11, 12, 13, 14.) He died on the 30th of November, 1654.

66

It was on the 16th of December, 1653185 years ago that Oliver Cromwell, a canting, sanguinary, regicidal hypocrite, a king in all things but the name and the heart, was declared Protector of England. Respecting this man, his life, and times, two new works have within these few weeks appeared one, a single volume of Lardner's Cyclopædia, by John Forster, Esq., from Longman's house; the other, in two octavo volumes, by Dr. Vaughan, from Colburn's. Who," said Dr. South, in one of his sermons, that had beheld such a bankrupt, beggarly fellow as Cromwell first entering the parliament-house, with a threadbare torn cloak and a greasy hat, and (perhaps neither of them paid for,) could have suspected that, in the space of so few years, he should, by the murder of one king and the banishment of another, ascend the throne, he invested in the royal robes, and want nothing of the state of a king but the changing of his hat into a crown?" When Lely painted his portrait, Cromwell ordered him to be faithful in representing every blemish or defect that he could discover in his face. Cromwell's nose, which was remarkably red and shining, was the subject of much ridicule. Cleaveland, a writer of the day, remarks: -"This Cromwell should be a bird of prey by his bloody beak; his nose is able to try a young eagle whether she be lawfully begotten: but all is not gold that glisters." Again, Cromwell's nose wears the dominical letter." Evelyn, who personally knew Cromwell, and "who studied physiognomy, fancied that he read characters of the greatest dissimulation, boldness, cruelty, and ambition in every touch and stroke of his countenance." In the old Ducal Palace, at Florence, there is, or was, a portrait of Cromwell, painted by Walker, which the grand duke purchased of a relation of Cromwell's for 5007. In the same palace was also a cast, "done from a mould taken from Cromwell's face, a few moments after his decease." Breval, in the third volume of his "Travels," remarks, "that there is something more remarkably strong and expressive in it [the cast] than in any picture or bust of that usurper he had ever seen. After a life of infamy, Cromwell died the death of the little, and the mean, and the poor in spirit on the 3rd of September, 1658, in the 60th year of his age. The place of his interment does not seem to have been agreed upon amongst his biographers. According to some, his body was carried by his own direction to Naseby Field, the scene of his grand victory, and there interred with great privacy.

Well! on Monday next, at twenty-three

minutes past 12, A.M. we are to have a new moon for the illumination of our Christmas evenings. Will Murphy be indulgent to the holiday folk at that period? Alas! no! He remorselessly threatens us with rain and storm on Christmas day! Oh, that he were at home, in his " emerald isle," that we might hope for a little fine weather again!

Charles, third Earl Stanhope, the gifted but eccentric father of the present Peer, merits honourable mention in THE ALDINE MAGAZINE, as the constructor of a new and greatly improved printing press, which is still in use in many of the most respectable offices in London. His Lordship was also the author of several other inventions: particularly of a method of securing buildings from fire-an arithmetical machine-a monochord for tuning musical instruments-a vessel to sail against wind and tide, &c. His Lordship was born in 1753, and he died on the 17th of December, 1716.

Henry the second, the first Sovereign of the house of Anjou, or Plantagenet, was crowned on the 17th of December, 1154. Of this monarch, who was endowed with many fine qualities, Vertue gives a portrait, from the effigies on his monument, at Fontevraud, in Anjou, where he was buried.

Sir Humphry Davy, Bart., the inventor of the safety lamp-the discoverer of the metallic bases of the alkalies and earths, of the principles of electro chemistry, &c.; was born at Penzance, in Cornwall, on the 17th of December, 1778. The particulars of his useful and splendid philosophical career are well known. After a series of early success, he became professor to the Board of Agriculture, in 1802; in 1818, he was created a baronet in 1820, he was elected President of the Royal Society; and professional honour flowed in upon him, without interruption, till his death, which took place at Geno in 1829. Dr. Sir Faraday was his favourite and most distinguished pupil; and as a philosophical chemist, and great scientific discoverer, that gentleman has long since far out-stripped his master. Sir Humphry Davy was succeeded in the Presidency of the Royal Society by one of his early friends and patrons, Davis Gilbert, Esq.; on whose resignation, the office was filled by His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex. Some months ago, the Duke resigned; and the most noble the Marquis of Northampton has recently been elected to the vacated chair.

