own language, as a specimen of the orthography, and manner of pointing, which prevailed in his day. "Here wyse men J telle that Pictagoras passed sometyme by a smythes hous and herde a swete sowne and acordynge in the smytyng of four hamers upon an anuel/ and therefore he lette weye the hamers/ and founde that one of the hamers weyed-six poude the seconde of twelve, the thyrde of eight the fourth of ix.” The following is a specimen of corresponding versification. "Whiche Roger Thornye Mercer hath exhorted Wynken de Wordel of vertuous entent ing this my last will, with James Ganer, and that they, with the consent of the wardens of the parish of St. Bride's, purchase at least xx s. a year, in or near the city for to pray for my soul, and say masse." In the Survey of Colleges, a record of this last article is preserved in the following words. "The paroche of St. Brid's in Fleetstreet. Wynken de Worde, deceased xii yeres past, willed and gave to the sayde churche in money to buy landes with the same, and with the proffites thereof, to kepe an obit for his soul for euer xxxvj £." It does not appear, from the distribution which he made of his property in his will, that he had either wife, children, or relations, living in this country, as no one of his name is mentioned; and the persons to whom he made his bequests, are described as servants, apprentices, or dealers the way of trade. This is the groundel of all that he hath ment Reders be glade and voyde all ydelnesse Trystynge to please both god and man Jhis gesse. As a printer, Wynken de Worde has been represented as indefatigable in his business, curious in his inventions and improvements, and persevering in his undertakings. In the general history of Printing, he is mentioned as a man of great accomplishments in learning, and of strict moral virtue; although Sir Henry Saville speaks rather disrespectfully of his character, in his Notes upon Tacitus ; buton what account is not known. Being originally a stranger to this country, the time of his birth is unknown; and that of his death is not distinctly recorded. His Will, however, which is dated January 19th, 1534, will enable us to know, that he was, even then, far advanced in years. It appears that he became acquainted with Caxton in 1471, at which time, if we suppose him to be no more than 15 years of age, he must have been 78 when he made his will. In this will he describes himself as a citizen and stationer of London; and, after commending his soul to God and the blessed Virgin, he directs his body to be buried in the parochial church of St. Bride's, in Fleet-street, before the high altar of St. Katherine. Among the numerous legacies which he bequeathed, appear the following.— 66 Item, for tythes forgotten, vi s. viiid. Item, to the fraternity of our Lady, of which I am a brother, x s. to pray for my soul. I forgive John Bedel stationer all money he owes me, &c. for execut Whether he had ever been married, or whether any of his relations came over with him to England, is rather uncertain. The probabilities, however, are rather in favour of the fact than otherwise, although he seems to have survived all his kindred. In an entry made in the accounts for St. Margaret's, Westminster, 1498, the following particulars are inserted."Item, for the knelle of Elizabeth de Worde vi pence. Item, for iii torches, with the grete belle for her v. iii." Again, in the year 1500, we have the name once more occurring, Item, for the knelle of Julian de Worde, with the grete belle, vi pence.” 66 In these registers of mortality, the similarity of name, and the corre sponding dates, furnish the only occasion for believing, that the deceased were branches of the same common family, of which Wynken was the last. But whether this conclusion be true or false, is of little consequence to this memoir.-To the talents of Wynken, the art of printing was much indebted in its infancy, for his fostering care; and it is but gratitude, now it is grown to maturity, that it should preserve his name, and faithfully transmit it to posterity. A WITTY PARADOX, A GENTLEMAN possessing much humour, who resides in a sea-port, that flourishes in seasons of national hos tility, but languishes when the sword is sheathed, was asked some time since this interesting question: "Sir, do you think we shall have a war?" To this he replied, "I believe not; yet I am afraid we shall have no peace until we have a War." HISTORICAL FRAGMENT. we take into consideration the immense distances of the fixed stars, (the nearest of which our best glasses cannot sensibly magnify,) is, to ascertain the period of these variations, with all their visibly attending circumstances. These, in the case of Algol, a star usually of the second magnitude, in the constellation of Perseus, marked by Bayer 6, have been ascertained to a great degree of exactness. The period of this star's changes of splendour is now almost as accurately determined as the time of the periodic and synodic revolutions of Jupiter's first satellite, the frequent