It consists of some beer brewed ex-ed, at first, as minor crimes practised by pressly for the purpose of keeping it like- fraudulent brewers, when compared with the wise contains a portion of returns from pub-methods employed by them for rendering licans; a portion of beer from the bottoms of beer noxious to health by substances absovats; the beer that is drawn off from the lutely injurious. pipes, which convey the beer from one vat to another, and from one part of the premises to another. This beer is collected and put into vats. Mr. Barclay also states that it contains a certain portion of brown stout, which is twenty shillings a barrel dearer than common beer; and some bottling beer, which is ten shillings a barrel dearer *; and that all these beers, united, are put into vats, and that it depends upon various circumstances, how long they may remain in those vats before they become perfectly bright. When bright, this beer is sent out to the publicans, for their entire beer, and there is sometimes a small quantity of mild beer mixed with it.

"The present entire beer, therefore, is a very heterogeneous mixture, composed of all the waste and spoiled beer of the publicans the bottoms of butts-the leavings of the pots-the drippings of the machines for drawing the beer-the remnants of beer that lay in the leaden pipes of the brewery, with a portion of brown stout, bottling beer, and mild beer."

But disagreeable as this, the best, is, there is below the lowest depth a lower still. "A more casy, expeditious, and economical method has been discovered to convert any sort of beer into entire beer, merely by the admixture of a portion of sulphuric acid, An imitation of the age of eighteen months is thus produced in an instant. This process is technically called to bring beer for ward, or to make it hard.

"The practice is a bad one. The genuine, old, or entire beer, of the honest brewer, is quite a different compound; it has a rich, generous, full-bodied taste, without being acid, and a vinous odour: but it may, perhaps, not be generally known, that this kind of beer always affords a less proportion of alcohol than is produced from mild beer. The practice of bringing beer forward, it is to be understood, is resorted to only by fraudulent brewerst.

"If, on the contrary, the brewer has too large a stock of old beer on his hands, recourse is had to an opposite practice of converting stale, half-spoiled, or sour beer, into mild beer, by the simple admixture of an alkali, or an alkaline earth. Oyster-shell powder and subcarbonate of potash, or soda, are usually employed for that purpose. These substances neutralise the excess of acid, and render sour beer somewhat palatable. By this process the beer becomes very liable to spoil."

One would think that this were enough; but no !

"These sophistications may be consider

• Mr. Barclay has not specified the relative proportions of brown stout and of bottling beer which are introduced at such an augmentation of expence.

+Mr. Child. in his Treatise on Brewing, p. 23, directs, to make new beer older, use oil of vitriol.

to it a tincture of grains of paradise and Guinea pepper. These substances impart to weak brandy or rum, an extremely hot and pungent taste.

Brandy and rum is also frequently sophisticated with British molasses, or sugarspirit, coloured with burnt sugar.

To increase the intoxicating quality of beer, the deleterious vegetable substance, called coceulus indicus, and the extract of "The flavour which characterises French this poisonous berry, technically called brandy, and which is owing to a small black extract, or, by some, hard multum, are portion of a peculiar essential oil contained employed. Opium, tobacco, nux vomica, in it, is imitated by distilling British molasses and extract of poppies, have also been used. spirit over wine lees; but the spirit, prior "This fraud constitutes by far the most to being distilled over wine lees, is previouscensurable offence committed by unprinci- ly deprived, in part, of its peculiar disagreepled brewers: and it is a lamentable re-able flavour, by rectification over fresh-burnt flection to behold so great a number of charcoal and quicklime. Other brandy merbrewers prosecuted and convicted of this chants employ a spirit obtained from raisin crime; nor is it less deplorable to find the wine, which is suffered to pass into an incinames of druggists, eminent in trade, im- pient ascescency. The spirit thus procured plicated in the fraud, by selling the unlaw- partakes strongly of the flavour which is chaful ingredients to brewers for fraudulent racteristic of foreign brandy. purposes."

"That a minute portion of an unwholesome ingredient, daily taken in beer, cannot fail to be productive of mischief, admits of no doubt; and there is reason to believe that a small quantity of a narcotic substance (and cocculus indicus is a powerful narcotic), daily taken into the stomach, together with an intoxicating liquor, is highly more efficacious than it would be without the liquor. The effect may be gradual; and a strong constitution, especially if it be assisted with constant and hard labour, may counteract the destructive consequences perhaps for many years; but it never fails to shew its baneful effects at last. Independent of this, it is a well-established fact, that porter drinkers are very liable to apoplexy and palsy, without taking this narcotic poison."

