W. SMITH, (Late D. HUMPHREY,) BOOT & SHOE MANUFACTURER, 58, BATH STREET, LEAMINGTON. Ladies', Gentlemen's, and Children's Boots and Shoes of English and Foreign Manufacture always in Stock. Goods of every Description made to Order. THE ANGLO-BAVARIAN BREWERY COMPANY'S PURE ALES, IN CASK AND BOTTLE. The only FIRST-CLASS MEDAL for BRITISH BEER, WORLD'S EXHIBITION, VIENNA, 1873, And the GOLD MEDAL at the PARIS EXHIBITION, 1878. These Ales combine the essential properties of the best productions of Burton-onTrent with those of Munich, Vienna, and Strasburg, brewed upon the Bavarian System. SAMPLES CAN BE TASTED. Agent for COLERIDGE and Co.'s CIDER AND PERRY, In Draught and in Bottle, OFFICES & STORES-10, GLOUCESTER ST. JAMES BROWN, Agent. "OUR HOME." "The day's toil over, what can better be TRANGERS passing through a crowded city are frequently dazzled by the multitude, their mental vision becomes confused and indistinct, the power of discrimination is lost, and the remembrance carried away is often that of the view of a shifting kaleidoscope rather than a series of distinct impressions. Very many pass thus through this world-the tumult of ideas, the variety of objects destroy the power of judgment, and instead of gaining experience and knowledge from all that they have encountered they are as confused and indiscriminating when they arrive at the end of the journey of life, as the stranger in a strange city to whom we have referred. The importance of avoiding this condition cannot be over-estimated, and it behoves every one to acquire the faculty of right judgment, and of determining what is and what is not good in the region of both moral and physical things. The cultivation of correct views of right and wrong, of true perception in art, of the power of discriminating character, are all matters of serious moment; and it is not less important to develop the faculty of right judgment in respect of matters which refer to the clothes we wear and the food we eat. What can be more delightful than those social days in the "good old times" described by Brady, in his well-known metrical version of the "Psalms: " "When in discourse of Nature's mystic powers After a long and dreary day's work the tired factory hand, or weary seamstress, finds on reaching "Home" the invigorating cup of tea, and under its soothing influence the drooping spirits revive, the whole system is renewed, and life once again made capable of enjoyment and recreation. Did you ever give it a thought-"What should we do without Tea?" The answer is very difficult to find; nor should we in our admiration of the rare and curious, which yield only a passing sensation, overlook the more homely, familiar objects which daily administer to our health and comfort, telling us in sublime words, that this fickle age requires more marked at tention, to enable us to obtain the wholesome and pure necessaries of life. There are many persons who are perfectly sensible of all the agreeable qualities of good Tea, and are in the daily habit of drinking it, to their great benefit; but on the other hand, there are no doubt some who from defective early training, or want of ordinary thought, offer their unfortunate families a nauseous compound, without once reflecting on the permanent injury that must follow, thus entailing a constant effort of Nature to recover lost strength-it being an undisputed fact that inferir Tea brings a sensation of sinking, a craving, an emptiness, and fluttering in the chest (particularly after the of properly following his or her avocation. morning meal), rendering the person incapable In a climate like ours, where the winters are uncertain, moist and foggy, in constitutions where mind and body are equally liable to fits of depression, a beverage is required that shall give tone to the system and vigour to the frame; this is found in pure, wholesome, and unadulterated Tea. We admit there is no commercial commodity which "gives more room for judgment," nor can it be expected that every buyer of Tea can be an " 'expert," or able to judge at sight of its true qualities; but this we do assert, the Public are real judges of good Tea when the test of the Tea-pot is applied. Nor can it be disputed that the 4,000 Agents which daily supply the British public with the Pure Tea imported by because on all hands they receive unqualified Messrs. Horniman are equally alive to the fact; praise and expressions of satisfaction of its very excellent quality. History tells us that some forty years ago, an enterprising firm conceived the idea of importing Tea direct, and prohibiting the use of coloring or facing powder Horniman, of London, and there was good on their supplies. This firm was Messrs. reason for this course; because the absurd cusEnglish market with prussic blue and plumbago, tom of John Chinaman in painting Tea for the less brown leaves, and so pass them off as the was to disguise or glaze over the defects of worthbest to the consumer's loss in health and pocket. ed Agents made safe to the consumer the quality Further, the direct supply through duly-appointand quantity purchased, each Packet bearing the it contained Pure Tea only. Importers' signature and personal guarantee that has the success of this system of supply proved, So unequalled that Messrs. Horniman have extended their business to all parts of the known world-a benefit that has been eagerly accepted as a boon and a blessing-Tea previously, from its very high price, having been used only as a luxury. A lasting impression is inade on the mind of every reader who realizes that upwards of 5,000,000 (five millions of Packets) of Horniman's Pure Tea were sold in England alone during the year just passed. 