es of the poor, and even those who
possessed all the comforts of life, confined themselves within doors,
for fear of being frozen if they ventured abroad.

The watermen of the river received great assistance from merchants, and
other gentlemen of the Royal Exchange; but the fishermen, gardeners,
bricklayers, and others, were reduced to a miserable extremity. These
poor men, presenting a sad aspect, assembled to the number of several
hundreds, and marched through the principal streets of the metropolis,
begging for bread and clothing. The fishermen carried a boat in
mourning, and the unfortunate mechanics exhibited their implements and
utensils. The citizens of London contributed largely to their relief, as
did most of the inhabitants of the main streets through which the
melancholy procession passed.

G.W.N.

* * * * *

OTWAY, THE POET.

_(To the Editor of the Mirror.)_

Any anecdote relating to, or illustrative of, the works of this great
man is a public benefaction; and I, in common with all your readers, (no
doubt,) feel obliged to your correspondent for his history of Charles
Brandon, Duke of Suffolk; at least, so much of it as, it would seem, was
connected with the tragedy of the Orphan. Charles Brandon was, as
history informs us, a gay, young, rattling fellow, a constant exhibitant
at all tilts and tournaments at Whitehall and elsewhere; courageous,
"wittie and of goodlie persone," in fact, a regular dandy of bygone
days, a fine gallant, and of course a great favourite of his royal
master; but, notwithstanding all this, it is not clear to me that
Charles Brandon and his brother were the romantic originals of Polydore
and Castalio. I rather think, if Otway did form his characters on any
real occurrence of the sort, the distressing event must be laid to the
noble family now proprietors of Woburn.

Perhaps the _old nobleman_ misunderstood the duchess-dowager when she
explained the picture to him; or perhaps her grace did not choose to be
_quite_ so communicate as she could have been, and, therefore, fixed the
sad event upon the gay Charley Brandon, in whose constellation of gay
doings it would, indeed, be a romantic diamond of the first water.

Every body who knows the gallery at Woburn, must remember the remarkable
picture alluded to. There is in the same apartment a very fine
whole-length of Charles Brandon; but in no way can I see is it connected
with the work which has