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Bristol, as the writings of a priest, Thomas Rowley. In these poems he deceived Horace Walpole by using archaic diction, but was detected by better scholars. He came to London, and after suffering great privations took poison, and died in 1770.

Chesterfield, Earl of, born in 1694, was for a time Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. He is the author of "Letters to my son," a work which is more remarkable for worldly shrewdness than for high principle.

Clarendon, Earl of, born 1608, was one of the Long Parliament. He took the side of Hampden, and against Strafford, but later on joined the Royalists, and in 1613 became Chancellor of the Exchequer. He suffered with Prince Charles in exile, and shared his better fortunes in the Restoration, but was driven by the public into exile in 1667, and died abroad. Prince James (afterwards James II.) married one of his daughters. He is the author of his own life, and of the "History of the Rebellion."

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, born 1772, early enlisted as a soldier, and later became the associate of Southey and Wordsworth. He made translations from the German poets, and wrote good criticisms on Shakspere, besides writing "The Lay of the Ancient Mariner," "Valley of Chamouni," "Christabel," "Kubla Khan," "Genevieve," "The Friend," "Aids to Reflection," and "Literary Remains."

Congreve, William, born 1670, was the best of comic dramatists. Author of the "Old Bachelor," "The Double Dealer," and "Love for Love;" and he also wrote a good tragedy, "The Mourning Bride."

He

Cowper, William, born 1731, religious and domestic poet. suffered much from other boys while at school, owing to his shy, retiring disposition. He studied law, and was put into an office connected with the House of Lords, but was overcome by monomania, and attempted suicide. After restoration in an asylum he retired into country private life, in the kind companionship of Mrs. Unwin, and later on of the Rev. John Newton. At the suggestion of Lady Austen, his friend, he wrote The Task" (on the subject of a sofa), and this was followed by "Table Talk," "Tirocinum," "Progress of Error," "Truth," "Expos tulation," "Hope," "Charity," "Conversation," Retirement," and smaller pieces, among which the most pleasing are "Lines on the Receipt of my Mother's Picture," and "John Gilpin."

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Crabbe, George, born at Aldborough (Suffolk) in 1754, the son of a fisherman. He was apprenticed to a surgeon, but went to London to seek a literary career. In great straits he appealed for aid to Edmund Burke, who became his friend and patron. He became chaplain to the Duke of Rutland, and afterwards parish minister. He wrote simple poems of a realistic kind, such as "The Village," "The Parish Register," "Tales in Verse," "Tales of the Hall," "Sir Eustace Grey,' "The Hall of Justice," &c.

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Cranmer, Thomas, born 1489, and educated at Cambridge, secured the favour of Henry VIII. by siding with him for his divorce from Catharine of Arragon. He became Primate in 1533, and from that time to his death largely controlled the work of the Reformation. He caused to be issued the Cranmer's Bible," 1534; the 'King's Primer" in 1535; the "Bishop's Book" in 1536. He was one of the regents of the kingdom during the minority of Edward VI., assisting

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in the compiling of the "First Book of Homilies," and the "First" and "Second Prayer Books" of Edward VI., of 1549 and 1552; and the "Forty-two Articles" of 1553. He was imprisoned at the accession of Mary, and was tried, and burnt as a heretic after a weak recantation in 1556.

Defoe, Danie', founder of the English novel, was born in 1661, and was author of 200 works. Born of poor parents, he became successively a hosier, tilemaker, and woollen draper. He was much persecuted for his political principles. His best work is "Robinson Crusoe," founded on the adventures of Alexander Selkirk on the island of Juan Fernandez. He also wrote the "Plague of London."

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Dryden, John, born 1631, of good family, early adapted the Puritan politics, and wrote an elegy on Cromwell. He later joined the royal party, and eulogized Charles II. He was a very industrious writer, engaging to supply the king's company of players with three dramas yearly. He also wrote the "Annus mirabilis" (Wonderful Year), to commemorate the Great Fire of London; and an essay on 'Dramatic Poetry." He was made Poet Laureate, with a salary of £200 a year. On one occasion the Earl of Rochester had him waylaid and beaten, supposing him to have written the "Essay on Satire." In "Absalom and Achitophel" he attacked Shaftesbury and Monmouth. He also wrote Religio Laici," a defence of the Church against Dissent; and subsequently, on becoming a Roman Catholic, "The Hind and the Panther,' a defence of his new faith. In later life he translated Juvenal, Persius, and Virgil, and wrote the "Ode on Alexander's Feast," and "Fables." He lies in Westminster Abbey.

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Edgeworth, Maria, born 1765; she wrote tales: "Early Lessons," "Parents' Assistant," "Castle Rackrent" (tales of Irish life).

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Fielding, Henry, born 1737, of good family, became actor, dramatic author, novelist, lawyer, and pamphleteer. He wrote "Joseph Andrews," caricature of Richardson's Pamela; Journey from this World to the next," and "The Life of Jonathan Wild, the Great," "Tom Jones," and "Amelia."

