time. The native music at present found among the descendants of the aboriginal inhabitants is extremely charatteristic, and strongly expressive of the language and genius of the people. During the middle ages, the harp apps to have been an universal instrument among the inhabitants of this isle; and, in consequence, their musiciaus became expert performers, and superior to their brethren in Britain, and in a great measure merited the high encofums give them by Cambrensis, who observes, that the attention of these people to musical instruments is worthy of praise; in which their skill is, beyond comparison, superior to that of any ctercation which we see. For in these Codulation is not slow and solemn, as in the instruments of Britain, to which we are accustomed; but the sounds are rapid and precipitate, yet eet and pleasing. It is extraordinary, ach rapidity of the fingers, how the sical proportions are observed, and the art every where unhurt, among the complicated modulations, and the multitude of intricate notes; so sweetly ft, so irregular in their composition, so disorderly in their conchords, yet returning to unison and completing the lody. Whether the chords of the datesseron or diapente be struck toge ther, they always begin with dulce and ead with the same, that all may be perfet in completing the delightful sonorous melody. They commence and quit their modulations with so much subtiety, and the tinkling of the small stry sport with so much freedom under the deep notes of the bass, delight with so much delicacy, and soothe sa softly, that the excellency of their art lies in concealing.

The Irish harps every where seem to have supported their credit, by agree able and able performers, even to the middle of the sixteenth century. From which period the whole island becoming ject to the laws, and adopting the mauers, of the English, the Bardic order became extinct.

ANCIENT IRISH DRESS.-It may be safely affirmed, the most ancient Irish cress, of which we have any account, was barely a skin mantle, which the Welsh also used; this was afterwards changed for a woollen one: the rest of the body was entirely naked. Sagum, Saic, was the name of the mantle. The Irish, continues Cambrensis, are baligh clad in woollen garments,

barbarously shaped, and for the most part black, because the sheep of the country were of that colour. Cambrensis then proceeds to an accurate description of the Irish dress, as it was at the arrival of the English:-"They usually wear moderate close capuchins, or hood mantles, covering the shoulders, and coming down to the elbows, composed of various colours and stripes, for the most part sewed together, under which they have Fallins or Jackets, and breeches and stockings of one piece." In latter ages, the Irish detached the hood from the mantle, and formed it into a conical cap, and gave it the name of Birred. Cambrensis observes, the capuchin, or hooded mantle, had various colours and patches of cloth, for the most part sewed together; that is, it was striped either in the loom or with the needle. The Falang, or Fallin: It is plain from Cambrensis, Brompton, and Camden, this was the jacket. Cluverius calls it the doublet, or pourpoint, a habit covering the back, breast, and arms. The Bracca, or browsers, were breeches and stockings of one piece.

Cambrensis describing the appearance of Shane O'Neil at the court of Elizabeth, A.D. 1562, attended by his galloglasses, says, "the latter bore battleaxes; their heads were bare, with locks curled and hanging down; their shirts stained with saffron, or human urine, and the sleeves of them large; their vests rather short, and their cloaks shagged. A vest scarcely reaching the elbows was well calculated to display the barbarous finery of monstrous sleeves, which Spenser assures us hung down to the knees.

According to Spencer, the women wrapped great wreaths of linen round their heads, and brought their hair over them, which, as he remarks, was rather unsightly. Morrison resembles this head dress to a Turkish turban, but that the latter is round at the top, whereas the former is flat and broader in the sides. This is nearly the same as the Ossan preassagh, or the great plaited stocking of enormous length, woru about the head of the women of Breadalbane. Lynch declares it was a German custom. The same was the adorning their necks with chains and carknets, and their arms with bracelets.

Many and unequivocal circumstances tend to prove, that during the barbarous ages, when the rest of Europe was in

"He sent as much cloth, of fine French-Tawney, as would make him a gown, to a taylor in Norwich. It happened one John Drakes, a shoemaker, coming into the shop, liked it so well, that he went and bought of the same as much for himself, enjoyning the taylor to make it of the same fashion. The Knight being informed thereof, commanded the taylor to cut his gowa as full of holes as his sheers could make; which purged J. Drakes of his proud humor, that he never would be of the gentleman's fashion again."

