To the house of William my son Hie all the wealth of Kilkenny town." It was further alleged, that she made assignations near a cross-road with a demon, named Robin Artyson, and provided a strange supper for her strange paramour, to wit, nine red cocks' and eleven peacocks' eyes. After this delicate repast it was stated, that Alice and Robin were accustomed to help digestion by taking an evening excursion all the world over, and the broomstick which served as her charger was produced in court. Finally, it was stated that a sacramental wafer, on which the name of the devil was inscribed, had been found in her chamber. Notwithstanding this body of evidence, the lady was acquitted, but one of her attendants was found guilty and executed. But the bishop was not so easily foiled; the lady was again brought to trial on a new charge of heresy, convicted and burned at the stake, and Adam Duff, a gentleman of a respectable family in Leinster, being convicted of the same offence, shared the same fate. Lord Arnold de la Poer, seneschal of the palatinate to which Kilkenny then belonged, disgusted at these exhibitions of mingled folly and barbarity, interfered to check Ledred's proceedings. The bishop immediately arrested him as a heretic, and when the lord-deputy interfered for his protection, the undaunted prelate extended his charge to that personage himself. In Ireland now was exhibited the extraordinary spectacle of the chief-governor arraigned before a bench of bishops, on a formal charge of heresy. All the business of the State was suspended for the lorddeputy was also chancellor. Parliament, then sitting, was unable to proceed with any business, and the courts of law were closed. After a long and tedious trial the lord-deputy was formally acquitted, and testified his joy by a munificent banquet, open to all comers. Lord de la Poer was not equally fortunate. He had been seized by the bishop in the first instance, and perished in the miserable dungeon to which he had been confined. Not satisfied with this vengeance the bishop appealed to Rome, and obtained a Papal brief, exhorting the king to prevent the growth of heresy in Irelaud. But the mischief luckily reverted on the head of its author. Ledred was himself accused of heresy before his metropolitan, and forced to save himself by a precipitate retreat. The remainder of his worthless life was spent in poverty and exile, but the effects of his mischievous efforts were long and lasting. Historic Fragmenta. For the Olio. ANTHONY BEAK, BISHOP OF DURHAM.-This prelate, who died in 1310, merits notice for the singularity of his character. He led the van of the First Edward's army gallantly against the Scots; and dared even to make a harsh retort to a reproof from that stern monarch. At Rome, he alone opposed a corps of ruffians who had forcibly entered his house. So active was his mind that he always rose when his first sleep was over; saying, "it was beneath a man to turn in his bed." He was so modest, that although he smiled at the frown of a king, he never could lift his eyes to the face of a woman; and when the remains of St. William were to be removed at York, he was the only prelate whose conscious chastity permitted him to touch the sacred bones. Yet could this mirror of purity defraud the natural son of his friend, the Lord Vesey, of a large estate, which had been trusted to the bishop's honour. Beak loved military parade, and had knights and soldiers always about him. Vanity prompted him to spend immense sums. For forty fresh herrings he once gave a sum equal to 40 pounds sterling, and a piece of cloth, which had been proverbially said, to be " dear for the Bishop of Durham," he bought and cut out into horse-cloths. To finish the story of this haughty priest, he once seized a palfrey of Edward, (as a deodand) and at length broke his heart at being excommunicated by the Archbishop of York. too THE DISCOVERER OF MADEIRA.In 1344 or 5, Madeira is said to have been discovered by Lionel Machin, an English mariner; who, attempting to find an asylum in foreign parts with a maid he loved, was shipwrecked on that island. The lady soon sunk under her accumulated fatigue and distress; and Machin, then the only survivor of the crew, after having dug a grave for his mistress, found means to quit the island, and to reach the coast of Spain. A chapel is said to be built on the spot in memory of this unfortunate pair. AN EARLY CANDIDATE FOR POETIC HONOURS-In 1251, a bard, styled "Master Henry, the versifier," had one hundred shillings allowed as a fee of office. This Master Henry chanced to offend a humourous Cornish poet, named "Michael Blaunpayne," or "Merry Master Michael," by reflections on his country, which drew from the western rhymer a sharp satire, in which Master Henry is thus described: The thigh of a sparrow, the feet of a goat, Hare-lips and boar's fangs, three amours denote, Thou canst whine like a whelp, like a bull thou canst roar, Thou art foul as a witch, and art black as a moor. ster, Thus peerless appearing, believe me thy song- Supreme of kings, whom Homer sings, his I sing for thee, let honey be-my meed, if The WanderinG JEW!