tains the Works of Strutt, the Gallery of Fashion, the beautiful publications of Miller, the Cent Estampes of Ferriol, the Costume Physique et Moral de la Fin du Dixhuitrime Siecle; volumes of Ancient and Modern Prints, published at Paris; Ancient and Moderu Swiss Costumes, published at Basle; Gentoo and Moorish Figures, drawn and highly finished in India; and Chinese, in China.

Mr. Oakwood's prints are not less extraordiary than his books. He has the Works of Hogarth and Strange; but, in general, he does not purchase the whole works of any master; he only selects the best pieces. Of these he has thousands, French and English; single prints, companions, and sets; all the finest impresssions, bound up in portfolios of Russian leather, as large as a card-table. These volumes have cost him from four-score to a hundred pounds a piece.

Here, then, is an employment for a snowy day, and for a part of every day; and I share it as I please. Pictures, my brother has none,

he keeps oue hobby-horse in so expensive a manner, he cannot afford a pair.

But the number of my brother's books is nothing, compared with their quality and dress. In that they are exceeded by many noblemen's and gentleman's libraries; in these, I believe, they are scarcely to be paral-except family portraits. As he says himself, leled. They exhibit every thing that is most rare and costly in paper, printing, engraving, and binding. When I tell you he has subscrip- Neither are all our tongues tongues of trees. tion copies of Boydell's Shakespeare, Mack- My brother has gradually declined the society Jin's and Bowyer's Bibles, Bowyer's Hume,|| of the neighbouring families; our vicar has and Views in Egypt and Palastine, Tompkin's a better living, and does not reside here; his Thomson's Seasons, and Rees's New Encyclo- || curate, a young man of good family and good pædia; when I tell you that he has the finest expectations, has indulged himself in laughimpressions of Grose's Antiquities of Eng-ing at some of my brother's peculiarities, and land and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland; of is not admitted into the house. But it is not Lavater, of Ibbetson and Church's Quadru- good for man to be alone. Every evening peds, of Orine's Indian and English Sports; after supper, John Freeman, a sturdy yeoand that his Rapin is accompanied by Houman, who lives opposite the park-gates, comes braken's Heads; you will imagine that no to talk over history and politics with Mr. book in his fibrary has a superior out of it. Oakwood, and share his bowl of negus. It is Indeed, should that happen, by an after publi- lucky that, though their politics differ, they cation of the same work, it is immediately are not directly opposite; for my brother is irritable and warm, and John is stedfast as a rock.

added.

To look at my brother's books, giants, where || giants could be found, arrayed in red, green, and yellow morocco, half covered with gold, arranged in the nicest order, and viewed through plate-glass, you would suppose that they were to be seen, not read. Just the re

verse.

He reads them all through, except books of reference, and never lets any body else see them, if he can help it. One of the singularities of his library is, that almost all may be read with pleasure, and nothing is admitted to make up a shew, without some intrinsic merit of its own.

From our father my brother has inherited a taste for reading; from our mother a taste for rich and splendid furniture; these, combined, have produced his library. His bookcases are as remakable as their contents. The parts that can never be seen are mahogany, by his particular order; and the fronts are carved, and inlaid with various kinds of costly wood, in figures and different devices. His neatness he derives from both our parents; and it is such, that I may venture to say, there is not a spot upon a leaf, or scratch upon a binding, in his whole library.

In his youth John Freeman cultivated a small paternal estate; but preferring a life of ease, he now lets it for a hundred pounds a year, and, with his wife and an only daughter, lives on the income. They keep no servant, but the wife's sister, Mrs. Anderson, lives with them, and, paying a trifle for her board, assists in the different employments of the family. The whole of John's education consisted in learning to read and write; but he had such an uncommon fondness for the first of these occupations, that at a very early period, almost in infancy, he had read the Bible and Rapin's History of Eugland. His memory was so extensive, that he not only knew all the events, but all the characters of the Jewish and English histories; and of the latter all the chronology. This knowledge was prodigious; but here he stopped. During his farming life he continued to read the History of Eulgand on a winter's evening, and the Bible on Sunday; but he added nothing to his stock of information. He would not look into any other history than that of Rapin, if it fell in his way. Believing that to

be best and most faithful, he thought it || school; a steady admirer of the ancient rewould be waste of time to read a worse, and || publics of Greece and Rome, and of liberty in endangering his firm conviction of right and wrong to read a different one. This last fear was groundless. No man was ever less likely to be shaken in any opinion he had once been convinced was right.

