On the 5th of February, 1760, Dr. Browne Willis died at Whaddon hall, in the county of Bucks, aged 78; he was born at St. Mary Blandford, in the county of Dorset, on the 14th of September, 1682. He was unexcelled in eagerness of inquiry concerning our national antiquities, and his life was devoted to their study and arrangement. Some interesting particulars concerning the published labours and domestic habits of this distinguished individual, will be given in a subsequent sheet, with one of his letters, not before printed, accompanied by a facsimile of his handwriting.

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature ... 39. 20.

February 6.

COLLOP MONDAY. See vol. i. p. 241.

The Season and Smoking.

At this time, Dr. Forster says that people should guard against colds, and, above all, against the contagion of typhus and other fevers, which are apt to prevail in the early spring. "Smoking tobacco," he observes, "is a very salutary practice in general, as well as being a preventive against infection in particular. The German pipes are the best, and get better as they are used, particularly those made of merschaum, called Ecume de Mer. Next to these, the Turkey pipes, with long tubes, are to be recommended; but these are fitter for summer smoking, under the shade of trees, than for the fireside. The best tobacco is the Turkey, the Persian, and what is called Dutch canaster. Smoking is a custom which should be recommended in the close cottages of the poor, and in great populous towns liable to contagion.

On the virtues of tobacco its users enhance with mighty eloquence, and puff it bravely.

In praise of Tobacco.

Much food doth gluttony procure to feed men fat like swine, But he's a frugal man indeed

who on a leaf can dine.

He needs no napkin for his hands, his finger ends to wipe, Who has his kitchen in a box, his roast-meat in a pipe.

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature ... 39 · 47.

February 7.

1826.-SHROVE TUESDAY.

Several of the customs and sports of this day are related in vol i. p. 242-261. It is the last meat day permitted by the papacy before Lent, which commences to-morrow, and therefore in former times, full advantage was taken of the expiring opportunity to feast and make merry. Selden observes, "that what the church debars us one day, she gives us leave to eat another-first, there is a carnival, and then a Lent." This period is also recorded in the homely rhymes of Barnaby Googe.

Shrove-tide.

Now when at length the pleasant time of Shrove-tide comes in place,

And cruell fasting dayes at hand

approach with solemne grace;

Then olde and yong are both as mad,
as ghestes of Bacchus' feast,
And foure dayes long they tipple square,
and feede and never reast.

Downe goes the hogges in every place,
and puddings every wheare

Do swarme: the dice are shakte and tost, and cardes apace they teare: In every house are showtes and cryes, aud mirth, and revell route,

And daintie tables spred, and all

be set with ghestes aboute : With sundrie playes and Christmassé games,

and feare and shame away,

The tongue is set at libertie,

and hath no kinde of stay.

February 8.

1826.-ASH WEDNESDAY,

The First Day of Lent.

To the particulars concerning this day, and the ashes, (in vol. i. p. 261,) is to be added,that the ashes, made of the branches of brushwood, properly cleansed, sifted, and consecrated, were worn four times a year, as at the beginning of Lent; and that on this day the people were excluded from church, husbands and wives parted bed, and the penitents wore sackcloth and ashes.t

According to the Benedictine rule, on Ash Wednesday, after sext, the monks were to return to the cloister to converse; but, at the ringing of a bell, be instantly silent. They were to unshoe themselves, wash their hands, and go to church, and make one common prayer. Then was to follow a religious service; after which the priest, having consecrated the ashes, and sprinkled holy water on them, was to

* Life of Ant. a Wood.
T Fosbroke's British Monachism.

Court. How? - what?- won't the

dog speak? Won't he do what the court bids him? What's to be done? Is the dignity of this court to be trifled with in such a manner ?

Counsel for Pros. Please your worships-it is provided by the statute in these cases, that when a culprit is stubborn, and refuses to plead, he is to be made to plead whether he will or no.

Court. Ay? How's that pray? Counsel for Pros. Why, the statute says-that he must first of all be thumb

screwed

Court. Very good.

Counsel for Pros. If that will not do, he must be laid flat on his back, and squeezed, like a cheese in a press, with heavy weights.

Court. Very well. And what then? Counsel for Pros. What then? Why, when all the breath is squeezed out of his body, if he should still continue dumb, which sometimes has been the case, he generally dies for want of breath.

His worship meant canaille..

Court. Very likely.

Counsel for Pros. And thereby saves the court a great deal of trouble; and the nation, the expense of a halter.

Court. Well, then, since the land stands thus-constable, twist a cord about the culprit's

Counsel for Pros. Fore-paws. Constable. Four paws? Why he has but two.

Court. Fore-paws, or fore-feet, blockhead! and strain it as tight as you can, 'till you make him open his mouth.

[The constable attempted to enforce the order, but in drawing a little too hard, received a severe bite.] Constable. 'Sblood and suet! has snapped off a piece of my nose.

He

Court. Mr. Constable, you are within the statute of swearing, and owe the court one shilling.

