Three books of practical use

"A sober appeal to a Turk or Indian," in English, 1748.

"An Argument (published in 1682) proving the D. of Normandy made no absolute conquest of England."

"Asgill's Argument to prove Man may be translated to eternal Life, without passing through Death." 3

A surgeon in the Medical writes thus of a poor little girl whom he attended in a case of hydrocephalus, whose head after her death he opened, "I was delighted with the beautiful appearance of the pia mater — it was the finest specimen of inflammation I had ever seen."

The Javanese blacken their teeth,-because monkeys' teeth are white.

Red hair pleases the Italian, and our climate hates it.-SIR G. MACKENZIE. Snow-drops are called in Suffolk, Fair maids of February.

Quainta.

SHINGLES on the back. The mushrooms that spring up in the devil-fairy-ring. Impotent anger compared to a tiger with the tooth-ache.

A rock covered with lichens--as if Nature had white-limed it or an army of crows volant.

Expectation wire-drawing time.
Rock-spring. A diabetes.

"Amonius Alexandrinus philosophus, Origenis preceptor, Asinum habuit sapientiæ auditorem."-Officina Textoris, 1532, p.

212.

"There is not a vestige of the church, and the inhabitants attend that of Latchingdon, with which place the parish is rated to the poor."LEWIS.

2 i. e..Cumberland. "In the churchyard is a rude cross, with a pierced capital, near which were interred the remains of Archibald Armstrong."-Ibid. J. W. W.

Public Amusements.

Dialogue

MONOPOLY of the Theatres. supplied by song or pantomime at Astley's, &c. the coarsest and clumsiest personifications. I saw Murder, and Rage, and Hatred, and Confusion walk in, each carried a paper upon a stick with his name printed in large characters. In came Peace, and they all ran away.

A Pantomime of the Seven Champions. The clown buys rhubarb and puts in a bottle of liquor, whereof he and his fellow fools drink, and the joke was to see them all make wry faces and run off one after another.

When any news has to be told, for the subject is always the last great event-the taking the Bastile, the capture of Valenciennes, Death of Tippoo, Peace, &c.—a fellow brings in a great scroll and shows it to the audience.

Wynn saw a piece upon the King's recovery at Sadler's Wells. Minerva was drunk.

3 See The Doctor, &c. p. 446, &c. edit. in one volume.-J. W. W.

Britannia's lion ran off, King seized with | the gripes, and Hygeia was taken ill upon the stage.

south of Carlisle. Little doubt remains of its being the same dog which has been so injurious to the farmers in the northern parts

Collections for New Series of Espriella's

Letters.1

Newcastle Courant, 8 June, 1799.

Wooler, June 6, 1799.

"ON Wednesday morning next, a pack of hounds will be at Hetton, another pack at West Newton, and another at North Middleton, for the purpose of hunting the dog which has lately destroyed so many sheep in this neighbourhood; when it is expected that all those who may have sheep killed by him on Tuesday (and Monday night) next, will give information at these places, as early as possible, and it is most earnestly requested that a great number of men with guns and horses may then be on the look

out for him.

"A reward of twenty guineas will be paid to any person who may kill him (within thirty days from this time) on application to Mr. Nath. Duncan of this place.

"N.B. The dog is a large greyhound, with a very white neck and far fore-leg; some white about his face, breast, and tail-end; rather gray on the back, and a jet black in other parts of his body."

An immense concourse of people assembled to hunt this wild greyhound: he was started near Haslery Dean, but eluded his pursuers among the Cheviot Hills, and that very night returned to the place from whence he had been hunted in the morning, and worried a ewe and her lamb.

Newcastle Courant, Sept. 21.

"A FEW days ago a dog of a most destructive nature infested the fells of Caldbeck, Carrock, and High Pike, about sixteen miles

It is very well known from Southey's Correspondence that he originally intended to compile a New Series of these Letters.-J. W. W.

sheep or upwards have fallen victims to its ferocity. It was thought proper to lose no time in attempting to destroy it, and Tuesday last was fixed upon. Sir H. Fletcher, bart. of Clea Hall, offered his pack of hounds, and several other dogs with about fifty horsemen set out from Hesket New-market. Several persons with firearms were stationed at different parts. The dog was descried upon an eminence of Carrock-fell, and on sight of the pursuers set off by way of Hesket New-market, Stocklewath, and Barwick-field, then returned by Cowclose, Castle Sowerby, and attempted to gain the fells again, when Mr. Sewell, farmer at Wedlock, lying in ambush at Mossdale, fired and succeeded in shooting him. He appears to be of the Newfoundland breed, of a common size, wire-haired, and extremely lean. During the chase he frequently turned upon the dogs which were headmost, and so wounded several as obliged them to give up the pursuit.

"The joy manifested on this occasion was uncommon, insomuch that on the day following about thirty persons sat down to a dinner provided at Mr. Tomlinson's, Hesket New-market. Upon the most moderate computation, excluding the various windings, the chase could not be less than thirty miles, and occupied no less than six hours."

