land till the reign of James the First, as we learn, from a remarkable passage in Coryat. The reader will probably smile at the solemn manner in which this important discovery or innovation is related:-"Here I will mention a thing, that might have been spoken of before in discourse of the firstItalian townes. I observed a custom, in all those Italian cities and townes through the which I passed, that is not used in any other country that I saw in my travels, neither do I thinke that any other nation of Christendome doth use it, but only Italy. The Italian, and also most strangers, that are in Italy, doe always at their meals use a little forke, when they eate their meate; for, while with their knife, which they hold in one hand, they cut the meate out of the dish, they fasten the forke, which they hold in the other hand, upon the same dish: so that, whatsoever he be, that sitting in the company of any other at meale, should unadvisedly touch the dish of meate with his fingers, from which all the table doe cut, he will give occasion of offence unto the company, as having transgressed the lawes of good manners, insomuch, that for his error, he shall be at least brow-beaten, if not reprehended in wordes. This forme of feeding, I understand, is generally used in all parts of Italy, their forkes, for the most

part being made of yron, steele, and some of silver, but those are used only by gentlemen. The reason of this, their curiosity is, because the Italian cannot by any means endure to have his dish touched with fingers, seeing all men's fingers are not

Here upon, to imitate the Italian fashion, by this forked cutting of meate, not only while I was in Italy, but also in Germany, and oftentimes in England since I came home: being once quipped for that frequently using my forke, by a certain learned gentleman, a familiar friend of mine, Lawrence Whitaker, who, in his merry humour, doubted not to call me a furcifer, only for using a forke at feeding, but for no other cause.

I myself thought like cleane.

Hackney Coaches, why so called, and when first introduced in this country.

It was from the village of Hackney, that the coaches let to the people in London, first received this name; for, in the sixteenth century, many people, having gone on visits to see their friends at Hackney, it occasioned them often to hire horses or carriages, so that in time it became a common name for

such horses, coaches, and chairs, as were let to the people of London; and the name has now diffused itself not only throughout Britain, but likewise Ireland and America. It is generally shortened to the word Hack.

Hackney coaches first began to ply in the streets of London, or rather waited at inns, in the year 1625, and were only twenty in number; but in 1635, they were so much increased, that King Charles issued out an order of council for restraining them. In 1637, he allowed fifty Hackney coachmen, each of whom kept twelve horses. In 1652, their number was limited to two hundred ; and in 1654, it was extended to three hundred. In 1661, four hundred were licensed at five pounds annually for each. In 1694, seven hundred were allowed, and taxed by the 5th and 6th of William and Mary at four pounds per annum each. By 9th Anne, c. 23, eight hundred coaches were allowed in London and Westminster; but by 8th Geo. III. c. 24, the number was increased to one thousand, which are to be licensed by commissioners, and to pay a duty of five shillings per week to the king. On Sunday there were formerly only one hundred and seventy-five Hackney coaches to ply, which

which were to be appointed by commissioners; but their number is now unlimited.

The antiquity of Liquid Measures.

The Romans sold oil, wine, vinegar, honey, and all kinds of liquids by measure, in a certain horn, capable of holding one, two, or three pounds. This horn was marked on the outside, with a circle drawn about it, which line denoted a pound. In the middle they marked ounces of measure, but not of weight. They measured liquids, but did not weigh them by pounds or ounces, as is proved by Galen, who tells us, in his first book of composition of medicines, that it was a thing very usual in the city of Rome. And Horace observes,

"From horn of two pounds weight, he, drop by drop Distill'd upon the colewort sattels top,

With his own hand, but he would never spare
To dowse it o'er with his dead vinegar."

Distilling, first discovered.

The art of distilling was found out soon

after the constitution of the Roman empire, and is supposed to have been discovered by chance during some chemical operation. An ancient author informs us, that a certain physician, having a mess of coleworts upon the table before him, and being suddenly sent for to visit a patient, he covered, at his departure, his dish with another, and found it at his return bedewed with moisture. Observing, from this circumstance, that the extraction of humidity was very easy, he bent his study so far that way, as to give being to the art of distillation.

Other ancient writers will have the invention to be much older, in consequence of a little chest being found in the Atestine field, near Padua, wherein the elements, by Maximus Olybius, were devoted as a present to Pluto. The following is a translation of the verses inscribed upon it:

"This sacred gift to Pluto, I forbid

You thieves to touch; (for 'tis a secret hid ;)
With art and pains hath great Olybius pent
In this small urn th' unruly element."

The casket contained an urn, and within it a lesser one, wherein were enclosed two phials most curiously wrought; the one of silver, the other of gold, both full of exquisite liquor, which fed a burning lamp for many