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altogether combine to form this one of the most attractive and beautiful productions in this style of art.

No. 19. The Talisman. W. Boxall. -Is a simple female figure, executed with great breadth and freedom, though rather hasty and coarse in some parts.

the constable. The execution of this
picture is certainly an improvement to his
preceding works; but Mr. Prentis is too
minute on trifles, which destroys all
breadth. Sir Joshua Reynolds says,
"The most minute and elaborate finish-
ing is so much waste labour, if there be
not preserved a breadth of light and
shade." This rule is particularly observ-
ed by Mr. Parris, whom we are again
happy in congratulating on the success
and beauty of his present production, No.
55. Reflection, to which is affixed the
following stanza, by T. K. Harvey, Esq.
Thought sits upon her happy brow like light,
The young pure thoughts that have no taint
of sin,
Making the mortal beauty yet more bright,
By the immortal beauty that's within.
It is a face of surpassing loveliness, a
more than earthly beauty, and innocence
C. I. H.
is its expression.

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The Naturalist.

Curious Facts connected with the Red
Collared Necrobia, the Viper, the
Wood Louse, and the White Ant.

No. 40. Welcome Friends. J. Knight. -Mr. Knight is rapidly rising in his art. The present picture is a further proof of his abilities. The scene here delineated forcibly exhibits the characteristics of the British yeoman, ere biting distress had made him what he now is. Two friends, who, by their heavy accoutrements of great coats and capes, denote them to have come from some distance, have just arrived at the humble but comfortable abode of their host, who while he is welcoming his eldest friend with true English hospitality, by a hearty shake of the hand, the younger traveller is more delightfully occupied in saluting the lips of his host's daughter, and her mother handing to the elder guest a glass of the best homebrewed. The expression of the two old friends is admirably portrayed; the firm squeeze of the hand and animated look of the host speak forcibly that he is sincere, and that his friend is indeed welcome; while the traveller appears to be perfectly A highly gifted and intelligent corresunconstrained, and feels assured that he pondent to the Technological and Micromay make himself at home. It is a descopic Repository, forwarding a colleclightful picture, delighful to look at, but tion of objects to the able editor of that painful to reflect that few such scenes now work, to undergo his investigation with ever happen. It is painted with great the microscope, accompanied them with care, without being too minute, and the the following pleasing facts:colouring good, and vastly superior to his Smugglers, now exhibiting at the British Gallery. In connection with the English character, we may mention another picture, which arouses feelings of indignation and pain when we consider what a curse the Game Laws are to the peasantry, and the degraded state it has reduced them to, a race once denominated, "The bold peasantry, country's pride." We allude to No. 48. The First Offence. E. Prentis."What dire events from trivial causes spring.' Represents the capture of a young poacher, by the minions of the law, who are cruelly triumphing and re'joicing at his caption, alike insensible to all humanity, and the supplications of his young wife, who on her knees is entreating mercy for his first offence, while the culprit, resigned and reckless, qnietly follows. There are several striking little incidents that add to the pathos and sentiment of the picture; the boy on crutches, the little child hiding his face in the lap of his sister, other children in tears, and even the poor dog of the cottager is insulted by the over-fed and insolent cur of

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"I send you a small insect, the necrobia ruficollis, highly interesting to entomologists, on account of a similar species, which was, in a great measure, connected with the means of preserving the life of a worthy and most useful man. Latrielle, the celebrated entomologist, was, during the French Revolution, arrested and thrown into prison, and, like many others, he was condemned to death. Midnight was the time appointed for his execution. The officer arrived at his dungeon unperceived by Latrielle, and found him busily engaged in examining a species of this insect, and uttering pious ejaculations to the Almighty; throwing himself under the protection of that Being who, manifesting so much wisdom in forming and providing for the wants of so minute an insect, would not overlook the situation in which he was at that time placed! The officer had studied entomology, and had experienced much gratification in that delightful part of natural history. He had also heard a very favourable account of Latrielle, and now became warmly in terested in his behalf. He entered into conversation with him, and determined

on saving his life if possible. He was enabled to do so, in consequence of a person having died in the prison whose figure resembled his. He liberated and secreted him until the storm was blown over, substituting the dead body in the room of Latrielle's!