1st Month, 1879. Full Moon Last Quarter New Moon First Quarter JANUARY-31 days. THE MOON'S CHANGES. 12 1st Sund. aft. Epiphany. 4 was first given 13 M The name of "Puritan" (about 1560) to those persons who aimed at 14 Tu. greater purity of doctrine, holiness of liv- 4 ing, and stricter discipline than others. 15 W Spenser (author of Faerie Queene) died, 1599.8 16 Th" The gentle Spenser, Fancy's pleasing son, Who, like a copious river, poured his song O'er all the mazes of enchanted ground." Edward Bulwer, Lord Lytton died, 1872. 17 F 18S 657 18 8 21 19 14s 943 20 3r 11 621 17s After 22 Mid 1 57 24 3 23 25 4 45 26 7 31 29 NOTES TO THE CALENDAR. 7.-SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE, the most celebrated portrait painter of his age, was born at Bristol, on May 4, 1769, and was the son of an inkeeper in poor circumstances. His father (the son of a clergyman), tried every means to gain a living, and at the time of his birth was the landlord of the White Lion" Inn. But as the business did not succeed, he went to Devizes, where he took another inn. The boy, when but six years of age, evinced remarkable aptitude and skill in taking por traits; his father would often introduce him to the guests in the innparlour, who were chiefly farmers of the vicinity, that he might turn his gift to profitable account-the good-natured farmers being well pleased to have their "pictures taken"-and the little artist's fees formed a considerable adjunct to his father's receipts. The time came, however, when he had a more illustrious person to sit to him for his portrait, as will be seen by the following anecdote: One day Lord and Lady Kenyon happened to stop at the "Black Bear," on their way to Bath. The boy's father entered their apartment, and began to expatiate on the precocious genius of his boy, who, he said, could not only recite them their likenesses, whichever they poetry or speeches, but could take pleased! At first Lady Kenyon was somewhat annoyed by the interruption; but there presently capered into the room, straddling upon a stick, a most lovely and spirited boy, his beautiful face flushed with duced to stand still, and desist from exercise. As soon as he could be inhis gambols, Lady Kenyon took him into her arms, and asked him if he could take the likeness of that gentleman, pointing to the future Lord Chief Justice. The boy immediately exclaimed, "Yes, that I can, and very like, too!" To carry out the joke the materials were sent for, the child in the meantime pursuing his play. The preparations being made, the boy, throwing aside his mimic horse, was lifted on the table, and placed in a chair, from which height he took Lord Kenyon's likeness with a rapidity and correctness truly astonishing. That done, he was impatient to begone to his play; but his lordship, coaxing him, asked 4 20s 7 59r 4 22s 19 20 M 21 Tu 22 W 23 Th 24 F 2nd Sund. aft. Epiphany. 7 58r Garrick died, 1779.-One day a bishop met 4 25s Garrick, to whom he said, "How is it, Mr. Garrick, that your house is crowded, and 7 56r people pay to get in, while my cathedral is all but empty, though admission is free?" "The reason," said Garrick, "is plain. In my house we speak fiction as if we believed 7 54r it to be truth. In your cathedral you speak truth as if you believed it to be fiction!" 5 56 27 6 52 28 1 9 To write a good hand, wear a good coat, and keep a good character, are the three great requisites for a young man who has his own way to make in the world. Character is like cloth. If white it can be dyed black; but once blackened it cannot be dyed white. he could take the likeness of the lady. The boy exclaimed, “Yes, that I can, if she will only turn her side to me, for her face is not straight! This produced a burst of laughter; for Lady Kenyon had a slight curvature of the nose. The child, however, took the profile, with which her ladyship was extremely satisfied; and so was the boy's father with the gratuity he received for the boy's exercise of his skill! From that period until he was eight years of age the future painter went to school, but beyond this, and a few lessons in French, his educa tion was self-acquired. At eighteen, Lawrence, with his parents, proceed ed to London, where he commenced life by painting portraits at a guinea each. The future career of the artist is well-known to those who take an interest in the art-world. In 1793, 1 66 THE GREATEST WEALTH IS CONTENTMENT WITH LITTLE." being then in his 23rd year only, he was appointed painter to the king. Progressing in fame, in 1815, the Prince of Wales sat to him for his portrait; and subsequently the son of an innkeeper had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him. At the height of his fame, and not in the least anticipating the end of his career. Sir Thomas Lawrence died, on January 7, 1830, of ossification of the heart. He never married. In early life he was engaged to the daughter of Mr. Siddons, but it was broken off by the lady's father, as he did not deem the match a suitable one, in consequence of the inadequacy of the painter's income, which was then very small. Lawrence never recovered this disappointment, During the whole of his career he was in the receipt of considerable sums of money, but he had a family of sisters and brothers who depended largely upon him, and this, combined with his only extravagance-the purchase of works of art-kept him poor, and compelled him frequently to seek payment for his paintings before they were finished. 