The Sun. — London, England, 1820-12-25 00:00:00

ProvATE,ANI) _AUTHENTIC COItitESPONL).I;;:s,;CE. PARIS, DEC. 22.—Tuesday was an impor tant day, and the commencement of an im- Tortant.Session. We congratulate Europe on . the defeat of the Ultra Liberal Faction and the great 'Majority of Royalists in the present Chamber. But this, joy is not without apprehension; the Ultra Royalists have never'yet shewn moderation in victory, and they are less likely to do so now than ever; theY*Will be " righteous over much." They have been always deaf to the lessons of-his MAJESTY ; they have imbrued their hands in the blood of their fellow-subjects, crying at the time Vire /e Roi ; ! W ill they abstain from these act,i of priviad'venzea' nee ; will they cease to employ the Trestaillons, and' the Truphemys, &c. &c. ; will they, .in fine, listen to' the voice of his MAJESTY, who inculcates from the Throne this great moral and political lesson in his Speech Of yesterday :—" We cannot demand of infant institutions what we are only entitled to expect frOm their complete development, and from the Joanners they are destined to forM. Until that period arrives let us not fail to bear in mind, that in political affairs patience and moderation are also powers, and those of all others which deceive the least." If the Ft - r 7. - AMUSES; the VI TROLLES, the CANCEts, the DoNADIEt , s, the CUATEAUBILI ANDS, &c., can only. be convinced by the.s.e arguments, and act accordingly, all will be well; but if they will continue to exercise powers, and commit acts unknown to'the Con ctitution, the late elections may prove. as fatal to Franct; . as if the great majority had been .chosen from, the ranks of the Revolution—Do salmon foe Regem. FOR THE SUN. Mr? Enuron--A. Meeting Was held this day at . ..onr News-room, for the purpose of proposing to. 'discontinue Old - Times Newspaper, and to intro :duce, in lieu thereof, additional New Times and Morning Post, which was carried by a majority 6f 55 to 9_l: " Otte Gentleman, a Mr. JOHN, ,Cit_tpmAN, jun. delivered, a long. speech against the proposal,-but his . truly Ciceronian eloquence 'seenied to haVe 416 erect: Leeds, Dec. 23, 1220.. VERITAS. • MS MAJESTY had signified his gracious inten tion of receiving the Address of the loyal inhabi ,tanis of. EghaM, Staines,. and Chertsey,_ on Fri day last, at his Cottage, in Windsor Park. ; but owing to tire inconvenient-precedent which might have been - establiShed by such a proceeding, the intention was abandoned. A most gracious corn " munication to this effect has been made by Sir B. BLOOMFIELD to Sir J. GIBBONS; Bart. the Chair : man of the Meeting. Private *letters from Dublin, received in town On, Saturday,-state, that d very desperate action took place' in the beginning of last week on the western coast of Ireland, between his Majesty's stna-rgli n g preventive brig-stationed off Sligo, and a ''stnuggling vessel. The latter opposed a desperate resistance, and was assisted by the people 'on the exiA, but the brig succeeded in effecting her Capture; 'made good the seizure. In this rencontre, we regret to say, the brig had . several of her crew wounded. There were 'several killed and wounded on the part of her oppo ' nents.—(Morning Post.) Sir GEorwE SHEE, Receiver-General of the Revenue, in Ireland, has been recently- superan .nuated, and is. succeeded in that• office by Colo nel CLEM ENT,;, 011 C of the late Lords of the Irish Treasury. We understand that a - great reduction of officers will shortly be effected in tire depart inent of the Irish Customs. A like retrenchment is expected in the CUstoMs of Great Britain, in pursnance of the recommendation of the Com mittee of the house of Commons..