the men. "Deten sus pasos inciertos, Stop, all hours, therefore, I might see some going to ties for finer purposes, if it could enter them at the back of the arcade is an immense wall of mass, and others filling their pitchers at the the same price as Swedish iron; but this is im-brickwork, in which there are four rows of fountain. The Biscayan deserves the character possible, both on account of the expense of fuel spaces for coffins, the opening one yard square, of strength that has been given to him; and for furnaces, and the want of inland naviga- and six feet and a half long; into this the the contrast between the Biscayan and the tion. Timber is not scarce in the province of coffin is deposited; the spaces which are not Andalusian peasant, who inhabit the two ex- Biscay; but there is an old Biscayan law which occupied are slightly closed up; and a ring in tremes of Spain, is remarkable: the latter, tends to keep up its price, enacting that for the centre shews that they are vacant. When dark, tall, upright, slim, with something of every tree cut down, six must be planted in its a coffin is deposited, the opening is built up elegance in his appearance, and the look of stead; this is often felt to be an inconvenience, with brick and lime, and a stone, or marble pride generally visible in his air and counte- and produces scarcity in the midst of plenty. slab, fitted into it, records the name of the nance, seeming to have some reference to his I was informed that two or three houses in buried. The cemetery is fitted to receive personal attractions; the Biscayan, broad, Bilbao realise from 2 to 3000l. a year; but I 3000 dead, a great number for so small a athletic, lounging, with something of peculiar believe I may assert that no one spends 3007. space; and the area beyond the arcade is roughness in his look and manner, and his It is difficult to spend money in Bilbao: in no tastefully laid out as a garden and shrubbery. expression of blunt independence, having no part of Spain, least of all in Biscay, is it the Besides the inscription I have noted down, reference to himself individually, but arising custom to live extravagantly or luxuriously. there are several others that struck me as from the knowledge that he is a Biscayan, and, The table of a Biscayan is remarkable for its being beautiful and well chosen. The fol as such, the hereditary possessor of peculiar simplicity and sameness: of whatever rank lowing particularly, over the inner-gate, is and exclusive rights. Such seemed to me the he may be, he takes his cup of chocolate and striking :Biscayan peasant, whether he filled his pitcher bread, followed by a glass of sugar and at the fountain, or entered St. Nicholas to water, about eight o'clock; he dines about mass. As for the women, I do not feel myself one, and six days out of seven, his dinner obliged to use the same reserve in speaking of consists of broth, and a puchero, which is Which may be freely translated: them as of the women of Vittoria; because the boiled beef, with a small bit of pork, sur- thoughtless wanderer! and reflect,-this gate inhabitants of Biscay being a distinct race, my rounded either by cabbage, or Spanish peas separates the dead from the living.' In return opinion of them does not compromise the cha- (garbanzos), and varied occasionally with a ing from the cemetery to the town, I made a racter and claims of Spanish women generally. sausage; a cup of chocolate again in the after-long circuit, visiting in my way the Iglesia de I saw little beauty in Bilbao, and less elegance; noon, and for supper boiled lettuce prepared Bigona, a church which takes its name from a and in the manner of the women I remarked with vinegar, oil, and pepper, finish the re- miraculous image of our Lady of Bigoña, dethe same bluntness as that which characterises pasts of the day. The ménage at home, there- posited in it, and looked upon with extraordi But along with Biscayan bluntness, fore, costs but a trifling sum; and neither does nary veneration by the lower orders in Bilbao. there is much good-heartedness and honesty, the Biscayan spend any thing upon enter "Before the service began, the officiating and a great deal of intelligence; and even the taining his friends: not that he is unsocial; priest shewed me the sacristy, and a head of John pride of a Biscayan has given rise to much of he is social according to the custom of his the Baptist in wood a very clever performance, the industry and enterprise which in the pro- country. During the winter, a circle of six, by a native artist; and I afterwards waited in vince of Biscay are so conspicuous in the culti- eight, or ten families form themselves into a the church long enough to see the curtain withvation of the soil, in the construction of useful society, and agree to visit each other; each drawn, and the prostrations of three or four works, and in the establishment of praiseworthy chooses a week, and during each week the hundred devotees. There is a small foundainstitutions. Many of the inhabitants of Bis- circle assembles every evening at the same tion left to this church, for a curious purpose. cay in the upper classes have made voyages into house; they take chocolate before going out, The curate must go to the gate of the church other countries, and have returned with dimi- and sup when they return; the entertainment at the commencement of every thunder-storm, nished prejudices, and increased liberality of sen- is entirely intellectual; music, cards, and say a certain prayer, and sprinkle the sky timent; and the consequence of this has been, dancing, fill up the evening. Upon one occa- with holy water. It appears, however, that that among the educated, and better classes of sion only does the circle eat together: all the the virtue of the water, as well as the water society, there is little narrowness in political money lost and won at cards is made a purse, itself, has been sometimes dissipated before sentiment, and little bigotry in religion. I and is confided to one of the party; and during reaching the clouds; for