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NEW SECT IN AMERICA The following advertisement of a new sect is copied from a New York Paper of Feb. 15. Politics is Religion, and Religion is Politics. Nature teaches Wisdom! Revelation, Love.'

"Constitution for the "Union Concentric Society of light" a Commonwealth of Immanuel! in Paradise regained :—

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The goverment is in a male and female president, and twelve male and twelve female deliberators, always balloted for monthly; each sex voting in their own. These twenty four elders are also a grand jury; and male culprits are tried by the male judge and jurors. The females try their own sex. No other officers can exist. and no proxy work. The concurrence of the two parents, and of the upper and lower house, must always be had.

The law is-love each other, and be to others what they should be to you, as explained by Jesus, the priest of revelation, and not Moses, the priest of nature.

A free church, and all religious opinions in

the world will be tolerated.

The trumpets and music shall rejoice at

the birth of a live child.

'Animals for food shall die by a guillotine. Those members who eat flesh, work six hours a-day,-those who eat none, three hours:

provided they refrain from imported tea, coffee, all manner of spirituous and fermented liquors, and tobacco. If they use any of these luxuries, then, for each, it is fifty minutes a-day added to the six or three hours. But spirituous liquors, two hours.

This being a theocracy, the dress shall resemble the cheapest and easiest made among the first Jews. The houses shall be only one story high. No money, gold or silver, shall be kept within the commonwealth. Self-love and self-will shall yield to social love and the aggregate will. All property is in common. Mine and thine abolished. One half of each individual's prior wealth is sunk in the land, and perhaps one fourth for books, museum, arts, and sciences. The youth of both sexes are at school till twelve years old, all the day; and till eighteen, half. They should know more than any others on earth of their age, for the credit of the cause. All punishments are in the ratio of the offence to the danger of the community.

'No member can be ejected while he abides by this constitution, a part of which shall never be altered, but lasts with the land, both unchangeable, unsaleable, while grass grows and water runs, an everlasting inheritance.

Given at the city of Peace, (though in too much reality, New York), this being a general invitation to your tents, O Israel.

EDWARD POSTLETHWAYt Page.'

VARIETIES.

GAS FROM COAL TAR.

It has been found, by experiment, that the coal-tar liquor, which is sometimes considered as waste by those who make gas, if mixed with dry saw-dust, exhausted logwood, or fastic, to the consistence of paste, and allowed to remain till the water has drained off, two cwt. of the mass being put into the retort instead of coal, will produce more gas, and be less offensive, than the same quantity of canal coal. This process will probably be found very convenient in some circumstances for the consumption of the tar produced by the distillation of coal in gas-works.

LOTTERIES.

The first Lottery in England of which we have any account, was drawn at the west door of St. Paul's Cathedral, in 1569, and consisted of forty thousand lots, at ten shillings each lot. The prizes were plate. It began to be drawn Jan. 11, and continued day and night till May 6.-In 1586 another lottery was drawn, the prizes of which consisted of rich and beautiful armour a house of timber and board was erected at the great west gate of St. Paul's for the purpose. In 1612 was another lottery, the chief prize of which was 4000 crowns in plate. It was drawn at the west end of St. Paul's.

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Dr. Laurentius lived some years ago in Leipzig. He was a jurist, noted for his opulence. At home, he lived like the poorest person, keeping neither man nor maid, partly from thinking he could not maintain them, partly from fear of being robbed. He lived in a building attached to a large house of his own, in which he had a suite of four rooms, through all which he had to pass on going out. He kept these rooms fast locked, that thieves might be obliged to burst open four doors, before they could reach his mammon. He seldom sent for meat enough for one meal, and He took neither beer nor wine nor coffee. In short, on this, when he did, he lived at least three days. his life at home was a constant fast. Though when invited by his legacy-hunters, he stuffed like a thresher, and toped like a canon.

Under the most biting hunger (of which he actually complained to me) he had not the heart to rob his coffers of a single penny. He came to me, oftener than once, as I was eating my breakfast, and begged for a bit of roll. 'He felt a little qualm: otherwise he never, never eat. A single mouthful was enough. More would be his death. He would cheerfully send

for a whole roll, but, he vowed to heaven, he had not a halfpenny at home-and it would be a sin too, as all above a mouthful must be left to spoil.' But when I forced upon him half a roll, he eat it with the utmost glee.

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I have twenty times witnessed, when servants brought him presents, how he would steal to the grated hatch, to spy if they were thieves; with what fawning devotion he would draw his bolts, take the cake and wine into custody, and begin : Ah my dear fellow, return a thousand thanks to your master and mistress for the refreshment they vouchsafe a poor wretch-ah! how glad should I be to give you something to drink-but, look you, may I never share the joys of heaven, may I be cast into everlasting perdition, if I have a farthing of money here within-but, be sure, tell them in my name, I will remember them in my will trust me, I will not forget them.'