"I also send you an object, the poison from which occasioned the death of a collector of insects. Mr. Sharpe, who, while collecting insects in Combe Wood, met with a viper; he had often been in the habit of catching and selling them, and therefore made no hesitation in laying hold of this. But, in consequence of his taking up some dried leaves with the viper, his grasp was not sufficiently tight, and the animal bit him twice. Sharpe, not thinking it of any consequence at the time, continued collecting, until he became so ill as to be incapable of joining his companions; who, some time afterwards, found him on the ground, in great agonies, and very much swollen. The poison had done its work! He was conveyed home, and in a few days died. The object is the fang from the jaw of this identical viper, and in which you will perceive the aperture through which the poison was ejected.

"You will find the wood louse, oniscus sellus, a very interesting object to examine its various parts, and particularly its brilliant and numerous eyes, which appear like clusters of diamonds, neatly set. I have sent you two specimens, placed in different positions, in order to exhibit the various characters. Swammerdam relates a ludicrous mistake of a servant maid, who, finding in the garden a great many of these insects in a globular form, imagined she had discovered some handsome materials for a necklace, and betook herself to stringing them with great care; but, on suddenly perceiving them unfold themselves, she was seized with a panic, and ran shrieking into the house! Though considered but of slight importance in the present practice of physic, yet these animals once maintained a very respectable station in the materia medica, under the title of millepedes; they being regarded as being aperient, resolvent, &c. They were ordered in cases of jaundice, asthma, and many other disorders; and were either taken living, being swallowed like pills, in their contracted state, or variously enveloped in syrups and marmalades; but were more generally reduced to a powder, and thus mixed with other ingredients."

In consequence of having recently read in your pages some remarks upon the devastations committed by the white ants,

"I herewith send you a Bible,* which has been the object of attack by the former insects; together with the following statement of facts concerning it, from a friend. He informed me, that two thousand copies of this Bible had been sent from this country to the Missionaries in India; and that when the vessel was unladen, it was discovered that the white ants had actually destroyed eighteen hundred copies; and the remaining two hundred were in such a state as to be rendered useless! The copy which I' now send is the only one out of the two hundred that is legible in every part; yet in this you will observe how far these insects have eaten into the margins of the leaves, and also into the cover.

The Note Book.

I will make a prief of it in my Note Book. M. W. of Windsor.

PUGILISM IN CHINA. The art of self-defence is regularly taught in China. It is much practised, although not countenanced by the local governments. In the penal code, nothing appears concerning it. Tracts are printed which would, in all probability, accompanied by their wood-cuts, amuse the fancy in England. The Chinese have no pitched battles that we ever heard of; but we have seen a pamphlet on the subject of boxing, cudgelling, and sword-exercise, in which there are many fanciful terms. The first lesson, for a Chinese boxer, consists of winding his long tail tight round his head, stripping himself to the buff, then placing his right foot foremost, and with all his might giving a heavy thrust with his right fist against a bag suspended for the purpose. He is directed to change hands and feet alternately, restraining his breath and boxing the bag of sand right and left, for hours together. This exercise the fancy call "thumping down walls and overturning parapets." second lesson, the pugilist grasps in each hand a "stone lock," i. e. a heavy mass of stone worked into the form of a Chinese lock. Then, being stripped and tail arranged as before, he practises thrusting out at a man's length these weights,

In the

The Bible mentioned as being one of the two hundred which escaped entire destruction by the white ants, "exhibits," says the Editor of the work we quote from, "a curious instance of the mischief occasioned by those insects. The margins of the leaves are perforated close to the letters, and entirely converted into a white powder, where the insects had attacked them."

66

right and left, till he is tired. He is to change feet and hands at the same time. This lesson is called "a golden dragon thrusting out his claws." Next comes "a crow stretching his wings—a dragon issuing forth from his den-a drunken Chinaman knocking at your door-a sphinx spreading her wings a hungry tiger seizing a lamba hawk clawing a sparrow-a crane and a muscle reciprocally embarassed," with various other specimens or fanciful nomenclature for divers feats of the pugilistic art.

