It was not only the learning of Caroline Thornbush | than was his father. Hence Scotsmen are said to be | Scotsman who could approach those illustrious walls with Some splenetic moralist, however, hath remarked, that "For Cunning hath that servile front and eye, Which makes me think of her contem-tu-ously." bards. Belfour, in his history of Scotland, says that Queen Mary, on the 19th of August, 1562, landed at Leith, All hail thy palaces and towers; when the Scots were under the necessity of escorting her Where once beneath a monarch's feet to Holyrood-house, over a barren country. When you Sat legislation's sovereign powers." look down upon Leith, which, from the Calton-hill, lies "Auld reckie," alias Edenburg, is a proud city, enjoying the combined embellishment of sea, mountain, and about two and a half miles northwards, it is a strong effort to imagine that Queen Mary was escorted over a barret river. The inhabitants, by way of eminence, have styled country. All is now so cheerful and beautifully fertiletheir town the " Northern Athens." To question the pro-gardens, villas, and, lastly, the wide-spreading suburb priety of this title would infer a great want of classical lore of Leith crowding and condensing, as they approach the and good breeding; the Athenians know best their city's more ancient burgh, which, for filthiness, and narrownes claim to this cognomination, and no men are more clas- of streets, and irregularity of buildings, huddled in mor sical and well bred than they ;-they are pleased with it, tifying contrast, I shall match with "ould Dublin" her and why not we; they are proud of their city, and we re-self; but more anon. joice to think they have occasion to be proud. Belfast, notwithstanding the arrogance of Edenburg, disputes her usurpation of this title, and there are many well-meaning people in Ireland who shrewdly suspect that Belfast hath the stronger claim; but, as they say in Edenburg, this is not a question of meum et tuum. Our travellers returned just after the fatal discovery and We most sincerely wish him success in all his lawful undertakings, and we shall, therefore, refrain from adding any moral to this our simple narrative, trusting that most of our readers will be wise enough to find it out themselves; although we cannot help thinking that a few well-chosen engravings, of the most interesting scenes, would wonderfully illustrate and improve the wit of our performance. No. 1. SKETCHES OF SCOTLAND AND SCOTSMEN. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS-MODERN ATHENS-VIEW Scotland has long been famed for the bravery and indus. try of her sons, and is distinguished from almost every other nation on the globe for the superior scholastic information of her peasantry. This flattering distinction is to be attributed to the facilities offered by her system of parochial education—a system which renders it an easy matter for parents to bestow upon their offspring the rudiments of useful knowledge. To this add the Scotsman's natural love of advancement; a passion in him "strong as death," and which engages the heart of the parent in the laudable pursuit to constitute the son, if possible, a greater man 88, L The Housewife. "Housekeeping and husbandry, if it be good, To Detect Adulteration in Bread.-Run into the crumb of a loaf one day old, the blade of a knife considerably heated; and if adulterated with alum, it will show its unwholesome adherences on the surface; and it may be further detected by the smell. Bone-dust or plaster of Paris may be discovered, by slicing the soft part of a loai thin, and soaking it in a large quantity of water in an earthen vessel, placed over a slow fire, three or four hours. Then having poured off the water and pap, the obnoxious matter will be found at the bottom. capital of Caledonia. Edenburg, from the Calton-hill, The Calton-hill also commands an extensive view of the * I prefer this orthography to "Edinburgh." A Hint to Mothers. All young animals natural delight to be in the open air, and in perpetual motion but we signify our disapprobation of this intention nature by confining our infants mostly in houses, ar swathing them from the time they are born as tightly possible. This natural instinct appears very strong sh we see a child released from its confinement, in the sho interval betwixt pulling off its day clothes, and swathing again before it is put to sleep. The evident tokens of d light which the little creature shows in recovering the fr use of its limbs, and the strong reluctance it discovers to again remitted to its bondage, one would think would strik conviction of the cruelty and absurdity of this practice in the most stupid of mankind.