-An American archbishop, visiting England about this time to view its shrines and relics, being asked by a monk if he had seen thewandering jew?" the prelate said "he had;" a domestic of his gave afterwards a very particular account of the person in question. He had been (as he said) porter to Pontius Pilate. He had observed Jesus when, after his examination, he was dragged out of the judgment-hall; and striking him on the back, had said, go, go, why dost linger thus?" "I will go," (answered the divine sufferer) " but thou shalt stay until I come again in glory." He had soon after become a Christian and had been called Joseph. Every hundredth year he had been visited by a severe disease, which terminated in a trance, after which he revived to youth and vigour. He told numberless particulars concerning the labours of the apostles, their miracles, martyrdoms, &c. He preserved the character of a holy man, and really seems to have been a most entertaining impostor. J.R. Notices of New Books. THE GEORGIAN ERA.- Memoirs of the most eminent persons who have flourished in Great Britain from the Accession of George the First, to the Demise of George the Fourth, in four volumes. 8vo. Vol. 1. pp. 582, with 150 Portraits. London. 1832. Vizetelly, Branston and Co. BIOGRAPHY has been styled the most entertaining branch of literature, and this work may be adduced as an illustration of the truth of the remark, for turn to what page you will, something Here, unlike many other biographers the compiler has not confined himself merely to the dry particulars of birth, parentage, and education, but he has given us, with the strictest impartiality, in a neat, concise, and forcible style, an insight into the mind and actions of the various individuals whose memoirs form the subject of the volume. prolific of distinguished characters as No period of our history has been so that of "The Georgian Era," and to have their biographies brought, as it were, into one focus, is really a desideratum. We think that too much praise cannot be given to the publishers for entering so spiritedly upon such an arduous task, and if it be completed in been commenced in, there is but little the same chaste and elegant style it has doubt a golden reward will crown their labours. found copious extracts, which, we have In another part of our sheet will be little doubt, will afford our readers much gratification. Illustrations of History. THE MARRIAGE OF CATHERINE of ARRAGON WIth Prince Arthur.—The marriage ceremony took place on the 14th of November, 1501; and on this occasion the interior of St. Paul's was richly decorated, being hung with cloth of Arras, and a raised pathway covered with red say erected, which led to a of the nuptial party. platform built for the accommodation The king and queen were conveniently placed in a latticed closet which overlooked the spot. The Lady Cecil bore the bride's train, and both the Princess and her betrothed were arrayed in white satin; the former wore a coif of white silk upon her head, edged with a border of gold, pearls, and precious stones, an inch and a half broad, which fell over her in folds. After the ceremony was over, the new married pair shewed themselves to the multitude at the different doors of the church, and were hailed with joyous shouts, and cries of King Henry and Prince Arthur. The bridegroom, in the presence of the assembled crowd, endowed his bride with one-third of his property; the royal couple then returned to the altar, and heard mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, associated with nineteen bishops in their mitres; and having re ceived wine, bread, and spices, the Duke of York led the princess to the bishop's palace, followed by above an hundred ladies and gentlemen, "gorgeously apparelled and richly adorned." All the time of the marriage and mass, a fountain issuing out of the foot of a lofty green hill, ran red with wine in the churchyard of St. Paul's. This conduit was encompassed by a paling furnished with a gate, through which the people were admitted to drink its generous stream. The mountain above was covered with green herbs, diversified with rocks and crags of stone, amber and coral, and other "marvellous metals," and crowned upon its topmost height with three trees bearing red roses, flowers of gold, and fruits, from which, oddly enough, sprang armorial bearings, as though, they had been growing.' Against the trunks of these trees leaned effigies of the kings of England, France, and Spain, all in complete armour; the first standing in a ship, the second up to his knees in the body of a white hart, and the third issuing from the turrets of a castle. The king of England bearing a sword, the other two holding silver bells in their hands; all having their proper escutcheons upon their heads. Amid the rejoicings at this marriage were several splendid tournaments; at the first the shields of the combatants were hung upon artificial trees, luxuriant" with pleasant leaves, flowers, and fruit." The galleries erected for the king and queen communicated by broad flights of stairs with the field, and they had another and more private entrance through Westminster Hall. Stages covered with red say were provided for the mayor and aldermen; and there were others let out, as in more modern days, for less distinguished spectators. The ground adjacent to the lists was, we are told, barred "for the excluding of the rudes;" this precaution being taken "as well for the care and regard of their hurt and jeopardies as the disrobling and impediment of the enactors." Immense multitudes of people were drawn together to witness the sports, filling the stages, windows, walls, and battlements; "so that, to sight and perceiving was nothing but only visages and faces, without appearance of bodies." A shrill burst of the trumpets announced the entrance of the challengers: Lord Barnes, Lord Henry of Buckingham, and two knights appeared in white harness, and mounted upon goodly coursers, and followed by the 66 a Duke of Buckingham in his pavilion of silk, white