255] Varieties: Critical, Literary, and Historical. [256 OPENING OF THE SEVEN SEALS. cating this new and important fact in geographical science was transmitted to the Our readers will be gratified to learn Principal of the University of Edinburgh, that Mr. WEST is painting on an exit was received with an enthusiasm of tensive scale from his much admired surprise by the learned of that city, and sketch of the Opening of the Seven Seals, immediately submitted to the Society of or Death on the Pale Horse. The figures Natural History there, who intend to in- are larger than life. The subject belongs troduce it into the next volume of their to the terrible sublime; the head of Memoirs. Death, nearly finished, is most expressive of that character, and forms the key to the whole picture. From the arrangement adopted by this great artist we have in sublimity and energy to any of his every reason to anticipate a work equal former productions. London; Jan.. 2, 1817. ST. CECILIA AND ST. CATHERINE. To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine. SIR, Wm. Retlas, in answer to his queries, is informed that St. Cecilia was the paMr. WEST is likewise engaged upon a troness of music, which had been the composition which is intended to be occasion of painters and sculptors, fre- painted upon glass for the beautiful new quently representing her as playing on church of Mary-le-bone. The subject is the organ, and sometimes on the harp. the angel announcing the birth of our By Raphael she has been represented as Saviour, and the heavenly host singing, singing, with a regal in her hands; and Glory to God in the highest, &c. This by Dominichino and Mignard, singing composition is equally beautiful and apand playing on the harp. She has been propriate, and when finished cannot fail honoured as a martyr ever since the fifth to prove uncommonly attractive.-—Ibid. century, and her story, as transcribed from the Notaries of the Romish Church into the Golden Legend, and other books Alexander went to see his portrait at of that kind, is very curious. The tradi- Ephesus, painted by Apelles, but did tion that she excelled in music, and that not commend the piece as it deserved. an angel was enamoured of her melody, A horse was introduced, and neighed to is beautifully expressed by two of our the horse in the picture, as if it was a finest poets: Dryden in his Alexander's living one. "My prince," said Apelles, Feast, and Pope in his Ode on St. Cecilia's "the horse seems a better connoisseur Day: viz. than yourself.”—Mon. Mag. Feb, 1817. "At last, divine Cecilia came, Enlarg'd the former narrow bounds, before. Let old Timotheus yield the prize, DRYDEN. "Of Orpheus now no more let poets tell, APELLES. MAJOR JOHN ANDRE. This unfortunate amateur of the arts was Adjutant-general to his Majesty's forces in North America. Love, who has created many a poet, caused André to attempt the art of design: he painted a portrait of his mistress, a Miss Honora Sneyd, a protegée of the Sewards; and however inferior it might be considered as a work of art, it was looked upon by Miss Seward as the most correct resemblance of her friend, as may be seen in this lady's will. Miss Sneyd had exfered martyrdom on a wheel armed with Major André, but thought proper to changed eternal vows of fidelity with spikes and traversed with a sword, which accounts for her being represented in broke her heart. She died of a consump marry another, whose ill-usage soon pictures as leaning on a wheel, A sign tion a few months before her unfortunate called the Catherine Wheel is still in be- lover suffered an ignominious death. ing over some public-houses, with the He had entered the army in order to above representation, POPE. Saint Catherine is related to have suf 257] Varieties: Critical, &c. [258 A piece of twine was again put under the cork, and a thick coat of sealingwax on the top of it. It was sunk this time ninety-eight fathoms; when raised the twine and seal were both broken, and the cork inverted. overcome his unfortunate attachment by and, when taken up, the cord was much exertion, and was discovered by the forced, but not broken, and the bottle Americans as a spy, and hung by the was about half full of water. command of Gen. Washington. *Major André," says Miss Seward in her life of him, "possessed numberless good qualities; he was a poet, a musician, and a painter. On the union of his faithless mistress with another, he left the counting-house of his uncle, and We then tied a piece of twine under stimulated by despair entered the Eng- the cork, forced a strong stocking-needle lish army. Careless of his existence he through the top of it, which rested on formed a plan of obtaining intelligence each side of the bottle's neck, and dipped of the American army by visiting their it in boiling pitch. It was let down the lines in disguise; when being thrown off same depth as the last, and, when taken his guard he offered his watch as a bribe up, the cork was turned as before, the to the centinels who suspected him: he twine broken, the needle bent and forced was found guilty, and suffered October in with the cork, and the bottle full of 20, 1780, aged 29."