26 RAVEN. LAW AND PHYSIC. MAKING A COAT. SENSIBILITY IN A RAVEN. His name is Rafe; he lives at the Red Lion inn in Hungerford; and a gentleman, in going to the inn with his chaise, ran over and considerably bruised the leg of his Newfoundland dog. While examining the injury done to the dog's foot, Rafe was evidently a concerned spectator, for the minute the dog was tied up under the manger with the horses, Rafe not only visited but carried him bones, and attended upon him with particular and repeated marks of kindness. The bird's notice of the dog was so marked, that the gentleman observed it to the hostler, who then told him that the Raven had been bred from his pin-feather in intimacy with a dog; that the affection between them was mutual; and that all the neighborhood had often been witnesses of the innumerable acts of kindness they had conferred each other. Rafe's poor dog after a while unfortunately broke his leg, and during the long time he was confined, Rafe waited upon him constantly, carried him his provisions daily, and never scarce left him alone. One night by accident the hostler had shut the stable door, and Rafe was deprived of the company of his friend the whole night; but the hostler found in the morning the bottom of the door so pecked away, that had it not been opened, Rafe would in another ́hour have made his own entrance-port. The landlady confirmed the hostler's stoand related several other singular ry, traits of the kindnesses this bird showed upon to all dogs in general, but particularly to maimed or wounded ones. MANUFACTURING CELERITY. the AT five o'clock on the 25th of June Sir John Throckmorton presented two Southdown wedder sheep to Mr. Coxeter of Greenham mills near Newbury. The sheep were shorn, the wool spun, yarn spooled, warped, loomed and wove; the cloth burred, milled, rowed, dried, sheared, pressed, and put into the hands of the tailors by four o'clock that afternoon; and at twenty minutes past six the coat entirely finished was presented by Mr. Coxeter to sir John, who appear. ed with it before upwards of five thousand spectators, who rent the air with acclamations at this remarkable instance of despatch. LAW AND PHYSIC. IT has been ascertained from the almanacs of the different departments, and of Paris, that there are in France no less than seventeen hundred thousand eight hundred and forty-three medical men. There are, according to another calculation, fourteen hundred thousand six hundred and fifty-one patients. Turning to another class of public men, we find there are 190,403 pleaders, and upon the rolls there are only 98,000 causes ; SO that unless the 92,403 superfluous lawyers see fit to fall sick of a lack of fees and employment, there must remain 300,192 doctors with nothing to do but sit with their arms across. THE FIRST BUTTERFLY. 6 THE SEASONS. There is a superstition yet prevailing in Devonshire, Eng. that any individual neglecting to kill the first butterfly he may see for the season will have ill-luck throughout the year. The following is related by a young lady. The other Sunday as we were walking to church we met a man running at full speed, with his hat in one hand and a stick in the other. As he passed us he exclaimed, 'I shan't hat'en now I b'lieve.' He did not 27 give us time to inquire what he was so eagerly pursuing, but we presently overtook an old man whom we knew to be his father, and who being very infirm generally hobbled about by the aid of two sticks. Addressing me, he observed, my zin a took away wan o' my sticks, miss, won't be ebble to kill'n now though, I b'lieve.' 'Kill what?' said I. Why 'tis a butterfly, miss, the furst he'th a zeed for the year, and they zay that a body will have cruel bad luck, if a ditn'en kill a furst a zeeth.' THE SEASONS. Translated from the German, of 1676. IN fair Spring's fresh-budding hours What adorns our garden bowers? Little flowers. When departing Spring we mourn, What is Autumn's bounteous sign, Fruit and wine. When old Winter, hobbling slow, Comes, what do we gain, d'ye know? Ice and snow. Hay and corn, and little flowers, Therefore, friends, we all have reason Spring and Summer, Autumn, Winter, Boston Courier TRUE STORIES. BY THE AUTHORESS OF ALWAYS HAPPY.' No. VII. ABOUT CHARLEMAGNE. WE HEN Pepin, king of the Franks, died, in 768, he left two sons, Charles and Carloman, between whom he left his kingdom. But Carloman dying soon after his father, Charles, often called Charlemagne,* became sole sovereign of the Franks. For almost fifty years, this great monarch continued to reign in power and splendor, enlarging his territory by new conquests. His father Pepin had established, or perhaps only restored, the plan of a regular parliament, which met once a year; Char * His real name was Charles, to which Magnus, or Great, was added: afterwards the two words were compounded into one, Charlemagne. The lemagne directed that these meetings should be held twice in every year, and that the people should send members to it; so that his parliaments consisted of three estates or orders, the clergy, the nobility, and the people or commons. Champ de Mars, or Field of March, because originally held in a field on the first of March, was the name of the ancient assembly, by which the Franks made laws and conducted all their public business, the king having only one vote, like any other member; but in the time of Charlemagne the monarch had more power and influence. TRUE STORIES-CHARLEMAGNE. 