An muscles of the arms and body. Thirdly, The horizontal round pole supported by posts from five to eight feet high, according to the height of the performer. endless variety of exercises may be performed on this pole, such as raising the body by the arms, going from one end to the other by the hands alone, vaulting, swinging the body over in all directions, &c. &c. Fourthly, The horse, a large wooden block shaped like the body of a horse-the pupils jump upon and over this much-enduring animal in many ways. Fifthly, Leaping in height and distance with and without poles. Sixthly, Climbing masts, ropes, and ladders of various heighths. Seventhly, Throwing lances, running with celerity and for a length of time, hopping, &c. &c. &c. It is, moreover, in our option to take whatever portion of the exercises we may find most agreeable. The improvement which the gentlemen who practise these exercises experience in health (not to mention strength, agility, and grace,) is very considerable, and altogether wonderful in several who have entered in a feeble and sickly state. This, one would think, would be sufficient to prove that the exercises are not attended with danger, even were I not to mention that I have not seen a single accident. Neither is their utility necessarily confined to boyhood, as several gentlemen upwards of forty can clearly testify; nor does the pleasure of practising them depart with the novelty, but always increases with proficiency and time. The expense the professor has already incurred in providing implements and adequate accommodation has been very considerable, and his terms are so moderate that a small number of pupils cannot possibly remunerate him; it is therefor our own, that he should meet with fore to be hoped, no less for his sake than FLORAL DIRECTORY. September 26. Sts. Cyprian and Justina, A. D. 304. St. Old Holy-rood. This day is so marked in the church of England calendar and in the almanacs. Respecting the rood enough, perhaps, was said to gratify the reader's curiosity on holy-rood day. St. Cyprian Is also in the calendar and almanacs on this day. He was a native of Carthage in the third century, and as a father is highly esteemed for the piety of his writings and the purity of the Latin tongue wherein they were written. Sts. Cosmas and Damian. These saints are said to have been be headed under Dioclesian. In a church dedicated to these saints at Isernia, near Naples, while sir William Hamilton was ambassador from Great Britain to that court, votive offerings Banks with the particulars. They were were presented of so remarkable a nature, as to occasion him to acquaint sir Joseph With respect to the professor himself worship. The late Mr. Richard Payne the grossest relics of the ancient pagan he has every quality that can recommend Knight wrote a remarkable "Dissertahim to his pupils. The grace with which tion on the subject for the use of the he performs the exercises is only equalled Dilettanti. by his attention and care, and his mild and unassuming manners have won the encouragement in this city. hearts of all who know him. His pupils feel grateful not only for the benefits they Manyflowered Starwort. Aster multi FLORAL DIRECTORY. forus. Dedicated to St. Delphina. September 28. St. Wenceslas, duke of Bohemia, A St. Eustochium, A. D. 419. St. Exuperius, Bp. of Toulouse, ▲. 409. FLORAL DIRECTORY. under the immediate spiritual protection and personal government of God, who calls them his peculiar people. How then can Michael preside over them? This Evergreen Golden Rod. Solidago sem- festival will not loose any dignity by the pervirens. Dedicated to St. Eustochium, V. St. Michael. This saint is in our almanacs and in he calendar of the church of England. The day is a great festival in the Romish church. The rev. Edward Barnard, of Brantinghamthorpe, in "The Protestant Beadsman," an elegantly written "series of biographical notices and hymns, commemorating the saints and martyrs whose holidays are kept by the church of England," says, "The rank of archangel is given in scripture to none but Michael, who is represented as the guardian and protector both of the Jewish church, and the glorious church of Christ, in which the former merged. On this account he is celebrated by name, while the rest of the holy angels are praised collectively. St. Michael is mentioned in scripture five times, and always in a military view; thrice by Daniel, as fight ing for the Jewish church against Persia; once by St. John, as fighting at the head of his angelic troops against the dragon and his host; and once by St. Jude, as fighting personally with the devil, about the body of Moses; for the very ashes of God's servants have angelic protection. It has been thought by many, that there is no other archangel but Michael. An author of great name, who has not given his reasons or authority, inclines to this opinion; and adds, that he succeeded Lucifer in this high dignity. Others imagine, and not without strong probability, that Michael is the Son of God himself. The interpretation of his name, and the expression (used by St. John) of his angels,' strengthen this supposition; for to whom can the angels belong but to God, or Christ? The title, by which Gabriel spoke of him, when he required bis assistance, (Michael your prince') is likewise brought forward, by bishop Horsley, in confirmation of this opinion. Besides, the Jews always claimed to be adoption of such an interpretation, but will demand a more conscientious observance from those, who celebrate in it, not only the host of friendly angels, but, Christ the common Lord both of angels likewise (under the title of Michael) Jesus and men." A well-informed expositor of the "Common Prayer-book," Wheatley, says that the feast of St. Michael and all angels is observed, that