Time's Telescope for ... ; Or, A Complete Guide to the Almanack

are said to have been wrought. To the above circumstance may be traced the origin of the old saying, that if it rains on St. Swithin's, it will rain forty days following!'; a saying that has been very often verified during the last five or six years.-See some curious lines on this subject in T. T. for 1814, p. 172.

*15. 1802.-THOMAS DERMODY, POEt, died.

The attainments and genius of this young man surpassed almost all that literary biography has recorded of early intellectual acquisition and talent. His education was attentively cultivated by his father (a schoolmaster at Ennis, in Ireland); from whose example, however, he in his early years contracted a fatal and degrading attachment to drinking, in all its excess; which abundantly more than counterbalanced the advantages that he had received from the bountiful Author of Nature, and confined him to a state of abject dependence and wretched poverty through almost the whole of his subsequent life. In his short career his brilliant talents deservedly acquired him a series of benevolent and even splendid and munificent patrons, whose favour, in succession, his perverse and incorrigible misconduct as deservedly lost and he suffered on different occasions (the results entirely of his imprudence) distress scarcely inferior to any thing that is told of Otway, of Chatterton, or of Boyse. His dissipated life was at length closed in a wretched hovel, at Sydenham, in Kent, by a disorder, the mere effect of incessant inebriation; and he lies interred in the churchyard of Lewisham, with a monument erected over him, on which is inscribed a poetical epitaph, taken from his own works.-(Butler's Chronological Exercises, p. 261.)

*19. 1783.-JOB ORTON Died.

Though a dissenter, his great learning, piety, and moderation, endeared him to many clergy of the establishment. His Exposition of the Old Testament is one of the most useful practical works on the sub

ject; and his Letters to a young Clergyman' should be in the hands of every young minister, both in and out of the establishment.

20.-SAINT MARGARET.

She was born at Antioch, and was the daughter of a Pagan priest. Olybius, president of the East, under the Romans, wished to marry her; but finding that Margaret was a Christian, he postponed his intended nuptials until he could prevail on her to renounce her religion. Our saint, however, was inflexible, and was first tortured, and then beheaded, in the 278. *21. 1814.-SPANISH INQUISITION RE-ESTABLISHED. 22.-MARY MAGDALEN.

year

This day was first dedicated to the memory of St. Mary Magdalen, by King Edward VI. And in his Common Prayer, the Gospel for the day is from St. Luke, chap. vii, verse 36. Our reformers, however, upon a more strict inquiry, finding it doubtful whether this woman, mentioned in the Gospel, was really Mary Magdalen, thought it prudent to discontinue the festival.

*23. 1588.-ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS.

It may gratify our national pride, says Mr. Andrews, to be told, that we owe to the wisdom of Queen Elizabeth, and the prudence of Burleigh, the circulation of the first genuine newspaper, the English Mercurie,' printed during the time of the Spanish Armada: the first number, preserved still in the British Museum, is dated July 23, 1588.

25.-SAINT JAMES.

James was surnamed the Great, either on account of his age, being esteemed older than the other James, or for some particular honour conferred upon him by our Lord. He was by birth a Galilean, and partner with Peter in fishing, from which our Lord called him to be one of his disciples: Mark i, 19, 20. Of his ardent zeal, no other proof is necessary than his

becoming the victim of Herod Agrippa. The Spaniards esteem James their tutelar saint.

26.-SAINT ANNE.

She was the mother of the Virgin Mary, and the wife of Joachim her father. Her festival is celebrated by the Latin church.

*26. 1680.-EARL OF ROCHESTER DIED.

Of the life of this celebrated wit by Bishop Burnet, it cannot be too often observed, the critic ought to read it for its elegance, the philosopher for its arguments, and the saint for its piety." The following lines from Sir John Harrington's Ariosto will not be inappropriate in this place.

O poysoned hooke that lurkes in sugred bait,
O pleasures vain that in this world are found,
Which like a subtle theefe do lie in waite,
To swallow man in sink of sinne profound:
O kings and peeres, beware of this deceit,
And be not in this gulfe of pleasure drownd:
The time will come, and I must tell you all,
When these your joyes shall bitter seem as gall.

Then turne your cloth of gold to clothes of heares,
Your feasts to fasts, to sorrowes turne your songs,
Your wanton toyes and smilings into teares,
To restitution turne your doing wrongs;
Your fond securenesse turn to godly feares,
And know that vengeance unto God belongs;
Who, when he comes to judge the soules of men,
It will be late alas to mend it then.

Then shall the vertuous man shine like the sunne;
Then shall the vicious man repent his pleasure;
Then one good deed of almes sincerely done,
Shall be more worth than mines of Indian treasure;
Then sentence shall be giv'n which none shall shun,
Then God shall weigh and pay our deeds by measure:
Unfortunate, and thrice accursed, they

Whom fond delights do make forget that day.

*31. 1743.-RICHARD SAVAGE DIED.

The hard fate of Savage deserves compassion, though there was little in him either amiable or re

spectable. He was, however, generous to fellow-sufferers from indigence when he had any thing to bestow, and actually shared his last guinea with a woman who attempted to swear away his life. As a poet, his works must be considered as consigned to oblivion; and, had it not been for his accidental acquaintance with Johnson, the name of Savage would long have ceased to interest the world. As it is, however, his fame will probably be coeval with that of his celebrated biographer, whose relation will not be wholly without its use, if those who languish under any part of the sufferings of Savage, shall be enabled to fortify their patience, by reflecting that they feel only those afflictions from which the abilities of Savage did not exempt him; or those, who, in confidence of superior capacities or attainments, disregard the common maxims of life, shall be reminded, that nothing will supply the want of prudence; and that negligence and irregularity, long continued, will make knowledge useless, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible.'

Astronomical Occurrences

In JULY 1818.

THE Sun enters Leo at 15 m. after 1 in the afternoon of the 23d of this month; and he rises and sets during the same interval as stated in the following

TABLE

Of the Sun's Rising and Setting for every fifth Day.

July 1st, Sun rises 45 m. after 3. Sets 15 m. after 8