Sir Roger de Coverley. John REEVE was received with acclamations, and by his irresistible drolleries almost convulsed the house with laughter. It is dangerous to see this man more than once a week.

ASTLEY'S. The gorgeous Spectacle of Crichton, or the Royal Bull Fight, is as attractive as ever, and draws numerous visitors from all parts. The house, during the week, has been crowded.

VICTORIA. The performances of the week have been The Farmer's Story; Capers and Coronets; The Young Hussar; and The Female Volunteer, a clever farce, in one act, by OxBERRY. These have been agreeably varied by dancing, performed by Monsieur SIDINI, and Mrs. Charles HILL,-a very pretty and agreeable

danseuse.

SADLER'S WELLS.-This week's amusements have been devoted to benefits,-there is therefore nothing to criticise. PRITCHARD had a 'bumper' on Monday. His performance of Don Felix in the Wonder elicited great applause. There was, however, such confusion and uproar in the gallery, towards the end of the evening, that we were glad to make good our retreat.

GARRICK.-Not being able to procure a bill of the performances, we are quite in the dark as to what has been doing here, since our last. If managers would consult their own interests, they should always see that the bills are well distributed.

ARCHERY.

The ROBIN HOOD Bowmen held their ANNUAL FETE at Bayswater, on Monday last, July 10th. The prizes contended for, were open to all the Societies of Archers in England; and, on this occasion, some of the best shots were present. The chief prizes were awarded to Messrs. Dodd, Guitard, Betty (captain of the St. George's Archers,) Hardy and Cheeslie (lieutenant of the Robin Hood Bowmen.) The arrangements, under the direction of Captain Williams, gave general satisfaction to a numerous assemblage of spectators and friends.

THE NATURALIST.

FECUNDITY OF INSECTS.-In Kirby and Spence there is a very interesting statement of the number of eggs laid by various insects; the musca meridiana, a common fly, lays two; other flies, six or eight; the flea, twelve; the burying beetle, nicrophorus vespillo, thirty; many flies, under a hundred; the silk-worm moth, about five hundred; the great goat moth, cossas ligniperda, one thousand; acarus Americanus, more than a thousand; the tyger-moth, callimorpha caja, sixteen hundred; some cocci, two thousand; others, four thousand; the female wasp, at least thirty thousand; the queen bee varies considerably in the number of eggs that she produces in one season, in some cases it may amount to forty or fifty thousand more; a small hemipterous insect, resembling a little moth, alcyrodes proletella,, two hundred thousand. But all these are left far behind by one of the white ants, termes fatali, F. bellicosus of Smeathman, the female of this insect extruding from her enormous matrix not less than sixty eggs in a minute, which makes 3,600 in an hour, 86,400 in a day, 2,419,200 in a lunar month, and the enormous number

The

of 211,449,600 in a year! Probably, indeed, she does not always continue laying at this rate: but if the sum be set as low as possible, it will yet exceed that produced by any other known animal in the creation. sturgeon is said to lay 1,500,000 eggs; and the cod fish 9,000,000. In the British Museum there are several specimens of the above insect, whose abdomens are extended to an amazing size, they are completely filled with eggs.

THE LANTERN FLY.-The most vivid of all the luminous insects, is the great lantern fly, fulgora lantinaria, which affords a light so great, that travellers walking

by night are said to be enabled to pursue their journey with sufficient certainty, by three or four of them being tied to a stick, and carried in the manner of a torch! It is common in many parts of South America, and is described by Madame Merian, in her superb work on the insects of Surinam. She gives an entertaining account of the alarm into which she was thrown by the flashing light which proceeded from them in the dark, before she had been apprized of their shining nature.

"The Indians once brought me,' (says she,) before I knew that they shone by night, a number of these lantern flies, which I shut up in a large wooden box. In the night they made such a noise, that I awoke in a fright, and ordered a light to be brought, not being able to guess from whence the noise proceeded: as soon as I found that it came from the box, I opened it, but was fright, on seeing a flame of fire come out of it; and as still more alarmed, and let it fall to the ground in my

many insects as came out of it, so many different flames

appeared. When I found this to be the case, I recovered from my alarm, and again collected the insects, much admiring their splendid appearance.' 'The light,' she adds, of one of these insects, is sufficiently bright, that a person may see to read a newspaper by it."

