Jan. That's o'er true, Elspeth; but there's guid and ill in Edinburgh, as well's in ither spats. I hae some liking yet for Edinburgh, for a' that's happened, tho' I ne'er saw it. Our kings lived there, woman; and our John's plea about the maillen is there, ye ken. He has win it, woman, nae fewer than nine times! But was na't droll, that ere it had been there twa months, his ain man o' law threeped his name was Andrew! Andrew was Arthur's second son. The land, ye ken was neither conquest nor purchase, but heretage; for it came by Arthur's step-father's brither Thomas, and sae fa's to the auld son, and had our John been Andrew, he would ne'er ha'e seen a hair o't.

Els. Gin ye lose as aft's ye ha'e win, ye'll rue that e'er ye tried it. But O, Janet, are ye sure Douglas has win?

Jan. Scripture, Elspeth! downright scripture! (a volley at the cross) Do ye hear that? Do ye hear them now?

Els. The guns! Huzza! huzza! huzza! The drums! Thank heaven there's still a Douglas in our land. O how I like the king, the parliament, and the gallant name of Douglas! But was na't a filthy trick to take awa' the eleven days?* That was a wicked thing, Janet; that was a wicked thing, to change our terms, our fairs, our markets; to change the very Sunday to anither day! I wish the land may be forgi'en. I now heartily forgi'e them. Douglas, Douglas, makes up for a'! Jan. But, Elspeth, what shall I tell ye? Was nae Piercie

his steeve friend?

Els. Piercie, quothye? Piercie his friend? Eh! woman, was na that brave, gallant, o' noble Piercie? Let it ne'er be heard that Piercie proved his friend, when Scotland proved his fae! But come, cast awa' your cards, and lets ha'e a pint to the king, parliament, and noble name o' Douglas; nor shall we forget Piercie, his gallant friend. (A cheer at the cross.) Huzza! huzza! huzza! (Elspeth repeats after them.) Three huzzas, Janet. Bless their honest sauls! A's right now; this kintry will yet stand! I now forgi'e the very Union itsel! But, Janet, let's first hirple out and see the fun, then we shall ha'e warm bicker o' the best o't. (In going out, both sing in turn.)

a

"Lord DOUGLAS on a milk-white steed,
Most like a baron bold,

Rode foremost of the company,

Whose armour shone like gold, &c."

* Alluding to the alteration from the old to the new style.

MARRIAGE VOW.

THE matrimonial ceremony, like many others, has undergone some variation in the progress of time. Upwards of three centuries ago, the husband, on taking his wife, as now, by the right hand, thus addressed her; "I. N. undersygne the N. for my wedded wyfe, for beter, for worse, for richer, for porer, yn sekness, and in helthe, tyl dethe us departe, (not "do part,' as we have erroneously rendered it, the ancient meaning of "departe," even in Wickliffe's time, being "separate") as holy churche hath ordeyned, and thereto I plygth the my trowthe." The wife replies in the same form, with an additional clause, "to be buxom to the, tyl dethe us departe." So it appears in the first edition of the "Missals for the use of the famous and celebrated Church of Hereford, 1502," fol. In what is called the Salisbury Missal, the lady pronounced a more general obedience, "to be bonere* and buxom in bedde and at the borde." Edit. Wayland, 1554. 4to. Dibdin's Bibliographical Decameron.

MONOPOLY OF THE LIONS.

THE custom of going to see the lions at the Tower, prevailed more than a hundred years ago; when the following intimation was issued: All persons whom it may concern are desired to take notice, that the master keeper of his majesty's lion office, in the Tower of London, is informed, that several persons do expose to publick view several wild beasts against his majesty's prerogative royal, and a prohibition given and published to the contrary is in the words following, That no person whatsoever (except Thomas Dymocke, and the keeper of his majesty's lions for the time being) do, for the future, carry abroad, or expose to publick view, for their own private gain, any lions, lionesses, leopards, or any other beasts which are fera naturæ, as they will answer the contrary at their perils.""

Malcolm's Manners of London.

Bonair, French, whence our English "debonair," which sometimes means genteel, but at others cheerful, agreeable, good-tempered:

"Buxom, blythe, and debonair."

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT.

TOWARDS the bottom of Highgate Hill, on the south side of the road, stands an upright stone, inscribed "Whittington's stone." This marks the situation of another stone on which Richard Whittington is traditionally said to have sat, when, having run away from his master, he rested to ruminate on his hard fate, and was urged to return back by a peal from Bow-bells, in the following distich:

"Turn again, Whittington,

Thrice lord mayor of London."

Certain it is, that Whittington served the office of lord mayor three times, viz. in the years 1398, 1406, and 1419. He also founded several public edifices and charitable institutions. Some idea of his wealth may be formed from the circumstance of his destroying bonds which he held of the king (Henry V.) to the amount of £60,000 sterling, in a fire of cinnamon, cloves, and other spices, which he had made, at an entertainment given to that monarch at Guildhall.