-- (.11rdisA Press.) Yesterday forenoon a Spanish Messenger ar -ived at the residence of his Excellency the Duke tts FIiIAS, ill Portland-place, with dispatches froo the Court of Madrid. his Excellency is recaliA. and is to leave England in March next, and wJ be succeeded by the Marquis de LuccA, as Aliffisbr Plenipotentiary. On SatuKlay forenoon an Austrian Messenger arrived at , ciandos House, the residence of his Serene Ilighne;s Prince EsTEanAzy, with dis patches from Trb,pau. The Messenger, by or ders, passed throu[h Vienna, on . his way from .Troppau, and was , the bearer of letters from Lord STEWART, whora he left at Vienna, and Prince Paul EstErtmiz - v, father of his Serene "Highness. • is now certain that Baron BEE.- GAMI proceeded to - France on the invitation of her MAJESTY'S Counsel, Who expected every moment they might be obliged to require his tes-'. itimony in. the course•of the triaL The •Bill had been withdrawn when the Baron Bergami arrived at Paris, not by - the way of OrleanS, as stated, but ,by the Bourbonnais.- Either on .account of *the season being too rigorous to pass the Alps, or of the particular care which he . bestows on the education of his daughter, he has determined to pass the winter at 'a distance from his own coun try, and he hag hired a country house in the en virons of Paris, •to enjoy the pleasures of the chace.--(Paris Paper.) On Thursday his Majesty's ship Favorite, Captain H•Eucul;ES ItnolNsoN, arrived at Ports mouth' from •the Newfoundland stationi•last from Gibraltar and Cadiz. She left Gibraltar on the 29th ult. and Cadiz on the 11th inst.. There was not a single ship of war at • either place. The • Wolf, Captain: YEOMAN (which had been cruising off Cape St, Vincent, to inform all British vessels that the yelloW fever was prevailing at Cadiz), sailed on the same day the Favourite did, to re turn to the Cork station. Mr. KEAN.---We have already stated the arri val of Mr. Kean- at , New York. The following extract of a letter is a proof of the interest excited by his visit to the United States :,-- 4. New YoRK, Nov. 29, TEN AT Ni-Hr.—The Ann Maria was to have sailed this morning, but her departure is put off tilt four to-morrow morning., All the passengers are gone to the Theatre -to see your Mr. Kean. There has been a treat s, eculat ion to tidies to-day, the managers having given no tice that nu more would be, sold than would Lilt the house." CANADIAN POETRY. ON THE QUEBEC AkaiI.CULTURAL SOCIETY. - When future Soni of Canada shall trace, • The birth and•rise of Science in then clime. Where . Nat tire once had 'worn her 'wildest face, Crofted in a.foi in majestic and sublime. Then, as they view the cultivated plains. Where Ceres, spreading forth her golden stores, .Amidst a scene of eneerful plenty reigns, plenty, that the Golden Age restores : And see, those tracts, where once Pomona fear'd .I'l4 visit, with rich, nectarewis train, Now by the hist% nig hand of Science rear'd iler juicy treasures, admiration claim : Or, ai they balmy odours shalt inhale, • Prom Flora's hoards of choicer, rarest sweets, Who, ttow of nOrthern gale; Canadian Summers, with her presence greets . While thus, on cult irated scenes they gaze, 4il feel the good; fair Science Can impart, Then shall their Souls the grateful tribute raise, To ye, the early Palruns of the Art. Let them, the'yiew of future scenes inspire, Your efforts,' in this great at id godlike plan, Oh ! may yourp-nerous ardour no•ver tire; • In s•nehecause, so full of good to Mau. And as your Noble Patron*, designs to give, Paternal Sancti . on,.to your Infant Scheme, Under.such fosering case, 'tis sure to thrive, And shed around a bright, refulgent beam. • Quebec; Oct. 19th, MO, PROTEUS. *•The Earl of Dalhousie. MISCELLANEOUS. SMALL-rox.L—During the last three weeks the casual small-pox ha§ Leen fluctuating in the Hiet ropul,s; which has greatly increased in the last week. Fourteen died in the week eliding 28th November, 10 in the Week following, and GS in the week eliding on 1:2tl1 Decemlierinaking 87 in those three weeks! We have obtained A'sight of the register at the Small-pox Hospital, whelethere are eight very serious cases, and it appears that 13U•patieuts in the casual small pox have In-en admitted. there during the present )car, cif whom 31 died ; ,and 2,100 were