“I love to hear Sophia recount the pleasures of the plenium, its most minute golden flowers absolutely glitfresh air," said her father," for the task always brings tering in their tiny nooks at the foot of each green leaf. again the glow to her cheeks, and fills her with grati. I never saw anything so cheerful as its aspect; and, tude for so cheap a blessing, reminding me of what with the help of a knife from the basket store, 1 ladened Wordsworth says,

the carriage with a mass of its verdure, and with nu• Nature never did betray

merous roots of cowslips and primroses for Mrs. Gordon's The heart that loved her ; 'tis her privilege,

garden. The very plant from which that drawing was Through all the years of this our life, to lead

made, was one which I brought home; so I hope, FreFrom joy to joy; for she can so inform

deric, my long story has apologised for the favour with The mind that is within us, so impress

which I regard my gem from the Emerald Isle." With quietness and beauty, and so feed

It has really been rather a long story,” said Mrs. LoWith lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues, raine. Poor Little Laura has been looking sleepy for Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfislı men, the last quarter of an hour, but in reply to her mamma's Shall e'er prevail aguinst us, or disturb

signal for retiring, begs to hear the evening's charade Our cheerful fruth, that all which we behold

before she goes." Is full of blessings.-

“ Yes, please,” said Laura ; " do let me stay, and try “I do love to see the love of Nature my children's to guess it; and, first, let Sophia tell us what the Golden first love."

Saxifrage is good for!” Not our very first love either : that must have been “I am afraid it is good for nothing but to look yours and my mother's. I almost feel ashamed to say pretty," answered Sophia ; " at least, in the present day, our enjoyment of the beauties of nature was interrupted in spite of its name, it is not used by the herbalists; by the keen demand of appetite;' and on re-entering but it is one of the many proofs which flowers afford of the cabin we were not a little pleased to see how well the overflowing bounty of Him who has spread beauty Bírs. Gordon's handy fingers had spread the table for us; over the lowly places of the earth, and gives cheerful. and in addition to the contents of our traveiling-basket, ness and peace to many a humble and lowly heart." the hostess had supplied a profusion of fresh eggs, Now then, my dear mother,” said Cyril, “ if you which she roasted in the embers, and pressed upon us will hand me the charade, Laura shall read it herself with true Irish hospitality.”

though it looks rather a long one.” And, drawing the “ But was not the place too dirty for you to enjoy any little girl to him, gave her the following :thing?"

By what shall we my first pourtray ? “Indeed, it was not. I own it was not quite a

Call it gloomy, call it gay, drawing-room; but the furniture was good and clean,

Call it wretched, call it grand, and the dresser displayed nice delf and other comforts, though there was a mud floor, and the ceiling merely

The shame and glory of our land. consisted of the furze which supported the thatch,

Seat of learning, round of pleasure, whilst a large brood of fowls had undisputed possession

Haunt of vice, and store of treasure; of one corner of the room, where they kept flying up

Into whose vast bosom pours and down from a beam which was over a good store of

Exhaustless wealth from farthest shores, fuel and potatoes. I was laughed at for my nicety in

Yet, in the darkness of her breast, chasing the fowls out of the cabin before I sat down to

Hides grief by poverty opprest. dinner; but I redeemed my character by patting two

Morning views not ought so fair large dogs which stationed themselves beside us, and

As the bright things which glitter there ; beg red for a share in our good things."

Nor does the night her shadow throw “ Certainly this could not be called a wretched Irish

O'er scenes of deeper guilt and woe. cabin."

And here, with gorgeous panoply, “Oh no! it belonged to one of the class of respect

Oft comes my Second sweeping by ; able farmers. Two or three children, who came in from

Yet not the less will shrink aside school, were tolerably well clothed ; and the good master soon made his appearance with his borse, cart, and

In dim obscurity to hide. eldes: daughter, a very pretty girl, whose black eyes

Some say it was not made for man, gave us many furtive glances, and who amused me

And yet, deny it if you can, greatly by the mixture of archness, cunning, and sim

In all, suppress it as we may, plicity, with which she contrived to draw me away from

"Twill sometimes struggle into day; the party, under the pretext of showing me a view I had

And gentlest minds may own its thrall, not seen, and then blushing, and smiling, and curt

Whilst those whom it would high install seying, asked me how I liked Ireland. And sure,' she

Will find it oft may have a fall. added, “your ladyship don't dislike the Irish--sure you

My First has many a gilded done would not object to taking an Irish servant; and I

Where finds my Second fitting liome; would so like to go with you to England-it would be

My First has many a humble shed such improvement to larn the good, tidy, English ways.

