Part 70

Ombre, Basset, Whist, Costly Colours, and Five Cards, were, we believe, of later introduction. Of our period, are Ruff, Bone, Ace, Pult. The great game in the West of England was Post and Pair, as All Fours was in Kent, and Five Cards in Ireland. In Post and Pair, the ace of trumps was the best card; at Post the best cards were one and two, but a pair of court cards one. The daring of the game consisted in the vye, or the adventuring upon the goodness of your hand to intimidate your antagonist.

RESCUED RELICS.

The following is a list--translated from the original in the chartulary of the University of Glasgow; of the relics which were carried away from Glasgow Cathedral, by the Archbishop, before the work of demolition began, in 1560:--

The image of Christ in gold, and those of the twelve apostles in silver, with the whole vestments belonging to the church.

A silver cross, gilt in the upper part, and adorned with precious stones in the lower part, with a small portion of the cross of our Saviour!

Another silver cross, adorned with precious stones, with several other portions of the cross of Christ!

A silver casket, gilt, containing the hair of the blessed Virgin!

A square silver coffer, containing several of the scourges of St. Kentigern, and St. Thomas of Canterbury, and a portion of the hair garment worn by the former saint!!

Another silver casket, gilt, containing part of the skin of Bartholomew, the apostle!!

A silver casket containing a bone of St. Ninian!

A silver casket, containing part of the girdle of the Virgin Mary!!

A crystal case, containing a bone of some saint and of St. Magdalene!!

A small vial of crystal, containing the milk of the blessed Virgin, and part of the manger of Christ!!!

A small phial of a saffron colour, containing the fluid which formerly flowed from the tomb of St. Mungo!

A phial, containing several of the bones of St. Eugene, and of St. Blaze!

A phial, containing a part of the tomb of St. Catherine the virgin!

A small hide, with a portion of the cloak of St. Martin!

A precious hide, with portions of the bodies of St. Kentigern and St. Thomas of Canterbury!!

Some other hides, with bones of saints and other relics!

A wooden chest, containing many small relics!

Two linen bags, with the bones of St. Kentigern, St. Thanew, and other deceased saints!!

PAPER.

With respect to the paper now in use, Dr. Blair says, the first paper-mill (in England, we suppose) was erected at Dartford, in the year 1588, by a German of the name of Speillman; from which period we may, perhaps, date its manufacture in this country.

It appears, however, that it was known in the East much earlier; it being observed that most of the ancient manuscripts in Arabic and other Oriental languages, were written upon cotton paper, and it is thought the Saracens first introduced it into Spain.

Anderson, in his "History of Commerce," says that, till the year 1690, there was scarcely any paper made in England but the coarse brown sort. Paper was previously imported from France, Genoa, and Holland. However, the improvement of this article in England, in consequence of the French war, produced a saving to the country of L100,000 annually, which had been paid to France for paper alone.

LOTTERIES.

If the antiquity of a practice could justify its existence, lotteries might claim peculiar reverence. The Romans, we are told, used to enliven their Saturnalia with them, by distributing tickets, all of which gained some prize. Augustus instituted lotteries, that consisted, however, of things of little value. Nero also established lotteries, for the people, in which 1,000 tickets were daily distributed, and several of those who were favoured by fortune got rich by them. The first lottery of which we find any record in our annals, was in the year 1659, which, according to Stow, consisted of 40,000 lots, at 10s. each. The prizes were plated; and the profits were to be applied to the purpose of repairing the havens of the kingdom. This lottery was drawn at the west door of St. Paul's cathedral; and began on the 11th July, 1569, and continued incessantly, day and night, till the 6th May following. The tickets were three years in being disposed of. In the year 1612, King James granted a lottery to promote the plantation of English colonies in Virginia, which was also drawn at St. Paul's.

TEMPLE AT SIMONBONG.

The above is a correct representation of the great Lepcha temple at Simonbong, in Sikkim, a district of India near Thibet. We take the following account of it from the Journal of Dr. Hooker, who visited it in 1848:--"Simonbong is one of the smallest and poorest goompas, or temples, in Sikkim, being built of wood only. It consists of one large room, raised on a stone foundation, with small sliding shutter windows, and roofed with shingles of wood; opposite the door a wooden altar was placed, rudely chequered with black, white, and red; to the right and left were shelves, with a few Tibetan books, wrapped in silk; a model of Symbonath temple in Nepal, a praying-cylinder, and some implements for common purposes, bags of juniper, English wine-bottles and glasses, with tufts of _Abies Webbina_, rhododendron flowers, and peacock's feathers, besides various trifles, clay ornaments and offerings, and little Hindoo idols. On the altar were ranged seven little brass cups, full of water; a large conch-shell, carved with the sacred lotus; a brass jug from Lhassa, of beautiful design, and a human thigh-bone, hollow, and perforated through both condyles.

