damson coloured coat was made, and worn by Sir John Throckmorton, at a quarter past six in the evening, being two and three-quarter hours within the time allotted, for a wager of 1,000 guineas. The sheep were roasted whole, and a sumptuous dinner given by Mr. Coxetter.

ORIGIN OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.

As has been invariably the case in the early history of all the leading nations of the earth, great confusion and civil discord existed in the empire of China in its first stages. It was divided into petty princedoms, each prince striving to outwit the other, and all anxiously aiming

at the supreme power of the land, till the Emperor Chi-hoang-ti, who came to the throne about three hundred years before the Christian era, conquered the whole of the jealous petty princes, and united their states into one vast empire. But no sooner had he achieved this, than the Tartars began to be troublesome, and, hoping effectually to exclude their invasions, this emperor caused to be constructed the often-read-of great wall of China, a stupendous work of masonry, extending from the sea to the western province of Shensee and carried over a tract of fifteen hundred miles, comprising high mountains, deep valleys, and broad rivers, the wall being supported over the latter by gigantic arches. Fortified towers were erected at every hundred yards, and its summit admitted of six horsemen riding abreast. This sovereign is said to be the founder of the Hau dynasty. The wall proved an insignificant

barrier to the Huns or Tartars, who harassed the princes of the Hau dynasty, and were a very scourge to the farmers of the frontier provinces. About the year 264, the Hau dynasty gave way to the Tsin, which latter was founded by a lineal descendant, through many generations, of the builder of the great wall. In the sketch which we have given, our chief object has been to show the extraordinary inflexibility of the Chinese in carrying their wall strictly along their frontier line, in spite of the stupendous obstacles which, intervened in the shape of mountains and valleys.

PRIVY PURSE EXPENSES OF CHARLES II.

Malone, the well known editor of Shakespeare, possessed a curious volume an account of the privy expenses of Charles II, kept by Baptist May. A few extracts from this MS., taken from Malone's transcripts, are here offered :

COLOUR OF THE HAT FOR CARDINALS.

Innocent IV. first made the hat the symbol or cognizance of the cardinals, enjoining them to wear a red hat at the ceremonies and processions, in token of their being ready to spill their blood for Jesus Christ.

SEVERITY OF THE LAWS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Two lads were hanged for stealing a purse containing two shillings and a brass counter. Of ten criminals convicted at one sessions, four were hanged and six transported. Very often half a dozen were sentenced to death at a single sessions. On the 17th March, 1755, eight malefactors were hanged together at Tyburn. It was recorded as a matter of surprise, that, "only six convicts received sentence of death at Gloucester Assizes." One of these was a woman named Anne Ockley, who was executed on the following day, on the charge of murdering an illegitimate child. To the last she denied her guilt, except in not having called in medical advice

for her infant after a bad fall. She took the Sacrament, and begged for more time to prepare herself for the change; this favour being denied, she remained praying for two hours on the drop before she would give the signal.

MARKING THE KING'S DISHES WITH THE COOK'S NAMES.

King George II. was accustomed every other year to visit his German dominions, with the greater part of the officers of his household, and especially those belonging to the kitchen. Once on his passage at sea, his first cook was so ill with the sea-sickness, that he could not hold up his head to dress his majesty's dinner; this being told to the king, he was exceedingly sorry for it, as he was famous for making a Rhenish soup, which his majesty was very fond of; he therefore ordered inquiry to be made among the assistant-cooks, if any of them could make the above soup. One named Weston (father of Tom Weston, the player) undertook it, and so pleased the king, that he declared it was full as good as that made by the first cook. Soon after the king's return to England, the first cook died; when the king was informed of it, he said, that his steward of the household always appointed his cooks, but that he would now name one for himself, and therefore asking if one Weston was still in the kitchen, and being answered that he was, "That man," said he, "shall be my first cook, for he makes most excellent Rhenish soup.' This favour begot envy among all the servants, so that, when any dish was found fault with, they used to say it was Weston's dressing: the king took notice of this, and said to the servants, it was very extraordinary that every dish he disliked should happen to be Weston's; "In future," said he, "" let every dish be marked with the name of the cook that makes it." By this means the king detected their arts, and from that time Weston's dishes pleased him most.

This custom was kept up till late in the reign of George III.

PARLOUS DAYS.

Bloodletting, considered during the last century to be necessary for every one in health or not, at spring and fall, was an operation performed by the country surgeons on the labourers on a Sunday morning, at a charge of 6d. each. Bleeding in bed by a barber was, in the reign of Charles II., sometimes charged, for a lady, so high as 10s., and for a gentleman, 1s. and 2s. 6d. The operator perhaps barboured the patient at an additional charge. Barbouring by the year was charged 16s. Superstition had marked certain days in each month as dangerous for bloodletting, which were called parlous days. In July, the 1st, 7th, 13th, 12th, 25th, and 20th were of the above kind.

As the whole population had recourse to bloodletting twice a year, bleeders or barbers were in constant demand.

A FUNERAL APPROPRIATELY CONDUCTED.

During the year 1700, the minister of a parish in Kent was interred at the age of 96 years; the gentleman who preached his funeral sermon was

82; he who read the service 87; the clerk of the parish was the same age; the sexton was 86; in addition to which list of aged persons, there were several present from the adjacent parishes 100 years old each, and upwards,

The two quaint instruments pictured in our engraving, of about the time of Charles I. or II., are made of hard wood rather rudely carved; and look as if in their time they had seen good service. The grotesque heads, with the mouth, affording the means of cracking the nuts, are examples of the fitness of design for a particular purpose, which characterize many of the objects in domestic use in the middle ages, and up to the reign of Queen Anne, after which ornamental art for household uses

seems almost to have been disused. Even in the time of George III., our chairs, tables, side-boards, &c., were made heavy, very ugly, and without any attempt at appropriate pattern.

This glass is in the possession of Sir Page Dicks, of Port Hall. It bears the likeness of Nell Gwynne and King Charles, which are modelled in wax; and also the supporters, or crest, which Nell assumed, namely, the licn and the leopard. The whole is curiously worked in coloured glass beads, and the figures, with the dresses, made to project in very high relief; indeed, they are merely attached to the groundwork. In the upper compartment is Charles in his state dress; and the bottom one, that of Nell Gwynne, in her court dress-the pattern of which is