cloth, great difficulty was experienced in detaching it successfully from the parts which it enveloped.Wherever the unctuous matter had insinuated itself, the separation of the cerecloth was easy; and when it came off, a correct impression of the features to which it had been applied was observed in the unctuous substance. At length, the whole face was disengaged from its covering. The complexion of the skin of it was dark and discoloured. The forehead and temples had lost little or nothing of their muscular substance; the cartilage of the nose was gone; but the left eye, in the first moment of exposure, was open and full, though it vanished almost immediately; and the pointed beard, so characteristic of the period of the reign of King Charles, was perfect. The shape of the face was a long oval; many of the teeth remained; and the left ear, in consequence of the interposition of the unctuous matter between it and the cerecloth, was found entire.

'On holding up the head, to examine the place of separation from the body, the muscles of the neck had evidently retracted themselves considerably; and the fourth cervical vertebra was found to be cut through its substance, transversely, leaving the surfaces of the divided portions perfectly smooth and even; an appearance which could have been produced only by a heavy blow, inflicted with a very sharp instrument, and which furnished the last proof wanting to identify King Charles the First. After this examination of the head, which served every purpose in view, and without examining the body below the neck, it was immediately restored to its situation, the coffin soldered up again, and the vault closed.'

A brutal and unmanly insult to the memory of this martyred sovereign was, some years since, annually offered, on the 30th of January; but we trust, for the honour of the national character, that this execrable practice is quite extinct: we allude to the disgraceful orgies of the CALVES'-Head Club.

This club was instituted by the adherents of CromE

well, to commemorate the beheading of King Charles I; and it is said, by the author of the Republican Unmasked,' to have been formed in opposition to Bishop Juxon, Dr. Sanderson, Dr. Hammond, and some other divines of the Church of England, who met privately every 30th of January, and who had compiled a private form of service for the day, not very different from that at present in our liturgy.

After the table-cloth was removed (says this author), an anniversary anthem was sung, and a calf's skull filled with wine or other liquor; and then a brimmer went about to the pious memory of those worthy patriots that had killed the tyrant, and delivered their country from his arbitrary sway. And, lastly, a collection was made for the writer of the anthem, to which every man contributed according to his zeal for the cause, or the ability of his purse. The concluding stanzas of the anthem for the year 1697, are as follow:

Advance the emblem of the action!

Fill the calf's skull full of wine;
Drinking ne'er was counted faction,
Men and gods adore the vine.
To the heroes gone before us,
Let's renew the flowing bowl;
While the lustre of their glories

Shines, like stars, from pole to pole.

In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1735 (vol. v, p. 105), the following circumstance is recorded: Some young noblemen and gentlemen met at a tavern in Suffolk Street, on the anniversary of King Charles's martyrdom, calling themselves the Calves' Head Club. They dressed up a calf's head in a napkin and, after some huzzas, threw it into a bonfire, and dipped napkins in their red wine, and waved them out of the window. The mob had strong beer given them, and, for a time, hallooed as well as the best; but, taking disgust at some healths proposed, grew so outrageous, that they broke all the windows, and forced themselves into the house; but the guards, being sent for, prevented farther mischief."

Astronomical Occurrences.

WE naturally observe the beginnings and ends of years, and months, and other settled portions of time; we note the occurrences which take place as these intervals elapse; and we do this wisely and beneficially, although we can tell but little of time in itself. Yet metaphysicians are tempted to speculate on its nature; while astronomers and other men of science define it in its relations to the various subjects which they investigate. GoD only hath true immortality or eternity; that is to say, Continuance in which there grows no difference by the addition of Hereafter unto Now;' whereas other creatures, how noble soever they may be in their nature or their tendencies, have, by reason of their continuance, the time of their Former continuance lengthened, and the time of their subsequent continuance (at least in the present state of being) shortened.