- "I have been water. taken prisoner" (says he in a letter)" by The sixth time, we put a cord crossthe Americans, and stript of every thing wise under the cork, the cork and botsave my picture of Honora, which I con- tle-neck were dipped in boiling pitch, cealed in my mouth: preserving this I afterwards a piece of strong canvass was yet think myself fortunate," At his tied closely over the warm pitch; then death this picture was found round his the canvass, cork, and bottle-neck dipneck. There is a portrait of Major ped in pitch again, and sunk to the André engraved by Sherwin, after a depth of ninety-eight fathoms. drawing by this unfortunate gentleman. EXPERIMENT OF THE BOTTLE. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. On drawing it up, it appeared that the water had pressed with great force on the cork, but the bottle was empty. This proves that the water must enter at the cork, and not as Mr. Campbell, in his Travels in Africa, seems to suppose, through the pores of the bottle. Feb. 1817. GOOSE, A SACRED DISH. L. SIR, Having seen some remarks in your Magazine for December 1815, p. 392, respecting the sinking of an empty bottle closely corked, to the depth of 100 fathoms, I am induced to hope you will not deem the following account of six Diodorus Siculus (ii. 3,) mentions the experiments, made on board the Prince goose as a regular and favourite dish of Leopold, near the Bay of Biscay, on the the Egyptian kings. On several monu10th of October last, as unworthy of ments constructed by them, priests are insertion. First, we let down an empty bottle well corked (which was sunk by the aid of lead,) about, fifty fathoms; when drawn up, it was filled with water, the cork inverted, and forced about half way out of the bottle. The bottle was filled with fresh water, closely corked, and let down again; when drawn up, the cork was inverted as before, and the bottle full of water, which was brackish. The third time, the captain put a piece of twine under the cork, and tied it round the neck of the bottle, so that, if the cork went in, the twine must break. It was again sunk to the same depth, represented offering the goose in sacrifice. "At albus anser, 259] Varieties: Critical, Literary, and Historical. [200 According to Lampridius, (Geta 5,) the one in gratitude for his feather-bed, and Emperor Geta had given orders to his the other for his pen.-Mon. Mag. cook to serve his dinners in alphabetic order. To-day every dish was to begin with an a, and to-morrow with a b. Under him the anser had the honor of ushering in every cyclus of repasts. Alexander Severus (Lampr. 37,) commonly dined on chicken, but added a goose on solemn occasions, such as the birth-day of those worthies whom he honoured with a select veneration. TIGER HUNTING IN INDIA. The following account, of a most extraordinary adventure, that occurred some time since in a Tiger hunt, was given in the last Hurkaru. Tiger hunt: Presence of mind.-July 6,1816. "On the march of our detachment from Louton to Bulrampore, to join General Wood, we arrived at our first In modern times, the goose has be- ground of encampment, about 8 A. M. come consecrated to St. Martin, and Soon after our arrival, the Zumeendar of medals have been struck, representing the village came to us to complain, that on one side a goose; on the reverse, the a Tiger had taken up his quarters in the word Martinalia. Whence this singular vicinity, and committed daily ravages association of idea? The festival of amongst the cattle; he had also killed Saint Martin, of Tours, is indicated in several villagers, and had that morning the Catholic calendars to be held on the wounded the son of the Zumeendar. 11th November; and it was a rule On this information, Lieutenant Colnett, among his devotees to roast a goose for Captain Robertson, and Dr. Hamilton, the family-dinner on the day of his mounted their Elephants, and proceeded anniversary. Martin Schoock, a Flem- to dislodge the animal. They soon disish monk, had made it a case of con- covered the object of their search; science, whether, even on the eve of the Lieutenant Colnett's Elephant being little lent, it be allowable to eat goose. little in advance, was attacked by him; Anliceat Martinalibus anserem comedere. the other Elephants turned round and Exerc. xvii. p. 205. But, after diving ran off to a short distance. The Tiger into the weedy pool of casuistic argument, had sprung upon the shoulder of Lieuthe delighted devotee emerged with the tenant Collett's Elephant, who in that permission to roast his goose. And thus situation fired at him, and he fell. the goose came to be a standing dish on Conceiving him to be disabled, Lieut. the continent at Martinmas, as in En- C. descended