chase with it some anticipated trea- its presence. We think little of a sure. We laugh at him for so doing; penny when we possess it, but when we put down his actions in this case we have to part with it, we think to his puerile ideas, and say within much; ay, and oft-times we fumble in ourselves, The time will come when our pockets for a halfpenny to give in higher subjects will engage his atten- lieu of it. Love your neighbours as tion, and when he will place his hap- yourselves, is a rule which very few piness in something greater or more people think of. It appears in their worthy of his mind.-It may be so; bibles, but never in their conduct. it is to be hoped it will be so: but if For ourselves we can spend shillings, this world, or any thing within it, is pounds, and guineas plenteously to be the prime occupier of his enough; but if it be for our neighthoughts, it will not. Were a rich bours, we look at a penny with an man to behold a child thus acting, he | avaricious glance. would be the first to tell us of the paltry nature of the thing which that child values so highly: and were this rich and wealthy personage to be one who placed in these riches his chief good, it would by no means alter his opinion; for he would so desire to possess a vast sum, that such a small one would appear nothing to him. Now, here is a Penny,-a coin which will purchase that which the child wants. He only values it as far as he thinks that purchase will minister to his pleasure. But here is one who scorns such a paltry thing, and yet heaps together money,-coin,-silver and gold,-which, as to value, are but the multiplication of pence; not for purposes either of gratification or happiness, but merely to say that he is a rich man, and to behold himself possessed of a certain number of these pence. Is not the conduct of the child superior to that of the man, and is he not as silly and weak, who, with superior sense and much more experience, can also act much more foolishly? "There is Charles D-; I was walking with him a few weeks ago, and we beheld an object of charity, who bore the marks of extreme poverty, and who was lame to boot. We both felt the force of his demand upon our purses: I will not say what I did in such a case,-but Charles put his hand into his pocket, felt most carefully about, and cried, "I've got no change." Now here was an intention in the first place to relieve the distress of the man, and then that good intention was frustrated. By what? The having nothing in the pocket to give? No! The having no copper coin about him. I will venture to say the poor fellow had heard the same excuse a hundred times. He prides "A Penny! Why, 'tis nothing, says the spendthrift. He can throw away hundreds and thousands of them, and when they are gone, he would (if he could) throw after them hundreds and thousands more. And yet there is, after all, some value, even in a penny; and the reason that the spendthrift has become poverty-stricken is, be"A Penny! Here is a beggar, he cause he never considered that value; petitions you to give him a penny; a and the reason he will never become poor miserable creature, who, with a possessed of fortune again is, that he few pence, contrives some way or will never consider it. other to drag himself through life. himself upon the circumstance that Give him one; it may relieve his dis- he is not selfish, that he does not value tress, by procuring for him a meal. that upon which some people place Refuse it him; he will inevitably con- their happiness. Now the fact is, sider you as uncharitable, and then that he is selfish. Were he not so, will be forced to hobble on his crutches he would save his money for occato the door of some other Christian, sions of liberality, that he might do who has more charity than yourself. effectual good to his fellow-creatures : Perhaps you may satisfy your con- but instead of that being the case, he science by saying, "He may be a va- lavishes it upon himself, and employs gabond." He may be so truly; but it all for his own exclusive benefit. it is your duty, not being certified of But then he tells you, that he is bethe circumstance, to give him the pit-nevolent, and squanders away money tance he requires; and if he be not, this poor paltry penny will come up in future judgment, to seare you with on other people's account as well as his own. Truly he does. But as it relates to himself, that makes him none the less selfish. He gratifies an itching desire that he has to get rid of his property, and it matters not to him whether the occasion be one of benevolence or of prodigal profusion. "But, (say the advocates of this character,) how easily can he be turned to good! how easily can he be persuaded to do laudable actions!Very true but he can be as easily persuaded to do actions which are not laudable; and if, on the one hand, it be said that he can with little trouble be drawn from the path of wrong, he is equally liable to be drawn from the path of rectitude; and he will be as unstable in the way of virtue as in the way of vice." I will give no more of the essay, but finish by the mental application I made of the subject to myself. A Penny! It is all my treasure; and while those who plod in the dusty mines of business have bread enough and to spare, I am poor and hungry. They say it is always the case, and perhaps it should be so; for there is far more pleasure in literary pursuits, far more real pleasure, and more