vexation, had spent 14 years, he was put out by Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, who restored their ancient customs to them. To him they ascribed such worship, as also to his father, yet they changed the name of their judge to that of the priest of the gods that saved them, calling the year after his name, and adding two tribes to the ten when the senate consisted of six hundred; before, only 500. But when Cassander had overthrown the son and the father, such were the ingratitude and levity of the Athenians, that they forbad Demetrius to approach near the city. After this, Lacharis played the tyrant, and was expelled by Demetrius, whom they utterly cast off, re-assuming the title archon, a judge. Gonatus succeeded to his death, who in the 19th year of his reign, put in presidiary soldiers to the city, which 10 years after he took out. The Macedonians still kept some of the Athenians' forces in this space. Aratus rescued the city out of the hands of Gonatus and Doson, and made it stand till Philip shook its foundation; but he was expelled by the Romans, who took the Athenians into league with a maintaining of their ancient right; so they remained till the war between Mithridates and the Romans. After the siege by Sylla, the city was ransacked by the Goths, who when they had heaped innumerable books to burn, were dehorted by this reason, "That the Greeks spending their time in reading them, might be made more unfit for war." Constantine held the city in such high esteem as to take upon himself the title of the Grand Duke,-hence, subsequently, the Duke of Athens.

J. R. P.

Notices of New Books.

An Outline of English History, pp. III. By H. Ince. London: James Gilbert; and Batcheller, Dovor. An extremely cheap, clever, and valuable compendium of our annals from the earliest period to the present time, arranged upon a plan remarkable for novelty and perspicuity. This is one of those works, although avowedly designed for the rising generation, which must prove equally serviceable to the adult; especially to those who lack leisure to consult the mass of voluminous works, from which the vast body of condensed information here given has been obtained.

We observe by an advertisement,

that the ingenious author is preparing a second work for the use of schools. The field is open to him; for, notwithstanding the many improvements that have lately been effected in school literature, much remains to be done. Mr. Ince has displayed considerable tact in the arrangement of his materials, and we heartily wish him suc

cess.

Britain's Historical Drama; a Series of National Tragedies, descriptive of the Manners, Customs, and Religious Institutions of early eras in Britain. By J. F. Pennie, 8vo. pp. 547. London: S. Maunder.

The talented author of these dramas, had prepared us in his Epic Poems of the Royal Minstrel and Rogvald, to expect a work of considerable merit and research, but he has exceeded our expectations. The tragedies which compose this volume are four in number, being the first of a series, which, if continued down the stream of history, will not only be a collection of unique illustrations of the annals of our country, but also form such a production in its nature and designs, as no other country has ever yet produced; and, consequently, well worthy to be entitled a truly national work. At the same time, we would apprize our numerous readers, that though the volume before us is only a portion of an intended series, it is a work perfect in itself, and each tragedy might have been published in a separate part.

Our limits will not permit us to analyze this work; we shall, therefore, merely state the names of the pieces as placed in the volume. The first is entitled "Arixina," the era that of the second invasion of Britain by Cæsar. The second, "Edwin and Elgiva,' whose barbarous treatment by Odo, Archbishop of Canterbury, is forcibly portrayed. The third, "The Imperial Pirate," a portion of our history highly interesting, and new to general readers. The fourth and last, "The Dragon King," the subject of which is the triumph of Cerdic over Arthur, and the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon empire in this island.

The subjects are, most of them, new in poetry and the drama. There is an intense interest running through all of them, which never flags from the first scene to the denouement.

We shall not notice minor defects, as it is much more pleasant to praise than to condemn. Indeed, it would

be impossible, with any degree of justice, not to applaud as a whole, this meritorious volume. The diction, in general, is highly poetical, and often sublime, as the selection given in ano. ther part of our sheet will fully prove. But there is a charm about these pieces even beyond all this which we admire. It is the racy and faithful picture of the age and people in which the scenes are placed. In this, the author, as a Dramatist, has no rival. The manners and customs of antiquity pass as in a moving diorama before us, and we see the great actors of other ages in the drama of their day, embodied as in a glass, with all the truth and research of a Sir Walter Scott.

The Note Book.

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

FIGHTING FOR FRIENDSHIP. — The laws of honour are so imperative as to render them in many cases extremely painful. We think there are few of our readers, on perusing the following anecdote, but will coincide with us in our opinion, in this instance at least: -The Tiger frigate, commanded by Captain Harman, lying in the port of Cadiz, at the same time that a Dutch squadron was there, De Witte, a captain of one of the Dutch frigates, was particularly intimate with Captain Harman, which made the Spaniards insinuate that he dared not fight the English frigate. Evertzen, the Dutch admiral, on hearing this report, told De Witte that he must challenge the English captain to go to sea and fight him with sixty seamen and seventy soldiers Captain Harman readily accepted his proposal; and on a day fixed both ships stood to sea, and began to engage within pistol shot of each other. In a short time the Dutch ship's mainmast was shot away. Capt. Harman availed himself of the confusion into which this disaster had thrown the enemy, boarded, and compelled him to surrender, with the loss of one hundred and forty men. The English had nine men killed, and fifteen wounded; among this number was Captain Harman, who received a shot which went in at his left eye, and came out between the ear and jaw-bone. He was perfectly cured of this wound, and lived several years

after.

