whatever shape in which it was offered. In this discreditable manner did he pass that time which, with the stores of information which were at his command, might have been usefully as well as profitably employed. One of his strange peculiarities was the inviolable secrecy which he preserved as to the place of his abode; no earthly consideration could tempt him to divulge it, even to his greatest intimates. He had placed a translation from the French, from a work called "The Origin of Despotism," in his bookseller's hands for publi cation; it was, however, delayed beyond the time when it was to have appeared; he called for an explanation; the bookseller told him that the copies had been ready for publication, but as parties ran high at the time, he feared the risk which would be incurred by exposing them for sale, so thought it better to wait for a while. Hiffernan, however, proposed to take the copies himself, with the intention of pressing them on his friends; terms having been settled, his signature was required to the agreement, to which his place of residence was to be added. Having signed his name, the Bedford coffee-house was written under it, as his address: the bookseller would not be satisfied with this, as a coffee-house was no place to make a note payable; nothing could persuade him to give any other, and thus a bargain from which he had expected to derive profit was broken off. The mystery in which the place of his abode was involved naturally excited much curiosity among his friends, and among those with whom he had dealings, but it was never fully satisfied; all devices to discover it proved abor tive. As he was often seen in Fleet-street with clean shoes and other tokens of a recent toilet, it was conjectured that he lodged in one of the little courts in that neighbourhood. He was generally observed to set out on a visiting excursion at about twelve o'clock, and he went from house to house, in hopes of an invitation to dinner; if all utterly failed, he would take his dinner in an eating house, and go to the theatre in the evening, where he generally slept during the whole of the entertainment; he may probably have required the sound of his own voice and the excitement of his own humour to keep him awake. Washington Irving mentions a comfortable náp in which Hiffernan indulged on a particular occasion. He tells us that Bickerstaffe had invited him with Goldsmith and some other literary friends to dinner, after which he proposed to read a play which he had just written. Scarcely had the author got

into the second act, when Hiffernan began to nod, and at length snored most audibly; Bickerstaffe was embarrassed, but read on, in a more elevated tone-the louder he read, the louder Hiffernan snored. When the author came to a pause, "never mind the brute, Bick," said Goldsmith, "but go onhe would have served Homer just so, if he were here and reading his own works." When he left the theatre of an evening, it was his custom to repair to the "cider cellar," or to some other porter house near Covent Garden, where he generally met some acquaintance, to whose offering of paying the reckoning he willingly acceded, so that he never lost an opportunity of turning his agreeability to good account. He indulged so freely on such occasions, that it seldom happened that the evening closed, without its being apparent that he had taken a cheerful glass; he then became very quarrelsome and abusive; his behaviour, when a guest at the house of a friend, was very different; here he exerted himself to the utmost to please, and his conversation abounding in anecdotes and original and amusing remarks, was extremely pleasant.

Hiffernan's obstinate secrecy with regard to his lodgings was, one night, put to the test, by Mr. Dossie, secretary to the Duke of Northumberland, a literary man who was fond of conversation, and would sit up late at night to enjoy it. He was in the habit of proposing to walk home with the last of the company. As Hiffernan had outstaid the other guests, chatting with him, Mr. Dossie said that he would accompany him home. This was the most distasteful proposal which he could possibly have made to the Doctor, who most earnestly entreated that he would not give himself any such trouble, and added, by way of discouragement, that he lived very far off in the city. Mr. Dossie persevered, and, overruling all objections, actually set off arm in arm with him. They at length reached St. Paul's, when Mr. Dossie enquired whether he lived much further. The Doctor asserted, in a very decided tone, that he did indeed, hoping his companion would desist; but he was disappointed, and on, on, they went, till they arrived at the Exchange. "Are your lodgings much further ?" again enquired Mr. Dossie. "A great-great deal," replied the Doctor eagerly," a great deal further, all the way at Bow," thinking that, as Mr. Dossie began to lag, he might safely name some distant point. He now hoped that he had really tired him out, by the long walk which he had taken him. Such was

indeed the case, for he declared he could go no further; so, bidding the Doctor good-night, he left him to pursue his solitary way to the obscurity of his abode.

