Fear not that in his abject heart he show - Oh, let him live to be despised, to see cease, In his soul's icy deadness, he alone France happy, and the glorious nations free.' The experience of every succeeding day, gives some excuse to Bonaparte's ambitious projects, by showing how faithless were the parties with whom he had to deal, and that the monarchs who formerly so tamely succumbed to his power, now ape the worst parts of his character without a particle of his talents. that it could not be conducted by sim- his second invasion of Britain. It was, however, during the reign of Cunobeline, that the British coins were improved in imitation of the Roman money. On some of these coins the name of the monarch is given with a Latin termination; and the devices which are impressed upon the others are evident imitations of the coins of Augustus Caesar. Of many of the coins of Cunobeline, (and nearly forty varieties have been discovered,) a word appears that has occasioned much controversy, but without any elucidation of its meaning, which still remains in volved impenetrable obscurity. This is the word TASCIO or TASCIA, which has been supposed by some to signify tribute; by others, to be the name of the moneyer, with various other conjectures equally unsatisfactory. believed to have been only a certain weight, equal to thirty pennies or six shillings. The mark, which was a Danish mode of computation, was, early in the tenth century, estimated at one hundred pennies; but, in the year 1194, at one hundred and sixty. The scill, or scilling, a word of doubtful derivation, appears at a very early period in the Anglo-Saxon laws, some fines having been regulated by it about the middle of the sixth century; its value was five and afterwards four pennies. The thrimsa appears to have been equal to three-fifths of the shilling of five pence; and the ora was anciently reckoned at fifteen pennies. These are all the coins and denominations of money which appear to have been used by the Anglo-Saxons. It would lead us too much into detail to notice the coinage of the different kingdoms of the heptarchy; in which the kingdom of Kent claims the precedence. During this period, and the reigns of the sole monarchs, the coins we have enumerated prevailed, and there were also several others. Mints were established in various parts of the kingdom, and the names of the money, and in many instances that of the mint, were on the reverse of the coins. Harold, during his short-lived sovereignty, seems to have been studious to perpetuate his memory by frequent coinages, for he had mints at thirty-seven different towns, and his coins are far from being uncommon. These coins have, on the obverse, Ha rold's name and title as King of Eng. land, and the reverse bears the moneyAll of them have PAX across the centre, which has been supposed to allude to the peace which Edward the Confessor granted to him and to his father, Earl Godwin, in 1052. It is probable that the British coinage closed with the money of Cunobeline, for, in a few years after his death, In taking leave of Mr. Milman, the second subjection of Britain took which we must do somewhat hastily, as place, under Claudius, which was so we have a number of other authors to pay complete and severe, that the country our respects to, we cannot but think he became rather a Roman than a British has been rather injudicious in the pub-island, and thus continued for nearly lication of these poems. They are un- four hundred years. worthy of the talents of the author of The coins of the Anglo-Saxons conFazio, Samor, and the Fall of Jerusa-sisted of the sceatta, in value about aer's name, and the place of mintage. lem,-productions which have justly gained him a high reputation. We are far from saying that these less important pieces are without merit, for they really possess many beauties, but they are much inferior to the poems we have mentioned, and we have too great a respect for Mr. Milman, and admire his talents too much, not to feel jealous for his fame. Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its (Continued from p. 212.) NOTWITHSTANDING the assertion of some antiquaries to the contrary, it does not appear that Britain had any coinage previous to the invasion of Julius Caesar, who describes the Britons as a people then just emerging from barbarism, and no further acquainted with commerce than to have discovered penny, and another, which was only William the Conqueror, anxious to persuade the English that he looked upon them as his natural subjects, and not as a conquered people, made no innovation on the coinage. His coins not only resemble those of Harold in weight and fineness, but some of them correctly imitated the type of that monarch's pennies. This adherence to the weight of the Saxon peuny, will appear to be very extraordinary, when we consider that he introduced the French mode of computation, by shillings of twelve pennies; and can be ascribed only to a refined policy, which forbade an alteration, the effect of which would immediately be perceived by his new subjects. Of the coins of William. I. the penny is the only one which has descended to our times. These were extremely rare until the beginning of the eighteenth century, when, after a dreadful fire, which burnt many houses in Upper Ouse Gate, in the city of York, in the year 1703-4, a small oak box, containing about two hundred and fifty pennies of the two Williams, was discovered, on digging a deep foundation