Earthquake on the 3rd and 13th of March, 1813. The mountain smoked twenty-eight days. On the 30th of June, and on the 5th of August, St. Simon smoked. There were twenty-one thunder storms.
On the 3rd of November, 1814, there was an earthquake, preceded by a discharge of sand from that part of the mountain called Zoccolaro. There were twelve thunder storms.
On the 6th of September, 1815, there was an earthquake. The mountain smoked forty-two days, and there were eleven thunder storms. On the 6th, 7th, and 11th of January the lightning was tremendous.
1816, no earthquakes. On the 13th of August a part of the interior side of the crater fell in. Ten thunder storms.
There was an earthquake on the 18th of October, 1817. The mountain smoked twenty-two days. There were eight thunder storms.
During 1818 there were twenty-five earthquakes. The most violent was in the neighbourhood of Catania, on the 20th of February. The mountain smoked twenty-four days. No thunder.
CHARITY INSTEAD OF POMP.
According to the "Annual Register" for August, 1760, there were expended at the funeral of Farmer Keld, of Whitby, in that year, one hundred and ten dozen of penny loaves, eight large hams, eight legs of veal, twenty stone of beef (fourteen pounds to the stone), sixteen stone of mutton, fifteen stone of Cheshire cheese, and thirty ankers of ale, besides what was distributed to about one thousand poor people, who had sixpence each in money given them.
THE BEDFORD MISSAL.
One of the most celebrated books in the annals of bibliography, is the richly illuminated Missal, executed for John, Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, under Henry VI.; by him it was presented to that king, in 1430. This rare volume is eleven inches long, seven and a-half wide, and two and a-half thick; contains fifty-nine large miniatures, which nearly occupy the whole page, and above a thousand small ones, in circles of about an inch and a-half diameter, displayed in brilliant borders of golden foliage, with variegated flowers, etc.; at the bottom of every page are two lines in blue and gold letters, which explain the subject of each miniature. This relic, after passing through various hands, descended to the Duchess of Portland, whose valuable collection was sold by auction, in 1786. Among its many attractions was the Bedford Missal. A knowledge of the sale coming to the ears of George III., he sent for his bookseller, and expressed his intention to become the purchaser. The bookseller ventured to submit to his majesty the probable high price it would fetch. "How high?" exclaimed the king. "Probably, two hundred guineas," replied the bookseller. "Two hundred guineas for a Missal!" exclaimed the queen, who was present, and lifted her hands up with astonishment. "Well, well," said his majesty, "I'll have it still; but since the queen thinks two hundred guineas so enormous a price for a Missal, I'll go no further." The biddings for the Royal Library did actually stop at that point; a celebrated collector, Mr. Edwards, became the purchaser by adding three pounds more. The same Missal was afterwards sold at Mr. Edwards' sale, in 1815, and purchased by the Duke of Marlborough, for the enormous sum of £637 l5s. sterling.