Star.
London, England, 1826-12-22 00:00:00

ST. THOMAF.S. DAY.

~ . I
The festival of St.* Thomas, -was first in-tituted
.io;
1190. St. Thorne; surnamed. Diclymus.or thirty/04s'
it
supposed to have been a ,fisherrnan, and a natiiirot
Galilee, but the Scriptures afford no information aelte•
his parentage or occupation. He preached the Gtis
to the Medes, Persjans, and neighbouring nations,. '
attacked at his derotions, in the year IS, at Melipne •
assailed.with stories, and afterwards pierced through the
body with a lance, from which this weapon is inuoductedl
ig most pictures of St.'Thomas.
On this city of the month several ancient Customs,
continue to'be practisei io various parts of the k;necions.l
At The village of Thornton, near.. Sherburne, Dors*
satire, the tenants are in the habit of putting sa. in a holy
in a certain tombstone in the church-yard, which pre-
vents the Lord of the Manor from taking tithe; of hay'
doling the year. This must be invariably done Cu St.
Thomas's day, before twelve o'clock ;. the tenant of the
Manor then takes the money. There is also a custom
still kept up on this day, particularly in the vicinity of
Maidstone,in Kent, termed going a gooding. Women
in return or the alms they have received, present-
benefactors with sprigs of evergreen to deck their hope's
at the ensuing Christmas. Little troops of boys a
girls still . go about in this manner at Newcastle-upon.
Tyne, and other places in the north of Englandponthia•
dayrund upon Christmas Eve, and conclude, a begging-
soft, with wishing those who bestow, theit,ptufacy a
merry Christmas and a happy sieve year. ~.;twji „, ,

T •

WINTER ASSIZES.

*INTER HOME CIRCUIT. Kuomox, Dm. !L-
-. Bros TaliAlloll.
, • Chinks taylor and. klizaladh Teylor ha,baad and
wife, were indicted on the s• acute of 8 and 9 William 111.
c. 26, fur traitorously colouring two pieces of ba.e
and counterfeit cnin to the likeness of the current coin
of the realm, c4lled

The prosecution was coadocted at the instance of the Mist, by
Mr. Bou.aso and Mr. Law. The prisoners weredefended.hy
Taeusou. "
It appeared in evidence that nn the 214 Auguit, in
consequence of infOrmitnin received against the pri-
soners of, being engaged in the pincess o(.,Coinuring
counterfeit money at a house in Pl. asant.rowl.tasi4 ne,
Walworth, four active officers of the Marlborough-Stant;
establishment, named Limb' ick, Lee, LksydeandKii
knocked at the door No. 8, in that street. TU. teMale
.prisorer answered it. The officers immediately omitted
and pushed her before them into a ro•roon wriith Abe
other prisoner was found. Oa examining. theiharads-nf
both prisoner% they
,were.smeared with the.stsif taisally
employed in colouring brae, motley, The fentsle pri-1
loner's apron being tucked up, and held hephevie,-a
suspicious manner, the officers examined it-4-,ancU `st
corner of it was found some.sand parrt, -and .alito abate,
shilling which appeared to have been just coloured, and*
in a. fit starts for circulation. Another base shilling, opon
which the other prisoner had been at wook. was found
on a deal table in the room. On the same•table were
found, the usual materials for colouring.and preparing
counterfeit money ; such as glass paper, nitratent.silver,
a grey powder, cream of tartar, grease and snot. In
the male prisoner's waistcoat pocket Mere found two
base shillings, whiCh were the subject. of this indictment.
The prisonersnovr suenneusly denied thei!-Wt. *•
•
The Jury, however. found them both (attiV einfrigett. Hof
Awls was ?renounced upon them. The lisiiake Pyre:air liad *bait
before conincted,and impriioned one year, for uttering base Ode.
James Clarke, George Broix, arid SerithWial, there
indicted for a similar offence on the 24th et July, in
the palish of St. Saviour's, Southwaik, in having traitor.
Dully coloured three pieces of base c,•in, to the likeness
of shillings of the current coin.. The prisoner Clot ke
pleaded Guilty on the arraignment,
.and persisted in
1 his plea. notwithstanding be was warned of the con=
Isequences.
The same witnesses were czernineil in this as in the
last mentioned case. Oa the yAah of July all the pi.;
sonars were found engaged in the act of vaunting
counterfeit money at an humble house.,ialledcross=
street, Southwark. On Clatkr's perion were found a
great .many counterfeit halicrouns and other base
money. The fingers of all the prisoners were .besmeared
with colouring matter ; and in the mom were found-
all the usual materials used in the.ptotess of colouring
base money.
The prisoners on trial positively, denied, their guilt.
The Jury. bowever, found them Guilty. and sentence of basil
was pronounced acterding to the &acute. Ne hopes of mercy were
held out to Jetties Clarke and Marks Taylor.

