centuries and a half ago is still preserved, and that nearly on the spot where it formerly stood. It is now reduced considerably in size; and not as Stowe described it in his time, "fixed in the ground very deep, fastened with bars of ron, and otherwise so strongly set, that if cartes do runne against it through negligence, the wheeles be broken and the stone itself unshaken."

All that now remains of this once formidable stone-this proud emblem of sovereignty, is a mere fragment which has been placed in a niche prepared for it in the South Wall of St. Swithin's Church, Cannon-street. It was formerly of very great dimensions, and stood on the South side of the same street; until the year 1742, when it was removed to the edge of the kirb stone on the north side.

Men of business are not generally very remarkable for their attachment to memorials of antiquity, particularly if they consider them an obstruction, and we are, therefore, not surprised that when the church of St. Swithin was repaired in 1798, some of the parishioners should declare this relic a nuisance, which ought to be removed. Fortunately, however, one gentleman was found to interfere, and rescue famed London Stone',from anni. hilation: the name of this citizen is worthy: of being handed down to posterity, if. was the only great and good deed" of his life. To Mr. Thomas Maiden, of Sherborne Lane, are we indebted for the preservation of this singular relic.which he caused to be placed in its present situa

tion.

66

The origin of London Stone has defeated all the researches of Antiquaries, who are still compelled to acknowledge with Stowe, that the cause why this stone was there set, the very time when, or other memory hereof is there none; but that the same hath long continued there is manifest, namely, since or rather before the time of the conquest."

The earliest record in which this venerable monument of forgotten ages is mentioned, is in a Gospel Book which was given to Christ Church, Canterbury, by Ethelstan, King of the West Saxons, where a parcel of Land is described" to ly neare unto London Stone." It is again noticed in an account of a fire which in the year 1135, is said to have "began in the house of one Ailwarde, neare unto London Stone," and consumed all the city eastward to Aldgate.

Stowe has collected the opinions and conjectures of his day on the subject. Some conceived it to have been a mark to designate the middle of the city within

the walls but it was not placed in the centre which overturns this theory. Others conceived it must have been placed for the lending and paying of debts at appointed times, before St. Paul's Church and the Royal Exchange had been fixed upon for such purpose: but the most improbable of all conjectures is, that it was erected by a person of the name of Londonstone for at this time, men rather took names from places than gave them.

The most rational inference is that of Strype, who considers it to have been originally a Roman miliary of the same kind, though less splendid than the Miliarium Aureum, a gilded pillar, erected by Augustus Cæsar, in the forum at Rome. Here all the highways of Italy met, and were concluded; and from this spot they counted their miles, setting up a stone at the end of every mile, whence came the phrase of Primus ab urbe lapis, &c.

As Cannon Street was anciently the principally street of London, it is more than probable, that this Stone was the place where proclamations were read, and notices given to the people, as was afterwards the case at the Cross in Cheapside, St. Paul's Cross, and other places. It seems to have been the first point where Jack Cade rested, on entering the city from Southwark, and where he promised His followers, that the city conduit should flow with claret for the first year of hi reign.

London Stone appears to have been held in superstitious veneration by the citizens, from some circumstance which is unrecorded. They considered it as connected with the safety of their city, and it is probable that there was a popular tradition among the English on the subject, similar to that which the Scots have, respecting the marble chair on which their kings were crowned.

"Ni fallat fatum, Scoti quocunque locatum,

Invenient lapidem, regnare tenentur ibidem."

Which may be thus translated: "Where'er this stone is found, or Fate's decree is vain,

The Scots the same shall hold, and there supremely reign.'

If there were really any such tradition respecting London Stone, and we are far from thinking it improbable, then have we sufficient reason why Jack Cade should strike it triumphantly, and exclaim, "Now is Mortimer Lord of this city!" A few days, however, proved the fallacy of his boast, for his whole army was routed. and he was killed.

