there had been some broil." Before we proceed further, it may not be inappropriate to introduce an account of the English yeoman's appearance at the above early period; this we are enabled to do by quoting the minute and excellent description of an archer from the prologue to the Canterbury Tales of old Geoffrey Chaucer, the poet of the time, who says, that of grene, He was cladde in cote and hode A not-hed hadde he, with a broune visage, (To be Continued.) Customs of Various Countries. THE GAME OF THE PIG. The most ludicrous of all burlesques upon animal combats, is the Giuco al Porco, or Game of the Pig, which I saw performed in one of the piazzas of Tivoli. Observing a crowd of people attracted by some scene, which provoked an incessant uproar of laughter and applause, I approached, and discovered within the circle a pig gaudily painted, adorned with ribbons, and with a bell suspended from his neck.The object of the game was to chase the pig, to seize and retain possession of him; an undertaking of no small difficulty to his pursuers, who could neither walk nor see, being enclosed in narrow sacks of thick cloth, which were tied over their heads in large cushion to intercept were folds, forming a the heavy blows to which they exposed in the course of the struggle. Thus strangely muffled, but at liberty to use their arms, for which two are cut in the sack, and provided with sticks, they stand in a circle, at some distance from each other, and wait until the pig is let loose amongst them. Soon as the small bell announces his gaining the prize, they often stumble and roll together over the arena, while the grumbling animal, terrified by the stunning bravos of the people, jumps over his fallen enemies, gallops in all directions, grunting and ringing his bell, tries to escape through the crowd, and is driven back into the inner circle by the hooting and hissing of the spectators. The helpless combatants, guided by the bell, again pop after their game; and, when aiming blows at the › unfortunate bell-ringer, either strike each other, or, fighting with the air, tumble with the vain effort, regain their feet with slow and ludicrous struggles, resume the chase, and fall together in a heap, with the pig in the middle. The animal becomes the prize of any one who can seize and hold him, and the conqueror, satisfied with the honor of the victory, usually invites all his competitors, and the judges of the combat, to a repast, of which the captured pig is the chief ornament. Blackwood's Mag. Anecdotiana. ABERNETHYANA. The following is the last and best that we have heard of the above-named gentleman. We should premise, that the details of it are a little altered, with the without some process of this kind, it would view of adapting it to "ears polite," not have been presentable. A lady went to the doctor in great distress of mind, and stated to him, that, by a strange accident, she had swallowed a live spider. At first, his only reply was, "whew! whew! whew!" a sort of internal whistling sound, intended to be indicative of supreme contempt. But his anxious patient was not so easily to be repulsed. She became every moment more and more urgent for some means of relief from the dreaded effect of the strange accident she had consulted him about; when at last looking round upon the wall, he put his hand up, and caught a fly. "There, Ma'am," said he, "I've got a remedy for you. Open your mouth, and as soon as I've put this fly into it, shut it close again; and the moment the spider hears the fly buzzing about, up he'll come -and then you can spit them both out." W. Rev. presence, the hunters endeavour to ap- On the recent death of a beloved wife, at the proach him, but, being unable to walk, they are obliged to jump forward with their feet joined, of course, the least shock makes them totter, and, in their endeavours to prevent each other from IMPROMPTU early age of twenty-five years. By her bereaved husband. This floweret of a summer's day Diary and Chronology. DATE. Mar. 16 Mon. St. Julian. Sun ris 6 m aft 6 17 Tues. St. Patrick. 18 Wed. St. Cyril. Sun ris 2 m aft 6 5 CORRESPONDING CHRONOLOGY. Mar. 16 Our saint is said to have suffered martyrdom dur ing a persecution of Dioclesian. 1794.-Anniversary of the taking of the Island of Martinique from the French, by the English, to whom it was restored again at the peace of Amiens; in the last seventy years this island has fallen into the hands of the English by conquest no less than three times, viz. 1762-1794 and 1809. 17 St. Patrick, the titular saint of Ireland, was born in the 4th century, in the village now called Kilpatrick, on the river Cluyd, in Scotland. There is a tradition that his mother was niece of St. Martin, of Tours. He was the principal saint who established the Catholic Faith in Ireland, in effecting which, he endured a multitude of hardships. He died вт. 123, A. D. 464. 18 The saint recorded on this day was archbishop of Jerusalem; he died A. D. 386. It was in the time of St. Cyril that the Jews attempted to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem, under the direction of Julian the Apostate, which project was frustrated by earthquakes and meteors. 19 Thurs St. Alemund. High Water. 9m. after 2 26m. -2 20 Fri. St. Cuthbert. 21 Sat. Duchess of Cum- 51 m aft. 1, aft. St. Benedict. 