Canton Reg.

EXTRAORDINARY BIRTH.

In Jeypore, according to one of the native Indian papers, a Brahmin woman, living in the district of Bhanpore, has been delivered of two female children and a snake; one of the girls and the snake died, as well as the mother, but the other girl is living. The Maharaja, adds the chronicler, was pleased to direct the superintendent of the charity department to adopt the necessary measures to avert the bad consequences likely to arise from this unfavourable

omen.

THE STEAM ENGINE.

ap

The discovery of the steam engine constitutes, unquestionably, one of the most splendid triumphs of modern science; whether we consider the magnitude of the power itself, so far beyond any thing which, prior to this invention, had ever been contrived, or even conceived, of mechanical agency; the inventive talent by which the principle was originally brought to light; or the amazing ingenuity and skill which has given it praetical effect in its infinitely diversified plication to arts, manufactures, and the general business of life. It is impossible to contemplate, without a feeling of exultation, this wonder of modern art; this prodigiously powerful, yet singularly versatile agent, which sets in motion machinery of the most stupendous energy; which raises the most enormous masses of water from the lowest depths of our mines; and moulds into form, as if by magical facility, the hardest and most intractable materials, while it can be, at the same time, regulated and adapted to operations of the extremest nicety and minuteness. We see the same agency setting in motion the loom, and propelling the vessel on the ocean the sea and the land thus teeming with the fruits of this marvellous invention, and bearing testimony to its usefulness and power. Quar. Rev.

Liberal gifts to brahmins, we presume.

AUTHORS IN THE DAYS OF SHAKSPEARE

The price paid by the managers for a new play was twenty nobles, or 67. 13s. 4d.; for which consideration the author surrendered all property whatever in the piece. If, as was sometimes the case, the play was not absolutely purchased by the theatre, the poet looked for remuneration from the profits of a third night's representation, the precarious produce of the sale of his play, when published at sixpence a copy, and the hard-earned fee of forty shillings, for an adulatory dedication to a patron. The sums given for the alteration of old plays varied extremely, and were, doubtless, regulated by the quantity of new matter furnished and the success attendant upon the revival; as little as ten shillings was sometimes paid, and the highest remuneration was short of what was given for a new play.

Dramatic writers were, therefore, generally poor; they were bound to theatrical managers, either by favours past, existing debts, or the perpetual dread of one day needing their assistance. Their wants often compelled them to solicit, nay, their very existence appears sometimes to have depended on, advances on the embryo productions of their brains; and the labours of to-day were devoted to cancel the obligations which the necessities of yesterday had contracted. It is truly pitiable to find the great Ben Jonson soliciting from Shenstowe the advance of a sum so paltry as five shillings.

BEN JONSON.

he

mode he used for flattering himself, by This poet was very ingenious in the introducing a kind of chorus, wherein he takes occasion to tell his hearers, that "careless of all vulgar censure, as not depending on common approbation, is confident his plays shall super-please judicious spectators, and to them he leaves it to work with the rest by example, or otherwise." It is remarkable that this passage should be found in his Magnetic Lady, and that he should speak with such confidence of one of his worst productions, as if determined to force a bad comedy upon the hearers by the authority of his own recommendation. This is an evident imitation of Aristophanes, who, in his comedy of The Clouds, holds the same language to his audience, fairly " he shall estimate their telling them judgment according to the degree of applause they shal! bestow upon his performance then before them." In conclusion, he inveighs against certain of his contemporaries, Eupolis, Phrynicus, and

Hermippus, "with whose comedies, if any one of his audience is well pleased, that person he hopes will depart from his, dissatisfied; but if they condemn his rivals, and applaud him, he shall think the better of their judgment for the future."-Act I. Scene 2.

MACKLIN.

