izing to a servant in the knowledge that | the amount. Most married ladies of any If good male domestics are hard to find, what shall be said of women-servants? In most households there are about three women to every man servant; so, if masters have some little servant-hunting to occupy their time, mistresses have treble when searching for servants, nor is it well to pester either applicants or their former employers with too many questions; it is undesirable to press for letters from their clergymen, to ask them whether they are engaged to be married, or to inquire whether they have had measles and whooping-cough; but, for all that, we are satisfied that there would be far fewer complaints about servants if people would only be more careful before engaging a Solemn Jubilee at Westminster abbey them. In short, those who wish to have in honor of Handel, whom We adopted, bright faces about them, popular houses, & who is revered as the Patriarch of our contented guests, and few troubles, would Music. Indeed our Taste is a little devido well to learn early in life all the prin- ated to the branch of Dancing, which we ciples, the mysteries, and the subtleties possess in a perfection that rivals Paris. of the important science of servant-hunt-It is very seldom that I go to the Theatre ing. From The Academy. THREE UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF SIR HORACE WALPOLE. I HAVE found among some family pa pers three letters of Horace Walpole addressed to my grandfather, and send you copies, supposing that possibly the readers of the Academy might be interested by them. add that Walpole makes mention I may of the acquaintance, with a kindly account of his correspondent, in a letter to Mann of August 9, 1784 (Letters, ed. Cunningham, 1880, viii. 493, 494). M. François de Soyres had come to England in 1781 with an introduction to Walpole from the Prince de Bauffremont, and was recommended by Walpole to the Mount Edg cumbe family as tutor to the son, whom he accompanied in a "grand tour" of two years' duration. I have omitted some passages of the letters referring to matters connected with the Edgcumbes of no general interest. JOHN DE SOYRES. I. Berkeley Square. March 27, 1784. I am much obliged to you for your letters, Sr, and must not run farther into your Debt, as I am already in arrears for two... At present our whole Island is in the ferment of a new Election of a House of Commons, and of all Themes I know not one so tiresome as That of a contested Election. I do not interest myself in a single one, & as much as possible keep out of the Sound of all. I wish myself at my own house in the Country, but We have at present so bitter a codicil to a most severe Winter, that Berkeley Square was as much covered with Snow this morning as It was two months ago. Indeed We have not suffered such havoc as you describe at Vienna & as we hear from many parts of the Continent. We are going to have now, but I was at the Opera last week, & saw s'even such dancers on the Stage at once, as cannot, I believe, be matched in Europe; there were Le Picq, young Vestris, Dauberval, & Slingsby, the Simonet, the Theodore, & the Rossi. It does not much become my age to talk of Dancers, -& yet I shoud make no apology for having been to see Charles XIIth or Kouli Kan, who deserved to be looked at only with horror. My countrymen have acted with more rationality in paying great distinction to your countryman, Monsieur de Bouillé, who is here, & whose humanity in the late War was equal to his bravery. I am Sr with great regard yr obedient To Mr de Soyres. Strawberry hill. aug. 9th 1784. I cannot pretend, Sr, to repay your Parisian news with any interesting events from an English Village. We do hear even here of air-balloons; nay, by chance I saw a Lilliputian one over Richmond hill. I am not young enough to run after fashions; and too old to commence experimental Philosopher. I shall be gone before aerial navigation is perfected, or ranked with the Philosopher's Stone! Animal Magnetism has not yet made much impression here. These Disquisitions are at least preferable to religious metaphysics. People had better break their necks voluntarily from a bladder in the clouds, than be burnt for not believing what they do not understand. Monsr Montgolfier is honester too than the Founders of novel Doctrines, for if he has invented a new way of going to heaven, he risked his own neck first, before he persuaded others to try if the untrodden path was practicable. I have the honor of being, Sr humble Sert HOR WALPOLE. To Mr de Soyres. I am again in yr Debt, Sr, for another letter of March 5th from Naples; & tho I every part of Italy where I coud to recover Grecian Works. endeavour now to acquit myself, it