I

pation than that of expressing in beautiful living and reigning in the hearts of her subverses, the fine sentiments by which he was jects, she would now be forty-three years of animated. Dr. Burney, who saw him in his age. seventy-second year, thought him, even then, the gayest and handsomest man of his time. He always declined accepting titles and honours, and lived happy in retirement. Metastasio died in 1782, having been acquainted, in the course of his long career, with all the eminent musicians of the time.

Francis de Salignac de la Motte Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray, the celebrated author of Telemaque, died on the 7th of January, 1715, at the age of sixty-four. His death was accelerated by the overturning of his carriage, which brought on a fever.

Allan Ramsay, the Scottish poet, author of the Gentle Shepherd and other works, has been dead seventy-six years this day. He was first a wigmaker, then a bookseller, next a poet. His son Allan, who died in 1784, was an eminent portrait painter, and author of The Investigator and of The Present State of the Arts in England.

Prussia dates her origin as a kingdom from the 8th of January, 1701.

The birth of Richard II., son of Edward Prince of Wales, generally known as the Black Prince, occurred on the 6th of January, 1366. In his minority Richard displayed remarkable promptitude in quelling the insurrection of Wat Tyler in Smithfield; yet he seems to have been a man of mean character and capacity, and was neither loved nor respected by his people. It was by his orders that his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, was assassinated; and he unjustly detained the estate of Henry, duke of Lancaster, afterwards king of England, by whose agents he was dethroned and murdered in Pontefract Castle. Some unsuccessful attempts have been made to show that he escaped and fled to Scotland, and lived there several years. Recent investigations, to a considerable extent, have tended only to confirm the re-markable discoveries, however, were Jupiter's ceived account.

Gallileo Galilei, the illustrious Florentine mathematician and astronomer, the confirmer, as he may be termed, of the truth of the Copernicum system, has now been dead 197 years. It was Galilei, who discovered that the moon, like the earth, has an uneven surface; and he taught his pupils to measure the height of its mountains by their shadow. His most re

Ga

satellites, Saturn's ring, the spots on the sun,
and the starry nature of the milky way.
lilei was twice compelled to abjure the sys-
tem of Copernicus; but it is said that, in the
second instance, when he had signed the abju-
ration, he indignantly muttered as he was led
away, "Yet it moves."

Henry VIII. was married to the Princess Anne of Cleves, elegantly designated by him a Flanders mare, on the 6th of January, 1540, now 399 years ago. One of Henry's pretences for obtaining a divorce from this lady was that he had not inwardly given his consent when he espoused her.* That Henry VIII. was an auBernard de Bovier de Fontenelle, a nephew thor is matter of historic notoriety; but that of the great Corneille, and distinguished as the he was skilled in music, and even a composer, author of Dialogues of the Dead, and Converis less generally known. Erasmus, in his Epis- sations on the Plurality of Worlds, died on the tles, states that he could not only justly sing ninth of January, 1757, shortly before the his part, but that he composed a service of completion of his hundredth year. four, five, or six parts; and formerly, an anthem of his composition--what is called a full anthem, without any solo part-used to be occasionally sung at Christchurch.

The still lamented Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only issue of his Majesty George IV. by his ill-fated marriage with the Princess Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick, was born on the 7th of January, 1796. Were she

* Henry's conduct towards Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard was in perfect keeping with the earlier traits of his character; and history has handed down the strongest presumptive proofs that Catharine Parr would have added one to his list of human sacrifices had she not shown herself an adept in the art of managing a jealous, tyrannical, sanguinary husband.-HARRAL'S Henry VIII. and George IV., or the Case fairly stated.

Anne of Brittany, Queen of France, daughter and heiress of Francis II., Duke of Brittany-the princess who first instituted the order of maids of honour to the queen, who first had the prerogative of guards and gentlemen of her own, and who first gave audience to foreign ambassadors-died on the 9th of January, 1514, at the age of thirty-eight.

