صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

tarily submit to, in order to gratify his ruling passion. He lived by himself, in a small garret, in a filthy lane, called Tyndal's Wynd. His diet consisted of a little oatmeal, stirred into hot water, which he begged from some one or other of the neighbours every morning, to save the expense of fuel. For many years he had laboured under a painful disorder, but would not put himself under the care of a surgeon, fearful of the cost. Driven at last to desperation by the intenseness of his sufferings, about twelve months previous to his decease, he sent for Mr. Crichton, who found him lying, in the most inclement season of the year, barely covered by an old tattered blanket. The furniture of the apartment consisted of about a dozen pair of old shoes, some old tattered clothes, a plough-share, a wooden dish, and horn spoon, a pair of scales and weights, a tub for holding meal, and an old crazy chair. Clark's disorder having been ascertained to be stone in the bladder, he was told that a surgical operation would be necessary for his relief. This he expressed the utmost willingness to undergo; but when informed it would also be necessary to have him removed to a comfortable room, &c. his heart died within him, and he said he must continue as he was, until death relieved him. In vain was he told that every thing needful would be provided. He still persevered in his determination. Leaving a trifle with him to procure necessaries, Mr. Crichton descended from the garret, and made inquiry of the neighbours concerning this miserable object; from whom he received the account narrated. Possessed of this information he returned and rated the wretch for his miserable disposition; but all that could be obtained, was a promise to procure some bed-clothes, and to allow the operation to be performed in a room belonging to one of the neighbours, and immediately to be hoisted back to his own roost. The first morn

ing after the operation he was found quarrelling and abusing the old woman left in charge of him, for her extravagance in making use of soap to wash the cloths that were occasionally taken from under him; and he expressed great exultation when she was given to understand that soap was not absolutely necessary for the purpose. A dose of castor oil that had been prescribed for him, he would not allow to be sent for; but in its place swallowed a piece of soap, which, he said,

would equally answer the purpose, and at much less cost. The cure going on well, he was ordered some beef tea. The parting with threepence every morning to purchase half a pound of meat, was perfect torture, and recollecting a piece of old rusty bacon, which he had formerly picked up somewhere in his travels, he tried the expedient of converting part of it into beef tea, and drank it with seeming relish. Next morning, however, the old woman, alarmed for the consequences, insisted peremptorily for money to purchase fresh meat, at the same time acquainting him that a supply of coals was necessary. "The coals consumed already! Impossible! They should have served him for the winter! She must have carried off some of them! Threepence for meat and eighteen-pence for coals! It's ruination ! She must pack off immediately! But before she goes she must account for the two shillings received on the day of the operation !" The poor woman being somewhat confused could not bring to her recollection the disposal of more than 1s. 10d. It was then perfectly plain she was robbing his room, and ruining him by her extravagance, and she must go to prison! The garret was filled with the neighbours, alarmed by his noisy vociferation; and nothing they could say having pacified him, they sent for Mr. Crichton, who thought it might be a wise plan to leave him alone, and let him manage and feed himself in his own way. By the help of a good constitution, he soon recovered his health, but never could forget the expenses he had been put to during his confinement. The failure also of some people holding money of his in their hands, tended much to embitter the remainder of his life: and he was often observed lamenting his misfortunes; frequently saying aloud," all bankrupts should be hanged!" There would be no end to the detail of this miserable creature's miserable eccentricities.

On a

bitter cold day, he went into one of the neighbour's rooms to warm himself, before ascending to his comfortless loft. The next morning he was found almost stiff with cold, and unable to move-the bed clothes, which he had been made to provide himself with the year before, were lying folded up in a corner; he had not the heart to use them. On Sunday he lost the use of his faculties; and on Mcnday he breathed his last. His only surviving sister, a poor old woman, living

somewhere in Strathmore, inherited his the world in the twinkling of an eye; bu property.

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

Pellucid Heath. Erica pellucida.
Dedicated to St. Cyril.

December 23.

St. Servulus, A. D. 590.
Crete.

