QUICK WORK.

Mr. John Coxetter, of Greenham Mills, Newbury, had two South down sheep shorn at his factory exactly at five o'clock in the morning, from the wool of which, after passing its various processes, a complete damson coloured coat was made, and worn by Sir John Throckmorton, at a quarter past six in the evening, being two and three-quarter hours within the time allotted, for a wager of 1,000 guineas. The sheep were roasted whole, and a sumptuous dinner given by Mr. Coxetter.

ORIGIN OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.

As has been invariably the case in the early history of all the leading nations of the earth, great confusion and civil discord existed in the empire of China in its first stages. It was divided into petty princedoms, each prince striving to outwit the other, and all anxiously aiming at the supreme power of the land, till the Emperor Chi-hoang-ti, who came to the throne about three hundred years before the Christian era, conquered the whole of the jealous petty princes, and united their states into one vast empire. But no sooner had he achieved this, than the Tartars began to be troublesome, and, hoping effectually to exclude their invasions, this emperor caused to be constructed the often-read-of great wall of China, a stupendous work of masonry, extending from the sea to the western province of Shensee and carried over a tract of fifteen hundred miles, comprising high mountains, deep valleys, and broad rivers, the wall being supported over the latter by gigantic arches. Fortified towers were erected at every hundred yards, and its summit admitted of six horsemen riding abreast. This sovereign is said to be the founder of the Hau dynasty. The wall proved an insignificant barrier to the Huns or Tartars, who harassed the princes of the Hau dynasty, and were a very scourge to the farmers of the frontier provinces. About the year 264, the Hau dynasty gave way to the Tsin, which latter was founded by a lineal descendant, through many generations, of the builder of the great wall. In the sketch which we have given, our chief object has been to show the extraordinary inflexibility of the Chinese in carrying their wall strictly along their frontier line, in spite of the stupendous obstacles which, intervened in the shape of mountains and valleys.

PRIVY PURSE EXPENSES OF CHARLES II.

Malone, the well known editor of Shakespeare, possessed a curious volume—an account of the privy expenses of Charles II, kept by Baptist May. A few extracts from this MS., taken from Malone's transcripts, are here offered:—

£s.d.
My Lord St. Alban's bill1,7461811
Lady Castlemaine's debts1,11610
Sir R. Viner, for plate85000
For grinding cocoa-nuts580
Paid Lady C., play money30000
For a band of music5000
To the footman that beat Teague576
To Mr. Pears, for the charges of a body dissected before the king510
Lady C., play money30000
To the Morrice Dancers at Ely110
Lady C., play money30000
Mr. Knight for bleeding the king10100
For a receipt of chocolate22700
Mr. Price, for milking the asses1000
To one that showed tumblers' tricks576
For weighing the king100
Paid Hall for dancing on the rope2000
The Queen's allowance1,25000
Paid Lord Lauderdale for ballads500
To a bone-setter attending the Duchess of Monmouth1000
Paid Terry for waiting on the king swimming1000
For 3,685 ribbons for the healing107104
Mrs. Blague, the king's valentine21800
Nell Gwyn10000
Lost by the king at play on Twelfth-night22000
Paid what was borrowed for the Countess of Castlemaine1,65000

COLOUR OF THE HAT FOR CARDINALS.