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: No. 943.]

Vol. XXXIII.

OF

LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1839.

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INTERIOR OF CHELSEA BUN-HOUSE, P

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CHELSEA BUN-HOUSE. THIS Bun-House, whose fame has extended throughout the land, was first established about the beginning of the last century; for, as early as 1712, it is thus mentioned by the celebrated Dean Swift :-"Pray are not the fine buns sold here in our town, as the rare Chelsea buns? I bought one to-day in my walk," &c.

The building consists of one story, fifty feet long, and fourteen feet wide. It projects into the high-way in an unsightly manner, in form of a colonade, affording a very agreeable shelter to the passenger in unfavourable weather.

The whole premises are condemned to be pulled down immediately, to make way for the proposed improvements of Chelsea and its neighbourhood, the bill for which is in committee of the House of Commons, under the superintendance of that most active member, Sir Matthew Wood.

It was the fashion formerly for the royal family, and the nobility and gentry, to visit Chelsea Bun-House in the morning. His Majesty King George the Second, Queen Caroline, and the Princesses, frequently honoured the elder Mrs. Hand with their company.

Their late Majesties King George III. and Queen Charlotte, were also much in the habit of frequenting the Bun-House when their children were young, and used to alight and sit to look around and admire the place and passing scene. The Queen pre sented Mrs. Hand with a silver half-gallon mug, richly enchaced, with five guineas in it, as a mark of her approbation for the attentions bestowed upon her during these visits: this testimonial was kept a long time in the family.

On the morning of Good Friday, the Bunhouse used to present a scene of great bustle; it was opened as early as four o'clock; and the concourse of people was so great, that it was difficult to approach the house; it has been estimated that more than fifty thousand persons have assembled in the neighbourhood before eight in the morning; at length it was found necessary to shut it up partially, in order to prevent the disturbances and excesses of the immense unruly and riotous London mob which congregated on those occasions. Hand-bills were printed, and constables stationed to prevent a recurrence of these scenes.

Whilst Ranelagh was in fashion, the BunHouse was much frequented by the visitors of that celebrated temple of pleasure; but after the failure of Ranelagh, the business fell off in a great degree, and dwindled into insignificance.

INTERIOR OF CHELSEA BUN-HOUSE.

The interior was formerly fitted up in a very singular and grotesque style, being fur

nished with foreign clocks, and many nstural and artificial curiosities from abroad; but most of these articles have disappeared since the decease of Mrs. Hand.

At the upper end of the shop is placed, in a large glass-case, a model of "Radcliffe Church, at Bristol, cut out very curiously and elaborately in paste-board; but the upper towers, pinnacles, &c. resemble more an eastern mosque than a Christian church.

Over the parlour door is placed an equestrian coloured statue, in lead, of William, the great Duke of Cumberland, in the military costume of the year 1745, taken just after the celebrated battle of Culloden: it is eighteen inches in height.

On each side stand two grenadier guards, presenting arms, and in the military dress of the above period, with their high sugarloaf caps, long-flap coats, and broad gerilles, and old-fashioned muskets, presenting a grotesque appearance, when compared with the neat short-cut military trim of the present day. These figures are also cast in lead, and coloured; are near four feet high, and weigh each about two hundred weight.

Underneath, on the wall, is suspended a whole-length portrait, much admired by connoisseurs, of Aurengzebe, Emperor of Persia. This is probably the work of an Italian artist, but his name is unknown.

After the death of Mrs. Hand, the business was carried on by her son, who was an eccentric character, and used to dress in a very peculiar manner,; he dealt largely in butter which he carried about the streets in a basket on his head; hot or cold, wet or dry, throughout the year, the punctual butterman made his appearance at the door, and gained the esteem of every one by his cheerful aspect and entertaining conversation; for he was rich in village anecdote, and could relate all the vicissitudes of the neighbourhood for more than half a century.

After his decease, his elder brother came into the possession of the business; he had been bred a soldier, and was at that time one of the poor knights of Windsor, and was remarkable for his eccentric manners and costume. He left no family, nor relations, in consequence of which his property reverted to the crown.

ON THE ORIGIN OF BUNS.

