Private persons seldom possessed any books whatever, even monasteries of note, had only one missal. It is said that Lupus, abbot of Ferrieres, in a letter to the Pope, A D. 855, beseeches him to lend him a copy of Cicero de Oratore, and Quintilian's Institutions, "for," says he, although we have part of those books, there is no complete copy of them in all France."

The price of books was so high, that persons of moderate fortune could not purchase them. A countess of Anjou paid for a copy of the Homilies of Haimon, Bishop of Halberstadt, two hundred sheep, five quarters of wheat, and the same quantity of rye and millet. And even so late as the year 1471, when Lewis the eleventh of France borrowed the works of Rasis, the Arabian physician, from the faculty of medicine in Paris, he was obliged to deposit in pledge a quantity of plate, and procure a nobleman to join with him as a surety in a deed, binding himself under great forfeiture to restore it. When any person made a present of a book to a church or monastery, in which were the only libraries during these ages, it was deemed a gift of such value that he offered it on the altar, pro remedio animæ suæ, in order to obtain the forgiveness of his sins. In the reign of Henry the sixth, Caxton, the first promulgator of books in England, established a press at Oxford; but the University press being discovered to be so remote from the seat of Government, and too great a distance from any sea-port, other presses were established at St. Albans and the Abbey of Westminster; in the latter place Caxton printed his first book, the game of Chess. His next performance was the "Dictes and Sayenges of the Philosophers, translated out of French, by Antone erle Ryvyres, Lord Seerles, emprynted by Wyllyam Caxton at Westmestre, 1477." Having brought our account down to the production of the first books in England, we shall here close this article on the subject, as most of our readers are aware that the present improved stage in the art of constructing books is the result of experience gained by many men through succeeding ages.

J.R.J.

CUSTOMS OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES-No. V.

WHIPPING THE APPLE TREES.
For the Olio.

In the parish of Warlington in Surrey, the following custom existed a few years since, it referred to the rites performed in honour of Pomona.

Early in the Spring the boys go round to the several orchards in the parish, and

whip the apple-trees, in order to procure a plentiful crop of fruit, and after having done it, they carry a bag to the house, when it is usual for the owner of the trees, or orchards, to reward them with a gift of meal, they then depart to perform the same ceremony at the next orchard, or premises where there is apple trees.

THE TOWN OF MONTGOMERY.

Ar this place our forefathers observed a practice towards scolds and lewd women, to prevent the many evils that arose in the town from their strifes, fightings, defamations,&c. and the many other disturbances such as shoutings and bawlings which they might commit. It is as follows, when they are taken, they are immediately adjudged to the goging stode, (which goging stode answers to the cucking or ducking stool resorted to in early times, at the punishment of scolds when they were ducked in thewater for their shrewish propensities,) there to stand with naked feet, with their hair hanging dishevelled, for as long a time as would enable them to be seen by persons passing that way, according to the will of the chief bailiffs. J. O- -.

THE FEAST OF THE PURIFICATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY,

THIS festival is of high antiquity, and the early Christians observed it by using a great number of lights, in remembrance, as it is supposed, of our Saviour's being declared by Simeon, 66 a light to lighten the Gentiles:" hence the name of Candlemas-day. In superstitious times, an imaginary power over the elements was ascribed to wax-tapers, similar to that which the early Greeks and Romans attributed to torches.

From candlemas the use of tapers at vespers and litanies ceased, until the ensuing All-Hallow Mass. In Ray's collection of Proverbs, is the following :

"On Candleiras day,

Throw candle and candle-stick away."

:

It used to be considered in early times, that if it was clear and sun-shiny on this day, that it portended hard weather would follow; but if gloomy and foul, it presaged a mild and gentle season would ensue. Observe the following old saw to this effect:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight:

If on Candlemas day it be shower and rain,
Winter is gone and will not come again.

THE BLESSING OF CANDLES AT ROME. THIS practice is treated of by Butler, in his account of the festival under this head

as it used to be observed. But a more modern writer having given the details of this religious rite as she witnessed it in 1820, we give it in her words. "The ceremony takes place in the beautiful chapel of the Quirinal, where the Pope himself officiates, and blesses, and distributes with his own hands, a candle to every person in the body of the church; each going individually, and kneeling at the throne to receive it. The ceremony commences with the cardinals, then follow the bishops, prelati canons, priors, abbots, priests, &c. down to the sacristans and the meanest officers of the church. When the last of these has gotten his candle, the poor conservatori, the representative of the Roman Senate and people, receive theirs.