We are indebted to the same author for an anecdote of Dr. Soames, Master of Peter-house, Cambridge, towards the close of the sixteenth century, whose whimsical perverseness deprived the college, over which he presided, of a handsome estate. It seems that Mary, the widow of Thomas Ramsey, Lord Mayor of London in 1577, after conferring several favours on that foundation, actually proffered to settle five hundred pounds a-year (a large income at that period) upon the house, provided that it might be called "The College of Peter and Mary.”—“ No!” said the capricious Master, "Peter, who has lived so long single, is too old, now for a female partner."-" A dear jest," says Fuller," to lose so good

a benefactress." For the lady, disgusted at the Doctor's fantastic scruple,. turned the stream of her benevolence to the benefit of other public foundations.

In 1585, Henry the Third of France took it in his head to divert himself, when passing through the streets of Paris (as we are told by l'Estoile), by playing with a "Bilbocquet." The Dukes d'Epernon and De Joyeuse accompanied him in his childish frolic, which, by this example, became so general, that gentlemen, pages, lac queys, and all sorts of people, great and small, made the management of the " bilbocquet" a serious and perpes tual study.*

Among the whims of great men, may be reckoned the reason which Philip the Second gave for not eating fish. They are," said he, " nothing but element congealed, or a jelly of water."-The value of that species of food had, however, been fully known by a Queen Aterbatis, who is said to have for bidden her subjects ever to touch fish, "lest," said she, with an uncommon degree of calculating forecast, "there should not be enough left to regale their Sovereign." It is pity that this cautious epicure had not visited some of those inlets from the sea, in Scotland, where the piles of fish obstruct the tide's return; it might have set her royal mind at ease, and might have afforded her subjects many a pleasant meal.

Among the most eccentric whims of the last age, we may reckon that of one of Queen Ann of Denmark's maids of honour, which is recorded by the following patent, which passed the Great Seal in the fifteenth year of James the First, and is to be found

* L'Estoile, in his "Journal de Henri III." relates other strange fancies of that wretched imitator of Heliogabalus in his vices as well as his follies. Sometimes he would traverse his capital, with a basket hanging by a girdle from his neck, out of which peeped the heads of half-a-dozen puppies. But here the Editor must say, with Persius, "Ab! si fas dicere " For the story of the "Sarbacane," and other adventures with which the annals of that reign abound, as reported in the "Confession de Sancy, "The Isle des &c. would furnish another Procopius with Hermaphrodites."" “Le Baron de Fæneste," an ample magazine of scandalous anec dotes.

in Bymer, "to allow to Mary Middle more, one of the Maydes of Honor to our deerest Consort, Queen Anne, and her deputies, power and authority to eater into the Abbies of Saint Albans, Gassenbury, Saint Edmundsbury, and Ramsay, and into all lands, houses, and places within a mile, belonging to sad Abbies;" there to dig, and search after treasure, supposed to be hidden in such places.

Nothing can exceed the followers of cabalistical mysteries in point of fantastical conceits: the learned Godwin recounts some of them. "Abraham,” they say, "wept but little for Sarah, probably because she was old." They prove this by producing the letter "Capt," which being a remarkably moll letter, and being made use of in the Hebrew word which describes Abraham's tears, evinces, they affirm, that his grief also was small.

The Cabalists have discovered likewise, that in the two Hebrew words signifying "man" and "woman" are Contained two letters, which, together, form one of the names of God." But if these letters be taken away, there remain letters which signify "fire." "Hence," argue the Cabalists, 66 we my find, that when man and wife agree together, and live in union, God is with them; but when they separate themselves from God, fire attends their footsteps. Such are the whimsical dogmas of the Jewish Cabala.

