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are they should come like "angel's visits, few and far between." So thought the politic Queen Elizabeth; for so sparingly did she bestow them, that the order of the garter was considered by her as a sufficient recompense to Sir Philip Sidney for refusing the crown of Poland, which, from his high reputation throughout Europe, had been offered him. Sir Francis Drake, also, for his voyage round the world, and glorious successes over the Spaniards, was simply knighted by the queen, and an additional bearing to his coat of arms granted him. By conferring such simple favours as these, Elizabeth esteemed herself bounteous, and was applauded for extraordinary munificence. ANCIENT CUSTOMS.-When, during the reign of Louis the Fourteenth, a Duke de Vendome was appointed governor of Provence, the deputies, as was their usual custom, presented him with a purse containing 20,000 livres. Highly delighted with the gift, he dropped it into a strong box that was in the room, when one of the deputies, with a very grave face, told him, "That though by an old custom they presented the purse full, his ancestors, the former Dukes de Vendome, who had from time immemorial enjoyed the place, always returned the money, and retained only the purse." "The conduct of the Dukes de Vendome who were my ancestors,"replied the new-made governor, "6 was inimitable!"

ST. JAMES'S PALACE.-This palace was built by Henry, in 1532. (It had been an hospital for fourteen leprous maidens); he added to it the remains of York Palace, Whitehall, and inclosed the whole, (now St. James's Park) with a wall. The same Henry, in 1535, made his courtiers cut their hair short, and did so himself. He also brought into fashion the wearing of beards, and the knotting, (probably curling them.)

SAYINGS OF ROBERT HALL, THE DISSENTER. Upon this great preacher's going for the first time into York Minster, with a party of friends, he was asked what he thought of its sublime architecture. "Sir," said he, "it would awe a bacchanal!"

When shewn the monument of Robinson, in which that celebrated pas tor is sculptured erect, as if in the act of receiving the bible from the hands of Christ; instead of applauding, as had been expected, the skill of the artist, he exclaimed, energetically, "The man, Sir, ought to have been prostrate at the feet of his Maker."

Being asked by an Ultra-Calvinist if he thought he should see John Wesley in heaven, he replied, "I fear not; for he will be so near the throne of God, and I so distant from it, that I shall scarcely be able to obtain a glimpse of him." He said, on another occasion, "Whoever gets to heaven, will there find more women than men."

Being asked if Cambridgeshire were, in his opinion, so devoid of the picturesque as it had been described; he replied, "Yes, sir; it is, indeed, to the eye dreary: it is naked, without foliage, without trees,-except that, here and there, a stunted willow astonishes the traveller, as though nature were putting up signals of distress."

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It would appear from the following anecdote, that as a tea-drinker Johnson scarcely excelled him : Returning from a party, at rather a late hour, weary and unwell, the lady, at whose house he was residing, proposed to get him a cup of tea: he gladly availed himself of her offer; and she, with great kindness, after he had emptied the kettle, asked if she should order it to be filled again. "Why, no, madam,” replied he, "I ought, perhaps, to be ashamed for having taken so much : and yet, on consideration, I need not; for it has brought two fine qualities into exercise; great patience, madam, on your part, and perseverance on mine."

JOHNSON AND ROUBILIAC.-The following story received by Northcote from Sir Joshua Reynolds, is no doubt true, and so characteristic, that it is worthy of being put on record. Roubiliac, the celebrated sculptor, desired Reynolds to introduce him to Dr. Johnson, in order to procure of him an epitaph for a monument, on which he was then engaged. Johnson received them very civilly, and took them into a garret, which he called his library, in which, beside his books covered with dust, were a crazy table and an old chair with but three legs. In this, Johnson seated himself, contriving to support its lame side against the wall of the room. He then requested to know what they desired him to write. Roubiliac, who was a true Frenchman, immediately began a high-flown harangue, directing the Doctor what sentiments to express; but Johnson quickly interrupted hm, saying, Come, Sir, let us have no more of this ridiculous rhodomontade, but let me know in simple language, the name, character, and quality of the person, whose epitaph I am to write."

Diary and Chronology.

Wednesday, March 7.

Ash Wednesday.

