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Comprising

I. THE FLOWERS OF LITERATURE. II. THE SPIRIT OF THE MAGAZINES,

III. THE WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART.

IV. THE ESSENCE OF ANECDOTE AND WIT. V. THE DOMESTIC GUIDE.
VI. THE MECHANICS' ORACLE.

No. CX.

Or No. 26 of

Vol. IV. FORMING ALSO No. 127 OF THE HIVE.
LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1825.
HARLECH CASTLE.

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Contents.

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Extracts from Dr. Kitchener's Journal..

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Joint-Stock Company

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The Literary Parliament

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Antiquities of Loudon

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To-Morrow

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Modern Antiques

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Domestic Guide

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Anecdotes of two Sallor Monkeys..

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Bón Mot of Charles 11.

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Extractana

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Mr. Macready

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View of the Greeks in 1824

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A Bishop in his Studies

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Attorneys ......................... Advertisement .......................

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Ned Ward

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Anagrams .......

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Conversazione of the Editor

The Black Population of Brazil
Curious origin of Negroes
South American Mines

HARLECH CASTLE,

MERIONETHSHIRE.

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HARLECH is a small town situated on

the north-west extremity of Merionethshire, ten miles from Barmouth, and six from Maenturog. The Castle is seated upon a lofty rock, facing that part of Caernarvonshire called Eifionydd, on the left in Cardigan Bay, and immediately below a sandy marsh, extending VOL. IV.

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on the other, it was protected by a prodigious fosse, cut with vast expence and trouble in the solid rock. This place was possessed, in 1468, by Dafydd ap Jefan ap Einion, a strong friend of the house of Lancaster, and distinguished as much by his valour as his goodly personage and great stature. He was besieged here by William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, after a march through the heart of our Alps, attended with incredible difficulties, for in some parts the soldiers were obliged to climb, in others to precipitate themselves down, the rocks, and at length invested a place till that time deemed impregnable. Pembroke committed the care of the siege to his brother, Sir Richard, a hero equal in size and prowess to the British commandant. Sir Richard sent a summons of surrender, but Dafydd stoutly answered that he had kept a castle in France so long, that he made all the old women in Wales talk of him, and that he would keep this so long that all the old women in France should talk of him. Famine probably subduing him, he yielded on honourable terms, and Richard engaged to save his life by interceding with his cruel master, Edward IV. The King at first refused his request, when Herbert told him plainly that he might take his life instead of that of the Welch Captain, or that he would assuredly replace Dafydd in the Castle. This prevailed, but Sir Richard received no other reward.

INTERIOR.

Margaret of Anjou, the faithful and spirited Queen of Henry VI. found in the castle, in 1460, an asylum after the unfortunate battle of Northampton. She first fled to Coventry, and thence retired to this fortress:-after a short stay here she went to Scotland, and, collecting her friends in the north of England, poured all her vengeance on her great enemy the Duke of York, .at the battle of Wakefield.

The place more than once changed masters during the last civil wars. It was well defended by Major Hugh Pennant, till he was deserted by his men. It was finally taken in March, 1647, by General Mytton, when Mr. William Owen was governor; and the whole garrison consisted of but twenty-eight

men.

It had the honor of surrendering on articles, and of being the last fortress in North Wales which held out for the king. It is also said to be the last in England which held out for the House of Lancaster. The ancient fortress which stood here, and the remains of which are still visible, was first called Tur Bronwen, from Bronwen, sister to

Bran ap Llyr, King of Britain. It afterwards got the name of Caer Collwyn, ap Tango, one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, and Lord of Eifionydd Ardudwy, and part of Lleyn.

Edward I. formed the town into a borough, and conferred on it grants of lands and other emoluments.

From Harlech the prospect on one side is very comprehensive and diversified. The whole extent of Lleyn and Eifionydd appears with the beautiful chain of hills, gradually rising from Bardseye to the stupendous Wyddfa. The Bay and islands of St. Fudwals, the town of Pwllheli, and Criceeth Castle, on the opposite coast, also adorn the same. On the right is Penmorfa, and the new town of Tre Maddock; near which is the embankment, made at an immense expense, with a view to deprive the sea of its possession of Traeth Mawr.

The Flowers of Literature.

