programme, exhorting the spectators, and pointing out the passages which should come most home to their business and bosoms.

The farce is accompanied with instrumental music, and contains the secret history of the village, plentifully sprinkled with scandal and railleries. If anything ridiculous takes place before the curtain, since the commencement of this long entertainment, it is straightway lugged into the piece, and the audience are made to laugh at their own folly and absurdities.

SUPERSTITIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDERS. -The Highlanders of Scotland, like all rude people, had various superstitious modes of inquiring into futurity; one of the most noted was the togharm. A person was wrapped up in the skin of a newly slain bullock, and deposited between a water-fall, or at the bottom of a precipice, or in some other strange, wild, and unusual situation, where the scenery around him suggested nothing but objects of horror. In this situation, he revolved in his mind the question proposed and whatever was impressed upon him by his exalted imagination, passed for the inspiration of the disembodied spirits who haunt these desolate recesses. One way of con sulting this oracle was by a party of men, who first retired to solitary places, remote from any house, and then they singled out one of their number, and wrapt him in a big cow's hide, which they folded about him; his whole body was covered with it, except his head, and so left in this posture all night, until his invisible friends relieved him, by giving a proper answer to the question in hand; which he received, as he fancied, from several persons that he found about him all that time. His consorts returned to him at break of day, when he communicated his news to them, which often proved fatal to those concerned in such unwarrantable enquiries.

ALPHA.

EXCELLENT REPROOF. When the Athenian ambassadors returned from Macedonia, they expatiated much on the beauty of Alexander's person, and his power of drinking a large quantity of wine at one time. Demosthenes heard these reports with indignation; observing, that the first topic of praise became a woman; and that the second contained the quality of a sponge.

QUARRELLING REFORMERS.-Calvin the Reformer's mode of expression was rather coarse. Luther had, in one of his own writings, called him a declaimer; and Calvin, to justify himself from such a title, breaks out :-"Your whole school is nothing but a stinking stye of pigs. Dog! do you understand me? Do you understand me, madman? Do you understand me, you great beast?"

COCKS OF THE ALMIGHTY. - In the ninth century mention is made of weathercocks. There is no doubt that the cock was intended as an emblem of clerical vigilance. In the ages of ignorance, the clergy often styled themselves the Cocks of the Almighty, whose duty it was, like the cock that roused St. Peter, to call the people to repentance, or at any rate to church.

CORRELLI.-While the famous Correlli, at Rome, was playing some musical compositions of his own, to a select company in the private apartment of his patron-cardinal, he observed, in the height of his harmony, that his eminence was engaged in a detached conversation; upon which he suddenly stopped short, and gently laid down his instrument. The cardinal, surprised at the unexpected cessation, asked him if a string was broken?-to which Correlli, in an honest consciousness of what was due to his music, replied, "No, sir, I was only afraid I interrupted business." His eminence, who knew that a genius could never show itself to advantage, where it had not proper regards, took this reproof in good part, and broke off his conversation, to hear the whole concerto played over again.

MR. GARDNER, (father of the celebrated Luke Gardner, afterwards Lord Mountjoy,) was of low origin, but ultimately made a large fortune. It is reported of him, that one day stepping into his carriage, as the witty Earl of Ross was passing by, his lordship observed, that he wondered Mr. Gardner did not sometimes make a mistake, by stepping behind the carriage, instead of into it. "It is always better," replied Gardner, to step into a carriage than out of one;" alluding to his lordship's distresses at the time, brought upon him by his own dissipation and extravagance.

W.H.P.

Epitaph on Thomas Kemp, hanged for Sheep

stealing.

Here lies the body of Thomas Kemp,
Who lived by wool, but died by hemp;

There's nothing would suffice this glutton,

But with the fleece to steal the mutton: Had he but worked, and lived uprighter, He'd ne'er been hung for a sheep-biter.

Tuesday, Nov. 1.

All Saints.

High Water, Oh Om Morn-0h 10m After. All Saints.-The church in this great festival, honour all the saints rising together in glory. The Latin term Reliqua, seems to imply that the feast was instituted to celebrate all the remainder of the saints not specified under their proper day. This, however, is not really the case. The institution of this festival originated in the dedication of the great church of the Pantheon in Rome, formerly a heathen temple built by Marcus Agrippa.