High Water, 10m. af. 5 Morn. 27m. af. 5 aftern. This day stands conspicuous in the history of the ancient church for the severity of discipline exercised, when penitents appeared before their bishops with bare feet, and merely a slight covering over their bodies, consisting of the coarsest sackcloth, ready to submit to such penance as should be imposed upon them. Those who were deemed deserving of exemplary punishment, were first amply sprinkled with the ashes of the palmtree or other ever-greens, burut on the Palm Sunday of the preceding year, and then driven out of the church-door, the whole of the clergy assembled upon the occasion following them, repeating the words of the curse denounced against our first parents-" In the sweat of thy brow, shait thou eat thy bread;" a degradation they had again to undergo on the succeeding Sunday. But such as had sinned in a less degree, were merely marked on the forehead with the sign of the cross and admonished to continue in the fair course they had begun: Memento homo quia pulvis es, et in pulverum reverteris. "Remember, man, that dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return," was the awful and salutary lesson impressed upon the human mind, whereby to mortify vanity and humble pride.

Thursday, March 8.

St. John of God, Conf. A. D. 1550.

Sun rises 21m. aft. 6 Morn.-Sets 40m. aft. 5. About this time, owls begin to be exceedingly troublesome, by their hooting; and in spite of the continued frequency of their howling or screeching, the vulgar still regard them as unlucky omens, and if an owl happens to sit on an housetop and hoot of an evening, some death in the family is immediately expected.

In the Authol. Bor. et Aust. we find the following:

The cold March-moon is dull and pale,

The air smells dark and harsh;

The hooting owlet fills the gale
That breathes o'er yonder marsh.

Ill-omened bird, that by his cry
Now startles dampish night,
And bodes ill fortune tarrying nigh,
If sages auger right.

Friday, March 9.

St. Pacian, b. of Barcelona, conf. Moon's 1st quar. 13m af. 7 Morn. March 9, 1814.-To-day, the battle before Laon was fought. Laon, which served as a depot for the allied forces, was in vain attacked by Napoleon. Marshal Marmont coming up on the other side of that town, was surprised during the night, when he lost 2,500 prisoners, and four pieces of cannon. The Emperor still persisting in his design of capturing Laon by force, was still repulsed, and on the 11th retired to Soissons. Blucher, in the interim, being at liberty to act, found means to advance upon Paris, with 90,000, Russians and Prussians.

Saturday, March 10.

St. Kessoge, conf. High Water Om. aft 7. Mor.-29m. aft. 7 after. March 10, 1792.-Expired John Earl of Bute, a nobleman who for some time acted as governor to George the Third, during his minority. In 1761, he was appointed Prime Minister of State, and immediately upon coming into power, de

termined, if possible, to effect a peace, which had for some time been negotiating. He accomplished his object, but his success rendered him so exceedingly unpopular, that he quitted his important station (1763.) The Marquess was such a lover of literature, that he affected to be the Mæcenas of his age. In addition to the allowance which Home received from the Princess Dowager of Wales, he procured for that author the appointments of commissioner of sick and wounded seamen, and conservator of the Scottish privileges at Campvere in Zealand. Jolinson was also indebted in some measure, perhaps, to Lord Bute's zeal in the cause of letters for his pension of 3001, a year, and a letter from the Marquess to Bubb Doddington, dated in 1761, shews that he felt a warm interest in behalf of the younger Bentley. While in office, he proposed that the Antiquarian Society should undertake a history of the antiquities of this country, similar to Montfauçon's Antiquites de la Monarchie Francaise, and it appears probable, that had he continued Prime Minister, the work would now have been in the libraries of the learned.

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Sun rises 13m. aft. 6-Sets 48m, aft. 5. March 12, 1814-To-day, the French were defeated by the King of Naples, at the passage of the Taro; and Bourdeaux capitulated to Sir William Beresford; the white flag being hoisted by the mayor, M. Lynch, and the constituted authorities. The British were received with every demonstration of joy.

Tuesday, March 13.

St. Pulcherius, ab. 665. High Water 13m. aft. 11 Mor.-55m. aft. 11 after. March 13, 1824.-Died Mrs. Sophia Lee. Our authoress was one of those distinguished females, whose talents shone so conspicuously in the latter end of the last century and beginning of the present. She was born in London in 1750, and being left early in life without a mother, took upon herself the entire management of the younger branches of the family. She, however, then began to entertain a secret love for writing, and in the summer of 1780, first veutured to appear publicly as an author in the comedy of the " Chapter of Accidents," which met with much success.Her next production was the "Recess, a tale of other Times." The latter production was one of the first romances in the English language which combined history with fiction; after which, she produced various other tales and dramatic pieces. Mrs. Lee resided for some time in Monmouthshire; but, at length, purchased a house at Clifton, where she resided with her sister, in, whose arms she expired

We have to inform our subscribers, that the Cuts of the next and succeeding numbers will be executed by Mr. WILLIAMS. Arrangements have also been made for the general improvement of the work.

