waters, with which their country abounds, are also much resorted to; and their emperor, Kang-Hi, has given an accurate account of several thermal springs. Fire is a great agent, and the mora recommended in almost every aliment, while acupuncture is in general use both in China and Japan; bathing and champooing are also frequently recommended, and blood-letting is seldom resorted to. China has also her animal magnetizers, practising the Cong fou, a mysterious manipulation taught by the bonzes, in which the adepts produce violent convulsions. The Chinese divide their prescriptions into seven categories: 1. The great prescription. 7. The double prescription. Each of these receipts being applied to particular cases, and the ingredients that compose them being weighed with the most scrupulous accuracy. Medicine was taught in the imperial colleges of Pekin; but in every district, a physician, who had studied six years, is appointed to instruct the candidate for the profession, who was afterwards allowed to practise, without any further studies or examination; and it is said, that, in general, the physician only receives his fee when the patient is cured. This assertion, however, is very doubtful, as the country abounds in quacks, who, under such restrictions as to remuneration, would scarcely earn a livelihood. Another singular, but economical practice prevails amongst them-a physician never pays a second visit to a patient unless he is sent for. Whatever may be the merits of Chinese practitioners both in medicine and surgery, or their mode of receiving remuneration, it appears that they are as much subject to animadversion as in other countries:-A missionary having observed to a Chinese, that their medical men had constantly recourse to fire in the shape of moxa, redhot iron, and burning needles; he replied, "Alas! you Europeans are carved with steel, while we are martyrized with hot iron; and I fear that in neither country will the fashion subside, since the operators do not feel the anguish they inflict, and are equally paid to torment us or to cure us!" MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS TO SIR FRANCIS KNOLLYS, FROM BOLTON, SEPT. 1ST, 1568: HER FIRST LETTER IN ENGLISH. (MS. Cotton. Calig. C. I. fol. 161 b. Orig.) Mester Knoleis, y heuv har (I have heard) sum neus from Scotland; y send zou the double off them y vreit (wrote) to the quin (queen) my gud Sister, and pres (pray) zou to du the lyk, conforme to that y spak zesternicht vnto zou, and sut hesti ansur y refer all to zour discretion, and wil lipne beter in zour gud delin (dealing) for mi, (me) nor y kan persuad zou, nemli in this langasg (language) excus my ivil vreitin (writing) for y neuver vsed it afor, and am hestit (hasted). Ze schial si my bel (bill) vhuilk (which) is opne, it is sed Seterday my unfrinds wil be vth (with) zou, y sey nething bot trests weil, and ze send oni to zour wiff ze mey asur schu (she) wald a bin weilcom to apur (poor) strenger hua (who) nocht bien (not being) aquentet vth her, wil nocht bi ouuer bald (bold) to vreit bot for the aquentans betuix ous (us: i. e. herself and Sir Francis Knolles). Y wil send zou letle tekne (token) to rember (remember) zou off the gud hop y heuu (have) in zou guef (gif-if) ze fend (find) a mit (meet) mesager y wald wish ze bestouded (bestowed) it reder (rather) apon her non (than) ani vder; thus effter my commendations y prey God heuu zou in his kipin. "Zour asured gud frind. "MARIE R. "Excus my ivel vreitin thes furst tym." PHILOSOPHY OF THE BRAMINS. The order of creation, which is described in the Institutes of Menu (c. 1, pp. 75-8), is remarkable. "First emerges the subtle ether, to which philosophers ascribe the quality of conveying sound: from ether, effecting a transmutation in form, springs the pure and potent air, a vehicle of all scents; and air is held endued with the quality of touch: then from air, operating a change, rises light, or fire, making objects visible, dispelling gloom, spreading bright rays; and it is declared to have the quality of figure: but from light, a change being effected, comes water, with the quality of taste: and from water is deposited earth, with the quality of smell; such were they created in the beginning." This passage bears at least as strong a resemblance to the chemical philosophy of our days, as certain parts of the Hindoo fables bear to the mysteries of the Christian religion. But it is more difficult to account for the philosophy, (if, indeed, it be any thing more than mere theory,) than to explain how the distorted traces of Christianity found their way into the fables of Hindostan." FOREIGNERS IN LONDON IN 1567. "We learn from the