Archbishop Laud was beheaded on the 10th of January, 1645, now 194 years ago. Laud was a zealous advocate for the regal and ecclesiastical power; his industry was great, his learning extensive, and his piety not only sincere but ardent; and, if it be admitted that in politics as well as in religion his notions were of a somewhat ultra stamp, his feelings should be ascribed rather to an honest zeal than to a spirit of actual persecution. His book against Fisher,

the Jesuit, is justly esteemed a master-piece of controversial divinity. He was unjustly and cruelly sacrificed by the Puritans of the time, and he met his fate with great fortitude in the seventy-second year of his age.

Sir Hans Sloane, who may justly be regarded as the founder of the British Museum, died on the 11th of January, 1752, at the age of ninety-two. He was a native of Ireland, a distinguished physician and naturalist, and was the first who in England introduced into general practice the use of bark, not only in fevers, but in various other complaints. George I. created him a baronet in 1716; and he was successively Secretary and President of the Royal Society.

That eminent sculptor Louis Francis Roubiliac died on the 11th of January, 1762, aged fifty-nine. Roubiliac was a native of Lyons, and came to England in the reign of George I. Various monuments by him in Westminster Abbey and elsewhere attest the greatness of his talents.

unbought testimony of every candid and im partial individual we ever met with, who had visited the country of the United States, either for business or pleasure. And it is not incurious to remark, that in his last and recently published work, Eve Effingham, that fierce and egotistical nationalist, Cooper, has placed his countrymen and countrywomen in lights yet more ludicrous and ridiculous than those in which they were shown by Mrs. Trollope, That lady may in future cite Mr. Cooper as an unsuspicious evidence in her favour in any court in Christendom. This is the more amusing, when it is considered that, in all his former works of a national or miscellaneous character, Mr. Cooper, to the coarse depreciation of every country in Europe, was accustomed to hold up the natives of the United States as paragons of all that was correct, polite, and elegant in manners-of all that was high and honourable, and noble in principle.

We have said that Mrs. Trollope immor. talised herself by her work upon America. By Linnæus, the naturalist, and the founder of this it was not meant to insinuate, that none of the present botanic system, died on the 11th her other works were entitled to praise. Her of January, 1778. He was a native of Roes-"Holland, Belgium, and Germany," or whatever hult, in Sweden, and was born in 1707.

Frederic Von Schlegel, a celebrated German critic and philologist, and younger brother of William Schlegel, the author of Lectures on Dramatic Literature, has been dead ten years. He was born in the year 1772.

We have only to add that Hilary Term commences on Friday next, the 11th of January.

BOOK OF THE WEEK.

MRS. TROLLOPE.*

might be the exact title of the book, had much in it that was moderately fair and good, if not much that was absolutely new or striking. Her volumes relating to France were, if our memory be faithful, distinguished by a superabundant portion of adulation of Louis Philippe and the existing order of things. In her more recent performance concerning Austria, we have reason to know that she gave great and serious offence to the aristocracy of that empire; less, indeed, by undue censure than by indiscriminate and ill-judged praise and flattery. Flattery is a delightful incense when judiciously offered; but, otherwise, its odour is fulsome and disgusting. This is a lesson which we have no doubt Mrs. Trollope has heard before: whether she may prof t by it, is another point.

But, whatever may be this lady's merit in other walks of literature, we have never been able to admire he as a writer of fiction. Her Abbess was gross, exaggerated, and in passages, indelicate-one of the worst specimens of a bad school. There vere scenes in that romance which we take leave to say, few men would have written.

MRS. TROLLOPE immortalised herself by her work upon America. She has lived ever since upon the reputation acquired by tha: book. It was the production of a clever, rewd, observant woman-of a woman er intly susceptible of the humorous, the ludicr us, and the ridiculous in national and in humar character. What was still better, it had truth and justice for its basis. It was its truth and justice that gave such bitter and unforgiveable offence to brother Jonathan. Had it been otherwise, its representations might have been easily and successfully repelled. Coloured-coloured highly, Then there was another, whose title we perhaps it might be; but, that it was sub-forget, in which a modern Lady Macbeth sort stantively faithful in its statements, is abun- of a character figured away as the heroine. It dantly confirmed by the writings of Captain was not one of those "faultless monsters which Basil Hall, and various others, and by the the world ne'er saw," but "wicey warcey," as Liston would say.