Thomas Guy, born in 1644, was brought up to the business of a bookseller. By dealing largely in the importation of bibles from Holland-by contracting with Oxford for the bibles printed by that University-by extensive specu

lations on the Stock Exchange-and by his penurious habits, he amased a fortune of nearly 500,000l. Guy was an old bachelor. Tradition states, that he was on the point of marry. ing his housekeeper; when the fair one, presuming on the understanding between them, ventured to give some instructions to the paviours who were at that time employed in front Offended at this of Guy's house. premature interference, as he deemed it, Guy broke off the match; in consequence of which determination, it is added, he resolved on building and endowing the hospital in Southwark which bears his name. On that structure he expended about 200,000l. He also made bequests to Christ's Hospital, erected almshouses at Tamworth, and left 80,000/ to those who could prove relationship with him. He died on the 18th of December, 114 years ago. Tycho Brahé, the Danish astronomer, and author of the system which was superseded by that of Copernicus, was born on the 19th of December, 1546. Since the days of Copernicus, mankind, instead of fancying themselves inhabitants of the centre of the universe, are satisfied with belonging to one of the little stars of the solar system. Brahé died in 1601.

The 19th of December is the anniversary of the birth of William Bowyer, an eminent English printer, and classical scholar, who will hereafter fall under our biographical notice in another department of THE ALDINE MAGAZINE. Bowyer was born in 1699, and died in 1777. He published several learned works; but his chief performance was a Greek edition of the New Testament, with critical and emendatory notes.

Maxamilian de Bethune, Marquis of Rosni, and afterwards Duke of Sully, ambassador from Henry IV. of France, to James I. of England, on the accession of the latter to the throne, will have been dead 197 years on Friday next, the 21st of December. It was by the assistance of the Duke of Sully, one of the most able, industrious, and faithful ministers ever served a king, that Henry was enabled to bring order into the finances of the State, to encourage agriculture and the manual arts, and to lay the foundation of that power and grandeur to which the French monarchy afterwards arose.

On the same day, 122 years will have passed since Gray the poet, immortalised by his "Elegy, written in a Country Churchyard," first saw the light. Gray died in 1771, at the age of 55.

We close the week with repeating, that the festival of St. Thomas falls on the 21st, the shortest day, and consequently the longest

ENGLAND'S PROUDEST BOAST.* "Book of the Week!" AY! the Book for ALL TIME! Honour and glory to the name of Shakespear! Honour and glory to all who, with the mind to appreciate, have the heart to yield him the homage due to heaven-inspired genius! Coleridge, another child of inspiration, has well said—" Assuredly that criticism of Shakespear will alone be genial which is reverential. The Englishman who, without reverence, a proud and affectionate reverence, can utter the name of William Shakespear, stands disqualified for the office of critic. He wants one, at least, of the very senses, the language of which he is to employ, and will discourse at best but as a blind man, while the whole harmonious creation of light and shade, with all its subtle interchange of deepening and dissolving colours, rises in silence to the silent fiat of the uprising Apollo !"

It is in this spirit, not acted upon too literally, that Knight's Pictorial Edition of Shakspere, Parts I. and II. now before us, is conducted. These parts consist of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and King John; the former presenting thirty-five, the latter forty-three, finely-engraved illustrations in wood-entire pages, head and tail pieces, and insertions.

Shakespear was probably the most suggestive writer that ever existed: hence the countless multitude of his commentators, and of the pictorial productions which have been founded on his works; and hence also the very pages which now demand our notice. Shakespear not only possessed the creative faculty himself, in a limitless degree, humanly speaking, he also excited the creative, the inventive powers of others to an extent never before achieved by mortal agency.

We are very desirous of conveying to the reader some idea of the vast superiority of this new edition of our bard; but the points in

*The Pictorial Edition of Shakspere. Parts I. and II. super-royal 8vo.. Knight and Co., 1838.

volved are so numerous, that we despair of adequate success.

With reference to the text, it is collated with that of the folio edition, which Horne Tooke described as the only one worth regarding, with occasional corrections and variations, and some slight changes of punctuation. The various readings are given as foot notes. So far as the notes are concerned, the object of the editor is to embody the idea of Dr. Drake, which, whilst it would expunge "all that was trifling, idly controversial, indecorous, and abusive, should at the same time retain every interesting disquisition, though in many instances remodelled, rewritten, and condensed, nor fearing to add what farther research, under the guidance of good taste, might suggest."

