Star.
London, England, 1828-06-26 00:00:00

ROME.

Horace Walpole nays of Rome and its environs, " our memory
sees More than our eyes ;" and Gray adds (vide his "..Letters"
" this is eattemely true; since, for realiiies,Windsor or Ilichninti.
Hill is infinitely prefeiable to Albano or Freskati." Can thi
be trot?
ORIGIN OF THE TERM pOUN• DREAD.

The fanatics in the reign of Charles I. ignorantly applying tit.
text of Scripture, " Ye know that it is a shame for men to bay
long hair,a cut theirs very phort. It issali that the Queen one' I
seeing Pym thus cropped inquired who th.t round headed mast tuts!
and that-front this incident. the di.tinction became general, am
the party were called " Roundheads."
• TIU ATAI.A4ITdS.
Tkoicambur..or, rather auchore47, o this licentious work, was a
Mrs. Manley, daughter of Sir Roger Alanley. The printer was
apprehended. on its publication ; whim she came forward and
acknowledged herself. After several exantioations beim.: the Privy
Comicil, she was left unmolested; those in power probably tun
wishing to bring a woman to trial for what were then considered
only " a few amorous trifles." •
COOPER'S HILL.
Swift always maintained that Denham was not the real authot
of this poem ; but Never mentioned the name of any person to
whom he attributed it.
CHARLES HENRY WILSON, ESQ.
This Gentleman died June 1, 1808, aged liftrthree. He was
of the Middle Temple ; was several years Editor of the Gazetteer.
and wrote occasionally in almost all the periodical publications of
his time. lie was the author of the Wandering Islarukr, Po/pant/tea,
Brookeossa, Bandies of Burke, and many other original productions,
1 compilations; and translations, to none of which *oold he ever
suffer his name to be prefixed. He was a' man of great humour
I and wit, a native of the North of Ireland, and migrated to
•
London about twenty years before his death.
ADMIRAL BYNG.

In the vault belonging to the Torrington family, in the Church
of Southill, in Bedfordshire, is the following epitaph upott the
monument of Admiral Byngt
To the Perpetual Disgrace
Of Public Justice,
The Honourable JOHN Unto,
Admiral of the Blue,
Fell a Martyr to Political Persecution,
March 14, in the year 1757,
• When Bravery and Loyalty •
Were insufficient securities
For the Life and Honour of
A Naval Officer.
A LLI fERATION.

Their is somewhere hoe in which a poetaster, mentioning the
violet, says
" Where blue it blooms with balmy breath."

He thought he had h.mmered nut au immensely sne vase,
though in fact it is to the ear nu whit more agreeable than— s
Three blue beans in one blue bladder.
•
POETRY AN I) PROSE.

