Pump at Hammersmith. A "walking" man should not refrain So beautiful-that if he do'n't Some persons walk the strait road from Dan to Beersheba, and finding it firm beneath the foot, have no regard to any thing else, and are satisfied when they get to their journey's end. I do not advise these good kind of people to go to Hammersmith; but, here and there, an out-ofthe-way man will be glad to bend his course thitherward, in search of the object represented. It is fair to say I have not seen it myself: it turned up the other day in an artist's sketch-book. He had taken it as an object, could tell no more than that he liked it, and, as I seemed struck by its appearance, but could not then go to look at it and make inquiries, he volunteered his services, and wrote me as follows:-"I went to Hammersmith, and was some time before I could find the place again: however, I at length discovered it in Webb's-lane, opposite the Thatched-house, (Mr. Gowland is the landlord.) There I took some refreshment, and gained what information I could, which was but little. The stone font with other things (old carved ornaments, &c., which were used in fitting up the upper rooms of some cottages that the pump belongs to) were purchased at a sale; and this was all I could obtain at the Thatched-house. Coming from thence I learned from a cobler at work that there was originally a leaden pump, but that it was doubled up, and rolled away, by some thieves, and they attempted to take the font, but found it too heavy. The Crispin could not inform me where the sale was, but he told me where his landlady lived and her name, which was Mrs. Springthorp, of Hammersmith, any one could tell me her house: so, being very tired, "I took coach, and rode to town without inquiry. Please to send me word whether I shall do it for next week.” To the latter inquiry my answer of course was " yes." but I am as dark as my informant, as to the origin of what he calls the "font" which forms the sink of this pump. It does not appear to me to be a font, but a vase. I could have wished he had popped the question to "Mrs. Springthorp" respecting the place from whence it came, and concerning the "other things, old carved ornaments, &c." I entreat some kind reader to diligently seek out and obligingly acquaint me with full particulars of these matters. In the mean time I console myself with having presented a picturesque object, and with the hope of being enabled to account for the agreeable union. NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. September 11. WOODLAND WALKS. These are delightful at any time. At about this season of the year, 1817, the following poetical description appeared in a newspaper which no longer exists :LINES By Mr. J H. REYNOLDS. Whence is the secret charm of this lone wood, Of other scenes,-which from afar do come, And I am happy as the morning sky. The present seeins a mockery of the past- Of the summer sun,-and wanders through sweet meads,-- With heart as open as the naked sea, Lights all the dream of life. While I can see On the 12th of September, 1817, the gentlemen forming a deputation of the "Caledonian Horticultural Society," while inspecting Mr. Parmentier's gardens at Enghein, were suddenly overtaken by a violent thunder storm, and compelled to flee for shelter to Mr. Parmentier's house. "As this thunder storm was of a character different from what we are accustomed to in Scotland, and much more striking than what we had witnessed at Brussels, a short notice of it may be excused.-A dense, black cloud was seen advancing from the east; and as this cloud developed itself and increased in magnitude, one-half of the horizon became shrouded in darkness, enlivened only by occasional flashes of forked lightning, while the other half of the horizon remained clear, with the sun shining bright. As the black cloud approached, the sun's rays tinged it of a dull copper colour, and the reflected light caused all the streets and houses to assume the same lurid and metallic hue. This had a very uncommon and impressive effect. Before we reached the mayor's house, scarce a passenger was to be seen in the streets; but we remarked women at the doors, kneeling, and turning their rosaries as they invoked their saints. Meantime thick and strong the sulphurous flame descended ;' the flashes and peals began to follow each other in almost instantaneous succession, and the tout-ensemble became awfully sublime. A sort of whirlwind, which even raised the small gravel from the streets, and dashed it against the windows, preceded the rain, which fell in heavy drops, but lasted only a short time. The sun now became obscured, and day seemed converted into night. Mr. Parmentier having ordered wine, his lady came to explain that she could not prevail on any of the servants to venture across the court to the cellar. The mayor, in spite of our remonstrances, immediately undertook the task himself; and when, upon his return, we apologised for putting him to so much trouble, he assured us that he would not on any account have lost the brilliant sight he had enjoyed, from the incessant explosions of the electric fluid, in the midst of such palpable darkness. Such a scene, he added, had not occurred at Enghein for many years; and we reckoned ourselves fortunate in having witnessed it. We had to remain housed for more than two hours; when the great cloud began to clear away, and to give promise of a serene and clear evening." Two days before, on the 10th, the same party had been surprised at Brussels by a similar tempest. They were on a visit to the garden of Mr. Gillet, and remarking on the construction of his forcinghouse. "In this forcing-house, as is usual, the front of the roof extends over the sloping glass, till it reaches the perpendicular of the parapet. Mr. Gillet had no doubt, that the object of this sort of structure is to help to save the glass from the heavy falls of hail, which frequently accompany thunder storms. Just as he had made this observation, we perceived menacing thunder clouds approaching the gardener hastened to secure his glazed frames; Mr. Gillet took his leave; and before we could get home, the whole horizon was overcast; lightning flashed incessantly; the streets seemed to have been suddenly swept of the inhabitants, the shop-doors were shut, and we could scarcely find a person of whom to inquire the way."