In the Thuana, we read of a whimsical, passionate old Judge, who was seat to Gascony, with very considerable powers, to examine into many abuses which had crept into the administration of justice in that part of France. Arriving late at Port St. Mary, be asked, how near he was to the city of Agen?"-They told him, "Two leagues"-He then determined to proceed that same evening, although they told him that the leagues were long, and the roads very bad. In consequence of his obstinacy, the Judge was bemired, benighted, and almost shaken to pieces. He reached Agen, however, by midnight, with tired horses and barawed spirits, and went to bed in a very ill humour. The next morn he summoned the court of justice to mert; and after having opened his commission in due form, his first decree was, "That, for the future, the distance from Agen to Port St. Mary

should be reckoned six leagues." And this decree he ordered to be registered in the records of the province before he would proceed to any other business whatever..

Sir Kenelm Digby, in a discourse delivered by him at Montpellier, on Sympathy (which, by the way, swarms with whimsical positions), affirms, that the venison which is in July and August put into earthen pots, to last the whole year, is very difficult to be preserved during the space of those particular months which are called fence months, but that when that period is passed, nothing is so easy as to keep it gustful (as he words it) during the whole year after. This the eccentric discourser reasons on, as a fact, and endeavours to find a cause for it from the sympathy between the potted meat and its friends and relations who are courting and capering about in its native park.

"I have read of a bird," says Dr. Fuller, in his Worthies of England, "which hath a face like, and yet will prey upon, a man, who coming to the water to drink, and finding there, by reflexion, that he had killed one like himself, pineth away by degrees, and never afterwards enjoyeth itself."

We have in our possession a whimsical instance of a literary caprice. It is a parody: (as the author terms it) of Horace, by a German, David Hoppius, who had interest enough to have his book printed at Brunswic, in 1568, under the particular protection of the Elector of Saxony. He has, with infinite labour, transformed the Odes, and Epodes, of Horace, into pious hymns, preserving the original measure, and, as far as possible, the words of the Roman poet. The classical reader will at one glance comprehend the amazing difficulties which such a parodist must undergo, and will be surprised to find these heterodox productions not wanting in pure Latinity: however, that be may judge for himself, a specimen or two are annexed.*

We have given no translation of the following Odes and Parodies, since, notwithstanding the pious intention of the good Hoppius (which he copiously set forth in his preface), the appearance of the versions in English, answering to each other, would be apt to convey irreverend ideas.

Antris ob maculam criminis occultar

Aternam meditans facem

SEBASTIAN LE PRESTRE, son of Urban Le Prestre, lord of Vaubon, was born the 1st of May, 1633. He first bore arms at the age of 17. His talents, and his extraordinary genius for fortification, immediately made him known, and covered him with eclat at the siege of St. Menehoud, in 1852. Vaubon had served till then under the Prince de Conde, General of the Spanish army, against France. Having been taken by a party of the French, Cardinal Mazarin endeavoured to engage him in the service of the King; and he. succeeded with very little trouble," says Fontenelle, "with a man born the most faithful subject in the world." This year, also, Vaubon served as engineer at the second siege of St. Menehoud, which was retaken by the royal army. He was employed afterwards as engineer at the siege of Stenoi, in 1654; of Landrecies, in 1655; of Valenciennes, in 1656; and of Montmidi, in 1657. The year after he principally conducted the sieges of Gravelines, Ypres, and Oudenow. Cardinal Mazarin, who ne

ver

bestowed rewards undeservedly, gave him a considerable one, and accompanied it with praises, which, according to the character of Vaubon, were much more acceptable. After the peace of the Pyrenees, this young engineer was occupied either in demolishing or constructing fortresses. He had already acquired a number of new ideas in the art of fortification -an art so necessary, and so little known before. He had already scen much, and with a very good eye; and he constantly augmented his experience by reading. When the war was kindled again, in 1667. he was the principal conductor of the sieges which the King carried on in person. He received at the siege of Douay a musket-shot in the cheek, but that did not make him apply less. He was occupied, in 1668, in planning the fortifications of the fortresses of Franche-comté, Flanders, and Artois. The King gave him the command of the citadel of Lisle,

