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Day Break in the Country.

Awake! awake! the flowers unfold,
And tremble bright in the sun,
And the river shines a lake of gold,-
For the young day has begun.
The air is blythe, the sky is blue,

And the lark, on lightsome wings,
From bushes that sparkle rich with dew,
To heaven her matin sings.
Then awake, awake, while music's note,
Now bids thee sleep to shun,
Light zephyrs of fragrance round thee float
For the young day has begun.
I've wandered o'er yon field of light,
Where daisies wildly spring,

And traced the spot where fays of night
Flew round on elfin wing:

And I've watch'd the sudden darting beam
Make gold the field of grain,

Until clouds obscur'd the passing gleam
And all frown'd dark again.
Then awake, awake, each warbling bird,
Now hails the dawning sun,
Labour's enlivening song is heard,-
For the young day has begun.
Is there to contemplation given
An hour like this one,

When twilight's starless mantle's riven
By the uprising sun?

When featlier'd warblers fleet awake,
His breaking beams to see,
And hill and grove, and bush and brake,
Are fill'd with melody.

Then awake, awake, all seem to chide
Thy sleep, as round they run,
The glories of heaven lie far and wide,—
For the young day has begun.

R. Ryan

Our elder poets are rife in description of the spring; but passing their abundant stores to " Rare Ben," one extract more, and "the day is done."

Winter is so quite forced hence
And lock'd up under ground, that ev'ry sense
Hath several objects; trees have got their heads,
The fields their coats; that now the shining meads
Do boast the paunse, lily, and the rose;

And every flower doth laugh as zephyr blows?
The seas are now more even than the land;,
The rivers run as smoothed by his hand;
Only their heads are crisped by his stroke.

How plays the yearling, with his brow scarce broke,
Now in the open grass; and frisking lambs

Make wanton 'saults about their dry suck'd dams?

Who, to repair their bags, do rob the fields ?
How is't each bough a several musick yields?
The lusty throstle, early nightingale,
Accord in tune, tho' vary in their tale;
The chirping swallow, call'd forth by the sun,
And crested lark doth his division run:
The yellow bees the air with murmur fill,
The finches carol, and the turtles bill.

Jonson.

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I. ETT.

"Ann Holland, Dutchess of Exeter, April 20, 1457. My Body to be buried in the Chapel of the Chancel of the Church of St. Katharine's, beside the Tower of London, where the Corpse of my Lord and husband is buried, and I forbid my executors to make any great feast, or to have a solemn hearse, or any costly lights, or largess of liveries, according to the glory or vain pomp of the world, at my funeral, but only to the worship of God, after the discretion of Mr. John Pynchebeke, Doctor in Divinity, one of my Executors. To the Master of St. Katharines, if he be present at the dirige and mass on my burial day, vis. viiid.; to every brother of that College being then present, iiis. ivd.; to every priest of the same College then present, xxd.; to every Clerk then present, xiid.; to every Chorister, vid.; to every Sister then present, xxd.; to every bedeman of the said place, viiid.; I will that my executors find an honest priest to say mass and pray for my soul, my lords soul, and all Christian souls, in the Chapel where my Body be buried, for the space of seven years next after my decease; and that for so doing he receive every year xii marks, and daily to say Placebo, Dirige, and Mass, when so disposed." The duchess's will was proved on the 15th of May, 1458.

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR.
Mean Temperature... 49. 10.

Nichols and Son, 2 vols. royal 8vo.

April 21.

A SPRING DIVERSION

Of the Recorder of London. Leaving "hill and valley, dale and field," we turn for "a passing time" to scenes where, according to the authority subjoined by a worthy correspondent, we find "disorder-order."

ANCIENT PICKPOCKETS.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. April 15, 1826. Sir,-The following notice of an ancient school for learning how to pick pockets is, I conceive, worthy notice in the Every-Day Book.

I am, Sir, &c.

Kennington. T. A. In the spring of 1585, Fleetwood, the recorder of London, with some of his brother magistrates, spent a day searching about after sundry persons who were receivers of felons. A considerable number were found in London, Westminster, Southwark, and the suburbs, with the names of forty-five "masterless men and cutpurses," whose practice was to rob gentlemen's chambers and artificers' shops in and about London. They also discovered seven houses of entertainment for such in London; six in Westminster, three in the suburbs, and two in Southwark. Among the rest they found out one Watton, a gentleman born, and formerly a merchant of respectability but fallen into decay. This person kept an alehouse at Smart's quay, near Billingsgate; but for some disorderly conduct it was put down. On this he began a new business, and opened his house for the reception of all the cutpurses in and about the city. house was a room to learn young boys to In this cut purses. Two devices were hung up; one was a pocket, and another was a purse.

counters, and was hung round with The pocket had in it certain hawks' bells, and over them hung a little sacring bell. The purse had silver in it; and he that could take out a counter without any noise, was allowed to be a public foyster ;t and he that could take a piece of silver out of the purse without noise of any of the bells, was adjudged a

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clever nypper.* These places gave great. encouragement to evil doers in these times, but were soon after suppressed.t

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR.
Mean Temperature. . 48.77.