vaccinated, which is a strong' emitirin : ttion, 'in addition to the return published last year, that- the people are now well satisfied in their preference of vaccilMtion, _ _ A General Bill of all the Christenings and Burials, from bee:1,10819, to Dec. 12, 1 S'2o : Christened in the 97 parishes within : tlie wails, 981 ; buried, 1,08'2. Christened in the 17 parishes without the walls, 5,342 ; buried, 4,076. , Christened in the' - :, out-parishes in Middlesex and Surrey, 1'2449 ; buried, 9,065. . . Christened in the to 'wishes in the,city and liberties of Westminster, 4,356; burieAl, 4,505. - Christened, males 11,993, females 11,165 ; in all 23,158 : buried, males 9,794, feniales, 9,354; in all 19,348. IVhereof have died, Under two years of age 4,758 Sixty and seventy . .1,633 Between two and five 1,975 Seventy and eighty . 1,208 Five and tell . . 887 Eighty and ninety . 6ti2 Ten and twenty . 607 Ninety and a hundred 119 Twenty and thirty . 1,484 A hundred . Thirty and forty . 2,006 A hundred and one Forty and fifty . . 2,069 A hundred - and two . 1 Fifty and sixty . . 1,878 A hundred and three • Increased in the burials this year 120. Tnere have heen executed in London and the county of Surrey, .38; of which number 10 only have been •reported to be hurled within the bills of mortality. . PLAys:—ln an old account-book of Bernard Lintot, the bookseller, the following information iespecting the prices usually paid for the copyrights of Plays is gleaned. Tragedies were then the fashionable dramas, and obtained the best price. Dr. Young received for his Busiris Smith, fur his Plizedra and' Hippolytus, 501.; Rowe, for his Jane Shore, 501. 155., and for Lady Jane Gray 751. 55.; and Cibber, for his Nonjuror, obtained 1051. • PAnTitioocs.-.—The following singular circum stance occurred a tew days ago at 134,Tleswade :—A covey of partridges, - seven in number, were very -closely Immo-v.4 -by a hawk into the hiewhonse-yard of S. Wells, Esq., and flew with such violence against one•ot the maltings, that four of them fill dead upon the spot, and were picket.% up by the men at 'work in the yarn; the other flu ce were so stunned as to he unable to escape, and were taken - by another person at a few yards distance.. Thi it voracious pursuer Made his escape uninjured. • U N ICO itNs.—The Quarlci ij Review asserts, - - - on the authority ut a letter from Latter, that the Uni corn ut the Scriptures exists in herds in the hilly country east of Nepaul. It is.called tso'po in the Thibet language, and is desciihed at thirteen or fourteen hands high, fierce,. and ex 7 tretucly wild. It is Seldom caught alive, but frequtut ly shot, and the titsh is used fur food. The hoofs are cloven, the tail boar-shaped, and the horn long and curved, growing out of the forehead. - . _ A NAUTICAL•PuN.—At the .close of the trial for a breach of promise of marriage, " Harriet Culla . v. Itichard ,Nl•Nawara," Mr. Nor►h, for the defendant, sub mitted two poiots of law contained in the bill of exceptions. Mr. Wallace, for the plaintiff, contended that the übjectiou, in that stage, was wholly irregular, and was proceeding with ►nuch earnestness in his argument, when Lord Norbury in terfered, and said, " Mr. Wallace, Mr. Wallace, I think you will find it a difficult matter to steer your course so as to get 'Sank about." The Court was convulsed with laughter. DANDY .—Some one has endeavoured to de duce the etymology of this Word from dandi prat, a coin, as Rapin informs its, struck in the reign of Henry VII. It has been frequently applie'd as a term of contempt by the early dramatists. Thus Middleton, iu his comedy " Mwe Dissem blers 'besides Women," makes Dandolo say of Lactantio's page," tht;re's ao fellowship in this dandi.prat, thiS dire dapper." In the same play Linquepace says, " Who w►iuld be plagued with a (falai prat usher?" &e. In Massiager'S " Virgin Mar►yr," Hircias, spsiaking of the attendant.of Do rothea, thus soliloquizes him: •` The stung dandi-prat smelts us out whatever we are doing." Ile