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Meeting of the Lancasterian School, I feel desirous SIR, Just returned from the adjourned Annual of communicating to those readers of your elegant and useful paper who had not the happiness of being present, some of the information, the agreeable feelchildren, their pleasing physiognomy, their correctings, and cheering reflections I experienced on that interesting occasion. The decent apparel of the

ness in the exercises of reading and spelling, the skill and readiness of their answers, which were returned, without the help of slate or paper, to arithmetical questions with which they were not previously acquainted, and some of them rather intricate; together with the dexterity they displayed in various evolutions resembling military parade, spoke powerfully in commendation of the master, and did not pass unnoticed by the courteous president, and the very respectable though not numerous assembly. The report informed us that upwards of 8000 children, including the present number of more than 900, had received instruction in the institution, the beneficial effects of which were evinced by the fact that, out of so many, only one had ever been brought to the bar of justice; and that the plan of education is so economical that they cost the society not more than seven shillings individually per annum : but that, in consequence of the derably in arrears, had not the deficiency been supplied defalcation of subscribers, it must have been consiby extraordinary donations.

The business was conducted in the most polite and gentlemanly manner by the excellent president, and many valuable observations fell from the various. speakers. At the conclusion the ladies were requested

to exert themselves in aid of the funds of the insti

tution. They will doubtlessly comply, and it may be presumed will meet with success from every enlightened mind and truly patriotic heart. What, Sir, can be greater and more noble in the deed, or more

beneficent in the effects, than to furnish the means of education to the children of the poor? To do this is to elevate by far the larger portion of mankind from vice to virtue, from misery and disorder to comfort and peace. The truth of the former part of this assertion was proved most impressively by a fact related by one of the speakers, that a late ordinary of Newgate had stated in a printed account, that nineteen out of twenty of the malefactors executed there were unable to read. The correctness of the latter part will be perceived in a moment, by any one who reflects on the mighty difference between the state of unenlightened Africa and that of enlightened Britain, or on the difference between the ancient and present condition of our native country. And what system can be better suited to accomplish these invaluable ends than that adopted in this institution? In it every movement is performed with the utmost ease and promptitude. Simplicity, despatch, and conve

ced the genius which excited them. Those theorists,
who allow nature but a small share in the formation
of the human mind,-who ascribe all the proficiency
that is made in any pursuit, to the influence of educa-
tion, will, I think, find Master Minasi to be an anoma-

AN ADMIRER OF THE FINE ARTS.

nience prevail throughout. The work of education
is no longer a tedium to the master, or a hated task
and toilsome drudgery to the scholars. He speaks
and it is performed. They take delight in their
employment, they instruct one another, each pushes
on the rest. It may justly be compared, for orderly in their doctrines.
and regularity, to a machine, of which the superin-
tendent has only to touch the spring, and all the parts
are duly put into motion. But though it operates P. S.-I beg to propose the following query for
thus mechanically, the children are not merely taught the consideration of some of your ingenious corres-
by rote. They acquire the principles of real know-pondents:-Is the musical genius of Master Minasi
ledge; knowledge which, as their answers to the ques-
the gift of nature, or has it been grafted by circum-
tions put to them this morning satisfactorily shewed, stances, or, in other words, by education?
they are able to apply and improve. What an ani-
mating prospect does the improvement, which a sys-
tem like this may be expected to produce in society,
present to the benevolent mind!

Rectique cultus pectora roborant.
April 3rd, 1822.
OBSERVATOR.

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR,-As your Correspondent, O, in your last number, probably never read Dr. Darwin's Zoonomia, allow me to refer him to that work for an interesting account of that, and analogous, phenomena. The experiment with coloured circles cannot fail to please him much. If several concentric circles of different co

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR,-If through the medium of your very valuable miscellany, any of your readers could inform me of the date of the first translation of Euripides, it would be a material service rendered to myself and others engaged in a literary pursuit.

If also, the name of the translator could be added, the information would be still more valuable. PHILOMATHES.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT

Of the Atmospherical Pressure and Temperature,
Rain, Wind, &c, deduced from diurnal observa-
tions made at Manchester, in the month of March,
1822, by THOMAS HANSON, Surgeon,

BAROMETRICAL PRESSURE.

The Monthly Mean...

.....

Inches.

29.79

30.30

Highest, which took place on the 31st.
Lowest, which took place on the 8th.. 29.08

Difference of the extremes.

.....

.....