the church_tower heard several of the most respectable inhabitants the summer it is converted into a dinner in has been twice struck by lightning. In the of Bilbao express openly much dissatisfaction at the country, of which all the members of the course of my walk, I learned a curious fact, the political debasement of Spain, and breathe circle partake. There are no public amuse- illustrating strongly the mixture of pride and ardent wishes for the diffusion of intellectual ments in Bilbao, excepting occasional bull-generosity which is often found in the Spaand religious light; but they added, what my fights. Two attempts to establish a theatre nish character. The corporation being desirown knowledge has since fully confirmed, that have failed; a handsome stone theatre, erected ous of conducting an aqueduct and a road to I should not find in any other part of Spain, some years ago, was burnt down not long after Bilbao from a mountain about a league disthe same enlightened views as I had found in it was erected; and there was strong reason to tant, applied to the proprietor (a grandee of Biscay. Among the lower orders in Bilbao, believe that the conflagration was wilful, and Spain) to purchase the land through which and in Biscay generally, there is still much that the friars were at the bottom of it: these were to be carried. He refused to sell bigotry both in politics and religion, but more another theatre, constructed of wood, was sub-it; but said, that if the corporation would especially in the latter during the existence sequently opened; but after a very short time petition him for a grant of the land, he would of the constitution, the prejudices of the lower it was pulled down by order of the public au- make them a present of it: they, however, ranks made it necessary to affix in large letters thorities; and this was also generally believed wanted no favour, and would not condescend over the doors of all the churches, and attested to have been owing to the interference of the to this; but supposing that the proprietor by the existing authorities, these important friars. Among the first days of my would be prevailed upon to sell, they comwords, The Roman Catholic is the only true residence in Bilbao, I visited the new cemetery, menced, and at length nearly finished the religion.' In Biscay there are not many poor, the model of which is worthy of being adopted work. The grandee, offended at this insonor many rich. Formerly Bilbao contained in other places. This Campo Santo has been lence, applied to the king for an order to demany wealthy citizens; but the export trade enclosed in consequence of a quarrel between molish the work, and obtained it; but just in wool was then flourishing. At that time the the Franciscan Convent and the Chapter of in time to prevent this, the corporation peticlearances were more than double their present Bilbao, respecting the dues of burial, in a place tioned the grandee, and the order was not only number; but ever since the preference of to which both claimed right; and the corpora- rescinded, but the grant of the land was com Saxon wool has begun to be shewn in the tion completed the new cemetery, at an ex-pleted. The water conveyed in this aqueduct foreign markets, the trade of Bilbao has de- pense of not less than 30,000l. The gateway forms a reservoir at the entrance of the town clined, and now, not more than between thirty is beautiful and chaste, with this appropriate for a useful and rather a novel purpose: by and forty British vessels visit Bilbao in the inscription over it: course of a year. Some few houses in Bilbao have still considerable returns from the fish trade, and one or two from the iron export trade; but this has also fallen off, since the demand for Swedish iron has increased. Bis- The design of the Campo Santo is this: a cayan iron would still command a preference square area of about six acres is surrounded by "Cada Paso, que vais dando opening a sluice, seven of the lowest streets in the town are inundated; this is done every week during the summer heats, and is doubtless very useful in carrying away impurities. I walked through one of the lowest of the streets an hour before, and an hour after the purification; and the difference in smell, freshin the foreign markets, from its superior quali-a covered arcade, supported by Doric columns;ness, and coolness, was most striking." [Second notice.] We purpose continuing our remarks on this notices and anecdotes of him, Spenser, Jonson, of the which, the whiche thay must make excellent publication. Marston, and other distinguished authors of recknyng, and soe furthe much more to that the time. It occupied me some years to go effecte. And thene he loked to the king, and Collier's Annals of the Stage. 3 vols, Murray. through the voluminous collections in the saide he was not the king of Scotland, for Museum, but I never had occasion to regret there was an other king in Scotlande, that the mispending of a single hour so employed." hanged John Armestrong with his fellowes, In our last Number we briefly announced and characterised this work, with which, on far-vestigation, Mr. Collier says:Of our national drama itself, after all his in- and Sym the larde and many other moe, which had pacified the countrey and stanched thifte; ther acquaintance, we are not less disposed to "It was, in truth, created by no one man, but he had lefte one thing undon, which perbe exceedingly well pleased. The mass of and in no one age; and whatever improvements teyned aswell to his charge as thother. And antiquarian research and lore which it contains, Shakespeare introduced, it will be seen that whene he was asked what that was, he made a may not, it is true, come under the denomina- when he began to write for the theatre, our longe narracion of the oppression of the poor tion of light reading; on the contrary, solid romantic drama was completely formed and by the taking of the corse presaunte beists, and information is the best term to apply to those firmly established." of the herying of poor men