The Tales in the present volume are the Adventures of Captain Lochy, the Pongos, and Marion’s Jock.

* * * * *

THE GATHERER.

Marriage Tree.—­A marriage tree, generally of the pine kind, is planted in the churchyard, by every new-married couple, in the parish of Varallo Pombio, in the Tyrol.  A fine grove of pines, the result of this custom, now shades this churchyard.

W.G.C.

Slippery Love.—­Thevenard was the first singer of his time, at Paris, in the operas of Lulli.  He was more than sixty years old when, seeing a beautiful female slipper in a shoemaker’s shop, he fell violently in love, unsight, unseen, with the person for whom it was made; and having discovered the lady, married her.  He died at Paris in 1741, at the age of 72.

P.T.W.

Character of England.

Anglia, 1 Mons, 2 Pons, 3 Fons, 4 Ecclesia, 5 Faemina, 6 Lana.

(That is to say:)

For 1, Mountains; 2, Bridges; 3, Rivers; 4, Churches faire; 5, Women; and 6, Wool, England is past compare.

G.K.

On our Lady Church in Salisbury.

  How many dayes in one whole year there be,
  So many windows in one church we see,
  So many marble pillars there appear,
  As there are hours throughout the fleeting year. 
  So many gates, as moons one year do view,
  Strange tale to tell, yet not so strange as true.

G.K.

Astronomical Toasts.—­Lord Chesterfield dined one day with the French and Spanish ambassadors.  After dinner, toasts were proposed.  The Spanish ambassador proposed the King of Spain under the title of the Sun.  The French ambassador gave his king as the Moon.  Lord C. then arose, “Your excellencies,” said he, “have taken the two greatest luminaries, and the Stars are too small for a comparison with my royal master.  I therefore beg to give your excellencies, Joshua.”

Talleyrand.—­(The following bon mot is worthy of extract from the Literary Gazette, and smacks of the raciest days of the noble utterer.) M. Talleyrand was enjoying his rubber, when the conversation turned on the recent union of an elderly lady of respectable rank.  “However could Madame de S------ make such a match? a person of her birth to marry a valet-de-chambre!” “Ah,” replied Talleyrand, “it was late in the game; at nine we don’t reckon honours.”

Remarkable Circumstance.—­William Coghan, who was at Oxford in the year 1575, when the sweating sickness raged at that place, and who has given a brief account of its ravages, says, “It began on the sixth day of July, from which day to the twelfth day of August next ensuing, there died five hundred and ten persons, all men and no women.”

P.T.W.