A Trifling Mistake.

he never had heard that these fairy trick had been played at or near York, which place he had now distinctly traced himself by his "log." His next thought was to" take an observatoin," by looking out of the window, but he could observe nothing but tops of houses. This view, however, rejoiced his sight, for, thought Ten Martyrs of he, I am still in a civilized country; this St. Victoria, A. D. 250. place may be York, where, if my senses do not deceive me, I went to bed last night, at all events I shall have justice done me. But the enigma still remained unexplained, and poor Jack had no clothes to go in quest of a solution. At last he spied a bell-rope, and giving it a hearty tug, leaped into bed again to wait the issue, come who might. It was no enchanter who answered this summons, but only poor Molly." So you are there, are you? o'clock, as 1 desired you?" “I did, sir, Pray why did you not call me at seven but you did not answer me." "Then. why did you not come in and shake me?" "I did come in, sir, but you were gone.” "I tell you I have not been out of bed all night; you must have gone to the wrong room." "No, sir, I went to No. 22, the room that I put you in last under the pillow, your impression in the night; besides, there was your watch bed, and your clothes placed ready for "6 Then, where the devi! putting on." am I? and how came I here?" "You are a story higher, sir; just over your own room." Our hero was now satisfied that he had been rambling over the house in his sleep, and had mistaken a story in returning to his own room. He then recollected that this was a trick to which he had been addicted when a boy, and he devised that the fatigue of a long journey his old habit. The whole affair was now had probably chiefly contributed to revive accounted for, and Molly proceeded to fetch the clothes of the disenchanted knight, resolving within herself never to trust her own door open again, lest i should be entered accidentally by some sleep-walking traveller.

In December, 1822, the Morning Chronicle states the following whimsical circumstance to have taken place at the Black Swan inn, at York :

An honest son of Neptune travelling northwards, having put up there for the night, desired the chambermaid to call him early the next morning, as he wished to proceed on his journey by the coach

and added, " as I am a very sound sleeper, you will most likely be obliged to come in and shake me." Accordingly he left his door unfastened, and soon fell asleep. The next morning when he awoke, he found the sun was high, and the coach must have left him some hours

behind. Vexation was his first feeling, the next was that of vengeance against the faithless Molly. Accordingly he proceeded to inform himself of the time of day, that he might tax her accurately with her omission, which was aggravated, in his mind, by every additional hour that he had lost; but after groping for some time under his pillow for his watch, it was not to be found! This effectually roused him, and he launched at once out of bed, but no sooner found himself on his feet, than he discovered that his clothes had likewise vanished. It was now evident to him that he had been robbed; however a little more rubbing of the eyes convinced him that he must have been also stolen himself, as the room, bed, and furniture, were all strange to him! Indeed, he was positive in his own mind, that he had never beheld them before. It was equally clear to him that he had gone to bed sober; so being completely puzzled, Jack sate himself down on the bed to "make a calculation," as he often had done at sea, in order to discover, if possible, in what precise part of the globe he just then happened to be, and how he came there. He had read of the enchanted carpet, by which persons could be transported to the remotest parts of

[ocr errors]

FLORAL DIRECTORY.
Cedar of Lebanon. Pinus cedrus
Dedicated to St. Victoria.

[subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

In the last days of Advent the Calabrian minstrels enter Rome, and are to be seen in every street saluting the shrines of the virgin mother with their wild music, under the traditional notion of soothing her until the birth-time of her infant at the approaching Christmas. This circumstance is related by lady Morgan, who observed them frequently stopping at the shop of a carpenter. To questions concerning this practice, the workmen, who stood at the door, said it was done out of respect to St. Joseph. The preceding engraving, representing this custom, is from a clever etching by D. Allan, a Scottish artist of great merit. In Mr. Burford's excellent panorama of the ruins of Pompeii, exhibited in the Strand, groups of these peasantry are celebrating the festival of the patron saint of the master of a vineyard. The printed "Description of the panorama says, these mountaineers are called Pifferari, and " play a pipe very similar in form and sound to the bagpipes of the Highlanders." It is added, as lady Morgan before observed, that "just before Christmas they descend from the mountains to Naples and Rome, in order to play before the pictures of the Virgin and Child, which are placed in various parts of every Italian town." In a picture of the Nativity by Raphael, he has introduced a shepherd at the door playing on the bagpipes.

Christmas Carols.

[ocr errors]

Carol is said to be derived from cantare, to sing, and rola, an interjection of joy.* It is rightly observed by Jeremy Taylor, that "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good-will towards men," the song of the angels on the birth of the Saviour, is the first Christmas carol.

