250 
EPIPHANES. 
Epiphanes was the son of Carpocrates 
of Alexandria, and his mother was of the 
island of Cephalene. He lived to be 
seventeen years of age only; but after 
his death was honoured as a god at 
Sama. The Cephalenians erected to 
him a temple made of stone, with altars, 
a grove, and a museum; and on the day 
when Epiphanes was conseciated, they 
met together and celebrated that birth- 
day of his with hymns, libations, sacri- 
fices, and feasting. 
He was instructed by his father i in the 
whole circle of the sciences, particularly 
-3m the Platonic philosophy; and was au- 
thor of a work ealled “The Monadic 
Science,” which taught hero-worship, 
and Unitarian Christianity. 
AN ACTIVE SCHOOLMASTER,. 
According to the German, Padagogic- 
Magazine, (vol. j lil. p. 407). died lately 
in Swabia a schoolmaster, who for one- 
and-fifty years had superintended a large 
Institution with old-fashioned severity. 
c 
From an average inferred by means of 
reeorded observations, one of the ushers 
has calculated, that in the course of his 
exertion he had given 911,500 canings, 
124,000 floggings, 209,000 custodes, 
136.000 tips withthe ruler, 10,260 boxes 
on the ear, and 22,700 tasks to get by 
heart. It was further calculated that he 
had made 700 boys stand on peas, 600 
kneel on a sharp edge of wood, 5000 
wear the fool’s-cap, and 1,700 hold the 
rod. How vast the quantity of human 
misery inflicted by asingle perverse edu- 
cater! But we are growiig more Se 
ws Martial says: 
Ferulz tristes, sceptra ees cessant. 
SEDAN. 
The female pedant in Moliere, thus — 
defines a sedan: C'est uz retranchement 
merveilleua contre les insultes de la boue, 
ef du mauvais tems. ‘The name is said 
to. be from the town of Sedan,where this 
chair was first used. 
GHOST-STORY. 
Defoe’s shost-story about Mrs. Veal, 
is supposed to have been invented for’ 
the sake of puffing Drelincourt on Death. 
itis however but a borrowed form of ad- 
vertisement. In the year 1651, ap- 
peared a pampblet entitled, “Sir Walter 
Rawleigh’s: Ghost,” in Shich is related 
his apparition to an intimate friend, wil- 
Hng him to translate into English the 
Extracts from the Portfolio of a Man of Letters. 
[Oct. ts 
book of -Lessius, entitled ‘De’ Provis 
dentid Numinis et Animi Immortaliate.” 
The legend is in good taste; for ghosts | 
can best decide between books about 
our future state. ~ 
! PRUDERY. 
Dr. Johnson was at a loss for the de- 
rivation of the word prudery, and could 
assign no etymon whatever. May it not 
derive from the Welsh substantive pry- 
deri, which, according to the learned 
author of * The Mythology ant Rites of , 
the British Druids,” (p. 415) is syno- 
nymous with gravity, deep thought, 
bardic meditation. Such a word might 
easily come to stand for affected solem- 
nity, religious grimace, and pretended 
sanctity. ; 
PEACOCKS. 
Varro, in his third book on Aprionl 
ture, mentions that Hortensius first set 
a peacock on his table, augurali cana, 
or, as we might say, at the generals of | 
the clergy. 
At first this new dish was found fault 
with, as indicating a taste rather lux- 
urious than severe; but the fashion 
spread so rapidly, that the eggs of peas 
hens were bought at immense prices, in 
order’to rear a brood. Ué ova-eorum 
denarius veneant quiuis, ipsi Jacile quin- 
GUagents. 
Macrobius repeats this anecdote; but 
he withholds a remark of Galen, that the 
flesh of the peacock is not easy of diges- 
tion: it keeps however. better than that 
of any other fowl. Aldrovamndus, in con- 
sequence of some strange misunderstand- 
ing, asserts in print, that he ate in 1598 
part of a peacock which had been 
cooked in 1592, and was still very good ; 
but it smelt, he says, a little like fennel. 
Dioscorides, recommends to gouty 
persons the eggs of pea-fowl. 
GIBBON’s VINDICATION. 
Gibbon’s Vindication, (says the writer 
of a recent critical Diary, ) is adexterous — 
and masterly defence undoubtedly; but 
I like his style and manner Jess than T 
used to do. It is too elaborate; wants 
ease, spirit, and flexibility; and seems 
adapted solely to the grave and stately — 
Yet it is difficult, . 
raarch of: history. 
perhaps impossible, to change-any term, 
or is collocation, for a better;’ so that 
<< proper words in proper places, ” does 
- seem a sufficient definiuon of a good — 
style, 
LF 2 i 
ORIGINAL 
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