member him in his day will be disposed to exclaim

Give all thou canst, and let us dream (or remember) the rest."

If Mr. Kemble were to turn his thoughts that way, what admirable illustrative lectures he might give! How interesting would it be to recall some of the peculiarities of departed actors. There was a time when the public were much divided on the merits of his brother John's mode of pronouncing certain words. Aches he persisted in calling aitches, instead of akes, Rome, Room, and in many other cases he thought it right to depart from the usual course. He was a man, however, who, in his devotion to the drama, would not idly go against custom, and probably some of his reasons for taking the course which he pursued are known to Mr. Kemble, which have never reached the public. On these and on many interesting points, much curious information might be gained from a gentleman who on all stage matters cannot be other than a living cyclopædia.

for 1844.

Reviews.

The Manchester Keepsake; a Spring Gift [Wheeler, Manchester. We have here a Keepsake of real value. It is intended to be an annual, and rarely have we seen an annual so perfectly free from all that would offend good taste-so rich in true poetry. From looking at this little volume, we should almost suppose that the best poets, like the greatest manufacturers, find it necessary to withdraw from London to establish themselves in the provinces. "The Primrose and Forget-menot," by Mrs. C. Weller, is a charming production. "Success to the Loom," by Mr. R. J. Lawes, is a specimen of brilliant vivacity, written in a most kindly spirit. "Death," by Mrs. Thomas, is a very powerful poem. We might, indeed, go through this spring gift in the same strain. To have kept such a publication so select that it is really an honour to be among its contributors, required no ordinary resolution as well as judgment on the part of the Editor. One little poem we extract. It will be found rich in sentiment, and written with elegance and power seldom so conspicuously displayed within such narrow limits.

MY MOTHER'S VOICE.

My mother's Voice! my Mother's Voice!
Oh! that I could hear it now-
How would my loveless heart rejoice,
And shadows vanish from my brow.
Long years of struggling and of care

Have left their worldly-wearing trace,
Since, blessing me, she breathed a prayer
That I might win Almighty grace.

Strange tones I hear, where kindness blends,
But mute in all that sanctifies
The accents of Life's early friends,

And Childhood's old familiar ties.
Roam where we will, no music yet
Affection ever deemed so choice
As that soft strain we ne'er forget-
That angel-note-a Mother's Voice.

My Mother's Voice! Remembrance dwells
On words of love breathed long ago,
And Mercy's herald, Hope foretells
That still for me its tones shall flow.
Oblivious of past days of pain,

How would my weary heart rejoice
To hear that melody again-

My Mother's Voice! my Mother's Voice!

Miscellaneous,

Excursions" are delightful things; and by the way of diverging from the theme of fraud, let us say a word or two about them, and see what we can do in this way for a mere trifle. Richmond and its vicinity will immediately present themselves as the Eden of metropolitan voyageurs; and, on a fine day, what can be more grateful to the feelings, or more physically invigorating, than a walk of eleven miles through a beautiful country? Of course I do not expect that you will come back on foot-that would spoil your pleasure; and it is, moreover, unnecessary, for you may return to town as independently as a lord, per omnibus, for two shillings. In going to Gravesend, you will of course calculate to remain a day or two; the country is very pretty around it, and the living much more reasonable than in London. You may go there by the packets of more than one company, for half the sum we have named. Greenwich and Woolwich may be visited for sixpence; and the environs generally may be reached for a similar cost. The railways which have their termini in London have opened numerous charming localities to the gaze of the holiday traveller. A second-class carriage will take you from Paddington to Willesden or Harrow for a shilling; or to Watford (18 miles in a third This last I class) for twice that sum. merely hint at, as an occasional trip. If you are desirous of reaching Hampton Court in half an hour (distance 14 miles), you have only to walk as far as Nine Elms, Vauxhall, and place yourself (if you be not a Xerxes in luxury) in a third-class carriage, and you will be conveyed thither for a shilling. You may proceed to Kingston in a "slow train" for eightpence-the odd fourpence, if you are not in a hurry, will be so much added to defray the demands of an excellent appetite on your arrival. Although Croydon is not a place much resorted to by pleasure-hunters, yet, as you may have a friend resident in the neighbourhood, it is as well to be aware

that for sixpence, in addition to the sum so frequently quoted (a shilling), you may proceed there-109 miles-in about thirty minutes. Brighton itself, from the same terminus at London Bridge, and above fifty miles distant, may be arrived at in two hours and a half for five shillings. By the Northern and Eastern Railway (terminus, Shoreditch) you may visit Waltham, distant 15 miles, in twenty minutes, for the smaller amount; and if, for the same, you be desirous- -as you ought to be-of paying your respects to the Queen, you may start from Paddington, in twenty-five minutes become domiciled at West Drayton, and have thence a pleasant walk of five miles to Windsor Castle. Those who have shillings to spare pay sixpence more, and go straight to Slough, and, by virtue of another sixpence (in all two shillings), are taken by omnibus within the verge of the royal de

mesne.

