unburied for want of persons to fulfil the last offices of humanity.

But to the localities connected with the plague the upper end of Drury-lane, or some one of its alleys nigh Long-acre, seems to have been the spot where the last great pestilence broke out. Odious and filthy enough now, it was probably ten times worse then. St. Giles's was the original seat of the infection, and much mention is made of the spotted fever and plague raging there first: a fit soil, if we may judge from appearances, for a pestilence at present. There can be no doubt this spotted fever and the plague were the same; the former was only a milder type of the latter.

The principal record left of the burialplaces of the dead, now forgotten by the public, as they tread over them with unreflecting footsteps, informs us that, in 1348, no less than fifty thousand persons were interred on the spot where the Charter-house stands. They perished during a pestilence that scarcely left a tenth person alive out of the population. "In the parish of Aldgate," says Defoe, "in the church-yard, they dug a great pit forty feet in length, fifteen or sixteen in breadth, and nine deep;" this was afterwards increased to twenty feet deep, for they were tired of digging holes in which only fifty or sixty bodies could be interred, and no bodies were allowed to be nearer the surface than six feet. Into this great pit one thousand one hundred and fourteen bodies were flung in a fortnight only. "The mark of this pit," says the foregoing writer, "was many years to be seen in the churchyard, on the surface, lying in length parallel with the passage which goes by the west wall of the churchyard, out of Houndsditch, and turns east again into Whitechapel, coming out near the Three Nuns Inn."

a place I cannot mention without much regret. It was, I remember, but two or three years after the plague had ceased, that Sir Robert Clayton obtained a grant of it from Charles the Second." He then goes on to say, after observing how soon it was built over, "that the first house built upon it was a large fine house, still standing, which faces the street or way now called Hand-alley." He farther says, that the houses northward, in the same row, are built on the ground where the poor people were buried; and the bodies, on opening the ground for the foundations, were dug up, some of them remaining so plain to be seen, that the women's skulls were distinguished by their long hair, and of others the flesh was not quite perished, so that people began to complain loudly against it, and some suggested that it might endanger a return of the contagion." The writer then farther observes, that these bodies were thrown into a deep pit, to the number of 2,000, "which is now to be known, in that it is not built upon, but is a passage to another house at the upper end of Rose-alley, just against the door of a meeting-house, &c. and the ground is palisadoed off from the rest of the passage in a little square." There, it appears, lie the two thousand at this day.

Five or six other locations are named by the same writer in the parish of Stepney. It is curious that, during the whole time, the Quakers continued to bury in their own grounds: when Solomon Eagle, who had predicted the plague as a judgment, (running naked through the streets crying, day and night, "O the great and the dreadful God!") had lost his wife, she was interred in the Friends' buryingground. New Monthly.

ACADEMY.

Many of these burying-grounds were soon covered with buildings, exemplify ing how soon the fate of our common nature, even under the most striking circumstances, ceases to interest survivors. A piece of ground in Goswell-street, used for interment during the Plague, was soon built over, and cannot now be traced; and this is the case with another spot in Shoreditch. “The upper end of Handalley, in Bishopsgate," says Defoe," is

ONE of the many curious and amusing facts, collected and recorded by Mr. Allan Cunningham in the second volume of his delightful and pleasant biographical work the "Lives of British Painters," &c. is the following:

"While Benjamin West was painting the Departure of Regulus, the present Royal Academy was planned. The Society of Incorporated Artists, of which he was a member, had grown rich by yearly exhibitions, and how to lay out this money became the subject of vehement debate. The Architects were for a house, the Sculptors for statues, and the Painters proposed a large gallery for historical works, while a mean and sordid member

or two voted to let it lie and grow more, for it was pleasant to see riches accumulate. West, who happened to be a director, approved of none of these notions, and with Reynolds withdrew from the association. The newspapers of the day noticed these indeceut bickerings, and the King, learning the cause from the lips of West, declared that he was ready to patronize any association formed on principles calculated to advance the interests of art. A plan was proposed by some of the dissenters, and submitted to his Majesty, who corrected it, and drew up some additional articles, with his own hand.

