There's powder enough And combustible stuff The Lord can tell whither, And decide at one blow all their quarrels. When the king and his son And I'll be the head of the church. Then Satan was struck, But you for your news shall be thanked, St. Leonard is retained in the church of England calendar and almanacs, from his ancient popularity in Romish times. He is the titular saint of many of our great churches, and was particularly invoked in behalf of prisoners. A list of holydays published at Worcester, in 1240, ordains St. Leonard's festival to be kept a half-holyday, enjoins the bearing of mass, and prohibits all labour except that of the plough. St. Leonard was a French nobleman in the court of Clovis I., where he was converted by St. Remigius, or Remy; became a monk, built an oratory for himself in a forest at Nobilac, near Limoges, lived on herbs and fruits, and formed a community, which after his death was a flourishing monastery under the name of St. Leonard le Noblat. He was remarkable for charity towards captives and prisoners, and died about 559, with the reputation of having worked miracles in their behalf❤ Ahan Butler. The legend of St. Leonard relates that there was no water within a mile of his monastery, "wherfore he did do make a pyt all drye, the which he fylled with water by his prayers-and he shone there by so grete myracles, that who that was in prison, and called his name in ayde, anone his bondes and fetters were broken, and went awaye without ony gaynsayenge frely, and came presentyng to hym theyr haynes or yrens." It is particularly related that one of St. Leonard's converts "was taken of a tyraunt," which tyrant, considering by whom his prisoner was protected, determined so to secure him against Leonard, as to "make hym paye for his raunsom a thousand shyllynges." Therefore, said the tyrant, "I shall go make a ryght grete and depe pyt vnder the erth in my toure, and I shall cast hym therin bounden with many bondes; and I shal do make a chest of tree vpon the mouth of the pyt, and shall make my knygutes to lye therin all armed; and how be it that yf Leonarde breke the yrons, yet shall he not entre into it vnder the erth." Having done as he said, the prisoner called on St. Leonard, who at night "came and turned the chest wherein the knyghtes laye armed, and closed them therein, lyke as deed men ben in a tombe, and after entred into the pyt with grete lyght," and he spoke to the prisoner, from whom the chains fell off, and he "toke hym in his armes and bare hym out of the toureand sette nym at home in his hous." And other great marvels are told of St. Leonard as true as this." The miracles wrought by St. Leonard in releasing prisoners continued after his death, but at this time the saint has ceased from interposing in their behalf even on his festival; which, being the first day of Michaelmas term, and therefore the day whereon writs issued since the Trinity term are made returnable, would be a convenient season for the saint's interposition. This day the long vocation o'er, • Golden Legena, And having got all things in fitness, Poor Robin. NATURALISTS' CALENDAK Mean Temperature ... 43 · 40. November 7. ORIGIN OF THE LONDON GAZETTE. On the 7th day of November, 1665, the first "Gazette" in England was published at Oxford; the court being there at that time, on account of the plague. On the removal of the court to London, the title was changed to the "London Gazette." The "Oxford Gazette" was published or Tuesdays, the London on Saturdays: and these have continued to be the days of publication ever since. The word gazette originally meant a newspaper, or printed account of the transactions of all the countries in the known world, in a loose sheet or half sheet; but the term is with us confined to that paper of news now published by authority. It derived its name from gazetta, a kind of small coin formerly current at Venice, which was the usual price of the first newspaper printed there.* This " November 9. LORD MAYOR'S DAY. great day in the calendar" of the city, is the subject of the following whimsical adaptation. Now countless turbots and unnumbered soles In the subjoined humorous account of a former civic procession and festival, there are some features which do not belong to the present celebrations. LORD MAYOR'S DAY, 1773. To describe the adventures and incidents of this important day in the city annals, it is very necessary to revert to the preceding evening. It is not now as it was formerly "That sober citizens get drunk by nine." Had Pope lived in the auspicious reign of George III., he would have indulged us at least two hours, and found a rhyme for eleven. On the evening of the 8th of November, the stands of several livery companies clogged the passage of Cheapside and the adjacent streets. The night was passed in erecting the temporary sheds, sacred to city mirth, ruby gills, and round paunches. The earliest dawn of the morning witnessed the industry of the scavengers; and the broom-maker was, for once, the first patriot in the city. This service done, repair we to Guildhall. At five in the morning the spits groaned beneath the ponderous sirloins. These, numerous as large, proved that the "roast beef of Old England" is still thonght an ornament to our tables. The chandeliers in the hall were twelve in number, each provided with forty-eight wax candles; exclusive of which there were three large glass lamps, two globular lamps under the giants, and wax candles in girandoles. Hustings were raised at each end of the hall for the accommodation of the superior company, and tables laid through the centre for persons of lower rank. One advantage arose from the elevation at the west end of the hall, for the inscription