As to taste and intellect you may feed to surfeit on the pictures and gorgeous decorations of the "Castle." The very mention of Blackwall brings to mind the délices of a white-bait dinner, to which a friend, or better still-a public company, may have invited you. Fare per secondclass, from Fenchurch-street or the Minories, fourpence; and thence you may go to Woolwich, if you like, for another fourpence. Greenwich we have already named, but not the transit by "rail," which may be accomplished in a second-class carriage for sixpence in a third-class for fourpence from London Bridge. A run or roll in the park will form an excellent sauce-piquante for your dinner at the "Ship Torbay" Hotel-a rendezvous fit for an Amphitryon-and at which the charges are very moderate." — The Mysteries of London.

What London is."It is the point of inter-communication between colonies which stretch almost from the North Pole -from Canada to the Cape of Good Hope-and which bring the indigo of India, and the wood of Australia from the antipodes, to enrich the manufactures of Leeds. It is the seat of a commerce that would seem fabulous to the merchants of Venice, Tyre, and Carthage in the olden times! You have a population which has doubled since 1801; it was then 888,000 souls-it is now, by the census of 1841, 1,832,000. You have a town which is five miles and a half long, take it where you will, but if you measure it from Blackwall to Chelsea, it is seven and a half miles. It reaches, from north to south, three and a half miles; it is a perfect German principality—a Coburg if you please, or a Hesse Homburg in brick. You have spent five millions sterling, on your bridges alone. You have docks to hold all the ships of the world. The London Docks,

alone, cover 100 acres of ground, and the vaults hold 65,000 pipes of wine. The West India Docks cover 290 acres, and can hold 500 large merchantmen with ease. The Commercial Dock covers 49 acres, and is, I believe, exclusively confined to the Baltic trade. There are 2,950 ships of the port of London alone, of 581,000 tons total burden, and manned by 32,000 seamen. The vessels engaged in the colonial, Irish, and coasting trades, including the colliers, and also 360 British vessels, were 2,335. The tonnage of the foreign vessels which entered this port in 1840 from Russia, Sweden, Germany, France, the Mediterranean, China, and the United States, amounted to 4,167,164 tons. Upon an average of the last ten years, London alone has paid £11,000,000 in custom duties, out of the £23,500,000 which the whole revenue of that department amounts to. There are 2,000 merchants and brokers within half a mile of the Exchange. You have 100,000 houses of business, probably half of which have shops attached to them. All the details connected with London are upon the same gigantic scale. The water companies supply 237,000,000 hogsheads every year; and the gas companies furnish 10,000,000 cubic feet of gas every twentyfour hours. In Smithfield Market there were 180,780 head of cattle, and 1,500,000 of sheep, in round numbers, sold in the year 1839. Your very paving and sewer rates amount to £630,000 a year. The London newspapers consume 10,000,000 of stamps annually. The steam boats carry 10,000 passengers every day. There are 1,000 miles of railway stretching from London into every part of the kingdom, and bringing its population into contact with all the great cities of the country, completed at an expense of nearly £50,000,000 sterling. There are 59 canals, which cost £45,000,000. The monthly business conducted by the London bankers alone averages £75,000,000, and has amounted to £87,000,000 in one month."— G. H. Ward, M.P.

Dry Rot in the Potato.-The taint or dry rot owes its origin entirely to an injudicious method of planting the seed. The chief cause of this disease is placing the seed in a quantity of dung laid in the middle of the drill; if in a very impoverished state, may by speedily digesting and drying up the dung prevent to a great extent a failure of the crop, although the seed were planted in the midst of the dung; for in such ground the rot is not so destructive as in rich deep soils. The great point, therefore, in setting the potato, is to have the manure properly mingled with the soil before introducing the seed. In preparing a parcel of ground for the reception of the potato seed, spread the manure regularly over the surface, and even

ly dug in. Then drill the ground, after the manner of gardeners in sowing peas, and plant the potatos in the drill, or plant them with a dibble, without drilling, about two or three inches beneath the surface, the dibble being formed with a broad point, so as to insure the potato having no open space left beneath it, when dropped into the hole. For large fields, which cannot well be dug or planted in this manner, the ground should be prepared exactly as for oats or barley. Then have the ground drilled, and in plant. ing place the seed potato in the clean soil, on the back of the half drill, formed the return of the plough, which half drill should be made larger than ordinary, to bring the seed as near to the centre of the drill as possible, so as to afford it every advantage of the fresh soil to vegetate in. In this way the fructifying earth, in which the seed is embedded, will secure its healthful vegetation; and as it progresses in its growth, and so soon as it throws out roots, it will reap the full benefit of the manure contained in the surrounding soil. It is of the utmost importance to have the seed planted, so as it may have the earth both below and above it when put in; for in keeping the seed free from the dung, lies the whole secret, which should be particularly attended to.-J. Smith.

