THE NATIO Ills Majesty held a Privy Council, at which Messrs. D. and C. Bentinck, were introduced, and sworn in GoVern ors as above. Ili , Majesty gave private audiences to the Duke of Port land, the Lord Chancellor, and the other Cabinet Minis ters present. About six o'clock his Majesty set off on his return to Windsor. THE EPIPHANY. . —i. •. . •,..,,.. Friday being the anniversary of the Manifestation of our Saviour to the Gentiles, commonly called "The Epiphany," Ihe same was observed at the Chapel Royal, in St.James's Palace. Lord John Thynne, his Majesty's Vice Chamberlain, attended instate, in the Royal Closet, to represent his Nlajesty, at Heat of the Church of England, with the same attendants of state, the Yemen of the Guards, as if his Majesty was present. After the Gospel, appointed for the day, which is taken from the 2d chap. of St. Mathew, Ist verse, had been read, a solemn symphony began on the organ, and continued playing during the time Lord John Thyne and the attendants were leaving the oyal closet , and proceeding through the aisle of the chapel to i ' . alter where his Lordship knelt on a crimson velvet cushion. crimson mantle was placed on the front of the altar, w here the Rev. Mr. Holmes, the Sub-Dean, was in attendance, in the room of the Bishop of London, who is indisposed. The atten dants then took from an oval gold box three crimson bags, with gold ornaments, containing gold, frank incence and myrrh, gave them to Lord.Jiihn Thynne, who presented them to the Sub- Dean, who received them in a 0-old dish. The procession then re-willed to the Royal Closet. After the service an appropriate Anthem—" Arise ! shine 0 Zion ! for thy light i 4 come.”—com posed by the late Dr. Dupuis, was very correctly sung by biessrs. Goss, Hawes, Vaughan, and Salmon. }• ; FASHIONS FOR, LADIES-AND GENMEMEN FOR JANUARY, 1809. WILKING DRESS. A Polish bonnet and mantle of gold coloured velvet, wits an invisible hood trimmed with ermine ; an antique collar fastened with. a gold ornament in front, in form of a shell. Morning. dres white muslin Brussels spot,.with a worked stomacher, and trim.oed down the front and at the bottom; worked long hanging,. skeeve., twisted and fastened at the wristband with a small gold. oo;atneut, of the same form as that which fastens the mantle and ciiicture of the dress; sandals of gold-coloured cloth, laced with brown cords and tassels; York tan gloves. EVENING PULL DRESS. A white satin Spanish hat with a diamond loop, and Spanish plume; diamond ear-rings and necklace; the hair fall, in ring lets; a w:.ite satin dress, full trimmed with blue velvet, with a lace medicis round the hack and shoulders; an antique stomacher ornamented with diamonds mounted in gold; white satin shoes with gold bows, white gloves and fan. , 1 1 1 . , • 1 ' k, ,1 I 1 ) to e . A / !1 , st I OA \ T 1 1 % v. 1 . , .4 V 6 I 4 /lc V 66. I , • $ i i 1 fl . i I 1 1 11, 1 ~. , 1 o 4 iil , i t . n yy I , 11 ' I ' 1 1 : 1 ' 4 e i i ll I . I . , 1 0 , GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. Nacarntt royal purple and gold, are the mort prevailing colours f or pelli- and mantles, which are made of various materials, cloth, velvet, brocade, sarsenet, and satin, according to the fancy of the wearer. Head ornaments, Spanish hats, and caps de corated with foathers, flowers, pearls, or diamonds, according as the occasion requires. Morning dress, cloth, sarsenet, Brussels spotted muslin, trimmed with embroidery. Evening dress, satin, 'velvet, hrocade, sarsenet, w ith gold and silver ornaments and trimmings. FiISHIONS FOR GENTLEMEN. The prevailing colours are dark brown and bottle green. The coat for eveningdress is cut rather long in the waist, and short in the skirts, double breasted, with pointed lappets, corresponding is length to the hip button; the lappets are padded to fall back with the collar, which is made pretty high and stitched narrow, the collar to fall back about an inch and an half, deep pockets ender the cross flaps; the cuff's round. The morning coat is made in nearly the same manner, only the pockets are in the plaits of the skirt, and the cuffs are either round or with a flat and three buttons. The buttons are either gilt basket, or moulds covered with cloth.