by concistorye lawe, portions; and for more general amusement we Mr. Collier commences with the miracle plays, and of many other abussions of the spiritualtie must content to seek in the anecdotes and enacted so early as the beginning of the 12th and churche, with many longe stories and stories which increase in frequency as the narrative descends the stream of time. But our pro-ments relating to them, with which, however, rebuked hym, saying it offered not to hym to Thene the busshope roise, and century; and quotes very many curious docu- auctorities. mise was to illustrate it from its own resources, we shall not attempt to interest our readers. speake suche matiers, commaunding hym sciand not to dissertate upon Mr. Collier's very These strange representations continued for lence, or ells to suffer dethe for it by thayr lawe. interesting production; and, though we can do ages; and "one of the earliest indications of Therafter roise the man of armes, alledginge so only faintly, where the mass of matter is so the existence of any thing like a classical taste, the contrarie, and commaunded the poor men great, we now proceed to acquit ourselves of in matters connected with the stage in England, to speake, saying thayr abusion had been over the pledge::is to be noticed under the date of 1520, when longe suffered without any lawe. Thene the "It seemed to me (says the author, unfold- four French hostages had been left in this poore man shewed the great abusion of busing his plan), that the dramatic poetry of this country formed of itself a department so im- country, for the performance of the treaty shopes, preletts, abbotts, reving menes wifes portant and interesting, as to demand to be relating to the surrender of Tournay. For and doughters, and holding thaym; and of the their entertainment, the king prepared a maynteynyng of thair childer, and of thair separately and systematically examined. For disguising, and caused his great chamber at over bying of lords and barrons eldeste sones to England to possess the greatest dramatic poets Greenwich to be staged,' for the purpose: their doughters, wher thoroughe the nobilitie of the world, and to be without a history of according to Holinshed, among the perform- of the blode of the realme was degenerate. her dramatic poetry, seemed an extraordinary ances on this occasion, there was a goodly And of the greate superfluous rents that per“When I commenced my researches, nearly comedy of Plautus played.' As it was for the teyned to the churche by reason of over muche amusement of foreigners, the representation temporall lands geven to thaym, whiche thaye twenty years ago, I was discouraged on all was most probably in Latin, for we have no proved that the kinge might take boothe by the hands by those who imagined that Malone, trace of an English version of any of the plays canon lawe and civile lawe. And of the greate Steevens, Reed, and Chalmers, had exhausted of Plautus of so early a date. abomynable vices that reagne in clostures, and the subject, and that, in the harvest they had The interlude of Jack Jugler is our first extant of the common bordells that was keped in reaped, they had not left even gleanings be- dramatic production derived from Plautus; clostures of nunnes. All this was provit by hind them. Nevertheless, seeing how many but, as far as we can judge from internal Experience; and alsoe was shewed thoffice of a deficiencies remained to be supplied, I perse- evidence, it seems not to have been performed busshope, and producit the New Testament vered in the collection of materials. I obtained until the reign of Edward VI. The Andria with the auctorities to that effecte. And thene admission into the State Paper Department, of Terence was printed under the title of roise the man of armes, and the burges, and the Privy Council Office, and into the Chapter-Terens in Englysh,' as may be concluded did saye that all was producit by the poor man, House, Westminster, and I soon discovered in those depositories many valuable original docu- prior to 1530, and probably with the types of and Experience was reasonable, of veritie and John Rastall, but no printer's name nor date of great effecte, and very expedient to be reaments, throwing a fresh, clear, and strong light are appended." formede with the consent of the parliament. upon some of the most obscure parts of the hisWe are induced to our next extract by the And the busshope said he wolde not consent tory of our stage and drama. Among these remarkable matter in the programme or ana- therunto. The man of armes and burges saide were unopened patents to different companies lysis of an interlude by Sir D. Lyndsay, and thay were twoe and he bot one, wherfor thair of players, and original accounts of the royal played in Scotland. Change the date only, voice shuld have mooste effecte. Theraftre the revels from the early part of the reign of Henry and one might think it was a drama got up for king in the playe ratefied, approved, and con. VIII.; while the unexamined books of the do- the Reform Days in which we live, though it fermed all that was rehersed."" mestic expenses of our kings and nobility, from is just upon three hundred years old, viz. the reign of Edward IV. downwards, provided A.D. 1540. After the entry of a king with me with a great variety of novel and interesting his courtiers, &c.: solecism in letters. details. These sources of information had not It would appear that this piece was distinctly countenanced by James V.; and it shews how deeply the reformation was then spreading its "Therafter came a man armed in harnes roots in Scotland. Mighty princes of a fruitfull land, Us from all feare; thus with a bounteous hand been open to general search, and I was there- withe a sword drawen in his hande, a busshope, We now pass, in conclusion for the present, fore not much surprised to find that a great a burges man, and experience clade like a to the Diary alluded to in a preceding column. deal had escaped discovery; but when I came to examine the manuscripts in that great na- under the