the great mass of publications. Some few works, indeed, there are, we hope, of sufficient merit to stand the test of time; amidst the general gloom we can perceive a ray around the Dartmoor of Mr. Carrington, a poem replete with beauties of no ordinary description: Woodstock, too, adds another star to the galaxy in our literary firmament, by which the author of Waverley is distinguished; but what will a future age know of the varieties of Memoirs, Recollections, and Reminiscences, which within the last few months have been made to sell; or of the spurious imitations of acknowledged excellence, such as Brambletye House, and Tor Hill; or of the still more flippant and nonsensical productions which must rise to the recollection of every one who has read the catalogues of modern publishers! Amongst books of a higher class, there are some which by mere dint of weight may reach posterity-books known to the laborious few; but what book, ushered into the world within the present year, will live familiar to the memories of men when fifty years have passed away? If there be a concealed Shakspeare, Locke, or Bacon, amongst us, let him stand forth--- we know him not.

COURT CARDS.

THE extraordinary mutations which are constantly taking place in language, gliding into our common discourse often imperceptibly and unnoticed, very frequently puzzle the antiquary and etymologists, and render it necessary for them to have recourse to ingenious conjectures, whereby they cut the knot their diligence cannot solve. Perhaps these changes are in no case more apparent than on our sign-boards. We there often find conjunctions most unnatural, which, when traced to their source, appear to arise merely from some fantastic punning similarity to the first and original name or sign. Thus "The Bull and Mouth" was formerly" Boulogne Mouth;""The Swan with Two Necks" was the "Swan with Two Nicks," in allusion to the marks set upon swans which are called nicks; "The Bag of Nails" was "The Bacchanals;" and "The Goat and Compasses" was originally opened as "God encompasseth us," in the puritanical time of Old Noll, when it was the custom to put some religious intimation upon the sign-boards. These are only a few out of many that might be selected; but our purpose at present is, rather to notice the change which has crept into common use in the mode of describing the King, Queen, and Knave, in a pack of cards. We call them Court Cards, certainly a very uncivil designation, seeming to intimate that knaves are an appendage, or rather a necessary part, of "The Court." Our ancestors, who were more polite, noticing the extraordinary difference between the appearance of these cards and their spotted fellows, merely termed them "Coat Cards," clearly intimating, the cards which were coated or clothed. A variety of instances might be cited from old plays, in which this reading is adopted; but we shall content ourselves with giving two. In Minshew's Spanish Dialogues, p. 26,

is the following, in relation to the old game of Primero: "I lifte," says one of the speakers, "to see who shall deale-it must be a Coat Card;" and, in a play of Rowley's may be found the following, which is still more explicit. One says, "I am a Coat Card, indeed;" to which is answered, "Then thou must needs be a Knave, for thou art neither King nor Queen."

These instances sufficiently prove the original title of these cards; when the corruption began we cannot find, but our Christmas cardplaying friends have now an opportunity of amending their "caco, lology," as Lord Duberly has it. AN. TIQ.

FIRST LOVE.

A FRAGMENT.

FIRST LOVE! what is it? can it be the thrill
Which stirs among the pulses; and calls up
The life-blood to the cheek, as the first breeze
Playing about the opening rose, expands
Its colors to the sun? Is it that strange
Tumultuous throbbing of the heart, which checks
The laboring breath like a disease? The dream
Which leads us to lone bowers, and mossy banks;
Teaching young Industry to stay its hand,
And loiter through the summer unemployed?
The proud to be self-humbled; and the brave
Gentle alike of mien, and port, and speech?

Thus questioned I in years when life was young,
Hope garlanded with flow'rs, and pleasure crown'd
With the wild hedge-rose and the violet!
In those blest days, half woman, and half child,
Love was vague speculation.---Years have come
Of sorrowing certainty: I know it now!
Something I could explain of love, first love,
That counterfeit of fancy, seeming ore,

But being gilded dross---something I could say:
But words avail so little! I can feel
More, aye, far more---what I have felt and feel
Is written on my brow, and in my eye,
And round my faded lip--these, even these,
Are the cold records of the hope of youth,
The dream of pleasure, the false lure of joy;
Which, like the poisoned chalice, gayly strown
With fragrant rose-leaves, blushing o'er the draught,
Is but the scentful ruin, that the heart
Imbibes, unconscious of its deadliness:
"Twas even so with me---I ask not now
Of the young beauty, smiling at the scathe

Which she herself has wooed, what First Love is!