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lours are placed in a strong light and the eye suffered
to rest on a point in the centre for a minute or two,
and then gently closed, we behold a rapid succession
of the prismatic colours, the beauty of which, I be-
lieve, has no equal in nature. When one side of the
body is much tired we find considerable relief by
simply changing our position, but much greater relief
by throwing the opposite side into strong exertion.
Also when the eye is fatigued by dwelling too long
on one colour, we find more relief by letting the eye
rest on another colour, than by gazing on vacancy.
If we close the eyes he retina seeks relief by throw-
ing itself into a state which gives to the mind the Spaces, taken from the daily means.........
sensations of opposing colours. Also if the eye is
suffered to dwell too long on an object of a certain
colour, the retina will at last become insensible to
that particular colour, and the object will disappear.
On the other hand, rest increases the sensibility of
the retina, as the following experiment will shew.
Look steadily on a large black letter, in the middle
of a white sheet of paper for a few minutes, and then
look on another part of the paper, and you will per-
ceive a bright white image of the letter, that part of
the retina covered so long by the black letter having
become more sensible to light than the surrounding
parts. I long to enter more fully into the subject,
but recollecting your injunction-"Be concise,"
I hasten to conclude,

April 3rd, 1822.

TO THE EDITOR.

A FRIEND.

SIR, I witnessed, on Monday evening, the performances of Messrs. Roquemir and Minasi, and I was, in a high degree, gratified by the entertainment. Nothing can be conceived more graceful and elegant than Mr. Roquemir's action, or more skilful than his thrusts and guards: and these qualities, united with a person extremely well formed for the art, render him the ornament and head of his profession. He will soon I have no doubt, cause the accomplished art of fencing to become fashionable in Manchester. Master Minasi, by his performance on the flute, proved that the very strong praises which have been bestowed upon him were well merited. This young gentleman is certainly destined, if he live, to make a figure in the world. There is more fascination in his music than could easily be imagined by those who have not yet heard him. Art and nature have combined to produce in him a real prodigy. The anxious eyes which watched his performance, and the rapturous applause that followed it, at every pause, evin

TEMPERATURE.

1.22

1.33 5.15 Degrees.

Monthly Mean......
Mean of the 1st. decade, commencing on the
21st. and ending on the 30th............
Highest, which took place on the 27th......
Lowest, which took place on the 1st..
Difference of the extreme.......
Greatest variation in 24 hours, which occurred
on the 10th and 30th..

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THEATRE-ROYAL, MANCHESTER.

UNDER the Patronage of Col. Dunne, and the Officers of His Majesty's 7th Dragoon Guards.-For the BENEFIT of MR. BASS, on Friday Next, the 19th April, 1822, will be performed by particular desire, a favourite New and interesting Play, as acted at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden, called DAMON and PYTHIAS. By especial permission of Colonel Dunne, and for that night only, the numerous and excellent Band of the Dragoon Guards, with their Trumpets and Kettle Drams, will attend the Theatre, and perform several popular pieces of Martial Music-After which will be presented an entire new and laughable Interlude, now acting at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, called Mr. TIBBS; or, How to get a Dinner.-The whole to conclade with the new grand and popular Melo Drame, with appropriate music, called THERESE; or, the Orphan of Geneva.Tickets to be had of Mr. BASS, 11, David-Street, Garratt.

TO OUR READERS.

In consequence of the unprecedented and increasing demand for the IRIS, the first number is already OUT OF PRINT. The Proprie tors, therefore, respectfully announce to the Public, that it is their intention to REPRINT it, as soon as possible.

The inconvenience of reprinting the subsequent numbers has been guarded against, by striking off an extra quantity of each impression. In order that the Iris may form a neat annual Volume, the proprietors intend to publish at the conclusion of each year, a Title page and a Copious Index. Those Subscribers who have not their numbers complete, are therefore, recommended not to delay making up their sets.

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Owing to our engagement to the public, we must decline the very well written and spirited castigation, which Whipcord,' has sent us, in reply to the last letter of An Observer,'—Our columns will always be open to Whipcord,' on any other subject; and his present letter should not have been rejected had it been received before we gave the pledge which must exclude any communication, on the subject.Whipcord's,' letter has been returned agreeably to his wishes.

The interesting question of J. H. is under consideration.
The communication alluded to, by Gordius, has not
been received.

Communications have been received from Mr. W. M.
Laurie, Septimas,-Pauper,-Zeno,-Viator,-
S. T.-Z.-Sphinx,-O. R.- and G. P.
Letter-Box in the Door.

