by his father's valet crying flounders about the streets of Deptford, was sent to the West Indies, whither Foster accompanied him. On their return to England a good-natured stratagem was practised to obtain a temporary supply of money from old Montagu, and, at the same time, to give him a favourable opinion of his son's attention to a particular species of erudition. The stratagem was this:-Foster wrote a book which he entitled, The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republics. To this he subjoined the name of Edward Wortley Montagu, jun., Esq. Old Wortley seeing the book advertised, sent for his son, and gave him a bank note of one hundred pounds, promising him a similar present for every new edition which the book should pass through. It was well received, and therefore a second edition occasioned a second supply. It is now in libraries with the name of Wortley Montagu prefixed as the author, although he did not write a line of it.-L. T. Rede's Anecdotes. London. 1799.) DR. JOHNSON'S SERMONS, ETC. The papers in the Adventurer, signed with the letter T., are commonly attributed to one of Mr. Johnson's earliest and most intimate friends, Mr. Bathurst the bookseller; but there is reason to believe they were written by Johnson, and by him given to his friend. At that time Johnson was himself engaged in writing the Rambler, and could ill afford to make a present of his labours. The various other pieces he gave away have conferred fame, and probably fortune, on several persons, to the great disgrace of some of his clerical friends; forty sermons, which he himself tells us he wrote, have not yet been deterré.—(L. T. Rede's Anecdotes. London. 1799.) [Query: Are the sermons here alluded to those left for publication by John Taylor, LL.D., which have long been recognized as the genuine production of the learned lexicographer?] (See a letter of Dr. Beattie's, of date October 31, published in his life by Sir W. Forbes.) TENDERNESS AND AFFECTION. DR. CHALMERS. up in his repositories at Edinburgh. The simplicity and tenderness Not a place or person familiar to of Dr. Chalmers's character have him in earlier years was left unvinever been better illustrated than sited. On his way to the churchin the details given in the follow-yard, he went up the very road ing passage from the Memoir by along which he had gone of old to Dr. Hanna:the parish school. Slipping into a "In the spring of 1845, Dr. Chal-poor-looking dwelling by the way, mers visited his native village. It he said to his companion, Dr. Wilalmost looked as if he came to take liamson, 'I would just like to see farewell, and as if that peculiarity the place where Lizzy Geen's waterof old age which sends it back to bucket used to stand,'-the said the days of childhood for its last water-bucket having been a faearthly reminiscences, had for a vourite haunt of the over-heated time, and prematurely, taken hold ball-players, and Lizzy a great of him. His special object seemed favourite for the free access she to be to revive the recollections of allowed to it. He called on two his boyhood-gathering Johnny- contemporaries of his boyhood, one Groats by the sea-beach of the Bil- of whom he had not seen for fortylowness, and lilacs from an ancient five, the other for fifty-two years, hedge, taking both away to be laid and took the most boyish delight TENDERNESS AND AFFECTION. 29 in recognizing how the 'mould of cious hold. Miss R was marantiquity had gathered upon their ried (I believe while he was yet at features,' and in recounting stories college) to Mr. Fand his opof his school-boy days. James,' portunities of seeing her in aftersaid he to the oldest of the two, a life were few, but that early imtailor, now upwards of eighty, who pression never faded from his heart. in those days had astonished the At the time of his visit to Anstruchildren, and himself among the ther in 1845, she had been dead for number, with displays of superior many years, but, at Dr. Chalmers's knowledge, 'you were the first man | particular request, her younger sisthat ever gave me something like a ter met him at Barnsmuir. Having correct notion of the form of the made the most affectionate inquiries earth. I knew that it was round, about Mrs. F and her family, but I thought always that it was he inquired particularly about her round like a shilling, till you told me death, receiving with deep emotion that it was round like a marble.' the intelligence that she had died 'Well, John,' said he to the other, in the full Christian hope, and that whose face, like his own, had suf- some of his own letters to her sister fered severely from small-pox in his had served to soothe and comfort childhood; you and I have had her latest hours. "Mrs. W-,' one advantage over folk with finer said he eagerly, "is there a portrait faces-theirs have been aye getting of your sister anywhere in this the waur, but ours have been aye house?" She took him to a room, getting the better o' the wear!' and pointed to a profile which hung The dining-room of his grand-upon the wall. He planted himself father's house had a fireplace fitted up behind with Dutch tiles, adorned with various quaint devices, upon which he had used to feast his eyes in boyish wonder and delight. These he now sought out most diligently, but was grieved to find them all so blackened and begrimed by the smoke of half-acentury, that not one of his old windmills or burgomasters was visible. To one apartment he felt a peculiar tie, as having been appropriated exclusively to his use in his college days, when the love of solitary study was at times a passion. But the most interesting visit of all was to Barnsmuir, a place a few miles from Anstruther, on the way to Crail. In his schoolboy days it had been occupied by Capt. R whose eldest daughter rode in daily on a little pony to the school at Anstruther. Dr. "My sonsy Nancy!