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and jurats, when she passed through the town, that she gave it the name of Little London. Till within these few years New Winchelsea had a manufacture of cambrics,|| which is succeeded by one for mourning gauze and slight summer silks.

HASTINGS. This town is crowded in a narrow gap between high hills, and is open to the sea: it is a wild port, without being William the sheltered even by a pier. Conqueror made this place his first day's march, after landing at Pevensey, and stayed here fifteen days to refresh his troops, collect provisions, and obtain some know- || ledge of the country. He added Hastings to the number of the Cinque Ports. It has been conjectured by Saxon historians that this town took its name from Hastingus, a Danish pirate, who used to land always here on his plundering expeditions: it was certainly a very flourishing town long before the Norman invasion, for King Athelstan, who reigned between the years 925 and 942, had there a royal mint.

an arrow,

great execution among the English, bỷ reason of the men being so closely ranged; recovering themselves, however, from their first disorder, the English quickly recommenced the battle, which was continued with violent animosity on each side. The Normans, armed with axes, maces, and clubs, intermixed with the archers, in vain attempted to make an impression on the English wedge; they endeavoured to animate their countrymen by singing the deeds of Rolando, the hero of French chi valry. The battle continued raging from morning to night; but near the close of the day William saw the impossibility of breaking the solid phalanx of his enemy; he therefore had recourse to stratagem: he ordered his troops to make shew of a fighting retreat, as if they were overpowered by the superiority of the English: this was successful. Harold, thinking to take advantage of a retiring foe, deranged his William seized the invincible system. auspicious moment, caused his troops to close their ranks, and to press on the disordered English. Harold, enraged, performed prodigies of valour; however, from the conquering Normans, pierced his eye and entered the brain: the army, disheartened at the fatal blow, gave way in all directions, and left the Conqueror master of the field and the crown. The Conqueror, with true generosity, sent the bodies of Harold and his two brothers to BATTEL ABBEY -William, after his This relanding at Pevensey, made every effort to Gith, their unfortunate mother. The nowned battle was fought on St. Cathainduce Harold to resign his crown. English monarch was in London when he rive's day, the 14th of October, 1066, and received the Norman's message; the en- on the birth-day of Harold. To expiate voys treated the King with insolence, the dreadful slaughter, and for the repose which he resented with a spirit becoming of the souls of the slain, and also in gratia Briton When the rivals met at Hast- tude to Heaven for victory, William foundings, Harold determined to put his crowned, the following year, the Abbey of to the decision of the sword. The English army passed the night before the battle in feasting and carousal; the Norman in prayer, not forgetting the most vigilant preparation for the fight. In the morning Harold placed his troops after the Saxon manner, like an impenetrable wedge, putting himself in the centre, to shew that he meant to share with his soldiers the fortune of the day. The Duke of Normandy divided his forces into three bodies, and his troops began the battle by discharging a cloud of arrows into the air, which fell with

After the conquest, William bestowed Hastings on Robert, Earl of Eu, descended|| from a natural son of Richard I. Duke of Normandy; and this town gave name to the great family of the Hastings, afterwards Earls of Huntingdon. The first was Robert, portgreve of the town, and the Conqueror's steward; they flourished from that time to the death of the last in 1789.

Battel, and dedicated it to St. Martin. At the consecration of the Abbey, William was present, offering at the altar his sword and the robe he wore at his coronation.

The town of Battel is a scattered looking place, and is remarkable for nothing but the excellence and strength of the gunpowder made there, and so well known to sportsmen by the name of Battel Powder. The country about Battel is very beautiful, full of gentle risings and fertile bot toms, well wooded.

