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THE

HOME MAGAZINE.

OUR PURPOSES AND PROMISES.

EVERY man has his good to his fellow.

mission; every man is GOD's deputy for Some seem to fulfil this mission well; many fail in it, but the causes of this failure it is not the province of a Magazine to enquire into too curiously.

Some fail because they mistake the nature of their mission; many for lack of patience, or tenacity of purpose fail. Some from ill-conditioned ability; more from want of conduct.

WE profess to have somewhat to say; when we have said it, we will close our periodical, or leave it to those who have somewhat more to

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utter.

We do not commence our work without a definite purpose; we trust to no windfall to supply our store.

Having read the Magazines already published, and not finding in them all we looked for; we exclaimed with the youngest Counsellor of old-he that was not even named before as an adviser and whose voice had not hitherto been heard-"WE will also shew our opinion, for we are full of matter."

In our pages will be found Original Tales and Historical Illustrations; Translations of valuable Foreign Works; Instructive and Recreative Essays; Native and Translated Poetry; with elaborate Reviews of the best Books of the Day, and an occasional resumé of the moral and political progression of the Nation. As we journey along, we will also discourse of the mighty men of old; whose never-dying thoughts have stirred the hearts and influenced the acts of millions; and we will ever and anon dilate on the sayings and doings of those who wield the heroic pen in other climes.

A

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In our Reviews, we will "eschewe, auoyde, and vtterly flye," (to use the words of Froissart's original Translator,) that unworthy plan, too generally acted upon, of censuring or praising or accepting any man's person, or giving flattering titles unto men from mere personal motives. We will not countenance the cool effrontery of writing an article first and introducing all sorts of comments upon the 'general question,' and then rummaging about for some Author's work which may serve to give a name or title to the abortion; and we protest against the practice of writing critiques, Heaven help us! upon five, ten, or, by our Ladye! fifteen octavos, got up by the Critic in the spare time between his Saturday's dinner and the exercise of his privilege of free admission to the pit of the Opera.

Our great aims in Reviewing will be, first, to comprehend the Writer ourselves, and secondly, to make the Reader understand the message the Author desires to deliver through his work; and this as clearly and concisely as we can—not writing essays of our own-books upon books-but giving to the Author the credit for those thoughts which his work has suggested, and that information which in truth we really owe to him.

We deprecate the dishonest absurdity practised by some Critics, who though they are oft times the pupils of an Author, will with high-sounding phrase, assume towards him the insolent sufficiency of an ill-conditioned, ignorant Pedagogue, or most exquisite coxcombical swaggerer.

We regret that we shall not be able to supply any satisfactory information to that large class of persons who have "heard everything ever so long ago."

We shall not be able to offer anything new to him who makes up his own plume of feathers in despoiling all poor moderns of every claim to originality, and in finding fanciful resemblance in every forcible expression, or striking thought, to some "Old MSS." "Old Play," or "Old copy in black letter," which has fallen under his particular observation in the course of his extensive reading, for, "though the world giveth him no credit for it, nevertheless he hath read."

We purpose devoting the profits of the publication to the improvement of the Magazine; to a liberal remuneration of tried and approved Authors, and to the encouragement of those hitherto "to fortune and to fame unknown."

All our

We hope to interest, that is of the first moment. prospects of usefulness must be limited by our powers of gaining the attention and sympathy of our readers, and we trust our monthly visitations will be hailed with pleasure in many of the HOMES OF ENGLAND.

THE ROYAL MARRIAGE,

AN HISTORICAL INCIDENT OF THE 16TH CENTURY.

Chapter E.

HOW REGINALD DE COMINES LOST HIS GAME OF CHESS.

ONE of the most magnificent nobles in England in the early part of the sixteenth century was the celebrated general, the Earl of Oxford: his Castle of Heningham was the envy of even royalty itself; and any less renowned and worthy a nobleman would have exposed himself to risk by a similar parade of grandeur in retainers, liveries, badges, furniture, appointments, dependants, and hospitality.

The family at Heningham consisted of above a hundred persons; in this number we include not the foreigners and casual visitors, who increased the circle by an average of twenty a day. But it was not this hospitality which rendered the Earl so much a subject of envy, (for many of his cotemporaries could boast of a greater number of household and strangers) as the furniture, pictures, sculpture, carved work, the superior arrangement of his mansion, and the cleanliness and order of his retinue. This skilful manner of gratifying his pride of superiority, was learned, by his personal intimacy, from several Venetian and Flemish nobles, who as far excelled the English in literature and the fine arts, as palmy Greece did rude and barbarous Rome.

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Not alone my lord's table was supplied with capons, plovers. and woodcocks, which latter two delicacies would fetch three pence a-piece, but the mess of the master-chamberlain, stewards, and ordinary class of gentry visitors was plentifully supplied with the same, and when foreigners of distinction honored my lord with their presence, the order was issued, (in a style somewhat pompous, it must be confessed, although almost universal in those ages with the higher order of nobles,) “ It seemeth good to us and our council, that pheasants and peacocks, at one shilling each, should be served daily for our mess until further notice." When we bear in mind that a fat sheep would barely fetch two shillings, it certainly does appear that this price of one shilling for a pheasant was enormous, and consequently that the nature of the provision for my lord's table was of a far less gross and ultramontane character than that of his cotemporary equals, with whom beef, mutton, pork, veal, stockfish, salmon, geese, and capons, constituted the principal articles for dinner, to be washed down by beer and Gascony wine;

and salt-fish, red herrings, sprats, and a chyne of mutton or boiled beef, with one quart of beer and a second of wine, figured for an Earl and his Countess' breakfast at the wholesome hour of seven in the morning.

This trifling incident recorded of my lord of Oxford's delicacy in provisions, was rather a collateral indication of his refinement, than a direct exhibition, or studied expression of it.

The furniture of the Castle of Heningham was, for the age, most graceful, light, and costly, and as it was not intended it should follow my lord in his wanderings, it remained in excellent preservation.

It is as well to remark here, that this was a most unusual privilege for household furniture. The noblemen of even the most exalted rank, possessing three or more country seats, and visiting each in turn, were wont to carry with them the beds, tables, chairs, and kitchen furniture, which thus became the common property of all the estates; and in entire agreement with such property ordinarily, under such a ban, valuable to none. Nor was this all, the wagons were frequently unloaded at an Inn, after the day's travelling, used for the night, and re-packed, or lumbered into the wagon at day break, on their road to the destined castle or country seat. The notion of "three removes being as bad as a fire," seems never to have entered into the heads of the proud and wealthy nobles of that age.

It was a subject of wonder that Oxford, a rich, but by no means the wealthiest peer, could collect so much, and such costly furniture, and some stern men hinted that " Italian luxury would sap the courage of the true English soldier." It was unfortunate for these prophets that Oxford was the best warrior, as well as the most courtly knight of the times.

One incident had occurred, which, while it mortified the Earl, drew upon him more than the even current of his repute, the admiring eyes of all ranks of people, who formed therefrom an exaggerated notion of the costliness and splendour of Heningham Castle. Seven years before the period of the main incident we are about to relate, the Earl, who deserved and obtained the esteem of the King, (Henry the Seventh,) having magnificently entertained his sovereign at Heningham, ordered all his retainers to turn out in their liveliest badges, and form themselves into two files, leaving a space between for the passage of the King and his attendants; this was, alas, a darling sin of the nobles, but it was an infringement of "the statute against clothing retainers in badges and liveries." Although it was to do honor to his sovereign that the imprudent Oxford ventured upon this display, it nevertheless cost him fifteen

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