John Fall, and Margaret his wife, William Fall and Jane, otherwise Ann his wife, &c., commonly called or known by the names of "Fawes," &c. Gipsies still continue to be called "Faws" in the north of England.

Gay, in his pastorals, speaking of a girl who is slighted by her over, thus describes the Gipsies :

Last Friday's eve, when as the sun was set, 1, near yon style, three sallow Gipsies met ; Upon my hand they cast a poring look, Bid me beware, and thrice their heads they shook :

They said that many crosses I must prove,
Some in my worldly gain, but most in love.
Mr. Rogers, in his Pleasures of Me-
mory, also describes the Gipsey :-
"Down by yon hazel copse, at evening, blaz'd
The Gipsey's faggot.-There we stood and
gaz'd ;

Gaz'd on her sun-burnt face with silent awe,
Her tatter'd mantle, and her bood of straw:
Her moving lips, her caldron brimming o'er,
The drowsy brood that on her back she bore,
Imps in the barn with mousing owlet bred,
From rided roost at nightly revel fed ;
Whose dark eyes flash'd thro' locks of blackest
slade,

When in the breeze the distant watch-dog

bay'd:

A DREAM

On the 22d of December, 1754, died William Anne Van Keppel, earl of Albemarle, ambassador at the court of France. When his widow was waited upor by their son, who succeeded to the title, to acquaint her with the earl's death, she said, " you need not tell me that your father's dead: for I dreamed it last night."

ABRAHAM SHARP.

In the year 1742, died Abraham Sharp, an eminent mathematician, mechanic, and astronomer, descended from an ancient family at Little Horton, near Bradford, in the west riding of Yorkshire. He was apprenticed to a merchant at Manchester; but his genius and disposition for the study of the mathematics, became so remarkable that his engagement was cancelled, and he removed to Liverpool, where he gave himself up wholly to mathematics, astronomy, &c., and opened a school, in which he taught writing and accounts, until he fell into company with a London merchant, with whom the famous astrono mer, Mr. Flamsteed, lived. That he might be personally acquainted with that eminent man, Sharp engaged himself as a book-keeper to the Londoner, and contracted an intimate friendship with Mr. Flamsteed, by whose interest he obtained a better situation in Chatham dock-yard, where he continued till Flamsteed called him to his assistance in contriving and fitting up the astronomical apparatus in the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.

He assisted Flamsteed in making observations (with the mural arc, which Sharp is believed to have contrived and graduated, of nearly seven feet radius, and 140 degrees on the limb) of the meridional zenith distances of the fixed stars, with the times of their transits over the meridian; together with observations of the sun and moon's diameters, eclipses, variations of the compass, &c. From continued observation of the stars, at night, his health was impaired, and he retired to his house at Horton; where he fitted up an observatory of his own, having first constructed a curious engine for turning all kinds of work in wood or brass, with a mandrel for turning ovals, roses, wreathed pillars, &c. He made most of the tools used by joiners, clock

Geg.leman's Magazine.

makers, opticians, and mathematical instrument makers. The limbs of his large equatorial instrument, sextant, quadrant, &c., he graduated with the nicest accuracy, by diagonal divisions, into degrees and minutes. The telescopes he used were all of his own making, and the lenses ground, figured, and adjusted by his own hands.

About this time Mr. Sharp further assisted Flamsteed in calculating most of the tables in the second volume of his "Historia Cœlestis," and made the curious drawings of the charts of all the constellations visible in our hemisphere, with the still more excellent drawings of the planispheres of the northern and southern constellations. He published "Geometry Improved by a large and accurate table of segments of circles," &c. His treatise of "Polyedra, or solid bodies of many bases," &c., contains copper-plates neatly engraved by himself. The models of these Polyedra he cut out in a most exact manner in box-wood. Few or none of the mathematical instrumentmakers could exceed him in exactly graduating, or neatly engraving any mathematical or astronomical instrument. He undertook the quadrature of the circle from two different series, proving the truth thereof to seventy-two figures, as seen in Sherwin's tables. He also laboriously calculated the logarithmetic sines, tangents, and secants of the seconds to every minute of the first degree of the quadrant.

Mr Sharp corresponded with Flainsteed, sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Halley, Dr. Wallis, Hodgson, Sherwin, and most of the eminent astronomers of the times. He was a bachelor, very thin, of a weakly constitution, and was quite superannuated three or four years before he died, at the age of ninety-one. He employed four or five apartments in his house for different purposes, into which none could possibly enter at any time without his permission. He was visited rarely by any, except two gentlemen of Bradford, the one a mathematician and the other an ingenious apothecary, who gave signal of their approach by rubbing a stone against a certain part of the house. Although descended from the family of archbishop Sharp, yet he attended the dissenting chapel at Bradford, of which he was a member, every Sunday, when he took care to be provided with plenty of halfpence, which, during his walk to the chapol, he suffered to be taken singly out

of his hand, held behind him, by a number of poor people who followed him, without his looking back, or asking a question.