REMARKS.-March 1st, white hoar frost in the
morning:-6th, much rain, and gusts of wind from
the west, during the whole of last night; thunder
heard at intervals in the course of the day :-7th,
strong north-west winds, attended with hail, snow,
and rain showers :-10th, a very boisterous day,
with hail and rain showers:-11th, fine day, but
windy, with hail showers:-12th, a delightful fine,
sunny, clear, and calm day :-30th, extraordinary
great changes of pressure; last night the barometer
stood at 29.95, to day about noon at 29.36, at bed-
time up to 30.10; the range is the greatest in 24 Ashton, Mr. Cunningham.

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VOLCANOES.

TO LAPIS,

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1822.

agitations, instead of being confined to a limited tract, should extend over a large portion of the globe. In the second place, it is a notorious fact, that, where the convulsion SIR,-In the essay on Volcanoes, inserted has been comparatively extensive, the strucin the Iris of last week, accompanying the ture of the agitated district has remained unsketch of certain theories which have been deranged; whereas, had internal expansion framed for the explanation of those pheno-produced this agitation, it is evident, that exmena, are introduced certain original opinions, which appear to me to stand much in need of explanation.

Amongst the minor inaccuracies, in the third paragraph of your communication, you state, that "there undoubtedly is in the interior of the earth, a large space filled with fire and water, &c. &c." an assumption not only gratuitous, but absolutely irrational :-an assertion, not only unsupported, but actually contradicted, by existing phenomena.

In the first place, the question naturally occurs, how has this cavity been formed? how has this fire been excited?-how is it maintained? If, by the term fire, is implied, actual combustion, whence is obtained the necessary supply of fuel? Is it granite that burns? Or schist? Or if, by the term fire, is signified simply, the accumulation of caloric, I reply, although by the aid of iron, water may, by this agent, be decomposed, and a certain portion of hydrogen liberated; yet it is also a notorious fact, that, in such a process, the iron is rapidly oxydized and rendered incapable of effecting further decompositions : the supposition, therefore, that a process, thus necessarily limited in its duration, should haye produced a quantity of hydrogen, sufficient for the maintenance of the various volcanic fires, during so many thousand years, is evidently absurd.

But supposing the existence, and maintenance of a central fire possible, yet is the hypothesis perfectly insufficient for the explanation of existing phenomena: the non-occurence of simultaneous eruptions proves, that the volcanoes in different parts of the globe have no communication with each other; the long interruption which takes place between eruptions, proves that the volcanic agent is not continually in action; the small portion of the globe, affected during eruptions, proves that the various volcanic sources are situated not far below its surface.

You appear to consider the occurence of earthquakes, a proof of the existence of a central fire: I have no hesitation in asserting, that earthquakes do not originate in the operations of a central fire. For, in the first place, were this the case, it is evident that all

tensive dislocations must constantly have taken place; the structure and organization of the disturbed tract, must have been deranged; the "shell of our world" must inevitably have been "broken up," and the earth "destroyed, at least as a habitable globe."

The supposition, therefore, of the existence of a central fire is unsupported, and erroneand some other hypothesis must be adopted for the solution of existing pheno

ous;

mena.

"THE CLUB."

No. VI.-FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1822.

-l'armi pietose, e 'l Capitano, Che'l gran Sepolchro liberò di Cristo. Molto egli oprò col senno, e con la mano; Motto soffri nel glorioso acquisto :

E invan l'Inferno a lui s'oppose, e invano S'armò d' Asia e di Libia il popol misto ; Che il Ciel gli diè favore, e sotto ai santi Segni ridusse i suoi compagni erranti.

P.

TASSO.

WEEKLY.

PRICE 34d.

whose studies have formerly been of this description, and who still devotes some time to the pursuit. He has formed in the course of the last 20 or 30 years, a pretty extensive collection of our early romances, together with most of the poets whose productions are of a romantic character. Mr. Burke was not a greater admirer of the age of chivalry than is this gentleman. He thinks Tasso and Spenser greater poets than Milton and Pope, because the subjects on which they write are more agreeable to his taste. He told us the other evening that he had been kept up the whole of the preceding night by the romance of Perceforest, the folio edition of which, he had, by great good fortune, purchased from his cheesemonger for a few shillings.

The reader who considers all these circumstances, will learn without surprise, that we have, for the present, abandoned all common subjects, and exist only in the regions of magic, and enchantment.

We have smiled several times this evening, at the warmth with which several points of fabulous and romantic history have been contested amongst us; but our smiles were converted into laughter when the President gravely asserted, that Godfrey of Bouillon, was, in his opinion, a greater hero than the Duke of Wellington.