— Waistcoats are made single breasted, with a small flap about two inches lower than the coat lappel.—Breeches are not made so high by two or three inches as they were, and the knee-band exteadiAlmost to the calf of. the leg, with four buttot;. at the knee; they are made very tight, and pantaloons ire pretty generally ornamented up the bides with brade. GISTER. JAN. 8. Afr. ay. - 4 ' 7lll/. POPULAR PREACHERS. No. XXII. When that your Flock, assembled by the bell, Encircle 3eti ; to hear, with reverence, Your Expositiou of the Holy Text ! SuAtismins. REV. ROBERT HODGSON, M.A. OF ST ) GEORGE" N EAR. 11.1NOVISR-5t211.1 RE.. NEW-YEAR'S DAY, was this year a doleful day in most of our parochial churches. The joyous ringing Gf the bells, instead of intimating the season for pious gratula tion, awakened thousands of the good and liege people of this nation, to prepare to hear nothing less important. in various places of religious worship, than funeral sermons It is customary, on the commencement of a new-year, to look backwards and forwards, to take a bifronsic survey of things ; to consider human life retrospectively, as well as prospectively. I am far from wishing to discourage thi3 salutary species of reflection', if it be equitably exerted. Surely, however, it is neither wise or kind to contemplate chiefly the gloomy aspect of affairs ; to call to mind only the miseries we have experienced or the judgments we have deserved, and to anticipate future disasters and punish ments. Our piety has too much of deprecatory implora. Von, too little of grateful aspiration. " Praise the Lord, 0 my Soul !" excl;iined the royal psalmist ; " and forget not all His benefits!" We, on the contrary, are always . praying for new mercies; while, it is much to be feared, we are sufficiently disposed to forget the benefits we have so bountifully received. Past mercies, howeler, supply as good an incentive to piety as future punishments. Christi anity is full of religious encouragemet t, of holy confi dence, of the sublimest exultation of soul.—" if there be any such thing in the world as a true height and magnani mity of spirit.' finely observes Stillingileet, in the Epistle Dedicatory of his Origines Sacra., " if there be any solid reason and depth of judgment, they are not only consistent with, but only attainable by a.true generous Spirit cif Reli gion." Such is the language of one, who nobly exemplified in himself the inestimable advantages derivable from genuine. religious devotion. I come now to speak of the Divine *hose clerical character remains to be investigated. The REV. ROBERT HODGSON is one of the nephews of Mrs. Porteous, formerly Miss Hodgson, the respected Lady of the present venerable Bishop of London. Be is from Benet College, in the University of Cambridge. Mr. Hodgson has published two sermons; one preached before the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, and another ou the re-opening of St. George's Church, of which he is now the Rector, after its having undergone repairs. He owes his present ecclesiastical preferment to the patronage of his uncle. Mr. Hodgson is married, and has several chil dren. As, however, he is still young in the pulpit, I must not shrink from the duty of explicitly stating. my opinions respecting his clerical conduct and character. While there is room for improvement in his preaching, there is also time *for him to effect improvement. His person, though not striking, is sufficiently respect able. His entrance into the pulpit is unexceptionably be coining ; and he announces his text with a precision that is really impressive, and an earnestness that indicates sinceri ty. Here, it is far from gratifying to me to remark, the previous conceptions entertained of his excellence become suddenly and painfully disappointed. The elongated em phasis that constituted him a good reader, now renders him tiresome as a preacher. He is labouringly senten tious, needlessly magnificent, noisily monotonous. His voice is doubtless manly; but he forces it beyond its pro per pitch, while his falling tones sink infinitely below its general scope. Respecting his style of composition, I cannot do better than refer Mr. Hodgson to the judicious hint given on this •