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privileges at the expense of those of their fellow-citizens.

French Romance.-The Morgue is the source of much of the inspiration of la jeune France. When we put together the prison, the gibbet, the pillory, the gallows, the dissecting-room, the hangman and the priest, the monster-criminal and the monster-beauty we shall have enumerated a considerable portion of the elements of the modern French romance. We nearly complete the list by adding an air of antiquity, assuming the language of the ancient chronicles, a monarch mad or cruel, an alchemist's laboratory, a monk or a soothsayer.

Destructive Engines shorten War.-If the annihilation of armies could be made to depend upon the pointing of a single great gun by the Emperor Nicholas or the Emperor of Austria in any particular direction, no army in the world would stand such imperial manœuvring; whole nations would stand up as one man, protesting against being made imperial nine pins, and warfare would cease to be a royal game.- Westminster Review.

A Denbighshire Charm.-The well of St Thecla, in Denbighshire, was celebrated for the cure of epilepsy, by the following ceremony:-The sun being set, the patient washes himself in the well, and walking thrice round it, repeats the Lord's prayer each time. If a male, he makes an offering of a cock; if a female, she offers a hen. The fowl is carried in a basket round the well, and then into the churchyard. The patient enters the church and places himself under the communion table, where, putting a bible under his head, and being covered with a cloak, he rests till daybreak; and then, having made an offering of sixpence, and leaving the fowl in the church, he departs. If the fowl dies the disease is supposed to be transferred to the bird, and the cure, of course, effected.

Arithmetic Taught at Grammar Schools.The Charter-house grammar school was founded in 1610. The statutes made in 1627 provide that it should be ". the master's care and the usher's charge" to teach arithmetic to those boys who might be more fitted for trades than for the learned professions, so little did our forefathers insist upon inviting all to devote themselves exclusively to classics.

Archbishop Laud's Dying Pun.-This unfortunate prelate was never accused of levity in his parting moments, but there was something like a play upon words in the last sentences he uttered. Turning to approach the block, but finding the way obstructed by people who had placed them. selves upon the scaffold, he begged them "to let him have room to die." Being close to the block he took off his doublet, and seeing through the chinks of the

boards that some people had got under the scaffold about the very spot where the block was placed, he called to the officer to stop the chinks, or to remove the people thence, saying, "it was no part of his desires that his blood should fall upon the heads of the people."

Anti-Nepotism.-"In the trust I have exercised through life," says Jefferson, the American President, "with powers of ap pointment, I can say with truth, and with unspeakable comfort, that I never did appoint a relation to office, and that merely because I never saw the case in which some one did not offer or occur better qualified."

Earl Hardwicke and the Corn Laws.-At his annual rent audit Earl Hardwicke made an important statement. He said he, in common with Sir R. Peel and the Duke of Buckingham, was opposed to free trade, but he thought that ultimately free-trade principles must prevail. But he conceived the result would not be so disastrous as had been anticipated.

Anachronism in Hamlet.-"The first act ends," says Voltaire, "with the king giving his royal orders (and which must never be disobeyed) to fire all the cannon round the ramparts, two hundred years before the use of gunpowder was known."

The Hobby.-In The Regulations and Establishment of Algernon Percy, fifth Earl of Northumberland, 1512,' mention is made of the number of horses kept for the use of "my lordis and my ladys." Among them we find the Hobys particularly mentioned: they were of a small size, and active; originally from Ireland; and were so highly prized, and so universally admired by every one, as to become a proverbial expression-"he's riding his hobby."

Abode of James.-The residence of the ill-starreď James, Duke of York, is still standing in High street, Peckham. It is an unpretending building, with a stuccoed frontage, having two Corinthian pilasters. The fore-court and ground-floor are now being converted into a general dealer's shop.

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Lommunications.

