and even in the palace of St. James's the king on this day still makes an offering at the altar, by proxy, of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Twelfth Day is considered as the winding up of the Christmas Holidays, and many still conclude the day with merriment by eating cake and drawing for king and queen: the manner in which they are now chosen is by drawing lots, or characters, and each assumes for the evening the character they draw: the royal dignity is preserved by apportioning a larger division of the cake to the sovereigns, to whom the other characters are held subordinate.

Formerly a bean and a pea used to be put into the cake, and the possessor of those became monarchs for the evening.

Now, now the mirth comes

With the cake full of plums,

Where Bean's the King of the sport here;
Beside ye must know,

The Pea also

Must revell, as Queene, in the Court here.

Herrick.

The remoteness of the era at which the bean was used, can be traced to the thirteenth century, in a poem by Guillaume de Villeneuve.

The character of Baby-cake, in Ben Jonson's Masque of Christmas, enters "attended by an usher, bearing a great Cake with a Bean and a Pease."

The following particulars of Twelfth Cake and its ceremonies is from a book printed in 1620, called

66

Mores, Leges, et Ritus omnium Gentium." The materials of the cake are honey, flour, ginger, and рерper. One is made for every family by the mistress, who

thrusts in, at random, as she is kneading it, a small coin. When the cake is baked, it is divided into as many parts as there are persons in the family, and each have their share. Portions of it, also, are assigned to Christ, to the Virgin, and to the three Magi, which are given away in alms. Whoever finds the piece of coin in his share is saluted by all as king, and being placed on a seat or throne, is thrice lifted aloft with joyful acclamations. He holds a piece of chalk in his right hand, and each time that he is lifted up, makes a cross on the ceiling. These crosses are thought to prevent many evils, and are much revered."

The foregoing accords very nearly with the following, from the "Popish Kingdom" of Naorgeorgus, as translated by Barnaby Googe, and printed in the year 1570:

The wise Men's Day here followeth, who out from Persia farre,
Brought gifts and presents unto Christ, conducted by a starre.
The Papists do beleeve that these were Kings, and so them call,
And do affirme that of the same there were but three in all.
Hence sundry friends together come, and meete in companie,
And make a King among themselves by voice or destinie;
Who after princely guise appointes his officers alway,
Then unto feasting do they go, and long time after play :—

Then also every Householder, to his abilitie,

Doth make a mightie Cake, that may suffice his companie:
Herein a penny he doth put, before it come to fire,
This he divides according as his householde doth require;
And every peece distributeth, as round about they stand,
Which in their names unto the poor is given out of hand:
But whoso chaunceth on the peece wherein the money lies,
Is counted King amongst them all (and is with showtes and cries
Exalted to the Heavens up), who taking chalke in hande,
Doth make a crosse on every beame and rafters as they stande;
Great force and powre have these against all injuryes and harms
Of cursed Devils, Sprites, and Bugges, of conjurings and charmes,

So much the King can do; so much the crosses bring to passe Made by servant, maide, or childe, or by some foolish asse. Twice sixe nights then from Christmasse,

present time,

and at the

The youth in every place doe flocke, and all apparel'd fine, With pypars through the streetes they runne, and sing at every dore,

In commendation of the man-rewarded well therefore,
The money on themselves they spend, or on the church, as though
The people were not plagude with rogues and begging friarsenow.
There Cities are, where boyes and gyrles together still do runne,
About the street with like, as soon as night beginnes to come,
And bring abrode their Wassail Bowles, who well rewarded bee
With cakes and cheese, and great good cheare, and money
plenteouslec.

In France the Twelfth Cake is made quite plain, something like a large bun, with a bean in it; when the cake is cut each person draws a slice, and the one to whose lot the bean falls becomes king or queen. To his or her majesty, the homage of the rest of the company is paid during the evening. In the Anthologie Francaise for 1817, this subject has been very prettily moralized upon in some stanzas called Les Rois de la Feve, and which have been no less happily rendered into English by one of our talented correspondents.

THE KINGS OF THE BEAN.

This day, propitious is my fate,
For on a throne it places me;
Friends,-who are met to celebrate
With joyousness, my royalty,
My reign's a vision's brilliant scene,
Prolong my happy slumber then:
You'll tell me when I wake again

"Thou wert but Monarch of the Bean!"

Cæsar upon the stage we see
Augustus, Agamemnon, there;
But children of Melpomene

Alone these glorious titles bear:
The Drama o'er, (as all have seen)
How quickly the illusion's fled:
Lo! both the living and the dead,
"Were Monarchs only of the Bean!"
If happiness attends the throne,
I for a season shall enjoy it:

If glory, that will smile alone

No pangs of conscience can destroy it.
When mine eyes meet the heavens serene,
Of Princes, great and proud, I say,
What to the world's high King are they!
"Weak Monarchs only of the Bean!"

7. ST. DISTAFF'S DAY.

M. L. B.

The day following Twelfth day was formerly so called; and the Christmas holidays were then said to be ended. Herrick says:

Give St. Distaff all the right;

Then bid Christmas sport good night:

And next morrow, every one

To his own vocation.

7. 1830. QUEEN OF PORTUGAL DIED, ÆTAT 54. Carlotta-Joachima, Queen Dowager of Portugal, eldest daughter of Charles IV, of Spain, was born April 25th, 1775. In 1790 she married King John VI. of Portugal, who died March 10th, 1826.

Her activity in the administration of the government of Portugal, during many years, created much unpopularity. On her death her character was thus severely pictured in the Times newspaper :- -"The only fact of importance which the Lisbon papers record-and it is enough for one arrival-is the death of

the Queen Dowager of Portugal, the mother and adviser of Don Miguel-the fanatic plotter against the peace and freedom of Portugal, and the unrelenting instigator of general persecution and violence. Few persons in modern times have enjoyed such extensive means of mischief on so limited a stage of action, and none have ever exercised them with a more eager instinct of cruelty and vengeance. Reflecting in her last moments on the distracted condition of the Portuguese monarchy, groaning under usurpation and oppression, with its trade destroyed, its industry paralysed, and its best subjects in dungeons or in exile, she could leave the world with the proud satisfaction that its delivery into the hands of despotism and anarchy was mainly her own work. Though for a long time called 'the old Queen,' she was not far advanced in life when she became the victim of her dissolute habits and ravenous passions. Some curious stories are told of the means employed by the doctors and divines who surrounded her death-bed, to prolong the life of this worthless princess. Medical skill confessing defeat, they sent from Quelez to Lisbon for a little miraculous image, called our Lady of the Rabbit-hole,' to the fame and wealth of which she had so largely contributed on its first discovery in 1823. But this image, which mainly contributed in that year to overthrow the constitution, and which has since nearly filled the Cathedral of Lisbon with votive offerings, was found to have no efficacy against the Queen's malady.”

8. ST. LUCIAN.

This is the first saint in the British Calendar, and much doubt exists which St. Lucian is entitled to the honor; there being two of that name, to whom various authorities give the palm. Alban Butler believed it to be the one who came from Rome to preach in Gaul, where he suffered martyrdom about the year 290. Other authorities, however, dispute this, and affirm him to be the one who stands in the Romish Calendar on the day preceding this. He was born at Samosata in Syria,