mental pleasure, and more lasting pleasure, than in the accumulation of wealth by traffic. Thus things are balanced in this world. "And yet, thank God, I am not quite so badly off," said I, as I ate the dinner which the essay had procured for me. ENGLISH LAW-MALICIOUS MISCHIEF. (Concluded from col. 52.) BY 22 and 23 Car. II. c. 7, if any person shall, in the night-time, maliciously, unlawfully, and wilfully destroy any plantations of trees, or throw down any enclosures, he shall forfeit to the party grieved treble damages. By i Geo. I. st. 2. c. 48, if any person shall maliciously set on fire, or burn, or cause to be burnt, any wood, underwood, or coppice, or any part thereof, he shall be guilty of felony. And by 9 Geo. I. c. 22, whoever shall cut down or otherwise destroy any trees planted in any avenue, or growing in any garden, orchard, or plantation, for ornament, shelter, or profit, shall be guilty of felony. By 43 Eliz. c. 13, whoever shall wilfully, and of malice, burn, or cause to be burnt, or aid, procure, and consent to the burning of any barn, or stack of corn or grain, within any of the counties of Cumberland, Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Durham, he shall be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy. By 9 Geo. I. c. 22, if any person shall set fire to any house, barn, or outhouse; or to any hovel, cock, mow, or stack of corn, straw, hay, wood, &c. he shall be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy. And by 11 Geo. II. c. 22, if any person shall maliciously or wilfully pull down, or otherwise destroy, any storehouse, or granary, or other place where corn shall be there kept, in order to be thence exported; or shall unlawfully enter such storehouse, granary, or other place, and take and carry away any corn, flour, meal, or grain therefrom, or shall throw abroad or spoil the same, or any part thereof; or shall unlawfully enter on board any ship or vessel, and wilfully and maliciously take and carry away, cast out therefrom, or otherwise spoil or damage, any meal, flour, wheat, or grain therein, intended for exportation, he shall be guilty of felony, and transported for seven years. By 11 Geo. II. c. 22, wilfully and maliciously to beat, wound, or use any other violence to any person, with intent to deter or hinder him from buying of corn in any market or other place; or unlawfully to stop or seize upon any waggon, cart, or other carriage, or horse, loaded with wheat, flour, meal, malt, or other grain, in the way to and from any city, markettown, or seaport, and wilfully and maliciously to break, cut, separate, or destroy the same, or any part thereof, or the harness of the horses; or unlawfully to take off, drive away, kill, or wound any of such horses; or unlawfully to beat or wound the drivers, in order to stop the same; or to scatter such wheat, &c.; or to take or damage the same, or any part thereof; subjects the offender to imprisonment in the house of correction for any time not exceeding three months, nor less than one; and to be once publicly whipped during the time. In the second offence, the offender is liable to be transported for seven years. And by the 43 Eliz. c. 7, every person who shall unlawfully cut or take away any corn or grain growing, shall, on conviction, for the first offence, pay such damages as the justice shall appoint, or on default thereof be whipped; and for every other offence, he shall in like manner be whipped. But if the person shall cut it at one time, and come again at another time and take it away, it is felony. (1 Hawk. 93.) By 10 Geo. II. c. 32, to set fire to a coal mine is felony without benefit of clergy. And by 9 Geo. III. c. 29, to destroy or damage any engine or machine for drawing coals from coal mines, or for drawing water from any mine of coal, lead, tin, copper, or other mineral; or any bridge, waggon way, or trunk, belonging to the same, is felony, and transportation for seven years. The same statute enacts, that if any person shall burn or set fire to any wind saw-mill, or other wind or water mill, or any of the works thereunto belonging, he shall be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy. By the statute 56 Geo. III. c. 125, riotously to destroy or damage any build- | ings, engines, or machinery used in or about collieries, or other mines, waggon ways, bridges, and other works, used in conveying or shipping coals and other minerals, is felony without benefit of clergy. By 1 Anne, st. 2. c. 9, captains and mariners belonging to ships, and destroying the same, to the prejudice of the owners, are guilty of felony without benefit of clergy. By 43 Geo. III. c. 113, it is enacted, that if any person shall cast away, burn, or destroy any ship, or shall counsel or direct the same to be done, with intent to defraud the insurers, he shall be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy. And by 12 Anne, st. 2. c. 18, making any hole in a ship in distress, or stealing her pumps, or aiding or abetting such offence, or wilfully doing any thing to the immediate loss of such ship, is felony without benefit of clergy. c. 20, to pull down, pluck up, level, or destroy any lock, sluice, floodgate, or other works, or any river made navigable by authority of parliament, is felony without benefit of clergy. By 8 Geo. II. c. 20, made perpetual by 27 Geo. II. c. 16, if any person shall, by night or by day, wilfully and maliciously level or destroy any