-I love you Chalmers was then a boy of from very much, and think very often of twelve to fourteen years of age, your dimples and your pimples, and but he was not too young for an your funny little plays, and all your attachment of a singularly tena-pretty ways; and I send you my before it-gazed on it with intense JEFFREY'S PLAYFULNESS AND The gentle and playful disposition of the distinguished reviewer of the Edinburgh, is finely illustrated in the following letter to his grandchild: you blessing, and wish I were kissing wishes of your younger sister and your sweet rosy lips, or your fat brother. God bless and keep you finger tips; and that you were here then for ever, my delightful and so that I could hear your stammer-ever-improving child, and make ing words, from a mouthful of curds; not only gay and happy as an angel and a great purple tongue (as broad without sin and sorrow, but meek as it's long); and see your round and mild like that heavenly Child, eyes open wide with surprise, and who was once sent down to earth your wondering look to find your- for our example. Well, the sun is self at Craigcrook! To-morrow is shining brightly on our towers and Maggie's birthday, and we have trees, and the great bonfire is all built up a great bonfire in honour piled up and ready to be lighted, of it; and Maggie Rutherfurd (do when we come out after drinking you remember her at all?) is coming your health at dinner; and we have out to dance round it; and all the got a great blue and yellow flag servants are to drink her health, and hung out on the tower, waving wish her many happy days with you proudly in the wind, and telling all and Frankie; and all the mammas the country around that this is a and papas, whether grand or not day of rejoicing and thanksgiving, grand. We are very glad to hear and wishes of happiness, with all she and you love each other so well, who live under its shadow. And and are happy in making each other the servants are all to have a fine happy, and that you do not forget dinner, and wine and whisky to dear Tarley or Frankie when they drink to your health, and all the are out of sight, nor Granny either, young Christies (that is, the new garor even old Granny pa, who is in dener's children) will be taught to most danger of being forgotten, he repeat your name with blessings; thinks." and when they are drawn up round the bonfire will wonder a little, I this Miss Maggie can be, that we dare say, what sort of a creature are making all this fuss about! and so you must take care, when you come, to be good enough and pretty enough, to make them understand why we all so love and honour you Frankie and Tarley have been talk Here is another exquisite letter to one of his grandchildren, when its writer was in his seventy-fifth year : 66 Craigcrook, June 21, 1847. "A high day! and a holiday! the longest and the brightest of the year; the very middle day of the summer, and the very day when Mag-ing a great deal about you this gie first opened her sweet eyes on the light! Bless you ever, my darling and bonny bairn. You have now blossomed beside us for six pleasant years, and been all that time the light of our eyes and the love of our hearts; at first the cause of some tender fears from your weakness and delicacy, then of some little provocation from your too great love, as we thought, of your own will and amusement, but now only of love and admiration for your gentle obedience to your parents, and your sweet yielding to the morning already, and Granny is going to take them, and Mary Rutherfurd and her brother, down to the sea at Cramond, that they may tell the fishes and the distant shores what a happy and a hopeful day it is to them, and to us all. And so bless you again, my sweet one, for this and all future years, Think kindly of one who thinks always of you, and believe, that of all who love you there is none who has loved you better or longer, or more constantly, than your loving Grandpa."-(Life of Lord Jeffrey.) WHIMS AND CAPRICES. 31 IRRITABILITY AND VANITY. ROUSSEAU AND DAVID HUME. gave me a steadfast, piercing look, In 1762, the Parliament of mixed with a sneer, which greatly Paris issued an arret against Jean Jacques Rousseau, on account of his opinions, and the good offices of David Hume were engaged to find him a retreat in England. He was established comfortably in the mansion of Mr. Davenport, at Wooton, in Derbyshire. This vain man appeared in public in London wearing an Armenian dress, which of course attracted much notice; and so long as he was an object of curiosity, his vanity found ample gratification. But being irritable as he was vain, whenever the interest of his first appearance in England began to subside, and he found himself exposed to the animadversions of the press, he became dissatisfied and jealous, and quarrelled with his benefactor, Hume, whom he accused