To this appalling description, we shall only add, that many other vile ingredients, worinwood, quassia, capsicum, grains of paradise, &c. are used for similar purposes, and defy chemical skill to detect them; and, finally, that even the froth or cauliflower head, is produced by a deleterious mixture called beer-heading," composed of common green vitriol, (sulphate of iron), alum, and salt.

46

TEA. This substance has been so fully before the public of late, that we shall not enter into Mr. Accum's details, founded on the examination of Twenty-seven samples of imitation leaves !!!

"All the samples of spurious green tea (he tells us) (nineteen in number) which I have examined, were coloured with carbonate of copper (a poisonous substance), and not by means of verdigrise, or copperas *.

COFFEE, is counterfeited to an equal extent, principally by means of pigeon's beans and peas.

Respecting SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS there are some interesting facts. Besides the tricks played on the subject of Proof

"The mode of judging by the taste of spirituous liquors is deceitful. A false strength is given to a weak liquor, by infusing in it acrid vegetable substances, or by adding

Mr. Twining, an eminent tea merchant, asserts, that the leaves of spurious tea are boiled in a copper, with copperas and sheep's dung.

"Oak saw-dust, and a spirituous tincture of raisin stones, are likewise used to impart to new brandy and rum a ripe taste, resembling brandy or rum long kept in oaken casks, and a somewhat oily consistence, so as to form a durable froth at its surface, when strongly agitated in a vial. The colouring substances are burnt sugar, or molasses; the latter gives to imitative brandy a luscious taste, and fulness in the mouth. These properties are said to render it particularly fit for the retail London customers.

"The following is the method of compounding or making up, as it is technically called, brandy † for retail:

"Add also 10 handfuls of oak saw-dust; and give it complexion with burnt sugar."

Arrack is imitated by adding a small quantity of pyroligneous acid, and some flower or acid of benzoe to rum; and gin is doctored in a variety of fraudulent ways, which often render it expedient to fine it with a solution of sub-acetate of lead-a practice, "highly dangerous, because part of the sulphate of lead produced, remains dissolved in the liquor, which it thus renders poisonous. Unfortunately, this method of clarifying spirituous liquors, I have good reason to believe, is more frequently practised than the preceding method, because its action is more rapid; and it imparts to the liquor a fine complexion, or great refractive power; hence some vestiges of lead may often be detected in malt spirit.

"The weakened spirit is then sweetened with sugar, and, to cover the raw taste of the malt spirit, a false strength is given to

that purpose: they pay the same duty a fo* Wine lees are imported in this country for reign wines.

+ This operation forms part of the busines. article in their Price-Currents, called Spirit Firof the so-called brewers' druggists. It forms the

it with grains of paradise, Guinea pepper, ade, and our punch, to refresh or to exhilacapsicum, and other acrid and aromatic sub-rate, usually cheap tartareous acid modified

stances."

for the occasion.

Good Heavens! we think we hear it ex- Against all these, and many other claimed, is there no end to these infamous impositions, Mr. Accum furnishes us doings? does nothing pure or unpoisoned with easy and certain tests: his work, come to our tables, except butcher's-meat, which has been rendered far less nutritive besides, contains many curious docuthan formerly by new methods of feeding?ments and useful recipes; and it is reWhy, we must answer, hardly any thing: plete with intelligence, and often guides for our author proceeds to shew that Cheese to the right while it exposes the wrong; (Gloucester he mentions) has been contam- We should have been glad if he had inated with red lead, a deadly poison mixed sometimes afforded us his own experiwith the colouring anotto, when that article ence, rather than the loose statements was scarce that Pepper is adulterated with of newspapers; but, upon the whole, factitious pepper-corns "made up of oilcakes (the residue of lint-secd, from which with its facts, tables, lists, and inquithe oil has been pressed), cominon clay, and ries, we never met a publication more a portion of Cayenne pepper, formed in a likely to be deservedly and universally mass, and granulated by being first pressed popular. through a sieve, and then rolled in a cask;" and further, that "ground pepper is very often sophisticated by adding to a portion of genuine pepper, a quantity of pepper dust, or the sweepings from the pepper warehouses, mixed with a little Cayenne pepper. The sweepings are known, and purchased in the market, under the name of P. D. signifying pepper dust. An inferior sort of this vile refuse, or the sweepings of P. D. is distinguished among venders by the abbreviation D. P, D. denoting, dust (dirt) of pepper

dust."

