and barren tract, laid down in our maps as Headley-heath, along which we journeyed northward with little besides our own good company to amuse us, though after some time we caught a few glimpses of exquisite scenery to our right; and presently a bold range of hills opened before us, beautifully chequered with shade and sun-shine.

We reached Walton-heath without any material occurrence, and passed an encampment of gypsies in a sheltered nook, consoling themselves over a crackling fire, the red flame of which flickered in the sun light, and gave to their dark and savage countenances a still fiercer cast. From the covert of a tattered blanket, not far distant, we saw in rapid succession four or five "wee things todlin, stacher " onwards, to their reckless parents, half clad, and without any "flecherin noise an' glee;" and beside the group a couple of donkeys, apparently possessed of kindlier feelings than their masters, resting their chins on each other's shoulders.

The picturesque little church of Walton on the hill soon appeared on our left, and we crossed the heath and several pleasant fields towards it, and at length entered the church yard. We had understood that some Roman bricks were built into this edifice, but on examination it appeared to have been so extensively repaired as to present almost the appearance of a new erection. The tower is singularly neat, and were it not finished rather abruptly might be classed amongst the most pleasing structures of the kind. I chose a sunny corner of the church-yard, where a group of fowls were beating their wings in the dust, and apparently welcoming the birth of "proud pied April," to make a sketch of it, and the clever weathercock sur

north side, noticed a low arched recess which might formerly have screened some sepulchral effigy. From a wooden memorial I copied the following lines, which have much the character of those letters usually appended to "last dying speeches" : "Dear Husband,

Since my life is past, love did remain while life did last; but now no sorrow for me make; pray love my children for my sake."

From this place we "took to the road again," and proceeded quietly enough towards a majestic tree, one of those "glossy-rinded beeches" which Dyer might have had in his eye when alluding to the adjacent downs of Banstead. On the opposite side of the common stands a quiet hostelrie, known as the Red Lion; and somewhat wearied with our pilgrimage we shaped our course towards it, and were soon seated in one of its snug apartments, on the walls of which we noticed several paintings. That of which our hostess seemed most proud was a wishy-washy compound of red-lead, indian-ink, and cabbage-green, labelled in large letters, "The Red Lion." "The long tailed Parakeet," and its companion a golden pheasant, daintily embossed on a fair half sheet of foolscap,-in frames, properly hung, as they deserved to be, for they were "black with gilt,"-and view of Canonbury Tower, were also conspicuous amongst the embellishments of this little room. But the

choicest bit of art was a portrait in oil, of superior execution, exhibiting such a child-like roguishness of expression, and so pretty an air of non-chalance, that I felt much interested in it, and questioned the proprietor concerning its history, but could only learn that it had been in the house "twenty years."

We resumed our walk, and came presently in sight of Banstead church, with a

spire considerably out of the perpendicular, which "G." naturally enough accounted for by supposing that the poorness of the soil might make it lean, much in the same manner as it affects the mutton bereabout, which being fed on "short commons," though very delicate, is remarkable for its smallness. Now lest any should think this fact a mere 66 figure or phantasy," coined for the use of certain punsters of our company, I adduce the testimony of Dyer, from whose "Fleece" these lines are quoted :

From these "downs" the view northward is very extensive and beautiful, the pretty church and village of Cheam forming a conspicuous object to the left, over which the prospect stretches as far as Highgate and Hampstead; and the heights of Norwood being distinctly visible on the right. We halted for some minutes, looking with pained gaze at the "lyric lark" hanging high above us in the sunny air, and pouring forth such a flood of minstrelsy, that I caught myself unconsciously repeating that childish ditty of Wordsworth

Up with me! up with me! into the clouds; For thy song, lark, is strong.

We soon reached Sutton, where we purposed dining, and, having given orders accordingly, adjourned to the church, on the north wall of which we expected to find an inscription soliciting our prayers for the good estate of William Foul, and Alice, his mother, which formerly appeared there. But in this we were disappointed, for a new erection has been raised on that side the building ornamented with the arms here represented,

Borrowed-J. L.

This monument presents unto your viewe
A woman rare, in whom all grace divine,
Faith, Love, Zeal, Piety, in splendid hue,
With sacred knowledge perfectly did shine.
Since, then, examples teach, learn you by this
To mount the steppes of everlasting blisse.

We explored the church-yard, and laughed heartily, when perhaps we ought to have been more seriously inclined, at this flaming epitaph on a butcher of the 19th century—

A steady friend to truth, a heart sincere,
In dealing strictly just, in conscience clear,
Here Boorer lies,-Oh stone record his name,
Virtues like these may others boast the same,
When pitying sorrow drops a tender tear,
The last sad tribute to a friend sincere !

On our return to the inn we found that the name of our host corresponded with that of the worthy individual whose death had been thus honorably recorded. And certainly we found his ale as "clear" as his namesake's conscience, and his chops as "tender" as his kinsfolk's tears. We quitted our hospitable quarters about five o'clock, and before we reached Streatham experienced a heavy fall of rain, which promised little intermission, so that we gladly availed ourselves of the first con

ISAAC AND PETER OLIVER. Horace Walpole's mention of the sale of an historical miniature by Peter Oliver, in May 1726, suggests this as an opportunity to allude to the performances of Peter, and his distinguished father, Isaac Oliver.

Mr. Granger says, there never appeared in England, nor perhaps in the whole world, a greater master in miniature than Isaac Oliver. He painted a few pieces of history, but generally portraits; which have so much truth and delicacy, as never to have been equalled, but by the smaller works of Holbein. He died in the reign of Charles I. Peter died in 1654. In portraits he was comparable with his father. Granger adds, that the head of Peter Oliver's wife is supposed to be the most capital of his works.