When John Freeman let his farm, he found so much leisure on his hands, that he perceived the necessity of extending his studies. The whole world of fiction, including poetry, be utterly despised. He believed literally in the celebrated maxim of Boileau,

"Rien n'est beau que le vrai :" "Nothing is beautiful that is not true." He read the histories of Greece and Rome. Ideas do not make the same indelible impression at fifty as at seven years of age; but he is nearly as well acquainted with Sparta and Athens, as with Jerusalem and London; with Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great, as with David and Henry the Fifth; with Solon and Lycurgus, as with Solomon and Alfred. Here his knowledge rests for ever; and he would shut his eyes maufully against any thing that should tend to increase it.

John Freeman is a republican of the old

opposition to absolute monarchy. He is a
republican by descent, and inherits his prin
ciples with his house and land.
His father,
Oliver Freeman, whom I well knew, and who
dated his age with the last century, remem.
bered both his grandfathers, who were officers
in the army of Oliver Cromwell; and one
of them named him after his former master.

What an air-drawn bubble is this freedom! how beautiful! how evanescent! like Shakespeare's lightning, gone, before we can say, "'tis there." The moment after it was attained, was not Oliver Cromwell absolute monarch, under the name of Protector, and Napoleon Bonaparte, under that of First Consul; though the people were still amused with the sound, and knew not the bubble had burst? The one knowing his people's attachment to liberty, contented himself with the power of a king, without daring to assume the name; and they thought they were free. The other, knowing his people's fondness for grandeur and shew, rose superior to kings in title, as in power; and they believed they rose with him.

(To be continued.)

HERADRY, ILLUSTRATIVE OF ANCESTRY AND GENTILITY.

mortal! for he said, that as this metal was incorruptible from its simplicity and purity, so it was to be regarded not only as the symbol, but as the essence of immortality. Silver, this wiseacre considered as bearing the same reference to gold, that the moon does to the sun; and therefore as those two bedies bear the first rank in the system, with regard to us, so the same comparative pre-eminence must take place amongst the metals; and he then tells us, with great gravity, that the only difference between the two metals is in the degree of coction; for, if nature, in the production of silver, had used as great a degree of heat as for gold, she would have produced the latter metal; and, therefore, says this accurate reasoner, the difference between them must be attributed to the less perfect digestion and coction of sulphur and mercury! Another of these sages, giving up alchymical argument, dives deeper into metaphysics, and assures us that there is a most certain and accurate affi

HAVING analysed in our last lecture, the symbolical significations of the various armorial colours, we come now to those which are more specifically called metals; but of which there are only two kinds that are used in blazon. Of these two, the most noble is gold, called Or, in heraldic language; and the other is silver, or argent, so called from the old French, from which all our armorial terms are taken. It is totally unnecesary for us here to enter deeply into the reveries of the ancient philosophers respecting these metals; but as their excellence in armory was considered as in some measure depending upon abstract qualities, according to the philosophy of those times, we shall merely tell, that in their chemical reveries, they considered gold as a mixture of four qualities; they tell us that as gold has the power of resisting solution by the force of any natural agent, for aqua regia was then unknown, so it deservedly received its name of "Child of the Sun ;" and so far was this absurd idea carried, that Raymond Lally,nity between the sun, the heart of man, and gold, a famous alchymist, asserted, that if God had made man of gold he would have been im

||

for, as the sun is in nature the principle of heat and motion,so is the heart in man; and it may be

||

in the elements; the phlegmatic complexion; Monday, in the days of the week; January and February, in the months; the pearl, diamond, and chrystal, amongst precious stones ; the palm, amongst trees; the lily amongst flowers; the spotless ermine, amongst animals; and old age, in man. Those who bore argent in their arms were considered as obliged to succour virgins and orphans, in the same manner as those who bore the field Or, were obliged to assist their princes. Argent was also the symbol of chastity in wives, and of virginity in the younger part of the sex; of justice, in a judge; and of humility, in a political minister!

