ness that every tint and object derive from so lofty a point of observation. I have seen many richer scenes, more wooded, more watered, more embellished with towns, and towers, and villas; but there is a magic in such a wide expanded view; a deep, calm, and peculiar beauty that rests on the mighty landscape, though but little enriched with the ornaments of more sylvan countries; a charm in the loftiness, the profound solitude; and a sublimity in the splendor and amplitude of the whole, that may be deemed conspicuous only to the morbid enthusiast of nature; but I have felt and have enjoyed them,

The Naturalist's Diary,

For MAY, 1821.

By zephyrs led comes genial May, With brighter green she decks the cheerful mead; Breathes ether bland to wake the genial seed; Bids the swoll'n buds their crimson folds disclose; And with her own warm blushes tints the rose: Then the plumed tenants of the copse and grove Disport on circling wing, and chaunt of love. The scenery of a May morning is not unfrequently s beautiful as possibly can be conceived; a serene ky, a refreshing fragrance arising from the face of he earth, and the melody of the feathered tribes, dl combine to render it inexpressibly delightful, to xhilarate the spirits, and call forth a song of grateul adoration.

early foot from the shrub and floweret in our health-
ful walk; to behold the glories of the setting sun,
or the silvery moonbeam playing on the surface of
the quiescent lake; to admire the expanded rose-
bud, and to watch the progress of nature in its
spring, are amongst the loveliest and sublimest en-
joyments, and are unknown in the busy haunts of
The country, retire-
vicious and populous cities.
ment, health, order, sobriety, and morality, can alone
furnish them.

There are fashionables, however, who expect to
make nature subservient to their habits and caprice,
every where, and in every thing; and who, not con-
tent with bringing summer to January into their
painted and gilded saloons, by rare shrubs, flowers,
plants, and the expensive contents of their conserva-
tories, added to the forced fruits and other articles
of ruinous luxury with which their boards abound,
madly expect to transmit town eujoyments and dis-
sipation into the country, in order to lead the same
unvaried course of voluptuousness and riot all the
year round. In contradistinction to what we hear
of "rus in urbe," it is with them urbs in rure; and
not satified with turning day into night, and night
into day, in town, they convert summer into winter,
by passing it in London, or at some watering place,
where they only go as an adjournment of the London
spring, and then travel down to the country, to view
leafless trees, fields clad in snow, and to be either
confined to the house, or to brave bad weather for a
short time for form's sake.

The latest species of the summer birds of passage arrive about the beginning of this month. Among these are the goatsucker, or fern-owl, the spotted fly-catcher, and the sedge-bird. In this and the following month, the dotterel is in season.

The insect tribes continue to add to their numbers; among these may be named several kinds of moths and butterflies.

A few butterflies that have passed the inclement season in the chrysalis state, are seen on the wing early in May; soon after which the female lays her. eggs singly on the leaves of nettles. The caterpillar, immediately on being hatched, sews the leaf on which it finds itself round it like a case; the effect of wonderful instinct, to preserve it from a particular species of fly called the ichneumon, which otherwise would destroy it, by depositing its eggs in the soft body of the caterpillar. But, as the caterpillar must have food as well as shelter, it feeds on the tender part of this covering, till the leaf becomes in too ruinous a state to be longer inhabited; then crawling

Wrapt in exub'rant robes, the bashful maid
Yet courts the gloom, and woos the dewy glade.
With her pied Pansy once a vestal fair,
In Ceres' train low droops with am'rous air,
Stained by the bolt of love her purple breast,
And freaked with jet' her party-coloured vest.
In rival pomp see either Rocket blow,
Bright as the sun, or as the new-fall'n snow,
With gaudier Lychnis' vermile hue combine,
And Stocks in variegated vesture shine.
Gift of a goddess, one pale Lily bends
Her milk-white bell, and freshest fragrance lends ;
A second waves in meretricious glare,
Radiant with orange glowher scentless hair.
Tall Tulips near their rainbow streaks disclose;
Aspiring Alcea emulates the rose;
And Helianthus, like the god of day,
Binds round his nodding disk the golden ray.
No gorgeous dyes the meek Reseda grace,
Yet sip with eager trunk yon busy race
Her simple cup, nor heed the dazzling gem
That beams in Fritillaria's diadem.
No more ignoble now great Maro's theme,
Cerinthe freely pours her honeyed stream;
And Martagon, of classic honours vain,
Bears on his brow the gory-spotted stain
Still darkly graved on each returning bloom,
The moans of Phoebus, and the hero's doom.
In gay Mezereon's crimson-tinctured bush
Again revives coy Daphne's maiden blush;
And, as above she tufts her polished leaves,
A laurel-seeming crown the virgin weaves.
Late in the shadowy dell a sister form
Veiled her green tresses from the wintry storm;
Ah! here how changed she charms our wondering eyes,
The rose-lipped Hebe of Hesperian skies!
Like Sol's full radiance, when he gilds the morn,
And deep red clouds his rising throne adorn,
Paonia round each fiery ring unfurls,
Bared to the noon's bright blaze, her sanguine curls;
While Enothera sheaths in many a fold,
Of primrose scent and hue, her fainter gold,
Nor yet unbinds the firmly clasping zone,
Till eve's mild lustre mingles with her own

