66

steward ?" 'Money!" replied the peer, "what d'ye mean?" Money for your expenses, my Lord." " "Money for expenses! Why, I am going to visit my friends; I am not going to live at inns. Besides, I have money. See here," pulling out two guineas and two half-guineas, "and I have silver in my other pocket; I have money enough." His faithful servant, however, well knew that seven horses and five servants would soon exhaust his Lord's slender finances. He detained his valet-dechambre a few minutes, the steward provided him with a sufficient sum, and the peer pursued and finished his tour without making a single inquiry about the expenses of it.

ΟΝ

209.

N the 20th of June 1837, William IV. died at Windsor ; and on the same day both Houses met for the purpose of taking the oath of allegiance to her Majesty Queen Victoria. On the following day Lord John Russell appeared at the bar of the Commons, charged with a message from the Queen. A cry instantly arose of "Hats off!" and the Speaker, forgetful for the moment of the precise usage on such occasions, announced from the chair that "members must be uncovered." Every one present forthwith complied, with the exception of Sir James Graham, who excited some observation by continuing to wear his hat until the first words of the message were pronounced. As nothing at the

time escaped the vigilance of party criticism, a paragraph appeared the same evening in the True Sun, reflecting on the supposed indecorum. At the meeting of the House the next day the right honourable baronet called attention to the fact, for the purpose of explaining that he had only complied with the older, and, as he thought, better custom, of waiting until the initiatory word

Regina," or "Rex,” was uttered before uncovering; a mode of testifying respect for the Crown which was more emphatic, and which had, he thought, a better effect. The Speaker said that the honourable member for East Cumberland was correct in his observance of the practice of the House; and he accounted for his own apparent deviation therefrom by his desire to preserve order and to save time.

210.

T was a speech by Roebuck at the Cutlers' feast, in 1858, after a visit to Cherbourg, which procured him the nickname of Tear 'em. He observed on that occasion:- 66 It may be said that those who stand in my position ought not to say anything that excites national, animosity: and I respond to that sentiment. But, sir, the farmer who goes to sleep, having placed the watch-dog 'Tear 'em' over his rick-yard, hears that watchdog bark. He, in the anger of a half somnolence, says, 'I wish Tear 'em would be quiet ;' and bawls out of the window, 'Down, Tear 'em.' 'Tear 'em'

does go down; the farmer goes to sleep, and he is awoke by the flashing in at his windows of the light of his ricks on fire. I am 'Tear'em.' I tell you to beware. What is the meaning of Cherbourg? It is a standing menace to England."

ONE

211.

NE day Mackintosh having vexed him by calling O'Coigly "a rascal," Parr immediately rejoined, "Yes, Jamie, he was a bad man, but he might have been worse; he was an Irishman, but he might have been a Scotchman; he was a priest, but he might have been a lawyer; he was a republican, but he might have been an apostate."

212.

THE Spring Garden mentioned by Addison in Spectator, No. 383, was afterwards known only by the name of Fauxhall, or Vauxhall, and was originally the habitation of Sir Samuel Morland, who built a fine room there in 1667. The house was afterwards rebuilt, and about the year 1730 Mr Jonathan Tyers became the occupier of it; and from a large garden belonging to it, planted with stately trees and laid out in shady walks, it obtained the name of Spring Garden. The house was converted into a tavern, a place of entertainment, and was much frequented by the votaries of pleasure. Mr Tyers opened it in 1730, with an advertisement of a "Ridotto al Fresco," a term which the people of

this country had till that time been strangers to. The reputation and success of these summer entertainments encouraged the proprietor to make his garden a place of musical entertainment for every evening during the summer season. He decorated it with paintings, engaged a band of excellent musicians, issued silver tickets for admission at a guinea each, set up an organ in the orchestra, and in a conspicuous part of the garden erected a fine statue of Handel, the work of Roubillac.

METAP

213.

ETAPHYSICAL writers (says Voltaire) are like minuet-dancers who, being dressed to the greatest advantage, make a couple of bows, move through the room in the finest attitude, display all their graces, are in continual motion without advancing a step, and finish at the identical point from which they set out.

WHEN

214.

THEN his Minister presented a catalogue of his attendants to Alfonso King of Castile, to mark the names of such as he deemed superfluous and burdensome to the prince, reserving some who might be useful and necessary, the King, on examining the list, made the following generous and witty answer-"Some of them I must retain, because I cannot do without them; and the rest I must keep, because they cannot do without me."

215.

Ο

NE night at Kensington I had the Princess of Wales for my partner in a country-dance of fourteen couple. I exerted myself to the utmost, but not quite to her satisfaction, for she kept calling out to me, "Vite, vite !"-Rogers.

216.

ANDREA ALPAGO of Belluno, in 1527, tran

slated into Latin five books on medicine, written in Arabic by Avicenna, which he was enabled to do by a residence of thirty years on the borders of Arabia and Syria. Alpago thus traces the origin of the name of Arabians," says he,

Avicenna :-" The

66 name a man, who has a son, by the term signifying father of a first-born, specifying the son's name, and giving the father the name of his father and grandfather. Avicenna's name was Hasen, his father was called Hali, who was the son of Sina, and Avicenna's son was named Hali. Avicenna was therefore Abahali, i.e., the father of Hali; Ebenhali, i.e., the son of Hali; and Ebensina, i.e., the grandson of Sina. From all these appellations the corrupted one of Avicenna originated.

217.

Μι IGNOT, a famous cook, complained to the

magistrates of Boileau calumniating him in his third satire. The judges advised him to laugh at the satire. The irascible cook printed, at his own expense, the satire of the Abbé Cotin against