Star.
London, England, 1830-12-29 00:00:00

SCIIIITILLAI.

AN ODE TO THE NEW YEAR,
Thou art gone, Old Year, to thy fathers,
In the stormy time of snow,
In the endless vaults of Eternity,
Thy coffin's last of, the row,
And some will pledge thy memory,
Till eyes and cups run o'er ;
But ne'er a drop would I waste on thee,
Had'st thou died six months before !
Sad cause have I to remember
The hour thou shewd'st thy face,
That time the red gold lined my pouch,
My credit was in good case ;
Now my purse is a feather—sad credit
Is sped of a quick decline,
0 ! it breaks my heart when, perforce, / pus
Mine old host's jolly sign !
I had a dear love and a winsome love,
Broad acres were her own.
We kiss'd an all-hail ! to thy natal morn,
But she, even she, is flown !
I had a friend of the rarest,
We welcomed it merrily ;
Now our hearts are as far asunder
As the Kars and the rolling sea.
Thou hut tolayd the churl with me, dead Year I
And shalt thou be forgiven ?
No--by the
.prayer of beadsmen young,
When erring maid is shriven !
Be thy name no more remembered,
For the ill deeds thou bast done,
To a friendless, loveless, pennylesi man,
Whose hopes are in thy son !
GENERAL FAST.
At an early period of the French war the following epigram appears
upon the above subject :--
First General Brunswick made a sad campaign ;
Then General Coburg took the field in vain ;
Next General Warmser bid the troops advance;
Then General York deelar'd he'd conquer France.
All the vain efforts of these Generals past,
We rest our hope forlorn on GENERAL FAST.

NEWSPAPERS IN GREAT BRITAIN.—The total num-
ber of Newspapers printed in Great Britain amounts to 2:4 : of they.
72 are printed in London only, 13 of which arc daily, and 24 vedtly;
in Liverpool 9, and Manchester 7.
BaysstLs..—On the spot where stood the house of the
obnoxious Minister, Felix van Maanen, which was burnt to the
ground by the infuriated populace, a monument has been erected.
bearing the laconic inscription, " Felix Infelix." These are extraor-
dinary times ; and among the signs of the times, not the least entrain..
dietary is this burst of irony from a named !_Spectator.
SPANISH ARCHITECTURE.—Don Juan Alfonso Ber-
mudez, the well-known Spanish antiquarian, who has been for several
years engaged in writing a History of Spanish Architecture," has, at
ength, produced his first part, which was recently published at Nladrid.
It is a splendid work, and will be completed in four parts. The au.
thor has been presented, by the King, with 5000 dollars, towards co.
Tering the expenses of the work, which is truly of a national kind.
TRUE POLlTlNESS.—Ceremonies are different in every
country, but true politeness is every where the same. Ceremonies,
which take up so much of our attention, are only artificial helps, which
ignorance assumes in order to imitate politeness, which is the result of
good sense and good nature. A person possessed of these qualities,
though he had never seen a Court, is truly agreeable ; and if without
them, would continue a down, though he had been all his life a gen.
Heenan usher.—Gadiesick

