHIRE. Haddock Legend, and Herring Fishery.

FILEY, YORKSHIRE. Haddock Legend, and Herring Fishery.

For the Table Book. At Filey a singular range of rock, said to resemble the celebrated mole of Tangiers, extends from the cliff a considerable way into the sea, and is called Filey bridge. It is covered by the sea at high tide, but may be traversed for upwards of a quarter of a mile at low water. From the farther end a distant, but, in fine weather, a distinct view may be had of Scarborough and the Castle on the one hand, and of Flamborough-head and the Lighthouse, with an extensive stretch of l

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PISCATORIA.

PISCATORIA.

Lucan, the Roman poet, makes a beautiful digression to paint the happy life of a fisherman. In plain prose it will read in this manner:— News (says he) was brought to Cæsar, at a late hour, that Pompey was up in arms in Calabria, ready to dispute with him the sovereignty of the world; perplexed in mind, he knew not for a while what steps best to pursue, when, stealing from the arms of his Calphornia, he cast his mantle about him, and through the gloom of midnight hastened alone to the mouth of t

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INCREDIBLE LIARS

INCREDIBLE LIARS

The French papers in the autumn of 1821 mention, that a man named Desjardins was tried, on his own confession, as an accomplice with Louvel, the assassin of the duke de Berri. But, on his defence, Desjardins contended that his confession ought not to be believed, because he was so notorious for falsehood, that nobody in the world would give credit to a word he said. In support of this, he produced a host of witnesses, his friends and relatives, who all swore that the excessive bad character he h

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HEBREW MELODY, A Portuguese Hymn.

HEBREW MELODY, A Portuguese Hymn.

T. Q. M. Ivy Cottage, Grassington in Craven, October 21, 1827....

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FACTITIA.

FACTITIA.

For the Table Book. In a certain town a certain military gentleman regulates his dress by a thermometer, which is constantly suspended at the back door of his house. Some wicked wag once stole the instrument, and left in its place the following lines:— “Why,” said our friend T. Q. M. to Sally Listen, an old inhabitant of Wensleydale, “why do you call Mr. ——, doctor , when he has no title to such an appellation? he is only a quack!”—“Why,” said Sally, “I’ll call him naught else. What mun a body m

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Source of the Ravensbourne.

Source of the Ravensbourne.

Source of the Ravensbourne. * * Before I had seen Keston I heard, at West Wickham, that it had been the site of a Roman camp, and that a Roman bath was still there. It was from curiosity towards this piece of antiquity that I first visited the spot, in company with my friend W——. The country people, whom we met on our way, spoke of it as the “Old Bath,” and the “Cold Bath,” and as a water of great virtue, formerly bathed in, and still resorted to, by persons afflicted with weak or sprained limbs

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Garrick Plays. No. XLII.

Garrick Plays. No. XLII.

[From “Thyestes,” a Tragedy, by John Crowne, 1681.] Atreus, having recovered his Wife, and Kingdom, from his brother Thyestes, who had usurped both, and sent him into banishment, describes his offending Queen. Philisthenes, the Son of Thyestes, at a stolen interview with Antigone, the daughter of Atreus, is surprised by the King’s Spies: upon which misfortune Antigone swooning, is found by Peneus. Antigone. Peneus, an ancient retainer to the Court of Mycenæ. Atreus, to entrap his brother Thyeste

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THEATRALIA.

THEATRALIA.

Once got fifty guineas (according to tradition) for singing a single song to queen Anne in ridicule of “the princess Sophia, electress and duchess dowager of Hanover,” (as she is called in the oath of allegiance,) naturally no great favourite with the then reigning monarch. The only lines of this satirical production that have come down to us are the following; and, until now, only the two first of the stanza have been preserved by Durfey’s biographers:— “Merry Tom” had sung before the king in t

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GOUT.

GOUT.

The contest among medical men for the most proper mode of curing this complaint cannot but produce a smile, when we recollect that the afflicted have recourse to various and opposite remedies with success. We have heard of a man who would find his pains alleviated by drinking a wineglass full of verjuice, while a table-spoonful of wine would torture him almost to distraction. There were two counsellors, some years ago, who generally cured themselves in a very pleasant manner; one, who was accust

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Stories OF THE Craven Dales. No. II.[470]

Stories OF THE Craven Dales. No. II.[470]

The Legend of the Troller’s Gill. The above ballad is founded on a tradition, very common amongst the mountains of Craven. The spectre hound is Bargest . Of this mysterious personage I am able to give a very particular account, having only a few days ago seen Billy B——y, who had once a full view of it. I give the narrative in his own words; it would detract from its merit to alter the language. “You see, sir, as how I’d been a clock-dressing at Gurston [Grassington], and I’d staid rather lat, an

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The Second Series of WHIMS AND ODDITIES, With Forty Original Designs, BY THOMAS HOOD.

The Second Series of WHIMS AND ODDITIES, With Forty Original Designs, BY THOMAS HOOD.

“What demon hath possessed thee, that thou wilt never forsake that impertinent custom of punning?” Scriblerus. If I might be allowed to answer the question instead of Mr. Hood, I should say, that it is the same demon which provokes me to rush directly through his new volume in preference to half a dozen works, which order of time and propriety entitle to previous notice. This book detains me from my purposes, as a new print in a shop-window does a boy on his way to school; and, like him, at the

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Mr. Gliddon’s Cigar Divan. King Street, Covent Garden.

