1 VOL. 4.] Origin of Inn Signs, &c.—Queen's Cross-Charing Cross. 103 sum required for repairs caused this bargain also to go off. He then purchased the palace of the Nugnez family, via Condotte, for about 150,000 francs, and about 100,000 more to render it habitable. He had previously acquired the estate of Ruffinella, and some surrounding property; the Villa Mecéné at Tivoli, Rocca-Priore, Dragoncella and Apollina, ancient lordships or dismember ments of fiefs, worth about 35,000 francs per ann; Canino was his last purchase, and Louis and Joseph lent him money to complete these acquisitions. Jerome also lent him 100,000 florins when King of Westphalia, but turned out so imperious a creditor, that Lucien pawned his wife's diamonds to repay the debt. ORIGIN OF SIGNS OF INNS, &c. THE CROSS. From the Gentleman's Magazine. and where a large inn at present exhib MANY beautiful specimens of the its the sign of the Golden Cross. architectural skill and piety of our ancestors, in the Crosses which were the usual ornaments of the market-places and church-yards, fell a sacrifice to the fanatical zeal of the Parliamentarians in the time of the unhappy Charles; but some few still remain, and views of them are occasionally exhibited on the sign-boards of houses in the towns where they are situate, whilst the recollection of others, once of conspicuous beauty, as of the Cross at Coventry, is recalled to the mind by the representation on the sign-board, which has outlived the original. The ancient cross was destroyed by the enlightened advocates for a radical reform; who encouraged the arts, by ordering the demolition of those monuments of piety which were adorned with the most exquisite specimens of sculpture and painting; who patronized literature, by seriously considering the propriety of destroying all records of past ages, and beginning every thing anew; who purified the administration of justice, by obtaining with their clamours the execution of the__patriot Wentworth, and the venerable Laud, in direct opposition to every principle of On the death of Eleanor, the amiable equity or law; who murdered their wife of Edward I. and daughter of Fer- King for a breach of the privileges of dinand III. King of Castile and Leon, the Commons, and elevated a Protecwhich happened at Hardeby in Lin- tor, who with a military force turned colnshire, Nov. 28, 1291, her body by all the Members out of doors; who order of Edward, was removed to West- declared a House of Lords to be useminster; and in testimony of the ten- less and dangerous, yet instituted a new der affection which he felt and she so House, by raising to the Peerage the justly merited, he erected at every place very dregs of the people; who abolishwhere the corpse rested on its journey, ed Episcopacy, and ejected from their an elegant cross, adorned with the statue benefices "scandalous ministers" who and arms of the deceased. Three of taught the people to fear God, and these beautiful and affectionate memo honour the King," and filled their pulrials still remain, one at Geddington in pits with Fifth-Monarchy men, who Northamptonshire; one called Queen's preached blasphemy and treason. Such Cross, near Northampton; and one in were the blessings of a radical reform Hertfordshire, but near the town of Wal- in our own country; but even these tham in Essex. The last place where have been obscured by the superior glothe body was deposited prior to its sep- ries of a neighbouring Nation in modern ulture in the Abbey, was at the then days. The murder of its sovereigns village of Charing, between London with circumstances of unparalleled atroand Westminster, which, from the me- city; the ceaseless fall of the axe or morial erected by Edward, obtained its guillotine; the public spectacles of present appellation of Charing-cross, monsters with their bodies entwined 66 104 Signs of Inns.—Invention of the Cross-Signature of the Cross. [VOL.4 with the reeking and bloody entrails of It had been also inflicted among the their victims; the general avowal of Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, CarAtheism (though indeed the National thaginians, and even the Greeks. Assembly did decide by their vote in favour of the existence of a God !)-all at length terminating in a military despotism which depopulated the Nation, and proved the scourge of the whole civilized world, till at length overthrown by the councils and the arms of Britain all these unequivocally attest the superior glories of the Age of Reason, and the triumph of the Rights of Man. Elevated as we are to the highest eminence of political glory; possessed of a constitution the admiration and envy of the world; secured in our persons and property by the pure administration of equitable laws; and enjoying the most perfect rational liberty, both civil and religious shall we endanger these inestimable blessings by snapping at a shadow, by searching for some theoretic good, which, like the apples of the Caspian, however tempting in prospect, have