BIRMINGHAM, England, A Wonderful Beast. ON my first evening in Manchester, as I sat by a cheerful fire reading some thrilling lines to Kossuth by James Russell Lowell, in the Guardian, a shrill cry pierced my ears, and somewhat startled me, though it seemed not to move the rest of the company. Stepping to the door, this strange spectacle appeared on the opposite side-walk. A cloud of steam was rolling up from an odd looking fourlegged object, which by the gas light seemed to resemble an excited animal, puffing and blowing with exhaustion; while a man held him by the ears, and with horrid shrieks, wide distended jaws, and protruding eye-balls, called for help. I ran to him, and anxiously inquired what was the matter. "Two a ha'penny," said he very calmly. "'ow many'll ye 'ave?" and opening his tin-box, displayed a boiling pot of potatoes. I turned away happy at having made another important discovery in the old world, and the old fellow resumed his cries, "'o-t ta—te—rs, 'o-t ta―te—rs.” In the morning the streets were crowded with little carts loaded with coal, cripps or faggots, turnips, carrots, cabbages, etc., drawn about by ponies and forlorn-looking donkies; and mostly driven by women. Occasionally one of the poor, longeared creatures would trudge along weighed down with huge baskets, or panniers, at his sides, filled with country produce, bottles of ale, or other commodities. Women of Manchester. The women here work at every kind of business, that men only perform in New England. There are bar-maids to deal out brandy and ale, and attract customers by their bewitching smiles, female clerks in every kind of shops, pedlars, cry ing their goods through the streets, and teamsters hawing and geeing their cattle about. In rainy weather they are seen wading through the muddy streets, covered with old mats, and wearing clogs or pattens on their feet. The clogs are thick leather shoes with heavy wooden soles; and pattens are wooden soles, with straps to bind them over other shoes having also a sort of iron stilts underneath to keep the feet high and dry. But they are exceedingly clumsy. One would weigh nearly a pound. Trade and Manufactures. The shop-keepers have every article marked with its price. So if one fails in trade, it is not because he did not receive the full value of his goods, but for want of patronage. Calico is sold by the pound as well as potatoes. The British manufactures are much heavier and more durable than ours. In certain articles, particularly of dress, this excessive stoutness is a fault. Their hats and boots are burdensome to the wearers. Their carriages too, and harnesses, retard the speed of horses with needless weight. For the most part, the mechanics are mere imitators of their predecessors; and never aspire to improve their arts or "magnify their calling." Being apprenticed very young, before their minds have been expanded and adorned by the ennobling rays of science, they grow up like machines, without original ideas, a taste for study, or even that high sense of their usefulness to society, which elevates and dignifies the character of our Yankee artisans. They seem willing to be esteemed a lower class of men even than traffickers, or idle drones, who live upon their labors, and make laws to keep them where they grovel and vegetate. Men seem entirely wanting here; there being only "nobles," "gentlemen” and "dependents." Ostentatious manners of the Nobility. One day the duke of Cambridge, son of George the First and brother to George the Fourth, came with his family, and the earl of Wilton. What a parade wherever they happened to go! Nobody could tell why such a stir should be made, only because they were rich, and their relatives had been kings. The duchess was exceedingly plain looking, and there are scores of fairer ladies in the Lowell factories, than her two daughters. In fact, as they passed along the carpeted side-walk at the railway station, attended by their liveried train of servants, I should not have known which were the most noble of the company, but for the bowing and doffing of hats on the part of the plebeians. A splendid car was prepared, and I observed two tall coachmen in grey wigs, pay nineteen pounds and fifteen shillings, for about eight tickets to London, and take their position in front of the car outside, probably to guide the iron horse, and keep him steady. Intemperance. A stranger is astonished at the immense number of alehouses all over England. The temperance cause must be in a primeval state, I think. Why, it is looked upon as a weakness and singular misfortune not to like porter, the miserable bitter stuff. Men dine, sup, sleep upon it; and if their bills should be made out, they would often be like old Jack Falstaff's, two gallons of sack to half penny worth of bread. But they say women take to the gin-shops. Early History of Manchester. Manchester contains three hundred and twenty thousand souls. There are twelve hundred retailers of beer, ninety printers with the letter press, and forty-five libraries. It is the work-shop of England, being the greatest manufacturing town in the world. Its present site was originally a dense forest. Celtic emigrants from the continent gradually advanced westward, till they reached and settled the banks of the Medlock River about the time of King Darius' great expedition to Greece, and the establishment of the Consulate of Rome. These occupants of the forest, whose sole exercise was in the chase or battle-field, were in the course of time supplanted, or mingled with the Brigantes of York and Durham, who were crowded thence into the wildes of Lancanshire and Westmoreland. Aldport (i. e. old port), the original of Manchester, was begun about the era of Titus's reign. The people lived in clans, and built their miserable huts around the chief's more conspicuous habitation. Their only ornaments were trophies of the chase and spoils of war. They wore their hair long, turned over to the back, and never molested the luxuriance of their beards. In battle they fought naked, being painted with every frightful image. In peace the skins of wild beasts were their only covering. But the chief was habited in "brags" or breeches, a waist-coat and "sack," with a bonnet, and rude shoes. His mark of superiority was a ring about the neck. The germs of civilization were widely diffused during the three hundred years of the Roman occupation of Britain. Edwin, king of that part of the island,' says Hollinshed, 'one much loved and honored by his people, with his daughter Zanfled, were converted to Christianity by Paulinus, and, together with many thousand people, were baptized. But this blessed light of Christian religion was extinguished within two years after the death of Edwin, and the baptized Christians revolted again to paganism. Afterwards came Aridanus, a Scotchman, (king Oswald having sent for him out of Scotland,) and lighted the candle again; and God so blessed his labors, that in seven whole days, he baptized more than fifteen thousand.' Manchester became a manufacturing town at a very early date; even in the reign of Edward the Second, there existed a mill for dying goods, on the banks of the Irk; and a few years later, one for fulling was erected. Some of the distinguished men of Manchester have been the Cheethams; Stanleys, (earls of Derby;) Hugh Oldham, bishop of Exeter, died 1519; John Bradford, burned by queen Mary; Dr. John Dee, died 1608; Thomas Barret, a great antiquary, died 1820; Thomas Henry, F. R. S., died 1816; Wm. Harrison Ainsworth, etc. The Cathedral. I visited the cathedral, called the "old collegiate church." It is an immense structure, and adorned in the most extravagant manner. The original foundation was laid in the eighth century, it then being called St. Mary's; but it was rebuilt in 1843, and has received several additions. In 1815, one hundred thousand dollars were expended in repairs upon it. Going through the churchyard, I had to walk over many gravestones, from which the inscriptions are much defaced. Within, the aisles and chapels are paved in the same manner, with monuments of the dead; and in all parts of the cathedral were attached to the walls marble tablets, having engraved upon them the epitaphs of rich men and nobles. There were some grotesque, as well as many beautiful, antique specimens of architecture in the oldest apartments. Before the chancel hangs an old tapestry of the most exquisite workmanship, representing the death of Ananias and Sapphira. The stalls are ornamented with images of rats and mice, puppies and cats, hens and pigs, monkeys and foxes, snakes and crocodiles, some devoutly saying mass, others sitting in judgment with singular gravity, others engaged in solemn devotion with prayer-books spread out before their ministerial physiognomies; all in burlesque of the Roman rites, being made soon after the system was supplanted by Episcopacy. A few of the... ancient painted squares of glass remain in the windows, but |