from the King, writes to her, to "suffer cheerfully, keep her heart clean," and after recommending the outward duties of her religion, the injured Queen desires her to recreate herself with "her virginals and her lute."

Fuller informs us, that, on Mary's coming to the crown, she caused a solemn dirge, in Latin, to be chanted on the day her royal brother's body was buried at Westminster.

During the long and prosperous reign of Elizabeth, choral music became as eminent in England as in any other part of Europe. Elizabeth had been taught music at a very early age: her voice, though shrill, was sweet, and she touched the lute with taste

and skill.

On the accession of James I. to the throne of England, the polite arts did not make any very rapid progress. Though Rizzio, in the time of his unfortunate mother, no doubt introduced much improvement in the national music of Scotland, yet we find James, neither from nature nor education, as taking much pleasure in music. Early, however, in his reign, the gentlemen belonging to the Chapel Royal obtained an increase of ten pounds to their annual stipend, so that the King shewed himself desirous of encouraging the sons of harmony. But anthems, masques, madrigals, songs, and catches, seem to comprise the whole of our vocal music at that time, either for the church, the stage, or the

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private concert: to which may be added instrumental productions, styled fancies, composed chiefly for lutes and viols: they were very insipid, and the lovers of good music can never feel their loss.

Prince Henry was said to be a lover of music, and a performer; but if this idea is only formed from the list of musicians on his establishment, it may be erroneous: it was a matter of dignity and ancient custom for a Prince of Wales to have minstrels and musicians in his service; no par ticular records prove that this Prince had any real passion for music, neither can any memorials be found of his ever availing himself of the advantage of his musical band in honouring them with his commands in any signal manner to prove their talents.

We are told by Riccobini that James I. on his coming to the throne, in 1603, granted a licence to a company of players, in which Interludes are included; but an in|| terlude then was only another word for a play. Masques were not mentioned in the patent: they were performed in the houses of the nobility on very festive occasions, the machinery and decorations being too expensive for the Theatres; indeed the characters were generally represented by the first personages in the kingdom: when at court, the King, Queen, and Princes of the blood often performed in them. (To be continued.)

ANECDOTES OF ILLUSTRIOUS FEMALES.

THE COUNTESS OF GRAMMONT.

enlarged mind. It was always said of this THE maiden name of this lady was Ha- lady that she had so much wit that it had milton, and she was one of the beauties a kind of magnetic influence, and whoever that adorned the court of Charles II. The came near her seemed, in some degree, to Count de Grammont, before his marriage have imbibed it from her. She united with her, used always to say, she was one every duty as a wife to the knowledge she of the best creatures in the whole world. || had, too fatally for her peace, of those inShe had the air and carriage of a Queen, discretions of her husband, which such a and all those manners which are only to mind as hers could not fail to despise. be gained by a sojournment in a brilliant and polite court. Her wit was poignant, her erudition profound, and her character and manners most exemplary and amiable. That reserve, so natural to Englishwomen, which by many foreigners is mistaken for pride, was tempered by an enlightened and

LADY NORTHESK.

ABOUT the summer of 1778, the Countess of Northesk rested at an inn in Litchfield, on her way to Scotland, whither she was going by the shortest possible stages. She had been a year in England for the benefit

of her health, and wasting rapidly away, || hectic. Her eyes were lucid and full of the advice of the most eminent physicians of intelligence; if they were sometimes deadLondon and Bath having been ineffectual.ened by the languor of disease, they were Her Ladyship told the mistress of the inn at Litchfield, that she was going home to die: the woman replied, "I wish, Madam, you would send for our Doctor," meaning Dr. Darwin, the celebrated author of the Botanic Garden. Lady Northesk gave her

consent.

The Doctor pressed her to remove with her daughter and attendants to his house. The invitation was accepted; Lady Northesk reposed on a couch, during the day, in Dr. Darwin's parlour, drawing, with dif ficulty, that breath which seemed often on the verge of evaporation. She was thin, even to transparency; her cheeks, at times, suffused with a flush, beautiful though

re-illumined by every observation to which she listened, whether to the powers of lettered excellence, science, or art: her friendly physician constantly assuring her that she should not die thus prematurely if he could prevent it.

He gave her but little medicine, and made her live on vegetables, milk, and fruit; and she gathered strength from day to day, pursuing her journey to Scotland, a convalescent full of hope.

Lady Northesk might have lived to an old age, the blessing of her family and friends, had she not perished by the dreadful accident of setting fire to her clothes.

CHARACTERS OF CELEBRATED FRENCH WOMEN.

THE COMTESSE DE CHARLUS.

