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clamour against the builders was renewed; and Oliver Cromwell, glad of the opportunity of a popular impost, laid a tax on the new foundations, from which, as appears by the records of the Exchequer, not more than £20, 000 were derived, clear of all the charges incidental to its collection. At the same time it necessarily retarded the growth of the metropolis, and the people, for want of houses, again emigrated as before, and began to plant the flourishing colony of Jamaica.

The burials after the Restoration, we find, amounted to near 23,000 yearly, so that the city, under all circumstances, seems to have increased one-third.

The Note Book.

I will make a prief of it in my Note-pook. MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

THE ORIGIN OF VENICE.-From the invasion by Attila in 452, the marshes called Lagune, formed at the extremity of the Adriatic by the slime, deposed by seven or eight great rivers, amidst which arose innumerable islands, had been the refuge of all the rich inhabitants of Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Treviso, and other great cities of Venetia, who fled from the sabres of the Huns. The Roman empire of the west survived this great calamity twenty-four years, but it was only a period of expiring agony; during which, fresh disasters continually forced new refugees to establish themselves in the Lagune. A numerous population was at length formed there; supported by fishing, the making of salt, some other manufactories, and the commerce carried on by means of these many rivers. Beyond the reach of the barbarians, who had no vessels, forgotten by the Romans, and their successors the Ostrogoths, they maintained their independence under the administration of tribunes, named by an assembly of the people, in each of the separate isles. The Venetians looked upon the Ostrogoths and their successors, the Lombards, as heretics; so that religious zeal strengthened their aversion to the dominant powers of Italy. On the other hand, the population of each is land forming a little separate republic, jealousies arose; their tribunes disagreed.

To put an end to these factions, the citizens of every island met in a single assembly at Heraclea, in 697, and elected a chief of maritime Venetia, whom they called Doge or duke. This title

borne by the Greek governors of the provinces of Italy, seems to indicate that the doge was considered a lieutenant of the emperor of Constantinople.The Venetians, in fact, persisted in regarding themselves as members of the eastern empire, never acknowledging the pretensions of Charlemagne and his successors to the dominion of all Italy. It was in 809, in a war against Pepin, son of Charlemagne, that the Venetians made choice of the island of the Rialto, near which they assembled their fleet, with their wealth collected on board, and built the city of Venice, the capital of their republic. Twenty years afterwards, they transported thi ther from Alexandria, the body of St. Mark the Evangelist. They chose him patron of their state. His lion figured in their arms, and his name in their language, whenever they would designate with peculiar affection their country and government.

JACK MITFORD.-There is so much truth in the following, that we cannot resist copying it :-"We have had the loves of the flowers, we shall shortly be edified by the "lives of the caterpil lars;" for the newspapers of the past month, have, with scarcely an exception, treated the world with a biography of the worthy whose name commences this paragraph. Jack Mitford was the prime manufacturer of sixpenny infamy, in the shape of lying lives of actresses, &c., and, consequently, his memory deserves to be embalmed in the columns of the best public instructors. He was the Jack Ketch to the Court of Scandal, and would execute any one for less than hangman's fees. He was one of those filthy satyrs, who drag on a life of dirt and drunkenness, by poisoning the minds of the young, and pandering to the impotence of the old. It was therefore fitting that his departure from this world should be reported with due emphasis, by our daily and weekly contemporaries, who, in the plenitude of their charity, sank the iniquity of their hero, and touched with graceful regret upon his incidental weaknesses. However, it cannot be disguised, that the booksellers will have a heavy loss in Jack. He was the Sir Walter Scott of a crim. con. case, and for the illustrating a seduction, -the colours of Charles Phillips were dull and leaden compared to the rainbow tints of this literary Bishop. He burked a reputation with the readiest dispatch, and on the most moderate terms: one glass per character was his usual price; and any

advance on this, his general fee, would purchase the worldly perdition of a whole family. Jack's appearance was in unison with his no character: the shell was worthy of the pearl. He looked the offspring of crime and misery. We never saw a human creature bearing more indelible marks of the filthiness of his craft. He looked as though, a moral ogre, he lived upon murdered reputations. The dirty means by which he 'gained his "daily gin,' seemed to corrode even his outward man: active depravity had anticipated the marks of age, and stamped him prematurely old."

