places of Scotland, there groweth an hearbe of itselfe, called hadder, or rather, verie delicate for all kind of cattell to feede vpon; and also for diverse fowles, but bees especially. This herbe, in June, yieldeth a purple flower, as sweet as honey, whereof the Picts, in times past, did make a pleasant drinke, and verie wholesome for the body; but since their time, the maner of the making heereof is perished in the subversion of the Picts,-neither shewed they ever the learning heereof to any but to their own nation. There is no part of Scotland so vnprofitable (if it were skillfully searched) but it produceth iron or some other kinde of metall, as may be proved through all the isles of Scotland."

Enteresting Varieties.

PSALM-SINGING was much practised by the Anglo-Saxon clergy, laity, and our ancestors; indeed, was the common employ of the devout when alone; the whole Psalter, which was got by heart by children, being sung over sometimes every night, and before eating on Sundays and festivals. The Monks used to sing psalms when travelling, and under other employments; and there was formed for the study and meditation of travellers, a tablet of the Psalms. Our ancient kings joined in the church service, and sung the offices in surplices. Divine songs were also sung. These were very curious, such as songs sung by Christ, when on the Cross, adjuring his hearers by the nails, thorns, &c. Beggars sung a Salve Regina, Chaucer's Absalom, and Angelus ad Virginem. Luther, Huss, and other reformers, not Marot, were the means of introducing modern psalmody. The custom of singing psalms at church began in 1559 and 1560. Sometimes at Paul's Cross, six thousand persons sung together; and on Sunday evenings the people were wholly occupied in singing Psalms, or deading the Book of Martyrs. The

It

ancient practice in church was, on account of those who could not read, for the clerk to repeat each line three times before the commencement and after the conclusion of the Morning Service; likewise, when there was a sermon, before and after that. was nearly banished by the Puritans ; but still it is noted that the singing at the siege of York, in 1644, was better than had been known for ages. These severe reformers applied profane tunes to sacred uses, which they termed robbing the Devil of them.

MOONLIGHT. With regard to light, we would mention the singularly useful, and hitherto unobserved effect of moonlight, in assisting the completion of certain important natural phenomena. The crystallization of water, under the form of those light frosts which so much prevail during the early spring, and which are of such important service in assisting the operations of agriculture, by rendering the surface of the earth mellow, and better susceptible of the manure that is necessary to it, is greatly assisted, and in many cases entirely brought about by the intervention of moonlight. It is well known that, under certain circumstances, water will sink to the temperature of twenty-two degrees before it freezes, or takes the form of crystals. Indeed it will invariably do so in the absence of any mechanical agitation, and in the absence of light. It is an unquestionable fact, but one which has not hitherto been observed generally, or attended to, that during that period. of the year which has been alluded to, and indeed at other periods, before the moon rises on a still clear night, when the atmosphere is at a lower temperature than thirty-two, the water remains in a liquid state, but immediately on the moon rising, and diffusing its light around, the water freezes, and performs the salutary offices required of it, without subjecting us to the severity of a low temperature.-GURNEY'S LECTURES ON CHEMISTRY.

THE EYES.-A professional gentleman, who has written a treatise, entitled the "Art of Preserving the Sight," relates the following fact, in order to show the danger attending compression of the eyes:-"I was called in, some years ago, to the case of a strong man, who had always enjoyed a most excellent sight, until a short time previous, when he had become totally blind from the following incident. One day he happened to be engaged with a party of friends, when some person entered the room without his noticing it, who ran familiarly to cover his eyes with his two hands, desiring him to guess who it was that blinded him. Either unable, or perhaps not choosing to guess the person's name, he endeavoured to disengage himself from his hands; but the stronger effort he made for that purpose, the more forcibly did the other press his hands upon his eyes, and this so long, and with such deadly effect, that the unfortunate man, when permitted to open his eyes, found himself totally blind, although there was no appa rent hurt done to the organ.' "*

FAMINE.-The following are extracts from the Annual Register for 1766. The scarcity of provisions has been so general, as to reach North America, where Indian corn has risen to a great price; and at Wilmington, in North Carolina, small fishes were sold from sixteen to twenty-pence each.

There have been many riots, and much mischief done, in many parts of England, in consequence of the rising of the poor, who have been driven to desperation and madness by the exorbitant prices of all manner of provisions.

At Malmesbury they seized all the corn, sold it at 5s. a bushel, and gave the money to the right owners.

At Setbury, they seized the cheese and bacon in the warehouses, and

Compare p. 89 of Vol. III.

sold out the former at 3d. and the latter at 4d. a pound.

At Kidderminster the populace obliged the farmers to sell their wheat at 5s. a bushel.

At Gloucester, the most considerable farmers from the hills voluntarily agreed to supply the market with wheat at 5s. a bushel, and have already sold considerable quantities at that price.