As we read on, we learn the method of manufacturing adulterated vinegar, adulterated cream, adulterated lozenges, adulterated mustard, adulterated lemon acid, poisonous Cayenne, poisonous pickles, poisonous confectionary, poisonous catsup, poisonous custards, poisonous anchovy sauce, poisonous olive oil, poisonous soda water; and, if not done to our hands, of rendering poisonous all sorts of food by the

Country Neighbours, or The Secret: Tules
of Fancy. By S. II. Burney, Author
of Clarentine, Traits of Nature, &c.

Vols. II. and III. 12mo. London,
1820.

We have been disappointed by no-
thing in this novel, but the name, which
led us to anticipate a production of a
different kind from that before us.
Country Neighbours, we thought, would
have been country folks; but they are
rather fashionables, living near each
other in the country. Not to speak of
preceding publications from the same
hand, the popularity of the first volume
of these tales, entitled
"The Ship-
wreck," at a period when the excellence
of works of this class dooms all me-
diocrity to oblivion, was a pledge of

country surgeon and his wife, a village curate, a sort of Will Wimble, besides trusty servants, &c. &c. figure on the canvass. Blanch, the heroine, is rather an original portrait, and all prudence and perfection at sixteen-alicence allowable rather to a novellist, than to a student of nature Sir Reginald Tourberville is a proud, unrelenting, but worthy man, unhappy in his offspring, but blest with a paragon of a nephew, Mr. Tremayne, the hero. But the chief strength of drawing is in the Stavordales. Sir Geoffry is sketchy, but very natural. His lady is a more elaborate, and perfect picture, exceedingly shrewd, clever, and observant. The elder daughter, Anne, the relator of the story, of a certain age, amiable and kind hearted one might suppose drawn from that intimacy of knowledge which is called self. Isabella, the next sister, verging towards the days of increased hopelessness, but a fine woman, and an inveterate coquette of the Trappist order. She lays herself out for all comers, is a little envious of younger attractions, and after high aims is in the end gratified, with

the Will Wimble to whom we have alluded. Martha, the youngest daughter, is a disagreable animal, but a thorough likeness from the life, we will be bound for it.

As we have denied ourselves the privilege of going into the fable, in order that our curious readers might not justly accuse us of being always Marplots, our grounds for amplification are much nar

use of copper and leaden vessels. Sufliee it merit in the author, and led us to ex- rowed; and, probably, with the honest

to record, that our pickless are made green by copper; our vinegar rendered sharp by sulphuric acid; our cream composed of rice powder, or arrow root in bad milk; our comfits mixed of sugar, starch, and clay, and

coloured with preparations of copper and lead; our catsup often formed of the dregs of distilled vinegar with a decoction of the outer green husk of the walnut, and seasoned with all-spice, cayenne, pimento, onions, and common salt-or if founded on mushrooms, done with those in a putrefactive state remaining unsold at market; our mustard a compound of mustard, wheaten flour, caycane, bay salt, raddish seed, turmeric, and pease flour; and our citric acid, our lemon

The common white pepper is factitious,

being prepared from the black pepper in the following manner:-The pepper is first steeped in sea water and urine, and then exposed to the heat of the sun for several days, till the rind or outer bark loosens: it is then taken out of the

steep, and, when dry, it is rubbed with the hand till the rind falls off. The white fruit is then dried, and the remains of the rind blown away like chaff. A great deal of the peculiar flavour and pungent hot taste of the pepper is taken off by this process. White pepper is always inferior in flavour and quality to the black pepper.

pears

to be accurate observation on life

pect, what we have received, very con-
siderable delight from her renewed la- eulogy which we feel entitled to pro-
nounce on Country Neighbours-that of
bours. Her forte in this instance ap-being seldom dull, and always to the
purpose, with a vast balance of clever
and entertaining matter-we may be
excused further illustration beyond an
example or two.

and manners, and lively delineation of
character. There is also much spirit in
the dialogues; and nothing can be more
strictly moral and instructive to youth
than the incidents, conduct, and de-
nouement of the story. The stile, we
would say, was generally good; but we
have an utter dislike to scraps of French
and Italian, and still more to italics, in
order to procure emphasis on words :-
if the sense does not point out this ne-
cessary adjunct, a writer has but little
to hope for, from the aid of the type-

founder.

Mr. Tremayne has been severely hurt, and his mother, a sentimental lady of quality,

comes to see him at Sir G. Stavordale's.