Bishop of London's certificate, that, in December, 1567, there were then in London and its immediate vicinity, or places which are now included in the word 'London,' 3838 Dutchmen; 720 Frenchmen; 137 Italians; 14 Venetians; 56 Spaniards; 25 Portuguese; 2 Grecians; 2 Blackamores; 1 Dane; and but 58 Scots! making a total of 4851 foreigners." CHANGES OF FORTUNE. In 1454, Sir Stephen Forster was Lord Mayor of London. He had been long in prison and penury, on account of his inordinate profuseness. It chanced that a most fantastical widow, who knew not how to get rid of her immense wealth, saw him begging at the gate; she admired his fine person, learnt his history, paid his debts, and married him; asking of him only this one favour, that he would lavish away her fortune a fast as he could. Forster, probably from perverseness, became a zobe husband and a prudent manager, and only expended large suns in adding a chapel and other advantageous appendages to Ludgate, whore ae had suffered so many hardships. ROMAN VASES IN BLACK WARE. The principal subjects represented on vases of ancient Roman pottery of black ware are hunting scenes such as dogs chasing stags, deer, hares, also, dolphins, ivy wreaths, and engrailed lines; and engineturned patterns. In a few instances men with spears are represented, but in a rude and debased style of art. The principal form is the cup of a jar shape, sometimes with deep oval flutings, as on one found at Castor; but dishes, cups, plates, and mortars are not found in this ware. Some of the vases of this ware have ornaments, and sometimes letters painted on them in white slip upon their black ground, as represented in our engraving. They are generally of a small size, and of the nature of bottles or cups, with inscriptions, such as AVE, hail! VIVAS, may you live! IMPLE, fill; BIBE, drink; VINVM, wine; VIVA, life; VIVE BIBE MVLTIS; showing that they were used for purposes purely convivial. Such are the vases found at Etaples, near Boulogne, the ancient Gessoriacum, and at Mesnil. Some rarer and finer specimens from Bredene, in the department of Lis, have a moulding round the foot. Great quantities are found in England, Holland, Belgium, and France. It is found on the right bank of the Rhine. A variety of this ware has been lately found at a spot called Crockhill, in the New Forest, together with the kilns in which it was made, and a heap of potter's sherds, or pieces spoilt in the baking. The paste was made of the blue clay of the neighbourhood, covered with an alkaline glaze of a maroon colour, perhaps the result of imperfect baking; for the pieces when submitted again to the action of the fire, decrepitated and split. They were so much vitrified as to resemble modern stone ware, yet as all of them have proofs of having been rejected by the potters, it is probable that this was not the proper colour of the ware. Almost all were of the pinched up fluted shape, and had no bas-reliefs, having been ornamented with patterns laid on in white colour. The kilns are supposed to be of the third century of our era, and the ware was in local use, for some of it was found at Bittern. FRENCH BIBLE. There was a French Bible, Bonnemere, wherein is related Moses caused to be burnt, and printed at Paris in 1538, by Anthony that the ashes of the golden calf which mixed with the water that was drank by the Israelites, stuck to the beards of such as has had fallen down before it; by which they appeared with gilt beards, as a peculiar mark to distinguish those which had worshipped the calf." This idle story is actually interwoven with the 32nd chapter of Exodus. And Bonnemere says, in his preface, this French Bible was printed in 1495, at the request of his most Christian Majesty Charles VIII.; and declares further that the French translator has added nothing but the genuine truths, according to the express terms of the Latin Bible; nor omitted anything but what was improper to be translated!" So that we are to look upon this fiction of the gilded beards as matter of fact; and another of the same stamp, inserted in the chapter above mentioned, viz., that, "Upon Aaron's refusing to make gods for the Israelites, they spat upon him with so much fury and violence that they quite suffocated him." SARDONYX RING WITH CAMEO HEAD OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, IN THE POSSESSION OF REV. LORD THYNNE. This is said to be the identical ring given by Queen Elizabeth to Essex, and so fatally retained by Lady Nottingham. It has descended from Lady Frances Devereux, Essex's daughter, in unbroken succession from mother and daughter to the present possessor. The ring is gold, the sides engraved, and the inside