with him in sorrow and in joy. His circumstances, in his advanced life, were not brilliant; for his inherited property, as the rich plantations in Surinam before, was so diminished, partly by the increase of his wants, and partly by the terrible consequences of the Revolution, that though the Poet had an annuity, and the enjoyment of the estate of Sonnenborn for his life, he was often obliged, in his old age,

66

In consequence of an idea which seems generally to have prevailed, that the Eastern Magi were kings, this day has been frequently termed the feast of the three kings; and many of the rites with which it is attended, are founded on this conception; for it was customary to elect, from the company assembled on this occasion, a king or queen, who was usually elevated to this rank by the fortuitous division of a cake, containing a bean, or piece of coin; and he or she to whom this symbol of distinction fell, in dividing the cake, was immediately chosen king or queen, and then forming their ministers or court from the company around, maintained their state and character until midnight.

friend of Thümmel, Weisse, who with dom ever since the reign of Alfred, in his critical knife had formerly pruned whose days,' says Collier, a law was many too luxuriant and exotic shoots of made with relation to holidays, by virtue of his " Inoculation of Love," superintended which, the twelve days after the Nativity at Leipsig the publication of the first vo- of our Saviour were made Festivals.' lume of his Tour; and did not spare even the most flourishing branches, particularly where he feared the pruriency of his style: notwithstanding which, Thummel's Clara has sometimes given much well-founded to observe a rigid economy, which how-offence. It is remarkable that, in his Poliever had not the smallest influence on his tical Dream, he has, like a wise prophet, cheerful temper. In his latter years he strikingly predicted in this Tour the issue found most pleasure in residing at Gotha, of the French Revolution; and, in some where he had a daughter married, and the other poems, has painted the reverse side most interesting intercourse in the family of his age with such terrible truth, that an of his brother minister of Gotha-Atten- Englishman has lately learned German, burg. The present reigning Duke of merely to be able to read this work. What Gotha, who himself possesses a creative Thummel has admitted into the last edition and fruitful imagination, with the most of his Works, bears testimony against the lively wit, honoured in the aged, now less spurious productions falsely ascribed to eloquent Poet, the earlier productions of him in many collections made without his his genius, and afforded him mumerous knowledge. During the long period in "The Twelfth Cake was almost always comforts in his old age. There never was which he appeared to have wholly renounc- accompanied by the Wassail Bowl, a coma more amiable and accomplished courtier ed publicity, till the appearance of his position of spiced wine or ale, or mead, or -a more humane and mild character, uni-Tour," he had composed and written, metheglin, into which was thrown roasted ted with great wit, and every requisite for his own amusement, and that of his in-apples, sugar, &c. The term Wassail, for severe satire. He had imbibed in his timate friends, many charming pieces. He which in our elder poets is connected with fancy the poetical treasures of all the cul- left them written fair, in a cupboard in the much interesting imagery, and many curious tivated languages of Europe; but was na- wall; and, when he came back from a rites, appears to have been first used in turally most conversant with the finest pro- journey, found his MS. employed to paste this island during the well-known interview ductions of the French literature; nay, it the new papering of this room in which the between Vortigern and Rowena. Geoffrey may be said, that the ground-work of his cupboard unhappily was! What was here of Monmouth relates, on the authority of poetry was all French, interwoven with lost could never be repaired; but a more Walter Calenius, that this lady, the daughter German ingenuousness and British humour. complete edition of his Fugitive Poems of Hengist, knelt down, on the approach of The work which insures immortality to would be a much more worthy offering to the king, and presenting him with a cup of his name in the literature of our country his manes than has yet been made. He wine, exclaimed, Lord King Was heil,' that (Germany) is his "Tour in the Southern himself once composed a poetical descrip- is, literally, Health be to you.' Vortigern Provinces of France," written by the Poet, tion of a monument on his grave, in which being ignorant of the Saxon language, was now past the meridian of life, from his the stones, from a quarry near Coburg, informed by an interpreter, that the purport still vivid recollections of a journey made and which he had made an important article of these words was to wish him health, and some years before, amidst the luxuriant of trade to the East and West Indies, and that he should reply by the expression, natural beauties, and the moral corruption a means of support to numerous poor drinc-heil, or drink the health accordof the South of France. This work con- country people, had a due place assigned ingly, on his so doing, Rowena drank, and sists of ten volumes, which were published them, both for use and ornament. the king receiving the cup from her hand, successively, at pretty long intervals, the kissed and pledged her. first having appeared in 1791, and the last in 1805. The completion of the work is owing to the patriotic bookseller Goeschen, of Leipsig; who, at a later period, published an edition of all his poems and writ- DR. DRAKE in his recent work, ings, with a most excellent portrait of the Shakespeare and his Times," (for a reancient Bard. This M. Fez draws a witty view of which see the Literary Gazette, portrait of the whole tribe of book-makers. pages 322 and 372,) gives a curious From this the social custom took its rise; The subject of this novel in prose, which and entertaining account of this reis interspersed with poems of the most di-markable holiday, and as this sheet of versified forms, is the cure of an hypoour publication will be in many hands chondriac, mixed with all kinds of sentimental and pleasant adventures, reflected on its anniversary, we hope a transcripin the moral corruption of the lives of the tion of the history in question will not monks and dignified priests, as they existed he deemed unacceptable. before the French Revolution; with all the local colours of the climate of the South.

