Whether Italian or Irish manuscripts were the earliest in which ornamental letters were employed, is an undecided question. The finest specimen of the illuminated is the Book of Kells, of the fifth or sixth century. This beautiful antique is preserved in the library of the King's College, and is thought to surpass in minuteness of finish and splendor of decoration the famous Durham Book, or Gospels of Lindisfarne, which, though probably executed in the north of England, is classed among Anglo-Hibernian books, because Irish literature was more advanced than English in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries. If this beautiful art of illuminating originated in the East, it reached its perfection in the west of Europe. In the British Museum there is a copy of the Gospels executed at Aix-la-Chapelle in the eighth century, known as the Golden Gospels, the entire text being in gold, on white vellum. We are now to touch upon the variety and forms of books or booklings --if we may invent a name--after the art of printing was discovered, about the middle of the fifteenth century--a subject too familiar to occupy any space here for details as to invention or progress. Chaucer expressed in rhyme the inconvenience of being obliged to correct every copy of his works after the scrivener's hands; he did not anticipate the invention of types in a century afterwards, and the employment of readers or correctors of the press. {109} Almanacs shall have the precedents, not so much from their high rank in literary importance, but from their antiquity and pioneer character in the march of uninspired literature. The Arabians, who studied astronomy and astrology, noted the signs of the seasons, and regulated their field occupations by the direction of their almanac makers, who were their wise men; they would neither sow nor reap, nor trim their beards and nails, without consulting their almanacs; they introduced their rules of practice into Europe. A German named Müller constructed an almanac in its present form, suited to general writers. An English writer who called himself Poor Robin, published long ago an almanac remarkable for coarseness and eccentricity. The following are specimens of his style (they recently appeared in a public journal); we present but a few: "Julius Caesar did the Britons came; Conquering will you him into England came; Brave Montrose was basely murdered; The Rev. Dr. Stewart lost his head; The plague raged very sore at London; London burnt, whereby many were undone; The crown on Anna's head was placed; She expired, and George's head it graced." So much for historical records. There a calendar among his monthly observations: "January--The gardens now doing healed no posies, And men in cloaks muffle their noses." "March--A toast we plunged in March beer, Being sugared well, and drunk up clear, Revives the spirit, the heart doth cheer; And, had for three pence, is not dear."