adorning the pub ic wells with evergreens. The wells thus honored were the Bowhead, Lawn-market, Cross, and Fountain Wells; and, besides branches of trees, there was always an oil-painting hung at the top, or a straw-stuffed figure set up against the bottom. Both around the fires and the wells were great groups of boys, who busied themselves in annoying the passengers with cries of "Mind the Bane-fire!" or "mind the person whoever he might be, that wos repreented by the painting or the effigy. A halfpenny was a valuable acquisition, and of course added to the general stock of the company, to be expended in the purchase of gun-powder. These elegant exhibitions were the wonder and admiration of many a knot of country-people, some of witness the "fun" and the "frolics" of the King's Birth-day.

About seventy years ago, it was customary to fix figures of the sun, the moon, and the globe, upon the top of the Crosswell; and these being pierced with small holes, and communicating by a pipe with the cistern, water was made to play from their faces in a very beautiful manner. This continued from twelve to four, and was sanctioned by the magistrates. It was to this well that the ancient pillory of the city was fixed.

Towards the afternoon, the bane-fires were in a great measure deserted; for by that time the boys had usually collected a good sum, and began to bend their thoughts upon the great business of the evening. A new object of attention now sprung up-namely, the meeting of the magistrates and their friends in the Parliament House, in order to drink the King's health. In the Great Hall, formerly the meeting-place of the Scottish Parliament, tables covered with wines and confectionaries were prepared at the expense of the city; and to this entertaininent there were usually invited about two hundred persons, including the most respectable citizens of Edinburgh, besides the noblemen, gentlemen, and the chief military and naval officers who happened to be in the city or its vicinity. About five o'clock, the attention of the mob became concentrated in the Parliament Close. The company then began to assemble in the House; and those archenemies of the mob, yclept the "Town Rattens," drew themselves up at the east entry of the square, in order to protect the city's guests as they alighted from

their carriages, and to fire a volley at every toast that was drunk within the house. The gentlemen who came to honor the magistrates had often to purchase the good-will of the mob by throwing money amongst them; otherwise they were sure to be mal-treated before getting into the house Dead cats, cod-heads, and every species of disgusting garbage, were thrown at them, and sometimes unpopular persons were absolutely seized and carried to the box which covered a fire-pipe in the centre of the square, and there burghered," as it was called—that is, had their bottoms brought hard down upon the ridge of the box three several times, with severity proportioned to the caprice of the inflictors, or determined by the degree of resistance made by the sufferer.

While the town-guard stood in the square, the mob were seldom remiss in pelting them with the same horrible missiles. Resistance or revenge in such a case would have been vain; and the veterans found it their only resource to throw all the articles of annoyance, as they reached them, into the lobby of the house; thus diminishing, and perhaps altogether exhausting, the ammunition of their persecutors.

The healths being drunk, the "rats were ordered to leave the square, and march dow: the street to their guardhouse. Most of these veterans had no doubt participated in the distresses and hazards of many a march and countermarch; but we question if they were ever engaged in any so harassing and dangerous as this. In fact, the retreat of the 10,000 Greeks, or that of the British troops in the late peninsular war, was scarcely so beset with peril and horror, as this retreat of the "rats rom the parliament square to the town-guardhouse-a distance of only 100 yards ! The uproar was now at its height, and the mob, not content with a distant fire of missiles, might be said to charge bayonets, and attack their foes hand to hand. The ranks of the guard were of course entirely broken, and every individual soldier had to dispute every inch he proceeded, with a thousand determined ́annoyers. The temper of the worthy veterans was put to dreadful trial by this organized system of molestation, but some warm exclamation was in general the only expression of their wrath. Some years ago, however, one John Dhu, a high-spirited soldierly man, was

so exasperated by the persecution of an individual, that he turned about at the Cross, and hewed him down with one stroke of his Lochaber-axe.

After the Town-guard was fairly housed, the mob was obliged to seek other objects, whereupon to vent their ignoble rage; and, accordingly, the High Street, from the Luckenbooths to the Netherbow, becoming now the field of action, every well-dressed or orderly-looking person who happened to intrude upon the hallowed district was sure to be assailed. Squibs and serpents blazed and flew about in all directions.

It was customary with the blackguards who headed the mob to commit "forci ble abduction, sans remords," upon all the cats which they could find, either at the doors or the fire-sides of their disconsolate owners. These hapless innocents were sometimes killed outright, immediately on being caught, before commencing the sport; but, in general, were just tossed about till they expired. A fullsized dead cat was sometimes so far improved, by this process of jactation, as to be three feet long, and fit for being tied round the neck of a gentleman, like a cravat. Pieces of furniture, such as chairs and tables, were also occasionally seized in the Cowgate, and thrown about the streets in the same manner. Countrypeople were seldom permitted to escape abuse, when observed upon the street. Our informant once saw three unsophisticated rustics, dressed in their best skyblue coats, standing at the head of the Old Assembly Close, amongst the women and children who usually took such stations in order to "see the fun." The poor men were laughing heartily at the mischief they witnessed-their cachinnations being no more heard amidst the uproar than their persons were seen amongst the crowd. But suddenly, for some reason or other, the noise of the mob sinking down to a low note, like the sea subsiding round a stake, left the voices of the honest country folks quite prominent above the circumjacent hum; and of course had the effect of directing the attention of all towards the closehead where they stood. The eyes of the mob instantly caught their happy faces, and, in the course of the next moment, a hundred hands were raised with the purpose of throwing crackers, serpents, dead cats, &c., at their heads. Seeing themselves thus made objects of attack,

they turned in horror and dismay, and filed down the close. Having the start of their pursuers, they had almost effected their escape, when a stout fellow, more impetuous than the rest, rushing headlong through the "close-mouth," hurled after them a bruised and battered calf'shead, which had been a well-known and familiar missile throughout the High Street during the whole afternoon, and which, striking the last of the fugitives full in the back, went to pieces where it alighted, darkening with blood and brains the shade of the coat, and laying the luckless rustic prostrate on the ground.

