feasting, rejoicing, and revelry. On this festival, sometimes called the church holiday,' the proctors of the church of St. Giles, about the years 1529-30-39-46, regularly charged the parish with an item of 7d. for a pound of betars' or 'betters;' probably bitters, or bitter herbs dried. The use of these herbs, as well as the entry itself, has perplexed every antiquary since the time of Anthony à Wood. That persevering and industrious collector of manuscript information observes, in the margin of his transcript, Skinner's Dict. hath not the word;' and therefore he gives it up. But one of these items seems to throw some light on the subject: Comp. 1540. It. for a pound of JUDAS betars 7d.' Another item occurs occasionally, not only in these accounts, but in those of other churches, 'for a pound of betars for Judas light.' This item, coupled with others, for 'wax ' for the dedication day, 20d.'-' for a pound of wax at dedication day'for 4 pound of wax at S. Gyles tyde 2s. 6d.'—' It. for gress (grease) at the dedication day,' &c., leaves us but little to imagine respecting the use and object of these ingredients, thus mixed together on the dedication day. We have seen multitudes in our day, in town and country, attracted by mere curiosity, without any religious or other motive, to see the wax-works.' How, then, could religious devotees refrain from flocking together in crowds to see the traitor Judas, whose lively image, or effigy, we may well suppose was faithfully represented in the wax, burning gradually in a blue flame like the tapestry of the House of Lords in the late conflagration, so well described by your correspondent A. J. K. (vol. 11. p. 478), whilst his bitter smoke ascended up as the smoke of a furnace. (See Psalms xxxvii. 20, lxviii. 2, Isaiah, and Revelation of St. John, passim.)

From a passage of Virgil we may further illustrate this ancient practice of burning persons in effigy, as performed among other rites of classical enchantment.

'Limus ut hic durescit, et hæc ut cera liquescit.'

Similar operations were attributed to the dealers in witchcraft in the middle ages. But enough has been

said, it is hoped, to explain the nature of this Judas' light,' and to prove that it was usually exhibited on the dedication day, or anniversary of St. Giles, in the church called after his name in Oxford, before the assembled multitudes: being a compound of wax, grease, and bitter herbs, formed into an effigy of the betrayer of his lord;' the burning of whom thus publicly was supposed to be instrumental in exciting a spirit of devotion. For it was a proverbial malediction of the earliest ages, that the wicked should have their portion with the traitor Judas, 'cum Judâ proditore,' in everlasting flames. This malediction is usually appended to ancient charters, as a kind of technical or legal formality, instances of which are too numerous to be quoted; but some have been recently made known by the " Registrum Wiltunense" of Sir Richard Colt Hoare. In one example, however, we find a departure from the general punishment of the wicked by fire. The compiler of a charter, granting three hides of land at Langford to Wilton Abbey, in the year 963, denounces the punishment of keen blasts of ice, or glaciers, instead of fire; considering this, probably, as more tremendous to the inhabitants of a northern latitude : perpessus sit gelidis gla

cierum flatibus," &c.

J. Ï.

P.S. The writer of this article, at the same time that he rejoices to witness the revival of Saxon literature, to which he trusts he has in some humble degree contributed, regrets, with many others, the personal controversies which it has occasioned. For himself, he takes this opportunity of disclaiming all participation in such unseemly warfare. This disclaimer he should not have thought necessary, had not the signature of J. I. been used and quoted by some writers, and an allusion made by another to a cause 'pending between Trin. Coll. Camb. and Trin. Coll. Oxon." What the latter corporation has to do with the cause, is not quite clear; and the former is no further concerned in it, than that old Abraham Wheloc, the editor of Alfred's Bede, with other valuable works in the 17th century, and Mr. Kemble, a young Saxonist of great promise in the nineteenth cen

tury, happen to have been both admitted members of that same society. May the scion prove worthy of the original plant! Wheloc has done much; may Mr. Kemble do more!

What says Scaliger? "Illiberale facinus, propter nescio quas verborum quisquilias, &c. aliorum hominum eruditionem atque adeo totum nomen famam in periculum vocare.”

IN the accompanying Plate, our readers are presented with view of the magnificent building which has succeeded the old Theatre called the Pantheon, in Oxford-street. The spot on which our grandfathers spent some of their idlest hours, and indulged in revelries which have never been found thoroughly to assimilate with English manners,* has now become the scene of patient industry, and busy though elegant traffic.