&c. &c.

the first government of that kind in

France. When the peace was concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, his labours were not less than during the war. He went into Peidmont with Louvois, gave the Duke of Savoy designs for Jerue, Verceil, and Turin, and received from that Prince his portrait, enriched with diamonds. The war of 1672 fured him with new opportunities for displaying his genius. He conducted all the sieges at which the King was preseat. It was at that of Maestricht, in 1675, that be first made use of a singular method for the attack of fortresses. He changed the aspect of that terrible and important post of war. He still continued his inventions, which were exceedingly numerous, and all tended to his principal point, the preservation of men. In 1677, Valenciennes was taken by assault, and the attack was made in broad day-light. This counsel was given by Vaubon, to prevent the soldiers from mistaking one another for the enemy, and that the night might Det favour the pusillanimous. Accordg to the ancient custom, attacks were always made during the night. Louvois and five of the French Marshals wished to preserve the old method; but Louis the XIVth, struck by the reasons of Vasbon, adopted the new. At the ege of Cambray, which followed that of Valenciennes, Vaubon did not concur in the opinion for attacking the haif-moon of the citadel. Dumetz, a brave, but haughty and passionate , persuaded the King to defer the allack no longer. It was then that Vaubos said to the King, "You may pertaps lose at this attack men who are of more value than the place." Dumetz carried his point; the halfmoon was attacked and taken; but the every recovered themselves with great spirit, retook it, and the King lost more than four hundred men and forty officers Yaubon two days afterwards at tacked it in forms, and forced it to surreader, without losing more than three e. The King promised another time to let him act according to his own opon. The peace of Nimeguen removed the arduous task of taking fortresses, but gave him a great bumber to fortify. He planned the fort of Dunkirk, his master-piece. Strasburg and Cassel were afterwards his most toasiderable work. The war which recommenced in 1683, obtained for him the glory of taking Luxembourg, which

was thought impregnable. In 1688, he directed, under the orders of Monsieur, the sieges of Philipsbourg, Manheim, and Franckendabl. That Prince recompensed him for his services, by giving him four pieces of cannon, of his own choice, to place at his chateau; a privilege unknown till then. His bad health having incapacitated him for business in 1690, he repaired the involuntary idleness which it had occasioned, by the capture of Mons in 1691, of Namur in 1692, by the siege of Charleroi, in 1693, by the defence of Lower Brittany against the designs of the English in 1694 and 1695, and afterwards by the siege of Ath in 1697. The succession to the throne of Spain having renewed the war, he went to Namur in 1703, where he received the baton of Marshal of France. About the conclusion of the year, he took Vieux-Brisack, which did not cost him more than three hundred men. This siege finished his brilliant career. The title of Marshal of France produced the inconveniences which he had foreseen: he remained useless, and his dignity was a charge to him. La Feuillade having been employed to reduce Turin, Vaubon offered to serve as a volunteer in his army. "I hope to take Turin in Cohora's manner," boldly said this inexperienced young man, in refusing the assistance of that great man, who could alone assist him. The siege not having advanced, Louis the XIVth consulted Vaubon, who again offered his assistance. "But, Marshal," said the King to him, "do you think that this employment is beneath your dignity?"

Sire," replied Vaubon, "my dignity consists in serving the state. I shall leave the baton of Marshal at the gate, and I shall perhaps assist the Duke de La Feuillade in taking the city. This virtuous man having been refused, for fear of disgusting the General, was sent to Dunkirk, and recovered, by his presence, the frightened minds of the citizens. He died the year after, on the 30th of March 1707, of an inflammation of the chest, at the age of 74, after having superintended the repairs of three hundred ancient fortresses, and having constructed thirty-three new ones, having been present at one hundred and forty spirited engagements, and having conducted fifty-three sieges.