Constable. Zounds and death! your worships! I could not help it for the blood o' me.

Court. Now you owe us two shillings. Constable. That's a dd bad plaster, your worships, for a sore nose!

Court. That being but half an oath, the whole fine amounts to two shillings and sixpence, or a half-crown bowl. So, without going further, if you are afraid of his teeth, apply this pair of nut-crackers to his tail.

Constable. I shall, your worships. [He had better success with the tail, as will now appear.] Prisoner. Bow, wow, wow, ow, wow!

do.

Court. Hold!

Enough. That will

soner expressed himself in a strange lanIt was now held that though the priguage, yet, as he could speak no other, and as the law can not only make dogs to speak, but explain their meaning too, so the law understood and inferred that the prisoner pleaded not guilty, and put being joined, the Counsel for the Prosehimself upon his trial. Issue therefore cution proceeded to address the Court; but was stopped by the other side.

Prisoner's Counsel. I take leave to demur to the jurisdiction of the court. If he is to have a trial per pares, you must either suppose their worships to be his equals, that is to say, not his betters, which would be a great indignity, or else you must have a venire for a jury of twelve dogs. I think you are fairly caught in this dilemma.

Just-asses of your worships' acknowledged and well-known wisdom, piety, erudition, and bumanity, will not, at this time of the day, be persuaded to hold it less detestable and sinful. Having said thus much on the nature of the prisoner's guilt, I mean not to aggravate the charge, because I shall always feel due compassion for my fellow-creatures, however wickedly they may demean themselves.-I shall next proceed, with your worships' leave, to call our witnesses.-Call Lawrence Lurcher and Toby Tunnel.

Pris. Counsel. I must object to swearing these witnesses.-I can prove, they were both of them drunk, and non compos, during the whole evening, when this fact is supposed to have been committed.

Bottle. That will do you no service. I am very often drunk myself, and never more in my senses than at such times. Court, We all agree in this point with brother Bottle.

[Objection overruled and witnesses sworn.]

Lurcher. As I, and Toby Tunnel here, was a going hoam to squire Ponser's, along the road, one evening after dark, we sees the prisoner at the bar, or somebody like him, lay hold of the deceased, or somebody like him, by the back, an't please your worships. So, says I, Toby, says I, that looks for all the world like one of 'squire Ponser's hares. So the deceased cried out pitifully for help, and jumped over a hedge, and the prisoner after him, growling and swearing bitterly all the way. So, says I, Toby, let's run after 'um. So I scrambled up the hedge; but Toby laid hold of my leg, to help himself up; so both of us tumbled through a thick furze bush into the ditch. So, next morning, as we was a going by the squire's, we sees the deceased in his worship's horse-pond.

Pris. Counsel. Are you sure he was dead? Lurcher grandmother.

Ay, as dead as my great

Pris. Counsel. What did you do with the body?

Panser. That's not a fair question. It ought not to be answered.

Lurcher. I bean't ashamed nor afeard to tell, not I. We carried it to his worship, squire Ponser; and his worship had him roasted, with a pudding in his belly, for dinner, that seame day. cil for Pros.

That is nothing to

the purpose. Have you any more questions for the witness?

Pris. Counsel. Yes, I have. Pray, friend, how do you know the body you found was the very same you saw on the evening before?

Lurcher. I can't tell; but I'm ready to take my bible oath on't.

Pris Counsel. That is a princely ar gument, and I shall ask you nothing farther.

Mrs. Margery Dripping, cook to his worship squire Ponser, deposed to the condition of the deceased.

DEFENCE.

Prisoner's Counsel. Please your wor ships, I am counsel for the prisoner, who, in obedience to your worships' commands, has pleaded not guilty; and I hope to prove that his plea is a good plea; and that he must be acquitted by the justice of his cause. In the first place, the witnesses have failed, in proving the prisoner's identity. Next, they have not proved the identity of the deceased. Thirdly, they do not prove, who gave the wounds, Fourthly, nor to whom they were given. Fifthly, nor whether the party died of the wounds, if they were given, as supposed, to this identical hare. For, I insist upon it, that, because a hare was found in the squire's horse-pond, non sequitur, that he was killed, and thrown in by the defendant. Or, if they had proved that defendant had maliciously, and animo furioso, pursued the deceased into the horse-pond, it does not prove the defendant guilty of his death, because he might owe his death to the water; and therefore, in that case, the pond would be guilty; and if guilty, triable; and if triable, punishable for the same, and not my client. And I must say,(under favour,) that his worship would likewise be particeps criminis, for not having filled it up, to prevent such accidents. One evidence, who never saw the prisoner till now, nor the deceased till after the fact supposed to have happened, declares, he is sure the prisoner killed the deceased. And why? Because he is ready to take his bible oath on't. This is, to be sure, a very logical conviction.

Court. It is a very legal one, and that's better.

Pris. Counsel. I submit to your wisdoms. But I must conclude with observing, that admitting a part of the evidence to be true, viz. that the prisoner did meet