always proved, on tasting, dust and bitterness? If we once allow an inroad to the waters through those embankments which the wisdom of our forefathers have raised for our protection, who shall say to the Ocean, "Thus far shalt thou go and no farther ?" If we once put the stone of anarchy in motion, will not its descent be commensurate with our present elevation? and vainly may we attempt to check its progress till all that is sacred has been crushed by its force "Quieta ne movete." "Principiis obsta." The proverb, The Invention or discovery of the Cross, as appears by our Almanacks, is celebrated on May 3. Helena, the mother of Constantine, when 80 years of age, visited the Holy Land, and according to the Legend, discovered the three crosses on which our Saviour and the two thieves had been crucified. To ascertain the one on which our Saviour had been suspended, the corpse of a woman was laid upon each alternately; the two first produced not any effect, but the latter unquestionably established its verity by instantly restoring the woman to life. The Cross itself too, although divided and subdivided into innumerable fragments, which were distributed among the pious, so that the pieces taken from it amounted to treble the quantity of wood of which it originally consisted, yet nevertheless remained undiminished and entire !!! Our antient English Historians assert that Constantine the Great was born at Colchester, and that Helena his mother was the daughter of Coel a British Prince; but these assertions are discredited by modern authors. The island in which Buonaparte is now confined was named in honour of her, aud consequently the common pronunciation of it, as St. Helēna, is incorrect. 66 SIGNATURE OF THE CROSS.' Many deeds of Synods were antiently issued, expressing that, as my Lord the Bishop could not write, at his request others had subscribed for him. Many "HE BEGS LIKE A CRIPPLE AT A CROSS,' , charters granted by nobles, and even by sovereigns, bore their mark, or Sigwhich we still use to denote a num Crucis" alone," pro ignorantiâ peculiar earnestness of entreaty, has literarum," as in a charter dated about been handed down to us from those times when the afflicted poor used to solicit alms at the different crosses. THE CROSS HANDS. THE THREE CROS SES. THE FOUR CROSSES. Crosses were antiently erected at the meeting of public roads, and very many of the houses decorated with the above signs are thus situated. Constantine by law first abolished the punishment of the cross, which had been used by the Romans till his time. the year 700 by Withred King of Kent. Even the great Emperor Justinian was compelled to have his hand guided by a secretary, or he would not have been able to have subscribed to any of his edicts. From this custom of making crosses are derived the words signing and signature, used as synonymes for subscribing and subscription. There is a vulgar opinion that those monumental effigies which we not unfrequently meet with in antient churches VOL. 4.] Fine Arts.-Hilton's Una and the Satyrs.' 105 having their legs crossed, were intended North Wales, has been adopted from as representations of Knight Templars; the armorial bearings of Sir Watkins but this distinction was not exclusively Williams Wynn, bart. a gentleman not confined to that order, but extended to any knight who had visited the Holy Land, or had even assumed the cross on his habit as significant of his intention of such an expedition. Guillim enumerates 39, and Columbiere 72, different sorts of crosses used in Heraldry. St. George's cross, Gules on a field Argent, is the standard of England, that Saint being the reputed Patron of this nation. THE CROSS FOXES, more distinguished for the extent of his domains than for his public spirit, as the patron of agricultural improvement, and as the Colonel of the Denbigh militia, which he commanded in France when those worthy Cambro- Britons volunteered their services to join the victorious army of the Duke of Wellington. Foote having been in company with an ancestor of the present baronet, a very large man, and being asked how he liked him,replied, "Oh,a true Welshman, the sign of very many public houses in all mountain and barrenness." FINE ARTS. From the London Literary Gazette. ROYAL ACADEMY. Hilton's very fine Picture of Una with the Satyrs. "So from the ground she fearlesse doth arise And all the way their merry pipes they sound, Yet Which her own clay shall cover, heaped and pent, The sublime imagining of this fearful scene, and especially the last line, mock visible representation. The mind can rest with awful delight on the very indistinctness and confusion of an idea; but painting must define it, and when defined it is nothing. Lord Byron, however, gives us a whole chain of consecutive ideas---every member of the verse is a picture. The mingled heap of carnage and fire, the massing of woe and death by the Poet, convey an obscure and dread sensation; but when we look upon the painter's work, we discover only