This chef d'œuvre, which is perhaps extended to too great a length by three parts of the ten, was received with unqualified admiration in its first appearance by the first poets and critics of the nation. In the point of criticism, two letters of Garve, printed in his correspondence with Weisse, and the Poet's defence, will always be important. The most tried and faithful

SKETCHES OF SOCIETY.

TWELFTH DAY.

"To the rejoicings on New Year's tide succeeded, after a short interval, the observance of the Twelfth Day, so called from its being the twelfth day after the nativity of our Saviour, and the day on which the Eastern Magi, guided by the star, arrived at Bethlehem, to worship the infant Jesus.

"This festive day, the most celebrated of the twelve for the peculiar conviviality of its rites, has been observed in this king

"Health, my Lord King,' the sweet Rowena said; 'Health,' cried the chieftain to the Saxon maid; Then gaily rose, and 'mid the concourse wide, Kiss'd her hale lips, and placed her by his side. At the soft scene, such gentle thoughts abound, That healths and kisses 'mongst the guests went round:

We still retain, and still must keep the prize:

Paraphrase of Robert of Gloucester. "Since this period, observes the historian, the custom has prevailed in Britain of using these words whilst drinking; the person who drank to another saying washeil, and he who received the cup answering drinc-heil.

"It soon afterwards became a custom in villages on Christmas-eve, New Year's Eve, and Twelfth Night, for itinerant minstrels to carry to the houses of the gentry and others, where they were generally very hospitably received, a bowl of spiced wine, which being. presented with the Saxon words just mentioned, was therefore called a Wassail-bowl A bowl or cup of this description was also to be found in almost every nobleman's or

gentleman's house, (and frequently of massy,
silver,) until the middle of the seventeenth
century, and which was in perpetual requi-
sition during the revels of Christmas."
[Hence we have the word Wassel,
synonymous for carousing and jovi-
alty.]

During the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. the celebration of the Twelfth Night was, equally with Christmas Day, a festival through the land, and was observed with great ostentation and ceremony in both the Universities, at court, at the Temple, and at Lincoln's and Gray's-inn. Many of the masques of Ben Jonson were written for the amusement of the royal family on this night; and Dugdale in his Origines Judicales, has given us a long and particular account of the revelry at the Temple on each of the twelve days of Christmas, in the year 1562. It appears from this document, that the hospitable rites of St. Stephen's day, St. John's day, and Twelfth day, were ordered to be exactly alike; and as many of them are in their nature perfectly rural, and were, there is every reason to suppose, observed to a certain extent in the halls of the country gentry and substantial yeomanry, a short record here, of those that fall under this description, cannot be deemed inapposite.

"The breakfast on Twelfth Day is directed to be of brawn, mustard, and malmsey; the dinner of two courses to be served in the hall, and after the first course cometh in the master of the game, apparelled in green veluet; and the Ranger of the Forest also, in a green suit of satten; bearing in his hand a green bow and divers arrows, with either of them a hunting horn about their necks: blowing together three blasts of venery, they pace round about the fire three times. Then the Master of the Game maketh three curtesies,' kneels down, and petitions to be admitted into the service of the Lord of the Feast.