* Mr. Martyn believes the Martagon, or turncap Lily, to have been the Hyacinth of the ancients; and says he has sometimes seen the dark spots on its petals so run together as to represent the letters AI, forming half the name of Ajax, and expressing Apollo's grief for the loss of his favourite, who, as well as the hero, was changed into that flower.

Fashions for May.

How fresh the breeze that wafts the rich perfume, And swells the melody of waking birds! The hum of bees beneath the verdant grove, And woodman's song, and low of distant herds! And yet there are some to whom these scenes an give no delight, and who hurry away from all he varieties of rural beauty, to lose their hours and livert their thoughts by a tavern dinner, the prattle r the politics of the day. Such was, by his own onfession, Mr. Boswell, the biographer of Johnson; nd, according to this honest chronicler's' report, to another, it again wraps itself up; and this hap- FANCY BALL DRESS. A round dress, composed of he Doctor himself was alike insensible to the charms pens till it is nearly full grown, and so much in-pink gause over the satin to correspond; at the bottom f nature. "We walked in the evening (says Bos-creased in size, that one leaf will not serve it both of the skirt is a wreath of full-blown roses, placed at vell) in Greenwich Park. Johnson asked me, for food and raiment. It therefore becomes more appose by way of trying my disposition, Is not his very fine? Having no exquisite relish of the eauties of nature, and being more delighted with he busy hum of men,' I answered, Yes, sir; but ot equal to Fleet-street. Johnson, You are right, Sir. I am aware that many of my readers may ensure my want of taste. Let me, however, shelter nyself under the authority of a very fashionable Baronet in the brilliant world, who, on his attention being called to the fragrance of a May evening in the country, observed, This may be very well; but, for my part, I prefer the smell of a flambeau at the playhouse!!!"To such persons, like the lady described by Young,

Green fields, and shady groves, and crystal springs,
And larks, and nightingales, are odious things!
But smoke and dust, and noise and crowds delight;
And to be pressed to death transports her quite:
Where silv'ry riv'lets play through flow'ry meads,
And woodbinesgive their sweets, and limes their shades,

Black kennels' absent odours she regrets,
And stops her nose at beds of violets.

"To meet the sun upon the upland lawn;" to watch his majestic rising from the gilded east; to contemplate the rosy-fingered morning, opening the day upon man; to view the prismatic colours reflected in the drops of dew; to brush that dew with

the edge; above this wreath is a row of shells, embroidered in silver at irregular distances; they are surmounted by bouquets of roses, which are also placed irregularly, with considerable spaces left between.

ambitious, and, reaching to the top of the nettle, con-
nects several leaves together to make its house and
supply its appetite: till being at length full grown, it
suspends itself from a leaf, and puts on the armour
ENGLISH CARRIAGE DRESS.-High dress of Gros
that nature directs it to assume before its last and de-Naples, of pale cerulian blue, with two rows of broad
complete state of existence, which happens in six-silk fringe at the border; each is headed by a rouleau of
teen or twenty days, according to the temperature of by white satin; triple Castille ruff of Brussels or Ur-
white satin. Mancherons forming a bourrelet, divided
the air. Then the ugly deformed caterpillar is me- ling's lace.
tamorphosed into the beautiful butterfly.

Other insects now observed, are field crickets, the chaffer or may-bug, and the forest-fly, which so much annoys horses and cattle. The female wasp appears at the latter end of the month.

About this time, bees send forth their early swarms. Nothing can afford greater amusement than to watch the members of this industrious community in their daily journies from flower to flower. We have already given a list of trees, plants, and flowers, from which the bees extract their honey and wax: the following poetical catalogue is from Dr. Evan's ele

gant poem of the "Bees."

The past'ral Primrose now, that whilom smiled,
Unseen, unscented, thro' the lonely wild,
Swells in full-clustered pride, and boldly vies
With Polyanthus of unnumbered dies.
Nor less the Violet here delights to shed
A richer perfume from a prouder head;

THE SCOTCH BAGPIPER.

As a Scotch Bagpiper was traversing the mountains of Ulster, he was one evening encountered by a halfstarved Irish wolf. In this distress the poor fellow could think of nothing better than to open his wallet, and try the effects of his hospitality; he did so, and the greedy wolf swallowed every thing that was thrown to him with the greatest voracity. The stock of provisions was soon exhausted, and the piper's only resource was then to try the virtue of his bagpipe, which the wolf no sooner heard than he took to the mountains with greater precipitation than he had come down. The poor piper could not so perfectly enjoy his deliverance, but that, with an angry look at partíng, he shook his head, and said, "Aye, are these your tricks? Had I known your humour, you should have had your music before supper,"

There's a language that's mute, there's a silence that say, think I cught to be obliged to them for their notit.