a glare of red, and a number of shadows, which excite neither interest nor emotion. And this not from want of powers in Mr. Turner to treat the subject in the grandest style, but from the subject itself being above any style. There are, nevertheless, several fine parts in this work. It must be confessed that this is a charming poetical picture, and thence the greater difficulty of transferring it to the canvass. Mr. Hilton has given us Spenser entirely. London never possessed so many attracUna herself is the figure most questionable tions, in exhibitions of works of art, as duraccording to the rules of art. There is an ing the past month. The company itself unnatural coldness about such a mass of white forms a spectacle no where else to be seen: in the centre of such a glow of colour. Some but the exhibitions, especially opened for the of the Satyrs are exquisitely painted---the gratification of the taste and curiosity of the ne playing the pipe on the right band, and public, consist of.. he who is just descending from a leap like wanton kid,' appear to be as excellent as any thing of the kind ever painted. The landscape too is harmonious, and rich, and natural; the distance and the foliage on the foreground do equal honour to the artist's pencil. The genius of Turner has failed in No.263, where he has tried to portray the Poet's description of Waterloo : Last noon beheld them full of lusty life; The thunder clouds close o'er it, which when rent The Exhibition of the Royal Academy, at Somerset House. The Exhibition of the Society of Painters, in Spring Gardens. The Exhibition of old Masters, at the Miss Linwood's Gallery, Leicester-Square. Leonardi da Vinci's Last Supper, in Pall Mrs. Aberdein's Papyruseum, Bond-street. Mr.Bullock's splendid Museum. Piccadilly. Mr. Thiodon's Theatre of Arts, Spring Gardens. Messrs. Flight & Co.'s Apollonicon,' St. Martin's-lane. 106 Sketches of Society.-Female Gamblers. The Menagerie at Exeter Change. And the matchless collections in the national repository of the British Museum,--open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to all who sign their names. [VOL. 4. This fiftieth Exhibitiou of the Academy contains 1117 paintings, drawings, and sculptures; the majority of which are superior to any six of the best pieces in the first thirty exhibitions at this school. Indeed, the most enthusaistic admirer of the ancient schools must admit, that there are some new pictures in this exhibition capable of ranking with the best hundred pictures of those schools; while there are few that are below medioc Other objects of attraction are found in the Bazaar, in Sobo-square, and in the Western Exchange, Old Bond-street: also in the Auction rooms of Phillips, Christie, Squibb, Robins, &c. &c.---in which the most splendid and rare works of art and manu- rity.---Mon. Mag. facture are daily on exhibition or sale. IT From the Literary Gazette, Aug. 1818. THE HERMIT IN LONDON, No. IV. OR SKETCHES OF ENGLISH MANNERS. FEMALE GAMBLERS. peat T has always appeared to me that the stronger passions, such as ava- a man of serious habits, and of middle rice, ambition, and revenge, are ill suit- age, must pay the forfeit of money and ed to the softer sex. They disfigure of time. the beauty of woman, and completely It is astonishing how many hours this change her nature. Gaming, which is occupation engrosses in high life. Lady a compound of idleness and cupidity, Lansquinette assured me, that she playbut which excites these passions, has ed three rubbers of whist regularly every precisely the same tendency, and hur- evening, unless she sat down to some ries the fairest works of nature into the game of chance. In the former case, she devoted her three hours per diem. greatest excesses. one There is, however, a minor spesies to cards; in the latter the whole evenof play which is not so dangerous, and ing. In wet weather she played in which can be blamed only for the loss the morning; and at Castle Costly, she of time which it occasions. It is one always spent two or three hours before of the taxes on a man in society, to be dinner at cards, when the state of the compelled to sit down for such a space atmosphere or the roads prevented her of time at a card-table, at routs and going out. Averaging her play hours at other evening parties. I feel a je ne at four or five per day, they compose sais quoi of misery and disgust, the moment the fair lady of the house presents me the pack of cards to draw one; and I view myself destined to be fixed to my chair for at least one rubber, or perhaps more. Then, farewell conversation; farewell my greatest amusement, observation: farewell mirth and all variety. third of her time, since her Ladyship devotes twelve hours to rest. Now, abstracting four more for her toilette, which is not less than it takes, there are tional employment, out of which breakbut four more clear hours for any ra fast and dinner time are to be deducted. I met with her the other night at Lady Racket's; and she