THE moral influence of music consecrated by the legislation and public institutions of many nations of antiquity, and especially the Greeks, has been almost entirely unknown, or ill-directed in modern times. In some German states they have began to restore that empire, once exercised in the amelioration of mankind, by singing and music, by uniting them both to the plan of general education; not as an act of mere luxury, or amusement, solely reserved for the better classes of society, but as a part, if we may so speak, of the common patrimony of humanity, which education ought to cultivate, and render productive. For this reason the greater part of those, who, in the states before mentioned, have the direction of the establishments for the primary instruction of youth, are obliged to exercise their pupils in singing music, essentially contributes towards the improvement of man; by its power it embraces, at one and the same time, physical and gymnastic education, since it unfolds the organs of speech, and adds vigour to the chest and lungs; and moral and intellectual education, as it awakens in the human heart sentiments of beneficence and love, and gives to the understanding a superior degree of emotion and vivacity. Music, by producing in the soul pleasant, profound, and varied impressions, is calculated to soften the manners, and to render the existence of man more delightful. It gives additional elevation to religious rites, awakens valour in battle, and enlivens joy on occasions of festivity; it causes its beneficial influence to be felt in the bosom of families, contributes to fill the leisure hours of the learned, by agreeably diverting him from his graver occupations, renewing the vigour of his mind, inspiring his imagination with new ideas, and animating him to the renewal of his labours. It banishes frivolity, and gives solidity to the character of him who is addicted to the noisy pleasures of the world, by recalling him from time to time to himself. It consoles the unfortunate, increases the delights of prosperity, and, in short, diffuses in the soul an oblivion of the ills of this life, accompanied by presentiments of another existence not only free from them, but at the same time, pure, grateful, heavenly,

and purged from the cloudy atmosphere, by which our most joyous days are obscured on earth.

It is of the greatest importance, that music should be emulously taught to even the humbler classes of society: its study merits particular attention, and the results which it produces are so important, that we cannot too highly estimate the necessity of teaching its rudiments, in primary schools, in conjunction with reading, writing, arithmetic, geometry, and drawing.

Society, comparatively speaking, contains but few individuals adequately favoured by fortune, to be able to procure a musical instrument, and incur the expense which the acquisition of its use requires. But nature, ever liberal in her gifts, has bestowed on man the richest and most agreeable instrument in his voice, and in song, capable of producing an endless variety of sounds. The human voice is, in fact, superior to all invented instruments: beyond any of them it penetrates the soul, electrifies its most secret and delicate fibres, and submits them to its controul: it is, in short, alone able of itself to form as many tones as are produced by all instruments. Among these.persons, who have acknowledged the necessity of comprising instruction in singing, or vocal music, in the number of objects belonging to primary education, the late Charles Dalberg, Grand Duke of Frankfort, deserves, particular notice, as one equally recommendable for the nobleness and elevation of his mind, as for the rare qualities of his heart. Like what the chief man of a state should always be, he was the friend of humanity, and directed his thoughts to the happiness of the people, over whom he was called to preside.

This excellent prince, who honoured Mr. Jullien with his friendship, and frequently explained to him his ideas on the improvement of elementary instruction, and the intimate connection of this improvement with public prosperity, designed by means of instruction in singing, to render the condition of the working classes better and more agreeable, by procuring them pleasures, both pure and simple, and of easy acquisition. To this end he proposed to awaken and nourish in their minds two of the sublimest sentiments which most honour and dignify man in his own eyes; namely, gentle and consoling piety, which raises him up to the author of his being, and the love of country, which extends and enlarges his existence, by associating his fate with that of a great number of his fellow-creatures. In the celebrated scholastic esta-.

blishinent, formed at Iverdun, on the plan of Pestalozzi, and in the two handsome colleges which belong to the agricultural society of Hofwil, the teaching of vocal music has been introduced from the commencement, as an essential part of education. Mr. Pictet, speaking of Mr. Fellenberg, (the director of the colleges already mentioned,) assures us, that this great man was persuaded of the utility of singing to the improvement of education, by softening the character of the young, rectifying their passions, weakening or repressing their vicious inclinations, and establishing an harmonious concord between the heart and the understanding; unfolding the love of order and the beautiful, awakening that of country, engraven on our hearts by nature herself, and exciting a religious veneration which leads them to direct their imagination and their sentiments towards heaven. In those scholastic establishments, all the students are taught the theory of music, and the Sundays are devoted to this study, as well as reading and other objects, at which time they are exercised in tuning and modulating sacred canticles and national marches.