Pillion esitties, Johm.Eiammis, and atria 1110 tat, wer. Mr
rally indicted tor burglatiously entering the house of .joiukitlan
and stealing a qtianmy linen and other property there Oily
the 7th of September. Verdict--GuiliprDrefk.

Tuesday evening, the Linman Society held the if
last Meeting for thy: year. at till Society's Hoke, hi;
Soho-square. A. B, Lasse*ar, BA. Vice g.ieeideot, is
the Cb2ir. Numerous donations were presented, ii.
cluding transactions of LearnedflosiOes, and splendid
engravings in ornithology. Mr. Gaoacm BaNNITT and
Mr. J. B. SOLLY, formerly elected,. hating signed the
Charter, .were introduced as Members. • GellerDer
.13,14 RD. was unanimously elected. Sevetaldiitinguished
Gentlemen were proposed as Members, among whom,
were, Dr. GOODIMIOUOM• Heed Master of Westminster
School ; Sir WILLIAM BZIENAIIy and Prince Cueehite
LUCIEN BUONAPARTE. Thisdistingeished foreigner was
present at the sitting..
The first bull-bait in this toentry is saidlo have been
held at Stamford, about the year 1269, add to have,
been introduced from the relit:wing eiteemitances :
Earl Warrenare, Lord of the *We; standing upon the,
walls of the castle, observed twb bells fighting, ontki
the butchers' dogs interposed sad Perseed one of them
through the town, which sight apleased.his Lbrdihip
that he gave the meadow, where the Illy began, to the
butchers of the• town, to. be irSid kb a common after the
first grass was leo wed, • oat 'codditioit -Old they_ sbnitld
liud a mead. 6sili the dap sia weekeheate Christina
Day, fur the continuance of that spottlereires. "
James Dawson, the Scotsman, who hiss been noticed,
in thi newspapers, as superiptendent in theca:tin of
brass ordnance and construction of aitaliti tetriaget
to the King of Persia, is a native of the village of Bolas-
ford, in the parish of Falkirk. He was originally bred
a moulder at Carron ,Lion Works, but afterwards en-
listed as a private in the Artillery, and, went to Persia
with the embassy of Sir.G. Ousley. From his skill and
activity he was appointed to teach- • the great gust 'emu.
EibC, and was • honoured with a gbh! medal, ;ace. from:
the. Prince Abbas Mire I. He returned home. to litias-:
ford about nine years ago, and again, at the invitation.
of the Per Milli A asbarsador,ient out, Arlie svihithpriviott

he has held his important trust with gseist'adviutt
the army, and so as to have gained forisivirtha
,dence of the Ps ince Royal.—Stirling Journal.

ATHLONE, -Thectinsait It
-
Last night an attacic was made on the lsoltst of
Craggan, the seat. of George' Longwortii;24.at the:
bout of six o'clock, just as the family were se dinner;
they !utensil the rear of the braise, and seemed the oer.
"Ants; they then proceeded- to
.the dining•toorn. Oar
wring their approach,'Mr. Longworth, jun. ran t? the
oor, when he received-a stab of a bi)onet in the arm,
another in the head, and a third in his b hick en•
tered his shoulder and came out at his breast ;• Mr.
Lnngwoith, notwithstanding theie desperate wounds,
rustled to a room. when he procured a dagger, with
which he killed one of the villains ,on the Tot, on which]
the rest precipitately retreated. The servants being.still
in confinement, Mr. Loagwerth himelt went to the
stable, saddled his horse, rode into Athl.ne. and now
[lies at the Doctor's dangerously ill, An Inquest was
held this clay on the man who was killed. On examin-
ing his body, the sign of a cross was observed on the
back of his right hand !—The unfortunate woman who
was compelled to eat the soap, for purchasing it from
.a Protestant, died on 'Thursday last. Westmeath Jaffna!,