Dr. Darwin draws the following. just distinctioo between poetry
and pewit, in foie of Bit Inlet-tatles of the Suable Garden :
• " Next to the measure of the language, the principal distinction
between poetry and prose appears to consist in this—that poetry
admits of but few words expressive of. very abstracted ideas,
wbeteas prose abounds with them. And, as our ideas derived
from visible objects are more distinct thin those derived front the
objects of our other leases ; the words expressive of these ideas
'belonging to vision, make up the principal part of poetical lan-
grge. Pope has written a bad verse in the Windsor Forest :
And Kesinet swift, for silver eels ainitivasen.'
" the word renowned doe's not present the idea of a visible ob-
ject to the tnthd, and is thence prosaic. But change this line thee—
• And Kennet swift, where Aver graylings play*—
" It becomes poetry, because the scenery is then brought before
the eye." • •
How elaborately Dr. Darwin Aimed his own poetry upon this
principle is known to every reader of the Botanic Garden and the
Temple qf Natuni. Nothing Is there abstracted—but every thing
is placed before the eye it. the full luxuriance of particular imagery.
Yet It sometimes betrayed him into ludicrous personification.
nen, LS surely somethmg asinine, fur example, hi the following
description—
' 46 Then, on soft' tiptoe, Wiens- approaching near
Hung o'er the timeless lyre hit sable ear:
Gemm'd with bright stars the still ethereal plain,
And bade his nightingales repeat the strain!"
These lints close the Botanic Garden: but what a violent image
is that of night! Who would not suppose it was a donkey bangiug
his luirg cars over the "tuneless lyre?" • '
When this great man was endeavouring to retrieve the war in
Aide. against Casar, and to unite with the other Chiefs of the I
Republic, it was necessary to pass the burning deserts of Barca.
'lists hail been before deemed impracticable. The sage Roman
began the'march on foot, at • the bead of his trtops, clothed with
his tumour, in the same-manner as the lowest soldier, and carrying
the pile in his hands. The army, animated by his example, passed
those arid plains in thirty days. kt was during this march that, in
a dreadful scarcity of water, a soldier pressed forward to bring to
Cato its his helmet the little stater 'which accident led 'hint to dis-
eoter : when this-brave and wise General, turning up the helmet,
thus found mean-, with this small supply of muddy water, to allay
the thirst of his whole army :
Buena galeam; midis et sufficit ends.
Ile threw out the water--which thus proved sufficiens to satisfy
them all' •
Emery action of a great man must of course proceed front _
motives—ot else, one might so pp we that. half a pint of muddy water
at ihe bottom of a sweaty Min et, was no very tempting draught.
In 1817 a Poem. consisting of twenty eight pages, was published
in quarto, entitled " Waterloo—a Ballad." The writer was serious
in his lyrics. and believed be was immortalizing the Marquis of
Angleaey ie the following stanza: •
When valour's cup was in its dregs.
The battle nearly spent,
A ball Sew—oneePagers legs,
But nor its owner, went.
A sad mishap, seiihost a doubt,
Butstothing more to do,
A :MARQUIS now he stumps G&W,
A Chief of Waterloo!
When Wriothsley, Duke of Bedford. was at Bath one season,
a conspiracy was fronted against his Grace, by several first rate
black legs, among whom was the then manager of a Theatre, and
.Heat Nash, the Master of the Ceremonies. A patty at hazard
had ;greatly deprived the Duke of upwards of seventy thousand
pound's, when his Grace gut up in a passion and put the dice in
his pocket. 'fhe gamesters were all terilfied, as they knew they
were loaded. and as he communicated his suspicions, intimating
his resolution of inspecting them. His Grace then retired
into another room, and, flinging himself upon a sofa, tell asleep
The only step that appeared practicable to the winners, to Avoid
disgrace, and get their money, was to pick his pocket of the loaded
dice and to supply their place with a pair of fair ones. They ac-
cordingly cast luta who slioUld execute this dangerous service,
and it fell upon the manager. He' performed the operation
without being discovered; atter which his Grace, batting closely
inspected the slice pat into
,his pocket by the manager, and
• finding them just, rejultst•d the party, and lost nearly thirty
thousand more. The gamesters had only received 5,13001. of the
motley, -yet tiny could not divide this sum without q thug 1
and Nast, thinking binned ill-used, divaigesi the whole wore to
his Groee, whereby be saved the ietwiiituer of his money.
e"..r.ic made Nash a h :mistime prescso, And ever after gave hint his
protecttoo, the 'Duke thinking the strict was 'revealed throughl
.•

Thefollawittg.. IeCANAL • •
sthsehoiputlines of the Report submit ed
n the Speci Nieetina of the S'iarelfol.fes sin the English
ati•tol Chan"; Canal on the 23.1 Instant.
:):Te.nrhveamiset:tviroetrieseismphota.:tki
ntgei
everypo utlii:eace,orlitcrekti:dianesinuicentw(htaeliccshoworwccpcieriried.nte
:liaracter, are well known. The result. as affecting ilie
thin Caoal. is ni•infestiv this, th•rt so largo a capital as,
1,750,0001. cannot NeOSO be raised for Ike. work.
Unoer this tate of things, the atte• iron ot the Minds
the undertaking has been applied to the practicabibir
it reducing the scale, sod to the pecuniary advantages.,
o arise Irom such 1rib:colon; not losing sight, however,
.1 the leading le4tute if a transit for skips trt.m sea,tu
ea, altl.migh or a smaller size.
The average tonnage of vessels in the several Ports
it liteat B,ita,n does 1.4 t exceed 90 t ins; and excluding
those engaged in Foreign falls .h.low 60 tons ;
41,d although the line selected by Mr. T. Hord and Mr.
Greets may he the best for a Canal of the size originally
cantemplaie.l, yet tor a reduced stale it will be cape
I ent.to adopt a li'.e gie. ter advantages as. an
1.14nd conimunicat on, and with tenet engineering
The size if the Canal now proposed, is to accommo.
late vessels undet SO tons iis direst on to be frOm
Beer, in tie, same line with that laid down by Mr. Tel-
ord, and Mr. Gr e , to a little not if Chard ; wlre,e
it diverges to-the eastwate, and jons the river Partett,
it r near Langport.. By impioving the navivation ot
that river fom Langport to e wirer, it will serve
...• cowrie. e the corn.. urns t• n f •ea to Sea. By
his plan the .expeie e.. f a ti .room at the rim then a-
trennity nil, tie ait.,ideit.. The hat hour at B.er may
be constructed for the purposes of the reduced scale at
4 far less expense.
The purchase of the Bridgewater and Taunton Boat
Canal, which was 'leers ary to effect the object, of the
niginal plan, will be saved. 'lire actual dis.ance 4.1
canal to he. cut will be lessened by nearly one third ;
and the increased length of the whole communication,
from sea to sea,.will te only about five miles. The es-
pense 1.1 forming a canal on this scale from Beer to
the river Partett,, of the improvements necessary to
:ender that river navigable, and ot the fat matinn •of
tie harbour. at, Beer, has been calculated at about
600 0001.Tbe r. t ins on thiscapitvlitnunded principally
on those substattiated by Captain Nicholls, in his exa-
mination before the parliamentary Committees, has been
estimated at 78,5001. It may be added, that the'present
line is not a new project. So long since as the year
1762, a line for a boat canal, nearly similar, was laid
down by Mr. Whitworth. Mr. Rennie's plant in 1811,
varied very slightly from it, except that it. did tint em-
brace the adoption ot the river Parrett as a part.ot the
communication.