Mr. Gliddon’s Cigar Divan. King Street, Covent Garden.

Mr. Gliddon’s Cigar Divan. King Street, Covent Garden. Our readers, whom, between ourselves, and without flattery, we take to be as social a set of persons as can be, people of an impartial humanity, and able to relish whatever concerneth a common good, whether a child’s story or a man’s pinch of snuff, (for snuff comes after knowledge,) doubtless recollect the famous tale of the Barmecide and his imaginary dinner in the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments. We hereby invite them to an imaginary cigar

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LAURENCE-KIRK SNUFF-BOXES.

LAURENCE-KIRK SNUFF-BOXES.

James Sandy, the inventor of these pocket-utensils, lived a few years ago at Alyth, a town on the river Isla, in Perthshire, North Britain. The genius and eccentricity of character which distinguished him have been rarely surpassed. Deprived at an early age of the use of his legs, he contrived, by dint of ingenuity, not only to pass his time agreeably, but to render himself an useful member of society. Sandy soon displayed a taste for mechanical pursuits; and contrived, as a workshop for his ope

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INN-YARDS.

INN-YARDS.

For the Table Book. It was a November morning—sullen and lowering. A dense fog left the houses but half distinguishable on either side the way, as I passed through Holborn to the Saracen’s Head, Snow-hill, where I had taken my place the preceding evening in the —— coach, in order to pay a long-promised visit to my friend and schoolfellow T——. My feelings were any thing but enviable. They were in a state of seasonable and almost intolerable irritation, resulting from all successive evils of a shi

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THE TURNPIKE MAN.

THE TURNPIKE MAN.

As the “Commissioners” rely on the trust reposed in the “Pikeman,” I imagine him to be worthy of being shown in the most favourable colours. Like a good sexton, he must attend to his toll—like a salesman, know his head of cattle—like a lottery prize-seeker, be acquainted with his number—like Fielding’s Minos, in his “Journey from this world to the next,” shut his gate against those who are brought up improperly to the bar. A modern Gilpin should scarcely risk a ride unwittingly through his demes

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Robert North, Esq. of Scarborough.

Robert North, Esq. of Scarborough.

Robert North, Esq. of Scarborough. This portrait , copied from a picture at Scarborough by Mr. Baynes, jun. and not before engraven, is of a very worthy person, whose eccentricities in well doing rendered him in some degree remarkable. Mr. Robert North, whom it represents, was born at that place, of which his father was vicar, on the second of November, 1702. His education was liberal. After completing his studies at one of the universities he visited the continent, and was distinguished for ref

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MENDIP MINES.

MENDIP MINES.

To the Editor. Sir,—The very great entertainment I have derived from your Every-Day Book induces me to contribute to your present publication, if you consider the accompanying copy from an old record merits a place in the Table Book . It formed part of a brief held by counsel in a cause, “Hembury and Day,” tried at Taunton assizes in 1820. On referring to the papers I find that the present Mr. justice Gaselee was the counsel employed. Some of these old Mendip laws are recognised in “Collinson’s

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THIRTEEN-PENCE HALFPENNY.

THIRTEEN-PENCE HALFPENNY.

Dr. Samuel Pegge, who is likely to be remembered by readers of the article on the Revolution-house at Whittington, he having, on the day he entered his eighty-fifth year, preached the centenary sermon to commemorate the Revolution, was an eminent antiquary. He addressed a paper to the Society of Antiquaries, on “the vulgar notion, though it will not appear to be a vulgar error, that thirteen-pence halfpenny is the fee of the executioner in the common line of business at Tyburn, [487] and that, t

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The Running Horse at Merrow, Surrey.

The Running Horse at Merrow, Surrey.

The Running Horse at Merrow, Surrey. The first point of peculiarity that strikes the traveller on approaching the “Running Horse” is the pictorial anomaly on the front of the house—the sign represents a race-horse with a rider on its back; but the painter has given us a horse standing as still as most horses would be glad to do after having been running horses for more than half a century. Our “Running Horse” then, stands hard by the church in the village of Merrow, ( olim Merewe,) about two mil

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WILLIAM CAPON, The Scene Painter.

WILLIAM CAPON, The Scene Painter.

To the Editor. Sir,—Presuming you may not have been acquainted with the late Mr. William Capon, whose excellence as a gothic architectural scene-painter has not been equalled by any of his compeers, I venture a few particulars respecting him. My acquaintance with Mr. Capon commenced within only the last five or six years, but his frank intimacy and hearty good-will were the same as if our intercourse had been of longer date. A memoir of him, in the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” seems to me somewhat de

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Garrick Plays. No. XLIII.

Garrick Plays. No. XLIII.

[From “Brutus of Alba,” a Tragedy, by Nahum Tate, 1678.] Ragusa, and four more Witches, about to raise a storm. ( storm rises. ) ( storm thickens. ) ( the owl cries. ) ( storm rises. ) ( storm thickens. ) ( the owl cries. ) Soziman, a wicked Statesman, employs Ragusa for a charm. Ragusa, with the other Witches, having finished the bracelet. [From the “Fatal Union,” a Tragedy; Author Unknown.] Dirge. C. L. [500] Her cows....

