mak a wark, or elso no ;" and so saying, the Poet turned on his heel, and left the Minister and his elder gaping at each other in silent astonishment. SINGULAR HABITS.-The Emperor Joseph used to intimate the close of a private audience by rubbing his hands, which was a signal for the party to retire; and Mr. Pitt, while listening to any scheme or application would gradually raise his right arm, and its falling was an indication that he had heard enough. MILITARY JUSTICE.-The following story gives a lively idea of the Russian rule of Poland:-A Jew met a Cossack in the forest; the latter robbed him of his horse. On returning to the town he lodged a complaint with the Major in command, who was (with what truth we shall see) reputed to be a most rigorous disciplinarian. The Cossacks were paraded, the robber was pointed out, when with the utmost effrontery he declared that he had found the horse. "How?" replied the Jew, "I was on his back." "Yes," returned the Cossack, "I found you too; but having no use for a Jew, I did not keep you.' ." The excuse was deemed sufficient, and the Jew lost his steed. A few days since, a gentleman complained to his neighbour of having been very severely stung by a wasp; to which the friend replied, "that he was quite certain he was mistaken, for wasps were never to be seen at this time of the year, and it must have been some other insect."The gentleman not being easily persuaded to think otherwise, firmly alledged, "that he was confident of it, for he saw the wasp;" but suddenly, doubting himself for a moment, he continued, "but then it might have-it "Oh no, my may be thoughdear fellow," replied the other, smilingly interrupting him, "that idea is equally ridiculous; for this is April, and May bees never appear till next ASHBURY. month.' MR. POPE-ABBE RAYNAL-MALHERBES-LA QUINTINIE.-Sir Joshua Reynolds used to tell the following anecdote relative to Pope:-When he was a young man, he was present at an auction of very scarce pictures, which attracted a great crowd of connoisseurs and others; when, in the moment of a very interesting piece being put up, Mr. Pope entered the room. All was in an instant, from a scene of confusion and bustle, a dead calm. The auctioneer, as if by instinct, suspended his hammer. The audience, to an in- A similar honour was paid to the Mons. Malherbes loved to relate an answer made to him by a common fellow, during his stay at Paris, when he was obliged to go four times every day to the prison of the Temple, to attend the king; his extreme age did not allow him to walk, and he was compelled to take a carriage. One day, particularly, when the weather was intensely severe, he perceived, on coming out of the vehicle, that the driver was benumbed with cold. "My friend," said Malherbes to him, in his naturally tender manner, you must be penetrated by the cold, and I am really sorry to take you abroad in this bitter "That's nothing, M. de Malherbes; in such a cause as this, I'd travel to the world's end without complaining." "Yes, but your poor horses could not."-"Sir," replied the honest coachman, "my horses think as I do." son, The famous La Quintinie, director of the royal gardens in France, obtained from Louis XIV. an abbacy for his in one of the remote provinces; and going soon afterwards to make the abbot a visit, (who was not then settled in his apartments) he was entertained and lodged by a neighbouring gentleman with great friendliness and hospitality. La Quintinie, soon examined the gardens of his host; he found the situation beautiful, and the soil excellent; but every thing was rude, savage, and neglected; nature The had done much, art nothing. guest, delighted with his friendly reception, took leave with regret, and some months after, sent one of the king's gardeners, and four under gar deners, to the gentleman, with strict command to accept of no gratuity.They took possession of his little inclosure the moment they arrived, and having digged it many times over, they manured, replanted it, and left one of their number behind them, as a settled servant in the family. This young man was soon solicited to assist the neighbourhood. and filled their kitchen gardens and fruit gardens with the best productions of every kind. Garieties. CLEM and Dinah went to a magistrate "Get CURRAN AND THE COW.-A few days before his death, he was taking an airing with some friends, and as the state of his health would only allow the car- HUNTING BY STEAM-A friend of AN Irish rustic was once indicted for stealing some sheep from Gerald FitzMaurice, Esq. and pleaded his ignorance of the owner, or that they were not common property, as (he said) he found them on the commons in the neighbourhood. "What," said the magistrate, "did you not see G. F. M. the initials of the owner's name, on the "Yes, I saw the letters; but sheep?" I thought they meant Good Fat Mutton, and given for me." ROYAL REPROOF.