file which includes the original illustration4 ,see #ajdge-;h4htm or #ajdge-;h4zip3 7http3_/_/www4ibiblio4org_/gutenberg_/#a _/j_/d_/g_/ajdge_/ajdge-;h_/#ajdge-;h4ht m7 or 7http3_/_/www4ibiblio4org_/gutenberg_/#a _/j_/d_/g_/ajdge_/ajdge-;h4zip7 ,,the ,,mirror ,,of ,,literature1 ,,amusement1 ,,and ,,instruction4 ,,vol4 #ab1 ,no4 #cbf4 ,,saturday1 ,,august #i1 #ahbh4 ,,price #b;d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,,regent ,,bridge1 ,,edinburgh4 ,edinburgh1 the ,queen of the ,north1 abounds in splendid specimens of classical architecture4 ,since the year #agfi1 when the building of the ,new ,town commenced1 its improvement has been prosecuted with extraordinary zeal2 consequently1 the city has not only been extended on all sides1 but has received the addition of some magnificent public edifices1 while the access to it from every quarter has been greatly facilitated and embellished4 ,of the last-mentioned improvement our engraving is a mere vignette1 but it deserves to rank among the most superb of those additions4 ,the inconvenience of the access to ,edinburgh by the great ,london road was long a subject of general regret4 ,in entering the city from this quarter1 the road lay through narrow and inconvenient streets1 forming an approach no way suited to the general elegance of the place4 ,in #ahad1 however1 a magnificent entrance was commenced across the ,calton ,hill1 between which and ,prince's street a deep ravine intervened1 which was formerly occupied with old and ill-built streets4 ,in order to connect the hill with ,prince's-street1 all these have been swept away1 and an elegant arch1 called ,regent ,bridge1 has been thrown over the hollow1 which makes the descent from the hill into this street easy and agreeable4 ,thus1 in place of being carried1 as formerly1 through long and narrow streets1 the great road from the east into ,edinburgh sweeps along the side of the steep and singular elevation of the ,calton ,hill2 whence the traveller has first a view of the ,old ,town1 with its elevated buildings crowning the summit of the adjacent ridges1 and rising upon the eye in imposing masses2 and1 afterwards1 of the ,new ,town finely contrasted with the ,old1 in the regularity and elegance of its general outline4 ,regent ,bridge was begun in #ahaf1 and finished in #ahai4 ,the arch is semicircular1 and fifty feet wide4 ,at the north front it is forty-five feet in height1 and at the south front sixty-four feet two inches1 the difference being occasioned by the ground declining to the south4 ,the roadway is formed by a number of reverse arches on each side4 ,the great arch is ornamented on the south and north by two open arches1 supported by elegant columns of the ,corinthian order4 ,the whole property purchased to open the communication to the city by this bridge cost #eb1jjjl1 and the building areas sold for the immense sum of #ce1jjjl4 ,the street along the bridge is called ,waterloo-place1 as it was founded in the year on which that memorable battle was fought4 ,the engraving#a is an interesting picture of classic beauty2 and as the approaches and proposed dry arches to the ,new ,london ,bridge are now becoming matters of speculative interest1 we hope this entrance to our metropolis will ultimately present a similar display of architectural elegance4 ,,london1 with all her opulence1 ought not to yield in comparison with any city in the world2 and it is high time that the march of taste be quickened in this quarter4 #a from an exquisite lithograph by ,j4 ,goldicutt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,on ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,carl ,,maria ,,von ,,weber4 ,weep1 for the word is spoken-- ,mourn1 for the knell hath knoll'd-- ,the master chord is broken1 ,and the master's hand is cold6 ,romance hath lost her minstrel1 ,no more his magic strain ,shall throw a sweeter spell around1 ,the legends of ,almaine4 ,his fame had flown before him ,to many a foreign land1 ,his lays are sung by every tongue1 ,and harp'd by every hand6 ,he came to cull fresh laurels1 ,but fate was in their breath1 ,and turn'd his march of triumph ,into a dirge of death4 ,o6 all who knew him lov'd him1 ,for with his mighty mind1 ,he bore himself so meekly1 ,his heart it was so kind6 ,his wildly warbling melodies1 ,the storms that round them roll1 ,are types of the simplicity ,and grandeur of his soul4 ,though years of ceaseless suffering ,had worn him to a shade1 ,so patient was his spirit1 ,no wayward plaint he made4 ,e'en death itself seem'd loath to scare ,his victim pure and mild2 ,and stole upon him quietly ,as slumber o'er a child4 ,weep1 for the word is spoken-- ,mourn1 for the knell hath knoll'd-- ,the master chord is broken1 ,and the master's hand is cold6 ,the master chord is broken1 ,and the master's hand is cold6 ,,planche4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,young ,,napoleon4 7,for the ,mirror47 ,it is impossible at this time of day1 to foretell how the future destinies of ,europe may be influenced by the subject of these lines4 ,to use the words of the talented author of the ,improvisatrice1 ,poetry needs no preface4 ,however in this instance1 a few remarks may not be uninteresting4 ,until ,i met with the following stanzas1 ,i was not aware that ,napoleon had been a votary of the muses4 ,he has certainly climbed the ,parnassian mount with considerable success1 whether we take the interest of the subject1 or the correctness of the versification into consideration4 ,memorials like these of such a man1 are1 in the highest degree1 interesting2 they serve to display the man1 divested of the pomp and circumstance of royalty4 ,that ,napoleon had many faults cannot be disputed1 but it is equally clear that he possessed many virtues the world never gave him credit for3--,posterity will do me justice4 ,i subjoin two translations of the beautiful lines written by ,napoleon at ,st4 ,helena1 on the portrait of his son4 ,the love he bore to his son was carried to enthusiasm4 ,according to those persons who had access to his society at ,st4 ,helena1 his young heir was the continual object of his solicitude during the period of seven years1 ,for him alone1 he said1 ,i returned from the ,island of ,elba1 and if ,i still form some expectations on earth1 they are also for him4 ,he has declared to several of his suite1 that he every day suffered the greatest anxiety on his account4 ,since ,i met with these lines however1 ,i have found that ,napoleon had in his youth composed a poem on ,corsica1 some extracts of which are to be found in ,les ,annales de l',europe a ,german collection4 ,he was exceedingly anxious in after life to destroy the copies of this poem which had been circulated1 and bought and procured them by every means in his power for the purpose of destroying them2 it is probable not a single copy is in existence at the present period4 ,it has been remarked1 that1 it requires nothing short of the solitude of exile1 and the idolatry which he manifested for his son1 to inspire him once more4 ,in neither of the original poems is it indicated which he preferred4 ,,vyvyan4 ,,to ,,the ,,portrait ,,of ,,my ,,son4 ,delightful image of my much loved boy6 ,behold his eyes1 his looks1 his cherub smile6 ,no more1 alas6 will he enkindle joy1 ,nor on some kindlier shore my woes beguile4 ,my son6 my darling son6 wert thou but here1 ,my bosom should receive thy lovely form3 ,thou'dst soothe my gloomy hours with converse dear3 ,serenely mild behold the lowering storm4 ,i'd be the partner of thy infant cares1 ,and pour instruction o'er thy expanding mind2 ,whilst in thy heart1 in my declining years1 ,my wearied soul should an asylum find4 ,my wrongs--my cares--should be forgot with thee1 ,my power--imperial dignities--renown-- ,this rock itself would be a heaven to me2 ,thine arms more cherished than the victor's crown4 ,o6 in thine arms1 my son6 ,i could forget that fame ,shall give me1 through all time1 a never dying name4 7,signed47 ,,napoleon4 ,another version is subjoined of lines1 ,to the ,portrait of ,my ,son4 ,o6 ,cherished image of my infant heir6 ,thy surface does his lineaments impart3-- ,but ah6 thou liv'st not4 ,on this rock so bare ,his living form shall never glad my heart4 ,my second-self6 how would'st thy presence cheer ,the settled sadness of thy hapless sire6 ,thine infancy with tenderness ,i'd rear1 ,and thou should'st warm my age with youthful fire4 ,in thee1 a truly glorious crown ,i'd find2 ,with thee1 upon this rock a heaven should own3 ,thy kiss would chase past conquests from my mind1 ,which raised me demi-god on ,gallia's throne4 7,signed47 ,,napoleon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,colour--,,blue4 7,to the ,editor of the ,mirror47 ,observing in ,number #cbc of the ,,mirror1 an article respecting blue1 as the appointed colour for the clothes of certain descriptions of persons1 it may1 perhaps1 not be wholly irrelevant to observe that ,bentley1 in his ,dissertation on ,phalaris1 page #beh1 mentions blue as the costume of his guards1 and quotes ,cicero's ,tusculan ,questions1 lib4 #e1 for his authority4 ,i cannot at present turn to the passage in ,cicero1 