ject of fome paragraphs in every newfpaper-sometimes it was numerus infauftus. One man fwore that he would eat 45 pound of beef-fteaks-another that he would drink 45 pots of porter; but they both died before the glorious purpose could be accomplished-perhaps, neither gluttony nor drunkenness were the motives to this excefs, but an ambition to be connected with 45.

Whoever might be the worse, to John Wilkes himself this was a lucky number -almost every article of life poured in upon him in forty fives-among the rest I recollect 45 dozen of claret, and 45 dozen of candles, from an Alderman of the name of White-this laft gave occafion to a humourous ballad, ending

my mufe I no longer will dandle,
So I wish you good night

Mr. Alderman White

With your 45 dozen of candle.

Very lately, in a newspaper, was the following article. "We left Falmouth "the 7th of Auguft, 1794-nothing ma❝terial occurred until the 23d, on which

day we do in general look for fuccefs, "as all our captures have been made on "the 23d." (Letter from an officer of the Flora, who I presume had read Robinfoe Crufoe). I heartily with this honeft gentleman may take a good French prize the 23d of every month as long as the war lafts!

I am fo truly forry for the following coincidences, (taken from a newspaper,) that I fhall give them fimply, without remark

On the 21st of April, 1770, Louis
XVI. was married.

21ft of June, 1770, was the Fête when 1 500 perfons were trampled to death.

R

On

On the 21st of Jan. 1782, Fête for the birth of the Dauphin.

21ft of June, 1791, the flight

to Varennes.

21ft of Sept. 1792, the abo

lition of royalty.

21ft of Jan. 1793, his deca

pitation.*

-but let me quit this difagreeable fubject.

There is nothing beyond the power of accident. If it be a million to one that an event shall not happen, it is ftill one to a million that it may happen, and therefore

*It is an odd circumftance, that one of the King of France's Council fhould be named Target; which is the dramatic name of a Counsellor in The Confcious Lovers. Nothing can be more ferious and affecting than the trial of Louis XVI. but this unfortunate name, Target, to an Englishman, occafions an affociation of ideas totally abhorrent to the fenfations which would else be excited by such fevere diftrefs.

fore within poffibility.-I will mention a coincidence which had more chances

against it than any I have yet mentioned. I once faw five keys, belonging to a stranger, connected with a ring, which were so precisely the counterpart of other five keys and a ring in my poffeffion, that there was no diftinguishing between them in any respect the keys were of very different ages and fizes, and the rings particularly formed-I leave it to mathematicians to calculate the odds against this coincidence, which is all but miraculous,

On Literary Thievery.

INSTANCES have been given of Sterne's borrowing, perhaps, stealing, fome thoughts and paffages from Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. As I myself never steal, at least, knowingly, it may be expected that I should cry out vehemently against thieves. Whether my principles and practice are, as usual, at variance, or whether that rogue Falstaff has given me medicines to make me love the vocation because it was his, I know not; but I am willing to let all fuch thieves as Sterne escape punishment-I say this to avoid the fufpicion of malice, in bringing two or three additional instances of the use Sterne has made of his reading.

The