siderable respectability. This is one of the seats of the EARL of AYLESFORD. His Lordship seldom resides here. The late Dowager was very partial to the spot, and, by acts of beneficence, rendered herself a blessing to those around her. The mansion is called THE FRIARS. The cells of THE MONKS are still to be seen, and there are other vestiges of its antiquity. I am told it is often visited.

It was a house devoted

Upon the suppression of

to the use of the Carmelites. it, at the Reformation, it was granted by Henry the Eighth to Sir Thomas Wyatt, on whose son's attainder, in the time of Queen Mary, it came to the crown again. Queen Elizabeth granted it to Mr. John Sidley, who bequeathed it to Sir William Sidley. It was sold to Sir Peter Ricaut, whose heir, in 1657, conveyed it to Mr. Caleb Banks, of Maidstone. By marriage it has since come to the present possessor, the Earl of Aylesford.

Previous to the Reformation, MONKS and FRIARS and NUNS swarmed throughout the land. What were called the Begging Friars, were both numerous and offensive. Wickliffe wrote ably and severely against them. The Monks are also frequently stigmatized for their laziness; some were drones, and fattened on the credulity of mankind. But there were Monks of a far different character, possessing a good understanding and considerable learning for the times in which they lived. When the Goths and Vandals overran the Roman empire, and threatened universal ruin, THESE MONKS, withdrawing into

ART OF PRINTING.

415

their cells, there preserved the Greek and Roman Classics, and, above all, the HOLY SCRIPTURES from destruction. On the revival of learning, when, in the reign of Henry the Eighth, monasteries were de molished, forth came these precious relics to enlighten and purify the world' But no Modern can be fully apprised of the extent of his obligation to CADMUS, who is thought to have first brought alphabetic signs from Egypt into Greece; and, also, how ⚫ much he owes to THE DISCOVERER of the Art of Printing; both of these inventions have poured a flood of light upon the generations of mankind---

INDUSTRIOUS SCIENCE form'd the great design

To range in words the alphabetic sign-
On language permanence and life bestow'd,
Of written thought, the first rude effort shew'd;
And as the rays of MORNING's golden eye
Streak with resplendent light the eastern sky,
So with mild beam THE SUN of LEARNING rose,
That round us now a noontide lustre throws! *

M'CREERY.

Mill Hall Bank and New Hythe, still further down, presented themselves with their respective wharfs, being repositories for various articles. COALS, in- ·

The History of the Alphabet is illustrated by Bryant and Wakefield with very singular erudition. And The Origin of Printing is admirably detailed by Dr. Cogan, in his Journey on the Rhine, a work of sterling merit, as are also all the Author's other publications; particularly those on the Passions, and on CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY.

deed, appear to be the chief article-that bituminous substance so liberally provided by nature in certain parts of our island. Hither it is transmitted from the north, and we ought to rejoice in its abundance, because it contributes by its light and warmth so essentially to the comfort of human beings. Along this part of the river, on both sides, is a prodigious quantity of reeds employed in thatching, therefore highly useful for the covering of out-houses as well as the habitations of the poor, thus preserving them from the inclemencies of the weather. The most inconsiderable produce of the earth is by this means made to benefit its inhabitants. A stone fixed on the bank of the stream proclaimed that we had accomplished half our voyage; so far so good, as an honest country preacher said, when wiping his face in sultry weather, he found that he had got through the FIRST head of his discourse.

The vale, through which we were now passing, exhibited, on both sides of the river, a profusion of verdure and fertility. With me KENT has been always a favourite county. The variety of hill and dale, together with the number and diversity of its productions, are powerful recommendations. Indeed, ENGLAND, in general, is a most beautiful spot, and the Tourist, returning from foreign lands, hails its shores with increasing satisfaction. Patriotism is a noble passion, and, under the guidance of reason, the source of innumerable blessings. The want of it is despised and reprobated by every civilized nation under heaven.

GROUP OF CHILDREN.

Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said-

"This is my own, my native land!"
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd
As HOME his footsteps he hath turn'd,

From wand'ring in a foreign strand?
If such there breathe-go, mark him well,
For HIM-no minstrel raptures swell.

High tho' his titles-proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim ;
Despite those titles, power and pelf,
The wretch concentred all in self,
Living shall forfeit fair renown,

And doubly dying shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhoncured, and unsung!

417

WALTER SCOTT.

Here we were agreeably surprised by a group of Children, close to the river, who, it seems, were assembled for no other purpose than that of seeing us pass by. They had settled like a swarm of bees on the green bank, and gazed at us with their innocent little features, apparently delighted with the spectacle before them. Our white awning and waving flag had sufficient charms to fix their attention. They had, perhaps, also a kindred feeling in seeing so many young folks enjoying, like themselves, the present occasion. They sat so quietly that I asked them where were their tongues; they replied by a CHEERING HUZZA; we, of course, politely returned it; but they kept it up till we were out of sight.

418

FLIGHT OF TIME.

About this part of the river we saw many gulls, an indication of our getting into salt water, for we were approaching the place of our destination. Thus Columbus welcomed the entanglement of birds amidst the rigging of his vessel, as a pledge of their longwished approach to land, which eventually proved to be no other than a NEW WORLD.

The king-fisher, a beautiful bird, is likewise seen here and there, on the banks of the Medway.

We were now passing through a winding valley, where I have been told, that the soft tones of a German flute and the more sonorous blasts of a French horn, are heard with delightful reverberation. Unfortunately we had no musical instrument with us. Imagination supplied the place of reality. It was a fine summer's day, the sun shone mildly, the air breathed a balsamic fragrance, and nature herself seemed to possess a more than usual serenity. We were gliding along imperceptibly with the tide, making a steady but certain approximation to the end of our voyage; thus it is

Incessant down the stream of TIME,

And DAYS and YEARS, and ages roll,
Speeding thro' Error's iron clime
To dark Oblivion's goal-
Lost in the gulph of Night profound,
No eye to mark their shadowy bound,
Unless the deed of high renown,

The WARLIKE CHIEF'S illustrious crown

Shed o'er the darkling void a dubious fame,

And gild the passing hour with some IMMORTAL NAME.

PYE.