king. doctor, whoe sate thaym all down on the deis," It is written in a small, fair, and tolerably After thayme come a poor legible hand. A song to the queene in a tional receptacle, the British Museum, to which man, whoe did goe upe and downe the scaffald, maske at court, 1602,' is the first entry in this every body could easily obtain access, I was making a hevie complaynte that he was heryed diary; and it is inserted on the fly-leaf, in the astonished at the quantity of substantial materials which had remained there undetected. through the courtiours taking his fence in one following words: From the Burghley Papers scarcely a single where throughe he had stayled his house, his place, and alsoe his tacks in an other place, fact had been procured, although nearly every wif and childeren beggyng thair brede, and soe volume contained matters of importance; and of many thousand in Scotlande; which wolde the Harleian, Cottonian, and Royal MSS. had make the kyngs grace lose of men if his grace been only cursorily and hastily inspected. In stod neide, saying thair was no remedye to be these I met with letters from, and concerning, gotten, for though he wolde suyte to the kings our most notorious poets, the predecessors and contemporaries of Shakespeare; and in a diary, trouller nor treasourer, and without thaym he was naither acquaynted with conkept by an intelligent barrister, who lived while our great dramatist was in the zenith of myght noe man gete noe goodnes of the king. his popularity, I found original and authentic he was shewed to the man that was king in And after he spered for the king, and whene "To shew how little attention they had attracted, I the playe, he aunsuered and said he was noe need only mention, that among the Royal MSS. I found king, for there is but one king, whiche made two of Ben Jonson's Masks, in his own hand-writing, all, and governethe all, whoe is eternall, to no where noticed but in the catalogue, which is itself very whome he and all erthely kings ar but officers, imperfect." grace, Most gracious queene, we tender back Our lives as tributes due, Blessed goddess of our hopes increase, To make the death of war the rise of peace. No name is appended to this song, and it would Alcock's Travels in Russia, Persia, &c. WE resume, but to conclude, our extracts from begged the doctor to feel their pulses, and be lieved that he could inform them which of "If the reader happen to have seen the famous monastery of Megaspelia in the Morea, which is built under the side of a mounThe Diary proceeds: tain, in somewhat a similar manner, he is in "December 1602.. On Munday last the a condition to judge of Makoo, by imagining queen dyned at Sir Robert Cecils newe house something ten times more curious and more in the Strand: shee was very royally enter- appalling: nor is it competent for me othertained, and richely presented, and was marvel-wise to illustrate that which has no parallel, ous well contented; but at hir departure she and which seems to defy all description. Makoo in these parts as being of a very superior strayned her foote. His hall was well furnished with choise weapons, which her majestie tooke especiall notice of. Sundry devises at hir entrance three women, a maid, a widow, and a wife, cache contending [for] their owne states, but the virgin preferred. Another-on [one] attired in habit of a Turke, desyrous to see hir, enterd; but as a stranger without hope of such grace, in regard of the retired manner of hir cort-complained-answere made and sone gracious, her majestie in admitting to presence, and sone able to discourse in anie language, which the Turke admired; and admitted, pre sents hir with a riche mantle,' &c. * The whole seems to have been a silly piece of masquerading to gratify the vanity of Eliza beth.' * . We them was most courageous, and would fight the best. Every individual in the establishment, even the servants, had complaints, and wished for medicine, which, however, they were afraid to take when prepared. The wives and children fancied themselves ill, and the harem was opened to our fortunate companion; he took the interpreter with him, who was desired to shut his eyes, but the husband gave the doctor permission to peep if he liked." "After a long conversation with the prince, we visited the stud of horses, greatly renowned lies about midway between Erivan and Hoey breed. They are derived from two celebrated we had left the road to Tabreez to the east, and Arab horses deposited here by Jafer Kouli having passed along the foot of a line of mounKhan, once governor of Hoey, who fled to tain for some miles, we at length came to a Russia about twenty years ago; but this is the narrow defile, which seemed as if intended to only district in the north of Persia where this display to the best effect the wonderful coup race has not degenerated. Shortly afterwards d'ail that is presented on entering the valley we were informed dinner was ready, and we at the base of the great cavern. This singular were again summoned to the state rooms. Lest place is the residence of an independent chief, the reader should fancy such a state room conwho is so jealous of Russia and all his neigh-tains much handsome furniture, it may be well bours, that no European, excepting the English to explain, that a very pretty carpet, which is officer through whose kindness we were intromost studiously kept clean, serves as a substiduced, had ever been received by him. tute for the tables, the sofas, and the chairs of had the advantage of being invited to pass two days there, and at the same time that we had Europe. The prince, his brothers, and friends, an opportunity of seeing one of the most curious sat on one side of the room, and our Frank towns perhaps in the world, by reason of its party opposite to them. The dinner consisted of a pillaw, with partridge, some balls of forced position, we were not a little glad to observe meat wrapped in vine leaves, called giaprakia, the mode of life of Persians, however much we and little bits of mutton roasted on a skewer might