-Dr. Gregory's Comparata View of the Faculties of Man with those of the Animal IVorld. SKETCH OF A PLAN FOR A FLOATING SLIP, OR LANDING-PLACE. At a time when daily and hourly complaints are made of the abominable accommodations for persons, who have occasion to use the landing-steps to and from our piers, every suggestion which tends to remedy the glaring and dangerous nuisance is deserving of consideration. We have frequently suggested very simple and effectual modes of constructing the pier-steps, and have incurred the expense of engraving a model, which was universally approved. Still, however, nothing has been done, although the present state of George's Pier, especially, is a standing reproach to the town, and an annoyance to all strangers, as well as natives. Mr. Thomas Jevons has suggested a Floating Slip, and has himself provided the engraving, which we now introduce to our readers, with an accompanying description, in the hopes that it will, at least, lead to a discussion of the subject. a The shore or quay. b The river at the lowest ebb of a spring tide. e The shore strand or sand-bank. dd The road-way of the slip or pier. e The floats or boats, which raise the slip as the tide rises. stances. 10 20 20 60 80 400 120 feet REMARKS. Any part that may be damaged can be speedily replaced by keeping a duplicate always at hand in good repair. The slip may be made to stretch further out into the river, or it may be drawn more in upon the land, according to circum- The above sketch was made to show the principle upon which a landing-place may It is not necessary that the whole length be formed, so as to obviate the inconveof it should be in a right line; it may be di-niences occasioned by the rise and fall of the The projector was induced to plan it, in the hopes that it might suggest some improvement of the landing-places of our own port, and he conceives that it would not be difficult to modify it to suit some particular sites on the river, without injury to the navigation. land or over the water. f Principals to strengthen the road-way; the span be-verted in any other direction, either over the h Dotted lines which show the range of the slip at high water and spring tide. i Column to which this set of floats may be moored. The outer floats may be moored in the ordinary way, except that the chains should be made fast to them some feet below the surface of the water, so as to permit packets and boats to pass freely over. tide. Poetry. DREAMS OF THE HEART. Dreams of the heart, how bright ye were, Let weeping memory tell; Dreams of the heart, as false as fair, For ever, fare ye well! Dreams of the heart, in which so long Why have ye fled her syren song, And left me but to weep? Dreams of the heart, for hill and grove, And smiling valleys fair, And all the gay romance of love, Oh, what a desert bare! Dreams of the heart, delusive dreams! Why were ye only bright, To shadow with your parting beams, Dreams of the heart, away! away! Ye falling stars no more, Gild, with a momentary ray, This rock-encircled shore. Ev'n the untutored savage still reveres The spot he fancies sacred to his God; But thou couldst plunder where the sacred tears And knees of saints had met, and worn the sod. In vain to thee the ruin's beauty pleads, In vain the sanctity of holy shrine; Religion governs not a miser's deeds, And what is beauty to a soul like thine? But Heaven is just, and makes the sinner's hand LINES, ON VISITING THE ANCIENT ABBEY OF BIRKENHEAD. [ORIGINAL.] All hail! ye sacred Shades, That fill this awful gloom, Methinks I hear you whisp'ring say,To this, thyself, must come one day, And moulder in the tomb. Nature must sink, Thou'rt on the brink Of an eternal world, from which thou can'st not shrink. That rest beneath my tread, No more by trifles fed. Teach me to raise The song of praise To Him who metes to man the measure of his days. And e'er I'm call'd to fill My corner in the tomb, Oh! may my soul, renew'd by grace, Be looking to'ard that better place, And know that it's my home. Then I can say, Come, happy day, (a) If the black queen took the castle, the white queen would checkmate at G 7. If the black bishop took the queen, or if the black knight took the knight, the white castle would checkmate at E 8. If the black pawn moved to F 6, the white castle would check at E 8, and checkmate in the following move, by taking the black bishop, which would be interposed at F 8. If the black queen moved to F 8, the white castle would move to E8; then, if the black bishop took the queen, or if the black knight or black pawn took the knight, the white