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ISLE OF WIGHT

ISLE OF WIGHT

To the Editor. Sir,—Perhaps you may deem the following singular tenure from “Horsey’s Beauties of the Isle of Wight, 1826,” worth adding to those already perpetuated in the Every-Day Book , and your present agreeable continuation of it. At the foot of St. John’s Wood are two meadows, one on each hand, the main road running between them. These meadows are known by the name of Monk’s Meads. It is a remarkable circumstance, that the first crop of hay they produce annually is reaped, not by the owne

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ORIGIN OF HAY-BAND?

ORIGIN OF HAY-BAND?

For the Table Book. Many of our origins and customs are derived from the Romans. In the time of Romulus, a handful of hay was used in his ranks instead of a flag; and his military ensign, who commanded a number of soldiers, was called a band , or ancient bearer. Thus it will appear, that a twisted band of hay being tied round a larger quantity of hay, for its support, it is, agreeably to the derivation, properly called a hay-band . This word might serve for the tracing a variety of “bands,”—as t

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BRISTOL HIGH CROSS.

BRISTOL HIGH CROSS.

The High Cross, which formerly stood at Bristol, was first erected in 1373 in the High-street, near the Tolsey; and in succeeding times it was adorned with the effigies of four kings, who had been benefactors to the city, viz. king John facing north to Broad-street, king Henry III. east to Wine-street, king Edward III. west to Corn-street, and king Edward IV. south to High-street. After the original Cross had stood three hundred and sixty years at the top of High-street, a silversmith who reside

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ORIGIN OF THE WORD TAILOR.

ORIGIN OF THE WORD TAILOR.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—Bailey derives “ tailor from tailler , French, a maker of garments:” but when a boy I remember perfectly well, my grandfather, who was facetious, and attached to the usages of the past, acquainting me with his origin of the word “tailor.” He stated it nearly thus:—“The term tailor originated between a botcher (a man that went from farm-house to farm-house, and made and repaired clothes by the day) and his wife—who, going to a town fair without her husband, returned in a

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THE CLERK IN THE DARK.

THE CLERK IN THE DARK.

“ Set forth, but not allowed to be sung in all Churches, of all the people together. ” MORAL. MORAL. A. X. For the Table Book....

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CINDERELLA.

CINDERELLA.

Of all the narratives either of fact or of fiction there are none, I will pledge my veracity, like the Fairy Tales of the Nursery, for interesting all the best feelings of our nature, and for impressing an imperishable and beautiful morality upon the heart. Was there ever, can you imagine—was there ever a young woman hardened and heartless enough to explore a forbidden closet, after she had perused the romantic history of Bluebeard? Would she not fearfully fancy that every box, bag, and bottle,

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HORÆ CRAVENÆ.

HORÆ CRAVENÆ.

For the Table Book. On the highest part of Sutton Common, in Craven, is a huge block of solid granite, of about fifty yards in circumference, and about ten yards high. It is regarded as a great natural curiosity, and has for generations been a prominent feature in the legends and old wife’s tales of the neighbourhood. On the west side is an artificial excavation, called “The Chair,” capable of containing six persons comfortably, though I remember it once, at a pinch, in a tremendous thunder show

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THOMAS SMITH, A Quack Extraordinary.

THOMAS SMITH, A Quack Extraordinary.

For the Table Book. The following advertisement, somewhat abridged from the original, which must have been put forth upwards of a century ago, abundantly proves, that quackery and puffing had made some progress even at that period:— “In King-street, Westminster, at the Queen’s-arms and Corn-cutter, liveth Thomas Smith; who, by experience and ingenuity, has learnt the art of taking out and curing all manner of corns, without pain, or drawing blood. He likewise takes out all manner of nails, which

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DUNCHURCH, COW, AND CALF.

DUNCHURCH, COW, AND CALF.

To the Editor. Sir,—I am confidently assured, that the following coincidences really occur. You may not perhaps deem them unworthy of the very small space they will occupy in your amusing columns, of which I have ever been a constant reader. T. R. At Dunchurch , near Coventry, is an inn, or public-house, called the Dun Cow , which supplies its landlord with the milk of existence. He is actually named Duncalf ; the product of his barrels may be, therefore, not unaptly termed,— mother’s milk ....

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XIV.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XIV.

Two thousand years have elapsed since the time of Hippocrates, and there has scarcely been added a new aphorism to those of that great man, notwithstanding all the care and application of so many ingenious men as have since studied medicine. There exist evident proofs that Hippocrates was acquainted with the circulation of the blood. Almelooven, in vindication of this father of medicine not having more amply treated of this subject in his works, assigns this reason, that Hippocrates having many

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DOVER PIG.

DOVER PIG.

To the Editor. Sir,—To the fact of the underwritten narrative there are many living witnesses of high respectability. Anatomists and philosophers may not think it unworthy their notice, and the lovers of the marvellous will doubtless be interested by a subject which assimilates with the taste of all. On the 14th of December, 1810, several considerable falls of the cliffs, both east and westward of Dover, took place; and one of these was attended by a fatal domestic catastrophe. A house, situated

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ANECDOTES.