but ,bentley's quotation may surely be accepted as evidence of the existence of the passage4 ,twickenham4 ,h4 ,h4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,extraordinary ,,criminals4 7,for the ,mirror47 ,on the trial of ,henry ,marshall1 ,dec4 #d1 #agbc1 for murder and deer-stealing1 a very remarkable circumstance took place4 ,sentence of death had no sooner been pronounced on this offender1 than he was immediately deprived of the use of his tongue2 nor did he recover his speech till a few hours preceding his execution4 ,g4 ,w4 ,n4 99 99 99 99 99 ,july1 #agcf--,reynolds1 condemned upon the ,black ,act1 for going armed in disguise1 in pulling down ,lothbury turn-pike1 with one ,baylis1 7reprieved1 and transported for #ad years17 was carried to ,tyburn1 where1 having prayed and sung psalms1 he was turned off1 and being thought dead1 was cut down by the hangman as usual1 who had procured a hole to be dug at some distance from the gallows1 to bury him in2 but just as they had put him into his coffin1 and were about to fasten him up1 he thrust back the lid1 and to the astonishment of the spectators1 placed his hands on the sides of the coffin in order to raise himself up4 ,some of the people1 in their first surprise1 were for knocking him on the head2 but the executioner insisted upon hanging him up again2 when the mob1 thinking otherwise1 cried1 ,save his life1 and fell upon the poor executioner1 7who stickled hard for fulfilling the law17 and beat him in a miserable manner2 they then carried the prisoner to a public-house at ,bayswater1 where he was put to bed2 he vomited about three pints of blood1 and it was thought he would recover2 but he died soon after4 ,the sheriffs' officers1 believing the prisoner dead1 had retired from the place of execution before he was cut down4 ,sept4 #c1 #agcf4--,venham and ,harding1 two malefactors1 were executed this day at ,bristol4 ,after they were cut down1 ,venham was perceived to have life in him1 when put in the coffin2 and some lightermen and others1 having carried him to a house1 a surgeon1 whom they sent for1 immediately opened a vein1 which so far recovered his senses1 that he had the use of speech1 sat upright1 rubbed his knees1 shook hands with divers persons he knew1 and to all appearance a perfect recovery was expected4 ,but notwithstanding this1 he died about eleven o'clock in great agony1 his bowels being very much convulsed1 as appeared by his rolling from one side to the other4 ,it is remarkable also1 that ,harding came to life again1 and was carried to ,bridewell1 and the next day to ,newgate1 where several people visited him and gave him money1 who were very inquisitive whether he remembered the manner of his execution2 to which he replied1 he could only remember his having been at the gallows1 and knew nothing of ,venham being with him4 ,g4 ,k4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,love ,,and ,,joy4 ,,an ,,allegory4 ,in the happy period of the golden age when all the celestial inhabitants descended upon the earth and conversed familiarly with mortals1 among the most cherished of the heavenly powers were twins1 the offspring of ,jupiter1 ,love1 and ,joy4 ,wherever they appeared1 flowers sprung up beneath their feet1 the sun shone with a brighter radiance1 and all nature seemed embellished by their presence2 they were inseparable companions1 and their growing attachment was favoured by ,jupiter1 who had decreed that a lasting union should be solemnized between them as soon as they arrived at mature years4 ,but in the meantime1 the sons of men deviated from their native innocence2 vice and ruin over-ran the earth with giant strides2 and ,astrea with her train of celestial visitants1 forsook their polluted abode2 ,love alone remained1 having been stolen away by ,hope1 who was his nurse1 and conveyed by her to the forest of ,arcadia1 where he was brought up amongst the shepherds4 ,but ,jupiter assigned him a different partner1 and commanded him to espouse ,sorrow1 the daughter of ,at4 ,he complied with reluctance1 for her features were harsh1 her eyes sunken1 her forehead contracted into perpetual wrinkles1 and her temples encircled with a wreath of cypress and wormwood4 ,from this union sprung a virgin1 in whom might be traced a strong resemblance to both her parents2 but the sullen and unamiable features of her mother were so blended with the sweetness of the father1 that her countenance1 though mournful1 was highly pleasing4 ,the maids and shepherds gathered round and called her ,pity4 ,a red-breast was observed to build in the cabin where she was born2 and while she was yet an infant1 a dove1 pursued by a hawk1 flew for refuge into her bosom4 ,she had a dejected appearance1 but so soft and gentle a mien1 that she was beloved to enthusiasm4 ,her voice was low and plaintive1 but inexpressibly sweet2 and she loved to lie for hours on the banks of some wild and melancholy stream singing to her lute4 ,she taught men to weep1 for she took a strange delight in tears2 and often when the virgins of the hamlet were assembled at their evening sports1 she would steal in among them and captivate their hearts by her tales of charming sadness4 ,she wore on her head a garland1 composed of her father's myrtles twisted with her mother's cypress4 ,one day as she sat musing by the waters of ,helicon1 her tears by chance fell into the spring2 and ever since1 the muses' spring has tasted of the infusion4 ,pity was commanded by ,jupiter to follow the steps of her mother through the world1 dropping balm into the wounds she made1 and binding up the hearts she had broken4 ,she follows with her hair loose1 her bosom bare and throbbing1 her garments torn by the briars1 and her feet bleeding with the roughness of the path4 ,the nymph is mortal1 for so is her mother2 and when she has finished her destined course upon earth1 they shall both expire together1 and ,love be again united to ,joy1 his immortal and long-betrothed bride4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,contemporary ,,traveller4 ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,volcanic ,,formations ,,near ,,the ,,rhine4 7,from a ,correspondent47 ,there is a volcanic country on the left bank between ,remagen and ,andernach1 highly interesting to the naturalist1 but ,i believe not visited by the generality of travellers4 ,the late accounts1 however1 of the formations of a similar kind in ,auvergne and ,clermont1 in the centre of ,france1 and the speculations to which these phenomena have given rise1 determined me to explore this district whilst ,i was in the neighbourhood4 ,bidding adieu1 therefore1 to the green little island of ,nonnenworth1 ,i made the journey to ,brohl1 a convenient day's walk of sixteen miles1 passing through ,oberwinter1 ,remagen1 and ,breysig1 and the other white and slated villages that enliven the river4 ,it is here the valley of the ,rhine narrows1 and the succession of ridges and dales which the road skirts1 are sometimes entirely barren1 at others thickly covered with vines and fruit-trees4 ,though the former plant is pleasing in the tints of its leaf1 and in the idea of cultivation and plenty that its thick plantations present1 yet there is a stiffness in the regularity in which it grows1 propped up by sticks2 and it is so short1 that one's fancy as to its luxuriance1 7especially if formed from such poetry as ,childe ,harold17 is certainly disappointed4 ,i made a digression from the road up the little river ,aar1 which falls into the ,rhine near ,sinzig4 ,a more striking picture you cannot imagine4 ,the stream is remarkably clear and rapid1 the bottom rocky1 and its banks1 for a considerable distance1 are literally perpendicular rocks4 ,the ,aar is a perfect specimen of the mountain torrent2 it rises in the ,eiffel mountains2 and1 ,i am told1 in the winter does much mischief by inundations4 ,it put me in mind of the ,welsh rivulets1 particularly some parts of the ,dee4 ,this dtour having taken up more time than ,i expected1 ,i reached ,brohl1 late1 but in time for the supper at the rustic ,gasthoff1 which1 with a flask of ,rhenish wine1 and the company of an agreeable ,german tourist who was staying there1 made ample amends for the fatigues of the day4 ,in setting out from ,brohl by the stream of the same name1 which runs down from the ,lake of ,laach1 where ,i was struck with the pieces of pumice-stone1 and the charred remains of herbs and stalks of trees scattered over the marshes4 ,i soon came to the valley1 the sides of which are composed of what is called1 in the language of geology1 tufa1 and in that of the country1 dukstein1 or trass4 ,it is a stone1 or a hard clay1 of a dull blueish colour1 and when dry1 it assumes a shade of light gray4 ,an immense quantity is quarried throughout the valley1 and is sent down the ,rhine to ,holland1 where it is in great request for building4 ,the village of ,nippes owes its origin to the trade in trass1 having been founded by a ,dutchman1 who settled there about a century ago for the convenience of exportation4 ,the lower part of the mass is the hardest and most compact1 and is therefore preferred by the quarrymen2 as it