The Widow Barnaby, by Mrs. Trollope, author of the "Vicar of Wrexhill," &c. &c. 3 vols. Bentley, 1839.

Next came The Vicar of Wrexhill, which, in point of delicacy, and even of decency, was still

more objectionable than The Abbess; the stagecoach exhibition to wit. This production was the more offensive to all right-thinking minds, of whatever sect or creed, as it constituted a violent and overstrained attack upon what are termed evangelical clergymen. If Mrs. Trollope thought that, by such a proceeding, she served the cause of the church, or gratified its ministers or members, she laboured under a most egregious error. We dare say she has not forgotten the well-merited castigation this work received in the Times newspaper.

As for The Widow Barnaby, now before us, allowing for its coarseness, vulgarity, and exaggeration, and the multitudinous faults of a by-gone school, it is not without merit, and for a time will hold its place on the shelf of the circulating library. Its scenes are chiefly laid at Cheltenham, Clifton, &c., and with the allowance above-named, may be said to afford a fair portion of amusement.

6

be angry, sister Betsy,' said the sick man, pressing her hand which he held, but he said, I don't think Betsy very likely to marry; and if she don't, Josiah, why then all that is left of Compton Basett will be joined together again for your descendants;' and yet, after this, I sold my portion, Betsy, and I do fear his poor spirit is troubled for it-I do, indeed—and it is that which hangs so heavy upon my mind.' ‘And if that be all, Josiah, you may close your eyes, and with and conquered his strongest feeling, his just and go to join our dear father in peace. He struggled honourable pride, for my sake; and for his, as well as for the same feeling, which is very strong within my own breast also, I have lived poorly, though not hardly, Josiah, and have added penny to penny till I was able to make Compton Basett as respectable a patrimony as he left it. It was not farmer Wright who bought the land, brother-it was I.' The old he had shewn for many years. He raised his sister's man's emotion at hearing this was stronger than any hand to his lips, and kissed it fervently. Bless you, Betsy!-bless you, my own dear sister!'-he said in a voice that trembled as much from feeling as from weakness, and for several minutes afterwards he lay Miss Compton perfectly silent and motionless. flutter at her heart lest she should suddenly find this watched him with an anxious eye, and not without a stillness to be that of death. But it was not so: on the contrary, his voice appeared considerably stronger than it had done since their interview began, when he again spoke and said-'I see him now, sister Betsy, as plainly as I see the two posts at the bottom tween them; he has got no hat on, but his smooth my bed, and he stands exactly in the middle beclergy-white hair is round his face just as it used to be, and he looks so smiling and so happy. Do not think I am frightened at seeing him, Betsy ; quite the contrary. I feel so peaceful, so very peaceful. Then try to sleep, dear brother!' said Miss Compton, who felt that his pulse fluttered, and aware that his senses he spoke might hasten the last hour, and so rob his were wandering, feared that the energy with which grandchild of his blessing. I will sleep,' he replied, more composedly, as soon as you have told me one thing: Who will have the Compton Basett estate, Betsy, when you are dead?' Agnes Willoughby,' replied the spinster, solemnly. That is right. Now go away, Betsy-it is quite right: go away now, and let me sleep'

With the plots of novels we seldom trouble ourselves to those who do not mean to read the work, the detail is useless: to those who do, it is worse. The present is unfavourable for the selection of detached passages; yet we shall venture to make one extract, which has more nature and feeling in it than most of its author's novel compositions. It relates to the death-bed remorse of a weak-minded man, attended by his maiden sister.