"With something like returning compo sure, after the alarming incidents of the day, we were all assembled in the evening at tea, when the trample of horses, and the sound of wheels caught our attention; and the next moment a ring (which would have been as loud as it was impatient, but for the precaution which had been taken of muffling the bell) was heard at the gate; It is not our intention to let out" the and even before the summons could be anSecret," and we shall not therefore go swered, the steps of a carriage were let down, into Miss Burney's details. Two fami- the hasty advance of some person up the lies, the Stavordales, and the Tourber-gravel-walk could be distinguished,—and, the villes, both headed by ancient baronets, are the principal country neighbours; and among the surrounding satellites, a

Earlsford rushed into the hall, and thence, instant the house-door was opened, Lady with looks of wild perturbation, into the room where we were sitting !—

་

66 6

·

*My son, my son!" she exclaimed, tering to himself:- Crack-brained senti- may puff and strut to night; and cry pooh! guide me to hun! Shew me where lies inentalist!-Passionate fool! — Disgusting and pshaw! as much as he pleases; but I my mangled, agonizing son!' highflyer!he now and then stopped a mo- defy him to bear malice for eight and forty My dear Lady Earlsford,' began my ment, and regarded her with such looks of hours together, against any human being! mother, in a gentle, but expostulating tone. dislike and impatience, that, had she come "But can we, my dear madam, rely with ' "Attempt not to oppose me!' interrupted to herself whilst undergoing so ungal-equal confidence upon the speedy placability oar strange visitor, with yet increasing ve- lant an inspection, I verily believe she of Lady Earlsford ? hemence, drive me not mad by further would have started up to load him with re- 'Except to herself, that is a matter of resistance! Oh, I have waited for this mo-proaches. But luckily for us all, before she no moment,' replied my mother. ' Her ranment of freedom with an intenseness of soli- entirely recovered her consciousness, Mr. cour, it she chuses to harbour any, cannot citude which no language can describe! My Crosby, dear, useful Mr. Crosby, came in possibly do Sir Geoffry the smallest injury. brother-my cruel, inflexible brother, has The fit told its own nature, though not its So much of the milk of human kindness' watched all my movements-kept guard over origin; and he, of course, ascribed it to ma- is known to abound in his composition, that me throughout the day-condemned me to ternal sensibility, delicate nerves, and all the if she venture to speak harshly of him, she cature, hour after hour, the horrors of sus-refined and amiable feelings for which Lady will be universally scouted. He has now pense without the slightest touch of pity! Earlsford is so celebrated.-My father smiled lived several years upon this estate; he has and now, when at length the blessed period disdainfully, and left the room; my two sis-rendered himself accessible to every descripof deliverance from restraint so inhuman is ters and Blanch followed him; and our new tion of persons; he has allowed himself to arrived, when at last, even his vigilant patieut, when sufficiently restored to observe be cheated by the low; elbowed by the uptyranny is eluded, think you, Lady Stavor- who remained, felt rejoiced, no doubt, at the start; and teased by the litigious; yet has dale, I will be withheld by your usurped absence of her barbarous host. The tremor never been seen with a frown upon his authority? No, no!-Shew me to my poor and debility caused by the violence of so re-brow, nor ever been heard to address a petuHorace's room, or be assured, that I will ex- cent an attack, deprived her, for above an lant sentence to either hoor, squire, man or plore every corner of your house, till I find hour, of all power to stir from the sofa on Woman. The deuce is in it, my dear Anne, him.' which she had been extended. Mr. Crosby, if, after serving so long an apprenticeship to during this time, remained in patient attend the art of governing his temper, he may not ance upon her, administering alternate doses permit himself, for once, the indulgence of of sympathy and camphor-julep, which, by bouncing a little at a half-crazy Viscountess, degrees, so effectually revived her, that she without danger of incurring universal odium!' was able to apologize to my mother for the trouble which she had occasioned; and once again to renew her importunity for leave to see her son.

"We all stared at her with amazement. Her looks were as unsettled as her language was extravagant; and my dear father mistaking what he heard, either for temporary derangement, or authoritative insolence, marched up to her, and, as is generally the Case with a plaoid man, when provoked, giving way to more anger than was needful, he cried :

“Are you in your right senses, Madam? Do you know what you are saying? Where you are? and to whom you are speaking ?I beg we may have no more of these tragedy rants!-Your son, whilst he is under my roof, shall not be disturbed without the permission of his medical adviser. You are in no state of mind, Heaven knows, to see him with impanity to himself! He has taken a composing medicine; and I tell you again, Lady Earls ford, positively and absolutely, you shall not break in upon him!'