The mention of Godfrey of Bouillon, naturally led to that of the Crusades, and we were detained a full quarter of an hour beyond the usual time of separation, by a discussion of tant expeditions. the policy, and consequences of those impor

One of our friends, who has subscribed to the Lectures on the History of English Poetry, which Mr. Tayler is now delivering at the turned home, my thoughts were still occupied When I left the Green Dragon, and had rerooms of the Literary and Philosophical Society, has been so charmed with the ability dis- with the subject; and instead of retiring to bed, played by that gentleman, and so much in-I sat down in my elbow chair, and retraced in terested by the subject of his discourses, that my own mind, the several opinions which I he has, for two or three evenings, scarcely ferent times, respecting the Crusades. had heard during the evening, or read at difspoken of any other subject at the Club.

As our friend is a man of lively imagination, and ready elocution, he has insensibly communicated his own feelings to the other members of the Club, and in consequence we are all at present deeply engaged in poetry and romance. It was the less difficult to give this direction to our studies and conversation, as two or three of us, when we were a good deal younger than we are at' present, were warmly attached to these branches of literature, and still think of them with that delight which usually attends the recollection of the first voluntary studies of youth.

Our friend, the antiquarian, is one of those

If we may believe Voltaire, the Crusaders were a band of vagabond thieves, who had agreed to ramble from the heart of Europe, in order to desolate a country to which they had no right, and to massacre, in cold blood, a venerable prince, more than four-score years old, against whom they had no pretence of complaint.

This is one of those smart, epigrammatic decisions of the Patriarch of Ferney, which his admirers repeat with an air of triumphant confidence, and which at once save them the trouble of thought and research, and flatter their vanity by reflecting disgrace upon the

great objects of their ridicule,---superstition | just, necessary, or politic, than the first cruand priestcraft.

Yet if, (with all proper deference for the father of the new philosophy,) we venture to consider the subject for ourselves, we shall, I think, be led to a conclusion much more favourable to the understandings and humanity

of the warriors of the cross.

per

sade.

Nor were the consequences of the crusades, generally speaking, less beneficial to Europe, than the causes from which they sprung were just and politic. Their first objects---the conquest of the Holy Land, and the preservation of the Greek empire, were obtained. The Turks and their allies were driven back almost to their native mountains, and Godfrey of Bouillon reigned in Jerusalem. The crusades prolonged the existence of the Greek time the maritime states of Venice and Genoa empire four hundred years. In that space of became formidable, and all the nations of the west increased so much in strength, that although, in the 15th century, Constantinople was taken by the Turks, yet the progress of their arms was effectually checked by the Christians, and their further successes have never been considerable or permanent.

necessaries of life, among which are silk and sugar, were first brought into general use in Europe in consequence of the crusades. But there are two subjects connected with these expeditions which it is scarcely possible to dismiss with quite so much brevity. I allude to the personal character of Godfrey of Bouillon, and to the influence which the crusades had upon the popular literature of Europe.

If the ex cathedra decision of Voltaire was

In the age of the crusades, and for some centuries previous to those expeditions, it was the received opinion of the Christian world, entitled to credit, Godfrey of Bouillon must that nothing could possibly be more meritoribe considered as no more than the captain of ous, as it respected the obtaining of salvation, with how much injustice the appellation of a numerous banditti But we have already seen than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The world is now of a different opinion; but men are to vagabond thieves has been given to the warriors be tried by the notions which prevail in their of the cross: and perhaps history does not furnish a finer example of the heroic character own times, and not by those of a different than is exhibited in the person of the illustriperiod. While the merit of these pilgrimages ous leader of the first crusade. Uniting great was unquestioned, and when, in consequence, personal courage with equal prudence, and, the number of pilgrims was great, their (for the age in which he lived) great military sonal safety, and proper treatment, in the countries through which they had to pass, Besides these great and obvious advantages skill. Unaffectedly pious, and entirely disinwere of course objects of importance to all arising from the crusades, there were others terested, it was to his real and superior virtues, christian nations. Now the principal motive of too much importance to be overlooked. and not to art or selfish policy, that he was to the crusades was the cruelty exercised upon dom was parcelled out into a multitude of is the hero whom the professed enemies of When these expeditions commenced, Christen- indebted for the kingdom of Jerusalem. Such the Christian pilgrims by the Turks; and so far were the crusaders from having no pretence petty divisions, the property of the barons, intolerance and prejudice would hold up to the of complaint against the people they invaded, who were subordinate indeed to the sovereign world as a vagabond thief! that there was no power in Christendom, some power, but each of whom claimed and exof the subjects of which had not been oppres-ercised, the right of making war upon his sed, robbed, or murdered, in attempting to enemies, and the power of life and death in approach the Holy Sepulchre for purposes his own territories. Every kingdom had withpurely devotional. in itself a number of almost independent states, and every state its little despot, the ruler, or the tyrant of his vassals. The condition of these vassals, sometimes pillaged by their own lord, and sometimes invaded by his enemies, was often extremely wretched, and generally such difficult. The crusades had a very happy effect in remedying these disorders. as to render national improvement extremely

Very different was the opinion which, in the age of chivalry, was formed of the illustrious Godfrey and his companions in arms, Their adventures and exploits were, for a long period, the favorite themes. The distant countries in which they fought opened new and more splendid scenes to the imagination of the poet, and enabled him to blend, with his native superstitions, the grand and extravagant fictions of the cast. Spells, and talismans, and unfading beauty, gave a novel delight to the enchantments; golden palaces, and gardens of inhabitants of less genial climes; while their piety and patriotisin were equally gratified by exaggerated descriptions of the prowess and

success of the heroes of the cross.

