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and noble birth, changed their orders, and gave directions that she should be beheaded within the verge of the Tower. She saw her husband led to execution, and having given him from the window some token of her remembrance, she waited with tranquillity till her own appointed hour should bring her to a like fate. She even saw his headless body carried back in a cart; and found herself more confirmed by the reports, which she heard of the constancy of his end, than shaken by so tender and melancholy a spectacle. Sir John Gage, constable of the Tower, when he led her to execution, desired her to bestow on him some small present, which he might keep as a perpetual memorial of her. She gave him her table-book, in which she had just written three sentences, on seeing her husband's dead body; one in Greek, another in Latin, and a third in English. The purport of them was, that human justice was against his body, but the Divine Mercy would be favourable to his soul: and that if her fault deserved punishment, her youth, at least, and her imprudence, were worthy of excuse; and that God and posterity, she trusted, would show her favour.'-Hume.

Lady Jane Grey, before she was twelve years old, was mistress of eight languages. She wrote and spoke the English tongue with elegance and accuracy. French, Italian, Latin, and even Greek, she possessed to a perfection as if they were native to her, and she had made some progress in Hebrew, Chaldee, and Arabic. Yet she did not, like some learned ladies I have heard of, in pursuit of these extraordinary acquisitions, fall into any neglect of those more useful and ornamental arts, which are peculiarly to be desired in the female sex. The delicacy of her taste displayed itself in the variety of her needle-works, and even in the beauty and regularity of her hand-writing. She played admirably upon various instruments of music, and accompanied them with a voice peculiarly sweet, It was in the summer 1550, when she was exactly

thirteen years of age, that she received a visit at Broadgate from Roger Ascham, schoolmaster to the princess Elizabeth. He had become acquainted with her in the court of King Edward VI, and had been equally struck with the greatness of her attainments, and the sweetness of her character.

When he arrived he found that the Marquis and Marchioness of Dorset, with all their attendants of either sex, were gone a hunting in the park. Lady Jane however was in her apartment, and when Mr. Ascham was introduced, he found her busy, reading the Phædon of Plato in the original Greek. Astonished at what he saw, after the first compliments, the venerable instructor asked her, why she lost such pastime as there must needs be in the park? At which smiling, she answered, I wisse all their sport in the park is but a shadow to that pleasure that I find in Plato. Alas, good folk, they never felt what true pleasure meant! This naturally leading him to inquire how a lady of her age had attained to this deep knowledge of pleasure, and what had allured her to it, she made the following reply: I will tell you, and tell you a troth, which perchance ye will marvel at. One of the greatest benefits that ever' God gave me, is that he sent me so sharp and severe parents, and so gentle a schoolmaster. For, when I am in presence either of father or mother, whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand, or go, eat, drink, be merry, or sad, be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing any thing else, I must do it as it were in such weight, measure, and number, even so perfectly as God made the world; or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea presently sometimes with pinches, nips, and bobs, and other ways (which I will not name, for the honour I bear thein), so without measure misordered, that I think myself in Hell, till the time come that I must go to Mr. Aylmer, [one of Lady Jane's preceptors, afterwards Bishop of London,] who teacheth me so gently, so pleasantly, with such fair allurements to learning, that I think all the time nothing whiles I ani

with him. And, when I am called from him, I fall on weeping, because whatsoever I do else but learning, is full of grief, trouble, fear, and wholly misliking unto me. And thus my book hath been so much my pleasure, and bringeth daily to me more pleasure and more, that in respect of it all other pleasures in deed be but trifles and very troubles unto me.'

very

Marcliffe.

*12. 1768.-FRANCIS II, EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA,

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Valentine was an antient presbyter of the church: he suffered martyrdom in the persecution under Claudius II, at Rome; being beaten with clubs, and then beheaded, in the Via Flaminia, about the year 270.

The day Saint Valentine,

When maids are brisk, and at the break of day
Start up and turn their pillows, curious all
To know what happy swain the fates provide
A mate for life. Then follows thick discharge
Of true-love knots and sonnets nicely penned,
But to the learned critic's eye no verse,
But prose distracted.

VALENTINE'S DAY.

The tuneful choir in amorous strains
Accost their feathered loves;

While each fond mate, with equal pains,
The tender suit approves.

With cheerful hop from spray to spray
They sport along the meads;
In social bliss together stray,

Where love or fancy leads.

HURDIS.

Through Spring's gay scenes each happy pair
Their fluttering joys pursue;

Its various charms and produce share,
For ever kiud and true.

Their sprightly notes from every shade
Their mutual loves proclaim;
Till Winter's chilling blasts invade,
And damp th' enlivening flame.

Then all the jocund scene declines,
Nor woods nor meads delight;
The drooping tribe in secret pines,
And mourns th' unwelcome sight.
Go, blissful warblers! timely wise,
Th' instructive moral tell;
Nor thou their meaning lays despise,
My charming Aunabelle!

JAGO,

16.-QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.-See SEPTUAGESIMA, p. 30.

18. SHROVE TUESDAY.

This day is also called 'Fastern's Een' and Pancake Tuesday. Shrove is the preterite of shrive, an antiquated word, which signifies to hear or make confession. On this day it was usual for the people to confess, that they might be the better prepared for the observation of the ensuing season of penitence, and for receiving the sacrament at Easter. It was afterwards converted into a day of idle sports and amusements; and within these few years, in many parts of England, its anniversary was distinguished by riot and drunkenness, by bull-baiting, cock-fighting, and such other diversions as were calculated to promote cruelty and inhumanity. The Popish Carnival commences from Twelfth-day, and holds till Lent. See T. T. for 1815, p. 48.

18. 1546.—LUTHER DIED.

19.-ASH WEDNESDAY.

Lent is not of apostolic institution, nor was it known in the earlier ages of the Christian church. This day was formerly called Caput Jejunii, the head of the fast, and Dies Cinerum, or Ash Wednesday. The latter appellation is derived from the discipline of the antient church, in regard to penitents, who, on the first day of Lent, had ashes thrown upon them, and their heads covered with sackcloth.

24. SAINT MATTHIAS.

Matthias was, probably, one of the seventy disciples, and was a constant attendant upon our Lord, from the time of his baptism by St. John until his ascension. He was afterwards, near the river Asparus, murdered by some barbarians. The gospel and traditions published under his name are considered spurious.

*25. 1723.-SIR CHRISTOPHER WRen died.

The churches, the royal courts, the stately halls, magazines, palaces, and other public structures designed by Sir Christopher Wren, are proud trophies of his unparalleled genius, and lasting monuments of British talent. If the whole art of building were lost, it might be again recovered in the cathedral of St. Paul, and in that grand historical pillar the Monument. These would alone have eternized his memory; but when we superadd Greenwich Hospital, Chelsea Hospital, the theatre at Oxford, Trinity College Library, and Emanuel College, Cambridge-the churches of St. Stephen in Walbrook, St. Mary-lebow, and FIFTY-TWO others in London-while we contemplate these, and many other public edifices erected or repaired under his direction, we are at a loss which most to admire-the fertile ingenuity or the persevering industry of the artist. 'Lector, si monumentum requiris,―circumspice.'

26.-EMBER WEEK.

The Ember days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent, and after the 13th of December. It is enjoined by a canon of the church, that deacons and ministers be ordained, or made, but only on the Sundays immediately following these Ember feasts.'-Nelson.

*26. 1802.-Dr. Geddes died.

MACARONIC VERSES.

All in a word, qui se oppressos most heavily credunt
Legibus injustis, test-oatḥibus atque profanis;

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