upon withholding relief, until you had convinced the poor half-naked and starving creatures, how much they were indebted to the machinery they destroy for their subsistence, or explained to them the laws that regulate wages, as to do what the Times recommends. The one process would be as short as the other; though the last would be by far the most useful of the two. But there is not time for either.

GREEK COURAGE.-All the papers tell us that,

"The son of Canaris, who is receiving his education at Paris, was a short time since in the saloon of a family who exercised great kindness towards him. Being observed from time to time to bend his fist, and make menacing gestures before an image of the French Corunna, some surprise was excited. This head, which is rather masculine, is surrounded with a rich turban. The young Greek, under the influence of a blind sentiment of courage and vengeance, exclaimed, Cut off that big Turk's head.'"

It would not be amiss if the gentlemen who are so well informed about the modern Greeks, would learn a little how the ancient ones used to spell their names. The French Corinna (Mad. de Staël) is evidently meant; yet the mistake has not been corrected in any paper which we have seen. The boy's courage (if the story is true) seems rather equivocal: it is somewhat of the Turkish kind, for he is made to bid somebody else “cut off the big Turk's head." A NEGRO SACRIFICE.-The following very curious account of a Negro sacrifice is given by an eye-witness :-we extract it from the notes to a recent pamphlet on the West India question. Our classical readers will be reminded by it of the Choephora of Eschylus; and all our readers will be struck by its resemblance to the sacrifices to the dead, alluded to in Deuteronomy xiv. 1. xxvi. 14. xxxii. 17. and in other parts of Scripture:

"In Jamaica there had been a severe distemper prevailing for some time; it had swept away some of the grandchildren of a very old African woman, who had contributed much to the increase of her master's subjects. One evening I saw her at the graves of her deceased descendants, and surrounded by those who were in health; two were confined to their beds, and, to procure their health, old Beneba was a suitor to the Duppies, or Spirits of her departed children, her brother, and husband. She had prepared a liberal repast, most part of which she cast over the graves, and thus invoked the Duppies: Cooba! Quamina! Coobenha! Juba! Mimba me call you by your born-day name to please you! Look! me give you fowl-me give you nyams, and cocos, and plantains,' (various species of roots) and more than that, me give you bread, and sugar and water and what you think? here me give you rum (exalting her voice, and scattering the sacrifice about), but me don't give you salt, because Duppies don't like salt: now look, all this me give you to make my poor pickenninies (children), Quasheba and Cudjoe, live. I beg you upon my knees. Do, Coobenha, you was my husband when you was livingdo, Quamina, you was my brother-do, Cooba, you was my own pickenniny-and do, Juba and Mimba, you was my pickenniny pickenninies (graud children). If you make Quasheba and Cudjoe get well, every year I will give you fowls, and cocos, and nyams, and plantains, and sugar and water, and bread, and more than that (exclaiming with energy), and more than that, I will give you grog-what you think? but I won't give you salt, because Duppies do not love salt; but if you think to take my poor sick pickenninies to come live with you in this cold, cold dirt-I tell you what! you, Coobenha! you, Quamina! you, Cooba! you, Juba! you, Mimba! But I don't want to quarrel with you, me been love you too much— me beg you no kill my pickenninies. If you hungry, here is meat; if you want drink, here is sugar and water, and more-here is grog! good strong grog! what do you think? Do, don't take my pickenninies! Coobenha, you was my husband before time, you had plenty wife besides me, but I never had any man but you one, since I came from Guinea, till you dead, excepting Creole Cuffy and Coromontee Cudjoe-all my pickenninies was for you-make me ask you, did me ever thieve any thing from you? Cudjoe! you was a good husband-Cudjoe make my pickenninies live-do! And my good brother, and you my t'other pickenninies, do make them poor sick pickenninies, Quasheba and Cudjoe, get well-no make them dead.' Here she again scattered her offering."