ANECDOTES.

Levinz reports a case in the King’s Bench, “Foster v. Hawden,” “wherein the jury, not agreeing, cast lots for their verdict, and gave it according to lot; for which, upon the motion of Levinz, the verdict was set aside, and the jury were ordered to attend next term to be fined.” On an appeal of murder, reported in Coke, the killing was not denied by the murderer, but he rested his defence upon a point of law, viz. that the deceased had provoked him, by mocking him; and he therefore contended tha

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GLASS.

GLASS.

Pliny informs us, the art of making glass was accidentally discovered by some merchants who were travelling with nitre, and stopped near a river issuing from Mount Carmel. Not readily finding stones to rest their kettles on, they employed some pieces of their nitre for that purpose. The nitre, gradually dissolving by the heat of the fire, mixed with the sand, and a transparent matter flowed, which was, in fact, glass. It is certain that we are more indebted to chance than genius for many of the

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VARIA.

VARIA.

For the Table Book. Many Englishmen, who venerate the name of Alfred, will learn, with surprise and indignation, that the ashes of this patriot king, after having been scattered by the rude hands of convicts, are probably covered by a building at Winchester, erected in 1788 for the confinement of criminals. No one in the neighbourhood was sufficiently interested towards his remains to attempt their discovery or preservation. It is remarkable, that the oldest book in the German law is entitled “S

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Epitaphs.

Epitaphs.

For the Table Book. Blair. In Bois Church-yard, near Chesham, Bucks. On a Rail in Chesham Church-yard. In memory of Sarah Bachelor, wife of Benjamin Bachelor, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Barnes, who departed this life May 23d, 1813, aged 25 years. These three lines are on the reverse of the rail in question:— A plain white marble slab, placed over the remains of the illustrious Boerhaven, in St. Peter’s, Leyden, bears only these four words in black letters. J. J. K....

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A FILL UP.

A FILL UP.

For the Table Book. There is nothing I find so difficult to fill up as my spare time. Talk as they will about liberty, it is after all nothing but a sort of independent ennui —a freedom we are better without, if we do not know how to use it. To instance myself:—the first thing I do on the cessation of my daily avocations, which terminate rather early, is to throw my two legs upon one chair, and recline my back against another—when, after a provoking yawn of most ambiguous import, I propound to m

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Note.

Note.

Under severe affliction I cannot make up this sheet as I wish. This day week my second son was brought home with his scull fractured. To-day intelligence has arrived to me of the death of my eldest son. The necessity I have been under of submitting recently to a surgical operation on myself, with a long summer of sickness to every member of my family, and accumulated troubles of earlier origin, and of another nature, have prevented me too often from satisfying the wishes of readers, and the clai

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WINTER FLOWERS. Chrysanthemum Indicum.

WINTER FLOWERS. Chrysanthemum Indicum.

To the Editor. Sir,—While the praises of our wild, native, simple flowers, the primrose, the violet, the blue bell, and daisy, as well as the blossoms of the hawthorn, wild rose, and honey-suckle, have been said and sung in many a pleasant bit of prose and verse in the pages of your extra-ordinary Every-Day Book , as connected with the lively descriptions given therein of many a rural sport and joyous pastime, enjoyed by our forefathers and foremothers of the “olden time,” particularly in that e

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Garrick Plays. No. XLIV.

Garrick Plays. No. XLIV.

[From “Blurt, Master Constable:” a Comedy by T. Middleton, 1602.] Lover kept awake by Love. Violetta comes to seek her Husband at the house of a Curtizan. Violetta.—Imperia, the Curtizan. Vio. By your leave, sweet Beauty, pardon my excuse, which sought entrance into this house: good Sweetness, have you not a Property here, improper to your house; my husband? Imp. Hah! your husband here? Vio. Nay, be as you seem to be, White Dove, without gall. Do not mock me, fairest Venetian. Come, I know he is

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XV.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XV.

Mr. Bernard, principal surgeon to king William, affirms respecting ancient surgical skill as follows:— There is no doubt but the perfection to which surgery has been carried in these last ages, is principally owing to the discoveries which have been made in anatomy. But the art of curing wounds, to which all the other parts ought to give way, remains almost in the same state in which the ancients transmitted it to us. Celsus and other ancients have described a mode of operating for the stone, al

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TALES OF TINMOUTHE PRIORIE. No. II.

TALES OF TINMOUTHE PRIORIE. No. II.

Titus Andronicus. Titus Andronicus. The tradition of the “ Wizard’s Cave ” is as familiar to the inhabitants and visitors of Tynemouth, as “household words.” Daily, during the summer season, even fair damsels are seen risking their slender necks, to ascertain, by adventurous exploration, whether young Walter the knight might not, in his hurry, have passed over some of the treasures of the cave: but alas! Time on this, as on other things, has laid his heavy hand; for the falling in of the rock an

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PERSONS OF DISTINCTION.

PERSONS OF DISTINCTION.

Of German pride we have the following extraordinary anecdote:—A German lord left orders in his will not to be interred, but that he might be enclosed upright in a pillar, which he had ordered to be hollowed, and fastened to a post in the parish, in order to prevent any peasant or slave from walking over his body. The most singular instance of British pride is related of a man, known in his time by the name of the “Proud Duke of Somerset.” This pillar of “the Corinthian capital of polished societ

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AN INSCRIPTION, Said to have been dug out of the Ruins of a Palace at Rome.