Where my bright whole may rear her head, Oh, I would like much to go

Tended by humble hands with care, “Well, Sophia, why did you not bring her? I wonder

And pining for a purer air. you could have the heart to refuse !” exclaimed Charles. Just imagine old Watson having a wild Irish girl to

My pretty Whole! 'Tis Nature's child teach. The very exercise of scolding her would curo

Lurking within tlie woodlands wild, | the rheumatism."

A dweller on the lonely rock, “ I felt quite sorry to crush poor Bridget's hope, wild

And yet, amid the city's smoke, as it was," said Sophia ; "and turned homewards with

To the spent artisan 't will bring regret.'

Remembrance of life's gay spring,
How long did your regret last, Sophia, after you got

And from the town's close dirty lane into the April sunshine ?” asked Mr. Loraine.

Isus

Allure his memory back again pect hardly as long as an April shower?"

To early scenes, till from his eye “ The sea breeze wafted it all away as we walked

The gloomy buildings seem to fly, down the heights of Ballinascorney, where each side of

And childhood's home luis heart will bless ll the road was a treasury of spring flowers-primroses.

Amidst the city's wilderness. cowslips, wood-anemones, oxalis, and hairy violets; and where, close by a trickling rill, I discovered the chrysos

LONGEVITY OF THE TORTOISE.

THE CAPTAIN MASTERED."

CUNNING OF THE FOX.

" The “ From

Miscellaneous.

man is not answered by every part of their organization; but every essential purpose of the sky might, as far as

we know, be answered, if once in three days, or there. “ I have here made only a nosegay of culled flowers, and

abouts, a great black ugly rain cloud were broken up have brought nothing of my own, but the string that ties

over the blue, and everything well watered, and so all them."--Montaigne.

left blue again until next time, with perhaps a film of morning and evening mist for dew. But instead of this,

there is not a moment of any day of our lives when nature In the library of Lambeth Palace is the shell of a is not producing scene after scene, picture after picture, tortoise, brought there in 1623. It lived till 1730, glory after glory, and working still upon such exquisite and was then accidentally killed. Another, in the and constant principles of the most perfect beauty, that palace at Fulham, procured by Bishop Laud in 1628, it is quite certain it is all done for us, and intended for died in 1759. Tortoises are proverbial for their our perpetual pleasure.—Modern Painters. longevity; one at Peterborough lived 220 years.-Sir Richard Phillips.

Another of our skipper's stories was the finding a

vessel yawing about in a most fearful way, steering WHEN living in Ross-shire, I went one morning in wild. He at first determined to give her a wide berth, July, before daybreak, to endeavour to shoot a stag, but afterwards thought he would inquire the longitude who had been complained of very much by an ad' He therefore hailed her, “What ship is that ?"

“Where are you from ?”. joining farmer, as having donc great damage to Samuel Walker.” his crops. Just after it was daylight, I saw a large fox Bosting, down east.” “Who commands her?” “ Why, come very quietly along the edge of the plantation undertuk her, but I swear she is too much for me." in which I was concealed ; he looked with grcat care

Echocs from the Backwoods. over thic turf wall into the field, and seemed to long very much to get hold of some hares that were feeding in it, but apparently knew that he bad no chance of catch

I have often been astonished at the softness in which ing one by dint of running; after considering a short other minds seem to have passed their day: the ripened time, he seemed to have formed his plans, and having pasture and clustering vineyards of imagination : the examined the different gaps in the wall by which the mental arcadia in which they describe themselves as hares might be supposed to go in and out, he fixed upon having loitered from year to year. Yet, can I have faith the one that seemed the most frequented, and laid him in this perpetual Claude Lorraine pencil--this undying self down close to it in an attitude like a cat watching a verdure of the soil--this gold and purple suffusion of the mouse-hole. Cunning as he was, he was too intent on sky-those pomps of the palace and the pencil with their his own hunting to be aware that I was within twenty pageants and nymphs, giving life to their landscape; yards of him with a loaded rifie, and able to watch every while mine was a continual encounter with difficulty, movement he made; I was much amazed to see the

