successors.

that period deemed almost magical, would probably bear no comparison with the feats which horses in our own days have been made to execute by the ingenious Mr. Astley, and his Morocco is mentioned by a great number of our old writers: Sir W. Raleigh, in his "History of the World, part 1, p. 178, observes, "If Banks had lived in older times, he would have she med all the inchan ters in the world; for, whosoever was most famous among them could never master or instruct any beast as he did." And Sir Kenelm Digby, in his "Treatise on Bodies," cap. 38, p. 393, informs us that "this horse would restore a glove to the due owner, after his master had whispered the man's name in his ear; would tell the just number of pence in any piece of silver coin, newly showed him by his master*; and even obey presently his command, by discharging himself of His excrements, whensoever he bade him." This last extraordinary mark of docility is noticed in Chrestoloros; or, Seven Bookes of Epigrammes, by Thomas Bas ard, 1598:"

OF BANKES'S HORSE. Bankes hath a horse of wandrous qualitie,

and

For he can fight, and pdance, and lie, And find your purse, and tell what coyne ye have; "But, Bankes,who taught your horse

to smell a knave?"

Another exploit of this celebrated animal appears to have been that of walking to the top of St. Paul's Church, an incident thus alluded to by Decker, in his "

The melancholy sequel of the poor animal's history remains to be told. The attraction of his feats probably wearing off with the decay of their novelty, he was conveyed by his master to France, and exhibited in 1601 at Paris, where the magistrates, conceiving that such tricks could not be performed without the aid of magic, imprisoned Banks, and put Morocco under sequestration, but discovering afterwards that every thing was effected by natural means, they liberated the prisoners, and permitted the resumption of their exhibitions. In the notes to a French translation of Apuleius's "Golden Ass," published in the following year by Jean de Montlyard, Sieur Melleray, counsellor to the Prince of Conde, there is a very particular description of the horse, which, says the writer, was a middle-size, bay, English gelding, about fourteen years old, and was exhibited at the Golden Lion, Rue St. Jacques. He adds that Banks undertook to teach any horse the same tricks in a twelvemonth.

Unwarned by his narrow escape at Paris, Banks proceeded thence with his horse to Rome, where, to the disgrace of the age, of the country, and of humanity, they were burned, by order of the Pope, as magicians. See Don Zara del Fogo, 1650, 12mo, p. 114. Ben Jonson, also, thus alludes to their luckless fate, in his 134th Epigram:

Old Banks, the juggler, our Pytha goras,

Grave tetor to the learned horse;

both which

Booke," 1609:-" From hence you may descend, so talk about the Horse that went up, and strive, if you can, to know his Keeper, take the day of the month, and the number of the steppes, and suffer yourself to believe verily that it was not a Horse, but something else in the likeness of one."

witch."

To prove the very general interest excited among our ancestors by the horse's feats, we shall conclude this article with a few more passages from old writers in which we find them alluded to. One of the characters in Ben Jonson's" Every man out of his ado with this monster, than ever Humour," exclaims, "He keeps more Bankes did with his Horse." Again,

in Bishop Hall's Satires, 1598, he speaks of one who

"Vies his pence, to view some tricke Of strange Morocco's dumbe arithmeticke."

Among the entries in the books at Stationers' Hall, is the following:“Nov. 14, 1595, a ballad, shewing the strange qualities of a young nagg called Morocco;" and in 1595 there was published a pamphlet entitled, "Moroccus Extaticus; or, Banks's Bay Horse in a trance," prefixed to which is a rude wooden frontispiece representing the horse standing on his hind legs, with a stick in his mouth; before him is his master with

a stick in his hand; on the floor lie a

pair of dice, and in the back-ground appear some spectators, habited in the costume of that period. A faithful copy of the print in question precedes this article.

RULES FOR BATHERS.

As the season is approaching when many of our readers will visit the sea side, the few following hints relative to bathing may be worth recollecting :

Don't go into the water while in a heat.

If you bathe for health, merely immerse yourself, and then come out. Dry-rub yourself with a coarse towel, so as to circulate the blood on the surface of the body.

Dry your hair well.

Don't take exercise immediately after such bathing; but if you have incautiously staid in so long as to make you chilly, then take a little brandy, and walk smartly. If you merely immerse yourself, you may go into the water at any time of the day.

Salt water is better than fresh however, fresh is better than none. Don't remain long stripped before bathing.

Dr. Millar, of Edinburgh, gives the following directions for bathing

Persons of a delicate or feeble constitution should not bathe early in the morning. Cold bathing should never be employed unless the temperature or heat of the body is, by exercise or otherwise, somewhat increased, or even when a slight perspiration has begun. When the body has been long exposed to exertion and fatigue, situde, debility, and chillness, prevail, or after profuse sweating, when las dreaded and shunned. When the body the use of the cold bath should be is in a proper degree of heat, undress in the water; remain a very short as quick as possible, and immerse it minute or two, and during the whole time in the water, not exceeding a time keep the body under the surface water quickly resume the ordinary of the water. On coming out of the dress, and use moderate exercise to promote the return of the heat of the body; if chilliness be felt, take break fast after bathing in the morning; or, in the forenoon, some warm soup. -Notwithstanding the strong prejudice to the contrary, the practice of immersing or wetting the head, to prevent, as it is said, the blood from being driven to that quarter, is not only unnecessary, but positively hurtful, as well as disagreeable. doctor invites to a comparison between the comfort and agreeable feelings which the bather will enjoy by avoiding this violent practice of total submersion, and the tingling ears, blinded eyes, and partial suffocation, which are occasioned by suddenly plunging the head under water. The method of bathing children in the sea, by throwing them backwards into the water, and plunging them head and ears under the surface, is also severely reprobated.