Archbishop de Reims, Le Tellier; and without heeding what she was about, being always accustomed to give way to all her accustomed rudeness of behaviour, she set fire to her head-dress. The Archbishop, who saw her head in a blaze, snatched off her cap, and threw it on the ground. Madame de Charlus, neither seeing nor feeling the fire, turned towards the Archbishop in a transport of rage, and threw an egg, which she was holding in her hand, right in his face, making use of all those terms of opprobrium which might naturally be ex

THIS lady was of a family which, though noble, could not boast much of its ancientry. Her face, her figure, her carriage, her sluttishness, and whole behaviour, were so coarse and disgusting, that she might have been thought to trace her descent from those women who cry fish in the streets. The strongest trait in the character of this Countess was her unequalled avarice; for she would dress herself like a common beggar, and take any thing that was given her. She was, besides, uncommonly addicted to gaming; excessively proud, vul-pected from a character like hers. It can gar, and even brutal in her behaviour to her equals. One night, when she was very old, grey, and almost bald-headed, she supped at the Princess de Conti's, that she might sit down after supper to play all night. At that time the ladies wore their head-dresses of so ridiculous a height that the King was seriously displeased with them; and though his Majesty had taken all possible pains to make them alter this disfiguring fashion, it still continued to prevail. The women, who were old, wore a kind of tête ready curled and elevated in false hair, and which, without being other wise attached to their heads, they put on as men put on their wigs. The Countess de Charlus was placed at table next to the" from grumbling the whole night.

be easily conceived what a spectacle such a woman must present to the illustrious company assembled at the Hotel de Conti, with her head despoiled of its artificial covering, and animated by the most furious passion; while M. de Reimes, whose face was remarkably broad, was varnished all over with the yolk of an egg. A peal of laughter shook the salle à manger; but nothing hurt Madame de Charlus so much as to see the Archbishop laugh as heartily as the others, and putting up with the chastisement she bestowed on him in boxing his ears, by laughing yet more heartily than before. Madame de Conti could scarce bring her to herself, or prevent her by all her kindness

HISTORICAL AND SELECT ANECDOTES.

ANECDOTE OF THE MARQUIS DE SOUVRE.

taken in like manner.- -"Well, but there LOUIS XV. was strongly suspected, must be more than two-who next?" was during the time of the scarcity of bread in || asked-" Lieutenant Burgett," was the rehis kingdom, to have been at the head of a ply, and carried by a similar vote.-" We corn speculation. A little time before the want a representative in the British campdeath of the Marchioness de Pompadour, who shall be our representative? who the mob followed the King's carriage with shall be taken prisoner?"—All eyes were the reiterated and distressing cries of immediately turned to Captain Perry; who "Bread, Sire, bread!"-The guard was being quite in his déshabille, had excited unable to quell the tumult, and the King some raillery." Captain Perry shall be returned to Versailles, stung to the quick. our representative," was the unanimous A creature of Madame de Pompadour, see-reply, and unanimous vote. Captain Perry ing the distress of the King, broke silence, and told his Majesty he was very much surprised at the want of reason as well as justice in the people, in their cries for bread, when they were seated on immense heaps of wheat in the market-place, and that bread was at a very moderate price indeed. The Marquis de Souvre, shocked at such a violation of truth, took his gloves and his hat, and seemed in a violent hurry to get to the door." Where are you going in such haste?" said the King." Sire," replied Souvre, "if you will permit me, I am going to hang my scoundrel of a maître d'hôtel, who makes me pay double the price for bread that this honest man tells you it is sold at."

CURIOUS ANECDOTE.

ABOUT two hours previous to the evermemorable battle of Bridgewater, news had arrived in the camp of the 9th American regiment, that the British were advancing. A number of the officers of the 9th, among whom were Captain Hull, Lieutenants Turner and Burgett, and Captain David Perry, had assembled together in a little squad; were chatting in a friendly and jocular manner, and were commenting upon the news they had heard of the approach of the enemy. One of the company observed-" Well, we shall have warm work to-day: some of us shall be killed-who shall they be?"-Another, in the same tone of jocularity, replied, "Captain Hull,” and held up his hand. The company all joined in holding up their hands, and Captain Hull amongst the rest. "Who next?" rejoined another; "Lieutenant Turner," was the reply, and the vote

immediately retired, and in a few minutes returned shaved and cleanly dressed; and, in a jocular tone, asked whether he now made an appearance suitable for their representative? The order for forming the line of battle came: the different gentlemen repaired to their different posts. The dreadful conflict commenced. The first officer that fell in the 9th regiment was Captain Hull, fighting at the head of his company; the second, Lieutenant Turner; the third, Lieutenant Burgett; whilst Captain Perry, as if fully to complete the previous prediction, was taken prisoner by the enemy, and carried captive into the British camp! So striking a coincidence of circumstances rarely occurs; and these incidents have frequently been the subject of conversation and remark among the American officers, since the battle of Bridgewater.