24-PIERRE AUGUSTIN CARON DE BEAUMARCHAIS-the son of a clockmaker at Paris-was a man of singular versatility of talent-being extremely clever as an artist, politician, merchant, and dramatist. He was brought up to his father's Occupation, when he acquired so much skill in mechanics, that he became the inventor of a new kind of escapement for watches, which brought him into notice at the French court, where having considerable musical talent, playing exceedingly well on the flute and harp, (which latter instrument he much improved), he became a great favourite with the daughters of Louis XVI. This notice on the part of royalty encouraged and fostered the natural pride and presumption of Beaumarchais, which, joined to the haughty and pompous manner he assumed, made him many enemies. Having had transactions with Duverney, the rich farmer-general, at his death Beaumarchais was involved in law-suits with his heir, and gained great popularity from the wit, satire, and sound reasoning which distinguished his various pleadings and memorials in the suit. Beaumarchais is best known to the world, however, as the author of several comedies, of which "The Barber of Seville" and "The Marriage of Figaro" are the best-the latter meeting, on its appearance, with immense success; and for two years it was acted thrice a week. It Iras been calculated that it brought a profit of 300,000 francs to the theatre in which it was performed, and nearly 100,000 francs to the author. It was also translated and represented in different countries, and at the present day is frequently performed. At the time of the Revolution, Beaumarchais was made a member of the provisionary commune; but in a short time he found it expedient to leave Paris, and take refuge in England. Subsequently he returned to France, and died in Paris, in 1799, after experiencing great vicissitudes, and having but little of the great property remaining that he once possessed. EXTRAORDINARY CALCULATORS. "Genius must be born, and never can be taught."-DRYDEN. EDEDIAH BUXTON, whose skill in mental calculation excited so much curiosity about the middle of the last century, was born at Elmton, in Derbyshire, about the year 1705. Although the son of a schoolmaster, and the grandson of the vicar of his native parish, he had, strange to say, never learned to write, but could mentally conduct the most intricate calculations. Such was his power of abstraction that no noise could disturb him when so engaged. How he came first to know the relative proportions of numbers and their progressive denominations he did not remember. His memory was so powerful, that while solving an arithmetical problem, he could leave off and resume the operation next morning, a week, a month, or even several months afterwards, until completed. The following particulars have been recorded respecting him : Though ignorant of the common rules of arithmetic, as taught in the schools, yet if any space of time were mentioned, he would, without the use of pen, pencil, or chalk, and by mere mental calculation, tell how many minutes it contained. He was once asked this question-" In a body whose three sides are 23,145,789 yards, 5,643,732 yards, and 54,965 yards, respectively, how many cubical eighths of an inch ?" immediately set to work, although in the midst of a great number of labourers, and in about five hours produced the exact number. He Jedediah would pace a field, and ascertain the contents almost as exactly as if measured by a chain. In this manner he measured the whole lordship of Elmton, of some thousand acres, and presented the owner (Sir John Rhodes) with the aggregate contents, not only in acres, roods, and perches, but even in square inches. After having done this, for his own amusement he then reduced the whole into hair breadths! When he went to church, instead of listening to the exhortation of the preacher, he would amuse himself by counting the words used in the delivery of the sermon. He could number all the pints of beer he had drunk at all the houses he had ever visited during half-a-century, and found the total to be five thousand one hundred and sixteen pints. Jedediah said that he was once "drunk with reckoning," having employed his brain and memory thirty days. He recovered himself after sleeping seven hours. The sum that exercised him on this occasion was:-" In 200,000 million cubic miles how many grains of eight different kinds of corn and pulse, and how many hairs one inch long?" First ascertaining by actual counting how many of each kinds of grain and how many hairs an inch long would go to an inch cube, he set himself to work out his enormous, and, apparently, impossible task, and accomplished it. He once set himself to reckon how much a farthing would amount to if doubled 140 times-the result, which he gave correctly, coming out in a stupendous number of pounds sterling. In 1754 Buxton visited London, with the express intention of obtaining a sight of the king and queen, but in this he was disappointed. He was, however, introduced to the Royal Society, who, after witnessing his great powers of calculation, gave him a handsome present. During his stay in London he was taken to Drury Lane Theatre to see Richard III. performed; and it was expected that the novelty and splendour of the scene would have filled him with astonishment; but Jedediah only listened to the great actor (Garrick), in order that he might count the number of words he uttered, a task in which he perfectly succeeded. London excited no ambition in Jedediah's dull soul, and he returned to his native village to 2nd Month, 1879. FEBRUARY-28 days. .... 