by his goddess Venus, that the name of a lawyer was but another for a scoundrel.

Mr. Wilkes going to Dolly's chop-house, in Paternoster-row, with a friend, in order to observe the humours of the place, accidentally seated himself near a rich and purse-proud citizen, who almost stunned him with roaring for his stake, as he called it. Mr. Wilkes in the meantime, asking him some common question, received a very brutal answer: the steak coming at that instant, Mr. Wilkes turned to his friend, and said, See the difference between the City and the Bear-Garden; in the latter the bear is brought to the stake, but here the steak is brought to the bear.'

The same gentleman, during the prosecution carried on against him by administration, being in France, and at court, Madame Pompadour addressed him thus:"You Englishmen are fine fellows; pray how far may a man go in his abuse of the Royal Family among you?"—I do not at present know,' replied he, drily, but I am trying.'

THE CONSEQUENCES OF WRITING A BAD HAND.

A gentleman, writing to his country-friend in Lincolnshire, who had done him some recent favour, informed him by letter how much he was obliged, and that he should soon send him an equivalent. Not being accustomed to fashionable scrawls, he read it, that his friend would send him an elephant; and, building a barn at the time, actually fitted up a stall for the reception of his expected present. The arrival, however, of a barrel of oysters by the stage, a few days afterwards, helped him to the right reading, by putting him in possession of a more suitable equivalent than an elephant. This is a fact, and occurred a few years since.

STERNE.

At school, Mr. Sterne would only learn when he pleased, which was not oftener than once a fortnight; from the academy, in proper course of time, he was removed to the university; there he studied little, laughed a great deal, and was particularly fond of puzzling his tutors; he left Cambridge with the character of a very singular man, who possessed considerable talents whenever he thought proper to use them. After his ordination, he rested himself quietly in the lap of the church; and, if it was not covered with a fringed cushion, to a man of his easy disposition, it was not destitute of charms. In this situation he waited patiently, till time and chance should raise him to what they pleased; but here he fell into a dispute, which made him first feel his own consequence, and to which the public, perhaps, are indebted for the origin of Tristram Shandy.

Friendship, not his own immediate concerns, was the cause; a person, who had a very good sinecurepost for life, wanted it continued to his lady, and his son after her decease. The friend of Yorick was against this, and warmly opposed the proposal; each side were equally positive: in this state of the contention, Yorick attacked the monopoliser in a little satirical production, which he entitled “The History of a good warm Watch-coat, with which the Possessor could not be content to cover his own Body, unless he might also cut out of it a Petticoat for his Wife, and likewise a Pair of Breeches for his Son." This had the desired effect; the knowledge of its contents soon came to the ears of the unreasonable claimant ; he immediately sent the author word, that, if he would suppress the publication of it, he would, on his part, desist from all further contention. Yorick, who

by this time had deliberately perused the pages, sent back word, that the gentleman might rest satisfied he had already thrown it into the fire, because it was too harsh and ill-natured. The reason of his destroying it was considered as a proof of the goodness of his heart, which pleased the few odd people who had a similar turn, and raised his reputation more than any thing he could have published on the occasion.

An incident occurred about the same time, which contributed much to establish his reputation for wit. There was a coffee-room in the principal inn, where gentlemen who frequented the house might read the newspapers one of the greatest enjoyments of Yorick's life was spending an inoffensive hour in a snug corner of this room. There was a troop of horse at that time quartered in the town; one of the officers was a gay young man, spoiled by the free education of the world, but not destitute of good qualities; this young gentleman was remarkable for his freedom of conversation and pointed reflections against the clergy. The modest Yorick was often constrained to hear toasts he could not approve, and conversations shocking to the ear of delicacy, and was frequently obliged to move his seat or pretend deafness. The captain, resolving this conduct should no longer avail him, seated himself by Yorick so as to prevent his retreat, and immediately began a profane indecent tale, at the expense of the clerical profession, with his eyes fixed steadfastly on Yorick, who pretended for some time not to notice his ill-manners; when that became impossible, he turned to the military intruder, and gravely said, "Sir, I'll tell you my story:- -my father is an officer, and is so brave himself, that he is fond of every thing else that is brave, even his dog: you must know we have at this time one of the finest

creatures in the world, of his kind; the most spirited, yet the best natured that can be imagined; so lively that he charms every body; but he has a cursed trick that throws a strong shade over all his good qualities." Pray, what may that be?' interrogated the officer. "He never sees a clergyman, but he instantly flies at him," answered Yorick. 'How long has he had that trick?' 66 Why sir," replied the divine, with a sig

nificant look,

ever since he was a puppy." The man of war for once blushed; and, after a pause, 'Doctor,' says he, I thank you for your hint ;-give me your hand, I'll never rail at a parson again as long as I live.'

These, and a number of pleasant repartees, always conducted with temper, and strongly enforced with good sense, established his character as a first wit and perfect master of humour in the country.

About this period of time, Mr. Sterne printed the two first volumes of Tristram Shandy at York, and sent a parcel of them up to a bookseller in London; they were unknown, and scarcely advertised; but, thus friendless, made their way to the closet of every person of taste, and introduced their author to the tables of the most distinguished persons in the kingdom.

NOBLE REPLY OF A FISHERMAN.

M. de Tourville, a French admiral, in the beginning of king William's reign, meditated a descent on the English coast; and as his intention was to land somewhere in Sussex, he sent for a fisherman, a native of that county, who had been taken prisoner by one of his ships, in hopes of gaining some useful intelligence concerning the state of the government. He asked the fisherman, to whom his countrymen were most attached, to king James, or to the prince of Orange,

stiled king William? The poor man, confounded by these questions, made the admiral this reply: “ I have never heard talk of the gentlemen you mention; they may be very good lords for any thing I know; they never did me any harm, and so God bless them both. As for the government, how should I know any thing about it, since I can neither read nor write? All I have to do, is to take care of my boat and my nets, and sell my fish." 'Since then you are indifferent to both parties,' resumed the admiral, and are a good mariner, you can have no objection to serve on board my ship. "I fight against my country!" answered the fisherman with great vivacity; "no, not for the ransom of a king.”

HOLBEIN THE PAINTER.

A nobleman of the first quality came one day to see Holbein, when he was drawing a figure after the life. Holbein begged his lordship to defer the honour of his visit to another day: which the nobleman taking as an affront, broke open the door, and very rudely went up stairs. Holbein, hearing a noise, came out of his chainber, and meeting the lord at the door, fell into a violent passion, and pushed him backwards from the top of the stairs to the bottom. However, considering immediately what he had done, he escaped from the tumult he had raised, and made the best of his way to the king. The nobleman, who was much hurt, though not so much as he pretended, was there soon after him; and upon opening his grievance, the king ordered Holbein to ask pardon for his offence. But this only irritated the nobleman the more, who would not be satisfied with less than his life; upon which the king sternly replied, "My lord, you have not now to do with Holbein, but with me; whatever punishment you may contrive by way of revenge