and green, richly ornamented with turrets and pinnacles of curious work, set full of red roses, which was borne by a vast multitude of the duke's retinue, in black and red silk jackets, and attended by many other of his servants and gallants, well horsed and trapped, with spangles of gold and bells. In this splendid array Buckingham and his party paid their obeisances to the king, and afterwards taking their places, awaited their antagonists. The challenged entered with equal pomp ; the first appearing on horseback on the deck of a ship, under a stately pavilion, the whole of which was carried by his attendants. Sir John Peche, knight, rode with his pavilion of red silk borne over his head. The Lord William of Devonshire came on a red dragon, which was led by a giant holding an uprooted tree in his hand. The Earl of Essex stationed on a mountain wooded and craggy, "with herbs, stones, and marvellous beasts upon the sides; and on its topmast height goodly young lady" with flowing locks, "pleasantly beseen," followed; and lastly came the Lord Marquis of Dorset, riding in complete harness in the midst of a costly pavilion of cloth of gold; careering round the field, this gallant company courteously saluted the king, and then proceeded to commence the sports, which one of the commemorating historians declares to have been "such marciell feates, such valiant justes, such vigorous turneys, such fierce fight at the barreyers, as before that time was of no man had in remembrance." A banquet and disguising followed this splendid exhibition. Henry, his queen, and nobles, assembled in Westminster Hall, which was magnificently furnished for the occasion. The first pageant represented a castle: this piece of machinery was placed upon wheels, and drawn by four wild animals, two of which were lions, and the other a hart and an ibex ; seven goodly ladies appeared at the different windows of the fortress, and in each of the turrets a little child, apparelled like a maiden, sang full sweetly and harmoneously," as the cumbrous engine rolled the whole length of the hall. This fantastic device was followed by another equally ingenious. A ship upon wheels, with all her canvas flying, properly trimmed and rigged, "as though it had been sayling in the sea," manned by a jovial company, "who in their countenances, speeches, and demeanour, used and many hehaved themselves after the manner and fashion of mariners." A fair lady attired in a Spanish dress, in compliment to the Princess Catherine, was a passenger on board this stately vessel, which cast anchor under the walls of the castle; and representing themselves to be ambassadors from a band of knights, who now entered the hall inclosed in a mountain; the crew sent Hope and Desire, with banners displayed, to solicit the fair dames of the castle in their behalf. The ladies denying all knowledge of the knights, refused audience to their envoys, who taking great displeasure at this repulse, threatened the castle with a siege by the suitors so disdainfully rejected. Sailing directly to the mountain, the mariners reported the ill success of their embassy; and the knights advancing instantly to the assault, the ladies, after a faint show of resistance, yielded to their prowess; and the whole party danced together 66 goodly dances." Prince Arthur and the Lady Cecil next performed two bass dances; the Princess Catherine and one of her ladies danced together after the Spanish manner; and the Duke of York, leading out his sister, the Lady Margaret, after a time finding himself embarrassed by his cumbrous dress, "suddenly cast off his gown, and daunced in his jacket with the said Lady Margaret, in so goodly and pleasant manner, that it was to the king and queen right great · and singler pleasure." After the dance had concluded, spices and wine were presented to the king and his guests by five score couple of earls, barons, and knights, besides squires, having collars and chains of gold about their necks. These noble servitors were followed by the yeomen of the guard, bearing pots of wine to replenish the cups. The spice plates, we are told, were furnished in a most bounteous manner" with the most esteemed condiments of the time, and "the nombre of spice plates goodly and marvellous, which was the more to be wondred, for that the cupboard was nothing touched, but stode complete garnished and fullfilled not once dymynished." Other tournaments and disguisings followed, rivalling those which preceded them in magnificence; and at a banquet given by the king at Westminster, the prizes were bestowed upon the victors. "First, the Duke of Buckingham had given him a rich and precious stone, a diamond of great virtue and price; the Lord Marquis of Dorset a ruby, and the other precious stones and rings of gold most excellently wrought." These festivals ended, the court made preparations for their removal to Richmond. The Note Book. I will make a prief of it in my Note-pook. MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. THE BASTARD DUKE OF NORMANDY. -William was the produce of an amour between Robert the Devil, and a very spirited damsel, a tanner's daughter, named Harlotta, who is supposed to have bequeathed her name to the numerous followers of her vocation.Robert saw her accidentally dancing round a May-pole, he beckoned to her and she flew to his arms. The boy when first born shewed his disposition towards acquiring property, by pertinaciously grasping straws with uncommon force. He was always rather delicate, as to the article of his birth, and having sworn once, "by the splendour of God" (his usual