for a new building. Before this discovery, the utmost diligence of that indefatigable collector, Thoresby, could procure no more than two of them. The coins of William I. have, on the obverse, his name and title as King, with the addition of some of the leading letters of ANGLORUM; and on the reverse, the name of the moneyer, together with the place of mintage, cursed, an oppressor of the poor, and a possession of the crown. A foreign We In compliance with these commands, Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, summoned them, throughout all England, to appear at Winchester against Christmas-day. When they arrived there, they were taken apart singly, and underwent the dreadful infliction. The whole was done within the twelve days before Christinas, and, indeed, (saith the chronicler,) most justly, for they had brought the greatest loss upon the whole nation, by the immense quantity of base metal which they had circulated. They were afterwards. comWilliam Rufus coined but little mo-pelled to abjure the realm, and to go into ney, and employed few of his father's banishment.' moneyers. From the weight and fine- The English goldsmiths were at this ness of his money, it seems that, not-time eminent for excellence of work-chard I. coined any money during his withstanding his necessities, (for he manship, and were sometimes invited to soon dissipated his father's immense practice their art in foreign courts. wealth,) he made no alteration in the The types of the coins of Henry I. are standard. His coins bear on the ob- as various as those of any monarch in verse his name and title, except in one the English series. His name and tiinstance, where the legend is WILLEL- tle are variously written upon the obMYS only, and in another, which is in-verse of his money. On some pieces scribed L.VILLEM Dvo. The reverses H. R. only are found; on others, HENhave the town and moneyer. RICUS; on others, his name and title; Henry I. made several important and on some, his name and title as and beneficial regulations relative to the King of the English. The reverses coinage. He denounced severe punish-bear the name of the mint and moment against moneyers or other per- neyer, which, in some instances, are sons on whom counterfeit coins should placed within two concentric circles. be found. In his laws, it was ordained One penny has PAX across the centre that falsifiers of the money should of the reverse. suffer the loss of a hand, without reThe necessities of King Stephen induced him to diminish the weight demption. This penalty, dreadful as it may appear, was insufficient to which the penny bore in the reign of vent the crime of counterfeiting the his predecessor. During this disturb coin; accordingly, Henry, on his re-ed reign, several barons, particularly turn from Normandy, in 1105, add- those related to the King, had coins ed to the penalty of the loss of a hand, struck. The coins of Stephen are althe further punishment of the loss of most invariably badly executed. They sight, and emasculation. Notwithare scarce, yet a considerable variety of standing the severity of these ordi- types is to be found. His name on nances, the in 1108, was so the obverse is commonly wrong spelled, money, much corrupted, as to render a new and occurs frequently without his tille. coinage absolutely necessary:When that appears, it is simply Rex, without any addition. The reverses The strong hand of the law having bear, in general, the mint and moneyproved ineffectual for the protection of the coins, the censures of the church were, er; but it is peculiar to coins of this in 1123, called into its aid. At a council reign to exhibit reverses without any which was holden at Rome in that year, legend, the outer circle being charged when Callixtus the Second presided, with unmeaning ornaments. some ancient statutes were revived, by The wretched state to which money which it was decreed, that whoever should had been reduced in the reign of Steknowingly make, or studiously circulate phen, by adulteration and other me pre On his King John, when very young, hav ing been declared by his father Lord of Irelandy had mints in Dublin and Wa terford, and hal money struck with his name and title impressed on it. The coins are of peculiarly barbarous workmanship, bearing, on the obverse, a rude face, resembling the form in which the full moon is usually drawn, with his title JOHANNES DOM; and, on the reverse, the name of the moneyer and the place of mintage. usurpation of the crown of England, he made several regulations respecting money, particularly to stop the dini nishing of the coins, which had been carried on to an alarming extent. Although he had mints in seventeen different towns in England, yet no coins from any of these mints have ever been discovered. The only specimens we have are his Irish coins, some struck before and others after his assuming the royal dignity. His title, upon the coins, is only JOHANNES or JOHANNES REX, without any notice of either England, or even Ireland, where they were minted. The reverse has the Mint and moneyer as usual, but with defalse money, should be separated from thods, rendered a new coinage abso-vices, which appears on his money only. the congregation of the faithful as one ac-lutely necessary, when Henry II, took 1 The penny has a crescent and a blazing star; and the half-penny, a crescent and a cross patée, with a small star in each angle of the triangle; the farthing has a blazing star only. The bust