The light emitted by the fire-fly, proceeds entirely from the hollow part, or lantern of the head, no other part of the insect being luminous. Dr. Darwin conjectures that the use of this light is merely to prevent the insects flying against objects in the night, and to enable them to procure their sustenance in the dark. He seems, however, not to have considered, that very few of the numerous train of night insects are possessed of this luminous property, and all the functions of these are performed with perfect regularity. Its most essential use is, no doubt, as in other luminous tribes, to point out the sexes to each other; thus serving in them the same purpose, in this respect, as the voice does in the

larger animals. The head in this species is large, and somewhat oval. The wings are variegated, and the lower pair are each marked with a large ocellated or eyelike spot. Sometimes the insect is seen of three, or four inches in length.

SONNET.

To Miss E. PHILLIPS, on the extreme beauty with which she repeats her brief part in "The Bridal.”

THERE'S music in each modulated tone

That glides so gently from those lips of thine ! There's music in the tender feeling, thrown O'er every accent of thy voice divine!And in thine eyes, and o'er thy features, shine The light of Loveliness!-I know thee not, Save in this little part; but Oh! 'twere sweet To hear that thy fair countenance had meet And bright companion in the soul within! Art thou not pure as thou art fair?-No spot To soil thy unaffected grace with sin, Foul and unlike thyself?-sure thou art kin To Angels; and I love to think thee one Destined for happier scenes, when here thy part is done! July 12th 1837. A GOBLIN BIRD.

Haymarket Theatre.

[We insert the above little sonnet, from the pen of a Constant Reader," with very considerable pleasure. Our correspondent has anticipated our feeling, and admiration of Miss E. PHILLIPS' unaffected and pure delivery of the very little that is set down for her to repeat in the new tragedy; and if we do not allow our enthusiasm to class the young lady among the kindred of Angels, we cordially yield her all the homage that is due from one terrestrial to another.-ED. 1.]

OUR NOTE-BOOK.

ORIGINAL AND SELECT.

WESLEY IN HIS VOCATION.-Sam Wesley was some years since at a musical party, where he was addressed by a young lady, with "My dear Mr. Wesley, do you think you could recollect one of Bach's fugues?"-"I don't know," said Wesley, "but I'll try; which do you wish?" Some difficulty arising upon this point, Wesley coolly sat down to the instrument, and played the first set. By this time his enthusiastic admiration of them became his only feeling, and he continued playing away from memory till he had finished the whole, to the delight of some, at least of his hearers. His exertions had been great, and his host had supplied him with wine so liberally during the performance, that at the end of it he was completely Bacchi plenus, and a coach was sent for, to take him home. The ruling passion was reigning in his mind as strongly as ever, so that, when he was on the point of entering the coach, he addressed the driver with, "I say, coachman, do you know Sebastian Bach ?"-" Who, Sir?" said Jarvie."Sebastian Bach? Can't say as how I does, Sir, for I don't think as how the gentleman ever rode in my coach."-"Then d- -me if I do-I won't be driven by a man that don't know Sebastian Bach."

GARRICK. When this great actor was playing to adoring thousands, at the theatre in Goodman's Fields, he was one day passing through Leman Street, in that neighborhood, when his attention was directed to an open window, at which was a venerable grey-headed man who was clasping the child of his hoary years, listening to some passing music in the street. Garrick was delighted at the father's expression of pleasure and joy, and the laughing features of the rosy child; in a moment the child gave a spring too powerful for the enfeebled arms of the devoted parent, and it was dashed on the pavement beneath. The old man remained motion

less for some minutes, with his arms extended, depicting, in his aged face, an agony of grief indescribably intense; then, in a paroxysm of

In

NOVEL MODE OF TRAVELLING.-Among other conveniences provided by the directors of the Grand Junction Railway for the accommodation of travellers, not the least amusing is a species of conveyance named in the advertisement "bed carriages in a mail coach!" the time when he could sleep in bed, and be other days, the man who talked of living to see carried through the air at the rate of thirty or deemed a suitable inmate for a lunatic asylum. five-and-thirty miles per hour, would have been

CÆSAR VERSUS LAP-DOGS.-When Cæsar happened to see some strangers carrying dogs in their arms, he inquired, "whether the women in their country ever bore any children?

CHIT CHAT.

