mies. At the moment when the Natives began to open their towns, to assemble under their temporary shades to hear the Missionaries preach the glad tidings of the Gospel, and themselves to erect Houses for the Worship of the true God, at this moment the enemy comes in like a flood, and will drive away, it is to be feared, for a time, those who have opposed his kingdom! The Gatherer. No. XV. I am but a gatherer and dealer in other men's stuff." Interior of a Turkish Mosque. As very few Christians can boast of having visited a Turkish mosque during worship, the following description, ex tracted from a recent book of travels, will probably be new to many of our readers: "I was favoured with an opportunity of entering the mosque on a particular day, when worship was performing by a crowded audience; the attendance was so full, that many knelt down in the outer court. At their entrance, after throwing off their slippers, they all fell on their knees, and after a short pause, and uttering something very fast, they joined the general chorus, which to me appeared thanksgiving. From an erect posture they often fell in a state of prostration, and kneeling; and after join ing the general service again in these positions, would pause and appear in a mental prayer between, and then in a moment spring on their feet again, and join the chorus, which was sometimes so loud that it became a shout. The leader's voice was heard distinctly during the more moderate exclamations, and all seemed to pay great attention to his manner, and to follow his motions with aptitude; and during the whole service, not one of them, that I could perceive, sat down. Their remark able activity, in falling at once from their legs on their knees, and even to a state of prostration, and frequently rising without the assistance of their hands excited my surprise. They in general appeared very attentive to the service they were engaged in, and their whole behaviour, in a false religion, was such as might form a lesson to many careless Christians, so called, who are to be found in every audience, slighting and treating with indifference the inestimable privilege of having instruction how to worship God in spirit and in truth.'" Origin of the Word Lady. Grave dissertations upon words are not better than pompous inanity; we shall, therefore, be brief. The term Lady (which Johnson derives from the Saxon) was sometimes bestowed on women of fortune, even before their husbands had received any title that could confer that distinction upon them. The cause we apprehend to have been this: "It was formerly the custom, and a custom more" honourable in the observance than the breach," for those whom fortune had blessed with affluence to live constantly at their manor-houses in the country, where once a week, or oftener, the lady of the manor used to distribute with her own hands a certain quantity of bread. She was hence denominated, by those who shared her bounty, loff-day, which, in Saxon, signifies the bread giver. A gradual corruption in the mode of prodern Lady; and, perhaps, from this hosnouncing this word has produced the mopitable custom arose the practice universally existing, that ladies serve the meat at their own tables. Prussian Court Mourning. derick the Great, gives several amusing Thiebault, in his "Souvenirs" of Fretraits of the Brandenburg family. In his Biographical Sketch of Frederick the first King of Prussia, who was an extremely vain man, and continually engaged in the most frivolous pursuits, he mentions the following anecdote of the Queen, Sophia Charlotte, who was a woman of a very superior mind, and the sister of our George the First. In her last illness, the Queen viewed the approach of death with much her attendants observed how severely it calmness and serenity, and when one of fortune of losing her would plunge his would afflict the King, and that the misrespect to him," said the Queen, with a Majesty in the deepest despair—“ With smile, "I am perfectly at ease. His mind will be completely occupied in arranging the ceremonial of my funeral, and if nothing goes wrong in the procession, he will be quite consoled for his loss." Thiebault adds, that the event proved the truth of the Queen's opinion of her angust husband. An Alpine Wolf. Mr. Gray, in describing his passage over the Alps with the late Horace Walpole, relates the following circumstance: Mr. Walpole had a little spaniel, that he was very fond of, which he sometimes used to set down, and let it run by the chaise side. We were, at that time, in a very rough road, not two yards broad at most; on one side was a great wood of pines, and on the other a vast precipice; it was noon day, and the sun shone bright, when all of a sudden from the wood side (which was as steep upwards as the other part was downwards) out rushed a great wolf, came close to the head of the horses, seized the dog by the throat, aud rushed up the hill again with him in his mouth. This was done in less than a quarter of a minute; we all saw it, and yet the servants had not time to draw their pistols, or do any thing to save the dog." A Russian Anecdote. At St. Petersburgh, there are every winter during Lent several masquerades, called Ridottos, which are always numerously attended; but differ so far from ours, that there is no dancing. The company stroll in their disguise through the crowd in the saloon, see, hear, and talk. They then go to the adjoining apartments, and call for what refreshments they please. Each party takes a table for itself, and generally one of the company treats the others, and pays for those who accompany him. It once happened, that there was a party of seven persons, in one of these rooms, who ordered a supper and wine at ten silver roubles per head. One of the company, as usual, gave the orders to the waiter. The party were very merry, and seemed to enjoy the supper. When the dishes and bottles were empty, the guests one after another rose