floodgate, lock, sluice, or other works on any navigable river, for preserving the navigation thereof, he is guilty of felony without benefit of clergy; and the hundred liable to a penalty of twenty pounds. By 10 Geo. II. c. 32, unlawfully to remove or carry away any piles, chalk, or other materials, driven into the ground, or used for securing any marsh, or sea walls, or banks, to prevent the lands from being overflowed, incurs a penalty of £20, and on default of payment, to be committed to the house of correction, and there to be kept to hard labour for six months. By 6 Geo. II. c. 37, unlawfully and maliciously to break down the banks of any river, or any sea bank, whereby the lands are overflowed or damaged, is felony without benefit of clergy. And 4 Geo. III. c. 12, after stating that the laws in force were not sufficient to prevent these mischiefs, enacts, that whosoever shall wilfully or maliciously damage or destroy any banks, floodgates, sluices, or other works, or shall open or draw up any floodgate, or do any other wilful hurt or mischief to any navigation erected by authority of parliament, so as to obstruct or hinder the carrying on such navigation, may be transported for seven years. By 6 Geo. I. c. 23, if any, person shall wilfully and maliciously tear, spoil, cut, burn, or deface the garBy 1 Geo. II. c. 19, and 8 Geo. II. ments or clothes of any person passc. 20, to break down, cut down, plucking in the public streets or highways up, level, or destroy any turnpike with intent to do so, he shall be guilty gate, or any posts, rails, wall, or of felony, and transported for seven other fence thereto belonging, or any years. chain, bar, or fence of any kind whatsoever, set up or erected by act of parliament, to prevent passengers passing without paying toll, is felony without benefit of clergy. But by 13 Geo. III. c. 84. s. 42, to destroy any crane, machine, or engine, erected on any turnpike road by authority of parliament, for weighing carriages, is transportation for seven years. By 1 Geo. I. c. 19, and 8 Geo. II. By 4 Geo. III. c. 37, and 22 Geo. III. c. 40, to break or enter with force into any house, shop, or place, with intent to cut or destroy any linen yarn, linen cloth, serge, or other woollen goods, velvet, wrought silk, or other silk manufacture, or any of the tools, implements, or utensils used in manufacturing the same, is felony. And by the 57 Geo. III. c. 126, which repeals the 52 Geo. III. c. 16, and the 54 Geo. III. c. 42, to enter, either by day or night, by force, into any house, shop, or place, with an intent to cut or destroy any frame-work knitted pieces, stocking, or lace, or other articles or goods, being in the frame or upon any machine or engine thereto annexed; and to destroy any frame, machine, tool, utensil, used in or for the working and making of any such frame-work knitted pieces, or to cut or destroy the same, is felony, subject to transportation for life, or, at the discretion of the judge, for seven years. EDWARD CROMWELL BROWN. East Retford, Jan. 3, 1825. THE MANUSCRIPTOMANIAC. No. I.-Literary Antiquarianism. Most of our readers must have noticed the awful grandeur with which quotations from the "AUCHINLECH" or the "BANNATYNE" MSS. make their appearance in works in which they are mentioned. In the full pride of capitals, or German text, they shed around them an air of dignity, which has aroused the wishes of many a young aspirant, that he could make a collection equally interesting and venerable; and has inspirited many an unpersevering antiquarian to endeavour, with his utmost skill, for a short time, in the useless attempt. But these Northern мss. still remain unrivalled in their way, save by the Harleian, the Bodleian, and the Wardour manuscripts; from the latter of which the Author of Waverley asserts that he collected the materials of "Ivanhoe." But in no one was this desire ever more firmly planted, than in my late respected friend, Sir Robert Bradgate, Baronet, of Bradgate Hall, in Dorsetshire, belonging to one of the most ancient and noble families in the whole of that county. It was absolutely a fury,—a passion; and never did jealousy more influence the conduct of Othello, in the play, than the cacoethes colligendi, that of my acquaintance in real life. He burned to satisfy his wishes; he hunted through every possible place in the country for scarce tracts; not a book-stall was safe from his researches; not the sale of any broken-up library unattended by the indefatigable baronet. He toiled for three years, and at the end found he had accumulated just as many manuscripts. This, however, did not throw so much cold water on his hopes as to preclude the exercise of the utmost vigilance that was ever practised by mortal man, till the close of three years more, when Sir Robert was consigned to his original dust, and I found myself the heir of all the curiosities he had been able to collect. To put myself in possession of these, I one day turned my horse's head towards Bradgate Hall, and much time did not elapse before I found myself riding at a gentle pace up the old avenue, between two rows of ancient oaks, that had probably maintained their stations since the betrayal of Caractacus. The old porter, aware of my approach, by a glance he had cast towards me on first hearing the trampling of my steed, had unclosed the massive portals some time ere I reached them, and, springing from my Bucephalus, I entered, with