by motives more honourable, more the heart saddens while listening powerful, than interest itself. to the impatient inquiries of many Whenever a new levy is made for who are soon deprived of their the army, a given number (accor- dearest hopes by the information ding to the state's necessity) is ta- that another country contains their offspring: perhaps another world.

ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF CARDS.

ABOUT the year 1300, cards were invented to divert Charles the VI. then king of France, who was fallen into a melancholy disposition.

That they were not in use before, appears highly probable.

ken from every five hundred vassals capable of bearing arms. Most of the villages have been thus deprived of some of their inhabitants, and it is with the affectionate hope of again seeing their different relatives, that many aged men accompany these frozen caravans. St. Petersburgh is the extent of their views. The knowledge of that city and of their own village, First, Because no cards are to be bounds their geographic acquire- seen in any painting, tapestry, ments; it is thither all their wishes &c. more ancient than the precedtend; for to that spot alone, they ing period, but are represented in falsely believe, is fixed the object many works of ingenuity, since of their fond solicitude. Ignorant that age. Secondly, No prohibiof any particular corps, and only tions relative to cards, by the conscious that it is a soldier they king's edicts, are mentioned, seek, under the liveliest impres- although some few years before a sion of expectation and affection, most severe one was published, they momentarily look for the forbidding, by name, all manner blessing of again embracing a son, of sports and pastimes, in order

that the subjects might exercise themselves in shooting with bows and arrows, and be in a condition to oppose the English. Now it is not to be presumed, that so luring a game as cards would have been omitted in the enumeration, had they been in use. Thirdly, In all the ecclesiastical canons, prior to the said time, there occurs no mention of cards; although, twenty years after that date, card-playing was interdicted the clergy by a

a brother, or some other near and beloved kinsman. Actuated by similar feelings, hundreds of soldiers are seen going from group to group, searching for their own parents among these patriarchal strangers. To the observation of a benevolent individual, these scenes are delightful. Nothing can be more affecting than to witness their joyful meetings; fathers embracing their sons; brothers their brothers. But expressions of disappointment frequently excite Gallican synod. About the same more distressing sympathies; and time is found, in the account-book

of the king's cofferer, the follow- Dutch call the French word carreaux, stieneen, stones and diamonds, from the form. Trefle, the trefoil leaf, or clover grass (corruptly called clubs) alludes to

ing charge: "Paid for a pack of painted leaves, bought for the king's amusement, three livres." Printing and stamping being then not discovered, the cards were the husbandmen and peasants. painted, which made them so dear. How this suit came to be called Thence, in the above synodical clubs I cannot explain, unless canons, they are called pagilla borrowing the game from the pictæ, painted little leaves. Spaniards, who have bastos (staves Fourthly, About thirty years after or clubs) instead of the trefoil, we this, came a severe edict against gave the Spanish signification to cards in France; and another by the French figure, The history of Emanuel, duke of Savoy; only the four kings, which the French permitting the ladies this pastime, in drollery sometimes call the pro spinulis for pins and needles. cards, is David, Alexander, Cæsar, The inventor proposed by the and Charles, (which the names figure of the four suits, or colours, were then, and still are, on the as the French call them, to repre- French cards). These respectable sent the four states, or classes of names represent the four celebrated men in the kingdom. By the monarchies of the Jews, Greeks, cœurs (hearts) are meant, the Romans, and Franks under Chargens se chœur, choir-men, or lemangne. By the queens are inecclesiastics; and therefore the tended Argine, Esther, Judeth, Spaniards, who certainly received and Pallas [names retained by the the use of cards from the French, French cards] typical of birth, have copas or chalices, instead of piety, fortitude, and wisdom, the hearts. The nobility, or prime qualifications residing in each military part of the kingdom, are person. Argine is an anagram represented by the ends or points for Regina, queen by descent. of lances or pikes, and our igno- By the knaves were designed the rance of the meaning or resem- servants to knights [for knave blance of the figure induced us to originally meant only servant; and call them spades. The Spaniards in an old translation of the Bible, have espades (swords) in lieu of St. Paul is called the knave of pikes, which is of similar import. Christ]; but French pages and By diamonds, are designed the valets, now indiscriminately used order of citizens, merchants, and by various orders of persons, were tradesmen, carreaux, (square formerly only allowed to persons stones, tiles, or the like). The of quality, esquires, [esquiers] Spaniards have a coin, dineros, shield or armour bearers. Others which answers to it; and the fancy that the knights themselves were designed by those cards, because Hogier and Lahire, two names in the French cards, were famous knights at the time cards were supposed to be invented.

The following is said to be an original Letter from Lady Craven, to one of her Theatrical female friends, who asked how she liked her change of situation.