1811. A DOG having been hunted for three hours shot about a mile below Ennerdale bridge, who was supposed to have destroyed sheep upon the Ennerdale mountains, to the amount of £200.

The dog has a disposition to return to his wolf state. This one was between mastiff and greyhound.

A FELLOW at Constantinople was exhibited as a wonderful bear who could play the piano-forte; and in this character he obtained such celebrity that the Grand Seig

neur sent for him into the seraglio. There' he performed so well that the Grand Seigneur ordered his conductor to leave him, and gave him 500 piastres in payment for the musical Bruin. The accomplice decamped readily enough, and Restaurino, which was the bear's name, was left to escape as he could from the eunuchs.

He got out, and crossed the Tophane in a boat which he seized, but the exertion burst his skin, he was seized, carried back, and let off with a severe bastinado.

place of his retreat with her petticoats, at the same time beating off the eager hounds with all her might and main; but this would have been unavailing if the huntsman had not whipped them off, and after a chase of nearly thirty miles, left this unlicensed poulterer in his domestic occupation."

1799. A MAIDEN lady, aged fifty-seven, died at Horsham,—of good property. For thirty years she had been a recluse. In 1790 she built a neat and elegant house for herself, and furnished it, but never occupied

A TAME fox at the White Hart, Bridgewater, was brought up from a cub to run in the wheel as a turnspit. One day, through the neglect of his keeper, he escaped, got to Sedgemoor, and made wild work among the geese. "The writer of this was out the next morning with Mr. Portman's dogs, and going towards Borough-bridge, found the glutton under Alfred's tump. The dogs being laid on, Reynard presently passed the Parrot, and taking by North Petherton, sought the woods above Monkton; but being driven from thence, dashed through the Tone, a mile below Newton, and turning northward, passed Kingston, and was for a time lost in the thickets above Buncomb. The scent serving, Reynard was at length uncovered, mounted the Cutherstone hills, descended to Kenniton, and mounted the stone mountain in Lord Clifford's park, from whence he was presently driven by the staunch pack. Leaping the pales at Enmore, he took through Lord Egmont's grounds, and getting again into his old track, recrossed the Parrot just below Petherton, and taking slowly along the banks of the river with the pack in full cry, leaped the fence of Mrs. Francis (his mistress's) garden, and immediately entered the kitchen, darted into the spit-wheel, and began to perform his domestic office with as much unconcern as if he had been placed there for that purpose. The fat cook, with whom he was a great favourite, spread the

guous, from which there was a communication, and would often walk through the uninhabited rooms to inspect the furniture. It is said that she never saw the front of this house. She had all sorts of animals, and used to play a hand organ to them,-dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea-pigs, hares, rabbits, squirrels, peacocks, doves, parrots, &c. and she left fifteen pounds a year to a person to "feed and take care of them for and during their natural lives." By her will her body was to be kept one month, and longer unless there were symptoms of putrefaction. These however were so decided that between £30 and £40 were expended upon it in spirits of wine, to keep it in preservation for the appointed term. By her express direction it was first inclosed in a shell, then in a leaden coffin, thirdly in a coffin of oak; and lastly the whole was let down into a stone coffin of the best Portland stone: the mason according to her will being to choose either that material or black marble, whichever he believed to be most durable. Silvered breast-plate and ornaments were on the oaken coffin, and on the lid of the stone one she appointed her name, age, and the day of her death to be cut in letters each three-quarters of an inch deep.

IN 1789, when preparations were making in St. Paul's to receive the King, at the thanksgiving for his recovery, a favourite bitch followed her master there up the dark stairs of the dome, and was lost. Eight

weeks and five days afterwards, some glaziers who were at work there, heard among the timbers that support the dome a faint noise, and thinking it might be some unfortunate person who had fallen, they let down a boy by a rope. He found a dog lying on its side, the skeleton of another dog, and a half-eaten old shoe. The boy was humane enough to take up the poor animal which was accordingly drawn up. It was deplorably emaciated and scarcely able to stand; and the workmen placed it in the porch of the church to take its chance. This was about ten in the morning. After a while the dog was seen endeavouring to cross the street at the top of Ludgate Hill, but it could only get on by leaning against a wall, and therefore failed: another boy, with more humanity than is ordinarily to be met with in the streets of London, or among boys anywhere, lifted it over to the pavement; and it crawled on supporting itself against the houses, till at ten at night it reached its master's house, in Red Lion-street, Holborn. She was supposed to have weighed about 20lb. when lost, only 3lb. 14oz. when found. She was with pup when she fell, and having littered in the dome, had devoured her young.

A BOAST being made of the obedience of a dog in fetching and carrying (a Newfoundland) the master put a marked shilling under a large square stone by the road side, and having ridden on three miles ordered the dog to go back and fetch it. The dog set off, but did not return the whole day. He had gone to the place, and being unable to turn the stone, sat howling by it. Two horsemen came by and saw her distress, and one of them alighting removed the stone, and finding the shilling, put it in his pocket, not supposing that the dog could possibly be looking for that. The dog followed the horses for upwards of twenty miles, stayed in the room where they supped, got into the bedroom, got the breeches in which the fatal shilling had been put, made his escape with them, and dragged them through mud and mire, hedge and ditch, to his master's house.