rises1 the upper part becomes loose and sandy1 and unfit for use4 ,you must not suppose the stream to be clear like the ,aar1 for it is as thick as pea-soup1 and about the same colour1 being in fact a river of trass in solution4 ,the banks1 however1 are picturesque and well wooded1 particularly at ,schweppenbourg1 an old castle of peculiar architecture1 built on an elevated rock1 and formerly belonging to the family of ,metternich1 7,god save the mark67 ,the tower is surrounded with caverns and halls1 hollowed out of the trass stone1 and profusely ornamented with fine oaks1 pines1 and spreading beech trees4 ,you may almost fancy yourself on magic ground1 and looking on a fairy castle1 so peculiar is the effect4 ,i next reached ,burgbrohl and ,wassenach1 passing several of the trass mills1 for the stone is in many places hard enough for mill-stones1 and there is a considerable trade in them to ,holland1 and thence to ,england and other countries4 ,half an hour next brought me to the summit of the ,feitsberg1 one of the hills forming the circumference of the lake2 here ,i enjoyed a magnificent prospect on the one side of the lake1 well clothed with wood1 with the old six-towered abbey on its bank1 and the heights of the ,eiffel chain enclosing it2 on the other side1 the view was so extensive as to give me a glimpse of ,ehrenbreitstein1 and of the line of hills from thence to the ,siebengebrige4 ,though my object in climbing the ,feitsberg was very different1 my surprise and delight in unexpectedly catching ,ehrenbreitstein at the distance of twenty-four miles even served to withdraw my attention some time from geologizing1 or from the scene close under me4 ,i recollect the same sensation on descrying ,gravelines sometime ago from the heights of ,dover ,castle1 not believing the distance to be within the powers of the telescope4 ,true indeed is it that ,tis distance lends enchantment to the view4 ,and robes the mountain in its azure hue4 ,i was now in a rude and barren country1 presenting a strong contrast to the soft scenery ,i had left1 and consisting of an elevated mountain plateau1 or table land of slate of the ,greywacke sort1 the heights on the eastern side of the ,rhine being of the same level1 and the channel of the river appearing as a narrow valley1 which the eye overlooks entirely4 ,this table land is studded with isolated hills of volcanic formation1 and of a conical form1 some of them having central funnels or craters1 from which the ancient eruptions have issued4 ,the most complete are the ,hirschenberg1 near ,burgbrohl1 the ,bousenberg1 between that village and ,olburg1 the ,poter1 ,pellenberg1 and the ,camillenberg1 which last rises about one thousand feet above the level of the surrounding surface4 ,there are many others extending for some distance in the ,eiffel chain and in the vicinity1 but those ,i have mentioned are sufficient to guide the footsteps of the inquirer4 ,the basin of the ,lake of ,laach is nearly circular and crateriform2 it is a mile and a half long1 and about a mile and a quarter in breadth4 ,its average depth is two hundred feet1 but it is full of holes1 the measure of which is very uncertain4 ,its water is blueish1 very cold1 and of a nasty brackish taste4 ,it has been examined by several geologists1 ,british and foreign1 among whom is the famous ,humboldt1 and there is no doubt that this great reservoir is the crater of an extinct volcano4 ,the fragments and minerals thrown up on the banks are analogous to those found in other volcanic countries2 and on one side 7that towards ,nieder-mennig7 is a regular rock of continued lava1 which is supposed to have flowed from the crater during the last eruption4 ,mr4 ,scrope1 whose opinion is entitled to great weight1 thinks it not improbable that this may have been the eruption recorded by ,tacitus1 7#ac lib4 ,annal417 as having ravaged the country of the ,initones1 near ,cologne1 in the reign of ,nero4 ,i should not forget to mention that there is a cavern within the basin of the lake1 the air of which is so stifling and noxious1 that animals die if forced to remain in it1 and lights are extinguished by the gas--phenomena precisely similar to those of the well-known ,grotto del ,cane1 near ,naples4 ,while ,i am on the subject of volcanic phenomena1 ,i may as well add a word on the origin of the trass or tufa1 which is so thickly spread over this country4 ,it is similar to that found near ,naples1 at ,mont d',or1 ,carbal1 and other parts of ,italy2 and1 indeed1 all the products of the latter district are pretty nearly the same as these1 allowing for the difference of a slate surface in the one case1 and a sandy and alluvial soil in the other4 ,the idea of the trass having any connexion with a deluge1 is1 ,i believe1 now exploded2 and geologists have agreed that it is the actual substance ejected by the volcano1 subsided into a firm paste4 ,the rain has always been observed to fall heavily after eruptions1 and the water running down the sides of the hills1 has formed this crust1 which makes the bottom and sides of the ,laach4 ,the same causes are in action now2 and if ever the lake should rise so high as to burst its banks1 it would overflow the whole country1 and carry terrible destruction with it4 ,such an event was actually foreseen by the sagacious monks who formerly inhabited the abbey1 for they cut a canal nearly a mile long1 to give the water vent2 and the discharge by it continues to this day4 ,the abbey is now untenanted1 and is in a deplorable state of ruin2 it was once celebrated for its hospitality and a fine gallery of pictures2 all1 however1 have vanished1 and the ruins are now the property of ,m4 ,delius1 a magistrate of ,treves4 ,the situation is so beautiful1 surrounded as it is with fine timber1 that one would suppose it worth his while to repair the place1 particularly as stone is so plentiful in the neighbourhood4 ,it forms1 however1 as it is1 a picturesque addition to the interest of the excursion to the lake1 ,i returned by the mineral spring of ,heilbrunn1 well satisfied with my inspection of the country4 ,the distance from ,brohl to the abbey is little more than five miles1 and it is one which ,i would advise all tourists on the ,rhine to make if they have time1 whether they be geologists or non-geologists4 ,i fancied ,i had a clearer conception of4 ,aetna and ,vesuvius1 and the living fires1 from having witnessed the funnels of the extinct ones4 ,at all events1 though little is known as to the causes of volcanic phenomena1 enough is ascertained to convince us that subterranean fire exists under the whole of ,europe1 there not being one country or district exempt from occasional earthquakes1 or some such signs of terror4 ,d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,sketch-,,book ,,garden ,,of ,,bremhill ,,parsonage4 ,the ,residence of the ,rev4 ,w4 ,l4 ,bowles4 ,the garden contains upwards of two acres1 with a gravel-walk under the windows4 ,a ,gothic porch has been added1 the bow-windows being surmounted with the same kind of parapet as the house1 somewhat more ornamental4 ,it lies to the morning sun2 the road to the house1 on the north1 enters through a large arch4 ,the garden is on a slope1 commanding views of the surrounding country1 with the tower of ,calne in front1 the woods of ,bowood on the right1 and the mansion and woods of ,walter ,heneage1 ,esq4 ,towards the south4 ,the view to the south-east is terminated by the last chalky cliffs of the ,marlborough downs1 extending to within a few miles of ,swindon4 ,in the garden1 a winding path from the gravel-walk1 in front of the house1 leads to a small piece of water1 originally a square pond4 ,this walk1 as it approaches the water1 leads into a darker shade1 and descending some steps1 placed to give a picturesque appearance to the bank1 you enter a kind of cave1 with a dripping rill1 which falls into the water below1 whose bank is broken by thorns1 and hazels1 and poplars1 among darker shrubs4 ,here an urn appears with the following inscription3--,m4,s4 ,henrici ,bowles1 qui ad ,calpen1 febre ibi exitiali grassante1 public missus1 ipse miserrim periit--#ahjd4 ,fratri posuit4--,passing round the water1 you come to an arched walk of hazels1 which leads to the green in front of the house1 where1 dipping a small slope1 the path passes near an old and ivied elm4 ,as this seat looks on the magnificent line of ,bowood park and plantations1 the obvious thought could not be well avoided3 ,when in thy sight another's vast domain ,spreads its dark sweep of woods1 dost thou complain8 ,nay6 rather thank the ,god who placed thy state ,above the lowly1 but beneath the great2 ,and still his name with gratitude revere1 ,who bless'd the sabbath of thy leisure here4 ,the walk leads round a plantation of shrubs1 to the bottom of the lawn1 from whence is seen a fountain1 between a laurel arch2 and through a dark passage a gray sun-dial appears among beds of flowers1 opposite the fountain4 ,the sun-dial1 a small1 antique1 twisted column1 gray with age1 was probably the dial of the abbot of ,malmesbury1 and counted his hours when at the adjoining lodge2 for it was taken from the garden