not escape the notice of the poets of the time: ALEXANDER BROWNE thus touches upon this coincidence, in his address to the Spring, published in 1660: 66 a memorable spring May first brought forth; May now brings home our King, Auspicious 29th, this day of mirth, Now gives redemption, which before gave birth." The Coronation of this prince, likewise, was regarded in an ominous point of view. For some period before and subsequent to that ceremony, the weather was particularly rainy and boisterous, while, on that intervening day, it became perfectly serene, and the sun shone in full resplendency. Mrs. CATHARINE PHILLIPS, in one of her Poems published in 1667, thus strongly though quaintly, and not quite in orthodox phrases, notices that circumstance: "So clear a season, and so snatch'd from storms, The noblest sight that ever he beheld. He therefore check'd th' invading rains we fear'd, So that we knew not which look'd most content, But the solemnity once fully past, The storm return'd with an impetuous haste, GUINEAS were introduced in the reign of CHARLES the Second: other denominations of gold coin had long before been current; but those pieces, the more distinctly to mark them as a new description of money, and to compliment Sir RoBERT HOLMES, received this appellation, from their having been made of the gold-dust brought from the Coast of Guinea by that commander. TO CHARLES's partiality for his graceful and accomplished cousin, FRANCES STUART, we owe the elegant representation of BRITANNIA on our copper coin: he admired, and even almost idolized this celebrated beauty, but could not seduce her, as he was base enough to essay, though he assailed her with compliments which he considered were likely to succeed. And it was from one of the medals, struck to perpetuate his admiration of her delicate symmetry, that BRITANNIA was stamped, in the form she still bears on our halfpence and farthings. CHARLES is, by many authors, said to have been the last of the English Kings who touched for the EVIL, a practice introduced in the time of EDWARD the Confessor; and the Mercurius Politicus, of the 28th of June, 1660, affords the particulars of that exploded custom; which, although now considered as an unavailing superstitious conceit, was for ages regarded efficacious. "Saturday," says that paper, "being appointed by his Majesty to touch such as were troubled with the Evil, a great company of poor afflicted creatures were met together, many brought in chairs and flaskets, and being appointed by his Majesty to repair to the banquetting-house, his Majesty sat in a chair of state, where he stroked all that were brought to him, and then put about each of their necks a white ribbon, with an angel of gold on it. In this manner, his Majesty stroked above six hundred; and such was his princely patience and tenderness to the poor afflicted creatures, that, though it took up a very long time, his Majesty, who is never weary of well-doing, was pleased to make inquiry whether there were any more that had not yet been touched. After prayers were ended, the Duke of BUCKINGHAM brought a towel, and the Earl of PEMBROKE a bason and ewer, who, after they had made obeisance to his Majesty, kneeled down till his Majesty had washed." In the "NEWES" of the 18th of May, 1664, may likewise be found the following: "His sacred Majesty having declared it to be his royal will and purpose to continue the healing of his people for the EVIL, during the month of May, and then to give over until Michaelmas next; I am commanded to give notice thereof, that the people may not come up to town in the interim, and lose their labour." Although CHARLES may justly be said to have been the last of the English Kings who touched for the Evil, as some of our Historians have contended, it is proper, however, to add that other Historians, and the public papers published during the sovereignty of Queen ANNE, prove, to demonstration, that the Touch for the Evil was deemed efficacious throughout the whole of her reign. In the Gazette dated the 28th of February, 1712, was published the following Proclamation, to which many others might be added: "It being her Majesty's royal intention to touch for the EVIL, on Wednesday, the 19th of March next, and so to continue weekly during Lent, it is her Majesty's command that Tickets be delivered the day before at the Office in Whitehall; and that all persons shall bring a Certificate, signed by the Minister and Churchwardens of their respective Parishes, that they never have received the Royal Touch." Dr. JOHNSON, when an infant, was brought with others before Queen ANNE to receive the Royal Touch; " and when questioned on the subject," says one of his Biographers, "confessed he had a faint recollection of an old lady with something black about her head." Saint Nicomede. (1ST JUNE.) NICOMEDE, OF NICOMEDES, whose memory is preserved in our calendar, was a scholar of ST. PETER, and one of the most zealous and amiable of the first converts. When the persecution raged against the Christians in the reign of DoMITIAN, he exerted himself in an exemplary manner, visiting them in their prisons, and aiding them to the utmost of his abilities; for which, and for affording to the bodies of the martyrs the rites of Sepulture, he was beaten to death with clubs, or leaden plummets. Of the birth, precise time of death, or other particulars connected with the history of this good man, nothing except the general facts already noticed have been transmitted to posterity: why, therefore, his anniversary has been fixed for the 1st of June, cannot be decided; nor, indeed, can any reason be assigned why our Reformers. continued to notice his festival, unless it were to induce a contemplation of the virtues and sufferings of a contemporary with the Apostles, and thereby to impress upon the memory and sensibility of mankind, the great exertions and noble firmness of all those, whose labours and endurances established, for our benefit, an holy faith, which may be now enjoyed by every individual, undisturbed by those oppressions, against which THE NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS" had to contend. |