BISHOP WILSON's Instruction for the Indians " has been lately translated into the Welsh language for the use of the ancient Britons."

Cows in the Alps. It is surprising to see how proud and pleased they stalk forth when ornamented with their bells. If the leading cow who hitherto bore the largest bell be deprived of her honours, she manifests her disgrace by lowing incessantly, abstaining from food, and growing lean. The happy rival, on whom the distinguished badge of superiority has devolved, experiences her marked vengeance, and is butted and persecuted by her in the most furious manner till the former either recovers her bell or is removed from the herd.

1799. CARTMEL. As a maid-servant belonging to Mrs. Richardson was going to bed, she was much alarmed by something rushing against the window, and her consternation was greatly increased by instantly seeing a live eel bouncing about the room. Several squares were broken in the window. At morning a large crane was found lying dead under the window. The bird had made toward the light, and wounded itself, so as to occasion its death.

But-how came the crane to keep such late hours, and go fishing by candle light?

1767. GALUP, a Catalan, exhibited some pranks in swimming in Cadiz bay. He set off in his clothes, and with a cask, undressed in the water, took pen, ink, and paper out of his cask, and wrote a note; eat and drank, produced a tinder-box, struck a light, smoked a pipe, fired a pistol, and played the flute, in an hour and twenty minutes.

ON draining the basin in St. James's Square for the purpose of erecting a statue of King William there, the keys of Newgate were found which were stolen when it was burnt in the riots of 1780. A quantity of chains and fetters, many ale-house pewterpots, a pocket-book, some cards and false

dice, a number of horse-shoes, some shillings, and two or three guineas. Some ill-starred gamester had perhaps thrown there the instruments of his ruin.

C. NOEL, in a memoir read in the Philomatic (?) Society in Paris (about 1799), recommends naturalizing salt water fish in rivers and ponds, and particularly the herring, by constructing an artificial pond between two islands of the Seine, and depositing in it herrings full of roes, carried there in boats. The same boats might repair to the fishing banks when the herrings have spawned, and take up a lading of fecundated ova to be carried to the artificial pond. [Is it meant that the artificial pond should be salt water, and that they should be gradually used to the change, till admitted into the river?] He mentioned many instances which seemed to prove that the herring is fond of fresh water. Dr. Franklin stocked one of the rivers of New England with herrings, by depositing in the water leaves covered with ova.

1800. Some years ago, the person who lived at the turnpike about a mile from Stratford-upon-Avon, had a dog so well trained to fetch and carry that he used to go with a note round his neck to the town, and return with any bundle of goods suited to his strength. A safer messenger could not have been chosen. One day, however, when he was bringing home tea and sugar from the grocers, he fell in with a party who were hunting water-rats. The temptation was too great. He joined the terriers, and plunged into the ditches with them.

March 26, 1800. Died at Brompton, aged ninety-six, Rowland Nicholson, formerly a shoemaker, and freeman of Carlisle. His party feeling was so strong, that according to his own desire, often and earnestly expressed, he was attended to the grave by four pall-bearers, with blue ribands in their hats, and buried in a blue coffin.

SOME old writer is said to have said that when princes began to use cannon, the authority of the canons of the church was soon destroyed. It was first mitrum that governed the world, and then nitrum; first Saint Peter, and then Salt Petre.

1682. A HORSE between eighteen and nineteen hands high, which formerly belonged to Lord Rochester, and had killed several other horses, and several people, was baited to death at the Hope, on the Bank Side, being his Majesty's Bear-Garden. "It is intended for the divertisement of his Excellency the Ambassador from the Emperor of Fez and Morocco; many of the nobility and gentry that knew the horse, and several mischiefs done by him, designing to be present."

The horse seems to have been one of Diomede's breed, by the character given of him in the advertisement: "For his prodigious qualities in killing and destroying several horses and other cattle, he was transmitted to the Marquis of Dorchester: where, doing the like mischiefs, and likewise hurting his keeper, he was sold to a brewer, but is now grown so headstrong they dare not work him; for he hath bitten and wounded so many persons (some having died of their wounds), that there is hardly any can pass the streets for him, though he be fast tied, for he breaks his halter to run after them (though loaden with eight barrels of beer), either biting or treading them down, monstrously tearing their flesh, and eating it, the like whereof hath hardly been seen; and 'tis certain the horse will answer the expectation of all spectators."

The sequel of the story is in MALCOLM'S Anecdotes. Several dogs were set at the horse, and he killed or drove them from the area, and the owners then led him away, thinking to make more sport and more profit by future exhibitions. But the spectators insisted that he should be baited to death, according to the promise in the bill. They began to demolish the building; and the horse was therefore recalled to satisfy them, before he had reached London Bridge.