JOINT-STOCK COMPANY.
NEW FEATURE.
To the Editor.

Sir-Taking it for granted that you must now see clearly that the world was right in the beginning, and that every business, but five-and-twenty, I take man ought to follow, not one trade or the liberty, in furtherance of that principle, to trespass for one moment upon

your attention.

I think it must be, by this time, quite obvious that it was all moonshine, that "division of labor," which twaddlers, for these three centuries past, have been palming upon us as a great discovery. that a man, now-a-days, may be his own Is it not proved-proved practicallybuteher, baker, brewer; and even what was always accounted still more difficult that he may be "his own washerwoman ?"

Now, sir, how can time, I ask, or talent, be more usefully employed than in carrying this new but admirable theory a step farther; and having already made" every man his own washer-woman," to realise another project, by making him "his own physician!"

The fact is, every body knows the enormous profits which have long been made by the sale of quack medicines!profits which it is quite impossible to think of letting any longer remain in the pockets of those who possess them. And the effect is, sir, that a General Quack Medicine Company is now about ably favourable auspices. to start, under very particularly remark

· ANTIQUITIES OF LONDON.

Our view, at present, is to raise a capital (small but sufficient) of 250,0001. by creating 5000 "Joint-Stock Quack Medicine Shares,” at 501. a share; and the provisional Direction is already in possession of four highly productive specifics- Solomon's Drops,' "The Edinburgh Ointment," "Daffy's Elixir," and "The Milk of Elephants," for the property in which only 150,0001. is to be taken from the Company at large.

Now, sir, to these nostrums, which are already in high request, the byelaws of the Company will at once impart a great additional sale. Because, as it is taken for granted that some one or other of them-or, to say the least, the whole four taken together-must form a cure for any ailment that human nature can be affected with, therefore it is made a eondition, that every proprietor of Quack Medicine Stock shall, either by himself or by proxy, be bound to take physic, in the course of the year, or rub himself with ointment, to one-half the amount of his dividend.

The immediate general advantage flowing from this arrangement will be of a nature really quite miraculous: for, at one stroke, it gives every man an interest both in being sick and making other people so. To prevent abuse, no person carrying on trade as a sausage, maker, wine-merchant, pastry-cook, table beer-brewer, or otherwise, holding the lives of the community in his gift, can be permitted to be a shareholder; but, as to ordinary interests, the tables will be most completely turned upon illness; because, the more physic or salve that a man can use, or persuade his family or his friends to take, the greater his profit, by dividend, at Quarter-day.

Proprietors of Life Insurance Companies will find great benefit from taking shares in this Institution, as the annual loss upon annuitants whose lives are unreasonably prolonged, will be compensated, in a great measure, by an annual profit on the "Solomon's Drops," &c. that those old persons swallow.

Nurses are inadmissible as proprietresses of this Company, to prevent any possible suspicion as to misuse of the "Daffy's Elixir." For the same reason, upon the grounds before stated, shareholders in any of the new Milk Companies about town cannot be treated with. From the regular apothecaries, physicians, and surgeons, the Company hopes to meet with every encouragement, as its formation will certainly remove one old stigma upon the medical profession—to wit, that the dealers in

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physic always refuse to drink it themselves.

Sir, it must be unnecessary, I think, for me to press on you particularly the adviseableness of an early application for shares in this desirable speculation; since the surplus capital of the country, which it was erroneously imagined the Joint-Stock Companies would consume, is daily renewing itself, and must go on to do so, owing to the private tradesmen which these Companies drive out of business; only, knowing your circulation among monied people, and your general anxiety for the public welfare, is the cause of your receiving this trouble from, sir, your very obedient servant,

Provisional Secretary to the Undertaking.

P.S. No connection at all with the "General Journal Company," which has (something unhandsomely,) copied our plan; but it is in contemplation to append a General Burying Company (if an Act of Parliament can be obtained) it complete. We mean to cast no reto our Establishment, in order to render flection by this upon Mr. Chandler, or any other undertaker of Fleet-market; yard are open to us all. but public patronage and the church

ANTIQUITIES OF LONDON.

NO. I.-LONDON STONE.

