pear to have entertained the same notion, several holy men, and some general councils, forbade any such custom, because the observance of it out of any such design or view, was superstitious and sinful. The practice itself, however, is innocent, if not praiseworthy. Accordingly, Mr. Bourne says, 'If I send a new year's gift to my friend, it shall be to make their hearts sing for joy, and give praise and adoratiou to the Giver of all good gifts.' Those little white spots which sometimes grow under the nails of the fingers, are denominated gifts. The reason of their being called gifts, is as wise a one as that of letters, winding-sheets, &c. in a candle. Those spots are from white glittering particles, which are mixed with red in the blood, and happen to remain there some time. Varieties. SIGNAL SELF-PUNISHMENT. Three German robbers, having acquired, by various atrocities, what amounted to a valuable booty, they agreed to divide the spoil, and retire from so dangerous a vocation: when the day arrived which they had appointed for that purpose, one of them was despatched to a neighbouring town to purchase provisions for their last carousal; the other two secretly agreed to murder him on his return, that each might come in for half the plunder instead of one-third: they did; so; but the murdered man was a closer calculator than his assassins, for he had previously poisoned part of the provisions, in order that he might appropriate the whole to himself the triumvirate of worthies were found dead together. LABOUR. It has been computed by political arithmeticians, that if every man and woman would work for four hours each day in something useful, that labour would produce sufficient to procure all the necessaries and comforts of life; want and misery would be banished from the world, and the rest of the twenty-four hours would be leisure and pleasure. RECEIPT FOR MAKING A GOOD LADY. MR. EDITOR.- It is with the greatest veneration that I address the fair readers of The Casket,' on behalf of the following receipt, for I consider a virtuous lady, not only as an ornament to society, but a person from whom we derive a great part of our present happiness, therefore I the more focibly recommeud my receipt to their immediate notice, assuring them it will raise their thoughts from every trifling pursuit, and lift them to that perfection, from whenee our primeval parents unhappily fell, and to which it is our indispensable duty to aspire. Sensible that the ladies will readily patronise what is of the greatest utility to their well-being, I shall, without farther apology, lay before them my infallible prescription: Take four ounces of good nature, one drachm of discretion, half a pound of good manners, separated from all affectation, one ounce of risibility, tempered with two and a half of moderation, three quarters of a pound of knowledge drawn from experience, three scruples of religion, purified from all hypocrisy, five ounces of pity, blended with an equal quantity, of benevolence, two drachms of sincerity refined from the pernicious dregs of deceit, two ounces of love, a quarter of a pound of reason, seven ounces of industry, one pound of frugality, a cup-full of modesty, and a thimble-full of judgment: these, properly complicated, and a large tablespoonfull taken night and morning, will make your company desirable, your conversation pleasing, yet instructing, your virtues as numerous as the sands on the sea-shore, and in short you will appear like an inhabitant descended from the celestial regions. The consideration of these, I think, will be sufficient to induce you to have recourse to this incomparable medicine, without hesitating a L. D T. moment. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER to the CASKET, containing Title, Index, &c. will be ready on the usual day of publication. Printed and published by CowIE and STRANGE, 60, Paternoster Row, and 24, Fetter Lane. Sold by all Booksellers. THIS elegant building was erected by John Nash, esq., architect to the King, the Board of Works, the Bank of England, &c., and we believe, is the only private edifice ever erected by him in the style of pointed architecture. The interior is particularly splendid, embracing a suite of rooms, as extensive as those in the south wing of Windsor Castle, and possessing an equally enchanting prospect; among the principal objects of which are Southampton, Portsmouth, the beautiful sylvan scenery of the New Forest, and the broad expanse of water, known by the name of Spithead, upon which are always floating some of the wooden walls of old England On the site of this unique mansion (of which the above is so faithful a representation), King Henry VIII. erected a fort, corresponding to the one on the western side of the river Medina (known as West Cowes Castle) which Mr. Nash destroyed previous to building the present structure. The grounds attached to this mansion, and the proximity of the seat to several fashionable watering places, including West Cowes, Southampton, and Ryde, make it one of the most delightful resi dences in the acknowledged Paradise of England,' the Isle of Wight. Apprentice, miseries of an 142 Affection's kiss 16 Antiqnarians 23. Apparatus, capt. Manby's 25, 90 Abernethy's, Mr., opinion of Mrs. Sid- Affection with simplicity 85 Advice, consolatory 88 Anecdote of major Topham 136-of 195 Absence of mind 180 Anecdote of Dr. Pope 200-of Mr. Betty 204-of lord Seaforth 204-of Ambassador, Turkish 215 Anecdote of Foote 224-Jord Carteret Apparition of the lord Cassway 289,300 Aubrey's account of lord Bacon's gar- Apollonicon 374 Adieu, my lovely Rose! 334 Bandit chief 362 Barbarity on shipboard 7 Blacking, receipt for 7 Bankrupt, definition of the word 103 Bag of nails, derivation of 103 Broken heart, the 156 Bear, laughable encounter with a 188 Bathing, on 196, 206, 210, 222, 226, Corn market, Paris 1 Church of St. Giles-in-the-Fields 137 Calculation, curious, relative to the weight of bank notes 200 Concert singer, the 202 Canning, Mr., death of 217 - memoir Devil, colour of the 40 Distance, how measured in Holland 47 Digestion, quick 96 Dog, anecdotes of the 103, 104, 159, 182 Dennis O'Tool's will 188 De vipping man 195 Dog's meat man, the 331 Devil's Dyke, a visit to 335 Destruction of the Spanish ship, Florida 272 Dairyman's epitaph 296 Electrical phenomenon 5 Gnat, to the 32 Greyhound, grave of the 48 Henri Quatre 8 Humourist, impudent 14 Honour, Sicilian 78 How-d'y'-do and good-bye, 80 in the British Musenm 178-to Mary Love, the recompense of 296 London, first authentic accounts of 311 Linwood's, Miss, Gallery 374 Labour, computation of 376 Lady, receipt for making a good one |