Hutchinson, in his History of Northumderives the Good Friday Bun from the sacred berland, following Mr. Bryant's Analysis, cakes which were offered at the Arkite Temples, styled Boun, and presented every seventh day. "The offerings," says Mr. Bryant, "which people in ancient times used to present to the Gods, were generally pur chased at the entrance of the Temple; espe cially every species of consecrated bread,"

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which was denominated accordingly. One species of sacred bread which used to be offered to the Gods was of great antiquity, and called Boun. Hesychius speaks of the Boun, and describes it a kind of cake, with a representation of two horns. Julius Pollux mentions it after the same manner, a sort of cakes with horns. Diogenes Laertius, speaking of the same offering being made by Empedocles, describes the chief ingredients of which it was composed. "He offered one of the sacred Liba, called a Bouse, which was made of fine flour and honey." It is said of Cecrops, (1556 years before Christ,) that he first offered up this sort of sweet bread. Hence we may judge of the antiquity of the custom, from the times to which Cecrops is referred. The prophet Jeremiah takes notice of this kind of offering, when he is speaking of the Jewish women at Pathros, in Egypt, and of their base idolatry; in all which their husbands had encouraged them. The women, in their expostulation upon his rebuke, tell him: "Did we make her cakes to worship her?" Jerem. xliv. 18, 19; vii. 18. "Small loaves of bread," Mr. Hutchinson observes, peculiar in their form, being long and sharp at both ends, are called Buns." These he derives as above, and concludes: "We only retain the name and form of the Boun, the sacred uses are no more."*

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A writer in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LIII. for July 1783, p. 578, speaking of Cross Buns,t in Passion week, observes, that "these being, formerly at least, unleavened, may have a retrospect to the unleavened bread of the Jews, in the same manner as Lamb at Easter to the Pascal Lamb. "

SHE'S LAID IN THE EARTH! SHE's laid in the earth! but her bright spirit soars To the regions of bliss, from these sorrowful shores ; She moved, in her beauty, an angel while here, And I saw she was form'd for a happier sphere. Oh, sad are the sighs for her absence I heave, And sad are my tears-though 'tis fruitless to grieve; Yet oft, through the dark mists of sorrow, I see In fancy, my Mary still smiling on me! Wherever I go, there's no object I trace Can tear from my mind her loved form or her face; Nor time can my soul in forgetfuluess steep; Her dream-wafted image still smiles on my sleep. In nights calm and clear, 'mid the bright orbs I try To trace her blest home in the beautiful sky; And I gaze ou some star, till in fancy I see Her far-shining spirit still smiling on me!

4to. 1813.

a cross

Brand's Popular Antiquities, vol. 1, pp. 132-3. These are constantly marked with the form of Indeed the country people in many parts of England make, with a knife, many little cross marks on their cakes, before they put them into the oven. I have no doubt but that this too, trifling as the remark may appear, is a remain of Popery. Thus, also, persons who cannot write, instead of signing their names, are directed to make their marks, which is generally doue in the form of a cross. From the form of a cross at the beginning of a horn-book, the alphabet is called the Christ-Cross Row.-Brand.

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It sits dark brooding o'er his embryo mind:
Nor yet alone to toys and tales confined,
Take him between your knees, peruse his face,
While all you know, or think you know, you trace;
Tell him who spoke creation into birth,
Arched the broad heavens, and spread the rolling
earth;

Who formed a pathway for the obedient sun,
And bade the seasons in their circle run;
Who filled the air, the forest, and the flood;
And gave man all, for comfort, or for food.

SPRAGUE.

THE MOATED HOUSE.
(For the Mirror.)

"The rudest remnant of a feudal tower,-even the obscure and almost undistinguishable vestige of an almost unknown edifice; has power to awaken traius of fancy. We have a fellow interest with the son of the winged days,' over whose fallen habitation we tread."-Sir Walter Scott.

"The massy stones, though hewn most roughly, show The hand of man had once at least been there."

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Wordsworth.

"AND here," said Mr. 66 was the Moat, extending round these green hillocks; they plainly here divide where a gateway has been." A few twisted willows, which for many generations have braved the changing seasons, there drop their branches over what has now dwindled to a rivulet, not seen, but heard to murmur, underneath the long grass, now and then glittering in the sunbeam, and even in winter scarcely visible, is all that now remains of the "Moat." Some three or four hundred years ago, it was deep and dangerous, fenced by precipitous banks, and only passable by a draw-bridge, which was solemnly lowered by the warder to give access to the knight or baron bold, who sought audience of the then lord of the domain. Of their deeds tradition is silent, their very names are forgotten,-rumour only tells, that here a Moated House has been. No monument in the village church exists to point out their final resting-place, except it be one in an obscure corner, which tells in almost illegible characters, that about "Ye year 1600, Peter and Eleanor Baldwin departed this life." These Baldwins were, in ages past, the hereditary possessors of the Moated House, so 66 grey tradition" tells, "and doubtless were renowned in their day," whispered Fancy, showing the tip of her magic wand, which, as I pursued my way to the dry Moat, and the green hillocks which it surrounded, was fast changing them into a peopled domain of other times and manners, and giving to dim phantasies a "local habitation and a name." Musing on what might have been the state of things in this place, some three or four centuries back,