-The king (Geo. a tradesman III.) ordered Mr. Sof some eminence in London, to wait upon him at Windsor Castle, at eight o'clock in the morning of a day appointed. Mr. S was half an hour behind the time, and upon being announced, his Majesty said, "Desire him to come at eight o'clock to-morrow morning." Mr. S appeared the next day again after the time, and received the same command-the third day he contrived to be punctual; and, upon his entrance, the king said, "Oh, the great Mr. S! What sleep do you take Mr. S?" "Why, please your Majesty, I'm a man of regular habits-I usually take eight hours." "Too much, too much!" said the king, "six hours sleep is enough for a man, seven for a woman. and eight for a fool; eight for a fool, Mr. S——— !” Mr. Fox, while one day walking up Bond-street, with an illustrious personage, laid him a wager that he would see more cats than the Prince in his walk, and that he might take which side of the way he liked. When they got to the top, it was found that Mr. Fox had seen thirteen cats, and the Prince not one. The royal personage asked for an explanation of the apparent miracle, and Mr. Fox said, "Your Royal Highness took, of course, the shady side of the way, as most agreeable; I knew that the sunny side would be left to me, and cats always prefer the sunshine." A CELEBRATED Oculist, after perform ing the operation of couching an old woman, inquired if she could read a book of a certain sized print, to which she replied in the negative; another coat of film was to be displaced; when, just as the operator was about to resume, she cried with admirable naivete, "Mayhap it be, Sir, 'cause I never larnt, I be no scholard." THE life of William the First, of the House of Orange, was preserved by the sagacity of his lap-dog. Some Spanish troopers having penetrated into his tent while he was reposing, the little animal jumped on the couch, and scratched the face of his royal master till he was roused to a sense of his danger. When William fell, at length, a victim to assassination, the dog refused food, pined, and died; and on the magnificent tomb of the Prince in the cathedral at Delft, it is represented sleeping at his feet. Lines written in pencil at the back of 'Paine's Rights of Man,' which a Friend had left open by accident. Hath Woman then no rights, presumptuous Paine? Is Man thy idol, arrogant and vain ? Woman be mine, but still on reason's plan A VERY SINGULAR FACT.-Insects are actuated by feelings somewhat similar to those possessed by the higher animal-they rob and spoil, defend their homes, are jealous, revengeful, and disputative, and war in, armies. Thus bees, if the meat of one hive be spent, will assail their next neighbours, with intent to rob and spoil them of their provisions: the white ants have a portion of their community set apart for the duties of war, and they exhibit the most perfect form of insect tactics. Ant-battles have been recorded from the oldest times. AFFECTION OF PIGEONS.-A man, set to watch a field of peas, which had been much preyed upon by pigeons, shot an old cock pigeon which had long been an inhabitant of the farm. His mate, around whom he had for many a' year cooed, and nourished from his own crop, and assisted in rearing numerous young ones, immediately settled on the ground by his side, and showed her grief in the most expressive manner. The labourer took up the dead bird, and tied it to a short stake, thinking that it would frighten away the other depredators. In this situation, however, his partner did not forsake him, but continued, day after day, walking slowly round the stick. The kindhearted wife of the bailiff of the farm at last heard of the circumstance, and immediately went to afford what relief she could to the poor bird. She told me that, on arriving at the spot, she found that the hen bird was much exhausted and that she had made a circular beaten track round the dead pigeon, making, now and then, a little spring towards him. On the removal of the dead bird the hen returned to the dove-cot. GENEROSITY may sometimes be carried to so great an extent, that, if it be not a fault, it is at least a culpable weakness: such it is when we make those sacrifices to others which produce unhappiness to ourselves, much more than counterbalancing the pleasure resulting from the consciousness of our having contributed to the happiness of another. ANECDOTE OF A FARMER. An extraordinary instance of avarice and peculation has lately been discovered in France. Mons. Foscue, one of the farmers general of the province of Languedoc, who had amassed a considerable wealth by grinding the faces of the poor within his province, and every other means, however low, base, or cruel, by which he rendered himself universally hated, was one day ordered by the government to raise a considerable sum; upon which, as an excuse for not complying with the demand, he pleaded extreme poverty: but fearing lest some of the inhabi tants of Languedoc should give information to the contrary, and his house should be searched, he resolved on hiding his treasure in such a manner, as to escape the most strict examination. He dug a kind of cave in his wine cellar, which he made so large and deep, that he used to go down a ladder to it; at the entrance was a door with a spring-lock on it, which on shutting would fasten of itself. Very lately Mons. Foscue was missing; diligent search was made after him in every place; the ponds were drawn, and every method which human imagination could suggest, was taken for finding him; but all in vain. In a short time after his house was sold, and the purchaser beginning either to rebuild it, or make some alterations in it, the workmen discovered a door in the cellar, with a key in the lock, which he ordered to be opened, and on going down, they found Monsieur Foscue lying dead on the ground, with a candlestick near him, but no candle in it, which he had eat; and on searching farther, they found the vast wealth which he had amassed. It is supposed that when Mons. Foscue went into his cave, the door by some accident shut after him, and being out of the call of any person, he perished for want of food. He had gnawed the flesh off both his arms, as is supposed for subsistence. Thus did this miser die in the midst of his