IT has been well observed in one of the most interesting sights in London our most popular magazines that one of is that stone which has remained there from time immemorial, and which from long standing has acquired the metropolitan title. The admiration with which we regard the most noble piece city, however great and however pleaof architecture in our widely extending sing it may be, can have no comparison with the feelings which agitate us when we cast our eyes on London Stone.

There are some buildings which, from their antiquity, excite our wonder and our pleasure. While viewing the Tower, we reflect that William the Conqueror himself may have cast his eyes on the visiting the gloomy dungeons in which stones which we then behold. While the traitors were confined, we say to ourselves, "Here perhaps the noble Stafford stood and looked abroad on the Thames on the evening previous to his execution," and at the thought the blood runs through our veins more quickly; and we wish with eagerness it had been our lot to stand among the crowd which welcomed the Norman conqueror to the fortress, or accompanied the un

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fortunate statesman in his unmerited sorrows. But, when looking on London Stone, our imagination is carried much farther back. "This,' say we, "has perhaps witnessed the horrible rites of the ancient Britons, when the Druids immolated theirshrieking victims to their sanguinary gods; or, at all events, the stately march of the Roman legions when they went to oppose Boadicea, the patriotic queen. Those chivalrous knights, who spent their lives and their fortunes in unavailing attempts to recover the holy sepulchre, have, no doubt, eyed with awe and reverence this ancient stone. It was on this that Jack Cade struck his staff, whilst, with joy and exultation depicted in his countenance, he uttered those famous words which are recorded by Hollingshed, "Now is Mortimer Lord of this citie." Around it stood his infatuated follow ers in the dress of the rude artizans and mechanics of the period, waving their leathern caps in the air and shouting in triumph the exclamation of their leader. The affrighted citizens viewed the rabble with horror and dismay, and hurried to seize their arms, and repulse the daring invaders of London. Now, how altered is the scene! all around betoken peace and plenty; near it stands the mansion of the chief magistrate, a proof (if any were wanting) of the wealth and prosperity of London, which can erect such beautiful and expensive structures for their public men. But a still stronger proof of the importance of the city is derived from viewing the houses in an adjoining street, where gold glitters in plentiful profusion, and where reside those men whose immense stock of money enabled, and will enable us to uphold the rights and liberties of Albion, our dear, and, in one word, our native land. Then let us bless the names of those men, by whose patriotic exertions we have overcome our numerous enemies, and have rendered it impossible that such a man as Jack Cade should again scatter terror and dismay through this extensive town. The reeollection that this rebellion was supported principally by ignorant mechanics, a class now extinct, recals to our mind the many and successful efforts lately made, and now making, to instruct every artizan, however poor, in the mysteries of art and science. Since Jack Cade's time this order of persons is totally changed; then they were uninformed and brutally stupid, now they

• Lombard-street, so called from its origin al inhabitants, the Lombards of Italy.

are extremely well-informed, and, in consequence, generous and humane; then they were considered no better than beasts of burden; now what a contrast! they have knowledge, knowledge is power, and no man has a right to use them as he would his horse; for their condition was very little better at the period of which we speak; no wonder then, that, when the iron hand of despotism was pressed too hard on them, they rose en masse to demand their just rights; but this, though it might be a consideration with most of the malcontents, was not that of their leader, who was either the agent of a powerful faction, or the ambitious would-be sovereign.

In the first volume of the Portfolio will be found an interesting account of this ancient relic; and the curious reader may, by taking a walk to Cannonstreet, view himself this famous and well-known antiquity. A. A.

N. B. My next will consist of remarks, &c. on the Tower, and the various historical events connected with that venerable structure.

MODERN ANTIQUES. BELLOWS. The first idea was a mere hollow reed. Beckman, in his History of Inventions, allows that our common bellows was known to the bellows appears on a Roman lamp ; but Greeks, and a fac simile of the modern he is not authorized in affirming that they were first invented by the Germans in the seventeenth century. Dr. Clarke derives the origin from the Wallachian bellows. They are made by fixing a round air-pipe to the skin of the neck of an animal, and fastening two wooden handles to the part which covered the feet. Some of a very singular form accompany figures of Vulcan on ancient vases. In the thirteenth century the bellows blowers were officers in royal kitchens, whose duty it was to see that soup, when on the fire, was neither burnt nor smoked.