At Bromsgrove, in Worcestershire, the mob rose, and obliged the farmers to sell their wheat at 5s. a bushel, and the butchers their meat at twopence halfpenny a-pound.

At Hales Owen, they rose, and forced the people to sell cheese at two-pence halfpenny, and flour at 5s. They destroyed two dressing mills before they dispersed.

At Evesham, in Worcestershire, the mob rose, and seized some butter, and sold it at 6d. a-pound. They intended to have pulled down the corn-mills there, but their ringleaders were prevailed on to desist.

WINE.

THE impulse given to the Wine Trade by the reduction

of Duty is astonishing: we select the following comparative

GREAT FROSTS.-The following account of the most remarkable frosts may be pleasing to some of our readers:

Year.

220 Frost in Britain that lasted five months.

250 The Thames frozen nine weeks. 291 Most rivers in Britain frozen six weeks.

359 Severe frost in Scotland for fourteen weeks.

508 The rivers in Britain frozen for two months.

558 The Danube quite frozen over. 695 The Thames frozen six weeks, and booths built thereon.

827 Frost in England nine weeks. 859 Carriages used on the Adriatic sea. 908 Most rivers in England frozen two

months.

923 The Thames frozen thirteen weeks. 987 Frost lasted one hundred and twen

ty days; began December 22d. 998 The Thames frozen five weeks. 1035 Severe frost, June 14th; the corn and fruits destroyed. 1063 The Thames frozen fourteen weeks.

1076 Frost in England from November till April.

1114 Several wooden bridges carried away by the ice.

1407 Frost lasted sixteen weeks. 1434 Frost from November till February; the Thames frozen to Gravesend.

1603 Frost for thirteen weeks.

1739 A frost which lasted nine weeks; it began December 14. 1747 Severe frost in Russia. 1760 The same in Germany. 1778 Thames frozen below bridge; booths upon it.

1795 Severe frost in England. 1814 Intense frost; the Thames frozen, and all sorts of amusement upon it.

Gay gives the following account of a fair held upon the Thames : Oh, roving Muse! recall that wond'rous year,

When Winter reign'd in bleak Britannia's air

When hoary Thames with frosted oziers crown'd,

Was three long moons in icy fetters bound.

The waterman, forlorn, along the shore, Pensive reclines upon his useless oar, Sees harness'd steeds desert the stony town,

And wander roads unstable, not their

own.

Wheels o'er the harden'd waters smoothly glide,

And raise, with whiten'd tracks, the slippery tide.

Here the fat cook piles high the blazing fire,

And scarce the spit can turn the steer entire !

Booths sudden hide the Thames, long streets appear,

And

num'rous games proclaim the crowded fair.

A palace was built of ice by the Empress Anne of Russia, on the banks of the Neva, in 1740, fifty-two feet long, which, when illuminated, had a surprising effect. The frosts in Russia are insufferable-the rivers are covered with ell- thick ice, and the ground with ell-thick snow. Spittle ejected becomes converted into ice before it reaches the ground, and if metal be touched with moist hands, the skin is left adhesive to it. Sometimes the beards are frozen to the bed-clothes while asleep. Within a few days after the snow has disappeared, the forests and trees are clothed with beautiful foliage, and the ploughed lands, meads, and pasture grounds, with most luxuriant corn and herbage.

Although in winter we

Behold the groves that shine with silver frost,

Their beauty withered, and their ver dure lost;

bank,

And the waters fall hot from his mane and his flank!

The winds are less fleet than that steed on the heath

But the foal of the forest will gallop to death!

He has reached the far desert-he sinks on the ground:

Hark! the wild horses neigh their wild brother around;

'Tis the home of his Sires, and he rests from his pain,

Where bridle ne'er rung-in the depths of Ukraine !

Ho! rouse thee, Mazeppa! thy cords are undone ;

Chief of the ranks,

Who rein their wild steeds on Borys

won!

A maid in the desert thy limbs shall ar

ray:

For love and for vengeance, bold Hetman, away!

EPITAPH.

Here lies Thomas Huddlestone !-Reader, don't smile,

But reflect, while his tomb-stone you

view,

That Death, who kill'd him; in a very short time

May huddle a stone upon you!

Ta Correspondents.

S. X. is referred to No. 120, in which he will find some curious notices of our Early Theatres, illustrated with a copper-plate engraving, copied from a view (taken in Elizabeth's reign,) of excessive rarity. Why will G** persevere in exposing the imbecility of his understanding? Nothing with which Ille Ego is so kind as to furnish us can possibly be unacceptable.

RECEIVED:-L. L. D.-Azim-T.T. -Emma (Walworth)-T. S.-and G.

LONDON --Printed and Published by T. Waitis, Camden Town.

No. 159.