Mr. Sharp was very irregular at his meals, and remarkably sparing in his diet, which he frequently took in the following manner :-A square hole communicated between the room where he was generally employed in calculations and another chamber or room in the house where a servant could enter; before this said hole was a sliding board; the servant placed his victuals in the hole, without speaking, or making the least noise, and when at leisure he visited his cupboard to see what it afforded. It often happened that breakfast, dinner, and supper, remained untouched when the servant went to remove what was left. In an old oak table, at which he sat to write, cavities were worn by the rubbing of his elbows. One of his editors calls him "the incomparable Mr. Sharp;" and adds that "his tables are sufficient to represent the circumference of the globe of the earth so truly as not to err the breadth of a grain of sand in the whole !"

ST. FILLAN'S BELL.

In sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, the rev. Mr. Patrick Stuart, minister of Killin parish, Perthshire, says, "There is a bell belonging to the chapel of St. Fillan, that was in high reputation among the votaries of that saint in old times. It seems to be of some mixed metal. It is about a foot high, and of an oblong form. It usually lay on a grave-stone in the church-yard. When mad people were brought to be dipped in the saint's pool, it was necessary to perform certain ceremonies, in which there was a mixture of druidism and popery. After remaining all night in the chapel, bound with ropes, the bell was set upon their head with great solemnity. It was the popular opinion, that, if stolen, it would extricate itself out of the thief's hands, and return home, ringing all the way. For some years past this bell has been locked up, to prevent its being used for superstitious purposes.”

COWPER'S WALKS.

[For the Year Book.]

In the early part of the present year I visited Olney, in Bucks, which will no doubt be remembered as having been the abiding place of the poet Cowper during the greater part of his poetical life. Though a native of Olney, I had not seen it for many years; but I recollect, that when a boy at school, I used frequently, with my fellows, to 'go walking' in "Weston Park," the place where the chief scenes described in the "Task" are laid. These scenes were indelibly im pressed on my remembrance, and I wished to see the changes that time had made.

In the opening of the fourth book of the Task, Cowper mentions Olney bridge, which.

with its wearisome but needful length, Bestrides the wintry flood." This bridge is about to be demolished and to be replaced by another constructed on more modern principles: hence future travellers may look in vain for the bridge of Cowper.

To give an idea of this bridge I have sent a representation of it as it appe two years ago, for time, till then, had made no alteration in it since Cowper himself saw it. The church in the distance is that of Emberton, from which he heard the sound of the "village bells." The "twanging horn" has been long silent, and Cowper's "herald of a noisy world," has now to perform his journey on foot, spite of his increased years and infirmities. I had an interview with this

64

worthy at the post office at Olney; he is familiarly called "Dick Surrell," and is the very person who was on the road in the days of the poet. Poor Dick is hastening fast to the "house of his fathers," and in the course of a few short years, like the bridge with which he is associated, will be seen no more of men. Weston house has been pulled down by the present proprietor of the estate, and— would it be believed?-he also commenced cutting down the fine timber in the park, and meditated the destruction of the "bird cage walk" beneath the branches of whose trees, it was the supreme delight of Cowper to "wend his way," it was between the upright shafts of these tall elma," that Cowper beheld "the thresher at his task;" but this spoliation has been arrested, and the greater part remains unmolested. The house that Cowper inhabited at Olney is now tenantless; its last occupant was Mr. Aspray, a surgeon. The summer-house, in contemplating which Cowper exclaims,

"Had I the choice of sublunary good, What could I wish that I enjoy not here ?" is situated in the garden attached to this house; it is now quite neglected, and will soon, I fear, share the fate of the bridge. If I remember rightly, there is a view of this interesting spot in the Every-Day Book. I visited the field where stood the poplars whose fall he so feelingly laments in some exquisite verses commencing,

"The poplars are fell'd, farewell to the shade." There are now standing, of what was once a fine row, two only of these trees; the field in which they are situated is between Olney and Lavendon mill, and belongs to Mr. Perry of the mill; it is called the "Lynch close."

An old woman at Olney told me she remembered Cowper perfectly well, "He was a sorrowful-looking man,' she said. "and very particular in avoiding persons in his walks--he would turn down any path that presented itself to avoid being seen." She remembers that he was accompanied in his walks by a small spotted spaniel, no doubt "Beau," two of whose feats he has immortalized in two beautiful pieces.

December 23.

J. L. C.

December 23, 1743, died, aged seventynine, rear-admiral sir John Jennings,

governor of Greenwich Hospital. Si John Jennings gave to Greenwich Hospital the statue of king George II., which stands in the great square. It was sculptured by Rysbrack, out of a single block of white marble, which weighed eleven tons, and had been taken from the French by admiral sir George Rook. In the governor's apartments there is a portrait of sir hu Jennings by Richard

son.

