peace, when there was intercourse with Lyons, the French goods became better known to our English manufacturers, and were closely imitated in many articles. A bill introduced into the house of parliament, by Mr. Huskisson, in 1824, reduced the duty on the foreign twisted silk to five shillings, and on raw silk to three pence per pound. So little aware were even the revenue officers of the improvement then already made in the English silk manufacture, that when English silk goods were brought to them for examination, to obtain the drawback allowed on the alteration of duty, they mistook some of them, at first, for French! They actually seized, as French goods, several pieces from the second parcel thus presented to them, though belonging to a respectable London manufacturer, never suspected of smuggling, and were not a little surprised when the workmen, who had made the pieces in question, came forward the next morning, and spoke to their own hand work, and were not a little proud of the compliment thus paid to them. The prohibition upon all French silks was, subsequently, removed, and a duty of thirty per cent., ad valorem, was established. This measure has proved of the greatest importance to the English manufacture. By the admission of French goods, new and useful patterns are constantly given to the English manufacturer, and a spirit of competition has been produced, much calculated to improve the art; and the English manufacturer excels the French in many articles. The change, however, was very destructive of the capital previously embarked in the trade; by the sudden alteration, almost every existing manufacturer was a heavy pecuniary sufferer, and most of them left the trade, which was taken up and followed by new capitalists. A wise legislator will always avoid sudden commercial changes, which, as in this instance, are sure to be ruinous to many who have embarked in the trade thus subjected to revolution, not expecting to be subject to other changes than those of the ordinary course of events, and caprice of fashion. The effects of these are gradual, and may be met, not as in the present instance, involving all parties in the vortex. We shall close by a few remarks upon reeling the silk. As soon as the cocoons have been submitted to a heat sufficiently the great to destroy the chrysalis, they become articles of trade, and the silk may be reeled either by the silkworm breeder, or by the silk manufacturer. There is a prejudice among those who are engaged in this branch of trade, against reeling longer than July, August, and September, although the period might be extended without injury to the silk. The process of reeling is simple. A vessel of water is placed over a charcoal fire, which keeps the liquid at a high temperature, and near it stands reel upon which the silk is to be wound. The cocoons are then put into the hot water; for it has the effect of softening and dissolving the natural gum, which connects the fibres. In the process of reeling, the thread of several cocoons are united together, and as one breaks another is added, so that the thread is kept of nearly uniform thickness. To do this, it is not necessary to form a knot, but merely to place the filament upon the compound thread, to which it will at once adhere. To prevent the necessity of handling, a small whisk is used, and by stirring the cocoons, when they have been moistened in the water, the ends of some of them will adhere to it. Four or more of these are then taken by the woman who superintends the process, and being passed through a small hole, or wire eye, are attached to the reel. Four others are then united in the same manner, so that two skeins are formedupon each reel, which is generally turned by a child; and so constructed, that while it revolves, it has a motion in the direction of its length to prevent one thread from covering another. This, then, is the method of producing the raw silk, which is said to be coarse or fine, according to the number of fibres of which the thread is composed. From two to three thousand cocoons are required to produce a pound of reeled silk, which, when boiled, to clear it from the natural gum, is reduced to twelve ounces. OLD HUMPHREY ON SPIDERS. H. THOUGH old age be not heralded by a flourish of trumpets, and an audible proclamation, yet is there not wanted a goodly troop of signs and symbols to announce its approach. A stiffness in the limbs, a sluggishness in the gait, an unwonted love of quietness and repose, are all silent monitors of approaching years. Then, again, the mote in the eye, the cramp in the leg, the twinge in the back, the twitch at the pit of the stomach, a disposition to sit when once seated, and an indisposition to pick up any thing from the ground: all these things tell a tale to those whom it most concerns. I suppose it is the case with most old men, that the heat of summer is pleasant to them; the warm current of the heart does not circulate through the veins so rapidly as it used to do. Sometimes I walk in the full blaze of the mid-day sun, without feeling overcome by it. It