St. September 2. St. Stephen King and Confessor. Justus Bishop and Confessor. St. William Bishop and Confessor. B. MargaretV irgin and Martyr. Augusti Victoria Navalis ex M. Antonio et Cleopatra.--Rom. Cal. CHRONOLOGY.-The New Style was first adopted today in 1752, eleven days being retrenched from the Calendar. This day is recorded a dreadful massacre, which took place in Paris during the Revolution in 1792. The perpetrators of this massacre were called Septemberizers, a name well known in the annals of revolutionary fury. The Fire of London broke out on Sunday morning, September 2, 1666, O.S.; and, being impelled by strong winds, raged with irresistible fury, nearly four days and nights; nor was it entirely mastered till the fifth morning after it began. There is a description of this tremendous fire in a rare tract, published in the year 1667, entitled "Vincent's God's Terrible Voice in the City," which begins as follows: "It was the 2d September, 1666, that the anger of the Lord was kindled against London, and the fire began: it began in a baker's house, in Pudding Lane, by Fish Street Hill; and now the Lord is making London like a fiery oven in the time of his anger, and in his wrath doth devour and swallow up our habitations. It was in the depth and dead of the night, when most doors and fences were locked up in the city, that the fire did break forth and appear abroad like a mighty giant refreshed with wine." It has been said that this fire which began at Pudding Lane ended at Pye Corner. The lofty pillar at the bottom of Fish Street Hill is a monument set up in commemoration of this dreadful fire; but the origin of it, as thereon detailed in a Latin inscription, is much misstated. Pope has said of the Monument Where London's column, pointing to the skies, VESTA. On Danger from Fire. -The many serious reflections to which the memorable Fire of London, recorded today, must naturally give rise, lead us to the consideration of the danger from fire, and of the immense number of cities, of palaces, and of individuals, whom history records as having been destroyed by this element. We cannot do more for the furtherance of the benevolent object of the author of a small paper "On Accidents from Fire," than by giving the follow extracts the additional publicity afforded by a place in our Calendar. The great number of women and children who have perished and who daily perish in flames, owing to their combustible dresses catching fire, have probably suggested the following remarks: "Hints respecting Women's and Children's Clothes catching Fire.--When we reflect on the many dreadful misfortunes which have of late years happened in consequence of the clothes of women and children accidentally catching fire, it is a matter of some surprise, as well as great concern, to find so very little attention paid to the prevention of such misfortunes in future. "The following hints are offered with a sincere wish that they may meet with that serious consideration which the subject requires, and be the means of engaging the attention of the public on this subject, and of adopting the following measures recommended, or some more effectual. "There are two principal objects which offer for our consideration; the first is, to prevent the clothes from catching fire; and the other, to check the progress of the flames. "One of the most evident methods to prevent the clothes from catching fire is to have wire fenders placed before the fireplace, of a sufficient height to hinder the coals from flying into the room; such fenders are so placed in some parlours, but more it is believed for protecting the marble hearth and carpet, than for the safety of the females and children of the family. Wire screens are sometimes placed in rooms where birds are let loose, parallel to the fireplace; such as these, if more projecting ones should be objected to, might be used in common sitting rooms. One or two strong metal bars would be some protection, if close wirework should not be liked; these of course should come some way forward, otherwise they would not be of much use. Certainly the safest are fenders of close wirework projecting into the room, sufficiently open to let the heat through, but not any coals which might fly from the fire. Nurseries in particular should have this sort. "The second object which offers for consideration is to check the progress of the flames; one of the most evident means of accomplishing this end is to wear dresses of materials which will not readily burn; but as it is not probable that muslins and linens will be laid aside on account of the danger they expose the persons wearing them to, perhaps some method may be adopted which may check the progress of the fire in those substances. Experiments for this purpose have been made, on a small scale, which very well answered the end, but on account of the preparations used, which were potash and other alkaline substances, having the property of imbibing moisture in a great degree, it renders this exact method, it is feared, impracticable. Would it not be of use if the Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, were to offer a premium for the best methods of rendering linen and muslin dresses, in a considerable degree, uninflammable, and not discolour or injure in other respects the substances, rendering them unfit for use?