RABELAIS AND ROLINUS.

upon an old lady being brought
forward as a witness to prove a
tender made:-

Garrow, forbear! that tough old jade
Can never prove a tender maid."

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the advice of her curé, whether she ought to marry again, told him she was without support, and that her servant, for whom she had taken a fancy, was industrious, and well acquainted with her husband's Aug. 29, 1818.-A good story trade. The cure's answer was, that in Mrs. Crouch's Memoirs of Stephen she ought to marry him. "And Kemble, who, sleeping at an inn in yet," said the widow, "I am afraid a country town, was waked about to do it; for when we marry, we daybreak by a strange figure, a run some risk of finding a master in dwarf, standing by his bed in ex- our servants." "Well, then," said traordinary attire. Kemble raised the curé, "don't take him." "But himself up in the bed, and ques- what shall I do?" said the widow. tioned the figure, which said, "I"I cannot support the labour of my am a dwarf, as you perceive; I am husband's business without assistcome to exhibit at the fair to-mor- ance." 'Marry him, then," said row, and I have mistaken the bed- the curé. "Very well," said the chamber: I suppose you are a giant widow; "but if he turns out a come for the same purpose.' worthless fellow, he may get hold of Sept. 1, 1818.-Interrupted by my property and spend it." "Then Bowles, who never comes amiss; you need not take him," replied the the mixture of talent and simplicity curé. In this way the curé always in him delightful. His parsonage- coincided with the last opinion exhouse at Bremhill is beautifully pressed by the widow; but seeing, situated; but he has a good deal at last, that her mind was really frittered away its beauty with grot-made up, and that she would marry toes, hermitages, and Shenstonian the servant, he told her to take the inscriptions: when company is coming he cries, 'Here John, run with the crucifix and missal to the hermitage, and set the fountain going.' His sheep-bells are tuned in thirds and fifths; but he is an excellent fellow notwithstanding; and, if the waters of his inspiration be not those of Helicon, they are at least very sweet waters, and to my taste pleasanter than some that are more strongly impregnated."

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ROLINUS' SERMONS.

The story which is so pleasantly told by Rabelais, chap. vii. of Book III., and the answer of Pantagruel to Panurge, when he consults him on his intended marriage, are copied from a sermon of John Rolinus, doctor of Paris, and monk of Cluny, on widowhood. The passage appears to me singular enough to deserve translation. He tells us, that a certain widow having gone to ask

advice of the bells of the church, and that they would counsel her best what to do. The bells rang, and the widow distinctly heard them say, "Prends ton valet: Prends ton valet."* She accordingly returned and married him immediately. Some time afterwards, he drubbed her heartily, and she found, that, instead of being mistress, she had really become the servant. She returned to the curé, and cursed the moment when she had been credulous enough to act upon his advice. "Good woman," said the curé, “I am afraid you have not rightly understood what the bells said to you." He rang them again; and then the poor widow heard clearly,- "Ne le prends pas: Ne le prends pas" (Don't take him: Don't

*Take your servant: Take your servant.-This incident will probably remind our readers of Whittington.

take him); for the drubbing and blaspheming, you may be assured bad treatment she had received had opened her eyes.-(Menage.)

NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS.

Charles V. used to say, that the Portuguese appeared to be fools, and were so; that the Spaniards appeared wise, and were not so; that the Italians seemed to be wise, and were so; and that the French seemed fools, and were not so: That the Germans spoke like carters, the English like blockheads, the French like masters, and the Spaniards like kings. The Sicilians used to call him, Scipio Africanus; the Italians, David; the French, Hercules; the Turks, Julius Cæsar; the Africans, Hannibal; the Germans, Charlemagne; and the Spaniards, Alexander the Great.

SCARRON.

