The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE A3IL'LCT; OR, CHRISTIAN AND LITERARY
REMEMBRANCER.

Baynes and Son. . _
If the praise of having first given a lifersrf form *rid
character to these annual tokens of remembrance is due to
our German neighbours, we have certainly of }ate y„,,
greatly improved upon the precedent. The attraction/el
the present volume arc of a kind which address thentsehey
to general readers, although intentionally niVroPrieterl to
those of a more serious cast ; and the Editor lies, in 026
respect, well entitled himself to their peculiar approbation
and patronage. The subjects of the various plates are
well chosen, and are executed with great delicacy and
effect. Many names of deserved repute are in tlie list
of contributors. We select from among them the following
SONNET.
By JOHN CLARE (THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE PEASANT/.
I would not that my being all should
And pass away with every common lot ;
I would not that my humble dust should lie
In quite a strange and unfrequented spot,
Be all unhealed, and by all forgot,
With nothing save the heedless winds to sigh,
And nothing but the dewy morn to weep
About my grave, far hid from the world's eye.
I fain amid have some friend to wander nigh,
And finds path to where my ashes sleep.
Not the cold heart that merely passes by,
To mist who lieu) there, but such that keep
Past memories warm with deeds of other years,
And pay to friendship some few friendly tsars.

LITERARY GLEAN

No. LXIII.

PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENT.
It is enricus to remark the great change produced in the
Metropolis during the last century. The following public
Advertisement appeared in a newspaper, April 27, 1700:
"In Brookfield market-place, at the east corner of Hyde.
park, is a fair to be kept for the space of sixteen days, be-
ginning the let of May,. The first three days for live
CATTLE and LEATHER, with the same entertainments as
at Bartholomew fair.; where there is shops to he let ready
built for all manner of tradesmen
that usually keep fain..
and so to continue yearly at the same time and place."
MAYFAIR, in the same neighbourhood, so called from
being beki in May, was at this period the great reson of
the lovers of fltn, idleness, and mischief. In the year 704,
the diversions of dancing, wrestling, rope-dancing,
and all
the fairy accompaniments, were announced to the public
as being got up in peculiar style. The geed people were
entertained by a rays/Priori', who had been taught to
pick a fowl's feathers from the body, and all this in addi-
tion to the usual splendid entertainments.
There was Mr. Miller's booth "over against" Mr.
Barnes the rope-dancer's, where was 'presented an ex-
cellent droll called CRISPIN and CRISPIANVS, or a nor-
maker a Prince, with the best machines, singing, and
dancing ever yet in the Fair." This and other excellent
performances attracted the lasses and lade of London,
whose spirits, exhilarated by the season from which the
Fair was named, met in vast numbers, and with them the
pickpockets and the cyprians, who, as usual, did not permit
the attractions of drolly to divert thetn from business:
indeed they were so extremely active in their vocations,
that the Magistrates thought proper to thin the number of
the latter by commitments; but in the execution of this
plan the Constables were resisted by a set of Soldiers, who
determined to protect the FAIR, which they did in such
serious earnest, that Mr. John Coorrx, one of the peace.
officers, lost his life, and in due time was buried at st.
James's Church, Westminster, where a Funeral Sens=
was preached by Josiah Woonwe en, D.D. Minister of
Poplar Chapel, before the Justices, High Constable, &c.
and which lie published at their request. The Observator,
a paper published twice a week.at that period, says ironi-
cally of May Fair—"Oh the. piety of some people about
the Queen ; who can suffer things of this nature to too un-
discovered to her Al ajestyt and consequently unpunished !
Can any rational roan imagine 'that her Mejesty would per-
mit so much dissoluteness as is seen at May Fair fora
many sass together so near her Royal Palace, if she knew
any thing of the matter ? Ido not-beliere the'pettent for
that fair allows the patentees the libtity' ateittinenti
the Devil's shops, and exposing his merchanditte. for ode;
nor was there ever one fair or. inarke4 in England consti-
tuted fer this purpose. But this fait is levpscontran to
Law and in detiatice of Justiee; for the last fair; when
the Civil Magistrate came to keep the-Queen's pence there,
one Constable was killed, and tlitex others wounded."
The man who committed tlsu above murder escaped,
and n hatrher of Gloucester was banned for the crime ;
hnt the era/ reipr it finally aul&red; and thus tragically
ended the Fair of May, 1702.
The Grand Jury of Middlesex presented May Fair
in November, 1703. -And early hi the ensuing year, the
public mind bad been so influenced to seriousness by the
dreadful storm of November, the teems)/ which were
fatally experienced in every direction, that prelates, the
clergy, and the better disposed part of the community
joined in one panel exclamation against the Immorality,
and the licentiousness of the stage, which its most ardent
admirers must admit to have arrived at that time at such a
height as fully warranted an order from the Queen to re-
strain it. At the same period the Lord Mayor and Alder-
men issued a proclamation, forbidding the cruel practice of
throwing. at cocks on Shrove Tuesday; and the- 2•tdier of
as far as related to the exhibition of puppets, and suchlike
April 18, 1709, mentions the total abolition of MAY' FAIR
attractions for the vulgar. _