This ceremony over, the candles are lighted, the pope is mounted in his chair and carried in procession, with hymns chaunting, round the anti-chapel: the throne is stripped of its hangings, the pope and cardinals take off their gold and crimson dresses, put on their ordinary robes, and the usual mass of the morning is sung. The Benediction of the Candles takes place in all the parish churches.Lady Morgan's Italy.

the name of chyme. This chyme passes gradually into the intestinal canal, where by a certain action of the bowels, and the agency of the bile, the juices of the pancreas or sweetbread, and perhaps other means yet undiscovered, it is separated into two distinct substances; one a liquid matter, similar to milk in appearance, called chyle, and a solid matter of greater consistence, which is protruded along the canal, and gradually thrown out of the body as excrementitious. The chyle is absorbed by the lacteals passing into the thoracic duct, from which it is conveyed into the left subclavian vein, mixes with the blood, and is gradually conveyed into that important liquid. The blood circulates through the whole body, and furnishes materials to all the organs to supply their waste, and continue their functions; from it too all the different liquids of the body are secreted. Thus digestion serves to increase the quantity of blood, from which, as from a storehouse, every thing necessary for the supply of the animal is drawn.

Science and Art.

ICE IN INDIA.

THE method adopted by the Indians to obtain ice, about the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer or further north, is very ingenious. In India it hardly ever freezes naturally. They dig pits in the ground above two feet deep, which they line with dried sugar canes or Indian corn. On this they place very shallow dishes made of unglazed and very porous earthen ware, and filled with soft water, that has been boiled. They are deposited in the evening, and in consequence of the evaporation from the outside of the dishes, a considerable portion of the water is found frozen next morning. The ice is collected before sunrise, and rammed into a cellar underground, and lined with straw, where in consequence of its own accumulated cold it freezes into a solid

mass.

DIGESTION.

THE Compound action of digestion in man and the larger animals, is by many but imperfectly understood. The food is taken into the mouth, where it is masticated and mixed with the saliva; it is then swallowed and conveyed into the stomach, where it remains till it becomes converted into a kind of pul, known by

Anecdotiana.

EFEECTS OF A ROMAN PROCLAMATION.

THE following anecdote is recorded in history. Titus Quintus Flamininus, the Roman General, after having defeated Philip, King of Macedon, caused a proclamation to be made at the Isthmic games, where universal Greece was assembled, that all the Greek cities which had been subject to the Macedonian yoke, should thenceforward, be free and independent, and exempt from tribute. On the annunciation of such joyous and unexpected tidings, so loud a shout of exultation was raised by the countless multitude around, that some birds which happened to be flying over the scene were stunned with the noise, and fell stupified to the ground.

EPIGRAM. For the Olio. TASTE.

"Taste," cries the Artist-" Taste!" the Glutton cries,

Taste lives in all mortality's desires;
Yet taste is useless when we lack supplies,-

For want of taste, the starving man expires.
P.

GOLDEN NOTES.

It is related of one of the French Kings, that on being told the people made free with his character in their songs, he answered, "It would be very hard if they were not allowed to sing for their money."

RECOLLECTIONS OF EMINENT

AND

ECCENTRIC CHARACTERS.

JOHN WILKES.

Or all the Lord Mayors of London, for the half century of Mr. Wilkes's public career, none could be mentioned less acquainted with the polite customs of life than Alderman Burnel, who had raised himself from a very obscure grade to great wealth, and to the civic chair. He was of the Right Worshipful Company of Bricklayers.

Wilkes was an amateur of marrow pudding, and so was Alderman Burnel. At a private dinner, of about twenty-four guests, at the London Tavern, where his Lordship presided, all the marrow puddings had vanished, excepting one single dish.

Wilkes was yet engaged upon some favourite morceau, with his eye on the marrow pudding, when, unfortunately for both parties, the alderman attacked this too, and Wilkes began to consider that his VOL. I. G

share would be none; so, not able to restrain his vexation, he exclaimed, as the Alderman was returning to the charge, "My lord-why-surely-you are helping yourself with a trowel."

When the patriot, John Wilkes, lived at the corner of South Audley-street, with one front looking into Grosvenor-square, he had the misfortune to have the glass composing his parlour windows destroyed by the Mount-street rioters. These windows were, perhaps, the most valuable of any in the world, for the whole of the lower sashes, composed of very large panes, were of plate glass, engraved with Eastern subjects in the most beautiful taste. These were naturally the more valued by Mr. Wilkes, as they were the ingenious labour of his daughter.

When Horne Tooke heard of this memorable smash, he smiled, and observed, "Through my old friend, Jack, many a mob has done these things for others now the visitation comes upon himself;" adding, "but I am sorry to hear this tooO! the mischievous rabble !"

6-SATURDAY, FEB. 16.