P.

THE LITERATURE OF ENGLAND,

FROM THE TIME OF THE DRUIDS, TO THE PRESENT CENTURY.

No. II.

UPON the demolition of the western empire in the sixth century, the British and Roman customs ceased in this island: the language, which had been either Latin or Celtic, was discontinued, and the Saxon or English only spoken. All the learning of the times was confined among the clergy (whose duty it was to encourage the progress of literature); but many of these were grossly ignorant, and little improvement could be expected from their reasonings, since it was one of their tenets to discard the light of reason, An eclipse was considered by the historians, as an omen of threatened calamity; and magic was not only believed, but some actually thought themselves magicians. Even the clergy were not averse to these opinions, as they in some measure served to increase their authority.

ADHELME, OF ALDHELM*; nephew to Ina, King of the West Saxons, flourished in the seventh century. "It is evident," says Dr. Henry," from his works, which are still extant, that he had read the most celebrated authors of Greece and Rome, and that he was no contemptible writer in the language in which those authors wrote." In the different seminaries where he had been educated, he acquired a very uncommon stock of knowledge, and became famous for his learning, not only in England, but in foreign countries, so that several learned men sent their writings for his perusal and correction. He is said to have been the first Englishman who wrote in Latin, and who brought poetry into England. The venerable Bede gives the following character of him that " he was a man of universal erudition, having an elegant style, and being wonderfully well acquainted with books, both on philosophical and religious subjects." King Alfred declared that Aldhelm was the best of all Saxon poets, and that a favorite song which was sung in his time, near two hundred years after the author's death, was of his composition. When he was Abbot of Malmsbury, having a fine voice, and great skill in music as well as in poetry, and observing the backwardness of his barbarous countrymen to listen to grave instruction, he composed a number of little poems, which he sung after mass in so sweet a manner, that they were gradually instructed and civilized.

BEDE † (like Chaucer, the wonder of his time) flourished in the

Aldhelm was born at Caer Bladen, now called Malmsbury, in Wiltshire. After he had governed the monastery of Malmsbury about thirty years, he is said to have retired to Shireburn (of which place he had been consecrated a bishop in 705), where he died on the 25th of May, 709.

† Bede was born in the neighbourhood of Weremouth, in the bishopric of Durham, about the year 672 or 673. He never attained to a higher station in the church than that of a simple monk. He wrote many works, a list of which may be found in the "Biographia Britannica." His last work was a "Translation of the Gospel of St. John into the Saxon language," which he completed with difficulty on the day and hour of his death, viz. May 26, 735. He was buried in the church of his convent at Jarrow; but his bones were afterwards removed to Durham, and deposited in the same coffin with those of St. Cuthbert.

eighth century. He spent the greater part of his life in the monastery of Jarrow, on the banks of the Tyne. Here he was employed in the prosecution of his own studies, and in aiding those of others who resorted to this monastery for instruction. Bede thus speaks of himself: "My life was spent within the precincts of the same monastery, devoted to the meditation of the divine word; and where, in the observance of conventual discipline and the songs of the choir, it was ever pleasing to me to learn to teach or to write." Notwithstanding he lived in so obscure a manner, the fame of his learning soon spread itself over Europe, and it appears from his numerous works on a variety of subjects, that his knowledge comprehended every kind of literature and science that was known at the period in which he lived. His Ecclesiastical History, which was published in 731, is a work of so much merit, notwithstanding the legendary tales it contains, that it were alone sufficient to immortalize its author. He appears indeed, as one of his biographers sums up an account of him, "to have possessed the rare association of learning with modesty; of devotion with liberality, and of high reputation in the church with voluntary and honorable poverty." It would be easy to cite a great number of testimonies to the extent of Bede's learning, as well as to the excellence of his general character: but as William of Malmsbury says, "it was much more easy to admire him in thought, than to do him justice in expression."