The President Harlay.-This celebrated person, as he had no regard for the feelings of others, rarely suffered his own to be ruffled. On one occasion, the Duc de Rohan leaving him in great dudgeon at the manner in which he had been treated, as he was descending the stairs indulged in all sorts of abuse of the first president, to his intendant, who accompanied him, when suddenly turning round, they found Harlay close behind, bowing them out in the most reverential style possible. The Duke, quite confused, was quite shocked that he should give himself the trouble to see him out. "Oh, sir," said Harlay, "it is impossible to quit you, you say such charming things.

Contemporary Monarchs.-At the time of the discovery of America the sovereigns of the principal European states were more potent and magnificent than, perhaps, at any previous or subsequent era; the office of Pope was held by Leo X.; Charles V. was monarch of Spain, and at the death of Maximilian made Emperor of Germany; Francis I. was king of France; Henry VIII., of England; and the Turkish Empire was under the sway of Solyman the Magnificent.

The Penny Post.-Mr. M'Culloch's 'Commercial Dictionary' speaks of the "miserable quackery of a uniform penny-rate," and, generally, in hostile terms of the plan. It may be as well, in order to qualify the opinion of Mr. M'Culloch, to remind the reader that that gentleman, before his accession to office, actually signed the first petition for the adoption of "the miserable quackery."

Hydropathy at Graäfenburg.-A letter from the establishment of Vincent Priessnitz at Graäfenburg has appeared in the newspaper, signed by a number of English persons staying there, which speaks most highly of the system. It states there were 1050 patients at Graäfenburg in the year 1843, and only four deaths occurred. these, two cases on the arrival of the parties were pronounced by Priessnitz to be incurable.

Of

Drinking Spirits in the Army unnecessary. -Sir Robert Sale, writing from Jellalabad upon the hardships to which the soldiers under his command were subjected, added

"I will not mention as a privation the European troops having been without spirits, because I believe that to be a circumstance tending to keep them in the highest health, and in the most admirable state of discipline; crime has been almost unknown, and a murmur is never heard, though they are deprived of their usual quantity of animal food."

Strange Reverses.-We hear that a person of the name of Brown, residing in the island of Jersey, and acting as a common porter, has lately succeeded to comparative wealth. It seems that thirty years ago he was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and was dismissed the service, without being heard in his defence, for striking his superior officer. At length, however, his complaints having been taken into consideration, the Admiralty having decided that, as he had otherwise always faithfully, diligently, and bravely fulfilled his duties, his commission should be honorably restored to him, accompanied by all arrears of pay and prize-money, amounting, it is asserted, to nearly six thousand pounds.Berwick Warder. [Who is to pay the money? The public or the official people, who have kept a worthy man in unmerited poverty, by delaying justice for thirty years?]

Admiral Byng.-The administration of that day were accused of having basely sacrificed a gallant officer to popular cla..

mour, in order to cover their own misconduct. Lord Mahon, in his History of England, from the Peace of Utrecht, says of the Duke of Newcastle, "He was most willing to sacrifice any of his admirals, any of his generals, or even any of his cabinet colleagues, as a scapegoat for himself. One day, when a deputation from the city waited upon him with some representations against Byng, he blurted out, with an unfeeling precipitation which his folly ought not to excuse, Oh, indeed, he shall be tried immediately-he shall be hanged directly!'

Comfortable Travelling.-Mr. Waterton, a gentleman of fortune, perambulated the thorny forests of South America without either shoes or stockings, a mode of travelling which he found so agreeable or beneficial that he earnestly recommends it to future adventurers.

Turkish Women.-The blue eye is unknown among the Turkish ladies, and a few of their jet-black locks are suffered to fall beneath the turban. Their hands are beautifully small and white, and adorned with rings and bracelets. No support to the bosom is ever used. The dress altogether, though it hides much of the symmetry of the figure, gives it a grand and imposing air, particularly the elegant cashmere turban, of which European ladies, if they possess it, spoil the effect by not knowing how to put it on.

Kingly Taste.-Louis XIV. found delight in singing the most fulsome passages of songs written in his own praise. Even at the public suppers, when the band played the airs to which they were set, the monarch delighted his courtiers by humming the same passages.

Post Office Money-orders. From late returns it appears the money-order service has multiplied twenty-five times in comparison with its amount of duty before the reduction of the rate of poundage.