66 6

There-there's your placid man for you!' whispered my mother-stop him who can, when once set off!'

"Mr. Crosby being present, we gladly left to him the task of refusing, or the responsibility of complying, with a request, which we had hoped would not have been re-urged. He negatived the application with a firmness which we had scarcely ventured to expect; but managed the matter so skilfully, that, far from incurring her displeasure, he ra ther soothed her wounded feelings by the arguments to which he had recourse. *

"I saw no use in pursuing the subject further, and readily assented to my mother's proposal of joining the rest of the family in the library.

My father, when we entered the room, either was, or affected to be, exceedingly busy, looking over and arranging a number of papers, which lay upon the table before him. Blanch was quietly reading; Philippa copying some music, and Martha,-for want of better amusement, was gone to bed. The supper-tray stood at a little distance; and my mother, going up to it, and helping herself to a biscuit and a glass of wine, asked my father whether she might have the pleasure of pouring out one for him.

"It will cheer your spirits, my dear,' added she, which have seemed unusually depressed to night.'

"When they were gone, my mother sat down, and laughed so immoderately at the recollection of the whole scene, that I could not entirely forbear participating in her unexpected risibility. Yet, I anticipated consequences from what had passed, which she "Whilst my father had been speaking, the either did not, or would not, foresee. My father took off his spectacles; and features of Lady Earlsford assumed succes- I hinted at these apprehensions, expect-looking up with the most perfect good sively an expression of boundless surprise-ing that their justice would, in some degree, humour: my dear,' said he, pray use of indignant haughtiness-and finally of hys-be allowed; but the only effect which they no ceremony. I fully expect a little castiterical agitation.-She sunk upon a seat, her produced upon my mother, was that of re-gation for my recent misdemeanor, and as chest heaving, her hands clenched together, doubling her mirth: I cannot but allow, that I sufficiently deher eyes rolling in vacancy, and every vein "That a quarrel,' she cried 'a toute ou serve it, I am entirely resigned to the necesin her throat swelled almost to bursting! I trance, such as you prognosticate, should sity of listening to the lecture which you, was extremely terrified; and flew to her, to arise between my dear, peaceable Sir Geof-no doubt, are prepared to give me.' loosen the collar of her dress, and to open the fry, and the only decidedly romantic, soft, he- 'Not I, in good truth, Sir Geoffry ;window near which she was seated; whilst roine-like fine lady within fifty miles circum- I have, on the contrary, been parrying most my mother tried to make her swallow some ference, is so comical a violation of all pro-ably the dismal forebodings of your daughhartshorn and water; and Philippa came for-bability, that I shall never be able to compose ter Anne, who, from the wholesome little ward with a smelling-bottle. But all these attempts to assist her were without avail. A fit, the strongest with which I ever saw any one assailed, came on, and whilst it lasted, her struggles, her cries, her convulsive distortions were dreadful. We were forced to call in the assistance of two of the maids to hold her; for my father's heart, compassionate as it usually is, seemed just then quite hardened; and, as he walked up and down the room, shaking his head, and mut

my countenance when I think of it! Why,
it will be something akin to there being an in-
veterate feud between the lamb and the dove!
I have not the least idea how your father will
accommodate himself to the novel dignity
of having an irascible character to support.
The danger is, that he will forget his cue in
three days' time, and should they chance to
meet, will amble up to the lady, with an offer
of his arm to lead her down to dinner, as if
they were the best friends in the world! He

breeze of this evening, anticipates the total blight and destruction of all the pretty little promising blossoms of friendship just beginning to expand between the three houses of Earlsford, Tourberville, and Stavordale: Now I have far different expectations; and flatter myself that, on hearing you have exerted sufficient spirit to reduce a fine lady-determined to have her will or have her fits-to the latter alternative, the farners, and cottagers, and sportsmen, and

other impertinents in this neighbourhood, slight perversion; but in matters of vital
who have so long taken advantage of the principle, no departure from the strictest
easiness of your temper, will learn to per-rule is slight, and Miss Burney committed
ceive that you are not so wholly divested a great mistake in allowing the most trifling
of gall as they had imagined; and will be-example of the worst, to creep into an other-
gin, dating from this memorable evening, wise admirable enforcement of the best, of
-to hold you in higher respect than they doctrines. Lest, however, we should be
ever have done before."
thought to be more severe than is requisite
on a writer whose moral feelings we greatly
admire (if we did not, we should not have
touched on this passage), we shall offer
other short extract from her Country Neigh-
bours, which should reconcile the most fastidi-
ous to its inculcations.