What; skip about a room in broad daylight, turn out | ble into the eight masculine bars. What bounding, motion went through their assembly, the noise of my toes, and arrange my elbows at command? my what pirouetting, while the body is slightly bent, the their rising up or sitting down could be likened to cheeks are even now tingling at the notion. arms are a little extended, the face flushed with ex-nothing, except, perhaps, the far-off sullen roaring Last Christmas I was staying at the house of an un-ercise, the eyes flashing triumph! But I do not envy of the illimitable sea, or the rushing of a great ele in the country; my cousins danced quadrilles every these performers their glory, a lurking contempt min-night-wind amongst the boughs of a forest. It was evening, and at length they partly forced, partly per- gles with the admiration they excite, and I have often the first time that I had ever seen a peopled amphisuaded me to stand up with them, assuring me that it heard Ellen quote and approve the words of some wise was only necessary to use my old steps and mind the man, who once said, "To dance too exquisitely is so theatre-nay, it was the first time I had ever seen figures. My cousin Ellen, too, one of the loveliest laborious a vanity, that a man ought to be ashamed to any very great multitude of men assembled together, and liveliest of her sex, engaged to be my partner and let the world see, by his dexterity in it, that he has within any fabric of human erection; so that you instructress; and added, in her easy, sprightly manner, spent so much time in learning such a trifle."-These cannot doubt there was, in the scene before me, that she hoped we should dance together in the spring, few wonderful persons excepted, however, I am quite enough to impress my mind with a very serious as we used to do some years ago. This temptation, convinced that the rest of my sex will rejoice in the feeling of astonishment-not to say of veneration.this bribe was irresistible; I suffered her to lead me to permission to assume no more their solitary character. Not less than eighty thousand human beings (for the set, and I made my debut in quadriile dancing, Many, who move gracefully and easily at other times, such they told me was the stupendous capacity of My performance, of course, met with most encourag- are but awkward Cavaliers-seuls; notwithstanding an ing praise. I was urged to persevere in my new accom- air of indifference, which they attempt to put on, a the building) were bere met together. Such a mufplishment; and ere I came to town, I gave Ellen a lurking constraint proves them to be uncomfortable, titude can no where be regarded, without inspiring parting promise that I would dance at the first ball to and various are the methods to which they have rea certain indefinite indefinable sense of majesty; which I should be invited. I did more than keep my course, in order to pass through the dancing ordeal least of all, when congregated within the wide sweep word-I have danced at several; and I do verily be with tolerable credit. Some perform numerous finikin of such a glorious edifice as this, and surrounded on lieve that habit, all-powerful habit, might in time en steps on the same spot, while their arms have a kind all sides with every circumstance of ornament and able me to derive more pleasure than pain from my of tremulous jerking motion; others move with strag- splendor befitting an everlasting monument of Roperformance, were it not for one odious and awful gling strides over the whole extent of their domain, man victories, the munificence of Roman princer, gure, invented, I suppose, for the peculiar misery of and seem to say, "you see we are not frightened," nodest men. In this cruel quadrille, I am positively but they cannot deceive me, well read as I am in the then, with what eyes of wonder all this was surveyed and the imperial luxury of universal Rome. Judge equired to dance (horresco referens) during eight entire symptoms of my own disorder. Many have recourse to ars, alone-yes, quite alone; it appears scarcely cre the tetotum system: some appear quite undecided, and by me, who had but of yesterday, as it were emerged ible, but so really is. I am expected to figure away entirely at the mercy of chance; and a few miserable from the solitary stillness of a British valley; who y myself, while no other creature is moving. The creatures positively stand still, cast a few puzzled had been accustomed all my life to consider, as ther actors and actresses in the quadrille have nothing glances around them, as if in ignorance of what ought among the most impressive of human spectacles, a do but to stare and to quiz; and three of them are to be done; then appear to awake from their fit of ab- the casual passages of a few scores of legionaries, anged in a line opposite to me, in order to look as sence, put