despise its sickening insipidity. For the of wood, called kibob, tolerably good, and sevewant of a better amusement, for it was in the ral basins of sherbet, (an oriental name for middle of winter, and the ground being covered lemonade), and the most delicately carved with snow, there was no temptation to go out wooden spoons were used, as silver utensils hawking, (a common sport in those countries), coming under the class of innovations, are we fired from the top of the khan's palace at forbidden. The Persians use their right hand the icicles hanging from the projecting cliff, though somewhat to the detriment of the build only to feed themselves with, and the dexterity with which they take rice between their ings on which they fell from their terrific height. thumb and forefinger, form it into a sort of The place is prepared for defence as much as little ball, and toss it into their mouth without people entirely ignorant of the art of war can touching any part of their beard, is most astorender it. There are considerable galleries eut nishing; one of my companions was inclined into the side of the mountain, which can only to try the same experiment, but scattered the be approached by rope ladders, of which they rice all over his face, and down his neckspeak with an air of mystery, insinuating that they consider them a sure defence against Pas-cloth, and was forced to recur to the more civilised practice of employing a spoon. Nothing kevitch and his hardy Cossacks. Soon after we November 21, 1602.-Jo. Marston, the arrived, the prince sent a message that he would can be more painful, as well as disagreeable, than sitting cross-legged on the floor, and being last Christmas, when he daunct with Alderman be happy to see us in his apartment. The ser- obliged to bend over in order to eat one's Mores wives daughter, a Spaniard borne, fell vants, who always remain in waiting at the endinner. Not less singular than the mode of into a stange commendation of hir witt and trance, begged us to take off our boots; my eating were the arrangements for sleeping: beauty. When he had done, she thought to companions were unwilling to comply with this pay him home, and told him she thought he request, and my inclination to conform to the the floor of the bed-room was laid for about was a poet. 'Tis true, said he : for poets feigne khan's eyes were very evidently directed to Khan. Very little preparation is required by customs of the country was overruled; the thirty persons; consisting of ourselves, our Frank servants, and the other visitors of the and lye; and so did I, when I commended your beauty, for you are exceeding foule. No other our feet as we entered, and he appeared dis- the Persian to lie down to rest; he throws off dramatic poets, or circumstances connected with pleased. He, however, soon began the usual his large loose robe, the shoes are always left the drama, are mentioned in this very curious compliments, saying, in the figurative language outside the room, his nightcap is the black collection of scraps: some matters that relate of Persia, that his house, his servants, all his lamb-skin, which on no occasion leaves the to other poets, I have subjoined in a note."* property, were ours; and began to ask a variety head, and he reposes without further ceremony, of questions, in the course of which he dis it "Feb. 2, 1601[2].-At our feast we had a play, called Twelve night, or what you will, much like the comedy of errors, or Menechmi in Plautus, but most like & neere to that in Italian called Inganni. A good practise in to make the steward believe his lady widdowe was in love with him, by counterfayting a letter, as from his lady, in generall termes telling him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing his gestures, inscribing his apparaile, &c,; and then when he came to practise, making him beleeve they tooke him to be mad.' At this date we may conclude with tolerable safety that Shakespeare's Twelfth Night had been recently brought out at the Blackfriars Theatre, and that its excellence and success had induced the managers of the Reader's Feast to select it for performance, as part of the enter tainments on that occasion. · ㄓ "The following anecdote respecting Spenser has covered that one of our party was a physician having first smoked his hookah. Among the never before been told on such good authority, although it has been long known by tradition. It is disbelieved by Mr. Todd in his Spenser, i. 67, edit. 1805. May 4, 1602.-When her majestie had given order that Spenser should have a reward for his poems, but Spenser could have nothing, he presented her with these verses Famous alive, & dead, here is the ods, : he immediately felt various ailments, for some visitors at the prince's was an unfortunate the government, and had had his eyes put out man who had held some appointment under as a punishment, for this is not uncommon among them. There is a story, almost too horrible to relate, that the town of Kermaun having rebelled, three pounds weight of eyes were ordered to be sent to the late king, Aga Mahomed Khan. We left Makoo particularly gra tified by our visit, and by a civility and kindness on the part of the prince and his brothers, which we could hardly have expected. He is necessarily suspicious of all strangers, and but The following does more credit to his adversary than to the king's man, that the K. shewed him great favours: that we were introduced to him under very Sir W. Raleigh, but not much to either favourable auspices, it would have been more probable that we had been confined in a dun-| Greek boat, we landed within six hours' dis- and subsequent times. For ourselves, we shall geon than received with hospitality and atten- tance of Brussa, a very pretty place, famous for only be competent to point out some of the more tion. its silks, which bear its name; for its natural curious phenomena-some of the things calcu"According to the doctrine inculcated by hot-water baths, perhaps the best in Turkey; lated to inspire general reflection; and now we Mahomet, the