proportion of women who will have the courage to face the difficulties and brave the labour. Many may, however, learn enough to make themselves invaluable nurses. upon them by circumstances. They were submissive to their lords, were thankful for their kindnesses, and forgave them their many sins. And it was not till early in the present century that the blue stocking ap- So will be restored the medieval condition. peared, to become a subject of ridicule. Women will occupy themselves in household This was unfortunate, because the blue stock-work, in study and literature, in looking after ings, in a desultory, hesitating way, only and educating children, in social amusetried to recover a portion of woman's lost ments, in dances, music, and love-making. ground. For a long time women who studied Man-poor, dear, patient animal!-goes on were looked upon with disfavour and suspi- always the same: working for those he loves, cion. Why could not they make samplers striving to keep the nest warm, and caring and puddings, and play on the harpsichord? little enough for aught else. Some of them-poor things!-were obliged to learn in order to become governesses. But, really, what more ridiculous than that a woman should learn the same things as a man? Above all, why seek to change things? Social prejudices are almost as hard to eradicate as those of religion. It was not till quite lately that the feeling against woman's rights as regards education was suc--with, of course, the welfare of their childcessfully combated; and even now there are hundreds of respectable parents who would far rather send their daughters to a fashionable boarding-school at Brighton, where they are sure to learn nothing, than to a place like the Hitchin College, where they will be taught with the same accuracy and thoroughness as Cambridge Honour men. As for the rest, things are in a transition state, and consequently uncomfortable and disagreeable. Women, finding that their sphere is enlarged, want, naturally enough, to get as much as they can. Nor have they yet learned how to limit their aims to their strength. If they are prepared to give up love and marriage, or to subordinate these ren-to other things; if, further, they are willing to give up those social amenities to which they are accustomed-the concession of small things by men, the deference and respectful bearing of gentlemen towards them-then, by all means, let women go upon platforms, and fight in the arena, side by side with their brothers. Life is a great battle, in which, from time immemorial, women have been spared. If they want to enter it, let them come. But the battle is for existence: they will be struck down ruthlessly; and they will enter it, however well prepared and armed with whatever ability of brainwith a feeble and delicate frame. Meantime, it is all windbags and nonsense. A few women have got up a crypartly from a wish to get notoriety, partly from a perfectly intelligible, if unreasonable, revolt against their own position, partly against one or two real grievances. They are the shrieking sisterhood. Their voices alone are heard. Their ranks are not increasing; but they make such a confounded clatter, that we quiet men believe the numbers to be tenfold what they really are. We go up and down, like a see-saw. After two hundred years our women are going to become students again; and after three hundred years they are going to become physicians again. Foremost among ladydoctors is Mrs. Anderson. In the profession which she has taken up, particularly in those branches to which she is understood to have chiefly devoted her attention—the diseases of women and children-we wish her all the success that her courage and ability deserve. More: we hope that she is the forerunner of many other ladies who will take up the art of healing. Women can become at once nurses and doctors; their gentleness, not greater than that of some men, in spite of what is said, is more uniform: they have more patience; they are ready to devote more time. Only the conditions of things are changed. It is no longer necessary to know the properties of simples: it is necessary also to study the anatomy and frame-in work of the body, to gain experience in the symptoms of disease, to go through a great deal that is repulsive and hard. It is no light thing to become a physician. We do not think that there will ever be a large The way to meet them is to argue as little as possible to take away as much as possible all power to do mischief (by interfering subjects in which, rightly or wrongly, they can know little, they have done a good deal of mischief already); to help all women, in every station, to honest work; to secure for women proper pay for work; to concede all that we can. Let us acknowledge at bold enough to attempt a reconciliation of the two. The latest example, perhaps, is given by Mr. James Hurnard, the Colchester Quaker, in his recent curious poem entitled "The Setting Sun." once that women can do everything; we may then invite them to illustrate their position. For it remains with them to establish the theory that they can do everything. Meantime, let us remember, and whisper among ourselves, that they have not yet produced- We are not about to inflict upon our in the first rank, be it remembered a single readers the more than three pages of a lawmusician, painter, poet, metaphysician, scho-yer's bill done with rhythm in this very orilar, mathematician, chemist, physicist, physician, mechanician, or historian. One great, very great, novelist is a woman-George Sand. Second and third-rate people, of course, are common as blackberries. The best thing that can happen to a woman is to attract the love of a man: the best thing for a man is to love a woman. All the female men in the world cannot alter the laws of