Fixed in their orbits thro' unmeasured space, The glitt'ring hosts of Heav'n their paths perform, And, ever glowing in th' etherial race, 'Midst sweeping whirlwinds and the raging storm; Yet silent in rotation as they run, And bringing back the days, the months, the years, Still, as they journey round the central Sun, Sweet is the sound and concord of the spheres! Then, if in higher bodies thus confest, So soft's the music that from order flows, Why should not harmony inform the breast, When such the unison that Heav'n bestows? Throughout his various works has God designed One rule of judgment-one consent of mind! BECKFORD. Surely the varieties of created beings were formed for -the inward soul, as well as for the outward senses. He was a true philosopher, who, being asked how he could endure life without the pleasure of books, answered, the WORKS OF CREATION were his LIBRARY, wherein, when he pleased, he could muse upon God's deep oracles.-FELTHAM. O how canst thou renounce the boundless store All, that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields, O how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven? The greatest pleasure the mind is capable of in this life, is in the CONTEMPLATION OF GOD AND NATURE, the sweetness of Philosophy, and the Discourse of Reason. FELTHAM. TIME'S TELESCOPE FOR 1818. JANUARY. It was THE name given to this month by the Romans was taken from Janus, one of their divinities, to whom they gave two faces; because on the one side, the first day of this month looked towards the new year, and on the other towards the old one. called wolf-monat by our Saxon ancestors, on account of the danger then experienced from wolves; ' for that, through the extremity of cold and snow, those ravenous creatures could not find of other beasts sufficient to feed upon.' Remarkable Days THIS festival was instituted in the sixth century. At the commencement of the new year we rejoice with our friends, at having escaped the dangers that attend every season, and commemorate the event by some trifling present. The Romans, at this time, sent presents of sweetmeats, as dried figs, honey, &c. (strena), expressing a wish that their friends might enjoy the sweets of the year into which they had entered. A relic of this custom is still observed in the south of A Scotland, where the sweetie-skon, a sort of plum-cake, constitutes the New Year's Gift. Among the northern nations, it was customary for subjects to present gifts to their sovereigns, which were called jolagiafir, yulegifts. In France, particularly in the south, early in the morning of New Year's Day, a round of visits is commenced to relations and friends, to wish them a happy new year, and to present them with bonbons (sweetmeats).-See T.T. for 1815, p. 2. 6 The antient custom of going about with the wassail, a bowl of spiced ale,' is yet retained in many places. The composition was ale, nutmeg, sugar, toast, and roasted crabs or apples, and was called lamb's wool. Some verses still sung in Gloucestershire, on this day, may be seen in our volume for 1814, p. 3. The origin of the term wassail is to be sought for in the well-known story of Vortigern and Rowena, or Ronix, the daughter of Hengist; the earliest authority for which is that of Walter Calenius, who supplied the materials for Geoffrey of Monmouth's history. He relates that on Vortigern's first interview with the lady, she kneeled before him, and, presenting a cup of wine, said to him, Lord king, wacht heil, or, in purer Saxon, was hal; literally, be health, or health be to you! As the king was unacquainted with the Saxon language, he inquired the meaning of these words; and being told that they wished him health, and that he should answer them by saying drinc heil, he did so, and commanded Rowena to drink. Then taking the cup from her hand, he kissed the damsel and pledged her. The historian adds, that, from that time to his own, the custom remained in Britain, that whoever drank to another at a feast said wacht heil, and he that immediately after received the cup answered drinc heil. *1. 1515.-LOUIS XII Died. Although the public events of the reign of Louis XII afford no very high ideas of his talents for govern ment, yet he possessed so many private virtues and amiable qualities, that he is always ranked among the best of the French monarchs. The title of Father of his people' was given him by the assembled states of his kingdom; and history has taken pleasure in recording, that when, according to the custom, the cryers announced his death, it was done in these words: 'The good king Louis, the father of his people, is dead.' He appears to have been sincerely desirous of alleviating the burthens of his subjects, and would, probably, have done it effectually, had it not been for the wars into which he was unfortunately plunged. He was naturally inclined to economy, and held as a principle, that the justice of a prince obliged him to owe nothing, rather than his greatness to give much.' And when his frugality was made a topic of public ridicule, he said, 'I had rather see my courtiers laugh at my avarice, than my people weep at my extravagance." In his manners and conversation Louis was affable, mild and cheerful, prone to sallies of innocent pleasure, and fond of literature. He assembled men of learning at his court, and employed them in foreign affairs. Greek was first taught at the French universities in his reign. 6.-EPIPHANY. The rites of this day, the twelfth after the Nativity, are different in various places, though the object of them is much the same in all; namely, to do honour to the memory of the Eastern magi, who, according to a tradition of the Romish church, were three in number, and of royal dignity. The usual celebration of Twelfth-day, in the metropolis and in the south of England, is by drawing lots, and assuming fictitious characters for the evening:-formerly the king or queen was chosen by a bean found in a piece of divided cake; and this was once a common Christmas gambol in both the English Universities. The day after Twelfth Day was called St. Distaff's Day. The customs on this day in Northumberland, |