22 SUN. 3d Sun. in Lent. 23 Mon. St Alphonsus Tiribius, Archbis shop of Lima, died A D. 1606 24 Tuesd St. Simon. High Water, 59m af. 4 morn 19 St. Alcmund was the son of Eldred and brother of 20 Our saint died A. D. 686, in a hermitage, upon the Farne Islands, having resigned the bishoprick of Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, about two years before. His body was brought to Lindisfarne, where it remained till about 763, when the monastery was nearly destroyed by a descent of the Danes. 1413-Anniversary of the death of Henry IV, who died in the Jerusalem chamber at Westminster. He was interred at Canterbury, and succeeded by his heroic son, Henry V. 21 St. Benedict is said to have expired calmly while at prayer, ÆT. 63, A. 6. 543. He was the first founder of a monkish order. 1804. On this day the grandson of the Prince of Conde, the Duke d'Enghien was carried to Paris, and after a military trial shot by the order of Buonaparte, in a wood at Vincennes, by torch light, in direct violation of the treaty of Baden. 22 Our saint, who was bishop of Narbonne, is supposed, according to tradition, to be Sergius Paulas, the pro-consul, converted by St. Paul in the Isle of Crete. He was the first bishop of Narbonne, where he ended his days. 1720. On this day the University of Oxford, in full convocation, decreed that their solemn thanks should be returned to Daniel Finch, Earl of Nottingham, for his noble defence of the Christian Religion, contained in an answer to a letter of Mr. Whiston's. 231695.-On this day Sir John Freind was tried and convicted of high treason, in conspiring the King's death, and inciting an insurrection and invasion. He suffered for the same at Tyburn. 24 Was an infant martyr, inhumanly sacrificed by the Jews at Trent, A. D. 1472, some of whom were put to death. 1810. Anniversary of the death of Mrs. Mary Tighe, authoress of the beautiful poem of Psyche: this production will be remembered as long as elegance and classical taste can excite admiration. BETWEEN the houses of Altiero and Taglioni, there had ever been feuds and the most deadly hatred, which descended from father to son, as heirlooms, even though sometimes the heads of each house were personally unacquainted; which was the case with the Conte Altiero and Cosmo Taglioni, until they met in the following manner. One evening, as Altiero was walking alone in the grounds of a villa he had just purchased near Napoli, planning, with all the ardour of youth, new improvements and alterations, he was surprised to see a figure cross his path, and dart down another that led to the house. He pursued it for a moment-then thinking it was merely one of the domestics, and feeling fatigued, he entered a saloon by one VOL. III. N of the windows that opened into the garden, and flung himself on a sofa. In a few minutes he heard a slight noise, and looking up, saw a handsome youth, apparently about twenty, pale and breathless, enter by the same window, who flinging himself at his feet, exclaimed, "Have pity on me-save me-hide me -I am pursued even now" 66 "Nay," said Altiero, raising him, you are safe here; it was myself you saw in the garden just now; but what is the cause of your agitation?-what do you fear ?" " I am," replied the stranger, “a Venetian of noble birth, and was returning home from a visit to some friends, but stopping last night at an inn to rest, I joined the company of some cavalieri, and drinking too freely we quarrelled, which quarrel was resumed this morning. One of the cavalieri ridiculed me, and pretended to doubt my courage; this was too much to be borne; mad and exasperated, I drew my sword-we fought-my antagonist fell-I fled, I knew not whither" Before the youth could end his tale, he fell senseless on the floor, from loss of blood which was streaming from a wound in his side. 67 Altiero raised him carefully in his arms and placed him on a sofa; then summoned Gasparo, his confidential servant, and briefly informing him of the event, consulted with him as to where they should place the youth, and who should dress his wound. "I think," said Gasparo, "we had better let old Margarita, the wife of the maestro di casa, into the secret; she can attend his wounds, and will, I am sure, keep our counsel." "Call her instantly," said Altiero; and Margarita came to examine the wound in the stranger's side, which she declared to be so dangerous, as to require the attendance of a surgeon; but bound it up to stop the bleeding. What was now to be done?-of that Gasparo was not long in thinking. "Suppose,” said he, "we were to take the youth, and lay him on your lordship's bed; then I will go and tell the domestics, that you have stumbled over an ottoman and hurt your side, and instantly set off on horseback for the Dottore Salcio, on whose silence we may depend. The only inconvenience is, that you will be obliged to confine yourself to your own suite of apartments, to keep up the deception." "Never mind that," replied the Conte, "I will do any thing to serve this unfortunate youth; I feel strangely interested for him; but let us remove him instantly." This was accordingly done, and while Gasparo went to Napoli, which was nearly five miles distant, to bring the Dottore, Altiero continued to pace his chamber impatiently, stopping now and then to look at the youth, who lay almost lifeless on the bed. At length Gasparo returned, accompanied by the Dottore, who entered saying, "Truly, it is a strange circumstance, that I should be called on to attend both parties in this sad affair;-but I will leave it to your servant to relate the whole, while I attend the youth-perhaps you, signore, will retire to the next room. Margarita can give me her assistance." When they were alone, Gasparo exclaimed, "Who do you think the stranger is, illustrissimo ?