'A
CONCIiEI4 ATION.
PROM THR SENCIAL CHItuNICLg, FES. 5, 1828:

CALCI

A Elindocr woman, the widow of a Siren, wits
burned -at two o'clock on Friday, on the batila of the
Gauge!, at Cossyposet a- sight of more revoking na-
ture was never beheld, nor one more disgraceful to
the society • amongst which it exists. or those Isis
which permit such practices in a country under is
British Government. At eleven o'clock the young in-
man arrived, attended,by a number of persons. and 11004
after a funeral pile, composed of the most combustible
fuel, was erected: she beheld there preparations with
the most unmoved apathy, and when the police ofri:rr
proceeded to take her •deposituns, she declared that it
was with her own will and omen', and not by compul-
sion, that she was about to offer herself for that,* pi. i.e.
of her husband, and for the purpose of . saving' bins
and herself innumerable *years of misery hereaftet
While she spoke, she appeared to beriu a state.ut sue•
briatinn, without the least con•cionsneas of the drfadful
fate that awaited her, and onlrttr utter such 41pre .
sions as she *had previously been instructed to m.ke
use of. or are- generally given as answers on such
occasions ; after the ,usual ceremony of luthin:i.' had
been gone through, the unfortunate victim was tined
to the pile, on which the remiins it het hu'stssin'd
had been previously laid, but as she was lltiithl."
from weakness and intoxication to go through the;i4Oal
ceremonies, she was borne seven tistes round it,' sc...
tering rice as she went. which was eagerly devoured
by the surrounding multitude; this over, . she was laid
down by. the putrid and emaciated form of .her de-
ceased husband, which she was obliged or embitter ;
in an instal t a cord 'and two bamboos fixed. to po.,
as levers were drawn over her ; in this helpless
state reeds, pieces of wood, and (Islet fuel weresplxced
over•heri• so-as to render any effort she might Make to
extrickte herself hopeless. In this helpless and. 'dis-
tressing situation, fire was set to the pile, and ;in an
instant all was in a blaze: though the scene was-one of
the most horrid nature, yet the surrounding multitude
beheld it without the least pity or compassionate sym-
pathy for the sufferings of unhappy fellow creature;
sit far from a feeling of that native exiting in their
bosoms, the younger 'seemed ti think it quire a hols-
day entertainment, and to behold it ia ith the same !,•
froid as an Englishman woiild at a horse race or bud
t. while the elderfait 0. the community gazed upon
it with cold-bloody...asiathr ant indiffe mice. Dins a
young and int sresting female, of about 16 years of age,
was (almost) convened to moont the funeral pile, and
there, mipitied, offer he, self a sacrifice to the disgrace-
' ful rites of a debasing and itiolistious religion.
great

Scarcely 'a 'day passes .tidal complait t, are made ;.t
the different Police Officrsiof fellows, genet aly di -
guised in such a manner as tet•;pi event recognition, hav -
ing cut in the evening the dresses of Umale, who are un-
protected. On Tuesday evening, as a Lady named Tally,
who resides in Hammersmith, was passing through
Manchester-squat e, she felt a sudden pull at her peb,,e,
and, on turning round, perceived it completely torn,
and a.ruffian running away. She immediately raised
as alarm, but the fellow escaped.
Sunday afternoon, dui ing the severe thunder storm,
aht,rse, the property of the West Indra.oDotliers
ckCoat-
pa y, while hi a field near Porlar, with fie
struck with lightning, and killed on the Tot. ALa y
who witnessed the occurrence from her window, s'e-
scribes that she saw a small ball of tile first strike the
animal in the neck, which caused him to lean back on
his haunches. In this position he remained in the
greatest apparent agony for about a minute, when, just
receding a. violent clap of thunder, he was struck/ a
s•cond time, on the head, with the lightning, which
killed him without a struggle. Nit the slightest al -
pearancenf'injury was visible, with the exceptiol of a
few drops of blood in the nosttils. Tv o other horse',
belonging to differes t pe-aims, were killed on the saute
attersonn, and by the same cause, while grazing in the
marshes at West Ham. _ ",
• Monday as wok- sintkmetv were employed cutting a
sewer across the road fronting Onslow 'retrace, Ken-
. .ington, tbey-dibcvvered..a coffin, abiii.t it or feet from
tho.rurraer, which contained the skeleton of a man in a
wet state of rebus aim