AN INSCRIPTION, Said to have been dug out of the Ruins of a Palace at Rome.

Under this monument repose the ashes of Domitian , the last of the Cæsars, the fourth scourge of Rome; a tyrant, no less deliberate than Tiberius, no less capricious than Caligula, and no less outrageous than Nero. When satiated with issuing edicts to spill human blood, he found an amusement in stabbing flies with a bodkin. His reign, though undisturbed by war, occasioned no less calamity to his country than would have happened from the loss of twenty battles. He was magnificent from vanity, aff

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DICKEY FLETCHER.

DICKEY FLETCHER.

To the Editor. I hastily transcribe the following, originally written for the Hull Advertiser, and printed in that paper for September 27, 1827, and subsequently in some of the London and provincial newspapers. On Saturday, September 22, 1827, the inhabitants and visitants of Bridlington Quay, by a fatal accident, were suddenly deprived of the services of Richard Fletcher, the facetious and well-known bellman of that place, whose singular appearance, rhyming propensity, peculiar manner of pronun

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ANOTHER ODD SIGN.[508]

ANOTHER ODD SIGN.[508]

At Wold Newton, near Bridlington, there is a public-house with the sign of a crooked billet, and the following lines on an angular board:— First side Second side. Bridlington. T. C. [508] See Table Book , vol. i. p. 636 . For the Table Book....

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THE PLEASURES OF ILLUSION.

THE PLEASURES OF ILLUSION.

To the Editor. Sir,—I am a person unable to reckon upon the certain receipt of sixpence per annum, and yet I enjoy all the pleasures this sublunary world can afford. My assertion may startle, but its truth will be apparent when I declare myself a visionary, or, what is called by the world, “a castle builder.” Many would denounce my profession as useless and unprofitable; but the object constantly desired and incessantly pursued by mankind is happiness, which they find as evanescent and delusive

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OLD MACARONIC POEM.

OLD MACARONIC POEM.

Sir,—I am a literary lounger, and diurnally amuse myself, during about four hours, in poring over old poetical MSS. in the British Museum: the result of yesterday’s idle labours was the accompanying transcript from a macaronic drinking song, which appears to me a very curious amalgamation of jollity and devotion. If you coincide in this opinion, perhaps you will honour its unknown author by inserting it in your delightful miscellany, which, like the diving bell, restores to the world many intere

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ANTY BRIGNAL AND THE BEGGING QUAKER.

ANTY BRIGNAL AND THE BEGGING QUAKER.

For the Table Book. A few years ago a stout old man, with long grey hair, and dressed in the habit of the Society of Friends, was seen begging in the streets of Durham. The inhabitants, attracted by the novelty of a “ begging Quaker,” thronged about him, and several questioned him as to his residence, &amp;c. Amongst them was “Anty Brignal,” the police-officer, who told him to go about his business, or he would put him in the kitty [509] “for an imposteror .” “Who ever heard,” said Anthony,

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THE ORPHANS.

THE ORPHANS.

Written on seeing a small Lithographic Print of two Female Orphan Children. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. R. B. Sept. 1827. For the Table Book....

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JACK THE VIPER.

JACK THE VIPER.

This is an odd name for a man, who does not bear the appearance of a viper, or “a snake in the grass.” He is a rough sort of fellow, has been at Waterloo, but did not obtain a medal. He, nevertheless, carries the hue of a triumphant soldier, wears an honest sunburnt face, and might be trusted with his majesty’s great seal, or that of another description in the British Museum. He is a lover of ringing bells and swine; but without regular employment. A singular piece of human construction, lone, a

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A SKETCH IN SPA FIELDS.

A SKETCH IN SPA FIELDS.

To the Editor. Sir,—Allow me to draw your attention to a veteran, who in the Egyptian expedition lost his sight by the ophthalmy, and now asks alms of the passenger in the little avenue leading from Sadler’s Wells to Spa Fields, along the eastern side of the New River Head. His figure, sir, would serve for a model of Belisarius, and even his manner of soliciting would be no disgrace to the Roman general. I am not expert at drawing portraits, yet will endeavour by two or three lines to give a sli

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Extracts FROM MY NOTE BOOK.

Extracts FROM MY NOTE BOOK.

For the Table Book. Moore, in his life of Sheridan, says, that “he (Sheridan) had a sort of hereditary fancy for difficult trifling in poetry; particularly to that sort which consists in rhyming to the same word through a long string of couplets, till every rhyme that the language supplies for it is exhausted:” and quotes some dozen lines, entitled “My Trunk,” and addressed “To Anne,” wherein a lady is made to bewail the loss of her trunk, and rhymes her lamentation. The editor, in a note, says,

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WHIMSIES.

WHIMSIES.

Toes. B. C. The Red Nose. B. C. The Red Nose. The Soldier. Scilicet. Scilicet....

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Irish Pipes.

Irish Pipes.