"Meanwhile the Incorporated Artists continued their debates, in total ignorance that their dissenting brethren were laying the foundation of a surer structure than their own. Kirby, teacher of perspective to the King, had been chosen president: but so secretly was all managed, that he had never heard whisper in the palace concerning the new academy, and in his inaugural address from the chair, he assured his companions that his Majesty would not countenance the Schismatics. While West was one day busy with his Regulus, the King and Queen looking on, Kirby was announced, and his Majesty having consulted his consort in German, admitted him, and introduced him to West, to whose person he was a stranger. He looked at the picture, praised it warmly, and congratulated the artist: then, turning to the King, said, "Your Majesty never mentioned anything of this work to me-who made the frame?-it is not made by one of your Majesty's workmen-it ought to have been made by the royal carver and gilder.' To this impertinence the King answered with great calmness, Kirby, whenever you are able to paint me such a picture as this, your friend shall make the frame.'- I hope, Mr. West,' said Kirby, that you intend to exhibit this picture?' It is painted for the palace,' said West, and its exhibition must depend upon his Majesty's pleasure'Assuredly,' said the King, I shall be very happy to let the work be shown to the public. Then, Mr. West, said Kirby, you will send it to my exhibition. No!' interrupted his Majesty, it must go to my exhibition-to that of the Royal Academy.' The President of the Associated Artists bowed with much humility and retired. He did not long survive this mortification, and his death was imputed, by the founders of the new Academy, to jealousy of their rising establishment, but by those who knew him well, to a more ordinary cause, the

6

decay of nature. The Royal Academy was founded, and in its first exhibition appeared the Regulus."

Fine Arts.

BRITISH INSTITUTION.
(For the Clio.)

THIS Institution has opened for its annual exhibition, and upon the whole, it is a pleasing and gratifying one. It abounds more with landscapes and fancy paintings than any of higher pretensions. There are several very clever fresh exhibitors, among whom are, Miss Alabaster, Mr. Aglio, Mr. Shayer, Mr. Colvin Smith, Mr. Arrowsmith, and Mr. Colins.

No. 1. Italian Boys.-A. Moreton. This is a good picture, and well deserves a place in any gallery. Mr. Moreton evidently has had Murillo in his eye in the composition and colouring of it, but it will require very eminent abilities indeed, both in colouring and drawing, to make such subjects either pleasing or acceptable if produced often. Mr. M. would improve this greatly, if he were to subdue the shade on the right leg of the boy holding the stick for the dog to jump over, and to soften the outlines of his flesh, and finish his extremities more carefully.

Nos. 17 and 14. Interior of a Porch, and View near Orleans.-C. Arrowsmith. This is the first time that we can recollect meeting with this artist's works. They are laboriously executed,—but not too much so; as cabinet pictures, in a small collection, they would look better, than being in contact with such powerful competitors as Roberts and Stanley. We advise this young artist to throw more force and richness in the shades, and to preserve the pencilling broad and clear; it will not only add to the beauty of his efforts, but will render them more saleable.

No. 6. Cottage Scene-Study from Nature.-C. R. Stanley. A sweet rural scene, and exquisitely painted.

No. 11. Birth of Venus.-H. Howard, R. A. A tasteful composition, but the flesh of his visionary beings are too solid looking-too coarse even for reality to please us; the arms and legs look more like painted wood, than skins of pearly whiteness, tinged by crimson hues. They are hard and round, and have no flexibility about them.

No. 12. The young Peasant. Mrs. Carpenter. Painted with this lady's wonted vigour and richness of colour; the hand of a master is every where visible.

No. 15. In Search of Bait. R. Ed. monstone. Good. An affectionate picture, if we may use such an expression: it represents two children, girl and boy, with their arms around each others neck, wandering on the beach; and the innocent and rather melancholy expression of the children, adds much to its interest.

No. 16. Morning.-H. Howard, R.A. Beautiful as a composition, but the same fault as observed in No. 11, is observable here.

No. 17. Going to Market.-W. Shayer. With the exception of Mr. Lee's works, there is not another painting in the whole gallery that can surpass this beautiful little landscape, it is a perfect gem of its kind. The fidelity with which the appearance of nature is copied, does infinite credit to the industry and correct eye of Mr. Shayer; the same remark will apply to his other works here. It is much in the style of Collins's rustic scenes, infact, we mistook it for that painter's ;— need we give it a higher tribute?

No. 18. The Guardian. G. S. Newton, A.R.A.-Mr. Newton is exceedingly clever in such subjects; he excels more in his single figures than in larger compositions. The figure and expression of the hoary guardian is exceedingly good he grasps the key,-with which, we presume, he has just locked in his ward,-with all his might, as if his continued gripe of it would add to the security of the door. It is said "Love laughs at Locksmiths," and no doubt the old gentleman will be outwitted at lastat least we pray so.

No. 24 and 25, A Girl of Normandy, and The Duenna, by the same, are also excellent. The Duenna has caught her young mistress peeping out of the window, which she is closing, while the young lady turns upon her heel with the utmost contempt for her guardian, whose rigid features seem to denote that she had been "mortifying the flesh," and forsworn all the pomp and vanities of the world; though we would venture to say, that a little flattery,-that inestimable charm to a woman's favour, be she ever so obdurate,—would soon bend the contracted mouth to a sweet smile of complacency, at the consciousness of her own merits and perfections.