of the farm-house1 which had originally been the summer retirement of this mitred lord4 ,it has the appearance of being monastic1 but a more ornate capital has been added1 the plate on which bears the date of #afhh4 ,i must again venture to give the appropriate inscription3-- ,to count the brief and unreturning hours1 ,this ,sun-,dial was placed among the flowers1 ,which came forth in their beauty--smiled and died1 ,blooming and withering round its ancient side4 ,mortal1 thy day is passing--see that flower1 ,and think upon the ,shadow and the ,hour6 ,the whole of the small green slope is here dotted with beds of flowers2 a step1 into some rock-work1 leads to a kind of hermit's oratory1 with crucifix and stained glass1 built to receive the shattered fragments1 as their last asylum1 of the pillars of ,stanly ,abbey4 ,the dripping water passes through the rock-work into a large shell1 the gift of a valued friend1 the author of ,the ,pleasures of ,memory2 and ,i add1 with less hesitation1 the inscription1 because it was furnished by the author of ,the ,pains of ,memory1 a poem1 in its kind1 of the most exquisite harmony and fancy1 though the author has long left the bowers of the muses1 and the harp of music1 for the severe professional duties of the bar4 ,i have some pride in mentioning the name of ,peregrine ,bingham1 being a near relation1 as well as rising in character and fame at the bar4 ,the verses will speak for themselves1 and are not unworthy his muse whose poem suggested the comparisons4 ,the inscription is placed over the large ,indian shell3-- ,snatch'd from an ,indian ocean's roar1 ,i drink the whelming tide no more2 ,but in this rock1 remote and still1 ,now serve to pour the murmuring rill4 ,listen6 ,do thoughts awake1 which long have slept-- ,oh6 like his song1 who placed me here1 ,the sweetest song to ,memory dear1 ,when life's tumultuous storms are past1 ,may we1 to such sweet music1 close at last ,the eyelids that have wept6 ,leaving the small oratory1 a terrace of flowers leads to a ,gothic stone-seat at the end1 and1 returning to the flower-garden1 we wind up a narrow path from the more verdant scene1 to a small dark path1 with fantastic roots shooting from the bank1 where a grave-stone appears1 on which an hour-glass is carved4 ,a root-house fronts us1 with dark boughs branching over it4 ,sit down in that old carved chair4 ,if ,i cannot welcome some illustrious visitors in such consummate verse as ,pope1 ,i may1 ,i hope1 not without blameless pride1 tell you1 reader1 in this chair have sat some public characters1 distinguished by far more noble qualities than the nobly pensive ,st4 ,john6 ,i might add1 that this seat has received1 among other visiters1 ,sir ,samuel ,romilly1 ,sir ,george ,beaumont1 ,sir ,humphry ,davy--poets as well as philosophers1 ,madame de ,stael1 ,dugald ,stewart1 and ,christopher ,north1 ,esq4 ,two lines on a small board on this root-house point the application3-- ,dost thou lament the dead1 and mourn the loss ,of many friends1 oh6 think upon the cross6 ,over an old tomb-stone1 through an arch1 at a distance in light beyond1 there is a vista to a stone cross1 which1 in the seventeenth century1 would have been idolatrous6 ,to detail more of the garden would appear ostentatious1 and ,i fear ,i may be thought egotistical in detailing so much4 ,i shall1 however1 take the reader1 before we part1 through an arch1 to an old yew1 which has seen the persecution of the loyal ,english clergy2 has witnessed their return1 and many changes of ecclesiastical and national fortune4 ,under the branches of that solitary but mute historian of the pensive plain1 let us now rest2 it stands at the very extreme northern edge of that garden which we have just perambulated4 ,it fronts the tower1 the churchyard1 and looks on to an old sun-dial1 once a cross4 ,the cross was found broken at its foot1 probably by the country iconoclasts of the day4 ,i have brought the interesting fragment again into light1 and placed it conspicuously opposite to an old ,scotch fir in the churchyard1 which ,i think it not unlikely was planted by ,townson on his restoration4 ,the accumulation of the soil of centuries had covered an ascent of four steps at the bottom of this record of silent hours4 ,these steps have been worn in places1 from the act of frequent prostration or kneeling1 by the forefathers of the hamlet1 perhaps before the church existed4 ,from a seat near this old yew tree1 you see the churchyard1 and battlements of the church1 on one side2 and on the other you look over a great extent of country4 ,on a still summer's evening1 the distant sound of the hurrying coaches1 on the great ,london road1 are heard as they pass to and from the metropolis4 ,on this spot this last admonitory inscription fronts you3-- ,there lie the village dead1 and there too ,i1 ,when yonder dial points the hour1 shall lie4 ,look round1 the distant prospect is display'd1 ,like life's fair landscape1 mark'd with light and shade4 ,stranger1 in peace pursue thy onward road1 ,but ne'er forget thy lone and last abode6 ,history of ,bremhill1 by ,mr4 ,bowles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,retrospective ,,gleanings4 ,,paper ,,marks4 ,illustration ,paper1 for the purpose of writing or printing1 was first manufactured in this country1 according to ,anderson1 about the year #aeih1 in the reign of ,elizabeth4 ,there is reason1 however1 to believe1 that its manufacture existed here previous to that time4 ,john ,tate is recorded to have had a paper-mill at ,hertford1 in the reign of ,henry ,,vii4 and the first book printed on ,english paper1 came out in #adie or #f4 ,it was entitled ,bartholomeus de proprietatibus rerum1 and was printed on paper made by ,john ,tate1 jun4 ,the different paper marks are objects of some curiosity4 ,probably they gave the names to the different sorts1 many of which names are retained1 though the original marks of distinction have been relinquished4 ,post paper originally bore the wire mark of a postman's horn1 as appears on specimens of paper of the date #afgi4 ,the fleur de lis was the peculiar mark of demy1 most likely originating in ,france4 ,the open hand is a very ancient mark1 giving name to a sort1 which though still in use1 is considerably altered in size and texture4 ,fool's-,cap--the name is still continued though the original design of a fool's cap is relinquished4 ,pot ,paper4--,there were various designs of pots or drinking vessels2 this paper retains its proportions and size according to early specimens1 but the mark is exchanged for that of the arms of ,england4 ,the original manufacturer in this country1 ,john ,tate1 marked his paper with a star of eight points1 within a double circle4 ,the device of ,john ,tate1 jun4 was a wheel2 his paper is remarkably fine and good4 ,various other paper marks were in use1 adopted most likely at the will or caprice of the manufacturer4 ,thus we have the unicorn and other non-descript quadrupeds1 the bunch of grapes1 serpent1 and ox'head surmounted by a star1 a great favourite2 the cross1 crown1 globe1 initials of manufacturers' names2 and1 at the conclusion of the #agth century and commencement of the last1 arms appear in escutcheons with supporters4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,singular ,,regulations ,,of ,,the ,,household ,,of ,,henry ,,viii4 ,the only alteration in the following is the difference of the orthography which ,i have made for the benefit of your readers4 ,they are extracts from a curious manuscript1 containing directions for the household of ,henry ,,viii4 ,his highness' baker shall not put alum in the bread1 or mix rye1 oaten1 or bean flour with the same1 and if detected1 he shall be put into the stocks4 ,his highness' attendants are not to steal any locks or keys1 tables1 forms1 cupboards1 or other furniture of noblemen's or gentlemen's houses1 where he goes to visit4 ,master cooks shall not employ such scullions as go about naked1 or lie all night on the ground before the kitchen fire4 ,no dogs to be kept in the court1 but only a few spaniels for the ladies4 ,dinners to be at ten1 and suppers at four4 ,the officers of his privy chamber shall be loving together1 no grudging or grumbling1 or talking of the king's pastime4 ,the king's barber is enjoined to be cleanly1 not to frequent the company of misguided women1 for fear of danger to the king's royal person4 ,there shall be no romping with the maids on the staircase1 by which dishes and other things are often broken6 ,the pages shall not interrupt the kitchen maids4 ,the grooms shall not steal his highness's straw for bed1 sufficient being allowed to them4 ,coal only to be allowed to the king's1 queen's1 and lady ,mary's chambers4#b ,the brewers not to put any brimstone in the ale4 ,twenty-four loaves a-day for his highness' greyhounds4 ,ordered--that all noblemen and gentlemen at the end of the session of parliament1 depart to their several counties1 on pain of the royal displeasure4 ,the following items contain nothing very remarkable1 and if they did1 perhaps ,i have copied enough already for a specimen of this ludicrous manuscript4 ,w4 ,h4 ,h4 #b ,hence it was