THE LISTENER.

of a family I had lately become acquainted with, and whom I imagined to be as wealthy as they were dashing. A gossiping servant, to whom 1 was compelled to listen malgré moi, soon, however, opened my eyes,

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knew all."- Why, Mr. H
is a very
rich man!"-" You mean, Sir, I presume,
that he spends a great deal of money."-
"I am told his estate is worth an hundred

thousand pounds."— "That may be, Sir,

but I am sure it has more than one hundred
thousand mortgages on it."-" His costly
furniture——."
Is hired from the up-

TO TIMOTHY HEARWELL, ESQ. KEEPING AN EXCELLENT HOUSE. SIR,-I am a man arrived at what is styled the autumn of life, and am the independent heir to a good family estate bequeathed me by my father, who was an honest country 'Squire; and I often think "Sir," said he one morning as he enter how surprised would be my good mother, ed my dwelling, "I was informed that you if she was alive, to see one of those houses wanted a servant: if I could suit you, which are now said to be well kept and Sir,- -."-"What!" interrupted I, “ are elegantly furnished! In the little provin- you going to leave Mr. H ? such a cial town where I was born, a person pass- good place as you must have there!"ed for opulent who had four or five hun-"O, Sir, you would not call it good if you dred a year. I know my father always kept, under my mother's management, au excellent table; and it was the good lady's pride to know that every one thought she kept a good house. In her cellar there were constantly kept ten or twelve dozen of the best wine, and twenty hams were always on the hooks for the winter, with store of dried pot herbs and keeping fruit, such as apples, pears, and walnuts, with plenty of pickles and preserves; while we had always the temporary resources of a well-stocked rabbit warreu, and a pond filled with excellent fish. We were, therefore, always prepared to receive our vicar, the village lawyer, or any of the neighbouring gentry within ten miles round. On extraordinary occasions, when a large dianer-party was invited, the old family plate was brought out and displayed, with the Nanquin and Dresden china: the two men servants put on their new liveries, and all the house bore the appearance of a little gala. We could, besides, offer fifteen spare beds to our friends and their servants; but we had not one sofa bed, nor one Egyptian couch, or Turkish ottoman: our clothespresses were, however, filled with good linen, and my mother and aunts had their particular clothing for every season; but not one of our apartments were adorned with bronze statues, alabaster urus, or antique paintings.

When I came to the metropolis, my town friends endeavoured to persuade me that there were no houses well furnished except those in London; where I had not long taken up my residence before I was invited to join a very brilliant party at the house

servants.".

holsterers." "His numerous blood horses,
his superb carriages." They, too, are
hired."- "And what a table he keeps !"-
"The expence of that is defrayed by his
steward.”
"He has a numerous train of
"But none of them can get
their wages, and that is the reason which
determined me to give him warning."-
"But amongst all the numerous acquaint-
ance I have met there, has he not one real
friend who would endeavour to extricate
him from his embarrassments?"—" He has,
Sir, a great many friends, but they all live
in the same way he does; they all keep
excellent houses: and you do not know,
perhaps, why you did not dine at Mr.
H-'s yesterday till past eight?".
14 No;
thought it was his usual hour of diuing."
"The true reason, Sir, was, that the plate
and linen were both borrowed, and they
did not arrive till that hour.
And, per
haps, Sir, you did not know why Lady
C— smiled while she was complimenting
Mrs. Hou the beauty of her diamond
earrings and necklace."—" No; I suppos-
ed she really had admired them.”—“ No,
Sir, she was quizzing; for every one there,
Sir, excepting yourself, knew that they
were composed of false jewels."-Seeing
me become rather impatient at his imper-
tinence, the fellow said:" I only have to

I

ask you one question, Sir. Did you not remark a young gentleman of the name of Arlington? Well, Sir, he too keeps an excellent house; he has his eye upon Mr. Hbecause he is one of his principal creditors; but they assist each other at the same time in duping the public. That wine, Sir, that you thought so excellent, is adulterated by a wine merchant of my acquaintance. The horses of Mr. H— are all defective, notwithstanding their being bits of blood; every one has the mark in his mouth: his carriage, which is so showy,|| is nevertheless so crazy that it would not be safe to take a journey in it; the service he uses, which is thought to be silver, is only plated; and more than one half of the

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footmen you saw, were lent him by his friends, who all keep excellent houses.”— Then, according to your account, there are a great many of these excellent houses kept in London."-" Too many, indeed, Sir, I may say."

I leave you to judge, Mr. Hearwell, whether or no I hired this servant, who seemed too well versed in the science of modern show, to suit such a sober, quiet being as myself; but sober as I am, I chuse to take my wine, if possible, free of adulteration; the art of which may be commuuicated to this party-coloured gentleman by his friend, the wine merchant, and soon hasten the end of your correspondent, A COUNTRY FREEHOLDER.