April 22.

A JEW IS A THIEF!

"So runs the proverb'; so believes the world."

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At least so say a great many who call themselves Christians, and who are will ing to believe all evil of the Jews, who, in compliment to their own questionable goodness, they "religiously hate, with all the soul of "irreligion." The following account of an individual of the Jewish persuasion, well known to many observers of London characters, inay disturb their position: it is communicated by a gentle man who gives his name to the editor with the article.

THE JEW NEAR JEWIN-STreet.

For the Every-Day Book. They who are in the habit of observing the remarkable beings that perambulate the streets of this metropolis, either for profit or pleasure, must have observed "J. Levy,” not, to use a common phrase, "an every-day character," but one who, for singularity of personal appearance, oddity of dress, simplicity of manner, and constant industry, deserves a place in your Every-Day Book.

For the last eighty years has Levy trudged the streets of "London and its environs," followed, latterly, by a dirty lame Jew boy, carrying a huge mahogany closed-up box, containing watches manufactured by makers of all degrees, from Tomkin to Levy of Liverpool-with jewellery of the most costly kind, to trinkets of Birmingham manufacture; and, strange to say, though his dealings have been extensive to a degree beyond imagination, he has hitherto given universal satisfaction.

A few evenings since, as I was smoking my accustomed "every-day cigar," at a respectable house in Jewin-street, and looking quietly at the different sorts of persons forming the company assembled,

A pickpurse, or cutpurse, so called from persons having their purses hanging in front

from their girdle. + Maitland.

a violent thumping upon the floor of the passage leading to the parlour, which was continued at an interval of every third second, announced the approach of some one who clearly imagined himself of no little importance, and thoroughly disturbed the quaker-like serenity of appear. ance which then prevailed in the room. "How is my dear good lady, and all her little ones? and her respectable husband?" inquired the stranger on the outside. Without waiting for a reply to the thrown wide open, and in came a tall thin two questions, the door was suddenly figure of a man, with a face plainly denoting that it had seen at least ninety winters, and bearing a beard of a dirty divided in the centre, but coming from gray colour, some inches in length, and under and above the ears, over which was tied a gaudy red and yellow silk handkerchief, and a huge pair of heavy costlylooking silver spectacles, which "ever and anon" he raised from his nose. He wore a coat which had once been blue, the skirts whereof almost hung to the ground, and were greatly in the fashion of a Green. a double row of pearl buttons, to which wich pensioner's; a velvet waistcoat with was appended, through one of the buttonholes, a blue spotted handkerchief, reaching down to his knees, a pair of tight pantaloons, which evidently had been ins tended for another, as they scarcely gained the calf of his leg, and from the fobs whereof were suspended two watch-chains with a profusion of seals; and, on his head, was a hat projecting almost to points in the centre and back, but narrow in the sides. In his right hand a huge but wellmade stick, wielded and pushed forward upon the ground by a powerful effort, had been the noisy herald of his approach.

On entering the room, he cast an inquiring look upon his astonished and quiet auditors, and stood for a moment to see the effect of his appearance: then, after an awful pause, lifting his spectacles to his nose, and almost thrusting his old but piercing eyes over the cases, with a tiger-like step he advanced to the full front of a quiet, inoffensive, Jack-Robinsou sort-of-a-man who was smoking his pipe, and, throwing his stick under his left arm, he took off his huge hat, thereby discovering a small velvet cap on the top of his head, and holding out his right hand he exclaimed, "Well, my good friend, how are you? my eyes are weak, but I can always, yes, always, discern a good friend: how

are you? how is your good lady? I hope she is in good health,and all the little ones." The astonished" Christian" looked as if he could have swallowed the pipe from which he was smoking, on being thus addressed by the bearded descendant of Moses, and being absolutely deprived of speech, cast an inquiring look of dismay around on his neighbours, who so far from commiserating his feelings, actually expressed by smiling countenances, the pleasure they took in the rencontre. This was adding oil to the fire, when suddenly turning full in the face of the Jew, who still held out his hand for a friendly shrug, he exclaimed with a voice of phrenzy, "My wife knows thee not! I know thee not! My children know thee not! Leave me! go!" The Jew's hand was quickly withdrawn, while his alarmed countenance expressed the terror of his poor soul. The humiliated Jew said not a word, but quietly took his seat in the further corner of the room, and thence cast his eyes on a clock which was affixed to the wall, as if afraid of looking on a living object. He remained some minutes in this pitiable situation. At last, he took from his pocket, three or four watches, which he regularly applied to his ear, and afterwards wound up; then laying them upon the table, he triumphantly looked at the company, and by his eyes- boldly challenged them to produce a wealth, equal to that he exposed to their view. Apparently satisfied, in his own mind, of his superiority as to wealth, over the man who had so cruelly denied all knowledge of him, he called in a kind, but a suppressed voice to the servant in attendance,-"Well, my dear! bring me a glass of good gin and water, sweet with sugar, mind little girl, and I will gratefully thank you; it will comfort my poor old heart." "You shall have it, sir," said the admiring girl, directing her attention to the exposed jewellery. They were the first kind words heard in that room by poor Levy, and they seemed to draw tears from his eyes; for, from his pocket, he brought forth as many handkerchiefs, of the most opposite and glowing colours, as the grave digger in Hamlet casts off waistcoats, all of which he successively applied to his eyes. The girl quickly returned with the required gin and water, and, after repeated stirring and tasting, casting an eager look at her, he, with the most marked humility, begged "one little, little bit more sugar, and it would