CHRIST'S HOSPITAL. ures which have lately s week add the hall of Few acquainted with ed to admire this elegant can regard the noble h which it is connected n. The youthful monwas founded passed to ly for England's welfare. his royal sire, that had o far as man could judge, anked among the most hose deeds are recorded ome interesting facts are in of this charity. GrafDr Ridley, then Bishop hed before the king at in his sermon made a exhortation to the rich

Palmer's Glyphography.

to be merciful to the poor, and also to move such as were in authority to travel by some charitable ways and means to relieve them; whereupon the king, finding that poor people swarmed in the city, sent of himself to the bishop, as soon as his sermon was ended, and willed him not to depart till he had spoken with him. He adds, "This that I now write was the very report of the said Bishop Ridley, who, according to the king's command, gave his attendance, and as soon as the king's majesty was at leisure he called for him, and caused him to come unto him in a great gallery at Westminster, where, to his knowledge, and the king likewise told him so, there were present no more persons than they two; and therefore made him sit down in one chair, and he himself in another, which, as it seemed, were before the coming of the bishop there purposely set, and caused the bishop, in spite of his teeth to be covered, and then

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entered communication with him in this manner: First, giving him hearty thanks for his sermon and good exhortation, he therein rehearsed such special things as he had noted, that the bishop said, 'Truly, truly!' for that commonly was his oath, 'I could never have thought that excellency to be in his grace, but that I beheld and heard it in him.'

At the last the king's Majesty much commended him for his exhortation for the relief of the poor. But, my lord,' quoth he, you will such as are in authority to be careful thereof, and to devise some good order for their relief, wherein I think you mean me, for I am in highest place, and therefore am the first that must make answer to God for my negligence if I should not be careful therein, knowing it to be the express commandment of Almighty God to bear compassion of his poor and needy members for whom we must make an account unto him.'

The king then desired the prelate to communicate with others on the way in which most effectual relief could be afforded to the sufferers.

Surprised at this communication, Ridley expressed his readiness to be the instrument of good. He said, 'he doubted not but the mayor and his brethren, and many others in the city, would be ready to co-operate in such an undertaking, and that if it would please the king's Majesty to direct his gracious letters unto the mayor of London, willing him to call in such assistance as he should think meet, to consult of this matter for some order to be taken therein, he doubted not but good would follow thereon; and he promised the king to be one himself that should earnestly assist."

In consequence of this the bishop put himself in communication with Sir R. Dobbs, the Lord Mayor, and extensive plans were formed for the relief of the needy, and it was in consequence of this that the Hospital of Christ Church was founded. Edward, calling for pen and ink, in his last sickness, assigned an income of 4,000 marks per year, which done, he exclaimed, in the hearing of his council'Lord, I yield thee most hearty thanks that thou hast given me life thus long to finish this work to the glory of thy name.' Two days after this benevolent act Edward was no more.

From what has been stated, it will be seen how zealously Ridley laboured in the good cause. In this he only acted in the spirit of another eminent prelate of that day. It is known that when Cranmer, with other commissioners, visited Canterbury to settle a school there, some of them wished to admit none into it but "sons, or younger brethren of gentlemen; as for husbandmen's children, they were more meet,

they said, for the plough, and to be artificers, than to occupy the place of the learned sort. It was meet for the ploughman's son to go to the plough, and the artificer's son to apply to the trade of his. parent, and the gentleman's children are meet to have the knowledge of government, and rule in the commonwealth." Cranmer successfully urged many reasons for another course, which was determined upon, "such a seasonable patron of poor men," says the historian, "was the archbishop," who was shrewd enough to apply the following personal argument to the commissioners,-"And to say the truth, none of us all here were gentlemen born, but we had our beginning from a low and base parentage." Hence it will be seen that to churchmen we are largely indebted for our knowledge, as we are to our knowledge for our liberties.

The hospital was founded on the site of the old monastery of the Grey Friars. After the fire of London its hall was rebuilt, but the edifice represented in the Glyphographic drawing at the head of this article, was erected ten or twelve years since, from designs furnished by Mr Shaw.

The exterior is raised upon an arcade of flat pointed arches; each end is terminated by two large and lofty octagonal turrets, finished on the top with panels and em brazures; the hall externally consists of nine lofty and spacious windows of the pointed style, divided into three heights and four widths, by moulded stone mullions. The windows are divided by buttresses that support the principal trusses of the roof, and are finished by lofty octagonal pinnacles and foliated finials. The centre of each window is again marked by intermediate pinnacles, supported by sculptured corbels, and the parapet between them is formed of moulded embrazures. The whole structure is composed of fine Haytor granite, of a close compact nature, and of a beautiful gray colour, which harmonizes well with the architecture, and completes the beauty of the whole. The length of the interior is two hundred feet, but the width is only fifteen: along the two ends and the side opposite to the windows, there runs a spacious gallery, and it is in this hall that strangers are admitted to see the children sup in public. A fine organ is placed at one end, and under the centre window a pulpit is affixed, where Divine Service is performed. The decorations are exactly of the character which suits the place they occupy, being bold and massive: the brackets of the ceiling, the beams and the galleries are of oak; the walls being of a light stone colour.

