CUSTOMS OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES, (No. XIV.) ANCIENT CUSTOM AT LOSTWITHIEL. A VERY singular custom, now long since disused formerly prevailed, in the times of popery at Lostwithiel in Cornwall. On Low Sunday it was usual for the freeholders of the town and manor, either in person or by their deputies, to assemble in an adjoining field, and from amongst them one was chosen, whon they attired in a most sumptuous manner, placing a crown on his head, and a sceptre in his hand, and being mounted on a fine horse, a sword of state was carried before him, while all the freeholders walked in procession through the principal streets, in solemn state to the church. When he arrived at the principal gate of the church, and the curate or other minister approached to meet him, dressed in his best robes, and then conducted him to a princely seat in the church to hear mass. On leaving the church he repaired in the same pompous manner to a house, previously repaired for his reception. Here a feast suited to the dignity he had assumed, awaited him and his retinue; and being placed at the head of the table, he was served by the principal townsmen, kneeling, with all the marks of respect usually shown to regal dignity. This ceremony ended with the dinner; the prince being voluntarily disrobed, and descending from his brief exaltation, to mix with common mortals. Various have been the conjectures of historians, concerning the origin and meaning of this custom. Mr. Spencer an author and antiquary of some celebrity, modestly offers the folowing explanation, which has more the appearance of truth than that of any other writer. "As Cornwall was long an earldom, under the West Saxon Kings, and as earls were obliged to reside in their own districts, possibly, when a new one was appointed, or a minor arrived at maturity, the Sunday after Easter was the time fixed for his entering upon the office, and taking possession of the estate. But it may be objected, why did he wear a crown, with other marks of regal dignity? We answer that long after the conquest, namely, in 1350, Cornwall was made a duchy of subordinate regality, to be held by the princes of Wales, for ever, and at their demise, by the king. But few of these princes having visited the country after the death of Edward III., and the people being accustomed to those processions on the arrival of their chief, whom they considered as their sovereign, and likewise when his deputy came annually to administer justice, continued to keep up the custom; till it was utterly laid aside, as tending to promote idleness and create luxury." Anecdotiana. TRICK OF A POPISH PRIEST. garden, the wall of which was contiguous A PRIEST in a village in Spain had a to an altar, on which was placed a crucifix trived, at the time in which his vine was that leaned against the wall. He condropping, to introduce a sprig of it into hole made through the adjoining walls, the eyes of the crucifix, by means of an by which contrivance the statue appeared to shed tears. When the vine ceased to drop, the stratagem was carried on by means of oil. Many superstitious persons crowded to see this prodigy, to which sight they were admitted on paying a time very lucrative. At length it was discovered, and the priest, with forty other accomplices, was executed in the adjacent certain sum. town. The trick was for some EPIGRAM, Translated from the Latin of Sir Thomas More. A rogue, convicted and condemned to die, Had still some hope of safety in his eye; He fee'd his lawyer, and then ask'd advice"Your case," replied the counsellor," is nice, "Tis from my books this inference I draw: Fly from the country, and you'll fly the law." MASSACRE OF THE NUNS AT PARIS. A community of nuns with their abbess were all condemned to the guillotine, while the sanguinary fury of the French revolution was at its height. Many of these victims were young and beautiful, and most of them possessed angelic voices, and as they passed to execution, attired in their monastic habits, through the stormy streets of Paris, regardless of the insults of the ferocious mob, they raised the hymn of Veni Creator. They had never been heard to sing it so divinely, and the celestial cnorus ceased not for a moment, not when they ascended the steps of the scaffold, nor while the work of death was going on, though it became feeble as one after the other fell under the guillotine; and at last it was sustained but by one voice; which was that of the abbess, but that at length ceased also, when she in turn submitted to the fatal stroke. THE POTATOE. The first introduction of this excellent root into England took place in 1565, it was brought from Santa Fè, in New Spain, by a Captain