"Mr. Barnaby had left the room as soon as he had placed Miss Compton in a chair by the sick man's bed, and none but an old woman who acted as his nurse remained in it. You may go, nurse, if you please for a little while; I will watch by my brother,' said Miss Compton. The woman obeyed, and they were left alone. The old man followed the nurse with his eyes as she retreated, and when she closed the door said-I am glad we are alone once more, dear sister, for you are the only one I could open my heart to. I don't believe I have been a very wicked man, sister Betsy, though I am afraid I never did much good to anybody, nor to myself neither; but the one thing that lies heavy at my heart, is having sold away my poor father's patrimony. I can't help thinking, Betsy, that I see him every now and then at the bottom of my bed, with his old hat, his spud, and his brown gaiters-and-I never told anybody; but he seems always just going to repeat the last words he ever said to me, which were spoken just like as I am now speaking to you, Betsy, with his last breath; and he said, 'Josiah, my son, I could not die with a safe conscience if I left my poor weakly Betsy without sufficient to keep her in the same quiet and comfort as she had been used to. But it would grieve me, Josiah.'-Oh! how plain I hear his voice at this minute! It would grieve me, Josiah,' he said, if I thought the acres would be parted for ever: they have been above four hundred years belonging to us from father to son; and once Compton Basett was a name that stood for a thousand acres instead of three hundred ;'-and then-don't

6

of

6

6

Area of Europe. The surface of the different European States, in geographic square miles, is as follows;-Russia, 375,174; Austria, 12,153; France, 10,086; Great Britain, 5,535: Prussia, 5,040; the Netherlands, (Belgium) 1,196; Sweden, 7,9351; Norway, 5,798; Denmark, 1,019; Poland, 2,293; Spain, 8,446; Portugal, 1,722; Two Sicilies, 1,987; Sardinia, 1,363; The Pope's Territory,811; Tuscany,295-9.25ths; Switzerland, 696; European Turkey, 10,000; Bavaria, 1,383; Saxony, 348; Hanover, 695; Wurtemburg, 359; Baden, 276; Hesse Darmstadt, 185 Hesse Cassel, 208.

The Dukedom of Clarence.

It is singular, as Captain Trant remarks in his Narrative of a Journey through Greece, in 1830, that a wretched village in that country should have bestowed its name npon a British monarch. On reaching the Grecian coast, the Captain observes, one of the most prominent objects was Castel Fornese, an old Venetian fort, now a ruin, but in former days affording protection to the town of Chinrenga or Clarentia, which by strange decree of fortune, has given the title of Clarence to our royal family. It would appear, that at the time when the Latin Conquerors of Constantinople divided the western empire, amongst their leading chieftains, Clarentia, with the district around it, and which comprised almost all of ancient Elis, was formed into a duchy, and fell to the lot of one of the victorious nobles, who transmitted the title and dukedom, to his decendants, until the male line failed, and the heiress of Clarence married into the Hainault family. By this union, Philippa, the consort of Edward the third, became the representative of the Dukes of Clarence, and on this account was Prince Lionel invested with the title which has since remained in our royal family.

Utility of Singing.

Dr. Rush, an American Physician, thus speaks of the utility of singing, not only as an accomplishment, but as a corrective of the too common tendency to pulmonic complaints :-"Vocal music" says this celebrated writer, "should never be neglected in the education of a young lady. Besides preparing her to join in that part of the public worship which consists in Psalmody, it will enable her to soothe the cares of domestic life, and the sorrows that will sometimes intrude into her own bosom may all be relieved by a song, when sound and sentiment unite to act upon the mind. I here introduce a fact, which has been suggested to me by my profession, and that is, that the exercise of the organs of the breast by singing, contributes very much to defend

them from those diseases to which the climate and

riage, single, hunting, and French postilion; sticks' ninety-four, holly, thorn, and crab.

