Star.
London, England, 1830-07-17 00:00:00

SCINTILLAS.

ODD PROCLAMATION FOR HOLDING A FAIR •MONG
Tug Bcorcu.—O yes ! and that's se tine; 0 yes ! and thao,
twa times ; 0 yes ! and that's the third and last time. All manner
of pearson, or whosoever, let 'em draw near and I shall
let 'em know that there is a fair to be held at the muckle town of
Langholm for the space of aught days; wherein if any hustrin
custrin land-lopper, dub-strouper, or gang-the-gate swinger, shall
breed any hurdam durdam, rabblement, brabblement, or squabble.
meat, he shall have his lugs tacked to the muckle throne, with a
nail of a twa-a-penny, until he down on his bobshanks, and put up
his muckle daups, aad pray to hea'en seven times—Oon bless the
king; and thrice the spackle laird of Belton; paying a groat to me
Jenny Ferguson, bell of the aforesaid manor. 8o you've heard
my proclamation, and I'll gang beam to my dinner.
The John Bull, which never hesitates to joke upon
matters of importance, in speaking of the grand national under.
taking of the metropolitan esaselery, suggests that Sir Isaac
Corrin should be the fittest President.

m
11111 aCHOOLDIASTEM WANTED.—The following is
a literal copy of an account which $ gentleman In town received
from $ green-grocer last week—" Twernept 2 doe Is I cabetch 1
dos is 6d I onins 4d I sellet 4d."
Among Kings, and Ministers, and nations, economy is
the first virtue—without it genius is a meteor; victory $ sound;
and all courtly splendour a public robbery.—Arthur Yowsp's 71 u.
vets in Frame, 1792._
_ _ _

. -
Clear and sound dealing is the honour of man's na-
ture; and mixture of falsehood is like alloy in gold and silver,
which may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it....,
Boson.

TOLERATION." To what purpose have I a conscience
of mown," said John Gerson, Chancellor of Paris, "if I must live
an according to the conscience of another man ?"
ACCIDENT.—On the 24th of the first moon, at a reli-
gious drama, the wife of Wonphhtgeoy attended. The lady was
pregnant. At noon, whilst leaning over the bannister, looking at
the play, a boy was born. For women, under such circumstances, to
be looking at plays, and to be delivered, is a rare occurrence.—C?ai.
nese Reporter.
PULPIT FA LSEIIOOD.—Some of the Islington preach-
ers, we understand, last week thought proper to attack newspapers,
and one person went so far as to say that -every Sunday newspaper
was published in support of infidel principles. How melancholy is
the reflection, that a man pretending to teach his fellows the way to
salvation, should dare (in the hope of currying favour with his
worldly superior) to profane the House of GOD by ignorantly or wil.
fully stating a falsehood from that pulpit, which he is paid to fill in
order to promulgate eternal truth.
How TO GET A PLACE.—Sir Robert Walpole was
fond of playing at billiards, at which his friend, Dr. Morey, ex-
celled him, " How happens it, Mousey," said Sir Robert, " that
nobody beats me at billiards," or contradicts me, but you ?" " The
solution is easy," said Mousey, " I want neither places nor money
from you. Perhaps, if I did, I should be as great a bungler at bil.
Bards as you are."
A SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—Upon the members
quitting the town, the weather began to clear up ; and, clouded as
the atmosphere was during the whole time of their canvass, the in-
stant it ceased the sky presented a most clear blue appearance.—
Newark Tines.

A POOR FAMILY.—There is at present a family re-
siding at Treswell, near East Retford, who are now, and whose
ancestors have been, receiving parochial relief ever since the reign
of Elisabeth.