THE MENAGERIE AT EXETER CHANGE.--This, we are glad to learn, is to be removed into the Regent's Park, where about five acres of land are to be sct

apart for it, upon the same principle as the one in Paris. Whether this is to be accomplished at the expense of Government, or not, we are not informed; but we shall be glad to find that even the fact of the proposed removal is correct. It is the beginning, at least, of a public and gratuitous menagerie; and even if it does not wipe away our national reproach in this way, it is pleasant to think that the state of the tigers and elephants resident in this country, will be ameliorated by the change.

FRENCH SENTIMENT.-During the reign of Buonaparte, we were stigınatized as a nation of shopkeepers; it is now the fashion in France to exalt our national character on this very ground. A French paper tells us that the Duchess of Northumberland sent, lately, some flannel to the Duchess of Berri, with this note:

"Madame la Duchesse de Northumberland fait hommage à Madame Duchesse, de Berri, de quelques aunes de flanelle de Galles. Cette flanelle est un produit des manufactures du frere de Mad. la Duchesse de Northumberland."

Upon this the French Editor exclaims-" What grace! what simplicity! quel beau caractère national!" &c. &c. It unfortunately happens, however, that neither the Duke nor Duchess of Northumberland has a brother in any way connected with the manufacture of Welsh flannels. The whole story is a fiction.

PUBLIC PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCES.-A curious instance of the danger of printing occurs in the following:

"Advertisement of Correspondence.-Drury-lane Theatre, May 11, 1826.-My Dear Lord William-I have seen with great surprise the Palladium' of last Sunday, in which the Proprietor states, that in a conversation between your Lordship and himself, you disclaimed having any acquaintance with me. There are very few statements which Colonel Fairman could make that would induce me to bestow a moment's thought on them, having already proved that person to be devoid of truth and courage; but from the friendship with which you have for a long time honoured me, which I so highly prize, and which, I believe, I have never done anything to forfeit, I cannot refrain from asking you for an assurance that the person above-mentioned has, according to his usual practice, misrepresented your Lordship, as well as more humble individuals.-I have the honour to be, my dear Lord William, yours very faithfully, A. BUNN.

"To the Lord W. Lennox, &c."

"Knightsbridge Barracks, May 12, 1826.-My Dear Sir-I can have no hesitation in assuring you that the remarks in the Palladium,' of my having disclaimed your acquaintance,' were perfectly unauthorised by me.-Very truly yours, "To A. Bunn, Esq. Theatre Royal, Drury-lane. WM. PITT LENNOX.”

This answer, as the reader will readily see, does not at all deny the fact of Lord W. Lennox having "disclaimed" poor Mr. Bunn's acquaintance, but merely goes the length of denying that he gave Colonel Fairman any authority to publish that important fact.

THE FANCY BALL:

"The fancy dresses bore a very small proportion to the others; the one which seemed to attract most curiosity, was that of Mrs. Arbuthnot, who, habited in Eastern male attire, walked about the room, leaning on the arm of the Duke of Wellington."

"An Evening paper states, that Mrs. Arbuthnot appeared at the Fancy Ball, on Friday evening, in Eastern male attire. This is not true; the costume worn by that lady was that of Mary Queen of Scots."

This piece of intelligence cannot fail deeply to interest the reflecting part of the public.

DISAPPOINTMENTS.-It is quite provoking to be entrapped into reading a paragraph by the taking title it bears, and then to find it swell into a lottery puff, or melt into Macassar Oil. In the Chronicle of the other day, we thought we had discovered an invaluable secret, under the title of " Method of keeping clothes dry in rain," which turned out to be the following extract from Denham: "While we remained at Kabshary, we encountered a violent storm, and were much amused by the economy of the Shouas when the storm approached. I saw all were extremely busy, digging holes in the sand

with their spears, evidently too small to get into themselves, and we were not a little surprised to see them presently bury their shirts and trowsers two or three feet deep in the sand, which, on the rain subsiding, they dug up and put on quite dry, with an air of great comfort and satisfaction." Denham and his friends seem to have preferred "colds and agues" to this plan.