29 the French to play on the organ. He protected literature, and rewarded men of talent. He not only diffused Christianity among his own subjects, but promoted it among the people whom he conquered. The feudal system, of which you will merce; bestowed much attention on the hear often, was introduced into France art of music; and the Italians instructed by Charlemagne ; he having become acquainted with it when he conquered the Lombards, by whom it was practised, and by whom perhaps it was invented. The great lords and barons, who received from the king gifts of castles and lands, promised in return to bring soldiers into the field, and to fight the battles of the sovereign who had enriched them; and also required that their own tenants should arm themselves in defence of their superior lords. Charlemagne, having subdued the Loinbards, was crowned King of Italy, A. D. 774. He made himself master of part of Germany; and attacked and vanquished several Gothic tribes. He extirpated the Huns; and gained possession of the isl and of Sardinia and some provinces of Spain. On Christmas-day, A. D. 800, he was consecrated Emperor of the West, by Pope Leo III.; but, as he did not reside at Rome, the Western Empire, though revived by him, became at his death little more than a name; and was subsequently better known by the title of the German Empire. Charlemagne divided his dominions into provinces, each province containing a certain number of counties. In short, he seems to have attended to every branch of domestic policy. During his reign, the manufactures of glass, wool, and iron, were successfully cultivated; and he had ships of war stationed at the mouth of every large river. He encouraged com Charlemagne was as amiable in private life as renowned in his public character. He trained his sons to manly exercises; his daughters were educated to excel in domestic arts. They spent their time in spinning and embroidery, and the other occupations of that simple and unostentatious age. Charlemagne died in the 72d year of his age, A.D. 814. He left his dominions in Italy to his grandson Bernard; and the rest of his possessions to Louis le Débonnaire, his only surviving son. Haroun Alraschid (or Haroun the Just) was Calif of the Saracens at the same time and with the same prosperity that attended Charlemagne. You have read of this monarch, as the hero of those amusing tales the " Arabian Nights' Entertainments." Those stories are considered to give a very faithful description of the manners of the people he governed. Almanzor, his predecessor, built the famous city of Bagdad, on the banks of the Tigris, in Asia, and made it the seat of the empire of the califs. This place was the abode of the Moslem princes, and was built, according to the chronology of the Arabians, who reckon from the flight of Mohammed to Medina, in the 145th year of the Hejira; that is a. D. 762. JOHN. A NEW HISTORY OF ENGLAND FOR CHILDREN. RICHARD was succeeded by his bro you ther John, who was a usurper. Do know what that means? I will try to explain. John was the youngest son of Henry the Second. Geoffry the eldest was dead, but he had left a little boy named Arthur, who ought to have reigned, therefore John had no right to the crown, and this is why he is called a usurper. Arthur was only twelve years old, and his wicked uncle put him into prison at Rouen in France. Some people think he jumped out of a window to escape from his uncle, and thereby came to his death; but others say that the cruel king, not being able to prevail on others to commit the horrid act, went into the castle by a back way, in the dead of night, commanded the unhappy prince to be brought before him, and, deaf to all intreaties for mercy, stabbed him with his own hand, and fastening a stone to his body threw it into the river Seine. John was a wicked uncle, an ungrateful son, an unkind brother, and an unjust king. My children, Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.' If this wretched king had been taught this precept when he was young, perhaps he would not have been so wicked. Henry First had granted a Charter or Writing to his people, giving them many liberties. Stephen renewed it; Henry Second confirmed it; and now the barons in John's reign insisted on his signing it. John did not want to sign it, and kept putting it off, but the barons raised a large army, destroyed all his parks, and he was obliged to submit. At Runnemede the barons and the king met, with their armies, like open enemies, and after a few days' debate John signed and sealed that famous deed called Magna Charta or Great Charter. King John was always quarelling with the Pope of Rome, but he was also obliged to submit to him. The pope sent cardinal Pandolf to London, who seated himself on the king's throne, and John came into his presence, flung himself on his knees, lifted up his joined hands, put them within those of Pandolf, and swore fealty to the pope; and agreed to pay tribute to his holiness. This vicious king however never kept his promises, for after making peace with the pope, he recalled all the liberties he had agreed to give the barons, and then were renewed the horrid civil wars. But I do not wish to talk much more |