known to belong to his countrymen; and thinking it imperative on him to be particularly attentive to his master's friend, he lost no opportunity of praising his prowess. The first covey, and the birds were abundant, rose within a few yards of the statesman's nose, but the noise they made was so unexpected, that he waited until they were out of harm's way before he fired. Pat, who was on the lock-out, suppressed his surprise, and immediately observed, “ Faith, sir, I see you know what a gun is; it's well you was'nt nearer, or them chaps would be sorry you ever came into the country." Sheridan reloaded and went on, but his second shot was not more successful." "O Ch-t!" cried Pat, “ what an escape! I'll be bound you rumpled some of their feathers!" The gun was again loaded, and on went our senator; but the third shot was as little effective as the two former.“ Hah!" exclaimed Pat, although astonished at so palpable a miss, “I'll lay a thirteen you don't come near us again to-day; master was too near you to be pleasant." So he went on, shot after shot, and always had something to console poor Brinsley, who was not a little amused by his ingenuity. At last, on their way home without a bird in the bag. Sheridan perceived a covey quietly feeding on the other side of a hedge, and, unwilling to give them a chance of flight, he resolved to slap at them on the ground. He did so, but to his mortification they all flew away untouched. Pat, whose excuses were now almost exhausted, still had something to say, and joyfully exclaimed, looking at Sheridan very significantly, "By J-s, you made them lave that any how!" and with this compliment to his sportsman-like qualities Sheridan closed his morning's amusement, laughing heartily at his companion, and rewarding him with half-a-crown for his patience and encouragement.

JOHN BULL.-The expression John Bull, commonly used to signify

an Englishman, is taken from Dean Swift's ludicrous History of Europe, wherein the people of England are personified under that appellation. The Sovereigns of Austria, Spain, and France, by those of Squire South, Street, and Louis Baboon.

LORD BYRON'S FATHER.-It is well known that Lord Byron's father, Colonel Byron, wooed and married Miss Gordon of Gight, for the purpose of paying his debts out of her fortune; and having succeeded in this right honourable scheme, the whole of his subsequent conduct towards her was consistent with it, and calculated to blight her every innocent hope, to poison her high spirit, and to crush her heart. Some months before the birth of Lord Byron she went to the theatre in Edinburgh to see Mrs. Siddons, then in the full glory of her powers, play the part of Isabella, in the Futal Marriage; and the coincidence of the name of Byron, added to the effect of Mrs. Siddons's performance, so completely overwhelmed her, that she fell into strong convulsions, and was carried home delirious. All sensible medical men are aware of the powerful influence that such agitations and such a state of mind and feeling in a mother were likely to have on the future temper and character of her son.

THE SUSPICIOUS HUSBAND.-It is pretty generally known, that George the First entertained a suspicion of the fidelity of his queen, and that he supposed the object of her affections was Count Koningsmark. So strongly did this opinion work on the monarch's mind, that he doomed her to be confined for life in a castle of his own, in Hanover. The reason which he gave for his suspicion was, that having occasion to enter her majesty's closet very late one night, he found her asleep on a sofa, and a man's hat (which he knew to belong to Count Koningsmark) lying by her; and, as he thought the circumstance to

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amount to a full proof of her guilt, he took the barbarous resolutions of confining her in the castle where she died. Some time after this, Dr. Hoadly reflecting on the above circumstance, worked up the comedy of the "Suspicious Husband;" the principal plot of which is the causeless jealousy of Mr. Strictland, which the author artfully confirms, by introducing Ranger's hat in Mrs. Strictland's chamber, which being found by Mr. Strictland, confirms his suspicion, and makes him resolve to part with his lady. This play the doctor dedicated to King George the Second, who was so highly pleased with it, that he ordered a private gratification of one thousand guineas, and somé other emoluments, to the author; was present at the first representad tion, and was so charmed with Mr. Garrick's performance of Ranger, that he honoured the house with his presence for several nights during the run of the play.

DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.-The Archbishop of Canterbury attended the Queen in her last moments; he endeavoured to console her, by saying that she had every thing to hope from the mercy of the Almighty, for her piety, her zeal, and the admirable reformation she had so happily established. The Queen, who had turned to the other side of the bed, interrupted the Archbishop by saying, “My Lord, the crown which I wore for so many years made me sufficiently vain while I lived; I beg you will not now increase my vanity, when I am so near death." After this her respiration failed, and she fell into an agony which lasted eighteen hours, and then expired.

MR. POWELL. The first season of performing the Fair Penitent, Mr. Powell represented the part of Lothario: he had a dresser called Warren, who claimed a privilege (which at that time existed, though not always observed) of performing the dead part of the hero, ins

the fifth act. Powell being ignorant of the station his man had taken, called aloud for him behind the scenes, in the middle of the last act. The sad representative of death hearing his master's voice, and knowing that he was passionate, instantly replied, “Here am I, sir!" Powell-being still ignorant of the situation of his servant, again called," Come here this moment, you son of a, or I will break all the bones in your skin!" Warren could no longer delay or resist, and jumped up, hung with sables, which, as it were to heighten his embarrassment, were tied to the handles of the bier: this, added to the roar in the house, urged his speed so earnestly, that, with the bier in his rear, he ran against and threw down Calista (Mrs. Barry), overwhelming her with the table, lamp, book, bones, and all the drear lumber of the charnel-house, till at length he liberated himself, and precipitately took flight. The play ended abruptly, but not without leaving the audience in high good-humour.

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SAUCY ARRANGEMENTS.- -Mr. John Langley, an Englishman, who settled in Ireland, where he died, left the following extraordinary will:-" I, John Langley, born at Wincanton, in Somersetshire, and settled in Ireland in the year 1651, now in my right mind and wits, do make my will in my own hand-writing. I do leave all my housegoods and farm of Black Kettle, of two hundred and fifty-three acres, to my son, commonly called Stubborn Jack; to him and his heirs for ever, provided he marries a Protestant woman, but not Alice Kendrick, who called me Oliver's whelp. My new buckskin breeches, and my silver tobacco-stopper with J. L. on the top, I give to Richard Richards, my comrade, who helped me off at the storming of Clonmell, when I was shot through the leg. My said son John shall keep my body above ground six days and six nights after I am dead? and Grace Kendrick shall lay me out, who shall have for so doing five

shillings. My body shall be put upon the oak table in the brown room, and fifty Irishmen shall be invited to my wake, and every one shall have two quarts of the best aqua vita, and each one a skein, dish, and knife, laid before him; and when the liquor is out nail up my coffin, and commit me to earth, whence I came. This is my will. Witness my hand this 3d of March, 1674, JOHN LANGLEY."

Some of Mr. Langley's friends asked him why he would be at such expense in treating the Irishmen whom he hated? He replied, that if they got drunk at his wake, they would probably get to fighting and kill one another, which would do something towards lessening the breed.

CORONATIONS. The following account of the advance of price for seats at the Coronation of the kings of England, will, we think, amuse all classes of readers:

"At Edward I.'s coronation, the demand for a seat was half-afarthing. At Edward II.'s the people had doubled either their wealth, or their passion for royal shows; for the price had risen to an entire farthing. At Edward III.'s it was a halfpenny. At Richard II.'s it was a penny; and the chronicler seems to think that the show was not worth the money. At Henry IV.'s it was still a penny. Henry V. was popular, and the people paid down to the extent of twopence, in testimony of their admiration. Henry VI., of whom Shakspeare says, ⚫ that he could neither fight nor fly,' was no favourite; yet old English liberality prevailed, and gave twopence to see him crowned. But coronations became more frequent in his time than was good for the setters of windows; the market was choaked, and the prices dropped from their original loyal elevation of twopence to a penny, thence to a halfpenny, and, in some disastrous instances, the glory of regality' might be seen for nothing. Better times then came round, and Edward