called by a name which was synonymous somehow or other with what modern duellists call "honour"-got tired of the monotony of the thing, and took it into their heads to fight for the ladies-for the sex which the he-world had so maligned and ill-used!

You know quite as much as I can tell you about the age of chivalry-you know how the use of gunpowder quite spoilt the fun of fighting-or the glory of it; for these valiant knights thought it a glorious deed to relieve the souls of their opponents from the burden of the flesh. The friends of our sex were however not long in discovering that there were ways of showing their devotion less dangerous than those of chivalry. The invention of printing, the revival of learning, and of the fine arts, were synchronical with the invention of gunpowder. Serenading and ode-writing became "all the rage," as Fred Howard would say. The poets vied with each other, and the unfavoured of the muses vied with the poets in paying extravagant compliments to the fair. At this crisis, one Boccace or Boccacio, who appears to have been in some respects the Lord Byron of his day, published a Latin treatise on "ILLUSTRIOUS WOMEN." This is the first work of the kind on record,—indeed, it was an important affair; for nothing beyond mere sonnets had ever been published in praise of womankind, whilst our author searched diligently the pages of sacred and classic history for accounts of the praiseworthy of the sex. His was what modern authors would call "a lucky hit ;" and the idea was of course taken up by imitators, who, it is but fair to state, were improvers also. Francis Sordonati, an admirer of the sex, collected, by dint of much perseverance, records of a hundred and twenty worthy women whose very existence had been tacitly ignored by Boccace. But if Francis Sordonatiimagined that he had done all that diligence and learning could do in the matter, he was soon undeceived. The subject was taken up with avidity by others; and in the course of a few years, twenty authors at the least had published works in praise of women. They extolled the virtues of martyrs and Magdalens-those who made pilgrimages and those who made puddings-it had become fashionable to flatter the sex, and now even the failings of the fair found apologists amongst the learned, and, as a matter of course, amongst courtiers and gallants.

I feel just at this moment quite in the humour to write a book instead of a letter; but I fear, my dear Bessie, I have almost tired your patience, so I think that I had better take leave of our subject for to-day, and subscribe myself,

"Your's most affectionately,

CUPID'S COOKERY BOOK*.

BY J. E. CARPENTER.

23

All you who love feasts at which Hymen is Cook,
A receipt take from Cupid's own cookery book;
If a match you would make, you will find this the plan,
Catch a young Gent and Lady as fast as you can;
Let the Gent be raw and soft, though the male gender,
And take care the young Lady is equally tender.
To dinner the Gentleman sit down to table,
And pour as much wine as ever you're able.
And while he is soaking, attend, pray, to this,
Ev'ry now and then pop in a word about Miss.
But do it with care, or the match you may spoil,
And you'll find he'll be very soon ready to boil.
The moment your Gent in the gills becomes red,
See, poor fellow, he's into the drawing-room led.
Set him down by the Lady, though shy she may be,
And sop them both equally well with green tea.
Lead them both to the piano, the handiest of things,
And blow up the flame till the young Lady sings.
But the first sigh you hear the young Gentleman puff,
Take them off, for they then will be both warm enough.
Put them then by themselves, they'll not think you presume,
In the most retired corner there is in the room.
Or else on a sofa tête-a-tête the pair leave,
And there let them simmer the rest of the eve.
Two or three times successive this plan must be tried,
Taking care that the parties are placed side by side;
And you'll find this a truth, deny it you can't,
They'll be ready for marriage whenever you want.
After marriage more care you must take than before,
As 'tis known they are very soon apt to turn sour.
The honeymoon o'er, and departed the rest,
Howe'er well and tasty they both may be dress'd.
Attend to these hints, and a match you may make,
Whenever to make one the pains you may take.

A receipt for which in vain you'll in Misses Glass look,
For 'tis copied from Cupid's own Cookery book,
His Cookery book, his cookery book.

THE SILVER FLASK; OR, IT'S MY CURSE! (From "THE TALKERS OF SOCIETY," by the Rev. J. B. OWEN, M.A.)

"You don't mean that young comely thing drinks?— why, she's a mere girl," said a medical student to his landlady.

"I say, yes," was the reply, founded on the instinctive rule of lodging-house reasoning; "for where else goes my rent? She gets money enough, and yet here. am I, three weeks behind. But out they go to-morrow; I'd give a deal to get rid of them."

"Hush!" said the student; "they'll hear you;" and sinking his voice, he added, "She's painting for me, and I'll advance-here's their rent," said he. The landlady shook her head, looked up the bannisters, sighed, as if compassionating somebody; leaving it doubtful who was the party, the lodgers, second floor, the student, first ditto, or herself, base, and-took the money.