under Beckford's statue was thereby rendered perfectly legible. Tables were spread in the court of king's-bench, which was provided with one chandelier of forty-eight candles. All the seats were either matted, hung with tapestry, or covered with crimson cloth, and the whole made a very noble appearance. By eleven o'clock the windows from Blackfriars-bridge, to the north end of King street, began to exhibit such a number of angelic faces, as would tempt a man to wish for the honour of chief magistracy, if it were only to be looked at by so many fine eyes. There was scarce a house that could not boast a Venus for its tenant. At fifteen minutes past ten the common serjeant entered Guildhall, and in a few minutes the new lord-mayor, preceded by four footmen in elegant liveries of brown and gold, was brought into the hall in a superb sedan chair. Next came alderman Plomer, and then the recorder, who was so mnch afflicted with the gout, that it required the full exertion of his servant's strength to support him. Mr. Alderman Thomas arrived soon after, then the two sheriffs, and lastly Mr. Crosby. There being no other alderman, Mr. Peckham could not be sworn into his office. At twenty minutes past eleven the lord mayor left the hall, being preceded by the city sword and mace, and followed by the alderman and sheriffs. The breakfast in the council chamber, at Guildhall, consisted of six sirloins of beef, twelve tureens of soup, mulled wines, pastry, &c. The late lord-mayor waited at the end of Kingstreet to join the procession. As soon as his carriage moved, the mob began to groan and hiss, on which he burst into so immoderate a fit of laughter, evidently unforced, that the mob joined in one laughing chorus, and seemed to wonder what they had hissed at. The procession by water was as usual, but rather tedious, as the tide was 'contrary. The ceremonies at Westminsterhall being gone through in the customary manner, the company returned by water to Blackfriars-bridge, where the lordinayor landed at about three o'clock, and proceeded in solemn state to Guildhall, where the tables groaned beneath the weight of solids and dainties of every kind in season: the dishes of pastry, &c. were elegantly adorned with flowers of various sorts interspersed with bay-leaves; and many an honest freeman got a nose-gay at the city expense. A superb piece of confectionary was placed on the lordmayor's table, and the whole entertainment was splendid and magnificent. During the absence of the lord-mayor, such of the city companies as have not barges paraded the streets in the accustomed manner; and the man in armour exhibit. ed to the delight of the little masters and misses, and the astonishment of many a gaping rustic. The lord-mayor appeared to be in good health and spirits, and to enjoy the applausive shouts of his fellowcitizens, probably from a consciousness of having deserved them. Mr. Gates, the city marshal, was as fine as powder and ribbons and gold could make him; his horse, too, was almost as fine, and nearly as stately as the rider. Mr. Wilkes came through the city in a chair, carried on men's shoulders, just before the procession, in order to keep it up, and be saluted with repeated shouts. The lord-mayor's coach was elegant, and his horses (longtailed blacks) the finest that have been seen for many years. There were a great number of constables round Mr. Alderman Townsend's coach; and a complaint has since been made, that he was grossly insulted. The night concluded as usual, and many went home at morning with dirty clothes and bloody faces.* Some recent processions on lord-mayor's day are sufficiently described by these lines :— Scarce the shrill trumpet or the echoing horn But soon, as pleased they win their wat❜ry way, Behind, their posts, a troop attendant gain, • Gentleman's Magazine. While martial bands with nodding plumes appear, Here too a Chief the opening ranks display, Mr. Alderman Wood on the first day of his second mayoralty, in 1916, deviated from the usual procession by water, from Westminster-hall to London, and returned attended by the corporation, in their carriages, through Parliament-street, by the way of Charing-cross, along the Strand, Fleet-street, and so up Ludgatenill, and through St. Paul's churchyard. to Guildhall whereon lord Sidmouth, as high steward of the city and liberties of Westminster, officially protested against the lord-mayor's deviation, "in order, that the same course may not be drawn into precedent, and adopted on future occasion." any During Mr. Alderman Wood's first mayoralty he committed to the house of correction, a working sugar-baker, for having left his employment in consequence of a dispute respecting wages.The prisoner during his confinement not having received personal correction, according to the statute, in consequence in the warrant of committal, he actually of no order to that effect being specified brought an action against the lord-mayor in the court of common pleas, for nonconformity to the law. It was proved that he had not been whipped, and therefore the jury were obliged to give a farthing damages; but the point of law was reserved.* On the 6th of September, 1776, the then lord-mayor of London, was robbed near Turnham-green in his chaise and four, in sight of all his retinue, by a single highwayman, who swore he would shoot • Gentleman's Magazine. November 10. A FATHER'S WISHES. Richard Corbet, bishop of Norwicn, wrote the following excellent lines TO HIS SON, VINCENT CORBET, Bishop Corbet, a native of Ewell in Surrey, was educated at Westminster school, and Christchurch, Oxford; took the degree of M. A. in 1605, entered into holy orders, became doctor of divinity • Gentleman's Magazine. |