"Facing the altar was a bench and a chair, and on one side a huge tambourine, with two curved iron drumsticks. The bench was covered with bells, handsomely carved with idols, and censers with juniper-ashes; and on it lay the _dorge_, or double-headed thunderbolt. Of all these articles, the human thigh-bone is by much the most curious; it is very often that of a Lama, and is valuable in proportion to its length. As, however, the Sikkim Lamas are burned, these relics are generally procured from Tibet, where the corpses are cut in pieces and thrown to the kites, or thrown into the water."

IMPLEMENTS USED IN BUDDHIST TEMPLES.

The above sketch places before us the implements generally used in the Buddhist temples of India:--a praying cylinder in stand, another to be carried in the hand, cymbals, bell, brass cup, three trumpets (one of them made of a human thigh-bone), conch, and dorje, or double-headed thunderbolt, which the Lama, or high-priest, holds in his hand during service. The praying cylinder is made to revolve by means of an axle and string, and a projecting piece of iron strikes a little bell at each revolution. Within such cylinders are deposited written prayers, and whoever pulls the string properly is considered to have said his prayers as often as the bell rings. The worshippers, on entering the temple, walk up to the altar, and, before or after having deposited their gifts, they lift both hands to the forehead, fall on their knees, and touch the ground three times with head and hands. They then advance to the head Lama, _kotow_ similarly to him, and he blesses them, laying both hands on their heads, and repeating a short formula. Sometimes the dorje is used in blessing, as the cross is in Europe, and when a number of people request a benediction, the Lama pronounces it from the door of the temple with outstretched arms, the people all being prostrate, with their foreheads touching the ground.

PROCLAMATION FOR THE PERSON OF GEORGE II.

On the young Pretender landing in Scotland, Government issued a proclamation, offering a reward of L30,000 for his head, alive or dead. In opposition to this, the following curious paper was issued by the Prince and his council, which, Mr. Beloe says, "is so rare, that I never heard of any other than that which accident lately deposited in the British Museum."

"Charles, Prince of Wales, &c.

Regent of the Kingdoms of Scotland, France, and Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging,

Whereas, we have seen a certain scandalous and malicious paper, published in the style and form of a proclamation, bearing date the 1st instant, wherein, under pretence of bringing us to justice, like our Royal Ancestor, King Charles I. of blessed memory, there is a reward of L30,000 sterling promised to those who shall deliver us into the hands of our enemies, we could not but be moved with a just indignation at so insolent an attempt; and though, from our nature and principles, we abhor and detest a practice so unusual among Christian Princes, we cannot but, out of just regard to the dignity of our person, promise a like reward of L30,000 sterling to him, or those, who shall seize and secure till our further orders, the person of the Elector of Hanover, whether landed, or attempting to land, in any part of his Majesty's dominions. Should any fatal accident happen from hence, let the blame be entirely at the door of those who first set the infamous example.

"CHARLES, P. R.

"Given at our Camp, at Kinlockeill, August 22, 1745.

"By his Highness's Command.

"JOHN MURRAY."

DOGS IN JAPAN.

Dogs or common curs they have, and in superfluous numbers. These dogs are as much the pest of the towns of Japan as they are of Constantinople and the other foul cities and towns of the Ottoman Empire. This vast increase of the canine species, and the encouragement and immunity accorded to it, arose (according to the popular account) out of a curious superstition and an extravagant imperial decree. An Emperor who reigned at the close of the eighteenth century chanced to be born under the Sign of the Dog, the Dog being one of the twelve celestial signs of the Japanese Zodiac. For this reason the Emperor had as great an esteem for dogs as the Roman Emperor Augustus is reported to have entertained for rams. When he ascended the throne, he willed and ordained that dogs should be held as sacred animals; and, from that time, more puppies saw the light, and were permitted to live in Japan than in any other country on the face of the earth, Turkey, perhaps, excepted. These dogs have no masters, but lie and prowl about the streets, to the exceeding great annoyance of passengers, especially if they happen to be foreign travellers, or Christians in Christian dresses. If they come round you in packs, barking, snarling, and showing their teeth; nay, even if they fall upon you and bite you, you must on no account take the law into your own hands, and beat them off or shoot them. To kill one of them is a capital crime, whatever mischief the brute may have done you. In every town there are Guardians of the Dogs, and to these officers notice must be given in case of any canine misdemeanour, these guardians alone being empowered to punish the dogs. Every street must keep a certain number of these animals, or at least provide them with victuals; huts, or dog-hospitals, stand in all parts of the town, and to these the animals, in case of sickness, must be carefully conveyed by the inhabitants. The dogs that die must be brought up to the tops of mountains and hills, the usual burying-places of men and women, and there be very decently interred. Old Kaempfer says:--"The natives tell a pleasant tale on this head. A Japanese, as he was carrying the carcase of a dead dog to the top of a steep mountain, grew impatient, grumbled, and cursed the Emperor's birthday and whimsical command. His companion bid him hold his tongue and be quiet, and, instead of swearing, return thanks to the gods that the Emperor was not born under the Sign of the Horse, for, in that case, the load would be heavier."