was not so a few years ago, for then the sun soon brought the briny dew upon my brow. I shrank from the shine, and sought the shade, taking off my hat, and loosening my neckcloth. Yes, yes; I am getting older! I am getting older! Not a murmur, however, shall escape my lips; neither, indeed, is there one in my heart on this account. If any one has need to be thankful, it is Old Humphrey, for he can yet enjoy the summer season, and, buttoned to the chin in his warm great coat, still brave the winter's blast. If those who know him not, could see how lustily he traverses the lanes and streets, shrouded by his capacious umbrella, when the rain or the sleet patters down upon him, they would hardly believe him to be Old Humphrey. Oftentimes have I alluded to my love of natural scenery. There is enjoyment, and much of it too, in the crowded city, that a man of a quiet and reflective spirit may lawfully indulge in; but give me the mountain and the moor, the woods and the waterfalls, the fields and the foliage, fanned by the free air of heaven. Give me natural scenery, when my object is merely enjoyment. How pleasant it is to ramble on a summer's day, taking in at a view the extended prospect; and then to concentrate our attention on the minuter objects around us! I love to observe the movements of the insect world; to watch the bee, as he buries himself in the cup of a flower; to follow with my eye the labours of the accumulating ant, and to speculate on the pursuit of the "shorded beetle," as, with the sunshine glittering on his dark and glossy coat of mail, he hurries across my path. But still more do I love to bend over The a spider's web, while the industrious insect weaves his filmy lines. more I gaze, the more am I puzzled by the ease, the rapidity, the untiring perseverance, and the absence of hesitation exhibited by the spider in all his movements. What a piece of work does man make about building himself a dwelling; while the poor spider is his own architect, builder, mason, and carpenter ! He has no neighbour to consult, no plan laid down for him, no assistance rendered him; yet, all alone as he is, he sets to work like one that has an object in view, and knows how to attain it. Spiders are very numerous; ten thousand times ten thousand must be actively employed to form the countless webs, that in a misty morning are made visible to the eye. But while the weaving spider is at work, to procure himself food, other spiders are pursuing the same object in a different way. The leaping spider is springing on his prey; the lurking spider is ensconced beneath the sere leaf and the rugged stone, on the watch for his opportunity to satisfy his hunger; the water spider skims along the surface of the quiet pond; the hunting spider tires down the insect he pursues; and the diving spider seeks the bottom of the shallow brook that he may break his fast. The other day, after indulging for some time my favourite recreation among the insect tribe, my lip curled with a smile of surprise and conscious superiority, as I looked on a tub, placed at the corner of an outbuilding, beneath a wooden spout, to collect rainwater for domestic uses; for a silly spider had woven its web across the mouth of the tub, exactly underneath the spout. The water pouring from the spout when the first shower of rain came, would in a moment sweep away the insect's workmanship. Why, my smile of surprise was a compliment to the whole race of spiders, for it implied that a silly spider was a thing not frequently seen. Are the wisest plans and best executed projects among men more secure than those of the spider? Even before the spider's web is washed away from the water tub, we may be swept away from the world. How was it that I felt surprise at the little insect's lack of wisdom? Has a world that finds room for so many foolish men, no space in it for a foolish spider? I will uphold | it, that where you find one error among the insect world, you will find two among mankind. This thought, in some degree, corrected me; I ceased to smile at the ignorance shown by the spider in his choice of a dwelling place, and gazed curiously on his fragile web, which resembled the rigging of a distant ship. "Ay, ay," thought I, "our ancient ship builders were indebted not a little to the spider." "What! compare a spider's web with the rigging of a man of war ?" you will say; but no, believe me, I meant not to do the spider such injustice. Man's proudest workmanship will not bear such a comparison. The rope spinner has only to twist together a few lines of hemp to make the cord he requires, while the thread of a spider is composed of at least a thousand lines. Man has implements of all kinds to assist him in his operations; but the spider has only the claws of his feet. The spider stretches his filmy lines, without the knowledge of science; yet, strong and elastic, they are arranged without ugly knots and awkward splicings. A spider's web is a piece of perfection that man would quail to emulate. The sailor goes aloft amid the roaring tempest, in perilous situations, holding