In Switzerland, there are many elementary schools, in which the system of musical instruction has been reduced to prac tice, as laid down by Messrs. Pfeiffer and Naegali, of Zürich. Desirous of giving a greater degree of popularity to the art, and of generalizing it as much as possite, these two gentlemen have preserved the principles of Pestalozzi's methot but, returning to its primary elements, they have succeeded in simplifying them in such a manner, that children cannot fail to comprehend them with ease. The principles of this method are not, however, new, but consist solely in fixing with precision, the bases of the science and the art; in giving very little to be learned at once; in separating and simplifying the elements, familiarizing children with them, by presenting them one after the other, advancing them by insensible degrees, above all, in accustoming them not to mix or confound things of a distinct nature, and so conducting them as to be imbued by little and little with the science, in order that this may take deep root, and he, as it were, inseparable from their minds. The object of this method is, that the pupils, on concluding their course of education, may execute with promptitude, precision, and firmness, the most difficult pieces. The system, in short, turns out to be no other thing than an application, directed to musical science, of the analytical and philosophical path, traced out by Bacon,

Locke, J. J. Rousseau, Condillac. Destutt, Tracy, Cabanis, &c.; the same which is now so successfully adopted in all arts and sciences to facilitate their study, and accelerate their progress.

The society established in Paris, for the improvement of elementary instruction, which has already done so much good for the poor and industrious classes, and so powerfully contributed towards the perfection of primary education, (too long neglected in France, where it was imperfect, and even pernicious,) has powerfully exerted itself in introducing leslons in singing into the schools for mutual instruction. This happy reformation has produced the most excellent effects; the moral results are, above all, palpably evident.

Mr. Amoros, a Spaniard, naturalized in France, and a member of the society alluded to, to whom that country is indebted for the formation of a civil and military gymnasium, in which youth are taught, under able masters, the various exercises calculated to unfold their powers, and give them dexterity, has added music to those exercises, being convinced of the efficacy of this art, in contributing to strengthen the lungs and the organs of speech, as well as of its salutary moral influence. In a work he has written, he says, "Now that music has lost so much of its primitive dignity, and of its power over man, since it ceased to be popular or general, and has taken refuge in the cloisters, or been confined to the theatre, what reason is there why we should not restore to it its ancient splendour, by applying it to the improvement of our manners, our character, our organization even, and temperament ?" What obstacle is there which can be placed in opposition to such happy ideas?—Oculus.

WINTER,

BY MRS. CORNWELL BARON WILSON.
(For the Mirror.)
THE Summer skies no more are blue,
The fields have lost their verdant hue,
The Birds sit tuneless on the tree;

And all looks sad, and drear to me ;Stern WINTER has began his reign,

And chill and murky is the air; And though I rove the hill and plain,

No blooming flow'ret meets me there! A few brief months, and WINTER flies, And Nature clad in gayest hue, With milder gales, and brighter skies,

The Summer's glory shall renew ;— But for the lone, and blighted heart,

What future Summer can remain ?. Can nature's charms one joy impart,

Or bid it hope, and bloom again?

Ah! no;-though Summer suns will rise,
And Birds will sing, and flow'rets bloom;
Once chill'd, the heart's lost energies,
No future season can relume ;-
The smiling Sun, the verdant grove,

But mock the tortured bosom's pain; They ne'er can Sorrow's sting remove, Or bring lost hopes,-lost peace again!

The Sketch Book.