has just before en titl e d Litt a " jackanapes," a " white-fac'd iumikey," and a chitty-fac'd page." Old Marston, In his " Scourge for Villanies," not►ces the dandi-prats, and so does honest Mas tel• Dekker, in one of his ciimedies. The term seems to have been in continua request in the age" of Queen Elizabeth; as an epithet of reproach. SPORTING oINTEI,LIGENCE, FOR THE - PRESENT WEEK. The Quorndon Hounds inert on Wednesday at •Widtuer pool ; Thursday, at W . imeswold ; Saturday - , at Clifton. The Pyteliley Hounds,ion Wedusday, at IVuelily 'roll Bar; Friday, at Cransley ; Saturday, at Stowe. The Duke of Grafton's Hounds, on Wednesday, at Stoke . (Bittern) Park; Friday, at IVhistley Wood. The Oakley Hounds, on Thursday, atiKetupston Wood; Sat uldav,`at Rushdeu. The WOreestershire Fox • Houtids, on Thursday, at. Red marley, ; ,Sateirday, at Bretton Hill. His Majesty's Stair Mounts; to•uwrrow, at Ascot Heath ; (NMI on Friday, at Stoke Common.' . . The Hamtledon Hounds, to morrow at Horndean ; Thurs day; at Runisden Bottum; Saturday, at Milburrow's. The Quorndon Hounds on Wednesday last threw off at Owthorpe;Nottingliatushire, and had an e sedleat d a y' s di. version: they lost tire Fox in Oingham town, who escaped Isis pursuers Jby etstt ring some out-kuildings, after a run of one hour and ‘2Binintoes. Yesterday divine service was performed at the King's Palace, in Pall-mall, by the Rev. Dr. STANIER CLARKE. Yesterday afternoon the Duke of YORK arriv ed at his residence in the King's Palace, Saint James's, soon after three o'clock, from Woburn Abbey. The Duke of GLOUCESTER arrived at his house in Park-lane, oft Wednesday night, from the seat of Mr: GREENWOOD, near Sudbury, in Suffolk, after a tour of abour a month. Last evening his Royal Highness left town for his seat, at Bag shot Park. ' FOREIGN LITERATURE: • ON THE DRESS OF THE ANTIENTS. 'A Paler on this subject.. by M. MONGEZ was meeting to; have been read at the last of .the French Academy of Belles Lettres, from which the following remarks are extracted " We first observe loag.and fuil. dresses worn by the in habitants.of warm countries, and in temperate climates, by' those nations whose' stares alone were employed- in the most laborious works, and mecasinnally in the cultivation of the liberal arts which were held in little estimation by their masters; these were - in the. East, tile Persians, the 'l.:ydians, thetheeks of lonia, and most of the other Asiatic nations, the Carthagirians and a few of the other inhabitants' of• Africa. In - like manner the citizens of Keine, and of those cities which submitted to her Einpire, walked shout wrapped up in a large cloak, called the toga, w l Jich was more than 16 feet wide. " But this was not the case with the Romans employed in works of husbandry, nee with the 'labouring clasSes at Rome, whom Horace calls the vest-wearing crowd (tunicatus po• pellusejep. 1,7. 65.) „To work more at theirease,they wore only the vest without the toga,' appearing like modern la bourers after, titer have thrown off their cents. The slaves did the same, except when they went into the streets, and then they-' put on a cloak. " What has been just stated of the working classes of Rome, is equally applicable to the ,people of the north and south of Europe. All were clothed in dresses which were very short, and fitted close to the body Martial-characterizes in de rision a Gaul, by his cloak, which scarcely reaches as low as the thighs. " Dimidias nates-Gallica•palla teeit. Mart. I. 95. " In several-towns in the Eastern departments of France many antient 111CMUIllelltS may yet he seen, on which some Gattiish figures are carved, wrapped: in a mantle like the penula of the Romans, or wearing a loose cloak fastened with a clasp, the sueerem; these •cloaks do not reach lower than the calf of the leg. The people inhabiting the left bankmf thesDanube, .ace represented iu like manner on Tra jan's column. "Hence it may be said, that long and full dresses were worn among indolent nations, and