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different shells. The space under and within the sides of the canopy is curiously inlaid with small shells, cowries, and others of different kinds, and small pebbles; a formal ornament of this kind in the centre is supposed to represent a crucifix, but the arms of the cross are ill defined, and not clear to make out. The apartment thus fitted up is about eight feet square and six feet high, and is covered at the sides and top entirely with shells fancifully disposed. In different parts there are several niches, and a few small indented circles, similar to that between the entrance to the right hand recess and the wall, as shown in the print: these circles probably contained looking-glasses. There are rich bosses of shell-work, in the form of clusters of grapes, tastefully depending from different parts of the ceiling, and so firmly attached to it as not to be detached without

great force. The place is surprisingly perfect by cleaning, and a few needful reparations, it might be restored to its original appearance.

It is not easy to determine the precise age of this very interesting structure. There is scarcely room to believe that such a place escaped the ravages of the great fire of London in 1666; yet its appearance is of earlier date: and, if the story be true that its floor was on a level with a grass plat, such a garden could only have existed before that period, and the ground must afterwards have been raised to the level of the houses now erected, which render the grotto subterranean. It is worthy of remark that, at one part, water oozes, and forms stalactytes, or icicle-shaped petrifactions: one or two in an incipient state crumbled between the fingers.

As a mere artificial curiosity, though not perhaps as a work of antiquity, this grotto, in the heart of the city, seemed so remarkable as to deserve the present account. Being upon private businesspremises it cannot be inspected, and therefore the public must rest satisfied with this notice of its existence.

February 14.

VALENTINE'S DAY.

Relative to the origin and usages of St Valentine's day, there is so much in the Every Day Book, that little of that kind remains to add.

Mr. Leigh Hunt's paper in the "Indicator" contains the following verses by Drayton-

To his Valentine.

Muse, bid the morn awake,

Sad winter now declines,
Each bird doth choose a mate,

This day's St. Valentine's;
For that good bishop's sake
Get up, and let us see,
What beauty it shall be,
That fortune us assigns.
But lo, in happy hour,

The place wherein she lies,
In yonder climbing tow'r,

Gilt by the glittering rise;
O Jove! that in a show'r,
As once that thund'rer did,
When he in drops lay hid,
That I could her surprise.
Her canopy I'll draw,

With spangled plumes beright. No mortal ever saw

So ravishing a sight;
That it the gods might awe,
And pow'rfully transpierce
The globy universe,
Out-shooting ev'ry light.
My lips I'll softly lay

Upon her heav'nly cheek,
Dy'd like the dawning day,

As polish'd ivory sleek: And in her ear I'll say, "O thou bright morning-star, "Tis I that come so far,

My valentine to seck. "Each little bird, this tide,

Doth choose her loved pheer, Which constantly abide

In wedlock all the year, As nature is their guide: So may we two be true, This year, nor change for new, As turtles coupled were."Let's laugh at them that choose Their valentines by lot. To wear their names that use,

Whom idly they have got:
Such poor choice we refuse,

Saint Valentine befriend;
We thus this morn may spend,
Else, Muse, awake her not.'

The earliest poetical valentines are by Charles, duke of Orleans, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Agincourt, in 1415. The poems were chiefly written in England, and during his confinement in the Tower of London. They are contained in a large, splendid, folio MS., among the

king's MSS. at the British Museum. Some of these compositions are rondeaus in the English language, which the duke had sufficient leisure to acquaint himself with during his captivity. A translation of one of his pieces, although not a valentine, is introduced as suited to the

season.

Well thou showest, gracious spring,
What fair works thy hand can bring;
Winter makes all spirits weary,
Thine it is to make them merry :
At thy coming, instant he
And his spiteful followers flee,
Forced to quit their rude uncheering
At thy bright appearing.
Fields and trees will aged grow,
Winter-clad, with beards of snow,
And so rough, so rainy he,
We must to the fireside fles;
There, in dread of out-door weather,
Sculk, like moulting birds, together:
But thou com'st-all nature cheering
By thy bright appearing.
Winter yon bright sun enshrouds
With his mantle of dark clouds;
But, kind Heav'n be praised, once more
Bursts forth thine enlightening power,
Gladdening, brightening all the scene,
Proving how vain his work hath been,-
Flying at the influence cheering

Of thy bright appearing."