castle would checkmate at F 8; if the black queen took the castle, or moved to G 8, if the black king moved to G 8, or if the black pawn moved to H 6, or H 5, the white queen would checkmate at G7; if the black pawn moved to F 6, the white queen would take it, and, in the following move, either the white castle would checkmate at F8, or the white queen at G 7, whatever move the black might make. (b) If the black queen took the knight, the white castle would checkmate at E 8. If the black knight moved, or if the black pawn moved to G 5, the white knight would move to H 5, and, in the following move, if the black queen were interposed, the white queen would checkmate at G7; if the black pawn were interposed, the white queen would take the pawn, and then checkmate at G 7, as before. If the black pawn moved to H 6 instead of H 5, the game would be concluded in eight moves, as the black king would then be compelled, in the fourth move, to move either to H 8 or G 7, as in solution second. (c) If the black pawn covered the check at F 6: 4 w. Castle, E 7 THE DESPOILER. TO THE EDITOR. SIR,-The following lines are addressed to a person, who, having obtained permission from the proprietors to take away the loose stones lying about a very beautiful ruin, had the baseness and effrontery, when they fell short, to pull down a part of the venerable pile yet standing. I am aware that it is your custom to reject things of this kind; but, as the act anathematized is not of a very recent occurrence, and the actor not a resident of England, I hope you will wave that custom for once, and oblige yours, &c ...or b. Knight, F5 b. Queen or Kt. G7 Mate. 6 w. Castle, G7 If the black Q. is at F 7 6 w. Queen, F 7x b. King, N8 7 w. Queen, H 7X Mate. b. Queen or Knight any where. 7 w. Castle,any where in line 7, by discovery. b. Queen or Kt. G7 or King, G8 8 w. Qn. G7x Mate. (d) If the black king moves to H 7, the white plays as a the sixth move of solution second. (e) If the black pawn moved, or if the knight moved to F 5, the white castle would move to G 1, and, in the following move, either the queen would checkmate at H 8, H 6, or G 5, or the castle would take the knight, and the queen afterwards checkmate at G 5. (f) If the black king moves to H 5, the white queen gives checkmate at G 5. If the black king moves to H 3, the white queen moves to G 5, and, in the following move, either the white queen gives checkmate at G 3, or the white castle at H 1. (g) If the black king moves to H 5, the white queen gives checkmate at G 5. (h) If any other move than this were made, the black king would be checkmated in two moves. (i) If the black queen covered the check, the white queen would checkmate at G 7. SOLUTION 11. 5 Knight....G-8+ (by discovery) 6 Queen .....F-6 1 Castle....H-1+ 8 Castle takes the Kaight+MATE. 4 King H 8 or G 7 (1) 6 Knight G 2, F 3, If the black king takes the knight, the white castle checks at E 8, and, in the following move, gives checkmate at H 8. If the black pawn covers the check at F 6, the white queen takes the pawn, then the white castle moves to E8, (7) If the black king takes the knight, the white castle gives cheek at E 8, and afterwards checkmate at H 8. If the black pawn moves to G 5, the white queen checks at H 6, and, in the following move, the white castle gives checkmate at E 8. and afterwards gives checkmate at H 8. ▷ The following paragraph, respecting an Irish Brigh from the Dublin Evening Post, requires some introtion, and we accordingly preface it with an editorial ticle from the Mercury, to which we have made some tion-Edit. Kal. SHANNON NAVIGATION. the sea coast from Seapoint to Dunleary, which, the editor P. S. Since the foregoing appeared in the Mercury, the Whatever may be thought of this proposition by others, we do not hesitate to say, that unless the country is peculiarly mountainous and unmanageable, the labour would be inconsiderable, as the distance to be excavated is absolutely trifling, when the magnitude of the object is considered. NEW BRIGHTON. We are always boasting of the mechanical prodigies of Ar- In the next Mercury we shall probably resume this subject, when we shall have occasion to advert to canals already formed, not only of considerably greater dimensions than that would be which we are recommending, but which have been constructed under local circumstances more unfavourable to their progress than those which are said to exist in Ireland. The canal of Languedoc is a work, compared with [FROM THE LIVERPOOL MERCURY.] which that we are proposing would be insignificant MARINE VILLAS AND WATERING-PLACES IN THE and easy of accomplishment. The reservoir