oath) that he would make the people of Alencon suffer for ridiculing his mother, by stretching tanned skins on their walls, he kept his word at the cost of the eyes, hands, and feet of twenty-two of their burghers. Anecdotiana. THE PHRENOLOGISTS AT FAULT.Marshal Marmont, who was no advocate for the science of phrenology, once took it into his head to call in disguise on Drs. Gall and Spurzheim. The two professors did not know his person, and examined the protuberances of his pericranium with all due gravity, and then gave it as their fiat, that he was deficient in the organ of courage, advising him at the same time not to choose a military life. The Marshal still preserving his incognito remarked, that he had never been accused of a want of courage, but bowed to their judgment. On taking leave, Marmont remarked, that perhaps they might wish to know on whose head they had pronounced an opinion, the doctors smiled assent, and the Marshal with a low bow announced his name and title, leaving the two phrenological professors bursting with mortification at the mistake they had committed, for the valour of Marmont had never been doubted. Biary and Chronology. Wednesday, Feb. 22. St. Peter's Chair at Antioch.. And still at every close she would repeat St. Boisil, Prior of Melrose, Confessor. Moon's last quar. (h. 22m. after. Our saint was Prior of the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland. He appeared twice after his death to one of his disciples, in the form of a spirit, about the year 1030. Anniversary of the birth-day of Mason the poet, who has written thereon the following lines, descriptive of the usual weather of the end of February. ON HIS BIRTH-DAY. BY MASON. And now the birds on every budding spray Friday, Feb. 24. St. Matthias the apostle. Sun rises 47m. aft. 6 Morn.-Sets 14m. aft. 5. This saint was one of the seventy disciples; and being eminently distinguished for his devout attention to the discourses of our Saviour, was proposed to the apostles with Joseph, surnamed Barsabas, and Justus, as one of the candidates to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Judas Iscariot; the eleven apostles having implored the -Almighty to direct their choice between these pious disciples: " they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias," who thereupon was considered as the elect of Providence; which was afterwards amply confirmed by his receiving the Holy Ghost, with the other apostles, ten days after the Ascension. The festival of St. Matthias has been differently observed by the Church on Leap years; sometimes on the 25th of February; and the proper period for holding it is yet far from being generally understood: it is now positively settled invariably to be celebrated on the 24th of February, as well Leap as in other years. Saturday, Feb. 25. St. Tarasius, Patron of Constantinople. A.D. 806, High Water 11m, aft. 8 Mor.-44m. aft. 8 after. FEB. 25, 1431.-Eugenius IV. was chosen Pope after the death of Martin V. An eclipse of the sun, which occurred at the time, was thought very ominous to the new Pope. The superstition of the times made this opinion be regarded as more certain, by the events which followed. Soon after his succession,his Holiness was nearly killed by the failure of a beam in the floor of a public hall, and a bishop and other persons were trodden to death by (the crowd in endeavouring to escape. Three years after, in consequence of discontents in Rome, and the menaces of the Duke of Melun, the Pope was obliged to fly to Florence in the disguise of a monk. Sunday, Feb. 26. SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. Lessons for the Day.-3 ch. of Genesis. 6 ch. of Genesis. The name of the first Sunday in Lent having been distinguished by the appellation of Quadragesima, aud the three weeks preceding having been appropriated to the gradual introduction of the Lent fast, it was consistent with propriety to call the three Sundays of these weeks by names significant of their situation; and reckoning by Decades, the Sunday "preceding Quadragesima received its present title of Quinquagesima, the second, of which we are now speaking, Sexagesima, and the third Septuagesima. Monday, Feb. 27. St. Leander, Bp. of Seville. A.D. 596. Sun rises 44m. aft. 6-Sets 20m, aft. 5. MOSSES.-Professor Rennie, in his delightful notes of a Naturalist, in that very useful and intelligent work," Time's Telescope," states, that "it may be remarked, that mosses are now in their fullest verdure, and many of them advanced to fructification, being destined, it would appear, to keep up the green tints of nature, when all other vegetation is dead or slumbering, and to protect the roots of larger plants from vicissitudes of cold, as well as of heat, and from too much moisture, as well as too great dryness. Marsh and water mosses have a tendency to produce soil, and to convert morasses into solid land, while they effect the purification of the water in which they grow, by absorbing the putrescent substances with which it may be corrupted, and by exhaling oxygen in exchange." There are but few mosses that send roots into the soil beyond a few lines, so that they cannot impoverish it so much as has been supposed. Mosses, indeed, seem like the air-plant of India, to derive their chief nourishment from moist air; a circumstance which may account for their growing on trees, walls, and bare rocks, where there is little, if any soil to support vegetation. Tuesday, Feb. 28. And noble liverworts, that blowing Part 54 will be ready with the Magazines. A few complete sets in Volumes and Parts may now be had. |