Irish Pipes. A young friend brings me from Ireland a couple of pipes, in common use among the labouring people in Dublin and Clonmel. Their shape and materials being wholly different from any in England, they are represented in the above engraving , which shows their exact size. The bowl part, formed of iron, like the socket of a candlestick, is inserted in a piece of mahogany carved, as here shown, in the shape of a violin, or a pair of bellows, or other whimsical form; and the mahogany is secu

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Garrick Plays. No. XLV.

Garrick Plays. No. XLV.

First Gent. ’Tis well known I am a Gentleman. My father was a man of £500 a year, and he held something in capite too. Second Gent. So does my Lord something— Foolish Lord. Nay, by my troth, what I hold in capite is worth little or nothing. Page. He that’s first a scholar, and next in love, the year after is either an arrant fool or a madman. Master. How came your knavery by such experience? Page. As fools do by news: somebody told me so, and I believe it. ——softly, ye villains!—the rogues of ch

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Stories OF THE Craven Dales. No. III.

Stories OF THE Craven Dales. No. III.

In the summer of 1823 I was residing for a few days at a solitary inn amongst the hills of Craven. One afternoon I had planned an excursion to a neighbouring cave, but was prevented from going there by a heavy rain which had fallen during the whole of the day. I had no friends in the neighbourhood, and could not have procured at my inn any work worth the perusal. The library of my landlord was small, and the collection not remarkable for being well chosen; it consisted of Pamela, Baron Munchause

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HAGBUSH-LANE

HAGBUSH-LANE

From desire to afford the destroyers of Corrall’s cottage time to reflect and make reparation for the injury they had inflicted on the old man and his wife; and wishing to abstain from all appearance of strife-making, the topic has remained till now untouched. On the 28th of November Mr. S., as the agent of a respectable clergyman whose sympathy had been excited by the statements of the Table Book , called on me to make some inquiries into the case, and I invited him to accompany me to Corrall’s

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XXXV.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XXXV.

Distillation. —It has been questioned whether the ancients were acquainted with this art, but a passage of Dioscorides not only indicates the practice, but shows that the name of its principal instrument, the alembic, was derived from the Greek language. Pliny gives the same explanation, as Dioscorides does, of the manner of extracting quicksilver from cinnabar by distillation. And Seneca describes an instrument exactly resembling the alembic. Hippocrates even describes the process of distillati

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Erratum.

Erratum.

Col. 455 , line 10 from the bottom, for “Hartley Common,” read “ Startley Common .” For the Table Book....

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FREE TRANSLATION OF A DRINKING SONG, BY GOETHE.

FREE TRANSLATION OF A DRINKING SONG, BY GOETHE.

Sung by the Poet at a Meeting of Friends, to join which he and others had travelled a considerable distance. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. J. P. C....

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George Bloomfield.

George Bloomfield.

George Bloomfield. This portrait of the elder brother of Robert Bloomfield, “the Farmer’s Boy,” is here presented from a likeness recently drawn in water colours from the life, and communicated to the Table Book for the purpose of the present engraving . The late Mr. Capel Llofft, in a preface to Robert Bloomfield’s “Farmer’s Boy,” relates Robert’s history, from a narrative drawn up by George Bloomfield. It appears from thence, that their father died when Robert was an infant under a year old; t

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Garrick Plays. No. XLVI.

Garrick Plays. No. XLVI.

Misery lays stronger bonds of love than Nature; and they are more one, whom the same misfortune joined together, than whom the same womb gave life. H. Killigrew. Dying Person. W. Chamberlain. W. Chamberlain. Crown declined by a Spiritual person. Middleton. To a Votaress. Middleton. Middleton. Adventurers. Middleton. New made Honour. Middleton. Œnone forsaken. Peel. Peel. Epilepsy. Chapman. We are not tried but in our misery. He is a cunning coachman, that can turn well in a narrow room. Anon. Gr

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GENERAL REMINISCENCES OF THREE, THIRD, and THRICE.

GENERAL REMINISCENCES OF THREE, THIRD, and THRICE.

The ordinal, cardinal, or numeral, Three , possesses stronger power of associating application than any other figure in history, or literature. From the first notice of the Creation, Ælohim is understood to signify the Trinity. When the third day was created, the sun, moon, and stars, were set in the firmament. Christ’s resurrection was on the third day, and his crucifixion between two thieves. Noah’s sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Job’s daughters were Keziah, Jemima, and Kerenhappuck; his co

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DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

Ελευσονται (γαρ) ημεραι εν αις ουκ αφησονται λιθος επι λιθω ος ου καταλυθησεται. Luc. Ev. c. xxi. v. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. 3. 4. 5. B....

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APOSTLE SPOONS.

APOSTLE SPOONS.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—In Roger North’s Life of his brother, Sir Dudley North, (4to. London, 1744,) occurs the following passage, which, in connection with the account you gave your readers ( Every-Day Book , vol. i. p. 176,) of “Apostle Spoons,” may be acceptable to you. Mr. North, after some opposition, was elected sheriff of London; and after stating this, his biographer thus proceeds: “When all the forms of this shrieval instalment were over, Mr. North received the honour of knighthood ...

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PATIENT COURTSHIP.

PATIENT COURTSHIP.