-he is the Conte Taglioni." "Where did you learn that?" said the Conte, impatiently. "I will tell you, signore illustrissimo, directly," replied Gasparo, who, delighted with having any thing to communicate, began as follows." When I got to the "Santa Maria! I am glad you are so much better," replied Margarita, "you are in the house of a gran cavaliere, be nedetto san Antonio, who escaping the snares of the Diavolo himself, guards over all wicked and headstrong youths." Dottore Salcio's house, he was from home, but his servant told me, that he was gone to an inn just by, and there I went, and found the whole place in confusion; on enquiring the cause, I was informed that the Conte Taglioni and a cavaliere had fought a duello, and that the Conte had left his antagonist for dead, and fled no one knew whither. At that moment, a party of the cavalieri, who had been in search of the Conte, returned and enquired whether any of their friends had been more successful than themselves. On hearing that they had not, they swore the most shocking" Cielo! is it possible?" murmured oaths, one of them proposing for the villa Alberetto: on hearing which, I went up to him, and said, Signor Cavaliere, it would only be loss of time to go there; I am the servant of the Conte Altiero, to • whom the villa belongs, and am just come from home, to require the attendance of Dottore Salcio, for the Conte is ill. Besides, the Conte Taglioni would never think of entering the doors of my master, for they are hereditary enemies. But in my way hither, I saw a youth in a green travelling dress enter a vettura, and heard him order the vetturino to drive towards Venice. Before I could finish what I had to say, they started up, and vowing revenge, gave me some silver for my information, and took the road to Venice." " I wish," said the Dottore, who by this time had joined them, "that the cavaliere were as likely to recover as the young Conte yonder, but there is scarely a chance that he will live. I think, illustrissimo Conte, that as soon as your guest is able, (which I hope will be in a few days,) that he had better fly from hence, for fear his being here should come to the knowledge of any of your domestics." 66 Certainly," replied Altiero, " for they are not all to be depended on; but as I shall keep close, they will think it is I that am ill. Do all you can for him, and leave full directions with Margarita." "How strange," thought Altiero, as he lay on a couch near the bed on which slept the wounded youth, "that the events of this day should lead one of the Taglioni to me for help-until within these few hours, we were strangers-but what is to prevent our now being friends? - surely not the quarrels of our ancestors: there is an old saying, that the houses of Altiero and Taglioni can never be united-but I care not for old sayings." For three days, the Conte Taglioni remained insensible to all that passed around, uttering only a few incoherent words, or a faint groan-but on the fourth morning, he awoke considerably better, and addressing Margarita, said, "Who are you?-where am I?-how came I here?" "And what is the name of the cavalier to whom I am so much indebted?" inquired the youth. "Why, he is the illustrissimo Conte Altiero," said Margarita, drawing herself up with importance, " and I am Signora Sicuro, wife of his maestro di casa.” Taglioni. A short while after, Altiero entered, and going to the bedside, inquired how his guest found himself. "O! caro Signor Conte," said Taglioni, taking his hand, and pressing it to his heart, "words cannot express the gratitude I feel for your kindness. I only hope you will not regret it, when you hear" "I am perfectly aware that you are the Conte Taglioni," said Altiero, interrupting him; " but wrong me not so much as to suppose that I can ever think of the trifling service I have so fortunately had in my power to do you, without pleasure." "Noble youth," replied Taglioni, "this generous hospitality, this exalted goodness, can never be repaid. I shall consider this as the most fortunate circumstance of my life, if it secure me your friendship." "O, I have considered you as a friend ever since you have been my guest," said Altiero; "but talking will fatigue you, so I will leave you to that quiet the Dottore orders." One day, about a week afterwards, when the Dottore called to see his patient, he informed them, that the wounds of the cavaliere had assumed a very unfavourable appearance; and that, unless some change took place in a few hours, he must die. "Then I had better quit here," said Taglioni; " but how can it be managed ?" "Consolateri, curo amico," replied Altiero; "I have laid a plan, by which you can travel as comfortable as you can possibly wish.-Gasparo shall order one of the carriages, telling the domestics that I am tired of being here, and intend going to the Palazzo Altiero; when all is ready you can go, muffled up in my cloak, and attended by Gasparo. None of the domestics will know the difference, for we are nearly the same height; when you are gone, I will leave the villa by the back entrance-unobserved by the remaining servants-I will then hire a vettura, and be in Venice as soon as yourself." |