We may add the public suppers, of which this hall is the scene, form one of the sights of London. The following

lively description of them in 'Recollections of a Blue-coat Boy' will be read with pleasure. "From the Sunday after Christmas till Easter Sunday inclusive, we used to sup in public, on which occasion the hall was lighted up with chandeliers and patent lamps; the floor was spread with sawdust, and the organ, which was in a gallery over the great gates which formed the principal entrance to the hall, was opened, and those boys who were best able to sing were placed in this gallery to conduct the singing of the psalm which always formed part of the worship before supper, but which on these occasions was longer than usual, and accompanied by the organ. Visitors were admitted into the hall formerly by tickets, but of late years by the personal introduction of a governor or some officer or master in the establishment.

There were seats at the upper end of the hall raised one above another, and covered with green baize for the accommodation of the visitors. In the centre of the lowest range of seats was placed an arm chair, in which sat the president or treasurer, or some senior governor; the rest of the governors present sitting on either side of the chair. The governors on this, as onmost publicoccasions, were distinguished by slender painted wands. Before supper one of the Grecians mounted a pulpit on one side of the hall, and read out of the New Testament the lesson appointed for the evening service, then a prayer composed for the use of Christ's Hospital by Dr Gibson, formerly Bishop of London; after this a psalm was sung by all the boys accompanied by the organ, then followed grace before supper. The boys next took their seats at the table, their butter and beer served out to them, and the visitors walked about and amused themselves observing the boys. Many of the persons present as visitors were the friends or relatives of the boys, and it was to the boys themselves a kind of holiday, especially to the younger ones. The supper, consisting only of bread and butter, was soon finished. The steward then gave a signal, and the boys left their seats and arranged themselves on either side of the hall; grace was then said by the Grecian as before, and an anthem was sung by some of the best singers among the boys, who were placed in the organ loft; the chorus was performed by the whole number. After this came the ceremony of bowing round before the governors."

A DISCOVERY IN ASTRONOMY. One day I had it from a hasty mouth, Accustom'd to make many blunders daily, And therefore will not name, precisely, South, Herschel, or Baily

But one of those great men who watch the With all their rolling, winking eyes, skies,

Was looking at that Orb whose ancient God
Was patron of the Ode, and Song, and Son-
net,
When thus he musing cried, "It's very odd
That no Astronomer of all the squad
Can tell the nature of those spots upon it!"
"Lord, master!" muttered John, a liveried
elf,

"To wonder so at spots upon the sun!
I'll tell you what he's done-
Freckled himself!"

T. HOOD.

He

THE KE-KO-KA-KI, A NEW DOMESTIC ANIMAL.-M. Audubon, in a letter of the 20th of June last, written 110 miles above Port Union, in latitude 49 degrees 10 minutes N., communicates the "discovery of an animal which bids fair to become not only a valuable but a domestic one." had taken refuge in a wood during a storm, and saw two enormous beasts at play, somewhat resembling kangaroos. A com. panion shot one of these animals; the other fled. "The buffalo or mountain elk," says M. Audubon, "is nothing in comparison to this animal in the scale of worth. It sits on its hind legs, its front legs or arms are short, but armed with sharp claws, and it bounds or jumps with its hind legs. It has a tail, somewhat like that of a sheep, about ten inches long; and round the middle of the body it has a ring of flesh, about twelve inches wide and eight thick in the middle or centre, which produces a large quantity of oil. On their heads they have two horns very similar to the horns of the deer, but no more than eighteen inches long; the head is also shaped very like that of the deer, and has the same kind of teeth; but what is most remarkable, their coat is of the most beautiful fur I ever beheld, of a dark brown colour. The one we killed weighed, to the best ofour calculations, upwards of 600 lbs., and it measured from the top of the head to the end of the tail, nine feet four inches. We had no sooner killed this one, than some Indians joined us; they said that in these woodlands similar animals were in great abundance. They called it in their tongue the ke-ko-ka-ki, or jumper; they feed on grass, herbs, and foliage. Upon observing us take off the skin, the Indians expressed a desire to have some of the flesh, which we gave them. We cooked some, and found it delicious; it was white and tender, and tasted very similar to veal; but the ring on the body was nearly all oil, and the whole upper part will produce a great quantity. The Indians took us to their huts, or village, which consisted of six families; there we saw no less than six of these animals domesticated. Two young ones, male and female, I bought for some beads."