THE CORRECT LIKENESS.-The following anecdote of difference of opinion. between a lady and her husband,

may not be unamusing to our readers: -"Mr. Jervas (the friend of Pope) once drew a picture of a lady of quality, who returned it on his hands, as not thinking it so handsome as she herself was, and he painted another portrait for her, with which she was exceedingly pleased, for it was very beautiful. Mr. Jervas confessed, that except the colour of the hair, and a few reiterations (that there might be, though ever so distant, some resemblance) he had taken it from one of his own pictures of the Duchess of Bridgewater, one of the Duke of Marlborough's daughters, and esteemed at that time a finished beauty. A little while after, the first-mentioned lady dying, her husband being desirous to have a true likeness, purchased that first painted by Jervas, and gave him ten guineas more than the Countess was to have given him."

ACT FOR SAVING FLESH VICTUAL.—

In the fifth of Queen Elizabeth (1563) an act was passed "for the better saving flesh victual, by ordering every Wednesday to be a fish day, unless in cases of sickness." In the parish register of Eynesbury, a village in Huntingdonshire, there is an entry illustrating this curious act of Elizabeth :-"John Burton, being very sycke, was licensed to eat flesh for the tyme of his sickness, so that he enjoying the benefit of the licence, and his sickness continuing eight dayes, do cause the same to be regystered into the register-book; and this licence noe longer to endure than his sickness doth last, by me, William Samuell, parson of Eynesbury." This entry occurs under the date of 1568, five years after the passing of the act.

A FATAL INFECTION.-The parish register of Ramsey records, that Major William Cromwell (a cousin of the Protector) died of the plague, on the 23d of February, 1660, and that he caught the infection by wearing a coat, the cloth of which came from London. It adds, "the tailor that made the coat, with all his family, died of the same terrible disorder, as did no less than four hundred people, in Ramsey, and all owing to this fatal coat."

RICHARD CROMWELL.-In his first speech to his Parliament, Richard Cromwell thus beautifully touches upon his father's death:-"He died full of days, spent in sore and great travel, yet his eyes were not waxed dim, neither was his natural strength abated; as it was said of Moses, he was serviceable even unto the last. As to these nations

fant was carried, from the bosom of its mother, to the flames, which terminated its life. While they were performing these horrid rites, the drums and trumpets sounded without intermission, that the cries of the miserable victims might not be heard, or distinguished by their friends; it being accounted very ominous if the lamentations of either children or parents were distinctly heard while the victim was burning.

Note to Pennie's National Tragedies.

Anecdotiana.

ELEGANT COMPLIMENT.-A certain lady, celebrated for her virtue and rectitude of manners, and who was considered in her youth one of the handsomest women of quality, took Mr. Pope to task about his "Epistle on the Characters of Women," pointing out several places satirical enough, about which he excused himself with saying, that there were women (though happily unknown to her Ladyship) of such cha racters, and by that means thought to get off from a rebuke he knew she would give him, if she could fix any thing on him. At last, she said, "Mr. Pope, you say here,

rity of his person, and not to walk among the people without arms or any one to defend him, he always replied to these admonitions: "He that lives in fear of death, every moment feels its tortures; I will die but once."

NAT LEE. This dramatist was so pathetic a reader of dramatic poetry, that while he was reciting one of his own plays in the green-room, to Major Mohun, the latter, in the warmth of his admiration, threw away the part, and exclaimed," To what purpose can I undertake this character, if I am not able to play it as well as you read it?"

WHIG AND TORY.-Jacob Tonson, Dryden's bookseller, was a whig, while the poet was a jacobite. When Dryden had nearly completed his translation of Virgil, it was the bookseller's wish, and that of several of Dryden's friends, that the book should be dedicated to King William. This, however, the poet strenuously refused. The bookseller, however, who had as much veneration for William, as Dryden had for James, finding he could not have the dedication he wished, contrived, on re-touching the plate, to have Æneas delineated with a hooked nose, that he might resemble his favourite prince. This ingenious device of Ton

Do you think, Sir, that I am, or ever have been, a rake in my heart? If not, you will find I make no question you have abused a great many women more besides me; this accusation is quite general, therefore I now acquit myself, and prove the guilt of falsehood upon you."

To this Mr. Pope immediately replied, "I should think very ill of myself if I had in thought abused your Ladyship. No, Madam, I must entreat of you to observe, that I only say

'But every WOMAN is at heart a rake.'

This no ways affects your Ladyship, who were an angel when you were young, and now, advancing in life, are almost already become a saint."

HEROISM OF GENERAL WOLFE. When the brave Wolfe received his death-wound on the heights of Quebec, his principal care was that he should not be seen to fall. "Support me," said he, to such as were near him, "let not my brave soldiers see me drop; the day is ours. Oh! keep it," and with these words he expired.