For the Table Book. I knew a man that went courting his sweetheart the distance of three miles every evening for fourteen years, besides dodging her home after church, Sunday afternoons; making above 15,000 miles. For the first seven years he only stood and courted in the door-porch; but for the remaining period, he ventured (what a liberty after a septennial attachment!) to hang his hat on a pin in the passage and sit in the kitchen settle. The wedding—a consummation devoutly to be wished—was s

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OLD AND FAITHFUL SERVANTS.

OLD AND FAITHFUL SERVANTS.

2 Samuel i. 23. To the Editor Sir,—The following memorial I copied from a tablet, on the right hand side of the clergyman’s desk, in the beautiful little church at Hornsey. The scarceness of similar inscriptions make this valuable. S. T. L. “ Erected to the memory of Mary Parsons , the diligent, faithful, and affectionate servant, in a family during a period of 57 years. She died on the 22d day of November, 1806, aged 85. “ Also to the memory of Elizabeth Decker , the friend and companion of the

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Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XXXVI.

Discoveries OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. No. XXXVI.

Merely a cursory mention of all the important discoveries in geometry, mathematics, and philosophy, for which we are indebted to the ancients, would form a large book; yet a few of these particulars will be adverted to by way of concluding the series of articles under the present title. Thales was the first we know of who predicted eclipses. He pointed out the advantages that must arise from a due observation of the little bear or polar star; and taught that the earth was round, and the ecliptic

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MANNERS IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

MANNERS IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

To the Editor. Sir,—If the following extracts should suit the Table Book , they are at your service. J. S. Morley, November, 1827. 1637. The bishop of Chester, writing to the archbishop of York, touching the entertainment given by the Chester men to Mr. Prynne, when on his road to Caernarvon castle, has occasion to mention the reception given to Prynne by the wife of Thomas Aldersey, the alderman, relates, “That, on her examination, she swears, that Peter and Robert Ince brought Prynne home to h

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“The Poetical Freehold.

“The Poetical Freehold.

“ February 4, 1822 , was sold at Honington Fox, the old cottage, the natal place of Robert Bloomfield, the Farmer’s Boy . “My father, a lively little man, precisely five feet high, was a tailor, constantly employed in snapping the cat , that is, he worked for the farmers at their own houses, at a shilling per day and his board. He was a gay knight of the thimble, and as he wore a fashionable coat with a very narrow back, the villagers called him George Narrowback. My mother they called Mrs. Prim

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“The April Fool.

“The April Fool.

“When on the wrong side of fifty I married a second time! My best friends declared it was madness to risk a second family, &amp;c. &amp;c. We married 7th of February, 1807. Early in 1808 it was discovered I should have an increase, and Charles Blomfield, Esq. asked me when it would happen. I answered, in April . ‘Sure,’ says he, ‘it won’t happen on the First! ’—I felt the force of the remark—the probability of my being an April Fool —and wrote the following lines, and sent them to Mr. B.

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The Unfortunate Farmer.

The Unfortunate Farmer.

George Bloomfield subjoins, in explanation, on these lines, “My reading in the Bury paper of the 6th of Dec. 1820, an advertisement of an assignment for the benefit of creditors of the effects of Mr. Willian Austin, gave rise to the above. Mr. A. was the young master of Giles, when Giles was the Farmer’s Boy ; and the admirers of rural poetry, as well in the new as the old world, have been made acquainted with the Austin family by means of the poem of that name. Mr. A. held the farm near thirty

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Memorandum.

Memorandum.

“My old friend Wisset has now entered his eighty-third year, and is blind, and therefore cannot write; but he sent his kind regards to me by a young man, and bade him repeat four lines to me. The young man forgot the lines, but he said they were about old age and cold winter . I sent him the following:— Dear old Brother Bard , George Bloomfield. January 23, 1823. George Bloomfield. January 23, 1823. The MSS. from whence the present selections have been hastily made, were accompanied by a letter

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Travellers EAST AND WEST.

Travellers EAST AND WEST.

To the Editor. Sir,—I send you a short and plain demonstration, that by travelling eastward or westward round the globe at a given rate, (if it were practicable to do so,) a man might experience a greater or lesser number of days and nights, than if he were to remain still in the same spot. This, I may venture to say, is a fact that very few people are aware of, and few would believe, until it were proved. As “this goodly frame, the earth,” turns round upon its own axis once in twenty-four hours

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Old Customs.

Old Customs.

For the Table Book. The hagmena is an old custom observed in Yorkshire on new year’s eve. The keeper of the pinfold goes round the town, attended by a rabble at his heels, and knocking at certain doors, sings a barbarous song, according to the manner “of old king Henry’s days;” and at the end of every verse they shout “Hagman Heigh.” When wood was chiefly used by our forefathers as fuel, this was the most proper season for the hagman, or wood-cutter, to remind his customers of his services, and

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CHAPMAN’S “ALL FOOLS.”

CHAPMAN’S “ALL FOOLS.”

For the Table Book. In Chapman’s “All Fools,” 1605, (as quoted, by Charles Lamb, in Table Book , vol. i. 192 ,) is the following passage, under the title of “Love’s Panegyric.”— Chapman might be acquainted with Italian poets, but at all events the coincidence between the above and the following canzon, by Andrew Navagero, is remarkable. Navagero was the friend of Boscan, the Spanish poet: they became acquainted at Grenada, while Navagero was there ambassador from Venice. Boscan died before 1544;

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NORWICH MOCK ELECTIONS.