short and close garments by those - who were actite and laborious. Here it is necessary to melte one observation which applies to all inquiries re spectingdress; which is, that no fixed or positive rule ye gariling it can be established, on account of the exceptions which are every day Itrought to light by newly discovered monuments. • " To the same class the following remark belongs, relative to the mode of wearing the hair. The Asiatics, Africans, and Europeans, with the exception of the Greeks mud Romans, wore the hair lung or very long ; whilst -that of the inhabi tants of Greece and Rome, except the Lacedemonians, was always short. Asia, particularly, in this respect, exhinits singular revolution. Before the introduction of Mohain , medanisni the people of Asia wore the hair very long, espe cially the Peesiaus and their kings, who loaded their heads 'with a quantity of false hair ; but since that event, long hair has disappeared 'among the Persians, Turks, &c. What was the causeeof this chance? Did the• Mohammedans, in the first ages of their religion, and during the fervour of their prise miller zeal, practise ablutions of the head, which rendered it necessary ? I cannot give any srisfactory answer to this question. Perhaps a very simple one may he found—the in fluence of Fashion. Since I . have pronounced the name of this inconstant and despotic Sovereign, I ought, in spite of those angry spirits, who deem e that her powt r is confined to the moderns, to pence that the Greeks and Romans were, like us, subject to her influence. " The'Greeks wore the beard rather short from the earliest known periods (At/ern. Deipn. VIIi. IS2) but in the time of Alexander they cut it quite close. A few years after, some Sitilian barbers, Greeks, no doubt, arrived at Rome ; the Ro mans then began tteshave their beards, and Scipio Africanus the younger (Plia..H. N. VII. 50.) was the first who adopted daily this new custom. It lasted till the reign of Hadrian, who wished to attract public notice by appearing in a fashion different train the people. .The Spartan historian assigns as a reason that he was desirous of concealing the sc!trs un his face. Be that as it -may, he ‘vas Unitated by the Romans and by their subjects the Greeks - , who got rid of their beards it second time under Constantine, and suffered it to grow long its the reigns ofJustinian and his successors. " Among the Aucieuts, fashion exercised its influence en other points, besides the form and the texture of their dress ; coquetry - (if such a term may he permitted in a discussion ou grave subjects)—coquetry exercised also its power. The Greeks and Romans studied how to carry. the cloak with grace. To accomplish that picturesque effect and-those beau *tit fedde, veisitieeteorretitute the charm of . aretient.. drapers; they attached to the corners of their cloaks acorns, which, by their weight, enabled them to adjust at pleasure these light stuffs. " The cloak characteristic of the Romans, the toga, which is double the size of the Greek cloak, and evidently Asiatic origin, was likewise the object of the most minute solicitude. Tcrtullian (tie Pall. v. 27) tells its that ' a work man was engaged in at rengin l it the whole of the day.pre ceding that eir which it was to re wens; he berated the folds and followed them in their 'several Curtis and windings; he adjusted with a species of pincers the studied mass of folds which covered the breast: and when he had put the toga on the person for whom it was prepared, he examined each care fully to be certain that it had retained its position ; and lastly.lie supported those in front by a light plat of the twigs of time Lindentree.' We may form an idea of the importance attached by the Rowan orators -to the proper arrangement of the folds of their toga : Ist, by the space which Quintilian (lib. xi. c. 3) has detailed to the discussion of this subject ; 2dly, by observing that one of the speakers in the Dialogue .on Oratory, written by Quint ilian, or by a