Lines from l'Allegro To hear the lark begin his flight, Oft listening now the hounds and horn MANNERS IN IRELAND. Not as a picture of general manners, but as sketches of particular characters in certain parts of Ireland, the following anecdotes are extracted from one of the "Letters from the Irish Highlands," dated in May, 1823. "In the same spirit, the pleasures of the table are but too often shared by the gentlemen of the country with those who are very much their inferiors, both in birth and fortune. The lowest and most degrading debauchery must be the natural conséquence, and here I must not forget an anecdote which will at once illustrate this, and also make you acquainted with a childish superstition, with which it is a frequent practice of all ranks to combat this pernicious vice, encouraged by their indolent manner of life, and by the former it facility of procuring smuggled liquors. A gentleman, whose rental at one time amounted to 10,000l. per annum, and who was in the constant habits of intoxication, took an oath to drink nothing after the cloth was removed; but, unable to comply with the spirit, he soon contented himself with adhering to the letter of this rash vow, and, keeping the cloth on table after dinner was over, could drink all night without fear of infringing He then swore not to drink in his dining-parlour, but again as easily evaded his engagement, by adjourning to the next apartment; in the next apartment, however, on some fresh qualms of conscience, the vow was renewed; and so, in each room successively, until he fairly swore himself out of the house. He then took refuge in the summer-house of his garden, and there used to dine and drink daily; till, rashly renewing his vow here also, he was reduced to find a new subterfuge by taking lodgings in a neighbouring town. "This story reminds me of a circumstance which has taken place within these few days, and in which the chief actor was one of the remaining branches of a numerous family, among the second-rate gentry, who are here distinguished by the title of buckeens. Originally supported in a state of comparative ease and indulgence, partly by their share in the contraband trade, partly by their close connection and alliance with the principal families in the country, their incomes have gradually sunk with the change of circumstances, which has, in a great measure, dissolved this ancient bond of fellowship, as well as destroyed their more illegitimate sources of revenue. Many of these, without seeking employment for themselves, or education for their children, still cling to customs which have now passed away; and, when reduced almost to a state of mendicity, continue their former boast of being 'gentlemen.' "A puncheon of spirits lately came ashore, and fell to the share of the individual above mentioned. It was too large to be got in at the door of his house; he therefore pulled part of the wall down; still, however, it stuck half way. His small stock of patience could last no longer; he tapped the end that was within, and he and his wife, with their servant, soon became completely intoxicated. His neighbours, aware of this, tapped the cask at the other end, This gentlemen died on the 12th of May, 1791; he was son of Francis Grose, esq. jeweller at Richmond, who fitted up the coronation crown of George II. He was a captain in the Surrey militia, an eminent antiquary, and a right worthy man. His" Antiquities of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland," are more generally known perhaps than other topographical works of more profound inquiry. They were commenced in numbers, and published by "Master Samuel Hooper," so he called his bookseller, to whom he was a steady and affectionate friend, though he says, in one of his letters," he never did any one thing I desired him." His " Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," Mr. Nichols says, "it would have been for his credit to have suppressed." The truth of this observation is palpable to every one who is not sophisticated by the wretchedly mischievous line, that Vice, to be hated, needs but to be seen." A more mischievous sentiment was 66 never promulgated. Capt. Grose's "Olio" is a pleasant medley of whimsicalities. He was an excellent companion, a humorist, and caricaturist; he wrote "Rules for drawing Caricatures," and drew and etched many, wherein he took considerable liberties with his friends. Yet he seems to have disliked a personal representation of himself sleeping in a chair, which Mr. Nichols pronounces $6 an ex cellent" likeness; a copy of which we "Now Grose, like bright Phoebus, has sunk into rest, says, May 13. St. John the Silent, Bp. A. D. 558. St. Peter Regalati, A. D. 1456. St. Servatus, Bp. of Tongres, a. D. 384. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Comfrey. Symphetum offi cinale. Dedicated to St. John the Silent. May 14. St. Boniface, A. D. 307. St. Pachomius, He was remarkably corpulent, as the engravings show. In a letter to the Rev. James Granger, he "I am and ever have been, the idlest fellow living, even before I had acquired the load of adventitious matter which at present stuffs my doublet." On the margin of this letter Mr. Granger wrote, "As for the matter that stuffs your doublet, I hope it is all Common good stuff; if you should double it, I shall call it morbid matter and tremble for you. But I consider it as the effect of good digestion, pure blood, and laughing spirits, coagulated into a wholesome mass by as much sedentariness (I hate this long word) as is consistent with the activity of your disposition." In truth, Grose was far from an idle man; he had great mental activity, and his antiquarian knowledge and labours were great. He was fond however of what are termed the pleasures of the table; and is represented in a fine mezzotinto, drawn and engraved by his friend Nathaniel Hone, with Theodosius Forrest, the barrister, and Hone himself, dressed in the character of monks, over a bowl, which Grose is actively preparing for their carousal. He died of apoplexy in Mr. Hone's house in Dublin, at the age of fifty-two. In reference to his principal works, the following epitaph quoted by Mr. Nichols in his "Anecdotes" was proposed for him in the "St. James's Chronicle :" Here lies Francis Grose. FLORAL DIRECTORY. German Fleur de lis. Iris Germanica. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Common Piony. Paonia officinalis. May 15. St. Peter, Andrew, and Companions, For the Every-Day Book. 66 A SEASONABLE STORY." But, by the by, you'd best keep from it→ 'The object of your love must hide Her face from every idle gazer— I think; and what's your notion, pray sir? "Where beechen boughs their shade diffuse" To melt the maiden heart with pity, Recited by a Turk: 'twas queer I thought that one like him, who never By came a maiden, slim and taper. And all at once becomes a poet, And answers, "Set aside all joking, To the thick foliage of some tree, said, 'Let us see from whence this little spring doth issue forth. It may be the place is more fresh and cool thereabouts: if not, or if we cannot finde out the fountaine from whence it flowes, we will return here.' It liked his company well, and so they desired him to lead the way. Everie place and part of all the brooke upwards invited them to pleasant rest'; but, when, at length, after much perplexitie, resulting from the very abundance and luxurie of their choice, they were about to lay themselves downe, they sawe that with greater quantitie of waters and fresher shades of green trees the brooke ran up higher, forsaking its right course towards the left hande, where our companie discovered a great thicket and spring And there a bright-eyed bird has caught it." of divers trees, in which they saw a very narrow entrance, and somewhat long, whose sides were not of walls fabricated by artificiall hand but made of trees by nature, the mistresse of all things. For there were seene the deadly Cypresse, the triumphant laurell, the hard oke, the low sallow, the invincible palme, the blacke and ruggie elme, the olive, the prickie chestenut, and the high pine-apple, one amongst another, whose bodies were bound about with greene ivie and the fruitfull vine, and beset with sweet jesmines and many other redolent flowers, that grew very thicke together in that place. Amongst the which many little birds (inhabitants of that wood) went leaping from bough tọ bough, making the place more pleasant with their sweet and silver notes. The trees were in such order set together that they denied not the golden sunbeames to have an entrance, to paint the greene ground with divers colours (which reverberated from the flowers) that were never steadie in one place, by reason that the moveable leaves did disquiet them. This narrow way did leade to a little greene, covered all over with fine grasse, and not touched with the hungrie mouthes of devouring flockes. At the side of it was the fountaine of the brooke, having a care that the place should not drie up, sending forth on every side her flowing waters." The season is coming on wherein the heart will court retreat to such a scene of natural beauty. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Great Star of Bethlehem. Ornithogalum Dedicated to St. John Nepomucen. 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. CHRONOLOGY. 1817. Died at Heckington, aged sixtyfive, Mr. Samuel Jessup, an opulent grazier, of pill-taking memory. He lived in a very eccentric way, as a batchelor, without known relatives; and at his decease possessed of a good fortune, notwithstand ing a most inordinate craving for physic, by which he was distinguished for the last thirty years of his life, as appeared on a trial for the amount of an apothecary's bill, at the assizes at Lincoln, a short time before Mr. Jessup's death, wherein he was defendant. The evidence on the trial affords the following materials for the epitaph of the deceased, which will not be transcended by the memorabilia of the life of any man:-In twenty-one years (from 1791 to 1816) the deceased took 226,934 pills, supplied by a respectable apothecary at Bottesford; which is at the rate of 10,806 pills a year, or twenty-nine pills each day; but as the patient began with a more moderate appetite, and increased it as he proceeded, in the last five years preceding 1816, he took the pills at the rate of seventy-eight a day, and in the year 1814 he swallowed not less than 51,590. Notwithstanding this, and the addition of 40,000 bottles of mixture, and juleps and electuaries, extending altogether to fifty-five closely written columns of an apothecary's bill, the deceased lived to attain the advanced age of sixty-five years. FLORAL DIRECTORY, Early Red Poppy. Papaver Argemone. Dedicated to St. Paschal Babylon. 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. CHRONOLOGY. 1808. Sir John Carter, knt. died at Portsmouth, his native town, aged sixtyseven. 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 country, by his mild and judicious conduct during the mutiny at Spithead, in the spring of 1797. The sailors having lost resistance made to their going on board three of their body in consequence of the the London, then bearing the flag of admiral Colpoys, wished to bury them in in procession through the town of PortsKingston churchyard, and to carry them mouth. This request was most positively refused them by the governor. They then applied to sir John Carter to grant their request, who endeavoured to convince the governor of the propriety and necessity of complying with it, declaring that he town, and the orderly conduct of the would be answerable for the peace of the sailors. The governor would not be prevailed on, and prepared for resistance; and resistance on both sides would most the calmness, perseverance, and forbearprobably have been resorted to, had not ance of sir John Carter at length compromised the affair, by obtaining permission for the sailors to pass through the garrison of Portsmouth in procession, and the bodies to be landed at the Common Hard in Portsea, where the procession was to join them. So great was sir John Carter's influence over the sailors, that they most scrupu lously adhered to the terms he prescribed to them in their procession to the grave. Two of their comrades having become "a little groggy" after they came on shore, they were carefully locked up in a room by themselves, lest they should become quarrelsome, or be unable to conduct themselves with propriety. It was a most interesting spectacle. Sir John acinteresting companied them himself through the garrison, to prevent any insult being offered to them. At the Common Hard he was joined by Mr. Godwin, the friend and associate of his youth, and also a most worthy magistrate of this borough. They attended the procession till it had passed the fortifications at Portsea: every thing was conducted with the greatest decorum. When the sailors returned, and were sent off to their respective ships, two or three of the managing delegates came to sir John, to inform him that the men were all gone on board, and, to thank him for his great goodness to them, |