which was EIGHBOURHOOD OF DUBLIN, AND CANAL FROM SEA found necessary to feed it is two thousand four hundred SEA-Amongst the almost innumerable speculations yards in length, a thousand in breadth, and forty in depth. The canal itself is one hundred and twenty-two thousand ich distinguish this speculative era, we know of few, if four hundred and forty-six fathoms in length. It has one 7, which are more likely to be attended with benefit to hundred and one basins, which form sixty-two sluices. e public, and advantage to the projectors, than one re- Its breadth is almost thoughout sixty feet at the surface, ady announced in the Dublin Evening Post. It is the and thirty-two at the bottom. It is true that its depth ection of a marine villa, or series of villas, in the pic- does not exceed six feet, but no stress should be laid on that circumstance, as no greater depth was deemed requiaresque neighbourhood of Dublin, which abounds with site for the craft for which it was expressly constructed; very beautiful and commanding scenery, equal to al-had it been necessary to make its depth proportionate to most any which can be found throughout Europe. The its other dimensions, it is obvious that mechanical labour reation of these villas, besides occasioning the employment of much capital in Ireland, will have a tendency to eep the wealthy and fashionable portion of the community their own country, where they will expend the money hey now carry to Buxton, Brighton, or other English ering-places. The plan of the Irish Brighton has not only been sugsted, but it is about to be immediately realized. A mpany is forming, the capital of which will be not than two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, in five Dusand shares, of fifty pounds each. The site selected is and time would have been alone wanting for the pur- As we intend to resume this subject next week, we shall, a 40 Hence the success of Worthing and other places; hence the summer excursions. which render the Isle of Wight so prosperous and so pleasant; and, above all, hence the rapid progress of Brighton, almost within our memories, to a state of unparalleled prosperity. Instances of the high value to which building ground has reached in Brighton and its vicinity, are supplied almost every day by the English journals. An example of this kind recurs to our recollection, and, no doubt, will be remembered by our readers. The Count St. Antonio's Marine Villa, and the few acres that surround it, was sold the other day by the foot, at a price for which a handsome estate could have been bought in Ireland, only a few years ago. The truth is, that Brighton and such places have not only become fashionable, but necessary. Of course, the expenses of such a residence, even for a few months, are enormous-sufficiently so, indeed, to deter any but the very wealthy or the very dissipated from participating, in such places, that enjoyment, and from endeavouring to acquire that health and elasticity of spirits which sea-bathing is certain of communicating. It Literature. Written originally in French, BY EDWARD GIBBON, JUNIOR, ESQ. Reprinted for the Kaleidoscope. immense sum in the most prosperous times, but then absolutely out of the power of the republic to discharge. Sylla, therefore, embraced an expedient, rather dictated is remarkable, however, that England, Queen of the AN ESSAY ON THE STUDY OF LITERATURE, by necessity, and his own private interest, than the good Islands as she is, does not afford all the facilities which one might reasonably expect for sea-bathing.-There is Liverpool, for example, the name of which is a sort of synonyme for the mercantile and maritime wealth of England, into whose river more ships enter, and from which more depart, than from any other place (with the exception of the mouth of the Thames) in the empireat Liverpool there is no bathing-place within fifteen miles of the town. The inhabitants, when they are ordered by their physicians to do so, or when they wish to perpetuate their health, are obliged to betake themselves to some inconvenient spot in the neighbourhood, or to some petty village in Wales, where they can have no other sort of amusement or recreation. It is true, that the vicinity of the sea to Dublin allows the citizens of this metropolis greater facilities in this way, and, accordingly, they take care, as far as possible, to avail themselves of it. Yet there are many (and, indeed, those who mix much in society must be familiar with the circumstance) who complain that the bathing-places in our neighbourhood are by no means commensurate with the pretensions of our city, either in elegance or