*This humorous song, set to music by W. Wilson, is published by Mr. B. Williams, 11, Paternoster Row.

The subjects of this conversation were a widow lady and her daughter, occupying the said second floor of a small lodging-house near the Middlesex Hospital. Their poverty, extreme as it really was, was not more obvious than the mark of better days. They were the relics of a naval officer who had forfeited his commission on the score of inebriety, and had died, bequeathing them nothing but his discredit, and the penury which his vice had entailed upon them. The daughter's skill in painting was the sole support of both. The student had his portrait taken twice, when he besought the fair artist to take the original too, which had been civilly but unmistakably declined. Piqued at the refusal, the kindhearted and susceptible, but thoughtless fellow thenceforth urged his suit by every honourable means in his power, but without success. Pressed for the reason of

rejection, at last she pointed with a shudder at a silver spirit-flask which he had occasionally displayed at his visits, at that moment partially visible in a sidepocket, and said, "That's my curse!" There was a mystery and misery in the tone in which she uttered the words, which, coupled with the recollection of the landlady's hint, stunned the student's heart between them, and then left him at a loss for a reply. Conscience whispered him a construction bearing on his own intemperate habits, which humbled him with the reflection that the only interest with which he had inspired her, was one of regret, if not contempt, for the vice which, though notoriously her own, was too hideous to share with a husband. Deeply mortified with himself, and her, and all the world, and resolved on a manly struggle with his twofold infatuation, he dashed the flask on the floor of his chamber, whence the next morning it was missing, no one, of course, knew where. The flask was valued as a mother's thoughtless gift, which had been better tossed into the sea.

The landlady, the next day, imparted the news to the spirit-dealer over the way, intimating she had her suspicions. The student, conversing with a policeman at the bar, overheard her mention a name, at which he shrugged his shoulder. The officer's reply to the shrug was a significant inquiry of the spirit-dealer, "Are they customers here?"

"Not bad uns either," said the bar-man; a-week between 'em."

'

a bottle

"So," said the officer, "they had words last night. I heard the old lady tell her daughter that she starved her -that the drink was their ruin. You're drunk now,' screamed the poor old thing, crying over her daughter like a child, till some hard blows silenced her. I distinctly heard the young one say, 'It's my curse,' says she."

The student crossed over to his lodgings, and asked the maid if the artist were in. She replied, she was, and volunteered the sigh, "The more's the pity!"

"Why so?" said he.

"I've found liquors," said she, "hid away in her bedroom more nor once, and her eyes of a morning as red as a sunrise, as thof she'd been crying tipsy all night. I do pity the old lady she makes fetch the spirits o'nights, when nobody's by, and she as proud and close as if she never tasted 'em."

The student again shrugged his shoulders, as he ascended the stairs, and tapped at the artist's door.

"Come in!" said a gentle voice, which changed somewhat sternly as, without rising from her easel, she demanded her visitor's business.

Disconcerted at her self-possession, the student stammered "about a flask he'd lost; and hoped, if anybody had found it by any chance, anybody would keep it; he was glad to get rid of it ever since somebody said, That's my curse!'"

"Your flask is not here," said the elder, in an irritated tone; but her daughter rather contemptuously interrupted her with:-" Wait till you're charged, mother. Do I understand you, sir, to suggest, or imply, or dare to suppose, your toy had found its way here ?"

"No-not at all," said the youth, covered with confusion. "It's only a flask, and it's a good joke to cure one of carrying such things about me; if you'd only kept it for my sake."

66

Sir," said she, with a look of the bitterest scorn, "you insult us. You are an unmannerly boy that wants caning."

The student reddened as he answered, with some warmth: "I never said nor thought you took it." But the words were scarcely out of his mouth before the mother shrieked: "Then you charge me';" and struck him with the scissors in her hand, cutting a severe gash on his cheek, and covering his face with blood. The daughter dragged her into the bedchamber, where the excitement overcame the elder female, who fainted away. The maid's hasty summons of her mistress from over the way drew the policeman after her upstairs, where they found the student stanching his wound, and the younger female deprecating, indeed, her mother's violence, but adding: "Go, sir, to a surgeon, and never let us see you

"And you'll find it," said she, in a tone of bitter irony, like a wounded spirit turning at bay upon its destiny"you'll find it-it's my curse. And the girl laughed that unmeaning laugh than which no other meaning lies heavier on the heart, crossed the room, and whispered the student, in a husky voice that grated on his ear like the crash of a broken heart: "You got up this for a bit of manly revenge, eh ?"

This last taunt stung the young man to retort, indig nantly: "No; and you know I did not."

