October 25. SS. Chrysanthus and Daria Martyrs. SS. Crispin and Crispinian Martyrs. St. Guardentius, &c.

rises at vr. 58′. and sets at v. 2'.

Vertumnalia.-Rom. Cal.

Vertumnus in ancient mythology is feigned to be the tutelary god of orchards, and to have courted and eventually married himself to Pomona the goddess of fruits. He received his name from the word vertere to turn, because he so often changed his form when courting his mistress. He is mentioned by Ovid. Metamorph. xiv. 624. Propert. iv. 2. and Horat. Satyr. ii. 7.

CHRONOLOGY.-Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Accession of King George III. in 1760.
Hogarth died in 1764.

ST. CRISPIN'S DAY is still recorded and kept a holiday in the English Calendars.

Two brothers, Crispinus and Crispianus, were born at Rome; whence they travelled to Soissons in France about the year 303, to propagate the Christian religion. Being desirous, however, of rendering themselves independent, they gained a subsistence by shoemaking. It having been discovered that they privately embraced the Christian faith, and endeavoured to make proselytes of the inhabitants, the governor of the town immediately ordered them to be beheaded, about the year 308. From this time, the shoemakers chose them for their tutelar saints.

With reference to this day, we introduce an anecdote recorded of Charles the Fifth. This sovereign in his intervals of relaxation used to retire to Brussels. He was a prince curious to know the sentiments of his meanest subjects concerning himself and his administration; therefore often went incog. and mixed himself in such companies and conversation as he thought proper. One might, his boot requiring immediate mending, he was directed to a cobbler. Unluckily, it happened to be St. Crispin's holyday, and, instead of finding the cobbler inclined for work, he was in the height of his jollity among his acquaintance. The emperor acquainted him with what he wanted, and offered him a handsome gratuity." What, friend!" says the fellow, "do you know no better than to ask one of our craft to work on St. Crispin? Was it Charles himself, I'd not do a stitch for him now; but if you'll come in and drink St. Crispin, do and welcome: we are as merry as the emperor can be." The sovereign accepted the offer, and as a return for his hospitality, gave the cobblers

a coat of arms, being a boot with an imperial crown on it. There is to be seen a chapel in Flanders adorned with a boot and imperial crown on it: and in all processions the Company of Cobblers takes precedence of the Company of Shoemakers.

It remains only to observe, that the shoemakers of the present day are not far behind their predecessors in the manner of keeping St. Crispin. From the highest to the lowest it is a day of feasting and jollity. It is also, we believe, observed as a festival with the corporate body of Cordwainers or Shoemakers of London, but without any sort of procession on the occasion, except the proceeding to a good tavern to partake of a good dinner, and drink the pious memory of St. Crispin.

But the celebration of St. Crispin will be marked to late posterity. Shakespeare has embalmed the memory of this festival by the speech which he has given to the gallant Henry V. before the justly famous battle of Agincourt:→

This day is called the feast of Crispian :

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tiptoe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian:
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly, on the vigil, feast his neighbours,
And say, tomorrow is St. Crispian.

Then will he strip his sleeve, and show his scars:
Old men forget; yet shall not all forget,

But they'll remember, with advantages,

What feats they did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in their mouth as household words,
Harry the King, Bedford, and Exeter,
Warwick, and Talbot, Salisbury, and Glo'ster,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.
This story shall the good man teach his son:
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers:
For he today that sheds his blood with me,
Shall be my brother; be he neʼer sò vile,
This day shall gentle his condition.

And gentlemen in England now abed,

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here;
And hold their manhoods cheap, while any speaks
That fought with us upon St. Crispian's day.

COELUM.-On this day in 1810 an event in the history of atmospherical electricity is recorded by Mr. B. M. Forster, of Walthamstow, which appears worth mentioning. Having constructed an atmospherical electroscope of the kind called De Luc's Column, it began to act on this day in 1809, and its action, indicative of atmospherical electricity, continued

till the same day in 1810, when it suddenly ceased, having been kept in action exactly one year.

M. De Luc's Electric Column or Aërial Electroscope, an instrument frequently alluded to in journals of the weather, is composed of a great number of small circular and very thin plates, about the diameter of a sixpenny piece of silver, of paper and of zinc, alternately arranged, forming a column; the two ends of which are made to approximate, and at each of them is attached a small bell; a metallic clapper is then hung between them, and the whole apparatus is insulated by being fixed on glass stands. One end of the column is observed to become electrified plus, as it is termed, and the other minus; consequently, one of the bells becomes electrified plus or positive, and the other minus or negative: and the metallic clapper moving rapidly from one to the other, to equalize the two electricities, a pulsation is produced, and the bells ring. Neither the heat or cold, dryness or moisture of the atmosphere, appear to have any considerable influence on the action of this instrument; but it is considerably altered by peculiarities in the electric state of the atmosphere. The prevalence of Cirri ramifying about the sky in various directions, and accompanied often by other modifications, by dry easterly and changeable winds, and by numerous small meteors of an evening which appear to indicate a disturbance in the atmospherical electricity, are found to be accompanied by an irregular action of the Electric Column. See Letters of M. De Luc on this column in many Numbers of Phil. Journal, and in Phil. Mag. for the month of Oct. 1814, p. 248.

October 26. St. Evaristus Pope and Martyr.
SS. Lucian and Marcian Martyrs.

St. Evaristus succeeded St. Anacletus in the see of Rome in the reign of Trajan, and died in the year 112.

Lucian and Marcian, says Butler, living in the darkness of idolatry, applied themselves in vain to the black art. Finding their necromantical charms had no power of fascination over a certain Christian virgin, they renounced their calling, were converted to the faith, and burned their magical books in the middle of the city of Nicodemia. They suffered martyrdom, however, for their conversion, under the edicts of Decius in the year 250, and were first put on the rack, and then killed by burning.

POMONA. Some very late grapes now ripen when the Autumn continues mild, and many sorts still hang on