Superscriptions of Letters.-"Formerly, a direction was an academy of compliments: 'To the most noble and my singularly respected friend,' &c., &c.-and then, 'Haste! haste for your life, haste!'-Now we have banished even the monosyllable To! Henry Conway, Lord Hertford's son, who is very indolent, and has much humour, introduced that abridgement. Writing to a Mr. Tighe at the Temple, he directed his letter only thus: T. Ti. Temple,'-and it was delivered! Dr. Bentley was mightily flattered on receiving a letter superscribed To Dr. Bentley, in England."-Horace Walpole.

Inscription placed by Curran on the tomb of his mother." Here lies the body of Sarah Curran; she was marked by many years, many virtues, few failings, no crimes. This frail memorial was placed here by a son whom she loved."

An Alderman enlightened.-One of the duke

of Marlborough's generals, dining with a lord mayor of former days, an alderman who sat next to him said, "Sir, yours must be a very laborious profession." "No," replied the general, "we fight about four hours in the morning, and two or three after dinner, and then we have all the rest of the day to ourselves."

A Poet's Taste.-Dryden, in 1699, writing to a lady who had invited him to a supper, after declining certain promised rarities, adds, "If beggars might be choosers, a chine of honest bacon would please my appetite more than all the marrow-puddings, for I like them better plain, having a very vulgar stomach."

Throughout

Parliamentary Privilege. the reign of George the Second, the privileges of the House of Commons flourished in the rankest luxuriance. On one occasion it was voted a breach of privilege to have killed a great number of rabbits' from the warren of Lord Galway, a member. Another time, the fish of Mr. Joliffe were honoured with a like august protection. The same never-failing shield of privilege was thrown before the trees of Mr. Hungerford, the coals of Mr. Ward, and the lead of Sir Robert Grosvenor. The persons of one member's porter and of another member's footman were held to be as sacred and inviolable as the persons of the members themselves.-Lord Mahon.

Providence for the Fall of Sparrows.— The Berwick Warder states a recent novel attempt to destroy the feathered depredators who do such mischief in the country, to have been completely successful. A mixture of meal and malt thrown in their way rendered the sparrows so thirsty that, drinking to assuage it, killed great numbers of them.

POSTSCRIPT.

Thames Embankment.-Since the article on this subject was put in type, a Return of the sums of money expended in the alterations and repairs of Westminster Bridge, has been printed by order of the House of Commons. The amount expended exceeds 165,000l.; to be expended, 52,000l.! This

is as good as the story of the Town Council of Edinburgh of yore, which had two public dinners to discuss the question whether it would be wiser economy to repair the bell-rope of St. Giles, or go to the expense of a new one!

The Noble House of Bedford.-An accident at the moment of going to press, which it is impossible to repair in time, has compelled the postponement of "The Noble House of Bedford," intended for the present number, till next week.

Original Communications.

THE NEW PALACE AT WESTMINSTER.

What a variety of associations will attach themselves to the opening of the New Palace at Westminster, an event, and no trivial one, in parliamentary history! Well do we remember an analogous epoch in schoolboy annals, the procession of our fellow M.P.'s (members of the playground), from the ancient High School of Edinburgh, to the classical edifice on the Carlton Hill, the chef-d'œuvre of Thomas Hamilton. That day of white wands and white trousers, is it not marked with a white stone in our memory's almanack? So shall the children of larger growth, but not perhaps with such "emotions, beautiful and new," who now fret and strut their languid hour upon the floor of St. Stephens, look back, as they now look forward, to the first opening of Parliament in the New Palace at Westminster.

It is hardly worth while to enter now upon a description of the architectural peculiarities of Mr. Barry's structure, Gothic in all details, and yet essentially Italian in its gracefulness and lightness of effect. The theme has occupied an hour by ShrewsNo. 1218.]

bury clock with every scribe, from the Cornwall Gazette to John o' Groat's Journal. Be it for us, at this period, when the works rapidly approach completion, to offer a suggestion or two which such a prospect may well excuse.

The Times, of a recent date, after blowing a gentle but cooling blast against the sage ventilator of the house, for his futile efforts to adapt the internal atmosphere to the lungs of honorable members affected with asthma, coughs, colds, or shortness of breath, or subject to rheumatic and other similar affections, and delicately touching upon the architect's offence in altering, without due sanction, the internal construction, for the purpose of preserving Her Gracious Majesty's self and horses from imminent peril on state occasions, passes to a consideration of the architectural idea, or what Mr. Bernard, the clever concoctor of Anglo-French after-pieces, would call the sentiment of the building: and argues "excellently well" that a one idea'd character is as unsuitable to a palace as to a mansion, although in these modern days, it has unfortunately happened that all architects have fallen into this error, and given unity instead of harmony to their houses as to their churches. A cathedral, [VOL. XLIV.