Hiffernan continued to write occasionally, and, among other things, he brought out "Dramatic Genius," a work in five books, which he prudently dedicated to Garrick, and in which he flattered him in the most extravagant manner. His compliments were not lost on empty air, for Garrick was accessible to flattery in no common degree. Before condemning him too severely for this weakness, we should make allowance, for the position which he occupied was one that could not have failed to produce a yearning after open demonstrations of admiration. Public applause was everything to him, so that it was quite natural that every act of homage to his genius should have been gratifying. That he appreciated that offered by Hiffernan was proved by the interest which he felt for him. He exerted himself among his friends, and procured subscriptions for the work which amounted to £150. This was wealth to Hiffernan, who had never had the command of so large a sum before; he consequently became purse-proud, for he not merely satisfied himself with the equipment of a new suit of black, but actually took upon himself the airs of a successful author, and, above all, never lost an opportunity of making an ostentatious display of his money. One day, while dining at the house of a friend, he took from his pocket a twenty pound note, and asked if any of the party could change it. As no one could, his host offered to send his servant to the bank to change it. Hiffernan handed it to the servant, and then entered into chat with the company as they sat over their wine. More than half an hour passed, and the Doctor asked if the man had come in. He had not. The Doctor betrayed some uneasiness, which he endeavored to disguise as well as he could. Another half hour went by, and he enquired again, and again received the same answer. Becoming seriously alarmed he exclaimed, with an oath, "your man, I am afraid, has run off with the money." "It seems odd," said the gentleman, but, if he has gone off, it is with your money, not mine." "Sir," interrupted Hiffernan, rising from his chair and raising his voice in great agitation and vehement passion, "Sir, I'd have you to know, that I know law as well as you, and if I, by your direction, gave my money to your şervant, you are accountable to me for it. I tell you, Sir, that

the act of the servant is the act of the master." A warm dispute on the point of law arose; it was at length happily interrupted by the entrance of the servant with the change.

In some time after the Doctor appeared as a dramatic writer. An unfinished tragedy was found among the papers of Henry Jones, the author of the Earl of Essex, and was given. to Hiffernan to complete. It was brought out the following year under the title of "The Heroine of the Cave." It went off with great applause, in great measure owing to the fine acting of Mrs. Pope, who personated the heroine. On the profits of this play Hiffernan lived for some time, but, when they were nearly expended, it was time to think of something else; so he determined to give a course of lectures on the anatomy of the human body. He published his prospectus; a guinea was the sum for the course, to consist of three lectures; the subscribers were not to exceed twenty, that they might have sufficient accommodation. The subscription, which was taken up by his friends who pitied his situation, was soon filled, and the first lecture was announced by the Doctor himself, who went round to the subscribers to apprise them as soon as it was fixed. It was to be given in the Percy Coffee House. At the appointed place and hour, one o'clock, the audience assembled. It consisted of the following persons:Doctor Kennedy, physician to the Prince of Wales, Mr. George Garrick, Mr. Beckett of Pall Mall, and another gentleman. They waited in vain till two o'clock for more company, but none coming, the Doctor emerged from a closet in a full suit of black, and, placing himself by a little round table, made a very formal bow to his four auditors, who could not suppress a smile, With great pomposity he proceeded to draw from his pocket a small print of a human skeleton, evidently cut out of a magazine. Having laid it on the table, he commenced :-" I am now, gentlemen, about to open a subject to you of the greatest importance in life, which is the knowledge of ourselves, which Plato recommends in that short but forcible maxim of nosce teipsum. Pope by saying, 'the proper study of mankind is man, and our divine Shakespeare by exclaiming, 'what a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals !' having thus given the general opinion of these great men on this subject,

I shall commence with describing the head of this paragon of animals." The description, which treated of the skull, the brain, &c., occupied about half an hour; then, lifting up the print, he restored the head of the skeleton, which he had previously doubled down, to its former position. In the next part of his lecture he was to treat of the conformation of the breast. "Here, gentlemen," said he, "is the next part of this very extraordinary animal, which may very properly be called, from its very curious bend and texture, the bread-basketery of the human form." At this the audience lost all command over their risible faculties, and burst into peals of laughter, from which, when they recovered, they fell into an awkward silence. The Doctor stood, with the print in his hand, glaring on them. One of the company, however, recovered himself suffi ciently to address him. "Why, Doctor, as we are all friends, and as the subscription has been paid in, what signifies giving yourself any further trouble; we are satisfied of your capacity, and we can dispense with any more lectures." A unanimous aye was a confirmation of the fact. "Suppose, gentlemen," said one of the party," that you all come and take a bit of dinner with me to-day, and we can see what we are able to do in anatomising the bottle." The words dinner and bottle, always so welcome to Hiffernan's ear, so magical in their effects upon his feelings and his spirits, were no sooner uttered than the clouds dispersed that had darkened his brow. The laugh was forgotten, the scowl was gone, the solemnity of the lecturer was instantly discarded, and he stepped from behind the table among his friends, saluting each with the most satisfied anticipations of the convivial hours before him. In the exuberance of the benevolent feelings excited, he ordered up coffee for the party, but, his heart failing, he contrived to slip away before the reckoning was paid, leaving its settlement to those he left behind him. He joined them some time after at dinner.

Notwithstanding his mean and indolent habits, this strange being had the art of making friends. Among these were some eminently distinguished for talents and literary acquirements. They were ever ready to lend him a helping hand in the difficulties in which his indolent habits constantly involved him. Garrick frequently relieved him, which was always attributed by Hiffernan, with most comfortable vanity, to a deep sense of obligation for the epigrams and paragraphs in his praise which he had furnished from time to time. It is