Hence the importance of regarding time in its perpetual current, and hence the most obvious of its definitions, as it has been very accurately expressed by Hooker in the following terms: TIME, considered in itself, is but the flux of that very instant wherein the motion of the heaven began; being coupled with other things, it is the quantity of their continuance measured by the distance of two instants. As the time of a man is a man's continuance from the instant of his first breath till the instant of his last gasp.' Thus, time serves for the measure of other things, while itself is measured by means of motion and number. It is not, however, an effect of motion, nor is it a result of number; for it would be easy to conceive of time, though motion and number were not. Time, regarded as the quantity of continuance, may as well be imagined in reference to a single thing at rest, as to a multitude in motion. Motion, however, is necessary to measure and compare the portions of

duration; for to say accurately how long or how short the continuance of a thing may be, without a reference to motion, were impossible. Thus, the motion of the sand in a glass has served to mark the hour; of the shadow on a dial, to mark the returns of noon, or the measure of a day; that of the Moon to define a lunation or month; and that of the Sun through the ecliptic, to fix the terms of the year. And thus much may suffice to say of time in relation to the present subject: for more on time in general, we refer to the Pantologists and Lexicographers.

In the time of Numa Pompilius, the month of January, which was then, as well as now, the first in the year, commenced at the winter solstice, or the time when the Sun entered Capricorn; with us, at the present period, January commences ten days after the Sun's apparent ingress into that sign. Of course, the days are not now at the shortest, but have lengthened about four minutes since the shortest day.Taking intervals of ten days through the month, the times of the Sun rising and setting, at London, will be, Saturday, 1st, Sun rise 8 h. 5 m. Sun set 3 h. 55 m. Tuesday, 11th, Friday, 21st,

7 h. 56 m.

7 h. 44 m.

4 h. 4 m.

4 h. 16 m.

Equation of Time.-This is the adjustment of the difference of time, as shown by a well-regulated clock and a true sun dial. [See explanation in Occurrences for March.] A good clock measures that equable time which the rotation of the earth on its axis exhibits; whereas the dial measures time by the apparent motion of the Sun, which, from a cause hereafter to be explained, is subject to variation. Equal or true time is measured by an accurate clock; apparent time, by the dial. To find true time, we must add or subtract, as the case may require, a certain number of minutes and seconds to apparent time, which is marked by the dial. The following table will show what is to be added for every fifth day of the month of January :

Saturday, Jan. 1, to the time on the dial ADD 3 m. 48 sec.

Thursday,
Tuesday, - 11,

Sunday, - - 16,

Friday, - - 21,

Wednesday, - 26,

Monday, -31,

That is, when it is 12 o'clock on the dial, it must, on the 1st of January, be 3 m. 48 sec. after 12 by the clock; which is true time.

The Sun will enter Aquarius on the 20th day, at 34 min. past 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

The Moon will be in the full on Thursday, the 6th day, at 8 min. past 7 in the morning; and the ensuing new Moon will occur on Friday the 21st day, at 13 m. past 2 in the morning. The time of the Moon's rising, for the first 5 days after she is in the full, will be as follows; viz.

Jan. 7th, 5 h. 44 m. P.M.
Jan. 9th. 8 h. 14 m. P.M.

Jan. 8th, 7 h. 0 m. P.M.
Jan. 10th, 9 h. 27 m. P.M.

Jan. 11th, 10 h. 40 m. P.M.

They who travel at night will do well to bear in mind, that this luminary gives no useful light till nearly an hour after she has arisen.

There will be a solar eclipse on the 21st day, that is, at the time of the new Moon; but it will not be visible in England.

On the 1st day of this month, the Moon will eclipse the star, marked Ceti, in astronomical catalogues. The immersion will occur at 17 m. past 9 in the evening, when the star will be 11' north of the Moon's centre; and the emersion at 12 m. past 10, the star being then 9' north of the centre of that luminary.

Another star, namely, will be eclipsed by the Moon on the 6th day. The immersion will take place at 41 m. past 2 in the morning, the emersion at 15 m. past 3: in both cases, the star will be about 14' N. of the Moon's centre.

The Moon will likewise eclipse a third star, viz.