THE RICHMOND THEATRE opens to night with Simpson and Co. ; The Widow; and P. L. or 30, Strand. Among the Corps dramatique are Miss DESBOROUGH, the fair lessee; Miss Scott WARING; Mrs. and Miss GARRICK; Miss E. LEE; Mr. and Mrs. GAY; Mr. WYMAN; &c. &c.

The Corps de ballet is from the Brighton Theatre; and the stage manager, our worthy friend FORESTER,-himself a host.

THE ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE opens for the. season in a few days. There are various reports in circulation as to the management; we cannot, therefore, at present, speak positively on the matter. In our next, we shall give a list of the company that are engaged.

Mrs. STIRLING has suffered severely in public estimation, by refusing to play her allotted character of Isabella Wardle, in Sam Weller,' at the New Strand. The caprice of Actresses is, certainly, very trying to managers; and in this case especially, we think Mr. HAMMOND has great cause for complaint,-he having received only three hours' notice of the lady's determination to run restiff.'

MORE TRICKS AT DRURY LANE.-On Wed

t

trate condition: he recovered, but could not

perform for some nights. This terrible tragedy was not lost upon the great actor; the recollection of the "old man's grief" haunted him; and in the tent scene of Richard the Third was discovered the secret of that appalling horror, which paralized the audience, and rendered Garrick's heart immortal. In Hogarth's famous picture, Garrick is represented in this scene on a couch, with his arms extended in an agony of rouble the exact resemblance of what he had een in the real drama of life.

enough, and having exhausted his purse, he may now retire and meditate on his folly.

The GRAVESEND THEATRE opened on Mon

Unique Works on London. IDD'S "HOW TO ENJOY LONDON;" contain

with the Poor Gentleman; A Concert; and a new farce, The Christening. In the first piece, Mr. WILLIAMS enacted the character of Sir Robert Bramble,-Mr. WILKINSON taking that of Ollapod; and Mr. MACARTHY Frederic Bramble. The part of the Honorable Miss Lucretia M' Tab was sustained by Mrs. WESTON, and that of Emily Worthington by Miss SHAW. This young lady is rapidly improving, and with a little more practice, will take a high station in the profession. She has, moreover, a sweet voice, which she will do well to cultivate.-By the way, we had nearly forgotten to notice our worthy friend, Mr. DRY, who made his bow, on Monday, in the character of Lieut. Worthington, which he rendered very effective. If the management be wise, they will revive the burletta of Catching an Heiress. Mr, DRY's personation of Captain Killingsly, in this laughable affair, is a delicious piece of humor. Mr. MACARTHY will, of course, play Poo-dle!

TRIBUTE TO BEETHOVEN.-A grand Concert is announced to be given, on Wednesday next, at Drury Lane Theatre, to consist entirely of the works of this composer, in aid of the subscription raising at Bonn, his native place, for the erection of a monument, in honor of him. Foreign and native artists, both vocal and instrumental, have volunteered their valuable services, and a great treat may be anticipated.

VAUXHALL GARDENS.-On Monday night, the Annual Juvenile Fête was celebrated in these Gardens, on which occasion the Royal Property was crowded with young and old. The entertainments were on the most liberal scale, and the fireworks, as usual, magnificent. The devices in colored lamps were particularly appropriate. The colossal swan was splendid. The amusements all terminated before 11, so that, long before midnight, most of the little "cherubims were wrapped in sleep.

tion, a full description of the Amusements and Exhibitions of London, &c. &c.; with a Complete Epitome of the whole, resolved into the Philosophy of Enjoyment. Fifth Edition, price 1s., beautifully illustrated.

Beware of a spurious work, of a similar title, stolen from the above, the word KIDD's being artfully omitted, to evade a breach of the law of copyright. The needy tradespeople! and is a direct fraud upon the book in question consists of little more than the puffs of

public.

"A book of which it would be impossible to speak too highly. Its author is evidently a man of the world, and well qualified to caution the rising generation against the abominations of London."-Morning Post.

IV. KIDD'S LONDON AMBULATOR; a New and Complete Guide to the Environs of the Metropolis, comprising a circuit of Twenty-two miles (including Windsor, &c.,) and embellished with Twenty-two beautiful Landscape Illustrations, by G. W. Bonner. Price only Is. 6d.

Fifth edition.

This is the only work of the kind extant.

