and navy, arts and sciences, commerce and industry, &c., beautifully executed in hair and gold,and exceedingly minute and perfect. There were various other interesting specimens of this description of art, in earrings, bracelets, brooches, rings, purses, hair worked in every possible way-in all kinds of coils and curves, in imitation of feathers or flowers, in scrolls or bouquets. For instance, there was the tomb of the Maid of Orleans, handsomely carved and covered with weeping willows, worked in the same delicate film-like material; a large family memorial-a sort of scroll of feathers-each supposed to be worked in the hair of some member of the family; and a basket, about eighteen inches. square, filled with flowers aud fruit. It is difficult to express how admirably these flowers were executed, or with what artistic skill the variety of shades, from almost white to all but black, were arranged.

Doubtless these were overlooked by many visitors who were more attracted by the multiplicity of larger and more dazzling objects arresting the eye in every direction; but they were nevertheless admirable specimens of patient ingenuity and skill, in grouping tastefully a difficultly worked material and an unpicturesque object.

A late number of a London journal states that hair ornaments of jewellery were never more in favor than at the present time. Many novel and elegant designs for brooches, bracelets, &c., have been introduced. Among the most remarkable productions of the beautiful art of hair working, may be instanced a parure, recently completed in Paris for a foreign Princess. It consists of a necklace, bracelets and earrings. The hair, which is a portion of the beautiful dark tresses of a Spanish lady of rank, is wrought with small globes, resembling beads of various sizes. These globes are transparent, and are wrought in a style of such exquisite delicacy that they seem to be made of the finest lace. They are clustered together like drooping bunches of grapes, and between each bunch there is a small tulip formed of diamonds. The ear-rings consist of pendent drops formed of hair beads, with tops consisting of diamond tulips. Hair ornaments, in designs similar to those here described, are made with pearls, or with the admixture of gold or silver, in lieu of diamonds.

Russia, with that arbitrary mode which characterizes despotic nations, published in June, 1853 a new ukase for the kingdom of Poland, prohibiting the wearing of false hair

by the women of the Jewish nation, as if government had anything to do in legislating on such a matter. Several infringements of this unjust law were punished.

We may here note the mantle of King Ryence, (so celebrated in romance) of rich scarlet, bordered round with the beards of kings sewed thereon craftily by accomplished female hands; and which must have tried the skill and patience of the fair votaries of the needle to the uttermost.

"We all have seen," observes the Countess of Wilton, in her" Art of Needlework," "perhaps we have, some of us, been foolish enough to manufacture, initials with hair, as tokens or souvenirs, or some other such fooleries. In our mother's and grandmother's days, when fine marking' was the sine qua non of a good education, whole sets of linen were thus elaborately marked; and often have we marvelled when these tokens of grandmotherly skill and industry were displayed to our wondering and aching eyes."

But what were these, compared to the curiously elaborated mantle of kings' beards. In what precise way the beards were sewed on the mantle, we are not exactly informed. Whether this royal exuberance was left to shine in its own unborrowed lustre, its own naked magnificence, as too valuable to be intermixed with the grosser things of earth-whether it was thinly scattered over the surface of the "rich scarlet;" or whether it was gathered into locks, perhaps gemmed round with orient pearl, or clustered together with brilliant emeralds, sparkling diamonds or rich rubies-"sweets to the sweet;" whether it was exposed to the vulgar gaze on the mantle, or whether it was so arranged that only at the pleasure of the mighty warrior, its radiant beauties were visible:-on all these deeply interesting particulars we should rejoice in having any information; but, alas! excepting what we have recorded, not one circumstance respecting them has "floated down the tide of years." But we may perhaps form a correct idea of them from viewing a shield of human hair in the museum of the United Service Institution, which may be supposed to have been compiled (so to speak) with the same benevolent feelings as that of the hero's to whom we have been alluding. It is from Borneo Island, and is formed of locks of hair, placed at regular intervals, on a ground of thin tough wood: a refined and elegant mode of displaying the skulls of slaughtered foes.

Geoffrey ap Arthur, or, as he is more commonly called, Geoffrey

of Monmouth, has interwoven a tale in his "Chronicle," that seems to have an allusion to the introduction of hair manufacture. "Rheta Gawr made for himself a robe of the beards of princes that he had reduced to the condition of shaved ones (or slaves), on account of their oppression." In the romance of " Morte Arthur," this giant is called Ryence, king of North Wales; and we are told ::

"This giant had made himself furs of the beards of kings he had killed, and had sent word to Arthur, carefully to cut off his beard, and send it to him; and then,out of respect to his pre-eminence over other kings, his beard should have the honour of the principal place. But if he refused to do it he challenged him to a duel, with this offer, that the conqueror should have the furs, and also the beard of the vanquished, for a trophy of his victory. In his conflict therefore, Arthur proved victorious, and took the beard and spoils of the giant."

These coincidences are curious, and may serve, at any rate, to show that King Ryence's mantle was not the invention of this penman; but, in all probability, actually existed.

In Queen Elizabeth's day, when they were beginning to skim the cream of the ponderous tomes of former times into those elaborate ditties from which the more modern ballad takes its rise, this incident was put into rhyme, and was sung before her Majesty, at the grand entertainment at Kenilworth Castle, 1575, thus:

"As it fell out on a Pentecost day,

King Arthur at Camelot kept his Court royall;
With his faire queene, dame Guenever, the gay,
And many bold barons sitting in hall;
With ladies attired in purple and pall;
And heraults in hewkes, booting on high
Cryed, Largesse, largesse, Chevaliers tres hardie.