from the Elephant, for the gland at Michaelmas. purpose of dispatching him with his pisGeese are usually roasted, and ea- tols, but in alighting, he came in contact ten young, under the name of green with the Tiger, which had only couched geese, with sorrel sauce, or with apple for a second spring, and which, having sauce, or with gooseberries. They are caught hold of him by the thigh, dragged eaten adult, under the name of stubble him some distance, along the groundgeese; in which state they were stuffed Having succeeded in drawing one of a by the Romans with white meats, and brace of pistols from his belt, Lieut. by the Germans with chesnuts. Accord- Colnett fired, and lodged a ball in the ing to the laureat's sonnet they are very body of the Tiger, when the beast befine: coming enraged, shook him violently Seasoned with sage, and onions, and port wine. without letting go his hold, and made off In Gascony, goose-hams are prepared towards the thickest part of the jungle, in great numbers for exportation. The with his prey. In the struggle to free legs are cut off, salted, and half cooked himself from the clutches of the animal, in goose fat, in which state they keep Colnett caught hold of him by both ears, very long, and are eaten, boiled, with and succeeded after some time, in throwsour-krout. In giblet-pie, the gizzard ing the beast upon his side, when he of a green-goose the liver of a stubble- availed himself of this momentary release goose is preferGoose-dripping is to draw forth the remaining pistol, and esteemed they to a Norfolk clapping the muzzle to the breast of the dumpling rate the goose, the tyger, shot him through the heart. He idler and the author should conspire, the then returned to his elephant, which he 261] Varieties: Critical, Literary, and Historical. SNIPE SHOOTING. [262 mounted without assistance, feeling at which had been previously talked of hy the moment little pain from his wounds, the Vizier and his courtiers, his Excelof which he had received no fewer than lency had the goodness to send to the five and twenty, between the knee and river Gograt and ordered several to be the groin, many of them severe. I un- caught, and brought on hackeries to the derstand, he has ever since continued to Goomty. We walked from Moobarrick suffer from the consequences of the con- Munzul over a new bridge of boats with flict, and that he has lost the motion of wooden rowers, battlements and embrathat knee, which was the seat of the zures for cannon upon it, to the opposite principal injury." (Calcutta Times.) side, and there was an immense alligator and middle sized crocodile alive, with several of the latter lying dead. The In the march of a detachment of our elephants were brought up to the crocoIndian army, under the command of Sir dile, and one of them trod upon it, with G. Holmes from Baroda to Palempore, its foot, so as almost to crush it, but two young officers of the 56th regiment although the crocodile screamed with were amusing themselves during a halt, pain, it recovered. The elephants could by snipe shooting. They had been not be made to attack the large alligator, beating the jungles on the banks of a than which a more hideous monster canriver, and one jungle they had repeatedly not be imagined, with a prodigious long tried in vain. They were, however, head and sharp teeth, the elephants apsurprised by a tremendous roar, and the proaching near to it, carefully rolled up sudden spring of an enormous animal the proboscis into the smallest possible from this very jungle. Lieut. Wilson, circumference, and whenever one came on whom the animal sprung, upon his near, the alligator made a snap at the recovery stated, that he neither saw, nor proboscis, or one of the legs of the eleheard, nor felt more, than that the mon- phant, the jaws meeting without seizing ster's mouth was close to his own. His any part of the animal, gave a smart companion, Lieut. Smelt, saw the tiger's sound, that might have been heard at spring; he gave a backward cat-like some distance. A country dog was stroke with his paw, and, on Wilson's then brought and tied near the alligator, fall, be smelt of him, paused for a mo- who got it completely in his mouth, the ment, and then leapt off, as a cat would dog at times escaping out, attacking and have done if disturbed at a meal. Snelt, biting the monster's nose, or substance expecting that Wilson had been killed, at the extremity of the upper jaw, makreached the camp, and immediately sent ing it bleed freely, although at one time, the dooly (a sort of palanquin bearers) the dog's hind foot was in its mouth; to the spot. They found Wilson alive, however, the alligator, at last got the but insensible; his flesh had been torn dog again in its mouth, and away from his head downward, to the severe a crush between its long and forlower part of the back, and a wound on midable teeth, that the dog appeared dead. the thigh, in all 19 wounds. A half- Water was then thrown by bheestees eaten buffaloe was found in the jungle, upon the alligator and dog, and the laton which, luckily for Wilson, our tiger ter liberated from the mouth of the monhad dined. We are happy to add that ster; when to our great surprise and -the wounded gentleman is now living pleasure, up rose the dog and ran off : and well; both the sportsmen will be this occurred with two country dogs, and rather more cautious in snipe-shooting in both got off safe.