In a few days the Lady is permitted to satisfy the sentiment" and, the relation concludes:

She now ses him daily; and, I am told, behaves with tolerable composure. Clavering, however, says, that she still would be better any were else; for that nothing can be more awkward, than her occasional attempts

an

Conversations of Mr. Pope, and other eminent Persons of his Time. By the Rev. Joseph Spence. Now first published from the original Papers, with. Notes, and a Life of the Author. By Samuel Weller Singer. London, 1820. 8vo. pp. 501.

This is a publication similar to that, under nearly the same title, noticed in our last. Both, we understand, spring from the same source, and we owe their separate appearance to some misunderBlanch has left the Stavordales on a visit. standing among the editors and pub"Yet (says Anne), my mother and I, in the lishers. After the death of Mr. Spence, to play the part of nurse. She mistakes course of the day, often looked round with feel-his memoranda were gratefully sent in one medicine for another, bringing himings of regret amounting almost to dejection, drops when he ought to take powders if and missed our bright-eyed, heart-cheering a compliment to the Duke of Newcastle, he asks for drink she gives it to him scald-young inmate even more than we had ourselves from the repositories of whose succesing hot; always forgets which arm was in- anticipated. Though she is not prone to utter sor the volume which we have reviewjured; takes every thing to the wrong side fond professions, still, those whom she real-ed was derived. But it now seems, that of the bed, hurts him, when she means to ly loves, see it in her looks,-know, it by her the above compliment consisted of only assist him in sitting up; and, as Clavering alacrity to oblige;-feel it in her sympathy a copy of the original papers, or expresses it, fidgets about him so much with their pains or pleasures. Her laugh ex-rather of a part of them; and it is more than is necessary, that were she any hilarates-her seriousness soothes-her conbody but his inother, ma'am, I do think, Iversation interests all who approach her. from the latter that the work before us

should be apt to turn her out of the room and lock the door???

is drawn.

It contains, as will be seen from the number of pages, more matter than Malone's edition; and is upon the whole better arranged. Still there is a

She is, as my mother expresses it, "original without being queer ;"-independent without This is as perfect an example as we could being self-sufficient; and her sacred love of ffer of the author's skill and talent for ju- truth is so inseparably blended with every dicious observation. It belongs to the high- other quality of her nature, that it at once est order of novel writing; and we are sorry to inspires confidence, animates attention, and mention immediately after it, one of her secures attachment. Ah, well may she so great deal that might have been adgrossest oversights. Blanch is painted as a enthusiastically reverence the incomparable vantageously omitted, not merely anecbeautiful character; the daughter of an Italian mother to whoin she owes the early develop-dotes, on account of their being well mother, and the ideal belle of feminine loveliment of such invaluable rectitude! I have known, but also hints and observations ness in face and person, but by nothing so dis- heard her say, that in her childhood she had, on subjects and countries, which are tinguished as by her firm integrity and adora- from possessing high spirits, and an active familiar to our era, though the best tion of simple truth. Anne Stavordale partakes imagination, a strong propensity to indulge scholars a hundred or seventy years of these qualities; and Miss Burney is anxi- in romancing, to invent fartastical dreams, ous to exemplify the measureless value of and to embellish every trivial incident with ago were uninformed respecting them. perfect sincerity. Yet in the very page where the glaring colours of fiction. Her mother There were even some points which their this good lesson is taught, she is guilty of the took alarm at these infantine flights of fancy, native want of value should have exsin she is endeavouring to shame. Tremayne and never relaxed in her endeavours to root cluded. wants to seem worse to his mother than he out a habit which she justly deemed so dangerreally is, in order to remain longer near ous. Her labours, accompanied by no perBlanet, and he asks Lady Stavordale, Anne, sonal severity, but unremittingly directed to and Bianch to countenance his deception. A-the great object of awakening the child to gainst this (when he has left them) the young the voice of conscience, were blessed with lady resolutely, virtuously, and uprightly such compleat success, that Blanch adds: "I protests, and both the elder ladies become have my dear mother's own authority for converts to the principle, which they had not saying, that, since I was eight years old, she so strictly maintained before, that candour never knew me deviate in a single instance and truth instead of equivocation and dupli- from the strictest veracity; and whatever I city, should be observed towards Lady Earls- told her, how improbable soever it might ford. Anne especially holds out for the open seem at first, she would, after looking earcourse, and yet in pursuing it, she is guilty of nestly in my face a moment, smilingly dea mean subterfuge for when Lady E. ex- clare that she implicitly believed, because her presses her surprize that Tremayne should little Bianca had said it!" Happy child to be have walked out while pretending to be so in such wisely plastic hands! and happy movery ill, and knowing that he did this and had ther, to have so ductile a subject to mould!" prevailed on her (Anne) tacitly, to do it, to blind his mother, she answers the following question in the following manner,