PROVOKING CARKFULNRss.—Linnseus, the celebrated
botanist, conceived the idea of propagating the cochineal insect in Eu-
rope ; and, after many fruitless efforts, he at length succeeded in obtain-
ing, through the medium of one of his pupils, who was in Mexico,
fest= (a species of fig.tree on which the insect is bred) covered with
llas. The pleat arrived at Upsal, at a moment when he was bu-
sily engaged; but his gardener immediately planted it, and cleaned it
so effectually of what he imagined to be vermin, that when Linnets•
hastened to view this rare acquisition he did not find a single ins.c:
alive.—History of Ancient Institutions, le.
Tllll FIVE VowlLs.—On the gate of the ancient Impe-
rial Palace at Vienna, ars inscribed the five vowels a, Z, I. 0 0, which
many travellers have been punted to interpret. This singular inscrip-
tion was originally an initial of a bombastic vaunt in honour of the
House of Austria. " Austrfeeortne est impostre orbi universo."
Then there are the poor people who sellfruit out ofdoors,
and the playbills. They work so hard, and get buffetted by such cruel
bleak winds, that they must surely look to have their solace on Christ.
mas night. We asked one of them the other evenieg, who was standing
against a corner of the theatre, bopping on either foot, and wraminlea
bit of a cloak about her whether she was not cold 11 " Sir,"
looking us earnestly in the face, " I am downright cold." Her man-
ner said as much as her simple words. She felt too much to
rate. How these people stand it we can hardly think,—but especially
the old watchmen, who must feel the cold pierce their bones through
and through. They must get into bed (when they do get) like withered
bits of ice. And Christmas night, to them, is no Christmas ! Thaw
them, dear readers, with a cup of your best.—Taffor
The following is an amusing instance of the tenacity with
which the Highlanders hold to the houours and antiquity of their kin-
dred. A dispute arose between Campbell and M'Lean upon this never?
ending subject. 11‘Lean would not allow that the Campbells had any
right to rank with the Pil‘Leans in antiquity, who, he insisted, were in
existence as s clan from the beginning of the world. Campbell had a
little more biblical lore than his antagonist, and asked hint if the clan
M'Lean was before the flood' " Flood I what flood ?" said M'Lean.
' " The flood that you know drowned all the world but Noah and his fa-
, mlly and his flocks," said Campbell. " Pooh you and your flood,"
said knew, "my elm was afore to flood." " I have not read in my
Bible," said Campbell, "of the name of id`Lean going into Ncah'e
ark." " Noah's ark !" retorted 111‘Lean in contempt, " who ever
beard of a M'Lean tat had not a boat of his own !"—Glespoes Courier.
REASONS FOR TILE SUPPRESSION OF KNOWLEDOZ.—.
A, Fable; by Thaddeus Bulgaria, Editor of the Severnaya Piaci.:
( Northern Bee) of St. Petersburgh For what end do you Kt
a-going academies and schools, and disseminate the sciences ?" said the
Vizier Moosafer to the Caliph Heroin al Raachid. " Do you not think
that the people, when once they are instructed, will more easily get the
better of you ?" " Certainly,' .replied the Caliph, " the instructed
people will be better able to judge of the justice of my laws and the
purity of my intentions." " But will they pay the taxes better?'--
" Certainly; they will find more means in their enlightened state to ac-
quire riches, and will, besides, comprehend that I do not ask more than
what is absolutely necessary." " Will they fight your battles ?" " Much
better, when they comprehend that the happiness of ever family
depends upon the welfare and glory of their country; and, besides, thcY
will fight more successfully under the guidance of able commandero."
" But will not your wise men—your philosophers—think of meddling
in the affairs of government ? Will they not venture to notice ti:c
errors of your administration ?"—" Let them seek for them. find them.
and tell me of them ; I will then be upon my guard In the future, and
govern them all the bean." " How . would you—ob, light of the
world !—allow these wiseacres to speak out boldly every thing which
may come into their heads ?" "If I did not, they could not enlighten'
us." " But cannot the wisest man fall into mistakes? May they net
set up error for truth P" " One will fall into a mistake, and another
will perceive it and correct it." "My Lord I I must at last warn yes
of the consequences of all this. As soon as your people are insuuctal,
some daring spirits will venture to criticise the of your ser-
vants, and of those who enjoy your confidence; and. wi of tot -.
even of me, myself !" " I understand you," said the Caliph, and left
the room.

BIRTHS.

Tuesday last, in Bolton.street,lb;esdilly, the lady of Sir George
Haropson, Bart. of a son.—The 24th instant, at Hannetwood.lodge.
the lady of John Dorrien blagens, Rag. of a son.—Tbs 26th imam,
at Stratfotd.green, Bases, Mrs. Robert Whalley, of a daughter•

MARRIED.
The 27th inst. at Monk's Risborough, Bucks, Frederick Ganniti.
Esq. barrister-at-law, to Math, third daughter of the Rev. Zachary
Brooke..—The 27th last, at St. Margaret's, Leicester, by the Rev. An•
drew Irvine, Mr. W. Wansiall, to Sophia, eldest daughter of Mr. John
Ilunabastone.road, Leicesta.—Tbe 27th lost. at Paddington
Church, the Rev. William Taylor Birds, rector of Preston, Salop, re
Lydia, only daughter of the late Daniel Dagley, Seq. of Connaught.
square.

DIED.
The 22d inst. W. Busby, Esq. late Civil Service,Bengal, aged 7f
—Dee. 9, at Mason Verte, Si. Germain en Lay; GeneralGe l Viscano
Obeft—On the 18th inst. at St. Margaret's, Isieworth, Mn. Richard
Brooke.—The 234 inst. at Beech.hill,Richard Lee, Req. aged 88.—Tbe
28th inst. at the house of her brother, Mr. Simpson, inikimdagbals.
place, after a abort but severe illness, Mn. Harriet Graham, widow of
the late James Graham, .et Richardby, near Carlisle, Cumber-.
land..... The 24th inst. at • aged 27, Anna, third daughter of
Mr. Robert Mann, late of Westminster. —Tho 25th
last. at Darleith.hosse, Dembeeteemblie, Mee YuMe, late of Bedford.

taut. at Darleleb.hosee, Dombeetioddie, N Yuuie, ism ot Riau,-
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