ST. DUNSTAN'S CLOCK. ST. DUNSTAN'S in the West (which The building is very ancient, having probably been built about 500 years ago, as there are Memorandums of Funerals there since 1421. There were formerly numerous windows in front, but several of them have been closed with brickwork; in fact, the edifice has at various periods undergone so many repairs and alterations, that very little of the original structure remains. It had a narrow escape from the great fire in 1666, the flames subsiding but three houses from it. Against the eastern end there is placed a statue of Queen Elizabeth (which originally ornamented one of the City Gates), with the following in From the front of this church a beam projects over the foot-way, at the end of which is placed a clock, and in the wall is a square opening, containing two figures of savages, of the size of life, as represented above. These, by a whimsical contrivance, strike the hours and quarters on two bell's suspended between them, an exhibition which attracts at least twenty pair of eyes every quarter of an hour, especially those of children and coun try-folks, who, however, would do well to attend to a sage morsel of advice given at page 42 of our present volume. This piece of mechanisin was set up in 1671, and in 1738 the repair of it cost the parish the sum of 1101. Enteresting Varieties. ACROSTIC. T HO' Tom will grumble, and declare March 2, 1824. RECEIVED of Mrs. EM, the sum of ten shillings and sixpence, for a quarter's rent for my garret, due at Lady-Day last past, being in full of all demands to this day and for evermore Amen. I say received by me G-C-, Master of a Chandler's Shop near Holborn. Query. If the said Mrs. E-Mshould for the future contract any debts with the said G-C, will the mid sum, or sums (on Mrs. E-M-'s producing the above receipt) be recoverable by the said G-C-, as the above Receipt seems a perpetual one? FRENCH ENGLISH. COPY OF A LETTER FROM A FRENCH TRAVELLER IN ENGLAND TO A FRIEND C-d-s Priory, Sunday, Aug. 27th till Sept. 10th that I shall go at Lady E. F.-My dear E.-I am shamful to have not had the pleasure to enter tain you since you have with disdain abandon London, but the respect to which I am indebted for your elder sister, had oblige me to think of her Ladyship before you; i hope that you have a better weather during your excursions on the Lacs than that we have here, for almost every day the tunder is rolling upon our heads with noise that should faint you, being as coward as a turkey, but what is more tiresome, is the Convulations of peoples, which seeing the rains fall all the days, predict us with famine, plague and civilized wars, by scarcity of bread; but it is a great error, for the harvest looke very well; be not surprised i write so perfectly well in English, but since i am hare, i speake and hear all the day english; and during the night, if some rats or mouses trouble me, i tell them "Golon," and they obey perfectly well, understanding my English. Sir G-e is suffering Rheumatism. Lady H---e O---e who have the pretension to be a very good physitian, but who is very ignorant, after that he have yesterday well breakfast, has given him a Physic, and after he have dined she gave him another; and she desired that he would take a walk au clair de la Lune, in place of be near good fire; no, a dog or a cat would be more prudent, Before yesterday, the brother having set out and dranke too much, and being tormented with a strong indignation, my Lady gave him 8 grains of James's Powder; the unhappy brother was near to die, and one was obliged to send to a Physitian at Shelford, who arriving, found him so well that he judged it best to wait if the nature would save him or not; but happily being a strong nature, he was restored. Lady H---e the best of women, is the worst of physitians; she had killed some years ago a Superb Ox with James's Powder; and on another occasion, having received 24 Turkeys, very fatigued to have walked to foot a long journey, she contrived, to refresh them, to give them some Huile de Castor; but 12 of that number died, and the rest did look melancholy so long as they did live; i have received at this moment a letter from Lady S---n; i put my thanks at her feet; as the post go at two o'clock, i have not time to write to her Ladyship, but I will comply with the liberty she gave me; be sure that I have not forgot Lady S---n, in my prayers, though not so good as I could wish indeed.-Believe the faithful friendship that I feel for you, my dear sister in Law, since that you were so much high than my finger.