No. XIV

WILL WIZARD AND TOM
STRADDLE.

BY WASHINGTON IRVING, ESQ. SOME men delight in the study of plants, in the dissection of a leaf, or the contour and complexion of a tulip; others are charmed with the beauties of the feathered race, or the varied hues of the insect tribe. A naturalist will spend hours in the fatiguing pursuit of a butterfly; and a man of the town will waste whole years in the chase of a fine lady. I feel a respect for their avocations, for my own are somewhat similar. I love to open the great volume of human character: to me the examination of a beau is more interesting than that of a daffodil or narcissus; and I feel a thousand times more pleasure in catching a new view of human nature, than in kidnapping the most gorgeous butterfly-even an Emperor of Morocco himself.

In my present situation I have ample room for the indulgence of this taste; for perhaps there is not a house in this city more fertile in subjects for the anatomists of human character, than my cousin Cockloft's. Honest Christopher, as I have before mentioned, is one of those hearty old cavaliers who pride themselves upon keeping up the good, honest, unceremonious hospitality of old times. He is never so happy as when he has drawn about him a knot of sterling hearted associates, and sits at the head of his table, dispensing a warm, cheering welcome to all. His countenance expands at every glass, and beams forth emanations of hilarity, benevolence, and good fellowship, that inspire and gladden every guest around him. It is no wonder, therefore, that such excellent social qualities should attract a host of guests; in fact, my cousin is almost overwhelmed with them; and they all, uniformly, pronounce old Cockloft to be one of the finest old fellows in the world. His wine also always comes in for a good share of their approbation; nor do they forget to do honour to Mrs.

Cockloft's cookery, pronouncing it to be modelled after the most approved recipes of Heliogabolus and Mrs. Glasse. The variety of company thus attracted is particularly pleasing to me; for being conconsidered a privileged person in the family, I can sit in a corner, indulge in my favourite amusement of observation, and retreat to my elbow-chair, like a bee to his hive, whenever I have collected sufficient food for meditation.

Will Wizard is particularly efficient in adding to the stock of originals which frequent our house; for he is one of the most inveterate hunters of oddities I ever knew; and his first care, on making a new acquaintance, is to gallant him to old Cockloft's, where he never fails to receive the freedom of the house in a pinch from his gold box. Will has, without exception, the queerest, most eccentric, and indescribable set of intimates that ever man possessed; how he became acquainted with them I cannot conceive, except by supposing there is a secret attraction or unintelligible sympathy that unconsciously draws together oddities of every soil.

Will's great crony for some time was Tom Straddle, to whom he really took a great liking. Straddle had just arrived in an importation of hardware, fresh from the city of Birmingham, or rather as the most learned English would call it, Brummagem, so famous for its manufac factories of gimblets, pen-knives, and pepper-boxes, and where they make buttons and beaux enough to inundate our whole country. He was a young man of considerable standing in the manufactory at Birmingham; sometimes had the honour to hand his master's daughter into a tim-whiskey, was the oracle of the tavern he frequented on Sundays, and could beat all his associates, if you would take his word for it, in boxing, beerdrinking, jumping over chairs, and imitating cats in a gutter and opera singers. Straddle was, moreover, a member of a Catch-club, and was a great hand at ringing bob-majors; he was, of course, a complete connoisseur in music, and entitled to assume that character at all performances in the art. He was likewise a member of a Spouting-club; had seen a company of strolling actors perform in a barn, and had even, like Abel Drugger," enacted" the part of Major Sturgeon with considerable applause; he was consequently a profound critic, and fully authorised to turn up his nose at any American performances. He had twice partaken of annual dinners, given to the head manufacturers of Birmingham, where he had the good fortune to

get a taste of turtle and turbot, and a smack of champaign and burgundy; and he had heard a vast deal of the roast beef of Old England; he was, therefore, epicure sufficient to d-n every dish and every glass of wine he tasted in America, though at the same time he was as voracious an animal as ever crossed the Atlantic. Straddle had been splashed half a dozen times by the carriages of nobility, and had once the superlative felicity of being kicked out of doors by the footman of a noble Duke; he could, therefore, talk of nobility and despise the untitled plebeians of America. In short, Straddle was one of those dapper, bustling, florid, round, self-important" gemmen," who bounce upon us half beau half buttonmaker; undertake to give us the true polish. of the bon-ton, and endeavour to inspire us with a proper and dignified contempt of our native country.