Old Monthly. THE GREENWICH RAIL-ROAD.-The world seems never at a loss for projects. One rail-way makes many, and the frog Greenwich is puffing itself into the ox Manchester. A company has been formed, with a capital of the usual number of hundreds of thousands, or millions, for the purpose of establishing a rail-road communication between the metropolis and Greenwich. We like new projects, if for no other reason than to shew a spirit of resistance to those who hate innovations of all kinds; but we confess that we are romantic enough to like them the better when they happen to be based upon some object of utility. But we are as yet at a loss to discern the peculiar desirableness of this new rail-road from the Green-park to Greenwich-park, and from Greenwich-park to Guy's Hospital. Such a communication would, no doubt, tend greatly to facilitate the progress of the flys, caravans, and stages, on Easter and Whit-mondays; and the tumbles down One-tree-hill might be rendered much more regular by means of a rail-way; but we can see little other good that it is likely to effect-unless, indeed, it should tend to the comfort and convenience of the

old pensioners, in their occasional peregrinations to town. They might pay their visits to their shipmates in Wapping, and be dispatched back to their quarters with the velocity of a cannonball. Something might be thus saved to the country in the article of woodenlegs; but still we are a little sceptical as to the advantages that are to result from the Greenwich Rail-road Association.-16.

Anecdotiana.

A SHARP RETORT.-The accomplished Lucius Cray, Lord Falkland, in

Charles the First's reign, was admitted very young a member of the House of Commons, where he distinguished himself greatly by his eloquence. But being proposed as a member of a committee, he was opposed by some of the old senators, who observed, that he had not yet sown his wild oats. To this he answered, "Then it will be best to sow them here, where there are so many geese to pick them up." H. S.

ROBERT LE DIABLE.-While Robert and his Normans were at Constantinople, in their way to Palestine, the emperor who looked on them as gross and ignorant barbarians, diverted himself in as gross a style, by inviting them to dinner and allowing them no seats to repose on. Robert and his comrades, cloaks on the floor, sat down on them, no way disconcerted, extended their retired the emperor sent to tell them and completed their meal. When they that "they had forgotten their cloaks." "Go and tell your master," (said Robert haughtily,) "that the Normans they have used." never carry away with them, the seats J. R. J.

A NOVEL OPINION.-A Portuguese minister was deputed some years ago, to examine a manufactory recently eshis colleagues his opinion in the foltablished at Lisbon, and reported to lowing words: "God created man, and afterwards distributed to each nation what he thought best suited for them; to the French he gave industry; to the Germans, iron-works; to the English, ships; to the Dutch, cheese; and to the Spaniards and Portuguese, gold and silver, to buy the industry of the one; the iron-works of the other; the ships of this one; and the cheese of that; therefore, I conceive, a manufactory to be perfectly useless in Portugal.'

J.M B. ALL FOR THE BEST. A celebrated nothing happened but for some good French surgeon used to say there was purpose, and instanced it thus:young man was attacked with a slight illness-I attended him-he diedwhat of that-I dissected him."

J. M. B.

-A

THE QUACK'S LOTTERY -A certain Quack used always to carry with him a large box full of medicines; and whenever he was consulted by a patient, put his hand into the box, and drew out the first that came, exclaim❤ ing at the same time, "May heaven be pleased te send the right one

J.M.B.

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High Water 15m. aft. 6 Mor.-34m, aft. 6 after. In mild seasons the Roman Narcisses flowers at this period, even in the open border, in warm.. situations, and under shelter; at all events both varieties of it may be made to blow in houses. They are brought over, together with the Narcissus Italicus, from Italy, by the Italian warehouseman. They should be planted in pots, with sand and mould mixed, before Christmas, and they will blow by this time, and will soon be succeeded by Narcissus Tazetta' and ' Narcissus Orientalis,' and by other bulbous roots, which flower at this season in the house. It seems doubtful whether the Narcissus of the Antients was this flower or not. According to fable, the Naiades lamenting the death of Narcissus

Instead of him a yellow flower was found With tufts of white about the button crown'd. TRANS. OF OVID.

Thursday, Feb. 9.