Anciently, bishops carolled at Christmas among their clergy; but it would be diverging into a wide field to exemplify ecclesiastical practices on this festival; and to keep close to the domestic usages of the season, church customs of that kind will not now be noticed.

In Mr. Brand's "Popular Antiquities," he gives the subjoined Anglo-Norman carol, from a MS. in the British Museum,+ with the accompanying translation by his 66 very learned and communicative friend, Mr. Douce; in which it will easily be

Bourne in Brand's Antiquities Bib. Reg. 16. E. VIII.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Lordings, in these realms of pleasure,
Father Christmas yearly dwells;
Deals out joy with liberal measure,
Gloomy sorrow soon dispels :
Numerous guests, and viands dainty,
Fill the hall and grace the board;
Mirth and beauty, peace and plenty,
Solid pleasures here afford.

Lordings, 'tis said the liberal mind,

That on the needy much bestows, From Heav'n a sure reward shall find; From Heav'n, whence ev'ry blessing flows.

Who largely gives with willing hand,

Or quickly gives with willing heart, His fame shall spread throughout the land, His memory thence shall ne'er depart. Lordings, grant not your protection To a base, unworthy crew, But cherish, with a kind affection,

Men that are loyal, good, and true. Chace from your hospitable dwelling Swinish souls, that ever crave; Virtue they can ne'er excel in,

Gluttons never can be brave.

Lordings, Christmas loves good drinking,
Wines of Gascoigne, France, Anjou,'
English ale, that drives out thinking,
Prince of liquors old or new.
Every neighbour shares the bowl,
Drinks of the spicy liquor deep,
Drinks his fill without controul,

Till he drowns his care in sleep.
And now-by Christmas, jolly soul !
By this mansion's generous sire!
By the wine, and by the bowl,

And all the joys they both inspire! Here I'll drink a health to all.

The glorious task shall first be mine: And ever may foul luck befal

Him that to pledge me shall decline!

THE CHORUS.

Hail, father Christmas! hail to thee!
Honour'd ever shalt thou be!
All the sweets that love bestows,
Endless pleasures, wait on those
Who, like vassals brave and true,
Give to Christmas homage due.

From what has been observed of Christmas carols in another work, by the editor, a few notices will be subjoined with this remark, that the custom of singing carols at Christmas is very ancient; and though most of those that exist at the present day are deficient of interest to a refined ear, yet they are calculated to awaken

Gascoigne and Anjou, being at this time under the dominion of the English sovereigns, were not regarded as part of France,

tender feelings. For instance, one of them represents the virgin contemplating the birth of the infant, and saying,

"He neither shall be clothed

in purple nor in pall, But all in fair linen,

as were babies all:

He neither shall be rock'd
in silver nor in gold,
But in a wooden cradle,

that rocks on the mould.'

Not to multiply instances at present, let it suffice that in a MS. at the British Museum there is "A song on the holly and the ivy," beginning,

[ocr errors]

'Nay, my nay, hyt shal not be I wys, Let holy hafe the maystry, as the maner ys: "Holy stond in the hall, fayre to behold, Ivy stond without the dore, she ys ful sore acold. Nay my nay," &c.

"Holy, & hys mery men, they dawnsyn and they syng,

Ivy and hur maydyns, they wepyn & they wryng. "Nay my nay," &c.

The popularity of carol-singing occasioned the publication of a duodecimo volume in 1642, intituled, "Psalmes or Songs of Sion, turned into the language, and set to the tunes of a strange land. By William) S(latyer), intended for Christmas carols, and fitted to divers of the most noted and common but solemne tunes, every where in this land familiarly used and knowne." Upon the copy of this book in the British Museum, a former possessor has written the names of some of the tunes to which the author designed them to be sung for instance, Psalm 6, to the tune of Jane Shore; Psalm 19, tu Bar. Forster's Dreame; Psalm 43, to Crimson Velvet; Psalm 47, to Garder Greene; Psalm 84, to The fairest Nymph of the Valleys; &c.

In a carol, still sung, called "Dives and Lazarus, "there is this amusing account: "As it fell it out, upon a day,

Rich Dives sicken'd and died,
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.

"Rise up, rise up, brother Dives,

And come along with me, For you've a place provided in hell, To sit upon a serpent's knee." However whimsical this may appear to the reader, he can scarcely conceive its ludicrous effect, when the "serpent's

*Harl. Col. 53 16,

« السابقةمتابعة »