Hawkins. Sir Walter Raleigh planted it soon after on his lands in Ireland; but, on attempting to eat the apple it produced, he had nearly consigned the whole crop to destruction for its nauseous and unwholesome taste. Fortunately, the spade discovered the real potatoe, and the root became rapidly a favorite eatable. It continued, however, for a long time to be thought rather a species of dainty, than of provision; nor till the close of the 18th century, was it supposed capable of guarding the country where it was fostered, from the attacks of famine. DR. ABERNETHY AND HIS PATIENTS. THE following anecdotes of the above skilful and eccentric professor of the healing art, we take from an unique intelligent, and cheap little volume, entitled "Public Characters," which contains well and impartially written biographical and characteristic memoirs of twenty six dis tinguished living personages embellished with their portraits, engraved in a style of art that would not discredit any work however high its price, in fact to gain for this unpretending little work, considerable popularity it needs only to be seen, for the accurate information it affords on popular subjects, in our humble opinion will cause it to be highly esteemed: "A gentleman desirous of the advice of Mr. Abernethy, was entering into all the details of his complaint, when the Doctor, as usual, grew impatient, and said, Sir, get on, and come to a conclusion. The patient was going on again with his story, when Abernethy hastily said he was wasting time, and that he could not listen any more unless he would come to the point at once. Upon this the patient got up, and locking the door, put the key in his pocket, and declared that having travelled a long way for the purpose of consulting him, he would be heard, and that neither of them should leave the room until his case was properly considered. Abernethy laughed heartily, and desiring his patient to sit down, listened quietly to the whole story." Nor is this the most severe return that Mr. A.'s rudeness has provoked, as the following will testify:" A Chancery Barrister having been for a long while annoyed by an irritable ulcer on one of his legs, called upon Mr. Abernethy for the purpose of obtaining that gentleman's advice. The counsellor judging of an ulcer as of a brief, that it must be seen before its nature could be understood, was busily occupied in removing his The stocking and bandages, when Mr. Abernethy abruptly advanced towards him and exclaimed in a stentorian voice'Halloo! what are ye about there? put out your tongue man! Aye there 'tis, I see it-I'm satisfied-quite enough—quite enough-shut up your leg, man-shut it up-shut it up. Here take one of these pills every night on going to bed.' lawyer put the box of pills into his pocket, handed over a fee, and was about to leave the room, when Mr. A. thus accosted him :- Why d- -e look here, this is but a shilling.' The Barrister sarcastically replied:- Aye, there 'tis, I see it-I'm satisfied! quite enough-quite enough, man!-shut it up!' and hastily quitted the room.' NAPOLEON'S PRESENCE OF MIND. he used it to excess, in general supplying NAPOLEON was so partial to snuff that his nasal organs from his waistcoat pocket. Many reasons have been assigned for his adopting the pocket of his waistcoat as a substitute for the article generally used, and as we have not met with the following before, we venture on its insertion : On the eve of the battle of Waterloo, as Napoleon was ruminating in his tent, upon what might be the event of the consnuff box off the table and proceeded to flict about to be commenced, he took his with the quality of its contents, that as he make use of it, but so familiar was he took a pinch between his finger aud thumb he perceived it felt gritty to the finger instead of being as usual, though the difHe immediately by way of trying its ference was not visible to his naked eye. genuineness gave some to a dog that was taneous effect on the animal, and in the lying in the tent. It had an almost instanend deprived it of existence. Buonaparte's suspicions was now confirmed, he saw plainly that an attempt had been made to poison him, but such was his great presence of mind that he took care to let none of the officers composing his staff know of it tion being to prevent a like occurrence at such a critical time,-his only precautaking place, was, the substituting of his waistcoat pocket for his snuff box. T. EPITAPH. The following epitaph, in the churcn of St. Como, is inscribed on the tomb of Francois Treillac, whom nature had decked with a horn on his forehead. In this retired paltry corner, Lies a most eccentric horner, April 11 Pope St. Leo, surnamed the Great. He 1713. The celebrated treaty of Utrecht was con cluded on this day, between the Allies & French, 1770. Born on this day, the late right Hon. Geo. Canning, prime minister of England. This celebrated individual was eminent for his oratorical powers. The characteristics of his style of speaking" was rapid harmony, lucid arrangement, and freedom from affected phraseology." 