IMPULSES.

The

Persons of lively imaginations frequently believe, when they feel par ticularly inclined to enter upon any undertaking, that there is something in the impulse "more than is natural,

and when the result is propitious, they are still more confirmed in the idea. Some curious instances of the kind are subjoined, extracted from the writings of Aubrey, who was a firm believer of what he related. The reader will for what opinion of them he pleases

"One that I knew, who was at the battle of Dunbar, told me that Oliver Cromwell was carried on with a divine impulse; he laughed so excessively, as if he had been drunk; his eyes sparkled with spirits. He obtained a great victory, but the action was said to be contrary to human prudence.

"The same fit of laughter seized Oliver Cromwell just before the bat tle of Naseby, as a kinsman of mine, and a great favourite of his, Colonel J. P. then present testified. Cadinal Mazarine said that he was a lucky

fool.

46

In one of the great fields at Warminster, at the very time of the fight at Bosworth field between king Richard III. and Henry VII. there was one of the parish took two sheaves, crying, with some intervals, Now for Richard, now for Henry; at last lets fall the sheaf that did represent Richard, and cried Now for king Henry, Richard is slain!' This action did agree with the very time,day and hour. When I was a school-boy I have heard this confidently delivered by tradition, by some old men of our country.*

66

King Charles I. after he was condemned, did tell Colonel Tomlinson, that he believed, that the English monarchy was now at an end: about half an hour after, he told the Colonel, that now he had assurance by a strong impulse on his spirit, that his son should reign after him.' This information I had from Fabian Philips, Esq. of the Inner-temple, who had good authority for the truth of it: I have forgot who it was.

The Lord Roscommon, being a boy of ten years of age at Caen in Normandy, one day was (as it were) madly extravagant in playing, leaping,

Compare Nic-Nac, vol. ii, p. 172,

getting over the table-boards, &c. He was wont to be sober enough: they said, God grant this bodes no ill fuck to him." In the heat of this extravagant fit, he cries out, My father is dead!' A fortnight after, news came from Ireland that his father was dead. This account I had from Mr. Knolles, who was his governor, and then with him; since Secre tary to the Earl of Strafford, and I have heard his Lordship's relations confirm the same.

"A very good friend of mine and old acquaintance, hath had frequent impulses; when he was a commoner at Trinity College, Oxford, he had several. Whe he rode towards the West one time in the stage coach, he told the company, We shall certainly When be robbed,' and they were so. a brother of his, a merchant, died, he left him, with other effects, a share of a ship, which was returning from Spain, and of which news was brought to the Exchange at London, of her good condition; he had such an impulse upon his spirit, that he must needs sell his share, though to loss; and he did sell it. The ship came safe to Cornwall (or Devon), and somewhere afterwards fell upon the rocks and sunk: not a man perished; but all the goods were lost except some parrots, which were brought for Queen Katherine."

philosopher. However, when he has been immortalized for one century, which will be on March 20, 1827, your present correspondent, a friend to society, will offer to the public (on contribution of the promised sum) a motion that will then have continued eleven years. For its completion he has spared neither time nor expense, and, above all as omitted that which the vulgar ever found to decay. It consists of that which is not foolish or nonsensical, such as springs, balance, and weights, but of materials which will continue a century as well as one day. No weight is too immense for its motion, and the mechanic's art shall be baffled at its velocity."

MEMO.

THE INDIAN BAT, OR VAMPYRE.

Captain Stedman while in Surinam, was attacked during his sleep by some of these animals, and as his account of this incident is somewhat singular, we shall give it in his own language I cannot here (says be) forbear relating a singular circumstance, viz. that on waking one morning about four o'clock, in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in congealed blood, without feeling any pain whatever. I started up and rang for the surgeon, with a firebrand in one hand, and all over besmeared with gore; which added to my pale face, short hair, and tattered apparel might well induce him to ask the question

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damped

Brings with thee airs of heaven, or blasts from hell?

The mystery, however, was, that I had been bitten by the Vampyre, or spectre of Guinaa, which is also. called the flying dog of New Spain. and by the Spaniards Perrovolador; this is no other than a bat of a monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle while they are fast asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the manner in which they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account of it. Knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where, while the creature continues fanning with his enor mous wings, which keeps one cool, le bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small, indeed, that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is consequently not painful; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again; and thus continues sucking and disgorging till be is scarcely able to fly; and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time to eternity. Cattle they generally bite in the ear, but always in places where the blood flows spontaneously. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and my hammock, I observed several small heaps of congealed blood upon the ground all around the place where I had lain, on examining which, the surgeon judged that I had lost at least 12 or 14 ounces during the night.""

TRUISMS.

In the following ditty, some of our readers may perhaps recognise an old acquaintance, but they will not, we think, be sorry to encounter it once more-though this is perhaps more than they would say of many other antique friends. It formed a portion. of the Entertainment which Mr. Mathews delivered the first season of his AT HOME, in the year 1818: