the gown thus kept a carnival in the very court of gravity itself. How edifying would it now be for the augmented number of students in the profession, to witness the bewigged judges and benchers relaxing from that stiff solemnity of physiognomy, which so often passes current in the profession for wisdom; to see sheep-tails and periwigs filling the atmosphere of the legal arena with showers of perfumed dust-dissipating the labours of Danby and other eminent wigarchitects, by the shaking of their curls at the mummeries of the Zany and his followers decked with fools caps and bells, and the keeper of the king's conscience himself "holding both his sides" at the sight of Robin Goodfellow and the bear's-skin man, formerly called a Wodehouse, forgetting even chancery suits and fees, for a moment, in the indulgence of unrestrainable laughter.

The Middle Temple lawyers, not to be outdone by their "learned brethren" of Lincoln's Inn, elected a Prince of Christmas so late as the year 1635. This personage dined with them in their hall, having eight attendants. He was seated under a cloth of state, and served with great attention. To complete the climax of foolery, this Zany was afterwards introduced at court, and actually knighted at Whitehall, and was most probably not the first of his character who received that honour, as the present generation can testify he was not the last.

But, as later periods have also shewn, the lawyers were far outdone by the clergy in matters appertaining to feasting and revalry. The former soon relapsed into their wonted habits, the departure from which had been but momentary; for very few chancellors besides Sir Thomas More would have admitted, even in ancient days, that they were good throwers at cocks, though even Sir Thomas does not say he practised it after he came to the Lord Chancellorship. The clergy, however, seem to have had no scruples, and to have shared largely in Christmas sports and revels of all sorts. Even at the universities they elected a King of the Bean on Christmas-day. In cathedral churches, there was an Archbishop or Bishop of Fools elected, and in Catholic times a Pope of Fools. The office of "King of Fools" (Rex Stultorum) was abolished in 1391, perhaps as being derogatory to the dignity of kingship. These mummers

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attended divine service in pantomimical dresses, and were followed by crowds of the laity in masks of different forms. Abroad, some assumed the habit of females, and displayed the most wanton gestures. One ceremony consisted in shaving a Precentor of Fools" before the church-door, in presence of the populace, who were amused by a vulgar sermon. In England, a Boy-Bishop was regularly elected in the churches at Christmas, who mimicked the service and office of bishop; and the clergy even enjoined the children of St. Paul's school to attend at the cathedral, and give the boy-bishop a penny each!

This mockery was abolished at the Reformation, in the thirty-third year of Henry VIII.; and though revived by Mary, in ceased entirely at her death.

The exercise of quintain was anciently much practised in London at Christmas: a quintain was set up at that season in Cornhill near Leadenhall. Plays were also exhibited at court; but they only consisted of pantomime and buffoonery until the reign of Edward III. The clergy in the reign of Richard II. possessed the exclusive right of getting up Christmas plays from Scripture snbjects; and in that reign a petition was presented to the crown by the scholars of Saint Paul's, complaining that secular actors infringed on their right. Cards were forbidden to apprentices in London except at Christmas; and at that season the servant-girls and others danced every evening before their masters' doors. Honest Stow laments the decay of the manner of keeping festivities in his time, which seems to have become unwarlike and effeminate. "Oh," says he, "what a wonderful change is this! Our wrestling at arms is turned into wallowing in ladies' laps; our courage to cowardice, our running into royot; our bowes into bowles, and our darts into dishes."

The English, according to Polydore Virgil, "celebrated the feast of Christmas with playes, masques, and magnificent spectacles, together with games and dancing, not common with other nations." Camden says, "that few men plaid at cards in England but at Christmas." But it is to the country, at present, that we must look for what remains of the customs practised by our ancestors at that season. These relics of old and ridiculous observances, deprived of all their objectionable parts

by the improving spirit of successive years, are hallowed in our memories, and always recall the vernal season of life and its regretted pleasures. In the north they have yet their "fool's plough," and in Cornwall their goosedancers. The latter still exhibit an old hunchbacked man called the "King of Christmas," and sometimes the "Father" like customs may be traced in

other counties. The yule-log still blazes in the chimney of the rustic at Christmas-eve, under the different appellations of Christmas stock, log, block, &c. The wassail-bowl was regularly carried from door to door in Cornwall forty or fifty years ago; and even now a measure of flip, ale, porter and sugar, or some beverage, is handed round while the yule-log is burning, or stock, as denominated in the western counties. The wassail bowl is of Saxon origin, and merits notice on an historical account. Vortigern, prince of the Silures, fell in love with Rowena, the niece of Hengist the Saxon warrior. She presented the Prince with a bowl of spiced wine, saying in Saxon, "Waes Heal Hlaford Cyning," which signified "Be of health, Lord King." Vortigern married her, and thus is kingdom fell to the Saxons. Robert of Gloucester noticed this incident:-

"Kuteshire and sitte hire adoune, and glad drink hire heil,

And that was in this land the Verst Was hail,' As in language of Saxoyne that we might evere iwite,

And so well he paieth the fole about, that he is not Yet vorgute."