This eccentric and talented veteran, when upwards of 100 years old, being present at a convivial party, where his great age, and the many alterations he must have noticed, formed the subject of conversation, exclaimed, "O Lord, Sirs, I remember so many changes in human affairs, that in some families, and those, too, pretty numerous, I have almost lost the power of tracing them by descent. An odd circumstance happened a few years ago upon this subject. A party of Irish gentlemen, who had come over here in the parliamentary vacation, asked me to sup with them. I did so, Sir, and we all got very jolly together; insomuch, that one of them was so drunk, that I made a point of taking him on my back, and carrying him down stairs, in order to be put into his chair. The next day the gentleman waited on me, and expressing his civilities, said, he was sorry I should take so much unnecessary trouble -here, Sirs, I stopped him short, by telling him, one reason I had for carrying him on my back was, that I carried either his father or his grandfather the same way, fifty years ago, when he was a student of the Middle Temple.""Very true, Sir," said the other, "I remember my father often telling it as a family story, but you are mistaken a little in point of genealogy, it was my great grandfather that you did that kindness for.

Customs of Warious Countries.

THE DOORGAH POOJAH.

The festival, which was over on Thursday last, was held in honour of the advent of Durga to our earth. Who she is, it is impossible correctly to say. She has various names and various offices.

She is the daughter of Mahadev, and the wife of Siva. She is represented with ten arms, and with weapons of different kinds in each hand. Upon each of her sides stand her daughters Lakshmi and Serussuttee; and on each side of them again sit her sons Cartika on a peacock, and Gunesa with his elephantine proboscis. At the feet of Durga are a dark-blue or bottle-green human figure

(a giant whom she killed) and a lion, the animal upon which she rides. These entertainments are 66 falling into the sere, the yellow leaf," as the natives are becoming wiser or poorer. Lakhs are reduced to thousands; and the piety or the purses of the natives are almost down at the freezing point. There is a golden image of Durgah belonging to the Mullicks; but as it comes to each member of that family only once in thirtytwo years, they can afford to spend much more money upon this poojah than those families who celebrate the festival every year. Gooroochurn Mullick spent upwards of a lakh of rupees a year or two ago upon it; but the principal part of this sum was laid out in feeding the brahmins, and making them presents of shawls and pieces of cloth. The sum spent annually upon this poojah by the best and wealthiest natives in Calcutta seldom exceeds 10,000 rupees.

Cal. Lit. Gaz. Oct. 11.

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VOLTAIRE AND A TRIFLER.

St. Ange, a writer chiefly known for his insipid translation of Ovid into French verse, took it into his head to pay his respects one day to Voltaire. The visitor, wishing to terminate the interview by a stroke of wit, observed, while twirling his hat between his fingers-To-day I have seen Homer; to-morrow, I purpose to visit Euripides and Sophocles; the next day, Tacitus; the next, Lucian; the next- "I am rather old," said the sardonic author of La Pucelle "I may not live long; suppose, therefore, you were to pay your compliments to all these gentlemen at one visit?"

OXALIC ACID.

;

It may be important to mention, that two ounces of magnesia, mixed with about a quart of water, or the same quantity of common whitening, thrown into the stomach by any means, (the stomach pump for preference,) will effectually neutralize and render inert this active poison.

Diary and Chronology.

Wednesday, April 7.

St. Aphraastes, anchor. 4th Cen.-Sun rises 23m aft 5 Morn-sets 38m aft 6 Aftern. St. Aphraastes.-Our saint, at an early age, regardless of honours and worldly advantages, left his friends and country to shut himself up in a little cell without the walls of Edessa, in Mesopotamia, which retreat he quitted to assist the distressed Catholics of Antioch. After assuaging the fury of their persecutors, he returned again to a life of retirement, in the full enjoyment of which he closed his days. April 7, 1520.-Expired on Good Friday, Raffaelle or Raffaello Sauzio, T. 37. This illustrious painter was not only eminent as an artist, but he also excelled as an architect, and exhibited skin as a sculptor; we are told that he was likewise a poet, and that there are extaut some affecting sonnets written by him in Italian a short time before his death; so versatile was the genius of this great man, that every branch of art he attempted he excelled in, and every subject that excited his attention or occupied his mind, was accomplished in a manner creditable to his high reputation. The greatest remains of this sublime painter's pencil are the frescoes at the Vatican. His oil pictures, (of which his immortal Transfiguration is the chief,) are dispersed throughout Europe, and are every where regarded as inestimable. The most eminent engravers have considered his works as the noblest employment of their art, and more than 740 pieces have been enumerated as engraved from the designs of Raffaello. Holloway spent a large portion of his long life in engraving the Cartoons of this unrivalled master, and died ere he had completed his laborious task.