LAGMI, AND THE USE MADE OF IT.

Mohammed, we are told, prohibited the use of wine, owing to a drunken quarrel among the chiefs of his army, which produced great disorder and confusion in his affairs, and almost caused the prophet's death in one of his daring military engagements. He, therefore, addressed his followers in these words: "The devil desires to sow dissensions among you, through wine and games of chance, to divert you from remembering God, and praying to him. Abandon wine and games of chance. Be obedient to God and the prophet, his apostle, and take heed unto yourselves." But the prophet, who could so minutely delineate the furniture of heaven, and the instruments of torture of hell--who could describe the mysterious occurrences before the creation was formed into its present shape, and predict stupendous events to happen in thousands of years to come--could not forsee that man would stupify himself by any other beverages besides "wine." The believers in the Koran at Tozar, a city near the Great Desert, in Africa, certainly abstain from wine, and thus obey the prophet's precept, but then they indulge freely in _lagmi_, or the juice of the palm-tree, which, when fermented, is as pernicious in its effect, when taken in excess, as the wine possibly can be. This juice is easily obtained, and more easily still prepared. An incision is made in the tree, just beneath the branches, and a jar so fastened that it receives every drop of liquid flowing out. During a night they procure from a tree "in a producing condition" (in which it is not always) from a quart to three pints of _lagmi_. When drunk immediately it tastes like _genuine_ rich milk, and is perfectly harmless; but when allowed to stand one night, or, at most, twenty-four hours, it partakes (with the exception of the colour, which is whitish,) of the quality and flavour of champagne, and that of a far superior sort than is usually offered in the British markets. This date-tree wine, (for so it may be called,) procured at so little trouble and expense, is to be found in every house, and has its victims reeling through the streets of Tozar, just as the stupifying porter has in the streets of English cities. But the curious part in connexion with this is, that "the faithful" persist in their justification that they do not transgress their prophet's precept! "_Lagmi_ is not wine," they say, "and the prophet's prohibition refers to wine."

ANGLO-SAXON UMBRELLA.

In Anglo-Saxon times the traveller always wore a covering for his head, which, though in various shapes, in no instance resembled our hat, though it was characterised by the general term _haet_. He seems to have been further protected against the inclemency of the weather by a cloak or (_mentel_). One would be led to suppose that this outer garment was more varied in form and material than any other part of the dress from the great number of names which we find applied to it, such as--_basing_, _haecce_, _haecla_, or _hacela_, _poell_, _pylca_, _scyccels_, _waefels_, &c. The writings which remain throw no light upon the provisions made by travellers against rain; for the dictionary makers who give _scur-scead_ (shower-shade) as signifying an umbrella are certainly mistaken. Yet that umbrellas were known to the Anglo-Saxons is proved beyond a doubt by a figure in the Harleian MSS. which we have engraved above. A servant or attendant is holding an umbrella over the head of a man who appears to be covered at the same time with the cloak or mantle.

THE HEJIRA.

The Hejira, Hegira, or Hejra. The flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina is the epoch of the Mohammedan nations. Omar, the second Caliph, instituted the Hegira in imitation of the Christians, who counted their years from their persecution by Diocletian, (A.D. 284,) and who called it the era of the martyrs. Thus the Mohammedans wished to commence their calculation of time from the period of the most memorable persecution they had suffered. The learned Mohammedan astronomers have been divided in opinion on the exact year of the Christians which corresponds with the Hegira. But the generality of writers place this epoch on Friday, the 16th of July, A.D. 622. The ancient Arabs counted time by solar months; these months always returned in the same season, and their names correspond with the employments which the seasons rendered necessary. Since the epoch of the Hegira was fixed the Mohammedans count time by lunar months, the Arabian year consisting of 354 days, eight hours, and forty-eight minutes. The intercalary days are adjusted by a cycle of thirty lunar years, of which nineteen are of 354 days, and eleven of 355 days. The years of excess are in the following order:--2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 26, 29.

CHINESE PAILOOS.