AMERICAN MUSICAL TASTE.-A public meeting was lately held at New York for the purpose of permanently establishing an Italian Opera in that city, by subscription. The Subscribers call themselves "The New York Opera Company." The chances of the success of this plan may be estimated by the fact, that the Italian singers who went to America last season, were compelled to advertise for encores, and that instead of one of the most beautiful airs of Rossini, "Home, sweet home" was nightly demanded by the audience.

MAGISTRATES. A case has just appeared in the papers, in which Sir Mark Wood, a Justice of the Peace, figures rather discreditably. He is represented as having abused the Bench, sworn a quantity of oaths, and even clenched his fist in the face of one of the magistrates. The papers tell us that the magistrates behaved on the occasion in the most polite forbearing manner, and that the particular magistrate who was personally insulted by this man, was remarkable for his gentlemanly coolness, requested Sir Mark Wood to step into the magistrates' private room, &c. All this show of forbearance and ultra-politeness, we think, was most impolitic and improper. Who imagines that a poor man would have been treated in the same way, if he had committed the same outrages? If Mr. Dyer had sufficient patience to suffer, without resenting, the personal indignity, he ought to have reflected that something was due to the dignity of the Bench.

THE NEW BACONIAN PHILOSOPHY:

"A medical man has just made known, as a remedy for indigestion, what he calls the fat bacon system.' He recommends a slice of fat boiled bacon, between two slices of bread, every morning for breakfast."

We hope he intends to furnish a stomach, as well as a system, to those who may wish to try to digest his "Extracts of Bacon." PIOUS REFLECTIONS FROM A SUNDAY PAPER :

:

"Mrs. Windsor, a provincial actress of some celebrity, died suddenly on Friday se'nnight-she was taken ill while acting in the Farce of 'False and True'-she was, the papers say, highly respected." It is melancholy when death assails this sort of person, decked out in the ridiculous trappings of mummery-such a coincidence makes the affliction more awful."

We should like to know why, because a player happens to die in the dress of his profession, the circumstances hould either become more "melancholy" or "awful." We cannot see how the tunic of Macbeth or Othello is more ridiculous than the apron of a Bishop; and we are quite sure that nothing on the stage is half so absurd as the huge amorphous wig of a Chancellor, or the ridiculous haberdashery, trashery, and tinsel, in which our "crack regiments," as they are called, caricature humanity so abominably. If one of the latter were to fall in battle, or the first to drop from the woolsack, we should hear of its being "grand and impressive :" as if there were any difference in the circumstances but the rank of the parties.

COPYRIGHT OF WOODSTOCK.-A paragraph has appeared in several newspapers, stating that Sir Walter Scott had received the sum of 6800 guineas for the copyright of his new work. Considering that about four times the ordinary number of copies are sold of these works, they may well admit of a large sum for copywright; yet to all those who are in the least acquainted with the value of such copyrights, the above statement must appear equally false and ridiculous; the fact is, that the sum named was the considerationmoney for 8500 copies of the work, which had been printed by Constable, ready for publication.

YE field flowers! the gardens eclipse you, 'tis true,
Yet, wildings of Nature, I doat upon you,

For ye waft me to summers of old,

When the earth teem'd around me with faery delight,
And when daisies and buttercups gladden'd my sight,
Like treasures of silver and gold.

I love you for lulling me back into dreams

Of the blue Highland mountains and echoing streams,
And of broken glades breathing their balm,
While the deer was seen glancing in sunshine remote,
And the deep mellow crush of the wood-pigeon's note
Made music that sweeten'd the calm.

Not a pastoral song has a pleasanter tune

Than ye speak to my heart, little wildings of June:
Of old ruinous castles ye tell,

Where I thought it delightful your beauties to find,
When the magic of Nature first breathed on my mind,
And your blossoms were part of her spell.

