Some do the citie now frequent, St. Martin's little summer is a term for the fine days which sometimes intervene about the beginning of November, upon the usual boisterous weather of the month. Shakspeare alludes to it in the first part of king Henry IV.: "Farewell thou latter spring! farewell All-hallown summer!" and more expressively in the first part of king Henry VI. This night the siege assuredly I'll raise : "and pray what may yours be?" "Mine, madam, from a very early age, began by collecting provincial copper tokens, and latterly the hand-writing (or autographs) of men who have distinguished themselves 66 Hand-writings!" in every walk of life." exclaimed lady E., with surprise-"what do you mean by hand-writings? surely you don't mean old letters?" at the same time opening the drawer of her worktable, and taking out a small parcel of papers, some of which had been just used by Mrs. Molineux, as patterns for articles of dress. The sight of this packet, though of no literary importance, yet containing letters written by eminent characters (more particularly one from the celebrated Sarah, duchess of Marlborough), afforded the greatest pleasure to Mr. Upcott, who expressed exceeding delight in looking them "Oh!" added lady Evelyn, "if over. you care for papers like these, you shall have plenty; for Sylva Evelyn (the familiar appellation applied to John Evelyn by his descendants), and those who succeeded him, preserved all their letters." Then, ringing for her confidential attendant, "Here," said her ladyship, " Mr. Upcott tells me he is fond of collecting old letters: -take the key of the ebony cabinet, in the billiard room-procure a basket, and bring down some of the bundles." Mr. Upcott accompanied the attendant, and, having brought a quantity of these letters into the dining-room, passed an agreeable evening in examining the contents of each packet; with the assurance from lady Evelyn, that he was welcome to lay aside any that he might desire for his own collection. On the following evening the ebony cabinet was visited a second time, when Evelyn's "Kalendarium," as he had entitled it, or "Diary," a small quarto volume, very closely written with his own hand, presented itself. This interesting family document had been lent by lady Evelyn, from time to time, to her parti cular friends, yet she did not consider its contents of sufficient importance for publication; and except for this accident it might have been cut up for dress-patterns, or lighting fires. Evelyn's " Diary" was obtained from the old lady, for publication, and has since appeared in successive quarto and octavo editions. Herbert Stockhore, poet laureate of Eton Montem, was originally a soldier, who upon receiving his discharge settled at Windsor; at what time he so settled I have not at present the means of ascertaining, my knowledge of him extending only to about sixteen years ago, at which time he was exercising the functions of his poetical office. How he gained that post I am also at a loss to determine, farther than supposing his being led, having no regular occupation, to seek a subsistence from among the scholars, affording them amusement by his eccentric habits, and his extemporaneous display as a rhymester-talents which in due course of time pointed him out as a fit person to be chosen Montem bard. Be it as it may, Herbert has taken care of the main chance, and has with increase of years increased his store of worldly goods very considerably; holding at the present time some portion of land besides several cottages. The house he resides in is the work of his own hands, and for originality of construction may vie with the rhyme of his odes. His dress usually consisted of an old military coat and trowsers; his brows were encircled-not with bays, but with a red nightcap, and he wore a beard the stubbornness of which but rarely offended the edge of a razor. Our bard must now be very far advanced in years, and as he pathetically states his "glass must be almost run." I was witness to three montems preceding the last, and each time his decline was strongly visible. At the first he was enabled to walk about aided only by a staff; at my second visit he was assisted by a little boy, an allusion to whom was made in the last lines of the ode of that time, as follows, Nature, it is said, must form the true poet; in so far as Herbert Stockhore is concerned his obligations are all on her side, being entirely free from the shackles of education, and unable either to read or write. Of the manufacture of the ode I would fain say a few words. The poet, having ascertained the names and order of the procession, proceeds after his own fashion to jumble a certain quantity of lines together, according to his own rude ideas of harmony; the person to whom they are dictated, as far as his capacity extends, making the best of them. After this mess has been concocted, it is shown to some one or another of the Eton scholars, who undertakes its revision and improvement. It is then committed to the hands of the printer, who also adds his mite towards its embellishment; this is its last stage, and on Whit-Tuesday it is ready for the "author" to vend to his montem friends at a price which secures him ample remuneration for time and labour. This explanation will I hope account for the inferiority of the production, and likewise tend to remove any stain thrown on the well-earned literary fame of the Etonians. If it be matter of doubt whether there will be another montem, it is more doubtful whether there will be found a successor to the present holder of the laureateship, when he shall be consigned to the grave; but to all montem visitors, and Etonians in particular, the remembrance of Herbert Stockhore will never fail to intermingle with recollections of joyous days “so few and far between." JN. November 13. 