The Truce of God, as it was called, which forbad all private warfare, was proclaimed by the Pope. Great numbers of the most turbuFrom the songs of the minstrels, and the lent and martial barons assumed the cross, and departed with their military followers, for the metrical romance, these heroes, and this mixHoly Land. Many of these barons alienated,ture of Oriental and European imagery and or mortgaged their estates to equip themselves fable, were transferred to the early prose comfor the expedition; and others perishing in positions of a romantic character, which, from their commencement till the reign of Charles Every where the condition of the people was the war, their possessions reverted to the crown. the 2nd, and perhaps still later, were the favorite studies of inost classes of readers. improved, and the power of the monarch, Of the influence of such studies upon national which was then too, weak, was augmented. character and manners I may hereafter speak more particularly. At present I shall only add that some of our best English poets, as Chaucer, Spenser, and Milton, were deeply versed in the old romances, and have evidently

"Among the causes," says an eminent histo

When we speak, in our times, of the Turkish empire, we speak of a power alike weak, and despotic, which continues to exist only by the mutual jealousy of the Christian potentates. But at the period of the crusades, the Turks were a powerful and warlike people, governed by able and ambitious princes, and believing themselves destined to subdue the world, and to spread every where the Mahomedan faith by the power of the sword. Already the greatest part of the eastern empire was in their possession, they threatened Constantinople, and the Saracens had invaded Italy. The ambassadors of the Greek emperor were present at the council of Placentia, in which the first crusade was resolved upon, and there implored the assistance of their western brethren against We the implacable enemies of the Christian name. must doubtless ascribe the crusades, in the first place, to a noble and chivalrous spirit, animating the warriors of the cross to redress the wrongs which had been suffered by the Chris-rian," that undermined that gothic edifice the tian pilgrims, and to regain from the enemies feudal system, a conspicuous place must be of their faith, the Holy Land and the Sepulchre allowed to the crusades. The estates of the of Christ; but we should judge most erronebarons were dissipated, and their race was ously, if we supposed that the authors of these often extinguished in these costly and perilous expeditions were blind to the danger which expeditions. Their poverty extorted from threatened Christendom, from the progress of their pride those charters of freedom which the Turks; or insensible to the advantages of unlocked the fetters of the slave, secured the meeting, at a distance, and with their united farm of the peasant, and the shop of the artiforce, the fanatic myriads who wanted only ficer, and gradually restored a substance and the possession of Constantinople to enable a soul to the most numerous and useful part them to rush, like a torrent, upon the nations of the community. The conflagration which of the west. The crusaders appeared in arms, destroyed the tall and barren trees of the forest, not only as the champions of the cross, but as gave air and scope to the vegetation of the the allies of the Greek empire. They fought smaller and nutritive plants of the soil." to avenge the wrongs of their Christian brethren, to recover the territories which had been wrested from their allies, and by repelling the Turks to preserve themselves from slavery, and their religion from destruction. So far therefore are the assertions of Voltaire from being true, that perhaps no war was ever, in its origin, more

The limits of an essay do not permit me to dilate upon the advantages which resulted from the crusades to commerce and the arts; or to speak at any length, of the improvements in navigation and geography to which they gave occasion. Neither can I do more than mention that several articles now considered as almost

derived many of their incidents and illustra

tions, as well as many noble sentiments, from compositions for the existence of which we are indebted to the crusades.

