Tatler, No. 18 and 87; Spectator Johnson has said (and surely no 28: Adventurer 89; World 45: higher authority in morals, after the and Mirror 82), vou may not per- sacred writings, can be adduced), haps reject this attempt "to chroni- that "it is the duty of every man to cle small beer." endeavour that something may be An Author and his Reader have added by his industry to the heredibeen compared to persons travelling tary aggregate of knowledge. To together, and it is therefore extreme- add much can indeed be the lot of ly desirable that a good understand. few, but to add something, however ing should subsist between them. little, every one may hope." HINYBORO. "Those shows which once profan'd the sacred page, The barb'rous Mysteries' of our infant Stage; "" Now for my part, as I ride along, if I hear of any venerable vestige of ADAM AND EVE. I consider this antiquity, any splendid mansion, not unfrequent sign to be a vestige anv curious collection, or any of scenery remarkable for sublimity or beauty, even though it should take me a few miles out of the straight high road, I can hardly refrain from in which Adam and Eve were among the deviation; and should I chance the principal of the "Dramatis Perto be any where near to a spot of sonæ." Stow tells us that in 1409 historick interest, or rendered sa- at Clerkenwell, "The Creation of cred as the birth-place, residence, or the World" was acted by the Comdepository of pre-eminent genius, pany of Parish Clerks before a very learning, or virtue, the temptation large assembly, and that the perof a visit is absolutely irresistible. formance occupied eight days. In If I mistake not, Mr. Urban, our one of the Chester Whitsun plays, feelings and our taste in this do not originally acted in 1328, and repeatdisagree, and were I your compa- ed so lately as 1000, Adam and nion on a real journey, I should not Eve appear in a state of complete be apprehensive of much censure nudity; Eve converses with the for my present aberrations; but in serpent; eats of the forbidden fruit, this excursion on paper, how shall I and gives to Adam; after which conciliate the good graces of your they procure coverings of fig-leaves. readers, for I never can continue in And all this was witnessed with the direct path. if by digressing a composure by a numerous assemlittle I can pick up what I may ig- blage of both sexes! norantly deem a curious etymology, a characteristick anecdote, or a jeu d'esprit ? Dreadfully gross as these representations appear to us, is there not more real indelicacy in the female The To some readers, it is true, I may exposure of modern days? relate what they well knew before, true test consists in the emotions and get only their contemptuous excited or intended so to be. There "Crambe his repetita" for my pains; is no immodesty in the nakedness of by others I may be censured as hav- a savage; and among our unrefined ing wasted their time and mine in ancestors the only sentiments ocdetailing impertinent sillinesses; casioned by these strange spectacles, but I can truly repeat that they have were probably those of Religion; afforded pleasure to myself, and in but in the ball rooms of the 19th the hope of communicating like century it is almost necessary to be pleasure to others, I began this com- "more or less than man," to escape pilation. Besides, let it be remem- from voluptuous imaginations. The bered, that the great and good Dr. female who thus endeavours to obtain a husband shoots widely of the Professors, in 896; an excellent mark, for even the most dissipated would say Such would I have my mistress, not my wife." Poet, a good scholar, the author and translator of several Works. Regular and devout in his religious duties, the founder of many churches, and most exemplary in all the domestick relations, this good and faithful servant" exchanged his temporal for an eternal crown, in 901. Almost the only remain of the once splendid Abbey of Stratford Langton, in Essex, consists of a beautiful arch in front of the Adam Semper honos, nomenque tuum laudesque mante and Eve publick house. ALFRED'S HEAD is the appropriate sign of a principal inn at Wantage in Berkshire, where he was born in 849. "I decus! I nostrum! bunt." Although not a very frequent sign. yet King Alfred," οι Alfred's Head," is to be met with in several large towns. ANGEL. The frequent occurrence of this figure (very often holding a coat of arms in its hanos) our ancient ecclesiastical and domestick edifices. has probabiy been a principal reason of the pre Thomson, in I hus It is not to be expected that I should attempt a history, a biogra- sent prevalence of this sign. phy, or even a bare enumeration of a large inn at Grantham in Linthe name of every eminent person colnshire, took its name from some whose intended similitude decorates such representations cut in stone the sign-posts of our publick houses; in front of the building which was but some of the most important will once a Commandery of Kights be noticed in alphabetical order. Templars. To this also may be Alfred fought under his brother added that