on a faint and forced smile, and hurry for through some dark alley of a wood, or awe struck rmidable as possible. Why, the strongest nerves ward to take their place in the sociable tour de quatre.village of barbarians. Trajan himself was already night tremble, the wisest man look silly, the most ele- Upon all these, and upon me above them all, the pub-present, but in no wise, except from the canopy ant appear awkward in such a situation; and I-what lication of this letter will confer a considerable favour, suffer is far beyond description; and I am often) over his ivory chair, to be distinguished from the as it may, perchance, awaken the compassionate part mpted to exclaim, in the words of one who seemof the dancing public to a sense of the misery inflicted other Consul that sat over against him.”— have suffered occasionally from my wretched comupon a few, the discomfort upon many, and awkward"The proclamation being repeated a second time, aint, "Thinks I to myself, I wish I was dead and ness upon nearly all, by that odious figure-"Le Cava-a door on the right hand of the arena was laid open, lier seul." Upon the tender feelings and kind sympa- and a single trumpet sounded, as it seemed to me, Let no one suppose that I am inclined to jest upon thies of the ladies, I throw myself and ny companions mournfully, while the gladiators marched in with ly sufferings. Alas! they are much too serious a in misery; surely they will not be inexorable to the slow steps, each man naked, except being girt with bject: and I hope I have never made myself an ene-petition of those, who thus humbly acknowledge their a cloth about his loins; bearing on his left arm a by whose rancour must not subside into pity, when power, and intreat their society; who have a mortal an- small buckler, and having a short straight sword beholds me preparing to submit to that tremendous tipathy to being single, even for three minutes; and suspended by a cord around his neck. ntence "Le Cavalier Seul en avant deux fois." Move who feel the want of the grace of woman's presence, They must; to stand still would be so ridiculous; but the comfort of woman's support, even through eight marched, as I have said, slowly and steadily; so y feet seem tied together-every action is tremulous bars of a quadrille. that the whole assembly had full leisure to contemid indecisive-my ear no longer catches the tuneplate the forms of the men: while those who were, y eyes refuse to quit the ground-my cheeks redden or who imagined themselves to be skilled in the to flames-ind, after the dreadful task is over, I business of the arena, were fixing, in their own acy I read derision in every countenance, and enminds, on such as they thought most likely to be avour, in vain, to hide myself from the finger of victorious, and laying wagers concerning their orn. Once, despair, I wrote to my cousin Ellen, chance of success, with as much unconcern as if ted my distress, and asked her advice. With her ual kindness she sent me an immediate answer, and they had been contemplating so many irrational and several times. At first I found this an excellent senseless pieces of ingenious mechanism. The wide in; I had some definite mode of action, and I thought diversity of complexion and feature exhibited among at the whirling motion had a sort of Dumbing ef these devoted athletes, afforded at once a majestic (t, which deadened the acuteness of my feelings.Valerius, a tale evidently written by a hand of idea of the extent of the Roman empire, and a tertalas! I am afraid I exceeded Ellen's instructions, d turned too often, for I certainly used to feel very the finer order, is a production of classical intel-rible one of the purposes to which that wide sway Idy; and one evening I heard a lady whisper, the ligence. The scene is laid in Rome, in the reign of ord "tetotum" to my partner, which put a speedy Trajan; and the most interesting parts of the story d comple e termination to my rotatory movements. lave never danced a quadrille since. Ellen is come hinge on his persecutions of the Christians. Vale town, but is the partner of bolder and happier men; rius, a noble Roman, though the son of a British dI can hope for no change in these vexatious cir. mstances, unless some little compassion is shown lady, and born in Britain, is invited to the eternal wards bashful dancers, and "Le Cavalier Seul is city by his relation, the forensic orator Licinus, owed a companion. Surely, this would not be a for the purpose of claiming the patrimony of his ry unreasonable sacrifice to the weakness and disess of others, and it seems a most unjust regulation prevent a man's dancing at all, because he cannot ake up his mind to dance a hornpipe. From the obrvations I have made, I am convinced that nine men it of ten would rejoice in the demise of that unnatucharacter" Le Cavalier Seu"-And unnatural he

