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very forcibly with the circumstance of so few of our undertakings in that space of time having turned out as we planned and expected: our wisest schemes have been thwarted; and events that at the first glance seemed to threaten mischief and ruin to us, have, on the contrary, proved beneficial. Death has been

busy with our friends on the one hand, but, on the other, friends have had children born to them; young friends have been married and given in marriage: it has been indeed, like all the years that have gone before it since the flood- a chequered scene.

But in looking forward to the year that is just commencing, we see a blank, perhaps a dreary pagewho can read it? All is dark and unknown; it is like commencing a journey through some wild country as yet unexplored; dangers may await us on every side; dangers which, if they never arrive, must yet be guarded against: new connections in life will probably be formed; old ones broken up: our fortunes may be bettered or made worse by a thousand unforeseen public or private occurrences: in the midst of many plans to secure earthly felicity, we may be cut off in a moment; or it may be the Almighty's will, that we should remain among men for years to come. As Blair says, Life and death, prosperity and adversity, health and sickness, joy and trouble, lie in one undistinguishable mass, where our eye can descry nothing through the obscurity that wraps them up.' In a word, look at it as you will, it is a period fraught with awful uncertainty to us all.

HYMN

Conn by the late Bishop of Calcutta, and always sung on New Year's Day, by his desire.

As o'er the past my mem❜ry strays,
Why heaves the secret sigh?

"Tis that I mourn departed days,

Still unprepared to die.

The world and worldly things beloved
My anxious thoughts employed;

And time unhallowed, unimproved,
Presents a fearful void.

Yet, Holy Father! wild despair
Chase from my lab'ring breast;
Thy grace it is which prompts the pray'r,
That grace can do the rest.

My life's brief remnant all be thine!
And when thy sure decree

Bids me this fleeting breath resign,
O speed my soul to Thee!

New Year's Gifts were formerly presented on this day, in England, by the husband to the wife, the father to the child, or the master to the servants. It was customary, also, for the nobility to present some offering to the king at this season, and for his Majesty to return the compliment. This was the practice so late as the year 1660, as appears from the following entry in Mr. Pepys's Diary: Jan. 2. 1660. I had been early this morning at White Hall, at the Jewell Office, to choose a piece of gilt plate for my Lord, in returne of his offering to the King (which it seems is usual at this time of year, and an Earle gives twenty pieces in gold in a purse to the King). I chose a gilt tankard, weighing 31 ounces and a half, and he is allowed 30; so I paid 12s. for the ounce and half over what he is to have: but strange it was for me to see what a company of small fees I was called upon by a great many to pay there, which, I perceive, is the manner that courtiers do get their estates.'

It was formerly the custom at Queen's College, Oxford, on New Year's Day, to give a Needle and Thread to the Fellows, being a rebus on their Founder's name, Eglesfield; Aiguille, in French, signi ina Needle, and Fil, a Thread, a proper memor of their Founder. -Pointer's Oxoniensis Acamr p. 38.

For an account of some curious ceremonies, yet extant in the Highlands of Scotland on this day, see our last volume, pp. 3-5.

*1. 1067.-WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR CROWNED. The English having for many years groaned under a foreign yoke, were most desirous of restoring the line of the ancient British monarchs; accordingly, after the death of their Danish tyrant, Hardicanute, they placed one of the Saxon line, Edward the Confessor, on the throne. This prince having no off spring, bequeathed the crown to William Duke of Normandy, afterwards called the Conqueror; who being supported in his claims by the people, appeared in the field against Harold the Danish monarch, and overcame him; the latter prince dying amidst the thickest of the battle, with his sword firmly clinched in his hand. William having thus succeeded with much ease to the British throne, was crowned on this day at Westminster, by the Archbishop of York, taking the usual oath to protect the church, observe the laws, and govern the people with strict justice and impartiality. This day may, therefore, be hailed as the end of the Saxon government in England, and the beginning of a new monarchy under the most favourable auspices.