an angel is borne as a King Ethelred at Ashdown in 871, supporter to the arins of very many to commemorate which victory the noble families. armorial bearing of Wessex, a white THE ARCHERS. THE BOW AND horse, was cut and still remains on ARROW. The English archers were " White Horse" hill; ascended the the best in the world, and their throne the same year; took shelter superiority was particularly evinin the isle of Athelney; visited the ced in the glorious fields of Cressy, Danish camp in the disguise of a har- Poictiers, and Agincourt. per, and obtained a complete victory It is good to have two strings to at Edington, in 878; established a your bow, is a proverb originating powerful English fleet, and thus among archers, who formerly for founded the Navy of Britain in fear of accidents were often thus 882; defeated the Danish chieftain provided, as appears by a law of Hastings; restored peace to his Charlemagne, issued in the year kingdom; divided England into 813, which speaks of "arcum cum counties, hundreds, and tythings; duabus cordis." A ring, in the instituted the office of Sheriff; com- possession of Sir John Pringle, posed his Code of Laws; and es- found upon the field of battle at tablished the Trial by Jury in 393; Bannockburn, represents an archfounded or restored the University er with a bow having two strings of Oxford, and placed in it learned attached to it, one of which is drawn up with the arrow, while the other while archery was practised, was remains unemployed. And this obliged to keep in his house either passage from Ascham, "Although a bow of yew or some other wood. he have two strings put on at once," It would seem therefore that yews proves that the practice existed in were not only planted in churchhis time, temp. Éliz. yards to defend their churches from A fool's bolt is soon shot, a pro- the wind, but on account of their verb quoted by the Duke of Orleans use in making bows; while, by the in Shakspeare's Henry V. is deri- benefit of being secured in enclosed ved from a short thick arrow called places, their poisonous quality was a bird-bolt, without a point and prevented trom doing mischief to spreading so much as to leave a flat the cattle." So also Dr. Trusler surface of the breadth of a shilling. says, that in the year 1482, yow Thus in Marston's "What you trees were encouraged in churchwill," 1607, "Cupid, Pox of his bird-bolt! Venus The bird-bolt shot from a crossbow, was an inferiour kind of archery used by fools, who for obvious reasons were not permitted to shoot with pointed arrows. We use the word Butt, the place yards (as being fenced from the cattle) for the making of bows. But Mr. Brand asks, "Are not all plantation grounds fenced from cattle ?" and adds, " How much more probable the conjecture of Dr. Browne, that the planting of yew trees in church-yards seems to derive its origin from ancient funeral rites, in which from its perpetual verdure resurrection." on which the mark to be shot at is fixed, metaphorically, to express a silly. passive character, on whom any one may with impunity exer- the truant still more, and I do not cise his wit. In Shakspeare's " Much ado about Nothing,' Benedick says of Bea trice "her affections have their full bent." This too is a metaphor derived from archery; the bow has its bent when it is drawn as far as it can be. Yeoman, though derived by Junius from German (Frisick) a villager, is by many deduced from the employment of that class of men in war as archers, whose bows were made of yew; in like manner as the title of esquire is derived from the French equ, a shield, which it was his office to bear before the knight. think that your readers will be dis pleased if they have not before seen Archers' song," which was related to me by a lady since dead, and which I have never met with in print. "Bright Phœbus! thou patron of poets below, The fashion of shooting 'twas you who began, When you shot forth your beams from the skies. And the Goddesses shot with their eyes, Diana, who slaughter'd the brutes with her darts, Shot only one lover or so; On beautiful Iris Apollo bestow'd Several motives have been assigned for the planting of the yew trees which we so commonly find It soon grew her hobby-horse, and as she rode in church-yards. Steevens says, "From some of the ancient Statutes it appears that every Englishman, On it like an arrow she flew, To earth came the art of the Archers at last, And was follow'd with eager pursuit; The Parthians were bowmen of old, and their pride still frequent, we may conjecture Lay in shooting and seampering too; So they shot, and their enemies flew, Then a health to the brave British bowmen be crowu'd; May their courage ne'er sit in the dark; May their strings be all good, and their bows be all sound, And their arrows fly true to the mark! British boys," The Rampant Bear chain'd to the Kagged Staff, to have been, once, a very popular a favourite THE BAG OF NAILS was, and amusement of our ancestors. Sir perhaps still is, the name of an inn Thomas Pope entertained Queen at Chelsea; which may be noticed Mary and the