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joiced, but if not, a deep sigh succeeded the trial. Theocritus says, at their feasts the Athenians had a trick, to fasten a long stick in the ground with another upon it, like the cross-beam of a balance, with a pair of scales hanging to it. Under the scales stood a couple of bowls filled with water, and under the water, a statue of brass gilded and called the manes, once the name of a servant. Now the manner was for such as were in love with the same female, and would willingly know their fortune who should obtain her, to take each his phial of brass, to stand at some distance, and having drank as much as he liked, with a sudden turn of the hand, to throw the remainder into the scales, listening to the sound it gave by the jerk. He that could do this well, so as to make the scale sink and strike the image hardest on the head, so that some of the wine leaped out on him, presumed presently upon the love of his mistress, and had his festal privilege, or cake, for his labour. Sometimes they flung the liquor on the bare ground, and if it gave a good flash it was counted lucky to the lover. Seldom a drinking and festive game passed without such trials. To this day, persons in public houses, and the streets, unconscious of the custom, fling the remaining drops out of a jug or glass on the ground, or in the fire.

Though these indications were brought into repute by the Athenian lovers, as if ashamed of their superstitious omens, they turned them to the people of Sicily. But it is pretty clear that nations, ancient and modern, civilised and barbarous, retain every relic which reminds them of the "tender passion," and, if not openly acknowledged, are nevertheless depended on by the occult influence with which they are regarded. Could we persuade ourselves that love in England is gone out of fashion, and interest supplies its place, we should find the "leer and the ogle" supplant the " melting eye," the artful flatteries of the tongue emanate for the heart-drawn vows of eternal affection, and every indication used for sinister views, to the total absence of that passion of attachment which Nature has meant should be felt reciprocally, and which only gives the heart the true enjoyment of happiness, when every other source fails. PYLADES.

Fine Arts.

DIORAMA, REGENT'S PARK.

THERE are few exhibitions in this metropolis which have either enjoyed or deserved the support and patronage which

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this has; and it would say little indeed for the taste of our country if it were not so, seeing the interest, as well as intrinsic merit of the various productions of art which have here been submitted to the public. We cannot hesitate for a moment in saying, that the views at present exhibiting (Mount St. Gothard at the passage Aux Roches, and the Interior of Rheims Cathedral,) are at least equal to any of their predecessors, though we have not forgotten Brest Harbour, Chartres Cathedral, or Holyrood Chapel, &c. Indeed we entirely agree with one of the first painters of this country, who we heard observe, on seeing the view of Mount St. Gothard, that it is certainly the very perfection of pictorial illusion." And a most extraordinary illusion it is, for it is frequently a considerable difficulty to convince a stranger that it is merely a flat surface-like any other picture-that he is looking at. The deception is so complete, that here "seeing is" scarcely "believing." In the view of Holyrood, a female was represented standing with her back towards the spectators: we remember visiting this with a party of ladies, when one of them, after looking at it for some time, said woman acts her part well, however!"and it was some time before she could be made to believe it was only a painting.' The view of the interior of RHEIMS CATHEDRAL is painted by Mons. Bouton, and is most highly creditable to his skill in this curious and pleasing branch of art. The architecture of this building is of nearly the same era as Westminster Abbey, but rather anterior to it. Its grandeur and simplicity are very imposing, as indeed are most of the old gothic churches, both of France and England; and in this instance ample justice has been done to the subject by the painter, the perspective is perfect, and, down to the most trifling minutia, every thing is reality itself, at least to the eye; for instance, a dirty deal board and a lamp on the pillar at the left hand, a banner standing against that to the right, appear as if they were actually detached, and a lover of cleanliness would long to go and sweep off the cobwebs from behind a picture near the altar. If we were disposed to be a little hypercritical, we should say that there is scarcely enough of light thrown through the beautiful painted window at the end, and that the wood-work of the stalls and organ are not equal to the rest of the picture. By the by, the organ is placed in one of the trancepts, like that in Winchester Cathedral; we believe, however, it is as unusual in France as it is in Eng

land, though they do not place them as we do on the skreen, dividing the choir from the nave, but generally over the west door.