"This ceremony performed, a huntsman cometh into the hall, with a fox and a purse-net, with a cat, both bound at the end of a staff; and with them nine or ten couple of hounds, with the blowing of hunting-horns. And the fox and cat are by the hounds set upon, and killed beneath the fire. This sport finished, the Marshal, an officer so called, who, with many others different appellations, were created for the purpose of conducting the revels, placeth them in their several appointed places.

"After the second course, the ancientest of the Masters of the Revels singeth a song, with the assistance of others there present;' and after some repose and revels, supper, consisting of two courses, is then served in the hall, and being ended, the Marshal presenteth himself with drums afore him, mounted upon a scaffold, born by four men; and goeth three times round about the harthe, crying out aloud, a Lord, a Lord,' &c. then he descendeth, and goeth to dance.

"This done, the Lord of Misrule ad

dresseth himself to the Banquet; which
endeth with some minstralsye, mirth and
dancing, every man departeth to rest.

one drop from that magazine of wits, would laugh at our mundane follies and fantasies! Oh,enlightened age, would he exclaim,which Herrick, who was the contemporary of cherishes a vagabond gipsy for an eastern Shakspeare for the first twenty-five years of sultana, mistakes a notorious Seapin for a his life, that is, from 1591 to 1616, has modern Midas, elevates a blasphemous ligiven us the following curious and pleasing beller into a martyr for liberty, worships an account of the ceremonies of Twelfth inflated old woman as a divine inspiration, Night, as we may suppose them to have deems a living cobbler a dead prince, ocbeen observed in almost every private fa-cupies a kingdom with the equivocations of mily. a brothel-visiting wanton, sees prodigies in a purblind wench, and anticipates the end of this great globe itself from the ravings of an insane fanatic! Oh! Wise world!...But this has nothing to do with Harlequin's Vision; it is all a waking dream.

TWELFTH NIGHT,

OR KING AND QUEEN.
Now, now the mirth comes,
With the cake full of plums,
Where Beane's the king of the sport here;
Beside, we must know,

The Pea also

Must revell, as Queene, in the court here.

Begin then to chuse,
This night as ye use,
Who shall for the present delight here,
Be the King by the lot,
And who shall not

Be Twelfe-day Queene for the night here.

Which knowne, let us make
Joy-sops with the cake;

And let not a man then be seen here,
Who unwig'd will not drinke
To the base from the brink

A health to the King and the Queene here.

Next crowne the bowle full
With gentle lambs-wooll;
Adde sugar, nutmeg and ginger,
With store of ale too;

And thus we must doc
To make the 'assaile a swinger.

Give then to the King
And Queen wassailing;
And though with all ye be whet here,
Yet part ye from hence,
And free from offence,
As when ye innocent met here.

Herrick's Hesperides.

THE DRAMA.

On Friday, the day after Christmas, the usual entertainment for the holiday visitors was produced at Drury Lane, under the title above," or, The Feast of the Statue." This pantomime is founded on the rather hacknied story of Don Juan; but the inventor, Mr. Lethbridge, has departed so far from the original, as to impart considerable novelty to his production.