Mr. Penys enters in his Diary, that on the 22nd of February, 1661, his wife went to Sir W. Batten's, "and there sat a while," he having the day before sent to her "half-a-dozen pair of gloves, and a pair of silk stockings and garters, for her valentines."

On Valentine's Day 1667, Mr. Pepys says, "This morning came up to my wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself, little Will Mercer to her valentine, and brought her name written upon blue paper in gold letters, done by himself, very pretty; and we were both well pleased with it. But I am also this year my wife's valentine, and it will cost me £5; but that I must have laid out if we had not been valentines." It does not appear, by the by, how Pepys became his "wife's valentine." On the morning following he writes down "Pegg Penn is married this day privately," which is a circumstance alluded to the day afterwards: --"I find that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my valentine, she having drawn ine; which I

Lays of the Minnesingers, 286.

was not sorry for, it easing me of something more that I must have given to others. But here I do first observe the fashion of drawing of mottos as well as names; so that Pierce, who drew my wife, did draw also a motto, and this girl drew another for me. What mine was I forgot; but my wife's was Most courteous and most fair;' which, as it may be used, or an anagram upon each name, might be very pretty. One wonder I observed to-day, that there was no music in the morning to call up our new-married people; which is very mean methinks."

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Mr. Pepys, in the same year, noticing Mrs. Stuart's jewels, says "The duke of York, being once her valentine, did give her a jewel of about £809; and my lord Mandeville, her valentine this year, a ring of about £300."

In the February of the following year, Mr. Pepys notes down-"This evening my wife did with great pleasure show me her stock of jewels, increased by the ring she hath made lately, as my valentine's gift this year, a Turkey-stone set with diamonds-with this, and what she had, she reckons that she hath above £150 worth of jewels of one kind or other; and I am glad of it, for it is fit the wretch should have something to content herself with." The word "wretch" is here used as a term of familiar endearment towards nis wife, for whom he entertained the kindest affection.

Some verses follow by the earl of Egremont, who was son of Sir William Wyndham, minister to queen Anne.

THE FAIR THIEF.

Before the urchin well could go,
She stole the whiteness of the snow;
And, more that whiteness to adorn,
She stole the blushes of the morn,-
Stole all the sweets that ether sheds
On primrose buds or violet beds.
Still, to reveal her artful wiles,
She stole the Graces' silken smiles;
She stole Aurora's balmy breath,
And pilfer'd orient pearl for teeth :
The cherry, dipt in morning dew,
Gave moisture to her lips, and hue.
These were her infant spoils,-a store
To which in time she added more.
At twelve, she stole from Cyprus' queen
Her air and love-commanding mien,
Stole Juno's dignity, and stole,
From Pallas, sense to charm the soul.

Apollo's wit was next her prey;

Her next, the beam that lights the day.
She sung;-amazed, the Syrens heard
And, to assert their voice, appeared.
She play'd;-the Muses from the hill
Wonder'd who thus had stol'n their skill.
Great Jove approv'd her crimes and art,
And t'other day she stole my heart!
If lovers, Cupid, are thy care,
Exert thy vengeance on this fair,
To trial bring her stolen charms,
And let her prison be my arms.

ST. VALENTINE IN SCOTLAND.
[For the Year Book.]

In a small village, in the south of Scotland, I was highly amused with the interesting manner in which the young folks celebrate St. Valentine's Day.

A few years ago, on the afternoon of this day, a slight fall of snow bleached he landscape with pure white, a severe frost set in, and the sun had dropped behind the hills; the sky was cloudless and deliciously clear. I broke from a hospitable roof with a friend for a vigorous

walk

The moon was bright, and the stars shed a light.

We found ourselves in an unknown part: -from a ridge of hills we descended into a wide valley, and an unexpected turn of the footpath brought us suddenly within sight of a comfortable-looking lonely cottage, with a very neat plot in front, abounding with kail and winter leeks for the barley broth. The roof of rushes, oated with snow, vied with the well white-washed wall. From the lower window a cheerful gleam of bright candlelight was now and then intercepted by stirring inmates. As we drew near, we heard loud peals of laughter, and were curious to know the cause, and anxious to partake of the merriment. We knocked, and announced ourselves as lost strangers and craved hospitality. The "good man" heard our story, welcomed us to a seat beside a blazing fire of wood and turf, and appeared delighted with our coming. We found ourselves in the house of rendezvous for the lads and lasses of a neighbouring village to celebrate St. Valentine's Eve.