*2. 1666-7.-A WINTER AMUSEMENT

Strongly recommended to all our fair readers, as an admirable prophylactic; it was in use in the time of K.harles II, and is thus noticed by Mr. Pepys: 'My wife up, and with Mrs. Pen to walk in the fields. to frost-bite themselves.' Pity that such an excellent custom as this should ever go out of fashion!

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6.-EPIPHANY, or TWELFTH DAY.

word Epiphany was of old used both for what denominate Epiphany and for Christmas Day.

he 3d and 4th centuries, it was often called Opava, the appearances of God in the flesh, and applied to Christ's manifestation to the world in four several respects: 1, by his Nativity; 2, by the appearance of the star, which was his Epiphany to the Gentiles; 3, by the glorious appearance at his Bap

tism, when the voice from heaven declared, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased;' 4thly, by the manifestation of his Divinity, when, at the marriage at Cana in Galilee, he turned water into wine. In the early ages, notice was usually given, at the Epiphany, of the precise time on which the ensuing Easter would fall.

On this day, the Eastern magi visited Bethlehem to offer adoration and gifts to the infant Messiah, as the Saviour of the world and the sent of God, offering him presents emblematical of his divinity, royalty, and humanity-incense, as given only to God-gold, as denoting his kingly capacity-and myrrh, with which bodies were embalmed in the East, as showing the mortality of his body.-Stanhope, in his excellent Commentary on the Epistles and Gospels,' says, 'It was a farther accession to the honour of this day, that the Holy Jesus is supposed to have been, upon it, baptized in the river Jordan, by John; which St. Chrysostom mentions, not only as a thing notorious in his time, but as a principal cause of the respect paid to it by the church. To which let me add an ancient tradition, that, upon this day also, our Saviour is supposed to have given the first proof of his Divine power, by turning water into wine, at the marriage in Cana of Galilee.'

Twelfth day has long been observed with great festivity in most parts of Europe. It was formerly, as is well known, the custom to put a bean into a cake made of flour, honey, ginger, and pepper; sometimes a pea was added for the Queen. The cake was then divided into several portions, allowing one for our Saviour, one for the Virgin, and the same for the three Kings (which were all given to the poor), and one portion for each of the company: the happy man who found the bean in his share, was installed King for the evening, and chose the Ministers of State, Maids of Honour, &c. In later times the bean was disused, and tickets were prepared, in

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scribed with the name of King, Ministers, &c. who were thus chosen by lot. At present, it is true that the characters of King and Queen are drawn for; but instead of Ministers, &c. being chosen by them or by lot, we have burlesque cards for Billy Button, Polly Wryneck, and such silly incongruous personages. To get rid of these, and nominate their wonted predecessors, is now the most ingenious way to make a Twelfth Night Festival agreeable and entertaining. 8.-SAINT LUCIAN.

This is the first name of a saint, which stands in our British almanacks. He was a Presbyter of the Church at Antioch, and, as some affirm, a disciple of St. Peter. He suffered martyrdom on the rack in Nicomedia. Many persons have recommended that this earliest place among the saints should be assigned to Lucius, the first Christian king. He was a British monarch, and was called Lever Maur, or, the great brightness. He flourished about A.D. 180, and founded a church at Winchester. The festivals in commemoration of the martyrs were very early observed among Christians. They knew that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church,' and therefore assembled annually at their graves, to celebrate their memory, and to pray for grace to emulate their excellencies. The earliest instance of this kind on record, relates to Polycarp, who suffered in 168. The church at Smyrna, over which he was bishop, in an epistle still extant, express their determination te assemble at the place where his bones were depo', and 'celebrate the birth-day of his martyrdom

and gladness.' In after-times, when many aisti sbecame rich, they introduced their ouμлória, feasts of charity, and, by and bye, common banst the graves of the martyrs. Riot and disoreded; so that, in the times of Ambrose and Augustine we find those eminent men labouring to check the enormities which had thus grown out of a laudable custom.

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