ALCUIN.---Towards the close of the eighth century flourished Alcuin, Abbot of Canterbury. In the year 793, he was sent on an embassy by Offa, King of Mercia, to the Emperor Charlemagne : who contracted so great an esteem for him, that he prevailed upon him to settle in his court, and become his preceptor in the sciences. Under the patronage, and with the assistance, of Charlemagne, he contributed very much to the advancement of learning, by establishing public schools, especially in France. A French writer + says, that France was indebted to Alcuin for all the polite learning of which it boasted in the eighth century and following ages. Camden cites a German poet, who thus extols him for introducing literature into France:

"Quid non Alcuino, facunda Lutetia, debes!
Instaurare bonas ibi qui feliciter artes
Barbarumque procul solus depellere cepit."
"Let Gallia's sons, nurtured in ancient lore,

To Alcuin's name a grateful tribute pay;
'Twas his the light of science to restore,
And bid barbaric darkness flee away."

We cannot forbear subjoining an extract from this excellent prelate's letters to Charlemagne, which exhibits a picture of his mind and occupations, which is as creditable to himself, as it is interesting and surprising in so dark an age. "The employments of your Alcuinus in his retreat are suited to his humble sphere; but they are neither inglorious nor unprofitable. I spend my time in the halls of * Epit. Hist. Eccles.

+ Cave. Hist. Lit. tom i. p. 637.

St. Martin in teaching some of the noble youths under my care, the intricacies of grammar, and inspiring them with a taste for the learning of the ancients in describing to others the order and revolutions of those shining orbs, which adorn the azure vault of heaven: and in explaining to others the mysteries of divine wisdom, which are contained in the holy scriptures; suiting my instructions to the views and capacities of my scholars, that I may train up many to be ornaments to the church of God, and to the court of your imperial majesty. In doing this, I find a great want of several things, particularly of those excellent books in all arts and sciences, which I enjoyed in my native country, through the expence and care of my great master Egbertt. May it therefore please your majesty, animated with the most ardent love of learning, to permit me to send some of our young gentlemen into England, to procure for us those books which we want, and transplant the flowers of Britain into France, that their fragrance may no longer be confined to York, but may perfume the palaces of Tours. I need not put your majesty in mind how earnestly we are exhorted in the holy scriptures to the pursuit of wisdom. Learning and wisdom exalt the low, and give additional lustre to the honors of the great. By wisdom, kings reign, and princes decree justice.' Cease not then, O most gracious king! to press the young nobility of your court to the eager pursuit of wisdom and learning in their youth, that they may attain to an honorable old age, and a blessed immortality. For my own part, I will never cease, according to my abilities, to sow the seeds of learning in the minds of your subjects in these parts; mindful of the saying of the wisest man, in the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that.' To do this, hath been the most delightful employment of my whole life in my youthful years, I sowed the seeds of learning in the flourishing seminaries of my native soil of Britain; and in my old age, I am doing the same in France, praying to God that they may spring up and flourish in both countries."

Alcuin composed many treatises on a great variety of subjects, in a style much superior with respect to purity and elegance to that of the generality of writers in the age in which he flourished. Besides his poem "De Pontificibus et Sanctis Ecclesia Eboracensis," first discovered by Mabillon, and published by Dr. Gale among his "Quindecem Scriptores," his other writings are extremely voluminous. They consist of tracts upon scripture doctrines, discipline, and morality; and historical treatises, letters, poems, &c. An edition of them was published by Andrew du Chesne at Paris, in one volume folio, in 1617, and at Ratisbon in 1777.

ALFRED THE GREAT.-The reign of Alfred was a most memorable period in the annals of literature, with the love of which the following circumstances inspired him. He had attained the age of

Alcuin retired from Charlemagne's Court, to St. Martin's Abbey at Tours, where he died about the year 804.

+ Alcuin was educated in Yorkshire under Archbishop Egbert.