394

NIGHT-WATCH.

of both sacred and human authors; they denominated thosegrand divisions by first, second, third, &c. watch. Cicero ,comparing the life of a civil- with a military officer, says,“ The former is awaked by the crowing of the cock, andthe latter by the sound of a trumpet.” An ancient poet alsosays, that “ The cock is the trumpeter which awakens thepeople in the time of peace.” This also confirms the wordsof the orator. The ancients, and particularly in the country,were much better acquainted with the progress of time,from the course of the stars, than are the modern vulgar.

In the year of Christ, 595, De la Marc informs us in hisTraite de la Police, that in the time of Clothaire II. a princecontemporary with Charlemagne , the night-watch, or guel,was established in France ; if this be correct, we conceiveit to have been the first regulation of the kind in ChristianEurope . It appears, that at first, the citizens were obligedto keep watch in their turn, under the command of a milesgueti, who was also called chevalier. After general tran-quillity had been restored, a custom was by degrees in-troduced of avoiding the duty of watching, on paying acertain sum of money, until, eventually, permanent compag-nies de guet were established in Paris , Orleans, Lyons, &c.

It has been alleged, that calling out the hour is an in-vention of modern times, and also that it was first practisedin Germany , and not till after the erection of city-gates.Such a regulation appears to have been a very usefulinstitution, let whoever will have introduced it. It is par-ticularly convenient to people who are obliged to attendto business ; and it is also most consolatory to those whocannot sleep : to such, the voice of the watchman appearsto enable the hypochondriac, just awakened from uneasyslumber, to recognise his existence among the communica-tive world. The hours to such people may be also enu-merated, to tell how long they have to turn them upon theirweary couch, before the theatre of their existence is blessedby the pure light of the all cheering sun.

It appears, that in 1588, the Elector, John George, ap-pointed watchmen in Berlin; however, in 1677 there werenone employed in that capital. We are told, that Mon-taigne, whilst on his travels in Germany , in 1580, thought thecalling out of the night-watch a very singular custom; hence,it appears, it was not then usual in France . “ The watch-men,” says he, “ went about the houses in the night-time,not so much on account of thieves, as on account of fires andother alarms. When the clocks struck, the one was obligedto call out aloud to the other, and to ask what it was o’clock,