fame diftinction. At their chriftenings they commonly have three or four godfathers, with an equal number of godmothers, who, after that ceremony, reckon themfelves fo nearly related, that they can no more marry each other, than if they were children of the fame parents.

THEY have a very ridiculous cuftom at their funerals. Juft before the coffin is fhut up, the father-confeffor of the deceafed puts a teftimonial, or pafs, for the other world, in writing, between the fingers of the corpfe, in thefe words: "We, N. N. do certify by thefe prefents, that the bearer hereof has always behaved himself, and lived among us as became a good chriftian, profeffing the Greek religion; and although he may have committed fome bad fins, he hath confeffed the fame, whereupon he hath received abfolution, and taken the communion for the remiffion of his fine; that he hath honoured God and his faints; that he hath not neglected his prayers, and hath fafted on the hours and days appointed by the church; that he hath always behaved himfelf towards me, who am his confeffor, in fuch a manner, that I have no reafon to complain of him, or to deny him the abfolution of his fins. In witnefs whereof, we have given him thefe teftimonies, to the end that St. Peter, upon fight of them, may not deny him the opening of the gate to eternal life."

RESPECTING their images, they fuffer none that are carved or graven, either in their churches or houses, but fuch only as are painted on wood, in oil colours, by thofe of their own religion. They never will own to have bought their faints, but go to the God-market, and, having chofen a figure they like, depofit the money for the exchange of it. If the faint-maker thinks it not fufficient, he fhoves it back, and the other party is obliged to add more to it, 'till he is fatisfied. The walls of their churches are every where full of them: over the porch of their churches, in the market-place, and over the gates of their cities, you are fure to meet with the picture of fome faint or other; fo that go which way you will, you fee numbers of people croffing themselves with a moft profound inclination of the head, repeating the Gofpodi Pomilui, or, "God have mercy upon me." The ages they confider fo abfolutely neceffury, that without them they could not perform their devotion: they are the chief ornament of their houfes, and whoever enters, firit

pays

pays his refpect to the faint, and then to thofe of the family. A Ruffian once coming to me with a meffage, looked round about the room for an image, and feeing none, afked me, "Where is thy God?" I answered, "In heaven." Upon which he immediately went away, without delivering his mef fage. I told the general this circumstance, and he directly ordered a faint's picture to be hung up in my room, to prevent giving any further offence of that kind.

ALL Ruffians, of what degree or condition whatsoever, sleep after dinner; fo that about noon the fhops are fhut up, and there is no more speaking to any body than if it was at midnight. They bathe frequently people of quality have their own private bathing-places, and bathe twice a week at leaft; but the public bathing-places are all built near the fides of the rivers. Their ftoves are clofe places with furnaces, which they heat exceedingly; and, for the better raifing of vapour, frequently throw cold water on the ftove: there are benches all round, at fome diftance, one above another, differing in the degrees of heat, fo that every one chufes the temperature that best fuits him. Upon one of thofe benches they lay themselves down at full length, quite naked, and having fweated as long as they think proper, they are well washed with warm water, and well rubbed with handfuls of herbs; after which they take a dram of aqua vita, and go about their bufinefs. But what is most admirable is, when they find the heat too intense, both men and women will run out of the ftove, quite naked as they are, plunge into the river, and swim about for fome time: if it is in the winter, they will roll in the fnow. These public baths are fo carelessly built, that it is an eafy matter to fee the people in the next room, through the aperture of the boards which di vide them; which, to the women who frequent them, is of no great confequence, as they are not nicely delicate in being feen naked, both fexes going out and coming in at the fame door naked, when they want to cool themselves.

Thefe baths are the univerfal remedies of the Mufcovites, whether for cleanliness or health; and thus accustomed from their infancy to the extremes of heat and cold, they become both ftout and hardy, and in general long lived, little fubject to any distemper: thus they live for the most part without phyficians, and many of them without difeafes. They begin their day at fun-rifing, and end at fun-fetting; fo that their night begins as foon as the fun is down, and ends when it rifes.

A CURIOUS

A CURIOUS and EXACT DESCRIPTION of LITCHFIELD CATHEDRAL.

[From Pennant's Journey from Chefter to London.]