N.B. For the convenience of purchasers, all the above may be had bound together in a handsome volume, price 5s. 6d., illustrated with 38 engravings, under the title of

KIDD'S LONDON DIRECTORY AND AMUSEMENT GUIDE.

In this little volume will be found a vivid Picture of Life after Dark," and much" Exclusive Entertainment.

"This volume far, very far surpasses in value, interest, and variety, any of the 'Pictures of London' now in use."-Satirist.

"It contains all that the most fastidious visitor or inhabitant could desire to know."-Times.

Every Saturday, Price 1d.

THE PARTHENON; A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF ENglish and Foreign Literature, the Arts, and Sciences.

W. KIDD, 7, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden.

Printed by J. Eames, 7, Tavistock St., Covent Garden.

Published for the Proprietor by GEORGE DENNEY, at the Office, 7, Tavistock St. Covent Garden: sold also by Hetherington, 126, Strand; Strange, 21, and Steill, 20, Paternoster Row; Purkiss, Compton Street; and Clements, Pulteney Street.

VOL. I.-No. 11.]

CHEAP PERIODICAL LITERATURE.

The Booksellers and Publishers have long been-and with reason-terrified at the immense increase of new and cheap weekly periodicals, which threaten to supersede bookselling altogether. For the trifling cost of six-pence, a man may now carry home with him, every Saturday, as much printed and interesting matter as will occupy himself and family a whole week to peruse. So far as we are concerned, we see no objection that can fairly be raised against this,-"provided always" no more be given for money than the actual value. When, however, unprincipled persons start up and bring out periodicals for two-pence, which are fairly worth four-pence, the honest trader has no chance of success, and has great cause for complaint. We allude now to several large publications which have almost ruined their proprietors, and done a serious injury to their literary brethren. As they are, however, on the brink of ruin, we shall abstain from naming them. The following list of weekly periodicals-not one half the number n circulation-will be perused with a feeling of curiosity :

The Athenæum-The Casket-The Court Joural-Chambers' Edinburgh Journal-The Doctor -Figaro in London-Flowers of Fiction-Holt's Magazine-The Idler, and Breakfast-Table Comnion-The Literary Gazette-The Mirror-The Mechanics' Magazine-The Parthenon-Pattie's Pocket Library-The Penny Satirist-The Penny Magazine-The Penny Mechanic-The Penny

[PRICE TWO-PENCE.

Story-Teller-The Saturday Magazine-Streetology-Tales of the Wars (Clarke's)-The TownTales of Travellers-Victimologist-Ward's Miscellany-The Wonder-&c. &c.*

The increase in these little works, which is constant, arises from a feeling of jealousy, and of course diminishes, in some degree, the sale of each competitor,-there being only a certain number of persons who read this class of publications.

Provided these periodicals issue from the house of a newsvendor, they are patronised by the trade collectively; but when any bookseller enters on a speculation of the kind, he has to fight his way through hosts of enemies, who oppose his interests by every means in their power. The IDLER, for instance, is issued from the establishment of a publisher of long standing in the bookselling trade. What is the consequence? The newsvendors only purchase, on the day of publication, as many copies of the work as they have previous orders for,-they never keep a single copy on the chance of sale.† This has occasioned, and still does occasion us much inconvenience,-many gentlemen having to walk miles, perhaps, to obtain a twopenny

Weeklies, since we first penned this article; we have *There have been seven or eight deaths among the consequently omitted them in the list, thereby reducing it a trifle. There are more, we hear, very sickly. Their

demise is anxiously looked for by interested parties.

+ We must exempt from these remarks Mr. PATTIE, mencement, has done every thing in his power to pro of Brydges Street, Covent Garden, who, from its commote the sale of the "IDLER."

set to work and in two days obtained about six hundred blankets, and nine hundred pair of sheets. I then employed the whole of the 8th regiment in removing people to the hospital, and burying, and thus had a beginning. The scarcity of medicines was dreadful; but, with the active and willing assistance of Alcock, and the Portuguese medical gentlemen, it is quite wonderful what has been accomplished. The hospitals are now tolerably comfortable; and I managed so that the convalescents have a comfortable breakfast and dinner. All are getting better; but there must be still nine hundred on the