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one dreamy day, in the "leafy month of
June," when the mounds were clothed with
a carpet of daisies, and the long grass at the
Moat's edge waved to the gentle air,-when
sights and sounds combined-the faint sing-
ing of birds, the whispering willows, and
the murmuring brook, to induce that state of
mind which shuts out present things, and
sends the "lonely wandering thoughts" to
speculate on the deeds of other days, even
then, as by the touch of an enchanter's wand,
did my waking dream transform the grassy
hollow before me into a veritable Moat,
broad and dark, with a heavy gateway on
one side, which was flanked by two small
towers, with portcullis and draw-bridge. In
stead of the meadow, a huge gothic mansion
filled up the space which it enclosed. It was
a building partly of grey stone, and part of
brick-at one corner were the decayed re-
mains of a tower of still more remote origin.
There was a battlemented roof-the windows
were high and narrow, and in many of them
the red rose of the house of Lancaster was
emblazoned with the arms of the family of
Baldwin, an eagle shielding a dove, in a
field azure. There were emblems of the
same regal flower combined with the crest
carved on many of the thick window-frames,
from which an inference might be drawn,
that a Baldwin had, during the wars of the
Rival Roses, been zealous for proud Boling-
broke, or for brave Harry of Agincourt.
The principal entrance was a broad stone
porch, with carved oaken benches; ivy and
woodbine, mingled with wall-flower, spread
over the pointed archway. The heavy door
stood open, and gave to view beyond, a hall
paved with black and white marble; the light
fell dimly upon this pavement, through narrow
Gothic windows in deep recesses. There were
the oaken stairs, shining brightly, with broad
banisters; dark figures of by-gone members
of the house of Baldwin adorned the walls;
The grim features of Sir Hugh, attired as a
judge; next to him hung a print of the Bat-
tle of Bosworth Field; in it were depicted a
troop of soldiers bearing off the dead body
of the royal homicide; still further in, an
open door gave a dim view of a low-browed
apartment, in which, from a window shaded
by tall trees, the light fell on a picture of
Mary Queen of Scots, at the side of which
hung a green curtain for the purpose of
concealment.

By one of those sudden changes which characterize the world of dreams, I found myself standing before the porch or entrance. A porter's lodge was on the right, and, on a stone seat at the door, reclined this functionary, in earnest whispered colloquy with a serving-man, attired in the stiff doublet and hose of Elizabeth's reign. A large mastiff and two other dogs lay basking in the Isun at their feet. "It cannot be Ralph!it cannot be," quoth the porter, with a look

of horror, "that her highness, our sovereign Lady Elizabeth, should give her consent to so cruel a deed. I tell you, Ralph, we live too far out of the world to know what is doing there. The deeds now acting at Fotheringay are not likely to be known to such as we are. For my own part, I make it a rule to abstain from prying too narrowly into the secrets of my betters; still, I did remark, that my master, Sir Peter Baldwin, (heaven prosper him!) added to the prayers last night, that her majesty might be kept from further shedding of blood."-" Amen! say I to that," responded Ralph, "there hath been too much already; there was, first, that sweet innocent, Lady Jane Grey, and her youthful husband; there was Essex, the noblest and the bravest gentleman that ever fell beneath the murderous axe; and, now, this fearful trial at Fotheringay. I fear it will go hard with the poor captive there. My lady and Mrs. Beatrice are sorely distressed; for, you know," said Ralph, lowering to a whisper, "my lady is of the Popish persuasion, and came to England with the poor queen as one of her attendants." The conversation here suddenly ceased; the speakers rose, and doff'd their caps with much reverence; for, issuing from the porch, appeared two ladies, one young, the other elderly, with an expression of intense anxiety on her still fine features: she had a cross and rosary suspended from her girdle, and partially concealed by her dress. They passed with hurried steps out of the porch, and along a terrace which led to the moat. They looked anxiously in the direction of a road which wound away amongst woods and wild moors until it was lost in the distance. They gazed until the curfew bell sounded its melancholy chimes from the church tower hard by. Suddenly two horsemen came in view; the draw-bridge was lowered; the elder lady hastened to meet them. "What news?What news? delay not to tell me, I conjure you, Sir Peter !"--"So perish all the enemies of Queen Elizabeth, and of our holy and reformed faith!" said the knight, solemnly. "What mean you?" said the lady, with clasped hands and pale lips. "I mean, Eleanor," said her husband, "that though all manly and feeling hearts do grieve that royalty and beauty should have so dire a departure, still every loyal subject, and every friend to true religion, must rejoice that the plotting heads, who would have filled the land with anarchy and blood, are laid low. For Scotland's ill-starred queen my heart cannot but bleed. She died, Eleanor, with regal dignity; and, oh! more than that, with Christian resignation; and may heaven receive her soul!" The grief of his auditress here became so painful to witness, that I felt a sympathetic rising of emotion in my own breast, but in the effort to address the stately lady the spell was broken. The

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PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND PRO

CEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES.

