Bloodletting, considered during the last century to be necessary for every one in health or not, at spring and fall, was an operation performed by the country surgeons on the labourers on a Sunday morning, at a charge of 6d. each. Bleeding in bed by a barber was, in the reign of Charles II., sometimes charged, for a lady, so high as 10s., and for a gentleman, 1s. and 2s. 6d. The operator perhaps barboured the patient at an additional charge. Barbouring by the year was charged 16s. Superstition had marked certain days in each month as dangerous for bloodletting, which were called _parlous_ days. In July, the 1st, 7th, 13th, 12th, 25th, and 20th were of the above kind. As the whole population had recourse to bloodletting twice a year, bleeders or barbers were in constant demand. A FUNERAL APPROPRIATELY CONDUCTED. During the year 1700, the minister of a parish in Kent was interred at the age of 96 years; the gentleman who preached his funeral sermon was 82; he who read the service 87; the clerk of the parish was the same age; the sexton was 86; in addition to which list of aged persons, there were several present from the adjacent parishes 100 years old each, and upwards. ANCIENT NUT-CRACKERS. [Illustration [++] Ancient Nut-Crackers.] The two quaint instruments pictured in our engraving, of about the time of Charles I. or II., are made of hard wood rather rudely carved; and look as if in their time they had seen good service. The grotesque heads, with the mouth, affording the means of cracking the nuts, are examples of the fitness of design for a particular purpose, which characterize many of the objects in domestic use in the middle ages, and up to the reign of Queen Anne, after which ornamental art for household uses seems almost to have been disused. Even in the time of George III., our chairs, tables, side-boards, &c., were made heavy, very ugly, and without any attempt at appropriate pattern. NELL GWYNNE'S LOOKING-GLASS. [Illustration [++] Nell Gwynne's Looking-Glass.] This glass is in the possession of Sir Page Dicks, of Port Hall. It bears the likeness of Nell Gwynne and King Charles, which are modelled in wax; and also the supporters, or crest, which Nell assumed, namely, the lion and the leopard. The whole is curiously worked in coloured glass beads, and the figures, with the dresses, made to project in very high relief; indeed, they are merely attached to the groundwork. In the upper compartment is Charles in his state dress; and the bottom one, that of Nell Gwynne, in her court dress--the pattern of which is very tasteful. On the right is Charles in his hunting dress. The beads have retained their colours, which are very appropriate to the subject, and must have been a work of considerable time and patience; but whether done by Nell or not, there is no record. A REMARKABLE HIGHLANDER.