employed to justify the system of slavery, with a repetition of which I shall not weary the reader."

as it was taken from the original one, made of iron, at Newcastle-underLyme.

THE SCOLDS' BRIDLE. VARIOUS methods have at various times and places been resorted to, to govern that unruly member, an angry woman's tongue. The cucking or ducking-stool is the most common of these, and our readers have doubtless heard of many similar contrivances; but such violent means we imagine can only aggravate the evil they are intended to cure. After all, we believe, the simple plan recommended by the poet for keeping a wife in order, will be found by far the most efficacious, as well as the most easy of application:

"Be to her faults a little blind; "Be to her virtues very kind; "Let all her ways be unconfin'd; "And clap your padlock on her mind."

It is, however, amusing to observe the numerous contrivances to tame scolds by corporeal punishment, resorted to by husbands who have had little faith in such mild applications as the above; and among these few are more curious than one which Dr. Plott, in his "History of Staffordshire," 1686, tells us was then made use of at Newcastle-under-Lyme, in that county, and of which he has given an engraving, with the following description:

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They have a peculiar artifice at New-Castle and Walsall, for correcting of scolds, which it does, too, so effectually, and so very safely, that I look upon it as much to be preferr'd to the Cucking-Stoole, which not only endangers the health of the party, but also gives the tongue liberty twixt every dipp, to neither of which this is at all lyable, it being such a bridle for the tongue, as not only quite deprives them of speech, but brings shame for the transgression, and humility thereupon, before it is taken off. Which being an instrument scarce heard of, much less seen, I here present it to the reader's view,

TOW

The letter A shows the joynted collar that comes round the neck. B and C are loops and staples, to let it out, or take it in, according to the bigness of the neck. D. is a joynted semicircle, that goes over the head, made forked at one end, to let the nose through; and E is a plate of iron, that is put into the mouth, and keeps down the tongue. This bridle being put upon an offender, by order of the magistrate, and fastened behind with a padlock, she is led round the towne by an officer, to her shame, nor is it taken off till the party begins to shew all external signes imaginable of humiliation and amendment."

So far Doctor Plott. A late Cornish topographer gives us the following account of a method to reform scolds, formerly practised in that part of the kingdom :

"Adjoining the stairs of the Guildhall, at West Looe, are the remains of a cage for scolding women; but to the credit of the sex, it has not been used of late. East Looe had a similar cage within a few years since. The only instance recollected by the present generation of its having been used, is the following :-Hannah White and Bessy Niles, two women of fluent tongues, having exerted their oratory on each other, at last thought it prudent to leave the matter in dispute to the decision of the

such an undertaking would occupy him from the first day of every month, till the arrival of the last called his attention to another batch, and thus involve him in a never-ceasing round of "light reading." An hour or two, however, may be pleasantly occupied in turning over their leaves, without entering very deeply into their contents; and this being generally our own practice, we shall at the commencement of every month lay before our readers a collection of such Anecdotes, Epigrams, and Scraps of Information, as may appear to us worth culling; and thus enable them to enjoy the Spirit of the Magazines, without encountering any trouble in the search.

SHELLEY.—It was at Sarzana that Shelley ventured to sea in a bark, with which a fisherman would not have ventured to cross a stream. His body was washed ashore, and his ashes were transmitted to Rome, to be laid by those of his infant son; but, as the child had been buried in the old inclosure, where it had had been determined no more bodies should be laid, it was a matter of some difficulty to execute. However, the government allowed the child's body to be taken up, and father and son were laid together in the new inclosure. ("Blackwood.”)

CASTRUCCIO, being at sea during a storm, expressed some alarm, when he was rebuked by a stupid fellow, who said that for his own part he did not value his life a farthing. Every body," quoth Castruccio, "best knows the value of his own ware.' (Ibid.)