-The day had been altogether sultry; and at ten o'clock P. M. the mercury in the thermometer stood at seventytwo degrees Fahrenheit.* SATANIC SUPERSTITIONS. That the devil has a "cloven foot," which he cannot hide if it be looked for, is a common belief with the vulgar. "The ground of this opinion at first," says sir Thomas Browne, "might be his frequent appearing in the shape of a goat," (this accounts also for his horns and tail,) "which answers this description. This concerning the apparition of panites, was the opinion of the ancient christians, fauns, and satyrs; and of this form we read of one that appeared to Anthony in the wilderness." Mr. Brand collects, respecting this appearance, that Othello says, in the "Moor of Venice," "I look down towards his feet; but that's a fable; If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee;" which Dr. Johnson explains: "I look towards his feet, to see, if, according to the common opinion, his feet be cloven." There is a popular superstition both in * Gentleman's Magazine. England and Scotland relative to goats: that they are never to be seen for twentyfour hours together; and that once in that space, they pay a visit to the devil in order to have their beards combed. Baxter, in his "World of Spirits," mentions an anecdote from whence Mr. Brand imagines, that "this infernal visitant was in no instance treated with more sang froid on his appearing, or rather, perhaps, his imagined appearance, than by one Mr. White of Dorchester." That gentleman was assessor to the Westminster Assembly at Lambeth, and "the devil, in a light night, stood by his bed-side: he looked awhile whether he would say or do any thing, and then said, 'If thou hast nothing else to do, I have; and so turned himself to sleep.' King James I. told his parliament in a speech on a certain occasion, that "the devil is a busy bishop." It has been objected to this saying of "His Most Dread Majesty," that it would have sounded well enough from a professed enemy to the bench, "but came very improperly from a king who flattered them more, and was more flattered by them, than any prince till his time."* PRINTERS' DEVILS. As I was going the other day into Lincoln's-inn, (says a writer in the "Grubstreet Journal" of October 26, 1732,) under a great gateway, I met several lads loaded with great bundles of newspapers, which they brought from the stamp-office. They were all exceeding black and dirty; from whence I inferred they were "printers' devils," carrying from thence the returns of unfold newspapers, after the stamps had been cut off. They stopt under the gateway, and there laid down their loads; when one of them made the following harangue: "Devils, gentlemen, and brethren-though I think we have ro reason to be ashamed on account of the vulgar opinion concerning the origin of our name, yet we ought to acknowledge ourselves obliged to the learned herald, who, upon the death of any person of title, constantly gives an exact account of his ancient family in my London Evening Post. He says, there was one monsieur Devile, or De Ville, who came over with William the Conqueror, in company with • Gentleman's Magazine. De Laune, De Vice, De Val, D'Ashwood, D'Urfie, D'Umpling, &c. One of the sons of a descendant of this monsieur De Ville, was taken in by the famous Caxton in 1471, as an errand boy; was afterwards his apprentice, and in time an eminent printer, from whom our order took their name; but suppose they took it from infernal devils, it was not because they were messengers frequently sent in darkness, and appeared very black, but upon a reputable account, viz., John Fust, or Faustus, of Mentz, in Germany, was the inventor of printing, for which he was called a conjurer, and his art the black art. As he kept a constant succession of boys to run on errands, who were always very black, these they called devils; some of whom being raised to be his apprentices, he was said to have raised many a devil. As to the inferior order among us, called flies, employed in taking newspapers off the press, they are of later extraction, being no older than newspapers themselves. Mr. Bailey thinks, their original name was lies, taken from the papers they so took off, and the alteration occasioned thus. To hasten these boys, the pressmen into one single word lie. This conjecture used to cry flie, lie, which naturally fell is confirmed by a little corruption in the true title of the fLying Post; since, therefore, we are both comprehended under the title of devils, let us discharge our office with diligence; so may we attain, as many of our predecessors have done, to the dignity of printers, and to have an opportunity of using others as much like poor devils, as we have been used by them, or as they and authors are used by booksellers. These are an upstart profession, who have engrossed the business of bookselling, which originally belonged solely to our masters. But let them remember, that if we worship Belial and Beelzebub, the God of flies, all the world agrees, that their God is mammon." The preceding is from the "Gentleman's Magazine" for October, 1732; and it is mentioned, that "at the head of the article is a picture emblematically displaying the art and mystery of printing; in which are represented a compositor, with an ass's head; two pressmen, one with the head of a hog, the other of a horse, being names which they fix upon one another; a flie taking off the sheets, and a devil hanging them up; a messenger with a greyhound's |