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FALCONRY TENURE.

The manorial rights of Comberton, in the county of Cambridge, were formerly held by the lord, being the keeper of the king’s falcons.  A record of the year 1374 says, that the manor was held “by the service of carrying a goshawk at coronations.”—­JUVENIS.

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THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FUNERAL OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.—­BY AN EYE-WITNESS.

(Abridged from Tait’s Edinburgh Magazine.)

When we arrived at the ford, which gave its fancied name to the poet’s dwelling, we found the silver Tweed sparkling merrily along, as if all things were as they were wont to be.  The young woods before us, and the towers, and gables, and pinnacles of the mansion, were smiling beneath the mellowing rays of the September sun, as if unconscious that the master-spirit which called them into being had for ever fled from them.  The sound of wheels came on the ear at intervals, rushing from different directions, and indicating the frequent arrival of carriages; yet when we, availing ourselves of the open doors, had taken our well-known way through the garden, and passed beneath the Gothic screen that might have vied with the Beautiful Gate of the Temple itself, and on into the courtyard in front of the house, we were surprised to find it deserted and lonely.  Before any one came to interrupt us, we had leisure to gaze around, and to wonder at the great growth of the trees and shrub’s since we had last beheld them; and as we did so, the venerable shade of him who had last walked there with us, filled our imagination and our eyes—­shifted with them as they shifted;—­and as it glided around us, it recalled to our full hearts a thousand pleasing and touching recollections.  But our dreams were at length abruptly broken, by the appearance of some of our acquaintances, who issued from the house; and the sight of their weeds of woe immediately recalled our thoughts to the garb of grief which we also wore, and to the sad object of our present visit.

Passing through the Gothic hall, we met with no one till we entered the library, where we found a considerable circle of gentlemen already assembled:  these were chiefly from the neighbouring districts; but there were a few whom we recognised as having come from Edinburgh, and other places equally distant.  Obscured within the shadow of one of the book-cases, we remained ruminating as if we had been absolutely alone, until we were interrupted by a summons to the drawing-room, where certain refreshments were prepared for those who had any inclination to partake of them.  But we must confess our natural antipathy to all such mournful feasts; we therefore declined to join in this; and after catching, as well as our position near the door allowed us to do, a few stray sentences of a prayer, which was feelingly offered up by the parish clergyman, we became so oppressed by the heat of the room, that we ventured to steal away to enjoy the air in the porch.