According to the arrangement indicated in the prospectus, and which is strictly adhered to in the two parts already published, an introductory notice is to be prefixed to each play, pointing out

"1. The historical facts, the real or imaginary incidents, and the complete stories or detached passages in works of imagination, from either of which the plot of the drama, or any portion of it, is supposed to be derived. 2. The evidence which exists to establish the date when the play was written. 3. The period and the locality of the drama, with an account of the materials from which the local illustrations have been derived. 4. The costume of the drama, in which notice will be introduced wood cuts, copied from ancient MSS. or books that may exhibit the authentic costume of the place and of the period which the poet has in his mind. 5. The music of the drama, in which the original airs of Shakespear's original songs will, as far as possible, be given, with an account of the later musical compositions that have been adapted to the poet's words."

To each play is also appended a supplementary notice of the various critical opinions which may have been pronounced on its merits.

We have yet to speak of what appears to be the leading aim of Mr. Knight's edition-its pictorial illustrations. "We have embellished editions of Shakespear," observes the editor, "out of number, that attempt to represent the incidents of his scenes and translate his characters into portraits for the eye with greater or less success; but we have no edition in which the aid of art has been called in to give a distinctness to the conceptions of the reader by representing the REALITIES upon which the imagination of the poet must have rested. Of these pictorial illustrations many, of course, ought to be purely antiquarian; but the larger number of subjects offer a combination of the beautiful with the real, which must heighten the pleasure of the reader far more than any fanciful representation, however skilful, of the incidents of the several dramas."

With this view, the assembled talents of ancient and modern painters, and of engravers in wood, of the first class, are called into play. Amongst the old artists we find the names of Salvator Rosa, Domenichino, Vecellio, Hoghenburgh, Paul Veronese, Cipriani, Raffaele, &c.; and of our contemporaries, those of Harvey, Pyne, Jacque, &c. And these are charmingly wrought out by the gravers of Orrin Smith, Jackson, Thompson, and others at the top of the list in their art.

Sincerely could we wish that it were practicable for us to transfer some of the engravings to our own columns, as the best and only satisfactory vouchers for the justice and warmth of our praise; but as the wish would be vain, we must content ourselves with mentioning some of the more striking and curious subjects from each play.

From The Two Gentlemen of Verona :-The title-page, a fanciful and picturesque group, embodying the final scene, from an original design by Harvey, the first artist of our day in this branch of art; various Italian costumes; a border of flowers, framing the dramatis persone, after Domenichino; the shrine of Loretto; Queen Elizabeth's salt-cellar; triumph at Milan; a pageant, designed from Sharp's Dissertation on Coventry Pageants; the comic muse, after Cipriani; Shakespear's house at Stratford.

From King John :-The title-page, another design of Harvey's-a group embodying the scene before the walls of Angiers, Act ii. Scene 2. This is a truly magnificent composition, and in its fine execution alone, worth more than double the cost of the book. The composition and grouping the fore and back-grounds the variety and individuality of character-the sentiment and expression -are all so admirable, that nothing more is desired than enlargement to render it a grand historical picture, This, indeed, is the merit, to an extraordinary degree, of nearly all Harvey's designs: they are perfect pictures in little. Harvey is a complete master of composition. This noble print is engraved in a style worthy of the painter, by J. Thompson. At once curious and beautiful, is an ornamental border for the dramatis personæ, from a MS, of the time of King John. Then we have the ceremony of creating a knight on the field of battle; Richard I. and the Lion, very brilliant, from the graver of O.Smith; and, from a design by Jacque, and also engraved by O.Smith, a view of Angiers (vignette) which, for softness, delicacy, and depth of tone, we have rarely seen surpassed; Marriage of Louis and Blanche of Castile, by the same artists, exceedingly bril

CORRESPONDENCE.

SON," at Rome.]