LETTER FROM PARIS.

August 26, 1818.

MY DEAR H--At length I can say with Miss Biddy Fudge, that I am actually writing on French paper, with a French pen and French ink; and shall proceed to give you an account of some of the French wouders.

We have been here a fortnight, and have seen much more in that time of Paris than I ever have of my native city, as we are sight-searching from morning till night. We have magnificent apartments in the Hotel de Londres, Place Vendome, which is certainly (in my opinion, at least,) the best part of Paris.

In the centre of the Place Vendome stands a very handsome column, from the model of Trajan's pillar, at Rome; it is made from the cannon taken by Bonaparte, and on it are engraven all his victories. There was once his statue on the top of it; but that has been removed, and the white flag has succeeded to the exalted station. But how very humiliating must it be for his most Christian Majesty to see his standard waving over a monument of Napoleon's victories!

In point of building I prefer London to Paris, with all due allowance for national prejudice; for there is no regularity in the edifices here, Place Louis Guinze excepted, which is remarkably handsome; having on one side the palace and gardens of the

Thuilleries, and on the other the Champ Elysées. We went to see Montmatre, celebrated for the bravery of its defenders, when Blucher presented himself at the gates of Paris: none of the Thermopylean band had reached their twentieth year, and our guide pointed out the spots where the different detachments were posted, and where all the skirmishes took place; all this was extremely interesting to us, from the events being so recent. This celebrated spot commands a view of all Paris and its envirous, and on a fine clear day the reflection of the sun on the gilt dome of the Invalids, together with the houses, prettily interspersed with clumps of trees, and the meandering of the Seine, would form a most delightful harvest for your pencil.

You desired me to tell you whether I liked the modes of cookery, and if the people are so dirty as they are represented. At first I did not relish the culinary process; but soon became so reconciled to it, as well as my friends, that now, when a plain roasted joint comes on the table, it is not touched; and you cannot think we suffer much from dirt when I assure you that even the foliage of the elm-trees, in the court-yard, are washed every moruing! Compare your dusty leaves near the English metropolis, and then spare ironical remarks on your Gallic neighbours.

I envy the French no possession so much

as the Louvre this gallery is so long, that when at one extreme, the eye can scarcely reach the other: imagine this filled with the best paintings of the best masters! Oh! to have been here before the superlative works were removed! Besides what I have mentioned, there is another gallery full of statues; but drapery being quite omitted, the display is not, nor should it be, congenial to ideas of female delicacy.

Friday last was the fête of St. Louis; we went to Versailles, walked about the grounds, and saw the famous water works. They are, doubtless, extremely grand, though Mrs. Msays those at Chatsworth are infinitely superior. After dinner we returned to Paris, and saw the fireworks to great advantage, in consequence of a ridiculous stratagem of our lacquey, who, when we were stopped, gave the King of Prussia's pass-word, and we paraded through the streets as part of his Prussian Majesty's suite, the guards saluting us as we passed.

On Sunday we visited St. Cloud, and it being the festival of that saint, the park was crowded with people, in their holiday clothes, and full of booths of every description, very much like what we call a fair, only on a grander scale. It is the national custom for ladies and gentlemen to join in the sports, and I went several times in those vehicles the Euglish call roundabouts, till, at last, I became quite expert in the amusement. What most struck my fancy, was the dancing under the trees: the musician is mounted on a tub, and the girls, neatly dressed in their green silk aprous, and the postillions with their long queues, gave such a grotesque, yet characteristic,

sprightliness to the green, that my imagination realized those sylvan scenes described in novels.

I think the church-yard does honour to the feelings of the French people: each grave has a portion of ground allotted to it, railed round with trellis-work, and entwined with roses, jessamine, and heliotrope, and is every morning strewed with fresh flowers. The same attention is paid to those who have been dead for a number of years. One, in particular, awoke the most sympathetic feeling by its simplicity; it was on a little hillock, with steps, cut in the turf, to ascend to it; the garden was neatly planted, and on the outside of the trellis-work was this simple inscription, "à ma mere." Among other places, I expected to visit the Conciergerie. Myself and friends wished to see the tombs of Ney and Labedoyere: we desired the guide to conduct us to them: this excited the man's suspicion, and he followed us the whole time we were in the church-yard so closely, that our curiosity could not be gratified; and it seems the King has now ordered these tombs to be destroyed, as they tended to keep alive a great degree of enthusiasm in the minds of the people, who brought their children to the graves, and made them swear to revenge the deaths of these Generals.

