division of three fronts in the corinthic order: each of them consists
in four raizing columns, resting upon a general basement, from the one
end of the forefront to the other, and supporting a cornish, equally
running all over the face; upon this cornish rests a balustrad, like
the other pieces altogether of Bremen-hardstone. The middle front,
serving for the chief entrance, is adorned with the provincial arms,
sculpted by Mr. Gabriel, &c.... Every where a sublime plan, and exact
execution is exhibited here, and the whole tends as much to the
architects, who are the undertakers of it, as they have earned great
praizes by building anew the burnt Lutheran church."

I will not trespass on your space by any further extracts; but these will
suffice to show that my book is _sui generis_, and worth commemoration.

C. W. B.

* * * * *

SEVEN CHILDREN AT A BIRTH THREE TIMES FOLLOWING.

Your correspondent N. D.'s papers (Vol. ii., p. 459., and Vol. iii., p. 64)
have reminded me of another remarkable instance of fecundity related by the
well-known civil engineer JAN ADRIAENSZ. LEEG-WATER, in his _Kleyne
Chronycke_, printed at Amsterdam in 1654:

"Some years since," says he, p. 31., "I was at _Wormer_, at an inn near
the town-hall: the landlady, whose name was _Frankjen_, told me of the
Burgomaster of _Hoorn_, who in the spring went over the (Zuyder?) sea
to buy oxen, and going into a certain house he found seven little
children sitting by the fire, each with a porringer in its hand, and
eating rice-milk, or pap, with a spoon; on which the Burgomaster said
'Mother, you are very kind to your neighbours, since they leave their
children to your care.' 'No,' said the woman, they are all my own
children, which I had at one birth; and if you will wait a moment, I
will show you more that will surprise you.' She then fetched seven
other children _a birth_ older: so she had fourteen children at two
births. Then the woman said to the Burgomaster, 'I am now _enceinte_,
and I think in the same way as before: if you come here next year, call
upon me again.' And so, the next year, when the Burgomaster went over
the sea, he called upon the woman and the woman had again brought forth
seven children at a birth. Thus the woman had at three births
twenty-one children."

I subjoin the original of which the above