Scout's Discovery, or certain Information from both Armies ;""The Parliament's Scout;""Mercurius Rusticus, or the Country's Complaint of the Robberies, Plunderings, and other Outrages committed by the Rebels on his Majesty's faithful Subjects;""Mercurius Britannicus," a parliamentary paper; the "Weekly Account," and the "Scotch Intelligencer." The "Mercurius Aulicus" was first published at Oxford, in January, 1643, to counteract the alleged falsehoods of the Roundheads, or partisans of the parliament. This purpose is expressed in the following introductory paragraph. The Mercurius Aulicus" begins thus :--

"The world hath long enough been abused with falsehoods; and there's a weekly cheat put out to nourish the abuse among the people, and make them pay for their seducement. And that the world may see that the court is neither so barren of intelligence as it is conceived, nor the affairs thereof in so unprosperous a condition as these pamphlets make them, it is thought fit to let them truly understand the state of things, that so they may no longer pretend ignorance, or be deceived with untruths; which being premised once for all, we now go into the businesse wherein we shall proceed with all truth and candour."

At the Restoration, the wings of political fame were clipt, and the "Mercuries" disappeared. In the time of William and Aune, though the press to a certain extent was free, and though several literary journals were established, the only vehicle for news was the "London Gazette," which was established in 1642. During the reign of the two first sovereigns of the house of Hanover, more than half a dozen of journals, almost exclusively devoted to the communication of news, were established in London; but as yet much was wanting to complete the scheme of our present newspapers. At the late king's accession, and for many years subsequently, we find in the newspapers (the London Chronicle," "St. James's Chronicle," and the "Daily Advertiser," for instance), no political discussion, no parliamentary intelligence, and no reports of the proceedings of the courts of law. The debates of Parliament at that time

seem to have been as unknown to the body of the people as the deliberations of the privy council. The commencement and conclusion of a session were mentioned some→ times in a single paragraph; and if a member wished to inform his constituents of the particular line of conduct which he had pursued, or the individual speeches which he had delivered, he was obliged, like honest Andrew Marvel, to communicate with them every day by letter. We subjoin a paragraph from Dr. Johnson's Life of Addison," giving his account of the commencement and original character of a species of publication, which, like its contemporary and constant companion➡ a tea breakfast has almost now become a necessary of life:

"This mode of conveying cheap and easy knowledge began among us in the civil war, when it was much the interest of either party to raise and fix the prejudices of the people. At that time appeared "Mercurius Aulicus," "Mercurius Rusticus," and "Mercurius Civicus." It is said, that when any title grew popular, it was stolen by the antagonist (those days, it would appear, had their Dr. Slops, as well as the present), who, by this stratagem, conveyed his notions to those who would not have received him, had he not worn the appearance of a friend. Those "Mercuries" were succeeded by "L'Estrange's Observator," and that by "Lesly's Rehearsal."

It is needless to say to what an extent the publication of newspapers is now carried. It was ascertained lately, by a return of the Stamp-office, where the paper for all the journals in London and the United Kingdom is stamped, that the number in London was 300,000, in the country 650,000 weekly; making nearly a million weekly, and fifty millions per annum.

It would extend this article to too great a length to give even the most concise account of the origin, number, and characters of foreign journals. Holland led the way in this species of publication. Scarcely a country or a capital of any extent is now to be found without its "Gazette." They have flourished most where liberty is most widely diffused and most firmly established. America, next to England, seems the

chosen seat of free discussion and newspaper publication. It is calculated that the number of newspapers published in the American union in the course of a year exceeds twenty-five millions. The number of newspaper establishments is much greater in proportion to the number of papers sold than in this country. Few daily journals, we are told, number more than 1300 subscribers, and only three journals of any description reckon above 4500. Perhaps the latter part of the estimate may apply to England as well as to America; but in this country we contrive to do what, notwithstanding the absence of stamp duties, could not be done on the other side of the Atlantic. We continue to publish papers which scarcely any body reads, and which are solely supported by the bounty of that government which they are incompetent to serve. The following is the state of the newspaper press in the United States in 1810, as extracted from a late number of the "National Intelligencer." The increase since that year has been about 52 per cent.

LET the bard snatch his lyre, and the warrior his

And let Fame praise the feats which they love to re

But what hero recorded in glory's proud roll
Can they match with the Highlander's chivalrous soul?

For his valour in arms, and his spirit to dare,
Is the boast of the brave, and the joy of the fair—
When the Highlander sallies exultingly forth
In the plume of the eagle and plaid of the North!

In the vision of Fancy behold his career,

From the mountains descending with broad sword and

spear

And his onset to battle's inspiriting shock,

Is the torrent in foam bursting wild from the rock.

Let the victor rejoice that his glory shall live
In the strains of the bards-claiming praise while they

give;

For their fame and the hero's are wedded for aye
In the musical beauty of Caledon's lay.

But that lay to his heart shall be charmingly sweet,
As the heath-cover'd hill when it welcomes his feet;
And his spirit shall start on the lofty Cairn-gorm,
While the wild harp of Cona exults in the storm!

For that harp full of magic could masterly move
The reluctant to arms and the mighty to love;
And the Highlander's bosom shall echo the song,
While the tide of emotion is hurried along.
Edinburgh Magazine.

A PROFESSOR OF SIGNS.

KING JAMES VI., on removing to London, was waited upon by the Spanish ambassador, a man of erudition, but who had a crotchet in his head that every country should have a professor of signs, to teach him and the like of him to understand one another. The ambassador