St. Apollonia, Vir. Mar. A, D. 249. Moon's 1st Quarter, 13m. after 11 Morn. The Romans regarded the Spring as now beginning. Of a clear frosty day, often experienced in February, the following beautiful picture is drawn by the poet Grahame :

From sunward rocks the icicle's faint drop,
By lonely river side, is heard at times
To break the silence deep; for now the stream
Is mute, or faintly gurgles far below
Its frozen ceiling; silent stands the mill,
The wheel immoveable, and shod with ice,
The babbling rivulet, at each little slope,
Flows scantily beneath a lucid veil,
And seems a pearly current liquified;
While, at the shelvy side, in. thousand shapes
Fantastical, the frost work domes uprear
Their tiny fabrics, gorgeously superb,
With ornaments beyond the reach of art;
Here vestibules of state, and colonnades;
There Gothic castles, grottoes, heather fanes,
Rise in review, and quickly disappear;
Or through some fairy palace fancy roves,
And studs with ruby lamps, the fretted roof;
Or paints with every colour of the bow
Spotless parterres, all freaked with snow white

flowers,

Flowers that no arche type in nature own.

Friday, Feb. 10.

St. Eurluph, bishop, mar.

Sun rises 13m aft 7-Sets 48m aft 4. Feb. 10, 1430.-Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, instituted the order of the Golden Fleece, in honour of a lady of Bruges, to whom he was attached. In consequence of certain pleasantries, in which some courtiers had indulged with respect to the colour of the lady's hair, he contrived to render the subject of their raillery an object of the highest distinction, by the establishment of this order. The number of members was at first thirty-one; namely, thirty knights and Grand Master-at present it is unlimited. The statutes of the Order require, that each member shall, on his admission, prove four generations of

Why is a cautious tradesman like a student in divinity? Because he studies the prophets (profits).

Chronology.

nobility, both on the maternal and the paternal side. On the extinction of the male line of Burgundy, Mary, the only daughter of Charles the Bold, removed the Grand Mastership into the house of Austria. At first the knights were elected in a general chapter, by a majority of votes; but now the, King of Spain has the appointment of them at his pleasure.

Saturday, Feb. 11.

St. Theodora, empress, A. D. 867. High Water, 29m: aft. 8 Morn. 7m. aft. 9 Aftern. 11th Feb. 1831. TURKISH TOLERATION ESTABLISHED.-The "march of intellect" must be making rapid strides, when the following benevolent Imperial decree is issued in Turkey by the Sultan Mahmoud :-" Greeks, Armenians, Armenian Catholics, and Jews, shall, from henceforth, in common with the Turks and Mussulmen, be equal before the law. No Mussulman shall, in future, have any preference, or enjoy any superior rights in consequence of his being a Mussulman; for, according to the opinion of the Sultan, all form but one family-but one body, whatever may be the private creed of each of his subjects, which is a matter that only concerns the conscience of man, who caunot be called to account for his religion to any but God. As to the Government of the Sultan, it will not, under any circumstances, consider what is the religion of the person who may present himself before it.

Sunday, Feb. 12.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. Lessons for the Day, 65 chap. Isaiah, Morn. 66 chap. Isaiah, Even. Turkey-cocks Dow strutt and gobble; partridges begin to pair; the house-pigeon has and field-crickets open their holes; young; wood-owls hoot; gnats play about, and insects swarm under sunny hedges; the stone- curlew clamours; and frogs croak. By the end of February, the raven has generally laid its eggs, and begun to sit. About this time the green-woodpecker is heard in the woods, making a loud noise. The elder-tree discloses its flower-buds. The catkins of the hazel become very conspicuous in the hedges. Young leaves are budding on the gooseberries and currants about the end of the month.

Monday, Feb. 13.

St. Catherine de Ricci, Virg. A. D. 1589. Sun rises 7m, aft. 7-Sets 54m. aft. 4. 13th Feb. 1831, expired Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Berry, K.C.B., aged 62. This gallant officer, the son of a London merchant, was born in 1768, and evincing an early predilection for the sea service, was entered as a midshipman, under Lord Mulgrave, on the 5th of February, 1779, being at the time under eleven years. He signally distinguished himself in the action of St. Vincent in 1797; and also in the memorable and glorious victories of the Nile and Trafalgar.

At the peace of 1844, Sir E. Berry retired to Catton, near Norwich, intending to fix his resi dence there; but after some years, his health declining, he removed to Bath, where he finally closed his active and serviceable life.

A few complete Sets, in Volumes and Parts, may now be had.

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Ellustrated Article.

HANS SWETZEN.

For the Olio.

THERE dwelt some few years ago, in the town of Heidelburg, a widow, whose name was Swetzen. She had opened there a tobacconist's shop, which under the superintendance of her son Haus, soon became the most distinguished" Fife Haus" in the place; this might be attributed to various reasons; first, Madame still retained the greater share of those good looks, which made so deep an impression on the late lamented Herr Swetzen; secondly, she sold good articles; and thirdly, her son possessed the invaluable qualification of being a good listener, which had VOL. IX.