will be ing Poetry accompanied Sound, the fascivery imperfectly, & with difficulty, as I nation was increased. In Short, Sr, were have but one hand yet free. I was con- I King of Naples, I should be inclined to fined 14 weeks; then went out for a fort- turn up every acre round my Capital, night, & have now another relapse in all where I coud suppose any of the destroyed my right arm; less owing even to my Cities had stood, lest new Earthquakes Disorder & my age, then to the uncom- shoud destroy what still exists undermonly severe continuation of bad Weath-ground, · so I shoud at Rome, & in er. It snowed fast for four hours two days ago, & is still a hard frost. There have been tho' rarely, as cold winters in England, but nobody has heard of one of so long duration. Lord & Lady Mount Edgecumbe have been extremely kind to me & visited me often in my confinement. I am very glad they will so soon have the satisfaction of seeing Mr Edgecumbe. I was glad too to find Mr Morrice's Death was a fable. He will not, I hope, stay at Naples for health, if Vesuvius threatens an Eruption. One should dread even to be Spectator of such calamities, nor do I know so strong a proof of the force of Habitude, as They are who continue to live on a crust of Fire! I am constantly anxious about my good Friend Sr Horace Mann, his nephew set out again a fortnight ago in haste, on receiving a letter written by his Uncle's Servant, which mentioned a return of his Disorder. I much fear the consequence. We are not visited by Earthquakes now, yet last night the Arts received a wound; Lord Spencer's House was burnt to the ground, & with other good pictures & valuable goods, besides the loss of the Mansion itself, I fear the very fine picture of Andrea Sacchi was consumed. I do not yet know the circumstances. hand is tired, & you will excuse my taking leave; but I shall be very glad to renew our acquaintance at yr return, as I am with great regard Sr yr obedient My humble Sert HOR WALPole. 66 From The Nineteenth Century. ENGLISH PLAYERS IN GERMANY, 1600. ENTERING the Athenæum one afterI am glad you was pleased with Pæs- noon in the spring of 1840 I found my tum, Sr; but shoud be more inclined to old friends Mr. Amyot, the treasurer, and envy you the sight of Pompeii; as I had Sir Henry Ellis, the secretary of the Sorather view Remains of places where the ciety of Antiquaries, in quiet confab beArts had been brought to perfection, than fore the hall fire. On seeing me Mr. to see the rudiments. Whatever Nations Amyot said: Oh, here is Thoms, perbegan, the Greeks were in my eyes the haps he can give us a hint or suggest only People who discovered the Standard something," and I was immediately inof Taste in whatever they undertook. In formed of the subject they were consid how few Centuries did they give the true ering. Sir Henry had received notice & last touches to Eloquence, to many that the prince consort had notified his kinds of Poetry, to Architecture, to Sculp-intention of attending a meeting of the ture, from Colossal to the most diminu-society for the purpose of being admitted tive, & I believe to Painting, for as their a fellow, and although Sir Henry had Authors & Roman Authors speak in equal some very curious antiquities to exhibit, terms of both their Statues & Pictures; he had not a paper of sufficient interest & as we know & see that they did not to read before his Royal Highness. Could exaggerate in their Encomiums on the I suggest a fitting subject for such a paformer, is it credible that they coud be- per? No, my antiquarian knowledge was stow equal praises on the Apollo & Venus below par, and I had no suggestion to &c and on vile daubings? Shoud I be offer. But in the course of conversation told that those Authors are still more stress was laid upon the desirability of profuse of Eulogiums on their Music, finding a literary or historical topic which which we have no reason to believe was should have both a German and English very extraordinary; I not only should re- interest in it. Upon this hint I spake; ply that the Comparison between Statues and knowing that both my learned friends & pictures can be more justly made, but were great Shakespearian scholars, I that Music must have greater effect on asked whether they did not think that the the passions of persons unaccustomed to visit of an English company of players to it than on generations habituated to its Germany about the year 1600 might furimprovements; & as we know that charm-nish materials for such a paper as they wanted. To my great surprise neither of | ing over my notes I found in them what I them knew anything about this. Neither, believed to be materials for a paper which perhaps, should I have done so, but from I believed would