a continual summons to self-control ?-A march, not fellow so completely outwitted, and kept my rifle ready unlike that of the climber up the side of Etna; every to shoot him if he found me out and attempted to step through ruins, the vestiges of former conflagrations; escape. In the mean time I watched all his plans : le the ground I trode, rocks that had once been flame; first, with great silence and care, scraped a small hollow every advance a new trial of my feelings or my fortitude; in the ground, throwing up the sand as a kind of sercen every stage of the ascent leading me, like the traveller, between his hiding place and the hares' meuse. Every into a higher region, of sand or ashes ; until, at the now and then, however, he stopped to listen, and some highest, I stood in a circle of eternal frost, with all the times to take a most cautions peep into the field; when rich and human landscape below fading away in distance, he had done this, he laid himself down in a convenint and looked down only on a gulph of fire.—Marston. posture for springing on his prey, and remained perfectly motionless, with the exception of an occasional cannot stand ; but it has wings, and can fly far and

The Chinese proverb says, “ A lie has no legs, and reconnoitre of the feeding hares. When the sun began

wide."— Hlochelaga. to rise, they came one by one from the field to the cover of the plantation ; three had already come in without The noblest part of a friend is an honest boldncze in passing by his ambush ; one of them came within twenty the notifying of crrors. He that tells me of a fault, yards of him, but he made no movement beyond crouch aiming at my good, I must think him wise and faithful; ing still more flatly to the ground. Presently two came wise, in spying that which I see not; faithful, in a plain directly towards him; though he did not venture to admonishment, not tainted with flattery.--Feltham's look up, I saw by an involuntary motion of his ears that Resolves. those quick organs had already warned him ot' their It is startling to reflect that all the time and energy approach : the two hares came through the gap together, of a multitude of persons of genius, talent and know and the fox, springing with the quickness of lightning, ledge, is expended in endeavours to demonstrate each caught one and killed her immediately; he then lifted others' errors.” -- Liebeg." up his booty and was carrying it off like a retriever, when my rifle ball stopped his course by passing through N.B. The Second Volume of this Periodical is now ready ; GOTETS his backbone, and I went up and dispatched him. After for binding, with table of contents, may be ordered of any Books seeing this I never wondered again as to how a fox could make a prey of animals much quicker than himself, and apparently quite as cunning.-- Wild Sports and Natu

CONTENTS. ral History of the Highlands, by Charles St. John, E87 The Mother's llope, (with Old Records of New Roads,

Illustration)................... 161

No. III....

Visit to the It is a strange thing how little in general people

Frank Fairlegh; or, Old the Indigent Blind, Si

Companions in New George's Fields know about the sky. It is the part of creation in which nature has done more for the sake of pleasing man.

Scenes, Chap. I.............. 162

A Christmas Party in the

Country, Chap. V......
The Paria...

165 more for the sole and cvident purpose of talking to him

MISCELLANEOUS.. and teaching him, than in any other of her works, and

seller.

l'age

Page

THE BEAUTY OF THE SKY.

167 School for

110

114 176

London Magazine:

A JOURNAL OF ENTERTAINMENT AND INSTRUCTION

FOR GENERAL READING.

Poor Ellen ran out to the meeting,
And soon returned—with 'wildered eye
And breathless haste her father greeting-
Into the farm-house tremblingly.
“Oh help!" she cried, “a mournful wailing
Comes from the reedy waters dun!
'Tis George--he cries—his strength is failing-
Oh father! haste! to save your son!”
The old man looked up and shook lightly
His hoary locks, "My child! thon know'st
An hundred years there wandered nightly,
Just there, the noble Gertrude's Ghost.
Astray at night among the marshes
Her horses and her carriage sank,
The Countess o’er the moor still paces,
And warns the traveller from the bank.”
“ Oh! ere his heart break! come !" cried Ellen,
“And speak not of an idle tale !
His cries upon my ear were swelling!
Could I to know his accents fail ?”
Yet, trusting to the village saying-
Though on her knees she begged-in doubt
Sate Martin yet, his help delaying,
And in despair she hurried out.
“Oh help !" she cried at every dwelling,

A man is drowning in the lake!
He groans-oh! list the tale I'm telling-
I ask it for our Saviour's sake!”
Yet-as were all in league united-
" It were but so much labour lost.”
They stupid said-her misery slighted-
“ 'Tis nothing but the Lady's ghost.