No. 19. Execution of the Doge. Vide Lord Byron. J. West.-A good design and well treated; but we think the child's face is muddy and dirty, not in shadow, and the eyes are too far apart.

No. 32. A Study M. A. Shee, P. R. A.-The new President of the Academy has here exhibited a painting,

which must convince any one in the least endowed with taste and judgment, how well qualified he is for the honourable and distinguished office to which his fellow academicians have elected him. It is a painting, which, like any of Sir Joshua's, the more we look at it, fresh beauties burst forth, till it seems almost starting from the canvass. The hand is most masterly painted.

No. 42. The Sketch Book.- Mrs. Pearson. This is a most excellent performance, and does the painter the highest credit. It represents a lady, of great personal beauty, with a portcrayon in her hand, about to sketch. Every part of the picture is in perfect harmony, with a slight exception, that the white on the left eye is a little too strong, a thing easily remedied.

No. 43. The Corsair,

Who o'er his placid slumber bends; His foes are goue, and here he hath no friends,

Her white arm raised a lamp, yet gently hid, Lest the ray flash abruptly on the lid.

Canto 11, Stanza 12. H. P. Briggs, A. R. A.-The figure of the slumbering corsair is excellent. The languor and ease of sleep is well portrayed; and the drapery, with the effect of light and shade, natural. Here our praise must end. We know not whether Mr. Briggs is in the habit of painting from the life, or if he trusts to his own imagination and powers: if from the life, Heaven send him a female less affected; if left to his own powers, the sooner he improves them the better. C. J. H.

Ellustrations of History.

WINE WITH THE ANCIENTS.

From the very clever and instructive introductory matter to the Third Volume of Dr. Lardner's Cabinet Encyclopædia, which is devoted to an extremely important and useful subject, "Domestic Economy,' we extract the following particulars relative to the uses wine was applied to by the ancients.

"The first use for which wine was employed by the Romans, was in religious ceremonies; and for ever after, even at their feasts, the custom was retained of pouring out a libation to the gods, before they drank any themselves. The Greeks did the same, and employed it as a libation to the dead. Its use was for a long time very limited. Roman women were not allowed to drink it, unless at sacrifices. To smell of it was a great disgrace; and a woman convicted of drinking to

intoxication was visited with uo less a punishment than death. It was considered a national stigma on the Grecian ladies that, according to the custom of their country, they drank wine, even while unmarried. Men under the age of thirty were not allowed wine, unless on religious occasions. In time it began to be used more freely; vineyards were cultivated in such abundance, that, in order to protect the interests of agriculture, aud to check the growth of intemperance, an edict was issued by Domitian, ordering the destruction of half the vineyards, and prohibiting the further planting of vines without licence from the emperors. This law was abrogated by Probus, who ascended the throne A.D. 276.

At Roman feasts the wine was contain ed in earthenware vases or glass bottles, with a label indicating its age and quality; for they set the greatest value on the oldest wines. Sometimes the wine was perfumed; and often it was cooled with snow. It was almost always mixed with water, being seldom drank by itself; the guests did not mix it; but for this purpose boys of great beauty were in attendance, who measured it into cups as required. The mixing of water with wine at all feasts, was enforced amongst the Greeks. As the Scythians and Thracians mixed no water, and were much addicted to drunkenness, if a Lacedemonian did the same, he was stigmatised as a Scythian toper. The wine at Roman entertainments was served at the second course, along with fruits. A piece of etiquette, -to dispense with which would have been a manifestation of pride, and to comply with which would, in the present day, be considered a strange piece of politeness, was to taste a cup of wine, and then hand the same cup to some other person. So Martial's keen epigram on a person who had a bad breath, or a sore mouth :

Quod nulli calicem tuum propinas
Humane facis, Herme, non superbe.

L. ii. 15,

That when you've drunk, you offer none your glass, Should, not for pride, but for good breeding pass.

The Romans drank healths, either to each other, or to an absent friend; and the quantity drank was in an exact proportion to the number of letters in the person's name,-not to the degree of friendship.

But the most extraordinary of their convivial customs was the following. A skeleton was sometimes introduced at feasts, or the representation of one, in imitation

of the Egyptians; upon which the master of the feast, looking at it, used to say, Drink and be merry, for thus thou shalt be after death. Strange indeed must have been the temper of mind that could be excited to mirth by such a spectacle.

The Romans and Greeks had a great variety of wines, and they seem to have been not a little devoted to their use, as appears by the frequent mention of them by their poets. Amongst the early Greeks drunkenness from wine was quite fashionable; and for the invention of the means of intoxication they paid divine honours to Bacchus. Saturn had the honour of the invention amongst the Romans. Falernian, Chian, Opimian, Massic, Surrentine, and a variety of others, were in high estimation. The vinum Sabinum was, perhaps, the worst in use :—

Propinas modo conditum Sabinum Quiaquam plumbes vina vult in auro. MAR.