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Illustrated Article.

MARY FENWICK.

DURING a short journey in the north, my attention had been much excited by the modest demeanour of an interesting young woman, accompanied by a venerable-looking old man, who, on the arrival of the coach at Berwickupon-Tweed, took leave of her with an almost filial farewell, saying, "God bless and reward you." She then drew a black veil over her face, and sat down opposite to me. I never felt more inclined, and at the same time at a loss, to open a conversation. To intrude on female sorrow is unjustifiable; to treat it with indifference, impossible. I, at length, summoned up courage, and observed to her, that I supposed, like myself, she was not going far. She answered, that she was on her way to London. Perceiving a tear trickle down her pale cheek, and imagining that further conversation VOL. IX.

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must be fraught with more of pain than pleasure, I, therefore, suppressed my curiosity, and we remained silent until the arrival of the coach at my friend's gate, with whom I intended to sojourn a few hours. Now that all idea of intrusion was at an end, I could venture upon kindness; I observed to her that the idea of her going such a journey by herself grieved me, and asked her if I could be of any service in recommending her to the protection of the guard. She thanked me a thousand times, and I think if we had been destined to go another stage, I should have known her history. Time, however, on all occasions despotic, is inexorable when armed with a mail coach horn, and I had only time to shake hands with the gentle being, slip a crown into the guard's palm to look well after her, ere the coach started, bearing her from my view for ever.I passed an agreeable few hours with my friend, enjoying his old claret and older stories, and then started to fulfil

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an engagement in Edinburgh. No sooner did I find myself once more at the door of the inn from whence the coach was to start, than the circumstance brought full on my memory the romantic occurrence of the previous day.

"I found myself a few minutes too early; and as I stood on the steps, shivering in the cold evening breeze, and pondering on the vicissitudes of a northern April day, I could not help asking the landlord, (a civil, oldfashioned Boniface), 'Pray sir, do you know any thing of the history of that nice decent-looking young woman who started from your house with me this morning for London ?'

"""Know, sir!' said he, as if in compassion for my ignorance. Ay, that I do! and so does all Berwick, and it would be well if all England and Scotland knew it too. If ever there was a kind heart and a pretty face in Berwick bounds, it's surely Mary Fenwick's!

"It's rather a long story though, sir, and the horses are just coming round; but I'm thinking there is one goes with you as far as Haddington, that won't want pressing to give you the outs and ins on't.' So saying, he pointed to a stout grazier-looking personage, in a thick great-coat and worsted comforter, who, by his open countenance and manly yeoman-like bearing, might have been own brother to Dandie Dinmont himself. This gentleman,' said the landlord, with a respectful glance at myself, and a familiar nod to the Borderer, (a substantial wool-stapler in Berwick, but passing in quest of his pastoral commodity half his life among the neighbouring farms,) wishes to hear all about Mary Fenwick. You've known her from the egg, I may say; and been in court yourself on the trial yesterday; so you'll be able to give it him to his heart's content.'

"The last words were drowned in the rattle of the advancing coach,-in jumped I, and in clambered the Borderer; reconciled to the durance of an inside berth by the sharp east-wind, and the pleasure of talking of Mary Fenwick.

"Having explained, for the sake of propriety, that my interest in the damsel arose from the singular circumstance of one so young, and apparently inexperienced, travelling above six hundred miles, to pass one day in Ber

wick, my portly vis-a-vis civilly begged my pardon, and assured me that no one there felt the least uneasiness on the score of Mary's journey.-'There's a blessing on her errand, sir, and that the very stones on the road know; and, besides, she's so staid and sensible, and has so much dignity about her, that she's as fit to go through the world as her grandmother.'

"To all this I assented the more readily, that this very dignity had made me forego all inquiry into what I wished so much to know; and even now I listened to it with all the more satisfaction for the hint she had thrown out, as if of regret, for not having told me herself. 'Does she belong to this place,' asked I, that you seem to know her so well?'

"Yes, sir; born and bred in Berwick bounds. She was a farmer's daughter, a mile out of town, and just what a farmer's daughter should be.Her mother, a clever notable woman, taught her to bake and brew, and knit and sew; in short, every thing that many girls in her station are now too fine to do. They think these good old-fashioned things make them ungenteel, but they never made Mary Fenwick so; for am sure, sir, but for her suitable dress and simple manner, you might have taken her for a lady.