Having already, in our number for July, p. 87, given a description of the building, with well-merited encomiums on the designs of the architect, Mr. Sydney Smirke, we shall only repeat, that the great saloon, represented in the plate, is 116 feet long by 90 feet wide; that the arabesque paintings are executed in oil-colours, having a very gay and lively effect, without tawdriness; and that the other ornaments with which Mr. Sydney Smirke has so highly enriched his architecture, are all executed in an improved kind of papier maché, a material the advantages of which are so apparent, that we must regard its introduction as a new era in the style of internal decoration, and therefore consider it deserving of a little further notice.

It would be difficult to trace the origin of the art of making plastic ornaments of paper; but it is clear that it was considerably practised more than two centuries ago. Many of the fine old ceilings, in deep relief, of the Elizabethan era, are of this mate

et

rial. There are also several handsome ceilings at Chesterfield House. During the early part of the last century it was also considerably in use. Smith, in his Life of Nollekins, mentions a curiously ornamented ceiling of this material, in the parlour of No. 41, Leicester-fields, which is painted in imitation of parts of the ceiling of Whitehall Chapel. On the front of a house in the Strand are three profiles of the three first Georges, which are formed of papier maché.

For many years a considerable trade was carried on in this manufacture ; until a change took place in the general style of architectural ornament, and the small shallow patterns which were introduced by the Adams's, led to the substitution of a composition, in which putty is the chief ingredient. For shallow ornaments of that description the composition is, perhaps, still most suitable; but it is not capable of taking forms in which boldness and depth are required. The main difference of Mr. Charles Bielefeld's papier maché from that of the old manufacturers, is, that it is made all in one mass, and not in successive layers, and can be much more rapidly dried. Its merits are, that the artist can not only infinitely surpass, in boldness and relief, works executed in plaster or putty composition; but he can fully equal, in sharpness and effect, the most elaborate wood carvings. Its durability is proved by the ancient works already mentioned; its expense is less

than the composition, and does not exceed that of plaster. It is extremely light; and, what is frequently deemed of the greatest importance in these days of rapid work, it can be fastened with wonderful facility and dispatch to wood or plaster, by brads, needlepoints, &c.; and, being dry before it is put up, is immediately ready for painting, and requires but little preparation for gilding.

All these advantages were conspicuously displayed in the execution of the ornaments of the Pantheon. The whole were modelled, manufactured, fixed up, and painted, within about four months, during the depth of winter; and, as the building itself was raised during little more than the same time, there was, of course, an immense quantity of moisture in the walls and ceilings, which could be dispelled only by a degree of artificial heat, which would have proved the destruction of enrichments executed in any other material. We will only add, with respect to the Pantheon, that the manner in which the embossed figures are relieved by tinted back grounds, has the happiest effect.

The public, however, will be interested to be informed, that this useful material will be brought into play for the garniture of the two Chambers which it has become necessary to prepare at such short notice for the meeting of Parliament. The House of Commons will wear a plain and sober appearance, the ornaments being confined to the bosses of the ceiling, the Speaker's chair, and the Royal arms; but the House of Lords will have a

ribbed ceiling, with corbels and pendants, which will furnish some specimen of Mr. Charles Bielefeld's skill in imitating the forms of the old carvings, with which the ancient ecclesiastical and domestic architecture of England was so profusely adorned.

MR. URBAN, Guilford-st. Dec. 8. IN your Number for October, you gave a brief notice of the papers contained in the last volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature. I am induced to trouble you with a few remarks on one of these papers, that of the late Mr. Roscoe on the Manuscript Library at Holkham. On reading it I was struck with the inaccuracy with which it is printed, an inaccuracy which does great injustice to the memory of the author of the Lives of Lorenzo de' Medici and Leo X. It is to this inaccuracy I must confine my remarks, as I have never seen the Holkham MSS. except two or three of the fine Evangelia in metallic bindings, which some ycars since I saw at the house of a friend to whom Mr. Coke had lent them.

Of the clerical errors which occur, arising either from mistakes in reading Mr. Roscoe's writing, or from carelessness in correcting the proof sheets, it may suffice to instance 'Anastatius' for Anastasius,' 'Matthæus Quænor' for Matthæus Quæstor,' 'Johannis Cassianus,' 'Sedulino,' for Sedulius, Galfredus Ismolanus,' (for, I suppose, Vinosalvus,') 'Abbas Sancti Baronis' + for Abbas Sancti Bavonis.' Mr. Roscoe is made