The hero, Don Juan Harlequin, is incited to his misdeeds by Proserpine: and Elvira his wife, as Columbine, sent by Venus, is his guardian angel. The entire heathen mythology is enlisted in the affair, as in another Trojan war, and after the common run of escapes, whirls, leaps, &c. Don Juan is ferried across the Styx, and dragged by two Furies into the dominions of Pluto's dark queen. There are, however, another Harlequin and Columbine, and a Clown, full of employment; these are transformed out of Don Octavio the friend, Donna Leonora the mistress, and Jacomo the valet of Juan. Our old and respected friend, Pantaloon, the very Nestor of such a contrivance, is unaccountably omitted. The double action of the Harlequinade is no improvement; as simplicity in such matters is a recommendation to persons of that tender age, which, we hope, is still the most partial to pantomime, though we see these entertainments prolonged far beyond the season when 'prentices and school-boys predominate in the Theatre. The scenery, HARLEQUIN'S VISION.-We presume that by Mr. Greenwood, is grand or beautithe readers of the Literary Gazette will not ful, as the subject requires. The Council look in its columns for a very minute criti- Hall of Plato, with which the Piece opens, cism upon the Christmas Pantomimes. Yet is exceedingly splendid: a Sunset at Sea, this is a Pantomimic era. The Play-houses with a Storm, is very fine: all are approare more crowded to see these shows, than priate, and Pandemonium and the Palace they have been at any former period of the of Pleasure well conceived, and cleverly season; and stage tricks are crowned with executed. There is little to praise in the more success than the regular business of changes; indeed this department seems to the Drama: just as political knavery, legal be exhausted; till some Roscius in that quibbling, quackery in medicine, hypocrisy way starts from the umber-room, and in religion, puffing in the arts, and mingled astonishes the world like another Clara cunning, cheatery, and impudence in all Fisher, Kean, Betty, or O'Neill. Songs trades, carry off the palm from fair dealing have not a good effect in a Pantomime, and talent. Caraboo, and "the Fortunate where action is all in all; but they are neYouth," and Signor Hone, and Mrs. South-cessary to afford time for preparations, and cote, and the French Dauphin, and Madame Manson, and Miss M'Avoy, and Madame Krudener, are only prominent specimens, as it were alto-relievos, on the broad ground of too general and too successful imposition. How a philosopher from the moon, could

DRURY LANE,

in this respect, those of Mr. Smith and Miss Cubitt are worthy of praise. We ought in conclusion to name the dignitaries of this work, that a record may go down to posterity of those to whom the present generation were indebted for so much intel

As for Harlequin Gulliver, we have to state, that his adventures commence with a visit to Laputa, the king of which becomes Pantaloon, the Princess Columbine, and the Lord Chancellor Clown. Lilliput is the next stage of the motley traveller; and this miniature of humanity is succeeded by the prodigious contrast of Brobdingnag, where things are organised on a larger scale. Glubbdubdrib, or the Hall of Spectres, with all its solemnities, paves the way for Paris and its frivolities, the principal of which, as exhibited, we have already mentioned. The Catacombs, changed into a magnificent Temple, realizes the happiness of Harlequin and Columbine.

The idea of this subject will, at a single glance, appear to be ingenious, and capable of considerable effect; the execution is fully equal to the plan, and a series of amusing scenes are brought forward, well imagined, well got up, and with attractions far superior to the class of dramatic inventions to which this belongs. The diminutive and the exaggerated examples of our species, are cleverly managed, and the various important adjuncts of machinery, dresses, scenery, and music, are all excellent of their kind. Bologna, Norman, Grimaldi, and Miss F. Dennett, were commendably active and burlesque, in the leading parts; and upon the whole we may predict, that since, and not excepting, Mother Goose, nothing of this sort has been produced likely to attain so much, and such deserved popularity. A duet between the Clown and a Brobdingnag canary bird, of the size of a goose, gave great pleasure to the boarding-school visitors; nor were they less delighted with the Tom Thumbs who peopled Lilliput, in their gala dresses, and the giants whose stature was thrice that of man in these degenerate days. Swift's harsh but exquisite satire too, is so universal a favourite with all ranks and ages, that a story founded upon it, possesses power to relax the muscles of even more mature years; and derogatory as it may seem to our critical gravity, we do confess

a

was found that the body, brought in as that of the King, is, in fact, that of a slave, who had been commissioned by Chosroo to destroy him; the life of the King having been saved by Hafir, while endeavouring to rescue Suthes and Zimra. l'aranes now re-appears, orders Chosroo to execution; discovers Retribution" for his own crime in the misconduct and guilt of his son, and dies exhausted and heart-broken. Hamed and Zimra mount together the throne of Persia, and the curtain falls.

One representation of a work so important as a five-act Tragedy does not enable us to criticise it with the minuteness we could wish. Our general impression with regard to Retribution, however, is that it is a production of great promise. We noticed many fine touches, and many passages of the highest poetical beauty. It is true that the plot is defective, and several of the incidents improbable, while others bear too close a resemblance to a very recent play. But still it is the genius displayed by the Author on which we formed our opinion of his future success as a dramatic writer. The Piece is splendidly got up, and the performers did the most ample justice to their respective parts. We shall review it fully in our next, as we have no doubt its merit will ensure it a long run with a public ever prone to encourage rising desert.

FOREIGN DRAMA.

THEATRE De L'odeon.