Straddle was quite in raptures when his employers determined to send him to America as an agent. He considered himself as going among a nation of barbarians, where he would be received as a prodigy; he anticipated, with a proud satisfaction, the bustle and confusion his arrival would occasion; the crowd that would throng to gaze at him as he passed through the streets; and had little doubt but that he should excite as much curiosity as an Indian chief or a Turk in the streets of Birmingham. He had heard of the beauty of our women, and chuckled at the thought of how completely he should eclipse their unpolished beaux, and the number of despairing lovers that would mourn the hour of his arrival. I am even informed by Will Wizard that he put good store of beads, spike-nails, and looking-glasses in his trunk, to win the affections of the fair ones as they paddled about in their bark canoes. The reason Will gave for this error of Straddle's respecting our ladies was, that he had read in Guthrie's Geography that the aborigines of America were all savages; and not exactly understanding the word aborigines he applied to one of his fellow apprentices, who assured him that it was the Latin word for inhabitants.

Wizard used to tell another anecdote of Straddle, which always put him in a passion: Will swore that the captain of the ship told him, that when Straddle heard they were off the Banks of Newfoundland, he insisted upon going on shore there to gather some good cabbages, of which he was excessively fond. Straddle, however, denied all this, and declared it to be a mischievous quiz of Will Wizard, who indeed often made himself merry at his expense. However this may

be, certain it is he kept his tailor and shoemaker constantly employed for a month before his departure; equipped himself with a smart crooked stick about eighteen inches long, a pair of breeches of most unheard-of length, a little short pair of Hoby's white-topped boots, that seemed to stand on tip-toe to reach his breeches, and his hat had the true transatlantic declination towards his right ear. The fact was-nor did he make any secret of it he was determined to astonish the natives a few!

Straddle was not a little disappointed on his arrival, to find the Americans were rather more civilized than he had imagined; he was suffered to walk to his lodgings unmolested by a crowd, and even unnoticed by a single individual;— no love-letters came pouring in upon him;—no rivals lay in wait to assassinate him; his very dress excited no attention, for there were many fools dressed equally ridiculous with himself. This was mortifying indeed to an aspiring youth, who had come out with the idea of astonishing and captivating. He was equally unfortunate in his pretensions to the character of critic, connoisseur and boxer: he condemned our whole dramatic corps, and every thing appertaining to the theatre; but his critical abilities were ridiculed; he found fault with old Cockloft's dinner, not even sparing his wine, and was never invited to the house afterwards; he scoured the streets at night, and was cudgelled by a sturdy watchman;

he hoaxed an honest mechanic, and was soundly kicked. Thus disappointed in all his attempts at notoriety, Straddle hit on the expedient which was resorted to by the Giblets; he determined to take the town by storm. He accordingly bought horses and equipages,and forthwith made a furious dash at style in a gig and tandem.

As Straddle's finances were but limited, it may easily be supposed that his fashionable career infringed a little upon his consignments, which was indeed the case for to use a true cockney phrase, Brummagem suffered. But this was a circumstance that made little impression upon Straddle, who was now a lad of spirit and lads of spirit always despise the sordid cares of keeping another man's money. Suspecting this circumstance, I never could witness any of his exhibitions of style, without some whimsical association of ideas. Did he give an entertainment to a host of guzzling friends, I immediately fancied them gormandizing heartily at the expense of poor Birmingham, and swallowing a consignment of hand-saws and razors. Did I behold him dashing through Broadway in his gig, I