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Andrè Danican, a native of Drieux, near Paris, who had the sobriquet, or nickname, of Philidor, given him by the king of France, after an Italian musician of that name, was not more noted as the first chess-player than for his musical compositions. He published his "Analyse du Jeu des Echecs," in 12mo., Lond. 1749. He died on the 31st of August, 1795, at the age of sixty-nine. He enjoyed to the last a strong retentive memory, which long rendered him remarkable. He was a member of the Chess Club near thirty years. His meek qualities caused him to be no less esteemed as

a companion than he was admired for that extraordinary skill in the difficult game of chess which pre-eminently distinguished him. Two months before his death, he played two games blindfold at the same time, against two excellent chess-players, and was declared the victor. What seemed most to have shaken his constitution, and to have hastened his decease, was the refusal of a passport to France to see his family, who lived there, before he paid the last debt of Nature. This was rendered more bitter on its being intimated that he was a suspected character, and had been denounced by a committee of French informers. From that moment his philosophy forsook him-his tears were incessant-and he sunk into the grave without a groan.*

May 8.

THE SEASON.

Each hedge is cover'd thick with green; And, where the hedger late hath been, Young tender shoots begin to grow From out the mossy stumps below. But woodmen still on Spring intrude, And thin the shadow's solitude; With sharpened axes felling down

Twilight ends.

Clare.

h. m. 1 41

4 26

7 34 10 19

represent Scotland in parliament. Finding himself deprived of all his offices, and suspected by the ministry of George I., he openly avowed those principles which it is supposed he secretly entertained in support of the Pretender and commanded an undisciplined and half armed multitude which was defeated by the king's troops. He effected his escape and joined the hope of his party at Rome; but quitting this service he went to Geneva, where he was arrested. Regaining his liberty, he retired to Paris, which he left, depressed by misfortune, for Aix-la-Chapelle, where he died in the arms of his affectionate daughter, Frances, who had been the faithful companion of his afflictions. The earl of Mar was twice married. His first lady was Margaret, daughter of Thomas

May 9.

In May, 1732, died John Erskine, the eleventh earl of Mar. He was knight of the thistle, twice secretary of state, a promoter of the Union, and had been repeatedly returned one of the sixteen peers to

issue, John, who died an infant, and Thomas, Lord Erskine. His second countess was Frances, daughter of Evelyn Pierrepoint, duke of Kingston. She effected his escape in an ingenious manner, by dressing him in woman's clothes. George I. allotted this lady her jointure, as if her lord had been actually dead; and permitted his friends to purchase his estates, valued at £1678 per annum, for

"in

On Easter-eve and Whitsunday-eve, the Font-hallowing was one of the many various ceremonies in early times. The writer of a MS volume of Homilies in the Harleian Library, No. 2371, says, the begynning of holy chirch, all the children weren kept to be chrystened on thys even, at the font-hallowyng; but now, for enchesone that in so long abydynge they might dye without chrystendome, therefore holi chirch ordeyneth to chrysten at all tymes of the yeare; save eyght dayes before these Evenys, the chylde shalle abyde till the font hallowing, if it may safely for perill of death, and ells not."

Among the ancient annual church disbursements of St. Mary at Hill, in the city of London, the following entry sometimes occurs: Water for the Font on Whitson Eve, id."

* Noble.

Strewing the Church. Collinson, in his History of Somersetshire, speaking of Yatton, says, that "John Lane of this parish, gent., left half an acre of ground, called the Groves, to the poor for ever, reserving a quantity of the grass for strewing the church on Whitsunday."

Alms Houses. Mr. A. Wood says that "there were no alms houses, at least they were very scarce, before the Reformation; that over against Christ Church, Oxon, is one of the ancientest. In every church was a poor man's box, but I never remembered the use of it; nay, there was one at great inns, as I remember it was before the wars. These were the days when England was famous for the grey goose quills."

The rule in the calendar, stated yesterday, applies to this day.

Many particulars concerning usages at Whitsuntide are stated in the EveryDuy Book.

Whitsuntide was formerly one of the seasons greatly preferred for marrying, and in which a great many weddings were performed before the passing of the marriage act. Previous to the operation of Scotch minister who had been "driven that law, one George Keith, an episcopal from Scotland," says the rev. Mark Noble, "for his attachment to episcopacy," settled in London; and, to procure a maintenance, set up a marriage-office in the Fleet, and carried on the trade, since so successfully pursued by the "Blacksmith" of Gretna Green. Few persons so much injured the public morals, or caused so much distress in families, as this unworthy man and his brethren. They had their setters, or

Brand i. 231.

barkers, to ask people passing in the streets whether they wanted a clergyman to marry them. Keith and his journeymen one morning, during the Whitsun holidays, at May Fair Chapel, locked together a greater number of couples than had been married at any ten churches within the bills of mortality. He had transferred his practice from the Fleet to May Fair, where he continued to officiate for many years, till he was again obliged to take refuge in the Fleet. At length the Bishop of London excommunicated him, and caused the sentence to be repeated in May Fair Chapel. In 1700, Keith published "The Guide; or, the Christian Pathway to Everlasting Life,"—yet he was an utter disgrace to the clerical character. He frequently performed the marriage ceremony while he and the parties he united were in a state of brutal intoxication. The "Adventurer,” speaking of “signs," observes, that the "hand and pen" properly belonged to the schoolmasters, "though the very reverend and right worthy order of my neighbours, the Fleet parsons, have assumed it to themselves, as a mark of marriages performed without imposition." Keith lived till he had at tained his 89th year. He died in 1735.