Waes-heil thus became the name of the drinking-cup of the Anglo-Saxons, and those cups were afterwards constantly used at public entertainments.

In parts of the country remote from the metropolis, the singing of Christmascarrols yet ushers in the mornings. After breakfast, the busy housewife prepares her plumb-puddings, mince-pies, and confectionary, which she decorates with the emblems of the time :-a scratch in the dough in the shape of a hay-rack, denoting the manger of the infant Saviour, is one of those emblems most commonly in use. The younger part of the household hunt the garden for evergreens to decorate the interior of the apartments; and the woods are sought to bring home the mistletoe, which is to be suspended in the room where the pleasures of the evening are

to take place, and beneath which the "sighing lips," as Moore calls them, of many a lovely girl still continue to be pressed, despite of that coy resistance, and those blushes that so much heighten the charms of beauty. They also paint candles of different colours to be lighted in the evening, a custom perhaps borrowed from ancient Romish practice; though some imagine that lighting up houses formed a part of the worship of the Teutonic god Thor, being one of the ceremonies observed at Juul-tide, or the feast of Thor, from which it was introduced into the Christian feast of Christmas. Thus if some part of our Christmas ceremonies was derived from the Saturnalia, another was evidently of northern origin. The mistletoe was a plant held sacred by the Druids. The Christmas-carrols also were, it is probable, Juul or Ule-songs first sung in honour of the heathen deity; and the use of evergreens may be ascribed to the same origin. In the evening the Ulelog, or Christmas-stock, as at present denominated, is placed on the fire in the principal apartment of the house. The company seat themselves round it, and the cheerful cup is yet handed about which often contains nothing more than ale in the cottages of the peasantry.

What remains to modern times of Christmas gambols then commences, and ancient Christmas plays are even still plainly to be traced among them. Blindman's-buff, hunt the slipper, the game of the goose, snap-dragon, or push-pin, and dancing, form the amusements of the younger part of the assemblage, and cards of the elder; though among the more substantial people, as they are de nominated in the language of the country folks, the simpler amusements begin to lose their value. But their very simplicity recalls the memory of past times: they have a certain charm about them worth all that is artificial, and they would not be bereft of attraction to minds of sensibility, if they were wholly abandoned to the lowly; for they have that in them which is far more endearing than the sordid heartlessness of fashionable entertainments, and the formality of high life. Bereft of superstition, Christmas is thus a season of innocent mirth-a pleasing interlude to lighten and beguile the horrors of our inclement winters. It affords a period for the exhibition of hospitable greetings, and the

pleasing interchange of good offices, of which, in the country, opportunities are rare. How many innocent hearts rejoice there at anticipating the season and its festivities, whose feelings have never been chilled by the artificial and calculating civilities of metropolitan intercourse. But the humbler ranks have been accused of superstition because the stocking is still thrown, the pod with nine peas hid over the door, and all the little ceremonies so admirably depicted by Burns in his Hallowe'en still practised. These, however, are now generally looked upon as a diversion, and few have faith in their efficacy; for in our days the poor have as good common sense as their superiors. These diversions come to them but once a year, and it is to be hoped they may long continue to practise them.

BIBLICAL LITERATURE. During the Fourth Century.

The persecutions of the Christians begun by Dioclesian and his colleague Maximian, were continued by his successor Galerius, in the east, and Maximin who was appointed his uncle's Cæsar. They forged and circulated acts of Pilate, full of falsehoods and blasphemies against our Saviour, the example of which has since been followed by the Jews in their Toldoth Yesu, and by Voltaire and other infidels in their writings, especially in the Taureau blanc. But Constantine the Great, who succeeded to the purple in the west, in the year 313 published an Edict favourable to the new sect. In 324, after subduing his colleague Licinius, he professed himself a convert to the religion of Jesus; but he resembled too many Christians of all ages, in intolerance towards all who differed from him in opinion:

"Elmacin, or El-Makin, relates, that as it was supposed many of the Jews had professed to be Christians, while they continued Jews in their hearts, swine's flesh was boiled, and cut into mouthfuls, and a portion placed at the doors of eve ry church. All that entered were obliged to eat a piece of the flesh. Those that were Jews in their hearts refused; thus they were detected, and immediately put to death. A much wiser method, and one more congenial with the religion he professed, was adopted by him, when he placed Bibles in the

churches, for the use of the people. Eusebius informs us, that he himself was ordered by the emperor to provide FIFTY GREEK BIBLES, or, more probably, only the principal books, at the public expence, for different churches." On his death the number of books contained in the Imperial Library at Constantinople was 6,900; and in the time of Theodosius the younger 100,000. Of these more than half were burnt by order of the Emperor Leo. III., in the eighth century; and here perished the only authentic copy of the Council of Nice, together with a magnificent copy of the Four Gospels bound in plates of gold, weighing fifteen pounds, and enriched with precious stones, which had been given by Pope Gregory III. to the church dedicated to our Saviour.

"Early in the fourth century GREGORY, the apostle and bishop of Armenia, surnamed the Illuminator, with laudable zeal obtained the approbation of the Sovereign of the country to establish schools, or academies in every city, and to appoint doctors and masters over them; and published throngh all the cities invitations to the inhabitants to send their children, that they might be taught the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.

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During this century also, various councils were held, which published canons considerably illustrative of the opinions and practices of the age. The Council of Nice, convened by Constantine, A. D. 325, ordained, 'that no christian should be without the Scriptures.' The Council of Antioch, held A. D. 341, decreed, "That any person coming into the church, and only staying to hear the Scriptures, and neither uniting in the prayers, nor partaking of the eucharist, should be excommunicated.'--The Council of Laodicea, in 367, enjoined in its sixteenth canon, That the Gospels, with the other Scriptures, ought to be read on the Sabbath-day;' by which was meant, that in the public assemblies, which were in that age held on the Sabbath Day, at the Saturday was then usually called, the Scriptures should be read in the same order as on the Lord's Day, or Sunday, and not be omitted to be read.'

The writings of Chrysostom shed a powerful light over the Biblical history of this age. We learn from him that the Scriptures were generally diffused among the people. Women and children

had frequently the gospels hung round their neck, and carried them constantly about with them. The rich had splendid copies of the sacred writings on vellum, in their libraries and book-cases. Complete copies of the scriptures were still bowever rare. In 381, Julian, the apostate, who had been ordained Reader in the church of Nicomedia was advanced to the purple, and reversed the prosperous days which Christianity had enjoyed since Constantine. He caused the writings of christians to be destroyed, and interdicted them from reading the classical authors. As a remedy for this, the Apolinarii, father and son, the latter one of the greatest men of his time for learning, genius, and powers of argument, composed a grammar on a chrisfian model, turned the books of moses into heroick verse, paraphrased the historical books in imitation of the greek tragedians, and in various works adopted every model of verse which the most celebrated Greek writers had employed. Jovian, a christian succeeded Julian, and he, soon falling, was succeeded by Valentinian and Valens, both professing the same religion, but the latter an Arian, and persecutor of those of the orthodox faith. In his, reign, however, Ulphilas, bishop of the Goths, immortalized his name by translating into the Gothic, from the Greek, the whole, or a considerable part of the Scriptures. In doing this, he greatly improved the language by inventing new characters where the meagre old Runic was deficient in expression.

"Of this important version, the principal remains are contained in the famous CODEX ARGENTEUS, or Silver Book, a M.S. preserved in the library of the university of Upsal, in Sweeden. It is impressed or written on

very

fine, thin, smooth vellum, of a quarto form and purple colour, though some sheets have a pale violet hue; and has received the name of ARGENTEUS, from its Silver Letters; but the three first lines of the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Mark are impressed with golden foil, as those of St. Matthew and St. John would most probably be found to be, were they still in existence."

It is supposed to have been the property of Alaric, King of Thoulouse, and was preserved many centuries in the Monastery of Werden, Westphalia; and what remains has been printed several

times from 1665 to 1750, when the last edition was published at Oxford.

The Ethiopic version is also supposed to have been made during this century, at Sab, the capital of Abyssinia, and into the ancient language called Lisana Gheez, not the Amharic or modern tongue. Mr. Bruce brought several copies home with him, which were, and we believe are, in the library of the family at Kinnear. One of the Old Testaments has a Book of the Prophecies of Enoch, inserted before Job.