"Well! Mary came often in her father's little cart to market, to sell her butter and eggs, (we've a great trade in eggs here, you know, sir); and somehow or other, she fell in with a young man of our town, a merchant's clerk, who was taken with her good looks, and cared for very little else.His old father, however, (the old man who put Mary in the coach this morning), made many inquiries about his son's sweetheart; and as he heard nothing but good of her, he had the sense to see, that though one of a large hard-working family, she would be the very wife to reclaim his gay, idle, thoughtless son, if any thing would.

"And very idle and extravagant he was, sir! The only son of people well to do in the world, and a good deal spoilt from a child, he neglected his business whenever he could, and loved dress, and company, and horseracing, and all that, far too well. But he really loved Mary Fenwick; and no sooner saw that she would not so much as listen to him while all this went on, than he quite left off all his

wild courses, and became a new man, to gain her favour.

It was not done in a hurry; for Mary had been brought up very piously, and had a horror for every thing evil. But Dick Mansel was very clever, as well as handsome; and when he pleased, could make one believe any thing; and really, to give him his due, as long as he had any doubts of Mary's love, no saint could behave better. At last, however, he fairly gained her innocent heart; though I believe it was as much by the aid of his good father and mother's constant praises of himself, and doating fondness for Mary, as by his own winning ways.

When he saw she loved him, and it was not by halves, though in her own gentle way, he wanted to marry her immediately; and Mary's father would have consented, for it was a capital match for his portionless girl. But Mary said, 'Richard, you have kept free of cards, and dice, and folly, one half year, to gain your own wishes; let me see you do it another, to make my mind easy, and then I'll trust you till death divides us.' Dick stormed, and got into a passion, and swore she did not love him; but she answered, 'It is just because I do, that I wish to give you a habit of goodness before you are your own master and mine.Surely it is no hardship to be for six months, what you intend to be all the rest of your life?'

"Richard was forced to submit; and for three of the six months behaved better than ever. But habit, as Mary said, is every thing; and his had for years set the wrong way. With the summer came fairs, and idleness, and junkettings, and, worst of all, races, into the neighbourhood. Dick first staid away with a bad grace; then went, just to shew how well he could behave; and ended by losing his money, and getting into scrapes, just as bad as

ever.

"For a time he was much ashamed, and felt real sorrow; and feared Mary would never forgive him. But when she did so, sweet gentle soul! once or twice, (though her pale face was reproach enough to any man) he began to get hardened, and to laugh at what he called her pensiveness. Mary was twenty times near giving him up; but his parents hung about her, and told her she only could save him from perdition; and, in truth, she thought so herself; and this, joined to the love for him, which was all the deeper for

its slow growth, made her still ready to risk her own welfare for his.

"It is not to be told how much she bore of idleness, extravagance, and folly,-for vice was never as yet laid to his door,-in the hopes that when these wild days were past, Richard would settle again into a sober man of business. At last, however, to crown all, there came players to the town; and Dick was not to be kept from either before or behind the curtain. He fell in with a gay madain of an actress, very shewv to be sure, but no more to be compared with Mary Fenwick than a flaring crockery jug to my best China punchbowl. She persuaded him, that to marry a poor farmer's daughter was quite beneath him; and to be kept in awe by her, more contemptible still.So, to make a long story short, sir, Dick, after trying in vain to force his poor heart-broken Mary to give him up, (that he might lay his ruin at her door) had the cruelty to tell her one night, as he met her going home to her father's from nursing his own sick mother, that he saw she was not a fit match for him, either in birth or breeding; and that if ever he married, it should be a wife of more liberal ways of thinking!

"He had been drinking a good deal, it is true, and was put up to this base conduct by his stage favourite ; but when he found, that instead of a storm of reproaches, or even a flood of tears, poor Mary only stood pale, and shaking, and kept saying, 'Poor Richard! poor, poor Richard!' he grew sobered, and would fain have softened matters a little. But she summoned all her strength, and ran till she came to her father's gate; and two days after, when the old Mansels drove out in a post-chaise, to try and make it all up, and get their son put once more upon his trial, Mary was off-her parents would not tell whither.'

"And where did she go?' asked I, for the first time venturing to interrupt the honest Berwicker's con amore narration. 'It came out, sir, afterwards, that an uncle in London had formerly invited her to come up and visit him; and now that her engagement was so sadly broken off, she told her parents it would save her much misery to leave home for a while, and even go to service, to keep out of the way till Dick Mansel should be married. Or hanged cried her father, in his passion, (as he afterwards acknowledged), little thinking how near it was being

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