13th of November, 1810, died James Allen, the celebrated Northumbrian piper. [To Mr. Hone.] "Jamie Allen," as he was familiarly called, was not only the best piper of his time, but in other respects a very singular character. It is impossible, in such a sketch as the present, to convey even an outline of the remarkable circumstances of his romantic life, in proof of which it need only be stated that a biographical account of him, containing nearly 700 pages, has been published in an octavo volume. It is from that account that the following abstract is taken. But it must be observed that the biographer has in many places evidently called in the aid of his imagination to embellish his narrative, although there is no reason to suspect its general authenticity. Jamie was born about 1719, at a gypsey camp in Rothbury forest, Northumberland. He was the youngest of six sons of William Allan, a noted piper, whose ostensible way of living, and that of his family, was by travelling the country as coopers, tinkers, muggers, spooncasters, &c. They were dreaded by the neighbouring farmers; and Jamie, who early distinguished himself by his depredatory exploits, was sent out to make heather besoms. He was naturally idle, and worked little. He is described as having been "hardy as the highland heather," and "swift as the mountain roe." When he was about fourteen years of age he became emulous to excel upon the bagpipes, to which his ambition was awakened by seeing the consideration paid to his father, in consequence of his superior performance on that instrument. It was a great favorite (the small pipe particularly) among the Northumbrians, and Jamie, by great application, became a proficient. He remained attached to the Faa-gang, or gypsey tribe, until the rebellion of 1745, when he and his brother Robert were seized under a warrant to impress vagrants into his majesty's service. By intoxicating the constables who had them in charge, the two brothers speedily effected their escape; and soon afterwards Jamie attracted the notice of the countess (afterwards duchess) of Northumberland, to whom Thomson dedicated his "Spring." Jamie was ranked among her band of musicians, but marred his good fortune by want of prudence. A young woman, one of the countess's attendants, formed an attachment of which he was the object; and, this becoming known to the countess, she generously offered to settle the young couple in life, provided the affection of the young woman was returned. This, unhappily, was not the case, and Jamie, partly to put an end to the connexion, and partly for the laud able purpose of receiving some instruction from an old schoolmaster, obtained By Mackenzie and Dent, Newcastle-upon Tyne. leave of absence from the castle, in order to visit Rothbury. From that moment his subsequent misfortunes may be dated. On Jamie's arrival at Rothbury he found the schoolmaster ill with a fever, and his hopes of instruction were frustrated. About the same time he was entrapped into marriage by a woman of illcharacter. On this occasion, though he had lost much favor with his patroness, she made him a present of a pair of handsome small pipes, mounted with silver, upon which he ever afterwards set a high value. Upon the countess becoming duchess of Northumberland she appointed him her own piper, and he wore on his right arm, in silver, the Saracen's crescent, the proud trophy won by the Percy, in the crusades, and adopted by the family as a cognizance. Allan from that time, except during short intervals, was driven, by the misconduct of his wife, into reckless excesses, and having committed robbery, he was peremptorily dismissed from the castle. Still his deserved fame for excellent execution upon the bagpipes would have enabled him to live with comfort and decency, but the extravagance of his habits outran his gains. Being in distress, he enlisted with a recruiting party, and deserted immediately after he had received the bounty-money. This was the commencement of a practice which he afterwards carried on to an unparalleled extent, but not without great danger, and hair-breadth escapes. He gradually lost all principle, and, to enumerate his various villanies, the contrivances he formed to elude detection, and the hardships he endured, would far exceed reasonable limits. It is sufficient to say that, having long led a vagabond life, be at length fell into the hands of one of the recruiting parties whom he had defrauded, and in order to avoid punishment for other, and