We remark, with satisfaction, that the embellishments of the Second Part are not only more numerous than those of the first, but that they are also of a far higher grade of merit. Throughout this notice, we have spelt, as we have long been accustomed to spell, our poet's name, SHAKESPEAR. This, we have no doubt, was, with the addition of a final e, the original orthography; though we are not disposed to contend that it was the orthography adopted by the bard himself: it might have been altered —modified—abbreviated, before his time. However, it is proper to state, that, in the Pictorial Edition of Shakspere, the name (not for the first time) is spelt-SHAKSPERE. After a fac simile of the poet's autograph, the change or innovation, is thus justified:

"We have placed at the head of this notice, the autograph of WILLM. SHAKSPERE,' which we have been permitted to copy from his undoubted signature in the volume of Montaigne's Essays, by John Florio, in the British Museum. This autograph has set at rest the long-disputed question of the mode in which the poet wrote his name. Sir Frederick Madden has satisfactorily shewn, in a letter published in the Archæologia, vol. 27, that in the five other acknowledged genuine signatures in existence, namely, in the three attached to his will, and the two affixed to deeds connected with the mortgage and sale of a property in Blackfriars, the poet always wrote his name SHAKSPERE, and, consequently, that those who have inserted an e after the k, or an a in the second syllable, do not write the same (so far as we are able to judge) in the same manner as the poet himself uniformly would authorise us to do? In the Stratford Register, both at his baptism and burial, the name is spelt Shakspere. The printers, *however, during his life, and in the folio of 1623, spell his name Shakespeare. In this edition, after much consideration, we have determined to follow the authority of the poet's autograph."

Shakespear―or 'Shakspere-when he made Juliet ask, "What's in a name!" had little thought of the discussions that would be excited respecting his own name.

I am settled on the Pincian Hill, one of the highest also convenient of access to the Academy and other parts of Rome, and therefore most healthful, and places of interest, as well as contiguous to the promenade, one of the finest in Europe, where I exercise daily. CLAUDE's house is on the opposite side of the street, facing my window; SALVATOR ROSA's is within a minute's walk; and POUSSIN's within three French Academy, formerly the famous Villa de Medoors above me on my side of the street. The dici is in sight. Thorswaldsen, the sculptor, with whom I am acquainted, is in the same street, four or five doors above me. So you will say, in such a spot, I ought to receive some inspiration.

Last Claude's and Poussin's houses were inyear divided an evening between them. Rome is in fact habited by friends of mine, and I have sometimes an eternal gratification to an artist. To a travelling visitor the interest is generally over after he has seen the sights; to an artist, all here, whether animate or inanimate nature, is a study, and he regrets that time allows him to do so very little.

To day I was employed in painting a woman of the Neapolitan states in her native costume; a white handkerchief, folded in a curious manner on the head; a plaited chemise, the principal covering of the bust; a small red bodice trimmed with gold lace, and embroidered with different coloured flowers; a purple silk skirt, trimmed with three or four rows of red binding; and a large robe of scarlet cloth, placed anglewise over it, forming a very rich dress. Imagine me in my study chattering Italian to this damsel, and painting her towering visage. This is her mode of getting her living, as it is that of many others who come long journeys for the winter season in Rome. This year the city is full of foreigners.

I did not regret leaving Sienna, as there was a second and more violent shock of an earthquake; and I should not be surprised were they to have another violent one ere long. Several houses were destroyed by one in 1795. I was sitting drawing about ten o'clock at night, when I heard aloud rumbling noise; the doors and windows began to rattle; and I felt the floor move under me, creating a very unpleasant sensation of giddiness. This was repeated more violently, and I was almost tempted to run into the street. It did not, however, do any damage that I heard of.

Two thirds of the road to Rome are volcanic; and the lakes of Bolsena and Rosiciglione are said to be two craters of extinct volcanoes; the former unfa

The country is lovely, but it is impossible to enjoy it from the constant apprehension of meeting brigands on the road, the coachman calling out to us the first thing in the morning to "give an eye behind"

every now and then, which you may be sure I attended to, as my portmanteau would have been the first at hand, by their simply cutting a cord in the rear of the coach. The conveyance is much like a large hackney, with a cab in front. The brigands rarely, however, use arms, unless they meet resistance. A worthy Italian who sat facing me had fear evidently depicted on his countenance the greater part of the journey. He was a bit of a cockney in his way, asking the most ludicrous questions respecting the geography of England. One was, if the United States were not touching on the North of London. This was "official," and the geographical knowledge of most of them is about on a par with this.-Adieu.