on by a rope, where the head of the landsman would grow dizzy, and his slackened hand give up the hold that kept him from destruction: but we cannot compare the dexterity of the sailor to that of the spider. See the adventurous insect floating on his thread in the air, passing from tree to tree, and safely descending from a thousand times his own height to the ground. overcoming those, who before had conquered him. If Bruce gathered instruction from the spider, why may not we? But enough of spiders. The animal and the insect world are known by their habits, let us be known by ours. The fox is proverbial for his cunning, the hyena for his ferocity, the ant for her industry, and the spider for his skill and perseverance. Let Christians be as well known, then, among mankind for every good word and work, for thoughts of kindness, and for deeds of love. GAUDY FLOWERS. You have no doubt enjoyed the delightful season when the flowerets of summer again enlivened our pathway. Now, I have a complaint to make against a certain opinion, that seems to be pretty generally entertained concerning flowers; and, as I always feel very angry with the people who entertain this opinion, I am determined to take up my pen, being just in the humour to give them all a good scolding. Somehow or other, an idea has got abroad in the land, that it is bad taste to admire gaudy flowers. People take it into their heads that it is very poetic, and very sentimental, and very every thing-that-is-amiable, to admire lilies, and violets, and forget-me-nots, and to be mighty cautious how they praise tulips, poppies, and peonies, because, forsooth, they are gaudy. Now, I main. tain, this is a lackadaysical affectation, that ought not to be tolerated. I would point such people to the gold and silver, the blue and scarlet of an autumnal sky, and ask them if they will dare to call that sky gaudy? Who shall decide which is most deserving of our admiration-the delicate, shrinking, exquisite beauty of the lily; the gay, gorgeous colouring of the The patient perseverance of the spider painted poppy; or the bold, bright, daris wondrous. Let accident or designing gaze of the champion of the garden, sweep away every vestige of his dwelling place, he is not discouraged. In some new situation will soon be seen, damp with the morning dew, or glittering in the sunbeam, his newly erected habitation. Solomon directed the attention of the slothful to the industry of the ant; and the desponding may learn a lesson from the spider. You may remember, it is said of king Robert Bruce, that in his adversity he was so encouraged by the perseverance of a spider, as to take heart, and make a successful stand against his enemies, the sunflower? I ask no one to decide this question, let it remain for ever undecided, that we may love each peculiar flower for its own peculiar beauty; but let us not tamely see a tulip passed by, or hear a poppy sneeringly spoken of as gaudy: such flowers may be gaudy, but they are glorious to look upon and as for you and me, reader, we will teach ourselves to revel in the beauty of a blackberry blossom; and when there is no other floweret at hand, we will run with blithesome step to gather even a dandelion. ENGLISH HISTORY. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: WITH MISCELLANE for a greyhound 14s. 4d., for a gosehawk 47." The last item shows the excessive value set upon a trained bird of OUS PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THAT prey-five times that of a horse. PERIOD. AMUSEMENTS. Hunting, hawking, and other field sports, were favourite amusements. Much stress was laid upon using the appropriate terms, and to conduct every thing according to certain rules. One of these was, to offer a large hunting knife to the principal person who was present at the conclusion of the sport, especially if a lady, that she might cut the throat of the deer with her own hand! Hawking was much esteemed as an amusement for the ladies. Mary queen of Scots continually followed it during her detention in England. The hawk was brought to the field hooded; but when the game was seen, the hood was removed from its head, and the hawk was allowed to pursue the bird. The sportsmen followed as they could, some on horseback, some on foot, the latter often using long poles to leap over hedges and ditches. Henry VIII. was thus following a hawk near Hitchen, when his pole broke: he fell head foremost into a ditch, and was nearly smothered; but an attendant came up just in time to rescue him. Among the expenses of Henry VII. are, "For a white hoby 16s. (a riding horse,) NOVEMBER, 1840. Tournaments were still practised, but rather for amusement than as duels. Henry 11. king of France, lost his life at a tournament; and Henry VIII. was several times in great danger in these sports. The processions and displays of finery, on public occasions, seem to have caused them to be discontinued. They rapidly declined after the retirement of sir Henry Lee, in 1590, from age and infirmities. We have noticed the pageants so frequently exhibited; masques, interludes, and