found necessary for the pages and servants to run about to warm themselves with different diversions before going to bed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,four ,,thieves' ,,vinegar4 ,in an old tract printed in the year #agdi1 it is stated that one ,richard ,forthave1 who lived in ,bishopsgate-street ,without1 sold and invented a vinegar1 which had a great run1 and he soon became noted2 and from this it may be concluded that the length of time has caused the above corruption4 ,the article in the pamphlet is headed ,forthave's ,vinegar4 ,w4 ,h4 ,h4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,fish4 ,philip ,,ii4 of ,spain1 the consort of our ,queen ,mary1 gave a whimsical reason for not eating fish4 ,they are1 said he1 nothing but element congealed1 or a jelly of water4 ,it is related of ,queen ,aterbates1 that she forbade her subjects ever to touch fish1 lest1 said she1 with calculating forecast1 there should not be enough left to regale their sovereign4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,gentleman',s ,,fashion4 ,in the reign of ,henry ,,vii4 ,sir ,philip ,calthorpe1 a ,norfolk knight1 sent as much cloth of fine ,french tawney1 as would make him a gown1 to a tailor in ,norwich4 ,it happened1 one ,john ,drakes1 a shoemaker1 coming into the shop1 liked it so well1 that he went and bought of the same1 as much for himself1 enjoining the tailor to make it of the same fashion4 ,the knight was informed of this1 and therefore commanded the tailor to cut his gown as full of holes as his shears could make4 ,john ,drakes's was made of the same fashion1 but he vowed he would never be of the gentleman's fashion again4 ,c4 ,f ,e4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,conveyancing4 ,the oldest conveyance of which we have any account1 namely1 that of the ,cave of ,macpelah1 from the sons of ,heth to ,abraham1 has many unnecessary and redundant words in it4 ,and the field of ,ephron1 which was in ,macpelah1 which was before ,manire1 the field1 and the cave which was therein1 and all the trees that were in the field1 that were in all the borders round about1 were made sure unto ,abraham4 ,the parcels in a modern conveyance cannot well be more minutely characterized4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,public ,,journals ,,the ,,husband',s ,,complaint4 ,will she thy linen wash and hosen darn8 ,,gay4 ,i'm utterly sick of this hateful alliance ,which the ladies have form'd with impractical ,science6 ,they put out their washing to learn hydrostatics1 ,and give themselves airs for the sake of pneumatics4 ,they are knowing in muriate1 and nitrate1 and chlorine1 ,while the stains gather fast on the walls and the flooring-- ,and the jellies and pickles fall wofully short1 ,with their chemical use of the still and retort4 ,our expenses increase1 7without drinking ,french wines47 ,for they keep no accounts1 with their tangents and sines-4 ,and to make both ends meet they give little assistance1 ,with their accurate sense of the squares of the distance4 ,they can name every spot from ,peru to ,el ,arish1 ,except just the bounds of their own native parish2 ,and they study the orbits of ,venus and ,saturn1 ,while their home is resign'd to the thief and the slattern4 ,chronology keeps back the dinner two hours1 ,the smoke-jack stands still while they learn motive powers2 ,flies and shells swallow up all our every-day gains1 ,and our acres are mortgaged for fossil-remains4 ,they cease to reflect with their talk of refraction-- ,they drive us from home by electric attraction-- ,and ,i'm sure1 since they've bother'd their heads with affinity1 ,i'm repuls'd every hour from my learned divinity4 ,when the poor1 stupid husband is weary and starving1 ,anatomy leads them to give up the carving2 ,and we drudges the shoulder of mutton must buy1 ,while they study the line of the os humeri4 ,if we 'scape from our troubles to take a short nap1 ,we awake with a din about limestone and trap2 ,and the fire is extinguished past regeneration1 ,for the women were wrapt in the deep-coal formation4 ',tis an impious thing that the wives of the laymen1 ,should use ,pagan words 'bout a pistil and stamen1 ,let the heir break his head while they fester a ,dahlia1 ,and the babe die of pap as they talk of mammalia4 ,the first son becomes half a fool in reality1 ,while the mother is watching his large ideality2 ,and the girl roars uncheck'd1 quite a moral abortion1 ,for we trust her benevolence1 order1 and caution4 ,i sigh for the good times of sewing and spinning1 ,ere this new tree of knowledge had set them a sinning2 ,the women are mad1 and they'll build female colleges1-- ,so here's to plain ,english6--a plague on their ologies6 ,london ,mag4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,editor',s ,,room4 ,july #bh1 #ahbh4 ,and so1 most tasteful and provident public1 you are going out of town on ,saturday next8--,we envy you4 ,mars is gone1 and ,sontag is gone1 and ,pasta is going--and ,velluti is out of voice--and they are playing tragedies at the ,haymarket--and ,vauxhall will never be dry again--and the ,funny ,club are drenched to their skins every day--and the sweet shady side of ,pall ,mall is a forgotten blessing4 ,you will be dull in the country if this weather continue--but not so dirty as upon the ,macadam4 ,so go4 ,we shall stay behind1 with the ,duke of ,wellington1 to look after business4 ,it would not do for either of us to be gadding1 while ,ireland1 and ,turkey1 and ,portugal want watching4 ,the times are getting ticklish4 ,the stocks are rising most dreadfully1 as the barometer falls2 and the ,squirearchy are beginning to dread that the patridges will be drowned4 ,that will be a sad drawback from the delights of a two-shilling quartern-loaf4 ,for ourselves1 we have plenty of work cut out for us1 in this our abiding place4 ,the fewer the books which are published1 the more we shall have to draw upon our own genius2 and the duller the season1 the more vivacious must we be to put our readers in spirits4 ,but we have consolation approaching in the shape of amusing work4 ,immediately that parliament is up1 the newspapers will begin to lie1 like thunder1 ,tom ,pipes would say4 ,what mysterious murders1 what heart-rending accidents1 what showers of bonnets in the ,paddington ,canal1 what legions of unhappy children dropped at honest men's doors6 ,we have got a file of the ,morning ,herald for the last ten years2--and we give the worthy labourers in the accident line1 fair notice1 that if they hash up the old stories with the self-same sauce1 as they are wont to do1 without substituting the pistol for the razor1 and not even changing the ,christian name of the young ladies who always drown themselves when parliament is up1 we shall take the matter into our own hands1 and write a ,chapter of ,accidents that will drive these poor pretenders to the secrets of hemp and rats-bane fairly out of the field4--,ibid4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,awkwardness4 ,man is naturally the most awkward animal that inhales the breath of life4 ,there is nothing1 however simple1 which he can perform with the smallest approach to gracefulness or ease4 ,if he walks1--he hobbles1 or jumps1 or limps1 or trots1 or sidles1 or creeps--but creeping1 sidling1 limping1 hobbling1 and jumping1 are by no means walking4 ,if he sits1--he fidgets1 twists his legs under his chair1 throws his arm over the back of it1 and puts himself into a perspiration1 by trying to be at ease4 ,it is the same in the more complicated operations of life4 ,behold that individual on a horse6 ,see with what persevering alacrity he hobbles up and down from the croupe to the pommel1 while his horse goes quietly at an amble of from four to five miles in the hour4 ,see how his knees1 flying like a weaver's shuttle1 from one extremity of the saddle to another1 destroy1 in a pleasure-ride from ,edinburgh to ,roslin1 the good1 gray kerseymeres1 which were glittering a day or two ago in ,scaife and ,willis's shop4 ,the horse begins to gallop--,bless our soul6 the gentleman will decidedly roll off4 ,the reins were never intended to be pulled like a peal of ,bob ,majors2 your head1 my friend ought to be on your own shoulders1 and not poking out between your charger's ears2 and your horse ought to use its exertions to move on1 and not you4 ,it is a very cold day1 you have cantered your two miles1 and now you are wiping your brows1 as if you had run the distance in half the time on foot4 ,people think it a mighty easy thing to roll along in a carriage4 ,step into this noddy4 ,that creature in the corner is evidently in a state of such nervous excitement that his body is as immovable as if he had breakfasted on the kitchen poker2 every jolt of the vehicle must give him a shake like a battering-ram2 do you call this coming in to give yourself a rest8 ,poor man1 your ribs will ache for this for a month to come6 ,but the other gentleman opposite3 see how flexible he has rendered his body4 ,every time my venerable friend on the coach-box extends his twig with a few yards of twine at the end of it1 which he denominates a whupp1 the suddenness of the