1810.) 
secluded. habitations, is still alive, as it 
was but the other day that the ceremony 
ef a profession took place: but I have 
not been able to obtain permission to 
visit their abodes. 
Of hospitals, two are for men; and 
one for women: this 1s supported by the 
contributions of females, and is superin- 
tended internally by an_ ecclesiastic. 
One of the hospitals for men, is sup- 
ported in the same manner, and the 
other was at the expence of the nation; 
it is now in decay, in consequence of the 
seizure of the lands appropriated to its 
support by the Prince of Peace, within 
these last few years; and throughout 
Spain, institutions of this nature have 
met the same fate from the same 
cause, 
An extensive foundling-hospital is also 
established ; children are received into it 
without any one’s previous application, 
or personal attendance, beyond that of 
ringing a bell, and leaving the infant in a 
receptacle at the door. There were 
lands also belonging to an establishment 
for the protection of orphans; but they 
were sold for the private emolument of 
the Prince of Peace, and consequently 
this charity is in decay. 
There are two colleges, neither of 
them worth more notice than tosay, that 
2nstruction in the languages and sciences 
is at a very low ebb; they are attended 
by a few students, among whom are some 
young Irishmen. Boys are taught to 
read and write at a charity-school, the 
expence of which is defrayed by the 
state. 
The only public library belongs to the 
ominican friars; it is not well fur. 
nished with books, and although open to 
any person’s use, very few avail them- 
selves of access to it, The Spaniards do 
not in general appear fond of reading any 
thing besides the news of the day; and, 
excepting certain standing works in their 
own language, they have no modern 
ones of value. If I ask at a bookseller’s 
for an entertaining book, they offer 
** Don Quixote,” or “ Gil Blas,” univer- 
sally; any other works in this style, are 
translations from the French or English, 
and must have been previously submitted 
to the ordeal of the priest’s taste. Of 
prayer-books and sermons, there ‘are 
abundance: the best Spanish authors 
are, I believe, more read by foreigners 
than by natives. | 
(To be continued. } 
Origin of the Expression ** Under ihe Rose.” 
31g 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
¢ bie origin of the expression ‘ Under 
the Rose,” was, I conceived, so weld 
known, that nobody could possibly be 
unacquainted.with it; and the remote 
botanical speculations of your corre- 
spondent, Nemo, ini your Number for 
August, 1809, have satisfactorily proved 
that was not mistaken. Had that gentle- 
man ever considered with attention the 
Archeologia of archbishop Potter, which, 
though liable to the objection of frequent 
repetitions, contains a larger mass of im- 
portant information than any other simi- 
lar work, it would have been impossible 
for him not to have observed, and pe- 
collected, the following passage in the 
394th page of the second volume. 
“ T shall add nothing farther upon this 
head, only that the rose being dedicated 
by Cupid to Harpocrates, the god of 
silence, to engage him to conceal the 
lewd actions of Venus, was an emblem 
of silence, whence to present it to any 
one in discourse, served instead of ar 
admonition, that it was time for him to 
hold his peace; and in entertaining 
rooms, it was customary to place a rose 
above the table, to signify that, what was 
there spoken should be kept private. 
This practice is described in the follovwe 
ing epigram: 
Est rosa flos Veneris, cujus quo facta laterent, 
Harpocrati, matris dona, dicavit Amor; 
inde rosam mensis hospes suspendit amicis, 
Conyiva ut sub ea dicta tacenda sciat.” 
From this ancient custom then, it is 
evident, the expression “ Under theRose,” 
was derived; and to a similar origin we 
might easily trace a thousand other 
phrases. and ceremonies, at present 
equally incomprehensible. I shall, how=. 
ever, only trouble you with two of the 
latter, recommending it to your nume- 
rous correspondents, as a subject capable 
of affording both amusement and instruc- 
tion.—1. Kissing hands at parting. Lue 
cian informs us, that those who had no- 
thing to offer as a sacrifice, merely kissed 
their right hand to the altar. Hence 
our custom of kissing the hand to a 
person at parting ; and, as sacrifices are 
unknown in a Christian country, we by 
this action signify, that we offer up our 
prayers to God, that ke may bless the 
person to whom the action is thus di- 
rected. Indeed it is generally accom- 
panied by the words “ God bless you,” 
or 
