passions and desires. The high-crowned hat, with coat, or rather doublet, of the Greenwich pensioners' cut, were common to almost all; the boys may be seen any day perpetuated in the scholars of the Blue Coat School, and their species of cap, or demi-hat, as it was called, was worn by the apprentices and the labouring classes. There was one peculiarity common to all that were, or would be thought, Puritans, dark garments and dark looks.

London had of late years "incredibly increased by the trade and the great resort that the distractions of other countries" had guided to its peaceful haven, and suburbs began to extend towards St. Giles's, and even so far as the Hay market. Lord Clarendon deplored the extension, which Elizabeth and James in vain endeavoured by proclamation to prevent.

Proportionate improvements had also taken place in its internal arrangements, water from the New River flowed in leaden pipes, and was attainable to the citizens in shapeless fountains let into the dead walls, and the streets, though dirty, were paved throughout.

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The City walls were little more than two miles in circumference, and "pierced with six actual gates," but new streets were rapidly branching away in all directions, feeling their way by such garden houses" as Milton lived in near Aldersgate; and such palaces as Lord Craven's in Drury. Lane, which afforded an asylum for the Queen of Bohemia. On the Reading Road also there was a memorable garden house for gambling and public entertainments called Piccadilly, and this has since given name to the whole street. Hyde Park was even then a place of pleasantness for its air and beauty. Ladies of fashion were accustomed to drive there in tawdrily gilt and painted square coaches, drawn by large Flemish horses; their footmen running by their side, and cavaliers riding in their company. Returning from the

park, they passed through the open space then intervening to the Spring Gardens, whose crystal well was the least of their attractions; or sauntered on to Whitehall Stairs, and

took boat upon the Thames, where the "swans swam round them in flocks, and the oars were often tangled in the water lilies." From Spring Gardens, the palace of Whitehall spread its wide precincts along St. James's Park, and across thence over an archway to Whitehall Gardens, along the Thames as far as Scotland Yard. The tilting yard occupied the present parade ground of the Horse Guards, and the Cockpit, over which the younger members of the Royal Family had apartments, was close by. From Charing Cross, a onesided street ran eastward toward Covent Garden, commanding a view of the Hampstead Road from its back windows, and of the river in front, with some few interruptions, from the Duke of Buckingham's palace, Somerset House, and others.

THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD'S ADVENTURES WITH HORSES.

OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

Born, 1728; Died, 1774.

Oliver Goldsmith, Irish by birth, and physician by profession, is well-known as the friend of Dr. Johnson, and as a man of bright genial temper; but with a hasty improvidence of character, and carelessness of speech that caused it to be said of him that :

"He wrote like an angel and talked like poor Poll."

He had hardly any practice, and maintained himself, or more truly kept himself from starving, by literary work-both prose and poetry, most of it of very high merit. The Vicar of Wakefield is a description of a good, simple-hearted clergyman of the class to be found in small benefices in the eighteenth century. Such clergy were poor, and their families had little education. We are here shown the attempts of the Vicar's wife and daughters to vie with some fine London ladies.

I. THE LADIES' ATTEMPT.

I now began to find that all my long and painful lectures upon temperance, simplicity, and contentment, were entirely disregarded. The distinctions lately paid us by cur betters

awakened that pride which I had laid asleep, but not removed. Our windows again, as formerly, were filled with washes for the neck and face. The sun was dreaded as an enemy to the skin without doors, and the fire as a spoiler of the complexion within. My wife observed, that rising too early would hurt her daughters' eyes, that working after dinner would redden their noses, and she convinced me that the hands never looked so white as when they did nothing. Instead, therefore, of finishing George's shirts, we now had them new-modelling their old gauzes, or flourishing upon catgut. The poor Miss Flamboroughs, their former gay companions, were cast off as mean acquaintance, and the whole conversation now ran upon high life and high-lived company, with pictures, taste, Shakspeare, and the musical glasses.