-Write me often, and my old wife ---Believe me, that I love a friendly letter more than a purse of Guineas. Yours, Compte, C-----7-- ECCENTRIC LEGACY. the name In the year 1814, Lady Frances Wilson; daughter of the Earl of Aylesbury, had a valuable estate left her in Hampshire, producing upwards of 30,0001. per annum, under very extraordinary circumstances, and from a very eccentric person of the name of Wright, who died in an obscure lodging in Pimlico, on the 14th March. On her ladyship being informed of the legacy, and of the name of the testator, she replied, it must be a mistake, and ridiculed the intelligence, as she did not know any gentleman of Mr. Archdeacon Pott, however, called upon her ladyship, assuring her of the correctness of the statement. The person of the deceased was then described to her, and she at last recollected that it answered that of a gentleman whom she considered to be a foreigner, who was a constant frequenter of the Opera House, and who had annoyed her extremely there, by constantly staring at her. To satisfy herself as to Mr. Wright being the same person, on learning that his corpse was not yet interred, she went to the lodgings, and saw the body, when she recollected the features of the face to be those of the person who used to be constantly looking at her at the Opera; but she never, to her knowledge, saw him upon any other occasion, nor did she know his name, or who he was. The deceased was a constant attendant at St. Martin's Church, but had no regular pew; he occasionally gave the pewopener a shilling, and at Christmas he always gave her a guinea. In his will he left a legacy of 10001: to Archdeacon Pott, the rector of St. Martin's, as a mark of his approbation of a sermon he heard him preach. The Archdeacon had no knowledge of Mr. Wright. He also left the following legacies ---10001. to the Lord Chancellor; 40001. to the Speaker of the House of Commons. He had no more knowledge of any of these distinguished characters than he had of Lady Frances Wilson. The remains of Mr. Wright were interred in his family vault at Drayton. know; For tho they may disown my aid, 1 first was known, as story says, But in long journeys (for his fate Herode, and faced whate'er ill weather, Clad in a coat of baize or leather. I raise and blast the idle dreams, I ne'er should end the tedious song, 1.What is that which a woman often looks for without wishing to find? 2.What is that which becomes big ger, the more you take from it? 3. Who was killed because he did not wear a wig? 4-Who is he that seeks a man's company when his friends and, money have left him? 5-What will make many women cry more than the loss of their husbands? 6. Which has most legs, a horse or no horse? 7-Why is the letter G like the Philosopher's Stone? 8. Why is a man who loses his only son like a gloomy day? (Solutions to the above will be The wit's unchion. CURIOUS BLUNDER ---In the reign of King Charles First, the Company of Stationers, into whose hands the printing of the Bible was committed by patent, made a very remarkable blunder in one of their editions; for, instead of "Thou shalt NOT commit Adultery," they printed off some thousand copies with "Thou SHALT commit Adultery." Archbishop Laud, to punish them for their negligence, laid a considerable fine upon the Company in the Star-Chamber. MOMUS. CONFUSION OF IDEAS.---An Irish gentleman meeting an Englishman, thus addressed him: " Ah, my dear, is it you? When I saw you at the other end of the street, I thought you were your cousin; as you came nearer I thought you were yourself; and now I see you are your brother." MOMUS. J. W. B.'s" Poem" has several good lines, and the images throughout are pleasing and natural, but it is still, upon the whole, too unpolished for publication. We nevertheless should be sorry to deter him from a pursuit for which he evidently possesses considerable qualifications; and feel assured that his maturer judgment will approve of our present decision, harsh as it may now appear. We shall do our best with F. M. L.'s budget of good things, but we can say nothing about inserting the "Tale," till we have read it. Guy" shall be given in due time, but there are many prior claims on our courtesy. As to the "Encomiastic Stanzas on the Nic Nac,", we have availed ourselves of the author's permission, and have done the deed." We have some irregularities to answer for in the appearance of our work of late, but will endeavour to mend our manners for the future. RECEIVED. Sir Carwin-James T.I. K. (Wisbeach) Useful Bible," Young Ginkins,"-Tarpaulin-Label -and Twig. REJECTED. Dedimus Mrs. Malaprop-T. Glover Clarencieux - and Bengo. ERRATA Page 120, col. 1. line 25, for "feel" read "prove."-Line 44, read SPECTRE LONDON-Printed and Published day F. Walls. Camden Town and also l'ablished by C. Harris, o Street, Covent Garden, THE ROYAL CIRCUS, 1782. HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH STAGE, It a few days closed by their order. was nevertheless re-opened on the 15th of May, 1783; and a License being procured at the next General Quarter Sessions for Surrey, no farther suspension of the entertainments took place. Although performances were commenced here in 1782, the exterior was left in an unfinished state till the following Spring. The total expense of the building amounted to 15,0001. A correct repsesentation of its appearance is given above, taken from a drawing in the possession of the Editor of this work. After a lapse of a few years, Mr. Dibdin relinquished his share in the concern; and the management, having passed through various hands, fell, in 1798, into those of a Mr. J. Jones, a riding-master, and Mr. J. Cross, the author of numerous Melodramas and Burlettas produced at this Theatre, which he published some years ago in two Vols. with the title of CIRCUSIANA. Under the di |