ALGIERS AS IT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE FRENCH.

BY CAPT. LUCAS.

LETTER I.

(For the Mirror.)

THE entrance to the Bay of Algiers is grand. To the left the Atlas mountains are seen, which extend many hundreds of miles; the Bay is circular, and the scenery, interspersed with villas, is beautiful and picturesque. Looking to the right, the city of Algiers is seen established on a lofty hill, sloping towards the sea. The houses for the most part have flat roofs, and are whitewashed all over. At a distance, as seen from on board ship, they present the aspect of a vast field of snow, which almost dazzles the eye. The plan of the houses strikes a European as curious. Without, nothing is seen but a wall and a door, but when you enter the scene presented is agreeably varied and grotesque. Looking into a court yard, you see fruits and flowers, fountains playing, and such other embellishments as the tastes of individual owners may supply, and galleries run round the court yard, one, two, or three stories high. They are supported by marble pillars elaborately worked. The rooms, corridors, and yards are all paved with marble or glazed tiles. As the tops of the houses are flat, many have gardens there, and neighbours are accustomed to cross a number of these gardens to visit each other, without descending to the court yard.

Most of the streets, though certainly now their number is diminishing, are miserably narrow, being only six feet wide. In some instances the opposite houses actually touch each other. The streets are in consequence dark passages, here and there illuminated by a ray of light, admitted through an aperture some two feet square. Scarcely a window is to be seen, but merely a few openings, like pigeon holes, and a door. Still the fashion of the streets is not to be altogether condemned. The heat of the climate is the cause of their not being more spacious, and the European who has in his "mind's eye" the magnificent streets of London and Paris, is well content, when the sun is high in the heavens, to gain shelter from the insufferable ray beneath the overhanging upper stories of the dwellings of the Algerines, which provide him below with a cool and comfortable thoroughfare.

Hussein Pacha, the last of the Deys, had two palaces, one at the lower and one at the upper part of the town. They are singularly built, and not easy to describe. It was in the one at the top of the hill that Hussein generally resided. Twice a week he came to the lower part

of the town, to superintend ordinarily the decapitating of some of his subjects. He was a violent barbarian, and once chopped off the head of a man with his own hands. It was his uncontrollable violence that caused his fall. Algiers had claims on France for corn which had been supplied by two merchants named Bacry and Busnach, and some demur having been made on the part of the French Government, Hussein demanded that the sum claimed for the merchants just named should be paid to him, and that the French creditors of Bacry and Busnach should be sent to Algiers, there to establish the validity of their claims; and that there should be remitted to him a further sum of 80,000l., which he accused the French consul of having received as the price of certain alleged good offices rendered to Bacry. He also required that an immediate and precise answer should be given. The subject was extremely embarrassing; the accounts were in confusion; and delay unavoidably occurred. Hussein believed himself cheated and insulted, and, in the transports of rage which this feeling excited, broke out against the consul, whom he called the vilest and most immoral of men. Matters were in this state when M. Duval presented himself before the Dey, on the 27th of April, 1827, to compliment him, according to custom, on the occasion of the festivities of the Bairam. "Have you a letter for me from your government?" demanded Hussein furiously, the instant the consul appeared. M. Duval answered respectfully in the negative; upon which the Dey, overcome by rage, broke out into the most virulent reproaches and menaces, made use of most opprobrious epithets, and finally struck the consul on the face with a fly-fan which he held in his hand.

France resented this insult, and blockaded Algiers. She subsequently offered peace upon moderate terms, but it was rejected with insult and defiance.

Bitterly must he have lamented his outrageous conduct. In June, 1830, a formidable army from France landed at Algiers. The French were victorious in several battles, and the Dey, completely crest-fallen, was obliged to send a flag of truce to General Bourmont, by his private secretary, Sidi Mustapha. He approached the conqueror, and offered, on the part of his master, the abandonment of all his old claims against France, the reparation which had been demanded of him before the rupture, and the payment of the whole expense of the campaign, provided the French would consent to leave the country. These conditions were proposed with much hesitation by Mustapha, while his features exhibited the liveliest impression of terror. They were sternly rejected. "Tell the

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