The view of SAINT GOTHARD, taken from Fadio, the principal town of the Val Levantine, is painted by Mons. Daguerre, and it would indeed be a difficult task to find words to praise it too highly. All that art can effect has here been done, and Nature herself could scarcely wish this, one of the most sublime and interesting of her works, to be more faithfully or beautifully represented.

The view consists of the mountains of Saint Gothard and Val Bedreto, seen through a chasm where the Tersin rolls under a bridge seen in the middle of the picture. The falling of the water is extremely well managed, and, to complete the deception, the roaring of the torrent is imitated. But the chief, or rather the highest merit of the work, we conceive to be the difference shown in the light or shade on the two sides of the picture; that on the right being direct, and that on the left reflected. We are not aware of ever having seen this attempted to be distinguished, and certainly we never did with anything like Mons. Daguerre's success. The rents and chasms in the rocks, the stunted trees, the darkness of the abyss through which the Tersin rolls,-in fact the whole scene is nature herself, and in recommending it to our readers' notice, which we do most heartily, we can only add that a journey to Switzerland, via The Diorama, Regent's Park," is one of the most pleasing and interesting, and, at the same time, least expensive and troublesome tours they

can take.

Anecdotiana.

A RACE OF TEN THOUSAND.

In the attack of Toulouse, the Spaniards, anxious to monopolise all the glory, made their movement a little too soon, before they were supported by the British troops. The consequence was, they got into a fire their nerves could not sustain, and the whole of them set off on the full run to the rear. The Duke of

Wellington regarded them for some time, expecting they would stop in the rear of the English, who had moved forwards, and obliged the French to retire ; but no such thing, they absolutely ran off out of sight-when the Duke of Wellington exclaimed, "Well! hang me if ever I saw ten thousand men run a race before."

CARDS.

Pieces of pasteboard, of an oblong figure and different sizes, made into packs

of fifty-two in number, and used, by way of amusement, in different games. They are painted with various figures, namely, hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs, and kings and queens. They are said to have been introduced in the fourteenth century to divert Charles VI., King of France, who had fallen into a state of melancholy. By the hearts, coeurs, were meant the gens de choeur, choirmen, or ecclesiastics, instead of which the Spaniards use chalices. The spades, in Spanish, espadas, swords, were intended to represent the nobility, who wore swords or pikes.The diamonds, or carreaux, designated the order of citizens or merchants. The trefle, trefoil leaf, or clover grass, was an emblem of the husbandman; this is called clubs. with us, because the Spaniards have bastos, clubs, on their cards. The knaves represent the servants of the knights. The four kings were intended for David, Alexander, Cæsar, and Charlemagne, who established the four great monarchies of the Jews, Greeks, Romans, and Franks. The four queens were supposed to represent Argine, i. e. regina, the queen by descent, Esther, Judith, and Pallas. The moulds or blocks used for making cards, were exactly like those which were shortly afterwards used in the making of books.

AMENDE HONORABLE.

An infamous kind of punishment formerly inflicted in France on traitors, paricides, or sacrilegious persons, who were to go naked to the shirt, with a torch in their hand and a rope about their neck, into a church or a court, to beg pardon of God, the court, and the injured party.

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F― went to see, at one of our places for sights, a skull, which he was religiously assured was the skull of Oliver Cromwell. "It is extremely small," said he, admiringly. "Bless you, Sir, it was his skull when he was a little boy."

Epigram on hearing it remarked, that a

Gentleman who passed a good deal of his time with a married Lady, misused it. If his time's passed with Madame, (however abused), How can it be possibly said 'tis Miss-used?

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Diary and Chronology.