Some very curious works, of a Christian character, were produced at this era. For example, the Historia Evangelica, a paraphrase of the four Evangelists, in four books, and good hexameter verse the Cento Virgilianus, by a female, Proba Falconia, containing the History of the Creation, the Deluge, and of Christ in centos from Virgil. In this singular performance, "above seven hundred lines are so curiously selected from the works of the Mantaun bard, and so placed, that with the aid of titles to the different portions, the principal events of these Scripture histories are described in his words."

Epiphanius, a Bishop in Cyprus, wrote his "Panarium, or 'Box of antidotes against all heresies;' in which he gives the history of twenty heresies before Christ, and of fourscore since the promulgation of the Gospel."

"But the most eminent Biblical scholar of the fourth century, was JEROM, whose Revision of the Latin version of the Bible constitutes the principal dif.erence of the Vulgate from the old Italic."

"Lucinius Boeticus, a noble Spaniard, and zealously attached to the Scriptures, sent six short-hand writers or copyists, from Spain to Bethlehem, in 394, to take copies of his version, and of his other works."

"Yet nearly two hundred years elapsed before this tranalation received the sanction of the church, many of the con temporaries of Jerom regarding a translation from the Hebrew as a dangerous innovation: for, strange as it may appear, the Septuagint version was more respected in the Latin church than the Hebrew original. At that time, the now-exploded story of Seventy-Two Interpreters, all translating by divine inspiration, all translating independently,

yet each of them producing the same translation, was firmly believed in the Latin as well as the Greek church; and this belief, united with a hatred of the Jews and an ignorance of the Hebrew, gave to the Septuagint version a higher rank than to the original itself. At the close of the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great gave to Jerom's translation the sanction of papal authority, by acknowledging that he considered it as superior to any other of the Latin versions, and, therefore, made use of it himself; and in a short time after, Isidore of Seville wrote, that all churches made use of it. In the sixteenth century, the VULGATE was declared authentic, by the popish council of Trent; and continues to be the only publicly authorised version of the Roman catholic church. Most of the first European translations were made from it."

Varieties.

Ostiac Honesty.-In the course of a long journey, a Russian, of Tobols Roi, lodged one night at the house of an Ostiac. Travelling next day, he missed his purse, which contained a hundred roubles.

The son of his former host, while hunting, saw a purse lying on the ground at some distance from his father's dwelling, which he dared not to touch, but left it on the spot. Informing his father of the circumstance, he was directed to cover it with branches; "My son," says he, let us preserve it: some time or other the person who has lost it may travel this way, and we shall have the satisfaction of restoring to him his own." The host was right. In three months the same traveller stopped again at his hut; and, during his stay, he mentioned the loss of a purse on the day he last parted with them. "Art thou," said the Ostiac, "art thou then the owner of the purse? Go with my son, and pick it up where it fell, it has never been

touched by any hand, since thine own suffered it to escape."

Agricultural Pun.-A farmer, in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, was lately met by his landlord, who accosted him thus:- "John, I intend to raise your rent;" to which John replied, "Sir, I am very much obliged to you, for I cannot raise it myself.

Anecdote of Dr. Johnson.-As a person was shewing the Doctor the Castle of Edinburgh, he mentioned to him a tradition that some part of it had been standing 300 years before Christ. "Much faith," replied the Doctor in his usual manner, "is due to tradition; and that part of the building which was standing at so early a period, must undoubtedly have been the rock upon which it is founded!"

Parisian Tailor. -The Paris journals had a tolerable story of a fashionable tailor the other day. A customer desired him to make him a coat in a particular way: "Sir," said he, "that fashion has gone by these six months; pray have it of a proper cut." "I do not care for fashion,-I will wear my coat as it is most agreeable to me." Snip remonstrated and begged in vain; then, unwilling to lose a good customer, he said, "Well, Sir, I have only to entreat, as a return for executing your order, that you will not tell any one your coat came from my shop."

To Correspondents.

Ianthe justly claims our acknowledgements, but we hope we shall not be trespassing too far on her patience by postponing the insertion of Niobe until our next.

M. A. B's. Reflections have yet to undergo tie critical ordeal.

We are again under the necessity of postponing the insertion of the Lines by G. F. but they shall positively appear next week.

W. C. F's Essay, is intended for our next. We fear the contents of W. B- -'s Letter has lost its novelty in consequence of a similar one having lately appeared in the public prints. Our thanks are due to him for his promise of support, and we can assure him, that all communications of merit shall be attended to, from whatever quarter they may proceed.