cotemporary author, reckons, among the cause of the decline of eloquence, the disuse of the toga by theßoman lawyers, and their adop tion of the pessula, a species of 'coat which was narrow and confined; 3dly, by the description given by Macrobins (SANE!' ii, c. 9) of the Orator Hortensius, the rival of Cicero : this man, he says, celebrated for a studied effeminacy of manners, and • who considered the art of arranging dress as the perfection of eloquence, was a coMplete fop., He examin ed himself its a looking glass from head to fo o t to see whether he was tastefully dressed ; and when he put on his toga, he took infinite pains that every fold should preserve its artifi cial position, and bear evident m a rks of the most studious preparation, and not appear the effect of chairce? • What Macrobios afterwards relates of this orater is still More. re - - Walkiog one day thins foppishly dres,ed, he net one of his eolleagues in a 'tallow passage who accidentally spoiled the arrangement of his toga, and immediately brought an action against him, considering the derangement of a siugle fold on his shoulder as a capital crime.' ' Even Horace, whit gives frequently such heautAll les sons in philosophy, relates with great gravity the smiles of contempt with which a man is received, whose toga is longer on one side than the other; Si toga dissidct jasper, rides, Epist. I. 96. " A passage from the Romance of' The Loves of Ismenias and Ismene,' (lib, iv. n. 3.) informs us, that the Greeks, at least those of the. 12th century, in which the Author Eusta tius lived, were sandals made of very shining leather. He says, speaking - of a young. wan elegantly dressed, .whose por trait was introduced into a paintlue which he describes, that the grass on which he trod was reflected in his 'sandal, the .Same as in a mirror; so much pains had the painter bestowed iu delineating every part of his dress.' " What I 3111 going to relate would scarcely be; credited, if it did not appear in the Homily of a Bishop who" lived in the loarth century, mid who would not advert to a -fashion if it were not daily before the eyes of Isis congregation. Asturius, Bishop of Arnasia, thus expresses himself in his Homilies on Lazarus: ' These worldly men have invented anew art, equal ly writs as useless (the art ot weaving), which by the COMbilla -110118 of the warp and woof imitates painting, and re presents on stuffs the forme of animals. By this Means, they procure nt a great expence•for themselves, , their wives and children, a dress of divers' colours, and covered with a number of figures.—When they go out thus clothed, passengers look.at them as So many painted walls, children surround them laugh ing and . poiating their fin4ers at the paintings.—There are heirs, panthers, bears, hulls, dogs, huntsmen, in a word, all that can exhibit the ingenuity of the artist, in imitating me ture. It was not SttiliCiellt, it seems, that their walls and houses should he painted, but they must also have the vests and cloaks which cover their own bodies decorated in tike manner.' " The sacred Orator then adds what is . still more extraor dinary—"fhose am ou r the affluent,' he says, who are dis tinguished tor their piety, cause the weavers to introduce into their manufacture subjects taken from the Evangelists; Cerist with all his disciples, and each of his ntiracles, as they are recorded in the sacred bootie. You will there see the Marriage at Cana, with the pitchers; the Paralytic taking up his bed en his shoulders;. the Blind restored to Sight; the Wom.m with a bloody issue touching the 'hens of our Sa vittur's gat Lutist ; and Lazarus restored to Life front the Grave.' " After these details of refined luxury, it may be curious to observe tie► conduct exhibited by the Lactdoionians. When not engager' in any military expeditions, bey •wore no vest. but simply a cloak, which fowled their dress at all seasons' and W•ai inadcof coarse stuff. Demosthenes also states, that 'some of the Athenians, by an inexplicable