'f II E BEAR•GARDE X.—lt is a phrase in very common
use, as applied to any noisy and riotous ametnbly, that it
it " like a bear-garden. " The origin of the term, which
is not generally known, will appear from the following
vcrtisement in the Post-boy of July 1700 :
"At kis ifiljesty's BEAR-GARDEN, in Hockley in the
Hole, a trial of skill to be performed to-morrow, being die
10th instant, at three in the afternoon, between Jolla
BOWLER, of the city of Norwich, and Champion of No'-
,folk, muter of the noble science of defence, and WILL e
the WEirr, from the city of Sunshiny, master of the said
science of defence."

It appears by other public advertisements issued by the
proprietors of the BEAR-GARDEN, that wrestling, and Act
contests of a similar kind, were exhibitesl ; the prizes wee
gloves at two atillings and sixpence a pair. The comply!
that flocked to this place of vulgar result were of Kt brawl
turbulent a description, that it was snore than once laical
as a public nuisance; and other novelties in their um
arising, it was at length deserted, and the ground la on
building leases, but the frequency of its uproars long sun•
vived in the popular memory, and thus its name became
proverbial.

NORTH lirasr EX P EDI TION.-•••Ille !eels discovery chir
was paid off at -Woolwich on Mcntltiv, when the sescAti
voluntarily entered into a liberal collection for the Alea.!-tal
Seatnett's 'Hospital, on board the Crainpus. In It., e.•
ing Captain Hopper, and the officers of his Najer!`
late ship Fury, in testimony of the hospitality they'
experienced on board the Ilecla. after the fosse(
ship, gave a sumptuous farewell diluter to Capt3ll
and all his officers, at the Frei-masons' Tivern, i•
loyal and appropriate toasts were drank, and the ers;..,::
passed with much hilarity.
The building of Belgrnee-;quroc has been eonmere
It will be in the fintst styli cf architecture. The
sides arc to be uniform, of the Porid Corinthian Or.-.r.
and the most eminent architects have been eugai:-,i
forming the designs. We undcrstand that the wh".
square will be finish'd in two years.
At a special general incetim: of the trustees of the Sl,'"
rey New Roads, held at the horns Tavern, liettit:ne!,'•
yesterday, Mr. Horton Letlgor was unanimously ntrolLl
Superintending Surveyor of the above line of rissds.
A few days ,go, Mr. Turner, of Horsham. eronettts
mill-pond, nigh to the above town, a pike wt i;l
pounds, in the stomach of which was found R
which, from the state of its plutra;ze, could not !hi"
long gorged.
hisMor,:ole;ciNt'io ssot,mtlifie,oc, eil:;:tnrat tiefttlinpedtin,er:ltr,i:rito,
sstinettol,intcyli.7,l,
for 2(10 Plovercignm. The time allowed, agreeable to
eleven hours. The petleattian cleatel six miles within itet!,
hour, wren in the second, and more ;has in the think •i
at
of the race the redest,isn took req. hi a stretch t•ti
straw, arA went on fresh and well. lie performed. incituirr.
pages. 30 miles in morn less than flee boors. eats :mod 5v10,70.
•
and went on very leistmele at his anti,. atol son the 1113t,:f.
I stifactorily to himself it: tivci.ty nnt:ut,•N c ;item rota,
05.