Sartinly not," calmly interposed the officer;

here

it is!" producing, from an inner sliding of an old piano, not a silver flask, indeed, but a pawnbroker's duplicate for one, dated but the day before, i. e., on the day of the robbery.

(To be continued.)

ARABIAN GALLANTRY.-A friend of mine was once watering some flowers in a window, and accidentally filled the pots too profusely, so that a quantity of water happened to fall upon an Arab who was below, basking in the sun. The man started up, shook his clothes, and thus gave vent to his feelings respecting the offender:"If it is an old man who has done this, I despise him; if it is an old woman, I forgive her; if it is a young man, I curse him; but if it is a young woman, I thank her." -Evenings in my Tent.

FROM

OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT. BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS. March 29th, 1856.

CHERE AMIE,

THE materials most in demand are taffetas à disposition with flounces, dresses with stripes of velvet, broché materials, moires antiques, plain, striped, or the ordinary moires, taffetas camaieux, brocaded silks, popelines, and droguets. It is said that dark colours will again be fashionable this spring, and the wide stripes are still in favour. It is also said that taffetas checked in mixed colours will be introduced; and the new designs, brocaded in black silk on taffetas of every colour, are described as charming. The alhambra is a new material, much approved in high quarters. Striped materials have given rise to a style of trimming that admits of great variety: it consists of edging each side of the stripe with a narrow lace or ribbon, or a delicate gimp; these may terminate a third or half way up the skirt by a rosette of lace, chou of ribbon or a tassel, or it may be prolonged on the skirt to the waist, which has perhaps a still richer effect. Dresses in stripes of two colours, as rose and marron, have the dark stripe edged by a light black lace, which falls on the rose stripe-a berthe of black lace accompanying the body. Another style, is with numerous rows of narrow velvet up each side the skirt, very close together near the waist, but widening at the bottom, with a narrow lace fulled between; high body, with deep fluted basque: the basques will certainly not be abandoned this summer; the ornaments on them are various, and often display the richness of the toilette, as with plain skirts of moire antique: the bodies with basques are richly ornamented with lace and embroidery.

The greatest novelty in dresses are the gauffered flounces; they are made in taffetas, crape, or Scotch cachemire, or alpaga; the bodies are made either with or without basques. The materials as yet are of mixed materials-half silk, half worsted. Lace continues to maintain undisputed favour for all articles of toilette, dress, manteau, or bonnet.

A novelty in dress is the berthe châtelaine, made either of white or black lace, muslin, or tulle, enlivened by ruches, ribbon, embroidery, or even cordons of flowers when intended

VOL. 29.

for ball dresses, or any trimming corresponding to that of the dress: they are made round behind, with long ends in front, which cross on the body, the ends falling on each side of the skirt; sometimes instead of crossing they form a slight curve in front turning back, so that the ends terminate at the hips: under this form it is that they preserve their name of châtelaine. The space open in front is filled with nœuds or small bunches of flowers; they are also made of muslin or organdy, trimmed with lace or embroidery, and are pretty worn with pink or blue taffetas in double skirts.

The weather has been too cold for much alteration in outdoor dress; but at the evening ré-unions the flowers of early spring are introduced-lilacs, daisies, violets, &c. Double skirts of tulle are, with bouillons at the edge, intermixed with daisies; tight bodies, with bouillons forming berthe, and flowers as on the skirt; but flounces are very universally worn on evening dresses. A style of trimming, equally calculated for ball, evening, or dinner dresses, is the crape flounce alternating with one of taffetas; both are edged by fringe of silk or feathers: they are of the same colour as the taffetas, and the fringe of the crape flounce falls so as to form heading to the fringe on the taffetas flounce. These are very pretty in light colours with either high or low bodies, the latter terminating by a double basquine of crape and tulle, which joins the upper flounce. Gauze, crape or tulle, over coloured taffetas or moire antique, compose most ball dresses: satin is no longer used. Bouquets of flowers, small bunches of feathers or marabout, confining the folds of tulle arranged in various fanciful stripes over the moire antique or taffetas.

Walking dresses are all made high, and are ornamented by buttons, brandenbourgs or fringe; flounces continue fashionable for young persons. A pretty style, uniting elegance with simplicity, is to put at the height of the hips a ruche of ribbon surmounted by two or three rows of velvet. The bretelles, or braces, are still in favour; but they are not put on round bodies, which are multiplying. Skirts rather forming train behind are much approved. Cannezous of tulle are much ornamented with narrow velvet, black and ponceau. One made of white tulle with basques had rows of pink ribbon sewed on it, placed diagonally and meeting in the centre under a large nœud; the sleeves were also ornamented with ribbon.

Bonnets are smaller than ever; but the bavolets are ex