M. Scarron was one day attacked so violently by hiccup, that his friends were apprehensive for his life. When the violence of the attack was a little abated, "If I survive,” said he, turning to his friends, "if I survive, I shall write a tremendous satire against the hiccup." His friends certainly expected some very different resolution.

that there are good hopes: but if you should hear them embracing and reconciling themselves to each other, you may make up your accounts with heaven." As the storm increased, the Jesuit, from time to time, despatched his companion to the hatchway to see how matters went upon deck. "Alas! father," said he, returning, "all is lost, the sailors are swearing like demoniacs; their very blasphemies are enough to sink the vessel." "Oh! heaven be praised," said the Jesuit, "then all's right."

CLASSICAL APPLICATION.

A person meeting another riding, with his wife behind him, applied to him Horace's line-" Post equitem sedet atra cura" (gloomy care sits behind the rider).

ORACLES.

A person who had some dangerous enemies, whom he believed capable of attempting anything, consulted the Oracle to know whether he should leave the country. The answer he obtained was, “Domine, stes securus," a reply which led him to believe he might safely remain at home. Some days afterwards, his enemies set fire to his house, M. D'USEZ-COMPLAISANCE. and it was with difficulty that he M. d'Usez was gentleman of ho- escaped with his life. Then recolnour to the French queen. This lecting the answer of the Oracle, princess one day asked him what he perceived, when too late, that o'clock it was. He replied, "Ma- the word was not Domine, but dam, any hour your majesty pleases." Domi ne stes securus.—( -(Menage.)

THE JESUIT IN A STORM.

MARY DE MEDICIS.

Fabro Chigi, who was afterwards Pope, under the title of Alexander VII., while nuncio in France, was present at the death of Mary de Medicis. He asked her if she par

A Jesuit who had been particularly recommended to the captain of a vessel, was sailing from France to America. The captain, who saw that a storm was approaching, said to him, “Father, you are not ac-doned all her enemies, and particustomed to the rolling of a vessel, you had better get down as fast as possible into the hold. As long as you hear the sailors swearing and

cularly Cardinal Richelieu. She said she did from her heart. "Madame," said he, "as a mark of reconciliation, will you send him the

JOHNSONIANA.

him that I did not mind what he said or wrote, and that I had done with him."

Dr. Johnson appeared to have had a remarkable delicacy with respect to the circulation of this letter; for Dr. Douglas, Bishop of Salisbury, informed Boswell, that, having many years ago pressed him to be allowed to read it to the second Lord Hardwicke, who was very desirous to hear it (promising at the same time that no copy of it should be taken), Johnson seemed much pleased that it had attracted the attention of a nobleman of such a respectable character; but, after pausing some time, declined to comply with the request, saying, with a smile, “No, sir, I have hurt the dog too much already" or words to this purpose.

Dr. Adams expostulated with Johnson, and suggested that his not being admitted when he called on him, to which Johnson had alluded in his letter, was probably not to be imputed to Lord Chesterfield; for his Lordship had declared to Dodsley, that "he would have turned off the best servant he ever had, if he had known that he denied him to a man who would have been always more than welcome." And in confirmation of this, he insisted on Lord Chesterfield's general affability and easiness of access, especially to literary men. Johnson: "Sir, that is not Lord Chesterfield; he is the proudest man this day existing." Adams: No, there is one person, at least, as proud; I think, by your own account, you are the prouder man of the two." Johnson: "But mine was defensive pride." This, as Dr. Adams well observed, was one of those happy turns for which he was so remarkably ready.

man," said he, "I thought had been a lord among wits, but I find he is only a wit among lords!" And when his letters to his natural son were published, he observed, "They teach the morals of a whore, and the manners of a dancing-master."

In 1776, Boswell showed him, as a curiosity which he had discovered, his Translation of Lobo's Account of Abyssinia which Sir John Pringle had lent, it being then little known as one of his works. He said, "Take no notice of it," or, "don't talk of it." He seemed to think it beneath him, though done at six-and-twenty. Boswell said to him, "Your style, sir, is much improved since you translated this." He answered, with a sort of triumphant smile, “Sir, I hope it is.”