Black and white silk stockings, chiefly marked with the initials G. R. one hundred and sixty-seven pairs. Coats, fifteen of the Windsor uniform undress, the same uniform dress, four; military coats four, dress, ten or a dozen, besides body coats, great coats, &c., Lot. 233-A superb and costly robe of rose colour satin, with the star, &c. worn at the coronation by the chief object of the pageant. Price £7 5 0

234. Three crimson velvet waistcoats, worn at the same time, fourteen guineas.

236. A blue cloth hussar jacket embroidered, '&c., eight guineas.

238. A dress coat of the Windsor uniform. The collar and cuffs embroidered in gold. £4 16 0

244. A gold pencil and pen, by Doughty, for which there was great competition, six guineas and a half.

248. A medal commemorative of the visit to Ireland, in 1821, (according to the auctioneer, the only one struck). £3 15 0 258. Four cambric pocket handkerchiefs, marked G. R. £2 0 0 260. Four Indian silk pocket handkerchiefs. £2 17 5

Increase of the Numbers of Mankind. On the supposition that the human race has a power to double its numbers four times in a century, or once in each succeeding period of twenty-five years as some philosophers have computed, and that nothing prevented the exercise of this power of increase, the descendants of Noah and his family would have now increased to the following number :-1,496,577, 676,626,844,588,240,573,268,701,473,812,127,674, The surface of the earth contains,

924,007,424.

of square miles
Mercury and all the other Pla-

nets, contain about
The Sun contains

196,663,355

46,790,511,000 2,442,900,000,000

other causes expose them. The Germans are seldom afflicted with consumption; nor have I ever known Hence, upon the supposition of such a rate of but one instance of spitting blood among them. This increase of mankind as has been assumed, the numI believe, is in part occasioned by the strength, which ber of human beings now living would be equal to their lungs acquire by exercising them in vocal music, the following number for each square mile upon the for this constitutes an essential branch of their educa- earth, the sun, and all the planets, 61,062,000,000, tion. The music master of our academy has furnished 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000; or, to the me with an obervation still more in favour of this opinion. He informed me that he had known several instances of persons, who were strongly disposed to consumption, who were restored to health by the exercise of their lungs in singing."

Longevity of Artists.

Nearly all the Italian painters lived to an advanced age. Spinello was nearly 100; Carlo Cignani, 91; Michael Angelo, 90; Leonardo da Vinci, 75; Calabresi, 86; Claude Lorraine, 82; Carlo Maratti, 88; Tintoretto, 82; Sebastian Ricci, 78; Francesco Albano, 88; Guido, 68; Guercino, 76; John Baptist Crespi, 76; Guiseppe Crespi, 82; Carlo Dolce, 70; Andrew Sacchi, 74; Zuccharelli, 86; Vernet, 77; Schidoni, 76.

Wardrobe of George IV.

following number for each square inch, 149,720, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. This last number alone is infinite with relation to human conception. Merely to count it would require an incredible period. Supposing the whole inhabitants now upon the surface of the globe to be one thousand millions, which is believed somewhat to exceed the actual number, and supposing that this multitude, infants and adults, each were to work 365 days in the year, and ten hours were to be employed in nothing else but counting, that in the day, and to count one hundred per minute, it would require, in order to count the number in question, 6,536, 500 millions of years.

The First Balloon.

There is an anecdote of Black, which was told by the late Mr. Benjamin Bell, of Edinburgh, author At the first sale of the Wardrobe of His Majesty of a well-known system of Surgery, and he assured George IV. there were fifteen pairs of Jack (military) me that he had it from the late Sir George Clarke, boots; ordinary boots, and shoes, innumerable; whips, of Pennicuik, who was a witness of the circumstance, eighty, including every variety of four-in-hand, car-related. Soon after the appearance of Mr. Cavendish's

