spects, and on account of the share he had in precipitating the Reformation, his short pontificate of eight years and eight months must be allowed to form one of the most interesting periods in papal history, and worthy of the illustration it has received from the elegant pen of Mr. Roscoe. *2. 1805.-BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ. 6.-s Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in Lycia, and died about the year 392. He was of so charitable a disposition, that he portioned three young women, who were reduced in circumstances, by secretly conveying a sum of money into their father's house. Milner, in his History of Winchester, describes a curious font preserved in the cathedral of Winchester, and applies the carvings on it to the life and miracles of this saint. The annual ceremony of the boy-bishop, once observed on this day, is described at length in T. T. for 1814, p. 306. 8.-CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY. This festival was instituted by Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, because William the Conqueror's fleet, being in a storm, afterwards came safe to shore. The council of Oxford, however, held in 1222, permitted every one to use his discretion in keeping it. *II. 1718.-CHARLES XII DIED, Æt. 36, After a reign of twenty-one years. He spoke little, and had a bashful awkwardness in conversation, proceeding from conscious defects. He was, indeed, a mere soldier, and his mind was little opened by knowledge of any kind. In religion, he was cold and indifferent, but had strongly imbibed the principle of fatalism, to which much of his intrepidity was attributed. On the whole, though in many respects an object of admiration, and in some of applause, he was neither amiable nor estimable. If he began by being the deliverer of his country, he became in his progress its bane and oppressor; and no king ever less consulted the happiness of the people over whom it was his lot to reign. His expedition to Russia was equally disastrous with that of the modern Charles; the greater part of his army falling victims to the extreme rigour of the climate and season. 13.-SAINT LUCY. This virgin martyr was born at Syracuse. She refused to marry a young man who paid his addresses to her, because she had determined to devote herself to religion, and, to prevent his importunities, gave her whole fortune to the poor. The youth, enraged at this denial, accused her before Paschasius, the heathen judge, of professing Christianity; and Lucy, after much cruel treatment, fell a martyr to his revenge, in the year 305. 16.- -O SAPIENTIA. This is the beginning of an anthem in the Latin service to the honour of Christ's advent, which used to be sung in the church from this day until Christmas Eve. *16. 1815.-DUKE OF NORFOLK DIed. The following were the style and titles of his Grace as proclaimed at his funeral, after the service, by the deputy garter: The Most High, Mighty, and Most Potent Prince, Earl Marshal! And Hereditary Earl Marshal of England! Earl of Surrey! Earl of Norfolk! Earl of Norwich! Baron of Howard! Baron of Segrave! Baron Fitz-Alan! Baron Warren! Baron Clun ! and Premier Baron Howard of Castle-Rising! Premier Duke, Premier Earl, Premier Baron of England! And Chief of the illustrious Family of the Howards! For an account of the Duke's life we refer to 'The Annual Biography and Obituary for 1817,' p. 114. *16. 1798.-THOMAS PENNANT DIED. His numerous works on Natural History display great clearness and judgment in the arrangement, and his descriptions are concise, energetic, and exact: he is regarded both by native and foreign naturalists as very respectable authority. His various Tours' are very entertaining, and are a fund of antiquarian knowledge. *17. 1816.-EARL STANhope died. 6 The political character of Lord Stanhope, as well as the brilliant but eccentric speeches which he made in the House of Lords, are fresh in the recollection of our readers. To possess a competent idea of his merits, as a philosopher and a man of science, it is only necessary to recollect his opinions and his pursuits. The Stanhope Press;' the improved Stereotype;' the Stanhope Monochord;' the preservation of buildings from fire;' the return stroke in the Franklinian system;' the facilities afforded to home navigation by means of his improvements in the locks of canals;' and the advantages hereafter to be reaped from both domestic and foreign navigation, by means of the new agent of steam;' all connect this great man with the history, not of England or Europe alone, but with the imperishable annals of the arts and sciences. See an interesting sketch of the life of Lord Stanhope, in the Annual Biography and Obituary for 1817. 21.-SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE. Thomas, surnamed Didymus, or the Twin, was a Jew, and in all probability a Galilean. There are but few passages in the gospel concerning him. Thomas is said to have suffered martyrdom in the same city, being killed by the lances of some people instigated by the Bramins. This is the shortest day, and is, at London, 7 h. 44 m. 17 s.; allowing 9 m. 5s. for refraction. Сс *21. 1815.-DR. VINCENT DIED. Many years head master of Westminster school, and afterwards Dean of Westminster, Dr. Vincent was long known to the world as a scholar and a man of the most exemplary life. His Voyage of Nearchus,' and Periplus of the Erythrean Sea,' prove that both antient geography and navigation were equally familiar to him. A volume of Sermons,' lately published, places him high in the list of writers in this branch of theology. *21. 1815.-GUYTON DE MORVEAU DIED. This celebrated French chemist was a native of Dijon. No one exerted himself with greater assiduity, during a very long series of years, in public and private life, than Monsieur Guyton de Morveau. He was a public Professor of Chemistry at Dijon and Paris for upwards of thirty years; filled the duties of Director-general of the Polytechnic School for a considerable space of time; and was for twenty-six years a Member of the National Institute, during which time he furnished several important memoirs and reports to that scientific body, published in its transactions: besides many other papers printed in the Annales de Chimie, of which he was one of the earliest and most indefatigable editors. M. Guyton de Morveau did not live to complete his eightieth year; dying just time enough to avoid the order of banishment in which he had been included by the present government of France. 25.-CHRISTMAS DAY. The feast of our Saviour's nativity was undoubtedly celebrated in the early ages of Christianity; for we are told that, under the persecution of Maximinus, that emperor burnt a church at Nicomedia, which was filled with Christians assembled to keep this festival. St. Gregory terms it the festival of festivals; and St. Chrysostom, the chief of all festivals. It is named Christmas-day, from the Latin Christi Missa, the Mass of Christ, and thence the Roman Catholic Liturgy is termed their Missal or Mass Book. About the year 500, the observation of this day became general in the Catholic church. In the primitive church, Christmas-day was always preceded by an eve or vigil. When the devotion of the Eve was completed, our forefathers used to light up candles of an uncommon size, which were called Christmas candles, and to lay a log of wood upon the fire, called the yule-clog or log. < For many other customs formerly observed in England at this season, see T. T. for 1814, pp. 309315; T.T. for 1816, p. 337; and for an account of the strange and ridiculous' Ass's Feast,' formerly eelebrated in this country at Christmas, consult T. T. for 1815, p. 318. Much of the festivity of this season, which formerly gladdened the hearts of the old and young, has now disappeared; a refinement of manners (with little real improvement we fear), and the increasing diffieulties of the times, have, we are sorry to say, in a great measure abolished the hospitality of our forefathers. This is feelingly lamented in the following homely lines, copied from a public print : In times far back my Christmas fare A pudding made of things most rare, When times grew worse, I still could dine On goose or roasted pig; A glass of grog instead of wine, And dance a merry jig. When poorer grown, my Christmas cheer Was beef and pudding plain; Instead of grog a pot of beer, Nor did I then complain. But now my mirth is turned to grief, No turkey, pudding, goose, nor beef, |