convenience. In short, those places are, generally speaking, an opprobrium to our taste, and a reproach to our love of comfort and cleanliness. Irishtown is, as we almost think it ought to be, nearly deserted. The turnpikes on the Northern road have been almost destructive to Clontarf as a bathingplace. Merrion and Williamstown-strands are open and almost unprotected. Black Rock and Dunleary are rather distant for those who live in this city. But there are many, who, if they could obtain commodious residences in the vicinity of those places, would, as we have good reason to know, make them, for the benefit of sea-bathing alone, their summer residence. This want has been severely felt, and has been repeatedly made the subject of complaint. Those little boxes, in this neighbourhood, which have been erected within the last few years, inconvenient as many of them are, have been rented off with avidity. But the great object is, to make a fashionable and respectable neighbourhood; in short, to make a little town on the coast, where ranges and rows of handsome marine villas might be erected, with all those conveniences indispensibly necessary for a permanent resident, a town which would combine, in a word, the elegancies of a city with the comforts and freedom of the country. A plan for such a town, the reader is already aware, has not only been devised, but is now about to be carried into execution. In short, the New Brighton Company has been formed. The prospectus of this Company may be seen in another place. There are 5000 fifty-pound shares, making a capital of £250,000 British. That it is gotten up under the most unexceptionable auspices, will be sufficiently manifest by referring to the names of the patrons and committee; and that the public have an ample confidence, not only in those noblemen and gentlemen, but in the success of the undertaking, is evident from the premium which the shares, when they are offered for sale, already bear in the market. The address of Virgil. of the commonwealth: he distributed the lands among the veterans, and, accordingly, forty-seven legions were inmediately dispersed over Italy. Four and twenty military colonies were thus settled: ruinous expedient! It could not be otherwise; for if they were intermixed with the natives of the soil, they changed their habitations to find out their old acquaintance; and if they settled in a body, there was an army ready disciplined for any seditious general who would lead them to the field. These war riors, however, soon grew tired of an inactive life, and thinking it beneath them to earn by the sweat of their brows, what could only cost them a little blood, they soon dissipated their new substance in debaucheries, and, seeing no prospect of repairing their fortunes but by a civil war, they readily and powerfully entered into the designs of Catiline. Augustus, embarrassed in like manner, followed the same plan, and was justly apprehensive of the same fatal consequences. Still smoked in Italy the ashes of those fires its expiring liberty had kindled. "Des feux qu'a rallumé sa liberté mourante.§ The hardy veterans had not acquired possessions but by a bloody war; and the frequent acts of violence they committed plainly showed they still thought themselves at liberty to keep them, sword in hand. (To be continued.) mentation made by Marius, consisted of six thousand infantry, and three hundred horse. This considerable corps however, had but sixty-six officers, that is, sixty centurion: and six tribunes. So that the account stood thus: £. Sterling Two hundred and eighty-two thousand private But Virgil never displayed greater address than when, Of the Georgics. XIX. One reads the Georgics with that lively taste the beautiful excites, and that exquisite pleasure the charms of the subject naturally inspire, in a susceptible mind. It is easy to conceive, however, that our admiration would be increased, by discovering in the poet a design equally noble and elevated, as the execution of it is highly finished. I constantly draw my examples from Virgil. His fine verses, and the precepts of his friend Horace, fixed the standard of taste among the Romans, and may serve to convey instruction to the most distant posterity. But to explain my sentiments more clearly, it is necessary to trace things a little further. The Roman veterans. XX. The Romans first fought for glory and for their country. After the siege of Veia+ they received some small pay, and sometimes were recompenced after a triumph: but they received these as gratuities, and not as their due. At the end of every war, the soldiers, becom. ing citizens, retired to their