Wednesday, April 28.

St. Vitalis.-High Water 44m aft 5 Morn-6m aft 6 After.

St Vitalis.-Our saint is honoured as the principal patron of Ravenna, in which place he suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Nero, A.D. 62. St. Vitalis was a citizen of Milan, and is said to have been father of Saints Gervasius and Protasius. He was stretched on a rack, and, after enduring other torments, was buried alive in a part of the city called the Palm-tree, in Ravenna, as Fortunatus informs us in his Acts.

Thursday, April 29

St. Robert.-Moon's First Quarter 54m after 7 After.

St. Robert.-This saint, who was a native of Champagne, became abbot of Molesme. He was the founder of the Cistercian order, one of the severest of the many reformatious of St. Benedict. They derived their name from Cistercium or Cisteaux, a woody place five leagues from Dijon, where the monks of St. Robert's new reformation at first resided. April 29, 1779.-Expired, in his fifty-fifth year at Pershore, in Worcestershire, the Rev. John Ash, LL.D., an eminent dissenting minister, author of a clever " English Grammar." "The Complete English Dictionary," "Sentiments on Education," and other works. Of all his writings nome is so much esteemed as his Dictionary, which at this day may be considered one of the most comprehensive and useful books of reference ever published.

Friday, April 30.

St. Maximus Martyr, A.D. 250.-Sun rises 40m after 4-sets 21m after 7. April 30, 66,-Died, at the instance of Nero, by phlebotomy, the tamed Latin poet, Lucan, T. 27, author of the historical narrative poem Pharsalia. In this work, the only one of his pieces preserved, he has given a vivid account of the civil wark between Pompey and Cæsar. So masterly and natural are the descriptions of Lucan, that you almost imagine the scenes he portrays are before you, instead of only reading of them.

Saturday May 1.

St. Sigismund, King of Burgundy, mar. 'th Century.
Amongst the many birds proclaiming May,
(Decking the fields in holiday's array,

Striving who shall surpasse in bravery,)

Mark the fair bloominge of the hawthorne-tree.

May Day -The return of this pleasant season, though shorn of much of its festivities, still brings its pleasures. The country-people, as of old, yet deek their houses and churches with the fragrant blossoms on May-day, as they do with holly at Christmas. Spenser the tenderest of poets, thus pieasingly pictures the festival of the season in the olden period:

Youths' folk now flocken everywhere,

To gather May-buskets and smelling breere,
And home they hasten the posts to dight,
And all the kirk-pillars ere day-light,

With hawthorne-buds, and sweet eglantine,
And girlonds of roses, and sops in wine.

May Poles, May Fairs, and May Games, are as old as any English sports we have

on record. May Poles may still be seen in some of our villages, decorated to-day with garlands, for the young people to dance around.

May 1, 1821.-Died Miss Richmal Mangnall, a lady who has written some valuable educational works; among these is the popular school book, Miscellaneous Questions. She also wrote a volume of poems of no ordinary merit, entitled Leisure Hours.

Sunday, May 2.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Less. for the Day, 3 chap Deut. morn.-5 chap. Deut. even.

St. Athanasius, died a D. 303.

May 2, 15.9-Mary Queen of Scots to-day escaped from Lochleven Castle, where she had been imprisoned by the confederate nobles. Her escape was effected by the assistance of Young Douglas, brother to the governor of the castle.

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Monday, May 3.

Holy Cross Day.-High Water 56m aft 10 Morn-26m aft | After.

St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, undertook a journey into Pa·lestine in 326, out of a desire of visiting the holy places there. On her arrival at Jerusalem, she was inspired with a great desire of finding the identical cross on which Christ had suffered. The pious Empress, therefore, ordered the prophane buildings to be pulled down, and, on digging to a great depth, they discovered three crosses; not knowing which was the true cross, the bishop Macarius sug gested to the empress to cause the crosses to be carried to a female at the point of death. The crosses were singly applied to the sufferer, who perfectly recovered by the touch of them, the other two having been tried in vain. Tuesday, May 4.