"But how odd,' observed the viscountess, that he should never have mentioned this

walk to me .

Upon the whole this is a work which, whether for amusement or advantage, we cau most fearlessly reccommend. It is equally honourable to the heart and head of the author, and few superior works of the class to which it belongs, could be put into the hands either of young or old.

Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters
of Books and Men. Collected from the

dis

The editor, Mr. Singer, is the author of the "Researches into the History of Playing Cards," &c. which is sued from the press a few years since; and his present labour is calculated to revive a favourable recollection of that curious and entertaining work. Parts of his Biographical Sketch is rather inelegantly written as for instance, where he says Spence's benevolence was most liberal and unconfined; tress of every sort, and in every rank of life, never preferred its claim to his attention in vain," but his narrative is candid and judicious. Of Spence and his Polymetis, which Gray slighted, we at present know little. Lempriere has consigned the former to oblivion, and Time done nearly as much for the latter. Dr. Johnson described him as a man whose learning was not very great, and whose mind was not very powerful;" but he acknowledges that his criticism was commonly just, that

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[Dr. Swift lies a-bed till eleven o'clock, and thinks of wit for the day-Dr. Lockier. In the coffee-house yesterday I received a letter, in which there was one word which consisted of but one syllable, and that syllable of but one letter, and yet the fellow had contrived to have three false spellings in it.] Dr. L.

what he thought, he thought rightly, [There is scarce a genteel family at Avig-superiority of the best antient artists over and that his remarks were recommend-non, but has the pictures of Petrarch and the modern; for, of all the modern sculp ed by coolness and candour. He lived Laura in their houses. A lady of that coun- tors Michael Angelo is universally allowed in intimacy, however, with distinguish-try, who piques herself much on being to be the best.-F. at the Belvedere in the descended from Laura, took it very ill of Mr. Vatican. ed persons, and his common-place R. that he should say, "Petrarch's love There are three sorts of Egyptian statues. book was enriched with many entries for Laura was only Platonic." Ramsay was First, Those that are good without any mixof uncommon interest. These have by obliged to recant the heresy; and write a fa-ture of their bad taste; and this manner is degrees slipped into public; and now ble against Platonic Love.-R. very antient, before they were conquered by that we have the original in a whole the Greeks. Secondly, After they were form, it boasts less of novelty than it conquered, and their spirits debased, they at first possessed. Spence seems also made the figures of their deities frightful, on purpose to keep the people in awe; and this to have been an amiable and pleasant was the cause of their bad taste, some parts man. perhaps more to be esteemed than out of nature and some in. Thirdly, As some of the magnates who undervalued every thing is apt to degenerate and grow him. As Regius Professor of Modern worse and worse when once fallen, they at History at Oxford, and travelling Tutor last, in many of their figures, deserted nature to two noblemen of the highest rank entirely; and made every part monstrous and (Lords Middlesex and Lincoln), as the out of all proportion.-F. intimate friend of Pope, Lowth, Young, Warton, &c. he must have been a man both of talent and worth. He died in 1768, in the 70th year of his age, and was buried at Byfleet.

We copy, without regard to order, from the volume before us, what appears to be the most striking, and least (if at all), known passages, Like the work itself, they, may form an amusing Cento.

Each of the four columns that support the dome of St. Peter's at Rome, takes up as much ground as a little chapel and convent, in which one of the architects employed in that work lived: and yet they do not appear big to the eye, because every thing is great about them. They were designed by Michael Angelo, and he insisted earnestly that nothing should be added or altered in his design. Bernini afterwards undertook to make a staircase within each of these columns; just as they had hollowed and prepared the inside of one of them, the whole building gave a crash; (and the Italian tradition says it was as loud as thunder). They put up the stairs in that, but would not attempt any more of them.-Ramsay.