women in Persia are not only and as the place of exile of many noble Greek have but to add, that the whole scope of these excluded from all society, but go about so little families of the Fanar; and from having been volumes, offering an entirely New and very that a traveller might pass through the whole once the residence of the sultans, it contains striking System of Philosophy, is such as to country and not see a female face; as the Per- many of their tombs. The view from the top enforce the advantages of virtue and righteoussians are, perhaps, even more jealous than the of the Olympus, at the foot of which Brussa ness in our present state, and offer a bright Turks. The Armenian and other Christian lies, is most extensive; the Sea of Marmara, hope of the blissful enjoyment of soul (no women living amongst them, are obliged to the Bosphorus, the Black Sea, Scutari, and longer individualised) in the world to come. conform to Mahometan law in this respect, Constantinople, were at once presented to our We regret to say, that a very limited numand cover their faces, and wrap up their figures sight, and formed a grand and enchanting ber of this work has been printed; and that not in a large sort of domino or feradgee, in the spectacle. When we were nearly at the sum- a copy is to be obtained by the public. same manner as the native women, or they mit, we were much amused by the ridiculous would be insulted. So naturalised are the Chris- manner in which an immense black bear, on The Modern Hudibras. In two Cantos. 12mo. tians to this custom, that it was the cause of a being frightened, ran down from the top of pp. 51. London, 1831. Murray. great disappointment to us upon one occasion. a mountain at a desperate rate; making a A POLITICAL squib, for which we are, we beAn Italian doctor, who had been lately mar-traineau of his hind legs, he slid down most lieve, indebted to Mr. Bankes, chiefly applying ried to an Armenian, was polite enough to commodiously, and although passing quite near, to the reform question and its advocates and endeavour to induce his bride to uncover her shewed no disposition to attack us. At another friends. We have seen more happy efforts at face for our curiosity and amusement; but his moment we had doubts as to the safety of one wit, but there are some fair anti-reform touches best efforts to persuade her it would not be im- of our party, who had quitted us in order to in these pages. proper were in vain: the lady even smoked a satisfy his ambition to attain the very point of kaliaun (the Persian hookah) whilst we were the mountain: we were sitting patiently awaitin company with her, but kept it under her ing his return, when he hallooed lustily to us, veil; it was altogether a most ludicrous scene: and we immediately perceived him running as in vain we told her that it was unfair she if for his life, and another huge bear close to should have the opportunity of seeing us him, whom he had roused by approaching his through the little holes of her dress, and that den; the fear, however, was perfectly reciprowe could not be permitted the advantage of cal, for the frightened animal took to his heels; seeing her, even with her husband's consent. and, indeed, we regarded it a fortunate cirShe felt it would be extremely indecent to shew cumstance for we were entirely unprepared her face; and we were obliged to satisfy our- for any combat, and had no weapon with us of selves with the assurance of her husband, that any description. The fascination of the evil she was not worth seeing, and the great proba- eye is a superstition well known to exist among bility that she would accidentally have dropped the Greeks: when we applied to see the silkaside her veil, if she had had any hopes of excit-worms, which are kept on an immense scale, ing our admiration. we were told they would die if we were alThe singular state of society among these lowed to look on them. Such is the infatuation people will be illustrated, perhaps, by another on this subject, that every crop in the field, trifling anecdote; for we were not a little every animal, the bread, the meat, all are proamused during a sumptuous entertainment vided with charms to avert the evil eye, lest given us by a rich Persian, near Hamudan, they should attract envy, and perish." having in the course of conversation asked our host how many children he had, to perceive him turn round to his servant for the necessary information." . Of the state of English trade at Constantinople a very unfavourable account is given. We ought to have quoted some of the valuable information respecting Greece, but our limits forbid ; and we now take our leave of a volume, which, from the pleasure it has afforded us, we cordially wish were in general circulation. An Essay on the Origin and Prospects of Man. The following displays the author's unfavour. able opinion of the "gentlemen of the press." "The other party to that bargain, On which the Israelite was arguing, All, alla sort of fourth estate, These Incas, or pronounce it Inkers, To such as neither write nor read." The Annals of my Village; being a Calendar I was sorry (says Mr. A.) to find that our principal export from England to the Turkish market (manufactured cotton) was of very inferior description to that of Switzerland and of France, and was only able to procure demand ALTOGETHER one of the most extraordinary at all from the inferiority of its price: we are productions of the age in which we live, this so completely surpassed by the Swiss in the posthumous work of the author of Anastasius is beauty and texture of cotton prints, and by the destined to excite the deepest interest in the French in the finest specimens of the manu-philosophical world. Limited this week to a facture, that English has become another word few words concerning it, we hardly know how for inferior; and the avidity with which our to give even a faint idea of its nature. It goods were formerly sought after, is sunk to treats in a perfectly new and original manner the ignominious supply of those whose tastes