aried."

With every feeling of respect I am,
and fear I always shall remain,
your obedient servant,

A BASHFUL MAN.

rected me, when I next danced my solo, to turn EXTRACTS FROM "VALERIUS; A ROMAN animals, or rather indeed, I should say, so many

"

Men were never intended either to live or to dance

STORY."

ancestors.-We shall not pursue the intricacies of the plot, which have little of peculiar attraction; the main feature being its attempt to familiarize us with Roman manners at the close of the first century. His approach to, and first morning view of one; and when they persevere in opposing their Rome, are superb descriptions: but the account of oper destiny, they generally become absurd or un- an exhibition of combats at the amphitheatre furppy. Yet some an malies there are in a ball-room,nishes us with the most continuous example of in life, and instances are to be found of bachelors id of Cavaliers-seuls, who appear to take pleasure in powerful writing. eir solitude. I have seen dancers who would regret share their glory with another pair of feet, and who e all animation and delight at that identical period,

d in those very circumstances, which to me are so ppalling. Heavens! how they will skip and fly

GLADIATORIAL COMBATS.

"Such was the enormous crowd of human beings, bout, as if anxious to crowd as many capers as possi-high and low, assembled therein, that when any

ful Greek, with a countenance of noble serenity,
and limbs after which the sculptors of his country
might have modeled their god like symbols of
graceful power, walked side by side with the yellow-
bearded savage,
whose gigantic muscles had been

had been too often made subservient. The beauti

nerved in the freezing waves of the Elbe or the
Danube, or whose thick strong hair was congealed
and shagged on his brow with the breath of Scythian
or Scandinavian winters. Many fierce Moors and
beams of the southern sun burnt in every various
Arabs, and curled Ethiopians were there, with the
shade of swarthiness upon their skins. Nor did our
own remote island want her representatives in the
deadly procession, for I saw among the armed mul-
titude (and that not altogether without some feel-
ings of more peculiar interest) two or three gaunt,
barbarians, whose breasts and shoulders bore un-
couth marks of blue and purple, so vivid in the
tints, that I thought many months could not have
elapsed since they must have been wandering in
wild freedom along the native ridges of some Silu-
rian or Caledonian forest. As they moved round
the arena, some of these men were saluted by the
whole multitude with noisy acclamations, in token,
I supposed, of the approbation wherewith the feats.

of some former festival had deserved to be remem-
an ivy garland, was carried in procession around the
bered. On the appearance of others, groans and arena by certain young men, who leaped down for
hisses were heard from some parts of the amphi-that purpose from the midst of the assembly.—In
theatre, mixed with contending cheers and buzzas the mean time, those that bad the care of such
from others of the spectators. But by far the things, dragged away, with a filthy hook, the corpse
greater part were suffered to pass on in silence; of him that had been slain; and then raking up the
this being in all likelihood the first; alas! who sand over the blood that had fallen from him, pre-
could tell whether it might not also be the last day pared the place, with 'indifferent countenances, for
of their sharing in that fearful exhibition!
some other cruel tragedy of the same kind, while
"Their masters paired them shortly, and in suc-all around me, the spectators were seen rising
cession they began to make proof of their fatal skill. from their places and saluting each other; and there
At first, Scythian was matched against Scythian was a buzz of talking as universal as the silence
Greek against Greek-Ethiopian against Ethiopian had been during the combat; some speaking of it,
-Spaniard against Spaniard: and I saw the sand and paying and receiving money lost and won upon
dyed beneath their feet with blood streaming from its issue; some already laughing merrily, and dis-
the wounds of kindred bands.-But these combats, coursing concerning other matters, even as if no-
although abundantly bloody and terrible, were re-thing uncommon had been witnessed; while others
garded only as preludes to the serious business of again appeared to be entirely occupied with the
the day, which consisted of duels between Europeans martial music which ever struck up majestically at
on one side, and Africans on the other; wherein it was such pauses in the course of the cruel exhibition;
the well-nigh intransgressible law of the amphithe-some, beating time upon the benches before them;
atre, that at least one out of every pair of combatants others, lightly joining their voices in unison with
should die on the arena before the eyes of the_mul- the proud notes of the trumpets and clarions."
titude. Instead of shrinking from the more despe-
rate brutalities of these latter conflicts, the almost
certainty of their fatal termination seemed only to
make the assembly gaze on them with a more in-
tense curiosity, and a more inhuman measure of
delight. Methinks I feel as if it were but of yester-
day, when, sickened with the protracted terrors
of a conflict, that seemed as if it were never to have
an end, although both the combatants were already
covered all over with hideous gashes,-I at last
bowed down my head, and clasped my hands upon.
my eyes, to save them from the torture of gazing
thereon farther."

Literature, Criticism, &c.

LORD BYRON ON THE BRITISH DRAMA.

In a note to the preface to his tragedy, his Lordship

says:

"While I was in the sub-committee of Drury-lane Theatre, I can vouch for my colleagues, and I hope "At that instant all were silent, in the contem-for myself, that we did our best to bring back the legiplation of the breathless strife; insomuch, that a timate drama. I tried what I could to get " De Montgroan, the first that had escaped from either of the fort" revived; but in vain: and equally in vain in facombatants, although low and reluctant, and half- vour of Sotheby's "Ivan," which was thought an suppressed, sounded quite distinctly amid the deep hush of the assembly, and being constrained thereby acting play: and I endeavoured also to wake Mr. to turn mine eyes once more downwards, I beheld Coleridge to write a tragedy. Those who are not in that, at length, one of the two had received the the secret will hardly believe that the "School for sword of his adversary quite through his body, and Scandal" is the play which has brought least money, had sunk before him upon the sand. A beautiful averaging the number of times which it has been acted young man was he that had received this harm, with since its production; so Manager Dibdin assured me. fair hair, clustered with glossy ringlets upon his Of what has occurred since Maturin's " Bertram," I neck and brows; but the sickness of his wound was am not aware; so that I may be traducing, through igalready visible on his drooping eyelids, and his lips were pale, as if the blood had rushed from them to norance, some excellent new writers; if so, I beg the untimely outlet. Nevertheless, the Moorish their pardon. I have been absent from England nearly gladiator, who had fought with him, had drawn five years; and, till last year, I never read an English forth again his weapon, and stood there, awaiting newspaper since my departure, and am now only aware in silence the decision of the multitude, whether of theatrical matters through the medium of the Paat once to slay the defenceless youth, or to assist risian Gazette of Galigani, and only for the last twelve in removing him from the arena, if perchance the blood might be stopped from flowing, and some months. Let me, then, deprecate all offence to tragic hope of recovery even yet extended to him. Here- or comic writers, to whom I wish well, and of whom upon there arose, on the instant, a loud voice of I know nothing. The long complaints of the actual contention; and it seemed to me as if the wounded state of the drama arise, however, from no fault of man regarded the multitude with a proud, and the performers. I can conceive nothing better than withal a contemptuous glance; being aware, without Kemble, Cooke, and Kean, in their very different question, that he had executed all things so as to deserve their compassion, but aware, moreover, that manners; or than Elliston, in gentleman's comedy, and even had that been freely vouchsafed to him, it was in some parts of tragedy. Miss O'Neill I never saw; too late for any hope of safety. But the cruelty of having made and kept a determination to see nothing their faces, it may be, and the loudness of their which should divide or disturb my recollection of Sideries, were a sorrow to him, and filled his dying dons. Siddons and Kemble were the ideal of tragic breast with loathing. Whether or not the haughti-action; I never saw any thing at all resembling them ness of his countenance had been observed by them with displeasure, I cannot say; but so it was, that even in person; for this reason, we shall never see those who had cried out to give a chance of reco-again Coriolanus or Macbeth. When Kean is blamed very, were speedily silent; and the Emperor looking for want of dignity, we should remember that it is a around, and seeing all the thumbs turned down- grace, and not an art; and not to be attained by study wards (for that, you know, is the signal of death,) was constrained to give the sign, and forthwith the young man receiving again without a struggle the sword of the Moor into his gashed bosom, breathed forth his life, and lay stretched out in his blood upon the place of guilt. With that a joyous clamour was uplifted by many of those that looked upon it; and the victorious Moor being crowned with

In all not SUPERnatural parts, he is perfect; even his
very defects belong, or seem to belong, to the parts
themselves, and appear truer to nature. But of Mr.
Kemble we may say, with reference to his acting, what
the Cardinal de Retz said of the Marquis of Montrose,
that he was the only man he ever saw who reminded
him of the heroes of Plutarch."

Scientific Records.

[Comprehending Notices of new Discoveries or Improre. ments in Science or Art; including, occasionally, singular Medical Cases; Astronomical, Mechanical, Philosophical, Botanical, Meteorological, and Mine ralogical Phenomena, or singular Facts in Natural History, Vegetation, &c.; Antiquities, &c.; to be continued in a Series through the Volume.]

EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES.

At the recent private view of M. Belzoni's Egy tian tombs, preparatory to their public exhibitio a number of the most celebrated connoisseurs and travelers were present, and nothing could surpa the enthusiasm which was expressed by those who had examined the monuments that have been gen rally visited in Egypt, but which came so far short of the Royal tombs at Thebes as to admit of comparison. It would be impossible, by any scription, to give our readers an adequate idea f this curious work, which is a fac simile of the ori ginal, and which can only be duly appreciated by being seen. The Exhibition consists of two divisions. The first displays two large rooms in the sepulchre, exactly as they appeared to M. Bel on entering them. The other part exhibits, on scale of two inches to a foot, the whole pas made by Belzoni from his entrance to the remutat apartment, where he found the semi-transparent tion of curiosities drawn from the different divines sarcophagus deposited at the Museum. A coles of the tomb is added; they consist of calcareous and porcelain idols, fragments of rude sculpture, se coarse bead female ornaments, mummies, jars in which their_bowels have been deposited, scraps f monumental inscriptions, and coins.

M. Belzoni observes, that it would have been should be the first object to present itself to the eye desirable that the model of the whole Tomb of the spectator; but since the local circumstas ces are such as to render that arrangement in practicable, it is recommended to begin with tie examination of the farthest of the two chamber. This was the room in which M. Belzoni found h self, after he had passed through the small apertu in the painted wall, spoken of before; and to the Its dimensions are 27 feet 6 inches by 25 feet 10 apartment he gave the name of the Entrance Ho inches; and the pillars are four feet square. Inse diately in front of the door, as you enter, is th finest painted groupe of the whole sepulchre, c sisting of four figures, and representing they tion of some distinguished personage, by Cars, the the subject of this groupe will serve as a specimen great divinity of the Egyptians. An explan of the manner in which these curious pictures are been interpreted by the eminent scholar to whom i is indebted for the Appendix to the second edita of his Travels:

"Osiris is seated on his Throne of State, ported by pillars or feet; be holds a booki hand, and in the left the flail also: King P with his name on his belt, is presented to hi the Egyptian Apollo, Arueris, who has the bes a hawk. Behind Osiris is a female figure, prod the Goddess Buto, with a cage and a bird over hen according to the Egyptian mythology, she was it nurse of the children of Osiris and lais. The of Osiris is almost entirely white, which, Plutar says, was the usual colour of his attire, the

sometimes it was black.