12 St. Julius I. pope, succeeded to the papacy in 337. He strenuously supported the cause of Athanasius, and was eminent for learning and piety. He died in 352. A. D 65. Expired on this day, Seneca, (Lucius Annæus) the celebrated philosopher, a native of Corduba, in Spain. He was preceptor to Nero, who ordered him to destroy himself, upon a charge of having been implicated in the conspiracy of Piso. The moral writings of Seneca have secured to his name a lasting fame. 1782. This day is the anniversary of the complete 13 For an account of custom practied on this day, 1471. On this day, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, was defeated and slain at the battle of Barnet, by the army of Edward IV. of York. -141685. Expired miserably, Thomas Otway, the dramatic writer, at a public-house on Tower-hill, of want, by swallowing, after a long fast, a piece of bread, which charity had supplied. Otway excelled in touching the tender passions, of which his Orphan and Venice Preserved, are proofs of his powerful mastery. 1792. The island of Tobago taken by the English, under Sir John Lafory. 1814. On this day the Emperor of Austria entered Paris, and was met at the barrier of the city, by Monsieur, the brother of Louis XVIII. late king of France. 15 1821. Expired, James Bartleman, the eminent 16 1825. Expired, at the advanced age of 85 years, 17 1746. The battle of Culloden fought between the armies of the duke of Cumberland and the Pre tender. In this conflict upwards of 3000 of the adherents of the unfortunate Pretender slain and wounded, covered the field of battle. 1785. Died, William Whitehead, T. 70. the author of several dramatic pieces. He became poet laureate, 1757. 18 St. Appolonius was a member of the Roman Senate, and a man of great eloquence. He was martyred A. D. 186. The prince, and thus preferr'd her dear request; Some pitying angel form'd her last desire, Where faith and hope, and charity conspire! On the fair rebel, Heav'n such grace bestow'd And now in death requir'd the faith she ow'd. 'Tis thine, my friend !-I pardon thee the stroke ! let me pardon too from thee invoke !Not for this mortal frame I urge my prayer, For this I know no fear, and ask no care: No, for my soul alone I pity crave; O! cleanse my follies in the sacred wave? Feebly she spoke; th: mournful sounds impart A tender feeling to the victor's heart; Ere yet the features of his foe appear'd ;- O fatal knowledge-O distracting sight! 15-SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1828 seem that when a man's mind is so totally engrossed with one object as to enable him to carry that particular object of pursuit to an extraordinary degree of perfection, it is necessarily abstracted from others; so that it often happens that the faculty called common sense, which is that of deliberately comparing with one Recollections of Books and another the objects that occur in common their Authors. LA FONTAINE THE SIMPLE. life, and drawing just inferences from them, for regulating the ordinary transactions of life, seems to be entirely obliterated in these men. Ir is natural for those who read the La Fontaine, the celebrated fabulist, works of men of genius, to think that affords a remarkable illustration of the writers of such excellence should be en- truth of this remark. Every person, the dowed with talents in every respect least conversant in French literature, is superior to the common run of mankind; acquainted with the writings of this author, nothing can be more delusive than such which possess, in an unequalled degree, expectations. Man is an imperfect crea- an ease, an elegance, a natural, unaffectture, and though heaven sometimes con- ed simplicity, both in thought and expresfers upon individuals, talents of a certain sion, that other writers have in vain kind in a super-eminent degree, it is seldom attempted to imitate. Yet this man, that any one man possesses a great variety though endowed with the faculty of writof talents in unusual perfection. It ing in a manner that no other person has oftener happens that men who are endow- yet been able to attain, was so deficient ed with the singular faculty of excelling in the article of common-sense, that, in in one kind of composition, are remark- the ordinary transactions of life, he was ably deficient in other respects. It would scarcely to be distinguished from an idiot. |