Maria, ou la Demoiselle de Compagnie, a comedy in one act, by M. Leger.

The title of this piece promised a few comic situations. A lady's companion generally acts an important part in the family in which she may happen to be placed. If old, she governs her mistress; if young, she either excites her jealousy, or discreetly shares her tender secrets and mysterious cares. Among this class of love heroines may be found faithful friends, dangerous intriguers, and still more pedants well versed in novel reading, and intimately acquainted with the contents of the scandalous chronicle.

teaux.

Maria, the daughter of a naval officer, has been brought up by a lady of quality, and passes for an illustrious orphan. Young Soligny, by whom she is beloved, introduces her to his aunt, Madame Dolville, who retains her as a companion. The lovers soon betray the secret of their heart, and Madame Dolville declares her intention of sending Maria to one of her country ChaAt this her father becomes indignant, resolves that she shall no longer disown her family, and insists on removing her from the power of Madame Domville. Soligny proposes to marry Maria, but to this the Captain will not consent without the sanction of the young man's relations. Soligny endeavours to prevail on him to present himself to Madame Dolville as a man of rank, and even to make her a proposal of marriage. This is an unfortunate

The tender husband seeks consolation in the parti si sage, recommended by Voltaire. He proceeds to tap the wine which Mercury has brought from France, when the cask suddenly opens, and the danaides appear. Though it is somewhat discouraging to find only one virtuous woman out of fifty, Harlequin nevertheless forms a new attachment. He wishes to marry Palmira, the intended bride of Azolin. But the faithful Sultana is again restored to her lover, who in disguise, and with the assistance of Mercury, again recovers his magic bell.

plan, and by a still more unfortunate acci- | Pekin, attended by Lord Desguenées.
dent, it is overheard by the aunt, who has Harlequin learns that the English noble-
been listening at the door. Soligny find- man has escorted his wife to the extrava-
ing himself disinherited by Madame Dol-gance Beaujou. In a fit of passion he
ville, knows not how to proceed. The exclaims, Que le Diable vou emporte! and
Captain arrives; but instead of assuming a in an instant two trap-doors open to receive
fictitious character, declares himself to be them.
really a man of fortune, and moreover deco-
rated with the insignia of honour, as a re-
ward for his achievements over the enemies
of his country. The good aunt, who has
enjoyed a few moment's revenge on wit-
nessing the despair of her nephew, now
consents to the union of the lovers. All
parties are made happy, even the audience
in the pit expressed their satisfaction, and
seemed vastly edified by the delicate senti-
ments professed by Maria, and a few com-
mon-place moral speeches with which the
piece is interspersed. In short, la Demoi-
selle de Compagnie is one of those dramas
which excite neither smiles nor tears. The
subject appears to have been taken from a
little tale by M. Pigault-Lebrun, entitled
Adele et Soligny. In the novel the Captain
is made to marry the aunt; but the author
of the new piece did not think it necessary
to carry the marrying mania quite so far.

THEATRE DU VAUDEVILLE.

First representation of Paris à Pekin, ou
la Clochette de l'Opera Comique.
Harlequin takes up his abode in the
capital of China, where he opens a depôt of
French manufactures, whilst his Columbine
keeps a Magasin de modes, in the Rue
Vivienne, in Paris. A husband in such a
situation may sleep soundly in the certainty
of his wife's fidelity. In spite of the distance,
Harlequin is constantly receiving news from
France, for he has no less a personage than
the winged Mercury in his service.

Mercury arrives from Paris with a collec-
tion of journals, among which of course is
the Scandalous Chronicle. He informs his
master that Madame Harlequin has gone
in company with Lord Desguinées (the
Adonis of all the milliners in Paris) to see
the Clochette of the Opera-Comique, a
talisman which procures

"Beaucoup d'argent à ceux qui n'en ont pas."

Harlequin wishes to possess this precious talisman, and in a moment the god of thieves places it before him. He rings, and Lucifer appears, to obey his commands. He retains the Diable page, and directs Mercury to convey a cargo of Chinese goods to France, and to bring a quantity of Champaigne wine to Pekin.

At the conclusion of the piece all the characters make their appearance in steam boats, which is intended as a parody on the Indian Squadron of the Opera-Comique.

