the illustrious master of the house, who had no recollection either of his guests, or the invitation in his name; an explanation ensued, when his Royal Highness, with all that urbanity which distinguishes him as the most finished Gentleman in Europe, was pleased to declare, "that he felt himself much indebted to the ingenious person who (by forging his invitation, in order, perhaps, to sport with their feelings) had afforded him the pleasure of their society and acquaintance, however unexpected; and that he was perfectly happy in the opportunity of receiving them." His Royal Highness conducted himself towards them, during the whole of the evening, with the most liberal and marked attention, and thus converted a rencontre, which was produced by the most malignant motives, into a source of honour and perfect satisfaction.

Lines on inclosing a Lock of Hair in the Coffin of a deceased Mother.

Offspring, dear Mother, of thy womb,
To whom, long since, I owe my birth;
Thy son resigns thee to the tomb,
And to our common parent-Earth.

This Lock with filial love I give,
Within thy grave it safe shall lie:
In memory Thou with Me shalt live,
With Thee a part of Me shall die!

The following odd circumstance which lately happened in this metropolis is said to be authentic :A shopman to a capital silk mercer having for some days observed a young lady take an opportunity to secret some goods every time she came, and knowing her to have an independent fortune, formed a resolution to convert her crime. and avarice to his own advantage; accordingly the next time she came, he artfully laid some things of value in her way, which she did not fail to pocket; but at going away the shopman desired her to walk into a back parlour, where he roundly charged her with the theft. In the midst of the terrors which this accusation threw her into, he proposed an expedient, which he observed was the only method to save her honour and her life; which was, to marry him: she consented, and the young fellow is now in possession of a very handsome young thief, and twelve thousand pounds.

Epigram for the Ladies.

My Chloe's as fickle and light as a feather,

Yet I love her to death; prithee, Dick, should I wed her?
That a feather should teaze you, quoth Dick, is not strange:
T'other day, as I happen'd to pass through the grange,
I saw that thief Cupid, from doves and from sparrows,
A pilfering feathers, to stick in his arrows.

The urchin first shoots you, then pulls out his dart,
And leaves you the feather to tickle your heart.

F

The City of Bristol presenting Lord Chief Justice Pratt with the Freedom in a Gold Box.

When London, mistress of our isle,
On famous persons deigns to smile,
And, to embellish more their fame,
In her records enrols each name;
Such noble acts of public praise,
A glorious emulation raise,

And kindred cities catch the blaze.
Hence Bristol charm'd, just reason saw,
To gratify our Chief of Law,
And offers Pratt her golden frank,
A jewel of the highest rank!
Distinguish'd freedom he deserves
Who liberty to all preserves;

A slave may perch more near the sky,
And downward cast his livid eye;
Or else oblique direct the ray,
And arrogance by looks betray;
With subtle verbage juries brave,
Command what verdicts he would have,
And, like a dogmatist, may teach,
That law is far beyond their reach;
Such men from Lords to Earls may rise,
And all beneath such state despise,
But ne'er will see one golden box,
Because they are not orthodox.

The Chat of the Day.-So, Sir, as I was saying, the report of a pistol was heard on a sudden by her Ladyship, who ran frightened into his Lordship's apartment, whom she had left not long before sitting in his chair dosing; when lo! she

found his Lordship sprawling on the floor, with his face all over blood: alarmed at this horrid spectacle, as you know, any body, as well as her Ladyship, would have been, she threw up the window, and called out murder. This of course brought a number of people together, and a great bustle it occasioned; however a very little time happily unravelled this mystery which wore so frightful an aspect: for as soon as fear would allow time for enquiry, it was discovered, that as one of the servants was cleaning the fire-arms below stairs, a pistol among them, which happened to be loaded, accidentally went off, but nobody was hurt; at this instant it chanced that his Lordship, either suddenly surprised as the explosion, or from some other cause, fell out of his chair, and falling on his face, his nose bled: this gave occasion to the false report of a great person's shooting himself; for which the above is all the foundation, and his Lordship is as well, Sir, as either you or me.

Epitaph on a Sea-Officer in Torryburn Church-yard, in the County of Fife, in Scotland.

At anchor fast, in Death's dark hold,
Lies honest Captain Hill,

Who serv'd his country and his God,
With upright heart and will.

In social life, sincere and just,
To vice of no kind given;
So that his better part, we trust,
Has made the port of Heaven.

To a Gentleman, who sent the Author some writing

66

Paper.

You gave what no man could refuse,
The fairest daughter of the Muse;
Paper as white as Io's milk,

;

All edged with gold, and soft as silk;
But if we reason on your gift,
Perhaps it was some lady's shift—-
So fair, it never had been soiled;
So pure, it never had been spoiled;
And, metamorphos'd in the mill,
Retains its virgin pureness still.
You cannot, sure, think me so vain,
These white unblemish'd sheets to stain,
By forced attempt to shew my wit,
Who ne'er had power to shew it yet,
Except by dining with my betters,
With men of sense and men of letters:
Yet take two verses from my pen,

To which the world will say, Amen-
"May Heav'n, in favour to your merits,

The following curious address lately appeared as an advertisement in the Birmingham Gazette :Morgan Davis, of the Beaufort Arms, at Petty France, Gloucestershire, finding his activity daily falling off, and his corpulency increasing so as to prevent his waiting upon his customers in a manner equal to his wishes, has (to take example from other great men) retired from his public station, to enjoy in a private one what he flatters himself