the people may know what benefits are derived from the ministry of angels. The accompanying engraving is from an ancient print emanating from the "contemplations" of catholic churchmen, among whom there is diversity of opinion concerning the number of archangels. Their inquiries have been directed to the subject, because it is an article of the catholic faith that angels, as well as saints, intercede for men, and that their intercession may be moved by prayers to them. In conformity with this persuasion patron-saints and angels are sometimes drawn for, by putting certain favourite names together, and selecting one, to whom, as the patron-saint or angel, the invocations of the individual are from that time especially addressed. The In the great army of angels the archangels are deemed commanders. angels themselves are said to be divided into as many legions as there are archangels; whether these are seven or niue does not appear to be determined; but Michael, as in the present engraving, is always represented as the head or chief archangel, he is here accompanied by six only. Dr. Laurence, regius professor of He brew at Oxford, and now archbishop of Cashel, recently printed at the Clarendon press, the long lost "Book of Enoch." This celebrated apocryphal writing of ancient times calls "Michael one of the holy angels, who, presiding over human virtue, commands the nations." It says, that Raphael "presides over the spirits of men;" that Uriel " presides over clam our and terror;" and Gabriel, paradise and over the cherubims." 66 over Our old heraldic friend, Randle Holme, says, Michael is the head of the "order of archangels;" his design is a banner hang Our forefathers were told by the pre- flee about us as flies; they are innumer decessor of Alban Butler, that Michael able, and like flies they fill the air without bore the banner of the celestial host, number; and philosophers and doctors are chased the angel Lucifer ard his follow- of opinion, that the air is as full of devils ers from heaven, and enclosed them in and wicked spirits as the sonne bemes dark air unto the day of judgment, not in ben full of small motes which is small the upper region, because there it is clear dust or poudre." and delightful, nor upon the earth, because there they could not torm nt mankind, but between heaven and earth, that when they look up they may see the joy they have lost, and when they look down ward, may see men mount to heaven from whence they fell. The relation says, they Bishop Hall, in his " Triumphs of Rome," mentions a red velvet buckler to have been preserved in a castle in Nor Golden Legend. mandy which Michael wore in his combat with the dragon. Bishop Patrick who wrote subsequenty, in 1674, says "I hope that the precious piece of St. Michael's red cloth is forthcoming-his dagger and his shield were to be seen at the beginning of this age, though one of their historians says, that five years before he came thither, in 150 the bishop of Avranches had forbidden his shield to be any more showed: but who knows but some of the succeeding bishops may have been better natured, and not have denied this gratification to the desires of their gaping devotees.” Bishop Patrick cites a Roman catholic litany, wherein after addresses to God, the Trinity, and the virgin Mary, there are invocations to St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael, together with all the orders of angels, to "pray for us." He also instances that in the old Roman missal, and in the Sarum missal, there is a proper mass to Raphael the archangel, as the protector of pilgrims and travellers, and a skilful worker with medicine. Likewise an office for the continual intercession of St. Gabriel, and all the heavenly militia. In these catholic services St. Michael is invoked as a "most glorious and warlike prince," "chief officer of paradise," "captain of God's hosts," "the receiver of souls," "the vanquisher of evil spirits," and "the admirable general." After mentioning several miracles attributed by the Romanists to St. Michael, the bishop says, "You see from this legend, that when people are mad with superstition, any story of a cock and a bull will serve their turn to found a festival upon, and to give occasion for the further veneration of a saint or an angel, though the circumstances are never so improbable." He relates as an instance, that in a Romish church-book, Michael is said to have appeared to a bishop, whom he required to go to a hill-top, where if he found a bull tied, he was to found a church, and dedicate it to God and St. Michael. The bishop found the bull, and proceeded to found the church, but a rock on each side hindered the work, wherefore St. Michael appeared to a man, and bade him go and put away the rock, and dread nothing; so the man went, and "sette to his shoulders," and bade the rock go away in the name o. God and St. Michael; and so the rocks departed to the distance necessary to the work. "This removing the rock," says bishop Patrick, "is a pretty stretcher !" Michaelmas It is noticed by Mr. Brand in his of the circumstances presently referred to, Popular Antiquities," which cites most that "It has long been and still continues the custom at this time of the year, or thereabouts, to elect the governors of towns and cities, the civil guardians of the peace of men, perhaps, as Bourne supposes, because the feast of angels naturally enough brings to our minds the old opinion of tutelar spirits, who have, or are thought to have, the particular charge of certain bodies of men, or districts of country, as also that every man has his guardian angel, who attends him from the cradle to the grave, from the moment of his coming in, to his going out of life." Mr. Nichols notices in the "Gentle man's Magazine," that on Monday, October 