BRUTAL SMUGGLING.

A person in Flanders, who carried on a smuggling traffic with Brabant lace, employed a large dog for this purpose in the following manner. Having first shorn him of his hair, he wrapped the lace round his body, which he covered with the skin of another dog of the same size and color, which fitted so very exact that no eye could detect the imposition. He then required only to say to his dog, "march, friend;" upon which the animal immediately set off, and running quickly through the gates of Malines, or Valenciennes, escaped the notice of the officers stationed there to intercept smugglers. When the dog had got out of the town he waited at some distance from the walls for his master to overtake him, who thus always succeeded in conveying his perilous cargo to the place of its destination. The profits made by this ingenious smuggler were so considerable, that within five or six years he accumulated a large property. Some of his neighbours being envious of him on this account, and knowing something of the stratagem which he used, gave information of it, together with a description of the dog, to the exciseofficers, who now kept a diligent look out after him. But the dog seemed to read picions they harboured against him, and in the eyes of the excise officers the suscontrived, in spite of every impediment, leaped over the ramparts, sometimes he to elude their vigilance: sometimes he swam across the moat, sometimes he passed them unobserved by creeping through under a carriage, or between the legs of some passenger; and if he saw no prospect of success at one gate of the town he ran to another, so that he never failed to accomplish his purpose. length, one morning, as he was swimm.ng across the moat at Malines, three

• Noble.

At

The "tarns" (small lakes or ponds may be seen covered with boys, some with wisps of straw brushing off the snow, others sliding in their wooden clogs, which are more convenient for this purpose than shoes. They exhorting each other to "keep the pot boiling," till perhaps one of them falis, and the next, on account of the velocity, not being able to stop, stumbles over him, and so on, until most of them lie rolling in a heap together, to the great joy of their comrades, who cry out my pot boils over," and with all their might endeavour to prevent them from getting up. Shiding by noonlight

66

Upon Christmas Eve.

Up Doll, Peg, Susan; you all spoke to me
Betimes to call you, and 'tis now past three;
Get up on your but-ends, and rub your eyes,
For shame no longer lye a-bed, but rise:
The pewter still to scow'r, and house to clean,
And you a-bed! good girls, what is't you
mean?

[To Mr. Hone.j

Dec. 8, 1827. No where does the Christmas season produce more heart-inspiring mirth than among the inhabitants of Cumberland.

The farmer may be seen with his hands enveloped in huge mittens, thrust half way into his breeches' pockets, and his fustian jacket buttoned well up under his chin, jogging merrily along to his daily labor, singing or whistling as he goes, whilst his jolly red face, scarcely perceivable on account of the dense fog, appears like "the sun dimly seen through a mist. The dairy maid, with her "geggin" (milkpail) in her hand, hurries, shivering through the cold, to the "byre," (cow-house), where the delightful smell and genial warmth of the cows which she sits down to milk, occasion her to observe "it's worth while coming thro' t' snaw, a' purpose to enjoy t' pleesur o' gittin amang t' Rye." This is contradicted. The lad who is "mucking the byre," and who is obliged to issue out at the door every minute to throw the dirt from his "muckfork”on to "t'middin”(dunghill) grumbles and says," she wad'nt say sae, if she hed his wark to do ;" and she of course, from some old grudge she has against him, is greatly pleased at his mortification.

* Brewster's Zoological Anecdotes.

not having been able to leave work in the day time, think it a fine opportunity to enjoy their favorite amusement of "shurelin."

we

see

On stepping into the "laith" (barn) may there two stout hearty fellows opposite to each other, alternately belaboring the ground with their flails till it rings again, whilst the straw, chaff, and corn fly about in all directions. At intervals they stop to pay their respects to a brown jug in the corner, which contains either home-brewed ale or churned milk.

In the farm-house we may find the good dame and her rosy-cheeked daughters busied in preparing mince-pies, raised pies, tarts, and other good things, which indicate that something particular is about to take place.

In short with Christmas eve commences a regular series of "festivities and merry makings." Night after night, if you want the farmer or his family, you must look for them any where but at home; and in the different houses that you pass at one, two, or three in the morning, should you happen to be out so late, you will find candles and fires still unextinguished. At Christmas, every farmer gives two "feasts," one called "tould foaks neet, which is for those who are married, and the other "t' young foaks neet," for those who are single. Suppose you and I, Sir, take the liberty of attending one of these feasts unasked (which by the bye is considered no liberty at all in Cumberland) and see what is going on. Upon entering the room we behold several card parties, some at "whist," others at "loo" (there called

99

lant"), or any other game that may suit their fancy. You will be surprised on looking over the company to find the there is no distinction of persons. Mas