The coffin of our Christmas pies, in shape long, is in imitation of the Cratch: our chusing kings and queens on Twelfth Night, hath reference to the three kings. So likewise our eating of fritters, whipping of tops, roasting of herrings, Jack of Lents, &c. they are all in imitation of church-works, emblems of martyrdom. Our tansies at Easter have reference to the bitter herbs; though at the same time 'twas always the fashion for a man to have a gammon of bacon, to show himself to be no Jew.' Fuller has noticed this Easter game under his Cheshire, where, explaining the origin of the proverb, 'When the daughter is stolen shut Pepper Gate,' he says, 'The mayor of the city had his daughter, as she was playing at ball with other maidens in Pepper-street, stolen away by a young man through the same gate, whereupon he caused it to be shut up.' (Dr. Drake's Shakspeare, vol. i, p. 146.) Easter Monday is the day appointed by law for the choosing of churchwardens, and was, till very lately, for overseers and constables also, in every parish. As so much of the order, and prosperity, and happiness of every particular parish, and consequently of the nation at large, depends upon the proper discharge of these offices, we wish that more care was generally taken in the choice of them. See an admirable Charge to Churchwardens by the present venerable Bishop of Durham, in the 3d vol. of The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition of the Poor; and another to Overseers, by the late excellent Sir Thomas Bernard, in vol. i of the same work. 3.-RICHARD, Bishop. Richard, surnamed de Wiche, from a place in Worcestershire where he was born, was educated at the Universities of Oxford and Paris. He was as remarkable for his learning and diligence in preaching, as he was for integrity. integrity. *3. 1736.-J. A. FABRICIUS DIED, A celebrated German divine, professor of Eloquence at Hamburg, and author of several learned works, chiefly Bibliographical, equal to at least 30 vols. in 8vo. *3. 1632.-GEORGE HERBERT DIED. He was Public Orator of the University of Cambridge, and author of a collection of Sacred Poems called The Temple,' as well as an admirable book on the pastoral care, called 'A Priest to the Temple,' which should be the vade-mecum of every clergyman. He published also a collection of Sayings, under the title of Jacula Prudentum.' 4. SAINT AMBROSE. Our saint was born about the year 340, and was educated in his father's palace, who was Prætorian Præfect of Gaul. He ruled over the see of Milan with great piety and vigilance for more than twenty years; during which time, he gave all his money to pious uses, and settled the reversion of his estate upon the church. He converted the celebrated St. Augustine to the faith, and, at his baptism, composed that divine hymn, so well known in the church by the name of Te Deum. He died, aged fifty-seven, A.D. 396. *5. A.D. 33.-RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD. The noble and sublime doctrine of the Resurrection receives illustration from the resuscitation of Nature, after the ravages and desolations of Winter. Thus the pious and sensible observer of the rolling seasons has his faith confirmed and his hope animated. O tell me not, most subtle disputant, The perished year, and youth and beauty gives Leave only Man to be the scorn of Time Be doomed, cast out, rejected and despised? The melancholy thought. Am I deceived? It is an error sweet and lucrative. For should not Heav'n a farther course intend Heals all the pains of life-a precious balm HURDIS. *6. 1619.—ARCHBISHOP Abbott. His Hospital at Guildford was founded on the above day. The two-hundredth anniversary of its foundation was celebrated in the year 1819, on which occasion Lord Grantham, (Lord High Steward of the Borough) the mayor and aldermen, with the tenants of the hospital farms, &c. dined together, and spent a convivial day, in the antient room formerly used for such purposes. The venerable brothers and sisters of the establishment were also plentifully regaled with good English fare. *6. 1796.-Dr. G. Campbell died, T. 77, Principal of the Marischal College of Aberdeen. He was an able biblical critic, and author of a masterly reply to Hume on Miracles. *8. 1738.-REV. A. BLACK WALI. Died, Author of a short introduction to the classics, and a more elaborate work, entitled 'Sacred Classics,'containing much elegant criticism, though he is generally acknowledged to have carried too far his favourite hypothesis of the classical purity of the sacred writers. *8. 1795.-PRINCE REGENT MARRIED. 9.-LOW SUNDAY. It was a custom among the primitive Christians, on the first Sunday after Easter-day, to repeat some part of the solemnity of that grand festival; whence this Sunday took the name of Low Sunday, being celebrated as a feast, though in a lower degree. 19.-SAINT ALPHEGE. A native of England, Alphege was first Abbot of Bath, then Bishop of Winchester, in the year 984, and, twelve years afterwards, Archbishop of Canterbury. In the year 1012, the Danes being disappointed of some tribute money which they claimed as due to them, they entered Canterbury, and burnt both the city and church, and the greater part of the inhabitants were put to the sword. After seven months' miserable imprisonment, the good archbishop was stoned to death at Greenwich. *19. 1804.-MASSACRE AT ST. DOMINGO Of the white inhabitants, which exterminated the whole race. An event that is always to be dreaded from ravishing the hapless children of Africa from their native country, keeping them in the grossest ignorance, and treating them merely as beasts of burthen. This island was originally peopled by the Spaniards, who destroyed not less than three millions of the Aborigines, and repeopled it from Africa: and the French, who succeeded the Spaniards, treated the unhappy negroes with the utmost cruelty, till they brought on themselves this most awful vengeance. *21. 1766.-A SPOT ON THE SUN, More than thrice the bigness of our earth, was observed to pass over the centre of the sun—a circumstance not yet satisfactorily accounted for. 23.-SAINT GEORGE. Saint George is the patron Saint of England; for which the following reason is assigned: When Robert, Duke of Normandy, the son of William the Conqueror, was fighting against the Turks, and laying siege to the famous city of Antioch, which was expected to be relieved by the Saracens, St. George appeared with an innumerable army coming down from the hills all clad in white, with a red cross on his banner, to reinforce the Christians; this so terrified the infidels, that they fled, and left the Christians in possession of the town. Under the name and ensign of St. George, our victorious Edward III, in 1344, instituted the most noble Order of the Garter. St. George is usually painted on horseback, and tilting at a dragon under his feet, as represented on the reverse of the new Sovereigns and Crowns now in circulation. For an account of the Order, see T.T. for 1818, p. 82. See also Gibbon's Miscell. Works, vol. v, p. 490, and Percy's Reliques, vol. iii, pp. 213, 225, 286, 291, for some curious ballads on the subject of St. George. *24. 1617.—MARSHAL D'ANERE ASSASSInated, As it is said, by order of the French king his master; and his wife was charged with witchcraft. Being asked to explain the arts she practised, her reply was, 'My sorcery has been only the influence of a strong mind over a weak one.' 25.-SAINT MARK. St. Mark's Gospel was written in the year 63. The order of knights of St. Mark at Venice, under the protection of this evangelist, was instituted in the year 737, the reigning doge being always grand master: their motto was, Pax tibi, Marce, Evangelista Meus.' The superstitious fears with which Saint Mark's Eve is annually regarded by thousands in this country, are probably known to the majority of our readers. *25. 1819.-FRANCISCO MANUEL DIED, Æt. 84, The celebrated Portuguese poet. From his earliest youth he had successfully cultivated almost every branch of literature. Having profoundly studied the best Portuguese classical authors, his works were |