whitu, affected ,on the banks of the Ilissies; to appear in the plain dress - of the Spartans, the constart epemies of their country. e lie repre sents diem (dicers. C9n6n, 732.) as wearing coarse cloaks, very. plain sandals, and assuming an austete countenance.' " If the bullies which have bit en' narrated, exhibit the hu man race iii an unfavourable light, I can produce an instance of greatness of mind with respect to dress, which reflects great honour on the woolen of Chios, • and which is recorded by Polyenns in his collection of the stratagems of warjStra- tem viii.) The inhabitants of this island, vanquiSlted by the Erythrcans, hoUnd themselves by an oath to quit the island, each carrving away only a vest with a species of cloaii, calved !e'en. Their wives,' says the within., ‘. with, grief saw their husbands take their departure without arms; but the •latter referred to the oath by Which they were bound.. Then the women advised them not to abandon their arms, and•tii say at it was their' ustom to,call the spear, lerys, and.the allele, a yes,. " It has been generally imagined, that in Greece, and at Rome, the slaves wore a different dress from the. citizens. This conjecture can only be correct as applied to the Greeks. The latter compelled their slaves to wea' the ban very short, a small cloak, and;► vest of a whimsical shape. The 'lonians treated their slaves, in relation to their dress, apparently with more humanity. Appian says (B. C. 11. pag. 520.) that their dress differed in no respect froth that of their miisters except the laticlavo, art ornament worn only by Senators. The reason of this conduct, so different from that. of the Greeks, may be attributed to the small number of slaves in Greece, and the multitudes of them among the Itothans, Urassus reckoned them at many thousands. It was proposed in the Senate, says Seneca (de Perm sit,- 1, 24.) to give their slaves a dress to distinguish !lout from the freemen; but it was feared that this dress would slow the slaves that their masters were not so numerous as themselves.' Alexander Severus had the sa4ne intention Cbut. the learned Paulus and • Ulpiati . dissuaded him ficini it,, foreseeing its 'dreadful. consequences. ' " Luxury in dress was carried to greater excess among the Romans than is generally imagined. Sotne of the Empresses had mantles manufactured of gold - and silver, Without any intermixture of thread or silk. This last ar ticle was sold at Rome fur its weight in gold, because it was brought front Asia, and the silk-worm.was not known ,in Europe until the reign of Justinian in the gilt century. Notwithstanding - its great price, the dress of rich women and effeininate men consist ,, d alniost entirely of it. " Almost all substances were fabricated into dresses.for the ancients ; the hair of the camel, the goat, and the hare; the skins of the otter, marten, ermine, fox, and .braver; the feathers of the peacock, &c. In the manufacture of wearing apparel and sandals, they made use of flax, cotton, the bat k of trees, the filainents of the papyrus and other plants of the same species, and even the thick fibres of the, roots of some bulbous plants, such as - the hyrtrit/ws. " It does not appear that the ancients ever made use of linen cloth; no mention is made of it by any of the . ancient Authors whose writings bavaescended to us."—(foniteur, Dee. 14:) SHIP NEWS. PoRTSMOUTII, DEC. 24.—Arrived. Y'esterday, the Leridon, Newton, from the Cape of Good Hope ; Britannia, Strange, from London, for the Havannah; Nlatilda and Susan, Hooper, from Patsas; and Active, Hall, from Leghorn,—Arrived to day, the Lady Ridley, Weir, tenn► London for New South Wales; his Majesty's.ship Cameleon, from Deptford; mid Fortitude and Caroline transports, from the Downs.-,-Sailed, the Earl of Wellington, .King, for Jamaica. FALMOUTH, DEC. 22.—Wind W.