“Oh God!” she cried, her arms extending,

No heart of rock would aid allow-
Thou-who art Love-let that, descending,
Give me the strength to save him now !"
Then quickly felt she that a fountain
Of courage in her breast arose,
And swiftly rushed she 'neath the mountain,
Whence still the wild lamenting goes.
The old man in the house felt dreary
As all the world upon him lay,
And through the fields he hastened, weary,
That stormy winter's night away.
He called 'midst roaring wind and water
On Ellen's name an hundred times,
But 'stead of his beloved daughter
There answered only echo-chimes.
The village his lamentings raising,
The men all now to rescue throng-
And twenty torches light was blazing
At midnight all the Pool along.
There found they-horror all surpassing !
Close to the shore, in sedges wide,
Their stiffened bodies yet embracing
Whom death itself could not divide.
White as a spectre with his sorrow
Sank Martin in his neighbours' arms,
And this disastrous night no morrow,
No joy from memory ever charms.
A grey stone, with two doves abiding,
The country mason's labours gave,
With—“ Flee from Superstition's guiding !
That laid them in their early grave.”

THE CINQUE PORTS.

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SANDWICH.

“As generations come and go,

Their arts, their customs, ebb and flow;
Fate, fortune, sweep strong powers away,
And feeble, of themselves, decay.”

WORDSWORTH.

BEFORE commencing our notices of this once The wasting of these waters, and the decay of celebrated but now almost unknown town, it may the channel, would in all likelihood have been be advisable briefly to allude to the physical chan- progressing for many years before the circumstance ges which time has produced on the coast on which was noted, but the alteration had become quite Sandwich once lay, and in the island (Thanet) on visible in Bede's time. The Stour was neither so which it so closely abuts.

wide nor so rapid as it had been; the Yenlade was The river dividing Thanet from the continent of beginning to be known as the Wantsume; and the Kent fell into the sea at Sandwich, and was called proprietors were inadvertently adding to the the Stour, and this (or rather another stream which mischief, by securing those lands from which the flowed into it), winding to the north-west so as to sea had retired, from the possibility of being again form the island, reached the sea again near Recul- overflowed. ver, where it was called formerly the Yenlade, but At the time this estuary was as we have deafterwards, as the waters began to fail, it was known scribed it at first, the lands along the course of the by the appropriate appellation of Wantsume, a river which now are luxuriant pasture were of name which it still retains. At both these mouths course beneath the waters, which also flowed over the sea rushed freely, and flowed entirely round the the low grounds almost as far as Canterbury; and island, forming, as we have said, a broad estuary, on the coast from Ramsgate to Deal extended one which offered a safe and inviting passage for ships broad bay, the tides of which washed the foot of of the largest burthen, and was indeed the accus- the hill on which Richborough Castle stands, now tomed route from France to London. The water two miles inland. Ebbsflete, where a narrow at the narrowest part was upwards of a mile and creek ran inland, was a common and convenient a half in widtb, and in some places four miles. landing place, and the site of the present town of

a

a

a

Sandwich was under the waves.

descriptions of cruelty, always disgusting and never It was probably as a successor to or substitute profitable. Pass we therefore over them. Rather for Richborough, when the sea retiring from it would we assist the over-proud and over-zealous yet destroyed its utility as a port, that Sandwich was well-intentioned Bishop and Martyr, St. Thomas à built, on ground also redeemed from the ocean. It Becket in his flight, when after a close concealment was built along the southern margin of the river of many days at Eastry, he passed hastily through Stour, and on the sea sands, as it name Sond-wic or Sandwich,and, leaving the town by the Fishers' Gate, Sondwych fully testifies; and this title also evidences embarked in a small fishing boat which had been its Saxon origin. The name first occurs in history secretly hired for him, and landed at Gravelines the about the year A.D. 664. The town was also called same evening. Or gladly would we join the throng Lundenwich, as lying in the way, or rather being who are so eagerly crowding towards the quay just the usual passage, to London.