from table, and went into the saloon. There were already five gone; and two still remained sitting, apparently in earnest conversation. Will not the people soon pay? thought the landlord; and ordered the waiter to have a watchful eye on the last, that he might Hot slip away. But now the sixth also went, and disappeared in the saloon. The seventh remained, but seemed to be asleep. This is the pay-master! said the waiter, and kept his eye constantly upon him. The man still seemed to sleep. After many hours had elapsed, and the rooms and the saloon began to be deserted and empty, the waiter went to the guest to awake him; but who can describe his affright, when he found the sitting person a man of straw. The next day, however, the amount of the bill was sent, the whole having been meant only as a joke upon the landlord. Wise Sayings of Pope. 1. Fine sense and exalted sense are not half so useful as common sense. There are forty men of wit for one man of sense; and he that will carry nothing about him but gold, will be every day at a loss for want of readier change. 2. A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong: which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to-day than he was yesterday. 3. To be angry is to revenge the fault of others upon ourselves. 4. To relieve the oppressed is the most glorious act a mau is capable of; it is in some measure doing the business of God and Providence. 5. When we are young, we are slavishly employed in procnring something whereby we may live comfortably when we grow old; and when we are old we perceive it is too late to live as we proposed. 6. The world is a thing we must, of necessity, either laugh at or be angry with: if we laugh with it, they say we are proud; if we are angry at it, they say we are illnatured. 7. The greatest freedom I know in being thought a wit by the world is, that it gives one the greater advantage of playing the fool. 8. Flowers of rhetoric in sermons and serious discourses are like the blue and red flowers in corn, pleasing to those who come only for amusement, but prejudicial to him who would reap the profit from it. 9. The difference between what is commonly called ordinary company and good company is, only hearing the same thing, said in a little room or in a large saloons, at small tables or at great tables, before two candles or twenty sconces. 10. Many men have been capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing. 11. Wit in conversation is only readiness of thought and a facility of expression; or, in a midwives' phrase, a quick conception, and an easy delivery. 12. There is nothing wanting to make all rational and disinterested people of one religion, but that they should talk together every day. Eastern Titles. The following is a translation of the Persian titles of Mr. Hastings, as engraven upon a seal, when Governor General of Bengal. Nabob Governor General Hastings Suab, The fortunate in War and Hero, Royal and Imperial Governess, The Elegance of the Age, The most exalted Bilkiss, The Zobaide of the Palaces, The most heroic Princess, Ruby Marian Hastings, Suaby.* Captain Cook. The following has been lately assigned as the real cause of the affray which led to the death of this enterprising commander: -Captain Cook, who was in want of wood, as well as water, had perceived near the shore an old hut, which appeared to him to be neglected and gone to decay; and the wood of which he thought to be drier than newly felled trees: he therefore gave orders to pull down the hut, without having first consulted the natives. Neither he nor his people, doubtless, knew (and after the turn the affair took none of them could learn) that the place was tabooed, or held sacred.-The islanders did not hesitate a moment to prevent, by a desperate attack, an act which they considered as an impropriety; they killed some of the workmen, and put the others to flight. Probably those who escaped did not know the real cause of the attack which was so fatai to a part of the crew. The Theatre. When Racine composed the tragedy of Esther to please Mad. de Maintenon, she very strongly recommended it at Court, and every one was charmed with the performance, except one simple Curé, who refused to see it. Being very strongly pressed for his reasons, he gave the following to Mad. de M. herself: " Madam, you cannot be ignorant that from the pulpit 1 cease not to reprobate the amusements of the stage, and to dissuade my audience from frequenting the theatre. The tragedy of Esther is not however in cluded in my censure." Indeed, Sir!" said the lady, "then why refuse to countenance it by your presence?"- Ah! madam," he replied, "the people are not sensible of the difference that exists between this tragedy and another; but that it is a play they all well know. They know also, that in my sermons I condemn plays; and should I go to this, which they know to be a play, they will contrast my conduct with my sermons; and as both cannot be observed in practice, they will adopt that side which is favourable to their inclinations: they will disregard my words, and follow me in my ACTIONS." Grand-Daughter of Cromwell. In the suite of the late Princess Amelia, * With the Musselmen, Bilkiss signifies the Queen of Sheba; Zobaide was the favourite wife of Mahomed. there was formerly a Lady of the name of Russell, who was a grand-daughter of Oliver Cromwell, and who, it should seem, without any alloy, had much of his undaunted and ready spirit. One day, it happened to be on the thirteenth of January, she was in waiting, and occupied in adjusting some part of the Princess's dress, just as the then Prince of Wales, the father of his present Majesty, came into the room. His Royal Highness accosted Miss Russell rather sportingly, and said to her, "For shame, Miss Russell, why have you not been at Church, humbling yourself for the sins on this day committed by your grand-father.” Sir," replied Miss Russell," for a