DIGEST OF POLITICS AND
NEWS.

611,363 In France the projet for the provisional collection of six twelfths of the revenue has passed into a law. The other measures proposed by government, the budget, iaw of the press, &c. continue to occupy the Chambers.

The Duke of Wellington arrived in Paris on Sunday with a small suite; whence it is thought his stay will not be long.

Harlequin supposes that his bell possesses the power of convoking genii of every description. He wishes to become acquainted with some of those individuals who have gained most celebrity in Paris. He rings, and immediately enters M. de l'Assurance, the great supporter of new pieces. Harlequin is curious to see some of those which have proved successful through his assistance. Immediately l'Homme-gris and the Intri-it alters the parts, confirms the general gante of the Manie des Grandeurs, make tenor of the American news respecting their appearance. the hurricane, which seems to have swept quite across the Atlantic. At

In the meanwhile Columbine arrives at

We lament to say that further intelligence from the West Indies, though

St. Lucie the lady of Governor Seymour and her children were saved; and it does not appear that the soldiery in the barracks perished as originally stated. The Governor himself, Major Burdett and wife, and many others, fell a sacrifice to this fearful visitation. Antigua suffered dreadfully, and great apprehensions are entertained of the havock in the other islands, especially Martinique.

The Prince of Orange has been reinstated in all his appointments.

and I here present your Majesty a plan how | Monday, 22-Thermometer from 28 to 34. they may be erected.

The Emperor. But have you calculated the expence?

Calisius. No: but I believe for three or four hundred thousand florins two handsome pyramids might be built; a little smaller indeed than those in Egypt.

The Emperor. Has the city of Comorn
so much money?

will contribute, and the rest might perhaps
Calisius. No, but I hope your Majesty

be raised by a subscription.

The Emperor. Well, I have nothing against it. If a suitable place can be found, which is fit for nothing else, and you will undertake the work on subscription, begin to build as soon as you please; but I canfore I see at least one pyramid quite not fix the amount of my subscription be

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

Barometer from 29, 73 to 29, 71.
Wind N. E. 4.-Generally clear.
Tuesday, 23-Thermometer from 29 to 34.
Barometer from 29, 73 to 29, 75.
Wind N. and N. E. 0.—Morning cloudy; the
Wednesday, 24-Thermometer from 22 to 33.
rest of the day clear.

Barometer fror: 29, 87 to 30, 0.
Wind N. by E. 4.-Generally clear till the
evening, when it became cloudy.
Since Saturday the weather has been very sea-

sonable, though sharp, freezing every day in the

shade.

scale, graduated on the opposite side Fahrenheit's scale: But for those who have not and may wish to compare our Fahrenheit's scale with that generally used on the continent, this is the rule:

Most Thermometers have now a Reaumur's

Subtract 32 from Fahrenheit's, and divide the will give the degree of Reaumur. remainder by 9. That quotient multiplied by 4,

And to reduce Reaumur's to our scale,

Multiply Reaumur's by 9, and divide that
product by 4. To that quotient add 32, and it
will give you the degree of Fahrenheit. Or 9
degrees of Fahrenheit's scale, are equa! to 4
December 25—Thursday.
degrees of Reaumur's scale.

Thermometer from 24 to 35.
Barometer from 30, 10 to 30, 20.
Wind N. and N. by W. 4.-Morning and noon
cloudy, afternoon and evening clear.
Friday, 26-Thermometer from 25 to 35.