See p. 114

great weight with the students, who found it very convenient to have some one to listen to the various inventions of their brains in the shape of dramas a la Schiller, or the many legends of the distant parts of Germany from whence they came, not that Hans was considered much of a critic, but it served as a sort of rehearsal, and enabled them to see and rectify any very glaring errors or defects. Hans, by these legends and stories, being so frequently repeated to him, had become as well versed in them as he was in his creed, and used to sigh when he thought that the Treasure Seekers, the Burners of the Hartz, and the Black Hunstman of the Forest, had yielded to the frequent exorcisms, and forsaken a world that knew not how to appreciate their protection.

230

"Ah!" said he, one day, as he sat alone in the shop, puffing out the hempseed husks from some pipe bowls, a box of which had just arrived from Dresden, "had I lived a few years ago, I might, instead of passing my days behind this counter, have been by the aid of some spirit, master of mines of wealth;" his eye fell on a bowl on which was delineated the Incantation scene in Der Freischutz; "yes I would undergo all that for the possession of wealth, and more too; they do, indeed, say there is at this moment, an immense treasure buried near the ruins of the old castle; might I not become possessed of it, why not? Let me see if I can remember how the legend goes, and under what spirit's care it used to be," saying which, he covered his face with his hands, and tried to reveal to his imagination all that he had ever heard related concerning it.

It was fast verging towards midnight, as Hans began ascending the mountain leading to the castle ruins. The town was still as death; not even the last chorus of a student's convivial meeting broke upon his ear as he left, nor was there a solitary wanderer in the streets to watch him on his road. The stillness of all around considerably damped his courage; it was an awful stillness, not even a breath of wind to move the overhanging boughs, and cause a rustling of their leaves-nothing but the sound of his own footsteps; he tried to whistle an air, but it came by such fits and starts, and so unlike any thing earthly, that it rather increased his fears, and he gave it up in despair. As he reached one of the terraces he paused to gaze a moment; the moon had just emerged from behind a cloud, shewing every thing almost as clear as at noonday; nearly at his feet was Heidelburg, looking like the deserted city; in the distance, the Hartz mountains; and on his right hand, the river and valley of the Neckar; intensely beautiful, as he would at any other time have thought this view, he turned from it with a troubled mind, and began ascending farther the mountain height, until he reached the spot he had fixed upon.

walls, and the immense disjointed body, threatening every instant to fall and crush him beneath it. He threw down the pickaxe, shovel, and lantern, he had brought with him, and commenced drawing a circle into which he stepped, and began the recitation and workings of the spell, which he was assured would raise the fiend to point out to him where the treasure lay concealed; a dense thick cloud travelled across the moon, leaving all in perfect darkness, save the circle, which was irradiated by the lantern placed in the centre; this added so much to his terror, that he could hardly falter out the last words of the spell, and which he had scarcely done, ere the cloud passed away, and he looked up to see the effect of the workings of his charm, when to his horror, he beheld, standing without the circle, the figure of a man, clothed in a huntsman's dress, black as the darkest sable; he was leaning on a long gun of the same colour as his dress; whilst at his feet, crouched a large black dog, of a breed used centuries ago for hunting, but all traces of which have long been lost;-the huntsman seemed to scowl upon Hans, but he spoke not.

It was close by the immense tower, which the deadly art of man, and not the course of time, had rent in twain ; and which, though divided, still stands upright in defiance of its destroyers The moon shone through the chasm, shewing the massy thickness of the

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"Mercy, mercy," exclaimed Hans, spare me;" his words seemed echoed by a thousand voices in mockery and laughter, 'till it died away in the distance, but still the figure spoke not.

66 Spare me, oh! spare me," again exclaimed Hans, and the loud shout and laugh a second time burst upon his

ears.

The huntsman, at length, broke his silence, but moved not from his position.

"Why am I, after the lapse of years and years, that I have been suffered to remain undisturbed, again dragged forth by potent spells, to which I must yield obedience; I had thought to have been quit of such as you for ever ;— speak and be brief."

"Most powerful spirit!-I did not, when I worked the spell, conceive it would have raised a being like yourself."

"What was it but to satisfy your idle curiosity, that I am now here.You are in my power, and shall pay dearly for your rashness."

"Hear me but one instant; it was not an idle curiosity, but the Treasure of the Tower which my spell wished to raise some token sought, and by to shew me where it is deposited."

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