"You, O Books, are the golden vessels of the Temple; burning lamps to be ever held in the hand.” RICHARD AUNGERVYLE. PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE AUNGERVYLE SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. ENICE has been credited with the Earliest Newspapers. These documents were in MS., and chronicled the arrival of ships, their cargoes, the prices of goods, and, occasionally a few important events. Thirty volumes of these MS. Gazettes are preserved in the Magliabecchi Library at Florence. In the British Museum some of these Italian News-sheets may be found, the earliest printed one bearing the date of 1570. The one printed here gives a date seven years earlier than this. We may therefore call it the "Earliest printed Newspaper " known. As regards the news-sheet itself, some account of the circumstances alluded to may be deemed interesting. The Czar at that time on the throne of Russia was Ivan IV. Basilowitch, surnamed "The Terrible," who was one of those curses sent into the world, decked in imperial purple, for no other apparent reason but to make their subjects miserable. He succeeded his father in 1533; the opening ten years of his reign he was a minor, and therefore could only show just enough of his temper to awaken the darkest forebodings in the hearts of those over whom he was one day to have an unlimited sway. The first three years after he took up the reins of Government, he fully realised all those anticipations. But all at once a change came over him. At the age of seventeen the voice of religion and humanity found its way into his heart, and for thirteen years a Trajan was seated on the throne of Russia, so that his fame spread abroad and he was blessed by those he reigned over. On the 7th August, 1560, the Czarina Anastasia died. She had been the good angel of Russia, and with her life the happy period of his reign came to a close. Seven years before, the Czar had been visited by a severe illness, which no doubt had left the germ of that terrible madness which the loss of his wife, whom he dearly loved, fully developed. From that moment he entered on a career of guilt, crime, and reck less cruelty which was never surpassed by the darkest pages in the life of Tiberius or of Nero. Some of his friends and councillors, hoping that the softening influence of a spouse might curb the devil who now possessed the Czar, proposed a second marriage, and Catherine, sister of Sigismund August, King of Poland, was asked to share his throne. Old chroniclers tell us that the fair lady refused with contempt, and sent him a white mare in her place. This insult rankled in the breast of the passionate man, and the dogs of war were slipped to avenge the slighted suitor. Shortly before that time, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, dissatisfied with its connection with the German Empire, had detached itself from that state, and chosen Sigismund August as its protector and master; that annexation gave a plausible pretext for war, and the doomed province of Lithuania was invaded. On the 15th of February, 1563, the wealthy and thriving commercial town of Polotztro was invested by an army of 300,000 men; great numbers were killed in the assault, and 80,000 prisoners were carried off, besides immense treasures. The barbarous details of the opening of this Campaign are given in this prototype of "our special correspondents." Neither of the two powers obtained any advantage, but thousands of houses were desolate, and thousands of families had a gap in them. And the Poles then as now were a pitiful instance of the truth of Virgil's line: Quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi." This Sheet was reproduced in Facsimile by Chatto and Windus in 1874, but as the edition was limited to 250 copies, it is of course very scarce. The substance of the notes, &c., appended to the 1874 edition is given above. G. C. GOLDSMID, Memorable and likewise Horrible Narrative of the Cruel Expedition of the Muscovites. HE Army of the Muscovite, some weeks ago, invaded the territory of the Pole, and after six brave assaults, carried the City of Polotzki or Pleski by storm, (a town of Lithuania at a distance of seventeen miles from the deserts,) the which they plundered, and, putting fire to it, levelled with the ground; and from that place they ordered twenty thousand people, first to have their arms and legs chopped off and then to be strangled, a frightful spectacle to behold! No words can express the outrages they committed upon Matrons, Maidens and Children: sixty-two thousand and more people from that neighbourhood were led into Muscovia; Matrons and Maidens were stripped naked and (when they were naked and without any garment) they were led chained into captivity. Amongst those that were carried off was likewise the Wayn'odo of the Lithuanian Milice, otherwise the leader of their army, with his wife, whose life the enemy had spared. And this matter threw such an exceeding terror into the whole of this province, that Nicholas Radziwit, who was accounted the first among the Lithuanian Chieftains, quitted his Estates on his own account; leaving them either to the safe keeping of his friends or as a prey to his enemies. The success of their affairs still increased the valour of the barbarous, and, by their cruelty, already too formidable enemy. Anon they hurried to the assault of the town of Kioff, situated in another |