eclipses of which have been so useful in determining the longitude. The period of Algol's THE church of St. Peter's, at Rome, has generally been considered as one of the most magnificent edifices in the world. It was begun by Pope Julian; but left unfinished at the time of his death. His successor, Pope Leo the Tenth, was desirous to complete this superb fabric; but being involved in debt, and finding the Apostolic cham-variation of light is 2 days, 20 hours, ber exhausted, he had recourse to the disgraceful, though gainful, traffic of selling indulgences, to raise the sum that was required. In 1517, he accordingly gave publicity to his resolution, by offering indulgences throughout Europe, to all who would contribute to the building of St. Peter's. The price of sin was stipulated. The sum of ten shillings was sufficient to procure pardon for every offence, and to release a soul from purgatory. It was against this abominable merchandise that Luther, though strongly attached to the church of Rome, lifted his voice; and the contest terminated in the establishment of the Reformation. CELESTIAL PHENOMENA. FOR the following paper we are debted to a correspondent in London. -June 3, 1819. 48 minutes, 58 seconds, 18 thirds, and 25 fourths. For about 61 hours of this period, Algol is at its greatest splendour, i. e. appears as a star of the second magnitude. From the commencement of its diminution of lustre, till its light is a minimum, is about four hours; and in the succeeding four hours, it recovers its splendour in the same gradual manner in which it had lost it, in an equal space of time, which preceded. The splendour of this star when a minimum, is equal to one of about the fourth magnitude, the variation of light being from the second to the fourth magnitude, and vice versâ. The following are all the times of Algol's least splendour in July, August, and September, of the present year.N. B. Those marked with an asterisk, will occur when the sun is below the in-horizon of London; and as Algol is situated some degrees to the north of the circle of perpetual apparition, they will of course be visible in Great Britain. When the whole phænomenon of variation will be visible, this circumstance is pointed out by two asterisks. Observations on the Variations of Light in Algol, with a computation of all its times of least splendour in this and the two following months. Of all the celestial phænomena known to have regular periodical returns, there are none more difficult to account for than the changes of lustre which have been observed in several of the fixed stars. Indeed, so very obscure is this branch of Astronomy, that even the most laboured hypotheses yet invented, are allowed to be totally inadequate to account satisfactorily for many of the extraordinary circumstances with which these variations of light are attended. All that the moderns have hitherto done in this respect, and perhaps all that ever will be done, when July. First day, at 31 minutes past 8, evening.* Twenty-first day, at 14 minutes past 10, night.* Twenty-seventh day, at 52 minutes past 3, afternoon. Thirtieth day, at 41 minutes past 12, noon. Second day, at 29 minutes past 10, night.* him with meat and drink for three days; then gave him a recommendation to some of the Society, and, adding three pounds to the two he had collected for him, bade him depart in peace. We may learn from the above anecdote, that, however distressed we may be, the Lord is able to deliver us. He says, Thy bread shall be given thee, and thy water shall be sure. Let us, then, give over repining at the dispensations of Providence, for the Lord loveth whom he chasteneth: let us trust in Him, and we shall do well here, and gain an heavenly mansion hereafter. ON CHRISTIAN PRAYER AND PRAISE. PRAYER, says a writer of some eminence, is the going forth of the mind, in the desire after some good not in its possession. Praise is the overflowing of gratitude in the soul, from the sensation of present enjoyment, and the hope of its continuance. It is a duty arising from the creature to the Creator, for blessings enjoyed. Twenty-fifth day, at 9 o'clock, night.* Prayer is Twenty-eighth day, at 49 minutes past 5, for the continuance of present, or the likewise a duty proper to be exercised Twentieth day, at 22 minutes past 3, morning. Twenty-second day, at 11 minutes past 12, night.* ** evening. 