The Pailoos, or, as they are commonly but erroneously called, triumphal arches, form an object of Chinese architecture which, from its constant recurrence in views of Chinese scenery, is almost as familiar to us as the pagoda. They are, in fact, monuments to deceased persons of distinction, generally of widows who have not married a second time, or of virgins who have died unmarried. The smaller and less important ones consist merely of two upright posts of wood or granite, supporting a flat board with an inscription, like, both in purpose and design, to the wooden rails which are used as substitutes for tombstones in some districts in England. The more important Pailoos have three openings, supported by several boards, with more or less ornament and carving. Sometimes they are wholly of wood; in others no material is used but stone, generally granite; and these two materials are combined in various proportions in other examples. Sometimes they are raised on platforms as in the annexed example, from a peculiarly graceful one near Canton.

At other times they are placed on the ground, and even across roads, so as to form arches, if they may be called, though certainly not triumphal ones.

REMARKABLE GROTTO, AND STORY CONNECTED WITH IT.

Near Lunel, in France, on the eastern bank of the river Herault, is the grotto, known in this part of the country as _la Baume de las Donmaisellas_, or _des Fees_. This grotto consists of many large, deep apartments, some of which are indeed inaccessible; the second (and they are all one below the other), presents to the eye of the beholder four beautiful pillars, about thirty feet high, terminating at the top like palm trees; they are detached from the roof, which is only to be accounted for by supposing that the _bottom_, or _floor_, has, in some concussion of nature, sunk from its original level: the third chamber, still descending, and like the former only to be reached by ropes and ladders, presents, at the farther end, one vast curtain of crystal, to which the lights, carried on such occasions, give the appearance of all manner of precious stones. Some of the stalactites of this apartment are solid and white as alabaster, some clear and transparent as glass; they are of every fantastic form and description, as well as displaying perfect representations of cascades, trees, festoons, lances, pillars, fruits, flowers, and even the regular arrangement of architecture in a cathedral. The fourth chamber is a long gallery covered with fine sand: beyond this three great pillars present themselves, and behind, there is a lake of thick muddy water. All these grottoes have been long known to the peasantry, but another was lately penetrated, in which every former variety of stalactite was seen, but, in addition to these was found an altar, white, like fine china, having regular steps to it, of the same material: it is composed apparently of layers of the opaque stalactite, of a dazzling white and exquisite polish: four twisted columns, of a yellow colour and transparent, whose height is lost in the vast roof; an obelisk, perfectly round, of a reddish colour, of a great height, and a colossal figure of a woman, holding two children in her arms, and placed upon a pedestal, completed the astonishment of the daring explorers of this subterraneous cavern. But alas! this astonishment was changed into feelings of a more melancholy description, when they recalled the circumstance, still current in the neighbourhood, that, during the religious wars, a family (whether Protestant or Catholic is not ascertained), consisting of a father and mother and one or two children, sought refuge in these subterraneous grottoes from the persecution of their enemies, and there preserved a miserable existence, far from the cruelty of

Man, whom Nature formed of milder clay, With every kind emotion in his heart, And taught alone to weep.

For some years they supported themselves with berries, and now and then they were seen endeavouring to secure a stray kid or goat for food. The solitude and silence of their almost inaccessible dwelling, imbued them and their fate with an awful character; and from being objects of _pity_, they became at length objects of _terror_, to the neighbouring peasantry, who told strange stories of the unfortunate beings thus consigned to cold and hunger, and compelled to seek a wretched home within the bowels of the earth. Their spare forms, their pale countenances, their tattered garments waving in the breeze, all threw a mystic feeling over their appearance, and they were transformed into fairies and spectres. The shepherds fled when they appeared, and the children, as they clung affrighted to their parents, with strained eyes and parted lips, followed the rapid movements of the mountaineers, as they in their turn, alarmed at the sight of their fellow-creatures, fled from height to height, until they gained their rocky asylum. Such an accumulation of suffering and misery was not, however, calculated to prolong existence: terror and fear destroyed the mind, as hunger and cold destroyed the body, and after the lapse of a few years, one by one, these _spectres_ disappeared: but still they figure in all the local stories and traditions peculiar to the neighbourhood, under the form of witches, fairies, and sorcerers. The question is, whether the altar and the figure are not the work of these unfortunate beings, who might find in this employment a transitory solace for their misery.

CRUELTY OF HINDOO RITES.

We extract the following account from "The Land of the Veda," as it affords an extraordinary instance of the lengths to which the fanaticism of a gross superstition will induce men to proceed:--

"To satisfy ourselves of the sanguinary character of some of the Hindoo deities, and of the influence they exert over the deluded victims of superstition, we must witness some of the cruel practices which the popular goddess, Kali, imposes on her worshippers. The most remarkable festival is the one called _Charak Puja_.