CESAR'S FEARLESSNESS.-When the mighty conqueror was advised by his friends to be more cautious of the secu

following epigram in the next edition of his Virgil:

'd

"Old Jacob, by deep judgment sway
To please the wise beholders,
Has plac'd old Nassau's hook-nos'd head
On poor Æneas' shoulders.
To make the parallel tack,

Methinks there's little lacking,
One took his father pick-a-back,

And t'other sent him packing." FIRE FROM HEAVEN.-Pliny speaks of a process by which Porsenna caused fire from the heavens to fall upon a monster who ravaged the country. He mentions also, that Numa Pompilius and Tullius Hostilius, practised certain mysterious rites to call down the fire from heaven. What these mysterious rites were, it is not worth inquiring; the simple fact which was concealed under them is sufficiently manifest.Tullius, because he omitted some pre scribed ceremonies, is said to have been struck with thunder.

CATHOLIC DOG. -The following anecdote is related by Mr. Southey, the truth of it having fallen within his own knowledge. A dog, which had belonged to an Irishman, and was sold by him in England, would never touch a

The

morsel of food on a Friday. Irishman had made him as good a Catholic as himself. This dog never forsook the sick bed of his master, and when he was dead, refused to eat, and died also.

Saturday, Jan. 21.

St. Agnes Virgin and Mar. A.D. 304. Sun rises 45m. aft. 7-Sets 15m. aft. 4. Our saint was a Roman virgin, who suffered martyrdom in the tenth persecution of the Emperor Dioclesian, in the year 306. The images of this saint are represented with a lamb, in consequence of the appearance of a white lamb by her side, in the vision of her, which was presented to her parents after her death.

In the "Missale ad usum sacrum," we find the following notice of St. Agnes:--Haec est Virgo sapiens quam Dominus vigilantem invenit.

VERSES ON ST. AGNES' SHRINE.
Where each pretty Balamb most gayly appears,
With ribands stuck round on its tail and its ears,
On gold-fringed cushions they're stretched out to
eat,

And piously ba, and to church musick bleat;
Yet to me they seem crying, alack, and alas!
What's all this white damask to daisies and grass!
Then they're brought to the Pope, and with tran
sport they're kissed,

And receive consecration from sanctity's fist;
To chaste nuns he consigns them, instead of their
dams,

And orders the friars to keep them from rams.

Sunday, Jan. 22.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. Lessons for the Day, 25 chap. Isaiah, Morn. 26 chap. Isaiah, Even.

During the mild weather of winter slugs are in constant motion, preying on plants and green wheat. Their coverings of slime prevents the escape of animal heat, and hence they are enabled to ravage, when their brethren of the shell are obliged to lie dormant. Earth-worms likewise appear about this time; but let not the man

of nice order be too precipitate in destroying them-they are the under-gardeners that loosen the sub-soil, and have their uses in conveying away superfluous moisture, and admitting a supply of air to the roots uf plants.

Monday, Jan. 23.

St. Clement of Aneyra, High Water 17m. aft. 6 Mor.-40m. aft. 6 aftern. 1556, Jan. 23. Origin of Lotteries in England.The first lottery was drawn in England; it consisted of 40,000 lots, at ten shillings each lot; the prizes were plate, and the profits were to go towards repairing the several havens of the kingdom. It was drawn at the west door of St. Paul's Cathedral; the drawing began on the 23d of January, 1569, and continued drawing till the 12th of May following. There were only three lottery-offices in London. The proposals for this lottery were published in the years 1567 and 1568.

In the reign of Queen Anne, it was thought necessary to suppress lotteries, as a great nuisance to the public.

Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The Eve of St. Paul.

Moon's Last Quarter, 3m. aft. 5 Morn. The following lines relate to the sort of scenes and weather which sometimes prevail on the Vigil of St. Paul :

ON ST. PAUL'S EVE. Winter's white shroud doth cover all the grounde, And Caecias blows his bitter blaste of woe; The pondes, and pooles, and streams, in ice are bounde,

And famished birds are shivering in the snowe. Still round about the house they flitting goe,

And at the windows seek for scraps of foode, Which Charity with hand profuse doth throwe, Right weeting that in need of it they stoode, For charity is shown by working creatures' goode.

The Sparrow past, the Chaffinche gay and cleane, The Redbreast welcome to the cotter's house, The livelie blue Tomtit, the Oxeye green,

The Dingie Dunnock, and swart Colemouse; The Titmouse of the marsh, the nimble Wrenne, The Bullfinch and the Goldspink, with the king

Of birds, the Goldcrest. The Thrush, now and then,

The Blackbird, wont to whistle in the Spring, Like Christians seek the heavenlie food St. Paule doth bring.

Jan. 24, 476.-Death of Gonseric, King of the Vandals, who conquered Africa from the Romans, and pillaged the City of Rome.

No 5 of the Tales of the Bureau de Police,