leave the room. That could not be done, he was in the paw of a rough, resolute, impetuous creature, who always will have his speech out, and speaks and acts in such a manner, that I must say, as Eschines did of Demosthenes, what I have expressed of him is nothing, to what it would be if you heard him, himself, bellowing it with a fierce black aspect, a wig of coal, an action and gesture more than theatrical; a profusion of sublimated expressions, and a memory retaining the most minute circumstances. Mr. Dodington knows him well. The promised letter is sent, and is to this effect.

'Sir,-The rage and barbarity, with which you used me, upon a base and groundless suspicion of knowing my style, determine me to have no further correspondence with you. You will know whom this came from, without setting my name.'

This letter is not in the dean's hand, but as it came yesterday, since the time the serjeant told the story, it so far verifies the truth of his relation.

Dublin, Dec. 20th, 1733.

J. WAINWRight.

THE EMIGRANT'S LAMENT.

SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN AT THE SWAN RIVER

SETTLEMENT.

Yet the woods, the rocks, the streams,
Unbeloved, shall bring to mind,
Warm with evening's purple beams,
Dearer objects left behind.

James Montgomery.

THE sun had sunk down to his ocean repose,
And Luna, fair planet, in silence arose ;
By the waves of the sea, undisturbed by a gale,
An emigrant seated thus uttered his wail:-

Oh! sad is the fate of the wretch, who attends

To the dictates of those who profess themselves friends,
Who fain would persuade him 'tis joyous to roam
To this distant country, to seek for a home.

• Allured by their voice, I embarked on the main, Whilst hope pictured brightly the prospect of gain;

I scarce shed a tear, when I left thy dear strand,
I thought not of England, my own native land.

Oh love of our country! implanted in man,
By the Power supreme, when creation began,
We know not thy force, till the deep rolling wave
Has wafted our barks from the land of the brave.

How oft as I sit by the sea-beaten shore,

I think of the land I shall visit no more:

The moon-beams dance bright on the billow's white foam,

And remind me of England, my far distant home.

How bounteous the hand of fair Nature has been,
She has lavished her gifts o'er this beautiful scene;
The verdure crowned landscape recalls to my view
The home of my birth, where my infancy grew.
'Yes, e'en though a myriad of miles intervenes,
My fancy-led spirit enjoys the gay scenes,
I see thee with plenty and peace overspread,
But remembrance awakes, and the vision is fled.
Pure gem of the ocean, bright queen of the main,
In the visions of midnight I view thee again,
I see thee engirt by the billowy sea,

I wake from my slumber, self-exiled from thee.
When the thoughts of my kindred and country arise,
And, arrayed in bright colours, appear to my eyes,
May the genius of England, Britannia, descend,
And peace to her son, in his exile, extend.

When my body's tormented with joint-racking pains,
And the fever of sickness breathes fire in my veins,
No friend watches o'er me my pillow to smoothe,
And with words of kindness my agony soothe.

But soon, very soon shall the emigrant die, With no friend to attend him to close his glazed eye; His body shall sleep near the far sounding wave, And none drop a tear o'er the emigrant's grave.' Halifax, August, 1829. GULIELMUS.

EXTRACTS FROM THE COMMON-PLACE BOOK OF A LITERARY LOUNGER.—NO. IX,

FORTUNATE MEN.

CARDINAL MAZARINE was no phrenologist; he had a much better method of ascertaining the qualities of man than by examining his bumps, for when any officer was recommended to him, he always asked Est il heureux? Is he a fortunate man? on the fair presumptive probability, that he who had hitherto been generally unsuccessful, must have betrayed some inherent defect, some radical want of prudence, forethought, fortitude, or common sense.

EPITAPH ON LORD CHANCELLOR KING'S CARPENTER.
Posts oft he made, yet ne'er a place could get,
And lived by railing, though he was no wit;
Old saws he had, although no antiquarian,
And stiles corrected, yet was no grammarian.

THE JEWS ARISTOCRATS.

Dr. Priestley, in one of his sermons, speaking of the pride of birth, and the contempt with which certain writers treat the lower classes of society, observed:

It was in this manner, that the aristocrats of Jerusalem spoke of the Saviour of the world: " Who is this, that maketh such a stir amongst us? Is he not the son of Joseph the carpenter?">

WELSH CATS.

The animal which made a fortune for Whittington must certainly have been a Welsh cat, for her good qualities recommended her at a very early age to the attention of the legislators of the principality. In the Triads we are told that, in the year 948, laws were made both to preserve and fix the prices of different animals, among which the cat was included. The price of a kitten before it could see was fixed at one penny; till proof could be given of its having caught a mouse, two-pence; after which it was rated at four-pence,-a great sum in those days, when the value of specie was extremely high. It was likewise required that the animal should be a good mouser, have its claws whole, and, if a female, a careful nurse. If it failed in any of

these qualifications, the seller was to forfeit to the buyer the third part of its value. If any one should steal or kill the cat that guarded the prince's granary, the offender was to forfeit either a milch ewe, her fleece, and lamb, or as much wheat, as when poured on the cat, suspended by her tail (its head touching the floor), would form a heap high enough to cover the tip of its tail.

ON A FUGITIVE DANCING MASTER.

His time was short, his touch was neat,
His movements have not lingered,
Alert alike in hands and feet,

Our gold he freely fingered.
Where lies the wonder of the case,
A moment's thought detects it,
His conduct has been thorough bass,
A chord will be his exit.

Yet some upon his hasty flight,
May think our censure rash,
That traveller is surely right,

Who turns his notes to cash.

ANNALS OF THE POST OFFICE.

Post Offices were first established in Paris, 1462; in England, 1581; in Germany, 1641; in the Turkish dominions, 1740; regulated by parliament, and made general in England, 1656, and in Scotland, 1685.

The penny-post was set up in London and suburbs, by one Murray, an upholsterer, in 1681, who afterwards assigned the same to one Dockwra; afterwards claimed by the government, who allowed the latter a pension of 200l. a year, in 1711. First set up in Dublin, 1774. It was improved considerably in and about London, July, 1794.

GOOSE ON MICHAELMAS DAY.

The joyful tidings of the defeat of the Spanish armada arrived on Michaelmas day, and was communicated to Queen Elizabeth whilst at dinner partaking of a goose. Hence the origin of eating that savory dish on Michaelmas day-a day

When geese do bleed at Michael's shrine.'

ANECDOTES OF DOGS.-NO. III.

"They are honest creatures.'-Otway.

DOGS are animals of nice discernment; and are generally, it would appear, most partial to people of taste. On a former occasion we noticed the speaking dog belonging to the editor of the Dumfries Courier,' and shall now relate an anecdote of a dog that once belonged to Mr. Mudford, editor of the Courier' newspaper. His name was Crop; and he was in colour black and white, his hair nine inches in length, of a handsome and commanding figure, attractive and interesting to all who saw him. He was distinguished by those peculiar and noble characteristics for which the dogs of Newfoundland are so justly famed, and the union of which, in the same individual, seems almost incompatible-the highest degree of courage, and even fierceness on necessary occasions, with the most endearing playful good-nature and inoffensiveness. To these were joined an incessant disposition to volunteer his services wherever, by his extraordinary sagacity, he judged them to be either necessary or useful. A remarkable instance of this in Crop was his noticing the habit in his master of being accommodated with his boot-jack, slippers, and dressing-gown, on returning home in the evening. On a certain occasion, while Mr. Mudford was waiting for these, a lumbering noise was heard upon the stairs, when suddenly, to the astonishment of himself and family, Crop entered the room with the gown, which having laid at his master's VOL. 11. Nov. 1829.