Tdour, was referved for John Hacket, prefented to this fee

HE honour of restoring this church to its former fplen

in 1661. On the very next day after his arrival, he fet his coach-horses, with teams, to remove the rubbish, and in eight years time restored the cathedral to its prefent beautiful state, at the expence of twenty thousand pounds; one thousand of which was the gift of the dean and chapter; the reft was done either at his own charge, or by benefactions refulting from his own folicitations. He died in 1670. A very handfome tomb. was erected in the choir to his memory, with his effigies laid recumbent on it, with a mitre on his head, and in his epifcopal drefs.

The weft front is of great elegance, adorned with the richest fculpture, and, till of late, with rows of ftatues of prophets, kings of Judah, &c. and, above all, a very bad one of Charles the Second, who had contributed to the repair of the church by a liberal gift of timber. This ftatue was the work of a Sir William Wilfon, originally a mafon from Sutton Coldfield, who, after marrying a rich wife, arrived at the dignity of knighthood.

The fculptures round the doors are very elegant; but time, or violence, hath greatly impaired their beauty.

James the Second, when duke of York, bestowed on this church the magnificent weft window. The fine painted glass was given of late years by dean Addenbrook.

The northern door is extremely rich in fculptured mouldings: three of foliage and three of fmall figures in ovals. In one of the lowest is reprefented a monk baptifing a perfon kneeling before him. Probably the former is intended for St. Chad; the latter for Wulferus. It is a misfortune that the ornaments of this cathedral are made of fuch friable stone, that what fanaticifm has spared the weather has impaired.

In the front are two fine fpires, and a third in the centre, of a vaft height, and fine proportion.

The roof was till of late covered with lead, but grew fo greatly out of repair, that the dean and chapter were obliged to fubftitute flates in lead of metal, on account of the narrow revenues left to maintain this venerable pile; and, after the tricteft economy, they will be under the neceffity of contribu ting from their own income, in order to complete their plan, VOL. I. 7. The

X

The excellent order that all the cathedrals I have vifited are in, does great credit to their members, who spare nothing from their own incomes to render them not only decent but elegant.

The body is lofty, fupported by pillars formed of numbers of flender columns, with neat foliated capitals. Along the walls of the ailes are rows of falfe arches, in the Gothic style, with a feat beneath.

The upper rows of windows, in the body, are of an uncommon form, being triangular, including three circles in each.

In each tranfept are two places, formerly chapels; at present confiftory courts, and the vicar's veftry-room.

The choir merits attention, on account of the elegant scalpture about the windows, and the embattled gallery that runs beneath them. On each fide are fix ftatues, now much mutilated, placed in beautiful Gothic niches, and richly painted. The firft on the left is St. Peter; the next is the Virgin; the third is Mary Magdalen, with one leg bare, to denote her legendary wantonnefs. The other three are St. Philip, St. James, and St. Chrif topher, with Chrift on his fhoulders.

The beauty of this choir is much impaired by the impropriety of a rich altar-piece, of Grecian architecture, terminating this elegant Gothic building.

Behind this is St. Mary's chapel, with a ftone fkreen, the moft elegant which can be imagined, embattled at top, and adorned with several rows of Gothic niches, of most exquifite workmanship; each formerly containing a small statue. Beneath them are thirteen ftalls, with Gothic work over each. In this chapel are nine windows, more narrow, lofty, and of more elegant work than any of the others; three on each fide, and three at the end.

Anfwer, by George Pafmore, of Newton-Bushel, to J. Hodge's Enigma, inferted January 13.

WH

HEN God created heaven and earth,
And gave to every thing its birth,
Proud man among the reft;

He gave to him a virtuous wife,

With this command:-" Be chafte for life,
"And be for ever blefs'd.

"In all refpects fulfil defire;
"Let mutual love each bofom fire,
"And let your will be free."

He faid. But Eve firft did the wrong;
Deluded by the ferpent's tongue,
To give the firft offence,

Put forth her hand-fhe pluck'd-she eat ;
Earth felt the wound, and nature's feat
Has totter'd ever fince.

Hence evils fprung of every kind,
Defects of body and of mind,
The devil's grand parade;
Hence Pagan, Infidel, and Jew;
Hence murder, theft, adult'ry too,

By which a CUCKOLD's made.

We have received the like anfwer from Agathos Pais, of Taunton; J. S. of Shepton-Mallet; and P. M. A.

A QUESTION, by Robert Hafell, of Bristól. MULTIPLY half my age by 18, to that product add 24, from that fum fubtract 2, the fquare root of the remainder is my age.