accelerated motion makes his great1 round head flop from the centre of his short1 thick neck1 and come with such violence on the unstuffed back1 that his hat is sent down upon the bridge of his nose with a vehemence which might well nigh carry it away4 ,do you say that man is capable of taking a pleasure ride8 ,before he has been bumped three miles1 every pull of wind will be jerked out of his body1 and by the time he has arrived at ,roslin1 he will be a dead man4 ,if that man prospers in the world1 he commits suicide the moment he sets up his carriage4 ,we go to a ball4 ,mercy upon us6 is this what you call dancing8 ,a man of thirty years of age1 and with legs as thick as a gate-post1 stands up in the middle of the room1 and gapes1 and fumbles with his gloves1 looking all the time as if he were burying his grandmother4 ,at a given signal1 the unwieldy animal puts himself in motion2 he throws out his arms1 crouches up his shoulders1 and1 without moving a muscle of his face1 kicks out his legs1 to the manifest risk of the bystanders1 and goes back to the place puffing and blowing like an otter1 after a half-hour's burst4 ,is this dancing8 ,shades of the filial and paternal ,vestris6 can this be a specimen of the art which gives elasticity to the most inert confirmation1 which sets the blood glowing with a warm and genial flow1 and makes beauty float before our ravished senses1 stealing our admiration by the gracefulness of each new motion1 till at last our souls thrill to each warning movement1 and dissolve into ecstasy and love8 ,people seem even to labour to be awkward4 ,one would think a gentleman might shake hands with a familiar friend without any symptoms of cubbishness4 ,not at all4 ,the hand is jerked out by the one with the velocity of a rocket1 and comes so unexpectedly to the length of its tether1 that it nearly dislocates the shoulder bone4 ,there it stands swaying and clutching at the wind1 at the full extent of the arm1 while the other is half poked out1 and half drawn in1 as if rheumatism detained the upper moiety and only below the elbow were at liberty to move4 ,after you have shaken the hand1 7but for what reason you squeeze it1 as if it were a sponge1 ,i can by no means imagine17 can you not withdraw it to your side1 and keep it in the station where nature and comfort alike tell you it ought to be8 ,do you think your breeches' pocket the most proper place to push your daddle into8 ,do you put it there to guard the solitary half-crown from the rapacity of your friend2 or do you put it across your breast in case of an unexpected winder from your apparently peaceable acquaintance on the opposite side8 ,is it not quite absurd that a man can't even take a glass of wine without an appearance of infinite difficulty and pain8 ,eating an egg at breakfast1 we allow1 is a difficult operation1 but surely a glass of wine after dinner should be as easy as it is undoubtedly agreeable4 ,the egg lies under many disadvantages4 ,if you leave the egg-cup on the table1 you have to steady it with the one hand1 and carry the floating nutriment a distance of about two feet with the other1 and always in a confoundedly small spoon1 and sometimes with rather unsteady fingers4 ,to avoid this1 you take the egg-cup in your hand1 and every spoonful have to lay it down again1 in order to help yourself to bread2 so1 upon the whole1 we disapprove of eggs1 unless1 indeed1 you take them in our old mode at ,oxford2 that is two eggs mashed up with every cup of tea1 and purified with a glass of hot rum4 ,but the glass of wine--can anything be more easy8 ,one would think not--but if you take notice next time you empty a gallon with a friend1 you will see that1 sixteen to one1 he makes the most convulsive efforts to do with ease what a person would naturally suppose was the easiest thing in the world4 ,do you see1 in the first place1 how hard he grasps the decanter1 leaving the misty marks of five hot fingers on the glittering crystal1 which ought to be pure as ,cornelia's fame8 ,then remark at what an acute angle he holds his right elbow as if he were meditating an assault on his neighbour's ribs2 then see how he claps the bottle down again as if his object were to shake the pure ichor1 and make it muddy as his own brains4 ,mark how the animal seizes his glass1--by heavens he will break it into a thousand fragments6 ,see how he bows his lubberly head to meet half way the glorious cargo2 how he slobbers the beverage over his unmeaning gullet1 and chucks down the glass so as almost to break its stem after he has emptied it of its contents as if they had been jalap or castor-oil6 ,call you that taking a glass of wine8 ,sir1 it is putting wine into your gullet as you would put small beer into a barrel1--but it is not--oh1 no6 it is not taking1 so as to enjoy1 a glass of red1 rich port1 or glowing1 warm1 tinted1 beautiful caveza6 ,a newly married couple are invited to a wedding dinner4 ,though the lady1 perhaps1 has run off with a person below her in rank and station1 see when they enter the room1 how differently they behave4--,how gracefully she waves her head in the fine recover from the withdrawing curtsy1 and beautifully extends her hand to the bald-pated individual grinning to her on the rug6 ,while the poor spoon1 her husband1 looks on1 with the white of his eyes turned up as if he were sea-sick1 and his hands dangle dangle on his thighs as if he were trying to lift his own legs4 ,see how he ducks to the lady of the house1 and simpers across the fire-place to his wife1 who1 by this time is giving a most spirited account of the state of the roads1 and the civility of the postilions near the ,borders4 ,is a man little8 ,let him always1 if possible1 stoop4 ,we are sometimes tempted to lay sprawling in the mud fellows of from five feet to five feet eight1 who carry the back of their heads on the extreme summit of their back-bone1 and gape up to heaven as if they scorned the very ground4 ,let no little man wear iron heels4 ,when we visit a friend of ours in ,queen-street we are disturbed from our labours or conversation by a sound which resembles the well-timed marching of a file of infantry or a troop of dismounted dragoons4 ,we hobble as fast as possible to the window1 and are sure to see some chappie of about five feet high stumping on the pavement with his most properly named cuddy-heels2 and we stake our credit1 we never yet heard a similar clatter from any of his majesty's subjects of a rational and gentlemanly height--,we mean from five feet eleven 7our own height7 up to six feet three4 ,is a man tall8 ,let him never wear a surtout4 ,it is the most unnatural1 and therefore the most awkward dress that ever was invented4 ,on a tall man1 if he be thin1 it appears like a cossack-trouser on a stick leg2 if it be buttoned1 it makes his leanness and lankness still more appalling and absurd2 if it be open1 it appears to be no part of his costume1 and leads us to suppose that some elongated habit-maker is giving us a specimen of that rare bird1 the flying tailor4 ,we go on a visit to the country for a few days1 and the neighbourhood is famous for its beautiful prospects4 ,though1 for our own individual share1 we would rather go to the catacombs alone1 than to a splendid view in a troop1 we hate to balk young people6 and as even now a walking-stick chair is generally carried along for our behoof1 we seldom or ever remain at home when all the rest of the party trudge off to some bushy bourne or mossy dell4 ,on these occasions how infinitely superior the female is to the male part of the species6 ,the ladies1 in a quarter of an hour after the proposal of the ploy1 appear all in readiness to start1 each with her walking-shoes and parasol1 with a smart reticule dangling from her wrist4 ,the gentlemen1 on the other hand1 get off with their great1 heavy ,wellingtons1 which1 after walking half a mile1 pinch them at the toe1 and make the pleasure excursion confine them to the house for weeks4 ,then some fool1 the first gate or stile we come to1 is sure to show off his vaulting1 and upsets himself in the ditch on the opposite side1 instead of going quietly over and helping the damosels across4 ,and then1 if he does attempt the polite1 how awkwardly the monster makes the attempt6 ,we come to a narrow ditch with a plank across it--,he goes only half way1 and standing in the middle of the plank1 stretches out his hand and pulls the unsuspecting maiden so forcibly1 that before he has time to get out of the way1 the impetus his own tug has produced1 precipitates them both among the hemlock and nettles1 which1 you may lay it down as a general rule1 are to be found at the thoroughfares in every field4 ,we hold that every man behaves with awkwardness when he is in love1 and the want of the one is a presumption of the absence of the other4 ,when people are fairly engaged1 there is perhaps less of this directly to the object1 but there is still as much of it in her presence2 but it is wonderful how soon the most nervous become easy when marriage has concluded all their hopes4 ,delicate girl6 just budding into womanly loveliness1 whose heart1 for the last ten minutes1 has