Our entrance had damped the pleasantry; and inquisitive eyes were directed towards us. It was our businces

to become familiar with our new acquaintances, and the pastimes were renewed. Our sudden appearance had disturbed the progress of the village schoolmaster, who had finished writing on small slips of paper the names of each of the blooming lasses of the village.-Each lad had dictated the name of her he loved. These precious slips of paper were now put into a bag and well mixed together, and each youth drew out a ticket, with hope that it might, and fear lest it should not, be the name of his sweet-heart. This was repeated three times; the third time was the conclusion of this part of the sport. Some drew beloved names the third time with rapturous joy; others drew names of certain respectable widows and old ladies of the village, introduced by the art of the schoolmaster, and the victims mourned their unpitied derided sufferings.

After the lasses, the names of the young men were written and drawn by the girls in the same manner, and a threefold success was secretly hailed as a suretyship of bearing the name of the fortunate youth. The drawing of this lottery was succeeded by the essence of amusement, for the "valentines" were to be "relieved."

The "relieving of the valentine" was a scene of high amusement. Each young man had a right to kiss the girl whose name he drew, and at the same time deliver to her the slip of paper. The mirth of this ceremony was excessive. Those who were drawn, and not present, were to be "relieved" with a gift of inconsiderable value, as a token of regard.

Of

The evening passed in cheerful revelry till a late hour. My friend and I had been allowed and pressed to draw, and it was my good fortune to draw three several times the name of one of the party who was "the pride of the village." course it was my duty and prerogative to see her home. She was a beautiful girl, and I escorted her with as much gallantry as I could assume. My attentions were pleasing to her, but raised among aspirants to her favor a jealous dislike towards the unknown intruder.

This custom in the Scottish villages of drawing for valentines, so very similar to the drawing for Twelfth Day king and queen, prevails among a kind and simplehearted people. May the inhabitants of this village be as happy on St. Valentine's Day a hundred years hence!

F. B.

VALENTINE'S DAY.
[Communicated by a Lady.,

On the fourteenth of February it is customary, in many parts of Hertfordshire, for the poor and middling classes of children to assemble together in some part of the town or village where they live, whence they proceed in a body to the house of the chief personage of the place, who throws them wreaths and true lovers' knots from the window, with which they entirely adorn themselves. Two or three of the girls then select one of the youngest amongst them (generally a boy), whom they deck out more gaily than the rest, and, placing him at their head, march forward in the greatest state imaginable, at the same time playfully singing,

Good morrow to you, Valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine,
Two before and three behind,
Good morrow to you, Valentine.

This they repeat under the windows of all the houses they pass, and the inhabitant is seldom known to refuse a mite towards the merry solicitings of these juvenile serenaders. I have experienced much pleasure from witnessing their mirth. They begin as early as six o'clock in the morning.

On a Valentine's day, being at Uswick, about six miles from Bishop's Stortford, I was awakened from sleep by the laughing voices of a troop of these children. I hastily dressed myself, and threw open the window it was rather sharp and frosty: the yet sleepless trees were thickly covered with rime, beautifully sparkling in the faint sunbeams, which made their way through the reeking vapours of the moist atmosphere. "To-morrow is come," lisped one of the little ones who stood foremost in the throng; "to-morrow is come," said he, as soon as I appeared; and then, joyfully clapping his hands, all joined in the good morrow, which they continued to repeat till their attention was called off by the welcome sound of the falling halfpence on the crisp frozen grass-plot before the house. Away ran some of them under the trees, some down the walks, while others, who appeared to be of a less lively temper, or, perhaps, less avariciously inclined, remained timidly smiling in their old station, and blushing when I urged them to follow the rest, who were collecting the scattered dole under the old apple tree. Some were on their knees, others absolutely lying down

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with out-stretched hands, and faces on which were depicted as much earnestness as if the riches of the Valley of Diamonds, which Sinbad tells of, were before them; while the biggest girls were running round and round, hallooing with all their might, and in vain attempting to beat off the boys, who were greedy graspers of the money. They all returned with flushed faces towards the house, and repeated their "to-morrow is come; and, once more, I was going to say the "golden" drops saluted their delighted ears: again they scrambled, and again I threw, till my stock of half-pence being exhausted, and having nothing further to behold, I closed the window, and attended the welcome summons of my maid, who just then entered the room with the agreeable news "the breakfast is ready, miss, and there is a nice fire in the parlour." "Farewell then, pretty children,"” I cried, "and the next year, and the next, may you still have the same smiling faces, and the same innocent gaiety of heart; and may I, on the morning of the next fourteenth of February, be half as pleasantly employed as in listening to your cheerfu 'good-morrows.'