on the obverse, and these devices on the reverse, are placed within the triangle. During the minority of Henry III, there was a coinage of pennies, halfpennies, and farthings, but only a few of the first have been preserved : High Birth, a Satire, addressed to a THE object of this satire is good; it is that 'Honour and fame from no condition rise;' Can ennoble slaves and cowards, perty of all who will take the trouble 3. The Mental Calculator; being a The alteration of type, which was introduced upon the money in this reign, forms a kind of æra in the Numismatick Some personages of Highbirth,' History of England. From the conquest well known in the fashionable circles, until this time, with the exception of the but who certainly would not do credit for, and an assistant to, a pair of globes. coins of Henry II. and the obverse of to any station in society, are justly re-tronomical problems, are so arranged The rules for solving a variety of asthose of John, a great variety prevailed in prehended; but the satire is destitute the impressions both of the obverse and of one very essential quality-point. If as to be easily committed to memory, reverse of the coins. The portraits of there are any readers who deem this of particularly as abstruse no consequence, we think they may be Guide to the Constellations will be of avoided as much as passible. The pleased with High Birth' in every infinite service to youth, and may even be consulted by grown up children' with advantage. the monarchs were represented either in full or in profile; and the crosses were ex other respect. hibited under almost every possible form. the former the cross is bounded by the inner circle, and has four pellets in each quarter; whilst in the latter it extends to the outer circle, and the number of the pellets is reduced to three. To this description his gold penny forms the only exception. Rude as this ornament of the reverse may appear to modern taste, it however seems, for some reason or other, to have EDUCATION. Conversations on English Grammar, in a Series of Familiar and Entertaining Dialogues, between a Mother and her Daughters; in which the various Rules of Grammar are introduced and explained, &c. By Mrs. 12mo. pp. 213. Lon Williams. MRS. WILLIAMS's Conversations' not 4. terms are Stories from the Spanish History, for the Amusement of Children. By Mrs. Jamieson. 18mo. pp. 140. London, 1820. THIS is a pleasing collection of the most striking anecdotes and interesting events with which the history of Spain, so fertile in every thing romantic and entertaining, abounds. The selection is judicious, and made with that dis crimination which distinguishes the works of this popular writer. 5. Biographical Sketches of the Apos tles, and the most Remarkable Characters mentioned in the New Testa 18mo. pp. 172. London, been highly satisfactory to those who con- only contain a clear and intelligible and formal lessons. 2. 4 Grammar of Universal Geogra- Original Communicatio ns. ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD, Henry the Third had mints in thir-teaching the first principles of geogra-lowing etymology, if so it may be call ty-four different towns; and he also struck money in Gascony. There are also coins, apparently ecclesiastical, probably struck in his reign, with the history of which we are unacquainted. (To be continued.) phy and astronomy. The author truly ed, of the word shilling :- Schres says, observes, that he has traversed the globe in his Chronicle of Prussia, p. 67.to lay its treasures at the feet of his pu- In Prussia, under the sixth master of pil, whom he now invites to take the the Teutonic order, Bernhard Schilsame course, to prove to his own mind, ling, citizen of Thorn, extracted from that these riches are the common pro-a mine of the town of Nicolas-Dorff, the quantity of several pigs of sil- I am, your's, &c. THE NEWSMAN, With tears, that trickled down the writer's cheeks Fast as the periods from his fluent quill, thering ivy over a yielding ruin. He chimney which had been repaired; as wears a hat with broad brim and oval if the removal of a few bricks were crown, round which a piece of whip- equal to the life of a fellow-creature! cord is tied, and a pen slipped in-per- Whoever the bricklayer is, that so haps the very identical one that, the greatly admired the works of his hannight previously, had been whirled into dicraft, he deserves inore the name of the office by some editor, because it a monster than a man, and whatever did not shed ink away fast enough, accommodation, or compromise of symand trace the blank paper with facility. pathy, might have been made by the However, whether this pen were reject- parties concerned, a vote of censure is ed for its softness or hardness I know not sufficient to express that indignanot,-it serves its present purpose to tion for one so devoid of humanity. tick against credit, which, unfortu- Day after day, delinquents are suffered nately for its user, is not always credit- to escape the meed of due punishment, able. And sometimes this newsman-defenceless children perish under the has to give fifty stamps with his foot pressure of cruelty, and yet, because for the one which he gives with his pa- it is not every body's business to inper. To be prepared against the terfere, it is nobody's.' Surely the changes of the weather, he carries his Vice Suppression Society' might be umbrella under one arm and his news- here usefully and humanely employed papers in a case