The greater part of the collection of pictures made by Charles I., among which were several of the Oliver's, being dispersed in the troubles, Charles II., who remembered and was desirous of recovering them, made many inquiries about them after the restoration. At last he was told that Peter Oliver's widow was living at Isleworth and had many of their works. The king went very privately and unknown to see them, and the widow showed several finished and unfinished. Charles asked if she would sell them; she replied she had a mind the king should see them first. He then discovered himself, on which she produced others which she seldom exhibited. The king desired her to set her price: she said she did not care to do that with his majesty, she would leave it to him; but she promised to look over her husband's books, and let his majesty know what prices his father, the late king, had paid. The king took away what he liked, and sent a message to Mrs. Oliver with the option of £1000 or an annuity of £300 for her life. She chose the annuity. Some years afterwards it happened that Charles's mistresses had begged all or most of these pictures, which Mrs. Oliver being told of, she said that if she thought that the king would have given them away to such--[sort of people]-he never should have had them. This reached the court, the poor woman's annuity was

stopped, and she never received it afterwards.

The name of Oliver appears to have been connected with the arts from the time of James I., to whom John Oliver was master-mason. His descendant, of the same name, was one of the three commissioners for regulating the plan of building the city of London after the great fire in 1666. Aubrey says, that he was the city surveyor, and that he became possessed of a great part of the MS. designs and sketches of Inigo Jones. This John Oliver, who is presumed to have been son to James, a younger brother of Peter Oliver's, is also presumed to have been the painter of the Saving of St. Peter from prison, on a glass window, at ChristChurch, Oxford, inscribed, "J. Oliver, aetat. suæ 84, anno 1700, pinxit deditque." The finest specimen of his minute works, sun-dials with flies, insects, and butterflies, is (or was) in the parlour window of the rectory house at Northill in Bedfordshire, where he had been employed to make a window of exquisitely finished blazoning for the chancel of the church. One of his best performances is a sun-dial, with the arms of archbishop Sheldon, and a view of the theatre at Oxford, now in Lambeth palace.

Whether the decorous spectacle described in the Year Book at pp. 25, 60, of royalty throwing dice at the Groom Porter's, is still exhibited I cannot say; but that the custom was observed so late as a century since is proved by the first number of the Gentleman's Magazine, which after describing various other ceremonies at Court on Twelfth Day, 1731, proceeds :-" At night, their Majesties play'd at hazard with the Nobility, for the benefit of the Groom Porter; and 'twas said the king won 600 guineas, the queen 360, the princess Amelia twenty, the princess Caroline ten, the earl of Portmore and duke of Graf ton several thousands."

I cannot refrain from adding the paragraph which immediately succeeds, because, taken in connexion with the preceding, it describes a delightful mode of dispensing equally those "laws which were made for ev'ry degree"

"At night, Mr. Sharpless, high constable of Holborn division, together with several of his petty constables, went to search a notorious gaming-house behind Grays Inn Walks, by virtue of a warrant under the hands and seals of the right honorable Lord Delawar, and eleven

Loud call to England, 1660, p. 24.

other of His Majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex; but the gamesters having previous notice they all fled, except the master of the house, who, being named in the warrant, was apprehended, examined, and bound in a recognizance of £200 penalty, pursuant to the old statute of 33 Henry VIII."

Certainly there is nothing more commendable than even-handed justice.

Some farther allusions to the practices at the Groom Porter's may be collected from old plays,—

"He will win you,

By unresistible luck, within this fortnight, Enough to buy a barony. They will set him Upmost at the Groom Porter's, all the Christmas."-Jonson's Alchemist, Act 3.

"Faith! ill company, and that common vice of the town, gaming, soon ran out my younger brother's fortune; for, imagining, like some of the luckier gamesters, to improve my stock at the Groom Porter's, I ventured on and lost all."Mrs. Behn's Widow Ranter, Act 1.

"O happy man! I shall never need to sneak after a lord, to sing catches, to break jests, to eat and rook with him. I'll get me a pack of fox-dogs, hunt every day, and play at the Groom Porter's at night."-Shadwell's True Widow, Act 3. J. B- n.

Staffordshire Moorlands.

T. Nash, 1600.

The annexed notice is by a gentleman who possesses a set of elegant chessmen, which he most obligingly lent, for the purpose of drawings being made from such of the pieces as might be selected. Six engravings are executed, including the king and queen above.

FLAXMAN'S CHESSMEN.

[For the Year Book.]

In this country the game of chess is generally played with pieces either of wood or ivory, just sufficiently carved at the top to denote their different character and power, and with turned bases. In many of our shops for articles of eastern luxury, sets of chessmen of elaborate workmanship, and costly material, are exhibited, to attract the notice of the "passers by," while it is not generally known that the late distinguished sculptor, John Flaxman, R. A., of whom it has been justly said, that "he was the first

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of our countrymen who united poetry with sculpture, executed for Messrs. Wedgewood, of Etruria, a series of models for a set of chessmen, which, for beauty of design, and variety of attitude, are unrivalled. It is to be regretted that, from the close of Messrs. Wedgewood's establishment in London, no further information relative to these specimens of elegant pottery can be obtained than that "the moulds are still in existence."

As you, Mr. HONE, have thought designs from some of these "pieces" would form a pleasing embellishment to the Year Book, I will endeavour to give some little description of them.

The kings and queens are statues of about three inches and a-half, standing on circular pedestals of three quarters of an inch in height; the postures of the black king and queen are very bold and striking; but the expression of simple dignity in the white king and queen [engraved above] is particularly interesting.