M. A

The Valentine Wreath.
Rosy red the hills appear
With the light of morning,
Beauteous clouds, in æther clear,
All the east adorning ;

White through mist the meadows shine
Wake, my love, my Valentine'
For thy locks of raven hue,
Flowers of hoar-frost pearly,
Crocus-cups of gold and blue,
Snow-drops drooping early,
With Mezereon sprigs combine
Rise, my love, my Valentine'
O'er the margin of the flood,
Pluck the daisy peeping;
Through the covert of the wood,
Hunt the sorrel creeping;
With the little celandine
Crown my love, my Valentine.
Pansies, on their lowly stems
Scatter'd o'er the fallows;
Hazel-buds with crimson gems,
Green and glossy sallows;
Tufted moss and ivy-twine,
Deck my love, my Valentine.
Few and simple flow'rets these ;
Yet, to me, less glorious
Garden-beds and orchard-trees!
Since this wreath victorious
Binds you now for ever mine,
O my Love, my Valentine.

Montgomery.

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"St. Asaph in Wales, Feb. 15, 1809. "Mr. STOKES, Sir

"On the receipt of this, please to call and get nine shillings, a balance due to me from Mr. Warner, at 16. Cornhill Lottery office, which he will give you, and for which send constantly, every week, 18 of the Mirror Newspapers, directed fair and well, in good writing, to Mr. Kinley, of Crossack, Ballasalla, Isle of Mann.

All

"Mrs. Kinley likes your newspaper the best of any, because you often insert accounts of shocking accidents, murders, and other terrible destructions, which so lamentably happen to mankind. As such, Your newspaper is a warning voice, and an admonition for people to watch for their own welfare, and to be aware. newspapers who are filled with dirty, foolish, sinfull accounts of mean, ill, unprofitable things, which stuff the minds of readers with devilish wickedness, ought to be avoided as devilish, and as soul-destroying doctrine. But a newspaper ought to be next unto the blessed godly gospel of our holy Lord and master, Jesus Christ himself, who continually taught and established the word and works of grace and eternal life, through the holy sanctification of the Holy Ghost, the most holy, blessed, gift of God, the Almighty Abba Father of

our holy Lord Jesus Christ. When I was in the Isle of Mann, I paid threepence a-week for one of your papers; and I let Mrs. Kinleys have it, and, as she has several young sons, your paper would be a blessing to them. And I beg, on Saturday next, you will not fail to begin and send a newspaper every week, and dont miss in any one week, for I want to have them filed, and to have a complete set of them, as I have a great number of the Mirror papers, and I hope to be a constant customer; as such, I beg you will, next Saturday, begin and send a Mirror newspaper every week, and give a good direction on them, and set Mr. Kinley's name quite plain upon the frank, as they are bad, and very bad, readers of writing, at the house where the letters and papers are left at Ballasalla.

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'And, when I get back to the Island, I will take one of your papers for myself, and will send you more cash in due time. But, at present time, begin on next Saturday, and don't fail, and direct quite plain, in good writing, for Mr. Kinley, of Crossack, Ballusalla, Isle of Mann.

N. B. Set two nn's in the word Mann, else they send it to the Isle of Mar, in a mistake.

"Observe well, you must begin this week, and never miss at all, to send a Mirror paper every week, to the Isle of Mann. Don't miss in any week at all. I have paid the postage of this single letter, and I particularly entreat you to get the nine shillings from Mr. Warner, for which please to begin on next Saturday, and don't neglect to send eighteen successive Mirror newspapers, with a very good direction to Mr. Kinley, of Crossack, Ballasalla, Isle of Mann, and I will send cash to you, from the Isle, in due time, for myself for more papers, at the end of the time.

Yours,

"E. T. HADWEN, Engineer, &c."

[Annexed.]

"St. Asaph in Wales, Feb. 15, 1809. "Mr. Warner, of 16 Cornhill. "Esteemed and dear friend. Your's of 1st inst. I got when I came here, with a share in it. I find you to be very honest, honourable, upright, and just, and you have used me better than any other lottery office ever yet did before. Please to give the sum of nine shillings, the balance due to me, unto Mr. John Stokes, the pub

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