under the other. An to the greatest advantage, and with the old phial, fixed to his button hole, sup- most beneficial effect, seeing, that to plies him with ink; and, being visited save but one soul from an untimely with an internal complaint, his nose fate, there will be great recompense leaves his lips, always considerably in of reward.' Actuated with the best the rear;-hence, like the title of the motives, if you think the above desulpaper in which I appear, he is very tory remarks deserving of a page in chronical. If I may judge of the state your impartial and instructive paper, I of his mind, from the moanings which shall be happy to see them inserted, Ar about nine o'clock on a Sunday he occasionally utters, I should con- that the respectable coroner might be morning, just before the bells ring for clude, like too many of his fellow- so kind as to throw some light on the church, this eccentric man may be countrymen, his calling is one more of melancholy catastrophe, for general saseen, leaving London behind him, and necessity than inclination. Let the tisfaction. I am, sir, speeding his way to the north. In slanderer then put his finger to his lip, With much respect, height, he is about five feet, his age is and the rigid Christian contemplate, March 24, 1821. sixty, and whoever has seen an out- that the afflicted do not always chuse pensioner of Greenwich Hospital, might that course which is most agreeable, identify him. He wears a blue coat, nor tread twenty miles with that pleaof coarse cloth, and made by a tailor, sure they would enjoy, if the iron (1 beg pardon) by a habit-maker of rod of national affliction were not susthe last century; at a period when pended over them. The bread of inprofessional gentlemen gave their cus-dustry is often obtained with difficulty, tomers cuffs without insult, aud col-while idleness in disguise riots in luxulars without being recognised as pup-rious carelessness; but how glorious pies. His waistcoat is of a pattern will be the reward of the one, and how which resembles a fancy perfumer's painful the merited justice of the other. morning dress. His breeches are leather, and being used as an accommodation to the palms and fingers, would make an excellent hone to set the wiry edge of a razor. His hose of worsted, are worn in relief, with a jagged tongue at the knee, which reposes on a scarlet garter, that is every evening be-nighted in his chamber. A pair of dirty halfboots embrace his ancles, and taper up to his calf to an exquisite point. His face looks like a veteran's that has passed through the storm, and his hair straggles over his shoulders like wiBy referring to the review of Ruding's Coinage, in the present number, our Correspondent will perceive, that the word shilling was applied to a piece of coin many centuries before the time fixed by Schres, in his Lexicon. ED. Io SoNo. CRUELTY TO CHIMNEY To the Editor of the Literary Chronicle. PULVIS. Original Criticisms ON The Principal Performers of the Theatres No. XVI-MR. VANDENHOFF. PRECEDED by the most enthusiastic eulogiums from all parts of the country, Mr. Vandenhoff has, at length, made his appearance. Every dramatic amateur will remember that this is the gentleman whose name made so conspicuous a figure in the play bills, SIR,-There seems to want an ex- during the first year of Mr. Elliston's planation of the coroner's suggestion management. What were the reasons to the jury, who sat very recently that precluded his appearance, at that on the body of a boy only twelve time, it is neither our object nor our years of age, that was jammed into a wish to inquire; but this much we will chimney, with rubbish, and, poor say, that if, as we have heard it reportcreature! suffered to remain there an ed, Mr. Vandenhoff refused an enhour, and then die!-Shocking inhu-gagement at Drury Lane, merely bemanity!-such unfeeling conduct me- cause he was to enact the second cha rits the severest punishment. Now, racters to Mr. Kean, his conduct sasir, from the public prints, it appears, vours very strongly of ridiculous selfthat the great reason for not extricating conceit; as his pretensions, in our opi the sufferer from his situation was, be- nion at least, are very far from being cause it would disfigure, a part of the of that high order which we had been Well led to expect. Mr. Vandenhoff seems his other, performances; the character his high estate,' and settled somewhere to have delayed his appearance, till the was twice repeated with more unequi- about the class of Mr. Booth. absence of Mr. Kean should have af- vocal testimonies in his favour than ei- may we exclaim, O! what a fall is forded him a fit opportunity for the ther of the characters he had previous- here,' on beholding the representative display of his talents, but, in so doing, ly assumed; perhaps this may be ow- of old Lear, of the haughty Coriolahe appears to have forgotten that he ing to the part itself, which is more ea- nus, the wily Sir Giles Overreach, had to contend with two most power- sily delineated than old Lear or Sir thrust into the Earl of Leicester (a ful competitors. The names of Mac- Giles Overreach, added to which, a miserably meagre sketch of a highly ready and C. Kemble, gentlemen emi- more intimate acquaintance with his finished portrait), in the melodrame of nently adapted, both by nature and audience, of course, tended to dimi- Kenilworth. We regret that Mr. Vanstudy, to attain the very summit of nish those restraints, and that