St. Godard, Bish. died A D. 1038.-Sun rises 32m after 4-sets 29m after 7. May 4, 1795.- Died in Paris, at the age of 80, Barthelemy, stiled the Nestor of French Literature, and author of that justly celebrated work. "The Travels of Anacharsis in Greece." His mind seems to have been an immense treasure of every thing that could purify the morals, perfect the taste, render man more dear to man, and con. tribute to the splendour of his country.

ERRATUM. Page 255, col. 1, for Carlisle read Carlile.

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BY HORACE GUILFORD.

For the Olio.

road that led to Lichfield, struck into a path whose short green sward showed how rarely it was trodden. Huge groups of oak and beech waved over their heads, and the ripe mast either hung in many tinted clusters on the branches, or strewed the turf, where they mingled with the stained leaves which September's gusts had already begun to separate from their still verdant brethren.

The taller of the two riders was of a commanding, though slight figure, his limbs, of perfect symmetry, were disclosed

What must the King do now? Must he submit? by the tight crimson hose of fine cloth

Must he love

The King shall do it. Must he be deposed?
The King shall be contented!
The name of King?-o' God's name let it go!
I'll give my jewels for a set of beads,
My gorgeous palace for a hermitage,
My gay apparel for an alms-man's gown,
My figured goblets for a maple dish,
My sceptre for a palmer's walking-st ff,
My subjects for a pair of carved saints,
And my large kingdom for a little grave.
SHAKSPEARE.

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which appeared beneath his short riding mantle; the ease with which he managed his Barbary courser showed to full advantage the graceful strength of his person, and his countenance, which revealed the highest order of patrician beauty, was set off by a broad flat cap of costly sable, confined around his white forehead and jet black curls with a massy chain of delicately wrought gold, clasped by an immense ruby which fastened a single scarlet feather, drooping backwards over the cap; a hood of azure velvet, lined with ermine, hung down over his mantle,

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which was of the same materials; a noble ger-falcon, in similar livery, sat sedately on his wrist, the semi-tones of her Milan bells being the sole sound that mingled with the moaning wind, as with tranquil pace they traversed the winding glades of the old wood.

His companion was of a very different calibre. Coarse, yet not unhandsome, features, great breadth of chest and shoulders, and arms and thighs like the brawns of Hercules, seemed somewhat out of proportion to the stature of their owner, who appeared below the middle size. Again, a quantity of light hair, a florid complexion, and blue eyes, could not divest his countenance of an evil expression that seemed to live in every lineament. He was in a close buff jerkin, his mantle and bonnet of coarse blue cloth; and though the broad belt round his middle occasionally displayed to the gale more weapons of offence than seemed needful, few would notice them whose attention had once rested on the baldric itself, which was of red leather, and had the following extraordinary legend embroidered on it in let ters of silver :

"I am Captain Warner, commander of a troop of robbers, an enemy to God, without pity and without mercy."

The forest, as they pursued its twining path, began at length to scatter its mighty oaks in wider glades of hill and dale; a bright rapid brook glimmered shyly in the waning light, and coppices of weeping birch and alder drooped over its border of luxuriant mosses. At length, two or three steep gables and turrets began to disclose their dreary battlements over the trees, and the last mentioned rider here began to manifest increasing signs of impatience; he shook his head, bit his lips, cast a disturbed look before and behind, and at length broke the silence which his companion seemed so determined to maintain, and which other circumstances than the loneliness of the place, and the dull motion of their steeds, appeared to render intolerable to him.

"My Lord of Courtnaye is then resolved to beard Sir Lionel, defy the Fran ciscan, and, in the teeth of the mitred Confessor himself,-wed, at all hazards, the Lady Sybil ?"

"Hazards!" exclaimed the nobleman

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