A similar anecdote to that of the destruction of the bonds, is related of a merchant, to whom Charles V. of Spain was indebted in a much larger sum; but, as Whittington lived long before that time, it is fair to suppose, that, if true at all, the story belongs to the London citizen.

The fable of the cat, by which Whittington is much better known than by his generosity to Henry V., is, however, borrowed from the East. Sir William Gore Ouseley, in his Travels, speaking of the origin of the name of an island in the Persian Gulf, relates, on the authority of a Persian MS. that, in the tenth century, one Keis, the son of a poor widow in Siráf, embarked for India, with his sole property, a cat: "There he fortunately arrived, at a time when the palace was so infested by mice or rats, that they invaded the king's food, and persons were employed to drive them from the royal banquet. Keis produced his cat, the noxious animals soon disappeared, and magnificent rewards were bestowed on the adventurer of Siráf, who returned to that city, and afterwards, with his mother and brothers, settled in the island, which, from him, has been denominated Keis, or, according to the Persians, Keish."

CITY HEIRESS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

THE following letter, written by the only daughter and heiress of Sir John Spencer, lord mayor of London, better known by the name of "Rich Spencer," furnishes a curious specimen of the state in which a rich city heiress of the sixteenth century expected to be maintained after her marriage with a branch of the nobility.

"Now I have declared to you my mind for the settling of your state, I supposed that it were best for me to bethink, or consider with myself, what allowance were meetest for me. For, considering what care I ever had of your estate, and how respectfully I dealt with those, which, by the laws of God, of nature, and civil polity, wit, religion, government, and honesty, you, my dear, are bound to, I pray and beseech you to grant to me, your most kind and loving wife, the sum of £1600 per ann. quarterly to be paid.

"Also, I would (besides the allowance for my apparel) have £600 added yearly (quarterly to be paid) for the performance of charitable works, and those things I would not, neither will be accountable for.

“Also, I will have three horses for my own saddle, that none shall dare to lend or borrow: none lend but I; none borrow but you.

“Also, I would have two gentlewomen, lest one should be sick, or have some other lett. Also, believe that it is an indecent thing for a gentlewoman to stand mumping alone, when God hath blessed their lord and lady with a great

estate.

"Also, when I ride a hunting, or hawking, or travel from one house to another, I will have them attending; so, for either of these said women, I must and will have for either of them a horse.

Also, I will have six or eight gentlemen; and I will have my two coaches,-one lined with velvet, to myself, with four very fair horses, and a coach for my women, lined with cloth; one laced with gold, the other with scarlet, and laced with watch-lace and silver, with four good horses.

"Also, I will have two coachmen; one for my own coach, the other for my women's.

"Also, at any time when I travel, I will be allowed, not only carriages and spare horses for me and my women, but I will have such carriages as shall be fitting for all, or duly; not pestering my things with my women's, nor theirs with chambermaids', or their's with washmaids',

Also, for laundresses, when I travel, I will have them sent away with the carriages, to see all safe; and the chambermaids I will have go before with the grooms, that the chambers may be ready, sweet, and clean.

"Also, for that it is indecent to crowd up myself with my gentleman usher in my coach, I will have him to have a convenient horse to attend me either in city or country; and I must have two footmen; and my desire is, that you defray all the charges for me.

"And, for myself, (besides my yearly allowance,) I would have twenty gowns of apparel; six of them excellent good ones, eight of them for the country, and six others of them very excellent good ones.

Also, I would have put into my purse £2000 and £200, and so you to pay my debts.

"Also, I would have £6000 to buy me jewels, and £4000 to buy me a pearl chain.

Now, seeing I have been and am so reasonable unto you, I pray you do find my children apparel, and their schooling; and all my servants, men and women, their wages.

"Also, I will have all my houses furnished, and all my lodging-chambers to be suited with all such furniture as is fit; as beds, stools, chairs, suitable cushions, carpets, silver warming pans, cupboards of plate, fair hangings, and such like. So, for my drawing-chamber, in all houses, I will have them delicately furnished, both with hangings, couch, canopy, glass, chairs, cushions, and all things thereunto belonging.

"Also, my desire is, that you would pay your debts, build Ashby-house, and purchase lands, and lend no money (as you love God) to the lord chamberlain, which would have all, perhaps your life, from you. Remember his son, my lord Waldon, what entertainment he gave me when you were at Tilt-yard. If you were dead, he said, he would marry me. I protest, I grieve to see the poor man have so little wit and honesty, to use his friends so vilely. Also, he fed me with untruths concerning the Charter-house; but that is the least: he wished me much harm; you know him. God keep you and me from him, and such as he is.

"So, now that I have declared to you what I would have, and what that is I would not have, I pray, when you be an earl, to allow me £1000 more than now desired, and double attendance." 'Your loving wife, "ELIZA COMPTON."

66

Harleian MSS. 7003.

Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, made Lord Treasurer in 1613.

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