Froissart, generally called Sir John, though it is doubted whether he is entitled to the prefix Sir, was born at Valenciennes about 1337. In his youth he was dissipated. At the age of 20 he began to write the history of the French wars, at the command of his dear lord and master Sir Robert of Namur, Lord of Beaufort. He went to England in the train of Philippa of Hainault, and was her secretary or "clerk of the chamber." He made a tour in Scotland on a pony; went to France, and accompanied the Black Prince for some time; then returned to Queen Philippa. He went to Italy, and became a man of wealth and importance. Queen Philippa died 1369, and he wrote a poem on her death. It is not known when he was ordained, but soon after Queen Philippa's death he became chaplain to Guy of Chatillon, and accepted a canonry in Hainault. He was patronized by Richard II., and died about 1397. His chronicle extends from 1326 to 1400. It is written in French, and is very remarkable for its lively style and graphic descriptions. It has been twice well translated into English; (1) by Lord Berners, by command of Henry VIII., a fine specimen of Middle English, and later still by Johnes. Froissart's Chronicle was continued

from 1444 by Monstrelet, a very fair scholar, a magistrate of Cambray. His statements are for the most part very faithful.

Gibbon, Edward, born near London, 1737. The first part of his life was spent in Switzerland, but he also travelled through France and Italy. On his return to England he was elected M.P., but returned to Switzerland for ten years, coming back to London in 1793, and dying there the next year. His great work is "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."

Goldsmith, Oliver, born at Pallas, Co. Longford, Ireland, 1728, and educated at Dublin University. He travelled as a poor strolling fluteplayer and student through Holland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and North Italy. Returning home to England he became successively chemist's assistant, usher, and literary hack. He is the author of "Citizen of the World," "Life of Beau Nash," "History of England," "The Traveller" (a poem), "Vicar of Wakefield" (a novel), “Goodnatured Man" (a comedy), "History of Rome," "Deserted Village" (a poem), "She Stoops to Conquer" (comedy), "History of Greece," "Animated Nature," ""Haunch of Venison" (poem), and "Retaliation." Gray, Thomas, born 1716, educated at Eton, made Professor at Cambridge, wrote "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College," Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," "Pindaric Odes," "The Bard," "Progress of Poesy," "Ode to Adversity," &c.

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Hall, Edward, a lawyer of good family in Shropshire; born before the year 1500. In 1514 he was at King's College, Cambridge, of which he became a Fellow. Under the patronage of Wolsey he removed to Christ Church, Oxford. He afterwards removed to Gray's Inn, subsequently became sheriff of London, and then judge of the sheriff's court. Died 1547. His work is entitled "Union of the two noble and illustrated Families of Lancaster and York." Dedicated in the time of Henry VIII.; proscribed in the reign of Mary.

Hallam, Henry, born 1777, was the author of "State of Europe during the Middle Ages," "Literature of Europe in XV.—XVII. Centuries," ," "Constitutional History of England, 1485-1760.”

Herbert, George, was born in 1593; he was the brother of Lord Herbert, of Cherbury. He was educated at Westminster school, became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and was elected orator of that university. He wrote an acknowledgment of James I. (Basilikon Doron) in Latin verse, with which the king was so pleased that he called Herbert the "jewel" of the university. In 1630 he married a lady after only three days' acquaintance. About this time he received the living of Bemerton, and during the last three years of his life he conducted himself as a model country clergyman. In 1631 he published his collection of sacred poems called "The Temple." In 1652, after his death, a second collection, called the "Priest to the Temple," appeared. He died in 1633, at the age of 40.

Herrick, Robert, was born in 1591, and educated at Cambridge. He was never married, but lived at Ashburton with one servant and a pet pig. He was ejected from his living in 1648, and went to London, where he published his "Hesperides," or works both human and divine. He died in 1674.

(To be continued.)

Cabul.