MY DEAR T*****

speak of it---"As you Like it;" and if you are disappointed call me a "Country Girl" "Too Friendly by Half."---With such charms as you possess; I know all that you want is "The Will." ---Once married you may, quite in the fashion, act as you choose ; and if your spouse proves "A Provoked Husband," why you may take your own "Revenge," and make him a "Suspicious one."---If now (notwithstanding

No doubt you are interested in all I have said) you remain obstithe question by asking me so soon nate and single, I hope, as "Time's my opinion of "Matrimony"---it a Tell-tale," I may present an would be "Love's Labour Lost," additional inducement.

indeed if I disliked it in the "Honey Moon."--If you continue such a prude, as to retain your old opinion of "Marriage à la Mode," and still consider it as foolish, I would advise you by all means to catch the "Folly as it Flies," provided you hit upon some sober spark who has sown his "Wild Oats"--"Trial's all," you know-----however, if upon "Review" you shouldn't like the state, why you may cause "The Devil to Pay" in the "School for Scandal;" and of course the result of your "Wedding Day" will then form a very pretty "Winter's Tale"! Thus, at all events, like a fashionable woman, you will "Raise the Wind." Do

not "Wonder" at my triffing, for you know "Laugh when you Can" has been ever my maxim. But to be serious---follow my advice---in

Three Week's after Marriage

Adieu, your's, &c. D.

The Derivation, &c. of some of the principal Buildings and Streets in London and Westminster :

Ald-Gate, i. e. Old Gate, was one of the four original gates of the city, being mentioned in King Edgar's reign in 967. The late Gate was rebuilt in 1609. :

Aldermanbury was so called from the mayor and alderman holding their berry or court, in a hall which formerly stood on the east side of that street, till the New Berry Court, or Guildhall that now is, was finished.

Ave-mary Lane was so called in the

Popish times, from text-writers and
bead-makers who dwelt there.
Bank of England was begun to be
built in 1732, and finished in 1734.

Bloomsbury was anciently a village named Lomsbury, in which were the king's stables, till they were burnt in 1354.

Blossom's-Inn, Lawrance-Lane, was so called fron having for its sign St. Lawrance, the deacon, in a border of Blossoms, or flowers.

Covent (i. e. Convent) Garden, was formerly a Garden belonging to the Abbot and Convent of Westminster.

a fenny, or moorish ground, so made had been relating many incredi

256,000 To touching up and writing three
entire new Commandments in

The Law and the Prophets. - Duke of Chandos, to assist at the A dispute about precedence once performance of an Oratorio in the arose between a Bishop and a chapel of Whitechurch, such was Judge, and, after some altercation, the latter thought he should quite confound his opponent by quoting the following passage:"For on these two hang all the Law and the Prophets." "Do you not see," said the Lawyer, in triumph, "that even in this passage of Scripture, we are mentioned first ?" I grant you," says the Bishop, "you hang first."

the throng of company, that no
provisions were to be procured at
the Duke's house. On going to
the Chandos' Arms, in the town
of Edgeware, we made our way
into the kitchen, were we found
nothing but a solitary leg of mut-
ton on the spit. This, the waiter
informed us, was bespoke by a
party of gentlemen. The Doctor,
rubbing his elbow, (his usual man-
ner) says to me, "I'll have that
mutton; give me a fiddle string."
He took the fiddle-string, cut it
in pieces, and privately sprinkling
it over the mutton, walked out of
the kitchen. Then waiting very
patiently till the waiter had served
it up, he heard one of the gentle-
men exclaim, "Waiter! this meat
is full of maggots: take it away."
This was what the Doctor, who
was on the watch, expected-
"Here, give it me." -'O, Sir!'
says the waiter, you can't eat it;
'tis full of maggots.'-" Never
mind," cries the Doctor, "fid-

The Advantage of having a Vote.-An honest John Bull travelling through Germany, on arriving at the gate of a city, was requested to describe himself; not knowing exactly what designation to apply to himself, he answered that he was " an Elector of Middlesex." As an Elector in Ger- dlers have strong stomachs." So many is rather a more important bearing it away, and scraping off personage than those who bear the fiddle-strings, we made a that honourable title in England, hearty dinner on the apparently the Germans immediately threw open their gates, and the guard turned out, and did military honours to the English Elector!

maggotty mutton.

A gentleman having a horse that started and broke his wife's neck, a neighbouring 'squire told him, he wished to purchase it for his wife to ride upon. "No says the other,

Anecdote of Dr. Arne. The writer of this article having many years ago accompanied the Doctor "I will not sell it-I intend to to Cannons, the seat of the late | marry again myself!"