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maidens, each carrying in her hand a basket of flowers; next followed the horsemen; and the procession was closed by a dense group of peasants, who had come from all the country round. The vicar appeared on horseback, bustling in all directions, now conversing with the major, now with Mr. Seymour; at one time moderating the pace of the horsemen, and at another, keeping back the pedestrians, whose eagerness to push forward created an inconvenient crowd in the foremost ranks. Mr. Twaddleton held in his right hand a wand decorated with ivy leaves, and which resembled in appearance the thyrsus of Bacchus, except that the cone on its summit had been replaced by a bunch of roses. This was a classical conceit; and he fully explained to the major the reason of his having adopted such a device for his wand of office.

"The rose," said he, "was dedicated by Cupid to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to engage him to conceal the secrets of Venus; hence has this flower ever since been considered as the symbol of silence; for which reason it was customary to hang a rose over the banquetting-table, to signify that what was there spoken c 6

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should be kept private, or under the rose ;' whence, also, to present, or hold up, this flower to any person in discourse served, instead of an admonition, to intimate that it was time for such person to hold his peace. In like manner," continued the antiquary, "you will observe that, by virtue of my wand, I shall impress the obligation of silence upon the crowd, and easily calm any undue clamour that may arise."

The cavalcade had advanced little more than half a mile, when the major suggested the propriety of halting, until his nephew and niece should arrive; to this proposition the vicar readily acceded, and accordingly issued the necessary orders.

They had not, however, remained stationary above five minutes, when a carriage and four was seen at the brow of the hill, advancing in full speed. A general and simultaneous shout burst from the crowd; upon which the vicar raised his wand, and all was hushed. How far such an effect might be attributed to the influence of his wand, we shall leave the sagacious reader to determine; although we cannot but remark that, if the wonderful effects related of

*

Dr. Doseall's Stethescope be true, we really cannot see why we should question the power of the vicar's wand, or indeed that of any witch's broomstick in Christendom."

"Observed you not the power of my talisman?" exclaimed the vicar, who was at that moment standing near the window of the major's carriage. The party smiled at so striking an instance of classical credulity; and Mr. Twaddleton, highly gratified by his triumph, rode forward to the chariot, which was not more than two hundred yards distant. It contained Mr. and Mrs. Beacham, whom the vicar no sooner perceived than he again raised his wand, and again witnessed the influence of its spell. The chariot instantly stopped, and, in the next moment, Mr. Twaddleton was seen in earnest convers

*This instrument has been alluded to at page 166. of the second volume; and so successfully, it is reported, did the doctor employ it, that he was enabled to discover the state of the heart in all those who would submit to the operation; indeed we are informed that his shop, on a Sunday morning, was crowded with applicants, who were doubtful of the real state of their own hearts, or anxious to ascertain that of their friends. In examining the heart of Miss Ryland, the doctor had formerly detected a singular irregularity in its pulsations, which was no sooner described to the vicar, than he, at once, pointed out its analogy to Sapphic metre.

ation with the travellers. He informed them that the group they saw was a cavalcade of villagers, who had been awaiting their arrival on the road, in order to escort them in rural triumph to Osterley Park. He then presented Mr. Beacham with a bag of nuts, "that the bridegroom," as he said, " might be enabled to comply with the ancient Roman custom* of throwing nuts amongst the boys to be scrambled;-sparge, marite, nuces, as Virgil has it ;da nuces pueris, as Catullus sings." Mr. Beacham held the vicar in too much respect, to laugh at his eccentricities, and he therefore accepted the bag, with a determination to gratify his wishes in so harmless a whim.

* Many reasons have been assigned for this custom; the more commonly received opinion is, that it was intended as a token of the bridegroom having left off childish diversions, and entered on a more serious state of life; whence nucibus relictis has passed into a proverb. This conjecture is favoured by Catullus:

We have already stated (vol. ii. p. 5.) that nuces were played with like our marbles; the custom, therefore, might be intended to express that the bridegroom had deserted his play-things.

Mr. Twaddleton now returned to the assembled multitude.

"I perceive it is my nephew and his bride,” exclaimed the major, as he thrust his head out of the carriage-window. "John, open

the door

let down the steps: while the vicar is issuing his orders, I will walk to the chaise."

The door was opened; and the major forthwith proceeded to welcome the return of his adopted children.

"We are all ready, sir," exclaimed Jerry Styles, who on this occasion acted as aide-decamp to his worthy master; "but we await the presence of the major.”

The vicar perceived that he was still talking at the door of the chaise, and in order, therefore, to put an end to the conversation, he pointed his talismanic wand; but, alas! it completely failed in its operation; the major heeded it not. Mr. Twaddleton then hallooed, but with no better success; a circumstance which, after the failure of his rod, did not greatly displease him; he therefore rode forward, and having remonstrated on the impropriety of any longer trespassing upon the patience of the multitude, the