1st, 1804,-"The lord mayor and alderman proceeded from Guildhall, and the two sheriffs with their respective companies from Stationers'-hall, and having embarked on the Thames, his lordship in the city barge, and the sheriffs in the stationers' barge, went in aquatic state to Palace-yard. They proceeded to the court of Exchequer: where, after the usual salutations to the bench (the cursitor baron, Francis Maseres, Esq. presiding) the recorder presented the two sheriffs; the several writs were then read, and the sheriffs and the senior undersheriff took the usual oath. The ceremony, on this occasion, in the court of Exchequer, which vulgar error supposed to be an unmeaning farce, is solemn and impressive; nor have the new sheriffs the least connection either with chopping of sticks, or counting of hobnails. The tenants of a manor in Shropshire are directed to come forth to do their suit and service; on which the senior alderman below the chair steps forward, and chops a single stick, in token of its having been customary for the tenants of that manor to supply their lord with fuel. The owners of a forge in the parish of St. Clement (which formerly belonged to the city, and stood in the high road from the Temple to Westminster, but now no longer exists,) are then called forth to do their suit and service; when an officer of the court, in the presence of the senior alderman, produces six horse-shoes and sixty-one hobnails, which he counts over in form before the cursitor baron; who, on this particular occasion, is the immediate representative of the sovereign. "The whole of the numerous company then again embarked in their barges, and returned to Blackfriars-bridge, where the state carriages were in waiting. Thence they proceeded to Stationers'-hall, where a most elegant entertainment was given by Mr. Sheriff Domville." To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. I have no doubt but many thousands of my fellow-citizens were unaware of the existence and very recent destruction of the baronial establishment of their chief magistrate; and that, therefore, by recording a few particulars you will endeavour to mark the era, when, perhaps, the last of these gentlemanly households, once to be found in every knightly and noble family, was destroyed in England. It is perhaps an unavoidable consequence of change of manners; but to those who delight in contemplating those of their ancestors, to witness the wreck of what appears almost consecrated by ancient usage, affords any thing but a pleasurable sensation. In former days those of rank considered it a degradation to have menials officiate about their persons, and therefore created officers in their households, which were looked upon as initiatory schools to every thing gallant or polite, and were consequently eagerly filled by noble youths and aspiring cadets. In imitation of those with whom for a brief period he ranked, the lord mayor of London had an establishment arranged for him, consisting of the following officers: Four Squires. 1st. The sword-bearer, whose duty it was to advise his lordship of the necessary etiquette to be observed on stated occasions. To some it may appear very animportant whether the lord mayor has on a violet or a scarlet gown; whether the mace is always carried before him or not, and strictly speaking it is so; but while old customs are harmless, and tend to preserve dignity and good order, why should they not be observed? This place used to be purchased, but when the late Mr. Cotterel died, who gave I believe upwards of 70001. for it, and could have parted with it for 90001. but was prevented by the corporation, it was made a gift place, and given to Mr. Smith of the chamberlain's office, who now holds it subject to an annual election. This has placed the office on a very different, less independent, and less respectable footing, than it used to be. The predecessor of Mr. Cotterel, Heron Powney, Esq., who enjoyed the office thirty-three years, exercised great authority throughout the house, and used, with great form, to attend the lord mayor every morning to instruct him in any necessary ceremonial; and on all public occasions, assisted by two yeomen of the water side, robed his lordship: this is now perThere are four formed by servants. swords-the black, used on Good Friday, 30th of January, fire of London, and all fast days, when his lordship ought to go to St. Paul's: on these days he wears his livery gown. The common sword, to go to the sessions, courts of aldermen, common council, &c.; the Sunday sword; and the pearl sword, which used to be carried on very rare occasions only, but is now exhibited at every turn. This gentleman, in the olden times, had apartments at the Old Bailey, and derived emolument from granting admission to two galleries during the sessions. He wears a black silk damask gown, and a cap of maintenance, and chain upon state days. He sits at the head of the table which goes by his name, at which the gentlemen of the household dined when they were in waiting; but now they only dine together fourteen days in the year, on public occasions. The lord mayors were latterly allowed 15007. per annum for the maintenance of this table, which supplied that in the servants' hall; but the latter have long been on board wages, to the great loss of many an exhausted pauper. ! The second squire was Mr. Common Hunt: his principal office is indicated by his title; but he was likewise master of the ceremonies. He was in waiting every Monday and Wednesday, and every third Sunday while the house was in waiting. The last who held this office was Mr. Charles Cotterel, brother to the late sword-bearer, at whose death in 1807 it was abolished, and the duty of master the ceremonies has since been performed by Mr. Goldham one of the serioants of |