do me no discredit. So I the fact that at about the time of Miss set to and worked them up in the form of Ellen Tree's professional visit to Ger- a letter to our excellent treasurer, who, as many I had found some allusions to the well as Sir Henry, was pleased with it. performances of a company of English On the appointed evening (May 21, 1840) actors in that country in Horn's "Poesie I went to Somerset House, anxious to und Beredsamkeit der Deutschen," and witness how Sir Henry would serve up had, anticipating Captain Cuttle's sensible the dainty dish which had been prepared advice," made a note of it." To my great to set before the prince. But I was surprise, neither Amyot nor Sir Henry doomed to disappointment. Prince Alknew anything about this matter; but bert, one of whose characteristics was after questioning as to what I recollected punctuality, had been accidentally deabout it, they would not let me go till they tained at Buckingham Palace, and instead had extorted from me a promise that I of arriving at the Society of Antiquaries would look over my notes, and if I found at 8 o'clock, as had been arranged, did in them materials for a short paper that I not enter the meeting until 8.30, at which would write one, and put Sir Henry out time it had been arranged he should proof his difficulty. Those who knew the ceed to the Royal Society to pass through worthy head of the British Museum, and the same ceremony of being admitted a that his business habits were as great as fellow. The consequence was, that after the variety and extent of his general his formal admission as a fellow by Lord knowledge, will recognize him in two very Aberdeen, and making a rapid inspection characteristic remarks which this conver- of the antiquities prepared for exhibition, sation called forth. In the course of it I and having had presented to him the offihad mentioned the play of "Titus Andron- cers, council, and some few of the more icus." "Bother that," he said, "how am eminent fellows, his Royal Highness proI to pronounce it, Andronicus or Andron- ceeded up-stairs to the Royal Society, and icus?" and as I was leaving he enjoined my poor paper, which had caused so much me, "Keep your paper very short, not to anxiety to the authorities and to myself, take more than seven minutes in the was left unread. reading." On my return home and look W. J. THOMS. a Peo TRAVELLING MOSS. Our readers have | leaving furniture and cattle behind themprobably never read or heard of the "trav- prey to the black and nauseous stream. elling moss." It was one of the most curious ple flocked from all parts of the country to things that ever occurred in the Border coun- gaze on the mysterious phenomenon and the try. It happened in the November of 1771, ruin it had produced. The rental of the region just one hundred and ten years ago, between was estimated to have exceeded £400 a year, the rivers Sark and Esk, in the parish of Kirk- and the area it covered was about five hundred andrews, some four miles from Longtown, on acres, and in some places the stagnant lake was the estate of Sir James Graham, of Netherby. thirty feet in depth. About twenty-eight famDuring a dark and tempestuous night, without ilies and many little farms were greatly injured giving any warning, there was a sudden and by the pitchy pool vomited up, as it were, from overwhelming eruption of the Solway Moss, the bowels of the earth. The distress would the crash of which descending from a higher have been much greater but for the humane to a lower level, greatly alarmed the fears, and and generous laird, who contributed to the made the very bones of the inhabitants to support of the people involved, and replaced tremble. Why it should have been so fast as far as possible their various losses. By moored, age after age, and now have moved means of long channels in various directions, away from its native place like a floating island, under the skilful management of a Yorkshirenobody could tell, and, indeed, they had not man of the name of Wilson, the water was let time to cogitate that question. Those who off, and the earthy matter was at length carted resided where the vast mass of eruptive mat- away. Many years elapsed before the traces ter broke forth, filled with consternation and of this singular calamity disappeared, and it is dread, had to flee almost naked from their matter for thankfulness that there has never houses to find shelter and safety on higher since been a recurrence of it. ground from the desolating, foul, muddy flood, I 1 Fraser's Magazine, VI. THE POETRY OF Dante GABRIEL ROSSETTI, Fraser's Magazine, Saturday Review, For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. 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