Why give vile Sabine,-that not even old,Worthless as lead, though quaff'd from cups of gold.

Some of their wines were flavoured with a kind of pitch, or with aromatic herbs. Many of the Roman wines were of an extraordinary age, and were proportionately valued :

Vinaque perpetuis ævo certantia fastis. STATIUS.

Horace speaks of wine “Marsi memoIt was sometimes drank at 100 years of rem duelli," that is, nearly 70 years old. age. And the Opimian wine, which had been made in the time of the consul Opibly expressed his own opinion only when mus, was 200 years old. Pliny probahe dispraised wine of more than 20 years

old.

these ages, the Romans concentrated the In order to preserve their wines to must or grape juice, of which they were made, by evaporation, either spontaneous in the air, or over a fire, and so much as to render them thick and syrupy. The Lacedæmonians had an extraordinary custom of boiling away a fifth part of the wine. They then kept it by for four years, when it was fit for drinking. Were our modern wines thus treated, they would have few votaries.

The Note Book.

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

METHOD OF PREPARING THE FUR OR SKINS OF ANIMALS.

(For the Olio)

The best method of preserving the skins of animals is the following :-Carefully clean away all the fat, and stretch it pretty tight upon a flat board with nails; or if wet, upon a frame with string or whipcord; it is then to be placed in a dry place, and the leather side of the skin to be well rubbed with a small quantity of finely pulverised allum; this is to be occasionally repeated, and the skin is to be let dry. If it is fat or come from a fat animal, after

this

it is as dry as it can be made, it is to be placed in a canvas bag, with plenty of clean dry sawdust, and then let some idle boys give it a good threshing with the flail, for several hours daily for a week; renders the skin soft and clean, and gives it a beautiful delicate texture. The sawdust should be changed daily. This plan of cleaning the skin is adopted by the crews of the Greenland ships, and the above plan of preparing them was employed by Joshua Brookes, Esq. in those that were strewed on the floor of his magnificent Museum; now to the disgrace of the country, so lamentably dispersed, by the degrading hammer of an auctioneer. H.W.D.

MURDERERS OF ARCHBISHOP SHARPE.

One of the illustrations to the text of "Old Mortality," given by the learned author is the subjoined :

"The leader of this party was David Hackston, of Rathellet, a gentleman of ancient birth and good estate. He had been profligate in his younger days, but having been led from curiosity to attend the conventicles of the non-conforming clergy, he adopted their principles to the fullest extent. It appears, that Hackston had some personal quarrel with Archbishop Sharpe, which induced him to decline the command of the party when the slaughter was determined upon, fearing his acceptance might be ascribed to motives of personal enmity. He felt himself free in conscience, however, to be present; and when the archbishop, dragged from his carriage, crawled towards him on his knees for protection, he replied coldly, Sir, I will never lay a finger on you.' It is remarkable that Hackston, as well as a shepherd who was present, but passive, on the occasion, were the only two of the assassins who suffered death by the hands of the executioner.

LOCKING THE DOOR DURING DINNER.

Sir W. Scott says, "The custom of keeping the door of a house or chateau locked during the time of dinner, probably arose from the family being anciently assembled in the hall at that meal, and liable to surprise. But it was, in many instances, continued as a point of high etiquette, of which the following is an example:

Dumfriesshire, being a bachelor, without "A considerable landed proprietor in his will, resolved previously to visit his near relations, and determined to make should be his heir, according to the detwo nearest kinsmen, and decide which gree of kindness with which he should be received. Like a clansman, he first visited his own chief, a baronet in rank, descendant and representative of one of the oldest families in Scotland. Unhappily the dinner-bell had rung, and the

door of the castle had been locked before his arrival. The visitor in vain antance; but the chief adhered to the announced his name and requested admitcient etiquette, and would on no account

ed at the cold reception, the old laird rode on to Sanquhar Castle, then the residence of the Duke of Queensberry, who well he had a will to make, the drawno sooner heard his name, than, knowing bridge dropped, and the gates flew open, -the table was covered anon-his grace's bachelor and intestate kinsman was received with the greatest attention and respect; and it is scarcely necessary to add visitor's considerable landed property that upon his death some years after, the went to augment the domains of the DuThis hapcal House of Queensberry. pened about the end of the seventeenth Notes to Old Mortality. century.

suffer the doors to be unbarred. Irritat

ANCIENT BREAKFAST FARE

Some centuries since, ale and wine were as certainly a part of a breakfast in