The origin of this very curious and singular custom, which is triennially celebrated on Whit-Tuesday, is involved in doubt and obscurity. Some suppose that it was coeval with the foundation of Eton college, and that it derives its title from a Monkish procession taking place annually to a small mount (perhaps formerly a Saxon barrow, near a village, at present situated on the Bath road,) called Salthill; and that, by the monks composing this procession, was then and there sold consecrated" salt," whence the name of the

place. It can however be satisfactorily traced as far back as the time of Elizabeth, who when on a visit to the college desired to see an account of the ancient ceremonies observed there from the period of its foundation. In the list was an annual procession of the scholars, who, on these occasions, repeated verses, and gathered money for a dinner and other purposes. † It is well known that this spectacle consists at present of a procession of the boys to Salthill, where money is collected for the captain as a kind of provision against his going to the University. But, though thus much is well known, the little minutia attendant on the occasion

are not so.

The students begin to assemble at about 9 o'clock in the morning, and at half past there is what is termed, in the Etonian phraseology, an "absence." This may require a little explanation, as it is called lucus à non lucendo, from all being required to be "present;" and on "Montem-day" it is performed thus: The boys, in order, march three times round the playing or school yard, and are each successive time called over by the head Master, who stands at his "Chamber door." Behind each "fifth form boy" marches a "lower boy," carrying a white pole, and hence this part of the school receive the appellation of "pole bearers."

After this necessary part of the ceremony it becomes nearly time to proceed to Salthill; but to check too great impatience on the part of the Etonians, sundry stout fellows are placed at all places of exit, well armed with staves. Ät ten the boys begin to move, and dire is the rout, and dreadful is the squeeze, each striving with each to be out first, since the only permitted way is through the cloisters, and thence into the playing fields; and the last passage is narrow in the extreme. When once fairly out, the "pole-bearers" dutifully hold out their poles, to be smitten in twain by the valorous swords of the fifth form, girded on for that sole purpose.

Their march ought to be performed in great and extended order, two and two, but before they get half-way "confusion worse confounded" takes the place of military array; and in uproar wild they arrive at Salthill, where they are once more marshalled.

But the most important personages, and + Beauties of England

* Windsor Guide. and Wales by J. Britton.

whose duty is most heavy, have been omitted; these are the "Salt-bearers." Their proper number is only two, but they are assisted by many others denominated "Servitors," or scouts, or runners; these are composed of the residue of the 6th form, after the marshal, captain, lieutenant, ensign, sergeants, and corporals have been deducted; and also of a certain number of the king's scholars in the 5th form, called "Liberty boys." On the morning of Montem they frequently rise as early as six o'clock, and forthwith scour the country, levying contributions on all they fall in with. As a multitude of persons usually flock from all quarters to visit the "sight," the number whom they meet is generally very great. Mr. Britton, whom I cite, says "that the refusal of passengers to buy salt would, perhaps, be attended with danger." When "salt" has been purchased, or, in other words, when money-for, of course, nothing but money will suffice-has been contributed, the buyer or contributor is presented with a ticket, which is affixed to some conspicuous part of the dress, i. e. the hat of a gentleman, &c., and this token secures an exemption from future demands. One of the Montem tickets was quaintly and appropriately inscribed with the Latin words Mos pro lege, "Custom in place of right." In consideration of the great fatigue they would otherwise undergo in thus scouring the country, each salt bearer and scout is allowed a horse and gig, for the double purpose of saving time and labour, and of being enabled, by extending their circuit, to gather contributions from greater numbers, and therefore to a greater amount. Having collected the salt from the company, the salt bearers, &c., levy a contribution from the boys, of at least one shilling each, which in the whole school would amount to upwards of £30.

When they have reached Salt-hill, the object of the procession, another piece of mummery takes place, the College flag incribed with the motto pro more et monte, "For our custom and the Mount," is bravely waved three times by the ensign standing on the summit of the montem or Hill.

The real business of the procession is then accomplished, but by far the most satisfactory part, to the boys at least, now begins; for after an "absence" on the mount the fifth form are distributed to dine by themselves, and the lower boys

by themselves.

The scene that then takes place can be easily left to the imagination.

Another amusement is, after dinner to lounge about a certain garden; and then, provided the Captain, or head boy, who is to receive the "benefit" of the Montem, be disliked (as was the case last Montem, June 9th 1829,) the boys forthwith set about with sword and with mischievous industry to demolish the trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, &c.; the payment of all which damage falls to the Captain. At the last Montem the Royal Life Guards (Blue), then stationed in Windsor, were called to keep guard there, and much mirth was excited by the Etonians challenging the Blues to single combat, when, soon as the ponderous sword of the Guardsman was uplifted, the affrighted Student betook himself to his heels.

After another "absence"on the Montem the procession retires to Eton about five.

This is the part enacted by the Etonians, but the sight attracts multitudes, and, if the weather is fine, the company are a greater "show" than the "show" itself. The carriages are many, and as time advances their number increases, till their fair occupants, if they desire to get a good "place," are often obliged to take to the foot.

The day after the Montem the Captain gives a breakfast to the first two hundred boys, in the College Hall.

Having thus, in however deficient and faulty a style, attempted to show the Montem as it is, without being influenced by undue prejudice, I proceed in a brief manner to describe the various titles and customs adopted by the Etonians, on this, as it may be called, their triennial day of jubilee.

(1.) A Marshal, who however is in reality inferior to the Captain. He is dressed in a Marshal's uniform, and carries a baton. Several servants and pages in the dresses of different nations follow him two and two. (2.) A Captain, really the commanding officer, for whose "benefit" the Montem is held, and who is head boy of the school. The Captain cannot be other than a king's scholar, for no oppidon, that is to say, no boy not on the foundation, is allowed to be one. He is dressed in the usual regimental dress, superbly adorned, and is attended as the Marshal. (3.) A Lieutenant, in the usual dress.