You must now be even more tired with reading this loug letter than I am with writing it; I shall, therefore, reserve my further communications for another time. Love to all friends; and believe me affectionately yours,

A. M.

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when a kind of valet-de-chambre made his that the lady whom he fancied to be the appearance, who asked if the History of author had taken it into her head not to Siroës and Mirame was yet printed? Tell- || make it public. While his thoughts were ing the bookseller, at the same time, that thus employed, a man called on him, with the Princess de Conti had desired him to a cloak folded over the lower part of his call on him, as being the most fashionable face, and who drew near to him, with a bookseller, and always having the newest mysterious air, whispering, at the same works.—“ Sir," said the bookseller, "I || time, "I wish to speak with you in private, know nothing of the work you are speak- || to shew you a manuscript that you will ing of. Fray what is the uame of the au- not be sorry to see." thor of it?"-"I do not know," said the valet de-chambre; "all I can tell you, is, || that the book is in high estimation at the Hotel de Conti."

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The valet de chambre had been gone about an hour, when a well-dressed man, who gave himself out as an officer belonging to the Duchess of Orleans, said to the bookseller, "Her Royal Highness has sent me to ask you when the History of Siroës and Mirame will be out ?"—" Sir,” replied the Bookseller, "I am quite ignorant of this history; and if it is now in the press, it is not in my inst."-" I am sorry for you," said the officer; "for I am told it is a most elegant romance, and far superior to that of The Princess of Cleves. It is positively asserted to be the work of a lady belonging to the court, and whose name is sufficient to enhance the value of the work."

The bookseller now became very much agitated in his mind. What, then, said he to himself, can this book be, that sets all the court in motion? It must certainly be the work of some lady, whose wit and talents are equal to her high birth. Such a manuscript must make the fortune of the bookseller who prints it. I will spare nothing to get hold of it: and, in effect, he ran through every bookseller's shop to inquire, if, by chance, any one had offered to them a work, entitled Siroës and Mirame, a Persian history? They all answered in the negative, adding, "What, what is this Sirves?"-"Nothing, nothing," replied he, running off, without stopping, as if he had feared, by an explanation, the losing of the precious manuscript of which he was in search.

He passed twenty-four hours in the most cruel uneasiness, sometimes dreading least a brother in the trade had purchased the valuable copyright; and at others, fearing

||

At the mention of a manuscript, our bookseller flattered himself that it was that which he so much desired to obtain; and he made the bearer instantly come into his private apartment; where this adventurer, opening his cloak, drew out the copy in question. The bookseller seized on it with a transport of joy; and seeing on the first page those darling words Siroës and Mirame, he nearly swooned away with delight.—“ Sir," said he, quite beside himself, "what is the price of this manuscript?"— "It is not for sale," replied the bearer; "the lady who composed it, does not write for money: she presents it to you as a gift. She only requests that you will make a little present to her waiting maids of four hundred crowns, to buy pins."-The bookseller, at these last words, made a very long face; which the bearer of Siroës and Mirame having remarked, said coldly to him, "Sir, reflect well on this matter. If my proposal does not suit you, there is no harm doue. There are plenty of printers; and the preference was only given to you, because it was thought it would have given you pleasure."

The bookseller, who, notwithstanding this enormous price for pins, was not a man to let slip the occasion of obtaining this precious copy, said to the bearer, with a laugh, "Sir, you are very hasty. I did not refuse to give you the twelve hundred livres for your inanuscript that you asked; but I must tell you, in coufidence, that I am not in a situation, at this moment, to give you the sum down: I can only pay you the half, and the other half, by a bill, payable in a fortnight. Will that suit you?" —“Perfectly,” replied the bearer. “Why, you are not dealing with a Jew; no one wishes you to be put to inconvenience.— Besides, you are so well known; your bills are as good as ingots of gold."-The

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