mummeries were common at Christmas time, but became still more so in the next century. Theatrical amusements began to assume a more regular form in queen Elizabeth's reign. After the Reformation, the profane scripture mysteries were discontinued. They were succeeded by tragedies and comedies, regularly performed in buildings constructed for the purpose, or inn yards were sometimes used. Much evil was thereby introduced. Theatres have ever been the resort of idle and vicious characters, and are usually surrounded by the haunts of licentiousness. It is to be remarked, that several of the first erected theatres, in London, were built on the Bankside, in the neighbourhood where houses had 2 I been licensed for profligacy by prelates of the church of Rome, At one time, queen Elizabeth was induced to give permission for plays to be acted on Sundays; but this license was recalled. In foreign countries, where Popery is the established religion, theatres are now open on Sunday evenings, and crowded more than on any other day in the week. The Reformation did much to stop the profanation of the sabbath, which always has been found to lead to every species of vice and crime. The history of every period shows that vice and profligacy have invariably attended the amusements of the theatre; this unvarying experience of two thousand years, ought to be sufficient to cause every reflecting mind to avoid these temples of Satan. Stowe speaks plainly of the evils of the theatres, where, he says, abounded chaste, uncomely, and unshamefaced speeches, and many other enormities." 66 un Bear and badger baiting were favourite amusements; there were theatres, especially for these sports, which then were encouraged by the chief nobility, as well as the lowest of the populace. A poet of that day censures those whose store of money was "but verie small," "And yet everi Sunday they wil surely spend One peny or two, the bearwards living to mend." These brutal sports, ever are productive of numerous evils. Domestic amusements included cards, dice, tables, chess, and other similar games, which then, as now, usually led to gambling. The professed gambler is enumerated as one of the open pests of society during the latter half of the sixteenth century. Henry VIII. set a bad example in this respect. He gambled away many of the articles which came into his possession, at the spoliation of the monasteries. At one cast of the dice, he lost a celebrated ring of bells and the bell house in St. Paul's churchyard to sir Miles Partridge. How many evils result from the accursed practice of gambling! Let parents always discourage their children from games of chance. Bowling and archery were less dangerous amusements; the latter was encouraged by several statutes during the reign of Henry VIII. Fathers were to provide bows for their children when they were seven years old; masters were to provide bows for their apprentices. Latimer speaks of archery as a wholesome and manly exercise, requiring con stant practice from childhood. Archery formed a part of the May games, and other rural sports: it was considered to be important, not only to keep up the use of a weapon, famous in English warfare, but as a manly sport, strengthening the body. In the latter respect, it has been succeeded by cricket. The use of gunpowder, and hand guns, both for sport and warfare, caused archery to fall into disuse. Gunpowder was now much used in fireworks; elaborate exhibitions of this sort were displayed before queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth, in 1475, and subsequently at Elvetham, in Hampshire. "To Some of the amusements, at the beginning of this period, are recorded by the expenses of Henry VII.: "To a Spanyard that tumbled, 27. To a felow for eting of coles, 6s. 8d. To one that joculed (or juggled) before the kyng, 10s.” Contrast these sums with the very limited amount of his largesses. the harvest folk, beside Burnham Abbey, 1s. To the repers in the way, reward 2d." Henry vii. appears to have had a menagerie and an aviary. In 1503 was paid, "Making of a birdes cage, 21. 4s. 6d. For a nightingale, 17. For hawkes, popingays, eagle, and wild cats, 17." This seems to have been a cheap lot. The amusements, most fashionable at the close of the sixteenth century, are enumerated in the account of Mountjoy, lord deputy of Ireland in 1599: "He delighted in study, in gardens, in riding on a pad to take the air, in playing at shovelboard, at cards, and in reading play books for recreation; and especially in fish and fish ponds, seldom using any other exercises, and using these rightly as pastimes, only for a short and convenient time, and with great variety of change from one to the other." But the most interesting and lawful sports are those of childhood and youth. Those in use, among boys and girls, in the sixteenth century, are enumerated in the following lines: among which, however, are some games of chance : Any they dare chalenge for to throw the sledge, To drink the halper pottes, or deale at the whole cann, To play at chesse, or pue, and inke horne; |