been trembling behind the snowy wall of thy fair and beautiful bosom1 hast thou never remarked and laughed at a tall and much-be-whiskered young man for the mauvaise honte with which he hands to thee thy cup of half-watered souchong8 ,laugh not at him again1 for he will assuredly be thy husband4 ,love1 when successful is well enough1 and perhaps it has treasures of its own to compensate for its inconveniences2 but a more miserable situation than that of an unhappy individual before the altar1 it is not in the heart of man to conceive4 ,first of all1 you are marched with a solitary male companion up the long aisle1 which on this occasion appears absolutely interminable2 then you meet your future partner dressed out in satin and white ribbons1 whom you are sure to meet in gingham gowns or calico prints1 every morning of your life ever after4 ,there she is1 supported by her old father1 decked out in his old-fashioned brown coat1 with a wig of the same colour1 beautifully relieving the burning redness of his huge projecting ears2 and the mother1 puffed up like an overgrown bolster1 encouraging the trembling girl1 and joining her maiden aunts of full fifty years1 in telling her to take courage1 for it is what they must all come to4 ,bride's-maids and mutual friends make up the company2 and there1 standing out before this assemblage1 you assent to everything the curate1 or1 if you are rich enough1 the rector1 or even the dean1 may say1 shewing your knock-knees in the naked deformity of white kerseymeres1 to an admiring bevy of the servants of both families1 laughing and tittering from the squire's pew in the gallery4 ,then the parting6--,the mother's injunctions to the juvenile bride to guard herself from the cold1 and to write within the week4 ,the maiden aunts' inquiries1 of1 ,my dear1 have you forgot nothing8--the shaking of hands1 the wiping and winking of eyes6 ,by ,hercules6--there is but one situation more unpleasant in this world1 and that is1 bidding adieu to your friends1 the ordinary and jailor1 preparatory to swinging from the end of a halter out of it4 ,the lady all this time seems not half so awkward4 ,she has her gown to keep from creasing1 her vinaigrette to play with2 besides1 that all her nervousness is interesting and feminine1 and is laid to the score of delicacy and reserve4 ,blackwood's ,magazine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,manners ,,customs ,,of ,,all ,,nations4 ,,curious ,,chinese ,,customs4 7,from the ,canton ,register1 the first ,english ,newspaper published in ,china47 ,,burial4 ,no corpse is allowed to enter the gates of ,pekin without an imperial order2 because1 it is said1 a rebel entered in a coffin during the reign of ,kienlung4 ,however1 even at ,canton1 and in all other cities of the empire1 no corpse is permitted to enter the southern gate1 because the ,emperor of ,china gets on his throne with his face towards the south4 ,,the ,,new ,,year4 ,the ,chinese make their new year commence on the new moon1 nearest to the time when the sun's place is in the #aeth degree of ,aquarius4 ,it is the greatest festival observed in the empire4 ,both the government and the people1 rich and poor1 take a longer or shorter respite from their cares and their labours at the new year4 ,the last day of the old year is an anxious time to all debtors and creditors1 for it is the great pay-day1 and those who cannot pay are abused and insulted1 and often have the furniture of their house all smashed to pieces by their desperate creditors4 ,on the #bjth of the twelfth moon1 by an order from court1 all the seals of office1 throughout the empire1 are locked up1 and not opened till the #bjth of the first moon4 ,by this arrangement there are thirty days of rest from the ordinary official business of government4 ,they attend1 however1 to extraordinary cases4 ,during the last few days of the old year1 the people perform various domestic rites4 ,on one evening they sweep clean the furnace and the hearth1 and worship the god of their domestic fires4 ,on new-year's eve1 they perfume hot water with the leaves of ,wongpe and ,pumelo trees1 and bathe in it4 ,at midnight they arise and dress in the best clothes and caps they can procure2 then towards heaven kneel down1 and perform the great imperial ceremony of knocking the forehead on the ground thrice three times4 ,next they illuminate as splendidly as they can1 and pray for felicity towards some domestic idol4 ,then they visit all the gods in the various surrounding temples1 burn candles1 incense1 gilt paper1 make bows1 and prostrate pray4 ,these services to the gods being finished1 they sally forth about daylight in all directions1 to visit friends and neighbours1 leaving a red paper card at each house4 ,some stay at home to receive visitors4 ,in the house1 sons and daughters1 servants and slaves1 all dress1 and appear before the heads of the family1 to congratulate them on the new year4 ,after new year's day1 drinking and carousing1 visiting and feasting1 idleness and dissipation1 continue for weeks4 ,all shops are shut1 and workmen idle1 for a longer or shorter period1 according to the necessities1 or the habits1 of the several parties4 ,it is1 in ,canton1 generally a month before the business of life returns to its ordinary channel4 ,,meeting ,,the ,,spring4 ,february #d1 is a great holiday throughout the empire4 ,it is called ,yingchun1 that is1 meeting the spring1 to-morrow1 when the sun enters the #ae of ,aquarius1 being considered the commencement of the spring season4 ,it is a sort of ,lord ,mayor's day4 ,the chief magistrate of the district goes forth in great pomp1 carried on men's shoulders1 in an open chair1 with gongs beating1 music playing1 and nymphs and satyrs seated among artificial rocks and trees1 carried in procession4 ,he goes to the general parade-ground1 on the east side of ,canton1 on the following day1 being ,lapchun1 the first day of spring1 in a similar style4 ,there a buffalo1 with an agricultural god made of clay1 having been paraded through the streets1 and pelted by the populace1 to impel its labours1 is placed on the ground1 in solemn state1 when this official priest of spring gives it a few strokes with a whip1 and leaves it to the populace1 who pelt it with stones till it is broken to pieces2 and so the foolish ceremony terminates4 ,the due observance of this ancient usage is supposed to contribute greatly to an abundant year4 ,,pawnbroking4 ,is carried on to a very great extent in ,china4 ,the system seems divided into two parts2 one branch affording aid to those in the very inferior walks of life1 and chiefly confined to very small advances2 the other granting loans upon deposits of higher value1 and corresponding with similar establishments in ,england4 ,these are authorized by the government2 but there are others1 we are informed1 that exist without this sanction1 and are directed to the relief of the mercantile interest4 ,these assimilate very nearly to the late project in ,london of an ,equitable ,loan ,company1 making advances upon cargoes and large deposits of goods4 ,these houses are as conspicuously indicated1 by an exterior sign over the door1 as our shops in ,england are by the three golden balls2 but1 whether they indicate the same doctrine of chance as to the return of property1 we will not pretend to say4 ,three years are allowed to redeem1 with a grace of three months4 ,,torture4 ,in ,china1 the laws still permit torture1 to a defined extent1 and the magistrate often inflicts it1 contrary to law4 ,compressing the ancles of men between wooden levers1 and the fingers of women with a small apparatus1 on the same principle1 is the most usual form4 ,but there are many other devices suggested and practised1 contrary to law2 and in every part of the empire1 for some years past1 there have been many instances of suspected persons1 or those falsely accused1 being tortured till death ensued4 ,from ,hoopih province1 an appeal is now before the emperor1 against a magistrate who tortured a man to death1 to extort a confession of homicide2 and we have just heard1 from ,kwang-se province1 that on the #bdth of the #aath moon1 one ,netseyuen1 belonging to ,canton1 having received an appointment for his high literary attainments1 to the magistracy of a ,heen district1 in a fit of drunkenness1 subjected a young man1 on his bridal day1 to the torture1 because he would not resign the band of music which he had engaged to accompany1 according to law and usage1 his intended wife to his father's house4 ,the young man's name was ,kwanfa4 ,he died under the torture1 and the affrighted magistrate went and hanged himself4 ,,chinese ,,prison4 ,prisoners who have money to spend1 can be accommodated with private apartments1 cards1 servants1 and every luxury4 ,the prisoners' chains and fetters are removed from their bodies1 and suspended against the wall1 till the hour of going the rounds occurs2 after that ceremony is over1 the fetters are again placed where they hurt nobody4 ,but those who have not money to bribe the keepers1 are in a woful condition4 ,not only is every alleviation of their sufferings removed1 but actual infliction of