immediately I had hooked me in for a rubber. scarcely got clear of this engagement, and of five guineas at the same time, having lost five points upon the rub, when I was entreated to sit down to cassino in company with Mrs. Marvellous, Sir Herbert Maxton, and Lady Longtick. I the more readily, how* It may be well to observe that our Hermit di- ever, complied with the request of my A young Exquisite* may just make his appearance for a few minutes, make his bow to the lady of the house, cast a glance round in order to be able to count all the beauty and fashion in the room, and then withdraw, throw himself into his chariot or vis-a-vis, and re vides the Dandies of fashion into two principal classes, to one of which he gives the appellation of right honourable hostess, since at cas“Exquisites,” and to the other of" Ruffians."-Ed. sino the attention is not so entirely taken 6 107 up; less importance it attached to the are always fortunate; 'tis my trick." game, and a little light and confused (Mrs. Marvellous)Have you heard conversation may be allowed; whilst that Lady Barbara Bankton bas' (interat whist you see grave faces sitting in rupted by the Baronet)" Cut, Madam;" judgment over your play, and observe as Yes, Sir Herbert, she has cut, and left much interest and anxiety, as much si- her lovely children.' "Your Ladylence and attention, as a speech of De- ship's game." To the mercy of the mosthenes would have claimed from his world. How shocking for her three auditors. daughters! "A double game." (Mrs. Marvellous) 'She certainly had the most indulgent husband in the world.' "The base wretch, I have no patience with 6 66 "Come," said Lady Racket to me, "you must make one at cassino; (then lowering her voice) you will have the charms of Lady Longtick to contem- her." 'A hard rub.' "Yet I could plate, and Mrs. Marvellous will amuse always see through her conduct." Had you with some very astonishing stories you said thro' her drapery,' replied Sir in the intervals of dealing, etcetera." Herbert, I should have been satisfied "Your Ladyship's commands are so that you were right, for she was a walkmany laws to me,' said I, as I resigned- ing transparency. But here comes her ly took my place at the table. "The cousin,the General.'"The game is up. Hermit of London," exclaimed Mrs. Released from the cassino table, I Marvellous, in half a whisper to Sir walked round the room, and cast an eye Herbert. They both elevated their on the different tables. I stopped for a eyebrows, as much as to say, here's a moment behind my friend Lord Levity's fellow who will observe us closely. I chair, and contemplated the countemade my best bow, and took my seat. nances at an unlimited loo. "I pass," I drew cards, and fell to the lot of said Lady Lavish, in a tone of brokenMrs. Marvellous. "You must not scold heartedness which told me that she had me if I play ill," said she. "Not for lost. Every feature was changed, the the world,' answered I, I never scold- warm smile which gives such attractions 6 ed a lady in my life.' "I wish I could to her countenance had disappeared; say as much of Sir Herbert," said she, dejection filled her eyes, and despair sat "indeed it was nothing short of cruel, on every feature. Mrs. Beverly was your crossness to Lady Maxton yester- also a great loser: not less than eighty day; you actually brought tears into guineas did she pay for her night's pasher eyes. Nonsense,' exclaimed the time. She put on a sort of placid look, Baronet, you know I wanted not to a well-bred indifference, a forced and play at all; but the Nabob could not unnatural smile; but nature, true to its make up his party without us, and I feelings, betrayed the secret of her hate above all things to play with my mind, and gave the outlines of revenge, wife; married couples never ought to play together.'"Unless," interrupted Lady Longtick," they understand one another as well as our friends in Portland Place." And then,' replied the Baronet, it is not very pleasant to play against them' (a general smile.) 66 and of disappointment to her countenance. "You are out of luck," observed I. A trifle or so,' answered she, with an assumption of tranquillity which imposed upon nobody. The other ladies (the eldest only eighteen) were all anxiety. The natuIt is your deal, Mrs. Marvellous." ral lustre of their complexion was marrTwo and three are five.' "The heart ed by a flush of intemperate feeling and is yours, Lady Longtick, and little cass over-desire to win. Their eyes were falls to me." • Have you heard of the attentively riveted to the cards, and Royal marriages ?' "Three tricks, by from time to time they communed with Jupiter!"The naval Duke." "Your each other by glances of satisfaction, kuave, my lady." I am quite out of doubt, or discontent. Whilst these three luck; how many Queens?" (Sir Her- Graces were half metamorphosed by bert) One, and that's quite enough.' their attention to their bad or good forBravo, Mrs. Marvellous,"said I," you tune Colonel Crab sneered as he was |