A MAIDEN SUNDAY.—Sunday last was what is
called a maiden one at our Church, there being neither a marriage,
churching, baptism, christening, funeral, nor any banns published ;
a circumstance which has not occurred for several years In this
parish.—Neseark Timer.
CHINESE TYPES.—The moveable types hitherto em-
ployed by Europeans, have, we believe, been generally engraved.
No method of casting them as ever been adopted extensively. We
hear that the Rev. 31r. Dyer, an English missionary to the Chinese
on Penang, contemplates casting them in the following manner :
Have the characters wanted first cut on wood, by a good Chinese
type-cutter. Then take a facaimile of the engraved block on clay.
Upon the clay cast the type metal, then saw the characters, and dress
them to the proper size. We see various objections to this mode of
proceeding, but sincerely hope he will overcome all the difficulties,
so as to make Chinese moveable types tolerably cheap.
PRESENCE OF MIND.—The following remarkable
anecdote Is related by Gibbon, in his account of the siege of Alex.
andris, by the Arabian army, under the command of Amroui the
conqueror of 4ypt :—" In every attack on the city, the sword of
Amrou glittered in the van of the Moslems. On a memorable day,
he was betrayed oy his imprudent valour; his followers who had
entered the citadel were driven back; and the general, with a friend
and a slave, remained a prisoner in the bands of the Christians.
When Annan was conducted before the prefect, he remembered his
dignity and forgot his situation; a lofty demeanour, and resolute
language, revealed the Lieutenant of the Caliph, and the battk.aae
of a soldier was ahead, raised to strike off the had of the audacious
captive. His life was saved by the readiness of his slave, who in.
steady gave his master a blow on the face, and commanded him, in
an ggrryy tone, to be silent in the presence of his superiors. The
credulous Greek was deceived, he listened to the offers of a treaty,
and his prisoners were dismissed in the hope of a more respectable
embassy till the joyful acclamations of the Saracen camp an.
nounostethe return of their general, and insulted the folly of the

Infidels."

TESIPERANCE SOCIETIES IN AMERICA.--.-We have
just received a letter on this subject from a Gentleman in New.
York, under date the Bth ult. and as the contents may be interest-
ing to not a few of our readers, we here subjoin a copy of it :—I
have read with great pleasure the doings at the meeting of tile
Leven Temperance Society published in your paper of April the
21st. Some gentlemen who read the speech of Dr. Kirk, pro.
minced it one of the very best things they had seen on the sub-
ject. There is one thing I noticed with surprise—the calls on the
claw to join the cause, as if they were backward about it. Surely
the clergy cannot be following to the promotion of temperance.
One would almost conclude that they had received with peculiar
docility the direction of Father Paul to his son Timothy, about tha
way to keep the stomach in order. If, however, they will but
hearken still further, they will hear the hardy veteran preach of
temperance till they tremble. In this country at the close of the
last century, it was not uncommon for the clergy, at their various
meetings with each other for business and improvement, to spend
most of the time cracking jokes, smoking long pips, and drinking
t rum and brandy. At one time, in the city of New York, a very
deplorable portion of the clergy were well-known tipplers. Among
ajor, this ion were some men of splendid talents, and such was the
y on the subject, that they were permitted to fill their sacred
until they died, an event which in several eases was evidently
hastened by intemperance. At their funerals splendid eulogies
were pronounced, but now their congregations are willing to hr
them rest in quietness. The clergy now have thrown away, in
=l4 the practices I have alluded to, and no spirits are used by
or olkred to others any where, or under any circumstances,
emit as medicine. The whole plan of operations which has
such wonders here, was contrived by clergymen at the
Tbs teal School at Andover, and by clergymen, as leading in
=antevensent, kMs been carried on to this time. Now the
et elking spidinees liquors in courtesy to friends, is abo-
lished be A the hue dreles of the Eastern States. Among the
more sellstees dream a man would almost as soon be known to
swear as to drink brandy. The principle on which the reform rests
is perfeedy simple, and goes here by the appellation of " total
abstinence," though I see your orators did not use that plume.
This is die doctrine—the machinery consists of societies formed
with till Wilds at first embrace the better portion of society,
gain sttmiees at every impulse, and soon control the public opinion
of the Sewn. There have been societies for years in this country,
but they have never before accomplished any thing ; because in the
first place, they set out to suppress isaewsperance a thing which
cannot be done, certainly not with the permission ;hey have always
held out to moderate drinking. I pray the reformation may go on
in this country and in yours, until those nations, the most celebrated
for the universal diffusion of intelligence, shall wipe away the dia.
honourably celebrity which they have acquired of being also the most
beastly drunkards iii creation.
GHOST.—Last year, in the 12th moon, a widow's son
in the neighbourhood, having been chastised by her, run off into an
adjoining house, and cut his throat. The house was subsequently
let to a Northcountryman, who, a few days ago, gave a party to
some friends, in the midst of which bricks, tiles, &c. came down
from the roof on the table, and broke the dishes, and a voice sa'd,
" I am the lord of this house, aged in, why don't you sacrifice to
me ?" The Northcountryman believed this must be the ghom of
the lad who cut his throat, and forthwith quitted the mansion.