nature. Meanwhile, Mrs. Anderson, who did not shine when she left her own line and went to the School Board, has, we hope, a successful and honourable career before her in her most noble and womanly work. L POPPING THE QUESTION. RECOLLECT, in former days, Her voice in cadence had the sound An eddy makes in mossy nook, When all the truth had been confessed. I thought that Providence had marked I told her in few words my love-— She answered with accepting tear; Sighed, "What's your income, dear?" RHYMED LAW. AW and the muses are not, as a rule, supposed to work harmoniously together; but as some curious instances have occurred, from time to time, of a happy compromise between them, the subject gives room for some amusement, if not instruction. It is but at very rare intervals that the two discordant elements of legal technicality and rhythmical expression find a poet ginal book. A slight specimen will suffice. After having duly informed us that— ... . . least of all would I be bred a lawyer, Because I have a humble hope of heaven," he proceeds to give a bill of costs in full, after the following poetical model:"For instance, if you simply buy a house, He will take note of every interview, And charge you for receiving your instructions; Charge you likewise for drawing up the sameEight folio pages with a world of margin; Charge you likewise for copying the same; Charge you likewise for reading you the same, And sending of it to the other party; Charge you likewise for reading long reply From Finden, lawyer, with a draft agreement; Charge you likewise perusing of said draft; Charge you likewise transmitting draft agreement." And so on "charge you likewise" for another eighty or ninety lines, till we are glad when we come to the end of the bill. There is not much humour in all this; but in a late number of the "Law Journal”— about the last periodical in the world an ordinary layman would think of taking up for half an hour's light reading--some rather interesting correspondence has been going on concerning some of the more humorous versions of law in rhyme which are extant. Every one remembers Cowper's famous "Report of an Adjudged Case, not to be found in any of the Books," commencing "Between nose and eyes a strange contest arose," but the poet's humorous plea for the liberty taken in combining law with poetry has not, we think, been so often quoted. He says: "Poetical reports of law cases are not very common; yet it appears to me desirable that they should be so. Many advantages would accrue from such a measure. They would, in the first place, be more commonly deposited in the memory; just as linen, grocery, and other matters, when neatly packed, are known to occupy less room, and to lie more conveniently in any trunk, chest, or box to which they may be committed. In the next place, being divested of that infinite circumlocution and the endless embarrassment in which they are involved by it, they would become surprisingly intelligible in comparison with their present obscurity. And lastly, they would by that means be rendered susceptible of musical embellishment; and instead of being quoted in the country with that dull monotony which is so wearisome to bystanders, and frequently lulls even the judges themselves to sleep, might be rehearsed in recitation, which would have an admirable effect in keeping the attention fixed and lively, and could not fail to disperse that heavy atmosphere of sadness and gravity which hangs over the jurisprudence of our country. I remember, many years ago, being informed of a relation of mine, who in his youth had applied himself to the study of the law, that one of his fellowstudents, a gentleman of sprightly parts and very respectable talents of the poetical kind, did actually engage in the prosecution of such a design, for reasons, I suppose, somewhat similar to, if not the same, with those I have now suggested. "He began with 'Coke's Institutes'-a book so rugged in its style that an attempt to polish it seemed an herculean labour, and not less arduous and difficult than it would be to give the smoothness of a rabbit's fur to the prickly back of a hedgehog. But he succeeded to admiration, as you will perceive by the following specimen, which is all that my said relation could recollect of the performance: 'Tenant in fee, Simple is he, And need neither quake nor quiver, Free from demands To him and his heirs for ever."" To which pleasing little disquisition of the bard of Olney, we may add that Sir Edward Coke's Reports have actually been rendered into verse by an anonymous author. The name and the principal point of every case are contained in two lines. The following are examples: "Archer. If he for life enfeoff in fee, It bars remainders in contingency. Snag. If a person says he killed my wife, No action lies if she be yet alive. Foster. Justice of peace may warrant send To bring before him such as do offend." Wills are not very safe things to trifle with, but the following solemn will and testament was actually proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury: "The fifth day of May Being airy and gay, And to hip not inclin'd, Till their manners are mended- As th' affectionate pledges Of his brother, John Hedges." Another will, proved in the same place, is too long to give in full. It began, however, as follows: "What I am going to bequeath When this frail part submits to death- The poetic will ends thus: "In seventeen hundred and sixty-nine, For what remains I must desire, To use the words of Matthew Prior- Here, again, is a copy of the will of one Joshua West-who went by the name, in his time, of the Poet of the Six Clerks Vice. It is dated the thirteenth of Decem ber, 1804, and attested by three gentlemen well known in that office: "Perhaps I die not worth a groat; But should I die worth something more, 1 |