observed, says this subtle metaphysicain, who, || Pisces and Cancer, amongst the Signs; water, we may presume, knew nothing of paper currency, "that gold, when converted into an elixir, preserves, fortifies, and rejoices the human heart!" In the same manner they tell us, there is an intimate connection between silver, the brain, and the moon; because the moon influences the brain, whilst silver fortifies that part of the human economy; for which reason, silver must be symbolical of great qualities of the soul! We will quit these silly dreams, however, to investigate those symbolical meanings which ancient heralds are supposed to have affixed to these metals. Gold, then, in heraldry, was the emblem of many of the Christian virtues, particularly of faith; but in those monkish times, it seems as if the church found faith more productive of gold, than gold was of faith. As faith was purified by adversity, so was gold by fire; it was also the emblem of justice; of charity, on account of the ardent and shining colour; of gentleness, of clemency, and of humility, because that although gold is the purest and most noble of metals, still it is the softest, and most flexible of all others. Gold was also considered as representing opulence, splendour, constancy, joy, prosperity, long life, purity of intention, and rectitude of heart; and as gold in some cases formed the basis of all the colours on the shield, so rectitude of heart and elevation of sentiment ought to form the basis of all the nobility. Or, or gold, was also considered as analogous to the carbuncle and the topaz in heraldic significa tion, because as darkness could not diminish the brilliancy of these precious stones, so neither could any temporary shade totally obscure or conceal the brilliant actions of nobility. Amongst the planets, gold was - reckoned analogous to the sun, because as the sun is seen by all the world, and enlightens the whole solar system, so heroic actions, accompanied by rectitude of heart, and pure intentions, were soon publicly known to all. Amongst the twelve signs, gold represents the ram, because when the sun entered that sign, he rejoiced all nature. Of the four ele-dently from France, and the French heraldic ments, gold represented fire; in complexions, the sanguine; Sunday, in the days in the week; July and August, in the months; the cyprus and laurel, amonsgt trees; the heliotrope, or sunflower; the cock, amongst birds;ing defeated these infidels at the battle of lion, amongst quadrupeds; and the dolphin, amongst fishes.

Silver, or argent, was the characteristic symbol of humility, purity, innocence, and truth; and also of beauty and elegance. Amongst the planets, it was the moon;

In addition to colours and metals, there are two species of furs, often occupying the body of the shield, which must be described here. The first is ermine, consisting of argent and sable; or white, with small black spots; because the animal known by that name has a white skin, with a tail of jet black, and derives its name from the skins having been first brought from Armenia into Europe. This is the symbol of purity. Of this there is also a variety, called counter ermine, and erminois, which is sable with white spots; some nations have erminois of various colours, but we believe there is no instance of it in English heraldry. The second species of furs, is rair, or rairy, supposed to be formed of skins of two colours, sewed together, and in their outline resembling bells, erect, and inverted alternately. Vair, strictly speaking, always consists of five rows on the face of the shield, and is of argent and azure; but vairy is used when the pieces are of various colours, and it is blazoned, "Or and gules," or of such other tinctures as it may be. With respect to the metals and colours, as used in this country, they are evidently of German origin, though the names are French; at least, we have reason to believe that the scientific armorial use of them has been adopted from Germany, though perhaps altered and improved by British heralds; but the use of the furs is evi

writers tell us, the ermine was first introduced into armory at the period when the Saracens were in that country. They assert that Charles Martel, father of Charlemagne, hav

Tours, his knights seized upon the shields of the vanquished, which were covered with skins, and added them to their own armorialbearings, as testimonies of their gallant victory. They also relate an anecdote ́respecting the first adoption of vair, which is said to

have been first borne by the Baron of Couci, who, in one of the early Crusades, finding his troops in disorder, and his standard broken, pulled off his mantle of scarlet cloth, with far facings, cut it in slips, and having tied it to the end of his lance, was enabled to rally his troops, and to lead them or to victory; in memory of which event, he assumed vairy gules and rair, in lieu of his ancient coat, gules, a bend cotized or.