Cabul is situated among hills, offshoots of the Hindoo Koosh range, at the northern end of the Logar Valley, and lies in latitude 34.30 deg. north, longitude 69.6 deg. east. Its distance from Peshawur is estimated at one hundred and fifty miles; from Rawul Pindee, three hundred and forty miles; from Ghuznee, eighty-two miles; from Candahar, three hundred miles; and from the now celebrated Shaturgardan summit, about forty miles. The number of the population, like that of all populations in purely native cities in the East, is difficult to ascertain. Various writers have set down the number of inhabitants at sixty thousand or sixty-five thousand; but the data upon which they go are not apparent. From its position Cabul must contain a large floating population, not only from the agricultural valley tracts of Afghanistan, but from the marts of Central Asia. If the estimate of sixty thousand be approximately correct as an average, there must be times in the year when the population touches closely upon one hundred thousand. Traders with woollen goods, metals, dyes, and silk cloths, arrive in caravans from Candahar, Bokhara, Samarkand, Badakshan, Balkh, and districts lying towards Persia, and exchange their waresin the Cabul marts either for the productions of Afghanistan or Hindostan; and it is impossible that so many streams of commerce flowing into Cabul can fail to add enormously to the ordinary population of the place. When trade is brisk, the scene in the Cabul bazaars is wonderfully varied. Men in tall sheepskin hats and dingy sheepskin coats, hailing from Turkestan, jostle Cabulis, whose scanty turbans, twisted around long and greasy ringlets, are as poor and dirty-looking as their long blue cotton shirts and disreputable white full-bagged trousers; and the Persian, with his conical black felt hat and sweeping gold-embroidered blue or green cloak, paces past the ragged mountaineer who comes from the wilds of Badakshan. There is a babel of Central Asian tongues, and every man is armed. The contents of the cummerbunds, or heavy folds of cloth which are twisted round the waist, would delight the heart of any old armourer, for they contain innumerable blunderbusses, two feet long and upwards, and daggers and charahs (the Afghan knife-sword) of all kinds of qualities, from the best-watered steels of Persia to the coarsest metal ground in the mountain villages of the Hindoo Koosh or the Safeyd Koh. The resident population of Cabul may be roughly described as composed of Afghans, Kizzilbashes (or Persians), Tajiks (whom some persons identify with the aborigines of the country), Hindkis (Hindoos, or the offshoots of Hindoos), a few Jews, and a few Armenians. The Afghans or Cabulis are the most numerous, but the Kizzilbashes, who have a distinct quarter of their own in the city, are understood to possess no inconsiderable share in guiding the stream of public events. The Cabulis, especially those of them who belong to the ruling clan, form the chief military element, and the principal source of all public mischief. Most of the Tajiks are agriculturists or traders; and it is unnecessary to say that the Jews, Armenians, and Hindkis are the money-lenders and shopkeepers of the place. They are looked down upon by the Persians and the Afghans, and are occasionally compelled to give up all or a portion of their wealth

in ways more summary than just. Dost Mahomed used the Armenians very severely, first plundering them, and then compelling many of them to leave the city altogether. However, the despot may have had a reason for this, for the Armenians were the manufacturers of spirits, which are said to be very strong and not unlike whisky. An old campaigner, who tasted this Cabul "mountain dew" in 1841, declares that "it is not bad drink with warm water and sugar, in the absence of brandy &c.," but it is said to possess deleterious qualities.

The diversified crowds of people that surge through the streets of Cabul agree in a way. At night when the narrow bazaars are aglow with the reflected light of oil in little metal wick-lamps, ignited_cotton floating in earthenware saucers, or the wood fires of the cooks, the Ferghanee has no objection to sit side by side with the Bokharian on the low open verandah of the cookshop; and on the same platform, with the seething fleshpot in the centre, containing little lumps of meat skewered upon a stick, representatives of twenty different Mahomeddan nationalities are content to sit together upon terms of equality, and afterwards to exchange the hookah and the national love song, and the romance of chivalry and theft. Our native agents who have lived in Cabul, and represent the Government of India in a fitful fashion, have hinted at crimes being frequently committed in the bazaars; and as the Cabuli woman is celebrated in Eastern song for her eyes, her height, her olive skin, her long black hair, and her gallantry, though never for her love for washing, it is easy to see how such a hotbed of unthinking passion as Cabul is might become a hotbed also for assassination and counter-assassination. The Cabulis have no known police, and it is believed that the inhabitants would object to the introduction of conscientious individuals of that class, because they would interfere with ancient prerogatives. Troops are employed as revenue collectors at different times of the year, and as they collect revenue for themselves as well as for the State, the Cabuli cherishes a hatred towards all revenue collectors unless he happens to be one himself.

Like other Oriental towns, Cabul is filthy. Sanitation is not even a dream with the inhabitants. There are four principal roads, which are from thirty to forty feet broad, and these are considered the handsomest streets. One is the Great Bazaar, or Charcutta, composed of one-storey mud houses which have verandahs, become shops in the daytime, and are stored with specimens of all the furs, silk, and wool and hair cloths that Central Asia produces. In the evening three or four cronies sit on a mat in almost every shop, set a lamp in their midst, fold their feet, put on their skull-caps, and smoke and tell stories till midnight. Another great bazaar, leading from the Western Gate to the Bala Hissar, is monopolised by cooks and butchers. Heads and carcases are suspended there in plenty, but no trace of the unclean animal, the pig, is discernible. It is in this bazaar, by oil light, that some of the most picturesquelooking ruffians in the world may be seen. Observe this one. A man over six feet high; his head conical-shaped, the jet black hair close cut, almost to the bone; his face long, sallow, and fringed with grizzly black whiskers, which meet beneath in one long matted beard; the eyes small black, and keen; the nose arched and thin; the mouth cruel and compressed; the chest and arm to the elbows bare; the body enveloped

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