—Arrived the Cotinfess of Chichester packet,with mails from the Mediterranean; sailed from Gibraltar the link inst., the Montague packet,with the Brazil Mail, was repaired, and was to sail' in a, day or two. Also arrived the Elisha Tapper, Bishop; from Gibraltar; Lively, Smith, front London for Africa; and Lydia, Higgins, from Virginia. Sailed the Manchester packet fur the Brazils; and the Doke of Ks nt for Lisbon. eM:h with a Mail; and Auguste, Gaillard, for Havre. The Matlliocrough packet for Lisbon ; and Fox packet for the Islands, are in the Roads. • Datermotyrn, Dec. 23.—Arrived the Graces, Francis, from Lanzarow. She was brought to soon after sailing by a Pa triot brig privateer and two armed schooners, but was al lowed to proceed. Mn.roun, DEC. 22.—The Thetis, Peregrine, from Tenby for Cork, was lost on the Irish cerast onthe Itah inst.ovith all her crew and two female passengers. De. r, Dec. 24.—Wind N.E.—Came down from the River yesterday and sailed the Tyne, Brodie, for Madras ; Citizen, for Bahia; Ida, for Jamaica ; Henry Cyr f, for Trinidad ; Olive Branch, for the ('ape; Henry, for Sierra Leone, and several others. Caine down from tire River to.drry the 'Cont petitor, Low, for Madras and Ceylon ; tipike, for New Smith Wales ; Martha, for Autlgna--; Henry, for Honduras ; Water ' loq, for Leghorn. Boone Heorietta, for Konen ; and William, for Lisbon. Sailed the whole of the Outward•bound. Madame MARA, as we stated, is . at Bath, but without any view to a public performahce. She has, however, been induced by long friend ship for ASILE, and regard to his numerous and accomplished family, to.sing once, and only once, at his Benefit Concert in that city. FREE MASONRY.—W tir have we not a new edition of Brother PRESTON'S interesting " Illus trations of Masonry," a work that has passed through eleven editions, and is now out of print, and very scarce ? 'A - Society, founded_on bene volence and religion, should be zealously sup ported by all friends - to humanity. At the last Meeting of the Leicestershire Dio. cesan Society, in ail of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, held on the 19th instant, CLEMENT WINSTANLEY, Esq. in the Chair, the unanimous .and" cordial thanks of the Society were giVen to the - Rev'. Dr. MEADAN, for his able, judicious, and well-timed Discourse at St. Mary's Church in that town, in support of the funds of this excellent Institution. •It affOrdi us great pleasure to observe the nu aierous subscriptions which have already been en tered into, in support of the Leicestershire Framework Knitters' Friendly Society. The most beneficial effects'have resulted from the establishment o‘f this excellent Institution. WESLEY AN METHODISTS. The . late 'Kr: DIXON, One of the . Ministers of this respectable class of people residing at Stockton, died about a fortnight'Since,..at.an 'advanced age, .This gen tleman invariably attended throughout his life the Church service every Sunday, whilst he was aslregular, in' his•attendance at the morning and :Oiniiigservites'Of his own chapel. The Leicester Town and County Ball is fixed. for the eighteenth of :January next. The Stj4- ards are, Mr. POCKIN, Mr. MANSFIELD, and MT. PERES, junior. We, hear that a Ball is to be given at Laugh _ borough on or about the 10th of January. next, for the benefit. of that admirable Institution, the Dispensary Establishment at that place. PACIa, of. Prestwold, and Mr. CHESLYN, of Langley;having kindly assented to act 'as Stew ards on the occasion, and most of the leading gentlemen of the county condescended to patron ize it, 'we have no doubt of the result pronigas beneficial to the Institution ,as every friend and. well-wisher of it can desire:':? Lord and Lally Cu,azoN regard for the comforts of the Popr ate t'..: of the year,. made a most acceptable:'preseitf of blankets and clothing'to tin' indigent fainiiie's in the neighliourhood of GopsalL The Board of LongitUde have issued an order for the•payment of 50001:to Captain PARRY and his companions, for having reached the 110 deg. W. longitude in the Arctic Circle. It. is said Captain PARRY is . to go out again in the Spring, and take a more southerly direction.