At present, ermine is but little used in British heraldry, nor is vair very frequent; but the latter is of considerable antiquity, having been borne on a bend by a branch of the family of Sackville, as early as the Norman conquest.

with argent, was most fair; sable with or,
rich; and or with vert, most glorious.

mast

Before we close this part of the subject respecting the colours and metals, it is proper to notice the mode of representing them without being actually painted. Formerly those who sketched coats of arms, without actual colours, were obliged to use the first letters of each tincture, either inserted on the specific parts of each heraldic sketch, or placed in the margin with dotted lines of direction to each bearing; that was, however, very inconvenient and uncertain, but numberless specimens may be seen of it in the MSS. in the British

Museum. The modern mode is full as simple, and much more certain; for argent is ex

is known by a number of small dotts; gules, by perpendicular lines of shading; azure, by horizontal lines; sable, by lines horizontal and perpendicular crossing each other; wert, by diagonal lines from the dexter corner in chief to the sinister base; purpure, is represented by diagonal lines, from the sinister base to the dexter base; ermine is known by argent with sable spots; and rair by an outline resembling rows of bells inverted, with hatchings, as this mode of sketching is called, agreeable to the tincture.

We have already noticed the armorial signi-pressed by leaving the bearing unshaded; or, fication of each colour, considered singly; but some heralds have affixed other meanings to them, when used along with others. This serves in some measure to account for the early adoption of blue lions, green dragons, and golden bears and boars, so frequent in armory; so much so, indeed, that it is seldom we meet with those animals emblazoned proper, that is, of their natural colour. We shall therefore slightly notice those symbols of combination. Sable, if borne in the field with argent, signified constancy; if with or, it represented honour. Argent combined with gules, represented bold in all honesty; with azure, it pointed out the bearers to be courteous and discreet; with sable, they were wholly devoted to contemplation of divine things; with vert, the bearers were presumed to be virtuous in youth, and to continue so; with purple, it represented judicature, and magistracy exercised with popularity.

Gules, accompanied by or, signified a desire to conquer; with argent, it pointed out an avenger of the innocent, and a scourge of the envious.

Azure with or, was joyful in riches, and pleasant in conversation.

Or, if accompanied by gules, pointed out a hero, determined to shed his blood for the service of his country; if with azure, it marked one worthy of matters of trust and treasure, both to keep it for himself economically, and faithfully for others; with sable, it was given to him who was wealthy, and constant in every thing; if with vert, it pointed out joyful with the riches of the world, and glittering and splendid in youth.

Vert, accompanied by or, signified both joy and pleasure; and with argent, was symbolical of inuoccut love.

With respect to the symbolical rauk of the colours and metals, it was considered that, sable

We shall now close this lecture with a brief sketch of the shield, and its various forms; leaving the various ordinaries of the fesse, band, &c. for a subsequent lecture. The forms of the shield, as borne by men, are various; these forms indeed depend in a great measure upon the fancy of the bearer; and they may be painted round, oval, or oblong, without af fecting the nature of the bearing. It is not so, however, with arms when borne by females; if married, indeed, their arms occupy half their husband's shield on the sinister side, unless they are heiresses, when their coat is borne in the centre of the husband's arms, on a shield of the same shape; but whilst they continue unmarried, or when they become widows, they must bear them in a lozenge, resembling the ace of diamonds, It must be observed also that no lady can bear a crest, or motto, as these are specifically warlike and masculine.

If we suppose a shield divided in two parts by a perpendicular line, then the half opposite to the spectator's left hand, will be the dexter side, and the other of course the sinister; for thus it must be when borne on the arm. If we suppose the shield divided into five equal parts, by horizontal lines, the upper division will he the chief, which, divided perpendicularly into three parts will give

THE MIRROR OF FASHION.

IN A SERIES OF LETTERS FROM A GENTLEMAN OF RANK AND TASTE, TO A LADY OF QUALITY.