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full bottomed wig, and carried in his hand that well known ensign of professional dignity, the gold-headed cane; which on every occasion of profound cogitation was carried to his nose with an air of imposing solemnity, where it remained motionless (we borrow a favourite expression of the doctor) until "his random thoughts were divested of their crudities, and duly concocted into rational opinion." His assistant, Jonathan Cramp, explained this habit of his master, by observing that, in all serious cases, two heads were better than one; but he never stated which head of the two sticks, whether that of the cane, or of the doctor, contributed most liberally upon these occasions; be this as it may, we are quite positive that many doctors, who have even prided themselves upon their orthodoxy, have, nevertheless, been quite incapable of delivering a sound judgment upon a difficult case, without the assistance of a supplementary head of this description.

The mountebank commenced his harangue, by stating that his celebrated Powder of St. Nicholas would be found an infallible remedy for every disease. "Let the most afflicted amongst you," said he, “approach my stage,

and by testifying the healing powers of my panacea, infuse confidence and consolation into those who regard their cases desperate and hopeless." While the doctor was scattering these crumbs of comfort, his man Jonathan was observed approaching him, with what appeared a dying infant, in the last extremity of jaundice. "If he cures that child," shouted a voice from the crowd," I, for one, will believe in him." The countenance of the young patient was of a deep yellow, its eyes appeared sunk in its head, its nose was contracted, and its lips, which were white, strangely contrasted with the saffron hue of the face. It wore a long white robe, which hung in dishabille, and betrayed the extreme emaciation of its body. The doctor, on perceiving this strange spectre, raised his hands in apparent displeasure, and frowning upon his assistant, desired him to remove it from his sight.

"Ay, ay," said one of the spectators, "I knew how it would be; he is a fine fellow, forsooth, to invite the most afflicted to be cured, and then to reject a poor jaundiced babe.”

Jonathan Cramp, however, was not so easily repulsed; he seized one of the celebrated pow

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ders from the precious casket of his master, and presented it to the mouth of the infant; the crowd were on the tiptoe of expectation to witness the effects of this vaunted remedy. In a few moments its features were thrown into the most horrible convulsions, the eyes appeared bursting from their sockets, its mouth opened, and while performing an act, which we cannot describe without the risk of offending the delicacy some of our readers, -oh! most horrible to relate, one of its eyes leaped from its socket! and its two cheeks burst in twain !! The most appalling groans escaped from the justly incensed populace, which were followed by hisses and execrations. Cramp began to think he was carrying the joke too far, and tearing off the garments of the supposed infant, which consisted of a napkin, skilfully twisted round his arm, he exposed to view a large lemon, to which he had artfully given the semblance of a human face, by stripping the peel, and putting two black circles of ink on the white pith beneath, to resemble the eyes; by nipping up another portion to represent the nose, and by cutting out the lips, and forming a communication through the mouth with the interior of

the lemon. No sooner was the trick exposed, than the indignation of the crowd was exchanged for tumultuous applause.

"Here is the baby's eye," exclaimed a villager, as he held up a pip of the lemon; a disclosure which was greeted by roars of reiterated laughter; and Giles Gingerly, and his man Jonathan, drove off in triumph, amidst the hearty cheers of the delighted multitude.

Should any of our readers question the possibility of producing so singular and perfect an illusion, by means of a lemon, we have only to request that they will repeat the experiment, and we feel satisfied they will consider that our description has actually fallen short, and failed in conveying an adequate idea of the ludicrous appearance which may be thus represented.

The company now hastened to the spot where the several sports were to take place, and to which they were directed by the sound of a bugle.

We have stated that a small enclosure had been prepared for the youths of the village, who were to perform the "ludus Troja," or Troy game. The major and his party had taken possession of the seat, placed for their accommodation

under an awning; and the boys classically dressed, and furnished with little arms and weapons, were mustered in the circo. Each youth was mounted on a pony; and the troop having rode round the ring, and surveyed the spectators, the vicar arose from his seat, and, like the sage Epytides, gave the signal of attack by a crack of the whip. They now arranged themselves in two battalions, and hurling their javelins with an air of proud defiance, wheeled and charged, and urged the sportive war; at the conclusion of the game, the vicar called the principal youth, or "princeps juventutis,” and presented him with a basket of fruit, which he desired him to divide amongst his companions.

The populace now separated into different groups; one party proceeded to witness a wrestling-match; another to see the foot-race; a third to be present at a match of quoits; for the vicar had provided all these games, in imitation of the ancient Penthalum, or Quinquertium. While observing the game of quoits, the vicar displayed much classical erudition; he said that Homer had represented Ajax and Ulysses as greatly skilled in the sport; and that Ovid, when he brings in Apollo and Hyacinth playing at

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