of conceiving horrible designs against him. Rousseau has related an amusing interview with Hume at the time when he entertained this morbid suspicion of the historian's sincerity. The contrast betwixt the phlegmatic reserve of Hume, and the violent effervescence of the Genevese philosopher is highly characteristic. The scene arose out of a dispute about the payment of a return chaise:-"As we were sitting one evening, after supper, silently by the fireside, I caught his eye intently fixed on mine, as indeed happened very often; and that in a manner of which it is very difficult to give an idea. At that time he disturbed me. To get rid of the embarrassment I lay under, I endeavoured to look full at him in my turn; but in fixing my eyes against his, I felt the most inexpressible terror, and was obliged soon to turn them away. The speech and physiognomy of the good David is that of an honest man; but where, great God! did this good man borrow those eyes he fixes so sternly and unaccountably on those of his friends? The impression of this look remained with me, and gave me much uneasiness. My trouble increased even to a degree of fainting; and if I had not been relieved by an effusion of tears I had been suffocated. Presently after this I was seized with the most violent remorse; I even despised myself; till at length, in a transport, which I still remember with delight, I sprang on his neck, embraced him eagerly, while almost choked with sobbing, and bathed in tears, I cried out in broken accents, No, no, David Hume cannot be treacherous. If he be not the best of men, he must be the basest of mankind. David Hume politely returned my embraces, and, gently tapping me on the back, repeated several times, in a good-natured and easy tone, Why, what, my dear sir! nay, my dear sir! O, my dear sir! He said nothing more. I felt my heart yearn within me. We went to bed; and I set out the next day for the country." WHIMS AND CAPRICES. A MAD AUTHOR. An insane author, once placed in confinement, employed most of his time in writing. One night, being thus engaged by aid of a bright moon, a slight cloud passed over the luminary, when, in an impetuous manner, he called out—" Arise, Jupiter, and snuff the moon." The authors differing from the general cloud became thicker, and he ex- opinion. claimed "The stupid! he has snuffed it out." AUTHORS NOT THE BEST JUDGES OF THEIR OWN WRITINGS. RABELAIS. Rabelais had writ some sensible pieces, which the world did not regard at all. "I will write something," says he, "that they shall take notice of;" and so sat down to write nonsense. Everybody allows that there are several things without any manner of meaning in his Pantagruel. Dr. Swift likes it much, and thinks there are more good things in it than I do.-(Pope.) CAPRICES AND CONTRADICTIONS. It is known that Milton preferred his Paradise Regained to his divine poem of Paradise Lost. Virgil is recorded to have ordered, on his deathbed, that the Eneid should be burnt, because he did not think it sufficiently finished for publication; and it is to the disobedience of his executors that we are indebted A More, fiercely persecuting for for the possession of that exquisite opinion while writing in favour of performance. Tasso new-modelled the rights of thought; a Bacon, and injured his Gierusalemme Liber- teaching morals and taking bribes; ata. And it may reasonably be a La Fontaine, writing intrigues doubted, from the specimen which while avoiding, in his own person, Akenside has left of the manner in a single amour; a Young, making which he intended to alter his wretched puns and writing Night Pleasures of Imagination, whether Thoughts; a Sterne, beating his that beautiful poem would have wife and crying over a dead ass; been improved by the experiment, a melancholy Cowper, gasping out had he lived to finish it. Sir the laughter-moving story of John William Forbes, in his Life of Dr. Gilpin: truly that chapter which Beattie, adduces his omitting, in shall have to deal with all the oddithe late editions of his poems, of ties and anomalies of the literary several beautiful pieces published life must be long and curious, inin his first collection, and reprinting finitely various in its illustrations, others of inferior poetical merit, and deep in its insight and its as another of the many instances of philosophy.—(Athenæum.) FROISSART. ANTIQUARIANISM. I rejoice you have met with Froissart, he is the Herodotus of a barbarous age; had he but had the luck of writing in as good language, he might have been immortal! His locomotive disposition (for then there was no other way of learning things); his simple curiosity, his religious credulity, were much like those of the old Grecian. (Thomas Gray to Mr. Nicholls.) [In a letter to Dr. Wharton more than ten years before this, he says] Froissart is a favourite book of mine (though I have not attentively read them, but only dipped here and there); and it is strange to me that people, who would give thousands for a dozen portraits (originals of that time) to furnish a gallery, should never cast an eye on so many moving pictures of the life, actions, manners, and thoughts of their ancestors, done on the spot, and in strong, though simple colours. In the succeeding century Froissart, I find, was read with great satisfaction by everybody that could read; and on the same footing with King |