inexperience, while in invention, and in that mysterious power of
exciting deep interest, of enchaining the attention and keeping it alive
to the end of the story; in that adaptation of the measure to the
sentiment, and in the sudden change of measure to suit a sudden change
of sentiment; a wild and romantic description; and in the congruity of
the accompaniment to her characters, all conceived with great purity and
delicacy--she will be allowed to have discovered uncommon maturity of
mind, and her friends to have been warranted in forming very high
expectations of her future distinction.

* * * * *


Curious Dial.


[Illustration: Curious Dial.]


This Dial, which was really no common or vulgar invention, formerly
stood in Privy Garden, Whitehall, at a short distance from Gibbons's
noble brass statue of James II., which, as a waggish friend of ours
said of the horse at Charing Cross, remains in _statu-quo_ to this day.
The Dial was invented by one Francis Hall, alias Line, a Jesuit, and
Professor of Mathematics at Liege, in Germany. It was set up, as the
old books have it, in the year 1669, by order of Charles II.; and in
addition to the parts represented in the cut, the inventer intended to
place a water-dial at each corner, which he had nearly completed when
the original Dial for want of a cover, as he quaintly observes, (which
according to his Majestie's Gracious Order should have been set over it