paper on hydrogen gas, in which he made an ap-lighting up the dark caverns with the blaze of their proximation to the specific gravity of that body, shew- torches, and, after allowing me a sufficient time, ing that it was at least ten times lighter than the struck their flambeaux against the wall, and millions Common air. Dr. Black invited a party of his friends of sparks flashed and floated around and filled the to supper, informing them that he had a curiosity to chamber. In one place, at the end of a long, dark show them. Dr. Hutton, Mr. Clarke of Eden, and passage, a door was thrown open, and I was ushered Sir George Clarke, of Pennicuik, were of the num- suddenly into a spacious ball-room lighted with ber. When the company invited had assembled he torches; and directly in front, at the head of the took them into a room. He had the allentois of a room, was a transparency with coloured lights, in the calf filled with hydrogen gas, and upon setting it at centre of which were the words 'Excelso hospiti,' liberty, it immediately ascended, and adhered to the To the Illustrious guest,' which I took to myself, ceiling. The phenomenon was easily accounted for: though I believe the greeting was intended for the it was taken for granted that a small black thread had same royal person for whom the lake chamber was ilbeen attached to the allentois, that this thread passed luminated. Lights were ingeniously arranged around through the ceiling, and that some one in the apart- the room, and at the foot, about twenty feet above ment above, by pulling the thread, elevated it to the my head, was a large orchestra. On the occasion ceiling, and kept it in that position. This explanation referred to a splendid ball was given in this room; was so probable, that it was acceded to by the whole the roof echoed with the sound of music; and nobles company; though, like many other plausible theories, and princely ladies flirted and coquetted the same as it turned out to be wholly unfounded; for, when the above ground; and it is said that the splendid dresses allentois was brought down, no thread whatever was of a numerous company, and the blaze of light from found attached to it. Dr. Black explained the cause of the chandeliers reflected upon the surface of the rockthe ascent to his admiring friends: but such was his salt, produced an effect of inconceivable brilliancy. carelessness of his own reputation, and of the informa- My chandeliers were worse than Allan M'Aulay's tion of the public, that he never gave the least account strapping Highlanders, with their pine torches, being of this previous experiment even to his class, and more dirty, ragged, smntty-faced rascals, who threw the than twelve years elapsed before this obvious property of light in streaks across the hall. I am always willing hydrogen gas was applied to the elevation ofair balloons, to believe fanciful stories; and if my guide had by M. Charles in Paris. Thompson's History of thrown in a handsome young princess as part of the Chemistry. welcome to the 'Excelso hospiti,' I would have subscribed to anything he said; but in the absence of a consideration, I refused to tax my imagination up to the point he wished. Perhaps the most interesting chamber of all is the chapel dedicated to that Saint Anthony who brought about the discovery of these mines. It is supposed to be more than four hundred

Pronunciation of Polish Names.

All vowels are sounded as in French and Italian; and there are no diphthongs, every vowel being pronounced distinctly. The consonants are the same as in English, except these.-W, which is sounded like av at the beginning of a word; thus, Warsaw, Varsafa; in the middle or at the end of a word, it has the sound off, as in the instance already cited, and Narew, Naref C like tz, and never k; thus Pac is sounded Patz. G like g in Gibbon; thus, Oginski; Ch, like the Greek x; thus, Lech, Lek. Cz, like the English tch in pitch; thus, Czartoryski, pronounced Tchartoriski. Sz, like sh in shape, thus Staszyc, like Stashytz; Szcz, like Shtch; thus, Szczerbiec, like Shtcherbietz. Rz, like j in je, with a slight sound of r; thus Rzewuski, like Rjevuski.— Fletcher's, Poland.

years old.

The columns, with their ornamented capitals, the arches, the images of the Saviour, the Virgin and saints, the altar and the pulpit, with all their decorations, and the figures of two priests represented at prayers before the shrine of the patron saint, are all carved out of the rock salt; and to this day grand mass is regularly celebrated in the chapel once

every year.

*** Here I was far deeper under the earth than I had ever been above it, and at the greatest depth from which the human voice ever rose, I sat down on a lump of salt and soliloquized,

"Through what varieties of untried being,

Through what new scenes and changes must we pass !" "I have since stood upon the top of the pyramids, and admired the daring genius and the industry of man, and at the same time smiled at his feebleness when, from the mighty pile, I saw in the dark ranges Nile and the river of Egypt, the hand of the world's of mountains, the sandy desert, the rich valley of the great Architect; but I never felt man's feebleness more than here; for all these immense excavations, the work of more than six hundred years, were but as the work of ants by the roadside. The whole of the immense mass above me, and around and below, to an unknown extent, was of salt: a wonderful phenomenon in the natural history of the globe. All the different strata have been carefully examined by scientific men. The uppermost bed at the surface is sand; the second clay, occasionally mixed with sand and gravel, and containing petrifactions of marine bodies; the third is calcareous stone; and from these