of the metaphysical abstractions least examin- THIS is a delightful little volume, and excelare rather governed by frugality than by su-able by human sense or reason: — - of eternity, lently calculated to give the young reader an perior beauty and excellence. In cloth, an time, space, matter, force, movement, mind, interest in the objects which surround him; article of great demand in Turkey, we have soul, God. The views of the creation of the humanising the feelings, and pointing out a never had any pretension to vie with Ger- world; of the origin of man literally from the thousand sources of delight in the infinite vamany; and so long as corn is sixty-five or dust of the earth (or a congregation of enti- riety of nature, whose history is equally inseventy shillings in England, and from twenty ties); of evil being deduced from good arrived structive and pleasurable. But while we would to thirty shillings in Saxony, the reason of our at a certain point, as death follows life; of the wish to inculcate on the mind a love of nature, inability to compete with them must be ob-progress of the inorganic and organic world; of and humanity towards the meanest object in vious. In hardware we are supplanted by the vitality; of society in all its advanced and civi- creation, we must enter our protest against the Prussians, and Belgium has had the principal lised relations; and of the future:-these views, sickly sensibility, the false cant of sympathy, supply of arms; some American merchants, we repeat, and many others of the greatest im- which mar these otherwise well-written pages. too, are making large fortunes by the opium portance, are presented in a way to merit the How absurd are the following passages, to say trade to China, whilst our less favoured coun- closest study and examination which intellect nothing of their truth! Speaking of worms trymen are prevented sharing any of the profits, can bestow upon topics of so elevated a charac-" Without their useful ministry, maternal by the impolitic restrictions of our East India ter. These, indeed, are pages to "give us earth would remain cold, hard bound, and conpause;" and will, we cannot doubt, engage "The exploits of the Parisian printers have been Having crossed the Sea of Marmara in a the pens of the ablest philosophers of the present charter. since recorded, like Caesar's, in their own Commentaries." Alphabetical Index of all the Names contained 360. London, 1831. Longman and Co. partitions were followed by patriotic conspira cies Stanislas after the former, and with him Kosciusko after the latter, were subdued— the treaty of Tilsit, following many changes, the French revolution led to new attempts; and gave another aspect to the duchy of Warsaw, erected in 1807, instead of the restoration of sequently sterile. Where, then, should we has reached a second edition. It has been re- civilisation with the qualities of feudal barbalook for fields of waving corn, and green mea.vised by the poet; and Skelton's beautiful rism, is full of curious and interesting specu dows, the support of men and cattle ?" We illustrations are well calculated to give it a lation. It is not, however, within our province doubt whether the farmer will quite agree permanent interest with Oxonians and lovers to trace these events. The first and second with this. Again, of birds, our author states of the arts. that their language is limited, because "" they are strangers to those numerous refinements that spring from society, leisure, and ennui; their language, however modulated, is necessarily concise." The rabbit:-"Poor rabbit, how many are thy grievances! Perhaps, too, the plainness of thy coat, and thy familiarity, mendation which its distinct style and accurate Poland, a hope of which had been thrown out and ample intelligence merited. It required as a tub to the whale. Mighty changes again only an index such as the present to render it ensued-Buonaparte was conquered, and the complete as a work of reference; and we are kingdom of Poland, with a population of four glad to see it so ably supplied. The names millions of souls, was annexed to Russia by the are printed in three columns on each page; Congress of Vienna, but with a constitutional and, on a rough estimate, amount to the pro- diet, which sat for the first time in 1818; the digious number of about seventy-five thousand! other portions of the old kingdom, Polish Prussia, Lithuania, Gallicia, and the Republic of Cracow, being in appearance less fortunate in preserving even a shew of independence. so proverbially said to produce contempt, may contribute to the prejudice against thee. But with the lovers of nature and of rural charms, the innocent playfulness of thy manners, moonlight gambols, and early boundings over the dewy lawn, more than compensate for all the little stolen morsels thou makest free with." After giving an account of a species of trap to catch field-mice, the ejaculation is" Poor hapless little mouse! how many are thy enemies! how many begrudge thee thy acorn and hollow tree!" The author before us complains that the constitution has been infringed by the Russians, and that Constantine was guilty of the grossest oppression and cruelty. He justifies the rising of the Poles on these grounds, but does not throw much light either upon their actual resources or future prospects. A map, and portraits of Kosciusko and the President, Prince Czartoryski, are appropriate embellishments of the volume, the literary matter of which is well enough put together for a temporary purpose, being intelligible, without pretension to elegance. The work is, therefore, altogether well calculated to be generally read The History of Poland, from the earliest period to the present time with a Narrative of Recent Events, obtained from a Polish PaOur author most justly defends the goattriot Nobleman. By James Fletcher, Esq. sucker against the popular prejudice, that it of Trinity College, Cambridge. 