alarm denhoff has not been more fortunate in their profession, with highly cultivated which a first appearance must necessa- the selection of his characters, as we and classic minds, and talents matur-rily produce. We cannot, however, think that if his abilities were directed ed by experience, might have present- refrain from observing, that the per- to a proper line, he might still prove a ed themselves to him, as probable ob-formance would have possessed double very good performer. We should like stacles to that pre-eminence his ambi- merit in our eyes, had it not resembled to see him in such a character as Brution prompted him to court. But, not that of Kemble throughout, so very tus, which, we are convinced, would be to enter more fully into his motives, closely. Mr. Vandenhoff made but far more adapted to him, than any we shall content ourselves with observ- little impression in the earlier scenes of thing he has yet attempted. But, with ing that Mr. Vandenhoff appeared in the play, but as it proceeded he enter- all his faults, this gentleman may be King Lear, a severe test, as the cha-ed with tolerable spirit into the vari- called a valuable adjunct to the Coracter is universally allowed to be the ous passions which agitate the soul of vent Garden company: he has much most arduous throughout the whole the hero of Corioli. His figure, how-to learn before he can fill, with excelrange of the drama, and, as he has been ever, though commanding, is deficient lence, the characters he has assumed; found wanting, his selection bears the in grace; his countenance is unimpres- but, if he studies closely, we do not stamp, to use no stronger term, of sive, and his voice is apt to sink into despair of seeing him all that his fondfolly and temerity. With regard to feebleness and hollowness of tone. He est hopes may desire; above every his performance of Lear, we shall only was not happy in sustaining the calm thing let him endeavour to form a say, that after that of Kean it was bad philosophic dignity of the hero, nor school of his own: however excellent the indeed; it was even inferior to the re- was his frown of that awful nature style of Kemble may be, yet to follow presentation of the little itinerant which would cause a plebeian rabble it implicitly denotes a weak mind; Booth. His performance was by no to retreat from him in wild and stupi- an indifferent original, is, in our estimeans correct; when he was express- fied dismay. The lofty spirit, the mation, superior to the best imitation. ing passages of the most frightful and overweening pride of the patrician, his W. H. PARRY. tremendous vehemence, he was impo-indignation, his haughty bearing, and tent and querulous; when, on the con- his revenge, are what Mr. Vandenhoff trary, he ought to have been calm and has not talent sufficient to express with soul-subdued, he launched forth into force. He was also deficient in the the other extreme. By a vain attempt sublimity which enshrines the haughty at originalty, he certainly struck out soul of Coriolanus; still he gave some very many of Kean's beauties, but he passages with fine effect. In the last inserted few others in their places. We scene, by far the most dramatic, in the will not, however, deny, that the per- alternate struggles between revenge formance had some merit: his declama-and compassion, filial and conjugal aftion, at times, was excellent, and we fection, he was highly successful. In are happy to say that he does not the celebrated passage, I fluttered rant to the galleries. His scenes with your Volscians in Corioli,-alone I did Edgar, as Mad. Tom, and his lowly it, Boy,' his voice was not equal to his submission to the.raging elements were conception, but he soon recovered himdistinguished by a pathos that insinu-self, and his bursting indignation and ated itself into the souls of the audi- astonishment were honoured with exence, and obtained considerable appro-treme applause. Mr. Vandenhoff is a bation. His Sir Giles Overreach was striking proof of the fickleness of pubclever in parts, in others miserably lic taste for the first week he was retame; the effect of the concluding ceived with tumultuous approbation, scene, which we have seen played by whereas, in the rage for novelty of Kean with such heart-rending excel-every description, he is now almost enlence, was entirely destroyed by Mr. tirely forgotten. In the same manner Vandenhoff's misrepresetation, but his as the sun on a hazy day, when his instructions to Margaret were well giv-beams are obscured by a mass of clouds, en, and his manner of speaking of suddenly flashes on our sight, and his honourable, his right honourable straight is seen no more; thus Mr. daughter,' excellent, Vandenhoff, after blazing forth as a genius of the very first order, hus, after a few faint struggles, "fallen from We are of opinion that his Coriolanus possesses more merit than any of PORTRAITS OF LIVING Dissenting Ministers, FROM SHAKESPEARE. Jul. In thy opinion which is worthiest? my mind According to my shallow simple skill. Two Gent. of Verona, s. 2.¦ O good old man; how well in thee appears REV. T. RAFFLES, LIVERPOOL. How this grace Speaks his own standing! what a mental power - ture One might interpret. T.of Athens, act 1. 2 REV. JOHN STYLES, D. D. Brighton. I'll write against them. I am master of my speeches. This is but a custom in your tongue; you bear a giaver purpose, I hope. For I have seen thee pause and take thy breath. Cynb, and Troilus. |