The city of London Tavern has this week seen within its walls two very extraordinary meetings. On Monday, a meeting to set afloat a subscription for Hone; and on Wednesday a meet-finished. ing to commemorate the Tri-centenary anniversary of the Reformation. Mr. Waithman presided at the first, the Duke of Sussex at the second; aud the same room which witnessed the reward December, 1817:- Legh's Travels in Contents of the Journal des Savans for of profanation and blasphemy, re- Egypt, reviewed by M. Silvestre de Sacy; sounded with the applause of senti-M. Spencer Stanhope's Topography of ments which sanctified the purgation the Battle of Platea, reviewed by M. Leof the Christian Church from abuses. tronne;-Lord Holland's Life of Guillen We live in strange times. One day Thermuse, Queen of the Parthians, by M. de Castro, by M. Raynouard ;-Medal of impiety constitutes a martyr, and the Visconti;-On the Division of the Equator next we bless the memory of those and of the Day among the Chaldeans, by whom piety led in other days to that M. Letronne ;-Bernardi on the Origin distinction. But Huss or Hone, Party and Progress of the French Legislation, by Barometer from 30, 02 to 29,71. M. Quatremère de Quincy;-Michaelis' Wind S. W. and S. by W. 2.-The fine frost of A Durham paper states that the noArabic Grammar, and Christomathie, by this week is going quickly with a warm S. W. M. Silvestre de Sacy. wind. The dimness of the Stars last night foretorious Las Casas is a Mr. Le Sage, WE have somewhere noticed the multi-boded this change; the rain must have fallen in who resided some time in that neigh-tude of engraved Prints which appear in a hasty shower this morning. bourhood, and published a Genealogi- Paris as compared with London: the Catalogue for the week ending 20th of December, amounts to sixty-seven, of various kinds.

can use either.

cal Atlas.

VARIETIES.

ANECDOTE OF THE EMPEROR JOSEPH II. -The Emperor Joseph II. heard every body who pretended to discover to him any thing useful. By this means he often lost much precious time.

Baron Calisius once begged an audience to propose to the Emperor a matter of great importance; it was granted him:

the conversation was as follows

An interesting French work is announced
-the Memoirs and Correspondence of
Madame D'Espinay, which will contain
derot, Grimm, and other distinguished
many inedited letters of Rousseau, Di-
characters of the 18th century. A new
translation of Middleton's Cicero is also
among the forthcoming productions of the
Paris
press.

METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL.

Calisius. The city of Comorn in Hungary December 18-Thursday.
has the misfortune to be visited nearly
every five years by earthquakes, which have
often occasioned great damage, and still
expose it to the utmost danger, and threaten
it with total destruction. Now I have re-
marked, that in Egypt there never were
nor are any earthquakes. But as Egypt
differs from other countries only in having
pyramids, it follows that pyramids must be
sure preventatives of earthquakes.

Thermometer from 36 to 47.
Barometer from 29, 13 to 29, 07.
Wind S. W. 1.-Generally clear; rain fallen,
6 of an inch.

The Emperor. So then it would be good to build some of these edifices in Hungary?

Calisius. This is my humble proposal,

Friday, 19-Thermometer from 34 to 45.
Barometer from 28, 99 to 29, 01.
Wind S. W.-Generally cloudy, with rain
in the afternoon.
Saturday, 20-Thermometer from 38 to 41.
Barometer from 29, 51 to 29, 89.

Rain fallen, 1 of an inch.
Wind N. and N. by E. 4.-Generally cloudy.
Sunday, 21-Thermometer from 27 to 34.
Barometer from 29, 73 to 29, 71.
Wind N. E. 0.-Generally cloudy.

Barometer from 30, 26 to 30, 31. Wind N. and S. W. 0.-Quite clear the whole

day. The wind became S. W. about nine in the Saturday, 27-Thermometer from 24 to 39. morning.

Sunday, 28-Thermometer from 33 to 38.

Barometer from 29, 79 to 30, 10.
returning.-Rain fallen, 025 of an inch.
Wind W. and N. W. 4.-A fine day, and frost
Monday, 29--Thermometer from 24 to 33.

Barometer from 30, 28 to 30, 32.
Wind N. W.-W. and S. W. 0.-Clear, the
whole day.
Tuesday, 30-Thermometer from 24 to 41.

Barometer from 30, 19 to 30, 14.
Wind S. W..-The early part of the morning
fine. The day generally overcast and wet.
Wednesday, 31-Thermometer from 23 to 33.

Barometer from 30, 21 to 30, 22. Wind N. by W. 0.-The day very fine.-A verythick fog at night.-Rain fallen, 15 of an inch. The highest of the Thermometer this last year was 85, the lowest 20.

The quantity of rain fallen is 20 inches and 9 tenths.

The driest month was April, and the wettest
was May.
Latitude 51. 37. 32. N.
Longitude 3. 51. W.
Edmonton, Middlesex.

JOHN ADAMS.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. Communications not inserted within a

reasonable period must be considered as rejected. We cannot reply to every individual Correspondent.

Bensley and Sons, Bolt Court, Fleet Street.