Princess Elizabeth as the ne plus ultra of ludicrous cor- at Hatfield with a grand exhibition ruption, having originally been a of "bear-baiting, with which their groupe of Bacchanals. Highnesses were right well con BARBER'S POLE. It has been said tent" Bear-baiting was a part of that the original distinction of our the amusement of Elizabeth, among barber's shops, was the figure of a the "Princely Pleasures of Kenilhuman head or poll (a name now worth Castle." Rowland White, almost obsolete excepting in a poll- speaking of the Queen, then in her tax), and that from cheapness or 67th year, says, "Her Majesty is convenience it was changed into a very well. This day she appoints long thick stick, because that too a Frenchman to do feats upon a is called a pole. But surgery and rope in the Conduit-court. Toshaving were formerly practiced by morrow she has commanded the the same person, whence the cor- bears, the bull, and the ape, to be porate company of Barber-chirur- bayted in the tilt-yard. Upon geons; and the original intention Wednesday she will have solemne of the parti-coloured staff over their dawncing." doors was, to shew that the master The office of Chief Master of the of the shop could breathe a vein as Bears was held under the Crown well as mow a beard; such a staff with a salary of 16d. per diem. to this day by village practitioners Whenever the King chose to enterbeing put into the hand of a patient tain himself or his visitors with this undergoing the operation of phlebo- sport, it was the duty of the Master tomy. The white band which ac- to provide bears, and dogs, and to companies the staff was meant to superintend the baiting; and he represent the fillet thus elegantly was invested with unlimited authotwined about it. rity to issue commissions and to BEAR. BEAR AND RAGGED send his officers into every county STAFF. A very great proportion in England, who were empowered of our signs exhibit the arms of to seize and take away any bears, some popular character, or family bulls, or dogs, that they thought of distinction residing in the neigh- meet for his Majesty's service. bourhood. At present the whole The latest record by which this coat is most commonly displayed; diversion was publickly authorised, but formerly, and even now in se- is a grant to Sir Sanders Duncombe, Oct. 11, 1661, for "the sole prac- for the space of fourteen years." tising and profit of the fighting and Occasional exhibitions of this kind combating of wild and domestick were continued till about the midbeats within the realm of England dle of the 18th century. CHARLOTTE, PRINCESS PALATINE; SECOND WIFE TO THE DUKE OF ORLEANS, BROTHER OF LOUIS XIV. From La Belle Assemblée. DERHAPS it would be difficult was much disconcerted at beholdto find in the whole world such ing her; but accustoming himself an ugly hand and arm as this Prin- to her person, she gained, during cess was possessed of. The King the twenty years they lived toge would often laugh as he looked at ther, by her good-humoured and them, and the good-humoured Prin- sensible conduct, his entire conficess laughed as heartily as his Ma- dence and esteem. jesty. As Charlotte knew she had She was determined never to no pretensions to beauty, she was augment her ugliness by excess of always the first to ridicule the de- ornament: and being once asked fects of her person. to draw her own picture, she gave the following sketch : On great festivals, Monsieur, her husband, always obliged her to "I must be insupportably ugly, put on rouge; this was a great tor- for I have not one good feature. ment to her, as she not only detes- My eyes are small, my nose broad ted all kind of artifice, but also and flat, my mouth wide, and my whatever put her the least out of lips thin; not a single material to her way. build a good face from; I have large In her early youth she was very high cheek bones, my face is very fond of playing with swords and long, I am short of stature, thick fire-arms, and disdained to amuse set, and my legs are large. In herself with dolls or playthings. short, I am a little ugly wretch; She would often weep because she and if I did not render myself was not a boy; her nurse once told amusing, no one would endure her, in order to pacify her, that if me." she jumped high she would become "You seem to have a shocking a boy: accordingly, the Princess dislike to Madame de Maintenon," would take such dangerous leaps, said the King one day to her that it was a wonder she did not "Sire," replied the Princess, “I break her neck. do not like disproportionate allian On her first arrival in France, as the wife of Monsieur, that Prince From the European Magazine. ces." VARIETIES. a youth, at College, occurred; which I transcribe for the amusement of the numerous readers of your valu IN perusing the Biography of the late celebrated William Thompson, who died at Kensington, able Miscellany. March 16, 1817, in the 71st year "About the year 1774, while of his age: the following singular young Thompson attended the Diinstance of his facetiousness when vinity school at St. Andrews, it |