inchased in a chrystal covered with gold; a box in which is some of the Virgin's haire; some of the linnen in wch our blessed Saviour was wrapped at his nativity; in a huge reliquary modelled like a church, some of our Saviour's blood, hair, cloathes, linnen with which he wiped the Apostles' feet, with many other equally authentic reliques. Amongst the treasures is the Crowne of Charlemagne, his seven foote high scepter and hand of justice, his sword, belt, and spurrs of gold; the Crowne of St. Lewis, covered with precious stones, amongst which is one vast ruby, uncut, of inestimable value, weighing 300 carrats (under which is set one of the thorns of our blessed Saviour's crowne,) his sword, seal, and hand of justice. The two crownes of Hen. IV, his scepter, hand of justice, and spurrs. The two crownes of his son Lewis. In the cloak royal of Ann of Bretagne, is a very great and rare rubie. Divers bookes covered with solid plates of gold, and studded with precious stones. Two vasas of berill, two of achate, whereof one is esteemed for its bignesse, colour, and carving imbossed, the best now to be seene; by a special favour I was permitted to take the measure and dimensions of it; the story is a Bachanalia. It is really antique. There is a large gundola of chrysolite, a huge urn of porphyry, another of chalcedone, a vasa of onyx, the largest I had ever seen of that stone; two of chrystal; a morsel of one of the water-pots in which our Saviour did his first miracle; the effigies of the Queen of Saba, of Julius, Augustus, Marc Antony, Cleopatra, and others, upon saphyrs, topazes, agates, and cornelians; that of the Queen of Saba has a Morish face; those of Julius and Nero on achates rarely coloured and cut. A cup in which Solomon was used to drinke. Apollo on a great amethyst. There lay in a window a miroir of a kind of stone, said to have belonged to the poet Virgil. Charlemayne's chessemen, full of Arabiq characters. In the presse next the doore, the brass lanthorn full of chrystals, said to have conducted Judas and his company to apprehend our B. S. A faire unicorne's horne, sent by a K. of Persia, about seven foote long. In another presse (over which stands the picture in oil of their Orleans Amazon with her sword) the effigies of the late French kings in wax, like ours in Westminster, covered with their robes, with a world of other rarities.' *12. 1711.-WILLIAM TYTLER BORN, Author of an Inquiry into the Evidence against Mary Queen of Scots, which Lord Chancellor Hardwicke declared to be the best concatenation of circumstantiate proofs, brought to bear upon one point, that he had ever perused.' In music, as a science, he was uncommonly skilled. It was his constant amusement; and, with that natural partiality which all entertain for their favourite objects, he was apt to assign to it a degree of moral importance, which some might deem a little whimsical. He has often been heard to say, that he never knew a good taste in music associated with a malevolent heart; and, being asked what prescription he would recommend for attaining to an old age, as healthful and happy as his own," My prescription," said he, "is simple: short but cheerful meals, music, and a good conscience." He died Sept. 12, 1792. 13. TRANSLATION OF KING EDWARD THE CONFESSOR. He was the youngest son of King Ethelred; but as all his elder brothers were either dead, or had fled away, he succeeded to the crown of England in the year 1042. He collected all the most useful laws made by the Saxon and Danish kings. The additional title of Confessor was probably given him by the pope, for settling what was then called RomeScot, but now is better known by the name of Peter's Pence. For some pretty lines on this subject, see T.T. for 1815, p. 281. *16. 1555.-RIDLEY AND LATIMER BURNT AT OXFORD. Having dressed himself in his episcopal habit, Ridley walked to the place of execution, between the mayor and one of the aldermen of Oxford; and seeing Latimer approach, from whom he had been separated since their condemnation, he ran to meet him, and with a cheerful countenance embraced him, and exclaimed, 'Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flames, or else give us strength to endure them.' When they were brought to the fire, and, after a suitable sermon, were told by an officer that they might now make ready for the stake, they supported each other's constancy by mutual exhortations. Latimer, when tied to the stake, called to his companion, 'Be of good cheer, brother; we shall this day kindle such a torch in England, as I trust in God shall never be extinguished.' The executioners had been so merciful (for that clemency may more naturally be ascribed to them than to the religious zealots) as to tie bags of gunpowder about these prelates, in order to put a speedy period to their tortures. The explosion killed Latimer immediately; but Ridley continued alive during some time in the midst of the flames. Here LATIMER and RIDLEY in the flames Bore witness to the truth. If thou hast walked SOUTHEY. *16. 1817.-GENERAL KOSCIUSKO died. A singular felicity of reputation has ever attended this admirable citizen and warrior. In the cause of genuine liberty he fought against injustice, and shamed both the tyrants and jacobins of the age. In his days of power, at the head of armies that adored his name, no false glory dazzled him, nor corrupt ambition could betray him. He nobly resisted the foreign potentates who laid waste his country, not because they were kings and emperors, but because they were invaders and oppressors; in the rare and pure spirit of freedom and loyalty, he bled for the King and Constitution of his native country. When Poland lost her independence, Kosciusko lost his home: the court of Russia would have allured this illustrious defender of the people whom she had subjugated, by temptations irresistible to vulgar minds; Bonaparte would have made him the flattered instrument of a spurious and hollow liberality to his countrymen; but Kosciusko saw that their lot was irretrievable, and his own he refused to change. As a Soldier and a Patriot, in public life and in retirement, his principles were untainted, and his name unsullied: the monarchs whom he opposed, respected him; the factions who failed to seduce, forbore to slander him; and he would have been the WASHINGTON, had he not been the WALLACE, of Poland. In 1814, the Emperor Alexander had a long interview with Koscuisko, and expressed a wish to restore him to his . former rank and consequence in the country that had given him birth; but, with a consistency worthy of his character, he replied: If, by Poland, your Majesty means that Poland, such as it was in 1794, I am both ready and willing to return to my native land; but I cannot condescend to serve under a foreign prince, who wears its crown.' It was at Soleure, in Switzerland, that this brave and virtuous Pole resigned his breath, in the sixty-fifth of his age, happy to draw his last sigh within sight of the canton that gave birth to William Tell. 17. SAINT ETHELDREDA. She was a princess of distinguished piety, daughter of Anna, King of the East-Angles, and Hereswitha his queen, and was born about the year 630, at Ixning, a small village in Suffolk. In the year 673, she founded the conventual church of Ely, with the adjoining convent. Of this monastery she was constituted abbess, the monks and nuns living in society and regular order: it flourished for nearly two hundred years, but was destroyed, with its inhabitants, by the Danes, in 870.-See T.T. for 1814, p. 255. 18.-SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST. Luke was born at Antioch, the metropolis of Syria, a place celebrated for the study of the liberal arts. The notion that he was a painter is without foundation, as it is not countenanced by antient writers. Dr. Lardner thinks that he might have been by profession a physician, as the expression beloved physician,' Col. iv, 14, seems to intimate. Luke lived a single life, and died in the 84th year of his age, about the year of Christ 70; probably a natural death. 25.-ACCESSION OF KING GEORGE III. Upon the death of George II, his present Majesty came to the throne, on the 22d of September 1760. ODE for the 25th of OCTOBER. This was a day of Jubilee, A day to every Briton dear; But now, unmeet the sound of glee, 'Tis hallowed with a silent tear; That God would save,' no more the prayer- Oh! honoured be that aged head, White with the venerable snows That 'fourscore years' have sternly shed; That left him but a shadowy throne, And yet, tho' quenched those orbs' in night, And Angel visits duly paid, May break on this dark wint'ry state, |