all the haste of eagerness, the hall. Here I found one of the executors, who, after a little civil condolence, conducted me to the legacy of my departed friend. This I found to be of much greater magnitude than I had at all expected, from my knowledge of Sir Robert's ill success the three first years; but, upon examination, I discovered that the baronet, in his rage for collecting, had accumulated much more rubbish than interesting matter. He had illustrated the reign of George II. by the letters of a drover at London to his wife in the country, containing the prices of the various commodities on sale at Smithfield; and to this he had gravely prefixed a remark of his own, that these curious manuscripts were indubitably the vehicle of much discernment and interesting information, and that a more entertaining publication could scarcely be issued from the press, than the correspondence of an illiterate person on state affairs, as, whilst they exhibited the manners and character of the writer, they must clearly shew the opinions of the class to whom he belonged. It was this consideration, he said, that had induced him to give £100 to the widow of John Muggins, the drover aforesaid, for as many letters of the dear deceased; and it was this induced the worthy baronet to comthat had induced him to commit to mence a tale, entitled "Owen Glenpaper an account of the transactions dower," founded on Welsh tradition, of an evening which he had spent at which, when completed, he intended a cottage in the Highlands of Scot- to give to the world in a printed form. land, wherein he conceived the cause Indeed, I am told, that, about three of the Pretender was advocated by months before his death, his ardour the inhabitants of the dwelling. This began to take a new turn, and he he gathered from the animation of wished to shine as an author of notheir countenances, as, not knowing vels and romances. However this the language, he could not found any might be, "Owen Glendower," in its supposition on their words. It was present state, would have made me true, he said, that his nephew, John | laugh, if it had not been for the soEarlinshaw, Esq., who knew the lemn thought, that its writer had now Erse tongue as well as any bare- gone tokneed Celt that ever trod the braes of Balquhidder, and who was with him at the time, confidently asserted, that the contention was caused by a dispute whether the owner of the cot should bestow on the young lad who conducted them thither, half the remuneration he had received for promising them food and lodging for the night. But the old baronet put it on paper as his belief, that this was merely a merry trick of the said John Earlinshaw's, and not the real and true statement of the case. This event had happened some years before my birth, and the death of the Pretender, and long preceding the time when the cacoethes colligendi had seized on Sir Robert's mind. "That undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns." A few speeches about virtue, patriotism, and love of country, which were evidently intended to be put in the mouth of the hero, were mixed with sketches of the characters meant to be introduced; to which were added, quotations for the chapters, and hints for future incidents. But perhaps the reader will understand me better, if I extract a few specimens from a sheet which lies before me, merely mentioning, that the baronet's disposition was so changeful in little things, that, when seized with a new thought, he began to scrawl it on his paper, for fear it should escape his pericranium; and, in the confusion occasioned by his hurry, often omitted to complete the sentence which had previously occupied his attention: "What, my brave countrymen! shall we pass by this glorious opportunity to free our subjugated land from the thraldom with which it has been so unjustly loaded? Perish the dastardly thought. Rush to the field of battle, spill the blood of our perfidious oppressors in torrents; let the sanguine current flow like the river of Clwyd, like the stream But, to proceed. Together with this mass of useless lumber, (which, it may be as well to state, nearly occupied a little room, well fitted up, which looked out upon the avenue,) might be found some articles which were really interesting, among which may be classed, An Account of the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, by a Nephew of Sir Martin Frobisher; and a Narration of the Gunpowder Plot, drawn up for the edification of James I., by one of the deluded persons who had engaged in the conspiracy, for which he had procured a pardon, on condition of self-banishment. Sir Robert had, in his travels through the south of France, Holland, and Italy, collected several traditions, which, I am convinced, unless recorded by his pen, would, in a few years, have sunk into oblivion; and these, elegantly "On Harlech's towering steep, bound in a thin and widely-written where, against the rugged rocks, volume, formed one of the most in-dashes unweariedly the foaming waves teresting portions of my legacy. The praise some of his friends had bestowed on these productions, had "Mem. Lord Grey de Ruthvin to be a wicked rascal, and to fall in love with Owen's wife. Owen to be jealous in the beginning of the second volume, and to go to Harlech Castle. Mem. To introduce this fine description of it: of the restless ocean, stands a castle, complete in turret and dungeon-in tower and barbi |