The

"The Legion marched out at twelve o'clock. hospitals at this time were choke-full, four or five in a bed; discharging none, except to their graves (about fifteen or twenty daily); and having, exclusive of those in hospital (twelve hundred), a depot of convalescents of nearly eight hundred. To this depot I bent my steps, seeing numbers of officers in the streets. I fell in all the men who could stand, taking a Portuguese surgeon with me; and in less than one hour had turned out upwards of three hundred stout fellows, by means of words and the flat side of my sabre. I ordered them to march next morning to join their regiments. They were very knowing, only two hundred and fifty getting ready; all the officers, except two, having disappeared. I was resolved not to be beaten. I stopped all officers' rations who did not make their appearance. This brought two or three to light; and next morning I managed to march them away with one hundred and fifty more men. Still, no more officers presented themselves. I then stopped the rations of the servants, as well as of the masters, and on the second day brought upwards of twenty to light. In less than five days, I sent upwards of five hundred men to join their regiments. The hospitals were very bad, but the convalescent depot was terrible. I believe no officer had gone through it; and no wonder, as the filth was shocking. All were lying huddled together on the bare stones of a convent, without windows, and no blankets. I entered where there were a lot of Scotch. I said, 'Boy, what's the matter wi' you?' 'An awfu' sair head.' Another, 'Unco sair taes,, i. e. death! 'And what is the matter wi' you?' Oh, he is dead, and so is the man near him;' and sure enough there were three poor devils all dead, with their mouths close together, to keep each other warm. picked up in this way about twelve dead, or in the act of dying. Entering a small room in a corner, I was nearly knocked down by the effluvia. Here nine men had been for four days without any surgeon to look after them. I suppose they are now all dead. I proceeded to another dark room, and there seventeen men had been for forty-eight hours abandoned, all suffering from severe dysentery. How to remedy this was difficult, as I was told there were no blankets, nor sheets, nor beds, to send to the hospital. You will not believe it, but I

I

and a great many officers. Poor Cadogan and Codd, who were with me, are in their graves; and at this very moment the funeral of Captain Montgomery (a friend of Hodges') is passing my window."

Helps and Hints How to Protect Life and Property, &c. By Lt. Col. Baron de Berenger. 8vo. Hurst.

The BARON DE BERENGER is so well known by the fame of his "STADIUM at Chelsea, that we need only announce this charming Work to be by the same worthy and distinguished individual, to ensure it a welcome in every quarter of the globe. The book is addressed to the Baron's son, Augustus; and the excellent advice given to that gentleman, should be followed by all who would excel in manly accomplishments and the noble art of self-defence. Reserving a few extracts, illustrative of the latter subject, for a future opportunity, we now subjoin a few remarks that will be found especially useful at the present moment:

DIVIDEND-HUNTERS, &c.

"The BANK, BANKING HOUSES, ARMY AND NAVY AGENTS, or similar places which you may have occasion to frequent for the purpose of receiving money, should always be left in a more rational way than is pursued by many on leaving bankers' doors, where you may see persons cramming handfuls of bank notes into pocket-books, in the very door way even, or depo sit cash-bags about their dress as they walk along the street. When you have to receive money at such places, seek a position at the counter, as remote from the door as possible, there to count your money, and stow away your cash or pocket-book before you open the door. Where the sum is large, or the receiver is a stranger to the ways of London, to have a coach in readiness at the door is by far the wisest course. Simi lar precautions are applicable where you have to pay accounts at fashionable warehouses, &c.; for there, as well as at bankers' windows-nay, even those of pastry cooks,-pickpockets or their scouts, disguised as beg gars, servants, &c. are constantly on the look out although less so since the police system has been per fected. Where you can settle your account in a count ing house or a back shop it is always to be preferred.

The approaches to the BANK about the time tha dividends are paid, the coffee houses, and even th shops and auction-rooms contiguous, swarm with a se of thieves and swindlers, seen there, and at thes periods only, called "DIVIDEND HUNTERS," whose ob ject is, by all manner of ways, (and some really of serviceable and therefore ingratiating nature,) to en deavor to draw you into conversation, into joinin meals, or into joint purposes, or billiard or backgam mon play for wine or money, or into betting upon polit cal events, and by thousands of their schemes : the will speak of each other as persons of the highest re pectability, and of great mercantile consequence; an these amiable communications they will whisper in your ear, if so foolish you are as to let them familiari so much, to find at last that you might, with much tỉ same kind of safety, have permitted a boa constrictor coil itself about you; wherefore a stern, yet offensiv repulse is the only safe alternative, if necessity, in a