repective huts, and hung up their useless arms, to be resumed at the first signal The site has been already chosen, and extends along the coast from Seapoint to Dunleary-perhaps the most picturesque and beautiful line along the entire of the Bay of When Sylla restored the public tranquillity, circumDublin. We take it for granted, and, indeed, the pro- stances were much altered. Above three hundred thouspectus of the Company warrants us in the conclusion, that sand men, accustomed to luxury and slaughter,§ without an architect, not only of judgment and skill in the build-substance, without home, without principle, required reing of houses, but of taste in their allocation and respec- wards. Had the dictator paid them in money, according tive positions, will be employed to lay out the town-that to the rate afterwards established by Augustus, it had cost is to say, so as to arrange and combine the houses so as him upwards of thirty-two millions, of our money ;|| an not to depart too far from those characteristics which should always distinguish a Village Ornee. To such an architect we would recommend the works of Uvedale Price-not with a view of copying any that is, for we trust no models will be adopted-but solely in the hope that he might be directed by Mr. Price's principles, in making the most of the admirable site on which he will be enjoined to work. We shall watch with great solicitude, and we hope we shall have to add with great pleasure, the progress of this undertaking, convinced, as we are, that it will be the means of rendering this neighbourhood, already so much in favour with the Dublin public, still more popular; and, that it will have the effect of bringing to our capital several natives of the sister country from the opposite coast, who, in New Brighton, will find all the comforts and conveniences of a city combined with the ease and freedom of the country. We expect in a few days to be able to lay the plan, in detail, before our readers, together with the means which the Company possess of carrying their views into complete and speedy effect. rions and fourteen thousand one hundred horse at six thousand drachmas, or £210 sterling, each. Two hundred and eighty-two tribunes at twelve thousand drachmas, or £410, each. 3,468,600 115,620 Sum total £32,489,220 According to Dr. Arbuthnot's calculations, it should be only £30,705,220, the drachma being worth only 73d. English money.(3) But, from the researches I have made, I find that both in weight and value, and worth 84d. of our money.(4) the Attic drachma, of later years, was equal to a Roman denier * Livy, lib. lxxxix.-Epitom. Freinsheim. Suppl. lib. lxxxix. c. 34. Tacitus, de Moribus Germanorum, p. 441. Sallust. in Bell. Catilin. p. 40. Cicero in Catilin. Orat. ii. § Racin. Mithridate, act iii. sc. I. I See Donatus, life of Virgil. Virgil. Eclog. ix. v. 2. &c. (2) Wotton's History of Rome, p. 154. (4) Manuscript remarks on the weights, &c. of the ancients. Hooper, p. 108, and Eissenchmidt, p. 23, &c. Scientific Records. [Comprehending Notices of new Discoveries or Improve ments in Science or Art; including, occasionally, sin gular Medical Cases; Astronomical, Mechanical, Phi losophical, Botanical, Meteorological, and Mineralogica Phenomena, or singular Facts in Natural History Vegetation, &c.; Antiquities, &c.; List of Patents;to be continued in a series through the Volume.] Nothing is more difficult for a writer, educated in scenes such manners to hit off their genuine simplicity. Reflection Livy, book iv. c. 59, 60. Livy, book xxx. c. 45, &c. Arbuthnot's Tables, p. 181, &c. § Sallust. in Bell. Catilin. p. 22. Edit. Thys. This rate allowed three thousand drachmas, or twelve thousand sesterces to every private foot-soldier, (1) twice that sum to each of the cavalry and to a centurion, and four times as much to a tribune. (2) The Roman legion, after the aug SHEATHING. The application of copper to ship's bottoms was orig nally introduced to guard the lower timbers from the weeds and worms which continually imbedded themselve in long voyages, thereby occasioning great impediment to sailing, and even endangering the lives of the seamet In the action of Sir Edward Hughes with the Frenc fleet, under Suffrein, in the East Indies, in the year 1789 the latter obtained advantages over the British, havi arrived from Europe with copper-bottomed ships, whic enabled them to maintain the weather gage of Admir Hughes, whose fleet was composed of wood-sheathed bo toms, overgrown with weeds and barnacles. In fact, th value of clean-bottomed ships enabled the French to for the fleet of this country into five general actions. The |