political dinner, where 400 were present; he believes that Sir Francis Burdett was in the chair. It was not long after the affair of Lavalette. SIR R. W. gave the history of it. It was perfectly well understood that the French King intended so to manage the matter as to get all the parties cast for death. Lady Wilson was told the circumstance, and was in great distress; she, as a last effort, waited on the Prince Regent, fell on her knees before him, and entreated his personal interference. He was deeply impressed with the desire to serve her, bid her rise, take her seat, and be comforted, for her husband's life was safe, sat down, and wrote a Letter addressed to the King of France himself, giving to her a strict injunction to deliver the Letter in person to the King himself. Sir Robert stated the great difficulty which LADY WILSON had to get at the King himself; she was bandied about from Minister to Minister, from Officer to Officer, from Servant to Servant, and at last carried her point through the English Ambassador. The Letter took effect on the King; he changed, or caused to be changed, the form of proceedings, by which the lives in jeopardy were spared. Sir Robert added that he was thus indebted to George IV for the preservation of his life on that occasion. He told the story in so pathetic a way, that he fetched tears from almost every eye.

This day MR T. RODD called on me. I told to him that Lord Eldon, whether as Trustee or otherwise, had got into a Chancery-Suit, (W. H. Clark says that he was in one about 40 years ago.) Lord Stowell, probably with the intention of evading Legacy-Duty, got a friend to purchase £30,000 worth of Stock in his own name; he always went with this friend to receive the Dividends, as he could not receive them himself. Lord Stowell has not mentioned this sum in his Will; it has been entirely forgotten; a serious difficulty has arisen; the party refuses to give up the money; a Chancery-Suit is resorted to, perhaps an Act of Parliament may be necessary. MR CHAMBERS says that he could have stopped £25,000 under

similar circumstances, which he gave up without any demur; and there were several other instances in his personal experience.

Mr Rodd went to Lord Stowell's house to catalogue some books for him with reference to a sale. The noble Lord, while he was at work, received a Letter from his steward in the country; being blind, it was read out to him by an attendant; among other matters it stated that John Noakes, a tenant, was unable to pay his rent, and wanted time; he had sold some land on a previous occasion to make up his rent, had always shewn punctuality when he could command the means, as the steward stated, but he had experienced losses and crosses and bad times; the steward humbly begged to back the application; the flinty-hearted Lord was not at all moved, though his eyes were in the grave, and one foot also; he muttered out something that the rent was due, and ought to be and must be paid! Lord Eldon came in, and Lord Stowell observed that he should sell his law-books, as he could make no further use of them; Lord E. considered it a bad time to sell, and Lord S. gave up the point. He died four years afterwards, and the Executors sold them through MESSRS SOTHEBY, who failed before any money was paid over to the Executor; they have as yet paid only 2s. in the pound, and little more is expected!

MR CHAMBERS by a Petition to the House of Commons in a matter respecting the bankrupt-laws, as if personally interested in the question, and arguing from his own case, but really intending to benefit a particular individual, effected the alteration at which he aimed; he was repaid, he said, for all his imprisonment, when the man, whom he thus relieved, came to thank him, accompanied by his seven daughters.

The Assignees of Mr Chambers, and Mayhew the Solicitor, used for months to call weekly once or twice on Mrs Chambers

at Paddington and threaten to pull the bed from under her, in the hope that they should succeed in frightening her and get her to work on MR C. himself.

CCXLVI. BEAU NASH.

A gentleman, meeting Beau Nash, told him that his coat

was too short for him.

before I get another."

"Ah" said Nash "'twill be long enough

CCXLVII. THE LAWYER'S FEE.

A gentleman asked a lawyer if a seven-shilling piece, which he held in his hand, was a good one. The lawyer, having examined it, pronounced it excellent, and having deposited it in his pocket, returned the man four-pence.

CCXLVIII. PRICE OF POULTRY.

An Irishman complained to a poulterer that 4 shillings was too high a price for his fowls, adding that he could buy them in Ireland for six pence a piecc. "Then why did you not stay in Ireland?" said the Poulterer. "Oh," said the Irishman, "because we have no sixpences in Ireland.”

CCXLIX. BILLS.

A fashionable spendthrift said he should make a good member of Parliament, for he always ordered his bills to be laid on the table or to be read that day six months.

CCL.

Jacobi Martorellii Neapolitani de regia theca calamaria in regia academia litterarum Græcarum professoris sive MEAANOAOXEINI ejusque ornamentis. 4to, Neapoli, MDCCLVI. Simonii fratres typographi.

This book is a marvellous production of learning; it contains something on every subject, though it professes to treat only of a common ink-stand. I have made £20 by the short essays which I got out of it, since I have been in the Fleet-prison. [E.H.B. 1838.]

CCLI. LONGEVITY.

A rude young Apothecary asked a Clergyman in a loud tone of voice how it was that the old Patriarchs lived so long. "I suppose " replied the clergyman," they took no physic.”

cr

CCLII. TOM AND DICK.

"See how this pot runs; look ye, Dick,
A jade! to serve us such a trick:
Dang it, I'll blow her up sky-high !"
"Why, Tom, the pot don't run, you lie."
"I say it does; why, look you here;
The table's puddled all with beer."
Says Dick "Confound your hasty tongue;
I'll make you own you're in the wrong ;
For can't you see, you squabbling sot,
The beer runs out and not the pot."

CCLIII.. EPITAPH.

For me, deceased, weep not, my dear;
I am not dead, but sleepeth here:
Your time will come, prepare to die;
Wait but a while, you'll follow I.

The husband married again in about a fortnight: upon which a wit wrote the following reply to the Epitaph :

I am not grieved, my dearest life;

Sleep on, I've got another wife;
And therefore cannot come to thee;
For I must go to bed to she.

CCLIV. THE EDDYSTONE LIGHT-HOUSE.

Whilst they were building the Eddystone light-house a French privateer took the workmen prisoners and carried them to France. Louis XIV sent them back with presents, saying that he was at war with England, not with all mankind.

CCLV. TOBACCO.

All dainty meats I do defy,
Which make men fat as swine ;

He is a frugal man indeed,
That on a pipe can dine,

He needs no napkin for his hands,
His fingers' ends to wipe,
That keeps his kitchen in a box,

His roast meat in a pipe.

CCLVI. HORE CARTHUSIANÆ.

Jan. 1, 1838. We talked of school-poetry; the Rev. J. S. Brockhurst spoke of a clever poem written at the Charterhouse. The following day he sent to me a copy.

Hast thou, when first Aurora from the Ocean

Brings light to man, (for such was Homer's notion)
In that sad hour oft heard a wondrous sound,

Music above, below, and all around?