MR. A. H. DAVIS, writing from Adelaide, South Australia, mentions his seeing there an extraordinary procession of caterpillars. They somewhat resembled in form the caterpillars of the great tigermoth, (Arctia Caja,) had a profusion of white hairs, and the body about 24 inches in length, of a dark brown colour, with paler lines. These caterpillars were seen on the third of last May, crossing a road in single file, each so close to its predecessor as to convey the idea that they were united together, moving like a living cord in a continuous undulating line. At about fifty from the end of the line, Mr. Davis having ejected one from its station, the caterpillar immediately before it suddenly stood still, then the next, and then the next, and so on to the leader; the same result took place to the other extremity. After a pause of a few moments, the first after the break in the line attempted to recover the communication; this was a work of time and difficulty, but the moment it was accomplished by its touching the one before it, this one communicated the fact to the next in advance, and so on till the information reached the leader, when the whole line was again put in motion. On counting the number of caterpillars, he found it to be 154, and the length of the line twentyseven feet. He next took the one which he had abstracted from the line, and which remained coiled up, across the line; it immediately unrolled itself, and made every attempt to get into the procession; after many endeavours it succeeded, and crawled in, the one below falling into the rear of the interloper. He subsequently took out two caterpillars, about the fiftieth from the head of the procession; by his watch he found the intelligence was conveyed to the leader in thirty seconds, each caterpillar stopping at the signal of the one in its rear: the same effect was observable behind the break, each stopping at a signal from the one in advance; the leader of the second division then attempted to recover the lost connection. That they are unprovided with the senses of sight and smell appeared evident, since the leader turned right and left, and often in a wrong direction when within half an inch of the one immediately before it when it at last touched the object

of its search, the fact was communicated again by signal, and in thirty seconds the whole line was in quick march, leaving the two unfortunates behind, who remained perfectly quiet, without making any attempt to unroll themselves. Mr. Davis was informed that these caterpillars feed on the Encalyptus, and that when they have completely stripped a tree of its leaves, they congregate on the trunk, and proceed, in procession, to another tree.

This vegetal

At the Asiatic Society's meeting on the 2nd of March, Dr. Royle and Mr. E. Solly read two distinct papers on the Vegetable Tallow Tree (Valeria Indica) of the Malabar and Canary coasts. This tree, which has been figured and described by Rheede, is found in the Wynaad and Bednore districts, growing abundantly both in the interior and along the coasts, where it is called the Piney, or Dammar-tree. It grows to a great size, and supplies excellent wood. It also supplies a varnish which is used on the coast in a liquid state; but, when dry, is commercially termed copal and animé. By boiling the seeds a fatty matter is obtained, which floats on the surface, becomes solid, and somewhat resembles tallow, being in its most important characters intermediate between wax and tallow, and well adapted in its properties, as a substitute for common tallow, both in the manufacture of candles, and likewise for many other purposes to which the latter substance is now exclusively applied. tallow emits no disagreeable smell at any time, and, therefore, when candles are made of it, they have not that offensive smell which attends common tallow candles. Dr. Babington placed a portion of this vegetal tallow in the hands of a candle manufacturer, who praised it very highly, he having sue. ceeded in making good candles of it, which came freely from the mould. In 1825 it sold at Mangalore, at twopence-halfpenny per pound. Some brought from India, iu January 1838, sold for £2 4s. 6d. per hundred weight-nearly the price given for good Russian tallow. Mr. Solly thought that if it could be obtained at such a price as to admit of its being imported as a substitute for common tallow, its valuable and superior properties would soon obtain it a market. Mr. S. Dyer, of the Madras Medical Service, who had long resided at Tellicherry, states, that the tree will grow readily, even when the branches are put into the ground; and many of the trees were planted on the roadsides in Malabar, about twenty years since, a greater period than is necessary to bring them to perfection.

At the same meeting, Mr. F. C. Brown stated that he had seen the tea-plant flourishing in the district of Wynaad, on the western ghauts of the peninsular of India. In February, 1834, the late Colonel Crewe gave two Chinese tea-plants to Captain F.

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