NORWICH MOCK ELECTIONS.

To the Editor. Sir,—At Costessy, a small village, three miles on the west side of Norwich, there is an annual mock guild on Whit Tuesday. It takes its name from the annual mayor’s feast at Norwich, being called the City Guild . The corporation at Costessy is composed of the poor inhabitants under the patronage of the marquis of Stafford, who has a beautiful seat in this village. On this day a mock mayor is annually elected; he has a proper and appropriate costume, and is attended by a sword-bear

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Old London Customs.

Old London Customs.

For the Table Book. In the reigns of James I. and Charles I. a singular custom prevailed of the idle and dissolute part of the community assembling in the naves or other unemployed parts of large churches. The nave of St. Paul’s cathedral bore the name of Paul’s Walk; and so little was the sanctity of the place regarded, that if the description by an old author [517] is not exaggerated, the Royal Exchange at four o’clock does not present a greater scene of confusion. I carry the comparison no fa

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A DEFENCE OF SLANG.

A DEFENCE OF SLANG.

For the Table Book. “To think like wise men, and to talk like common people,” is a maxim that has long stood its ground. What is the language of “common people?” slang — ergo , every body ought to talk it. What is slang? Many will answer that it consists of words used only by the lowest and most ignorant classes of society, and that to employ them would be most ungenteel. First, then, we must inquire a little what it is to be genteel , and this involves the question, what is a gentleman? Etymolo

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DIVINATION BY FLOWERS.

DIVINATION BY FLOWERS.

To the Editor. Sir,—There is a love custom still observed in the village of Sutton Bangor, Wilts—Two flowers that have not blossomed are paired, and put by themselves—as many pairs as there are sweethearts in the neighbourhood, and tall and short as the respective sweethearts are. The initials of their names are attached to the stamens, and they are ranged in order in a hayloft or stable, in perfect secrecy, except to those who manage and watch their ominous growth. If, after ten days, any flowe

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WALTHAM, ESSEX.

WALTHAM, ESSEX.

To the Editor. Sir,—The following epitaph is upon a plain gravestone in the church-yard of Waltham Abbey. Having some point, it may perhaps be acceptable for the Table Book . I was told that the memory of the worthy curate is still held in great esteem by the inhabitants of that place. Rev. Isaac Colnett , Fifteen years curate of this Parish, Died March 1, 1801—Aged 43 years. Surely common decency, if they are deficient in antiquarian feeling, should induce the inhabitants of Waltham Cross to ta

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FULBOURN, CAMBRIDGE.

FULBOURN, CAMBRIDGE.

To the Editor. On a visit to a friend at Fulbourn we strolled to the site whereon All Saints’ church formerly stood, and his portfolio furnished me with the subjoined memoranda, which by your fostering care may be preserved. I am, sir, &amp;c. Cambridge, May, 1826. T. N. This morning at five o’clock the steeple of All Saints’ church fell down. An act of parliament passed the 22d May, 1775, to unite the service in St. Vigor’s church, and to enable the vicar and churchwardens to sell the mater

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ST. THOMAS’S DAY. Mr. Day’s Short Day.

ST. THOMAS’S DAY. Mr. Day’s Short Day.

Mr. Thomas Day, of D——t, Wilts, used, when living, to give his workmen on St. Thomas’s Day a holiday, a short pint of his ale, an ounce of short-cut tobacco, and a short pipe, in remembrance of his name. “For,” said he,—in a couplet decidedly his own,— Puceron....

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A PAGE FROM MY NOTE BOOK.

A PAGE FROM MY NOTE BOOK.

For the Table Book. The first instance that occurs of this practice was so early as 13 Eliz., when one Thomas Longe (being a simple man of small capacity to serve in parliament) acknowledged that he had given the returning officer and others of the borough for which he was chosen FOUR POUNDS , to be returned member, and was for that premium elected. But for this offence the borough was amerced, the member was removed, and the officer was fined and imprisoned.—4 Inst. 23. Hale of Parl. 112. Com.

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Original Poetry.

Original Poetry.

For the Table Book. CHRISTMAS. W. M. W. SONNET. An Autumnal Midnight. W. M. W. SEASONABLE STANZAS. W. M. W....

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Original Poetry.

Original Poetry.

For the Table Book. The accompanying lines were written in allusion to that beautiful Gem of Dagley’s which Mr. Croly (page 21 of the vol.) supposes a Diana, and which Tassie’s Catalogue describes as such. I have, however, made bold to address her in her no less popular character of EURYDICE. Virg. Georg. IV. ‘ϵ . . . Hampstead....

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Notice.

Notice.

The Index , &amp;c. to the present volume of the Table Book will conclude the work . I respectfully bid my readers Farewell! *...

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SPORTS AND PASTIMES OF THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES OF THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND.

Perhaps I may be excused for noticing the forthcoming octavo edition of “ The Sports and Pastimes of England ,”—a work of very curious research and remarkable information, written and published in quarto by the late Mr. Joseph Strutt . The Octavo Edition will be printed in a superior manner, on fine paper, with at least 140 Engravings. It will be published in Monthly Parts, price One Shilling each, and each part, on an average, will contain fourteen engravings. Above half of the drawings and eng

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