grand-daughter of Oliver Cromwell, it is humiliation sufficient to be employed as I am, in pinning up your sister's train." A Tattler punished. Catherine of Russia, though her private life afforded an ample field for the gossip against its effects; however true the tattle of her subjects, yet she was not proof might have been, she, perhaps, concluded interfere, and she was determined to puthat it was no business of the tattler to nish their officiousness. married the great Doctor F. who had A lady of the first rank in Petersburgh formerly been a favourite with the empress. -It seems that the curiosity of the doctor's lady wormed many secrets out of her husband, respecting his intimacy at court, which she afterwards tattled to her private friends, who sent them as great secrets through the city of Moscow, where she resided. Not long after, just as the lady and her husband were resigning themselves to sleep, they were alarmed by a loud knocking at their chamber door, which the husband opened-a stout police officer then entered, having a large Rod in one hand, and the imperial Order in the other.-The doctor was ordered to go on the farther side of the bed, and to make no disturbance, as in the next room there were several brethren of this summary minister of justice in waiting. The lady was made to descend from the bed just as she was, and to lay herself upon the floor; the officer then tied her hands and feet, and gave her a severe flogging-when he had finished this discipline he loosed her, and raising her up, said, "This is the punishment which the empress inflicts upon tattlers; and for the next offence you go to Siberia." This chastisement had its proper effect-the story of the flogging soon got buzzed about; and wherever the tattle of the lady had gone, it occasioned a laugh, Poet Laureat, fruit, and wil be cultivated in forcing houses to supply the tables of the rich. Of this well-known office in the King's household, Sir John Hawkins in his "HisIt is demonstrable, that in the northern tory of Music," observes, that there are no parts of our hemisphere the mean annual records which ascertain the origin of the temperature is on the decline, and on reinstitution in this kingdom, but many that curring to the accounts of modern travelrecognize it. There was a Court Poet as lers, it appears that in mountainous parts early as the reign of Henry III. Chaucer, of Europe the accumulation of ice and snow on his return from abroad, first assumed is very sensibly increasing. This is perhaps the title of Poet Laureat, and in the particularly the case, and easily observable twelfth year of Richard the Second, ob- in the vicinity of Mont Blanc; and the tained a grant of an annual allowance of Glaciers which, descending from the sumwine. James the First, in 1615, granted mits of that and the adjoining peaks, invade to his Laureat a yearly pension of 100 the adjacent valley of Chamouny, are marks; and in 1630, this stipend was aug-making such progress as to threaten at no mented by letters patent of Charles the First, to 1001. per annum, with an additional grant of 1 tierce of Canary wine, to be taken out of the King's store of wine yearly. very remote period, to render the heart of that district inaccessible to the traveller. In a recent number of the "Bibliothéque des Sciences et des Arts," Professor Pictet informs us, that the Glacier des Bossons has very lately advanced fifty feet, much ON THE DETERIORATION OF THE CLIMATE to the dismay of the neighbouring villagers. OF BRITAIN. That for several centuries past the climate of England has undergone a very material change for the worse, appears demonstrated by the most irresistible historical evidence; nor can there indeed be a doubt that the springs are now later, and the summers shorter, and that those seasons are colder and more humid than they were in the youthful days of many persons, and those not very aged, who are now alive. We learn from our old chronicles, that the grape has formerly been cultivated in Eng land, for the manufacture of wine, but we now know that even with much care and attention it can scarcely be brought to ripen a scanty crop under walls exposed to the sun, sheltered from cold wind, and in every respect in the most favourable aspect, and it would be folly to attempt its growth in the method of a vineyard, as a standard. Of this real luxury of more genial climes, we have so long been deprived, that we trouble ourselves little about those golden days when Bacchus smiled upon our bills. But what may be considered as coming more home to the business and bosoms of the present generation is, that Pomona is about to desert our orchards, and that on ground where the clustering vine once flourished, the apple has of late years scarcely ripened. Indeed we are informed upon good authority, that it is now sixteen years since the orchards have afforded a plentiful crop. It is really melancholy to think that at no very remote period our posterity may in all probability be in the same situation in regard to cyder, that we are now placed in, in respect to wine; when the apple tree, like the vine, will only afford a penurious supply of sour But if we resort to more northern climes we shall find yet more alarming evidence of the great increase of snow and ice, and of this, the history of Greenland furnishes perhaps the most remarkable facts upon record. We know that that country, which was probably first peopled by Europeans from Iceland, received its name from its verdant appearance, and that the original colony continued to prosper, and to carry on an extensive commerce with Norway, until the beginning of the 15th century, since which period all communication with East Greenland has ceased, and what was once known respecting it is almost buried in oblivion. Since that period too, the east coast of Greenland, which once was perfectly accessible, has become blockaded by an immense collection of ice, so that till