But we could have borne all this, had not a fortune-telling gipsy come to raise us into perfect sublimity. The tawny sibyl no sooner appeared, than my girls came running to me for a shilling a-piece to cross her hand with silver. To say the truth, I was tired of being always wise, and could not help gratifying their request, because I loved to see them happy. I gave each of them a shilling; though, for the honour of the family it must be observed that they never went without money themselves, as my wife always generously let them have a guinea each, to keep in their pockets; but with strict injunctions never to change it. After they had been closeted up with the fortune-teller for some time, I knew by their looks, upon their returning, that they had been promised something great. "Well, my girls, how have you sped? Tell me, Livy, has the fortune-teller given thee a pennyworth?"—"I protest, papa," says the girl, "I believe she deals with somebody that's not right; for she positively declared that I am to be married to a squire in less than a twelvemonth!""Well, now, Sophy, my child," said I, "and what sort of husband are you to have?"—"Sir,” replied she, "I am to have a lord soon after my sister has married the squire.""How," cried I, "is that all you are to have for

your two shillings? Only a lord and a squire for two shillings! You fools, I could have promised you a prince and a nabob for half the money."

This curiosity of theirs, however, was attended with very serious effects; we now began to think ourselves designed by the stars to something exalted, and already anticipated our future grandeur.

It has been a thousand times observed, and I must observe it once more, that the hours we pass with happy prospects in view are more pleasing than those crowned with fruition. In the first case, we cook the dish to our own appetite; in the latter, nature cooks it for us. It is impossible to repeat the train of agreeable reveries we called up for our entertainment. We looked upon our fortunes as once more rising ; and as the whole parish asserted that the squire was in love with my daughter, she was actually so with him; for they persuaded her into the passion. In this agreeable interval, my wife had the most lucky dreams in the world, which she took care to tell us every morning with great solemnity and exactness. It was one night a coffin and cross-bones, the sign of an approaching wedding; at another time she imagined her daughters' pockets filled with farthings, a certain sign that they would shortly be stuffed with gold. The girls themselves had their omens: they felt strange kisses on their lips; they saw rings in the candle; purses bounced from the fire; and true-love knots lurked in the bottom of every tea-cup.

Towards the end of the week, we received a card from the town ladies; in which, with their compliments, they hoped to see all our family at church the Sunday following. All Saturday morning, I could perceive, in consequence of this, my wife and daughters in close conference together, and now and then glancing at me with looks that betrayed a latent plot. To be sincere, I had strong suspicions that some absurd proposal was preparing for appearing with splendour the next day. In the evening, they began their operations in a very regular manner, and my wife undertook to conduct the siege. After tea, when I seemed in spirits, she began thus: "I

fancy, Charles, my dear, we shall have a great deal of good company at our church to-morrow."- Perhaps we may, my dear," returned I; "though you need be under no uneasiness about that-you shall have a sermon whether there be or not."-"That is what I expect," returned she; "but I think, my dear, we ought to appear there as decently as possible, for who knows what may happen?"-"Your precautions," replied I, "are highly commendable. A decent

behaviour and appearance at church is what charms me. We should be devout and humble, cheerful and serene."-"Yes," cried she, "I know that; but I mean we should go there in as proper a manner as possible; not altogether like the scrubs about us."-"You are quite right, my dear," returned I; "and I was going to make the very same proposal. The proper manner of going in is to go there as early as possible, to have time for meditation before the service begins."—"Phoo, Charles," interrupted she, "all that is very true; but not what I would be at. I mean, we should go there genteelly. You know the church is two miles off, and I protest I don't like to see my daughters trudging up to their pew all blowzed and red with walking, and looking for all the world as if they had been winners at a smock-race. Now, my dear, my proposal is this there are our two plough-horses, the colt that has been in our family these nine years, and his companion Blackberry, that has scarcely done an earthly thing for this month past; they are both grown fat and lazy ; why should they not do something as well as we? And let me tell you, when Moses has trimmed them a little, they will cut a very tolerable figure."

To this proposal I objected, that walking would be twenty times more genteel than such a paltry conveyance, as Blackberry was wall-eyed, and the colt wanted a tail; that they had never been broke to the rein, but had a hundred vicious tricks, and that we had but one saddle and pillion in the whole house. All these objections, however, were overruled; so that I was obliged to comply. The next morning I perceived them not a little busy in collecting such materials as