66 E. S. A young man, about three years ago, being reduced to great distress, had given himself up to despair; when a venerable looking old man, (belonging to the Society of Friends,) accosted him as he was walking the street, in the following words, Young man, art thou in want?" He replied in the affirmative. "Well," says he, "the Lord has sent me to help thee. I dreamed last night I should meet thee in the place I now find thee. Come along with me, and I will give thee relief." The young man, overjoyed at the invitation, fell down upon his knees, and cried aloud, "O God, I thank thee!" A crowd immediately assembled around him, and the old man acquainting them with his distressed situation, collected upwards of two pounds. He then took the young man to his own house, and entertained addition of future good. The end of its institution is to keep the mind in a state of humble dependence on the source of its mercies, and to teach it uninterrupted communication of his stedfastly to look up to God for an favours. ON JAPANESE PRAYER. ON the high roads in Japan, every mountain, every hill, every cliff, is consecrated to some divinity; at all these places, travellers are compelled to repeat prayers, and frequently several times over. But the customary fulfilment of this duty detaining the pious traveller too long on the road, the Japanese have contrived a curious piece of machinery to obviate this inconvenience. Upon such elevations as are consecrated to these divinities, they set up posts to distinguish the distances between them. In these posts a long vertical hole is cut, at a certain height above the ground, where a circular iron plate turns round, somewhat like a sheave in a block. Upon this plate, the prayer is engraven, which is dedicated to the divinity of the place. To turn it round, is deemed equivalent to the reciting of the www prayer, which is supposed to be repeated as many times as the plate is made to revolve. Furnished with this conveniency, the traveller is able, without stopping, merely by twirling the plate with his fingers, to send up even more prayers to the divinity than the ecclesiastical law compels him to offer. HERCULANEUM MANUSCRIPTS. THERE is scarcely an article of antiquity in the world, which has furnished mankind with a greater fund of entertainment, than the ruins of Herculaneum. Dionysius Halicarnassensis conjectures, that this city began to exist about sixty years before the war of Troy, or about 1342 years prior to the Christian era. It continued to flourish about 1400 years, and was finally overwhelmed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in the first year of the empire of Titus, A. D. 79. Although it was well known that this city had existed, its exact situation remained a secret, from the time of its destruction, until the year 1713, when it was accidentally discovered by some labourers, who, in digging a well, struck upon a statue, on the benches of a theatre, into which they had entered. The depth at which this city now lies, beneath the present surface of the earth, varies from 70 to 112 feet. The incumbent mass of matter bears undeniable marks of six different volcanic eruptions, the strata of lava or burnt matter having distinct veins of vegetable soil between them. was soon found to be a task which no one could hope fully to accomplish. To unrol these sheets, no effort that ingenuity could suggest, has been left untried, and no expense has been spared. But it is only in a partial manner, that all the skill and laborious patience hitherto employed, have been crowned with success. The sheets unrolled, contain writing in the Greek language, but nothing of importance has thus far been presented to the literary world. Of these ancient manuscripts, many are at Madrid; but a great number remain at Portici, a village not far from the spot beneath which the ruins of Herculaneum lie. On these, additional experiments are repeatedly making; and from some recent efforts of our celebrated countryman, Sir Humphrey Davy, the hopes of the learned have been greatly revived. Of the opinion entertained by this scientific gentleman, respecting the Herculaneum manuscripts, his chemical experiments to unrol them, his successes and hopes, an interesting account was published in No. XIII. of the Quarterly Journal of Science. From this account we have taken the following extracts, which contain the essence of his observations. 66 Report of Sir Humphrey Davy. Having witnessed Dr. Sichler's attempts to unrol some of the Herculaneum MSS., it occurred to me, that a chemical examination of the nature of the MSS., and of the changes that they had undergone, might offer some data as to the best methods to be attempted for separating the leaves from each other, and rendering the characters legible. From this subterraneous city, many articles of great curiosity have been taken up; and there is no doubt that many more still remain. Such as have been secured, are now scattered over My experiments soon convinced Europe, and either lodged in public me, that the nature of these MSS. had museums, or preserved in the cabinets been generally misunderstood; that of the curious. But, in addition to they had not, as is usually supposed, the busts, altars, paintings, vases, been carbonized by the operation of kitchen utensils, and appendages of fire, and that they were in a state analopulence and luxury, many ancient agous to peat, or Bovey coal, the leaves manuscripts were discovered among the being generally cemented into one ruins. When these were first brought mass by a peculiar substance which to light, great hopes were entertain- had formed during the fermentation