8vo. pp. 428. milks the herds; but we do think the defence London, 1831. Cochrane and Pickersgill. would have been more efficacious had it been WHEN Poland engages so much of the attenless pathetic. "Poor innocent little bird of tion of Europe, this résumé of her past history night! how sadly hast thou suffered, and how and view of her present condition is particufoul a stain has inattention to facts put on thy larly well-timed; and though the more immecharacter! ** I once saw this strange noc-diate statements may, from their avowed source, turnal bird in a solitary glen near the vil- be suspected of some partiality, yet the reader lage. He was perched on a stem, with the unacquainted with the more elaborate (and we head lower than the tail; and so intent was believe untranslated) work from which this is he in uttering his strange song, that a sen- chiefly compiled, will add to his knowledge of sible vibration was perceptible in the bough. the country, and also to a part of the causes at this time. He seemed as if disquieted by gloomy appre- which have led to the revolution, and its hensions; and while he looked full in my face, means of resistance, by their perusal. The The Lives of the Players. By John Galt, Esq. and the clear cold moon shone upon him, his issue is in the hand of Providence; but 2 vols. 12mo. London, 1831. Colburn and cries and gestures alike conspired to entreat me looking at the scene of struggle, the level to do him no wrong. I could almost fancy nature of the country, so indefensible with Ar the same time that Mr. Collier is illumiBentley. that he said Have pity on me-I am in regard to military occupation, and entirely nating our ancient drama, Mr. Galt professes pain, and sorrowful; cast not a stone at me, relying on the spirit of the people, it must nor chase me from my favourite haunt. I be allowed that the conduct and bravery the language," though merely a compilation to give us one of the most amusing books in have never hurt one living creature."" Does already displayed have been most heroic. Yet, from the most striking and entertaining manot our fair writer perceive that the fancy of whether it is probable that the Poles, so terials connected with the lives of players; this account contradicts the reality?-had the animated, can ultimately withstand the pro-and we all know how competent the writer is bird been so disquieted by "gloomy apprehen- digious power of Russia, seems to depend less to fulfil such a profession. His selection has sions," he would not have staid to look her upon their own efforts than upon the chance been made from a hundred volumes relating to "full in the face." We do not think the first of stirring up a co-operation in other parts the stage, and to "the best actors in the world, title to this work a judicious one-it resembles of Europe, where two great principles of either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, Miss Mitford's Our Village too much: the action are now vibrating with such tre- pastoral-comical, or historical-pastoral;" beginsecond one, a Calendar of Nature, is far more mendous and appalling force. The adjoinappropriate. There are some very pretty wood- ing, we might say the surrounding, govern- Gwynn, &c., and ending, though chronological ning with Charles Hart, Kynaston, Nell ments of Austria and Prussia must be de-order is not observed, with J. Kemble, Emery, cidedly hostile to a popular insurrection; and and Siddons-in all, thirty-seven memoirs. It more distant nations are perhaps too seriously is, indeed, a capital parlour work, and full of engaged with their own concerns to interfere pleasant theatrical recollections and anecdotes. materially in the affairs of Poland. Thus it One of the most whimsical biographies is that appears that the prospect of a favourable re- of Mrs. Charlotte Charke, the eccentric daughTHE existence of a local periodical such as this sult is dark and cloudy; but still there are ter of Colley Cibber; but as even this does not (a No. of which has been sent for our notice), chances in the womb of time which not only tempt us to offer any extracts, we shall simply is a pleasing proof of the general diffusion of forbid the friends of Poland to despair, but recommend Mr. Galt's "most amusing" progood taste and knowledge throughout the bid them bind up their loins, and hope for her duction to readers of every class to whom a country. The contents are of the usual mis- triumph. cellaneous magazine character; and there is The annals of her earlier period are too neither too much nor too little of it; it is so gay and laughing hour is agreeable. There is prefixed (the price being only sixpence) a very familiar to every one to require repetition. We marked by propriety throughout, as to be ut fair engraving of Gorleston church. need not tell that the Piast dynasty reigned terly free from offence to fastidiousness itself Montgomery's Oxford; illustrated by T. Skel- succeeded by the dynasty of Jagellon, which kind); and either to kill ennui, or relieve the (an excellent quality in a composition of the ton and other Artists. 2d edition. London, lasted till 1572; and that after this the mo- mind fatigued with cares or business, we cor1831, Whittaker and Co.: Edinburgh, Black-narchy became elective, and has ever since dially prescribe Galt's Lives of the Players. wood. afforded a striking example of the danger IT has been questioned by authors and pub-attendant upon that species of constitution, by lishers, whether the praise or the abuse of a unceasing and sanguinary competitions, civil book is the most likely to promote its sale; wars, and final partition. Yet there were gloand here is an example to confirm the doubt rious glimpses between; and the history of this MR. FARADAY" on the peculiar arrange for, in spite of the plentiful censure that has gallant and high-minded people, living in a land ments assumed by particles lying upon vi been lavished upon it, Montgomery's Oxford of plenty, and uniting almost an excess of brating elastic bodies." This was the subject cuts. The Gorleston and Southtown Magazine; or, some 500 years, and ended in 1386; that it was ARTS AND SCIENCES. ROYAL INSTITUTION. |