Female Knights of the Garter. Only three females have in this country worn the insignia of the Garter: Lady Harcourt, Lady Gray, and Lady Suffolk. Lady Harcourt was daughter of Sir John Byron, and wife of Sir Robert Harcourt, K.G. (temp. Henry III.) Her tomb is at Stanton Harcourt, in Oxfordshire. The garter is above the elbow of the left arm. It has the motto. There is at Nuneham Courtenay, Oxfordshire, (the Seat of the Earl Harcourt,) over one of the doors of the dressing-room, a painting of that Lady Harcourt, wearing the garter on her arm. Lady Gray was daughter of John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon and Duke of Exeter. She married, first, Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk; and, secondly, Sir John Gray, K G. (temp. Henry V.) Sir John was afterwards Earl of Tankerville. Hetomb was in St. Catherine's Church (now demolished) near the Tower of London. Lady Suffolk was daughter of Sir Thomas Chaucer. She married William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk (temp. Henry VI.) Her tomb, with her effigies, wearing the garter on her left arm, is in good preservation in Ewelme Church, in Oxfordshire.

"I am

A Pleasantry of the late Duchess of Devonshire. As she was rambling one day in the neighbourhood of Chiswick, her Grace was overtaken by a shower, which obliged her to take shelter in a little hut, where she happened not to be known. Among other topics of conversation which she introduced in her affable manner, she asked the good woman if she knew the Duchess of Devonshire. "Know her," answered the woman, 66 ay, God save her, everybody has cause to know her here!-there was never a better lady born of a woman.' afraid you are mistaken," said her Grace, "for from what I can understand of her, she is no better than she should be." "I see you are no better than you should be," returned the poor woman; " it would be happy for you if you were as good; but you !-you'll never be worthy to wipe her shoes." "Then I must be beholden to you, for they are at present very dirty," answered her Grace. The honest cottager, perceiving her mistake, ran with the greatest readiness and humility to perform the office, which was generously rewarded by the Duchess.

Extraordinary Courage in a Game Cock.

A large dog, of the mastiff breed, happened to pass near a game cock, when the latter, without any proThe dog became irritated, and in his turn attacked vocation, assaulted the dog with the utmost violence. the game cock. A severe combat ensued; but the vigilance and dexterity of the cock eluded every attempt of the dog to hurt him. At length the cock flew upon beat out both his eyes. He then continued the attack the dog's back, and with his beak actually with so much ferocity, that in a short time the dog fell to the ground, when the cock struck him a blow with his heel, which penetrated to his brain, and he instantly expired.

The Waverley Novels.

The sale of the autograph originals, at Evans's in Pall Mall, seven years ago, excited less attention than might have been anticipated. The MSS. were all in Sir Walter Scott's hand-writing, neat, clean, and in green morocco bindings. The total produce of the sale was 3177.; and the prices of each lot, and the purchasers, were as follows:-The Monastery, bought by Mr. Thorpe, 181.-Guy Mannering, Mr. Thorpe, 271. 10s.-Old Mortality, 331.—The Antiquary, Captain Basil Hall, 421.-Rob Roy, Mr. Wilks, M. P., 50l.-Peveril of the Peak, Mr. Cochrane, 421.—Waverley, Mr. Wilks, M. P., 18.-The Abbot, 14l.-Ivanhoe, Mr. Rumbold, M. P., 12l.—The Pirate, Molteno and Graves, 121.-The Fortunes of Nigel, 16l. 16s.—Kenilworth, Mr. Wilks, M. P., 171.-The Bride o Lammermoor, Captain Basil Hall, 14l. 14s.

Prayer against the Small Pox.

"The dread and horror excited by this disease from the earliest ages is curiously illustrated by a prayer of the Anglo-Saxon æra, preserved among the Harleian Manuscripts at the British Museum, which is as follows:

"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti, Amen † in adjutorium sit Salvator noster + Dominus coli;-audi preces famulorum famularumque, Domine Jhesu Christe† atque peto angelorum millia, ut me + salvent, ac defendant doloris igniculo et potestate Variola, ac protegant mortis a periculo: tuas, Jhesu Christe! aures tuas nobis inclina."-Bibl. Harl. No. 585. p. 202.*

Little Fishes.

DR. MC CAUL, in his "Sketches of Judaism and the Jews," gives the following Talmudistical statement:

"The sea threw out a great fish; sixty cities ate of it, and sixty cities salted some of its flesh for food. From one of its eyes were made three hundred measures of oil. When I passed that way a year after, the people were sawing the bones into great beams, for building, in that city.

# In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.† May our Saviour beour help, † Lord of Heaven! Hear the prayers of thy man servants and maid servanis, Lord Jesus Christ!+ and I beseech thousands of angels that they may save me, † and preserve me from the insensity of the smallpox, and protect me from the danger of death. Jesus Christ, incline thine ear towards us."-Severn's Failure of Vaccination.