Where we translate it, "the Lord set a mark upon Cain," the original signifies a token; and in the Hebrew, to set a token upon any thing, and to preserve it, are equiexpressions.-Dr. L.

valent

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The same word in Hebrew signifies blessing
and cursing, as they say in Italian: "tu &
benedetto;" you are a cursed rascal.-Where
we make Job's wife advise him to curse
God and die; it should be, Bless God and
dic, bless him for the good you have hitherto
received;
and die, to avoid the evils that are
now come upon you.-Dr. L.

To call by their names was an expression
among the Hebrews, equivalent to the being
master or having dominion over any thing.
Thus God is said to call the stars by their
names; and Adam to have given names to all
animals.-Dr. L.

In all my travels I never met with any one Scotchman but what was a man of sense: I believe every body of that country that has any, leaves it as fast as they can.-Dr. L.

No one will ever shine in conversation, who thinks of saying fine things: to please, one must say many things indifferent, and many very bad.—Dr. L.

This large statue of Pompey, was probably the very same, at the feet of which Cæsar fell; for it was found on the very spot where the senate was held, on the fatal Ides of March. They discovered it in clearing away the ground to make some cellars, for a house Mareschal Turenne was not only one of that now stands there. The greatest part of the greatest generals, but one of the best- the statue lay under that house, but the head natured men too, that ever was in the world. of it reached under the ground belonging to -Among several other little domestic ex- their next neighbours. This occasioned a amples he gave the following. The general dispute between the two proprietors, which used to have a new pair of stockings every was at last decided by Cardinal Spada. He week; his gentleman, whose fee the old ordered the head to be broken off, and given ones were, had taken them away in the even- to the latter; and the body to the former ing, and had forgot to put any new ones in you may now see the mark were they were their place. The next morning the Marshal joined again. This decision was not made was to ride out to reconnoitre the enemy, out of a whim, but very prudentially. From and rose earlier than usual. The servant the first, that cardinal had a great desire to whose business it was to dress him, was in a get the statue into his own possession, and great confusion at finding any means, got it stockings." It's very odd," says the Mar- he could otherwise have done: for after this shall, that I should be allowed no stock-division of it, the whole cost him but five ings; but 'tis very lucky that I am obliged hundred crowns.-Ficoroni at the Palazzo to ride out! Here, give me my boots, they'll Spada in Rome. do as well, nobody will see whether I have any on or not."Ř.

هرة

There was originally a well for a staircase,

and Bernini only put up the stairs in it.-Mr. L. from one of the workmen at St. Peters in 1751.

Thát arm, behind the Laocoon, was begun by Michael Angelo, and he left it unfinished, because, (as he said), he found he could do nothing worthy of being joined to so admirable a piece." It lies there as a testimony of the

It was Sixtus the Fifth that began the palace on Monte Cavallo, and placed the two large equestrian statues there, from whence it has its name. They were found in Constantine's baths, and were brought originally to Rome from Alexandria. The names of Phidias and Praxiteles on the bases are certainly fictitious, and some of the antiquarians say, that they were put there by the people of Alexandria.—F.

There are ten thousand six hundred pieces of antient sculpture of one sort or other now in Rome (relievos, statues, and busts). And six thousand three hundred antient columns of marble. What multitudes of the latter sort have been sawed up for tables, or wainscoating chapels, or mixed up with walls, and otherwise destroyed! And what multitudes may there yet lie undiscovered under ground! When we think of this altogether, it may give us some faint idea of the vast magnificence of Rome in all its glory.—F.

The first four hundred years of the Roman History are supposed to have been fabulous by Senator Buonarotti, and he gives several good reasons for his opinion. He suspects that Rome, in particular, was built by the Greeks; as Tarentum, Naples, and several other cities in Italy were.-Dr. Cocchi.

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There is a book of immense erudition, which is almost unknown it is called Lá Crusca Provenzale e Catalana: in two vo lumes, in folio. It was written by a Spanish Abbe at Rome; and he proves in it, that the Tuscan is absolutely derived from the old Catalan language. He left Ronte soon after publishing it; and carried almost all the copies with him into Catalonia.-Stosch.

I wonder how they came not to find out printing sooner? (We had been just speaking of the manner in which the emperors of Rome impressed their names

stamps on their grants and letters.) This method was so common that their very shepherds impressed theirs on their sheep and cattle. It was in fact a sort of printing, and it would have been as easy to impress a whole line as two words, and a page as a whole line. Had they gone but these two easy steps farther, it would have been just what the Chinese printing is now.—S.