Mr., afterwards Dr., Burney, during a visit to the capital, had an interview with him in Gough Square, where he dined and drank tea with him, and was introduced to the acquaintance of Mrs. Williams. After dinner, Dr. Johnson proposed to Mr. Burney to go up with him into his garret, which being accepted, he there found five or six Greek folios, a deal writing-desk, and a chair and a half. Johnson, giving to his guest the entire seat, tottered himself on one with only three legs and one arm. Here he gave Mr. Burney Mrs. Williams' history, and showed him some volumes of his Shakspeare already printed, to prove that he was in earnest. Upon Mr. Burney opening the first volume, at the Merchant of Venice, he observed to him, that he seemed to be more severe on Warburton than Theobald. Johnson: "O, poor Tib! he was ready knocked down to my hands; Warburton stands between me and him." Burney: Johnson having now explicitly "But, sir, you'll have Warburton avowed his opinion of Lord Chester- upon your bones, won't you?" field, did not refrain from express-Johnson: “No, sir, he'll not come ing himself concerning that noble- out; he'll only growl in his den." man with pointed freedom. "This Burney: "But you think, sir, that

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would seem then, sir, that much less parts are necessary to make a king than to make an author; for the king of Prussia is confessedly the greatest king now in Europe, yet you think he makes a very poor figure as an author."

Warburton is a superior critic to Theobald?" Johnson: "O, sir, he'd make two-and-fifty Theobalds cut into slices. The worst of Warburton is, that he has a rage for saying something, when there's nothing to be said." Burney: "Have you seen the letters which War- Of Burke he said, "It was comburton has written in answer to a monly observed, he spoke too often pamphlet addressed To the Most in Parliament; but nobody could Impudent Man alive?" Johnson: say he did not speak well, though "No, sir." Burney: "It is supposed too frequently, and too familiarly." to be written by Mallet." The Talking of Tacitus, Boswell controversy at this time raged be- hazarded an opinion, that with all tween the friends of Pope and Bol- his merit for penetration, shrewdingbroke; and Warburton and ness of judgment, and terseness of Mallet were the leaders of the seve-expression, he was too compact, too ral parties. Mr. Burney asked him much broken into hints, as it were, then if he had seen Warburton's and therefore too difficult to be unbook against Bolingbroke's philosophy? Johnson: "No, sir, I have never read Bolingbroke's impiety, and therefore am not interested about its confutation."

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derstood. Dr. Johnson sanctioned this opinion. "Tacitus, sir, seems to me rather to have made notes for a historical work, than to have written a history."

He said, "Burnet's History of his own Times is very entertaining: the style, indeed, is mere chit-chat. I do not believe that Burnet intentionally lied; but he was so much prejudiced, that he took no pains to find out the truth. He was like a man who resolves to regulate his time by a certain watch, but will not inquire whether the watch is right or not.”

Sir Thomas Robinson sitting with Johnson, said, that the King of Prussia valued himself upon three things :- - upon being a hero, a musician, and an author. Johnson: Pretty well, sir, for one man. As to his being an author, I have not looked at his poetry; but his prose is poor stuff: he writes just as you may suppose Voltaire's footboy to do, who had been his amanuensis. He has such parts as the valet Goldsmith being mentionedmight have, and about as much of Johnson: "It is amazing how the colouring of the style as might little Goldsmith knows: he seldom be got by transcribing his works." comes where he is not more ignoWhen Boswell was at Ferney, he rant than any one else." Sir Joshua repeated this to Voltaire, in order Reynolds: "Yet there is no man to reconcile him somewhat to John- whose company is more liked." son, whom he, in affecting the Eng- Johnson: "To be sure, sir, when lish mode of expression, had pre-people find a man of the most disviously characterized as a super- tinguished abilities as a writer, their stitious dog;" but after hearing inferior while he is with them, it such a criticism on Frederick the must be highly gratifying to them. Great, with whom he was then on What Goldsmith comically says of bad terms, he exclaimed, "An himself, is very true-he always honest fellow!" gets the better when he argues Upon this contemptuous animad-alone; meaning, that he is master version on the King of Prussia, of a subject in his study, and can Boswell observed to Johnson, "It write well upon it; but when he

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