of blue enamel; the execution of the head of Elizabeth 1s of a high order, and whether this be the ring or not, it is valuable as a work of art. CURIOUS WAGERS. There have been travelling wagers, and none of the least singular of such was that of Mr. Whalley, an Irish gentleman (and who we believe edited Ben Johnson's works), who, for a very considerable wager (twenty thousand pounds, it was said,) set out on Monday the 22nd of September, 1788, to walk to Constantinople and back again in one year. This wager, however whimsical, is not without a precedent. Some years ago a baronet of good fortune (Sir Henry Liddel) laid a considerable wager that he would go to Lapland, bring home two females of that country, and two rein-deer, in a given time. He performed the journey, and effected his purpose in every respect. The Lapland women lived with him about a year, but desiring to go back to their own country, the baronet furnished them with means and money. CONFECTIONERY ART IN 1660. The following is extracted from a work on Cookery, by Robert May, published in 1660. It is entitled the "Accomplisht Cook, &c., &c. "Triumphs and Trophies in Cookery, to be used in Festival Times, as Twelfth Day, &c. :-Make the likeness of a ship in pasteboard with flags and streamers, the guns belonging to it of kickses, bind them about with pack-thread and cover them with paste proportionable to the fashion of a cannon with carriages; lay them in places convenient, as you see them in ships of war, with such holes and trains of powder that they may all take fire. Place your ships firm in a great charger; then make a salt round about it, and stick therein egg-shells full of sweet water; you may by a great pin take out all the meat out of the egg by blowing, and then fill it with rose-water. Then in another charger have the proportion of a stag made of coarse paste, with a broad arrow in the side of him, and his body filled up with claret wine. In another charger at the end of the stag have the proportion of a castle with battlements, percullices, gates, and drawbridges, made of pasteboard, the guns of kickses, and covered with coarse paste as the former; place it at a distance from the ship to fire at each other. The stag being placed betwixt them, with egg-shells full of sweet water (as before) placed in salt. At each side of the charger wherein is the stag, place a pie made of coarse paste, in one of which let there be some live frogs, in the other live birds; make these pies of coarse paste, filled with bran, and yellowed over saffron, or yolks of eggs: gild them over in spots, as also the stag, the ship and castle; bake them, and place them with gilt bay leaves on the turrets and tunnels of the castle and pies; being baked make a hole in the bottom of your pies, take out the bran, put in your frogs and birds, and close up The holes with the same coarse paste; then cut the lids neatly up to be taken off by the tunnels. Being all placed in order upon the table, before you fire the trains of powder, order it so that some of the ladies may be persuaded to pluck the arrow out of the stag; then will the claret wine follow, as blood running out of a wound. This being done with admiration to the beholders, after some short pause, fire the train of the castle, that the pieces all of one side may go off; then fire the trains of one side of the ship as in a battle; next turn the chargers, and by degrees fire the trains of each other side, as before. This done, to sweeten the stink of the powder, the ladies take the egg-shells full of sweet waters, and throw them at each other, all dangers being seemed over, and by this time you may suppose they will desire to see what is in the pies; when lifting first the lid off one pie, out skip some frogs, which makes the ladies to skip and shriek; next after the other pie, whence comes out the birds; who by a natural instinct flying at the light, will put out the candles; so that what with the flying birds and skipping frogs, the one above, the other beneath, will cause much delight and pleasure to the whole company: at length the candles are lighted and a banquet brought in, the music sounds, and every one with much delight and content rehearses their actions in the former passages. These were formerly the delights of the nobility, before good house-keeping had left England, and the sword really acted that which was only counterfeited in such honest and laudable exercises as these." SUSPENDED ANIMATION. David Beck, the celebrated portrait painter, and pupil of Vandyke, travelling through Germany, was suddenly taken ill, and to all appearanoe died, and was laid out as a corpse. His servants, sitting round the |