DUTCH OVEN. Of classical antiquity. -In the thirteenth century it was made of iron, or pottery. Dr. Pegge, the antiquary, conceives that the curfew was a contrivance under which bread, or other things, might be baked.

MILK PALL.-Among the Romans it was in form like a barber's shaving pot, of copper, but much flatter and broadWith us it was a pail, the Anglofurnished with handles, so as to be caSaxon æsten and mile-fæt, and it was

er.

ANECDOTES OF TWO SAILOR-MONKEYS.

pable of carriage between two men, by a pole thrust through.

SACK-The antiquity of this is well known, being mentioned in holy writ very early. The Anglo-Saxons had some which contained a quarter, or eight bushels, and were called Seambyrdens.

SNUFFERS. Of Roman invention. Montfaucon has engraved a print of lamp tweezers resembling a tuning fork with a long ornamented handle, and this idea answers to the Angio-Saxon candel-twist. In the venerable John Nichols's Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, I find two pair of small snuffers, silver gilt."

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TRIVET is mentioned in the twelfth century, though the shape is not kuown.

ANECDOTES OF TWO SAILOR

MONKEYS.

THE first of these sailed on board a frigate, and, though always in scrapes, was the favorite both of cabin and wardroom, and indeed of every mess except the midshipmen's, being perhaps disliked by these young gentlemen for the same reasons that poor cousins (as a French author observes) are ill seen by us, to wit, for approaching them too nearly in nature.

This animal was distinguished, like the rest of his tribe, by a propensity to gratuitous mischief, and one of his principal amusements in fine weather was to possess himself of a plate, cup, or saucer, which he would break to pieces in the chains, and throw overboard, watching the fragments descending through the water with infinite gratification. 'This,' the reader will perhaps say, any monkey might do;' but another of his exploits can hardly, I think, be paralleled by any fact in monkish history.

This monkey was well aware of there being a large store of apples in a locker in the ward-room; but his thievish tricks were so well known, that he was excluded from all legitimate access to it. Under these circumstances, he provided himself with a piece of wadding, and with this implement in one hand, and swinging himself from the stern gallery with the other, he broke a pane in the ward-room window with his wadding, and, having carefully picked out the broken glass, introduced himself into the forbidden territory. Here, like the animal in the fable, he gorged himself so fully that he was unable to retreat. Being taken in the fact, he received the discipline of the

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rope's end, but derived little benefit from his chastisement.

The captain, who had also suffered from his depredations, conceived the idea of a more effectual punishment; but this not only led to no reform, but was the cause of a new and most ludicrous offence.

He was in the habit, it seems, of stealing preserved apricots; into which a quantity of manna was infused by the captain's order. The beast, who (as was expected) swallowed the bait, was considerably inconvenienced by the effects of his medicine, but found out a mode of remedy and revenge. He took possession of one of the quarter-galleries, having observed to what purposes they were appropriated, kept his seat within for some hours, and was only dislodged by breaking down the bulkhead.

All these pranks, however provoking at the moment, seemed only to make him a greater favorite with the crew. The captain himself, who studied pug's happiness as much as the others, and who perhaps thought he might be somewhat steadied by matrimony, anxious to provide him with a wife.

was

It was at this period that a trifling mistake in wording an order inundated all England with monkeys. EW -, distinguished by his passion for a conservatory, meant to write to his correspondent in the Brazils, to collect and send him the two hundred varieties of the monkey plant but unfortunately omitted the word plant. In consequence of this order arrived a letter from his correspondent, informing him that he had sent him one hundred and seventy-three varieties of the monkey, which were all that were known in Rio de Janeiro and its neighbourhood; but he had no doubt that the order could be completed by his agents in the interior.

Before the unhappy botanist could provide for the disposal of this wilderness of monkeys, came another letter, out of which dropped an ominous paper,

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half printed and half written,' which was a bill of lading in the usual form'Shipt by the grace of God, sound and in good condition, on board the good ship Friendly Endeavour, 173 monkeys, &c. &c. &c. and so God send the good ship Friendly Endeavour, with her cargo, to a safe port.' E- -W-, having a little recovered from his consternation, proceeded to read the letter from which this fearful annunciation had dropt. This was from the captain of the good ship Friendly Endeavour, informing him that

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