be beautifuls," which was of course granted, and the girl at parting was more liberally rewarded by the poor despised Jew, than by any other person in the room. Commiserating the feelings of a seemingly poor, and ancient man, whose religion and singularity of manner were his only crime, I spoke to him, and was highly delighted to find him infinitely superior to any about him; that is to say, so far as I could judge, for the greater number plainly showed, that they considered silence a sign of wisdom; probably it was so-with them.

Upon Levy leaving the room, I found he had lived in one house, in the neighbourhood, for upwards of sixty years, and borne an irreproachable character; that no man has ever called on him a second time for money due; that from goodness of heart, he has often gave away the fruits of his industry, and deprived himself of personal luxuries, to add to the comforts of others, without considering whether they were Jew or Gentile; that in his own house, he is liberal of his wine, and of attention to his guests; and that he does not deny, though he is far from publishing, that he has acquired wealth. And, yet, this honourable and venerable man, after having reached his ninety-third year, because of his eccentric costume and appearance, was deprived of the comforts of passing a happy hour, after the fatigues of the day. This I trust for the credit of christianity, and for his sake, is not a circumstance of " everyday."

E. W. W.

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jecture for the custom. Mr. Archdeacon Nares, and other antiquaries, are at a loss for the real origin of the usage, which is ancient. In old times there were splendid pageants on this festival.

At Leicester, the "riding of the George" was one of the principal solemnities of the town. The inhabitants were bound to attend the mayor, or to " ride against the king," as it is expressed, or for "riding the George," or for any other thing to the pleasure of the mayor and worship of the town. St. George's horse, harnessed, used to stand at the end of St. George's chapel, in St. Martin's church, Leicester.*

At Dublin, there are orders in the chain book of the city, for the maintenance of the pageant of St. George to the following effect:

1. The mayor of the preceding year was to provide the emperor and empress with their horses and followers for the pageant; that is to say, the emperor with two doctors, and the empress with two knights and two maidens, richly apparelled, to bear up the train of her gown.

2. The mayor for the time being was to find St. George a horse, and the wardens to pay 38. 4d. for his wages that day; and the bailiffs for the time being were to find four horses with men mounted on them well apparelled, to bear the pole axe, the standard, and the several swords of the emperor and St. George,

3. The elder master of the guild was to find a maiden well attired to lead the dragon, and the clerk of the market was to find a golden line for the dragon.

4. The elder warden was to find four trumpets for St. George, but St. George himself was to pay their wages.

5. The younger warden was obliged to find the king of Dele, (Sylene,) and the queen of Dele, (Sylene,) as also two knights, to lead the queen, and two maidens in black apparel to bear the train of her gown. He was also to cause St. George's chapel to be well hung with black, and completely apparelled to every purpose, and to provide it with cushions, rushes, and other requisites, for the festivities of the day.t

These provisions and preparations refer to the narrative of the adventures of St. George already given in vol. i. p. 497.

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St. George's day at the court of St. James's is a grand day, and, therefore, a collar day, and observed accordingly by the knights of the different orders.

Collar of S. S.

This is an opportunity for mentioning the origin of the collar worn by the judges.

This collar is derived from St. Simplicius and Faustinus, two Roman senators, who suffered martyrdom ́ under Dioclesian. The religious society or confraternity of St. Simplicius wore silver collars of double S. S.; between which the collar contained twelve small pieces of silver, in which were engraven the twelve articles of the creed, together with a single trefoil. The image of St. Simplicius hung at the collar, and from it seven plates, representing the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. This chain was worn because these two brethren were martyred by a stone with a chain about their necks, and thus thrown into the Tiber. John Fenn says, that collars were in the fifteenth century ensigns of rank, of which the fashions ascertained the degrees. They were usually formed of S. S. having in the front centre a rose, or other device, and were made of gold or silver, according to the bearer. He says, that knights only wore a collar of S. S.; but this is a mistake.

Sir

At the marriage of prince Arthur, son of Henry VII., in 1507, "Sir Nicholas Vaux ware a collar of Esses, which weyed, as the goldsmiths that made it reported, 800 pound of nobles." The collar worn by the judges is still a collar of S. S. divested of certain appendages.*

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