greater offences, he accepted an offer to enter into the East India Company's service. Allan had not been long in India before he deserted, as usual; and, astonishing to say, without understanding any language but his own, and without money, he travelled, on foot, through unknown countries, from Calcutta to Benares, thence to Delhi, then to Lahor, crossed the snowy mountains, and arrived at Samarcand; he then passed through Tartary, over the deserts of Egypt, and reached St. Petersburgh in safety, without any friend but his pipes, from which he had continued in all his perils never to part. After many vicissitudes, in almost all parts of Europe, he returned to England, and hastened to his native place, his affection for which was so strong as to form one of the most prominent traits in his character. Allan's life now became merely a repetition of what it had been before he left England, but he grew more daring, and his experience abroad had qualified him to commit depredations with greater success at home. He renewed his connexion for some time with the Faa-gang; but his favorite means of raising money was his old scheme of enlisting with some recruiting party, pocketing the bounty, and then decamping. He at length became so notorious in the north of England, that he was constantly in jeopardy, and he removed into the south, where he fell in with a gang of gypsies, the chief of whom, and a young female who passed for his daughter, seemed to have been of superior origin to that which their condition bespoke. Allan and this young woman became attached to each other, and were legally married. She appears to have made him a good wife, while she lived, and to have partly reformed him by ber influence; but she shortly died. Allan used to acknowledge that she was the only woman who could ever restrain him from his vicious propensities. He gave a strong proof of his affection for her by honestly paying the surgeon's bill, and the expenses of her funeral. Allan again went abroad, and served both in the French and English armies, and deserted from both. While in the French service he attempted to pass the lines, and go over to the English. He was detected and sentenced to be shot. He protested his innocence, and prayed as a favor that he might be marched to the fatal spot with his hands unbound. On his way to death he seized his ever faithful pipes, which he had preserved through all his difficulties, and struck up a tune which he had composed the night before, and which is still known in Northumberland as "Jamie Allan's tune." On a circumstance so surprising being made known to the duke de Broglio, the French commander, and there being some doubt of his guilt, he was pardoned. He once more escaped a military life, and returned to England, where he promptly renewed his old system of profligacy; and being pursued by a re cruiting party, and overtaken as he was leaping over a stile, a drummer struck him with his sword upon the wrist. Ja mie viewed the wound for some seconds with considerable emotion, and then looking at the drummer, exclaimed with minstrel pride, "Ye hae spoiled the best pipe-hand in England." The hurt was well healed, and he found that it did not affect his playing. We must now hasten to the close of Allan's career: as he advanced in years he increased in turpitude; and for a long time he stole horses with impunity. Whenever he wanted one he was accustomed to proceed to the south of Scotland, but success in crime rendered him careless and daring. He could not resist the tempt ation of stealing one in Northumberland, for which he was apprehended and tried. Notwithstanding he made a very ingenious defence, in which he attributed the prosecution to a strong and unjust prejudice which had been artfully excited against 66 a poor, harmless old man," he was con victed, and received sentence of death. His old age excited commiseration, and several gentlemen, who admired his musical abilities, united in endeavours to save the aged minstrel from an ignominious death, and finally succeeded in procuring him a free pardon. Allan's evil habits were now rooted. His recovered liberty was not of long duration. He stole a mare from Mr. Matthew Robinson, of Gateshead, was pursued and caught, and sent to Barham gaol, and at the following assizes again received sentence of death, which was afterwards commuted to perpetual inprisonment. After remaining in confinement nearly seven years, he became very infirm and asthmatic, and was humanely removed into the house of correction, for better air. Here he lived only about nine months. A free pardon which had been obtained for him, and had been casually delayed, arrived at Durham a few days after his criminal life had terminated. Some years before Allan's death he made a will, by which he appointed two gentlemen of North Shields his executors: and bequeathed to them his pipes, with a valuable selection of music, and several curiosities; on condition that they interred his remains in Rothbury churchyard They did not hear of his death until after his burial in Elvet churchyard, Durban or his request would have been complied with. His snuff-box, a curious old rec |