"The whole tablet is surmounted by the g globe, accompanied by the inscription which scarcely ever wanting when this tutelary ge introduced, whose name seems to be indicated by bent bar, with a hand. The other characters appe to mean the sacred father of the protecting p living unalterable, reigning, and ministering, "But the most remarkable feature of the who embellishments of the catacomb, consists of cession of captives, which will be seen on the i

Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR,-I am sure that all, for whom the interesting study of Coins has any charms, must be gratified to see that for some time you have allotted a part of the Kaleidoscope to essays on so amusing, and I may say classical a subject. But I feel sorry that your correspondent should have passed over, in a inauner so completely exclusive, all the coins of our native country. British Empire have produced no specimens of art Though the earlier ages of the worthy a place in the cabinet on account of their elegance, yet an Englishman is animated with a feeling of pleasure on the contemplation of any thing connected with the antiquities of his own land. Who can view a coin of our Henries or Edwards without a sense of exultation in the remembrance of the proudest period of Britain's glory? The meek and Christian like countenance of our Sixth Edward inspires us with regret for the premature fate of so promising a branch of the stock of English monarchs. Mary's gloomy visage tells of bigotry and superstition; while in the majestic Elizabeth we see all those traits so admirably delineated by the author of Kenilworth. In short, on the sight of a collection of British coins, Fancy transports us unto days that are gone, and places us in scenes, of which the remembrance is now all that remains;

immediately as you enter the chamber on the lower in the year 1220, with a view to prevent the future | nor drink in the garrison, but only a piece of a turtier, or compartment of the wall. Before a hawk-inroads of the Welch, who, he then found, had taken key pie, two biscuits, and a live peacock and peaheaded divinity, are four red men, with white kir- advantage of his absence to enter and lay waste his hen." After this last struggle, Beeston was distles; then four white men, with thick black beards, territories. In the architecture of the structure mantled, and has ever since remained in ruins. and with a simple white fillet round their black there is, according to Amerod, considerable resemhair, wearing striped and fringed kirtles; before blance to the walls of Constantinople; which cir these are four negroes, with hair of different colours, cumstance, considering the preponderance of Eastwearing large circular ear-rings, having white petti-ern scenes in the imagination of the founder, as it coats supported by a belt over the shoulder; and is not to be wondered at, so it tends to confirm the ext in order, march four white men with smaller account we have received of its origin. Tradition beards and curled whiskers, bearing double spread asserts another story respecting its foundation, which ng plumes on their heads, tattooed, and wearing is not altogether so probable. Earl Randle's mind, obes, or mantles, spotted like the skins of wild it is reported, was undetermined as to the site of easts. Now M. Belzoni is disposed to consider his intended castle, and he rode thrice in the same he red men as Egyptians, the black-bearded men day between the hills of Beeston and Helsby before is Jews, and the tattooed as Persians; and these his choice was decided in favour of the former. conjectures seem to accord remarkably well with If it was his desigu, in building it, to check the inhe history of the times concerned: for Necho, the cursions of the Welch, it is not likely he would ather of Psammis, whose tomb this is supposed to long hesitate which of these two places to choose. e, is known, both from sacred history and from In the year 1236 the charge of maintaining Beeston Herodotus, to have had wars with the Jews, and Castle was committed to Henry de Aubley, Hugh rith the Babylonians; and Herodotus mentions his le Despencer, and Stephen de Legrave; and in 1256 xpedition against the Ethiopians." Fulhe de Oneby was appointed to govern it. After Such an exhibition is really a most important ac- the battle of Evesham, in 1265, James de Audley aisition to the world of science. It is so interest- and Brian de St. Pierre took possession of Beeston g in its nature, and so perfect in its execution: it for the King; and immediately after the battle, ands so solitary and unequaled, that we should be Prince Edward marched into it, carrying with him, ppy to see this country appropriate it to herself. as prisoners in his train, Humphrey de Bohun, We do not approve of the principle of taxing the Henry de Hastings, and Guy de Mon fort. In the ass of the people for the acquisition of objects rebellion raised by the Earl of Lancaster against hich are solely matters of curiosity to the learned; the King, in 1312, the garrison of Beeston was at there is, we hope, enough of liberality among the intrusted to the command of Robert de Holland; ealthy patrons of enterprise and research, to place and in 1333 it came into the hands of Edward the is work out of the reach of accident, and to renowned Black Prince, by grant from the King his Ford a recompense to M. Belzoni-somewhat ap-father. That unfortunate monarch, Richard the oaching to an adequate one, for his almost heroic Second, in the year 1399 put into Beeston a garriadertaking. son of 100 men, and well supplied it with victuals; but the Duke of Lancaster coming suddenly before the place, it was surrendered to him without a siege, when he found in it treasure to the amount of 200,000 marks, which he carried away with him to Chester. Besides the treasure which thus fell into the hands of the conqueror, a great store of valuables The Edinburgh Philosophical Journal recommends is reported to have been thrown by the garrison e following method for the preservation of eggs, into the draw wells of the castle. After the con ther for zoological or economical purposes: "Var-clusion of the peace between King Henry the Sixth sh them with gum arabic, and then imbed them in and his successor, Beeston was delivered up to the anded charcoal. The gum arabic is preferable to Duke of York; and from that time we find no nornish, because it is readily removed by washing tice taken of it till the breaking out of the grand water; and the charcoal is essential for maintain-rebellion, when, having fallen into great decay, it was an uniformity of temperature round the eggs, repaired and taken possession of by a party of Partransporting them through different climates." liamentarians, on the 21st of February, 1643. On A correspondent recommends them to be placed the 13th of December, 1643, it was wrested from their ends when prepared as above, and the box their hands by Capt. Sandford with a detachment of barrel in which they are packed frequently turned firelocks; who, having scaled the rock on the steepest side down. By this means the yoke maintains its side, and entered the fortress through a window of the atral position: when it comes by its weight to be keep, which looks to the north, and is still shown to se upon one side of the shell, the egg will begin strangers, took the place by surprise. The affair, spoil. however, was not without suspicion of treachery; and accordingly Captain Steel, the governor, was tried, condemned, and executed for his conduct; though Burghall, whose testimony is that of one not SHORT SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF in the guilt of the transaction, but says his men predisposed to favour Steel, acquits him of all share