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from his unpleasant situation. The next ten minutes, the Frenchman appeared like a blacksmith, hammered away at Slack, drove him about with uncommon impetuosity, and absolutely canted him twice off the stage. At length, Slack contrived to give his antagonist three desperate falls, which rendered him somewhat cautious, and it was evident that he began to dislike Slack's mode of throwing. Slack then followed the Frenchman up so closely, that he had no opportunity to run in at him again, but was compelled to stand up and fight, when Slack closed one of his eyes, and hideously disfigured his face. Shortly after, Slack put in a desperate blow under the ribs of his antagonist, which astonished him so much, that he jumped off the stage, and ran off as fast as possible.("Annals of Sporting.")

MISS FENTON, the original Lucy Lockit of the "Beggar's Opera, who was married to the Duke of Bolton, became after her elevation so obnoxious to the lower orders about the place of her residence, that they were with difficulty prevented from dragging her out of her coffin. The cause of this extraordinary antipathy is not exactly known.-("Monthly."),

GAS AND MACHINERY.-It is pleasing to observe the triumphs of English enterprise and art, in the most distant parts of Europe. An English house has just obtained the privilege of lighting with Gas, throughout the whole Russian Empire, for the next ten years; and M. Pflug, a merchant of St. Petersburgh, has ordered from England a machine, by means of which thirty ship-cables may be manufactured in a day.-("Literary Gazette.")

THE DUKE OF LEEDS, when Secretary of State, had a remarkable adventure. Going home from his office one night, he was stopped by two foot-pads, who having taken his money, demanded his watch. It was a very valuable repeater, and he had concealed it so secretly, that he ventured to deny having one, when it betrayed itself by striking The hour was unfortunately TWELVE. He heard it, and, as he said, thought it

would never cease. He gave it up for lost, but luckily the men did not hear it, and made off with what they had obtained. (“B. Critic.”)

THE DEVIL.-Between Ashburne and Derby there stands a mean-looking chapel of the Established Church, called Halter-Devil Chapel." The story told in the neighbourhood respecting its erection is no less singu lar than its name and appearance. ter, having to go a journey very early, went to catch his horse, when by

A man named Brown, of bad charac

some means he caught the Devil, who broke loose, and vanished in a flash of fire! This incident had such an effect upon Brown (as well it might), that he built a chapel on the spot, and left twelve pounds for ever, secured upon property in Derbyshire, to be paid to the clergyman of Mugginton, the adjoining parish, for preaching a sermon in it on the last Sunday in every month. The following lines, allusive to this marvellous tale, are inscribed within the chapel : John Brown, being full of years and full of evi',

Instead of haltering his horse, he halter'd the Devil!" ("Supplement-Gentleman's.")

BLACKBEARD.-About a century ago this renowned pirate reigned master of the whole coast of N. America. He amassed great treasures, which, as some say, he for safety buried in the earth, and many nocturnal adventurers still sweat themselves in quest of them, though to little purpose. One day poor Blackbeard, fancying himself in perfect security, sent most of his crew ashore, to collect provisions on the banks of the Potomac. Unluckily for him, at that moment, an English ship of war arrived, and sent a well-manned barge up the river after him, under the command of a lieutenant. The enemy advanced warily, boarded hin, found few on deck, and gained complete possession. The lieutenant, a brave Scotchman, wished, however, to give

Blackbeard a chance, and generously challenged him to single combat with the broad-sword. They engaged, and for some time the issue was doubtful; but at length Blackbeard received a severe stroke on the shoulder. "Hah!" cried he, "that's well soldier." struck, brother Weel,' replied the lieutenant, and at the very next stroke severed 'gin ye like it, ye sal ha more on't," the pirate's head from his shoulders. He then ordered his men to put it init perfectly; and when this was done, to a pot of boiling water, and cleanse he had the skull tipt with silver, and presented it to a friend, the keeper of a public-house, as a cup to drink punch out of, for which purpose it is in use to this day.

The Wit's Nuuchiøn,

THE ANCIENT VESSEL.-At a party, a few evenings since, the conversation happened to turn upon the Vessel found in the channel of the Rother, when a lady observed that it might probably be the remains of Noah's Ark,

J. 8,