ANECDOTE RELATIVE TO HEYLIN.

Soon after the celebrated Heylin had published his Geography of the World, he accepted an invitation to spend a few weeks with a gentleman who lived on the New Forest, Hampshire, with directions where his servant should meet him to con duct him thither. As soon as he was joined by the gentleman's servant they struck off into the thick part of the forest; and after riding for a considerable time, Mr. Heylin asked if that was the right road? and to his great astonishment received for answer that the conductor did not know, but he had heard there was a very near cut to his master's house through the thicket; and he certainly thought, as Mr. Heylin had written the Geography of the World,

that such a road could not have been unknown to him!

ANECDOTE OF THE LAWFUL KING OF

SWEDEN.

and heroic as the Spartan and Roman dames of old. As it was impossible to find such a female ready made, he must get some infant and mould it according to his romantic fancy.

Mr. Bicknell, a barrister of considerable practice and unimpeachable moral character, was an intimate friend of Mr. Day's, of whose untainted reputation credentials were procured; and furnished with them, these two friends departed for Shrewsbury,

foundlings. Mr. Day selected two beautiful little girls, twelve years of age each; one of them was fair, with flaxen locks and light eyes; to her he gave the name of Lucretia: the other was a clear brunette with dark eyes, more ruddy, and her hair of a bright chesnut; her he called Sabrina.

THE Susceptible heart of this unfortunate monarch lately fell into the chains of a banker's fair daughter, whose friends were not quite pleased with the nature of his Majesty's attention, and his proposal of a marriage with the left hand by no means satisfied them. The Count Gottorp, how-to explore the hospital there for female ever, valiantly persisted in his overtures, and at last procured the opportunity of indulging his chivalrous propensities in a single combat with his fair one's uncle. The impression of the banker's daughter was not easily effaced. Caroline used to appear to him in visions in various attitudes and shapes-sometimes strangely confounded in appearance with a Princess of MeckJenburg, with whom his Majesty had once been on the point of marriage. One day the disconsolate lover, partly on the strength of an invitation to England from the Prince Regent, took a resolution to depart. The hour arrived, the post-horses were at the door, and the royal lover ready to step into the carriage, when Caroline's little lapdog, which had always before been rather shy of his Majesty's caresses, presented itself at the coach door, and laid hold of his coat. This had too much the air of an embassy from his relenting fair one not to melt at once the King's feeble resolution. The Prince Regent's invitation was forgotten, the post-horses sent away, and the monarch returned to his pursuit, with his courage renovated by the lapdog's caresses.

CURIOUS PARTICULARS OF MR. DAY, THE
AUTHOR OF "SANDFORD AND MERTON."

MR. DAY, in his youth, had cherished some eccentric and visionary ideas in regard to a female partner for life: he had, in the first place, resolved, if possible, that his wife should have a taste for literature and science, for moral and patriotic philosophy, in order that she might be his companion in retirement, and assist him in forming the minds of his children to stubborn virtue and high exertion. At the same time he resolved that she should be as simple as a mountain girl in her dress, her diet, and her manners; yet intrepid No. 114.-Vol. XVIII.

Mr. Bicknell being much older than his friend, he became guarantee to see the written conditions performed under which these girls were obtained, and which were as follows:-that Mr. Day should resign them to the protection of some reputable tradeswoman, giving one hundred pounds to each to bind her apprentice; maintaining her, if she behaved well, till she married or began business for herself. On either of these events he promised to advance four hundred more; but he avowed his intention of educating them with a view to making one his wife. Solemnly engaged himself never to betray their virtue, and if he should renounce his plan, to maintain them decently with some creditable family till they married; when he promised each five hundred pounds as her wedding portion. Mr. Day' then went to France with these girls, not taking an English servant, being resolved they should receive no ideas but what he chose to impart.

They tezed him, they quarrelled and fought incessantly; they caught the smallpox, and chained him to their bedside by crying and screaming, if they were left a moment with any oue who could not speak English. They lost, however, no beauty by their disease; but as he crossed the Rhone with his wards after their recovery, the boat overset. Being an excellent swimmer he saved them both.

In eight months Mr. Day returned to England. Sabrina was his favourite, and he placed Lucretia with a chamber milliner;

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