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The Philharmonic I mast also mention,

As well as the Britannic loyal souls:
The first doth meet with musical intention,
The other meets for pipes, and songs, and bowls;
As many others do- but your attention,

We would dwell much longer on this little | ting for all, orderly, not pestering my things with my country by these paroxysms, whereby the devotions meritorious poem, but we fear to forestal the women's, nor their's with either chamber-maids, nor of the church were much impeded, he obviated their author in his profit and the public in their their's with wash-maids. Also, for laundresses, when repetition, by assuring his parishioners, that no treat pleasure we shall, therefore, draw to a con-I travel, I will have them sent away before with the ment was more effectual than immersion in cold clusion, observing, that the author, in the will have go before, that the chamber may be ready, to a fresh-water lake, he gave notice that attendants carriages, to see all safe. And the chamber-maids I water, and as his kirk was fortunately contiguous? short space of 320 lines, has contrived to convey the information, that Manchester, has sweet, and clean. Also, for that it is undecent to should be at hand, during divine service, to ensure churches, chapels, and buildings, parsons, law-coach, I will have him have a convenient horse to crowd up myself with my gentleman usher in my the proper means of cure. The sequel need scarcely be told. The fear of being carried out of the chureb, yers, and doctors, like other large towns, Cheet- attend me, either in city or country, And I must and into the water, acted like a charm; not a single ham's college, a collegiate church, an ex- have two footmen. And my desire is, that you defray Naiad was made, and the worthy minister has, for change, a portico, an infirmary, two work- all the charges for me. And for myself, besides my many years, had reason to boast of one of the best houses, Cheetham's library, a literary and yearly allowance, I would have twenty gowns of ap-regulated congregations in Shetland. philosophical society, and a philharmonic. He parel, six of them excellent good ones, eight of them When I attended the kirk of Baliasta, a female thus beautifully takes leave of his readers. for the country, and six other of them very excellent shriek, the indication, of a convulsion-fit, was heard ;' good ones. Also I would have to put in my purse the minister, (Mr. Ingram of Fetlar) very properly £2000, and £200, and so, you to pay to my debts. stopped his discourse, until the disturber was removAlso, I would have £6000 to buy me jewels, and ed; and after advising all those who thought they £1000 to buy me a pearl chain. Now, seeing I have might be similarly affected, to leave the church, he | been and am, so reasonable unto you, I pray you do gave out in the mean time a psalm. The congrega-> find my children apparel, and their schooling, and alltion was thus preserved from farther interruption; for, my servants, men and women, their wages. Also, I will have all my houses furnished, and my lodging chambers to be suited with all such furniture as is fit; as beds, stools, chairs, suitable cushions, carpets, silver warming pans, cupboards of plate, fair hangings, and such like. So for my drawing chambers in all houses, I will have them delicately furnished, both with hangings, couch, canopy, glass, carpet, chairs, cushions, and all things thereunto belonging. Also, my desire is, that you will pay my debts, build up and eight hundred thousand pounds. His opulence, would have all, perhaps your life, from you....So, as you love God, to my Lord Chamberlain, who however, was so noted, that one of the pirates of Dunkirk, who during the reign of James I. and Charles and what it is that I would not have, I pray you, now that I have declared to you what I would have, I. exercised their outrages with impunity on the Eng-when you be an earl, to allow me £2000 more than I lish coasts, had laid a plot for carrying him off to France; but the design failed. His only child was a prize worthy the notice of a courtier, and she became the wife of William Lord Compton, afterwards created Earl of Northampton. At the funeral of Sir John, ACCOUNT OF THE RELIGIOUS PAROXYSMS Proverb,

Must now be wearied.--How time rolls"Tis now quite late, and I must say good night, If more you wish to read-again I'll write.

SIR JOHN SPENCER.

on leaving the kirk, I saw several females writhing and tossing about their arms on the green grass, who durst not for fear of a censure from the pulpit, exhibit themselves after this manner within the sacred walls of the kirk.-DR. HIBBERT.

In 1610, died Sir John Spencer, formerly Lord Mayor of London. He was perhaps the richest citizen of his time; but the amount of his wealth cannot be ascertained: it was variously stated at three, five, Ashby-house, and purchase lands, and lend no money introducing, from Italy, the use of the fork into Eng

be

now desire, and double attendance."-MISS AIKIN.

OF THE SHETLANDERS. *

THE LIMBO OF ODDITIES. 1.-Tom Coryatt, in his Crudities, says, that he was "quipped" with the nick-name of Furcifer, for land.

.

which was decorated with a wood-cut of Beelzebub 2.-James I. wrote a pamphlet against the use of tobacco, which he called The Counterblast; and smoking.

3.-Burleigh, in reproof of a dilatory House of Commons on the subject of subsidies, quoted the "bis dat qui citò dat."

6.—The word gazette, is derived from gazetta, a Venetian coin

7.- Henry VIII. luxurious as he was, wore cloth hose. A pair of silk hose were presented to Edward VI. as a magnificent present, by Sir Thomas Gresham.

8.-St. George, the champion, in the legenda aurea of Vortagine, is said to have originally dealt in bacon.

9. Of all literary forgeries, that of a language by Psalmanazar is the most remarkable. The architect, Philander, a commentator on Vitruvius, forged a MS. purporting to be of Anaxagoras, to support his architectural opinions by ancient authority.