PRESERVATION OF EGGS.

reply to a correspondent in a late number of the Kaleidoscope.]

Antiquities.

BEESTON CASTLE,

SIR,In answer to your correspondent's inquiry ter a history of Beeston Castle, I believe I may ty none has ever been published; at least, such was le answer I received to similar inquiries made hen I visited that place several years ago. If the emorandums which I then collected (chiefly I ink from the History of Cheshire) and which 1 ave now transcribed and sent you, should be of by use, they are much at your service.

A READER Of the KaleidOSCOPE. Warrington, April 20, 1821.

Beeston Castle was built by Randle Blundell, Earl of Chester, on his return from the Holy Land,

"and the heart runs o'er

"With silent worship of the great of old."

corner in the Kaleidoscope, I shall be happy to con If these few remarks are thought deserving of a tinue the subject, and supply a few letters on the study of British Coins. COCCIENSIS.

THE YOUNG OBSERVER.

NO. V.

TO THE EDITOR.

"Facilis curvis rigidi censura cachismi."-Juv.

mankind closely will infallibly prove either weeping SIR,-It has been held by some, that those who view or laughing philosophers, according as the bias of their minds may incline to satire or melancholy; in short, an attentive observer must be either a Democritus or Heraclitus..

this position, but observe, en passant, how many more I shall not waste my time in endeavouring to refute individuals we meet with, who resemble the formen rather than the latter sage.

The rustic, in the fable, knew that Jupiter had the All can laugh, but very few can time their laughter. worst of the argument when he saw him grasp his thunderbolt; and in like manner, the man who laughs to show his superiority, confesses that of his rival.

were not to be relied on. Steel and his men were
permitted, after the surrender, to march to Nantwich,
After the lapse of a year, the Parliament forces sat
the 17th of March following, it was then relieved by
down and invested Beeston; but holding out till
the King's two nephews, the Princes Rupert and
Maurice. Not many weeks afterwards, the Parlia-
ment party again sat down before it, and had made
considerable progress with their works and en-
with a large force, once more induced them to aban-
trenchments, when an alarm of the King's approach,
don it. From this time it continued unmolested,
until the superiority gained by the Parliament party
in the battle of Rowton heat inspired them with
fresh hopes of taking Beeston. Accordingly, it was then
invested, and finally with success; being surrendered
months' duration, on the 16th of Nov. 1646; at which ject. Still, as he is a constant reader of your Kaleido-
to Sir W. Brereton, after a siege of nearly twelve pens that he has a very fair knowledge of every sub-
time there was, says a cotemporary, "neither meat scope, I hope this paper may not escape his notice; for

observed, with much regret, a propensity, in a veryI have been led into this train of thought by having worthy friend of mine, to smile contemptuously at whatever he does not understand. This, certainly, is not so annoying in him as it might be in a person of less capacity and attainments; for it fortunately hap