treasure, to the scandal of himself, and to the prejudice of the state. We are often prone to doubt even the object most dear to us; selfish in our attachments, we expect the undivided love of those to whom we are attached, and the merest trifles will often excite our most torturing jealousies and fears. AFFECTION is the monster that can cloud the beauty of the finest form, and prevent the qualities of the noblest mind. Surely then, if woman did but see it in its naked and sickening deformity, she would shrink from initating— nay, from the very thought of an object so loathsome, as she would flee at sight of the poisoned basilisk. VESALIUS prepared the first skeleton that lent regular assistance to the progress of science, and suffered the persecution generally allotted to the early champions of truth. When he began to dissect human bodies, he was considered by the people as an impious and cruel man; and before he could practise publicly, he was obliged to get a decision in his favour from the Salamanca divines. They would not let him settle in France, but the Republic of Venice gave him a professor's chair at Padua, where he dissected openly, and taught anatomy seven years. He was but eighteen when he published his celebrated book La Fabrique du Corps Humain. The first complete skeleton he presented to the University of Bale; where it was lately to be seen. Vesalius (Andrew Vesal) was shipwrecked on the isle of Zante, in the year 1564, and was famished to death in the deserts! His body was found by a goldsmith of his acquaintance, who happened to land there not long after, and by this man buried. EPIGRAM. On her in soft beauty shew the lily and rose: True-the former her cheek-the latter her nose. Diary and Chronology. Wednesday, April 11. Sun rises 55m. aft. 5-Sets 47m. aft 6. Thursday, April 12. First Anniversary of the death of that eminent, and ever to be lamented divine, the Rev. Basil Wood, ætat 70; author of numerous popular tracts and discourses, Friday, April 18. CAMBRIDGE TERMS ENDS. Saturday, April 14. OXFORD TERMS ENDS. Sunday, April 15. Lessons for the Day.-9 ch. of Exodus, morn. 10 ch. of Exodus, even. PALM SUNDAY.-In the missals, this day is denominated Dominica in ramis palmarum. It is a commemoration of our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, recorded in Matthew xxi, Mark xi, and Luke xix. Palm Sunday was also called Dominica Magna, the great Sunday,' in reference to the following week. It was formerly the custom in some of the northern parts of England, for the young men and maids who receive the sacrament, to walk after dinner in the corn fields, and repeat some forms of blessing the corn and fruits of the earth.-About ten o'clock at night, on the eve of Palm Sunday, the unwashed and lean artificers' of the eastern part of London, proceed in a body, often amounting to several hundreds, (many of them accompanied by their wives and children), to Sluice-house, at Hornsey, where, and in the adjoining fields, they carouse till the break of day, murdering the sleep' of all the faithful lieges in the neighbourhood with their obstreperous and John Bullish rejoicements. When moru. ing dawns, they do not scruple to commit sundry trespasses on the grounds of the nobility and gentry,' collect their palm branches,' and in 'maudlin mood,' quarrelling with their spouses and castigating their turbulent brats, they roll* their weary way to dirt and wretchedness, not failing to insult every respectable person they meet en route. Monday, April 16. KASTER TERM COMMENCES. Tuesday, April 17. Those who feel interested in astronomical occurrences, will derive much pleasure in telescopie observation of the fixed stars about this period, for which the fine nights are peculiarly favourable. Illustrated Article. THE MERCHANT OF LYONS. FOR THE OLIO. JACQUES St. Julien and Suzette de Vallois, the father of the former, who was one of the principal merchants of Lyons, had seen with unbounded satisfaction, that his son was passionately enamoured with the amiable daughter of one of his oldest friends. It was a match in every way suitable for him. Monsieur de Vallois was a man of considerable wealth, though not engaged in commerce; he had at first been much averse to the union taking place, on account of the wild and reckless disposition of the young St. Julien; and strange accounts had reached Lyons, of his proceedings during a two years residence at Paris; but upon his return to Lyons, the charms of the fair Suzette had so worked upon him, that his irregularities were abandoned, and he sank from the gay and dissipated man VOL. IX. See p. 258 of fashion, into the the staid and industrious merchant; and it is but justice to him to say, that it was not outwardly alone, that he had become an altered man. Some scenes in which he had borne a part at Paris, and his narrow escapes from infamy and destruction, had determined him to make a strong effort to effect a total change in his habits and dispositions; and the presence of his dear Suzette had strengthened these resolutions, until their practice had shewn him, that during the eighteen months he had been at Lyons, after his return from Paris, he had been for the first time in his life, a happy and contented man. There was but one thing galled him, and that was, any allusion to his residence at Paris. It was clear there was something connected with it, which he could not drive from his remembrance, and since it seemed sensibly to annoy him, all mention of it was studiously avoided. The change that had taken place, removed the only objection entertained by 239 |