10. A curious specimen of the manners prevalent. among the higher circles in ancient Greece, is furnished by Homer, who introduces Penelope, the Queen, calling her maids, "bitches." Ulysses associates with a cowherd, and broils his own dinner,

4.-There is a pillar in Grand Cairo, to which, if about one thousand persons followed in mourning fools are bound, they are said to recover their senses. cloaks and gowns. The amount of the inheritance 5. The first newspaper established in England, seems to have exceeded all the expectations of Lord The kirk was remarkably crowded, since there was was called the English Mercury; and was published Compton; insomuch, that on the first news, says a sermon to be preached incidental to the administra-in April, 1588. The first extant specimen of this › Winwood, "either through the vehement apprehen- tion of the Sacrament; on which occasion I had an paper, is dated July 23, 1588. sion of joy for such a plentiful succession, or of care- opportunity of seeing the convulsion fits to which the fulness how to take it up and dispose of it," he be- religious congregations of Shetland are subject. The came distracted for a considerable length of time. introduction of this malady into the country is referred It must probably have been soon after his recovery to a date of nearly a century ago, and is attributed to a that bis wife addressed to him a letter which may woman who had been subject to regular paroxysms regarded as the most perfect exposition we possess of epilepsy, one of which occurred during divine serof the wants and wishes of a lady of quality in the age vice. Among adult females, and children of the male of James the Ist." My sweet life. Now I have desex, at the tender age of six, fits then became sympaclared to you my mind for the settling of your state; thetic. The patient complained, for a considerable I suppose it were best for me to bethink, and consider time, of a palpitation of the heart; fainting ensued, within myself what allowance were meetest for me. and a motionless state lasted for more than an hour. ....I pray and beseech you to grant to me, your But, in the course of time, this malady is said to have most kind and loving wife, the sum of £2600 quar- undergone a modification such as it exhibits at the terly to be paid. Also, I would, besides that allow present day. The female, whom it had attacked, ance, have £600 quarterly to be paid, for the per- would suddenly fall down, toss her arms about, writhe formance of charitable works and those things I her body into various shapes, move her head snddenwould not, neither will be accountable for. Also, I ly from side to side, and, with eyes fixed and staring, will have three horses for my own saddle, that none send forth the most dismal cries. If the fit had ocshall dare to lend or borrow: none lend but I, none curred on any occasion of public diversion, she would, borrow but you. Also, I would have two gentlewoas soon as it had ceased, mix with her companions, lest one should be sick, or have some other let. and continue her amusement as if nothing had hapAlso, believe it, it is an undecent thing for a gentle- pened. Paroxysms of this kind prevailed most woman to standing mumping alone, when God hath during the warur months of summer; and about fifty blessed their lord and lady with great estate. Also, years ago, there was scarcely a Sabbath in which when I ride a hunting, or travel from one house to they did not occur. Strong passions of the mind, another, I will have them attending; so, for either of induced by religious enthusiasm, were also the exthese said women, I must and will have for either of citing causes of these fits; but, like all such false them a horse. Also, I will have six or eight gentle- tokens of divine workings, they were easily counmen; and I will have two coaches, one lined with teracted, by producing in patients such opposite velvet to myself, with four very fine horses; and states of mind, as arise from a sense of shame : coach for my women, lined with cloth, and laced with thus they are under the controul of any sensible gold, otherwise scarlet and laced with silver, preacher, who will administer to a mind diseased,with four good horses. Also, I will have two who will expose the folly of voluntarily yielding to coachmen, one for my own coach, the other for my a sympathy so easily resisted, or of inviting such women. Also, at any time when I travel, I will be attacks by affectation. An intelligent and pious allowed not only coaches and spare horses for me and minister of Shetland informed me, that being conmy women, but I will have such carriages as be fit-siderably annoyed on his first introduction into the

men,

a

of kids' entrails.

11.-Life in the 16th century." At seven o'clock every morning, my lord and my lady have set on their table one quart of beer, one of wine, two pieces of salt fish, six red herrings, or a dish of sprats."Household Book of the Earl of Northumberland.

12.-The Lord of Carleton, in Norfolk, is bound, by charter, to present the king with 100 herrings, in 24 pies, when they first come in season.

13. The origin of the story of the Wandering Jew, is to be found in the 21st verse of the 19th chapter of St. John; "Then went they saying abroad, ́ that that disciple should not die."

14. There was no regular pavement for foot passengers, in the streets of London, till 1762. The foot-way in the principal streets, was divided, by posts, or a pailing, from the carriage-way.

15. Sweating sickness.-Speaking of this epide- ' mic, Camden says, that he had "observed it thrice, in the last age, rise through the whole kingdom of

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