* "It has been recommended, that persons whose clothes have caught fire should immediately roll themselves up in a carpet, but this excellent method of extinguishing the flames, is frequently quite unpracticable, as is it customary to nail down carpets to the floor, a practice which should never be suffered in rooms where there is any danger of accidents of this kind happening; nor should heavy tables or other furniture be so placed on the carpet as to hinder it from being easily rolled up. "If a woollen cloth were constantly kept in nurseries and sitting rooms, especially when there are fires, laid loose upon the table or other piece of furniture, this being always at hand, might be easily resorted to in case of accident, and being wrapped tight round the flames, or strongly pressed against them, would, by excluding the air, no doubt, in many instances, soon extinguish the fire. A green baize cloth, which being very pliable, and likewise a neat cover to furniture, is recommended for this purpose; and if such was known in the family by the name of the STIFLING CLOTH, it probably would as readily be used when there was occasion for it, as fire engines or buckets now are. Care must be taken to procure baize of a close texture. Where the convenience of a baize cloth cannot be easily procured, as in cottages, &c. a cloth cloak or a blanket will answer much the same purpose. May we not attribute many of the melancholy events which have happened of late to the modern practice of fixing firegrates more forward than formerly, and to the prevailing custom of wearing muslin dresses?" "London, March 1808." We have seen in some large families where there are children huge green cloths made of baize, kept in the corners of rooms for the purpose of stifling flames: they are marked with, the chemical sign of fire. The ingenious Fire Escapes invented by the late Mr. John Maseres, the brother of the cursitor Baron Maseres, of the Court of Exchequer, are admirable contrivances against the danger of being burnt in houses that are on fire. Since this Paper was first printed in 1803, the Society have offered a premium to this effect. In Tilloch's Philosophical Magazine, vol. xxvii. No. 105, is a figure and description of this Fire Escape, by which people can let themselves from windows without any assistance, and any one well practised in the use of it might with safety bring down a child. It is there suggested, that as this way might be attended with some danger with persons not well practised in the use of it, "It would be well, in nurseries and other rooms where little children sleep, to be provided with one or more strong sacks, about three feet and a half in depth, and one and an half in diameter, kept open at the top with a thick wooden hoop, having a long rope fastened to it; into these sacks the children are to be put, and let down, then the person may descend by the sling Fire Escape, or by such other as may be at hand." September 3. 4 St. Simeon Stylites the younger. St. Remaclus Bishop and Confessor. St. Mansuet. St. Macnisius Bishop in Ireland. There is a St. Phoebe mentioned today in some of the martyrologies a a pious woman beloved of St. Paul. She is said to have carried his " Epistle to the Romans" to their capital. See Epist. Rom. xvi. 1. Dionysia sive Vindemiae.-Rom. Cal. This was the great festival of the Vintage, which we shall describe under the account of the Bacchanalian feasts called Brumalia, December the 14th, which see: where will be found also an account of a Greek festival. The present time of year was probably that in which the Roman Vintage was finished. It is somewhat later in Lombardy and the South of France, and successively later still in Burgundy, Picardy, Flanders, and England. See Aug. 20 and 21, Nov. 24, and Dec. 14, of this Calendar. CHRONOLOGY.-Richard I. crowned in 1189. On the same day in 1191 he is recorded to have won the famous battle wherein he conquered Saladin in the Holy Land. Oliver Cromwell beat the Scots at Dunbar in 1650. On the same day in 1651 he beat Charles the Second's army at Worcester; and on the same day in 1658 this republican and puritanical usurper died in the 60th year of his age; when a violent storm, which accidentally took place, was attributed by the vulgar to the displeasure of the gods at his death, just as the various prodigies were at Julius Caesar's. See the Ides of March, p. 119 of our Calendar. FAUNA. The Partridge Tetrao Perdix is now very abundant. Large coveys of them being seen about the stubble fields, and in the corn if any be left standing. These birds get very shy towards the end of the month, in consequence of being repeatedly fired at. Sportsmen, therefore, prefer the early part of the season before the birds get too wild. Partridges, while the corn is standing, have a secure retreat from their numerous enemies; but when the harvest is gathered in, they resort in the daytime to groves and covers. At night, however, they return to the stubble to avoid Foxes and Weasels, &c. and there nestle together. From Man they have no means of escape; for they are traced to their hiding places by pointers, and are often inclosed in nets, and taken by whole coveys, as Pope notices in the following lines: When milder Autumn Summer's heat succeeds, Panting with hope, he tries the furrowed grounds; Till hovering o'er 'em sweeps the swelling net, &c. POMONA.-September brings a larger number of stone fruits or Poma than any other month, hence the descriptive name of this month derives its origin. The Apricots, though declining, are still to be found in plenty in the markets. Innumerable Plums begin to abound, and Melons are in great perfection. Grapes begin now to ripen out of doors in Britain, particularly where the vines are trained on a wall with a southern aspect. But Grapes do not ripen well about London, except in very fine seasons. In France, particularly in the southern parts, and in the West of England, Grapes are afforded in great abundance by this time. About London, and along its isothermal line, which runs through Amsterdam to Leipsic, Grapes are not ripe till the end of September. We have purchased very delicious Grapes of various sorts at Antwerp early in October. Many of these, however, had been grown further south on the Banks of the Rhine, and had been brought down that river in barks. There are almost innumerable varieties of Vines in different counties, and the excellencies of their respective Grapes are prodigiously different from each other. The different qualities are imparted to the wines made from them. From time immemorial the diversity of wines has been very great, not only in each climate, but even each small district having a wine with a flavour peculiar to itself. Fallernian wine was the most celebrated by the Romans; but even then the number of wines was so great that Virgil declares, a man might as well attempt to |