Wednesday, Nov. 2.

All Souls.

Sun rises Oh 32m-Sets Oh 52m." Nov. 2, 1655.-Cromwell concluded a treaty with France. His alliance at that time was sought by France and Spain, and he had the satisfaction of seeing himself flattered by two of the highest Christian powers. He determined for France, and treated with her upon equal terms of respect, forcing the king to give him the title of brother in his letters. He had the power to oblige the King of France to deny Charles the Second and the Duke of York, grandsons of Henry the Fourth, an asylum.

St. Brinstan, bishop of Winchester, A.D. 931.
Full Moon, 38m aft. 1 After.

This time of year reminds us of the following aspiration.-As a careful husbandman will guard the blossoms of his trees against the blights of spring and the windes of the early yeare, cool them in the summer heat with refreshing irrigation, and gather their fruit in autumn for the winter's repast, so should we cultivate the tree of life in the garden of the soul, protecting the flowers of our youthful virtues from the blasts of early heresy, cool them in the meridian of our passions with the fountains of heavenly grace, and lay up their fruits as life closes in the store. house of the mind, that we may by industry and watchfulness obtain the repast eternal. Florilegium Saturday, Nov. 5.

St. Bertille, abbess, A.D. 692. High Water 21m after 2 Mor.-36m after 2 aftern. Poor Robin's Almanack for 1677, contains the following lines on the ever to be remembered 5th of November

"Now boys with squibs and crackers play,

And bonfires blaze turns night to day." This day is still kept to commemorate the attempts of certain miscreants to blow up the Parliament House. The fullest account of this, at best but very doubtful transaction, is to be found in Hume's History of England.

from Edinburgh. At Mr. Robertson's house of Lawers, a rumbling noise, like distant thunder, had been heard at intervals for two months: and, at the time of the shock, a noise like the discharge of artillery was distinctly heard. Mr. Dundas and Mr. Bruce of Edinburgh were standing be fore the fire in the drawing-room, and they described the effect as if a great mallet had suddenly struck the foundation of the house. At the village of Comrie, the inhabitants left their houses, and ran to the open fields.

Sunday, Nov. 6.

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER

TRINITY.

Lessons for the Day.-Proverbs, 11 chap Morning Proverbs, 12 ch. Evening.

The Discoverer of the Art of Printing.-The following extract may serve to point out to whom the invention of this highly useful and beneficial art owes its origin. "In an instrument bearing date November 6th, 1455, the claim is decided in favour of Guttemburg; but the honour of single types, made of metal, is ascribed to Faust, wherein he received great assistance from his servant and son-in-law, Peter Schoeffer, who devised the punches, matrices, and moulds for casting them on which account he was taken into partnership by his father-in-law, who in 1455, had a quarrel with, and separated from Guttemberg; those who have asserted that Faust was the first inventor of printing, have given for a reason, that they have never seen any book with Guttemberg's name to it, without consider

ing that their first essays in printing, both by

blocks and moveable types, being sold for manuscripts, were anonymous; the invention being by them intended to be kept secret; nor was it divulged till their disagreement, by which time Faust had made himself master of the art, and Guttemberg was not able to proceed alone, owing to his circumstances.

Monday, Nov. 7.

St. Willihord, 1st Bish. of Utrecht, A.D. 738. Sun rises 21m after 7-sets 38 after 4. November, the month we have fairly entered, is usually one of a very gloomy nature; yet there are some instances of clear and pleasant weather; the mornings are generally sharp, but the hoar frost is soon dissipated by the sun, giving a rich tinge to the Autumyal colouring of the decaying foliage, and affording a fine open day. At other times November days are involved in dense fogs. Chills, with dense fogs, the cheerless, tardy morne, Wraps soon invading night in pall foriorne, And, till December and his train appeare, Pours the loud urne on the expiring yeare.

Tuesday, Nov. 8.