ed, that original works of the classic and chemical change of the vegetable writers would be recovered, and that matter composing them, in a long the world would be enriched with some course of ages. The nature of this long lost literary treasures. But the substance being known, the destrucsheets containing these manuscripts tion of it became a subject of obvious being rolled together, adhered so firm-chemical investigation; and I was forly, that the difficulty of separating tunate enough to find means of accomthem, without destroying the writing, plishing this without injuring the cha racters or destroying the texture of the MSS. "After the chemical operation, the leaves of most of the fragments perfectly separated from each other, and the Greek characters were in a high degree distinct: but two fragments were found in peculiar states; the leaves of one easily separated, but the characters were found wholly defaced on the exterior folds, and partially defaced on the interior. In the other, the characters were legible on such leaves as separated; but an earthy matter, or a species of tufa, prevented the separation in some of the parts: and both these circumstances were clearly the results of agencies to which the MSS. had been exposed, during or after the volcanic eruption by which they had been covered. "It appeared probable, from these facts, that different MSS. might be in other states, and that one process might not apply to all of them; but even a partial success was a step gained; and my results made me anxious to examine in detail the numerous specimens preserved in the museum at Naples. An examination of the excavations that still remain open at Herculaneum immediately confirmed the opinion which I entertained, that the MSS. had not been acted on by fire. These excavations are in a loose tufa, composed of volcanic ashes, sand, and fragments of lava, imperfectly cemented by ferruginous and calcareous matter. The theatre, and the buildings in the neighbourhood, are encased in this tufa, and, from the manner in which it is deposited in the galleries of the houses, there can be little doubt that it was the result of torrents laden with sand and volcanic matter, and descending at the same time with showers of ashes and stone still more copious than those that covered Pompeii. The excavation in the house in which the MSS. were found, as I was informed by Monsig. Rosini, has been filled up; but a building, which is said by the guides to be this house, and which, as is evident from the engraved plan, must have been close to it, and part of the same chain of buildings, offered me the most decided proofs that the parts nearest the surface, and, à fortiori, those more remote, had never been exposed to any considerablo degree of heat. I found a small fragment of the ceiling of one of the rooms, containing lines of gold leaf and vermilion in an unaltered state; which could not have happened if they had been acted upon by any temperature sufficient to convert vegetable matter into charcoal. "The state of the MSS. exactly coincides with this view: they were probably on shelves of wood, which were broken down when the roofs of the houses yielded to the weight of the superincumbent mass; hence many of them were crushed and folded in a moist state, and the leaves of some pressed together in a perpendicular direction, and all of them mixed in two confused heaps: in these heaps, the exterior MSS. and the exterior parts of the MSS. must have been acted on by water; and as the ancient ink was composed of finely-divided charcoal, suspended in a solution of glue or gum, wherever the water percolated continuously, the characters were more or less erased. "Of the MSS. the greater number, those which probably were least exposed to moisture or air, (for, till the tufa consolidated, air must have penetrated through it,) are brown, and still contain some of their volatile substance, or extractive matter, which occasions the coherence of the leaves; others are almost entirely converted into charcoal, and in these, when their form is adapted to the purpose, the layers may be readily separated from each other by mechanical means. Of a few, particularly the superficial parts, and which probably were most exposed to air and water, little remains except the earthy basis, the charcoal of the characters, and some of that of the vegetable matter, being destroyed; and they are in a condition approaching to that of the MSS. found at Pompeii, where the air, constantly penetrating through the loose ashes, there being no barrier against it as in the consolidated tufa of Herculaneum, has entirely destroyed all the carbonaceous parts of the papyrus, and left nothing but earthy matter. Four or five specimens that I examined were heavy and dense, like the fragment to which I referred in the introduction to this report, a considerable quantity of foreign earthy matter being found between the leaves and amongst the pores of the carbonaceous substance of the MSS., evidently deposited during the |
