PHENOMENON.

To the Editor of the Literary Gazette.

Sir,

I lately read an account of the figure, which, under some peculiar state of the atmosphere, appears on the Hartz mountain, in Germany. It reminds me of an extraordinary illusion to which I was once exposed; if it have interest enough for publication, it is at your service. About seven years since, I was one evening, in the month of October, returning late from a friend's house in the country, where I had dined, to the neighbouring town, about a mile distant: the night was exceedingly dark, and I had been requested to take with me a lantern; a pocket one could not be found, and I was provided with that which the servants generally carried swung in the hand. I had to pass through some fields over high ground: soon after I had entered the second of these, I observed something large moving along with me. I placed the lantern on the ground, and walking toward it, saw a gigantic figure retiring with astonishing speed. I immediately perceived it was my own shadow on a fog, which I had not before observed. The appearance of retiring was phantasmagoric, and arose from my interruption of the rays of light from the lantern, at a lesser angle, as my distance from the light increased. My return to the light was terrific; the figure appeared to advance upon me with frightful rapidity, till it seemed forty feet high. If I had been ignorant of the cause of this appearance, the effects might have much alarmed me, and led to my telling such stories as I should not have gained credit by relating: but aware of the cause, I was delighted with the singularity of my situation; and might have been thought mad by an observer, for every fantastic attitude and action I could assume I did, to be mimicked by my new and shadowy acquaintance. I am, sir, your obedient servant,

W.

English vegetables.—In the former part of the reign of king Henry VIII. there did not grow in England a cabbage, carrot, turnip, or other edible root—and even Queen Catherine could not command a sallad for dinner, till the king brought over a gardener from the Netherlands.—The artichoke, apricot, and damask rose, then made their first appearance in England.

Coaches.—Coaches were introduced in 1585; before which time, Queen Elizabeth rode, on public occasions, behind her Lord Chamberlain.

Ladies' Charity.—In the letters of Madame D. upon England, which have just been published, we find the following passage, which shows how little a woman used to the coteries of Paris can appreciate the purest of our Christian charities.—"The most elegant women in London have a certain day, upon which they go to a large room surrounded with counters, at the end of Argyle Street; they go in person, to sell, for the profit of the poor, the trifles, which they amuse themselves in making during the course of the year. You may imagine that a young gentleman who pays his court to a young lady, is not permitted to hesitate at the price of the work of her fair hands. In fact, I saw several who were really foolishly extravagant, and the bank-notes were showered down on the counters of these ladies.

"I observed in this assembly the prettiest young women I ever saw in my life; all the men loiter delighted before her counter, and it was she whose stock was the soonest disposed of.

The last man who stopped at it took a handful of bank-notes, and exchanged them for a watch-ribbon. I departed, enchanted with this scene."

Chimnies.—In the age next preceding Queen Elizabeth, there were few chimnies, even in capital towns: the fire was laid to the wall, and the smoke issued at the roof, or door, or window. The houses were wattled, and plastered over with clay; and all the furniture and utensils were of wood. The people slept on straw pallets, with a log of wood for a pillow.

"The wisdom of Catwg—The seven questions proposed by Catwg the wise to seven wise men in his college at Llanfeithin, with their answers.

"1. What constitutes supreme goodness in a man? Equity.

"2 What shews transcendent wisdom in a man? To refrain from injuring another when he has the ability.

"3. What is the most headstrong vice in a man? Incontinence.

"4. Who is the poorest man? He who has not resolution to take of his own.

"5. Who is the richest man? He who coveteth nothing belonging to another.

"6. What is the fairest quality in a man? Sincerity.

"7. What is the greatest folly in a man? The wish to injure another without having the power to effect it."

Antediluvian oak.—In digging the capacious drain in Bilsby parish, connected with the new work of sewers near Alford, at the depth of thirty feet some oak trees have been found, which are at this time the subject of examination by the curious. They are as black as ebony, but the heart is firm wood, notwithstanding the trees are believed to have been deposited for several thousand years. The conjecture formed by those best qualified for considering the subject of similar discoveries in other situations is, that they existed before Noah's flood.

Nugæ Antiquæ.—From a household book of the Earl of Northumberland in the reign of Henry VIII. it appears, that his family, during winter, fed mostly on salt fish and salt meat, and with that view there was an appointment of 160 gallons of mustard. The Earl had two cooks, and more than 200 domestics.

Holinshed says, that merchants, when they gave a feast, rejected butchers' meat as unworthy of their table: having jellies of all colours, and in all figures, representing flowers, trees, beasts, fish, fowl and fruit.

The streets of Paris, not being paved, was covered with mud; and yet for a woman to travel those streets in a cart was held an article of luxury, and prohibited by Philip the Fair.

An old tenure in England binds the vassal to find straw for the King's bed, and hay for his horse.

It was a luxurious change of wood platters for pewter plates, and from wooden spoons to those of tin.

Holinshed says, "when our houses were built of willow, then had we oaken men? but now that our houses are made of oak, our men are not only become willow but, many, through Persian delicacy, crept in among us, altogether of straw, which is a sore alteration."

Reproof.—A person was remonstrating with a friend, inclined too much to dandyism, on the absurdity of following such foppish fashions. "They are really contemptible, (said he,) and I am sure all who see you must think you ridiculous." "I don't value the opinion of the world, (answered he,) I laugh at all those who think me ridiculous." "Then you can never give over laughing," drily observed his mentor.

Anecdote.—When the English Court interfered in favour of the protestant subjects of Louis XIV. and requested his majesty to release some who had been sent to the gallies, the king asked angrily, "What would the king of Great Britain say were I to demand the prisoners of Newgate from him?" Sir, (replied the ambassador,) my master would give every one of them up to your majesty, if, as we do, you reclaim them as brothers.

If you think this little anecdote worth a place in the Rural Magazine, you may be assured of its authenticity.

A. B.

"A guilty conscience needs no accuser."

A singular instance of the truth of this saying occurred a few days ago, in Market Street. A sharper, under pretence of buying some small article in a store, managed to take from a countryman present, his pocket book, and having secured, as he supposed, his booty, paid his little bill and retired. The honest storekeeper discovering he had given him too little change, immediately went to the door and called him to stop. The fellow supposing himself detected, took, to his heels. The croud in the street observing the circumstances cried stop thief! stop thief! He was soon overtaken and brought back, when the pocket book, which had not been missed by the owner, was found on him, and he taken before the proper authority.

Communicated for the Rural Magazine.