"A doughty dwarfe to the uppermost deas

Bright pertlye gan pricke, kneeling on knee.
With stevent full stoute amids all the preas,

Sayd, 'Nowe, Sir King Arthur, God save thee, and see!
Sir Ryence of Northgales greeteth well thee,

And bids theo thy beard anon to him send,

Or else from thy jaws he will it off rend.

"For his robe of state is a rich scarlet mantle
With eleven kings' beards bordered about;
And there is room lefte yet in a kantle,

For thine to stande, to make the twelfth out;
This must be done, be thou never so stout;

This must be done, I tell thee no fable,

Maugre the teethe of all thy rounde table.'

When this mortal message from his mouth past,

Great was the noyse bothe in hall and in bower;

The king fum'd; the queen schreecht; ladies were aghast;

• Hewke-Herald's coat.

+ Steven-voice, sound.

Kantle-a corner.

Princes puff'd; barons blustered; lords began lower;
Knights stormed; squires startled, like steeds in a stower;
Pages and yeomen yell'd out in the hall;

Then in came Sir Kay, the king's seneschal.

"Silence, my sovereignes,' quoth this courteous knight,
And in that stound the stowre began still :

Then the dwarfe's dinner full deerely was dight;

Of wine and wassel he had his wille;

And when he had eaten and drunken his fill,

An hundred pieces of fine coyned gold

Were given this dwarf for his message bold.

"But say to Sir Ryence, thou dwarfe,' quoth the king,
'That for his bold message I do him defye;
And shortly with basins and pans will him ring
Out of North Gales; when he and I

With swords, and not razors, quickly shall trye
Whether he or King Arthur will prove the best barbor;"
And therewith he shook his good sword Excalàbor."

Drayton thus alludes to the same circumstance :

"Then told they, how himselfe great Arthur did advance,
To meet (with his allies) that puissant force in France,
By Lucius thither led; those Armies that while ere
Affrighted all the world, by him strooke dead with feare;
Th' report of his great acts that over Europe ran,
In that most famous field he with the Emperor wan;
As how great Rython's selfe hee slew in his repaire,
Who ravisht Howell's neece, young Helena the faire;
And for a trophy, brought the Giant's coat away,
Made of the beards of kings."*

And Spenser is too uncourteous in his adoption of the incident; for he not only levies toll on the gentlemen's beards, but even on the flowing and golden locks of the gentle sex :

"Not farre from hence, upon yond rocky hill,

Hard by a streight, there stands a castle strong,
Which doth observe a custom lewd and ill,

And it hath long mayntain'd, with mighty wrong:

For may no knight nor lady passe along

That way, (and yet they needs must passe that way

By reason of the streight, and rocks among,)

But they that Ladies' locks doe shave away,

And that knight's berd for toll, which they for passage pay.'

"A shamefull use, as ever I did heare,'

Said Calidore, and to be overthrowne.

But by what means did they at first it reare,

And for what cause, tell, if thou have it knowne,'

Sayd then that squire: The Lady which doth owne

This castle, is by name Briana hight;

Then which a prowder Lady liveth none;

She long time hath deare lov'd a doughty knight,

And sought to win his love by all the meanes she might.

"His name is Crudor, who, through high disdaine,

And proud despight of self-pleasing mynd,

Refused hath to yield her love againe,

Until a mantle she for him doe fynd.

With beards of knights, and locks of Ladies' lynd

Which to provide, she hath this Castle dight,

And therein hath a seneschall assynd,

Cald Moleffort, a man of mickle might,

Who executes her wicked will, with worse despight."+

THE

IRISH QUARTERLY

REVIEW.

No. XXXIV.-JULY, 1859.

ART. I. PREDICTIONS AND COINCIDENCES.

1. Sketches of the Philosophy of Apparitions, or, an Attempt to trace such Illusions to their Physical Causes. By Samuel Hibbert, M.D., F.R.S.E. Published by Oliver and Boyd, Tweedall-court, High-street, Edinburgh; and G. and W.B. Whittaker, Ave-Maria Lane, Lond. 1824. 2. Inquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers, and the Investigation of Truth. By John Abercrombie, M.D., Oxon. and Edin. V.P.R.S.E. Thirteenth Edition. 1849.

Though knowing that certain causes produce effects with which we are familiar, we are utterly at a loss to say why they do so; if we discover one cause to which the effect which we observe may be attributed, we are apt to be satisfied that our information is complete, yet the very cause which we have ascertained is the result of another cause, and so on to an extent beyond our limited comprehension. What a vast chain of causes may exist whose links we may never trace. Chance is a convenient word to which we attribute the effects of causes of which we are ignorant; but we may be assured that there is no blank in the laws of nature, and that all phenomena are the result of the different modes, by combination or otherwise, in which those laws act. But that there are coincidences purely accidental there can be no doubt; circumstances which have no connection often chime in with each other in a manner so remarkable that there are few who cannot recur to some occasion where they have appeared to bear on each other prophetically. The desire to look into the hidden mysteries of futurity is so common to our nature, to every grade of mental capacity, and to every degree of knowledge, that it would seem, as it were, a yearning after some lost power, or of some faculty yet to be NO. XXXIV., VOL. IX. 22