St. Willehad, 6. of Bremen, A.D. 787. High Water, 50m aft 3 Morn 5m aft 4 After C. Lamb, speaking of this time of the year, says, "Now, the shops begin to shine out with their new winter wares; though as yet the chief profits of their owners depend on disposing of the 'summer stock' at fifty per cent. under prime cost. Now, during the first week, the citizens see visions and dream dreams, the burthens of which are Barons of Beef; and the first eight days are passed in a state of pleasing perplexity, touching their chance of a ticket for the Lord Mayor's din

Among this lengthy list of early London theatres, the Globe is the most entitled to notice, on account of its connection with the great magician of the drama, who not only produced some of his matchless plays here, but made it the scene of his labours as an actor.

The Globe theatre was the fourth and most eminent of the theatres at Bankside: it stood near to the Hope or Beargarden, where the much estimated sports of our forefathers, bear and bull-baiting, were exercised for the amusement of her majesty's + lieges, to the restriction, by an order of her privy council, of the performance of stage-plays and interludes on Thursdays.

Mr. Malone, whose knowledge of the early state of our national drama is not to be questioned, observes, that the period of its erection is doubtful, but thinks it must have been after 1570, as does Howes also, in his continuation of Stowe's Survey, 1631, who says, "before that time he neither knew or read of any such theatres, set-stages, or play-houses as had been built within man's memory." Another writer supposes the date of it may be "confidently fixed within the years 1596-8," on account of the contract for building the Fortune theatre (1599) referring to it on the Bankside." But this conjecture certainly makes it too modern; for, not to mention other circumstances, a petition of the queen's players to the lords of the council, in 1582, craving permission to perform in London, states expressly," the season of the year to be past to play at any of the houses with out the city; and that the Globe was one of these houses, must be evident from the condition upon which they obtained their suit, viz. that their number and names should be notified to the justices of Middlesex and Surrey.". Now the Globe was most certainly the first play-house erected in Surrey; and its notification to the magistrates of such county, unless it had reference to that

Of plays, Shakspeare's Pericles. and Romeo and Juliet, were acted at the Globe in 1609, and his Taming of the Shrew in 1623; other pieces we have met with as performed Duchess of Malfry, 1623; The Picture; and the Emperor of the East, by Massinger, acted 1630 and 1632: Albertus Wallenstein, tr. by Glapthorpe, 1634; Lancashire Witches, com by Heywood, acted at the Globe, 1634 Challenge for Beauty, tr. com, by ditto, 1636; A Game at Chesse, by Middleton, 1625; and, the Lover's Melancholy, by John Ford, acted at

here and at Black Friars are, Webster's

the Globe, and at Black Friars, 1629, + Queen Elizabeth,

theatre, would have been needless. Perhaps we shall be near the truth, in fixing the date of its erection between 1570-73.

66

It was at first a round, spacious building of wood, or, as Stowe more properly terms buildings of that age, a frame of timber," partially roofed with rushes, having an open area. From the top of which a silk flag was displayed, as was usual with all places of public entertainment at that period, to notify that the exhibitions were going on within. The theatre derived its name from its sign, which was a figure of Hercules or Atlas bearing the globe, under which was written this mottoTotus mundus agit histrionem. (All the world acts a play.)

In 1598, the vestry of St. Saviour's parish ordered-" that a petition should be made to the body of the council concerning the play-house in that parish (the Globe), wherein the enormities should be shewed that came thereby to the parish; and that, in respect thereof, they might be dismissed, and put down` from playing;" and that four or five of the church wardens should present the same. It does not appear whether this went any further; if the petition itself had been entered in the

we

might some account of the

manner in which the theatre was then conducted.

King James thought better of these amusements; and, on his coming tothe throne in 1603, granted his patent to Shakspeare and others to perform plays, "as well within their usuall house called the Globe in Surrey," as elsewhere; when the players, who had before been known as the lord chamberlain's servants only, obtained the more imposing title of the king's servants, and continued acting here until it accidentally burnt on St. Peter's day, June 29, 1613. The particulars of which is thus related by Sir Henry Wootton :

was

"Now to let matters of state sleep, I will entertain you at the present with what hath happened this week at the Banks side. The king's players had a new play, called All is true, representing some principal pieces of the raign of Henry 8, which was set forth, with many extraordinary circumstances of pomp and majesty, even to the matting of the stage; the knights of the order, with their georges and garter, the guards with their embroidered coats, and the like: sufficient in truth within a while to make greatness very familiar, if not