six years afterwards, to welcome the Prelate on From the time of its origin, the property of this bis return to his home, and to escort him with town was vested in the reigning monarch, until honour through the Canterbury Gate. the

year A.D. 979, when King Ethelred gave it to But a few years pass, and a still more illustrious Christchurch in Canterbury to the use of the monks, exile, a crowned and lion-hearted king, steps on the free from all secular service and fiscal tribute quay at Sandwich, amid the deafening acclamations except the repelling invasions, and the repairing of of his subjects, assembled from every quarter four bridges and castles. King Knute confirmed, or miles around, to obtain a glance of the brave rather (for all the property of the island was his monarch, who, on his return from the Holy Wars, by conquest) renewed this gift, after having partly was betrayed by the guile of the cowardly Duke rebuilt and considerably improved the town of Austria, and, in defiance of every feeling of William the Conquerer, and Henry the Second, chivalry and honour, was by him cast into a dungeon. confirmed to the monks of Christchurch all their For months he languished there, and, as every liberties and customs in Sandwich. But in the body knows, the place of his confinement was disreign of Edward the First, these reverend proprietors covered by a faithful minstrel. He was at length gave up to the king a chief proportion of their released, finished his journey safely, and is now rights in exchange for land in another part of Kent: treading his own soil, breathing his native air. and, the reservations made in this agreement being Loud, deafening, are the heartfelt shouts that found practically inconvenient, a further compro- greet him, splendid the carriage prepared for him, mise was made in the reign of Edward the Third, magnificent the cortège which awaits him. But he whereby the monks ceded all their rights, privileges, withdraws from all; declines all honours, all state, and possessions in the town and port of Sandwichall parade, and in humble guise and on foot, he

It was in Edward the Confessor's reign, who proceeds from Sandwich to Canterbury, there to resided here for a considerable time, that Sandwich offer before the High Altar rich gifts and oblations, was made a Cinque Port, and it has always ranked and the more acceptable sacrifice of a heart sofnext to Hastings in precedency. It was first in- tened by gratitude for the perils he had escaped. corporated by Edward the Third, and the meeting This paramount duty performed, Richard “is himby which the Mayor is annually elected is convened self again.”. by the blast of a brass horn of great antiquity, Many such scenes of thrilling interest the annals which is sounded before the house of every one

of Sandwich bear witness to, and many passages qualified to vote. All municipal elections, decrees, of a highly chivalric nature occurred here, for, as &c. are made by the corporate body assembled by we have said, this town ranked second among the the blast of this ancient horn.

Cinque Ports. At first it furnished only five ships Some of these ancient laws are amusing. In to the general quota, but so rapid was its advance 1493 it was decreed that a person refusing to take in wealth and importance, that, various alterations a particular office, to which he was appointed by being made from time to time in the allotments the meeting, should not be permitted to bake or according to the varying circumstances of the Ports, brew, or that, if he did bake or brew, the Commons instead of five, Sandwich was shortly taxed to might seize the bread and beer, and apply it to the amount of ten ships and a half. It is said to their own use.

We can hardly in these days have been the first place in England where ships understand how very awkward a predicament this were built. must have been, when beer shops and public bake- Sandwich was very often the rendezvous for houses were not.

fleets which were especially commanded by the Another decree of about the same period was king in person; and this was particularly the case that no person be elected a jurat, who has not in the reign of the chivalrous Edward III. Indeed, dwelt and kept house in the town a year and a day, during alĩ the French wars of these times, it was he and his wife together. A general law of this kind the accustomed rendezvous of the fleets and armies, might become a national benefit; or would it not and the most usual place of embarkation and derather perhaps in these days become the nucleus of barkation. It is said by some authors, that, after another league to agitate for repeal?

the battle of Poictiers, when the Black Prince Sandwich seems gradually to have increased in threw his former laurels into insignificance by the wealth and consequence from the time when, from bright ones he gathered there, he landed at Šandthe decay of the Portus Rutupinus (Richborough), wich, with his royal prisoners, John, King of it became a substitute for, and successor to, that France, and Philip, the monarch's youngest son, celebrated haven, though, like other towns on a promising youth of fourteen, who had fought this coast, it suffered at times fearfully from the bravely at his father's side, and yielded his sword ravages of the Danes. But the inhabitants made at the same time. a spirited, and not unfrequently a successful, oppo

While in the zenith of glory and prosperity, sition to these pirates. To enter into any detailed account of these times, would merely be to multiply

(1) Some authors say Plymouth.