-It was not a very India. gratifying spectacle, but certainly a very curious one. The crocodile and alliga. Extract of a recent letter from Cawn- tor were no doubt greatly enfeebled by pore:-"On the bank of the river having been brought me great a disGoomty, we had a mock elephant fight, tance tightly bound cords upon between two females trained for the pur- hackeries, and out of their own element, AMUSEMENTS IN INDIA. gave it so An officer having expressed a de- besides which, they were not entirely sire to see an elephant and crocodile fight, released from the cords when attacked 263] Memoirs of the Duke d'Enghein. [264 with elephants and dogs. Moobarrick animals look like large English Foxes, Munzul is crowded with curiosities, fine but most assuredly the size (very large,) furniture, and most beautiful lustre wall by no means agrees with my recollection girandoles, of an English Fox: It is true, I have not seen one for these forty years. These animals are extremely lively, continually moving briskly round their cage, and the keeper told me they occasionally barked like dogs. Kootah ka awage, Bhooka, Bhooka, kurta by.' "Early next morning, we went to a large spot of ground, near the new grand stables enclosed with a tiled mud wall, where his Excellency's wild beasts and birds are kept. Tigers, Leopards, Siagushes, Bears, Monkies, Porcupines, Sables, Flying Foxes, &c.. in abundance. "There is a vast variety of birds: The most curious animals, are two of the Cassowary, Pheasants of all kinds, the Ramghur Hill Dogs, called by Wil- and some of the most beautiful Parrots I liamson Dhools, which that writer says, ever beheld, with brown bodies and are reported to unite in bodies of four or wings, with purple breasts; green five hundred, to hunt, and kill the most bodies with light green breasts, striped ferocious tigers. Some people say these and waved with yellow."-Lit. Pun. MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. SKETCH OF THE CHARACTER OF THE DUKE D'ENGHIEN DURING HIS CHILDROOD. By his Preceptor, the Abbe MILLOT. ΟΝ From the New Monthly Magazine. NE of the most remarkable publica- ants, and therefore very difficult to govtions that has lately appeared here ern. For this purpose, equal firmness, (says our Paris correspondent) is The kindness, prudence, and ability were reLife of the Duke of Burgundy, Father quired. Too much severity was likely of Louis XV, a posthumous performance to create aversion; and he would have of the Abbé MILLOT, author of several abused too much indulgence. He poswell-known historical works. The au- sesses himself too much penetration not thor was in 1778 appointe! preceptor to to discover the weak side of his instructhe unfortunate Duke d'Enghien, and it tors, and is too mischievous not to take was for this young prince that he com- advantage of it. Add to this, the nat posed The Life of the Duke of Burgundy ural antipathy of childhood to restraint and the dialogues which have just ap- and study. To keep a head impregnat peared. Prefixed to the work is an ac- ed with saltpetre to lessons for two succount of the author and of the Duke cessive hours morning and evening, was d'Enghien; and I know from good au- a task sufficient to alarm me. The first thority that not only M. Jacques, who days gave me some uneasiness. I obalways accompanied the prince, and served tears, a strong repugnance and who shared his confinement when the indocility; but I perceived also that the Duke was treacherously surprised in the transition from crying to laughing was village of Ettenheim, but likewise several the affair of a moment; that by varying other persons well acquainted with the things a good deal I could gain some atcircumstances attending his assassina- tention for each, and that, with manage tion, were consulted in the compilation ment, if I did not cross him too much of this account. It contains an interest- and overlooked some sallies, I might ing extract of the journal of education contrive to fill up the time for study: which the tutor seems to have kept in this was a great point. At the beginregard to his pupil. In one place the ning nothing was more useful to me than Abbé speaks of him as follows:--I soon fables, selected from Lafontaine's, and perceived that the young prince was ex- well explained. When we had thoroughtremely lively, indocile, headstrong, full ly comprehended one, the next thing of whims, spoiled by his female attend- was to learn it by heart. We proceeded |