within these few months no vessels could approach near enough even to see land in that direction. From this and other evidence which might be adduced, it is clear that the quantity of ice in the northern regions has undergone a very considerable and even rapid increase, and we are of opinion that this circumstance is sufficient to account for the deterioration of our own climate and which, if the same causes continue to act, is equally threatening to our at present more fortunate neighbours upon the continent of Europe. From America, too, we learn, that in consequence of the coldness of the seasons, Indian corn will no longer ripen in New England, and that the farmers have consequently taken to the cultivation of wheat, which has succeeded so well, as to render it likely to supersede maize. Some hopes, it is said, are entertained of the amendment of the climate of Britain, from the gradual breaking up of the ice, and from the re-opening of the communication with | great Poet, save a long walking stick, East Greenland ;-but for further informa- which was given to him by his father, as tion on this interesting subject we must one which had belonged to Shakspeare. refer our readers to the Quarterly Journal It appeared also that his father had given of Arts, vol. iv. p. 286, from whose pages a Mr. Kingsbury, of Tewkesbury, a jug, we have selected the above observations. or beaker with Shakspeare's portrait on it, and a sort of pencil case, with a cypher FAMILY OF SHAKSPEARE. W. S. upon it-both of which he asserted had been the property of the Poet. On For the following information respecting inquiring after other branches of the fathe descendants of the immortal bard of mily, he referred the writer to the Smiths of Avon, we are indebted to the industry of Stratford, who were his cousins, and chila well known literary character, who in dren of his father's sister; and also to an passing lately through Tewkesbury, was aunt whom he supposed still to reside at led by a reported incription on the tomb- Stratford. The writer of this account afstone of a John Harte,* buried there in terwards proceeded to Stratford, and on 1800-which inscription described him as applying to Mrs. Hornby, an amusing a sixth descendant of the poet Shak gossip, who now resides in the house in speare"-to inquire whether there lived in which Shakspeare was born, he was reathat town any survivors of the family.dily introduced to the Smiths, but the After much search, he discovered a son of aunt had removed to Leamington. this Harte, who had been christened by the name of William Shakspeare. This poor man is a chair-maker by trade, and works as journeyman to a Mr Richardson; the contour of his countenance strikingly resembled the portrait in the first folio edition, a circumstance of itself sufficient to excite an interest in his favour. In one room of the ground floor of a wretched hovel, lived this man, his wife, and five children. In a corner stood a stocking frame, in which the mother said she worked after the children were in bed at night, and before they awoke in the morning, adding thereby Ss. or 4s. per week to her husband's 15s. In answer to inquiries about the great Bard, Harte said his father and grandfather often talked on the subject, and buoyed themselves up with hopes that the family might some time be remembered; but for his part the name had hitherto proved of no other use to him than as furnishing jokes among his companions, by whom he was often annoyed on this account. On the writer presenting him with a guinea, he declared it was the first benefit which had arisen from his being a Shakspeare. It appeared that his father held the property in Shakspeare's two houses at Stratford, but they had long been under mortgage; and his mother, a few years ago, sold them by auction, deriving a balance, after paying the mortgage and expences, of only 301. The family pedigree he had preserved; but he had no other relic of the Of the Smiths, there are two brothers and a sister; one is a bricklayer, and the other had kept a grocer's shop, but had recently failed. The sister is married to a bricklayer, who works under his brotherin-law. It was no fancy to trace in the faces of the two Smiths the same family resemblance which had been observed in Harte at Tewkesbury. The frame work of their faces was all over the Bard of Avon. They were characterized by the same modesty as poor Harte. Having as yet profited nothing by their family renown, they expected nothing; but they acknowledged they felt it hard that Stratford should profit so much by the name of their kinsman, and the country boast so much of his works, while his family were suffering every kind of privation; the very house of Shakspeare having fallen into the hands of strangers, by shewing which the family might have been kept from want. At Stratford the writer received much aid in these inquiries from the politeness of Mr. Wheeler, Author of the History of Stratford. Owing, however, to a mistake in the published pedigrees, he said the in habitants of Stratford had to this time lost sight of the Smiths, as connected with the family of their illustrious townsman; and till the visit of the writer they had supposed that every branch of the family had left Stratford. From Stratford the writer proceeded to Leamington, where he found Jane, the auut of Harte, of Tewkesbury, in the humble situation of a washerwoman. She had married a soldier of the It is known that the line of Shakspeare's name of Iliffe, by whom she has two own body terminated in his grand-daughter, girls, the eldest of whom is kindly paLady Barnard, of Abington, near Northamptronized by Mr. Bissett, of the Museum, ton; but Shakspeare had a sister, Joan, who married Wm. Harte, of Stratford; and this and has been recognized in her relationis the branch, partly under the name of Harte, ship to the Bard of Avon by many of his and partly under that of Smith. distinguished visitors. |