42 min. past 1 morning. 53 min. past 6 evening. 3 min. past 4 morning. HOPE IS 1S The "Inchcape," or Bell-rock Light, exhibited for the first time, 1811. TRUTH NEEDS NOT TRANY WORDS. NOTES TO THE CALENDAR. 15.-THE celebrated sculptor, engraver, goldsmith, and author, BENVENUTO CELLINI, was born at Florence, in the year 1500. At an early age he displayed a taste for drawing: but the highest ambition of his father, a musician, was that he should become an expert player on the flute. To this the boy objected; and being bound apprentice to a jeweller and goldsmith, he made great progress 7 41r A.M. 10 in that business, and became a dexterous workman. Having entangled himself in a quarrel with some of SUNS MOON Rises Rises & Sets & Sets. Sets Age. 24th Sun. aft. Epiphany. 4 488 4 28 11 the townspeople, he was banished 3M (2.) Candlemas Day.- 6 713 6 42 14 7 38r 5 23 12 •Rises P.M. 15 10M George Herbert died, 1633. The 5 38 10 15 19 11 Tu Tram-roads is an abbreviation of Mr. 7 23r 11 42 20 12 W Outram, who, in 1800, made improvements 5 6s Mid- 21 13Th then in use in some parts of the north of 7 19r A.. 14F Valentine's Day. in the system of roads for common vehicles, England. 15 S Benvenuto Cellini died, 1570. [16. Flechier, bishop of Nismes, died, 1710. Sexagesima Sunday. Night 5 10s 233 23 3 48 24 7 16r 17 M Michael Angelo (painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer) died, 1564.-He was never 7 12r married. To one who lamented that he 5 18s had no children, Angelo replied "My works must supply their place; and if they 7 8 are good for anything, they will live hereIt would have been unfortunate for after. Lorenzo Ghiberti-had he not left the doors 5 22s of Saint Giovanni-for his sons and nephews 7 4r have long since dissipated his wealth; but his sculpture remains, and will record his 5 25s name for future ages.' 16 Sun. 7 Or cine first appeared in 1769, and its popu- 5 298 25 Tu larity became so great that no less than nineteen editions of the book, amounting 6 55r 10 47 26 W Ash Wednesday. | to 80,000 copies, were sold during 5 32s 11 59 27 Th the author's life time. He died at the age of 77.) Ten days per annum is the average amount of sickness in human life. 28 F A.M. for six months by the authorities, during which time he worked with a goldsmith at Vienna, where he ac quired additional experience. After a variety of adventures and changes of residence, occasioned by his tur bulent and ungovernable temper, he was taken into the service of Pope Clement VII., in the double capacity of musician and goldsmith. the latter art Cellini had greatly im proved himself during his travels, and he added to it seal-engraving; damasking steel, medalling, and all the most curious ornamental arts of that age. It was his practice, when famous in any particular branch, to of his dexterity in handicraft, the present when a surgeon was about following is told:-One day he was to perform an operation on a young girl's hand. Cellini, observing the instrument he was about to use was a clumsy one, asked the surgeon to wait for a little while. Proceeding to his workshop, he returned in a short time with a beautifully finished knife which he had made out of the finest steel, and with this the operation was successfully performed. In addition to all these acquirements. Cellini was likewise an expert engineer, and was employed by the Pope in the defence of the Castle of St. Angelo, at the famous sack of Rome by the Constable Bourbon. In his Autobiography-(a remarkably curious and interesting work, which gives a complete picture of the author's life and character) ever he heard of a workman who was make it his study to surpass him. Cellini claims the honour of having, with his own hand, not only shot the Constable while scaling the walls of the city, but also of having directed the cannon which killed the Prince of Orange. Cellini was employed by Pope Clement to make stamps for the Roman mint, and the coins struck during that period are of the greatest finish and beauty. After the death of Clement he returned to Florence, where the Grand Duke patronised him. The heads of this duke which he made for the Florentine mint are so exquisite, that the coins from them have been preserved like ancient medals. Cellini's unsettled disposition then led him to visit France, but though graciously received by Francis I., he soon grew tired of that country and returned to Rome, where he underwent a long imprisonment in the Castle of St. Angelo, on a charge of having robbed that fortress of a great treasure which had been entrusted to him during the siege. Cellini made a wonderful escape from his prison, was retaken, and underwent extra |