Ev'n now what affections the violet awakes;
What loved little islands, twice seen in their lakes,
Can the wild water-lily restore:

What landscapes I read in the primrose's looks,
And what pictures of pebbled and minnowy brooks
In the vetches that tangled their shore.

Earth's cultureless buds, to my heart ye were dear,
Ere the fever of passion, or ague of fear

Had scathed my existence's bloom;

Once I welcome you more, in life's passionless stage,
With the visions of youth to revisit my age,

And I wish you to grow on my tomb.

POPULAR FALLACIES.

That a deformed person is a lord.After a careful perusal of the most approved works that treat of nobility, and of its origin, in these realms in particular, we are left very much in the dark as to the original patent, in which this branch of it is recognised. Neither Camden in his "Etymologie and Original of Barons," nor Dugdale in his "Baronage of England," nor Selden (a more exact and laborious enquirer than either) in his "Titles of Honour," afford a glimpse of satisfaction upon the subject. There is an heraldic term, indeed, which seems to imply gentility, and the right to coat armour, (but nothing further) in persons thus qualified. But the sinister bend is more probably interpreted, by the best writers on this science, of some irregularity of birth, than of bodily conformation. Nobility is either hereditary, or by creation, commonly called patent. Of the former kind the title in question cannot be, seeing that the notion of it is limited to a personal distinction, which does not necessarily follow in the blood. Honours of this nature, as Mr. Anstey very well observes, descend moreover in a right line. It must be by patent then, if any thing.

But who can show it? How comes it to be dormant? Under what king's reign is it pretended? Among the grounds of nobility, cited by the learned Mr. Ashmole, after "Services in the Field or in the Council Chamber," he judiciously sets down "Honours conferred by the sovereign out of mere benevolence, or as favouring one subject rather than another, for some likeness or conformity observed (or but supposed) in him to the royal nature;" and instances the graces showered upon Charles Brandon, who "in his goodly person being thought not a little to favour the port and bearing of the king's own majesty, was by that sovereign, King Henry the Eighth, for some or one of these respects, highly promoted and preferred." Here, if any where, we thought we had discovered a clue to our researches. But after a painful investigation of the rolls and records under the reign of Richard the Third, or Richard Crouchback, as he is more usually designated in the chronicles, from a traditionary stoop, or gibbosity in that part, we do not find that that monarch conferred any such lordships, as are here pretended, upon any subject, or subjects, on a simple plea of "conformity" in that respect to the "royal nature.” The posture of affairs in those tumultuous times, preceding the battle of Bosworth, possibly left him at no leisure to attend to such niceties. Further than his reign we have not extended our enquiries; the kings of England who preceded, or followed him, being generally described by historians to have been of straight and clean limbs, the "natural derivative (says Daniel *) of high blood, if not its primitive recommendation to such ennoblement, as denoting strength and martial prowessthe qualities set most by in that fighting age." Another motive, which inclines us to scruple the validity of this claim, is the remarkable fact, that none of the persons, in whom the right is supposed to be vested, do ever insist upon it themselves. There is no instance of any of them "sueing his patent," as the law-books call it; much less of his having actually stepped up into his proper seat, as, so qualified, we might expect that some of them would have had the spirit to do, in the House of Lords. On the contrary, it seems to be a distinction thrust upon them. "Their title of Lord (says one of their own body, speaking of the common people) I never much valued, and now I entirely despise : and yet they will force it upon me as an honour which they have a right to bestow, and which I have none to refuse. † Upon a dispassionate review of the subject, we are disposed to believe that there is no right to the peerage incident to mere bodily configuration; that the title in dispute is merely honorary, and depending upon the breath of the common people; which in these realms is so far from the power of conferring nobility, that the ablest constitutionalists have agreed in nothing more unanimously, than in the maxim that the King is the sole fountain of honour.

* History of England, "Temporibus Edwardi Primi et sequentibus," Hay on Deformity.