After the mob succeeded in chasing every proper object of mischief from the street, they usually fell to and attacked each other, in a promiscuous méllée, till, worn out by fatigue, and fully satisfied with "fun," they separated perhaps about ten o'clock, after having kept undisputed possession of the town for at least ten hours. The present system of Police has suppressed these outrages.*

ETON FETE.

[For the Year Book.]

rious account of the manner in which In the Every-Day Book+ there is a cusome years agot the birth-day of his Mahill in Sussex; it may not therefore be jesty, King George III., was kept at Bexunamusing to describe the mani.er both in which it used to be kept, and, though years have elapsed since the demise of that aged monarch, it still honored by the students of Eton.

However, this second jubilee of the Etonians is perhaps not for the sole purpose of commemorating the natal day of one of England's kings, but may also have an equal reference to another circumstance, which is, that about this time the boys, as it is technically called, "take their removes," which simply means are admitted into higher classes. The day nominated

Chambers's Traditions of Edinburgh, ii. 221. Vol. ii. col. 743-4. # 1819.

The " taking a remove" is in the lower part of the school generally, and in the upper invariably, made a matter of course, depending upon the time the boy may have been in the school, and forming no criterion of his literary acquirements.

punts, and barges, greatly increases, and the banks and bridge are well thronged. Several gentlemen and ladies arrive also in carriages, which drive down the brocas, to await the return of their elegant company, who are partaking of the pleasures of the scene upon the water.

Notice is given of the near approach of the "boats" by the number of skiffs which return first, in order to see their arrival; the illuminations and transparencies are then (at about a quarter past 8 o'clock) lighted up, and, when the first boat arrives at the aits, a firework is let off which explodes with a great noise, and is repeated, by way of salute, as each goes by. The "boats" pass under the bridge, and return in order; by which time the bands of music, having also returned, are moored to a post in the middle of the river and commence playing. The boats now row by the right side of the aits (I speak as if standing on the bridge), and at the same time another firework, which is generally very splendid, is set alight. As they pass the left side, each crew stands up in order, oar and hat in hand, and gives three cheers for "the king," and then passes on; this is done as long as any firework remains, so that they row seven or eight times round the island. The pyrotechnic exhibition ter minates with a temple of fire, surmounted with a royal crown, and the letters G. R. During the whole time Bengal lights, sky and water rockets are sent forth, which latter particularly enliven the scene, and by their water rambles excite much amusement. The boys generally return home at a little past 9 o'clock in the evening.

In order to defray the expenses of this

• This is a grand distinction between the Montem and the 4th of June;" for in the former it is the captain of the school, a "colleger" of necessity, who takes the lead, while in the latter, so far from that being the case, the "tug muttons," Anglice the king's scholars are not even allowed to subscribe to the entertainment. Indeed the "tugs" may be considered as a separate school from the oppidans, as they are not even permitted by the latter to row upon a certain portion of the river, which is considered as exclusively belonging to the former; indeed, to travel out of my subject for a moment, they are not even permitted to belong to the same cricket club, or to play at the same game of cricket with an oppidan.

Bargemen. Eton phraseology.

ceremony, a regular subscription is received by the "Captain of the Oppidans," who of course cannot be "captain of the school," as I have stated on another occasion. The subscriptions from each of the fifth form is 7s. 6d., as also from each of the boys who row in the boats, whether fifth form or not. The other subscriptions are trifling in comparison, and are regulated by the boys' rank in the school.

The number of persons who assemble to witness this display varies at times from 2000 to 3000. The bridge is very crowded and looks one mass of people; the shore is densely covered with the company, and a great sum is gained by the "bargees," who moor two or three of their barges to the banks of the river, which are crammed to excess, demanding sixpence entrance; on the river innumerable boats are plying about, and the music sounds sweetly over the water. I speak on my own authority, as an eye witness, when I say that the fireworks, the music, the beautiful and regular rowing of the Etonians, their gay flags, the novelty of the sight, and the number of people assembled to behold it, cause a delightful sensation to the mind, and a hearty participation in the joys of the

scene.

Yet, in all this, there is one circumstance which is very curious and apparently unaccountable. It has been frequently reiterated by the head master of Eton, that "boating is at no times allowed, and though after Easter it is connived at a little, but not by any means permitted, yet previously it is absolutely forbidden." Here is a jumble, it is "not permitted," "not allowed," but " connived at a little" a little !-both at this fète and the similar one which occurs at Election Saturday. The head master, and, as I believe, the rest of the masters are all the actual infringement of the rule. there, participators of the scene, if not in