punishment is added1 to extort money to buy burnt-offerings 7of paper7 to the god of the jail1 as the phrase is4 ,for this purpose the prisoners are tied up1 or rather hung up1 and flogged4 ,at night1 they are fettered down to a board1 neck1 wrists1 and ancles1 amidst ordure and filth1 whilst the rats1 unmolested1 are permitted to gnaw their limbs6 ,this place of torment is proverbially called1 in ordinary speech1 ,te-yuk1 a term equivalent to the worst sense of the word hell4 ,,tour ,,round ,,the ,,city ,,walls4 ,it is well known that the ,chinese consider their walled towns in the same light as fortifications are regarded in ,europe1 and disallow foreigners entering them1 excepting on special occasions4 ,but there is no law against walking in the suburbs4 ,usage has1 however1 limited the ,europeans in ,china to very small bounds4 ,some persons occasionally violate them1 and attempt a longer walk4 ,once round the city walls has frequently been effected1 but always at the risk of a scuffle1 an assault and battery1 from the idle and mischievous among the native population4 ,on former occasions1 some of the foreign tourists have returned to the factories relieved of the burden of their watches and clothes4 ,an ,english baronet was once1 on his passage round1 robbed of his watch1 and stripped either almost1 or entirely naked4 ,a few days ago1 a party of three started at six o'clock in the morning1 and performed the circuit at about eight1 with impunity4 ,the distance round the walls they estimated to be nine miles4 ,a few days afterwards1 two persons set off in the evening for a walk under the city walls2 but they were not so fortunate4 ,they were violently assaulted by a rabble of men and boys1 the former of whom pursued them with bludgeons1 brickbats1 and stones1 which not only inflicted severe contusions1 but really endangered their lives4 ,the two foreigners were obliged to face about1 and fight and run alternately the distance of several miles4 ,we1 who know the hostile feelings of the population1 are not surprised at the occurrence1 and rather congratulate the tourists that they effected their escape so well4 ,we notice the affair to put others on their guard2 and 7as the ,chinese say7 if they should get into a similar scrape1 they cannot blame us for not warning them of their danger4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,gatherer ,a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles4 ,,shakspeare4 ,,baptismal ,,promises4 ,one of the subjects for confirmation at a bishop's recent visitation1 on being asked by the clergyman to whom she applied for her certificate of qualifications1 what her godfathers and godmothers promised for her1 said1 with much naivet1 ,i've a yeard that they promised to give me hafe a dozen zilver spoons1 but ,i've never had 'em though4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,good ,,wife4 ,the real portrait of a fine lady1 wife to one of the ancient and noble family of the ,fanes1 ,earls of ,westmoreland1 drawn by her husband1 and inscribed in old characters upon a wall of a room in ,buxton ,place1 a seat belonging to the noble family1 near ,maidstone1 in ,kent4--,taken from ,mist's ,journal4 ,shee feared ,god1 and knew how to serve him2 ,shee assigned times for hir devotions and kept them2 ,she was a perfect wife and a true friend1 and shee joyed most to affect those nearest and dearest unto me2 ,she was still the same3 ever kind and never troublesome2 oft preventing my desires1 disputing none2 providently managing all was mine2 living in apparence above my state2 yet advanced it2 ,shee was of a great spirit1 sweetly tempered2 of a sharp wit1 without offence2 of excellent speech1 blest with silence2 of a cheerfull temper modestly governed2 of a brave fashion to win respect to daunt boldness2 pleasing to all of hir sex2 entyre with few1 delighting in the best2 ever avoiding all places and persons in the honours blemished2 and was as free from doing ill as giving the occasion3 ,shee dyed as she lived1 well and blessed2 in hir greatest extremity most patient1 sending up hir pure soule with many zealous prayers and hymnes to hir maker2 powring forth hir passionate heart with affectionate streams of love to hir-- ,husband should have followed1 but tradition tells us that by this time his grief swelled to such a height that he could not proceed any further4 ,t4 ,h4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the recent sale of a provincial theatre and its appurtenances1 one article was to be included in the purchase1 of which a short lease is by no means desirable--a new drop4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,british ,,tars1 ,who are so fond of harmony among themselves1 have a great dislike to concord as applied to their enemies1 and find even a disagreeable association in the very sound of the word1 as the following anecdote will exemplify3--,among the illuminations for the last peace1 were some of a very grand description1 and on the door of a foreign ambassador in ,london1 the words ,peace and ,concord figured at full length in characters of flame4 ,what say you1 ,mounsier1 ,conquered6 exclaimed an honest sailor1 to whom a stander-by was explaining the mystic words2 shiver my timbers1 who ever dared to call us ',conquered' yet8 and so saying1 was proceeding to extinguish the unlucky blaze1 when a civil explanation1 to which ,british bravery is ever ready to yield1 restored ,peace1 and allowed ,concord to continue4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remedy ,,for ,,dulness4 ,lord ,dorset used to say of a very goodnatured1 dull fellow1 ',tis a thousand pities that man is not illnatured6 that one might kick him out of company4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,national ,,complaints4 ,the ,englishmen at ,paris find fault with the ,french roast beef2 the ,frenchmen in ,london complain of the ,british brandy4 ,the ,english who visit ,paris1 imagine that the tavern-keepers have served in the cavalry1 as they are so expert in making a charge4 ,a foreigner inquiring the way to a friend's lodging1 whom he said lived at ,mr4 ,bailey's1 senior1 was shown to the ,old ,bailey1 by a ,bow-street officer4 ,when he entered the court he imagined that it was his friend's levee4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,benefit ,,of ,,correction4 ,a certain bishop declared one day1 that the punishment used in schools did not make boys a whit better1 or more tractable2 it was insisted that whipping was of the utmost service1 for every one must allow it made a boy smart4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,french ,,and ,,english4 ,c'est la ,soupe1 says one of the best of proverbs1 qui fait le ,soldat2 ,it is the soup that makes the soldier4 ,excellent as our troops are in the field1 there cannot be a more unquestionable fact1 than their immense inferiority to the ,french in the business of cookery4 ,the ,english soldier lays his piece of ration beef at once on the coals1 by which means1 the one and the better half is lost1 and the other burnt to a cinder4 ,whereas six ,french troopers fling their messes into the same pot1 and extract a delicious soup1 ten times more nutritious than the simple ,rti could ever be4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,family ,,suit4 ,the son-in-law of a chancery barrister having succeeded to the lucrative practice of the latter1 came one morning in breathless ecstasy to inform him that he had succeeded in bringing nearly to its termination1 a cause which had been pending in the court of scruples for several years4 ,instead of obtaining the expected congratulations of the retired veteran of the law1 his intelligence was received with indignation4 ,it was by this suit1 exclaimed he1 that my father was enabled to provide for me1 and to portion your wife1 and with the exercise of common prudence it would have furnished you with the means of providing handsomely for your children and grand-children4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,pork ,,chops4 ,it is related1 that ,fuseli1 the celebrated artist1 when he wished to summon ,nightmare1 and bid her sit for her picture1 or any other grotesque or horrible personations1 was wont to prime himself for the feat by supping on about three pounds of half-dressed pork-chops4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,arduous ,,baptism4 ,an infant was brought for baptism into a country church4 ,the clergyman1 who had just been drinking with his friends a more than usual quantum of the genial juice1 could not find the place of the baptism in his ritual1 and exclaimed1 as he was turning over the leaves of the book1 ,how difficult this child is to baptize6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dull ,,reading4 ,st4 ,jerome says1 that there is no book so dull1 but it meets a suitable dull reader4 ,nullus est imperitus scriptor1 qui lectorem non inveniat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,printed and ,published by ,j4 ,,limbird4 #adc1 ,strand1 7near ,somerset-,house47 ,london3 ,sold by ,,ernest ,,fleischer1 #fbf1 ,new ,market1 ,leipsic2 and by all ,newsmen and ,booksellers4