Thursday, April 8.

B. Albert, pat. of Jerusalem, d. A.D. 1214.-Maunday Thurs.-Full Moon 29m after 7 Mor. Holy Thursday -A scene that annually takes place at Rome, in the Sistine Chapel, is thus mentioned by a most amusing modern tourist :-" We succeeded in getting into the chapel, in which High Mass was performed with great pomp. We then ascended the Colonnade, to hear the Pope give his benediction; from whence we went to the room where the ceremony of washing the feet of thirteen priests by his Holiness took place. This scene presented a fine coup d'ell for the painter, particu larly at the moment when his Holiness descended from his throne to perform this office of what we protestants should call pompous humiliation, I believe that many of these ceremonies, which appear vold of utility and meaning, may be edifying to those catholics who are really sincere in the profession of their creed. From the room in which the feet washing took place, we made our way with difficulty through a dreadful crowd to that in which the priests dined, and where an agreeable spectacle presented itself to our view. The table was ornamented with sprigs and flowers, on which were various vegetables, with fish, macaroni, &c. The Pope himself handed them the dishes and wine, &c, which the cardinals presented to him kneeling, a singular union of pomp and humility at the same moment. The Pope then presented each with a bouquet of flowers, looking like violets tied up together, and some retired."-Other accounts of observances on this day, will be found in Vols. I and 3 of this work. Friday, April 9.

GOOD FRIDAY.

SS. Captivis in Persia, m. A.D. 362.—High Water 29m after 9 Morn-44m after 2 After. Good Friday.-The Hot-Cross Buns eaten to-day in Europe seem to be of an ancient custom, though the precise origin is not known. Hutchinson, in his Northumberland,' following the authority of Bryant, derives the word from the boun or sacred cakes offered at the Arkite Temple.

April 9, 1747.-Beheaded on a charge of high treason, Lord Lovat. This rebellious noble wan in his 80th year, and although infirm from age, and obliged to be supported to the scaffold by two warders, he met his fate with a dignified jocoseness. He expressed surprise that so vast a concourse of people should assemble to witness the taking off an old grey head; and on reading the inscription on his coffin, he said, "It is right," adding, from Horace, "Dulce et decorum pro patria mori," which occa sioned the following adage :

With justice may Lovat this adage supply:

For the good of their country all criminals die.
Saturday April 10.

Bish. Mechtildes of Spanheim, d. in 1154 —Sun rises 17m after 5-sets 44m after fi. April 10, 1774.-A storm of thunder and lightning was experienced at Longhaugh, Shields, near Newcastle. A man and his wife, sitting by their fire side, were struck dead, and the house was set on fire by the lightning, and reduced to ashes.

Sunday, April 11.

EASTER SUNDAY.

Less. for the Day, 12 chap: Exodus morn.-14 chap. Exodus even.
St. Aid, Irish Abbot.-High Water 31m after 3 Morn -47m after 3 After.

April 11, 1512.-Fought the famous battle of Ravenna, in the north-east part of Italy, when
that celebrated hero, Gaston de Foix, was slain in the moment of victory. The
Duke de Namours, when he gained this brilliant victory over the army of Pope
Julius II., was only twenty-four years of age.

Monday, April 12.

St. Sebas the Goth, mar. A.D. $72.-Sun rises 18m after 5-sets 48m after 6. April 12, 1782.-Anniversary of Admiral Rodney's victory over the French fleet under De Grasse. The battle was fought between certain islands, situated near Guadaloupe, called the Saints, and the Island of Dominique, in the West Indies.

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